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The Avalanche have acquired forward Yakov Trenin and the signing rights to defense prospect Graham Sward from the Predators, per a team release. The Predators received defenseman Jeremy Hanzel – who signed his entry-level deal with the Avs earlier Thursday – and a 2025 third-round pick in return.
Trenin was one of a few depth forwards the Preds have been shopping, but he’s the only one they’ve sold so far. Another, Thomas Novak, inked a three-year extension earlier this week and will remain in Nashville past the deadline.
The 27-year-old Trenin has broken out as one of the more fearsome checkers in the league since breaking into the majors full-time in 2021. A second-round pick of Nashville in 2015, Trenin has scored 46 goals and 79 points in 283 games in parts of five seasons with the Preds, averaging solid top-nine minutes (14:01 per game) during his time there. He’s posted middling possession numbers with a 48.8 CF% at even strength and a career 47.5 xGF%, although those numbers aren’t bad considering he’s started 66.4% of his even-strength shifts in the defensive zone.
Standing at 6-foot-2 and 201 lbs, Trenin hits – a lot. He’s averaged 2.36 per game throughout his career and has generally had more takeaways than giveaways, so his shot suppression and possession quality share numbers being below average are likely a result of his extreme D-zone usage.
Theoretically, Trenin can play both center and wing, although he’s barely suited up at center during his time in Nashville. He’s won 55 of his 137 career faceoff attempts (40.1%), so if the Avs decide to shift him behind Nathan MacKinnon, Casey Mittelstadt and Ross Colton as their fourth-line center on a bang-and-crash line with another trade pickup, Brandon Duhaime, he likely won’t be relied upon for many draws and will be paired with a winger who has more success in the faceoff dot.
Colorado GM Chris MacFarland’s directive has been clear – fill out their depth with more defensive responsibility and physicality, adding a similar element to what Nicolas Aube-Kubel brought to the squad that won the Stanley Cup in 2022. Along with defense pickup Sean Walker, Trenin is likely to factor in on the Avs’ penalty kill and take the onus off of effective two-way players like Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin, who can now be used a bit more at even strength.
Trenin will be a UFA this summer upon completion of the two-year, $3.4M deal he signed with Nashville in 2022. After today’s moves, Colorado has $2.13M in cap space with a full 23-man roster.
In Sward, the Avs also get an intriguing left-shot defense prospect in the same age range as Hanzel. The 20-year-old Langley, British Columbia native is in his fifth WHL season and is an alternate captain with the Wenatchee Wild, where he leads their blue line with 15 goals, 73 points and a +40 rating in 58 games. Nashville selected Sward in the fifth round of the 2022 draft and the Avs must sign him to an entry-level deal by June 1 to retain his NHL rights.
More must-reads:
- The waiting game continues for Jake Guentzel ahead of NHL Trade Deadline
- The busiest trade deadline days in NHL history
- The '2000-01 Colorado Avalanche' quiz
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Ryan Reaves' Clear Opinion of Maple Leafs Captain Auston Matthews
Before Ryan Reaves was traded to the San Jose Sharks earlier this summer, he had a front-row seat to Auston Matthews' first season wearing the “C” for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matthews dealt with injury setbacks throughout the year, missing 15 games after hurting himself during training camp. He still found a way to finish the season, racking up 78 points in 67 regular-season games, adding 11 points in 13 playoff outings. Reaves appeared on the "Leafs Morning Take" podcast on Monday to discuss that and many other topics. Reaves opened up on his two seasons in Toronto. The enforcer offered insight into what made the 2024–25 campaign unique and how Matthews handled the spotlight during his first year as the team captain. “I think a lot of (Matthews') leadership is led by example,” Reaves said. “He works incredibly hard in practice. And on the ice, I think you see how hard he works in all three zones. “Obviously, grinding through some issues this year, and, you know, really trying to grind through it for the team.” Reaves said that even though Matthews was forced to miss time throughout the season, the captain maintained a presence Reaves — a 38-year-old veteran — found instructive, especially for younger players in the locker room. “To me, Auston was a guy who really led by example, really tried to drag guys into battles, practice,” Reaves said. “Never took days off, never, never coasted in practice. Always working his (expletive) off, on the ice before everybody else, off the ice last, you know. “(It’s) something that, as a vet, it was great to see. It really teaches those young guys how to, how to be, you know, the best in the world.” Reaves, however, acknowledged that Matthews wasn’t the most vocal captain he’d ever played with. That said, the veteran still respected Matthews' approach to leading the Maple Leafs. “Everybody leads differently, right?” Reaves said. “You can’t be the most vocal and the most leading by example, you can’t, you can’t do it all.”
