There have been three players over the years that have worn the number 72 for the San Jose Sharks, but it's safe to say that the most impactful player to wear the number for the team in teal was William Eklund.
Eklund, the Sharks' seventh overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft, made his NHL debut during the 2021-22 season when he appeared in nine games. During his first full season in North America in the 2022-23 campaign, Eklund established himself as a standout prospect at the American Hockey League level and scored a pair of goals during his limited opportunities at the NHL level.
During the 2023-24 season, Eklund got his first chance to play a full season in the NHL. In 80 games, he scored 16 goals and 45 points. Oddly though, Eklund became relied on as a veteran during his second and third seasons in the league. Due to the Sharks' youth and lack of long-tenured players, Eklund was one of the voices often heard after a difficult loss or tough moment simply because he had slightly more experience.
That added pressure never slowed Eklund down though, as his production rose in his second season, scoring 17 goals and 58 points in 77 games. Then, in the 2025-26 season, he had a very similar rate of offensive production, recording 15 goals and 53 points in 78 appearances.
Had this countdown been written two months ago, it would've had very different context for the former fan favorite as it would end here. Instead, Eklund was at the center of an offseason trade that saw him and a couple of prospects head to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for the ninth overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, which became Keaton Verhoeff.
Now, reunited with his countryman Fabian Zetterlund, Eklund will call a new city home for the first time in his NHL career.
Yaxel Lendeborg was one of the breakout stars of Summer League. He looked like a hand-in-glove fit for the Warriors, capped off by him dropping 21 and 10 in the championship game to lead Golden State to the Summer League crown.
Yaxel Lendeborg, the 11th overall pick, wins the 2026 NBA Summer League Championship Game MVP!
That capped off a run that saw Lendeborg named Las Vegas Summer League MVP. Over the course of six games he averaged 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and four assists per game.
The NBA also released the All-Summer-League teams:
First Team
Cameron Boozer (Memphis) Brayden Burries (Milwaukee) Yaxel Lendeborg (Golden State) Meleek Thomas (Cleveland) Caleb Wilson (Chicago)
It's unusual to have only rookies on the First Team, but consider it a reminder of just how deep and impressive this rookie class is.
A couple of players on that list stood out to me. Cleveland's Thomas led the Summer League in scoring at 27.1 a game through four games, and the No. 34 pick showed an ability to score at all three levels. He's going to come off the bench for the Cavaliers and will not get touches he saw in Las Vegas, but he showed real potential at providing depth and bringing some scoring off the bench for the Cavaliers next season.
The other was Egor Demin, the Nets lottery pick from a year ago who shot the 3 well last season (38.5%) but struggled to drive into the paint (20.5% of his shots were in the paint compared to 71.7% of his shots coming from beyond the arc, he shot just 27.3% between the paint and arc and 55% in the restricted area). That looked different in Las Vegas, Demin looked stronger and was getting downhill, taking 43.3% of his shots in the paint. It's just Summer League, but that's a promising sign, as was the way he and No. 6 pick Mikel Brown Jr. made a connection. It's something to watch this fall.
The Columbus Blue Jackets announced on Tuesday that NHL Productions will now be producing the club's game telecasts. The Blue Jackets also shared that their new broadcast deal with the NHL will begin during the 2026-27 season.
Per a club announcement, “We are excited about working with the NHL and its award-winning production team to continue delivering the best Blue Jackets coverage to our fans,” said club Vice President of Business Intelligence & Broadcasting Marc Gregory. “This partnership allows us to leverage the league’s industry-leading production resources and storytelling capabilities to bring the game closer to our fans than ever before. We are continuing to work on our distribution platforms and look forward to announcing those details in the near future.”
The Blue Jackets are not the only team who have now partnered with the NHL to produce regional broadcasts for this upcoming season. The other clubs include the St. Louis Blues, Carolina Hurricanes, and Minnesota Wild.
At this time, the exact details of the Blue Jackets partnership with NHL Productions have not been announced yet. However, with the regular-season getting closer, we should soon get more information on that front.
The Blue Jackets will kick off their 2026-27 season on Oct. 1 against the Buffalo Sabres. It will be interesting to see how the new broadcast looks once they return to the ice.
Let us know what you think below.
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Before John Marino locked up an eight-year, $6.75 million extension with Utah on Tuesday, he was a sixth-round afterthought the Edmonton Oilers gave up on entirely. This one is going to sting a little for Oilers fans who remember he was a prospect who got away.
Edmonton drafted Marino 154th overall back in 2015, a late-round flier out of the USPHL with modest offensive numbers and no clear NHL path. He spent three seasons at Harvard, developing quietly, while the Oilers never signed him.
