David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

NFL Authority: Don’t Look for Vikings to Trade McCarthy

Posted on May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 by David Shama

Rumors are ongoing that the Vikings might or should trade quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The 23-year-old struggled with performance and injuries last season, his first as the team’s starter.

Now the Vikings have bolstered their quarterback roster with likely starter and veteran Kyler Murray. There is depth with not only McCarthy but also veteran Carson Wentz and second-year QB Max Brosmer. All three were with the Vikings last season and have valuable experience in the offensive system.

The reasoning for rumors about trading McCarthy is he may never be more valuable in attracting return value. The Vikings might be able to obtain a future third-round draft pick or perhaps even a third and fifth. If Minnesota keeps him and he struggles next fall as a replacement for an injured Murray, his market value diminishes.

J.J. McCarthy, Vikings QB, image by David Shama — J.J. McCarthy

The million-dollar question with the young quarterback is how much will he improve in the coming seasons? Has Vikings head coach and quarterback guru Kevin O’Connell already seen the ceiling for McCarthy? NFL history is filled with both quarterback busts and those who find success, even stardom, as the years pass and experience develops.

McCarthy played for and won a national championship under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. Now in the NFL coaching the Chargers, Harbaugh could be in the market for another primary backup to starter Justin Herbert. That guy now is Marshall, Minnesota native Trey Lance who was the No. 3 first round pick in the 2021 draft and is playing for his third NFL team.

A trusted NFL authority, speaking on condition of anonymity, predicts McCarthy will stay in a Vikings jersey this year. “They won’t give up on J.J. this year and they shouldn’t. I expect J.J. to play at least a few games when Murray likely misses a couple,” the authority texted Sports Headliners.

Murray, playing with the Cardinals, has struggled during his career with injuries including an ACL tear and he missed most of last season with a foot injury.

Worth Noting

The source, who was a front office leader with two NFL franchises, believes Minnesota’s draft selection of defensive tackle Caleb Banks was” too risky with foot issues for (the) first round unless team doctors truly believe he’ll be fine.”

He also texted Minnesota should have drafted a center before the seventh and final round when the club selected Cincinnati center Gavin Gerhardt. Another miss, he thinks, was not acquiring a day three wide receiver to compete with Tai Felton for the third receiver position now that Jalen Nailor left as a free agent.

The source likes “the big run stuffing” potential of third round defensive lineman choice Domonique Orange and another pick in that round, safety Jakobe Thomas. He’s also positive on the potential of cornerback Charles Demmings (fifth round) and speed of running back Demond Claiborne (sixth round). He added it’s necessary to wait “at least a year” to know how any draft turns out.

The authority was also critical of trading outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard to the Eagles, referring to him as the Vikings’ “best pass rusher when healthy.” The Vikings received a third round pick this year and third rounder in 2027. He texted the Vikings, who made the move for financial concerns, should have received at least a second-round draft choice.

Former Vikings and Bucs linebacker Pete Najarian has an optimistic take on Minnesota’s selection of the 23-year-old Banks who is listed at an imposing 6-6, 327 pounds. “I understand the risk but in this case, I think he was the best defensive tackle/edge rusher in the draft,” Najarian texted.

“I love his size. He’s an absolute beast but I do understand that he has had an issue with his foot. That does bother me but he’s not 28 years old, he’s closer to 21 years old guys that …tend to come back from injury much faster.”

Among the storylines tonight when the Wild plays in Denver against the Avalanche is who plays in goal. Rookie Jesper Wallstedt was terrific in the team’s first round series against the Stars but he gave up eight goals in Minnesota’s second round series opener Sunday night.

After that performance Blue Jackets coach and TNT analyst Rick Bowness suggested replacing Wallstedt with veteran Filip Gustavsson. Such a move, he said, could be protective of Wallstedt’s confidence. Reports today are that it will be Gustavsson replacing Wallstedt.

The Avs reportedly found weaknesses in Wallstedt’s game, including his glove side. Fatigue may be another factor after he played the equivalent of seven games against the Stars including three overtime periods.

The Avs, who won the Presidents’ Trophy for having the NHL’s best regular season record, have the healthier roster. The Wild will be without key injured players in defenseman Jonas Brodin and center Joel Eriksson Ek.

Tonight’s game almost feels like a must-win for the Wild who can’t afford the luxury of being down 2-0 before coming home to Minnesota to play on Saturday evening.

A piece of trivia Wild fans like is that in the last 40 years, the Presidents’ Trophy winner has only eight times gone on to win the Stanley Cup.

Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards, returning from injury, came off the bench last night to score 18 points in helping Minnesota to a Game 1 second round playoff win over the Spurs in San Antonio. Edwards is one of five players since the NBA-ABA merger (in 1976-77) to average at least 26 points per game, five plus rebounds and five plus assists through the first 25 road games of their postseason career.

The lead changed 19 times in Minnesota’s 104-102 upset win over the Spurs who are behind only the Thunder as the wagering favorite to win the NBA championship. The Wolves’ largest lead was nine, the Spurs’ seven.

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Wild Skate, Wolves Hoop but Both on Common Ground

Posted on May 1, 2026May 1, 2026 by David Shama

The Wild be skatin’ against the Avalanche next week, while the Timberwolves will be hoopin’ versus the Spurs. Minnesota’s NHL and NBA teams both advanced to the second round of their playoffs last night by closing out the Stars and Nuggets in St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The Wild play on ice in a game invented in Canada while the Wolves play on a hardwood court in a sport created by American James Naismith. It might seem the two franchises have little in common but think again.

From the trivial to the significant, there is common ground:

Both teams won their opening best of seven games playoff series by 4-2 margins. Both did so in raucous arenas that are building reputations this spring as among the loudest in the NHL and NBA.

In beating the Stars, the Wild took down a prize rival from its division that just happens to be the franchise once known as the North Stars and was based in Bloomington until moving to Dallas after the 1992-1993 season. The Nuggets, who have lost in the playoffs to the Wolves twice in the last three years, have an intense rivalry with Minnesota and this spring players from both teams lost their cool on the court.

Both teams advanced in the playoffs with textbook defense. The Stars managed just 15 goals over six games, with Dallas frustrated by Minnesota’s team defense and rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt. The Wild showed why its defense might be the best of any team in the playoffs.

The Wolves held the Nuggets under 100 points in three of the last four games, bothering Denver with their team length and athleticism. Offensive production was slowed and even stopped at times with Jaden McDaniels’ shutdown of Denver All-Star guard Jamal Murray who made four of 17 shots last night. Center Nikola Jokic, revered as one of the NBA’s all-time greats, struggled to score at times because of Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert.

The Wild and Wolves are playing in front of adoring fans who have long known frustration and are treasuring the good times of 2026. Since the Wild’s inception in 2000 this is a franchise that can claim just one deep playoff run, losing in four straight games in the conference finals to the Ducks in 2003. Last night’s win was the first time Minnesota has won its opening playoff series since 2015.

The Wolves have been to the conference finals three times, including twice in the last two years, but the franchise historically has been known more for losing than winning. From 2005-2017 the Wolves didn’t make the playoffs for 13 consecutive seasons.

Both franchises have known their ups and downs in front office decision making but now have the right leaders in place. Bill Guerin, hired in 2019, had to escape the financial burden of long-term deals with Zach Parise and Ryan Suter but now has assembled a roster with several players who rank among the NHL’s best. This, of course, includes the in-season acquisition of star defenseman Quinn Hughes who scored two goals last night in the 5-2 victory over the Stars. Guerin also persuaded franchise record setting scorer Kirill Kaprizov to commit long-term to the franchise.

Tim Connelly, hired in 2022, has been calculated but at the right times aggressive in building the Wolves roster. His historic 2022 trade involving players and draft picks with Utah brought defensive savant Gobert to Minneapolis. He also maneuvered a difficult financial situation before the season in 2024, trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks in return for two key contributors in Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. A savvy in-season 2026 move acquired guard Ayo Dosunmu who is the team’s leading scorer in the playoffs at 21.8 points per game.

Timberwolves owner Marc Lore — Marc Lore

The Wild and Wolves, both expansion franchises, have solid owners. Wild owner Craig Leipold is a personable leader who has plenty of NHL experience, previously owning the Predators and now being the boss in Minnesota. It was Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, when they were minority owners back in 2022, who pushed for hiring Connelly. Sitting at courtside, fans can see the passion of the two men who are now majority owners and reveled in last night’s 110-98 win.

The owners of both franchises are lobbying for improved or new arenas. Leipold hopes to complete a major renovation of Grand Casino Arena that may include money from the Wild, city of St. Paul and state. The Wolves want a new arena in Minneapolis with many details yet to be confirmed.

Both teams are moving on to play second round foes against whom they will be underdogs. The Avalanche is the wagering favorite to win the Stanley Cup. The Spurs are considered by authorities to be second only to the Thunder in likelihood to win the NBA title.

Last evening the Wolves and Wild became the seventh pair of NBA and NHL teams from the same metropolitan area to win out in a seven-game playoff series on the same day, per the Timberwolves PR Department. The duo is the third pair to do it at home and the first twosome to accomplish that in Game 6.

