The teams are out! Liverpool all in red, Forest wearing a third-choice shirt that looks awfully like a recent Manchester City number. You’ll Never Walk Alone rings out, as Liverpool principal owner John Henry and the new vice-chairman Amit Bhatia watch from the stand. We’ll be off in a minute … and that minute will see fans remember the legendary Kevin Keegan, the star of Bill Shankly’s second great team, who recently passed. The warmest applause from all four corners of the ground, a mosaic on the Kop that reads KEVIN 7, and a chant of One Kevin Keegan.
On the subject of Forest and big-money transfers … David Ornstein of the Athletic was on TNT Sports earlier, reporting the possibility of their buying 19-year-old midfield prospect Harrison Armstrong from Everton for £40m. Should that come to pass, it’ll probably result in the Hill Dickinson toppling into the Mersey, but only after the whole structure is launched a couple of miles into the air by the steam from Everton supporters’ lugs. Armstrong is extremely highly rated, but Forest have pockets full of cash after selling Elliot Anderson to Manchester City, so this one is worth keeping an eye on.
The Winnipeg Jets are under pressure. Their Vezina-winning goaltender wants out, and he’s had enough of waiting for a trade to materialize, so he went public with the trade request. That won’t make things easier for the Jets, far from it. They won’t be trading from a position of strength, and parting with Hellebuyck could force them to either rebuild or retool. It could cause some of their top players to want out.
Take Mark Scheifele, for instance. The 33-year-old right-shot center is 33 now and must be getting eager to win. At his age, you could expect him to be declining, but in the last four seasons, he’s been on an upward trend. In 2022-23, he had 68 points. The following year, he had 72; then he went up to 87 points, and last season he reached a career high with 103 points. That’s not a guy who’s started to decline. In fact, his last two seasons were the two best campaigns of his career.
Should the Jets decide to hit the reset button, there’s no doubt that the Montreal Canadiens would have plenty of futures to dangle in front of Kevin Cheveldayoff, but would it make sense for the Habs? It’s no secret that Montreal needs another top-six center, and Scheifele certainly fits that bill. Furthermore, he’s under contract for a very reasonable $8.5 million AAV, which wouldn’t unsettle the Habs’ salary structure and wouldn’t create friction. Not that bringing in a big earner would definitely create friction, but a reasonable contract eliminates any potential risk, no matter how small.
In a vacuum, Scheifele would be a great target for the Habs, but then there’s the small matter of the fact that he was the player who obliterated Jake Evans with a high elbow in the 2021 playoffs, sending him down to the ice unconscious. That made for very uncomfortable viewing for fans, and it could have had disastrous results for Evans’ career. Ever since then, Scheifele has been booed copiously in Montreal, understandably. Only five players remain on the Habs from those playoffs: Evans himself, Nick Suzuki, Josh Anderson, Phillip Danault and Cole Caufield. Would they be ok with acquiring Scheifele? Kent Hughes would certainly need to have that conversation with the players.
Furthermore, Hughes has said repeatedly that he won’t sign or acquire players who would prevent his young players from progressing. If the Canadiens are as high as they seem to be on Michael Hage, would it make sense to acquire a 33-year-old pivot who’s still under contract for five years? Initially, it wouldn’t be a bad thing; Hage would likely need some time to adapt to the NHL, and it’s doubtful that he will come in and be the Canadiens’ second center right away. That’s a huge step. For the first two seasons, having Scheifele would make sense, but after that? If Hage is ready to take the next step, does Scheifele accept being overtaken in the lineup? Will he react like Mike Matheson did when he was pushed down the depth chart? That’s another question Hughes needs to ponder. Would he be a good teammate if it came to that, or would that create trouble in the room? For the Canadiens, culture matters as much as talent; they would have to check whether he ticks that box.
Right now, Scheifele has a full no-move clause, which wouldn’t matter if he were to ask out of course, although that could mean he, too, would put the Jets in a precarious position by trying to pick where he’s going. From the 2027-28 season, however, he has only a modified no-trade clause, which requires him to provide a list of 10 teams he could be traded to. That’s a much bigger list than what we’ve seen players on a full no-movement clause give their team so far.
At this stage, it is all speculation, and it hinges on the Jets deciding to go ahead with a rebuild, which is far from certain. Winnipeg being the market that it is, it’s far from a given that ownership would embrace a rebuild. The Jets don’t always play in front of a packed building anymore; can they afford to bite the bullet and be bad for a while? That’s far from a given.
There will be no in-season international tournament this season, but the NHL All-Star Game will return for the first time since 2024 and feature an international theme.
Here is when the NHL regular season begins and the key dates for the 2026-27 season:
When does the NHL regular season begin?
The 2026-27 NHL season starts on Sept. 29 with the following five games. There will be an ESPN tripleheader in the United States and a Sportsnet doubleheader in Canada.
All times Eastern
Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes, 5 p.m. (ESPN): A meeting of the last three Stanley Cup winners. Carolina will raise a Stanley Cup banner for the first time in 20 years. Both teams lost their longtime goalies (Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky, Carolina's Frederik Andersen) to free agency.
All 32 teams will be in action on Oct. 13 and April 10.
When does Brady Tkachuk return to Ottawa?
