Its Thursday, April 17 and the Mariners (9-9) are in Cincinnati to take on the Reds (9-9).
Emerson Hancock is slated to take the mound for Seattle against Brady Singer for Cincinnati.
The Reds and Mariners have split the first two games of this three-game series. Seattle evened the series with a 5-3 win last night. Cal Raleigh smacked his sixth and seventh home runs and Bryce Miller notched his first win of the season with five shutout innings for the Mariners.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game details & how to watch Mariners at Reds
Date: Thursday, April 17, 2025
Time: 12:40PM EST
Site: Great American Ball Park
City: Cincinnati, OH
Network/Streaming: RSNW, FDSNOH
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Odds for the Mariners at the Reds
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Mariners (-126), Reds (+106)
Spread: Mariners -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Mariners at Reds
Pitching matchup for April 17, 2025: Emerson Hancock vs. Brady Singer
Mariners: Emerson Hancock (0-1, 81.00 ERA) Last outing: 3/31 vs. Detroit - 0.2IP, 6ER, 7H, 1BB, 0Ks
Reds: Brady Singer (3-0, 3.18 ERA) Last outing: 4/11 vs. Pittsburgh - 5IP, 3ER, 2H, 3BB, 3Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Mariners at Reds
The Mariners have won 4 of their last 5 games
The Mariners also have covered in 4 of their last 5 games for a profit of 3.29 units
Cincinnati is 11-7 on the Run Line this season
Cal Raleigh has 15 hits this season in 69ABs with 7 of the 15 hits home runs
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for today’s game between the Mariners and the Reds
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Mariners and the Reds:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Seattle Mariners on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Cincinnati Reds at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
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Its Thursday, April 17 and the Nationals (7-11) are in Pittsburgh wrapping up a four-game series against the Pirates (7-12).
Trevor Williams is slated to take the mound for Washington against Andrew Heaney for Pittsburgh.
The Pirates have taken two of the first three games including a 6-1 win yesterday. Oneil Cruz paced the attack cracking his first grand slam of his career and Bailey Falter threw seven shutout innings to earn his first win of the season.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Nationals at Pirates
Date: Thursday, April 17, 2025
Time: 12:35PM EST
Site: PNC Park
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Network/Streaming: MASN, SNP
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Odds for the Nationals at the Pirates
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Nationals (+105), Pirates (-124)
Spread: Pirates -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Nationals at Pirates
Pitching matchup for April 17, 2025: Trevor Williams vs. Andrew Heaney
Nationals: Trevor Williams (1-1, 7.36 ERA) Last outing: 4/12 at Miami - 4.2IP, 6ER, 8H, 1BB, 2Ks
Pirates: Andrew Heaney (0-1, 3.00 ERA) Last outing: 4/12 at Cincinnati - 6IP, 4ER, 3H, 2BB, 6Ks
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Nationals at Pirates
The Nationals are 9-9 on the Run Line this season
The Over is 8-10-1 for the Pirates this season
The Nationals have lost 4 of their last 5 games
The Pirates are 5-5 in their last 10 games
The Pirates are 7-12 on the Run Line this season
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for today’s game between the Nationals and the Pirates
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Nationals and the Pirates:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Nationals at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC
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The NBA Play-In Tournament is relatively new, but there’s been an obvious trend since its inception in 2021.
Over the past four years, none of the teams that entered as the No. 10 seed have ever won both play-in games to make the postseason.
This year, in the fifth edition of the play-in, the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks will both try to make history by advancing to the playoffs as the No. 10 seed.
Here’s a look back at the history of the lowest seeds in the play-in:
Has the No. 10 seed ever made it through the play-in?
No.
All eight No. 10 seeds (East and West) from 2021 to 2024 failed to make it to the playoffs.
What’s the best that a No. 10 seed has done in the play-in?
Of the previous eight No. 10 seeds, only two defeated the No. 9 seed to make it to the deciding game.
The Heat and Mavericks added two more wins to that total, so No. 10 seeds are now 4-6 in initial play-in games since 2021.
The first two No. 10 seeds to win the initial play-in game were both in 2023 with the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder. Both teams lost their next game (by double digits) to miss out on the playoffs.
So, history says the Heat and Mavericks shouldn’t even be competitive on Friday. Time will tell.
