Two former captains of the Boston Bruins — Zdeno Chara and Joe Thornton — have been voted to the Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2025.
“Across his exceptional 24-year career, Zdeno put forth an unparalleled combination of size, strength, and ability each time he took the ice,” Bruins president Cam Neely said in a statement released Tuesday. “He kept opponents on notice with his commanding physicality and set the tone for his teammates with a stout defensive acumen, all while having the power at any given time to unleash one of the hardest shots ever recorded.
“His legendary leadership qualities were also continually on display, particularly when it came to his renowned off-ice conditioning which set a standard for all our players to follow. To put it simply, Zdeno’s skill set stands among the most unique in the century-plus history of the National Hockey League, making him enormously worthy of enshrinement into the Hockey Hall of Fame where he will be remembered forever as one of the very best to play our sport.”
This was the first year both players appeared on the ballot, and their inclusion in this class is no surprise. They are joined in the 2025 class by Jennifer Botterill, Brianna Decker, Duncan Keith, Alexander Mogilny, Jack Parker (builder) and Danièle Sauvageau (builder).
The Bruins drafted Thornton with the No. 1 overall pick in 1997. He lived up to the hype as a No. 1 center and elite offensive player. He tallied 454 points (169 goals, 285 assists) in 532 career games with the Bruins.
Success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs eluded Thornton as the Bruins advanced past the first round only once in his seven-plus seasons in Boston. The B’s traded him to the San Jose Sharks during the 2005-06 season for an underwhelming return.
It was a low point for the Bruins, but the trade did free up valuable salary cap space, and in the summer of 2006 they used that cap flexibility to sign Chara as a free agent.
Chara, the tallest player in league history at 6-foot-9, immediately transformed the culture of the franchise. He was a legit No. 1 defenseman — a top-five player at the position for a long time — and a tremendous leader. He won the Norris Trophy in 2008-09 and probably deserved to win it another two or three times.
Chara helped the Bruins win the 2011 Stanley Cup over the Vancouver Canucks — ending the team’s 39-year championship drought.
He played a total of 14 seasons with the Bruins from 2006-07 through 2019-20. The Bruins reached the playoffs 11 times over that span, including three trips to the Stanley Cup Final.
Chara is the first longtime Bruins star from the last 15 years to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Patrice Bergeron, who isn’t eligible for a few more years, could be next. Brad Marchand deserves to go in at some point, too, but he’s still playing.
Arizona signed James McCann to a major league contract following his release from the Atlanta Braves, and the 35-year-old catcher joined the Diamondbacks for their game against the Chicago White Sox.
Arizona also designated catcher Aramis Garcia for assignment.
McCann agreed to a one-year contract for the $760,000 minimum while in the major leagues and $180,000 while in the minors. With 99 days remaining in the season, McCann would receive $404,516 should he remain in the majors the rest of the way.
He signed a minor league deal with the Braves on April 8 and was released, which allowed him to sign with Arizona. Over 41 games with Triple-A Gwinnett, he hit .297 with six homers and 30 RBIs.
A second-round draft pick in 2011 by Detroit, McCann has played 11 seasons in the majors with the Tigers (2014-18), White Sox (2019-20), Mets (2021-22) and Orioles (2023-24). He has batted .241 over his career with 92 homers and 373 RBIs.
McCann was selected to the 2019 All-Star Game. That season with the White Sox, he set career highs in hits (120), homers (18) and RBIs (60).
The New York Rangers will give up the 12 overall pick in this year’s draft as part of the J.T. Miller trade and they’ve decided to keep their 2026 first-round pick.
Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury had to decide whether to keep his 2025 or 2026 first-round pick, per the conditions of their trade with the Vancouver Canucks that involved Miller.
Originally, the Rangers’ pick was supposed to go to the Canucks, but Vancouver traded the conditional pick to the Penguins in a deal that included Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor.
According to TSN’s Pierre Lebrun, part of the thinking for the Rangers in moving this year's pick is to potentially be able to use their 2026 first-rounder for a move at the trade deadline if they are in a position to contend.
