Here come the fighters. First it’s Mbilli, entering first despite his status as the champion, wearing a black tee and red trunks. And now after an extended video introduction it’s time for Canelo. It’s a muted, pyrotechnic-free ringwalk by his theatrical standards as he enters surrounded by his team and the recording artist Tito Double P.
Anthem time at Kingdom Arena. First the national anthem of Saudi Arabia, in honor of our hosts. Then La Marseillaise, for Mbilli. Then Himno Nacional Mexicano, for Canelo. The fighters should be making their entrances any moment now.
NEW YORK (AP) — Connor McDavid extended his NHL-record season-opening assist streak to 14 games by setting up Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ second goal, and the Edmonton Oilers opened their road trip by beating the New York Islanders 4-0 on Saturday.
Nugent-Hopkins scored on a power play in the third period to give McDavid his league-best 29th assist. McDavid has a big lead in points with 37 and is on pace for more than 200.
Longtime running mate Leon Draisaitl recorded a pair of assists, including a perfect skate-to-stick exchange that led to Vasily Podkolzin putting the puck into a wide open net. Ilya Sorokin similarly had little chance on Nugent-Hopkins’ shot from point-blank range off a feed from Kasperi Kapanen 68 seconds earlier.
Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry stopped all 18 shots he faced for a second consecutive shutout, and Jason Dickinson scored into an empty net to seal the victory. The Oilers have won 10 of their first 14 games this season, their first with Mike Babcock as coach.
Despite 20 saves from Sorokin, the Islanders’ winning streak ended at two games, with top defenseman Matthew Schaefer getting whistled for two of the team’s five minor penalties. Forward Emil Heineman was ejected less than 2 1/2 minutes in for a knee-on-knee hit that injured Isaac Howard, who put no weight on his left leg as he was helped off the ice and did not return.
New York was without defenseman Ryan Pulock, who was seeing a doctor after leaving Thursday night at Minnesota with what the team called an upper-body injury.
Up next
Oilers: Make their second stop on a three-game visit to the area by playing at the New York Rangers on Sunday.
Islanders: After some time off, host the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.
Having to overcome a pair of two-goal deficits and a third period deficit, where they were 0-6-0 when trailing after two, it appeared the visitors were headed for a losing month of October.
But three goals in a span 4:38, including Aleksanteri Kaskimaki’s first NHL goal that turned out to be the game-winner, and the Blues pulled out an improbable 5-4 win over the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
The Blues (7-6-1) thus finish above .500 in the month of October for the first time since the 2021-22 season when they were 6-1-0 and finished that season 49-22-11.
This one wasn’t pretty, and maybe it helps erase the 2-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday when the Blues felt they played a game they should have won and were simply beaten by Montreal goalie Jacob Fowler’s 46-save shutout.
Here, they didn’t play particularly well at all for large swaths of this one but found a way to get two points maybe they didn’t necessarily deserve. The swings of an 84-game season can bring that about.
As for the game itself, let’s delve into it the key moments …
* Three goals in 4:38 – The Blues found themselves down 4-2 with roughly 12 minutes to play and were on their way with what looked like a seventh loss in as many games when trailing after two when they entered the period down 3-2.
But Pavel Buchnevich’s goal at 8:37, after a nifty little backhand sauce from Jake Neighbours entering the zone along the righthand side gave Buchnevich space through the middle of the ice before ripping a shot into the top left corner to make it 4-3:
St. Louis goal!
Scored by Pavel Buchnevich with 11:23 left in the 3rd. Assisted by Jake Neighbours.
Justin Barron tied it 4-4 at 12:57 on a play all started by him with a heck of a leap off his skates on a flip out, he catches the puck and all in one motion, spins and moves the puck quickly up to Jimmy Snuggerud, who was able to get the puck into the middle of the ice for Barron to stay in the play and one-time a shot past John Gibson:
St. Louis goal!
Scored by Justin Barron with 07:03 left in the 3rd. Assisted by Jimmy Snuggerud.
And just 18 seconds later at 13:15, Kaskimaki put the Blues ahead for good at 5-4 when Pius Suter was able to bring the puck around the wall to Alexey Toropchenko, who quickly put a shot towards the net and Kaskimaki was there on the short side to tip it past Gibson:
St. Louis goal!
Scored by Aleksanteri Kaskimaki with 06:45 left in the 3rd. Assisted by Alexey Toropchenko and Pius Suter.
The Blues did a nice job the rest of the way of shutting it down, even after Detroit (6-5-3) pulled Gibson with three minutes to play, including Suter back-checking to break up a potential last-second one-timer at the net with the chance to tie the game.
