Lakers fire much of scouting staff in reorganization, including Joey and Jesse Buss

In the first major move of the Mike Walters era of the Lakers, the team has fired most of its scouting staff in a reorganization, including front office executives Joey and Jesse Buss — who are and remain part-owners of the team (along with the rest of their family).

This news was first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN and was confirmed by NBC Sports. The Lakers organization has not announced the changes.

Joey and Jesse Buss both spent their lives in the Lakers organization and worked their way up, their positions were not handed to them on a silver platter because of their last name. They were respected around the league — Jesse was the Lakers' draft guru and Director of Scouting (as well as assistant general manager), and the brothers together helped the Lakers land Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Max Christie and others. Joey Buss was listed by the team as alternate governor and vice president of research and development. The Buss brothers released this statement to Charania.

"We are extremely honored to have been part of this organization for the last 20 seasons. Thank you to Laker Nation for embracing our family every step of the way. We wish things could be different with the way our time ended with the team. At times like this we wish we could ask our Dad what he would think about it all."

If that sounds a little bitter toward longtime owner turned team operating governor Jeanie Buss, it was just the start. Check out Jesse's statements to Charania — echoing what he told Dan Woike of The Athletic — which were more direct:

"Dr. Buss' idea was for Joey and I to run basketball operations one day. But Jeanie has effectively kept herself in place with her siblings fired."

After Dr. Jerry Buss's passing, Jeanie became team governor, and Jim Buss ran basketball operations. After a few rough seasons on the court, Jeanie removed Jim from basketball operations and hired the current president of basketball operations, Rob Pelinka.

The writing was on the wall that changes to the Lakers' scouting operation were coming after the $10 billion sale of the franchise to Walter. It's why Joey and Jesse founded their own sports investment and strategic partnership company three months ago.

Even before the house cleaning on Thursday, the Lakers had one of the smallest scouting staffs in the NBA — both in terms of scouting other teams and players, as well as potential future draft picks — and it was one area Walters was expected to invest early. It is a clear place of need for the franchise. Precisely what that new structure looks like — and who will be brought in to head it — remains to be seen.

Sabres Display Head-Scratching Effort In Loss To Flames

The Buffalo Sabres apparently believed that they had found the winning formula after a pair of victories over Detroit and Edmonton, but must have forgotten that they had lost eight of the previous nine games and were at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Sabres stunning lack of consistency was on display in a 6-2 loss to the NHL bottom-dwelling Calgary Flames on Wednesday.

The Sabres allowed the Flames to take an early 2-0 lead before rallying in the middle frame with goals from Mattias Samuelsson and Tage Thompson. Calgary, who had lost 5-2 in Chicago on Tuesday and started backup goalie Devin Cooley in the second of back-to-back games, retook the lead early in the third on a Morgan Frost goal and proceeded to pull away with a pair of goals from Mikael Backlund and Joel Farabee 2:16 apart. 

After the game, Thompson was at a loss to explain the club’s inability to rise to the occasion against teams like Calgary and St. Louis on home ice, who are both at the bottom of the Western Conference standings.  

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 "I thought all game we were pretty sloppy with the puck when we did have it, especially through the neutral zone, trying to force stuff," Thompson said. "I think get a little too high on ourselves after a couple wins. I think we're better than we are. Instead of remembering what got us those wins. I thought the other game against Edmonton, we were really hard to play against. I thought today we were really easy, really light on the puck and anytime you're doing that and you're going to lose games."

Head coach Lindy Ruff was unsparing in his critique of the club, saying that his club had an opportunity early in the game to outwork the other team, but the opposite occurred and that the Sabres just wanted things to be easy. 

"In the third period, we got beat to the net. Two goals around net front. We weren't strong enough. Our power play could have changed the direction of the game. They weren't good enough. Execution. Their puck movement wasn't good enough," Ruff said.  "We lost too many battles. I mean, as a group, there wasn't a lot of players to like in the game. If you want to break down every goal, somebody got outmuscled somewhere. Somebody got a beat back up ice."

