Olympic champions pipped by their old rivals
Women defend title in final against New Zealand
Australia’s team pursuiters have had mixed fortunes on day one of the Commonwealth Games track cycling.
The men suffered a surprise loss in their Ashes final as England gained some revenge for the Paris Olympics, where Australia beat Great Britain for the gold medal.
Continue reading...Former Montreal Canadiens forward Colin White has found a new home.
The New Jersey Devils have announced that they have signed White to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season. The former Habs forward will have a $900,000 cap hit at the NHL level with his new deal.
White was briefly a member of the Canadiens, as he spent part of the 2023-24 season with the Original Six club. In 17 games with the Habs that season, he recorded zero points, 11 hits, and a minus-3 rating. His time with the Canadiens would end during the 2024 NHL off-season when he signed an AHL deal with the San Jose Sharks organization.
White last played at the NHL level during the 2024-25 season with the Sharks, where he had zero points in three games. During this past season with the San Jose Barracuda, he recorded 21 goals, 27 assists, and 48 points in 46 games.
White will now be looking to impress at training camp in hopes of making the Devils' roster. However, if he does not, he should be a key veteran forward for their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, next season.
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
Other Sabres Stories
Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss
37 Noah Laaouan – Defense (Rochester - AHL)
The Sabres have not been really active in adding undrafted college and CHL prospects, since they a pipeline filled with draftees, but the club has found contributors like Zach Metsa, who played a significant chunk of last season in the NHL after joining Rochester on an AHL deal in 2023. Another player brought in on an AHL deal was blueliner Noah Laaouan.
The 25-year-old went undrafted through five seasons in the QMJHL with Cape Breton and Charlottetown, and signed a minor-league deal with Arizona in 2022, where he played most of the season in the ECHL. In 2023, after playing the majority of the season with Trois-Rivieres, he finished the year splitting time between the Jacksonville Icemen and the Amerks.
Laaouan took a step in 2024-25 with the Icemen, scoring 44 points (8 goals, 36 assists) in 67 games. Last season, he played exclusively with Rochester, posting nine points (2 goals, 7 assists) in 40 games. With the Amerks slated to ice an inexperienced blueline corps next season, the Halifax, NS native could see his role grow.
Follow Michael on X, and Instagram @MikeInBuffalo
Former Senators first-round pick Colin White is getting another chance to work his way back to the NHL.
The 29-year-old has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the New Jersey Devils worth $900,000 at the NHL level and $400,000 in the American Hockey League.
It's an intriguing opportunity for White, who, points-wise, is coming off the best offensive season of his professional career. Skating with the AHL's San Jose Barracuda last season, White recorded a career-high 48 points in just 46 games, the first point-per-game campaign of his pro career.
The last time White produced at that rate was nearly a decade ago during his days at Boston College where he had 36 goals and 76 points in 72 career games.
White spent substantial time this year with Kasper Haltunnen on his line, a good young prospect who was traded to the Senators in the William Eklund deal last month. White also played some right wing, alongside Filip Bystedt, the Sharks' 2022 first rounder.
White's resurgence obviously caught the eye of new Devils' GM and analytics guru Sunny Mehta and should earn him a long look at training camp. If he doesn't crack the Devils' roster, he'll provide veteran leadership and scoring depth for the AHL's Utica Comets.
White brings plenty of NHL experience to the table. Over parts of eight seasons with Ottawa, Florida, Pittsburgh and Montreal, he's appeared in 323 NHL games.
For Devils fans of a certain vintage, White's arrival may also stir up a little nostalgia. Defenceman Colin White spent 11 seasons with the Devils from 1998 to 2009, helping New Jersey win Stanley Cups in 2000 and 2003.
For Senators fans, the name just stirs up memories of unrealized expectations.
Selected 21st overall by Ottawa in the 2015 NHL Draft, White scored 14 goals and 41 points in his first full season, frequently playing on a line with Mark Stone and rookie Brady Tkachuk.
Believing they had found their long-term second-line centre, the Senators went all-in on White, handing him a six-year contract carrying a $4.75 million annual cap hit.
Unfortunately, he was never able to build on that one season.
Injuries, inconsistent production, and the emergence of younger centres like Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris quickly shoved White down the depth chart. By the summer of 2022, with three years still left on his contract, the Senators reached for the Whiteout, deleting him from the roster in a buyout.
