The Islanders opened the preseason schedule Sunday afternoon vs. the Devils with a lineup largely made of prospects and AHLers who mostly know they will not make the opening roster.
But Cal Ritchie — the only NHL regular from last year — and Victor Eklund impressed Pete DeBoer, according to his post-game scrum, and Cole Eiserman notched a goal. For the record, the Isles lost, 2-1, in Newark, with ol’ friend David Rittich making the stops for the Devils, including 12 in the first period.
Islanders News
Takeaways from Sunday: Much of the above, plus Eiserman scoring (on a 4-on-3), Vitek Vanecek appearing, and an agnostic line on Pierre Engvall’s return, . [Isles]
Post-game video:DeBoer | Eiserman | Ritchie, who gets to make a case for center and whom the coach said is clearly stronger
Islanders season preview, and what it would take to make the playoffs (the “most intriguing addition” is Matias Maccelli, so…yeah). [NHL]
The Islanders do not want to carry three goalies, though even if Semyon Varlamov’s partially replaced knees hold up, they’ll likely need Vanecek at some point to get through an 84-game season. [Newsday]
#Isles Pete DeBoer says keeping three goalies has been discussed but it "handcuffs" the roster. Says ultimate roster makeup will depend on Semyon Varlamov and if he shows he's capable of handling backup role after two partial knee replacements. Organization confident he can.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 5: Samuel Girard #49 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates with the puck against Beck Malenstyn #29 of the Buffalo Sabres in the third period during the game at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 5, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A programming note for all those interested in Penguins hockey: the team begins preseason action tonight at PPG Paints Arena against the Buffalo Sabres. Puck drop on the first of four preseason games is set for 7 p.m. And with that…
Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning…
Evgeni Malkin is entering his 21st season with the Penguins after signing a one-year contract, but he remains uncertain about whether he will continue playing beyond this season. [Associated Press via Sportsnet]
The Penguins have assigned goaltending prospect Matvei Nikonovich to the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League. Nikonovich, whom Pittsburgh selected in the fifth round of the 2026 NHL draft, is set to join the OHL after spending most of last season with Lada Togliatti in Russia’s MHL, the country’s top junior league. [Trib Live]
The Penguins entered training camp with a competitive battle in net between Arturs Silovs, Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist. Silovs, 25, is the youthful veteran after playing a career-high 39 games last season and finishing strong in the playoffs, while Murashov and Blomqvist are looking to establish themselves as NHL regulars. [Penguins]
Forward Rickard Rakell recently surprised season-ticket holders, the Crandens, by personally delivering a special package to their home as part of the team’s annual preseason tradition. The visit was especially meaningful for 13-year-old Tyler, a lifelong Penguins fan who saved up enough money to buy his own Penguins jersey, which turned out to be Rickard Rakell. Both spent time talking hockey while Rakell signed his jersey and joked about one of Tyler’s homemade signs. [Penguins]
Marc-Andre Fleury received a warm welcome from fans in Saint-Boniface, Quebec, during Kraft Hockeyville, with crowds lining up for photos, autographs and a chance to see the longtime former Penguins netminder. [NHL]
News and notes from around the NHL…
Dozens of protesters gathered outside Rogers Place before the Edmonton Oilers’ first home game of the preseason, calling on the team to reverse its signing of forward Alex Formenton. [TSN]
The Toronto Maple Leafs will have a new logo at center ice this season, paying homage to the 100th anniversary of the team’s rebranding from the Toronto St. Patricks to the Maple Leafs. [Sportsnet]
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 29: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins handles the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period in Game Six of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 29, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Getty Images
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) — Evgeni Malkin remains as passionate as ever about hockey as his 21st season with the Pittsburgh Penguins begins.
Whether it’s his last, be it in Pittsburgh or anywhere else, only his body knows. And right now, it’s not telling the 40-year-old Russian star anything.
“I mean it’s a hard question,” Malkin said Friday. “We see what’s going on during the season, you know. And right now I won’t say yes.”
He also won’t say no, though he has one very clear metric that will play a massive role in whatever happens beyond this season.
“If I not feel hundred percent, I’m not playing,” Malkin said, adding that if he’s not helping the team to win, “I’m retired.”
Malkin was able to turn the clock back a bit last year, posting 19 goals to go with 42 assists despite missing time with injuries. He averaged over a point per game for the first time since 2019-20 and seemed fueled by the desire to prove to Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas he was still worth the investment.