The Rangers do not hold a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. However, the Blueshirts still have eight picks in the draft.
In the run-up to the draft, which is scheduled for Friday night and Saturday, there are plenty of draft-centric articles in every outlet and plenty of content posted on social media as well. Yesterday, on one of the NHL social media accounts, there was a post about a 2020 redraft, and the Canadiens’ pick that year did very well.
In 2020, the Montreal Canadiens had the 16th overall pick, and they selected blueliner Kaiden Guhle. Now, five years later, they’ve locked Guhle up to a six-year contract with a $5.55 AAV. He’s the only defenseman Kent Hughes has identified as part of his young core so far, or at least the only one he has signed long term. There is no doubt that the Canadiens’ GM will try to sign Lane Hutson long term, and there are also rumblings about a potential contract extension for Mike Matheson.
In 169 NHL games, Guhle has put up 58 points and 130 penalty minutes, but the defensive side of his game has made a difference for the Habs. This season, in 55 games, he has recorded 104 hits for a 1.89 hits-per-game average (seventh on the team) and blocked 124 shots for a 2.25 hits-per-game average (third on the team). If he played a full season, he would have been much higher.
In it’s redraft, the NHL puts Tim Stutzle as the first overall pick (he was initially picked third), Lucas Raymond as the second (fourth at the draft), Jake Sanderson as the third (fifth overall in 2020), Seth Jarvis in fourth (selected initially at number 13), Brock Faber in fifth place (he was picked at 45th), Quinton Byfield in sixth place (he was initially second), Anton Lundell in seventh place (picked 12th overall), Alexis Lafreniere in eight place (original first-overall pick), JJ Peterka in ninth place (selected initially 34th overall), and Kaiden Guhle in 10th place (he was originally selected at 16th overall).
Guhle’s selection that year was a homerun for the Canadiens, but the fact that some of these guys fell in the second round goes to show how hard it is to evaluate young talents and project yourself into the future.
Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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The Pittsburgh Penguins will now officially have two first-round picks for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
According to the New York Post's Larry Brooks, the Rangers are sending the 12th overall pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft to the Penguins instead of their 2026 first-round pick.
Breaking: Rangers have notifed the NHL that they are sending this year's 12th overall first-rounder to Pittsburgh to complete the JT Miller deal instead of deferring the transfer to 2026, Post has learned.
The Rangers owed the Penguins a first-round pick due to multiple trades. The Rangers first traded a conditional first-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks to acquire J.T. Miller. From there, the Canucks quickly traded the Rangers' first-round pick to the Penguins in the deal that sent Marcus Pettersson and Drew O'Connor to Vancouver.
Now, the Penguins know that they will be receiving the Rangers' 2025 first-round pick instead of next year's. With this, the Penguins now have both the 11th overall and 12th overall picks for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
While next year's draft class is deeper than this year's, the Penguins should be happy about landing another good first-round pick in the top 15. It will be intriguing to see what they end up doing with it from here.
Recent speculations suggest Mitch Marner might consider signing a short-term contract instead of a long-term deal.
The 28-year-old right winger has completed a six-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs and is expected to test the UFA market on July 1.
With the salary cap expected to rise significantly in the coming years, James Mirtle of The Athletic suggested stars like Marner and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid could prefer short-term contracts, enabling them to cash in again under a higher salary cap while still in their playing prime.
Mirtle's colleague Pierre LeBrun reported the “rumor de jour” had Marner signing a two-year contract between $12 million and $13 million. However, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported he'd received pushback on his suggestion that soon-to-be former Maple Leaf might accept a short-term deal.
Speaking of UFA forwards, Sam Bennett raised a stir last week when he told Florida partygoers that he's not leaving the Panthers. His remarks gave the impression that the 29-year-old Conn Smythe Trophy winner had a contract extension in place.
Bennett has completed a four-year contract with an average annual value of $4.425 million. His gritty two-way style played a significant role in the Panthers' back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, which would make him the top center available if he goes to market on July 1.
However, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that sources say the brakes are being pumped on the extension talk. While he thinks Bennett wouldn't have made that announcement if he didn't know how negotiations are going, there has been no agreement. As of this writing, that remains the case.
Meanwhile, the ongoing contract stalemate between the Minnesota Wild and Marco Rossi has made the 23-year-old center a fixture of late in the NHL rumor mill.
The Hockey News’ Dylan Loucks recently cited The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reporting the Vancouver Canucks were among the clubs interested in Rossi. On June 19, LeBrun's colleague Michael Russo and Joe Smith indicated the Canucks may have offered up their first-round pick (15th overall) in the upcoming NHL draft.
Patrick Johnston of The Province cited a source confirming the Canucks pitched their first-rounder along with a player, though it's uncertain if it was a roster player or prospect.
The Canucks must do better than that to land the Minnesota center. Russo and Smith claim Wild GM Bill Guerin wants a player who can replace Rossi's production, saying he'd prefer a center but would also accept a scoring winger. They noted the Wild have been linked to JJ Peterka of the Buffalo Sabres.
Guerin downplayed the speculation, telling a local network that his club isn't dying to trade Rossi. He praised the youngster, but added that the Wild are trying to sign him to a deal that fits their price range.
Trade season is fast approaching, and according to ESPN’s MLB insiders, the Boston Red Sox have some of the league’s most valuable trade chips.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel unveiled their top 50 MLB trade deadline candidates. The players on the list were ranked by their value for their new team if traded, not by their likelihood of being dealt.
Four Red Sox players were listed, including third baseman Alex Bregman and outfielder Jarren Duran in the top two spots. Left-handed closer Aroldis Chapman (No. 18) and right-handed starter Walker Buehler (No. 28) also made the cut.
ESPN gave Bregman a 10 percent chance of being traded. The two-time All-Star, who was playing at an MVP level before suffering a quad injury last month, can opt out of his contract after this season. He would be a massive addition for a contending club, especially given his experience playing in October. The Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, and New York Mets were named the best fits for Bregman in a potential deal.
There’s a 25 percent chance of Duran being moved, according to Passan and McDaniel. With top prospect Roman Anthony in the mix, the Red Sox have a surplus of left-handed-hitting outfielders. Trading Duran would help Boston’s outfield logjam and likely yield a sizable return after his breakout campaign. ESPN lists the San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, and Philadelphia Phillies as the best fits for the 2024 All-Star Game MVP.
Both Chapman and Buehler have a 35 percent chance of being dealt, per ESPN. The 37-year-old Chapman is in the midst of an All-Star-caliber season, but Buehler has been a major disappointment since joining Boston’s rotation. Still, there could be a market for a veteran arm with a strong postseason track record.
As of Tuesday, it’s still unclear whether the Red Sox will be buyers or sellers at the deadline. They’re currently six games back in the American League East standings and 1.5 games back in the Wild Card race with a 40-40 record.
The 2025 MLB trade deadline is set for July 31 at 6 p.m. ET.
While speaking to reporters, including St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Matthew DeFranks, St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong shared that prospect defenseman Theo Lindstein will play in North America next season.
Doug Armstrong said that Swedish defenseman prospect Theo Lindstein would be making the jump to North America this fall.
Lindstein, 20, has been developing his game in Sweden, but he is now ready to begin his North American professional career. The 6-foot defenseman may need to spend some time in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Springfield Thunderbirds before making the jump to the NHL level. However, there is no question that his future is bright.
Lindstein spent the entirety of this season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) with Brynas IF. In 44 games with the SHL squad, he recorded four goals, nine points, and a plus-9 rating. He also posted two goals and five points in 17 playoff games this season.
Lindstein was selected by the Blues with the 29th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. He is one of the Blues' most promising prospects, and it will be fascinating to see how he performs during his first season in North America in 2025-26 from here.
The Rangers will not be making a pick in the first round of Friday’s 2025 NHL Draft.
