If you’re missing fantasy hockey during the NHL Olympic break from February 6-24, don’t worry.
Gather your friends to create a hockey pool for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics! I’ve compiled special fantasy player rankings just for this event.
Olympic hockey pools are different from Stanley Cup playoff pools because (a) they usually have simpler stat categories like player points, goalie wins, and shutouts; and (b) the number of games varies, as some teams will play more than others.
Understanding how many games teams are likely to play is crucial for rankings. Every team will play at least four games in Milan: three in the preliminary round and one playoff game. Teams finishing in the top four will compete in six or seven games.
This means choosing players depends on predicting their game time. A solid strategy might be to invest in strong teams like Canada or the USA, or take a chance on a mid-ranking team that might get an extra game if they reach the play-in round.
Another factor to consider is player roles. If a country relies on only one or two NHL players, those individuals will likely have higher playtime. For example, players like Slovakia’s Juraj Slafkovsky and Switzerland’s Roman Josi could deliver valuable fantasy points by playing more minutes compared to a star Canadian player who may be on a lower line.
Here’s a reminder of the groups for the tournament based on world rankings:
GROUP A: Canada, Switzerland, Czechia, France
GROUP B: Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy
GROUP C: USA, Germany, Latvia, Denmark
Now, let’s dive into the fantasy rankings. It’s more important to focus on choosing from tiers than on specific rankings.
Stat categories: one point for a goal, one point for an assist, one point for a win, and one point for a shutout.
TIER 1: The Best
1. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Canada
2. Connor McDavid, C, Canada
3. Cale Makar, D, Canada
These players are among the best in the world, part of the top team in the tournament. Being on the primary power-play line increases their chances of playing five to six games. MacKinnon was the MVP of the 4 Nations Face-Off, while McDavid scored the winning goal in the tournament—making them strong candidates.
TIER 2: The Stars
4. Jack Eichel, C, USA
5. Quinn Hughes, D, USA
6. Connor Hellebuyck, G, USA
7. Auston Matthews, C, USA
8. Sidney Crosby, C, Canada
9. David Pastrnak, RW, Czechia
10. Mikko Rantanen, RW, Finland
11. William Nylander, RW, Sweden
12. Matthew Tkachuk, RW, USA
13. Brady Tkachuk, LW, USA
Each of these players is likely to make significant contributions and can lead the tournament in scoring. The Tkachuk-Eichel-Tkachuk line performed exceptionally in the 4 Nations. If you’re in a snake draft format, landing two of these players could secure your victory.
TIER 3: The High-Potential Players
14. Sam Reinhart, RW, Canada
15. Rasmus Dahlin, D, Sweden
16. Macklin Celebrini, C, Canada
17. Mark Stone, RW, Canada
18. Sebastian Aho, C, Finland
19. Mitch Marner, RW, Canada
20. Tage Thompson, C, USA
21. Lucas Raymond, RW, Sweden
22. Roman Cervenka, C, Czechia
23. Matt Boldy, RW, USA
24. Martin Necas, RW, Czechia
25. Miro Heiskanen, D, Finland
26. Leon Draisaitl, C, Germany
27. Roman Josi, D, Switzerland
28. Zach Werenski, D, USA
29. Moritz Seider, D, Germany
30. Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, Slovakia
This tier is diverse, featuring reliable stars like Aho and Dahlin, as well as players who could excel if given prominent roles, such as Stone and Raymond. Don’t overlook Cervenka, who has previously performed well alongside Pastrnak.
