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Could The Canadiens Take A Big Swing On Mason West?
The NHL draft is now less than two weeks away, and we've covered a lot of the prospects likely to go in the first round, but there is more to a draft than its first round. Sure, the big guns tend to go early, but it's still possible to uncover some hidden (or not-so-secret) gems on day two of the event.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Why these 9 overpriced NHL contracts could get traded this offseason
Every offseason, some teams are motivated to clear salary off their books and/or give one or two players a fresh start. It should be easier for teams to trade risky contracts compared to years past because of the NHL's skyrocketing salary cap. In fact, we've already seen two inefficient contracts, Chris Kreider and Erik Haula, traded for positive value returns. Advertisement We covered a big chunk of names that could be shopped with our buyout candidates list from this week, which included Matt Dumba, Pierre Engvall, Justin Holl, Mattias Samuelsson, Viktor Arvidsson, TJ Brodie, Mathieu Joseph, Philipp Grubauer and David Kämpf. Teams will scour the trade market for exit options on these types of players before considering the buyout route. Chris Johnston's trade board highlighted some other expensive contracts that could get traded, including Erik Karlsson, John Gibson and Elvis Merzlikins. But there are more players on overpriced deals — closer to being a 'slight overpay' than on an 'albatross/anchor' of a contract — that teams could consider jettisoning this offseason. Here are nine to keep an eye on. Note that the contracts on this list aren't equal; some of them are actually close to being fair value, whereas others are far more toxic. Matias Maccelli appeared to be a key part of Utah's exciting young core before the start of this season. He amassed 49 points in 64 games (a 63-point pace over 82 games) as a 22-year-old rookie in 2022-23 and followed that up with 57 points as a sophomore in 2023-24. If anything, his $3.425 million cap hit profiled as a bargain. Unfortunately, Maccelli's production collapsed, and he completely fell out of favor this past season. Maccelli slumped to just 18 points in 55 games and was a regular healthy scratch, appearing in only three of Utah's games after the 4 Nations break. He's a very crafty, slick playmaker, but he's undersized at 5-foot-11, can be a mixed bag defensively, and isn't a strong forechecker. It's hard to envision an optimal fit for him in Utah, with both sides likely to benefit from a fresh start. Maccelli only has one year left at his $3.425 million cap hit — he could be a high-upside reclamation project for a team searching for a middle-six playmaking winger. Advertisement Small wingers without an elite skill set usually aren't rated very highly on the trade market. However, with so many teams boasting excess cap space and not enough good players to go around on the free-agent and trade market, there's probably at least one team, if not more, that would bet on Maccelli. The Devils have an exciting, young core, but there are plenty of upgrades that need to be made to elevate the club to true contender status. New Jersey scored only 2.57 goals per game from Jan. 1 onward, which ranked 30th in the NHL, and mustered just 11 goals in five playoff games against the Hurricanes. Jack Hughes' injury was obviously a significant factor behind the Devils' offensive woes, but adding more dynamic forward skill around Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier should be a massive priority. Ideally, this wouldn't involve adding just one top-six winger this offseason, but rather adding several pieces to revamp the club's secondary scoring support up and down the lineup. Ondrej Palat is an inefficient contract that the Devils should try shipping out to fund some of those upgrades. Palat, 34, scored just 15 goals and 28 points despite playing on Hughes' line for most of the season. He has two years left at a $6 million cap hit, and on July 1, his no-movement clause will transition to a 10-team no-trade list. This won't be an easy contract to move, but Palat would still be a valuable third-line contributor, not to mention that his championship pedigree and exceptional leadership could be coveted by younger teams with excess cap space to spend. It also helps that Palat will only be owed $3.95 million in salary for next season after New Jersey pays his signing bonus on July 1. In other words, the real cash owed to him is lower than his cap hit, which can be appealing for teams and owners. If the Devils are willing to retain a bit of Palat's cap hit and/or pay a sweetener, they could conceivably find a suitor. You could argue that Evander Kane's contract, which has one year remaining at $5.125 million, is closer to fair value than overpriced in this rising cap climate. He was productive in the playoffs, despite a disappointing Stanley Cup Final performance, scoring 12 points in 21 games. In the 2023-24 season, which was his last appearance in the regular season, he scored 24 goals. With that said, there is still some risk associated with his deal. Advertisement Kane turns 34 this summer and missed the entire regular season to repair both hip adductors, two lower abdominal tears, and two hernias. He looked healthy in the playoffs when he returned, but it's fair to have concerns about how his body will hold up over the grind of a full regular season and playoffs next year. And even if Kane does stay healthy, his lack of foot speed, lack of play-driving ability, penchant for undisciplined penalties, and so-so