NHL Trade Talk Morning Roundup: Hellebuyck, Matthews, Tkachuk, Binnington

Welcome to today’s NHL Trade Talk Morning Roundup (February 20). Each morning, we’ll bring you three key NHL stories. Here, you can stay updated on the latest team wins and losses, trade talk, and player news from around the NHL. Tonight is a big night for North American hockey because the 4 Nations Face-Off championship between Team USA and Team Canada will be played.

Given the talk entering the game, fans should expect the game versus the USA and Canada to be filled with animosity. We’ll share the goalie matchups in our NHL Trade Talk roundups below. We’ll also share how Johnny Gaudreau has been extra motivation for Team USA. Finally, we’ll report that the Maple Leafs Auston Matthews will play tonight after missing the Team Sweden game.

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Goalie Showdown: Canada’s Binnington vs. USA’s Hellebuyck

Tonight’s 4 Nations Face-Off championship game pits two strong goalies against each other. Team Canada’s Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues) has been polarizing. He’s been good at times and let in soft goals at others. He has excelled in high-danger save percentage, stopping 26 shots, but there’s an underlying concern that he won’t show up when it matters most. Binnington has struggled on midrange shots, allowing four goals in 13.

It’s now too late to go another direction, as Adin Hill hasn’t played a single game in the tournament, and throwing him in would be unfair. Can Binnington show up and play lights out when Team Canada needs it most?

Conversely, Team USA’s Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets) is perfect on midrange attempts, saving all eight faced. Eric Engels noted that, while arguably the best goalie in the world, he’s beatable. “He faced 21 shots against the Finns, he gave up 15 rebounds. He faced 26 shots against Canada, he gave up 18 rebounds.” The secret? Shoot often and shoot early.

In contrast, Who will help their team win tonight’s battle?

Team USA’s Matthew Tkachuk Motivated by Johnny Gaudreau’s Legacy

Reading comments by Team USA players, it’s easy to see that there’s an extra motivation at play in tonight’s championship game. Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers) also emphasized that playing for Johnny Gaudreau’s (Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets) memory and family added extra motivation for Team USA. The team has hung Gaudreau’s jersey in the locker room, and his memory has become a presence.

Auston Matthews Returns for USA in 4 Nations Championship

Team USA’s Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) has battled through an upper-body injury and is ready to play tonight in the 4 Nations championship game. He missed the game against Team Sweden but feels better and will play for the North American showdown. Will his improvement give Team USA extra confidence heading into the game?

“These are the games that you dream of,” Matthews said Wednesday. This game might be the biggest game in Matthews’ career.

Related: NHL Trade Talk Morning Roundup: Canucks, Jets & Oilers