NHL Hockey 3d Briefing
×Olympic Aftermath
The U.S. men's hockey team espn.com visited President Trump at the White House and received a bipartisan standing ovation at the State of the Union. Connor Hellebuyck espn.com will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his Olympic performance. The Olympic gold medal win over Canada drew an average audience of 26 million viewers on NBC and Peacock in the U.S. Jack Hughes espn.com was honored by the Devils before their game against the Sabres after his Olympic heroics.
Player Updates
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby espn.com will miss at least four weeks after being placed on injured reserve. Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen espn.com will be out for an extended time with a lower-body injury sustained at the Olympics. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov espn.com has a target for his season debut after September knee surgery. St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas espn.com is taking a temporary leave of absence for a personal matter. Lightning coach Jon Cooper espn.com is out for two games following his father's death.
Trade Activity
The Penguins espn.com traded defenseman Brett Kulak to the NHL-best Avalanche for Samuel Girard and a 2028 pick. Kulak had been traded to Pittsburgh in December before this second move. The Kraken agreed to two-year contract extensions with forwards Ben Meyers and Ryan Winterton.
Team Adjustments
Vegas Golden Knights espn.com returned without five players from the Olympic final, including Canadian forwards Mark Stone and Mitch Marner, defenseman Shea Theodore, and American stars Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin. The Hughes brothers addressed controversy over President Trump's comments about the women's hockey team.
With medals awarded, the sprint is on to the end of the regular season. The essential Monday guide highlights fantasy hockey pickups including Dostal and Laferriere as post-Olympics must-adds. Standouts and disappointments emerged from all 32 NHL teams at the Milan Cortina Games, with some players returning home happy while others face frustration.