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Red Wings Ride Hot Streak Into Clash With Schaefer, Red-Hot Islanders

On Thursday, the Detroit Red Wings return to action after a thrilling win on Tuesday over the Seattle Kraken that saw several major milestones like captain Dylan Larkin recording his 600th point while rookie Nate Danielson potted his first career goal. Detroit looks to continue their recent hot streak with three wins in their last four games when hosting rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer and the New York Islanders. 

It'll be the 132nd all-time matchup between these two teams and should be a good one as the Islanders have also been red hot with five wins in their last six games with their only loss coming against the top seed in the league in the Colorado Avalanche. It should be an interesting test for Detroit to take on this new look team and how they'll handle a new face taking over the hockey world like Schaefer.

Lineup Storylines

Red Wings top prospect Nate Danielson finally arrived on Tuesday with his first career goal, a second goal on a highlight reel play but was called off due to former Griffins linemate Emmitt Finnie being caught offside before the former Grand Rapids duo brought their talents to the NHL stage and combined on a game-winning goal for the Red Wings. It was fantastic for any Detroit fan to see Danielson finally look comfortable and confident as many who have seen him play know that once he gets confident and moving the way he'd like to, that's when he truly unlocks his high-end potential. 

Line Combinations: Red Wings vs. IslandersLine Combinations: Red Wings vs. IslandersLarkin, Raymond, and Danielson look to ignite Detroit's offense against a surging Islanders squad featuring rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer.

From plays where he deked through entire teams or snipes with his lethal shot, Danielson is now a player to look out for and will be tested against a tough Islanders team that is red hot with their defense even hotter. New York has a 2.17 goals against average during their recent six-game hot streak with their last matchup versus Detroit going well with just two goals allowed.

The lines are expected to experience a subtle shift once again as Red Wings bench boss Todd McLellan is going to look for the Griffins connection once again. McLellan will look to move Finnie down to the third line to play with Danielson while veteran winger Mason Appleton takes the other wing. Marco Kasper will get to play with Patrick Kane once again on the second line with J.T. Compher centering. 

For New York, you can always count on Islanders bench boss Patrick Roy to smash the Schaefer button. If you have not seen a New York game this season and are curious to see what Schaefer can do, you will get ample oppurtunity on Thursday. The 18-year-old Hamilton, Ontario native has the most minutes on the Islanders by a significant margin, playing on the top defense pairing, power play and penalty kill. From the blue line, he’s generated more shot attempts than anyone on the roster and has shown impressive quickness, ranking second on the team in takeaways while also clogging lanes with the fifth-most blocks.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

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.

He’ll be a key player for the Red Wings to track on Thursday, especially since they’ve only faced him once this season and were able to hold him off the scoresheet. In that meeting, Detroit couldn't handle the rest of the Islanders offense, surrendering seven goals in a 7–2 loss. Early season breakout for New York in Emil Heineman scored twice and has carried that momentum forward, entering Thursday with 14 points in 20 games. The former Montreal forward has thrived alongside the red-hot Bo Horvat, who continues to pace the Islanders with a team-leading 24 points in 20 games.

Player & Betting Trends (Presented By BetMGM)

DET ML (-133) | NYI ML (+110)

DET -1.5 (+180) | NYI +1.5 (-222)

O/U 6.0 Goals

Detroit's Lucas Raymond has been white hot with four straight multi-point games and riding a five-game point streak. He's totaled two goals and eight assists for ten points over the five games and has made the Red Wings top line lethal once again.

New York's win over Detroit earlier this season snapped a four-game winning streak in the matchup and could mean we will likely see a bounce back game for the home team on Thursday. Raymond should lead the way although he doesn't have the greatest history in this matchup. 

The Swedish winger has points in just four of his last seven games versus the Islanders, tallying three goals and two assists for five points. He'll look to keep his hot streak alive and score for the third straight game as well as the third time in his last four matchups versus New York. Top line center Dylan Larkin should be able to help get Raymond on the board once again as this is a matchup he normally excels in. The Michigan native has points in five of his last six games versus the Islanders, recording four goals and two assists for six points. 

To combat the Red Wings top line, we would expect New York's answer to be Horvat as their top line center, however the 30-year-old London, Ontario native has struggled in this matchup. He did get a pair of assists in their last matchup earlier this season but prior to that, Horvat had gone five straight games versus Detroit without recording a point.

Thursday, they may need more secondary options and that very well could come from the second line in Matt Barzal. The high-flying center has produced decent numbers this season like 15 points in 19 games but when playing against the Motor City hockey club, he finds ways to get the puck in the net. Barzal has four goals and 21 assists over his last 25 games versus the Red Wings, including eight multi-point performances and one five-assist game back in 2018.

Goalie Matchup

Detroit: John Gibson (Season: 4-5-1 record, 3.32 GAA, .875 SV% | VS NYI: 4-4-1 record, 3.31 GAA, .899 SV% in 10 games)

New York: Ilya Sorokin (Season: 6-5-2 record, 2.92 GAA, .898 SV% | VS DET: 4-4-2 record, 2.47 GAA, .911 SV% in 11 games)

Two Former Michigan Teammates Hit Major NHL Milestones On The Same NightTwo Former Michigan Teammates Hit Major NHL Milestones On The Same NightWolverines reunited: Larkin and Werenski hit monumental NHL point milestones on the same electrifying night, echoing their Michigan glory.

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Injuries to NBA star players are up this season. Steve Kerr says pace, spacing of modern game to blame.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for at least a couple of weeks with a groin strain. Anthony Davis remains sidelined in Dallas with a calf strain. Victor Wembanyama is out with a strained calf. Wemby's star teammates Stephon Castle (hip) and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper (calf) are out. Ja Morant is out with a calf strain.

If it feels like injuries to the NBA's biggest names — especially soft tissue injuries — are on the rise, it's because they are. The numbers are shocking, as Tom Haberstroh laid out at Yahoo Sports. (Note: He defines a star by using the NBA's definition in its Player Participation Policy, an All-Star or All-NBA player within the past three years. There are 45 such players in the league.)

"All told, NBA stars have already missed over 200 games this season due to injury or illness, doubling the total we saw at this point two years ago ... For a league fighting the image that star players aren't playing enough, this season's power outage is especially alarming. In 2023-24, with the first year of the midseason tournament seeming to motivate its biggest names to suit up, star players played 87.2% of its games by this juncture of the season (12 games in). Last season, it dipped to 82.6%. This season, the bottom has fallen out, with star participation falling to 67.6%."

It's worth noting that while star players are missing more games, overall injuries are not up, including soft tissue injuries.

What is different this year is that teams are being more cautious with their injured stars. Fresh in the minds of fans, team medical staffs, owners, and everyone else is the image of Tyrese Haliburton pounding the court during Game 7 of the NBA Finals, after trying to play through a sore calf and tearing his Achilles. Same with Jayson Tatum tearing his Achilles after playing through a sore calf. Same with Damian Lillard, who is out this season after tearing his Achilles while playing through a sore calf.

The volume of injuries to stars is real and concerning.

Steve Kerr concerned

The rise in injuries has drawn the attention of a lot of people, including Golden State coach Steve Kerr. He blamed a combination of the increased pace of play around the league, the increased spacing in today's game, and the relentlessness of the NBA's 82-game schedule for the rise.

"I'm very concerned. It's dramatic — the pace difference is dramatic…" Kerr said Tuesday, via NBC Sports Bay Area. "I think across the league, everybody understands now that it's just easier to score if you can beat the opponent down the floor, get out in transition. But when everybody's doing that, the games are much higher-paced, faster-paced, and then everyone has to cover out to 25 feet, because everybody can shoot 3s.

"So we have all the data players are running faster and further than ever before, and so we're trying to do the best we can to protect them, but basically, have a game every other night and not an easy thing to do."

Kerr isn't the only coach thinking that way.

