Maple Leafs Coach Heaps Big Praise Upon Rising Flyers Prospect
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach and former Philadelphia Flyers bench boss Craig Berube likes what he's seen from Nikita Grebenkin, one of his old players. And he knows there's room for plenty more as Grebenkin embarks on the next chapter of his NHL career with the Flyers.
Appearing on the "Nasty Knuckles" podcast with Riley Cote and Derek Settlemyre, Berube took the time to talk up the Flyers' newest prospect, drawing on his brief hands-on experience with Grebenkin when the latter was with the Maple Leafs early last season.
"As a player, he's got some really good skill down low in the offensive zone. He's got good hands, he's big and strong. He's got to continue to work on his skating. That was an area of concern a little bit," Berube said of Grebenkin.
The 22-year-old Russian winger played seven games under Berube for the Maple Leafs last season, not including the preseason, and showcased some of his untapped ferocity with 13 hits.
One of those hits, which was questionable, injured Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore in his NHL debut on Nov. 20. But that's proof in itself that Grebenkin is the hammer that sees everything as a nail and likes to play on the edge.
Plus, Grebenkin dropped the gloves with Ottawa forward Adam Gaudette in the preseason.
"The kid's got jam, got in a couple fights for us. He likes to mix it up, and he's got an unreal personality. This guy is as funny as it gets. I don't know if he can even speak a word of English, but he does, and he had this thing there, 'Backcheck, forecheck, paycheck.' That was all he kept saying in the room," Berube continued.
"I really liked him, and he's got potential. Like I said, he's got some ability with his size and his hands, and he has that jam. He's going to get in there. He's going to get involved. He likes to bang bodies, likes to get to that net, not scared to mix it up, which is good to see. I wish him all the best because I really liked him."
Grebenkin, of course, was arguably the crown jewel of the Scott Laughton trade with the Maple Leafs that also yielded the Flyers a 2027 first-round pick for their efforts.
Berube, who worked closely with the Flyers and frequented the Wells Fargo Center between jobs after being fired by St. Louis in 2023, really likes the player. And at the age of 22, Grebenkin only has room to grow and improve.
At one point, the Flyers had called up Grebenkin on an emergency basis to potentially make his debut for the team, but that was put on pause within the hour.
So, after being acquired by the Flyers, Grebenkin spent the rest of the year in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, posting three goals, four assists, and seven points in 11 regular season games and adding a goal, three assists, and four points in a seven-game Calder Cup playoff run.
With only Tyson Foerster and Owen Tippett set in stone at the left wing position, you have to imagine that Grebenkin will have an opportunity to make the Flyers out of camp in a few months, independent of if Jakob Pelletier re-signs with Philadelphia or not.
Mets Injury Notes: Paul Blackburn joining six-man rotation; Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas 'progressing well'
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza and president of baseball operations David Stearns held media availabilities before Friday's 7:10 p.m. game against the Colorado Rockies on SNY. Injury updates from them on right-handers Paul Blackburn and Frankie Montas, left-hander Sean Manaea and outfielder Jose Siri are below.
Paul Blackburn joining six-man rotation
Blackburn, whom the Mets placed on the injured list in late March due to right knee inflammation, is entering New York's starting rotation as the sixth man and will do so during next week's four-game series at the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"We're going to insert the six-man rotation and he's pretty much in play there for the L.A. series," Mendoza said.
The Mets go west for a seven-game road trip that begins with Monday's 10:10 p.m. opener in Los Angeles.
"No, not yet," Mendoza said of if he knew when Blackburn would start. "But it'll be one of those games there."
When asked if right-hander Kodai Senga (scheduled to pitch on Saturday) would start next Friday's 7:10 p.m. opener at the Colorado Rockies, Mendoza said that he had "to check with" pitching coachJeremy Hefner.
"We're working through some of those things," Mendoza said.
Stearns later added context on whether the Mets would keep a six-man rotation.
"I don't think we're going to commit to exclusively a six-man rotation the rest of the way," Stearns said. "I think we'll do what makes sense within the constructs of our schedule. We'll do it when we have these stretches of 15, 16, 18 games in a row that pop up throughout the course of a season.
"But I would imagine, as we have done so far this year, we're going to continue to swing back and forth for a little while between six and five depending on what our schedule looks like, how our guys are feeling -- do they need the extra rest, do they not need the extra rest. It's an ongoing conversation. We're probably going to take it turn by turn."
The Mets are set to play 10 games in a row from Friday through next Sunday, June 10.
Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas 'progressing well'
Manaea (right oblique strain), who has been on the injured list since late March, was scheduled to throw a live batting practice Thursday with Siri set to be among the opposing hitters.
