Fans who made their way to the Bell Centre to watch the
Montreal Canadiens on Monday night got to see Ivan Demidov and new defenseman
Noah Dobson. On Tuesday, they’ll see the top line: Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki,
and Juraj Slafkovsky, the second pair of defensemen, which consists of Kaiden
Guhle and Lane Hutson, and both Xhekaj brothers. For the first time, Arber and
Florian Xhekaj will be suiting up for the same team.
Alex Newhook, Samuel Bolduc, and Joshua Roy will be forming
the second line. This is a big opportunity for the St-Georges native. Unlike
Oliver Kapanen, who only served as a placeholder for Kirby Dach on Monday, Roy
will be skating in a role that’s actually available. After a great summer of
training, Roy shed 16 pounds and, as a result, he’s much faster on his skates.
Samuel Blais, Joe Veleno, and Austrian winger Vinzenz Rohrer
will form the third line while the younger Xhekaj will center Luke Tuch and Tyler
Thorpe, a line that could do a lot of damage in Laval, should the three start
the season there.
On the blue line, the older Xhekaj and Alex Carrier will be
the second pairing behind Guhle and Hutson, and David Reinbacher will suit up
with Tobie Paquette-Bisson. While some would probably like to see Reinbacher get
a chance in the NHL this season, the youngster isn’t ripe for the show yet. The
knee injury he sustained last year didn’t help his development, even though the
Canadiens kept him involved in team meetings and video sessions; there’s
nothing like actually playing the games.
In net, Jakub Dobes and Kaapo Kahkonen will split the games
like Samuel Montembeault and Jacob Fowler did on Monday against the Pittsburgh
Penguins. As for the visiting Philadelphia Flyers, they won’t be dressing Russian-born
Matvei Michkov, who played in Sunday’s game and featured in the highlight reels
for the wrong reason when first-overall pick at the last draft, Matthew
Schaefer, stopped him on a breakaway.
Just an absolutely insane defensive backcheck from Matthew Schaefer on Matvei Michkov 😱
There will be at least a couple of familiar faces wearing
orange, though. Christian Dvorak, who left the Canadiens in free agency this
summer, will return to his old stomping ground, and another former Hab, tough
guy Nicolas Deslauriers, will also be in the lineup. Other big names who will
suit up for the Flyers include Sean Couturier, Owen Tippett, and Travis
Sanheim.
If Deslauriers wants to rough someone up, he can expect plenty
of opposition; the Xhekaj brothers, Thuch, and Thorpe all play with a physical
edge. It’s been some time since a pair of brothers suited up for the Canadiens;
the last ones to do so were Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn in 2007-08.
After racing out to an MLB-best 45-24 start, it seemed that the 2025 Mets were going to coast to the playoffs.
Whether they won the NL East title or made it in as a Wild Card appeared to be the only question.
But since climbing to the above record on June 12, New York has gone 35-52.
It's been a stunning turn of events for a team that is this loaded with talent, has a well-regarded manager in Carlos Mendoza, is led by a terrific executive in David Stearns, and is owned by Steve Cohen -- who has left no stone unturned when it comes to reshaping the franchise and putting it in position to contend year after year.
With six games to go in the regular season, the Mets no longer control their playoff destiny, having dropped into a tie with the Reds for the third and final Wild Card spot -- with Cincinnati owning the tiebreaker.
Injuries to Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas hurt early, leaving the Mets to rely on a rotation that had Clay Holmes (converting from relieving to starting), Kodai Senga (coming off an injury-riddled 2024), David Peterson (who had struggled with consistency), Griffin Canning (5.19 ERA/5.26 FIP in 2024), and Tylor Megill (career ERA of 4.56 and a lengthy injury history).
New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea (59) delivers a pitch during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The rotation excelled early, but started to falter in May.
Megill had a 5.79 ERA from May 4 to June 14, and hasn't pitched since due to injury.
Canning began to regress to the mean during his start on June 10 and was lost for the season on June 26 when he tore his Achilles.
Holmes has pitched admirably as he's blown way past his prior high for innings pitched in a season, but hasn't been able to provide much length. Since June 7, he has completed more than 5.0 innings in just three of his 16 starts (counting only the non-piggyback ones).
