The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a pretty active this off-season, as they have brought in new some players and lost others.
When looking at the Penguins' current roster, it is clear that they should not be done making moves yet. One specific area that they should be looking to improve this summer is the left side of their defense.
The Penguins traded Parker Wotherspoon to the Vegas Golden Knights and lost Ryan Shea to the Edmonton Oilers in free agency this summer. With this, it is clear that they could use another left-shot defenseman before the new season is here.
A few left-shot defensemen who are still on the free agent market include Logan Stanley, Carson Soucy, Mike Reilly, and former Penguin Matt Grzelcyk. While none of these players would necessarily be major additions, signing one of them would help Pittsburgh's depth.
There are also some left-shot defensemen who have come up in the rumor mill this summer as trade candidate. Morgan Rielly, Alexander Nikishin, and Mason Lohrei are a few examples.
It will be interesting to see if the Penguins bring in another left-shot defenseman this summer, but it is something that they should consider after losing two solid blueliners in Shea and Wotherspoon.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — The Calgary Flames signed defenseman Simon Nemec to a five-year contract worth $36.25 million on Monday.
Nemec will count $7.25 million against the salary cap through the 2030-31 NHL season. Calgary acquired his rights and winger Maxim Tsyplakov from New Jersey last month for a second-round pick this year, two conditional first-rounders and prospect Etienne Morin.
“I just felt like the return that we got from Calgary was just kind of too good to pass up," Devils general manager Sunny Mehta said on a video call with reporters last week. "They kind of stepped up with their offer to get him, and I just thought it was ultimately the right thing for the organization to move on.”
Nemec skated in 159 combined games in the league since the Devils took him with the second pick in the 2022 draft, averaging roughly 19 minutes of ice time. Mehta denied that Nemec asked for a trade and said after a candid conversation that he felt it best for the 22-year-old Slovak to get a fresh start elsewhere.
“He just wants a path," Mehta said. “He wants a path to develop and a path to grow into the role that he foresees for himself.”
The NHL Players’ Association announced on Sunday that 15 players have filed for salary arbitration. The list includes Senators winger Xavier Bourgault, who made his NHL debut this season at age 23.
Bourgault appeared in two games for Ottawa, but had a fine AHL season in Belleville with 25 goals, 32 assists and 57 points. In his four years as a pro, those are all career highs as Bourgault found some magic playing on a line with Arthur Kaliyev and Phillip Daoust.
Goalie Leevi Merilainen was also arbitration-eligible, but he agreed to a one-year, one-way deal with the Sens last week. He's ready to be an insurance policy if Samuel Ersson doesn't work out.
Sens area scout Beau Moyer describes what he likes about Senators first-round pick Jaxon Cover (Senators YouTube).
Bourgault, on the other hand, isn't likely to be in Ottawa's plans this fall, at least to start the season, nor will he get a one-way contract. But he and his agent must believe that, as an RFA, he can get a little more guaranteed AHL money by taking the arbitration route.
Bourgault was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers, 22nd overall, in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He was acquired by the Senators in 2024, along with Jake Chiasson, in exchange for Roby Jarventie and a 2025 fourth-round pick (David Lewandowski).
Here's the full list of NHL players who filed for arbitration:
Bourgault, Xavier (Ottawa Senators)
Dach, Kirby (Montreal Canadiens)
Drysdale, Jamie (Philadelphia Flyers)
Greaves, Jet (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Jefferies, Alex (New York Islanders)
Krebs, Peyton (Buffalo Sabres)
McMichael, Connor (St. Louis Blues)
Perfetti, Cole (Winnipeg Jets)
Robertson, Jason (Dallas Stars)
Robertson, Nick (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Schmid, Akira (Florida Panthers)
Schneider, Braden (New York Rangers)
Seeley, Ronan (Carolina Hurricanes)
Sillinger, Cole (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Zegras, Trevor (Philadelphia Flyers)
The rules say that once you file for arbitration, you're no longer eligible to sign an offer sheet with another club.
These players can still avoid arbitration if they sign a deal with their team before their hearing. Hearings are scheduled to be held from July 20 to Aug. 1. Last year, every player headed toward arbitration signed with their teams before their hearings.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published on The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For full coverage of the Senators, check out one of the latest headlines below:
The Islanders' best forwards are locked up for five more seasons at cap hits that are half of Leo Carlsson's new contract, whether that's in Philadelphia or Anaheim.