"I think both are progressing well," Stearns said of Manaea and Montas. "Obviously, Frankie [is] out on his rehab assignment. We still have a ways to go to get his volume up and built up, but that middle segment of June, I think, is still realistic. I think Sean's behind that. In terms of how that fits into our team and rotation, we'll tackle that when we get there."
Montas (right lat strain), who has also been on the injured list since late March, began his rehab assignment this past Saturday with High-A Brooklyn.
Jose Siri's return unclear
Siri, who played 10 games before the Mets placed him on the 10-day injured list April 17 due to a left tibia fracture, has a "very difficult" return time frame at this point.
"He's still in his running progression volume buildup, so very difficult for me at this point for me to really even estimate when he's going to be back," Stearns said. "We need to make sure that the running form and the volume are in a place where he's not going to reinjure himself by going out to the outfield and playing baseball, and where just not at that point yet.
"I'm not certain we're all that close to that, so we've got a little bit of time. Once he gets on a rehab assignment, gets some volume back under his belt, we can begin to have a discussion about what that looks like from a role perspective and how it fits on a team. But we're not at that point yet, so we're not even having those discussions yet."
Jets Will Make The 28th Selection At The 2025 NHL Entry Draft
The Winnipeg Jets will make the 28th overall selection at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, which is set to begin on Jun. 27.
After their elimination to the Dallas Stars in the second round, it confirmed the Jets' selection at this year's draft. After winning the Presidents' Trophy, the Jets were going to receive the lowest draft selection depending on where they finished. Only the Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes finished higher than the Jets.
This is the first year the NHL is attempting to complete the draft in a decentralized manner, meaning teams' management will not be present at the draft, similar to how the NFL does theirs. The Jets' management will remain in Winnipeg when they make their selection.
This year, the draft will be held in Los Angeles at the Peacock Theater on Jun. 27 (first round) starting at 6:00 PM CDT and Jun. 28 (rounds 2-7) at 11:00 AM CDT.
The Jets have multiple forward prospects looking to break into the NHL, headlined by Nikita Chibrikov, Brad Lambert, Brayden Yager and Colby Barlow. Defensively, the prospect pool is headlined by Elias Salomonsson and Alfons Freij. The Jets did not have a first-round pick last year and selected Freij with the 37th overall pick.
The Jets' last five first-round picks have all been used on forwards, but at the moment, the Jets have not indicated what they could be targeting. The Jets could do several things with the pick. Those being trading back, trading up or using the pick to acquire an NHL player.
Stay updated with the most interesting Jets stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.
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In college playoff debate, the Arizona St coach with everything to lose says he’ll take his chances
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Mets' David Stearns senses Juan Soto's 'frustration,' doesn't see slump as confidence issue
Juan Soto was the talk of the offseason and spring training after signing with the Mets on a massive deal last winter. And the slugger has been the talk of this season after he has gotten off to a slow start and is in a slump for the first time in some time.
“I honestly don’t have a like ‘this is the issue’ that he needs to fix to get better,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said during a news conference Friday ahead of the Mets opening a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies.
“I think he’s taking pretty good at-bats, he’s controlling the strike zone pretty well," Stearns continued. "He’s hitting the ball on the ground a little bit more than he has in the past. I think that’s something that he’s aware of. But telling yourself, ‘Hey, I need to hit the ball in the air more,’ doesn’t immediately translate to hitting the ball in the air more.
“Do I think he’s trying to do a little too much right now? Yeah, I think he’s probably trying to do a little bit too much right now. And that is natural for a player who cares about improving.”
Manager Carlos Mendoza sees it as just a matter of time before Soto gets going.
“We’ve seen it pretty much every day he’s hitting a couple balls hard. The results haven’t been there, but he’s gonna get going,” Mendoza said Friday. “Every day I sit here, you look at the numbers, he’s gonna get going here pretty soon.
The skipper added he hasn’t felt the need recently to have a conversation with Soto about his hitting: “He knows he’s in a good place. Treat him the same way I treat the other guys, too.”
Stearns doesn’t believe Soto is struggling with confidence, saying, “I think there’s frustration, sure, but I have not sensed a confidence issue.”
Stearns called it a “very unique position” for Soto, but there is a track record of players changing organizations and making big changes in their careers, taking a bit of time to adjust before turning it on, and is “very confident” Soto will soon come good.
“Maybe it will take a bloop or a couple bloops,” he said. “Or maybe it takes him connecting on one or two to exhale a little bit, but I would imagine it is difficult when the results don’t come.”
When it comes to possibly easing some of the pressure on Soto, the Mets' top baseball man said the only thing he can do is to "continue to support him." But even he admitted that could have a limit in its effectiveness.
