San Jose Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren has been talked about often as a trade candidate. He will be a player to watch once the NHL trade freeze ends because of it.
Due to this, let's take a look at three teams that could make sense as landing spots for Liljegren.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins may not have had many believers heading into the season, but they have been proving their doubters wrong. They currently are second in the Metropolitan Division standings and could end up being buyers because of it. With the Penguins needing more depth on their right side, perhaps they could take a chance on Liljegren. Penguins GM Kyle Dubas and Liljegren also have history due to their Toronto Maple Leafs days.
Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings should be on the hunt for a right-shot defenseman, and Liljegren could make sense as a target for them. If they acquired him, he would have the potential to give them a bit of an upgrade on their bottom pairing as they look to break their nine-year playoff drought.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres also stand out as a possible landing spot for Liljegren. It is no secret that the Sabres should be looking to improve their depth on the right side of their blueline, and bringing in Liljegren would provide them with just that.
MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 12: Sidney Crosby of Team Canada in action during the Men's Preliminary Group A match between Czechia and Canada on day six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 12, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Stefano Guidi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…
If the Pittsburgh Penguins are going to make a trade before the NHL’s March 6 trading deadline, upgrading the defense seems like the most logical route general manager Kyle Dubas will follow. Well, who are some potential players Dubas could target to improve the roster? [PensBurgh]
Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs said he’s embracing the “incredible opportunity” of representing Team Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, calling it a once-in-a-lifetime chance to compete against the world’s best and make his country proud. [Penguins]
Defenseman Ryan Shea has emerged as a reliable NHL regular this season, posting career-high offensive numbers while cementing his role on Pittsburgh’s blueline after a couple of up-and-down years early in his career. Shea has taken advantage of the increased trust and opportunity afforded by a new coaching staff, showing he belongs at the NHL level. [Trib Live]
Updates from around the NHL…
Macklin Celebrini opened the scoring, and Jordan Binnington made 26 saves for the shutout as Team Canada rolled to a 5-0 victory over Czechia on Thursday. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby also recorded two assists. [TSN]
American-born NHLers would not be outdone, however. Brock Nelson scored twice, and four teammates had two assists apiece, as Team USA beat Latvia 5-1. [Associated Press]
Commissioner Gary Bettman said that the league has secured greater access to Olympic content and flexibility around how games and player content are shared compared with past Olympics. He also expressed hope that this cooperation with the IOC and IIHF will continue to improve for future events. [Associated Press]
Bettman also said the league will defer to the International Ice Hockey Federation’s decisions on Russia and Belarus’ eligibility for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. [Sportsnet]
Top NHL draft prospect and Penn State forward Gavin McKenna will continue to participate in athletic activities as he faces a misdemeanor simple assault charge. [Sportsnet]
While many players scattered for rest and relaxation over the Olympic break, Matvei Gridin had a different itinerary.
Instead of a beach getaway, the Calgary Flames rookie headed to Rockford, Illinois to take part in the 2026 AHL All-Star Challenge — a reward for a strong first half with the Calgary Wranglers and another step forward in his development.
It may not have been a traditional vacation, but it was an opportunity Gridin embraced. Named an AHL All-Star for his performance this season, the 19-year-old has been a key contributor for the Wranglers, collecting 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 34 games.
Gridin picked up two assists in his first game, with his All-Star nod capping off what has been a steady upward climb in his first full professional campaign. His progress hasn’t been limited to the AHL, either.
With confidence building at both the AHL and NHL levels, Gridin’s All-Star appearance is less about a midseason showcase and more about a player trending in the right direction as the Flames prepare for the season’s final push.
When Mark Stone was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, some Ottawa Senators fans consoled themselves with the thought that, had the Senators signed Stone to a long-term extension, the last few years of the contract might not look that good.
After all, he wasn't the game's finest skater to start with, so when age or injuries kicked in, he might lose a step that he didn't have to give.
Nearly seven years later, that theory isn’t holding up very well.