One massive takeaway from this summer is that the Islanders plan on retooling around Matthew Schaefer, leaving room for the plethora of young prospects they've accumulated and really starting to turn over the roster in 2027.
With that uncertainty, teams called about New York's top forwards. Islanders' General Manager Mathieu Darche's job is to listen, but that's all he did before he said no.
Then, Carlsson signed his offer sheet, and already solid-looking contracts turned into absolute steals.
Two bona fide top-of-the-lineup stars locked up through their primes at a very inexpensive cap hit? It makes no sense to move on from them in any way.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman confirmed that teams called on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast on Monday morning, but made it clear, the Islanders aren't moving those guys.
"Horvat's 31, Barzal's 29. They've both got five years left. You're not getting Bo Horvat at 5x$8.5 anymore. You're not getting Barzal at 5x$9+ right now.
And I think they [Darche & Islanders] look at it like 'If we lose these guys, those are going to open up huge holes to fill. And we're not getting guys at those numbers.'"
Darche stated on July 1, the team's going to have over $40 million in cap space next summer. That's before trading away any other contracts, including Anthony Duclair and Pierre Engvall.
Darche has positioned the Islanders to be in an incredibly flexible spot to build around Schaefer and the future, all while, as Friedman stated in his podcast, the Islanders become a destination.
Players, just like Brayden Schenn this past deadline, want to play for the Islanders to get to play with Schaefer.
Having Barzal and Horvat on team-friendly deals for the next half-decade?
Connor Hellebuyck is not coming to the Colorado Avalanche.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news if anyone actually thought this "rumor" had any real traction. But there is one place where a Hellebuyck-to-Colorado blockbuster makes perfect sense: NHL 27, which launches worldwide on September 11 for PlayStation, Xbox, and other major platforms.
There, you can take over as Avalanche GM and rig the entire league to your heart's content. Turn off the salary cap. Let the CPU clean up the mess if you're too chicken to live with the consequences of your own trades. Heck, you can even disable the human element altogether, sparing yourself those morale meetings that somehow make Franchise Mode feel longer than an actual NHL season—all powered by Frostbite, an engine built for first-person shooters like Battlefield, not sports games.
Back in the real world, though, the Avalanche have exactly zero reason to chase Hellebuyck.
Colorado's goaltending situation is already set.
The Avalanche allowed just 197 goals during the regular season, the fewest in the NHL, earning Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood the William M. Jennings Trophy. It wasn't a fluke, either. Colorado built one of the league's deepest goaltending tandems, and both netminders rewarded that faith.
Wedgewood, who spent most of his career as a backup before arriving in Colorado, was nothing short of sensational. He finished the season 31-6-6 with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage—numbers that led the league. Had he made more starts, there's a legitimate argument he would've been in the Vezina Trophy conversation. Instead, Colorado's rotation, along with the handful of games he missed because of injury, likely cost him that opportunity.
Blackwood, meanwhile, quietly proved why the Avalanche were comfortable handing him a significant role. He went 23-10-2 with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage, but those numbers don't fully capture his value. During the regular season, he recorded back-to-back shutouts, becoming just the seventh goaltender in Colorado Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques franchise history to accomplish the feat, joining Patrick Roy, Darcy Kuemper, Pavel Francouz, David Aebischer, Clint Malarchuk, and Justus Annunen. He also came up big in the postseason, turning aside wave after wave of chances in Colorado's Game 4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final and giving the Avalanche every opportunity to extend the series.
That's why the Hellebuyck speculation never made much sense.
Yes, Hellebuyck is arguably the best goaltender on the planet. If every general manager in the NHL could magically add him to their roster without giving up assets or worrying about the salary cap, they probably would.
That's not the world the Avalanche operate in.
Colorado is already paying Blackwood to be its starter while also having one of the league’s strongest goaltending tandems in Wedgewood. Any trade for Hellebuyck would almost certainly require a franchise-altering package of assets—think a player like Nathan MacKinnon or Martin Nečas—along with additional pieces, all while creating a massive salary-cap headache. In the end, the Avalanche would be sacrificing elite talent and financial flexibility to solve a problem they simply don’t have to begin with.
Rumors are part of the offseason. Fans love building fantasy rosters, and social media has never met a blockbuster trade it didn't like.
But fantasy and reality are two different things.
