Hostile Take on Leo Carlsson: It’s Not the Ducks’ Fault

When Leo Carlsson signed his hostile offer, many began to blame Pat Verbeek for his lack of aggressiveness in handling the situation.
On the surface, people were right to think that. How could the GM not have reached an agreement with his young star after a few years? Today, Elliotte Friedman published a very interesting interview with Carlsson's agents, revealing several details that were previously unknown.
Here it is:Bonus 32 Thoughts interview podcast
Matt & Ryan Keator, who represent Le

Macklin Celebrini and Cutter Gauthier are not at all the same kind of player.
However, both will be earning a very large sum of money. And before assuming that Celebrini will earn much more than Gauthier, it's important to keep a few key facts in mind.
For one thing, the Sharks' center is willing to accept less money to help his team compete. And Gauthier, according to Keith Yandle, doesn't want a penny less than Leo Carlsson.
So what might their contracts look like?
Even though Celebrini will e

Things are pretty unusual in Detroit right now.
Captain Dylan Larkin wants to leave, and there's no GM. Could Steve Yzerman's replacement convince Larkin to stay? Maybe.
One thing's for sure: #71 might lose his “C.” And if he does, Moritz Seider is tipped to be the next captain of the storied franchise, according to Ansar Khan (Oilers Now).Ansar Khan: Re Red Wings: Mo Seider will be the next captain; I wouldn't be surprised if that happens even if Dylan Larkin comes back – Oile

In the past, Shohei Ohtani got fans used to seeing him pitch and hit on a regular basis. Everyone wondered how he did it.
But in 2026, at ages 31 and 32, it feels like he's hitting a wall. A small wall, but a wall nonetheless.
More often than not, Dave Roberts prevented him from pitching and hitting on the same day. He was given days off. He was pulled from games.
But despite all that, he's still delivering strong performances.
That said, his recent knee issues (he underwent procedures during th

It's a pretty busy day in New York today.
Two Yankees games, concerts by Noah Kahan, Bon Jovi, and Ariana Grande, and most importantly, the World Cup final between Lionel Messi's Argentina and Spain.
Imagine a day like that in Montreal…Poor Montreal—it would have been forced to cancel all events during the World Cup. https://t.co/xVaxsHep9s
— Jeremy Filosa(@JeremyFilosa) July 19, 2026At the biggest game of the year across all sports, we spotted several NHL players: Trevor Zegr

Charles Davalan is on fire
The Quebec native (a Dodgers prospect) is tearing it up in the minors. He now has 13 home runs, including three in his last three games.
Charles Davalan hits his 13th home run of the year for the High-A @greatlakesloons!
MLB's No. 83 prospect (@Dodgers) has homered in three straight games, dating back to before the break. pic.twitter.com/hewgLvCfjT
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 18, 2026
A Sports-Loving Family
Hugo, the father of Taj Marchand—a Rays dra

While the hostile offer made by the Anaheim Ducks to Leo Carlsson has reignited discussions about this rarely used strategy in the NHL, one thing seems clear in Connor Bedard's case: the young forward never intended to go down that path.
According to his agent, Don Meehan, the Chicago Blackhawks' star player had already made up his mind well before the Carlsson situation came to light.
“Connor made it clear, even after the hostile offer and before the hostile offer, that he had no intentio

The Las Vegas Raiders were one of the most active teams in the NFL during the offseason as they worked to improve their roster.
The organization has invested several million dollars to bolster its defense, particularly at the defensive line, linebacker, and secondary positions.
However, despite the many additions made, one position remains fraught with uncertainty: cornerback. The Raiders' defensive backfield is particularly young, with the arrival of rookies Treydan Stukes, Jermod McCoy, and He

On paper, the Buffalo Bills have a roster capable of competing for the Super Bowl title. The team appears to be well-stocked at several positions, but one area continues to raise questions ahead of the upcoming season: the inside linebackers.
According to Matt Okada of NFL.com, this position represents the “biggest remaining issue” on the Bills' roster. Buffalo might therefore be tempted to make a trade to add an experienced player capable of stabilizing the center of its defense.
On

The New Jersey Devils have still not managed to live up to expectations despite a roster brimming with talent.
With the arrival of new general manager Sunny Mehta, several major changes have already been made, and it now seems clear that one priority remains: finding a goaltender capable of taking the team to the next level.
Over the past two seasons, the Devils have finished with nearly identical records of 42 wins, yet they have failed to establish themselves as a true powerhouse in the Easter

