The daily top story on Hockey Hot Stove is powered by Watrhouse Brands, dedicated to quality, consumer education and awareness: Benevolent Bakery, SoSHEL beverages and Smokiez vegan fruit chews. Today: NHL return to play.
The NHL is back from the Olympic freeze, and it’s off and running at that. There are eight games on the first day back from the Olympics, and it’s a jam-packed week and a half before the trade deadline. The trade deadline, by the way, is next Friday, which snuck up on a lot of hockey fans who have been hyperfocused on the Olympics and Gold Medal game.
This stretch will be a big one, to say the least. Teams are in limbo when it comes to buying or selling. Players are either coming back from the break well-rested and amped up to go, fatigued or injured from the games, or with higher trade value. So, who holds all the cards? Here are a few options.
Alex Tuch
Talk about the sliding doors player of the next week and a half. Alex Tuch is a pending free agent, and there are three options for him and the Buffalo Sabres.
- He can sign an extension, which at this point looks like the least likely outcome.
- The Sabres can trade him and bring back a surplus of prospects, something that made sense a few months back but with the team in a playoff spot and playing well, it doesn’t.
Both sides wait things out and allow Tuch to test free agency, a dangerous game for the Sabres, who can lose the most valuable trade asset in the summer for nothing.
This leaves the Sabres in a bind. Regardless of the path they take, there will be a chain reaction. Even if they pull off an extension, it puts all the pressure on a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in 14 years to make a push and go all-in.
Tuch holds the cards here, or he’s the player with the leverage. His decision will change a lot of teams beyond the Sabres, and it’s why all eyes are on the Upstate New York native. Expect a news bomb to involve his name in the coming days for one reason or another.
Nathan MacKinnon
The missed wide-open net in the third period of the Gold Medal game will haunt Nathan MacKinnon for years. With a chance at Gold, he fanned on the opportunity, and it will stick with him for the rest of his career. When Canada was awarded its silver medals and a stuffed animal (for some odd reason), MacKinnon held the toy and looked like he was ready to rip it to shreds, which showed how much the loss to the USA is already weighing on him.
MacKinnon returns from the break and is back with the Colorado Avalanche, and for many of us, the question is whether he’s on a mission. MacKinnon is already playing at a Hart Trophy level but do the Olympics fuel him to play even better? Will the NHL witness a better version of arguably the best player in the game? It’s possible, and the Avalanche certainly hope that’s the case.
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby and the Canadian medical staff pulled out all of the stops to get him to play in the Gold game. For the NHL’s most decorated player on the international stage to miss two elimination games, it’s a telling sign that his injury is worse than day-to-day. Crosby’s status is unknown, yet there’s a good chance he’s out for a few weeks in a season that only has eight more left in the regular season.
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The Pittsburgh Penguins, like a lot of teams in the Eastern Conference, are a bubble team. They surprised everyone with a great season but without Crosby, it’s doubtful they can keep their playoff spot. They need their star back soon enough, and in the meantime, they are left in a tough spot as they head towards the trade deadline.
Dallas Stars
If there’s one team that will be fueled by the Olympics, it’s the Dallas Stars. Specifically, the players who were left off the rosters are sure to put together a strong finish to the season. Jason Robertson is the big one, as the elite winger was left off the USA team in a controversial decision, albeit one that paid off for the Americans. Likewise, Wyatt Johnston was left off the Canadian team while Jake Oettinger was demoted to the third-string goaltending spot and didn’t play in the Olympics.
With multiple motivated players, the Stars are in a good spot to go on a run. They can finish the season in a great position for a playoff run and then finish the job, something they’ve failed to do in the past three seasons. The downside of course is the Mikko Rantanen injury but otherwise, expect this team to be ready for the home stretch, and possibly make a big trade to boot.
Florida Panthers
Will the Florida Panthers shut it down? Many of their players not only went to the Olympics and are coming back hurt but have essentially played an extra season following three deep playoff runs (including the back-to-back Cup titles). Will the Panthers make a push for the playoffs and another run at the Cup? This is the group that believes if they can make the playoffs, they can go on a run.
The Panthers are a fascinating team because they can go either way. It felt like their entire team was at the Olympics, and the injuries could be too much to overcome. That said, don’t put it past general manager (GM) Bill Zito to make a big move and put this team in a position for another run.
Montreal Canadiens
Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson were the two USA-born players who were left off the team. The top scorer on the Montreal Canadiens and the playmaker at the point, without question, will be fueled for a strong finish. On the other side of things, there’s Juraj Slafkovsky, who looked like a superstar for Slovakia, someone who the Canadiens hope can still bring that elite play back with him.
The Canadiens are also the team that can make a blockbuster trade in the coming days. They have prospects on top of prospects, yet their NHL team is entering a contention window. All of this hints at the Canadiens getting hot to finish the season.
Other Players & Teams to Watch
The Edmonton Oilers are always a fascinating team, and the return to action is no exception. Connor McDavid and his added motivation to win are a part of that. Another is Evan Bouchard and Zach Hyman, who players who were left off the Canadian team.
The Kings are in a tough spot now because the Artemi Panarin trade suggests that they are contending. Then Kevin Fiala suffered a season-ending injury at the Olympics, throwing a wrench into everything.
There’s also the question of which players will build off the Olympics and play their best hockey now. A handful of USA players come to mind, whether it’s Brock Faber, Jack Hughes, Matt Boldy, or Zack Werenski, just to name a few.
