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The Wraparound: Which NHL Players Could Use A Change Of Scenery?

It's Wraparound time, with a new round of NHL and hockey topics in rapid-fire segments.

Which NHL Players Could Use A Change Of Scenery? by The WraparoundWhich NHL Players Could Use A Change Of Scenery? by The Wraparoundundefined

Here's what Emma Lingan, Michael Augello and Kelsey Surmacz discussed in this episode:

0:00: Which NHL GMs have the most to prove this season?

5:04: Which NHL coaches have the most to prove this season?

8:00: Which players could graduate to being full-time NHLers this season?

11:55: Did Nazem Kadri deserve more consideration for Team Canada’s orientation roster?

17:00: Will Tanner Jeannot’s contract with the Boston Bruins end up paying off?

21:45: Is the Detroit Red Wings’ defense corps holding them back from being competitive?

26:25: Which players would benefit most from a change of scenery?

30:19: Could Evgeny Kuznetsov make a comeback to the NHL?

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

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Projecting Sabres Trade Cost – Lawson Crouse

The Buffalo Sabres should be in the market for an impact top-six forward after dealing winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth for defenseman Michael Kesselring and winger Josh Doan. The opening weeks of free agency did not provide GM Kevyn Adams with an opportunity to replace Peterka’s production, and with the two-year deal signed last month with defenseman Bowen Byram, Adams will have to try to acquire a scoring forward with younger players, prospects, and/or draft picks. With just over a month before training camp, the odds are that an addition like that will have to happen during the season. 

Lawson Crouse has been a target of teams looking for a big crash-and-bang power forward, but the 28-year-old seemed to be a commodity the Arizona Coyotes/Utah Mammoth would not part with. The former Florida first-rounder has played all nine NHL seasons in Arizona/Utah, and after three straight 20-goal seasons, his production declined precipitously to 18 points in Salt Lake City last season.  

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What Would It Cost?

At 6’4”, 214 lb., Crouse would provide the Sabres with the type of player that most Eastern Conference clubs are looking for in response to the two-time Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers physicality, and with the addition of Peterka, and the direction of the Mammoth going towards more offense with players like Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, and Clayton Keller front and center, GM Bill Armstrong may be willing to deal the big winger during the season, depending on where Utah is in the playoff race.   

The Mammoth are hoping to challenge for a playoff spot in the West, but their division is extremely deep and difficult, and other teams like Anaheim, St. Louis, Minnesota, Calgary and Vancouver will be in the mix for the two wildcard spots. Crouse would be attractive to the Sabres for two reasons; he is not a rental (he has two years left at a $4.3 million AAV) and does not have any trade protection. Armstrong will likely be looking for a younger player with team control, such as Zach Benson, but Utah’s defense needs help after Mikhail Sergachev and Sean Durzi. Utah would likely target Bowen Byram, but the deal would have to include more than Crouse to make that attractive to Buffalo.   

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

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Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Hudson Fasching To One-Year Contract

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they have signed forward Hudson Fasching to a one-year, two-way contract. 

Fasching recorded two goals and four points in 42 games with the New York Islanders and two points in seven games with the Bridgeport Islanders last season. 

The 30-year-old has 17 goals and 40 points in 175 career NHL games with the Islanders, Arizona Coyotes, and Buffalo Sabres.

Originally a fourth round selection of the Los Angeles Kings in 2013, Fasching has 78 goals and 162 points in 308 career AHL games with the Islanders, Tucson Roadrunners, and Rochester Americans, he served as captain with the Roadrunners in 2021-22. 

Fasching will fit in to the Blue Jackets' bottom-six or could play in the top six for the Cleveland Monsters. He is a great locker room presence and will be able to contribute in the NHL and AHL. 

After three successful seasons at the University of Minnesota and two appearances at the World Junior Hockey Championship Fasching was a member of Team USA at the 2016 World Championship.

Check out our AHL Free Agency signing tracker here.        

