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A new report from Daily Faceoff suggests that Mikko Rantanen did all he could to stay with the Colorado Avalanche prior to his shocking trade. In fact, he dropped his contract demand by $2 million in negotiations with his former team before being traded the next day over a reported $400K gap. What were the Avalanche thinking?
Interesting. From the @DailyFaceoff DFO Rundown today:
— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) March 10, 2025
“The Colorado Avalanche weren’t willing to go to $12 million a year. I think, in the end, (Rantanen’s) last communication with Colorado was, they were offering in the 11.5 range or 11.6. He said to them, ‘you know what, I… pic.twitter.com/rjkwhqgit6
According to the report, Rantanen initially sought $14 million per season but was willing to settle at $12 million. The Avalanche weren’t going to get anywhere close to the $14, but were offering around $11.5 million to $11.6 million, says Frank Seravalli. The NHL insider explained:
“He said to them, ‘You know what, I know we’ve been asking for 14 but if we could get to 12, that’ll get the deal done’. And I was told he was traded the next day.”
Why wouldn’t the Avalanche go up $400K on Rantanen’s next contract?
Amazingly, rather than bridge the remaining difference, they moved on, dealing him to the Carolina Hurricanes. It seems wild to think the Avs would dump one of their top players over such a small amount of money.
Stranger things have happened, but most reports about the trade mention the same thing: Rantanen was caught off guard. It suggests that he thought the two sides were getting closer. Clearly, the Avs thought otherwise.
More must-reads:
- Latest on the Mikko Rantanen trade saga
- Hurricanes’ GM Shocks with Admission About the Rantanen Trade
- The 'Leaders in playoff goals for each NFL franchise' quiz
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3 PTO Options for Toronto Maple Leafs in 2025-26 Season
The Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to remain in contention after being forced to undergo some changes this offseason, most significantly, the loss of Mitchell Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights. They have made some moves to try and replace him and have done well, like acquiring Matias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth, but they may still have some question marks, and fans have expressed concern about the strength of their depth as they try to, finally, end their Stanley Cup drought. As training camp approaches and teams try to put the final touches on their rosters, some teams will bring players in on a professional tryout (PTO) contract to see if they can earn an opportunity to sign a contract, and the Maple Leafs will have some options if they want to do that as well. In this article, we take a look at three potential PTO options for them. Klim Kostin The Maple Leafs have done well in finding forwards to fill out their depth chart, but they could benefit from adding a physical power forward on a cost-effective contract. The first player that comes to mind is Klim Kostin, who has fallen off since his impressive campaigns with the Edmonton Oilers several seasons ago, but a fresh start on a contending team could be exactly what he needs to find his confidence again. Kostin, who is 26 years old, scored one goal and added six assists for seven points through 35 games with the Sharks last season. Throughout his career, split between the St. Louis Blues, the Oilers, the Detroit Red Wings, and the Sharks, he has scored 25 goals and added 28 assists for 53 points through 190 games. The energy he brings on a nightly basis is something that not many bottom-six players can bring, and he is someone who could help the Maple Leafs find a way to make a deeper run into the postseason. He only has 12 playoff games under his belt, but in that time, he scored three goals and added two assists for five points. One thing the Maple Leafs have lacked at times when the postseason comes around is physicality, so for them to add a player like Kostin makes perfect sense. He was a first-round pick in 2017 to the Blues, and despite being one of their top prospects for a while, he didn’t pan out, and since then, he has tried to find a full-time position somewhere in the NHL. The Oilers seemed like a strong fit for him, but the two sides couldn’t reach an extension, and he left, and he’s been trying to find a way back ever since. The Maple Leafs seem like they would be a great fit, so if they give him a PTO, it’s safe to say he’d have a strong chance at earning a contract and helping them win games. Jimmy Vesey Another forward they could look at adding is Jimmy Vesey, and while there is some speculation he could be considering contract offers from the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), the Maple Leafs should take a chance on him. Vesey, who is 32 years old, scored five goals and added three assists for eight points through 43 games last season, split between the New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche. Throughout his career, he has scored 101 goals and added 93 assists for 194 points through 626 games, which comes out to a 0.31 points-per-game average. He isn’t a flashy player, nor is he someone who will be able to put up an incredible amount of scoring, but his ability to play well at both ends of the ice makes him an enticing addition. In the 2020-21 season, Vesey played 30 games with the Maple Leafs, scoring five goals and adding two assists for seven points. The comfort of already having played with the Maple Leafs could entice him to sign a PTO with them and fight for a depth spot. He would likely be an extra forward who doesn’t play every game, but having him as someone who comes in when injuries inevitably happen is a good thing. Marc-Edouard Vlasic This one is a bit crazier than the other two, but after a long tenure with the San Jose Sharks, they decided to buy out defender Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who is now without a deal, and while the 38-year-old might be nearing the end of his career, he hasn’t officially retired, and could still be looking to make a push for a Stanley Cup. Last season, Vlasic scored one goal and added two assists for three points through 27 games with the Sharks. Throughout his long career, he has scored 84 goals and added 295 assists for 379 points through 1323 games. If the Maple Leafs are looking to add a seventh defender on a league minimum contract, giving Vlasic one last shot on a PTO makes perfect sense. His experience could be something they would like to use on their bottom pairing in the event of any injuries to their defensemen, and he could be a strong addition as they push to win their first Stanley Cup since 1967. There are more options if they decide to go the PTO route, but these three do make sense to some degree. As the 2025-26 season approaches, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news from around the NHL and the hockey world.
