After rain ruined the majority of Day 1 in Gqeherba, Australia face a battle with both South Africa and the elements again on the second day – but the forecast offers some hope for more play.
The Welshman seeking NBA title with Timberwolves
With eight different teams the winners over the past eight seasons, it is hard to predict who takes home the NBA's Larry O'Brien Trophy in June.
If there is to be a ninth different name in as many seasons, you might look to San Antonio Spurs, with Victor Wembanyama leading the team to the Finals last season before coming unstuck against the New York Knicks.
Maybe the Philadelphia 76ers off-season moves to acquire Jaylen Brown and sign the NBA's all-time leading scorer LeBron James is an attractive pick, or perhaps the Cleveland Cavaliers.
As the season tips off, the first British-born coach in the NBA, Tim Lewis will be hoping he can assist Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves to their first NBA title.
Lewis has been something of a journeyman in basketball.
Born in Saint Asaph, Wales, he went on to represent the country in the 1990s, before forging a coaching career that spans almost the entire globe.
He has coached the Thailand and Qatar national teams and had spells in Germany, Belgium, Canada, the United States of America and Panama. He most recently worked in Japan as head coach of Eneos Sunflowers who he helped to the Empress Cup in January.
That is not including more than 15 years of coaching England and Great Britain age groups, where he was an assistant to now Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch at the London 2012 Olympics.
Lewis was one of the Team GB assistant coaches, alongside Philadelphia 76ers head coach, Nick Nurse.
But Lewis and American Finch's friendship began way before that.
"We played against each other when I was back at [Crystal] Palace and Chris was at Sheffield [Sharks], he said.
"I've had stops with Chris when he was in Belgium and then before the Olympics, I spent six months at Houston with him.
"We've become close, it's almost like brothers. We've known each other 25 years and it's a strong bond."
After a previous brief spell with Minnesota, Lewis left to continue to be a head coach in Japan for three years, but Finch was persistent.
"For the last year and a half, Chris has knocked on the door and said, 'come back, come back'.
"Eventually I gave in this summer again and gone back for a more influential role, with more of an input and impact on things with stuff that's going on and I'm excited."
Lewis had a spell as a replacement coach with Minnesota's G League team, the Iowa Wolves during Covid, before joining the staff the following season with a responsibility for post-game analysis.
"I would just go through all our game plans," he told BBC Sport Wales.
"I had a little bit of player development, but it was time consuming, nobody had done it before.
"Teams do the analysis pre-game of what we're going to do and how we're going to do it with plans, but not post-game.
"I'm not sure how many of the other staff appreciated me critiquing what was going on, but that was my role, and it stayed in place."
As Lewis returns to Minnesota, his role has expanded.
"Pablo [Prigioni] is going to take the lead on the offence and my role will be to help create some of these game plans offensively," he said.
"It's a full assistant's role with responsibility for offensive game planning.
"I look at what the other team are doing defensively and what can we do to maximise our ability to beat them offensively.
"On top of that, some player development with a couple of the young bigs."
A new-look backcourt pairing
In July, Minnesota acquired Josh Green and LaMelo Ball as part of a four-team trade.
Ball scored with 272 three-point shots in the 2025-26 season, the second most of any player in the NBA.
His partnership with Anthony Edwards in the backcourt appears to be an offensive coach's dream.
"Anthony and LaMelo and those guys are going to be exciting to watch," said Lewis.
"With LaMelo, you've got somebody that can now throw the lob and Rudy becomes a bit more of a rim threat, which we haven't necessarily had.
"It takes the pressure off Anthony.
"Teams will find it harder to double-team him when you've got people like LaMelo on the floor with him."
Lewis says Edwards is "easy to coach".
"I don't know whether or not Anthony wants the burden of being the next face of the NBA, who knows?
"He is an immense talent, very responsive, a great kid overall and he's a great person, very coachable and wants to get better."
An NBA title?
It will be a daunting start for the Timberwolves this season, with Giannis Antentokounmpo and Miami Heat first up but Lewis says the team are ready for the challenge.
"We come out of the gate hard, Miami, Orlando, and then Toronto," he said.
"They've all got three bruising power forwards, which is one area where we're a bit light.
"Everybody's worried we don't have size at the four, but Chris [Finch] will figure out how that looks.
"One of the things Minnesota's going to be lucky to do is be able to play different ways and the team's going to be exciting to watch."
The ambition is clear for Minnesota and Lewis, the NBA title is the ultimate goal for 2027.
"We want to make the play-offs and get to the championship games, everybody wants to win a championship, but you've got 29 other teams that are trying to do the same thing," said Lewis.
"Fifty-plus wins a season is what you want, that puts you in a great position to make the play-offs and to be a contender for that first seed.
"You don't ever want to jinx it but everybody's saying this team has an opportunity to go a long way this year, but you never know, we've been close every year.
"Teams are going to have to adjust to the way Minnesota plays and the personnel we have."
In terms of his own predictions for the season, Lewis offered a few suggestions for potential Larry O'Brien trophy winners.
"It's one of the things about the NBA at the moment, it's somewhat unpredictable," he said.
"Teams that maybe surge in the regular season but aren't built to compete in the playoffs.
"San Antonio could be that team, Minnesota could be that team.
"We've had Denver's number now for a number of years, other than the year they won it [2023].
"Who knows what Philly's going to do with the additions they've made."
Lewis says an NBA title would mean "so much" to Minneapolis.
The franchise formed in 1989 as an expansion team, with the supporters patiently waiting to make it to the NBA Finals.
"Minnesota fans are unbelievable," he said.
"It goes way back to Minneapolis Lakers [1947-1960] that are now the Los Angeles Lakers, who did win a championship.
"As an organisation, being able to win in that environment against a bigger market team is always a huge success.
