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National Post
14 hours ago
- Sport
- National Post
Ottawa Charge loses Emerance Maschmeyer, Danielle Serdachny in PWHL expansion signing window
On the first day of an exclusive free-agent signing window for the PWHL's two newest franchises in Seattle and Vancouver, the Ottawa Charge lost their first two pieces of the expansion process. Article content Goaltender and foundational signing Emerance Maschmeyer signed a two-year deal with PWHL Vancouver, while forward and 2024 second-overall pick Danielle Serdachny signed a two-year pact with PWHL Seattle. Article content Article content Article content Maschmeyer, 30, becomes the first goalie to commit to one of the expansion teams and the third player to sign with Vancouver. Serdachny, 24, becomes Seattle's second signing in franchise history after Hilary Knight. Article content According to the league's expansion rules, once a team loses two players to expansion, it can protect a fourth player in addition to the three players protected on Tuesday. Article content Shortly after the signings of Maschmeyer and Serdachny were made official, Ottawa announced forward Gabbie Hughes as its fourth protected player. She joins forward Emily Clark, defender Ronja Savolainen and goaltender Gwyneth Philips as the club's only untouchables through the expansion process. Article content Seattle and Vancouver's exclusive signing window closes on June 8 at 5 p.m. Each team is allowed a maximum of five signings during this period, with Seattle currently at three and Vancouver at four. Article content Ever since the league announced it was expanding in April, Maschmeyer was one of the first players assumed to be joining one of the two new clubs. After an injury in March cut her season short, 24-year-old Gwyneth Philips stepped into the starter's role and dominated en route to a PWHL final appearance, making Maschmeyer even more expendable. Article content Still, she was undoubtedly Ottawa's MVP in the first half of the season, posting a 2.58 goals-against average and .913 save percentage in 18 appearances. Article content Article content 'Emerance is quite simply one of the best in the world at her position and Vancouver is fortunate to have a goaltender and Olympian of her calibre between the pipes to launch our inaugural season,' Vancouver general manager Cara Gardner Morey said in a statement. 'Her veteran leadership, relentless compete and poise under pressure are contagious qualities that our team will feed off of and will give us a chance to win every game.' Article content On a team already loaded with stars, including defenders Claire Thompson and Sophie Jacques from the Minnesota Frost's championship team, and forward Sarah Nurse from the Toronto Sceptres, Maschmeyer will likely have more defensive and offensive support than she ever had with Ottawa. Article content 'Joining Vancouver is an incredible opportunity and I'm thrilled to be a part of such an exciting chapter of the league's expansion,' Maschmeyer said in the league's press release. 'Vancouver has proven to be a vibrant hockey city and I'm thrilled to play in front of such passionate fans. I'm aligned with Cara's vision and values and honoured to have the opportunity to help build this organization's culture from the ground up.'
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Report: Steelers unlikely to trade for TE Jonnu Smith
June 3 - The Pittsburgh Steelers are not expected to acquire tight end Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins, ESPN reported on Tuesday. ESPN also reported that the Steelers will host free agent wide receiver Gabriel Davis on Thursday. As for Smith, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel voiced his support of the tight end on Tuesday and said trading him is not the focus of the team. Smith, 29, set a franchise record for receptions (88) and receiving yards (884) by a tight end last season. He also had eight touchdowns in 17 games (six starts) en route to being selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. Smith has totaled 307 catches for 3,307 yards and 28 touchdowns in 124 career games (84 starts) with the Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons and Dolphins. He was selected by the Titans in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Davis was cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars after one season on May 7 in a move that saw the team absorb a $20.3 million dead cap hit. Davis, 26, caught 20 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games (nine starts) last season before sustaining a torn meniscus in his left knee on Nov. 17 in a 52-6 loss to the Detroit Lions. Davis had 163 catches for 2,730 yards and 27 touchdowns in 64 games (47 starts) with the Buffalo Bills. He was selected by the Bills in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of UCF. The Steelers acquired wide receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks on March 9. The two-time Pro Bowl selection then signed a four-year, $132 million deal with Pittsburgh. The Steelers also shipped wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys on May 7 in exchange for draft-pick compensation. Going to Dallas along with Pickens is a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, while the Steelers received a third-round selection in 2026 and a fifth-round pick in 2027. The Steelers still are awaiting an answer from free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers as to whether he will sign with Pittsburgh. --Field Level Media
National Post
4 days ago
- Business
- National Post
SIMMONS: Beyond the Panthers and Oilers, who's better than the Toronto Maple Leafs?