If you want to see Connor Hellebuyck wearing burgundy and blue, fire up NHL 27 when it releases and make it happen yourself.
Australian No 1 off the pace in 5-7 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 defeat
Fate sealed after throwing away 5-2 lead in second set
On a sweltering day when a series of spectators required medical attention at Wimbledon, Australia’s challenge also wilted in the heat.
Alex de Minaur, who walked on to No 1 Court with a first grand slam semi-final, at the least, very much in his sights, was left dejected after losing to Italy’s Flavio Cobolli 5-7 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 in the fourth round.
The 2026 NHL Offseason has been one for the books, with the cap ceiling rising and many teams and players taking advantage. With ever-increasing cap hits, trades, offer sheets, and more, the Colorado Avalanche are among the few teams that did their work before free agency opened and right as it began. A report has revealed that the Avalanche had bigger plans for their team.
Despite just re-signing Brett Kulak and signing Jordan Schwartz, along with some depth players to fill out their lineup, the Avalanche were suspected of being in on a major player. One that would have shaken up their roster and, potentially, the prospects they selected at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
The “Lumberyard” Was Almost Broken Up For A Hart Winner
Elliotte Friedman, on the latest and last episode of the season of “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, talked about every team and some notes and rumors he heard about them. For the Colorado Avalanche, it was about their goaltending situation and their attempt to make a major swing for Winnipeg Jets goaltender and Hart Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck.
“I had a couple of teams say to me they wondered if Colorado took a shot at Connor Hellebuyck…. I don’t know how that could work. I don’t know what they could offer… There were a couple of teams that suspected the Avalanche kind of considered it.”
Hellebuyck was a name leading up to the NHL Draft who was often talked about being moved, and if he was, it had to be for the right price. One team that came close was the Buffalo Sabres. Initially, reports indicated that the Sabers offered the fourth overall pick, starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, a player believed to be Jack Quinn, and at least one additional asset.
The major issue for the Avalanche is that they could not offer a package close to what the Sabers did, especially when the Sabers dangled the fourth overall pick in front of them. One of Scott Wedgewood or Mackenzie Blackwood goes, along with multiple draft picks and prospects, but would that have been enough to entice a divisional rival to send them their best player?
Could Talks Pick Back Up For Another Chance?
The biggest issue for the Avalanche is whether they really want another chance at a top goaltender like Hellebuyck, and whether they have the cap space. An $8.5 million cap hit for a top goaltender isn't too crazy given the rising salary cap, but it's how the Avalanche would make room to fit him.
If the package revolves around picks and prospects, along with Blackwood's $5.25 cap hit, another player or two needs to either be sent beforehand or included in the same package. Likely one of Artturi Lehkonen, Nicolas Roy, or a defenseman like Kulak, Josh Manson, or Sam Malinski.
The other issue is that all of those players mentioned have some form of trade protection, and there's a good chance they don’t want to leave a Stanley Cup contender like the Avalanche or move to Winnipeg, Canada, a completely different country.
The only players the Avalanche can move without protection are Roy, Parker Kelly, Fyodor Svechkov, Zachary L’Heureux, Cale Makar, and Noah Juulsen, either with low cap hits or someone like Makar, which they would never even think of.
So either you get a player who can make the difference on the cap and is willing to move to Winnipeg, or you trade away your entire depth for a goaltender and are back to where you were a couple of seasons ago. A really impressive top six with no forward and defensive depth, but now you have an elite starting goaltender, would you make that trade?
As much as having Hellebuyck would have been a fantastic addition, the Avalanche are in a weird transition phase and need to look inward at who they have on their roster now and going forward, as the main core is starting to get older.
That's why the additions of Svechkov, L’Heureux and all the draft picks they made instead of trading make sense; they need to test the waters on these younger players while maintaining a competitive high-end roster, which, if the trade with the Jets were to happen, was going to force the Avalanche into an all-in-now mode, with no bright side into the future.
Connor Ungar hasn't played an NHL game, but there's a decent chance he'll be called the future of the Edmonton Oilers before the first week of training camp is over.
That's the beauty of September. One preseason game against a split squad with a post-game interview where a young player sounds mature beyond his years gets the conversation going about whether the organization has found something it didn't even know it had.
