Swimming with sharks is a dangerous form of aquatics.
Skating with the Sharks once was tons of fun for San Jose's visiting NHL teams.. That is, until this year with GM Mike Grier's sextet making a serious bid for a Pacific Division playoff berth.
The Rangers, who now have become "The Loser Team Of GM's Letters," completed their four-game Western tour at the Shark Tank with an anticipated loss; this time 3-1.
With absolutely nothing to play for now but pride – not in abundance on this New York team – the Beloved Blueshirts left for home after having to rely on third-string back-up goalie Spencer Martin to get them through this whole ugly mess.
"You can't blame Martin," says The Old Scout. "The Rangers didn't get goals for Igor Shesterkin nor Jonathan Quick; so why should they get red lights for Martin?"
Based on how the Rangers seem to have given up, it likely will get murkier when they host the Bruins on Monday at The World's Most Infamous Arena – that is, infamous for this disheveled home team.
Apart from savoring what's left of the season, certain New York players are left with personal challenges.
Last night, for example, in addition to trying to win a game, there was the matter of stopping Macklin Celebrini who led the Sharks in scoring last year and this term could possibly top the NHL scoring list.
But last night The Celebrini Gang – associates include Will Smith and William Eklund – played a speedy game with Celebrini supplying the difference with two first period goals.
By contrast, the Rangers' core scorers – Breadman Panarin, Vin Trocheck, Mika Zebanejad, J.T. Miller – are getting old by NHL standards and playing old.
Worse still, the kids who are supposed to be their "future" are producing the square-root-of Chai Nothing.
While the main theme of the Tiger farm system is the group of top shelf prospects leading the way, the other big story in the system is a pretty disastrous run of pitcher injuries over the last two years. They’ve invested pretty heavily in prep pitching over the last three drafts, and right now they don’t necessarily have much to show for it. It’s going to be a major problem if the organization isn’t able to produce a whole lot of major league caliber pitching in a few years. Left-hander Ethan Schiefelbein got a big bonus as their competitive balance round B (72nd overall) pick in 2024, and like the other big prep signings in 2023 and 2024, he was barely on the mound at all in 2025.
The Tigers have always had a penchant for power right-handers, though that’s not unusual, so Schiefelbein was a fairly anomalous selection for the organization. An advanced high school lefty with four solid offerings and good control for his age, but without the high velocity fastball that often gets prep pitchers big bonuses, was a bet more on physical projection than anything else. His mechanics and stable, easy delivery spoke to a high likelihood of developing into a plus command guy in time.
At his best, the California native out of Corona High School looked like his just needed to grow into major league caliber stuff without requiring the huge development in command and pitch shapes that most pitchers, especially prep pitchers, need to make to reach the major leagues. His upside wasn’t necessarily on the level of harder throwing prep picks with similar big bonuses like Owen Hall and Paul Wilson, but for a prep pitcher Schiefelbein had a distinctly high floor as well. That was augmented by the fact that he only turned 18 in April of his draft year, whereas many prep players in the draft are already 19 or close to it on draft day.
Now 19 years old, Schiefelbein suffered the same fate as most of the Tigers’ young pitchers in 2025. After extended spring camp, he made three short appearances in the Complex League, looking little changed from draft day, and then missed the rest of the season with an injury that was reportedly a shoulder strain that didn’t require surgery, but did take the rest of the summer to rehab. In Schiefelbein’s case, this isn’t too concerning, at least compared to the other major injuries plaguing the Tigers’ pitching ranks. Rather than pushing him back on the mound at Single-A ball late in the year, the young left-hander just spent his time building up his body and trying to add overall strength before embarking on what will hopefully be a successful full season debut in 2026.
Point being, while 2023 second rounder Paul Wilson won’t likely be on the mound until late this season and will turn 22 years old next December, and the Tigers other top 2024 prep picks, Owen Hall and Zach Swanson most notably, aren’t going to throw a full season until they’re 21 in 2027, Schiefelbein is still on track to get on the mound and pitch his way through the Complex and Single-A levels this season as a 20-year-old. The Tigers will be hoping it plays out that way as their prep pitcher heavy strategy in the draft is looking pretty rough at the moment.
Schiefelbein is a pretty prototypical lefty with a balanced delivery throwing from a high three-quarters arm slot. He was well known to scouts as a high school senior after pitching for Team USA, and he was pretty much unhittable in his final year of school posting a 0.27 ERA with 83 strikeouts to just 11 walks over 52 innings of work. He used a twoseam fastball, slider, knuckle curveball, circle changeup mix as of the last time we saw him on a mound and showed the ability to locate all four pitches pretty effectively. His fastball typically sat 90-91 mph though he touched 94-95 mph on multiple occasions in high school.
