On Tuesday night, the New York Islanders and the other 15 teams that missed the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs will take part in the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery.
The Islanders, who won the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery with just 3.5% odds (they selected future Calder-Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer), finished this season with the 13th-best odds to win the lottery at 2.0%.
While the Islanders could win the lottery, that wouldn't mean they'd select first overall for a second straight draft. Per the rules, a lottery team can only move up at most 10 spots.
That means that the Islanders' "winning the lottery" would mean they'd select third overall. That would also mean that the Vancouver Canucks, who have the best odds at 18.5%, would win the lottery.
The Islanders will either pick third overall, 13th, 14th or 15th. The latter two occur if two teams behind them jump.
Here are the Islanders' lucky numbers, per team statistician Eric Hornick, with 20 total combinations that would give the Islanders the third pick:
1 2 5 6
1 2 5 11
1 3 4 13
1 5 7 9
1 5 11 12
1 6 7 11
2 3 7 13
2 3 12 13
2 9 12 13
2 12 13 14
3 6 13 14
3 8 12 14
3 10 11 14
4 5 8 11
4 5 8 14
4 6 9 14
5 7 10 14
6 11 13 14
7 9 13 14
8 9 10 14
As you can see, and as Hornick makes clear in his Draft Lottery "The Skinny", the number 14 is incredibly common, appearing 10 times.
Per Hornick, the odds of the Islanders winning the lottery at 3.5% and then 2.0% in consecutive years are 1 in 1,428.
So, you are saying there's a chance?
You can tune in and watch the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery live from NHL Network in Secaucus on ESPN, Sportsnet, and TVA at 7 PM ET.
Charania reports the Lakers are evaluating Doncic on a week-to-week basis, and he is currently on a "slow path" in his recovery from a Grade 2 hamstring strain that has kept him sidelined for the past month.
"He's doing more and more on the court," Charania said. "But right now, still not full-fledged running or full-contact workouts."
Is Luka Doncic playing tonight vs. Thunder?
No, he is out for Game 1. The timeline for his return is also still unclear, according to Charania.
Doncic was seen putting shots up during Lakers practice on Monday, May 4, but he has yet to progress to 3-on-3 or 5-on-5. Lakers head coach JJ Redick had no update for reporters.
Doncic has missed 11 games since straining his left hamstring against Oklahoma City on April 2. The Lakers have gone 7-4 in that span and ran out to a 3-0 lead in the first round of the playoffs against the Houston Rockets before winning the series in six games.
Luka Doncic, getting up shots Monday. When asked about his availability for Game 1, JJ Redick said, “no update.” pic.twitter.com/UZBw9x2E9R
The odds are stacked against Los Angeles yet again with a matchup against the defending NBA champion Thunder, who won a league-best 64 games in the regular season. The absence of Jalen Williams makes things slightly less lopsided, especially if the Lakers keep producing total team efforts with contributions from Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura.
Make no mistake, though: Doncic, who led the league in scoring with 33.5 points per game and finished third in assists with 8.3 per game, will be needed this series. It just remains to be seen when – or if – he'll be back in time.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault told reporters Monday, May 4 that Williams was "progressing according to plan," but declined to put a timeline on his return.
"We're not going to release that," Daigneault told reporters. "We’ll continue to let you guys know on a week-to-week basis."
Mark Daigneault on Jalen Williams: “He's progressing according to plan, I would say. In terms of timeline, we're not going to release that. We’ll continue to let you guys know on a week-to-week basis.” pic.twitter.com/zxM3HW8IjF
Here's what to know about Williams' status against the Lakers:
Is Jalen Williams playing tonight?
No. As stated above, Williams is listed as out for Game 1 on Tuesday and is considered week-to-week with a left hamstring strain.
The Thunder aren't putting a definitive timeline for his return publicly, but reporting by The Oklahoman, part of the USA TODAY Network, estimates that the usual recovery window for a grade 1 hamstring strain is 1-2 weeks. Williams went down on April 22, so that would theoretically put his return sometime around Games 3-5.
Williams exited in the third quarter when he went up for a layup attempt, grabbed his left hamstring after landing back on the court and has not played since.
The 2025-26 season has been a frustrating one for Williams, who established himself as an All-Star last season and was one of OKC's biggest contributors to their title run. But injuries have added up over the course of this season.