In July 2019, with his rights about to require a decision, Edmonton shipped him to Pittsburgh for nothing more than a conditional sixth-round pick — the kind of trade nobody notices in the moment.
A tht time, then-GM Jim Rutherford said, "John is a mobile defenseman who excels at moving the puck while also playing with an edge to his game. We are excited to acquire him as we continue to add defensive depth to the organization. The next step is to work on getting a contract done with him."
It didn't take long to look like a mistake. Marino made his NHL debut with the Penguins that same year and quickly established himself as a legitimate top-four, puck-moving defenseman. He was traded to New Jersey and then Utah, building a reliable, stabilizing reputation at every stop.
Utah recognized his potential and locked him up to an eight-year deal.
Sixth-round picks rarely turn into eight-year veterans with two-way trust from three different organizations. Edmonton had him first, gave up on the projection, and watched him become exactly what a good asset-management department hopes a late pick eventually becomes.
Marino had 36 points last season, which would have placed him just behind Mattias Ekholm. His plus/minus - +42 would have been a big help for the Oilers as well.
The Carolina Hurricanes will be launching their own sports network to broadcast games for the 2026-27 season.
The network will serve as the exclusive TV home for the Hurricanes and will be owned and operated by Hurricanes Holdings, which will oversee all aspects of production, distribution, sales and marketing in collaboration with the National Hockey League.
“We’re thrilled to launch our own sports network, and provide consistent access to Hurricanes hockey for our great fans,” said Hurricanes CEO Brian Fork. “More than ever before, the organization will have the freedom to deliver innovative programming that strengthens the connection between the team, its fans and its community partners.”
The NHL will be providing centralized production services for the Hurricanes' new network in place of FanDuel Sports Network.
Carolina is one of four teams that will be supervised by the NHL, with Minnesota, St. Louis and Columbus being the others.
“Our Emmy Award-winning production team has a long track record of delivering world-class content and unforgettable fan experiences,” said NHL President of Events and Content Steve Mayer in a press release. “Adding live production capabilities is a natural next step, allowing us to introduce groundbreaking technologies, innovative graphics and bold creative concepts that will bring fans even closer to the NHL."
"As the regional media landscape continues to evolve, Clubs need flexibility to maximize distribution and revenue from their local broadcast model,” said NHL Chief Media Officer and Senior Executive Vice President David Proper. "This new model strengthens the value of regional media rights by expanding the pool of potential distribution partners, reducing dependence on outside production providers and allowing Clubs to manage production investments more effectively. At the same time, it provides a foundation for the next generation of NHL production technologies and broadcast innovations."
While no official distribution plan has been announced yet, the Hurricanes state that they plan to make the network available "through a variety of options" including cable, satellite and streaming.
The team intends to announce the name, branding and pricing available before the start of the regular season.
Broadcasters Mike Maniscalco and Tripp Tracy are also confirmed to be returning for next season.
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Three weeks into the NHL's free agency period, Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane remains unsigned on the open market.
Despite a report that he had narrowed down his choices to either his hometown Buffalo Sabres or the Chicao Blackhawks, whom he helped win the Stanley Cup three times, there remains a chance that he could ultimately decide to come back for a third full season in the Motor City.
Until then, the most visible current member of the Blackhawks is doing his part to try and get the future Hall of Famer back in the Windy City for one more season.
Connor Bedard, whom the Blackhawks selected with the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, would love to have Kane back where he played the majority of his career.
"I don't know what I can say to persuade his decision, but obviously we'd all be so excited to have a player like that, but also a guy like that," Bedard said. "I can't imagine his first game back at the (United Center with the Blackhawks), the reaction he'd get and how much juice that would bring to not only our team but our fans, as well. That would be incredible to play with him and learn from him."
Upon his first game back in Chicago in early 2024, Kane scored the overtime game-winning goal in dramatic fashion, and took several laps around the ice acknowledging the cheering fans at United Center.
Kane also scored against the Blackhawks in December of this past season in Chicago.
Bedard is now the star of the show in Chicago, having recently signed a five-year, $75 million contract ($15 million salary cap hit) upon the completion of his entry-level contract.
While the Blackhawks, who are now coached by former Red Wings bench boss Jeff Blashill, remain in rebuilding mode, Bedard believes a Kane return would be a major boost.
"Hopefully (Kane) decides to come back (to Chicago)," Bedard said. "You talk about the legacy aspect of it, but just as a team, he would make us a way better team. He's still an amazing player. I don't know if this is the best pitch, but hopefully he comes back and we can play together, for sure."
Kane finished fifth on the Red Wings in scoring during the 2025-26 campaign, totaling 57 points on 16 goals and 41 assists across 67 appearances.
