Kevin Kurz of The Athletic: The Philadelphia Flyers have two pending UFAs in forward Andrei Kuzmenko and defenseman Erik Johnson.
A team or two might have an interest in Kuzmenko, who is two years removed from a 39-goal season. Kuzmenko is feeling the pressure of a ‘new’ team and being a pending UFA.
“So (few) games left, it’s a very short schedule for me to (a) new team. It’s not easy,” Kuzmenko told The Athletic after a practice on Monday. “If I think about what is (the) future, where I play — it’s not good for me.”
Flyers coach John Tortorella wants Kuzmenko to shoot more, which would help his chances of remaining past the deadline. If he’s not traded at the deadline, the focus will turn to whether there is a long-term fit or not.
Anthony Di Marco: The New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators are two new teams to be added the Scott Laughton rumor mill. That puts it up to about seven teams with some interest. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets are two of the other teams.
Jackie Spiegel: There are teams that would love to add Flyers forward Scott Laughton for their playoff run. Flyers GM Daniel Briere said “We are not actively shopping him.”
Pierre LeBrun: Seattle Kraken pending UFA forward Brandon Tanev is generating plenty of interest. Stanley Cup contenders, as well as some bubble teams, have some level of interest.
Tanev has a modified no-trade clause, and it sounds like he would prefer that if traded, it would be to one of the top contenders.
If/when he gets to free agency, he’d be open to different fits. The Ottawa Senators could be one possible example of what he might consider in free agency.
More must-reads:
The Toronto Maple Leafs may not be done reshaping their forward group, and analyst Jay Rosehill believes a bold trade for New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck could be the answer. Speaking on LeafsNation, Rosehill said Trocheck would be a perfect fit in Toronto’s middle-six. “He’s 32 years old, so he’s got the experience. I just think that you put him in this lineup, he would fit.” Rosehill added, “It’s like there’s kind of a big missing piece in this forward group, kind of in that middle-six type of deal. And to fill it with a high-end guy like Trocheck, it would just be like, the balance would just be humming.” h/t to nyrangersinsider.com With Mitch Marner gone via free agency, the Leafs have added depth pieces like Nic Roy and Mattias Maccelli. But GM Brad Treliving admitted on July 1 that the team still needs a top-six forward. Trocheck just posted a 59-point season (26 goals, 33 assists). He’s an offensively productive player, can play with an edge, and has playoff experience. He’s also under contract for four more seasons at a $5.625 million cap hit, meaning the cost to acquire him would be significant. Still, he could provide Toronto with long-term stability up front. With his high-energy style and proven postseason impact, he’s exactly the type of player Toronto needs to help push for a Stanley Cup.
Left-handed starting pitcher Blake Snell is in his tenth major-league season after making his debut with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2016. Snell spent time with the San Diego Padres, then signed a deal with the San Francisco Giants after the 2023 season, which he later opted out of to enter free agency in 2024. The 32-year-old veteran signed a five-year, $182 million contract this offseason with the Los Angeles Dodgers after an exceptional 2024 campaign. Snell earned such a lucrative contract thanks to his outstanding career to date, which includes two Cy Young Awards and an All-Star appearance. Over 213 career starts, he owns a 77–58 record, a 3.18 ERA and 1,372 strikeouts. Snell was placed on the injured list on April 6 (retroactive to April 3) with left shoulder inflammation after experiencing discomfort during a bullpen session; he had made only two starts for the Dodgers before the injury. After four minor-league rehab outings, manager Dave Roberts announced on Sunday that Snell is expected to rejoin the rotation next week. With his return looming, the Dodgers have decided to shift to a six-man rotation but now face a decision on right-hander Dustin May’s roster status. May returned to a full-time starting role for the first time in two seasons and has struggled. On Sunday against the Boston Red Sox, May allowed four runs in five innings of work, and he entered the start with an ERA of 4.73. May’s name has surfaced in trade rumors, and he is a candidate to potentially be moved to the bullpen. He is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.
There may be more to Christian Wilkins’ recent surprise release from the Las Vegas Raiders. NFL reporter Josina Anderson reported Saturday that "some sources believe an incident involving a teammate may have factored in-part into the Raiders' fatigue and release" of Wilkins. The nature of the incident is not clear. However, many believe the Raiders had a very good reason to move on from Wilkins considering the money they had invested in him. It also suggests the Raiders saw no alternative if they went straight to a release. Wilkins was dumped by the Raiders just one year into a four-year, $110 million deal. The Raiders suggested Wilkins failed to take rehab seriously as he tries to work his way back from a foot injury. Other teams do not appear to have the same concerns about Wilkins as the Raiders did, and he should find a new landing spot fairly easily. That is one of the reasons some suspect there is more to the Raiders’ decision than they are publicly saying.
New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart is fiery. New York wide receiver Malik Nabers learned that during an intense pickup basketball game. During a Friday interview with Bleacher Report, Nabers revealed he and Dart "got into it" during a pickup game at Giants QB Russell Wilson's house this summer. The second-year WR said he got into the rookie passer's face, asking what he was "going to do?" He then showed the pass-catcher he wasn't going to back down. "I stepped right back to him, no hesitation at all," Dart said Sunday at training camp, via Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com and The Record. "I don't ever want to be in a position where I'm gonna lose, so [Malik] challenged me, I challenged him right back. If you're not going to give it you're all in everything you do, then you're probably gonna lose." In doing so, Dart earned the respect of Nabers. Asked his opinion of the 22-year-old QB, the one-time Pro Bowler said he's "a dog." Dart's confidence is one key reason he's making progress at training camp after a rocky start. The Ole Miss product threw a pick-six on his first pass of 11-on-11 drills on July 23. During his fourth practice on Sunday, however, he looked much sharper. According to Stapleton, he went 11-of-13 during team drills, despite rainy weather at the team's facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Dart isn't expected to be the team's QB1 this season. The Giants signed Wilson, a Super Bowl champion, to a one-year deal in free agency. Head coach Brian Daboll confirmed he's the starter at the start of camp. The Giants still want Dart to become the guy. New York traded back into the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft to grab him with pick No. 25. It bodes well for New York that Dart is already improving. It's also good that Nabers — who led the team in receiving yards (1,204 in 15 games) last season— is gravitating toward him.
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