The interminable sandpaper scandal will drag on to the next press conference, social media post or book, until it festers into something much bigger than it needs to be
There are some stories that you look back on and wonder whether we lost our collective minds. In Australia, 2018 was not a good year for banking executives, for prime ministers, for oily lord mayors and for cardinals. But the greatest betrayal of trust apparently concerned our national cricket team. There was public bawling, righteous indignation, weasel words and sanctimonious pieties. Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, flanked by a doleful Angus Taylor and a nodding firefighter, called it a “terrible disgrace”. “They now have to make sure this great national game, this great international game that is synonymous with fair play, is once again played by champions that everybody can look up to.”
Turnbull was more of a sailing man anyway. His parliamentary tenure was the political equivalent of Graeme Hick’s cricket career. By the time he’d been punted from office four months later, the Australian cricket team was being reimagined. The Ethics Centre’s 116-page document used the “Everest Process” to ascertain Cricket Australia’s alignment with its ethical framework. There were lots of charts asking how well CA was adhering to this value or that. “Mostly not lived”, “sometimes lived” and “always lived” were some of the measures. One could have saved a lot of time, money and paper and simply concluded “don’t be a prick, don’t bark like a dog when an opponent is dismissed, and don’t shove sandpaper down your dacks”.
Former Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane is heading to the KHL.
The veteran forward, who turned 35 at the beginning of August, has signed a (terms of contract and team), departing from his hometown team one year after being acquired via trade. Kane played for a total of six NHL teams throughout his career, as he also spent time with the Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks, and Edmonton Oilers.
Through 71 games played in the 2025–26 season, Kane scored 13 goals and 18 assists, good for seventh on the Canucks in points. He played in his 1000th NHL game on March 30 against the Vegas Golden Knights and celebrated the milestone on home-ice on April 4 against the Utah Mammoth — his final game as a member of the Canucks.
Vancouver’s decision to acquire Kane was polarizing to start. The Canucks traded for the forward in June of 2025, sending a fourth-round pick in last year’s draft to the Oilers in exchange. Edmonton used this pick to select forward David Lewandowski.
Since the start of his NHL career in the 2009–10 season, Kane has hit the 40-point mark a total of nine times, the most recent of which came in 2023–24 as a member of the Oilers. His current career-high in points recorded during a single season is 30 goals and 27 assists in 74 games with the Jets during the 2011–12 season.
Mar 17, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane (91) skates against the Florida Panthers in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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The Senators will get one injured player back on Tuesday night, but they'll have to wait a little longer for another as they prepare to host the Washington Capitals at Canadian Tire Centre.
Forward Ridly Greig is expected to return after missing time with an injury, giving head coach Travis Green another option up front.
However, despite Linus Ullmark's removal from injured reserve and his return to full practice, the Senators have opted to be extra cautious with their oft-injured goaler.
Embrun's Jackson Parsons discusses his mindset after his first NHL call up on Tuesday (Senators You Tube).
They've decided to give Samuel Ersson another start.
Ersson has won his last three games, allowing just four goals over that stretch. His resurgence has helped the Senators stay afloat without Ullmark, going 4-3-1 during his absence.
With Ullmark not suiting up, the Senators have recalled Jackson Parsons to be their backup on Tuesday.
21 year old rookie Carter Yakemchuk will be a healthy scratch for the fifth time in six games. The one game he did play in that stretch was because Tyler Kleven was under the weather.
The Senators enter Tuesday's game with an 11-6-1 record, good for fourth place in the Atlantic Division and ninth overall in the NHL. Washington is 9-6-0, sitting fourth in the Metro and 13th overall.
Tuesday's game also marks another return to Canadian Tire Centre for former Senators defenceman Jakob Chychrun.
The Senators traded Chychrun to Washington in the summer of 2024 in exchange for defenceman Nick Jensen and a third-round draft pick.
Two years later, the deal isn't looking great for the Senators.
Chychrun has become an important part of Washington's defence and has 11 points through his first 15 games this season. Jensen departed the Senators as a free agent this past summer and is now playing for Anaheim's AHL farm club. The third rounder was sent to LA in the Warren Foegele trade.
