The Six Nations is under way and already a couple of things are crystal clear. It is going to take a seriously good team to beat France in Paris in this year’s championship and watching them attack will be an absolute treat. Ireland were not so much beaten as outplayed by opponents who will be even more dangerous with a dry ball at their disposal.
Never mind the argument about brief in-game adverts during ITV’s coverage. Irish fans would probably have preferred a total 80-minute blackout or, failing that, an entire evening of cookery programming. Instead those back at home had to watch the visitors being repeatedly sliced and diced by seemingly ravenous hosts. Talk about eating your greens.
Les Bleus opened the tournament with a dominant victory in Paris
7 mins. The attack is contained by France and a forced pass in midfield is spilled by a green hand. France will have a scrum in their own 22.
5 mins. The Ireland scrum creaks, but holds enough for Gibson-Park to clear their lines. This but of solid work is followed soon after by Osborne banging a MASSIVE 50:22 to give his side their first attacking platform of the game.
AUSTIN, TEXAS - JANUARY 7: Carson Tinney #8 of the Texas Longhorns poses for a portrait on Texas baseball media day on January 7, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by The University of Texas Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
When the 2025 MLB Draft was approaching, Texas Longhorns head coach Jim Schlossnagle was hopeful to keep his standout catcher, Rylan Galvan, on the Forty Acres for another season.
Instead, the Buster Posey Award finalist signed with the Chicago White Sox after he was selected in the 13th round, sending Schlossnagle and his staff into the NCAA transfer portal to find an impact replacement.
That search turned into a resounding success story when Texas landed a commitment from star Notre Dame transfer Carson Tinney, also a finalist for the Buster Posey Award as the nation’s best catcher, and the only D1 Baseball All-American to enter the NCAA transfer portal last offseason.
“There’s never been a good baseball team with a bad catcher, ever,” Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle said this week on the On Second Thought podcast. “We had to go get a great one and, luckily, Carson was out there and he had a real great interest in Texas.”
“They proved to develop guys. They proved, obviously, to develop catchers,” Tinney said of his commitment. “I got along with the coaches very well. The area is great. And I was on campus, and it felt like the right place for me, so I pulled the trigger.”
A first-team All-American in 2025 by the NCBWA and Baseball American, Tinney elevated his stock with a breakout season, leading the Fighting Irish in batting average (.348), runs (52), homers (17), RBI (53), total bases (119), walks (34), on-base percentage (.498), slugging (.753), and multi-RBI performances (17) after battling injuries as a freshman that limited him to 15 starts in 28 appearances during which he batted .268 with three home runs and nine RBI.
In the batter’s box, Tinney’s prodigious pull-side power is elite, producing a top-10 average exit velocity in college baseball last season. This offseason, Tinney’s exit velocity has reached 112 to 114 miles per hour at Texas and up to nearly 120 miles per hour in training.
PR after PR after PR 🚨
Top college prospect Carson Tinney caps his PR streak at 119.5 MPH EV, landing #2 on the FL college leaderboard 💪 pic.twitter.com/Mn9zC26oMo
“He has that big, big power — when he comes to the plate, the crowd is going to pay attention because you never know what you’re going to see,” Schlossnagle said.
“He gets ahold of that ball, it’s going a long way,” Texas sophomore left-hander Dylan Volantis said.
At Notre Dame, Tinney combined that power with the command of the strike zone expected from a catcher in drawing 34 walks for an on-base percentage of .498 and a solid strikeout rate of 25 percent. In comparison, Galvan had a strikeout rate of 35.5 percent, as he was more prone to take close pitches late in the count and swing and miss.
“He’s improved as an overall hitter, which is what he has to continue to do to be the draft pick that he wants to be and to be the hitter that we want him to be,” Schlossnagle said.
Since arriving on the Forty Acres, Schlossnagle praised the development of Tinney’s leadership ability and his improvement behind the plate after throwing out 17-of-25 attempted base stealers in 2025.
“He’s a really good catcher. He’s got unique receiving abilities. He throws well,” Schlossnagle said.
