標籤: means

According to a recent report from Michael Russo of The Athletic, Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin attempted to acquire Luke Hughes from the New Jersey Devils during the 2025-26 season — a move that would have seen Luke leave one brother, Jack Hughes, to join forces with another in the form of Quinn Hughes.

Of course, rumors and speculation about the future of all three Hughes brothers have been running rampant. Just last week on an episode of The Sheet with Jeff Marek, all three brothers’ agent, Pat Brisson, talked about the idea of ​​them all playing together at some point:

“We probably haven’t had any specific discussion about this. These are possibilities, I will not deny the factBut when your three brothers get together during the summer or in the offseason, we have lots of fun conversations about lots of fun things.

Obviously, no deal happened for Luke. Based on the language used by The Athletic, it doesn’t seem like the Devils ever seriously considered parting ways with Luke.

But here’s what we know. All else being equal, there is no reason to believe that Quinn will be someone More He is willing to sign an extension beyond his current deal (which runs through 2026–27), which he would not have done if the team had made a deep run in the playoffs.

“I’m definitely ready to re-sign here,” Quinn said in his exit interview today. He also said that getting a deal in the summer is “more ideal”, but is “so mentally tough” that it is not possible to go into the season without it.

Regardless, the possibility remains that Guerin attempted to acquire Luke to increase his leverage for a Quinn extension. This will prompt a GM who does not have full Confidence in your ability to accomplish it. Quinn’s words confirm that the outlook at this position is far from certain, even if he enjoys playing in Minnesota.

At the end of the day, the Devils have something the Wild don’t: both of Quinn’s brothers. There’s no telling what Devils GM Sunny Mehta’s plan will be – and whether he’s considering a potential pursuit of Quinn in any near-term decisions.

Additionally, Quinn is already 0-for-1 on a contract extension entering the season and there are plenty of rumors surrounding him. Even if he is 100% genuine in his desire to stay in Minnesota, things could change quickly if he doesn’t make a move this offseason.

Mehta, Guerin and everyone involved know that Jack’s contract expires after 2029-30 and Luke’s after 2031-32. If Quinn really wants to play with his brothers, the quickest path is to New Jersey.

While ex-Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has rightfully faced his fair share of scrutiny, some of his late decisions could potentially play a big role in any Devils success in the future:

Her refusal to part with Luke may one day be the reason the Devils finally meet Quinn. And their ability to let Ondrej Palat’s contract out without any salary retention would add some much-needed flexibility for Mehta to work with this offseason.

Time will tell what direction the Quinn saga and the Devils as a whole will take. In the meantime, until proven otherwise, Devils fans should hold their positions full confidence In Mehta.

Daniel is the New Jersey Devils beat reporter for SportsNut. He graduated from Montclair State University in 2025… More about Daniel Amoia

A week after his NXT debut, the ring name former NJPW star EVIL will use in WWE has been revealed. According to Fightful Select, he is expected to move to NXT under the name Nox Raijin. WWE filed a trademark for the name on April 28, the same day he debuted on the brand.

The “Raijin” part of the name holds a specific meaning, referring to the Japanese god of thunder and lightning. It appears that WWE is creating a character based on both his Japanese origins and the heel persona he developed during his NJPW run. EVIL is currently listed internally under his real name, Takaaki Watanabe, while branding is finalized.

His debut on the April 28 episode of NXT saw him take on NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo in a no-name match. Commentator Vic Joseph identified him as the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion and deliberately used the phrase “pure evil” during the segment.

The beginning followed weeks of production in which D’Angelo received a mysterious gift containing the Japanese symbol for war, a piece of foreshadowing that directly pointed to the arrival of EVIL.

EVIL left NJPW in January after more than a decade with the promotion, during which he served as the leader of House of Torture and was previously a member of Los Ingobernables de Japon. His signing was confirmed by PWInsider in late April.

Fightful Select also reports that another former LIJ member, Hiromu Takahashi, who finished with NJPW in February, remains a name to watch in terms of potential WWE signings.

In a sudden turn of events, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov has been assigned to the Chicago Wolves for a conditioning stint following season-ending hip surgery following the NHL’s Christmas break.

With the Grand Rapids returning to play Friday against the Griffins, it puts a new potential element into the Hurricanes’ goaltending for the postseason.

Under the current CBA, LTIR conditioning loans to the AHL can last a maximum of three games and/or six days, although an additional two games can be requested if needed.

On Sunday, Kochetkov returned to the ice with the Hurricanes, participating in partial drills and taking shots from his teammates. It wasn’t a perfect practice, but it was ‘a step in the right direction’, as head coach Rod Brind’Amour said.

The Hurricanes netminder expressed his feelings about returning to the ice, saying that he had a difficult time during the recovery process, but he was very happy to be able to be with the team and participate in practices.

After it was announced that he would not participate in the remainder of the season, it was speculated that he would not be seen on the ice until the following September. However, in January, his agent first predicted a quick return, mentioning that he could be available for the playoffs if his recovery went well.

Pyotr Kochetkov could be a game-changer for the Hurricanes in the playoffs

This season, Kochetkov has played only eight games in the NHL. However, six of those games were wins, including one shutout. Meanwhile, Frederik Anderson has played 34 matches and Brandon Bussy has played 37 matches.

If the Hurricanes can reacquire Kochetkov for the postseason, they will have three NHL-level goaltenders, one of whom has been notably rested due to a lack of ice time this season. It will be an advantage for the Hurricanes that no other Stanley Cup contending team is going to the playoffs.

