NEW YORK — The New York Yankees acquired left-hander Ryan Weathers from the Miami Marlins on Tuesday for four prospects, a move to bolster a rotation that will be missing Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón when the season starts.
Miami received outfielders Brendan Jones and Dillon Lewis and infielders Dylan Jasso and Juan Matheus, all of whom are 21 to 23 years old.
Weathers, 26, was 2-2 with a 3.99 ERA in eight starts last year in his second straight injury-shortened season. He missed time with a strained left flexor, made his season debut on May 14, then didn’t pitch for Miami between June 7 and Sept. 11 because of a left lat strain.
He was 5-6 with a 3.63 ERA over 16 starts in 2024, when he was sidelined by a strained left index finger. He is a son of former Yankee David Weathers; they are the fifth father-son pair to play for the Yankees, including Yogi and Dale Berra and Clay and Cody Bellinger.
Eligible for arbitration for the first time, Weathers agreed last week to a one-year, $1.35 million contract. He is on track to become eligible for free agency after the 2028 World Series.
New York’s rotation projects to include Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Luis Gil.
Cole is expected to return to the Yankees in May or June following Tommy John surgery last spring, and Rodón is projected back in late April or May after surgery this offseason to remove loose bodies in his left elbow and shave a bone spur.
The Yankees re-signed Ryan Yarbrough for pitching depth and have a pending agreement to re-sign Paul Blackburn.
Lewis, 22, is a 13th-round draft pick who batted .237 with 22 homers and 79 RBIs in Class A last season. Jones, 23, is a 12th-rounder who hit .245 with 11 homers and 69 RBIs in Class A and Double-A. Jasso, 23, an undrafted free agent, batted .257 with 13 homers and 76 RBIs with Double-A Somerset. Matheus, 21, is a native of Venezuela who signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and batted .275 with three homers and 56 RBIs for Class A Tampa last season.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Tarris Reed Jr. scored 21 points and Silas Demary Jr. made four free throws in the last 29 seconds as No. 3 UConn extended its winning streak to 13 games with a 69-64 win over No. 25 Seton Hall on Tuesday night.
The Huskies nearly squandered an 18-point lead — 42-24 — with 17:20 left to play. Seton Hall battled back and closed within a point at 65-64 on a 3-pointer by Mike Williams III with 48 seconds left.
Demary made two free throws to give UConn a 67-64 lead with 29 seconds to play. Williams had a chance to tie it for Seton Hall on its next possession, but his 3-point attempt was blocked by freshman guard Braylon Mullins. Demary closed out the win with two more free throws with 11 seconds remaining.
The Huskies (17-1, 7-0 Big East) were held without a field goal for the final 5:40 of the game
Seton Hall had beaten UConn in the teams’ last four games at the Prudential Center.
Seton Hall (14-3, 4-2) had overcome double-digit deficits after halftime in all three of its wins since losing to Villanova on Dec. 23.
Alex Karaban had 13 points and Mullins scored 11 points for the Huskies.
Williams scored 16 points, Adam Clark added 12 and Najai Hines 10 for Seton Hall, which shot 1 for 16 (6%) from 3-point range. The Pirates were making third first appearance in The Associated Press’ Top 25 rankings since a No. 20 ranking nearly four years ago.
NO. 12 MICHIGAN STATE 81, INDIANA 60
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Jeremy Fears scored 19 of his career-high 23 points in the first half and Jaxon Kohler finished with 16 points, leading Michigan State to a win over Indiana.
The Spartans (15-2, 5-1 Big Ten) trailed by seven midway through the first half when Fears was their only scorer and led 39-32 at halftime after some of his teammates contributed offensively.
The Hoosiers (12-5, 3-3) tied the game with 11:19 to remaining, before giving up 19 straight points while being held scoreless for nearly seven minutes.
Indiana’s Lamar Wilkerson scored 19 points and didn’t get much help because none of his teammates scored in double figures. Reed Bailey, who is averaging 10 points, fouled out for the Hoosiers.
NO. 16 VIRGINIA 79, NO. 20 LOUISVILLE 70
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Malik Thomas made six 3-pointers and scored 19 points, Johann Grunloh added 16 points and Virginia shot 55% in the second half to beat Louisville.
Thomas went 6 of 8 from beyond the arc and 6 of 9 overall for the Cavaliers (15-2, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference). Virginia shot just 40% from the field but led throughout and made 7 of 13 3-pointers after halftime in its first meeting with a ranked foe this season.
Grunloh, a 7-foot freshman, went 3 of 4 on 3-pointers and added seven rebounds and four blocks.
Isaac McKneely, who spent the previous three seasons at Virginia, scored a season-high 23 points for Louisville (12-5, 2-3), which shot 36% and has dropped three of four.
