標籤: void

The New Jersey Devils trading Nico Hischier is a bad idea. However, not trading for Quinn Hughes is also a bad idea.

You have to give to get.

I want to reiterate that I am not advocating that the Devils should move Hischier. They should build their 1-2 center punch around him and Jack Hughes.

After all, the Devils are screwed by keeping Hischier—who is undoubtedly a top-line center—on the second line.

Still, you’re not getting Quin without premium returns. And if you can acquire arguably the best defenseman in the league, you will.

It’s more than uniting the Hughes brothers. Still, the Minnesota Wild are just as interested in employing them all on one team as the Devils.

evidence?

After bringing Quinn back from Vancouver last season, Bill Guerin tried to bring in Luke Hughes via the Devils trade.

This will undoubtedly help Guerin sign the Jacks as a free agent in 2030. Nevertheless, the Devils did not entertain Guerin’s pursuit of Luke, and the Devils remained with two of the three Hughes brothers.

However, Sunny Mehta is no Tom Fitzgerald. How much does he desire to unite Hughes’s triumvirate – if at all?

How much is he willing to trade his captain for Quinn?

This seems unlikely. Still, if the nuclear option of acquiring Quinn is successful for Hischier, there are options who should be available to fill the center void this summer, even if not the same as the Devils captain.

Perhaps Quinn’s presence covers any holes left by Hischier, because although you’re upgrading with Quinn, you’re upgrading at center.

Ryan O’Reilly-Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators were treating Ryan O’Reilly with kid gloves last season.

O’Reilly has no protection from a trade, yet Predators GM Barry Trotz was treating him as if he did. Thus, despite all the trade speculation, O’Reilly remained in Nashville as they tried for the playoffs.

They couldn’t make it, and now Nashville will have a new GM.

Who will be at the helm in Nashville has yet to be determined, but after a roller coaster season, a new GM should be ready to move O’Reilly who is going into the last year of his contract on a roster that needs to get younger.

O’Reilly is cut from the same cloth as Hischier. He may no longer have elite metrics in the neutral and defensive zones, but he’s still on the bubble.

In his age-34 season, O’Reilly scored 25 goals and 74 points in 81 games. That’s fewer goals than Hischier (28) but more points (66) while winning 55.8% of faceoffs.

You’re betting on the 35-year-old O’Reilly’s play as a potential short-term stopgap solution and pending free-agent to fill the void.

Mason McTavish-Anaheim Ducks

You might be shopping upside down here.

It seems things are rocky between the Anaheim Ducks and Mason McTavish, who often served as a healthy scratch through two rounds in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The ducks were eliminated on Thursday night. The focus now turns to the offseason where they will undoubtedly look to improve on an unexpectedly successful 2025-26.

Still, McTavish serving as a healthy scratch in his most important games over seven seasons shows where he stands in the eyes of Joel Quenneville.

Now the Ducks will have to make a decision about his future, just like they did with Trevor Zegras last summer.

And it worked out very well for the Philadelphia Flyers.

McTavish has completed the first year of a six-year contract with an average annual value of $7 million. Heading into his age-24 season, there is still a lot to like about McTavish’s game.

The Ducks forward has shown good scoring touch with occasional high-end flashes — winning battles along the wall, driving through contact, and making quick plays in tight areas — but his skating and defensive reliability remain glaring areas of limited consistency so far.

Perhaps Quinn’s tarpaulin-like ability to cover the ice will make up for the defensive deficiencies here. And the Ducks would certainly be selling the player at a low price.

Shane Wright-Seattle Kraken

For a more defensively reliable option, Shane Wright brings some interesting tools to his game – he’s a strong short-field player with solid wheels and reliable defense.

That said, he has seen very limited puck touches in both of his NHL seasons, making it hard to project him as a true driver given how limited his overall participation has been.

Instead, he will need the support of two key top-six wingers. Perhaps Timo Meier and Dawson Mercer will provide ample support until Wright figures out how to move the game forward on his own – or rather If He figures out how to carry the game on his own.

The Kraken were challenging Wright to make his splash at the 2026 NHL trade deadline. In this situation, the Devils are a good fit for a 22-year-old player heading into the final year of his entry-level contract. And there is a positive side to Wright’s development as the aforementioned playdriver.