"I don’t know how much pressure that eases," Stearns said. "He’s gonna put the pressure on himself. He's not feeling the pressure because of the things around him, I don't think. He's a highly competitive person who expects a lot of himself, who wants to win. And so when he’s not performing up to a level he's accustomed to, he's gonna put pressure on himself to do that."
While the slumping Soto still has posted a .745 OPS, good for an above-average 121 OPS+ and 113 wRC+, those numbers are well below his averages and what was expected after he signed a 15-year, $765 million deal in December.
The connection between his play and the pressure of expectation after signing a big contract isn’t far from the Mets’ minds.
“I also understand it is natural when a player signs a big contract – and this was a really big contract – if the results aren’t immediate, there are going to be questions and there are going to be reactions,” Stearns said. “And I completely get that, Juan does too.”
Despite Soto’s rotten run at the plate, the Mets have posted a .607 winning percentage through 56 games and are 2.0 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the best record in the NL and the division lead. And Soto has done his part to lift the team.
“He’s still helping us win games,” Stearns said of Soto. “I’m aware that the OPS isn’t where he would want it, it’s not where we would want it, it’s not where our fans would want it. I get that. But I can say it’s not for lack of work behind the scenes, he’s working, he’s trying. He certainly wants results at a higher level than what we’ve seen so far. I’m pretty confident we’re going to get those.”
Mendoza said the one thing you can control as a hitter is “getting a good pitch, putting a good swing, and hitting the ball hard.”
“After that, you can’t control where they’re playing, how they’re positioned,” the manager said, adding, “you control the strike zone, which [Soto] is elite at doing that, and hitting the ball hard, which he’s elite at doing that, too.
“He’s just gotta stay the course, ‘cause if he keeps doing that, the numbers are gonna be there at the end of the year.”
A concern with Soto’s elite batting eye is the double-edged sword of patience: Is he too often taking a good pitch to hit?
“Part of elite plate discipline is swinging at pitches that you can do damage on… Are there at-bats where he’s let some pitches go where he could probably do some damage? Yeah, I think there probably are,” Stearns said. “I think as he gets more comfortable at the plate, he’ll be able to pull the trigger on those.”
Related to the issue of Soto’s increased ground-ball rate – up 8.9 percent to 52.5 percent for the 2025 season – has been double-plays as he has matched his total of 10 from last year in just y games.
Stearns sees it as a combination of the elevated number of ground balls, having a lot of players on base ahead of him (a 4.8 percent increase in at-bats with runners on compared to last year), and some well-documented “batted-ball misfortune.” But don’t expect that trend to last forever: “We’re a third of the way through the season, he has 10 double plays, I would hammer the under on 30 double-plays over the course of the season.”
With the Mets entering a stretch of 16 games over 17 days beginning with games over the next 10 straight days, is there value in giving Soto a day off or could that be counterproductive? Those conversations have been had internally, Sterans said, and “we don’t know.”
“What we do know is that we have a player who is really competitive who wants to play,” Stearns said, noting Soto did get a day out of the lineup before on an off-day two weeks back. “But Juan wants to play. He wants to be out there, he wants to compete, he’s not shying away from this. And so I think sending him out there more often than not is probably the right thing to do.”
Zion Williamson sued by a woman alleging the Pelicans star committed sexual violence against her
Jan 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) arrives before a game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
David Banks-Imagn Images
Zion Williamson is being sued by a woman describing herself as a former dating partner and who alleges the New Orleans Pelicans star committed repeated sexual violence against her.
The civil lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday night, identifies the plaintiff as “Jane Doe.” She claims she began dating Williamson in 2018, when he played at Duke, and alleges that he engaged in abusive behavior toward her in California, Louisiana and Texas from 2020 until their relationship ended in 2023.
Williamson's New Orleans-based attorney, Michael Balascio, called the claims in the lawsuit “categorically false and reckless,” and accused the plaintiff of extortion, which he said has been reported to law enforcement.
“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them,” Balascio said in a written statement provided to The Associated Press. “This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance.”
The lawsuit alleges that the first instance of sexual violence occurred in a home Williamson had rented in Beverly Hills, California.
The lawsuit also alleges that Williamson temporarily took the plaintiff's mobile phone from her after the first two instances of forced intercourse and also took her laptop after the second.
The complaint includes accusations of strangulation, death threats to the plaintiff and her family, and physical abuse, including being kicked, slammed with a car door, and suffocated until she lost consciousness.
“We're going to be very cautious about litigating this in the press,” said the plaintiff's attorney, Sam Taylor II, who is with the Lanier Law Firm in Los Angeles.
“This is a very serious case as reflected in the allegations in the complaint, which are pretty detailed,” Taylor continued, adding that his client “genuinely looks forward to her day in court when she can tell a jury of her peers what happened to her and seek justice.”