* Fighting through without Colton Parayko – Parayko did not play and is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury, which meant the Blues were going to have to get it done with a younger group, including Theo Lindstein, who was recalled from Springfield of the American Hockey League on Friday.
It also meant Parayko’s big minutes (20:49 average time per game) were going to have to be picked up, including on the penalty kill, and yes, Philip Broberg was beat back down the ice that enabled Keegan Kolesar to score on a breakaway and give Detroit a 2-1 lead 41 seconds into the second period, but he and Brandon Carlo were able to play solid shutdown minutes and each finish at plus-2, with Broberg playing a game-high 27:09 and Carlo finishing at 21:22.
Cam Fowler (21:16) was paired with Adam Jiricek (20:22) who I thought had a really solid game playing in some key moments and needing to step into the top four with Parayko out
* Justin Barron continues to impress – What else can be said for a waiver wire pickup? Barron continues to make an impact after having a goal and an assist to give him eight points (two goals, six assists) in his first 11 games in a Blues uniform.
He makes a terrific play on his goal, and also helped set up Dalibor Dvorsky’s opener at 2:29 of the opening period for a 1-0 lead when he had a shot chance but instead chose to make a nice slip pass into the slot for Dvorsky to cut to his backhand:
St. Louis goal!
Scored by Dalibor Dvorsky with 17:31 left in the 1st. Assisted by Justin Barron and Dylan Holloway.
Barron played 15:44 and is now up to eight points (two goals, six assists) in 11 games with the Blues this season; he had just nine assists with the Nashville Predators last season in 52 games and has never had more than 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in any NHL season, and that was with the Montreal Canadiens in 2022-23.
At this pace, if Barron plays out the season, he would be on pace to shatter his personal bests with 59 points (15 goals, 44 assists) in 81 games.
Perhaps playing in a system that allows the defensemen to jump into plays and play more aggressively is suiting Barron’s style well with the Blues. So far, so good. He’s been a terrific add thus far.
* Snuggerud goal key to comeback – There’s just certain goals in a game where you say, “Remember that one,” at critical junctures.
When Snuggerud scored with 27.1 seconds left in the second period to cut Detroit’s lead to 3-2, that was the one.
The Blues had just switched up their line combinations to reset to where they were for the majority of the season, and Broberg’s rim around was aggressively forechecked by Robert Thomas, who took the puck to the net hard before Snuggerud was there to deposit the loose change:
St. Louis goal!
Scored by Jimmy Snuggerud with 00:28 left in the 2nd. Assisted by Robert Thomas and Philip Broberg.
Yes, Detroit did increase its lead to 4-2 on Emmitt Finnie’s goal early in the third on the power play, but if you’re down 3-1 and that goal makes it 4-1, chances of a comeback are pretty remote.
But getting a late-period goal like that when the Blues had little to no mojo going on can give a group a spark, and it certainly did re-energize a pretty dead group.
* 15 shots gets it done – The Blues had lots of success on Gibson in the past, most notably when he was a member of the Anaheim Ducks. Gibson was 8-16-1 with a 3.39 goals-against average and .895 save percentage against St. Louis for his career.
Getting shots on the veteran goalie would have proved to be beneficial. But when Dvorsky scored, it was the Blues’ only shot for the next 26:36 of the game. Gibson made his first save (on Dvorsky) just over nine minutes into the second period. The Blues were not forechecking to create zone time and the Red Wings were defending what little the Blues had early on well enough.
They had just three shots on goal halfway through the game and finished with 15, but once they started to funnel the few pucks they had at Gibson, they were able to find the back of the net and finished with a robust 33.3 percent shooting for the game on 47 shot attempts.
"The feeling in that locker room right now is pretty special, so we've got to carry on this momentum."
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The Chicago Blackhawks closed out their two-game road trip with a visit to TD Garden, home of the Boston Bruins. Two opposite-conference teams off to very different starts met up for the first time this season.
The Blackhawks came in looking to avenge their horrific performance on Thursday night against the Detroit Red Wings. Based on the situation with Detroit off the ice, an argument can be made that it was Chicago's worst performance of the season.
In the first period, the Blackhawks got off to another good start. They went up 1-0, which they do often, thanks to a power-play goal scored by Anton Frondell. Jeff Blashill finally put Frondell and his wicked one-timer on the top unit, and it paid off right away.
On the goal, Patrick Kane collected his 900th career NHL assist. He became just the 21st player in league history to reach that milestone. Sidney Crosby is the only other active player to have reached that milestone.
