James Reimer's latest NHL opportunity didn’t go nearly as well as his time with the Senators last season. The veteran goaltender was placed on waivers by the New York Rangers after just one period of action .
For Senators fans, it's a sharp contrast to how things went for Reimer last season when he effectively stepped in to give the club solid support when it needed help between the pipes.
Drak Batherson talks about playing on a line with Shane Pinto and Philip Tomasino (Senators on YouTube).
He was never expected to be a long-term solution here, but when Linus Ullmark stepped away on a personal leave of absence for mental health, and backup Leevi Merilainen struggled, Reimer provided some timely saves in a supporting role.
His brief time with the Rangers has been a different story.
Reimer signed a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Blueshirts on October 25, as the Rangers scrambled to deal with injuries.
With Igor Shesterkin sidelined for the season following a knee injury and former Senators goalie Joonas Korpisalo also out, the Rangers were looking for someone who could take some of the workload off their starter for the moment, Dylan Garand.
Reimer got his opportunity the following night against the Los Angeles Kings, but it didn't last long. He gave up three goals on eight shots in the opening period and was pulled after 20 minutes.
The Rangers went on to lose 6-3. Reimer hasn't played since.
On Thursday, just 11 days after signing him, the Rangers placed him on waivers.
It's a disappointing development for a goalie who had given the Senators some much-needed stability earlier in this calendar year.
In 14 appearances with the Senators, Reimer posted a 7-4-2 record, a 2.42 goals-against average and an .886 save percentage, along with one shutout. He stabilized the position and generally made the saves he was supposed to make, giving the Senators a chance to win on most nights.
His final start with the Senators came on April 15, when he made 19 stops in a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The timing of Thursday's waiver move suggests the Rangers are preparing for Korpisalo's return. If Reimer goes unclaimed, the Rangers can assign him to the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, where he'll still make his full NHL salary.
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 1: Tyler Kolek #13 and Miles McBride #2 of the New York Knicks high five during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 1, 2024 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
When you’re the defending champions, there are not many holistic things to complain about.
Sure, the Knicks started 0-3 with a very unsettling offense, but all they needed was their medicine (the Nets and Bulls) to get back to .500?
Worried about losing to Philadelphia twice in October? Joel Embiid’s plantar fasciitis has already acted up; calm down.
Any “problems” this early in the season are either short-term, regarding the looming extension talks, or good problems, which are more conundrums than actual problems.
The biggest of those conundrums has to do with the Knicks’ rotation, specifically with their copious amounts of guard depth.
Jalen Brunson is the head of the snake, but after him? There are a lot of players with minutes who could fluctuate on any given night.
Tyler Kolek and Jose Alvarado duel over backup ball-handler minutes. Jordan Clarkson and Deuce McBride grapple over bench two-guard minutes. Landry Shamet’s strong play is actively pushing starters Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart over their minutes with the three entrenched parts of the team’s nucleus.
It does qualify as a good problem to have, as injuries will undoubtedly give each of these guys ample opportunity over the course of 82 games, but when they’re all healthy, like they are right now? It probably gives Mike Brown a bigger headache than watching Andre Drummond attempt layups.
All of these guys provide something that the Knicks could use more of, but have warts that can limit their playing time.
Kolek is the best true playmaker, but he’s a poor defender, and his jump shot has been consistent throughout his young NBA career. This basically also describes Alvarado, but the defense is better from the New York native.
McBride has stretches where he’s the team’s best rate shooter and is a tremendously pesky point-of-attack defender… but is that not what the team is getting out of a taller two-guard in Shamet?
Clarkson has been a sparkplug every game he’s played this year, but the 35-year-old showed his maddening inconsistency in his first year in New York.
It’s created an extremely volatile rotation, which isn’t surprising when you have a coach who opened the year saying only five players on this team have minutes that are secured.
Mike Brown took the Knicks' starting five aside, looked at his bench players today at practice and said:
"Everybody else in this gym, you're fighting – either to make the team or for minutes" pic.twitter.com/GweTAITsOT
Despite zero Knicks players averaging more than 33 minutes a game except Brunson (who’s at 34.1), only Shamet is averaging more than 18 minutes a game off the bench.
McBride is at 17.5, Kolek is at 12.2, Alvarado is at 11.3, and Clarkson is at 9.9, but even these are deceiving.
Kolek has played steady rotation minutes, but didn’t play at all in the first two games before Alvarado’s ankle injury. Alvarado played 16 and 11 minutes, got hurt, got benched after nine minutes on Monday, and was on track to be a DNP-CD against the Bulls on Wednesday.
Clarkson’s gone from playing three, five, or eight minutes to his spurts of 15 and 17 in the two games against the Bulls and his 11 to spark the incredible fourth quarter against Brooklyn.
