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Three Potential NHL Trade Destinations For Penguins' Rickard Rakell

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell has been a popular name in the NHL rumor mill this off-season. 

With the Penguins being in some sort of retool or rebuild, Rakell stands out as one of their top trade candidates. 

There is no question Rakell’s trade value is higher right now, as he just had a career year with the Penguins. In 81 games with the Metropolitan Division club in 2024-25, he recorded new career highs with 35 goals and 70 points in 81 games. After a season like this, he will certainly generate interest from NHL teams looking for another top-six winger. 

Rakell’s contract also adds to his value, as he has an affordable $5-million cap hit until the end of the 2027-28 season.

That said, the price to acquire Rakell is high. The Penguins want to return to playoff contention as soon as possible, and if they have a good start to the season, they'll likely want to keep Rakell for a while longer. So the ideal time to acquire Rakell might not be until during the season if the squad slumps out of the gate.

Let’s go over three potential NHL trade destinations for Rakell. 

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs stand out as a prime potential landing spot for Rakell during the season if they clear salary cap space. 

While they brought in forwards Matias Maccelli, Nicolas Roy and Dakota Joshua this off-season, there is no question that they still could use a proven top-six winger to help lessen the sting of losing Mitch Marner.

Maccelli will likely get the first crack at replacing Marner’s spot on the right wing in the top six, but with 18 points in 55 games last year, there are no guarantees he will bounce back to the type of production he had with the Arizona Coyotes and hover around 50 points or more.

If the Maple Leafs acquired Rakell, he could work nicely playing on their first line with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. Even if he played on the Maple Leafs’ second line with William Nylander moving to the first, Rakell would undoubtedly give their current forward group more proven goal-scoring and playmaking abilities.

The Maple Leafs have just under $2 million of cap space, so they can’t acquire him right now without clearing cap space. 

The Penguins have over $13 million of cap space right now, so they could afford to take on more contracts in a potential trade with Toronto. This is especially so if it helps improve their overall return for Rakell. But Toronto can also accrue cap space during the season and make a push for Rakell around the NHL trade deadline if he’s still available – they could have about $8 million in space by then, according to PuckPedia.

Los Angeles Kings 

The Los Angeles Kings brought in bottom six forwards Corey Perry and Joel Armia this off-season, but they could use a top-six scoring winger.

While they have a defensive-focused system that allowed the second-fewest goals in the NHL last season, they were only 14th in goals-for. Only Adrian Kempe had more points last season than Rakell, with 73, so adding Rakell should add more scoring power without ruining the team’s system.

If the Kings acquired Rakell from the Penguins, he could be a strong fit on their second line with Quinton Byfield and Kevin Fiala. However, due to his versatility, he could also replace Andrei Kuzmenko on L.A.’s first line at left wing. With this, the Kings would have multiple different options to consider if they acquired Rakell.

Similar to the Maple Leafs, the Kings would also need to either move money out or accrue cap space during the season to afford Rakell. They have roughly $2.6 million of cap space right now but could have more than $12 million by the trade deadline. That said, they have a surplus of bottom-six forwards, and they could part ways with at least one of them if it means landing an effective forward like Rakell.

Three NHL Teams That Could Use UFA Matt GrzelcykThree NHL Teams That Could Use UFA Matt GrzelcykMatt Grzelcyk is arguably the NHL’s best UFA defenseman still available for the taking. 

Winnipeg Jets

After losing star winger Nikolaj Ehlers to the Carolina Hurricanes in free agency, the Winnipeg Jets certainly could use another legitimate top-six forward. With this, it would not be surprising in the slightest if they kicked tires on Rakell. 

While the Jets brought in veteran winger Gustav Nyquist this off-season, Rakell would be an upgrade over him in the Jets’ top six if acquired. The first line of Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi should stay as-is, but Rakell could slot in their second-line right wing spot alongside potential linemates Cole Perfetti and Jonathan Toews. He would also give them another scorer to work with on the power play – Rakell had nine goals and 19 points on the man advantage last season.

The Jets have just under $4 million of cap space left, so it would not be too hard for them to find a way to afford Rakell. However, the one potential obstacle in a possible Rakell trade is that he has an eight-team no-trade list. With this, he would need to either not have the Jets on his no-trade list or be willing to accept a trade to Winnipeg if he does.