A question to ask now that the noise has quieted, the president has lost his job and free agency of Mitch Marner and John Tavares remains but a month away: Which teams right now that are better than the Toronto Maple Leafs? Article content Article content You can start with the Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers and then move to the Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers. Article content But after that, who? The Carolina Hurricanes? No. The Washington Capitals? No. The Tampa Bay Lightning? No. The New Jersey Devils? No. The Ottawa Senators? No. The Montreal Canadiens? No. Article content Article content You move to the Western Conference and you can't feel good about how the Dallas Stars played against the Oilers. You can't feel good about the President's Trophy winning Winnipeg Jets or the ease with which Vegas lost to Edmonton in the second round of the playoffs. Article content St. Louis proved to be a tough out and they were. But the Kings of Los Angeles imploded as their best two players head into their 18th and 20th seasons. Article content Article content With Marner and Tavares or without the duo — and assuming the replacements put in place by general manager Brad Treliving will be reasonable and not necessarily equal — where exactly are the Leafs heading into the draft, free agency, and what will certainly be a busy off-season? Article content What hurt wasn't that the Leafs lost in seven games to the defending champioin Panthers. Tampa and Carolina lasted just five games apiece against Florida. There's no certainty Edmonton will take them to seven games again — although I'm picking the Oilers to win. Article content What hurt was how the Leafs lost. How they lost themselves in Games 5 and 7 at home. How they didn't compete in any meaningful way. How they seemed incapable of matching the intensity of the Panthers. Article content Article content Even as Carolina went down in five games, they fought right to the end. They weren't trampled on. They weren't embarrassed. But still, they lost in 5. Two games fewer than the Maple Leafs managed to last. Article content Article content Perspective doesn't come easily when a season ends so drastically. Perspective comes from stepping away, gauging the accomplishments, gauging the history of the franchise and trying to take stock of who the Leafs are and where they might be heading. Article content Roger Neilson coached some impressive Toronto teams in the 1970s, led by Darryl Sittler and Lanny McDonald up front, with Tiger Williams fighting everyone, with Borje Salming and Ian Turnbull on defence and Mike Palmateer in goal. The most points they had in a season was 92 in 1978.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Mitch Marner NHL free agency sweepstakes: Ranking all 32 potential landing spots
The calendar has flipped to June, which means we're into NHL free agency talk in a big way for the next four weeks. And in a shallow year for UFAs, Mitch Marner is going to be the big fish that most of the league pursues on July 1. By my count, as many as 15 teams make sense at the moment for a Marner bid, and that may be a conservative number. Advertisement Taking into consideration teams' roster needs, cap situations and likelihood of pursuing him, as well as Marner's potential desired landing spots, here's my look at all 32 teams and how they will likely approach one of the biggest names making it to free agency since John Tavares (seven years at $11 million a season) in 2018 and Artemi Panarin (seven years at $11.6 million) in 2019. No contending team will have a bigger need for a star offensive player and as much cap space as the Hurricanes, who figure to be aggressive this July 1 given another disappointing exit. Marner turned down a trade to Carolina near the March 7 deadline, but with a no-movement clause and the fact that he was about to become a father, that made a lot of sense on the personal side. That situation hasn't dampened the Hurricanes' interest. But will Marner be interested if they are the highest bidder in free agency? One of the few playoff teams in a desirable market that definitely needs help up front, has cap space and will be aggressive in free agency. New GM Ken Holland has signaled he intends to use his cap space to put his team in a better position to finally advance further in the postseason. Marner feels like a perfect fit on a team that has such a strong defensive approach, and he knows coach Jim Hiller well from their time in Toronto. The Kings won't be the front-runner, but they're certainly in the mix. I hesitated to put Utah here, as Marner will most