The 2026 Winter Olympics are behind us, and the NHL regular season is set to resume after a couple weeks off. The Detroit Red Wings sent four representatives from their organization to the games, with team captain Dylan Larkin returning to Detroit with a gold medal around his neck.
Not to cut Larkin’s celebration short, but the question is already being asked: who will be on the Olympic rosters in four years in the French Alps? The Red Wings may not have sent an overly large contingent in 2026, but what about in four years when more of their young talent has had time to realize their potential. Perhaps the biggest question is if Larkin will return as a member of Team USA as the United States continues to pump out elite hockey talent.
While we can’t predict the future, we can certainly project based off current trends. With that in mind, let’s look at who might represent the Red Wings at the 2030 Winter Olympics in France.
Dylan Larkin: The Americans’ victory in Milan was monumental for USA Hockey, but also for Larkin as an individual. With just five playoff games under his belt (and the fact they were played almost a decade ago) he hasn’t had a lot of big-game experience. The gold medal game was, by far, the biggest of his career to this point, and the win cemented his place in American hockey history.
Having said that, Larkin’s place on the 2030 team is far from guaranteed.
Related: Red Wings’ Olympic Representatives Did Well in Milan
Four years from now, Larkin will be 33 years old. While that is hardly retirement age in the game of hockey, that is around the time you expect players to start regressing as their prime years begin to fade in the rearview mirror. To put it into perspective, Brock Nelson was Team USA’s oldest player at this year’s Olympics at 34 years of age. Factor in the seemingly unending wave of young talent the Americans are producing, and it’s clear that roster spots will be at a premium in four years.
If the Olympics were in two years, Larkin would probably be a lock to return for Team USA. He should still be considered for a spot in four years, but it will likely come down to how his game ages with time as well as the ascent of other, younger players.
Trey Augsutine: The Red Wings have two of the sport’s top prospects in goal, one of which is Trey Augustine, a second-round pick in the 2023 draft. Currently in his junior year at Michigan State University, Augustine is expected to be in the NHL before the next Olympic rosters are announced.
At 21 years of age, Augustine will be 25 while Team USA starter Connor Hellebuyck will be 36. Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman will compete to return for the Americans, and Spencer Knight, Dustin Wolf and others will factor into the decision as well, but Augustine has the potential to be in that conversation as well.
Larkin and Augustine are the Red Wings’ best bets to compete for Team USA, and both have reasons why they may not make the trip to France in four years. That only emphasizes the importance of Larkin being a part of this year’s squad and American Red Wing fans enjoying the moment – they very well might not have a representative on the team next time around.
Moritz Seider: In four years, Moritz Seider will be 28 years old, in his prime, and may very well have won a Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman. If anyone is going to replace Leon Draisaitl as Germany’s captain in 2030, Seider is the most likely candidate.
He’ll be there in four years.
Sebastian Cossa: Just as Augustine could be a consideration for Team USA, the Red Wings’ other top goalie prospect should receive consideration for his home country of Canada. Sebastian Cossa, the 15th pick of the 2021 draft and the anointed “goalie of the future” in Detroit, probably won’t face the same level of competition for an Olympic roster spot as Augustine because Canada’s depth of talent in goal has seriously thinned out in recent years.
In four years, Cossa will be 27 years old and theoretically in his prime. Team Canada backup Logan Thompson will be 32 years old, and he has the best shot of returning of Canada’s three goalies in the ’26 games. Cossa’s likely competition includes MacKenzie Blackwood and Stuart Skinner, both of whom have done a lot of winning in the NHL without posting elite numbers.
It’s a little bold, but Cossa may have a shot at being Canada’s starter in 2030, not just to make the team. A lot must go right between now and then, but the possibility is certainly there.
Nate Danielson: Nate Danielson probably has the lowest likelihood of anyone listed here, but it’s easy to see how he could fit into Canada’s plans once you break down his game.
Danielson projects as a pure matchup center in the NHL, capable of nullifying his opponents while creating pressure in the offensive end. He found success at the junior level by shutting down players like Connor Bedard, and that’s a skillset that could be very useful for Canada at the next Olympics. Danielson’s experience as a captain at the junior level suggests that he would also be a welcome voice in the locker room.
By no means is Danielson a slam dunk for Canada’s roster in 2030, but if things go well for him over the next few years, it shouldn’t be surprising if he enters that conversation.
Lucas Raymond: Much like Seider, Lucas Raymond’s health is the only thing that could prevent him from representing his country again in four years. He was one of the most productive players in this year’s Olympic tournament, and he’ll be 27 and in his prime next time around.
If Raymond is healthy, he’ll be a part of Team Sweden.
Simon Edvinsson: Seider’s defense partner in Detroit, Simon Edvinsson was one of the more notable snubs from Sweden’s roster this time around. Though he has just 151 NHL games of experience under his belt, Edvinsson has already cemented himself as one of the top Swedish defensemen in the league world, and he represents a changing of the guard that appears to be on the horizon for the Swedes.
In four years, Edvinsson will be 27 years of age. Victor Hedman, Erik Karlsson and Oliver Ekman-Larsson are all in the mid-30s and will almost certainly be left off the 2030 roster – and that’s assuming they’re still playing when the Olympics come back around. Rasmus Dahlin and Philip Broberg should return, but there’s a clear path for Edvinsson to join them in France.
Edvinsson isn’t quite a slam dunk to be on Sweden’s roster like Raymond, but it sure feels like an uncontested layup.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka: Building on Edvinsson’s case for the 2030 roster, Sweden’s blue line should be in for a significant makeover as older players make way for younger talent. While Edvinsson feels like a pretty safe bet, Axel Sandin-Pellikka could insert himself into those conversations as well.
Sandin-Pellikka, the 17th pick of the 2023 draft, is amid his rookie season with the Red Wings and has experienced the usual ups and downs that come with a player’s first year. He’s an offensive-defenseman with sky-high potential, and his unique skillset could be a welcome addition to Sweden’s blue line in four years.
In four years, Sandin-Pellikka will be 24 years old and should be a prominent player for the Red Wings. He will ideally be the team’s “third” defenseman and may have even established some chemistry with Edvinsson depending on how Detroit’s blue line evolves. That chemistry, along with his offensive skillset, could be what paves the way for Sandin-Pellikka to have a prominent role for Sweden as well.
The Red Wings may have had a small contingent at the 2026 games, but their organization was still well represented. Raymond had the third-most points (9), and the most among players not on Canada’s roster. Larkin became a gold medalist and gained national recognition as the emotional leader in the Americans’ locker room. Seider and Eduards Tralmaks made a difference for their respective teams as well.
But in four years, the Red Wings could send a rather large group of athletes to the 2030 games. Their young leaders should be in the prime of their careers, and some of their more notable prospects should be in those discussions as well.
If you’re looking for proof that the Red Wings have drafted well, this article might be the best proof yet. There is a very good chance that there will be more than one gold medal in the home locker room at Little Caesars Arena the next time the winter games are played.
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