Currently, the last time that NHL players were included in the Olympics was the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games. Due to a dispute over funding in 2018, the Olympic hockey teams were composed of professional players not currently residing on an NHL roster. Set to go back in 2022, those plans were unfortunately canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the 2026 Winter Olympic Games to be shared between Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy, the NHL is once again looking to send the world’s best hockey players back to the international event. In today’s edition of TSN’s Insider Trading, Chris Johnson reports that Commissioner Gary Bettman is set to meet with the International Ice Hockey Federation tomorrow, and he could make the announcement as soon as Friday in Toronto.
Not only is the league looking for a return to the Olympics, but they are also looking to bring back a World Cup, which would begin in 2028 under the reported deal. Although nothing is currently set in stone, it does appear momentum is heading in the right direction for the return of NHL players to international hockey.
Other snapshots:
- During the Insider Trading segment, TSN’s Darren Dreger mentions a new team interested in the services of Calgary Flames’ defenseman Chris Tanev; the Ottawa Senators. One would have to assume that if the Senators were to acquire Tanev at the trade deadline, an extension would almost have to be worked out, given that they are all but out of the playoff race even at this point in the season. However, the reported interest in Tanev may just be a ploy to drive up the price for their intra-provincial rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- After a lost season to injury last year, Montreal Canadiens forward Sean Monahan has found himself back on the trade market for this year’s trade deadline. With most teams waiting to see what happens with the Flames’ Elias Lindholm, Pierre Lebrun indicates that once that domino does fall, and Montreal commits to trading Monahan, it is more than likely the Canadiens will be able to fetch a first-round pick for a few months of Monahan, especially if they are willing to retain salary.
- To finish off the reports from Insider Trading, Dreger also indicates that the General Manager of the New York Rangers, Chris Drury, has begun receiving calls on the availability of Kaapo Kakko. With Filip Chytil now missing the rest of the 2023-24 season due to injury, the Rangers have quite the hole down the middle after Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck. Only a few years removed from being the second overall pick, New York could build a package for a center with Kakko as the main piece heading back the other way.
Ottawa and Toronto “cross town rivals” and the Rangers have a “whole” down the middle?
It’s a city nearly as large as the nation of Africa
“Montreal commits to trading Lindholm…”, you probably meant Monahan unless the Canadiens somehow acquired the Flames centre.
Tanev has a limited no trade in his contract, if I’m not mistaken. If so, he’s not going to waive it to miss the playoffs in Ottawa.
Monahan would make a quality 3C on a contender. Considering the price, I’d even take Monahan over Lindholm.
Monahan has been Montreal’s MVP…if he can stay healthy and play like he has this year, he is your prototypical playoff addition. Smart, leadership, good on face offs, kills penalties, good on PP…I will hate to see him go, but whatever contender gets him, they will be happy….Could Kappo come Montreal’s way? Mtl would have to potentially throw in a DMan
No rangers cannot deal Kaapo for Monohan and a veteran defenseman. Maybe if Montreal was sending back Monohan plus Lane Hutson and a second round pick for Kaapo and Robertson the defense prospect.
LOL we got a comedian.
Wow some pretty poor assessments as to Monahan’s value coming from these comments. Hughes apparently did extremely well getting a 1st and conditional 3rd.