Buffalo continues their four-game homestand on Friday against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks. 

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NHL Hot Seat Radar: Leafs' Berube Receives Vote Of Confidence, Oilers Struggle

The NHL’s 2025-26 regular season continues to unfold, as does our weekly look at the Hot Seat Radar.

The radar focuses on NHL figures facing increased pressure, whether their jobs are at risk or not. For some, they may not be going anywhere, but they could still be feeling the heat to see improved results before a more significant problem arises.

When it comes to the hot seat, cooling down is a good thing. It means they're under less pressure to improve their situation. Of course, warming up means there's less time to turn things around.

We've talked about Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams and coach Lindy Ruff in each of the last two weeks, so this time, we're revisiting Craig Berube's situation before looking at Alberta rivals.

Cooling Down: Craig Berube, Coach, Toronto Maple Leafs

With the Maple Leafs off to a 9-9-2 start, Leafs analysts and fans have begun to question Berube's methods.

GM Brad Treliving isn't thinking about a change.

"Yeah, I've got all the faith in our coach right now," Treliving told reporters on Monday, according to The Hockey News' David Alter. "Listen, when you go through things like this, understandably, everything gets talked about and looked about. My job right now is to support our coach, support his message and support our group, and push the group."

Berube is the same coach who steered the Leafs to the best record in the Atlantic Division last season. This is a very competent bench boss.

Unfortunately, the injury bug has taken a huge bite out of the Maple Leafs’ roster, as veterans Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, Chris Tanev, Anthony Stolarz, Nicolas Roy and Brando Carlo all are currently on the sidelines. But that can’t be an excuse – at least, when it comes to Toronto sitting in second-last place in the Atlantic and Eastern Conference. 

From this writer’s perspective, Berube’s job is still safe. Now, he can’t afford another five-game losing streak, but given that the Leafs’ next six games include two games against the Columbus Blue Jackets and games against the disappointing Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Do The Maple Leafs Have 'Too Much Vanilla' Or Not Enough Marner?Do The Maple Leafs Have 'Too Much Vanilla' Or Not Enough Marner?Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said the solution to dealing with the team's bad start is not to point fingers and dig in together. But they seriously need Marner's two-way play right now.

Cooling Down: Ryan Huska, Coach, Calgary Flames

Huska was firmly on the hot seat coming out of the gate, as the Flames quickly fell into the bottom of the Pacific Division and league with abysmal performances left, right and center that led to an eight-game losing streak.

However, with four wins in its past nine games, Calgary has made modest improvements and is on the precipice of climbing out of the Western Conference basement and past the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues.

Calgary’s latest win – a 6-2 romp over the lowly Buffalo Sabres – took some of the heat off of Huska. And some of that heat got transferred back to the Sabres' Adams and Ruff.

If the Flames aren't going to make the playoffs, they at least need their young players and their trade bait to put up some points. That wasn't really happening in October. But in the past week, Matt Coronato has five points in four games, and Frost has four points. Pending UFA defenseman Rasmus Andersson is showing how valuable he could be for another squad with two goals and six points in four games.

The management and coaching game is a zero-sum business, so while the Flames have to be feeling slightly more competitive with their performance in November, it will only take another three- or four-game losing skid to warm up Huska's seat yet again. Calgary isn’t likely to make a surge in the standings, so Huska could find himself in the pressure cooker in short order.

Warming Up: Kris Knoblauch, Coach, Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers have been one of the bigger disappointments in the league this season with a 9-9-4 record. But it isn’t just that Edmonton is struggling that puts Knoblauch on the Hot Seat Radar for the first time this season. It’s how the Oilers are losing that increases the pressure on Knoblauch to turn things around before any questions about his job arise. 

Edmonton has lost six of its last nine games – including five in regulation – being outscored 40-26 in that span.

In this past week, the Oilers lost three of four games: 5-4 to Columbus, 5-1 to Buffalo and 7-4 to Washington.

