NHL @TheRink

Dan and Shawn are joined by Zach Benson of the Buffalo Sabres (21:09) to talk about the team's recent hot streak, the atmosphere in Buffalo, his growth as a player and his family's carnival business. The guys start the episode talking about the Avalanche and Lightning...a potential Stanley Cup Final Preview? They also dive deep on what's going on with the New Jersey Devils and look at the Buffalo Sabres' chances of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They wrap up with a look at the Team USA Olympic roster and answer a mailbag question on whether or not Adam Fox could be traded out of NY.

Dan and Shawn react to the announcement of Team Canada’s roster for the upcoming Winter Olympics, including the decision to add Tom Wilson, Nick Suzuki, and Macklin Celebrini, but leave Sam Bennett, Connor Bedard, and Matthew Schaefer off of the roster. The guys also debate what role the IIHF World Championships play in the selection process. The duo then previews Saturday’s Winter Classic in Miami between the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers and how this year’s fan experience will differ from previous years. Dan and Shawn conclude the show by discussing Buffalo’s nine-game winning streak, and debate whether the Sabres have turned a corner and are truly a playoff contender.

Dan and Shawn are joined by Boston-based NHL.com writer Amalie Benjamin (11:35) to discuss Boston’s recent slump, Morgan Geekie’s ascendance and chances of making Team Canada’s Olympic roster, and her impressions of the Canadiens since Phillip Danault’s return after watching the Habs down the Bruins, 6-2, on Tuesday night. The guys open the show with a breakdown of Connor McDavid’s 10-game point streak, Florida’s recent surge as the two-time defending Cup champions prepare for the Winter Classic in Miami, and Brad Treliving’s vote of confidence for Craig Berube in Toronto. Dan and Shawn wrap the show with discussion about the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators, and Gavin McKenna’s upcoming appearance at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Minnesota.

Dan and Shawn are joined by NHL Network's EJ Hradek (14:33) to discuss the two big trades made last week with Quinn Hughes heading to Minnesota and the goalie swap between Edmonton and Pittsburgh. Does Hughes heading to Minnesota shift the balance of power in the Central Division and what are the chances of him re-signing with the Wild? Plus, a look at the GM change in Buffalo and a discussion on what may be the next move for the Sabres... a coaching change? a roster shakeup? The guys also play a little "In or Out" in regards to the Olympic rosters. Bedard, Celebrini, Geekie, DeBrincat, Pettersson and Wallstead are all up for debate.

Dan and Shawn are joined by Bill Guerin (12:38) to talk about the Olympics, how Team USA's roster is shaping up, the impact of the rink dimensions and his Olympic experience. He also chats about how the Minnesota Wild rebounded from a miserable start to the season and the emergence of his goalie tandem. The guys start the episode talking about the League's two best teams, the Avalanche and the Stars and also dissect the Washington Capitals, while looking at Logan Thompson and Team Canada's goalie situation. They wrap up with an update from the Board of Governors meeting, analyze the Quinn Hughes trade rumors and have discussion on the Chicago Blackhawks and the decisions Kyle Davidson will have to make with the roster.

Dan and Shawn are joined by Dean Evason (13:23) to talk about the Blue Jacket's early season success, the parody of the NHL, the tight Eastern Conference standings, Jet Greaves' emergence in the crease and how Zach Werenski stacks up with other top defensemen in the NHL. The guys start the episode dissecting the stellar play of the Avalanche, Stars and Wild in the Central Division and analyzing Jordan Binnington's poor start and diving into his feisty encounter with Blues coach Jim Montgomery. They wrap the episode opening up the mailbag and diving into what the Canucks will do with Quinn Hughes and what teams might be a good fit to acquire him. Plus, thoughts on the Florida Panthers and goalie situation in Edmonton.

Dan and Shawn are joined by Islanders GM Mathieu Darche (19:50) to talk about Matthew Schaefer's development, Bo Horvat's start and Patrick Roy's coaching style. The guys also get into Barry Trotz calling out the Predators, rookie goalies making an impact, the Minnesota Wild's hot streak and update the Trophy Tracker ahead of American Thanksgiving.