"It's more for the city, it would be an amazing accomplishment."
Thunder reportedly lock up guard Cason Wallace with five year, $139 million extension
Cason Wallace is about to take on a much larger role with the Oklahoma City Thunder — and the team had to make sure he wasn't going anywhere.
Wallace, 22, and Oklahoma City have agreed to a five-year, $139 million contract extension, a story first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
This is a good number for OKC, locking up a starting guard at an average annual salary of $27.7 million (a number that will look better as the salary cap rises in the coming years). With this move, the Thunder have all their starters — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Wallace — locked in on multi-year deals, and Alex Caruso is signed up for three more seasons off the bench.
Wallace gets some security rather than risking restricted free agency next summer. Wallace brings real value. He was voted Second Team All-Defense last season and shot 35.1% from beyond the arc, which might have tempted teams with cap space to throw a big offer at him and try to poach him from OKC. However, Wallace also watched the Jalen Duren drama with Detroit this summer and likely didn't want to mess around. Wallace gets a generational wealth contract.
The Thunder made a number of cost-cutting moves this summer — trading Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins — so they could keep their core together. Wallace is now a part of that core.
Cason Wallace signs $139 million contract extension with OKC Thunder
Former Kentucky Wildcats standout Cason Wallace is staying in Oklahoma City, as Shams Charania reports that Wallace signed a five-year, $139 million rookie-scale contract extension with the Thunder.
Wallace has been a valuable piece for the Thunder since being drafted in the first round in 2023. Last year, coming off the bench for the Thunder, Wallace averaged 8.6 points per game to go along with 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
However, Wallace’s value has consistently been on the defensive side of the ball, where he has averaged almost two steals per game the last two seasons and has been one of OKC’s most reliable perimeter defenders and one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, as evidenced by being named a member of the 2025-26 NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
After some offseason moves, including trading Luguentz Dort to the Atlanta Hawks, Wallace is expected to see an expanded role with the Thunder, and it’s clear from this contract extension that the Thunder see Wallace as a key piece to the team long-term.
Congratulations to the former Kentucky Wildcat!
Dodgers gone, Brian Kaplan Fired, Banana Ball and more!
The Brewers defeated the Dodgers and upended the narrative supporting the salary cap going into the offseason. Will this actually impact CBA negotiations?
James Attwood: I don’t really see how. Sure, the Brewers are a smaller market than the Dodgers. They have a much smaller payroll. But, if anything, the Brewers advancing is only going to fuel the MLBPA to get even stickier about trying to control salaries in any way, shape, or form. Also, even though plenty of fans and pundits like to give MLB front offices a hard time about making stupid decisions, those offices are by and large, stacked with incredibly intelligent people. Those people are going to be able to take a step back and recognize that one season’s playoff picture is hardly a sample size large enough to be called indicative of the sport moving forward. There were questions after Arizona went to the World Series in 2023 about whether or not MLB had done enough to create obstacles for Wild Card teams in the playoffs, all because Arizona steamrolled the Brewers and Dodgers. This year, pundits are calling for the entire seeding system to be blown up because there was a team with a .500 record that not only made the playoffs, but won their division outright. Single seasons may bring some oddities, but they are usually not indicative of the reality of the game’s overall health.
I suspect, both the ownership side of things and the MLBPA have already drawn their battle lines and have already started crafting their arguments. This outcome in the playoffs will do more to feed the online debates between fans and pundits than it will do for or against the CBA negotiations.
C. Wesley Baier: I think it will impact the CBA negotiations, but how much is the real question. I would be shocked if the MLBPA didn’t use this as evidence against a salary cal, but I cant say if it wil be all that successful of a tactic.
Spencer: Nope. Anything can happen in a small sample size. Owners are greedy and want to abuse their employees/customers for profit still. Players are greedy and only care about the uppermost tiers of earning power. Fans will quiet down a little, but fan opinion and outrage has never been a driving force for either side.
Justin27: FTD
Makakilo: In half of the last ten seasons, the Dodgers reached the World Series. Three times they won the World Series. Their frequent success remains a problem.
1AZfan1: I doubt it. The owners were asking for a salary cap before the Dodgers lost. The Players were adamantly against a cap before the Dodgers lost. It’s going to be ugly. It was always going to be ugly.
ISH95: I think it’s going to be a rallying cry for the MLBPA in their Court of Public Opinion negotiations, but I don’t think it’s going to have a huge effect. The problem with this loss is that, without a salary cap, it really sets them up for another similar explosion like we saw after 2023. Their current core is slipping and aging, and if there is no salary cap, they’ll just replace them and move on. Trade what salary they can, dump what they can’t. It’s what they’ve done before. The owners know this, so do the players but that’s a different story. Nothing has actually changed other than a random, broken clock situation.
The Diamondbacks moved on from Brian Kaplan, but kept Joe Mather. Was this the right call?
James Attwood: Time will tell. I was a bit surprised by the team moving on from Kaplan. But, the team looks like they are trying to get new voices into the pitching development pipeline and maybe they thought this newer approach might unlock even more success among the numerous arms trying to make the final leap to the Majors. As for Mather, I think he’s been fine. I don’t think he has been particularly good or bad. But, some struggling players were successful in making in-season adjustments, including Nolan Arenado. If the team was going to move on from Mather, I would either want to see how his approach is falling on deaf ears, making his coaching a waste of time, or see the team line up a highly regarded hitting guru to replace Mather. Since neither of those things are happening, retaining Joe Mather seems fine.
C. Wesley Baier: I think they should have let Mather go as well, and I wasnt impressed other than how revitalized Arenado was at the plate.
