NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 5: New York Knicks fans watch their Game 2 NBA finals game against San Antonio Spurs at a bar on June 5, 2026 in the Brooklyn Borough of New York City. New York Knicks fans are expected to fill the streets once again as they seek the franchise's first championship since 1973. (Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images) | Getty Images
48ish hours later and still feeing . . . altered. In a good way.
The best way. Saturday night, millions of Knicks fans finally caught that dragon we been chasing most if not all our lives. I’m still kinda in a daze. You?
I bring it up because for this mailbag invite, I need you to know I could not care less about any “break up the Knicks” questions. Giannis Antetokounmpo did not appeal to me as a trade rumor during the season; he sure as shit don’t now. Got an idea for how the Knicks can turn Mikal Bridges into Dylan Harper? Keep it to yourself. I. Do. Not. Care.
S’cool if you do. But the New York Knickerbockers have been champions for not yet 48 hours. Far as I’m concerned, they can give everyone on the roster a 5-year extension on top of wherever their contract stands now and I’m good with it. These people did it! They did the thing! What comes next isn’t just another sunset. This is a cosmic event streaking across the heavens. I will follow its light so long as any one single photon of it remains.
(Not to mention these Knicks are as well-positioned as any of the NBA’s Great 8 2019-2026 champs to break the streak and repeat. I think OKC this year is the only one of that lot to even make the conference finals the next season. I don’t bet on sports, but if I did I’d bet on NYK joining them next spring.)
(Also I’m gonna try “NYK” for a bit as a proper noun. The Knicks don’t really have a ton of nicknames. Like, the Mets are the Metropolitans, the Amazins, the Metsies, the Miracle Mets. The Yankees are the Yanks, the Bombers, the Bronx Bombers and the Pinstripes, as well as the Damn Yankees across vast swaths of this land. The Giants have G-Men and Big Blue, the New York Football Giants and, once upon a time, more so, the Jints. The Rangers are both Blueshirts and Broadway Blues.
And yet, besides New York, Knickerbockers and some syntax featuring “blue” and “orange,” there’s not much to do with the Knicks. So I’m giving NYK a 10-day contract. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.)
Wanna talk draft? Or pros potentially on the move who you think would work added to the mix? That works. The rest of the NBA? These Knicks in a historical context? Summer ice cream shop go-tos? Bring it. Commas versus dashes when setting off an appositive? Maybe a bit narrow for a Knicks mailbag. But it never hurts to ask.
The comment section awaits. Dive in. The water is champagne.
The team flew back to New York Saturday night, immediately after their celebrations at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, foregoing a night in Texas and a flight Sunday morning. They quickly joined the celebrations throughout the city, including throwing a party at a private club in Manhattan and hopping around to various media appearances on Monday.
During a guest appearance on “Good Morning America,” OG Anunoby went viral for being appearing to be completely checked out and his fellow teammates couldn’t contain their laughter.
After host George Stephanopoulos asked about the “difference” coach Mike Brown made in their run to the title and how he made the most of his team, there was an awkward silence as Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges all turned to Anunoby for him to answer.
However, Anunoby didn’t do so nor did he give any signs that he heard the question as he kept a stone face on live television.
Everyone burst into laughter and Brunson went on to say, “I guess I’ll answer.”
It was instead Towns who stepped up to the question as Anunoby stared into space.
Karl-Anthony Towns has a tough time looking at OG Anunoby without laughing on “Good Morning America.” X @SG212MSGKnicks teammates laugh at OG Anunoby’s deadpan on live television.
The usually reserved Anunoby was later forced into a smile by the hosts, which sent Towns and Brunson even more into a laughing fit.
Knicks fans also joined in on the fun on social media, laughing at their player.
Jun 2, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) reacts after stranding a runner at third and striking out Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger (not pictured) to end the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals return to Busch Stadium Monday night as they’ll host the San Diego Padres. Dustin May will make the start for the Cardinals while the starter for the Padres is to be determined. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45pm at Busch Stadium and the TV broadcast will be available on Cardinals.tv.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 02: Taylor Trammell #26 of the Houston Astros bats in the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Daikin Park on June 02, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (33-40) will wear their City Connect uniforms tonight as they open a weeklong, six-game homestand with the first game of a three-game series opposite the Detroit Tigers (29-42).