"I would agree with Steve," Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy said. "The tempo of the game is quick, and I think you're seeing, even this year, I think there's 25 teams in the NBA that are averaging 100 possessions a game [Note: it is 24], and last year there were 12 [13]. So you're seeing an uptick in the pace of the game, it seems like over the last couple of years."

The median pace of an NBA game is 101.5 possessions per team, per game this season. That is up from 99.6 last season, and 96.6 10 years ago (when only two teams had a pace over 100 for the season). That increased pace doesn't just impact offense.

"I think if you ask any coach in the NBA what's the first key to any game, it's literally getting back on defense, and the numbers back that up," Lakers coach J.J. Redick said.

Increased spacing an issue

Shooting and spacing are everything in today's NBA, but that means more ground for defenders — and tired leg and calf muscles — to cover. Defenders are now asked to collapse down in a help situation to protect the paint, then race back out and contest a shot at the arc (or, they are zoning off the weak side as the rest of the defense collapses, and they have to be able to move to challenge multiple players). That kind of explosive movement can be hard on muscles and put pressure on tendons and ligaments. Not to mention a game where Euro-steps, deceleration moves and more put more strain on a player's body.

All that has changed over the years.

"When I was in Orlando (2006-13), I could play through injuries all the time because it was just, it was easy to do based on the way the game was played," said Redick, who played 15 years in the league before retiring. "And then by year 14-15, you're going to have to guard crazy stuff on every possession, and it's just too much movement, and if you're second-guessing your body, you're not an effective player."

What was different about the game?

"[When I] first got in the league, there were two bigs, and you go against Memphis, and you're playing against Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol," Redick said. "And then the stretch four — God bless, RIP, doesn't exist anymore — that was a short-lived thing. And then I think over the last eight to 10 years it's really evolved as teams have spread you out more and gotten to more movement, more multiple actions, and more pace."

That's not changing. If anything, the pace of the game is going to increase and shooters will have to be covered further out. Another trend this season — popularized by the Pacers a season ago on their run to the Finals — is pressuring the ball handler for 94 feet up the court, adding more wear and tear to bodies.

There are no easy answers here. Kerr is among those who would like to see 10 fewer (or more) games on the NBA schedule each year, but he also understands the reality.

"The tricky part is everyone, all the constituents, would have to agree to take less revenue," Kerr said. "And 2025 in America, good luck getting any industry to agree [to that]."

The best teams can do right now is focus on recovery between games, monitor the situation, get players rest when needed, and take care of injured players, not push them to get back on the court.

But all of that is going to mean years like this one, where a month into the season, a lot of stars are sidelined.

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Senators May Use Some Halliday Time As Hellish Seven-Game Road Trip Begins Thursday In Anaheim

The Ottawa Senators (9-6-4) return to action Thursday night in Anaheim, kicking off one of the longest and most demanding stretches of their season. After four full days between games, the Senators will now begin a seven-game, 13-day road trip that spans California, Nevada, Missouri, Texas, and Quebec before they finally return home in early December.

Ottawa hasn’t played since Saturday, giving them a chance to rest up before their travelling road show opens at Honda Centre on Thursday. 

The Road Ahead: 7 Games in 13 Days

Nov. 20 – at Anaheim Ducks – 10:00 p.m.
Nov. 22 – at San Jose Sharks â€“ 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 24 – at Los Angeles Kings – 9:00 p.m.
Nov. 26 – at Vegas Golden Knights – 10:00 p.m.
Nov. 28 – at St. Louis Blues – 4:00 p.m.
Nov. 30 – at Dallas Stars – 6:00 p.m.
Dec. 2 – at Montreal Canadiens – 7:00 p.m.

Through three time zones and faceoff times all over the map, they finally return home on Dec. 4 to face the New York Rangers. The Senators will be fine if they can pull at least 7 points out of this trip. Anything less could be damaging in the very tight Atlantic Division.

Image credit: NHL.com (standings as of Nov. 20)

As reported by Senators' host Jackson Starr, here’s how Ottawa lined up at practice on Wednesday:

Forwards

Perron – Stützle – Batherson
Greig – Cozens – Zetterlund
Amadio – Pinto – Giroux
Cousins – Halliday – Hodgson

Defence

Sanderson – Zub
Kleven – Spence
Matinpalo – Jensen

Goalies

Ullmark
Meriläinen

Senators in the Halliday Spirit

When the Senators called up Stephen Halliday on Tuesday, it looked like he might just be along to be a spare in case of injury. But it turns out that Lars Eller isn't fully healthy and isn't expected to play on Thursday, so that might open the door for Halliday, Belleville's leading scorer, to make his NHL debut. He took Eller's usual spot on the fourth line on Wednesday.

Sens Give Thanks For Probable Tkachuk Return Next Week

On this week’s Wingmen podcast, captain Brady Tkachuk shed more light on his recovery from last month’s thumb surgery. The Senators' captain revealed he hopes to rejoin the lineup about a week into the road trip and says he's targeting "hopefully, around Thanksgiving." Either way, the Sens will be in St. Louis for Thanksgiving Day, so Tkachuk will get to enjoy some holiday family time in the city he grew up in.

That would fall between the Vegas and St. Louis stops, and the captain's return would be a significant boost to a lineup that's hung in nicely without him.

What's Up, Ducks?

While the Senators were resting this week, the Ducks were busy doing them a favour on Wednesday night. Lukas Dostal made 36 saves for the Ducks (13-6-1) in a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins.

Anaheim has now won six straight at home, and enters Thursday’s matchup surging under new head coach Joel Quenneville, who guided the Chicago Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups and has also stepped into an ideal situation with a Ducks team that was ready to take flight. They've spent years collecting elite young talent during their rebuild, and now they lead the Pacific Division.

The Ducks' top six is particularly ridiculous with a pair of budding young Swedish superstars in Leo Carlsson, 20, and Cutter Gauthier, 21, leading the way. The duo has combined for 23 goals and 50 points in the first 20 games. Then you have Carp's Mason MacTavish, rejuvenated bull-in-a-china-shop Chris Kreider, and Troy Terry, who's over a point per game. 

Anaheim’s Lineup at Wednesday morning skate (via Ducks reporter Zach Cavanagh)

Forwards

Kreider – Carlsson – Terry
Gauthier – McTavish – Sennecke
Vatrano – Strome – Killorn
Johnston – Harkins – Nesterenko

Defence

LaCombe – Helleson
Zellweger – Trouba
Moore – Gudas

Goalies

Dostál
Mrázek

With Dostal getting the win in Boston on Wednesday, it's a good bet that former Ottawa 67 Petr Mrazek will start for the Ducks. Face off is at 10 pm.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

Read more Ottawa Senators articles at The Hockey News Ottawa:

Former Senators Defenseman Returns To Ottawa In Monday Trade With Philadelphia
Arthur Kaliyev Heating Up, Now Third In AHL Goal Scoring
Forsberg Returns To Ottawa As A King, Pitches A Shutout 
Senators Have Big UFA Contract Decisions In Next Few Years (Who Stays And Who Goes?)
Four More Years: Shane Pinto Signs Four-Year Extension
Creator Of 'New Heights' Gives Brady And Matthew Tkachuk Their Own Podcast

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Ranking Mets' top 5 free agent reliever targets for 2025-26 MLB offseason

When it comes to constructing their 2026 bullpen, retaining Edwin Díaz should be Job 1 for the Mets. He’s the best available closer, has some of the game’s nastiest stuff, and has proven he can weather high-pressure moments and rough times in the roil of New York’s baseball cauldron.

OK, so we’ve already given away the top spot of our list of free agent relievers the Mets should target this winter. But this one is that obvious, isn’t it? 

The rest is a little more tricky, because if DĂ­az re-signs, the Mets must hunt skilled setup men for a bullpen with multiple vacancies. If he goes elsewhere, the Mets need a big-time closer. Our list will reflect both categories.