Steve Warne suggested on The Sens Nation Podcast that expensive trade deadline deals shouldn't be made unless a team has a realistic chance to win it all.
With 60 points in 41 games, Stone remains a top-20 NHL scorer. And on Thursday in Milan, skating for one of the most stacked Canadian rosters ever assembled, he was one of their better players. Stone was noticeable on almost every shift and scored in Canada’s 5-0 Olympic-opening win over Czechia.
He even broke out the classic goal-scoring face that Ottawa fans used to love.
Feb 12, 2026; Milan, Italy; Mark Stone of Canada celebrates scoring their second goal against Czechia in a men's ice hockey group A match during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
When it comes to how Ottawa management handled a star like Stone, combined with getting next to nothing for him in a trade, his story has to be near the top of the list of biggest blunders in team history.
Former Sens GM Pierre Dorion said the organization only realized days before the deadline that Stone likely wouldn’t re-sign.
But on that very same day, across town, owner Eugene Melnyk told CBC Ottawa something entirely different: this trade had been planned for some time as part of the rebuild.
Those two explanations never quite lined up then, and they don’t now.
Had Stone been given a long-term extension in his previous negotiation instead of a one-year deal, he would have offered an excellent veteran presence in the young Sens locker room.
Instead, they traded him, and Ottawa then spent years searching for exactly the kind of culture-setting, two-way star they had already developed and let go, one who might still be their best player today.
It's easy to imagine a parallel universe where Stone was Erik Karlsson's successor as captain, showing the ropes to young forwards like Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, Shane Pinto, and others. Tkachuk's father, Keith, publicly pleaded with the Senators to re-sign Stone.
“I want that Mark Stone signed so badly," Keith Tkachuk told TSN 1200 radio. "He’s been so instrumental to Brady’s development both on and off the ice. The Senators have to figure out a way and get this done.”
But Keith, who'll be in the Hall of Fame someday, wasn't calling the shots. Dorion and Melnyk were, and then they compounded things by making an atrocious trade.
Stone was traded to Vegas with forward Tobias Lindberg for forward Oscar Lindberg, prospect Erik Brannstrom and a second-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft (Egor Sokolov).
Because he was excited about Brannstrom, who didn't work out as a prospect at all, Dorion called it his proudest day as GM. But only one GM in the deal had the right to strut.
"You don't get players like (Mark Stone) very often," Vegas GM George McPhee told the media. "Players this good aren't available through trade very often. Usually, you draft a player like this, and you hang on to him, and he plays his whole career with you. So we knew that he was out there, that he was going to be available, and the issue was, what's it going to cost? And the price was right for us."
Ya think?
No one Vegas gave up panned out for the Senators, or even in the NHL, and all they have to show for the deal is Belleville's Jan Jenik, who doesn't really appear to be in the team's plans. Jenik was acquired from Arizona in a minor league swap for Sokolov.
Tkachuk, a rookie at the time, didn't hide his fondness for Stone on the day of the trade.
"He was a huge impact for me this year, both on and off the ice," Tkachuk told NHL.com. "I was lucky enough to play with him all year. He welcomed me into his home when he didn't have to, and he kind of took me under his wing, and it means so much to me. He didn't have to; it's just the type of guy he is."
Tkachuk and the young core were soon left to raise themselves, playing for a new rookie head coach in D.J. Smith, who, like the kids, was also trying to learn on the job.
Stone, who says he still spends his summers in Ottawa, remains tight with Tkachuk. Long after the trade, they were even in each other's wedding parties, so just imagine the bromance if they'd been on the same team for the past seven years.
What's frustrating for Sens fans is that Stone didn’t go on to become a great player in Vegas. He remained exactly what he'd already become in Ottawa: an elite two-way star and a leader most NHL management teams would happily build around.
At least with Stone starring for Canada in Milan for the next two weeks, Sens fans can enjoy a rare opportunity to cheer loudly once more for the one that got away.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News-Ottawa. Read more Senators features and articles from THN Ottawa here:
One day after Team Sweden's opening 5-2 win against the hosts, Italy, at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, William Nylander was absent from practice once again.