Longhorns pitchers like Volantis appreciate the big target that Tinney presents behind the plate and his coach in the Cape Cod league last summer praised the way that Tinney is able to frame pitches.
“He makes our pitchers better,” Jamie Shevchik said. “He steals strikes. There’s pitches that are probably two, three balls off the plate that he’s pulling back in and getting calls on.”
This is what a catcher’s system looks like.
Answers for whatever the game demands.
Simple. Fluid. Efficient. Consistent. Effective.
Build the system. Challenge the system. Refine the system.
Despite adding 40 pounds since high school, when he reached 87 miles per hour throwing from behind the plate with a pop time of 1.80 seconds, Tinney has maintained his athleticism.
But no matter how much athleticism and toughness Tinney has, one certainty for the 2026 season is that he’ll suffer some knocks playing catcher and need some games off or at designated hitter to stay fresh, so he wasn’t the only important addition at the position.
With the departures of Oliver Service and Cole Chamberlain, backup options for Schlossnagle last season, landing a catcher with experience was paramount to allow some development time for signee Presley Courville.
Texas looked to the junior-college ranks to fill that need by signing San Antonio product Andrew Ermis, who made big strides as a hitter last season at Temple, improving his batting average from .255 to .338 with 10 home runs and 41 RBI. According to Schlossnagle, that offensive improvement has continued in Austin, but his floor is set by his advanced catching ability.
“He’s a really good catch-and-throw guy. I mean, really good,” said the Texas head coach.
The other certainty for the 2026 season is that if the Horns are going to make a run to Omaha, Tinney’s power in the middle of the lineup and play behind the plate will play crucial roles.
The NHL roster freeze is underway, meaning the St. Louis Blues won’t trade anyone until it ends on Feb. 22.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t any trade speculation, or that general managers aren’t discussing moves they could make before the March 6 trade deadline.
A new report from Ansar Khan of MLive suggests that Blues defenseman Justin Faulk could be the defenseman the Detroit Red Wings need to solidify their blueline.
The Red Wings have no shortage of stout right-handed defenders. Moritz Seider is enjoying a phenomenal season and is considered by many to be a Norris Trophy finalist when the season ends. The 24-year-old has scored seven goals and 38 points this season while averaging 25:40 of ice time. He’s a two-way defender who brings a physical element.
The other young right-handed defender on the Red Wings roster is Axel Sandin-Pellikka. The 20-year-old has notched six goals and 18 points, showing signs that he can be a good offensive defenseman in the NHL. But he has struggled defensively and requires more sheltered minutes, and that’s where Faulk comes into play.
Faulk would slide nicely on the Red Wings’ second pair alongside either Simon Edvinsson or Ben Chiarot. Faulk’s defensive capabilities, and his ability to add offense from the blueline are the exact skillset the Red Wings are looking for.
Faulk wouldn’t be required to play big minutes, as Seider and Edvinsson are their minute-munchers. But Faulk would allow Sandin-Pellikka to play sheltered minutes in more offensive situations, which would benefit his game.
Justin Faulk has scored 11 goals and 30 points in 57 games while averaging 22:29 of ice time. (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)
The Red Wings have a boatload of prospects and draft picks that they could use to acquire Faulk. They also have plenty of cap space to acquire Faulk’s full $6.5 million cap hit.
The Red Wings are in the midst of a spirited battle in the Atlantic Division, as they are just four points back of the division lead, but are also just three points ahead of the second wild card spot.
Detroit needs as many experienced players as they can get their hands on, and Faulk would provide them with a much-needed upgrade.
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The Diamondbacks traded infielder Blaze Alexander to the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, Feb. 5, in exchange for right-handed reliever Kade Strowd and a pair of minor leaguers, a deal that represents the club’s biggest addition to its bullpen yet this winter.
Strowd, 28, enjoyed a strong debut in the big leagues last season, posting a 1.71 ERA in 25 games, allowing only one homer, walking 13 and striking out 24 in 26⅓ innings. He arrives in Arizona with six full years of club control.
