The Montreal Canadiens have not done much celebrating in their last two injury-ridden seasons, as such, fans have few options besides investing their emotions in the ability of players who have, at best, played a small amount of minutes in the NHL.
However, fans can once again believe in the Canadiens, especially now that they have two of the NHL’s top 50 prospects. Scott Wheeler from the Athletic created this list.
Wheeler’s list is restricted to players under 23 who he says are not full-timers in the NHL.
Montreal Canadiens’ David Reinbacher who is the top pick in their NHL Draft this year, ranks 20th position on the prospects list.
Scott writes that Reinbacher has “pro size, desired handedness and a really strong foundation of tools that all but guarantee he’ll become a good NHLer.”
Readers may note that the seven forwards ignored by the Canadiens to draft the defenceman had higher rankings than the team’s top pick. In addition to Matvei Michkov, Zach Benson, Gabe Perreault, Dalibor Dvorsky, Oliver Moore, Matthew Wood, and Ryan Leonard are included.
Just like Reinbacher, Lane Houston, a second-rounder from 2022 signed by Montreal, places No.27 on Wheeler’s ginormous list.
“There aren’t many players who play like Hutson in hockey,” Wheeler writes. “I expect him to become a dominant offensive defenceman and PP1 QB who can hold his own defensively in the NHL once he gets a little stronger.”
Four forwards in Montreal’s prospect pool: Owen Beck, Sean Farrell, Filip Mesar and Joshua Roy, earned honourable mentions.
Will Reinbacher and Houston be what the Montreal Canadiens need to win their 25th Stanley Cup? This question will be answered next season.
Daryl Morey the Philadelphia 76ers general manager disclosed to ‘97.5 The Fanatic’ that James Harden would “rather be somewhere else’’, but said the team would only exchange him for a big-time player who would keep the Sixers as title contenders.
Harden chose to execute his 35.6 million dollar contract for the 2023-24 season before free agency, with the intention of being traded.
His demand, according to NBA sources, is to play for the Los Angeles Clippers, where he will form a brutal ‘Big Three’ squad with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
Morey who was James Harden’s general manager for eight seasons at the Houston Rockets, said he is “trying to accommodate’’ Harden’s request, but only for the right price. “If we don’t get a very good player or someone we can turn into a very good player, then we just won’t do it,’’ he told The Fanatic.
“If James were to change his mind, we’d all be happy for him to stay. We’ve all heard his teammate Joel Embiid’s comments on that. But at this point, he’d prefer to be traded, and we’re trying to accommodate him,” is the official line.
Embiid also wants to leave the Sixers
Morey made his statements a day after a video of Embiid saying he wants to win a championship “whether it’s in Philadelphia or anywhere else’’ went viral. Philadelphia’s general manager highlighted the importance of ensuring the team stays competitive next season, no matter what happens.
“We need to make sure Joel Embiid, who is one of the best players in the land, has a top teammate,” He said. “We know we need more talent, whether it’s with James continuing or what we turn James into.”
Daryl also discussed a postseason where the 76ers lost three rotation players Jalen McDaniels, Shake Milton, and Georges Niang, stating the team wants to maintain flexibility moving forward. Embiid and PJ Tucker are the only players with sure money in Philadelphia’s budget for the 2024-25 season.
“What we’re trying to do is have the best team possible this year, but also have the ability to be in an optimal situation next season, to be the team with the most amount of space under the salary cap,” Morey said.
The 2023 free agency coming to an end, it is time to look toward 2024. And if your NBA team missed this year’s class, it may find something good among these free agents for next summer.
Some of the players listed could get their contracts extended between now and July 1, 2024, but currently, they are all potential free agents.
LeBron’s son, Bronny James, will be eligible for the Draft next year, and his dad has a player option for 2024-25, making him a free agent that can sign anywhere. Davis may do the same via an option for early termination.
Los Angeles has reshuffled their roster four times since winning the championship in 2020. The only players remaining from that squad are Davis and James. And the biggest reshuffle could happen in 2024.
Next on the list of free agents for 2024 is Jaylen Brown. Brown is not a player to be cast aside, so Boston would want to sign him to an extension this summer. Although the Celtics have the most wins (regular season and playoffs) over the last six years, they do not have a championship backing this claim. And Brown’s weaknesses were exposed in the closing round of the playoffs.
However, he is still a talented and dynamic player, and Boston is trying something new by adding Kristaps Porzingis during the offseason.
With Fred VanVleet gone, there appear to be some doubts about Siakam’s future. If he does not sign an extension, then he joins the free agents, and the Raptors lose another important veteran. So there may be lots of trade talks (and/or trade) before he joins free agency.