The 29-year-old, who's playing in his first Olympic Games, scored the game-winner and played 16:27 in Sweden's victory on Wednesday.
Also scoring in the game were Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche, Gustav Forsling of the Florida Panthers, Mika Zibanejad of the New York Islanders, and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who was Sweden's seventh defenseman against Italy, didn't skate a single shift.
There were question marks surrounding Nylander's status entering the game after the forward missed their final practice due to maintenance. But, to no surprise, he ended up playing after getting into a skate on Wednesday morning.
"Just taking care of my body, making sure I'm good for the remainder of the season," Nylander continued.
The forward had played just three games with the Maple Leafs before the Olympics. He was dealing with a reaggravated groin injury, which he picked up against the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 15.
The game against Vegas was just his fourth back in the Maple Leafs lineup after missing the previous six games (from Dec. 28 to Jan. 10) because of the initial groin ailment.
Had Nylander been dealing with any groin injuries in the opening days at the Olympics?
"No, not today," Nylander smiled, after Sweden's win.
In the final two games before heading to Italy, Nylander scored a goal and four points against the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. He leads the Maple Leafs with 18 goals and 52 points in 40 games this season.
Along with his goal against Italy on Wednesday, Nylander registered five shots on goal. The team-high belonged to Joel Eriksson Ek, who tallied nine shots in the game.
"I think just playing Italy in Italy was pretty special," added Nylander, "and getting the W."
Sweden's next game is against Finland on Friday at 6:10 a.m. ET (12:10 local).
New York Islanders center Bo Horvat made the most of his Olympic debut in Milano Cortina. In Canada's first game against Czechia, he scored a breakaway goal to give his nation a 3-0 lead.
The play began as Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley gave Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand an outlet pass. Marchand then threaded the puck to Horvat, who split the Czechia defense before going five-hole on Anaheim Ducks netminder Lukas Dostal:
The Montreal Canadiens will be a team to watch once the NHL Olympic roster freeze passes. With the Canadiens being among the top teams in the Eastern Conference, there is an expectation that they will look to add to their roster ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
Now, the Canadiens are being connected to one of the NHL's top trade candidates.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Chris Johnston predicted that the Canadiens will be the team that acquires New York Rangers star center Vincent Trocheck.
"The Canadiens’ biggest hole all season has been down the middle, and it’s going to be a battle at the deadline for the limited options who can fill the 2C role on a contender. Even at 32, Trocheck certainly fits that description, and the fact he comes with some term at a reasonable cap hit will help the Habs bridge the gap as their youth movement progresses," Johnston wrote.
Seeing the Canadiens being viewed as a potential landing spot for Trocheck is not difficult to understand. There is no question that he would give the Canadiens' top six a nice boost if they acquired him. His stats this season show this, as he has recorded 12 goals, 24 assists, and 36 points in 43 games.
Yet, with Trocheck being a legitimate top-six center who has a $5.625 million cap hit until the end of the 2028-29 season, it is clear that the Rangers would want a significant return for him in a potential move. Yet, with the Canadiens needing another impactful center, he could be worth the price.
It will be interesting to see if the Canadiens end up being the team that lands Trocheck ahead of the deadline. There is no question that the skilled center is going to have several suitors.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 15: Zach Whitecloud #2 of the Vegas Golden Knights shoots the puck during the first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at T-Mobile Arena on January 15, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Zak Krill/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
When the Pittsburgh Penguins return from the 2026 Olympic break, they will have five games before the 2025-26 NHL Trade Deadline. Given where they are in the standings, and the way they have played for the better part of the past two months, the Penguins seem to have positioned themselves as potential buyers, or at the very least, some sort of hybrid buy-sell team like they were a year ago.
While the idea of somebody like Jason Robertson or Robert Thomas is fun to think about and dream on, those are probably more offseason-type moves than in-season deadline deals. Especially as it relates to Robertson given the Dallas Stars current status as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
The Penguins also already have a lot of depth at forward this season and probably have more good players than they can play at the moment. Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes and even Ville Koivunen are worthy of NHL playing time right now, but there just simply is not room for them.