The Mets were 15th in bullpen ERA (3.93) last season and their relievers allowed 35 percent of inherited runners to score, tied for the fourth-highest percentage in the majors. The Mets also threw the third-most relief innings in baseball last year. 

So they have significant bullpen work to do. Here’s a list of five potential targets to get them started:

5. Flushing is Mr. Rogers' neighborhood

You may feel some lingering dissatisfaction with the Mets’ relief moves at last summer’s trade deadline. It wasn’t Tyler Rogers’ fault. He had a 2.30 ERA in 28 games for the Mets, got a ton of ground balls, per usual, and walked three and gave up one homer in 27.1 innings. He does not throw hard – his fastball averaged 83.5 miles-per-hour last season – but his sinker-slider combo is hard to pick up. His pitches come at hitters from grass level because of his submarine arm angle, giving him a unique look that would diversify any bullpen. The righty, who turns 35 in December, has proven durable with five straight seasons of at least 68 appearances, including an MLB-best 81 last season. Hello, again?  

4. We like Kyle’s style

Since Kyle Finnegan has three seasons of 20-plus saves on his Baseball Reference page, he’ll probably get market attention as a closer, especially after a sparkling second-half with Detroit following a midseason trade. But perhaps the 34-year-old righty would set up in the right circumstance and maybe that’s the Mets. Finnegan tweaked his pitch mix with the Tigers, moving his splitter up in his arsenal, and had a 1.50 ERA in 18 innings. He gave up just nine hits in that span and did not give up a run in his first 12 appearances with the Kitties. Overall, in 56 appearances between Washington and Detroit in 2025, Finnegan had a 3.47 ERA and 24 saves. 

3. Rapid Robert

If DĂ­az departs, Robert Suarez profiles as an easy answer to the Mets’ closer spot. With San Diego last season, he led the NL with 40 saves and has one of the game’s best fastballs, a 98.6-mph monster that held hitters to a feeble .169 average. It’s nicely complemented by a sinker with around the same heat and a changeup in the 90s. He raised his strikeout rate and lowered his walk rate last season, an enticing combo, and was an All-Star for the second straight year. He did not get a qualifying offer, so there’s no draft compensation for the Mets to fret over. If DĂ­az does return, it’d be fun to think about the Mets adding Suarez as a smothering setup man, but that seems unlikely given that Suarez is easily the second-best closing option on the market, even though he’ll be 35 in March. 

Oct 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Devin Williams (38) delivers a pitch in the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game three of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium.
Oct 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Devin Williams (38) delivers a pitch in the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game three of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

2. New York, New York?

Devin Williams spent last season with the Yankees and notched a career-worst, by far, 4.79 ERA. Losing the closer’s job is no way to build a strong platform for free agency. But Williams still has stuff – his “Airbender” changeup remains difficult for hitters to cope with, and he struck out 90 batters and allowed only 45 hits in 62 innings for the Yankees. ESPN reported that the Mets are in on Williams as part of their bullpen remake. He could close or possibly set up if Díaz is back.

David Stearns, the Mets’ front office boss, was with Williams in Milwaukee when the righty was becoming one of the best relievers in baseball. Whatever happens, the Mets must evaluate whether the bright lights and big city contributed to Williams’ struggles in pinstripes. After last season’s disappointment in Queens, there figures to be plenty of pressure and scrutiny for the 2026 Mets, especially back-end relievers whose bad nights tend to be loud.

1. Sweet reunion

Bring “Sugar” back. Yes, DĂ­az will be 32 in March and his hellacious stuff won’t last forever. Giving him a contract of four years or so might feel uncomfortable, but he also gives a club that has won exactly two World Series in its history a significant asset in its Fall Classic quest. 

Díaz had a 1.63 ERA last season and allowed 37 hits in 66.1 innings while striking out 98, plenty of evidence that he’s back to his old self after his WBC injury. Batters hit .133 against his 97.2-mph fastball and .179 against his 89-mph slider. Obviously, he’s a very uncomfortable at-bat and, in what was a combustible year for Mets relievers, Díaz provided so much security.

There figures to be big competition for Díaz from big-time contenders, which could add some urgency to the Mets’ Díaz pursuit. The Blue Jays lost Game 7 of the World Series, in part because their closer gave up a key home run. That closer, Jeff Hoffman, allowed two homers per nine innings last season. Díaz, who once had his own longball woes, allowed 0.5 HR/9. Toronto is rich, stacked, and eager to make another run. Do the Mets want to be the ones facing Díaz in big October games?

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NHL Rumor Roundup: Latest On Rangers' Panarin And Flames' Andersson

The Los Angeles Kings' signing of Adrian Kempe to a long-term contract extension earlier this week further depleted the top talent in next summer's NHL UFA pool.

Kempe joins Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Minnesota Wild left winger Kirill Kaprizov, Winnipeg Jets left winger Kyle Connor, Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel and Colorado Avalanche right winger Martin Necas among the stars who've opted to remain with their current teams.

That leaves Artemi Panarin sitting atop Sportsnet's Luke Fox's list of players eligible for UFA status on July 1. The 34-year-old New York Rangers left winger is finishing a seven-year contract with an annual cap hit of $11.64 million.

Fox indicated that Panarin has no interest in accepting a pay cut to stay in New York despite his age and declining stats. Meanwhile, the Rangers aren't keen to have a high-salaried player on their roster well into his late 30s.

The Rangers will likely hang onto Panarin if they're holding a playoff berth by the March 6 NHL trade deadline. If not, they will likely entertain trade offers. Fox's colleague Nick Kypreos suggested the Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild as potential destinations for Panarin.

The Hurricanes made a big move last season by acquiring Mikko Rantanen from the Avalanche last January. However, they traded him to the Dallas Stars before the deadline when he wouldn't agree to a contract extension. They might be reluctant to pursue Panarin merely as a rental player, but they could prefer that he accept less money on a shorter deal.

As for the Wild, Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic aren't convinced they'll pursue Panarin at the trade deadline. Russo doesn't see the sense of giving up assets when they could sign him on July 1 as a free agent. Smith doesn't think the aging winger is the right fit for the Wild in their quest to become a Stanley Cup contender.

Rasmus Andersson (Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)

Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames sits second on Fox's list. The 29-year-old defenseman is in the final season of a five-year contract with an average annual value of $4.55 million. Fox indicated that Andersson hasn't closed the door on re-signing with the Flames, but their struggles this season suggest he'll be moving on.

Fox felt the Golden Knights seemed the prime landing spot for Andersson. They have the advantage of playing in a no-tax state, and could use a replacement for sidelined blueliner Alex Pietrangelo. However, Fox noted that they've got limited salary-cap space.

The Golden Knights could find a way to free up cap room to add Andersson's remaining cap hit within their payroll, perhaps by requesting the Flames retain half of it to make the dollars fit. However, the real sticking point is whether the Golden Knights have sufficient tradeable assets to win a bidding war for Andersson's services.

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NBA Minutes Report: How Ja Morant's injury and LeBron James' return shake up minutes

Welcome to the Fantasy Basketball Minutes Report. Every week, I will be going through each team's updated minutes per game to see which players are seeing the court more or less than in previous weeks. With this information in hand, I'll try to discuss any relevant fantasy risers or fallers; players who we should be adding off waivers or removing from our teams.

The charts below are also great for exploring on your own. You can track the minutes over the last three games, five games, ten games, and for the entire season to see what trends stand out to you.

All of this data was made accessible by Kyle Bland, who is incredibly talented and also incredibly generous, so make sure to give him a follow to check out all of his baseball data as well.

NBA: Atlanta Hawks at Utah Jazz
2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Top 200 Rankings: Wemby injured, Jalen Johnson providing value in Atlanta
The Hawks forward has exceeded the expectations of many fantasy managers this season, especially after Trae Young went down.

