The 2026 Winter Olympics have come to an end, as Team USA defeated Canada for gold in the men's hockey tournament. As players return from Milan, preparing for the rest of the NHL season, front offices have still been working.
The NHL instituted a trade freeze that began at 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 4 and will end at 11:59 p.m. ET tonight. With the NHL trade deadline quickly approaching, coming up on Mar. 6 at 3 p.m. ET, front offices were still working during the break, according to Ryan S. Clark of ESPN.
“There's nothing that stops people from talking,” said Columbus Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell. “You just can't consummate a deal, of course. You're not going to call a guy when he's either at the Olympics or in Mexico City or Miami or wherever he is and tell him he's been traded.”
Teams will resume play on Wednesday, but most teams have just a half dozen games before the NHL trade deadline to decide the future of their franchise.
“Now we're in a different spot where we could become sellers or we could become buyers. Other teams have the same process going on right now,” Waddell added.
Meanwhile, some NHL teams are going back to the ice, knowing that they have injured players. The biggest was the season-ending injury to Kevin Fiala of the Los Angeles Kings. Still, Pittsburgh Penguins' forward Sidney Crosby, Winnipeg Jets' defenseman Josh Morrissey, Dallas Stars' forward Mikko Rantanen, and Stars center Radek Faksa all dealt with injuries at the Olympics.
“The way I look at it is we're very fortunate to have nine Olympians,” Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin said. “That means we have good players and a good team, and they have this unique opportunity of a lifetime that we're all embracing. Of course, there is always risk. You can't do something like this risk-free, but it's worth it. If something happens? We'll figure it out.”
Meanwhile, as many teams have 25 games left, there is also a large group of teams in contention. In the Eastern Conference, six teams currently outside of the playoffs are within eight points of a spot. In the Western Conference, three teams on the outside are within five points of a spot.
“There's a lot of teams with uncertainty,” Stars GM Jim Nill said. “There are a lot of teams in the mix for the playoffs, and I can't stress enough how important it is for teams and organizations to make the playoffs. Those teams will have to make decisions. Are they buyers? Are they sellers? That's a lot of uncertainty. But we've done our homework and we're prepared.”
The NHL returns to play on Wednesday with eight games, and 16 teams taking to the ice. The rest of the league will be on the ice by the weekend.
