HBO is the king of the jungle when it comes to the world of television. For years, the cable television network has brought viewers prestige television of the highest quality in dramatic and comedic forms. It has also found success in the world of streaming thanks to its subsidiary platform, Max. HBO has famously released many successful miniseries that leave a strong impact despite having only a minimal number of episodes.
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Mason West is a talented prospect of the future for the Chicago Blackhawks, but it appears he may look to leave hockey for big opportunities in football. The Chicago Blackhawks landed Anton Frondell with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, but it was perhaps their second first-round pick that drew the most intrigue, as they drafted centre Mason West out of the USHL. That pick was intriguing for many reasons, with the 6-foot-6 centre having potential with his talent and his physicality, but now, the team may be in danger of losing the talented 17-year old. According to a report from The Athletic, the No. 29 overall pick has been drawing interest from several NCAA programs to join their team as a football player. Standing at 6-foot-6, the Minnesota native is a star in both hockey and football, tallying 49 points in 31 games at the high school level while also being a star Quarterback, and after putting up 9 points in 10 USHL games with the Fargo Force, the future is bright for him in both sports. Ultimately, at 17-years of age, the future is very bright whichever way West ends up going, but given that the Blackhawks used a first-round pick on him in this past seasons draft, they're clearly confident that they can not only keep him in hockey, but make a good NHLer out of him moving forward.
The Boston Bruins have been under pressure to retool after a disappointing season, and now a potential blockbuster move could shake the entire NHL. A major trade proposal has surfaced that could send a star goaltender to the Edmonton Oilers, a move that would give them the elite presence they've lacked in net while forcing Boston closer to a rebuild. The deal being floated by multiple outlets would send Edmonton's current starter, Stuart Skinner, along with Matthew Savoie, Beau Akey, and a 2028 first-round pick to Boston, while the Oilers land a goaltender capable of changing their Cup window overnight. Edmonton's push for a franchise goalie could reshape the Western Conference and challenge the Dallas Stars' path to the Cup If this trade goes through, the Oilers would instantly address one of their biggest weaknesses, setting up a showdown with teams like the Dallas Stars, who already see Edmonton as one of their toughest rivals. Boston, on the other hand, would fully commit to a rebuild, pairing Joonas Korpisalo with Skinner in what could be one of the NHL's weakest tandems, likely boosting their draft lottery odds in one of the most hyped draft classes in recent memory (NHL.com). An insider noted, "They weren't the only ones who had inquired about Swayman, but yes, I was told they poked around." That comment shows just how wide the interest is for this level of goalie talent (Heavy.com). I think this kind of trade would completely shift the balance of power in the West, making Edmonton even more dangerous for teams like Dallas, who could end up facing a vastly upgraded Oilers team in the playoffs. If Boston truly embraces a rebuild, moving their top goaltender could be the first domino in a massive roster overhaul, something that could shake the market for weeks.
Matt LaFleur is earning the ire of several of his Green Bay Packers players early in training camp. On Tuesday, LaFleur punished offensive tackle Rasheed Walker for his altercation with defensive end Kingsley Enagbare. However, the most interesting interaction of the day came between LaFleur and tight end Tucker Kraft. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, LaFleur called out Kraft for two questionable fumbles during the first week of practice. Both "fumbles" came after the play was over or when the ball fell out of bounds. "Certainly, we all know what kind of player Tucker Kraft is and can be," LaFleur said. "He can’t allow Evan Williams to reach around and punch a ball out, so it is challenging everybody and hopefully that makes us that much better.” The third-year tight end took issue with LaFleur calling him out in front of the media and blamed the coaching staff for implementing practice rules that made it easy for offensive players to fumble. "I’d say a lot of the times — there’s certain rules you play with in practice, like just letting the defense punch repeatedly," Kraft said. "You’re not allowed to stiff-arm. I guess all I have are excuses. Yes, I am working on not fumbling the ball in practice." Schneidman said Kraft answered the question with a tone of sarcasm. Kraft was frustrated that he couldn't defend the ball by stiff-arming a defender trying to poke the ball from his undefended arm. Kraft acknowledged that during practice, he has to "play by the rules" LaFleur makes and is trying to work on having a "yes sir, no sir" attitude with his head coach. He then made a vague reference about a "bus fine" and accused LaFleur of throwing him under the bus in front of the media. Schneidman believes the tight end might actually be calling for Green Bay to fine LaFleur after his discouraging quote Tuesday morning. "So yes, the Packers’ third-year tight end might be calling for his head coach to be fined — not by the league, of course, but by the team — for what he perceived as throwing him under the bus," Schneidman wrote. "Is Kraft being serious about fining LaFleur? "Probably not. Is he peeved LaFleur called him out? It sure seems like it." LaFleur might do better to have a conversation with Kraft before dragging his name into news conferences with reporters. It's clear Tucker doesn't see eye-to-eye with LaFleur about fumbles. This is a good reminder to those getting overly excited or nervous reading practice reports that what happens at practice should be taken with a grain of salt. Most likely, Tucker is going to be fine.
When you think about what the Green Bay Packers can do on offense in 2025, it starts with quarterback Jordan Love and quickly pivots to star running back Josh Jacobs. Those two will be the fulcrum that allows the Packers offense to shine this upcoming season, especially if both remain healthy. From there, there are high expectations for tight end Tucker Kraft, while someone in the wide receiver group of Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks and rookie Matthew Golden has to step up to become a star — or at least as close to it as possible. Those weapons, plus an innovative offensive mind in head coach Matt LaFleur should keep Green Bay's offense humming among the best in the league all season, but there is one player who can put points on the board but is getting barely any attention nationally during training camp. And to be fair, kickers barely get any attention unless they're missing kicks, but kicker Brandon McManus is a game-winning secret weapon the Pack have in their back pockets as they head into this crucial season. If the Packers want to be a Super Bowl contender, they will need to win close games against good teams. Offense is exciting to watch and defense wins championships, but special teams is often the difference between winning and losing in the NFL. Luckily for the Packers, McManus is coming off a season in which he hit 20 of 21 field goals after being picked up to replace rookie Brayden Narveson. The Packers had high hopes for Narveson, but he missed five kicks in his first six games season. From a massive question mark at kicker to a veteran who is as consistent as they come, the Packers head into 2025 feeling extremely good about the kicking operation. "I don't even think about it," LaFleur said of McManus and the kicking operation on Monday at training camp, according to the team website. "It's great." McManus hasn't missed yet during training camp, and his leg already appears to be in midseason form. On Monday, he nailed three kicks from 45 yards and hit a long of 56. According to long-snapper Matt Orzech, McManus' secret is that he takes each kick as it comes and doesn't let anything get into his head. "It's kind of been that way ever since he got here," Orzech explained. "Even through all the crazy winter months with the wind, it's crazy on that practice field, but he handles it in stride. He never lets a miss of what he thought a line would do get to his head, and he just keeps taking each kick as it is." That's a mindset that won games for Green Bay in 2024, and McManus will be a weapon for the Packers in 2025 as long as he stays healthy and confident in his leg.