The Seattle Kraken have found a trade partner for centre Alexander Wennberg. The New York Rangers have added the forward for the stretch drive. Moreover, the Kraken have decided to retain 50% of his salary and receive a second-round pick in 2024 and an additional fourth-rounder in 2025. The 29-year-old will be a nice depth addition upfront and brings playoff experience. Wennberg provides a bit of support that might make a difference in the long grind ahead. Teams are looking for anything to get the edge as the 2024 NHL trade deadline leads into the Stanley Cup playoff drive.
Kraken retain 50 percent on Wennberg
Seattle gets 2nd in 24 and 4th in 25— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 6, 2024
NEWS: #SeaKraken Alex Wennberg is unavailable tonight for “trade-related issues”
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) March 4, 2024
Wennberg is a 10-year veteran of the NHL. He has appeared in six different post-seasons and has always been a contributor. This year for the Kraken he has 25 points through 60 games played. Moreover, his career-high in points came way back in 2016-17 with 59 playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets. If you take a look at his career power play ice time, you will notice there is likely correlation between his point production and power play ice time. For example, his career-high in total power play ice time came in 2016-17 at 211.7 minutes. This year, he isn’t quite at that pace at 121.8 minutes through the 60 games. Therefore, his production is down this year.
The Seattle Kraken are not in the playoff picture like they had envisioned based on last year’s run to within one game of the Western Conference Finals. Therefore, trading a depth forward who is on an expiring contract for an asset is a win-win. Even though Wennberg was an asset through last year’s playoff run, he is by no means a huge difference-maker. Acquiring a couple assets is a smart move by General Manager Ron Francis.
Well the Blueshirts welcome aboard Alexander Wennberg after the trade. As we mentioned, he is a great third-line producer. He has been very consistent throughout his NHL career and brings playoff experience. When you bring in a forward like this, it means you are serious about a run. You feel you have the pieces in place, and don’t want to disrupt chemistry. But, adding a depth forward, who is a solid skater, will go a long way. Hopefully he can provide the grit that the Rangers lineup could use. We shall see!
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The Boston Bruins landed Casey Mittelstadt at the 2025 trade deadline, but now it appears they're ready to move on from the former Avalanche center. This past season was one full of big moves for the Boston Bruins, a team that even moved franchise legend Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers as the former captain would go on to win his second career Stanley Cup. Not only that, but they also dealt the likes of Brandon Carlo and Charlie Coyle, with the latter netting them veteran Casey Mittelstadt in a surprising deal with the Colorado Avalanche. Boston looking to move on from Casey Mittelstadt? Despite showing some promise early in his time with Boston, tallying 4 goals and 6 points in 18 games played, it appears the Bruins are ready to move on from 26-year old Mittelstadt as they look towards the future once more. 'There was a common feeling that he wasn't their main target when they traded for him; Zellers and the second-round draft pick were.' In his latest piece for RG Media, Jimmy Murphy revealed comments from an NHL executive who believes that Mittelstadt wasn't the biggest target for Boston in their deal, opening up the potential for a deal where they flip Mittelstadt. Boston to be sellers during the 2025/26 season too? The Boston Bruins selling is set to continue, with Pavel Zacha, Joonas Korpisalo and now Mittelstadt all named as players that could be moved at some point in the very near future. It's unclear whether the team are motivated to move Mittelstadt before the season begins or if they are going to be patient enough to wait until the trade deadline, but after being traded from Buffalo to Colorado and now to Boston, it appears as though Mittelstadt could be on the move once again.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have quite an interesting quarterback room for the 2025 season. Of course, all the focus is truly on Aaron Rodgers and what he can bring to the team at this stage in his career. Behind him, the Steelers have Mason Rudolph serving as the primary backup. Skylar Thompson and Will Howard are competing for the third spot on the depth chart, but unfortunately for Howard, an injury has slowed his progress. Thompson took advantage of the opportunity, performing well in the first preseason game and possibly reclaiming the QB3 role. Before his injury, Howard had previously moved ahead of Thompson in the competition. Former teammate of Rudolph, Ben Roethlisberger, recently shared his honest thoughts about the veteran quarterback’s performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Roethlisberger, who spent years with Rudolph during his time in Pittsburgh, had a unique perspective on how his former understudy handled the game. While Roethlisberger acknowledged there were some areas where Rudolph could improve, he also praised his composure, decision-making, and ability to move the offense when needed. Roethlisberger discussed Rudolph’s performance on his Footbahlin podcast, noting that the veteran looked confident and in control despite limited opportunities. "You know I thought Mason [Rudolph] played really well," Roethlisberger said on his podcast. "I thought he did exactly what you would hope to see from your backup quarterback. He went out there I