Sports News

Barkov with the passport of the year!

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The matter is settled: we can already award Aleksander Barkov the “Pass of the Year”.

The Florida Panthers center pulled off a breathtaking move against the New York Rangers on Monday evening, setting up Sam Reinhart's 43rd goal of the season.

• Also read: Senators: Vladimir Tarasenko is interested in Florida

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Barkov juggled the puck in the air to get past K'Andre Miller before passing it to his teammate as it fell. The impressed Reinhart had no trouble scoring thanks to this perfect performance from his captain. Stunning. Watch the video above.

The two friends got a taste for it when they teamed up again in that second half, just under three minutes later. This time Barkov found Reinhart at the top of the slot.

Florida won 4-2 thanks to goals from Ryan Lomberg and Anton Lundell (empty net) in the third period. Will Cuylle and Chris Kreider responded each time on the power play.

Barkov with the passport of the year! Read More »

Seahawks release Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs and Will Dissly

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Adams, also a trade acquisition, joined the Seahawks in 2020 and earned second-team Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors that year after setting a record for defensive backs with 9.5 sacks, but injuries have taken his toll Impact limited for Adams since this year He has appeared in just 22 games over the last three seasons, including 10 in the last two years, after suffering a torn quadriceps tendon in the 2022 season opener.

The Seahawks still have Julian Love at safety after signing him to a multiyear deal last offseason, and Love is coming off a Pro Bowl season in 2023, but they'll now have a new starter on the other side have a safe position.

Dissly, a 2018 fourth-round pick out of the University of Washington, battled serious injuries in his first two seasons, tearing his patellar tendon as a rookie and his Achilles tendon in his sophomore season, becoming a mainstay in the Seattle offense. After playing in just 10 games in the first two seasons, Dissly appeared in at least 15 games in each of the last four seasons and started 55 of 62 games from 2020 to 2023. In his six seasons with the Seahawks, Dissly recorded 127 catches for 1,421 yards and 13 touchdowns while playing a large role in the running game.

By releasing Dissly, the Seahawks could have an entirely new tight end group in 2024, as Noah Fant and Colby Parkinson are both scheduled to become free agents next week unless they are re-signed before the start of the league year.

The timing of these decisions is consistent with what general manager and president of football operations John Schneider described last week at the NFL Scouting Combine, namely that this would be the week the team would begin making roster decisions, after a new coaching staff headed by Mike Macdonald, is finally in place.

“We literally just finished hiring people, so think about all of us sitting in a room together, we're all like getting to know each other: 'What's important to you, what's important to.' all these different people?'” Schneider said last week. “When we met, Mike and I had an idea of ​​where we wanted to take this thing, but you also have to get into the specifics of the positions and understand what's important to these guys.” “In order to get buy-in from the workforce .”

When asked specifically about salary cap action, Schneider acknowledged that it could still be coming, and on Tuesday that was indeed the case.

“You’re constantly evaluating that,” Schneider said. “It's one of those things that we're going to figure out: 'Okay, if we're interested in this player or that player, how do we create space to get that player? If we trade a player with another team, how do we create the space?' Right now, this time of year, it's like having giant chess pieces that we're trying to work through. I don’t have any specifics for you, but I know we’re there.”

Seahawks release Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs and Will Dissly Read More »

Maxime Comtois receives NHL contract

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Quebec forward Maxime Comtois, once one of the Anaheim Ducks' brightest prospects, won his bet after proving himself in the American League.

After failing to get a National League contract last summer, Comtois signed with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.

With 28 points, including 12 goals, in 45 games for the Wolves, he secured a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, it was announced Monday evening.

According to TVA Sports journalist Renaud Lavoie, Comtois will be placed on waivers by the Hurricanes on Tuesday and will continue to play with the Wolves because the Raleigh team does not have an affiliate in the American League.

Comtois was drafted by the Ducks in the second round (50th overall) in 2017. His best season came in 2020-2021, when he put up 33 points, including 16 goals, in 55 games before hitting a slump. He became an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023 when the Ducks did not extend him a qualifying offer.