The defense is where the Penguins might be in a position to make a small addition. Not only due to the injury to Kris Letang, as well as the fact Erik Karlsson is playing in the Olympics and is not getting any tine to rest, but just because they could use a little more quality depth at the position in both the short-term and the long-term.
Based on everything Kyle Dubas has said this season, and based on everything he has done over the past year-and-a-half, I would not anticipate them being in the market for older players that are obviously rentals.
But what about a younger player on an expiring contract that could potentially be re-signed?
The ideal situation would be finding a young defenseman with team-control remaining beyond this season, but that sort of thing is probably easier said than done.
So let’s take a look at a couple of options that could be available and might fit what the Penguins are looking for.
Simon Benoit, Toronto Maple Leafs
Benoit is intriguing because he is still only 27 years old and is signed through the end of next season at an extremely manageable salary cap number of just $1.35 million per season. He is not going to do a lot to generate offense, but he has been a very solid defensive player this season and would bring some of the size and physical play that Dubas has tried to inject into the lineup this year.
He’s a bottom-pairing player, but he is cheap, you get two potential playoff runs with him and you know you’re going to get an honest effort and a player that’s not afraid to get in front of a shot.
He has been given exceptionally one-sided defensive assignments (only 26 percent offensive zone starts) with the Maple Leafs allowing just 2.58 expected goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play and only 2.32 actual goals per 60 minutes when he is on the ice. Both numbers are tops among Maple Leafs defensemen.
I could see there being interest, especially after the Penguins made a similar trade with Toronto at last year’s deadline to get Connor Dewar and Conor Timmins. That one worked out well.
Zach Whitecloud, Calgary Flames
Whitecloud has been a solid, if unspectacular player for a few years now in Vegas, and recently found himself as part of the Rasmus Andersson trade that sent him to Calgary. Given the state of the Flames season and their ongoing rebuild, there is no doubt he could potentially be on the trade block again over the next few weeks. He is 29, signed for more full seasons after this at $2.75 million per season, and could be a potential depth upgrade both this season and beyond.
Again, you are not going to get much offense out of him, but he is a solid enough defensive player that can help keep the puck out of your net. The contract is going to increase the return in terms of assets, so it might come down to a matter of how much you are willing to pay this year and how much you like Whitecloud.
Mario Ferraro, San Jose Sharks
The problem with Ferraro as a potential option is that he is an unrestricted free agent after this season and would likely be a rental. But he fits into the age range the Penguins might be interested in (27) and could be a potential extension candidate.
Ferraro has been stuck on a bad San Jose team for years and has typically outperformed his teammates when it comes to suppressing chances and goals. He probably has more offensive upside than a player like Benoit, but might cost more in terms of assets and be at risk of just simply being a few month rental. That might not be their preferred path.
Logan Stanley, Winnipeg Jets
Stanley is a massive physical presence at 6-foot-7 and over 230 pounds, but has never really fully established himself as a quality or consistent NHL Player until this season.
It has been a perfectly timed breakout as well, given the fact he is in a contract year and due for a raise after this season as a pending unrestricted free agent. I don’t know that I am willing to risk paying what he is going to get on the open market this summer, and I suspect he might come with a fairly high asking price from Winnipeg, but he is a potential defense option that should be available.
Braden Schneider, New York Rangers
I am going to include Schneider because he kind of fits the mold of what the Penguins might be looking for in a player — and the type of player they have looked to acquire at other positions — and will almost certainly be available.
I am just not sure I actually want him.
Or how much I would want him.
Or what I would even be willing to give up for him.
He is still only 24 years old, but is a restricted free agent after this season and would need some sort of a commitment contractually.
Maybe if you acquire him you give him a look the rest of the season, and if you don’t like what you see you just do not qualifying him an offer and let him go.
He has size and talent, but none of it has been put together at the NHL level and he seems to have taken a step backwards this season. Maybe a fresh start helps? He would not be high on my priority list.