Dubas played his cards close to the vest until after Pittsburgh’s first-round playoff exit to Philadelphia. He praised Malkin’s effort and about a month later, negotiations that appeared a little tense outwardly resulted with Malkin signing a one-year deal to remain with the club where he’s won three Stanley Cups, two scoring titles and an MVP during a career that will almost certainly end in the Hall of Fame.
The deal also extended the partnership between Malkin, captain Sidney Crosby and defenseman Kris Letang to 21 years and counting, the longest three teammates have ever played together in major North American professional sports history.
Though Malkin believes it’s production, not nostalgia, that has kept them together.
“It’s not we’re just here because we win three Cups, you know,” he said. “I hope we’re here because we still play good.”
The Penguins are banking on it. Pittsburgh largely kept together the roster that finished a surprising second behind Carolina in the Metropolitan Division, including re-signing forward Egor Chinakhov, a Russian who blossomed while playing alongside Malkin after being acquired in a trade with Columbus.
There are now four Russians on the team, allowing Malkin the chance to serve as a mentor in the same way former Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar did for him two decades ago.
“Any advice, any like ‘Go to dinner,’ you know, we just do it. “I’m the old guy here and I just have the experience.”
Malkin begins the year with 1,407 career points, just 14 shy of surpassing Hall of Fame center Adam Oates to climb into the top 20 on the NHL’s all-time list.
He’s done it while serving as the emotional ‘yin’ to Crosby’s more reserved ‘yang.’ If Malkin had ended up somewhere else, maybe he’d had been the face of the franchise. He’s long made peace with the trade-off. If this is his final season, it’s been a great ride. But he’s not quite ready to head off into the sunset just yet.
“I think last year I showed my good games, and I am excited to be here,” he said. “And again, like, I’m here to win.”
Vitek Vanecek is in the unenviable position of having his fate largely out of his control.
The netminder, who signed with the Islanders on a one-year, $1 million deal this offseason, doesn’t need to beat out Semyon Varlamov so much as he needs the organization to decide that carrying a third goaltender on the roster is necessary due to the combined risk of Varlamov’s health and losing Vanecek on waivers.
That was more or less acknowledged outright by coach Pete DeBoer following Sunday’s 2-1 preseason defeat to the Devils, in which Vanecek played the duration and turned aside 20 shots.
New York Islanders goaltender Vitek Vanecek defends Vladimir Dravecky (71) during training camp at the Northwell Health Ice Center, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in East Meadow, N.Y. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“It’s been discussed, and it does handcuff you,” DeBoer said when asked about the possibility of keeping three netminders on the 23-man roster. “I think that’s all gonna depend on how Varly’s doing, how he’s feeling and things like that. I don’t think, in talking with Mathieu [Darche], that we want to go there, but it’s on the table if we have to.”
Varlamov, who should see action in two of the last three preseason games, has shown nothing in camp that indicates he won’t be ready. He is moving well, stopping shots and looking like himself.
The Islanders are not going to deny him the chance to back up Ilya Sorokin as long as that holds true. Varlamov has astonished the entire organization with his dedication to returning to the ice following two partial knee replacements. The Islanders are not going to be the reason his attempt fails.
Nevertheless, there is a practical element to this. Nobody knows what the demands of an 84-game season — the travel, the practices, the 25 to 30 games the Islanders hope to get from their backup spot — will do to Varlamov’s knees. There are no comparable cases to what Varlamov is attempting.
New York Islanders’ Vitek Vanecek poses for a portrait during media day at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, Wednesday, September 16, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
This also comes in the context of the Islanders having overused Sorokin in the past two seasons. The lack of a viable backup while Varlamov was hurt was one of the biggest factors in the Islanders missing the playoffs both seasons.
Vanecek held an .883 save percentage in 22 games with Utah last season — a good deal worse than David Rittich’s .894, a mark the Islanders never trusted down the stretch. If Varlamov (or, for that matter, Sorokin) is hurt, the situation won’t be great no matter what.
But Vanecek is a goalie with more than 200 games of NHL experience. He is a known commodity, and the Islanders can at least feel like they know what they will get from him. They can’t say the same for Joshua Kotai, though the AHL Hamilton prospect — likely next up on the organizational depth chart — has put together a solid camp.
“I’m not thinking about it too much,” Vanecek said of the big-picture situation after Sunday’s match. “Just doing my best, and then we go see what’s gonna happen.”
The easiest way to solve the problem would be for Vanecek to pass through waivers unclaimed. But that’s not a guarantee in a league where nearly every team needs goaltending, and the Islanders won’t know ahead of time whether it’ll happen. The last thing they need is to lose Vanecek to waivers, watch Varlamov break down and then have the decision thrown back in their face.
