What a 2024-25 season it has been so far for the 31-year-old Florida native Shayne Gostisbehere. The Carolina Hurricanes brought him back for a second stint for the franchise after trading him during the 2023 Trade Deadline. This time, however, they signed him to a three-year, $9.6 million deal with an annual average value (AAV) of $3.2 million. In 35 games back with the Hurricanes in season one, he has shown why the team signed him to the contract that keeps him with the Hurricanes through the 2026-27 season.
When the Hurricanes signed Gostisbehere, or “Ghost” as teammates and fans call him, general manager Eric Tulsky stated, “We’re thrilled to bring Shayne back to Raleigh. He’s an elite passer and power-play specialist, and we think his familiarity with our organization will make him an excellent fit for us.”
He has been an excellent fit in the first 35 games. His first stint saw him record 10 points in 23 regular season games; this season, he has 27 points, with 21 of them being assists. Gostisbehere leads all defensemen on the Hurricanes in goals (six), assists (21), and points (27). Furthermore, he is second in power-play points (18) only one behind Martin Necas. In terms of all the NHL, Gostisbehere is only one power-play point behind the Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar.
The current record for most points in a season by a defenseman for the Hurricanes is 61, set by Brent Burns in 2021-22. Gostisbehere was on pace to beat it with 63. However, he suffered an upper-body injury during the Dec. 28 game against the New Jersey Devils and is currently listed as day-to-day, as per head coach Rod Brind’amour.
Gostisbehere’s impressive numbers have him third on the team in points only behind Sebastian Aho (38) and Necas (44). He has more than proven why the Hurricanes wanted to bring him back to a team-friendly deal for the next three seasons. People were sad to see Brady Skjei ($7 million AAV) and Brett Pesce ($5.5 million AAV) leave but the team was not willing to pay that much money while having to figure out other contracts as well i.e. Seth Jarvis and Jaccob Slavin. By bringing in Gostisbehere, they were got a top-unit power-play quarterback to replace Skjei for an AAV that gives the team flexibility and bang for their buck.
Gostisbehere, while being known for being an offensively-focused defenseman, has shown glimpses of fitting into the Hurricanes defensive structure under assistant coach Tim Gleason. The defense is structured to contribute in the transition from the defensive zone to the offensive side of the ice with quick plays. They are to push the offense from the defense and put pucks on the net. They are to be aggressive and put pressure on the forecheck. Also, speed is key and Gostisbehere has underrated wheels that can push the play into the offensive zone, especially on the power play. His position on the top power play allows him to showcase his skillset for the special teams, for Brind’amour, and his staff.
While the injury timetable is unknown, hopefully, Gostisbehere will not be out for a long while. He is a huge component of the Hurricanes and is someone they will need back sooner rather than later, fully healthy of course. Ty Smith is taking over for him and was solid in his first game as his replacement. It will be interesting to see how he does for a few games with Gostisbehere out. Either way, we hope for Gostisbehere’s safe and speedy recovery.
The Hurricanes’ last game in 2024 will be on New Year’s Eve in Columbus against the Blue Jackets. Due to the Winter Classic and the NHL wanting to spread out games around it, the puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern. For the seventh time in the last eight games to close out 2024, it is another Metropolitan Division showdown for the Hurricanes.
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Juraj Slafkovsky is one of the most promising players in the NHL, but now he has been called out by David Pastrnak, who stated he lacks humility. After being picked No. 1 overall in 2022 NHL Draft, expectations were high in Montreal for young star Juraj Slafkovsky, and thus far, he's shown glimpses of being the elite level player many expected when he entered the National Hockey League. However, there are still some major steps to go, and in a recent interview, Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak pointed out perhaps one area where the 21-year old may need to improve moving forward. When asked about Slafkovsky and his potential, Pastrnak gave nothing but a glowing review of the young Canadiens star, but he did note that he believes Slafkovsky needs more humility. 'He's still a young player who is gaining experience in the NHL every year. This season it was already clear that he gave the team more than before...He just needs a little more humility, he should set an example for the young ones.' On the ice, there's no doubting that Slafkovsky has the presence, the size and the talent to be a true star, posting 101 total points over the past two seasons, but for whatever reason, it appears as though Pastrnak believes he needs to improve off the ice before he can take a major leap in Montreal. Ultimately, the talent is still there for Slafkovsky, and at 21-years old, he'll continue to learn off the ice, and if he can go anywhere close to living up to the potential that he's shown in his first three years at the NHL level, there's no doubt that he can be a big time star and help lead the Canadiens to significant post-season success.