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The Seahawks released Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs and Will Dissly as part of a major roster restructuring

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In the first major personnel moves of the Mike Macdonald era, the Seahawks are shedding safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs and tight end Will Dissly, a league source confirmed to the Seattle Times.

The moves will save Seattle $34.5 million in cash and nearly $25 million in cap space for the 2024 season. While there has been speculation that Adams could be released after June 1, it will reportedly be a standard release and Seattle will now take the entire dead cap hit of Adams' deal, $20.8 million.

The moves are tied to the free-agent signing period that begins next Wednesday. By then, if not sooner, all steps will be official. OvertheCap.com

Adams' release has been rumored for some time, but it still comes with some shock as it marks the end of one of the larger trades in team history.

Seattle traded two first-round picks to the Jets in exchange for Adams in 2020. But after making the All-Pro second team with 9.5 sacks in 2020, he has battled injuries over the last three years.

Adams had two years left on his contract but no guaranteed money left, and cap numbers were at $26.9 million and $27.9 million over the next two years and salaries were at $16.5 million and $17.5 million. That was the last two years of a four-year contract worth up to $72 million, signed in August 2021.

Diggs and Dissly were each entering the final years of their contracts.

The release of Adams and Diggs means Seattle will have to look for some safeties. Julian Love will return, but Seattle doesn't have any other safeties with significant experience. One option could be Baltimore's Geno Stone, who had success with Macdonald as the Ravens' defensive coordinator last season and will now be a free agent.

Diggs was scheduled to make a salary of $10.4 million in 2024, against a cap hit of $21.2 million.

Dissly's release also means Seattle has no tight ends with significant experience on its roster, as both Noah Fant and Colby Parkinson may be free agents.

Dissly also had no guaranteed money left on his deal. He had a salary of $6.4 million in 2024 with a cap hit of $10.07 million.

Seattle acquired Diggs in a trade with Detroit in October 2019 and then Adams the following summer, hoping the two would come together to give Seattle a safety tandem to rival that of Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor.

But after a promising start in 2020, when Seattle went 12-4 and both Adams and Diggs made the Pro Bowl, the plan began to go awry.

Adams played just 12 games in 2021 as Seattle fell to 7-10 and then suffered a torn quadriceps in the first game of the 2022 season, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. He returned for the fifth game of the 2023 season, but the knee continued to bother him and he played just nine games before being sidelined for the remainder of the year.

Seattle president of football operations John Schneider predicted a possible move for Adams at the NFL Combine last week when asked how Adams might fit in Macdonald's defense.

“Is he in his plans?” said Schneider. “Yeah, I mean, we’ll find out. We will continue to work on it. … We’re still trying to figure it all out.”

Schneider had said the hope was that Adams would be healthier in 2024.

“It's been a tough year for him,” Schneider said of Adams' 2023 season. “…I'm sure Jamal would tell you it's been tough for him. He struggled to come back. He was constantly trying to be out there, being active and working with the coaching staff, the trainers, the strength and conditioning people. “I expect he’ll be a lot healthier next year, yeah.”

It turns out that now, at age 28, he won't be in Seattle's plans and will have to start his career somewhere else.

Diggs reached three straight Pro Bowls from 2020 to 2022, but saw his performance decline in 2023 as Seattle's defense ranked 25th in points allowed, 30th in yards allowed, and made just one interception, after making 14 in the past three years combined.

Diggs appeared to confirm the move when he took to social media platform X and said, “Forever grateful.”

Given its high market capitalization and savings, the release of Dissly was also not unexpected.

Dissly, a fourth-round pick from Washington in 2018, saw a significant decline in his playing time and stats in 2023 – his snap count fell from 60% to 39%, his receptions fell from 34 to 17 and his receiving yards fell from 349 to 172 .

This story will be updated.

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or [email protected]; Bob Condotta covers the Seahawks for the Seattle Times. He reports on the team daily throughout the year.

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NHL: Devils don't want to trade Toffoli, but…

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New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald had a lot of questions to answer the day after head coach Lindy Ruff was fired on Tuesday, and some of them involved former Canadiens color man Montreal Tyler Toffoli.

