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Panthers to host Devils looking to continue winning while embracing next man up mentality

A tough test awaits the Florida Panthers as they continue their five-game homestand on Thursday.

Florida, fresh off a wild 8-5 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday, will welcome Nico Hischier and the New Jersey Devils to Sunrise.

The Devils are off to a hot start this season, jumping out to a strong 13-5-1 record.

This will be the second of three meetings between the Panthers and Devils this season.

New Jersey defeated the Cats 3-1 back on Oct. 16.

Despite Florida jumping out to an early 1-0 lead, the Devils clawed their way back on goals by Jack Hughes, Timo Meier and Hischier.

While the Devils are one of the league’s best teams on home ice so far this season – New Jersey is the only team in the NHL without a regulation loss at home – they’ve been much more average on the road.

Following Monday’s 5-1 loss in Tampa, the Devils are 6-5-0 on the road, which is nothing to sneeze at but pales in comparison to their 7-0-1 mark at Prudential Center.

Florida, similarly, has been quite good on home ice.

Their three-goal win over Vancouver earlier this week improved the Cats’ record at Amerant Bank Arena to 7-2-1.

Fueling Florida’s offense for much of this season has been Brad Marchand, and of late Sam Reinhart has also stepped up his game.

Marchand is currently riding an 11-game point streak during which he’s racked up an impressive 10 goals and 17 points.

Reinhart has three goals and eight points over a modest four-game point streak, but he’s also accumulated eight goals and 13 points over his past 11 outings.

The potent pair will certainly be trying to keep the good times rolling against the Devils, knowing that Florida will be entering the game as shorthanded as they’ve been all season.

Joining the team’s already extensive injured list this week were Eetu Luostarinen and Cole Schwindt, which caused the Cats to call up promising young forward Jack Devine from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.

Devine will make his NHL debut on Thursday.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Thursday’s battle with the Canucks:

Mackie Samoskevich – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand

Jesper Boqvist – Evan Rodrigues – Sam Reinhart

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – A.J. Greer

Noah Gregor – Luke Kunin – Jack Devine

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones

Uvis Balinskis – Jeff Petry

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Photo caption: Nov 1, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Dallas Stars during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

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Boris Becker: ‘Whoever says a prison life is easy is lying – it’s a real punishment’

Former Wimbledon champion on how taking accountability for his crimes allowed for rehabilitation, watching Novak Djokovic from his cell and the new era of brotherhood in the sport

“I heard the screaming and I didn’t know what it was,” Boris Becker says as he remembers staring into the dark in Wandsworth prison, just over two miles from Wimbledon’s Centre Court where he won the first of his three men’s singles titles at the age of 17 in 1985. “Were people trying to kill themselves or harm themselves? Or couldn’t they deal with their loneliness? Or are they just making crazy noises because they have lost their minds already?”

Becker had been sentenced to a two-and-a-half-year jail term. Amid his insolvency, he was found guilty of not declaring all his assets so that additional funds could be distributed to his creditors. The judge confirmed that his money was used, instead, to meet his “commitments to his children and other dependents, medical and professional fees, and other expenses”.

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Canadiens Top TSN’s Core-Four Under 24 Ranking

For a second year in a row, the Montreal Canadiens top TSN’s core-four under-24 ranking. This year, the Habs’ core four used in the rankings is made up of Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov, Jacob Fowler and Juraj Slafkovsky. Last year, Cole Caufield was part of that ranking, but now that he’s no longer eligible because of his age, they’ve slotted in Jacob Fowler instead.

To make up these standings, TSN rates players with grades going from AAA for superstars, AA for elite players, A for number one goaltender, first-line forward, or first pairing defenseman, B for tandem goalie, top-four defenseman or top-six forward and C for back-up goalies, depth defenseman or bottom-six forward.

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

For TSN, both Hutson, the reigning Calder Trophy winner, and Demidov, a serious candidate for the Calder this year, deserve an AAA grade as superstars in the making. As for Fowler, who they believe will be the Canadiens’ starter sooner or later, they give him an A, just like Slafkovsky, who’s been a mainstay on the Canadiens’ first line over the last few years, and up until the previous game, really.

It's interesting to note that in these rankings, Hutson was labelled a B player in 2023 and an A player in 2024. It took time, but the young defenseman has finally earned the panel's respect.

Fowler’s inclusion was a logical move given the fact that he already has three shutouts in the AHL this season, and he’s sporting a .924 save percentage. TSN’s Chris Peters calls him “ as close as you get to a sure thing in goal”. Given the state of goaltending in Montreal this season, this will be music to the fans’ ears.

