Happy Wednesday, Razzball faithful!
The Olympics are finally done. And I guess nothing too exciting happened, so let’s not waste any time digging into that stuff…
Oops. Wrong image.
Ok. I didn’t think we’d be able to get around that one.
Before we get into names to consider for the final 25 games and the race to the playoffs, a quick recap of Olympic play is in order.
First, congratulations to Team Canada for their clean sweep of SILVER in Italy!
The ladies mounted a nice comeback and played a much better game than the 5-0 drubbing they suffered against the American women in the round robin.
As for the men’s side?
Did anyone watch? Or care?
As Nathan MacKinnon said in the post-game interview, “You can be the judge of that”…
Beating Canada in both Men's and Women's hockey is insane. Fairly unfamiliar with the sport, is hockey popular in Canada?
— MarmosDad (Matt) (@marmosdad.bsky.social) 2026-02-22T16:22:01.381Z
It’s true. I AM dead inside. But, it’s ok. I take all the blame for Sunday’s outcome.
I believe my choice of athletic interaction on a cold Saturday night in Canada was likely what angered the Hockey Gods the most.
At least we’ve got curling? (Ya, I got nothing)
If there’s any tiny solace I can scrape out of this bottom-of-the-shoe fecal stomping of national embarrassment, it’s that the boss paid attention to our frozen game for more than a few days.
That’s a win!
But, as they say in the big leagues, “Nobody ever wins a silver medal. They lose the gold.”
All jokes aside, a big and deserving congratulations go to Team USA’s men and women for their gold medal finishes last weekend. Both groups were over-the-moon ecstatic with their respective wins, and if there’s a silver lining for fans of this game, hockey should see a bit more growth in the South.
How does that affect our work here? Are there any players who will use this Olympic outcome to boost their rest-of-season output? Should we pay attention to any newsworthy bites from the last couple of weeks of hockey action?
Well, I’d say yes on all accounts.
And when we add those pieces into a bit of a rest-of-season salad, we’ll get a good-sized chunk of frozen rubber and data to chew on as we prepare our rosters for the ROS sprint.
Before we get into the Player Write-ups below, I’m going to link my trade deadline previews here just because a lot of the names that are floating around the rumor mill right now (and will be for the next 10 days) were already covered in each one.
EASTERN CONFERENCE trade deadline preview
WESTERN CONFERENCE trade deadline preview
As for the rest of the names to look out for? Well, here are a few to bookmark for news and notes from your favorite sources. Some are trade fodder, and others are names that should come out of the Olympic break with a fire in their belly as teams race to the finish line!
NAMES TO WATCH FOR THE FINAL 25 GAMES OF THE REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
Connor Hellebuyck – If there was any doubt that a guy with one win in his last eight NHL starts and a sub-.500 record could still dominate a game; those doubts were erased with his performance over the last two weeks. Connor Hellebuyck not only took home a gold medal on Sunday, but he was also named the top goalie from the men’s tournament.
For the fans who aren’t old enough to remember the Team Canada heyday of goaltending riches, I’ll give you a quick history lesson. The confidence that those old Canadian teams had, knowing they’d have either Patrick Roy or Martin Brodeur as their netminder, was enough to boost any group’s morale and give them the belief that they could beat anyone on any given day. The swagger was real, and it started with Hall of Fame goaltending in the crease.
Hellebuyck was that for Team USA. He should be that for the Jets, too, but with Winnipeg sitting 11 points behind Anaheim for the final wild card spot in the West, they might not have enough time to make a run. And it might not matter how great Hellebuyck is if they can’t pile up wins in a hurry.
Jack Hughes – He’s not going anywhere, nor should he. I just thought it was funny to see this one after he scored the OT winner in that gold medal game.
Nothing like a big confidence boost for the young franchise forward. Now if only someone would teach him how to cut his steak properly…
Sidney Crosby – Captain Canada got crunched, then sumo splashed by Radko Gudas in the game against the Czechs. The knee injury kept him out of the semi-final game and out of the gold medal matchup, too. Would a healthy Sidney Crosby have made a difference in the medal round? No one knows for sure, but the Canadians sure missed him.
When the NHL resumes its schedule on Wednesday, Sid will still be listed as “day-to-day” with his “lower body injury”. Penguins fans have to be nervous about their team’s chances if the knee injury lingers. They’re sitting in second place in the Metropolitan, just one point ahead of the Islanders’ 69 points (albeit with two games in hand).
David Pastrnak – It was a tough game to watch as Team Canada went up against the Czechs in the quarterfinal round. Pastrnak’s 5 points in 5 GP weren’t as impressive as teammate Martin Necas’ 8 points in the same number of games, but when it comes to hot hands in the last quarter of the season, Pastrnak has to be on a short list.
