The 2025 NHL Trade Deadline saw a ton of movement, especially on Deadline Day. One such move saw the Toronto Maple Leafs trade for Brandon Carlo in a deal with the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins. It was a bit stunning to see these two Atlantic Division rivals swing a major trade such as this. And it was certainly an adjustment for Carlo to make midseason.
Carlo made his Maple Leafs debut on March 8, one day after the trade. The Colorado Springs, Colorado native has played five contests with his new club to this point. It’s certainly a small sample size, but Carlo is beginning to find his footing in Toronto. The Maple Leafs rearguard explained how he’s found his comfort with Toronto ahead of his team’s clash on Wednesday with the Colorado Avalanche.
“I mean, talk about getting thrown in the hot water there for a second,” Carlo said, via NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger. “It’s been like, what, nine days since I played my first game with these guys with Toronto? It seems like a lot more. So much has happened.
“Yeah, it seems so long ago that we faced Colorado in that first game. Now we’re playing them again, and I feel a lot more comfortable than I did that night, more comfortable overall at being a Maple Leaf.”
Carlo played his first game with the Maple Leafs in his native Colorado. The Maple Leafs and Avalanche played a rather offensive game, but Colorado eventually came out on top 7-4. Before that game, Carlo had a run-in with a now-former teammate.
The Bruins traded forward Charlie Coyle on trade deadline day. His destination? The Avalanche. It turns out the two traded skaters ended up on the same flight to Colorado, allowing them to process their moves at the same time.
“That was kind of funny,” Carlo said, via Zeisberger. “But it was also a nice comfort as well, going through the process with somebody I was comfortable with. We had some good communication on the flight. He’d been traded once before, so just seeing the way he was handling himself was a good thing for me to look up and to look at. Great friend, great person and someone who handled things really well. So, I learned.”
Carlo and Coyle are on opposite ends of the ice again on Wednesday. Both players have more familiarity with their new teams. And both players will look to make an impact in this contest. It will certainly be interesting to see these former teammates face off on Wednesday night in Toronto.
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Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Callan Foote, Michael McLeod and Alex Formenton have been found not guilty by Justice Maria Carroccia in London, Ontario, according to reporting from The Athletic, after being charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault involving the 2018 Canadian men’s national junior team. Carroccia said that she did not find E.M.’s [the alleged victim] evidence “credible or reliable,” in explaining her reasoning. “Having found that I cannot rely upon the evidence of E.M. and then considering the evidence in this trial as a whole, I conclude that the Crown cannot meet its onus on any of the counts before me,” Carroccia said. The allegations against Dube, Foote, Formenton, Hart and McLeod first became public in May of 2022, when reports emerged that Hockey Canada had paid to settle a lawsuit with a woman, known in court documents as E.M., who said she was sexually assaulted by eight players “over several hours” in a London hotel room on July 18, 2018. No charges were levied as a result of the initial investigation by local police, which was closed in February 2019, but the case was reopened after the 2022 report. Formal charges were then brought against the five defendants on Jan. 30, 2024. The trial began on April 22, 2025, and the verdicts were reached solely by Justice Carroccia after two mistrials influenced her to dismiss the jury. The NHL does not have a formal policy for players accused of or charged with domestic violence, sexual assault or similar crimes. Instead, the four players who were under NHL contracts at the time – Dube, Foote, Hart and McLeod – were granted indefinite leaves of absence by their clubs shortly before the charges were announced. All of them were pending restricted free agents on expiring contracts and were not extended qualifying offers, making them unrestricted free agents as of July 1, 2024. When asked about the playing eligibility of the defendants, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has continually deferred action until after a verdict was reached. While none of the players are formally suspended by the league, similar situations have routinely required some sort of permission from league offices for them to play in or return to the NHL. If teams approach any of them with a contract offer, they will presumably wait for that guidance before registering the deal.