White caught on with the Florida Panthers that fall, recording 15 points in 68 games before becoming an NHL part-timer, bouncing around between Pittsburgh, Montreal and San Jose over the next three seasons, spending most of that time in the American Hockey League.
After buying him out four years ago, the Senators are still paying for that contract. White's severance package remains on Ottawa's cap for two more seasons at an annual charge of $875,000.
But today is a good news day for White, who was always a well-liked Senators teammate.
After rediscovering his offensive mojo in the AHL, White will try to spin it into one more shot at becoming an NHL regular.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the Sens headlines below:
Jordan Spence On Tkachuk's Exit: 'I Think That It's Going To Make Us Better'
The Senators Now Have Depth And Cap Flexibility To 'Get In The Game'
Steve Staios' Top Three Moves So Far As Senators GM
A Member Of The Senators 'One-And-Done' Club Announces His Retirement
New Zealander has won the County Championship and makes those around him better but is also not averse to mind games
With two games of the 2005 season remaining Nottinghamshire, under the captaincy of Stephen Fleming, were sitting precariously at the top of the County Championship, still needing to visit their two main rivals. First up was Kent: Notts were 397 for five after the first day, but rain washed out most of the second and at the end of the third Kent were only five down. A draw looked inevitable, and with a Shane Warne-inspired Hampshire – Notts’ final opponents – on their way to victory at Glamorgan the title chase seemed to be turning. But Fleming had other plans.
“He called a meeting of the senior players on the fourth morning to say he had an idea,” says Darren Bicknell, his Notts teammate. “If Kent didn’t win the game against us, they were dead, they’d have no way to win the title, so he recognised that he had them over a barrel a little bit.” Fleming offered Kent the chance to chase 420 in 70 overs, an unlikely target – but also the best they were going to get. “To take a calculated gamble in that game was a stroke of genius,” Bicknell says. “Some of the senior players were a bit anxious, thinking we didn’t need to take any risks because the draw was still a good result. But people went with him.”
Continue reading...With Summer League play in the rearview mirror and most major transactions completed, now is a good time to look back at some players whose fantasy values have been affected by the changes. After looking at the players whose fantasy outlooks have improved earlier this week, we look at some whose values may have taken a hit, some through no fault of their own. Kicking things off are two players in Philadelphia who are well-positioned to contend for an NBA title, at the expense of their respective fantasy outlooks.
Obviously, no front office worth its salt would ever consider fantasy value when making moves that could improve the roster. Between the acquisition of Brown and the recent signing of LeBron James, the 76ers are well-positioned to contend for an NBA title next season. However, a stronger starting lineup also means that some individual sacrifices will need to be made.
As the least experienced player in the 76ers' starting five, Edgecombe may be the one who's asked to sacrifice the most offensively when everyone is healthy. The athletic guard is coming off an excellent rookie season in which he provided sixth-round per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats, as well as points leagues. Edgecombe's usage (20.1) wasn't too high, but that number may decrease with Brown and James on board, especially with both proving to be more durable than Paul George was.
As for Brown, he's coming off the most productive individual season of his NBA career. With Boston not having Jayson Tatum for most of the season as he recovered from a ruptured Achilles tendon, Brown's usage was a career-high 36.2. With the trade to Philadelphia, that number was already going to take a hit. Add in LeBron, and that is something else for fantasy managers to consider. Hopefully, Brown will be able to clean up the turnovers (3.6 per game), which factored into him finishing outside the top-50 in nine-cat formats.
Avdija is coming off the best season of his NBA career to date, having earned his first All-Star Game appearance. He posted career-high averages in points, assists and three-pointers while offering third-round per-game value in eight-cat formats. However, between the departure of head coach Tiago Splitter, the return of Damian Lillard and the acquisition of Ja Morant, Avdija's usage (29.3 last season) is bound to decrease. He can still offer reliable fantasy value, especially if the three-point accuracy improves and the turnovers decrease. However, Avdija's ceiling took a significant hit this offseason.