We’re not telling you Knoblauch will be fired anytime soon, but if the Oilers want to try to get back to the Stanley Cup final, Knoblauch has to address the defense first and foremost.

Yes, the team's save percentage of .857 is quite poor. But the Oilers likely won't get an upgrade in net in the trade market. The solution has to come from within the dressing room.

The Oilers have the eighth-most expected goals against this season at 68.72, according to naturalstattrick.com, and the most actual goals against, with 80. So even though they're allowing the sixth-fewest shots against per game, they need to reduce the quality of chances against.

Edmonton is not where it was two years ago when the team fired coach Jay Woodcroft following a 3-9-1 start. The league's increased parity this season plays a part in the team sitting fifth in the Pacific Division.

But if the losing continues for the Oilers, Knoblauch’s job security will eventually come into question.


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Lakers fire executives Joey and Jesse Buss and members of scouting staff

Joey, left, and Jesse Buss (in black hat) sit during a news conference introducing Darvin Ham as the Lakers' new coach.
Joey, left, and Jesse Buss (in black hat) sit during a news conference introducing Darvin Ham as the Lakers' new coach on June 6, 2022 in El Segundo. The two Lakers executives have been fired by the team. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

The Lakers confirmed that Joey and Jesse Buss, who both had been executives with the team, are no longer with the franchise.

The announcement was made Thursday in a move many figured would come later with changes to the Lakers’ basketball operations department after Mark Walter became the majority owner. The sale was at a $10-billion valuation and was approved by the NBA board of governors in October.

According to a person not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, everything with the Lakers is being evaluated and that included firing scouts on Thursday.

It was felt that starting the process now was the best course of action to take, according to one person aware of the situation but not authorized to speak publicly, rather than wait.

Joey Buss was an alternate governor and vice president of research and development with the Lakers while Jesse was the team’s assistant general manager.

“We are extremely honored to have been part of this organization for the last 20 seasons," Joey and Jesse Buss said in a statement to ESPN, which first broke the story. “Thank you Laker Nation for embracing our family every step of the way. We wish things could be different with the way our time ended with the team. At times like this, we wish we could ask our Dad what he would think of it all.”

Read more:Hernández: LeBron James' 'very unselfish' play shows he can fit in. Will it continue?

Their dad was Dr. Jerry Buss, who transformed the Lakers into a global franchise after buying the team, along with the Kings and the Forum, in 1979 for $67.5 million. Both Joey and Jesse worked alongside their sister, Jeanie Buss, who will continue to be the Lakers’ primary team governor for the foreseeable future.

Joey was team president and chief executive of the Lakers’ G League team, the South Bay Lakers, and Jesse was the Lakers’ director of scouting. Each, along with their siblings, are still minority owners of the franchise.

The two were given a lot of credit for helping the Lakers find and develop Austin Reaves, Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr. and Max Christie.

The Lakers didn’t have a comment about the Buss brothers no longer being with the team.

“Yeah, I found out this morning that it was going to happen,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after practice. “But I don’t have any comment on personnel decisions as it relates to the organization.”

The Lakers signed general manager Rob Pelinka to a contract extension in April and extended Redick's contract in September.

The sale of the Lakers was finalized on Oct. 30.

Fresh off winning a World Series with the Dodgers, Walter, who had been a minority owner of the Lakers since he bought 27% of the franchise with Todd Boehly in 2021, promptly sat courtside for the next Lakers home game on Nov. 2. He looked on when the Lakers honored the world champion Dodgers at a home game on Nov. 5.

Walter was part of the group that purchased the Dodgers for $2 billion in 2012. Since then, the team has won three World Series titles in five appearances with 13 consecutive playoff berths.

The swift reorganization process with the Lakers differs from Walter’s history with L.A.’s other pro sports headliner. After Walter bought the Dodgers, general manager Ned Colletti stayed with the organization through the 2014 season.

