2026 Olympics: Early Team Czechia roster projections
Last month, we kicked off our early 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic roster projections at Daily Faceoff. Our roster structures will mimic those of the Olympic squads: 22 skaters, three goaltenders. The national teams will submit their finalized editions by Dec. 31, 2025.
So far, we’ve forecasted Canada, USA, Sweden and Finland. Next up: Team Czechia, who is itching to get a crack at best-on-best action after being excluded from the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Assisting me as the guest picker: my colleague, DFO associate editor and prospect analyst Steven Ellis.
FORWARDS (14) – Matt Larkin’s picks
| Roman Cervenka | Pavel Zacha | David Pastrnak |
| Jakub Flek | Tomas Hertl | Martin Necas |
| Ondrej Palat | Jiri Kulich | Dominik Kubalik |
| Lukas Sedlak | Radek Faksa | David Kampf |
| David Tomasek | Filip Chytil |
Czechia will likely walk the line between utilizing its top NHL-grade talent and honoring the loyal soldiers outside the NHL who regularly show up for the national team and were part of the 2024 World Championship gold medallist squad. That’s why I have Cervenka, who turns 40 in December, carrying over his top-line chemistry from the Worlds with Boston Bruins duo Zacha and Pastrnak. With Tomas Hertl and Martin Necas also locks for the top six, the Czechs don’t lack for skill. They also have some sneaky upside down the lineup; if Kulich continues to develop as the Buffalo Sabres’ top center, and if ex-NHLer Kubalik flashes the recaptured scoring touch he found in Switzerland, that’s a heck of a third line.
Biggest flex: Flex…or Flek? Sorry, I’ll see myself out. It may seem odd to put Flek on line 2 over longtime NHLer Palat, who was already named to Czechia’s First Six in June. But the diminutive Flek fits better on a pure scoring line in my mind. I also played it pretty conservatively with Chytil a healthy scratch, but I want to see that he can stay healthy – and Sedlak quietly was the No. 2 scorer on the 2024 Worlds team.
Toughest cut: I would’ve liked to include goal-scorer Ondrej Beranek, but I wanted some pure checkers for my fourth line and didn’t want to bump Chytil or Tomasek from their reserve spots.
Also considered: Ondrej Beranek, Tomas Nosek, Jakub Vrana, Adam Klapka, Ivan Ivan, Matej Blumel, Jan Jenik, Jakub Lauko
FORWARDS (14) – Steven Ellis’ picks
| Roman Cervenka | Lukas Sedlak | David Pastrnak |
| Jiri Kulich | Tomas Hertl | Martin Necas |
| Ondrej Palat | Pavel Zacha | Dominik Kubalik |
| David Tomasek | Radek Faksa | David Kampf |
| Jakub Flek | Ondrej Kase |
The Czechs have shown internationally that they don’t need the deepest scoring lines to compete. There’s a lot of familiarity with this group between the World Championship and other national team competitions, and they have one of the best goal-scorers the nation has ever seen in Pastrnak. They don’t have the depth that Canada or USA has, but they’ll grind you down and beat you on the power play.
Biggest Flex: A Czech league player on the top line? Absolutely. Chemistry matters in a tournament like this, and Sedlak is coming off two absolutely incredible performances at the World Championship alongside Cervenka and Pastrnak. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? When you’re putting together an all-star team, stacking all your top talent on one line doesn’t guarantee success. In this case, go with what you know.
Toughest Cut: Filip Zadina had some shining moments at the most recent World Championship, but I’m not sure where he’d fit in a lineup like this. He needs open space to thrive, and while he could play somewhere in the middle six, there are better options to choose from.
Also considered: Filip Chytil, Jakub Vrana, Jakub Lauko, Adam Klapka, Tomas Nosek, Ivan Ivan
DEFENSEMEN (8) – Matt Larkin’s picks
| Libor Hajek | Filip Hronek |
| Michal Kempny | Radko Gudas |
| Jakub Krejcik | David Jiricek |
| David Spacek | Jan Rutta |
The Czech blueline doesn’t hold a candle to the forward group and will be tasked with trying to survive rather than thrive against Canada in Group A, but it should do just fine against Switzerland and France. Hajek and Hronek have played together internationally before. Gudas is the clear emotional leader of this group.
Biggest flex: Rutta is the established NHLer with two Stanley Cup rings, but I want Jiricek in my starting lineup because his upside is much higher. Shoot your shot, Czechia.
Toughest cut: None. The D-corps is shallow enough that I didn’t have the toughest time picking the eight, though Tomas Kundratek earned a look from me.
Also considered: Tomas Kundratek
DEFENSEMEN (8) – Steven Ellis’ picks
| Libor Hajek | Filip Hronek |
| David Spacek | David Jiricek |
| Jan Rutta | Radko Gudas |
| Michal Kempny | Jakub Krejcik |
This is easily the weakest part of Czechia’s lineup. The team simply doesn’t have the depth of some of the other top nations, and while the Czechs do have plenty of young, talented defenders coming up the ranks, none of them has truly lived up to his potential. If anything, though, they’ve got plenty of toughness on the back end, with Gudas being the shining example.
Biggest Flex: Spacek has had two solid runs at the World Championship and is coming off an excellent year in Iowa. He hasn’t established himself as an NHLer yet, but he and Jiricek are both promising prospects in the Minnesota Wild’s system, and they have a chance to show their skill on the biggest stage of their careers together. Spacek, in particular, feels quite underrated.
Toughest Cut: Kundratek has been a loyal soldier to the Czech program the past few years and even played in the past two Olympics. I’m just not sure where he fits in the lineup here.
Also considered: Tomas Kundratek, Radim Simek
GOALTENDERS (3) – Matt Larkin’s picks
| Lukas Dostal |
| Karel Vejmelka |
| Dan Vladar |
The Czechs should feel good about their goaltending. Dostal is one of the sport’s most promising young stoppers. He started for the 2024 World Championship gold team and is now the Anaheim Ducks’ No. 1 after they traded John Gibson. Vejmelka, ascending in his own right with the Utah Mammoth, is good enough to start as well, but Dostal is likely to get the nod given Czechia named him as one of its First Six.
Biggest flex: I chose Vladar over a couple more experienced options, such as Petr Mrazek and David Rittich, but Vladar excelled at the 2025 Worlds, posting a .951 save percentage in his four appearances.
Toughest cut: None. I’m keeping the intriguing Montreal Canadiens youngster Jakub Dobes on my radar, though.
Also considered: Petr Mrazek, David Rittich, Jakub Dobes, Vitek Vanecek
GOALTENDERS (3) – Steven Ellis’ picks
| Lukas Dostal |
| Karel Vejmelka |
| Dan Vladar |
Dostal had already established herself as one of the top young goaltending prospects before that 2024 World Championship, where he rightfully earned top goaltender honors. He has a bright future ahead of him, and I expect him to be the long-time national team starter. Vejmelka and Vladar are no strangers to the national team program, either, but I expect Dostal to be the No. 1 barring an absolutely terrible start to the season.
Biggest Flex: None. This is as easy as it gets.
Toughest Cut: Petr Mrazek hasn’t played often internationally for the Czechs over the past decade, but he has consistently been one of the top Czech goaltenders throughout his entire career. Unfortunately, he wasn’t a full-time NHLer the last time the league participated in the Olympics. I could see him getting the nod as the third-stringer as a sign of respect for his long career, but it’s the Olympics – just bring the three best goalies you have.
Also considered: Petr Mrazek, David Rittich, Jakub Dobes, Vitek Vanecek, Josef Korenar
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