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Will Jonathan Toews Author His Own Ending In The NHL?

Like a lot of us, NHL players are proud people. Their on-ice careers are their life’s work, and their ability to control what happens on the ice tends to carry over to their lives off the ice. 

That means, whenever possible, NHL players want to be the author of their exit from hockey’s best league in the world.

Of course, for the grand majority of NHLers, the end of their playing days comes too soon. A major injury, a series of minor injuries or a drop-off in overall skill level eventually catches up with them, and they’re forced to call it quits. Only for a precious few does this reality differ from the rest. And this is why we occasionally see NHL stars attempting to defy the odds and stage their own departure from the sporting scene.

Longtime Chicago Blackhawks star center Jonathan Toews seems to want to defy the odds. The 37-year-old former Hawks captain last played in the 2022-23 season, before taking time off to deal with his own significant health challenges. But rumors are beginning to swirl that he intends to return to action, with a Sportsnet report suggesting that Toews may be targeting a return to the NHL next season. And while the Sportsnet speculation has the Anaheim Ducks – and Toews’ former Blackhawks coach and new Ducks bench boss Joel Quenneville – being a possible destination for Toews, there may be a different market that could prove to be a better fit for him.

For instance, would Toews’ hometown team, the Winnipeg Jets, want to extend an opportunity to him? The Jets are surely going to be a better team than Anaheim will be next season, and the chance to perhaps finish his NHL career in front of friends and family may be exceedingly attractive to him.

Jonathan Toews (David Banks-Imagn Images)

Winnipeg’s excellent depth also means Toews could come in and serve as the Jets’ third-or-fourth-line center, and the ensuing lack of pressure to play big minutes right away and start putting up major points may also be a determinant in his decision on where to resume playing. And the chance to play perhaps one final season with a team that has a solid shot at winning a Stanley Cup for the three-time Cup-winner might be its best selling point for him.

In that 2022-23 campaign with Chicago, Toews generated 15 goals and 31 points in 53 games, so teams need to adjust their expectations accordingly for him if he does stage a comeback next year. And maybe Toews doesn’t want the glare of a harsh spotlight and a heavy media contingent to deal with in a potential return, so a market like Anaheim could be a better fit for him.

In any case, Toews has earned the right to call his own shot when it comes to saying goodbye to the game. He may ultimately choose to stay retired and have a guaranteed induction in the Hockey Hall of Fame come sooner than later. But if he does give it one more try as a player, no one could fault him for it. Toews has nothing to prove to anyone, but taking one last stab at being an NHL player might be the one challenge he has left as an elite athlete. 

Countless veterans before him have had their NHL exit authored for them, and Toews now has the opportunity to seize the moment and stage his own exit his own way. And no one should blame him for doing his utmost to stick around the world’s biggest hockey stage, even if only for the short term. Toews wouldn’t be the first top NHL performer to want to end things for himself, and getting the chance to play a handful more games may be too alluring to turn down.

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What Draymond's mom savagely texted him after Warriors season ended

What Draymond's mom savagely texted him after Warriors season ended originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Sometimes, it’s your own family.

After the Warriors’ 2024-25 NBA season came to a heartbreaking end with a Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday night, Draymond Green received a savage text message from his mother that he has yet to respond to.

“Well, you got your fishing stuff out of storage?” Green said as he read his mom’s text message aloud on the latest “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.” “It’s time for you to go fishing.”

Davis instantly burst into laughter, and Green couldn’t help but chuckle himself despite the ruthless message.

“Gone fishin” was started by TNT’s “Inside the NBA” crew and refers to when a team is knocked out of the playoffs — or a team outright failed to make the playoffs — and is usually accompanied by doctored photos of players on the team, and notable figures from the team’s home city, on fishing boats with analyst Kenny Smith.

Over the years, Smith, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Ernie Johnson have had loads of fun with the segment. The victims … maybe not so much.

But Green kept it lighthearted and was a good sport about the message he received, even if his mother thinks otherwise.

“I still ain’t text her back and I know she thinks I’m mad,” Green said. “I actually thought it was hilarious.”

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Mets option Dedniel Núñez back to Triple-A

To make room for lefty reliever Jose Castillo, the Mets have optioned Dedniel Núñez back to Triple-A Syracuse, league sources say. 

Núñez, who emerged as a high leverage arm last season before suffering an elbow injury, made his season debut on May 5. The Mets planned for Núñez to remain with the team long term, but he walked has six batters in 3.2 innings.

The Mets had been looking for another lefty reliever since losing both A.J. Minter and Danny Young for the season. In making the move for Castillo, it was easier to option Núñez than designate Genesis Cabrera for assignment and risk losing him.

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Flyers Star Matvei Michkov Wants to Win with Rick Tocchet, No Matter What

Flyers forward Matvei Michkov is looking forward to winning under new coach Rick Tocchet. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)

Star Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov has only been in the NHL for one season, but he's already tired of all the losing.

As far as Michkov is concerned, it's time to win.

In the 20-year-old's first season in North America, he finished second only to Travis Konecny in scoring and led the Flyers in goals with 26. Michkov, however, would trade individual accolades for team success anytime.

"The most important thing is for the team to reach the playoffs. If I have fewer points, but the team makes the playoffs, I’ll take that over having more points and missing the playoffs," Michkov told RG in a recent interview. "I’m tired of losing. I want to win.”

League-worst goaltending, injuries, and trades doomed the Flyers to a 33-39-10 record and a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Head coach John Tortorella was fired on March 27 after some off-ice clashes and a 28-36-9 record through 73 games.

“For my first NHL season, Tortorella was probably the best coach I could’ve had. From day one, he explained everything clearly and was always honest with me,” Michkov said of Tortorella.