He looks like more of a supinator than a guy who is going to turn over nasty, horizontally breaking sinkers and changeups, so I would guess the Tigers will have him moving more to the fourseamer and perhaps try and develop a cutter as he moves through pro ball. His curve was the best secondary pitch for him as a senior, and he has good though not crazy spin rates on the breaking stuff. The slider and changeup were more crude, but he wasn’t afraid to throw them in the zone, and already spotted them well for his age.
Unfortunately, there just isn’t much more to add to his scouting report yet. Guys like Hall, Wilson, and Swanson are expected to get back on the mound this year, but only Hall is on track to start his 2026 season on time. Schiefelbein will have the stage to himself to a degree early on, and while the Tigers won’t be pushing him beyond 100 innings this early in his career, he should be ready to throw a full season by now, assuming no further injury trouble emerges.
Prep pitchers take time. Even Jackson Jobe, widely regarded as one of the most advanced and talented prep pitchers of the past decade, struggled through most of his first two seasons and dealt with a host of minor injuries before suddenly breaking out in a big way two years out from his draft day. Schiefelbein is going to be a longer term project, so this season we’ll just be looking for more muscle on his slender 6’2” frame, and for him to stay healthy and start refining his craft. That would be very welcome progress in his age 20 season. The upside here is something like Cole Hamels as the absolute best case scenario, but the more realistic hope is that Schiefelbein stays healthy as he builds himself up over the next few seasons, and hits his likeliest positive outcome as a solid 3-4 level starting pitcher.
Batter will not be going to India and Sri Lanka despite fine form in the Big Bash but he does have an eye on the 2028 Olympics
Considering that Steve Smith was once observed changing gloves after facing eight balls, it is no surprise to see him throw down a gauntlet. The surprise is that he is doing so in 20-over cricket, the format where his batting has historically made the most modest impression.
It is an incongruity of Australia’s season that Smith has the hottest hand in the Big Bash League and it is too late to have him considered for an imminent World Cup with the squad selected weeks ago. Smith wanted to be there, but his bigger concern is not the T20 World Cup of 2026. It’s the Los Angeles Olympics of 2028.
Shortly after I wrote about the potential of a CJ Abrams trade, a report came out that the Giants seriously pursued the Nats shortstop, but were unable to reach a deal. The fact that this leaked out right after the Gore trade is very interesting and makes me wonder about the timing. It also makes me wonder about whether the Nats will make a late offseason deal.
The report came from Andrew Baggarly, the Giants beat reporter for the Athletic. This makes me think the leak came from the Giants side. It is clearly a strategic leak and has me wondering if this deal is dead yet. The piece reads like the Giants are telling their fanbase that we tried, but the Nats asking price was just too much.
The thing that stood out the most to me was the reporting that the Giants were willing to offer Josuar Gonzalez. Despite being 18 and never having appeared in a stateside game, Gonzalez is a top 50 prospect in baseball. In their new top 100, MLB Pipeline ranked him as the 44th best prospect, while Baseball America had him at number 30.
The Giants aggressively pursued shortstop CJ Abrams but couldn’t reach a deal with the Nationals. San Francisco was open to including top prospect Josuar Gonzalez, and discussions also involved Carson Whisenhunt, Jacob Bresnahan, Bo Davidson, and Jhonny Level, per @extrabaggspic.twitter.com/qEZZguWZlv
Gonzalez was the top player in his IFA class, and had a strong showing in the DSL. He is a potential five tool player, who stands out for his elite defensive ability at shortstop. However, the bat is also very advanced. Pipeline said he has the ceiling of a .280 hitter with 25+ homer pop. If that is the case, he could be the closest thing we have seen to Francisco Lindor.
The biggest drawback to Gonzalez is obviously his age and lack of experience. He has never played above the DSL level, so there is some serious volatility. However, he has a truly massive ceiling. The fact the Giants were open to offering Gonzalez in a deal, and Toboni turned it down says a lot.
The report also stated that prospects Bo Davidson, Jhonny Level, Carson Whisenhunt and Jacob Bresnahan were discussed. These are all prospects with big upside. Davidson and Level are top 100 guys according to Baseball America. This report fired up Giants fans, who seemed stunned at these names all being discussed.
If Josuar, Whis, Bres, Bo, and Level can’t even get you CJ Abrams then I don’t even blame the Giants for not getting anything in the trade market this year.
There is one line that intrigued me though. The report said that even if the Giants offered all five players, it would be unclear if the Nats would have accepted. That feels like spin to me. If Toboni was offered all five, he would be a fool to turn it down.
While the report mentioned plenty of names that were being discussed, there was no leaked offer. If Gonzalez was in the deal, I would imagine the secondary pieces were not very strong. The fact there is no actual deal leaked tells me the Giants are trying to make the price sound higher than it actually was.
However, I do have no doubt that Toboni was asking for a lot. There is less incentive to move Abrams now than there was with Gore. Abrams has three years of team control compared to Gore’s two and is also not represented by infamous super agent Scott Boras.