RHP Kai-Wei Teng (3-5, 3.71 ERA) will make his eighth start of the season for the Astros tonight opposite the Tigers and second-year starter RHP Troy Melton (3-0, 2.81 ERA).
MY WAY OR THE KAI-WEI: RHP Kai-Wei Teng has split his season between the bullpen (13g) and rotation (7 starts), posting a 3.71 ERA (21ER/51IP) and a .219 opponent average.
Teng is new to the Astros, as he was acquired from the Giants this offseason in exchange for minor leaguer C Jancel Villarroel. A native of Taiwan, Teng is the second Taiwanese-born player to appear with the Astros in their history, joining RHP Chia Jen-Lo, who made 19 relief appearances with the Astros in 2013.
TONIGHT’S FIRST PITCH: In celebration of City Connect Monday, Houston Texans 2026 first round draft pick, offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge, will throw out a ceremonial first pitch.
WELCOME BACK FRAMBER!: The Astros will welcome back 2022 World Series Champion LHP Framber Valdez in a pregame ceremony tonight. Valdez spent his first eight Major League seasons (2018-25) as an Astro before departing the team via free agency this offseason.
PEN PALS: Since May 15, the Astros bullpen has a 2.62 ERA (29ER/99.2IP) with 90 strikeouts, a 1.03 WHIP and a .187 opponent average. Among AL teams since May 15, the Astros bullpen ranks first in ERA, first in WHIP, and first in opponent batting average. The Astros are also 16-12 since May 15.
MAKING THE PLAYS: The Astros are tied with the Athletics for committing the fewest errors in the AL (29). Houston has posted the best fielding percentage (.988) in the AL, topping the Athletics (.988) and Royals (.988) by a few percentage points.
ASTROS ROSTER MOVES: The Astros have recalled RHP Jayden Murray from Triple A today. He takes the roster spot of RHP Alimber Santa, who was optioned to Triple A after yesterday’s game.
FROM THE TRAINER’S ROOM: The Astros have 12 players on the Major League IL…updates on a few:
• RHP Ronel Blanco (rt. elbow surgery) threw 42 pitches in a simulated game in West Palm Beach earlier this week…his next appearance will be a rehab start for the Astros FCL affiliate.
• RHP Hunter Brown (rt. shoulder sprain) is scheduled to rejoin the Astros rotation tomorrow night.
• RHP Cristian Javier (rt. shoulder strain) was scheduled to start last night for Triple A Sugar Land, but that game was canceled due to inclement weather. He will instead start for Sugar Land tomorrow night at Albuquerque (COL).
• RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (rt. shoulder inflammation) has advanced to throwing bullpens.
• LHP Bennett Sousa (lt. elbow inflammation) continues to advance in his throwing progression.
• LHP Brandon Walter (lt. elbow surgery) continues his throwing progression in West Palm Beach.
• RHP Hayden Wesneski (rt. elbow surgery) is continuing with his live BP progressions in West Palm Beach.
• IF Nick Allen (lt. hamstring strain) and OF LaMonte Wade Jr. (rt. hamstring strain) are currently completing therapeutic exercises in Houston.
• C Yainer Diaz (lt. oblique strain) is scheduled to take live batting practice at Daikin Park today.
• IF Braden Shewmake (rt. adductor strain) is in West Palm Beach continuing baseball activity and a running progression.
SEÑOR CIEN:IF Isaac Paredes, who recently reached 500 career hits and 100 career homers, is one double shy of 100 career doubles. When he reaches it, he will become the fourth Mexican-born player in MLB history with 500 career hits, 100 doubles and 100 home runs, joining IF Vinny Castilla, IF Jorge Orta and IF Aurelio Rodríguez.
