Nobody is safe from Draymond Green’s trash talk, not even Steph Curry’s brother Seth.
The younger Curry, on the latest episode of his podcast, “Greatest Of Their Era,” was discussing with co-host Travonne Edwards and guest C.J. Watson the role of a journeyman NBA player, and shared a hilarious story about the time Green’s trash talk led to an awkward moment for his longtime teammate’s brother.
“I’m at the free throw line, and Draymond’s out there. We’re talking … I say something, and he’s like, ‘Why are you talking? You’re a journeyman. Every team in the league.’ It was funny because Steph was right there,” Seth Curry recalled. “It was kind of awkward.
“Draymond, that’s my guy, but he’s going to talk when we’re on the floor. But I’m talking back to him. I’m a journeyman, but I’m talking back to him like ‘That’s a badge of honor for me.’ How many guys do you know that’s been on two teams and out the league? I’d rather be on eight, nine teams, have a 12-year career, than be one-and-done. I take pride in it.”
The younger Curry went undrafted out of Duke in 2013 before signing with the Memphis Grizzlies ahead of the 2013-14 NBA season. Seth later played for the Cleveland Cavaliers that same season and since has played for seven additional teams (Phoenix, Sacramento, Dallas, Portland, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Charlotte).
Simply put, he’s a journeyman.
And that’s something he takes great pride in, as he prepares to play in his 12th NBA season.
It’s unclear where Seth, currently a free agent, will play next season, but there reportedly is mutual interest between him and the Warriors.
If he were to join his brother in Golden State next season, it’s fair to assume he will be safe from Green’s trash talk … right?
Former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Kyle Clifford is reportedly calling it a career.
According to John Hoven, better known online as The Mayor, Clifford is retiring after a 15-year professional career and joining the Maple Leafs in a player development role. The 34-year-old has spent five seasons with Toronto, split between their NHL and AHL squads.
Before joining the Maple Leafs, Clifford won two Stanley Cups with the L.A. Kings, playing an integral role in the club’s 2014 win. The crash and bash forward scored one goal and six assists in 24 playoff games during those playoffs.
Clifford, who hails from Ayr, Ontario, along with goaltender Jack Campbell, were acquired by the Maple Leafs in a trade with the Kings in February 2020 for Trevor Moore, a 2020 third-round pick, and a 2021 third-round selection.
After just one year with Toronto, Clifford signed a two-year, $2 million contract with the St. Louis Blues. He played just one season with the Blues before being traded back to the Maple Leafs for future considerations in November 2021.
Clifford appeared in 23 games with the Maple Leafs in 2021-22, plus nine games with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies. That would be Clifford’s second-last season playing in the NHL games, with his final two appearances coming in October of 2022.
The veteran forward signed a two-year, $1.53 million extension with Toronto in March 2022, though the remainder of his games were played with the Marlies. Over three years with the AHL club, which included him signing a one-year contract with the team last summer, Clifford scored 22 goals and 34 assists in 116 games.
Not only did Clifford play in the Marlies’ top-six throughout his tenure, but he was also a key leader within the club, helping usher in the next group of Maple Leafs prospects. “Cliffy was my first linemate in the NHL, and he’s become one of my best friends,” former Maple Leafs prospect Alex Steeves, now with the Boston Bruins organization, said.
“He’s someone I think any guy should talk to who has aspirations of playing in the NHL. To play as long as he did as a fourth liner is really tough. He’s helped me out a lot and I know he advocates for me as well. And he’s a good friend.”
Clifford was most recently spotted working with the Maple Leafs’ prospects at the club’s development camp in early July. He was on the ice with the players, and in some cases, skating side-by-side with former Kings and Maple Leafs teammate, Jake Muzzin, who’s also a part of Toronto’s development staff.
Clifford’s storied career concludes with the forward tallying 66 goals and 78 assists in 735 regular season games, plus four goals and 12 assists in 65 playoff games, split between the Kings, Blues, and Maple Leafs.
The trade deadline has passed, but the Mets still need help. I’m here with some suggestions that may fit the bill.
But first, let’s spell out how badly Carlos Mendoza’s team is playing, to the point where he called out his hitters after Wednesday’s near no-hitter by Gavin Williams for not making the necessary in-game adjustments to the way they were being pitched.
Here are some key stats:
Since June 13, the Mets are 18-28, even with a seven-game winning streak during that time, so at this point it feels like more than simply a bad stretch.
