#2017 offseason

[sportsthoughts]

Day 138 of offseason gifs - In The Room S06E08 - celebrating the 2017 Stanley Cup

[joeys-babe]

Imagine Universe Key

Into The Mystic

Family-oriented, high school sweethearts, pranks, and a little smut!

Joe and y/n’s anniversary: December, 2014

Relationship status: Married (Offseason after SB)

Children: Twins (Tyson and Miles), a baby girl on the way!

Fic count: Thirty-three

Last Updated: March 30, 2024

——

Everlasting Love

Age gap, angst, right person wrong time…

Joe and y/n’s anniversary: December 20, 2022

Relationship status: Dating (Boyf and Girlf)

Children: None.

Fic count: Six

Last Updated: January 1, 2024

——

Just the Two of Us

Key life events, they're so in love, mostly smut.

Joe and y/n’s anniversary: December 9, 2017

Relationship status: Engaged (February 14, 2024)

Children: None.

Fic count: Six

Last Updated: March 10, 2024

[oosaoosaoosa]

The Essential USWNT Friendship Series: Kelley and Sonnett

Who you are: a person who has stumbled across this post because you are gay, and/or someone who wants to get into the women's world cup and the USWNT but whose fandom experience requires knowledge of the Narratives And Friendships

What this isn’t: an endorsement of being weird to players in public spaces (in real life or comment sections, or on unlocked Twitter accounts)

What this is: a (hopefully) comprehensive collection and explanation of the (public!) friendship between two fan-favorite members of the 2023 WC squad

I know I’m missing stuff and it’s likely I’ll come back to add to this! Every time I try to add anything to this post the draft editor throws me an error message so consider this a part one. Please note this is a sideblog 🫶🏼

EMILY SONNETT

29 (as of the beginning of the  2023 Women’s World Cup)

Born in Virginia, but raised in the northern suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia 

Attended the University of Virginia, graduated with a degree in Sociology 

Was originally a midfielder, later converted to defense. Primarily plays centerback, but can play fullback on either side, and defensive mid

She is a Sagittarius (this is important)

KELLEY O’HARA

34 (as of the beginning of the  2023 Women’s World Cup)

Born and raised in the southern suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia

Attended Stanford University, graduated with a degree in science, technology and society with a focus in environmental engineering

Was originally a forward (and in fact won the Hermann Trophy as college soccer’s top player, as a forward) but converted to play fullback on either side 

She is a Leo (I told you it was important. Twin fire signs 🔥)

THE BASICS

Sonnett’s first cap was against Brazil on October 25, 2015–she started and played all 90 minutes as a centerback (beside Becky). Kelley was on the bench. 

On Feb 15, 2016 they played together for the first time! They both started against Puerto Rico and Kelley scored!

Kelley was a good mentor to Sonny immediately, her little Georgia peach padawan

They didn’t appear to really get close until winter 2016-2017, when they trained together in Atlanta during the offseason and started to hang out in a smaller group and one on one 

Eventually they played on the same team (Washington Spirit in the 2021 and 2022 seasons) and won a championship together! (2021)

It was Kelley's first NWSL playoff run and her first championship, but Sonny's second championship (she won with the Thorns a few years before)

Kelley scored the game-winner in the championship final, in overtime, as a header. She does not typically score, much less with her head (she is like 5'4'' on a good day). It was insane.

------------

PRE-SPIRIT

Once they were friends they were BEST FRIENDS. Kelley loves to annoy Sonnett and has since day one. Couples massage!!, training together with Moe Brian

Typical rookie/vet prank but cuter because they're besties: BOO!

They drink coffee together: Sonnett Sunday, theee Kelley O'Hara,

Sonny is secretly an artist (seriously, she can draw): Lactose Tolerant Cow

They dance together so much. Seriously, so much (bonus Rose). In the car, anywhere.

They hype each other up: Snacks at the beach, blue on navy, flexin, cutest sports girl ever, Sonnett is an undercover singer,

Even their friends have pointed out their similarities. Are they the same or are they the same?

The 2019 World Cup parade was deeply chaotic: please beer and god they drank nonstop idk how they survived, they also napped on the plane back from france with pinoe and ashlyn

they help each other out: cold towel, guest coach kelley,

They threw out the first pitch for the Braves after the World Cup (with Mal, whose husband Dansby played for the Braves at the time)

They also made an appearance at an Atlanta United game together

They were chaotic in every team picture, X,

they took on the Tokyo olympics together (feat many teammates)

they were extremely annoying in the BFF quiz while Kelley and Alex tried to win (link to the BFF quiz episode below in required viewing section)

THE SPIRITS

Sonny's e-bike is their bike, not her bike, but sometimes they biked together too

More coffee adventures, in DC this time, X + X

Mentoring rookies, but this time together

When half the Spirit got COVID in 2021 and had to quarantine at a hotel in Portland, somehow they did not get tired of each other

Exploring restaurants together

Taking pictures of each other (they called each other Rick and Morty for a while which I try to forget), & with their bikes, & with matching orange beanies, more matching orange beanies

more dancing and celebrating, even celebrating carli as a duo, celebrating moving onto the nwsl final

getting jumpscared by their own rookies...together this time

being stinky and sweaty together and generally chaotic

cheering on the braves together on kelley's couch, being very loud and annoying

celebrating the spirit championship together, X + X + schwasted dancing with Kelley's girl together, doing a tiktok with Trinity and the trophy, making memes out of their championship cellies

showing off their championship rings together and celebrating the CBA signing at Audi together

they went to DC pride with the spirits

they developed this weird euopean cheek kissing thing

clowning in huddles together and doing tiktoks with the kids

Being annoying on the player's pod they recorded with Trinity and Andi (link to the pod below in the required watching section)

Still hyping each other up, of course: nice kick!, sonny's soft spirit fingers

POST-SPIRIT

Kelley took a pic of her abs when she got cleated at the CONCACAF tournament in 2022 and in solidarity, Sonny nearly took her shirt off

still taking lots of pictures and videos of each other, mostly Kelley. (I'm putting this in post-Spirit because although we didn't know it yet, Kelley already knew she was leaving DC)

Kelley literally left the Atlanta airport during her layover to hang out with Sonny on her birthday

loving on their Spirit rookies together, even after Kelley was off to NJ, +1 (Trinity's first goal in the 2023 WWC Send-off game)

celebrating Mal's wedding together with Andi and Rose

bringing each other up in every conversation

Being annoying about Taylor Swift

Sonnett almost killed Kelley within the first 30 seconds of them playing against each other for Gotham and the Reign and Kelley thought it was hilarious

OTHER PHOTO DUMPS / COLLECTIONS

Georgia girls

Glued together in Tokyo

More Spirits shenanigans

NT Camp besties

Kelley's visit to Portland in 2019

Hyping each other up in Instagram comments

General camp/NT shenanigans including the infamous "you're so wiggly" video

2019 WC Parade ridiciulousness

More coffee! Plus a cookie (and a "cookie")

MISC PHOTOGRAPHS THAT I JUST HAVE LYING AROUND

more of Kelley mentoring rookie Sonny on the NT

Kelley and Sonny in Atlanta in 2016 or 2017 (I don't remember exactly, I also cropped Moe Brian out of this but it was 800 years ago, sorry Moe)

A moment caught in the background of a post-2019-final celebration picture

Pre-2021 NWSL championship moments: not impressed with someone's pregame speech, Sonny wore 6 for the Spirit so they were neighbors, something Sonny was saying with her mouth full was very interesting to Kelley ,

Some more Spirit NWSL championship moments: they can't believe it, Kelley was beside herself, tongues out for the gals, I would pay to know what Kelley said here, another moment where I would love a transcript,

REQUIRED VIEWING

Kelley's episode of Laughter Permitted with Julie Foudy, where a few of her best friends surprise her with an appearance, including Sonny, Allie Long and Alex Morgan

The BFF Quiz Championship, moderated by Sonnett

The Player's Pod with Sonnett, Andi Sullivan, and Trinity Rodman

1v1 with Kelley O'Hara (pre-camp 2023 WWC)

Throwing the first pitch out with Sonnett, Kelley and Mal

[idontlikeem]

I know you’ve been around the 2014-15 season, but do you remember what was the general vibe on the Pens that offseason? Think that was the height of the media hit pieces on The Core after Chicago won their 3rd Cup in 6 seasons while we just had one, and the Kessel trade happened shortly after. IIRC the mood was pretty down since our roster was so messy everyone wondered if we’d only end up with just 1 Cup. Shows that things can change fast in hockey you know?

yeah, it was a weird time. that season, they were coming off having blown a 3-1 series lead in the second round to the rangers and a subsequent housecleaning of the entire front office (the reported reaction to which gave us the delightful "they increasingly came to believe they're the only ones that have each other's back" quote). we had a new coach that was determined to throttle back the high-octane offense of the stars, and it started great- they won a TON the first part of that season, but the demands of this new play style and injuries wore on them, and IIRC that was the year that it took them until literally the 82nd game of the season to clinch their playoff spot, and then they got eliminated in the first round by- once again- the rangers.

the national media was totally convinced that sid and geno were a one-hit wonder and had peaked in 2009. the deals they signed were starting to be questioned. and then when the 15-16 season started and sid went through an epic production slump, people started wondering if this was how his career trajectory would go—one cup, his prime cut off by head injuries, and a long slow march towards mediocrity, saddling the team with his contract until they could feasibly put him on LTIR and send him away. fall of 2015 is also when we got geno saying "we're a little bit mad at each other" (multiple links because the audio is gone and each article has slightly different quotes), which sidney was quick to walk back for him lol. it really looked like this was going to be it, and the franchise and their legacies would become irrelevant.

and then GMJR fired johnston and hired sullivan, and sid started scoring again, and the team came together, and—well, we all know what happened in the spring of 2016, and again in the spring of 2017.

narratives really can turn around fast, can't they?

[rouzys]

THE UNOFFICIAL ST. LOUIS BLUES PRIMER PART 1 : FORWARDS

JORDAN KYROU (Rouzy)

Info: #25, RW, STL 35th in 2016 (listed as a center ? does not play center)

Last season: 37 goals + 73 pts (career high goals!)