ON-BASE MACHINE: OF Yordan Alvarez is on a 21-game on-base streak, in which he’s batting .382 (29×76) with nine homers, 23 RBI, 15 walks, a .484 OBP and a 1.247 OPS. It is his second-longest on-base streak this season, behind a 22-game on-base streak from April 4-28. It is the second time in his career, he’s recorded two 20-game on-base streaks in the same season, also did so in 2023 with on-base streaks of 30 games and 36 games.
ON THE LEADERBOARD: DH Yordan Alvarez leads the Majors in OPS (1.084), SLG (.651) and total bases (170) and is tied for the Major League lead in home runs (24). In the AL, he ranks first in RBI (54), first in extra-base hits (37), first in hits (85), first in batting average (.326), second in OBP (.433), fourth in walks (46) and tied for fourth in runs (49).
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2022 – The Astros down the Rangers with a dominant 9-2 victory in Arlington. The Astros make history, becoming the first team to have two pitchers toss immaculate innings in the same game, accomplished by RHP Luis Garcia (2nd inning) and RHP Phil Maton (7th). The two turned the trick on the same group of three hitters: Nathaniel Lowe, Ezequiel Duran and Brad Miller. These marked the eighth and ninth immaculate innings in club history.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Monday, June 15, 7:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network, SCHN2
Radio: KTRH 740 AM, KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Ethan Bear skates during a September 2025 practice for the Islanders.
The Islanders brought back organizational depth for their blue line Monday, inking defenseman Ethan Bear to a one-year, two-way extension, the team announced.
He was set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.
Bear, 28 years old and a fifth-round pick by the Oilers in 2015, has skated in 275 NHL games across his career — most recently in March 2024 with the Capitals — but hasn’t found a route back to that level the last two seasons.
With AHL Bridgeport in 2025-26, Bear sustained an injury during training camp and appeared only in 40 games during the regular season, collecting four goals and 23 assists to lead the affiliate’s defensemen in scoring.
But earlier in his career, Bear, on occasion, secured a regular role in NHL lineups, logging 71 games for the Oilers in 2019-20, 58 for the Hurricanes in 2021-22 and another 61 for the Canucks the following season.
He was waived by Washington in October 2024, assigned to AHL Hershey for the 2024-25 campaign after clearing, earned an AHL All-Star Game nod and ended up with Bridgeport last season on a two-way deal.
Bear will be far from the only question the Islanders have to answer regarding the right side of their organization’s blue line this summer.
Ethan Bear skates during a September 2025 practice for the Islanders. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Tony D’Angelo will be an unrestricted free agent.
They have plenty of depth on the left side, starting with Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer, Adam Pelech and a recovering Alexander Romanov, but Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield are the only certainties on the right side.
Those calls and additions will likely impact Mathieu Darche’s club at the NHL level more imminently than the Bear transaction.
But for now, in the weeks before free agency begins, the Islanders began by addressing their depth.
Spencer Strider won't pick up a baseball for a month, and that is the good news for the Atlanta Braves.
Strider has been shut down from throwing for four weeks following a consultation with Dr. Keith Meister. He'll then have a follow-up MRI. A clean scan would clear him to start a throwing progression.
Given where this looked headed on Friday night, the Braves have to be relieved.
An MRI taken Saturday in Atlanta came back showing nothing but inflammation and no ligament damage. For Strider, it's a huge relief, because there isn't much natural ligament left to work with. He had Tommy John surgery at Clemson in 2019 and an internal brace put in the same elbow in 2024, the latter by Dr. Meister himself.
So the four weeks of rest beats the alternative everyone was bracing for.
When with Spencer Strider return?
When he might actually pitch is the harder question to answer. Strider is due for a follow-up MRI in mid-July, and a clean one would let him start throwing around the All-Star break. Realistically, after a four-week shut down, the best case scenario would have Strider back in late August. It's more likely he will return in September.
The window changes how Atlanta operates over the next seven weeks. It opens the door to a 60-day injured list move, and with the Aug. 3 trade deadline looming, it sharpens the case for going out and getting an arm. Maybe two.
Spencer Strider injury
Strider came out of Friday's 7-5 loss to the Mets after three-plus innings, charged with a season-high seven earned runs, his fastball sinking from 96 miles per hour to 88 mph by the fourth inning. He was placed on the IL Saturday.
