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The Calgary Flames are in a weird position at this point in the 2024-25 season. After entering the season with little to no expectations and the belief they’ll continue their rebuild, they have proven everyone wrong and are pushing for a playoff spot while making moves that have fans believing they might be trying to make a deep push into the postseason.
They recently traded Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, and two draft picks to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost which bolsters their forward depth and gives them two proven players who should be able to help them make a deep postseason run should they crack a playoff spot. In a recent segment on TSN’s Insider Trading, it was revealed that they may not be done making moves just yet and have interest in Buffalo Sabres’ forward Dylan Cozens.
Cozens, who is 23 years old, has scored 10 goals and added 16 assists for 26 points through 53 games this season. He has 333 career games under his belt scoring 76 goals and adding 116 assists for 192 points which comes out to a 0.58 points-per-game average. His offensive ability has improved this season and his defensive game has always been solid enough to be considered a strong two-way forward, and the Flames could utilize him as a middle-six forward as they look to contend for a Stanley Cup.
The main issue with trying to acquire Cozens is his cap hit because it sits at $7.1 million annually and he is extended through the 2029-30 season. The positive thing for the Flames is that they will have north of $80 million in cap space at the 2025 Trade Deadline. The other issue with trying to bring him in though is the asking price, as any trade for Cozens is likely going to cost the Flames a first-round pick, a second-round pick, an NHL-ready player, and a couple of prospects at the bare minimum. Either way, it seems like they’re interested.
Cozens Could Be Great Fit for Flames, But Other Teams Interested
The Flames could be a great fit for him and could also have leverage over other teams who are interested in him considering they can afford to bring him his entire cap hit. As mentioned in the segment, other teams remain interested in trading for him and could still sweep in to make a deal, but the Flames were specifically mentioned as a team with a serious interest in making a “hockey trade” to bring him in.
It may cost the Flames a lot to bring Cozens in, but it’s something they should strongly pursue if there is truly an opportunity to acquire him. He is an elite forward at both ends of the ice and could elevate his game even more with stronger teammates and a more positive mindset considering the Sabres haven’t been near a playoff spot since he joined them, and the Flames are in a spot where they can contend.
The Sabres would likely be looking for one of Rory Kerins, Connor Zary, or Matt Coronato as part of the return for Cozens which makes it a hefty asking price, but a player like Cozens doesn’t come around very often and with his potential to be a first-line centre, they should be all over him at the 2025 Trade Deadline. Time will tell if a deal gets done, but with a little over a month left before the deadline, teams have plenty of time to convince the Sabres to entertain their trade offers.
As the 2024-25 season moves along, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news from around the NHL and the hockey world.
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Red Wings Announce Major Change for Their 100th Season and Fans Are Fired Up
The Red Wings have announced that they are bringing back their iconic 'Hockeytown' logo to center ice at Little Caesars Arena for their 100th year in the NHL. A somewhat familiar look is coming back to center ice at Little Caesars Arena, which has been the home of the Detroit Red Wings since 2017. A special fan polling has resulted in the announcement that the iconic former 'Hockeytown' logo from Joe Louis Arena, their former home, is coming back as part of a new special logo for the team's 100th year. Asia Gholston, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing for Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, released the following statement. The center ice fan vote, launched in partnership with Meijer, was a great way to get fans involved in Red Wings Centennial right from the start. Through an incredible response to this vote, fans have made it clear they're fired up for what's to come in celebrating 100 years of Hockeytown, which is only possible due to their unwavering support for the Winged Wheel. The Red Wings featured the 'Hockeytown' logo at Joe Louis Arena in 1996, which remained until the building's closure in 2017. The Red Wings then used the same logo in their 1st year at Little Caesars Arena, but since then have just utilized a large team logo. The Red Wings celebrate their 100th year in the NHL The Red Wings were founded in 1926, but are in the midst of the longest drought of postseason hockey in their history. Considering that they've now been around for 100 years, that postseason absence is a surprising statistic. Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has started to feel some heat for having not been able to get the team to the postseason in each of his first 6 years on the job.
Standout performances from Week 1 of NFL preseason: Rookie, backup QBs shine
The first week of the 2025 NFL preseason is officially in the books. Even though the games and results do not matter, there is still reason to pay attention to standout performances from around the league. Here are some of the best from this week's games. TreVeyon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots The Patriots need some game-changers on offense, and they may have found one in second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson put on an immediate show in the Patriots' preseason opener, returning the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, rushing for 18 yards on his only carry and catching three passes. Skylar Thompson, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers Thompson is not likely to make the Steelers roster, but that doesn't mean he can't find a spot on another team. Especially if he puts together a strong preseason performance. He did exactly that on Saturday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars, completing 20-of-28 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns. With Aaron Rodgers unlikely to play in the preseason and Will Howard injured, Thompson should get plenty of reps to audition for other teams. Tanner McKee, QB, Philadelphia Eagles Following the offseason trade of Kenny Pickett, McKee is now pretty much cemented in as the Eagles' backup, and he had to give them a lot of confidence in his ability following his preseason performance against the Bengals. McKee torched the Bengals defense to the tune of 20-of-25 passing for 252 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. It is a nice continuation for McKee following his promising debut a year ago when he threw for 323 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions in his two appearances. Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams The Rams already have a starting running back in Kyren Williams, but there is nothing wrong with having a second productive player at the position. Corum didn't make the expected impact in his rookie season, but he had a promising preseason debut this year with two touchdowns in the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys. Rookie quarterbacks Cleveland's Shedeur Sanders got the week off to a promising start by throwing two touchdowns against Carolina, taking a big step forward in his quest to win the team's starting quarterback job and to silence the critics following his slide in the draft. Jaxson Dart, one of the Giants' first-round picks, also had a strong showing by going 12-of-19 with 154 yards and a very impressive touchdown pass. Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, also had a strong debut by leading a touchdown drive and developing an instant connection with veteran wide receiver Calvin Ridley. Abdul Carter, DE, New York Giants Carter did not play a ton of snaps for the Giants, but he was a force when he did play. He recorded a quarterback pressure on all three of his pass-rush snaps and showed the type of quickness and speed that made him one of the best players in the 2025 NFL Draft class. Cam Little, K, Jacksonville Jaguars Look, when you kick a 70-yard field goal, you deserve to get some added recognition, whether it counts as an official league record or not. Little made all four field goal attempts, as well as an extra point, in the Jaguars' preseason debut.