In addition to becoming the highest-spending team in baseball under the new ownership group, the Dodgers also bolstered their analytics department, improved nutrition programs for major and minor league players, and expanded clubhouses with the latest physical therapy technologies.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Game #21: Ducks vs. Senators Gameday Preview (11/20/25)

After beating the Boston Bruins 4-3 on Wednesday, the Ducks are right back at it on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators on Hockey Fights Cancer Night. A win against the Senators would give the Ducks a three-game win streak.

“Winning at home is important,” Ryan Strome said after their win against the Bruins. “We’ve got a great record here. Our fans have come out really strong this year and supported us. 
You could just tell by the enthusiasm. It’s so great to see, and they're so excited for us.

“Ottawa’s a hungry team right now and they're going to be well-rested, waiting for us, so we've got to be ready to go. 
It’s going to be another tough game, so try to get some rest here and get ready to go. crack some things. All in all, finding ways to win, especially on home ice, is so key. Trying to carry that (into) tomorrow is huge.”

Takeaways from the Ducks' 4-3 Win over the BruinsTakeaways from the Ducks' 4-3 Win over the BruinsDucks defeat Bruins with clutch play and timely adjustments. Dostal's stellar goaltending paves the way for crucial offensive chances.

Petr Mrázek is expected to start for Anaheim after Lukáš Dostál started and made 36 saves against the Bruins. Any lineup changes for Anaheim won’t be known until warmups due to no morning skate, but defenseman Pavel Mintyukov will likely be a healthy scratch for the third consecutive game.

Late Wednesday night, a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman revealed that Mintyukov would prefer to be traded if he continues to be scratched.

The Senators will be without Thomas Chabot, Olle Lycksell, Ridly Greig and captain Brady Tkachuk. Chabot, Lycksell and Tkachuk are all on injured reserve while Greig is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

Ducks forward Chris Kreider will play in his 900th game, his 17th with the Ducks after spending the previous 13 seasons with the New York Rangers. Kreider has added a much-needed netfront presence to the Ducks after coming over from the Rangers as an offseason acquisition this past June. He helped create the game-tying goal on Monday against the Utah Mammoth and the game-winning goal on Wednesday against the Bruins.


Ducks Projected Lines

Chris Kreider- Leo Carlsson - Troy Terry
Cutter Gauthier - Mason McTavish - Beckett Sennecke
Frank Vatrano - Ryan Strome - Alex Killorn
Ross Johnston - Jansen Harkins - Nikita Nesterenko

Jackson LaCombe - Drew Helleson
Olen Zellweger - Jacob Trouba
Ian Moore - Radko Gudas

Petr Mrázek (projected)

Senators Projected Lines

David Perron - Tim Stützle - Drake Batherson
Lars Eller - Dylan Cozens - Fabian Zetterlund
Michael Amadio - Shane Pinto - Claude Giroux
Nick Cousins - Stephen Halliday - Hayden Hodgson

Jake Sanderson - Artem Zub
Tyler Kleven - Jordan Spence
Nikolas Matinpalo - Nick Jensen

Linus Ullmark (confirmed)

Penguins Goalie Ranked Among NHL's Top Rookies

Arturs Silovs (© Per Haljestam-Imagn Images)

The Pittsburgh Penguins made multiple moves this off-season. Among the most notable was them acquiring goaltender Arturs Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks.

The decision to bring in Silovs is already looking like a very good one by the Penguins, as the young goaltender has played excellently for the Metropolitan Division club so far. In 10 games so far this season, he has posted a 4-2-4 record, a .918 save percentage, and a 2.44 goals-against average. He also recorded his first career NHL shutout in his Penguins debut on Oct. 7, stopping all 25 New York Rangers shots he faced. 

Now, Silovs' strong start to the season has gotten him some big-time praise.

Silovs was ranked as the sixth-best rookie in the NHL in The Athletic's latest Calder Trophy rankings. With this, he ranked ahead of other promising rookies like Yaroslav Askarov (San Jose Sharks), Zeev Buium (Minnesota Wild), and Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis Blues).