Ungar is the safest bet because goaltending has dominated conversations in Edmonton for years. Nobody enjoys talking about backups and tandems when things are going well, but one strong night from a young goalie has a way of making everyone think five years into the future. Before long, somebody is wondering if he should stay with the club, somebody else is comparing him to Stuart Skinner's first camp, and the idea keeps growing until the next preseason game comes along.
Mike Babcock probably won't have much time before his turn arrives either. The first practice where he gets after a player, blows the whistle a little longer than expected or stops a drill to make a point will be dissected from every possible angle, not because anyone knows exactly what happened, but because everybody already has an opinion about him. Some people will watch the clip and see the demanding coach the Oilers wanted after another disappointing spring. Others will watch the exact same video and decide history is repeating itself. Training camp will give everyone new evidence for the argument they were already making.
There will also be a line that catches everyone's attention for a couple of exhibition games. Maybe it's because they spend the whole night on the forecheck. Maybe they score a pair of greasy goals. Maybe they simply play with more energy than everyone else on the ice. It doesn't really matter who the three players are because the conversation is almost always the same. Fans start talking about the fourth line as though it has finally been solved for good, even though coaches usually spend the first two months of the regular season moving those spots around.
One rough exhibition game from Trent Frederick and somebody will decide nothing has changed. Evan Bouchard will miss the net on a power play, and people will question his contract... again. Connor Murphy will make one good enough defensive play, and there will be people wondering how Chicago ever let him get away. Every established player enters camp with headlines attached to him, and it rarely takes more than a period or two before someone decides they were proven right
Then there's the annual search for Connor McDavid's winger.
Somebody will practice beside McDavid, and the line combinations will get pencilled in for opening night. It doesn't matter that coaches use training camp to experiment or that preseason games are designed to answer questions rather than settle them. Once a player looks comfortable beside No. 97, people start imagining what eighty-two games might look like.
None of these conversations are particularly new, but that's part of what makes training camp entertaining. Fans are looking for reasons to believe the roster has improved, coaches are trying to learn something about their players, and somewhere in the middle, those two things become difficult to separate.
It has now been just over one month since the explosive trade request from Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was made public.
At first, Larkin and his camp allegedly would only accept a move to three teams - the Florida Panthers, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Minnesota Wild. However, that list has reportedly been expanded.
While speculation continues to build on whether Larkin could actually begin Training Camp with the Red Wings in the fall if no deal is reached, a new club has reportedly emerged as a potential landing spot.
According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman on his "32 Thoughts" podcast, the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes could present an ideal fit for Larkin.
"The other thing, when I heard Detroit, it made me wonder if they're in on Larkin at all," he said. "Because - first of all, he's Larkin, he's a heck of a player. Although he would have to change his list to go there, and secondly, also a great skater who would really fit in their system."
Friedman then listed a handful of prospects in Carolina's system who could potentially be used as trade bait in a deal, as there isn't much room on their current roster for them to earn regular playing time at the NHL level.
"They've got some interesting young players," Friedman said. "They've got (2023 round 1, #30 overall) Bradly Nadeau. They've got (2023 round 2, #62 overall ) Felix Unger Sörum."
"They've got (2023 round 5, #139 overall) Charles-Alexis Legault; he's a defenseman," Friedman continued. "And so is (2021 round 7, #219 overall) Joel Nyström, who played 38 games with them this year. Carolina has some young guys who are ready, just not a lot of spots on that roster on a team that just won the Stanley Cup."
The chances of Larkin landing with the Panthers dropped dramatically when they acquired former Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, whom Larkin played with during the Four Nations Face-Off as well as the 2026 Milan Olympics.
One of the key players Detroit could have requested in a trade for Larkin from the Golden Knights, Russian forward Pavel Dorofeyev, was dealt to the New York Rangers. Additionally, the Wild don't have many NHL-ready players on Larkin's level they'd part with.
It appears as though the main hangup in a Larkin trade is that GM Steve Yzerman hasn't received an offer that includes NHL-ready talent instead of a futures-driven package.
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Jedixson Paez of the Portland Sea Dogs is present during a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on May 1, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
In the finale against the Mets, the pitching provided a steady frame, even having to use five arms, allowing just six hits on the game, two of which were home runs. But this game was on the verge of turning into a laughter in the top of the first when the WooSox batted around and catcher Nate Knizner (who was the DH Sunday) had his first home run in his new organization. Mickey Gasper also continues to rake at a Triple-A level; two doubles on Sunday adds to that sample. The score was 5-1 at the end of one and the fate of Worcester’s win was never in worry.