Williams underwent wrist surgery after the NBA Finals, which forced him to miss the start of the regular season. He later missed 49 games with a right hamstring strain.
Jalen Williams stats
Jalen Williams averaged 17.1 points and 5.5 assists per game this season, a major reason the team posted the best record in the league this season. Williams recorded 22 points and seven rebounds in Oklahoma City's Game 1 win over Phoenix and had 19 points in 23 minutes before his injury in Game 2.
Thunder vs. Lakers playoff schedule
All times Eastern
Game 1 at Oklahoma City: Tuesday, May 5 at 8:30 p.m. | NBC, Peacock
Game 2 at Oklahoma City: Thursday, May 7 at 9:30 p.m. | Amazon Prime Video
Game 3 at Los Angeles: Saturday, May 9 at 9:30 p.m. | ABC, Fubo
Game 4 at Los Angeles: Monday, May 11 at 10:30 p.m. | Amazon Prime Video
*Game 5 at Oklahoma City: Wednesday, May 13 | Time and TV TBD
*Game 6 at Los Angeles: Saturday, May 16 | Time and TV TBD
*Game 7 at Oklahoma City: Monday, May 18 | Time and TV TBD
The chance for the Nashville Predators to land the No. 1 overall pick is slim, but not zero.
Entering Tuesday night's NHL Draft Lottery, which will be broadcast at 6 p.m. CST on ESPN, the Predators have a 3.5% chance to land the coveted first selection in the NHL Draft on June 26.
The winner will more than likely select Canadian phenom Gavin McKenna, who has held the attention of the hockey world for nearly two seasons now.
After amassing 129 points (41 goals and 88 assists) in 56 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers during the 2024-25 season, McKenna made the switch to the NCAA this season, playing with Penn State.
Taking a slight dip in production, McKenna still recorded 51 points (15 goals and 36 assists) in 35 games, helping the Nittany Lions reach NCAA Regional Semifinals.
The jump from the 10th-best odds to the No. 1 overall selection has happened before, as the New York Islanders had the same exact odds as the Predators do this season at 3.5% going into the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery.
So you're saying there's a chance 👀
Join us for our 2026 NHL Draft Lottery party on Tuesday at the BetMGM Sports Lounge, where you can play your luck at winning exclusive #Preds prizes! Party starts at 5:30pm CT. pic.twitter.com/lvvbvKUPwt
They'd win and select defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who is a favorite to win the Calder Trophy this season.
If the Predators don't wind up with the No. 1 overall pick, their highest odds are to stay at 10th, with a 73.3% chance of selecting there.
The Vancouver Canucks currently have the best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick at 25.5%, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks with 13.5%.
If the Predators were to win the lottery, it'd be the first time in franchise history they'd select at first overall and the fourth time they've selected inside the top 5. Those previous top-five picks are David Legwand (2nd overall in 1998), Seth Jones (4th overall in 2013), and Brady Martin (5th overall in 2025).
The Nashville Predators have 35 out of 1,000 unique four-digit number combinations going into this lottery. If one of these combinations is selected, they will win the lottery.
The National Hockey League is going to conduct a lottery on Tuesday evening to decide who will make the first and second overall picks in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Every pick after will be in reverse order of the standings, except for the teams that make it to the final four, who will pick 28th-31st. The Ottawa Senators will pick 32nd as a punishment handed down by the league for an infraction made involving a no-trade clause.
Ottawa originally had to forfeit one first-round pick from 2024, 2025, or 2026. Their pick was given back to them in 2026, but it must stay at 32 no matter what. It stems from a trade involving Evgenii Dadonov, where Ottawa wasn’t forthright about his no-trade list.
Blackhawks Odds
The Chicago Blackhawks finished in 31st place out of 32. That means they have the second-best odds of winning the lottery and securing the first overall pick at 13.5 percent. They have a 14.1 percent chance of winning the second lottery, which will retain the second overall pick for them.
There is a 30.7 percent chance they fall one spot to third, and a 41.7 percent chance they fall two spots to fourth. They can go no further down than that. No matter what, this will be the fourth straight year that they make a top-four draft pick.
Top Prospects
Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg are the consensus top two picks in the drafts. Both of them are forwards who bring a different element to their game. Each of them will be part of their new team’s core going forward.