New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov speaks with the media during training camp at the Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow, N.Y., Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
On the other hand, the competition for roster spots, particularly among the forwards, is very tight. Could the Islanders justify sending Victor Eklund down to keep a third goaltender? What about Kyle MacLean, Mitchell Chaffee or Pierre Engvall?
These are not easy decisions, and they are being made harder by the continuing realization that not only does Eklund look like he belongs, but prospects such as Kashawn Aitcheson and Cole Eiserman also continue to impress.
The Anaheim Ducks began their exhibition season on Sunday with a matinee matchup against the visiting San Jose Sharks. The Ducks had one of the more eventful offseasons in the NHL this year and in franchise history.
Their preseason opening lineup was more NHL-heavy than expected, but understandable given the compressed training camp schedule.
The Sharks, however, traveled with a mostly AHL squad, featuring just three NHL regulars from a year ago.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up to start this game:
Klepov-Carlsson-Gauthier
Myatovic-Granlund-Sennecke
Killorn-McQueen-Colangelo
Farrell-Wahlberg-Nesterenko
LaCombe-Helleson
Mitchell-Luneau
Solberg-Warren
Laurent Brossoit got the nod for the Ducks’ first preseason game against the club he finished his 2025-26 campaign with. He was opposed by Eric Comrie, who backed up Connor Hellebuyck for the past two seasons for the Winnipeg Jets. Brossoit stopped 18 of the 20 shots he faced, and Comrie, playing just half the game (scheduled), stopped 14 of 16. Matt Davis was inserted into the Sharks crease and saved 12 of 16 shots.
One would be cautioned against making sweeping judgments of experienced players in a contest such as this, but there were takeaways to be had from other young players and prospects.
Game Notes
Based on the rosters each team deployed in this game, it went roughly as expected. Anaheim's star players dictated play and were a threat to score every time they touched the puck.
Defensively, a couple of miscommunications and misreads led to odd-man breaks for San Jose, where their depth players were able to beat Brossoit.
Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson’s ice time was limited after sustaining an undisclosed injury, and he was shut down toward the end of the second period.
Nikita Klepov: Klepov was given the greatest opportunity a team can afford a young player, deploying him with the Ducks’ two cornerstone forwards: Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier. Carlsson and Gauthier expectedly dazzled, and Klepov was able to match their processing pace and make meaningful contributions.
Playing alongside the team’s stars, Klepov was generously afforded the time and space necessary for him to operate and begin to translate his game to the highest level of the sport. His IQ and quick processing speed were on display on multiple occasions, as was his ability to spin off checks and create space of his own. Conclusions shouldn’t be jumped to, but this was as positive a first preseason outing as one could have hoped for.
Nico Myatovic: Much has been made of potential roster players like Klepov and Roger McQueen, as well as bubble players like Anton Wahlberg, but Myatovic has flown under the radar to this point in evaluations of the Ducks organizational pipeline.
His production from 2024-26, his first two full seasons in the AHL, has been nothing to write home about, but he was given a similar opportunity as Klepov and McQueen in this game to make an impact, and he didn’t disappoint, playing alongside Beckett Sennecke and Mikael Granlund.
Tallying two assists, Myatovic was a presence on the forecheck, jumping to loose pucks, and winning board battles in all three zones. Sennecke’s second and third goals of this game were direct causes of small area plays he made. The first was a tenacious forecheck that led to a long cycle sequence, of which he was an integral factor, and the second was a breakout sequence where he kept a broken outlet moving up ice.
Tristan Luneau: With Helleson missing as much time as he did in this game, Luneau stepped up and played a total of 25:31 TOI. He’s not only an NHL-ready prospect, but he’s primed to make tangible contributions at the NHL level, and he did just that in this game.
He made a poor read on a loose puck in neutral ice that led to the Sharks’ second goal, but was otherwise a meaningful puck-mover, igniting the Ducks’ first goal, setting up their fourth, and potting their sixth. He’s shown to be knowledgeable of angles, capable of evading forechecks, and is creative and powerful on the offensive side of the puck. Further reps will lead to better decision-making and will likely increase his overall impact by the end of the season.
The Ducks will continue training camp on Tuesday before playing back-to-back games against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday at Honda Center and against the San Jose Sharks in San Jose on Thursday.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 20: Chandler Simpson #14 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates knocking in Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field on September 20, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mark Taylor/Getty Images) | Getty Images
By late Sunday afternoon, the Tampa Bay Rays had secured their 55th win at Tropicana Field. The victory marked the second most home wins in a single season by the Rays, second only to the fabled 2008 team. It also capped off an 8-1 home stand and series win over the Boston Red Sox.