The Senators have since rebuilt much of their defence, but Chychrun's continued offensive production, combined with being only 28, certainly makes Sens fans wish they had more to show for his departure.
For all the attention surrounding what's expected to be Alex Ovechkin's final NHL season, the Capitals superstar hasn't exactly been lighting up the scoresheet.
Father Time comes for us all.
Now 41, one of the greatest goal scorers in hockey history has managed just one goal and four points through 15 games.
But other players have helped pick up the slack.
Dylan Strome leads the Capitals with 14 points in 15 games, followed by Alex Tuch with 13. Promising young forward Ryan Leonard has also made an impact early in his sophomore season, collecting 11 points.
Washington has also enjoyed a rhome-heavy schedule to begin the season. The Capitals have played 11 of their first 15 games at Capital One Arena, where they've compiled a 7-4-0 record. They're 2-2-0 on the road.
It's been home sweet home for the Sens at Canadian Tire Centre, posting a 6-2-0 home record.
They're coming off Saturday's 4-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth, a game in which Nick Cousins scored the winner with just 2:18 remaining.
Tim Stützle continues to lead the club offensively with 23 points, while he and Drake Batherson share the team lead with nine goals apiece.
Washington, meanwhile, is expected to use the following combinations:
Tuch – Strome – Kyrou A. Protas – Dubois – Wilson Ovechkin – Sourdif – Beauvillier Jenner – I. Protas – Leonard
Chychrun – Roy Fehervary – Liljegren Hutson – St. Ivany
Game time is 7 p.m. at Canadian Tire Centre. The game will be televised on TSN5.
Pegula eliminates Kostyuk with straight-sets victory
Gauff and Pegula remain in contention for final berth
Linda Noskova secured her place in the semi-finals of the WTA Finals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Coco Gauff on Tuesday, while Jessica Pegula knocked Marta Kostyuk out of the season-ending tournament with a straight-sets win.
The Czech, who beat Kostyuk in her opening match, has won both encounters without dropping a set and is assured of advancing to the knockout stage. Gauff and Pegula are both 1-1, with the final round-robin matches on Thursday set to determine who joins Noskova in the last four.
Ilya Safonov is headed back to the KHL. According to a report from Rick Dhaliwal of Donnie and Dhali, the Russian forward has left the Abbotsford Canucks and is headed back home. At the time of writing, it is unknown what KHL team Safonov will join, but he has spent his entire pro career in Russia with Ak Bars Kazan.
Safonov signed a one-year contract with the Canucks this past off-season. He started the year in the AHL with Abbotsford, where he posted four points in 12 games. Safonov is able to go back to the KHL, as he has a clause in his contract that allows the move.
Vancouver acquired the rights to Safonov back in 2025 from the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations. The 25-year-old was drafted 172nd overall in 2021, but did not sign with Chicago. In 331 career KHL games, Safonov has scored 65 goals and recorded 128 points.
Ilya Safonov at Vancouver Canucks Development Camp (Photo Credit: Kaja Antic/The Hockey News)
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees reacts after giving up a home run to Victor Mesa Jr. #25 of the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning in game three of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 07, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This afternoon, Brian Cashman spoke with reporters at the GM meetings in Las Vegas, revealing among other tidbits that that Max Fried recently underwent surgery to remove a bone spur from his throwing elbow. The left-hander will be able to resume throwing at some point in December and is expected to make a full recovery in time for spring training.
Fried experienced issues with his throwing arm throughout the 2026 season. He first hit the injured list in mid-May after suffering a bone bruise in his elbow in a start against the Orioles. He returned in July but only lasted about a few weeks back in the rotation before another bone bruise landed him on the IL again in mid-August. That trip to the IL was described as more precautionary than anything at the time, and indeed Fried was activated in September and was fully stretched out by the time the playoffs rolled around.
Even as Fried’s throwing arm proved troublesome, he managed to produce when on the field. Fried posted a 2.80 ERA and 2.65 FIP in 2026, both slight improvements on his stellar 2025 debut campaign with the Yankees, albeit in just 112 innings this year.