McBride, who’s served as the Knicks’ sixth man for over two years now, has topped 17 minutes just twice. He played a season-low 11 minutes on Wednesday and hasn’t had a clear role.
To get these guys more minutes, it would mean cutting minutes from Hart or Bridges. While both have their warts, and the latter continues to look somehow less involved than he was during his lowest moments last season, some of the Knicks’ best lineups are coming with them on the court… just separated.
We’ve seen Brown deploy line changes significantly more in the early going, opting to sub in three or four players at a time to deploy uniform units, but that’s not helping how erratic this all feels.
The depth is making players redundant on the court, especially with how unwise it is to run four-guard lineups in an NBA that’s prioritizing size and length more and more.
And with the Knicks’ extremely shallow forward and center depth? This glut might have to be sorted out at the trade deadline. As much as McBride has shown his tremendous value to the Knicks over the course of his contract, if he isn’t going to play more, is it even a net positive to keep him for the playoff run?
For now, it’s merely a conundrum that Coach Brown will be scratching his head over every game.
By the time we hit February? Things better be sorting themselves out.
DENVER — Apparently, the best way to hurt the Avalanche this season is to have played for them first.
Colorado has had a familiar problem this season: former players keep showing up on the scoresheet against them. Some have done more damage than others, but the pattern is becoming difficult to ignore. And it hasn’t been limited to one opponent.
Ryan O’Reilly has been the biggest thorn in Colorado’s side as of late.
The Nashville Predators forward spent the first six seasons of his NHL career with the Avalanche after being drafted by the organization in 2009. He’s been productive against his former team ever since, totaling 46 points in 39 career games against Colorado, including 15 goals and 31 assists.
The latest three meetings have been particularly rough. O’Reilly scored twice and added two assists in Nashville’s 6-2 win on Oct. 25 at Bridgestone Arena, then chipped in two more assists in Thursday night’s 3-2 overtime victory at Ball Arena. Over his last three games against Colorado, he’s collected 10 points — five goals and five assists.
O’Reilly isn’t the only former Av making himself comfortable in Nashville. Jack Drury, who landed with the Predators in the offseason, scored in that Oct. 25 meeting, while Ross Colton, who was dealt to Nashville earlier, opened the scoring Thursday night. Apparently, the Predators have found a few ways to make use of Colorado’s old roster.
Toronto got in on it, too.
Nick Blankenburg, who spent time with the Avalanche after being acquired ahead of last season’s trade deadline, scored in his first game with the Maple Leafs on Oct. 10. He didn’t need much time to make an impression, either. His first shot on goal in a Toronto sweater beat Mackenzie Blackwood for the opening goal in a 6-3 Maple Leafs win.
On Election Day, former Avalanche players made their choice pretty clear: they elected to score against Colorado.
Charlie Coyle and Valeri Nichushkin combined for three goals and three assists as the Columbus Blue Jackets handed the Avalanche a 7-2 loss. Two more familiar faces, another miserable night for Colorado.
And it’s not just the players putting pucks in the net who have given the Avalanche trouble.
Justus Annunen, who once backed up Alexander Georgiev in Colorado before being traded to Nashville, has started both games against his former team this season. He’s won both. Annunen has stopped 49 of 53 shots in those appearances, good for a .925 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average. The former Avalanche goaltender has been just as effective against Colorado as some of his old teammates have been with the puck.
Of course, this isn’t the first time a former Avalanche player has delivered a particularly painful blow.
Matt Duchene provided perhaps the most infamous example in Game 6 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs’ second round. In double overtime at Ball Arena, Duchene scored the goal that eliminated Colorado, sending the Avalanche home at the hands of a player who once wore their sweater.
That one still hurts. This season has offered a few more reminders.
Between Nashville's former Avalanche contingent of O'Reilly, Drury and Colton, Blankenburg's quick strike in Toronto, Coyle and Nichushkin's performance in Columbus, and Annunen's two wins, Colorado has spent an awful lot of time dealing with players it once called its own.
The Avalanche have enough opponents to worry about without their old teammates joining the list.
ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 01: Jacoby Brissett #7 of the Arizona Cardinals warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 1, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Arizona Cardinals made their trade of Jacoby Brissett official today, moving the veteran journeyman quarterback to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for draft picks.
The compensation is interesting.
Ravens-Cardinals trade for Jacoby Brissett is now official.
Per sources: 🏈Ravens receive: QB Jacoby Brissett and a 2027 5th-round pick.
Brissett and a fifth round pick are going to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange the Cardinals are getting a fourth round pick this year and an additional seventh in 2028.
The Cardinals also covered $2.7 million in Brissett salary to get him off the roster after he demanded a trade on Monday after being benched on Sunday.