In the tier below them is another forward in Caleb Malhotra. There are also three defensemen, Keaton Verhoeff, Carson Carels, and Chase Reid, who are all possible top-five picks. There are always going to be varying opinions, but these young men stick out as the likely top prospects unless someone reaches.
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Tuesday night in New Jersey, the NHL will host its annual Draft Lottery, where we find out the order of the first 16 picks for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
In what has been of the more surprising developments of the 2025-26 season, the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers are one of the teams in the thick of the lottery race.
An injury-plagued season unlike any seen before caused the Panthers to miss the playoffs for the first time in seven years, dropping a team that is expected to contend for the Cup again next season right in the thick of the mix for the number one overall selection.
When the dust settled on the regular season, Florida held the eighth-worst record in the NHL.
That gave the Panthers a 6% chance at landing the first overall selection.
The way the NHL Draft Lottery works is a very interesting process.
Here is how the NHL breaks it down:
“There are four balls numbered 1 to 14 and 1,001 possible four-number combinations. One combination is designated as a redraw (11, 12, 13, 14), allowing the NHL to divide by 1,000 among the 16 teams that did not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“Based on the final NHL regular-season standings and the draft lottery odds determined by the Board of Governors, each team receives an allotment of randomly assigned four-number combinations. Essentially, the lower you finish, the more lottery tickets you receive.”
The NHL Draft Lottery actually consists of two separate draws; one for the first overall pick and one for the rest of the draft order.
A team can only move up a total of 10 spots, so only the bottom-11 teams are eligible to move up to first overall.
For Florida, that means they have the possibility of ending up with the first, second, eighth, ninth or tenth overall selection.
The Panthers will receive the first or second pick if they win either draw, but they’ll get bumped back to ninth or tenth if one or two teams below them win one or both of the draws.
In their history, Florida has actually won the Draft Lottery three times.
They won in both 2002 and 2003 but traded down each time. In 2014, Florida again won the Lottery and selected Aaron Ekblad with the first overall pick.
This year, whoever lands the top pick is expected to select elite forward Gavin McKenna, though Swedish star winger Ivar Stenberg is also under consideration by some for first overall.
Regardless of where Florida lands in the draft order, it will be interesting to see what the Panthers end up doing with their pick.
With Florida seemingly in win-now mode for the foreseeable future, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Panthers General Manager Bill Zito explore trading the high-end asset for a player or players who can contribute to the team immediately.
The NHL Draft Lottery will air at 7 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN.
Photo caption: Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; A general view of the draft board after the first overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
After a day off in Tampa Bay on Monday, the Montreal Canadiens will practice in Florida before making their way to the state of New York for the first duel of their series with the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.
While the Habs needed seven games to get past the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Sabres only needed six games to get past the Boston Bruins in their first-round series. Only two of their games were decided by a single goal, and only one needed extra time. Buffalo outscored Boston 20-12, while Montreal edged Tampa by a single goal,16-15. A single goal decided every single game in the Habs-Bolts series, and four games were decided in overtime.
Buffalo had the worst power play efficiency in the first round, only scoring one man-advantage marker in 24 opportunities for a 4.2% success rate. Meanwhile, the Canadiens had a 19.2% efficiency, scoring five goals on 26 opportunities, although three of their goals came in the first game. The Sabres fared much better on the penalty kill, only allowing two goals in 16 opportunities for 87.5%. As for the Canadiens, they gave up five power-play goals on 29 opportunities for a 82.8% efficiency.
In net, Jakub Dobes was between the posts for the Canadiens’ seven games, but the situation wasn’t as stable for the Sabres. Buffalo started the series with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who won the first game, but he was pulled from the second game after surrendering four goals on 20 shots. Alex Lyon took over, and Luukkonen rode the pine for the rest of the series. In five games, Lyon had a 1.14 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage.
Up front, Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch lead the charge with seven points each, followed by Peyton Krebs with six. The Sabres also benefited from a lot of offensive support from the blueline, with Bowen Byram notching five points, while Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin both had four. Meanwhile, the Canadiens were led by Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson, who had six points each, followed by Cole Caufield, Kaiden Guhle, Zachary Bolduc and Alexandre Texier, all of whom had four.
