Six players were announced by their respective countries for the 2026 Winter Olympics teams, but only Buffalo Sabres team captain Rasmus Dahlin was selected from the club’s current roster. The 25-year-old blueliner finished sixth in Norris Trophy voting last week after posting 68 points (17 goals, 51 assists) in 73 games, and had one goal for his country in the NHL Four Nations Face-Off in February.
Three former Sabres were also named on Monday. Vegas Golden Knights center and ex-Buffalo team captain Jack Eichel was selected by Team USA, Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart was selected by Team Canada, and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Zemgus Girgensons was selected by Team Latvia. Eichel had 94 points for the Golden Knights last season, Reinhart had 39 goals for the Panthers and could win his second straight Stnaley Cup if Florida beats Edmonton on Tuesday, and Girgensons had just six points in 82 games for the Lightning last season.
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A surprising omission was Sabres winger JJ Peterka, who has starred for Germany in the World Championships and finished second in team scoring with 68 points (27 goals, 41 assists) in 77 games last season. Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl, Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle, Chicago’s Lukas Reichel, Florida’s Nico Strum, Detroit’s Moritz Seider, and Seattle’s Philipp Grubauer were chosen over the 23-year-old winger.
The remainder of the rosters are expected to be selected in early 2026 and besides Peterka, a number of Sabres could be in the mix. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was one of three goalies chosen by Finland for the Four Nations, youngster Jiri Kulich could be in the mix for Czechia, and after a 36-goal season, winger Alex Tuch could be in the mix for a depth spot on Team USA with veterans like Chris Kreider and Brock Nelson on the bubble after a poor showing in February.
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