Jackson Chourio is one of the hottest hitters in baseball at the moment. He owns a .765 xSLG over the last week, including three home runs during that span, while possessing a 44.4% hard-hit rate. If we take a deeper dive, the power is very evident. Chourio also has a .524 ISO across his previous six games.
He'll face Colorado Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner tonight. The starter recently returned from the IL and has made just one start since late April, so we'll look at his season as a whole.
Feltner owns a 6.35 xERA and has allowed a 46.9% hard-hit rate. He's also surrendered 38.3% of his contact through the air, while carrying a concerning 16.1% HR/FB rate.
That's an appealing matchup for Chourio, who owns a 33.3% HR/FB rate over the last week and continues to generate loud contact consistently.
With this game taking place at Coors Field â one of the most favorable home-run environments in baseball â the conditions only strengthen the case.
I'll take this pick up to +200.
Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Brewers.TV, Rockies.TV
Home run pick: Oneil Cruz (+388)
Oneil Cruz is consistently making loud contact at the moment. Aside from his three bombs in the last six games, he owns an astounding 23.1% barrel rate during that span while carrying a ridiculous .912 xSLG.
Cruz has also slugged above .500 against left-handed pitching this season, and he'll face Atlanta Braves southpaw Martin Perez this evening.
Perez has been getting hit, with 34.1% of the contact he's allowed against left-handed batters coming in the air, and 14.3% of those fly balls leaving the yard. That's a recipe for disaster against a hitter like Cruz, who has seen 36.4% of his fly balls against lefties land in the bleachers.
I'll play this pick up to +350.
Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, BravesVision
Home run pick: Tyler Soderstrom (+496)
Tyler Soderstrom is making plenty of loud contact right now, carrying a 52.6% hard-hit rate and an expected slugging percentage north of .500 over the last week. The Athletics slugger has also gone deep twice in his last six games, and the matchup is what stands out most here.
The Houston Astros hand Peter Lambert the ball, and while he hasn't allowed a home run across his last two starts, the underlying metrics suggest he's been fortunate. The right-hander has surrendered a 46.7% fly-ball rate, 46.7% hard-hit rate, and a 22.7 average launch angle during that span. Those indicators suggest opposing hitters are generating the type of contact that often turns into home runs.
Add in the short porch in left field at Daikin Park, and this matchup becomes even more appealing.
I'll take this pick up to +400.
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBC Sports California, Space City Home Network
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 9-57, -12.56 units
Todayâs HR parlay
Jackson Chourio
Bet Now +11625
Oneil Cruz
Tyler Soderstrom
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Admittedly, it wasnât âtotalâ speculation. There were already whispers that the Brooklyn Nets were interested in Nate Ament in the upcoming NBA Draft, whether at #6 overall or after trading down. But stronger was the inductive reasoning behind it; given what we know about Brooklynâs recent drafting history and Amentâs profile, the fit is almost too obvious. But weâll get to that.
Over the past week, the whispers have become PSAs. Our own Connor Long reported that the Nets were interested in the University of Tennessee product, while Kevin OâConnor of Yahoo Sports just mocked Ament to Brooklyn at #6, adding that the Nets are indeed âdrawnâ to himâŠ
For what itâs worth, NetsDaily has not heard anything directly from Nets sources about their draft plans, though team insiders are telling people they âfeel goodâ and are âexcitedâ about the summer. Not much there.
But sources around the league â agents and their employees, as well as scouts for rival teams â all paint the same picture: The Nets are very interested in Ament. In fact, some sources are debating whether itâs an outright âlockâ that Brooklyn takes the 6â10â forward. You hear phrases like âleague-wide expectation,â and when other prospects are mentioned (Karim Lopez, Aday Mara, or one of the guards), the boldest convictions are that they could still be âin play.â
Three weeks out, there is such widespread agreement on Brooklynâs interest that you wonder if itâs smoke. Or if Brooklyn is telegraphing their interest in a prospect recently projected to go much lower than #6 so as to facilitate a trade-down. OâConnor did note in his latest mock that âplenty of teams [are] interested in trading into this spot.â
The Egor DĂ«min selection last season is a valuable reference point, likely part of why these sources feel confident about Brooklyn taking Ament. The teamâs interest in DĂ«min pre-draft was well known, but few believed the Nets would actually take DĂ«min at #8 overall, a clear reach relative to most draft boards. (ESPN had the BYU product at No. 13 in their last mock.) After Brooklynâs stunning 2025 NBA Draft â from the DĂ«min selection to the other four picks to their jubilant reactions in the war room â sources arenât putting anything past them.
While DĂ«min and Ament are not identical prospects, there are important similarities, particularly when you consider how they could fit into the next iteration of the Brooklyn Nets. The thinking goes: Size + shooting provides a floor, and once GM Sean Marks goes star-hunting in the trade market, long viewed as an inevitability, those players theoretically slot in comfortably next to high-usage players.
If Brooklyn does take Ament, they clearly donât believe this crop of guard prospects (Acuff, Wagler, Brown Jr., Flemings) will produce that aforementioned high-usage star. That thinking may be most in line with consensus; teams are lower on that group of players than the general public might be, hence players like Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara shooting up mocks.