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Mar 19, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Utah Mammoth defenseman John Marino (6) warms up before a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Stephen R. Sylvanie/Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Mammoth have signed defenseman John Marino to an eight-year, $54 million extension with an annual average value of $6.75 million.
Marino’s deal comes on the heels of a career-best season that included his first career playoff goal.
“We view John as a foundational piece of our future,” Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong said in a statement. “His ability to control the game from the back end, his play in transition and our trust in him to make the right decisions in critical situations allows him to be a difference-maker on most nights. Beyond his skill, John brings a level of calmness under pressure that our group feeds off of and that’s exactly what you need from your veteran players.”
Marino had career highs of 36 points and 32 assists with four goals in his second season with the Mammoth after being traded from New Jersey in 2024. The 29-year-old ranked second among all NHL defenseman at plus-42 and played all six games in Utah’s first playoff appearance since moving from Arizona.
Marino has 23 goals and 134 assists in seven NHL seasons with Utah, New Jersey and Pittsburgh.
The Buffalo Sabres snapped their 15-year postseason drought, winning the Atlantic Division and advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but after an offseason that saw Bowen Byram and Alex Tuch being dealt, the task of repeating as division champion or finishing in the top three of the Atlantic could be significantly more difficult.
This week, we will look at the seven other teams in the Atlantic to see where they stand in comparison to where they were at the end of last season and see where they potentially stack up as competition with the Sabres.
The Boston Bruins bounced back from a terrible season to make the playoffs with a 45-27-10 record (100 points), due mostly to the performance of superstar winger David Pastrnak, who finished in the top 10 of NHL scoring with 100 points, the goal scoring of Morgan Geekie (who scored a career-high 39 goals), and the bounceback of goalie Jeremy Swayman, and defenseman Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins gave the Sabres a fight in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but lost in six games.
J-J Peterka - Former Sabre scored 25 goals with the Utah Mammoth
Will Borgen - Scored 15 points with the New York Rangers
Connor Clifton - signed two-year, $4.5 million deal
Subtractions
Viktor Arvidsson - scored 25 goals last season, signed with the Detroit Red Wings
Joonas Korpisalo - 14-9-6 as Swayman's backup
Outlook
The Bruins only impactful move of the offseason was the swap of two first round picks with Utah to acquire Peterka, who was sent by the Sabres one year ago for Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring. GM Don Sweeney is making a habit of collecting former Sabres, as he added blueliners Borgen and Clifton to a group that already includes former Buffalo first rounds Casey Mittelstadt and Nikita Zadorov, and blueliner Henri Jokiharku.
Boston is similar to the Sabres in that they are hoping for internal growth from youngsters Fraser Minten and 2025 first rounder James Hagens, to go with the likes of Pavel Zacha, Elias Lindholm, and Hampus Lindholm as support players. Most of all, they are depending on Swayman to continue what he did last season, and for backup Michael DiPietro to build on a phenomenal year with AHL Providence and take some of the burden off of the Bruins starter.
The Bruins have an advantage in goal, and have a solid blueline that is on par with the Sabres, while Buffalo has the advantage in offensive ability up front. The apparent status quo with Boston and Sabres slight step back after the loss of Tuch and Byram gives the Beantowners to pull closer to Buffalo or perhaps overtake them in the Atlantic Division.
It doesn't happen so often with the Toronto Maple Leafs, or in instances across the league for that matter, but from time to time, NHL players will make a return to a certain club after a previous stint with that same team earlier in their career.
However, that speculation has seemingly led nowhere. Nonetheless, on the theme of a former Leaf hypothetically returning, here's a list of players who returned to the organization after departing earlier in their careers.
Doug Gilmour
Doug Gilmour's greatest years were with the Maple Leafs, particularly his first two full seasons with the franchise in 1992-93 and 1993-94. He scored career-high 127 points and 111 points in those two campaigns, and helped push Toronto to a conference final appearance in the 1993 post-season.
He returned to Toronto very late in his career. In March 2003, the Maple Leafs acquired Gilmour in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens. Unfortunately, Gilmour's return was short-lived after he suffered an injury in his first game back. He wouldn't see the ice for the rest of the season and announced his retirement before the 2003-04 campaign began.
Wendel Clark
The Maple Leafs and Wendel Clark kept finding each other throughout his 15-year NHL career.
Clark made two returns to Toronto for a total of three stints with the club. It started when the Leafs drafted him first overall in the 1985 draft. From there, he played nine straight seasons in Toronto.
Clark went on to play for the Quebec Nordiques and New York Islanders before returning to the Maple Leafs again in 1995-96. He spent parts of three seasons there before he was moved again, this time spending time with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks.