He opened the season on the injured list with a left oblique strain and sits at 4-2 with a 5.31 ERA across eight starts. The dip in velocity has been a red flag all year. A four-seam fastball that averaged 97.2 mph in 2023 is down to 95.1, and the swings-and-misses have disappeared with the speed.
His absence further deteriorates a rotation that was already short. Neither Spencer Schwellenbach nor Hurston Waldrep has thrown a pitch for Atlanta this season. No.2 prospect JR Ritchie, who carries a 3.82 ERA over 30 2/3 inning with the club, will slot into Strider's spot.
Somehow it hasn't mattered in the standings. The Braves sit atop the National League East at 46-25, riding out injuries to Ronald Acuna Jr. as well as Schwellenbach and Strider, again.
Braves get Drake Baldwin back behind the plate
Atlanta reinstated catcher Drake Baldwin from the injured list Monday, returning one of their best bats to a lineup that had been getting next to nothing from the position. To clear the roster spot, Atlanta outrighted catcher Austin Wynns.
Baldwin strained his right oblique against the Marlins on May 18 and drew Grade 1 diagnosis the next day. Before the injury, Baldwin was the front-runner to start the All-Star Game at catcher for the National League. he was slashing .303/.389/.543 with 13 home runs and 38 RBIs. The NL Rookie of the Year gives the lineup a real lift.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 14: Josh Jung #6 of the Texas Rangers throws to first base during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on June 14, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Rutherford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
DENVER, CO - JUNE 10: Starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen #24 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field on June 10, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Fresh off a franchise-record win, a 23-9 victory over the A’s in Las Vegas, the Rockies will see if they can keep their red-hot offense in Chicago as they start a three-game series against the Cubs tonight.
The Rockies (27-45, 14-20 home, 13-25 road) set a franchise record with 23 runs on Sunday, which prevented a sweep from the A’s. Just before that, the Rockies won a series against the Cubs, 2-1, at Coors Field. The Cubs (37-35, 20-15 home, 17-20 road) rebounded from the Colorado series with a 2-1 series win against the Giants in San Francisco over the weekend.
Monday’s match-up will feature a repeat of the starters from when the Rockies and Cubs faced off on June 10 with Michael Lorenzen (2-8, 7.54 ERA) taking on LHP Shota Imanaga (4-6, 4.44 ERA). In that game, Lorenzen had one of his best starts of the season. The 34-year-old RHP struck out seven, giving up one run on two hits with two walks in five innings. While Lorenzen didn’t get the win, the Rockies scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth, capped off by a walk-off RBI single from Sterlin Thompson, for a 3-2 victory.
Imanaga pitched well against the Rockies in his last outing, throwing five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, two hits and two walks. Hunter Goodman singled and walked against Imanaga for the Rockies, while TJ Rumfield singled and Braxton Fulford drew a walk. Imagana, who is in his third MLB season at age 32 after a successful career in Japan, had struggled in his four starts leading up to facing the Rockies, giving up 26 runs on 27 hits, including 12 homers with six walks and three HBP in 21.2 innings.
Earlier on Monday, the Rockies made a roster move in the bullpen as Victor Vodnik has returned from the IL. Vodnik has been out since May 20 with right ulnar nerve inflammation. Since June 9, Vodnik has been on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Albuquerque where he threw two scoreless, hitless innings with four strikeouts and one walk in two appearances.
The Rockies announced today the following transactions:
– Reinstated RHP Victor Vodnik from the 15-day injured list – Optioned RHP Eiberson Castellano to Triple-A Albuquerque
— Rockies Club Information (@RockiesClubInfo) June 15, 2026
First Pitch: 6:05 p.m. MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network; KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish)
Another NHL season has come and gone without the Detroit Red Wings anywhere near a Stanley Cup celebration, and as the confetti falls for another organization, it presents yet another opportunity for the Red Wings to study what separates contenders from pretenders.
This past season, the lessons come courtesy of the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights and, more importantly, the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
The Golden Knights offer perhaps the most instructive case study in modern NHL roster construction as General manager Kelly McCrimmon has built a culture of aggressive, calculated risk-taking, consistently flipping draft assets and prospects for proven impact players at exactly the right moments.
