1st Down: Johnny Gaudreau is headed to a new team for 2022 and beyond. The forward, who was a standout in the 2021-22 NHL season for Calgary, scoring 40 goals and racking up 75 assists in 82 games, will be headed to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the foreseeable future. The deal is said to be worth just over $68 million and will run seven years as the Jackets seek to be in contention in the conference and league as a whole. The team have missed the playoffs the last two years, but they now have a forward to build around.
2nd Down: Justin Rose will not have an opportunity to win the 2022 Open at St. Andrews. The one-time major winner was due to tee off along with Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari on Thursday, but he didn’t make it there as he was forced to withdraw with back problems. He was replaced at the last minute by Rikuya Hoshino.
3rd Down: The Toronto Blue Jays have decided to go in a different direction with their manager, cutting ties with Charlie Montoyo on Wednesday. The news comes after the team had just ended a four-game losing streak, and comes with the team sitting at 46-42 thus far. While they are only fourth in the very competitive AL East, they are very much in the thick of the Wild Card race. Bench coach John Schneider has been promoted to interim manager for the rest of the season as they look to play up to their ‘potential.’
4th Down: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will remain a Denver Nugget for a bit longer, with his agent declaring he had signed a two-year extension with the team on Wednesday. The new deal will add $30 million overall to his earnings and will hold the 29 year-old to the franchise for three more seasons and possibly a fourth if he exercises his player option. Caldwell-Pope is known for his three-point shooting, particularly when open, so the team hopes to use Nikola Jokic’s play making ability to set him up for plenty of those chances.