Then, to end the final campaign of his NHL career, he was sent to Toronto during the 1999-00 season and hung up his skates that following summer.
Tie Domi
Tie Domi had two stints with the Maple Leafs, but feels like he only had one.
That's because after Toronto drafted him 27th overall in 1988, he only featured in two games for the Leafs in 1989-90. He then went on to play for the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets for three years each.
During the 1994-95 season, Domi returned to Toronto, but this time to stay. He rounded out his NHL career with parts of 11 straight years with the Maple Leafs and retired after the 2005-05 campaign.
So while it's technically a return, Domi's second stint with Toronto is really what he's known for.
Curtis Joseph was another player who returned to Toronto and retired with the organization.
His first stint with the Maple Leafs began in the middle of his NHL career. In year No. 10 of Joseph's 19-year career. It was 1998-99 when he joined the Leafs, remaining with the team through 2001-02.
Then, after five seasons away from Toronto, the goaltender came back in 2008-09 in his early 40s, playing a total of 270 games for the Leafs across five years. He retired after that 2008-09 season.
In that final year, Joseph recorded a .869 save percentage in 21 games for Toronto.
Ilya Lyubushkin
Ilya Lyubushkin is the first player on this list who is still active in the NHL today.
He only played 50 regular-season contests with the Maple Leafs in his two stints. His first year in Toronto came in the middle of the 2021-22 season when he was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes, among other assets.
In 2023-24, it happened again. Toronto traded for Lybushkin from the Carolina Hurricanes as a mid-season acquisition.
The 32-year-old defenseman is currently a member of the Nashville Predators, gearing up for his ninth campaign in the NHL.
Luke Schenn is the other player on this list who remains active in the NHL.
Like Clark and Domi, Schenn was a draft pick of the Maple Leafs, fifth overall in 2008. Out of the draft, he played four straight seasons for Toronto, from 2008-09 to 2011-12.
It was a long time before Schenn would rejoin the Maple Leafs, and he would have to wait 11 years to wear Toronto's Blue and White again.
In total, Schenn featured in five campaigns for the Leafs and appeared in 325 regular-season contests. He was never a defenseman to put up points, but he was a physical presence in Toronto and was solid in the 2023 playoffs.
Michael Hutchinson
Michael Hutchinson didn't play much in the NHL, as he was more of an AHL goaltender. Nonetheless, he also had two stints with the Maple Leafs.
Hutchinson featured for the Maple Leafs in 2018-19 and 2019-20 for a total of 20 appearances. During the 2019-20 season, he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche. Following his brief stint with the Avalanche, he found himself back with Toronto when he signed there as a free agent.
He then played a total of 10 games between the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns and rarely had an impact for the Leafs.
Dominic Moore played for a whopping 10 different clubs in his 13-year NHL career. As a result, the Maple Leafs weren't the only team that he had multiple stints with, and Moore featured for seven of eight Atlantic Division teams.
Moore had his best season with Toronto in 2008-09, which was the second year of his first tenure with the team. He scored 45 points that year, 41 of which were for Toronto in 63 games before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres and playing 18 games there.
Then, after many stops around the league, he landed in Toronto again for one year in 2017-18, which turned out to be his last year in the NHL. He scored six goals and 12 points in 50 games that year.
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah Mammoth have signed defenseman John Marino to an eight-year, $54 million extension with an annual average value of $6.75 million.
Marino's deal, announced on Tuesday, comes on the heels of a career-best season that included his first career playoff goal.
"We view John as a foundational piece of our future,” Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong said in a statement. “His ability to control the game from the back end, his play in transition and our trust in him to make the right decisions in critical situations allows him to be a difference-maker on most nights. Beyond his skill, John brings a level of calmness under pressure that our group feeds off of and that’s exactly what you need from your veteran players.”
Marino had career highs of 36 points and 32 assists with four goals in his second season with the Mammoth after being traded from New Jersey in 2024. The 29-year-old ranked second among all NHL defenseman at plus-42 and played all six games in Utah's first playoff appearance since moving from Arizona.
Marino has 23 goals and 134 assists in seven NHL seasons with Utah, New Jersey and Pittsburgh.
Former San Jose Sharks forward Andrew Agozzino has announced his retirement from professional hockey.
On Tuesday morning, Agozzino posted a short, but clear goodbye to hockey on Instagram.
Agozzino was a mainstay in the American Hockey League for the majority of his career. While he did play a few NHL games, including four for the Sharks during the 2022-23 season, he’ll mainly be remembered for his contributions in the AHL.
That same season, Agozzino served as the captain of the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. As it turns out, that would be the only time he wore the “C” at a professional level.