This series will mark the eighth time the Canadiens and the Sabres have met in the postseason and the first time since the Conference Semifinal in 1998. Back then, the Sabres had become the third team in NHL history to sweep the Canadiens. However, the Habs have won four of the seven series so far, and they also swept the Sabres once en route to winning the Stanley Cup in 1993.
The Sabres finished the season with 109 points, three more than the Canadiens, but the two teams split their four regular-season matchups. Montreal won 4-2 in October and at the end of January, while the Sabres won two games of their own, 5-3 and 4-2, in the span of a week in January. It’s worth noting that Dobes was in the net for both of the Canadiens’ wins, while Colton Ellis and Luukkonen backstopped the Sabres to their two wins.
While the Canadiens’ top line struggled to make a mark at even strength in the first round against Tampa Bay, they should fare better against Buffalo. Despite having a solid defense, the Sabres do not have the same kind of defensive forward as the Lightning does. Furthermore, in the four regular-season duels, Suzuki put up eight points while Caufield had six. Meanwhile, Thompson led the Sabres with seven points, followed by Noah Ostlund, who had four.
The series will kick off on Wednesday night in Buffalo, with Game 2 on Friday night. The series will then move to Montreal for Game 3, which will take place on Sunday, May 10, while Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday, May 12.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 25: Tobias Harris #12 and Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons battle Dean Wade #32 of the Cleveland Cavaliers for a rebound during the second half at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 25, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Pistons 113-101. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t assemble the highest-paid roster in the league just to get out of the first round.
“We haven’t done anything,” Donovan Mitchell said after his team closed out the Toronto Raptors in seven games. “It’s just the first round.”
The Cavs will have their hands full against a 60-win Detroit Pistons team that proved to be one of the best defenses in the league all season. That said, there’s a path to winning the series and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. Let’s get into the keys for Game 1.
1. Reestablish the pick-and-roll
Both Mitchell and James Harden struggled to shake free of Toronto’s perimeter defenders. The top-locking defensive strategy, coupled with their ability to switch every screen and not be at a distinct disadvantage because of it, made it difficult for them to establish a consistent scoring rhythm. At least not the kind we’re used to seeing.
Detroit is a better statistical and traditional defense than Toronto. They were the second-best unit in the league for a reason. Their ability to run teams off the three-point line, funnel them inside, and then provide tough contests from there made them difficult for teams to crack, especially with two imposing centers in Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart.
At the same time, they aren’t a switch-heavy team like the Raptors, which does present some additional openings for the Cavs to attack mismatches.
Cleveland’s best offense this year has been when they can create advantages off the pick-and-roll. They should be able to get into those actions much easier, given Detroit’s drop coverage.
2. Exploiting the weak links
The Raptors weren’t the most talented team in the playoffs, but there aren’t many groups that had as many passable two-way players. There really weren’t any weak links to attack on offense or ignore completely on defense.
The Pistons have more talent, but there’s more guys who aren’t high impact on both sides of the ball.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Donovan Mitchell and James Harden NBA Jam shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.
Duncan Robinson is a great shooter, but he’s someone that the guards can go after in a matchup much easier than any of Toronto’s rotation players. On the other end, Ausar Thompson is a phenomenal defender, but you can cheat off him defensively due to his lack of playmaking and shooting.
The Cavs also have several players that teams can take advantage of as well. Opponents mostly ignore Dean Wade on offense and attack guys like Mitchell and Harden on the other end.
The team that can hide its weaker players and exploit their opponents could come away with the win.
3. Find the three-point shot
The Cavs won their first-round series without ever getting the three-ball going. They shot just 34.1% from beyond the arc throughout the series. This included shooting below 30% in three games, including the Game 7 victory.
Cleveland isn’t the outside-shooting juggernaut they were at times last year, but they’re still one of the better shooting teams in the league as they connected on 36% of their shots in the regular season.
This is an advantage they should have over Detroit. The Pistons aren’t a high-volume three-point shooting team, and they don’t connect on them particularly well. That came through repeatedly in their first-round victory over the Orlando Magic, even in some of their wins.
4. Win the possession game
Head coach Kenny Atkinson has preached the need to grab rebounds and limit turnovers all season. The Cavs struggled at times throughout their first-round series with both, but closed the Raptors out in Game 7 by winning this category by nine.
That same focus will be needed against the Pistons.