The former Ottawa Senators captain will return on Oct. 21. He was traded to the Florida Panthers, where he's joining brother Matthew.
When does Quinn Hughes return to Vancouver?
He never did last season after his blockbuster trade to the Minnesota Wild. He will this season on Oct. 25.
When is the Heritage Classic game?
The Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens will play in the outdoor Heritage Classic on Oct. 25 at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.
When is the Hockey Hall of Fame induction?
Patrice Bergeron, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, Cindy Curley, Keith Tkachuk and Brian Burke will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 9. The Hall of Fame game will feature the New Jersey Devils playing at the Maple Leafs on Nov. 7 in Toronto.
When is the NHL Global Series?
The Carolina Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken will play in Helsinki, Finland on Nov. 12 and 14.
The Golden Knights host the Hurricanes on Dec. 20. Carolina will host Vegas on Jan. 17.
When is the Winter Classic?
The Winter Classic will be on New Year's Eve at University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. The Utah Mammoth will host the Colorado Avalanche, starting at 6 p.m. ET.
When is the NHL All-Star Game?
The NHL All-Star weekend will be Feb. 5-6, at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. The skills competition is on the 5th and the All-Star Game will be on the 6th. There are new formats this season.
When is the Stadium Series game?
The Dallas Stars and Golden Knights play in the outdoor Stadium Series game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Feb. 20.
When does Sergei Bobrovsky return to Florida?
The two-time Stanley Cup winner, who signed with Toronto in the offseason, will return on March 6.
When does John Carlson return to Washington?
The Capitals' all-time top-scoring defenseman was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks last season and will return with the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 15.
When the 2026-27 NHL season end?
It will end on April 10 with all 32 teams in action.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 9: Jake Livanavage #4 of the North Dakota Fighting Hawks and Jack Horbach #22 of the Wisconsin Badgers get tangled up in the second period during the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Frozen Four semifinal at the T-Mobile Arena on April 9, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Badgers won 2-1. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25 listing of the best young players in the organization is now complete, here it is.
There are always obvious questions for a list like this to wonder why certain players are in a spot, ahead or behind of others. It’s a tough task to sort through players who may be years away from NHL impact (if they ever get there at all) and others with more limited windows and lower ceilings but a higher chance of adding something at the NHL level in the very near future.
This year, the tiers get messy and feature some overlap of competing priorities and abilities. That’s where some of the art comes in to blend players further out with bright promise against others further along.
Generally speaking, this might help:
Tier One, 1-3: High-end, ready or very near-ready NHL players
Kindel is almost in a class by himself in the organization at this point, a step ahead of everyone else since he’s still one of the youngest and already established himself as an NHL lineup contributor. Brunicke and Murashov both are very close to joining Kindel as full-time NHL players that could be top of the lineup players in the near future. These players may or may not all end up being long-term first line star players, but right now they look like very strong bets to be key contributors and the cream of the current crop when it comes to young players in the organization.
Tier Two, 4-10: Bright prospects a little further away
The Ruck twins, who are scheduled to be in college for the 2027-28 season, are the outliers here where the majority of the rest of the group should be getting chances in the near future to show what they’ve got. Some like Rutger McGroarty and Joel Blomqvist would prefer to push up to the top category (though at this point their overall ceilings aren’t as high-end). Others like Bill Zonnon and Mikhail Ilyin are just getting started in the organization. In general, these players like the Rucks and Horcoff won’t be big factors in the very near future but are a little further out. They’re already well-regarded and have a lot going in their favor but most (though not all) just need a little more time to see how the developments go.
Tier Three, 11-15: Clock ticking on mid-level prospects
The players in this area (Hendrix Lapierre, Ville Koivunen, Avery Hayes, Tristan Broz, Owen Pickering) are getting on the clock for making a move in their individual careers. These players have been pros for several years, all will be at least 23 years old by midseason (some even older still). None have secured NHL spots going into the start of the 2026-27 season. The majority might even be the core players for Wilkes-Barre during the bulk of this season. At some point, it stands to figure that most if not all of these players will get their opportunity as a mid-season call-up during the year. From there, they’ll need to make the most of it to extend the audition. This tier has some guys where it would be really beneficial and perhaps a positive surprise to see a great training camp, but each individual on it is in a spot where they need something to stand out and gain some positive momentum. Only by hockey prospect standards can they be considered old, yet they’re starting to get there. Overall they still hold an amount of short-term organizational value since they should be at a minimum really good AHL players for the team this year, now it’s a matter of seeing, who if, any can make the most of their chances and elevate into something bigger.
Tier Four, 16-25: Distant prospects
At the end of the line are the players that are just starting out their pro careers within the last year (Jake Livanavage, Tanner Howe, Melvin Fernstrom, Finn Harding, Chase Pietilla) or even further out and playing outside of the Pens’ organization for at least the coming season (Pierce Mbuyi, Tomas Galvas, Peyton Kettles, Zam Plante, Brady Peddle, Ryan Miller). Unlike the tier above them, they are young or inexperienced enough to where time is more on their side as far as future developments are going, considering most in this year has been drafted within the last two years. This area needs to simmer for at least another year or two and hopefully they will put together some tractions as they work their way into the NHL picture one day from the bottom of the rankings.
