Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli feels there’s a chance the Toronto Maple Leafs could move defenceman Brandon Carlo this offseason. The towering blueliner was recently added to Seravalli’s summer trade targets board, which is certainly a new development, considering Carlo hasn’t been in blue and white very long.
Leafs general manager Brad Treliving has a massive offseason ahead of him. It appears Mitch Marner is going to walk for nothing, the John Tavares and Matthew Knies contracts haven’t gone as smoothly as planned with both players still needing a deal, and there’s been plenty of rumblings that the Leafs are looking to move a defenceman for forward help, so perhaps Carlo could be in play?
The 28-year-old right-handed blueliner appeared in 20 regular season games for the Leafs last season, recording three assists. Carlo got better with each game with Toronto, and brought his expected repertoire to his new team. He also did a nice job settling Morgan Rielly down as his partner down the stretch, which is kind of ironic now, considering Carlo ranks 25th on Seravalli’s trade board, one spot behind Rielly.
“Carlo’s name has popped up in conversation in recent days, even though he was just acquired on Deadline Day from Boston in exchange for first and fourth round picks plus Fraser Minten. To be blunt: Toronto really isn’t itching to move Carlo. He is a big man who adds reliable depth at a reasonable cap hit and he’s in the prime of his career,” stated Seravalli. The hockey insider also pointed out that nothing appears off the table for Brad Treliving this summer, as some serious creativity is going to be needed in order to make significant upgrades to the Leafs’ roster, and not take a step back with Marner’s departure.
Carlo brings a ton of playoff experience to any dressing room, along with his 6-foot-5 frame, and ability to play a solid stay-at-home brand of hockey. At just $3.4 million AAV for two more seasons, right now on the Leafs cap, he’s a valuable piece for Treliving, not only to consider on his roster, but obviously as a trade chip as well, with talks reportedly heating up of late. It’s worth noting Carlo has an eight-team no-trade clause on his deal, and has some say in the matter.
Keep an eye on the trade route. It appears to be the one avenue Treliving’s going to be able to make some bold decisions, and Carlo could be involved this summer.
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It has been a few days since Carter Hart was found not guilty in the Hockey Canada Trial, and his NHL future is currently up in the air. The league has not reinstated Hart or the four other players who were put on trial, and until that happens, he is not eligible for an NHL return. If the league reinstates all the players from the case, Carter Hart would probably receive some interest from NHL clubs. The Edmonton Oilers are a team that makes sense for Hart if he gets reinstated by the league. Goaltending Is Once Again a Hot Topic For the Oilers The yearly discussion about Edmonton’s goaltending is upon us once again. Stuart Skinner is one of the most inconsistent goalies in the league, if not the most inconsistent. If the Oilers could use some depth at any position on their team, goaltending would be at the top of the list. The Oilers could look at Hart as a guy who could be brought in on a cheap deal, as he has a lot to prove to himself and to the team that signs him. The reality for Edmonton is that Skinner and Calvin Pickard’s inconsistencies in the net have been a big reason why they’ve lost consecutive Stanley Cup Finals. The problem is, fixing the goaltending isn’t as easy as it sounds either. Neither Skinner nor Pickard project to be a number one goaltender, but they could thrive in a 1A-1B situation. Carter Hart wouldn’t be a perfect fix, but the Oilers should consider it because, at times, their goaltending looks lost out there. Signing Hart To a Deal Would Be a Bet On Upside Signing Carter Hart would be a bet on upside for the Oilers, not certainty. It is fair to point out that there’s no such thing as certainty when it comes to goaltenders, but if the Oilers were going into the offseason looking at options, Carter Hart was most likely not on the list. Before all of this happened, Hart was an above-average goalie for the Flyers, posting a save percentage of over .900 for three seasons in a row. Carter Hart is probably the best option on the market for Edmonton if he gets reinstated because he’ll get a cheap contract and will have something to prove. In an ideal world, the Oilers probably wanted to go after John Gibson, but he ended up with the Detroit Red Wings.