Later in the first period, Pavel Zacha made a brilliant read to spring David Pastrnak, who did not miss with his very nice breakaway move. With the goal, Pastrnak passed Patrice Bergeron for the third most in Bruins history.
The Blackhawks doubled the Bruins in first-period shots, 14-7. However, they were unable to escape the opening period with the lead, as the 1-1 score held.
The second period had all sorts of fireworks. For one, Anton Frondell scored his second goal of the game at 3:21 of the middle frame. Tyler Bertuzzi wisely threw one on net, and it went in off Frondell, who had an incredible game overall.
Eventually, a rush by James Hagens and Casey Mittelstadt off a turnover in the neutral zone allowed the latter to eventually snipe one home. The Blackhawks, once again, came out of a period that they mostly dominated (12-6 in shots) tied. Sometimes, that is expected when a team with less overall talent is playing better. When you're a young squad like the Blackhawks, you have to work even harder to collect wins.
Although each team scored in the second period, the story was the big brawl. Casey Mittelstadt and Alex Vlasic started it in the middle of the ice behind the play before both teams came together for a yard sale. The kicker, however, is that Nikita Zadorov earned himself a 10-minute misconduct when he took a cheap shot punch at Alex Vlasic's face as the brawl ended. Only time will tell if he hears from the league.
Huge scrum involving Vlasic and Mittelstadt. Zadorov comes in and lands a cheap shot: pic.twitter.com/5MWPtKwY6A
In the third period, someone had to be a hero for either team. At 9:38, after a series of saves by goaltender Arvid Soderblom on Charlie McAvoy, Ryan Greene took the puck up the ice and scored his second of the season. The Blackhawks have had trouble holding 3rd period leads, especially against playoff-caliber teams, but this was another chance to try.
Connor Bedard gave the Blackhawks some breathing room with a goal of his own. He won a puck battle to give himself a breakaway, and he made a wonderful move of his own to give his team a two-goal lead.
Less than a minute later, the Bruins got themselves back within one. JJ Peterka made a brilliant feed to Mason Lohrei, who beat Soderblom to make it 4-3. It's never easy in the NHL.
It turned into a nightmare finish on Halloween for the Blackhawks as Morgan Geekie tied the game with 10 seconds remaining. The Blackhawks, in such a short amount of time, went from a team looking like a winner to a team on their heels.
In overtime, the Blackhawks gave themselves a chance to win more than once, but they were unable to solve Michael DiPietro one more time. Before not, Elias Lindholm scored on Arvid Soderblom to give the Bruins a 5-4 win.
Despite being the better team for most of the game, the Blackhawks were unable to secure a solid victory over a good team. Being unable to hold late leads has been the spooky reality for the Blackhawks over the last two years, and it showed on Saturday.
People will look at the box score and see that Soderblom gave up 5 goals and criticize him for it. However, he made multiple grade-A saves and gave the team a chance to win. It might be time to start using him a bit more so that he can stay sharp and give Spencer Knight a break now and again.
Watch Every Chicago Goal
🎃 Anton first goal of the game 🎃 Kaner 900th assist 🎃 starting Halloween off on a wicked note pic.twitter.com/QZNKq0OtaW
The Chicago Blackhawks will return home for a one-off Monday night game against the Colorado Avalanche. That is a huge test against an elite team before heading out for three on the road against Eastern Conference Cup contenders: the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes.
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The classic horror movie trope of an antagonist suddenly roaring back to life just when the protagonists think they've finished them off played out on the ice Saturday afternoon - and on Halloween, fittingly enough.
The Detroit Red Wings comfortably led 4-2 over the visiting St. Louis Blues at Little Caesars Arena near the midway point of the third period, only to watch the Blues score three unanswered goals, including two in 18 seconds, to take the lead and ultimately hold on for a 5-4 victory.
It was the Blues who struck first courtesy of a backhander by Dalibor Dvorsky from in tight. But Detroit knotted the score soon afterward when Michael Rasmussen stole the puck from goaltender Joel Hofer behind the net and fed J.T. Compher, who tallied his first goal of the season.
Early in the second period, forward Keegan Kolesar took a pass from Carter Mazur and broke in alone on Hofer, scoring his first goal since being traded to the Red Wings over the summer. Detroit then extended its lead to 3-1 when Lucas Raymond scored his fifth goal in his last six games.
St. Louis cut the deficit to one late in the period when Jimmy Snuggerud poked a loose puck past Gibson at the side of the net.