—
Overall for the Penguins, the future looks bright. This T25U25 list is the best one for the Penguins in many moons, it wasn’t so long ago that admittedly there were some very long longshots found in the top-10 simply due to a lack of material in general (Isaac Belliveau, Filip Lindberg, Jonathan Gruden come to mind from 2021-23).
Further, even better is that Pittsburgh has acquired several young-ish players that are a little older than these prospects. Somewhat recent additions of Arturs Silovs, Egor Chinakhov, Nick Robertson, Declan Carlile, Kaeden Korczak and Elmer Soderblom are players now in the 25-26 age range that will contribute to the NHL this season and possibly beyond in some cases. They didn’t make the aged-based cut-off to be showcased in our summer series but they still represent a big chunk of the NHL roster that will be important for the short and mid-range future.
The other piece of good news is that more young talent should be flowing in the neat future. The Pens have all their future first round picks as of now. They’ll get the Rangers’ second round pick in ‘27 and have two additional second round picks in 2028 (Dallas and Colorado) to have as many as seven future top-50/60ish picks that will be added to the organization over the next 22 months. That’s subject to change based off any further future trades, but even that outlook could be considered to grow if any veterans are dealt away for high draft picks in the coming months and years.
It takes a long time for an NHL team to build up and see the long pipeline take 18-year old draft picks into what hopefully becomes young NHL-caliber talent over a 3-4-5+ year development period. The Pens are firmly investing in their development and the younger side of the organization to help pickup the mantle whenever the end of the Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin era wraps up. In the big picture, the team could use a few more elite talents that project as high-end players, but this summer’s feature put a spotlight that the team is stocking up in a big way in quantity of some pretty decent talent that they will hope to develop in the period that lies ahead.
Katie Boulter: ‘I’ve experienced it. I’m not a huge fan’
Britain’s US Open hopefuls thought they had put the grass behind them when Wimbledon finished, but the smell of it is all around Flushing Meadows and they are not happy about it.
Marijuana is legal for adults in New York and while smoking is not allowed on site, the aroma of weed wafts over some outside courts from the nearby Corona Park.
Norris: ‘I want my whole career to be with McLaren’
F1 title holder says other teams have approached him
Lando Norris has said he would like to see out his career with McLaren, as the defending Formula One world champion announced he has agreed a multi-year deal until at least 2030 with the team he described as like “a second family”.
The 26-year-old, who won his first F1 title last season, joined McLaren to make his debut in the sport in 2019. He has been with them ever since and his current contract was due to run until the end of this year. Norris emphasised that he had not countenanced leaving McLaren and had made no approaches toward other teams – although some had made advances towards him.
Filip Hrgovic singing to the press is a stark contrast to the brooding Briton who is grappling with the blinding lights of fame and glory
Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic have presented an intriguing study in contrast this week. The 21-year-old prodigy from Chatham in Kent, of Slovakian and Nigerian descent, has been a thoughtful and slightly brooding presence while the seasoned 34-year-old from Croatia has been full of sunshine and songs.
On Tuesday, Hrgovic burst into a room where a few boxing writers sat and, looking tanned without a shirt beneath his leather gilet, belted out a word-perfect version of Saturday Night at the Movies, a 1965 ditty by the Drifters.
DENVER, COLORADO - MARCH 27: Cody Williams #5 of the Utah Jazz warms up before a game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on March 27, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On another inauspicious evening in the NBA offseason, Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations, Tim Connelly, was wide awake. As first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, Minnesota traded Josh Green and cash to the Utah Jazz for Cody Williams and John Konchar.
Charania followed up by sharing that Konchar, a 30-year-old wing rebounding specialist, will see his $6.2 million contract waived-and-stretched, incurring roughly $2 million in dead cap space for the next three years. Konchar could’ve been an interesting end-of-bench option, but alas the Wolves are filled to the brim at his position.
Josh Green, who was just on a team-wide outing in France, was the unfortunate salary dump that needed to happen in order to make the Jonathan Kuminga deal legal per salary cap regulations. Despite being a potential Donte DiVincenzo replacement on the roster, Green’s $14.7 million was the only realistic salary that could be moved to make enough room for Kuminga to join via the tax-payer mid-level exception. Many had theorized if there were no takers for Green, Minnesota could have entertained a waive-and-stretch of his contract, incurring a near $5 million cap hit for three years.
Instead they nearly halved that while taking a flyer on a 21-year-old top 10 draft pick, Cody Williams.
Cody is the little brother of the Oklahoma City Thunder All-NBA wing, Jalen Williams. The younger Williams has spent his last two seasons on a tanking Utah organization who have mostly failed to develop any young talent despite multiple lottery picks.
Cody is included in that bunch.
He was billed as a long (seven-foot wingspan), athletic, triple-threat scorer out of college who knocked down over 40% of his triples in his one year at Colorado. Williams, like his brother, was a late riser during the 2024 draft process, impressing scouts with his defensive tenacity and two-way star potential. Instead of following in Jalen’s footsteps on his journey to stardom, he has fallen flat on his face, becoming one of the worst players in the NBA. Respectfully.