Across 15 seasons, Agozzino appeared in 847 games at the AHL level with a multitude of different teams. During that time, he scored 284 goals and 662 points. He also played in 53 NHL games, registering 12 points.
Agozzino was originally planning on continuing his career overseas, signing in the Swiss National League, but opted to retire for unknown reasons.
The Buffalo Sabres selection of defenseman Daxon Rudolph fourth overall at the 2026 NHL Draft last month came as a slight surprise amongst draft analysts, as most of them had the young righty being selected later in the top 10 and after other prospects like Chase Reid, Albert Smits, Carson Carels, or Keaton Verhoeff, but based on the analysis revealed by the club in a YouTube video last week, there was not much doubt who to pick. When asked which of the top defensemen could quarterback a power play in the NHL, Sabres assistant GM Jerry Forton and a number of scouts uttered the name of Rudolph.
“These guys are all close, you could put it in a blender and come up with a different list every day,” Sabres scout Kevin DeVine said, “but if you want to go with the upside, you probably take Rudolph.”
The 18–year-old righty exploded offensively in his second season with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders (28 goals, 50 assists in 68 games). The Sabres did not speak to Rudolph at the NHL Scouting Combine earlier in the month, but GM Jarmo Kekalainen explained that they did not expect to be selecting at the top of the draft to be able to pick him.
Does Patrick Kane fit with the Buffalo Sabres next season?
"The situation changed a lot from the combine, because we were thinking of picking at 27, and then we were picking 4, so rather than wasting time with some of the people that were running from interview to interview, and we're so far down that we know that we're not going to get to them. That interview is 15 minutes," GM Jarmo Kekalainen said after the selection. "Our area scouts are doing the interviews throughout the season to know the background of the player, they know him inside and out. The 15 minutes (is) just a chance for the whole staff to get to know and put a face to a name. So that's why we called him and had him come to our office this morning, because now the situation is different, and we had the fourth overall pick."
Rudolph is bound for the University of Denver this fall, a program under head coach David Carle that has won three NCAA Championships in the last five years, and based on the analysis of other in the room before the draft, they believe that the youngster is the total package; capable of matching up against the other team’s top offensive players and has the hockey sense at both ends of the ice, which could mean that his stint in the NCAA will be short.
George Lombard Jr. of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders runs the bases during a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on May 22, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
The four major affiliates had their own version of an all-star break this week, so in lieu of a regular recap about the last few games, we’re going to take stock of the system, the names you should know ahead of the trade deadline, and the storylines as the season moves into the home stretch.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Record: 13-6 (50-43), 2 GB in the International League East after a 2-0 week against the Worcester Red Sox (Red Sox)
Run differential: +38 (+41)
Coming up: Home vs. Syracuse Mets (Mets)
Scranton won both games it played this weekend, with Saturday’s game rained out. They’re in a decent spot as we enter the fourth week of the second half in terms of the playoff race, but the harsh International League format will require them to be nearly perfect.
In terms of prospect billing, it starts with George Lombard Jr., who’s acclimating nicely to Triple-A pitching and hasn’t missed a beat since returning from a finger sprain. He’s the gem of this farm system and quickly become a consensus top-20 prospect in baseball. He’s MLB-ready when it comes to hitting left-handed pitching and his incredible defense, but the Yankees might need to see more consistent contact and hitting against righties to make the call to add him for the playoff push.
After Lombard on the hitting side, Spencer Jones is a big name, but his value is likely diminished after his first big league returns weren’t that positive. Add to the fact that he’s nearing his 25th birthday, and you wonder what teams think of his chances of figuring it out. There are some older guys out there too who are raking in Tyler Hardman and Garrett Martin (when healthy) who could be trade chips in smaller deals. If they do stay, they’d be intriguing Rule 5 decisions in the offseason.
The rotation only has one true trade candidate in Elmer Rodríguez, who is likely the best pitching prospect in the organization. Out of the team’s core group of prospects, he seems likeliest to be dealt, but he remains the next man up in a rotation depth chart that’s holding on by a thread due to injuries and recent performance. That factor might keep him in the organization.
Brendan Beck and Kyle Carr are the other two prospects starting in Triple-A, but neither has ever had their prospect stock approach their minor league performance due to stuff concerns. Beck has struggled in his big league cameos, while Carr is adjusting after solving Double-A last year. Minor league depth is important, and they’re both in that category.
The bullpen has some guys. Yovanny Cruz is a guy that the Yankees are high on, and many believe could contribute in the major league bullpen. They might’ve found something in recently selected Bradley Hanner, who’s had a terrific year. Eric Reyzelman’s Triple-A stats aren’t there yet, but he’s been ferocious this season with near triple-digit heat.
