Michael Whitaker Articles - Page 10

A pair of teams going in opposite directions made a trade on Saturday involving minor league players. The Nashville Predators, led by GM Barry Trotz and who have experienced some of the most stunning results so far in the 2024-25 season, have acquired Ondrej Pavel as well as a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL […]

As the Washington Commanders continue their march toward the postseason, they’re in preparations for Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. With a 10-5 record, Washington has enjoyed its first winning campaign since 2016 and can officially punch their ticket to the playoffs should they defeat the Falcons. And they’re getting a valuable piece of their […]

The Philadelphia Flyers are set to take on the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday afternoon, and it will feature former Flyers draft pick Cutter Gauthier taking on his former club. He was the fifth-overall selection by the Flyers in 2022 but requested to be traded last season. Gauthier was moved to the Ducks in exchange for […]

While the New York Rangers are in complete dire straits right now, they’re getting some good news on the injury front. Defenseman K’Andre Miller, who was placed on Injured Reserve earlier this month, has been activated and is expected to be available for Saturday night’s Rangers game against the rival Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie […]

The Washington Capitals have been one of the most impressive stories so far in the 2024-25 NHL season, racing out to second place in the Metropolitan Division thanks to an even mix of veteran and youth talent. And while the Capitals are getting plenty of contributions from their younger players, future Hall of Fame captain […]

The Minnesota Wild resume their schedule following the Christmas break with a divisional matchup against the rival Dallas Stars, but there’s some discouraging news on the health front. Superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov will be unavailable for the Wild against the Stars thanks to a lower-body injury; he also didn’t travel with the team to Dallas. […]

The Colorado Avalanche have acted swiftly not long after acquiring goaltending help from the San Jose Sharks earlier this month. They sent struggling starter Alexandar Georgiev to the Sharks in exchange for Mackenzie Blackwood, and they’ve announced today after days of speculation that he’s under contract for the foreseeable future. The Avalanche have re-signed Blackwood […]

The Vancouver Canucks entered the 2024-25 NHL season as the defending Pacific Division champions, fresh off the franchise’s first 50-win campaign since 2011-12. Despite an opening-round victory over the Nashville Predators, Vancouver’s run was ended by the eventual Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers. Injuries significantly impacted their performance, with star goaltender Thatcher Demko sidelined in […]

The Chicago Blackhawks have nearly reached the midpoint of the 2024-25 NHL season, and the results have fallen short of management’s expectations. This is particularly disappointing given their efforts to surround former No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard with significantly more talent than he had during his rookie campaign last year. The plan was to […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers fell to 10-6 in 2024 with yesterday’s loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, a 29-10 loss at Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers also lost for the third straight game, falling to second place in the AFC North. Defensive tackle Cam Heyward had a blunt reaction to the loss, saying […]

The Kansas City Chiefs are the back-to-back defending Super Bowl champions, and they have their sights trained on a three-peat. Should they accomplish that goal, they’d become the first team in NFL history to be crowned champions in three consecutive years. The Chiefs are well on their way to improving their record to 15-1, as […]

Former Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine returned to Nationwide Arena for the first time since being dealt to the Montreal Canadiens in a move that he requested; he felt a change of scenery would be best for him and his career. Before Monday night’s matchup, Laine had a frank review of his time with […]

While the Boston Bruins defeated the Metropolitan Division-leading Washington Capitals by a 4-1 score at TD Garden Monday night, they suffered a significant loss up front. Sniper David Pastrnak suffered an upper-body injury midway through the second period and did not return to action, though he was briefly seen on the bench following the injury. […]

While not generally considered a dirty player, Tampa Bay Lightning sniper Nikita Kucherov will hear from the NHL Department of Player Safety thanks to his actions on Monday against the rival Florida Panthers. He caught Panthers assistant captain Matthew Tkachuk with a brutal knee-on-knee hit and was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct. […]

Finnish forward Patrik Laine has been a revelation for the Montreal Canadiens, scoring eight power-play goals since his return to action in early December; he’s already second overall in the NHL for goals scored with the man advantage. Laine returns to Columbus for the first time since the trade to Montreal, and he’s admitting that […]

Could this be the next domino to fall with the struggling New York Rangers? And after the volatile trade of former captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks and former No. 2 overall pick Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken, the Rangers are making an eyebrow-raising roster move. Veteran Chris Kreider, the longest-tenured member of […]

Despite earning a victory on Sunday over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dallas Cowboys learned before their matchup that it was mathematically impossible for them to return to the postseason. The grim news was confirmed to the team not long before kickoff, something that head coach Mike McCarthy admitted was difficult to take in via […]

Despite a 3-1 victory on Friday night over the Dallas Stars to temporarily halt their bleeding, the New York Rangers fell right back into the loss column on Sunday night against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden. Not only did the Hurricanes defeat the Rangers by a 3-1 final to send them to […]

The Calgary Flames have confirmed a switch up in their coaching staff, but they’ve also not joined the three NHL clubs that have terminated a head coach. Flames assistant coach Brad Larsen has been granted an indefinite leave of absence from the club to attend to an undisclosed family matter. Meanwhile, the Flames have promoted […]