The Chicago Blackhawks are currently sixth in the Central Division standings and 10 points behind the Anaheim Ducks for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. Due to this, there is an expectation that they will be sellers at the deadline.
Because of this, Matt Grzelcyk is one Blackhawks' pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) who has created chatter as a potential trade candidate. Let's look at three teams that could make sense as landing spots for Grzelcyk if Chicago ends up making him available.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Could a reunion between Grzelcyk and the Penguins be in the cards? The Penguins have been one of the NHL's biggest surprises this season and could look to add to their roster because of it. The left side of their defense could use a boost, and Grzelcyk could help them on that front. He also thrived in Pittsburgh last season, setting career highs with 39 assists and 40 points.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres should be looking to add to their blueline depth ahead of the deadline. If they acquired Grzelcyk, he would give them another solid option to work with on their bottom pairing. At a minimum, he could be a useful seventh defenseman for the Sabres to have around.
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche could be another team to watch when it comes to Grzelcyk. They were linked to him before he signed with the Blackhawks, and they could use another defenseman with a lot of experience. The Avalanche have also struggled on the power play this season, so Grzelcyk could give them another option to help shake things up.
Once the NHL Olympic roster freeze is over, the Buffalo Sabres will be a team to watch. With the Sabres looking to end their 14-year playoff drought, it would make a lot of sense for them to add to their roster ahead of the deadline.
One of the Sabres' most important needs to address is their blueline. It is clear that they should be looking to address their right side specifically. When looking at likely sellers around the NHL who could help the Sabres with this, the Chicago Blackhawks stand out big time.
The Blackhawks are currently among the bottom teams in the Western Conference and are expected to move out some of their players ahead of the deadline. Connor Murphy is one of their most notable trade candidates, and he would be a great fit on a Sabres club looking to get back into the playoffs.
If the Sabres landed Murphy, he could slot very nicely on their bottom pairing and penalty kill. This is because he is a solid stay-at-home defenseman.
With Murphy being one of the top right-shot defenseman trade candidates right now, there is no question that he should generate a lot of interest once the trade freeze lifts. Yet, with the Sabres needing another right-shot defenseman, they would be wise to make a real push for him.
With contenders always on the hunt for big, right-shot defenseman, a trade for Murphy would likely need to start with a second-round pick.
In 57 games so far this season with the Blackhawks, Murphy has recorded four goals, eight assists, 12 points, 55 hits, and 84 blocks. While he is not an offensive defenseman, his dependable defensive play would make him a valuable addition to the Sabres' roster if they successfully landed him.
In 2022,
Montreal Canadiens’ soon-to-be first-overall draft pick Juraj Slafkovsky
dominated the Olympic Games as a 17-year-old and caught the eye of the Habs’
brass thanks to his MVP performance. Four years later, Slafkovsky returned to
the Olympics with Slovakia, carrying the hopes of a nation. Before the first
game, the youngster said he knew it would be a different tournament with NHL
players participating, but as the level of competition rose, so did the
21-year-old.
In their first
game of the tournament, the Slovaks were taking on the heavily favoured Finns,
who had a roster made up almost exclusively of NHL players, with a single
defenseman, Mikko Lehtonen, plying his trade outside of the NHL with the Zurich
Lions of the Swiss National League. Meanwhile, the Slovaks had only seven
NHLers on their roster, but if they were intimidated, it didn’t show, as they
skated away with the three points. Their 4-1 win was the product of two
brilliant performances: that of Slafkovsky, who had two goals and an assist in
the game, and that of goaltender Samuel Hlavaj.
According
to the pregame coverage, the goaltending was meant to be Slovakia’s weakness, but
Hlavaj clearly didn’t get the memo. Finland came out strong, forcing Hlavaj to
weather the storm, which he did brilliantly. When the Finns made a mistake
trying to exit their own zone, Slafkovsky pounced on the puck and beat Juuse
Saros with a brilliant individual effort. After 20 minutes, the Slovaks had a
1-0 lead, and Hlavaj already had 18 saves to his name in a display reminiscent
of Latvia’s Kristers Gudlevskis’ performance back in 2014 when he stopped 55 of
the 57 shots he faced against Canada in a 2-1 defeat.
