Ahead of the NHL trade deadline, trade rumors are flying in all directions, and we love it. It's always a highly entertaining time of year, enjoyed by fans and, of course, by many Montreal Canadiens supporters.
A trade can literally be announced at any moment, so we're keeping a close eye on every little hint.
On that note, numerous rumors have been linking the Montreal Canadiens and the New Jersey Devils for another trade over the past few days, and now we have an additional clue pointing in that direction.
Since the return from the 4 Nations Face-Off break, one team, in particular, has been closely monitoring the Montreal Canadiens.
We're obviously talking about the New Jersey Devils. And that's a clue that rarely misleads.
Two Devils scouts were watching Canadiens players against the Ottawa Senators last Saturday, and two Devils scouts were watching Canadiens players against the Carolina Hurricanes last Tuesday:
Additionally, two Devils scouts were watching Canadiens players against the San Jose Sharks last Thursday:
André Savard and Al Santilli are two of the most trusted men of the Devils GM, so perhaps Kent Hughes and Tom Fitzgerald are negotiating a trade.
Among the names to watch are Simon Nemec, Dawson Mercer, Jake Evans, Joel Armia, David Savard, Christian Dvorak and potentially Logan Mailloux.
More must-reads:
A team that has gone through several changes already this summer, the Vancouver Canucks remain active, currently engaged in discussions with unrestricted free agent forward Jack Roslovic. According to reports from Rick Dhaliwal and Cam Robinson, the organization has spoken to Roslovic on several occasions and are still interested in potentially signing him to a free agency deal. Roslovic posted 39 points in 81 games for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2024-25. He is reportedly seeking a two- or three-year deal worth just over $3 million annually. Roslovic could be a solid middle-six contributor for an NHL team, but there is some concern over whether he’s a needle mover. He could be a solution for Canucks, who need a true third-line center, but some wonder if he’s the best place to be using the little cap flexibility Vancouver has. A Roslovic signing would take up much of the $3.2 million available to add to the roster. Can the Canucks work the math out on Roslovic? At this stage of free agency, it’s about finding value in overlooked talent. Roslovic likely won’t be a dynamic top producer, but he has value. The question is if Vancouver can make the math work. He could provide reliable depth scoring, but is that where the money should go? Some believe the Canucks would be better served by taking a bigger swing. On his own, Roslovic likely doesn’t move the Canucks into contender status.
Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Shake Milton has found a new home. More news: Lakers’ Luka Doncic Has Reportedly Already Agreed to Massive Contract Extension With LA Days after the Lakers waived him, Milton will take his talents overseas. The 28-year-old is signing a two-year deal with Partizan Belgrade in Serbia. Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews shared the news via X. More news: Lakers Insider Urges Team to Make Major Change to Starting Five Milton spent most of the 2024-25 season with the Lakers after being acquired in a trade in late December from the Brooklyn Nets. Milton was reportedly in advanced talks to sign with the team as early as Thursday morning. The two sides were discussing a possible deal, and both parties came away satisfied with the talks. The former 2018 second-round pick will take his talents overseas for the first time in his professional career. Milton started his career with the Philadelphia 76ers after he was drafted and traded by the Dallas Mavericks. He has played for five other NBA teams, including the Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Nets, and the Lakers. In 30 games for the purple and gold this past season, Milton averaged 3.9 points per game, 1.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.3 steals per game while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from beyond the arc in 11.5 minutes of action. He started in one game for the Lakers. Overall, in his NBA career, Milton has played in 359 games, averaging 8.1 points per game, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from 3-point range. The Lakers waived Milton in order to make room for former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart. More news: Lakers Confident in Luka Doncic Signing Massive Long-Term Extension: Report For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
It’s wild how quickly the NBA narrative can flip. A year ago, Zion Williamson was in every trade rumor possible. People were questioning his health, his work ethic, even his future in New Orleans. And the Pelicans? They didn’t really deny any of it. It felt like both sides were one step away from walking. But things have shifted this offseason — quietly, but clearly. The Pelicans could’ve pulled the plug. Zion’s contract gave them outs, and the trade market might’ve still brought back some real value. Instead, they stuck with him. And based on what one of their own just said, they’re not just keeping him around — they’re still betting big on him. In a recent interview with Spotrac’s Keith Smith, an anonymous Pelicans executive made it crystal clear. “Zion is still our guy. We’re all in on him. We think he’s going to have a huge year. We’ve had some bad injury luck and some things that just haven’t worked out. This partnership hasn’t even come close to reaching our best yet.” That’s