Record: 8-13 (45-45), 4 GB in the Eastern League Northeast after a 1-2 week against the Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox)
Run differential: -13 (+23)
Coming up: Away @ New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays)
Somerset’s struggles continued this weekend by losing two out of three to Portland, as their offense has just not been able to get back to the level they were at earlier in the season. It’s a place that’s currently full of guys on the prospect periphery with stocks that wax and wane with every hot and cold streak.
The big bat continues to be Jace Avina, a pull-side power outfielder with hit tool concerns. The former Brewers draft pick is another Rule 5 eligible guy, and he could see Triple-A soon, but his inability to make consistent contact dampens his profile. After him, there aren’t many prospects on any radars, but Coby Morales’ evolution into finding the power in his bat makes him someone to keep an eye on.
The rotation has name-brand value, but it’s a room full of guys with falling stocks. Chase Hampton is finally healthy, but is struggling mightily in his first year back from multiple elbow injuries; Ben Hess has spent much of the season building up from an undisclosed early-season ailment, Jack Cebert has endured growing pains, and Cade Smith has struggled to adjust to the level. Xavier Rivas has been a stud in recent weeks with some tremendous stuff and is a pitcher whose stock is rising.
Hayden Merda has been very good and will need to be considered in the Rule 5 discussions in the offseason, but the bullpen discussion centers around Ben Grable, a 2025 11th-round pick out of Indiana who is flying up the minor leagues. He has a truly alien fastball, and he was picked as a Futures Game replacement because of it. It would not be surprising if he found a way to debut this September.
Record: 13-11 (44-45), 2 GB in the South Atlantic League North Second Half after a 2-1 week against the Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets)
Run differential: +30 (+39)
Coming up: Away @ Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nationals)
The Renegades are trying to get back on track after some shoddy play of late, recently winning two of three against Brooklyn. Their prospect outlook is full of interesting guys with fallen stocks who are on the road to redemption, while some other recent draftees make first impressions.
The injury to Kaeden Kent, a contact-first son of a Hall of Famer, has hurt the lineup, but it’s been nicely supplemented by the solid hitting of 2025 fifth-rounder Core Jackson, who’s due for a promotion to Somerset soon. The emergence of Wilson Rodriguez of late has been encouraging, but has been overshadowed by the complete revival of former top prospect Roderick Arias, who looked dead in the water as a prospect as recently as early June before a startling turnaround that suddenly makes the 21-year-old a candidate to see Somerset soon.
— Yankees Prospect Watch (@NYY_Prospects) July 20, 2026
Some names in the rotation pique interest. Luis Serna is someone whose stock fell apart due to injuries over the last two years, but has looked healthy and effective this year. Henry Lalane falls in that bucket too, suddenly looking like the hotshot prospect he was in the D.R. a few years ago. Allen Facundo has some big fans for his strikeout ability, but his command woes likely have him ticketed to the bullpen. 2024 draftee Bryce Cunningham is the highest-ranked guy here, but has not looked the same after missing the end of 2025 with injury.
Record: 18-6 (53-37), 5.5 GA in the Florida State League West after a 3-0 week against the Bradenton Marauders (Pirates)
Run differential: +42 (+65)
Coming up: Home vs. Bradenton Marauders (Pirates)
Tampa has been an absolute juggernaut. They’re destroying teams across the Florida State League, making an example out of Bradenton over the weekend with three big wins. They’re doing it with guys who, entering this season, weren’t on many radars, but they’re all pushing for promotions with the new crop of guys from the 2026 class likely to debut in August.
The heart and soul of the offense is Jackson Lovich, a 2025 16th-rounder who has utterly torched Single-A pitching with some light-tower power. Why hasn’t he been promoted with several months of sample? He has major, Spencer Jones-esque contact issues. I’d bet on a promotion soon to test him, but it’s something to watch.
The other hitters, Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek, Hans Montero, Willy Montero, and JoJo Jackson (who’s now out for the season), come from all walks of life and are contributing. There are a few FCL call-ups making names for themselves, with the most notable being Luis Escudero. He missed three weeks with injury, but when he’s been healthy, he’s got some Ruthian numbers in a small sample.
The pitching staff has lost Facundo and Lalane as the season has progressed, but still has a few interesting guys. Thatcher Hurd missed his first professional season but has returned with some great stuff, and Tyler Boudreau is turning heads as an undrafted free agent, putting up great numbers, but the rest is thinned out. Recent injuries to Brennan Stuprich and Mac Heuer have really thinned out the back.
Record: 29-26, 7.5 GB in the FCL North after a 2-1 week.