When the Rangers acquired forward J.T. Miller from Vancouver this past January, they sent a conditional first-round pick to the Canucks as part of the deal.
While the pick was top 13 protected, the Rangers ended up with the 12th pick, and the Rangers had the option to either send the pick to Pittsburgh (via Vancouver) this year, or send next year’s first-round pick.
Per multiple reports, the Rangers have officially informed the NHL that they are sending this year’s No. 12 pick to Pittsburgh, which allows them to retain next year’s first-round pick as a potential trade chip.
Miller, who returned to the Rangers for a second stint, played in 32 games with the Blueshirts and was better than a point-per-game player, tallying 13 goals with 22 assists in 32 games.
Maybe all of us New Englanders have been scarred from years and years of watching Bill Belichick trade back in the NFL Draft. At this point, we pretty much assume every Boston general manager is going to trade out of Round 1.
To be fair, Brad Stevens didn’t seem very eager to make a first-round pick during his first few years at the helm of the Celtics. Stevens routinely traded those picks while hunting more established talent. That helped deliver key role players who perfectly complemented the superstar duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and delivered the Celtics to Banner 18.
But even when Boston went on the clock at pick No. 30 last June, most of us just assumed the Celtics would be shuffling back to Round 2. Instead, Stevens made his first first-round pick while snagging Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman.
Could Stevens reverse course and elect to trade back from No. 28 and generate a couple swings early in Round 2 of this year’s pick-a-palooza?
The case for moving back
The Celtics enter an offseason focused on shedding costs, and there are some small financial reasons to shuffle back from No. 28. First-round picks have predetermined salary slots over four NBA seasons, while second-round picks can be slightly more economical.
When every dollar matters, there’s some value in being frugal, particularly at the back end of the roster. If there isn’t a must-have option at No. 28, then moving back and trying to pick up a future asset in the process could be beneficial long term.
Teams have to trust their scouting and judge if there’s really a chasm between, say, 28 and 34.
With Jayson Tatum set to miss the start of the season, there could be more minutes than usual available to Boston’s younger players. The Celtics could prioritize NBA-level development, something that has rarely existed during the recent championship-or-bust seasons.
What’s the plan?
For the sake of our move-back draft, the Celtics believe they can find equal value early in Round 2 as they could near the end of Round 1.
Stevens engages the Charlotte Hornets and the teams swap picks 28 and 34, with Boston picking up a future second-round pick for its troubles.
The Celtics now have two swings with three picks early on Day 2.
Projecting the first 30 picks
Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg, Duke
San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper, Rutgers
Philadelphia 76ers: Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Charlotte Hornets: VJ Edgecombe, Baylor
Utah Jazz: Kon Knueppel, Duke
Washington Wizards: Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma
New Orleans Pelicans: Tre Johnson, Texas
Brooklyn Nets: Khaman Maluach, Duke
Toronto Raptors: Noa Essengue, France
Phoenix Suns: Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois
Portland Trail Blazers: Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina
Chicago Bulls: Egor Demin, BYU
Atlanta Hawks: Derik Queen, Maryland
San Antonio Spurs: Nique Clifford, Colorado St.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Asa Newell, Georgia
Memphis Grizzlies: Carter Bryant, Arizona
Minnesota Timberwolves: Cedric Coward, Washington State
Washington Wizards: Thomas Sorber, Georgetown
Brooklyn Nets: Liam McNeeley, UConn
Miami Heat: Danny Wolf, Michigan
Utah Jazz: Will Riley, Illinois
Atlanta Hawks: Noah Penda, France
New Orleans Pelicans: Jase Richardson, Michigan State
Oklahoma City Thunder: Joan Beringer, France
Orlando Magic: Hugo Gonzalez, Spain
Brooklyn Nets: Nolan Traore, France
Brooklyn Nets: Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
Charlotte Hornets: Maxime Raynaud, Stanford
Phoenix Suns: Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Los Angeles Clippers: Ben Saraf, Germany
Let’s make some picks
Ideally, a big man like Raynaud or Kalkbrenner would slide to Day 2. But, even if they do, the Celtics have long prioritized potential over need. Boston won’t take a center just because of the uncertainty around the center position heading into the offseason. But let’s say size should be a tiebreaker if it’s a toss up.
