Jakub Vrana's short stint with the Nashville Predators has officially come to an end.
The forward signed with Linköping HC in the Swedish Hockey League on Friday. He played 13 games with the Predators last season, scoring three points and logging four penalty minutes.
Vrana returned to the Washington Capitals during the 2024-25 season, signing a one-year contract after a professional tryout agreement.
After scoring 11 points in 26 games, Vrana was placed on waivers by the Capitals and was eventually claimed by the Predators. The Predators took on a $775,000 contract when claiming Vrana.
The Predators chose to not to sign Vrana at the end of the regular season.
It's a true fall from grace for Vrana, as just five years ago, he had 52 points in 69 games and was two years off winning the 2018 Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals. He had a strong five-year stint in Washington before he traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 2021.
Vrana has played with Linköping HC before. He played four seasons within the organization at various levels from 2011 to 2015 and at one point was the youngest foreign player in the history of the league. In 2014, Vrana was drafted by the Capitals 13th overall out of Linköping HC.
A significant amount of success occurred during the era led by Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith in the 2010s. That doesn't mean that the Chicago Blackhawks didn't have legends put on their sweater before that.
One of those legends is Denis Savard, who spent parts of his Hall of Fame career with the Blackhawks, spanning 13 years out of 17.
Savard's best year came in 1987-88, where he set career highs in goals (44), assists (87), and points (131). Those 131 points were also the most that any Blackhawks player has ever had in a single season, a record that stands to this day.
The NHL put out a list of each team's single-season points leader in franchise history, and Savard's name is on the list for Chicago. Plenty of legends like Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, and Mike Bossy are on the list. Some newer players who are on their way to significant careers, like Jack Eichel, Jack Hughes, and Clayton Keller, also find themselves on the list.
Former Blackhawks superstars Marian Hossa and Artemi Panarin are there too, as they hold franchise records for other franchises. Hossa is the leader for the Winnipeg Jets franchise from when they were the Atlanta Thrashers (100 points in 2006-07), while Panarin is on there with the Columbus Blue Jackets (87 points in 2018-19).
Savard's record in Chicago broke the mark previously set by himself in 1982-83. He has the four highest single-season totals in franchise history, all alone. Kane is 5th from his 110-point campaign in 2018-19.
Although the Blackhawks have lots of young stars on the rise, it is hard to see any of them ever coming close to Savard's single-season record. Only a few players have reached that mark on other teams in recent memory. It's not easy in today's NHL.
Savard, in addition to some of these single-season marks, has a very decorated career. He was a Stanley Cup champion, an All-Star, and was named as one of the NHL's 100 Greatest Players during the centennial season of the league. It's an understatement to call him a legend of the game.
The Chicago Blackhawks moved on from multiple players this off-season. One of them was forward Andreas Athanasiou, as he became an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1 after the Blackhawks did not re-sign him. Now, with the halfway point of August almost here, the 31-year-old is still looking for his new home.
Seeing Athanasiou still being a UFA at this juncture of the summer is understandable, as he had a tough 2024-25 season. He most notably was placed on waivers by the Blackhawks back in November and spent the bulk of the season at the AHL level with the Rockford IceHogs after not being claimed by another NHL team.
Athanasiou appeared in just eight games for the Blackhawks in 2024-25, where he had one goal, six hits, and a minus-1 rating. Overall, he struggled to produce offense when with the NHL club this past season. Down in the AHL with the IceHogs this past campaign, he had 11 goals, 16 assists, and 27 points in 30 games.
While Athanasiou struggled at the NHL level during the 2024-25 season, the possibility of him receiving a professional tryout (PTO) from a team before the pre-season is here would not be too surprising. Keep in mind, this is a player who posted 20 goals and 40 points in 81 games just back in 2022-23 with the Blackhawks.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what happens with the former Blackhawk from here.
Blackhawks Intriguing Prospect Can't Be IgnoredThe Chicago Blackhawks have several exciting prospects who will be looking to cement themselves spots on their NHL roster next season. One interesting prospect who fans should not ignore heading into the 2025-26 season is forward Ryan Greene.
A decision has yet to be made regarding Matthew Tkachuk and potential offseason surgery.
Tkachuk recently spoke to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski about several topics ahead of the NHL 26 cover reveal, and during the chat, the issue of going under the knife sometime this summer found its way into the conversation.