Ryan Conwell added 14 points for the Cardinals, who played a seventh consecutive game without guard Mikel Brown Jr. (back) and were missing forward Khani Rooths because of an illness. Ex-G League player London Johnson dressed but did not play for a second straight game.
NO. 22 CLEMSON 74, BOSTON COLLEGE 50
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Nick Davidson scored 21 straight points in the first half and finished with a season-high 25 as Clemson beat Boston College to remain undefeated in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Tigers (15-3, 5-0 ACC) won their eighth straight game, one day after reaching the Top 25 rankings for the first time this season.
Davidson, the Nevada transfer, accounted for all of Clemson’s scoring in a 21-9 run in the first to turn a four-point deficit into a 32-24 lead.
Clemson started the second half on a 9-2 run. The Tigers were led by RJ Godfrey’s five points and extended their lead to double digits.
Davidson’s two foul shots with 9:50 to play extended Clemson’s lead to 21 points and Boston College (7-10, 0-4) failed to respond. The Tigers eventually led by 25 in the second half.
Davidson made 8 of 11 shots from the field, including four of Clemson’s eight 3-pointers. He finished a point shy of his career high, set against Sam Houston State in November 2024.
Fred Payne led Boston College with 20 points.
NO. 24 TENNESSEE 87, TEXAS A&M 82, 2OT
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nate Ament scored 23 points, 10 of which came in the two overtime periods, as Tennessee beat Texas A&M.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 18, Bishop Boswell had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Felix Okpara had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Volunteers (12-5, 2-2 in Southeastern Conference), who outrebounded the Aggies 60-35.
The Aggies (13-4, 3-1), who had their six-game winning streak snapped, were led by Jacari Lane with 20 points, Pop Isaacs with 16 and Ruben Dominguez with 15.
Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, and Austin Rivers have picked up a side hustle, coaching during NBA All-Star Weekend.
The four NBC broadcasters — three of them Hall of Famers — will coach the Rising Stars Game on Feb. 13, the Friday night of All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. The game will start at 9 p.m. Eastern that night and be broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
Presenting the honorary head coaches for the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars!
NBA Rookies and Sophomores will be drafted onto three teams on Tuesday (1/27) at 7:00pm/et on Peacock, with NBA G League players to comprise the fourth team.
This year's Rising Stars game will be must watch because it is overflowing with talent from an impressive and deep rookie class.
Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, VJ Edgecombe, Dylan Harper, Derik Queen and Tre Johnson are among the rookies expected to take part in the game at the Intuit Dome (the home of the LA Clippers). There are plenty of talented second-year players expected to participate as well, including Stephon Castle, Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher.
All of those rookies and sophomores will be drafted onto three teams, with the draft taking place in two weeks (Jan. 27) at 7 p.m. ET on Peacock. NBA G League players will make up the fourth team. Those four teams will be put into a straight-up tournament, where in the initial round the first team to reach or surpass 40 points will win and advance to the championship game. In that title game, the first team to reach 25 points wins.
When is the 2026 NBA All-Star Game?
The NBA All-Star Game returns to the Los Angeles area this season, with the big game itself played on Feb. 15, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, home of the Los Angeles Clippers. All events will be broadcast on NBC Sports and Peacock. The All-Star Friday Night Rising Stars game (featuring NBA rookies and second-year players) as well as the All-Star Saturday Night events, including the Dunk Contest and 3-Point Contest, will also take place at the Intuit Dome. Fans will be able to watch all of it on NBC Sports and Peacock.
How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
The Yankees have acquired left-hander Ryan Weathers from the Marlins.
As first reported by YES Network's Jack Curry, New York will send four minor leaguers to Miami for the southpaw in a move that will fortify the rotation in 2026 and beyond.
The minor leaguers the Yankees will send include outfielders Dillon Lewis, Brendan Jones, and infielders Dillon Jasso and Juan Matheus, according to multiple reports.
Jones is the No. 15 Yankees prospect according to MLB Pipeline, while Lewis (16) and Jasso (23) round out the prospects in the organization's top 30 prospects.
Weathers, 26, is coming off an injury-laden season where he made just eight starts due to flexor and lat strains. In limited time on the field in 2025, Weathers pitched to a 3.99 ERA with a K9 of 8.7 and a WHIP of 1.27.
In two-plus seasons with the Marlins, Weathers was 7-10 in 27 appearances (26 starts) while pitching to a 4.57 ERA. He was traded to Miami from the Padres in a deal that was headlined by first baseman Garrett Cooper in 2023. Before landing in South Beach, Weathers made 43 appearances (29 starts) and pitched to a 5.73 ERA with San Diego from 2021-23.