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The Hockey News' Vancouver Canucks Mailbag: Foote, Kravtsov & More

Welcome to this edition of The Hockey News' Vancouver Canucks Mailbag. In this series, we answer your questions about what is going on with the Canucks. Today, we answer questions about Adam Foote, Vitali Kravtsov, and more. 

Why Did The Canucks Hire Foote Instead Of Malhotra?

The decision to promote Adam Foote to head coach has been widely debated this off-season. The former NHL defender does not have head coaching experience at the pro level, but has been with the organization for the past few seasons. As for Manny Malhotra, he is coming off a Calder Cup championship with the Abbotsford Canucks and should not have to wait much longer for a chance to run his own bench at the NHL level. 

One of the reasons why the Canucks may have made this decision is experience working with this group. While Malhotra has worked with the younger players, Foote has built relationships with the core of this team, including captain Quinn Hughes. In the end, both have the potential to be successful coaches in the NHL, with Foote getting the call next season.

Who Is The More Important Canucks Prospect: Cootes Or Willander?

This is a tough one as both will play key roles in the future. Tom Willander has the potential to be a top-four defender, while Braeden Cootes could be Vancouver's 2C of the future. Ultimately, the Canucks need both to hit if they want to have success, not just now, but in the future. 

In the end, Willander is the more important prospect as of right now. While it is difficult to find centers like Cootes, right-shot, mobile defenceman like Willander are currently at a premium in the league. Both have the potential to be special players, but Willander is currently the most important prospect in the organization. 

Whose The Prospect In The System Who Could Shock Us All And Be A Top 6 F Or A Top 4 D This Season?

Another excellent prospect-related question. Before answering, it is important to rule out Willander, Elias Pettersson and Aatu Räty, as they have been hyped up enough that there would be no surprise if they move into those spots. As for the answer to the question, one prospect who could have a big season at the NHL level is Jonathan Lekkerimäki. 

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

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It feels off selecting Lekkerimäki, but he has disappeared from people's radars over the past few months. He did win the Calder Cup with Abbotsford, but only scored three goals and recorded seven points in 16 games. While it is likely that he starts the year in the AHL, Lekkerimäki could jump into the top six once he is called up during the season.  

Will Kravtsov Make The Canucks Roster?

After two seasons in the KHL, Vitali Kravtsov is back and ready for another chance in the NHL. The 25-year-old had 58 points in 66 games last season for Traktor Chelyabinsk, which earned him a one-year, two-way contract. Ultimately, this could be Kravtsov's last chance at an NHL career, which means he has plenty of motivation to have a successful 2025-26 season. 

If Kravtsov is going to make the NHL team, it is most likely going to be on the fourth line. That being said, multiple players are fighting for the final spots, including Arshdeep Bains, Linus Karlsson, Nils Åman and Max Sasson. Despite the fact that Kravtsov needs waivers, there is a good chance that he starts the year in the AHL. 

Jan 18, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks assistant coach Adam Foote on the bench against the Edmonton Oilers in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

The Hockey News
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Carlos Alcaraz wins Cincinnati Open as Sinner retires from final with illness

  • Italian trailing 0-5 when he decided to pull out

  • Alcaraz confident rival is ‘going to come back stronger’

Carlos Alcaraz has won the Cincinnati Open for the first time in his career after the world No 1, Jannik Sinner, his great rival, was forced to retire from their highly anticipated final with illness while trailing 0-5 in the opening set.

Sinner, who had looked under the weather from the start of the match, explained later that he had been struggling with illness since Sunday. “I’m super sorry to disappoint you,” the Italian said.

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Son Heung-Min is already proving Christian wrong + Cooligans celebrate 10 years together!

Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros break down Son Heung-Min’s impressive MLS debut and why Christian may already be wrong about his impact. They also react to the Premier League’s opening weekend with some bold overreactions—will Manchester United improve, or is it déjà vu? Finally, the duo celebrates 10 years of The Cooligans with heartfelt messages and reflections on their journey.