The Hockey News' Kelsey Surmacz also listed four trade destinations for Rakell on THN.com/Pittsburgh.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

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Rangers put struggling slugger Adolis Garcia on IL and activate Evan Carter

ARLINGTON, Texas — The wild card-chasing Texas Rangers put struggling slugger Adolis García on the 10-day injured list because of a sprained left ankle, and activated outfielder Evan Carter after he missed 10 games because of back spasms.

Texas made the moves with both outfielders before their series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Another outfielder, Wyatt Langford, was held out of the lineup because of forearm stiffness, but manager Bruce Bochy said he could be available to pinch-hit.

García is hitting .224 with 16 homers and 64 RBIs in 116 games. He hit .176 (6 for 34) during the nine-game homestand.

Carter, who turns 23 later this month, was in a 4-for-34 slump when he was placed on the IL on Aug. 2. He hit .238 with four homers and 21 RBIs in 55 games before then.

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Cardinals’ Willson Contreras out of lineup with foot injury after being hit by pitch

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras was not in the lineup against the Colorado Rockies a day after he was hit in the foot by a pitch and broke his bat in frustration.

Contreras, listed as day-to-day with a right foot contusion, was hit by Rockies starter Kyle Freeland’s 0-2 sweeper in the fourth inning. He then slammed his bat into the dirt and snapped it over his knee.

As he walked toward first base, the 33-year-old threw the two pieces of the broken bat toward the Cardinals’ dugout.

He remained in the game until the sixth inning, when he was replaced by Nolan Gorman.

The Cardinals said X-rays did not reveal any structural damage in Contreras’ foot.

Contreras has been hit by a National League-leading 18 pitches this season, trailing only Randy Arozarena and Ty France.

Contreras leads the Cardinals with 16 home runs and 65 RBIs.

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Fantasy Baseball Steals Report: Corbin Carroll chooses not to run, Jakob Marsee aggressive versus Braves

As stolen bases continue to rise league wide, I’m here every Wednesday to help you track important stolen base trends so you can find more speed for your fantasy teams.

Stealing a base is as much about the opposing pitcher and catcher as it is the actual base runner themself. So, being able to spot which teams and pitchers specifically are being run on most frequently will help you to figure out who can swipe some bags over the next week.

Last week, I talked about Agustín Ramírez’s struggles behind the plate and four bases were stolen in the four games he caught over the last week.

MLB: Washington Nationals at Kansas City Royals
MLB Starting Pitcher News: Dylan Cease expanding his arsenal, Cade Cavalli makes season debut
Eric Samulski discusses five trending starting pitchers and how interested we should be for fantasy baseball.

Before we get to this week’s important trends, here is the stolen base leaderboard over the past seven days.

Player
SB
CS
Xavier Edwards
5
0
Jakob Marsee
5
0
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
3
0
Josh Naylor
3
0
Jordan Walker
2
0
Agustín Ramírez
2
0
Jurickson Profar
2
0
17 Others Tied
2
0

The Marlins are stealing bases at will led by Xavier Edwards and Jakob Marsee, but more on that below.

Jordan Walker playing everyday (for the moment) and stealing any bases makes him attractive in deeper leagues.

Now, here is the overall stolen base leaderboard on the season.

Player
SB
CS
José Caballero
35
8
Oneil Cruz
34
4
José Ramírez
33
7
Chandler Simpson
33
10
Elly De La Cruz
31
6
Luis Robert Jr.
31
7
Victor Scott II
31
2
Pete Crow-Armstrong
30
5
Bobby Witt Jr.
30
7

José Caballero’s playing time has dried up, starting just twice in about two weeks since being traded to the Yankees at the deadline. He’s firmly a drop candidate.

Next, here are some players that we’d hoped would be more aggressive or efficient on the base paths.

Player
SB
CS
Jonathan India
0
4
Jackson Merrill
1
2
Bryan Reynolds
3
2
Lars Nootbaar
4
4
Luis Rengifo
4
6
Willy Adames
4
2
Bo Bichette
4
3
Masyn Winn
7
5
Jose Altuve
8
6
Luis Garcia Jr.
9
5
Jackson Holliday
11
9
Jacob Young
12
10
Jordan Beck
13
7
Corbin Carroll
14
4

Jackson Merrill hasn’t attempted a single stolen base since his concussion on one back in June. Don’t expect that to change any time soon either.

Now, let’s go over the most important stolen base trends over the past week.