Nate Ament could be a prototypical Nets prospect darling for other reasons. Letâs list âem.
Prospect pedigree: Ament was the No. 4 prospect in his high school class before an underwhelming freshman season at Tennessee. Dariq Whitehead, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, and to a lesser extent, Egor DĂ«min were all extremely hyped prospects who lost hype during their pre-draft year.
High-character billing: Watch an interview. Read this Marc J. Spears story. Nate Ament does seem like a hard worker with a very pleasant attitude, affirmed by those in the know. We know the Nets really, really value character.
Weaknesses: The general sell is size + shooting, right? Well, Ament shot 33% from deep, 37% on long twos, and under 79% from the line. Not terrible, but Brooklyn would certainly be banking on a shooting leap, nothing new for them. Ament also struggled with physicality and explosiveness, creating space and/or finishing at the rim. How many current Nets could that last sentence apply to?
OâConnor gave Ament a bit of a pass on the shooting:
[O]ver the second half of the year for Tennessee, he flipped a switch and shots began to fall. He averaged 23.8 points over a six-game stretch in January and February that reminded everyone why he was a top recruit in the country. Then he dealt with an ankle injury that ruined his momentum entering March and severely struggled during the tournament.
We havenât heard anything from Nets sources about their interest in Nate Ament. Brian Lewis tweeted Friday that Ament has not yet worked out for Brooklyn. Acuff was in Wednesday, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, the first word any of the top prospects have been in. And while league sources are quite clear on their opinion, there are still nearly three weeks until the 2026 NBA Draft. Things can change in a hurry.
Alas, even if Ament to Brooklyn isnât a âlock,â the noise and our own inductive reasoning is simply too much to ignore. Weâll have plenty of analysis coming, namely an interview with a prominent NBA Draft analyst on Brooklyn potentially taking Ament. But we can say this: If it does come to fruition, particularly without a trade-down from #6 overall, it will be a very polarizing (at best) decision within draft circles, perhaps even more than the DĂ«min selectionâŠ
Nate Ament has declared for the draft out of Tennessee. Draft range is ballpark No. 8 to No. 18 on draft night. Polarizing prospect for scouts. The ones who like him really like the upside. The ones who don't aren't interested at all. Would bet he ends up back half of lottery. pic.twitter.com/f5VejArtQV
For those looking for more discussion on Nate Ament, I appeared on the most recent episode of Locked On Nets with Erik Slater, where we discussed Ament at length. Once again, weâll have further analysis of Ament and other prospects before the draft, starting this weekend.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 13: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros reacts after striking out during the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park on May 13, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Astros have reinstated 2B Jose Altuve from the 10-day IL.
The club optioned OF Zach Dezenzo to Triple A after last nightâs game.
Altuve, 36, was initially diagnosed with a Grade 2 oblique strain, but recovered faster than expected. Altuve last played May 16, missing almost 3 weeks with an injury that was expected to sideline him 4-6 weeks.
Altuve started the season red hot, hitting .378 over the first 11 games of the season, but then cooled off considerably, and was batting only .245 at the time of his injury.
Dezenzo, 26, was batting .191 this season with the Astros in limited time. He was also 3 for his last 21 at the plate with 11 strikeouts. Dezenzo should see regular time in Sugar Land alongside Joey Loperfido and Zach Cole as the team hopes at least one of them will find their batting stroke and get hot, allowing them to be productive upon a recall.
Ten years ago, home teams wore white uniforms for 97% of NBA playoff games, and alternate jerseys were rarely worn during the postseason. This year, only 32% of playoffs games have featured home teams in whiteâmany fans have voiced a desire for that number go back upâas NBA teamâs jersey choices have become more chaotic.
The New York Knicks wore their non-traditional black uniforms at Madison Square Garden for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but the San Antonio Spurs were not allowed to wear their popular Fiesta jerseys for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
This week, Club Sportico talked to the NBA to get the leagueâs perspective on alternate uniforms during the playoffs, and whether the home whites tradition could ever return, even if only for the Finals.
The San Antonio Spurs opened the NBA Finals at home with another glorious Fiesta night. Just as theyâd done in previous rounds, fans wore the teamâs 1990s âFiestaâ shades, divided into tangerine, fuchsia and turquoise sections of the arena, to create an awesome visual.
â The Sporting News (@sportingnews) June 4, 2026
But, unlike in the first two rounds, the team itself was not dressed as colorfully. Despite being cheered on by a giant sherbet menu, the Spurs wore their traditional black instead of their Fiesta jerseys. This wasnât a surpriseâSporticoexplained back in April that the NBA requires teams to wear their âprimary uniformsâ in the conference finals and Finals.
The leagueâs priorities, though, seemed contradictory to me. If the NBA wants a more classic look for the higher-profile later rounds, then why allow the Spurs to wear black at home, when home teams typically wore white for the leagueâs first 70 years?
I talked to Christopher Arena, the NBAâs SVP of on-court and brand partnerships, to get his perspective.