Almost no players on the Vegas roster is homegrown, yet the Golden Knights have remained perennial contenders by making their organization appear as an irresistible destination, the kind of place where players know the front office is serious about winning at all costs. That reputation attracts talent, and that talent helps the team continue to win games.
That culture of urgency is precisely what Detroit has severely lacked in recent years as the situation has reached a boiling point when franchise captain Dylan Larkin requested a trade, citing in the past that their is a lack of organizational vision when it comes to genuinely contending for a Stanley Cup.
The Red Wings possess more than enough assets to make the kind of aggressive moves Vegas has made repeatedly. However, the difference is that general manager Steve Yzerman has not viewed those swings as the right fit for where the franchise stands.
Rather than pursuing players like Robert Thomas or Quinn Hughes, players who are home run talents and could genuinely elevate the roster, Yzerman has tended toward singles and doubles. This past season, Justin Faulk and David Perron are useful additions, and Faulk in particular looks like he could be a meaningful contributor going forward, but on a true contender he would be the third or fourth addition when making a run towards a Stanley Cup.
Vegas built its identity by going all in, with Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl, Mark Stone and most recently Mitch Marner being acquired not by playing it safe. They were acquired by selling assets aggressively and timing those moves with precision. It is worth noting that the financial model matters just as much as the boldness of the moves.
The only players to win the Stanley Cup while carrying eight-figure cap hits are Eichel with Vegas and Sergei Bobrovsky and Aleksander Barkov with Florida. Keeping individual salaries at or around the $10 million range allows organizations to build the kind of roster depth that survives a two-month playoff grind and the Hurricanes are the clearest proof of that principle.
Carolina won the Stanley Cup without a single player earning eight figures, with Sebastian Aho serving as the highest-paid player on the roster at $9.75 million. They also enter the off-season with close to $12 million in available cap space, a testament to how methodically the organization has been constructed. They didn't build their roster overnight as they developed some homegrown talent but also made aggressive moves for impact players when the moment called for it.
They went out and added Nikolaj Ehlers in free agency, traded for superstar winger Mikko Rantanen and later landed Logan Stankoven from Dallas in a follow-up deal, brought in experienced contributors like Taylor Hall at the right price, and filled their bottom six with reliable, cheap depth pieces in William Carrier, Jordan Martinook, Eric Robinson, Mark Jankowski and Jordan Staal, who has never been easy to overlook regardless of where he plays. They also added K'Andre Miller via trade and signed Sean Walker to shore up the back end.
Every one of those moves was calculated and added a different touch to a roster that would go on to slowly develop into a Stanley Cup champion.
The concern in Detroit is that Yzerman's approach, while patient and methodical, does not appear to be trending in that direction with enough urgency. Additions like John Gibson and Justin Faulk make sense as finishing pieces for a team already on the cusp of contending.
But they cannot be the headline moves for a team still trying to establish itself as a legitimate threat. Taking swings at players like Robert Thomas or Quinn Hughes, players who push a roster forward rather than merely maintaining the status quo, is what separates the organizations hoisting trophies from the ones watching them do it. Until Detroit starts making those kinds of moves, the gap between the Red Wings and the league's elite will likely remain exactly where it is.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
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.
On Monday morning, the Winnipeg Jets announced that they have extended Walker Duehr, the fifth leading scorer of their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. Less than a year ago, the 28-year-old undrafted right winger signed as a free agent with the Jets, only skating in three NHL games last season.
According to the press release, Duehr's new deal is two years in length and worth $1.75 million, with a $850,000 salary in the NHL.
After four seasons in the NCAA with Minnesota State University, Duehr joined the Calgary Flames organization, skating five games with the Stockton Heat and making his NHL debut on Nov. 14, 2021. He'd spend parts of four seasons with Calgary before the San Jose Sharks claimed him off waivers on Jan. 22, 2025. Instead of staying on the main roster, he played only eight games with the Sharks and 16 with the Barracuda in the AHL.
