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The New Jersey Devils snapped a losing streak with a victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. The win ended a three-game skid for the Devils, and hopefully will help the team find the right path as the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs approach.
Powering the Devils victory was second-year defender Luke Hughes. The 21-year-old puck mover is the future of the team's blue line, but he's moving that timeline up with each passing game.
In the wake of Dougie Hamilton's regular season ending injury, the Devils have thrust Hughes into a top role. He's played 22 minutes of ice time or more in 13 of the last 14 games, forming the new top pair alongside Brett Pesce.
Hughes's production grabs attention. In 64 games, he has six goals and 32 assists for 38 points, 25 of which have come at even strength. That's the same total of even strength points Hamilton recorded in his 63 games before injury. In short, Hughes has come in and essentially replaced Hamilton's production as the number one defender.
Hughes is not a one-trick pony, however. Speed and puck movement are what separate him from the pack, but he's as impressive in his own end. For a player in just his second year in the NHL, he's shown wisdom beyond his years in the defensive zone. He's blocked 58 shots and the Devils are controlling 55% of the shots on goal when he's on the ice.
While he's not a hulking and bruising defender, where he excels is play recognition and puck retrieval. He can read an offensive play as it develops, which helps him stay in the right position. From there, he can poke check, take the body, and block a passing late more effectively.
Due to his speed and poise with the puck, he's excellent at retrieving dump ins and starting the breakout. In effect, he's able to neutralize opposition attacks by reversing the play back the other way.
In many ways, this opportunity for Hughes has rounded out his game. He's shown he can be a consistent producer on offense, record multi-point games, and contribute to their power play. He's also shown an adept ability to defend and play difficult minutes. This development gives the Devils hope that they can find their way back to their game before the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin.
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Two Maple Leafs defensemen emerge on insider's latest trade board
The trade winds are finally starting to blow across the NHL. With one week to go until American Thanksgiving, general managers have seen enough action to determine whether their roster needs a shake-up. Right in the thick of those discussions are the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have been mired in an underwhelming and now injury-riddled first 20 games of the season. Because of that, it’s become public knowledge that Brad Treliving wants to make changes, and while we all know who’s off limits in Toronto, TSN insider Chris Johnston revealed who’s available for the taking as his latest trade board included defensemen Brandon Carlo and Morgan Rielly. He provided these details on the two Maple Leafs’ blue-liners: “Traded from Boston to Toronto ahead of last year’s deadline, Carlo is among a small handful of players who could bring the struggling Leafs back surplus value in a shakeup deal. Of course, they’d also be immediately looking for another sturdy defender who can patrol the right side if they elect to go down that road.” He added: “The longest-tenured member of the Maple Leafs owns a no-movement clause and no apparent desire for a change of scenery. However, a tough start to the season in Toronto has left management looking at all options. Rielly had a heart-to-heart with GM Brad Treliving in May and responded with a big summer, but the team is still searching for the right mix on its blue line,” Johnston said of Rielly. The 28-year-old Carlo is in the fifth season of the six-year, $24.6 million extension he signed with the Bruins in 2021, while the 31-year-old Rielly is in year four of the eight-year, $60 million extension he inked with the Maple Leafs in 2021. Morgan Rielly no longer untouchable? While Carlo being on the block is understandable, given his struggles to find a fit in Toronto, Rielly’s name appearing on trade boards is very interesting. The 2012 fifth-overall pick has been viewed as part of the Maple Leafs’ core and untouchable in any trade discussions. However, that appears to have changed, as first, it was Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman not listing Rielly as an untouchable on Monday, and now, Johnston has the veteran at No. 25 on his November trade board. Moving Rielly will be extremely difficult for Treliving to pull off, particularly since he’ll want a top-of-the-line defenseman back in return, which feels unlikely to come given that teams with interest in Rielly probably don’t want to part with that. If something of this magnitude does go down, it’s either because the Maple Leafs’ season continues to go down the drain or they find a way to get creative and shock the hockey world with a blockbuster nobody saw coming.
New Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez reveals interesting health update after Orioles trade
Acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles, new Los Angeles Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez believes there is a big reason why he is ready to put his injury history behind him in Anaheim. Just three days after turning 26 years old, Rodriguez is now a member of the Angels after a one-for-one trade that sent outfielder Taylor Ward to Baltimore. He is also hoping that a new location means an end to injuries that have limited him to 43 starts over the past three seasons. That includes zero starts and innings in 2025 because of an elbow issue in spring training, followed by a right lateral strain in April. More elbow problems popped up for Rodriguez in July before he underwent debridement surgery on his elbow in August, officially ending his season. That surgery, however, is, Rodriguez believes, the key to his return to the mound in 2026 as well as his ability to stay on it. Angels' Grayson Rodriguez said bone spurs have been an issue for a long time In a Zoom meeting with Angels reporters on Wednesday, Rodriguez said the bone spurs that were removed had been a problem for years. "That was something that's kind of lingered with me for about three or four years now," Rodriguez said. "I've had them for a while and kind of just got to the point where I couldn't really pitch through it. Pretty sure that's kind of what was causing some of the lat injuries." If that's the case, it could unlock a pitcher who has logged a 4.11 ERA in 238.2 innings over those 43 starts. He has also registered 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings while issuing just 2.9 walks. Getting those kinds of numbers would be a big boost for an Angels rotation that finished 28th out of MLB's 30 teams last season in ERA at 4.91. It would also represent a missed opportunity for an Orioles team that has stated it is looking for another front-line starter. Rodriguez said on Wednesday he would be ready for spring training, giving hope to the Angels that they have found a pitcher who can be a long-term answer for them on the mound. Rodriguez is not scheduled to be a free agent until the 2030 season. If Rodriguez can stay healthy and produce in Anaheim, it would be a gut punch for an Orioles team that is looking to get back into the postseason conversation in 2026. However, time will tell if those bone spurs are truly the answer to Rodriguez staying healthy and on the field.