The Canadiens edged the Chicago Blackhawks in the rankings (the Hawks have only one AAA player, Conor Bedard),  and the San Jose Sharks  for the same reason. The complete rankings can be found here.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

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Vancouver Canucks Gameday Preview #22: Stars In Town As Quinn Hughes Plays 450th Career Game

The Vancouver Canucks (9-10-2) return home for a two-game homestand, starting with a matchup against the Dallas Stars (12-5-3). This will be the second meeting between these two Pacific Division teams, with Vancouver picking up a 5-3 victory earlier in the season. Both the Canucks and the Stars are coming off losses and will be motivated to get back in the win column on Thursday night. 

This game is shaping up to be a memorable one as Quinn Hughes hits the 450 mark for his NHL career. When the puck drops, he will become just the 13th defenceman to play 450 regular-season games for Vancouver. While he is only 26, Hughes is already considered the best defender in franchise history and is in the conversation for best defenceman currently playing in the NHL.

If the Canucks are going to win this game, they need to find a way to shut down Dallas' power play. The Stars come into this game ranked second in the NHL with a 31.9% power play rate. If Vancouver's penalty kill can't find a way to step up, they could be playing from behind late in the game. 

Oct 16, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) and Dallas Stars center Colin Blackwell (15) chase the puck during the second period at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Players To Watch:

David Kämpf:

Thursday will be the first time fans at Rogers Arena get to see David Kämpf in action. The 30-year-old had a rough first game with the Canucks, as he was on the ice for five goals against in 14:08. Projected to play on a line with Conor Garland and Brock Boeser, Kämpf should get plenty of minutes Thursday against Dallas. 

Wyatt Johnston: 

Wyatt Johnston has been virtually unstoppable on the power play this year. Of his 11 goals, eight have come with the man advantage while his 13 power play points ranks second on the team. Johnston is developing into an elite young talent who could haunt Vancouver for years to come. 

 Vancouver Canucks (9–10–2): 

Points: 

Quinn Hughes: 1–19–20

Elias Pettersson: 6–13–19

Kiefer Sherwood: 12–3–15 

Brock Boeser: 8–6–14

Conor Garland: 5–8–13

Goaltenders: 

Thatcher Demko: 5–4–0  

Kevin Lankinen: 4–5–2 

Jiří Patera: 0-1-0

Dallas Stars (12-5-3):

Points: 

Mikko Rantanen: 9-18-27

Jason Robertson: 11-14-25

Wyatt Johnston: 11-10-21

Miro Heiskanen: 3-15-18

Roope Hintz: 4-12-16

Goaltenders: 

Jake Oettinger: 8-4-2

Casey DeSmith: 4-1-1

Game Information: 

Start time: 7:00 pm PT

Venue: Rogers Arena

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: Sportsnet 650 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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How Draymond changed Steve Kerr's mind about Jonathan Kuminga lineup decision

How Draymond changed Steve Kerr's mind about Jonathan Kuminga lineup decision originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steve Kerr turned heads with his starting lineup against the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night of the 2025-26 NBA season.

Jonathan Kuminga, after four up-and-down seasons with the team and a frustrating restricted agency that lasted the entire summer, was in the starting lineup for Game 1.

The Warriors ended up beating the Lakers 119-109, as Kuminga scored 17 points with 9 rebounds and 6 assists in 32 minutes. He looked like the player Golden State has challenged him to be ever since he was selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and through one game, it appeared as if his offseason work had paid off.

Then came another huge test two nights later against the Denver Nuggets at Chase Center, which presented Kerr a difficult lineup decision.

ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported in a story published Thursday that Kerr, when deciding in between games who to start against Denver, called veteran forward Draymond Green, who started as the small-ball center against Los Angeles on opening night, and told him his gut feeling was to start second-year big Quinten Post against the Nuggets.

“Dray, this is the big center thing that we’ve talked about,” Kerr recalled to Slater about his conversation with Green.

“Well, who does that take out?” Green asked, according to Kerr.

“Probably Kuminga,” Kerr said.

“Let me start at center,” Green said. “I want JK to keep the momentum.”

Kuminga indeed kept the momentum, scoring 14 points with 5 rebounds and 3 assists while posting a plus-8 plus/minus in 36 minutes in a thrilling overtime win vs. Denver.

There was nothing eye-popping about his performance on the stat sheet that night, but Kuminga’s hustle, aggression and improved decision-making were on display for a second consecutive game, which earned him the opportunity to close out the game with Green, Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Al Horford.

“He’d done everything that we asked him to do,” Green told Slater about Kuminga’s performance up to that point. “And when someone’s doing everything you ask them to do, the reward can’t be [pulling them from the starting lineup].”