When is the NBA Play-In Tournament game?
The final two games of the 2025 Play-In Tournament will be held on Friday, April 18, to finalize the playoff field.
Miami Heat (10) at Atlanta Hawks (8), 7 p.m. ET, TNT
Dallas Mavericks (10) at Memphis Grizzlies (8), 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
The NBA Play-In Tournament is relatively new, but there’s been an obvious trend since its inception in 2021.
Over the past four years, none of the teams that entered as the No. 10 seed have ever won both play-in games to make the postseason.
This year, in the fifth edition of the play-in, the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks will both try to make history by advancing to the playoffs as the No. 10 seed.
Here’s a look back at the history of the lowest seeds in the play-in:
Has the No. 10 seed ever made it through the play-in?
No.
All eight No. 10 seeds (East and West) from 2021 to 2024 failed to make it to the playoffs.
What’s the best that a No. 10 seed has done in the play-in?
Of the previous eight No. 10 seeds, only two defeated the No. 9 seed to make it to the deciding game.
The Heat and Mavericks added two more wins to that total, so No. 10 seeds are now 4-6 in initial play-in games since 2021.
The first two No. 10 seeds to win the initial play-in game were both in 2023 with the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder. Both teams lost their next game (by double digits) to miss out on the playoffs.
So, history says the Heat and Mavericks shouldn’t even be competitive on Friday. Time will tell.
When is the NBA Play-In Tournament game?
The final two games of the 2025 Play-In Tournament will be held on Friday, April 18, to finalize the playoff field.
Miami Heat (10) at Atlanta Hawks (8), 7 p.m. ET, TNT
Dallas Mavericks (10) at Memphis Grizzlies (8), 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
SAN FRANCISCO – Few sights in the NBA alarm a defender as much as Ja Morant with the ball and the shot-clock turned off. He’s a blow-by threat. He can dribble and feint you onto your rump. He can pull up and drop a soft midrange jumper.
Crouching between the league’s most electrifying player and the basket, Moses Moody cycled though those options and never flinched. Morant did, dribbling to nowhere and flinging a feeble shot that Moody easily swatted away at the halftime buzzer.
“He moves real slick and quick, and he’s also aggressive,” Moody told NBC Sports Bay Area. “He attacks with his feet, but you can pick up on tendencies. When he’s sizing you up like that, he’s not going to do just any move and just try to go around you. So, if he does a big fake to the right, I’m sure it’s coming back. So, I’ll just sit there and wait for it. And I got a hand on it.”
It was one play, but Moody’s squelching of Morant was among an assortment of quietly significant plays that helped the Warriors ground out a 121-116 play-in tournament victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night at Chase Center.
Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler III, who combined for 75 points against the Grizzlies, are prolific scorers built to generate offense in the playoffs. Check their resumés. Count on them to carry that load.
What lurks beneath Curry and Butler, though, will have no less of an impact on Golden State’s postseason aspirations. Their supporting cast will need to contribute on both ends not only by measurable statistics but, perhaps more importantly, also by the kind of not-on-the-stat-sheet moments that buttressed the winning effort Tuesday night.
Moody’s block allowed the Warriors to go into intermission with momentum and a 12-point lead – and it prevented the kind of late-quarter surge the Grizzlies mounted when closing the first quarter on a 7-0 run.
The play typified the work of the Warriors who don’t typically produce big numbers, whether it’s Draymond Green, Gary Payton II, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Moody, or anyone else not named Butler or Curry.
“Every player who’s in there, whether they’re in for one minute or 40, they can all contribute,” coach Steve Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area. “And that’s the beauty of this level basketball. That’s why I believe we can do something special.”
The stat sheet correctly lists Green with six rebounds, but there is no mention of Green, conceding his 10-inch height deficit, tapping at least five rebounds from the grasp of 7-foot-4 Memphis center Zach Edey and into the hands of teammates.
The stat sheet correctly lists Buddy Hield with two points on 1-of-4 shooting, including 0 of 3 from deep, and one assist – a low-impact night – but can’t capture the magnitude of the first-quarter assist. Scurrying toward the rim in transition, Hield bypassed a contested layup and zipped an impeccable 25-foot pass to Quentin Post, who from the top of the arc splashed a walk-in 3-pointer, the first of his three triples in a six-minute span.
