SPECULATION | Zach Werenski and Dylan Larkin on the Same Team

Dylan Larkin wants to leave Detroit. Everyone knows it.
It's also becoming increasingly clear that there's a good chance Zach Werenski will be traded by the Blue Jackets. He doesn't want to stay in Columbus long-term.
They're currently two of the biggest names on the market.
Is it possible that the two—who are good friends—could end up on the same team? Elliotte Friedman, on the 32 Thoughts podcast, speculated on this.
That would be intense, but fun to watch.32 Thoughts Monday mornin

National League trade.
Darnell Nurse, who earlier today expanded the list of teams he wanted to be traded to, is heading to the Sharks to join Macklin Celebrini.
So far, we know that Shakir Mukhamadullin will be part of the trade and that the Oilers did not take on any salary in the deal. Here's how things appear to be unfolding:
Nurse to SJ
Shakir Mukhamadullin will be part of the return
The Oilers will not retain any salary
We're waiting for the final detailshttps://t.co/HlJah24rzn
&mdash

The Canadiens have reached an agreement with another player in the last few minutes.
After signing Ivan Demidov to a long-term deal and recalling Alex Belzile, the club has signed Kaapo Kahkonen. The goaltender arrived in town on July 1 and will be back for another season.
He spent the year in Laval, and it's likely that a similar role awaits him next year.
Note that Kahkonen's contract is a single-component deal. This means he'll earn the same salary regardless of whether he plays in Montreal o

Right now, only two players are guaranteed to play in the All-Star Game: Ernie Clement and Shohei Ohtani.
Both finished at the top of the fan vote in their respective leagues.
We know that the Dodgers' DH will be his team's designated hitter. But the question is whether he'll also pitch for the National League.
It's important to note that the pitching roster is not subject to fan voting. MLB decides which pitchers are invited, and the manager decides who starts.
And since the Dodgers made it to

Sergei Bobrovsky, as we know, was probably the biggest name on the market today. The Panthers goaltender, who has an impressive track record, saw his former team move in a different direction.
The Panthers acquired Jacob Markstrom yesterday… and that pretty much confirmed that Bob wouldn't be coming back.
The question was where Bobrovsky would end up. And from the start, it felt like the Maple Leafs were the favorites to land him.
And it's finally been confirmed: the Russian will continue

Last week, Jeff Gorton spoke with the media ahead of the draft.
And, as mentioned, he indicated that there was a possibility Hage might make the jump to the National Hockey League for the upcoming season.
But that won't happen. Hage has confirmed that he'll be returning to the NCAA for a third year.Michael Hage confirms he's returning to Michigan
— Marc Antoine Godin (@MAGodin) July 1, 2026Is this the end of the world? Not necessarily, no.
Hage will have the opportunity to win the NCAA cha

Here we go.
The Canadiens have signed Alex Belzile. Reports indicate a two-part contract worth $850,000 for the player who played in Laval last season.
In other words, he's signed on to stay in Quebec.Alex Belzile 1 X $850,000 (2-way) @CanadiensMTL @TVASports
— Renaud Lavoie (@RLavoieTVA) July 1, 2026In his career, he has played 44 regular-season games (all with the Canadiens) but none since 2023. From 2023 to 2025, he played for the New York Rangers organization.
Last year, he returned to

On Saturday, during the second day of the NHL Draft, the Ducks traded John Carlson's rights to Carolina.
The Hurricanes gave up a prospect (Kyle Masters) and a sixth-round pick to acquire the defenseman's rights, with the goal of persuading him to sign a new contract in Carolina.
But that hasn't happened yet. And now…
And now, that means the defenseman is a free agent. He's free to sign a contract with any team he wants… and according to Eric Engels, the Canadiens are interested in

On Monday night, Joe Veleno did not receive a qualifying offer from the Canadiens. This made him an unrestricted free agent.
There was a good chance he would end up returning, but he was going to test the market anyway.
And now it turns out that Veleno won't be returning to Montreal after all: he's found a new team elsewhere.
According to Tony Marinaro, Veleno will continue his career with the Rangers.
He signed a one-year contract… for $1.2 million. So he got more than the minimum&hellip