Fantasy Baseball Stolen Base Targets

The Braves and Red Sox tied for the most stolen bases allowed this week with 10 apiece.

Because of a funny scheduling quirk and make-up game, the Braves just wrapped up a five-game series against the Marlins where Miami stole nine bases without being caught!

Drake Baldwin was the primary culprit, having eight bases stolen in his three games behind the plate while Sean Murphy had just one in two.

Also, Murphy caught their game against the Brewers last Wednesday and caught two would-be base stealers. He’s clearly the superior defensive catcher in this tandem.

Baldwin has been picked on a bit this season too – most stolen bases allowed by any catcher with fewer than 60 starts and a poor 13% caught stealing rate – but Erick Fedde can be blamed for most of the Marlins’ onslaught.

Miami stole five bags during the five innings Fedde was on the mound for. With that, he tied Sandy Alcantara for the most stolen against any pitcher this season with 28.

Like Alcantara, he’s slow to the plate and allows runners to take huge leads and get massive jumps. Be sure to pay attention to Fedde’s upcoming starts.

There’s less of a discernible trend to report with the Red Sox. Connor Wong was behind the plate for eight of the 10 stolen bases they allowed. He’s been completely adequate in terms of catching runners this season though.

The same goes for Lucas Giolito, who had three bags stolen in the one game he pitched over the last week. He’s been strong in the running game for years now and is generally quick to the plate, so this likely isn’t the beginning of a pattern.

Rather, Fernando Tatis Jr. swiped third base two separate times in that game, so this was much more about Tatis seeing something he could exploit and not any deficiencies from Giolito or Wong.

Corbin Carroll: Grounded?

After stealing 89 combined bases over the last two seasons, Carroll has just 14 this year in 18 tries. That’s fewer than Josh Naylor (20), Trevor Story (20, without being caught, Xander Bogaerts (19), and Juan Soto (18).

It’s a serious break from the player we’ve both seen and expected him to be. It’s hard to even cast blame on a mid-season wrist injury that kept him out for nearly a month because Carroll stole just one base through his first three weeks of play, 10 in 72 games before going out, and four in 31 games since.

The Diamondbacks recently flip-flopped him and Geraldo Perdomo in the batting order, sending Carroll back to the three-hole and Perdomo to the top, but who knows if this even gets his wheels turning.

A 20 stolen base ceiling would drastically change Carroll’s cost in drafts next season, especially after two consecutive seasons of a batting average below .250.

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Amid unacceptable stretch, Giants left searching for answers after Padres sweep

Amid unacceptable stretch, Giants left searching for answers after Padres sweep originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Willy Adames was playing about as far up the middle as is allowed under the new rules regarding shifts. The Giants shortstop was positioned perfectly. 

When the ball left Jake Cronenworth’s bat at 61 mph, Adames took a couple of steps toward the bag. In his mind, he scrolled through all the different ways he might be able to turn an inning-ending double play. There was an obvious first choice: Scoop the ball on one hop, race to tag second, and then make a strong throw to first. 

“Hell yeah,” Adames said later. “It was a double-play ball. It was a jam shot. You could have turned a double play in any direction.”

Adames never got the chance. 

Cronenworth’s soft liner hit second base and ricocheted into the outfield, scoring two runs. By the end of the inning, the Giants trailed 7-0. The game effectively was over. 

The Giants ended up falling 11-1, losing for the 13th time in 14 games at Oracle Park. Over their last five, all losses, they have scored five total runs. 

It’s a stretch that defies belief, and the Giants have been left searching for answers. This won’t pacify anyone watching, but they truly, honestly, do not know what has happened. They are healthy, and when they hit the road, they occasionally still look dangerous. They took four of six on their last trip and the lineup looked like, well, a normal lineup. 

But at home, the losses have been automatic. The frustration continues to build. 

“It feels like for the last two months, it’s the same story,” Adames said. “It feels like for some reason nothing positive is coming. It’s either a jam shot hitting the base with the bases loaded [that was] a double-play ball. Something negative is in the air. We haven’t been able to figure out how to beat it and how to be better out there. It seems that it’s been the same story. 

“It sucks. It’s bad, because we have a really good team in here but it hasn’t gone our way lately.”