Having to pay extra salary and send a fifth back with him to get him off the roster though was probably what was needed. Brissett missed all offseason, came in out of shape and way behind, causing the offense to look really anemic most of the season.
Impressive for the Cardinals to set up their new coach with that during the offseason.
Hopefully the Cardinals offense can find its footing and Brissett can find a new start with the Ravens.
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 22: Erik Karlsson #65 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates during the game against the Florida Panthers at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 22, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Every couple of Friday’s we are going to look at some Penguins numbers, both traditional numbers and fancy stats, just to see what is going on with the team and some individual players.
Today is one of those Friday’s.
So let’s look at some Penguins numbers.
The Penguins power play has a problem
I hate to be a “shoot the puck” guy, but …
After Thursday’s game against Boston, the Penguins success rate on the power play has dropped down to just 17.8 percent for the season, placing them 24th in the entire NHL. They failed to score on their one power play attempt on Thursday, which came after a disastrous 0-for-6 night on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights that saw them fail to score on an extended 5-on-3 in the closing minutes of regulation, just before Tomas Hertl scored a power play goal of his own to win the game for Vegas.
The drop in production from the Penguins power play is just one of the factors that has resulted in an early season regression from the 2025-26 season, and it is not hard to nail down the problem on this year’s power play.
They can not generate shots.
Or attempt shots.
Or do anything with shooting the puck.
As of Friday morning the Penguins power play has the following ranks in terms of shot generation on the power play:
Total shot attempts per 60 minutes: 32nd (77.13 attempts per 60 minutes)
Unblocked shot attempts per 60 minutes: 32nd (55.32 unblocked attempts per 60 minutes).
Shots on goal per 60 minutes: 32nd (33.84 shots on goal per 60 minutes)
Expected goals per 60 minutes: 32nd (5.69 expected goals per 60 minutes)
Scoring chances per 60 minutes: 31st (44.08 scoring chances per 60 minutes)
High-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes: 28th (18.1 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes)
Abysmal. Horrid. Rancid. Terrible. Pathetic. Pick a word. Any of them work. If anything, the power play unit is outperforming what it should be doing based on this. They are not just last in almost all of these categories, they are last by a significant margin.
It is especially frustrating because the Penguins numbers in the same categories during 5-on-5 play are consistently top-10 across the board.
The Penguins have a lot of problems defensively.
They have had problems in goal.
The power play is right there with both of those areas in terms of contributing to the early season failures in the standings.
Two things about that: 1) Special teams (both power play and penalty kill) are two of the biggest areas on a team where coaching can make a difference, and 2) that is also an area where the Penguins most experienced, highest paid, and theoretically best players are getting the bulk of the playing time.
Sidney Crosby still off to one of the worst starts of his career
The Penguins top line started to find some juice against Montreal and Vegas, and that includes the captain. But with just 10 points (four goals, six assists) in his first 16 games, this remains the second-worst start to a season in his career.
The only 16-game start worse than this remains the start of the 2015-16 season under Mike Johnston.
He had nine points in the first 16 games of that season.
There is another layer to that: You can point to the early season struggles of Rickard Rakell and his lack of finishing as eating away at some potential assists for Crosby, and that is certainly fair. But Crosby has just 28 shots on goal in these first 16 games.
That is the lowest total through 16 games in his career. The next lowest was 38 shots on goal which he had through the first 16 game of the 2025-26 season. Prior to last season, he never had less than 40 shots on goal through the first 16 games of a season.
Hard to hide from the numbers.
Some quick hit numbers
The Penguins have had eight different defense pairings play at least 40 minute of 5-on-5 ice-time together this season. None of them have a positive goal differential. They have several that are exactly even, and three that are on the negative side. Nobody is on the positive side. Sam Girard and Kaeden Korczak are 9-9. Erik Karlsson and Spencer Stastney are 5-5. Korczak and Declan Carlile are 3-3. Kris Letang and Stastney, and Letang-Trevor van Riemsdyk are all 1-1.
Not only does Nicholas Robertson lead the team with seven goals, the Penguins are outscoring teams by a 10-3 margin when he is on the ice during 5-on-5 play. Among players with at least 50 minutes of 5-on-5 ice-time, that is the best on-ice goal-differential on the team.
The worst? Andrei Kuzmenko at two goals for and eight goals against.
The Penguins defensive zone play is bad, and it is not just the defensemen contributing to it. The forwards have not been particularly useful, either (with few exceptions). The Penguins goalies are not without blame. Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov are a combined minus-4.6 in goals saved above expected. Individually, Murashov is 62nd in the league and Silovs is 47th.
