The Minnesota Wild beat the top team in the Eastern Conference without Kirill Kaprizov, Jake Middleton, Jared Spurgeon, and Jakub Lauko on Thursday. With backup goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury in net, the Wild managed to force overtime, and then a shootout, in which Matt Boldy emerged the hero once again.
Once the Wild gained possession of the puck in overtime, they played deliberately, repeatedly retreating out of the offensive zone to the boos of the Capital crowd. They managed to maintain possession for about three minutes in overtime. That deliberate play put the Wild in a much more favorable position to steal another point on the road in a shootout. Fleury was perfect, Boldy scored, and the Wild improved to 14-3-3 on the road.
Although the goal doesn’t do anything to improve Boldy’s stat line the last month or so, it should do something for his confidence going forward. According to Money Puck , Boldy has posted the lowest goals above expected amongst Wild skaters for all but two days since Dec. 7, currently sitting at -3.99. Both Ryan Hartman and Yakov Trenin scored goals on Thursday, and both have surpassed Boldy in goals above expected when playing at full strength.
Since Dec. 7, Boldy has served 16 penalty minutes, scored one goal, and assisted on three others. The Wild are 5-7 in those games. Boldy, however, is responsible for one of those wins with the lone shootout goal to beat Utah on Dec. 11. He repeated that feat, Thursday night, and seems to do it all the time.
Six of Boldy’s seven shootout goals have decided games. Amongst NHL players with at least 10 shootout attempts, his 50-percent success rate ranks 17th all-time. He’s so good in one-on-one situations with the goaltender, but those situations don’t come often in the playoffs.
The 23-year-old Boldy is signed through the 2029-30 season and is making $9.7 million this season. That’s the biggest contract on the team outside of Kirill Kaprizov, and he’s not played up to it as of yet. Despite all the game-deciding goals in shootouts, the Wild might have to consider whether Boldy’s future is in Minnesota.
Chris Johnston of The Athletic believes former Wild forward Mikael Granlund is an ideal trade target for Minnesota despite San Jose lacking retention spots and Minnesota operating in long-term injured reserve. Flipping Boldy for Granlund and picks would simplify that potential trade, and San Jose has the cap space to take on Boldy’s contract. It would also make it easier for Minnesota to extend Kaprizov and the ascending Marco Rossi.
The idea of trading Boldy, 23, might rub some Wild fans the wrong way, but for Minnesota to contend this season, it’ll take a lot more than Boldy has contributed thus far. Grandlund can fill that void and allow salary cap relief for a team that’s just about to shed the dead money of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to explore ways to upgrade the roster following Mitch Marner's departure in free agency. The Leafs front office has been trying to fill in the gaps along the roster, and they have been searching on the trade front. One name that has been heavily connected to the Maple Leafs in recent weeks is Calgary Flames star Nazem Kadri. Kadri could replace Marner very well in the lineup, but it seems that a deal could be complicated to complete. According to NHL insider Nick Kypreos of SportsNet, Toronto has tried to land Kadri multiple times this summer, only to be rebuffed each time. Kypreos believes that a deal involving Kadri returning to the Maple Leafs could be unlikely at this point in the summer. Last season, Kadri posted 35 goals and 32 assists for the Flames. His presence has been steady on the ice for years, and Calgary could probably get a lot on the trade market for him. The Maple Leafs will likely continue to explore ways to pry Kadri from the Flames. But Calgary likely won't trade him unless it receives an offer that it deems too good to be true. But Kadri is the leader of this team, and he was the best player for them last season. Toronto doesn't have a lot of tradable assets to work with, which could be what is holding things up between the two sides. The veteran could give Toronto a nice boost, but unless the Maple Leafs up the offer, he isn't returning to town.
