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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Top 25 Penguins Prospects, #25-21; Hidden Gems & Honorable Mentions
In the nearly decade-long existence of Pittsburgh Hockey Now and its predecessors, which were poorly built, self-published webpages, there has not been a Pittsburgh Penguins prospect list that needed to go beyond the top 10. There may have been more than 10 prospects, but never were they threats to make it to the NHL. As PHN began compiling its annual list, we quickly realized there were well more than 10 prospects this year. In fact, there were more than 15, and–wow–more than 20. Having 13 picks from the 2025 NHL Draft buttressed the numbers, as have a few trades over the past 18 months that have added to the bounty, including getting three prospects (Ville Koivunen, Vasily Ponomarev, and Cruz Lucius) in the Jake Guentzel trade. Towards the back of the Penguins' prospect list, there are goalies with special abilities and defensemen who flew well under the radar but were noticeable at the most recent Development Camp. Read More: The players not on the list are fading prospects who are hoping to achieve a turnaround. So, no, you won't see Sam Poulin or Valtteri Puustinen on the Top 25 list. Six years after being drafted, they still have a chance to play in the NHL, but their prospect status has been traded for young veterans or hopeful veterans. Nor did Vasily Ponomarev make the list. Ponomarev bolted for the KHL after some lackluster performances in the NHL. The gut feeling is that both the team and the player were a little disappointed by the other. The prospect list criteria are rather simple. The player must be under 25 (so no Jack St. Ivany either), and we're grading on a subjective mixture of readiness and projected impact. For example, Ben Kindel was drafted 11th overall and should be expected to provide the largest impact of the prospects, but defenseman Owen Pickering will also have some impact and be ready much sooner. So, Pickering could rate ahead of Kindel on this list. The top rankings will be out in a few days. For the bottom of the list players below, we'll not project when they could hit the NHL. These players will need a couple of years to establish their path, or maybe more. Honorable Mentions There are a handful of players who could be in the top 25. Their hopes of making it all the way to the Pittsburgh Penguins are no less real than the prospects at the back of the prospect list. However, we're projecting their ceilings to be lower, and they get the Honorable Mention. Mac Swanson: Mighty Mac. After putting up big numbers with the Fargo Force of the USHL, he played last season at the Palace on the Prairie, the University of North Dakota. His biggest impediment is being listed at 5-foot-8 and looking much shorter than that. He had 18 points (2-16-18) in 38 games as a freshman. Swanson was the Penguins' 2024 seventh-round pick. He didn't stand out at camp, but he made a few plays during the scrimmage that showed his playmaking skills. Finn Harding: Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas mentioned him by name at his season-ending press conference as one of the few defenseman prospects in the system. However, Dubas also noted he has a long way to go. Harding was the Penguins' 2023 seventh-rounder. Harding also made his pro debut with Wheeling, playing three games without a point. Carter Sanderson: Another late-rounder, Sanderson was the Penguins' sixth-round pick in the 2025 Draft. He showed well in the Development Camp this month. He just completed his first year in the USHL, registering only 11 points, but he had a little spark in camp, and he could grow into something worth keeping an eye on. Daniel Laatsch: The big 6-foot-6 defenseman was a seventh-round pick from the University of Wisconsin. He'll turn pro this year after signing a two-year entry-level contract in March. He's not an offensive threat, and he's not a great skater, though he's not bad, either. Laatsch is stay-home posiitonal defender. Top 25 Penguins Prospects, 25-21 Miller looked like a polished product at the Development Camp. The Portland Winterhawks center had an on-ice poise and maturity that nicely complemented good skating, high intensity, and hockey IQ. He made an impact for his team during the camp scrimmage. Whether it was intentional or luck, the Penguins selected a handful of players who play a gritty game, and Miller was one. He was the first of three Penguins fifth-round picks in the 2025 Draft. The second of the Penguins' 2025 fifth-rounders, Beauchense, also had a productive camp and was noticeable in drills and the scrimmage. The right-shot defenseman has solid size, at 6-foot, 190 pounds, and