Interestingly, since turning professional in 2021, Duehr actually skated the most games last season, suiting up 62 with the Moose, tallying 17 goals and 34 points, and going pointless in three contests with the Jets. The 2025-26 campaign also marked the first time in his hockey career, since AAA hockey, that he scored more than 15 goals and 30 points.
As a member of the Tri-City Storm, Duehr won the USHL Clark Cup in 2015-16, and followed that up with an NCAA (WCHA) championship in 2018-19. After six seasons in the AHL, his stat line includes 59 goals and 112 points in 205, while in the NHL, he's got 11 goals and 21 points in 95 games.
By adding Duehr's contract to the books, the Jets have roughly $21 million left in cap space with a couple of unrestricted and restricted free agents left to sign, in addition to adding a backup goalie for Connor Hellebuyck.
Jun 11, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) collides with Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen (22) as he scores a run during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers have placed Corey Seager on the 7 day concussion injured list, retroactive to June 12, the team announced today. To take his place on the active roster, the Rangers have activated Josh Smith from the injured list.
We discussed this possibility earlier today, noting that Seager would be eligible to return as early as Friday, when the Rangers start their series against the Padres. It is noteworthy to me that Smith isn’t in the starting lineup today, despite being activated, with Cody Freeman and offensive catalyst Nicky Lopez manning the up-the-middle infield spots, and Ezequiel Duran joining Smith on the bench today.
The Winnipeg Jets have spent years building toward something special, and yet when the Stanley Cup was handed out once again this past spring, they were watching from home just like the majority of the league.
Lessons from the teams that went furthest, the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights and Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, are sitting right there for Kevin Cheveldayoff to absorb and act on.
The Golden Knights remain perhaps the most instructive case study in modern NHL roster construction. General manager Kelly McCrimmon has built a culture of aggressive, calculated risk-taking, consistently flipping draft assets and prospects for proven impact players at exactly the right moments.
Almost no one on the Vegas roster is homegrown, yet the Golden Knights have remained perennial contenders by positioning their organization as an irresistible destination, the kind of place where players know the front office is committed to winning at all costs.
To their credit, the Jets have shown a willingness to operate with a similar mindset, locking up world-class talents like Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck to long-term commitments speaks to an organizational vision that players have bought into.
But where Winnipeg has fallen short is in making the kind of complementary moves that push a contender over the top. Instead of swinging for the fences this past offseason, the Jets brought in Jonathan Toews and Gustav Nyquist, additions that underwhelmed and ultimately did little to move the needle behind the team's core stars. In a league where the margins between playoff teams are razor thin, those are the kinds of misses that cost you.
The consequences of those misfires have now created urgency at the highest level with Hellebuyck being vocal in the media about his desire to win a Stanley Cup, and his comments carried the unmistakable weight of a ticking clock.
Winnipeg enters this offseason with some major positives like over $21 million in available cap space and an opportunity to reshape a forward group that badly needs new blood after too many players underperformed this past season.
Carolina's blueprint is worth studying closely with no players earning eight figures, building their roster through a combination of bold acquisitions and smart, affordable signings.
They landed Nikolaj Ehlers in free agency, traded for Mikko Rantanen and later added Logan Stankoven from Dallas, brought in Taylor Hall at the right price, and filled their bottom six with reliable contributors like William Carrier, Jordan Martinook, Eric Robinson, Mark Jankowski and Jordan Staal. They also fortified the back end through a trade for K'Andre Miller and the signing of Sean Walker.
Winnipeg does not need to replicate every one of those moves, but the approach is a model worth following. The Jets have an opportunity to dip into a free agent market rich in capable middle-six and bottom-six forwards.
Names like Michael Bunting, Scott Laughton, Eeli Tolvanen, Bobby McMann, Mason Marchment, Anthony Mantha, Jason Dickinson and Oliver Bjorkstrand all represent realistic targets who could make meaningful contributions without breaking the cap bank. Adding three of these kinds of players to the mix could go a long way toward restoring the offensive depth this team has been missing.