With interim head coach Brad Shaw electing to step away from the Flyers entirely, Michkov will technically be playing under his third head coach in two seasons, with Philadelphia hiring franchise icon Rick Tocchet as the 25th head coach in team history.

“A new coach always means a fresh start. I don’t know him personally, so I can’t say much yet,” Michkov told RG of Tocchet.

The Flyers' franchise player did subtly note, however, something he hopes improves during life under Tocchet.

"I just hope I’ll have freedom on the ice. When I feel limited, I start focusing on the wrong things. I just want to have ice time and not feel restricted. That's when I play my best.

“The main thing is that the team improves and makes the playoffs." 

Michkov will be happy to know that Tocchet previously coached stars like Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, and Quinn Hughes to their most productive seasons in the NHL.

That kind of development is exactly what the Flyers want out of Tocchet, and if Michkov is to take the same leap, team success will come in lockstep.

"I think it was a great season," Michkov said of his rookie year. "But I really want to make the playoffs every year and fight for the Stanley Cup."

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Bronx backlash for Juan Soto as Mets’ $765m star booed on Yankee Stadium return

Juan Soto of the New York Mets bats during his first game back at Yankee Stadium on Friday night.Photograph: Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos/Getty Images

During the last game of the 2024 baseball season – as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series to clinch a championship in front of a sold-out crowd of disappointed New Yorkers – there were still Yankees fans buying No 22 Juan Soto jerseys at the ballpark. This was noteworthy because as soon as the game ended, Soto was a free agent.

He had been traded to New York from the San Diego Padres – where he landed after a bombshell trade from the Washington National team that drafted him and with whom he won a World Series in 2019 – just ahead of his walk year. But Soto had endeared himself to the fervent fanbase quickly. In 2024, he was 80% better than average at the plate according to wRC+ and, with the towering Aaron Judge hitting behind him, led the American League in runs scored. And it seemed his swagger fit with the famous franchise that brought him back to the Fall Classic for the first time since he was 20 years old.

Related: Pete Rose returns to the Hall conversation as baseball embraces his original sin

And so, even as the season dwindled around them, Yankees fans sprang for the pricey pinstripes sold in team stores. Some of them were Dominicans who vowed to root for their countryman wherever he went. Some of them simply wanted a souvenir from a summer in the Bronx worth commemorating. Some of them assumed he would be back.

On Friday night, he was. Soto roaming right field at Yankee Stadium. Soto sauntering to the plate and doffing his cap to the crowd. But now the gesture was cheeky, a joke with his new teammates who had tittered in the dugout about how funny it would be, and the crowd met it with resounding boos.

Over the winter, the New York Mets made Soto the richest professional athlete in North America, signing him to a 15-year, $765 million contract. It was the capstone of an evolution several years in the making for the Mets from charmingly hapless to heavy hitters that coincided with über-billionaire Steve Cohen buying the club. Of course, Soto could have been the richest professional athlete in North America who still played for the Yankees – reportedly he rejected their offer of a 16-year deal worth $760m. Whatever affinity he felt for the Yankees was worth less than $5m. Or maybe it was just New York that he loved.

Friday night was the start of a Subway Series between the Mets and the Yankees that might have been the best matchup of MLB’s debut ‘Rivalry Weekend’ even without the Soto of it all. For just the third time since the debut of the Subway Series in 1997, both teams have sole possession of first place in their respective divisions. Both entered the season with skyscraper-high expectations and have thus far lived up to them.

There was reason to believe Yankee Stadium might be evenly split. Even-ish, anyway. However far Yankees fans traveled to be at the game Friday night, Mets fans couldn’t have traveled much further. And yet, Soto’s reception left no doubt which fanbase dominated the 47,400-strong crowd. They booed him at every at-bat. As he ran out to right field in the bottom of the first, the entire section of seats turned their back on him. When they turned around it was to hurl profanity at him. Soto met their middle fingers with a wry salute.

As for the No 22 jerseys bought back when he was one of their own, some Yankees fans made their own alterations – one added a choice four-letter word scrawled on tape atop the nameplate, another wrote “Arroz” over the number, a nod to the newest Yankee No 22, Ben Rice.

At one point, Soto tossed a ball into the stands as he jogged off the field at the end of a half inning on defense. The Yankees fans around there roared with cheers when whoever caught it threw it back rather than relish a keepsake tainted by an ex.

“It’s New York, it’s what you sign up for,” said Clay Holmes before the game about the raucous atmosphere. An All-Star reliever with the Yankees, he, too, only went as far as a borough away in the offseason. He signed with the Mets, who have since turned him into a capable starter. “It’s what you want. You can feel the energy, the buzz. It’s a lot more fun to show up to the park.”

To underscore that this is a clash of true baseball titans, we should say that the Yankees, scorned by Soto, did not go on to wallow away the offseason. The money that could have gone to a single preternaturally gifted young star instead was instead used to plug holes around the roster with additions from baseball’s B list: lefty pitcher Max Fried, closer Devin Williams, and a couple of post-peak former MVPs in Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger. Fried, in particular, has proven essential and ascendant – he currently owns the lowest ERA in baseball, especially necessary on a contending Yankee club that has lost Cy Young award winner Gerrit Cole for the season and has thus far been without Cole’s worthy replacement from last year and reigning Rookie of the Year, Luis Gil.

Cohen, for all his largess, never would have sprung for Fried, whose eight-year, $218m contract is the largest ever for a lefty. Under new general manager David Stearns, the Mets philosophy has favored splurging on position players and finding value on the margins when it comes to pitching. The converted Holmes, for example.

It’s ironic, then, that the Yankees, who lost a player most often compared to Ted Williams, have started the season with perhaps the strongest offense in the sport. And the Mets, who eschewed top-of-the-line starters to budget for a $700m hitter, have the best starting rotation ERA.