Toboni also seems excited to get his hands on Abrams from a development standpoint. On 106.7, he talked about how Abrams is one of the most athletic players in the league, but has not fully been able to translate that athleticism to production. While Abrams has been a quality player the last few years, Toboni sees more upside.
Is CJ Abrams on the trade block? Nats President of baseball operations Paul Toboni speaks on that here after trading away MacKenzie Gore. pic.twitter.com/oicB6uCO0s
That upside could lead to Abrams being a long term piece, or it could lead to enhanced trade value. If Abrams has a hot start to the season, he would be a very hot commodity at the Trade Deadline. Another thing Abrams could do to boost his stock is prove that he is a true shortstop. I think Toboni was mostly referring to Abrams’ defense when he was talking about his athleticism not translating into production.
The Nats shortstop has all of the twitch and movement skills to be a quality shortstop, but has not put it together yet. Toboni seems like he is on a mission to change that. Right now, most teams looking to trade for Abrams see him as more of a second baseman. The Giants certainly see it that way, with Willy Adames firmly entrenched at shortstop.
All of this leads me to believe a deal is more likely to happen at the deadline, but this leak raised my eyebrows. This could be interpreted as the Giants saying we are done with this or a challenge to Toboni to come back to the table. Either way, the Giants let this get out for a reason.
Over the next few months, I have a feeling that we will be talking about CJ Abrams trade rumors some more. He is a very exciting player, but given the Nats timeline and their glut of young infield talent, a trade seems like a possibility.
When a standout player who has been with your organization his entire career wants to stay with you, you listen. That’s what Yankees general manager Brian Cashman did when Jorge Posada became a free agent after the 2007 campaign.
A five-time All-Star and switch-hitting Silver Slugger, Posada would’ve been a boon for any team on the market. He still stands as one of the best-hitting catchers of the past 50 years, and his bat was elite in 2007. The Yankees had been able to extend him during the 2001-02 offseason for five years and $51 million with club option, but despite expressing interest in staying with the team he had been with his whole career, there was also major interest from the crosstown New York Mets — making the chase for the decorated, switch-hitting backstop all the more interesting.
The Yankees ended up making the deal, paying Posada the most average annual salary for a catcher at the time—$13.1 million—and thus stopped a rival team from compelling him to remain in the City, in a different borough. Although the final result being a positive one for the Yankees, it certainly wasn’t without its fireworks.
Jorge Posada Signing Date: November 13, 2007 Contract: Four years, $52.4 million
Posada was already an established star by this the fall of 2007, and it had been a remarkable ascent from near-complete anonymity during the early part of the 1990s. We chronicled his history in greater detail during our Top 100 Yankees series, but we’ll present a shorter version. The Santurce, Puerto Rico native starred in high school and was able to cut his teeth some more at Calhoun Community College in Decatur, AL. He landed on the Yankees’ radar, and after a couple draft attempts, they signed him out of the 24th round in the 1990 edition — two rounds behind the Yanks’ selection of a young high school lefty from Texas named Andy Pettitte.
Originally a second baseman, Posada was convinced to give catching a try in 1991, when he made 11 appearances behind the plate for short-season Oneonta. By the next year, he was a full-time backstop, and over the next couple seasons, he shot up through the minor leagues, playing 92 games with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers in 1994 and officially debuting with the Yankees in September of ’95. Blocked at the big-league level across ’95 and ’96 by Mike Stanley, Jim Leyritz, and Joe Girardi, Posada played just nine games in The Show during that span, and only traveled with the team as they won it all in October 1996. But even though he would never be confused for a defensive stalwart at catcher, his time would soon come.
Prior to the start of ’97, the Yankees traded Leyritz to the Angels despite his World Series heroics. They wanted to open the door for Posada to get big-league reps as Girardi’s backup and were confident that the up-and-comer could earn his keep. Following a 101 OPS+ in 60 games of action in ’97 though, the Yankees did float Posada as a possible trade option with the Montreal Expos for Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez. That obviously did not work out, as Pedro was traded to the rival Boston Red Sox, and the next handful of years would live in infamy between those two teams (and the two players in particular).
Posada finally started over 100 games in the record-breaking ’98 season for the Yankees, slashing .268/.350/.475 with 17 homers for an OPS+ of 115, and his numbers only continued to climb from there. He was eventually trusted with the everyday job as Girardi aged out of the role and departed in December of ’99. The 2000 campaign was the first where Posada really shined, making his first All-Star team and hitting .287/.417/.527 with 28 homers and a 139 OPS+, earning his first Silver Slugger as well.
It was an important time for Posada to make his mark, as other members of the Yankees’ core like Paul O’Neill and Tino Martinez were nearing the ends of their days in pinstripes. And thanks in part to Posada’s tenacious at-bat against a dominant Al Leiter with two outs in the ninth inning of 2000 World Series Game 5, the Yankees rallied to secure the three-peat, Posada scoring the go-ahead run on Luis Sojo’s single.
