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.
39 Redmond Savage - Center (Jacksonville - ECHL, Rochester - AHL)
The Sabres were looking for veteran depth players for the Rochester Americans and snagged a forward with NHL bloodlines in Redmond Savage. The son of former NHLer Brian Savage is a product of the US National Development Program and was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. The 5’11”, 185 center played for Team USA at the World Junior Championships in 2022 and 2023 and his first two collegiate seasons with Miami(OH) University. After his sophomore year, he used the NCAA’s transfer portal to head to Michigan State.
Patrick Kane signs with the Chicago Blackhawks
With the Spartans, he set a collegiate-high as a junior, scoring 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 38 games, but his senior season was abbreviated to just 20 games because of a season-ending injury. The Red Wings opted not to sign the 23-year-old after his college career was completed, and last August, the Arizona native signed a two-year AHL deal with the Sabres.
In his first pro season, Savage split time between ECHL Jacksonville and the Amerks, where he scored six points (3 goals, 3 assists) in 29 games, and he played in all three playoff games in the first round against Toronto. With a significant chunk of Rochester’s top forwards moving into the NHL this season, it is likely that players like Savage will get longer looks in primary positions next season.
Although he was eligible for a contract extension as of July 1, young Philadelphia Flyers star Matvei Michkov says no such talks have taken place just yet, and won't for a few more weeks at least.
In a recent interview with RG Media, Michkov, 21, was quizzed on his contract status, but the Russian winger had few updates to offer in the way of a potential extension.
"No, there haven't been any talks yet. I don't know. My main task is to focus on next season. And whatever happens, happens. As God wills, so it will be," Michkov told RG.
As for offseason communication with head coach Rick Tocchet? "No talks yet. When everything starts, then we'll talk."
The Flyers' main training camp opens on Thursday, Sept. 17, following the Rookie Series games against the New York Rangers and their youngsters at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pa., and from there, we can deduce that Michkov and his camp will be more willing to start talks with the Flyers.
Of course, Michkov has spent most of his summer training back home in Russia, and recently scored a Michigan and hat trick in the Match of the Year charity game for Artemi Panarin's team.
The 2023 No. 6 overall pick was reported to be expected back in the area in early August, which gives him a week or two to wrap up his current training and make the trip back to North America.
Michkov is also aware of the hefty contract the Flyers just handed out to teammate Trevor Zegras, who became the highest-paid player on the team after avoiding arbitration.
"I congratulated Trevor on his new contract. He's staying for four more years. I think it's a good signing for Philadelphia, because he's a strong player. You could say the whole team is now basically built around him," Michkov said of Zegras and his new four-year, $36.5 million contract.
Michkov has one year left on his entry-level contract with the Flyers at a $950k cap hit, with potential for $3.3 million in performance bonuses.
Montreal Canadiens fans may be getting somewhat fed up with kicking off the season against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but there’s one thing that never gets old: the rivalry between the two sides. Whether one team is struggling or not, both outfits always know how to raise their game to give fans memorable games filled with animosity.
One of the duels between the two sides was particularly memorable last season, the one that took place on November 22 and ended in a 5-2 Canadiens’ win. It certainly felt like Montreal inflicted some payback on Toronto after losing their first duel of the season 5-2 in Toronto, but it was also Florian Xhekaj’s very first NHL game.
Before the puck dropped, Xhekaj was joined by his brother Arber to pose for a picture as it was also the brothers’ first regular-season game as members of the Montreal Canadiens. They became the 14th set of brothers to line up together in a game for the Habs and the first pair since Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn back in the 2007-08 season. The Habs' number 63 lined up with Jake Evans and Josh Anderson. Throughout the game, cameras kept an eye on the brothers’ mother, Simona Xhekaj, to catch her reaction to every bit of the action.
While the younger Xhekaj behaved himself for most of the game, even registering the first point of his career with an assist on a second-period Anderson goal, he did end up dropping the mitts late in the third frame after picking up a slashing penalty and having to fight Toronto defenseman Dakota Mermis. It was a fast and furious affair which didn’t prompt the same reaction from every member of the family. While Xhekaj’s big brother was beaming with pride on the bench, Mama Xhejaj had a worried look on her face, and the brothers’ sister gave Florian a standing ovation.
The older Xhekaj, no doubt feeling a bit left out of the action, also got a misconduct at the final whistle as tempers brewed over at the final buzzer. Still, the Canadiens went away with a 5-2 win largely due to a great performance by Jakub Dobes, who stopped 24 of the 26 shots he faced. It wasn’t the kind of game coaches like, however, since both teams committed 17 giveaways and failed to play a sound, responsible defensive game.