think, he solidified himself… as the two." He pointed out that Rudolph’s familiarity with the Steelers’ system allows him to step in without disrupting the flow of the offense. With Rodgers leading the way, Rudolph providing a steady backup presence, and the QB3 competition between Thompson and Howard continuing, the Steelers’ quarterback depth will be a storyline worth following as the 2025 season approaches. "Let’s see how he does this week and the next week," Roethlisberger said. "I thought he played really well. I thought he was efficient with the ball. He threw the ball down the field. As a team, you like seeing that because that gives you confidence going into the season that if something were to happen one game for Aaron… you have a guy that you feel confident who could go in there. Same thing when we had Charlie Batch, you had Bruce Gradkowski, you had Byron Leftwich, you had Dennis Dixon and Josh Dobbs. Any of those guys. You just feel confident he can go in and just get it done for you." Roethlisberger had high praise for Rudolph, and hearing him mention him alongside names like Charlie Batch shows he has faith in Rudolph’s ability to be a reliable backup in Pittsburgh. There is a strong argument that Rudolph is one of the most dependable backup quarterbacks in the NFL, which is a significant asset for the Steelers in the 2025 season. Steelers' Mason Rudolph Has Great Preseason Game Versus Jaguars Rudolph only attempted 10 passes on Saturday night against the Jaguars, but completed 90 percent of them. He threw for 84 yards and one touchdown. While preseason football can be difficult to evaluate, he performed well in roughly a quarter and some change of action. His efficiency and composure reinforced the notion that the Steelers have one of the league’s most steady and trustworthy backup quarterbacks heading into the regular season. Roethlisberger is confident Rudolph has now locked up his spot as QB2 for the 2025 season. Steelers fans are now super eager to get updates on when Howard will be back from his injury. Howard and Thompson will fight for the QB3 spot. What grade would you give Rudolph for his preseason outing against the Jaguars?
Lady Gaga is reportedly "heartbroken" about the loss of Ozzy Osbourne, a big name in music who she said was one of her first big influences. The 76-year-old musician fought Parkinson's disease and other health problems for a long time. According to Radar Online, Gaga marked the loss by sending Sharon Osbourne, 72, a luxury bouquet of flowers worth several hundred dollars, the insider said. Gaga also honored the Prince of Darkness during her Mayhem Ball tour stop in San Francisco with a performance of "Crazy Train." Before leaving the stage, she told the crowd, "I'll miss you, Ozzy." The tribute carried extra weight for Gaga, who had shared her admiration for him years before her own rise to stardom. "She used to strip to Black Sabbath at her early shows," the source said, adding that she once told Ozzy the story and he "found it hilarious." A Public Tribute Hours After His Death Gaga's onstage tribute came July 22, hours after Ozzy's family confirmed his death in the UK. Fans at the Chase Center watched her and her dancers headbang offstage to "Crazy Train" while wearing shirts bearing his name. "I got goosebumps," one fan commented on a TikTok video from the show. Another wrote on Instagram, "Everyone is celebrating Ozzy's death the way he would have wanted... eventually turning up the volume and rocking out to Ozzy." Her grief follows years of mutual respect between her and the Osbourne family, despite a public clash with Sharon in 2013. The feud began after Sharon's daughter Kelly criticized Gaga's weight on E!'s "Fashion Police," prompting Gaga to write an open letter calling for more compassion. Sharon accused Gaga of hypocrisy for not telling her fans to stop sending threats to Kelly. From Feud to Reconciliation Tensions got calmer when Gaga later went on "The X Factor UK," where she hugged Sharon and gave Kelly a cake for her birthday. This public reconciliation made way for a nicer time between them in years to come. Gaga knew Ozzy in a personal and professional way. She met him and Sharon on a red carpet in 2014, at the MusiCares Person of the Year eventk. There, they hugged, took photos, and chatted. Ozzy reportedly left a big mark on Gaga's work. The "Poker Face" hitmaker would say the heavy metal icon was a big push behind her style, mixing her pop look with a love for hard rock and metal. His death hit her hard, the source shared. "She's been a huge fan of Ozzy and the Osbournes for years," the insider said. "This was personal for her."
Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris still has yet to return to action after a July 4 fireworks accident, and it sounds like he does not necessarily have a job guaranteed to him when he does. Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman admitted Tuesday that the team is planning a steady rotation at running back whether or not Harris is available to play in Week 1. First-round draft pick Omarion Hampton, however, is the player who has part of the rotation locked down, not Harris. The Chargers likely intended to use Harris as a part-time back no matter what. However, he certainly cannot have helped himself with his eye injury. The issue was described as superficial after it happened and Harris was expected to be ready for the season, but he is still on the non-football injury list and has yet to participate in a full practice. Harris, 27, is entering his first season with the Chargers after signing with them in March. He can earn up to $9.25 million on his one-year deal, but that will require him to remain part of the rotation with Hampton.
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