After the postseason, when Tkachuk revealed that he’d been playing through a torn hip abductor and a hernia, he said that he was 50-50 on whether or not to have surgery.
Since then, Tkachuk has had his day with the Stanley Cup, gotten married and enjoyed some traveling.
Surgery?
Tkachuk told Wyshynski that the decision on having any procedure had yet to be made.
He also added that if he does have surgery, he would expect to miss 2-3 months of the regular season.
Recently, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Tkachuk was expected to miss the start of the season and return in time for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, which would sync up with Tkachuk’s timeline if he were to have the surgery.
If there is one thing we know about the Panthers, it’s that they are fine utilizing time during the regular season for players to get as healthy as possible for the games that really count: the playoffs.
Florida famously rested many of their key players down the stretch last season, despite the team seemingly fighting for positioning at the top of the Atlantic Division.
Did it matter that the Panthers fell to third and lost any home ice advantage they would’ve had during a potential Stanley Cup run? Nope.
Florida Head Coach Paul Maurice and General Manager Bill Zito agree that it’s better to have a healthier team playing on the road than a banged-up team on home ice.
The numbers back that up, as under Maurice, Florida has gone 8-1 in playoff series that they start on the road.
We’ll see how things play out with Tkachuk in the coming weeks, as a decision on surgery is likely to come sometime in the foreseeable future.
Photo caption: Jun 12, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates scoring during the first period against the Edmonton Oilers in game four of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)
Since we are in August, the majority of this year's top unrestricted free agents (UFAs) have signed their new contracts. While this is the case, there are still some interesting veteran players looking for their new homes. One of them is former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jon Merrill.
Merrill spent this past season with the Minnesota Wild, where he recorded two goals, four assists, six points, 85 blocks, and a minus-8 rating. This was after the 12-year NHL veteran recorded four goals, seven assists, and 11 points in 65 games with the Wild during the 2023-24 campaign.
When noting that Merrill is among the top blueliners still unsigned, it would not be particularly surprising if he landed a one-year contract or professional tryout (PTO) from an NHL team before training camp is here. The 33-year-old could be a nice bottom-pairing or seventh defenseman for teams looking to improve their defensive depth.
In 13 regular-season games for the Canadiens during the 2020-21 season, Merrill recorded zero points, four penalty minutes, 10 hits, and a minus-11 rating. He also played in 13 playoff games for the Habs during the 2021 post-season. His time with the Habs ended during the 2021 NHL off-season when he signed with the Wild in free agency.
Canadiens Star Nearing New Impressive MilestoneMontreal Canadiens star Nick Suzuki was undoubtedly a major reason why the Habs got into the playoffs this past spring. He simply thrived for the Canadiens in 2024-25, as he scored 30 goals and led the team with an impressive 89 points in 82 games. With this, it was the best year of the Canadiens captain's career so far.
Minnesota Wild rookie defenseman Zeev Buium burst onto the scene in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs in the first round. He had just finished his sophomore season at the University of Denver where he was up for the NCAA's Hobey Baker Award as the top player in College Hockey.
The 6-foot defender had 11 goals and 50 points during his freshman year in 42 games for Denver. He recorded 13 goals and 48 points in 41 games during his second season at Denver.
He signed with the Wild after his season at Denver ended. In four playoff games for the Wild, Buium recorded one assist. His one assist was a primary assist on a Kirill Kaprizov power-play goal.
They were defeated by the Houston Astros in extra innings on Friday night, cutting their lead for the final wild card spot in the American League to just a half game.
They've now dropped six of their last seven games, and with each loss, Aaron Boone’s seat seemingly gets hotter and hotter.
The boos have been loud and heavy lately in the Bronx.
Joe Torre has been there before; he understands what the long-time skipper is going through.
“People always ask me who I root for, I root for people,” he told SNY’s Chelsea Sherrod at Old Timers' Day. “I feel for Aaron, I’ve been in that place before -- you’re trying to rearrange the furniture and hopefully it makes a difference.”
Though things aren’t looking good right now, Torre remains confident in the team under Boone’s leadership.
The four-time World Series champ certainly knows what it takes.
“This club is too good to not have a run, there’s still time left,” he said. “If it were Sept. 1, I’d be more concerned, but I have a lot of confidence -- Booney has been down this road before, he’s a third-generation major leaguer.
“I feel that they’re going to make a run and will be where they are supposed to be at the end of things.”