Given how well Silovs has started the season, it is understandable that he is being viewed as one of the top rookies in the NHL right now. It will be interesting to see how he performs as this season rolls on from here. 

Red Wings' Lucas Raymond Says He Feels Good – And It's Showing

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Having just recorded a new career-high in points last season, Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond is beginning to heat up once again. 

Raymond is currently riding a five-game point streak coming into Thursday evening's tilt against the New York Islanders, having tallied twice while adding eight assists during that span. Among his points was scoring the game-winning goal against the New York Rangers on Nov. 16 late in the third period as part of Detroit's 2-1 win. 

Right now, he's on track to reach 90 points, which would be a new career-best. And he's doing it while having already missed two games because of an upper-body injury. 

The good news for the Red Wings is that Raymond is feeling good - and that's bad news for the rest of the NHL. 

"I feel good, physically just coming back from an injury, it's always a little slow in the beginning, but I feel good," Raymond said following practice on Thursday morning. "I think the team has been playing some really good hockey games as well lately, so that helps.

"I feel good, it's a long season and you're always going to be battling something. Very rarely do you feel a hundred percent, so I feel good. There's nothing that's bothering me."

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It wasn't long ago that Raymond was a fresh-faced rookie himself during the 2021-22 NHL campaign, having to navigate through the rigors of not only playing in the top league in the world but also living on a new continent on the opposite side of the globe.

Playing in his fifth NHL season, Raymond is happy to see the progression of new rookies on the club like Nate Danielson, Emmitt Finnie, and Axel Sandin-Pellikka. 

"First, it's a lot of fun, I think everything is new," Raymond said while looking back at his rookie season. "A lot of new impressions, every arena that's new and you play for the first time in against a bunch of players you watched growing up, there's a lot of excitement, and I think you want to enjoy as much as possible." 

Rising Rookies: Emmitt Finnie Snaps Drought Playing With Nate Danielson Rising Rookies: Emmitt Finnie Snaps Drought Playing With Nate Danielson Detroit Red Wings rookie forward Emmitt Finnie was happy to end his scoring drought on Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken, his first goal since Oct. 25 against the Blues.

Naturally, there's going to be a learning curve for even the most highly-touted young professionals.

"At the same time, it can be tough," Raymond said of the introduction to life in the NHL. "You want to play well and have a good impact. But a lot of fun and something I'll take with me." 

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NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Have 2 Defense Targets To Consider

Bowen Byram (© Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)

One area that the Philadelphia Flyers would benefit upgrading is the left side of their defense. 

Due to this, let's take a look at two defensemen who are interesting targets for the Flyers to consider pursuing.

Bowen Byram, Buffalo Sabres 

The Sabres have had a shaky start to the 2025-26 season, and they very well could be sellers if they do not turn things around. If the Sabres do end up selling, blueliner Bowen Byram would be a clear player to watch.

Byram was the subject of trade rumors this off-season before signing his two-year, $12.5 million bridge deal with the Sabres. If the 24-year-old becomes available due to Buffalo's struggles, he would undoubtedly provide the Flyers' top four with a nice boost if acquired. In 20 games this season, he has recorded three goals and nine points.

Pavel Mintyukov, Anaheim Ducks 

Pavel Mintyukov is a new name in the rumor mill who should grab the Flyers' attention. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the young defenseman "would like to be moved" if he continues to be scratched. 

With Mintyukov being a 21-year-old former first-round pick with good upside, he is somebody who would make a lot of sense for the Flyers to target. In 18 games so far this season, he has recorded three assists and a plus-1 rating. He also showed offensive potential during his rookie year in 2023-24, scoring four goals and setting career highs with 24 assists and 28 points in 63 games.

Jets Grant Blue Chip Prospect Permission To Seek Trade

On Thursday, the Winnipeg Jets have granted 2022 first-round pick Brad Lambert permission to seek a trade, Daily Faceoff has learned.