Adames stood in front of a large pack of reporters for seven minutes on Wednesday afternoon and spoke openly about the skid that has all but mathematically ended the season. The Giants are three games under .500 for the first time and trail the first-place San Diego Padres by 10 games. They have been caught by an Arizona Diamondbacks team that has had unbelievably bad injury luck and went into full sell mode at the 2025 MLB trade deadline. 

It has been an unacceptable stretch of baseball, one that leads to obvious questions about the future.

It wasn’t long ago that president of baseball operations Buster Posey picked up Bob Melvin’s option for 2026, but this is a brand of ball that does not reflect well on a manager or his coaching staff. This will not be a comfortable six weeks no matter what the contracts say. 

Melvin on Wednesday began his postgame session by defending Heliot Ramos for spiking a throw into the grass during the seven-run second inning. 

“It wasn’t his fault,” Melvin said. “It was more of how we were positioned for the cut-off.”

It was a fair explanation, but it brings to mind other questions. Why after 120 games are the Giants still so sloppy on defense? Why are people forgetting things like the infield fly rule? Why is the lineup, as Melvin talked about at length before the game, so poorly prepared to hit fastballs?

The mistakes are piling up, and that has to be particularly annoying to Posey. After he traded two of his best relievers and his starting right fielder at the deadline two weeks ago, Posey said he had talked to Melvin about the need to play a cleaner brand of baseball over the final two months. 

“We talk about being a pitching and defense team. We’ve pitched well but our defense has not been good — really, all year,” Melvin said. “That’s the main part that we need to clean up. That’s the part that really looks bad, when you play games like this.”

Melvin has six weeks to get the ship in order, and Posey has that much time to evaluate. At the moment, it feels like he needs to take a closer look at just about every part of the organization, which is a baffling place to be for a clubhouse that was full of energy for the first three months of the season. They have no idea how it all went so wrong so fast. 

“It’s just, like, every day, something happens,” Adames said. “Everybody feels the same way, or at least some of the guys feel the same way. It feels like in the dugout we kind of, like, lose the energy right away and from [there] it’s hard to come back when you don’t have it. It’s just tough. We have to be better. That’s the bottom line. We have to play better baseball, that’s how it is.”

Adames said this is the hardest stretch he has experienced as a big leaguer. He struggled at the plate early this season, but he was able to keep a smile on his face every day because the team was winning. Right now, just about the entire team is struggling, and it’s hard to find a light at the end of the tunnel. 

At some point during his seven minutes, Adames repeated something that Giants ace Logan Webb said earlier this week, and that other veterans have mentioned. “I don’t even know how to describe it,” he said. 

The Giants are at a loss. They show up every day thinking things will get better, because things have to get better. Nine innings later, they sit in a silent clubhouse, trying to make sense of another loss. 

“It’s a tough spot to be in,” Adames said. “We’ve got to do something different. We’ve got to figure it out.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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Shaquille O'Neal talks about abusing painkillers, his regrets and his fragile kidneys

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 7: Shaquille O'Neal performs at Shaq's Fun House at Mardi Gras World on February 7, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Skip Bolen/Getty Images)
Shaquille O'Neal performs at Shaq's Fun House at Mardi Gras World on February 7, 2025, in New Orleans. (Skip Bolen / Getty Images)

Shaquille O'Neal was never suspended for drug use of any kind during his decorated 19-year NBA career. The rugged 7-foot-1, 325-pound Hall of Fame center freely acknowledged playing through pain and openly worried about damage to his kidneys and liver from his prolonged use of legal anti-inflammatory medications.

He also recently recounted on "Inside the NBA" a bizarre story about testing positive for cocaine ahead of the 1996 Olympics. The result was thrown out — and never publicized — because O'Neal told officials he'd eaten a poppy seed muffin shortly before the test.

Never mind that while poppy seeds can trigger a false positive test for opioids such as morphine or codeine, they can't do the same for cocaine, which is identified in drug tests by the presence of its major metabolite, benzoylecgonine.

So in his recounting of an episode from nearly 30 years ago, O'Neal was wrong either about the illegal substance for which he tested positive or about what he ingested that caused the false positive. Perhaps he just meant to say codeine rather than cocaine.

Point being, recollections can be fuzzy, and O'Neal isn't immune to such fuzziness, something to keep in mind when listening to the four-time NBA champion 'fess up to his use of painkillers on this week's "Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard" podcast.

