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Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
NHL Trade Rumors: Blues Interested In Sabres Star
After taking a nice step forward this season, the St. Louis Blues should be active this off-season. One area on their roster that could use a boost is their defensive group, and they have been connected to New York Islanders blueliner Noah Dobson because of it. However, based on a new report, Dobson is not the only notable defenseman who is rumored to be on the Blues' radar. Advertisement During the latest episode of TSN Insider Trading, NHL insider Darren Dreger reported that the Blues are one of the teams interested in Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram. "I'm looking at LA, Vegas, St. Louis, Vancouver, Colorado, maybe longshot, the Toronto Maple Leafs as teams with interest in Bo Byram," Dreger said. Hearing that the Blues are among the teams are interested in Byram is not particularly surprising. The 24-year-old would be a significant addition to the Blues' roster, as he is a proven top-four defenseman who is solid defensively and chips in offensively. In addition, he can play the right side as a left-shot defenseman, which adds to his appeal. Advertisement When looking at the Blues' current roster, Byram could be a strong fit on their top pairing with Colton Parayko if acquired. However, he also could be an option for their second pairing on the right side, with Philip Broberg as his defensive partner. He is also capable of being used on the power play and penalty kill because of his two-way play, so he could help the Blues' in these areas, too. In 82 games this season with the Sabres, Byram recorded seven goals and set new career highs with 31 assists, 38 points, and a plus-11 rating. With numbers like these, Byram would be a very good pickup for a Blues club looking to get closer to being true contenders, especially when noting that he still may not have hit his ceiling yet. Let's see if their interest leads to them landing him from here. NHL Trade Rumors: Jordan Kyrou Linked To 4 Teams NHL Trade Rumors: Jordan Kyrou Linked To 4 Teams Advertisement St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou finds himself right back in the rumor mill now that the off-season is here. This comes after the 27-year-old forward was discussed as a trade candidate leading up to this season's deadline. Photo Credit: © Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Darren Dreger Predicts What John Tavares' Next Maple Leafs Contract Could Look Like
Darren Dreger Predicts What John Tavares' Next Maple Leafs Contract Could Look Like originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Toronto Maple Leafs and pending free agent John Tavares appear headed toward a new deal, but it could look very different from the contract that brought him home in 2018. Advertisement With the veteran center set to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1, NHL insider Darren Dreger believes the Leafs are exploring a discounted extension at the expense of signing Tavares to a longer-term deal. Even then, Dreger thinks Tavares wouldn't have a problem with earning a lower yearly salary over a longer period of time. Tavares just completed a seven-year, $77 million contract and finished last season with 38 goals and 74 points in 75 regular-season games. He also had seven points in 13 postseason outings. Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (91) celebrates after scoring a Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images 'Everybody wants this guy to take a mammoth haircut. There's no doubt he is going to, and he's okay with that at this point in his career,' Dreger said Tuesday on TSN's "First Up" show. 'But the guy made $11 million flat. He's worth more than that.' Advertisement Dreger suggested the Leafs could follow the growing league trend of offering longer-term deals with lower average annual values to manage the cap hit. 'I expect that's what's going to happen with Tavares,' Dreger said. 'It's going to be a term much longer than most people would be comfortable with, but that'll help bring the AAV down with deferred money and all that.' Tavares, meanwhile, made clear he wants to stay in Toronto during the end-of-season media availability. 'Obviously, I've expressed my desire to stay and make it work,' Tavares said. 'Very optimistic that we can work something out where I'm back, but obviously haven't put a lot of thought into it, it's only been a couple of days.' Advertisement Related: NHL Analyst Warns Maple Leafs Against Overpaying Panthers' Brad Marchand Related: Elliotte Friedman Reveals Mitch Marner's Rumored Free Agency Plan to Maximize Earnings This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
NHL Insider Reveals Move that 'Makes Sense' for Maple Leafs' Matthew Knies
