The Maple Leafs give Benoit-Olivier Groulx a lightning-fast taste of NHL practice amid the Olympic break, pulling him up from the Marlies to fill in for Max Domi's personal absence. The 26-year-old pivot, who's lit up the AHL with 22 goals and 42 points in 47 games, shows why Toronto signed him to that savvy two-year deal last summer.

The Maple Leafs quietly field calls on Simon Benoit, their gritty 27-year-old defenseman who's drawing eyes from contenders hungry for size and playoff chops. Teams like the Oilers see him as a budget Ekholm type - tough, physical, and reliable without the flash - while Toronto weighs selling high amid their defensive crunch. With the deadline looming post-Olympic break, Benoit's emergence tests whether the Leafs prioritize cap flexibility or blue-line depth in a season slipping away.

Trade wires hum with a contender circling Nick McMann, interest brewing in Benoit, and Boston coveting Justin Faulk during Olympic lulls. GMs maneuver quietly, valuing lefty depth and right-shot stability as playoff races tighten. These ripples hint at deadline fireworks reshaping contenders' rosters.

Ducks blueliner Simon Benoit pops on rival radars as deadline whispers grow louder, his shutdown game filling playoff needs league-wide. Anaheim's rebuild tolerates the noise, but Benoit's steady minutes make him prime bait for contenders thin on defense. One hot streak could spark a bidding war before March madness.

Connor McDavid tips home his first NHL goal nine years ago today against the Stars, a gritty deflection that hinted at the supernova we'd all witness. Those early Oilers days with Nail Yakupov and Benoit Pouliot on his wings feel like another era, especially with the weight of a franchise now squarely on his shoulders under Stan Bowman. Fans love reliving that moment because it captures the kid who arrived hyped beyond belief and delivered from game three.

The Maple Leafs eye a straight-up trade for Montreal's Arber Xhekaj, sending Simon Benoit back to the Habs in a rare Original Six twist that has front offices buzzing. Xhekaj's scratch-prone status in Montreal screams change of scenery, while Benoit gets a shot to play for his hometown team at playoff time.