skates well. He's only played two seasons of junior hockey–denoting how young he is–but he upped his offensive output to 24 points (6-18-24) in 49 games last season. He's ahead of others with better resumes at No. 24 primarily because of how visible he was at camp. The Penguins' 2024 fourth-round pick left Michigan Tech after two seasons and played 12 professional games last season. He played three with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and nine for the Wheeling Nailers, where he had three assists. Pietila is a right-shot defenseman with size. He's 6-foot-3, 195 pounds and a smart defenseman. Though he wasn't a standout at the recent camp, he didn't need to be. The Penguins saw enough to sign him to his ELC despite some college eligibility remaining. Lucius comes from a hockey family, though his older brother just retired from pro hockey due to a genetic condition. The Arizona State product has flashed much greater potential than he's consistently shown. 'He's got a high-end skill set. I think his shot, his puck skills, are elite,' said Penguins director of player development Tom Kostopoulos after the Development Camp. 'I think he knows this is a huge year for him. He has to prove what kind of player he can become. And he's been working hard throughout the summer, and I know he's going to push himself. So this will be a big season for him.' After transferring from Wisconsin to Arizona State, Lucius had an underwhelming 10 points (2-8-10) in 19 games. Fernstrom was another piece of the return from the Vancouver Canucks when the Penguins traded Marcus Pettersson and Drew O'Connor to Vancouver. Of course, the big prize for the Penguins in that trade was the New York Rangers' first-round pick. Fernstrom was the Canucks' third-round pick in 2024, but he hasn't yet had his breakout moment. He's a slow skater with good offensive instincts, but he'll have to improve his skating to be able to use those gifts in professional hockey. The Penguins are sending him back to the Swedish Elite League for another season–last season, he had 17 points (8-9-17) for Orebro HK. Perhaps the Penguins' player development and performance staff can retool to help him add speed to augment his game. The post Top 25 Penguins Prospects, #25-21; Hidden Gems & Honorable Mentions appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now.
USA Today
13-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
$4M Cowboy earns 1st-place votes, 'best guard in football' praise in ESPN iOL rankings
When the Dallas Cowboys drafted Tyler Smith out of Tulsa, they had grand intentions. The plan was that he would play next to future Hall of Famer Tyron Smith, then take over as the left tackle of the future. Of course, front office plans aren't always viable once things start flying, and Smith has settled in at left guard in the Cowboys' offensive line. Settled in doesn't quite do justice to what has transpired, as the 2022 first-round pick has become one of the NFL's top interior protectors, recently making the top-10 list composed by NFL executives at the behest of ESPN. Not only did he rise from Honorable Mention (following his All-Pro 2023 campaign), he landed at No. 2 overall and as the top guard in the entire exercise. Smith even garnered multiple first-place votes, along with a ton of high praise. Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: UnrankedAge: 24 | Last year's ranking: Honorable mention Replacing Martin in Dallas is a tough task, but Smith has the ability to do just that. The buzz surrounding Smith popped in the voting. He wasn't on every top 10 ballot, but most of the votes he did get were for first or second place. "Most physically gifted guard in the league who could legitimately be a top starter at LT if they wanted to play him there," an NFL general manager said. "Strong, athletic, nasty, and cut his holding penalties in half last year." Smith edged out Indianapolis Colts veteran Quenton Nelson for the honor of best guard, and finished one spot below Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey. "Best guard in football," an NFL defensive line coach said. "Perennial Pro Bowl guy. Quick explosive, violent, strong hands, above-average pass pro, can reach second level." Smith is scheduled to play for $2.5 million in 2025, with a cap hit of $4.2 million. The team invoked his fifth-year option, so he's also under their control for 2026 for $21.2 million, but with the way he's regarded around the league, Dallas is going to need to pony up for a big, long-term contract in the near future. Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
USA Today
08-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Has another Panthers star been snubbed out of ESPN's 2025 position rankings?
