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With their victory over Team Sweden, Team USA has officially won the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, taking home the gold medal for the sixth time since the tournament’s inception in 1977. The game-winning goal would come in the second period, as Michigan State University product Isaac Howard put away the deciding marker relatively early on in the game.
USA GOAL
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 5, 2024
An incredible pass by Drew Fortescue sets up this Isaac Howard goal to give Team USA the lead!#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/tBAwk4NfhR
Team USA will now move alone into third place in total gold medals in the tournament’s history after being tied with Finland with five since 2021. Team Russia/Soviet Union is in second place with eight gold medals, while Team Canada is in front by a large margin with a whopping 20 gold medals in the tournament’s history.
After leading Team Czechia in scoring in last year’s tournament, Buffalo Sabres prospect Jiri Kulich would lead the entire tournament this year, scoring six goals and 12 points in seven games. Tied in the lead with Kulich was Philadelphia Flyers’ prospect, Cutter Gauthier of Team USA, scoring two goals and 12 points in seven games.
Outside of Team USA bringing home the gold, and Team Sweden taking home the silver medal, Team Czechia would go on to defeat Team Finland in a high-scoring game this morning, winning their second bronze medal in tournament history. Now, the players from each respective country will return back to their regular teams, before the exciting tournament returns next year in Ottawa.
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Leafs’ Proposed Blockbuster Trade Could Jeopardize Future
A recent trade pitch suggesting the Toronto Maple Leafs acquire Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell from the Pittsburgh Penguins is undeniably a bold and wild idea. With that in mind, it’s not the kind of trade that makes a ton of sense for Toronto, even if both players are legitimate goal scorers — especially considering what Toronto would have to give up to acquire both players. The likelihood that the Maple Leafs are seeking a trade for both wingers is low to begin with. That they’d be willing to part with a new trade acquisition, one of their more steady defensemen, a high-ceiling winger, and the team’s top prospect is an even more fascinating suggestion. Toronto Isn’t About To Abandon Their Game Plan The suggested trade was as follows: Maple Leafs Acquire: Bryan Rust ($5,125,000) Rickard Rakell ($5,000,000) Penguins Acquire: Nick Robertson ($1,825,000) Jake McCabe ($4,491,898) Matias Maccelli ($3,425,000) Easton Cowan ($873,500) While Rust and Rakell bring impressive goal-scoring credentials — combining for 66 goals last season — the Leafs have just added Matias Maccelli, a promising winger signed to what they hope is a value contract this offseason. On top of that, they’ve invested heavily in Jake McCabe on defense and have Easton Cowan, arguably their best prospect, waiting in the wings. Nick Robertson may be on the move, so his inclusion makes sense, but there’s been no suggestion, whatsoever, that the Leafs are open to moving any of the other three. No doubt, you have to give to get. That said, trading away these useful, cost-controlled assets for veterans like Rust and Rakell seems like a shortsighted mistake. Maccelli’s acquisition signals the Leafs are looking to build with youth, speed, and skill, while McCabe provides a steady defensive presence — something the Maple Leafs desperately need to maintain. Easton Cowan, meanwhile, presents arguably the best future replacement for the offensive output lost with Mitch Marner’s departure. Is There A World In Which Toronto Would Consider This Blockbuster Trade? Never say never. There is no doubt this would be a big swing by Toronto. And, it would add goal scoring in a significant way. That said, given the current roster construction, why would Toronto create obvious holes on their blue line, in the system, and move a player they believe could be a key offensive contributor in Maccelli? This would be GM Brad Treliving mortgaging everything on two Penguins players, who reportedly don’t want to go anywhere — one of whom has an eight-team no-trade clause. This trade screams 2025-25 Cup run, and an attempt to outscore other problems in the present day. Ultimately, this proposed trade serves as an interesting talking point, but it doesn’t quite pass the smell test for a Leafs team focused on a blend of youth and experience heading into the new season.