Beyond the depth market, the Jets need to take an all-in swing on a true top-six impact forward, the kind of move that changes the complexion of the lineup the way the Ehlers acquisition changed Carolina's. Winnipeg still has draft picks and prospects to work with, and if the window is as open as Hellebuyck's comments suggest the organization believes, those assets need to be spent.
Despite a season hampered by injuries, the Jets defense is not a concern as they still have their top four anchored by Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk, Dylan DeMelo and Dylan Samberg. The focus this offseason needs to be entirely on rebuilding the offense.
Winnipeg is ahead of many teams around they league, with elite goaltending, proven star forwards and a legitimate defensive core that is closer to contending than most teams in the league. The gap between the Jets and the Golden Knights is not talent at the top but rather the finishing touches, the kinds of moves that create meaningful separation in the standings and genuine depth for a playoff run.
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.
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images | Getty Images
The Mets plan to start Kodai Senga against the Reds tomorrow night, as the team needed a replacement for Christian Scott, who hit the injured list with a hip issue today. Senga hasn’t pitched in a major league game since April 26 himself, as he’s been on the injured list for just shy of two months.
Senga initially went on the IL because of lumbar spine inflammation, and at the time, he had just had three consecutive abysmal appearances. Having looked fantastic in his first two starts of the season, he had a 17.28 ERA over the course of the three bad starts, and in total, he has a 9.00 ERA and a 6.15 FIP in 20.0 innings of work with the Mets this season.
Senga’s rehab assignment didn’t go particularly well, either, as he was just so-so in his first three rehab starts, the first of which came with Single-A St. Lucie before he moved to Triple-A Syracuse for the second and third. Following the second starts for Syracuse, Senga missed a scheduled rehab start Double-A Binghamton on June 9. Two days later, however, he went six innings, struck out five, walked one, and gave up one run for Binghamton. That was easily his best appearance in a while, but the Reds are more formidable than the minor league hitters he faced a few days ago.
Oct 26, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) and guard Dylan Harper (2) celebrates in the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
The Finals are over, and the Spurs lost. If you could describe how you feel about how they went in one word, what would it be and why?
Marilyn Dubinski: The first word is “excruciating,” considering how easily the outcome could have been reversed if the Spurs simply could have executed down the stretch of games. But I made the decision that I would not allow myself to enter a state of 2013 sports depression, and there really isn’t a need to. This was not a case where they had a championship in the palm of their hands because they never even led in this series. Combine that with a good social media cleansing over the weekend (as in staying off it), and I switched to relieved that it’s over and ready to see what the future brings. After spending all of the last two weeks with stomach knots, I’m just happy to feel normal again.
Mark Barrington: It’s a mixture of feelings. The word I’m looking for is ambivalence. I’m grateful that the Spurs made it to the finals a few years before I thought they would be ready. I’m disappointed that they couldn’t finish games and make the finals last longer. Paradoxically, I’m a little glad it’s over. All of these close games that ended the same way were tough to watch, and I was emotionally drained by the end of the series. And if I feel that way, a guy who just watches the game on TV, I can’t imagine how it’s affecting the players and coaches. Hopefully they will take this as a challenge to learn how to finish games with more force and poise, because that was the reason why they lost in five games.
Bill Huan: Bittersweet, the perfect word to capture both ends of my emotions. Bitter because the finals were decided by razor-thin margins that were preventable, but sweet because the Spurs exceeded the expectations of the wildest optimists. It’s strange because many fans (including myself) would’ve felt better had they lost a competitive series against the Thunder, but I guess that’s both the gift and curse of expectation. If you told someone before the season that they’d lose in the finals, everyone would be elated. But since they actually made it there, the expectations had been blown through the roof, thus making a loss feel somehow disappointing. Overall, though, this season was absolutely an A+.
Jeje Gomez: As the Finals were happening, the word was “enraging.” It just wasn’t fun to watch the Spurs shoot themselves in the foot over and over. The Knicks were great when it counted and deserve the title, but San Antonio made things easier for them by making avoidable mistakes at every level. Now that it’s over, the word would be “relieved.“ Instead of focusing on the bad, because that was what determined who won, it’s now possible for me to focus on all the good from the season and on the future, which should be bright.