You never want to hear that your ace needs surgery, but the fact that Fried has avoided major injury, all while pitching at a high level when active, suggests he could be even better when he returns in 2027. Of course, his expectation of being back for spring training is complicated by the fact that we have no idea when spring will even start next season. In any event, whenever the season starts, the Yankees will expect a healthy and elite version of Fried.
San Jose Sharks forward Mason Marchment has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowed under the current collective bargaining agreement, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced on Tuesday morning.
At 8:52 in the third period of the Sharks’ game against the New York Islanders on Monday night, Marchment was awarded a double-minor penalty for roughing Islanders rookie Victor Eklund.
After Eklund threw a dangerous hit on Kiefer Sherwood, which was reviewed for a five-minute major but eventually it was ruled that was no penalty on the play, Marchment hit Eklund will multiple ungloved upper-cuts.
The money from Marchment’s fine goes toward the Players’ Emergency Relief Fund.
With the Department of Player Safety's ruling, Marchment is expected to be available for tomorrow night's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins since he was able to avoid suspension.
No Japanese pro team scouted Teruaki Sato out of high school.
Now, he's Japan's Triple Crown winner and he has three weeks to land an MLB contract.
Sato, 27, won the Central League Triple Crown for the Hanshin Tigers this season, hitting .306 with 39 homers and 106 RBIs, a year after he was named league MVP. No Japanese-born Tiger had ever done it. Hanshin posted him for MLB teams Nov. 1, and USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale said Sato might be the top position player in a weak free agent class. The New York Yankees, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Detroit Tigers have all been lined to him.
Front offices are in Las Vegas this week for the general manager meetings, the first big stop of the offseason.
Here's who Sato is, how good he is and which teams are really interested in him.
Who is Teruaki Sato?
Sato grew up in Nishinomiya, the city that's home to Koshien Stadium, rooting for the Tigers. He hit 15 homers as a senior at Nigawa High School, and the pros still passed on him. Kindai University did not. He moved from left field to third base in college and set the Kansai Big Six league record with 14 homers as a senior and won two league MVP awards.
Japan's draft doesn't work like MLB. In the first round, teams don't pick in order. Every team names the player it wants at the same time, and when more than one names the same player, they draw lots for him.
In 2020, four teams named Sato. He went to his hometown Hanshin Tigers.
As a rookie in 2021, he hit 24 homers and struck out 38% of the time. He became the first left-handed hitter in Japanese pro history to open a career with three straight 20-homer seasons. Then he slumped badly enough in 2024 to get sent down for 17 games.
Sato grew into the game. In 2025 he hit 40 homers with 102 RBI, and the home run and RBI titles, the MVP award and a Golden Glove at third base.
This year, he added the batting title. He hit .306/.383/.609 in 143 games, led the league with 165 hits and finished four homers ahead of teammate Shota Morishita. He's the ninth player in Japanese pro history to win a Triple Crown and the first since Munetaka Murakami in 2022. The only other Tiger to do it is Randy Bass (1985 and 1986).
Sato is the first reigning MVP position player to join MLB since Hideki Matsui in 2003.
Sato bats left, he throws right and is listed at 6-1, 207 pounds. He turns 28 in March.
How good is Teruaki Sato?
His raw numbers undersell him. Central League hitters batted .236/.301/.350 this season, and teams averaged 3.40 runs a game. Sato hit .306/.383/.609 in 143 games. Sato also plays his home game at Koshien, one of Japan's best parks for pitchers.
According to MLB.com, Sato's swing averages close to 75 miles per hour, which would rank him among MLB's top 50 hitters. His exit velocity matched Shohei Ohtani's mark in 2026.
"When he hits them, he hits them really hard," said an MLB scout who has evaluated Sato and spoke on the condition of anonymity because he isn't authorized to discuss players publicly.
The scout called Sato's raw power "definitely above average," though not Murakami's.
The concern is that he misses a lot.