Strowd, who averages 96 mph with his fastball, pitches predominantly off his cutter, a pitch he threw 41.1 percent of the time. He also throws a sinker, curveball and sweeper.
The Diamondbacks are also getting two prospects: right-hander Wellington Aracena and infielder Jose Mejia.
In exchange, the Diamondbacks had to part with Alexander, who had a breakout second half after taking over at third base following the trade deadline. He hit .230/.323/.383 with seven homers while playing excellent defense at third base.
Alexander became somewhat expendable after the Diamondbacks acquired third baseman Nolan Arenado in a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals last month. The Diamondbacks still have infield depth in the form of Jordan Lawlar.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 27: Ty France #2 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the 2025 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The offseason trudges onward, and while the Yankees have likely made their splash by bringing back Cody Bellinger, there is always more work to do. One potential move could be to add another right-handed bat on the infield to provide a counterbalance to their lefty-heavy lineup. It would be a supplementary move, though depth is certainly never a bad thing, and Ty France could fit that bill quite well for the Yankees.
The veteran has been a very good Major League hitter for stretches, and is coming off of his first career Gold Glove award. It would be risky to think his best days are ahead of him, but France could prove to be a valuable addition to plenty of teams around the league, a list that perhaps includes the Yankees.
Ty France came up to the big leagues in 2019, his age-24 season, with the Padres. After a brief but unconvincing stretch in his debut season, France began to make noise in the shortened 2020 season, where he managed a 133 wRC+ across 43 games between San Diego and the Mariners.
A year later, the right-handed hitting infielder was in full breakout mode. During the ‘21 season, his first crack at a real full-time role, France was a major contributor across 650 plate appearances in Seattle. During that stretch, he swatted 18 homers, reached base at a .368 clip, and maintained an impressive 129 wRC+. The next year, he was just as good in the same role, this time topping 20 homers for the first time, and even earning his first All-Star selection.
France was legitimately an All-Star level player over those three seasons, and although it was not that long ago, his stock has fallen significantly since then. 2023 was his last full season with the Mariners, and while he was still a generally above-average contributor with the bat, playing primarily as a first baseman with significantly diminished power at the plate, his production had become far less valuable.
Since then, France has bounced around teams (playing with Seattle and Cincinnati in ‘24, and splitting time between the Twins and Blue Jays last season), finding even less success with the bat. Between those two seasons since then, the first baseman has been a below average bat (90 OPS+), reaching base far less often and displaying significantly less power over that time. They are troubling trends, to be sure, but don’t necessarily tell the entire story with France.
In a rather surprising turn of events, France has at least turned himself into an elite defender at first base. In 2024, he was a 1st percentile defender, with -12 OAA, last season, he was 96th percentile (10 OAA), and took home his first Gold Glove award. If he’s able to maintain anything close to that level of prowess with the leather, along with his contact skills at the plate, his floor is certainly kept above water. This isn’t to mention any kind of bounce back in the on-base or power departments, which is not entirely out of the picture.
When it comes to the Yankees, there is definitely a plausible fit with France. They have been reportedly interested in the veteran’s services, and it’s not difficult to see why. A competent right-handed bat to compliment Ben Rice at first base, and to take over if Rice plays behind the plate, would be a luxury to the Yankees, and someone with France’s skillset could make a lot of sense.
Entering his age-31 season, the contact-reliant first baseman seems to be on the decline, but his ability to develop elite skills as recently as last season at least keeps the door open to continued production one way or another. France’s services would also be unlikely to break the bank, as he’s coming off consecutive underwhelming seasons, and may have to join his future squad in a complementary role. It would be a low-risk investment, and one that could make some sense for the Yankees.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Blaze Alexander #9 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts after being hit by a pitch during the first inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 27, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Steve Gilbert was first with the news that Blaze Alexander is being traded to the Baltimore Orioles for relief pitcher Kade Strowd, and a pair of minor-league prospects. Strowd is a 28-year-old right-hander, who reached the majors for Baltimore last year, and impressed with a 1.71 ERA across 27 appearances. He struck out 26 across 24.1 innings, though his FIP of 3.40 was considerably higher. He doesn’t even have a year of service time, so Strowd comes with a lot of team control – he won’t even be arbitration eligible until 2029. It seems he could be the ‘bridge closer’ Mike Hazen spoke about getting, until A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez are ready to come back.
