The 2026 IIHF World Championship has reached the end of the preliminary round. There have been plenty of upsets already in the preliminary round, and the elimination games should be even better.
The Edmonton Oilers have had a handful of players represent their country in this tournament. In truth, pretty much all of them have stood out with exceptional tournaments. Most of the teams they have represented made it to the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Let’s check in and see how each player has performed up until this point.
Evan Bouchard, Canada
Evan Bouchard and the Canadian team have arguably been the best team in the tournament so far. They are one of the two undefeated teams through the preliminary round and are looking to get back on top of the podium. Bouchard himself has had a solid tournament. He gets top-line minutes and is the quarterback of the first power play unit.
Considering that he has not played with a lot of his teammates, the chemistry has been alright. The power play has not been the greatest, ranked eighth in the tournament. Through seven games, Bouchard has one goal, five assists, and a whopping +14 plus-minus, which is the best in the tournament.
The highlight game for Bouchard to this point has been his three-assist game against Norway. His beautiful pass set up Mark Scheifele for the overtime winner. If this team is going to get any success in the elimination stage, Bouchard will need to be a key part of the offence.
Darnell Nurse, Canada
Nurse, like Bouchard, is a part of the Canadian defensive core. He also has five points in seven games, all being assists. Nurse is not known for having offensive flair, so this has been a positive side of his tournament. Nurse is on Team Canada to help bring some physicality to the lineup and assist with the penalty kill. This has been a solid position for Nurse as the team is ranked second best in the tournament on the penalty kill. Outside of this, not much has really stood out from Nurse. He has been a solid depth defenceman that the team can rely on. That’s all that is needed from him.
This is only Nurse’s third time playing for Canada at the World Championship, and it is his first time since 2019. He won a silver medal in 2019 and hopes to earn his first gold medal this year. Nurse and Team Canada have a huge matchup against the USA in the quarterfinals.
Isaac Howard, USA
One of the most pleasant surprises of the tournament has been the play of young gun Isaac Howard. He has fit right in and is a driver of offence for Team USA. Although he is smaller, his speed and quick decisions make him a consistent threat to score. Through the preliminary round, Howard has three goals and four points. He is tied for second on the team in goals, just behind NHL superstar Matthew Tkachuk.
Team USA has certainly had their struggles to this point. One of the most significant issues for them has been goaltending. Through the preliminary round, they rank eleventh in the tournament with a .871 save percentage. This poor play led to a loss against 4–2 loss to Latvia and a 4–3 overtime win against the Germans (that should have been an easy win). Team USA is on the younger side with many players having limited NHL experience like Howard.
Howard and a young US team will have their hands full with a huge matchup against Canada in the quarterfinals.
Mattias Ekholm, Sweden
Another Oiler who has had a solid tournament is defenceman Mattias Ekholm. Sweden has certainly had their struggles throughout the tournament, but I think their win over Slovakia could provide them with some momentum.
Ekholm is arguably the most important defenceman on the team. Outside of Oliver Ekman-Larsson, they really do not have much star power. Ekholm has provided some acceptable offence, recording three goals and five points through the preliminary round. It is in the elimination games where Ekholm will need to be his best.
Ekholm has appeared at this tournament five times before this year. He has won two medals at the World Championship, including a gold in 2018 and a bronze in 2014.
Josh Samanski, Germany
The Germans came into this tournament with lower expectations. Their only star player was Moritz Seider, which is pretty slim compared to other teams. However, Josh Samanski has emerged as a major scoring threat for the Germans. Even though he got limited opportunities with the Oilers this year, he definitely looks like an NHL player at this tournament.
Through the preliminary round, Samanski had two goals and seven points. He was the third-highest scorer on the team, but unfortunately, the Germans just missed out on a quarterfinal spot.
With that being said, this tournament was a great step forward for the 24-year-old forward. He will definitely be competing for a full-time roster spot with the Oilers next season.
Josh Samanski with an excellent feed to Lukas Reichel, and Germany is on the board. 1-1. #MensWorlds pic.twitter.com/OMFssdZNQV
— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) May 23, 2026
Up Next: Analyzing Wayne Gretzky’s fit behind the Edmonton Oilers’ bench