That’s just a few of the Yankees stars who were in attendance at the Stadium on Saturday afternoon for this year’s Old Timers’ Day festivities.
It’s the 77th annual Old Timers' Day game, but the first since 2019.
The event also celebrated the 25th anniversary of the 2000 World Series championship.
While that team and all the great memories they shared were a hot topic of discussion, so was the current state of the organization as they fight through a brutally tough stretch.
The Yankees currently find themselves trailing the Blue Jays and Red Sox in the AL East and hold a slim advantage for the final wild card spot after dropping Friday’s series opener in extra innings to the Astros.
“They’re going through a tough time,” Damon told SNY’s Chelsea Sherrod.
“Teams are not afraid of us anymore,” Randolph added. “We need to get that mojo back to where when they come into Yankee Stadium and places like that, they know they’re going to be in for a big fight.”
Though things are looking bleak, there is still plenty of baseball to be played.
“They’re struggling right now, but they’re still in the hunt,” Martinez said. “As long as you’re there this time of year and you can improve from here, they have a chance, but they have to minimize the mistakes and play better baseball.”
“It’s more of an attitude than anything,” Posada added. “They have to get a little angry, hopefully a fight or something to get them going -- they need to have that chip on their shoulder, they need to play like that.”
Kevin Durant in Houston feels like a hand-in-glove fit. The Rockets wanted Durant, and Houston was on his short list of places he wanted to be traded. When asked about the organization, Durant praised the Rockets. He fills the need for a half-court scoring threat that will open up their offense.
The only question is the money on Durant's contract extension.
Durant is in the final year of his current contract at $57.4 million. The Rockets can offer him a max two-year, $122.1 million extension (no team can offer Durant more than two years because of the over 38 rule). There was always an expectation that Durant would take a bit of a haircut off that max number, but that cut may be deeper than just a haircut, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Brian Windhorst on the Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip Hoopshype).
MacMahon: "By all appearances and by what I've heard, they're not going all in on an extension for Kevin Durant. Now, doesn't mean it won't happen, but there've been rumblings of KD not going to push for the full max. I don't know that the Rockets are going to put anything on the table that's close to the max."
Windhorst: "I think the Rockets are like it's not ideal, but I don't think they would panic if they go into the season with Kevin Durant just on the contract that he's on just on the on the expiring deal... I'll say this, Rafael Stone, since he's been the GM of the of the Rockets, he's signed quite a few giant contracts, but a lot most of them have been short."
The contract has to be short in this case, but what is a fair number for the future Hall of Famer? One source who spoke to NBC Sports during Summer League suggested KD might dip to about the $100 million mark for two years, around $10 million a season below the max but still $50 million a season. However, maybe that number is too high. Maybe Durant will take less — he has the right to make whatever choice he thinks is best for him, his legacy and his family.
Maybe everyone is comfortable going into the season without an extension and seeing how things play out. That said, we are more than a month out from the start of training camps, and a lot of deals get done right around the beginning of camp. This is all just something to watch.
SAN FRANCISCO — Rafael Devers and Casey Schmitt homered, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Washington Nationals 5-0 on Friday night to snap their longest home losing streak in more than a decade.
Matt Chapman had two hits and an RBI for the Giants. Dominic Smith added two singles to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.
Kai-Wei Teng (1-1) pitched five smooth innings in relief for his first major league win. The 26-year-old from Taiwan followed opener Matt Gage and allowed three hits with one walk with four strikeouts.
Joey Lucchesi, José Buttó and Tristan Beck each retired three batters to complete the four-hitter.
The Giants had lost eight straight at Oracle Park — one shy of their longest home skid of the San Francisco era — before beating the Nationals for the third time in four meetings this season.
Devers, acquired from Boston in June, launched his 21st home run of the season off Jake Irvin (8-7) in the first. Chapman’s RBI single later in the inning made it 2-0.
Schmitt’s homer, a two-run drive in the sixth, was his second in six days.
San Francisco added a run in the eighth on Patrick Bailey’s infield single.
Irvin allowed eight hits and four runs (three earned) in 5 1/3 innings.
Key moment
After the Nationals loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth, Devers fielded a grounder to first base and threw out Josh Bell at home plate before the next batter, Jacob Young, grounded into a double play.
Key stat
Teng threw 64 pitches in five innings and allowed only two runners past second base.
