Kings acquire center Pierre-Luc Dubois from Jets in sign-and-trade

The Los Angeles Kings announced that they have acquired center Pierre-Luc Dubois in a sign-and-trade with the Winnipeg Jets. In exchange for Dubois, the Jets received Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a 2024 second-round pick.

Dubois, who was set to become a restricted free agent, signed an eight-year deal worth $85 million with the Jets before getting traded to the Kings. The 25-year-old Dubois is coming off a 63-point season at Winnipeg, and he has proven to be a strong top-six center in his six-year NHL career.

The Columbus Blue Jackets selected Dubois with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, and he spent three seasons there before getting traded to the Jets in 2021. In 195 games with Winnipeg, Dubois tallied 63 goals and 80 assists.

The Kings are banking on the idea that Dubois can take his game to the next level and take over the first-line center role once Anze Kopitar retires. Los Angeles general manager Rob Blake said Dubois will be a key part of the organization for years to come.

“Pierre-Luc Dubois is an elite two-way center with a unique skillset, and we’re excited to have him join the organization and commit to us long-term,” Blake said in a statement. “Over the last few seasons, he has proven the ability to contribute to all facets of the game and we are thrilled to be able to add a player of this caliber into our lineup.”

Following their first-round playoff exit, the Jets decided to reconstruct their roster this offseason, and this is a big step toward doing that.

Vilardi was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, and he had a bit of a breakout season in 2022-23 with 23 goals in 68 games while also displaying a strong defensive acumen. He is the most intriguing part of the return for Winnipeg.

Iafallo grew into a solid middle-six forward in his six seasons with the Kings, and he just totaled 36 points in 59 games this past season. He will provide the Jets with some strong depth over the next couple of years.

Kupari was the No. 20 overall pick in 2018 and he has yet to really establish himself at the NHL level. Kupari totaled 15 points in 66 games last season, but he could see his role expand at Winnipeg.

Devils acquire Tyler Toffoli from Flames in exchange for Yegor Sharangovich, third-round pick

The New Jersey Devils have upgraded an already impressive forward group by acquiring winger Tyler Toffoli from the Calgary Flames, the team announced on Tuesday. In return, the Flames got the rights to pending restricted free agent Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third-round pick.

Fresh off a spectacular season at Calgary, Toffoli has one year left on his current contract at $4.25 million per season. In 2022-23, Toffoli set career highs in goals (34), assists (39), and points (73). He should slot right into New Jersey’s top six, alongside highly-skilled forwards like Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier.

In addition to his production, Toffoli also brings a wealth of experience and a championship pedigree to a Devils team that is still ascending. Throughout his 733 NHL games, Toffoli has piled up 227 goals and 239 assists for a total of 466 points. In the 2014 playoffs, Toffoli tallied 14 points in 26 games as he helped the Los Angeles Kings hoist the Stanley Cup for the second time in three years.

With Toffoli now in the mix, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald will continue working on an extension for Timo Meier, who is coming off a 40-goal season.

The Flames, who appear to be in the midst of another turbulent offseason, do get the negotiating rights to the 25-year-old Sharangovich out of the deal. Sharangovich showed some promise in New Jersey, and the Flames have to hope they can build on that moving forward. Last season, Sharangovish tallied 13 goals and 17 assists in 75 games, and he recorded 24 goals in the 2021-22 campaign.

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami minutes are piling up, so how should Tata Martino handle him in U.S. Open Cup, MLS?

After winning Leagues Cup and qualifying for Concacaf Champions Cup, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami won’t get much time to rest before another critical game in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal against FC Cincinnati on Wednesday, Aug. 23 (which you can watch for free on the CBS Sports Golazo Network). The oldest competition in U.S. soccer, the Open Cup is still a heralded trophy but for Tata Martino, he has an unenviable situation of trying to balance his Inter Miami roster after getting through the Leagues Cup gauntlet. He’s insisted that Messi will continue to play until the player says he needs rest, and this is a huge opportunity for the team to reach their second final.

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While Messi’s Leagues Cup exceeded all expectations with him scoring 10 goals and assisting one more, he has also logged 564 minutes in just under a month. They are playing their third game in only eight days with another one around the corner against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, seeing the Herons travel from Nashville to Cincinnati and then to Harrison. Preparing for Open Cup play, this something that Martino addressed.

“We said that at some point he would have to rest because of the load of minutes played,” Martino said on Monday. “Clearly, Wednesday is not going to be that day. If he does not tell me he wants to rest, he will continue to play.”