Wright was more successful in his first full season in 2024–25, scoring 19 goals and 44 points in 79 games, compared to only 12 goals and 27 points the previous season.

Perhaps in a more offensive system in New Jersey – as opposed to Seattle – he can unlock what made him so popular in his draft year.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

It seems Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta hates name, image and likeness deals in college football. But the reason for this is a bit strange.

Zero money in college sports, especially football, has completely changed the industry. For decades, programs were built entirely around the ability to capture the hearts and minds of high school recruits in their living rooms and kitchens.

However, now a program can only turn things around drastically in one offseason if they have enough money to bring in the best players through the transfer portal or in the high school ranks. While this has brought an absurd level of volatility to college sports, it has also provided athletes with long-standing money-making opportunities. This means they are not in a rush to reach the pro ranks to earn big money

Well, it seems the Ravens general manager hates it because it means he can’t get his hands on prospects any time soon, and isn’t interested in “older” players.

Baltimore Ravens GM hates NFL Draft’s ‘old’ players

“The players are getting older. Not necessarily the average age of the players, but there are older players in the draft,” DeCosta said this week. ‘We are seeing more 24 and 25 year old players. This is because of the void, people are being paid to live. This is problematic for us because if people are coming in at older ages, they will probably get less benefit. In some cases they are not three-contract players; They are players with two contracts. And in some cases, they have suffered more injuries. “They’ve been playing college football a longer time, so they’ve had more injuries.”

“… Before 2024, 4 percent of our players on the draft board could be 24 1/2 or older. Now that number is up to 18 percent. So we’ve seen a 14 percent increase in older players on the draft board,” he said. “…I don’t think it’s certainly a good thing. Historically, we’ve tried to develop young players whenever possible. It’s something we feel strongly about.”

So essentially, DeCosta will want to make college football players less money so he can use them as quickly as possible for the best interest of the Ravens. Even if it means cutting them out of a few seasons. Additionally, while his point about accumulating more injuries is valid, the extra years in college also means being better prepared to make an impact in the NFL rather than requiring more experience and further development.

It’s a little strange to dislike more experienced talents who were able to make good money before the NFL chewed most of them out.

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

The NBA investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard is still ongoing. The Clippers reportedly attempted to circumvent the NBA salary cap by paying money to Leonard through a bankrupt company called Aspiration. No verdict has been reached on the scam; However, the Clippers may lose Leonard.

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix joins Rachel Nichols on Open Floor to discuss the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers. Although nothing has been disclosed by the NBA, there is a possibility that Leonard’s contract could be voided.

“It is relevant as [Kawhi Leonard]contract,” Mannix said. “If [the NBA] Decides that ‘Hey, we can void Kawhi’s contract because we deem it invalid because of how this all came together.’ There’s a lot – I mean, there’s as much discussion about anything in the NBA right now. Anything. “Every field I go to, I hear about it, every conversation I have with league and team officials, this comes up.”

This would not be the first time that the NBA has canceled a contract. In 2000, the NBA voided Joe Smith’s contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves after circumventing the salary cap. There is precedent for a voided contract, and the Clippers could face similar penalties with Leonard.

Other possible penalties for Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers

There are other potential penalties for Leonard and the Clippers. If the NBA gets things wrong with Los Angeles, the organization could be stripped of multiple first-round selections, fined a large amount of money, and face a suspension or worse in the basketball personnel department.

With Minnesota, the NBA stripped the organization of five first-round selections, fined the organization $3.5 million, and suspended Timberwolves executives Kevin McHale and Glenn Taylor. The Clippers could face a similar punishment that would cripple the organization’s future.

As far as Leonard is concerned, the biggest penalty would be to cancel the contract with the Clippers, but suspension or fine cannot be ruled out. It all depends on what the NBA finds in its investigation. If the NBA voids the superstar’s contract, it would likely spark a bidding war in free agency, if not his future in jeopardy.

It’s unclear when the NBA will reveal its findings and potential penalties, but the Clippers may be on the verge of a watershed moment in team history. If the NBA decides to give up, it will have a huge impact on Los Angeles’ future and set the organization back for a long time.

It would start with Leonard’s contract being voided, which would shock the NBA.

READ MORE: Rumor opens door to Spurs and Kawhi Leonard reuniting this summer

Austin Konensky is a sports writer at SportsNut, covering the NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA and college football. His work…More about Austin Konensky