Cade Cunningham was at his worst in the first round when he was turning the ball over. He averaged 5.9 giveaways per game against Orlando. This includes averaging 6.7 in Detroit’s three losses.
As a team, the Pistons aren’t great at protecting the ball. They finished the regular season 22nd in turnover percentage (15%) as an offense. However, what they made up for that in other areas, particularly in offensive rebounding and forcing turnovers of their own.
Detroit was second in offensive rebounding percentage in the regular season. They grabbed 34.3% of their missed shots.
On the other end, the Pistons had the highest turnover percentage in the league as a defense. They turned opponents over on 16.8% of their possessions.
There are areas the Cavs can attack here. They could be disruptive on the offensive glass and force Cunningham into turnovers. But they have to be careful not to fall victim to those same issues themselves.
5. Can Dean Wade make things difficult for Cade Cunningham?
Stopping a player as good as Cunningham is a complete team effort, but you’d expect Wade to draw the primary assignment on the superstar guard.
Wade has been the team’s best wing defender all season. He did an excellent job of taking Brandon Ingram away at the beginning of the series against Toronto and shifted onto Barnes as the series progressed.
Cunningham struggled against Orlando when he was guarded by Franz Wagner. Wagner’s size and strength presented real issues. It wasn’t until a calf strain forced Wagner out of the lineup that Cunningham really got going.
Wade has some of those same qualities. He has good length, quickness, and strength. Wade has continually shown he’s comfortable defending on the perimeter against an opponent’s primary offensive engine.
The key to this will likely come down to the other end of the court. For Wade’s defense to be its most effective, his offense needs to be good enough to justify staying on the court. That was an issue at times in the first round as Wade’s outside shot left him for stretches.
Outside of Wade, the Cavs don’t have many good options to turn to for guarding Cunningham. Max Strus has shown a willingness to battle with bigger wings, but he doesn’t have the strength or size to present the same issues for Cunningham. Jaylon Tyson has had stretches of looking like that guy, but it’s fair to question whether he’s ready for such a big assignment.
Cunningham is the head of the snake. There’s no situation where the Pistons get past the Cavs if he isn’t playing at an All-NBA level. That puts a premium on Wade and the rest of the team’s defense against Cunningham.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 27: Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) wait on the bench to take a shift during the second period in Game Five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 27, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Whatever decision that Kyle Dubas and the Penguins make about the status of Evgeni Malkin could be the most important or telling one of the whole offseason. Bring back the 40-year old player and that sets a pretty clear course to try and make the 2026-27 season look a lot like this past year where a scrappy underdog team will be led by legends and try to see how far they can go. If the team decides against bringing Malkin back, that could signal a change in direction and possibly more of a rebuild mode to get younger and focus on the longer-term.
Two recent takes caught our eye; a case for why the Penguins should move on by Noah Hiles at the PG and the opposite side of the coin by Joe Starkey at the Trib. Let’s see who makes a better case.
The fact that he is no longer vintage Malkin hardly makes him a liability. He’s also one of the best bargains in the NHL. His cap hit of $6.1 million ranked a laughable 169th among all players and 98th among forwards, according to spotrac.com.
To review:
Cap hit among forwards: 98th
Points per game among all players: 22nd.
The Penguins have had plenty of stars. Malkin is a franchise legend — one of the four greatest Penguins of all-time (third on my list, behind Mario Lemieux and Crosby). His number will surely be retired. He is beloved inside and outside of the locker room. He can still play. He won’t break the bank.
And quite conveniently, he just put a definitive timeline on how long he wants to play. In speaking with reporters at locker-cleanout day Friday, Malkin said, “I want to play one more year in the NHL.”
There you have it. One more year. Surely, you don’t want to see him spend that year in a Washington Capitals jersey (or worse), do you?
…
Meanwhile, so much of his career has been spent in Crosby’s shadow, which has been largely a blessing because it took the focus off Malkin. Next year, however, much of the focus should be on Malkin. And it should mean something, too, that Crosby wants him back.
…
What’s the worst that can happen? Malkin underperforms? His one-year cap hit of $6 million or so won’t exactly bankrupt the franchise. It’ll be OK.
Hopefully, Dubas does the right thing here. If not, the Hoffman family should, assuming the sale goes through.
The great Evgeni Malkin deserves a farewell tour.