Weathers will make $1.35 million this season and is arbitration-eligible for two more seasons, giving the Yankees control of the southpaw until 2029.
While not as splashy a move, the Yankees can use Weathers -- whose father David pitched for the Bombers in 1996 and 1997 -- to give the rotation some healthy bodies until Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt return from injury. Currently, the Yankees' rotation will include Max Fried, Luis Gil, Cam Schlittler and Will Warren. Ryan Yarbrough is also slated to take a few starts as a swing man.
The Buffalo Sabres 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers on Monday was another in a recent string of third period letdowns, but unlike the previous three, the Sabres did not hold a sizable lead and could not erase a two-goal deficit in the waning moments of regulation.
The Sabres practiced at KeyBank Center on Tuesday, in advance of a rare back-to-back games at home against Philadelphia and Montreal. Head coach Lindy Ruff spoke to the media after practice, in which he updated the injury status of a few players.
How did (injured blueliner) Michael Kesselring look?
He looked like he had a real good day. I haven't had any post practice (contact), but just evaluating his skating and some of that extra work we gave him, I thought this is the best he's looked and the hardest he's been able to go. We ran a couple competitive small ice drills, and it looked like he got through them ok. I don't know about (him playing) tomorrow, but I think he's real close.
Why did Josh Dunne not take part in practice?
(Dunne) is being evaluated by the doctors, so he there's a chance he could miss some time.....It's been something that has been bothering him a little bit. So he went to have it evaluated this morning, and the initial (report is) it looks like he might miss a little bit of time.
Are you closely monitoring the heavy minutes of the top-four defensemen with the compressed schedule??
I think that's part of the reason. You try to give those extra off days, but I can guarantee if you asked any of those four defensemen, they relish the opportunity to play those minutes. I think we do have to be mindful, when you play back to back and that next day, you got to make sure they get the rest, because of a lot of hockey coming up. I think the minutes may get dispersed a little better, if Kesselring's back in, (and if)you look at it, Bryson and Metsa have done a good job too.
The NHL and the Buffalo Sabres announced on Monday what was widely reported late last week, that Buffalo will serve as host for the 2026 NHL Draft. The annual event will be the fourth to be held in the Queen City, which NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman pointed out is second only to Montreal in the drafts 63-year history.
"This is a place where hockey really matters. Great fans, great history and tradition. Hockey at all levels in the game, grassroots on up, and people have always supported and been enthusiastic about hockey, particularly the team is as competitive as this one looks,” Bettman said in a press availability prior to the Sabres game against Florida. “It's an exciting opportunity to bring it back.”
The last draft was in 2016, when the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Auston Matthews with the first overall selection, but the upcoming draft will be decentralized as last year’s in Los Angeles was, with hopefully some improvements to make it less time consuming.
"Since it was the first time we were decentralizing, we wanted to try some things out and be new and different than you see perhaps in other drafts,” Bettman said. “I think the first round may have been a bit over produced, and so we learned some things work and some things didn't work. And so I think we're going to look to streamline it, but at the same time, we'll try some new things to be innovative and creative."
In Sabres news, the club announced the hiring of Stacy Roest as a pro scout. The 51-year-old served as an assistant to current Sabres associate GM Marc Bergevin as Team Canada’s GM at the Spengler Cup, and spent 11 seasons as Director of Player Development for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and in 2020 was promoted to an Asst. GM and handed GM duties for the Lightning’s AHL affiliate in Syracuse.
The Ottawa Senators are back in action on Tuesday night at Canadian Tire Centre, trying to snap a four-game losing slide and begin the long climb back to relevance in the Eastern Conference playoff chase.
And if the Senators cannot pull points away from the visiting Vancouver Canucks, the last-place team in the entire NHL, losers of four straight games, recently trading away their captain, and in game two of a back-to-back situation, then we'll be getting awfully close to waving the white flag on this season.
Ottawa enters the night at 20-19-5, sitting seven points (and seven teams) out of a wild card spot, tied for last in the East with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who just fired their head coach this week.
Jack Richardson discusses goaltending in Ottawa, which has gotten even worse since Linus Ullmark stepped away over the holidays.
Vancouver is in even worse shape at 16-24-5, the very worst record in the league.
That makes this more than just another January game. For the Senators, it almost feels like a final chance to stop the slide before it turns into something much bigger.
Goaltending still the biggest question mark
The Senators’ biggest problem all season has been inconsistent goaltending, so management made a move Monday by officially signing 37-year-old free agent James Reimer. Reimer won’t dress tonight, but he is expected to be available at some point this week.
For now, the crease still belongs to Leevi Meriläinen, who will start against Vancouver, with Hunter Shepard backing him up. Ottawa is still waiting on Linus Ullmark, who remains on personal leave, but the team is hopeful he can return soon.