Shedeur Sanders makes promise to Browns fans ahead of first regular-season start
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced on Wednesday that rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will make the first regular-season start of his career when the 2-8 Browns play at the Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) this Sunday. Later on Wednesday, Sanders offered somewhat of a promise to Cleveland supporters who are hoping the fifth-round draft pick could potentially become a savior for the franchise. Shedeur Sanders wants to be "the guy" for the Browns "I know our fans have a lot of expectations and hope," Sanders acknowledged, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. "And I would be doing a disservice to myself and a disservice to the organization if I didn't feel like I am the guy. ...I'm doing everything I need to prepare to be the best version of myself as possible. With the circumstances, everything got to be sped up, and that's great. I like pressure in life. I'm just excited for everything. So, I feel like I'm the guy. I know I'm the guy, but you just have to be able to see." Sanders made his regular-season debut against the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday after fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion. In total, Sanders completed 4-of-16 passes for 47 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in what became a 23-16 defeat. He was also sacked twice for a loss of 27 yards. Why Shedeur Sanders is confident he'll be better in second appearance Earlier in the week, Stefanski suggested the coaching staff is confident Sanders will play better after the 23-year-old gets first-team practice reps that were previously reserved for Gabriel. During his Wednesday media availability, Sanders echoed Stefanski's take. "I'm truly excited for that, knowing that I have a piece of [the] offense and a say so and how things fit my eye and place the players exactly where they need to be," Sanders added. "Seeing how they come in and out of routes, seeing the structure of the O-linemen, seeing their set, just having a feeling. I'm more of a feel type of person, so that's how I learn. That's how I do everything. I'm not just, 'Imma just watch it, it's just going to happen.' No, I got to be out there, feel it. I got to move around. It's like so many details that it takes for me to feel my best and play my best, and I'm doing everything in my power and the team's doing everything to help me get prepared." It remains to be seen if a more prepared version of Sanders will be able to relegate a healthy Gabriel to backup duties beyond Week 12. As of Wednesday afternoon, ESPN BET had the Browns as four-point underdogs against the Raiders.
One coach makes sense for LSU if Lane Kiffin doesn't flip to Tigers
The LSU Tigers are serious about their pursuit of current Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. It makes sense, too. Sure, Kiffin has had some ups and downs (to put it lightly) as a college football coach, but he's been great at Ole Miss since 2020, and he currently has the Rebels at 10-1 and in the running to make a huge run through the College Football Playoff. He's comfortable with SEC football, and he's known as a great recruiter. Those are all things that would make Kiffin a big-time hire for the Tigers as they look to replace Brian Kelly, but they're not the only program in the running. Ole Miss would, obviously, like Kiffin to stay, and the Florida Gators are turning on the full-court press for him as well. LSU would be smart to have options 1A and 1B if Kiffin doesn't end up coming to Baton Rouge, and according to Scott Rabalais of NOLA.com, the Tigers do have two names in mind. "If not Kiffin — and obviously he could go any number of ways — then who for LSU? Two of the names to consider right now appear to be Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz and Tulane coach Jon Sumrall," Rabalais reported earlier in the week. Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall could be a perfect fit for LSU Tigers Eli Drinkwitz of Missouri would be a great option. He's gone 44-27 in six seasons with the Tigers from Columbia, Missouri. The issue with him is somewhat similar to what plagued Kelly at LSU, though, and it's something that led to Penn State firing James Franklin — now the head coach at Virginia Tech. Drinkwitz has kept Mizzou very competitive in the SEC, but he has struggled in big spots. He is 7-14 against ranked teams. LSU could get that kind of production, or lack thereof, from Kelly, which then makes Jon Sumrall from Tulane the next option to look at. Frankly, he may be the best one of the bunch for LSU, and even better of a fit than Kiffin. One of the big problems with Kelly at LSU is that he never fit into the Louisiana culture. A Massachusetts native, he was always seen as an outsider and never tried to change that. Sumrall wasn't born in Louisiana, but he does hail from Texarkana, Texas, which is roughly five hours north of Baton Rouge. He was a linebacker at Kentucky from 2002 to 2004, so he understands SEC football, but most importantly for LSU, he understands life in Louisiana as the head coach at Tulane. He's now in his second season with the Green Wave, but he was also the co-defensive coordinator at Tulane from 2012 to 2014, so he has a lot of experience working and recruiting within the state. Throw in the fact that he's only 43 years old (thus, he really has no baggage as a head coach), and he has No. 24 Tulane in the hunt in the American Athletic Conference as well as in the hunt for a spot in the CFP, and there are few scenarios in which Sumrall wouldn't be a home run hire for LSU. Again, he may even be a better option than Kiffin, though it does sound like LSU wants to bark up that tree first before looking elsewhere.
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