General manager Julien BriseBois was active with deals on Day 2 of the NHL Draft. His most notable acquisition was 24-year-old defender J.J. Moser, who was part of the return package for Mikhail Sergachev. The Swiss native displayed pronounced upside through his first three seasons in the NHL and will be vital to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s top-four defense next season.
The left-handed defenseman was a fan favorite in Arizona. Despite being drafted as an overager in the second round of the 2021 Entry Draft, Moser quickly developed into a top-pairing defender in just his third NHL season. The blueliner developed his game at a young age due to his experience overseas. He played with EHC Biel-Bienne of the National League, scoring 11 goals and 36 assists for 47 points in 133 games.
Moser is best known for his speed, gap control, and stick work. Coyotes’ head coach André Tourigny trusted the young defender against top competition this season as he led all Arizona defensemen in time on ice with 1,323 minutes in all situations. Paired with Sean Durzi, Moser’s steady defensive presence helped the former Los Angeles Kings’ blueliner reach a career-high 41 points in 76 games.
While Moser is not known for his offensive prowess, he’s posted solid numbers in his early career. His best season came in 2022-23, where he notched a career-high seven goals and 24 assists for 31 points. With some more talent around him in Tampa Bay, Moser has the potential to reach the 40-point plateau under head coach Jon Cooper. The Lightning bench boss is fantastic at maximizing his young talent to their peak potential.
Moser has multiple hidden tools in his game that will considerably aid the Lightning blue line next season. The Swiss native already has experience in a challenging role. He placed second on the Coyotes in defensive zone start percentage this season at 13.18%.
Although he faced the NHL’s best forwards, Moser posted steady defensive results and proved he could play 20 minutes a night.
Looking at his microstat player card created by Corey Sznajder from AllThreeZones, he defends the rush at an elite level. He faced a high volume of carry-ins due to taxing competition. However, he placed in the 94th percentile of denial percentage amongst defensemen this season. With his ability to defend the rush, he is a potential candidate for the top pairing alongside Victor Hedman in Tampa Bay.
One element of his game that remains uncovered is his activation on the rush. Circling back to Sznajder’s workbook, Moser was effective in part of the Coyotes’ controlled zone entries. He ranked in the 94th percentile of controlled zone entry percentage. The 24-year-old can be sneaky as a late-man off the rush, an area where Tampa Bay must improve next season. Nikita Kucherov prefers to slow the game down with the puck, while Brayden Point plays at a fast pace. These superstars will thread a trailing Moser with a crisp pass on a zone entry.
With Sergachev out of the frame, the Lightning defense core looks different heading into next season. Furthermore, the club added veteran Ryan McDonagh into the mix in a trade with the Nashville Predators. McDonagh will likely unite with his old defense partner, Erik Cernak, to form one of the best shutdown pairings in the league.
As for Moser, there are two potential roles on the blue line in Tampa Bay. One option is a first pairing role, which he already has experience with from his time in Arizona. While the 24-year-old would have to play on his opposite side, he provides a vital safety net to an aging Hedman. While his offensive abilities remain late in his career, Hedman is not the 200-foot blueliner he once was. Moser’s ability to defend the rush will allow Hedman to maximize his offensive skill set.
Another idea is to shelter Moser in a third pairing role on the left side. However, this is not ideal for developing the young defender. He can already handle top-four minutes, and this role is a step back. Moreover, Moser will be on the ice with much higher-quality teammates in Tampa Bay next season. With that said, a shutdown guy alongside Hedman on the top pair is an opportunity Moser deserves and can fulfill.
Before he plays a game with the Lightning, Moser needs a new contract for the 2024-25 season. The Swiss defender is a restricted free agent. Additionally, the Lightning have $16.5 million in cap space to sign Moser, Jake Guentzel, and Steven Stamkos. Plus, fill out the remaining roster spots. AFP analytics provides free contract projections using historical context and similar deals to predict the cap hit and term of players who need new contracts every summer. Kyle Stitch and James Stitch project Moser to earn a six-year deal at an average annual value of roughly $4.4 million per season.
