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Kyle Dubas faces bigger challenges than his Penguins players heading to the Olympics
Photo credit: Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images
Seeing his Penguins players heading to the Olympics is not the greatest worry for Kyle Dubas, as he may need to navigate the trade market before all that happens.
It has been 12 years since National Hockey League players have laced up their skates at the Winter Games.
What can be ancient history for younger generations might feel like ages back, but as February approaches, the NHL will stop its season, the best players will head to Milano Cortina, and the hockey world will be glued to the television set.
The 2026 Olympics will mean more to the Pittsburgh Penguins than it would for most teams, as it would be an important mark in their game plan for the remainder of the year.
Four players from the Penguins are shortlisted for selection, including Sidney Crosby.
When the NHL's roster freeze goes into effect
The league also has a roster freeze period between February 4th and February 22nd. In a general situation, GMs would normally have until March 6th to make deals, but due to the Olympics, February 4th proves to be the unofficial cut-off point.
However, a possible injury at the Olympics would ruin a deal just like the impact of Charlie McAvoy's non-participation affected his own squad at the 4 Nations last year.
Expect a spike in trades towards the end of January. Buyers will be eager for transactions that can be completed before the freeze, while sellers will look to shed assets before the risk of losses abroad.
The challenge that Kyle Dubas will face
All front-office phone calls over the coming weeks will have Olympic influence, so Kyle Dubas will quite quite the challenge ahead, navigating trade calls.
Meanwhile, the fans get to enjoy the show. Crosby will be chasing records, Latvia could have a steal in goalie Arturs Silovs, and all games become hyped affairs.
The Olympics remain the ultimate hockey party, but for NHL franchises, it also represents a disruption that forces coaches and GMs to start their trade work much earlier than anticipated.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 11 | 48 ANSWERS Kyle Dubas faces bigger challenges than his Penguins players heading to the Olympics Will Kyle Dubas make some trades before the Olympic roster freeze? | ||
| Yes | 33 | 68.8 % |
| No | 15 | 31.3 % |
| List of polls | ||