Kuminga then started 10 more games before he was removed from the starting lineup on Nov. 12 against the San Antonio Spurs, where he only played 12 minutes before being pulled mid-game with bilateral knee tendonitis, which has sidelined him for Golden State’s last four matchups.

In 13 games (12 starts) this season, Kuminga is averaging 13.8 points, a career-high 6.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game on 47.8-percent shooting from the field and 32.4 percent from 3-point range.

Kerr and the Warriors had hoped the 23-year-old would return for Wednesday’s 110-96 loss to the Miami Heat before he, and four of Golden State’s veterans, were inactive, but it appears that he and the rest of his star teammates now all have a chance to play in Friday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Chase Center.

However, whenever Kuminga does return to the floor, what role will he have moving forward?

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Jonathan Kuminga reportedly ‘feels like the scapegoat again' with Warriors

Jonathan Kuminga reportedly ‘feels like the scapegoat again' with Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Even after agreeing to a contract with the Warriors that ended a months-long stalemate, Jonathan Kuminga‘s fit with the team continues to be sorted.

Issues about his fit alongside Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green were put to rest to begin the 2025-26 NBA season. So much so that Warriors coach Steve Kerr, one of the toughest critics of the four on the court together, was confident enough to plug Kuminga into the starting lineup for the first 12 games of the season.

Golden State began the season 4-1. The vibes were vibing.

Until they weren’t.

The Warriors then went 2-5 over their next seven games. The last one of the seven, a blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, prompted Kerr to make a change to his starting unit. Among those changes was pulling Kuminga out and having him come off the bench.

One team source told ESPN’s Anthony Slater that Kuminga “feels like the scapegoat again.”

With the lineup change, the Warriors won a close one against the San Antonio Spurs. Kuminga was ruled out for the following game and has been sidelined ever since as he continues to deal with bilateral knee tendonitis.

This sparked speculation and conspiracies about Kuminga’s fit and future with the team. Again.

But Warriors players feel differently about the situation.

“Him not being in the lineup ain’t the reason that we’re winning,” Butler told Slater. “We’re just playing better basketball. Roles are clearer. We’re making shots. We’re guarding. That ain’t got nothing to do with him. If he was in the lineup, I still believe that we win these games.”

Slater also stated that if the Warriors want to reach their goal this season, there’s an “internal belief” that Kuminga must “shake off some of his built-up resentment” and focus on making an impact, even if, as Slater writes, the “long-term benefit for both sides is more about a bump in trade value than a partnership.”

Kuminga, who signed a two-year, $48.5 million contract extension that includes a team option for the second year, doesn’t become trade eligible until Jan. 15.

There still is time to figure things out internally, but in the meantime, speculation likely will continue externally.

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Why Warriors splitting six-game road trip was about more than wins, losses

Why Warriors splitting six-game road trip was about more than wins, losses originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There was a feeling to the Warriors’ six-game road trip that was about more than wins and losses. 

Better than a 3-3 record. Not by a ton, but better. Certainly not worse.

“There’s plenty of data, there’s plenty of film. I was just most pleased with after that OKC game,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Just felt like our level of fight and competition was where it needed to be. We were able to obviously split the six-game trip coming off that beatdown in OKC. 

“I like where we are now better as a team, but we have a lot of work to do.”

The Warriors started their longest road trip of the season with a 24-point loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder and ended it with a 14-point loss to the Miami Heat. But those two were as different as can be. 

Embarrassed, humiliated and humbled. That was the feeling of a subdued locker room when the defending champions waxed the floor with the Warriors in Oklahoma City. The Thunder were ahead by 25 points when Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green went to the bench for good halfway through the third quarter, and the lead was as big as 36 points. A fully healthy Warriors team was beaten before the game even began. 

You can say the game was over before it started in Miami, too; however, that’s because none of Curry, Butler or Green played. The Warriors also were without Al Horford and Jonathan Kuminga. Though team-wide issues turning the ball over continued, the Warriors’ role players and backups competed until the very end, looking like they might even pull off a stunner in South Beach. 

The story of the trip, as Kerr mentioned, was how the Warriors responded to that thrashing by OKC. How the veterans of Curry, Butler and Green in particular responded after using words like “sacrifice” and “commitment to win” in a message to the team. 

Curry with his 46 points on the second night of a back-to-back, and then 49 two nights later. Butler, giving body blows to Curry’s haymakers as his running mate, scoring 28 and 21 points while attacking the glass and keeping the offense going. Green climbing Mount Wembanyama and showing us once again how he’ll never back down. 