By Sunday evening, their magic number to clinch the AL East title for the first time since 2021 was down to just two thanks to another Arizona Diamondbacks win over the Yankees. In reality, that magic number is really just one if they win just one of the four upcoming games against the second place Yankees in the Bronx. If they can win the East, they will secure home field advantage throughout the ALDS and ALCS, along with a first round bye.
So, to recap, it was a good day in Tampa Bay.
This one was all Rays from the first inning on. After Griffin Jax tossed a scoreless first, the Rays bats got to work against Red Sox starter Patrick Sandoval. Back in the lineup after a scheduled day off, Yandy Diaz drew a leadoff walk. Vilade then reached on a HBP, setting up first and second for Junior Caminero who singled to left and loaded the bases for DeLuca.
DeLuca roped a double down the left field line and drove in the first two runs of the game.
Chandler Simpson followed with a two-RBI single of his own and opened this game up. Five batters in and the Rays had opened up a 4-0 and Patrick Sandoval had yet to record an out.
Sandoval did stop the bleeding and escaped the first with no further damage. But, the damage was done. Jax continued to throw up zeroes and then in the fifth, the Rays struck again. This time it was Mesa Jr. with a solo blast to right center. It was his 14th of the year and gave the Rays a 5-0 lead.
Trevor Story ruined the shutout in the top of the ninth and hit a one-out solo home run to left. That was it for the Sox though and the 5-1 score would become final.
After the four run first, the Rays arms took over. Again, Jax was solid. He tossed five scoreless innings, punched out five, walked two, and allowed just three hits. Suler, Hopkins, and Matz combined to toss three scoreless in relief. Johnson ran into some trouble in the ninth and surrendered the blast to Story, and was relieved by Kelly who shut the door, recording the final out. Rays pitching struck out nine in total and the only walks issued were those by Jax.
Despite only mustering four hits, the Rays offense did enough in this one, mostly in the first inning. But, as we have seen all year, if the offense can get the pitching staff a lead, they very seldom surrender it.
The Rays will have Monday off prior to a double header in the Bronx on Tuesday. With a win on Tuesday, or Wednesday, or Thursday against the Yankees, they will be celebrating a division title in Yankee Stadium.
At 95-60 with seven games remaining, 100 wins is not out of the question. If they reach triple digit wins, it would be just the second time in franchise history, the first being 2021. First up, win #96.
The Pittsburgh Penguins may have had a dream 2025-26 season, but that doesn't mean they didn't face problems.
The Penguins struggled to defend in their own zone, especially in front of the net. There were too many goals allowed in those high-danger areas.
Penguins general manager/president Kyle Dubas wasn't happy with that and made changes to the defense this offseason, trading for Kaedan Korczak and signing Declan Carlile and Trevor van Riemsdyk.
Korczak looks poised to play on the right side, while Carlile and van Riemsdyk are set to play on the left.
Korczak confirmed Thursday that he was having coffee with his in-laws when he learned about the trade. He's super excited to join a Penguins team in a different situation than the Vegas Golden Knights.
"Just talking with Kyle and the coaches, it's exciting to be a part of that group that's gonna hopefully bring that next step to the organization," Korczak said. "You obviously have those guys who can lead you. You've got some Hall of Famers here who can show us the way, so I'm really excited for the opportunity to be a part of this group."
Korczak has skated with Sam Girard at training camp, and they have a good chance of opening the regular season as the Penguins' third defensive pair. They would be a well-balanced pair: Korczak is more of a defensive defenseman, while Girard likes to do his thing in the offensive zone.
Apr 15, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Declan Carlile (67) controls the puck New York Rangers in the first period controls the puck against the New York Rangers in the first period at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Switching gears to Carlile, he's also stoked about joining a Penguins team that's building towards something.
"I think it's really exciting," Carlile said. "Obviously, we're trying to build and keep pushing. They had a good year last year, and obviously we want to push the envelope even more and get farther into the playoffs. I'm excited to come in here and do my part, and try to help the team win."
Carlile has worked with Erik Karlsson at training camp, and the two have started to develop some chemistry. After Parker Wotherspoon played so well with Karlsson last year, the Penguins believe Carlile can step in for him after trading Wotherspoon to the Golden Knights for Korczak.
Like Karlsson, Kris Letang also looks poised to have a new defensive partner for the 2026-27 season. He didn't mesh well with Girard at the end of last season and has been paired with van Riemsdyk at camp.
TVR is great defensively and could help Letang the way Brett Kulak did before he was flipped to the Colorado Avalanche for Girard. TVR signed a two-year contract with the Penguins in free agency and likes that the team puts success above everything else.
