James Duthie is joined by TSN Hockey Insiders Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger to discuss the growing concerns about the Olympic hockey venue, the Anaheim Ducks’ impressive start to the year, Team USA’s Olympic roster and more.

James Duthie: Your insiders today are Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger. One of the many great things about the Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony is that it feels like almost everybody in hockey is there. And one of the rumblings I kept hearing at the ceremony was that there was concern about the arena for the Olympics in Italy, Dregs. Is it justifiable concern or premature?

Darren Dreger: No, it’s a real concern and justifiable in the sense that the Olympic Games are only 90 days away. And it’s not just the National Hockey League, it’s obviously also the National Hockey League Players Association.

So you’ve got a Stadium Series that will take place this weekend in Sweden. After the Stadium Series, the NHL is going to send a couple of members of that ice crew over to Milan, Italy. The NHLPA is also going to have representatives there.

They want a firsthand look at the hockey venue and what its status is. Are these concerns justifiable? And is there anything that can be done to expedite the process to get that venue up to snuff?

Duthie: Two major gambling scandals in major sports over the last couple of weeks involving players in both baseball and basketball. Any concern within the NHL, Pierre?

Pierre LeBrun: Well, concern in the sense that they felt that with the GM meetings here on Tuesday, that it was timely to go over the rules again with GMs about the do’s and don’ts.

And so Jared Maples, who’s the Chief Security Officer for the National Hockey League, he addressed GMs about the do’s and don’ts, and to be careful about injury information and what the rules are.

As one NHL GM told me after the meeting, that was by far the most fascinating part of the day for him was to hear that from Jared Maples.

Bill Daly told me afterwards, listen, we just emphasized what we had been emphasizing regularly, but clearly it was timely for everyone in that room to be reminded of being careful with all that.

It’s a big story in other sports, and it’s also something the NHL’s keeping an eye on.

Duthie: One of, if not the biggest story in the NHL so far this season. The Anaheim Ducks are first in the Pacific so far, and you wonder if this was the next step in a rebuild and they’re getting there Dregs, but with them ahead of schedule, do they maybe become a buyer as we enter the trade period of the season in the NHL?

Dreger: Maybe is the word that I would use, but there’s certainly no plan to do that just yet. But you’re right. They’re arguably the best story in the National Hockey League right now. You look at the balance they have, you look at the scoring that they have, they’re number one in the league, averaging over four goals per game.

20-year-old Leo Carlsson is second in the National Hockey League in points; he’s having a tremendous year.

So it makes sense that Pat Verbeek, the GM, would want to get that 20-year-old kid locked up. But there’s no rush to do that from the player’s standpoint, nor is there a rush from the GM’s office to try and add to what they’re building right now.

They’re very aware of the start that they’ve had, but they want to take some time, look into the second half and whether an added piece is needed.

Duthie: As the Olympics approach, Mike Johnson and Craig Button released their updated Team Canada roster if the team had to be named today. What about the Americans? There are a couple of Habs who really didn’t factor into the Four Nations making a pretty good case. Are Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson severely on the radar for the Americans?

LeBrun: They certainly are on the radar. I would say Cole Caufield, in particular, is absolutely, you know, in the conversations that Team USA are having. Team USA, by the way, Bill Guerin and his group also met Monday ahead of the GM meetings to go over their list.

But if I were to say if Team USA had to name its team today, James, I would say Cole Caufield would just be on the outside looking in. Which may mystify a lot of people, as he leads all American skaters in goals.

But when they look at him right now. They say, well, if he’s not in our top six, where does he fit in our bottom six, where they want a little more beef, a little more defensive prowess, penalty killing, etc. So I think that’s what’s working against him.

It’s not over; there are six weeks. If he keeps piling up goals or there’s an injury, he could easily make it.

Now with Lane Hutson, I think he’s further out, and honestly, it’s two key factors.

One is inexperience internationally. But the other one, of course, is they’ve got Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski, Jake Sanderson, Charlie McAvoy, all those guys can quarterback a power play.

I think it makes it harder for Lane Hutson, who Team USA really likes, but I think they feel it’s not his time quite yet.

Duthie: You talk about Canada, meeting and cutting down their list, which we don’t know exactly what it is. Do you think Matthew Schaefer is somewhere on there? Do you think for the teenager, it’s even a possibility that he could crack the roster?

LeBrun: Well, here’s what I would say. I asked Doug Armstrong specifically about Matthew Schaefer on Monday after Team Canada’s long meeting, and he said, “It’s been fantastic to watch,” in terms of the show that Schaefer’s putting on every night as an 18-year-old.

But listen, and he also said at the start of the year, he wasn’t even on Canada’s radar. How could he be? He had never played in the NHL before, and now he has forced Canada’s hand, where they’re scouting him, they’re watching him play.

Having said all that, and this is me, not Doug Armstrong. I still read into that, James, that it’s a long shot.

First of all, they love their Four Nations defensive core so much. There might be one or two new faces there, but generally, a lot of good D that they wanna bring back. So I think it’s going to be hard, but good for Matthew Schaefer for making them think.

Duthie: If nothing else, let’s put him in for a lock for 2030. And by the way, MJ and Craig will probably be doing their 2030 roster about two days after the 2026 Olympics are over.