Ultimately, the Yankees bats overpowered the Mets pitching in a 6-2 trouncing that almost got exciting in the ninth inning before Soto flied out with the bases loaded. It sent the Yankees fans who booed him home happy, but it elides the otherwise perfectly acceptable day he had at the plate: three walks, a stolen base, a run scored.

In the lead up to the Subway Series, both sides were asked about the presumed impending boos that would rain down on Soto specifically. Which is to say, it was no surprise.

“I was ready for it,” Soto said after the game, confirming that it was likely the loudest he’d ever been booed in his career. “You’ve got to embrace it at the end of the day.”

If his new union with the Mets works out the way both sides hope, the Yankees will be the last team Soto leaves on bad terms. The dynamic has added spice to a rivalry that was heating up anyway. The era of the must-see Subway Series has just begun.

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'We're Going To War': Maple Leafs' Max Pacioretty Ready For Game 7 In Toronto Against Panthers After Another Game 6 Goal

May 16, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Max Pacioretty (67) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Florida Panthers during the third period in game six of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

A new nickname is being dubbed for Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Pacioretty: Mr. Game 6.

After scoring the series-clinching goal in Game 6 against the Ottawa Senators in the first round, the veteran forward provided another massive goal on Friday for the Toronto Maple Leafs in an all-or-nothing Game 6 against the Florida Panthers.

Bobby McMann sprang down the wing in the third period, finding Pacioretty in front of the net. It was already a 1-0 game with captain Auston Matthews scoring his first goal of the series, but another goal would force a Game 7 at home in Toronto.

Pacioretty smacked the puck on the backhand, beating Sergei Bobrovsky for his third goal of the playoffs. After slotting it under the right arm of the Panthers' goaltender, the 36-year-old let out a thunderous, "Yeah baby!"

It was yet another moment where the Pacioretty signing paid off for the Maple Leafs.

"It's big time," McMann, who registered his first point since Game 1 against Ottawa, said on Friday night.

'I Thought I Was Done Playing A Number Of Times': How Maple Leafs' Max Pacioretty Persevered To Score Series-Clinching Goal Against Senators'I Thought I Was Done Playing A Number Of Times': How Maple Leafs' Max Pacioretty Persevered To Score Series-Clinching Goal Against SenatorsIt was 225 days ago, on Sept. 19, when Max Pacioretty, wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs hoodie with the number 67 stamped on, first stepped in front of the camera to explain why he joined the organization.

Pacioretty has been through incredibly tumultuous times in the last two years after rupturing his Achilles tendon twice. Drafted 22nd overall in the 2007 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, he wasn't ready to call it quits.

After playing 47 games with the Washington Capitals last season, Pacioretty joined the Maple Leafs on a professional tryout before signing a one-year, $873,770 contract two days before the season opener against the Canadiens.

Many questioned whether choosing the number 67 would bring a bad omen to the team after, well, their history. Pacioretty even laughed when he fielded questions about it during the opening days of training camp, saying, "I hope to bring the team good luck with that number."

In 10 playoff games with the Maple Leafs, Pacioretty has three goals and five assists for eight points, ranking him fourth in team scoring in the postseason. He's doing plenty of things right, especially with the number sewn on his back.

'This Is Why I'm Here': After A Nearly 3 Month Wait, Max Pacioretty Brings Experience To Maple Leafs Ahead Of Series Debut'This Is Why I'm Here': After A Nearly 3 Month Wait, Max Pacioretty Brings Experience To Maple Leafs Ahead Of Series DebutKANATA, Ont. — Max Pacioretty was visibly dejected when he spoke with reporters ahead of Game 1 of the Toronto Maple Leafs' first-round series against the Ottawa Senators.

As he stood in front of the cameras after Game 6 against the Panthers, though, something unique occurred. 

If you're superstitious or think the stars align for certain moments, you'll appreciate this: The sixth question fielded to Pacioretty on Friday was about his thoughts when he hears the words, "Game 7."

Sixth question, Game 7, see what I mean? Sixty-seven?

With a big smile, Pacioretty said with certainty, “It's a lot of fun. I can't wait. We're going to war.”

Many questioned whether Friday's Game 6 would be the final game of this era of the Maple Leafs. But they live to fight another day, now heading back home with a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2002.

'He Bought Into The Role Of Being A Menace': Max Pacioretty Delivers Everything Maple Leafs Have Needed In The Playoffs'He Bought Into The Role Of Being A Menace': Max Pacioretty Delivers Everything Maple Leafs Have Needed In The PlayoffsTo say Max Pacioretty has been red-hot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs would be an overstatement.

The "war" with Florida began on May 5, with Toronto taking the series opener, 5-4. The "war" will conclude on Sunday, with the Carolina Hurricanes waiting after eliminating the Washington Capitals.

"The job's only going to get harder," Mitch Marner said, "so don't be satisfied, got to take care of yourself, take the rest you need, and get ready for a hard game."

Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

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Letters to Sports: Put away morality card when it comes to Pete Rose

FILE - In this Sept. 11, 1985 file photo, Cincinnati Reds baseball player Pete Rose hits a line drive to break Ty Cobb's all-time hit record, in Cincinnati. Rose got to get back on a baseball field for the 25th anniversary of his record-setting hit No. 4,192, the subject of a documentary debuting this week. (AP Photo/File)
Pete Rose hits a line drive to break Ty Cobb's all-time hit record while playing for the Reds in 1985. (Associated Press)

Rather than stew over whether Pete Rose and “Shoeless" Joe Jackson should be admitted, the Baseball Hall of Fame should open a special wing for miscreants. Rose, the Black Sox members who are HOF-worthy, and PED users like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, whose accomplishments before they started using would have earned them plaques, would all be welcome.

