There’s a lot of uncertainty regarding a slew of Sabres players as the 2026 Winter Olympics draw to within the one-year mark. They could see some representation from players like Tage Thompson (USA), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Suomi), JJ Peterka (Germany), and perhaps Jiri Kulich (Czechia).
But Tage was an afterthought for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off, only going as far as being the emergency backup. Luukkonen didn’t play at all, but unlike Tage, he was an official member of Team Finland.
Had Germany been represented at the 4 Nations, JJ Peterka would have likely earned a spot on the squad and played. Peterka has been a beast at the international level, and there’s no doubt in my mind he would’ve been impressive. As for Jiri Kulich, he’s proving his worth as a scorer, with a solid 11 goals in 42 games.
Sabres will have one shoo-in in the 2026 Olympics
Per NHL.com’s Tracey Myers, Rasmus Dahlin appears to be a shoo-in for the Games, and he’ll represent Team Sweden. Myers put together a recent projection of who will represent Sverige, and thanks to Dahlin’s productivity at the 4 Nations and how valuable he is to the Sabres, it wasn’t surprising to see his name on the list.
Dahlin is looking like his 2022-23 self this season, with 46 points and nine goals in 48 games, and a few more strong outings will put him onto a point-per-game basis. He’s also been hot on the man advantage, with 15 points and four goals when the Sabres are at 5-on-4.
I’d like to see more physicality from Dahlin, as he’s only mustered 60 hits heading into Thursday night’s contest, but still, his tenacity in all three zones has stood out all season. Something that’s become the norm since he elevated his play late in the 2021-22 season. Should Dahlin keep this pace up, don’t be surprised when he finishes in the Top 10 for the Norris Trophy at the end of the year.
Which Sabres player is next in line to make their Olympic Team?
With the names listed in the top section, JJ Peterka is the first player who comes to mind. While I strongly considered putting Tage here, he’ll likely face far more competition to win a spot on Team USA than Peterka will for Team Germany.
So far, Peterka will have more than earned it, with 16 goals and 43 points in 54 contests, and he’s got a hot 13.3 shooting percentage. He’s brought a lot of energy to the Sabres since he first became a full-time player in 2022-23, and Peterka has improved every single season.
Overall, it’ll be fun to see which Sabres players land on these projections and who will ultimately get their names called once the official rosters are released. It was exciting to see NHL teammates briefly turn into enemies during the 4 Nations, but it only gave us a small preview of what will come when the players take off for Milano, Italy, next year.