Under Further Review – Douglas Smith with Editor Bill Morphy. Regular contributors include Jordan Moss, Rob Wagner, Howard Steiss, Ian MacPhee, Dave Kittle, Peter Hucul, Ted Tait, Bill and Glen Myles, Frank Sullivan, Mark Hughes, Iqbal Grewall, Brent Atkins and Charlie Frenette.  

Spanning the digital ether to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition… This is Under Further Review.

Breaking News – With the clock ticking down on signing eight-year contract extensions, the Canucks bit the bullet and signed defenceman Zeev Buium. The max deal has a $9.38 AAV.

Is it risky? You bet. He’ll now be making more money than Lane Hutson and he’s not in the same stratosphere. Many fans will contend the Canucks rushed into the signing to justify the deal that sent Quinn Hughes to Minnesota.

It’s going to be a critical season for Buium. He’s entering his age 21 season. Was he able to add weight and strength over the off-season to better handle the rigors of an NHL blueliner? We’re about to find out. Last season, the Canucks rarely gave Buium an opportunity to quarterback the Canucks top power-play unit. That needs to change. Makes no sense to hold him back. Suffer the growing pains. These deals always come with considerable risk. They can go both ways. If, in five years, he’s captain of the team and a true number one D-man, then the Canucks will be sitting on a major bargain.

Did you catch the comments from J.T. Miller admitting he entered rehab during the Canucks tumultuous 2024 season? Miller missed 10 games in November and December on what was called a ‘personal leave.’ Reports at the time claimed it was not alcohol or drug-related. We can then assume it was for anger management and a big part of the rift between Miller and Elias Pettersson that tore the team apart. It’s worth noting that neither player has performed to expectations since the brouhaha occurred. And that’s an understatement.

Setting a New Bar – With the NHL’s financial landscape changing so dramatically this summer, you have to wonder what it means for the balance of power in the NHL.

Cale Makar just moved into a new salary frontier. He cracked the $20 million per season plateau with his new eight-year, $163 million dollar contract extension, the largest in NHL history. What does that do for Quinn Hughes’ negotiations in Minnesota? Talks have reportedly stalled over term. Even if Hughes re-ups, it’s likely to be a short-term deal to coincide with brother Jack in New Jersey.

Considering what’s happened in Anaheim and the overall escalation in salaries this summer, teams with young stars already on team-friendly, long-terms deals are going to be at a tremendous advantage.

Farewell to Winnipeg – News that goaltender Connor Hellebuyck wants out of Winnipeg has put the entire Jets franchise at a crossroads. It appears Hellebuyck has come to the conclusion it may not be possible to win in that market.

Let’s be honest, players don’t want to play in Winnipeg. The Jets are on the no-trade list of every player. It’s not that Hellebuyck is pointing a gun at their head. At 33, he just wants a chance to win a Stanley Cup and he’s concluded it won’t be happening with the Jets. You can’t say he’s wrong with the Stanley Cup drought in Canada going all the way back to 1993.

We’ve heard all the stuff before about playing in Canada. High taxes, suffocating media attention, cold weather. How long can the Jets continue to fall back on the small market excuse for all their failings? Their draft record is abysmal. Who’s fault is that?

This is a team that won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2024, yet have refused to go all-in at the trade deadline to give the team a legit shot at a Stanley Cup. If you were truly committed to winning, you would do more. Being safe and conservative only goes so far. Jets owner David Thomson is a billionaire media magnate and one of the richest businessmen in Canada. Crying poor doesn’t fly.

The lineup for Hellebuyck’s services should be long. With Nico Daws and Jake Allen making a combined $2.9 million, New Jersey is spending the lowest amount on goaltending in the league. The Buffalo Sabres should be calling. Their goaltending is uncertain and the Sabres have the young assets and draft capital to make it happen. Freddie Andersen is gone in Carolina. You would have to think the Hurricanes have interest.

Expect the Jets to slow-play any potential deal. No need to get something done on a firm deadline.

NHL Notebook – The Montreal Canadiens have been lying in the weeds all summer. Expect the Habs to pull the trigger on a deal at some point. Once a new GM is named in Detroit, why not make a move for Dylan Larkin to fill a clear need behind Nick Suzuki?

The Canadiens have the ammunition and the cap space. Start with Michael Hage who’s playing at Ann Arbor for the University of Michigan. Montreal has arrived at contention status. The time is now. Waiting on players to develop only goes so far. Larkin may not fit into the Habs long-range plans but he would fill a massive hole until someone else arrives.