Japanese baseball analyst Yuri Karasawa found that Sato swings more than nearly any notable hitter in Japan over the past five years. He made contact on 66% of his swings this season. The MLB average is 77%.
"In-zone fastball misses are an issue," the scout said.
His glove is the other question. He won a Golden Glove at third base in 2025, but some have speculated that Sato will have to move to a corner outfield or first base in the future. The scout who spoke to USA TODAY Sports thinks Sato can stay at third with work, and noted that he has played corner outfield before and runs well enough to handle it.
"I do like Sato," the scout said, "but he comes with the Murakami risk."
The Chicago White Sox took that risk last winter with Murakami and gave him a two-year, $34 million deal. Then he went out and hit 35 homers as a rookie while batting .207 and striking out 35.4% of the time. Kazuma Okamoto signed for four years and $60 million with the Toronto Blue Jays and hit 33 homers with 92 RBI.
There are plenty of teams that were kicking themselves this season for passing on Murakami.
Which MLB teams want Teruaki Sato?
The Yankees have the clearest need. Ryan McMahon hit .213 with 11 homers and a .635 OPS at third base this season. They have expressed concern about whether Sato can remain at third base internally.
The Mets looked like the favorite for months. President of baseball operations David Stearns flew to Japan to scout Sato in person after the Mets' season ended. Then Bo Bichette opted into his $42 million salary for 2027.
The Phillies need a third baseman with Alec Bohm a free agent. The Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported that the Tigers have scouted Sato. The Dodgers, Red Sox and Padres have been linked to him, too.
Will Teruaki Sato sign before the MLB lockout?
Players posted from Japan normally get 45 days to sign. Sato's window opened Nov. 2 and would run through Dec. 16.
It won't get that far. The collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 ET on Dec. 1, and a lockout freezes every signing. The league has said it will not pause the posting window this time.
The last lockout went the other way. In 2021-22, MLB froze Seiya Suzuki's window for all 99 days of the lockout and he signed for five years and $85 million with the Cubs once it ended
The Buffalo Sabres goaltending situation has stabilized after the Connor Hellebuyck deal to New Jersey, as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis have played well enough between the pipes, and veteran Alex Lyon is poised to return to active duty after missing the first quarter of the season with a shoulder injury.
After last season, the Sabres resolved their goaltending depth dilemma by dealing Devon Levi to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2028 third-round pick. The writing was on the wall for Levi’s tenure with Buffalo after the club claimed Ellis off of waivers from St. Louis just prior to the start of last season. Buffalo demoted the 24-year-old Rochester after training camp because he was waiver exempt, and did not get an NHL look for the first time since signing with the Sabres in 2023.
“I knew there was a good chance of getting traded. So on July 1, I had my phone in hand,” Levi said. “My agents had a few conversations with them (Buffalo). So we knew that one guy was moving. When I heard it was Edmonton, I was pumped. Like, I was so happy.”
Levi appeared to be a fallback option to veteran Tristan Jarry and Stanley Cup winning free agent Frederik Andersen, but Jarry struggled early on and Andersen started the season on injured reserve. The former Sabre has seized his opportunity with Edmonton, as he is 8-1-0, with a 2.75 GAA and .899 save % after a 3-1 win over the NY Rangers on Monday.
“That's why I'm here, right? The last line of defence,” Levi said. “I kind of embrace that. I love it. If we played a perfect game, we wouldn't need a goalie. And they’ve got my back when I need them to—which isn’t much. We usually play really good.”
It is unknown whether Levi has wrestled away the starter’s job in Edmonton permanently, as Andersen, who was excellent during the Carolina Hurricanes run to the Stanley Cup, has not played a game yet, but it will be difficult for Mike Babcock to not start him if he keeps winning games.
On the Sabres front, head coach Lindy Ruff indicated after practice on Tuesday that Lyon will accompany the club on their six-game road trip that begins on Thursday in Chicago.
Chicago Cubs pitcher Ben Brown underwent successful cervical spine surgery Monday, according to a source familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly. Brown is expected to start a throwing progression in the new year, and the hope is he will be ready for game action during the first half of the 2027 season.