It was the first of five games the younger Xhekaj ended up playing last season, and he’ll no doubt be hoping to see more action this season. While he can handle himself on the ice, his skating isn’t exactly great and at times, it makes NHL action look a bit too fast for him. In the AHL, he played 64 games, putting up 29 points, including 17 goals, which is by no means a bad output, but he did have 24 goals the year before. He also added two points in five playoff games and 34 penalty minutes.
With both Joe Veleno and Brendan Gallagher not returning, it will be interesting to see if Xhekaj manages to grab a spot in the Canadiens’ lineup. It would be surprising if he did manage to do it out of camp, but it wouldn’t be shocking if he were called up in case of injuries, especially for matchups that promise to be physical.
Duels with the Florida Panthers could be particularly rough this season now that the Cats have added Brady Tkachuk to their lineup. The former Ottawa Senators captain has 31 points in 33 games against the Habs while recording 51 penalty minutes. Tkachuk and the Panthers will visit the Bell Center for a 1:00 PM game on Saturday, December 5; expect that game to be an eventful one.
As for the Leafs, they’ll be hoping to get back in the playoff picture this season after failing to make the Spring dance last year. The new regime in place has made many changes, bringing in some experienced players, including former Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in net and acquiring Darren Raddysh in a sign-and-trade deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Montreal and Toronto will face each other four times this season, including in the season opener on September 29.
On Aug. 21, former New York Islanders defenseman Zdeno Chara will be playing in an event called "Zee's Final Shift", a farewell game for the 49-year-old Hockey Hall of Famer.
The farewell game will be held at the Winter Stadium in Trenčín.
Chara, who began his career with the Islanders in 1997-98 and returned to the team for his final NHL season in 2021-22, has invited many of his former teammates to this event, including some who played on Long Island.
Johnny Boychuk, who is currently a part of the Islanders' player development squad, never played with Chara on Long Island. But the two won a Stanley Cup together with the Boston Bruins in 2011.
The same goes for Dennis Seidenberg, who was on that Boston team and, like Boychuk, is working for the Islanders in player development.
Then we have Zigmund Palffy, who was a fifth-year Islanders forward when Chara walked through the doors in 1997-98, playing a part of two seasons together.
Fellow Slovakian Miroslav Satan, who played with Chara in Boston for one season in 2009-10, spent three seasons on Long Island (2005-2008).
Tomas Vanek's time with the Islanders spanned only 47 games in 2013-14 after being acquired and then traded off the island ahead of the 2014 NHL Trade Deadline.
Robert Reichel played for the Islanders as well (1997-1999).
Here are the remaining invitees: Marian Hossa, Chris Kelly, Patrice Bergeron, Ray Bourque, Andrew Ference, Michal Handzuš, Jaromír Jágr, Tomáš Kaberle, Duncan Keith, Anže Kopitar, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Adam McQuaid, Daniel Paille, David Pastrňák, Mark Recchi, Andrej Sekera, Marco Sturm, Aaron Ward, and Jakub Voráček.
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - NOVEMBER 14: Erik Karlsson #65, Sidney Crosby #87 and Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins listen to the American national anthem before a game against the Nashville Predators during the 2025 NHL Global Series on November 14, 2025 at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by André Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Now a few weeks into free agency, the NHL has reached the quiet part of their calendar for the next month or so. Most the major moves are made and summer vacations and resets are in full swing as teams go slightly dormant to recharge the batteries for the upcoming season.
But news and changes are only one short phone call away, let’s set the table for what has happened so far this offseason and what could still be on the ol’ to-do list from last month’s action items.
Step 5b: More about free agents
On a related note to Step 5 above, there’s restricted free agency ahead for Arturs Silovs, Egor Chinakhov, Joel Blomqvist, Ville Koivunen and Alex Alexeyev. Aside from what the decision is about Alexeyev, either new contract agreements or at least qualifying offers will be sent to the rest of that group by the deadline later this month for progress in that area in the near future.
Koivunen remains an RFA with limited leverage on getting a new contract, beyond that the rest are taken care of. Alexeyev decided to sign in the KHL, the Penguins made sure to retain his NHL rights. Silovs signed a one-year deal, Blomqvist got two years (and an interesting structure within), Chinakhov got the most money and years for all at three years. Newly acquired RFA’s in Nick Robertson and Hendrix Lapierre got on the books for the next two years.
Step 6: June 1 free agents
This year there wasn’t much drama for the Penguins on drafted players whose rights expired yesterday. Zam Plante and Luke Devlin don’t apply since they are still enrolled in college that means Pittsburgh retains their rights a while longer
Nothin’ happening here, though prospect Cruz Lucius will qualify for unrestricted free agency on August 15th and likely choose to sign with a different NHL team soon after.
Step 7: Front office silly season
Todd Nelson’s name is starting to get floated around as a potential head coaching candidate.
