NHL Hockey 3d Briefing
×Player Updates & Injuries
Robert Thomas espn.com is taking a temporary leave from the St. Louis Blues for a personal matter. In Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby espn.com was placed on injured reserve and will miss at least four weeks. For the Dallas Stars, Mikko Rantanen espn.com will be out an extended time after sustaining a lower-body injury during the Olympics. Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov espn.com is targeting a season debut after knee surgery, saying it will be "soon."
Team Transactions
The Seattle Kraken locked up forwards Ben Meyers espn.com and Ryan Winterton with two-year extensions. In a trade, the Penguins sent defenseman Brett Kulak espn.com to the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche for Samuel Girard and a 2028 draft pick.
Olympic Aftermath
The U.S. men's Olympic hockey team's gold medal victory over Canada drew a massive 26 million viewers espn.com across NBC and Peacock. Following the win, the team visited President Donald Trump at the White House and received a bipartisan standing ovation during the State of the Union. Trump also announced that goaltender Connor Hellebuyck espn.com will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Hughes brothers later addressed controversy surrounding Trump's comments espn.com about the women's hockey team.
Playoff & Fantasy Focus
With the Olympic break over, the focus shifts to the playoff race. The NHL's playoff picture espn.com is taking shape as teams sprint to the regular season finish. For fantasy players, post-Olympic pickups like Dostal and Laferriere espn.com are essential adds. A review of Olympic standouts espn.com across all 32 NHL teams shows who shined in Milan Cortina and who left frustrated.