Similar deals in previous years include ones awarded to Marcus Pettersson and Connor Murphy. Like Moser, these two defensemen play a shutdown role against quality competition and provide some offensive upside. At that cap hit, the Lightning would have roughly $12 million to sign Guentzel, Stamkos, and the finishing pieces of the roster. No matter the cost, Moser will be an essential element of the blue line in Tampa Bay next season.
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Top NHL analyst Stephan Roget of 'Canucks Army' believes the Canucks could definitely offer sheet Mason McTavish or Marco Rossi, but they likely won't. Offer sheets remain one of the less common NHL deals, so a midsummer offer sheet from the Vancouver Canucks would remain highly unlikely. The player must be a restricted free agent (RFA) to be offer-sheet eligible, and come mid-July, there are not many remaining who are. Two of them are strong possibilities for whom the Canucks would consider making an offer sheet: Anaheim Ducks' Mason McTavish and Minnesota Wild's Marco Rossi. And offer sheets are a two-part process. Your team has to first make an offer. And then there has to be acceptance of a player before his current team is in a position to counter. That is uncertainty enough. Any offer sheet from the Canucks would have to be at least $11.7 million per year The Canucks would only be able to give Mason McTavish or Marco Rossi at the absolute highest compensation level, above $11.7 million annually. That would cost four protected first-rounders across five drafts to the Canucks. While both Rossi and McTavish would certainly appreciate an offer of this nature, whether either is truly worth this kind of investment of this size, especially for Vancouver, a club not comfortably in a playoff position, is questionable. 'As it stands, the Canucks are still eligible to make offer sheets to McTavish and Rossi - but only certain offer sheets. 'Whether it's realistic to expect a mid-summer offer sheet from the Canucks, is no'. - Stephan Roget Bottom line: While theoretically, a Canucks summer offer sheet is conceivable, too high a price, in cap space and future equity, makes it extremely unlikely, per NHL analyst Stephan Roget of 'Canucks Army.'
The Cincinnati Bengals have finally reached an agreement with first-round pick Shemar Stewart, putting an end to what became the story of the offseason for the team. Stewart, drafted 17th overall in this year's draft, has finally agreed to a four-year, fully guaranteed $18.97 million deal that includes a $10.4 million signing bonus, according to his agent Zac Hiller of LAA. Now with this deal done, every first-round pick is signed. The road to this deal was a bumpy ride. For months, negotiations between Stewart’s camp and the Bengals front office stalled due to disagreements over contract language, particularly around guarantees. The team pushed to include contract language that could void the deal under certain off-field circumstances, but since other Bengals first-round picks did not face similar terms, Stewart stood firm and refused to sign. Both sides remained firm throughout the offseason, leading to a long standoff and a lot of reports of frustration from both sides. Despite the frustration and disagreement, the Bengals and Stewart’s group continued to engage in conversations, trying to find a resolution to the issue. And finally, after weeks of back and forth and weeks of controversy surrounding what Stewart may be forced to do, both parties appear to have met in the middle and found common ground. For the Bengals, getting Stewart signed and ready for training camp is a major win. Stewart was viewed as a developmental prospect who needed plenty of on-field reps to reach his full potential. Stewart's absence from earlier camps had slowed a lot of his progress. With the contract dispute resolved, he can now focus entirely on gaining important reps and continuing his development over the coming weeks. Now with this contract done and over with, the team can put their full focus on Trey Hendrickson, who is also seeking a long term deal. If the Bengals can get a deal done with Trey before the season kicks off, they would secure their edge-rushing room for not only 2025, but for years beyond. For a team looking to go all in on making the playoffs, signing Stewart was long overdue. Now it will be vital for the team to get Stewart up to speed with the rest of the roster, and allow him to get as many reps as possible before the 2025 season begins.
