3 Players on the Bubble to Make Team Canada's Olympic Roster

Team Canada's Olympic roster is going to be stacked with NHL talent but unfortunately some players are going to be on the outside looking in as the tournament begins. Let's dive into a few names that are expected to be in the mix to make the team.

John Tavares

The Toronto Maple Leafs captain is starting to look like his old self after a very scary head and knee injury during last postseason. So far in 16 games Tavares has recorded eight goals and 15 points. His skating is the only downfall to his game as he's not the more fleet of foot and uses his body positioning and soft hands to create space. Tavares has represented Canada numerous times including the World Juniors, Spengler Cup and Olympic Games so wearing the red and white would be nothing new to the Oakville, Ontario native. He'll need to continue his strong play to make the team.

Steven Stamkos

Stamkos is a proven winner who has battled some serious injuries in his career and appears to be back on track this season in Tampa Bay. The two-time Stanley Cup champion is a versatile forward who can play both the wing and down the middle and having Jon Cooper as the Canadian head coach should help his chances. So far in 14 games in 2021-22, Stamkos has recorded 16 points. He's never appeared in an Olympic games and would love a chance to dawn the red and white.

Zach Hyman

Team Canada won't be filled with a bunch of scoring forwards, there's going to be a need for a shutdown line and Hyman could be the perfect winger for the job. Some are calling it the Chris Kunitz effect, but it would make some sense to bring Hyman to play alongside Connor McDavid and potentially Sidney Crosby to form one hell of a line. The Michigan university product and Toronto native is having himself a great start to the season with 13 points in 15 games and is on pace to shatter all his career highs. Hyman is a great penalty killer as well, so there's no doubt he'll be right in the mix to the final cuts.