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Giants catch break with controversial fan interference on Xander Bogaerts homer

Giants catch break with controversial fan interference on Xander Bogaerts homer originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Replay review worked in the Giants’ favor during their game against the San Diego Padres on Monday at Petco Park.

What initially appeared to be an Xander Bogaerts home run that went in and out of Heliot Ramos’ glove in the second inning was called back and ruled a fly out, after umpires determined a fan reached over the left-field wall and interfered with the play.

While the fan didn’t appear to touch the ball, MLB defines spectator interference as an instance where “a spectator clearly prevents a fielder from catching a fly ball by reaching onto the field of play.”

Since the fan’s arms went into the field of play and presumably into Ramos’ line of sight as he attempted to rob the homer, it can be assumed this play fell into that category in the eyes of umpires at the replay command center in New York.

Padres manager Mike Shildt wasn’t happy with the call and was ejected after exiting San Diego’s dugout to argue with home plate umpire James Hoye.

The overturned call kept Giants pitcher Robbie Ray’s scoreless outing intact, and was a much-needed boost for a struggling Giants team looking for some morale and their second consecutive win.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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Former Panther Joining Igor Larionov's KHL Team

Former Florida Panthers winger Rocco Grimaldi will join ex-NHL star Igor Larionov's KHL team SKA St. Petersburg.

Grimaldi was a second-round pick (33rd overall) in the 2011 NHL Draft by the Panthers. After the selection, Grimaldi spent three seasons in the NCAA with the University of North Dakota. Following those three years, Grimaldi signed his entry-level contract and spent the better part of two seasons in the AHL.

Grimaldi was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche the following season, concluding his Panthers tenure. He played just 27 games, scoring four goals and six points. 

Following his departure from Florida, Grimaldi bounced around the NHL. He went on to play in NHL games with the Avalanche and the Nashville Predators, but spent most of his time in the AHL with the Anaheim Ducks, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets AHL affiliates.

The 32-year-old hasn't played an NHL game since the 2021-22 season. Grimaldi was a successful AHL player, recording 192 goals and 428 points in 499 games. Skill has never been the issue for Grimaldi, but standing just 5-foot-6, 181 pounds, Grimaldi is extremely undersized for an NHL player.

Rocco Grimaldi (Winslow Townson-Imagn Images)

Internationally, Grimaldi won two gold medals for the USA at the 2010 and 2011 IIHF U-18 World Championships and another at the 2013 world juniors. He also played for the USA at the 2023 world championships, where he notched seven goals and 14 points in 10 games. 

Joining St. Petersburg in Russia, Grimaldi will be playing in a league that values skill more than physicality, which should benefit Grimaldi. 

St. Petersburg iced a star-studded lineup last year, featuring Ivan Demidov, Alexander Nikishin, Mikhail Grigorenko, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Arseni Gritsyuk, Nikita Zaitsev and Tony DeAngelo. Only Zaitsev remains, but the organization has added long-time NHL great Igor Larionov as head coach as well as North Americans Trevor Murphy, Brennan Menell and Joey Blandisi, who have some NHL experience.

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Manfred: ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ Deal on Deck, Realignment Likely

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on Sunday night said the league was closing in on a deal to cover the final three years of its legacy TV contract with ESPN.

Manfred dropped in on the Sunday Night Baseball booth during the fourth inning of the Little League Classic matchup between the Mariners and Mets, and during an exchange with ESPN’s Karl Ravech, the MLB boss intimated that a new deal could be announced well before the postseason begins.

“We’re having very detailed conversations with a number of parties, including ESPN,” Manfred said as New York batted with a 3-1 lead over Seattle. “We hope to have it resolved in the next couple of weeks. It’s a little bit like a jigsaw puzzle, but we will have it resolved in the next few weeks.”