Spencer: I assume so. Seems to me like Kaplan was a lame duck all year and the new pitching coach will be chosen with Bleich’s input. As for Mather? Meh. I don’t think coaches matter all that much on a major league team. They are sounding boards. Most true star players have personal coaches and anyone below that level is always going to be fighting for their roster spot anyway.
Justin27: I am not sure. We were all wanting Kaplan to move on after last season, I think. It seems maybe he learned from his mistakes or gained experience this season, though. If it were up to me I would move on from both. Who would I take to replace them? I don’t know, but whomever Wes, James, etc would hypothetically want is who I would go with lol.
Makakilo: Yes because of one word: sustainability. Ignoring pitching performance (which was a problem for some pitchers), in 2026 about 70% of total salary was for pitching compared to 30% for position players. That is not sustainable.
1AZfan1: If it had to be one or the other, Mather was the one to keep in my opinion. The Diamondbacks offense fell short compared to last season’s team, but that loss was almost entirely due to a collective step back from the “Big 3” of Domo, CC, and Ketel. Last season, the team tallied 805 Weighted Runs Created (wRC) per FanGraphs. This year they had 723, about an 11% drop. Last year, the Big 3 accounted for 320 wRC and this year they fell to a combined 261, a 23% drop. The rest of the lineup had a more modest 4% drop in wRC, and when you’re replacing Bambino Geno Suarez with rookies and a clearance-rack purchase of Nolan Arenado, a 4% overall drop in offense is pretty good.
The pitching staff was the strength of this team this year for sure, but I’m fine pressing the “I Believe” button and allowing Jeremy Bleich to pick his guy.
ISH95: 12 months ago that’s an easy question to answer. His changes seemed to lead to far more injury last season, regression from those that weren’t, and a bullpen that wasn’t great. This year, though, injuries were curtailed to a reasonable amount, the bullpen was solidly average, and we got some overperformance from some pitchers. Like other’s have said, however, we have a new Maester of pitching, so he probably wants his own.
Similar answer for Mather, as well. The offense had a couple of really good seasons with him at the hitting helm, and then one bad one. As a general rule, I’m hesitant to make knee jerk reactions when we have multiple seasons of good data and only one of bad, so I’m okay keeping him. However, if we continue to see struggles from the offense by the second month of next season, then it probably should be time for a change.
Kendrick went on Arizona Sports and announced they would be cutting payroll. Do you believe this will all come from low cost pre arb players replacing veterans, or should we expect salary moving trades?
James Attwood: I expect that most of the salary saving likely comes from allowing the likes of Lourdes GurrielJr. and Zac Gallen to drop off the books. That alone will account for $26.025 million in savings. Michael Soroka, Ryan Thompson, Kevin Ginkel, and A.J. Puk are all also likely to depart along with Jonathan Loaisiga, Taylor Clarke and Pavin Smith. That adds another $21.575 million in savings. With all of those players departing via free agency, there won’t be much in the way of contracts left to trade off. The team could potentially explore an Eduardo Rodriguez trade, or perhaps a Ketel Marte trade. But, given that the team will be in need of 3-4 more starters as it is and that Marte has 10/5 no-trade rights, I don’t see much in the way of moving contracts to clear salary.
C. Wesley Baier: I think we’re going to see both as part an effort to maximize the value coming out of the payroll.
Spencer: Wait. Again? How many seasons in a row has he said this now? Two? Three? I think it will mostly come from letting free agents walk. Gallen, Soroka, Gurriel alone account for significant money who won’t be back. Of them only Soroka needs to be replaced/retained. I expect some trades to fill the “holes.” While I don’t really expect “big” money to be moved, Erod, Kelly or Marte moving wouldn’t blow me away either. In true Hazen form, I think it will be a little bit of everything. I could see a medium/big free agent/trade splash (like a $20M/yr committment for who knows how many years) and dumpster diving for bullpen arms.
And I can see him buying a young MLBer or prospect with some upside as well. Despite all the bruhaha people want to give him for McCarthy and Blaze last winter, those are the type of deals he tends to excel in. And one strength of the farm (FINALLY) is having depth for hitters capable of filling emergency holes on an MLB team. Your Blazes and Groovers and Fernandezes of the world. Not stars, or even true starters, but capable filler. If he can find the right trade target who’s current team needs some depth, I can absolutely see him packaging some of those “lesser” Arizona prospects to obtain the necessary MLB piece.
All this is meaningless though since one other near surety of Kendrick saying he’s cutting payroll is Kendrick spending money on a pitcher no one had as a target for Arizona. So I predict Skubal signs with Arizona hours before the Lockout begins at $50M/yr and immediately becomes a pumpkin. But man, three years from now? He’s going to have such a pretty not-terrible year!
Justin27: To me, “from low cost pre arb players replacing veterans” sounds like a rebuild. Given those two options, and that I cant come up with a third, I will go with that though.
Makakilo: Expect less salary for pitchers, more salary for position players.
1AZfan1: I actually have an article in draft for (hopefully) later this week looking at trade candidates to open up financial room, but I looked at it more through the lens of opening up payroll space to spend in FA instead of straight cutting talent. I suppose it is a possibility that ownership’s vision was to not add anything of value in free agency and just let rookies and castoffs fill the roster holes created by free agency, but I don’t think the cost cutting will be that drastic.
ISH95: I suspect that most of it will come from expiring contracts. Just replacing Gallen with a pitching machine would lower payroll by 22 million (and the team ERA by about .75). I also could see a salary clearing move or two as well. Sitting Marte down and figuring out what three teams he wouldn’t veto a trade to, and then figuring out a package with one of them regardless of the return wouldn’t really surprise me either at this point. That would clear another 19 million or so, and suddenly you’ve already cut 40 million off the payroll, plus the other expiring contracts not mentioned. Cutting the salary isn’t the question. The real question is how much of the savings they’ll be able to reinvest and fill some holes.