The Pens made it through the bulk of the offseason without many moves within the front office. The notable exception is when Vokie Mpofu got hired to be an assistant GM for Nashville. Mpofu was an important behind the scenes executive over the past couple of years, his spot and role was replaced by another familiar face to Kyle Dubas when Brandon Pridham was hired by Pittsburgh under the title of hockey operations consultant.
Step 8: Draft prep
The bulk of the month will likely be spent finalizing a plan for the NHL draft, to be held June 26-27 in Buffalo.
The Penguins currently have seven picks, including three in the top 54 selections of the draft. Pittsburgh only has one pick over Rounds 4-7 (Nashville’s sixth rounder).
As tends to be the case under Dubas, the draft featured some activity and movement via trades. Pittsburgh traded a few picks around and ended up moving up in the fourth round to draft Parker von Richter and then moved to grab a fifth round pick to get goalie Matvei Nikonovich.
They remained the same at the top of the draft, taking the Ruck twins with their first two picks.
Step 9: Pro Scouting
Another behind the scenes action point, the Penguins will definitely be trying to find the next versions of Parker Wotherspoon, Anthony Mantha, Arturs Silovs and Justin Brazeau, if they can. All of those players contributed mightily to team success in 2025-26 and any NHL team can always strive for improvement around the margins if they find the right fits available.
Dubas gave signals the Penguins would seek value free agents and not look to make lengthy contractual commitments, and that’s exactly what happened. Andrey Kuzmenko was brought on as essentially an Anthony Mantha replacement on a one-year contract. Defenders Declan Carlile and Trevor van Riemsdyk were each given two-year contracts to add to the blueline that lost Ryan Shea and Connor Clifton as free agents.
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Looking ahead, there’s not too much between now and training camp that the Penguins really have to do by this point. Most of their heavy lifting to shape the roster for next season has been completed, though further touches can still be made and we’ll throw them out here.
Step 10: Logjam of forwards
In numbers, the Pens have added more this off-season than they’ve lost up front (Kuzmenko, Robertson, Lapierre in, only Mantha and Noel Acciari out as free agents from the NHL roster). That position was already stacked with recent-ish trades to add Chinakhov and Elmer Soderblom last season and ended up retaining veterans Evgeni Malkin, Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar with contract extensions. As of now, it’s possible to build a realistic top-12 without Lapierre or Justin Brazeau in the lineup and it would take injuries for any of Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty, Tristan Broz and Avery Hayes to see NHL time.
Pittsburgh has Brazeau and Tommy Novak as players in the final season of their contracts with July 2027 free agency dates looming. Veterans Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell are under contract through 2028 but never in shortage for trade whispers.
Now that the team knows their efforts to hunt for a big game possibility like star forward Jason Robertson won’t be happening, do they look the restack the deck a little bit? Dropping a forward via trade for a defenseman would make a lot of sense given splits. This doesn’t need to be addressed in summer but at some point the course is going to have to reverse for some forwards heading out to balance out all the incoming entries over the last six months.
Step 11: Comfortable with the blueline?
The current defense is very unusual for an NHL team, it contains two legitimate left shot defenders (Sam Girard and Declan Carlile) and then a host of unknown or undesirable options like Ryan Graves, Caleb Jones, Ilya Solovyov and Owen Pickering.
NHL teams typically have a shortage of right shot defenders, but that’s not the case now in Pittsburgh. Between Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang and the recently acquired Kaeden Korczak and Trevor van Riemsdyk, the Pens have a surplus of RHD even before getting to top prospect Harrison Brunicke.
The Pens haven’t been in a major hurry to even out the numbers, and even created the imbalance by trading their most capable LD (Parker Wotherspoon) for a right shot in Korczak. What their exact plan is for defense construction remains murky and could possibly be unconventional to use a right shot on the left side. This could be more curiosity than needing a transaction to settle the situation depending on the internal plans, but it’s worth pointing out.
Step 12: Veteran extensions
The Penguins have three star players in the final season of their contracts in 2026-27. First, there’s 40-year old Evgeni Malkin who essentially is on a year-by-year basis right now. If he wants to extend his career with the Pens, he will have to perform. Given his age, 2026-27 could be Malkin’s final NHL season but it doesn’t look likely that player or team knows if that is true or will be advertising an official farewell in the near future.
The second big star on an expiring deal is Karlsson. Karlsson has a full no movement clause and has been very choosy and deliberate about his past transactions. Depending on how the season goes and what his mindset is, Karlsson could become a deadline trade target but he just as easily could be content to ride the full season out in Pittsburgh before determining his next steps later.
