2026 Olympics: Men's hockey standouts, disappointments so far - ESPN

We have reached the medal round of the 2026 men's Olympic hockey tournament, and what a tournament it has been. It has been thoroughly entertaining from start to finish in the preliminary round, with surprising talking points and expected brilliance from the best hockey players on the planet.

Simply put, the Olympics are better when NHL players are participating. There is no other tournament where the best players are available to represent their countries with so much on the line. Not every player is available for the IIHF world championships in the spring, and obviously, not every nation participated in last year's 4 Nations Face-Off.

Throughout history, there have been many players who found an extra gear while representing their country on the biggest stage. There are players accustomed to playing major roles on their NHL teams that play lesser roles internationally, and their play drops off as a result.

Heading into the medal round, the standings look a little different than many expected. Sweden and Finland struggled at various points, Slovakia and Switzerland overperformed their expectations, and it feels like an upset or two is brewing as the tournament hits its stride.

Here are the standouts and disappointments from group play, with the qualification round up next.

In the tournament X factors story, I noted that the next wave of Slovakian hockey was going to have to lead the charge. Slafkovsky has been one of the tournament's best players, nothing short of brilliant for Slovakia. Tied for second in tournament scoring with six points, Slafkovsky has been the catalyst.

He has blossomed into an impactful power forward over the past 18 months, and though he has always performed well in international play, he has