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Before joining the Flames, Daniil Miromanov was relatively unknown to many Calgary fans. He was a key part of the return the Calgary Flames received for defenseman Noah Hanifin near the 2024 Trade Deadline. Prior to his arrival in Calgary, Miromanov had played only 29 career games with the Vegas Golden Knights, leaving Flames fans skeptical about his potential. Additionally, as an undrafted defenseman already 27 years old, the consensus was that the Flames got “fleeced,” as the main player coming back was considered a fringe NHLer.
Those initial doubts were proven wrong as Miromanov made a significant impact post-trade-deadline. After signing a two-year extension, Flames fans witnessed his smooth skating and offensive abilities. In 20 games, he scored three goals and tallied seven points, consistently maintaining a positive attitude. With a full season ahead and assuming he stays healthy, could Miromanov have a breakout year with Calgary?
Miromanov Poised To Have Much Bigger Role With Flames
During his time with the Golden Knights, Miromanov frequently played for their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, where he posted strong numbers. As well as he showed, the Golden Knights were not convinced to give him a significant role, largely due to their strong blueline last season, which left little room for new players.
Joining Calgary, Miromanov found himself on a team with a thin blue line. Their rebuild provided opportunities for players to take on larger roles than they might have had elsewhere, and Miromanov is a prime example. He is currently projected to play within the Flames’ top-four defense pairings, a significant leap from where he was a season ago.
Based on his performance in 20 games, Miromanov has demonstrated that he is capable of taking on a bigger role. He is expected to play significant minutes and may even have opportunities to quarterback a power play unit. With the Flames facing little pressure to perform this season, the team might try experimenting with various line combinations. For Miromanov, only time will tell if he can capitalize on the increased responsibilities given to him.
What is Miromanov’s Realistic Celling?
Miromanov could potentially be a late bloomer. His unimpressive NHL stats can be attributed to the limited ice time and opportunities he has received. However, he has posted strong numbers in every league he has played in, including the KHL, ECHL, and AHL. This season, he was a point-per-game player in his five games with Henderson.
While it’s challenging to translate AHL success to the NHL, it’s easy to underestimate Miromanov. Despite being 27, his playing style stands out for all the right reasons. Clearly, Calgary’s management sees potential in him, and they are not wrong. Sometimes, unlocking a player’s full potential is as simple as giving them a larger role, which could be exactly the case for Miromanov.
However, fans need to be realistic. Miromanov would very well end up being a fourth defenseman but I think that’s best case scenario. It’s more likely he ends up as a bottom-pair defender, but a toolsy one. There’s no doubt that Miromanov has skill and I’m intrigued to see him play a full season in Calgary. Will he take his new role to heart? I believe he will.
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Maple Leafs are reportedly looking to make a splash trade
With the Toronto Maple Leafs losing star Mitch Marner this offseason, the team has had to fill a massive hole in the lineup. The Toronto front office has done a decent job so far, and the roster looks a little more well-rounded. But it seems that the Maple Leafs may not be done making moves this summer. According to NHL insider Nick Kypreos of SportsNet, Toronto could trade away defensemen Morgan Rielly or Brandon Carlo in an attempt to add more offense. "While we do also have Morgan Rielly on this list, if the Leafs move a defenseman it'll likely only be one of them. But while Rielly comes with the complication of a no-movement clause, Brandon Carlo has just an eight-team no-trade list and so is also worth putting on the trade board. "Making $3.485M against the cap for another two years, Carlo was a welcome addition to the Leafs' defense corps, averaging 19:13 of ice time per game and nearly two minutes on the PK. In the playoffs, he was among the team's shot-blocking leaders," Kypreos wrote. Marner accounted for 27 goals and 75 assists last season, which will be very tough for the Maple Leafs to replace. But the team does have a limited number of tradable assets to work with, which could potentially be why they are thinking of trading a defender. The Toronto front office remains very active on the trade front and it could lead to a deal taking place. There is still plenty of time left between now and the start of the regular season, giving the Maple Leafs some needed optionality before the new year.
