Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun recently provided an update on what they’re hearing about Canada’s roster decisions for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Despite his strong performance, Connor Bedard is reportedly still considered to be in a group “on the outside looking in,” ranking behind Macklin Celebrini—despite where Bedard currently stands in the league’s point race as of Monday morning.
According to the two insiders, the four forwards who have “improved their stock the most since being left off the 4 Nations squad” are Macklin Celebrini, Nick Suzuki, Mark Scheifele, and Tom Wilson.
Here’s what they had to say about Bedard:
Bedard has played extremely well for the up-and-coming Chicago Blackhawks this season, exploding for seven points over a pair of weekend wins. However, there remains some uncertainty about whether Team Canada wants to include two young players—Bedard and Celebrini—both on the roster. Management is preparing for a “grown-up’s game” in Milan, and it seems likely that only one of the two will make the final cut. Currently, Celebrini, the young star from the Sharks, appears to be in pole position.
From my perspective, the three players who have made the biggest jump and strongest case to make the Canadian roster are Bedard, Celebrini, and Suzuki. The key question that both Canada and the USA will have to answer with their final rosters is how much they want to balance building for the future with the goal of winning gold now—and how those two priorities can coexist.
I’ve seen some comments on social media suggesting that leaving one or both of Bedard and Celebrini off the Olympic roster would be malpractice or tantamount to accepting defeat. I respectfully disagree, primarily because Canada’s depth of talent this year is exceptionally strong.
There have even been mock lineups circulating with Sidney Crosby listed as Canada’s third center behind Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid, illustrating just how stacked the team could be.
Coming into this season, we knew that Bedard, Celebrini, and others needed to get off to strong starts and make big impressions. The good news is that Bedard has done precisely that, and this conversation about roster decisions will likely continue right up until the final roster is announced.
https://www.bleachernation.com/blackhawks/2025/11/10/how-much-have-connor-bedards-chances-of-making-canadas-olympic-roster-improved/
About the Author