"Obviously, I was part of a Stanley Cup team my rookie year (2014-15 Chicago Blackhawks). 13 years later now, and I haven't gotten back, so you realize how hard it is, and when you get older, you realize the chances are going to be limited, so you want to go places where success is on the forefront, and here is obviously always like that," van Riemsdyk said. "Sid is always pushing guys, Geno, Karlsson, Tanger. They've been here. They've been part of great teams, and as long as they are around, I think they're always going to be pretty damn successful."
If Korczak, TVR, and Carlile all play at a high level, it will go a long way toward the Penguins' goal of returning to the playoffs this season.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 18: Anton Watson #41 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors during the Semifinals on July 18, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 Tom O'Connor/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Similar to what the Phoenix Suns did with point guard David Stockton, the Los Angeles Lakers signed forward Anton Watson to a training camp deal on Thursday, Sept. 17, but later waived the former Gonzaga Bulldog on Friday, Sept. 18. He will most likely join the G League’s Coachella Valley Lakers.
Lakers announce they have signed Meechie Johnson and Chase Ross while waiving Anton Watson. These are more training camp moves for LA pic.twitter.com/jFmWdVifN7
Over the course of seven games with the Lakers in the California Classic in San Francisco, California, and NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada, Watson averaged 7.6 points on a shooting split of 34.0 field goal percentage/19.2 three-point percentage/100 free throw percentage, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists across 20.7 minutes per contest.
The Spokane, Washington native was drafted with the No. 54 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. In March of 2025, Watson was claimed off waivers by the New York Knicks on a two-way contract. In nine appearances for New York, he averaged 0.9 points, 0.3 rebounds, and 0.2 assists per game.
After the conclusion of the 2025 season, Watson was signed by Los Angeles in September of 2025.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
BALTIMORE — Their sights are set on far bigger and better things.
Yet a franchise-record 98 wins and a pair of twentysomething stars are enough for the Milwaukee Brewers to pause momentarily and sniff the flowers.
They eclipsed their previous standard of 97 wins set just one year ago by putting ace Jacob Misiorowski on ice after three innings, trotting out seven pitchers and still shutting out the Baltimore Orioles3-0 on Sunday, Sept. 20 at Camden Yards.
At 98-58, with six games remaining, the Brewers are almost certainly going to post their first 100-win season in franchise history.
“Cool and all,” says closer Trevor Megill, who pitched a clean ninth inning for his 29th save, “but not trying to be regular season warriors.”
Harsh but true.
The Brewers are National League Central champions for the fourth consecutive season, the arrow ticking up from 92 to 93 to 97 wins to however many more they can corral this week. And the postseason progress is evident, too: The club reached the NL Championship Series last season for the first time since 2018, only to get swept by the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Megill's point, then, is valid. Counterpoint: The team is sprinting through the tape, even as the No. 1 seed in the playoffs has been largely assured for a few days.
Ninety-eight wins? Yeah, crank the stereo a little more.
“It’s hard to win 98 games and be healthy. It’s hard to be in this spot to begin with,” says third-year manager Pat Murphy. “And I don’t think it’s appreciated enough. I don’t think anyone realizes how hard it is for any of the 30 teams to put themselves in this position. And that’s what makes me proud of these guys.
“We’re not the most experienced team. We’re not the most talented. We’re not the most a lot of things. But for sure, they’ve proven they’re a team. Because it’s hard to win major league games. And to win 98 of them, tells you there’s a team in there.
“And I’m really proud of them.”
Their wares were on full display Sunday, even as they pulled Misiorowski after just three innings and 44 pitches, 28 of them clocked between 99 to 102 mph.
But off he went, like a thoroughbred heading back to the barn after a brisk sprint on the backstretch. No matter: The Miz struck out four to move into second place on the Brewers’ single-season strikeout list, with 247. He’s going to be the NL Cy Young Award winner and will have one more regular-season start to lengthen out a bit before starting Game 1 of the NL Championship Series on Saturday, Oct. 3.
At 24, he’s a relative graybeard compared to 22-year-old outfielder Jackson Chourio. All that kid did Sunday was join Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt Jr. as the only players to hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases in their first three seasons.
Sure, the liberalized stolen-base rules help. But Chourio’s immense talent plays in any era.
“I’ve watched him play through countless levels,” says Misiorowski. “I think it’s cool to see a guy like that perform at the highest level. He’s an animal out there. He’s also crazy in here.”
Says Megill of Chourio, who signed an eight-year, $82 million deal in December 2023: “Dude’s a beast. They gave him a lot of money for good reason.”