Finally, there’s Sidney Crosby. Crosby has always extended his contracts fairly early in the process prior to the last season starting, but seems to be more contemplative about it these days (his last extension in 2024 wasn’t officially signed until just before the start of training camp). Crosby’s next contract would commit him to playing as a 40-year old in 2027-28, and understandably enough he wants to see how his body feels before making such a decision. Still, his contract will be an unavoidable frequent question with folks wondering if 2026-27 is his final season or not and he’s never liked that type of attention. Perhaps he and the team get together around camp, perhaps he has no answer about his future at this point. Either way, it’s something to watch around the time that September rolls around.
A familiar name is heading back to the Central Division.
Former Minnesota Wild draft pick Michael Milne has signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets organization, giving the 23-year-old winger a fresh opportunity after spending last season with three different organizations and four different teams.
Milne was originally selected by the Wild in the third round (89th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft after a standout WHL career with the Winnipeg Ice.
He spent parts of four seasons in Minnesota's organization, developing with the Iowa Wild while making his NHL debut during the 2024-25 season against the Dallas Stars.
In 172 career games with Iowa, Milne recorded 32 goals, 33 assists and 65 points, including a career-best 15 goals and 26 points during the 2024-25 campaign.
Minnesota re-signed Milne to a one-year, two-way contract last summer, but his time with the organization came to an end in December when the Wild traded him to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Boris Katchouk.
After appearing in 19 games with the Syracuse Crunch, Milne was dealt again before the trade deadline to the Detroit Red Wings organization, where he finished the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins and the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL.
Now, Milne is returning to the city where he starred in junior hockey. He has signed with the Jets organization for the 2026-27 season, joining one of Minnesota's biggest Central Division rivals.
While Milne is expected to begin the year in the American Hockey League, the move gives him another chance to work his way toward the NHL. If he earns a call-up, the former Wild prospect could find himself facing the team that drafted and developed him just four years earlier.
For Minnesota fans, Milne remains a prospect who never quite found a long-term opportunity with the organization. Now, his next opportunity will come with a division rival, adding another former Wild draft pick to the Central Division landscape.
Danish ice hockey player Nikolaj Ehlers lifts the Stanley Cup trophy at the Sparekassen Danmark Arena in front of supporters in Aalborg, Denmark on July 23, 2026. Ehlers and Frederik Andersen won the NHL championship with the Carolina Hurricanes this season. The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 to capture the NHL's Stanley Cup on June 15, 2026, ending a 20-year wait for their second crown. (Photo by Henning Bagger / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty Images) / Denmark OUT
It has been a quiet offseason for hockey news lately, except of course for the Carolina Hurricanes players living their best lives celebrating with their day with the Stanley Cup.
Frederik Andersen brought the Cup to Legoland, Nikolaj Ehlers celebrated with his home town, and Sebastian Aho brought it to a concert. Good times my friend, good times.
Frederik Andersen is building a pretty great day with the #StanleyCup! 🧱
I’m sure you all can look up more pics yourselves. One good place to start is with the “Keeper of the Cup” on Twitter (X). (It will always be Twitter to me).
In other news, Ronan Seeley avoided arbitration and signed with the Canes for one year on a two-way deal. It will guarantee him a minimum of $160K for the year. He was the only Hurricane applying for arbitration.
It has been quiet on the Alexander Nikishin front. Adam Gold and Cory Lavalette discuss that a bit here along with the release of Cory’s book. I still remember the good old days when Cory and I used to watch the Draft from my living room and would take turns writing articles about the picks on Canes Country.
At least one of us hit the big time!
Somehow I missed the beginning of the chatter regarding that Brind’Amour might retire when Jordan Staal does? I find it hard to believe. Perhaps it is a bit of posturing for the coach to get more money out of Mr. Dundon’s hands.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 25: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres celebrates with teammates Xander Bogaerts #2 and Ty France #25 after scoring a run against the Miami Marlins in the eighth inning of the game at loanDepot park on July 25, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres entered the top of the eighth inning trailing the Miami Marlins, 3-1. By the time the inning was over they held a 5-3 lead thanks to home runs from two of their big bats. Manny Machado, the Miami native, stepped the plate with no outs and Jake Cronenworth on first base after a leadoff single to open the frame. Machado battled Marlins reliever Lake Bachar for six pitches, but he won the at-bat and tied the game when he connected on a fastball at the top of the strike zone. The ball left Machado’s bat at 106 mph, and it landed just beyond the wall in center field to tie the game, 3-3.
Ty France grounded out for the first out in the top of the eighth inning. Jackson Merrill followed and connected on a pitch that was up and out over the plate. Merrill hit the ball out to right field to give the Padres their first lead of the game at 4-3. San Diego tacked on another run thanks to a Luis Rengifo one-out double. He advanced to third on a groundout which gave Luis Campusano a chance to add the lead. The Padres catcher came through with a single to left field that allowed Rengifo to score to give the Padres a 5-3 lead en route to the win and the sweep of the Marlins.