Brian Lipson
Beverly Hills

So MLB has reinstated Pete Rose, months after his death. What a major league error to Pete Rose and his family, the fans and the Hall of Fame.

I understand that he violated the rules and bet while a player/manager, but his numbers, which make him a Hall of Famer, had nothing to do with bets. He didn't cheat, he violated a rule. The Astros cheated and still kept the World Series title.

Russell Morgan
Carson

On the field a great player and fun to watch. Off the field bad news. His character a complete disaster. I hope he does not get in the Hall of Fame.

Phil Schneider
Marina del Rey

Was that a bit of ironic humor from Bill Shaikin saying he checked with bookies to see what the odds are on Pete Rose getting into the Hall of Fame?

Sports betting is now at epidemic levels and appears in various commercials and program commentary throughout sports media as a display of odds changing throughout many games. It’s so out of control that it’s become normalized.

As for Rose, he brazenly and obsessively bet on baseball, including games involving his own team when he was a manager. That has always been considered a cardinal sin in the sport. He lied about it for decades, then came clean half-heartedly to make money on a book, then tried to play the aggrieved victim being denied his rightful place in the Hall. It was a nauseating spectacle that went on for years.

Rose was an exceptional player. But character and certain violations matter, otherwise there's no point in trying to protect the integrity of the game.

T.R. Jahns
Hemet

I understand the steroid thing with Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, and maybe they too will be honored in the Hall of Fame someday, but this "integrity, sportsmanship and character" purity test is nonsense! Look at Ty Cobb! What matters is what happened on the field. Let the all-time hits leader in ASAP.

Kennedy Gammage
San Diego

Not again

After reading Bill Plaschke's column, I can't disagree that Austin Reaves might have to be traded in order to obtain a legitimate center. (I remember way back when we actually had one … seems like his initials were AD.) But whether the Lakers can "build around Luka Doncic" and whether JJ Redick is the carpenter for the job are huge questions.

In the Timberwolves series, Redick was outcoached and Minnesota's favorite target was Doncic. They pressured him in the backcourt and then doubled and line-trapped him in the front. By halftime, Luka was panting like an old dog in August.

The buzz on Doncic at Dallas was that he was lazy, chronically out of shape and self-unaware. That sounds like a shaky foundation to me.

Thomas Bailey
Long Beach

Here we go again. Tossing a great player like Austin Reaves early in his career while we keep the worn-out old guys. Yes, I mean LeBron James. Why trade away Reaves in the prime of his career and keep a broken-down LeBron James? 2025-2026 will probably be his last season. Let him go back to Cleveland for free. We need the Lakers to be younger and coachable so we can get back to winning titles.

Dave Newman
Brea

Normally I agree with Mr. Plaschke and enjoy his articles, but trading another future star and hitching their wagon to an aged LeBron James appears, to me, to be a big mistake. There are plenty of examples of young talent that the Lakers let go with the lost hope of winning with the “older” guys. Granted LBJ is an anomaly and a truly spectacular athlete. A sure first-ballot Hall of Famer but, come on man, its time to move on.

Paul D. Ventura
Mission Viejo

They all count

In regards to a comment from comment that baseball standings from April to July are one of the most meaningless stats in sports, I disagree somewhat. The Dodgers and Padres are on top of the NL West, the Mets lead the NL East, the Yankees are pacing the AL East and the Tigers are on top of the AL Central. Barring major injuries, all these teams will be in their current positions in September. So, the current standings reflect the future.

Mark Heffernan
Bakersfield

A reader wrote that one of the most meaningless stats in sports is the MLB standings from April to July. That's good news for the Chicago White Sox and the Colorado Rockies.

Brad Nelson
Oxnard

Dollars and sense

The USC football program has not met the expectations of past years to any degree under head coach Lincoln Riley. Yet USC paid Riley more than $11.5 million in 2023. His base salary is a mere $10.2 million. So the school paid an additional $100,000 listed under bonus and incentive compensation. The bonus must have been for showing up for work. Who needs incentive compensation with a base salary of $10.2 million? How much is tuition at USC now? Unbelievable!

Wayne Muramatsu
Cerritos

Winning the lottery

Dallas GM Nico Harrison: “If I trade Luka the fans will run me out of town.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver: “Don’t worry. I got you.”

Russell Hosaka
Torrance

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Email: sports@latimes.com

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Kerr, Dunleavy address Kerr's ‘year-to-year' Warriors future

Kerr, Dunleavy address Kerr's ‘year-to-year' Warriors future originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

This NBA offseason will hold plenty of uncertainty for the Warriors after their 2024-25 season ended with a second-round playoff exit.

But one thing is for sure: Steve Kerr will return as head coach next season. And for as long as he wants to.

“At this point, just year to year,” Kerr said of his Warriors future while speaking to reporters Friday during end-of-the-season exit interviews. “I love my job. It’s so much fun. I loved this season. This was a really gratifying year in terms of the players, the commitment to each other, their ability to get through individual adversity. … I just think up and down the roster, we had guys who were committed, and when you’re a coach, that’s all you can really ask for.

“So I loved every second of this year. I love my job. But I know where the team is. I know where the organization is. So I’m perfectly comfortable going year by year at this point.”

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy appears to be on the same page.

“Yeah, for sure. He’s as big a part of this as anyone,” Dunleavy said. “He’s been great. I love him as a partner in this profession. I think it’s one of those things where we want him here as long as he wants to be here. And if that means going year to year, or doing an extension, I think we can figure stuff out.

“Of the things on my radar and agenda, no offense to Steve Kerr, but it’s not the highest thing up there because I know Steve will be around for a while.”

Touché.

Dunleavy’s to-do list will be quite lengthy this summer as he looks to build a winner around Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler.