likely want to go to a contender and the Mammoth didn't even make the playoffs. (In fact, this group has qualified only once in the last 13 years, dating back to the Coyotes years.) But they're certainly well-positioned to take a big step given their youth movement and all their cap space. If charismatic new owner Ryan Smith can put on a good sell job, perhaps Marner decides to take a chance on an up-and-coming team rather than a sure thing? It certainly would be a quieter media environment out near the Wasatch Range. Advertisement They'd have to find a way to shed salary, but when has that ever been a problem for Kelly McCrimmon and friends? The ultimate big-move team feels like they'll find a way to be in on this one, and their bid would have the right ingredients of something Marner would be interested in. I've seen a lot of people connecting Marner to the Ducks, but they've been in the rebuilding phase for such a long time that I feel like this will be a tough sell for such a high-profile UFA. But they certainly have the need and the acres of cap space, so maybe they can put in a high bid and have a shot at winning him over. It was certainly a lost season in Boston this year, but do they try and pull a Capitals and retool quickly? Between David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman, they have a lot of strong pieces in place, so scorched earth doesn't seem like the way to go. It would be a bit of a heel turn for Marner, given they're such a big rival in the division, but I don't think we can rule it out entirely just on that basis. They certainly have the cap room after their big sell-off before the deadline. There's frustration building in Chicago as the rebuild stretches on. They'll certainly be in the mix with a massive bid, and Connor Bedard gives them one foundational piece to play with. The Blackhawks are still years away from making the playoffs, so they don't have to worry about the cap hit initially, which could allow them to put a $15 million-plus offer on the table without breaking a sweat. If Marner wants the most money, it could be here. But I don't expect that'll be the leading consideration, which drops them into this tier. After dealing away Mikko Rantanen, the Avs certainly have a big hole on RW. And playing with Nathan MacKinnon has to hold some appeal for Marner. Colorado's cap situation is complicated by having Gabriel Landeskog off LTIR, though they can make a Marner contract work with a few savvy moves. But are they willing to offer a big number after declining to give Rantanen $12 million — especially with Cale Makar up for a monster new contract in 2027? Advertisement Columbus was one of the biggest feel-good stories of the season, pushing to within two points of making the playoffs despite a roster barely above the floor and after dealing with an unthinkable tragedy in the death of Johnny Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets have a cannon-load of cap space and an intriguing youth movement, so maybe they do big here? It's a market UFAs don't always flock to, but that could start to change as they have more success. Steve Yzerman needs a big swing. The Red Wings' rebuild is now entering its eighth or ninth year, depending on where you mark the clock, and they could use another star or two to push them forward. They have the cap space to make this work and are still an iconic Original Six franchise, even after all the losing over the past decade. But the shine is off for free agents, and Marner would most likely look elsewhere for a better chance to win. Another popular choice in the rumor mill, but the Panthers' situation is somewhat more complicated than it seems at first glance. If they let Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad walk — which feels unlikely — they'd have the cap room but will have key holes, especially on defense. And no one on this team makes more than captain Aleksander Barkov's $10 million. Would Marner take less than market value to play for the Leafs' rivals? That would certainly add more spice to next year's Atlantic Division playoffs. Always a desirable market to go to, the Predators will have the cap room to make a bid. But after some high-profile misses in free agency last year and a brutal season on the ice, will they want to try again? And, more importantly, will Marner be willing to overlook their struggles and take a chance on a rebound? Another rebuilding club with tons of cap space and some intriguing young prospects, led by Macklin Celebrini, that could be a UFA draw. The Sharks have historically been a market players want to be in, too, and Marner is close with local