We have reached that unfortunate hour in which Jake Guentzel is on the NHL trade block, and bidders are waving numbered placards in hopes of landing the scoring winger who has not only supported center Sidney Crosby better than any winger in Crosby’s career but also elevated Crosby’s game.
Guentzel has one Stanley Cup ring (2017) and will chase another this spring while his current mates likely cheer him on from home.
There is significant chatter Tuesday night that the Vancouver Canucks and president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford are salivating over Guentzel, so much so that they may part with mid-season acquisition Elias Lindholm to do so.
Guentzel, 29, is the premier trade deadline acquisition. No one else has a 40-goal season on their resume and is under 30 years old with a proven ability to play with talented players of different sorts.
It is a tense time around the Penguins. Guentzel momentarily emerged from a quiet corner of the Penguins’ offices last night, only to see the media entering the locker room, and he retreated. The team sputtered through a sloppy win over the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday, as the players on and off the ice are obviously struggling to deal with the fallout from their failure.
When Jim Rutherford wants a player, it usually gets done. Yes, long-time Penguins scout and assistant GM Patrik Allvin is the Canucks’ general manager, but Rutherford is the man in charge. And they know Guentzel as well as anyone.
Rutherford has done a marvelous job turning around the disjointed Canucks with sharp moves, albeit many fewer than he needed to retool the 2015-16 Pittsburgh Penguins troop that went from the bottom to the Stanley Cup in the same season.
Vancouver has few prospects in the pipeline, but there is one who might make good sense: 2023 11th overall pick Tom Willander, a physical defenseman at Boston University. However, the Canucks do not have a 2024 first-round pick, so Dubas would need to settle for a 2025 pick, offer Dubas NHL talent, or Vancouver needs to find a first-rounder fast.
Reports surfaced Tuesday night that Vancouver and the Penguins were working on a three-team deal that involved Elias Lindholm going to Boston. However, Boston is also without their 2024 first-round pick courtesy of acquiring Tyler Bertuzzi last season.
Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty are not getting younger. They’re in their late 30s, and chances are dwindling while the new core is emerging; Guentzel would be the perfect bridge for young players like Quintin Byfield.
Their rivals, the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights, have won recent Stanley Cups. The Edmonton Oilers are banging on the door with desperation.
Guentzel would slot beautifully beside Kopitar, allowing new coach Jim Hiller to distribute the scoring throughout the lineup more evenly. He could move Byfield to the second-line center or wing and have a significantly better top-six.
No, the Kings will not part with Byfield in a deal.
LA also needs a goalie, which creates a healthy opportunity for Dubas to pair one of his goaltenders with Guentzel for an even greater return. Most prospect rankings, including one by The Athletic, ranked the Kings’ prospect pool as a top-10 pipeline.
Brandt Clarke, the eighth overall pick in 2021, is their top prospect. The high-ceiling right-handed defenseman is good with the puck and pushing offense. In 15 NHL games this season, he has 15 points (2-4-6) and has eight points in 24 career games over the last two seasons.
Other top prospects, righty defenseman Jordan Spence, who has plenty of offensive upside, and smaller but talented winger Alex Turcotte, are 23 and at the make-or-break points in their careers, but neither have yet established themselves in the NHL. The Kings also have their 2024 first-round pick.
Their heartbeat and leader, Mark Stone, is injured and may not be ready for the playoffs. GM Kelly McCrimmon snagged Anthony Mantha from the Capitals for a second-rounder this year (and a fourth in 2026). Still, the Washington Capitals ate 50% of Mantha’s $5.7 million salary, so Vegas has more to play with.
The Golden Knights are getting some mileage out of prospect Brendan Brisson, a 22-year-old scoring LW. Brisson is a heady player without great skating but has been a good scorer at the lower levels and is chipping in some offense from the Golden Knights’ third line. Brisson is the son of super agent Pat Brisson and a friend of Sidney Crosby’s.