The prospects are right-handed pitcher Wellington Aracena and infielder Jose Mejia. Aracena turned 21 in December and spent last year in A- and High A-ball, after being traded to the Orioles from the Mets last July, in the Gregory Soto deal. All told, he had a 2.25 ERA across 92 innings, with a 114:51 K:BB ratio. Mejia is younger still, being just 20, and played almost all of 2025 in the Florida Complex League. He did hit quite well there, with a particularly impressed 16:26 K:BB ratio. That helped him to a triple-slash line of .274/.418/.411 for an OPS of .829 across 47 games. A long way to go for both men.
Alexander, of course, should be well-known – not least for having won the SnakePit’s 2025 award for Play of the Year. He played a total of 135 games since making his debut at the start of 2024. There had been consideration to him perhaps playing left-field this year, especially after the trade for Nolan Arenado gave the D-backs an everyday starter at third-base. But that option is no longer on the table. Alexander was definitely a fan favorite here though, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors with the Orioles.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Blaze Alexander #9 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts after being hit by a pitch during the first inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 27, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Strowd is a RHP that pitched well last season for the Orioles. In 25 games he had a 1.71 ERA, FIP of 3.40 and a WHIP at 1.101. He struck out 36, walked 15 and gave up 4 home runs.
The Diamondbacks are sending infielder Blaze Alexander to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for pitchers Kade Strowd and Wellington Aracena and infielder Jose Mejia, source said. @SteveGilbertMLB had it first.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Blaze Alexander #9 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts after being hit by a pitch during the first inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 27, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles responded to missing out on starting pitcher Framber Valdez by trading for yet another right-handed hitter who can’t be optioned freely to the minors. MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert was first to report that the Orioles are swapping Kade Strowd to the Diamondbacks for Blaze Alexander. A pair of minor leaguers are also going to Arizona, reported by Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic: pitcher Wellington Aracena and infielder José Mejía.
Blaze Alexander has a cool first name and not very cool just about anything else. He’s now played in 135 big league games across two seasons and batted .237/.322/.366 in that time. He hit slightly better in 2025, getting the OPS over .700 though still counting as a below-average hitter, and provided enough defensive value across four different positions (mostly third base) that he was worth 1.7 bWAR in 74 games.
That’s not bad. That’s basically your Ramón Urías replacement. One might fairly observe that the Orioles could have just kept Urías and then not had to trade Strowd plus other guys in order to get Alexander. I don’t get paid to run a baseball team, so what do I know?
Strowd, 28, made a solid impression with the Orioles in the back half of last season, allowing a 1.71 ERA and 1.101 WHIP across 25 games. There were some markers of good fortune in the former 12th round pick’s results, particularly a .227 BABIP that is unlikely to be repeated in 2026 or beyond. He has typically had a higher walk rate than you’d like in the minors and that was true at the MLB level as well. It seems the Orioles thought this was the peak of his value.
Why they then also had to add Aracena and Mejía to the deal is beyond me. I would have been confused by this trade if it was Strowd for Alexander just on its own. I don’t even like Strowd.
Mejía is an infielder who received around a $400,000 signing bonus from the team three years ago. He hasn’t gotten higher than the Florida Complex League yet in his career. In 47 games there last year, Mejía batted .274/.418/.411.
Aracena was one of the players acquired when the Orioles sent Gregory Soto to the Mets last July. He was the #23 prospect in the Orioles system before being sent off in this trade. The 21-year-old righty Aracena finished last season with a 2.25 ERA and 1.087 WHIP in 23 games across two levels with the Orioles and Mets. He was striking out a lot of guys but also walking way too many guys, with a 5.0 BB/9 for the year.
