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Anthony Stolarz has been absent for awhile now and while there's no definitive return date, one NHL Insider provided a good idea of what to expect going forward.
Having been injured for a month after suffering an injury during a game against the Anaheim Ducks, Anthony Stolarz is expected to miss a few more weeks as concerns grow given the team needs as much goaltending help as possible come playoff time.
Undergoing a procedure on his knee, there was no real way to gauge how Stolarz will recover or if there would be any setbacks.
His appearance during the Maple Leafs' mentor practice was a positive sign, and at least him walking and standing without any visible discomfort was a great step forward.
But he's still out for weeks, but NHL Insider Darren Dreger has done his best to narrow down the prospective timeline for when Stolarz will be back on the ice.
Darren Dreger Predicts February As A Likely Return Date
Appearing on TSN 1050's FirstUp, Dreger spoke about the initial timeline and what fans can expect due to the circumstances surrounding Stolarz's injury:
'This situation is unique because he underwent a procedure on his knee. The first step is always getting back on the ice, testing the leg, and seeing how it feels before gradually easing into a routine.Once he can join the practice rotation, it will be a positive sign.
There was hope he might be ready to play by the end of January, but early February could now be seen as more realistic.'
It's a positive to see that Stolarz is focused on getting back into the game as soon as possible, and getting some individual ice time to gauge his readiness will be a huge test.
Toronto has had solid goaltending in his absence but they'd love to have him back soon.
Early February would be a benefit to Stolarz as the team can play Joseph Woll or Dennis Hildeby against the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 1, and since they have two days off can give either Woll the start again, or try Stolarz against Calgary.
They also have a 13 day break due to the 4 Nations Face-Off, which is plenty of time for Stolarz to get back into game shape and take any needed reps.
Stolarz signed with the Maple Leafs this offseason to the tune of a two-year, $5M and has played above and beyond expectations.
He has a 9-5-2 record with a 2.15 GAA and .927 SV% while registering one shutout as well and is coming off a Stanley Cup win with the Florida Panthers in 2023-2024.
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Is Kirill Kaprizov worth a record-setting contract?
All signs point to the Minnesota Wild signing All-Star winger Kirill Kaprizov to a massive extension this summer. Recent reports suggest that the Wild will likely sign Kaprizov to an eight-year, $120M contract. This deal would surpass Leon Draisaitl’s contract for the league’s highest average annual value (AAV). Still, it would fall $4M short of Alex Ovechkin’s record for the largest contract ever signed in the NHL. This raises the question: Is Kaprizov worth such a significant investment? Unfortunately, Kaprizov is coming off the worst season of his career thanks to injuries. He finished the campaign with 41 games played in the regular season, and another six in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. Although he missed half the season, he scored 25 goals in 56 games, finishing third on the team in scoring and 16th in Hart Memorial Trophy voting. Finishing that high in team-scoring for a playoff team while losing half the year to injuries is a testament to Kaprizov’s value. Since joining Minnesota for the 2020-21 NHL season, he’s scored 185 goals and 386 points in 319 games, far and away the highest on the team over that stretch. Kaprizov’s contract demands ultimately come down to one equation. Assuming he’s signed to the $15M figure, Minnesota must ask if he’s worth 14.4% of their cap for the 2026-27 season, and even less throughout the subsequent years. It’s a fairly easy equation to sort through. Over the past five years, Kaprizov has been directly involved in 386 goals scored by the Wild. To understand his impact, we can analyze his point contribution to the total number of goals the entire team has scored during that period. Since Kaprizov began his career, Minnesota has scored 1,197 goals. Factoring in Kaprizov’s contributions, it’s easy to ascertain he’s been involved in 32.2% of the Wild’s goals, despite missing many games due to injuries. Given that he’s accounted for one-third of the team’s offense since coming into the league, it seems like an easy investment to make for the Wild. Unfortunately, his injuries are cause for concern, and they could become an issue throughout negotiations when agreeing to a final dollar amount. Regardless, the good news is that Minnesota appears to realize exactly what they have in Kaprizov. Their only pathway to contention runs through him, and they’re seemingly ready to recognize him financially for that. His hypothetical $15M AAV won’t last long as the league’s highest, with Connor McDavid prepared to earn more on his next contract with the Edmonton Oilers, or elsewhere. Still, although it’s not commonplace to make wingers some of the league’s highest-paid, Kaprizov is worth every penny.