This was a masterclass by Blake Wehunt and Jedixson Paez as the Curve (Pirates AA) absolutely got carved up, striking out seventeen times and managing just two hits. Paez didn’t allow a walk and got the 12-out save. Now, this win would have been safe even without run support, but the Sea Dogs had plenty of that too. Brooks Brannon had a home run to heat his bat back up, bringing the score to 6-0, and it’d only grow in the later innings. For Paez in particular, though, a lengthy relief appearance going this successfully is amazing. Paez was selected in the Rule 5 draft by the White Sox in December, made the opening day big league roster, and, pretty immediately, was returned to Boston after falling flat in the majors. The 22-year-old has some developing to do, but getting eight of twelve outs via strikeout is a promising sign.
Devin Futrell has either been automatic or struggled quite a bit this season. The Dash (White Sox High-A) tagged him for eleven hits but the towering lefty was able to put in five innings, and the bullpen held it. But, it was tough for Greenville to overcome allowing Winston-Salem two runs in each of the first three frames. No one was safe offensively from striking out at least once, but almost everyone also was in the “getting knocks” business. Unfortunately, no one out of six attempts was successful in the “getting knocks with runners in scoring position” business.
Not going to win many games with just three hits against the Green Jackets (Braves A), including the four through seven holes in the lineup going 0-for-14 with 10 strikeouts. As a whole, if you look at the team’s OPS up and down the lineup, nothing really jumps off the page in the lower levels. The pitching did enough to win a game where there was more offense than that, but it wasn’t to be on Sunday.
DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 4: Robbie Ray #38 of the San Francisco Giants pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Giants should be damn happy they play in the same division as the Rockies. If it weren’t for the best-run front office of 2004, San Francisco would be in an even worse spot than their current .420 winning percentage, but regardless look to be sellers at the trade deadline. I’m of the opinion that the entire organization needs to be taken back to formula and Buster Posey is perhaps not the guy to run things, but in the medium term at least, they will attempt a more conventional rebuild.
The chief challenge with the fit between the Yankees and Giants is the discrepancy in the latter’s asset performance. The Yankees need bullpen help, no question, and there are a trio of San Fran relievers who are free agents at the end of the year, classic trade bait pieces: Tyler Mahle, JT Brubaker, and Sam Hentges. Unfortunately Mahle is terrible, and while the other two both boast sub-3.00 ERAs, any other underlying metric indicates that those ERAs will not stay that low for long. Hentges is walking a comical 19.7 percent of batters faced, and Brubaker’s 17 percent strikeout rate does not help a Yankee bullpen that desperately needs some more whiffs.
If I had to pick one of the three, I would roll the dice on Hentges since he’s never had a year this bad from a walk rate perspective. Before 2026 he sat at a comfortable 8.4 percent rate for his career, so I’m going to be optimistic and say this is a flukey thing or the Giants are just bad at managing their pitchers. Still, I’m burned enough by Camilo Doval that I don’t really want any bullpen help from San Francisco.
If the Yankees choose to shore up their pitching rotation instead, given the impact of injuries and the potential of moving one of their own starters to the bullpen, Robbie Ray is also coming up on free agency. The 34 year old former Cy Young winner has a 3.45 ERA, pretty good, but you’ll never guess what happens if you look under the hood. The third-worst strikeout rate of his career matched with an unholy home run rate while playing in a park that doesn’t allow a lot of dingers should make us all very frightened of the idea of Ray pitching in the Bronx.
So the pitching’s all kinda bunk.
It may be unsurprising for a 37-51 team but the offense doesn’t look all that much better. The Giants have a bunch of pretty fat contracts on the books that I’m sure they’d be interested in trying to dump, but there’s no fit for Rafael Devers on this team. The Yankees certainly aren’t going to take on some $150 million worth of Willy Adames, and while I suppose you could squint and rub the bridge of your nose and maybe huff a Sharpie and see a spot for Matt Chapman on the club, he’s not even been a league average hitter in 2026. The Yankees already have a defensively-talented third baseman who can’t hit, and he isn’t under contract through his age-38 seeason.