Adrian Morejon came on for the eighth inning and while it was not as sharp as the Friar Faithful have come to expect from the left-hander it did result in a scoreless inning. Mason Miller came in the for the bottom of the ninth inning and locked down the win while earning his 27th save of the season.
Walker Buehler started the game and delivered a solid start for San Diego. The veteran right-hander worked into the sixth inning and allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. It was the kind of start the Padres needed after back-to-back bullpen games. Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta, Morejon and Miller combined to work the remaining 3.2 innings and allowed just one hit and one walk with three strikeouts.
Cronenworth was the table setter for San Diego. He finished his day at the plate 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Machado was the benefactor of Cronenworth’s solid offensive day. Machado finished 2-for-5 with a run scored and three RBI. France, Merrill and Rengifo all finished with two hits in the game, with Merrill providing the go-ahead run on his solo home run in the eighth.
San Diego has an off day today before hosting the Colorado Rockies for two games and the San Francisco Giants for four games heading into the trade deadline. The Padres have played themselves back to .500 and how they perform in the upcoming homestand will determine the deadline approach for the front office.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JULY 26: Gunnar Henderson #2 of the Baltimore Orioles reacts after being called out on strikes in the third inning against the Atlanta Braves at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 26, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The thing about the 2026 Orioles is that they can always manage to fool you for a little while into believing that they might be able to turn things around. The best version of this team really is good enough. Mike Elias wasn’t wrong to assess that. The problem, as was unfortunately demonstrated in increasingly ridiculous ways over the last week, is that they aren’t the best version often enough, and when they’re bad, they’re embarrassingly bad.
There is a tragic element to it all, tragic in the Greek sense that is fresher on many people’s minds since Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey is proving to be a popular sensation. It’s got me thinking about how frequently the gods of Greek myth were known to punish mortals for their hubris, and wondering just how much Elias’s roster-building philosophy embodies that hubris.
This takes on a variety of forms, which I get into in this episode, but the real hubris seems to be thinking that a team where nearly every hitter is one of his precious high draft picks is going to be able to be good enough to be a winner, even though they have now spent the past three seasons demonstrating to us that this is not the case.
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How are you feeling about the way things are going with the Orioles right now? Answers could make it into the mailbag section of a future episode of the podcast.
With LeBron James signing in Philadelphia, it felt like the last major piece of a wild offseason. For the Knicks, their rotation has been long settled, with the team doing little but retaining their championship core early, signing Andre Drummond as a replacement for Mitchell Robinson, and drafting a couple of new prospects.
But there are still some straggling questions before we enter training camp.
Here’s three we’ll need answers to before New York kicks off its attempted repeat run...
Who gets the last roster spot?
The Knicks have one open roster spot they can fill using a minimum contract without encroaching on the second apron. They already took a shot at signing restricted free agent Moussa Cisse, but the Mavericks matched their offer sheet.
Third-string center is their biggest need, with options like Nick Richards, Tony Bradley, Drew Eubanks, and Kevin Love still available. They could bring back Jeremy Sochan as a small-ball five, or live with OG Anunoby sliding up a position more often to take a swing at a better player elsewhere.
Bruce Brown, Bradley Beal, Russell Westbrook, Nicolas Batum, and DeMar DeRozan are still free agents, but New York has yet to be linked to them. Signs point to a big, and the question remains which one ends up in the blue and orange.
Who gets the two-way deals?
Along with the last roster spot, the Knicks get three two-way slots to fill. These are often granted to developmental prospects or fringe veterans, but a couple may be up for grabs in New York’s case.
Their two rookies -- Tyler Nickel and Jack Kayil -- impressed enough at Summer League to warrant two-way deals. However, Kayil is more of a project and would be deep behind a packed guard rotation. Combine that with the earlier reports of the Knicks wanting to stash him overseas, and it’s possible somebody else gets his spot.
Depending on Kayil, there’s still one or two two-ways to fill. One option is bringing back Kevin McCullar Jr., whom the Knicks drafted in 2024 and saw sparse minutes last season.
They could also return other members of their 2026 championship squad, like Dillon Jones or Trey Jemison III. Another option is bringing in new blood from this year’s Vegas Summer League squad like Liam Robbins, another center.
How will Karl-Anthony Towns' extension talks play out?
The Knicks have already shown an aversion to going into the second apron by allowing Robinson to walk, and now they’re faced with another tough decision. Towns, a key piece of their championship run, is due for an extension worth up to $68 million annually, with an October deadline and player option for 2027-28 looming.
New York will obviously want a haircut off a maximum offer to retain flexibility and the rest of this core, especially with a new Jalen Brunson payday coming shortly after. How does Towns react to that, and is there middle ground when he could be looking to maximize value on possibly his last large contract in the NBA?