Such creativity rarely is associated with Hield, whose signature is shooting. He’s such a streaky shooter that he will have to do more to stay on the floor.
“I thought at first that he’d probably want me to pass it back to him,” Post, laughing, told NBC Sports Bay Area.
“I do crazy s—t sometimes,” Hield told NBC Sports Bay Area, adding a wink. “I saw Edey running back and I knew QP would be trailing couldn’t catch up to where I was. So, I just sucked the defense in and threw it back to him. I made the right play.
“I move the ball. That’s one of the reasons I’m out there. The ball doesn’t stick in my hand. I’m a scorer, but it’s mostly catch-and-shoot. But if it’s not there, I go ‘one Mississippi, two Mississippi’ and move it to the playmakers.”
It’s a subtle thing, but it’s the kind of thinking that helped the Warriors win a game in which they were outshot (48.8 percent to 45.9 overall, 46.2-34.9 from beyond the arc) and outrebounded (50-39).
The Warriors won the hustle game on Tuesday and will have to do the same against Houston and, should they advance, any opponent that follows. They ranked in the top five in every significant “hustle” stat, from deflections to loose-ball recovery, contested shots and beyond. It’s essential for a relatively undersized roster to have any chance of success.
It’s Payton, at 6-foot-3, rising to block a shot by Edey at the end of the third quarter. It’s Brandin Podziemski timing a late chase-down block of Scotty Pippen Jr., incorrectly ruled a foul but judged Wednesday as “clean” in the Last Two Minutes report. It’s Moody making two more plays – a soaring put-back with 8:31 remaining and an offensive rebound 59 seconds later that led to a pair of free throws by Butler.
“If you end up getting six, seven extra possessions, whatever it is, that’s the difference in the game,” Kerr said. “That’s the way you have to beat a team like Houston.”
Excelling in the margins, as described by Kerr and his assistants, is the best way for the Warriors to accompany Curry and Butler. Sometimes is as dirty, a matter of will and pride, as was the feeling in Moody’s gut when staring down Morant.
“It’s me and him, like we’re on the playground,” Moody said. “Just that. No ball screen, no sets. You just got to guard. And that’s how I grew up playing. It’s fun.”
Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets, this game means very little other than keeping a five game winning streak alive, and going out on a winning note. The Montreal Canadiens beat the "resting" Hurricanes in regulation, which means the Jackets are out. They left it in the hands of other teams to get them in, which is not a recipe for success.
The Blue Jackets still have this game to play, and will do so in front of their faithful fans who will fill the arena to the rafters.
There are still a few things to play for.
A six game winning streak.
Zach Werenski needs 1 assist to tie the single season assist record, and two to pass Artemi Panarin.
Boone Jenner is one goal from 200 in his career.
Columbus will have five players who will play 82 games - Kuraly, Provorov, Olivier, and Fantilli. In 23-24 they had just one - Provorov.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 19.5% - 22nd in NHL
Penalty Kill - 76.9% - 22nd in NHL
Goals For - 261 - 8th - 3.22 GPG - 9th
Goals Against - 266 - 25th - 3.28 GPG - 25th
Islanders Stats
Power Play – 14.8% - 31st in NHL
Penalty Kill – 77.8% - 31st in NHL
Goals For - 261 – 8th – 2.73 GPG – 27th
Goals Against – 266 – 25th – 3.10 GPG – 19th
Series History vs. The Islanders
Columbus is 17-7-5 at home and 26-22-8 in 56 all-time games against the Islanders
The Jackets are 2-1 vs. NYI this season.
Who To Watch For The Islanders
Bo Horvat leads the Isles with 29 assists and 57 points.
Anders Lee leads the team with 29 goals.
Ilya Sorokin is 30-24-6 with a .907 SV%.
Marcus Högberg is 2-5-3 with a .887 SV%.
CBJ Player Notes vs. Islanders
Boone Jenner has 15 points in 31 career games against New York.
Zach Werenski has 13 points in 23 games.
Sean Monahan has 16 points in 19 games against the Islanders.