Siakam had a solid season in ‘22-23, averaging career-highs in points (24.2) and assists (5.8) per game.
Anunoby has not quite reached the peak of his career as an all-round wing with size. But he was second-team All-Defense, shooting 38.7% from 3-point range in 2022-23.
He is also three years younger than Siakam, so Toronto would value him more if they plan on being a team of the future rather than of the present. OG has a $20 million player option for 2024-25 that he will most likely reject to secure a bigger payday.
Harden called in his player option for the 2023-24 season, and he reportedly wants a trade out of the Sixers. If he cannot sign an extension (with whichever team he is on) before next summer, he will become one of the free agents.
There is no clear reason why Harden wants to leave a team that was third-best in the regular season. But Philadelphia cannot afford to regress with the reigning Kia MVP in his prime, and Harden (although his finishing ability has reduced over the last two years) plays a huge role in Joel Embiid becoming the league MVP.
Five first-round picks from the 2020 Draft have signed rookie extensions: Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, Isaiah Stewart and Desmond Bane. Maxey is better than the rest, in a list that also has Devin Vassell (Spurs), Immanuel Quickley (Knicks) and Jaden McDaniels (Wolves).
Any of those athletes that do not sign an extension this summer will become a restricted free agent in 2024. This may be the case with Tyrese if the 76ers want to maintain flexibility. Currently, they have only four players (including Embiid) under contract for 2024-25, with Harden, Tobias Harris and De’Anthony Melton all being unrestricted free agents (unless they sign extensions).
Nic Claxton is one of the best bargains and most improved players in the league, on a two-year, $17.3 million contract. He led the NBA in field goal percentage and can defend inside and out. The 24-year-old is due for a big raise (as an unrestricted free agent) next summer.
However, Brooklyn (who does not have many players on the frontline) will not let him get away.
DeRozan will turn 35 at the beginning of the 2024-25 season. But he stays a bucket, he missed only 14 matches in two seasons with Chicago, and ‘22-23 was the most efficient (true shooting percentage of 59.2%) he had been in his 14-year career. It will exciting to see what DeMar will do (in terms of contention, location, and compensation) a year from now.
Gracing the list of prospective free agents, at number 9 is Klay Thompson from Golden State Warriors. The coming season will be the 11th one with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Thompson playing together, with Green signing a new four-year contract this summer. Thompson is next up in terms of free agency, with one year left on the five-year $190 million contract he signed (with a torn ACL) in 2019.
Since coming back from a two-and-a-half-year absence in January of 2022, Thompson played in 136 (84%) of an estimated 161 games. He took just 21% of his shots ( the lowest in his career) in the paint in 2022-23. But, Klay shot 41% from 3-point range.
Hield is one of the best shooters in the world, not just off the catch. Out of 95 players who tried at least 75 pull-up 3-pointers this last season, only Curry and Malcolm Brogdon delivered them better than Hield (43.8%). Every team needs shooting and Hield still has wings attached to his feet.
Bridges missed the whole of last season and is suspended for another 10 games to begin 2023-24. After signing Charlotte’s qualifying offer, he will join the free agents’ list next summer. The last time he was spotted, Miles was a Kia Most Improved Player candidate, averaging 20.2 ppg for a top-10 offence.
Without him this last season, the Hornets were in last place in offensive rating, witnessing the NBA’s biggest drop in points scored per 100 possessions.
Martin broke out in the playoffs, almost receiving the MVP award for the Eastern Conference Finals, having averaged 19.3 ppg on 60% shooting as Miami beat Boston in seven games.
Caleb turns 29 at the start of the 2024-25 season, so his peak probably is not much higher than the athlete he is present. But he is just the type of dynamic wing every team would be lucky to have.
New York Yankees (50-47) VS Kansas City Royals (28-70) will face off today in New York City. The Royals won’t be sending out George Brett, nor will the Yankees use Reggie Jackson in this game. Although both teams will benefit from their presence this month.
Instead, two struggling squads playing for a better future in MLB will take to Yankee Stadium. Friday at 7.05 p.m. EDT, fans will show support to players from both sides. Experts and spectators alike anticipate the winner.
MatchPlug has the Tomorrow prediction, picks, and odds for Yankees VS Royals. We are one of the Best sports betting sites for MLB match previews.
Aaron Judge is still absent, and New York’s lineup still sucks without him. Since June 4, the first match without Judge, the Yankees are 28th in runs per game. This season they’re 20-28 and scoring 3.71 per game without their captain.
