Sonny Milano

The Dallas Stars keep rolling with a franchise-record point streak since the Olympic break, but whispers from the locker room say Mikko Rantanen finally hits the ice soon after that brutal lower-body hit in Milano Cortina. Coach Gulutzan plays it cautious, eyeing a ramp-up that could slot the $96 million Finn back into a lineup already missing Hintz, Seguin and Faksa.

Calgary Flames rookie Samuel Honzek undergoes surgery on that nagging upper-body injury from the Backlund collision back in November, and the timeline hits like a body check - up to six months on the shelf. The 21-year-old, who flashed promise with four points in 18 games, now shelves any Olympic dreams for Slovakia in Milano Cortina. Flames coach Ryan Huska calls it the right call for a young gun's long-term health, with rehab staying in-house for the best shot at a full bounce-back by camp.

Pete DeBoer sharpens his skates for an NHL comeback, and the Toronto Maple Leafs loom large as a prime target with Craig Berube feeling the heat from a checked-out roster. The former Stars bench boss, fresh off a year of regrouping and an assistant gig at the Milano Cortina Games, openly eyes teams desperate for change.

Taylor Heise joins NHL Now to break down her Olympic dreams for Milano Cortina 2026, where NHL stars could lace up for the first time in years. She shares the grind of prepping for that global stage amid a packed pro schedule. Front offices watch closely as player participation talks heat up, with massive stakes for Team USA and the league's international push.

Connor McDavid captains Canada through a brilliant Olympic run, shattering records with 13 points including a tournament-high 11 assists that no NHL star has matched before. Even as Team USA snatches gold in overtime, whispers from Milano Cortina locker rooms highlight why the Edmonton Oilers phenom stands alone as the tournament's best forward. Front offices back home are already buzzing about how this silver lining fuels his next NHL dominance.

Connor McDavid steps up big for Jon Cooper as the Team Canada coach catches flak after that gut-wrenching Olympic loss to the U.S. With whispers of Sidney Crosby's injury shaking the lineup and 3v3 overtime debates raging, McDavid's vocal support cuts through the noise from locker rooms to front offices. Cooper's bold praise for the Oilers star earlier in Milano Cortina only amps the stakes, especially with Tampa's own defensive reinforcements waiting back home.