defensive play mean that he ideally wouldn't be a full-time top-six winger for a contending team such as the Oilers. With all of those question marks in mind, trading Kane would be one of the most straightforward ways for the cap-strapped Oilers to open up some money, with Evan Bouchard's massive next contract looming. Kane only has partial trade protection (a 16-team trade list), so his contract would be easier to move than Viktor Arvidsson's or Adam Henrique's, who both own full no-movement clauses. Ilya Lyubushkin was competent for the Stars this past season — he was nowhere near the liability that Matt Dumba was — but his $3.25 million cap hit is a tad pricey for what he offers. Lyubushkin is a steady stay-at-home defenseman with limited puck skills. He'd be solid on any team's bottom pair, but clearly isn't the answer for the Stars in the top four. Dallas is mired in a salary cap crunch, even after trading Mason Marchment away. The Stars have approximately $5 million in cap space with only 16 players signed (eight forwards, six defensemen, two goaltenders). Offloading Dumba's contract, either via trade or buyout, is a necessity, but the club may need cap flexibility beyond that. Lyubushkin has two years left on his $3.25 million AAV contract and no trade protection. Teams almost always value right-shot defenders with size and penalty-killing value, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find a taker for Lyubushkin if the Stars go down that path. After re-signing Brock Nelson to a three-year, $7.5 million annual average value contract extension, the Avalanche are in a bit of a cap crunch. Colorado has only $1.2 million in cap space, with 19 players signed for next season, including just five defensemen under contract. There is currently no room to retain Ryan Lindgren (or replace him with a similar quality defenseman) or Jonathan Drouin, who are pending unrestricted free agents. Sam Malinski, a solid third-pair defenseman with upside, also needs a new deal as a restricted free agent. Advertisement The Avs aren't in a dire cap situation, but the club would benefit enormously from carving out some extra flexibility, especially to upgrade their thin blue line. Colorado has a few contracts it could shop to improve its cap picture, with Miles Wood standing out as one candidate. At his best, Wood is an impactful, straight-line bottom-six winger with tremendous speed, punishing physicality and secondary scoring ability. However, between his health and streakiness, he's proven to be an inconsistent player over the last few seasons. Wood had a down year, scoring just eight points in 37 games in an injury-plagued 2024-25 campaign. He no longer seems like an indispensable part of the Avs lineup, and there's an argument to be made that his $2.5 million cap hit should be reallocated elsewhere. Teams may view Wood's $2.5 million AAV as somewhat reasonable in a rising-cap climate where teams have money to burn, especially since this year's free-agent market is relatively weak. After all, it was only a year ago, in 2023-24, that Wood was solidly contributing at a third-line level. The tougher pill to swallow, however, would be the four years of term remaining on his contract. Still, his combination of speed and size is unique enough that another team may be willing to roll the dice on him. You can add Vladimir Tarasenko's name to the list of middle-class free-agent signings that haven't panned out in Detroit. The 33-year-old veteran sniper produced just 11 goals in 80 games in Motown after scoring 23 goals and 55 points split between the Senators and Panthers in 2023-24. That production fall-off was especially costly because Tarasenko doesn't contribute much else when he isn't scoring. Tarasenko has one year left at a $4.75 million cap hit, with his no-trade clause transitioning to an eight-team trade list on July 1. It's very unlikely that a team would be willing to absorb the full freight of Tarasenko's $4.75 million AAV (unless the Red Wings paid a sweetener like they did with Jake Walman last summer). However, if Detroit were willing to retain, say, 50 percent of his contract, it'd bring his cap hit down to just under $2.4 million, at which point he may be movable. The Rangers opened up some critical cap room by trading Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks, but they may not be done there. New York has approximately $13.9 million in cap space with 19 players (12 forwards, five defensemen, two goaltenders) signed. That's enough space to re-sign restricted free agent Will Cuylle and either extend RFA K'Andre Miller or sign a top-four replacement in the event Miller is traded. However, there wouldn't be much flexibility left over to significantly upgrade a roster that missed the playoffs. Advertisement If GM Chris Drury has his eyes set on making an aggressive splash or two, he may need to move out another contract first. Carson Soucy, who has one year remaining at a $3.25 million cap hit, could make sense as a cap casualty. Soucy was acquired from the Canucks just before the trade deadline and filled the spot vacated by departing Ryan Lindgren on the top pair as Adam Fox's partner. You could understand the thought process behind acquiring Soucy at the time — he was a rock-solid top-four defender for Vancouver in 2023-24 before struggling this past season — and he could theoretically check some of the boxes Lindgren provided as a steady stay-at-home presence (at least before Lindgren's game began declining). Unfortunately, the change of scenery didn't help Soucy recapture his top form. His season-long struggles continued, and he was even occasionally