While he did enter last season with a top-100 ADP, few expected Rollins to be as productive as he was for the injury-riddled Bucks. He recorded career-high averages in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and three-pointers while shooting 47.2 percent from the field, 40.6 percent from three and 79.6 percent from the foul line. The Bucks' chances of being a factor in the East took a significant hit with Giannis Antetokounmpo being traded to Miami. Still, there are even more perimeter options for new head coach Taylor Jenkins to sift through.
In addition to Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. return, with the latter having signed a deal that shocked many (four years, $64 million). Among the players Milwaukee received from Miami were guards Tyler Herro and Kasparas Jakučionis, and lottery pick Brayden Burries was one of the best performers at the Vegas Summer League. While he won't fall off the face of the earth, the increased number of guards on the roster may not do Rollins' fantasy value any favors.
Speaking of the Antetokounmpo trade, his arrival in Miami may mean that Wiggins' usage takes a hit. Despite Herro and Norman Powell (who's now in Chicago) missing extended periods of time due to injury, Wiggins still averaged just 15.4 points per game last season, a decrease of more than three points when compared to his 2024-25 average (19.0). The positive is that Wiggins shot a career-high 41.4 percent from three on 4.9 attempts per game; if he can maintain that accuracy, it would help preserve some of his category-league value.
After years of stockpiling young talent, the Wizards began to shift the franchise's approach with the acquisitions of Trae Young and Anthony Davis last season. Add in AJ Dybantsa, who was selected with the first overall pick in June's draft, and some of the other young Wizards stand to take hits to their fantasy values in 2026-27. Sarr may be better equipped to preserve his fantasy value, especially if Washington decides to start him alongside Davis.
And in that scenario, players like George, Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson and Will Riley would lose their luster as fantasy options. Of those four, George's overall profile gives him the highest category-league ceiling, but it would be challenging to expect a top-100 season out of him.
While he finished last season with career-high averages in points, rebounds, assists (tie), steals and blocks, injuries limited Aldama to 43 games for the Grizzlies. The move from Memphis to Dallas puts Aldama on a team headlined by Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving, and there's a surplus of bodies in the post as well. Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford remain on the roster, as does Moussa Cissé after the Mavericks matched the offer sheet he signed with the Knicks. Add in lottery pick Morez Johnson Jr., and Aldama's fantasy value stands to take a hit unless someone is traded.
After finishing the Salt Lake City portion of Utah's summer league run on a positive note, Peterson played three games in Las Vegas. In those appearances, the second overall pick in June's draft averaged 20.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 three-pointers. However, the efficiency was lacking, with Peterson shooting 30.8 percent from the field while averaging 4.7 turnovers.
Long-term, Peterson should be fine; there is too much talent for the Jazz to work with in the former Kansas guard. Short-term, does he start alongside Keyonte George or come off the bench? George, who is extension eligible this summer, is coming off the best season of his NBA career and appears to be Utah's answer at point guard. There's also Ace Bailey to consider, as he made 61 starts as a rookie. Peterson should still be one of the first rookies taken in drafts, but managers may need to temper their expectations early on.
Similar to Peterson, Acuff put up good averages this summer, but the efficiency was an issue. In three games in Las Vegas, the seventh-overall pick averaged 19.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.7 three-pointers while shooting 36.8 percent from the field, 26.3 percent from three and 64.3 percent from the foul line. Between the 4.7 turnovers per game and limited defensive value, Acuff has some areas to clean up going into his rookie campaign. The good news is that managers who can withstand the efficiency concerns should be fine, as Acuff should be the Kings' starting point guard on Opening Night.
Ament did not play in the California Classic, but he did appear in all five of Milwaukee's games in Las Vegas. In those appearances, the former Tennessee forward averaged 11.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.4 blocks and 1.4 three-pointers per game. Ament posted solid percentages, but his overall impact was somewhat muted. Once training camp opens, he will face significant competition for minutes. Miami added Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel'el Ware via the Giannis trade while also re-signing Ousmane Dieng. Add in returnee Kyle Kuzma, and Ament's rookie year fantasy outlook may not be great.
While fellow first-round pick Caleb Wilson was one of the standouts in Las Vegas, Swain struggled. In four games, he averaged 4.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.8 steals, shooting just 12.9 percent from the field. While Summer League is nowhere near the level of play Swain and the other rookies will face in the fall/winter, the inability to get things done offensively in his first NBA experience is a concern.