But Detroit restored its two-goal cushion thanks to a power-play goal from Emmitt Finnie at 3:29 of the third period. The Red Wings appeared to have things well in hand at that point, but the Blues would quickly flip the script.
Pavel Buchnevich sniped a shot past Gibson's blocker at 8:37, followed by another blast from Justin Barron that also beat Gibson on the blocker side.
Just 18 seconds later, Blues forward Aleksanteri Kaskimaki scored the first goal of his NHL career, deflecting a shot from Alexey Toropchenko past Gibson, giving St. Louis the lead and stunning the Red Wings and their fans.
Despite pulling Gibson for the extra attacker, the Red Wings couldn't come up with the equalizer and suffered a disappointing loss.
Gibson finished with 10 saves on the 15 shots he faced; Hofer picked up the win for the Blues after turning aside 24 of 28 shots.
The Red Wings will now head onto the road for two straight divisional matchups starting Monday against the Florida Panthers.
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Pat Cummins has conceded the Australian Test side has to improve if they are reclaim its status as the world’s best team and said it is fair to question whether a personnel change is needed to spark their best this summer.
DENVER — Gavin Brindley’s strong play with the Colorado Eagles has earned him another opportunity with the Avalanche.
The speedy, aggressive forward was recalled Saturday, just nine days after being sent back to Colorado’s AHL affiliate.
The recall comes as the Avalanche prepare to face the Calgary Flames without Logan O’Connor. O’Connor missed Friday’s practice to attend his father Myles’ funeral, and head coach Jared Bednar confirmed at Saturday’s morning skate that the forward would not play.
Brindley has made the most of his time in the AHL, recording four points (one goal, three assists) in four games since his reassignment. He finished October with nine points (two goals, seven assists) in eight appearances, earning recognition as the Eagles’ second star of the month.
In Colorado's October 14 matchup against the Dallas Stars, Brindley appeared to score with a beautiful wrist shot. The goal horn sounded, and the arena briefly celebrated before everyone realized the puck hadn't gone in. Instead, replay showed the puck hitting both posts in what can only be described as one of the biggest cases of rejection in recent hockey memory. The Avalanche went on to lose 3-2 in a shootout, but Brindley came close to giving the team one of the night's best highlights.
He appeared in four games during his initial recall, recording one assist while averaging 8:08 of ice time. His opportunities were limited, as he saw no action on either special-teams unit. Still, his recent production with the Eagles has given Colorado another reason to see what he can do at the NHL level.
The Avalanche acquired Brindley from the Columbus Blue Jackets in June 2025 in the trade that sent Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to Columbus. Colorado also received a 2025 third-round pick and a conditional 2027 second-round selection. The Blue Jackets had selected Brindley 34th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Brindley spent most of last season with Colorado, recording six goals and 13 points before being sent to the Eagles in late March. He has since accumulated 14 points in 61 career NHL games.
With another call-up, Brindley gets a chance to turn his strong AHL play into more NHL opportunities. He'll look to make the most of the opportunity as Colorado takes on Calgary.
The Avalanche take on the Flames on Halloween night at Ball Arena. Puck drop is at 8 p.m. local time.
The New Jersey Devils closed out October with a 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. The win also wrapped up a 2-1 road trip and a 5-1 Western Conference swing. At 9-5 and boasting the second-best record in the Metropolitan Division, the Devils look like contenders and are playing that way as well.
The catch in the Devils' case is that they’ve had these hot starts before. Last season, they started 8-1, and in 2022-23, they went 6-3 in the first month while going 19-4 by the time American Thanksgiving wrapped up.
The Devils had had these hot starts before where they looked like Cup contenders. Then the injuries or struggles hit them like a brick wall, and they have a disappointing season. It’s been a theme of the Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier era of the Devils, and it’s why there’s a hesitant feeling around this team.
The Past Is A Reason The Devils Can’t Overreact To The Hot Start
It’s still too early in the season, and a lot can change. The Devils found chemistry in their forward lines, but the rest of the league is still figuring out their rosters. The opponents will be tougher as the season goes on.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe, who is in the middle of his third season behind the Devils' bench and eighth in the NHL, knows this season is a marathon. “What was today? Game 10? We have 84 of these; consistency is the name of the game. This time last year, we won eight in a row. My first year I was here, we set an NHL record; we had seven games consecutively where we gave up 20 shots or less,” he stated after the 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks.
The playoffs feel like an inevitability, and the Devils have their eyes set on more than just that. However, they are far from certain. The Devils know the feeling, especially since they’ve had playoff-caliber teams in recent seasons come up short.
