After talking about the “dream come true” of playing in the Olympics, Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman spoke to reporters about returning to action. He confirmed that he is good to go as the team returns to action against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight.
Assistant Coach Rob Zettler also confirmed that all of the Olympic players will be playing and that Emil Lilleberg and Charle-Edouard D’Astous should be ready to go. Even with Max Crozier out and Nick Paul likely out, this may be the healthiest the Lightning have been over the last couple of months. It’s coming at the perfect time as they embark on a sprint to the end of the season that will see them playing just about every other night for the rest of the season.
Other Hockey News:
Checking in on the Lightning prospects: Part One [Raw Charge]
There are some intriguing names on the list. Will they be part of any deals Julian BriseBois puts together over the next couple of weeks?
As Lightning regroup after Olympics, focus is on resuming winning ways [Tampa Bay Times]
J.J. Moser mentions the Lightning’s culture of consistency as a reason why they will be able to pick back up where they left off before the break. The distractions are behind them and it’s time to focus on the one remaining goal – a Stanley Cup.
TRAAAAAAAAAAAADEEEEEE [Pensburgh]
Yes we made a joke about the Julien Gauthier trade yesterday, but if we had waited just a little longer to publish the news, we could have talked about a real deal as the Penguins sent Brett Kulak to Colorado for Sam Girard and a 2028 second-round pick. Not a bad bit of business for Pittsburgh, and it gives the Avalanche a veteran defender and some cap space.
Bettman talks Olympics, State of the Union [The Athletic]
Uncle Gary called it a “player decision” in regards to the members of Team USA that went to the White House (according to reports Jake Guentzel was in Tampa getting ready for tonight’s game). He also spoke about a successful tournament helping the long-term growth of the NHL. The Athletic reported that 20.7 million people in the US watched the Gold Medal game. Not too shabby.
Which general managers are under the most pressure entering the trade deadline [Daily FaceOff]
Dallas’ Jim Nill is definitely one. Can he keep pace with the Colorado and Minnesota?
Ryan McDonagh Credits U.S. Women’s Hockey for inspiring next generation [The Hockey News]
The former Olympian is, after all, a girl dad. The Lightning defenseman spoke about watching the Olympics with his daughter, Falan, and how much they enjoyed spending the time together.
The Lightning Mid-Season Awards [Tampa Bay Lightning]
Love the awards that Benjamin Pierce and Thompson Brandes handed out. Absolutely no doubt that the top play of the year was Jake Guentzel’s OT goal against Edmonton that came right after Andrei Vasilevskiy’s extraordinary save on Jack Roslovic. We would also consider it for the John Wick “Yeah, I think I’m back” Award in regards to Vasilevskiy letting the league know he’s taking his spot back atop the goaltending pyramid.
Jonathan Toews not interested in waving no-trade clause [Sportsnet]
The veteran center could have been an interesting fit for some teams, but it looks like he’s not interested in playing anywhere other than his hometown.