The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired one of baseball's premier relievers to bolster their bullpen. In a trade with the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto is adding Seranthony Dominguez to its pitching staff, according to MLB.com's Keegan Matheson. While the move solidifies the Blue Jays' status as buyers, it's the timing of the transaction that stands out. The Orioles finished a 16-4 walloping of the Blue Jays just hours before the deal went down, and while it's not unheard of to see a player traded to a franchise his former team is visiting, the fact that the two teams will face off again Tuesday night at 6:35 PM EST makes this a truly unique swap. Dominguez may not suit up in his first official contest as a Blue Jay, but he will be switching clubhouses before the second half of the team's doubleheader. It won't take long for the veteran reliever to make an impact, either, as bullpen production has stood out for a Toronto team that has been dominating in most aspects of the game. In 43 appearances with the Orioles this season, Dominguez has posted a respectable 3.24 ERA over 41.2 innings. He hasn't quite returned to the impressive form he was in with the Phillies from 2018 to 2022, but the value is obvious for a team hoping to capture its third World Series in franchise history. The rebuilding Orioles acquired right-handed pitching prospect Juaron Watts-Brown, who was ranked as Toronto's 10th-best prospect in the latest MLB Pipeline team Top 30 Prospects list. The 23-year-old has gone 2-5 over 19 starts across High-A and Double-A this year, posting a combined 3.54 ERA while striking out 115 over 89 innings. As two teams heading in vastly different directions this season, it's a sensible move for both sides. Dominguez is an unrestricted free agent after this season, making him a rental for Toronto down the stretch. If Watts-Brown continues to show promise, though, the trade could ultimately be deemed a win for Baltimore.
Cincinnati Bengals star defensive end Trey Hendrickson has been holding out from training camp as he seeks a new contract, and it does not sound like the two sides are all that close to a deal. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on "SportsCenter" Monday that there has been "some progress" in negotiations between the Bengals and Hendrickson's representatives over the past week or so. The real disagreement has to do with guaranteed money, and Cincinnati's brass is not budging. "Hendrickson wants a stronger guaranteed structure, particularly later in what should be a multiyear deal. In talking to people with the Bengals they feel like, 'Hey, we've probably relented as far as we can go.' So this is a classic stare-off right now, and it's time to buckle up," Fowler said, via Andrew Peters of Bleacher Report. Hendrickson is set to earn $16M in base salary in the final year of his contract this season. He recently said he has shown a willingness to take less than market value on a new deal, but the Bengals do not want to guarantee him money beyond the 2026 season. Based on what he has said, the 30-year-old Hendrickson is not seeking to become the highest-paid defensive player in football. In order to accomplish that, he would have to top the three-year, $123M extension T.J. Watt signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Hendrickson had 35 sacks over the past two seasons, which was the most in the NFL during that span. He had 17.5 sacks each season and finished second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024. The Bengals took care of one major offseason issue on Sunday when they finally signed first-round pick Shemar Stewart to a rookie deal. All it will take is one side to budge in the team's ongoing stalemate with Hendrickson, but all parties seem to be dug in as training camp rolls on.
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones was a virtual nonfactor against the Packers last season, but Green Bay may be seeing a little less of the veteran back in the pair of meetings against their NFC North rivals this season. In two games against the Packers, Jones rushed for 140 yards but failed to reach the end zone in either game, as the Vikings swept the season series against Green Bay. However, there’s a chance Jones may already have been supplanted in Minnesota’s backfield. Ex-Packers RB Aaron Jones Splitting Reps with Jordan Mason Early in Vikings training camp, Jones might be losing his grip on Minnesota’s No. 1 running back role. Multiple reports say Jones is splitting carries with Vikings newcomer Jordan Mason, who Minnesota acquired in an offseason trade with the San Francisco 49ers. “The news is noteworthy but not particularly surprising,” Ryan Smith points out for Pro Football Focus. “Given that the team traded for Mason in March and then signed him to a two-year, $7 million fully guaranteed deal that could reach up to $12 million. Seifert believes that Mason and former Pro Bowler Aaron Jones will have a near 50-50 split in terms of playing time this season. “Last year, both Jones (76.5 PFF rushing grade) and Mason (76.1) ranked among the top 20 running backs in the league in PFF rushing grade. Jones has shown the ability to be a more dangerous threat through the air, as evidenced by his 70.6 PFF receiving grade last year and nearly 2,500 career receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.” Jones, in his first season with the Vikings, rushed for a career-high 1,138 yards and five touchdowns. If Minnesota takes a backfield by committee approach, it could bring out the best in both backs, after Jones was the Vikings’ lead-dog in 2024 and Mason wound up emerging as an explosive option in San Francisco after Christian McCaffrey’s season-ending injuries.