Lukas Dostal returns to Anaheim on a scorching hot streak, having won eight of his last nine before the Olympic pause, and now faces a soft homestand against Western Canadian teams that his Ducks can exploit. Alex Laferriere slides into prime real estate on the Kings' top line alongside Adrian Kempe and a debuting Artemi Panarin after Kevin Fiala's season-ending Olympic injury opened the door.

The Rangers front office buzzes with tension as Igor Shesterkin resumes skating after his long-term injury, but whispers from the trade block refuse to fade even with GM Chris Drury insisting the Vezina winner stays put. Teams circle like sharks sensing blood, knowing New York's retool mode post-Panarin has cap space burning a hole and a deadline just weeks away. Shesterkin's no-move clause holds firm for now, yet Drury's telescope scans every angle in this seller's market.

Artemi Panarin pulls back the curtain on his calculated push from New York to Los Angeles, revealing the personal connections and team fit that made the Kings his only destination despite interest from Carolina, Tampa and Washington. With his no-movement clause giving him full control, he chatted up Vladislav Gavrikov and locked in a two-year extension before the Olympic freeze even hit.

Joel Armia delivers a monster three-point night, including a goal and two assists, to power Finland past Slovakia in the Olympic bronze medal game. The Kings forward lit up the tournament with eight points, tying for fourth overall, after leading his squad through group stage dominance and a gritty semifinal push. Now he returns to LA with hardware and eyes on a top-six role alongside new linemate Artemi Panarin as the Kings gear up for Vegas.

The Kings hit the ice for practice without their full Olympic crew, but coach Jim Hiller drops a bombshell by sliding Quinton Byfield from center to wing alongside Anze Kopitar and Trevor Moore to spark his game. With Kevin Fiala nursing a fractured leg that sidelines him through the regular season and Darcy Kuemper still in Italy, the lineup features fresh faces like new trade acquisition Artemi Panarin jumping into drills.

As the New York Rangers dismantle their roster ahead of the March 6 trade deadline, veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick has made an unmistakable statement - he's not going anywhere. The 40-year-old pending unrestricted free agent controls a 20-team no-trade clause and has publicly declared his intention to honor his contract and remain in New York despite the team's fire sale that's already shipped out All-Star Artemi Panarin.