Beyond the general “What in the heck?” reaction to this deal, my next thought is this probably shows that the Orioles have no plans of having Jeremiah Jackson back up any position on the infield dirt. This trade doesn’t happen if they have confidence in that outcome. The next thought after that is, who is actually going to pitch in this bullpen this year? Strowd seemed to have earned a spot based on how he pitched last year. Whoever’s taking his spot has proven even less than he has.
Or at least that’s how it looks to me. Mike Elias is a weird guy and he might have some more weird roster moves that nobody foresees between now and when things lock in for Opening Day. Maybe one of those moves will even appear good at first glance, or ever turn out to be good over any length of time.
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 24: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers poses with his wife Jessica during the 2026 BBWAA Awards Dinner at New York Hilton Midtown on Saturday, January 24, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal won his arbitration case, per multiple reports, meaning that he will receive his request $32 million contract for the 2026 season. The Tigers had countered Skubal’s request with a $19 million proposal.
This is the largest salary for a player who was arbitration-eligible, as well as the highest salary ever awarded in a contested MLB arbitration, with the previous high being $19.9 million. Skubal’s request was in line with the salaries received by stars in their final year of arbitration eligibility in recent years, such as Juan Soto, who agreed to terms for $31 million in 2024, and Vlad Guerrero Jr., who settled with the Toronto Blue Jays for $28.5 million.
While most players in arbitration can only compare themselves for salary purposes to other players with similar service time, because Skubal has at least five years of service time, he was able to compare himself to all players. In addition, the CBA allows a player to argue for a higher salary based on special accomplishments, which in Skubal’s case meant back to back Cy Young Awards.
In MLB’s arbitration system, the arbitration panel must pick one of the two numbers submitted. With the halfway point between the two numbers being $25.5 million, if the panel felt Skubal’s case warranted a $25.51 million salary, they are required to go with Skubal’s $32 million request, rather than the team’s $19 million request.
Barring injury or a disastrous season, Skubal will almost certainly receive more than $32 million per year when he hits free agency this upcoming offseason.
When Samuel Montembeault took to the ice with the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night, fans noticed something different about the Bécancour native: he was sporting a brand new mask. For once, the netminder went away from the classic look of a Canadiens’ bucket, which more often than not simply focuses on the logo.
His new mask was designed by Jordon Bourgeault, the artist behind Carey Price’s cyborg mask. On his Instagram page, Bourgeault explained that the concept was to make the entire mask a giant twisting knot of snakes. Even the Habs logo on the mask is made of snake scales. On the front of the mask, right above the cage, there are snake eyes, as if Montembeault himself were a snake.
The mask was made in partnership with Apple as part of the Made on iPad project and is available on the new EA Sports NHL game. That’s an interesting development, as fans of the gaming franchise had long wished the goaltenders in the game could wear their authentic masks, making the experience more realistic.
The design is an interesting change of pace for a Canadiens’ netminder, as more often than not, the Habs masked men err on the side of caution and stick to a more traditional concept. The backplate is painted to resemble bones, which complements the snake skeletons on the mask, and it features a large "M" for his family name and an image of his French Bulldog, Gucci. Overall, this really is a fantastic mask.
Given how the season started for the netminder, one might wonder whether he intended to shake off his old skin, much like a snake does multiple times a year. It worked well for him, though, as he had a fantastic game, only conceding one goal to the Jets on the power play and finishing the game with a .973 save percentage. A performance that will no doubt allow him to have a much better Olympic break and that will have reassured the Habs’ brass, especially if he can build on it after the break. Chances are, he’ll still be wearing this mask when he returns from the break; you don’t change a winning formula.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Capitals activated forward Pierre-Luc Dubois and goalie Logan Thompson from the injured list prior to Thursday night's matchup with Nashville, their final game before the Olympic break.
Dubois hasn't played since Oct. 31 because of surgery for injuries to his abdominal and adductor muscles. Thompson, who is part of Canada's roster for the Olympics, hasn't played since Jan. 27.