The Mets are clearly looking to make trades ahead of the deadline. We've known this for several weeks, but it's becoming more concrete now.
Since David Stearns doesn't necessarily plan to wait until August 3 to trade players, it's clear that the Queens-based club will be one to watch in the coming days.
One of the trade rumors that will generate the most buzz is the one involving Francisco Lindor. Could his relationship with Juan Soto prompt rival teams to call the Mets to see if he can be pried

The British Columbia Lions have taken their first step toward strengthening their quarterback position.
The Canadian Football League team has added American veteran Logan Woodside to its exclusive negotiation list, as the team deals with the potential absence of its starting quarterback, Nathan Rourke.
Woodside, 31, is currently a free agent. In 2025, he was on the practice squads for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals, though he did not play in any NFL regular-season games.
The q

While many Montreal Canadiens fans were hoping to see Anthony Mantha join the team at the Bell Centre, Kent Hughes and his staff ultimately decided not to make a move.
The big Quebec forward recently signed a two-year contract worth an average of $4.75 million per year with the New Jersey Devils, a deal that surprised many observers.
Especially in Montreal, where the need to add a big, goal-scoring right winger is obvious.
At 6 feet 5 inches and 240 pounds, Mantha has a profile that's hard to fi

It's rare for a shortstop of Francisco Lindor's caliber to be on the trade market, but that's exactly the case with the Mets, who are already in full sell-off mode.
But despite “Mr. Smile” being available, the New York Yankees don't seem to be in the running—or in any other race—to acquire the services of a player at the number six position.
That means the Bombers will have to find solutions from within the organization. And that clearly can't be Anthony Volpe.
In fact, f

With the new massive contracts being handed out to young NHL stars, many fans are wondering just how high the salaries of the top players in the Bettman-led league can go.
Leo Carlsson's deal with the Anaheim Ducks and Connor Bedard's contract with the Chicago Blackhawks are generating a lot of buzz, but history shows that some players have already accounted for an even larger share of their team's payroll.
With an average annual salary of $18 million, Leo Carlsson currently accounts for 17.31%

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley had a major scare Saturday morning when an attempted break-in occurred at his home in Pennsylvania.
Fortunately, the NFL star and his family members, who were inside the house at the time of the incident, were not injured.
According to the Tredyffrin Township Police Department, officers were dispatched to the scene shortly after 5 a.m. following a call reporting a burglary in progress. By the time police arrived, however, the suspects had already f

The Montreal Canadiens need a few key pieces to become even more competitive in the playoffs.
Obviously, there's the much-discussed need for a second-line center and/or a top-6 winger to form a very strong second line, but the team also lacks grit and physicality on the bottom six.
A few names were floated this summer, but Kent Hughes decided to maintain the status quo after seeing the massive contracts handed out to several players.
We can therefore assume that Hughes is banking on reinforcemen

Yesterday, Toronto was in a festive mood. The Blue Jays, who beat the White Sox, paid special tribute to the team's 1992 and 1993 squads.
Several players were in town for the occasion.
The highlight of the event was when the Blue Jays unveiled a massive 15-foot statue of Joe Carter and his famous moment.
So it was a great day for Blue Jays fans.
TOUCH ‘EM ALL, JOETHE BLUE JAYS UNVEIL JOE CARTER’S STATUE OUTSIDE ROGERS CENTREpic.twitter.com/THXWiTSdEM
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) Ju

The British Columbia Lions' struggles continue in the Canadian Football League.
On Friday night, the British Columbia team suffered its fourth loss in five games, falling 19–17 to the Edmonton Elks.
This latest loss is all the more concerning given that the team also lost its starting quarterback, Nathan Rourke, to a shoulder injury early in the game.
The game quickly turned into a nightmare for the Lions. On just the second offensive play, Nathan Rourke was hit hard by linebacker Noah Tay

Yesterday, Connor Bedard finally signed with the Chicago Blackhawks after his NHL entry-level contract had just expired.
At first glance, $15 million a year seems like a lot, but in reality, it could quickly turn out to be a steal.
As we all know, thanks to a hostile offer, Leo Carlsson signed a five-year deal worth $18 million a year.
It's easy to compare Bedard's and Carlsson's situations because they were drafted first and second, respectively, in the 2023 draft, and they both made their NHL