So, this can probably be viewed as good news. Brown had a neck issue in 2024 that apparently was mis-diagnosed, and it recurred last summer and finally the team got a proper diagnosis:
When the issue recurred in 2026, the original diagnosis of a stress reaction in his neck was confirmed. The surgery was a proactive procedure involving Brown’s C5 vertebra, done with the belief that it would speed up healing in the area.
Brown was having a breakout season as a starter when this issue ended his season in June. After a rough outing in relief on Opening Day against the Nationals, when Jacob Young hit the very first 2026 pitch thrown by Brown for a home run, Brown posted a 1.67 ERA and 0.928 WHIP and allowed just one more home run among 252 batters faced, and struck out 62. He was beginning to anchor the rotation at the time of the injury.
Based on this report, Brown could be back early in 2027, and who knows? If the upcoming lockout does cancel games, maybe he won’t miss any games at all. As always, we await developments.
DETROIT, MI - APRIL 5: Jojo Romero #59 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the sixth inning at Comerica Park on April 5, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We live in a world where many things don’t make sense. The St. Louis Cardinals and JoJo Romero being interested in a reunion is one thing that does.
In case you missed it, the rumor mill started spinning when MLB Trade Rumors reported that the St. Louis Cardinals had an interest in bringing JoJo Romero back. That news was added to by Jeff Jones who said that he had sources telling him that JoJo Romero was also interested in becoming a Cardinal again.
DG reporting this morning that the Cardinals have an interest in a reunion with JoJo Romero. Source this afternoon told me that interest is definitely mutual. We’ll see if that’s enough to get a deal done. https://t.co/TOUxMyvthr
The numbers don’t lie. JoJo Romero’s first half with the Cardinals continuing through his World Series run with the Brewers was impressive.
Games Pitched (G) 55 Record (W-L) 3–3 Earned Run Average (ERA) 3.36 Innings Pitched (IP) 56.1 Strikeouts (SO) 54 Walks (BB) 18 WHIP 1.22 FIP 3.97
He was a key part of the Milwaukee Brewers playoff run, too. Over 8 relief appearances in the playoffs, he registered a 1.13 ERA with 11 strikeouts across 8.0 innings pitched.
What would a potential JoJo Romero contract look like?
I’ve seen estimates that he’d likely be seeking a 2-year contract somewhere in the neighborhood of $13 million dollars. JoJo is 30 years old right now. He does have a history with some injury issues including left forearm flexor inflammation in September of 2024 and left patellar tendinitis in his knee back in September of 2023 not to mention Tommy John surgery in March of 2022, but appendicitis this past July with the Cardinals was his only real recent issue. I agree with the commenters that he would not only be a solid arm for the relief staff, but would also be a good influence on the young arms that will be traveling north from Memphis.
The only question I have is whether the Cardinals will have to get into a bidding war to win his services back. There are reports that the Milwaukee Brewers might want JoJo back on their staff and the Minnesota Twins and San Francisco Giants might also be interested. I think JoJo’s return to the Cardinals makes sense on every level. I’ll be very surprised if we don’t learn his fate before the end of November with the likely work stoppage looming on December 1.
So the Sixers decided to have a little fun with the growing controversy when the Celtics took the floor for their morning shootaround at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. The song, "Why Can't We Be Friends?" by War played on the public address system as the 76ers were on the court, according to video taken by reporters in attendance.
Brown and Tatum spent nine seasons together with the Celtics and won an NBA championship in 2022. But their fruitful on-court partnership has devolved into a war of words off the floor now that they're on rival teams.
Brown raised the temperature significantly last month with two public reveals regarding the offseason move. He initially posted an emoji of a blue hat – which is another way to say cap, or slang that someone is being dishonest – to a video on social media in which Tatum said he was caught off guard by the July trade. Brown then told reporters on Oct. 24, "There’s no beef, but it might be a little lamb chops and some gravy, and he should stay ready at all times."
The two nonetheless appeared to avoid each other when the Sixers and Celtics met in the preseason. Brown did not play in the Oct. 16 exhibition game, but both players warmed up on opposite sides of the floor and did not acknowledge each other, at least not publicly. Despite winning a title together, speculation about the partnership followed them throughout much of their time in Boston.