'Agreement in Place' - Journalist Provides Key Update on Sunderland’s New Striker Transfer
Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie confirmed that Sunderland's deal to sign Chelsea striker Marc Guiu on loan remains on track, despite doubts. Yesterday, the mentioned reporter stated that although the flight Guiu (19) was scheduled to take got postponed, the agreement for his arrival at the Stadium of Light remains valid. It was evident that with no recent updates, the press and fans would start doubting the Catalan's arrival at the club, but apparently everything is in order. The FC Barcelona academy graduate has high chances of becoming Sunderland's ninth signing this summer. Journalist provides key update on Sunderland's new striker transfer On Saturday, Downie had reported the following: "Marc Guiu will fly into the North East this afternoon to complete his move to Sunderland. 19yo striker will undergo a medical in the next 24 hours." "SAFC have agreed a season-long loan with PL counterparts Chelsea," added the journalist via his Twitter (X) account. And yesterday, Sunday, the Sky Sports reporter updated: "Little update on this: Guiu's flight was postponed today, but doesn't mean the deal is dead." "Agreement still in place and an expectation that the striker will finalise his move to Sunderland on loan for the season." Therefore, we can expect more concrete updates about Guiu's signing with the Black Cats in the coming hours. We'll see. What is certain is that Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris is frustrated with the club's transfer activity, according to the same cited journalist. Apparently, the Lads are expected to add three or four more players to their squad, with attack being one of the priority areas to strengthen. In recent hours, Sunderland have been linked with a couple of forwards, such as Galatasaray's Baris Alper Yilmaz (25) or Leverkusen's Amine Adli (25). We'll see how many of them ultimately embark on the adventure of keeping the club in the Premier League. Read More:
The cold, hard truth is that the Washington Commanders have all of the leverage in the Terry McLaurin contract standoff
The saga between the Washington Commanders and All-Pro WR Terry McLaurin has taken many twists and turns, and it's slowly gotten worse as the summer drags on. McLaurin has been the only side of the negotiations to make any type of move to push leverage and get a deal done sooner rather than later. He's done everything possible from publicly speaking out against the team, sitting out of training camp, returning to camp, and then recently made his biggest power move by requesting a trade. Even after playing every card in his hand this offseason to get leverage on the team, the Commanders still have the upper hand on McLaurin, and absolutely nothing can change that. Why McLaurin won't be traded There have been reports that teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers have called to check in on trading for McLaurin, and that shouldn't be a surprise. The thing is, though, he will not be traded, and there are a lot of factors that prohibit it from happening. McLaurin is likely worth a second-round pick, in my opinion, but the fact that he allegedly wants a contract extension that averages to about $33 million per year hurts that trade value. No team in the NFL would trade a second round pick while giving a soon to be 30 yeard old WR a new contract worth that much. The Commanders very likely wouldn't receive a trade package worth accepting for their best weapon on offense and get the immediate payoff this season. McLaurin very likely doesn't want to even be traded in the first place. Neither side actually wants McLaurin out of Washington. The likely outcomes for McLaurin and the Commanders There are only two possible outcomes for McLaurin this season: he's either going to be extended, or he's going to have to play the final year of his contract out. The Commanders really could play hardball with McLaurin if he refuses to come down from his number and let him play his final year of his contract out, and they know he wouldn't sit out games and lose even more money. They could either franchise tag McLaurin after the season or let him leave in free agency, so they can recoup a high-value compensation pick for losing the All-Pro. McLaurin's market would likely change drastically unless he has another career-best season, as he would be approaching 31 years old going into free agency. Both outcomes severely hurt what McLaurin is looking for: more money and long-term stability. No matter what McLaurin does, the Commanders hold the keys to decide his fate in Washington. The two can meet in the middle on a number that makes sense, or this could drag into next season, where we do this all again.
Triple H provides statement on Seth Rollins' SummerSlam appearance
Night one of SummerSlam 2026 ended with a bang. Seth Rollins came back from what now appears to have been a fake injury, cashing in his Money In The Bank briefcase against CM Punk. The WWE fanbase had long postulated the idea of Rollins returning at SummerSlam. His return felt like low-hanging fruit. Yet, despite the expectations, both Punk and Rollins played the situation perfectly. Now, as we head into night two of SummerSlam, there is a new World Heavyweight Champion in town. When speaking at the SummerSlam post-show, Paul "Triple H" Levesque admitted, albeit in kayfabe, that he wasn't pleased with Rollins falsifying injury reports to get the upper hand on Punk. "Seth Rollins is playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers," Levesque said. "And he comes out, goes through none of it and takes the World Heavyweight Championship. My hats off to Seth Rollins. That’s a smart way to do business. Not thrilled about bogus medical reports, but we’ll deal with that down the line." Not everyone will be happy with Rollins becoming the new champion. They will feel like Punk was robbed. Or that WWE creative took the easiest route possible. And in truth, they're probably right. However, sometimes the best way to progress a story is to go with the most obvious segue. The fact is, everyone came away from the SummerSlam main event with some form of emotion. The story being told worked; it made people feel. And now, the storyline moves on to how Punk and Rollins — two heated rivals — will move forward. A future title match is all but guaranteed, yet it's the story, week after week, month after month, that will captivate people. WWE used SummerSlam as a jumping-off point, and now, we could see the very best of CM Punk, likely culminating in a main-event title match at WrestleMania 42. So, yes, Rollins' win was a deflating moment for many, but what comes from that moment will keep wrestling fans talking for the next six to 12 months, and that was likely the whole point.
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