Celtics’ selections in second round
32. Rasheer Fleming, St. Joseph’s
If Fleming slides beyond Round 1, the Celtics ought to pounce. He’s got NBA size. He’s got NBA athleticism. He hits 3s. Our ears perk up when we hear the Bobby Portis comps.
Will his game translate from the Atlantic 10? There’s only one way to find out. Throw him into Boston’s developmental machine and see if you can accentuate his strengths at the pro level.
34. Adou Thiero, Arkansas
Do we worry about a little bit of overlap with Boston’s other recent Arkansas draftee in Jordan Walsh? Absolutely. But you can never have enough long-armed wings in the NBA.
The athleticism is obvious when you watch Thiero’s highlight reel. Boston could lean into his defensive potential and hope the offense catches up. He’s still intriguing in the mid range and thrived as a finisher at the basket.
Maluach appears firmly in consideration in New Orleans and Brooklyn, but he is also seen by some teams as the most likely among the second-tier players in the Nos. 3-8 range to experience a slight drop if a surprising prospect disrupts this part of the draft, though perhaps only a few slots down the board.
Maluach fills a clear need that many teams are looking for: He's a true center who can serve as a defensive anchor in the paint and has significant potential for growth physically and skill-wise. He plays with tremendous intensity and is beloved by coaches and teammates because of his unique off-court intangibles.
His ability to protect the rim, cover ground in a variety of pick-and-roll schemes, and provide vertical spacing as a roller and cutter, while sprinting aggressively in transition, will appeal to any team seeking a center to build around in the long term. -- Givony
No. 19 (via Bucks): PF/C Asa Newell,Georgia
Height without shoes: 6-foot-9
Weight: 224 pounds
Age: 19
Newell is another player who appears to have helped himself in the predraft process, having showcased his physical tools and room for growth as a shooter, helping some teams better understand the potential versatility he could provide as a stretch-4. Still, he has a somewhat wider range on draft night, drawing consideration from teams in the back half of the lottery but with scenarios also in play where he could slip into the late teens or early 20s.
The Nets have understandably been among the busiest teams in the predraft process, holding picks in every part of the first round and five selections in the top 40. Most around the league expect Brooklyn to be active in trades this week, though it's not yet clear exactly what that will look like, the prospect of trading up from here to acquire a second lottery pick is among the scenarios the Nets could explore.
Although the team is unlikely to roster five rookies, Brooklyn has brought in the vast majority of the draft for workouts, giving it more first-hand information on the class than any other team. The Nets are also viewed as a desirable destination by many agents, due to the minutes and opportunity they have available next season. Newell's long-term upside could be appealing to them as a developmental addition here. -- Woo
No. 26 (via Knicks): PG Nolan Traore, France
Height without shoes: 6-foot-3
Weight: 175 pounds
Age: 19
With four first-round picks at their disposal, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Nets take several talent swings, hoping to uncover gems with some of their later selections.
The Nets have a void in the backcourt, depending on what they do with their first few picks, and this situation will be considered highly attractive to any of the guards slated to be picked in this range.
After starting the season projected as a top-10 pick, Traore's draft stock dropped because of inconsistent play, but there's still plenty to like with his size, ballhandling, playmaking creativity and upside, making him a worthy gamble for a team in Brooklyn's situation and at this point in the draft. -- Givony
No. 27 (via Rockets): PF Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph's
Height without shoes: 6-foot-8 1/4
Weight: 232 pounds
Age: 20
As previously mentioned, these Nets picks -- particularly the pair in the 20s -- are viewed around the league as fluid, depending on what moves Brooklyn ultimately decides to pursue this week.
