Connor Bedard And Macklin Celebrini Are Making It Way Harder To Pick Team Canada's Olympic Roster

It's never easy to pick an Olympic roster, but selecting Team Canada might be the toughest given the depth that's available at every position (just not really in net for whatever reason).

That job falls on St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong, who is also the GM of Team Canada, and this year it's especially tough, but for a reason that any GM would be thrilled with.

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That reason? Some youngsters who may not have initially been shoo-ins to make the cut — namely, Chicago's Connor Bedard and San Jose's Macklin Celebrini — have been on absolute heaters.

So much so that they're getting some serious Olympic attention.

"You just look at the way they’re playing right now," Armstrong said, per NHL.com. "They’ve got our attention. But more importantly, they’ve got other participants on Team Canada’s attention, the coach’s attention, and hockey in general’s attention, which is great not only for Team Canada. It’s great for the game."

You've got to think that everyone knew that Bedard and Celebrini had it in them, given they were the top picks in 2023 and 2024, respectively. But for them to be among the league's top scorers with Bedard at 25 points and Celebrini at 24 going into Tuesday's slate of games has still been a bit of a welcome surprise.

Team Canada’s Olympic roster decisions have gotten tougher as young stars Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini surge into contention. (Getty Images)

Bedard, especially, is a bit of a shock as he was a big omission from the Canadian roster at the 4 Nations Face-Off back in February. That's not to say that he should've ever been considered a bust, but to go from missing the cut to being one of the top players to watch for the Olympics in such a short period of time is pretty shocking. 

Of course, it helps that the teams around them have been playing so much better. After spending last season in the Western Conference basement, both the Blackhawks and Sharks are very much in the playoff picture, with Chicago currently third in a tough Central Division.

To make matters even more complicated, a strong start for 2025 New York Islanders top pick Matthew Schaefer has put him on Armstrong's radar, too.

"You look at his history, like, I don’t think he played [many] games over the last two years of junior hockey, and now what he’s doing in the NHL, it’s fantastic to watch," the GM said. "And he’s a player that I didn’t think you’d be asking me that question about right now, so kudos for him."

It's an embarrassment of riches for the Canadians as Armstrong whittles down the roster that will head to Italy in February.

However, that just means that the expectations will be that much higher.