Although it would be a few years before the Yankees again won it all, Posada was an essential part of the contending operation alongside pal Derek Jeter (the best man in his wedding). Posada earned four consecutive All-Star nods and Silver Sluggers from 2000-03, and he really shined in the last of those years. He became the first Yankees catcher to hit 30 homers in a season since no less than Yogi Berra, and thanks in part to a 144 OPS+ and 5.9 rWAR in 142 games, he finished third for AL MVP, trailing only Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Delgado. And while his 2004-06 seasons weren’t as decorated, he still played a vital role, remaining a pillar of health with 422 games started out of the possible 486, notching a 121 OPS+.
Entering 2007, Posada had one year left on his deal before he would hit free agency, and in spring training, the Yankees were uninterested in opening up talks on a second extension. He timed his best campaign since ’03 quite well, and his bat would’ve received even more attention had A-Rod not turned in an MVP season for the ages. Posada finished sixth in the voting with career-highs in all the rate stats, batting .338/.426/.543 with a 153 OPS+ and 5.4 rWAR to claim his fifth All-Star selection and Silver Slugger. That made him a valuable commodity for teams, despite approaching his late thirties at the most physically demanding position in the sport.
The Yankees fell to Cleveland in the ALDS that October, and a decision was on the horizon for Posada. He really wanted a four-year deal in wake of that superb season. The Yankees weren’t particularly enthused about handing that long a commitment to a catcher who had just turned 37 that August; they were hoping to get Posada on a three-year contract for around $40 million.
So Posada was willing to hear out some of his other options, especially since A-Rod had opted out and longtime manager Torre was on his way to the Dodgers. Most notably, the folks across town were very interested. The 2007 season had ended in disaster for the Mets, and catcher Paul Lo Duca took a serious dip after leading the NL East champs in 2006. He was a free agent as well, but GM Omar Minaya had his eyes on Posada, as did his former third-base coach, Mets manager Willie Randolph.
As such, it was easy for Posada to not-so-subtly get the Yankees’ full attention by meeting with the Mets the day before other clubs could officially submut offers, per the New York Times:
Posada and his agents, Sam and Seth Levinson, had lunch Monday with Minaya and [Mets] vice president Tony Bernazard. The Yankees initially offered the 36-year-old Posada a three-year contract but upped their proposal to four years on Monday evening.
While Posada briefly played hard to get for the Yankees, his intentions were clear from the start. He felt it would be easier to stay with the team that he had been with since his mid-twenties, and that’s exactly what happened. The Yankees acquiesced to his request and ultimately signed him to a four-year, $52.4 million deal.
In those final four seasons, Posada played in 397 games and slashed .258/.349/.454 for an above-average OPS+ of 110. A shoulder injury curtailed both his and the Yankees’ hopes for 2008 success under his old teammate-turned-skipper Girardi, but in 2009, it all came together. Posada hit 22 homers in 438 PA, good for an .885 OPS and 125 OPS+, and he had a productive October as well. Jeter might’ve been the captain, but Posada unofficially led the clubhouse and was willing to be the guy who held teammates accountable when necessary.
The Bombers won it all, and Posada had his fifth ring. It would be the last one.
Posada’s bat remained strong in 2010 but his oft-uneven defense had made him a liability behind the plate, and he was a concussion risk as well. The Yankees found a bargain in the more well-balanced Russell Martin that offseason, so they signed him and planned to have Posada DH in 2011. The 40-year-old was unhappy in the role and dipped to a below-average showing at the plate, too. Although it was an awkward swan song for Posada, the hard feelings faded in time (and he was actually one of the few consistent bats during their five-game ALDS loss to Detroit). He retired in January 2012 and the Yankees retired his No. 20 in August 2015, honoring him with a plaque in Monument Park.
So yes, the Yankees had reason to be uneasy about that fourth year. But the overall contract still led to a 2009 World Series crown and the Yankees were able to pivot to a new catcher anyway during that last season. Losing Posada to the Mets would’ve been a true shame; thankfully, they didn’t let it happen.
See more of the “50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agent Signings in 50 Years” series here.
As Phillies fans hope that the team has another big move left in them (Don’t hold your breath!), I decided to take a look at recent offseasons to see how many big moves they’ve made closer to the start of camp. Then, as one does, I decided to make the exercise into an interactive March Madness-style tournament.
From 2010 to 2025, I identified the last free agent the team signed before the season began. To qualify for the list, the player:
Had to be an outside signing. Re-signings like J.T. Realmuto in 2021 do not count, but former Phillies who were on a different team in between (Cliff Lee) do qualify.
The player had to appear in at least one game the season he was signed.