For the season, their .231 team batting average with runners in scoring position ranks 27th in MLB, and if you’ve watched closely, that number probably even feels too high.
Since the All-Star break, their team OPS is .639, dead last in MLB, and their .213 batting average ranks 29th.
Their .225 batting average against left-handed pitching ranks 25th in MLB.
And lest we think it’s all about the offense, since June 14, their starting pitchers are averaging 4.7 innings per start, which is why they’ve almost certainly spent more money than any team in baseball shuttling relievers back and forth from Triple-A to replenish the bullpen on a daily basis.
Yep, it’s bad, and in truth, the only way out of this extended run of bad baseball is if their stars start playing like stars, above all Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso on the hitting side, and Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga on the pitching side.
But it doesn’t mean a few changes wouldn’t help.
With that in mind, I offer these ideas...
Jun 13, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez (28) reacts after hitting a ninth inning walkoff two run home run against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. / Brad Penner - USA TODAY Sports
1. Hire J.D. Martinez as a sounding board/troubleshooter of sorts for the Mets’ hitters
The Mets can use this as a way to address the problems of making the in-game adjustments that Mendoza brought up Wednesday.
Why not take a shot with the retired Martinez as some form of supplemental hitting coach? The guy was known throughout baseball as a hitting savant during his career, after all, and he seemed to have a positive effect on the Mets’ clubhouse last season, even if age seemed to catch up with him as a DH late in the year.
Ideally, the current hitting coaches, Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes, would welcome the knowledge Martinez would bring. If not, well, they don’t have much room for complaint after Mendonza, unwittingly or not, essentially raised questions about whether they’re doing what’s necessary to help players make the in-game adjustments the manager deemed as lacking.
Maybe Steve Cohen could be convinced to make it worthwhile for Martinez to put his burgeoning pickleball career (he signed a deal in July to play professionally) on hold for a couple of months in pursuit of a World Series ring.
2. Bring back Luisangel Acuña from the minors
Brett Baty’s not hitting (again) and for a team struggling to score runs, Acuña offers more ways to help win low-scoring games, coming off the bench as a base-stealer and quality defender.
Hey, it’s not like there are other obvious solutions for this offense. At this point, it’s nothing short of mystifying as to why Lindor, Alonso, Soto and others have been so streaky and worse, shrinking at big moments this season.
This is largely the same offense that thrived in clutch situations when it counted most last September and October. The addition of the great Soto was supposed to be the final piece, yet he hasn’t hit in the clutch, and lately he’s slumping the way he did early in the season, even chasing pitches out of the strike zone, negating his biggest strength.
And so, with no assurance these Mets will break out in a big way, recalling Acuña could be a way of trying to win on the margins.
As one small example, had Acuña been pinch-running in the ninth inning on Monday night, and not Tyrone Taylor, there’s a good chance the Mets would have won the game. Taylor is fast, but not as fast as Acuña, and that likely would have been enough for third base coach Mike Sarbaugh to send him home on Lindor’s double, rather than hold Taylor as he did.
Baty offers more offensive potential than Acuña, but he’s slumping lately, continuing his pattern of running hot and cold with the bat, so why not take advantage of Acuña’s baserunning and superior defense to help win close games?
3. Get Brandon Sproat or Nolan McLean up here pronto and put Frankie Montas in the bullpen as a multi-inning reliever
Then, maybe sooner than later, make room for the second of the kid pitchers, either as a starter or a bulk reliever, depending on whether Clay Holmes can build on his good start on Tuesday, albeit only five innings.
As for the pitching, there were opportunities for McLean and/or Sproat to make spot starts in recent weeks, but now it’s different. It’s August, both have pitched well in Triple-A, with Sproat on Wednesday being named International League Pitcher of the Month for July, and Montas has a 6.68 ERA in seven starts.
Either one is likely a better option and even if they wouldn’t necessarily solve the problem of length for Mets’ starters, as their innings likely would be limited, either or both could present an opportunity for Montas and even Holmes to slide into roles as bulk relievers. And that is very much needed since the Mets now have a bullpen full of high-leverage relievers, which these days means primarily one-inning relievers.
David Stearns himself indicated the looming presence of Sproat and McLean was the reason he wasn’t willing to pay the high prices being asked for starting pitchers at the trade deadline, so the Mets must feel they’re about ready.
If their success in Triple-A translates to the big league level, it would eventually give the Mets the flexibility to create those quality bulk relievers they need. If a spot in the pen needs to be opened, the Mets could certainly live without Ryne Stanek and his inconsistency.