Fans better hope they can come to a resolution, as the alternative means potentially losing him to free agency as soon as next summer. Worse yet, it could serve as a distraction during this season, which could end in the Knicks trading him instead of risking losing him for nothing, much like they did with Julius Randle and Immanuel Quickley.
As the week flips over into Monday, I will take care of some housekeeping where hopefully all interested eyes will see it. I’m flying out for a trip Tuesday evening. I won’t return home until Saturday, Aug. 8. It’s a safe bet that I will write up the Saturday 8/8 game on Sunday 8/9. I believe I’ll write up 7/27 on 7/28 and the following game. But I make no promises. After that, Al will do the heavy lifting on the Heroes and the Goats. I do not know how much Wi-Fi access nor how much time I will have on this trip. I may be largely MIA. Y’all be good to Al while I’m gone. I suspect I’ll chime in with at least occasional thoughts on an important stretch of baseball on and off of the field.
On to the Sunday game. Working for Al is super easy. He has never told me to write about this or not write about that. Very occasionally I go off the rails and he reels me back in. But other than that, I don’t have to do anything special here. I could literally just post the numbers from the game and get a daily byline. But, I like to use this as Tom’s therapy space. That’s why you see things like perspective check. I too want to keep from getting carried away in either direction. I too want to be able to enjoy the yearly roller coaster ride without losing my sanity.
That’s a long way of saying that though I’ve chosen the voice of this space to be the high level view of that roller coaster ride, it isn’t always easy. Along with taking that high level view, I try very hard to keep this space very positive. If you were a professional athlete, you could expect over time to read some of the most vile awful comments about you somewhere over the course of your career. From everything I know to be true, nearly 100 percent of the people who have ever worn Cubbie Blue try hard, work hard and very badly want to succeed.
No one player ever costs his team a game, unless there are some scenarios I’m not thinking of, where you forfeit a game because of the actions of one player. Once a team takes the field, a number of players have roles, some small and some large that contribute to winning and losing. I’ve always thought it garbage to pin it all on one guy. Even to the extent that one performance was so bad, there were almost always opportunities for teammates to overcome the adversity and win. Certainly, there are coaches and front office people involved with putting that player in that situation to fail. Teams win and lose together or they fall part.
That’s all a very, very long way of saying Jameson Taillon had a very bad start on Sunday. It’s one in a long string of bad to awful starts. We try to deal in reality here. In that reality, we’re pretty sure this team is likely to be a playoff team. Once they get there, they have a decent chance of winning one series and a small chance of winning two. Losing every fifth day or having to dig out of a massive hole to win is going to diminish all of those chances. You hate to see it, but this team needs to move on. I’m not even sure you could send him to the bullpen and get value there. I don’t wish ill on anyone. I really hope the Cubs cut bait on him, he regroups and has 3-5 good years for someone else. It happens. There are guys that end up being a better fit with your team than others and guys that end up being a worse fit. In being fair, he did provide a fair bit of value to this team over the life of the contract that brought him to Chicago.
The positive out of the game? The team never stopped fighting and took the game all the way down to the wire. This game certainly was nowhere near as close as a one run loss. The team has scored 57 runs in nine games since the All-Star break. That’s a blistering pace and it is kind of incredible that they have only won five of the nine games. They’ve scored 16 in the four losses and 41 in the five wins. That speaks to some of the struggles the pitching has had. 16 runs in four losses isn’t bad at all. 41 runs in the five wins shows that this team is clobbering the opposition when things go well.
Hopefully the bats stay hot in St. Louis and the pitching settles down a little. Let’s hit that perspective check. Four teams with more wins than the Cubs. One with as many wins as the Cubs. A 2.5 game lead on the first Wild Card spot in the NL. On a pace for 91 wins. 2-1 to start this 17-game stretch.
Three Positives and Pete:
Michael Busch had a single a double, a walk and a run scored to wrap up a very good weekend.
Michael Conforto had a double and drew a walk and scored twice.
Pedro Ramirez had a pair of singles, drove in a run and scored a run.
Pete was relatively quiet, with a triple and an RBI.