History: played a handful of games in the 18-19 season, but his real rookie season was in 19-20 and was cut short due to covid. Broke out for real in the 20-21 season and in the 2022 offseason signed an 8 year contract extension !! Won the fastest skater competition at the 2021 all star game!

Profile: great goal scorer at his best, often passes for the "perfect play" instead of shooting. Not super physical

Other: besties with Robert Thomas, they even signed matching contracts <3

ROBERT THOMAS (A) (Thommer) (Tommer?)

Info: #18, C, STL 20th in 2017

Last season: 18 goals + 65 pts (team lead in assists !)

History: played most of the 18-19 season and won the cup as a rookie! Had a good season considering he was on a team of more dominant veterans, very notably received That One Hit from Krug in the SCF

Profile: Not a massive goal scorer but definitely can score, more of a playmaker. Struggles with overpassing for the perfect play. Resident faceoff man post-ROR trade.

Other: besties with Kyrou :)

PAVEL BUCHNEVICH (Buch)

Info: #89, LW, NYR 75th in 2013

Last season: 26 goals + 67 pts

History: traded to Blues in 2021 and immediately had a career season. Was good on the Rangers, is even better on the Blues.

Profile: Great goal scorer! Very good shorthanded this season, already has 2 SHG! Hasn't been his best year overall but would be surprised if he didn't get at least 20 goals

Other: has never played a full 82 game season

BRANDON SAAD (Saader)

Info: #20, LW, CHI 43rd in 2011

Last season: 19 goals + 27 pts

History: won 2 cups with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015. Signed with the Blues in 2021 as a free agent

Profile: very consistent 20-ish goal scorer! Has been moved around the lineup quite a bit this season but is usually on the second or third line, great depth goal scorer

Other: not super relevant but inch resting to me, he was traded from Chicago to Columbus in the infamous Artemi Panarin trade

BRAYDEN SCHENN (C) (Schenner)

Info: #10, C, LAK 5th in 2009

Last season: 21 goals + 65 pts

History: important piece in the 18-19 cup season, scored a goal in game 7 of the SCF! Was an alternate captain for 3 seasons under ROR, currently his first season as captain :)

Profile: Usually a 20-ish goal scorer, production has suffered this year from being moved around the second and third lines

Other: I'm still jumpscared by him being in 2013-era Flyers fics to this day. He played on the Flyers with his brother Luke for several (4?) seasons !!

JAKE NEIGHBOURS (Jakey) (?)

Info: #63, LW, STL 26th in 2020

History: Technically in his sophomore season, was unexpectedly called up for 43 games last season + made the roster full time this year out of camp. Worked his way up from the fourth line to the first line before settling down to the second line after the coaching change. He's having whatever the opposite of a sophomore slump is! It's definitely been a breakout season for him so far

Profile: Good goal scorer, was briefly leading the team in goals. Very physical guy, doesn't take many penalties considering he's not afraid to throw himself around

Other: Roommates with rookie goalie Hofer, and they both spent the Christmas holidays with the Schenn family! They do a very cute little thing during the goalie headbutt line :)

SAMMY BLAIS

Info: #79, LW, STL 176th in 2014

Last season: 9 goals + 20 pts in 31 games post-trade deadline

History: Played on the 18-19 cup-winning team (was #9), traded to NYR (for Buchnevich) in 2021, scored NO GOALS in 2 seasons there, traded back in 2023 and scored career high 9 goals post trade deadline.

Profile: Usually a physical player, worked well on the relentless 2019 team. Struggling to find his place on the current team, sometimes a healthy scratch

KEVIN HAYES (Hayesy)

Info: #12, C, CHI 24th in 2010 (listed as LW ? but has been playing center)

Last season: 18 goals + 54 pts (PHI)

History: Drafted by Chicago but played for Boston College (apparently had an injury where he almost lost his leg????). Played several years on the Rangers, about ten minutes in Winnipeg, played several years in Philadelphia, and got traded to the Blues in the 2023 offseason for a couple of rocks (a 6th round pick). Part of the controversial trade that made Krug invoke his no-trade clause.

Profile: Good depth scoring and fantastic faceoff man. Decently physical player and he battles well enough that he's already got 10 goals to show for it.

Other: cousin of Keith Tkachuk! His brother (former player, retired in 2019) unfortunately passed away in 2021 and every time he scores, he points to the sky for him :,)

KASPERI KAPANEN (Kappy)

Info: #42, RW, PIT 22nd in 2014

Last season: 15 goals + 34 pts (PIT + STL)

History: Drafted by the Penguins but was traded to the Leafs where he played 5 seasons, then traded BACK to the Penguins where he played 2 1/2 seasons, then put on waivers. The Blues picked him up in 2023 and he put up a solid 14 pts in 23 games. He fought his way up from the minors and has played exclusively in the NHL since the 18-19 season.

Profile: Good depth player. Very fast but doesn't shoot very much. Currently on the fourth line, usually higher but was moved down as other players (notable Neighbours) moved up the lineup.

NATHAN WALKER (Walks)

Info: #26, LW, WSH 89 in 2014 (currently playing center, my sources are conflicting but he's currently playing center so. he might be a center)

Last season: 2 goals + 10 pts

History: He's Australian! He was born in Wales! He holds basically all of the Australian records since he's one of like 4 Aussie players ever. He played his first NHL games in the 2018 playoffs and won the cup the with Capitals! Unfortunately did not play enough games for his name to be on the cup. He's technically only played a handful of games this year and started with the AHL team but he's been on the team for a few years now and he just signed a 2-year one-way extention, so you'll probably be seeing more of him :)

Profile: Physical player despite being undersized (5'9). Not a big scorer but provides a major physical presence on a not very physical team.

Other: look at his instagram right now his kids are so goddamn adorable

ALEXEY TOROPCHENO (Torpo)

Info: #13, RW, STL 113th in 2017

Last season: 10 goals + 19 pts

History: Played in the KHL in 20-21 due to issues with the Blues AHL affiliate (goodbye San Antonio Rampage, fuck VGK). Made his Blues debut when a covid outbreak on the team forced them to call up a number of players.

Profile: Physical player! Kinda massive (6'6) so he can and WILL run guys over. Fast and relentless player who doesn't give up the puck easily. Mostly a 4th line grinder but he WORKS on that 4th line. Great penalty killer, already has 2 shorthanded goals on the season

Other: this has less of an impact now because it's just him and buch, but back when there were numerous russian players i always called him my favorite russian. this still stands <3

OSKAR SUNDQVIST (Sunny)

Info: #70, C, PIT 81st in 2012

Last season: 10 goals + 28 pts (DET + MIN)

History: The Blues offseason signing of the century. Played a handful of games with the Penguins in the 16-17 season when they won the cup, but didn't play enough games for his name to be on it. Signed to the Blues 18-19 team on a one-year deal and had his best season to date, won the cup for real this time to boot. Traded to the Red Wings in 2022, then traded to the Wild at the 2023 deadline.

Profile: As a center, he's a solid faceoff man, a solid physical presence, and I think he really exudes everything that worked about the 2019 team. Good defensive forward on the fourth line.

Other: A huge fan of the STL MLS team! Went to games even before he had officially signed here. I think the entire city of STL likes this guy he seems cool. Also the Sundqvist + Walman for Leddy + Witkowski trade is known for being absolutely awful. jake walman if ur reading this pls come back

And that's all for the forwards! This is what the roster currently looks like (1/14/24) and other players who are called up/down frequently will be in a separate section

[arizonanighthawks]

Two years into his tenure as Head Coach, three questions Walter Bowen will have to answer this season

Jasmine Downey, staff writer

Question number 1: Will the Nighthawks finally make the playoffs after a six-year drought?

I know, I know, we’re starting off strong, but it’s the question everyone wants answered. Six years ago in 2018, the Nighthawks were ousted from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Colorado Avalanche, and then-GM Howard Gagnon cleaned house, trading most of his star players across the league, trading down for picks in the draft, and firing beloved head coach Erik Demers, who then went on to win the Stanley Cup with two different teams in the years since. After the disastrous following year, a spate of injuries and awful coaching from replacement coach Alexander Stuart, the Nighthawks landed in a squarely mediocre position in the standings, and only got worse from there.

Recently, with new GM Isaiah Chambers, head coach Walter Bowen, who has not done anything to warrant firing (yet) and the peaceful transference of power to owner Arthur Lindsay, the Nighthawks have been getting slightly better, both on the ice and in the front office. They picked Anatoly Zikov 2nd overall in the 2021 draft, and while waiting for his KHL contract to end, have been slowly piecing together a team that looks vaguely like the beginnings of a playoff-caliber club.

However, now that we know Zikov is on his way over, what do we need Bowen to do this season?

First of all, the Nighthawks deserve to make the playoffs this season. Michael Houck and Lee Bartlett aren’t getting any younger. Bartlett hasn’t had the opportunity to play in many playoff games, after his late-season injury kept him out of the 2017 playoffs, and the 2018 series against LA and then Colorado were pretty short-lived, and Houck has played [checks NHL.com] zero total playoff games. Plus, Zikov is a potential generational talent and a near lock for the Hall of Fame, so why not get him some playoff games right off the bat? Some of the kids on this team — and there are a lot of kids on this team — should also get some experience playing games that actually have consequences. If Bowen wants to keep this job, the Nighthawks need the playoffs.

2. Special teams

The Nighthawks’ penalty kill last year… well, we all saw it. It had holes bigger than the ones in the ozone layer and problems you could see from space, and the only reason it wasn’t dead last was because of Simon Dahlvig. Assistant coach Chelsea Sheppard has taken over the special teams position for now, but if there aren’t any major improvements, Bowen might need to take drastic measures.

It wasn’t as though the power play was much better; at 26th in the league, it was an insufficient group. Things are looking up with the acquisition of Michael Yeung in the offseason, who was a force on the Rangers' power play, and it’s clear that the Nighthawks are hoping for some of that magic to translate to the ice in Arizona. But Bowen has a lot of work to do with the kids; Yeung alone certainly can't fix that.

3. Nic Proulx

There’s no limit to the amount of sympathy we can extend Proulx, but we also want to see the Nighthawks play well. With limp numbers for the past two years and zero chemistry with every line Bowen tried him on, he’s been something of a stick in the mud for the Nighthawks these past two years. An upcoming RFA, if he wants to stay in Arizona with the team that drafted him, he is desperately going to need a huge change in his play. 