Up next
Giants top pitching prospect Carson Whisenhunt (1-0, 4.35 ERA) faces Nationals right-hander Brad Lord (2-6, 3.42) on Saturday.
Despite adding a handful of big pieces ahead of the trade deadline, both the Mets and the Yankees have remained in their deep slumps over the past week.
The Mets now sit 3.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East after dropping their fifth consecutive game in frustrating fashion on Friday night.
The Yanks were knocked off by the rival Houston Astros in the series opener Friday too, and they now find themselves with just a half-game lead for the final AL wild card spot.
They are 3.5 games back of the Red Sox for second in the AL East and 6.5 games behind the Blue Jays for first.
Things are not looking good for either World Series hopeful team right now, but a former New York baseball legend is confident they'll be able to turn things around down the stretch.
“I think the Mets are going to be okay,” Dwight Gooden told SNY’s Chelsea Sherrod at Yankees Old Timers' Day. “I still like to say pitching wins, you have to have consistent pitching because the lineup is nice, but they have to get more consistent.
“The main thing is they have to stay healthy because they are right there -- once you get into the postseason, it’s the hottest team that wins, not always the best, so I think they’ll be okay, they just have to get more consistent.”
Gooden feels the same way about the Yankees, who he says are playing not to lose.
“You just have to have confidence you’re going to win,” he said. “When you go out there and try not to lose, you put a lot of pressure on yourself -- they just have to take things one game at a time, sometimes all it takes is getting back to the basics.”
Both teams will look to get back on track on Saturday.
The Mets face off with right-hander Tobias Myers in Milwaukee, while Luis Gil makes his second start of the season against ace left-hander Framber Valdez in the Bronx.
The offseason appears all but wrapped up for the Knicks, coming off some housekeeping items in filling out their coaching staff and signing Mikal Bridges to an extension.
They still don’t have a full roster, however, with an open spot to sign one of their second-round picks and another to add a veteran on a minimum deal. The latter has been cause for speculation, with a few intriguing targets available and multiple needs the Knicks could potentially address.
Here are their options for the last veteran’s minimum spot and who might be the most valuable this season...
Ben Simmons
According to ClutchPoints’s Brett Siegel, the Knicks are favorites to land Simmons, the former first overall pick, Rookie of the Year and perennial All-NBA Defensive First Team selection.
Unfortunately, fans expecting that level of production are likely to be disappointed, as Simmons hasn’t been the same since his back issues and holdout season.
In fact, he hasn’t been a fraction of his former effectiveness. In his three seasons since, Simmons hasn’t eclipsed 51 games played or seven points per game in those games, totaling twice as many turnovers as free throws.
Simmons can still push the ball off a defensive rebound and bring it up in the half-court, but has lost all aggressiveness on offense. He rarely looks to drive and when he does, it’s rare he actually attacks the rim with any real intent to score or draw in the defense.
He can screen and make connective plays from there, a tantalizing prospect under Mike Brown’s Domantas Sabonis playbook -- but this and some decent defense won’t make him anything more than a spot minutes specialist.
Even his defense has slid off a cliff, lacking the foot speed to stay with quicker guards and the verticality and imposition around the rim to protect it. There’s a reason his playoff minutes quickly descended to multiple DNP’s as the Clippers learned of his decline the hard way.
That said, none of the available options are the swing piece between the Knicks winning a championship and falling short, and Simmons represents the highest upside and biggest frame of the bunch, which makes his case viable.
Malcolm Brogdon
New York beefed up its guard position with the addition of Jordan Clarkson, rounding out their rotation of Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride and Tyler Kolek. Kolek looked the part as a break-glass-in-emergency point guard last season, and is in line to fill that role as the team’s fourth guard this year.
If the Knicks have any reservations, signing Brogdon would be a nice insurance policy on their backcourt options. Like Simmons, he’s likely past his prime but can provide some reliable playmaking.
Unlike Simmons, he’s only two years removed from winning Sixth Man of the Year and currently has some more credible NBA skills. Brogdon is a career 38.8 percent shooter from three and has evolved into more of a distributor in his last few seasons.
His numbers have been otherwise unimpressive as of late, but he’s spent two years mired in unclear roles in rebuilding situations. Putting him in position to help more sporadically for a championship chaser may be just the thing he needs to have a strong year.
This minimum contract may be better utilized at a position of more value or need, as the Knicks can always lean on Kolek or their non-guards to facilitate. If they’re dead-set on a guard, Brogdon isn’t their only option.