âThereâs something about world-building as a team hosts a game that they can tell a story wearing whichever uniform theyâre wearing,â Arena said. âIf in the early rounds, thatâs about City Edition and Fiesta and doing t-shirt giveaways that paint the crowd, great. If thatâs about a more traditional team like the Knicks and they just want to wear white at home, thatâs great too.â
The league does recognize the importance of historyâitâs one reason City Edition jerseys are no longer allowed late in the playoffs. The Toronto Raptors and Denver Nuggets clinched the 2019 and 2023 Finals, respectively, wearing alternates that debuted in those particular seasons and are no longer worn. The NBA understood that this wasnât ideal.
âWhen you get to these big, call it trophy, T-shirt, hat moments⊠thereâs something about seeing the teams in their core identities and fans connecting to that,â Arena said.
Donât expect the home whites tradition to come back, but towards the end of our conversation, Arena seemed open to the idea of having some âdividing lineâ to distinguish certain games when teams would have to wear white at home.
âYou could do just the Finals. You could do conference finals and Finals. You could do all the playoffs, including the play-in. You know, you could do Friday night games,â Arena said.
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Aaron Judge was officially moved to the injured list before the Yankees' game against the Red Sox on Friday, June 5. Top prospect Spencer Jones was recalled to take his spot in the outfield. Judge was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his first right rib and is expected to miss several weeks.
The Yankees said Judge will be shut down for four to six weeks before reimaging. That means the most optimistic timeline would be a late July, early August return.
Jones, a left-handed slugger, made his major-league debut last month and was underwhelming. The No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline, Jones hit .167/.259./.167 in 27 plate appearance during his first stint. The Yankees are thin in the outfield at the moment with Giancarlo Stanton on the IL with a right calf issue and Jasson Dominguez also on the IL with a left shoulder strain.
Jones has shown power potential for years. At Triple-A Scranton this year, he is hitting. 269 with a .571 slugging percentage, 13 home runs and 48 RBI in 43 games.
The 2022 first-round pick out of Vanderbilt has also shown penchant for striking out a lot. During his first major-league stint, he struck out at a 44.4% rate. In Triple-A he has struck out 60 times in 185 plate appearances this year.
While he is also 6-foot-7 like Judge, he is stepping into a big hole in the lineup left by the Yankees captain.
Before the injury, Judge, the two-time reigning American League MVP, was hitting .248 with 17 homers in 261 plate appearances.
It is a big moment for Jones, who fell off the Top 100 prospect lists last offseason after 109 strikeouts in 298 Triple-A plate appearances. He was demoted May 21 with instructions to work on his swing.
Now the Yankees will have time with Judge on the shelf to see what Jones can do.
Former Buffalo Sabres forward Marcus Johansson was heading into the summer as one of the NHL's top pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) scorers. However, instead of testing the market or re-signing with the Minnesota Wild, Johansson is taking his talents overseas.Â
Farjestad BK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) has announced that they have signed Johansson.Â
Johansson just had a very good season for the Wild, posting 15 goals, 34 assists, and 49 points in 75 games. This was the first time since 2022-23 that Johansson recorded at least 40 points and the second-most points he had in an NHL season. While this is the case, Johansson is heading home to play in the SHL.Â
Johansson played in 60 games for the Sabres during the 2019-20 season, where he recorded 13 goals, 17 assists, and 30 points. His time with the Sabres ended during the 2020 NHL off-season when he was traded to the Wild in exchange for Eric Staal.Â
In 1,058 career NHL games over 16 seasons, he posted 200 goals, 366 assists, and 566 points. Overall, the former Sabre had himself a strong NHL career, and he should be a big pickup for Farjestad BK.Â
TAMPA BAY, - MARCH 16: George Lombard Jr. #26 of the New York Yankees singles in the first inning during the 2024 Spring Breakout Game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday, March 16, 2024 in Tampa Bay, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good afternoon everyone, itâs time to dive back into the mailbag and answer some of your questions. Remember to send in your questions for our weekly call by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
The idiot that said, âHarper is comingâ asks:Rather than focus on trade acquisition candidates, letâs focus on who might get traded away for a moment.Who in the Yankee organization do you believe will be most likely to be traded away at the trade deadline?
Letâs start with the prospects that carry value but probably will be sticking around. Spencer Jonesâ security in the organization became a lot stronger after news broke that Aaron Judge would be going on the IL with a stress fracture in his ribs, and earlier today he was indeed called back up to the major leagues for what will likely be a lengthier stint than his first one. Carlos Lagrange is viewed as a potential stalwart in the Yankee rotation, but heâs also moving over to the bullpen to get a shot at contributing this year and thus likely is also safe, especially given the teamâs need for relievers. Finally, George Lombard Jr. looks to be the future Yankees shortstop and could be ready as soon as next spring, with an outside shot of getting a look this year even. Heâs the teamâs top prospect overall and among the gameâs best in any organization meaning he could carry a lot of weight as the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade, but it would take a monumental one to convince the Yankees to part with the promising infielder.