Sens-Canucks Trade talk?
This game also comes with a heavy layer of trade intrigue.
Senators general manager Steve Staios was in Montreal Monday night watching Vancouver’s 6–3 loss to the Canadiens, which raised more than a few eyebrows. With the Canucks sitting dead last in the NHL and already having moved star defenceman Quinn Hughes, they are clearly in sell mode.
Two Vancouver blue-liners stand out:
Filip Hronek and Tyler Myers.
With Hughes gone, Hronek now leads all Canucks skaters in ice time at over 24 minutes per night, while Myers plays more than 20 minutes a game. Hronek is signed for $7.25 million for the next four-and-a-half years. Myers has one-and-a-half years left at $3 million. Both have no-movement clauses, but when you’re on the worst team in the league, players tend to be more open to change.
On TSN 1200 on Tuesday, Darren Dreger also mentioned Kiefer Sherwood as a possible target. The 30-year-old forward has 17 goals this season and is on an expiring contract.
All of that makes Tuesday night feel like not just a must-win, but a bit like a scouting mission for the Sens.
Ottawa is usually competitive in its losses, including a 3–2 defeat to Florida on Saturday, but the silver linings playbook needs to close. Moral victories are worthless, especially at home against a tired, 32nd-ranked team that's in sell-off mode.
The Sens need wins, and they need them now.
Projected Lineups
Canucks (16-24-5)
Jake DeBrusk — Elias Pettersson — Linus Karlsson
Conor Garland — David Kampf — Brock Boeser
Liam Ohgren — Max Sasson — Drew O’Connor
Evander Kane — Aatu Raty — Nils Hoglander
Tom Willander — Filip Hronek
Zeev Buium — Tyler Myers
Marcus Pettersson — Victor Mancini
Kevin Lankinen
Nikita Tolopilo
Scratched: Arshdeep Bains, P.O. Joseph
Injured: Thatcher Demko, Kiefer Sherwood, Marco Rossi, Filip Chytil, Teddy Blueger, Derek Forbort
Senators (20-19-5)
Fabian Zetterlund — Tim Stützle — Drake Batherson
Brady Tkachuk — Dylan Cozens — Claude Giroux Ridly Greig — Shane Pinto — Michael Amadio
Nick Cousins — Lars Eller — David Perron
Jake Sanderson — Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot — Nick Jensen
Tyler Kleven — Jordan Spence
Leevi Meriläinen
Hunter Shepard
Scratched: Kurtis MacDermid, Nikolas Matinpalo, James Reimer
Injured: None
Final word
There will be plenty of talk about trades and the future, but Tuesday night comes down to one simple thing: a victory. The Sens are facing the worst team in hockey, at home, against a tired opponent. If they can’t get it done here, the long climb back to the playoff race may never even begin.
Steve Warne The Hockey News - Ottawa
This story is from The Hockey News Ottawa. You can visit the site here or click on one of their latest articles below:
Ja Morant remains the hottest name in trade speculation, but while there is a lot of smoke, how much fire there is remains in doubt.
The most interesting question may be: Do the Grizzlies already have an acceptable trade lined up and in their back pocket, and are they shopping Morant publicly, hoping another team steps up with a better deal? Or is this it? There's a lot to talk about, so let's break it down in bullet points.
Morant may want to go to Miami, but does Miami want Morant? While the Heat have been star-hunting for a couple of seasons, they might only have interest in Morant if the price was low enough (keep reading the next bullet point about what that might be). Nichols goes on to make an excellent point about the Heat taking a potential flier on Morant.
"Heat Culture is not boot camp for wayward souls. It is not, 'Oh gee, the Heat will clean him up.' Heat Culture is, 'We are tough and we are disciplined, and you either play by our rules or you leave and go home. We are not here to babysit you, hope you get up to our level.' And that's why the players who have worked there have really worked.
"Morant, and the way he approaches the game, seems to me to be the opposite of that. I used to live down in Miami, I used to cover that team, it just seems to be the opposite of what that team represents and stands for. And I know he wants to go down there, from what I've heard, I just can't imagine that would be a smart move."
"He's not attacking the rim nearly like he used to be. … He's a bad jump shooter who's shooting more jump shots than ever. And I'll just quote an East executive from then: 'The combination of pain in the a**, injury-prone, not that good anymore, and big contract is a bad one.'"
• Realistic fake trades. About all those fake trades floating around, the return Memphis will get for Morant will be similar to what Atlanta got for Trae Young, who was dealt for expiring contracts. Zach Lowe explained this well on his podcast:
"I saw some fake trade where it was like [Andrew] Wiggins plus [Jamie] Jaquez and two first-round picks, and I was like, 'What are you smoking?' The Miami trade is more like [Tyler] Herro plus dead money [Terry Rozier] and not much more than that.