Fleming was not invited to the NBA draft green room, pointing to the likelihood he might fall to the back of the first round. He hasn't gathered much momentum over the past month but remains in consideration due to his physical tools and improving 3-point shooting. While not a flashy player or immensely skilled, his length, improvement track and late-blooming trajectory point to untapped potential. -- Woo
Mar 15, 2025; Washington, D.C., USA; Saint Joseph's Hawks forward Rasheer Fleming (13) shoots the ball over George Mason forward Shawn Simmons II (10) in the first half at Capital One Arena. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report
No. 8: PF Noa Essengue, France
Height: 6-foot-10
Weight: 194 pounds
Age: 18
Pro comparison:Jerami Grant, Pascal Siakam
Noa Essengue may not make it to the United States for workouts with his team now in the German BBL Finals. His physical tools, motor and improving offensive skills have played a key role in Ulm's run.
Picking up easy baskets, crashing the glass and occasionally making spot-up threes, Essengue has been a consistent contributor among pros despite being the second-youngest draft-eligible prospect.
A rebuilding team that can afford to be patient could see a strong upside bet in Essengue if his growth continues at its current rate.
No. 19 (via Bucks): PG Nolan Traore, France
Height without shoes: 6-foot-3
Weight: 175 pounds
Age: 19
Pro comparison: Lonzo Ball
Nolan Traore flew to Treviso for official measurements, and they were strong, with the 19-year-old point guard coming in at 6'3" in socks with a 6'8" wingspan.
He'll enter the draft with the highest assist percentage among first-round prospects, but he's also shown real growth as a scorer down the stretch of Saint-Quentin's season. He converted 20 of his last 53 three-point attempts and created offense with noticeably improved decisiveness.
No. 26 (via Knicks): PF Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph's
Height without shoes: 6-foot-8 1/4
Weight: 232 pounds
Age: 20
Pro comparison: Taylor Hendricks
Rasheer Fleming's 7'5" wingspan measurement was eye-opening for a barefoot 6'8", 232-pound forward. That physical profile, plus a shooting stroke that connected on 62 threes (39.0 percent) will generate interest from a number of teams in the mid-to-late first round.
We've heard from scouts who think he's going to go earlier than many initially expected.
No. 27 (via Rockets): SG/SF Drake Powell, North Carolina
Height without shoes: 6-foot-5 1/4
Weight: 195 pounds
Age: 19
Pro comparison: Will Barton, Herb Jones
Teams figure to put extra stock into Drake Powell's NBA combine performance and workouts after he spent the year spotting up on 49.2 percent of North Carolina's possessions and taking just 5.7 shots per game.
Despite the lack of production, there could still be first-round interest based on his outstanding physical profile, defensive projection and 37.9 percent three-point shooting.
Mar 14, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Drake Powell (9) during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Spectrum Center. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Sam Vecenie, The Athletic
No. 8: G Kasparas Jakučionis, Illinois
Height: 6-foot-4 3/4
Weight: 205 pounds
Age: 19
League sources have indicated that the Nets have entertained moves up and down the board. They have four first-round picks this year and as much ammunition as anyone to get the players they want.
If they stick at No. 8, a variety of players make sense. I’d be surprised if Jeremiah Fears or Ace Bailey slipped beyond this slot. More than that, if I were Sean Marks and company, I’d be looking to keep as many options as possible and not take a position-locked player at either the center or lead guard position. The Nets are rebuilding and have a lot of needs. And later in the draft, a plethora of bigs and lead guards should be available.
I’m a big fan of players who can dribble, pass, shoot, process the game at a high level, and have good positional size. Players like this tend to have a lot of outs, to use a poker term. If Jakučionis can’t separate enough on the ball, I feel confident in his ability to play off the ball and hammer advantages created for him by high-level creative guards, because he can shoot, drive and make excellent passing reads. Jakučionis is a special passer who I hope continues to work on his craft as a ballhandler to get separation from his man consistently without turning the ball over and feeling rushed.
