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The easy thing to do or tonight's St. Louis Blues player to watch would be to insert Kevin Hayes in here, since it's his first game back in Philadelphia to face the Flyers.
Blues player to watch vs. Flyers: Marco Scandella (3:00)
Yes, there will be enough attention on that, but with the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline fast approaching (Friday at 2 p.m. CT), this would be a good opportunity to put the spotlight on defenseman Marco Scandella.
The veteran has quietly had himself a steady, solid season with the Blues, playing in 55 games (two goals, six assists); he is even in the plus-minus category and is averaging 12:39 per game, which isn't a lot to be frothing at the mouth about, but the 34-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end and could be (and should be) on the table if general manager Doug Armstrong makes any purges to the roster by Friday.
The market for defensemen is always open, and Scandella, who does have a modified no-trade clause with seven-team protection, but for certain playoff hopefuls who may be looking for a depth piece and veteran experience on the blue line, it probably won't take but a fourth-round pick at the highest to say, a fifth- or sixth-rounder to fetch Scandella from St. Louis.
He's been playing on the third pair and doing a good job helping groom some of the Blues' younger blue liners, namely Scott Perunovich and Tyler Tucker, sprinkled in with some Matthew Kessel, throughout the season and has done well in that role.
More must-reads:
- Is Kirill Kaprizov worth a record-setting contract?
- Texas' Arch Manning has concern on OL after season-ending injury
- The 'NBA playoff point-per-game leaders' quiz
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Boston Bruins Bleak 2025-26 Outlook Raises Concerns
As the Boston Bruins prepare for the upcoming NHL season, there are a lot of questions around the roster. Boston missed the playoffs last year, taking a massive step back from where the team normally has been. But even entering this coming year, there isn't a lot of optimism around the Bruins. Boston has a few solid pieces on the roster, but the team hasn't improved much. This has led some to believe that Boston will again miss the playoffs next season. One of those people is NHL writer Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report, who predicted them to be on the outside looking in. "They lack a top-line center, don't have scoring depth after David Pastrnak, the defense wasn't always great even before the injuries to Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm and they desperately need Jeremy Swayman to bounce back and play like the $8 million per year goalie they are paying him to be," wrote Gretz. Boston is going to have a tough time competing in the Eastern Conference this season, and it could see them miss the postseason again. The Bruins haven't done all that much this summer to improve the team, and it could end up costing them. The direction of the Bruins remains one of the bigger mysteries around the NHL, and the front office has been kind of stagnant. If this team wants to contend this season, the best bet is to bank on the team staying healthier than they did last year. But betting on health throughout a season is typically a risky play. Boston's front office still has work to do, and the clock is ticking on them to add to this team.
Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love Just Put the 'Aaron Rodgers Is a Bad Teammate' Narrative to Bed Once and For All
The story is very familiar to Green Bay Packers fans: when the team decided to select Aaron Rodgers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, their incumbent quarterback, Brett Favre, was not happy. And he let everyone know about it, including his successor. For his part, Rodgers kept his head down and picked up whatever he could from watching the eventual Hall of Famer play the quarterback position. Fast forward 15 years to 2020, and Rodgers found himself in the same position as Favre: feeling like he was on top of his game, but seeing Green Bay take his eventual successor in the NFL Draft. That, of course, was Jordan Love, the current Packers starting quarterback. Green Bay Packers Quarterback Jordan Love, Once Again, Describe How Well Aaron Rodgers Treated Him Over the past several years, there has been a narrative pushed by many members of the national media that Rodgers is a bad teammate. Some of these claims started to pop up during his final years with the Packers, but they gained steam and notoriety while he was with the New York Jets. The only problem with these claims is that they hardly ever came from players that actually were teammates with Rodgers. And, for his part, Love has always praised his predecessor for how welcoming he was despite the narrative surrounding them immediately following the 2020 NFL Draft. In his recent post on the Players Tribune, Love once again praised Rodgers for what he did for him as a mentor and teammate: “I don’t think it really set in for me until I started doing interviews, and every question was basically, ‘What about Aaron?’ “In my mind, I was like, ‘What do you mean? He’s one of the best to ever do it. I’m about to learn everything I can from this dude.’ “But before me and Aaron could even talk, the narrative was rolling. And it’s so crazy to me, because from the jump, Aaron was great with me. He laid out how he was in my same situation, and that he wanted to make sure there was no hostility. I told him I just wanted to learn and soak it all in. “I mean, I’d been a QB2 for a lot of my life. For me, it was nothing new. It was perfect, actually. Think about it: you’re coming into this league at 21 years old. It’s a different world. I’m not even talking about just football. You have to be able to command a room and know how to talk to different guys, how to motivate them — what to say, what not to say. I got to watch Aaron and how he handled those situations, and that was invaluable.” Love went on to describe how he learned from watching his legendary predecessor, how he picked up on when defenses were making substitutions too late, how he built chemistry with Davante, how he “manipulated” defenses instead of just “playing” against them. He also said that the biggest thing he learned from Rodgers was that the most important thing in the NFL, in games, in practices, in everything, is to be consistent. And when it came time for Love to take over as the Packers starting quarterback, he knew what was expected. So did his mother, he told him, “Big shoes to fill. You going to be alright? You gotta play good, or they’ll get another quarterback.” Fortunately, for Love and the Packers, he has been as good as they could have hoped and continues to get better. And Rodgers’ mentoring and welcoming demeanor played a big role in that.