But it should give Dub Nation some reassurance that the nine-time NBA champion will return as Warriors coach next season.

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Fork in the road: What's next after jarring end to Celtics' title defense?

Fork in the road: What's next after jarring end to Celtics' title defense? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

NEW YORK — The end is never as fun as the start. And yet it just doesn’t seem right that the end was this unsightly.

When Brad Stevens built a championship roster, acquiring Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday after a disappointing early exit in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, we all knew there was a short window for this current group. The Celtics put together a historic season that culminated with Banner 18, then had maybe the quietest offseason in NBA history while deciding to basically run it back this year.

But the 2024-25 season ended badly. Boston never quite found the same mojo from a season ago, even while piling up 60-plus wins and showing glimpses of that title squad. The Celtics reverted to some bad habits — blown leads, turnovers, cold shooting — and couldn’t get out of their own way against the New York Knicks in Round 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Jayson Tatum got hurt, Kristaps Porzingis battled a mystery illness, and the short-but-sweet ride for this core ended Friday night with a 38-point thumping that spawned a delirious party throughout midtown Manhattan.

🔊 Celtics Talk POSTGAME POD: C’s season comes to end with Game 6 loss to the Knicks | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

What seemed so certain last summer is so very murky now. Tatum could miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season while rehabbing from Achilles surgery, as the Celtics have set no timetable on his return. A team hovering $20 million over the second apron must cut costs to ensure it can reliably chase titles deep into the future.

A new owner will take the reins during the offseason and hear some grumbles about Boston’s cost-cutting ways, even if it was inevitable regardless of who was writing the checks.

For the first time in years, it doesn’t feel like there’s an immediate pathway to Banner 19. The Celtics, depending exactly on what pieces return, will be too good to tank but not quite good enough to fully contend until Tatum is back at full health. What the roster will look like when that happens is truly a mystery.

Which left the Celtics in a weird spot after Friday’s Game 6 loss. Even with their long odds to advance, Boston players never fully entertained the idea that the end was near. After the lopsided loss, they were asked to reflect on the two-year run of this title core and ponder what might come next. Most players politely declined to do either. 

They raved about the locker room. They admitted it wasn’t fun to think about the changes ahead. But they were still processing the reality. Jaylen Brown, who very well might be the central figure in a potential bridge season, tried his best to balance the emotions.

“Losing to the Knicks feels like death,” said Brown. “But I was always taught that there’s life after death. We’ll get ready for whatever is next. Whatever is next in the journey, I’ll be ready for.”

So what exactly comes next? We laid out the financial hurdles ahead in the aftermath of Tatum’s injury. The Celtics are committed to $228 million in contracts next season, already $20 million over the second apron, and that’s before decisions on free-agents-to-be in Al Horford and Luke Kornet.

Changes are inevitable. The difficult part is that there are no easy answers to trimming costs while trying to maintain talent around the desired core of this team. Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has the daunting task of figuring out how all these puzzle pieces fit together.

We feel pretty confident that next year’s roster will feature Tatum, as he rehabs, along with Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Baylor Scheierman, and Jordan Walsh. We’re not sure anything else is certain.

Brown should be back as the focal point in the leading role. But the Celtics do have to at least consider all options to trim costs, and his $53.1 million salary — in Year 2 of a five-year, $286 million contract — is a gaudy number. Porzingis and Holiday were luxuries acquired to chase a title but their $30-plus million price tags could force the team to explore cheaper options at those spots.

Would a young team in need of a proven champ splurge to take on the three years and $104.4 million left on Holiday’s deal? What is Porzingis’ trade value after a mystery ailment sapped his energy at the finish line of the season?

Porzingis said he hopes a brief downturn in activity will jumpstart his body. He still hopes to compete in FIBA play with his native Latvia later this summer, which might offer answers to whether he’s able to reboot his body before the NBA season starts. He’ll have value as an expiring contract, but the Celtics would be rolling the dice a bit if they waited until next year’s trade deadline to potentially move off his money and his trade value feels diminished at the moment given his health woes.

Sam Hauser’s four-year, $45 million extension kicks in this summer. His 3-point shooting was vital in Boston’s title march, but the team might need to ride cheaper shooting threats if it can’t otherwise trim salary.

Does Horford, who will turn 39 next month, want to be back if Boston isn’t an immediate title threat? And at what price? Can the Celtics do some maneuvering to free up enough cash to reward backup big man Luke Kornet, who continues to blossom and came back on the cheap this season to keep the band together?

All decisions must be done through the lens of what puts this team in the best position to compete when Tatum is back on the floor. If Tatum misses all of next season, the calculus changes a little bit from whatever the team might have planned previously. 

In Brad we trust. Stevens made the bold decisions to ship out core pieces in Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III in order to acquire Porzingis and Holiday. Even the most ardent Smart/Williams fans (this writer’s hand is raised high) can’t help but admit those deals elevated Boston’s ceiling and delivered the title that will cement the short legacy of this core. 

Now Stevens has to do it again. The moves, in the moment, will almost certainly feel painful. But it also seems fair to suggest that Boston needed some tweaks after this season, particularly as familiar issues returned. The new acquisitions might not be as immediately talented as what goes out, but their fit and cost could aid this team in building the next version of a championship roster. 

It’s unsavory that the collective bargaining agreement is what will prevent this team from trying to preserve more of the core moving forward. But it’s also the reality. The Celtics knew this crossroads was coming when they got ahead of the curve two summers ago. The interest on Banner 18 is coming due.

In this moment, everything feels uncertain. Which is simply jarring because everything felt so secure for the past 20 months. That’s life in the NBA. Things change quickly. You can’t sit around feeling sorry for yourself. You have to dust yourself off and put the focus on the next challenge.