Will it be Zikov? Will they put him on Ezra Page’s wing for the millionth time, hoping something will finally work? Will Lee Bartlett’s incessant fathering finally produce a happy, well-rounded hockey player? We’ve seen flashes, brief, brief flashes of brilliance from Proulx, bare moments of the athlete we know we can be and that we saw in his career in the Q, as captain of the Voltigeurs. We want that all the time. If Bowen can do something to bring that out, we might have on our hands the longest-tenured coach in the NHL today.

[sportsthoughts]

Day 133 of offseason gifs - In The Room: Sights and Sounds (2017) - Round Two - Games 1-6 vs the Washington Capitals

[strawberryblondebutch]

why do u hate the brewers

Is it because Wisconsin is a frozen hellscape

Because my parents live outside Chicago and I went to prep school in Minnesota, I would regularly be exposed to the Milwaukee Brewers Experience, which is... awful.

Brewers fans do not exist. At least, they didn't before 2017. I can't guarantee what happened after, as I am back in the homeland. Instead, you had Packers fans who wanted an excuse to tailgate in the summer. This led to the most sensory overwhelming ballpark I've ever been to. There was no natural ebb and flow of the game. Any dramatic breath holding would be interrupted by the Jumbotron telling fans to "MAKE SOME NOISE!!!" because silence was scary.

On top of that, because these people were not baseball fans (and here, I want to clarify, I am not bashing football fans generally -- I am clarifying that most of the "home fans" just wanted a way to spend the afternoon/evening and had little to no investment in their team), they had no concept of when to cheer. Any batter making contact would be cheered or booed, even the most obvious grounder or lazy flyout.

What really soured me on the Brewers, though, was the organization and the fans' handling of Ryan Braun. Braun was caught doping during the 2011-12 offseason, and his urine sample was dismissed on a technicality. My church organist, actually, was supposed to be handling it, but did not receive the sample until after the post office had closed for the night. Because he had to store it in his fridge overnight, MLB couldn't prove it wasn't tampered with, so the doping case was thrown out.

Braun was not only lauded as a hero who had never done anything wrong in his life ever, but he proceeded to lead a witch hunt against, again, my literal family church organist, with unfounded accusations of antisemitism. He gave a half-assed apology a year and a half later and admitted to doping, but he's still seen as a great Brewers hero.

Other ugly stuff the org has done in recent years include:

Employing known racist and homophobe Josh Hader,

Going to salary arbitration and permanently damaging their relationship with their ace pitcher to save $740k,

And routinely holding the City of Milwaukee hostage, saying "Give us more money for our stadium or we'll leave town"

They're not my least favorite team in the league, that will always be the racist abuse apologist cheapskates in Atlanta, and SFG routinely tries to ruin the sport I love, but MKE probably rounds out the top 3.

[annieqattheperipheral]

WTH IS THIS ARTICLE we have a super spy hockey ninja on the leafs now????

i have no idea who this is and treliving we have no choice but to follow you to the fiery depths of leafie hell but yooo this dude sounds fire for team culture and at bargain price so colour me INTRIGUED

am34's new bunts/bff??? an older rookie'esque grinder who can play top 6.. he does love his geriatric young-at-hearts who beckon to him to be the star and apparently this fella's a chameleon shapeshifter off the ice or something i cannot get a read on this ghost

full article:

The text messages among a group of former University of Denver teammates almost always follow a similar pattern: Someone will try to pry information out of Dylan Gambrell, the 26-year-old centre carving out an NHL career for himself. Yet before they know it, those same friends will instead find themselves sharing insight into their own life and career as the crafty and elusive Gambrell has managed to flip the tables.

That’s the way Gambrell operates.

Sharing personal details doesn’t come naturally to Gambrell. Instead, the Maple Leafs centre signed to a one-year, $775,000 contract this offseason is at his most content when he’s surrounded by teammates, keeping the conversation going but still keeping his cards close to his chest.

“He’s a silent assassin,” former Denver teammate Blake Hillman said of Gambrell. “He doesn’t say much, but he’s very cerebral about the way he handles his life.”

With the likes of Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and John Klingberg joining the Leafs via free agency, the addition of Gambrell has flown under the radar. He’s 26 but has already spent parts of six seasons in the NHL. Early indications are that Domi — despite having played centre before — will line up on the wing to start his Leafs career. And so there looks to be a hole in the fourth-line centre role. Pontus Holmberg could be in contention for the job, given his defensive acumen and how well he adapted in a short amount of time during his 37-game NHL rookie stint last year.

But right now, Gambrell might be in the pole position for the job.

“(Gambrell) has played a lot in the league over the past few years,” Leafs GM Brad Treliving said. “I think he is going to provide us with good depth.”

Those who know Gambrell believe his journey has given him the kind of experience and know-how that could allow him to surprise some onlookers, make the most of his time in Toronto and grab onto a full-time NHL spot.

Throughout Gambrell’s three seasons at the University of Denver, teammates and the coaching staff rarely had to worry much about him.

Not when Gambrell was showing his strong puck skills and speedy skating in a top-six role in just his second year with the program, and putting up more than a point per game throughout his entire three-season NCAA career. And not when contributing in all situations including in key moments late in games en route to a national championship in 2017.

The responsible game Gambrell employed mirrored who Gambrell was off the ice: low-maintenance and remarkably mature. During Gambrell’s 2015-16 freshman season, he was voted the “Most Put Together” teammate in a year-end awards ceremony.

“He’s always been one of those guys looking out for everyone else,” Hillman said of Gambrell.

Gambrell credits moving far away from his Bonney Lake, Wash., home to Colorado at 14 and moving in with the family of future Boston Bruin Brandon Carlo while playing Triple-A hockey as the reason for his early maturity.

“He was always involved (with the team) and always in the mix, in a good way,” Gambrell’s former Denver assistant coach David Carle said.

Carle was invited to Gambrell’s July wedding and was taken aback by the fact that nearly 20 former teammates of different ages were invited. He then remembered what kind of person Gambrell is.

Whenever Carle would tuck his head in on team functions, he would see the entire Denver team in attendance. And he’d then hear later that was because it was Gambrell who would make the effort to include every player, regardless of age or standing within the team.

“(Gambrell) likes to relate to everyone, and in different ways, which is a pretty unique characteristic of his,” former Denver teammate Logan O’Connor said of Gambrell.

While Gambrell might not necessarily be as gregarious as, say, fellow new Leaf Ryan Reaves, his high comfort level with different types of teammates is nonetheless notable. Treliving said early in free agency that he had heard this Leafs team is a “quiet group.” And so Gambrell’s efforts to be consistently inclusive with teammates could have made him an attractive signing in Treliving’s eyes.

“He’s a guy who endears himself well to his teammates because of the quality of person he is, and the values he has,” Carle said.

Being low-maintenance helped Gambrell move on from Denver and earn three different contracts with the San Jose Sharks after being drafted in the second round of the 2016 draft. He spent most of his first full pro season in the AHL learning the ropes, and learning some hard lessons about sticking in the NHL.

Consistency didn’t come easy. Some nights Gambrell looked like the best player on the ice during a 51-game season with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, other nights he’d struggle to impact the game.

“He was really hard on himself,” Gambrell’s then-Barracuda head coach Roy Sommer said. “If he didn’t get the results he liked, it affected his personality a little bit. But he started getting better at that.”

Gambrell came to a realization not every young professional comes to: The highly skilled player he was in college, who produced plenty of offence over his three-year career, might not be the player he could be in the NHL.

He’d have to embrace more of the 200-foot game he played at times in college and focus on impacting the game with finer details as opposed to only on the scoresheet. It ended up becoming one of his most important realizations as a pro to date.

“I had to change my game,” Gambrell admits. “Obviously there was a maturing phase, and I realized my defensive game was going to be a much bigger thing. I always thought I was a 200-foot player, but I had to realize how important the defensive side of the game is, too.”

And again, he did it all with the kind of coachable attitude that has endeared him to those who know him. He might have been a relatively high draft pick with a promising offensive future, but his maturity helped him come to an understanding of his NHL future that can be difficult for some to swallow.

“I never once saw him text and complain about being on the fourth line,” Hillman said.

That’s not who he is.

“You’ve got to find your niche,” Gambrell said of his NHL career. “(Playing defensively) was something that helped keep me in the lineup.”

Throughout his four seasons in San Jose, he admired the way veterans such as Joe Pavelski handled themselves with consistent professionalism on and off the ice. It meant that when he landed in Ottawa after an October 2021 trade, he stuck in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators. He scored just seven goals in his 123 NHL games in Ottawa, but the experience added up, as did his ability to read games with his hockey IQ and learn to be in the right spots defensively by utilizing his smarts and speed.

That maturity, skill set and NHL experience could see him beat out the incumbent Holmberg in a training camp battle.

“I think (the Leafs) like my energy and speed and the responsible side of the game that I can bring,” Gambrell said.

The battle for the fourth-line centre role will be one of the few roster battles to watch once Leafs training camp gets underway in September. After a career spent largely out of the limelight, Gambrell will have more eyeballs on him and his play than ever before. To win a spot, he’ll need to show more offence in his game than he has in the NHL. That’s partly why he’s planning on arriving in Toronto well ahead of training camp to acclimatize himself with his new teammates and start developing some chemistry on the ice early on.

But it feels likely the increased attention Gambrell will face in Toronto won’t faze him whatsoever. He’s built his career on keeping his head down and trying to improve.

Just ask his group chat.

“He’s very good at not showing emotion. He always reacts to every situation with calm,” Hillman said. “If there’s one person who will be able to tune everything out, it’s him.”

[nicohischier]

thoughts on nolan patrick induced brainrot

Oh so many thoughts. All the thoughts. Too many thoughts.

Here’s the thing with Nolan, okay? His story so far has always been fairly synonymous with tragedy. You can argue with that statement if you want, but so much of his career so far just points in the direction of a tragedy, at least in my eyes.

Let me first start this off by telling you that Nolan Patrick can be and has been described by three characteristics: injury prone, second overall, and draft bust. They’re not his only characteristics, but they are the ones used most frequently to talk about him since 2017.

