Team Canada’s Stars Shine Bright in Olympic Tune-Up, but Questions Remain on the Blue Line
If you tuned in expecting a quiet warm-up game, you got anything but. Team Canada rolled out a lineup that looked like a highlight reel waiting to happen-and it delivered.
The headliners? A mix of established superstars and one 19-year-old phenom who looked like he’d been skating on Olympic ice his whole life.
Let’s start with the kid: Macklin Celebrini. Slotted on a line with Connor McDavid, Celebrini didn’t just keep up-he thrived.
The duo combined for six Grade A scoring chances at even strength, including Celebrini’s opening goal. That’s not just chemistry, that’s instant synergy.
Celebrini showed the kind of hockey sense and composure that usually comes with ten years in the league, not ten months. Trading passes with McDavid is no easy task-his pace and precision can be overwhelming-but Celebrini made it look routine.
That’s rare air.
Speaking of rare air, Cale Makar was back to being Cale Makar. After looking off during the Four Nations tournament due to illness, he looked fully recharged against Czechia.
And when Makar’s on, there’s simply no one like him-not even McDavid. His edgework and side-to-side agility are borderline unfair.
He carved up the Czech defense with five major contributions to Grade A chances and didn’t give up a single one the other way. That’s dominance on both ends of the ice.
Then there’s Nathan MacKinnon, who continues to be a force. He buried a power-play goal off a slick McDavid feed-something we’ve come to expect but still can’t stop appreciating.
What’s more intriguing is the chemistry he’s developing with Brandon Hagel and Nick Suzuki. That line brings a punishing forecheck, relentless backcheck, and enough skill to finish plays in tight.
It’s a trio that could cause real problems for opposing defenses-not just with speed, but with pressure and puck control.
But not everything is clicking just yet.
Team Canada’s blue line, while packed with talent, is showing signs of vulnerability. The absence of Josh Morrissey due to injury is a blow, especially when paired with the surprising omission of Evan Bouchard-the NHL’s top-scoring defenseman. The current group looks a step slow in transition, and without that high-end puck-moving presence, breakouts aren’t as crisp as they need to be at this level.
In net, Jordan Binnington had a solid outing. He stopped all nine Grade A chances against Czechia and handled the puck well when it came his way.
But there’s still a lingering concern about his rebound control. Of the four most dangerous “five-alarm” shots Czechia generated, three came off second-chance opportunities following Binnington saves.
That’s something to watch closely as the games get tighter and the stakes get higher.
Look, in a tournament like this, one off-night can send you packing. There are no guarantees, no matter how stacked your roster is. Gold isn’t handed out for potential-it’s earned shift by shift, game by game.
But when you’ve got McDavid dancing, Makar slicing through defenders, MacKinnon charging ahead, and Celebrini playing like a seasoned vet, you’ve got a shot. A real one.
This version of Team Canada might not be perfect, but it’s dangerous. And with their stars already finding another gear, they’re trending in the right direction at exactly the right time.