But all is not lost yet! Tim Connelly and his front office have always been believers in finding value in what others perceive as broken toys. Aaron Gordon, Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, Bones Hyland, LaMelo Ball, Jonathan Kuminga. These are all players that had less than stellar “reputations” among various NBA circles, yet he’s taken a leap of faith to salvage their careers. And they’ve mostly worked out.
Williams is much less of a risk than those aforementioned names, considering he’s likely not even going to figure to be in the rotation. Hell, he’s not even guaranteed to make the opening night roster. He’s on his final two years of his rookie scale contract (~$6.5 million per year). However, Cody did finally show some promise near the end of his sophomore season.
I also still have some interest in Cody Williams as a flyer. Was always a skinny project coming into the league. Thought he was pretty solid down the stretch in Utah.
Still only 21 years old. Averaged 16/4/4 in his last 20 games this year while Utah was losing. Shot 47/21/77.
According to our SB Nation sister blog, SLC Dunk, they named Cody their second most improved player of the season. They also included this nugget from Zach Lowe:
I think Cody Williams — who looked like an epic bust of a top-10 pick… has shown enough in the last couple of months that I think there’s a world in which he’s a functional eighth to tenth guy on a good Utah Jazz team. His defense is really improved. He’s a solid defender. He knows how to close out on guys short, he knows how to run guys off the arc, he’s extremely well balanced.
The Wolves now have 14 players under contract, and all three two-way spots filled. That leaves one potential spot to be filled, though many teams often leave a spot open for flexibility. If we know anything about Connelly though, things can change on a dime, but this could be what Minnesota’s roster will look like come opening night.
Aug 28, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder Lars Nootbaar (21) reacts after hitting a solo home run during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Game Summary
The Diamondbacks offense had scored 8 runs in their last 4 games combined, but came out and ambushed Giants starter Blade Tidwell for 6 runs in the first 3 innings of the game. They then added another 4 against the Giants bullpen, but 10 runs was not enough to turn this game into a laugher because Kohl Drake, fresh off the Reno Express, had another rough outing.
The Diamondbacks got things started off right with a leadoff homer by Lars Nootbaar, a direct contrast to how last night’s game started with a leadoff dinger for the Giants, and that kicked off an offensive night that saw all but 2 D-Backs starters get a hit and the entire team combined for 12 hits and 2 BB. Nootbaar led the way finishing a triple short of the cycle, but Tim Tawa (3 RBI), Nolan Arenado, and James McCann also had multi-hit games. Ildemaro Vargas also got a 2 RBI base knock, turning his bat into kindling in the process. A total effort from the lineup, including great situational hitting indicated by going 4/7 with RISP and a Sac Fly, was sorely needed because the starting pitching was less than ideal.
Kohl Drake wasn’t terrible tonight, but his final line of 5 ER across 4 IP is terrible. It was great to see Drake consistently throwing strikes for much of the night, but he really had issues getting the third out of the inning. Of the 5 runs Drake allowed, 4 came with 2 outs. There was a pair of 2 out homers accounting for 3 of those runs and the 4th came home via 2-out double to score a runner who was at first thanks to a HBP. The only run Drake didn’t give up with 2 outs was an inning of perfectly executed small ball by the Giants. The Giants were really good at maximizing their scoring opportunities early on in this game because it never really felt like Drake was in a stressful situation.
What is probably going to catch a lot of comments will be the bullpen usage tonight. Part of this is on Drake for not being able to soak up more innings when then the offense staked him to a 6-2 lead halfway through the 3rd inning, but I suspect many will find issue with Torey’s bullpen usage on the day before a double-header. It’s not like we have Pfaadt and E-Rod going in this twin-bill tomorrow, either. The Merrill and Bratt the probable starters, we would reasonably expect the bullpen to need to cover 9+ innings tomorrow. After tonight, I hope that’s not the case.
The bullpen did well tonight, but Torey threw every pitcher who didn’t toss in last night’s loss (with the exception of J-Mart), plus burning Loaisiga for the second night in a row. Unfortunately, the pitchers who went tonight weren’t economical with their pitches, so now we’re looking at the prospect of all of these guys having to come back out at some point tomorrow after throwing 20+ pitches. The good thing is, unless there are some nagging injuries that the staff is protecting, everyone but Loaisiga will probably be available tomorrow. I was certainly hoping that Drake could’ve gone back out for the 5th to try and shave one more inning off the bullpen’s load tonight, but Torey managed the game in front of him first, which is likely the correct call, and he came away with W today. Tomorrow may be interesting, but that is tomorrow’s problem. Tonight, the Diamondbacks got a win and gained ground in the Wild Card.
Win Probability and Box Score
Outside the Box Score
Lars Nootbar has had a rough go of it at the start of his Diamondbacks tenure, but he got tonight started off with a bang when he deposited the first pitch of the game all the way in the D-Backs’ bullpen, 432 feet from home plate!
Jordan Lawlar showed good range and athleticism to make a foot-first sliding catch in left-center to record the first out of the game for Kohl Drake.
Drake only needed 10 pitches to record his first 3 outs, but one of those pitches was an inner-third slider left thigh-high to Bryce Eldridge who sent it to the concourse above the right field wall for a game-tying solo homer, nearly splashing it into McCovey Cove. An efficient inning, but not a shutdown inning.