(by the way. this is 2000 words long. so. open with caution?)

Injury Prone  – Juniors Version

In his first season after being drafted by the Wheat Kings in the 2013 WHL Draft, he was called up because the Wheat Kings had a lot of their own injuries but he wasn’t able to play during that call up because he had a shoulder injury. In his rookie year the following season, he missed a dozen games with an upper body injury. At the end of his 2015-16 season he revealed that he was suffering a sports hernia he had been playing through. In 2016-17, his draft season, Nolan only played a few games before the Wheat Kings announced that he wasn’t fully healed from the sports hernia and he was out for most of the season (he ended up playing 33 games that season) and missed playing in World Juniors. 

Then, after he was drafted, he missed his first development camp with the Flyers because he was recovering from a surgery he had gotten done before the draft. 

Despite all the injuries haunting him, he still was a top rated prospect and, fun fact, was actually rated higher than Nico. 

Unfortunately, however, the injuries didn’t stop following him just because he switched from the WHL to the NHL. 

Injury Prone – NHL Version

He was actually fairly healthy for his first two seasons in Philly. He missed some games in his rookie season after a rough hit, but those were the only games he missed. Again, in his sophomore season he missed a few games but there was nothing super drastic. And then the 2019 offseason came around. 

Some time before the 2019-20 season Nolan was officially diagnosed with chronic migraines and he ended up missing the entire season. He might have made a return late in the season, but COVID ended the season early, so we’ll never know. He did play when the 2020-21 season started up but he didn’t perform very well (which isn’t entirely shocking considering he was coming back after a year and a half (?) of not playing NHL hockey and he himself admitted to taking his return a bit more tentatively because he was worried about his migraines).

Then, before the 2021-22 season started Nolan hired a new agent and got himself traded to Vegas (with a pit stop in Nashville for all of five minutes or whatever). He got injured a few games into that season, played a total of 25 games, and hasn’t played a game since the end of that season. Presumably that fact has something to do with injury or recovery but don’t quote me on that.

The point is that while Nolan didn’t deal with the constant yoyoing of injured-healthy-injured-healthy that he was dealing with while in juniors, what he was dealing with after coming into the NHL is ultimately a lot more serious and will have a much larger impact on the future of his career. 

Second Overall – The 2017 Entry Draft

I know we were just talking about the NHL but we actually have to drop back to the 2017 Draft and the time just before the draft because this is obviously the keypoint for the ‘second overall’ characteristic. 

So, I mentioned that prior to the draft, Nolan was technically rated higher than Nico, which is true. Granted, Nico was rated the second top prospect, so not that much higher, but still. What the important takeaway from this is that the 2017 Draft was genuinely a toss-up between Nico and Nolan. Nico going first generally came down to what the Devils were looking for from their selection (and maybe Nolan’s injury history played a part in the Devils picking Nico instead but I can’t be certain). 

Some drafts are more-or-less a guarantee for which prospect is going first (see: 2015, 2016, the upcoming 2023) but 2017 was very much a ??? until the lottery when people could start making speculations about who would most benefit the Devils’ needs.

Anyway, the point is that Nolan was the highest rated prospect going into the draft. 

For a solid while before the draft Nolan was considered THE top pick. But then Halifax brought this kid over from Switzerland and he tore up the QMJHL and all of a sudden there was another prospect breathing down Nolan’s neck when it came to FOA consideration. 

Ultimately, as we all know now, Nico ended up going FOA and Nolan went SOA to the Flyers.

Obviously going SOA isn’t a tragedy in and of itself but you do have to consider the “what could have been?” if Nolan had gone FOA or if Nico had never come over from Switzerland. 

But, to be honest, I’m a huge fan of the general tragedy that haunts SOAs so maybe I’m just focusing way too hard on the SOA part of his story. The reality is that him going second is only a minor blip in the tragedy that is the Nolan Patrick narrative. Him going SOA is just a stepping stone toward the ‘draft bust’ part of his tragedy. 

Draft Bust 

The facts: Nolan went SOA. He has played 222 games. He has scored 32 goals. He has 77 points. He is prone to injury. He has missed two seasons and is not a guarantee to ever come back.

The other facts: there are some incredible players who are having incredible careers who were selected after Nolan. Just some of those players are Miro Heiskanen, 3rd, Cale Makar, 4th, Elias Pettersson, 5th, Nick Suzuki, 13th, Jake Oettinger, 26th, Jason Robertson, 39th, Stuart Skinner, 78th. And that’s just some of the superstar names. I could’ve also mentioned guys who aren’t superstars for their teams but are almost definitely going to make a career out of being Good and Useful.

(and can we take a minute to appreciate how well the dallas stars drafted in 2017? holy shit.)

Disclaimer: I am not saying that Nolan is never going to come back and turn into a superstar or become Good and Useful. I can only work with what I have in front of me, which is what I’ve presented you with.

The tragedy of this, beyond the fact that he is, at least currently, a draft bust, is that the sheer amount of talent behind him will always be tied to his name. He is never going to be Nolan Patrick anymore and the guys behind him (especially Heiskanen, Makar, and Pettersson) are never going to be themselves. They’re all always going to have their draft order tied to their name. The only difference is that when they speak about Heiskanen or Makar or Pettersson people are going to say they should have gone higher. When they speak about Nolan, they’re going to say he should have gone lower.

I could say more probably (definitely) but I’m already at 1200 words and I did actually still want to talk about the poem even though I don’t expect ANYONE to have read this far LMAO. But on the off chance someone is here because they ALSO have super intense nolpat brain rot… hello. It’s just you and me baby. 

The Poem – Frame by Frame (except for the ones I skip)

Frame Two: “it’s the same when love comes to an end” with Nolan facing the camera and the rest of the Flyers facing away, in the background. 

Fairly self-explanatory I think, but sometimes OP places the text in specific locations that make my brain explode and I needed to emphasize the importance of specifically putting “when love comes to an end”  over the Flyers. 

Once upon a time, the Flyers were Nolan’s team and Nolan was supposed to be the Flyers’ future. Their highest draft pick since 2007. Things fell apart and the organization fell out of love with him (did they ever have enough time to fall in love with him?) and he fell out of love with the organization. 

Frame Three: “or the marriage fails and people say they knew it was a mistake” over an aerial shot of Nolan over the Flyers logo.

I mean. All you have to do is change some words, right? The draft fails, people say they knew it was a mistake. 

Draft bust.

Need I say more?

And the solo aerial shot… because who bears the emotional pain of being a failed top prospect? That former top prospect and no one else. He is alone in his knowledge that he wasn’t good enough and he alone must face the words people say about him in the aftermath. 

Frame Six: “like being there by that summer ocean on the other side of the island while love was fading out of him” over a shot of Nolan and some other Flyers on the bench, waiting to give high fives to their teammates.

If I want to overanalyze this I could talk about how ‘the island’ is the Flyers as a team, ‘on the other side’ refers to how he felt distanced from the team or like he was never truly a part of them (because he felt like he was a disappointment?), and ‘while love was fading out of him’ could refer to the fact that Nolan very probably requested his trade out of Philly.

On the other hand, if I wanted to break my own heart, I could talk about how the person whose love was fading out of them is actually the Flyers organization and fans as a vague entity who, once full of love and hope for their first SOA in a decade, were now turning sour on the failed top prospect whose future will probably never stop being shaped like a giant question mark. 

But I don’t want to do either, so let’s pretend I said nothing, okay?

Frame Eight: “the stars burning so extravagantly those nights that anyone could tell you they would never last” over a shot Nolan in a celly with the team.

I actually included the lines on Frame Seven to provide context because I, once again, just want to talk about OP’s placement of the words. Specifically the “they would never last” that sort of outlines Nolan’s figure. 

If I think too hard about it I will get sad so just take a second to think about how bright a SOA must shine for a fanbase and a team and how much everyone always expects from a high draft pick and then just take a moment to appreciate the beauty and pain in OP outlining Nolan with the words “they would never last” and let’s just all agree to move on so I don’t get even more sad.

Frame Nine & Ten: “I believe Icarus was not falling as he fell, but just coming to the end of his triumph” over a shot of Nolan leaving the bench with TK still on it (9) & Nolan in a celly with the team. 

I lumped these two frames because they’re important to go together, right? Not just to keep the full quote intact, but also because it shows that Nolan’s time in Philly wasn’t just a tragedy.

He had guys like TK, who became like a brother to him (at least from the way they portrayed their friendship to the fans) and he had his team who loved him, regardless of the expectations the organization had laid out that he was failing to meet. 

I call his story a tragedy, and I genuinely think it is one, but it is probably wrong to reduce it to solely a tragedy. Maybe his time in Philly contributes to the overall tragedy of his story, but on its own? How can I reduce the love he found in Philly to only a footnote in the overarching tragedy?

[thursday8econlive]

Collusion - The Hidden Side of Sports

Connor Phipps (48258868)

Discussion: Thursday 8pm

The term "collusion" refers to covert collaboration between two or more people or groups for a wrongous or criminal goal. Business, politics, and sports are just a few of the settings where collusion can happen. Collusion can have detrimental effects on customers, the economy, and society, despite the fact that it is frequently difficult to detect.

Collusion can also happen in sports, for instance when team owners work together to set salary caps or restrict player mobility. This kind of collaboration can be detrimental to both the participants and the spectators who pay to see them compete. In politics, collusion can happen when people or organizations work together covertly to influence elections or gain an unfair advantage.

As a frequent viewer of Major League Baseball, I have always admired the sport for its spirit of competition and the sense of fandom it produces. But I've been upset and disillusioned about the league's collusion issue. In addition to harming the players who are not fairly compensated for their skills, this also distorts the playing field and jeopardizes the integrity of the game. As a fan, I like to think that players' skill and effort on the field, not management's plotting behind the scenes, dictate the results of games. My faith in the sport's fairness is destroyed by collusion, and it is tougher for me to love it as much as I once did.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Major League Baseball (MLB) saw certain instances of collusion. Several organizations were charged with conspiring to reduce player pay at the time by deciding not to sign lucrative contracts with free agents.

An MLB player made an average of $1.07 million in 1995. It had barely climbed to $2.38 million by 2001. This was in spite of the fact that the league's earnings during that time period went from $1.9 billion in 1995 to $3.5 billion in 2001, a huge rise.

