Thompson trails Stephen Curry, James Harden and Ray Allen on the all-time list.
Thompson kept piling up 3s on Thursday night, going 6-of-13 from beyond the arc as the Mavericks blew out the Jazz, who as a team had just one more 3-pointer than Thompson.
Kyle Tucker celebrates after hitting a solo home run for the Chicago Cubs against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS on Oct. 9. (Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)
For the second time in as many months, the Dodgers swooped in to secure a major free-agent signing.
After weighing multiple offers this week, outfielder Kyle Tucker reportedly agreed to a four-year, $240-million contract with the Dodgers on Thursday.
Tucker, who reportedly had been offered $50-million per year by the New York Mets and received overtures from the Toronto Blue Jays, is a four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger whose left-handed bat will fit into the middle of the Dodgers’ lineup.
The signing addresses an area where the Dodgers were in need of an upgrade, after the outfield corps posted minus-1.6 wins above replacement in 2025.
But the question heading into the offseason was how the Dodgers would go about improving their outfield. Although they had plenty of financial flexibility at the start of the offseason, with more than $60 million in salary from last season coming off the books, the front office also touted potential internal options. Some of those included Alex Call, Hyeseong Kim and Ryan Ward, who was named the Pacific Coast League’s MVP in 2025 and was added to the Dodgers’ 40-man roster this offseason.
The team used that flexibility to make a splash last month when they signed reliever Edwin Díaz to a three-year, $69-million deal, emerging as a surprise winner after Díaz appeared on track to sign elsewhere.
They seemingly followed a similar pattern with Tucker, who spent last year with the Chicago Cubs after he was traded by the Houston Astros following the 2024 season. When reports emerged about the Mets offering a short-term deal worth $50 million per year, the Dodgers appeared to be out of the running.
But instead they landed another marquee free-agent signing in Tucker, who turns 29 on Saturday. They are banking on the productivity he's shown when healthy — he's a career .273 hitter with an .865 OPS — but he's dealt with injuries the last two seasons. With the Cubs in 2025, Tucker hit .280 with 17 home runs before the all-star break, but a fractured right hand and a left calf strain slowed him down as he finished with 22 home runs. He served as the Cubs' designated hitter during their postseason run, which ended in a five-game loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in the division series.
The Mets have swung and missed on star free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker, who is signing with the Dodgers.
With Tucker now in tow, Los Angeles will likely have four MVP candidates hitting consecutively in their lineup -- Tucker, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman.
In addition to the Mets and Dodgers, the Blue Jays had been heavily connected to Tucker.
According to multiple reports, Tucker accepted the Dodgers' four-year, $240 million offer. Tucker also has an opt-out after the second year. His $60 million AAV is the second-highest in baseball history, only behind Ohtani's $70 million -- $68 million is deferred.
The Mets had reportedly extended a four-year offer to Tucker worth roughly $50 million annually.
Tucker, who turns 29 years old later this week, was the biggest name available in this year’s free agent class.
While Tucker always made sense as a free agent target for the Mets, he became an even better fit once president of baseball operations David Stearnstraded Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien, creating a vacancy in left field.
Now that the Mets have missed out, it's not clear where they turn.
They have been linked to free agent Cody Bellinger, but he has reportedly been deep in negotiations with the Yankees. The Yanks have offered Bellinger five years, while Bellinger's camp has been holding out for seven.
It's conceivable that after failing to land Tucker, the Mets direct their assets to the starting pitching market.
In free agency, Framber Valdez -- who has been connected to the Mets and Orioles -- is still available.
As far as a trade for pitching, one available starter who could make plenty of sense for New York is Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta.
Seamus Casey, New Jersey Devils defenseman, was named to his second straight AHL All-Star Game.
This season, the former second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft has suited up for the Utica Comets and the New Jersey Devils. He has tallied 17 points (one goal and 16 assists) for the Comets in 26 AHL games.
In addition to his AHL contributions, he has also appeared in two NHL games this season, earning zero points.
During the 2024-25 season, Casey made 14 appearances with the Devils and collected eight points.
Casey is among 30 AHL All-Stars who played in the NHL this season.
Set to represent the North Division in Illinois on February 10th and 11th, the 22-year-old defenseman will take the ice on behalf of the Comets.
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Seeing the Sabres place Dunne on injured reserve is entirely understandable. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff recently announced that the 27-year-old forward would be out for the next four to six weeks due to a mid-body injury. Because of this, it makes sense that Dunne has now been placed on injured reserve as he focuses on his recovery.
