Where would a Russian team rank in Olympic men's hockey? Insights from an NHL player survey.
The 2026 Winter Olympics are generating significant buzz, and The Athletic is providing real-time updates on the event (check it out here).
Now, picture this: Nikita Kucherov and Kirill Kaprizov pairing up on one line, with Artemi Panarin and Valeri Nichushkin ready to jump in next. And let's not forget about Alex Ovechkin, possibly filling a depth scoring role. The most intriguing question of all might be which elite goalie to start among Igor Shesterkin, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Ilya Sorokin, and Sergei Bobrovsky. It’s clear that a Russian squad could potentially compete at a high level.
While it’s true that the center position lacks depth—Evgeni Malkin stands out as the only major talent in that department—the defense, although not as stellar as that of Canada, the United States, or Sweden, still has solid players like Mikhail Sergachev, Vladislav Gavrikov, Ivan Provorov, and Nikita Zadorov. This suggests that while their defensive lineup may not be exceptional, it would be more than capable of holding its own.
Unfortunately, we'll never see how Russia would perform in Milan, given the ongoing ban imposed by the International Olympic Committee due to the country's invasion of Ukraine. However, in a recent player poll conducted by The Athletic, where 118 NHL players weighed in (though not all answered every question), we inquired about their predictions for Russia's potential finish.
One participant confidently stated, "The goaltending is so good it doesn't even matter about the rest of the players," while another who also voted for gold said, "I saw their predicted lineup — if they were going to participate — that's a pretty big machine."
A silver voter pointed out the critical role of goaltending, remarking, "Russia's got Bob (Sergei Bobrovsky), and it's a one-game shot. That’s the only reason.” Another player suggested that, given the nature of a smaller tournament, Russia could realistically finish either first or second based solely on their goaltending prowess.
“They’re scary on paper,” said one voter. “They could beat anyone.” While bronze was the most frequently chosen option, reflecting the consensus that Canadians and Americans remain strong favorites, opinions varied.
“I think they would be very competitive,” stated a bronze voter. “It's different not having them. It's a loss for the competition.” Another echoed this sentiment, exclaiming, “They'd have a f---ing nasty team.”
One player noted, “I think they’d be up there. They have a ton of great players. I think they could hang with any other country.” Another shared, “They would have one of the more skilled and exciting forward groups to watch. If they pulled a few guys from the NHL right now and then some lesser-known talents from the KHL onto the power play, they would pull off some pretty impressive stuff.”
Despite the optimistic assessments, one bronze voter cautioned, "The defense isn't good enough." Another remarked, “They'd be in the mix with the U.S., Canada, Finland, Sweden.” Some even entertained the idea that “They could win it all. They’re the third-best team.”
“Their team is pretty stacked in every position,” a bronze voter commented, emphasizing the strength of their goaltending trio—Vasilevskiy, Shesterkin, Sorokin, or Bobrovsky—alongside their offensive firepower and solid defensive lineup.
However, not everyone agreed that Russia would make it to the podium. One player criticized the lack of centermen, stating, "They don't have any centermen.” Another expressed a personal preference for other countries but acknowledged, "They would be pretty fun to watch.”
“They’d be a threat because of their goaltending, but they aren’t Canada or the U.S.,” another voter noted. Overall, there was a general acknowledgment of Russia's potential, with one player concluding, "Roster-wise, they'd probably be up there in the top four — maybe as good as anybody. It'd be a pretty cool team to see. It's a shame."
This report was compiled by a talented group of journalists including Arpon Basu, Peter Baugh, Max Bultman, Thomas Drance, Matthew Fairburn, Jesse Granger, Joshua Kloke, Kevin Kurz, Mark Lazerus, Julian McKenzie, Vincent Z. Mercogliano, Aaron Portzline, Scott Powers, Michael Russo, Jeremy Rutherford, Fluto Shinzawa, Joe Smith, Eric Stephens, and Josh Yohe, with the article penned by Mark Lazerus.
