Michael Whitaker Articles - Page 17

The New York Rangers have a monumental task ahead as star goaltender Igor Shesterkin enters the final season of his contract, positioning himself for what could become the largest deal for a goalie in NHL history. However, if recent reports from former Rangers goaltender and current NHL analyst Kevin Weekes are accurate, the team is […]

For the first time in their history, the Florida Panthers are set to enter a season as the defending Stanley Cup champions. They reached hockey’s mountaintop dramatic seven-game series win over the Edmonton Oilers. After jumping out to a commanding 3-0 lead, the Panthers nearly let it slip away, losing the next three games before […]

The Winnipeg Jets had an impressive 2023-24 regular season, achieving 52 wins and securing second place in the Central Division. A key highlight of their campaign was setting a franchise record with an eight-game winning streak, demonstrating their consistency and strength throughout the year. This success positioned them as strong contenders heading into the postseason, […]

The Buffalo Bills faced a tense moment on Sunday when star quarterback Josh Allen went down after being tackled and hitting his head on the turf during their game against the Houston Texans. Allen appeared visibly shaken and remained on the field for several moments, causing concern among teammates and fans. Despite the scare, he […]

It’s been a difficult last several weeks for the Columbus Blue Jackets, as they grapple with the shocking and sudden death of forward Johnny Gaudreau as well as his brother Matthew in late August. Both Johnny and Matthew were struck by a drunk driver and killed while cycling in New Jersey, just a day before […]

The Calgary Flames have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs the last two seasons, and their attempt to break the trend for this season has already been dealt a significant blow. Forward Yegor Sharangovich, who they acquired in 2023 from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Tyler Toffoli, has been placed on Injured Reserve with […]

The Anaheim Ducks are set with the goaltending tandem of Lukas Dostal and John Gibson for the upcoming 2024-25 NHL season, but were dealt a setback when it was announced that Gibson underwent emergency appendectomy surgery and would be absent for the next handful of weeks. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek has acted swiftly and […]

The Columbus Blue Jackets have been hit with another setback as captain Boone Jenner suffered an upper-body injury during practice. The expectation is that Jenner will miss the start of the regular season and potentially face a prolonged absence, adding to the challenges the Blue Jackets are already facing for this 2024-25 season. Jenner is […]

While the Miami Dolphins took care of business on the field during Sunday’s victory over the New England Patriots, it came at a cost. Safety Jevon Holland suffered a broken hand and is expected to be absent from the lineup for the foreseeable future. The news was first reported by NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, who […]

The Vancouver Canucks are entering the 2024-25 season following a successful Pacific Division title run and a 50-win campaign, only to have their postseason hopes dashed in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the eventual Western Conference champions, the Edmonton Oilers. Unfortunately, injuries played a pivotal role in their downfall, with star […]

The Cleveland Browns are now 1-4 through the first five games of the 2024 NFL season following Sunday’s 34-13 loss to the Washington Commanders, and the collective fan frustration level with quarterback Deshaun Watson after his latest subpar performance could be enough to reach the International Space Station. But for the fans hoping that head […]

Fans of the Buffalo Bills held their collective breath after an injury scare to franchise quarterback Josh Allen, who slammed his head against the turf while being tackled during Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium: Prayers: Josh Allen hit his head really hard on the turf. Headed to medical tent 🙏pic.twitter.com/d1hMetQRb6 https://t.co/CLvR1k2Y1L […]

As if the offensive line problems for the Cincinnati Bengals weren’t bad enough, they’ve experienced yet another costly loss. First-round pick Amarius Mims was carted off the field during Sunday afternoon’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens after suffering an ankle injury: Rookie 1st round RT Amarius Mims is carted off the field. #Bengals @WCPO pic.twitter.com/hjZNdSF2fz […]

The Kansas City Chiefs, fresh off their Super Bowl championship, are facing a significant setback as wide receiver Rashee Rice sustained a potentially season-ending leg injury during their Week 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. He collided with quarterback Patrick Mahomes at SoFi Stadium, who was attempting to tackle the Chargers player who intercepted […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers have officially embarked on their quest for another championship, but they are facing a significant setback as they will be without their ace, Clayton Kershaw, for the entirety of the postseason. The team announced on Saturday that the veteran left-hander will be sidelined due to a lingering foot injury that has […]

The Dallas Cowboys narrowly avoided a troubling 1-3 start to the 2024 NFL season, securing a crucial 20-15 victory over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in Week 4, bringing their record to 2-2. However, the team recognizes the need for improvement as they gear up for their Week 5 matchup against the Pittsburgh […]

If the Los Angeles Dodgers are to return to World Series glory, they’ll have to do so without a key member of their pitching staff. On Saturday afternoon, the Dodgers announced that Clayton Kershaw would be unavailable for the entirety of the postseason. Kershaw has been dealing with a bone spur in his toe since […]

The Columbus Blue Jackets have faced the heartbreaking challenge of filling the void left by the tragic loss of forward Johnny Gaudreau. His absence has created not only an emotional gap for his family and teammates but also a significant void in the Blue Jackets’ lineup. In response, the team has taken steps to strengthen […]

While the Los Angeles Lakers open their preseason schedule Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, their highest-profile player won’t be suiting up. LeBron James, who is entering his 22nd NBA season, will not take the court against the Timberwolves in the Lakers’ exhibition opener, according to a report on X via ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin. “LeBron […]

