Controversial candidate sparks uproar in Team Canada roster talks

The debate over who should represent Canada at the 2026 Olympics just took a sharp turn as we get closer to the final roster selection, and Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson is right at the center of it.

According to insider Pierre LeBrun on TSN’s Insider Trading, Wilson has emerged as a surprisingly serious candidate for Team Canada after a revealing internal debrief from the Four Nations tournament. And if there’s one thing the Canadian staff apparently wishes they could redo, it’s this: they’d have brought Tom Wilson.

LeBrun reports that Team Canada management came away from Four Nations with a clear consensus: the best-on-best game is heavier, harder, and far more physical than they anticipated. Space disappears instantly. Skill alone doesn’t always break through, and that’s where Wilson suddenly fits a need they may have underestimated.

Wilson currently leads the Capitals in scoring, kills penalties, and brings the kind of punishing, playoff-style presence that coaches love in tight, intense international games.

With the Olympic roster beginning to take shape, he’s no longer an afterthought or a “maybe.” He’s firmly in the discussion and could crack the roster.

“He’s not guaranteed to make it,” LeBrun cautioned, “but his candidacy is real.”

For years, Wilson has been one of the NHL’s most polarizing players because of his well-balanced mix of offense, grit, leadership, and a reputation for crossing the line when it needs to be crossed. But as Canada reassesses what went wrong at Four Nations despite winning, his profile suddenly looks like a missing ingredient.

Just last night in the game against the Canadiens in Montreal, Wilson was heavily criticized for his hit on Jake Evans, though he will not face supplemental discipline.

If the internal chatter is any indication, the biggest roster fight heading into 2026 might not be about elite scorers… It might be about Tom Wilson.