Elmer RodrĂguez sits near the top of the organizationâs pitching prospects with Lagrange, and he made his MLB debut earlier in the year after a meteoric rise following his trade acquisition from Boston. Heâs a name that the Yankees would certainly also like to hold onto, but he also sits on the threshold of player that the Yankees might listen in on for the right deal. There are, however, some other pitching prospects with less of a pedigree and may not have a path to the majors laid out for them yet. Bryce Cunningham fits this bill, having been held back by a couple of injuries, and even though you can never have too much pitching Iâm almost certain that New York will pull from their depth here to look for a good upgrade. Given the teamâs needs, it makes more sense to me that the team will trade from their pool of players outside of the upper echelon to get relief arms or an upgrade to the bench, and Cunningham fits the bill for the type of player theyâd be willing to gamble on.
BetweenthePinstripes asks:At the end of every season, thereâs always a team (or three) that go on a tear, upending the standings and altering the playoff picture. Whatâs your best guess as to which team(s) will play their best baseball at the end?
Iâm afraid that the main answer to this question will be the Astros, who sit in fourth place but have survived the big blows that the pitching staff took and have started to get their lineup in order even without Carlos Correa for the rest of the season. The AL West still looks to be a mess of a division, with the Mariners finally back in first place but clinging to a 2.5 game lead over the Rangers and Athletics. Houston is a couple ticks behind at 5.5 games behind, but being three games out of a postseason spot in the final Wild Card is nothing to scoff at all things considered. With Yordan Alvarez on an absolute heater at the plate, they could force the window of contention open a crack after missing the postseason last year.
Outside of the Astros, thereâs another team in their division that could turn it on late in the year. The Mariners got off to an abysmal start offensively, but their push back to the top of the division was achieved by some of their regular stars finding their groove at long last. With a core of Cal Raleigh, Julio RodrĂguez, and Randy Arozarena alongside the veteran assistance of Josh Naylor this is a team that should compete, and their rotation outside of Luis Castillo has been lights out on a near-daily basis. It wouldnât surprise me at all to see them make a run for not just the division title but a shot at hosting an ALDS or even an ALCS matchup, and they have the blueprint of what went right for them last year as the calendars turned towards fall to study from.
torturedsoulv1 asks: Will the Yankees playoff rotation be just Cole/Fried/Schittler. Or does Rodon get a start? I guess it depends on days off between games.
Days off are the essential factor, and given the turnaround for each round of play the Yankees would likely go with the main three for the Wild Card Round (assuming all of them stay locked in and healthy should they make it there). From the ALDS on it depends on what they can get away with, but Carlos RodĂłn has done more than enough to earn a bit of trust in a hypothetical Game 4. As for the overall order, that remains to be seen as well â Schlittlerâs making a case for himself to be one of the best if not the best pitcher in the AL this year, which should give him the upper hand even over a pitcher as prolific as Gerrit Cole should winning be the biggest factor.
MILWAUKEE, WI - SEPTEMBER 28: Brady Singer #51 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Sunday, September 28, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds should be fresh following their off-day on Thursday, but theyâre also âfreshâ off losing 4 of 6 at home during their most recent homestand against the Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals, respectively.
Now, the Reds are in St. Louis and ready to face a Cardinals club that they saw briefly two weeks ago in a series that was a complete weather mess. Youâll recall that the Friday game between these two was banged, they played a Saturday doubleheader to compensate, and then Sundayâs game was postponed until later in the season.
Even with those surprise breaks, the Cincinnati pitching staff has still been in complete shambles. Theyâve been forced to cycle through players (Yunior Marte, Lyon Richardson, Brandon Liebrandt) and cull them from the 40-man roster just to find some, any fresh arms to activate, and their league-worst bullpen continues to give up games that the offense has fought hard to make close. Such was definitely the case again on Wednesday in the series finale when Tony Santillan was rocked in a 5-2 loss to Kansas City.
Still, this Reds club limps in at 31-30, above .500 for the time being. Itâll be up to Brady Singer in the series opener to turn his own personal struggles around, as on Thursday he still sported the single worst HR/9 (2.82) of the 119 MLB pitchers who have thrown at least 50 IP so far this year. He also ranks 4th worst in ERA (6.18), 3rd worst in xERA (6.49), and dead last in FIP (6.88) among that group, which is the kind of individual calamity that can tank an entire teamâs season if not rectified quickly.
Kyle Leahy will start for the Cardinals. First pitch is set for 8:15 PM ET.
Jay Leach skates in a practice for the Kraken in December 2023.
The Rangers hired Jay Leach to lead their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Named the ninth head coach in Wolf Pack history on Friday, Leach joins the Blueshirts organization after serving as an assistant coach in the NHL over the previous five seasons with the Kraken (three) and the Bruins (two).
The 46-year-old Leach is an experienced addition and has been a candidate for multiple head coaching vacancies in the NHL in recent years.
Jay Leach skates in a practice for the Kraken in December 2023. NHLI via Getty Images
âPlayers gravitate toward him,â Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan told The Post of Leach at the time, when he was still head coach of the Penguins. âHeâs a good leader. Heâs been in leadership roles when he was playing in the American League, and so he brought all of that to the coaching aspect of what heâs doing now. When I got a chance to work right next to him in Wilkes-Barre, I was really impressed, but not surprised, with his work ethic. He rolls his sleeves up, he works hard at being a good coach, and he brings a certain humility to the job every day that I think is so important for all of us.