No. 19 (via Bucks): PG/SG Egor Demin, BYU
Height without shoes: 6-foot-9 1/4
Weight: 199 pounds
Age: 19
Demin can play the point and is the best passer in the class. His vision is sublime. But he struggled to score this year. He struggled to get paint touches because his handle is not particularly developed, and he doesn’t have the threat of the jumper to fall back on, having made under 30 percent from distance. Still, many teams think they can fix the jumper, and if so, it would open up the rest of his game as a passer and playmaker. I’m a bit lower on Demin, but evaluators who like him tend to love him. He had a strong workout in Chicago in front of NBA executives, but that steam has died down somewhat over the last month. He could go anywhere from the back half of the lottery to No. 21.
The Nets are also thought to be exploring moves consolidating this pick with some of their others to move back up into the lottery.
No. 26 (via Knicks): PG Nolan Traore, France
Height without shoes: 6-foot-3
Weight: 175 pounds
Age: 19
Traoré rebounded well from a tough start to his pro season in France. From Jan. 15 to April 6, Traoré averaged 13 points and four assists while shooting 50 percent from the field, 35 percent from 3 and 79 percent from the line. His overall numbers on the year aren’t that strong, but it’s worth remembering that he’s a teenager playing a full season of professional basketball for the first time.
It’s very possible he’ll be on the board for the Nets when they pick at No. 19. Here, they get lucky and get him all the way down at No. 26 as a value pick.
No. 27 (via Rockets): SG/SF Drake Powell, North Carolina
Height without shoes: 6-foot-5 1/4
Weight: 195 pounds
Age: 19
Powell has momentum to end up somewhere in the back half of the first round because of his defense. Nobody guarded Cooper Flagg as well as Powell did this season. He’s a long way away on offense, as he’s not that comfortable as a shooter or that capable as a ballhandler. It’s going to take him some time to play at the NBA level, even with his defensive skill.
Again, the Nets have four first-rounders, so don’t be stunned if they look to consolidate a couple of these.
Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, along with his brother Matthew, were just named as two of the six players for the Team USA preliminary roster for the Olympics. Brady and the Senators finally snapped an eight-year playoff drought, and then he joined his brother, Matthew, as he celebrated his second straight Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers last week.
Now it's summer, and time to kick back and just be young guys in their 20s (who happen to multi-millionaires).
Their father, Keith Tkachuk, also did pretty well for himself in hockey, playing 18 years in the league. He’s still enjoying the game these days, not quite so involved anymore, happily cheering on his boys and savouring their NHL successes. He was down at ice level for another Cup celebration in Sunrise last week, hugging it up with the family and posing for photos.
But we were reminded of Keith's excellence as a player last year when he was named to the St. Louis Blues Hall of Fame, alongside the late Pavol Demitra, a former Senator, and goalie Mike Liut, as part of the 2024 class.
With all that family hockey success, it’s becoming harder to ignore the one glaring omission from the family’s legacy: Keith Tkachuk still isn’t in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Will he get the call on Tuesday?
Lanny McDonald, the chair of the Hockey Hall of Fame board, and Ron Francis, the chair of the Selection Committee, will reveal the Class of 2025 at 3 pm on Tuesday afternoon (June 24).
Keith finished his NHL career with 538 goals, the second most of any eligible player not currently in the Hall (Patrick Marleau has the most at 566). That number places him among the top 35 goal scorers in league history, ahead of multiple Hall of Famers. He was a five-time NHL All-Star, captained the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotesen seasons, and became only the fourth American-born player to hit the 500-goal mark.
500 goals is one of those incredible individual milestones that should, with very few exceptions, make you an automatic member of the Hall of Fame. After Jeremy Roenick went in last year, Tkachuk, Marleau, Pat Verbeek, and Peter Bondra are the only members of the 500 club on the outside looking in.
Last season, the Blues inducted him into their Hall of Fame, a nod to the nine seasons he spent in St. Louis, mentoring young players and providing the same kind of leadership his sons now bring to their own clubs. Just like dad, Brady is hard-nosed, emotional, skilled, and (insert expletive here) impossible to play against.
While Brady and Matthew continue to thrive, probably bound for the Hall themselves in 15 years or so, the elder Tkachuk remains on the outside when it comes to hockey’s ultimate individual honour.