Read more:Lakers open season at home against the Warriors, will host Rockets on Christmas Day

O'Neal toggled between referring to opioid painkillers such as oxycodone and powerful, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories such as Indocin. He said he used opioids when recovering from injuries and took NSAIDs throughout his career.

But he also said his doctor told him he was addicted to painkillers, leading to "a heated discussion." O'Neal didn't feel high, he said, even when he would take more than the prescribed dose. "I would do homeboy math," he said. "If it said take one, I'm taking three."

"It was a club sandwich, fries and two pills for 19 years."

O'Neal first discussed painkillers during his four-part HBO documentary "Shaq," which premiered in 2022, and on the podcast Shepard mostly asked him to expand on what he'd said then about the potential damage to internal organs, the warnings from doctors and his current regrets.

In the documentary, O'Neal had this to say: "Sometimes I couldn't play if I didn't take it. All it did was mask the pain.... Had a lot of painkillers. I got limited kidney stuff now going on. I don't have the full range, but I took so many painkillers that [doctors are] saying, 'Hey, man, we don't need you taking that stuff now. You got to be careful.'

"My kidneys are kind of just chilling out right now," he continued. "I don't want to flare ‘em back up."

Read more:Luka Doncic takes a jab at Mavericks while showing off his revenge body

Both opioids and NSAIDs can cause kidney and liver damage, and O'Neal didn't specify on the podcast which substances caused him the most concern. He said he struggled with accepting that he might have an addiction, eventually concluding, "I had to have them. So, is that addiction?"

And he hid the use of painkillers from his wife and kids, although he said "the trainers knew."

As far back as 2000 — a year when O'Neal was the NBA's most valuable player and led the Lakers to the first of three consecutive championships — he expressed concern about the dangers of anti-inflammatories.

O'Neal suspected that the kidney disease that threatened the life of fellow NBA star Alonzo Mourning might be the result of anti-inflammatories and said he would stop taking them.

Two years later, however, O'Neal had resumed NSAID use. After a stomach ailment he originally believed was an ulcer, diagnostic tests were done on his kidneys and liver.

He described the results to The Times thusly: “I’m not great, but I’m cool.”

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O'Neal was playing with a badly aching arthritic big toe, a sprained wrist and a handful of unlisted bangs and bruises. He needed the pills, although it was unclear whether he was referring to painkillers, anti-inflammatories or both.

“I tried to stay off of them, but if I don’t take them I can’t move or play,” he said in 2002. “I was taking them. When my stomach was giving me problems I had to get the test."

O'Neal has long championed nonprescription means of addressing pain. He's been the spokesperson for the topical analgesic Icy Hot since 2003 and he spoke on Capitol Hill in 2016, plugging efforts to give police better tools to recognize when drivers are under the influence of drugs. He pledged two years of funding for officers to become drug recognition experts.

O'Neal's comments on Shepard's podcast are a clear indication that his use of painkillers and NSAIDs continues to weigh heavily on his mind. He added that these days he relaxes with a different vice: a hookah.

“I’ve never been into weed,” he said. “Hookah, it enables me to follow the routine of sit your ass down."

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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NBA Board of Governors approves Celtics sale to Bill Chisholm

NBA Board of Governors approves Celtics sale to Bill Chisholm originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Bill Chisholm Era in Boston is set to begin.

The NBA Board of Governors has unanimously approved the sale of the Boston Celtics to a group led by Chisholm, the league announced in a statement Wednesday.

The transaction is “expected to close shortly,” per the NBA.

Last July, Boston Basketball Partners, LLC — a group led by current lead governor Wyc Grousbeck — announced its intention to sell the team in two phases, giving up a majority ownership stake now and parting with the remaining stake in 2028.

An investment group led by Chisholm agreed to purchase the team for a record $6.1 billion in March, with Grousbeck agreeing to stay on until 2028. On Tuesday, it was reported that Grousbeck will transition from lead governor to alternate governor when the sale goes through, with Chisholm assuming the role of lead governor. (Grousbeck will retain his CEO title.)

Wednesday’s approval of the Celtics sale means that process is officially happening. And when the transaction is finalized, Chisholm officially will take the baton from Grousbeck, who will remain with the franchise but in a slightly different role.

“(It’s) a little bit of a change from what was expected, but I don’t think this is going to change a whole lot in how the dynamic is going to work moving forward,” our Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg noted Tuesday night about the dynamic between Chisholm and Grousbeck.

