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The Vegas Golden Knights will shore up some depth at the forward position as player agent Dan Milstein reports the team has signed forward Zach Aston-Reese worth $775K at the NHL level and $475K in the AHL. They’re also bringing in depth forward Tanner Laczynski on a two-year, one-way deal worth $775K, per PuckPedia.
This move continues Aston-Reese’s journey across the NHL, with his last stop coming on a two-way deal with the Detroit Red Wings. Aston-Reese spent the bulk of that deal in the AHL, recording 14 goals and 30 points in 61 appearances and adding two points in nine playoff games. It was a down year, underlined by Aston-Reese’s lack of scoring through three NHL appearances.
Aston-Reese was once a stoutly-valued fourth-liner, staking his claim with five meager years with the Pittsburgh Penguins between 2017-22. He was traded to the Anaheim Ducks ahead of the 2023 trade deadline as a part of a package for Rickard Rakell that also featured goaltender Calle Clang, forward Dominik Simon and the second-round pick used to select top defense prospect Tristan Luneau.
Aston-Reese would play in just 17 games with the Ducks, posting four points, before leaving the team for the Toronto Maple Leafs in free agency. Toronto brought Aston-Reese a career-high 77 games, though his scoring remained meager, at just 14 points. Now in Vegas, Aston-Reese should provide an added layer of forward depth, though his overall NHL upside appears to be close to snuffed out.
Vegas also adds Laczynski for the same depth purposes, signing him after a breakout season in the AHL that saw Laczynski post 17 goals and 44 points in 49 games. It was the first high-scoring year of Laczynski’s professional career, which has been hampered at all levels by injury since his debut in the 2020-21 season. He’s suffered a string of hip and lower-body injuries, even requiring two separate hip surgeries in 2021. A healthy year ahead could pay dividends for Laczynski and the Golden Knights – with scoring upside evident but a full season hard to come by.
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Top Insider Expects Maple Leafs to Take Major Swing' to Improve Their Roster
Insider Nick Alberga stated in a report posted on Leafs Nation that the Toronto Maple Leafs will take a 'major swing' to improve their roster next summer. After seeing Mitch Marner sign a long-term contract with the Vegas Golden Knights, it's safe to say that Toronto Maple Leafs fans have seen their favorite team in better shape. Marner scored nearly 100 points a season since joining the team, and won't be easily replaced, this year at least. While there are some interesting names out there, the Leafs don't have many trade assets, and already used the cap space created by Marner's departure to sign three other players: Dakota Joshua, Matias Maccelli, Michael Pezzetta. Combining all their salaries, along with Roy's, nearly matches the one the Leafs were paying Marner last year. Although these players could play a big role in Toronto next season, they're no Mitch Marner. The insider Nick Alberga revealed in a recent paper published on Leafs Nation that the General Manager of the team Brad Treliving could be waiting for next summer before making a big acquisition that would change the face of his team. Indeed, in less than a year, one of the most impressive free agent classes will enter the market, with names such as Martin Necas, Alex Tuch, Adrian Kempe, Mike Matheson, and many more. Please note that other big picture players such as Connor McDavid and Lane Hutson weren't included in the list because it would be surprising to see them enter the market in spite of their current contracts expiring at the end of the next season. With the raise in the NHL cap, the Leafs will have around $24 million available next summer, indicating a big acquisition isn't off the table for Treliving and Toronto. The expectations will be high in Toronto. The 2026 summer will be a crucial offseason for the Leafs. After the next season, there will only be two years remaining on Auston Matthews' $13M AAV deal. If nothing happens in that window, fans won't be happy, and management will likely take another route, once again.
