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The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced Steven Stamkos' replacement as their new team captain.
Earlier this summer, long-time forward Steven Stamkos left the Tampa Bay Lightning after signing a four-year deal with Nashville as an unrestricted free agent. The move left the Tampa Bay Lightning without a captain for the first time since Stamkos took over for Martin St. Louis in 2014.
There was plenty of speculation over the summer on who the next captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning would be, with several names being thrown out there, but the organization has finally come to a decision on who will wear the 'C'.
In a post on social media this afternoon, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced that defenceman Victor Hedman has been named their 11th captain in franchise history.
'We are thrilled to have Victor leading our team as the 11th captain in franchise history,' said General Manager Julien BriseBois. 'Victor is a cornerstone player that is extremely well respected by his teammates, coaches and peers across the NHL. Over the past 15 seasons, he has been a world-class representative for our organization both on and off the ice. Victor embodies what it means to be a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and is more than ready for this exciting opportunity. We are looking forward to watching him flourish in his new role as we continue to work towards our goal of winning the Stanley Cup.'
Hedman, 33, was selected second overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2009 and quickly became a prominent blueliner in the National Hockey League. In 1,052 games, the Ornskoldsvik, Sweden native has 728 points (156 goals, 572 assists) and 742 penalty minutes. He's also gone on to add 117 points in 165 playoff games, helping the Lightning win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are set to open their season with Victor Hedman donning the 'C' on October 11th against the Carolina Hurricanes.
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Three Landing Spots for Maple Leafs Forward
The Toronto Maple Leafs and forward Nick Robertson avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.8 million deal. It’s the second straight summer that contract uncertainty surrounded Robertson, as the young winger looks to take that next step. Also happening again this summer is constant trade talks surrounding the Maple Leafs’ forward. Despite the talent Robertson possesses, he doesn’t quite fit into Toronto’s long-term plans. Even as the roster was overhauled this offseason, Robertson still projects to be a third or fourth-line winger in this lineup. It’s led many, including NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, to speculate on if a trade might occur. With the Maple Leafs’ salary cap situation needing resolved before the regular season begins, Robertson could be the odd-man out. If that’s the case, there are multiple teams around the NHL that will be eager to bring him in and offer a fresh start. Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks want to take the next step and there is mounting pressure for the organization to start meeting the expectations drafting Connor Bedard brought. The pipeline remains strong, but a bit more immediate help could quicken up the rebuild. That’s why Robertson is a nice potential fit in Chicago. The Blackhawks need to insulate Bedard and other young players like Ryan Greene, Frank Nazar and Landon Slaggert. Robertson gives them another 15-20 goal scorer to mix and match in their top-nine groupings, while also taking some of the pressure off the rising players in Chicago. Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are trying to return to postseason contention, but patience is beginning to thin with general manager Steve Yzerman. They need more scoring depth to contend in the Atlantic Division, and Robertson would certainly add to that. When you look at the potential lineup for Detroit, veterans like Patrick Kane or James Van Riemsdyk are set to play on the top line. While both can still contribute, having more scoring depth further down the lineup and more competition for the top-six is the best safeguard against a drop off from either aging winger. Pittsburgh Penguins This is the obvious one, the organization that makes too much sense for Robertson to end up with. Their general manager Kyle Dubas knows Robertson very well from his days in Toronto. They have the cap space and lineup holes that would provide an intriguing opportunity for him. In need of more scoring help, Robertson would get the best chance of his NHL career to become a 20-goal scorer for the first time. The rebuilding Penguins are also likely to deal one of their veteran wingers this season, which could push him into Pittsburgh’s top-six very soon.
Insider Frank Seravalli Links Winnipeg Jets Star to Red Wings: 'Detroit Would Make a lot of Sense'
Jon Gruden 'looking forward to having the truth come out' amid lawsuit against NFL
Jon Gruden sent another warning shot toward the NFL after scoring a major win in court. On Tuesday, Gruden welcomed a ruling that will force the NFL to litigate the circumstances of his firing in court rather than closed-door arbitration. The former Las Vegas Raiders coach made it clear that he intends to continue his legal challenge to the NFL, ensuring that they are held accountable. “I’m looking forward to having the truth come out, and I want to make sure what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Gruden said in a statement provided to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. “The league’s actions disrupted the whole season. We were leading the division at the time and they completely blindsided me and the team.” The Raiders were 3-1 in 2021 when Gruden was forced to resign after offensive emails he had sent between 2011 and 2018 were leaked. Gruden has alleged that the NFL leaked the emails to force him out of a job after obtaining them during an investigation into the Washington Commanders. The NFL is set to appeal Monday’s ruling, but if that appeal fails, the league may be forced into public discovery. One alternative would be to offer Gruden a settlement, but he has not said whether or not he would be interested in such a resolution. Gruden has not held an NFL coaching job since the Raiders forced him out. He has recently spoken about possibly making a return to coaching at the college level.