Karaban's summer got off to a rough start, as a sprained ankle sidelined him for the entirety of the California Classic. That injury likely factored into his slow start in Las Vegas, with the former UConn standout averaging 8.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.6 three-pointers per game in four appearances. Karaban shot just 38.1 percent from the field, and there's no guarantee that the quality of looks he gets will improve once the regular season begins, with the Kings likely starting fellow rookie Darius Acuff Jr. at the point.
A former Pittsburgh Penguins forward is heading to one of their division rivals.
The New Jersey Devils have announced that they have signed forward Colin White to a one-year, two-way contract. At the NHL level, the former Penguins forward will have a $900,000 cap hit with the Devils.
White signing this two-way deal with the Devils comes after he spent all of last season in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda. In 46 games with the AHL club in 2025-26, he posted 21 goals, 27 assists, and 48 points.
White most recently played at the NHL level during the 2024-25 season, where he had zero points in three games with the San Jose Sharks. Now, he will be looking to make New Jersey's roster after signing this new deal.
White appeared in 11 games for Pittsburgh during the 2023-24 season, where he had zero points, eight shots, and 11 hits. He also posted five goals and 10 points in 21 AHL games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins during that campaign.
In 323 career NHL games over nine seasons split between the Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, and Sharks, White has posted 44 goals, 69 assists, and 113 points.
Something about Colin White and Jersey just feels right.
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) July 30, 2026
Even while new allegations swirl around it, nearly everyone in league circles — and particularly the LA Clippers and Toronto Raptors — want the alleged salary cap circumvention case about Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers to wrap up fast. However, if Leonard or the Clippers decide to fight any potential punishments, this saga likely would drag out into the season and maybe into 2027, according to a new report.
That's because the NBA's collective bargaining agreement says any cap-circumvention case — and potential punishments out of it — must go before a neutral arbitrator and, potentially, an appeals process. While NBA Commissioner Adam Silver can suggest punishments, the arbitrator would determine if the case has been made and if those punishments are appropriate to the offense.
Those appeals could drag out the process, reports Baxter Holmes of ESPN, who discussed a timeline that could run into next year.
Sources close to the National Basketball Players Association with knowledge of the investigation said the union wouldn't hesitate to take the matter to arbitration if the NBA sought penalties without sufficient evidence proving the claim that the Clippers have denied since the league's inquiry began nearly 10 months ago.
On July 9, NBPA executive director David Kelly told reporters in Las Vegas that he didn't believe there was a "there, there" regarding whether the Clippers compensated Leonard through a $28 million endorsement deal that he signed in 2022 with the now-bankrupt green banking company Aspiration, which also had a 23-year, $300 million endorsement deal with the Clippers.
There are a lot of competing interests here. If the investigation finds sufficient proof that the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer intended to circumvent the cap, Silver would have to come down hard on the team and its owner — but Ballmer has repeatedly professed his innocence and, by nature, is a fighter. He might not let this go. Then there is the players' union, and potentially Leonard himself, appealing things depending upon the punishment.
The best-case scenario for the league might be a "plea bargain" deal where the Clippers and league agree to whatever potential punishments would be handed down. Whether that kind of agreement could be reached is another question.
The Clippers and Toronto Raptors agreed to a trade that would send Leonard back to Toronto — where he won a title in 2019 — for a package centered around Brandon Ingram. However, that trade is on hold because the Raptors, understandably, don't want to trade for Leonard with the threat of a potential suspension hanging over him.
In Las Vegas for Summer League, Silver said that the entire case "needs to be wrapped up before the beginning of next season," but even when he said it that timeline raised eyebrows around the league. Now that timeline seems optimistic at best, which leads to questions about the future of the Leonard trade to Toronto.
One of the reasons Silver's timeline seemed optimistic were reports that the investigation had widened beyond just the Aspiration endorsement — and may include a Rhode Island soccer team.
A new investigation by WPRI in Rhode Island and the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast uncovered that Leonard, as well as his uncle and manager Dennis Robertson and former agent Mitch Frankel, all have been quiet, secret investors in the United Soccer League's Rhode Island Football Club.
Leonard and his associates became involved around the same time that [Rhode Island FC founder Brett] Johnson was struggling to secure enough private financing to move ahead with construction of Rhode Island FC's new 10,000-seat stadium in Pawtucket, which cost more than $130 million to build. The previously undisclosed role of Leonard underscores how little has been known about who was backing the stadium deal, even with tens of millions in taxpayer funds on the line. Rhode Island FC has never publicly disclosed the identities of its full ownership group.