HOCKEY H - Juraj Slafkovsky débloque son compteur! 🇸🇰🔥
Finland
came out strong in the 2nd frame. It tied the score when Eeli
Tolvanen completed a great passing play from former Habs Artturi Lehkonen and
Joel Armia just as Slovakia’s penalty was expiring. The Finns piled on another
15 shots in that frame but were unable to take the lead as the Slovaks grew
more confident with each save Hlavaj made.
Seven
minutes into the final frame, Dalibor Dvorsky won a big faceoff in the
offensive zone and went straight to the net, where he was able to tap in a
rebound to give Slovakia a lead it would never surrender. Just over three
minutes later, with Slovakia on the power play, the Finns gave Slafkovsky
plenty of time and space, and he went bar down on Saros to make it 3-1 Slovakia.
The winger
came oh so close to getting his hat trick when the Finns had pulled their
goalie, but Sebastian Aho managed to make him lose his stick, making it
impossible for him to score. Slafkovsky didn’t give up, though; he created just
enough obstruction to make sure his teammates recovered the puck and scored,
which Adam Ruzicka did, with Tomas Tatar and the Canadiens’ forward getting an
assist.
Juraj Slafkovsky 🇸🇰 is a multi-sport Olympian, he’s out there playing hockey AND soccer
The
Slafkovsky we saw on the ice on Wednesday showed just how much he has grown as
a player since 2022. He’s much more confident and comfortable with the puck;
he’s able to skate with it and slow down the play when needed. If you give him
an opportunity, he won’t hesitate to take it and hit you where it hurts. He has
poise, he has control, he has size; the world now sees just what the Canadiens
saw when they drafted him in 2022.
In just
eight Olympic matches, Slafkovsky now has nine goals, passing Marian Gaborik with
the third-highest total in Slovakian history. Miroslav Satan is second with
just 10 goals in 22 games, and Marian Hossa is first with 14 goals in 19 games.
If the youngster keeps up that kind of play, it’s easy to imagine that he could
still move up those rankings this tournament.
As for
Oliver Kapanen, the Canadiens’ rookie had to look on from the press box as his
teammate put on a show since he was a healthy scratch. We’ll see if the 4-1
defeat prompts the Finn to make some changes.
The Slovaks
will be back in action on Friday at 6:10 AM ET when they’ll take on the host
nation, Italy. Needless to say, they will not be the underdog then, with the
Italian roster made up solely of players not in the NHL.
UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 14: Hockey: New York Rangers Alexei Kovalev (27) in action vs Pittsburgh Penguins Joel Bouchard (39), New York, NY 2/14/2003 (Photo by Lou Capozzola/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X67754 TK1 R3 F22)
Memories like these pop up and serve as a reminder of how drastically different things were for the Pittsburgh Penguins, although now way in the past.
On this day in 2003, the Rangers acquired Alexei Kovalev, Dan LaCouture, Janne Laukkanen and Mike Wilson from the Penguins in exchange for Rico Fata, Mikael Samuelsson, Joel Bouchard, Richard Lintner, and future considerations #Hockey365#NYRpic.twitter.com/KDiRr9xkOd
In some ways, this moment might have been – if not rock bottom – than certainly a ‘it always gets darkest before the dawn’ for the Penguins. Kovalev was sent off for most importantly what was termed “future considerations”, which meant $3.9 million dollars in cash. That was the biggest amount the NHL would allow to change hands on a trade in a season where the Penguins were expecting to lose money that year, making their already tenuous financial situation that much worse. The Pens also threw in relatively expensive veterans Laukkanen and Wilson to drop even more salary while picking up a hodgepodge of players back from the Rangers without receiving any of their best prospects.
