NHL EDGE stats: Sleeper countries for Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026

NHL.com's fantasy staff continues to cover the latest trends and storylines in the League through the lens of NHL EDGE puck and player tracker stats. Today, we take a look at three sleeper countries for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

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Group B: Finland

Although Finland will be without its top center Aleksander Barkov (knee surgery) for the Olympics, the country still boasts a strong core of forwards in terms of advanced stats. Mikko Rantanen (Dallas Stars) is tied for sixth in the entire NHL in high-danger goals (17), while Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes) has dominated in midrange areas; Aho is tied for eighth in the entire NHL in midrange goals (12) and also ranks in the 97th percentile among forwards in midrange shots on goal (62).

The country has four key players from the Stars, including forwards Rantanen, Roope Hintz and defensemen Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell, and also a former Dallas forward in Mikael Granlund (now plays for Anaheim Ducks). Finland’s first power play at practice has been Rantanen, Aho, Hintz, Granlund and Heiskanen. Artturi Lehkonen (Colorado Avalanche) is another high-end NHL forward and ranks highly at his position in high-danger shots on goal (70; 98th percentile) and high-danger goals (13; 94th percentile).

Hintz is an NHL EDGE stats superstar, ranking in the 90th percentile or higher in the following categories (percentile among forwards listed below):

• 22-plus mph speed bursts: 33 (99th percentile; third in entire NHL)
• 20-plus mph speed bursts: 258 (99th percentile; fifth in entire NHL)
• Max skating speed: 23.61 mph (98th percentile)
• High-danger shots on goal: 70 (98th percentile)
• Hardest shot: 92.04 mph (91st percentile)
• Power-play skating distance: 23.87 miles (91st percentile)

Lundell, Barkov’s teammate with the Florida Panthers, is expected to take on an expanded role in the Olympics, as he has in the NHL this season. Lundell ranks among the forward leaders in long-range shots on goal (17; 93rd percentile) and total skating distance (169.31 miles; 93rd percentile) and is also a standout in high-danger goals (nine; 82nd percentile) and high-danger shots on goal (42; 85th percentile). Another option for Finland is to integrate Montreal Canadiens rookie Oliver Kapanen, who’s among the leaders of his class in various categories and ranks highly in high-danger shots on goal (47; 89th percentile) and 20-plus mph speed bursts (100; 83rd percentile).

Saros, who’s the clear No. 1 goalie for Finland, looks to overcome his struggles from the 2025 4 Nations Face-off (.870 save percentage in two games). Saros ranks seventh in the NHL in midrange save percentage (.923) this season for the Nashville Predators and should benefit from Heiskanen being healthy for the Olympics (did not play in 4 Nations Face-Off because of injury). Finland, which still defeated Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off, has the ceiling of advancing past its rival country again in the Olympics and is a dark horse to reach the gold medal game.

Group C: Germany

Germany is led by elite goal-scorer Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers), who led the NHL in goals (52) last season), won the Hart Trophy in 2020 and is an advanced stats juggernaut. Draisaitl, who’s the highest-scoring Germany-born player in NHL history (1,036 points in 845 games) with more than double the points of the next-highest scorer, is a legitimate candidate to lead the entire Olympics in goals and/or points if his country makes a deep run.

Draisaitl ranks in the 90th percentile or higher among forwards in the following categories:

• Max skating speed: 23.28 mph (93rd percentile)
• 20-plus mph speed bursts: 124 (91st percentile)
• Midrange goals: 10 (96th percentile)
• High-danger goals: 12 (91st percentile)
• Offensive zone time percentage: 47.0 (98th percentile; 10th among forwards)

Germany’s roster also includes fast offensive threats Tim Stützle (Ottawa Senators), who ranks sixth in the entire NHL in 20-plus mph speed bursts (249; 99th percentile among forwards), and JJ Peterka (Utah Mammoth), who’s in the 97th percentile at the position in that same category (161). Stützle also has scored 26 goals from high-danger and midrange zones combined this season, which is tied for third in the entire NHL behind Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Boldy (29 each).

Moritz Seider (Detroit Red Wings) is the anchor of Germany’s back end, should be among the ice time leaders in the Olympics and ranks highly among defensemen in total skating distance (213.65 miles; third in entire NHL), long-range shots on goal (74; sixth in entire League) and hardest shot (98.93 mph; 96th percentile at position). Another X-factor for Germany is goalie Philipp Grubauer, who has had a bounce-back season for the Seattle Kraken; he’s tied for eighth in high-danger save percentage (.846) and leads the NHL in 5-on-5 save percentage (.934). Grubauer could feasibly lead the Olympics in saves for Germany, which has the ceiling of advancing to the medal round.

Group A: Czechia

Czechia has the fifth-most NHL players of any country in this tournament (11) behind the United States, Canada, Sweden (25 each) and Finland (24). The country is led by one of the NHL’s top scorers in David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins; since 2019-20, Pastrnak ranks fifth in points (620 in 488 games), third in goals (281) and second in shots on goal (2,058).

Pastrnak is tied for eighth among forwards in 90-plus mph shot attempts (seven), third among forwards in long-range shots on goal (32) and tied for second at his position in long-range goals (four) behind MacKinnon (five). Czechia also has two other advanced stats standouts in its forward group: Martin Necas (Avalanche) ranks 10th in the entire NHL in 22-plus mph speed bursts (21) and seventh in 20-plus mph speed bursts (229), while Tomas Hertl (Vegas Golden Knights) is second in high-danger shots on goal (90) behind Connor McDavid (94).

Although Czechia will be without Pavel Zacha (Bruins) because of injury in the Olympics, the country has one of the deepest goalie trios with Karel Vejmelka (Mammoth), Lukas Dostal (Ducks) and Dan Vladar (Philadelphia Flyers). Vejmelka is quietly tied for the NHL lead in both wins (27) and games played (44) and also leads the League in quality starts (26; those with greater than .900 save percentage), while Dostal has excelled in midrange save percentage (.914; ninth). With experienced NHL defensemen like Filip Hronek (Vancouver Canucks) and Radko Gudas (Ducks), Czechia could be a surprise in this tournament and potentially round out the top four.

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