Figure 1: Team Revenues all in the millions 

Figure 2: Player Revenues huge difference between team and player revenues

The MLB Players' Union filed a grievance against the league in 1998, alleging collusion amongst team owners. The union charged that teams were working together to avoid competing with one another for free-agent players, which was driving down wages. The dispute was arbitrated, and in 2000, the players were given $280 million in damages when the arbitrator found in favor of the players' union.

This collusion had significant results. Several gifted athletes failed to secure the contracts they merited, and some were forced to retire early or accept pay below what was fair. Teams with smaller payrolls were at a disadvantage relative to those with greater payrolls, which had an effect on the competitive balance of the league.

Overall, this example shows the real-world consequences of collusion in sports, including its impact on player salaries and the overall competitive balance of a league. It also highlights the importance of holding organizations accountable for engaging in collusion and ensuring that players are able to earn fair compensation for their skills and contributions to the sport.

Works cited 

“MLB Collusion, Explained.” Google, Google, https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sbnation.com/platform/amp/mlb/2018/1/18/16882650/mlb-collusion-offseason-free-agency-explainer.

“Baseball Strike in 1994-95 Began 25 Years Ago - MLB | NBC Sports.” Google, Google, https://www.google.com/amp/s/mlb.nbcsports.com/2019/08/12/baseball-strike-in-1994-95-began-25-years-ago/amp/.

Jablon, Robert. “LA Dodger Fans Face Heartbreaking Ending to Magical Year.” The Seattle Times, 1 Nov. 2017, www.seattletimes.com/news/la-baseball-fans-prepare-for-a-once-in-a-lifetime-moment.

Gaines, Cork. “CHART: MLB Salaries Had Largest Increase in 7 Years and This Is Just the Start.” Business Insider, 19 Dec. 2013, www.businessinsider.com/chart-mlb-salaries-had-largest-increase-in-7-years-and-this-is-just-the-start-2013-12.

---. “MLB Team Revenues Show the True Disparity Between the Haves and Have Nots.” Business Insider, 28 Mar. 2013, www.businessinsider.com/team-revenues-show-the-true-disparity-in-major-league-baseball-sports-chart-of-the-day-2013-3.

"Baseball Collusion: It's a Case of Suing the Bosses," by John Feinstein, The Washington Post, published on November 1, 1987.

"Collusion Case Splits Baseball Owners and Players," by Ross Newhan, The Los Angeles Times, published on January 14, 1990.

"Collusion Was the Dark Secret Behind Baseball's Free-Agent Chill," by Murray Chass, The New York Times, published on October 28, 1990.

Baseball Collusion: It's a Case of Suing the Bosses," by John Feinstein, The Washington Post, published on November 1, 1987.

[uswnt5]

I wonder if tc always knew they would eventually settle down in LA. Even back when they first got together and Tobin considered Portland her home. It seems like Christen always knew she’d end up back in LA one way or another. It makes me wonder the “what ifs” if Tobin was still at Portland and had never been burned. They might still be doing long distance if things had turned out differently yuck

for a while CP really seemed to embrace Portland as home too. 2017 - 2018, they spent the offseasons there and she'd go home whenever she could. So, hard to say!

Isn't it wild to think the start of the pandem, tobin was still portland and Angel City wasn't even in our minds yet?

[nbatrades]

New York Knicks Pluck Rose for a Second Time; Acquiring Derrick Rose from Detroit Pistons

On February 8th, 2021, the New York Knicks traded guard Dennis Smith Jr. and a 2021 second round draft pick (Isaiah Livers) to the Detroit Pistons for guard Derrick Rose. Detroit also received a trade exception.

When the New York Knicks dealt burgeoning star Kristaps Porzingis in a mega seven-player deal with the Dallas Mavericks, the trade was seen as a loss for the Knicks in the immediate but there was some hope for the future. The team acquired two first round picks from Dallas, but another piece for the future was Dennis Smith Jr.

A top-ten overall draft pick in 2017, Smith showcased scintillating athleticism but a questionable outside shot left more questions than answers in his future fit as a lead guard.

With the Knicks on a path towards another rebuild, Smith would get a chance to play during the second half of the 2018-19 season after the trade. The guard played in 21 games (18 starts) with the Knicks, amassing 14.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 5.4 APG and 1.3 SPG.

Though Smith had his moments like a 31-point outburst against the Detroit Pistons or a solid runner-up performance in the 2019 dunk contest, his efficiency numbers were concerning. His true shooting percentage was just 47.3%.

The Knicks continued to be one of the worst teams in the trade, going 7-24 over the final 31 games to finish 17-65. Despite having the worst record in the NBA, the Knicks had high hopes for the 2019 offseason.

New York was looking for luck in the lottery so they could grab the number one overall pick and select Duke star Zion Williamson. On the free agent front, the Knicks had two max salary slots and were eyeing stars like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard.

All of those goals would never come to fruition. New York fell to third in the 2019 draft and selected Williamson's college teammate RJ Barrett. Durant and Irving opted for crosstown rivals the Brooklyn Nets, while Butler went to the Miami Heat and Leonard chose the Los Angeles Clippers.

With not much of a backup plan, the Knicks signed several short-term deals with mid-tier free agents including Julius Randle, Marcus Morris Sr., Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson, Reggie Bullock and Elfrid Payton.

The new look Knicks got off to a rough start, going 4-18 in the first 22 games. Head coach David Fizdale was fired and replaced by assistant Mike Miller on an interim basis. The Fizdale exit had been in the cards.

After a November 10 108-87 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers dropped New York to a 2-8 record, Knicks president of basketball operations Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry addressed the media, saying the team had fallen short of expectations.

"We just felt like given that this is our 10th game, we felt that we had an obligation to come and speak to [the media]. Obviously, Scott and I are not happy with where we are right now. We think the team is not performing to the level that we anticipated or we expected to perform at, and that's something that we think we collectively have to do a better job of delivering the product on the floor that we said we would do at the start of this season. ... We still believe in our coaching staff. We believe in the plan Scott and I put together and the players that we assembled. But we also have to acknowledge that we haven't played at the level we expected to play at."

The statement seemed to be an early sign that Fizdale would be fired. Under Miller, the Knicks played slightly better but still were clearly not playoff caliber. New York reached 21-45, before the NBA season was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smith had done very little in his first full season with the Knicks as Fizdale went other routes with point guard. Rookie RJ Barrett started at the point in the season opener. Elfrid Payton and Frank Ntilikina also started as the season progressed.

Smith saw limited minutes initially with the Knicks and missed some time due to the passing of his stepmother. He saw spot minutes throughout New York's season of dysfunction and even started a few games. Throughout the season, Smith appeared in 34 games (three starts) and amassed 5.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.9 APG and 0.8 SPG in 15.8 MPG.

New York went on a full reset throughout 2020. The club let go of team president Steve Mills and replaced him with former NBA agent Leon Rose. Later on, Rose hired his former client Tom Thibodeau as head coach.

In the truncated 2020 offseason, New York added rookie Immanuel Quickley in a draft night trade and Austin Rivers in a separate trade. The moves created even more of a crowd in the backcourt. The Knicks gave Smith some time in preseason, but by the regular season he was mostly out of the rotation.

Smith played in just three (3.0 PPG and 1.0 APG in 9.3 MPG) of the team's first 24 games before he was moved with a second round pick to the Detroit Pistons for Derrick Rose. The situation had been so dire that Smith had even requested to play for the Knicks' G-League team in the G-League bubble right before the trade.

He ended his time in New York with 8.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.7 APG and 1.0 SPG in 58 games. The guard shot 38% from the field, 28% from the three-point line and 56% from the free-throw line.

After a strong season as a sixth man for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Derrick Rose was able to keep his career in drive by signing a two-year, $15 million contract with the Detroit Pistons.

The guard was expected to be in a similar role as a scorer off the bench for the Pistons. Star Blake Griffin missed start the season due to a knee injury and the Pistons season quickly fell off the rails. Detroit started the season 4-10 and fell out of the playoff race quickly.

The Pistons decided to rebuild somewhat, trading center Andre Drummond to the Cleveland Cavaliers and bought starting point guard Reggie Jackson out of his contract. The Pistons continued to lose, falling to 20-46 before the NBA season was shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once the NBA season resumed in the bubble in Orlando, Florida, the Pistons did not qualify for the bubble due to their record. Rose was solid even though he dealt with a few minor injuries. In 50 games, Rose managed 18.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 5.6 APG and 0.8 SPG in 26.0 MPG.

The 2020 offseason saw Detroit continue its rebuild. The team drafted Killian Hayes seventh in the 2020 draft, and also acquired first round picks Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart through trades. The Pistons also added forward Jerami Grant though a sign-and-trade deal with the Denver Nuggets.

The Pistons began the year 1-7 and at 5-18, the club moved on from Rose, dealing him to the New York Knicks for Dennis Smith and a second round pick. As part of the trade, the Pistons created a $2 million trade exception.

Rose appeared in 15 games at the time of the trade and posted 14.2 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 4.2 APG and 1.2 SPG in 22.8 MPG. In 65 games with the Pistons, Rose put up 17.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 5.2 APG and 0.9 SPG. The guard posted shooting splits of 48/31/86 in that time.

When the Knicks acquired Derrick Rose, it seemed like the perfect match. Rose was reunited with head coach Tom Thibodeau for a third stint. The guard had previously been an MVP under Thibodeau's coaching with the Chicago Bulls. He then had somewhat of a rebirth rejoining Thibodeau with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Rose was brought in to add some scoring punch to a limited Knicks offensive lineup. New York was 11-14 when it acquired Rose. The team was ranked sixth in defensive efficiency, but was just 24th in offense.

Rose assumed a bench role, often playing with effective scoring rookie Immanuel Quickley, but he also closed many games with the starters. New York gradually played better as the season went on. With the team in eighth place with a 25-27 record, New York went on a massive run, going 16-4 over the final 20 games to finish 41-31. The finish got the Knicks to fourth place in the Eastern Conference after beating out the Atlanta Hawks in a head-to-head tiebreaker.