Rumor: Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II Expected To Sign With Warriors Once Jonathan Kuminga Signs Deal
Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II are expected to sign with the Golden State Warriors once Jonathan Kuminga signs his deal, according to NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line. Kuminga is a restricted free agent. Most people believe the swingman will sign his qualifying offer worth $7.9 million and then enter unrestricted free agency next offseason. “Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II have all long been expected to sign with the Warriors this summer but remain on hold when it comes to making those deals official while the Jonathan Kuminga situation plays out,” Stein wrote. Payton II and Melton played for the Warriors last season, while Horford played for the Boston Celtics. Golden State lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the 2025 playoffs in five games. The Warriors want to re-sign Kuminga. The franchise recently offered the forward a two-year, $45 million contract. Kuminga, though, declined the offer because the contract had a team option in Year 2 and there was no built-in no-trade clause. Kuminga wants to leave the Warriors. He doesn’t have a good relationship with head coach Steve Kerr. Kuminga averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists for the Warriors last season in 47 games. He shot 45.4% from the floor, 30.5% from beyond the arc and 66.8% from the free-throw line. The 22-year-old Kuminga was the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He enters next season with career averages of 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists with Golden State. The Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings are interested in acquiring Kuminga in a sign-and-trade deal, but the Warriors don’t like the offers. The Kings offered a three-year, $63 million deal to Kuminga, according to NBA insider Sam Amick of The Athletic. In the sign-and-trade proposal, the Warriors would get Malik Monk and a 2030 first-round pick. More NBA News Rumors
NBA Notes: Raptors, Immanuel Quickley, Jordan Clarkson, Knicks, Sixers, Tyrese Maxey
A five-year deal completed nearly a year ago is still shaping the way NBA teams and agents are approaching restricted free agency. According to ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks, the contract that Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley signed last July has become a major sticking point. The deal, which includes $162.5 million in guaranteed money and another $12.5 million in incentives, averages $32.5 million per season and could reach $35 million annually. “The Immanuel Quickley contract has totally screwed up restricted free agency,” Marks said during an appearance on ESPN’s YouTube channel. “Because that’s where agents are looking at like the benchmark. Certainly, [Bulls guard] Josh Giddey’s like, ‘I want that contract.’ That number has screwed up a lot of things.” Marks said agents are citing Quickley’s deal in negotiations for other young guards with similar production and upside, but teams haven’t been willing to match the price tag. “I don’t think Toronto got enough heat for that number,” he added. “Because Immanuel Quickley is not a $32, $33 million guy.” Clarkson Still a Wild Card for Knicks The Knicks are hoping Jordan Clarkson provides a spark off the bench, but there is uncertainty about what exactly he brings at this stage of his career. As one Western Conference scout told The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, Clarkson hasn’t played meaningful basketball in quite a while and remains a bit of a mystery heading into the 2025–26 season. Still, one Knicks source believes the veteran scorer is “exactly what we needed,” and sees him as a strong fit off the bench. A veteran coach who spoke with Bondy sees upside but also concerns. “High-level shooter. Good going right,” the coach said. “Wild-card-type player. Throw him out there and see if he can get hot. But there’s not much else from a production standpoint. And it’s ugly on defense.” Maxey Gives Back in Philly Tyrese Maxey continues to make an impact beyond the court. The 76ers guard hosted a free youth basketball camp over the weekend and donated $60,000 through his foundation, per The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey. Maxey’s community efforts have become a regular part of his offseason work in the Philadelphia area. More NBA News Rumors
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