While best-on-best Olympic hockey is finally back after 12 years, the Calgary Flames won’t be very well represented in Italy. The NHL’s 29th-ranked team will have just one player participating in the men’s hockey tournament. That total is tied for the lowest amount of any NHL team.
While watching Martin Pospisil wreak havoc with Slovakia is fun, one can’t help but wonder how many Flames we could see at the 2030 Olympics games in France. Predicting an NHL roster four years from now is nearly impossible, so for this exercise, we’ll assume any current Flame is still on the team in 2030.
The locks
Martin Pospisil – Slovakia
Martin Pospisil was one of the initial six skaters named to Slovakia’s roster in the summer. This after having just 25 points last season. That should tell you all you need to know about Slovakia’s depth of talent. Currently lining up as Slovakia’s 2nd line centre, there’s no reason to believe Pospisil won’t once again be a key cog on a weak Slovakia team in 2030, even at 30 years old.
Sam Honzek – Slovakia
Maybe this is a bit of a stretch, but as I just mentioned, Slovakia has an incredibly weak talent pool. The Slovaks have had just five forwards play NHL minutes this season, and Honzek was one of them. At 16th overall in 2023, Honzek became the fourth-highest drafted Slovakian-born player of the last 20 years.
Before his injury, he was a lock to make Slovakia’s roster for the 2026 games. We still don’t know whether Honzek is an NHL player, but given he’ll be only 25 in 2030, I can’t see any way he isn’t on this roster.
Yegor Sharangovich – Belarus (if invited)
Belarus has been banned from international hockey events for a few years now, with no end in sight. However, if things change by 2030 and Belarus is at the tournament, Yegor Sharangovich will be a lock to represent his home country. The 27-year-old is one of just two Belarusian forwards to play NHL hockey over the past four years. Sharangovich wouldn’t just be a lock; he’d be on Belarus’ top line and would be expected to carry his country’s team alongside Alexei Protas.
Strong contender for a spot
Dustin Wolf – U.S.A.
Surely Dustin Wolf is a frontrunner for a role on the 2030 U.S. team, right? The 24-year-old is one of the league’s budding stars between the pipes and should have a great chance at earning a spot at the 2030 tournament. U.S.A mainstay Connor Hellebuyck will be 36 by the next tournament, meaning a spot will certainly be up for grabs. Along with Spencer Knight, Wolf represents the next wave of American goaltenders and will still only be 28 years old in 2030.
Has an outside shot
Matt Coronato – U.S.A.
America has become a powerhouse in recent years, meaning its roster has become incredibly difficult to crack. However, I think it would be unfair to say Matt Coronato doesn’t have a shot at making the 2030 roster. While he certainly isn’t a favourite right now, a lot can change in four years. Over the last two seasons, Coronato has registered the 16th most goals among American-born wingers.
Still just 23 years old, there’s a good chance Coronato continues to get even better as he enters his prime. He’ll only be 27 by the time the next Olympics rolls around. It will take a big step in production for him to make the team in 2030, but I think he has the talent to at least be in the discussion in a few years.
Zayne Parekh – Canada
While this may seem like a very bold bet now, I think Zayne Parekh certainly has an outside chance at making Team Canada in four years. If anyone has the talent to do it, it’s Parekh. Still just 19 years old, he just had the best World Juniors by a Canadian defender in history. If he develops as expected, he could be a game-breaking defenceman by 2030 as he enters his mid 20’s.
Of course team Canada’s blueline will be incredibly difficult to make, but there’s a good chance we see a lot of new blood on the 2030 team. Drew Doughty will be 40, Devon Toews will be 35, Colton Parayko will be 36, and Josh Morrissey will be 34. All this is to say, there will likely be a few spots up for grabs. As one of the world’s top blueline prospects, Parekh should logically be in the mix in four years time.
Matvei Gridin – Russia (if invited)
Just like Sharangovich, Gridin’s spot at the Olympics first relies on his country being invited. If Russia is back in 2030, I think Gridin has an outside shot at cracking the roster if his development continues as it has. Of the top 12 Russian forwards in scoring this season, seven of them are 30 or older. In other words, a new era of Russian hockey is approaching.
Much like Parekh, Gridin will need his development to take off over the next few years to crack his nation’s roster. Given how good he’s looked already at just 19 and the lack of depth Russia has compared to the other big nations, I think Gridin has a greater than zero chance to make the team in four years.
The Flames’ 2026 1st-round-pick
While this is a bit of a leap, I think whoever the Flames end up picking with their first pick at the 2026 draft could have a good shot at cracking a 2030 Olympic roster. If they were to land in the top two, I’d wager that both Ivar Stenberg and Gavin McKenna would have great shots at making the Olympics in four years. Even outside of those two, someone like Alberts Smits would be a lock for Latvia. In fact, he’s already there right now.