Injuries
Kevin Labanc (shoulder) is on Injured Reserve as of Feb. 21 and is out for the season (25 Games)
Elvis Merzļikins (upper body) has missed 4 games.
Jake Christiansen (upper body) has missed 3 games.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 321
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
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Leeds and Burnley are trying to hold off Blades at the top and thrilling race for playoff spots must be whittled down
Ao Tanaka sat in the away dressing room and started crying. The Japan midfielder had just helped Leeds win a vital match at Middlesbrough this month but they were not tears of joy. “I asked Ao: ‘Why?’” said his manager, Daniel Farke. “He said: ‘I don’t know boss, I’m just so empty.’”
Given it is April and, with four games remaining, a gruelling, painfully tight, Championship promotion race is drawing towards a denouement, no one seemed too surprised. “It’s hard for all my players at the moment,” said Farke, whose team could, like Burnley, be promoted as early as Easter Monday. “We’re working for the most emotional club in the UK and the outside world is always nervous and panicking.”
The puck dropped on the Montreal Canadiens’ 82nd game of the season at the Bell Centre on Wednesday night, with the Carolina Hurricanes in town. Martin St-Louis’ men had already failed to clinch a playoff berth in their last three games, and expectations were high in Montreal, especially since the visitors decided to rest some of their regular players. Rod Brind’Amour even went as far as using Jesperi Kotkaniemi as his top-line center.
Although Juraj Slafkovsky is only 21, he skated in his 200th NHL game on Wednesday night. He started the game with 50 points, tied with the career high he had established last season, but he didn’t have to wait too long to top it, registering an assist on the game’s opening goal scored by Kaiden Guhle.
While he took a silly penalty in the second frame, as has often been the case lately, he played a great game. He was on the ice for three of the Canadiens’ goals, blocked three shots, and landed a hit. His physical play also led to Nick Suzuki's goal, and when he learns to play like that on a consistent basis, he will become a real threat for opponents.
This Habs goal by Nick Suzuki doesn’t happen without the big hit & board battle win by Juraj Slafkovsky
In the second frame, rookie blueliner Lane Hutson got an assist on Kaiden Guhle’s second goal of the game, it was his 60th helper, tying Larry Murphy’s record for the most assists in a season by a rookie defenseman. If his name wasn’t already penciled in as the Calder Trophy winner, it should be now.
Guhle Bounced Back
After a disappointing game on Monday in which he took a penalty that became the turning point, Kaiden Guhle played a massive role in the Canadiens’ win. He scored two goals, landed seven hits, blocked three shots, and logged nearly 24 minutes of ice time.
On nights like these, it’s easy to see why Kent Hughes decided to make Guhle the first young core piece of his defense. He can do it all, excel on defense, contribute to the offense, and pump up the team with his physical play.
It Wasn’t Perfect, But It Was Enough
While the 4-2 scoreline could lead to believe the Canadiens dominated, it wasn’t the case. There was an agonizing stretch for Canadiens’ fans in the second frame when the score was tied 1-1 and during which the Hurricanes dominated even though they were icing a watered-down version of their roster. It was a display reminiscent of the loss against the Chicago Blackhawks.
With 8:49 left in the second stanza, the Canes had a 12-2 edge in shots on goal for that frame, and the Habs looked like they were playing nervously. The captain took charge four minutes later, and Suzuki scored a big goal to give Montreal a lead that Guhle doubled minutes later. Then, in the final frame, after the Canes had gotten back to within one, there was a lot of defending, and the Habs really needed to work to close out the game, with the coach cutting his bench and using his more defensive players.
In the post-game presser, the bench boss was almost beaming with pride:
The last two minutes after we scored in the empty net, I could breathe a bit, and I was thinking about plenty of things, my dad came to mind, my mother too. My dad was a huge Canadiens fan […] As soon as I could, I went to see my dad in the room and gave him a big hug, I think he was even more stressed than our players.
- Martin St-Louis about the way he felt.
St-Louis was visibly proud of his team and can now look forward to experiencing the playoffs in Montreal while being on the home side. It will be the first time since spring 2017 that the Canadiens will participate in the playoffs in front of a real crowd. There was that magical run to the Stanley Cup Final back in 2021, but the building wasn’t full thanks to COVID. If tonight’s anything to go by, the atmosphere when the Canadiens take on the Washington Capitals in just over a week should be electric.