Those who wanted to see Mason Marchment sign a contract with the Canadiens will be disappointed.
We knew there was a lot of interest in his services on the market, and in the end, the Sharks won the race.
Marchment is heading to San Jose, and as reported by Elliotte Friedman, the deal is reportedly a five-year contract worth approximately $7 million per season. Mason Marchment sounds like he's headed to San Jose…the long-time home of his father, Bryan, who has played both on- and off

Will Tarik Skubal be traded this summer? That's the million-dollar question everyone in Major League Baseball is asking themselves every day.
If so, we know there are several teams to watch in the race for this top-tier left-handed pitcher. That's only natural: we're talking about one of the best pitchers in MLB and a two-time Cy Young Award winner.
But who will go after him, then?
The more we read about the situation, the more one team's name keeps coming up. This time, it's Bob Nightengale's t

It's official: Ivan Demidov has signed a long-term contract with the Canadiens.
The young Russian has signed an eight-year deal to stay in Montreal for the long term. Keep in mind that this new contract won't take effect for another year, as he'll still be on his entry-level contract next year.
The big question was what the salary would be. And we finally have the answer: he signed for $9.125 million per year.
He will therefore be the team's highest-paid forward (starting in 2027–28), but

Ivan Demidov’s agent has just set the internet ablaze on X.
Dan Milstein—without holding back—claims he has something big coming to Montreal.
What does that mean? There are a few possible options, in my view.Gold Star Hockey has big news coming out of Montreal. More to come. #AreYouGoldStar?
— Dan Milstein (@HockeyAgent1) July 1, 2026Of course, we know that Demidov will be eligible to sign a contract extension today. The young Canadiens player could be in line for a new d

The team that has come up most often in connection with Patrik Laine over the past few months is the Kings.
We know the California team was interested in acquiring him at the trade deadline, but a deal ultimately failed to materialize.
We also know that the Lightning are keeping a close eye on the situation.
But now the Flames and the Wild are also organizations to keep an eye on, just minutes before the free-agent market opens.
David Pagnotta broke the news.In addition to LA and TB, I believe t

The Canadiens’ development camp began yesterday in Brossard.
The players at camp underwent their physicals yesterday, and it wasn't until this morning that they took to the ice at the CN Complex.
That said, there's one notable absence from camp right now: Gleb Pugachyov. And we know why.
Basically, the Canadiens prospect, who was selected in the first round of the last draft, wasn't able to get his visa in time.
Today is July 1, a holiday in Canada… and that complicated the process.

Soccer is not the only game in town this July. Clue (The Musical) hits the Queen E at the end of the month. You can also see all four Bard on the Beach plays, the Arts Club’s Come from Away and The Play That Goes Wrong, two Theatre Under the Stars musicals, and two plays from Ensemble Theatre’s Bloodlines Festival. And you’ll pay less for tickets. Antigone When: To Sept. 18Where: Sen̓áḵw/Vanier ParkTickets & info: From $30 at bardonthebeach.orgOne of the

When peak touring season hits, it can all get a bit overwhelming deciding on which gigs to catch or skip.The fact that July in Vancouver tends to bring some of the sunniest, warmest weather of the year means going to a gig is competing with patio beverages, sunsets at the beach and all manner of other summer distractions.Obviously, you need to be strategic in your choices of what to see and that is where this list comes in.These are the 10 concerts this month with must-see status in our books.

Mavrik Bourque was one of the young players on the Dallas Stars.
That's now a thing of the past.
Mavrik Bourque is now part of the young core of the… Nashville Predators. Elliotte Friedman reports on Twitter that the Quebec native has been traded to the Preds, and it's fair to say this move came a bit out of the blue. There was a threat of a hostile bid for him, and the Stars wanted to maximize his value.Hearing Mavrik Bourque to Nashville
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1,

My colleague Charles-Alexis Brisebois mentioned this earlier this morning while summarizing Major League Baseball action. Willson Contreras was up to his old tricks again yesterday during a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Washington Nationals.
The Sox's first baseman was ejected from the game after throwing his helmet at an opponent during a bench-clearing brawl in the fourth inning. He could face a suspension for his dangerous action.
On Monday, against the Nationals, he hit a long home