Jung Hoo Lee led off the second with a seeing eye single past Ildemaro Vargas, then stole second just barely beating the throw from McCann before getting moved to third by a weak ground out to first base. That set up the Giants with a runner at third and less than 2 outs and they cashed in with a sac fly to right. Drake did nothing wrong, the Giants just did everything perfectly that half inning to get a run across.
Lars doubled into the right-center gap in his second AB of the game. The exit velocities on his first 2 hits were 109.9 (HR) and 110.3 (2B).
Corbin Carroll’s homer in the third came after he fell down in the count 1-2, worked his way to a full count, then smashed a middle-middle fastball to dead center.
Nolan Arenado’s double in third was a bouncer that was ruled to bounce over third base in fair territory even though it landed in foul territory. Earlier in the game, the same umpire, standing about 10 feet behind third base on the foul line, had to duck underneath a high chopper down the line that he ended up ruling foul. Torey called him out on it from the dugout, and I think that the umpire was cognizant of that the next time a similar situation presented itself. Tony Vitello, the Giants manager, was tossed in between innings arguing that foul ball call.
Tim Tawa’s 3-run homer, following the Arenado double, was a bomb into the left field bleachers that flew 419 feet.
Kohl Drake came out in the bottom of the third, after being given a 4-run lead, and struck out the first 2 hitters and got up 0-2 on Rafael Devers before losing Devers to HBP, then letting him score on a Bryce Eldridge double to the wall in left-center. So close to shutdown inning, but “close don’t count in baseball. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.”
Kohl’s 2-run homer allowed in the 4th was set up, once again, by a 2-out free pass. Drake got the first 2 outs fairly easily, but then walked the 7-hole hitter on 5 pitches before allowing a first pitch homer just inside the left field foul pole to the next hitter.
Corbin earned a leadoff walk in the 5th, but then the Snakes’ 3-4-5 hitters all popped out to varying depths to render it harmless.
After Gerrardo Carrillo walked the first batter he faced on 4 pitches, he struck out Devers looking on a full count Sweeper that appeared to be well outside the strike zone. Devers brought his hand up to his chin as if he were about to challenge, then decided against it and kept his hand pressed against his chest on his walk back to the dugout. A lucky break for the Snakes.
More fair-foul shenanigans struck in the top of the 6th when Tim Tawa popped up into no man’s land down the first base line. Rafael Devers almost made a great over the shoulder catch but the ball hit off the heel of his glove. The play was made right on top of the foul line as Devers was sprinting into foul ground and the call was immediately fair ball. Very, very close, but we’ll take it.
Ildemaro Vargas got a 2-RBI base hit on a broken bat bleater into shallow right field. The bat was completely sawed off and the exit velocity was in the mid-sixties, but it did the job.
Ildemaro Vargas (and the coaching staff) can be credited with the third run that crossed the plate in the 6th inning for the Snakes. Lars Nootbaar smoked a single into right field which was being manned by JH Lee. Vargas was just reaching second when Lee fielded the ball but he obviously knew that Lee was unlikely to throw him out at third so Vargas made the hard turn and cruised into the extra base without a throw. Corbin paid that aggressiveness off with a sac fly to score Ildemaro right after.
There were quite a few challenges in this game, with the Giants accounting for 5 by themselves through the first 5 innings and they had a 100% success rate. They finally missed their first challenge in the 6th inning challenging a called ball that was confirmed to miss by 0.1”.
Geraldo Perdomo’s stolen base in the 7th was thanks to a VERY early takeoff from first. The catcher started to try and get the pitcher to step off, but the pitcher didn’t see it in time and proceeded with the pitch. Domo was in standing up without a throw. He then came around to score on a McCann RBI single.
After the Giants runner at first base reached second on an errant pickoff throw in the 8th inning, Geraldo Perdomo gifted the Giants an extra out and runner when he misfired on what should’ve been a 6-3 putout for the 2nd out of the inning. Instead there were runners at the corners and 1 out.
Comment of the Game
A light Friday night GameDay Thread with a total of 173 comments at time of publishing. Very few Sedona Red comments tonight which made COTG is fairly easily awarded to VW Beetle for his comment after Lars got our Friday night started off right:
Coming Up
The Diamondbacks face the Giants twice tomorrow to finish out this four-game set and the season series. The first game in the twin bill will start at 1:05pm and the second will start at 7:05pm. During the game, the broadcast speculated Merrill will be starting the nightcap and Mitch Bratt will be taking the mound in the first game. During the postgame coverage, it was announced that it will actually be Merrill getting the ball first and Bratt coming out for the late game. I’m not positive of the strategy one way or the other, perhaps it is just more likely that Merrill gives the Snakes a good outing and then Torey will know exactly who he can play with and how far he has to push Bratt if things aren’t going well.
Scoreboard Watching
Not a bad night on the NL Wild Card scoreboard:
Cubs lost to the Reds at home. They are now 1 game ahead of Philly for the 1st WC and 4.5 games up on AZ.
Phillies beat the Angels thanks to a 2 out Grand Slam in the 9th. The Phillies remain in the 2nd WC and are 3.5 games up on AZ.
