Poll: Which Team Will Win The Gold Medal At The Olympics?
The long wait is over. For the first time since 2014, NHL players will represent their respective countries at the Olympic Games.
In the last two meetings with NHL representatives, Team Canada has been dominant. They beat Team USA in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics on the back of an overtime winner by Sidney Crosby. During the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Canada shutout Team Sweden in the Gold Medal game. Team Finland won the Bronze Medal in both of those years.
There will be a group of 12 countries in this year’s tournament, represented by Canada, Czechia, Switzerland, and France in Group A, Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, and Italy in Group B, and the United States, Germany, Latvia, and Denmark in Group C. The action formally kicks off on Wednesday, February 11th, and will conclude with the Gold Medal contest on Sunday, February 22nd.
Barring injuries, Canada understandably remains the favorite to win. Still, the United States is a much closer second thanin years past, followed by Sweden, Finland, and Czechia. The rosters for Canada, USA, Finland, and Sweden are similar to last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, whereas the other high-performing countries will have much different iterations.
Regardless of outcome in the Round Robin, every nation will earn a tournament bid, seeded one through 12. The top four teams will earn an automatic bye into the quarterfinals, and the remaining eight teams will battle in a ‘playoff round’.
Unfortunately, since they are in different groups, there are no guarantees of a border matchup between Canada and the United States. Nonetheless, there will still be notable matchups in the round between Finland and Sweden, Canada and Czechia, and the United States and Germany.
Now the crystal ball passes to you — in a few weeks, which team will be donning the gold medal around their necks?
Mobile users click here to vote.
Trade Deadline Primer: Carolina Hurricanes
With the Olympic break now upon us, the trade deadline is less than a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We begin our look around the league with teams that have clear plans at the extremes of the standings, this time with the Hurricanes.
Last season, the Hurricanes seemingly landed their big fish, acquiring Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche. Unfortunately, due to an initial lack of traction in extension negotiations and a flat-out denial to sign a new contract, Carolina shipped Rantanen to the Dallas Stars for Logan Stankoven and several draft picks. Furthermore, the Hurricanes attempted to swap Rantanen for Mitch Marner, then with the Toronto Maple Leafs, before being told that he, too, wouldn’t sign an extension. Regardless, Carolina has remained one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference during the regular season and has been connected to nearly every big-ticket trade candidate.
Record
36-15-6, 1st in the Metropolitan (99.8% playoff probability)
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$40.52MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: DAL 1st, SJ 4th, TOR 6th, CAR 6th
2027: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, DAL 3rd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, CAR 6th, CAR 7th
Trade Chips
Given that nearly every report indicates the Hurricanes are going big-game hunting, there wouldn’t be any surprise to see them move one, if not both, non-lottery first-round picks they have through next season (assuming they’re competitive again next year). Still, there are a few prospects and rostered players Carolina could dangle for a big addition.
Despite being on pace to reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the eighth consecutive season, the Hurricanes have one of the league’s better prospect pools. Highlighted by Kurban Limatov, Bradly Nadeau, Dominik Badinka, Felix Unger-Sörum, and Nikita Artamonov, Carolina could conceivably trade any of them for a big addition to the team. In an ideal scenario, since it is not always easy for the Hurricanes to attract big free agents, the team could retain Nadeau long-term for a future top-six role. He has scored 18 goals and 41 points in 34 games for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves this season.
Still, Carolina may be able to land an upper-level player without parting with any prospects. The Hurricanes are known to be shopping Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and are reportedly open to moving defenseman Alexander Nikishin for the right price. Given that he’s signed through the 2029-30 season at a $4.82MM price tag, and he’s only scored two goals and nine points through 36 games this season, Kotkaniemi would be a complementary piece in any trade. However, a package of Nikishin, Kotkaniemi, and their two first-round picks through next season could land a more than meaningful addition.
Nikishin’s value is self-explanatory. He’s a formidable two-way defenseman, scoring seven goals and 22 points in 56 games while averaging 18:20 of ice time per game. Additionally, he’s third on the team in hits with 100, and has a 91.5% on-ice save percentage at even strength. It’s hard to imagine any team balking at adding a player like Nikishin to their defensive core for the next several years, if not more.
Team Needs
Star Forward: As described, the Hurricanes desperately need a star. There’s nothing wrong with Sebastian Aho leading the pack, but putting a star next to him would put Carolina into a different tier. Given the trade market this year, Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues appears to be the ideal candidate. Thomas, 26, has scored 58 goals and 200 points in his last 194 games and helped the Blues win their first Stanley Cup title in 2019. He doesn’t have the best possession metrics, but would seemingly fit effortlessly into Rod Brind’Amour‘s system. Given that they have an aging defensive core (outside of Philip Broberg and Logan Mailloux), St. Louis, which has expectedly put a high price on Thomas, could be enticed by a package of Nikishin, Kotkaniemi, two first-round picks, and one of Carolina’s top-five prospects.