âHe has strong convictions of how the game should be played, but he also understands thereâs more than one way to play the game and that you have to work with people, both players and coaches alike, in order to try to build the necessary collaboration to have success in todayâs NHL.â
President and general manager Chris Drury bringing on Leach makes a lot of sense for an organization that is looking to refresh its prospect pool.
Plus, Leach has ties to Sullivan, who brought him onto his staff with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins during the 2015-16 season.
When Sullivan was promoted to the Bruins, Leach succeeded him and took over the team.
Jay Leach is pictured during a Bruins game in November 2025. Getty Images
The last time Leach served as head coach was from 2017-21 with the AHLâs Providence Bruins.
Over those four seasons, the Syracuse native led the team to back-to-back Atlantic Division titles.
Providence compiled a 136-77-26 record under Leach, who also helped the team reach the AHLâs Eastern Conference Finals as an assistant in 2016-17.
The Bruins eventually brought Leach back as an assistant at the NHL level over the last two campaigns.
A defenseman drafted 115th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes, Leach appeared in 70 NHL games across five seasons for the Bruins, Lightning, Devils, Canadiens and Sharks.
He ultimately played 12 seasons of professional hockey before making the jump into coaching.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JANUARY 17: Alex Nedeljkovic #39 of the Pittsburgh Penguins tends goal against Zach Benson #9 of the Buffalo Sabres during an NHL game on January 17, 2025 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The NHLâs salary cap is rising but many teams still find themselves in various degrees of uncomfortableness when it comes to the salary structure. The Pittsburgh Penguins are not one such team.
Offer sheets have been a seldom used venture by NHL general managers, there have only been four in the last decade. Montreal signed Carolinaâs Sebastian Aho in 2019, the Hurricanes matched and retaliated two years later by giving Jesper Kotkaniemi what looks like a regrettable amount of money that the Canadiens did not match. Then in 2024 St. Louis fired shots across the bow by targeting Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg from Edmonton, which the cap-strapped Oilers opted not to match.
Going back to the entire NHL salary cap era from 2006-present, there have only been 12 total completed offer sheets. Only four of those 12 were successful to acquire a player from a team unwilling or unable to match the compensation.
The St. Louis moves showed the potential is not gone to take the aggressive action, so letâs check on this yearâs crop via Sportsnet.
As every team looks at improving over the off-season, will any use an offer sheet to chase talent?@RoryBoylen has everything you need to know about compensation and which players could be interesting RFA targets. https://t.co/dsQNwg6cPb
The important information to know is the different levels of compensation required, which for 2026 is as follows:
Based on these splits, itâs a challenge to anticipate signing a mega-star like RFA Jason Robertson to an offer sheet. It would easily require first round picks from 2027-30, which is a cost too far to support making such a move.
However, as STL showed, targeting rising players who could play into a higher cost than theyâve shown in the past can pay off handsomely for the price of a second or third round pick as a sweet spot for trying offer sheets. This could be the key area of opportunity.
Zach Benson, Buffalo Sabres
As previously mentioned, if Buffalo re-signs Tuch, it would immediately be tight to next yearâs salary cap. Meantime, 21-year-old Zach Benson became a core piece of the Sabres this season with a breakout 43-point campaign (in 65 games) and an even better showing in the playoffs. It might be fair to ask: Should Benson actually be Buffaloâs priority here?
Benson, drafted 13th overall in 2023, is a player who whispers say was of much interest to the Penguins had he just slipped one more pick in the draft to where they were at. (Pittsburgh ended up selecting Brayden Yager, who was traded not long after).
Sportsnet also notes that Buffalo has center Peyton Krebs and defenseman Michael Kesselring as potential restricted free agents. The Sabres currently have $17.6 million in cap space, though it stands to reason over half of that amount would be taken away if they end up re-signing star forward Alex Tuch.
Granted, if the Sabres donât re-sign Tuch, there wouldnât be much of a point in trying to fish away Benson via offer sheet. Theyâll be in good enough shape to match in that situation. Assuming they did sign Tuch, would the Penguins be so bold as to transfer an unprotected 2027 first round pick (plus a third, which they have an extra selection in that round already) to get Benson on an offer of $7 million?
Benson scored 43 points in just 65 games this year and was a great playoff performer with nine points in 13 games and a very active, physical presence. He also just turned 21-years old and could be worth an investment to be a part of the core for a while.
It would take some faith that Benson could get a glow up like Holloway did, who went all the way up to 63 points in his first season with the Blues and was worth his contract plus the second round pick to give up. This isnât a surefire risk-free proposition, but it could be something to think about considering the Pens were rumored to have really liked Benson in the pre-draft process. After three seasons in the NHL, thereâs even more to like.
Mavrik Bourque, Dallas
The Starsâ top priority is to get Robertson under contract, which would be a big ticket, certainly in the $12 million range, that would put them over the cap. Meantime, the 24-year-old Bourque would be offer sheet eligible after his first 20-goal season. Perhaps a quiet playoff showing may cool interest in going the offer sheet route, and GM Jim Nill may be looking at trade options instead.