Banana Ball is coming to Chase Field. Will you be putting your name in the lottery?
James Attwood: Probably. I’m supposed to discuss that with the Mrs. this weekend.
C. Wesley Baier: Would love to but I don’t think the trip up to Phoenix, a hotel for the night, food, and everything else is in my budget, even if I did manage to score some tickets.
Spencer: I will not. Because I live in Ohio. But I will be for their performances in Cleveland and Cincinnati. I’m going to need some sort of baseball next season afterall! MLB can’t be counted on for that anymore, so I’ll take my measely, pathetic, poor-man’s dollars elsewhere.
Justin27: No. The drive up to Phoenix and back at night is terrible. I can kind of see why ST left. [Ed. Note bookmarking this for later use :-)]
Makakilo: Banana Ball will be in Honolulu on April 30 to May 1, 2027. I entered the lottery for Honolulu.
1AZfan1: Not in the area so no I will not, but I wouldn’t mind taking the kids at some point in the future when they visit our area. I’m not sure Banana Ball is something I want to drop money on to attend in person, but I know my boys would get a kick out of it.
ISH95: Nothing like a question like this to remind me that basically none of the writers live in Phoenix lol but yes, both my wife and I have put in for the lottery. It would be our second time going to a Bananas game, and we are both hopefully that we’ll make it.
Kaprizov’s NHL-leading 10th goal lifts Wild past Blue Jackets
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov broke a second-period tie with his NHL-leading 10th goal, Jesper Wallstedt stopped 13 shots and the Minnesota Wild beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Sunday night.
Danila Yurov also scored to help the Central Division-leading Wild improve to 6-2-1.
Adam Fantilli scored for Columbus. Cam Talbot made 32 saves.
Kaprizov broke a 1-1 tie with a power-play goal at 3:06 of the second, beating Talbot over the shoulder from the bottom of the left faceoff circle.
Both goalies stood tall early in the first period. Wallstedt denied Connor Garland on a breakaway two minutes into the game. Then Talbot made three saves as the Blue Jackets killed off a 5-on-3 power play that lasted 1:52.
Minnesota got on the board late in the first period. Yakov Trenin scooped up a turnover at the Columbus blue line, beat a defender on the way to the net, then feathered a pass across the slot where Yurov was waiting to tap it in.
FLAMES 3, HURRICANES 2
CALGARY. Alberta (AP) — Yegor Sharangovich scored the go-ahead goal with 4:28 left and Calgary ended Carolina’s seven-game winning streak, beating the defending champions for their second victory of the season.
Morgan Frost set up the winning goal after scoring on a power play in the second period. Matvei Gridin also scored, and Devin Cooley made 34 saves to help Calgary improve to 2-6-0.
On the deciding play, Frost sent a saucer pass across the slot to Sharangovich, who one-timed it as soon as the puck landed on his stick and picked the top corner, sending goalie Brandon Bussi’s water bottle flying.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jalen Chatfield scored for Carolina, and Bussi made 31 saves. The Hurricanes dropped do 7-2-1.
_____
Sharangovich breaks late tie as the Flames end the Hurricanes' 7-game winning streak
CALGARY. Alberta (AP) — Yegor Sharangovich scored the go-ahead goal with 4:28 left and the Calgary Flames ended Carolina's seven-game winning streak, beating the defending champion Hurricanes 3-2 on Saturday night for their second victory of the season.
Morgan Frost set up the winning goal after scoring on a power play in the second period. Matvei Gridin also scored, and Devin Cooley made 34 saves to help Calgary improve to 2-6-0.
On the deciding play, Frost sent a saucer pass across the slot to Sharangovich, who one-timed it as soon as the puck landed on his stick and picked the top corner, sending goalie Brandon Bussi’s water bottle flying.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jalen Chatfield scored for Carolina, and Bussi made 31 saves. The Hurricanes dropped do 7-2-1.
Up next
Hurricanes: At Vancouver on Tuesday night.
Flames: Host Minnesota on Thursday night.
___
'He’s Going To Be A Top-Two Line Center’: John Hynes Praises Young Center Danila Yurov
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Wild center Danila Yurov is beginning to find his offensive game, and head coach John Hynes believes the 22-year-old has the potential to become an important piece of the organization’s future.
Yurov scored his third goal in his last four games during Minnesota’s 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, continuing an impressive offensive stretch for the former first-round pick.
But following the victory, Hynes made it clear that Yurov’s contributions extend well beyond his recent scoring success.
In fact, the Wild coach believes Yurov has the potential to become a first- or second-line center in the NHL.
“The puck pressure, the reads, the hockey sense with Yurov are, even last year, they’re, like I keep talking to him, he’s going to be a top-two line center the way that he thinks the game, sees the game,” Hynes said.
“Now, we’re starting to see his skating, his confidence, his offensive instincts, on top of his hockey smarts and acumen without the puck, which is excellent.”
It’s a significant endorsement from Hynes, particularly considering the attention surrounding Yurov’s future in Minnesota.
The 24th overall selection from the 2022 NHL Draft has been mentioned in trade speculation involving Detroit Red Wings former captain Dylan Larkin, an established NHL center who could immediately strengthen Minnesota’s lineup.
While there’s no indication a trade involving Yurov is imminent, his recent emergence presents an interesting situation for the Wild.
Minnesota has been looking for additional help down the middle, but one of its youngest centers is beginning to show why the organization invested a first-round selection in him.
And according to Hynes, the development taking place goes much deeper than the scoresheet.
Yurov’s Development Goes Beyond Scoring
WILD SCORE FIRST! 💥
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 18, 2026
Yakov Trenin makes a nice move to find a wide open Danila Yurov for the finish.