“I think that Bill Chisholm is going to enjoy having Wyc here to help steward the franchise forward in this transition process, but Bill, after paying $6.1 billion, is understandably going to sit in the lead chair. He’ll be the guy who goes to the Board of Governors meetings and has that bigger role as the Celtics chart a path forward here.”

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Questions about Suárez arise, Reds show love for Schwarber

Questions about Suárez arise, Reds show love for Schwarber originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CINCINNATI – In the latest round of health updates on his team, manager Rob Thomson didn’t shed much light at all on whether anything is wrong with starter Ranger Suárez.

In his Tuesday start, the lefthander got tagged for 10 hits and six earned runs during his 5.1 innings of work. It continued an alarming stretch for Suárez, who has compiled a 6.11 earned run average over his last six outings, which amounts to 35 1/3 innings.

“I haven’t talked to him today,” said Thomson. “We’re going to meet with him after we’re done here (pregame meeting with media). Just see how he’s doing, how he’s feeling. He hasn’t said anything to the trainers yet.”

Suárez said often after his outing Tuesday that he felt fine and that there is nothing physically wrong with him at this time. He did complain of back and shoulder pain after a start in Atlanta back in late June, but reiterated after his most recent start that he feels way better than he did back then.

With Aaron Nola seemingly ready to get back to the big club following his rehab, things could be changing quickly. Tuesday, Nola went 5 2/3 innings and allowed four hits and two earned run in his 84 pitches. He struck out 11, including striking out the side three times.

“Well, he’s feeling good,” Thomson said. “I haven’t talked to him but he told Paul (Buchheit, head athletic trainer) that he’s feeling good. He was going to work out today in Lehigh and then meet us in Washington.”

Low voltage offense

The Phillies have been battling against a little bit of a power outage early in games recently, but it seems to be just another one of those things that happen in the game of baseball.

Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds, the Phillies didn’t get their first hit until the fifth inning when Nick Castellanos hit a bouncer to short that got past Elly De La Cruz and was ruled a hit.

Monday, they also didn’t get their first hit until the fifth inning. That followed two games in Texas against the Rangers in which the first hits didn’t come until the fourth and third innings.

Thomson had no explanation when asked about it, as he shrugged his shoulders and said, “I hope we score five runs in the first tomorrow.”

The wanted man

The Cincinnati Reds organization put on a full court press these past few days, the likes of which would make the 76ers jealous.

Their aim? Kyle Schwarber.

Tuesday, before the Phillies 6-1 loss to the Reds, there was Schwarber, crouching behind home plate to receive ceremonial first pitches from his father, Greg, and his youth baseball coach, Ron Groh. Greg Schwarber is the president of the local little league where Kyle played.

Schwarber, who will be a free agent following this season, was also presented with the keys to the city before Wednesday’s game. The Phillies designated hitter grew up in Middletown, Ohio, which is about 40 miles from Cincinnati.

While the Phillies, including president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, manager Rob Thomson and teammates, have professed their desire to keep Schwarber a Phillie, there is no doubt teams are doing some recruiting when the Schwarber comes to their town. Cincinnati was just a little more blatant in their pursuit.

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5 Burning Questions For The New Jersey Devils

As New Jersey Devils players soak up the last few weeks of summer and begin their travels back to New Jersey to prepare for the 2025-26 campaign, let's break down some burning questions that will be answered throughout the course of the season. 

1) Can Jack Hughes Remain Healthy For 82 Games? 

When I was previously asked what the X-factor was for the Devils in 2025-26, I immediately responded with a healthy Jack Hughes. 

Shoulder injuries limited the 24-year-old to consecutive 62-game seasons, where he scored 27 goals. In March, he underwent successful surgery, which Dr. Peter Millett performed at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado.

His health is a topic that has been discussed ad nauseam. We simply have to see what the 2025-26 season will bring for Hughes. 

2) What Does The Devils' Goaltending Depth Look Like? 

In early July, general manager Tom Fitzgerald spoke about his goaltending depth, which includes 24-year-old Nico Daws.

"You see how often goalies are going down," he explained. "Having depth in the net is crucial. Nico is a guy, he played what, five, six games last year? Definitely played too early in his career, but out of necessity. We really like Nico, but we feel like having this depth makes us a better team."

The Devils will, of course, begin the 2025-26 season with veterans Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen in goal. Behind them on the organizational depth chart, based on experience, would be Daws, except that may not be true by the conclusion of training camp. 