Why This Start Feels Different
Keefe admitted that the Devils have gotten off to hot starts in the past. He’s also acknowledged that this team is different, a tight-knit group that is coming together and can do something special.
“I can’t say enough good things about what’s been happening with our game as of late,” Keefe noted after a 5-1 win over the Dallas Stars. “Probably equally as important is just what's happening off the ice with the group and how they're talking to one another, and you can really feel us building momentum as a team,” he added.
The Devils have the right leaders in the room, whether it’s Hischier, who has matured as the captain, or a third-line glue veteran like Evan Rodrigues. Plus, they’ve come together at the right time, with a road trip that wrapped up the month and prepared them for the stretch ahead.
Plus, Connor Hellebuyck changes a lot about this team. In the past, the Devils were constantly let down by the struggles in the net. They might have outplayed a team and controlled the pace of play, but a few goals squandered by the goaltender would let them down. Now, they have Hellebuyck, one of the best goaltenders in the game, if not the best, who has looked dialed in from the moment he put on a Devils jersey.
This doesn’t look like the same Devils team. On the contrary, they look poised to only improve from here on out. The roster is coming together, Hellebuyck is getting up to speed, and there’s always a chance general manager Sunny Mehta has another big move up his sleeve. The Devils provide enough optimism that they’ll be among the best teams by the end of the season.
The Start Must Be Apprecieted, A Fun Season Can Be Anticipated
With the way the season is playing out, the Devils should expect a great season. Even if they don’t win the Stanley Cup, which is still unlikely, they’ll be in the mix and set up for more success in the seasons to come.
Plus, more should be anticipated from Mehta. He kicked off the ground running with multiple moves in his first offseason and a big swing just one month into the season. If this team is in playoff position by the trade deadline, another splash might be around the corner.
The Devils will regress at some point and go through a slump. It’s an inevitable part of an 84-game season. That said, this season is shaping up to be a fun one. Hughes, Hischier, and Jesper Bratt should provide plenty of highlights on the offensive end, and Hellebuyck playing at a high level should provide plenty of highlight saves as well. The fans entered this season with renewed optimism, and one month in, that optimism has only been amplified.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 26: The shoes of Paul George #13 of the Boston Celtics during the second half at TD Garden on October 26, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 30: AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards reacts to a play against the Charlotte Hornets during the first half of the NBA Cup game at Capital One Arena on October 30, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Wizards won 95-79 last night against the Charlotte Hornets. AJ Dybantsa finally made his home debut in the regular season scoring 17 points and grabbing 8 rebounds on 5-of-11 shooting. While he didn’t shoot with the same efficiency as Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, yesterday’s performance was definitely a treat for all fans who were at Capital One Arena last night. Watch the highlights below!
The Florida Panthers have been red-hot on the power play over the past several weeks.
Their recent success while up a man has been in stark contrast over how they started the season while on the man advantage.
Out of the gate, Florida was colder than cold when up a man.
They went 0-for-11 over their first two games against the Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks.
After five games, Florida was just 1-for-28 on the power play.
That’s…bad.
But things quickly started to change in game number six.
While Florida lost that game to the Buffalo Sabres, they went 2-for-4 on the power play, with both scores coming off the stick of Sam Reinhart.
The following night the Panthers were in Columbus to face the Blue Jackets, and that’s when the flood gates were swung open.
Florida scored not one, not two, but four power play goals on six opportunities en route to a dominant 7-3 victory in Ohio.
Results were finally starting to come for the Cats, who were putting in tireless work both on and off the ice to get the power play to click.
“I think (assistant coach) Jamie Kompon and his power play group have done a great job, really changing the foundation of what they try to do,” said Panthers head coach Paul Maurice. “You spend two and a half weeks working on your power play with (Sasha) Barkov and (Brad) Marchand on it, and they both disappear within the first three games. It took us three or four games to recover from that, but they found their rhythm.”
Indeed they have.
Fast forward a couple weeks and we arrive on Saturday night, when the Panthers added another two power play goals while skating to a 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
That means since starting the season 1-for-28 on the man advantage, Florida has gone an eye-popping 15-for-38 since.
So what changed?
“Just puck movement,” said Panthers defenseman Seth Jones. “Quick puck movement and putting the penalty kill in positions to make decisions. I think we're scoring in many different ways: low plays, high plays into Reino. I think we're dangerous in a lot of different ways, but just moving it quick, being solid on the breakouts is key.”