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Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
Alexandar Georgiev is moving on.
“I’ve already had a conversation with the GM, and he said they’re going with a different group for next year,” the pending unrestricted free agent shared, after stopping 25 of 27 shots in the Sharks’ season-ending 3-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
It was the Sharks’ 11th-straight loss.
Georgiev, 29, was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in the Mackenzie Blackwood trade on Dec. 9.
It was a trying campaign for Georgiev, who had led the NHL in wins over the last two years.
Ousted by the team that he thought he’d be leading into the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring, the veteran netminder had to try and find his game on perhaps the worst defensive team in the league.
The Boston Bruins were the most disappointing team in the NHL this season, and the question now is: How do they retool their roster and get back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs as quickly as possible?
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney is about to face the biggest test of his career. He has to achieve two objectives at once.
The first is a quick retool that includes substantial roster improvements so the remaining prime years of David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm and Jeremy Swayman are not wasted. The second is for Sweeney to have an eye toward the future and dominate the 2025 NHL Draft.
Sweeney likely will have a top-five pick in every round this year, which he has never had during his decade-long tenure as B’s general manager. His draft record is average at best, and that must improve for the Bruins to have any sort of success both in the short- and long-term.
Here are five ways the Bruins can try to fix their roster and contend again next season (and beyond).
Jeremy Swayman regains his previous form
The easiest way for the Bruins to get back on track and make the playoffs next season is for starting goaltender Jeremy Swayman to play at the top 10 level he’s shown for most of his career.
Bruins goalie coach Bob Essensa and the rest of the staff need to figure out what went wrong with Swayman and which adjustments need to be made.
Expectations for Swayman went way up after his stellar 2024 playoff run and the offseason trade of Linus Ullmark that made the 26-year-old netminder the undisputed No. 1 in Boston’s crease.
Swayman’s 2024-25 season started with a contract dispute that resulted in him missing all of training camp and the preseason. He finally reached an eight-year, $66 million deal with the B’s a couple days before Opening Night.
Swayman was able to play a career-high 57 games without any injuries, but his performance dipped dramatically. His .920 save percentage from 2020-21 through 2023-24 was the sixth-highest among all goalies. He fell to a career-low .892 save percentage and a 3.12 GAA this season, while also ranking 92nd of 102 qualifying goalies with a minus-9.2 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.
Last season, Swayman ranked fourth in goals saved above expected (plus-18.4).
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It was stunning to see Swayman go from leading the 2024 playoffs in save percentage and GSAA, and then play so poorly this past season.
Swayman is not as bad as he looked in 2024-25. We have multiple seasons of data to support that. And it’s not like the team defended well in front of him, either. But he can’t play this poorly again. He’s the league’s fifth-highest paid goalie. The Bruins don’t have the offensive firepower to overcome bad goaltending, so it’s on Swayman to return to the top 10 level he’s played at for most of his career.
Develop young talent
It’s impossible to retool, especially in a quick manner, without good young players coming through the system. You can’t plug all your roster holes in free agency and the trade market. It’s too expensive and just not feasible.
Teams have to draft and develop young players who make a meaningful impact at the NHL level. And as a bonus, these players are on cheap, team-friendly contracts.
The Bruins have not developed many NHL regulars in recent years, and the ones they have — John Beecher, Jakub Lauko, etc. — are not impact players. Only seven of the 36 players selected by the Bruins in the last seven drafts have played in an NHL game. Only two of those seven — Beecher and Mason Lohrei — have played more than 100 games.
Lohrei has the potential to be a top-four defenseman someday. He’s a gifted offensive player and an excellent skater. He tallied 33 points in his first full season with the B’s. It’s important for the Bruins to give him every chance to improve.
The Bruins also need to figure out the best development path for Casey Mittelstadt — a 26-year-old center acquired in the Charlie Coyle trade. Fraser Minten, who was acquired in the Brandon Carlo trade, has the makings of a very good middle-six forward. Will Zellers, a prospect acquired in the Coyle deal, led the USHL with 44 goals and shows great potential as a scorer.
Fabian Lysell, Boston’s 2021 first-round pick, finally played in the NHL this season and put together a couple encouraging performances late in the year. His speed and skill are desperately needed. Poitras has shown flashes of being a good NHL player despite a disappointing 2024-25 season.
