Nashville Predators May Only Have 3 Representatives at 2026 Olympics

For how good of a team the Nashville Predators appear to have this season, a fair bit is going to change over the course of a year and a half leading up to the 2026 Winter Olympics and the NHL's participation in it once again.

While there would likely be five members of the current Predators team on their national teams if the rosters were chosen and the competition was this season, there is an aging core and a couple of names might fall out of a spot by the time the Olympics rolls around.

There are three absolute guarantees from the Predators roster to go to the Olympics in 2026. These three include Filip Forsberg (Sweden), Roman Josi (Switzerland), and Juuse Saros (Finland). This is what Nashville saw as their core last season.

Forsberg is one of the best active Swedish-born forwards and third in career points among players who are still in the NHL. He just scored 48 goals and 94 points, plus he is only 30 years old.

Roman Josi is one of only three Swiss defensemen in the NHL and is a top-5 defenseman in the league. There is no competition for him to take the top spot on the team and captain Team Switzerland, regardless of if he'll be 35 years old. He hasn't slowed down yet.

Saros' only clear competition for starts in the 2026 Olympics for Team Finland will be Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who he is pretty far ahead of. Saros is an elite goaltender and the best Finnish-born netminder in the NHL at this time. The crease is his to lose and it will take a lot.

Related: Where Does Former Predators Goalie Kevin Lankinen Go From Here?

Beyond that, I mentioned the two veterans who are getting older and would make their teams now, but might not by 2026. These potential representatives include Steven Stamkos and Gustav Nyquist.

Stamkos is still very much a top player at 34 years old, but he will be 36 years old by the time the Olympics start in 2026. That is getting up there in age and he is already past his prime. The former captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning did just put up a 40-goal, 81-point season, but that was with the elite scoring threats on the Lightning. He has three consecutive point-per-game seasons, but he is also Canadian and there is a ton of competition.

While Stamkos' leadership would be useful and his abilities would still very much be useful on a team right now, there are some very good players who are in their primes and there is still a season and a half in Nashville for Stamkos to prove he is still at the same level he was in Tampa Bay.

The Swedish Olympic team isn't at the same level talent-wise as Canada, but Nyquist isn't at the same level as Stamkos. Nyquist had a career resurgence on the top line for the Predators last season, but he is going to see a drop-off after the veteran won't get the same playing time on the power play.

Nyquist is going to be turning 37 years old later in 2026 and there are a handful of young Swedish-born players around the league that are getting better quickly. He will very likely be passed within a year and a half and be left off the Olympic roster for Sweden.

While representing your country on the biggest stage is a big deal for many players, the Nashville Predators will be locked in and focused on winning a Stanley Cup first.

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