Pittsburgh and Dallas have been a good trade fit with one another recently. The two worked together last year to send Matt Dumba plus a second round pick to the Pens last year to ease some Stars cap woes. Those problems are back again for them, which means the Pens might not even need to offer sheet Bourque to acquire him. Volunteer to take the salary of Ilya Lybushskin ($3.25m for one more year) and then it could see what other particulars would need to be done to get Bourque as a part of the deal could be a workable gambit.
If dangling that carrot via a trade ended up not working out, the Pens could always turn to using the stick of the offer sheet for Bourque. It looks like the Stars have about $13 million of cap space for next year, of which Robertson would require almost all of it. Should a team come in with a $4.7 million offer for Bourque, that might put a lot of strain on the Starsâ structure â depending on what further moves they could make to get around that. Somethingâs got to give in Dallas, if a team adds a little more pressure to the situation they might be able to get Bourque out of it, via whatever means it might take via trade or offer sheet.
Olen Zellweger/Pavel Mintyukov, Anaheim
Carlsson and Gauthier grab most of the attention in regards to Anaheimâs RFAs, but it also has two young defencemen who are offer sheet eligible. Zellweger and Mintyukov, two 21-year-olds, both finished with 22 points this season, while Mintyukov averaged about a minute-and-a-half more of ice time, mostly because of his shorthanded minutes.
Of the two, Zellweger may be the one to watch more closely on the offer sheet front. His average ice time dropped by nearly two minutes from 2024-25 to 2025-26 and he only played three playoff games for the Ducks.
These two have been oft-talked about, with little more new ground to tread. Anaheim having to give new contracts to breakout stars Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier makes them a very interesting team to watch this offseason. They also have a total of two NHL defensemen currently signed for next season according to CapWages. A lot is going to go on out there. Maybe the Pens can get involved, maybe not, but watching the Ducks navigate this summer will be worth watching.
Zack Bolduc, Montreal
One of Montrealâs four RFAs, Bolduc scored 12 goals for the Canadiens this season but got to 19 with St. Louis the year before that. If he stays in Montreal, a new contract might come in the range of $3 million, but is there a team out there that values his potential higher than that?
When Montreal traded for Bolduc last summer, our scout Jason Bukala wrote that it had âacquired at worst a middle-six forward. Heâs more likely a top-six winger.â That didnât come to fruition right away, but Bolduc is still just 23 years old. If a team still sees him as a player who could score 20-25 a season and have top-six upside, might they take a shot on a short- or medium-term contract worth around $4.5 million â a rate that might make Montreal a little uncomfortable and require only a second-round pick as compensation?
A team like the Pens could pay a little more for a player in salary, assuming they really liked the player or thought he could take off to justify the move. Whether or not they would actually want to do that is of course the unknown $64,000 question. Bolduc, 23, has yet to really take off, does Pittsburgh (or anyone else) think he could have that Holloway-esque type of increase in the future? If so, $4 million and giving up a second round pick would be a small price to pay. If not, onto the next.
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More often than not the offer sheet goes unused, though the increased amount of second+third round picks that Pittsburgh has in the next few years makes them decent candidates to use if the right situation was out there. The Pens have used that to acquire Egor Chinakhov and Elmer Soderblom in trades, straying outside the lane to attempt an offer sheet coup would be unexpected but a bold, risky move at attempting to bolster the teamâs talent level.
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Itâs officially time to Knight up.
After an impressive Game 2 comeback overtime win, Sebastian Ahoâs Carolina Hurricanes tied Mitch Marnerâs Vegas Golden Knights at one game apiece in the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals.
Next up, the high-stakes series heads to the VGKâs home T-Mobile Arena. The two Sin City contests are scheduled to take place:
A hypothetical Game 6 â if the Finals goes that far â would go down Sunday, June 14 in Vegas.
If youâd like to be at any one of these Stanley Cup tilts, last-minute tickets are still available.
Better yet, prices have significantly decreased since we last reported on how much they cost for games at the T-Mobile Arena.
When our team wrote about prices for Stanley Cup games in Vegas on June 1, prices started at $1,604 including fees on SeatGeek at the time of publication.
Now, just a mere four days later, seats can be found for as low as $666 including fees.
Yes, prices have dropped nearly $1,000 (!) in just four days.
Throw in the fact that you can save $10 off purchases over $250 at checkout using promo code NYPOST10 and youâve got a steal of a deal (Editorâs Note: this discount is only valid for usersâ first purchase on SeatGeek).
In theory, the Knights should be coming home, up 2-0.
However, Knights Head Coach used a coachâs challenge on goaltender interference with five minutes left in regulation and got his call overturned, which resulted in a two-minute minor penalty that led to a power play for the âCanes, a momentum shift and their subsequent victory.
âInstead of Vegas going home looking to move to the verge of a second championship in nine years of existence, the series is all square, despite [Carter] Hart making some big saves and Brett Howden scoring his playoff-leading 12th and 13th goals,â The Post noted in a Game 2 postmortem.
When asked for comment, Head Coach John Tortorella said: âI have my thoughts. Iâm not discussing it here.â
We canât wait to see what happens next.
For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes below.
What do tickets cost to see Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup home games?