I guess the one guy you could ask about, especially if it’s true that Aaron Judge won’t be back until September, would be Jung Hoo Lee, but I don’t know why the Giants would want to move one of their only productive hitters who’s still 27 and under team control for four more seasons at a relatively reasonable rate. I feel like there are some dark times coming for the Giants, perhaps some moral judgement for the harms the Bay Area have visited on the globe over the last two decades. There’s just not a lot here, and the prospect capital the Yankees would be expected to give up is probably best suited going elsewhere.
Last week, our Rangers Reacts survey asked folks what the Texas Rangers should prioritize, should they be buyers at the trade deadline.
It is still up in the air, of course, whether they will be in a position to buy — they are currently occupying Wild Card 3, but a couple of bad weeks could put the Rangers in a place where they’d be more likely to be sellers than buyers. We are going to be optimistic for now, though…
A majority of folks believe that the bullpen is the area that the Rangers should prioritize, and its hard to argue with that stance, given the overall state of the team. Outfield/DH was the next most popular option, followed distantly by the rotation, catcher, and the infield.
For the MLB-wide questions, when asked which MLB exec currently has the hottest seat, David Stearns of the Mets got by far the most votes, though Buster Posey of the Giants and Craig Breslow of the Red Sox each got some support.
In the wake of MLB’s proposal to change the MLB draft rules and length, almost half of folks think the draft should be revamped.
And taking a look back at the Rafael Devers trade from a little over a year ago, the consensus is that no one came out well in that deal.
Jul 5, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) breaks his bat while grounding out during the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
ATLANTA — Braves left-hander Martín Pérez likely is headed to the injured list after he was hit on his left forearm by Juan Soto’s line drive in a 10-9 loss to the New York Mets.
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said X-rays on Pérez were negative but added the pitcher is expected to have more tests.
“It’s probably an IL,” Weiss said. “He’s not going to be able to make his next start.”
Pérez (6-6) allowed six hits and five runs, four earned, in 4 1/3 innings. He walked two batters and had one strikeout before being forced out of the game.
After being hit by the liner, Pérez recovered to throw out Soto at first base. Soto looked concerned about Pérez and then appeared to offer encouragement to the pitcher on his way back to the Mets’ dugout.
“I don’t think it’s anything broken, but it’s still an IL likely,” Weiss said. “He got hit hard and it’s his throwing arm.”
The NL East-leading Braves have been using a six-man rotation that only has left seven relievers in the bullpen. Weiss said if Pérez lands on the injured list, the team likely would fill his roster spot by adding a reliever.
“This probably allows us to get back to an eight-man bullpen,” Weiss said.
Bouncing back: Colby Shelton’s Birmingham tenure has started out slowly, but he was a mashing machine this past week. | (Colby Shelton/IG)
Charlotte Knights Record 2-4 (last week), 4-8 (second half), 46-41 (overall)
Knights Players of the Week Caden Connor .421/.500/.526, 19 at-bats
Ryan Galanie .296/.310/.370, 2-for-2 stolen bases, 27 at-bats Mario Camilletti .250/.280/.417, 24 at-bats Jason Matthews .278/.350/.333, 18 at-bats Dustin Harris .500/.667/1.167, 1-for-1 stolen bases, six at-bats Korey Lee .182/.400/.455, 11 at-bats Edgar Quero .133/.235/.333, 15 at-bats Rikuu Nishida .059/.333/.059, 17 at-bats
Jonathan Cannon 6 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 4 K Mason Adams 6 2/3 IP, 7 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 4 K David Sandlin 6 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 2 K Shane Murphy 5 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K Adisyn Coffey 4 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K
The Knights are off to a slow start in the second half, as they have dropped their first two series. This time, they lost four of six against the mighty Redbirds (52-35) in Memphis.
Outfielder Caden Connor, 25, was a tough customer at the plate all week against the Redbirds. Connor went 8-for-19 with two doubles and three walks to finish the week with a 1.026 OPS. That was easily enough to lead the team among players with more than six at-bats. This was a cold week for the Knights offense, which averaged 4.17 runs per game. That average is not particularly low, but considering that the Knights have averaged 6.18 runs per game this season, it was a bit disappointing. Regardless, Connor was extremely reliable, and with this excellent performance, he boosted his slash line in 63 games with the Knights to .266/.336/.388. Congratulations to Connor on his first weekly award of the season, as there has been a lot of competition all year for Knight of the Week.
