Around the NHL with Elliotte Friedman: Post-Olympic Trade Market Update

·30 min·2 clips

Elliotte Friedman calls Jack Hughes' shift in the Olympic final one of the all-time greats in hockey history.

This episode of The FAN Hockey Show features hosts Matt Marchese and Mike Buda welcoming back Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman after the Olympic break to analyze the NHL trade market. Friedman shares his Olympic experience and provides updates on player injuries and trade rumors as the deadline approaches. The hosts discuss the recent gold medal game, where the United States defeated Canada in overtime, highlighting Connor Hellebuyck's performance and Jack Hughes' decisive goal. Friedman describes the Olympic gold medal game atmosphere as electric, noting Hellebuyck was the best player on the ice with a save he considers perhaps the greatest he's ever seen live. He explains Canada's second and third periods were their best of the tournament, but they couldn't score, and analyzes Jack Hughes' shift leading to the winning goal as one of the all-time greats. The panel agrees the U.S. earned the victory and that hockey fans were the real winners, though they lament the wait until the next best-on-best tournament. Friedman addresses post-Olympic injury statuses, mentioning Auston Matthews is expected to play for Toronto but Mikko Rantanen will miss time, though not season-ending. He notes rumors about other players possibly missing considerable time but hasn't confirmed them, citing examples like Nathan MacKinnon and Matthew Tkachuk. The conversation shifts to the first post-Olympic trade, with Brett Kulak going from Pittsburgh to Colorado for Samuel Girard and a second-round pick. Friedman interprets the trade as Colorado opening cap space for further moves while acquiring a steady defenseman in Kulak, whom he praises for playoff consistency. He notes Girard's frequent trade rumors are now over and he can focus on playing in Pittsburgh. The hosts speculate on potential goalie trade destinations for Jordan Binnington, with Friedman admitting he needs to research that market more after returning from the Olympics. A significant discussion centers on St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas, with Friedman stating if a true number-one center becomes available, teams don't wait for the deadline to act. He notes Thomas's team-friendly contract at five more years around $8.25 million makes him extremely valuable. Friedman believes the Blues' general manager isn't afraid to make big moves, and a trade could happen soon if the right offer emerges. Friedman observes the trade market feels busy, with teams like Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Winnipeg potentially active, though he senses Ryan O'Reilly seems unlikely to move. He identifies the Los Angeles Kings as looking to add offensive help, possibly a center with term, and mentions the Utah Hockey Club's interest in Artemi Panarin. The Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights are also circled as teams wanting to strengthen their center depth, with names like Nazem Kadri mentioned. The tone is conversational and insider-driven, blending post-Olympic recap with forward-looking trade analysis in a relaxed, informative style. Hockey fans interested in trade deadline speculation and post-Olympic NHL implications will enjoy this episode. Listeners seeking pure game analysis or uninterested in insider rumors might find less value.

As heard by us

Banter up front, then a brisk move from the gold medal game into trade talk and the closing-game debate.

The Fan Hockey Show starts with light banter before moving from the gold medal game into the day's trade talk. Friedman's view stays direct: Hellebuyck was the best player on the ice, Canada had chances in the second and third periods, and McKinnon's miss on the open net hangs…

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Want the electric gold-medal game and today's trade chatter in one fast hockey sit-down?

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