TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joins Gino Reda to discuss the latest plans for Team USA’s visit to Washington on Tuesday, how crucial the next three games are for the Maple Leafs’ trade deadline plans, whether the Canucks are poised for a lot of change and the interest in Nazem Kadri.
—
Gino Reda: With Insider Darren Dreger. So Dregs, NHLers are back in North America from the Olympics. Games are set to resume tomorrow night right across the league. So travel scheds right now are pretty jammed.
The US president wanted Auston Matthews and his gold medal winning teammates at his State of the Union address tonight in DC. But what’s the latest on that front now, Dregs?
Auston Matthews MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 22: Auston Matthews of Team United States celebrate the victory and Gold Medal during the Men`s Ice Hockey final match between USA and Canada on day sixteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by EyesWideOpen/Getty Images) (EyesWideOpen/Getty Images)
Darren Dreger: Gino, it sounds like the agenda has been changed a little bit. Auston Matthews and Team USA are unlikely to participate or at least attend the 9 p.m. Eastern scheduled State of the Union.
Rather, they pushed it back to what we’re told is a 12.30 p.m. ET luncheon. And that works in favor of the Toronto Maple Leafs in their quest to get Auston Matthews into Tampa. We know that the Maple Leafs play the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, followed by a trip to Sunrise to play the Florida Panthers on Thursday.
Again, obviously, given the predicament of the Maple Leafs, sitting six points out of a wild card spot, they would very much love to have their captain, now a gold medal champion, in the lineup against the Lightning on Wednesday. So if all goes according to plan, then Matthews is expected to make his way to Tampa today and could be in that lineup on Wednesday.
Reda: Matthews and the Leafs open the stretch drive six points out of a playoff spot with four teams they’ve got to leapfrog to get in. Will the next few games decide their plans for next Friday’s trade deadline or is that plan already in place?
Bobby McMann Bobby McMann (Lynne Sladky/AP)
Dreger: It’s not already in place. I wouldn’t say that the Maple Leafs are in a position where they’re going all in to claw into the playoff equation here. But they’re certainly not willing to kick into full sell mode at this stage either. So I think you’re right. I think the next two, three games are going to be very important, if not crucial, to the direction of Brad Treliving as general manager for the Maple Leafs.
Now we know who we’re talking about here if the Maple Leafs decide that they have to kick over into sell mode if they don’t win the next two, three, four games. You’re looking at Bobby McMann, who would be coveted as a pending unrestricted free agent in terms of trade bait leading up to the March 6th trade deadline. You’re looking at Scott Laughton, and you’re looking at a few other players.
I think the feeling right now among the Maple Leafs’ brass is that they would prefer to sign Bobby McMann and keep him away from the free agent market. And that’s again provided that the quest to lockdown a playoff spot is real in the days ahead.
So a really important stretch here for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Reda: What about the Vancouver Canucks, Dregs? They’re dead last in the league. They’ve already made it pretty clear they’re open for business. Could we see a seismic shift in Vancouver?
Elias Pettersson Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (40) in action during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) (Nick Wass/AP)
Dreger: We could. It’s possible. I’ve been one who’s talked about the possibility of Elias Pettersson being in play on and off for the last several weeks. So let’s update that story. What I can tell you, Gino, is that there was interest renewed just prior to the February 4th Olympic break; trade discussions involving Elias Pettersson and I think it’s fair to assume that those conversations drifted over the course of the Olympic break.
So that brings us to here and now. It’s important to note here that Pettersson does possess a no-move clause. I know that the Vancouver Canucks have spoken to his representative, JP Barry, but there hasn’t been a formal offer made, a trade presentation on Elias Pettersson that would be worthwhile enough for the Vancouver Canucks to go to Barry to say ‘All right, is Pettersson willing to waive?’
But it’s a developing story, and it’s one that we’re going to have to continue to follow.
There’s been a considerable amount of interest around Evander Kane, again, another pending unrestricted free agent. So I would I would expect the Vancouver Canucks to be busy, but it could be more on the lesser side of moving out pending unrestricted free agents if they can’t get a suitable return for Pettersson.
Reda: What about the Flames? They’re 11 points out, Dregs. Nazem Kadri could be a huge add for a team headed to the playoffs, especially with his team-friendly deal that pays him 7 million a season for this year and three more to follow. Could we see a bidding war for this guy?
Nazem Kadri Calgary Flames
Dreger: You’re going to see tons of interest and there has been considerable interest to this stage. I believe that there have been offers, trade offers made on Nazem Kadri.
But I think Craig Conroy, the general manager of the Calgary Flames, is also looking around the market here, Gino. He’s wondering what Barry Trotz and the Nashville Predators are going to do. Is Ryan O’Reilly really in play? And if he is in play, what’s the return for Ryan O’Reilly? You know, if a team with interest in O’Reilly doesn’t get the player, maybe they shift over to Kadri and the Calgary Flames, and they sweeten the deal to acquire that player.
So even though Nazem Kadri wants to be traded, and yes, of course, he wants to go to a contending team or at least a playoff team, I think we can appreciate the patient approach here by the Calgary Flames. But more and more, it seems likely that Kadri is going to get traded between now and the deadline.
Reda: That’s early Insider Trading, the full version with Dregs and CJ is coming up on the early edition of SportsCenter.