All Vegas Golden Knights T-Mobile Arena Stanley Cup home game dates and the cheapest tickets available (versus what they cost on June 1) can be found here:
Vegas Golden Knights home game dates
Ticket prices start at
Ticket prices started at on June 1
Game 3 Saturday, June 6
$666(including fees
$1,774(including fees)
Game 4 Tuesday, June 9
$709(including fees
$1,604(including fees)
Game 6 Sunday, June 14
$939(including fees
$1,635(including fees)
How much are Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup home game tickets?
A complete calendar including all Hurricanes Eastern Conference Finals home game dates at the Lenovo Center and the best prices on tickets (compared to what they were going for on June 1) are listed below.
Carolina Hurricanes home game dates
Ticket prices start at
Ticket prices started at on June 1
Game 5 Thursday, June 11
$1,009(including fees)
$1,717(including fees)
Game 7 Wednesday, June 17
$2,064(including fees)
$2,086 (including fees)
How to watch the Hurricanes and Golden Knights on TV
Fans hoping to catch Tortorellaâs talented team on the tube can watch all playoff games on ABC in the US or Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports in Canada.
Just make sure to review your local listings before tuning in.
If you donât have cable, your best bet may be DIRECTV.
Huge 2026 concerts
Not sure what to do once the final buzzer sounds on the 2025-26 NHL season?
No worries.
Many of the most exciting acts around will be out and about all summer long. Here are just five of our favorites you wonât want to miss live.
âą Evanescence with Spiritbox
âą Tame Impala with Djo
âą Five Finger Death Punch
âą Avenged Sevenfold with Good Charlotte
âą RUSH
Plus, you wonât want to miss Metallicaâs Sphere residency. Theyâll be at the eye-popping venue from October through March 2027.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows â and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
Georgii Romanov's run with the Springfield Thunderbirds in the Calder Cup Playoffs didn't go unnoticed by the St. Louis Blues.
On Friday, the team announced it signed the 26-year-old to a two-year, two-way contract.
Romanov and Vadim Zherenko split time in the American Hockey League last season, and after being acquired from the San Jose Sharks to offset the loss of Colten Ellis to the Buffalo Sabres via waivers prior to the season, Romanov went 9-12-4 with a 3.29 goals-against average, an .896 save percentage, and one shutout in 28 regular-season games.
But in the playoffs, Romanov helped lead the Thunderbirds to the Atlantic Division Final and was 7-4-0 with a 1.84 goals-against average, a .939 save percentage, and two shutouts in 11 postseason appearances.
Romanov has played in 78 AHL regular-season games and is 29-27-17 with a 3.18 GAA, and a .902 save percentage.
He has a 3.53 GAA and an .888 save percentage in 10 career NHL regular-season games with the Sharks.
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ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 04: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves makes a catch during the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Truist Park on June 4, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Two of the top four offenses in runs scored will face off tonight when the Pittsburgh Pirates come to town to play the Atlanta Braves. The Braves are third in MLB in runs and the Pirates are only four runs behind them.
The Braves will be facing Mitch Keller who has yet again put together a season of almost the exact same output of an ERA in the low fours. This year it is currently at 4.35. The good news for the Braves is that many of their core lineup bats have a history of doing well against Keller. Ronald Acuña has nineteen at-bats against Keller in which he already has three HRs, a .421 average, and 1.371 OPS. Matt Olson has the same exact OPS against Keller in twelve at-bats to include one HR and a .500 average.
Austin Riley has ten at-bats against Keller and has a .400 average and 1.055 OPS, and Mauricio DubĂłn has a .400 average and .955 OPS in ten at-bats. Michael Harris has struggled to an OPS of .500, but has a .250 average against Keller in twelve at-bats, so before the lineup dropped it was interesting to wonder if Walt Weiss was going to factor this in when he penciled in the names.
The other question mark, which has been daily at this point, is who is going to get the start at shortstop. Ha-Seong Kim has faced Keller in eleven at-bats and is hitless and has not exactly been living up to expectations this season so it made sense to sit him tonight, but Weiss could have decided to give him more reps to try and get him in a groove.
Finally, Austin Wynns had not made his first start yet, so some may have been patiently awaiting to see if tonight was going to be the night, especially considering Sandy LeĂłn is clearly on the roster for his glove and veteran presence since it seems like he has not hit in a decade.
It turns out that Weiss went with DubĂłn at SS so that Mike Yastrzemski could be in LF and Dominic Smith could be the DH. It also looks like we will have to wait for Austin Wynns to get his first start in a Braves uniform. Outside of LeĂłn, this looks to be the best offensive lineup to face Keller.
With the first two prospects we highlighted, we looked at a skilled two-way center in Tynan Lawrence before breaking down the play of a fast-growing, ultra-skilled winger who is rising up the boards due to his potential in Wyatt Cullen.
Today, we are going to look at Daxon Rudolph, a talented defenseman whose WHL production doesnât quite match his draft rankings.
Rudolph is a 6-foot-3, right-handed, puck-moving defenseman with offensive skill and a smart defensive game.
