Wellll, well, well.
Carolina Cast Nation,
Do we have a lot to talk about tonight? Up first, the NHL 2022 draft took place between yesterday and today! The Carolina Hurricanes did not have a first-round draft pick. Yesterday, they traded Tony DeAngelo to the Flyers for a 2022 fourth-round pick, 2023 third-round pick, and a 2024 second-round pick. Today, they picked Vladimir Grudinin at 156. Carolina fans are pretty shocked that he fell to us at such a late pick given that he was ranked 31. Could it be due to some "off-the-ice" issues? Either way, it's great that we could snag such talent at a late pick!
Then, we have HUGE news with the Carolina Panthers picking up another quarterback. Baker Mayfield is officially a Panther! While we have wondered about whether the Panthers would bring in Baker, ultimately there's no real harm in picking him up. We only have to spot around $4.5 million of his contract with the Browns, which is really nothing to add another QB to the roster.
The biggest downside is that Baker may struggle given his injury in the past; however, this really opens the door for us to see how Matt Corral develops. Baker and Darnold will be competing for the starting spot (although it's pretty obvious who everyone will prefer) which will give Corral a chance to break into the scene. Not to mention Baker and Darnold are part of the Top 3 picks from the 2018 NFL Draft. My choice of the top QB's from the class? Not exactly. But I really liked Baker in that draft. I'm excited to see what he brings to the team.
Like every Panther fan who grew up watching Cam Newton, I wish we could bring him back to the team. I think he's the right guy for Corral to grow under, especially with the confidence he brings to the field and the locker room. Bringing in Baker shuts the door on that idea. But, I'm an eternal optimist. Things are going to work out for the Panthers. And it's going to make our Week 1 interesting with a Browns-Panthers game at home!
Finally, onto the 2022 NBA Summer League. The Hornets play their first game in Las Vegas tonight at 6 PM EST against the Indiana Pacers. We will get our first look at the new draft picks and see some familiar faces in action. This is definitely a game to watch as we see the development of our team and get a glimpse of how the season may play out!
We're going to get into ALL of this and more! Be sure to leave a chat, say hi, or comment if you pop in. I love talking to listeners and hearing your feedback! Follow me on Twitter, Tiktok, & Instagram @IE_CarolinaCast! And join IE Sports Radio Patreon as well if you want to support what we do here!