Leonard's quiet involvement here raises questions on a couple of fronts. One is simply publicity — when star athletes in other sports invest in the USL, the league and teams publicize it, as happened with Russell Westbrook, for example. It also happened when former Celtics big man Daniel Theis joined Rhode Island's ownership group three years ago.
Potentially more interesting was something else reported by Torre: During 2019, when "uncle" Dennis reportedly was making extravagant and improper demands from teams recruiting a free agent Leonard — such as giving him a home, access to a private plane and, most concerningly, a no-show endorsement deal — one of them was to make him part owner of a professional sports team.
That is not proof that Leonard's investment in the team isn't legitimate or doesn't come from his own pocket, it just is another question. RIFC founder Johnson said this to WPRI about Leonard and associates' investment.
"They're particularly interested in real estate, finding ways to invest in housing, particularly in low-income areas," Johnson said.
The building of the stadium was supposed to come with other developments, such as a hotel and about 400 housing units. That housing has yet to be built, despite having received local approvals and some tax deals. The company has applied for more taxpayer subsidies.
There is still much to be decided and determined before the New Jersey Devils take the ice to open the 2026-27 season. While GM Sunny Mehta has seemingly settled on a three goalie system at the NHL level for the year, it leaves questions regarding the team’s AHL affiliate and beyond. With about six weeks until players start reporting for training camp, there’s still a lot of variables at play; Coach Sheldon Keefe might only want to keep two of said goalies on his roster for example. But until the team actually comes together, as of right now Jake Allen, Nico Daws and David Rittich are all on the NHL roster.
Looking over at Puckpedia, this leaves only Jakub Malek in Utica on a contract where he could be brought to New Jersey if needed. However, Tyler Brennan and Jeremy Brodeur are both still with Utica on AHL deals. While both of those players can be loaned to Adirondack of the ECHL (which is where they both spent most of the 2025-26 season) they are technically available to Utica. If the Devils stand pat and don’t add anyone to the roster, and additionally they do not demote one of the three NHL level goalies, they still have enough tenders to fill out at least the NHL and AHL rosters. While I’m not entirely familiar with Adirondack at the ECHL level, I would be willing to bet they have another goalie to fill out their ranks if one of Brodeur/Brennan stay in Utica.
If Devils management is trying to better the team at every level though, they might want to consider inking one of the unsigned goalies also listed on that Puckpedia page to a deal. Jeremy Brodeur is already 29, and hasn’t progressed beyond being an ECHL regular; he’s unlikely to be anything more than a minor league player at this point. While Tyler Brennan is only on the cusp of turning 23, he doesn’t seem to be making much progress either. While Jakub Malek could wind up eventually making the jump to the NHL level, the Devils could use to get another prospect under contract to take reps and play within the Devils’ system. Mikhail Yegorov, Veeti Louhivaara, Trenten Bennett and Daniil Rusakovich all have their rights held by New Jersey and perhaps one could join the organization soon.
I think Rusakovich is the least likely to join right now for a couple of reasons. Not only was he just selected in the most recent draft, making him the youngest (and perhaps least polished) unsigned goalie, but the Devils hold his rights indefinitely due to the lack of a transfer agreement with the KHL and their affiliates. The Devils can afford to be patient with him. The other three goalies are all 20 (all born within a few months of each other to boot), however Bennett has an extra year for the Devils to sign him by due to him being drafted a year later. Again, with the earliest date the Devils would have to make a decision on him on being in 2029, I think he’s another case where the team can be patient.
If the Devils sign another undrafted prospect, it comes down to Louhivaara and Yegorov. Both Louhivaara and Yegorov had similar stats this season, but Yegorov played 13 more NCAA games this season than Louhivarra did USHL games. While I cannot speak to Veeti’s game beyond his stats, I had the benefit of being able to watch Mikhail live at a BU/UConn game this season. While he unfortunately got absolutely lit up that night, he was playing behind a rebuilding (read: awful) BU defense that gave up numerous odd-man rushes and breakaways. The plays where he was set, he looked composed and in control of the action, even when (again) his defense faltered in front of him.