Senga has not been himself since returning from a hamstring injury, and made his last two starts in the minors.
After a hot start that led to an All-Star selection, Peterson has faded, with a 7.59 ERA in 40.1 innings since Aug. 6.
Manaea, who is pitching with loose bodies in his elbow that he says are not impacting his performance, has a 5.59 ERA in 58.0 innings and is now part of the aforementioned piggyback with Holmes.
Then there's Montas, who had a 6.28 ERA in 38.2 innings after returning and was then lost for the year on Aug. 15 due to Tommy John surgery.
All of this has put tons of pressure (and an enormous workload) on the bullpen, led to the Mets playing from behind way too often, and resulted in them having three rookies anchoring their staff down the stretch (more on that in a bit).
New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) is greeted in the dugout after hitting a two run home run in the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. / Wendell Cruz - Imagn Images
An offense that has been too inconsistent
The Mets' offense has shown the ability to bludgeon its opponents, but it has also had long stretches where it has been among the most anemic in the league.
That includes the eight-game losing streak from Sept. 6 to 13, when New York scored just 24 runs -- an average of three per game.
Over the weekend as the Mets were losing two of three games to the last-place Nationals, they mustered only three runs during an 11-inning loss on Saturday and scratched across only two as they lost by a run on Sunday. On Saturday specifically, it came down to a failure to execute with runners on base in the ninth and 10th innings.
Given that Juan Soto will likely finish in the top three in MVP voting, that Pete Alonso has an .876 OPS and 38 home runs (and has been red hot for a month), and that Francisco Lindor is having another phenomenal season, the level of inconsistency and depth of the struggles at times has been odd.
In addition to the big three of Soto, Alonso, and Lindor, the Mets are also getting strong seasons from Jeff McNeil (115 OPS+), Francisco Alvarez (118 OPS+), Brandon Nimmo (114 OPS+), Starling Marte (118 OPS+), and Brett Baty (109 OPS+).
Mark Vientos' up-and-down year has hurt a bit -- as has the absence of Jesse Winker and lack of production from center field. But those relatively minor things don't explain how alarming the struggles have sometimes been.
Not enough proactivity in July
When the rotation was in need of arms in July, the Mets opted to rely on bullpen games -- and to keep a struggling Paul Blackburn in the rotation (they lost his last four starts).
Specifically, they were swept by the Orioles in a doubleheader where they used Brandon Waddell, Justin Hagenman, and Richard Lovelady in Game 2. And they lost a game to the Yankees where Waddell put them in an early 5-0 hole before they fought back. But Zach Pop was used in relief, and struggled as they game slipped away.
During that time, the club also relied on Blade Tidwell for starts and bulk innings as he pitched to a 9.00 ERA over four appearances.
While this was going on, Nolan McLean was excelling for Triple-A Syracuse and Brandon Sproat was starting to find his form. It is totally understandable that the team didn't turn to Sproat in July, given how his season started. But had New York called up McLean at that point, it can be argued that they would've won a few of the games they in effect punted.
Sep 2, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean (26) delivers in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. / David Reginek - Imagn Images
It's impossible to know how ready McLean would've been on July 4 or July 10 as opposed to Aug. 16 (when he made his big league debut). But it made sense to find out, given the alternatives.
Now, as the Mets try to salvage a once-promising season, all eyes are on McLean -- who has become their stopper. He has been joined recently in the rotation by Sproat and Jonah Tong, who will all make starts this week.
***
Even though it was possible to see the Mets' rotation issues coming, and even though the offense has been perplexing at times, the team should not have fallen this far -- even with the rotation and offensive problems.
That they find themselves fighting for a playoff spot falls primarily on the players for too often failing to execute.
Meanwhile, I've seen lots of consternation regarding the trade deadline Stearns had. But it's mostly revisionist history.
The trades for Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers, and Gregory Soto were lauded at the time, and Cedric Mullins was viewed as a needed offensive upgrade.
Sometimes, players don't perform up to their standards, as has been the case with Helsley (whose pitch-tipping played a hand in it) and Mullins (whose power has mostly vanished as a Met). Rogers (2.25 ERA) and Soto (3.86 ERA) have been good since being acquired.