Dunne has played in 28 games so far this season with the Sabres, where he has recorded one goal, three assists, four points, 34 penalty minutes, 34 hits, and a minus-4 rating.
Dunne has gotten into the most NHL action of his career already this season, as he entered the campaign with just 16 NHL games played over three seasons. Yet, he will now be forced to miss a good amount of time due to his injury.
In 44 career NHL games over four seasons split between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Sabres, Dunne has recorded one goal, four points, 49 penalty minutes, 70 hits, and a minus-14 rating.
Can the 198th derby be any spicier for Manchester United and their latest interim manager, Michael Carrick? This is his second caretaker tenure though the three games of November-December 2021 (beating Villarreal and Arsenal, drawing with Chelsea) hardly compares to sending out an XI to try to beat Manchester City in Saturday’s early kick-off. Pep Guardiola’s high-performing unit remain in contention on all fronts. Carrick takes charge of a United suffering the aftershocks of a latest manager sacking, hoping to salvage the season via European qualification. The lad from Wallsend has 17 games to do so – his new team are in seventh place on 32 points, so victory over City would be a fine start. But you wonder if the match might end with Carrick and United humbled or, even worse, humiliated. Jamie Jackson
Manchester United v Manchester City, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)
Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour is poised to return after missing 14 games with a hand injury, as he’s been activated from the injured reserve.
To free up a roster spot for Montour, winger Jacob Melanson was sent down to the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds.
The 22-year-old Melanson played 15 games in this NHL stint, scoring his first career NHL goal and adding three assists. Melanson routinely impressed the coaching staff with his physicality and aggressiveness on the forecheck.
Despite averaging just 9:25 of ice time, Melanson threw 65 hits, blocked six shots, and fired 12 shots on goal. Melanson turned a lot of heads in this call-up stint and could be a contender to make the NHL roster out of training camp and pre-season next year.
He’ll return to the Firebirds, where he’s notched seven goals and 14 points in 23 games.
At the moment, who Montour will enter the lineup for is undetermined. The three possible players to step out of the lineup are Cale Fleury, Jamie Oleksiak and Ryker Evans. Fleury has impressed his teammates and the coaching staff since he entered the lineup in place of Montour.
The answer will be revealed when the Kraken take the ice for warmup prior to their matchup against the Boston Bruins.
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Despite being one of the lowest-ranked teams in the Western Conference in recent years, the San Jose Sharks have given the Detroit Red Wings a tough time in their most recent visits to Little Caesars Arena.
The Sharks have beaten the Red Wings by a combined score of 12-8 in each of their two most recent matchups in Detroit, which included a wild 6-5 overtime setback in December 2023.
The last time the Red Wings defeated the Sharks on home ice was Jan. 24, 2023, a 3-2 overtime victory with Andrew Copp playing the role of hero.
This season, the Sharks are showing that they're no longer pushovers, thanks in large part to forward Macklin Celebrini, a 19-year-old phenom whom San Jose selected first overall in 2024.
With an astounding 24 goals and 46 assists for 70 points, Celebrini is proving that he's every bit worth the hype he came with coming into the 2024 NHL Draft.
The Red Wings, who host the Sharks on Friday evening, know that they must always be aware of when he's on the ice.
"He's obviously the main focus," Patrick Kane said of Celebrini following Thursday's practice. "He's the main guy offensively for that team; he's been carrying them all year."
Not yet of legal drinking age in the United States, Celebrini is not only ranked third overall in total NHL scoring, but also was announced as being included on Team Canada's Olympic roster.
Not bad for a 19-year-old.
"His points compared to the next guy on their team show how valuable he's been, and he's got them in a playoff spot now, too," Kane continued. "He'll definitely be the main focus of our attention defensively, and making sure whoever is on the ice is aware of him."
As Kane noted, Celebrini’s 70 points are 38 more than San Jose’s next-leading scorer, Tyler Toffoli, who has 13 goals and 32 total points.
As of Thursday afternoon, Celebrini and the Sharks occupy the second and final Wild Card playoff berth in the Western Conference.
The Red Wings, who defeated the Sharks by a 3-2 final score in a shootout in San Jose on Nov. 2, will be focusing their game plan on how best to neutralize the former first overall pick.
"It's not an easy task because the book on him isn't real big in the NHL; he's taken it by storm and is an incredible player," head coach Todd McLellan said of Celebrini. "But he is starting to show some tendencies that other teams are looking at."