Padres lost to the Rays and are now just a half-game ahead of AZ for the final WC.
Marlins lost to the Nationals and are now 3.5 GB of AZ.
The Cardinals beat the Pirates are still 4 games back of AZ.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - APRIL 10: Cody Williams #5 of the Utah Jazz handles the ball during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on April 10, 2026 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Late Friday night, Shams Charania reported that the Jazz and Wolves had completed a trade:
The Minnesota Timberwolves are trading Josh Green and cash to the Utah Jazz for Cody Williams and John Konchar, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/9mZTm4amkH
One of the most persistent questions in Jazzland over the past two years or so looms large: Is Cody Williams a bust? If you are Justin Zanik and/or Austin Ainge, it appears the answer is yes. After being drafted in the lottery, being out-physicaled for most of his rookie year, showing limited progress in his sophomore year, and struggling this summer in most of his Salt Lake and Vegas Summer League runs, Cody has been shipped north(east). This gives Minnesota a young prospect who still has the ability to turn the corner with a scenery change, a solid “glue guy” in John Konchar and, most importantly, some financial relief:
Swapping out Josh Green for Cody Williams/John Konchar puts Minnesota $6.489M below the second apron hard cap.
In return, the Jazz get a 6th-year shooting guard who shoots accurately (career 39% 3PT) but not at high volume. He defends serviceably, posting a career Defensive Rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) of 117. Much like last year’s Colin Sexton/Jusuf Nurkić trade, this may end up being a case of addition by subtraction. There was nothing wrong with Colin Sexton—he is a good basketball player—but he wasn’t a good fit. As a bonus, Nurk turned out to be a fantastic fit. Now the rotations will be even more open for Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, and Keyonte George.
The Jazz are not bringing Josh Green in to play 25 minutes per night. He is here a) to make the salaries work and b) to provide a modest boost off the bench as an 8th 0r 9th man. He’s a solid player who knows his role and plays it well:
For their part, Timberwolves fans will point to Cody’s flashes of brilliance over his short career to this point:
Jazz Cody Williams career-high 34 PTS (12-20 FG, 3-7 3P, 7-8 FT), 7 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK vs. Kings
— Role Player Performances (@BenchHighlights) March 16, 2026
We at the Dunk wish Cody and John the best of luck as they each start their new chapters in Minnesota, as so many other Jazz players before them have. Once a Jazzman, always a Jazzman. Despite the unfortunate parting of ways, Utah’s future is brighter than it’s ever been. For now, this trade looks like a “win-win,” something which is rare in the market these days. 53 days remain until we can begin to find out.
Arizona Cardinals linebacker BJ Ojulari (9) signs autographs parking lot of Lambeau Field before a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 26, 2026, in Green Bay, Wis. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
The Arizona Cardinals wrapped up their preseason tonight in Green Bay and now they prepare for the regular season.
Part of the preparation is getting the roster down to 53, and as that is happening, also working the waiver wire to add players they think can help them in 2026 and maybe even beyond.
How does the NFL Waiver Wire Work?
A nice explainer from our friends at Buffalo Rumblings:
Players with less than four accrued seasons who are waived are subject to the waiver wire, where any team that claims them picks up their current contract. Any player claimed off the waiver wire must added to the claiming team’s active 53-man roster. If they pass through waivers unclaimed, they become free agents and are free to sign with any team’s practice squad they choose, which includes their prior team.
The waiver order is set by the original 2026 NFL Draft order for the first three weeks of the season, one that does not include trades, which means the Arizona Cardinals are third in the waiver wire priority.
Full Waiver Order
Las Vegas Raiders
New York Jets
Arizona Cardinals
Tennessee Titans
New York Giants
Cleveland Browns
Washington Commanders
New Orleans Saints
Kansas City Chiefs
Cincinnati Bengals
Miami Dolphins
Dallas Cowboys
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Indianapolis Colts
Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings
Carolina Panthers
Green Bay Packers
Pittsburgh Steelers
Los Angeles Chargers
Philadelphia Eagles
Jacksonville Jaguars
Chicago Bears
Buffalo Bills
San Francisco 49ers
Houston Texans
Los Angeles Rams
Denver Broncos
New England Patriots
Seattle Seahawks
Make sure to check out our friends over at FanDuel Sportsbook to get all your Arizona Cardinals season long props and picks in before the season starts.
Rabbitoh granted NRL dispensation to appear in 99th game for club
Forward will join 100 club next week against Roosters
Jai Arrow made a brief but heartwarming return to an NRL field on Saturday as the forward brought up his 99th game for South Sydney Rabbitohs in an emotionally charged appearance that paves the way for him to reach his 100-game milestone next week.
Arrow was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) earlier this year and immediately announced his retirement from rugby league, leaving him on 98 appearances for the club.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 28: Coby Mayo #16 of the Baltimore Orioles hits an RBI single during the top of the 10th inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on August 28, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For those who stayed up well into Saturday morning to watch the opener of this Orioles-Athletics series, well, I wouldn’t exactly say you witnessed an instant classic. There was a whole lot of silly baseball going on. Baserunning blunders. Defensive butchery. Inexplicable managerial decisions. The Orioles couldn’t score more than two runs in regulation against the league’s worst pitching staff, and let a late lead slip away.