Run differential: +14
There are only three games left in the FCL Yankees’ season. By the end of the day on Thursday, they’ll be all done. Wilberson De Pena has broken the FCL home run, RBIs, and total bases records in his terrific season, while Dexters Peralta is tapping into the game power that eluded him early in his career but still has major whiff concerns.
Why do the Yankees hold some of these prospects down longer than you’d expect? FCL to Tampa used to be a lot bigger of a jump, but the contraction of the minor leagues has congested the system and led to a lot of players stalling out in Single-A across baseball. I’m sure some of these guys, especially De Pena, will get a chance in Tampa down the stretch, but with how the minors are structured now, don’t be surprised if a lot of them are done for the year to make room for the 2026 draftees.
One note I want to make here is that 2025 first-round pick Dax Kilby has finally returned from a second hamstring ailment. He missed the first two months with a hamstring issue, re-injured it in late May in his first rehab game, and missed another two months before returning on Friday. We’ll see how much he pushes it in the next few weeks.
DSL Yankees: Record: 22-12, 1.5 GA in DSL East after a 3-2 week Run differential: +110
DSL Bombers: Record: 15-20, 7.5 GB in DSL Southeast after a 2-2 week Run differential: -14
The DSL Yankees remain the best team at the level with the most outstanding offense. The DSL Bombers remain at the bottom. Isaias Castillo is the first DSL player to hit 10 home runs, but wasn’t selected as one of the team’s three all-stars at the DSL All-Star Game on Sunday.
The interesting part of the two DSL teams is that players can go back and forth between them. Emerging catcher Poly Ojeda is one who has moved from the Bombers to the Yankees, seemingly making it clear that the Yankees are the team with all the offensive talent.
George Lombard Jr. is very close to making his major league debut. All the elements are there. There’s a need with a struggling infield. He’s starting to hit the absolute cover off the ball, particularly against left-handed pitching. There’s enough runway if they think he can be a viable option come playoff time.
In my mind, we’ve reached a pivotal two weeks. How the Yankees address the infield at the deadline will decide if they view Lombard as ready to seize a starting role on a playoff team. If they aggressively get one or two guys, he’ll likely stay and work on his craft. If they don’t? He might be up in very early August.
In the brief week, he hit two home runs on rehab in the FCL before homering in his first at-bat back in Scranton. He had two hits on Sunday, including a double. It’s a matter of time for the Yankees’ top prospect; it just depends on what Brian Cashman and company do in the coming weeks.
Twenty years ago this month, the Senators made three decisions that helped derail the greatest team in franchise history.
The 2005-06 Senators were loaded.
They won 52 games, finished with 113 points and scored 314 goals, all franchise highs. Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza were probably the best line in hockey. Wade Redden and Zdeno Chara anchored the D, and Martin Havlat provided another dynamic offensive weapon up front.
Shane Pinto is asked about the exits of Brady Tkachuk and Daniel Alfredsson this summer (Senators YouTube).
And in goal, Ottawa had one of the greatest of all time in Dominik Hasek.
Unfortunately, Hasek suffered an adductor injury while playing at the 2006 Olympics and never played another game for Ottawa.
Without him, the Senators were upset by Buffalo in the second round.
Beyond that, anything can happen in a short series, and it certainly did in that one as the Sabres won all three of the games that went to overtime. Sens fans still curse Jason Pominville, who became the first player in NHL history to score a short-handed overtime goal to end a series.
That disappointment was followed by a nine-day stretch in July when Hasek, Chara, and Havlat all left town.
The Senators reached the Stanley Cup Final the following spring anyway. But no one would ever compare the two rosters and suggest the Senators got better.
July 1: Ottawa Chooses Gerber Over Hasek
General manager John Muckler's first major decision came on the opening day of 2006 free agency.
Rather than take another chance on the 41-year-old Hasek, who wanted to re-sign with the club, Muckler signed Martin Gerber to a three-year, $11-million contract.
At the time, the decision was understandable.
Hasek's Olympic injury (and the way it lingered) frustrated the Senators, who wanted more certainty in goal, and Muckler felt like Gerber would provide that. He had just played 60 games for the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
As it turned out, despite being 10 years younger, Gerber was closer to the end than Hasek. There was a reason the 'Canes turned to rookie Cam Ward as their starter in that Cup run.
Hasek signed with Detroit and went 38-11-6 with a 2.05 goals-against average the following season, helping the Red Wings reach the Western Conference Final. One year later, he won another Stanley Cup.
Gerber, meanwhile, struggled early in Ottawa and almost immediately lost the starting job to Ray Emery.
Emery eventually helped the Sens reach the 2007 Stanley Cup Final, but it's difficult not to wonder what Hasek might have done for that team.