Insider Frank Seravalli confirmed that Lambert’s camp recently received approval to explore potential landing spots as his path to full-time NHL duty has tightened in recent weeks.

The Jets have welcomed back a wave of injured regulars, which has created a crowded forward group and limited Lambert’s opportunities despite a promising start to the season.

Jets Ink Five-Year, $25 Million Extension With Captain Adam Lowry Jets Ink Five-Year, $25 Million Extension With Captain Adam Lowry Captain Adam Lowry commits his future to the Jets, securing a $25 million, five-year extension.

The 21-year-old has appeared in four NHL games this season, scoring one goal while seeing very limited minutes. In total, he has dressed for ten career NHL games over three seasons with one goal and two assists.

Lambert scored his first career goal just two weeks ago in a game versus the Pittsburgh Penguins, however this didn't last long as he was again sent back down to the AHL this past Tuesday.

Once regarded as a potential top-five pick in the draft, Lambert fell to the Jets due to his final junior season. He still has two years left on his entry-level deal. 

While the Jets remain high on his long-term potential, the organization also understands Lambert’s growing frustration with being stuck in the minors. Lambert's camp likely believes he will have a clearer route to NHL minutes with another club.

Lambert has been a consistent performer at the AHL level with the Manitoba Moose, recording 30 goals and 63 assists for 93 points in 141 games. 

The Finnish forward was an important contributor for his home country at the 2022 World Junior Championship, where he helped secure a silver medal. Before reaching the professional ranks, he excelled at the junior level with the Seattle Thunderbirds, producing 38 points in 26 games.

For Winnipeg, this decision does not necessarily indicate a desire to trade Lambert, but it does reflect the reality of his stalled development path. If another team can offer a clearer opportunity and the Jets receive an appropriate return, both sides may see a move as beneficial. 

As for what the return could be is hard to say as Lambert has shown some upside at the NHL level with his production so far but has been very limited. The last thing the Jets organization will want is to trade away a high-end prospect that can easily produce 25-30 points tomorrow with room to go even higher and get left with a lesser return.

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The Wraparound: Who Are Buffalo And Calgary's Top Trade Candidates?

The Wraparound is back with more NHL and hockey topics in rapid-fire segments.

Who Are Buffalo And Calgary's Top Trade Candidates? by The WraparoundWho Are Buffalo And Calgary's Top Trade Candidates? by The Wraparound

Here's what Emma Lingan, Michael Augello and Stephen Kerr discussed in this episode:

0:00: Should the Vegas Golden Knights be concerned about their goaltending situation?

4:42: Could Macklin Celebrini receive significant Hart Trophy consideration this season?

8:10: Will Jesper Wallstedt’s rise cause a shake-up in net for the Minnesota Wild?

11:30: Breaking down Adam Lowry’s five-year extension with the Winnipeg Jets

15:10: Could Charlie McAvoy’s absence bring the Boston Bruins down to earth?

18:50: Should the Anaheim Ducks look to trade Pavel Mintyukov?

22:10: Could Alexandre Texier end up terminating his contract with the St. Louis Blues?

25:26: Looking at the top trade candidates for the Buffalo Sabres and the Calgary Flames

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Podbean

iHeartRadio

Amazon

Rely On Offense in First Round Rematch Of Habs-Capitals

Thursday's slate of NHL action is chalk full of marquee matchups across the league with 12 games for fans to enjoy. One of the most intriguing games on the board features the surging Capitals that have won three of their last five games with close losses to the Florida Panthers and the New Jersey Devils. 

After winning in decisive fashion on Wednesday versus the Edmonton Oilers, Washington will play their second leg of a back-to-back on the road versus the slumping Montreal Canadiens. The Habs started off the season in flying colors with a 9-3-0 record through their first 12 games but have since dropped six of their last seven games. 

A win on Thursday could a long way for both teams and should culminate in a hard fought game in one of the best arenas in all of hockey at the Bell Centre. 