Outside of them, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Gary Payton II had big contributions in those two wins – either the first or the second. The fact of the matter is, the Warriors also needed all 95 of Curry’s combined points to beat the Spurs. They didn’t need anything from him to beat the Pelicans. 

The sorriest team in the league was taken to school by Moody for 32 points and eight 3-pointers. Moody then only scored 15 points over the next two games, both being losses. Which also is part of the story from this six-game road trip. 

When the Warriors get 67 points between Curry and Butler on 56.4 percent shooting, as well as 12 points from Draymond and all the other things those three provided, they should win the game. Yet they couldn’t against the Magic on a night where Moody and Richard, their two other starters, scored six points each. Podziemski (five points) and Buddy Hield (two points) scored just seven points off the bench in the loss. 

With the six-game trip and the start of the season in general for the Warriors, there’s context to judging them. The Warriors played 17 games before any other team played more than 15. The road trip featured two back-to-backs, and the Warriors played five of them when no other team had more than three. The Rockets haven’t even had one back-to-back, and the Warriors played their 12th road game on the same day Houston had its 13th game in total. 

“We’ve been bickering about it a little internally. We’re a little bit older. I think we’ll be grateful at the end of the year that this isn’t the stretch that we have at the end of the season,” Pat Spencer said. “We like where we’re at. I think, obviously, we have liked to grab these last couple on the road. But to be where we’re at with the number of games that we played, to knock on wood, have a really healthy team at this point in the season, I think we’ll be grateful we’re not doing this on the back end of the year.”

A 5-1 or 4-2 trip was in hand. It also wasn’t the main point. 

Golden State’s three-man show of Curry, Butler and Green proved they still can bring it when challenged. The Thunder are far and away better than everyone. Consistency continued to be a problem for others, as well as some trends that need cleaning up. 

The feeling of the Warriors’ 3-3 road trip is that of unsatisfied success. Next up is taking advantage of being home for five consecutive games at a place the Warriors haven’t lost once this season.

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Report: Defenseman Pavel Mintyukov "Would Like to be Moved if He's Not Going to Play"

The Anaheim Ducks saw the return of their captain, Radko Gudas, in their 3-2 overtime win over the Utah Mammoth. With his return to the lineup, they had seven healthy NHL-caliber defensemen on their roster.

Pavel Mintyukov has served the last two games as the Ducks’ healthy scratch, all too familiar a situation to that which he faced a season ago, when the Ducks had a logjam on their blueline. In that instance, the logjam was caused by bringing on board a plethora of veteran defensemen, which caused Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger to alternate healthy scratch duties until it was finally relieved at the 2025 trade deadline.

Takeaways from the Ducks' 4-3 Win over the Bruins

Takeaways from the Ducks 3-2 OT Win over the Mammoth

This year, the logjam has been caused by the emergence of Ian Moore, another young defenseman, who is perhaps a bit less volatile, more responsible on the defensive side of the puck, and cleaner during breakouts.

Premier NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported in his latest “32 Thoughts” blog that Mintyukov would prefer to be traded rather than be forced to sit in the press box. “After back-to-back healthy scratches, word filtered that Ducks defenceman Pavel Mintyukov would like to be moved if he’s not going to play,” Friedman reported in his piece. “He has fallen behind Jackson LaCombe and Olen Zellweger on the left side of Anaheim’s defence. Ian Moore, who had a strong camp, was elevated in Mintyukov’s place. This is the 10th overall pick in the 2022 draft, so Ducks GM Pat Verbeek will not be rushed into anything. Something to keep an eye on.”

Mintyukov is 149 games into his NHL career and has scored 50 points (9-41=50), including three points (0-3=3) in 18 games this season. He put together a quality rookie season in 2023-24, scoring 28 points (4-24=28) in 63 games and showing flashes of what he could be at the highest level of the sport.

His 2024-25 was a struggle, as he seemed to be negatively affected by the scratches or the possibility of scratches, limiting his willingness to take chances and involve himself offensively, where he thrives most.

Mintyukov is at his best when he can diagnose a rush, disrupt it, spark a counterattack, and remain involved on the offensive cycle with constant activations. He’s an instinctual player who has the potential to become a true two-way force and fill scoresheets nightly.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t seized the opportunity afforded by Gudas’ absence, and he seemed to be leapfrogged by Moore in the process. It’s simply a numbers game, and he’s been the Ducks’ seventh-best defenseman this season (opinion).

As Friedman mentioned, Verbeek won’t be rushed into a decision, but Mintyukov’s value will only go down from here. His value should still be relatively high, as he’s just four years removed from his draft (when he was Verbeek’s first-ever draft pick), had a decent rookie season, and is still only 21 years old (22 on Nov. 25).