Could Stearns have traded for starting pitching help at the deadline? Sure. But the prices were sky-high and the impact pitchers rumored to be available were not moved.
In any event, the Mets still have a week left to write their story.
If it's one that ends in the playoffs, what has happened since the middle of June will be a footnote. If it ends with New York on the outside looking in, it might become a book.
With the NHL pre-season having kicked off, there are already several big-name young players stuck in limbo. New Jersey Devils’ Luke Hughes, Anaheim Ducks’ Mason McTavish and Nashville Predators’ Luke Evangelista are the three notable RFAs left without an NHL deal as training camp is well underway. In addition, former first-round picks Alexander Holtz and Rasmus Kupari are also in need of a new contract.
Fans and the media have learned that there is a pattern when players and teams have lengthy standoffs in contract negotiations. A trend has formed over the years where players would miss camp and sometimes part of the season due to negotiations, only to underperform once an agreement had been made.
In the previous article, The Hockey News looked at how some of the most notable contract holdouts of the pre-salary cap era fared. However, with the 2004-05 lockout bringing in unrestricted free agency for long-tenured NHLers, restricted free agency was left to younger players. Furthermore, a Dec. 1 deadline for RFAs and the potential for offer sheets has made it so that fewer teams are willing to sit a player out the entire season due to negotiations.
William Nylander, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
The Kyle Dubas-led Toronto Maple Leafs were entangled in two major RFA negotiations that spiralled. William Nylander was coming off back-to-back 60-point, 20-goal seasons. He showed plenty of flashes of skill, but at that point, he hadn’t elevated his game to that of a true star.
The Swede hit the closed market in July 2018, and over the next months, anxiety began to build within Leafs Nation as ‘Willy’ remained without a contract.
The short-term return on investment was bleak. Nylander only skated in 54 games that season, notching just seven goals and 27 points. Even after that disastrous campaign, Nylander picked up right where he left off before the contract dispute.
It was only in the last few seasons of the deal that it truly became a steal for the Leafs as Nylander finally became the superstar that the team knew he had in him. To this day, Nylander remains an integral piece of the Leafs and a fan favourite.
Mitch Marner, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Just one season after the Nylander saga, Mitch Marner became an RFA in July 2019. He had just recorded a career-high 94-point season — the most since Mats Sundin’s 90-point campaign in 1996-97. Negotiations were incredibly tense, with his agent reaching out to the Swiss league’s ZSC Lions that August as the two sides couldn’t come to a deal.
Marner would sign a six-year deal just after training camp began, which would eat two years of UFA eligibility, but with a no-move clause on the last two years of the deal, preventing any trades without Marner’s express permission.
On the ice, Marner’s production took only a minor dip during the following two shortened pandemic-impacted seasons, while also working on his defensive game. He would then surpass his prior production, even reaching the 100-point mark just last season.
However, the damage was done. The tough negotiations turned the hometown kid into a punching bag for the fans, which would eventually become one of the causes for his departure from the team to the Vegas Golden Knights this past summer.
Brady Tkachuk, LW, Ottawa Senators
When Ottawa Senators’ Brady Tkachuk became an RFA at the end of the 2020-21 season, and was in a similar situation to Nylander. Tkachuk had eclipsed the 20-goal mark twice, but he had only had a career high of 45 points at that time from his rookie season.
Despite the stagnant production, then-GM Pierre Dorion knew that he had a star-in-the-making. However, Dorion’s negotiation tactic of signing young players to long-term deals over bridge contracts while offering little to no bonus money made the unproven Tkachuk’s negotiations difficult, forcing Tkachuk to miss camp and pre-season.
Tkachuk’s story is one of the best cases among fraught negotiations in terms of performance. In the campaign following the contract debate, he put up his best season yet with 30 goals and 67 points. Now, Tkachuk is a bona fide star, leader and fan favourite.
Jeremy Swayman, G, Boston Bruins
While players have shown varying degrees of success after missing camp, pre-season or even regular-season action because of contractual impasse, Jeremy Swayman’s case shows that the outcomes for goaltenders can be significantly worse. Simply put, the Boston Bruins botched Swayman’s negotiations from the get-go.