With the hype around him, as well as from what I have personally viewed, I think Yegorov is the stronger contender to be signed by the Devils, At the same time, I think things may really depend on how the organization views Jakub Malek; if they rank him higher than Yegorov (and really all of the unsigned goalies) than the team may want him to play the larger share of AHL games. In that case, it wouldn’t matter if it was one o the ECHL guys from last year backing him up. If the plan is for the team to see what they have with as many goalies as possible to try and find an internal option for starting goalie, than signing Yegorov, Louhivaara or even Bennett to start narrowing down their options.
It may take until training camp gets underway and the Devils see which of the three 20 year olds performs the best, but I do think the Devils add another goalie for the AHL level this season. I also do not see them demoting one of the NHL goalies; depth continues to become more and more important for NHL teams, and I don’t think the Devils chance losing any of their depth in net on waivers, at least not this season. With that as part of the reason, I predict we are going to see two young Devils in Utica this season playing to see which one could be an NHL goalie in possibly the not too distant future.
What are your thoughts on the Devils potentially signing one of their unsigned goalie prospects to round out the AHL roster; do you have a preferred player you want to see under contract? Do you think the team waits to see how things shake out in training camp? Is it more likely the parent club demotes one of the three signed goalies? Do you see Utica calling up one of the ECHL goalies to complete their tandem? Leave any and all comments down below and thanks as always for reading!
Montreal Canadiens fans will be happy to hear that Arber Xhekaj loves Montreal; that’s not exactly news, but it’s still something his agent, Brian Bartlett, made abundantly clear in an interview on TSN 690.
Speaking to Matthew Ross and Dave Trentadue on the Game Plan, Bartlett discussed a number of his clients. Still, since TSN 690 is mostly about the Habs, he had to talk about Xhekaj, who remains an RFA at this stage and is one of only two Canadiens who still need a contract alongside Zach Bolduc.
Canadiens Trail Only Hurricanes In NHL Contract Efficiency Rankings
Why Signing Matheson To An Extension Was Important For The Canadiens
Former Canadiens Goaltender Not A Fan Of Habs’ Goaltending Carousel
Asked how Xhekaj deals with the rumors about there being interest in him on the trade market, Bartlett explained:
Arber loves Montreal; he loves playing in Montreal, loves the fans, the city, the atmosphere, the coaching staff, the development staff, Marty, Adam Nicolas, everybody. He’s become a better hockey player there, and it’s an amazing place to play. Our hope, I think, kind of collectively, Arber’s and ours is that we can find a way to make it work with Montreal here.-
He also added, however:
The flip side of that coin is that Montreal has a lot of very good players, a lot of good players at defense, and it’s trying to work out how that logjam works itself out. What’s the best way to have the most productive team. I think we’ve all been through this enough that we understand the Montreal Canadiens are going to do what’s best for the Montreal Canadiens and Arber Xhekaj is going to do what’s best for Arber Xhekaj. There’s a very large world where those diagrams overlap, and we’re optimistic we end up in kind of that overlap where it’s good for Montreal and good for Arber, but we’ve still got a lot of time until training camp; there’s no panic.-
Clearly, the agent is not worried about the fact that the negotiations are taking some time to come to fruition; he explained that the market had been kind of on hold with the Leo Carlsson offer sheet, the Zach Werenski trade rumours, and the Jason Robertson stalemate; everyone was watching as the market was slowly being set.
While the agent is right that there’s still ample time for a deal to be reached, I still find it interesting that Xhekaj didn’t file for arbitration and effectively left himself open to receiving an offer sheet. The Xhekaj camp is well aware that there’s a logjam in Montreal and is interested to know how that will resolve itself, which is understandable. At the end of the day, even if the player loves everything about Montreal, he must be craving an opportunity to establish himself as a full-time NHL player.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.
We look at the best images from day seven in Glasgow, featuring athletics, track cycling and netball
Continue reading...
Texas Rangers @ Tampa Bay Rays
Thursday, July 30, 2026, 11:10 AM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)
Tropicana Field
RHP Cole Winn vs. LHP Shane McClanahan
Go Rangers!
The NBA Offseason isn’t over but this week we decided to grade what the Dallas Mavericks have done so far.