Atlanta Hawks

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Jalen Johnson39.735.634.6
Onyeka Okongwu35.430.628.9
Nickeil Alexander-Walker33.930.831.4
Dyson Daniels33.633.334.7
VĂ­t KrejÄŤĂ­30.128.223.4
Zaccharie Risacher22.624.625.3
Luke Kennard16.31821.1
Kristaps Porziņģis—24.826.1
Trae Young———

We know that Trae Young will be sidelined for at least the month of November, but now Kristaps Porzingis also missed the last three games with a knee injury, and Zaccharie Risacher missed Tuesday's game with a hip injury. All of that has led to higher usage for all of Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, with Johnson averaging an absurd 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists over his last three games. He's been elite. We've also seen a minutes boost for Vit Krejci, who is averaging 13.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists over his last seven games and has some fringe fantasy value because of his three-point shooting.

Boston Celtics

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Payton Pritchard32.932.631.3
Derrick White32.633.932.2
Jaylen Brown3232.931.8
Neemias Queta25.426.124.6
Jordan Walsh20.823.422.3
Anfernee Simons2021.722.8
Josh Minott17.615.419.2

Things have settled a bit for the Celtics in their main rotation, but Joe Mazzulla keeps experimenting around the fringes with guys like Jordan Walsh and Josh Minott. Those guys will spike some fantasy value on a given night, but it's hard to rely on them regularly, given their inconsistent minutes and lower usage rates on offense. You don't really need to consider anybody in fantasy here other than Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard.

Brooklyn Nets

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Michael Porter Jr.34.63333
Nic Claxton31.430.330.8
Ziaire Williams31.227.824.8
Terance Mann28.126.928.3
Noah Clowney26.627.426.9
Tyrese Martin22.721.322.3
Drake Powell21.921.920.2
Egor DĂ«min20.422.820.4
Jalen Wilson6.912.414.7
Cam Thomas——27.5

We know that Cam Thomas is likely out until the middle of December, which has led to a bump in usage and minutes for Michael Porter Jr., who has been really good of late, averaging 26.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 steals per game over his last six. Ziaire Williams has also seen his minutes increase, but there has been less fantasy goodness there, averaging 10.2 points and 2.7 rebounds over his last six games/ On the other side, Ben Saraf has been battling an ankle injury and was also sent to the G-League, and Jalen Wilson seems to have all but fallen out of the rotation.

Charlotte Hornets

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Kon Knueppel3536.135.7
Miles Bridges34.735.836.7
Collin Sexton27.52626.1
LaMelo Ball27.427.428.9
Ryan Kalkbrenner26.326.325.9
Sion James24.829.229.1
Moussa Diabaté22.526.824.3
Brandon Miller———

It seems like Brandon Miller could return to the lineup as early as next week, and LaMelo Ball and Collin Sexton have already made it back, so things are getting back to normal little by little for the Hornets. We have seen Moussa Diabaté infringe on Ryan Kalkbrenner's minutes a little bit more of late, thanks to his rebounding value. Diabaté is averaging 9.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists over his last six games, while Kalkbrenner is putting up 11 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in the same stretch. It doesn't seem like either one of them will truly pull away, but I might prefer Diabaté if the minutes remain consistently similar.

Chicago Bulls

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Nikola Vučević34.731.631.3
Josh Giddey34.534.535.6
Coby White28.928.928.9
Isaac Okoro28.727.725.9
Matas Buzelis2727.928.4
Kevin Huerter26.42826.4
Ayo Dosunmu252625.3
Dalen Terry17.411.99.7
Jalen Smith15.516.316.7
Tre Jones—31.829.7

Coby White returned to the Bulls lineup and played 30 minutes in a double-overtime game, which means he sat out the next game. We should see his minutes tick up consistently over the next couple of weeks, but he may hover around 25-28 minutes per game initially. That could cut into minutes and offensive production for Kevin Huerter and Ayo Dosunmu, but we're going to need to see a few more games before we can tell that for sure. Tre Jones was also playing about 30 minutes per game before White came back, but Jones has also missed the last three games with an ankle injury. He doesn't need to be rostered in fantasy leagues though.

Cleveland Cavaliers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Evan Mobley35.735.534.5
Donovan Mitchell34.334.634.6
De'Andre Hunter29.428.829
Sam Merrill27.525.726
Jarrett Allen26.525.525.4
Dean Wade26.225.221.4
Lonzo Ball23.422.622.7
Craig Porter Jr.19.623.118
Jaylon Tyson—31.128.6
Darius Garland—1924.5

Darius Garland has been dealing with a toe injury, which has kept him out longer than we initially anticipated, and Jaylon Tyson has missed the last few games with a concussion, which has led to some minor shakeups in the rotation, but nothing much to react to. Nobody's fantasy value has changed because of it; although, De'Andre Hunter has spiked a few solid games with higher usage and is averaging 15.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists over his last four games.

Dallas Mavericks

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
P.J. Washington32.225.528.9
Cooper Flagg3236.334.4
Max Christie28.131.130.4
Naji Marshall2831.428.6
Daniel Gafford27.927.523.7
Brandon Williams25.125.423.5
Klay Thompson23.125.522.3
D'Angelo Russell23.124.522.2
Dwight Powell16.69.28
Dereck Lively II14.815.615.6
Anthony Davis

Welcome to everybody's favorite disaster. It feels like Anthony Davis may never play another game for the Mavericks, but Derek Lively (knee) did make his return this week, even though he seems to be on a bit of a minutes restriction right now. We've also seen Brandon Williams get a slight uptick in minutes at the expense of D'Angelo Russell, only to have Russell come back and take some of those minutes, so that point guard rotation remains confusing. Daniel Gafford may see his minutes change with Lively back, but we need to see how the front-court rotation shakes out with players like Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington as well. Washington has had some value with Davis sidelined, averaging 12.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.3 steals over his last seven games. Cooper Flagg was sick on Wednesday and missed the game, which is why his minutes dipped.

Denver Nuggets

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Jamal Murray37.536.534.8
Nikola Jokić36.735.334.6
Cameron Johnson34.724.926.2
Peyton Watson34.228.625.1
Aaron Gordon34.132.330.7
Bruce Brown26.52724.7
Tim Hardaway Jr.22.922.722.6
Christian Braun—22.928.7

Christian Braun got hurt last week, so we've seen some minor tweaks to the rotation this week, the biggest of which has been a boost in minutes and usage for Peyton Watson. The 23-year-old is averaging 16.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 steals over his last three games and could have some fantasy value.

Detroit Pistons

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Cade Cunningham33.839.237.8
Daniss Jenkins32.734.529.6
Duncan Robinson32.232.532.7
Javonte Green30.832.526.9
Jalen Duren28.732.432.9
Ronald Holland II24.525.125
Ausar Thompson23.723.729.5
Isaiah Stewart23.223.224.1
Caris LeVert20.220.820.1
Tobias Harris——35.5

Injuries to Tobias Harris and Cade Cunningham shook up the Pistons' rotation a bit, but Cunningham came back to play 34 minutes earlier this week. What's interesting is that Daniss Jenkins still played 30 minutes in that game. Over his last six games, Jenkins is averaging 17.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.8 steals, and could maintain fantasy value, at least until Harris is back. However, Jenkins' emergence has led to fewer minutes and production for Ausar Thompson, who then injured his ankle and missed all of last week. He returned on Tuesday, so we'll see how this situation plays out.

Golden State Warriors

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Jimmy Butler III34.734.529.4
Moses Moody32.830.828.9
Stephen Curry31.23330.9
Brandin Podziemski28.929.127.8
Draymond Green28.12927.6
Al Horford23.723.323
Buddy Hield2219.118
Will Richard18.518.620.9
Jonathan Kuminga—12.123.9

An injury to Jonathan Kuminga has shaken up the minutes allotment a bit, but it hasn't really done anything for fantasy value. Moses Moody is playing more minutes, but he's averaging just 12.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 steals, which doesn't help you too much in fantasy.