The New York Yankees have made their 2025 goals abundantly clear: They're trying to return to the World Series and win it all. In an effort to do so, the Pinstripes traded pitcher Nestor Cortes and infielder Caleb Durbin to the Milwaukee Brewers this season, adding closer Devin Williams to the roster. Halfway into the season, it looks like that was a big mistake. The Yankees are now looking to fill gaps in the both the bullpen and the infield before the MLB trade deadline rolls around at the end of the month. Utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera was great at third base, but suffered a potentially season-ending injury in May. The Yankees tried to compensate by shifting Jazz Chisholm Jr. to third, but it was clear Chisholm excels at second, and he's since been moved back. Durbin, on the other hand, has only gotten better in Milwaukee. "Over 75 games this season, Durbin is slashing .265/.350/.382 with five homers and elite contact skills at the plate," Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media wrote. "He ranks in the 95th percentile in whiff rate and 98th in strikeout rate — rare company for a young infielder. Durbin’s advanced plate discipline would’ve been invaluable in a Yankees lineup that too often leans on boom-or-bust approaches." Then there's Devin Williams, who has been part of a shaky-at-best Yankees bullpen. He has certainly seen improvement since the beginning of the season, when he was pulled from closing duties after a blown save to the Yankees' division rival Toronto Blue Jays. However, it hasn't been quite enough. Toronto swept New York in a four game series earlier this month, securing their lead of the AL east over the Pinstripes. Williams pitched the final inning, giving up two earned runs. He has a 4.82 ERA over 37.1 innings pitched in 41 games. Williams keeps improving, and hopefully will prove that the Yankees made the right choice by acquiring him. However, that still doesn't fill the gaping hole New York has at third base, and they're likely missing Durbin's consistent abilities in the field and at the plate. The Yankees have until the July 31 MLB trade deadline to make any trades to address these issues. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! Cam Schlittler is Not Yankees Paul Skenes Yankees Fighting Red Sox for Diamondbacks Pitchers Yankees’ Aaron Judge Ties Alex Rodriguez on All-Time List Braves Troll Yankees' Jazz Chisholm With Walk-Up Song Yankees in Trade Talks With Pirates
The Green Bay Packers released star cornerback Jaire Alexander earlier this offseason, which frustrated the fan base because they did so without an obvious solution. Packers fans have been clamoring for the team to sign veteran and former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, but Green Bay does not appear all that interested in doing so. But you know who could represent a possible replacement for Alexander? Wide receiver Bo Melton. Yes, you read that right: wide receiver Bo Melton. Melton has started Packers training camp as a cornerback, which could ultimately lead to the 26-year-old assuming a major role in Green Bay’s secondary. Why the position switch? Well, Melton was struggling finding playing time in the Packers’ receiving corps as it was. Now, Green Bay added Matthew Golden and Savon Williams into the equation, so the chances of him actually getting on the field as a receiver in 2025 are slim to none. Melton logged just eight catches for 91 yards last season, and in 2024, he finished with 16 receptions for 218 yards and a touchdown. The funny thing is, he actually has shown promise in very limited action, but there is simply no room for him. The Rutgers product seems to want to stay in Green Bay, hence his decision to flip to the other side of the ball. He knows he has no chance to play as a wide out. Why not utilize his athleticism as a cornerback? Of course, this does not necessarily mean that Melton will serve as Alexander’s primary replacement. In fact, it would be pretty concerning if the Packers choose not to bring in another corner between now and the start of the regular season. But hey, maybe Melton will be so impressive in camp that Green Bay will actually give him a look.
Jordan Clarkson has been an extremely productive scorer over his 11 NBA seasons. He finished last year (with the Utah Jazz) averaging 16.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest while shooting 40.8% from the field and 36.2% from the three-point range in 37 games. This summer, Clarkson signed a deal with the New York Knicks. Recently, Jalen Brunson spoke about the signing (via Roommates Show). Brunson: "I know him. Talked to him for a little bit. Good dude. Surrounds himself with good people that I know. A great addition for us, for sure." Clarkson was the 46th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. For being such a late selection, he has done an excellent job of carving out a long career. Over the previous 11 seasons, the 33-year-old has also spent time with the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers. Clarkson won the 2021 6th Man of The Year Award (with Utah). He has career averages of 16.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per contest while shooting 43.6% from the field and 33.6% from the three-point range in 753 games. Via The NBA (on March 14): "THIS JORDAN CLARKSON PLAY Spins around 1 defender... puts the ball through the legs... and drops off a dime."
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