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SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers had a big night planned Tuesday, only the buzzkill Minnesota Wild ruined the night.
The Panthers not only announced a new contract for coach Paul Maurice, but hoped to celebrate Sergei Bobrovsky’s 400th NHL win as part of the festivities.
And, with the Panthers going away for the next two weeks, they certainly would have liked to leave town feeling good about things.
Again, Minnesota messed it all up.
The Wild, a team which had not trailed for a single minute this season, jumped to a three-goal lead before running out of town with a 5-1 win.
Bobrovsky not only did not get his 400th win, but he did not even finish the game.
Spencer Knight took over to start the third with Florida down 5-1.
Hey, one of those nights.
Florida found itself down 3-0 before Carter Verhagehe found Sam Bennett going to the front of the net midway through the second.
But the Wild scored two more to close the period and take complete control of the game.
The Panthers saw their four-game (3-0-1) point streak snapped and went 1-1-1 on this three-game homestand.
Florida flies to New York on Wednesday and plays the Rangers at the Garden on Thursday.
That will be the first of a five-game road trip which will take them all over New York — and Finland, as well.
After playing in Buffalo on Monday night, the team will fly to Helsinki and play in Sasha Barkov’s hometown of Tampere, Finland, on Nov. 1-2 against the Dallas Stars.
Florida’s next home game will be Nov. 7 against Nashville.
GOALS OF THE GAME
- Wild 1, Panthers 0 (11:40, 1st): Marco Rossi camps out in the slot and deflects a shot from Kirill Kaprizov past Sergei Bobrovsky to get things going.
- Wild 2, Panthers 0 (12:02, 1st): Marcus Johansson one-times a pass from Matt Boldy in the left circle and things ain’t looking good for the Panthers.
- Wild 3, Panthers 0 (2:40, 2nd PP): Boldy tips a point shot from Mats Zuccarello.
- Wild 3, Panthers 1 (11:19, 2nd): Carter Verhaeghe finds Sam Bennett crashing the net and the Panthers have themselves a goal.
- Wild 4, Panthers 1 (13:58, 2nd): Zuccarello one-times a pass from Kaprizov after he pulled Bobrovsky out of the net with a nice wraparound move.
- Wild 5, Panthers 1 (16:05, 2nd): Joel Eriksson Ek scores from the left circle.
FHN’S 3 STARS OF THE GAME
- 1. Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota
- 2. Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota
- 3. Mats Zuccarello, Minnesota
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Proposed Arena Deal Puts Brady Tkachuk in Different Jersey
The Ottawa Senators’ long-awaited push to move downtown has revived more than just arena talk—it has also sparked speculation about the future of captain Brady Tkachuk. On episode 400 of the DFO Rundown podcast, NHL analyst Jason Gregor suggested that the timeline for the Senators’ new home at LeBreton Flats may not line up with Tkachuk’s contract, potentially influencing whether he stays in Ottawa. Tkachuk’s deal, an eight-year, $57.56 million pact signed in 2021, runs through 2028. By then, the Senators’ proposed arena—still facing construction and approval hurdles—might only just be opening. According to reports from the Ottawa Citizen, the building is expected to take at least two years to complete once the land is ready. That mismatch in timing could prove crucial. “Is that building done in three years? Probably not,” Gregor said. “So I’m going to actually sell [on him staying]. By the time that building is done, he’ll have moved on. I get a sense that he might be going to the USA.” Which Team Would Brady Tkachuk Join? It’s key to point out that Brady has never said he has intentions on leaving Ottawa. He’s excited about the upcoming season and working with the team to get better and become a legitimate playoff contender. His contract also includes a full no-move clause. It’s the control over any trade scenario he has that makes this interesting. In the past, he’s been loosely linked to the New York Rangers. In December, “The Post’s Larry Brooks reports the Blueshirts have been in trade talks with multiple teams — with Senators forward Brady Tkachuk their primary target.” The article added, “The 25-year-old Ottawa captain would bring a jolt to the lifeless Rangers lineup and in multiple ways.” Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen later ruled out there being any truth to the speculation. Of course, there is also the Florida Panthers, where Brady’s brother Matthew plays. Matthew loves Florida and is signed until 2030. Could bringing in the younger brother be one of the things that gets both players to sign team-friendly deals and extensions? The Senators have made it clear that Tkachuk remains central to their long-term plans, but without a finished arena to market as a franchise reset, Gregor wonders if Ottawa could face a challenge convincing its captain to stick around for the next chapter.