In 2023-24, the Anchorage, Ala. native split the crease with Linus Ullmark, who was coming off a Vezina Trophy-winning season. Swayman had marginally outplayed the veteran goaltender in the regular season, posting a .916 save percentage to Ullmark’s .915.
However, in the playoffs, Swayman would go on to take the reins with a .933 SP over 12 games. As the off-season began, the team decided to prioritize the younger goaltender who had better results.
The B’s could have easily kept Ullmark around as a stake to drive Swayman’s asking price down, as Swayman had no clear runway to become a bona fide starter in the short-to-medium term with Ullmark around.
However, the Bruins rushed an Ullmark trade to Ottawa, giving Swayman’s camp leverage to increase their asking price. At that point, it was clear that Boston needed Swayman as their No. 1 netminder.
As the weeks turned to months, Swayman and the Bruins struggled to come to terms until just ahead of the regular season, where the parties convened on an eight-year deal, $8.25 million AAV—the same price as Ullmark’s extension with the Senators but at twice the length.
The rust was very evident once Swayman stepped foot into NHL action, as it felt as though he became the worst version of himself, with accentuated weaknesses and inconsistency. He would post a .892 SP and 3.11 goals against average while starting 58 games.
Those were far from the numbers Boston was hoping for from a goalie fresh off a top-10 Vezina Trophy finish. Now with a full camp, one can expect that in his sixth year, the 26-year-old goaltender can bounce back into form and live up to the price tag and expectations of a legit starter.
Already with several negotiations dragging into pre-season play, these examples serve as reminders that when players miss training camps due to negotiations, it can lead to major slumps in the short term, and worse, fractured relationships in the long term.
Luke Hughes may be willing to put water under the bridge once he signs, thanks to playing with his brother Jack, and McTavish might be able to as well, with the Ducks potentially eyeing him as a future captain, making his situation not too dissimilar to that of Brady Tkachuk’s.
As the saying goes, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. However, what happens in negotiations stays with the players.
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The Phillies have to be excited to get back in front of their home crowd to close out the regular season.
Despite a huge series victory, where they clinched the NL East, against the Dodgers, some glaring offensive numbers stood out.
Including Emmett Sheehan, who followed lefty opener Anthony Banda, Los Angeles’ starting pitching shut down the Phillies’ offense all series.
Between Sheehan, Shohei Ohtani and Blake Snell, the trio combined for 17 ⅔ innings, allowing just three hits and one run (0.51 ERA) while racking up 24 strikeouts.
Luckily, timely hitting proved to be the difference, as Philadelphia took two of three at Dodger Stadium.
But with LA likely looming as an NLDS opponent, it’ll be worth watching whether Rob Thomson’s group can adjust to their starters.
When the Phillies went into Chase Field to face the Diamondbacks, the offense didn’t fare much better. With runners in scoring position, the bats went cold, going just 4-for-30 in those situations.
Whether Arizona still has their number from two seasons ago or not, the Phillies will look to right the ship with their RISP struggles during this final homestand.
Trea working back
The Phillies’ star shortstop was on the field this afternoon taking live at-bats against minor leaguers Danny Harper and Andrew Walling.
When asked if Trea Turner would return before the end of the regular season, Thomson kept it short with reporters.
“We’re hopeful,” he said.
Sep 7, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) celebrates after hitting a home run against the Miami Marlins during the sixth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Thomson added that Turner is running at about “70 to 75 percent.” He emphasized it isn’t essential for Turner to play before the postseason begins, though getting him some reps would certainly help.
In Turner’s absence, Harrison Bader has done a phenomenal job atop the lineup. He’s slashing .339/.383/.518 with six extra-base hits in 60 plate appearances and credits hitting in front of Kyle Schwarber.
“Hitting in front of that caliber of bat is awesome,” Bader said. “I think when you have a really good bat behind you, it changes the mentality of the pitching staff.”
“Honestly, hitting leadoff has been awesome,” Bader added. “I’m just trying to keep the spot warm until Trea comes back, and I’ve enjoyed it.”
