Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING TAKEOUT NEWS: 3-15-23.
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Pulltab Sports presents the 2023 All Hockey Hair Team, sponsored by Duke Cannon and benefiting the Hendrickson Foundation.
I don’t care what they tell you, the NCAA Tournament doesn’t actually begin until Thursday.
The NHL takes some hits for not being innovative, but how about the Big City Greens Classic? NHL and ESPN used real time data (of which they have plenty) to do a Big City Greens cartoon mimicking play of the Caps/Rangers game.
Wild at Blues tonight. Edina’s Sammy Walker gets his shot at Kirill Kaprizov’s spot on the top line. The Wild hosts the Bruins Saturday at 1, the first half of an NHL/NCHC doubleheader at The X.
Vikings Get Cap Relief by Cap Conversion; Sign CB Murphy; Re-Sign Bradbury, Joseph
Happy NFL tampering week to those who celebrate. While players couldn’t officially sign yet, the last 48 hours has been chock full of new deals. Minnesota’s biggest free agent signing yet has been cornerback Byron Murphy, formerly of Arizona. An upgrade and some young legs in the defensive backfield.
The Vikings “converted” Kirk Cousins’ deal yesterday to give them some cap flexibility, which has been the name of the game in cutting Thielen, Kendricks and others. They’ll free up $16 million, with no change in how Cousins gets paid. Remember, Cousins has just one more year left on this contract, and will be 35 in Week 1 of the 2023 season. You have to think with the changeover the new regime has done, he’s beginning to see the writing on the wall.
The Vikings did re-sign Cousins’ center, Garrett Bradbury. The offense really went downhill after Bradbury’s injury late in the regular season. Minnesota also re-signed kicker Greg Joseph.
Minnesota also paid quite a bit of money - $21 million over three years - for Josh Oliver, a mostly blocking tight end. Oliver was most recently a Raven.
Gone and signed are Patrick Peterson (Steelers), Dalvin Tomlinson (Browns) and Eric Kendricks (Chargers).
Gophers Lauded with B10 Honors
There are 12 combined players on the first and second All Big 10 hockey teams, and one half of them are Gophers. The all conference teams were announced yesterday.
On the first team? Logan Cooley, Matthew Knies and Wild prospect Brock Faber. Jimmy Snuggerud, Jackson LaCombe and Justen Close were named to the second team. Cooley was obviously named to the all freshman team too - somehow it wasn’t unanimous? Did someone have a grudge? Snuggerud and Luke Mittelstadt joined Cooley on the all freshman team.
Reminder - Gopher women in the Frozen Four in Duluth against Wisconsin on Friday at 6. The men host the Big 10 title game Saturday against Michigan.
Wolves Rip Hawks, Host Celtics Tonight
The Wolves get a good measuring stick when they host Boston, No. 2 in the East, tonight. They overwhelmed middle-of-the-road Atlanta Monday at Target Center, 136-115. ANT scored 32 points - despite a 2-for-10 performance from 3-point range. The story? Kyle Anderson’s triple double. Per Wolves PR, he also became the first Wolves player with multiple blocks and steals in a triple double since Kevin Garnett in 2007.
The Wolves are a much better team at home, and they’ve got a big three-game trip coming up in Chicago, Toronto and New York.
The Portal Ravages Gophers
Both the Gopher football and men’s hoops teams lost important players to the portal this week.
P.J. Fleck must try to replace RB Trey Potts and WR Michael-Brown Stephens. Potts has been a quality backup but would like to start somewhere. The Gophers were not deep at the receiver position last year.
Ben Johnson’s team will move forward at the very least without Jaden Henley and Treyton Thompson.
WBC Pitcher from Nicaragua Signs Contract
I have barely paid attention to the World Baseball Championships. It’s hard to convince me that’s a championship with every pitcher on a pitch limit.
But, a cool story as Nicaraguan 21-year-old pitcher Duque Hebbert struck out Juan Soto, Julio Rodriguez and Rafael Devers. A Detroit Tigers scout was in the stands and signed him after the game.
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