Here’s the field, seeded by WAR in their first season with the team:
Cliff Lee 2011
Bryce Harper 2019
Jake Arrieta 2018
Jeff Hoffman 2023
Jose Contreras 2010
Brad Miller 2021
Luis Garcia 2013
Joe Ross 2025
Nick Castellanos 2022
David Lough 2016
Neil Walker 2020
Ronny Cedeño 2014
Chad Qualls 2012
Ricardo Pinto 2024
Dustin McGowan 2015
Michael Saunders 2017
Some of those names you’ll recognize (even if you wish you didn’t), and some you’ll probably need a refresher on.
Twice a week, I’ll present a matchup, and the readers will get to vote for which player should advance. You can choose to vote for the player who had the best initial season, the player who has had the best Phillies career, a player you have a soft spot for (Where my Qualls-heads at?), or simply vote for chaos and let Nick Castellanos win it all as a farewell(?) present.
We’ll start things off with our 8-9 matchup. Here’s a quick summary:
8. Joe Ross, 2025
Stats with the Phillies: 37 games, 51 IP, 2-1, 5.12 ERA, 39 K, 18 BB, 0.0 WAR
After a solid season as a swingman for the Brewers in 2024, the Phillies signed Joe Ross hoping he could provide both rotation depth as well as solid middle relief. As it turned out, Taijuan Walker filled the rotation depth role, so Ross was kept in the bullpen all year. However, he wasn’t very good there, putting up an ERA over 5, and he was eventually released in August.
9. Nick Castellanos 2022
Stats with the Phillies: 602 games, .260/.306/.426, 82 HR, 326 RBI, 1.3 WAR
After the lockout ended in 2022, it appeared that Kyle Schwarber was going to be the Phillies’ big free agent signing of the year. But with Nick Castellanos lingering on the free agent market, the Phillies decided to splurge and add him to their outfield.
Coming off a career best year, Castellanos struggled mightily in his first season for the Phillies. Things improved after that, but not nearly enough to justify his contract. While there were some highlights during his tenure, it’s been a mostly disappointing four years, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s released by the team.
Boro put pressure on Coventry with 4-0 win at Deepdale
Millwall keep up playoff pace with 4-0 win over Addicks
Kim Hellberg insisted there is more to come from Middlesbrough after they ruthlessly brushed aside out-of-form Preston 4-0 to close to within three points of leaders Coventry.
Alan Browne scored against the club where he made more than 400 appearances between 2014 and 2024, and Tommy Conway and Morgan Whittaker capitalised on defensive lapses to put Boro three up at half-time. Preston were down to 10 men just after the break when last man Jordan Storey saw red for hauling down Conway, who completed the scoring as Middlesbrough claimed a fourth successive league win.
After Pep Guardiola dropped Erling Haaland and Phil Foden, Manchester City enjoyed a first Premier League win in four games. It handed Wolves a first defeat in six and was notable for the referee, Farai Hallam, on his top-flight debut, daring to stick with his decision not to award a penalty after being sent by video assistant referee for a pitchside review.
That was for a Yerson Mosquera handball and it infuriated Guardiola, though after City’s dire recent form a first three points since 27 December is what matters. The manager reiterated a long-held belief that City can receive unfair officiating and pointed to his 11 injured players as being needed to mitigate against this.
MLB Pipeline on Friday evening revealed its top 100 prospects heading into the 2026 season, including five Dodgers. Outfielders are the strength of the top of the Dodgers system, including their top four prospects at MLB Pipeline plus shortstop Emil Morales.
Josue De Paula is the top-ranked Dodgers prospect at MLB Pipeline, rated 15th overall, and either the third or fourth-ranked outfield prospect in baseball on the list. Konnor Griffin of the Pirates is the No. 1 prospect overall and has played both shortstop and center field, with more time at the former. Other outfield prospects ranked ahead of De Paula are Max Clark of the Tigers at 10th overall and Walter Jenkins of the Twins at No. 14.
Zyhir Hope was also promoted to Double-A in the final week of 2025, and like his fellow outfield teammate is heading into his age-21 season. Hope was ranked the No. 27 prospect by MLB Pipeline, up from 75th at the beginning of last season.
Eduardo Quintero is a year younger than De Paula and Hope, and was the top-ranked Dodgers prospect this week at Baseball America. Quintero checks in at 30th overall at MLB Pipeline after winning California League MVP last season before spending the last month and a half in High-A Great Lakes.
MLB Pipeline ranked outfielder Mike Sirota the 60th-best prospect in baseball, up from 66th last August.
Emil Morales is the only non-outfielder Dodgers prospect on this list, ranked 92nd overall by MLB Pipeline after hitting .314/.396/.515 with 14 home runs, 24 doubles, and a 141 wRC+ between rookie-level Arizona and Class-A Rancho Cucamonga before turning 19 in late September.
Morales moves well for his size — 6-foot-3 and at least 15 pounds stronger than his listed 191 — and is an aggressive runner with average speed. He’s not the rangiest shortstop but moves well and puts himself in position to make plays. His instincts, hands and arm help his chances of sticking at short, though he’ll wind up at third base if he loses any quickness as he continues to mature physically.