Michael: I’m giving the team an A-. That may be hard for some to fathom when a team like the 76ers landed Jaylen Brown and LeBron James (what could their grade possibly be if ours is an A-?) – but I think a grade like this has to be measured on an appropriate scale and realistic expectations.
This offseason, the Mavericks have hired President Masai Ujiri, a front office professional calling the shots, the likes of which Dallas has not had in many, many years. They hired a proper GM in Mike Schmitz to pair with Ujiri to properly rebuild around Cooper Flagg. They hired a head coach that virtually everyone thought was untouchable and who ought to be perfect for a young, budding core. Then they constructed that young core, getting a player like Santi Aldama through clever use of a trade exception which they kept intact by clever use of signing-and-trading Khris Middleton. They moved up in the draft to get a promising guard in Sergio De Larrea, after using their higher pick to land Morez Johnson. They made a couple other slick moves in the second round for even more youth, and traded for a former #1 overall pick. All of this was done with a dearth of draft capital and an inherited pile of bad will. It was also done while keeping all of the obvious tradable player assets.
Will every one of these moves pan out to greatness? Probably not. But rebuilding a youthful, athletic, affordable roster while maintaining what precious few assets they had was nothing short of a masterclass of how to make something out of virtually nothing. For where the Mavs were three months ago, this was an excellent outcome.
David: I would say they have operated around a B. As of writing, their roster makes no sense, but they have made moves for good players. Morez Johnson was certainly a surprising draft pick, but maybe he is far past what any one of us mortals saw. He has the body to work perfectly next to Cooper Flagg. Masai Ujiri’s lust for big wings has been evident, but I am not too concerned about their success on the court this season. As of now, they have made mostly the “right” moves and have set themselves up for more to come. It hasn’t been a home run, but they’re definitely on base and in scoring position.
Ben: I give them a B+. The new front office is having to clean up one of the worst messes in NBA history due to one of the worst trades in NBA history. This was always going to be a long-haul project and they’re operating that way so far. They’ve added a bunch of interesting players who could work out, who might not, but they’re taking some chances. If they’re able to move some of the vets before the season starts, I’d even get close to an A-.
Matt: A very solid B+. The new regime has done the impossible and made Dallas an interesting team to watch again. There are several storylines going into this season with the potential to develop into something genuinely beneficial to the team’s longterm outlook. They’ve gotten creative in how to put new talent around Cooper Flagg with guys who are on his timeline, and are taking many, many bites at the apples in hopes that one of their developmental players pans out. It’s a roster-building exercise in the law of large numbers. The only thing they haven’t done is re-stock the barren shelves with some draft picks, but there’s still time and guys like Gafford, Washington and Marshall should be of interest to SOME team with an aim to contend this season – even if it’s not a huge haul.
Jack: I would give the Mavericks a B- for the offseason they have had so far. I honestly like all the additions they have made, starting with drafting Morez Johnson Jr. and Sergio De Larrea, to acquiring high-upside young talent for relatively cheap value. They have also done an amazing job of adding shooting to the roster, which will certainly help Cooper Flagg’s development. The way they have attacked the margins is very exciting, as with a lack of draft assets they will have to find unique ways to acquire talent. What holds back my grade is the dramatic roster imbalance that still plagues the team. They have too many forwards and not enough ball-handlers, simply not having the minutes to give. This holds back the opportunity for a player like Zaccharie Risacher, who needs time on the court to hopefully develop his skills. The lack of creation also lessens the impact of the new shooting, as most of these new players need their shots created for them. If the Mavericks can trade P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford for good value, then my grade would jump into the A’s, but since no trade is seemingly on the horizon, I’m settling on a B- for now.
Tyler: I’m going to give them an old school, college-level incomplete grade for the offseason. I can’t grade the work they’ve done through today because, well, this can’t be all the work they’re doing. The moves themselves are fine: I was indifferent at best on the Morez Johnson pick, but I do like Sergio De Larrea. I also think they’ve done decent work with the Sasser and Aldama acquisitions. I have questions about the Risacher addition, but it’s a fine “shot in the dark” as long as they don’t commit long-term money there until they see proof of the vision they surely imagine. But the roster is still incredibly unbalanced, and they don’t have much in the way of future assets they’ve gotten. Until the dust settles, it’s probably best to settle with an incomplete. I can’t imagine this is the roster they roll into the season with.