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages - including punitive damages - for emotional distress.
Balascio said Williamson and the plaintiff “never dated, but did maintain a consensual, casual relationship that began more than six years ago,” when Williamson was 18.
“At no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns,” Balascio said, adding that “only after the friendship ended did she begin demanding millions of dollars.”
Williamson also intends to file counterclaims and “seek significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit,” Balascio said.
A Pelicans spokesman said the club was aware of the matter but deferred comment to Williamson’s lawyer.
Williamson was the first player picked in the 2019 draft. In six years as a pro, he has averaged 24.7 points per game. But has played in only 214 of 472 regular season games - and no playoff games - during that span because of a series of injuries, one of which caused him to miss the entire 2021-22 season.
Report sheds light on Red Sox' awkward approach with Devers
Report sheds light on Red Sox' awkward approach with Devers originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Rafael Devers has thrived this season as the Boston Red Sox’ designated hitter, but moving him off third base has caused an unexpected headache for the organization.
Devers initially scoffed at the idea of switching from third to DH after the Alex Bregman signing. He later reluctantly accepted the change, but not before sitting out most of spring training and struggling mightily (0-for-19, 15 strikeouts) to begin the 2025 campaign.
Since then, Devers has grown comfortable with the role and regained his reputation as one of the game’s best hitters. But following first baseman Triston Casas’ season-ending injury on May 3, he was given another reason to voice his displeasure with the front office.
Devers called out chief baseball officer Craig Breslow for asking him to replace Casas at first base. His shocking candidness prompted Breslow, team owner John Henry, and president/CEO Sam Kennedy to meet with him in Kansas City to sort out their issues.
The meeting didn’t convince Devers to move to first base. Instead, with backup Romy Gonzalez also injured, the club has primarily used a combination of Abraham Toro and Nick Sogard at the position.
A new report from MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam sheds more light on how those conversations with Devers went. According to Cotillo and McAdam, the Red Sox’ strategy of having Breslow — not manager Alex Cora — approach the veteran slugger about the potential position change was “deliberate” to protect Devers and Cora’s relationship.
“One industry source recently offered that the strategy was deliberate with the Red Sox purposefully having Breslow — and not Cora — approach Devers about trying first base,” Cotillo and McAdam wrote.
“The idea, the source said, was that if Devers responded unfavorably to the request — as he quickly did — the long-standing, strong relationship between player and manager wouldn’t be negatively impacted and the team could still have Cora preserve an open line of communication with the club’s highest-paid and longest-tenured member.”
Ironically, the Red Sox were left looking for help at third base when Bregman went down with a quad injury on May 23. Cora noticeably didn’t mention Devers while naming potential third base reinforcements.
Top infield prospect Marcelo Mayer was called up to the big-league club the next day and has since played six games at third. Devers is unlikely to return to his natural position, as Breslow told MassLive he hasn’t asked him to move back.
“Trying to be sensitive and respectful of the conversations that went into moving him off of third base initially,” Breslow told MassLive.com. “We recognize that there’s a balance here between needing to do what we need to do that’s best for the team and also, trying to provide some stability. All of these are conversations with no finality, but at this point, we’re feeling like it makes more sense to have somebody like Marcelo there.”
It sounds like Devers will be staying put at DH, and if he continues to hit the way he has through 58 games, it’s hard to argue against the status quo. The three-time All-Star has a .287/.409/.523 slash line with 12 homers and an American League-leading 50 RBI.
Although Devers won’t be playing first any time soon, a change is coming soon. Rookie second baseman Kristian Campbell has taken practice reps at first base and is expected to make his first career start there on Sunday in Atlanta.
Indian Premier League cricket 2025: Rohit Sharma half-century as Mumbai beat Gujurat in eliminator, into qualifer against Punjab, news, video
Rohit Sharma led Mumbai Indians’ batting charge with his 81 to knock Gujarat Titans out of the Indian Premier League with a 20-run win in the eliminator on Friday.
Phillies prospect updates: Andrew Painter's timeline, Mick Abel keeping it up
Phillies prospect updates: Andrew Painter's timeline, Mick Abel keeping it up originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Phillies have used the term “July-ish” as the target for top prospect Andrew Painter’s MLB debut and integration into the rotation but it is unlikely to come before the second half begins on July 18.
The All-Star break is from July 14-18 this year and that will be the period when the Phillies back off Painter and give him a bit more time to recuperate.
“I don’t think so,” manager Rob Thomson said Friday when asked if Painter’s arrival could come before the break.
