In today’s NHL rumor rundown, the Edmonton Oilers have grabbed another depth forward in free agency and most fans are loving the signing. Why did he choose Edmonton at such a discounted rate? In Winnipeg, there’s an update on Patrik Laine and whether or not he’ll be traded before camp. If not, how will the Jets improve their blue line? In Philadelphia, are the Flyers one of the teams interested in Mike Hoffman? Finally, could former Arizona Coyotes draft selection Mitchell Miller be headed to the KHL?
Laine Likely to Stay With Jets
Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet has updated the situation on Patrik Laine this week and notes that unless the Winnipeg Jets are blown away by a trade offer, he expects Laine to report to training camp.
Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
The situation between the Jets and Laine could very well end in a trade because Laine is in the final year of his deal at a $6.75 million but the Jets are being patient as he is under team control for three more seasons. Winnipeg may know that Laine would prefer to move on, but they aren’t giving him away.
Wiebe also doesn’t believe there’s anything to the rumors the Columbus Blue Jackets would consider moving Zach Werenski and his $5 million salary cap hit for two years for Laine.
Potentially, a more likely move out of Winnipeg would be that the Jets deal either Jack Roslovic and Sami Niku in an attempt to land a defenseman.
Flyers Need Scoring, But Not Interested in Hoffman
While a number of teams have been listed as waiting on Mike Hoffman to make a decision, the Philadelphia Flyers are apparently not one of them. Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia cited Pierre LeBrun’s recent report that Hoffman is being patient because offers have been low but that “dozen or so” teams have shown interest. Hall says the Flyers aren’t in that group.
This news comes despite obvious issues with the Flyers ability to score in the playoffs and the fact they’ve not added a forward in NHL free agency. They don’t exactly have a ton of cap room, (just under $5 million in salary cap space) but they could make room if they had interest.
Hall says the team should be looking in his direction but he doesn’t believe they will.
Oilers Add Dominik Kahun
The Edmonton Oilers made it official on Monday that they were adding Dominik Kahun to their left wing depth on a one-year deal worth $975K. There was some speculation the Los Angeles Kings had kicked tires on the player, but he elected to join the Oilers.
Dominik Kahun, Pittsburgh Penguins (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)
What’s interesting about the deal is that the Oilers were said to have expressed interest early in free agency but Kahun wanted to see if there was better money out there. There wasn’t, or it didn’t come from teams he was interested in joining. As a result, he circled back to Edmonton and signed.
Kahun, 25, is a boyhood friend and former teammate of Oilers star Leon Draisaitl. They were frequent linemates for Germany in several international tournaments, including the World Championships. Fans in Edmonton will be wondering if these two will play together.
Also worth watching is how this signing affects Edmonton’s plans to re-sign RFA defenseman Ethan Bear. The Oilers don’t have much cap flexibility now, but will when Oscar Klefbom hits LTIR. That could mean Bear’s signing is held off until that time.
With the Arizona Coyotes renouncing their draft selection of Mitchell Miller and with the University of North Dakota revoking his right to play hockey, the former NHL prospect might be looking at other alternatives to play next season. Apparently, the Continental League of the KHL.
Reports out of Russia are that Miller is being potentially linked to SKA. Obviously, none of this is official and we’ll have more on the story as it develops.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.
ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.
The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.
The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.
Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.
His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.
Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
