While some teams have plenty of representation at the 2026 Olympics in Milan, other clubs will have an opportunity to come back from the break well-rested. Here are six NHL teams that will benefit from this break the most.

Oettinger, a Dallas Stars goalie, and Anchorage’s Swayman of the Boston Bruins are two of the three goalies on the Team USA roster.

The NHL calendar ticks one week closer to the start of the 2026 Olympic Games. And the flow of player trades continued recently, as the New York Islanders made deals with both of their nearby Metro Division rivals, adding Carson Soucy from the New York Rangers and Ondrej Palat from the New Jersey Devils.

Brandon Hagel advocated for bringing back rivalries after the Lightning's 6-1 win over the Panthers in a chaotic "Battle of Florida" matchup.