The team's precarious position in the standings and its recent performances prompted the GM to change the guard behind the bench; Assistant Instructor Travis Green will fill the vacancy until the end of the campaign. However, attention will now focus on the futures of some players, especially with the National Hockey League trade deadline set for Friday.

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Among the athletes featured in the rumors, Toffoli remains an asset that Fitzgerald wants to keep: “I'm not buying Tyler Toffoli,” he also stressed, adding that in recent days he has been talking to the other party about the possible signing of a new contract.

However, the CEO admitted that the two parties did not agree on how long it would take. Additionally, knowing the forward is eligible for full free agency this summer, he wants to have a good idea of ​​the likelihood of re-hiring whoever is coming off a four-year, $17 million contract. So there could be an exchange, but not at any price.

“Tyler knows how much we want to keep him with us. […] The reality is that there are clubs who have called about him. Assets for the future could help us with that,” said the manager, who, however, made it clear that he would not hand over the experienced player on a silver platter.

Expect a lot of action?

Consequently, the next few days will reveal a lot, Fitzgerald recalled laconically. When the team's best sniper sets sail with 26 goals this season, the message sent to the rest of the squad will be obvious, the CEO said. A departure of the winger would mean that the organization has “thrown in the towel” for the current season.

Additionally, other files must be monitored in New Jersey, particularly those of guards. The inconsistent performance from Vitek Vanecek, Nico Daws and Akira Schmid explains why the Devils were eight points out of a playoff spot before hosting the Florida Panthers that evening.

“Our guards are watching my reaction right now and it's hard for me because yes, I'm on the market,” he said. No, our performance in front of the net is not good enough. It's up to me to try to improve the situation. I wish this was easier said than done, but I need to do the right thing for the organization in a short period of time. On the other hand, in my opinion, this one is much bigger.”

NHL: Devils don't want to trade Toffoli, but… Read More »

The Cardinals' projection has Sonny Gray suffering a hamstring strain and could miss Opening Day

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St. Louis Cardinals top starter Sonny Gray suffered a mild hamstring strain and his Opening Day status is in jeopardy, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters in Jupiter, Florida, on Tuesday morning.

“That’s something that will slow (Gray) down,” Mozeliak said. “But we definitely don’t think it’s going to be something that lasts well into the season.”

Gray, who signed a three-year, $75 million contract in November, was expected to be the Cardinals' No. 1 starter heading into the season and was officially named the team's Opening Day starter last week. However, the 34-year-old right-hander felt tightness in his hamstring after throwing a pitch in the second inning of his second exhibition start on Monday and promptly left the game. Gray underwent an MRI scan later that evening, which revealed the minor strain.

The Cardinals are scheduled to open the 2024 season on March 28 against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. With approximately three weeks remaining until that date, the runway for Gray's evacuation is tight.

“I would imagine the (opening day start) is questionable, but we'll give it some time,” Mozeliak said, later adding that the current spring schedule would make it “challenging” for Gray to get that start to accomplish .

Gray has had problems with his right hamstring before. He missed more than a month of the 2022 season with the Minnesota Twins due to two separate hamstring strains, but had a healthy 2023, making all 32 starts and finishing second in American League Cy Young Award voting.

Mozeliak described Gray's burden as “less” than what he faced in 2022. Still, hamstring injuries can be tricky, and the Cardinals have no timetable for when Gray might be cleared to return to play.

“I’m not going to put a return to play (schedule) on it,” Mozeliak said. “It's been less than 24 hours so we'll just see how he reacts over the next few days. But the MRI findings definitely encourage us.”

The Cardinals rotation without Gray currently consists of Miles Mikolas, Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn and Steven Matz, with either Matthew Liberatore or Zack Thompson slated for the fifth spot. St. Louis had also previously discussed starting the year with a six-man rotation, and that option remains.