Painter threw a career-high 81 pitches on Thursday in Norfolk, allowing two runs and striking out five over five innings. The Tides’ lineup included last year’s AL Rookie of the Year runner up, Colton Cowser, and 2024 All-Star Jordan Westburg. Cowser doubled off Painter all three times he faced him while the rest of the team had two hits.
“Very good, velocity at 98, 99, they said he threw the ball really well,” Thomson said. “Breaking ball was good, got his pitch count up.
“He’s right at where we want him.”
Painter’s next start will be Wednesday at Charlotte, the Triple A affiliate of the White Sox. The plan is a pitch count around 85, and if Painter’s efficient they’d feel comfortable letting him complete six innings.
“Health, that’s it,” Thomson said when asked what more Painter needs to show in the minors.
The 22-year-old right-hander already looks like a major-league pitcher with a build similar to Justin Verlander. The No. 5-ranked prospect in all of baseball by MLB.com, Painter has a 2.65 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 17 innings at Triple A and owns a 1.83 ERA with 199 K’s in 138 innings overall in the minors. Silly numbers.
When the Phillies add Painter to the 40-man roster and call him up in July, he’ll start, he won’t relieve. It’s too soon for anyone with the Phillies to discuss how the rotation will be adjusted because it’s still more than six weeks away. Going to a six-man staff would be one obvious solution but only if it can be formatted in a way to not give the starters, notably Zack Wheeler, too much rest.
Abel still dialed in
Mick Abel made another strong start at Triple A on Friday night, allowing an unearned run over 4⅔ innings with eight strikeouts.
Abel has a 1.08 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 41⅔ innings across his last seven starts, one of which was a scoreless win in his MLB debut over the Pirates.
The 23-year-old continues to push for a spot in the Phillies’ rotation, which didn’t seem realistic just a few months ago. He was coming off of years of control problems and though he was added to the Phillies’ 40-man roster in December, Abel was behind the five members of the big-league rotation plus Taijuan Walker.
But he’s put together the strongest run of his life. Abel hasn’t solved the walks issue but he’s pitching around them better than ever and allowing weaker contact than ever.
“It really helps because you know you’ve got Painter coming and now you’ve got this other guy who showed it on a pretty big stage (in his debut),” Thomson said last week.
“He (went) right back to Triple A and a lot of times you’ll see that guys who go back, they have an adrenaline dump and they don’t pitch well or stay focused, but he did. That’s a good sign.”
Walker and Nola
Walker did not pitch well on Friday against the Brewers, allowing four runs in four innings on 89 pitches. He will move to the bullpen once Aaron Nola returns from a right ankle sprain. Nola won’t be returning this week, but the Phillies could still, if they deem it worthwhile, move Walker to the bullpen sooner and call Abel up mid-week when he’s ready to make his next start. They could also just keep things status quo with Walker in the rotation until Nola is ready and hope that Abel continues to build confidence and trade value at Triple A.
Nola has been sidelined since May 15 with the ankle sprain. He will throw his first full bullpen session on Sunday, 45 to 50 pitches. The Phillies will still want to see him go through fielding drills and potentially live batting practice before he begins a rehab assignment, which could be short.
Phillies prospect updates: Andrew Painter's timeline, Mick Abel keeping it up
Phillies prospect updates: Andrew Painter's timeline, Mick Abel keeping it up originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Phillies have used the term “July-ish” as the target for top prospect Andrew Painter’s MLB debut and integration into the rotation but it is unlikely to come before the second half begins on July 18.
The All-Star break is from July 14-17 this year and that will be the period when the Phillies back off Painter and give him a bit more time to recuperate.
“I don’t think so,” manager Rob Thomson said Friday when asked if Painter’s arrival could come before the break.
Painter threw a career-high 81 pitches on Thursday in Norfolk, allowing two runs and striking out five over five innings. The Tides’ lineup included last year’s AL Rookie of the Year runner-up, Colton Cowser, and 2024 All-Star Jordan Westburg. Cowser doubled off Painter all three times he faced him while the rest of the team had two hits.
“Very good, velocity at 98, 99, they said he threw the ball really well,” Thomson said. “Breaking ball was good, got his pitch count up.
“He’s right where we want him.”
Painter’s next start will be Wednesday at Charlotte, the Triple A affiliate of the White Sox. The plan is a pitch count around 85, and if Painter’s efficient the Phillies would feel comfortable letting him complete six innings.
“Health, that’s it,” Thomson said when asked what more Painter needs to show in the minors.
The 22-year-old right-hander already looks like a major-league pitcher with a build similar to Justin Verlander. The No. 5-ranked prospect in all of baseball by MLB.com, Painter has a 2.65 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 17 innings at Triple A and owns a 1.83 ERA with 199 K’s in 138 innings overall in the minors. Silly numbers.