Reyes receives MVP honors
Earlier today, Minor League Baseball announced its Double-A All-Stars and awards — and Phillies prospect Felix Reyes took home hardware.
The 24-year-old, who spent almost the entire season with Reading, was named Eastern League Most Valuable Player.
In his fifth professional season, Reyes broke out in a big way. He hit .335 with 15 homers and 67 RBIs, posting a .937 OPS over 95 games.
“He can really hit … and he’s a really good player,” Thomson said.
Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2020, Reyes finished just shy of the Minor League batting title, trailing only Rangers prospect Cody Freeman.
My take on Casty
Obviously, it was a hectic road trip — and Nick Castellanos’ comments to reporters only stirred the pot further.
After a few days to cool down, one key takeaway remains: Castellanos is clearly playing with a chip on his shoulder. And that hasn’t been a negative in the batter’s box.
Since the start of September — when he fully assumed the platoon role, he’s slashing .306/.333/.500 in 36 at-bats. He’s also excelled against right-handed pitching in that span, hitting .333.
With free agency ahead this offseason and his constant emphasis on staying focused on bringing a World Series championship back to Philadelphia, I see the storyline as a positive heading into October.
Wouldn’t it be something if, after all the controversy, Castellanos played a key role in a championship run?
As Philly fans have heard often: trust the process.
Tuesday preview
The Phillies open a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park against a red-hot Marlins club. Miami has won 10 of its last 11 under first-year manager Clayton McCullough.
The Marlins, who sit four games out of the last Wild Card spot, are 2-4 against Philadelphia this season.
They’ll send out right-hander Edward Cabrera (7-7, 3.57 ERA). The 27-year-old is making his first start since Aug. 30 after an elbow sprain landed him on the IL.
In his lone start against the Phillies, back on June 19, Cabrera went 6 ⅓ innings, allowing just two hits and one run in a 2-1 Phillies win.
His numbers at Citizens Bank Park, though, haven’t been as sharp. In three starts, he’s posted a 4.91 ERA, allowing 16 hits in 14 ⅔ innings.
His last outing at The Bank? Six earned runs in just four innings.
For the Phillies, it’ll be the ever-reliable Cristopher Sánchez (13-5, 2.66 ERA). The southpaw gutted through his last outing in Los Angeles, rough early but finishing strong with seven innings of four-run ball.
Sep 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
In what’s likely his final start of a Cy Young-caliber season, the Phillies should feel good about their chances of securing the coveted first-round bye.
With a win and a Dodgers loss (to Arizona), they’ll clinch an automatic bid to the National League Division Series.
The MLB competition committee voted on Tuesday to approve implementing the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System for the entire 2026 season.
Here’s how it will work:
-- Each team will get two challenges and can keep them if they're successful
-- Challenges can only be initiated by a pitcher, catcher, or batter, and the challenge must be requested immediately after the call is made
-- To signal a challenge, the pitcher, catcher, or batter will tap his hat or helmet to let the umpire know, and no help from the dugout or other players on the field is allowed
-- In each extra inning, a team will be awarded a challenge if it has none remaining entering the inning
The ABS system was used on a trial basis during MLB spring training games this season as well as during the 2025 All-Star Game in Atlanta.
The system has also been used, to some degree, on a more regular basis throughout the minor leagues (starting in independent ball in 2019) and the Arizona Fall League, though the process and technology have been updated over time.
According to a release from Major League Baseball, 12 Hawk-Eye cameras will be set up around the perimeter of the field to track the location of each pitch. The pitch location is compared to the batter's strike zone, and if any part of the ball touches any part of the strike zone, the pitch will be considered a strike. The home plate umpire will announce the challenge to the fans in the ballpark and a graphic showing the outcome of the challenge will be displayed on the scoreboard and broadcast. The entire process should take approximately 15 seconds.
In a trade announced Tuesday between KHL Eastern Conference teams
Salavat Yulaev Ufa and Ak Bars Kazan, two ex-NHL players are changing
addresses. American center Alexander Chmelevski, 26, is heading to
Kazan and Canadian defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk, 28, is heading the other
way.
Chmelevski
is in his fourth KHL season while it’s Kalynuk’s first.