(🎥: Wild+) pic.twitter.com/w0cpPbwW0j
One of the biggest challenges for young centers transitioning to the NHL is learning how to handle the responsibilities that come with the position.
It’s not simply about generating offense. Centers are expected to support their defensemen, win puck battles, make responsible decisions through the neutral zone and contribute in all three zones.
For Yurov, those details have been among the strongest parts of his game.
Hynes has repeatedly praised the young Russian’s hockey intelligence and ability to read plays, qualities that have helped him earn additional responsibilities despite his limited NHL experience.
That includes time on the penalty kill, where Hynes believes Yurov has already established himself as a reliable option.
“He’s been excellent on the penalty kill,” Hynes said.
It’s an encouraging sign for a player whose offensive abilities were a major part of his appeal when Minnesota selected him in the first round.
While Yurov’s recent goals have attracted attention, his ability to contribute without the puck could ultimately determine how quickly he develops into the top-six center Hynes envisions.
And another important part of that development is taking place in the faceoff circle.
Former NHL Center Derek Stepan Helping Yurov
Yurov has been working with former NHL center Derek Stepan to improve his faceoff ability, something Hynes specifically highlighted following Sunday’s victory.
“The faceoffs, he was over 50% on the faceoff circle. He’s been working with [Derek Stepan]. He puts time and effort into it,” Hynes said.
Stepan, a native of Hastings, Minnesota, brings extensive NHL experience to the process. The former center played 890 regular-season games across 13 NHL seasons, recording 182 goals, 333 assists and 515 points.
He also appeared in 120 Stanley Cup playoff games, contributing 20 goals, 35 assists and 55 points.
Throughout his career, Stepan established himself as a dependable NHL center who understood the responsibilities of playing in the middle of the ice.
That experience provides Yurov with an opportunity to learn from someone who spent more than a decade competing against some of the league’s best players.
Faceoffs are particularly important for a young center looking to earn more ice time and responsibility. Winning draws can help a team establish possession, relieve pressure in the defensive zone and create offensive opportunities immediately following a faceoff.
For a player like Yurov, improving in that area could make him a more complete option for Minnesota’s coaching staff. His work with Stepan also demonstrates the commitment Hynes has noticed throughout his development.
Yurov isn’t simply relying on his natural offensive talent. He’s putting in additional work to improve the details necessary to become an everyday NHL center.
So far, it has paid off. He had the lowest faceoff percentage in the NHL last season for centermen who took at least 742 draws (39.2 percent). He's at 56.6 percent this season.
An Interesting Decision Could Be Ahead For Minnesota
TRENIN ➡️ SHABANOV ➡️ YUROV 🚨 pic.twitter.com/wdFEZhZDwI
— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) October 16, 2026
Yurov’s recent emergence comes at an interesting time for the Wild.
Minnesota has been linked to Detroit's Dylan Larkin in trade speculation as the organization continues looking for ways to strengthen its center depth.
Larkin would provide the Wild with an established top-six center capable of making an immediate impact. However, acquiring a player of his caliber could require Minnesota to part with valuable young assets, potentially including Yurov.
And that’s where Hynes’ comments become particularly interesting.
The Wild are reportedly exploring the possibility of acquiring an established center, yet their own head coach believes one of their young players has the potential to develop into a first- or second-line center himself.
At 22 years old, Yurov is still in the early stages of his NHL career. There will undoubtedly be growing pains, and a four-game scoring stretch doesn’t guarantee he’ll reach the ceiling Hynes envisions.
But his recent production, defensive awareness, penalty-killing contributions and continued improvement in the faceoff circle suggest his development is moving in the right direction.
“So, it’s nice to see, particularly early in the season to see him get on the scoresheet, get some confidence that way because there’s so many things that are trending in the right direction with him, and that’s certainly one of them,” Hynes said.
For Minnesota, the challenge is balancing the desire to improve immediately with the potential of its young players.
Larkin could provide an immediate solution down the middle, but Yurov is beginning to demonstrate why he could eventually become part of that solution himself.
And when a head coach publicly projects a 22-year-old as a future top-two-line center, it raises an important question about how much the organization should be willing to sacrifice to acquire an established one.
For now, Yurov continues to make his case on the ice.
With three goals in his last four games and increasing trust from Minnesota’s coaching staff, the young Russian is giving the Wild plenty to consider as they evaluate both their present needs and their future down the middle.
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Penguins Make Pair Of Defensive Roster Moves
With some injuries piling up on the left side of the blue line, the Pittsburgh Penguins made a roster move Sunday to give them another body for the last leg of their current Western road swing.
The Penguins recalled defenseman Ilya Solovyov from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins, and on the same day, re-assigned newly acquired blueliner Ryan Johnson to WBS.
These moves come a day after defenseman Sam Girard was injured during the second period of the Penguins' 6-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, when Girard was tripped by Vegas forward Brett Howden and flew awkwardly into the bottom of the wall shoulder-first.
In addition, Trevor van Riemsdyk is still working out in Pittsburgh and rehabbing from a lower-body injury. He is currently on injured reserve.
Penguins Complete Trade With Sabres To Acquire Former First-Round PickThe Pittsburgh Penguins addressed their defensive logjam at the minor league level with a blue line swap involving the Buffalo Sabres MondaySolovyov, 26, began the season on the Penguins' NHL roster. After failing to appear in a game, the Penguins waived him on Oct. 9 in hopes that he would pass through waivers and join WBS to have an opportunity to be in the lineup every night. In three games for WBS, Solovyov had one assist and was a plus-6, largely playing top-pairing minutes with right defenseman Harrison Brunicke.