Fabian Lysell wins a foot race to a loose puck and sets up Marat Khusnutdinov for his fifth goal of the season.
It’s OK to make big moves in free agency and the trade market once in a while, but there has to be a steady flow of young players coming up through the system. That’s how you build championship depth.
Find a legitimate top-six center
The Bruins were able to survive at center last season without Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, both of whom retired after the 2023 playoffs. That wasn’t the case this season. The lack of suitable replacements for Boston’s two longtime centers was a massive problem.
Making matters worse for the Bruins is that there aren’t any good internal options. Matthew Poitras had a nice rookie season in 2023-24, but he underwhelmed this year, tallying one goal in 33 NHL games. He spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL. Poitras still has potential as an NHL player, but thinking he could fill a top-six role any time soon would be foolish.
There aren’t any other prospects capable of stepping into that position, either, which highlights the importance of the Bruins using their 2025 first-round pick on the best center available.
Elias Lindholm was expected to be a top-six center, especially when he signed for top-six money (seven years, $54.25 million) on Day 1 of free agency last summer. Lindholm largely underwhelmed, often producing at the level of a No. 3 center. He has tallied 65-plus points only once since 2018-19.
The trade market is the best place for the Bruins to find a top-six center in the near future (more on that below).
Swing for the fences in trade market, free agency
The Bruins will have around $28 million in cap space this summer, per PuckPedia. They need to re-sign right wing Morgan Geekie and defenseman Mason Lohrei — both restricted free agents — but Sweeney does have some financial flexibility to chase big-ticket additions in free agency and/or the trade market.
The No. 1 player who could hit unrestricted free agency is Toronto Maple Leafs wing Mitch Marner. The 27-year-old forward is an elite offensive player who has averaged 95.3 points over the last four seasons, including a career-high 100 this year. It’s unknown whether the Leafs will let Marner get to free agency, but if he does hit the open market, the Bruins would be wise to make a run at him.
A center is Boston’s No. 1 need, but Marner is one of the league’s top playmakers. His 73 assists ranked tied for third-most with Connor McDavid.
Nikolaj Ehlers also could become a UFA. The Winnipeg Jets forward has scored 20-plus goals in eight of the last nine seasons, and he’s hit the 60-point mark in each of the last two seasons. The Bruins need a top-six left wing with Brad Marchand no longer on the roster, and Ehlers certainly would be able to fill that role.
The best center who could become a UFA is Florida Panthers veteran Sam Bennett. He scored 25 goals — the second-highest total of his career — in 76 games. He’ll be 29 years old in June. Bennett is a solid player and a winner, but he’s not the type of player who the Bruins should spend major money to acquire. Marner is far better offensively and a little younger.
Outside of Marner, there aren’t any real game-changers in free agency. So that leaves the trade market as perhaps the best place to make substantial upgrades.
The Bruins, as a result of their trade deadline deals, have a lot of good trade assets to use in the offseason. For starters, they have more early-round draft picks coming up than they’ve owned in a long time. That haul includes four first-round picks and five second-round picks over the next three drafts.
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Top-six forwards are quite expensive to acquire via trade, and the Bruins might have to be creative to find a good deal. But the Bruins now have some talented prospects and a bunch of future draft picks, so they have the ammo to make a bold swing.
Hire the right coach
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University of Denver’s David Carle could be a popular NHL head coach candidate this year.
The Bruins have had some really good head coaches over the last 10 years, but they’ve ended up firing all of them.
They fired Claude Julien during the 2016-17 season, which, in fairness, made sense at the time. They fired Bruce Cassidy after the 2022 playoffs and he won the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights the very next season. They fired Jim Montgomery 20 games into this season and he helped the St. Louis Blues drastically improve and make the playoffs. Montgomery might actually receive some Jack Adams Award (coach of the year) votes.
This next hire — assuming it’s not interim head coach Joe Sacco — has to be able to develop young players and fix the special teams. The Bruins had the 29th-ranked power play and the 24th-ranked penalty kill this season.