The Yankees are in fifth place in home runs; so their power hasn’t eluded them. But, an OBP that is 26th and a 28th-ranked batting average, making most of the big dogs solo shots. Gleyber Torres is hot this month, Anthony Rizzo has been cold since the start of June, and the other lineup members are a giant question mark.
New York stayed afloat with pitching, but it looks like they’re now feeling the pressure. Mainly the relievers, as their league-leading ERA this year has grown within a month playing the worst teams in MLB among bullpens. Starting pitching has been unreliable except for Gerrit Cole, although Clarke Schmidt has played better recently.
Schmidt will start for the series, hoping to build on a 2.76 ERA gathered over his last 10 outings. This includes a New York win in three of the last four. He is presently posting career bests in walk rate and K/BB. With 16 strikeouts and one walk this month, let’s see if he can mow batters down.
Betting On The Kansas City Royals
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.847
1XBet Over/Under: Under 8.5
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 2.70
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 8.5
Kansas City Royals have been at the bottom for a while now. They’ve spent most of the year sinking with minimal swimming. Just one game ahead of the Oakland Athletics who are last in the standings, the Royals will need weekend wins to create a gap. Scoring will help, as they have been held to three or lesser runs nine times through the 16 July matches.
The Royals are 29th in runs per game this season and have been MLB’s lowest-scoring team since the beginning of July. Besides stealing bases, Kansas City has one of the worst offensive teams in the league statistically. They have their moments, but, their bats are often asleep.
This year has been equally rough on the mound, Kansas has one of the league’s worst staffs, but due to the rotation and bullpen. They have traded away reliever Aroldis Chapman too. Alec Marsh will want to prove that he is a player to keep long-term when he starts today’s game.
After a rough debut on June 30, Marsh replied with 11.0 innings and five runs permitted (four earned) this month. Home runs are a challenge, especially at Yankee, as he has conceded five of them in 15.0 career innings. Replicating the 11-strikeout, one-walk performance of his last outing will help reduce the damage at least.
MatchPlug Prediction
The New York Yankees are expected to win this game. But, they have not given enough lately, mainly at the plate, to see today’s match as an easy one. Even when playing against one of the worst teams in MLB.
Kansas City Royals just played against the Tigers four times, another bad offence, and their only loss against the run line was due to them being shut out. Marsh may concede a couple of home runs but probably won’t get in much trouble otherwise. That keeps them in the game, and if they don’t win they’ll at least be one swing away in the end.
Tampa Bay Rays VS Baltimore Orioles will play the second match of a four-game series on Friday at Tropicana Field. The first pitch is at 6.40 pm ET.
The Orioles (58-37 SU and 57-38 RL) will use right-hander Kyle Brandish to start. Brandish is 6-4 with a 3.05 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in 17 outings this season. The Rays (60-39 SU and 51-48 RL) will counter with Zach Eflin. Eflin is 10-5 with a 3.59 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in his 19 starts.
Tampa Bay is -160 moneyline favourites and the game total is 9 runs scored.
The Tampa Bay Rays are black sliding, falling to a sweep by Texas Rangers in its last series. They are 4-11 in their last 15 games, which permitted the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays to cover enough ground in the AL East standings.
Tampa Bay averages 5.31 runs (4th) and hit .258 (9th) with a .780 OPS (4th). They’ve hit 146 home runs (4th) and stolen 114 bases (2nd) this season. The pitching staff sports a 3.37 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP (3rd) with 30 quality starts (19th).
Eflin with start for the home team today. He boasts a 105:15 K:BB ratio this season. He wasn’t on his best form in his last appearance, conceding five runs and seven hits in just three innings in a loss to Kansas City Royals. He held his last five opponents to three or lesser earned runs.
Betting On The Baltimore Orioles
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.36
1XBet Over/Under: Under 8.5
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 2.20
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 8
The Baltimore Orioles lost two of three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers in their last series, but it still gave them enough points to move up in the AL East standings into a first-position tie with the Rays.
Which of these teams will end the week at the top? The Orioles score 4.98 runs per game (8th) and hits .255 (12th) with a .751 OPS (9th). They hit 114 homers (12th) and stole 66 bases (16th in 2023. Baltimore’s pitching staff has a 4.22 ERA (16th and a 1.31 WHIP (19th with 36 quality starts (11th).
Bradish will pitch for the visiting team this evening. He sports an 87:24 K:BB ratio in 2023. He lasted 7.1 frames in his last start, holding the Miami Marlins to three hits and zero runs with eight strikeouts in a victory. Bradish has permitted two or lesser runs in six successive outings and hasn’t conceded more than three runs since May 23rd (four runs vs. NYY).