Rose played a significant part in New York's rise. The guard appeared in 35 games with the Knicks and compiled 14.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 4.2 APG and 0.9 SPG in 26.8 MPG. In the 937 minutes Rose was on the floor, the Knicks outscored opponents by 10.6 points per 100 possessions per NBA Stats.

The playoffs were a significant moment for the Knicks. The team faced the Atlanta Hawks and star Trae Young in the first round. Game One was the first postseason game played at New York's home arena Madison Square Garden in eight years. The game was very close throughout. In the fourth quarter, Knicks wing Alec Burks knocked down a three-pointer to give New York a 92-87 lead with 4:46 left in the game.

Atlanta answered with a 10-1 run in two minutes to take a 97-93 lead. Knicks wing RJ Barrett made a layup and forward Julius Randle knocked down a three to give the Knicks a 98-97 edge. A Trae Young three-point play was followed by two buckets from Burks that gave New York a 103-100 lead with 1:11 left.

Atlanta's Bogdan Bogdanovic nailed a three to tie the game with 55 seconds left. Barrett fouled Young on a drive with 28 seconds left and the guard hit two freebies to give the Hawks a 105-103 lead. Rose knocked down a midrange floater with 10 seconds left to tie the game.

After an Atlanta timeout, the Knicks took Rose out and put in defender Frank Ntilikina. With Ntilikina guarding him, Young was able to penetrate and make a contested floater with 0.9 seconds left. Randle was unable to get off a shot in time as Atlanta took a 1-0 series lead with a 107-105 win.

In the second game, Atlanta had control for much of the first half, taking a 57-44 lead at halftime. Coach Thibodeau went with Rose as a starter in the second half over Elfrid Payton. After Atlanta took a 67-55 lead with 7:43 left, New York went on a 21-8 run over the rest of the quarter to take a 76-75 lead into the fourth period.

The Knicks built a 10-point lead, but the Hawks tied the score 91-all with 5:06 left. Over the rest of the game, the Knicks outscored Atlanta 10-1 to tie the series with a 101-92 victory. Rose had a team-high 26 points and New York's bench outscored Atlanta's 55-22.

As the series scene shifted to Atlanta, Coach Thibodeau permanently moved Rose into a starting point guard role. The move seemed to work as Rose had 11 points in the first quarter and the Knicks took a 31-29 at the end of the opening frame of Game Three.

However, the Hawks went on a 22-5 run in the final 7:19 of the second quarter to take a 58-44 halftime lead. New York could never cut the deficit under single digits in the second half as Atlanta won 105-94. Rose had 30 points in the loss.

Game Four was close early on, but the Hawks turned a four-point halftime advantage into an 88-71 lead at the end of the third quarter. Young scored 27 points as Atlanta cruised to a 113-96 victory. In the series finale, Young had 36 points and Atlanta pulled away in the fourth quarter and held on for an easy 103-89 win. Atlanta won the series 4-1.

New York looked overmatched in the five-game series as its star Julius Randle struggled to score. Rose was a bright spot in the disappointment. He was New York's best offensive player, averaging 19.4 PPG on 47.6% from the field, 47.1% from the three-point line, 4.0 RPG and 5.0 APG in 35.0 MPG. By the end of the series, he did struggle to deal with the increased minutes and had a few "knick-knack" injuries by the end of it.

New York's surprise playoff appearance led to the team bringing back a group of free agents. The Knicks re-signed Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel to three-year contracts. After his strong playoff run, the Knicks rewarded Rose with a three-year, $43 million deal with a team option in the final year.

But the team knew there needed to be an infusion of offensive talent after its weak offensive performance in the first round. To address the issue, New York signed guard Evan Fournier from the Boston Celtics to a four-year, $78 million contract. The club also signed guard Kemba Walker to a two-year, $18 million deal.

The Knicks arrived to the 2021-22 season with increased expectations after the third place finish the previous season. The beginning of the season looked good as New York won five of its first six games. However, the team went 7-15 over the next 22 games. The Knicks see-sawed around the .500 mark, reaching 22-21 after 43 games.

The season would fall apart from that point. New York went 3-17 over the next 20 games to fall to 25-38. New York played better down the stretch but finished out of the playoff picture with a 37-45 record.

Rose began the season as a backup to Walker and continued to play with Quickley in the backcourt for the second unit. Ineffective play from Walker led coach Thibodeau to remove the point guard. That coupled with a rash of COVID-19 positive tests forced Rose into a few starts in December.

Rose injured his right ankle in a mid-December game against the Houston Rockets. Eventually, he underwent ankle surgery and was ruled out for eight weeks.

Rose was expected to return in February or March, but he later had a procedure on the same right ankle. He never returned as New York failed to qualify for the playoffs. Rose saw action in 26 games (four starts) and produced 12.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 0.8 SPG and 0.5 BPG in 24.5 MPG.

After the disappointing season, New York went back to the drawing board in the 2022 offseason. The club made a splash at the 2022 draft, offloading Walker, Burks and Noel along with draft picks in various deals to free up cap space.

New York used that cap space to sign guard Jalen Brunson from the Dallas Mavericks to a four-year, $104 million deal. The club also re-signed center Mitchell Robinson and added center Isaiah Hartenstein from the Los Angeles Clippers in a two-year, $16 million deal.

The Knicks looked to bounce back from a year out of the postseason. The team hovered around .500 but eventually fell to 10-13 after 23 games. That 23rd game was a pivotal moment for the franchise. In a Saturday afternoon jaunt with the Dallas Mavericks, the Knicks built an early 15-point lead in the first half. Over the next two quarters, Dallas outscored New York 93-46 in an embarrassing 121-100 defeat.

In response to the struggles, the Knicks removed Rose and Cam Reddish from the rotation while adding young guard Miles "Deuce" McBride in their place. Rose and Reddish joined veteran Evan Fournier as permanent bench fixtures.

With more minutes given to the defensive-oriented McBride and guard Quentin Grimes, New York picked up steam. The team strung together eight consecutive wins to reach 18-13. New York would trade wins and losses until the trade deadline. The club dealt Reddish and a first round draft pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for forward Josh Hart.

Hart proved to be the missing piece to New York's success. After he arrived, the Knicks went 17-8 over the final 25 games to finish 47-35, which was fifth in the East.

Rose received occasional minutes in garbage time after fans chanted for him to play at the end of blowouts. But he rarely played after his removal from the rotation. After the turn of the new year, Rose played just two minutes and 21 seconds. He appeared in 27 games, managing 5.6 PPG, 1.5 RPG and 1.7 APG in 12.5 MPG.

The Knicks returned to the playoffs after a season away and faced the fourth seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the opening round. Brunson had 27 points and Hart chipped in 17 points and 10 rebounds as New York took the first game in Cleveland 101-97.

Cleveland had a 20-point lead at halftime of Game Two and held on for a comfortable 107-90 win. Game Three saw Brunson and RJ Barrett combine for 40 points as New York routed Cleveland 99-79. Game Four was closer, but Brunson had a game-high 29 points as the Knicks pulled away with a 102-93 win.

In Game Five, Randle exited early with an ankle sprain. It didn't matter as New York dominated the offensive glass (17 offensive rebounds) in a 106-95 win. Rose played three minutes in the series.

New York advanced to the second round for the first time in 10 years and faced the eighth-seeded Miami Heat. With Randle out for the series opener, New York took an early double digit lead. Miami came back and took control thanks to a 31-20 third quarter advantage. The Knicks cut the deficit to three points on two occasions in the fourth quarter, but Miami held on for a 108-101 win.

In the win, Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler sprained his ankle and missed Game Two. Randle returned for that game and him, Brunson and Barrett teamed up for 79 of New York's 111 points in a six-point win. Butler returned for Game Three and had 28 points. Miami held the Knicks to 34.1% from the field and 20% from three in a 105-86 victory.

New York's offense was slightly better in Game Four, but Miami still led for much of the game and won 109-101. Facing elimination at home, the Knicks fell behind 24-14 in the first quarter. New York bounced back and led by 19 points in the third period. The Heat cut the lead to three points, but New York held on for a 112-103 win and made the series 3-2.

Brunson was amazing in Game Six, putting up 41 points. The game went down to the wire. The Knicks were down 92-90 with the ball and 30 seconds left but Brunson tuned the ball over and Miami eventually held on for a 96-92 victory. New York was eliminated 4-2. Rose did not play in the second round.

In the offseason, the Knicks declined Rose's $15.6 million team option for the 2023-24 season. He became a free agent after and he signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. Rose ended up appearing in 88 games in his second stint with the Knicks and amassed 11.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.4 APG and 0.7 SPG. The guard shot 45% from the field, 38% from the three-point line and 91% from the foul line.

Smith played in 20 games with the Pistons after the trade. The high-flying guard managed 7.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.0 SPG and 0.7 BPG in 19.6 MPG. The Pistons went 15-34 after the trade, finishing the 2020-21 season with a 20-52 record. Smith became a free agent after the season and signed a training camp deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. He made the Blazers team for the 2021-22 season.

The 2021 second round pick Detroit acquired originally was owned by Charlotte. It ended up 42nd in the 2021 NBA Draft. Detroit used the pick on 6-foot-7 tweener forward Isaiah Livers from the University of Michigan.

A local product from Kalamazoo, Michigan, Livers spent four years in college, evolving from 3.4 PPG as a part-time starting freshman to a double figure scorer in his junior and senior seasons.

In his senior year, Livers was second on the Wolverines team with 13.1 PPG and led the team in three-point shooting. However, Livers' season was cut short when he suffered a stress injury to his right foot in a March quarterfinal game against Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament. He later underwent surgery on the right foot in April.

The foot issue would bleed into Livers' pro career. He missed 2021 Summer League and was unavailable for 59 of the first 60 games of his rookie season. Overall, the forward appeared in 19 games (five starts) and posted 6.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.1 APG and 0.7 SPG in 20.2 MPG.

Livers also played four games for Detroit's G-League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise. Livers averaged 4.0 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 15.5 MPG. Detroit began the 2021-22 season 1-8 and never recovered. The team was 5-28 after 33 games. The second half of the year was a tad better as the Pistons went 18-31 over the final 49 games to finish 23-59.