Kaeden Korczak is the only Penguins defenseman (again, minimum 50 minutes) with a positive on-ice goal-differential during 5-on-5 play (16-14). He is also up to 10 assists in 16 games. He is also second on the team in 5-on-5 points per 60 minutes, trailing only Evgeni Malkin. He’s been really good. Still only 26 years old.
Going back to the power play and the lack of shooting. Egor Chinakhov has the most power play shot attempts per 60 minutes at 29.5. He also has the third-most individual expected goals per 60 minutes on the power play (1.95). He has not consistently hit the net, and the goal-scoring has not yet emerged, but he also has just 22 minutes of power play time. Move him up. Get that shot on the top unit.
The St. Louis Cardinals officially named Rob Cerfolio the new general manager on Friday, Nov. 6, a promotion for the 34-year-old who has been an assistant GM in the organization since 2024 under president Chaim Bloom.
Cerfolio previously worked in Cleveland's front office from 2015-2024, rising to the organization's director of player development.
“Since joining the Cardinals two years ago, Cerf has spearheaded tremendous progress in our player development efforts from top to bottom, and in the advancement of our performance group and its integration within our entire organization,” said Bloom in a statement.
"He is relentless in his desire to move us forward, and is invested in relationships with both new hires and longtime staff alike. I’m excited to partner with him in his new role as we work to set the standard for the industry in every area of baseball operations.”
St. Louis missed the playoffs for the fourth season in a row but the team had a major youth movement in 2026 led by rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt and outfielder Jordan Walker.
Joined again by writer, podcaster and Blackhawks fan Sam Fels, we remember goalie Jeff Hackett, who played decently in 500 NHL games for some of the worst teams of his era.
Jeff Hackett’s NHL career has a defined pattern. Every time he was given a chance to rise from back-up to starter, the team in front of him went directly into the crapper. He went from a bad early 90’s Islanders team to an awful inaugural Sharks team. When he was sent to Chicago two years later, a new problem emerged: Ed Belfour was already the starter and wasn’t keen on sharing his crease. Hackett endured Belfour’s bullying for years before the elder goalie was shipped to San Jose and Hackett got the net full time. Too bad the Hawks playing in front of him were the definition of mediocre. His last starting gig was with the Montreal Canadiens, where the good new was that he wasn’t directly following a Hall of Famer. The bad news was basically everything else.
Sam walks us through Blackhawks goalie debates and in-fighting (which occasionally included actual fighting) in the era before Toews-Kane-Keith-etc changed everything. Fans in Chicago couldn’t watch home games on TV thanks to a cheapskate owner, but the team was barely worth watching anyway. On that team, Hackett wasn’t a bad goalie; he was just more of an “innings eater” than anything else. Sam regales us with some of the personalities and peculiarities of that time in Chicago sports and we share with him tales about some forgettable Islanders teams. Meanwhile, most of Mike’s memories of Hackett come from his years as a Hab during one of their fallow periods. It’s a wide-ranging episode covering a lot of 1990’s and 2000’s NHL nostalgia.
Thanks as always to Sam for coming on. We could have listened to his Weird Blackhawks stories all day. Be sure to subscribe to his great newsletter, which covers hockey, football, soccer, pro wrestling and more. And check out our Weird Islanders Extra! Patreon bonus episode with Sam and us talking more shit about Ed Belfour, a great goalie and true lunatic in his time.
WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL
Jeff Hackett won just five games with the Islanders in 1990-91. If you watch this compilation, five wins seems very, very generous.
With Mark Fitzpatrick and Glenn Healy ahead of him, Hackett was left exposed in the 1991 expansion draft. He was selected by the San Jose Sharks, the only team in the league that was worse than the Islanders. He won just 13 times in 78 games as a Shark.
Late Breaking Bonus: Hackett was the starting goalie on the night the Islanders first honored Al Arbour with a banner at Nassau Coliseum on January 25, 1997.
Hackett spent about two years as the starter for a less than stellar Blackhawks team (16, 26, 29:30), before being traded to the Habs in a deal for another legend, Jocelyn Thibault.
Somewhat ironically, while playing against the Islanders for Montreal in 1998, Steve Webb barrelled into Hackett and knocked him out of the game.
We’re always open to suggestions about other Weird Islanders to discuss. Remember the criteria. Candidates must fulfill one of the two of the following:
Played one (1) season or less for the Islanders or very short stints over multiple seasons.
Be a veteran NHLer who is not generally associated with his time on Islanders.
Subscribe to our Patreon! Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more.
Visit our friends!
Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys featuring hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as Islanders Anxiety merch, and our Al Arbour and The Island shirts. Our portion of the sales benefit the Center for Dementia Research. Use the code ANXIETY20 to save 20% off an order of two items.
The Pinot Project has Rosé, Pinot Grigio and a Pinot Noir that was named a 2024 Top 100 Best Buy by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. All are under $15 a bottle and are available at local wine shops and at UBS Arena.
Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN).
Theme song: “Knuckles” by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp.
Please subscribe, download, rate, review or spread the word about Islanders Anxiety, Weird Islanders: The Podcast! and all of our podcasts any way you can. All of it helps to raise the show’s profile and maybe could get us another fancy sponsor to sell out to in the near future. Leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Bobby Witt Jr. is an AL MVP finalist, and the Kansas City Royals have two other Silver Slugger finalists in Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone, which is a pretty good problem to have in November. Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco look at what helps and hurts Witt’s case, and argue about how the outfield and utility finalists got picked in the first place.
The winter work starts with a new hitting coach, a former Giants hand with Kansas City-area ties. Then Jeremy and Jacob shop the free-agent market using FanGraphs’ crowdsourced contract estimates, weighing starters and relievers like Kris Bubic and Shane Bieber against contract length, injury risk, and qualifying offers. The question is where the Royals can find value without overpaying.
Down on the farm, Angeibel Gomez, Zion Rose, and Justin Lamkin are headed to the Arizona Fall League’s Fall Stars Game, and the hosts break down what stands out about each. They also run through the minor-league free agents walking out the door, including Alec Marsh landing with the White Sox, and who might be worth adding as depth.
If you want a full lap around the Royals’ offseason in one sitting, press play, then tell us who you would sign first.
Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, analysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 20: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) James Paxton #65 of the New York Yankees in action against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on August 20, 2020 in New York City. The Rays defeated the Yankees 10-5. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After the 2018 season, the Yankees’ pitching staff looked thin. Young ace Luis Severino gave them a top-flight starter atop the rotation, and Masahiro Tanaka was a more-than-capable No. 3 starter with a tendency of stepping up in big spots, but Sonny Gray and Domingo Germán were disasters while CC Sabathia and J.A. Happ were on the wrong side of 45. Compared to the Boston Red Sox — led by Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi, and David Price — and the three-headed monster of Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Dallas Keuchel in Houston, it was clear that the Bombers had a lot of catching up to do in the arms race.
To that end, the Yankees opened the 2018-2019 offseason by swinging a deal for James Paxton, sending a package centered on top pitching prospect Justus Sheffield to the Seattle Mariners.
James Alston Paxton Born: November 6, 1988 (Richmond, British Columbia, Canada) Yankees Tenure: 2019-20
Born and raised in British Columbia, Paxton made a name for himself on the Canadian youth baseball circuit, ultimately helping to lead Team Canada to a bronze medal at the 2006 World Junior Baseball Championship. Following his high school career, the Big Maple took his talents to the United States, joining the University of Kentucky. Between his performance with the Wildcats (first as a reliever, then as a starter) and with the summer Alaska Baseball League, he quickly found himself on the radar of Major League ballclubs.
After a junior year in which he struck out 115 batters in 78.1 innings, he was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 37th overall pick of the 2009 draft (the compensation Toronto received when the Yankees signed A.J. Burnett). Unfortunately, they were unable to come a deal, and Paxton opted to return to Kentucky for his senior year… that is, until the Blue Jays told the media that they had been negotiating with Scott Boras, not with Paxton’s family. Back in the pre-NIL days, hiring an agent changed your status from an amateur to a pro, and he was declared ineligible; an attempt to sue in order to be reinstated led nowhere, and eventually, Paxton withdrew from Kentucky to begin his professional career.
Paxton spent the 2010 season with the Grand Prairie AirHogs, an American Association team which allowed him to retain draft eligibility. On the back of a solid, albeit unspectacular, performance there, he was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the fourth round of the 2010 draft. After a lengthy negotiation, he finally put pen to paper in March 2011, and began what would be a rapid ascent through the minor leagues. He reached Double-A by the end of 2011, received an invitation to spring training in 2012, and finally made his Major League debut on September 7, 2013.
Thanks to a strong cup of coffee in 2013, Paxton began the 2014 season in the Seattle rotation, where he would spend the next five seasons. Unfortunately, he fell into a rather predictable pattern. When healthy, he was one of the league’s premier pitchers: his 13.2 fWAR from 2014 to 2018 ranked 26th out of the 88 starters who went at least 550 innings, and his 18.8 K-BB% ranked 14th — just one-tenth of a percentage point behind Cole and three-tenths behind Tanaka. And on May 8, 2018, he became just the second Canadian-born pitcher to throw a no-hitter in baseball history — a testament to his ability.
However, Paxton was hardly healthy for a full season: he made more than 20 starts just twice in that span, having hit the IL with a lat strain in 2014, a strained tendon in his finger in 2015, a forearm strain and a pec strain in 2017, and back inflammation and a forearm strain in 2018.