To his credit, Jones has been instrumental to Florida’s power play success.
He’s already having a ridiculous start to the season, with 18 points through his first 14 games, which ranks him third in scoring among all NHL defensemen.
Eleven of those 18 points have come while the Panthers have been up a man, which ties him for the team lead with Matthew Tkachuk in terms of power play points.
“Seth Jones has been a huge driver, and we needed him to,” Maurice said. “He's got lots of confidence up top. He's offensively as strong as there is in the league from the blue line.”
Florida’s power play is now up to eleventh in the league, operating at a 24.2% success rate.
They’ll have a good chance at continuing that success over the remainder of their homestand, when they face the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks at Amerant Bank Arena over the next several days.
Both teams have penalty killing units in the bottom half of the league, but Detroit’s is especially poor, coming in at fourth-worst in the NHL.
Based off how things have gone over the past few weeks, the Panthers will be looking to strike early and often when given an opportunity to be up a man.
“I think we're just really looking to attack right away,” said Panthers forward Lars Eller. “We have different weapons to score. We have players that can find different ways to break down the opposition, and they've been doing exactly that.”
Photo caption: Oct 17, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19), left wing Brady Tkachuk (8), center Sam Reinhart (13), and defensemanSethJones(3) celebrate goal during the third period against the Seattle Kraken at Amerant Bank Arena. (Isabella Frias-Imagn Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 30: Collin Gillespie #12 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the game against the Denver Nuggets during the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup on October 30, 2026 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The season is young for the Phoenix Suns, and every game offers another chance to learn more about this team and whether it can execute its vision in a way that translates to winning. Thus far, it’s been rough. Phoenix is off to a 1-3 start, and if you take a look at the defensive rating, it certainly feels like Halloween. Because those numbers are downright spooky. Last in defensive rating at 125.8, last in opposing three-point percentage at 43.9%, last in opposing second-chance points at 22.3.
You don’t want to make rash decisions based on individual performances during the infancy of a season, but at some point you need to recognize that whatever this version of the Suns is isn’t working. At least not yet. Should patience be exercised? Perhaps, and we begrudgingly know it will. Until an internal threshold relative to either games or minutes has been crossed, this experiment in futility marches forward, with each night serving as a quiz to examine.
What did Friday’s night pop quiz teach us? It reinforces something we’ve known since we first started watching, playing, and consuming this glorious sport: teams function better when roles are clearly defined. “Positionless” basketball is a lazy term for those who support teams that do not possess defined roles. For teams with duplicative archetypes in the same starting lineup. “It’s gonna make sense,” one will say of the starting five. “Why?” a curious and befuddled onlooker will question. “Because the NBA is now ‘positionless’”.
I’m guilty. I’ve bought into the cheap trick and five-dollar fantasy that positionless basketball could equate to success. I purchased some stock in the belief that a Booker/Beal backcourt could be productive, and it’s why I’ve been cautious about the Booker/Green backcourt since its inception. Fool me once, shame on me n’ such. Sure, you can have a pair of combo guards in the backcourt, but they still need to have defined roles, defined areas of space in which they operate, and one better be pretty damn good at being the primary ball handler. Some call those roles “positions”.
Positionless basketball is something that has become a product of the AAU circuit, where young players are encouraged to pad their statistics because, ultimately, those numbers help them get noticed and create opportunities to make it big one day. With the NIL era upon us, getting noticed has become even more financially important. Somewhere along the way, traditional point guard play, facilitation, and distribution have become less of a priority. Those are the things that make everyone around you better, even if they don’t always show up in the box score.
Within the concept of positionless basketball, there still needs to be an understanding of roles and, more importantly, who is actually capable of executing them. What we witnessed Friday night, and quite frankly what we’ve seen throughout a season and a half, is another reminder that this offense simply functions better when Collin Gillespie is involved. He’s not a traditional point guard, but he excels in that role. That’s what the Suns need right now.
Why? Because Jalen Green was having an off night, something that has unfortunately plagued him throughout his career. Consistently, he’s been inconsistent. 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting against OKC, 2 points on 1-of-6 shooting against Denver. When you look at his career scoring trend, you see dots scattered about like duck shot on an outhouse.
I can’t blame the young lad. This team wants Jalen Green to be a facilitator, to essentially play point guard. And when you’re forced into an unfamiliar role, it takes time to adjust. Unfortunately, point guard is one of the most difficult positions to play in the NBA. It requires selflessness, court awareness, and the ability to process information at an incredibly high speed.