The 6-foot-3, 229-pound defenseman was traded to Pittsburgh during the second half last season and appeared in 14 games, registering five points to go along with a plus-1.
Johnson, 25, is a former first-round pick (31st overall in 2019) who was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 12. He has yet to appear in an NHL game this season, and he has seven assists in 47 games across three season, all of which were accrued in 41 games during his rookie season in 2023-24.
Report: Penguins Are Willing To Deal Veterans. What Does That Mean?According to a new report Saturday, the Pittsburgh Penguins and GM Kyle Dubas are ready to open the doors for a youth movement.Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Sabres Off To Decent Start, But What GM Jarmo Kekalainen Needs To Do Is Pull Off A Blockbuster Tradee
The Buffalo Sabres had a tough test Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens, but they ultimately fell to the Habs in a 4-3 overtime win for Montreal. The ‘loser’ point was beneficial to the Sabres, but against arguably the Atlantic Division’s top team, Buffalo had an opportunity to send a shot across the bow to the Canadiens, and they failed to do so.
The Sabres are by no means a perfect team, but they are very much a work-in-progress. You might say the same about every team, but Buffalo’s pressure is different in that their15-year Stanley Cup playoff drought ended last season, and they now have to take the next step forward – and that’s getting beyond the second round next spring.
But what the Sabres really need to do – something they owe their loyal, long-suffering fans – is pull off a blockbuster trade involving one player or another.
Could that be current Winnipeg Jets malcontent goalie Connor Hellebuyck? It could be. Could it be Detroit Red Wings star center Dylan Larkin? Highly unlikely, but stranger things have happened. Or could there be a star player who suddenly appears on the trade block? That’s the most-likely development for Buffalo.
The Sabres have $1.8-million in salary cap space, so if they are going to acquire a name-brand player with a high salary, they’re going to have to move out money, either in the blockbuster trade, or in a subsequent move. But the other thing Buffalo GM Jarmo Kekalainen could use in a blockbuster swap is his first-round draft picks. The Sabres have all of their first-rounders in the next three drafts, so peeling off one of them wouldn’t hurt a win-now team like Buffalo.
The Sabres don’t need any high-end talent on ‘D, but their current goaltending setup doesn’t inspire much confidence. Veterans Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis have sub-.900 save percentages, and that’s why Buffalo has been linked to Hellebuyck. But the other area Buffalo could target is their top-six group of forwards. If the Toronto Maple Leafs had the assets to acquire star winger Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Sabres have enough trade capital to pick up a similar type of player.
Kekalainen has yet to orchestrate a blockbuster move of any sort in his one year (approximately) running the team. The truth is, Buffalo played so well that Kekalainen didn’t have an acute problem to deal with. But now that the Sabres have settled in a little bit, they could significantly shift the balance of power by bringing in a Grade-A talent.
You can give a player like Ryan McLeod his due for being an above-average NHL talent, but is he a star? No. And that’s what Buffalo needs – star power. That’s what Buffalo fans deserve – a player who can impose their will on games and electrify long-suffering Sabres fans. Some of Buffalo’s youngsters could evolve into superstars some day down the line. But in this moment in the Sabres’ competitive cycle, they need to be swinging for the fences on the trade market.
Sometimes, you never know what players come available. And if Kekalainen shakes the trees in the coming weeks and months, a high-end player could fall into Buffalo’s lap. The Sabres have every reason to bring in a star-caliber player, and if Kekalainen can acquire a top forward or goalie, that could prove to be the final piece of Buffalo’s championship puzzle.
Latest Flyers Roster Move Creates Intrigue Amid Injury Crisis
Even though the Philadelphia Flyers are badly hurting due to injuries, especially at forward, they just created some intrigue by cutting loose more healthy bodies than they replace them with.
On Sunday, shortly after the conclusion of the Flyers' practice session, head coach Rick Tocchet revealed that forwards Tyson Foerster and Sean Couturier are game-time decisions ahead of Monday night's game against the Colorado Avalanche.
They join a growing list of Flyers players ailing and out of the lineup, with Travis Konecny, Cam York, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Owen Tippett all injured at the moment as well.
Later Sunday, the Flyers placed York on injured reserve, creating a free roster space, while sending forward Jack Studnicka and defenseman Helge Grans to the AHL.
The only corresponding move the Flyers made was calling up defenseman Hunter McDonald, a 6-foot-4, 240 pound defenseman who made his NHL debut last season against Montreal, recording an assist, a +3 rating, and four penalty minutes.
With the 24-year-old McDonald now on the roster, the Flyers still have two free roster spots available for use, though it's curious that they haven't made use of them just yet.
For instance, in Studnicka's case, the journeyman had recently overtaken the fourth-line center position with Couturier moving up higher in the lineup, as the Flyers preferred Studnicka at center over the versatile Noel Acciari.
Including Tippett, Foerster, and Couturier, the Flyers have 12 forwards on their roster, and they would assuredly need to call up at least one forward to help close the gap.
What are the Flyers' options?
Perhaps Travis Konecny, who is now eligible to return from injured reserve after missing seven days of action, is ready to hit the ice, though he wasn't spotted at practice on Sunday.
If needed, players like Jett Luchanko and Alex Bump are candidates to be called up by the Flyers, though, again, it's interesting they haven't already done so.
Bump, 22, would be especially interesting given that he has seven goals in five AHL games this season, including an overtime winner on Saturday night.
It's no secret the Flyers are starved for offense, and Bump would easily be the most deserving candidate for a call-up amongst the forwards.
Luchanko, with six points in six games, has been no slouch either, but the Flyers may prefer their top center prospect to have more development time in the AHL rather than serve as a band-aid solution for a rash of injuries for a game or two.
As for someone like Carl Grundstrom, the Swede was unavailable for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms due to personal reasons on Saturday night, so he might not be an option for the Flyers at the moment.