When the Phillies add Painter to the 40-man roster and call him up in July, he’ll start, he won’t relieve. It’s too soon for anyone with the Phillies to discuss how the rotation will be adjusted because it’s still more than six weeks away. Going to a six-man staff would be one obvious solution but only if it can be formatted in a way to not give the starters, notably Zack Wheeler, too much rest.
Abel still dialed in
Mick Abel made another strong start at Triple A on Friday night, allowing an unearned run over 4⅔ innings with eight strikeouts.
Abel has a 1.08 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 41⅔ innings across his last seven starts, one of which was a scoreless win in his MLB debut over the Pirates.
The 23-year-old continues to push for a spot in the Phillies’ rotation, which didn’t seem realistic just a few months ago. He was coming off of years of control problems and though he was added to the Phillies’ 40-man roster in December, Abel was behind the five members of the big-league rotation plus Taijuan Walker.
But he’s put together the strongest run of his life. Abel hasn’t solved the walks issue but he’s pitching around them better than ever and allowing weaker contact than ever.
“It really helps because you know you’ve got Painter coming and now you’ve got this other guy who showed it on a pretty big stage (in his debut),” Thomson said last week.
“He (went) right back to Triple A and a lot of times you’ll see that guys who go back, they have an adrenaline dump and they don’t pitch well or stay focused, but he did. That’s a good sign.”
Walker and Nola
Walker did not pitch well in Friday’s 6-2 loss to the Brewers, allowing four runs in four innings on 89 pitches. He will move to the bullpen once Aaron Nola returns from a right ankle sprain. Nola won’t be returning this week, but the Phillies could still, if they deem it worthwhile, move Walker to the bullpen sooner and call Abel up mid-week when he’s ready to make his next start. They could also just keep things status quo with Walker in the rotation until Nola is ready and hope that Abel continues to build confidence and trade value at Triple A.
Manager Rob Thomson said postgame Friday that the Phillies have a lot to discuss before the rotation spot comes up again.
Nola has been sidelined since May 15 with the ankle sprain. He will throw his first full bullpen session on Sunday, 45 to 50 pitches. The Phillies will still want to see him go through fielding drills and potentially live batting practice before he begins a rehab assignment, which could be short.
The Hockey Show: Talking Stanley Cup Final rematch, Florida Panthers roots with Bob Wischusen
The Hockey Show is heading back to the Stanley Cup Final!
Over the past week, we learned that the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will be facing off in a rematch of last season’s championship series.
Both the Cats and Oilers dispatched their respective conference final opponents in relatively quick five-game series’ and now will get set to lock horns for the second straight year with the Stanley Cup on the line.
On this week’s show, hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork got into the NHL’s Final Four, welcoming NHL on ESPN broadcaster Bob Wischusen to help break down the conference final matchups.
They also get into the Cup Final rematch between the Panthers and Oilers, as well as Bob’s broadcasting career start, which was also in South Florida.
This week’s wins and fails of the week included a golden goal by Team USA, an infamous streak coming to an end, an exceptional play by Panthers Captain Sasha Barkov and a couple of PWHL players getting their helmet cages tangled up.
You can check out the full show in the video below:
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Former Canadiens Player Makes Stanley Cup Final For Fifth Time In Six Years
Although former Montreal Canadiens forward Corey Perry only won the Stanley Cup once in his career, it’s not because he didn’t have the opportunity to compete for a second. The veteran has taken part in five of the last six Cup finals with the Dallas Stars, the Canadiens, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Edmonton Oilers.
So far, he has lost all of these finals, and on Thursday night, the Oilers booked their spot in the Cup Final, where they’ll meet the Florida Panthers for the second year in a row. If revenge is on every Oiler’s mind, Perry will no doubt be looking to end his “impressive” losing streak.
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The 40-year-old has been a key player for the Oilers this postseason, recording 10 points in 16 games so far. With Zach Hyman being out for the playoffs, Edmonton will need everyone to contribute to the scoring. Amazingly, Perry managed only 30 points in 81 regular-season games, averaging 0.37 points per game, but this average increased to 0.63 points per game in the playoffs. Last year in the postseason, he could only manage three points in 19 games.
Perry will not be the only former Canadiens player in the final; defenseman Brett Kulak, who still plays for his hometown team, has five points in 16 games. GM Kent Hughes sent the blueliner to Edmonton in March 2022, getting a conditional second-round pick at the 2022 draft, a 2024 seventh-round pick, and William Lagesson in return. Since Edmonton didn’t make the Cup final that year, the conditional pick remained a 2022 selection, and it became Lane Hutson. It’s fair to say that was one of Hughes’ best trade returns.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Jac Caglianone, Shane Bieber and Thairo Estrada
FANTASY BASEBALL WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS
Jac Caglianone (1B Royals): Rostered in 20% of Yahoo leagues
Let’s wish this into existence.