The Brewers will enjoy an off day in Philadelphia on Monday, then play three against the flailing Phillies before wrapping up with three games at home against St. Louis. Then, a few off days as they await the survivors of the NL wild-card series.
Bigger things ahead, certainly. Yet plenty behind them, too, enough worth pausing to appreciate.
“It means a lot. It’s always a big deal to set a record, a franchise record,” says Misiorowski. “Hopefully, we get to a little bigger number but it’s still cool. Ninety-eight games, that’s awesome.”
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 9: Graham Ike #45 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on July 9, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 Stephen Greathouse/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
If any Gonzaga Bulldog deserves this opportunity in the NBA, it’s forward/center Graham Ike, after going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft and grinding on an Exhibit 10 contract over the summer.
According to Luca Evans of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Golden State Warriors have signed the former big man on campus to their third and final two-way contract. The agreement is expected to be a two-year deal. Ike will split his time with the big club and their G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Across nine contests in the month of July, his strong post presence, toughness, and leadership value helped push Golden State to an NBA Summer League title in Las Vegas, Nevada. For the duration of the California Classic at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, plus his time spent in Sin City, Ike averaged 10.0 points on a shooting split of 48.4 field goal percentage/25.0 three-point percentage/78.9 free throw percentage, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 21.2 minutes per game.
The Warriors’ training camp in the Bay Area will begin on Sept. 29.
As of right now, 11 Gonzaga alums will be in the NBA at the start of the 2026-27 season.
In hopes of making an opening-day roster, shooting guard Malachi Smith signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 training camp contract with the Toronto Raptors through the work of his agent, Michael Lelchitski of SIG Sports. He was previously waived by the Brooklyn Nets after spending the tail end of the 2025-26 campaign with the organization.
Forward/center Drew Timme, who was on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers this past season, wasn’t picked for the open roster spot before the 2026 NBA Playoffs. He’s still searching for his next professional destination as Los Angeles has all three of their two-way spots filled.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 20: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates winning the National League East title after a game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on September 20, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Joe Buvid/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Once again, the Braves are the Beasts of the NL East. For the first time since 2023, the Braves have won the 2026 NL East Division. They clinched the division over the weekend with a convincing sweep of the Houston Astros, including another win via late game heroics on Sunday. While the Braves certainly have much higher goals in mind to earn this season, it is still an accomplishment to cherish after the struggles in 2024 and 2025.
Braves News
Robert Suarez returned to the mound to begin a rehab assignment in Gwinnett for the first time in three months. While the performance was a bit shaky, he completed the inning without setbacks.
Just as they did last season, the Pittsburgh Penguins are easing into their roster cuts.
And, on Sunday, they made their first one.
Pittsburgh re-assigned goaltender Matvei Nikonovich to his OHL club, the Barrie Colts, making him the first cut of 2026 training camp. Nikonovich, 18, was selected in the fifth round (160th overall) by the Penguins in this year's draft after they traded into the draft to select him.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Belarusian netminder put together a nice season in the MHL - Russia's junior league - in 2025-26, posting a 1.96 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage in 38 appearances. He was selected by the Colts in the 2026 CHL Import Draft on Jun. 30, and this came after his MHL team, Ladia Togliatti, disbanded.
After sending back Nikonovich, the Penguins are down to 68 players in camp. They are set to play four pre-season games in five days this week, starting with the Buffalo Sabres at home on Monday. They will play the second part of a back-to-back on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings in Pittsburgh before a day off Wednesday.
Nothing has been confirmed by the team, but a larger wave of roster cuts should be expected Wednesday, before the Penguins hit the road for their final two pre-season games against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Sabres.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Felix Bautista #74 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 20, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another pitiful showing from the Orioles offense wasted an impressive Brandon Young start, and likely put the final nail in their 2026 coffin, as the O’s lost 3-0 to the Brewers on Sunday night in Baltimore.
The Orioles bats have now been shut out for 19 consecutive innings. That streak began in the 10th inning of the series opener against the Brewers, and then continued through the entirety of Games Two and Three of this late-season sweep. A truly nauseating experience.
Across tonight’s nine innings, the O’s managed just four hits, three walks, and three at-bats with a runner in scoring position. Of course, none of those hits overlapped with a runner in scoring position, giving us our final scoreline.
Colton Cowser had two of the hits. Coby Mayo and Carlos Narváez had one each. Mayo, Samuel Basallo, and Chrsitian Encarnacion-Strand worked one walk apiece. That was all they managed. The first three hitters of the lineup, Dylan Beavers, Pete Alonso, and Gunnar Henderson combined to go 0-for-11 with four strikeouts.