“Chmelevski is one of the best centers in the
KHL, possessing a unique set of qualities,” Kazan
GM Marat
Valiullin said
about his team’s newest acquisition. “He can play on the power
play, win faceoffs, lead rushes and finish plays himself. He's fully
adapted to the league, speaks excellent Russian, and will quickly fit
into any system.”
Born in Huntington Beach, Cal., Chmelevski played
junior hockey for the Sarnia Sting and Ottawa 67’s of the OHL.
He was chosen in the sixth round, 185th overall, by the
San Jose Sharks in the 2017 NHL
Entry Draft, and recorded 10 points in 26 NHL games with the Sharks
before heading overseas in 2022.
Internationally, Chmelevski has represented the USA
at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship and at the 2021 World
Championship.
“We wish Wyatt Kalynuk the best of luck,”
Valiullin said about the player he traded away. “He’s a good
player that we were interested in, but the market dictates its own
terms.”
Kalynuk
was born in Brandon, Man. and played three seasons at the University
of Wisconsin, captaining the team his last season. In that same 2017
NHL Entry Draft, Kalynuk was taken in the seventh round, 196th
overall by the Philadelphia
Flyers.
Kalynuk
was a member of several NHL organizations but only played in the show
with the Chicago Blackhawks,
recording nine points in 26 games over two seasons.
The KHL season has already begun and both players
played some games with their previous clubs before the trade.
Chmelevski had three points in six games for Ufa, while Kalynuk had
no points in two games for Kazan.
Kazan’s roster includes ex-NHLers Dmitrij Jaškin,
Alexander
Barabanov (a former San Jose teammate of Chmelevski),
Alexei Marchenko and Grigori Denisenko, as well as Mitchell Miller,
the one-time Arizona Coyotes draft pick who was convicted of
assaulting and bullying a classmate.
Other than Kalynuk, the only
ex-NHLer on Ufa’s roster is Canadian Jack Rodewald. Ufa
had reigning KHL MVP and scoring champion Josh Leivo under contract
long-term before terminating
the deal in August.
While he could be funny, he was also firm and players knew where they stood with umpire who became as famous as them
Dickie Bird may well have been the most consistent, the most famous and the most loved umpire in cricket history and yet when he pitched up at the grounds of ambitious county teams in the 1970s and 80s there would often be groans in the home dressing room.
Dickie’s presence was bound to enliven the game but it would also make it harder to win. Dickie was a cautious umpire, who required certainty before he raised his finger to send a batsman back to the pavilion (often with a bellowed “That’s Out”). To win games, which usually meant taking 20 wickets, the bold captain would prefer one of the more cavalier umpires on the circuit, who might later boast of his hundred victims by the end of May, to be officiating.
While some players like forwards Arseny Gritsyuk, Brian Halonen, and defenseman Ethan Edwards will get a second game of action, 21-year-old Seamus Casey remains out of the preseason lineup.
During his pregame media availability, head coach Sheldon Keefe shed some light on Casey's status.
"He was supposed to play on Sunday (against the Rangers)," he said. "He tweaked something in that practice Saturday. He's doing a lot better. I just felt giving him a couple more days would be the smart thing to do. I would expect to see him Friday if he continues on the path that he is here now."
Casey is entering his second professional season, having played 14 games in the NHL and 30 games in the American Hockey League (AHL). He will be one of a handful of players competing for a spot on the Devils' blue line, as Johnathan Kovacevic will miss an extended period of time and is out indefinitely.
"I was happy with last year, but that's last year," Casey shared on Monday. "You want to build on it and get better. It doesn't matter what you did the year before; you have to get better. If I played the way I did before, that is not really good enough. You have to keep getting better and better."
Casey practiced with the non-game group on Tuesday afternoon, and if all goes to plan, he will play at UBS Arena on Friday night when the Devils take on the Islanders at 7:00 p.m.
Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
NEW YORK (AP) — Robot umpires are getting called up to the big leagues next season.
Major League Baseball’s 11-man competition committee on Tuesday approved use of the Automated Ball/Strike System in the major leagues in 2026.