In response to Manfred’s update, Ravech said, “I put my hand up for hoping that we stay involved.”

Manfred had hoped to have a deal secured in time to make a formal announcement during last month’s All-Star Game in Atlanta, but the process of finding a possible replacement for ESPN (which triggered its opt-out option on the Sunday night package in February) has been complicated by a flurry of interest from prospective partners, including NBC Sports and Apple. Also up for grabs are the Home Run Derby and the American and National League Wild Card Series.

As for ESPN, while the incumbent wanted out of the latter portion of its original $550/year media deal, chairman Jimmy Pitaro hasn’t been shy about his willingness to assemble some sort of reconfigured arrangement with MLB. To that end, ESPN has been kicking the tires on an opportunity to license the out-of-market MLB.tv package.

Aligning Bristol with a delivery system for local MLB games is consistent with Pitaro’s oft-stated desire to secure a portfolio of the league’s in-market rights. Pitaro first broached the subject last summer during an on-campus ESPN media scrum.

Wherever the ESPN package lands, the deal will expire at the end of the 2028 MLB season—at which point Manfred says he’ll combine the league’s local and national rights into a newly configured package.

During his Sunday night drop-in, Manfred also discussed the potential for a broad realignment of MLB, one that would presumably eliminate the canonical AL and NL in favor of a more travel-friendly geographical clustering.

The hypothetical realignment would coincide with the expansion of MLB to 32 franchises. In one scenario, a four-club “Northeast” division would include near-neighbors the Yankees, Mets, Phillies and Red Sox, while a “Mid-Atlantic” cluster would house the Nationals, Orioles, Pirates and Guardians.

“I think if we expand, it provides us with an opportunity to geographically realign,” Manfred said. “I think we could save a lot of wear and tear on our players in terms of travel. And I think our postseason format would be even more appealing for entities like ESPN, because … that 10 o’clock time slot where we sometimes get Boston-Anaheim would now be two West Coast teams. And so that slot, [which has been] a problem for us sometimes, becomes a real opportunity for our West Coast audience.”

Should such a shakeup occur, it would likely happen after Manfred steps down from his post in January 2029, when his term in office expires.

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Canadiens Training Complex To Host Battle Of Generations

On Thursday, August 28th, at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard, fans will have the opportunity to watch a special skills competition event pitting three generations of Montreal Canadiens players: Lane Hutson, Paul Byron, and Patrice Brisebois.

Tickets to the Challenge Hockey Hush can be purchased here and are only $15. Proceeds will be donated to the Manoir Ronald McDonald, a charity picked by Hutson himself. Brisebois was on the Sans Restriction Podcast this weekend speaking about the event, and it will be interesting to see what he can do some 15 years after retiring. The 1992-93 Stanley Cup Champion chuckled and admitted that he hadn’t skated at all so far this summer, and that he would need to get on with it soon.

The veteran blueliner spent 18 years in the NHL, and only two of them weren’t with the Canadiens but with the Colorado Avalanche. He played 1009 NHL games and picked up 420 points in the process.

As for Paul Byron, he played part of 12 seasons in the NHL, seven of which were spent in Montreal, where he found an NHL home and played a significant role with the team. The speedy winger became a penalty-killing specialist with the Canadiens and had a knack for scoring shorthanded goals using his fantastic speed.  Over his 521 games, he put up 208 points and was forced to retire due to injuries.

The main attraction will no doubt be Calder Trophy winner Hutson. The 21-year-old had a memorable first season with the Canadiens and even broke Chris Chelios’ record for the most points by a rookie defenseman with 66. The youngster quickly became a fan favourite, not only because of his points production but also because of his love and dedication to the game.

Hutson spent most of his Summer working at his dad’s hockey school, making dreams come true for several young players who got to not only skate with their idol, but also be taught by him. Don’t miss the Challenge Hockey Hush - it’s sure to be a great show, and you’ll be contributing to a good cause in the process.

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