Goalie Depth: The best word to describe the Hurricanes’ goaltending tandem is weird. The team has relied heavily on rookie netminder Brandon Bussi, who’s managed a 23-3-1 record in his first 27 games with a .906 SV% and 2.16 GAA. Carolina, of all teams, isn’t a stranger to riding the hot hand in the playoffs (looking at you, Cam Ward), but it would be prudent to give him some better insurance. Frederik Andersen, 36, is having the worst season of his professional career, and there’s no guarantee that Pyotr Kochetkov will return this season. Unfortunately, there aren’t a ton of options on the trade market, but the Hurricanes could look at some expiring assets, such as Alex Nedeljkovic of the San Jose Sharks or James Reimer of the Ottawa Senators.
Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Red Wings Are Poised To Take The Next Step
There’s no question it’ll remain an uphill battle after the Olympic break, but the Detroit Red Wings appear poised to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in a decade.
Detroit’s most recent playoff streak was the fourth-longest in NHL history, spanning from 1991 to 2016. During that stretch, the Red Wings won four Stanley Cup titles in six appearances. Ready to begin the next streak, captain Dylan Larkin explained to DJ Siddiqi of RG Media how his career has unfolded and what’s different about this year’s club.
Obviously, being from Waterford, MI, and playing his amateur hockey at the Belle Tire program, Larkin’s commitment to southeast Michigan runs deep. Playing his collegiate hockey at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Larkin has never had a home game outside of his small pocket in Michigan.
Being on the last Red Wings to make the playoffs in 2016, Larkin had the opportunity to learn from a pair of the organization’s best: his first captain, Henrik Zetterberg, and his current General Manager, Steve Yzerman.
Opening up on some of the conversations he’s had with Yzerman, Larkin said, “I mean this respectfully, he’s a pretty private guy, and I believe most of the stuff we talk about should stay private. But he’s been a great role model for me. Henrik Zetteberg, who I got to play for my first three years, is probably the most significant person I’ve leaned on in my career. Steve is right up there with Henrik. I’m very fortunate to work with him, and he’s given me a lot of great, priceless advice.”
Zetterberg was one of the Red Wings’ most successful draft stories from the 1990s, and there were a few. Detroit selected him 210th overall in the 1999 NHL Draft, and he debuted for the team in the 2002-03 season.
Although he and fellow diamond-in-the-rough Pavel Datsyuk never tallied a 100-point campaign at the NHL level, they became two of the most complete forwards in the game, helping sustain Detroit’s success. Zetterberg finished his career with 337 goals and 960 points in 1,082 NHL games before having his career cut short by chronic back issues. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy during the Red Wings’ 11th Stanley Cup title in 2008 and was the team’s captain from 2012 to 2018.
Even by today’s standards, there would be few better players to learn from. Like his predecessors, Larkin doesn’t appear poised to crack the 100-point plateau, but he is making up for that with how he plays the game. He has shown flashes of being above a point-per-game player and has been consistent in his skill in the faceoff dot and possession metrics.
Lastly, Larkin opened up on what making the playoffs would mean for him and the team, saying, “It would be unbelievable to play a playoff game – the first playoff game at Little Caesars Arena in hockey history. It would mean a lot to our fans and mean a lot to me. It’s not all about me, but being here through some tough days and getting into the playoffs, I believe our team can do some damage. I hope our fans do as well.“
Predators Reassign Reid Schaefer
2/6/26: The Predators reassigned Schaefer to AHL Milwaukee today. He dressed for each of Nashville’s last two games, skating in just under seven minutes of ice time per contest.
2/4/26: The Nashville Predators have added some forward depth to their lineup ahead of tonight’s game against the Minnesota Wild. According to a team announcement, the Predators have recalled forward Reid Schaefer from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals.
Schaefer, 22, is viewed as one of the better prospects in Nashville’s system. He was originally selected with the 32nd overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers moved off him relatively quickly, trading him to the Predators a year later in the deal that brought defenseman Mattias Ekholm to Alberta.
Since then, he’s been a relatively solid secondary contributor with AHL Milwaukee. Debuting in the 2023-24 season, Schaefer has registered 21 goals and 53 points in 103 games in the game’s second-highest league. That averages out to just over a point every two games.