The closest the Orioles ever came to scoring was in the sixth inning. After the first two batters were retired, Henderson reached base on a hit by pitch. Brewers reliever Chad Patrick was all over the place. He then uncorked two wild pitches, advancing Henderson to third base. Mayo and Basallo followed with their walks to load the bases with two outs and Jeremiah Jackson at the plate.
So, after seeing this pitcher throw nine consecutive balls, including two that got passed the catcher and one that hit Henderson, what would you think Jackson would do? Maybe see a pitch himself. Force the guy to keep working? Nope, he swung at the opening offer and weakly grounded out to first base to end the threat.
It was a wrap after that. The O’s got some runners on in the seventh, but it never really felt like they were going to score. And then they went down in order in both the eighth and ninth innings to seal the loss.
What’s worse is that it’s not as if the eventual NL Cy Young winner shut them down all night. Jacob Misiorowski only threw three innings. Milwaukee is saving him for the playoffs, so they used this game as a formal bullpen day instead. Then it was left up to six relievers, who all dominated a Baltimore lineup that sure looks like it is throwing in the towel.
The good news of the game was all on the pitching side of things.
Brandon Young started on the bump, and was quite good. He worked six innings, putting him over the 150-inning threshold on the year. It was another solid effort as he coughed up just two runs on three hits, three walks, and a career-high nine strikeouts. That eclipsed the eight strikeouts he had against the Nationals back on June 27, his previous career-best.
Those two runs were spread across two different innings. Cooper Pratt singled in Jake Bauers in the second inning. Later, William Contreras launched his 18th home run of the season in the fourth inning. Even including all of that, it was a nice showing for Young, who may make one more start before the season is up. But if this was his last trip to the mound this year, he is ending things on a rather high note and has put himself in position to make the big league rotation out of spring training in 2027.
The most important development of this game—from the Orioles’ perspective anyway—came in the seventh inning, when Félix Bautista emerged from the Camden Yards bullpen for the first time since last July. Officially back from right shoulder surgery, the towering righty reclaimed his spot atop a big league mound. It just felt right.
The on-field results, however, still have room for improvement.
Bautista recorded two outs, both via strikeouts. He got Joey Ortiz to whiff on an 89-mph splitter up in the zone, and punched out Christian Yelich on a 90-mph splitter on the outside edge of the plate. The velocity of the sinker was 96-97, so down a touch from his prime, but still very useable and with a chance to regain a tick following a healthy offseason.
Bautista also allowed Milwaukee’s third run of the day. Prior to the two strikeouts, Jake Bauers opened the inning with a double. He then came in to score on a two-out single for Pratt. After Pratt swiped a couple of bags on the hefty hurler, and then Garrett Mitchell worked a walk, O’s manager Craig Albernaz decided that 19 pitches was plenty for a return from more than a year on the IL. Bautista was yanked, and Grant Wolfram effectively cleaned up the mess.
Getting Bautista back on the field was an important step. He is likely to get back into another game or two before the season wraps up next weekend. Whatever stats he puts on the page won’t be as important as getting over the mental hurdle of pitching in the big leagues again. He’s already done that. Now he can focus on building towards his role in 2027.
The loss drops the Orioles to 75-81 on the season, five games back of the AL’s final wild card spot with six games to play. Their elimination number is two. It’s not over folks, but it might as well be.
They now welcome a desperate Blue Jays team to town for a three-game series beginning on Monday. Shane Baz (6-15, 4.11 ERA) is set to return from being hit by a comebacker in his last start. He will be opposed by Trey Yesavage (5-5, 3.65 ERA), who will be pitching for the first time since August 4. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35.
Sep 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Enrique Hernandez (8) reacts after hitting a RBI double in the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Believe it or not, the Giants led for the majority of Sunday’s finale against the Dodgers. In this feebled state, dragging our way to the finish line, that feels like a kind-a, sort-a win.
Granted, it was 1-0 lead, which is not a lead that typically soothes or ensures. In LA, against that Dodger line-up, a run in the 1st wasn’t going to be a fatal blow. It wasn’t going to last. After Victor Bericoto’s opposite field single helped complete Jonah Cox’s scamper around the bases, I felt fairly confident that the early lead wouldn’t survive batters into the Dodgers’ bottom half of the 1st.
I was wrong about that. Matt Wilkinson proved me wrong. With Tugboat at the helm, the lead lasted — not forever, of course, the Giants obviously lost this game — but through the 1st, the 2nd, the 3rd, even the 4th! The rookie left-hander held the Dodgers in check for five scoreless innings, striking out 6, walking none, while scattering three hits. It was the best outing of his short career, and he knew it. He knew when he was out there, celebrating each shutout frame with a roar, each strikeout with a strut around the mound, each painted pitch with an affirming head nod.