The Dallas Cowboys secured a much-needed victory in Week 4 of the NFL season, earning a 20-15 win over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. However, heading into their Week 5 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cowboys hold the league’s worst rushing offense, averaging just 75.3 yards per game. The absence of Tony […]

The Edmonton Oilers rebounded from a dismal start to the 2023-24 season, making an impressive run to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final for the first time since their Cinderella run in 2006 that ended in heartbreak. Despite nearly completing a historic reverse sweep after falling behind 3-0 to the Florida Panthers, the Oilers came up […]

While the number of Professional Tryout Agreements (PTOs) in the NHL that result in contracts hovers at just under 25%, defenseman Tyson Barrie has now joined the select group of players who have successfully secured a contract after a PTO. The Calgary Flames felt that his performance during exhibition play was sufficient enough to extend […]

With no resolution in sight, the contract standoff between the Boston Bruins and goaltender Jeremy Swayman continues as the regular season approaches. But despite public callouts from both sides, Swayman has emphasized that he does not want his time with the Bruins to end. While appearing in Episode 3 of the soon-to-be-released Amazon series “FACEOFF: […]

The Montreal Canadiens lost forward Patrik Laine during Saturday night’s game against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs after a knee-on-knee collision with forward Cedric Pare, which many interpreted as a dirty hit. Laine couldn’t put weight on his left leg and had to be assisted off the ice. This marks another setback for Laine, who […]

For the second consecutive season, the Dallas Stars advanced to the Western Conference Final, only to face a disappointing setback just as they appeared on the verge of their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in a full NHL season since 2000. However, that hasn’t done anything to change the minds of fans and pundits who […]

What exactly are the Minnesota Wild heading into the 2024-25 NHL season? Right now, it’s hard to pin down. For starters, they’re a team that missed the postseason in 2023-24, largely due to injuries to key players. Captain Jared Spurgeon was limited to just 16 games, and emotional leader Marcus Foligno was sidelined after 55 […]

One of the Dallas Stars’ key additions for the 2024-25 NHL season was defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin, who signed a three-year, $9.75 million deal with the team after splitting last season between the Anaheim Ducks and a second stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs. And as Lyubushkin explained, he chose to move on from the Leafs […]

The Minnesota Wild have found themselves in a difficult salary cap situation following General Manager Bill Guerin’s decision to buy out the remaining years of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter’s identical contracts in 2021. As a result, the Wild faced over $12 million in dead cap space for the 2022-23 season, followed by two consecutive […]

Fans of the San Jose Sharks held their collective breath during Tuesday night’s game at SAP Center against the Utah Hockey Club, following the announcement that first-overall draft pick Macklin Celebrini would not return after crashing awkwardly shoulder-first into the boards. Macklin Celebrini left tonight's game with a lower body injury after crashing into the […]

The San Jose Sharks may face a major setback to their 2024-25 season before it officially begins, as first-overall draft pick Macklin Celebrini was injured in the second period of Tuesday’s game at SAP Center against the visiting Utah Hockey Club and did not return to action. Celebrini lost his balance and slid hard into […]

The Boston Bruins are deep into their exhibition schedule, but one key player is still missing from the ice. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman remains a restricted free agent, having missed all of training camp and every preseason game. And there is no indication that this situation will be resolved before the start of the regular season. […]

The New York Rangers already endured an injury scare earlier this exhibition season when star forward Artemi Panarin left a game against the New York Islanders, though fortunately, it wasn’t serious. However, Panarin has once again exited an exhibition contest, and the latest update from the Rangers suggests this time, the situation may be more […]

The Chicago Blackhawks have faced a challenging transition, missing the postseason for several consecutive years. Yet, few sympathize with them given their dominant run of three Stanley Cup titles in seven seasons, along with two additional trips to the Western Conference Final. With former franchise cornerstones Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane gone, 2023 No. 1 […]

The Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, which moved them to 4-0 in the 2024 season, was overshadowed by the potential season-ending injury to wideout Rashee Rice. The concern is that Rice may have suffered a torn ACL, a major blow to Kansas City’s Super Bowl defense. No official diagnosis has been […]

It’s a sad day for Major League Baseball as legendary hitter Pete Rose has died at the age of 83. His agent, Ryan Fiterman, confirmed the news to TMZ while noting that “the family is asking for privacy at this time.” Rose, who holds MLB’s all-time record for hits, also leads in at-bats, plate appearances, […]

The Seattle Kraken’s inaugural season in 2021-22 was as expected—solid, but not spectacular, with the team missing the playoffs. However, they turned things around in their second year, making a surprising postseason run that included a first-round upset over the Colorado Avalanche and pushing the Dallas Stars to seven games in Round Two. Seattle regressed […]

Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine was forced to leave Saturday night’s game at Bell Centre against the Toronto Maple Leafs after a knee-on-knee collision with Leafs forward Cedric Pare. Laine needed assistance to reach the bench and went straight to the dressing room for treatment. Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj quickly came to his teammate’s defense, […]

The New England Patriots fell to 1-3 in the 2024 NFL season after a 30-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett ultimately finished 19-of-32 passing for 168 yards with a touchdown and interception in the losing effort. But there were scores of frustrated […]

The “No Fun League” has struck again, with New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard learning the hard way. During the third quarter of Sunday afternoon’s game at MetLife Stadium against the visiting Denver Broncos, he was hit with a 15-yard penalty for his finger gun celebration after securing a first down. Allen Lazard got […]