2026 Charlotte Knights Players of the Week Korey Lee (March 27-April 5) Oliver Dunn (April 6-12) Shane Smith (April 13-19) Jarred Kelenic (April 20-26) Oliver Dunn (April 27-May 3) LaMonte Wade Jr.(May 4-10) Jacob Gonzalez(May 11-17) LaMonte Wade Jr.(May 18-24) Jacob Gonzalez(May 25-31) Braden Montgomery(June 1-7) Ryan Galanie(June 8-14) Kyle Teel(June 15-21) Korey Lee(June 22-28) Caden Connor(June 29-July 5)
Barons Player of the Week Colby Shelton .333/.455/.778, 18 at-bats
Alec Briley .360/.385/.440, 2-for-2 stolen bases, 25 at-bats Caleb Bonemer .250/.400/.550, 2-for-2 stolen bases, 20 at-bats Samuel Zavala .313/.353/.563, 16 at-bats Jacob Burke .182/.308/.364, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 22 at-bats Boston Smith .333/.467/.833, 12 at-bats Anthony DePino .150/.261/.450, 20 at-bats
Dylan Cumming 6 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 K Gabe Davis 6 2/3 IP, 8 ER, 10 H, 4 BB, 7 K Lucas Gordon 5 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K Jake Palisch 4 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 4 K Jackson Kelley 3 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 BB, 7 K
The Barons had a solid week, winning four of six against Montgomery (39-42) in Birmingham.
Infielder Colby Shelton, 23, who has experience at second base, third base and shortstop, got off to a flaming start to the season with the Dash (.339/.464/.661 in 31 games). After earning the promotion to Double-A, things have not been nearly as easy for the talented infielder. Entering this week, Shelton had a .170/.240/.327 slash line in 41 games with the Barons. However, Shelton turned that trend around in a huge way against the Biscuits, finishing 6-for-18 with two homers, two doubles, and four walks. That was enough to lead the way for a team that went 4-2, and not even Caleb Bonemer (who also had a strong performance) kept pace with Shelton.
Dash Player of the Week Kaleb Freeman .500/.538/1.250, 12 at-bats
James Taussig .333/.385/.708, 24 at-bats George Wolkow .292/.357/.458, 24 at-bats Ely Brown .273/.448/.273, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 22 at-bats Arxy Hernández .208/.269/.250, 24 at-bats Ryan Burrowes .286/.464/.476, 21 at-bats Eddie Park .571/.667/.857, 1-for-1 stolen bases, seven at-bats
Max Banks 7 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 K Riley Eikhoff 6 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 6 K Justin Sinibaldi 5 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 2 K Grant Umberger 4 2/3 IP, 6 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K Drew McDaniel 3 2/3 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 7 K
After four consecutive .500 weeks, the Dash returned to their dominant ways with a 5-1 week against Greenville (30-43).
Kaleb Freeman, 23, only played in three of Winston-Salem’s six games, but he made his time on the field count. Freeman, who suits up at catcher, first base and left field, went 6-for-12 with three homers, seven RBIs, and a walk. The White Sox selected Freeman in the 16th round of last year’s draft, and he is exceeding expectations by a wide margin so far. In 43 games (40 with Winston-Salem, three with Kannapolis), Freeman is slashing .281/.463/.562, as he is seeing the ball quite well and punishing seemingly every mistake that comes his way.
2026 Winston-Salem Dash Players of the Week Caleb Bonemer (April 6-12) Colby Shelton (April 13-19) Colby Shelton (April 20-26) Caleb Bonemer(April 27-May 3) Colby Shelton(May 4-10) Boston Smith(May 11-17) George Wolkow (May 18-24) Morris Austin(May 25-31) Caleb Bonemer(June 1-7) James Taussig(June 8-14) Kyle Lodise(June 15-21) George Wolkow(June 22-28) Kaleb Freeman(June 29-July 5)
Cannon Ballers Player of the Week Christian Gonzalez .333/.522/.600, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 15 at-bats
Stiven Flores .296/.321/.407, 27 at-bats Matthew Boughton .304/.333/.348, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 23 at-bats Alexander Albertus .250/.348/.300, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 20 at-bats Nick McLain .313/.500/.500, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 16 at-bats Jurdrick Profar .313/.389/.688, 16 at-bats Steven Lancia .444/.444/.667, 1-for-1 stolen bases, nine at-bats
Alexander Martinez 8 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 12 K Caedmon Parker 5 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K Truman Pauley 5 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K Jesús Méndez 4 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 5 K Gabriel Rodriguez 4 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K
The Cannon Ballers dropped their first two games against the Wilson Warbirds (43-38), but they rallied to even the series.