The hope was that the Royals were calling up Caglianone when they dropped Cavan Biggio from the roster on Sunday, but they chose John Rave instead. Three days earlier, they cut Hunter Renfroe but replaced him with an infielder in Nick Loftin. Whether it’s offense or, more likely, defense, the Royals don’t think Caglianone is quite ready, at least not as an outfielder. He has to be close, though.
Caglianone was the sixth overall pick in last year’s draft after a stellar run at the University of Florida. While he was also a legitimate prospect as a pitcher, there was no doubt he was being drafted for his bat, which produced 68 homers in 137 games in his final two years in school. He opened this year in Double-A and hit .322/.394/.553 in 38 games. The Royals just recently promoted him to Triple-A Omaha, where he’s opened up 12-for-37 with five homers. Overall, he’s hit .323/.389/.593 with 14 homers in 216 plate appearances.
Never having played anywhere other than first until this year, Caglianone remains a novice in the outfield, He’s started two games in left and 10 in right, where his excellent arm should help make up for his lack of range. Obviously, he still needs more work out there. He needs it almost as much as the Royals need his bat in the middle of their lineup.
Caglianone should be a future 30-homer guy for the Royals, even while playing half of his games in arguably MLB’s toughest home run park for lefties. Kauffman is actually a fine hitter’s park on the whole, but because homers are the biggest part of his game, it will probably take away from Caglianone’s numbers some. Still, Caglianone isn’t a big strikeout guy for as hard as he swings; he’s fanned just 20.4 percent of the time this season. He should be worth using in mixed leagues as soon as he’s promoted.
Shane Bieber (SP Guardians): Rostered in 29% of Yahoo leagues
Making his way back from last April’s Tommy John surgery, Bieber is set for his first of several rehab starts Saturday. He probably won’t make his return to the Guardians rotation until the end of June, but it’ll likely be too late by then to add him in mixed leagues.
Of course, we don’t know exactly which Bieber we’ll be seeing this year. The 2023 version was a far cry from the AL Cy Young Award winner of 2020, as his strikeout rate dropped significantly for a third straight year and he wound up with a 3.80 ERA. It looked like a turnaround was in store last year, as he followed up an impressive spring by pitching 12 scoreless innings with 20 strikeouts in his first two starts. But that’s when his elbow gave out.
That Bieber worked hard to reclaim some of his lost velocity probably played a role in last year’s injury. It’s certainly too much to expect him to come out firing now like he did last spring, though anything is possible. If he’s in 2023 form, that’s still a useful pitcher, too. Pitching in Cleveland helps limit his homer totals, and he’s always done well in terms of WHIP. There are no guarantees with a pitcher returning from surgery, but Bieber’s a good enough bet to be worth the roster/IL spot a month ahead of his debut.
Thairo Estrada (2B Rockies): Rostered in 6% of Yahoo leagues
Signed over the winter to replace Brendan Rodgers at second base in Colorado, Estrada is finally ready to make his Rockies debut 10 weeks after a Kumar Rocker pitch left him with a broken wrist. That he’ll play regularly isn’t in doubt. How much running he’ll do will be the determining factor in whether he proves useful in mixed leagues.
Never much of a basestealer in the minors, Estrada surprised everyone by swiping 21 bases in 27 tries while emerging as a useful fantasy infielder with the Giants in 2022., He followed that up with an even better 2023 in which he was 23-for-30 stealing bases, even though he missed nearly a quarter of the season. Last year, though, everything came crashing down for Estrada. He hit just .217/.247/.343 and was 2-for-4 stealing bases in 96 games before finishing the year in the minors.
The two reasons for optimism now is that Estrada’s exit velocity numbers last year were basically the same as the previous two seasons, and he’s gone from a tough park for hitters to the best in baseball in Coors Field. He’s still probably not going to make more than modest contributions in the non-SB categories, but if he gets back to doing some running -- and there’s really no reason for him not to on a team as bad as the Rockies are -- he’ll probably be helpful as an MI in 12-team leagues.
Waiver Wire Quick Hits
- Camilo Doval remains available in 46% of Yahoo leagues after being returned to the closer’s role by the Giants this week. He’s probably going to be a top-20 and maybe a top-10 RP the rest of the way.
- Gavin Lux probably isn’t a long-term guy in mixed leagues, but the Reds have six home games next week, with at least five of those coming against righties, and Lux is hitting in the cleanup spot with Austin Hays on the IL. As a one-week option, he makes plenty of sense.
The New York Islanders' New GM Mathieu Darche Tells It Like It Is
The cone of silence is lifting on Long Island.