Game 105, July 26: Pirates 8, Cubs 7 (59-46)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Dansby Swanson (.123). 2-4, RBI, R
Hero: Nico Hoerner (.051). 2-4, RBI, R
Sidekick: Aaron Civale (.018). 2 IP, 7 BF, H, 3 K
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Jameson Taillon (-.376). 4 IP, 19 BF, 6 H, 2 BB, 7 ER, 3 K (L 2-6)
Goat: Carson Kelly (-.108). 0-4, RBI
Kid: Ian Happ (-.078). 1-5, DP
WPA Play of the Game: Shawn Ross’ two out, two-run homer in the second gave the Pirates a 3-1 lead. (.183)
Cubs Play of the Game: Dansby Swanson batted with runners on first and second and two outs in the second. He singled and ultimately he and the runner from first ended up on second and third. (.118)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 104 Winner: Pete Crow-Armstrong 42-37 over Shōta Imanaga.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Pete Crow-Armstrong +22
Carson Kelly/Ben Brown +13.5
Shōta Imanaga +12
Trent Thornton +11.5
Dansby Swanson/Phil Maton -10
Nico Hoerner -11
Jameson Taillon -13
Caleb Thielbar -14
Up Next: The trip moves to St. Louis. The Cardinals are 53-52 and have themselves played 10 straight games coming out of the break (3-7) and don’t have a day off until Aug. 6. So their stretch is 19 in a row and it isn’t going well. These stretches handcuff the team. You can’t attack a game with your bullpen the same way and you have to be careful to keep the team fresh as the dog days of summer drag on.
David Peterson (5-7, 5.97) gets the opener for the Cubs. He picked up a win in his last start, throwing 6.2 innings and allowing no runs. Hopefully David is getting things back on track and heading in the right direction. The Cardinals hadn’t announced a starter at the time I wrote this, but this should be Matthew Liberatore’s spot. Liberatore is 5-7 with a 5.18 over 20 starts. The former 16th overall pick of the Rays in 2018 allowed five runs in 5.1 innings against the Angels in LA last week. The Cubs beat him on July 5, scoring three runs in five innings against him.
The Cardinals are reeling a bit. Hopefully the Cubs can pounce and get at least two and maybe three.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JULY 26: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves tosses his bat after flying out in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 26, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ozzie Albies is having a fun season. I’m not sure it’s unequivocally a good season, but it’s been fun. His wRC+ is back in triple digits (now sitting at an even 100) while falling short of that mark in 2024 and 2025. His ISO is higher than both 2024 and 2025, and he’s already hit 17 dingers after finishing with 16 last year. His defense has been a positive for the first time since 2022, muffling the alarm bells going off about his aging with regard to that particular skillset.
And, of course, there’s the ever-present “Wizard of Ozzie” thing — though Albies generally outhit his xwOBA in every year from his debut through 2023 — he’s never done so by quite as much for this long. Seriously, he’s got a .320 wOBA and a .285 xwOBA as of me looking this morning. Only Pete Crow-Armstrong has a bigger outperformance with as many or more PAs; Albies is in the top 20 if you set the cutoff to 200-plus PAs this season.
But, there was yesterday’s game. Albies went 0-for-6 with a terrible defensive misplay that essentially turned what could have been a regulation win into a wacky, drawn-out extra innings affair that nonetheless gave the Braves a “W.” But, Albies didn’t even help in the extra innings portion, as he popped out with the bases loaded and one out after the Braves had taken a lead in the 11th. His xwOBA in the game was a sad .106. He had one meh liner that turned into a double play because of where it was hit, and four worst-in-class bits of contact to go with his strikeout.
Even without the error, it was his worst WPA game of the season. He had a few worse offensive WPA games, including his worst game ever in that regard in a one-run loss to the Padres in 2023, but when you combine the terrible stuff at the plate with that really bad error, it was a rough one.
Do you think, personally, this was has nadir as far as how he feels about his own contributions? If so, that’s kind of comforting, because the Braves won and everyone survived. Or, do you think there’s another game that felt worse from his perspective?
The Pittsburgh Penguins are entering next season with the hope of building off successful 2025-26 campaign. One of the reasons for their success last season was due to multiple players hitting new levels for them.
Could prospect Owen Pickering be the next player to break out for the Penguins? The possibility should not be ruled out.
While Pickering has not become a full-time NHL player at this stage in his career, he has the ability to change that. The 22-year-old defenseman has a lot of potential, and it would not be surprising if he breaks out next season. This is especially so when noting that he has a real shot of making the Penguins' roster.
The left side of the Penguins' defense notably got weaker this off-season. This is because defenseman Ryan Shea signed with the Edmonton Oilers in free agency, while Parker Wotherspoon was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. With this, there are spots to fight for on Pittsburgh's blueline, and it would not be surprising if Pickering gets more looks next season because of it.
Pickering also is coming off a strong season in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In 68 games, he posted seven goals, 21 assists, 28 points, and a plus-16 rating. This was after he had two goals and 13 points in 47 games with the AHL club in 2024-25.
Overall, Pickering has the tools to blossom into a very solid NHL defenseman. It will be interesting to see if the 2022 first-round pick has that big breakout year for Pittsburgh in 2026-27 from here.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 26: Evan Carter #32 of the Texas Rangers is unable to catch a fly ball during the third inning of the game against the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field on July 26, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning.