Other veterans in the AHL, like Nolan Foote and Danila Klimovich, are banged up and likely unavailable, too.
Also of note, the NHL no longer allows paper transactions, so Studnicka must return to the AHL and report for at least one game before he returns to the NHL; the Flyers can't assess Tippett, Foerster, and Couturier and then decide that they need Studnicka back for the Avalanche game.
This latest roster move from the Flyers is clearly a precursor to something more, though it is just unclear what that is at this time.
Phoenix Suns Give Oso Ighodaro A Contract Extension
With the start of the 2026-27 NBA season right around the corner — NBC has a tripleheader on Tuesday! — it’s the time of the year where teams start nailing down the details of contract extensions as deadlines to file rapidly approach. That has benefited a former Marquette Golden Eagle, as Oso Ighodaro has agreed to terms on a three year extension with the Phoenix Suns, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
When Ighodaro was drafted #40 overall in 2024, he signed a deal for three years with a team option for a fourth. The 2026-27 season is the third and final full year of the deal, which the Suns guaranteed for the former Marquette center back in June. Part of the process of agreeing to this extension is Phoenix already picking up the option for the 2027-28 season and thus guaranteeing Ighodaro his nearly $2.5 million salary for that season.
The three year extension then kicks in after that, guaranteeing Ighodaro a paycheck through the end of the 2030-31 season. Spotrac’s breakdown of the deal has him making just under $9 million in 2028-29, $9.7 million in Year Two, and then $10.3 million in Year 3. Oso Ighodaro is a $10 million a year player in the NBA, what a time to be alive.
Ighodaro played in 61 games as a rookie for the Suns, starting six times and averaging 4.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and just over an assist per game in 17 minutes a night. Last season, he played in all 82 games, getting 24 starts for Phoenix. He averaged 6.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 22 minutes per game overall, but as a starter, that was up to 8.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in nearly 27 minutes per game. Ighodaro started all four games of Phoenix’s first round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder last spring, putting up 7.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in more than 32 minutes. That’s, uh, not too shabby for a former second round pick, so you can see why the team is enthused about locking him up on a deal that’s worth roughly 5% of the salary cap through 2031.
Phoenix opens their season on Wednesday, October 21st, with a road game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
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Stephen Curry limps off court at Warriors practice, Kerr says he's 'fine'
That noise you hear is a huge sigh of relief coming out of the Bay Area.
Warriors fans' hearts were in their throats on Sunday when Curry limped off the court at an open practice, as Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area recorded.
Steph Curry limps off the court at open practice and he just went back to the locker room @NBCSWarriors
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) October 18, 2026
Real quiet in here now pic.twitter.com/cLEFcOwTGt
Curry limped straight back to the locker room, and there were concerns he had done something to his knee.
However, after practice, coach Steve Kerr told reporters that the 12-time All-Star just tweaked his ankle. Kerr downplayed what happened, saying, "He's fine."
The Warriors open the season on Wednesday night in Los Angeles against the new-look Lakers.
The Warriors will take the court for that game already missing key players, with Jimmy Butler (ACL) and Moses Moody (left patellar tendon) both expected to return midseason. Center Kristaps Porzingis remains away from the team with an undisclosed medical issue but says he is improving and working toward a return.
Even when those players return, the Warriors are built around Stephen Curry, both his scoring and the gravity he provides, which creates spacing and opportunities for others. Kerr already said this week that they need to rest the 38-year-old Hall of Famer in some situations, particularly back-to-backs.
"But to be really frank, every year we run into this (situation) where, if we have a bunch of games stacked together..." Kerr told reporters, via Nick Friedell at The Athletic. "So, I would just come out and tell the fans out there to be mindful when you're buying the tickets, of the schedule. Take a look. Because we've got not just Steph but multiple vets we are going to try and manage, because it's the only way we can do this."
5 winners and losers from the Lakers’ preseason
An exciting new era of Lakers basketball kicked off this preseason with lots of excitement and intrigue.
While we only briefly got a look at the new Big 3 that will guide the team into the future, there were plenty of other players fans got a long look at, for better and for worse.
Let’s dive into some of the preseason winners and losers for the purple and gold.
Winner — Sandro Mamukelashvili
Lakers fans didn’t have to wait long to find their new fan favorite. As a jack-of-all-trades type of player, Mamu found many ways to make an impression.
Some nights, it was knocking down a barrage of threes. Other nights, it was an unexpected reverse dunk. But most often, it was each of those things and more throughout the game.
Pretty quickly, Mamu established himself as someone who is going to be able to come in and change games with his energy and his versatility, all while getting the fans into the game as well.
Loser — Jarred Vanderbilt
A byproduct of the Lakers bringing in multiple new wings this offseason is that Vando became a lot less valuable in that sense. And with head coach JJ Redick already showing his hand in being willing to sit Vando even when there was more of a need for him, it probably shouldn’t have been a shock to see how little he was used in the preseason.
Even with the team shuffling through players and lineups because of injuries and rest, it was not an uncommon occurrence for Vando to have to wait until the fourth quarter to get his first minutes.
He can still bring value to the team as a chemistry and locker room guy as everyone on the team seems to like him. But he’s very far down the pecking order when it comes to actually getting on the court.
Winner — Ziaire Williams
From effectively the first preseason practice on, Williams was mentioned as a standout player. Despite missing time with an injury, Williams seems to be an odds-on favorite for the starting lineup to open the season.
Considering he was waived by the Nets and came to LA on a minimum deal, it’s already a strong start to the season. The goal now is to make that a springboard to a better campaign and not the high point.
Loser — Jaden Hardy and Dalton Knecht
Coming into training camp, there was supposed to be a battle for the final roster spot and most circled Hardy and Knecht as the guys likely duking it out.