Phillies’ 1.83 ERA starter drawing trade interest ahead of deadline
The Philadelphia Phillies have one of the best starting rotations in baseball. Not only do they have a great front five, but there goes, potentially, eight pitchers deep with MLB talent. Unsurprisingly, with such a surplus of talent, the Phillies are drawing trade interest in their starters. Ranger Suarez, whose contract expires at the end of the year, would be a typical trade deadline candidate. But he's going nowhere. Instead, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies are drawing trade interest in Phillies right-handed prospect Mick Abel. The 23-year-old starter could be a trade chip if the Phillies find a suitable trade target. "... Same goes for Mick Abel," Gelb writes, "who is drawing trade interest." The Phillies right-hander has impressed in his brief Major League stint, even if he now sits at a 5.04 ERA in six starts. His ceiling, which he displayed in his MLB debut, is enough to captivate teams around baseball. In the minors, Abel has been dominant this season. He has a 1.83 ERA in 12 starts in Triple-A, a significant improvement over his 6.46 ERA in 2024. Abel's progress this season has been incredible, and has teams interested in trading for him. If the Phillies find a trade partner for an outfielder or a dominant reliever, Abel could be a centerpiece of a deal to land such a player at the deadline. With the crowded rotation, Abel might not have a starting role on the roster for the rest of the season. He could go to the bullpen for the postseason run or be dealt to land a high-profile reliever or outfielder. But, regardless of what the Phillies do with Abel, this report from Gelb is a good sign. If teams around baseball are interested in Abel, then his progress isn't just a facade; it's something teams are willing to buy in on.
The Falcons just got some bad news for any hopes they had of landing a major trade offer for tight end Kyle Pitts
If the Atlanta Falcons are serious about the idea of potentially moving on from tight end Kyle Pitts in a contract year, they just got some bad news that could possibly impact the quality of the offers they'll receive this summer. There's a new veteran tight end on the free agent market and it may serve as a distraction or pivot for any team that was entertaining making a major offer for Pitts. This new direction would come without the need for losing a draft pick in the process. The Seattle Seahawks have waived veteran tight end Noah Fant — another tight end with a first round pedigree who boasts a dynamic athletic profile for teams to consider. Seahawks cut Fant in a cost-cutting measure Fant leaves Seattle after three seasons of play as the Seahawks lean into their younger group of tight ends. He's a sufficient level blocker but offers top-tier speed and athleticism for an NFL tight end, even if it hasn't translated to top-flight production throughout the bulk of his NFL career. Any team that may have been eyeing a tempting offer to send to Atlanta for Pitts can now find many of the same physical traits in Fant. Fant did enter the NFL two years earlier in 2019 versus Pitts' arrival in 2021. But he ran within 0.06 seconds in the 40 yard dash, jumped six inches higher than Pitts in the vertical, ran three-tenths of a second faster in the three-cone drill, and ran more than a tenth of a second faster in the short shuttle. Pitts has a more unique skill set thanks to his ability to play isolated as an 'X-receiver' and offers the higher ceiling as a result. Yet teams would almost assuredly gravitate towards another high-ceiling athlete at the position that wouldn't require a top-100 draft choice being sent away and will almost certainly play on a lower salary than Pitts' $10.8 million fifth-year option figure. This isn't necessarily bad news for the Falcons' 2025 outlook and it may not slam the door shut on any potential offers. But if Fant ends up lingering on the market for a while, it could string things out to the point where the window for a trade closes and the Falcons roll full-steam ahead for Pitts' contract year.
Red Sox pitcher sounds off on disgruntled sports bettors
Lucas Giolito is tired of hearing from angry sports bettors, and the Boston Red Sox pitcher says he recently spoke with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred about his concerns. During an episode of Rob Bradford's "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast that was released on Monday, Giolito spoke about what he described as a growing problem with angry gamblers issuing threats to players. The right-hander said he has received countless messages from fans who placed wagers on him and lost, even when he pitches well. "I'm getting messages after every game," Giolito said, via Jon Paul Hoornstra of Newsweek. "Even games where I pitched well, where they're mad at me because I hit the strikeout over instead of being under; prop bets, all these crazy things. People put hundreds of dollars on it. They don't have a lot of money but they're gambling it anyway because it's a disease. They freak out." Giolito added that there is only so much players can do in terms of blocking and reporting people on social media. He said his girlfriend has even received "nasty" messages from fans and that he asked Manfred what would need to happen for MLB to take serious action. "You can go private on social media. You can block accounts. It only goes so far. One thing I said to Rob was, 'Is it gonna take a player getting assaulted in front of their apartment building by some disgruntled that lost a bet for real action to be taken?'" Giolito said. As sports betting has been legalized across more states, the number of fans wagering has rapidly grown. Giolito alluded to prop bets such as over/unders on strikeouts, which are popular among casual gamblers. Giolito certainly is not the first professional athlete to raise concerns about disgruntled bettors. Scottie Scheffler recently revealed a change he had to make because of the actions of those who placed bets on him. As for what Manfred, MLB or any other sports organization can do about it, that remains to be seen.
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