Things are heating up in Dallas. Maybe a little too much, actually.
For the past few days, the Stars have been facing a string of rejections. First, Jason Robertson turned down a chance to sign with Seattle. Then, Zach Werenski declined an offer to come play in town.
Is it just me, or should Jim Nill have checked BEFORE anything happened to make sure these guys were actually interested in a new destination?
But anyway. All this to say that right now, it feels like the Stars want to make a big mo

Several players will become free agents at noon today. The pond won't be teeming with big fish, since most of them have already been snapped up over the past few days, but there will still be a few good catches for GMs looking to fill “less critical” needs.
The Canadiens will be active over the next few hours—either on the trade market or via unrestricted free agents…
They have no choice: they must add at least one goaltender to their depth chart. Maybe even two or three

Today is July 1. Happy Canada Day, happy move, happy Free Agency Day, and so on.
On this hot July day, the Montreal Canadiens will try to improve their roster. And if that's going to happen, it's likely to come via a trade.
Expecting a blockbuster move in the unrestricted free-agent market is unlikely at this point.If you're hoping for a big splash, we regret to inform you that Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes won't be making one in the unrestricted free-agent pool. @EricEngels says there are s

When Aaron Judge got injured in early June, the Yankees players stepped up.
After all, at first, the Bombers won 10 out of 12 games without their captain.
That said, at some point, such an absence is bound to take its toll. Lately, the hitters have been struggling to do their job, and that isn't helping the team's standing in the standings.
The team has, in fact, lost eight of its last ten games.
Naturally, Aaron Boone and the rest of his staff must be eager to see the MVP back in action and in

The Chicago Blackhawks gave up the moon—including a fourth overall pick—to acquire Bowen Byram from Buffalo.
It was clearly to be expected that the player would hold out for his new team with an iron fist when it came to salary negotiations. He held the balance of power.
After all, the Hawks couldn't afford to let him slip away into free agency in a year.
And now, according to Darren Dreger, the defenseman is set to sign a six-year contract (2027–2033) that will pay him $12.5 m

The family of Baltimore Ravens player Calais Campbell is facing a heartbreaking tragedy.
His mother, Nateal Campbell, 71, was found dead at her home in Atlanta, Georgia. In connection with the case, the NFL veteran's brother, Ciarre Campbell, is now facing serious criminal charges.
According to authorities, police went to Nateal Campbell's residence on Tuesday at the request of a concerned family member who had not heard from her. A welfare check was then conducted at the home, located in the up

This story is causing quite a stir.
Zach Werenski, who doesn't want to sign a new contract with Columbus (his current one expires in 2028), is expected to leave Columbus soon to play elsewhere.
His GM is on the case.
The story that's been causing a huge stir in the last few hours is that the player turned down the Dallas Stars as part of a trade that would have sent Thomas Harley to Ohio.
Several sources have reported the news.https://t.co/nuAC45YC2U
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July

There are two days left to vote for the All-Star Game starters among position players in Major League Baseball.
Aside from Shohei Ohtani and Ernie Clement, who are guaranteed to participate, the top two vote-getters at each position in each league are competing against each other.
The player with the most votes will be the starter. The other player will have to be invited by the league to potentially be on the bench.
It's generally understood that in most cases, players who aren't elected to the

Despite the fact that the Toronto Blue Jays snapped a six-game losing streak last night (Monday) against the New York Mets, things aren't looking rosy in the City of Kings. Currently, the Blue Jays are two and a half games out of the final Wild Card spot in the American League as the All-Star Game approaches.
And the Canadian team has made a last-minute adjustment to its lineup for tonight's game, as reported by Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, by removing first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from t

Things haven’t been going well in Columbus over the past few days. The Blue Jackets are set to lose several players to free agency, and rumors surrounding Kirill Marchenko and Zach Werenski have begun to circulate.
This time, the focus is on Werenski. There have been many reports suggesting he wants to join a team with the potential to win a championship, but nothing concrete has emerged. However, the situation appears to have moved forward.
During his appearance on TSN's “Insider Tr

It didn't take long for Gleb Pugachyov to become a fan favorite. A big player who plays with grit and hits hard—that goes over well in Montreal.
While many Canadiens fans were charmed when the first overall pick said he'd destroy Tom Wilson in a fight, let's just say that the charm worked even faster on the Habs' front office.
In an interview with Stu Cowan of The Montreal Gazette, Nick Bobrov shared details about the organization's early interactions with the player who would become the 2