Somehow, both lost.
Based on preseason playing time, Knecht seems likely to lose that battle. But Hardy did not paint himself in any sort of glory. The Lakers probably won’t cut both of them, but it wouldn’t be shocking if they did. President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka likes to have an open roster spot going into the season and Hardy certainly didn’t do enough to earn a roster spot.
Winner — Jake LaRavia
LaRavia’s campaign was a roller coaster last year. After a fast start, he hit a funk and struggled for most of the rest of the way. By the postseason, he seemed scared to even look at the basket.
But a revamped jumper and a renewed mindset have him in a much better space this preseason. His shot looks unorthodox, but he’s shooting it with confidence and it’s going on. It doesn’t matter how pretty it looks, just whether he hits it regularly.
If he does, then he’s another wing the Lakers can turn to this season.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
For revamped Sixers, youth and growth should still matter plenty
For revamped Sixers, youth and growth should still matter plenty originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The surface impression of the 2026-27 Sixers is that they’ll lean on experience and star power as they pursue grand ambitions.
LeBron James is the NBA’s eldest player, set to turn 42 years old in December and impossibly accomplished. Joel Embiid is a seven-time All-Star, Jaylen Brown a five-time All-Star. Tyrese Maxey is fresh off his first All-NBA team selection. Veteran role players like Dean Wade and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have made careers largely out of accepting and executing blue-collar work.
That’s all well and good. The Sixers won’t be naive to the bumps and battles that come with an NBA season. Youth and internal improvement should matter plenty, though.
Time and again, Maxey’s teammates have echoed his mantra of “One percent better every day” in press conferences over the past several weeks. It’s a solid default to any sort of team-building question and words are words. Still, it makes plenty of sense for this Sixers squad to be focused on steady growth.
While James, Brown and the other pickups from the Sixers’ very eventful summer are far from strangers, so much newness always presents major challenges. The awkward turnovers and miscommunications won’t stop just because the preseason is over. As James highlighted at media day, patience and day-after-day dedication will be required.
Health permitting, 21-year-old VJ Edgecombe should be a crucial piece of the picture. He was game for anything last season and a well-earned finalist for Rookie of the Year.
“Look at the team I have around me,” Edgecombe said with a laugh on Sept. 29. “There’s no pressure on me at all. I’m just going to go out there and be myself. Once I’m out there being myself, playing with joy, I think we’ll be good.”
James certainly does not view Edgecombe as an immature youngster.
“He’s just not quiet,” the four-time MVP said on Oct. 3 after the Sixers’ Blue-White scrimmage. “And I’m saying that in a good way. If there’s things that happen on the floor, if there’s things that he sees, if there’s things that we see, we just automatically figure it out right there. … He’s a very cerebral player and he’s always looking for ways to get better on the floor, even at his young age.
“It definitely feels like he’s much older. It definitely feels like he’s not in Year 2. … We have a lot of guys that have been around the block, a lot of guys that have a voice, and a lot of guys that want to get better every day and hold each other accountable. It’s great to see.”
The Sixers will rely on Edgecombe to keep developing defensively, sink open three-pointers, and trust his instincts as the kid in the starting lineup.
He has an abundance of star ingredients.
“VJ’s gotten better every single day,” Maxey said Thursday. “He grows as a player every single day. His mind grows, his athleticism grows. He was dunking last year, but he wasn’t dunking like this. You can tell he got a little bit stronger, a little bit more confident. I’m excited to step on the court and compete with him.”
Maxey, meanwhile, is 25 years old and exceptional in the self-improvement department.
After averaging career highs last year in points (28.3 per game), assists (6.6), rebounds (4.1) and steals (1.9), what’s on his agenda this season?
“I’m at the point now where I’ve showed what I can do talent-wise, I think,” Maxey said following Day 2 of training camp. “Of course I’m going to get to better, but I want to be judged by winning. If we win, that’s what I want to be judged by. That’s really my main mindset, my whole goal, is finding ways to win.
“And because I’ve played so many different roles, I’m capable of doing so many different things. I think that’s going to be a positive for myself and for this team. I can play on the ball, I can play off the ball, I can play in transition, I can catch and shoot, I can play off pin-downs, I can play in pick-and-roll. I’m going to play however they need me to play.”
Shifting to the bench, the notable young names include 23-year-old backup center Adem Bona and rookie guard Labaron Philon Jr.
Philon’s role may very well be minor unless another injury or two pops up. The 22nd overall pick won’t turn 21 until next month. The starting backcourt of Maxey and Edgecombe tends to log a massive volume of minutes and Anfernee Simons is an established, bucket-getting guard.
However, a world in which Philon eventually seizes a meaningful rotation spot isn’t outlandish to imagine. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said at training camp that he was “super impressed with his vision and his passing and his offensive creation.”
Philon played 24.3 minutes per game in his first preseason and averaged 9.3 points and 4.5 assists. He’s been curious about all his veteran teammates have to offer, asking questions on topics ranging from Brown’s secrets to making tightly contested shots to Edgecombe’s process for building a personal routine in the NBA.
Philon has maintained a deep belief in his own game, too.
“I would say I’ve always been a great passer,” he said on Oct. 2. “Having the right guys, the right plays and the right mindset. First, you have to be unselfish. Second, you’ve got to have guys that want to move on the floor. And then third, it just comes down to making the best decision. For me, the best decision is making the easiest play.
“Right now I don’t really need any showtime or any flashy plays. The position that I’m in right now, making the right play every time will be great for me. And I’ve been doing it. So just seeing that (in training camp) has been good.”
The Sixers will happily take right play after right play this season.
The hunch here is that the youngsters will make many of them.