NHL Hockey 3d Briefing
×Player News & Injuries
Blues forward Robert Thomas espn.com will take a temporary leave of absence due to a personal matter, the team announced. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby espn.com has been placed on injured reserve and will miss at least four weeks. Stars forward Mikko Rantanen espn.com is expected to be out for an extended period after sustaining a lower-body injury during the Olympics.
Contract Moves
The Kraken espn.com agreed to two-year contract extensions with forwards Ben Meyers and Ryan Winterton. Penguins defenseman Brett Kulak espn.com was traded to the Avalanche in exchange for Samuel Girard and a 2028 pick.
Olympic Impact
The United States' Olympic hockey gold medal win espn.com over Canada drew an average audience of 26 million viewers on NBC and Peacock. U.S. goaltender Connor Hellebuyck espn.com will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, President Trump announced. The Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. men's hockey team visited President Trump at the White House and received a bipartisan standing ovation during the State of the Union address.
Team Updates
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov espn.com has targeted a return for his season debut after knee surgery. The Hughes brothers espn.com addressed the controversy surrounding President Trump's comments about the women's hockey team.
Playoff Picture
With the Olympics concluded, the sprint to the end of the NHL regular season espn.com is underway. Fantasy hockey players are eyeing post-Olympic pickups including Dostal and Laferriere espn.com as the stretch run begins. The Olympic tournament showcased standouts and disappointments from all 32 NHL teams, with some players returning home happy while others face frustration.