It was an act of survival and desperation in a hockey landscape where the end result of a healthy Penguin franchise was far from a given. At this point there was no Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin (or even Marc-Andre Fleury), there was just the grim financial reality of trying to scrape by and live to see another day. There was no reason to hope things would improve in the future, after all how could a team losing money purge their best players and expect to ever get better while worsening the product and team? That was a vicious cycle started with the Jaromir Jagr trade of 2001 as the team went into a downturn on and off the ice that troubled their very ability to remain competitive.
Of course by now, the sale of Kovalev is water long under the bridge. It took just five years from this point in 2003 to where the Penguins acquired Marian Hossa in 2008 as a sort of a full circle moment where the small time operation had been transformed into something completely different. In retrospect, it’s amazing just how quickly that took place.
A lot happened to get there: a new CBA tied revenue to team player payroll, there was an agreement with the state for a new arena to be built that would allow the team to grow, the draft broke extremely friendly to add players like Fleury, Crosby and Malkin to inject new life and talent get to the point where the shoe was on the other foot. The Penguins were now the fully functional NHL franchise, spending to the maximum limits, a position they would remain financially accessible to be at to this day. There were no more budgetary constraints, the team never had to imagine trading away a prime aged Crosby or Malkin due to salary concerns or even bigger questions about the viability of their team.
And, of course, eight years after they shipped him away, in 2011 Pittsburgh would re-acquire Kovalev as a rental of their own for a playoff run in the ultimate full circle moment. What he came back to by then was different in every way besides the jersey colors and Mario Lemieux from when Kovalev left.
That bright future felt like an extremely unlikely scenario back in 2003, when the Pens were in the NHL in name but hardly as a true franchise capable to operate.
Team Canada plays its first game of the Olympics today, Feb. 10, against a Czech Republic team with 11 NHL players in addition to players from the Czech, Finnish, Swedish and Swiss leagues.
Of Canada’s 25-man roster, all of whom play in the NHL, 23 are first-time Olympians, ranging from long overdue stars like Connor McDavid to the next generation, including second-year phenom Macklin Celebrini.
olympics 2026 men's hockey: what to know
What: Canada vs. Czech Republic
When: Feb. 12, 10:40 a.m. ET
Where: Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena (Milan, Italy)
Channel: USA Network
Streaming: DIRECTV (try it free)
In his third Olympics, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will serve as Canada’s captain for the second time as he begins his quest for a third Olympic gold medal.
Canada vs. Czech Republic start time
Canada vs. Czech Republic is scheduled to start at 10:40 a.m. ET today, Feb. 12.
DIRECTV is our favorite service for watching TV live for free — it has a five-day free trial and there are a ton of options for plans that include USA Network (and every other channel you’ll need for the Olympics), starting at $69.99/month.
TRY DIRECTV FOR FREE
You can also catch every minute of the Olympics with a subscription to Peacock, which starts at $10.99/month.
Canada and Czech Republic team rosters
Below, check out the rosters for Team Canada and Czech Republic, along with each player’s NHL team.
