Former NHL defender Jordan Schmaltz has A debate inflamed Among fans by suggesting Drew Doughty – not Edmonton Oilers Blueliner Evan Bouchard – should be kinked for Team Canada at the 2026 Olympic Games. Schmaltz’s reasoning? Doughty’s fine-killing expertise, defensive reliability and championship pedigree and the ability to succeed while you get lower minutes heavier than Bouchard’s attacking lead in a tightly structured international tournament.
In a message on social media, Schmaltz argued that the right side of Canada will contain the right side of the right side of Cale Makar Heavy minutes and Colton Parayko in a fixed role of 18-20 minutes, which means that the third lock for a defender is able to bloom in 10-15 minutes, usually on the Kill penalty. “They don’t need Bouchard for PP1 and he is not exactly a penalty kill wizard,” wrote Schmaltz, and noticed on the track record of Doughty with Stanley Cups, Olympic gold and other international titles.
He notes that Hockey Canada is often in favor of Defense-First players in medal rounds, which might be true. Yet the recording has drawn a lot of pushback.
Is Bouchard not as capable as Doughty in a limited role?
Critics point out that Bouchard performed better than Doughty in the first round series of 2025 between Edmonton and Los Angeles, and that the figures of the 36-year-old last season fell considerably.
One fan opposed that while Doughty “you might give you 20 minutes, they are not very good”, Bouchard’s ability to treat fine-dead tasks in last year’s play-offs. Schmalts even suggested that if Canada wanted a defensive specialist, younger options such as Mackenzie Weegar or Noah Dobson can be other options, apparently show that it does not matter who it is, as long as it is not a bouchard.
The question becomes, do you want an attacking wizard in a team that already has Makar? Perhaps it is good to have more than one man who can run the attacking show, and if everything goes well, ask the second man to play a more limited role. Conversely, if that second defender cannot play effectively in that role, finding someone who can do that, but also a bit offense, is perhaps the better game.
Or the argument of Schmaltz weight or not, it emphasizes a recurring challenge for the selectors of Team Canada-Het balancing elite offensive talent with specialized defensive roles, all under the pressure of a win-or-bust international stage. The decision between an experienced warhorse and an offensive star in the first age may not be easy.
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