Wild and Wolves play vastly different sports, but the St. Paul and Minneapolis teams have enough in common to be “kissin’ cousins.”

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Unique Night May See Both Wild & Wolves ‘Cookin’ at Home

Posted on April 29, 2026April 29, 2026 by David Shama

Years ago, legend was that a certain media member had a strategy when the Wild and Timberwolves were playing at home on the same night. The formula for deciding where to go was this:

Catch the pregame media meal in St. Paul and then head for Minneapolis to watch the Wolves. Why? The food was too good to pass up at the “X,” but he preferred to spend most of the evening covering basketball.

On a rare, perhaps unique evening on Thursday, Minnesota’s NHL and NBA teams will both host games leading 3-2 in best of seven playoff series. Fans can make their own choices on culinary offerings, but whether you go to St. Paul or Minneapolis things will be “cookin.”

The taste in the mouths of Wild fans is likely to be sweeter near midnight Thursday than for Wolves patrons. The Wild has a healthier roster and is coming off a 4-2 win last evening in Dallas against the Stars. The Wolves are without two injured starters, including their best player in Anthony Edwards, and lost in Denver Monday to the Nuggets in a game that may have changed the series’ momentum.

The Wild hasn’t given up more than four goals in a game so far. Last night Minnesota blocked 25 Dallas shots and allowed 22 on goal, the franchise’s lowest postseason total in almost five years. Wild rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt stopped 20 shots. Starting in all five games, he has 2.05 goals against average and .926 save percentage. After last night’s game ESPN hockey analyst P.K. Subban told a national audience the Wild is playing the best of any NHL team defensively.

Wild star forward Kirill Kaprizove — Kirill Kaprizov

This is a series that could already be over with the Wild winning 4-2. A what-if happened in the third game. In the first overtime period Minnesota superstar Kirill Kaprizov had a near miss winning goal in a double overtime 3-2 loss in St. Paul.

After last night’s game Kaprizov was leading all NHL players in points during the playoffs with nine (two goals and seven assists). He’s part of a talented roster that includes veterans and newcomers.

Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin boosted the team’s Stanley Cup playoff chances with the December trade acquiring Quinn Hughes. He’s considered one of the sports’ best defensemen. Just last month the Wild added forward Mike McCarron who has two goals in the series with the Stars. With 7:47 in the third last night he had a clutch goal sending the Wild ahead 3-1 in the game.

Timberwolves GM Tim Connelly made a savvy in-season move, too, when he acquired guard Ayo Dosunmuin in a multiplayer deal with the Bulls. The trade has been a godsend for the Wolves who gave up guard Rob Dillingham who has made minimal impact in Chicago while Dosunmu is showing star potential.

In 42:01 minutes off the bench last Saturday, Ayo Dosunmu scored a career-high 43 points on 13-of-17 shooting, including 5-of-5 from three and a 12-of-12 from the free throw line. The Wolves needed that performance because Edwards only played about 17minutes before a knee injury sidelined him in that game and for the series.

Minnesota went up 3-1 in the series last Saturday, but things are cozier now after Denver’s 125-113 win on Monday night. The Wolves were playing not only without Edwards, but also a second starter in guard Donte DiVincenzo, who tore his right Achilles tendon last Saturday. The Nuggets played without key starter Aaron Gordon on Monday because of a serious calf strain and he is questionable for tomorrow night.

Defensive strategy, intensity and skill is likely to decide Game 6 tomorrow night at Target Center. Wolves center Rudy Gobert, 33, has at times played some of his best career defense in the series against Denver center Nikoa Jokic—regarded by some authorities as the best basketball player in the world. In Saturday’s game he was -12 in the NBA plus-minus ratings impact but Monday was +12.

Wolves defender Jaden McDaniels has made scoring an uphill battle for All-Star Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray. In the series he has three games shooting under 40 percent (including two under 32 percent). In three of the games his plus-minus has been -13, -12 and -4.

The Nuggets’ best strategy against what can be a hounding Wolves defense could be early in the game positioning Jokic in the low block and consistently giving him the basketball in an effort to put Gobert in foul trouble. As Gobert and other defenders sag on Jokic, the spacing could open up better looks at the hoop for Murray.

Worth Noting

April is National Humor Month which brings to mind Minnesota sports characters who made us laugh.

The late Sid Hartman mangled more than a few words during his WCCO Radio career. A favorite was when he described an athlete that tore his “Khrushchev.”

Former WCCO colleague Dark Star’s phone voice mail said if it’s good news or money, leave a message.

A friend sent this quote by former Twins owner Calvin Griffith: “I can’t tell you exactly what I intend to do, but I can tell you one thing. It won’t be anything rational.”

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