After signing Gray, Gibson and Lynn (along with a host of backup players) in the offseason, Mozeliak had ruled out his boy adding another starter. Top free agents Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery (a former Cardinal) remain available, but there is no sign that Gray's injury will change the organization's mindset until there is a clearer timeline for Gray's recovery.

“I definitely feel like (adding pitching depth) isn’t necessary at this point,” Mozeliak said. “If something changes we need to look at it differently, but we don't think we need to at this point.

“I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this won’t take too long.”

Required reading

(Photo: AP Photo / Jeff Roberson)

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Blue Jackets: An unloved man wakes up with a hat trick

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Alexander Nylander has gone more unnoticed than expected during his National Hockey League career, but the talented forward has impressed since joining the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Thanks to the Swede's hat trick, the Ohio team completed a tour de force by defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 6-3 on Monday night at Nationwide Arena.

• Also read: Barkov with the passport of the year!

• Also read: Senators: Vladimir Tarasenko is interested in Florida

The eighth overall pick in the 2016 draft, which the Jackets recently acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins, shines with his new team with six points in five games.

Nylander notably scored two goals in the third period and scored the winning goal for the first time at the beginning of the period. He then showed off his full speed by catching back a long-range puck and completing his first hat trick in an empty net.

This memorable performance allowed the Jackets to record back-to-back wins for the first time since late November. Justin Danforth, Erik Gudbranson and Yegor Chinakhov scored the other goals for the local favorites.

In his first game since January 11, Jack Eichel didn't record a point for the Knights. The one, recovering from a knee injury, finished the game with a margin of -1 and directed five pucks towards the opponent's cage.

Daniil Tarasov was also very strong between the posts for the Blue Jackets with 37 saves on 40 shots.

Blue Jackets: An unloved man wakes up with a hat trick Read More »

Coyne confirms Harvey, Braun for St. Petersburg

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Dale Coyne Racing has confirmed its driver lineup for the NTT IndyCar Series season opener with seven-year IndyCar veteran Jack Harvey in the No. 18 Honda and rookie Colin Braun in the No. 51 Honda in St. Petersburg. Several drivers will use both cars all year round.

Harvey is expected to compete in 14 races in the #18 and will share the car with Nolan Siegel, who will take the wheel for The Thermal Club, Long Beach, the Indianapolis 500 and Toronto.

Braun, who will race at St. Petersburg and Thermal, is among the oldest IndyCar newcomers in some time, as the 35-year-old comes to the series having led racing and championship programs since his youth in Grand-Am. NASCAR and IMSA.

His official IndyCar debut in St. Petersburg will come with a single day of experience to draw from after his eye-opening test for Coyne on Tuesday at Sebring International Raceway inspired the team to bring in the son of renowned race engineer Jeff Braun Committing to his second entry at the start of the year.

“It has been a busy offseason and we are extremely pleased with our driver lineup for the 2024 season,” said Coyne. “I think we have a great combination of drivers who will work well together, as they showed in our testing at Homestead and Sebring. Jack brings a lot of experience to the team and immediately fit in with us during testing. Like Jack, Nolan is a joy to work with. He impressed us during the Homestead test with how quickly he got up to speed in the car for the first time. We look forward to seeing what they both do this season aboard our 18-year-old car.

“We already know what Colin Braun can do in a sports car and it was great to see him step into our IndyCar last week. He’s jumping in at the deep end and has limited time aboard one of these cars before his first race, but we have confidence in his abilities and can’t wait to see him back in the car in St. Petersburg this weekend.”

For Harvey, the chance with Coyne is a chance for the 30-year-old to restart his IndyCar career, which ended prematurely when his two-year stint with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing was cut short and left three races on the schedule last year.

Of all the drivers expected to drive for Coyne in 2024, Harvey – a pole sitter and strong performer during his five years with Meyer Shank Racing – will be the benchmark and mentor for most of those who will contest parts of the calendar in Coyne Cars.

Beyond the first two races, it is unclear how many more races Braun will compete in the No. 51.

IndyCar and sports car veteran Katherine Legge is rumored to be the team's choice for the Indy 500 and other oval races in the car, but there are still many races left to complete in the 18-race season.

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