Shawn McFarland writes about what we’ve learned about the Texas Rangers playing in a historically unexceptional division in 2026.
Jeff Wilson writes that the American League West slap fight continued yesterday with Texas missing a chance to sink the Mariners.
McFarland writes that the growing need for high leverage bullpen help reared its ugly head in a late loss to Seattle.
McFarland writes that a rehab stint could be the next step for Seager as the Rangers hope to get their superstar back for the stretch run.
Someone at The Athletic predicts that the bold move that the Rangers will make at the deadline will be acquiring Luke Weaver. I’d take Levi Weaver back on the beat, personally.
McFarland writes that Rangers prospect John Taylor is one step away from the big leagues after choosing professional baseball over YouTube success.
And, Eric Nadel penned an essay about how the landscape for sports, recreation, and live music have changed in the in DFW.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 11: Commissioner of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred Jr. takes the stage to announce the nineteenth overall pick by the Cleveland Guardians during the 2026 MLB Draft presented by Nippon Express at Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday, July 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The wild ride that is Logan Schmidt’s draft process took another turn today, as the high school graduate announced on Instagram that he will not sign his professional deal with the Cleveland Guardians.
It was just two weeks ago that Schmidt was drafted #59 overall by the Guardians in the 2nd round of the MLB Draft. Slot value for that pick was $1,598,900, far less than his reported asking price. In the pre-draft process, his number was said to be $5 million.
That high of a signing bonus would have had him lined up in the top-20 of the draft, but he was no longer expected to go that high. He was, at one time, but the LHP dropped on teams’ boards after the MLB Combine due to his interviews. He changed agents going in to the combine, as well, which was odd timing considering the draft was just weeks away.
Leading in to the draft, questions about his signability began to arise, leading scouts to believe that he could end up making it to LSU. Nonetheless, his name was called on day 1 at #59 overall, prompting everyone to believe that his next step was settled and he’d be signing professionally.
Not so fast. Jason Armstrong of Inside LSU Baseball reported today that Schmidt and the Guardians never did come to an agreement before they drafted him.
Just got a phone call from Logan Schmidt’s agent, Garrett Parcell.
He said the Guardians drafted Schmidt without an agreement in place. Schmidt’s camp was seeking a deal in line with the other premier prep lefties ($3-4M) but the sides never got close.
— Inside LSU Baseball (@Insidelsubsbl) July 26, 2026
For those that don’t know, the MLB draft process is far different from the other professional drafts. In the NFL and NBA drafts, organizations select a player and his rights. Pro ball is their only option at that point. Players selected in the MLB draft can opt for collegiate ball, even if drafted by an MLB organization, as long as they have eligibility remaining. So, teams and draft prospects will typically have a deal in place before the name is officially turned in to avoid situations like this.
As Jason reported, Schmidt was seeking a signing bonus equal to other high school LHPs in the class ($3-4 million). After Cleveland signed their second to last drafted prospect on Friday, they were left with only around $1.7 million in their bonus pool, clearly far less than he was negotiating for.
That gap is what has led us to this point.
What next, then? Once the deadline for teams to sign their draftees passes on Monday, July 27th at 5 pm ET, college is Schmidt’s only traditional option. He could choose to uphold his commitment to LSU or he could choose to go the junior college route.
If he chose JUCO, he could re-enter the draft next year after just one season in college and try to get his worth in 2027. He would likely show out against lesser competition, but would the maturity questions be answered? How much could be prove in a year at a small school where the players help with field upkeep? Or would it simply be a re-do in hopes that one of the other 29 teams give him the number he was looking for this year?
As for LSU, the proof is in the pudding, as they say. Jay Johnson has won two titles in his first five years at the helm for the Tigers and has had players get drafted at #1, #2, #3, #5, and #6 overall in just those five years. Kade Anderson is a former LHP who was highly ranked coming out of high school, spent two years in Baton Rouge, got drafted #3 overall, and is now the #1 prospect in the Seattle Mariners organization and blowing through the minor league system. He will be in the big leagues sooner than later.
While it’s easy to sit back from the outside and acknowledge how appealing the LSU option is, what needs to be considered is Schmidt’s age. At only 17 years old, he would not again be eligible for the MLB draft for another three years. As I was told last night, kids from California don’t necessarily grow up dreaming to play at Alex Box. That’s not to say that he would not like to, but if a kid finishes high school and is dead-set on getting drafted to begin his professional career, a three year extension could feel like an eternity, despite the perks that come with it.
The talks of how Jay Johnson will manage his roster for the 2027 season have been prominent, but make no mistake, he would find a spot for Schmidt if he needs to.
With the MLB being out of the picture, the next deadline would be the start of school next month. An answer could come tomorrow or it could be in a few weeks, but either way, Logan Schmidt is going to college.