MatchPlug Prediction
The Rays are 55-28 SU as favourites and 34-14 SU as home favourites. They are 17-10 vs. AL East competition this season.
These clubs have been in opposite directions recently, but Tampa Bay will defend its home pitch tonight. Eflin surrendered five runs in his last start, but his track record makes a case for his capacity, than a bad performance against the Royals. He’ll come back in a big way vs. a prime-time opponent in Baltimore, holding the Orioles to two or fewer runs, a goal he has attained in ten games this season.
In his last start against the Rays, Brandish leveraged early support that let him pitch with less pressure on him. This may not be the case today. Baltimore’s offence, scoring 5.6 runs per game in July, will stop soon. Tampa’s offence, averaging 3.3 runs this month, is ready for a breakthrough performance, which may happen against Bradish. He conceded 16 hits and 11 runs in his two starts (9.1 IP) vs. the Rays last season.
San Diego Padres VS Detroit Tigers happens live at Comerica Park tonight. The first pitch is at 6:40 pm ET.
The Padres (46-51 SU and 48-49 RL) will start righty Seth Lugo. Lugo is 3-4 with a 3.78 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP in 13 outings this year. The Tigers (44-52 SU and 50-46 RL), will counter with Reese Olson. Olson is 1-3 with a 3.96 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in nine appearances (six starts).
San Diego is a -140 moneyline favourite and the game total is runs scored.
The Detroit Tigers are eight games under the .500 mark but just 5.5 games behind division leader Minnesota Twins in the AL Central. They still have time to make up ground, but they must do so, urgently.
Detroit averages 3.93 runs (28th) and hit .230 (28th) with a .667 OPS (29th). They’ve hit 90 homers (26th) and stolen 46 bases (28th) this season. The Tigers’ pitching staff has posted a 4.41 ERA (20th) and a 1.24 WHIP (5th) with 21 quality starts (28th).
Olson will pitch for the home team today. He conceded six hits and two earned runs in his last outing versus the Seattle Mariners, taking the defeat. His last long start was back on June 24 against Minnesota, when he lasted 5.1 innings and conceded only one earned run and four hits with nine strikeouts.
Betting On The San Diego Padres
1XBet Spread: -1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.765
1XBet Over/Under: Under 8.5
BetMGM Spread: -1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 1.70
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 9
The San Diego Padres concluded their series in Toronto with the Blue Jays on Thursday. They won the first two matches of the three-game set, advancing five games under the .500 mark.
The Padres score 4.5 runs per game (15th) and hit .234 with a .730 OPS (15th). They’ve launched 121 long balls (9th) and stolen 77 bases (9th) this year. The pitching staff boasts a 3.77 ERA (4th) and a 1.25 WHIP (10th) with 45 quality starts (4th).
Lugo will start for the visiting team in game one. The righty didn’t give his best performance in the last start, conceding five runs and seven hits, plus two homers. He was in charge for most of the game but came undone in the sixth inning, giving the lead in a match the Padres lost in extra innings. Lugo played much better in his last four starts, holding opponents to five total runs in 24 combined frames.
MatchPlug Prediction
Lugo has been a key piece in the Padres’ rotation this season, delivering seven excellent starts in his 13 outings. Even in his last start, where he tore through the Philadelphia Phillies’ lineup right to the sixth inning before he lost. He’s been mostly unbeaten by opposing teams this year, permitting three or fewer runs in 10 starts.
Experts predict that Lugo will have another great outing against the Tigers (.228 BA/.296 OBP/.359 SLG/.655 OPS vs. right-handed pitchers).
The Padres’ offense was subdued on Thursday but otherwise came to life in Toronto, scoring nine runs on Tuesday and mustering a low-scoring victory on Wednesday. They scored 22 runs in four games against Philadelphia in their past series, too. After a better performance at the dish in June (.257/.336/.424/.760), San Diego seems close to a breakthrough to close the month.
Tottenham are reportedly considering Fiorentina striker Arthur Cabral as a possible replacement for highly-sought Harry Kane.
Kane’s future at North London is under probability as he has refused to sign a contract extension at the club. His current deal expires next summer, and he is linked with a transfer to Bayern Munich this summer.
The Bavarians have submitted two huge bids for Kane, with the last bid reported to be £70m. However, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has refused to sell, stating that the Englishman is not for sale.
Although Kane remains open to all options, the 33-year-old is willing to accept a move away from Tottenham this summer if it benefits the club.
While Spurs manager Ange Posteclogue is keen on keeping Kane, the Australian is open to finding alternatives should the English international leave.