The sniper will be one of the main reasons why the Bruins sink or swim heading into the playoffs. If Boston can land a legitimate center to feed him the puck, he should be even more of a threat the rest of the way.
With apologies to Morgan Geekie, if the Bruins add someone like Robert Thomas or Brayden Schenn before the deadline, it would be a boon for fantasy managers who roster Pastrnak.
Connor McDavid – It’s an easy one to call, and almost a waste of time drawing any attention to the player. With that said, we know the drill here. McDavid led all scorers in Italy with 13 points in 6 games. That was enough to land him the MVP award, but not enough to pull in the top prize.
McDavid has to be getting sick of hearing the doubters, especially after back-to-back Stanley Cup losses. If anything, the disappointment of putting that silver medal around his neck should add some fuel to McDavid’s fire. Expect him to lead the league in scoring the rest of the way as he and the Oilers push for the Pacific Division title.
Vincent Trocheck – I mentioned a few weeks ago that there were rumblings about Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck in the trade circles of the NHL. Well, it didn’t take long for Panarin to get shipped out to California, and a lot of his former teammates should be ready to go before 4:00 PM EST on March 6th, too. It might seem silly to include the Wild in this list, but Bill Guerin loves his Team USA guys. Just ask Quinn Hughes.
Possible trade destinations include: Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, LA Kings, and Anaheim Ducks.
Nazem Kadri – I’ve mentioned him a few times over the past few weeks, and Viz had him down as one of his “Ten Players To Buy For The Second Half” (you can read that if you click there).
Here’s what Viz said: “I believe that Kadri will be traded at the deadline, and he’ll get to play on a much better team with much better linemates and a better power play. Even if the minutes slightly go down, Kadri should be better.”
I’m fully on board with all of this. I’m no Kadri fan, but I assume he’s as good as gone, and I also assume he’ll land in a situation that gives him a lot more opportunity to put up points.
Possible trade destinations include: Florida Panthers (especially if Barkov isn’t expected to return soon), Montreal Canadiens, and LA Kings.
Robert Thomas – This guy goes along with the guy below him here, and I’d add Jordan Kyrou to the list as well. I don’t think the Blues will trade Robert Thomas OR Jordan Kyrou unless they get one of those knock-your-socks-off offers that a team just cannot refuse. That said, if I were running a team that had a legitimate shot at a deep playoff run but needed a top-flight center to get me there, I’d be emptying the cupboards and putting something together that GM Doug Armstrong would have a tough time turning down.
Possible trade destinations include: Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Seattle Kraken.
Jordan Binnington – First off, I have to admit, I am not a fan. It’s likely residual annoyance from the 2019 Stanley Cup final when Binnington rolled into Beantown and decimated the dreams of all of New England with a Game 7 “stand-on-your-head” kind of performance.
That said, Binnington has not been great this year. Sure, some of the blame for the 8-17-6 record can fall on the performance of the team in front of him. But the 3.65 GAA and .864 save percentage? That’s where he earns the nickname that my kids gave him all those years ago.
Are the “St Poo-is Poos” going to trade Jordan “Pee-Pee-ton”? Maybe not. But there have to be a few teams looking to pick up a goalie with Stanley Cup experience and the faith of Hockey Canada. I think it’s a long shot that he gets moved, but teams that need a proven playoff performer could do a lot worse, no matter what his numbers suggest this year.
***The Sergei Bobrovsky rumor mill is heating up, too, so let’s put him in the same category of “unlikely but not impossible” with Binnington here.***
Justin Faulk – The rumor is that St Louis wants a return that is “similar to the one Calgary received for Rasmus Andersson”. That means anyone looking to make a move for Faulk is going to have to pony up a solid NHL regular defenseman, a good prospect, a 1st-round pick, and a conditional 2nd-rounder.
As a Bruins fan, I can honestly say…or more likely, shout…
“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”
If Faulk is headed elsewhere, let the Leafs flip whatever they have left in the coffers to pick him up for the stretch run.
Possible trade destinations include: Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Vegas Golden Knights, and San Jose Sharks.
Jake DeBrusk – CONTROL C, CONTROL V. Apparently, Jake DeBrusk and his $5.5 million salary (for the next 5 years) are on the trade table in Vancouver as well. The rumored “asking price” is hefty, and teams looking for secondary-scoring middle-six wingers are starting to send out feelers.