July 1: Chara Signs in Boston
The same day Ottawa officially turned the page on Hasek, Chara left to sign a five-year, $37.5-million contract with the Boston Bruins.
The Senators wanted to keep both Chara and Redden, another unrestricted free agent who had just produced a career-high 50 points in 65 games. But with owner Eugene Melnyk signing the cheques, it's not hard to imagine why making both players happy was always going to be a challenge.
Ottawa retained Redden on a two-year, $13-million deal. Chara says his phone stopped ringing.
"I wanted to stay here," Chara told the Ottawa Sun that summer. "I'm very disappointed. I thought Ottawa would be really aggressive and they would really show it. In the last nine days before July 1st, we never received a phone call. Myself and (agent) Matt (Keator) were just sitting there and making all the calls. We told them, 'Let's talk and let's negotiate.' They said: 'Six million. You sign it, or we're going to go the other way.' They did.
Redden played two more seasons in Ottawa. Chara became Boston's captain, won a Norris Trophy and eventually led the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup.
Knowing that the Sens would face a big, ornery Anaheim team in the upcoming season's Stanley Cup Final, it's especially difficult not to imagine what the 6-foot-9 Chara might have meant in that series.
Eight days into free agency, the Sens traded Havlat and Bryan Smolinski to Chicago in a three-team deal involving San Jose.
The Senators wound up with Tom Preissing, Josh Hennessy, Michal Barinka and a 2008 second-round pick.
The speedy Havlat was a high-end offensive talent entering his prime. He immediately scored 25 goals and 57 points in just 56 games with Chicago.
While Smolinski was starting to fade, he had produced 48 points for Ottawa the previous season and provided valuable veteran depth. Both players would have bolstered the forward depth in that '07 Cup Final.
The Aftermath
The Sens didn't become a bad team after losing those players. They were still an excellent club that went further in the playoffs than any other Sens team. But the fact remains they were a lesser team. You could start to see it during the regular season when they dropped from 113 points to 105 and from 314 goals to 288.
Would Ottawa have beaten Anaheim if Hasek, Chara, and Havlat were still around? We'll never know for sure, but they would have, unquestionably, had a better chance.
20 years later, that's part of what makes July 2006 so fascinating... and maybe a bit haunting as well.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
Article: Every Day The Senators Wait, Drake Batherson Gets More Expensive
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 25: Philadelphia designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) hits the ball deep during the MLB game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves on April 25th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Alex Anthopoulos has been very busy talking to the media ahead of the Trade Deadline on August 3. That makes a lot of sense considering it’s getting closer and closer with each passing day and the Braves have some pretty clear spots that need to be addressed ahead of the deadline.
We’ll talk more about it, ourselves, as we get closer to the deadline but I just had to discuss one of the weirdest things that I’ve heard AA talk about since becoming a general manager. DJourn posted it over on The Feed yesterday but I had to give my two cents on it because it was just absolutely wild to think about.
Back in 2021 when AA pulled off a series of under-the-radar moves that all ended up being crucial when it came to helping the Braves load up for what turned out to be an improbable and incredible run to a World Series title, apparently there was one big move that the Braves were close to pulling off but didn’t get over the finish line.
According to Alex Anthopoulos, current Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber nearly became a member of the Atlanta Braves. AA dropped the bomb on the Chuck and Chernoff Show over on 680 The Fan and Chernoff’s face matched mine when I heard him discuss it at around the 17:50 mark of the video.
Over at FanGraphs, they have a category of articles called “We Tried” where it’s simply a way to keep track of all the times when General Managers or other baseball personalities have revealed to the public that they nearly acquired some big name free agent or trade acquisition. I’m not going to say that this is the biggest “We Tried” in Braves history (Atlanta was linked to both Barry Bonds in the ‘90s and late-career Ken Griffey Jr.) but it’s still insane to think about a scenario where a guy who has a four-homer game to his name against the Braves potentially could’ve been swatting balls into the Chop House for fun as a member of the home team.
Of course, Schwarber could’ve ended up being a rental for the Braves just like he was a rental for the Red Sox and maybe his destination all along was going to be Philadelphia. Also, the Braves did end up winning the World Series in 2021 so this didn’t exactly turn out to be a situation where the Braves were lamenting Schwarber as potentially being “the missing piece” to the puzzle. It is just fun to think about it, though.
It’s also another sign that there’s a lot going on behind the scenes that we aren’t privy to — even a lot of the “insiders” are ultimately just chasing shadows at times. Anything can happen in the world of baseball trade rumors — even if it takes us five years to eventually learn the truth. We’ll see what happens at this year’s deadline.