But in the end, Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand saved the Orioles’ bacon with back-to-back RBI singles in the top of the 10th, and Alex Hoppe hung on in the bottom half for his first career save, bringing a happy ending to an often bewildering game. To quote Camden Chat commenter Knightley: “This game was so stupid, but at least we won.”
If you were expecting the Orioles to storm into Sacramento and easily put away the third-worst team in baseball, well, you don’t know the Orioles. Every game seems to be a struggle for the Birds, no matter the quality of the opponent. You might think that the O’s, after scoring 26 runs in three games in St. Louis, could at least keep up their offensive momentum against an awful Athletics pitching staff, whose 5.75 ERA entering the game was the worst in the American League. Again, you’d be wrong.
In the first nine innings against these supposedly atrocious A’s pitchers, the Orioles scored two (2) runs. That’s it. Both came in a weird top of the second inning against Athletics starter Jacob Lopez. The lefty’s first pitch drilled Coby Mayo in the shoulder, and later he walked Leody Taveras on four pitches. With two down, Dylan Beavers — starting against a lefty for only the fifth time this year — delivered a clutch hit, roping an RBI single to right to plate Mayo with the game’s first run.
Then things went haywire. Carlos Narváez tapped a 43-mph dribbler down the first base line. It should have been a simple task for Lopez to simply pick the ball up and tag out Narváez on his way to first, but somehow the A’s hurler let the ball pop out of his glove, then collided with Narváez in the baseline, leading to visits from both team’s trainers (both players stayed in). Taveras scored on the error, extending the O’s lead to 2-0.
The Orioles nearly caught a break on the next play, too, when Blaze Alexander’s slow grounder to first bounced off the bag for a gift infield single, but Beavers foolishly tried to score from second on the play — first hesitating around the third-base bag, then ignoring Buck Britton’s stop sign and charging headlong into an easy out at the plate. What was that, Dylan? The wild and not particularly well played half-inning was over with the O’s ahead.
To be honest, the Orioles should have done way more damage against Lopez. His pitch count was inflated from the get-go. He was so covered in sweat that he looked like he’d just climbed out of the pool. The Orioles had traffic on the bases almost constantly. But somehow they didn’t score again versus Lopez, who managed to gut out five full innings on exactly 100 pitches. The Orioles’ luck didn’t improve against the Athletics’ league-worst bullpen, either. Former Oriole Scott Blewett kept them scoreless for two innings, and Luis Medina fired a perfect eighth. You just knew the Orioles’ inability to add on runs was going to come back to haunt them.
For a while, Brandon Young made the lack of run support not matter. The right-hander, who had been showing signs of fatigue in recent starts, tonight delivered his finest outing of the month. He worked seven full innings for the first time since July 19, shutting down an A’s lineup that is missing several of its key hitters due to injury.
Young set the tone for his excellent outing by throwing just five pitches in the first inning to retire the A’s 1-2-3. Three of his first four innings were perfect, and he worked through a second-inning jam by stranding two baserunners. It wasn’t until the sixth that Young showed any signs of tiring; he gave up a two-out infield single and walked Lawrence Butler after getting ahead 0-2 in the count. But after a quick meeting on the mound, Young retired Tommy White on a fly to center to keep the shutout intact.
That ended an inning later. Young was one out away from getting through seven scoreless when former O’s farmhand Jonah Heim laced a solo home run to right field, cutting the lead to 2-1. But Brandon finished the inning to complete his seven-inning gem: one run, five hits, four strikeouts. If the O’s bullpen could hold it, Young was in line for his 10th win of the year.
Spoiler: the O’s bullpen could not, in fact, hold it. Rico Garcia, who’s been pitching much better of late after his midseason swoon, sadly reverted to his ineffective form in the eighth. After getting ahead of leadoff man Henry Bolte 0-2, Garcia missed badly with a four-seam fastball and plunked it off of Bolte’s helmet. Scary stuff there, but Bolte was able to stay in the game. Jeff McNeil followed with a single, and suddenly the O’s were in all sorts of trouble.
After Zack Gelof bunted both runners into scoring position, Lawrence Butler lashed a sharp single to left. Bolte scored the tying run and McNeil too steamed homeward, intent on putting the Athletics ahead. But Beavers came up firing and uncorked perhaps the best throw he’s ever made in the majors, a cannon to the plate that nailed McNeil for a huge second out. The A’s had erased the O’s lead, but Dylan’s heroics prevented them from taking a lead of their own. Yennier Cano relieved Garcia to get the final out and keep the game tied.
Each team’s closer worked a scoreless ninth — Hogan Harris for the A’s, Andrew Kittredge for the O’s — to send the game to extras. And that’s when the Orioles’ bats finally woke up, though the inning featured its share of head-scratching decisions on both sides. The Birds’ free runner was Narváez, who’d made the final out of the ninth.
