The Washington Capitals quietly reward their steady AHL netminder Mitch Gibson with a two-year, two-way contract right in the heart of the Olympic pause. Gibson, a 2018 fourth-round pick who's been lights-out for Hershey with a .918 save percentage and seventh in the league among qualifiers, heads to waivers for a loan back to the Bears.

Anaheim goalie Petr Mrazek goes under the knife for hip surgery and shuts down his season just as the Ducks build some momentum before the Olympic break. The veteran netminder, flipped to Anaheim from Detroit last summer in the Gibson blockbuster, logged only 10 games with shaky numbers that screamed backup struggles. Now the Ducks scramble for crease stability in a Pacific Division chase where every point counts, and Red Wings flashbacks hit hard for those who remember his injury history.

The Colorado Avalanche slip Jacob MacDonald onto waivers while the Washington Capitals do the same with goalie Mitch Gibson, moves that scream roster housekeeping amid the Olympic break. These aren't household names, but in a league where every depth piece counts coming out of Milan-Cortina, GMs watch these wires like hawks. Front offices know one claim could shift the bottom of the lineup before practices ramp up and the real grind resumes.

Jeff Skinner clears waivers after the Sharks put him on unconditional waivers to terminate his one-year deal, setting the 33-year-old free agent loose in a league hungry for veteran scoring ahead of the deadline. Colorado shelves depth D-man Jacob MacDonald while Washington just-waived goalie Mitchell Gibson, who they signed earlier today on a two-way pact.

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.

Henrik Zetterberg, the old Swedish maestro who captained Detroit through their last glory days, now eyes a genuine turning point as the Red Wings claw their way back into playoff contention. Captain Dylan Larkin, who soaked up Zetterberg's quiet leadership during his rookie years, channels that same grit with additions like John Gibson anchoring the net and Patrick Kane dishing magic.