"I think some team will trade something real for him eventually. It's the ultimate 'buy low' thing; He'll never be this unhealthy. The off-court stuff is hopefully in the rear view. He's totally unmotivated there, and will get the motivated chip on his shoulder [once traded]."
• Motivated Morant. The idea that there is a Ja Morant revenge tour is what gives him a little more value than Young (that and the fact that Morant has, in the past, shown he can be a decent team defender). That said, Morant has not looked like an All-Star for a few seasons, he's not been consistently healthy for a while (he has not played six consecutive games since 2023), and he's not developed a 3-point shot that teams fear (20.8% this season). More concerning, scouts have told NBC Sports that Morant is not driving as much as he used to, not blowing by players and finishing inside (or kicking out) like he once did.
That said, there are teams willing to find out whether that is still in him and if he is motivated. Draymond Green laid out the positive case for Morant on his podcast.
"Needless to say, if Ja Morant is traded, whatever team lands him instantly gets better. Make no mistake—when you have that level of talent, your team improves overnight.... And sometimes when you think about reviving a career, etc., sometimes guys just need a fresh start. And I don't know that Ja feels he need a fresh start. I don't know the sentiment around that. But maybe he do. But I think nonetheless, if he does get a fresh start, I think we'll see the Ja Morant that we've grown accustomed to seeing."
• What might Memphis get in return? Expect the return for Morant in a trade to be a young player with potential who has struggled in his current setting, and expect any picks dealt to be heavily protected, or more likely swaps and second-round picks. Certainly not unprotected firsts. Teams are willing to take a flyer on Morant, but they are not giving up much to do so.
• Long-term money. What makes this trade different from Young and Atlanta is that the Hawks did not want to take back long-term money in any trade, but that is not the case in Memphis. Just last summer, the Grizzlies got four first-round picks and a swap for Desmond Bane, except at least one of those firsts (and really, two) was for taking on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's contract (two years and $43 million). The same is true here, Memphis is letting teams know that if they get the right compensation, they will take on a longer contract as part of this trade, according to Kevin O’Connor at Yahoo and other reports.
• Is Toronto a destination? Along those lines, look north of the border. Toronto could be facing win-now pressure, which is why they would be open to a splashy trade, like one for Morant, reports Marc Stein at The Stein Line.
The Raptors want to get off Immanuel Quickley's salary (he is owed $97.5 million over three guaranteed seasons after this one), and if the Raptors are willing to include the right draft compensation, the Grizzlies will be open to the idea. How well the ball-dominant Morant fits with Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram is up for debate (what the Raptors need more is a center) but it's worth watching, this could be more than just smoke.
• More fake trades.At The Athletic, Zach Harper came up with a couple of realistic Morant trades: One to Brooklyn (a team others have mentioned as a dark horse) and one to Chicago. Would the Bulls want to pair Josh Giddey and Morant, moving Giddey more off the ball? Not sure they do, but Chicago needs talent so if the price was right… maybe?
• Jaren Jackson Jr. In all the talk about a potential Morant trade, other front offices are wondering if the Grizzlies will blow the whole thing up, specifically trading former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. (a player a lot of front offices covet). Teams are being told the Grizzlies have no interest in trading him, league sources told NBC Sports. That is not going to stop teams from asking.
The Ottawa Senators finally made the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season after an 8-year drought, and coming into 2025-26, the expectations were reasonable: make it again, and maybe make some noise.
But just over halfway through the season, the Senators need to defy the odds to return to the playoffs, a position nobody in the organization could have possibly expected to be in.
And the team’s President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Steve Staios has to wear it, marking the first time this front office has faced adversity from its own missteps.
The whole season hasn’t been a disaster. Around the quarter mark, the Senators were right in the mix, sitting top-3 in the Atlantic division, most of which was accomplished without star forward Brady Tkachuk while he recovered from a thumb injury.
THN Ottawa's Jack Richardson says GM Steve Staios bears responsibility for this season's goaltending issues.
However, a record of 8-12-1 since the captain’s return has the Senators tied for last place in the Eastern Conference and 7 points out of a wildcard spot, with six other teams ahead of them.
Typically, in such a disappointing season, the coach is the first one under the microscope. But Travis Green is in a unique position because the results under the hood are very impressive in his 2nd year with the Senators.
In other words, no team in the league makes life easier for their goaltenders than the Senators do, yet the club is dead last in the NHL in team save percentage at .868.
The issue for the Senators is goaltending, and it’s been so bad that trying to point blame at any other area of their game for this disappointing season is foolish.
That is why Staios is getting scrutinized.