When the Yankees acquired Paxton that winter, they gambled that his ability on the mound would be worth the risk of his lengthy injury history. In 2019, that was absolutely the case. In the year where pretty much every member of the Yankees spent time on the injured list, the oft-injured pitcher put together the healthiest season of his career, making 29 starts and spending just a few weeks of May on the shelf.
Despite a nasty tendency to surrender home runs in the first inning, Paxton anchored the Yankees rotation, and when the Yankees needed him most in October, he delivered. Getting the ball with the team down 3-1 in the ALCS and having dropped three consecutive games, Paxton shook off two less-than-stellar postseason starts to shut down the Astros lineup, striking out nine and allowing just one run in six innings to send the series back to Houston. Sure, things didn’t get any better from there, but that’s another story (and not any of Paxton’s fault, either).
As good as things went for Paxton in 2019, however, that’s how bad 2020 went. On February 5th, he underwent lumbar surgery, which would have sidelined him for 3-4 months if the season hadn’t been delayed because of the pandemic. Although he made it back in time for the late-July Opening Day, he put together the worst season of his career, posting a 6.64 ERA in 20.1 innings across five starts before hitting the shelf again, this time with a left flexor tendon strain — perhaps the reason for the diminished velocity that made him suddenly very hittable.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Yankees opted to let Paxton walk in free agency, and he returned to the Seattle Mariners on a one-year deal. After just 1.1 innings, though, he left the game with an elbow injury, and later that week, it was announced that he needed Tommy John surgery.
A free agent again that winter, Paxton returned to the AL East joining the Red Sox on a one-year deal with a two-year club option and a one-year player option. A lat tear ended his attempt at a comeback in 2022, prompting Boston to reject the club option and Paxton to accept the player option. Due to a right hamstring strain, he began the 2023 season on the IL, and finally, on May 12, 2023, he made his Boston debut. Over the next two months, he pitched well, posting a 3.34 ERA in 13 starts in his first bit of extended action since 2020. Boston floated Paxton at the deadline, but ultimately held onto him in an attempt to make a bid for a Wild Card spot after a dominant July. That would turn out to be a mistake for everyone involved: a mediocre August and terrible October sent the Red Sox to the basement of the AL East, and Paxton battled inconsistency before being shut down with knee inflammation at the start of September.
Paxton signed with the Dodgers on a one-year deal in January 2024, a contract that was originally $11 million but reworked and lowered to $7 million with playing-time incentives due to unspecified health issues. He made 18 starts for Los Angeles, helping them deal with a rash of injuries to the rotation, before being surprisingly and unceremoniously designated for assignment to make room for River Ryan and Clayton Kershaw on the active and 40-man rosters, respectively. The Red Sox claimed him off waivers, and after three starts, he suffered a calf tear that ended his season.
The Big Maple retired from Major League Baseball after the 2024 season, but that wouldn’t be the last time we saw him on a mound. Paxton accepted the invitation to pitch for Team Canada during the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Working out of the bullpen, he touched 97 mph on his fastball in two appearances, including 2.2 scoreless frames against Cuba to advance out of the group stage. Despite potential interest from pro teams, Paxton has reiterated that he will remain retired. Aside from spending time with his family, he is in the process of completing the business degree he abandoned at the University of Kentucky when he was declared ineligible more than 15 years ago; after that, he intends to pursue a Master’s degree in sports psychology.
Happy birthday to James Paxton!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 25: Brian Keller #48 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches and makes his major league debut in the third inning during a game against the New York Yankees at Citizens Bank Park on July 25, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When the Phillies signed Brian Keller on May 18, it didn’t make much of a splash. After all he was a 32-year-old who had never pitched in the majors and spent the past couple of years rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
After spending the early part of his career in the minor league systems of the Yankees and Red Sox, Keller signed with the Hanshin Tigers of the NPB league in Japan before the 2023 season. But before he could pitch a single inning for them, he suffered an elbow injury that would take him out of action for multiple years.
Finally confident his arm was ready to handle professional innings again, Keller tried out with the Phillies in May, and they must have liked what they saw because they signed him to a minor league contract.
Keller impressed at AAA, with a 2.24 ERA in nine starts. When the Phillies found themselves in need of a “bulk” pitcher for one game, he finally got the call to make his major league debut. On July 25th, in a game against the Yankees, Keller was called upon to start the third inning. He pitched three innings, giving up one run.
He was returned to Lehigh Valley afterwards, and whatever success he had experienced before his promotion was gone. He might have been the worst pitcher in the Lehigh Valley rotation down the stretch, which is saying a lot.
What went right
His first AAA stint was very good. He had a 2.24 ERA with 38 strikeouts and 11 walks in 36.1 innings. As for his brief major league tenure, one run in three innings certainly isn’t the worst showing by a Phillies pitcher this year.
