Around the NHL: Sam Reinhart’s Olympic motivation comes from Sidney Crosby

Welcome to a September edition of around the NHL, as training camps open up in a couple of weeks, and we’ll be seeing some preseason action this month. The free-agent market is paper-thin of talent at this point, as professional tryout agreements have been handed out like school supplies recently, meanwhile, Jack Roslovic has yet to sign on the dotted line.

On the trade market, talks around the Pittsburgh Penguins have yet to quiet down at this point, and out west, there’s one defenceman who tops the trade targets list, and surely is going to be moved at some point this season.

Here’s the very latest around the NHL:

Calgary Flames ‘obviously’ trading defenceman Rasmus Andersson

When the captain of your hockey team comes out and says ‘it’s obvious’ a trade is coming for one of your team’s players, it’s usually a tell-tale sign that a deal is coming at some point. Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund spoke to the media recently, and was quite candid when it came to the future of defenceman Rasmus Andersson in Calgary.

“Yeah, he’s getting traded. It’s obvious,” Backlund told The Athletic’s Michael Russo. “But the team wants value. He wants a big contract. So he wants to play well. The team needs him to play well. So, just go out and play. I talked to him, too, and he doesn’t want to be a distraction. So it’s all good. It’s too bad it’s come to this. I don’t think that they’re close to getting an agreement or anything, but you never know. Things could change. We’ll see.”

Andersson has one season left on his contract at $4.5 million AAV, and owns a six-team no-trade clause. There’s been reports he’s already rejected one trade in late June to one of the six teams he’s not interested in, which could have been the Ottawa Senators. As far as potential trade destinations, the Carolina Hurricanes have been linked to adding a right-handed blueliner, and have had talks with the Pittsburgh Penguins about Erik Karlsson at different points of this offseason. With over $10 million in cap space, the Hurricanes have the resources needed to add Andersson easily under the cap.

Sam Reinhart’s Olympic motivation comes from seeing Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby is still this era’s GOAT, as the future Hall-of-Famer continues to be the one player that everyone looks up to, especially around Canadians. Team Canada’s Olympic orientation camp was held the last couple of days, and Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart admitted his biggest motivation to perform for Team Canada comes from seeing Crosby still doing it at his age.

Crosby’s international legacy speaks for itself as his decorated resume includes several international competitions, and a ‘golden goal’ in Vancouver in 2010. With the NHL returning to the Olympic games, Reinhart wants to give it everything he has to ensure Crosby’s resume stays squeaky clean.

“It’s not lost on us, our generation,” forward Sam Reinhart told NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. “The biggest motivation there is for us (is) it doesn’t look like the window is closing for him any time soon.”

Crosby knows the chances to represent Team Canada are few and far between at this point, and after the 4 Nations Face-Off, he’s excited to get back out there to compete for a gold medal.

“With the way things went with so many things out of our control the two prior times, you know, I try not to think too far ahead and try to let it play out, and I was pretty confident that we’d find a way to get back, and I wanted to be a part of that, obviously,” Crosby said.

The men’s Olympic tournament is set to begin Feb.12.

Quick hits from around the NHL:

• The New Jersey Devils and Luke Hughes are reportedly far apart in contract talks, but expect to see the two sides eventually come to an agreement.
• Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell has been linked to a trade to the Vancouver Canucks, while Bryan Rust has been linked to a trade back home to the Detroit Red Wings.
• After a down season, Boston Bruins forward Elias Lindholm admitted he’s out for revenge next season in what he hopes is a bounce back year. Without Brad Marchand for good now, the Bruins will need Lindholm to step up.
• Chicago Blackhawks’ 2025 first-round pick Mason West threw four touchdown passes in his high-school season debut over the weekend.
• Many folks around USA Hockey are wondering why Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens wasn’t invited to the Olympic orientation camp.