The Rempire State Building has officially been decommissioned for the foreseeable future. New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe, who draws his nickname from the iconic New York skyscraper close to where the Rangers play, has been slapped with an eight-game suspension by the NHL for his elbow to the head of Dallas Stars defenseman Miro […]

The Philadelphia Eagles are taking on the Washington Commanders but will have to play the rest of the game without defensive back CJ Gardner-Johnson. He was ejected from the game after picking up his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and he made sure to give a NSFW gesture to the jeering Commanders fans as he was […]

While the Detroit Lions are the most injury-riddled team in the National Football League, they’re having no problem imposing their will on the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. As the two rivals approach halftime, the Lions built up a comfortable 20-0 lead thanks to scoring on their first four offensive possessions. And […]

Despite reports of an alleged rift between Vancouver Canucks teammates J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson, the latter wants to make it clear that he doesn’t appreciate what he feels are made-up stories. The Swedish forward recently met with media members and directly addressed the rumors of a feud between himself and his teammate. He also […]

It was a long time coming for Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray, who finally played in his first NHL contest since April of 2023 when he was hurt against the Detroit Red Wings. Murray made 25 saves in his first NHL win in nearly 25 months, helping the Maple Leafs send the Buffalo Sabres […]

While the Toronto Maple Leafs are enjoying another strong campaign, speculation continues to grow regarding the future of half of the team’s famed “Core 4” of players including Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Mitch Marner. While both Matthews and Nylander are under contract for the next several years, Marner and Tavares are eligible […]

The Nashville Predators entered the 2024-25 NHL season viewed by most fans and pundits as legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. After all, they had signed two of the biggest fish available on the open market. Former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos along with 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault through free agency, while also […]

He’s sometimes known as the “Rempire State Building” due to his proximity to the famed building in Manhattan, but New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe has run afoul of the NHL for the fourth time in his NHL career. Rempe was ejected during Friday night’s game against the Dallas Stars after he elbowed defenseman Miro […]

It looks as though the Montreal Canadiens could be on the verge of bidding goodbye to one of their veteran defensemen. According to multiple reports, the Habs are said to be looking for a way to trade David Savard, who has been with the club since signing as a free agent in the 2021 offseason. […]

The Toronto Maple Leafs managed well without captain Auston Matthews, who missed several games with an upper-body injury for which he eventually sought treatment in Germany. He’s returned to action and has scored five goals in the 10 games he’s played in. But according to head coach Craig Berube, Matthews is still fighting through the […]

The floundering New York Rangers are spiraling out of control, and they’ve already traded captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Duck while longtime forward Chris Kreider was also rumored to be on the trading block. They also recently traded disgruntled forward Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken, just days after he called out head coach […]

The Edmonton Oilers are the defending Western Conference champions, having come within just a few steps of reaching the mountain top with their 1st trip to the Stanley Cup Final since 2006. And while their run ended in heartbreaking fashion despite nearly pulling off a historic reverse sweep against the Florida Panthers, there was still […]

The Toronto Maple Leafs are banged up right now between the pipes, as Anthony Stolarz has been placed on Injured Reserve and will miss the next several weeks. And while the Leafs have a capable goalie in Joseph Woll ready to handle the bulk of the starts, it looks as though they’re turning to a […]

Former Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov returned to his old stomping grounds on Tuesday night with the Boston Bruins, which turned out to be a 4-3 victory in overtime for his new team. Zadorov spent several years with the Flames before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks last season; he subsequently signed a free-agent deal […]

It’s been an active night in the NHL Trade Market, with former No. 2 overall pick Kaapo Kakko getting dealt from the New York Rangers to the Seattle Kraken. And now, there’s a second trade in as many hours. The Penguins have re-acquired defenseman P.O. Joseph from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for future […]

The writing on the wall seemed apparent for New York Rangers forward Kaapo Kakko, and his tenure with the team has now come to a close. On Wednesday evening, he was traded to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for Will Borgen, a 2025 Third-Round pick and a 2025 Sixth-Round pick. Kakko, the former 2nd overall […]

Despite already having superstar forward Leon Draisaitl in their lineup, the Edmonton Oilers can’t afford to lose captain Connor McDavid for any long period. They’ve already had to play without him for a short period earlier this season, and during practice on Tuesday, Oilers fans were given another score when McDavid departed after a collision […]

The Washington Capitals lost captain Alex Ovechkin last month to a severe leg injury that would have sidelined most players for a significantly longer time. However, true to form, Ovechkin has been tirelessly working toward a return and is rumored to be ready to rejoin the lineup immediately after the Christmas break. According to NHL […]

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones is known for a lot of things, but he’s got an entirely new aspect of his personal life on display for the world to see – and it’s likely not anything that fans saw something. Jones revealed a few of his culinary preferences, and they include both […]

The Toronto Maple Leafs were dealt a significant blow on the injury front, as goaltender Anthony Stolarz was initially placed on Injured Reserve, meaning he had to miss at least four games. On the surface, that’s not so bad. But the latest update on Stolarz’s health isn’t good. He will be undergoing a procedure in […]