ELMONT, NY -- The New York Islanders have recalled defenseman Isaiah George from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League. Defenseman Cole McWard has been loaned back to the AHL after playing three games, serving as a healthy scratch for the last six games.
Defenseman Ryan Pulock is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will not play against the Buffalo Sabres at 1 PM on Saturday.
"We're excited to see Georgy," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said. "He's been playing really well. I mean, every time we had a call-up, unfortunately for him, he was hurt. So we're excited to have him come here right now. And as you see, we rotate the guys who played in Bridgeport. We had Mitchell come in play some games. We had Warren playing some games, and then McWard and Georgie today. So, I mean, we love our young guys, and we trust them, and I think it's a good opportunity for him to play. Played so well last year at first when he came up last season. Unfortunately, he had a concussion, I think, against Toronto with Domi, and it was a little tougher after that, but I'm confident that he's going to play really well."
George, 21, played 33 seasons with the Islanders in 2024-25, recording five points (one goal, four assists), averaging 15:39 minutes per game.
"He's a really good skater," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said. "He's got that ability to get the puck out on his own."
This season in Bridgeport, in which he sustained two longer-term injuries, one upper and one lower, the Oakville, Ontario native has recorded 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 24 games.
He's looked tremendous since returning from his latest injury.
After dropping a game they couldn’t afford to fall against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night, the Montreal Canadiens have another important divisional battle on Saturday night, this time against the Boston Bruins, at TD Garden. It will already be the third duel between the two sides this year, with each team bagging a win so far. Boston won the initial matchup 3-2 in November, while Montreal grabbed a 6-2 triumph right before the Christmas break.
Boston has been on fire since the start of the year; however, they are 8-2-0 in the last 10 games and won their previous game on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights. It has allowed them to surge up the standings, and they are currently hanging on to the second wildcard spot with 60 points, just three points away from the Canadiens, who have a precarious hold on the Atlantic Division’s third-place. Meanwhile, the Habs are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games.
It will be interesting to see if Martin St-Louis chooses to make some lineup changes. When the two teams last met, the Canadiens received 32 penalty minutes and the Bruins 36, after Josh Anderson and Tanner Jeannot dropped the gloves after three seconds of play, and Arber Xhekaj and Nikita Zadorov did the same after eight and a half minutes of play. The gritty defenseman has been a healthy scratch for the last two games, and Jayden Struble has not looked excellent in those two tilts.
if i tell that i'm literally OBSESSED with zadorov and xhekaj fighting yesterday, at the point of it's looping on my head, can you believe it? seriously, look how AMAZING those moves are. gods, i wish i could see this more often in nhl games.pic.twitter.com/XIXRiCcGBy
Alexandre Texier could also be ready to return since he’s currently day-to-day with a lower-body injury, and if he is, someone would need to come out of the lineup. Kirby Dach has played the last two games on the first line, but it has proven to be quite a challenge for him after sitting out for so long, while Zachary Bolduc got some shifts alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield in the last game. The Canadiens are set to practice at 11:30 AM in Boston, and we should know more then.
The starting netminders have yet to be confirmed, and after Samuel Montembeault gave up three goals on just 16 shots (the 17th shot was in an empty net) on Thursday, one can certainly wonder if the Canadiens will opt to turn to Jakub Dobes. The Czech netminder also gave up three goals in his last start, on 19 shots, and he has 15 wins this season compared to Montembeault’s nine. The Becancour native has a 3-7-1 record against the Bruins with a 3.78 goals-against average and a .880 save percentage. He was in the net for the Habs’ defeat against Boston in November. Meanwhile, Dobes has yet to face Boston but has a 15-5-3 record this year with a 3.01 GAA and a .887 SV.
At the other end of the ice, Jeremy Swayman has played the two games against the Habs this season and has a 10-2-1 record against Montreal with a 2.92 GAA and a .894 SV. Meanwhile, backup Joonas Korpisalo has an 8-2-0 record, a 2.49 GAA, and a .916 SV.
Up front, Brendan Gallagher is the Habs’ biggest points producer against the Bruins with 30 points in 45 games. Captain Nick Suzuki is second with 16 points in 20 games, while Josh Anderson and Noah Dobson both have 13 points in 22 games. Suzuki and Cole Caufield are both on a four-game point streak, having recorded a matching seven-point record in that span. The center has two goals and five assists, while the sniper had five goals and two assists.
As for the Bruins, David Pastrnak is still the player to watch; he has 45 points in 34 games against the Habs, including three in the first two meetings this season, on top of being on a five-game point streak. Elias Lindholm comes in second place with 25 points in 36 games, and Charlie McAvoy wraps up the top three with 16 points in 25 games.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM, with Jake Brenk and Brian Pochmara officiating, while Brandon Grillo and Scott Cherrey will serve as linemen. After the game, the Canadiens will return home, where they will play their last two home games before the Olympic break this week, against the Golden Knights on Tuesday and the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.
