Sports

Sharks send Karlsson to Pens in 3-team trade

Published

2 years ago

August 6, 2023

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ESPN News Services

Aug 6, 2023, 11:56 AM ET

The San Jose Sharks granted longtime defenseman Erik Karlsson‘s trade request Sunday, sending him to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a three-team deal that also involves the Montreal Canadiens for a haul that includes veteran forward Mikael Granlund and a 2024 first-round pick.

Along with Granlund and the pick, which is top-10 protected, the Sharks acquired winger Mike Hoffman and defenseman Jan Rutta.

The Penguins also received forwards Rem Pitlick and Dillon Hamaliuk and a 2026 third-round pick, while the Canadiens are getting defenseman Jeff Petry, goaltender Casey DeSmith, forward Nathan Legare and a 2025 second-round selection.

Karlsson, the 2022-23 Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s top defenseman, had told the Sharks he wanted to be traded to a title contender during the offseason.

“I want to win,” Karlsson said at the NHL Awards media day in June, when he won his third Norris Trophy. “That’s not to say that I’m going to win. I want an opportunity to win. If that opportunity is not in San Jose right now within my timeline, then that’s just the unfortunate part of business. That’s not to say that I don’t like it there or they don’t want me there or we don’t want this to work. It’s just that’s just the way it is.”

Karlsson joins a Penguins team that missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2006 but is reorganizing under Kyle Dubas, the new president of hockey operations and general manager. The Sharks have missed the playoffs for each of the past four years.

The 33-year-old Karlsson posted a career-high 101 points (25 goals, 76 assists) last season, making him the first defenseman to record 100 or more points since Brian Leetch in 1991-92. Karlsson is signed for four more seasons at an average annual value of $11.5 million.

The Sharks are retaining $1.5 million of his salary per year as part of the trade.

“While it is always difficult to trade a player of the caliber of Erik Karlsson, this trade accomplishes several goals for our franchise,” Sharks GM Mike Grier said. “It adds two forwards to our roster who have proven ability to produce offensively at the NHL level and solidifies our NHL defense corps. Additionally, acquiring another first-round pick gives us the opportunity to continue fortifying our development system with high-end prospects and provides us some financial flexibility to add players as we see fit in the future.”

Karlsson is the first defenseman to be traded fresh off winning the Norris since Doug Harvey in 1961. Karlsson spent five seasons in San Jose after playing the first nine years of his career with the Ottawa Senators.

In 987 regular-season and playoff games, Karlsson has 814 points — the most of any defenseman since he broke into the league in 2009. He will now be an important part of the Pens’ plan to get Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and other veterans back to the postseason.

Dubas replaced the fired Brian Burke and Ron Hextall, assuming a mandate from ownership to keep Pittsburgh contending with Crosby, Malkin and Letang still under contract.

Granlund, 31, had 41 points (10 goals, 31 assists) in 79 games last season split between Nashville and Pittsburgh. He has 484 career points (145 goals, 339 assists) with the Minnesota Wild (2012-2019), Predators (2019-2023) and Penguins.

Rutta, 32, had three goals and six assists and a plus-3 rating in 56 games last season with the Penguins. Hoffman, 33, collected 14 goals and 20 assists in 67 games last season with the Canadiens.

Pitlick, 26, had six goals and nine assists in 46 games last season with Montreal. Hamaliuk, 22, totaled four goals and three assists in six games last season with the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL.

DeSmith, 31, posted a 15-16-4 record with a 3.17 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in 38 games (33 starts) last season with Pittsburgh. Petry, 35, totaled five goals and 26 assists in 61 games last season with the Penguins, and Legare, a 22-year-old Montreal native, had eight goals and 11 assists in 68 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Sports

Tigers’ Baddoo to miss start of regular season

Published

13 hours ago

February 22, 2025

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Tigers' Baddoo to miss start of regular season

Associated Press

Feb 21, 2025, 02:33 PM ET

LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers outfielder Akil Baddoo had surgery to repair a broken bone in his right hand and will miss the start of the regular season.

Manager A.J. Hinch said Friday that Baddoo had more tests done after some continued wrist soreness since the start of spring training. Those tests revealed the hamate hook fracture in his right hand that was surgically repaired Thursday.

Baddoo, 26, who has been with the Tigers since 2021, is at spring training as a non-roster player. He was designated for assignment in December after Detroit signed veteran right-hander Alex Cobb to a $15 million, one-year contract. Baddoo cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo.

Cobb is expected to miss the start of the season after an injection to treat hip inflammation that developed as the right-hander was throwing at the start of camp. He has had hip surgery twice.

Baddoo hit .137 with two homers and five RBIs in 31 games last season. The left-hander has a .226 career average with 28 homers and 103 RBI in 340 games.

After the Tigers acquired him from Minnesota in the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings in December 2020, Baddoo hit .259 with 13 homers, 55 RBIs, 18 stolen bases and a .330 on-base percentage in 124 games as a rookie in 2021. Those are all career bests.

Baddoo went into camp in a crowded outfield. The six outfielders on Detroit’s 40-man roster include three other left-handed hitters (Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter and Parker Meadows) and switch-hitter Wenceel Pérez. The other outfielders are right-handers Matt Vierling and Justyn-Henry Malloy.

Sports

Dodgers’ Miller has no fracture after liner scare

Published

13 hours ago

February 22, 2025

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$Dodgers' Miller has no fracture after liner scare$

Associated Press

Feb 21, 2025, 04:25 PM ET

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Bobby Miller still had a bit of a headache but slept fine and felt much better a day after getting hit on the head by a line drive, manager Dave Roberts said Friday.

Roberts said he had spoken with Miller, who was still in concussion protocol after getting struck by a 105.5 mph liner hit by Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch in the first game of spring training Thursday.

The manager said Miller indicated that there was no fracture or any significant bruising.

“He said in his words, ‘I have a hard head.’ He was certainly in good spirits,” Roberts said.

Miller immediately fell to the ground while holding his head, but quickly got up on his knees as medical staff rushed onto the field. The 25-year-old right-hander was able to walk off the field on his own.

“He feels very confident that he can kind of pick up his throwing program soon,” said Roberts, who was unsure of that timing. “But he’s just got to keep going through the concussion protocol just to make sure that we stay on the right track.”

Miller entered spring training in the mix for a spot in the starting rotation. He had a 2-4 record with an 8.52 ERA over 13 starts last season, after going 11-4 with a 3.76 in 22 starts as a rookie in 2023.

Sports

Brewers OF Perkins (shin) to miss start of season

Published

13 hours ago

February 22, 2025

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Brewers OF Perkins (shin) to miss start of season

Associated Press

Feb 22, 2025, 01:11 PM ET

PHOENIX — Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Blake Perkins is expected to miss the first month of the season after fracturing his right shin during batting practice.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy revealed the severity of Perkins’ injury before their Cactus League opener Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds.

“They’re estimating another three to four weeks to heal and a ramp-up of four to six weeks,” Murphy said. “So you’re probably looking at May.”

Perkins, 28, batted .240 with a .316 on-base percentage, six homers, 43 RBIs and 23 steals in 121 games last season. He also was a National League Gold Glove finalist at center field.

“Perkins is a big part of our team,” Murphy said. “The chemistry of the team, the whole thing, Perk’s huge. He’s one of the most loved guys on the club, and he’s a great defender, coming into his own as an offensive player. Yeah, it’s going to hurt us.”

Murphy also said right-handed pitcher J.B. Bukauskas has what appears to be a serious lat injury and is debating whether to undergo surgery. Bukauskas had a 1.50 ERA in six relief appearances last year but missed much of the season with a lat issue.