"He's definitely driving that team and creating lots of confidence, and as he elevates his play, others around him elevate their play, and they're a tough team to play against," McLellan continued. "We'll obviously have to be aware of him when he's on the ice and help the players with any type of pre-scout analysis we can give them."
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Jalen Brunson is listed as out on Thursday night when the Knicks travel to the Bay Area for their one game at the Chase Center this season against the Warriors.
That comes one day after Brunson tweaked his ankle five minutes into the game against the Kings. He went back to the locker room, not to return the rest of the night.
The good news is the Knicks have listed Brunson as day-to-day with a sprained ankle. He was not expected to miss extended time, as Brunson was seen by reporters after the game in Sacramento walking without a boot on his ankle and no limp.
Brunson is averaging 28.2 points and 6.1 assists a game, shooting 38.8% from 3-point range this season. He is the heart of the Knicks' top-five offense and will almost certainly be named an All-Star Game starter when those are announced next week.
Mitchell Robinson also will be out against the Warriors on the second night of a back-to-back.
We are entering a pivotal stretch for the Ottawa Senators and general manager Steve Staios.
Back-to-back games against the divisional rival Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings this weekend highlight the remaining eight games left in January, but time is quickly running out for the Senators to close the distance on the Eastern Conference’s wild card seeds.
Thanks to the ever-increasing presence of three-point games around the league, it will not be easy to gain traction in a tightly contested Eastern Conference. Three points separate the Senators from the lowly 15th-place Columbus Blue Jackets, while five points are the difference between them and the second wild card.
Senators new goalie James Reimer addressed the Ottawa media for the first time earlier this week.
In order for the Senators (22-19-5, .533) to get in the vicinity or surpass Boston’s points percentage (26-19-2, .574), it would necessitate winning five more consecutive games.
Putting together a seven-game winning streak certainly feels unlikely given the Senators’ struggles in goal this season, and that is what has to be frustrating for Staios.
If this team could generate a higher save rate, they would comfortably be in a playoff position.
Instead, the Senators’ five-on-five save percentage of 88.64 is the lowest in the league per Evolving-Hockey. Their 79.81 shorthanded save percentage is also the lowest in the NHL, but worse than that, it ranks as the lowest since modern public analytics websites began scraping and capturing data at the start of the 2007-08 season.
Similarly, if their 86.87 percent all-situations save percentage holds up for the remainder of the year, it will become the worst save percentage ever recorded in the modern stats era.
On an individual basis, only the St. Louis Blues’ Jordan Binnington has a lower goals saved above expected (GSAx) metric than Leevi Merilainen (-11.09 GSAx) and Linus Ullmark (-9.14 GSAx).
Although a young goaltender experiencing troubles in his first professional season as an NHL backup is hardly unique, the goaltending position has been further complicated by Ullmark's unanticipated leave of absence. Prior to his absence, Ullmark was projected to play in more than 50 regular season games for the first time in his NHL career. That was noteworthy given the condensed schedule in this Olympic year, but it likely spoke volumes about the organization's confidence in the struggling Merilainen.
Whether the increased volume of starts contributed to Ullmark’s struggles is up for debate, but considering his body of work and career save percentage of .914, it was reasonable to believe that his statistics would improve and begin to reflect his career norms in time. Now, everyone is wondering when Ullmark will rejoin the Senators and return to the net.
In the interim, Merilainen’s ineffectiveness and the lack of quality options at the AHL level necessitated the signing of unrestricted free agent goaltender James Reimer. The 37-year-old has not played in an NHL game since April 17, 2025, when he beat the Philadelphia Flyers. His only action this season has been the two games that he represented Canada at the Spengler Cup and the lone appearance in Belleville, where he was shellacked for six goals.
The struggles of the position have not only shone a light on the organization’s lack of quality depth, but have also drawn attention to general manager Staios’ offseason decisions.
It is clear the organization obviously felt obligated to reward Leevi Merilainen for his strong 2024-25 campaign that he split between Belleville and Ottawa. His nine-game stretch in January was principally responsible for keeping the Senators afloat and in contention for a playoff spot that they would eventually secure.
Despite that loyalty and being compelled to provide an opportunity for the young goaltender, the organization elected not to bring in a veteran goaltender with NHL experience as a contingency plan to guard against the possibility of Ullmark missing games or Merilainen’s ineffectiveness.
Now, the Senators are experiencing both.