Another Carolina Panthers star has been left out of elite company. ESPN continued their annual offseason rankings on Tuesday, publishing the results from their survey on the NFL's best defensive tackles. And according to league executives, coaches and scouts, Carolina's Derrick Brown is not a top-10 player at his position. Instead, he landed in the "Honorable Mention" group—alongside the likes of Las Vegas' Christian Wilkins, Denver's Zach Allen, Miami's Zach Sieler and Los Angeles' Kobie Turner. Here's what a league exec stated about Brown, per ESPN senior national writer Jeremy Fowler: "When he's healthy, he's near the top. Elite run stopper with some pass-rush upside." Brown was not healthy for the entirety of 2024, where he sustained a season-ending knee injury in the team's Week 1 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Without Brown for 16 of their 17 games, Carolina's defense went on to allow the most points in NFL history and a league-high 179.8 rushing yards per contest. The 27-year-old spoke about his plans to return after the Panthers' final session of mandatory minicamp last month. "I expect to be out there in training camp," he told reporters on June 12. "Load management, and hopefully in the next few weeks, I get cleared. So that's the goal and then at that point, it's just getting back in football shape and being able to go out there and play with the team." Prior to his lost 2024 campaign, Brown tallied 103 tackles in 2023—a single-season record for defensive linemen—and was named to his first career Pro Bowl. Brown is now the second Panther to miss the cut on ESPN's positional rankings, joining Chuba Hubbard—who was not featured as a top-10 player nor in the "Honorable Mention" section for running backs on Monday. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
Miami Herald
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Oregon Offense Preview 2025: The Ducks Are In Full Reload Mode - And They'll Be Just Fine
Oregon sure has the offense right under Dan might be a defensive coach by trade, but Will Stein has been a whale of an offensive coordinator from the start three seasons ago. Last year's Duck attack was No. 1 in the Big Ten in total offense, averaged 35 points per game, and has scored 31 points or more in 25 of 28 games - and one of them was when the team took it easy against Idaho - over the last two a whole lot of work to do personnel-wise, but there wasn't a problem finding great players through the portal, the system is still sound, and it should all keep on going if … X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN2025 Oregon Preview Oregon Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season- Try this for a quarterback lineage - Justin Herbert, Tyler Shough, Anthony Brown, Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel. Dante Moore has to be amazing. Yeah, Moore is technically a transfer, but he was supposed to be a Duck, went to UCLA, returned to Eugene, and now he has to be the next superstar quarterback up. If he's not it, that means Austin Novosad, Luke Moga, or Akili Smith Jr. ripped it up in fall camp. - The receiving corps is going through a massive transition with Tez Johnson (Tampa Bay) and Traeshon Holden (Dallas) off to the NFL, and Evan Stewart out with an offseason knee hype of off the charts for super-recruit Dakorien Moore, an elite speedster with track star wheels who could be the top target right away. Gary Bryant Jr., Jeremiah McClellan, and Kyler Kasper were little-used backups who'll get every shot to take over the prime spots, and Malik Benson (Florida State) is a great transfer who can play tight end Terrance Ferguson is gone, but Keyon Sadiq made 24 catches for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. He's ready, and Jamari Johnson (Louisville) is a nice option coming who'll get the ball his way after catching 13 passes for the Cardinals. - Oregon got itself a superstar NFL tackle prospect. Isaiah World (Nevada) was one of the top players in the portal, and now he's in salary-drive time on the left side. Alex Harkey (Texas State) isn't World, but he's not far off as a big-time option for the right tackles might be getting the spotlight, but the interior got some help with Second-Team All-Big Ten Emmanuel Pregnon (USC) a future pro starter for one of the guard jobs, and there will be an August camp battle between Dave Iuli and Matthew Bedford for the right center gig is set with the lone returning starter. All-Big Ten Honorable Mention junior Iapani Lalolulu is a rock in the middle. - All-Big Ten running back Jordan James is a San Francisco 49er, but Noah Whittington is back after finishing second with 540 yards and six scores. He'll likely be the No. 2 man in the rotation again with Makhi Hughes (Tulane) coming in with close to 2,800 yards and 22 touchdowns on the resumé. Oregon Defense Breakdown2025 Oregon Preview Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
USA Today
23-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
After playing 117 games for Texas, this Longhorns outfielder has entered transfer portal
. The Texas Longhorns have lost another notable bat to the transfer portal. On Sunday, talented OF Will Gasparino announced that he will not be back at Texas next year. He leaves the program after two years full of unforgettable memories and big hits. As a Longhorn, he appeared in 117 games and posted a .247 batting average. He added 104 hits and 96 RBI to his resume. While serving as an important bat, Gasparino showed some power with 25 home runs and 27 doubles. The Los Angeles native was sometimes streaky but can change a game with one swing. Due to his play, the Harvard-Westlake High School product added to his trophy case. He was a Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention during the 2024 season. While he will not be easy to replace, Texas has been busy in the transfer portal improving their offense. Those additions include first baseman Josh Livingston, Butler outfielder Jack Moroknek, Georgia State outfielder Kaleb Freeman, Seton Hall outfielder and Aiden Robbins. Robbins and Freeman are coming off career years and should help replace Gasparino's production. Although this is not how Gasparino envisioned his time with Texas ending, he did not take his time in Austin for granted. Earlier this year, he praised Texas assistant coach and former MLB star Troy Tulowitzki for helping in his development. "[Tulowitzki] was a pretty big factor for sure," Gasparino said. "He played 10 plus years in the big leagues, really good hitter, one of the best shortstops in the game, he just knows a lot about baseball," Gasparino said. "He knows a lot, he's going to develop you, and he's been through the game, he knows the ins-and-outs." With plenty of programs needing a potent bat, Gasparino should be a popular name over the next few weeks as he looks for his next opportunity. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @LonghornsWire.