Outfielder Christian Gonzalez, 19, could hardly be kept off base in Wilson. Our preseason No. 33 White Sox prospect went 5-for-15 with a homer, a double, seven walks, and a stolen base in his only attempt. After starting out the season in the Complex League, Gonzalez made his debut with the Cannon Ballers on Wednesday, and he made a positive first impression. During his first game, Gonzalez went 1-for-1 with a double, two walks, and a sacrifice fly. Well done to Gonzalez, who is handling the new level nicely so far.
2026 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Players of the Week Stiven Flores (April 6-12) Abraham Núñez (April 13-19) Javier Mogollón(April 20-26) Arxy Hernández(April 27-May 3) Javier Mogollón(May 4-10) Max Banks(May 11-17) Riley Eikhoff(May 18-24) James Taussig(May 25-31) James Taussig(June 1-7) Derek Cerda(June 8-14) Matthew Boughton(June 15-21) Ryan Schiefer(June 22-28) Christian Gonzalez(June 29-July 5)
ACL White Sox Record 1-4 (last week), 13-33 (overall)
Complex Sox Player of the Week D’Angelo Tejada .385/.429/.923, 13 at-bats
Alan Escobar .333/.333/.467, 15 at-bats Jordan Rich .333/.400/.333, nine at-bats Jefrank Silva .273/.385/.545, 11 at-bats Eduardo Herrera .250/.250/.625, 1-for-1 stolen bases, eight at-bats Steven Lancia .300/.417/.600, 10 at-bats
Fabian Ysalla 8 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 K Justin Fuson 4 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 5 K Dylan Carmouche 3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 BB, 2 K Felix Doroteo 3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K Orlando Suarez 3 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 2 K
Stop me if you have heard this before, but the Complex Sox only picked up one victory in five games this week. Incredibly, in a season that started in May and plays five games a week at most, the team is now 20 games worse than .500.
Despite another lackluster week for the team, infielder D’Angelo Tejada, 20, was on top of his game. Tejada, who primarily plays third base, went 5-for-13 with two homers, a double, and a walk while only striking out once. Tejada was born 17 days after Game 4 of the 2005 World Series, and in 24 games in the Complex League, he has slashed .313/.405/.507. Tejada struggled in Kannapolis, where he opened the season, but he is still very young, and this week was a big step in the right direction.
2026 Complex Sox Players of the Week Alexander Albertus(May 4-10) Eduardo Herrera(May 11-17) Yordani Soto (May 18-24) José M. Mendoza(May 25-31) Yordani Soto(June 1-7) Landon Hodge(June 8-14) Tommy Vail(June 15-21) Yordani Soto(June 22-28) D’Angelo Tejada(June 29-July 5)
DSL White Sox Record 4-1 (last week), 9-16 (overall)
DSL White Sox Player of the Week Orlando Patiño .400/.500/.600, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 15 at-bats
Ronald Cardozo .400/.526/.467, 15 at-bats Fernando Graterol .250/.350/.438, 3-for-3 stolen bases, 16 at-bats Sebastian Romero .235/.316/.471, 4-for-5 stolen bases, 17 at-bats Carlos Vielma .333/.438/.583, 1-for-1 stolen bases, 12 at-bats
Jhoriel De La Rosa 4 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 3 K Yordany Marte 4 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 K Roderic Ramirez 4 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K Franchel Crisostomo 3 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K Alexander De Los Santos 2 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Whoa, hold on a moment. The DSL White Sox won four out of their five games this week. Yes, this really did happen, and they are out of the cellar of the Dominican Summer League. After dropping the first game of the week, the team ended the week on a four-game winning streak.
Outfielder Orlando Patiño, 18, was terrific, and his performance was strong enough for him to earn his first weekly award. Patiño went 6-for-15 with three doubles, three walks, and a stolen base in his only attempt. Well done to Patiño, whose performance spearheaded his team’s best week of the season.
2026 DSL White Sox Players of the Week Carlos Vielma(June 1-7) Sebastian Romero(June 8-14) Sebastian Romero(June 15-21) Ronald Kelly(June 22-28) Orlando Patiño(June 29-July 5)
Who gets YOUR vote for Minor League Player of the Week?