Being nearly a point-per-game player with the Admirals this season, the Predators believed it was time to allow Schaefer the opportunity to contribute at the NHL level. The Edmonton, Alberta native was recalled for the first time in late November and remained with the team for nearly two months.
He didn’t make too much noise during his first stint in the NHL, though it wasn’t all bad. Schaefer scored four goals and six points across 25 games with a -9 rating, averaging 10:30 of ice time per contest. He showed flashes of decent physicality, averaging 2.5 hits per game, and was efficient on offense, shooting at a 17.4% clip.
Considering the recent news that Barry Trotz will be stepping down as the team’s General Manager, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Schaefer get another extended look at the NHL level. Depending on how the team approaches the upcoming trade deadline, the next leader of the front office will want a better understanding of what the team has in some of the younger players.
Trade Deadline Primer: Colorado Avalanche
With the Olympic break approaching, the trade deadline is about a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We begin our look around the league with teams that have clear plans at the extremes of the standings, this time with the Avalanche.
Colorado will come out of the Olympic break as the Presidents’ Trophy favorites and will likely remain so up until the trade deadline. There are a few teams that could conceivably catch them between now and then, but the Avalanche have put themselves in a spot where they won’t need to be too active at the deadline, barring injuries. Colorado ranks first in GF/G, first in GA/G, 31st in PP%, second in PK%, and first in SV%.
Record
36-9-9, 1st in the Central (~100% playoff probability)
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$6.48MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: CAR 4th, COL 4th, PHI 5th, BOS 5th, COL 5th, NYR 7th, OTT 7th, PIT 7th, COL 7th
2027: COL 1st, MIN 2nd, COL 2nd, COL 4th, SJ 5th, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th
Trade Chips
Depending on how aggressive they want to be, the Avalanche could likely use their plethora of draft picks to acquire the depth they need. Obviously, it’s more quantity over quality, but as the league’s best team, they only need to add around the fringes.
Still, if they wanted to make a more notable addition, particularly to their defensive core, Colorado has a few prospects at their disposal. It wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world for the Avalanche to push most of their chips in with only two more guaranteed years of consistent Norris threat, Cale Makar.
Two of Colorado’s better prospects are playing in the KHL, so they wouldn’t be negatively impacting the NHL squad or the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. Defenseman Mikhail Gulyayev, whom Colorado selected with the 31st overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, is playing for the Avangard Omsk. Furthermore, Ilya Nabokov, selected with the 38th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, is having a solid year with the Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
Considering how he’s played the last three years, Nabokov would have significant value if the Avalanche included him in trade conversations. Nabokov, 22, has managed a 67-34-9 record in 123 KHL games with a .920 SV% and 2.31 GAA. Although it’s not a direct comparison, the Florida Panthers were able to acquire Sam Reinhart with Devon Levi and Seth Jones with Spencer Knight in recent years. Both played integral roles in the Panthers’ back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.
Outside of those two, Colorado could include defenseman Sean Behrens or forward Nikita Prishchepov, both of whom are playing with AHL Colorado, for less significant additions. Unfortunately, according to Daily Faceoff’s preseason rankings, the Avalanche have the 29th-ranked farm system, meaning their cupboards are lacking in prospect capital. Regardless, it’s unimaginable that Colorado would part with anyone on the active roster, considering how the team has played this year.
Team Needs
Defensive Depth: At the time of writing, the Avalanche has only six defensemen on the active roster, without much depth. Yes, the likes of Keaton Middleton, Jacob MacDonald, Ronald Attard, and Jack Ahcan can and have all served when needed, though they wouldn’t be the best options to have in case of injuries leading up to or in the postseason. In a perfect world, the Colorado would target a defenseman who can play on both sides of the blueline, though they’ll want to seek out a left-handed shot at the very least. Fortunately, there should be a few options available to them with varying degrees of talent. Logan Stanley of the Winnipeg Jets, Matt Grzelcyk of the Chicago Blackhawks, Mario Ferraro of the San Jose Sharks, and Brett Kulak of the Pittsburgh Penguins all make sense as potential additions.
Bottom-Six Center: Outside of most contending teams, the Avalanche don’t have much to be concerned about regarding their center core. Nathan MacKinnon (51.1%), Brock Nelson (49.4%), and Jack Drury (59.2%) are all having solid years in the faceoff dot, with the former two providing much of the team’s offense. However, there is a steep drop-off in faceoff talent on the team’s fourth line. The team has typically used Parker Kelly or Zakhar Bardakov in that role. However, they’ve only managed a 32.1% and 43.4% in the faceoff circle, respectively. If he’s willing to leave his native Winnipeg in pursuit of one last shot at the Stanley Cup, Jonathan Toews would be a perfect addition, as he has a 61.0% faceoff rate this season. However, if Toews is unwilling to leave Manitoba, lower-cost additions such as Jason Dickinson (49.7%) or Erik Haula (50.3%) would also help round out the bottom-six.