All eyes turn to Stevens and his front office staff. Much like in the summer of 2023, they must work their magic. 

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FA Cup final buildup to Crystal Palace v Manchester City – matchday live

  • All the buildup to the FA Cup final, 4.30pm kick-off
  • Share your thoughts with matchday live or post BTL

Chat over. Will Hughes strolls across the car park to get some photographs taken. As it happens, the man emerging from the gym at that very moment is the Crystal Palace midfield partner whose praises Hughes has just been lavishly exalting.

“Just added about £20m to your fee in that interview,” Hughes shouts at Adam Wharton as they pass. “You can have half,” Wharton retorts. All delivered with a knowing smile, for this is the Palace of Oliver Glasner, where – as Hughes puts it – “there’s egos, but good egos”. No arrogance, none of the blame culture he sees elsewhere. “You watch other teams and hands are in the air, there’s moaning,” he says. “But I honestly don’t see any of that here.”

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The Knicks’ transition from laughing stock to title contenders is complete

OG Anunoby of the Knicks is fired up about his team’s chances of an NBA title.Photograph: Frank Franklin II/AP

On Friday night in New York City, more than 19,000 Knicks fans poured out of Madison Square Garden and onto Seventh Avenue, celebrating their team’s improbable 4-2 series victory over the Boston Celtics. The NBA’s social media peanut gallery had previously taken issue with Knicks fans for their overly exuberant early-round victory celebrations, but after landing in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in a quarter-century, this party was as legit as the Knicks newfound title hopes.

New York had beaten their rivals by a franchise playoff-record margin of 38 points, ending Boston’s reign as NBA champs. If you watched the way they suffocated the Celtics, you know it wasn’t even that close. The way this series ended was as stunning as how it began, with consecutive historic Celtic meltdowns at TD Garden, when the home team surrendered 20-point second-half leads not once but twice. Then New York were moments from wrapping up another improbable victory in Game 4 when Boston cornerstone Jayson Tatum went down with an achilles injury. Back in Boston, down three games to one, with their season on the brink and their all-NBA player in the hospital recovering from season-ending surgery, Boston powered through Game 5 on pure adrenaline. That wave of raw energy had crashed by the start of Game 6, and the Celtics finally tapped out. The Garden crowd let out 25 years of shpilkes as they watched their team bounce the champs.

Related: Rampant Knicks blow out Celtics to advance to first East finals since 2000

And so after a season of trying to figure out who they are and what their identity is, the Knicks have finally found a label: Eastern Conference finalists. Up until the clock struck zero in Game 6, accurate adjectives to describe New York’s on-court personality were quite limited, but “resilient” and “inconsistent” probably summed them up best.

Injuries, trades and roster turnover meant that the lunch-pail defense-first teams that had marked the Tom Thibodeau-coached Knicks prior to this season were no more. The loss of their beastly, rim protecting, offensive rebounding big men – Isaiah Hartenstein to free agency and Mitchell Robinson to an ankle injury until late February – were glaring. That weakness in the paint meant newly acquired defensive stalwart Mikal Bridges, and defensive Swiss army knife OG Anunoby were hopeless against perimeter shooting for most of the season.

That said, Karl-Anthony Towns, who came to New York in a late preseason blockbuster deal, jumped out of the gate early, looking like the alpha dog Minnesota rarely got to see, setting a career high for rebounds while combining with Jalen Brunson to average more than 50 points a game. Knicks fans were being treated to blistering ball movement and some of the most explosive offensive play the franchise has ever produced, but as the games piled up, the warts began to show.

Around mid-season, the excitement that had followed the team since their 2021 playoff appearance seemed to crest, with doubts creeping in about the team’s ceiling. The team was haunted by a stat that followed them around for all 82 games: since 2003, among teams that have won 50 games or more, the Knicks had the worst winning percentage against teams .500 or better. They were whipped by the Celtics, the Cavs and the Thunder. New York winning their first title since 1973? This team couldn’t even beat the pre-Luka Lakers at home. Fans braced themselves for another playoff letdown.

Such negativity has context: the New York Knickerbockers, despite their stature as a pillar of the NBA, are mostly a losing franchise that have had just three extended runs of success in their history, one of which was during the NBA’s prehistoric early-1950s. Under the ownership of James Dolan, their fans’ fandom has repeatedly been tested by a leadership that’s provided two of the most inept, perplexing and sometimes dastardly decades a professional sports team has ever known.

Then suddenly, Dolan hired Leon Rose as team president and finally got out of the way. Knicks fans expected the former prominent player agent to attract sparkly free agents such as Kevin Durant. It didn’t happen, but a meticulous rebuild did, and in the span of five seasons, the team transitioned from NBA laughing stock to legitimate title contenders.

These Knicks are arguably one of the most oddly constructed basketball teams in recent memory, and that’s because the Knicks have consistently been one of the worst drafting franchises in NBA history. In an era where teams have tanked to rebuild their franchises, New York’s renaissance hasn’t been buoyed by a homegrown star, or stars, such as the Celtics’ Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but rather a delicate series of trades and under-the-radar free-agent signings made by their under-the-radar president. Rose has not held a single press conference since being hired in March 2020, which is wild in a town of quote-thirsty tabloids.

The result is a starting five that’s arguably unmatched in the NBA, and now that Mitchell Robinson has worked his way back into impacting games with his menacing paint presence and timely offensive rebounds, Knicks fans are starting to see the full complement of what Rose had in mind when he went all-in on pairing Towns with Brunson, and what he saw in Bridges when he gambled a stack of draft picks on the league’s iron man. They figured out a way to get past the NBA’s new junkyard dogs in Detroit, then ousted the champs in six. When it’s all working, Brunson is pushing the ball and finishing with his footwork, Bridges is sticking mid-range jumpers and ripping the ball from his opponents, Anunoby is stifling opponents’ most prolific players, Robinson’s active hands are flummoxing offenses, Towns is involved early, sticking threes and working the post, Hart’s engine is wearing teams out and bench players like Deuce McBride and Cam Payne are making meaningful contributions.

