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With the St. Louis Blues pushing for a playoff spot, the spotlight is on the recently recalled one of the club's top prospects, Zach Dean . As fans eagerly anticipate his NHL debut, head coach Drew Bannister voiced his measured approach to the 21-year-old's integration into the team.
"I think we need to get him a couple of practices here. I think that's a fair thing for him and will get him comfortable," Bannister told the media on Tuesday.
"Today, we'll have him come in and go through the day like he is playing, sit in on meetings at game time so he gets comfortable with game time preparations, and from there, we will go day to day."
After a slow start to his professional career with the Springfield Thunderbirds and a few sustained injuries that kept him sidelined, Dean has put together a productive stretch of hockey, scoring six goals, nine points, and a plus-one rating over 13 games since Feb. 2. Dean has produced eight goals, 13 points, and a -15 rating through 47 AHL games this season.
THIS KID IS ON FIRE pic.twitter.com/qpoJsOuiMc
— Springfield Thunderbirds (@ThunderbirdsAHL) February 25, 2024
The Blues will have a tough stretch of games ahead of them, with playoff implications hanging in the balance. Inserting a player like Dean will put him in the same lineup that features Zachary Bolduc and Matt Kessel, who have both played for the Thunderbirds this season. Dean has found success this year as he has acclimated to the pro level, but he could have difficulty working his way up out of a bottom-six role through the remainder of the season.
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WJSS: Aatos Koivu continues to impress with Finland
Right now, the best young players in the world of hockey are taking part in the World Junior Summer Showcase, a summer camp that allows kids to leave a good impression in preparation for this winter’s World Junior Championship.Michael Hage is playing an important role in Team Canadiens’ camp, andFinland’s Aatos Koivu is one of the players in attendance. Yesterday, Saku’s son had a good game, even if he didn’t get on the score sheet, and today, Koivu was back in action against one of the U.S. teams (in which LJ Mooney plays)… and this time, he got on the scoresheet with a beautiful goal. [content-ads]And clearly, Koivu had no intention of stopping there. A little later in the game, the Finn added a second, again on the powerplay.He’s got a good shot, the youngster. So we’ll see if Koivu can continue to impress over the next few days, but it’s great to see him finding a flair for the net. And above all, it should help him earn points toward a possible selection for the next WJC.And that would be cool for the kid… but now it’ll be up to him to keep the pedal to the floor.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Love it. – Carlos Handel enjoyed his experience at the CH development camp. – Cool! – Really?
Titans waive former first-round pick after latest injury
Treylon Burks‘ tenure in Tennessee is on track to come to an end. In the wake of his latest injury, the former first-rounder has been waived. This move has come with an injury designation, which comes as no surprise given the broken collarbone Burks recently suffered in training camp. Injuries have plagued the 25-year-old throughout his brief NFL tenure, which began when Tennessee selected him with the No. 18 pick in the 2022 draft. That selection was acquired by dealing A.J. Brown to the Eagles. Given the link between the two wideouts created by the trade, Burks’ evaluations have always been measured against Brown’s Philadelphia success. During each of his three seasons with the Eagles so far, Brown has earned a Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-Pro acclaim; the 28-year-old was also a key figure in the team’s Super Bowl success in 2025. Burks, by contrast, entered this summer on Tennessee’s roster bubble. The Arkansas product managed a career-best 444 yards as a rookie while being limited to 11 games. Optimism was high that, with better luck on the health front, he could round out his game and develop into a regular on offense with the Titans. Staying on the field has proven to be an issue, however — Burks missed six games again in 2023 and an ACL tear limited him to five contests last season — and when available he has not managed to meet expectations. The collarbone injury accelerated the timing for what could have been a decision to move on from the Titans closer to the start of the regular season. Tennessee’s receiver depth chart will once again be headlined by Calvin Ridley this season. Veteran Tyler Lockett was added in free agency, as was Van Jefferson. The Titans used the draft to add a pair of Day 3 prospects at the position (Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor), and they will look to handle backup roles during their rookie seasons. Tennessee entered Monday with nearly $30M in cap space, so finances will not be an issue if one of the veterans still on the market is targeted in the wake of this move. Burks is now headed to waivers, with all teams free to claim him. Provided he goes unclaimed, he will revert to injured reserve. Situations such as these often result in a release being worked out along with an injury settlement. If that proves to be the case for Burks, his Titans stint will end on an unwanted but unsurprising note.
Bad News Brewers? Insider Gives Tigers-Eugenio Suárez Update
Are the Milwaukee Brewers still in the running for Eugenio Suárez? While it’s difficult to gauge the precise status of any Suárez-Brewers talks, one thing is clear — there are multiple contenders in hot pursuit of the Arizona Diamondbacks slugger. MLB.com’s Thomas Harrigan called Milwaukee the No. 2 landing spot for Suárez on Saturday (behind the Philadelphia Phillies) and also included the Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, and Houston Astros on his list. On Monday, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale provided an interesting update on the Tigers’ connection to Suárez. “The Detroit Tigers, one of the strong suitors for Diamondbacks All Star 3B Eugenio Suarez, would love to finalize a deal before Suarez leaves town Wednesday,” Nightengale wrote on Monday afternoon. “The DBacks are in Detroit for 3-game series.” Does Detroit, set to share physical proximity with Suárez over the next 72 hours, suddenly have the upper hand in the sweepstakes for the All-Star? That would be a wild development if so. Suárez and his suitors have become the leading topic amid what has otherwise been a quiet trade deadline, although analysts believe a flurry of moves will happen on Thursday with hours remaining before the literal deadline. Suárez’s recent production has only fueled the trade buzz. He’s hit 36 home runs this year and represents the most impactful bat on the market. Brewers fans are still split on whether acquiring Suárez would make a winning team better or possibly interrupt flawless chemistry. The only shocking outcome at this point would be if Suárez is still wearing a Diamondbacks uniform when August begins.
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Kirk Cousins makes notable leadership move after Falcons practice
Kirk Cousins might be relegated to the job of backup quarterback, but he is showing veteran leadership to his Atlanta Falcons teammates. Following Sunday's practice, Cousins pulled aside rookie defensive end James Pearce to encourage the first-round pick after his fourth practice in the league at Flowery Branch, Georgia. "QB Kirk Cousins pulled aside Pearce after practice to compliment him on a pass batted down," wrote Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Cousins reportedly had a solid day of practice on Sunday, going 7-of-12 passing against the first-team unit. If Cousins wants out of Atlanta, he's not showing it at practice. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback is competing on the field and being a good teammate around the facility. Cousins' actions on the field backed up what Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot praised Cousins for before the team's practice on Sunday. “Outside, it's a lot more of a deal than it is in the building,” Fontenot said to the media about the idea of friction between the Falcons and Cousins, per video from D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He shows up, he does his job, just like anybody ... We've gotta build the best 70-man roster so we can go win games. "That's what we're focused on, and Kirk, just like all the other players, is focused on coming in here and doing their job. That's what he's been doing." Fontenot didn't dismiss the idea that Atlanta would trade Cousins before the season. He said the Falcons will do whatever it takes to make the team better, but stressed that Cousins has been a professional throughout the process of being replaced by Michael Penix Jr., a first-round pick from the 2024 draft. “In terms of making moves, whether it's trades or acquiring players, we're always looking at those factors," Fontenot said. "We're gonna do whatever we can do to make this team the best it can possibly be. But he's been a great professional, and he's handled himself well.” Cousins is coming to work in a manner that will make another owner want to take a chance on the veteran quarterback. That could be one of his best-selling points before he plays in his 13th season in the league.
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