All in all, why not? It’s time to try something different.
A North Carolina judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the 1983 N.C. State men’s basketball team, shutting down the national championship team’s request for name, image and likeness compensation. Lorenzo Charles sealed the victory with a buzzer-beating dunk, and coach Jim Valvano rushed the court — a moment that encapsulated the thrill of March Madness and was used in promotions for years. The players filed a suit requesting a jury trial and “reasonable compensation” in June.
The sale of the Boston Celtics to William Chisholm will likely close late next week or early the following week, according to three people familiar with the details who were not authorized to speak publicly.
The deal still needs approval from the league’s board of governors, who comprise the 30 team owners. The vote can occur remotely and does not require a league meeting.
In March, Chisholm’s group reached an agreement to buy the Celtics in two stages, which was the stated goal of ownership led by the Grousbeck family. The deal valued the team at $6.1 billion in the first payment, which at the time was the most expensive control sale in sports team history. (Josh Harris’ 2023 buy of the Washington Commanders was the previous record, while Mat Ishbia’s $4 billion purchase of the Phoenix Suns in 2022 was tops in the NBA.) In June, Mark Walter reached an agreement to purchase the Los Angeles Lakers at a $10 billion valuation.
BDT & MSD Partners and JPMorgan Chase, who co-led the Celtics sale process, as well as the NBA, declined to comment on the timing.
The Grousbecks led a group that bought the NBA team in 2002 for $360 million. They announced that the franchise was for sale last July, less than two weeks after winning an NBA-record 18th championship. The group said estate planning in the Grousbeck family was the reason for the sale.
Chisholm, who is the co-founder and managing partner of private equity firm STG Partners, is the lead investor and will take over as NBA governor from Wyc Grousbeck after the 2027-28 season.
Aditya Mittal will be the second-largest stakeholder in the Celtics and potentially the alternate governor in the future. Mittal is the son of Lakshmi Mittal, who serves as executive chairman of $62 billion-in-revenue ArcelorMittal, the world’s second-largest steel and mining company after China’s state-owned Baowu.
Private equity giant Sixth Street will also have a major stake in the club. The firm already owns a stake in the San Antonio Spurs. The NBA’s private equity rules cap the stake that a single firm can own at 20% of the team.
Judge has played two games since returning from the IL and hasn't looked like himself at the plate. In those games, Judge went 1-for-6 with three strikeouts. His season batting average has dropped to .339 and the Yankees' offense has suffered for it. But there's nothing like a little home cooking to get you back on track.
Judge is slashing .333/.445/712 with a 1.157 OPS in 50 games this season to go along with 17 home runs and 40 RBI. While the Astros will have tough pitchers on the mound this weekend, the homestand could be the turnaround Judge needs.
There's also how Judge handles his throwing program. Will we see Judge in right field in this series? There's a distinct possibility it happens, which would also open up Giancarlo Stanton -- who was the Yankees' hottest hitter before Judge returned -- to return to the lineup.
Astros starters could be a problem
The Astros are having a great season even though many predicted they'd take a step back, and a big part of that is the starting rotation. That rotation could give the Yankees fits this weekend.
Hunter Brown (9-5, 2.47 ERA) will take the mound in the series opener and Framber Valdez (11-5, 2.83 ERA) follows on Saturday. While the Astros haven't announced a starter for Sunday's series finale, those two arms are enough to win a series.
Interestingly enough, Judge is 2-for-3 with a home run against Brown but is just 2-for-10 against Valdez. The Yankees who have the best track record against Valdez are Stanton (5-14, HR, 2B) and Jose Caballero (4-10, HR). Ryan McMahon (2-4) is the only other Yankee who has more than one hit against the Astros' southpaw.
Aug 3, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil (81) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Can Luis Gil bounce back?
Gil had a tough season debut last weekend. He allowed five runs across 3.1 innings against the Marlins, but it was good to see the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year get back on the mound. His home/road splits from a year ago were very similar, so it's not necessarily an advantage to pitch at Yankee Stadium but like Judge, it could benefit the young rookie as he prepares for his biggest test since last October.
Gil does have a start against the Astros in his career. In one start, he allowed just one run across six innings. He's starting Saturday's game opposite Valdez, and it'll be one to watch, if for nothing else, to see if Gil can be a viable starter for this team down the stretch.
Who will be closing?
Devin Williams should not see a save opportunity anytime soon.