Image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images.
Penguins Reassign Melvin Fernstrom
The Pittsburgh Penguins are bringing one of their forward prospects to North America. According to a team announcement, the Penguins have assigned forward Melvin Fernström to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Fernström, 19, is only a few years removed from being drafted by the Vancouver Canucks. Vancouver selected the Bålsta, Sweden native with the 93rd overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft. At the time, Fernström had been playing for the Örebro HK program, scoring 23 goals and 57 points in 48 games across three separate U20 divisions. The Canucks traded Fernström to the Penguins last season in the Marcus Pettersson trade.
He’s remained in the Örebro HK organization, making the jump to the SHL over the last few years. Fernström has been relatively successful after making the jump to professional hockey, particularly as a younger player, scoring 11 goals and 21 points in 84 games since the beginning of the 2024-25 season.
Making the jump to the North American professional circuit, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Fernström struggle offensively for some time. Still, standing at 6’2″ and 190lbs, he won’t look out of place with the WBS Penguins.
Most of the public scouting information available on Fernström suggests he has a tremendous hockey IQ, which is fairly common for Swedish forwards. He is credited with efficiently assessing where the puck is going, which makes up for his subpar shooting ability. Regardless, he’ll immediately join a contending team in the AHL and will benefit from better players around him.
Morning Notes: Panarin, Liljegren, Ekman-Larsson
There’s no question that the New York Rangers are looking to move pending unrestricted free agent Artemi Panarin before today’s 3 p.m. CT Olympic roster freeze. A handful of teams have already been prominently linked to Panarin, and a recent update from David Pagnotta alerted that the situation remains incredibly fluid, lowering the chances of a trade coming together by this afternoon.
In his update, Pagnotta suggested that the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks remain interested in acquiring Panarin with an extension. In contrast, the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Edmonton Oilers view him only as a rental. Additionally, Pagnotta mentioned that unless something changes relatively soon, the Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, Utah Mammoth, and Washington Capitals are no longer in the running.
On yesterday’s edition of Insider Trading, TSN’s Chris Johnston reported that at least one team has put $40MM on the table for Panarin, which would presumably translate to a three-year deal with an AAV of $13.3MM or a four-year contract with an AAV of $10MM.
Other updates from this morning:
- In the same update from Pagnotta, he suggests that the Sharks are actively shopping Timothy Liljegren, as well as other pending-UFA defensemen, on the trade market. San Jose could ultimately sign a few of them to extensions over the next few weeks, though Pagnotta confirmed that Liljegren is not a part of the organization’s long-term plans. The former 17th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft has 10 assists in 41 games this season, averaging 20:15 of ice time per contest.
- Lastly, Pagnotta reported that if the Toronto Maple Leafs pivot toward selling ahead of the March 6th trade deadline, plenty of teams will be interested in acquiring Oliver Ekman-Larsson. It won’t be without hurdles, as the 34-year-old defenseman is signed through the 2027-28 season at a $3.5MM salary with a 16-team no-trade clause. Still, he’s having an excellent offensive year with Toronto, scoring eight goals and 34 points in 56 games, with most of that production coming at even strength.
Anthony Cirelli To Miss Olympics
In an unfortunate update, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared that Tampa Bay Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli will be unable to play for Team Canada in the upcoming Olympics due to injury. Friedman added that Sam Bennett would replace Cirelli on Team Canada’s roster.
Cirelli, 28, sustained the injury in Tampa Bay’s Stadium Series win over the Boston Bruins. He was on the receiving end of a hard hit from Bruins forward Mark Kastelic in the first period and didn’t return to the game. He finished the game with a +1 rating in 6:25 of action.
Since then, there haven’t been any firm updates. After the game, head coach Jon Cooper was quoted as saying, “It was kind of a stinger. Cirell’s a tough kid. For him not to come back, clearly, there’s something wrong with him. So hopefully he’ll be okay. There’s some big games coming up ahead of him.”
Unfortunately, those big games will have to wait for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs. It’s a tough break for a player who has dramatically turned his career around in recent years and helped Team Canada win the 4 Nations Face-Off last season.