Most arguments for Malkin return can center around either sentimentality or the practical nature that he had a very strong season last year. It makes a lot of sense, the Pens almost surely can get Malkin for relatively cheap next year. It would be difficult to find a 50+ point player for a one-year commitment at like $4-6 million dollars. (Pittsburgh did find one such player in Anthony Mantha, but that kind of output is much more the exception than the rule for that class of player).
Starkey lays out a good case. Players who have given 20 years, 1400+ points, two scoring titles, an MVP and three Stanley Cups to a franchise deserve to be treated with respect and deference. If that player wants to play for one more year, maybe they should get that, right?
Not so according to the other take.
Parting ways with Evgeni Malkin won’t be easy for anyone. For fans and players alike, it will be tough to see him in another uniform. Yet, when considering everything at hand, it seems like the best option.
It’s not unreasonable to believe he can replicate similar production next year. If the Penguins are able to retain Malkin while also adding another younger, more dynamic scorer, perhaps keeping him makes sense. His veteran prowess provides value, and he seems open toward embracing a lesser role.
But even still, it’s worth wondering if the money required to bring Malkin back couldn’t be better spent elsewhere.
Should Dubas want to drastically revamp the roster, this offseason is the time for that to happen
…
The Penguins would be better off letting the 2025-26 season be Malkin’s last in Pittsburgh. As someone who grew up in the area, who fell in love with sports when Malkin was in the thick of his prime, I’m well aware that this opinion will rub some the wrong way.
I understand the connection he holds with the fans. I myself still get goosebumps when hearing the crowd’s roar as he, the last player out of the room, makes his way to the ice just before the national anthem. He’s provided countless happy memories for Penguins fans, and it’s not wrong to hope for more.
However, when it comes to Malkin’s departure, it would be better to be a year early than a year late. The Penguins are already stuck with one franchise hero that’s well past his prime. Kris Letang has become more of a liability than an asset. It’s only a matter of time before Malkin’s game also plummets to that level, and the Penguins can’t afford to have two roster spots filled due to nostalgia.
The problems with this take are two-fold. For starters, the Penguins enter the offseason with about $45 million in cap space. Resigning Malkin won’t or shouldn’t hinder the Pens from revamping the roster as much as they are able to do so. The team had between $11-13 million cap space in 2025-26, they’re very likely to have at least that much room for 2026-27 as well. Whether or not they keep or part ways with Malkin, the financial aspect carries minimum significance.
The other issue is one of projection that Malkin’s game will ‘plummet’. 2026-27 might not be a ‘year too late’ it could potentially be right on time for a final campaign. Malkin was the team’s fifth leading scorer, and tied with Sidney Crosby for first in points per game. Those numbers would likely decline somewhat next season, though it’s an unsupported leap to project disaster.
Anyone is allowed a preference and an opinion, though it’s only the stance of Dubas that counts. It remains to be seen which path he will take. At breakdown day Malkin didn’t appear very confident he would be back next season, which indicates that Dubas hasn’t become particularly serious yet in reaching out to take care of the contract. On the whole, Dubas surely wants to get younger and steer the Penguins into their next era. However, 12 months ago it was looking like young players such as Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen would be ready for featured roles in the NHL in 2026-27. That no longer appears to be the case, the Pens got a big surprise from Ben Kindel’s emergence but they don’t really have a major youth movement impending on the NHL horizon.
Mar 2, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox (4) dribbles against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Good morning, BBN!
It is officially one of the greatest times of the sports calendar as the NBA and NHL Playoffs are in full swing. Now, while there are not a lot of former Kentucky Wildcats riddled across the NHL, there are plenty of them in the NBA.
On top of that, there are still several Cats fighting for a chance to win an NBA Championship this season.
As the second round gets underway, we have eight teams remaining: Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, and the Philadelphia 76ers. Only one team does not have a former Cat on the roster: The Pistons.
So who is still playing? Here is a quick list:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)
Cason Wallace (OKC)
Jarred Vanderbilt (LAL)
Julius Randle (MIN)
De’Aaron Fox (SA)
Keldon Johnson (SA)
Olivier Sarr (CLE)
Karl Anthony-Towns (NYK)
Tyrese Maxey (PHI)
Justin Edwards (PHI)
At the moment, it looks like the chances of another former Wildcat bringing home an NBA Championship are quite good. Should be a fun few rounds left to watch who cuts down the nets.