not something you say if you’re halfway in. They backed it up with their offseason moves, too. They traded CJ McCollum and brought in Jordan Poole, a high-usage creator who can take pressure off Zion. They drafted Jeremiah Fears with the No. 7 pick, a dynamic young guard. They added Kevon Looney, a reliable veteran who brings playoff experience and toughness. Those aren’t tear-it-down moves — those are “let’s try this another way” moves. Of course, Zion’s health is still the question. That never really goes away. He played just 30 games last season, but in those games he looked solid: 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per night on 56.7 percent shooting. The explosiveness was there. The playmaking was sharp. And the hope for New Orleans is that this time, he can finally sustain it. What’s interesting is how the front office is trying to create a better environment around him. Joe Dumars has stepped in to lead basketball operations and is reportedly building a closer relationship with Zion — dinners, real conversations, not just surface-level stuff. It feels like, for once, the team is trying to meet him halfway. It’s a risk, sure. But it’s a calculated one. The West is brutal and the margin for error is thin. Still, if Zion can stay healthy for 60 games, and if Poole finds a rhythm and guys like Trey Murphy and Herb Jones keep improving — this team has a shot to be in the mix. The quote from the exec says it all. They could’ve hit reset, moved on, cleaned house. But they didn’t. They’re still in. And now it’s on Zion to hold up his end of the deal. After everything that’s happened, they’re telling the world they still believe. Now it’s time to find out if they’re right.
The focus for the Minnesota Vikings this season will be first-year starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy. It's all going to be about how good he's playing. One of the biggest elements about helping him perform is going to be how the players around him perform, along with how head coach Kevin O'Connell utilizes them. We know that wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are going to be major factors, but the running game will be a major impact on getting the Vikings to the next level. Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones could be key to Vikings' success What's going to be really interesting is how head coach Kevin O'Connell modifies the offense to cater to what McCarthy does best. One of the easiest things you can do to maximize a young quarterback is to have a really good running game. The Vikings added Jordan Mason and extended Aaron Jones to give them a 1-2 punch in the backfield. What we didn't necessarily expect is both of them playing together. That's something O'Connell mentioned during his press conference on Wednesday. "Yeah, I think you can look at it a lot of ways, with looking at Aaron and Jordan," said O'Connell about how he might use Jones and Mason. "But how I just said it is how I see it. It's Aaron and Jordan and, the running back position, I wouldn't go to say it's as nuanced as the quarterback position of reps. But you want guys to be able to get in a rhythm. At the same time, we've got truly a combination that will cause a lot of problems between having two great backs that are different body types, maybe different skill sets, but they're complete backs. Aaron Jones can run in between the tackles, he can catch the ball, he can block in protection. He can line up anywhere in the formation. Jordan Mason has proven already to be well ahead of new players in the system from a protection standpoint. And clearly, he's got the body type to be a physical presence. So, I really see those guys playing off of each other, where we can keep them both fresh, keep them both in attack mode when they're in there. "But how CJ [Ham] and his role in the two back groupings, maybe we activate some two back groupings where we've got Jordan and Aaron in the game at the same time. There's a lot of things schematically that we're going to try and then, as we get towards the season, what gives us advantages? What allows us to play the most multiple way that all circles back to the number one question of what makes the quarterback's job easier and more likely to be quarterback friendly to apply to our whole system." 21 personnel, or the pony package (two running backs, one tight end), isn't something that's new or revolutionary in the National Football League, but it would allow the Vikings to maximize their potential advantages by attacking the second level of the defense. Last season, the Vikings only ran 21 personnel a grand total of 129 times (12.24%) which isn't very much. However, they didn't have a second running back to take advantage of that personnel grouping. They do now. While Mason isn't a dynamic route runner, Jones is a player you can trust to do those things. Texas routes, option routes, running rail and go routes down the field. You name it, and he can do it. Plus, Mason is "good enough" as a receiver to make him a credible enough of a threat out of the backfield to keep the defense honest. The key to maximizing 21 personnel isn't just to exploit the second level defenders in the passing game. You also have to have a good running game to prevent the defense from subbing in their nickel package. The other factor is that both backs need to be able to block well. That's not an issue for either guy. As O'Connell mentioned, this isn't a guarantee, but it is really interesting that he's already discussing it, especially when it was relatively unprompted.
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