Atlanta Dream Coach Has Strong Words for Brittney Griner on Sunday
The Atlanta Dream returned one of their most prized possessions, Brittney Griner, for a matchup against the Phoenix Mercury. Griner had missed three straight games ahead of the team's matchup against Phoenix. She was working through a neck injury that kept her sidelined, joining Rhyne Howard as another Dream star to be dealt an unfortunate injury. After missing three straight games, Griner returned to the lineup to play her former team, helping Atlanta earn a 74-66 victory over the Mercury. Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko discussed the return of Griner after the game, mentioning that she had a great performance against one of the best teams in the WNBA. "I thought BG was great," Smesko said. "She was moving great. She looked really good out there. Defensively, she was excellent. She was controlling the point. I thought really good first game back for her." Griner finished the win over the Phoenix Mercury with two points, two rebounds and one assist. She capped off the night playing 13 minutes in her first game back with the Atlanta Dream. Griner is currently playing in her first season with the Dream, looking to help lead Atlanta to a WNBA title alongside stars Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. While the Dream have dealt with several injuries and setbacks during the season, they have climbed up the league standings, holding the No. 3 slot in the entire WNBA. Throughout her first season with the Dream, Brittney Griner has posted 10.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.
Steelers Rookie Kaleb Johnson Gets Very Honest Rating In First Game Against Jacksonville
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted running back Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Johnson comes to the Steel City after a tremendous career at Iowa, where he routinely faced stacked defensive fronts and still found ways to excel. The Steelers clearly believe he has the physicality, vision, and work ethic to contribute right away, especially in an offense that prides itself on a strong running game. In the Steelers’ first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh came away with a 31-25 victory. Johnson saw limited but notable action, carrying the football eight times for 20 yards and catching one pass for six yards. While his stat line didn’t jump off the page, his debut provided the coaching staff with an initial look at how he adjusts to NFL speed and physicality. Following the game, former Steelers two-time Super Bowl champion Chris Hoke appeared on the KDKA Nightly Sports Call to give his honest assessment of Johnson’s first NFL outing. Hoke noted that while Johnson showed flashes of his college toughness, he still needs to work on reading NFL-level defenses and hitting the hole with more urgency. He emphasized that preseason is about learning and adapting, and that Johnson has the tools to grow into a productive player for Pittsburgh if he embraces the grind. "On the one sack earlier in the game, Mason [Rudolph] wanted to check it down to him and he stayed in to protect," Hoke said Saturday on the KDKA Nightly Sports Call. "There's been a lot of talk about, 'Can Kaleb Johnson protect?' That's a big part of why he needs to be out there getting these reps, because he needs to protect Aaron Rodgers in the regular season. He stayed in there too long, didn't leak out for the safety valve, but Kaleb Johnson broke tackles." Hoke, as a whole, sounded very pleased with what he saw from Johnson. While the stats were not impressive, the eye test revealed Johnson’s burst and vision. Perhaps his best moment came when he planted Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter into the turf. Hoke acknowledged that Johnson still has plenty to work on but expressed confidence that he can get there. "A lot of times when you are a running back and you get to a hole, you are going to have a guy there," Hoke continued. "You've got to make the first guy miss. He stiffed-arm, he got outside, got some positive yardage when a lot of times we saw last year running backs were going down on contact at the first guy. So, I really like what I see from Kaleb Johnson." The Steelers’ running back room looks noticeably different heading into the 2025 season. Like several other key positions on the roster, it underwent a complete overhaul. Pittsburgh will open the year with a one-two punch of Jaylen Warren and Johnson, though many analysts believe Johnson could begin stealing carries from Warren as the season progresses and eventually emerge as the lead back. Steelers Could Have A Punishing Rushing Attack In addition to Warren and Johnson, the Steelers added veteran running back Kenneth Gainwell in the offseason. Fresh off a Super Bowl victory with the Philadelphia Eagles, Gainwell brings playoff experience and versatility to the group. Together, this trio will be the foundation that Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith and Head Coach Mike Tomlin lean on to power the offense. If the Steelers are serious about being legitimate contenders in 2025, their ground game will need to set the tone early and often. With Smith’s physical, run-first philosophy and a backfield that blends youth, experience, and explosiveness, Pittsburgh has the pieces to build one of the most punishing rushing attacks in the league.
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