Seattle pulls off a deadline stunner, prying Ryan Lindgren from Colorado's grip for $18 million over the term. Kraken GM Ron Francis, never shy on blue-line bets, eyes Lindgren stabilizing their back end amid playoff push. Avalanche brass feels the sting, losing a steady vet just as Cup windows tighten.

Charlie Lindgren grabs the spotlight on this Olympic Saturday, with insiders buzzing about his role amid the medal push. The netminder's steady presence factors into Team USA's blue-line strategy as they prep for Canada. League scouts track every save, knowing it shapes post-Olympic rotations back in the NHL.

Washington Capitals get a playoff lifeline as Connor McMichael and Charlie Lindgren return to the lineup, sparking a surge in their postseason odds. The Caps operate on zero margin in the tight standings, and these key returns could flip their season from fringe to fearsome. GMs around the league watch closely, knowing health swings fortunes in February.

The Washington Capitals hit the ice for their first optional skate since the NHL's Olympic break, and the big news is Connor McMichael and Charlie Lindgren joining the group after their respective injuries sidelined them before the pause. McMichael, who's been week-to-week with an upper-body issue since late January, donned a non-contact jersey but looked sharp, while Lindgren went full-go after missing four games with a lower-body tweak that forced some awkward roster juggling down in Hershey.

The Capitals reward their steady AHL netminder Mitch Gibson with a two-year, two-way contract that kicks in right now, straight from the front office announcement today. This 2018 fourth-rounder out of Harvard has turned heads in Hershey with a scorching .918 save percentage and career-high 12 starts this season, especially amid Washington's goaltending injury woes with Lindgren and Thompson sidelined before the Olympic break.