David Bednar's five-out save in Wednesday's series finale against the Rangers likely won him the job, but Aaron Boone could try and be cute in this series. He does have options, as Luke Weaver and Camilo Doval both have experience closing games, so how Boone deploys his relievers is something to watch; it'll give a good indication of how it will be in the final months.
But if Bednar is successful, it'll be his job to lose.
Win and stay in
The Yankees avoided the unthinkable, falling out of the playoff picture, with Wednesday's win.
If they were swept by the Rangers, the Yankees would have been 0.5 games behind Texas for the final wild card spot. Now that that was avoided, it's time for the Yankees to stack wins and prepare for October. While the Astros are a tough opponent, it's a good test to see if they can take the series against a playoff team.
If the Yankees can take care of business, they can root for some teams to give them some help in the standings. The Guardians and Rangers, two teams that trail the Yankees, take on the White Sox and Phillies, respectively. The two teams the Yankees are chasing, the Mariners and the Red Sox, take on the Rays and the Padres, respectively.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Anthony Volpe
Volpe has been sneaky good since the All-Star break. Over his last 15 games, Volpe is hitting .264 with five home runs and eight RBI.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Luis Gil
Gil needed his first start to get into the flow of the major leagues. Second time's the charm for the young righty.
Which Astros player will be a thorn in Yankees' side?
Jose Altuve
There's a reason he gets the Bronx cheers. In his career, Altuve is hitting .269 with 13 home runs against the Yankees.
Montas allowed seven runs on seven hits during his last start, leading manager Carlos Mendoza to be non-committal after that game about the right-hander's immediate future.
But Montas will pitch on Saturday against the Brewers in a role that's to-be-determined, with Mendoza explaining that it's possible New York will use an opener in front of him.
If Montas keeps struggling, though, something is going to have to give soon.
Montas has a 6.68 ERA (5.07 FIP) and 1.54 WHIP in 33.2 innings pitched over seven starts, has allowed a whopping 11.2 hits per nine, and is averaging nearly two home runs allowed per nine.
Mullins has mostly struggled against left-handers during his career, but has excelled against them this season -- slashing .291/.382/.465 in 103 plate appearances.
Despite that, it was Tyrone Taylor who was in the lineup on Tuesday night against Guardians left-hander Logan Allen.
"Cedric will play against lefties, too," Mendoza said before Tuesday's game. "I just thought today was, looking what's ahead and where we're at, I thought it was a good day for TT. But Cedric, he's not going to be in a strict platoon here where if we're facing a lefty he's not going to play; he will play."
Taylor has struggled badly at the plate this season, with a .546 OPS and 57 OPS+.
Senga was strong in his first start after coming back from a hamstring injury, tossing 4.0 scoreless innings against the Royals on July 11.
Since then, things have not gone well.
New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park / Bob Kupbens - Imagn Images
Over his last three starts, Senga has allowed 11 runs on 13 hits in 12.0 innings while walking 11 and serving up four home runs. His ERA over that span is 8.25.
In addition to the control problems and run-prevention issues is the fact that Senga has been averaging 4.0 innings per start since returning -- something that is a serious problem when you factor in that every other Mets starter except David Peterson has also been failing to provide length.
Senga gets the ball on Friday night for the series-opener.
The Brewers are banged up, but on fire
The Brewers are without one of their best hitters (Jackson Chourio), their designated hitter (Rhys Hoskins), and their young ace (Jacob Misiorowski), but they're continuing to roll over every team in their way.
Entering play on Wednesday, the Brewers were riding a five-game winning streak, had an 8-2 record of their last 10 games, and has the best record in baseball at 69-44.
Milwaukee's run differential of +126 is the best in baseball, and their 565 runs scored rank fourth.
Over their last 24 games, the Brewers are a ridiculous 20-4.
Brandon Woodruff has been dominant
Since returning from shoulder surgery, Woodruff has been lights out.
In 28.1 innings over five starts, he has a 2.22 ERA and 0.63 WHIP.
Woodruff is striking out a career-best 11.8 batters per nine and walking a career-low 1.3 batters per nine.
If there's one knock on him, it's that he's been susceptible to the home run ball, allowing five dingers.
Woodruff gets the start on Friday.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Francisco Alvarez
Alvarez has been a different hitter since returning from Triple-A Syracuse.
Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?
Sean Manaea
Manaea hit a wall in the sixth inning of his most recent start, but has been largely dominant in his five appearances this season.
Which Brewers player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?