Human plate umpires will still call balls and strikes, but teams can challenge two calls per game and get additional appeals in extra innings. Challenges must be made by a pitcher, catcher or batter — signaled by tapping their helmet or cap — and a team retains its challenge if successful. Reviews will be shown as digital graphics on outfield videoboards.
Adding the robot umps is likely to cut down on ejections. MLB said 61.5% of ejections among players, managers and coaches last year were related to balls and strikes, as were 60.3% this season through Sunday. The figures include ejections for derogatory comments, throwing equipment while protesting calls and inappropriate conduct.
Big league umpires call roughly 94% of pitches correctly, according to UmpScorecards.
At Triple-A at the start of the 2023 season, half the games used the robots for ball/strike calls and half had a human making decisions subject to appeals by teams to the ABS.
MLB switched Triple-A to an all-challenge system on June 26, 2024, then used the challenge system this year at 13 spring training ballparks hosting 19 teams for a total of 288 exhibition games. Teams won 52.2% of their ball/strike challenges (617 of 1,182) challenges.
At Triple-A this season, the average challenges per game increased to 4.2 from 3.9 through Sunday and the success rate dropped to 49.5% from 50.6%. Defenses were successful in 53.7% of challenges this year and offenses in 45%.
In the first test at the big League All-Star Game, four of five challenges of plate umpire Dan Iassogna’s calls were successful in July.
Teams in Triple-A do not get additional challenges in extra innings. The proposal approved Tuesday included a provision granting teams one additional challenge each inning if they don’t have challenges remaining.
MLB has experimented with different shapes and interpretations of the strike zone with ABS, including versions that were three-dimensional. Currently, it calls strikes solely based on where the ball crosses the midpoint of the plate, 8.5 inches from the front and the back. The top of the strike zone is 53.5% of batter height and the bottom 27%.
This will be MLB’s first major rule change since sweeping adjustments in 2024. Those included a pitch clock, restrictions on defensive shifts, pitcher disengagements such as pickoff attempts and larger bases.
The challenge system introduces ABS without eliminating pitch framing, a subtle art where catchers use their body and glove to try making borderline pitches look like strikes. Framing has become a critical skill for big league catchers, and there was concern that full-blown ABS would make some strong defensive catchers obsolete. Not that everyone loves it.
“The idea that people get paid for cheating, for stealing strikes, for moving a pitch that’s not a strike into the zone to fool the official and make it a strike is beyond my comprehension,” former manager Bobby Valentine said.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy, a big league catcher from 1978-87, maintained old-school umpires such as Bruce Froemming and Billy Williams never would have accepted pitch framing. He said they would have told him: “‘If you do that again, you’ll never get a strike.’ I’m cutting out some words.”
Management officials on the competition committee include Seattle chairman John Stanton, St. Louis CEO Bill DeWitt Jr., San Francisco chairman Greg Johnson, Colorado CEO Dick Monfort, Toronto CEO Mark Shapiro and Boston chairman Tom Werner.
Players include Arizona’s Corbin Burnes and Zac Gallen, Detroit’s Casey Mize, Seattle’s Cal Raleigh and the New York Yankees’ Austin Slater, with the Chicago Cubs’ Ian Happ at Detroit’s Casey Mize as alternates. The union representatives make their decisions based on input from players on the 30 teams.
Mike Gundy, one of college football’s most colorful coaches over the last two decades, has been fired at Oklahoma State, according to multiple media reports.
The Philadelphia Flyers will face the Montreal Canadiens for their second preseason game of 2025 with an entirely different roster, with the exception of two players.
Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed Tuesday morning that goalie Sam Ersson will start and play the whole game against the Canadiens, with Aleksei Kolosov serving as the backup.
"I love big guys that can skate. Can he fit a role? When you get a guy like that, I want to see how you can play two, three games in a row," Tocchet said of Abols. "I think it's an important game for him to see if he can be real consistent for us, and you never know. I just wanted to see him. That was kind of my call."
Joining Abols at the forward position will be veterans like captain Sean Couturier, star winger Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, and Bobby Brink.
Center Christian Dvorak, the club's top free agent addition this offseason, will also be making his Flyers debut.
Three roster hopefuls are set to take the ice for the Flyers, too, in what will be a crucial game for them early on in training camp.