Given how poorly Ullmark and Merilainen have played, the hope is that they will bounce back and that their numbers will regress toward their career norms over time. It is worth noting that Merilainen has looked capable in his last two starts, but there is a specific timetable for Ullmark's return.
It puts Staios in a difficult position because their goaltending is unreliable. They cannot bank on it getting markedly better, and because of that, it should, in theory, impact what the Senators’ general manager can or is willing to do.
The organization’s pipeline of prospects is widely panned for lacking quality prospects.
Poor amateur scouting and the trading of valued draft picks in shortsighted deals that never required revisionism by Staios’ predecessor simultaneously emptied the system while shortchanging the Senators’ rebuild. It has created a situation in which, as good and impressive as the Senators’ young core is, there should be more young talent in Ottawa’s system that they could either graduate to the parent roster to insulate their core or use as capital to acquire the players they need to push this roster forward.
Without it, the Senators are closer to resembling a middle-of-the-pack team than a true Cup contender.
The dreaded murky middle can be a difficult place to navigate for a general manager. Often, your team is too good to be bad or at least bad enough to have lost seasons be rewarded with high draft picks. They are also not good enough to sustainably compete with the league's elite.
There is also the added pressure of trying to maximize this group’s prime.
Modern NHL research has proven that a player’s offensive prime years often occur between 22 and 27 years of age, which happens to coincide with where Ottawa’s core is right now. With Drake Batherson representing the first of Ottawa’s core to potentially reach unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2026-27 season, with Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot to follow the year after that, the reality is that the Senators’ window of contention is already upon us.
The uncertainty around the Senators’ goaltenders' effectiveness is compounded by the fact that there simply aren't a ton of desirable trade chips within their system. Perhaps things would be different if the Senators had not lost their 2026 first-round pick for their gross incompetence (or willful ignorance) in the Evgenii Dadonov trade scandal, but without any guarantees that they will eventually be able to recoup that pick, they do not have a ton of assets to move without touching the parent roster.
The situation essentially limits what Staios can do.
This group needs an infusion of higher-end talent to help take this core to the next level, but it lacks the high draft picks or trade chips the organization needs to easily acquire it.
Without it, it's likely Staios will continue to make the moves that have characterized his stewardship of this franchise - modest moves that improve the margins in hopes that these small gains will be enough to progressively move this team forward.
Graeme Nichols The Hockey News Ottawa
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On Thursday, the American Hockey League and Rockford IceHogs announced that Nick Lardis and Kevin Korchinski have been named to the AHL All-Star Game.
Korchinski, who was the All-Star MVP of the AHL last season, is currently playing with Rockford. Lardis, who is in his first year of pro hockey, earned his way up to the NHL club due to his success in the minor leagues.
Reppin’ the hometown team ⭐️
Nick Lardis and reigning All-Star MVP Kevin Korchinski have been selected for the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic presented by BMO U.S.
Korchinski has played in 33 AHL games this season. In those games, he has 2 goals and 17 assists for 19 points. In two NHL games this season, both of which took place last week, he has one assist.
As for Lardis, the goal-scoring prowess that allowed him to score 71 in his final year of major junior continued when he reached the pros. In 24 games with the IceHogs, he has 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points. In 15 games with Chicago, Lardis has four goals and one assist for five points.
Being a point-per-game forward is difficult in the AHL, and it's even harder when you're a rookie. Lardis has the tools to be a high-end offensive producer. He is showing why at every level, and that earned him an All-Star nod.
The two-day event will take place at the BMO Center on February 10-11 and will feature the Skills Competition, AHL All-Star Challenge, AHL Hall of Fame Induction, and more.
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Defenseman Tobias Bjornfot and winger Jack Devine have been selected to represent the Charlotte Checkers at the 2026 AHL All-Star Game.
Bjornfot is participating in his second full season with the Florida Panthers. He has yet to play an NHL game this year, but skated in 14 games last season. In the AHL, the 24-year-old has scored one goal and six assists for seven points in 22 games.
His offensive game since coming over to North America has been muted, but at the AHL level, he’s a trusted defensive defenseman with a strong skating stride and the ability to move the puck. He is currently on the NHL roster as an extra defenseman due to the injuries of Dmitry Kulikov and Seth Jones.
Devine is enjoying a stellar AHL rookie campaign with the Checkers. His 11 goals rank third on the team, and his 24 points are tied for the team lead despite playing 29 games, six fewer than most of his teammates.