Sal Frelick
Frelick is having the best offensive season of his young career, entering play Wednesday with an OPS+ of 116.
The new CBA will bring numerous changes to the way the NHL currently operates. It will change salary structures, put an end to the playoffs' salary loophole, allow players more freedom about the way they dress, and the list goes on and on, but one crucial clause hasn’t received much coverage yet.
In Thursday’s edition of La Presse, Simon-Olivier Lorange reports that from the 2027 draft, teams will have four years to sign the 18-year-old players they draft. These days, they have four years to sign players who are plying their trade in the NCAA, but only two years for players who are competing in the CHL. If a team drafts an overeager player (a player who’s in his second year of eligibility and is 19), like the Montreal Canadiens have done a few times of late (like Florian Xhekaj, for instance), they’ll have three years to put pen to paper with them.
Why could that mean more local players for the Canadiens? This will simply give the team more time to evaluate CHL draftees before deciding on those players. No matter how thorough a team is with their scouting, 18-year-old players are raw products. They have so much left to learn and so much more development to come. Projecting them in the future is a tall order, and having just two years to evaluate them isn’t much.
The two-year deadline on signing CHL products before losing their rights left very little room for late bloomers. While generational talents can be ready to jump right into the NHL action after being drafted, others need more time to come into their own. There’s no proof that this state of affairs prevented the Canadiens and other teams from drafting more CHLers, but there is no doubt this new development will make life a bit easier on teams.
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Welcome to The Hockey News - Vancouver Canucks site’s player preview series for the 2025–26 season. In these articles, we’ll preview the players who are expected to play for the Canucks in the 2025–26 season. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the Abbotsford Canucks’ leading scorer during the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs, Linus Karlsson.
Karlsson’s 2024–25 Season
Karlsson had a very successful 2024–25 season for both Vancouver and Abbotsford. In the NHL, the forward made his mark as a netfront presence, potting his first career NHL goal on January 29 against the Nashville Predators. He finished the NHL regular season with three goals and three assists in 23 games, putting up 28 total shots on goal. Karlsson is one of a few Abbotsford players who are expected to push for a roster spot come Vancouver’s training camp in the fall.
In the AHL, Karlsson took his game to another level. He scored 23 goals and 16 assists in 32 games played, averaging over a point per game despite not being in the lineup for a full season. Once the playoffs rolled around, Karlsson flourished even more, finishing the postseason as the league’s points leader with 14 goals and 12 assists in 24 games played. He also broke an AHL record for goals scored by a Swedish player in a single postseason.
Karlsson’s 2024–25 Letter Grade
For his growth in the 2024–25 season, Karlsson received a B- on the season, as he made some steps to becoming a full-time NHLer but will need to do more to stick in the lineup. With that being said, from how his play has developed over the past year, it’s clear that Karlsson has found a particular role to play and plans to stick with it going into 2025–26 — regardless of whether this is in the NHL or AHL.
Karlsson’s 2025–26 Predictions
As a key member of Abbotsford and a solid depth option for Vancouver, Karlsson will likely improve on his performance from this season now that he has spent more time playing hockey at the NHL level. The 2025 Abbotsford MVP will look to make a bigger mark with the Canucks, potentially fitting into a third or fourth-line role while continuing to pot goals at the side of opponents’ nets.
The Evolution Of Vancouver And Abbotsford Canucks Forward Linus KarlssonWhen the Vancouver Canucks acquired Linus Karlsson on February 25, 2019, fans had mixed feelings. The piece going back to the San Jose Sharks in exchange was Jonathan Dahlén, a player who had previously shown flashes of success alongside franchise cornerstone at the time Elias Pettersson. Some had even referred to the two as the second-coming of the Sedin twins. Still, the 19-year-old Karlsson had the belief of Canucks general manager at the time, Jim Benning, behind him.
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, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.
The Manitoba Moose have come to terms with Jaydon Dureau on a one-year contract beginning this fall.
A product of White City, Saskatchewan, the 24-year-old will look to stick with his second American Hockey League team over the past six seasons, to which he has played parts of each of the past five years with the Syracuse Crunch.
Selected in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dureau has bounced between the Crunch and Tampa Bay's ECHL affiliate, the Orlando Solar Bears ever year.
Standing six-foot and 176 pounds, the slight winger has yet to find his scoring touch at the AHL level, despite putting up 29 goals and 73 points in 103 ECHL games. In 36 AHL games, he has just three goals and seven points.