Canada
Travis Sanheim (D) – Flyers
Devon Toews (D) – Avalanche
Cale Makar (D) – Avalanche
Thomas Harley (D) – Stars
Shea Theodore (D) – Golden Knights
Josh Morrissey (D) – Jets
Colton Parayko (D) – Blues
Drew Doughty (D) – Kings
Sam Bennett (F) – Panthers
Nick Suzuki (F) – Canadiens
Sam Reinhart (F) – Panthers
Bo Horvat (F) – Islanders
Macklin Celebrini (F) – Sharks
Seth Jarvis (F) – Hurricanes
Nathan MacKinnon (F) – Avalanche
Brandon Hagel (F) – Lightning
Tom Wilson (F) – Capitals
Mark Stone (F) – Golden Knights
Brad Marchand (F) – Panthers
Sidney Crosby (F) – Penguins
Mitch Marner (F) – Golden Knights
Connor McDavid (F) – Oilers
Darcy Kuemper (G) – Kings
Logan Thompson (G) – Capitals
Jordan Binnington (G) – Blues
Czech Republic
Radko Gudas (D) – Ducks
Michal Kempny (D)
David Špaček (D)
Filip Hronek (D) – Canucks
Jirí Ticháček (D)
Jan Rutta (D)
Radim Šimek (D)
Tomáš Kundrátek (D)
Roman Cervenka (F)
Radek Faksa (F) – Stars
Filip Chlapík (F)
Ondrej Palát (F) – Islanders
Jakub Flek (F)
Lukás Sedlák (F)
Tomáš Hertl (F) – Golden Knights
David Kämpf (F) – Canucks
Ondrej Kaše (F)
Dominik Kubalík (F)
David Pastrnák (F) – Bruins
Matej Stránsky (F)
David Tomášek (F)
Martin Nečas (F) – Avalanche
Lukáš Dostál (G) – Ducks
Karel Vejmelka (G) – Mammoth
Daniel Vladar (G) – Flyers
Canada Olympic hockey schedule
Feb. 12, 10:40 a.m. ET – vs. Czech Republic
Feb. 13, 3:10 p.m. ET – vs. Switzerland
Feb. 15, 10:40 a.m. ET – vs. France
When do the Winter Olympics end?
The 2026 Winter Olympics end with the closing ceremony on Feb. 22 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
LIVIGNO, ITALY - FEBRUARY 10: A drone is seen flying near the Olympic Rings during the Men's Moguls Qualification 1 on day four of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Livigno Air Park on February 10, 2026 in Livigno, Italy. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On Wednesday, the Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament began at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan with Slovakia and Sweden opening Group B play with victories. Action will ramp up even further today with four games on the schedule, including Sidney Crosby leading Team Canada against Czechia in Group A while the Americans open Group C play by taking on Arturs Silvos and Latvia.
In other games set for Thursday, Switzerland takes on France in Group A and Denmark does battle with Germany in Group C.
Puck drop for Canada is set for 10:40 AM EST and can be seen on USA or Peacock. For the United States, puck drop is scheduled for 3:10 PM EST, airing on USA or Peacock as well.
Pens Points…
There is plenty of Penguins representation at the Olympics, with Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell, Erik Karlsson, and Arturs Silovs all taking part. Even on the women’s side, there are four Penguins’ Elite alumni representing the United States in Milan. [Penguins]
Already a decorated Olympian himself, Erik Karlsson returns to the Olympics with a silver medal on his resume from the Sochi Games in 2014. Now an elder statesman of the bunch, Karlsson is relishing the opportunity to once again represent his country on the Olympic stage. [Penguins]
Between making his NHL debut and his play in the AHL, Avery Hayes is on a heater at the moment and gets the nod for AHL Player of the Week. Taking after Hayes, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are hot as a team, winning five straight with their sights set on a playoff bye. [Pensburgh]
Every summer, we go through the evaluate the Penguins top 25 players under the age of 25 years old. With the team on hiatus for the Olympics, now seems like a good time to check in on our list of prospects from this past summer and see how their seasons are going thus far. [Pensburgh]
In his NHL debut last week against the Buffalo Sabres, Avery Hayes played a starring role with a pair of goals to help jumpstart the Penguins to victory. As a bonus, Hayes was wearing a microphone for the game and the Penguins digital team caught some good sound bites from the rookie. [Penguins]
After years of disappointing bottom six play, this season’s Penguins team has been blessed with routinely great play coming out of the third and fourth lines. Most notably, the current fourth line has been a buzzsaw against opponents, regularly closing down games when asked. [PPG]
NHL News and Notes…
In the first Olympic hockey game featuring NHL players since 2014, Slovakia pulled off a massive upset with a 4-1 victory over Finland. Juraj Slafkovsky, who participated four years ago before being drafted, recorded two goals and an assists to give his country a massive leg up in Group B. [NHL]
It was always going to be an uphill battle for hosts Italy in this tournament and starting off against medal favorites Sweden was a tough draw, but the home side battled away and put a scare into the Swedes before ultimately falling 5-2 in their Olympic opener. [NHL]