After the season, the Pistons held the fifth pick in the 2022 draft and selected point guard Jaden Ivey. The team also acquired the 13th pick in the draft, center Jalen Duren. On the veteran front, Detroit dealt away forward Jerami Grant while adding Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and Bojan Bogdanovic in trades during the offseason.

Livers played two games for the Pistons' Summer League squad in Las Vegas, managing 14.0 PPG on 44.4% from the field, 4.5 RPG and 1.0 BPG in 30.1 MPG.

During the 2022-23 season, all of the change didn't matter much as Detroit was again one of the worst teams, getting off to a 3-15 start. At 15-42 after 57 games, the Pistons went 2-23 over the final 25 games to finish an NBA-worst 17-65. A key reason for the downfall was 2021 number one overall pick Cade Cunningham missing all but 12 games due to a left shin injury that eventually required surgery.

Livers missed 30 games due to various ailments including a right shoulder sprain, right ankle sprain and a right hip issue. He played in 52 contests (22 starts) and managed 6.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.5 SPG and 0.5 BPG in 23.1 MPG.

After the season, coach Dwane Casey resigned and Detroit hired Monty Williams with a then-record six-year, $78.5 million contract. The Pistons had the fifth pick in the 2023 draft and used it on athletic wing Ausar Thompson. The Pistons also added veterans Monte Morris and Joe Harris in trades.

Livers' injury issues continued into his third season. The forward suffered a grade III left ankle sprain and he missed the first 14 games of the season.

Detroit hoped that an established coach in Williams and continued development from its younger players would lead to growth. But the team continued to slide backwards. After winning two of its first three games, Detroit dropped an NBA record 28 consecutive games.

When he did return, Livers struggled to find his game. He appeared in 23 games (six starts) and shot just 34.5% from the field and 28.6% at the three-point line. Livers averaged 5.0 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.1 APG and 0.6 SPG in 20.4 MPG.

With the team at 3-36, Detroit made a move, dealing Livers, Marvin Bagley and two second round picks to the Washington Wizards for Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala. Livers showed promise as a potential three-and-D wing but injuries made it hard for him to be consistent.

In two and a half seasons with the Pistons, Livers managed 6.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 0.9 APG and 0.6 SPG in 94 games. The 6-7 forward shot 41% from the field, 36% from the three-point line and 79% from the free-throw line in that time.

Derrick Rose on his comfortability in joining the Knicks (via ESPN):

"Even though I couldn't say that at the time, I just wanted to be comfortable. Like I said, I've been knowing these guys ever since high school, eighth grade, high school, so coming here, like I said, it's family. I never really thought about anything else but really getting here and understanding they wanted me to help grow the young guys they've already got here."

On his relationship with Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau:

"The synergy we've got, I can't explain it. We're an odd couple, but for some reason, we understand the game. And the closest thing I probably can say is we're students of the game. We watch the game. We try to understand the game more and try to get better if not every day, every week, every month, every couple of months, every year. There's always room for improvement, and it's for the betterment of the team. Wherever I go, wherever he goes, we're always trying to win."

On playing with Knicks rookie guard Immanuel Quickley:

"It shouldn't be too hard [playing] with him. We're similar. He's getting double-teamed in his rookie year. There ain't too many rookies getting that type of attention. For him to see that kind of early, it's just going to make his game better. The game is going to slow down more. And he listens. That's the greatest thing about him: He listens. With that, you always got room for improvement. "He's a dog. He's a dog. I can't explain it. You've got to be a player to understand it. [If] we're in a fight, I know he's fighting."

Dennis Smith on the trade (via SNY):

"I was super excited, I was super excited. I was down in the G (League) and I was getting ready to play with the guys and have our first scrimmage, and I heard the news and I was just smiling all day. Super excited, couldn't really sleep that night and I'm just looking at it as an opportunity, fresh start -- like me and coach talked about -- and I'm going to make the most out of it."

Why his tenure with the Knicks never panned out:

"I can't -- I'm not sure,. But I will say I'm thankful for the opportunity that they gave me, and to all the people that supported me -- whether it's in media or even the fans that supported me -- I'm thankful for those guys as well."

On going down to the G-League and finding out about the trade:

"So, when I went down to the G (League), it was simply, simply just to play basketball -- I wanted to play basketball. Nothing else to it, like, 'Oh, he moved,' or, 'Such and such, whatever,' it's just I wanted to play basketball and I realized that would give me an opportunity to do that. So I took advantage of it and I went down there like I was ready to hoop. "I was down there with my boy, Myles (Powell), and I actually got close with a lot of guys on the team in the brief time that I was there. So that was just about hooping. And I was smiling hard because, like, I was excited for the opportunity. And I knew what kind of guy (Pistons) coach (Dwane) Casey was -- great coach, great person. So being able to be with him, I was looking forward to that."

On having a chip on his shoulder after the trade:

"It's super refreshing, and I'm going to go out there with a chip on my shoulder that I always had. I'm going to go out there and compete at a high level, try to execute and try to win games. In terms of coming out and trying to prove something, I think it's definitely more important to prove things to myself -- you know what I'm saying? -- and that's what I want to do. "I believe in myself and the people here that believe in me, and I think that's the first step to really tapping into some greatness here."

Detroit Pistons general manager Troy Weaver on the trade (via Pistons.com):

"We welcome Dennis Smith Jr. to the Pistons family. Adding another young player who was a high draft pick alongside a draft asset advances our goals in building for the future. We thank Derrick Rose for his contributions on and off the court during his time as a Piston and wish him and his family well as they move forward."

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau on Derrick Rose (via NY Daily News):

"He's still one of the elite players in this league."

If Rose is in shape:

"He's lighter than he's ever been. He's telling me this is as healthy as he's been."

On his familiarity as a coach with Rose previously in Chicago and Minnesota:

"It's obviously someone I'm familiar with. We've been through a lot of things together. But the biggest part is what I felt he could contribute to our team. I've always been partial to good players. If someone is a good player, I'm interested. And I think he'll add a lot to our team."

On Rose's ability to be productive everywhere he's gone:

"When you look at what he accomplished after (his time in Chicago), even when you went back to the year he spent in New York, he still averaged 18 points a game. He averaged 18 points a game in Minnesota, he averaged 18 points a game in Detroit. So he's always been able to contribute. When you look at his playoff numbers, he goes to a completely different level."

How adding Rose and Quickley together gives the Knicks more ballhandling capabilities off the bench (via ESPN):

"I think you see it often when you have multiple point guards out on the floor, it gives you another ball handler, secondary ball handler, and you can probably include Alec (Burks) in there, as well. So it gives us three guys that can go off the dribble, and all three are very efficient in pick-and-rolls. Their versatility allows them to actually blend with both groups. So I think we'll see some of that as we go forward, as well."

Pistons head coach Dwane Casey on bringing along Dennis Smith (via The Detroit News):

“It's going to take all of us to help him along, but our coaching staff will assign someone to him to watch film and to go over things with him and the players on the floor will be able to help him. We've got a great group of guys that are willing to mentor and help. That's something that I think won't take very long for him. “He's a smart kid and he's a basketball junkie. One of the first things he said was that he wanted to watch film. He shouldn't have said that because I'm going to take him up on it. He's a good kid, he's got an opportunity, and this is the first team to me as a coach.”

How he gravitates to players that have something to prove:

“It's one of those things where I've always identified with guys like that… You want to bring them into your culture and fit them into your culture. They have something to prove to us and to the rest of the league, whoever that person is. It's not a bad thing and you can look around in sports — New England's done it for years. "It's a little tougher with a young team to bring guys in, but I enjoy it. I enjoy coaching guys like that, taking the challenge on from a coaching standpoint, teaching standpoint, molding standpoint, and let's prove the rest of the league wrong.”

Pistons guard Saben Lee on what he'll miss about Derrick Rose (via The Detroit News):

"I'll definitely miss Derrick. He was a great guy and a great person aside from being a great player. Just being able to hang out with him and get different words of wisdom from him and [being able to] pick his brain."

On Dennis Smith:

"He's an athletic point guard. He can get to the rack and is a really good playmaker."

Image Credit:

Dennis Smith Jr. via Getty Images/Layne Murdoch Jr.

Derrick Rose via Getty Images/Nathaniel S. Butler

[ledenews]

Wheeling Nailers Sign Forward Filip Forsmark

The Wheeling Nailers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, are excited to announce their 14th player signing of the 2024 offseason. Wheeling has signed forward Filip Forsmark to an ECHL contract. Forsmark, 26, made his professional debut this past spring, when he skated in two games with the Allen Americans. He recorded four shots on goal in those contests and had an even +/-. Prior to that, Filip played four seasons of NCAA hockey at Merrimack College. While with the Warriors, the forward produced 26 goals, 48, assists, and 74 points, and played in 123 of 126 possible games. Forsmark led Merrimack with 13 points in 18 games as a freshman during the abbreviated 2020-21 campaign, then had his best collegiate totals as a sophomore, when he finished with 11 goals, 16 assists, and 27 points. The native of Skovde, Sweden has spent the last seven years in North America, as he first crossed the ocean as a 19-year old in 2017 to begin his junior career with the USHL's Tri-City Storm. Forsmark finished second in scoring for the Storm in 2018-19, as the team finished with the best regular season record in the league and reached the conference final round of the playoffs. A fun personal fact about Filip is that he has two brothers, who both play professionally in Sweden. His older brother Oscar plays for HC Lidköping, while his younger brother Carl plays for Guldsmedshytte SK. Filip Forsmark and the Wheeling Nailers will open the 2024-25 season on the road against the Maine Mariners on Friday, October 18th. The team's home opener is Saturday, November 2nd against the Bloomington Bison at 7:10. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2024-25 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley. Read the full article

[lukeswritings]

Cardinals, Dodgers, White Sox Finalize Three-Team Trade

2:25pm: In addition to the others, the Dodgers receive 17-year-old right-hander Oliver Gonzalez from the Cardinals. The Cardinals will get a player to be named later or cash from the Dodgers and cash from the White Sox. Chicago will get a player to be named later or cash from the Dodgers on top of the prospects.

11:26am: Russell Dorsey of Yahoo Sports confirms that the final trade is Fedde and Pham to St. Louis, Edman and Kopech to the Dodgers, and Vargas, Perez, and Albertus to Chicago.

