Top 10 NHLers to watch at the 2026 IIHF World Championship
The IIHF Men’s World Championship is the final major international event of the year. And while it might not be as star-studded as the Winter Olympics in Italy, there’s no shortage of quality talent taking part, regardless.
The 16-team event – taking place in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland – is the biggest field you’ll find in an international competition. It might not be best-on-best, but it’s the one where anything can happen. There was the miracle run Latvia pulled off in 2023, Canada’s second-half tournament comeback at the 2021 tournament, or Denmark stunning the Canadians in the quarterfinal a year ago. If you want pure hockey excitement, it’s hard to beat this event.
Canada and Sweden enter as two of the top teams to watch, while Czechia, Finland, Switzerland and the United States will all be deadly. But anything can happen, and that’s what makes it so much fun.
Here’s a look at 10 NHLers worth keeping an eye on as the tournament rolls on from May 15-31:
Moritz Seider, D, Germany (Detroit Red Wings)
After missing out as a Norris Trophy finalist, watch Seider play 25 minutes and carry Germany on his back the entire time. He had a shockingly quiet showing a year ago, but he balanced that with the best season of his NHL career – a 10-goal, 60-point effort. The 25-year-old takes up a ton of space, but it’s his mobility and hockey sense that allow him to dominate shifts. Germany is always one of those teams that will either go on a tear and battle for a medal, or fall just short of the final quarterfinal spot. They’ll need Seider at his best – and, thankfully, they’re getting him at his absolute peak right now.
Lucas Raymond, LW, Sweden (Detroit Red Wings)
Raymond is a machine at this event. Whenever the Swedes need him to step up, he’ll fire off a blast on the power play or set someone up on the rush. The 24-year-old is set for his fourth World Championship, and he averages a point per game through 28 contests. Raymond was one of Sweden’s best players at the Olympics with eight assists and nine points, and he finished with 76 points in 80 games with the Red Wings, too. The Swedes are one of the favorites to win gold, and as long as Raymond is firing on all cylinders, they’ll be lethal.
Aleksander Barkov, C, Finland (Florida Panthers)
Barkov missed all of the 2025-26 NHL season but recently got back into game action with the Finnish men’s national team. Barkov’s inclusion is notable, as he has not played in a competitive game since the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. Barkov helped the Panthers win consecutive titles and has participated in the past three Stanley Cup Finals. Barkov last represented the Finns at the World Championship back in 2016, taking home silver. He has seven goals and 16 points in 17 games over two tournaments. It might be asking a lot for him to play a big role for Finland out of the gate, but once he finds his groove again, you know the competitive, two-way center will be involved quite significantly.
Matthew Tkachuk, LW, USA (Florida Panthers)
The lone American Olympian returning from the 2026 Winter Games, Tkachuk has never actually played at this event before. Missing out on the past three runnings makes sense – but now he has a chance to continue his legacy as a force to be reckoned with on the national stage. Tkachuk didn’t score at the Olympics (he finished with six assists), and his NHL regular season effort was hampered by injuries. But he has had some time to rest and will be looking to make his mark as one of USA’s top forwards. At his best, he’s a physical, multi-dimensional forward who can put up a boatload of points. He’ll have to temper his game to deal with the IIHF rulebook, but he’ll definitely be counted on in big moments.
Roman Josi, D, Switzerland (New Jersey Devils)
This will mark Josi’s 10th World Championship appearance – he never misses an opportunity to wear his nation’s colors. That’s especially impressive given he has played just once prior over the past six years. Injuries have limited his playing time the past two years, but he is still a high-end defender who leaves nothing on the table every single night. Switzerland’s offense often runs through Josi’s stick – his 12 points a year ago were proof. At 35, Josi won’t have many more chances to chase gold, but they’re a significantly better team with him there than without. Look for Josi to play a boatload of minutes and become the face of the team if they win on home ice.
Nico Hischier, C, Switzerland (New Jersey Devils)
Hischier will almost always be an underrated star in New Jersey just because he plays on the same team as Jack Hughes. But, man, few players have bigger performances for their country internationally than Hischier. This will be his sixth straight World Championship and the seventh of his career, with the Swiss forward registering 20 goals and 40 points in 42 games over seven years. He’s a big reason why the team has taken home silver the past two years – he’s a leader in all offensive situations. Hischier is especially incredible on the power play, which, recently, has been an absolute force at this event. Is this finally the year Switzerland wins it all? If so, we know Hischier will be a big reason why.
Sidney Crosby, C, Canada (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Most North American superstars do this tournament once or twice, and then either go on deep playoff runs or take the summer off. Crosby, though, rarely passes up an chance to play for his country – you know how much missing that Olympic gold medal game in February meant to him. The 38-year-old is set for his fourth World Championship, and he’s looking to erase the sting left from losing in the quarterfinal at this event a year ago before falling to the Americans at the Olympics. Crosby clearly still has a ton of good hockey left in him – he would have easily surpassed the 80-point threshold yet again had he stayed healthy the whole season. It’ll be interesting to see if Canada links Crosby and Macklin Celebrini together again after the magic they made last spring. At the very least, they’ve got the option to pair them up for a nuclear line.
Macklin Celebrini, C, Canada (San Jose Sharks)
A year ago, Celebrini used the World Championship as a learning experience while playing with the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby. Now, Celebrini will be leaned on heavily in the midst of his MVP-caliber sophomore campaign. Named Canada’s captain (despite not boasting the “C” yet in the NHL), Celebrini was one of the top players at the 2025 World Championship and did everything possible to try and lead his country to gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The elite forward had 45 goals and 115 points in his second year of NHL action, but it wasn’t enough to lead the Sharks to the postseason. That just means IIHF goalies will have nightmares thinking about Celebrini blasting down the middle of the ice at full speed. He might be the best player in this tournament – and he was still eligible for the World Juniors a few months ago.
Filip Hronek, D, Czechia (Vancouver Canucks)
With no David Pastrnak or Martin Necas, the Czechs will look to their blueline to help generate offense. Hronek set a new personal best with 49 points this year, giving the Canucks a bright spot in an otherwise brutal season. Hronek is no stranger to international play. He played as high as 25 minutes in games against USA and Sweden at the 2025 World Championship and was one of the team’s better players at the Winter Olympics. The 28-year-old is mobile, plays a strong two-way game and can run the power play. That’s exactly what Czechia needs at this event.
Mark Scheifele, C, Canada (Winnipeg Jets)
Winnipeg is coming off a rough year, so Scheifele will look to salvage the season while playing a critical role for his country. He was one of the most notable Olympic snubs this year – he finished with 36 goals and a career-best 103 points. In fact, we haven’t seen him play for Canada since the 2018 World Championship, period. But his international track record is impressive, highlighted by his gold medal at the 2016 WC. With Crosby and Celebrini already on the roster, Scheifele might be underrated, in a sense – and that’s exactly where he’ll get you.
Also considered: Evan Bouchard, D, Canada (Edmonton Oilers); Mattias Ekholm, D, Sweden (Edmonton Oilers); Anton Lundell, C, Finland (Florida Panthers); Philipp Grubauer, G, Germany (Seattle Kraken); Joseph Woll, G, USA (Toronto Maple Leafs)