Notable PFF grades, standouts from Vikings' preseason win over Texans
The big storyline from Saturday's Vikings preseason opener was how J.J. McCarthy looked in his first game since tearing his meniscus a year ago. But what the preseason is really about are younger players and guys on the roster bubble looking to make an impression. After some starters played a bit in the first quarter, it was the second and third and fourth-stringers who got the rest of the work in the Vikings' 20-10 win over the Texans. Let's take a look at the Pro Football Focus grades from the game to see who stood out. Top 5 grades on offense (minimum 10 snaps) 1. RG Joe Huber — 94.7 (55 snaps) 2. C Michael Jurgens — 80.0 (43) 3. WR Jordan Addison — 79.6 (12) 4. LT/RT Walter Rouse — 78.4 (36) 5. WR Myles Price — 76.8 (15) Huber, an undrafted rookie out of Wisconsin, played more snaps than any other Viking in this game, so his team-best 94.7 grade is incredibly impressive. He was PFF's highest-graded rookie across all eight games in the NFL on Saturday. The catalyst was his 93.9 grade in the run blocking phase. Huber still faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster, but he's a lock to at least stick around on the practice squad if the Vikings try to get him through waivers. Jurgens and Rouse also impressing is an encouraging sign for the Vikings' offensive line depth. Those two second-year players should have a good shot to make the roster alongside veteran backups Justin Skule and Blake Brandel if the Vikings keep nine offensive linemen. Price, who has had a solid camp, caught a couple passes from Max Brosmer in the fourth quarter, including a touchdown. He feels like a strong practice squad candidate. Two other standouts on offense who finished just outside of the top five were RB Zavier Scott (75.9) and QB Sam Howell (75.8). Scott racked up 51 yards from scrimmage on eight touches and stated his case to be the Vikings' No. 3 running back this year. Howell was 11 of 13 for 105 yards and at least temporarily quieted some of the doubts about his ability to be an adequate backup. The five lowest grades on offense went to WR Silas Bolden, WR Thayer Thomas, WR Dontae Fleming, TE Giovanni Ricci, and RG Will Fries (all on fewer than 20 snaps). Top 5 grades on defense (minimum 10 snaps) 1. OLB Gabriel Murphy — 80.2 (30 snaps) 2. DL Elijah Williams — 79.9 (21) 3. CB Reddy Steward — 76.5 (11) 4. S Tavierre Thomas — 76.5 (32) 5. CB Ambry Thomas — 75.4 (12) Murphy had 1.5 sacks and a team-high five pressures on just 19 pass-rush snaps. The second-year undrafted player out of UCLA was fantastic for the Vikings and looks like the obvious candidate to be the team's No. 4 outside linebacker this season, which is a role that comes with real playing time. "Gabe’s been a guy that has shown up daily at camp, I've highlighted it in front of the team," head coach Kevin O'Connell said. "He's, it feels like a man on a mission right now, in a lot of ways. And I'm just proud of him, proud of where he's at in camp right now, and now he's just gotta set his sights on continuing to compete." Williams was also outstanding. He had four pressures on 15 pass-rushing snaps. Williams, who starred at FCS Morgan State, signed with the Vikings after attending their rookie minicamp as a tryout player. "I remember vividly (assistant D-line coach) Marcus Dixon coming to me after day one of that tryout," O'Connell said. "And I always like to check in with all the coaches. 'Anybody catch your eye for me to look at tomorrow?' Just observing (Williams), the effort, had a little pop to him throughout the drills, and that's really what's shown up throughout training camp. He sits in the first row of my team meetings every single day. There's a lot to like about him, and it was good to see him make some plays tonight, too." Steward, Tavierre Thomas, and Ambry Thomas are veteran defensive backs hoping to make the roster. Another player in that category, safety Kahlef Hailassie, had two interceptions and nearly made the top five with a 75.1 grade. The five lowest grades on defense went to S Theo Jackson, LB Eric Wilson, S Jay Ward, DT Levi Drake Rodriguez, and CB Jeff Okudah. Most of those guys have had strong training camps, so there's no need to put much stock into this one-game sample. More Vikings coverage
Cowboys exec has blunt message about Micah Parsons' trade request
The Dallas Cowboys have not been able to come to an agreement with Micah Parsons on a long-term contract extension, but that does not mean the team has any plans to shop the star pass-rusher in trade talks. Parsons, who is making just over $24M in the final year of his rookie contract this season, publicly requested a trade from the Cowboys on Aug. 1. There have now been questions about whether he will report to work before Week 1. While Parsons has refused to practice in training camp, he traveled to Los Angeles with the Cowboys for their preseason game against the Rams on Saturday night. Before kickoff, Dallas executive vice president Stephen Jones said he was pleased with Parsons' decision to join the team. Jones also said the Cowboys "have no intention of trading Micah." It is a positive sign for the Cowboys that Parsons chose to be on the sideline for Saturday's exhibition game. The 26-year-old has also been with his teammates at training camp, though he has not been practicing. From a contractual standpoint, Parsons has very little leverage. He would have to forfeit game checks if he were to skip regular-season games, and his contract would eventually toll and carry over into 2026 if he were to sit out long enough. The Cowboys also still have the franchise tag available to use on Parsons in both 2026 and 2027. All Parsons can do is create a headache for the Cowboys, which has been a successful strategy for many players in the past. For what it's worth, a different Dallas star who had a contract standoff with the team last year believes the situation will eventually be resolved. Jones and his father, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, have made it clear that they will not entertain trade offers at this time. Parsons had 12 sacks in 13 games last season, so there is no question the team is better with him on the field. He has 52.5 sacks in 63 career games and is arguably the best pass-rusher in the NFL when healthy.