The Dolphins May Have a Jaylen Wright Problem
The Dolphins May Have a Jaylen Wright Problem Coming out of the University of Tennessee, Jaylen Wright looked to have all of the tools necessary to be successful in the NFL. Speed, power, hard worker, and athletic. His rookie season didn’t go as planned, though. In April 2024, Miami traded a future 3rd round pick to get a pick in Round 4 to select Wright. He entered the season on the depth chart behind Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane. Quickly, though, Mostert fell out of favor with his fumbling problem and sank on the depth chart. But Wright didn’t get many opportunities. Only 68 carries for 249 rushing yards. Many felt he wasn’t utilized enough; now looking back in hindsight, maybe the Dolphins knew something the fans didn’t. It’s 2025 now, training camp is about 4 weeks old, and Wright has yet to stand out, whether in practices or in preseason games. The reports from the training camp practices indicate that he is a non-factor, not making any plays. In the first preseason game against the Chicago Bears, on the opening series with the starters in, he was stuffed three plays in a row at the goalline and was unable to punch it in the endzone. This past Saturday vs the Lions, he had four carries for three yards and a fumble (which Miami did recover). Needless to say, that’s not good. You don’t want to read too much into preseason games, but that is what we have to judge these players on before the regular season, and the results so far aren’t great. And it’s more than just the stats or the training camp reports. Just watch the two preseason games, and it seems there is just a lack of sizzle, so to speak, when the ball is in Wright’s hands. You don’t see a burst, nor any explosiveness. He looks like a JAG (just a guy). On the flip side, Dolphins rookie running back Ollie Gordon is all sizzle. He is all burst. He has shown explosiveness in his running of the football over the past two preseason games. The polar opposite of Jaylen Wright. And, the constant here is that both running backs are running behind the same poor backup offensive linemen. Butch Barry, the Dolphins’ offensive line coach, along with Mike McDaniel, has played the starters very little, and Miami’s lack of depth on the offensive line isn’t great. So neither back has outstanding blocking in front of them. On paper, Jaylen Wright should be hitting his stride in year two and taking on a larger role in this offense. Especially with the news that De’Von Achane will be sidelined for a few days or weeks with a soft tissue injury of some sort. But it’s not happening, and if anything, Ollie Gordon may be passing him on the depth chart really soon. Again, it’s training camp and the preseason, so you don’t want to read too much into things, but right now, if Jaylen Wright were a stock, you would be selling it. Hopefully, he is able to find his game and turn things around, because he is a great kid and has all of the physical talent you want in a player.
Dallas Cowboys' top-rated players for NFL preseason Week 2 vs. Ravens
A 31-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens dropped the Dallas Cowboys to 0-2 this preseason. While the records don't matter, it's still unsettling to see the Cowboys lose a game in such fashion. As was the case in their Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Cowboys were bullied at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. They also saw quarterback Joe Milton III continue to struggle with accuracy. The good news, however, was that several players stood out with solid individual play. Here's a look at which Cowboys graded the highest on offense and defense, according to PFF. Cowboys top-5 rated players on offense Princeton Fant, TE (83.4) Malik Davis, RB (74.6) Jonathan Mingo, WR (70.3) Deuce Vaughn, RB (67.1) John Stephens Jr., TE (66.2) The offense was responsible for just six points, but there were still some bright spots. Princeton Fant had a 33-yard reception and held his own in blocking. Malik Davis showed some burst when he was on the field, and Jonathan Mingo had an excellent catch to set up a field goal. Unfortunately, Mingo was injured on the play but has been one of the bright spots throughout the offseason. Cowboys top-5 rated players on defense Andrew Booth, CB (91.8) Troy Pride Jr., CB (83.8) Jack Sanborn, LB (79.2) Earnest Brown IV, DT (76.7) Kemon Hall, CB (75.6) Andrew Booth not only led the way on defense, but was the highest-graded player on the team. Two other cornerbacks, Troy Pride Jr. and Kemon Hall, made it into the top five as well. Linebacker Jack Sanborn and defensive tackle Earnest Brown IV were there as well. Sanborn had three tackles while Brown recorded two. —
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Progress of young WR could be huge development for Steelers offense
Even though the names of the players on the roster have changed, the Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receiver room is facing the same big question it did a year ago. It is a question of depth. Going into both seasons, they had a very good No. 1 wide receiver (George Pickens a year ago; DK Metcalf this season) and then a lot of uncertainty over who the No. 2 wide receiver would be and if they had enough talent to piece together a solid depth chart. While they could still potentially be in the market for another veteran addition, the emergence of second-year player Roman Wilson this preseason has been one of the biggest early-season developments for the Steelers offense. The Steelers selected Wilson in the third round (No. 84 overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft, but did not get anything out of him during his rookie season due to injury. He appeared in just one game and did not receive a single target. It was the NFL equivalent of a redshirt season. That seems to be rapidly changing this preseason. Not only is Wilson healthy, but he is starting to emerge as a legitimate target in their passing game and has flashed big-time potential in each of the team's first two preseason games. In their first preseason game against Jacksonville, he caught two passes for 24 yards (including a 19-yard reception), and followed that up with a two-catch, 72-yard performance against Tampa Bay on Saturday. That included a 42-yard catch from Mason Rudolph, where he showed his ability to get downfield. He also demonstrated his ability to get open over the middle later in the game for a 30-yard reception from Skylar Thompson. Wilson has the potential to be a real X-factor in the Steelers' passing game. Even though Metcalf is new to the offense, he is a proven veteran, and there should be some expectation as to what he can do. They know they have at least one good option. They also have a very deep group of tight ends with Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith and Darnell Washington on their depth chart. But they still need another wide receiver to emerge and take some of the pressure and attention away from Metcalf. Wilson doesn't have big-time size (5-10, 186 pounds), but he ran a 4.3 40 at the combine, is a willing blocker and can line up both outside and in the slot. There is serious potential with him, and he is finally starting to show it after what was a lost rookie season. If he can keep building on this preseason performance, it will give quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers offense a much-needed playmaker. He is certainly off to a promising start.
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