With the trade for Ryan McMahon now complete, it would seem New York Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has fulfilled one of his three priorities. He can now cross third base off the list, which leaves the rotation and bullpen as his remaining priorities. However, according to one Yankees writer, Cashman might not be done with the infield. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported this after the McMahon trade: “The Yankees may not be done adding to their infield. A team source said the Yankees are interested in adding a right-handed hitter who could play the infield.” Kirschner adds that the Yankees have had interest in Willi Castro and Amed Rosario. But the question now is, how would another player fit in the Yankees’ infield? Needless to say, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. aren’t going anywhere, and McMahon is just getting there. That leaves the low-hanging fruit. Anthony Volpe has been at the center of controversy all this season. His 13 errors, many of which had come at make-or-break moments, amount to the second-highest total in the game. In addition, his bat has not been able to compensate, hitting .214/.286/.407 with 14 home runs. There was always a lot to like about Volpe. He won a Gold Glove in his rookie year, his power has always been promising and his speed is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, his glove has become a liability and his speed has also produced very few results. Volpe has swiped just 10 bags in 17 attempts. His power is the one thing that still has some upside, but it hasn’t been enough to justify a spot in the lineup. Both Castro and Rosario have been far more productive at the plate this season than Volpe. Kirschner doesn’t clarify how serious the Yankees are in their pursuit of another infielder, but that most likely isn’t available information. Having just turned 24, Volpe could still become the type of player that was expected from him as a top prospect. However, his recent performance has weighed heavily on his team’s efforts and it may be buying him a ticket out of the Bronx — or at least a spot on the bench.
An insider has revealed how the Boston Celtics could approach the futures of new additions Anfernee Simons and Georges Niang. The Boston Celtics have been trying to find another trade partner to reroute a couple of players they have acquired in trades this offseason, after trading both Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. Boston got Simons in return for Holiday, and Niang (plus a second-round pick) in return for Porzingis. It doesn't seem like the Celtics want to keep either player for the long term. The Celtics are still trying to get under the second apron of the luxury tax, so they need to shed more salary. An insider recently gave an update on their goal of trading these players away to achieve that ultimate goal. More news: Celtics Roster ‘Makes Zero Sense’ Says NBA Insider According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Celtics will likely enter the season with both Simons and Niang on their roster. He does mention that both of them could still be moved, though. "The Boston Celtics have remained active on the trade market this offseason, even after trading for Simons and Georges Niang," Siegel writes. "While they have talked with teams about both players, the Celtics will likely enter the season with these two on their roster. It is very possible that Simons and/or Niang could be flipped to cut costs at the trade deadline, depending on where Boston is in the Eastern Conference standings. The Celtics do want to see how Simons fits in Joe Mazzulla's system, as he is a player they are intrigued by, given his 3-point shooting prowess." Boston would actually benefit from keeping Simons on the basketball court because of his ability to score and get hot from beyond the 3-point arc. More news: Former Celtics NBA Champion Released By West Squad Niang is also a good 3-point shooter, and the Celtics launch more 3's than any team in the NBA. Keeping both players on the roster into next year would fit their style of play. Simons is on an expiring deal, so they wouldn't have him on their cap sheet long term. Niang is also on an expiring contract, so he wouldn't be on the cap sheet after this year, either. If Boston can find suitable trade partners for them, they will likely move them. If not, they will have to keep them on the roster and shed salary elsewhere on the roster. More news: Jayson Tatum Receives Injury Advice From Former Celtics Forward For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.
Being the backup quarterback isn't necessarily the most exciting role for anyone, but for a team like the Miami Dolphins, where starter Tua Tagovailoa has suffered four concussions since entering the NFL in 2020, it could be vital. As of now, a clear battle for that spot has formed between rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers and veteran former first-round selection Zach Wilson as they go head-to-head. Of course, training camp is where these kinds of questions can be solved, and so far, it appears that Ewers has done a good job in putting his best foot forward. On Friday, David Furones of the Sun Sentinel gave a very positive update on the young quarterback, stating, "Dolphins rookie QB Quinn Ewers had a strong third practice of training camp. Made several impressive, big-time throws." The update sparked conversations among many fans, both supporting Ewers and a serious showing that there's interest in seeing who comes out on top. "Show ‘em, Quinn," said one comment. "He just does a lot of things (anticipatory throws, timing throws, MOTF accuracy, etc.) that fit this system much better than what Wilson does. I think with refinement and development we could have a backup in Miami that can operate the offense efficiently…finally," said another. "Love to hear it!" a third added. A fourth stated, "I'd be surprised if he's not the backup.." "I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Quinn Ewers has the physical tools to stick at the next level. It’s just a matter of shaping the rest," a fifth continued. "That’s QB2 potential QB1 in the future Glad we drafted Ewers," said another. Another big test for both Ewers and Wilson will be during the Dolphins' three preseason games, as the coaching staff will get a much better look at how these two perform during live matchups. Luckily for both, though, being the backup is all they're truly fighting for, as Kyle Crabbs of A to Z Sports predicts that each will make the final 53-man roster, with cuts needing to be made by Aug. 27.
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