If traded, Mintyukov would be the fourth top-ten pick of the 2022 draft traded after selection and the sixth top-15 pick. This could all be undone with another injury (it is still hockey after all) or if he finds his way into the lineup tomorrow (Thursday), as the Ducks will be on their second game of a back-to-back.

Ducks’ Young Core Learning to Be Leaders

Leo Carlsson Sees Point Streak End, How Avalanche and Red Wings Limited the Young Star

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Wheeler's outlook as he returns from TOS — and what to expect in 2026

Wheeler's outlook as he returns from TOS — and what to expect in 2026 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

When people look back on the 2025 Phillies, the loss of Zack Wheeler will always stand out.

On Aug. 15, the club revealed that the 35-year-old had a right upper-extremity blood clot. He was placed on the injured list two days later and underwent a successful thrombolysis removal procedure a day later. On Aug. 23, his season was declared over.

It was a gut punch. Wheeler was in the midst of one of his best years in Philadelphia — 10–5 with a 2.71 ERA, an elite 195/33 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 0.94 WHIP across 24 starts.

The injury buildup

The first hint of trouble came on Aug. 2, when right shoulder soreness after a start versus Detroit pushed his next outing back two days.

Wheeler beat Texas on Aug. 10, but the radar gun told the story. MLB.com’s Paul Casella noted that every pitch type dipped more than one mile per hour, including a 2.5 mph drop on his sinker and a 2 mph dip on his four-seamer.

So when the IL move became official, it wasn’t shocking — but it was certainly damaging. The Phillies were 17 games over .500. They were past the trade deadline. Their plan to deploy a true six-man rotation to ease Aaron Nola was in the rearview mirror.

More updates would come too. On Sept. 23, Wheeler underwent vascular thoracic outlet syndrome surgery.

The Phillies adjusted — Cristopher Sánchez led MLB in WAR (8.0) and carried the staff down the stretch — however, Wheeler’s absence was felt throughout the club’s unsuccessful trip to the postseason.

Now, with Spring Training roughly three months away, the Phillies have several rotation questions. Can Sánchez handle ace responsibilities across a full season? Can Jesús Luzardo match the production of Ranger Suárez, who is expected to leave in free agency? Who becomes the fifth starter?

But one question sits above the rest: what version of Zack Wheeler will the Phillies get?

Recent history of ‘TOS’

TOS has become a buzzword for pitchers — and a scary one. Notable starters Matt Harvey, Josh Beckett and Stephen Strasburg all had the surgery. None returned to pre-injury form, and Strasburg never pitched again.

But not all TOS is the same. Vascular TOS — the type Wheeler had — has produced stronger outcomes than the neuronic version that derailed Strasburg’s career.

The clearest example is Merrill Kelly.

Credit: Jerome Miron – Imagn Images

As detailed in Charlotte Varnes’ reporting for The Athletic, Kelly underwent vascular TOS after the 2020 season and returned without delays, making 27 starts in 2021 and posting a 3.66 ERA across 135 starts over the next five seasons.

Expectations and timeline

That story matters as the Phillies try to evaluate Wheeler’s outlook.

Since joining Philadelphia in 2020, Wheeler owns a 2.91 ERA. If he returns with an ERA in the 3.30–3.50 range, history says that would already qualify as a successful comeback. There’s optimism internally because the Phillies don’t need Wheeler to single-handedly carry the rotation anymore — Sánchez’s emergence has changed that dynamic.

“It helps, but I would rather have Zack Wheeler back and Cristopher Sánchez,” Dombrowski said in his end-of-season presser. “I’ve dealt with thoracic outlet [syndrome] in the past — there are differences in TOS — and I feel much more optimistic.”

As for the timeline, there have been no updates since mid-October. Per Dombrowski, “The timeline remains six to eight months to be back pitching in a major-league game — so that takes you to end of May. I don’t think it’ll affect us a great deal because we’re looking for him to come back on that timeline.”

That makes an Opening Day return unlikely. But Wheeler will be deep into his throwing progression throughout Spring Training.

It’s difficult to attach firm expectations to a pitcher turning 36 on May 30, especially coming off major surgery. But if there has been one constant during his tenure in Philadelphia, it’s that Zack Wheeler has earned the benefit of the doubt.

The Phillies don’t need Wheeler to recreate his 2021 or 2024 Cy Young runner-up seasons to get back to October. And with recent reporting indicating they won’t pursue a starter this winter, the plan is clear.

If he returns healthy — and somewhere close to his pre-injury form — they’ll have the stabilizer they were missing in their 2025 postseason run.