The new Wings boss will be working with the most cap space in the NHL. Detroit has $19.5 million available. Seattle is next in line with $18.4 million in cap space. The Canucks have $17.8. Calgary has $14.8. Montreal has $9.78 million remaining. Winnipeg ($4.48 million), Ottawa ($4.2 million) and Edmonton ($1.93) are squeezed tighter. Toronto (-$2.75 million) and Vegas (-$8.66 million) are the only teams currently over the cap.

Sports Media Notebook – It was cringe-worthy when news came that Ron McLean is returning for two more seasons with Sportsnet. Apparently, 40 years at the helm of HNIC is not enough to send McLean back to Red Deer. Guess we just keep turning down the sound during intermissions.

Looks like there will be big changes on the Sportsnet intermission panel. Kelly Hrudey has been gassed. Jennifer Botterill was let go from her role as token female.  Reports say Elliotte Friedman and Kevin Bieksa are yet to sign new deals and may be considering a move to Amazon. Would serve Sportsnet right. Take the best offer guys!

Sportsnet has failed miserably when it comes to the overall presentation of NHL games. The production is bare bones. The between-periods coverage is dull as dishwater. Meanwhile, network coverage in the U.S. is first rate in comparison. There’s much better storytelling, more cameras, robotics and enhanced replay. They’ve also started using NHL EDGE content to highlight analytics. It’s embarrassing what we have to sit through in Canada.

Speaking of dull, TSN has hired Landon Ferraro to work as an analyst on Winnipeg Jets broadcasts. Ferraro was part of the Canucks’ intermission panel for home games the past few seasons and was sleep-inducing. Pity Jets fans.

Best wishes to Christine Simpson. The 61-year-old broadcaster announced she has begun treatment for breast cancer. Doctors say they caught it early.

Clipping the Clippers – Can someone explain how Kawhi Leonard walked away with a slap on the wrist?

The NBA levied the heaviest punishment in league history on the L.A. Clippers for circumventing the salary cap. Owner Steve Ballmer was suspended for a year and fined $30 million. The Clippers were stripped of five first-round picks, yet Kawhi walked away with just a $700,000 fine. Peanuts for a guy with over $400 million in career earnings.

The real offender was Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson, who served as his agent. This guy’s a beauty. He’s been banned for five years. Robertson pressured the Clippers into obtaining massive off-court income opportunities. There’s absolutely no way Kawhi was unaware of what was going on.

Moneyball Battle Ground – Major league baseball is moving head-long into a work stoppage this off-season. Brace yourself because it could get nasty.

This is a league where no team in the bottom half of payrolls has won a World Series since the Royals in 2015. This is a league where the free-spending Dodgers spent more money in luxury tax last season than the entire payrolls of 16 teams.

To make the picture clearer, look at the market comparisons between leagues. The Pittsburgh Penguins have won two Stanley Cups since 2016. Are they in the same economic circumstance as the Pirates? The Tampa Bay Lightning have captured a pair of Stanley Cups since 2020. Are they in the same economic circumstance as the Rays? The Florida Panthers won two Cups in the past three years. Are they in the same economic circumstance as the Miami Marlins? In the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs have won three Super Bowls in the last decade. Are they in the same economic circumstance as the Royals?

The reasons are obvious. The NHL has a hard cap. Not sure what the NBA has. You have to be an economics professor to figure it out. But know this. In the last two NBA Finals, you had Indiana and OKC and San Antonio vs. the New York Knicks. Take away the Knicks and three of the last four finalists are in markets smaller than any team in baseball.

The NFL figured it out a long time ago. Back to the Pete Rozelle days when it was agreed to share all TV revenues. It gave small market teams a fighting chance. It’s exactly why the Green Bay Packers are not in the same economic circumstance as the Milwaukee Brewers.

Major league owners need agreement on a salary cap floor and sharing of all television revenues including local TV revenue. Yes, that includes the huge bucks being brought in locally by the Yankees and the Dodgers. It’s a fight worth having. Heck, more than half the players are consigned to team with no chance of winning.

The landscape in baseball has to change. Convincing the players won’t be easy.

Blue Jays Notebook – The Blue Jays are back to .500 and smack dab in the middle of the AL wildcard chase. Who would have thunk it? Amazing when you consider the patchwork starting rotation and the overworked bullpen.

There may be some reinforcements on the horizon. Trey Yesavage is throwing a bullpen session following knee surgery. Shane Bieber is working his way back as well. The biggest news is outfielder Anthony Santander may be ready for a minor league assignment sometime next week. The Jays could really use his bat.