All betting lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly. 

Sign up with BetMGM, make a deposit, and place your first wager on any game using your First Bet Offer token. If that bet with the token applied loses, you’ll get your original stake paid back in Bonus Bets, up to $1,500! Get in the game today with BetMGM.

Maple Leafs Set For High-Scoring Clash Versus Marchenko, Blue JacketsMaple Leafs Set For High-Scoring Clash Versus Marchenko, Blue JacketsThe Toronto Maple Leafs have won just three of their last nine matchups versus the Columbus Blue Jackets with winger Kirill Marchenko recording points in three of their last four meetings for a total of one goal and three assists.

Montreal Canadiens vs Washington Capitals Best Bets

Over 6.0 Goals (-120)

Habs ML (-139)

Habs First Period Over 0.5 Goals (-189) Parlay Add

Tom Wilson Over 0.5 Points (-149)

Josh Anderson Anytime Goal (+475) Longshot Pick

Nick Suzuki Anytime Goal (+175)

The Habs are clear favorites in this matchup, and for good reason. They are long overdue for a win after their recent slump and have yet to secure a strong home record, splitting their ten home games this season with five victories. However, the Capitals usually perform well against Montreal, winning seven of their last nine games and taking three of the last four trips to Montreal.

Adding to the challenge, Washington will be traveling the day after a tough game against the Oilers, in which they scored seven goals in a 7-4 shootout. This fatigue is likely to be exposed early by a Habs team that is tied for 12th in first-period goals, alongside five other teams, with 18 goals and a +5 first-period goal differential.

Montreal will also benefit from facing the Capitals without their top goaltender, Logan Thompson. Thompson has been outstanding this season but started on Wednesday, leaving backup Charlie Lindgren in net. Lindgren, a former Montreal goaltender signed as an undrafted free agent by Washington, has a 2-3-1 record and a 3.17 goals-against average (GAA) this season.

Montreal’s starter, Sam Montembeault, has struggled this season, holding a 4-5-1 record and a 3.56 GAA. His career numbers against Washington are also underwhelming, with a 2-3-0 record, a 3.49 GAA, and a .893 save percentage over six appearances. Public opinion is fairly divided on this game, with 56 percent favoring a Habs win at home, while nearly 80 percent believe Montreal will not cover the spread.

This game is likely to turn into a high-scoring affair, but Montreal should find a way to win. They are overdue for a strong response and could do so by taking an early lead and maintaining momentum offensively. For Washington, leading scorer Tom Wilson will be key. He is averaging a point per game over 20 contests this season and has accumulated nine points over his last eight games against Montreal, including five goals and four assists.

Wilson will also be motivated after last season’s postseason brawl with Montreal’s Josh Anderson. Anderson is expected to respond offensively, having scored twice and assisted once for three points over his last four games entering Thursday.

Montreal captain Nick Suzuki is another key player to watch. In 20 career games versus Washington, he has tallied 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points. Suzuki is due for a big night, having earned just one point over his last four games.

Islanders' Matthew Schaefer, Avalanche's Cale Makar Already Near-Locks in NHL Award RacesIslanders' Matthew Schaefer, Avalanche's Cale Makar Already Near-Locks in NHL Award RacesAn 18-year-old phenom and a Norris contender are dominating early NHL award races, setting impressive records and dazzling fans.Image

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NHL Insider Says Senators Are 'Looking To Hit A Home Run' On The Trade Market

With the recent signing of Shane Pinto, the Ottawa Senators have done a fine job of locking up the bulk of their core for the next few years, the ones they believe are part of their eventual Stanley Cup formula. Here's a list of some of their top players who are signed for the next three years, along with the year their contract expires.

Tim Stutzle: 2031
Brady Tkachuk: 2028
Jake Sanderson: 2032
Thamas Chabot: 2028
Dylan Cozens: 2030
Shane Pinto: 2030
Fabian Zetterlund: 2028
Ridly Greig: 2029
Linus Ullmark: 2029

So, it would seem like this group's window of opportunity is here, and according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, GM Steve Staios appears ready to do something big to crank it wide open.