healthy-scratched down the stretch. Soucy doesn't appear to be a top-four solution in New York, which means the $3.25 million committed to him is a figure that the Rangers could seek to reallocate more efficiently. After years of searching for answers, the Blues are finally set on the left side of their top-four defense. Philip Broberg cemented himself as a core piece with his terrific breakout campaign, while veteran Cam Fowler was a home-run fit on the top pair with Colton Parayko. With those two set to return, and 25-year-old left-shot Tyler Tucker potentially ready for full-time NHL duties, Nick Leddy is expendable. Leddy is still a smooth skater with capable puck-moving chops, but that skill set is redundant since the arrival of Fowler and Broberg. He only has one year left at a $4 million cap hit, and his no-trade clause will transition to a 16-team trade list on July 1. Leddy missed more than half the season due to a lower-body injury, so health and age could be concerns for prospective buyers. On the other hand, he has tons of experience munching difficult top-four minutes and considering how shallow the defense market is, it wouldn't be surprising if a team wants to roll the dice on Leddy for a year to play as a No. 4/5 defender at a $4 million AAV that's only slightly overpriced. The Kraken have a forward logjam developing. Jared McCann, Jaden Schwartz, Kaapo Kakko (assuming he's re-signed as a restricted free agent), Jordan Eberle and Mason Marchment can all be penciled into top-nine roles. That only leaves one top-nine winger spot available, with Eeli Tolvanen (23 goals) and hotshot prospect Jani Nyman likely contending for that role. Berkly Catton, Seattle's No. 8 pick from 2024, could also be NHL-ready in the fall. Catton is only 5-foot-10, so there's a chance the Kraken could shift him to the wing to ease his big-league transition. Advertisement There may not be much opportunity left over for Andre Burakovsky, who has underwhelmed since signing with the Kraken in 2022. Burakovsky scored just 16 points in 49 games in an injury-riddled 2023-24 campaign and only 37 points in 79 games this past season. He has two years left at a steep $5.5 million cap hit and owns a 10-team no-trade list. It's highly unlikely that any team would take the full freight of Burakovsky's contract on (unless Seattle paid heavy sweeteners), but perhaps there would be a taker for him if the Kraken are willing to retain a significant chunk of his deal. (Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Jonathan Kozub / NHLI, Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Duke's Cooper Flagg, Rutgers' Ace Bailey are the one-and-done headliners among NBA draft's forwards
Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey were the first two names mentioned last summer when it came to college basketball's top incoming freshmen. Now they're the headliners among forwards in the NBA draft. Flagg led Duke to the Final Four and became only the fourth freshman named Associated Press men's national player of the year. Bailey put up quality numbers at Rutgers, though in a losing season. Flagg and Bailey were ranked 1-2 in the 2024 recruiting class by 247Sports, Rivals, On3 and ESPN. Now Flagg is the projected No. 1 overall pick, while Bailey is a likely top-five prospect. Here's a look at the position entering Wednesday's first round: Cooper Flagg, Duke STRENGTHS: The 6-foot-8, 221-pound Maine native has a versatile all-around game far more advanced than his age, with room to develop as he turns 19 in December. He led Duke in scoring (19.2), rebounding (7.5), assists (4.2), steals (1.4) and blocks (1.4). He shot 38.5% on 3-pointers and 84% from the line. He proved he can thrive as a scorer, such as when he had an Atlantic Coast Conference freshman-record 42 points against Notre Dame. That included ranking in the 85th percentile or better in converting as the ballhandler in pick-and-rolls, on post-ups and in transition, according to Synergy's analytics rankings. He also thrived as a playmaker, while his length allows him to alter shots, get into passing lanes and finish at the rim — sometimes over a defender. And then there's his competitive edge, with multiple examples of Flagg's willingness to take on big moments and receptiveness to firm coaching. That included coach Jon Scheyer lighting into Flagg during a first-half timeout in January for playing soft (in so many words) against N.C. State, then Flagg responding with 23 of his 28 points after halftime. Flagg also went for 30 points, six rebounds, seven assists and three blocks as Duke held off Arizona in a shootout win in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16, a performance Scheyer called 'one of the best tournament performances I've ever coached or been a part of.' CONCERNS: Not many. He can always get stronger, though he checked in at the combine 16 pounds heavier than his listed weight at Duke (205). He could also cut down on turnovers considering he had 15 games with at least three, though only two came after Feb. 1. Ace Bailey, Rutgers STRENGTHS: The 6-8, 203-pound Bailey is a versatile shotmaker with athleticism. He averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds with stepback skills, a good midrange game and the ability to shoot off the dribble or on the catch. Notably, he ranked in Synergy's 94th percentile for contested catch-and-shoot looks (39 of 81, 48.1%). Bailey can attack the paint and stretch defenses with his range. He had five January games with at least four made 3s while shooting 34.6% from behind the arc on the season. The versatility and athleticism indicates defensive potential, too. He