You can almost feel Jalen thinking out there early this season. He’s trying to read the defense, make the right decision, and execute what’s being asked of him. And the best flashes we’ve seen? They come when he stops thinking and starts reacting. That’s his superpower. His instincts, explosiveness, and ability to attack without hesitation are what make him dangerous.
It reminds me of Ryan Dunn, who’s being asked to become a true 3-and-D player despite that not necessarily being what his natural skill set lends itself to. Once again, the Suns find themselves asking a player to become something he isn’t, rather than maximizing what he already does well. And in the process, they’re diminishing the very qualities that make him valuable.
Green is better off the ball, operating as a piece of the offense rather than being the driving force behind it. Therein lies the roster construction conundrum we’ve been staring at for two seasons: 57% of your cap is tied up in duplicative players. Because the same could be said about Devin Booker. He excels when his role is not the offensive facilitating fulcrum. That, my fellow Suns’ citizens, is criticism I’ll save for another day…
We heard throughout the offseason that Green had spent time working with Steve Nash, with the goal of improving his ability to read opposing defenses and make quicker decisions. Early this season, it’s apparent that his processing is taking a split second too long. His assist percentage is 14.1% (33rd percentile), his assist-to-turnover ratio is 1.3 (14th percentile), and his assist points created is 6.0 per game (25th percentile).
In the NBA, where you’re facing elite athleticism and basketball IQ night after night, a split second can make all the difference in the trajectory of a career. Unfortunately, when you’re looking for someone to make high basketball IQ plays with split-second decision-making, Green typically isn’t the first player who comes to mind.
It’s a reminder that Jalen Green entered the NBA following his time with the developmental G League Ignite as a player whose greatest asset was his elite athleticism. He jumped off the high school screen with his explosiveness, his ability to finish around the basket, his shooting potential, and his impressive physical tools. He possessed the kind of raw talent that makes scouts salivate and front offices dream about what a player could eventually become.
His career thus far has been relatively average, with much of his scoring production coming through volume rather than efficiency. The physical gifts are undeniable. The challenge has been turning those gifts into consistently productive basketball.
Collin Gillespie took an entirely different path. He went from fighting for an opportunity on a two-way contract to earning a fully guaranteed deal and eventually a contract extension. And what keeps him on the floor? It certainly isn’t elite athleticism. It’s his defensive effort, his ability to read the floor offensively, his understanding of how to operate within a system, and his efficiency, particularly from beyond the arc.
So why am I bringing up the career paths of these two players? Because they represent two fundamentally different approaches to succeeding in the NBA. Green entered the league relying on extraordinary athleticism and the freedom to operate outside traditional positional responsibilities. Gillespie has built his career by understanding those responsibilities, embracing them, and executing within the structure around him. One was given opportunities because of what his physical gifts suggested he could become. The other earned his opportunities by consistently demonstrating that he understood exactly what his team needed him to be.
Collin Gillespie is more comfortable handling the ball, navigating his way through defenses, creating mismatches, and reading what the opposition is doing as those opportunities develop. Through four games this season, his assist percentage is 18.1% (38th percentile), his assist-to-turnover ratio is 3.3 (36th percentile), and his assist points created is 14.5 per game (64th percentile). Not gaudy numbers, but certainly improvements over what Green has provided in this small sample size to start the 2026-27 season.
Friday night was a reminder of this. Against Denver, during his first six minutes on the floor, Green and the Suns were a -3. Gillespie entered, and over the next nine minutes, Phoenix was a +7. That trend continued throughout the game. The team was chunky when Green was on the floor, fluid when Gillespie was present.
When Green entered, the offense tended to sputter. This isn’t solely his fault. The entire starting five was having trouble producing, as apparent from the rotations showcased above. When he and Devin Booker shared the court, roles were not defined, and the team had a -19.8 net rating.
When Booker was off the court and Green was tasked with the “bring the ball up the court” duties, the ball became sticky. The offense was less fluid. He’d dribble for a while, attack the basket, get blocked, and that was the possession. No movement, no opportunity for anyone else to get involved.
Green killed the Suns’ momentum on that possession. Dribbled into a crowded paint, never looked to kick it out, and forced a shot that got blocked. Murray answered with a three.
Green has to recognize when the defense collapses and move the ball. That’s a 5-point momentum swing.
Through four games, albeit with a small sample size, Green possesses a minus-28.3 net rating compared to Gillespie’s minus-2.3. And when you examine the on/off numbers, they speak for themselves.