Houston Rockets

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Alperen Sengun39.737.336.3
Kevin Durant39.137.136.1
Amen Thompson37.236.837.3
Jabari Smith Jr.33.632.432
Reed Sheppard25.826.322.6
Steven Adams24.222.421
Josh Okogie16.918.721.1
Aaron Holiday1612.810.1
Tari Eason10.616.822.4

The Rockets have seen some minutes shifting of late thanks to an injury to Tari Eason, which will keep him out until the middle of December. We've also yet to see Dorian Finney-Smith play this season after ankle surgery, which means players in the rotation have all just gotten a slight bump in minutes with nobody of note really entering a meaningful role. Jabari Smith Jr. is playing a bit better since Eason has been out but it's nothing to get overly excited about right now.

Indiana Pacers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Pascal Siakam35.334.435.2
Andrew Nembhard32.330.831
Bennedict Mathurin29.629.629.6
Jarace Walker27.826.428.6
Ben Sheppard26.823.823.7
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl22.423.320.3
Isaiah Jackson20.520.121.1
T.J. McConnell15.314.514.5
Aaron Nesmith—2629.9

The Pacers were starting to get a little healthier with Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin back, but then Aaron Nesmith got hurt and is expected to be out until the middle of December with a knee injury. We did finally see T.J. McConnell debut on November 11th, but his minutes have remained pretty restricted right now, so that's something we need to watch in the coming weeks.

NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers
Fantasy Basketball Week 2 Injury Report: Luka Dončić, Anthony Edwards headline the list of sidelined stars
The Pacers, Lakers and Thunder are among the teams with lengthy injury reports at the halfway point of Week 2.

Los Angeles Clippers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
James Harden41.938.838.1
Ivica Zubac37.935.133
Bogdan Bogdanović32.829.629.4
Kris Dunn27.927.126.9
John Collins2726.625.3
Derrick Jones Jr.25.62626.4
Kobe Sanders22.222.822.8
Nicolas Batum2221.519.3
Kawhi Leonard——36.7
Bradley Beal——20.2

A season-ending injury to Bradley Beal and the continued absence of Kawhi Leonard have changed some things around for the Clippers, but not as much as we anticipated. Tyronn Lue said that he was going to play the younger guys more minutes, but Jordan Miller got hurt, so it's just been Kobe Sanders entering the rotation. He could continue to see more minutes with Derrick Jones Jr. now out until, potentially, the new year. Sanders played 30 minutes in his last game, but Kawhi's return would push those minutes back down.

Los Angeles Lakers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Luka Dončić37.636.836.6
Austin Reaves36.233.634.6
Deandre Ayton31.330.528.1
Rui Hachimura30.432.332.7
LeBron James29.629.629.6
Jake LaRavia27.926.128.6
Marcus Smart25.82929.3
Gabe Vincent161616
Jarred Vanderbilt9.513.516

LeBron James made his season debut on Tuesday night, and I talked all about that in a video I made for the NBC Sports website.

Memphis Grizzlies

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Jaren Jackson Jr.29.729.530.1
Vince Williams Jr.272420.3
Olivier-Maxence Prosper26.113.58.2
Cedric Coward25.226.927.7
Jaylen Wells2525.424.6
Zach Edey24.924.924.9
Santi Aldama24.826.826.6
Cam Spencer24.322.420.9
Jock Landale20.52324.3
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope20.319.922.4
Ja Morant624.429.3

Ja Morant is now out for the next two weeks, which continues a tough season for the All-Star guard and the Grizzlies as a whole. Vince WilliamsJr. has stepped into a starting role in his place and produced well, but I covered that whole situation in detail here.

Miami Heat

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Andrew Wiggins34.334.734.4
Jaime Jaquez Jr.33.732.831.3
Norman Powell3132.831.1
Davion Mitchell3032.431.8
Bam Adebayo28.828.825.9
Kel'el Ware28.329.225.6
Pelle Larsson26.226.526
Nikola Jović16.821.620.2

Bam Adebayo returned to the lineup for Miami on Wednesday, and it sounds like we may get Tyler Herro back on Monday against the Mavericks, which means this Heat rotation could look really different in next week's column. For now, we should probably see a major dip in production for Kel'el Ware, and Jamie Jaquez Jr. would likely see his minutes and usage decrease with Herro back.

Milwaukee Bucks

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Myles Turner33.631.530.1
AJ Green30.42928.2
Ryan Rollins30.13130.9
Giannis Antetokounmpo28.330.631.4
Kyle Kuzma27.428.726.6
Gary Trent Jr.25.626.627.2
Bobby Portis21.322.921.7
Cole Anthony19.217.919
Gary Harris18.112.411.6

An injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo on Monday night has led to some changes in Milwaukee for the next week or two, which I covered in my video for NBC Sports.

Minnesota Timberwolves

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Anthony Edwards34.635.532.8
Julius Randle32.632.832.1
Donte DiVincenzo32.232.931.1
Rudy Gobert29.431.331.6
Jaden McDaniels2830.529.8
Naz Reid2726.825
Mike Conley22.720.720.9
Jaylen Clark18.61817.7

Things have been pretty status quo for the Timberwolves of late, except that Jaden McDaniels is dealing with a bit of a wrist injury that will keep him out until this weekend. There doesn't appear to be much to be concerned about though.

New Orleans Pelicans

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Trey Murphy III33.535.835.7
Zion Williamson29.129.128.6
Herbert Jones2830.531.4
Derik Queen27.129.724.9
Jeremiah Fears25.326.226.1
Saddiq Bey23.829.928.2
Jose Alvarado22.32222.1
Karlo Matković20.917.214.1
Yves Missi19.714.315.6
Jordan Poole——25.5

Zion Williamson returned for the Pelicans on Wednesday and played 29 minutes in his first game back. Notably, Derik Queen also started that game and played 30 minutes, scoring 30 points, with nine rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. Yes, a lot of that came in the fourth quarter when the Pelicans were down 15+ points, but that's likely going to be the norm for them this season. Saddiq Bey saw his minutes dip a lot with Zion back, but Jeremiah Fears should continue to maintain fantasy value until Jordan Poole returns.

New York Knicks

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Mikal Bridges38.936.534.5
Karl-Anthony Towns35.234.333
Jalen Brunson34.835.933.7
Landry Shamet33.329.623.8
Josh Hart32.629.226.2
Miles McBride30.125.423.1
Jordan Clarkson26.521.419.3
Mitchell Robinson18.117.817.1
OG Anunoby5.124.929.6

Jalen Brunson returned on Wednesday against the Mavericks, but the Knicks could be without OG Anunoby for another two weeks. Miles McBride shifted to the bench with Brunson back, and Landry Shamet stayed in the starting lineup, which should continue. Shamet has averaged 18.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists over his last three games, but a lot of that is skewed by a career day against the Heat. There probably isn't anybody worth playing in fantasy apart from Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart.

Oklahoma City Thunder

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Chet Holmgren32.128.227.8
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander31.330.431.3
Ajay Mitchell28.528.628.8
Cason Wallace28.325.927.8
Isaiah Hartenstein27.924.726.5
Luguentz Dort27.627.624.4
Isaiah Joe22.626.325.5
Jaylin Williams14.119.419.2
Aaron Wiggins——26.6

The Thunder remain a bit of a marvel, doing all of this without Jalen Williams and now Aaron Wiggins as well. They just keep playing consistent and beautiful. basketball

Orlando Magic

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Desmond Bane41.138.133.2
Franz Wagner38.837.936.3
Wendell Carter Jr.34.833.131.3
Tristan da Silva33.928.225.1
Jalen Suggs30.128.825.1
Anthony Black28.428.127.4
Goga Bitadze15.215.915.6
Jett Howard14.713.39.6
Tyus Jones14.512.411.6
Paolo Banchero23.430.5

Paolo Banchero has been out for a week after leaving last Wednesday night's game against the Knicks with a groin injury. The Magic expect him to return at some point this weekend, but Franz Wagner has taken on a much bigger role in the meantime, averaging 24 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.0 steals over his last three. Desmond Bane has also moved into a higher usage role, while Tristan Da Silva has averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 steals in his increased minutes. That production should stop when Banchero is back.

