USA Hockey insiders already whisper about locking in core pieces for the 2028 World Cup, with names like Auston Matthews and Quinn Hughes drawing heavy buzz from front-office types who've seen them dominate NHL ice. Bill Guerin and his crew debate tweaks on defense, eyeing stars-in-waiting like Jackson LaCombe to pair with studs such as Zach Werenski and Brock Faber.

NHL players return from Milan battered, with Kevin Fiala sidelined by leg surgery after Tom Wilson's hit and Mikko Rantanen out for Finland's bronze game clutching a lower-body tweak. Sidney Crosby limps off with Canada, reigniting the debate over whether the league's Olympic hiatus was worth ending, while replacements like Jackson LaCombe and Seth Jarvis step up amid the chaos.

Lacombe's Daxon Rudolph, the Prince Albert Raiders defenceman and rising NHL draft prospect, grabs an assist and then buries the overtime winner just 14 seconds in to lift Team East past Team West at the WHL Prospects Game. Scouts from every NHL club pack the stands, whispering about his poise on that breakaway feed from Markus Ruck. This performance puts Rudolph squarely on the radar for top-10 chatter come June's draft, with front offices already sizing up his two-way game for the pros.

Anaheim's Dostal and Gudas suit up for Czechia only to watch Switzerland steal an overtime thriller in Milan Cortina, leaving the Ducks' Olympic hopes hanging by a thread. LaCombe sits for his third straight, a coaching call that's got Anaheim brass whispering about lineup tweaks post-break. With NHL stars turning heads across the pond, these Ducks reps face mounting pressure to deliver before the roster freeze lifts.

Anaheim's contingent storms into Milano Cortina with four reps, including captain Radko Gudas wearing the "A" for Czechia and goalie Lukas Dostal guarding the pipe for the same squad. Mikael Granlund steps up as Finland's captain after Barkov's brutal injury, while Jackson LaCombe brings American grit to the blue line and Damian Clara eyes history as Italy's top-drafted netminder ever.

NHL.com dives deep into Jackson LaCombe, the blue-chip defenseman turning heads with his poised game and shutdown potential. Scouts whisper he's the steady hand teams crave amid defensive crises, blending mobility with that old-school stay-at-home grit. As rosters shuffle toward the deadline, his profile spotlights why he's primed for a bigger stage in the NHL's prospect pipeline.