Additionally, playing style versatility is another boon for the Hurricanes.

Kochetkov utilizes a highly athletic, acrobatic style with the ability to switch between a calm, careful approach and a frantic, completely reactionary response with the speed of a back-and-forth. The unpredictable (and even physical) nature of his style catches skaters off guard.

Anderson, meanwhile, plays a quiet position-up style that uses size and technique to take up space from oncoming shooters. He also has a particularly strong glove hand to help when the normally slow positioning method might fail.

As for Bussey, his approach focuses more on the traditional butterfly style with a focus on strong proficiency in fundamentals with occasional athletic play. His play is a happy medium between Kochetkov and Andersen.

If the Hurricanes can reacquire a strong and confident Kochetkov, it could make a huge difference through the playoffs.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

A major injury update from the New York Knicks means the team has no excuses anymore as they look to finish the regular season strong.

On the surface, this has been another good season for the NY Knicks. They have a 49–28 record and have a chance to record their most wins in a season since the 2012–13 team, which had 54 wins. Still, when you dig deeper, this has been a disappointing group.

Despite being on the verge of a third consecutive 50-win season for the first time since the early 1990s, they are just one game away from clinching the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. In a year where the East was poised to move forward in a way it hasn’t in years, the NY Knicks simply haven’t taken advantage.

They certainly have the talent to reach the NBA Finals, but they have been inconsistent when it comes to elite teams in the league. While defensive lapses and Karl-Anthony Towns fitting in on offense are frequent excuses for their up-and-down play, another major reason is that they have been without Landry Shamet and Deuce McBride for most of March. The guards are two key members of their bench.

Knicks fully healthy heading into Bulls game

Well, that may no longer be an excuse if the NY Knicks don’t potentially advance in the playoffs. On Thursday night, New York Post insider Stephen Bondy reported that “The Knicks have a clean injury report for tomorrow’s game against the Bulls. Not a single player is listed.”

McBride recently made his return, and now Shamet has been cleared to return as an immediate addition to the offense off the bench. A team wants to play at full strength before heading into the postseason. The NY Knicks have him now, which is great. But it also means that injuries will not be considered an excuse for moving forward. And if they can’t finish the regular season strongly, they’ll obviously have big problems starting the playoffs.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

There’s a lot going on in Kansas City. Entering the offseason, the Chiefs were looking at a $57 million cap deficit, a clear indication that the franchise’s financial flexibility had become tight.

Since then, Kansas City has worked aggressively to regain some breathing room, highlighted by the restructuring of Patrick Mahomes’ contract as well as several other major roster moves. Those decisions significantly overturned the outlook, leaving the Chiefs $24.8 million under the salary cap.

According to ESPN’s Nate Taylor, the franchise is expected to devote the newly created cap space to addressing two significant roster needs. As the 2026 free agency period and the NFL Draft approach, the Chiefs have been quietly reshaping their roster.

Here are the full details of the roster shakeup taking place at Arrowhead Stadium — and what it could mean for Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and Kansas City’s next championship push.

The Chiefs enter free agency with 21 undrafted free agents

Welcome to Brett Veach’s most important offseason as general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs. For the first time in years, Veach is under real pressure to remodel the roster in 2024 after the team slipped from an impressive 15-2 campaign to a nine-game slump.

To his credit, Veach has already begun to dig the Chiefs out of the league’s worst salary cap hole, using a mix of contract restructuring and roster cuts to gain some financial breathing space.

Now the real challenge begins – turning that cap relief into a roster capable of getting Kansas City back into contention. The Chiefs parted ways with Mike Danna, freeing up another $8.9 million. Kansas City continued to free up space by moving on Jawan Taylor and saving $20 million before trading Trent McDuffie, which added $13.6 million to the cap sheet.

The maneuvering will not stop here. The Chiefs parting ways with Drew Tranquill and Noah Gray could create additional flexibility, while potentially restructuring Chris Jones’ contract is another lever the front office could pull.

As free agency approaches, Kansas City still has a lot of moving parts to figure out. Barring any late developments, the Chiefs are expected to enter the market without re-signing any of their 21 pending free agents. However, this does not necessarily mean that the door is closed on his return. Even after the initial wave of free agency subsides, many of those players could be headed back to Kansas City.

Another major storyline emerging in the offseason is the future of Travis Kelce. A week before Thanksgiving, Kelce indicated he would make a decision about retirement around April, not March. Ideally, the Chiefs would like clarity before free agency opens, but the team has already prepared for both scenarios. General manager Brett Veach has acknowledged that Kansas City is working with two offseason blueprints – one with Kelce on the roster and one without. If Kelce chooses to return for Year 14, a one-year deal with performance incentives could quickly solve many roster questions.

Meanwhile, the biggest uncertainty surrounds Patrick Mahomes’ recovery. The star quarterback suffered a season-ending ACL injury, an injury that typically requires months of rehabilitation and can sideline players well into the next season. Early projections suggested Mahomes could miss a significant portion of the year, but his recovery timeline remains uncertain. For now, the Chiefs Kingdom is anxiously waiting for their franchise quarterback to take the field again.

The challenge has increased with subsequent events. Kansas City already competes in a demanding division with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers. The next season also includes a matchup against the NFC West, considered one of the toughest divisions in football.

Overall, the circumstances suggest Kansas City could be headed for a more tumultuous season than usual, with uncertainty surrounding key roster decisions, Mahomes’ health and a challenging schedule shaping the path forward.