The second round was a much closer race this time around between left-handers Jamie Arnold and GageJump. Arnold came out on top though with roughly 60% of the vote, taking the second overall spot in this year’s Community Prospect List. The 11th overall pick in the draft just this past year, Arnold is further away compared to the team’s other top prospects but he could end up being the best of the bunch. The side-armer has drawn plenty of comparisons to another stud lefty in Chris Sale and the A’s would be ecstatic to see Arnold take that same career trajectory. The 21-year-old has yet to get his professional career officially started but that should be coming soon, likely at Single-A with a quick promotion on the table.
The next nominee to join the list will be left-hander Wei-En Lin. The Taiwanese lefty was previously ranked fairly moderately last year but has absolutely shot up the ranks of the A’s system thanks to a vast repertoire that looks like it could propel him into the starting pitching mix near the end of the year. Lin could be yet another left-hander that the A’s develop alongside Arnold and Jump, but will he be able to jump the line this coming year?
The process for this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:
Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of voting will win the ranked spot. The remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new nominee.
In the comments, below the official voting, the community will nominate players to be put onto the ballot for the next round. The format for your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that player should rank.
The voting continues! Who will take third place? Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.
Jump’s fastball is difficult for opposing hitters to pick up with an arm angle that creates some deception. The heater sits about 92-94 mph and can reach up to 97 with good carry up in the zone. His upper-70s curveball has significant downer break, and his low-80s slider has cutting action. His fading low-80s changeup is used far less than his other three offerings.
Listed at 6-foot, Jump lacks the size of a typical starter, though his growth since the surgery and ability to generate his stuff with arm speed helps his potential outlook as a long-term starter. The ceiling of a mid-rotation starter is there, though some scouts believe he might be better suited in a bullpen role. To start out, the A’s will develop him as a starter and look to see him maintain good health and strike-throwing ability.
Bolte is a tooled-up athlete who continues to fill out his big 6-foot-3 frame. His impressive raw power continues to show up in the Minors, though there is still a real concern over his swing-and-miss and high strikeout rate as he continues to struggle with offspeed stuff out of the zone. The A’s have worked with him to revamp his swing in order to improve his bat path and cover more of the zone, which has produced slight improvements in those areas, though there is still plenty of work to be done.
Another shining tool for Bolte is his near-elite speed, which was on display last season as he swiped 46 bags. That speed also comes in handy on defense, combining that with a strong arm that makes him a solid outfielder at all three spots. Further refining is required, but he remains an exciting talent with a very high ceiling who continues to steadily advance through the system.
While working around the injuries, Nett has continued to show stellar velocity, touching as high as 99 mph in the Minor Leagues last season. He typically sits 95-97 mph and gets swing-and-miss up in the zone thanks to ample carry. He also throws a tight 81-84 mph slider that ran a 38 percent whiff rate in ’24 and a sharper 90-92 mph cutter that can catch hitters off guard. He’ll mix in an upper-70s curveball with more vertical drop and he’s scrapped a low-80s splitter in favor of a much more effective 88 mph kick-change that really neutralizes lefties.
Nett has some effort in his delivery, and the 2025 season (pre-trade) was the first time he’d posted a walk rate below 13 percent at any Minor League stop. Combine that with the early injury concerns, and it’s easy to think he could be a reliever eventually. But his arsenal is deep enough, and his stuff is promising enough — when combined with strides taken this season — to keep landing him in a starting role in the upper Minors.
It’s not often that teenage prospects launch home runs. But Colome has a tendency to get to that jumpy pop with frequency, consistently leveraging his swing well – so well in fact, that one evaluator mentioned the most recent occasion on which he saw an international prospect continually get to their launch point in such a manner was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Colome is a right-handed hitter with explosive hands and a solid contact rate, although he has been known to be a tad aggressive in the box as a means of getting to said power.
Something of an athletic marvel at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds at age 16, Colome is an agile athlete who shows a lot of lateral quickness. The fluidity of his movements and strong arm led to a Manny Machado comparison being hung on him defensively. Much like the seven-time All-Star, Colome may move off short as his frame fills out, but he’s a tremendously dedicated worker and has the feet, soft hands and instincts to stick at the premium position.
A 6-foot-2 left-hander, Lin has a combination of feel for as many as five pitches and projection to his frame. Right now his fastball averages just 91 mph, but it tops out at 95, and it’s easy to see that his frame has tremendous room to add good strength, with more consistent velocity to come. It already had the makings of a quality heater, thrown from around a 5.9-feet release height and with more than 18 inches of carry to it, helping it to miss a good amount of bats. His changeup has been his best secondary offering to date, with huge whiff rates during his debut. His short curve is his go-to breaking ball thus far, though he has a harder, shorter slider. He’ll also employ a splitter for another offspeed possibility.