TIER 4: Potential with Risk
31. Jake Guentzel, LW, USA
32. Jack Hughes, C, USA
33. Victor Hedman, D, Sweden
34. Kyle Connor, LW, USA
35. Adrian Kempe, LW, Sweden
36. Mika Zibanejad, C, Sweden
37. Brandon Hagel, LW, Canada
38. Brad Marchand, LW, Canada
39. Roope Hintz, C, Finland
40. Jordan Binnington, G, Canada
41. Juuse Saros, G, Finland
42. Dylan Larkin, C, USA
43. Erik Karlsson, D, Sweden
44. Clayton Keller, LW, USA
45. Josh Morrissey, D, Canada
46. Anton Lundell, C, Finland
47. Filip Forsberg, LW, Sweden
48. Nick Suzuki, C, Canada
49. Joel Eriksson Ek, C, Sweden
50. Artturi Lehkonen, LW, Finland
51. Jesper Bratt, RW, Sweden
52. Filip Gustavsson, G, Sweden
53. Elias Pettersson, C, Sweden
54. Nico Hischier, C, Switzerland
55. Shea Theodore, D, Canada
56. Lukas Dostal, G, Czechia
57. Tim Stutzle, C, Germany
This tier has mixed possibilities. Many of these players are strong in regular leagues but may not shine in a short tournament. The performance of players like Hughes and Connor is uncertain, based on their past appearances. You need to assess their potential carefully.
TIER 5: Choose Wisely
58. Logan Thompson, G, Canada
59. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Denmark
60. Kevin Fiala, LW, Switzerland
61. Rickard Rakell, LW, Sweden
62. Lukas Sedlak, LW, Czechia
63. Philipp Grubauer, G, Germany
64. Brock Faber, D, USA
65. Charlie McAvoy, D, USA
66. Tom Wilson, RW, Canada
67. Thomas Harley, D, Canada
68. Drew Doughty, D, Canada
69. Devon Toews, D, Canada
70. JJ Peterka, LW, Germany
71. Filip Hronek, D, Czechia
72. Bo Horvat, C, Canada
73. Sam Bennett, C, Canada
74. Seth Jarvis, RW, Canada
75. Frederik Andersen, G, Denmark
76. Timo Meier, LW, Switzerland
77. Leonardo Genoni, G, Switzerland
78. Tomas Hertl, C, Czechia
79. Jake Sanderson, D, USA
80. Eetu Luostarinen, LW, Finland
81. Arturs Silovs, G, Latvia
Picking from this tier involves a bit of guesswork based on team potential. If you think a higher-ranked team will perform well, consider selecting some of their players, especially goalies like Grubauer or Andersen.
TIER 6: Hidden Gems
82. Pavel Zacha, C, Czechia
83. Jake Oettinger, G, USA
84. Brock Nelson, C, USA
85. J.T. Miller, C, USA
86. Jesper Wallstedt, G, Sweden
87. Vincent Trocheck, C, USA
88. Kevin Lankinen, G, Finland
89. Darcy Kuemper, G, Canada
90. Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW, Denmark
91. Samuel Hlavaj, G, Slovakia
92. Gabriel Landeskog, LW, Sweden
93. Alexandre Texier, LW, France
94. Teddy Blueger, C, Latvia
95. Yohann Auvitu, D, France
96. Jaccob Slavin, D, USA
97. Elvis Merzlikins, G, Latvia
98. Simon Nemec, D, Slovakia
99. Eeli Tolvanen, RW, Finland
100. J.J. Moser, D, Switzerland
Finding a standout player in this group could make a significant difference. There’s potential for goalies like Oettinger or Wallstedt to become starters. Players from smaller countries could also find themselves in key roles.
On the Bubble
Elias Lindholm, C, Sweden
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, Sweden
Gustav Forsling, D, Sweden
Martin Fehervary, D, Slovakia
Karel Vejmelka, G, Czechia
Frederik Dichow, G, Switzerland
Jeremy Swayman, G, USA
Rasmus Andersson, D, Sweden
Noah Hanifin, D, USA
Jackson LaCombe, D, USA
Jacob Markstrom, G, Sweden
Colton Parayko, D, Canada
Travis Sanheim, D, Canada
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PRESENTED BY DAILY FACEOFF’S OLYMPIC COVERAGE