Tweet of the Day
How many 20+ million dollar rosters are there in college basketball this offseason? Sean Miller's perspective:
"Educated guess? Sometimes you don't have all the information… I would say 20-25." 👀
BOSTON - DECEMBER 18: Toni Kukoc #7 of the Chicago Bulls shoots during a game played on December 18, 1995 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1995 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Jerry Krause doesn’t get enough credit for what he did with the Chicago Bulls. Not only did he not make the mistake that Houston and Portland made in not taking Michael Jordan (the Bulls took him at #3 in the 1984 draft), he quickly paired him with Scottie Pippen.
For the first three championship teams, the Bulls put guys like Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, and John Paxson around their Dynamic Duo.
Jordan, of course, stepped away from basketball after the 1993 championship, but came back in 1995.
The team to an extent had already been rebuilt, notably with Grant being traded, but Krause again put together a brilliant group. He still had Pippen, and of course, Jordan was back. But the core of the rotation had been rebuilt, and brilliantly.
Chicago brought in shooter Steve Kerr, Aussie big man Luc Longley, Ron Harper, Dennis Rodman, and a player Krause had long coveted, Toni Kukoc.
Krause had long celebrated Kukoc, a native of Croatia, to the point where Jordan and Pippen were sick of hearing about him, so they went out of their way to shut him down when the Dream Team played Croatia in the 1992 Olympics.
But Krause wasn’t wrong: Kukoc was great. Not really good. Great.
At 6-11, Kukoc had point guard skills, as you’ll see here, and he meshed perfectly with that team. You wanted to keep Jordan and Pippen on the court as much as possible, but you could add Rodman, Kukoc, and Harper to almost anyone else on the floor and have possibly the most versatile team in NBA history.
That team really did invent positionless basketball, and did it decades before the term was even considered.
England suffered four defeats in dismal Six Nations
Bill Sweeney says improvement not ‘one simple answer’
Steve Borthwick and his coaching staff are to remain in charge of England’s men’s team despite the squad’s worst Five or Six Nations for 50 years. The Rugby Football Union has opted to back Borthwick and his lieutenants through to next year’s Rugby World Cup in Australia having completed what it described as “a detailed and robust review” of England’s latest campaign.
Despite having lost four championship games in the same season for the first time since 1976, the RFU has chosen to keep faith with the Borthwick regime in the belief that things can only get better. The union has decided that sacking the head coach is not the optimal solution, having previously dispensed with Eddie Jones’s services nine months prior to the 2023 World Cup.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 8: Ryan Shea #5 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates with Arturs Silovs #37 following a 5-4 overtime win over the Boston Bruins at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 8, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to switch into offseason mode as the Pittsburgh Penguins have a busy summer ahead as they look to continue to retool and build off the success of the 2025-26 season that saw them return to the playoffs for the first time in four years. There is plenty of work for Kyle Dubas to attend to and that work starts now as his team evaluates free agents, explore possible trade options, and prepare for the NHL Draft.
Pens Points…
With the Penguins out of the playoffs, all attentions turns to the offseason and what Kyle Dubas has plans to keep retooling the team back into a true contender. There are many avenues Dubas can pick this offseason, which should make him a busy man throughout the summer. [Pensburgh]
One of the many questions to answered this summer for Kyle Dubas and his staff will be which pending free agents to resign and which to let go. Among those pending free agents is defenseman Ryan Shea who put himself in line for a big pay day with his play this season. [Trib Live]
Shea is just one of a handful of players who the Penguins will need to make decisions on this summer. The biggest name among the group is obviously Evgeni Malkin, but Geno is far from the only player without a contract the Penguins could bring back for another run. [The Hockey News]
Two years ago, the Penguins signed Sebastian Aho as a free agent, but not the Aho who immediately comes to mind when you hear the name. Signed to be a depth defenseman in the Penguins system, Aho did not appear in a single NHL game in his two seasons in the organization. [Trib Live]
Second round action is now underway in the Stanley Cup playoffs with three of the four series already through Game 1 with just Montreal/Buffalo waiting to begin. Carolina looks to have already overmatched Philadelphia while Minnesota and Colorado should be great hockey theater. [Pensburgh]
NHL News and Notes…
Remember when we all thought the biggest event of the spring for the Penguins was going to be waiting to see how high they were picking in the 2026 NHL Draft? While the Penguins will not be taking part, 16 other teams will learn their draft fate tonight at the NHL Draft Lottery. [NHL]
NHL Award nominations roll on this week with the Bill Masterson finalists being announced on Monday. Rasmus Dahlin, Gabe Landeskog, and Jonathan Toews will vie for the Masterson trophy this season after comeback seasons from all three. [NHL]
Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) watches game action from the dugout against the St. Louis Cardinals during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates have on paper one of the best rotations in baseball, but they cannot expect to maximize that talent if they continue to limit their ace, Paul Skenes.