According to GOAL via Topsixfootball, Posteclogue is already exploring alternatives, with Fiorentina striker Cabral high on the list of targets.
The Brazilian attacker has been on Tottenham’s radar for quite some time and has impressed with his agility, speed and aerial prowess. Since his move to Florence from Basel, the 25-year-old has scored 19 goals in 64 appearances across all competitions for Fiorentina.
National League Central rivals Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals face off today at Wrigley Field in the second match of a four-game series; Chicago VS Louis between two division rivals.
The Cardinals won five successive games following their 6-4 victory against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, completing a three-game series of Miami.
Chicago on the other hand won the Washington Nationals 8-3 on Wednesday for their second consecutive victory.
St. Louis will play, with six pitchers, including Tommy Edman absent. While Chicago will also play without six pitchers, plus position players Nick Madigral and Dansby Swanson.
Chicago Cubs are in 16th position in team batting average at .251, dropped to 18th place in slugging percentage with .403, and improved to eighth in on-base percentage with .329. They’ve scored 458 runs which is 10th best in baseball.
Patrick Wisdom leads the Cubs in home runs with 17 and Christopher Morel is second with 15 home runs. Nico Hoerner leads in RBI with 54 and Ian Happ is second with 42. Chicago hit 140 doubles, 16 triples, and 106 home runs in 95 games.
On the mound, the Cubs have a team ERA of 4.13 which is 15th and are also 15th in WHIP at 1.27. Their starting rotation has 42 Quality Starts which is 7th best in baseball, while they are 16th in batting average permitted at .244. Marcus Stroman leads the team in victories with 10 and strikeouts with 101. Justin Steele, who is 9-3 with an ERA of 2.96 and 87 strikeouts, will pitch for Chicago today.
Betting On The St. Louis Cardinals
1XBet Spread: -1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.061
1XBet Over/Under: Under 8.5
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 2.00
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 8.5
St. Louis Cardinals are gradually advancing in the standings of the National League Central, thanks to a tight production at the plate. They are 7th in base percentage at .331 and slugging percentage at .431. The team is also 10th in team batting average at .257 and 11th in runs scored with 454.
Nolan Arenado leads in home runs with 21 and RBI with 72, Nolan Gorman is second in home runs with 19 and 2nd in RBI with 61. The Cardinals have hit 161 doubles, 8 triples, and 131 home runs in 96 games.
The Cardinals have struggled on the mound, being 24th in team ERA at 4.52 and Quality Starts with 28. They are 27th in WHIP at 1.145 and 28th in batting average allowed with .273. Jack Flaherty will start on the mound today. Flaherty leads in wins with seven, he is 7-5 with an ERA of 4.29 and 96 strikeouts. Jordan Montogomery on the other hand leads strikeouts with 101.
MatchPlug Prediction
The Cardinals have won all of their last five overall and when playing against the Cubs. They won seven out of their last nine games. St. Louis also does well at Wrigley Field, having won 13 of their last 18 games there.
Flaherty, who will start for them, has three consecutive solid outings permitting three earned runs in one and no earned runs in any of the last two. Over that period of three starts, the Cardinals have won all three, as Jack allowed only one home run over 18⅔ innings in that span.
The Cubs starter, Justin Steele is off his worst outing of the year last Sunday, allowing 10 hits and six runs including serving up a pair of home runs in six innings with Chicago losing to the Boston Red Sox 11-5.
Manchester United’s winger Anthony Elanga has reportedly rejected the chance to join Everton this summer due to tactical reasons.
The Swedish international is reportedly exploring a move away from Old Trafford this summer after increased competition for a place in the United team.
Manchester United have several players in attack, with the likes of Jadon Sancho, Anthony, Marcus Rashford, and Alejandro Garnacho all competing for wide attacking berths in Erik Ten Hag’s plans. As it stands, Elanga is behind all of the players mentioned above in the pecking order.
The 21-year-old played only 418 minutes of Premier League action last season. And with chances set to be in short supply this coming season. Elanga is open to moving elsewhere this summer.
However, according to Sportsmail via Topsixfootball, the 21-year-old is uninterested in a move to Everton. Per the report, the Toffees have indicated an interest in him signing Elanga, but the Swede does not move to Goodison Park because he is concerned about how he would fit into Sean Dyche’s system.
It remains to be seen if another club will attempt to sign Elanga now that he has rejected Everton. Borussia Dortmund wanted him in January. But it appears that the Bundesliga side have cooled their interest.
Despite the uncertainty around his future, Elanga remains focused on United. He is part of the Red Devils’ pre-season plans in the United States.
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