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, NHL analyst Stu Cowan believes.

During an appearance on The Sick Podcast published on August 2, the Montreal-area Cowan cast doubt on Noah Dobson’s chances of finding a spot for himself on Team Canada’s roster for the upcoming Milano-Cortina games.

Cowan stated:

“And Dobson getting invited. I mean, the invite 42 guys are gonna have to have some scrimmages right before that, you have two teams. 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 to be held on August 26-28 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 Noah Dobson, Cowan isn’t convinced the invite means he’s a lock for the team. He expanded:

“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.

Cowan concluded:

“I think Dobson, I’d be surprised…”

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 Canadiens two other 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 to see 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 for Italy in February, 2026.

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Nestor is an NHL and MLB writer at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience. Growing up in Toronto, he became an avid Maple Leafs and Blue Jays fan, but also admires the New York Islanders and Los Angeles Dodgers for their dominance in the 80s. Holding an Economics and Education major, Nestor’s passion for writing and sporting events led him to take up reporting about the sport professionally.

Nestor credits the Leafs’ playoff runs in the early ’90s as having a lasting impact on him. His favorite players are Doug Gilmour and Mike Bossy, as he feels they were tough, talented leaders, while Pat Burns is his favorite coach of all time for always preaching a fast-paced game.

Growing up in Canada, it was natural for Nestor to become interested in ice hockey and he played Minor Hockey as a teenager, which has given him a unique perspective on the sport. Nestor has mastered the art of how to best present facts and he also has a knack for knowing which sources can be trusted, and which can’t for stories.

When he is not writing about Canada’s national passion, Nestor enjoys running and hiking.

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