legends Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. A long shot, perhaps, but a shot nonetheless. All of Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau's children in one place 🥹😅 (via IG/patrickmarleau.12) — B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 29, 2025 Likely a spot Marner would want to be, and coach Jon Cooper has spoken glowingly about him in the past. But the cap gymnastics to make this happen feel tough. They're $7 million short of being able to fit in a $13 million addition; would they be willing to jettison a core piece to add on the wing, where they're already fairly deep? They're going to struggle to sign any marquee free agents with what's been going on there. Advertisement Despite their surprising showing this past season and some promise in goal, it's hard to see them being a draw given all the competition. I suspect Marner ends up in the U.S. on this deal, too. Obviously a desirable market, but they're loaded up front and very tight against the cap. Rantanen was their big bet on the wing. Just getting Evan Bouchard under the cap is going to be a challenge. And they have to keep their eye on Connor McDavid's bank-breaking extension for 2026, too. With a bunch of cap space opening up, the Wild will likely make a big UFA addition or two, but I suspect their targets to be more along the lines of Brock Nelson and Brock Boeser than Marner. They have a massive Kirill Kaprizov extension to be mindful of in 2026, too. A big bid on Marner doesn't fit with their offseason game plan. And, again, I don't expect Marner to stay in Canada. The Devils are going to be somewhat cap challenged after they sign RFA Luke Hughes. And they don't feel like a destination for Marner at this point, given the other options he'll have. Similar to the Devils, but with a weaker team on the ice with less upside. New GM Mathieu Darche has his work cut out for him cleaning up some of the mess he's been left. There are huge cap challenges here with RFAs K'Andre Miller and Will Cuylle, among others. They need to worry about being an offer-sheet target this summer. And find a way to shed salary. No pressure. As juicy a storyline as it would be, I don't see Marner going to the Leafs' provincial rival. Big-game hunting doesn't seem to be in the cards for the Flyers this offseason. Maybe in another year or two, as they do have interesting pieces coming. A reunion with Kyle Dubas and Jason Spezza would headline this one, but playing with Sidney Crosby might be the bigger draw for Marner. The problem is the Penguins appear years away from contention and don't feel like a realistic draw for marquee UFAs at the moment. Not a great fit given their on-ice struggles. They have the cap space, even after trying to make a big splash a year ago in free agency, but that might be their only plus point. Advertisement Going big on Marner doesn't feel like a fit for either side here, for a variety of reasons, including the fact he'll likely have other markets higher on his wish list. But GM Doug Armstrong likes to get aggressive, and Marner is friendly with Robert Thomas. The Blues can also free up the requested cap space, if needed, with Torey Krug destined for LTIR. It's certainly possible they could open enough cap space to try, especially if Elias Pettersson is on the move, but as Marner is looking to escape a high-pressure media environment, I wouldn't recommend this one. No offense to my home province. Their cap situation is a bit challenging here without significant surgery, so I'd be surprised to see this one line up. But they've been aggressive before, so maybe they throw their hat in the ring given Alex Ovechkin's big salary might be off the books in a year. Unfortunately for the Jets, their location is likely to work against them in this case. It certainly seems like Marner is ready to move on, based on what he's said publicly and what I've heard from behind the scenes. The only question is if the offers he wants don't materialize and if he decides to circle back with the Leafs after July 1. You look at the list above, and it's clear not many contenders are likely to be able to offer $13 million. Does that matter, in the end? Will he go to a Chicago or San Jose if they're the only ones that hit that mark? Or re-engage Toronto? If you pressed me, I'd put this at a 2 percent chance of happening.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sharks Linked To Star Free Agent Mitchell Marner
The San Jose Sharks will have plenty of cap space available to work with this summer, and it sounds like they're going to try and be very active in the free agent market this offseason.