Matt LaFleur sheds light on concerning Tucker Kraft situation
The Green Bay Packers continued work on the field on Saturday, with tens of thousands of fans in attendance watching amid the annual Family Night. However, one notable player who was not able to make it to the field and practice was tight end Tucker Kraft. The former South Dakota State Jackrabbits star is nursing a lower-body injury, forcing the Packers to take it easy on the tight end and keep him on the shelf rather than risk aggravation of the issue. Speaking to the media, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur opened up about Kraft’s status, via Green Bay reporter Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “MLF said Tucker Kraft has been dealing with a groin injury and powering through it for the last two days but they decided to give him a couple days off.” Kraft is expected to be among the major targets in the Packers’ passing attack in his third year in the pros. Selected in the third round (78th overall) by the Packers in the 2023 NFL draft, the 24-year-old Kraft is looking to surpass his production in 2024, when he posted 707 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 50 receptions.
'Superman' VOD Home Streaming Date Confirmed and It's Shockingly Soon
In a move that seems faster than a speeding bullet, the new 2025 Superman movie will be available to watch at home just over a month after it hit theaters on July 11. According to multiple outlets, including World of Reel, the new Superman reboot movie will be available for video-on-demand (VOD) purchase starting very soon. In fact, the movie will almost certainly still be in theaters when you can watch it at home. Superman Streaming/VOD release date DC Studios' Superman, directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet, will be available for purchase digitally starting on August 15, 2025. This means that just over 30 days after its first theatrical release, the new Superman is coming home. To be clear, this is not the same as streaming on HBO Max, but it does mean you'll be able to pony up a certain amount of money (close to the price of two movie tickets) to watch the movie at home. Purchase of VOD movies generally happens on iTunes, Amazon, and other platforms. DC vs. Marvel VOD releases If this home video release seems quick, it is. For comparison, the last two Marvel superhero movies had nearly two months, not one, between theatrical release and VOD release. Thunderbolts* hit theaters on May 2, and was on VOD on July 1. Meanwhile, Captain America: Brave New World was in theaters on February 14, and on VOD on April 15. Both of those films were deemed, in the eyes of box office pundits, to be failures, while Superman is generally considered to be a success.
Bubba Wallace reveals what his wife told him before Brickyard 400 win
Over the past four years, Bubba Wallace was used to sitting on the bubble of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. So was his wife, Amanda, and she wasn't too happy to see her husband slipping as the 2025 regular season waned. An incident in Chicago with Alex Bowman left Wallace two points above the cut line with seven races left in the regular season — a far cry from where he was in early June when he had a 54-point advantage. "After Chicago, it was unfortunate how that played out," Wallace said in a news conference at Iowa Speedway on Saturday. "All of my doing. My wife was very upset with me. It was kind of an eye-opening deal. She basically said, 'get your sh-- together, [because] I don't want to see you in that spot that you've been in so many years. I said, okay, I'll go win Indy." Wallace's victory at Indianapolis puts him in unfamiliar territory this late in the regular season. His previous two career wins came during the playoffs in seasons where he was not a participant. Wallace had to point his way into the postseason in nail-biting fashion in 2023 and missed out heartbreakingly in 2024. This year, no such postseason stress will fall on the 31-year-old driver. It's safe to say that after living life on the playoff cut line for so many years, he'll enjoy being off the hook over the final four weeks of the regular season.
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