Most importantly, after years of injury and toil across multiple continents, he was finally able to make it to the big leagues, which is a success in itself.
Phillies pitcher Brian Keller shares how he found out he was getting called up to the big leagues for the first time at 32 years old. After getting the news, he recalls going on FaceTime with his wife and telling her “We Did It.” @SportsRadioWIP@KYWNewsradiopic.twitter.com/aMRhwVEsNn
Basically, everything after his major league outing. His strikeout to walk ratio went haywire, as he struck out 16 and walked 18 while giving up 41 runs in 30.1 innings. He was so bad that when the Phillies were in desperate need for someone to pitch a few innings, he wasn’t even a consideration.
The future
Keller is 32 years old and a free agent, so the Phillies would be justified in choosing to move in another direction. But it’s possible that his collapse in the later part of the year was mostly due to this being his first year pitching competitively after three years of injury and rehab and his arm was just tired. The Phillies might look at his early success and feel like there’s something to work with there. I could see them offering him a minor league invite to camp.
Final grade: C-
He gave them three non-horrible innings in the majors, but it would have been nice if he could have been an option later in the season.
Ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Wizards, CJ McCollum suggested to head coach Quin Snyder that Kingston Flemings should take over as the team’s starting point guard. He ended up playing just 23 minutes to McCollum’s 25, but the move into the starting unit speaks volumes.
Flemings has been able to dish out the dimes all season, but he should be able to provide steals as he plays more minutes, though he hasn’t showcased that as much this season compared to his lone season at Houston in college. Flemings has also flashed more as a scorer following a rather quiet start to his career, where he didn’t shoot at a high volume.
The Hawks selected Flemings with the No. 8 overall pick, so it would be surprising if he gave the starting job back to McCollum. Flemings has the opportunity to shine this weekend, but he should also be considered as a rest-of-season option.
The Hornets, Bulls, Nuggets, Pistons, Warriors, Rockets, Pacers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Heat, Knicks, Magic, Suns and Raptors only play one game this weekend, so prioritize players from other teams for streaming.
Nolan Traoré, G, Brooklyn Nets
Traoré has started the last five games for the Nets, and been part of the rotation over the last six, and the results have been really good. During this six-game stretch, Traoré has averaged 15.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.8 blocks and 2.3 triples per game while shooting 53.1 percent from the floor and turning it over just 1.8 times per game. This is another situation where a player is worth streaming this weekend, but he can also be kept on your roster far beyond that.
Brayden Burries, G, Milwaukee Bucks
The rookie took over as the Bucks’ starting point guard two games ago, and while the results haven’t been great, the opportunity is enough to take a chance on Burries. It will likely come inconsistently, but the opportunity should continue to be there for him as a starter. He was able to post decent steal numbers at Arizona, so hopefully those will start to tick up. Still, he’s worth taking a chance on this weekend, and he could end up being worth rostering for the rest of the season.
Bennett Stirtz, G, Oklahoma City Thunder
With all the injuries the Thunder have been dealing with, Stirtz has become a rotation piece for OKC, and the production over the last few games has been strong. Over the last three games, he has averaged 12.0 points and 3.3 triples while shooting 61.9 percent from the floor in 20.3 minutes per game. The upside is that he gets hot and sees his shots go up, but his floor should be some efficient buckets, mostly from beyond the arc. Due to how shorthanded OKC will be for a while, Stirtz could end up seeing his role increase if he continues to contribute at a high level.
He’s coming off the bench now, but Williams has been solid for the Lakers this season. He is currently averaging 10.7 points, 1.5 steals and 1.8 triples per game while shooting 53.7 percent from the floor, and his production hasn’t taken a hit as a reserve. Williams isn’t a high-upside option, but he has been very consistent so far this year and should be a safe streaming option.
Naji Marshall, F, Dallas Mavericks
Marshall is typically a player that has had success as a streaming option when the starter is injured. That isn’t the case in this scenario. He’s just been solid and is rostered in just 22 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Marshall did score a season-high 22 points in the Mavs’ last game, which is hopefully a performance he can build on this weekend. Marshall should only be considered a must-roster player as a starter if one of the typical starters is injured, but he can still be streamed in from time to time.
Mario Hezonja, F, Cleveland Cavaliers
Hezonja has been a productive reserve this season for Cleveland, and while he hasn’t gotten a start yet, the Cavs have been dealing with enough injuries lately to stream Hezonja in. PeytonWatson (hamstring) is questionable after missing the last two games. JaylonTyson (ankle) is set to miss a fourth straight game. JarrettAllen (knee) is questionable. TyreseProctor (ankle), who started in place of Watson on Wednesday, is also questionable. There could potentially be a ton of extra minutes for Hezonja, who has been solid off the bench this season. The Cavs’ games are a back-to-back, so it is very possible that Watson and Allen only end up playing one leg.