Dan and Shawn are joined by Colorado Avalanche goalie Scott Wedgewood (13:15) to talk about his start to the season, the Avs success, his Olympic chances and some of the intricacies behind the goalie position. The guys start the episode talking about Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard, their Olympic candidacy and whether or not the Blackhawks are a playoff team. They wrap the episode up chatting about the Toronto Maple Leafs struggles, the NY Islanders and the freak injury to Jack Hughes and what it means for the Devils moving forward.

Dan and Shawn are joined by former NHL defenseman and current Tampa Bay Lightning analyst Braydon Coburn (16:00) to talk about the team's slow start, Brayden Point's struggles and Jon Cooper's strengths as a coach. He also chats about the surprising start to the season for the Anaheim Ducks and marvels at Matthew Schaefer's play at such a young age. The episode features conversations about the upstart Anaheim Ducks and their sustainability, the Colorado Avalanche and if they're the best team in the League, and if there is room on the Canadian Olympic team for both Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard.

Dan and Shawn are joined by NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger (16:25) to talk about the state of the Maple Leafs, their lack of scoring and their efforts to replace Mitch Marner's playmaking ability in their lineup. Plus, he talks about his conversation with Bill Armstrong of the Utah Mammoth and provides some perspective on Joe Thornton as he gets inducted into the Hall of Fame next week. The guys start the episode discussing the Anaheim Ducks, Cutter Gauthier's high level of play and whether or not the team's success is sustainable in the Western Conference. Plus, Dan opens up the mailbag to talk about Cale Makar's next contract and what it could end up being. They wrap the episode up chatting about whether or not the Nashville Predators and Steven Stamkos could part ways at the Deadline and what teams could be a good fit for the 35 year-old winger.

Dan and Shawn react to Tuesday night’s Frozen Frenzy, including Dan’s behind-the-scenes experience observing ESPN’s production of the event. The guys follow with reaction to Alex Ovechkin’s slow start to the season as he remains stuck on 899 career goals and Pittsburgh’s hot start to the season, and whether or not the Penguins can sustain their early success while led by aging stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The duo then debates the sustainability of Connor Hellebuyck’s workload in Winnipeg and whether the Maple Leafs can resurrect early struggles or if Toronto’s playoff chances are in doubt.

Dan and Shawn are joined by Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes (15:04) and Daren Millard to talk about the Vegas Golden Knights hot start (35:22). The guys start the episode looking back at Brad Marchand's return to Boston and play "In or Out" -- do they believe in the Utah Mammoth, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs ? They also discuss the Blackhawks re-build, cover the NY Rangers scoring woes and look at the NJ Devils start with a healthy Jack Hughes.

Dan and Shawn are joined by Edmonton Oilers rookie forwards Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie (17:47) to talk about adjusting to the NHL game and lifestyle while learning the ropes from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. In addition to a conversation with the Oilers' rookies, some of the topics covered in this week's podcast include the hot start to the season for the Boston Bruins and goalie Jeremy Swayman, the cold start for the struggling Buffalo Sabres, first impressions of New York Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the Rangers inability to score at home, Brady Tkachuk's injury and the impact it will have on the Ottawa Senators and, potentially, the United States Olympic team, and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson's new contract.

As the puck drops on the 2025-2026 season, Dan and Shawn are joined by NHL.com columnist Nick Cotsonika (18:47) to discuss Mitch Marner’s debut with the Vegas Golden Knights and Gavin McKenna’s collegiate debut with Penn State, and NHL.com senior writer Tom Gulitti (38:51) to chat about Alex Ovechkin’s future in Washington as the 40-year-old superstar starts his 21st NHL season. The guys open the show with reaction to this week’s season-opening storylines and Connor McDavid’s extension in Edmonton. Dan and Shawn close the show with their predictions for this season’s major award winners.

In the first episode of the new season of @TheRink, Dan and Shawn are joined by TNT lead analyst Eddie Olczyk (9:17) to preview the 2025-26 season. The guys open the show with reaction to the Minnesota Wild signing Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year $136-million extension and how the deal resets the market, including future deals for high-profile free agents such as Connor McDavid. After the interview, Dan and Shawn make preseason predictions including their picks to win each division and the Stanley Cup, plus Dan’s big bold prediction for the season.