Coming into the season, addressing the crease was not a priority for the Senators. They let Anton Forsberg go in free agency, putting faith in a tandem of Linus Ullmark and Leevi Meriläinen, which has proven to be a colossal mistake.
Forsberg has a respectable .901 save percentage for the Kings, right where he was last season, which was deemed expendable by the Senators’ front office.
It’s notable when a Senators goaltender provides a .900 save percentage or better this season. That’s not good.
Let’s start with Ullmark. He was acquired from the Boston Bruins for a package that included a 1st round pick, one of Staios’ biggest trades as GM. The 32-year-old is in the first season of a 4-year deal that pays him $8.25M per season, the biggest contract Staios has signed to date.
The Senators are all-in on Ullmark, so his results will reflect on this front office. To be blunt, he is having a bad second season in Ottawa through 28 starts.
Ullmark has a -18.3 Goals Saved Above Expected, ranked 2nd last in the NHL this season, according to Moneypuck.
He did seem to be turning his game around before taking a personal leave of absence on Dec. 28th. He had a .908 save percentage in 8 games from Dec. 1 - Dec. 24 with a record of 5-2-1.
Meriläinen has not been any better, especially in Ullmark’s absence, and that’s the biggest knock on Staios. The 23-year-old has a .866 save percentage in 17 games this season.
Meriläinen burst onto the scene a year ago, when Ullmark and Forsberg each went down with an injury. He had a record of 8-3-1 with a .925 and 3 shutouts. Meriläinen’s performance was remarkable, but he’s taken such a significant step back this season that it’s now hard to analyze what the Senators have on their hands.
The way they handled his development feels uncharacteristic for this front office.
23-year-old forward Stephen Halliday had a stint in Ottawa this season with extremely sheltered minutes, and barely got a look in any offensive situations before being returned to Belleville. Top prospect Carter Yakemchuk played well enough in each of his first two training camps to get a look in the NHL, but was sent to junior last year and Belleville this year to develop his defensive game.
Yet Meriläinen was handed a backup role because there was nobody else to push him in camp, which is where his troubled season started.
In what can only be categorized as a desperation move, Staios signed 37-year-old James Reimer last week to help stop the bleeding in Ottawa. When Ullmark returns, Reimer will likely back him up for the rest of the season, and Meriläinen will mercifully be sent to Belleville to find his game.
The Senators need to salvage the season, because they are in danger of missing the playoffs in a year they don’t own a 1st round pick in the draft.
To be fair, not having a pick this season isn't on Staios. Former GM Pierre Dorion is to blame, as the Senators were ruthlessly punished by the NHL for his blunder while trading away Evgeny Dadonov to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Senators had to forfeit their pick in either 2024, 2025 or 2026 - and Staios chose to keep 2024’s at 7th overall, selecting Yakemchuk, and then keep 2025’s to trade back and select Logan Hensler at 23rd overall.
The choice to continue deferring was likely made on the assumption that the Senators would progress this season, but as it stands right now, they have regressed.
If the season ended today, the Senators would have the 9th-best odds to win the Draft Lottery and pick 1st overall based on points percentage.
Coupled with a tumultuous week off the ice where he released a strongly worded statement discrediting online rumours about his players, Staios has been busy trying to keep the Senators from tailspinning out of control.
With the season in the balance, the pressure has never been higher on the first-time GM in Ottawa.
Jack Richardson The Hockey News- Ottawa
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The Vancouver Canucks are 45 games into the 2025–26 NHL season. The Canucks have yet to win their first game of 2026, as they are currently riding a seven-game losing streak. Their last win came against the Seattle Kraken on December 29, with their first regulation win coming against the New York Islanders on December 19. Here’s how the Canucks stack up to the rest of the NHL 45 games into the season.
Team Stats
Vancouver Canucks team stats 45 games into 2025-26.
While they had previously registered a couple of stats within the top-half of the NHL, at the 45-game mark, Vancouver currently ranks within the bottom-half in all the listed categories. Their highest-placed listed team stat is their power play, which ranks 18th in the NHL with a success rate of 19.7%. Everything else places below the top-20, with their penalty kill (72.7%, t-30th), goals-against (163, 31st), points-percentage (0.411%, 32nd), and record (16–24–5, 32nd) all placing within the bottom-three in the league.
Individual Skaters
Vancouver Canucks individual skater stats 45 games into 2025-26.
Vancouver’s offensive woes this season are summed up pretty well in how their individual skater stats compare to the rest of the NHL. Their team points leaders, Elias Pettersson (12G, 15A) and Filip Hronek (3G, 24A), are tied for 135th in the league in total points scored this season. For reference, the current highest point total on the season belongs to Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche who has 36 goals and 45 assists. Maintaining their places at the top of the league are Hronek with overall TOI (1104:58, 11th) and Kiefer Sherwood with hits (210, 2nd).
