Photo credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Brayden Point’s lower-body injury has Team Canada sweating Milan, and the Connor Bedard debate feels emotional and fast.
Point is officially week-to-week, and nobody can pretend that’s comfortable with the Olympics starting in less than two weeks.
Canada opens the tournament against Czechia on Feb. 12, and the clock is loud right now.
Point matters because he’s the kind of two-way centre who can play with elite wingers and still handle tough matchups.
The original idea had him beside Connor McDavid, which tells you how big his role was supposed to be.
So the replacement talk has started, and one name keeps popping up: Zach Hyman.
The logic is simple: Hyman already lives in McDavid’s orbit, and he doesn’t need a chemistry warm-up at a short tournament.
Canada’s first injury replacement choice is reportedly Hyman, over Connor Bedard.
“Team Canada reportedly planned to have Brayden Point on Connor McDavid’s wing at the Olympics. If Point’s injury keeps him out, is McDavid’s Oilers linemate Zach Hyman the first call from Canada’s brass?”
Since returning on Nov. 15, Hyman has 21 goals in 35 games, and that pace jumps off the screen.
That’s why Jason Gregor’s “just slide Hyman in” idea is getting real traction, even if it ticks off fans who wanted a shinier pick.
Zach Hyman choice puts Team Canada on edge
Connor Bedard is the lightning rod because his skill screams Olympic stage, and his name drives the conversation every time. He was left off the initial Team Canada’s 2026 Olympic roster, and has been rumored to be an injury replacement.
Bedard is 20, drafted in 2023, Round 1, by the Chicago Blackhawks, and he’s sitting on 20-28-48 in 39 games this season.
But Canada should not get too high on crowning Bedard the injury replacement, because the early buzz had Hyman lined up as the straight replacement for Point.
If Team Canada wants a plug-and-play winger who can hunt rebounds and finish, Hyman fits the job description.
If they want a pure talent injection who can tilt a game on one shift, Bedard is tempting.
That’s the controversy, “best fit” versus “best player,” right when the plane is practically warming up.
Previously on Chicago Hockey Insider
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Team Canada makes their stance clear on Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor
Should Team Canada choose Zach Hyman over Connor Bedard as the Brayden Point injury replacement?