If New Jersey decides not to carry three goaltenders, the young netminder has to clear waivers to be assigned to the Utica Comets (AHL). With a limited goaltending market in free agency and plenty of teams in search of a netminder, it is not out of the realm of possibilities for Daws to get claimed.

It is hard not to think back to Nov. 4, 2021, when Scott Wedgwood was claimed. In the blink of an eye, Jonathan Bernier suffered an injury, and the Devils went through seven different goaltenders that year. 

If Daws does not clear waivers, the next in line is expected to be Jakub Malek, who will be playing his first season in North America. If either Allen or Markstrom sustains a long-term injury, it would be a tough ask to expect Malek to carry the weight. Beyond the first-year goaltender is Tyler Brennan and Jeremy Brodeur. For those wondering about Isaac Poulter, he signed with the Winnipeg Jets earlier this summer. 

3) Can Any Of The New Additions Solidify The Top Six? 

Next to Jack Hughes' health, this is probably the biggest question after what some consider a "lackluster offseason" with no true top-six winger signed. 

Could one of Arseniy Gritsyuk, Evgenii Dadonov, or Connor Brown find themselves on the wing of either Hughes or Nico Hischier? It is not out of the realm of possibilities to eventually see Dadonov, who scored 20 goals last season, with Hughes or Brown take Stefan Noesen's place on Hischier's line. 

These are answers that will quickly reveal themselves as head coach Sheldon Keefe figures out his lines during training camp and preseason. 

4) Has The Team's Depth Been Solved? 

At the time of publication, the Devils parted ways with six players, who at specific points last season made up New Jersey's bottom six. Nathan Bastian, Justin Dowling, Erik Haula, Cutis Lazar, Daniel Sprong, and Tomas Tatar have all departed in free agency. 

Cody Glass was re-signed and could be the team's third-line center. He reached a career-high 14 goals in the 2022-23 season with the Nashville Predators. Paul Cotter and Stefan Noesen each reached a new single-season career-high in goals last season. If it all goes well and those three players can play a consistent level of hockey throughout all 82 games, the Devils should be in better shape. 

Dadonov and Brown are expected to help with scoring at five-on-five, and we will see what Dawson Mercer looks like at training camp after the organization demanded that he get stronger this summer. 

This question might not be answered until November or December. 

5) What Kind Of Player Will Arseniy Gritsyuk Be In The NHL?

The most important thing to keep in mind with Gritsyuk is that expectations will always lead to disappointment. 

There will be an adjustment period for the 24-year-old on and off the ice. The addition of Evgenii Dadonov should help with Gritsyuk's transition through training camp into the start of the regular season. 

I would give it some time before a judgment is made on what type of player he will be in the NHL. 

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Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon reportedly to buy Trail Blazers, keep team in Portland

Tom Dundon, owner of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, reportedly has reached an agreement to buy the Portland Trail Blazers from Paul Allen's estate at a valuation of more than $4 billion, a story broken by Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico and confirmed by other reports.

The new owners intend to keep the Trail Blazers in Portland, according to the reports. That ultimately will involve Dundon's group building a new arena in the area, something NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had said was part of the discussion involved with this sale.

"The city of Portland likely needs a new arena," Silver said during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. "So that will be part of the challenge for any new ownership group coming in."

Dundon not only owns the Hurricanes, but also is the majority owner of the Professional Pickleball Association and Major League Pickleball (he has invested heavily in that fast-growing sport). Dundon will head a group that also includes Marc Zahr, the co-president of Blue Owl Capital, and Portland-based Sheel Tyle, co-CEO of Collective Global, Sportico reports.

The Trail Blazers were put up for sale in May, following the wishes of the late Paul Allen, who owned the team in a trust. His sister, Jody Allen, is the trustee and executor of his estate, and she moved more slowly toward this sale than many Trail Blazers fans would have preferred. All the proceeds from the sale of the Trail Blazers will be given to charities and other philanthropic endeavors, as Paul Allen had put in his trust.

Before selling the team, Jody Allen made sure that general manager Joe Cronin and coach Chauncey Billups got contract extensions. On the court, the Trail Blazers are in the midst of a rebuild with some promising young players — Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija, and just-drafted Chinese center Yang Hansen — and it just brought back franchise legend Damian Lillard (who will miss the coming season recovering from a torn Achilles).