Four of his season-high six K’s came by way of his deceptive four-seamer. He got Max Muncy to lunge over a change-up immediately after Miguel Rojas’s one-out double in the 2nd. He scooted over to record the out at first on Josue Da Paula’s meek grounder and just kept running, taking a wide turn into the dugout, hyping himself up as he went, with the third out nestled in his glove.
Another change-up to Miguel Rojas negated a two-out single by Freddie Freeman in the 4th. He worked around another one-out double by Josue Da Paula in 5th when Jung Hoo Lee sold out a flare that bounced in front of him and rolled all the way to the wall in right-center. But when the dust settled on the play, Da Paula, having not booked it out of the box, only stood at second. A mental error, a gift, that Wilkinson took advantage of. A low-and-away change-up got Enrique Hernández to roll out to third before three straight bold and defiant 90 MPH fastballs dispatched Hunter Feduccia before he could even get his bat off his shoulders.
Tugboat’s last toot — and a mighty fine one at that.
And yet, Wilkinson’s performance wasn’t even the most impressive of the game. That honor belongs to Dodger right-hander Emmett Sheehan, who took over in the 2nd down a run, and froze the San Francisco’s offense in that state. He struck out 9 over 5.1 innings, allowing just two baserunners, both Lee, with an inconsequential walk in the 3rd and an inconsequential single in the 6th.
Despite Sheehan’s overall unimpressive numbers (4.79 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) against the rest of the league, this type of dominance is run of the mill stuff for the right-hander against San Francisco. Sheehand doesn’t see red on the mound, he sees orange-and-black. You might remember his MLB debut in 2023 when he held the Giants hitless over 6 innings. Turns out that kind of work wasn’t an outlier or beginner’s luck. San Francisco hitters have batted just .057 while he’s posted a 1.29 ERA over five games (4 GS).
Those averages only dropped after this sixth outing. Lee’s single was just the sixth hit by a Giant against Sheehan in 33.1 innings. His ERA now: 1.08. The right-hander had opponents eating out the palm of his hand. Giants hitters were happy to climb a ladder to nowhere in pursuit of elevated fastballs. His curveball logged a 50% whiff rate (6/12). Familiarity did not breed comfortability. Swings against Sheehan seemed to get uglier as the game progressed. The last three batters he faced went down hacking.
All in all, Sunday’s finale was an exposition on pitching. Dodgers arms combined for 14 strikeouts while allowing just five baserunners. Matt Wilkinson made the molehill that is the mound look like a mountain. But he had to come down from his peak eventually, and the same suffocating narrative around the bullpen took hold. Waiver-wire Abner had an off-day, but the disease of San Francisco relievers is endemic. Give them any ground on the field, let their poison fingers touch any seams, and they will infect. Two batters into the 6th, in the hands of the SF ‘pen, and that precious one-run lead Wilkinson sweated and fought over and clutched tightly for so long, was gone in a swing. A solo shot by Tommy Edman off Carson Seymour, his sixth homer allowed this year, and 15th over 65 career innings…which is a problem.
Know who is also a problem? Sam Hentges. He gets weak contact. His 3.51 ERA doesn’t look too bad. But two rights don’t make a good lefty reliever. For being so heavily relied on mid-inning, his 34% inherited runners scored is a tick above league average. His -1.5 WPA going into Sunday’s game was the lowest on the pitching staff (and has only got worse after today’s events), and his seven losses are the most out of the bullpen.
Hentges appearance in his return from the IL lasted just four batters. He recorded an out in the 7th before being chased from the game by two singles and a lead-claiming double by Enrique Hernández. Dylan Smith and Trent Harris tag-teamed the 8th and fell victim to three more singles in the frame which scratched across another run for LA.
Three runs over three frames — considering recent damages, that’s a pretty good collective outing for the San Francisco bullpen. Still, they ended up as the scrubs once again. The wrong end of a 3-1 final. Across the three game series, the Giants bullpen posted a 9.31 ERA with opposing hitters batting .417 against them.
Ashley Klein targeted after Warriors’ season ended by Knights
Official had to be protected by security on way off pitch in Auckland
The NRL has threatened to ban fans who peppered referee Ashley Klein with projectiles, with the integrity unit investigating the aftermath of the Eden Park clash.
Vision from after full-time in Newcastle’s 12-10 win over the Warriors on Sunday showed Klein being hit with a raft of bottles, cups and rubbish as he walked from the field.