Now they meet Indiana, who beat them in the Eastern Conference semi-finals last season. A year ago the Knicks’ roster was eviscerated by injuries, allowing the Pacers to sneak past New York over seven games. Now the Knicks are a completely different team, a healthy group that’s figuring it all out at just the right time. Meanwhile the Pacers are also much improved, having played some of the best basketball in the league over the past several months. We don’t know who will emerge in what is sure to be a grueling Eastern Conference finals, but we do know the Knicks are taking nothing for granted. I feel like we have a long way to go,” said Brunson after Friday night’s win. “Just the confidence we have in each other and everything. Just knowing who we are. We have to be unsatisfied.”

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Fantasy Baseball Closer Report: Justin Martinez progressing towards return, Ryan Walker on the hot seat

In this week's Closer Report, Jeff Hoffman and Ryan Walker are among the closers struggling to keep runs off the board. Who's most at risk of losing the closer role? In New York, Luke Weaver is holding things down in the ninth inning. And the Diamondbacks could be getting Justin Martinez back soon.

Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings

Tier 1: At the Top

Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners
Mason Miller - Athletics
Josh Hader - Houston Astros

Muñoz surrendered an unearned run against the Yankees on Tuesday in the ninth inning and was charged with a blown save. Still, he’s 13-for-15 in save chances with a spotless 0.00 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and a 26/8 K/BB ratio across 19 innings.

After not pitching for four days, Miller got an opportunity to convert a five-out save against the Yankees last Saturday. He gave up one run in the ninth and struck out four batters to get the job done for his 11th save. A spectacular 30/6 K/BB ratio across 15 1/3 innings keeps him near the top of the rankings with full trust as one of the game's top closers.

Hader locked down his tenth save of the season in a win over the Royals on Wednesday, walking around one walk and striking out one batter. The 31-year-old left-hander holds an excellent 1.89 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and a 27/5 K/BB ratio across 19 innings of work.

Tier 2: The Elite

Robert Suarez - San Diego Padres
Tanner Scott - Los Angeles Dodgers
Jhoan Duran - Minnesota Twins
Félix Bautista - Baltimore Orioles
Edwin Díaz - New York Mets

Suarez had his first bad outing of the season, giving up five runs on four walks and one hit against the Angels on Monday to blow the save chance. He bounced back against the Angels on Wednesday, striking out two in a clean inning of work in a non-save situation.

Scott is on a roll on the mound, with just one run allowed over his last 16 outings since April 1. He picked up his ninth save on May 9 against the Diamondbacks, the last save situation for the Dodgers.

Duran has been outstanding and a valuable part of Minnesota's winning streak in May. The 27-year-old right-hander has converted six saves and earned a win this month after recording just two saves through April. Duran holds an incredible 0.84 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and a 25/9 K/BB ratio across 21 1/3 innings.

Bautista's last save also came on May 9 in a perfect inning of work with two strikeouts against the Angels. He then gave up a run on a solo homer in a non-save situation two days later. It was his first run allowed since March 31. The 29-year-old right-hander gave up another run Friday, taking the loss against the Nationals. Still, he holds an excellent 2.77 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and a 15/8 K/BB ratio across 13 innings.

Díaz is up to seven straight scoreless outings. He picked up his ninth save of the season Tuesday against the Pirates, striking out a batter in a scoreless effort.

Tier 3: The Solid Options

Emmanuel Clase - Cleveland Guardians
Ryan Helsley - St. Louis Cardinals
Luke Weaver - New York Yankees
Jeff Hoffman - Toronto Blue Jays
Pete Fairbanks - Tampa Bay Rays
Raisel Iglesias - Atlanta Braves
Jose Alvarado/Jordan Romano - Philadelphia Phillies
Trevor Megill - Milwaukee Brewers
Aroldis Chapman - Boston Red Sox
Will Vest - Detroit Tigers

Clase tossed a clean inning with two strikeouts on Tuesday against the Brewers for his ninth save. The 27-year-old right-hander is gaining some trust back with no earned runs over his last five appearances. All of the underlying metrics suggest we should continue to see Clase chip away and improve his 4.91 ERA on the season.

With two strikeouts in a clean inning against the Phillies on Sunday for his eighth save, it was Helsley's first outing without a hit or walk allowed since April 1. While he's done a good job suppressing runs, it's given him a bloated 1.53 WHIP and a 16/10 K/BB ratio across 15 innings.

A day after striking out three batters over two perfect innings in a non-save situation, Weaver struck out the side against the Mariners on Wednesday for his fourth save, then recorded the final out Friday against the Mets for his fifth. The 31-year-old right-hander has been incredibly effective, posting a 0.44 ERA, 0.59 WHIP, and a 22/6 K/BB ratio across 20 1/3 innings. Devin Williams has made four scoreless appearances since giving up three runs against the Padres on May 5, but continues to operate in a setup role.

Another reliever working through a rough stretch, Hoffman took his second blown save after giving up five runs and recording one out against the Rays on Tuesday. That's now 11 runs allowed over his last five outings. The underlying skills suggest Hoffman should be able to get back on track. He'll be given every opportunity to do so in Toronto.

Fairbanks hasn't seen a save chance since May 4. He did fall in line for a win with a scoreless inning against the Brewers last Sunday before giving up two runs in a non-save situation Tuesday against the Blue Jays.