Goaltenders
Vancouver Canucks goaltending stats 45 games into 2025-26.
Canucks goaltenders Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen have maintained their team-leading stats in goaltending for the third consecutive segment of this check-in article. Demko has once again held the team lead in SV% (0.895%, t-37), GAA (2.90, t-36), wins (8, t-41), and high-danger SV% (.803%, 37th). On the other hand, Lankinen holds the team records in overall minutes played (1272:15, 29th), shots faced (611, 19th), and high-danger shots faced (185, t-22). With Demko once again out for an undetermined period of time, Lankinen will have to continue carrying a fair chunk of the weight for his team.
The Canucks will return to Vancouver throughout the next five-game span, but not before taking on the Ottawa Senators in the second-half of their current back-to-back tonight. They’ll face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday for the final game of their road trip before heading back to Rogers Arena for a Saturday night matchup against the Edmonton Oilers. To round out this upcoming five-game stretch, the Canucks will face the New York Islanders on January 19 and the Washington Capitals on January 21.
Jan 12, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Vancouver Canucks center Max Sasson (63) celebrates with his teammates at the bench his goal against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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It’s been an offseason of seismic changes for the Mets, and while there are still plenty of moves to be made between now and the Opening Day, president of baseball operations David Stearns sat down with reporters on Tuesday to discuss where things currently stand with the club.
The Mets have already said goodbye to Edwin Diaz, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil this offseason, but Stearns believes the organization is in a very good spot, and with good reasoning.
"We’ve said goodbye to players who have performed really well here, people we care a lot about, players that out fans care a lot about who have meshed well with our community, who have done what we as organization have asked them to do for a long time, and that’s really tough and we all recognize that," Stearns said. "And we’re doing all of that because we are committed universally, from ownership down, to ensure that the next five years of the Mets are better, and that we win more games and meet the lofty expectations that we have for ourselves, than what we’ve done previously. What we’ve done previously has not been good enough. We all know that, I certainly know that, and we’ve got to do better. And we’re committed to doing that.
"We have tremendous ownership support to do that. We have elite talent at the top of our major league roster. We’ve got a very good farm system, and we’ve got a very good present-day major league team as we sit here today that’s going to get better before we get to Opening Day."
Stearns added that the Mets currently have a mix of “truly elite talent on our major league team, combined with some young players who have already established themselves at the major league level and are ready to take that next step."
"We have this pretty unique combination right now of MVP-caliber talent up top, players who have already established themselves at the major league level who are at that point of their career where there is the potential – not the certainty, but the potential – for a jump, and really exciting premium young prospects who are about to hit the major league level," Stearns said. "That is an enviable place for any organization to be."
Losing fan-favorite pieces like Diaz and Alonso hasn't been an easy pill to swallow, but potentially adding Tucker, the best position player available via free agency this year, would completely change the narrative for the Mets.
And Stearns is committed to doing whatever it takes to achieve the ultimate goal.
“I certainly understand that there have been points this offseason that have been frustrating for our fan base. We’re not blind to that at all," Stearns said. "I’m certainly not blind to that. I hear it, I recognize it. I hear it from my friends and family at times. I’m also very convicted that what we are doing is the right thing for our franchise going forward to accomplish our goals of creating a consistent playoff team, a team that year after year is a true World Series contender, and ultimately a team that does what we are all here to do, which is to win a World Series. And that’s why we are doing all of this."
Former New York Islanders forward Matt Martin, who is currently the special assistant to general manager Mathieu Darche, will be inducted into the Sarnia Sting's team Hall of Fame on Feb. 27 ahead of their game against the Barrie Colts.
A Sting legend is heading to the Sarnia Sting Hall of Fame presented by All Seasons Trophies & Signs 🏒
We’re proud to announce Matt Martin as the newest member of the Sarnia Sting Hall of Fame.
Martin, who retired from the NHL after 987 games over 16 years following the 2024-25 season, was not selected in the CHL Draft. He walked on with Sarnia ahead of the 2006-07 season.
After just three goals and three assists through his first 39 OHL games, the Windsor, Ontario native scored 5 goals with 13 assists for 38 points in 66 games during the 2007-08 season. He was drafted 148th overall by the Islanders at the 2008 NHL Draft.
In his third and final campaign with Sarnia, Martin exploded, scoring 35 goals with 30 assists for 65 points in 61 games. He then joined the Islanders' organization.
Over 166 games with Sarnia, Martin totaled 60 goals with 43 assists for 103 points, with 349 penalty minutes.
Sarnai made the playoffs in each season Martin was on the roster. In 18 career OHL playoff games, Martin recorded six goals and three assists for nine points.