Tensions between the former teammates intensified after Brown became a fixture in offseason trade rumors. When the Celtics ultimately dealt him to Philadelphia in a blockbuster move, the spotlight on his relationship with Tatum only grew.
The Sixers are off to a 9-2 start heading into Tuesday's game, and acquiring Brown helped convince LeBron James to sign with Philadelphia over several other suitors. The Celtics, who got Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks in the deal, are right below the Sixers in the Eastern Conference standings with Tatum averaging more than 27 points per game and on pace to set a career high for assists.
The good vibes and serious undertones made the Sixers' attempt at comic relief during shootaround feel all the more appropriate. Watch what happened here:
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 09: Head coach JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena on November 09, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Despite missing Luka Dončić Sunday against the Detroit Pistons and Austin Reaves Monday against the Atlanta Hawks, the Los Angeles Lakers went on the road for a back-to-back set and won both games over two of the Eastern Conference’s top-four seeds.
On Sunday, Reaves’ 43 points led the Lakers while Dončić‘s 32-point, 10-assist double-double paced them Monday night. But in both outings, Los Angeles’ depth played crucial roles to fill the void vacated by the absence of a star guard. Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton and Ziaire Williams all delivered, helping propel Los Angeles to a pair of impressive road victories — and head coach JJ Redick recognized their efforts.
“I think the last two games, great examples of next guy up,” Redick told reporters postgame Monday. “…I thought Collin did a really nice job of attacking the paint and scoring. Giving us some juice, especially there in the first half. Sandro, his best game as a Laker and whatever he had, 23 points. That was awesome. Made some big time plays. I thought the two defensive rebounds he got there in the last few minutes were as big as any play he made all night.”
Walker Kessler filled up the stat sheet across both games, averaging 16.5 points, 13 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steals to fortify the interior on both ends. His rebounding, finishing, rim protection and quick decision-making are integral to Los Angeles’ 10-2 start this season.
Of course, Dončić and Reaves will shepherd the Lakers’ success — as they have through three weeks — but the supporting cast members elevating their play when called upon will be necessary if the Lakers are to contend for a title.
“It’s building resiliency. JJ talks about it, going through adversity, and understanding that, to be a championship team, you’ve got to respond to that kind of stuff,” Kessler said Monday. “When they made their fourth quarter run, we responded accordingly and got the win.”
SAN DIEGO, CA — The Los Angeles Kings are 15 games into the 2026–27 season at 5–8–2 with 12 points, a pace that projects to roughly 67 points over the newly expanded 84-game schedule. That follows a 90-point campaign that ended with Colorado sweeping them out of the first round, the fifth consecutive postseason without a series win.
67 points won't do, and in all reality, even with their roster flaws, the Kings should be well above that mark. Fifteen games don't lose a season, and a few of the Kings’ menacing wingers have kept this team out of a freefall. The warning signs, though, are years old, and every season makes them harder to reconcile with an organization that insists it remains in a competitive window.
The coaches have changed, the veterans have changed, and some of the contracts have changed, yet the trajectory still points toward the league's cellar despite an accumulation of assets from 2016 to 2022 that rivaled any franchise in hockey at the time. Management has spent so long preserving its current window that it has jeopardized the construction of the next one, and its lack of vision on that front is a red flag of its own.
That is where Detroit defenseman Simon Edvinsson comes in, as something increasingly rare in the Kings' organizational trajectory: an acquisition that improves the immediate roster while becoming part of the foundation that replaces it.
The Prospect Surplus
Go back to the summer of 2021. Over the previous five years, Los Angeles had drafted Gabe Vilardi, Rasmus Kupari, Alex Turcotte, Tobias Björnfot, Arthur Kaliyev, Akil Thomas, Samuel Fagemo, Quinton Byfield and Brock Faber, and outlet after outlet ranked that group as the finest prospect pool in hockey or close to it.