Five potential landing spots for Christian Wilkins after stunning Raiders release
The Las Vegas Raiders just stunned the league by releasing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins after only one year with the team. After signing a four-year, $110 million contract, he struggled with injuries in 2024. This was supposed to be a big bounce-back year for Wilkins, but after a dispute between the two sides in regard to how to handle his foot injury, the team decided it was best to part ways. Now, a premier interior disruptor is suddenly available. Assuming his medicals get checked out soon, there should be a lot of interest around the league. Where should he land? Dallas Cowboys Dallas has needed a dominant interior presence for quite some time. Osa Odighizuwa is an awesome threat, but he is only solid against the run. Alongside him, the team will be banking heavily on 2023 first-rounder Mazi Smith, who has been disappointing so far. With Dallas looking to return to the playoffs, adding a stud like Wilkins could give Dallas one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. San Francisco 49ers The 49ers added some young bodies in CJ West and Alfred Collins, yet neither offer a proven, all-around talent like Wilkins could if healthy. The 49ers defensive line was horrid outside of Nick Bosa in 2024, but by adding Wilkins, the team would now have a solid cast of starters with Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, Wilkins and Kevin Givens/Jordan Elliott. Miami Dolphins A return to Miami makes a ton of sense for both sides. The Dolphins know exactly how to use Wilkins, he knows the building and players, and the transition would be very easy. Miami needs help in the interior defensive line; by plugging Wilkins back into his old role, he could offer the quickest path to high-level impact. Detroit Lions With Levi Onwuzurike out with injury and Detroit needing more juice on the defensive line, adding a proven disruptor like Wilkins could make some sense. He could provide more depth while he gets fully healthy, and he can join a legit Super Bowl contender. His energy and mentality could be a good fit for a Dan Campbell-led squad. Jacksonville Jaguars The Jaguars defense is average in the interior, but they have excellent edge-rushers who would benefit greatly from a strong disruptor up the middle. Wilkins could balance the front, help in the run defense and allow more one-on-ones for their premier edge-rushers. For a team that wants to return to the playoffs as soon as possible, adding a veteran like Wilkins could be a worthy bet to make.
Seattle Storm Get Big Boost for Sky Game Amid Unexpected Angel Reese News
The Seattle Storm are looking to make things right after Tuesday’s 87-63 blowout loss to Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings. They get a chance to do so on Thursday when they return to action against the Chicago Sky in a road game at Wintrust Arena. The Storm got a big boost ahead of the Sky matchup, which comes in the form of seven-time All-Star Skylar Diggins returning to action after a one-game absence. After registering the first triple-double in WNBA All-Star Game history on Saturday, Diggins was unable to suit up against Dallas on Tuesday due to personal reasons. The 5-foot-9 guard was not listed on Seattle’s injury report for the Sky game, though, which means that Diggins should be back in the starting lineup come Thursday. This is a crucial development for the Storm, who will be looking to improve on their 14-10 record. In 23 games played this season, Diggins has produced averages of 17.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.5 triples per game. Chicago Sky List Angel Reese as Questionable to Play Against the Seattle Storm While the Storm got some good news ahead of Thursday’s clash, the same cannot be said for the Sky. This is after two-time All-Star forward Angel Reese was added to the injury report with a back problem. The silver lining is that Reese, who missed Chicago’s last game before the All-Star break with a leg injury, is listed as questionable to play, which means that there’s still a chance that she’s able to suit up against Seattle. Reese looked fine on Tuesday as Chicago suffered a 91-68 blowout loss to the Minnesota Lynx, posting an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. It is unclear exactly when Reese sustained the injury, but it has now placed her status against Seattle in jeopardy. It is worth noting that Michaela Onyenwere (knee) and Ariel Atkins (leg) have also been ruled out for the Storm game, as they continue to recover from respective injuries. This only means that Chicago will be significantly shorthanded on Thursday, especially if Reese also ends up sitting out.
Brewers To Keep All-Star Despite Wild Trade Rumors
The Milwaukee Brewers have been the subject of plenty of noise ahead of the trade deadline. Milwaukee has been great and has a 61-41 record, but there was chatter about the possibility of cutting ties with some of the big names on the roster until very recently. It hasn't made much sense from the beginning because the Brewers have been good overall this season, but they are a small-market club so there's been plenty of buzz about sending guys to teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers or New York Yankees or other teams like that. Freddy Peralta specifically has been at the middle of the weird noise, but a deal doesn't seem likely. Robert Murray of FanSided is the latest to say a deal is unlikely. "They have baseball’s best record (61-41)," Murray said. "They have veteran Christian Yelich and breakout young stars Jackson Chourio and Jacob Misiorowski. They have Pat Murphy, the midseason favorite to win National League Manager of the Year. And they have Freddy Peralta, who is highly unlikely to be traded this season but has an uncertain future in Milwaukee beyond 2025. "A player such as, say, Eugenio Suarez would be a terrific fit and would further bolster the Brewers’ World Series aspirations. In addition to potentially adding a corner infielder, sources say Milwaukee is open to upgrading the backup catcher position and adding an optionable reliever." Milwaukee is a true World Series contender. At this point, it doesn't make any sense at all to trade away guys who can help this season.
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