United States hockey fans rejoice at long last, as the 46-year wait is over. Both the Men’s and Women’s teams won the Gold Medal, both over Canada in overtime on a 2-1 score line. A collective roar swept through the nation during a game that started before daylight for most of the country. Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils ended it with the final play of the Milano-Cortina Olympic Games. Now it’s back to business as players return home for NHL action on Wednesday night. Some players are more bruised than others. The Dallas Stars are going without some Olympians over the next few games. The Trade Deadline is quickly approaching, with business as usual starting on Wednesday.
Olympics
Hockey was the big ticket item for the Olympics. NHL players played for the first time since 2014, and they didn’t disappoint. Six out of seven Stars players swept all the medals at the Olympics. Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, Mikko Rantanen, and Roope Hintz won the Bronze Medal for Finland. Thomas Harley won the Silver for Canada. Jake Oettinger did not play any minutes in the Olympics, winning the Gold Medal. Oettinger had the best Italian vacation ever. He played no minutes, avoiding any injuries while winning the Gold Medal. The United States won its first Men’s ice hockey Gold Medal in 46 years. 2026 will join the championship years of 1960 and the 1980 Miracle on Ice. The Women’s result ended exactly the same, a 2-1 win in overtime vs. Canada. Megan Keller of the Boston Fleet and Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils won the United States’ third Olympic Gold Medal in each tournament. Several Stars players are bringing injuries back with them.
Back at it Again
Mikko Rantanen and Radek Faksa are heading to the injured list. Rantanen will miss two weeks at minimum, potentially missing the Stars’ next bout with the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, March 6th. The Stars play the Seattle Kraken at home on Wednesday, exactly three weeks since their last game. If you’ll remember, the Stars are riding a 6-game win streak. Roope Hintz may miss some time. He is listed as day-to-day with illness. Hintz played in the Bronze Medal Game while Rantanen missed it. Jim Nill wanted to wait for any trades until after the Olympic Break.
Trade Deadline
The NHL Trade Deadline is Friday, March 6th, at 2:00 PM. A low-cost rental player is probably their best bet. They’ll have north of $3 million in cap space at the Deadline. This is the cost of being a consistent contender for the last five years. The Stars do not have a 1st round draft pick this season. Their blue line on paper looks good, but injuries are an issue. Getting a defenseman, particularly a right-handed one, could bolster the blue line. Another target is a depth forward. A bottom-six forward could accelerate the synergy alongside players like Colin Blackwell. There are only four games until the Trade Deadline, not providing a plethora time after the break. The current situation is doubtful that a Rantanen-like trade will fester, but another deal on deadline day may materialize.
The Olympics are over with the playoff push beginning Wednesday night. The Stars trail the Minnesota Wild for 2nd place, one point behind with one game in hand. Six Stars players won all three medals, but Olympic time is over. The Avalanche are catchable with their six-point lead over the Stars. March is a critical month, having 16 Stars games evenly split between home/away.
Dallas Stars Nation Blogger. You can time how fast I skate with a calendar. Lifetime GAA about 12.50.
Tags: dallas stars Esa Lindell Hockey Jake Oettinger Mikko Rantanen Miro Heiskanen nhl Olympics Roope Hintz Thomas Harley
Categorized:Stars