Fellow top prospect Lukas Cormier is a lefty defenseman with offensive acumen and next-level skating. He is playing his first professional season. In 65 AHL games, he has 35 points (10-25-35). He has one assist in two NHL games.
Guentzel would allow the Golden Knights to remain competitive for a second straight Stanley Cup. Imagine Guentzel with William Karlsson and Jack Eichel with Johnathan Marchessault anchoring their top-six. Yeah, that should be worth a No. 1 and Cormier.
Given Stone’s injury history and age, they might have a long-term need for Guentzel, too.
Give Guentzel a month in the desert, and maybe he’ll be ready to sign a long-term deal. After all, Marc-Andre Fleury, Phil Kessel, and Teddy Blueger loved it there.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have made several moves this offseason, including the high-profile sign-and-trade that sent Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights. While the team added forwards Nicolas Roy, Dakota Joshua, and Matias Maccelli to help shore up its depth, NHL analyst Shayna Goldman of The Athletic believes the Leafs still have a major issue to address. “There is still a Mitch Marner-sized hole in the top six,” Goldman wrote, noting that while Marner’s playoff production often fell short, his ability to produce 100 points during the regular season hasn’t been replaced. Captain Auston Matthews and William Nylander remain elite offensive weapons, and John Tavares re-signed on a more team-friendly deal, but Tavares is expected to take on a reduced role. Young forward Matthew Knies is developing nicely, but Goldman argues internal improvements alone won’t fill the void left by Marner. “With most top-tier free agents signed and just $2.9 million in cap space remaining, Toronto’s only real path to addressing this gap may come via trade,” she added. Who Might the Maple Leafs Be Targeting? The Maple Leafs have a few options still out there on the trade market. First, they might be eyeing Evan Rodrigues as a potential trade target amid the Florida Panthers’ cap crunch. With Florida $3.7 million over the cap, Rodrigues’ $3 million AAV and playoff pedigree make him an appealing, affordable top-six option to help fill the post-Marner scoring gap. Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report has predicted a major trade deadline move that could see the Leafs landing Anders Lee from the New York Islanders. Lee, 35, is in the final year of his eight-year, $7M AAV deal. While the Islanders insist they aren’t rebuilding, Lee could become a trade chip if they slip from playoff contention. His 29 goals and 25 assists last season should draw interest across the league. With Yegor Chinakhov requesting a trade out of Columbus, the Maple Leafs have emerged as a potential suitor. The skilled winger could help fill Toronto’s top-six void. Nick Robertson may be a trade chip, though his value is uncertain. Chinakhov’s upside and affordable cap hit make him an intriguing target for GM Brad Treliving. According to Nick Kypreos, Nazem Kadri may be willing to help facilitate a move to Toronto if the Calgary Flames are open to a deal. Kadri is a center, but his production certainly would help. Finally, the Maple Leafs may target Penguins winger Rickard Rakell to fill their top-six hole. Rakell, coming off a 35-goal season, fits Toronto’s cap structure and could thrive alongside Matthews or Tavares. However, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas will demand significant value, likely starting with Easton Cowan.
Now in her second WNBA season, Angel Reese is averaging a league‑leading 12.5 rebounds along with 13.8 points, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game. She recently returned from a midseason leg injury and immediately picked up where she left off, posting her 16th double‑double of the season (11 points, 11 rebounds) on Tuesday night even as her Chicago Sky fell, 91-68, to the Minnesota Lynx. Then, on Wednesday, Reese showcased her brand power on Instagram, posting a pregame photo dressed head‑to‑toe in Gucci with the caption, "Don’t worry about me… life is GUCCI @gucci #guccipartner." The image quickly lit up her feed and drew an immediate response from one of the game’s all‑time greats, WNBA legend Lisa Leslie, who commented, “Yessss it is❤️." Despite flashes of elite play, the Sky have struggled mightily through 23 games, standing at just 7-16 and sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference. Their 77.6 points per game rank 12th in the WNBA, and opponents are torching them for 86.5 a night (11th in the league). With head coach Tyler Marsh searching for consistency, every bright spot has been a welcome reprieve for a franchise that won the title as recently as 2021. Front and center among Chicago’s bright spots is Reese. Off the court, Reese has quickly built a burgeoning portfolio of endorsement deals, including Reebok, Calvin Klein, Beats by Dre, Amazon and now Gucci, underscoring her status as one of the WNBA’s brightest personalities. On the other side, you have Leslie, whose voice carries more weight than arguably anybody in women’s basketball. A three‑time league MVP, two‑time WNBA champion and Finals MVP and eight‑time All‑Star, Leslie helped define the league’s early years with the Los Angeles Sparks, including driving home the first dunk in WNBA history in 2002. A Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer (Class of 2015), she remains a global ambassador for the sport.