averaged 1.3 blocks and had six games with at least three blocks in Big Ten play. CONCERNS: Adding strength would help him against bumps and physical play by stronger defenders, such as improving on finishing just 42.1% of layups in the halfcourt at Rutgers. There's a streakiness in his shot, such as making 12 of 31 free throws (.387) over a six-game midseason stretch or 7 of 39 3-pointers (.179) after January. There's also the awkward question of Bailey's impact beyond stats considering the Scarlet Knights had a losing record despite Bailey teaming with another one-and-done prospect in likely No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper. Kon Knueppel, Duke STRENGTHS: The 6-7, 217-pound Knueppel was an efficient wing scorer with size and defense-stretching range. The freshman lottery prospect made 40.6% of his 3s and ranked in Synergy's 98th percentile when it came to overall spot-up shooting (52.9%), with nearly three-quarters of those attempts coming from behind the arc. He also ranked sixth in Division I by shooting 91.4% at the foul line, and stood out as ACC Tournament MVP when Flagg was sidelined by injury. And Knueppel had 10 games with at least four assists as a secondary playmaker. CONCERNS: Knueppel isn't an elite athlete, so there's a question of matching up against quicker or more explosive opponents. Colllin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina STRENGTHS: The sophomore lottery prospect has a strong 6-7, 240-pound frame and a nearly 7-1 wingspan. He thrived in the halfcourt (shooting 57.9% to rank in Synergy's 88th percentile), and has contributed as a scorer (16.8) and rebounder (8.3). He also averaged 1.3 blocks and 1.5 steals, indicating the potential for him to defend multiple positions. CONCERNS: His shooting touch is a major question after he went 0 for 5 from 3-point range as a freshman, then just 9 for 34 (.265) as a sophomore. He also made just 69.5% of his free throws in two college seasons. There's also the risk of being the 'tweener' who is too slow to guard outside and too small to defend in the paint. Others of note: — CARTER BRYANT: Arizona's 6-7, 215-pound freshman reserve shot 37.1% on 3s and a block per game despite playing just 19 minutes a night. Throw in a 39.5-inch max vertical leap, and he's a possible lottery pick. — NOA ESSENGUE: The lanky 6-9, 194-pound Frenchman is a potential late lottery pick. Essengue, who turns 19 in December, has been honing his versatile skillset with Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany. — LIAM MCNEELEY: The freshman jumped right in as a starter for two-time reigning national champion UConn. He's a first-round prospect as a floor-stretching wing with size (6-7, 215) and shotmaking ability, highlighted by him going for 38 points against then-No. 24 Creighton and 22 points in the NCAA Tournament against eventual champion Florida. — WILL RILEY: Illinois' 6-8 freshman from Canada is a first-round prospect with the potential to play as a guard or as a wing forward. He showed potential as a scorer and passer at Illinois, though he needs to develop physically with a 186-pound frame. — HUGO GONZALEZ: The 6-6, 205-pound Gonzalez is a late first-round prospect who played this season with Real Madrid in his home Spain. The 19-year-old offers potential with perimeter size, shooting range and ability to attack off the dribble and perimeter size. ___ AP NBA:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Dortmund's Kovač says certain clubs have advantage due to CWC heat
Dortmund coach Niko Kovac reacts after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Holstein Kiel at Signal Iduna Park. Kovac believes European sides have a disadvantage at the Club World Cup due to the sweltering conditions in the United States. Bernd Thissen/dpa Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovač believes European sides have a disadvantage at the Club World Cup due to the sweltering conditions in the United States. "The clubs from further south have a big advantage because of the heat," he told reporters ahead of his team's second group match on Saturday against South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns. Advertisement "The match in Cincinnati will take place in the midday heat. You can imagine what that means for the players when the midday sun is beating down. Down in the bowl, it's another two or three degrees hotter." Weather forecasts predict temperatures of 34 degrees Celsius. The heat and thunder storms have already caused problems at the revamped tournament, which is being played at the same time as next year's World Cup in North America. The previous World Cup in Qatar was switched to November and December to avoid the worst of the heat. Kovač said he is paying attention to selecting players who are most likely to perform well despite the high temperatures. Advertisement "This is really affecting many teams right now. The Europeans are having a particularly hard time," the coach added. Chelsea lost 3-1 to Flamengo and Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain were defeated 1-0 by fellow Brazilians Botafogo. "In general, the pace of the matches isn't particularly high because it's just not possible in these temperatures," Kovač said. "That's something people watching on TV should keep in mind when they wonder why the play seems so slow." After a 0-0 draw in their opening match against Rio's Fluminense, Dortmund are under pressure against the South African record champions. "We need the win," said the coach, whose team are based in the tropical heat of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for the tournament.