The defensive side of the ball will always be the weaker part of this argument because Green has the opportunity to provide more defensively due to his size. For all the heart Gillespie has, he’ll never possess the physical tools to be an elite defender, yet he’s still third in the league with 3.0 steals per game.
When you look up and down the roster at the statistical output, particularly defensive rating, nobody on this team looks good. That’s what happens when you have the worst defense in the league. But there’s a significant difference between Jalen Green’s 133.3 defensive rating and Gillespie’s 120.7. So even on that end of the floor, Gillespie has been the better option.
I’ve hit you with a ton of advanced metrics and lineup data, but do we really need all of that? We know what our eyes are telling us, and at the end of the day, they’re telling us that there’s considerably more fluidity offensively and more intensity defensively when Gillespie is on the floor instead of Green.
This isn’t to suggest that the two players can’t coexist on the roster, because at this point in the season, they’re going to have to. The Suns will continue evaluating Green to determine whether he fits into what this team currently is and what it could eventually become. When you’re carrying a $36.3 million price tag, naturally, there’s going to be increased scrutiny surrounding your performance.
We need to see a larger sample size, right? But in reality, do we? Because we’re beginning to witness some of the same trends we saw last season with Green…
Remember the beginning of last year, when the Suns seemed to have a clear understanding of who they were? Green was injured for much of that stretch. When he returned, the team experienced some destabilization as it attempted to integrate him into the rotations and figure out how he fit.
What’s going to happen in the upcoming games? We might not know, but we saw a hint Friday night of what Jordan Ott is beginning to experiment with. Collin Gillespie closed the game while Jalen Green watched from the bench because Ott recognized that, within the confines of that particular matchup, it gave the Suns their best opportunity to win. How long until there’s a realization that, from an organizational standpoint, this might be the Suns’ best opportunity to win moving forward?
Not surprisingly, the team is standing with Green. “We’ve got a ton of confidence in JG,” Collin Gillespie said of his teammate following the loss to Denver. “We’re riding with JG 100 times out of 100.”
Moving Green to the bench is something I believe could benefit him. He’d be operating in a role much more conducive to his skill set, allowing him to focus on what he does best. But there’s also the potential for his ego to take a hit, and that’s the human element of this entire situation. It’s something we as fans have very little connectivity to when it comes to understanding the inner workings of the Phoenix Suns. There’s more to this than plugging and playing names into a roster. There are personalities involved, relationships to manage, and aspects of humility that need to be considered as well.
Again, we’ve now experienced this for 36 games if you go back to last season, and the results continue to be disjointed and disconnected on both ends of the floor. Green isn’t the sole reason for that, either. When Devin Booker scores three points in one game and then follows it up with another performance in which he doesn’t appear particularly aggressive, finishing with only 20 points, there are clearly greater issues at play. There’s one common concern running through all of it: your highest-paid players aren’t providing the effort and production you need from them consistently.
Maybe it’s too early to draw conclusions. My guess is that the franchise will give this another eight to ten games before seriously considering any drastic changes. Putting the human element aside for a moment, you eventually have to recognize who a player is, what he brings to the table, and whether his production matches the price you’re paying for it.
We’re only four games into the season, but Jalen Green is shooting 28.6% from beyond the arc, possesses an assist percentage of only 14.1%, and has a defensive rating that’s in the shitter. Those aren’t encouraging numbers for someone who’s supposed to be your starting “point guard”, especially when the offense continues to struggle with connectivity and the defense remains a significant concern. For context, Devin Booker isn’t exactly lighting things up defensively himself, carrying a defensive rating of 137.2.
At some point, the Suns have to decide whether they’re more committed to the idea of what Jalen Green could become or the reality of what Collin Gillespie already provides. Green can still be valuable, and finding a role that maximizes his strengths should remain a priority (although, at that price tag…yikes). But Phoenix needs someone who can organize the offense, make quick decisions, execute on the defensive end, and bring consistency to a lineup desperately searching for it. Gillespie has demonstrated that he can do those things. The question is how much longer Jordan Ott is willing to experiment before acknowledging what’s already working.
Hammers fans angry after West Brom seal 3-1 victory
Swansea win 4-0; Middlesbrough cruise against Charlton
Nuno Espirito Santo is facing mounting pressure after West Brom’s stylish 3-1 win at the London Stadium left West Ham, the Championship promotion favourites, six points off the pace in eighth place.
A second consecutive home defeat contained few saving graces for Nuno, who faced the wrath of fans on the final whistle. Albion, slick and measured, moved into the top four with their 3,000 travelling fans revelling in the discomfort of Nuno, once manager of arch-rivals Wolves.