How can you explain the Blue Jays power outage this season? The Jays have hit only 129 home runs, the second lowest total in the American League. Vladdy’s lack of pop hasn’t helped nor has the absence of  Santander and Addison Barger. Adding power and deepening the lineup has to be the number one priority in the off-season.

MLB Notebook – Pete Crow-Armstrong is going to be named National League MVP this season. Mark it down. If not, launch an investigation. His numbers are ridiculous. Yes, better than Shohei Otani.

When we last checked, PCA was hitting .282. Otani .280. Pete had blasted 37 home runs to Otani’s 30. He also led in RBI’s with 90, 10 more than Otani and in OPS (.948). Otani was at (.908). The big separator was in stolen bases. Crow-Armstrong has swiped 32. Otani only 10.

The Cubs acquired PCA from the New York Mets at the 2021 trade deadline. Another example of why the Mets are one of the worst organizations in sports. The Cubs landed PCA at just 19 for overpriced infielder Javier Baez and pitcher Trevor Williams. PCA was the Mets first-round pick just one year earlier yet the Mets gave up on him that quickly.

Be careful what you wish for when it comes to high-priced free agents. Last winter, the Dodgers gave outfielder Kyle Tucker $240 million over four years and reliever Edwin Diaz $69 million over three years. Both have crashed and burned. Tucker hit .195 in August. Diaz has been hurt most of the season. You’ll remember, the Blue Jays were hot after both of them. Sometimes being the bridesmaid works out just fine.

Stan Kroenke, with a net worth over $24 billion, is about to become the richest owner in baseball. He’s purchasing the Los Angeles Angels for a reported $4 billion although the deal may not go through until sometime in 2027, likely after a new collective bargaining agreement is reached. Kroenke married into the Walmart family and now has ownership of the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Rams and Arsenal of the English Premier League. He also owns Sofi Stadium in L.A. which came with a $5 billion dollar price tag. Angel Stadium was built in 1966 so you would figure he has plans for a new building or a major renovation.

Seahawks Notebook – The NFL season begins on Wednesday night with a Super Bowl rematch between the Seahawks and the New England Patriots at Lumen Field.

Look for the Seahawks to go 12-5 this season and finish second in the NFC West behind the Rams. Seattle has tough road matches against the Rams, Denver, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

The injury bug hit the Seahawks early with four players on season-ending injured reserve, rookie safety Bud Clark, receiver Jake Bobo, fullback Robbie Ouzts and lineman Mason Richman. Fortunately, only Ouzts is a starter but it does put a significant dent in the Seahawks depth chart. We’re also learning Nick Emmanwori is unlikely to play in the season opener after off-season ankle surgery.

The Seahawks need rookie running back Jadarian Price to make an impact right out of the gate. Price will step onto the field in the opener without having taken a single snap in preseason. Zach Charbonnet was placed on the PUP list to start the season which means he’ll miss at least the first four games. Price is going to have to carry the freight for the first month.

Here are a few thoughts on the Seahawks initial 53-man roster.

• Seattle kept only 3 safeties. Someone is sure to come off the practise roster for the opener. Losing Clark, this year’s second round pick, is already having an impact.
• Newly-acquired cornerback Trevon Diggs was cut but agreed to join the practise roster. The signing was always going to be a long-term play to allow Diggs time to acclimate. He should be an option in a few weeks.
• The Seahawks last four selections in the ’26 draft were all released – Emmanuel Henderson, Andre Fuller, Deven Eastern and Michael Dansby. It’s a reflection of the weakness of this year’s draft.

NFL Notebook – Elementary Deshaun Watson. The Cleveland Browns have named Watson their starting quarterback. For how long, remains to be seen.

Cutting Watson right now would be crippling. We’re talking an $86,206,864 dead cap hit for 2027 which would be the largest in NFL history. The current record is the Dolphins release of Tua Tagovailoa ($55.4 million). If the Browns designate Watson as a post June 1, 2027 release, they can split the dead cap over the ’27 ($34.6 million) and ‘28 ($51.5 million) seasons. That’s a no-brainer to finally take the pain and move on.

To acquire Watson from Houston, the Browns surrendered three first-round picks, one third-rounder, two fourths and $230 million in fully guaranteed salary over five seasons. He’s made 19 starts since arriving in Cleveland in 2022. And fans think Denver’s trade for Russell Wilson was bad.

Maybe not all bad, however. Watson was probably a boon to the Cleveland massage industry.