Philadelphia 76ers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Tyrese Maxey39.738.239.2
VJ Edgecombe37.335.636.1
Andre Drummond35.935.128.3
Quentin Grimes33.331.531.2
Dominick Barlow22.522.522.5
Paul George21.121.121.1
Justin Edwards19.321.116.3
Trendon Watford18.220.221.6
Kelly Oubre Jr.14.927.432.9
Joel Embiid——25.5
Kyle Lowry——3.2

Paul George made his season debut on Monday night, but then sat out Wednesday's game against the Raptors. That should be how things go for George for the next few weeks, so the fantasy value for guards like Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Quentin Grimes isn't changed much. Andre Drummond has been playing plenty of minutes with Joel Embiid out and can be counted on in fantasy as long as that lasts because Drummond has tremendous rebounding and defensive value.

Phoenix Suns

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Devin Booker3232.234.9
Dillon Brooks29.729.228.9
Collin Gillespie27.823.223.8
Royce O'Neale26.425.927.8
Mark Williams24.72425.6
Ryan Dunn23.123.325.1
Jordan Goodwin22.121.919.5
Isaiah Livers16.415.111.7
Grayson Allen12.224.230.2
Jalen Green——14.9

Jalen Green remains out with a hamstring injury, and Grayson Allen missed some time this week with a quad injury. Dillon Brooks has stepped into a much bigger offensive role, but Collin Gillespie is also averaging 14.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.0 steals in his last three games and is putting up solid fantasy value for deeper formats.

Portland Trail Blazers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Jerami Grant38.22829.1
Toumani Camara36.736.435.7
Deni Avdija35.334.234.8
Shaedon Sharpe34.132.329
Kris Murray30.827.424.7
Donovan Clingan28.327.325.3
Caleb Love21.617.315.2
Sidy Cissoko20.617.815.3
Jrue Holiday—3334.2

Bumps and bruises are starting to pile up for the Blazers. Jrue Holiday has been out a week with a calf injury, and Shaedon Sharpe also missed Wednesday's game with a calf injury. That led to more minutes for Kris Murray, Caleb Love, and Sidy Cissoko, but nobody is really doing much with those minutes. Sharpe had seen the biggest bump in value with Holliday out, but they both may return this weekend.

Sacramento Kings

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Domantas Sabonis37.831.933
DeMar DeRozan3631.732.9
Dennis Schröder31.828.430
Russell Westbrook31.829.830.6
Zach LaVine30.331.432.5
Malik Monk23.624.824
Maxime Raynaud18.616.713.5
Precious Achiuwa16.817.718
Keon Ellis15.918.517.5

The Kings could be getting Keegan Murray back on Thursday, and that could shake up this rotation a bit, as I discussed in my video for NBC Sports.

San Antonio Spurs

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Victor Wembanyama38.236.835.9
De'Aaron Fox33.734.734
Devin Vassell33.531.332.9
Harrison Barnes30.228.729.6
Stephon Castle2628.732.6
Julian Champagnie24.423.126.5
Keldon Johnson2423.223.4
Luke Kornet23.322.522.5
Jeremy Sochan19.114.816.5
Dylan Harper17.9

A week after the Spurs lost Dylan Harper for a few weeks, they're now going to be without both Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama for the next two weeks, with Castle set to return around November 30th and Wemby not coming back until December. That should lead to a big playing time and usage boost for Devin Vassell and also Keldon Johnson, who played 30 minutes in the team's first game without Castle/Wemby and had 18 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Luke Kornet was also brutal in that game, so don't be surprised to see more Kelly Olynyk minutes over the next few games.

Toronto Raptors

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Scottie Barnes33.733.332.7
Immanuel Quickley3332.531.8
Brandon Ingram32.833.333.8
RJ Barrett31.630.132
Jakob Poeltl30.129.927.8
Jamal Shead1919.719.1
Gradey Dick17.718.816.6
Sandro Mamukelashvili17.417.317.7
Collin Murray-Boyles16.217.419.7

Everything is status quo for the Raptors so far.

Utah Jazz

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Keyonte George38.835.934.4
Lauri Markkanen38.136.734.9
Jusuf Nurkić31.730.227.3
Isaiah Collier27.625.125.3
Svi Mykhailiuk26.226.827
Ace Bailey21.923.822.2
Kyle Anderson202017.2
Kyle Filipowski19.321.319.2
Brice Sensabaugh1916.813.5
Walter Clayton Jr.—1514.3
Taylor Hendricks——15.8

Ace Bailey in the starting lineup hasn't really been great, and his minutes have started to plateau. Isaiah Collier has played his way into a decent bench role after making his season debut on November 7th and is averaging 10.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in six games. Jusuf Nurkić remains interesting for fantasy because of his large role, which has led him to average 7.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.0 steals over his last six games.

Washington Wizards

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Kyshawn George34.932.630.7
CJ McCollum30.833.728.2
Bilal Coulibaly28.528.525.4
Alex Sarr27.530.829.6
Khris Middleton25.82623.7
Tre Johnson20.622.223.7
Marvin Bagley III19.918.516.2
Cam Whitmore19.323.317.1
Bub Carrington18.723.824.7

Alex Sarr missed Wednesday's game, which is why his minutes totals are down a little bit. He should be back this weekend. Bilal Coulibaly also returned to the lineup, so Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington have seen their minutes decrease. Coulibaly should be added in more leagues now that he's back.

Posted on

Braves re-sign veteran closer Raisel Iglesias, acquire Mauricio DubĂłn from Astros

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves have addressed one of their offseason priorities by re-signing closer Raisel Iglesias to a $16 million, one-year contract.

Atlanta announced the deal on Wednesday. The 35-year-old right-hander had completed a $58 million, four-year contract that paid him $16 million in each of the last three seasons.

The Braves also acquired Mauricio DubĂłn from the Houston Astros for Nick Allen in an exchange of infielders.

DubĂłn, 31, appeared in 133 games with Houston last season and batted .241 while earning his second Gold Glove, each time as a utility infielder. He also won a Gold Glove in 2023.

DubĂłn had a $5 million salary this year and is eligible for salary arbitration. He can become a free agent after the World Series.

Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said DubĂłn can play all over the infield and outfield, and his role will be determined by what other moves the team makes this offseason. Anthopoulos said the Braves still may pursue a shortstop.

“I told him I don’t know what your role is going to be yet, but the fact that we have the flexibility to play him all over ... he’s just a good piece,” Anthopoulos said.

Allen is eligible for arbitration for the first time and can become a free agent after the 2029 season.

Iglesias had 29 saves in 34 chances in 2025, finishing strong after an uneven start. Iglesias posted a 4.42 ERA in 39 games in the first half before a dominant finish. He recorded a 1.76 ERA in the second half and was successful on his final 18 save opportunities after July 28.

It was the longest streak without a blown save to close the season in the majors.

“We knew we needed to address closer one way or the other and who better than somebody we know,” Anthopoulos said. “He wanted to be here. His first choice was to be back in Atlanta. I’m glad we were able to get it done.”

Overall, Iglesias had a 3.21 ERA. His 29 saves ranked ninth in the majors and fourth in the National League.

The deal with Iglesias frees Anthopoulos to focus on other offseason needs.

Iglesias, a native of Cuba, became the 40th pitcher with 250 career saves on Sept. 16 against Washington. He became one of just five active relievers to reach the milestone. He finished the season with 253 career saves.

Overall, in four seasons with Atlanta, Iglesias has a 2.35 ERA. He began his career with Cincinnati in 2015 and pitched for the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and 2022.