While referring to the NHL trade market in his latest 32 Thoughts column, Friedman wrote, "The Senators are lurking, looking to hit a home run."

Given his druthers, Staios would probably prefer that his trade discussions weren't described as lurking, but it is interesting to hear that, according to Friedman, Staios is in the batter's box and looking to go yard.

If nothing else, it shouldn't be a surprise that Stais is out there laying the groundwork for a big swing between now and the deadline, as he's done in the past.

But identifying the proper time to push your chips all-in can be a risky business. For example, Pierre Dorion's timing was badly off with his go-for-broke deals, such as they were.

The season after the Sens' run to the Eastern Final in 2017, Dorion acquired Matt Duchene from Colorado in a costly blockbuster trade involving Nashville. The Senators completely fell apart after that, finishing second-last in the league, sparking a long rebuild. Meanwhile, the Avalanche went from last place the previous season to making the playoffs, sparking a run of excellence they're still on.

In that deal, the Sens had to surrender the 4th overall pick in 2019, which they could have used to take a player like Mo Seider, Matt Boldy, or Cole Caufield, who went 6, 12, and 15, respectively. Any one of whom could now be helping the Senators' cause mightily.

Dorion also went out and got players like Alex DeBrincat and Jakob Chychrun. Neither of them moved the needle, neither of them stayed long, and even after they were flipped, their acquisition damaged the overall quality of Ottawa's assets.

So is now the right time for Staios to make a home run trade? In general terms, the answer is yes, but it obviously needs to make sense.

Last spring, the Sens finally shook off a seven-year playoff drought, and with the group now a little older and wiser, with new lessons learned from their playoff christening, they do appear to be on the doorstep, where supporting the troops with another big-time player or two finally makes sense.

But if Staios chooses that path, whether it's the tough-as-nails defenseman or a proven NHL scorer, his trade partner will likely be a lower-end team that's out of the playoff mix. And at the quarter turn, which team is that, exactly? The season is starting to get away from Calgary, Nashville, and St. Louis, but after that, every other NHL team is within 4 points of a playoff spot. So there aren't many sellers or surrenders yet.

But that will change in the new year, as it always does, and like many people after Christmas, Staios doesn't have as much to spend as he'd like. But he can still do some things.

At first glance, pulling someone off the existing roster would seem counterproductive, but in the name of improving through rebalancing, Staios certainly hasn't been shy to do it. In the past year and a half, he's shipped out Josh Norris to get Dylan Cozens and Jakob Chychrun to get Nick Jensen. Is there another deal like those to be made? 

On the other hand, Staios could choose to deal away picks or prospects. But they don't have a first-round pick next summer. Would they deal their top pick in 2027 or 2028? Would they ship out former first-rounders like Carter Yakemchuk or Logan Hensler?

They certainly could, but that comes with its own long-term pitfalls, which is true of any team that gambles away some of its future to take a shot now. But the Sens have already parted with a lot of their future to make some of their ill-advised (and poorly communicated) trades of the past.

If they peddle away much more in the name of taking their shot, things could get ugly when this current Cup-or-bust window closes, and the Senators might find themselves in a rebuild that's even uglier than the one they just emerged from.

The good news for Sens fans is that, when it comes to trades, Staios' batting average has been pretty good so far. As he lurks near the plate, it will be fascinating to see if he gets another pitch he likes this season.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

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MLS reveals 2026 schedule featuring two-month break for World Cup

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will play a Major League Soccer match in their new stadium for the first time on 4 April, one of the highlights of the league’s schedule that was revealed Thursday.

The 2026 MLS regular season starts 21 February and runs through 7 November. It’ll be the last season in the February-to-November model, with a shortened season planned for 2027 and then the new summer-to-spring calendar for the 2027-28 campaign to closer align with other global leagues.

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