Winger Alex Bump is set to make his Flyers debut, partaking in a preseason game (and an NHL training camp) for the very first time.
Is he nervous? Is it a big moment for him in his fledgling career?
"Not really," Bump said sheepishly Tuesday. "The bigger moment would be the real season debut."
Flyers fans tuning into Tuesday night's game against the Canadiens will also want to keep an eye on 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko, who was interestingly listed on the game roster as a right wing instead of center, and defenseman Helge Grans.
Luchanko is in a precarious position as a player who will have to fight for an NHL spot or return to the OHL for another season, so showing growth in a competitive game setting will be key for his prospects of suiting up for the Flyers in October.
As for Grans, real opportunity exists at his position, but he has work to do in order to beat out players like Egor Zamula, fellow countrymen Emil Andrae and Adam Ginning, and newcomer Noah Juulsen, among others, for a place on the team.
"When you're trying to make something, you got to separate yourself from other guys," Tocchet said of Grans and the other roster hopefuls. "Ideally, three rights [defensemen], and three lefts."
What Tocchet does with Travis Sanheim regarding playing the left or right side could improve or reduce Grans's chances, but the best thing the 22-year-old can do for himself is to start the preseason off with a strong performance against the Canadiens.
The same is true for Bump, who is perhaps facing unexpectedly strong competition from Nikita Grebenkin on the left wing. Luchanko and Denver Barkey are certainly in the mix, too.
Lane Hutson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky are all expected to play on Tuesday night, so a tough challenge is certainly in store for the young Flyers.
As the Ottawa Senators get set for their second game of the preseason on Tuesday night in Toronto, they'll ice a much different lineup than they did in Sunday afternoon's 4-3 loss to the Maple Leafs. As the Senators take a look at some other players, only five men who played on Sunday – Arthur Kaliyev, Nick Cousins, Olle Lycksell, Donovan Sebrango, and Nik Matinpalo – will return for the rematch at Scotiabank Arena.
As the Leafs did on Sunday, the Sens will give a lot of their big guns the night off. Only 7 of the 18 skaters on Tuesday's roster are a lock to be in Ottawa this season. Based on morning practice, this is the group and the combinations we'll see in Toronto.
Forwards Arthur Kaliyev-Dylan Cozens-Fabian Zetterlund Nick Cousins-Shane Pinto-Michael Amadio Olle Lycksell-Stephen Halliday-Tyler Boucher Zavier Bourgault-Garrett Pilon-Hayden Hodgson
Defense Jake Sanderson-Carter Yakemchuk Tomas Hamara-Artem Zub Donovan Sebrango-Nikolas Matinpalo
Goalies Leevi Merilainen Hunter Shepard
The Senators are giving Yakemchuk, their top prospect, every chance to succeed. The 20-year-old is expected to make his preseason debut alongside the 23-year-old Sanderson, the Senators' best defenseman. If things go according to Hoyle, those two will anchor this club's blue line for most of the next decade. But Yakemchuk still has work to do and heads to turn. He'd like to start by replicating last fall's preseason performance when he finished as the Sens' top scorer with 7 points in 4 games.
And the last time he played an NHL preseason game in Toronto, almost a year ago to the day, he did this:
"Get Carter" Yakemchuk #58 scores a highlight real goal to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in OT! pic.twitter.com/n9t1yChEAK
Kaliyev and Lycksell are both candidates for the 13th forward this season, and both helped their cause when they each scored a goal in the Sens' preseason opener.
Matinpalo and Sebrango are both probably standing outside of the Sens' top six, but both could be right there as the next man up. Matinpalo could step in if Nick Jensen isn't ready, or if there's a new injury on the right side. Sebrango might be the top left side fill-in.
On that note, Tyler Kleven wasn't at practice on Tuesday after an awkward collision with the end boards on Sunday. Kleven left the game in the third period and didn't return, but Sens head coach Travis Green said on Tuesday that it isn't serious and expects him back soon.
As the Sens did on Sunday, the hometown Leafs will go with primarily an NHL-calibre lineup on Tuesday night. It's the first time in many years that you'd describe a Toronto lineup that way without the presence of Mitch Marner – now a member of the Vegas Golden Knights.