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Shaikin: Troy Percival, Angels World Series hero, is trying to build a winner in Long Beach

Robert Lachman –– – ANGELS/GIANTS...Angel relief pitcher Troy Percival and catcher Bengie Molina.
Angels relief pitcher Troy Percival and catcher Bengie Molina celebrate the final out in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series, which clinched the Angels' first and only World Series title. (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)

When spring training rolls around, it will be one dozen years since the Angels last appeared in a postseason game and two dozen years since they won their first and only World Series championship. If baseball were scripted, two of the Angels’ World Series heroes would take charge of the team and make it a winner again.

As it turns out, two of those champions are taking charge of a team next year. Not the Angels, though.

Troy Percival has been hired to manage the new Long Beach team in the independent Pioneer League. Percival, the closer who recorded the final out in the 2002 World Series, said his hitting coach would be Troy Glaus, the 2002 World Series most valuable player.

“I made sure that he could hit fungoes,” Percival said, “because I can’t.”

Read more:Angels send Taylor Ward to Baltimore for pitcher Grayson Rodriguez

When we talked the other day, Percival wore a T-shirt with a cartoon image of a bull, with the word “PEN’’ stenciled on it. Once a reliever, always a reliever.

The Pioneer League extends into Idaho, Montana and Utah, and Percival managed the Idaho Falls team for the past two summers. He decided that was too many years too far from his Riverside home, and from his family.

He thought he would take a year off from coaching. Then Justin Johnson, who succeeded Percival as the UC Riverside head coach, called to ask whether he might be interested in returning to his old college team to work with the pitchers. So, when the Idaho Falls season ended on a Sunday night in Oakland two months ago, Percival walked into the UCR baseball building — where he and his father built the clubhouse — at 8 a.m. the next day. Then Long Beach called about managing and, well, so much for that year off.

The UCR and Long Beach schedules would conflict only if UCR makes the playoffs — and that, as baseball people like to say, would be a good problem to have. In any case, Percival said, the Long Beach job comes first.

It’s a good job. In independent leagues, teams find their own players, rather than major league teams acquiring and assigning them. When he arrived in Idaho Falls, Percival said, he searched for talent by watching videos on YouTube.

Over the last two years, the Pioneer League has expanded into California. The Long Beach team plans to play at Blair Field and launch next spring, joined by a new Modesto team managed by another former Angel, J.T. Snow.

Percival said a core of his Idaho Falls players plan to follow him to Long Beach, and he said pitching coach Jerome Williams (another former Angel) expects to bring some players with him from the Yuba City team.

Read more:Shaikin: Torii Hunter sees Angels turning into 'a force to be reckoned with' soon

If you’re playing for very little money and the hope of performing well enough that a major league team signs you into its minor league system, why not do it in Southern California, where you just might have friends or family members to provide you with free housing?

“You’re going to see kids that are hungry, that make barely enough money to live on, and they play baseball the right way,” Percival said. “I think you’re going to get a lot of people that want to come watch kids play their butts off, knowing they’re not making millions and millions of dollars. But they all have the dream.”

Nice as this all sounds, it is curious that a four-time All-Star with college and professional coaching experience is not working for the Angels.

He said he likes the ability to run an independent league team however he wants. He said the Angels never have offered him a job. And, he said, he has declined offers from other teams — he wouldn’t say which ones — to become a major league bullpen coach.

“Running the minor league pitching sounds more intriguing to me than being a bullpen coach in the big leagues,” he said.

In 2023, the Angels invited select former players to shadow the major league team and provide feedback to management. Percival was not part of that group, but he did spend time at the fall instructional league, checking in with pitching prospects and pitching coaches — in part, he said, because he had been charged with assessing whether those coaches might be “willing to reduce the footprint of analytics.”

A man winds up tpo pitch on a mound near two large standing numbers 2 and 0 behind him on the field.
Former Angels pitcher Troy Percival prepares to throw the first pitch during the 20th anniversary celebration of their World Series title at Angel Stadium in June 2022. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Percival said he appreciates technology but has heard from minor league coaches — he didn’t say which organizations employed them — that claimed they were restricted in proposing mechanical adjustments to pitchers. He acknowledges he has “kind of fought” analytics-based approaches and still raves about the veteran Angels pitching instructors — including the late, great Howie Gershberg — that turned him from a catcher into a closer.

He said he shared his opinions with the Angels, did not call for any firings, and returned home. He was stung by a subsequent story in the Athletic that noted the Angels’ dismissal of two pitching instructors and reported that Percival’s influence “played at least a factor in the Angels’ decision to oust them.”

Said Percival: “I’m the henchman? OK, I’ll wear it. But I said, that’s it, no more instructional league, none of that stuff.”

Not that he has turned in his halo. Far from it.

“I bleed Angels,” Percival said.

The Angels have baseball’s longest playoff drought and have finished in last place in back-to-back seasons. He said he thought the Angels should have traded Shohei Ohtani and maybe even Mike Trout to stockpile prospects and rebuild in earnest.

Read more:Shaikin: What might have been if the Angels had signed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. a decade ago

“It’s a faster process than this,” Percival said, “than just to keep putting Band-Aids, hoping to get to the 90[-win] mark and slip into the playoffs.”

Percival and Glaus — and Garret Anderson and Darin Erstad and Tim Salmon and John Lackey and Jarrod Washburn — represented a homegrown core that lifted the Angels from persistent mediocrity into champions. It must break Percival’s heart to see his team descend back into persistent mediocrity.

“There’s been times, yeah,” he said. “You want it to get back to where it was at.”

He’s rooting for that. In the meantime, he’s got a winner to put together, just up the road.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Felipe Massa’s £64m claim over Crashgate can go to trial, rules judge

  • F1, FIA and Bernie Ecclestone are defending the claims

  • Brazilian former driver says he is rightful 2008 winner

Felipe Massa’s £64m claim against Formula One, its governing body the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone over Lewis Hamilton’s first F1 world championship in 2008 can go to trial, a high court judge has ruled.

Massa claims he is the rightful champion after the Brazilian lost by a single point when Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed at the Singapore Grand Prix. Ecclestone, who was F1’s impresario for four decades before he was deposed in 2017, suggested in 2023 that the sport’s executives were aware of the cover-up – which became known as Crashgate – before the 2008 campaign concluded. The 95-year-old Ecclestone, the FIA and Formula One Management are defending the claims.

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Romanov Out, Warren In: Islanders Prospect Set For Major Evaluation Window

After placing defenseman Alexander Romanov on injured reserve, the New York Islanders announced that Marshall Warren has been recalled from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League. 

Islanders’ Alexander Romanov Injured After Mikko Rantanen Boarding Major vs. Stars; Patrick Roy's ResponseIslanders’ Alexander Romanov Injured After Mikko Rantanen Boarding Major vs. Stars; Patrick Roy's ResponseRomanov was injured on a late-game boarding major. A costly hit against the Stars leaves Islanders fans anxiously awaiting an update on their defenseman's status.

For Warren, Romanov's expected long-term absence creates a significant opportunity for the 24-year-old.  The Laurel Hollow native filled in for Romanov earlier this season, playing two games and recording two assists in his NHL debut.

There's two questions we must ask ourselves. 

The first being why Warren was recalled over other options, and the second being just how long Warren can last at the NHL level this year?

Warren, who has been one of, if not the best, defenseman in Bridgeport all season, has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 10 AHL games this season, with four assists in six games since returning from his NHL stint.

The team had almost no choice but to recall Warren.

Isaiah George, who played 33 games for the Islanders last season, has been excellent defensively, with four points (one goal, three assists) in 14 games. But George is out injured with an upper-body injury of his own and is not available. Had George been available, it wouldn't have been a shock to see him recalled over Warren, just based on experience. 

Elsewhere, Cole McWard excelled with three goals and 11 points through 14 games, but he shoots right, not left, making him a non-option at the moment.

So, with both factors of Warren excelling and no other clear options, it became very easy for the Islanders to recall the Long Island native. 