Back in the 2022-23 season, after scoring 11 goals and 29 points in 58 games, Cirelli became a legitimate trade candidate for the Lightning. Tampa Bay had just signed him to an eight-year, $50MM extension, a high price to play for a center that wasn’t always available.
Still, over the last two years, he’s made that contract look well worth it, scoring 42 goals and 94 points in 129 games with a 49.4% success rate in the faceoff dot. Furthermore, he’s responsible on his own end, managing a 91.2% on-ice SV% at even strength through 49 games this season.
While it’s a depressing development for Cirelli, Team Canada has added more snarl to their forward core at the very least. Bennett scored one goal in three games during last year’s 4 Nations tournament. He famously got into a fight with Brady Tkachuk during the opening minutes of the much-awaited tilt with the United States. Outside of the obvious, Olympic opponents will be extra intimidated by Team Canada, which will also have Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson.
It’ll be interesting to see how Bennett responds offensively. Due to the number of injuries suffered by the Panthers this year, Bennett has earned more responsibility. At this time last year, he had scored 17 goals and 33 points in 53 games. This season, he has 19 goals and 42 points in 55 contests.
While that isn’t the typical production of a forward on Team Canada, Bennett tends to raise his game when the lights are brightest. Over the past three postseasons, Bennett has helped Florida reach three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, scoring 27 goals and 51 points in 62 games, culminating in the Conn Smythe Trophy last season.
Lightning Recall Scott Sabourin
After more than a month away from the team, an old-fashioned enforcer is returning to the Tampa Bay Lightning. According to a team announcement, the Lightning have recalled Scott Sabourin from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch.
Sabourin, 33, was only in the AHL for the last week and a half. On December 28th, in a game against the Montreal Canadiens, Sabourin got into a fight with defenseman Arber Xhekaj, leading to an undisclosed injury. Tampa Bay placed him on the injured reserve a few days later, and he wasn’t activated until January 23rd.
Unfortunately, Sabourin’s return to the Lightning’s roster comes with some bad news. Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reported this morning that forwards Anthony Cirelli and Nick Paul, both injured in the Stadium Series contest against the Boston Bruins, aren’t expected to play again before the upcoming Olympic break. Additionally, Brayden Point, who is recovering from a knee injury, isn’t poised to return until after the Olympics, either.
The Lightning’s defensive core has already been tested this season. Now, their center depth will face a similar uphill battle over their last two contests before the break. Fortunately, Cirelli and Point are expected to play for Team Canada in the upcoming international contest, meaning there shouldn’t be any long-term injury concerns.
Assuming he plays in at least one of Tampa Bay’s final two contests, Sabourin will register his 10th game of the season, meaning he’ll need to clear waivers should they attempt to assign him back to AHL Syracuse. Over his nine contests thus far, he’s scored one goal and three points, averaging 8:12 of ice time per game.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen To Miss Olympics
According to a team announcement, Buffalo Sabres netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will miss the Olympic Games due to his lower-body injury. In the same announcement, the Sabres shared that Joonas Korpisalo of the Boston Bruins will play for Team Finland and Luukkonen’s stead.
Obviously, even though it’s never a good time to sustain an injury, it really couldn’t come at a worse time for Luukkonen. He’s been fairly healthy since missing the first month of the 2025-26 season. Still, an injury report from a few days ago indicated that Luukkonen would miss the next week of action. It’s unclear if he’ll actually be injured through the Olympic break, or if he and the Sabres agreed it would be best for him to sit it out as a precaution.
Furthermore, it was likely the expectation that Luukkonen would be Finland’s starter for the upcoming international contest. He’s managed an 11-7-2 record across 20 starts with Buffalo this season, earning a .902 SV%, 2.73 GAA, and 3.3 Goals Saved Above Average. His fellow countrymen, Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators and Kevin Lankinen of the Vancouver Canucks, haven’t come close to matching that production.
It would have also been his first international appearance as a professional netminder. Luukkonen was technically included on Team Finland’s roster for last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, though he didn’t participate in any action. His last time representing Team Finland in a game came back during the 2018-19 IIHF World Junior Championship. He managed a 3-2-0 record in six games with a .932 SV%.
Meanwhile, Korpisalo was the best available of the remaining options. Despite being a backup netminder with the Bruins, he was the obvious choice over Ville Husso, Justus Annunen, or Leevi Merilainen. He’s managed a 10-8-1 record in 21 games with Boston this season with a .895 SV% and 3.12 GAA.
Like Luukkonen, Korpisalo hasn’t played for Team Finland in some time. His last showing was in the 2017 IIHF World Championships, where he collected two wins in six appearances with an .858 SV%. Finland lost the Bronze medal game to Russia.