May 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) runs down the court after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half during game one of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Russell Westbrook
Westbrook looks like a long shot, given rumors don’t tie him to New York and there’s no clear path to consistent minutes in this rotation. With that being said, he’s proven much more impactful than Brogdon or Simmons in recent years, and would be an absolute firecracker of an add if the Knicks pulled it off.
What Westbrook’s lost in athleticism and scoring efficiency, he’s learned to make up for with his defensive tenacity and high-motor play. He does not take a play, let alone a game, off, and is always full tempo when he’s on the court.
These are valuable things to bring off your bench, especially in a limited role on a small deal, it’s just unlikely Westbrook takes one with three guards ahead of him on the depth chart. Fun to think about, especially in the context of a slower Knicks team, but not much else to consider here.
Thomas Bryant
One position the Knicks may want to heavily consider using this spot for is the center spot. Their current rotation is made up of Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti, and if they start the double-big lineup, this essentially leaves them one backup five to start the year.
They have interesting alternative options at the center like sliding newly-signed Guerschon Yabusele down a position or playing OG Anunoby there, and can always move Robinson back to the bench. However, signing a depth piece at the position like Thomas Bryant gives them more security in case injuries hit.
Fans will remember Bryant from his timely threes against the Knicks in the conference finals. He’s now bounced between five teams in his eight-year NBA career, but can step in in a pinch with some offensive rebounding and rim deterrence.
A report from Kevin Martorano of Sportando stated that Bryant may be packing his bags for Greece, in which case the Knicks may need to turn to another center option. Other names they can target are Bol Bol and Bismack Biyombo.
Landry Shamet
Another thing this roster could use is some pure shooting, as their two offensive hubs are also their best shooters, and their role players could sometimes be iffy from range. Their two bench pickups this offseason are reliable, but nothing extraordinary from there either.
Enter Shamet, who was one of New York’s best bench pieces in 2024-25.
If he’s interested in returning on a veteran’s minimum without assured playing time, the Knicks would happily welcome back his career 38.5 percent clip from deep.
Unlike some of these other options, Shamet has some positional flexibility, with the ability to play and guard one through three. He was clutch in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, shooting 7-15 from three in the series and playing some stifling defense after not playing for essentially the entire postseason.
There’s also Delon Wright, who’s still a free agent after giving the Knicks dependable spot minutes in last year’s regular season and playoffs. He’d be another worthwhile signing if they’re looking to go smaller and more defensive.
With it now being the middle of August, NHL training camps are not too far away, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are gearing up for an interesting one. After bringing in several new players this off-season, there will be plenty of players fighting for spots on their NHL roster.
One of the most notable battles to watch at training camp this year for the Penguins is for the backup goaltender spot. With the Penguins acquiring Arturs Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks, he should compete for the backup role with Joel Blomqvist.
Silovs spent most of this past season in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks, where he posted a 14-5-1 record, a .908 save percentage, and a 2.41 goals-against average in 21 games. However, he more notably thrived in the playoffs during Abbotsford's Calder Cup championship run, recording a 16-7 record, a .931 save percentage, and a 2.41 goals-against average. With this fantastic play, he won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as AHL playoff MVP.
Given how well Silovs played in the AHL with Abbotsford, especially in the playoffs, he undoubtedly will be in the running for the Penguins' backup job. The 24-year-old has limited NHL experience, however, as he has recorded an 8-8-2 record, a 3.13 goals-against average, and a .880 save percentage in 19 career regular-season NHL games. He also appeared in 10 playoff games for Vancouver in 2024, posting a 5-5 record, a 2.91 goals-against average, a .898 save percentage, and one shutout.
Blomqvist, on the other hand, appeared in his first 15 NHL games this past season with Pittsburgh. During them, he had a 4-9-1 record, a 3.81 goals-against average, and a .885 save percentage. Overall, he had some troubles during his first NHL action, but he should compete for the Penguins' backup role at camp.
Blomqvist also played in 18 AHL games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2024-25, where he had an 8-7-3 record, a .914 save percentage, and a 2.84 goals-against average. This was after he had a 25-12-6 record, a 2.16 goals-against average, and a .921 save percentage in 45 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. With this, there is no question that he has good upside.
Nevertheless, it is going to be very interesting to see who ends up winning the Penguins' backup goalie role from here.