What will be cool about the induction ceremony is that Sarnia will be playing an Islanders' prospect, 19-year-old defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson, who was selected 17th overall at the 2025 NHL Draft.
The Calgary Flames have placed forward Martin Pospisil on the long-term injury list and assigned him to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers on a conditioning loan, marking a significant step in his return-to-play process.
Pospisil has yet to appear in a game for the Flames this season, and until recently, it remained uncertain whether he would return at all. Given his history with concussions, the organization has continued to take a cautious, measured approach with the 26-year-old forward, as timelines surrounding similar injuries can often be unpredictable.
The conditioning stint suggests Pospisil is progressing toward game readiness, allowing him to ease back into competition in a controlled environment. While the Flames have not indicated when — or if — he could rejoin the NHL roster, the move itself is a positive signal after an extended absence.
There may also be international implications. Team Slovakia general manager Miroslav Šatan recently hinted at the possibility of Pospisil being part of Slovakia’s roster for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. The timing of this assignment could indicate that both the player and the Flames are preparing him for potential Olympic participation later this season.
Selected by Calgary in the fourth round (105th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft. Over 144 NHL games across two seasons, he has recorded 12 goals and 49 points while playing an energetic, physical style that has resulted in 193 penalty minutes. He also finished last season with a plus-14 rating, highlighting his effectiveness at five-on-five.
For now, the focus remains on health and gradual reintegration. How Pospisil responds during his time with the Wranglers will go a long way in determining his NHL future — and potentially his availability on the international stage later this winter.
On Friday morning, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that the Carolina Hurricanes are open to dealing center Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
In Friedman's blog, he shared that Kotkaniemi has already been pitched in trades that ultimately went in the other direction.
The Hurricanes were in on ex-Vancouver Canucks D-man Quinn Hughes, who was moved to the Minnesota Wild. Kotkaniemi was mentioned in that deal.
Furthermore, when the Los Angeles Kings were in the process of trading away Phillip Danault, Carolina was involved in that discussion, with Kotkaniemi on the table. However, Danault was traded to the Montreal Canadiens instead, in exchange for a second-round pick.
The connection can be made with the Kings who dealt a center in the Danault and picked up another, younger center in Kotkaniemi. However, that doesn't mean it's a great idea.
After this season, Kotkaniemi still has another four years on his current contract. His deal pays him $4.82 million in average annual value in what was inked as an eight-year ticket.
That price wouldn't be so hefty if the 25-year-old contributed at a sufficient level. But with the Hurricanes this season, he only has two goals and six points to show for it.
As a result, he's been demoted to the fourth line this year, and hasn't scored a goal in 14 games.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)
An indication of how poor and disappointing Kotkaniemi has been as of late would be the lack of representation he's had for Finland.
He was left off the Olympic roster for the upcoming tournament in February, and wasn't even included on Finland's 4 Nations Face-Off roster either.
Not only does acquiring Kotkaniemi not make sense for the Kings from a quality and performance standpoint, but there also isn't a true spot in the lineup for Carolina's center.
With Danault in Montreal, Kings center Alex Turcotte has been given an elevated role, moving from the fourth line to the third line. Bringing in Kotkaniemi would just complicate Turcotte's role once again.
There isn't much more time in Turcotte's development as a young player. Turning 25 years old in February, he could use all the opportunities he can get in order to blossom as an effective NHL player, and the Kings organization should roll with that.
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The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that defenseman Adam Ginning has been loaned back out to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Flyers announce that Adam Ginning has been loaned back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Interesting move after Tocchet said today that Jamie Drysdale was a "possibility" to come back to the lineup on Wednesday.
Ginning was recalled to the Flyers on Jan. 9 after Jamie Drysdale was placed on Injury Reserve retroactive to Jan. 6, after suffering a brutal hit from Anaheim Ducks forward Ross Johnston that caused Drysdale to exit the game early with an upper-body injury.
Recently, though, Drysdale has been participating in practices and morning skates in a non-contact jersey, and updates from Rick Tocchet suggested that the 23-year-old was moving in a positive direction regarding his recovery.
On Tuesday, when asked if Drysdale and Bobby Brink (who also left the Anaheim game early with an upper-body injury) would be available for the Flyers' game against the Buffalo Sabres on Jan. 14, Tocchet said that both players would be a "possibility."
Through 41 games played in the 2025-26 season, Drysdale has recorded 18 points (3G, 15A) and had been showing significant improvements in several aspect of his game, most notably his five-on-five play.
"I think he's a big loss sometimes, when things get a little hectic going on there," Tocchet said of Drysdale on Tuesday. "He does settle things down."
The Flyers are heading into a back-to-back on the road, against the Sabres on Jan. 14 and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 15.
