FloHockey breaks down the biggest takeaways from Milan, spotlighting Macklin Celebrini, Jack Hughes, and Connor Hellebuyck's standout Olympic showings. These performances ripple straight into NHL conversations, with draft buzz heating up around Celebrini and vets like Hughes and Hellebuyck elevating their games. Front offices parse every shift as playoff positioning tightens and 2026 draft boards shuffle.

The NHL season roars back Wednesday with 28 teams hitting the ice, and oddsmakers scramble to adjust after the Milano Cortina chaos. Teams like the Kings face a dream homestand against mostly playoff locks, while bubble squads such as Buffalo and San Jose stare down soft schedules that could flip their seasons. Celebrini returns from Olympic glory with the Sharks hungry for a wild-card push, and sharp bettors eye value in overlooked playoff chases before front offices hit the deadline phones.

Connor McDavid dominates the Olympic tournament with a record 13 points, earning MVP honors and a spot leading the all-star team alongside Cale Makar and Macklin Celebrini. Canada's captain for the final games collects another bittersweet trophy after that overtime gut-punch to the U.S., echoing his Conn Smythe from the Panthers' Cup run.

Connor McDavid just etched his name in Olympic history as tournament MVP with a record 13 points for Canada, captaining the final games after Sidney Crosby's injury and leading alongside studs like Nathan MacKinnon and Macklin Celebrini. Crosby, the Penguins legend who's seen it all, steps up with a poignant take on McDavid's brilliance in that silver-medal heartbreak against a golden Team USA.

Logan Couture steps up with the kind of locker-room candor that separates Sharks lifers from the pretenders, breaking down Macklin Celebrini's star turn in that epic USA-Canada gold medal clash. The kid's got that rare blend of skill and grit that screams future Shark captain, and Couture knows it better than anyone after years of watching prospects either sink or swim in San Jose's deep end.

Connor Hellebuyck backstops Team USA to Olympic gold with a 41-save masterpiece against Canada, silencing doubters who questioned his big-game mettle. Legends like Mike Richter and Martin Brodeur rave about the Winnipeg Jets star's unreal stick save on Devon Toews and breakaways on McDavid and Celebrini that defined the overtime thriller. Vezina king now cements a legacy that elevates his Jets tenure amid whispers of what's next back in the NHL.