A total of 28 Canadians made 53-man rosters across the NFL on cutdown day. The list is headlined by pass rusher Akheem Mesidor, the Chargers ’26 first-round pick. The Chargers, Bills and Carolina Panthers all have three Canadians on their roster.

Up to No Good – The details are sketchy but it looks like another NFL owner is doing bad things. Jed York, owner of the San Francisco 49’ers was arrested in a sting operation at a trailer park in Ohio after soliciting a prostitute. He asked how much the woman charged and was told it was $160 for “full service sexual activity.” Explanation not required.

All of which conjures up shades of the Beverly Hillbillies.

Come and listen to our story about a man named Jed. Poor billionaire barely kept his fetish fed. Then one day, he was acting real crude. Now he’ll be known as a dirty old lewd.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nfl/article/49ers-owner-jed-york-pleads-no-contest-to-two-misdemeanour-charges-in-ohio/

Meanwhile, a federal grand jury remains hot on the trail of Dodgers owner Mark Walter. You have to love some of the responses on social media. Check out this hilarious video.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcbdIzDRDUl/?igsi=d3RrNG91YnBieGs4

CFL Notebook – So much for the Lions 5-game winning streak. It ended Friday night in Montreal with a second half meltown and a 37-30 defeat. The good news is the two teams meet again next Saturday night in Vancouver. Should be entertaining.

We’ve become big fans of Lions running back Zander Horvath? He leads the CFL with 13 touchdowns and fresh off a 164-yard performance against the Ottawa RedBlacks.

Horvath played his college ball at Purdue and was selected in the 7th round of the 2022 draft by the Los Angeles Chargers. He bounced around several NFL teams before signing with the Lions in January, 2025. Horvath is listed at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds. Considering the season he’s having, there’s a good chance he gives the NFL another shot next season.

Golf Notebook – The future of the Canadian Open is once again up in the air with more changes coming to the PGA Tour.

Next year’s schedule will feature 24 PGA Tour Championship Series events. On the list will be 15 regular Tour events, plus the four majors, the Players Championship and a reimagined playoff. Where that leaves the Canadian Open remains to be seen. As it stands now, there’s a good chance the tournament will be moved to early September and be part of what’s being termed “a limited series of elevated international events.”

The Civil War in golf is officially over. LIV is dead. The upstart league was over the minute the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund pulled its funding. Without further investors, LIV is facing bankruptcy. Unpaid vendors will get cents on the dollar. As for the players, they will have to choose between LIV 2.0 (if it even happens) and forfeiture of large sums of money. Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau will take the biggest hit. It’s been a slow bleed. The deathwatch is nearly over.

Like him or not, Scottie Scheffler is in a league by himself. Scheffler may not register on the charisma meter or in fan engagement but the guy can strike a golf ball. After his win at the season-ending Tour Championship, Scheffler moved into top spot in the all-time money list, passing Tiger Woods with over $130 million in career earnings. Woods had held the record of 26 years.

You have to wonder what’s next for Tiger. He can’t drive a car for five years as a result of his latest DWI conviction. His competitive golf career is pretty much over. He looked terrible in the video at his court appearance. Paying the price for years of substance abuse.

Two Canadians – Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith – were named to the international team for the upcoming Presidents Cup competition September 24-27 at Medinah Country Club outside of Chicago. Neither have had particularly good years. The boldest choice was made by U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker who named Jackson Koivun to the American squad. The 21-year-old just turned pro in June.

Random Leftovers –  Looks like Canada’s Jonathan David is making a move. He’s set to leave Juventus and join Athletico Madrid on a loan deal. David scored just 8 goals in 46 appearances while in Italy.

It appears as though Moise Bombito was rushed back in order to compete on home soil for Canada in the World Cup. The 26-year-old centre back is now facing a second surgery following a broken left tibia last October. He played in three of Canada’s five WC games but was far from top form.

FINAL THOUGHT – Who says money can’t buy happiness? It can surely buy you a phalanx of beautiful women. A curvaceous supermodel who was dating the late Greek billionaire Aristotle Onassis was once asked what she saw in him. The reporter asked “he’s 5-foot-3 and not exactly handsome.” The supermodel replied, “he’s tall when he’s standing on his wallet.”

YouTube Music Video Highlights – In light of what’s happening with the trade war between Canada and the U.S., we thought it would be a good time to celebrate the amazing depth of musical talent produced in Canada.

We give you Cowboy Junkies performing ‘Sweet Jane’ in Liverpool in 2021.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7p1UmzikNI&list=RDi_aiEkdwH2w&index=7

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