Dan and Shawn react to some of the offseason’s biggest acquisitions, including Mitch Marner’s eight-year mega deal with Vegas, and why the former Toronto star may thrive with the Golden Knights. The guys also discuss the ripple effect of Marner’s signing and what it means for Jack Eichel and Alex Pietrangelo’s futures with the team. Later on, Dan and Shawn react to Carolina’s additions of Nikolaj Ehlers via free agency and K’Andre Miller via trade, and whether this offseason’s new additions will help the Hurricanes take the next step and surpass the Panthers in 2025-2026. The guys also call out a few Eastern Conference teams who have disappointed with their lack of action this offseason. Dan and Shawn wrap the show by discussing the game-changing news of projected 2026 No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna’s decision to leave the CHL and play college hockey at Penn State.

Dan and Shawn are joined by Mike Morreale (15:53) to talk about the NHL Draft, he predicts, as many have, that 17-year-old defenseman Matthew Schaefer from Erie of the Ontario Hockey League will go to the New York Islanders with the No. 1 pick. But Morreale goes way beyond just the prediction, backing it up with facts and information about Schaefer, including how he got to be the consensus No. 1 despite playing only 17 games this season. Morreale also discusses many of the other top prospects, including Michael Misa of Saginaw in the Ontario Hockey League, James Hagens of Boston College, Porter Martone of Brampton in the OHL, and Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund of Djurgarden in Sweden. The guys start the episode breaking down the widely reported four-year extension of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and how the NHL and NHL Players' Association got to this point with such a strong working relationship. They close the episode discussing some of the moves we've already seen, including the Utah Mammoth acquiring forward JJ Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan, and forward Evander Kane being traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Vancouver Canucks.

Dan and Shawn react to the Florida Panthers repeating as Stanley Cup Champions by closing out the Edmonton Oilers in six games, including a detailed statistical breakdown to explain how the series did not play out nearly as tightly as it appeared. Next, Dan asks Shawn if Florida has earned “dynasty” distinction on the heels of three straight Cup Final appearances and back-to-back titles, followed by a debate about Florida’s chances to three-peat next season. The guys continue by heaping praise on Matthew Tkachuk for another stellar postseason run while battling through injury. Dan and Shawn wrap the episode with a look ahead for Edmonton, and whether or not the Oilers need to make a change in goal after benching Stuart Skinner mid-series.

From Matthew Tkachuk talking about the experience of having a chance to win the Stanley Cup at home to Connor McDavid discussing, and disagreeing, with the pressure he's under, this episode covers all the storylines in advance of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. Dan and Shawn start by talking about how the Panthers put themselves on the verge of winning their second straight Stanley Cup championship. That leads the conversation to what's at stake in Game 6, the discussion goes to McDavid and if he's under the most pressure right now. Roarke disagrees, because he doesn't think McDavid's legacy will be defined by championships won. Rosen thinks part of his legacy will be defined by winning a Stanley Cup. McDavid weighs in on the pressure too followed by Tkachuk discussing what it will be like to go up against a desperate McDavid in Game 6. They also talk about the Oilers' comeback ability, with Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch discussing the team's resiliency, where it has shown up this postseason and why. Before putting a bow on the Stanley Cup Final talk, Rosen and Roarke talk about Edmonton's goaltending situation, the fact that Knoblauch hasn't yet announced if the Oilers starting goalie in Game 6 will be Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard. Finally, they talk about the Olympic announcements that came out Monday, with all 12 competing nations in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 in February announcing the first six players to their rosters. Neither the United States nor Canada named a goalie. Is that a surprise or was it expected? And which underrated national team should we all be watching come February?

Dan and Shawn are joined by Sportsnet reporter Gene Principe, who has the pulse of the Edmonton Oilers, to discuss the adjustments needed for Game 4, the status of Stuart Skinner and potential lineup changes that Kris Knoblauch may be considering. He also talks about Zach Hyman's absence and why the loss of Hyman shouldn't be overlooked during this series against the Florida Panthers. The guys open the episode looking ahead to Game 4 and wondering how the Oilers can get back to their game. Is Sam Bennett the Conn Smythe favorite right now? They answer that question and look at the impact that Jonah Gadjovich in Game 3. They wrap the episode talking about the maturity of Gus Forsling, the Chris Kreider trade rumors and TJ Oshie's retirement.