The superstar forward, who the Phoenix Suns reportedly agreed to trade to the Houston Rockets on Sunday, took to X to respond to a report by The Ringer’s Logan Murdock, formerly of NBC Sports Bay Area, who reported in his latest column that Durant’s departure from the Warriors in summer 2019 “arguably had more to do” with Golden State coach Steve Kerr than forward Draymond Green, and that Kerr was one of the reasons Durant did not want to return to Golden State in a midseason trade during the 2024-25 NBA season.
Durant criticized the report in a response to Warriors World on X, who posted a screenshot of Murdock’s story.
We still on this??? Obvious opportunity for Logan Murdock to gain even more attention and try too revive his career by using my name and the Warriors. The audience is SICK AND TIRED of the same bullshit narrative. Be better my man
Golden State made a strong effort to acquire Durant from Phoenix leading up to the NBA’s Feb. 6 trade deadline before Durant essentially verbally squashed the deal by communicating he did not want to return to the Warriors, who ultimately pivoted to trading for star forward Jimmy Butler.
Durant explained shortly after the trade deadline why he did not want to return to the Warriors at that time, claiming he simply did not want to be traded midseason and that it was nothing against Golden State.
Prominent Warriors figures, such as Kerr and superstar point guard Steph Curry, understood where Durant was coming from and held no ill will toward the 15-time NBA All-Star.
Durant now will take his talents to Houston, where he will begin the next chapter of his illustrious NBA career with the Rockets.
The Abbotsford Canucks — AHL affiliates of the Vancouver Canucks — captured their first Calder Cup in franchise history Monday night, defeating the Charlotte Checkers in six games.
The Canucks had a trio of former Hurricanes, either on the roster or on the staff, who now will have their names in the history books.
Let's take a look at those three:
Phil Di Giuseppe
Drafted in the second round of the 2012 NHL entry draft by the Canes (the forward was actually the team's first pick that year as they had traded away their first to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Jordan Staal), Di Giuseppe would appear in 147 games with the Hurricanes and would play for the organization from 2014-2018.
Di Giuseppe made his NHL debut with the Canes on Dec. 5, 2015 and would score his first career goal on Dec. 8 in Dallas.
In 2019, he was claimed off of waivers by the Nashville Predators. He then played two seasons within the New York Rangers' organization and has spent the last three years in the Vancouver Canucks' organization.
Di Giuseppe had six goals and 11 points in 24 games this AHL postseason.
Manny Malhotra
A first-year head coach with the Abbotsford Canucks, Malhotra joined the Hurricanes organization in 2013.
The veteran centerman was coming off of a major eye injury that had required multiple surgeries and left him with permanent vision impairment and it looked like his career was practically over, but he was still committed to playing and Jim Rutherford and Carolina gave him a chance.
The Canes worked out a deal with the two-way, faceoff specialist to have him start on a PTO with the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL while he was tested by team doctors and having his physical ability was assessed, before ultimately deciding to sign him to a one-year deal.
Malhotra would play in 69 games that season, scoring seven goals and picking up 13 points, while also rocking a 59.5% faceoff win rate.
The veteran was also named an alternate captain after Tim Gleason was traded mid-season.
Justin Pogge
Abbotsford goaltending coach Justin Pogge had a brief stint with the Hurricanes organization over a decade ago.
He was traded to Carolina along with a 2010 fourth-round pick by the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Aaron Ward.
He would play four games for the Albany River Rats in 2010 and then played in the Charlotte Checkers inaugural season after the relocation in 2010-11, posting a 22-18-4 record that year with a 0.907 save percentage.
The journeyman goaltender may not have had a long professional career in North America, playing in just 254 AHL games and seven NHL games, but he did travel the world, playing in Italy, Sweden, Germany, Slovakia and Russia too.
He took up coaching in 2022-23, serving as a consultant for Team Canada and eventually coaching the U18 and World Cup teams as well.
This was his first season coaching on an actual team's staff.
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