NHL Insider Reveals Move that 'Makes Sense' for Maple Leafs' Matthew Knies originally appeared on Athlon Sports. With Matthew Knies entering restricted free agency on July 1, the Toronto Maple Leafs are facing a critical decision window. Advertisement NHL insider Darren Dreger reported Tuesday, appearing on TSN's "First Up," that both sides are handling negotiations respectfully, but a short-term bridge deal remains a possibility. According to Dreger, Knies might be interested in maximizing his earnings given his legitimate potential and his steady progress, although waiting too much to reach an agreement could open the door to rival offer sheets. Knies is coming off a breakout season in which he posted 29 goals and 58 points, followed by five goals in 13 playoff games. Head coach Craig Berube used Knies in Toronto's top line across team captain Auston Matthews and star winger Mitch Marner. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies (23) celebrates his goal against Florida Panthers(72).John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images "I think they're managing this file well," Dreger said. "Discussions with Brad Treliving are being careful as well." Advertisement "It makes sense to me that Knies would want a bridge deal, just because of his progression path, right? Like, he is going straight up.' Knies expressed loyalty to Toronto at the end of the Leafs' season and ruled out signing an offer sheet. "I want to be here. I want to play here. That's all that really matters to me," Knies said. "There's really a chance to win here, and the guys in the room to win." Dreger suggested the financial upside of a bridge deal may still outweigh the risk of committing long-term right now. 'Unless Toronto puts a mega-deal in front of him,' Dreger said, 'why wouldn't he do the bridge? And then, when he comes out of that, he's got the complete hammer as a restricted free agent.' Advertisement Toronto has until July 1 to finalize an extension before offer sheets can be submitted across the league. Related: Maple Leafs' Matthew Knies Has Firm Answer on Possible Offer Sheets Related: NHL Analyst Warns Maple Leafs Against Overpaying Panthers' Brad Marchand This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
NHL Rumor: Sam Bennett may reject Maple Leafs despite strong playoff run
The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading into what could be a big offseason, with many eyes on the team's next moves. As rumors swirl, some fans are wondering if Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett could be on Toronto's radar. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The 28-year-old center has impressed during the playoffs and is expected to be one of the top free agents available this summer. However, some experts believe a move to Toronto is not likely. Sam Bennett having a postseason but Leafs link weak Sam Bennett has had a strong showing this year. He scored 51 points in 76 regular-season games and now has 14 points in just 15 playoff games. His performance has only boosted his value ahead of free agency, which begins on July 1. He is currently playing for the Panthers but will have many teams interested in signing him once the season ends. However, TSN insider Darren Dreger shared on 'Leafs Morning Take' that he doesn't think Sam Bennett will choose Toronto. Dreger said, 'I'm not convinced Sam Bennett wants to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs.' He added that Sam Bennett may prefer other destinations, not because of the pressure in Toronto, but because he will have many strong offers to consider. Also Read: Leafs face salary cap pressure and tough decisions Sam Bennett is expected to get a raise from his current $4.425 million salary and will likely ask for a long-term deal. That may be a problem for Toronto. The Leafs are projected to have about $25.7 million in cap space, but they also need to sign key restricted free agents and possibly make trades or re-sign current players. Sportsnet has ranked Sam Bennett as the second-best free agent this summer, just behind Leafs star Mitch Marner. That makes Sam Bennett a hot name, but not an easy fit for Toronto's salary structure. It's also worth noting that Sam Bennett is originally from Ontario, which adds to fan hopes that he might come home. But based on early reports, the Maple Leafs may not be the team that wins this race. As free agency gets closer, the Leafs will explore many options, but adding Sam Bennett might not be one of them no matter how well he's playing right now.
Edmonton Journal
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Edmonton Oilers top goalie out 'at least a week,' NHL insider reports
Article content This in from NHL insider Darren Dreger on the Ray & Dregs podcast, news that injured Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard will be out for the entire Vegas series. Article content Article content Latest National Stories