Bryan: Easy A- with potential for an A+ pending a frontcourt trade or two for reasonable value. The top 8 of the draft lottery fell exactly as we hoped that it wouldn’t, but M&M still left the draft with a great coaching hire, two players that figure to factor in the rotation battle this season, and two big upside swings in the 2nd round. On top of that, we’ve acquired a ton of shooting, length, and athleticism that lends itself to insulating Kyrie, Flagg, Sasser, Sergio, and another shot creator to be named later defensively. We did all this at the paltry cost of portions of our exceptions (trade exception and Mid-level) and three 2nd rounders. We’ve barely touched the few assets we have and remade the team completely from last season. This offseason has been a measured rundown of the checklist for a proper rebuild and a welcome, if foreign, sight for Mavs fans’ eyes.
Joe: The Dallas Mavericks deserve a C+ for their offseason so far. Given the difficult roster and asset situation Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz inherited, Dallas did a respectable job adding useful players on manageable contracts without sacrificing anything essential to Cooper Flagg’s future.Moves for Santi Aldama, Marcus Sasser, Morez Johnson Jr. and Zaccharie Risacher were all defensible individually. Dallas added shooting, size, youth and upside while preserving several movable contracts. Even the Risacher gamble came at a relatively low price. The Mavericks did not panic, overpay for a short-term solution or surrender another major first-round asset.
That is what keeps the grade from falling lower.
The problem is that Dallas chose to work around the margins instead of truly reforming the roster. The Mavericks still have too many overlapping forwards, not enough reliable ball-handling and several veterans who do not clearly fit Flagg’s timeline. Other young teams have been more aggressive in defining their direction, whether by collecting draft assets, clearing veterans or building a cleaner developmental roster. The individual moves mostly make sense, but they do not yet form a coherent plan. The “plus” comes from hiring Dusty May, one of basketball’s biggest rising coaching names. Pairing him with Ujiri and Schmitz gives the Mavericks a leadership structure worth believing in. Dallas improved its flexibility and talent base. It still has not made the larger, uncomfortable decisions required to properly build around Flagg. For now, that makes this a C+.
Isaac: i’m willing to give Masai and crew an A for this offseason. While not all needs were met, it’s a good step in the right direction and the offseason’s not over yet. They’ve made serviceable trades and taken shots on young guys that could help the team without committing long-term money to them.
It’s hard for fans, myself included, to handle the whiplash of being in the Finals just two years to being where we are now, but it’s the reality we live in. Offseasons for teams like the Mavericks aren’t about contending this season or next; they’re about taking chances to build a core around their young star. I think they’ve done a great job at that this offseason, and I’m fascinated by what they can get for the players on our team that have value (PJ, Gafford, Klay).
Matt M.: B-. This roster configuration may not make a ton of sense, but it doesn’t have to this season. It’s maddening that some of the vets who are still here are still here. But I have at least some level of middling trust in the long-term plan of Masai & Co. The guards on this roster don’t please me greatly but there is at least a glimmer of hope for this team putting an interesting product on the floor in 2026-27. Progress, I guess?
Kirk: A- for me. Look, I am broadly a pessimist when it comes to team sports. There’s only one champ every year, you know? So when I think about where Dallas was last February and see where they are 18 months later, this is about the best possible outcome I could have hoped for. Nico Harrison leveraged the future then traded away the centerpiece, so that Dallas has Cooper, everything else is more straightforward. Dallas made mistakes in tanking (or not tanking, really) but Morez Johnson is a nice pick. Sergio De Larrea has something! They’ve made two fun trades that could pan out well. They still have a lot of roster imbalance, but there’s hope for the future.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Kansas City Royals put first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino on the 10-day injured list with a sore right wrist.
Pasquantino is hitting .232 with six home runs and 33 RBIs in 79 games this year. He missed a month earlier this season with a broken hamate bone in the same wrist, which he aggravated during the Royals’ 3-2 loss to Minnesota.
“Just a little bit of wrist soreness,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “That’s not the kind of thing that you can have go away without some rest. So just trying to make a decision that he needed to get some rest and see if we can get him to calm down.”
In 11 games since he returned from the IL on July 11, the 28-year-old hit .282 with one double and no home runs.
Raphielle Johnson