In Lou Lamoriello’s seven years as the New York Islanders’ GM and president of hockey operations, it was sometimes unclear if players were even under contract to the team, never mind the details of any injuries.
By comparison, new GM Mathieu Darche is reading like an open book.
At his introductory press conference on Thursday, Darche left no grey area regarding the status of the team’s top point producer, Bo Horvat, who was injured last week while playing for Team Canada at the World Championship in Sweden.
“He’s got a little ankle injury, nothing serious,” Darche said. “Four to six weeks – he’s already rehabbing. There’s no concerns whatsoever. They said it’s the type of thing that maybe in the playoffs he would have tried. I think with Bo, you have to tell him ‘You’re not playing’ because he is probably going to try to play through everything. But no, we have no concerns with Bo’s injury.”
Any questions?
Darche was equally straightforward when updating the status of the Islanders’ coaching staff. After clarifying that he and Patrick Roy have not previously met, even though they’re both French Canadian, Darche confirmed that Roy will be back behind the bench next season, but he’ll have new assistants after John MacLean and Tommy Albelin were let go.
“Patrick’s a winner,” Darche said of the Hockey Hall of Famer. “I went to meet with him last weekend, just to get to know him more. I’m extremely comfortable and excited to be working with him. I know he’s passionate. He works hard. And I just decided that was my decision to make changes in the coaching staff. Now Patrick and I will work together to fill the assistant coaches’ positions.”
Islanders Ink Kyle Palmieri, Adam Boqvist To Extensions On Friday, the New York Islanders announced they had signed forward Kyle Palmieri to a two-year extension and defenseman Adam Boqvist to a one-year extension.
Coaching changes are also coming for the Bridgeport Islanders, who finished at the bottom of the AHL standings last season with just 37 points in 72 games.
Darche, 48, spent the last six seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He joined them as their director of hockey operations in 2019 and added the title of assistant GM in 2022.
Darche won two Cups as a member of the Lightning’s management team, but his playing career as a left winger could best be described as ‘journeyman.’ With 250 NHL games and more than 500 in the AHL, that outcome was a win for an undrafted player who made it to The Show after playing Canadian college hockey for four years while studying marketing and international business at McGill University in his hometown of Montreal.
“That’s where I met my wife,” Darche said Thursday. “I told her I’m not a hockey player – I’m just a student that plays hockey. Next thing you know, she followed me for 12 years.”
After ending his pro career with three seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Darche transitioned to broadcasting for the French-language RDS network when he hung up his skates in 2013. Then, he spent seven years as vice-president of sales and marketing for Delmar International, Inc. — a Montreal-founded global player in logistics and supply-chain management and, interestingly, an important corporate partner of both the Canadiens and the Islanders.
Darche’s experience playing in the AHL and his experience helping to oversee the Lightning’s affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, should help him rebuild the Islanders’ prospect pipeline, which hasn’t produced a homegrown star since Noah Dobson was drafted 12th overall in 2018.
This year, of course, the Islanders have won the NHL draft lottery and will have a chance to make their first No. 1 pick since John Tavares in 2009. Darche didn’t tip his hand on whether he’d pursue Long Island-born center James Hagens but did acknowledge the special opportunity of holding the first pick.
“You have to do your due diligence,” he said. “Anybody that calls, you have to listen. But someone would really have to knock my socks off because we're going to get a special player. I’m going to do my due diligence, but I expect us to be picking at the end of June.”
Darche’s business acumen will also be welcome for an Islanders team that has squandered the momentum gained with their fans from back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference final in 2020 and 2021, where they lost both times to Darche’s Lightning.
And after decades of fighting for a first-class arena on Long Island, average attendance has dropped every year since UBS Arena doors opened in 2021, and even homegrown players like Mat Barzal are commenting on the number of empty seats.
“The first line that Mathieu said to me when he did the social media, called Delmar, called the season ticket holders, he said, ‘Look, I want you guys to make more money so I can spend more money,’ ” said John Collins, the Islanders’ co-owner, operating partner and alternate governor, on Thursday.
The Islanders have nearly $21 million in available cap space for the 2025-26 season after signing Kyle Palmieri to a two-year contract and Adam Boqvist to a one-year deal. Now, the team’s most important business on the player side should be a new contract for Dobson, who’s an RFA with arbitration rights. After Brock Nelson’s deadline trade, the opportunity also exists for Darche to retool the forward group and perhaps get younger.
The Islanders only have four players born in the 2000s on their roster: defensemen Dobson, Alexander Romanov and Adam Boqvist and forward Simon Holmstrom.
Amiable and forthright, Darche’s first impression on Long Island was strong on Thursday. Now it’s up to him to walk the walk.
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