On Thursday, wrestling icon Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea died at the age of 71. "WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away," the company said in a statement. "One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s... WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans." Hogan was the first true superstar to emerge in the wrestling industry, capturing a casual audience worldwide and bringing new eyes to the sport. He was an unbelievable draw, both as a baby face and as a heel. From his time as an All-American hero to leading the New World Order and teaming with Randy Savage as part of the "Mega Powers," he has been a staple of the scene for decades. Who can forget his WrestleMania III moment, where he defied the laws of physics to body-slam a 520-pound Andre the Giant? Or, more recently, his match with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at WrestleMania 18? His last appearance on WWE RAW on Jan. 6 saw him booed throughout, highlighting the rocky legacy Hogan leaves behind. Hogan's universal popularity has plummeted in recent years, primarily due to a racism scandal that led to his removal from the Wrestling Hall of Fame, only to be reinstated in 2018. Nevertheless, the damage had been done. Hogan's outdated and unwelcome outlook on specific aspects of life derailed the final stanza of a legendary career. Still, there's no denying that without Hogan, the wrestling we know and love today wouldn't exist. There wouldn't be WWE on the world's largest streaming platform, or All Elite Wrestling, which is developing into one of the most successful challenger brands. Instead, there would be smaller, more localized promotions, all competing for a sliver of television time. Hogan popularized the sport by bridging the gap between the wrestling ring and Hollywood. During his time in the spotlight, Hogan appeared in movies such as "Rocky III," "No Holds Barred" and "Suburban Commando," all of which helped bring his larger-than-life persona to a new audience. It's no surprise, then, that The Rock, John Cena and Dave Bautista have all made similar jumps in recent years. Hogan leaves behind an everlasting imprint on the wrestling world. Unfortunately, it comes with multiple asterisks; however, that doesn't change what he achieved as the first global wrestling star.
Are NBA players underpaid? Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry argues yes. The greatest shooter in NBA history said Thursday on Complex’s “360 With Speedy” that because the league’s current CBA doesn’t allow for current players to invest in league and team equity, players are leaving money on the table. “I would say, yes, we are underpaid,” Curry admitted when asked, despite enormous salaries, if the players were getting short-changed, “because you wanna be able to participate in that rise [of equity].” “It’s a partnership with ownership, [and] it’s a partnership with the league,” the 37-year-old stressed, revealing that league salaries do not reflect players’ impact on team valuations. If anyone has the right to begrudge the current CBA on player participation in equity, it’s Curry. When drafted in 2009, the Warriors were worth $315 million. Current valuations in May of 2025 have the team at $9.4 billion, the most in the league. Curry’s been paid handsomely during his time in Golden State, and he doesn’t overlook it. “I know we’re blessed to be in a position where we’re playing basketball for a living, and these are the type of checks that people are earning,” he told Complex. However, when he signed his $62.6 million one-year extension in 2024 that would keep him in a Warriors’ jersey until 2027, many felt that no amount of money the franchise could offer him would represent his worth. Curry had an undeniable impact on the Warriors’ valuation increasing by nearly 3,000%. He’s benefited by being the most salaried player on the roster and plenty of endorsement deals. But is he getting his fair share? Something similar may happen with reigning NBA Finals MVP and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who just signed the richest contract in league history with an average annual value of $71.25 million. According to Forbes, the Thunder’s valuation increased 20% from 2023 to 2024 and will likely take another jump after this year’s championship. Curry concedes that player participation in equity isn’t a simple concept and not all markets are created equal: “You got competitive advantage considerations…and want every market to have a fair chance, like I get all that.” He believes, however, that finding a solution is a “mutually beneficial proposition” for players, teams and the league. Even the most expensive people in the world need to find other investors to make owning an NBA team possible. The best example of Curry’s point is the Boston Celtics sale in March. The most-championed franchise in league history was sold to Bill Chisholm for $6.1 billion, the largest ever sports franchise sale in North America at the time. Chisholm needed Rob Hale, Bruce Beal Jr., and private equity firm Sixth Street, to afford the purchase. Because team ownership is already a multi-investor operation, the league could potentially come to an agreement with the players by the next CBA negotiation at the end of the decade. If not, the league's best players will continue to simultaneously earn a ridiculous amount of money, and it will not be nearly enough.