Milwaukee Brewers Force Paul Skenes Into Unfiltered Admission About Brew Crew After 14-0 Beatdown
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes was no match for the Milwaukee Brewers – again. The former LSU Tigers star pitcher got lit up on the mound by the red-hot Brew Crew on Tuesday night, as he allowed four earned runs on six hits (including two home runs) while issuing two free passes and striking out four Milwaukee hitters across four innings of work. The Brewers eked out a 14-0 victory to win the series and move just a win away this Wednesday to sweep the Pirates and extend their win streak to 12 games. Skenes’ start tied his shortest thus far in the 2025 MLB regular season. The last time he pitched for only four innings was against the Brewers as well on June 25, when he surrendered four earned runs on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts in a 4-2 loss, also at American Family Field. Skenes is now 0-2 with a 5.79 ERA in three starts this season versus the Brewers. Skenes speaks up on Milwaukee Brewers after 14-0 loss The reigning National League Rookie of the Year opened up about his thoughts on the Brewers and his performance against the streaking Milwaukee side. “They’re obviously hot right now,” Skenes said of the Brewers, per Rich Rovito of MLB.com. “I got in positions that weren’t very advantageous to me to where I had to be perfect, and I didn’t have my best stuff. I couldn’t really count on any singular pitch to be executed and get guys out. “I had some 3-2 pitches that caught too much of the plate and didn’t execute two-strike pitches as well as I should have. They did a good job capitalizing on it.” The Brewers improved to 75-44 with their win over the Pirates, while Pittsburgh dropped to 51-70.
Browns may not be prepared for one thing with Shedeur Sanders
During a recent edition of the "Orange and Brown Talk Podcast," Cleveland Browns beat reporter Ashley Bastock of the Cleveland Plain Dealer suggested that Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski may not be prepared for the "potential fan backlash" that could arise regarding the team's handling of rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Stefanski seemed to say plenty about the subject when it was learned on Monday that Sanders remains fourth on the club's unofficial depth chart even though he enjoyed a solid NFL debut in the club's preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Friday night. Also on Monday, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer made it known that Stefanski won't be in a rush to play Sanders or fellow first-year pro Dillon Gabriel ahead of schedule. "Stefanski and the other offensive coaches have a plan for the rookie QBs, and they’re not about to be swayed by public opinion and the Sanders-mania that’s sweeping the nation," Cabot wrote. "Yes, it was a great debut against the Panthers with two beautiful touchdown passes to first-year receiver Kaden Davis. But Stefanski always keeps things simple for his rookie quarterbacks in preseason games, and most have looked excellent in their outings under him. Therefore, he wasn’t ready Monday to start handing over those precious starting reps to Sanders when he’s unlikely to start Week 1 and doesn’t necessarily need that valuable time with the ones — yet." Neither Gabriel nor presumed backup Kenny Pickett played against the Panthers after they were slowed by hamstring injuries during training camp. Meanwhile, Sanders completed 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in Cleveland's 30-10 victory over Carolina. Gabriel returned to the practice field on Monday, but Pickett reportedly could be sidelined "for a couple more weeks." It's unclear if either signal-caller will play in Cleveland's preseason matchup at the Philadelphia Eagles this coming Saturday. "They have had a process with Shedeur all the way through," Cabot added during the latest episode of the podcast. "And even when they were taking heat nationally from all kinds of pundits and experts saying that they were setting Shedeur up to fail, they stuck to their guns. And even after his really, really nice debut, they really haven’t changed the process." As recently as Tuesday morning, Zac Jackson of The Athletic mentioned that veteran Joe Flacco is still "the clear leader" to be Cleveland's Week 1 starter over Sanders, Gabriel and Pickett. As of Tuesday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook had Flacco as a -310 betting favorite to get the nod for the Browns' regular-season opener versus the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. Previous whispers indicated Stefanski will want to name his Week 1 QB1 before Cleveland wraps the preseason up with a home game against the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 23. It certainly sounds like Stefanski won't lose any sleep over disappointing members of a passionate fan base who want to see what Sanders can do against live defenses in meaningful contests.
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