The Bruins could look at an internal candidate such as Jay Leach, who has four years of assistant coach experience in the NHL. He also has four seasons of AHL head coaching experience with the Providence Bruins. Jay Pandolfo is the Boston University head coach, but before joining the Terriers, he was a Bruins assistant coach for several seasons. He would be a good candidate to pursue.
University of Denver head coach David Carle, who has done a tremendous job with that program (two national titles), should be ready for an NHL job. If the Pittsburgh Penguins move on from Mike Sullivan, would the B’s be interested in bringing back the Massachusetts native? Sullivan is an excellent coach who has won two Stanley Cup titles in Pittsburgh and also coaches Team USA.
The next coach will be the third that Sweeney has hired as GM. If he gets this one wrong, he might not get a fourth chance.
O’Sullivan returns to face grudge match in first round
Kyren Wilson begins title defence against debutant
Seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has been drawn to face long-term rival Ali Carter in the first round of the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield. The 49-year-old, who is seeded fifth, defeated Carter in the 2008and 2012 finals at the Crucible.
O’Sullivan has not played competitively since snapping his cue after withdrawing from the Championship League in January. He pulled out of five of the last six World Snooker Tour events on medical grounds but confirmed on Thursday that he will play in this year’s tournament.
Less than 24 hours after mutually agreeing to part ways with general manager Monte McNair, the Kings appear to have found his replacement.
Sacramento is finalizing a deal to hire longtime NBA executive Scott Perry as the organization’s next general manager, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday, citing sources.
The Sacramento Kings are finalizing a deal to hire longtime NBA executive Scott Perry as their new general manager, sources tell ESPN. Perry spent three months with the Kings in 2017 before leaving for the Knicks. Perry started his exec career in 2000 with Detroit. pic.twitter.com/vlQUOeo55y
Perry previously was the Kings’ president of basketball operations for three months in 2017 before taking the Knicks GM job. Throughout his tenure with New York, the Knicks posted a 192-274 record across six seasons with two playoff appearances in 2021 and 2023 before the team parted ways with him after the 2022-23 NBA season.
Now he returns to Sacramento, where he inherits a team fresh off a disappointing 2024-25 season that ended in a 120-106 NBA play-in tournament loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center.
Less than 24 hours after mutually agreeing to part ways with general manager Monte McNair, the Kings appear to have found his replacement.
Sacramento is finalizing a deal to hire longtime NBA executive and current New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry as the organization’s next general manager, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday, citing sources.
The Sacramento Kings are finalizing a deal to hire longtime NBA executive Scott Perry as their new general manager, sources tell ESPN. Perry spent three months with the Kings in 2017 before leaving for the Knicks. Perry started his exec career in 2000 with Detroit. pic.twitter.com/vlQUOeo55y
Perry previously was the Kings president of basketball operations for three months in 2017 before taking the Knicks GM job. Throughout his tenure with New York, the Knicks posted a 293-337 record across eight seasons with four playoff appearances in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The NBA Play-In Tournament is relatively new, but there’s been an obvious trend since its inception in 2021.
Over the past four years, none of the teams that entered as the No. 10 seed have ever won both play-in games to make the postseason.
This year, in the fifth edition of the play-in, the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks will both try to make history by advancing to the playoffs as the No. 10 seed.
Here’s a look back at the history of the lowest seeds in the play-in:
Has the No. 10 seed ever made it through the play-in?
No.
All eight No. 10 seeds (East and West) from 2021 to 2024 failed to make it to the playoffs.
What’s the best that a No. 10 seed has done in the play-in?
Of the previous eight No. 10 seeds, only two defeated the No. 9 seed to make it to the deciding game.
The Heat and Mavericks added two more wins to that total, so No. 10 seeds are now 4-6 in initial play-in games since 2021.
The first two No. 10 seeds to win the initial play-in game were both in 2023 with the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder. Both teams lost their next game (by double digits) to miss out on the playoffs.
So, history says the Heat and Mavericks shouldn’t even be competitive on Friday. Time will tell.
When is the NBA Play-In Tournament game?
The final two games of the 2025 Play-In Tournament will be held on Friday, April 18, to finalize the playoff field.
Miami Heat (10) at Atlanta Hawks (8), 7 p.m. ET, TNT
Dallas Mavericks (10) at Memphis Grizzlies (8), 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
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