NHL analyst casts serious doubt over Noah Dobson's chances of making Canada's 2026 Olympic roster

Montreal Canadiens blue liner Noah Dobson could struggle to find a spot in Team Canada’s lineup for the 2026 Olympics, according to NHL analyst Stu Cowan.

During an appearance on "The Sick Podcast" on Saturday, Cowan casted doubt on Noah Dobson’s chances of finding a spot for himself on Team Canada’s roster for the upcoming Milano-Cortina games.

“Dobson getting invited. I mean, the invite 42 guys are gonna have to have some scrimmages right before that, you have two teams," Cowan said. "But for Dobs, that's a good sign that the team and Canada scouts officials think highly enough of him to invite him to that camp.”

Dobson was among the 42 NHLers invited to Team Canada’s orientation camp on August 26 to 28 in Calgary. The invitees also featured female members and players to make up the women's and para squads. In total, over 90 members were invited.

While it’s a good sign for Dobson, Cowan was not convinced that the invite means he’s a lock for the team:

“I don't know if there's a spot on the blue line for him, when you look at what they had at the 4 Nations, but a confidence boost getting invited there and a great experience for him going.”

Team Canada boasted a blue line that featured reigning Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar leading the way. The club also had other high-end blue liners like Devon Toews, Shea Theodore and Colton Parayko. That level of talent makes Cowan skeptical of Dobson’s chance of making the squad.

Of the 42 players invited to the orientation camp this August, Team Canada management will need to whittle the roster down to about 23 players by the end of the year. The 2026 Olympics are set to begin in February, making this orientation camp a major step in filling out Team Canada’s roster.

Noah Dobson joins two Canadiens teammates at Team Canada orientation camp

Nick Suzuki could join Noah Dobson on Team Canada's roster - Source: Imagn

Noah Dobson was among three Montreal Canadiens players invited to Team Canada’s orientation camp. The other two Habs were captain Nick Suzuki and netminder Samuel Montembeault.

Montembeault was on Canada’s roster for last season’s 4 Nations Face-Off. He didn’t get much action, but was a solid presence for the squad. Montembeault was stuck in the depth chart behind Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill.

Suzuki wasn’t a part of the Team Canada squad at the 4 Nations. However, he could get serious consideration for the 2026 Olympics after a fantastic season. Suzuki led the Habs to a playoff spot. That performance could draw the attention of Team Canada officials who could use Suzuki’s solid two-way play to bolster Canada’s middle six.

It’s worth pointing out that all 24 players from Team Canada’s 4 Nations roster were invited to the orientation camp. So, Suzuki will face some tough competition for a spot in the lineup. But anything can happen from now till the day the Canadian squad sets out for Italy in February.

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Edited by Nestor Quixtan