Shortly after former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback and current college football analyst Greg McElroy shared that someone "in the know" believes there's a possibility Nick Saban — who retired in January 2024 — might return to coaching, NFL insider Albert Breer suggested that the Dallas Cowboys could be a potential destination for the seven-time national champion. According to Mike Rodak of 247Sports, Saban was asked during a Friday appearance on Fox News if he intends to come out of retirement. "No, I'm really happy with what I'm doing right now," Saban responded. "It's exciting to still be involved in the game. It's exciting for me to work with athletic directors, conference commissioners, people in Congress to preserve the integrity of our game and continue to be able to create opportunities to help young people create value for their future that will help them be successful in their life, which is what we always try to do as a coach." Saban, now working as an ESPN analyst, will be 74 in October. Per Christian Datoc of the Washington Examiner, President Donald Trump could consider having Saban "lead a new commission examining problems arising with the growth of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights and coinciding changes to the NCAA transfer process." Meanwhile, it's thought that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones could look to hire a big-name candidate if first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer fails to impress during the 2025 campaign. Additionally, Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd recently hinted that Saban could be interested in becoming the head coach of the Cleveland Browns if the team selects Texas quarterback Arch Manning as the first pick in the 2026 draft. "There is no opportunity that I know of right now that would enhance me to go back to coaching," Saban added during Friday's segment. "I enjoy what I'm doing. I did it for 50 years. I loved it. I loved the relationships with the players. I loved the competition. But it's another station of life now. I enjoy what I'm doing right now and want to continue to do it — spend more time with my family, my grandchildren, my children. It's been really, really good." The "right now" portion of Saban's comments attracted the attention of Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, who was quick to point out he did not say "no for good" regarding a return to coaching. In short, it seems that rumors about Saban's future could hover over the college and pro football communities through at least the rest of the year.
The New York Yankees didn't come into the season with the strongest third base situation, and it only got worse over time. They converted traditional second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the hot corner after getting him at the Trade Deadline last season and installed a timeshare with him, DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Oswaldo Cabrera there in 2025. However, the latter player broke his ankle on May 12, and the Yankees released the now 37-year-old LeMahieu on July 10. Chisholm was primarily back at second at that point, so this left Peraza and Jorbit Vivas as their only true remaining third basemen. With Peraza hitting .147 and Vivas hitting .164, it was clear what the team's biggest need was. That's why it acquired veteran third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Friday. New York manager Aaron Boone gave his thoughts about the 30-year-old before Friday's bout with the Philadelphia Phillies, via SNY. "I know there's real offensive potential there. I know he's had real offensive success, as well as some struggles there over the last calendar year or two," he said. "It seems like over the last month he's really started swinging the bat like he's capable of. He can impact the ball, he can control the strike zone, he's had some swing-and-misses that have probably hurt him a little bit." "But then he can really defend over there," he continued. "The handful of times that we've played against them that I watch him, you're like, 'That's what it should look like over there.' He moves really well and has that prototypical good third base thing." McMahon is slashing .217/.314/.403 with 16 homers and 35 RBI over 100 games this season. He also has a .978 fielding percentage and six errors. Right-handed pitcher Will Warren (6-5, 4.91 ERA) will start for the Yankees against Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker (3-5, 3.75 ERA) on Friday.