Now, I know this is Razzball, so I should have some leeway to share some sarcasm, criticism, and deliver a ‘general hard time or grind the gears’ with pretty much anyone. But believe me when I say that I’m speaking for any Bruin fan who watched them play over the last 10 years.
If you want a winger that hustles and gives 100% energy and effort every game…do not encourage your favorite club to make a move for this guy. I’d be clamoring for Evander Kane before surrendering anything more than a 7th-round pick for one of the rusted crown jewels of that infamous 2015 Bruins entry draft.
Possible trade destinations include: Edmonton Oilers (his dad is the color analyst for home broadcasts), Detroit Red Wings, and Carolina Hurricanes. If Mikko Rantanen’s Olympic injury is more serious than originally thought, we can add Dallas to the list here as well.
Mackenzie Weegar – If your favorite team is looking for a right-shot defenseman and you don’t want them to surrender the kind of ransom that the Blues are asking for Justin Faulk, Calgary should be willing to loosen its grip on the 32-year-old Weegar for a bit less.
Possible trade destinations include: Detroit Red Wings, Vegas Golden Knights, Ottawa Senators, and Utah Mammoth.
Rasmus Ristolainen – It’s lazy to piggyback Weegar here, but the line of thought is the same. If your favorite team needs a right-handed defenseman and isn’t willing to pay up for one of the premium options, the Flyers would be happy to send you Risto for a modest return. I assume a 2nd/3rd round pick and a decent prospect would get a deal done, especially if said team is willing to eat the rest of his deal (his $5.1 million AAV expires after next year).
Alex Tuch – He’s a UFA at the end of the year, and I wrote up a pretty extensive bit in my Eastern Conference trade deadline preview. I can’t see the Sabres selling anyone as the team NEEDS to push all in just to remind their fans of how explosive that arena can get during a playoff run.
If Jarmo gets silly, though, Tuch would land them a good haul in prospects and picks, along with at least one NHL-ready player.
Bobby McMann – I know I throw shade at the Leafs as often as I can, but it’s a target as big as the CN Tower on most days. Bobby McMann is a UFA at the end of the year, and he’s the type of player the Leafs should be looking to lock in on a multi-year deal. The kid hustles and plays with some physicality.
If it’s a good move, unfortunately for fans, the Leafs’ front office often zigs when they should be zagging.
To be fair, the powers that be at Scotiabank Arena can’t do anything right (if you read the media in Toronto). If the Leafs sell players like McMann, writers will criticize the team for shipping out solid players and not pushing for a playoff run.
If they don’t, and the team falls short of expectations again, the local media will crucify the team for losing a guy like McMann for nothing.
For what it’s worth, if a team like Edmonton or LA can land McMann and give him a regular shift in its Top 6, he should produce enough to be a worthwhile gamble for the rest of the season.
Possible trade destinations include: Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, LA Kings, Detroit Red Wings, Colorado Avalanche, and Montreal Canadiens.
Blake Coleman – Yet another Flame with his bags packed and a ticket waiting for him at the airport. The only question is which city gets printed on the front when March 6th rolls around. Coleman is a proven performer with scoring ability and experience (two Stanley Cups). The contract is favorable, too – he has just one more year remaining at $4.6 million. A lot of playoff teams in search of that ever-elusive “secondary scoring” will be lining up to take a crack at this guy.
Possible trade destinations include: Tampa Bay Lightning (where he won both cups), Montreal Canadiens, Anaheim Ducks, and San Jose Sharks (long shot).
Steven Stamkos – The writing is on the wall for Stamkos. He’s on an expiring contract, and the Predators, despite being just 4 points out of a wild card spot, are looking like a team that’s ready to pull the plug.
As I said above, with DeBrusk and Bobby McMann, there will be no shortage of teams in search of secondary scoring. And each one of those will be inquiring about the cost to make a move for Stamkos. I wrote him up in my “Contenders or Pretenders” section of the Western preview.
Possible trade destinations include: LA Kings, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins (depending on Crosby’s health), and, just because it would be a fun story, the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Jonathan Toews – I said it last week, but it was confirmed today. Despite Jonathan Toews’ status as a pending UFA, he will not agree to a move out of Winnipeg. If anything, the full no-trade clause means he won’t be heading anywhere, but it should also signal that he’s looking for an extension ahead of the 2026-2027 season.
AND as one tiny side note, while I was writing this up, the Pittsburgh Penguins shipped Brett Kulak to the Colorado Avalanche for Sam Girard and a 2nd round pick. If that’s any indication of what a pending UFA defenseman will net a seller, March 6th could make for an interesting trade deadline day!
That’s all, folks! I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to drop any questions or comments below. I’ll be back next week with the Tuesday night round-up!.
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