Am I the only one who thought that by mid-July, the issue of Martin St-Louis's contract would already be settled?
Because, in fact, all the sources who brought up the subject believed that St-Louis—who has one year left on his current deal—would quickly sign a contract extension.
It was just a formality. And yet, nothing has been announced yet.
Note: I'm not saying this is cause for concern or that I think there's a problem. But what I am saying is that I'm surprised the matter hasn'

The Boston Red Sox are the team of the moment in Major League Baseball. Yesterday, they won their twelfth straight game by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 7-6.
Wilyer Abreu once again made his mark by hitting two home runs for the second straight game. The Sox's right fielder is literally on fire, now with 15 home runs to his credit.
Boston scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to clinch the win. The day before, they had swept a doubleheader against those same Rays. These wins are cr

The Maple Leafs were the talk of the town last night.
Why? Because the team's X account posted an old goal by James Van Riemsdyk from when he was playing for the Maple Leafs.
The club wrote, “Don't blink.”Don't blink pic.twitter.com/5HSD7U6j0X
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 18, 2026Why? Logically, you shouldn't blink because in the clip in question, JVR scored quickly after a faceoff at center ice.
But one might reasonably wonder if there's something bigger behind thi

To say the least, the Maple Leafs have had an eventful summer: several changes in management and behind the bench, the selection of Gavin McKenna, and several major free-agent signings.
With these personnel changes, the Toronto team hopes to regain its competitiveness as early as next season and make the playoffs after a difficult season.
However, after missing the postseason for the first time in 10 years, questions and rumors about the future of certain players in the City of Kings have begun

Even though several teams have been active in recent weeks, numerous rumors continue to circulate throughout the League.
Big names like Dylan Larkin could still change teams, and depth players could be of interest to clubs like the Canadiens.
Here are the latest rumors from across the NHL.
Morgan Frost could be an interesting option for the Habs
The Flames are rebuilding and may continue to trade away certain players.
According to David Pagnotta, who appeared on the Hello Hockey podcast, the nam

Just two years ago, the Baltimore Orioles had a chance as wide open as a barn door to win a fourth World Series title in franchise history.
However, the inability of President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias to build a decent pitching staff has derailed the last two seasons in Maryland.
Elias, however, seems to have taken to heart the saying that it's never too late to do the right thing. Indeed, starting pitcher Kyle Bradish and the Orioles agreed today (Saturday) to the terms of a five-year,

Connor Bedard has officially signed a contract for the upcoming season. The Blackhawks forward has signed a five-year deal that will pay him $15 million per year.
That's a pretty colossal sum, let's be honest.
So we're talking about a $75 million deal for Bedard, who will be in Chicago through 2031. And it's interesting to compare this deal to that of Ivan Demidov, who signed his contract a little over two weeks ago.
As we know, Demidov signed an eight-year deal in Montreal. But what's interesti

That’s all settled now.
Connor Bedard, who was still without a contract heading into next season, has just signed a new deal with the Blackhawks.
And the young player has really cashed in: he signed a five-year contract… worth $15 million per year.
It's worth noting that his average annual salary places him in the top 3 in the NHL. He's surpassed only by Leo Carlsson ($18 million) and Kirill Kaprizov ($17 million).
The Blackhawks announced the news on their social media accounts.fro

Anthony Rizzo catches a home run
He did it while wearing his jersey from Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. He was in the stands to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the championship.
Michael Busch hit a home run into the bleachers …
Anthony Rizzo caught the ball! pic.twitter.com/oVp6EF54AE
— MLB (@MLB) July 18, 2026
Redemption for Anthony Rizzo! https://t.co/SvRHl1t3xu pic.twitter.com/CWtbzVNBcC
— MLB (@MLB) July 18, 2026
The LeBron James Effect
He says there's a lot of parity

On Thursday, Kirby Dach signed a one-year, $3.6 million contract with the Canadiens. He secured the one-part deal he wanted… even though he left $400,000 on the table in exchange.
After all, he could have accepted his $4 million two-part qualifying offer, reasoning that he certainly wouldn't be sent down to the AHL. But clearly, he didn't want to take that risk.
So as things stand, everything points to #77 being back in Montreal next season. And somewhat against all expectations, Dach is