WNBA All-Star Game ratings paint a troubling picture
WNBA players sent a message to the league with T-shirts they wore ahead of the All-Star Game on Saturday night, but the ratings for the game did not exactly strengthen their stance. Prior to the All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., Caitlin Clark and other players warmed up in shirts that said “Pay us what you owe us” across the front. The message had to do with the current state of collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the WNBA and WNBA Player’s Association. Unfortunately for the players, the television ratings for the game were not very good. Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported on Tuesday that the WNBA All-Star Game drew 2.19 million viewers on ABC, which was down roughly 36% from a year ago. Last year’s game featured the WNBA All-Stars against the Team USA squad that was preparing to compete in the Summer Olympics in Paris. The dip in ratings is likely another example of the type of impact Clark has had on the WNBA. Although she was a team captain for this year’s All-Star Game, Clark did not play due to a groin injury. Clark played in last year’s game for the All-Star side, as she did not make the Team USA Olympic roster. Many fans were outraged that she was snubbed from the Olympic team, which added an element of intrigue to the All-Star Game. There is no way of knowing for certain whether more fans would have watched the All-Star Game on Saturday night had Clark played. It is a safe guess, however, especially when you look at some recent trends for the league.
Hall of Famer believes this AFC QB will win Super Bowl first
Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon just made headlines during a recent appearance on "Up Adams," where he gave his take on one of the NFL’s most debated questions. When asked which star quarterback will win a Super Bowl first, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Joe Burrow, Moon without any hesitation went with Jackson. “We have Josh Allen, MVP, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, they wrecked the league last year… Which one of those three do you think has the best shot to get one this year?” Kay Adams asked. Moon responded, “I think Lamar.” Moon’s reasoning for this take was not due to stats or accolades, because both have great numbers and awards, rather Moon was focused on the surrounding cast around Jackson. While he was complimentary of Allen and the team around him, he emphasized that the Ravens had a strong secondary, incredible running back and solid wideouts that could allow them to be a serious threat to win it all. It is easy to see why Moon made his opinion clear and without hesitation. Jackson is one of the top quarterbacks in the league, with four Pro Bowl nods, three All-Pro selections and two MVP awards. He is the best dual-threat quarterback in the world, and now with an incredible roster around him, Jackson has become much scarier. However, pressure is mounting on the superstar QB, and Moon did make the case for Allen to also potentially win first. “Josh Allen, they’ll be right there too. I think it depends on who plays who in the playoffs … You have to go through playing both Kansas City and Baltimore if you’re Buffalo, and same thing if you’re the Ravens, you gotta play both of those to get to the Super Bowl … But if you only have to play one of them, that would be great.” Allen is also regarded as one of the league’s best QBs too, and Moon's argument has a lot of merit to it. Both Buffalo and Baltimore are flooded with talented pieces that are hungry to make that Super Bowl run. It could come down to matchups come playoff time. If one squad has an easier route to the AFC Championship game, then it might be the one who ultimately comes out on top. As for Burrow, Moon did not mention him in the conversation, but clearly it was not meant to be a slight on him as a player. Rather, for obvious reasons, it seems that Moon might have Baltimore and Buffalo as overall rosters in a higher tier from Cincinnati. Ultimately however, time will tell who breaks first. But if Moon is correct, Jackson might finally be able to silence his critics, and make his mark on NFL history.
Marcus Smart signing could spell disaster for LeBron James, Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers brought in some toughness and defensive versatility with the addition of Marcus Smart. However, they're now going to have to play financial Jenga. As reported by Bryan Toporek of Silver Screen and Roll, they won't have a lot of money to make any more moves. "After waiving (Shake) Milton and (Jordan) Goodwin and signing Smart, the Lakers now sit $1.1 million below the first apron. Since they’re hard-capped, they cannot cross the first apron under any circumstance between now and June 30, 2026," Toporek wrote. As a result, the Lakers' best hope for help will come once the buyout market starts to take shape. "Since they’re only $1.1 million under the first apron, they currently don’t have enough room below the hard cap to sign anyone to even a veteran-minimum contract. They’d have to shed salary in a trade before they can make another free-agent signing," he added. That's not necessarily what LeBron James might want to hear. His agent, Rich Paul, claimed that he wanted to pursue another championship and that they would assess the team's roster to determine his future. This team got marginally better, but it still needs to add a defensive-minded big man, since JJ Redick didn't seem to trust Jaxson Hayes in the playoffs last season. The Western Conference is as stacked as it's ever been, and it will take more than what the Lakers have to keep up with other powerhouses. So, unless Rob Pelinka works his magic with another shocking trade, James will have to weigh all of his options.
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