Did the bitter end detract from how fun the season was, or do you still consider 2025/26 a resounding success?
Dubinski: It’s easy to go into a series and say “whatever happens, I’m proud of this team,” but when the games actually play out, those wide-view feelings go away. It’s certainly not fun to be the team the modern Knicks finally got a championship against, but again, when you get out of the moment and away from the toxicity of social media, it’s much easier to return to that wide view and appreciate everything they did this season. None of us came in expecting a finals run, and barring a win, they couldn’t have asked for a better experience out of this season. It was still a huge success.
Barrington: Emotionally, it was hard to take, but rationally, the team performed way above my expectations. It looks like the prelude to a dynasty, but you can’t take that for granted. The team has to improve on many fronts, starting with strengthening the roster so that Wembanyama doesn’t have to carry the team in the playoffs by playing 40+ minutes per game. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the offseason before I declare it a faultless success.
Huan: I don’t think those are mutually exclusive things, as I feel both disappointed by the finals but also elated with how the season went as a whole. As mentioned above, expectations change everything. Once you’re in the finals, no one is thinking about how much the team exceeded everyone’s hopes since they’re only focused on winning the title. To not have that happen is obviously heartbreaking, but once you take a step back, it’s obvious how much of a resounding success this season really was.
Gomez: As soon as a team looks like a contender and reaches the Finals as a favorite or even with a fighting chance, success is determined by whether they win the title or not, in my eyes. The Spurs didn’t, so I can’t say the season was a resounding success. At the same time, reaching the Finals is extremely hard, and the season, for the most part, was extremely fun, so while how it ended did leave a bitter taste in my mouth, it was still better and more enjoyable than any season in the last 10 years, which means something.
How confident are you about the Spurs’ chances of making it back to the Finals next season?
Dubinski: I’m certainly confident they can do it again, but that’s a lot easier said than done. Despite five championships, the dynasty Spurs only made consecutive finals once, proving how hard it was even with just one or two other contenders to deal with. Meanwhile, we’re in such an age of parity that the last team to make consecutive finals was the Warriors in 2019 (their fifth straight). Since then, each Finals has featured two new teams from the year before. Can this young team be the 2014 Spurs and ride the pain of a loss back to the finals, and even a championship, or will the decade of parity continue? It’s hard to know right now, but it’s going to be a lot harder to get there compared to this year because they now officially have a target on their back and will no longer be underestimated.
Barrington: If they draft the power forward they need to fix the glaring hole in the roster or acquire one by trade or free agency, I think the chances are extremely high, assuming all of the key players stay healthy. Health is impossible to predict. I think that Wembanyama comes back stronger and more consistent next season, and Castle adds more to his game. Harper will play as much as Fox, and Vassell and Keldon Johnson will benefit from their playoff experience. The future is bright, but nothing is guaranteed. The Spurs got a taste of how hard it is to win a championship this season, and if they learn the right lessons from that, there’s no stopping them.
Huan: They are certainly capable of doing it, but I won’t be betting on it happening. We all need to remember that the Thunder aren’t going anywhere, and they managed to take the Spurs to a Game 7 even while playing most of that series without their second and third best ball handlers. It’s not even a guarantee the conference will come down to OKC vs San Antonio when factoring in the depth of the West and potential injuries. No single team should have higher odds to make the finals than the rest of their respective conferences, and it’s already a positive that the Spurs are one of the favorites going into next season.
Gomez: I’m confident they’ll make the playoffs as a high seed, health permitting, but anything beyond that is impossible to predict at this point. The roster has issues. We can expect internal development from a lot of guys, but improvement is not always linear, so how much better the young guys and even Mitch Johnson will be is a mystery. We also don’t know what the opponents will look like. I would go as far as saying that, right now, before the offseason, they seem like a safe bet to make the Conference Finals, but that’s as far as I’d go.
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 14: Manager Craig Stammen #14 of the San Diego Padres gestures before a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yard on June 14, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (37-33) at St. Louis Cardinals (38-31), June 15, 2026, 4:45 a.m. PST
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads
(@SG212MSG) 
