They discuss the lasting impact of Team USA winning gold, capped by Hughes’ overtime goal, and why Team Canada couldn’t get the extra goal in the gold medal game.
Rosen and Roarke bring up some lingering questions they have about the Canadian lineup, specifically why didn’t forward Sam Reinhart play a bigger role and why was it a struggle for Nathan MacKinnon to find chemistry with linemates except when coach Jon Cooper moved him to a line with Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini?
They then move on to the NHL season resuming Wednesday with Stanley Cup Playoff races heating up and the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline coming into focus (3 p.m. ET on March 6).
Some topics discussed and debated:
Will the New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets be able to climb the standings with players like Jack Hughes and goalie Jacob Markstrom for New Jersey, and Hellebuyck for the Jets coming back with confidence?
Is it realistic given the injuries and number of players coming back from the Olympics for the Florida Panthers to get on a run to make the playoffs?
Are the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres going to end long playoff droughts? And does the hockey world now fully understand the value of Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin and Sabres forward Tage Thompson based on their performances at the Olympics for Team USA?
What is the impact of Sidney Crosby’s lower-body injury on the Penguins with their captain expected to be out at least four weeks?
There’s plenty more in the new episode of the podcast that begins and ends with the Olympics.
The "NHL @TheRink" podcast is free and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms. It is also available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.