It’s been a busy summer for New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, having watched several pitchers and the team’s primary third baseman fall victim to lengthy IL stints. Cashman has at least three holes to repair, but who can the Yankees deal to land some worthwhile replacements? Among New York's trade chips that have been frequently mentioned as of recent is outfielder Spencer Jones. Whether for the Arizona Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suarez or Pittsburgh Pirates' Mitch Keller, several rumors have suggested a package involving Jones, the Yankees’ No. 4 prospect and purported “left-handed Aaron Judge.” Up until this season, Jones had struggled to live up to his monstrous expectations, which made him rather undesirable in prior trade discussions. But whereas many teams and writers saw him as a hard pass in trade talks over the offseason, Jones has now become a hot commodity. Off to a scorching start in Triple-A (.408/.470/.901 with 10 home runs in just 17 games entering Wednesday), Jones has compiled a head-turning .313/.412/.683 stat line with a career-high 26 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 246 at-bats across Double and Triple-A this season. With his awe-striking power finally producing some results, Jones has become a top-of-the-line trade chip. However, this doesn’t mean the Yankees should consider trading him. Why not? Center field-related uncertainty Yankees’ center fielder, Cody Bellinger, has played well in pinstripes this year which raises the topic of his player option for next season. In addition, since he is getting paid more than his option is worth next year, chances are he decides to try the free-agent market. If Bellinger does leave, center field will be wide open as Trent Grisham will also likely test free agency after this season. Unlike Jones, neither Judge nor Jasson Dominguez have displayed the aptitude necessary to capably play the position. The Yankees’ shallow depth will also prove to be a challenge for finding a replacement. If Bellinger does stay, he can slide into first base while Jones takes over at center. But whether he decides to stay or go, Bellinger will be a free agent after the 2026 season. Trade value Jones’ numbers are on fire, but his trade value has yet to catch up, due to his unstable track record. Nonetheless, using a prospect of Jones’ caliber (along with others) to land someone like Keller (career 4.43 ERA), for example, or any similar player would equate to mismanagement. Given his torrid stretch this year, there is a good chance Jones lives up to his stunning potential. Selling him for a fraction of his future worth would be regrettable. Yankees’ current situation The Yankees are without Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt for the year and many others sit on the IL alongside them. This deficiency could be offset by acquiring some rentals, namely Suarez. However, as the risk with all rentals, Suárez will likely test free agency at the end of the season. Unless the Yankees extend or sign him, he won’t share the same side of the field with Cole or Schmidt (while active). If they can land Suarez without trading Jones, all would be well for the Yankees. If not, this could be a case of mortgaging the future to improve a very gloomy present. In the end, it may be better to have Jones’ bat backing Cole over the next three years rather than Suárez’s bat backing Will Warren this year. If the Yankees are dealing for rentals at the deadline, it’s best to leave Jones out of it.
A lot of things went right for Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders last season as the franchise made it to the NFC Championship game in Year 1 with Dan Quinn. But one thing that wasn't so good was the number of times Daniels got hit, with 47 sacks making him the sixth-most hit quarterback in football, and for a player of Jayden's slender build, that isn't ideal and is an injury waiting to happen. This offseason, Daniels - who has played at 6-4 and about 2010 - has bulked up a bit, and as training camp began, he revealed why he took that approach. "Obviously be able to take (and) soften the blow as much as possible," Daniels said. "That helps out because obviously those guys might get a good shot on you and they weigh a lot more than I do. So, just be able to try to build more muscle to absorb those hits." In an ideal world, Daniels wouldn't take those hits to begin with, but the fact is, he will get hit, he will get bumped, and having an extra layer of armor will help protect him from injury. Given his play style and the fact that Jayden likes to escape out of the pocket and get downfield, he has a big target on his back when he's a runner. So naturally, the bigger frame he now has will help him bounce off would-be tacklers and make it easier to absorb the punishment that will be coming his way. Year 2 is shaping up as a big one for Daniels and the Commanders, with expectations at an all-time high, so being able to play a full season is crucial to any success the franchise hopes to have. And with Jayden's bulkier frame, it might be a little easier to do that.
There’s a familiar face back on the sidelines alongside head coach Matt LafLeur, as the Packers open training camp. According to a report from Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, the Packers have brought back Nathaniel Hackett in an advisory role for LaFleur and the offense. What Nathaniel Hackett Brings to the Packers’ Staff Hackett’s return comes on the heels of Robert Saleh joining the staff after his dismissal as New York Jets head coach last season, when he served as a special advisor to defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, and Hackett will likely occupy a similar role for Green Bay in 2025. LaFleur’s former offensive coordinator with the Packers from 2019 through the 2022 season, when he was hired as the Denver Broncos’ head coach before being dismissed after just one season and ultimately landing with Aaron Rodgers as the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator for one-plus seasons from 2023 into the 2024 campaign. Adding a veteran coach with previous ties to LaFleur has to be an asset for the Packers as Green Bay looks to make some big strides on that side of the ball in 2025.
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