Despite Gunnar Henderson being available on the bench, O’s manager Craig Albernaz didn’t pinch-run for the lead-footed Narváez, who represented the go-ahead run. Even more bizarrely, Albernaz did have Henderson pinch-run for Pete Alonso at first base after he was intentionally walked with one out. Why would you put the speedy guy as the trail runner but leave a plodding oaf as the lead runner? And don’t get me started on Albernaz’s repeated failure to have Henderson or Samuel Basallo pinch-hit for Narváez in big spots throughout the game. This was not the finest game of Albernaz’s already not-great managerial career.
But enough complaining. It all worked out, because A’s manager Mark Kotsay (on his bobblehead night) made the bad decision to let southpaw Brady Basso face lefty-mashers Mayo and Encarnacion-Strand. Mayo was the first to come through, roping a single to right field. This is where Albernaz’s poor pinch-running tactics nearly cost him, as Narváez likely would’ve been cut down at the plate by any kind of decent throw. But the right fielder Butler got too excited and booted the ball, allowing the run to score.
Encarnacion-Strand was up next and, as usual, came through in a big spot. He ripped an opposite-field single of his own to plate Henderson, giving the Orioles an all-too-valuable insurance run (which they ended up needing). CES does it again! Remember when the O’s acquired this guy for cash considerations? I’d say they won that trade.
With all of the Orioles’ highest leverage relievers already used, it was up to Alex Hoppe to try to convert his first career save opportunity in the 10th. The rookie right-hander got the job done, though it’s a good thing he had the extra run. Hoppe dispatched Bolte on strikes and McNeil on a flyout before Gelof sizzled a single to center, scoring the free runner to make it a 4-3 game. But Hoppe recovered to retire Butler on a grounder to second, ending this exhausting but ultimately successful game. With the Guardians losing earlier in the day, the Orioles are now just two games back for the third wild card.
Who is your Most Birdland Player, Camden Chatters? Mayo? CES? Hoppe? Young? Maybe Beavers for the game-saving throw and the RBI single, if his baserunning blunder doesn’t disqualify him? Let us know in the comments.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 08: A detail view of the Kansas City Chiefs logo on a helmet on set during a production shoot at The University of Kansas Health System Training Complex on June 08, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On Sunday, all 32 NFL teams will cut their offseason rosters to 53 players, concluding the 2026 preseason.
The following day, the waiver wire process will begin. Here’s what to know:
When is the deadline for waiver claims?
NFL teams must submit waiver claims for eligible players by 1 PM ET on Monday, August 31. That’s a little less than 24 hours after the official cutdown deadline on Sunday.
After waivers process shortly after 12:00 p.m. Arrowhead time, the remaining players will become free agents and can be signed to practice squads or other rosters.
Which players are eligible for waivers?
When determining waiver eligibility, there are two types of players. Those with less than four “credited” seasons are subject to waivers and are subject to claims before becoming free agents. Those with four or more credited seasons are considered “vested veterans” and are not subject to waivers. Once released, they immediately become free agents and are eligible to sign with whomever they wish.
A “credited” season is different from an “accrued” season. The latter is used to determine if players become Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs), Restricted Free Agents (RFAs) or Exclusive Rights Free Agents (ERFAs).
A credited season is as follows: a player must be on an active, inactive, IR, or PUP roster for three or more regular season games. A player who receives an injury settlement (or grievance) for the equivalent of three or more regular season games is also given a credited season.
DENVER , CO - AUGUST 28: Cody Schrader (25) of the Denver Broncos gains positive yards against the Minnesota Vikings during the third quarter at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Friday, August 28, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) | Denver Post via Getty Images
After the game, Head Coach Sean Payton referenced the popular singing competition show The Voice when talking about the preseason finale. When asked about his message to players on the roster bubble and why the last preseason game matters, he told reporters, “Hey, make us spin the chair.”
"Hey, make us spin the chair" 🗣️
Sean Payton on his message to the players on the bubble and why the last preseason game is important 💪 pic.twitter.com/zOlfrvrUjm
One player who came out of nowhere and may have done that tonight is sixth-string running back Cody Schrader. He has played behind Dobbins, Harvey, Coleman, Badie, and McLaughlin all preseason and mostly was getting late-game work. He is likely viewed as a sure-fire cut candidate and likely a long shot for a practice squad spot.
However, after tonight, he may have made the Broncos spin that chair.
Schrader finished the night with 132 total yards from scrimmage (90 yards receiving and 42 yards rushing) and simply looked like the best player on the field. He showcased tough running and good vision, and made multiple plays in the passing game, including getting open on a broken play and catching a touchdown from quarterback Sam Ehlinger.
Realistically, this performance may not have changed much for Schrader. We have seen players have big games in the finale and not make the team or the practice squad. Former tight end Albert Okwuegbunam is a great example of this. He had a great game in the finale, and we were having this same conversation, but he was still cut hours later and did not make the practice squad.
Could things be different for Schrader? He was claimed off waivers late last season, later waived again, and then signed to the Broncos’ practice squad. He later signed a futures contract with the team in the offseason and has served as a back-of-the-roster running back depth all offseason. As I said, heading into this game, not many people had him on their radar, but he may have quickly built a fan base after tonight’s performance.
I think the Broncos will keep three running backs on their 53-man roster, and Tyler Badie will be on the practice squad. However, if they want to keep two backs on the practice squad, Schrader made a strong case for that spot tonight.