The Capitals are four points behind the New York Islanders for the last playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division.
The 27-year-old Dubois went without a point in the six games he's played this season. He had 20 goals and 46 assists last season, his first with Washington.
Thompson is 18-16-4 with a 2.46 goals-against average and a save percentage of .912 in 2025-26.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Ken Waldichuk #64 of the Oakland Athletics reacts after the third out in the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 29, 2023 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Paul Toboni and Ani Kilambi have been doing work on the waiver wire lately. They are churning through players on the fringes of the 40-man roster. Today, they claimed Ken Waldichuk from the Rays and DFA’d George Soriano in the process. Soriano was only claimed last week, but the Nats still decided to move on.
Washington Nationals claim LHP Ken Waldichuk.
Waldichuk ranks eighth in all of Minor League Baseball (min. 275.0 IP) with 13.02 strikeouts per 9.0 innings since the start of the 2019 season.
On the surface, Waldichuk is a weird claim. He posted an ERA over 8 in the minor leagues last year as a 27 year old. However, there is more than what meets the eye here. Waldichuk is a former top 100 prospect with some pedigree. He was part of the trade that sent Frankie Montas to the Yankees in 2022.
At the time of that trade, Waldichuk was a big deal. He pitched in the Futures Game for the Yankees and was a strikeout machine in the minors. For his career, Waldichuk’s K/9 in the minors is 13.02. Despite low to mid 90’s velocity, Waldichuk’s fastball has always played up.
Yankees top pitching prospect Ken Waldichuk gets the save in the Futures Game! pic.twitter.com/RZajHJD3QR
In 2022, he got a cup of coffee in the MLB with the A’s, before spending all of 2023 in their rotation. He has 175.2 career innings with a 5.28 ERA and 165 strikeouts. Things did not work out very well for him in the MLB, but he was still a young pitcher.
However, he had to undergo Tommy John Surgery, missing all of 2024. When he came back in 2025, he did not look like the same guy. The Minor League ERA of 8.17 makes that pretty clear. His velocity was down about 2 ticks and his control was not there.
Despite that, Waldichuk was still getting strikeouts. He fanned 68 batters in 54 minor league innings last year. The fact he was still getting strikeouts makes him sort of interesting. A lot of pitchers struggle in their first year back from Tommy John before looking better as they get further removed from surgery.
There are some signs that this could be the case for Waldichuk. In bullpen’s this offseason, his fastball averaged 93.9 MPH. This season, he only averaged 91.6 MPH on his heater. If the Nats can get Waldichuk to sit 94 consistently, they could have something here.
Whoever picks up @Ken_Waldichuk is getting an absolute steal.
Hardest avg and top FB velocity since pre TJ (and it was a bullpen).
Despite being a starter for his whole career, I think the Nats should transition Waldichuk to the bullpen. He has proven he is not a very effective starter at this point. Waldichuk throws his fastball a lot and I think letting it rip in shorter spurts could help him. A lot of his profile just feels like a failed starter who could thrive in the bullpen.
Even if the velocity is back, Waldichuk will still need to improve his control. Walks were a concern before the surgery, and the control was very bad last year. This is another reason why I think a move to the bullpen makes sense.
As we have seen, there is a chance Waldichuk is not on the team next week. Just ask guys like George Soriano and Micky Gasper. However, I think he is an interesting enough reclamation project for Toboni to want to see what he has in Spring Training. If he does not look good this spring, you can always DFA him again.
The Nats have made a lot of additions on the waiver wire lately, but this one is more intriguing than some of the others. Waldichuk has a pretty high ceiling and has more pedigree than your average waiver claim.
Ahead of the 2025-26 training camp, the Chicago Blackhawks signed veteran defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a PTO. He took that opportunity and ran with it.
Grzelcyk earned a spot on the roster and has played in every Blackhawks game so far. Through 57 games with Chicago, Grzelcyk has 12 assists. Whether it's playing a depth defensive role or quarterbacking one of the power play units, he gives great effort in whatever role Jeff Blashill asks of him.