Steelers Rookie Kaleb Johnson Gets Very Honest Rating In First Game Against Jacksonville
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted running back Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Johnson comes to the Steel City after a tremendous career at Iowa, where he routinely faced stacked defensive fronts and still found ways to excel. The Steelers clearly believe he has the physicality, vision, and work ethic to contribute right away, especially in an offense that prides itself on a strong running game. In the Steelers’ first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh came away with a 31-25 victory. Johnson saw limited but notable action, carrying the football eight times for 20 yards and catching one pass for six yards. While his stat line didn’t jump off the page, his debut provided the coaching staff with an initial look at how he adjusts to NFL speed and physicality. Following the game, former Steelers two-time Super Bowl champion Chris Hoke appeared on the KDKA Nightly Sports Call to give his honest assessment of Johnson’s first NFL outing. Hoke noted that while Johnson showed flashes of his college toughness, he still needs to work on reading NFL-level defenses and hitting the hole with more urgency. He emphasized that preseason is about learning and adapting, and that Johnson has the tools to grow into a productive player for Pittsburgh if he embraces the grind. "On the one sack earlier in the game, Mason [Rudolph] wanted to check it down to him and he stayed in to protect," Hoke said Saturday on the KDKA Nightly Sports Call. "There's been a lot of talk about, 'Can Kaleb Johnson protect?' That's a big part of why he needs to be out there getting these reps, because he needs to protect Aaron Rodgers in the regular season. He stayed in there too long, didn't leak out for the safety valve, but Kaleb Johnson broke tackles." Hoke, as a whole, sounded very pleased with what he saw from Johnson. While the stats were not impressive, the eye test revealed Johnson’s burst and vision. Perhaps his best moment came when he planted Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter into the turf. Hoke acknowledged that Johnson still has plenty to work on but expressed confidence that he can get there. "A lot of times when you are a running back and you get to a hole, you are going to have a guy there," Hoke continued. "You've got to make the first guy miss. He stiffed-arm, he got outside, got some positive yardage when a lot of times we saw last year running backs were going down on contact at the first guy. So, I really like what I see from Kaleb Johnson." The Steelers’ running back room looks noticeably different heading into the 2025 season. Like several other key positions on the roster, it underwent a complete overhaul. Pittsburgh will open the year with a one-two punch of Jaylen Warren and Johnson, though many analysts believe Johnson could begin stealing carries from Warren as the season progresses and eventually emerge as the lead back. Steelers Could Have A Punishing Rushing Attack In addition to Warren and Johnson, the Steelers added veteran running back Kenneth Gainwell in the offseason. Fresh off a Super Bowl victory with the Philadelphia Eagles, Gainwell brings playoff experience and versatility to the group. Together, this trio will be the foundation that Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith and Head Coach Mike Tomlin lean on to power the offense. If the Steelers are serious about being legitimate contenders in 2025, their ground game will need to set the tone early and often. With Smith’s physical, run-first philosophy and a backfield that blends youth, experience, and explosiveness, Pittsburgh has the pieces to build one of the most punishing rushing attacks in the league.
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