The right side of the defensive pipeline was an embarrassment of riches. Faber, Jordan Spence, Helge Grans, Sean Durzi and newly drafted Brandt Clarke formed an extraordinary backlog behind young NHL defensemen Matt Roy, a 2015 Kings pick, and Sean Walker, an undrafted free agent signing. Faber, Spence, Grans and Clarke were Kings picks, while Durzi arrived by shedding the past in the Jake Muzzin trade, and all of them meant depth and flexibility.
Five consecutive first-round exits later, chasing something that was always fleeting, most of that surplus is gone, and the group as a whole never became the foundation Los Angeles once envisioned. The Kings are left trialing scant internal options and searching outside the organization for answers at positions that once looked locked down—all while spent to the cap.
The erosion is visible in the ice time. Players selected by Los Angeles between 2016 and 2021 accounted for approximately 38.5 percent of the Kings' total skater minutes in 2024–25, Rob Blake's final season as general manager when the team produced their best season since 2016. That share dropped to 31.2 percent in 2025–26 and sits at roughly 31.5 percent through the first 15 games of 2026–27. The more recent draft classes have yet to replace that lost workload, with selections from 2022 onward accounting for just 1.3 percent of the team's skater minutes this season.
Those numbers expose a franchise whose original accumulation of draft capital is contributing a markedly smaller share of its NHL workload than it did two seasons ago, while the next generation remains largely unprepared to assume those responsibilities.
Kings' selections from the 2016–2021 drafts accounted for 38.5% of Los Angeles' total skater ice time in 2024–25, falling to 31.2% in 2025–26 and sitting at 31.5% through the first 15 games of 2026–27. The figures illustrate the diminishing NHL workload carried by the franchise's once-vaunted prospect pipeline.
The Archetype Los Angeles Keeps Missing
At 23, Edvinsson is the archetype Los Angeles has spent years trying to find. Detroit took the 6-foot-6 Swedish left shot sixth overall in 2021, and last season he averaged 22:21 a night, recorded 25 points in 72 games, and carried significant responsibility alongside Moritz Seider. At five-on-five, Detroit controlled about 51.7 percent of expected goals with Edvinsson on the ice, nearly seven percentage points better than without him.
Those numbers carry an asterisk, since much of that success came beside Seider, one of the league's premier young defensemen, and no one should assume Edvinsson reproduces it immediately with a new partner. The workload, age, mobility and defensive range still separate him from most speculative trade targets, and he is the big defenseman the Kings keep claiming they want, except this one actually has the feet to back up the frame.
Clarke went two picks after Edvinsson in that same 2021 draft. Five years later, bringing together two defensemen from the same class could give the Kings the foundation their once-vaunted prospect pipeline was supposed to deliver.
Edvinsson is not a prospect who might become a top-four defenseman; he already is one, with the tools to grow into significantly more. In Los Angeles, he would step straight into the top left-side slot alongside Clarke, establishing a defensive foundation while the franchise figures out the assortment of Angus Booth, Kirill Kirsanov, Jakub Dvorak, and Henry Brzustewicz as part of the longer-term succession plan for the defensive corps.
Edvinsson remains an unsigned restricted free agent with a December 1 deadline to sign and stay eligible this season, and Detroit interim general manager Shawn Horcoff, who previously insisted he had no interest in moving him, recently acknowledged that while signing Edvinsson remains his preference, he is willing to listen to offers.
No credible public reporting places the Kings in those talks, but the circumstances open a rare window to consider what a player of his age and caliber means for a franchise facing exactly this problem.
One Acquisition, Two Competitive Windows
An Edvinsson and Clarke pairing would unite two players entering their primes together and give Los Angeles the mobile, offensively capable top pairing it has lacked since its championship-era core declined. Edvinsson's skating, reach and gap control complement Clarke's offensive instincts and puck movement, and while the pair would need time in defensive-zone coverage and tough matchups, the long-term fit is evident.
It would also change Byfield's circumstances. The Kings' defense has struggled for years to generate consistent controlled exits and transition offense, and for a center whose game depends on pace, interior creation and attacking off movement, that deficiency directly limits what he can produce. A mobile defenseman capable of handling heavy minutes addresses an environmental weakness that has followed Byfield's development.