Before coming to Chicago, Grzelcyk had a nice career playing on some great teams. The truth is, though, that he needed a PTO to stay in the league this year. To say he's grateful for his current organization would be an understatement.
"I'm lucky to still be in the league and lucky that Chicago gave me a chance. I love it here so far," Matt Grzelcyk said of playing for the Blackhawks. It isn't likely that they are going to be a postseason team, but Grzelcyk confirmed that it is still his mindset to make it with Chicago and hasn't considered being traded to a contender.
"I honestly haven't really thought about [being moved] at all," Grzelcyk said when asked about welcoming an opportunity to move on and try to compete for the Stanley Cup.
When Grzelcyk arrived at camp on a PTO, nobody had any idea what the year could turn into for him. He was desperate to stay in the league, and now he's an important piece on Chicago's blue line.
"I just wanted to come to camp and see what happens over two weeks," Grzelcyk said. "I chose [Chicago] because I wanted to be here, and I'm glad it's worked out. I've had a lot of fun this year getting to meet everyone on the team and in the organization. They treated me extremely well, so it's been a great experience so far."
From a Blackhawks standpoint, Grzelcyk brings a lot of wisdom to this young group. He has played with some of the game's all-time great leaders like Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and Sidney Crosby. This history has allowed him to come in and bring some of that knowledge to players looking to learn.
"A lot of the young guys have questions about those guys. You learn through experience, getting to see them, how they operate, their day-to-day, how they approach every single day [trying] to get better at some aspect of their game, and the way they take care of their bodies. That was a very eye-opening experience, so I try to pay that forward. You want to lead by example as much as you can."
Matt Grzelcyk is very into Boston University as an alumnus. With Ryan Greene, a fellow alumnus, on the team and Sacha Boisvert on the way, this program means a lot to the modern-day Blackhawks.
"I train there in the summer, so I'm really tight with some of the coaches there," Grzelcyk said. "I had them all with the Bruins. Their trainer was my assistant with the Bruins, as well. He trains me in the summer, and before I went on PTO here, I skated with them for two weeks, so I got to know some of the guys on the team. It's been fun to keep up with them and just wish them luck."
There is a squat rack in BU's gym named after Matt Grzelcyk. Alongside some of his fellow alumni, they had equipment named after them as a thank you for donating money to help make upgrades to the gym.
"It was mostly guys who train there in the summer. We get to use the equipment in the summer. They didn't really ask us; it was something we wanted to do. You see the benefits of it, so it's been great."
Grzelcyk confirmed that he keeps in touch with a lot of his old teammates from BU, the Bruins, and the Penguins, which shows how liked he was as a teammate everywhere he goes. There is value to having a guy of his charachter around.
There are a lot of ways that the rest of the season can go for Grzelcyk, but his impact on the young players in Chicago's locker room will be felt for a long time. He is one of the good guys in the NHL, and the Blackhawks are better for having him around.
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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Tarik Skubal won his salary arbitration hearing with the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, and the two-time Cy Young Award winner will be paid a record $32 million this year instead of the team’s $19 million offer.
Jeanne Charles, Walt De Treux and Allen Ponak made the decision one day after listening to arguments.
Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had held the record for the highest salary in an arbitration case decided by a panel, winning at $19.9 million in 2024 in a case decided by Charles, De Treux and Scott Buchheit.
A two-time All-Star, Skubal will be eligible for free agency after the World Series. The 29-year-old left-hander is 54-37 with a 3.08 ERA in six major league seasons.
Skubal was 13-6 with an AL-best 2.21 ERA in 31 starts last year, striking out 241 and walking 33 in 195 1/3 innings while earning $10.5 million. His 0.891 WHIP topped qualified pitchers.
Players have won the first three decisions this offseason. Right-hander Kyle Bradish was awarded $3.55 million instead of the Baltimore Orioles’ offer of $2,875,000, and catcher Yainer Diaz received $4.5 million instead of the Houston Astros’ $3 million proposal.