That brings us back to the second question. Can Warren sustain a high enough level to excel at the NHL level and be a perfect internal solution to the Romanov injury?

There's plenty of evidence that says yes. Throughout Warren's career, he's consistently elevated his game and exceeded expectations placed on him, and at every new level, he's improved.

It's been highly evident in Bridgeport, where he entered last season as almost an afterthought, then became essential by the end of the season. Then, he impressed in both development and training camp, showing off improved skating, confidence, and physicality.

He carried that momentum into his AHL season and through his first call-up, where in two games, he didn't look even a little bit out of place against the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers. 

Now will be his biggest challenge, as he will be asked to fill the shoes of Romanov. The runway's in front of Warren. All he has to do is take off and take advantage of the opportunity.

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Canadiens: Avenging Elimination

While the Montreal Canadiens surprised most people by making the playoffs last year, they didn’t surprise themselves. They thought they had what it took to make it, and they did. Once there, though, they saw that it was a whole different game, a tougher one, a more vicious one and one they weren’t necessarily ready for. Nearly seven months later, the young Habs will get a chance to avenge their elimination at the hands of the Washington Capitals and put an end to a four-game losing streak, all in one swift motion.

Tonight’s opponents roll into two, riding a two-game winning streak and having put seven goals on the board last night against the Edmonton Oilers. The Caps are currently outside of the playoff picture, looking in, but they’re right on the doorstep, two points behind the surprising Pittsburgh Penguins for third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Canadiens: Hughes Won’t Jump The Gun
Canadiens: Injury Plague Gives Zach Bolduc A Big Opportunity
Canadiens: Slafkovsky Rose To The Challenge

After scoring at an alarming pace last season to break Wayne Gretzky’s record, Alexander Ovechkin is on pace for 29 goals this year, which would be his lowest total since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season in which he put up 24 goals in the 45 games he played. Still, he scored a goal last night in the Caps’ offensive picnic, and with 70 career points in 60 games against Montreal, the Russian idol will no doubt be pleased to take on the Habs.

Martin St-Louis has already announced that Samuel Montembeault would be in the net tonight, despite Jakub Dobes putting an end to the Canadiens’ pointless streak on Monday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Still, it wasn’t a win, so switching goalies is understandable. The Becancour native has started five regular-season games against the Caps and has a 2-3-0 record to show for it, with a 3.49 goals-against average and a .893 save percentage. As for Dobes, he’s only faced them once in the regular season, winning that game with a 1.96 GAA and a .882 SV. Both goalies played in Montreal’s sole win over Washington in last season’s playoffs since Dobes relieved Montembeault after he was injured.

GOTTA SEE IT: Tom Wilson And Josh Anderson Fight On Capitals Bench

The Capitals have yet to confirm who will be in the net, but since Logan Thomson was on duty Wednesday night, it would make sense for Charlie Lindgren to get the nod. The former member of the Habs’ organization has a 3-1-0 record against his former team with a 2.51 GAA and a .899 SV. As for Thompson, he has a 1-0-1 record against the Canadiens with a 3.04 GAA and a .889 SV. He’s established himself as the clear number one in the American capital, having started 14 games to Lindgren’s six.

Tonight’s game is the first of three duels between the two sides this season, the other two being scheduled in January (in Washington) and February (in Montreal). The Caps have won six of the last 10 duels between the two teams, but they’ve outscored the Canadiens 40-32 in that span.

On top of Ovechkin, many Caps have enjoyed playing the Canadiens over the years. John Carlson has 26 points in 44 duels, Tom Wilson has 19 points in 28 games, and Dylan Strome has 13 points in just 12 matches.

Meanwhile, both Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have more than a point per game against tonight’s visitors. The captain has 19 points in just 15 games, while the sniper has 13 points in 11 games. Alternate captains Brendan Gallagher and Mike Matheson also have 13 points each, but in 30 and 27 games, respectively.

Yesterday at practice, St-Louis stuck to the new lines he used against Columbus on Monday, meaning Zach Bolduc will skate on the first line and Juraj Slafkovsky on the second. Given the history between the two teams, we should be able to see St-Louis’ new power-play units at work as well.

The Bell Centre was hosting something else than hockey yesterday. Photo credit: Marc Chalifoux

While the Capitals were busy handing out a defeat to the Oilers last night, the Canadiens were busy donating their time at the organization’s 44th blood drive. Close to 850 people had booked appointments to donate blood, and the reward for their good deed was the opportunity to meet some of the players and members of the organization. It was all hands on deck as players relayed each other throughout the day to greet donors and sign autographs.

Cole Caufield was as popular as ever with fans at the blood drive. Photo credit: Marc Chalifoux

The initiative was launched in 1981 by the late, great Jean Beliveau, and according to an Hema Quebec representative, it has saved over 116,000 lives since its inception, meaning you could fill up the Bell Centre six times with the people whose lives it has changed. Fans in attendance tonight will hope the players won’t be as generous with their opponents as they were with their time with the donors yesterday. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM, and you can catch the game on RDS, TSN2, and MNMT.

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Columbus Blue Jackets (22 pts) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (20 pts) Game Preview

The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at Scotiabank Arena. 

The Maple Leafs come into this game sitting at 9-9-2 with 20 points. They've gone 4-5-1 in their last 10 and are 1-4-1 in their last 6 games. Not exactly what you expect to see out of the Maple Leafs, but then again, this entire season has been wacky around the league. They also currently sit 7th in the Atlantic Division and 15th in the East. I know, mind blown right?

Everyone knew when Mitch Marner bolted for Vegas that they'd have a tough time replacing those 100 points, but I don't think anyone expected this. There are some mitigating circumstances though. Auston Matthews, Scott Laughton, Chris Tanev, Brandon Carlo, and Anthony Stolarz are all on IR, with Matthew Knies and Nicolas Roy also out. This is not an ideal situation for a team always expected to compete for a Stanley Cup. 

With all that being said, the Blue Jackets won't feel sorry for them, as they're dealing with injuries of their own. The Blue Jackets have historically played well in Toronto and will be looking to get back to winning and earn some points in this wacky Eastern Conference. 

The CBJ currently sits 5th in the Metro, 10th in the East, and 20th in the league. 

Blue Jackets Stats

  • Power Play - 17.4% - 22nd in NHL
  • Penalty Kill - 72.0% - 28th in NHL
  • Goals For - 59 - 18th in NHL
  • Goals Against - 64 - 23rd in NHL

Maple Leafs Stats

  • Power Play - 15.1% - 28th in NHL
  • Penalty Kill - 78.3% - 20th in NHL
  • Goals For - 70 - 2nd in NHL
  • Goals Against - 74 - 30th in NHL

Series History vs. The Maple Leafs

  • Columbus is 22-20-1 all-time, and 12-9-1 on the road vs. Toronto.
  • The Jackets are 5-2 in the last 7 against the Maple Leafs, and have scored 5-plus goals in every win.
  • The Blue Jackets are 12-6 inside Scotiabank Arena in the last 18 games.
  • The CBJ went 2-1 vs. the Leafs last season.

Who To Watch For TheMaple Leafs

  • John Tavares leads the Leafs with 11 goals.
  • William Nylander leads the team with 18 assists and 27 points.
  • Goalie Joseph Woll is 1-1 with a SV% of .934. He last played on November 18 and won.
  • Dennis Hildeby is 2-0-2 with a SV% of .904.

CBJ Player Notes vs.Maple Leafs

  • Zach Werenski has 17 points in 18 career games against Toronto.
  • Charlie Coyle has 25 points in 31 games.
  • Sean Monahan has 18 points in 29 games vs. the Maple Leafs.
  • Mathieu Olivier has 8 points in 6 games.

Injuries 

  • Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 12 games - IR
  • Boone Jenner - Upper Body - Missed 4 Games - IR

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 28

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 93.3 The Bus, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play. 

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