Dureau was a point-per-game player at the WHL level, to which he played out his career with the Portland Winterhawks, scoring 65 times and adding 131 assists for 196 points in 207 games.
The contract is a standard one-year, AHL agreement, meaning he can bounce between the AHL and ECHL with no issue. He would need to sign an NHL deal should the Jets feel the need to recall him to the big league.
If James Malatesta can put it all together, he's going to be a force in the NHL.
Malatesta turned pro in 2023 after spending four outstanding years with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. After amassing 187 points in junior and winning the QMJHL playoff MVP, he was off to the pros. He would total 56 goals if you take into account all the games he played in the Q, Q playoffs, and Memorial Cup.
James Malatesta played in 56 games for the Cleveland Monsters in his rookie season. He would score 12 goals and total 22 points. He has a motor that never quits and can skate really well, and it showed. Malatesta finished 11th on the team in scoring and 10th in games played. He did have a team-high 79 PIMs, though, which is how he plays his game.
Late in the season, in a surprising move, Malatesta was called up to play for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Due to the injury situation, Malatesta and several other Monsters got an opportunity to play some real NHL minutes.
He would make his NHL debut on March 26th against the Arizona Coyotes. He didn't get on the score sheet, but he did make his presence known. He would get 11:43 of ice time and get into a fight. Not a bad night.
Malatesta would get his first NHL point against the Philadelphia Flyers on April 6th, an assist. He played 10:58.
On April 13th in Smashville, after playing 9 games, he would have a career game. He played 12:55, had 3 shots, and scored his first goal. He also added an assist in the loss to the Predators. He was flying around the ice all night; he was fun to watch.
In the next game, the season finale at home against the Carolina Hurricanes, he would again have a good game. Malatesta scored his 2nd NHL goal while playing 13:01 on the ice. He is making himself highly visible.
He was returned to the Monsters after the CBJ season to help them win their division and the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Malatesta only played 9 games throughout the playoffs, scoring only a single goal and adding one assist.
The 2024-25 season saw Malatesta play a pair of games for Columbus in December. He averaged around 10:30 of ice time and was held off the score sheet. But it was important that he played.
For Cleveland, he played in only 41 games and scored 14 points. Unfortunately for Malatesta and the Monsters, he suffered an upper body injury that held him out of the lineup until March. In a combo of injuries and a sophomore slump, Malatesta did not have the year he wanted.
James Malatesta will need to step up and have a good season in 25-26. Why? Because he's going to be a restricted free agent next summer, and will need a new contract. GM Don Waddell doesn't hesitate to let players walk if he thinks they won't bring anything to the team in the future. So, he'll need to stay healthy and be productive.
The Cleveland Monsters will be very young next season and will need all the help they can get. Malatesta will have Luca Del Bel Belluz, Hunter McKown, and Owen Sillinger with him. But they'll also have newcomers Oiva Keskinen, Luca Pinelli, and Jack Williams to put in some goals too.
James Malatesta isn't expected to put in 25 goals or collect 50 points, but he is expected to contribute. He has a scoring touch and brings physicality to the ice.
James Malatesta Scouting Report
Strengths:
Skating: Malatesta's skating is an asset, with excellent acceleration, speed, and the ability to drive the puck through the neutral zone.
Energy and Intensity: He plays with a high motor, is not afraid to throw hits, and engages physically to win puck battles and create turnovers.
Shooting: He possesses a quick and accurate wrist shot, often firing on the fly, and is a threat on odd-man rushes.
Offensive Instincts: Malatesta is good at finding open ice, jumping on opportunities, and making quick plays to generate scoring chances.
Weaknesses:
Decision-Making: Needs to improve his passing and off-puck play, as he can sometimes prioritize intensity over making the best play. He takes bad penalties sometimes due to his physicality.
Offensive Creativity: While he can finish plays, he doesn't possess the vision or playmaking skills of a top-tier offensive player.
Consistency: His production can be inconsistent, and he needs to find a way to translate his energy and physical play into more consistent offensive contributions.
Overall:
Malatesta is a prospect with a high floor, likely to become a reliable bottom-six forward in the NHL. He brings a lot of energy, a strong work ethic, and the ability to contribute in various ways, making him a player who can impact the game even without elite offensive skills. If he can put it together, expect him to be pushing for a roster spot in Columbus soon. But first, he has to prove it in 25-26.
Does he have a chance to make the team? Many say no, but I wouldn't count him out if I were you.
What do you think? Please share your thoughts on our forum below.