11:22am: Jeff Passan tweets that Noah Miller is not in the trade.

11:15am: The Dodgers, Cardinals, and White Sox are working to finalize a trade involving Erick Fedde, who will go to St. Louis, Tommy Edman, who will go to Los Angeles, and a prospect package, which will go to Chicago.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, a three-team deal was close this morning. Bob Nightengale further reported that reliever Michael Kopech is going from the White Sox to L.A. and that outfielder Tommy Pham is moving from Chicago to St. Louis. Pham played the first four and a half seasons with the Cardinals. The prospects from the Dodgers going to Chicago are a group of infielders — Miguel Vargas, Jeral Perez, Noah Miller, and Alexander Albertus.

Fedde has been outstanding this season after playing last year in Korea, pitching to a 3.11 ERA in 121 2/3 innings over 21 starts. He signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the White Sox in December, so he will remain under club control for another season. The 31-year-old right-hander began his career with the Nationals, debuting in 2017 and spending six seasons with the team. He generally struggled as a back-of-the-rotation arm and decided to take his talents across the Pacific Ocean for the 2023 season, playing with the NC Dinos. The gamble paid off as he went 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 30 starts and was awarded the Choi Dong-won Award, the equivalent to the Cy Young Award for the best pitcher in the KBO, and the KBO MVP award.

The addition of Fedde for the Cardinals signifies a likely return to the bullpen for Andre Pallante. The current rotation consists of Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, Pallante, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson, but they rank in the bottom half of major league teams with a 4.09 team starting pitching ERA. Fedde will be a welcome addition to the oldest rotation in the majors.

Bringing in Pham is a full-circle moment for the 36-year-old outfielder and the Cardinals. He was a 16th-round pick of the 2006 draft by St. Louis and didn't debut until 2014. He didn't play an entire season until 2017, when he burst onto the scene with 23 home runs, a .306/.411/.520 slash line and received down-ballot MVP votes. He would be traded at the deadline the next year to Tampa Bay and became an excellent player for them, with a 135 OPS+ as the everyday left fielder for the Rays in the second half of '18 and all of 2019. This outstanding stretch made him a key face on the market, and he ultimately made his way to San Diego in another trade as part of a package with Jake Cronenworth before the 2020 season. While that season was underwhelming for him at the plate, the offseason was another horror story as in October of 2020, he was stabbed outside of a San Diego strip club in his lower back. He would receive 200 stitches in surgery but made it back onto the field, and impressively, he could still be on the field for the entire 2021 season. Another down season with the bat and the lockout of the 2021-22 offseason led to him not signing with a team until late March, when he agreed to a one-year deal with the Reds. The most notable event of the 2022 season for Pham would be him slapping Joc Pederson of the Giants in May during batting practice over a meme sent in a group text regarding a fantasy football league that Pederson and Pham had been in seven months prior. He would be suspended three games and eventually was traded at that year's trade deadline to the Red Sox, where he continued to struggle. The past two seasons have seen Pham play with the Mets and Diamondbacks in 2023, the White Sox, and now the Cardinals in 2024.

Pham will not be an everyday player for the Cardinals, but he looks to platoon as the weak side with Michael Siani in center field. For his career, Pham is much better against left-handed pitching, and 2024 is no exception. He's slashing .255/.377/.471 against them in 61 plate appearances.

The 27-81 White Sox have long been named a seller at this year's deadline, and the deal of Fedde and Kopech looks to be the beginning of a mass exodus of players from the current roster. Vargas, Perez, and Albertus will help solidify a weak minor-league system.

Kopech is amidst a solid first season as a full-time reliever. He has dealt with various injuries that have dampened the excitement of him once being the second-ranked prospect in the White Sox organization and the prime return in the 2016 Chris Sale trade with the Red Sox. Kopech will provide the Dodgers with some back-end bullpen depth that has been missed, with Brusdar Graterol and Ryan Brasier injured nearly the entire season thus far. In 43 games out of the bullpen in 2024, he's amassed 59 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings, along with nine saves. An ERA of 4.74 is not the most shiny, but a top ten percent K% and fastball velocity in the majors stand out.

Edman is an exciting piece in the trade, as he has yet to play a game in 2024 after undergoing arthroscopic wrist surgery in October 2023. He was sent on a rehab assignment three weeks ago, so his season debut will be soon. He has ten days remaining to rehab before the Dodgers must activate him. An above-average defender at second, shortstop, third, and each outfield position, Edman will provide Los Angeles with some much-desired depth with Mookie Betts on the injured list after fracturing his hand in mid-June. Chris Taylor and Max Muncy are also on the injured list, so the infield is as bare-bones as possible. Kiké Hernandez at third, Nick Ahmed at shortstop, Gavin Lux at second, and Cavan Biggio at first make up the infield. None were expected to play as significant of roles as they are right now when the season began. Ahmed was just signed last week after being released by the Giants.

The Dodgers will also acquire pitcher Oliver Gonzalez, a 6'4" right-hander who the Cardinals signed out of Panama this past winter. He pitched in seven games at their Dominican Summer League affiliate, so he's as far out from the majors as someone could be. He has a 4.22 ERA in 21 1/3 innings, but his 26-to-7 K/BB ratio is sterling.

Miguel Vargas is the most well-known name heading to Chicago. A one-time top prospect, the 24-year-old Cuban only got a chance for a few factors, namely the Dodgers' exceptional depth and a lack of a defensive position. He mostly played third and some first in the minor leagues but was blocked coming up through the minors. He began to play some left field in 2022 and debuted with the Los Angeles in August of that year for a handful of games. Vargas has already used up the final option of his career, so next season, he will be out of them. This stretch will be an excellent opportunity to show off with a team on the exact opposite of the spectrum, depth-wise, as the Dodgers.

Albertus and Perez are 19-year-old infielders who were top-20 prospects in the Dodgers system. Albertus was signed in 2022 out of Aruba, and Perez the same year out of the Dominican Republic. The former has split the season between the Arizona Complex League and Single-A Rancho Cucamonga with a very impressive .342 average in 32 games in the complex leagues. Albertus can play the third and short, but his bat is his forte. Scouting reports call him a bat-first prospect who could see playing time at multiple infield positions. At such a young age, he is still a long way off from impacting the major league team, but he immediately jumps into a favorable position with an organization that has struggled to make any splashes in developing young players.

Perez has played the entire season at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, and at just 19 years old, he is one of the youngest players in the league. Like Albertus, he can play multiple infield positions, mostly seeing time this season at second base, but he played an even dispersal between second, third, and short across his two prior minor league seasons. He led Rancho Cucamonga in home runs with ten and has a keen eye, resulting in well above-average walk rates. According to Fangraphs, Perez has a good hit tool but has trouble controlling the barrel of his bat. A comparison given is Brendan Rodgers of the Colorado Rockies.

[packernet]

New Post has been published on https://www.packernet.com/blog/2024/06/27/5-dreadful-picks/

5 Dreadful picks

In the darkness of the offseason, with training camp almost a month away, let’s take a nightmare walk down memory lane. This is my take on the Packers worst 1st round draft picks since 1980. It’s good fodder for debate, and many fans might offer many counter arguments.

My criteria: • Was the player a true bust, or just not great? • How many good or great players did the Packers pass on to take him? • Did his selection set the franchise back long-term?

Many players were just ok or drafted so late in the 1st it’s hard to judge. Others were victims of great players drafted around them. Others were simply busts.

5- DE Vonnie Holliday 1998

Drafted 19th overall in 1998, Vonnie Holliday was not a bust. In fact, he had a respectable 15-year NFL career. He was a decent starting defensive end in Green Bay but was never great. Two picks later the Minnesota Vikings selected Randy Moss. A few picks after that, Pittsburgh drafted Alan Faneca. It’s not often that 2-Hall of Famers go so late in the 1st round.

The next season Ron Wolf drafted 3-defensive backs mainly to deal with Moss. More importantly, is there any doubt Green Bay would have won another Super Bowl with Brett Favre and Randy Moss in his prime?

4-DT Justin Harrell 2007

The 16th overall pick in 2007, Harrell was Ted Thompson’s worst top pick ever. Harrell brought a special combination of being injury prone and not very good. Darrelle Revis and Greg Olson went later in the 1st.

3-DE Jamal Reynolds 2001

Reynolds was too small and lacked talent. Somehow, then GM Mike Sherman thought Reynolds was worthy of the 10th overall pick. Reynolds is the definition of bust. Additionally, the Packers passed on Reggie Wayne and Steve Hutchinson who went on to be Hall of Famers, as well as Deuce McCallister and Ryan Pickett. To find a worse Packer drafter than Mike Sherman, you’d have to go all the way back to Bart Starr.

2-OT Tony Mandarich 1989

ORG XMIT: MPID5441969 Tony Mandarich, Historical, 9/8/91

Many would rank Mandarich the worst ever Packer draft pick. Not me. The hype machine around Mandarich was made “bigger than life” by a pre-draft SI cover story. Taken 2nd overall in 1989, some experts thought he should have gone first, ahead of Troy Aikman. Were the experts ever more wrong? At the time, those experts said the athletic freak was a generational left tackle. It turns out his hype was built on steroids. It’s bad when you’re a bust, which he was. It’s so much worse when Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, Deion Sanders and Steve Atwater are taken after you. Still, I can’t blame the Packers for taking the guy pretty much every NFL team would have taken.

1-QB Rich Campbell 1981

Back when coaches spoke a more freely, offensive coordinator Bob Schnelker said Campbell didn’t have an NFL arm during his rookie camp. Campbell quickly proved him correct. The Campbell pick sealed the Packers into QB purgatory through most of the 1980’s.

According to Packer’s historian Cliff Christl, player personnel director Dick Corrick pleaded with then GM Bart Starr, to take Ronnie Lott.  Would the 49ers 80’s success and the Packers perennial losing have flipped had the Packers taken Lott? We’ll never know.

Honorable mention, taking Alphonso Carreker over Boomer Esiason and Keith Millard in 1984, taking Brent Fulwood ahead of Jerome Brown and Rod Woodson in 1987, taking Kevin King (albeit in the 2nd round) over TJ Watt or Ryan Ramczyk in 2017.

Next up the 5 greatest Packer #1 draft picks since 1980.