Iglesias hit a bit of a snag with four runs allowed over three outings before recovering with a save in a scoreless inning against the Nationals on Thursday. He then gave up a run Friday against the Red Sox, but held on to secure his eighth save. A home run issue has given the 31-year-old right-hander a 5.89 ERA over 18 1/3 innings.

Romano has worked his way back into the saves mix with the Phillies with seven straight scoreless outings. He picked up two of the last three saves for the team with five strikeouts over two perfect innings. Alvarado stepped in to record the final two outs with the bases loaded Friday against the Pirates for his seventh save and remains the preferred reliever to roster for saves in Philadelphia.

Megill picked up just his fifth save of the season last Sunday against the Rays. The save chances just haven't come for the Brewers. Still, the 31-year-old right-hander has been solid, posting a 2.92 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and a 15/7 K/BB ratio across 12 1/3 innings.

Chapman picked up his sixth save with a scoreless inning against the Royals last Sunday. He then took the loss with one run allowed against the Tigers on Wednesday. The 37-year-old left-hander has been excellent, recording a 2.25 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and a 22/6 K/BB ratio across 16 innings.

Vest has tossed seven scoreless innings since giving up three runs on April 29. He's been the most effective reliever in the Detroit bullpen with the most prototypical closer stuff. The 29-year-old right-hander has posted a 1.80 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and a 23/7 K/BB ratio across 20 innings. Meanwhile, Tommy Kahnle's last six outings have come in the eighth inning. While A.J. Hinch can still play the matchups on occasion, the path seems clear for Vest to operate as the primary closer through the rest of the season.

Tier 4: Here for the Saves

Kyle Finnegan - Washington Nationals
Ryan Walker - San Francisco Giants
Emilio Pagan - Cincinnati Reds
Kenley Jansen - Los Angeles Angels
Carlos Estévez - Kansas City Royals
Shelby Miller/Kevin Ginkel - Arizona Diamondbacks
David Bednar/Dennis Santana - Pittsburgh Pirates
Luke Jackson - Texas Rangers
Porter Hodge/Ryan Pressly - Chicago Cubs

Finnegan locked down saves on Wednesday and Friday with a pair of scoreless innings. The 33-year-old right-hander is up to 14 saves with a 2.70 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and a 17/7 K/BB ratio across 16 2/3 innings.

Walker's inconsistencies continue. He took the blown save and the loss against the Twins on Sunday, then worked around two walks in a scoreless inning against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday in a non-save situation. While Bob Melvin keeps going to the 29-year-old right-hander in the ninth inning, it's hard to imagine he's not on the hot seat with Camilo Doval holding a strong 1.31 ERA over 19 2/3 innings.

Pagan gave up three runs against the White Sox on Tuesday, then bounced back with a clean inning against the Guardians on Friday for his tenth save. While Tony Santillan has been outstanding in a setup role, there's no one challenging Pagan for saves in Cincinnati.

Jansen gave up two runs without recording an out and took the loss against the Padres on Tuesday. There's going to be some inconsistencies with the 37-year-old veteran. He bounced back with a scoreless outing in a non-save situation against the Dodgers on Friday.

Estévez has made three scoreless appearances over the last week. He picked up his 12th save with a scoreless inning against the Astros on Monday with one strikeout. The 32-year-old right-hander has a 2.29 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and an 18/10 K/BB ratio across 19 2/3 innings.

Miller has the last two saves for the Diamondbacks. After tossing a clean inning with one strikeout against the Giants on Monday, he gave up one run before holding on for his third save of the season Wednesday in San Francisco. Miller has helped fill the ninth-inning role with Justin Martinez and AJ Puk on the injured list. While Puk's injury is more long-term, Martinez is set to pitch in a minor league rehab game in the Arizona Complex League on Saturday and could be ready to return sometime in the next week if all goes well.

The Pirates' situation has not been a very fruitful one, regardless of who's pitching the ninth inning. Santana has the team's only save in May as the team has utilized a matchup-based approach to the late innings. While Santana has the better surface stats to date, Bednar has flashed the better skills and strikeout upside.

Jackson was hit on the hand back a comebacker on the first pitch he threw on Monday. X-rays showed no fracture, and the 33-year-old right-hander will avoid the injured list after sitting out a few days. Chris Martin was also sidelined by an elbow injury this week, but he should be available in the coming days after receiving a clean MRI. Shawn Armstrong recorded two saves this week, filling in for Jackson and Martin.

After giving up eight runs against the Giants on May 6, Pressly's last three appearances have come in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. He tossed the eighth on Friday with a seven-run lead over the White Sox. Hodge could get the chance to take the closer role, but has battled some inconsistencies himself. He gave up three runs and took the loss Sunday against the Mets, then struck out two in a scoreless inning against the Marlins on Wednesday.

Tier 5: Bottom of the Barrel

Jesus Tinoco - Miami Marlins
Zach Agnos - Colorado Rockies
Steven Wilson/Cam Booser - Chicago White Sox

Relievers On The Rise/Stash Candidates

Toronto's Brendon Little has been outstanding in high-leverage situations for the Blue Jays. The 28-year-old left-hander leads the team with eight holds while recording a 1.77 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a 31/10 K/BB ratio across 20 1/3 innings. Despite not having the highest velocity, with a 93mph fastball, Little has been elite at missing bats, leading all relievers in swinging-strike rate behind a devastating Knuckle Curve. While he makes for an excellent addition in holds and points leagues, Little could be a name to watch if Jeff Hoffman's struggles continue, considering he isn't the only left-handed reliever in the bullpen. In Seattle, Matt Brash was once thought to be one of the best up-and-coming future closers before missing the 2024 season with Tommy John surgery. Four appearances into his return, he's working his way into a setup role behind Andrés Muñoz, recording a hold with two strikeouts in the eighth inning against the Yankees on Tuesday.