In the WHL this season with the Prince Albert Raiders, the 2023 WHL first overall pick scored 28 goals and 78 points in 68 games. Both categories ranked third among defensemen in the WHL, trailing Bryce Pickford and Jonas Woo, both of whom played for the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Rudolphâs regular season was outstanding, but he took his game to another level in the playoffs, as the Raiders lost in the WHL finals. Rudolph tied for the league lead in points during the post-season, recording nine goals and 27 points in 19 games.
With his track record as a first overall pick in the WHL, as well as his outstanding point production from the blueline, it feels almost odd to see him projected in some cases to fall outside the top 10, but skating deficiencies are why defenders like Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Alberts Smiths, and Keaton Verhoeff have been ranked ahead of him.
The 18-year-old Rudolph is an incredibly smart player. He sees the game well on both sides of the puck. His vision allows him to make plays in the offensive zone and break up plays in the defensive zone.
With the puck in the o-zone, Rudolph is a threat to connect on give-and-gos, slide into the play unguarded, and rifle a heavy shot. In his own end with the puck, Rudolph makes heads-up passes and uses his feet to navigate forecheckers. While the concern is that it might not translate to the NHL, at the junior level he is more than capable of making those plays with his feet.
The native of Lacombe, Alta., will make the big jump to the NCAA next season, joining the mighty University of Denver. Despite the loaded blueline, Rudolph is expected to be the leader of the backend and bring the program back to the National Championship.
This draft features several highly rated defensemen, as we previously mentioned, but there are plenty of teams that are in need. While the Bluesâ prospect pool on defense doesnât lack depth or skill, adding a big, puck-moving right-handed defenseman is never a bad thing. Itâs a sought-after commodity, and an abundance will only improve the teamâs outlook.
Because so many teams are looking for defenders, there is a strong chance that Rudolph is selected anywhere between picks 7-10, which would result in the Blues missing the opportunity to draft him.
Either way, if a team can fix his skating issues, they could be looking at a potential top-four, two-way defender with a big frame.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Multiple reports on June 5 indicate Larkin's discontent with the Red Wings has brewed over a few years.
According to ESPN's Emily Kaplan, the tension can at least be traced back to Larkin's 2023 contract extension, which ended up at eight years with an $8.7 million AAV.
Quiet trade deadlines have done nothing to alleviate that tension, with 2025 resulting in Larkin speaking out about Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman's conservative nature at the deadline.
"We didn't do anything," Larkin told reporters during clean-out day last April. "We didn't gain any momentum from the trade deadline. Guys were kind of down about it. So it would have bee nice to add something and bring a little bit of a spark on the ice and maybe a morale boost as well.â
In 2026, the Wings did make some deadline moves, but they were relatively tepid. On a team that had shown cracks following a hot start to the year, they added Justin Faulk from the Blues and David Perron from the Senators. With the Red Wings collapsing late in the season again, it's clear Larkin, who will be 30 on July 30, doesn't see the Red Wings' roster management as a situation where he can win.
Obstacles to Steve Yzerman making Dylan Larkin trade
Put two stubborn people into a room to make a decision, and it's going to be hard to reach a compromise.
That's the big problem here. Larkin's no-trade clause gives him a lot of leverage over where he goes. But his long-term contract and the fact free agency's center market is a desert gives Yzerman a lot of leverage over other teams. What you have is a triangle where it may be easy for two sides to come an agreement, but hard for the third.
Yzerman is not a GM who is going to settle. But the teams with assets to burn â particularly picks, which will have to factor into the deal â may not spur Larkin to waive his NTC.
With the Red Wings missing a top-six center, regardless of whether he's perceived as a first- or second-line center, this may be the move that kicks Detroit into an actual rebuild. But that has to start with getting the Larkin return right.
In truth, this is a big black eye on Yzerman's tenure in Detroit. Larkin would have been 5 years old watching Yzerman hoist the cup against Carolina in 2002, making this akin to Matt Duchene asking out of Colorado when Joe Sakic was the GM.
That Duchene situation needs to be Yzerman's blueprint. While the odds of the Red Wings getting a haul like the Avalanche got from the Senators are slim-to-none, Larkin's request is a hard reset on the Red Wings. Rather than building a timeline around the 30-year-old Larkin, the Red Wings now turn their attention to 24-year-old Lucas Raymond and 25-year-old Moritz Seider.
With that in mind, assets will be the name of the game. The plan to play piecemeal around Larkin didn't work for Yzerman, and now he's in a tough spot. For Sakic, it took over a year to grant Duchene his request, which came with a lot of bellyaching about how Duchene became a negative influence. Does Yzerman have that kind of time? Larkin's no-trade clause expires after the 2026-27 season. But there have been murmurs that have swelled into a dull roar on the lack of progress Yzerman has made already.
All things told, everyone is just kind of... stuck. Yzerman is stuck with a tweener 1-2 center who doesn't want to be there. Larkin is stuck on a roster he doesn't believe he can win with. And Red Wings fans are stuck with a team that just saw its already questionable vibes take a nosedive.
Ultimately, the best way is, as always, forward. But to do that, someone is going to have to put ego aside. And with egos that are this big, that's going to be a tall order.
Jackson Chourio
Oneil Cruz
Tyler Soderstrom