Inter Miami have already secured a Champions Cup place but Open Cup isn’t something that they can punt by sitting Messi unless he physically can’t. His influence has been immense with the club winning five matches and drawing two since his arrival while also scoring 22 goals during that timeframe. Messi has scored in each Inter Miami game he’s played in. Each member of the squad has stepped up their game to lift Miami to new heights but with Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba logging most of those minutes, their talented youth players will be needed sooner than later as they pursue more glory.

“How do you sit Lionel Messi in a semifinal? He’s gonna play 120 minutes if that what this game goes to.”@FelipeCar joins Box to Box to talk about Lionel Messi’s heavy workload thus far and makes a prediction. 👀 pic.twitter.com/S6yzceOiMc

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) August 22, 2023
Attacking midfielder Facundo Farias made the squad for the first time in the Leagues Cup final against Nashville SC and if Messi doesn’t start a game here at some point, he’s the most likely replacement to drive Miami’s creativity. That first start could come quite soon too as if Messi will start in Open Cup play, it’s possible that he won’t start in his first MLS match versus the Red Bulls.

Farias is a talented creator when healthy scoring eight goals and assisting one last season in all competitions for Colon of Argentina but at only 20, it’s an excellent opportunity for him to grow into a role for club and possibly country under Messi. While this season Miami will go as far as Messi takes them, moving forward that could shift to going as far as Farias can help supplement when Messi needs rest.

Alongside him, Diego Gomez has already been playing minutes in midfield and Tomas Aviles could be next to debut in defense to help give Drake Callender a little less to do. That talented trio are almost as important for making MLS Cup as Messi will be in the long run which is why this is an excellent chance for Martino to begin integrating them.

How to watch CBS Sports Golazo Network and Paramount+
The Golazo Network is available via CBSSports.com, the CBS Sports app, Paramount+ and Pluto TV. Paramount+ subscribers can get an up-close look at Lionel Messi’s greatness with the Star Cam, which follows his every move and touch on the pitch. For a limited time, get 50% off an annual plan. That’s $2.50/month for the Essential Plan, or $5/month for the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME plan, for 12 months! Try it for free here.

Stream 2023 U.S. Open Cup semis on CBS Sports Golazo Network

FC Cincinnati will host Inter Miami in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup semifinals on Wednesday on the CBS Golazo Network. Cincinnati are in first place in the MLS Eastern Conference, but have gotten mixed results during tournament play this summer and now enter Wednesday’s match following a 3-0 loss to the Columbus Crew. Meanwhile, Inter continue to ride a seven-game winning streak since Lionel Messi got to town, most recently winning the Leagues Cup final in a shootout.

Inter Miami are the -104 favorites (risk $104 to win $100) in the latest FC Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami odds, while Cincinnati are +210 underdogs. A draw returns +265 on the 90-minute money line. The over/under for total goals is 3.5. Kickoff from TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, is at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday. You can stream Cincinnati vs. Miami on the CBS Sports Golazo Network.

The CBS Sports Golazo Network is a first-of-its-kind free, 24-hour streaming network in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to global soccer coverage. CBS Sports Golazo Network is available to stream free on connected TV and mobile devices through the CBS Sports App and Pluto TV and on CBSSports.com, as well as on Paramount+. Paramount+ is also offering a unique “Star Cam” in this matchup, offering an exclusive look at star players throughout the match. Click here to stream.

How to watch Miami vs. Cincinnati
Inter Miami vs. FC Cincinnati date: Wednesday, August 23
Inter Miami vs. FC Cincinnati time: 7 p.m. ET
Inter Miami vs. FC Cincinnati live stream: CBS Sports Golazo Network
What you need to know about Cincinnati
The home team sits atop the MLS Eastern Conference standings and would like to get back to league play after an uneven run in tournaments. Last Sunday’s match against Columbus was the first time Cincinnati have been clean-sheeted since June, so they will try to bounce back.

Cincinnati haven’t been keeping their opponents off the scoresheet either. In fact, they haven’t recorded a clean sheet since a 3-0 win over Toronto FC on June 21. This could spell trouble against an Inter team that has scored in bunches. Stream the match here.

What you need to know about Miami
Before Messi joined Inter Miami this summer, the team was 5-3-14 through 22 MLS matches. They are now undefeated in seven straight matches since he joined the team, including last week’s League Cup final.

Messi has scored at least one goal in every match since joining Inter Miami in July. He is already Inter Miami’s third all-time leading goal scorer through just seven games and is showing no signs of slowing down. Stream the match here.

How to watch, live stream Miami vs. Cincinnati in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup
SportsLine soccer expert Brandt Sutton’s best bet for this matchup is Over 3.5 goals at +122 odds. “These two teams have combined to score four or more goals in four of their last six head-to-head meetings,” Sutton told SportsLine. “Backing Over 3.5 goals in a match isn’t something I do every day, but given the recent history between these two teams, I think we could see a high-scoring affair.”