He’s played six fewer NHL games due to his first call-up to the NHL. Devine played six games in the NHL in late November/ early December. The 22-year-old was unable to record his first career NHL goal or point, but proved that he will one day have what it takes to secure an NHL role.
Jack Devine (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
He averaged just 8:26 of ice time, but threw six shots on goal and did little things that impressed coach Paul Maurice and his coaching staff. It’s an impressive and deserving feat that Devine was selected to the AHL All-Star Game.
The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic will be held on Feb. 10-11 in Rockford, Ill. 12 players will represent each of the AHL’s four divisions. Committees of AHL coaches determined rosters, and at least one All-Star is selected from each of the 32 AHL teams.
Joining Bjornfot and Devine on the Atlantic Division roster are Denver Barkey, Patrick Brown, Tristan Broz, Frederic Brunet, Michael DiPietro, Matt Luff, Cole McWard, Sergei Murashov, Gabe Perreault, and Ilya Protas.
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McGough, 27, has a 3.21 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across six minor league seasons.
He has spent time in the Pirates, Orioles, and White Sox organizations.
McGough worked as primarily a starter in college at Mount St. Mary's and during his first few minor league seasons, but was used mainly in relief in 2024 and 2025.
Along with Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, the Mets' bullpen in 2026 is expected to include left-handers A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley -- though the start of Minter's season could be a bit delayed following lat surgery this past May.
Huascar Brazoban also figures to be in the bullpen mix, as do hard-throwing prospects Dylan Ross and Ryan Lambert.
Other relievers who could compete for roles include Jonathan Pintaro (who made his big league debut last season), Adbert Alzolay (who is on a two-year minor league deal and missed the 2025 season), Richard Lovelady, Alex Carrillo, and Joey Gerber.
The AHL revealed its All-Star Game rosters today, with St. Louis Blues and Springfield Thunderbirds forward Matt Luff selected as the organization’s representative.
The 28-year-old Luff has played in both the NHL and the AHL this season. Following training camp and pre-season, he was sent to the AHL, where he’s notched a team-high 12 goals and 30 points in 29 games. The next closest Thunderbirds player is Matthew Peca, who’s recorded 24 points in 32 games.
When injuries in December ravaged the Blues, Luff was recalled to the NHL roster, where he skated in five games in a fourth-line winger role. While averaging 9:08 of ice time, he scored one goal.
The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic will be held on Feb. 10-11 in Rockford, Ill. 12 players will represent each of the AHL’s four divisions. Committees of AHL coaches determined rosters, and at least one All-Star is selected from each of the 32 AHL teams.
Joining Luff on the Atlantic Division roster are Denver Barkey, Tobias Bjornfot, Patrick Brown, Tristan Broz, Frederic Brunet, Jack Devine, Michael DiPietro, Cole McWard, Sergei Murashov, Gabe Perreault, and Ilya Protas.
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The Buffalo Sabres continue their five-game homestand against the Montreal Canadiens at KeyBank Center on Thursday in a rare home back-to-back after posting a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. The Sabres got a pair of goals from Rasmus Dahlin, and singles from Mattias Samuelsson, Jack Quinn, and Ryan McLeod, but only managed 14 shots on goal on Flyers goalies Dan Vladar and Samuel Ersson.
After the game, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff indicated that center Josh Norris was injured in the second period. The 26-year-old played only 8:55 in the game and was hurt after Dahlin’s second goal.
"(It was a) cross-check that took him out of the game. He'll be evaluated. I really don't know where we're at with that right now," Ruff said. "We're hoping it's nothing too serious, but I think that's always what you hope."
The 2026 NHL Draft is coming to Buffalo this June.
Norris’s return in early December coincided with the Sabres winning streak that has brought the club back into playoff competition. If it is anything of a serious nature, it could hurt Buffalo’s chances of maintaining this pace and staying in the playoff race.
Ruff also indicated that defenseman Michael Kesselring, who had participated in practice this week, was ruled out of the game against Philadelphia, but was possibly available against the Habs.
"The plan was not to use him in back-to-back. He's available (Thursday). We'll make a decision whether we put him in," Ruff said. "I look at the two guys that played, I thought (Jacob) Bryson has played well, and (Zach) Metsa really played well for us. I've got some pretty good continuity going, so we'll look at whether a couple more days wouldn't hurt. (Kesselring has) really come along these last few days. So we'll bring him in the morning, evaluate him, and make a decision."
Colten Ellis is expected to get the start for Buffalo, while rookie Jacob Fowler will be between the pipes for Montreal.