It’s been a small sample size so far in his first full season, but Lin looks like he has the makings of being an extreme strike-thrower, showing particularly good command of his fastball and curve. If the teenaged southpaw is able to fill out and throw harder, the A’s could have a very interesting left-handed starting pitcher prospect on their hands.
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Programming Note: Each CPL vote will run for around 48 hours, so don’t delay making your selections!
The Montreal Canadiens will visit the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Saturday, January 24, for a classic matchup between these two Atlantic Division rivals.
My Canadiens vs. Bruins predictions and NHL picks suggest yet another thrilling offense-driven game between the two Original Six teams.
Canadiens vs Bruins prediction
Canadiens vs Bruins best bet: Alexandre Carrier Over 1.5 blocked shots (-180)
Since January 7, no one has blocked more shots than Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier. He ranks one ahead of his teammate Noah Dobson despite playing significantly fewer minutes.
The Quebec City native has 27 blocked shots over his last nine games, and has scored four goals during that time for good measure.
He trails only Mike Matheson among Habs defensemen in shorthanded ice time, and will be largely entrusted to fend off the Boston Bruins' fourth-ranked power play. He's in line to hit the Over for blocked shots once again.
Canadiens vs Bruins same-game parlay
Nick Suzuki was recently named to Canada's Olympic roster, and deservedly so, as the 26-year-old leads the team in points (57) and ranks 11th in the NHL in assists (41). He has helpers in four consecutive games and 10 in his last 10 games.
With Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman underperforming thus far, it's worth noting Montreal has put up at least four goals on Boston in three of their last five meetings — including potting six behind Swayman just over a month ago.
Boston has won seven of the last 10 meetings, but has lost two of the last three. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Bruins.
How to watch Canadiens vs Bruins
Location
TD Garden, Boston, MA
Date
Saturday, January 24, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
NESN, Sportsnet
Canadiens vs Bruins latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
In this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, Jacob Milham and Jeremy “Hokius” Greco take a comprehensive look at the Kansas City Royals’ infield and prospect pipeline as the offseason unfolds. The hosts break down infield rankings, examine what a “down year” really means for Bobby Witt Jr., and discuss why players like Maikel Garcia, Jonathan India, and Michael Massey have pivotal seasons ahead—especially as lineup depth and health come into sharper focus.
The conversation expands into a deep dive on the Royals’ prospect rankings, evaluating names like Peyton Wilson, Warren Calcagno, and Daniel Vazquez, while also placing Kansas City’s strategy in context with major MLB moves such as the Dodgers’ acquisition of Kyle Tucker and the Mets landing Bo Bichette. From player development and injury timelines to trade speculation and roster-building philosophy, this episode offers a clear-eyed look at where the Royals stand—and where they still need to go to compete.
So, what do we know about this photo? The Cubs are playing the Giants. Again, as in the last photo, it has to be between 1978 and 1981, because the Chicago Sting soccer clock is below the board. (The Sting played at Wrigley from 1978-84, but after 1981 Tribune Co. put a message board beneath the scoreboard.)
No. 34 is the starting pitcher for the Cubs. Ray Burris wore that number in 1978 and 1979 and Randy Martz had it in 1980 and 1981. The No. 35 relief pitcher is no help, as the Cubs had pitchers with that number in 1978 (Woodie Fryman) and 1979-81 (Doug Capilla).
So I methodically looked at Burris’ and Martz’ game logs for the years in question. Burris wasn’t a match.
Martz was, and therein lies a tale. This game was played Thursday, June 11, 1981. That’s a significant date, because the 1981 players’ strike began the next day.
The Cubs had been an absolutely terrible team to begin 1981. They started 1-13, then were 4-19, 5-26 and 10-36 before winning five of their last six before the strike. Just getting hot, right?
The Cubs scored four in the first inning of this game, with RBI hits from Steve Dillard, Mike Lum and Ken Reitz (read those names and you’ll understand why the Cubs were so bad that year). Later, Jody Davis and Hector Cruz homered. Martz allowed five hits and one run in seven innings and the Cubs won the game 6-1.
Specifically, what we are seeing here: There are two out in the top of the eighth and No. 31 is batting for the Giants. That’s Enos Cabell, who was in his only year with the Giants after several good seasons in Baltimore and Houston. He’s down 0-1 in the count and eventually grounded to short.
Here is the full photo:
The third-base umpire visible is Steve Fields and off in the distance, the Cubs center fielder is Jerry Morales. And as you can see, there wasn’t much of a crowd — just 5,017 paid to see that game.
What You Want To Know About The Rangers And Don't As Well<b>1.</b> What happens when Igor Shesterkin is fit to return? One thought is that management should rest him for the rest of the season but that wouldn't go over with the paying customers.