Then there is the succession question around Doughty. Holland said on November 7 that he expects Doughty back next season, though an extension has not been finalized, and Doughty has yet to cede much ice time even at this stage of his career. Adding Edvinsson reshapes the hierarchy of the entire defense corps and gives that succession a clear answer.
By 2028–29, Los Angeles could have Byfield at 26 and Clarke and Edvinsson at 25, three critical positions cemented by high-impact players and a foundation with a far different age profile than the one currently contending under a false narrative.
Funny, I wouldn't consider #GoKingsGo to be in any semblance of a 'window,' but given Panarin's age + Kempe and Fiala, the drop-off moving forward could be problematic.
The team has also locked in trade clauses on most of the D and has spent to the cap.
Detroit has invested years developing Edvinsson, and Horcoff has made clear the organization sees him as integral to its future, so prying him loose would take significant assets.
Alex Laferriere is the intriguing centerpiece, an established young NHL forward rather than a speculative prospect. Laferriere has been thriving after last season’s trial-by-fire move to center, accumulating points faster than Byfield this season, centering their two most imposing weapons on the flanks. With Dylan Larkin suspended and seeking a trade, Laferriere would offer Detroit an established young center capable of helping address the uncertainty surrounding its most important position. The Kings also hold recent premium draft investments that could interest a retooling organization.
Surrendering Laferriere, multiple top prospects and valuable picks, however, would recreate the very problem Los Angeles needs to solve, so a deal only works if the Kings keep enough young talent and draft capital to build around Edvinsson. Byfield and Clarke are untouchable in this conversation given a plausible push for the next competitive window, not this obscure one in the present season.
The money matters too, since a substantial new contract for Edvinsson has to fit alongside the Kings' existing veteran commitments, and Detroit may turn down a package if retention is involved.
Not to quote No Doubt, but underneath it all, the Kings have spent years trading future capital to prop up an existing window, and an Edvinsson deal would spend it to build the next one while improving the present roster along the way.
The Inflection Point
The organization has not entered a rebuild and is not considering one, since a franchise does not bring in Ken Holland, Peter Laviolette and Artemi Panarin to tear it down, yet it also has not shown that this roster can contend for a Stanley Cup. That leaves the Kings in the NHL's most uncomfortable territory, built to win now without the results to justify the cost, spent to the cap, and carrying an emerging generation that still lacks a supportive, fleshed-out schematic of young talent to bolster a claim to be a contender in its own right.
The Kings can keep their veterans and play out this season, as long as the next meaningful acquisition serves a different objective. Among young defensemen whose contract situations have created a plausible trade opening, few offer Edvinsson's combination of NHL readiness, positional need and prime-age alignment. Los Angeles cannot keep buying one more year for a window that has repeatedly failed to deliver, and if this franchise wants a move that is as valuable three seasons from now as it is today, Edvinsson is exactly the type of player Holland should be pursuing.
The Vancouver Canucks announced three roster moves on Tuesday. Vancouver added a defenceman via the waiver wire as they claimed Cameron Crotty from the Minnesota Wild. The Canucks also sent defenceman Victor Mancini down to the AHL and placed forward Akil Thomas on waivers.
Crotty is a 27-year-old right-shot defender who is listed at 6'3", 212 lbs. He was acquired by the Wild earlier this year from the Ottawa Senators via a waiver claim. Over his career, Crotty has played 11 NHL games along with 332 in the AHL.
As for Mancini, he has struggled to get consistent ice time in the NHL this season. The 24-year-old has played in eight games and is averaging 12:25 per night. Mancini's addition will be beneficial for the Abbotsford Canucks, as he has shown an ability to produce in the AHL.
Finally, Thomas was placed on waivers for the purpose of being assigned to the AHL. The 26-year-old has yet to play this year, as he was recovering from an injury. Thomas has played in 196 career AHL games and recorded 115 points.
Apr 4, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators defenseman Cameron Crotty (5) skates after shooting the puck in the third period against the Minnesota Wild at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images
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