Aday Mara, C, Oklahoma City Thunder
Mara has seen his role expand due to all the injuries OKC is dealing with, and he even started in their last game. With Jaylin Williams (back) out again, Mara could be in line for another start. Mara has at least one block in every game this season and is averaging 1.9 per game this season. The rest of his production has been inconsistent, but he has shown he can be solid on the glass and will shoot a high percentage. He’s a good option if you need classic big man stats.
Matković struggled in the Pelicans’ last game, but he’s still the starting center, which makes him worth streaming. He should be able to provide a little value across the board, as he has averaged one steal and one block over the past week since joining the starting lineup. However, if you’re expecting him to have another 25-point game, you’ll likely be disappointed. Matković can be rostered until Yves Missi (knee) returns.
Precious Achiuwa, C, Sacramento Kings
Achiuwa’s production has been inconsistent, but he has largely been productive as a starter in place of Keegan Murray, who is still dealing with an ankle injury. Until Murray returns, Achiuwa is a decent option. He is averaging 11.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game this season while starting seven of their nine games.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 22: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers & LeBron James #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers shake hands after the game on October 22, 2026 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
This will be James’s first game in the arena he called home for over a decade, since he spurned them in free agency last summer. James has received a hero’s welcome in each of his returns when he was wearing purple and gold. That reception isn’t guaranteed this time around.
The Sixers have shown early on why James chose them over the Cavs. Philadelphia has amassed the most wins so far by putting together the second-best defense in the league — an area that many people thought they would struggle with. The offense has been a work in progress, but they have enough individual shot makers to eke out enough points in the clutch to come away with victories.
The Cavs, conversely, are struggling. They’ve lost two games in a row and are just 1-4 against teams over .500.
This is also an NBA Cup game. The Cavs haven’t advanced out of the group stage in this tournament yet. If they want to do so this season, they’ll likely need to win this game, or at the very least, not lose by much.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE. The link to the 2016 championship shirt HERE.
The second batch of NBA Cup group play games takes place Friday, Nov. 6, with nine games on the schedule.
The slate includes several heavyweight matchups, led by the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Western Conference-leading Portland Trail Blazers in a rematch of the Blazers' 136-129 win on Oct. 27. The defending conference champion San Antonio Spurs also look to maintain their strong start against the Sacramento Kings.
In the East, the conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers visit the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks open the evening's NBA Cup action.
The Luka Doncic train keeps rolling. He enters Friday averaging an NBA-best 38.5 points and has scored 40 or more five times in eight games. But the Western Conference-leading Trail Blazers have won three in a row without Ja Morant and already beat the Lakers 136-129 on Oct. 27.
Spurs at Kings
Can Victor Wembanyama possibly top his 52-point, 24-rebound performance in his last outing against the Dallas Mavericks? It's possible against the 1-7 Kings, who ranked 28th in defensive efficiency.
Thunder at Grizzlies
Oklahoma City has surprised despite a rash of devastating injuries, but must contain Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome, who has become a walking bucket during the first couple weeks of the season, with two 40-point games to his credit.
76ers at Cavaliers
A possible Eastern Conference final matchup as Cleveland looks for revenge after blowing a 29-point lead to Philadelphia on Oct. 22. The 76ers have three 20-points-per-game scorers and have gotten off to an 8-1 start.
Celtics at Hornets
The Celtics have done just fine without Jaylen Brown, as Paul George has picked up the scoring slack in a formidable duo with Jayson Tatum. The Hornets have struggled, losing their past five games and are the only team in the league that doesn't average 100 points a game.
NBA Cup schedule Friday and how to watch
Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks (East Group C) — 7 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
Boston Celtics at Charlotte Hornets (East Group C) — 7 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
Philadelphia 76ers at Cleveland Cavaliers (East Group B) — 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime
Utah Jazz at Dallas Mavericks (West Group A) — 8 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies (West Group B) — 8 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
Toronto Raptors at Milwaukee Bucks (East Group A) — 8 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
Minnesota Timberwolves at New Orleans Pelicans (West Group B) — 8 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Lakers (West Group C) — 10 p.m. ET, Prime
San Antonio Spurs at Sacramento Kings (West Group C) — 10 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
What is NBA Cup?
The NBA's 30 teams are split into six groups of five, with three groups in each conference. Each team plays four group-stage games, two at home and two on the road.
Each NBA Cup game also counts toward the regular-season standings, except for the championship game on Dec. 11. Teams play each of their four group opponents once, with the results determining who advances to the knockout rounds.
Eight teams will advance to the knockout rounds — the winner of each of the six groups, plus one wild-card team from each conference.