In 2026, Skenes has seven starts under his belt with a 4-2 record and a 3.18 ERA. When he’s on the mound, he’s mostly been very effective, with his starts against the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals being outliers. Outside of those two ugly starts though ,Skenes has only allowed one earned run or less in his other appearances. The problem now though is when Skenes, pitches he’s averaging less than five innings pitched, 4.76 innings on average to be exact.
If this is the plan the Pirates have to keep Skenes fresh for the postseason, they will fail. The game plan of playing not to lose instead of playing to win has a weak foundation, and the Pirates won’t even sniff the playoffs if they continue to utilize Skenes this way. The middle innings have been rough for Pittsburgh’s bullpen, and the longer those arms are out there the more likely it is that opposing teams are going to win.
Paul Skenes took a perfect game into the 7th inning in one of his best career starts 👏 pic.twitter.com/FRQcvx949K
Perhaps the biggest flaw in Skenes’ game is why the Pirates have been cautious with his starts; his biggest flaw being that he throws a lot of pitches. Skenes relies a lot on swing and miss pitches, and balls that just barely miss the strike zone. Because of his approach, he racks up pitches, sometimes quickly. In his most recent start against the Cardinals, the 23-year-old righty threw 102 pitches in just five innings. His start before that against Milwaukee, he threw 93 pitches, and twice this season topped 85 pitches thrown as well. If it’s a matter of workload ,the Pirates are still letting him throw a high number of pitches in a smaller amount of innings, as he’s currently averaging roughly 78.3 pitches thrown per contest.
Perhaps the reason that the Pirates have limited the action that Skenes sees is the dark underlying one that all Buccos fans fear. It’s possible that the Pirates don’t see Skenes as a long term option for the club, but instead as a massive trade package for future assets. Let’s not sugarcoat it, Skenes is the best pitcher in baseball. The best pitcher in baseball figures to fetch quite the contract extension when his time comes. However, the 19-year-old unproven prospect who hadn’t yet played an inning of Major League ball got the largest contract extension in franchise history. Meanwhile Skenes is already a two-time All-Star and Cy Young Award winner, and is still playing on the deal he signed when he was drafted.
Ever since he was drafted but especially last season, there have been numerous rumors about the Pirates receiving trade offers for Skenes. Now even if the Pirates have no intention of trading the superstar pitcher now, they might not have him in the budget long term. Skenes could easily garner a $5o million yearly salary, which would break the bank for the thrifty Pirates. Zach Wheeler and Jacob DeGrom are currently averaging about $40 million a year, and Skenes could easily get that or more. Perhaps the Pirates are just trying to keep Skenes as healthy as possible to keep the trade market as bountiful as possible, or it’s entirely possible that Skenes doesn’t want to be a Pirate long term, although nothing to this point has indicated that.
Regardless of what the Pirates or Skenes’ plans are longterm, both parties need to be focused on the task at hand. Pittsburgh is at the bottom of the NL Central, and it’s not going to get any easier down the stretch. The goal should be to win, and Skenes is the guy that can help bring this team out of the basement and into the limelight.
The Rockets are not going to fire their GM or their Head Coach. Once you allow the emotion of the immensely disappointing end to the Rockets season subside, (and please take all the time you need) then you understand why they aren’t doing it, even if you think they should fire Rafael Stone and Ime Udoka. As for this writer? I’m in the camp that doesn’t think it’s time to fire them yet, but things sure seem to be heading in the direction where I think they may need to go. For instance, should they turn right around and trade Kevin Durant for pennies on the dollar, that would signal to me a complete admission that trading for him was a mistake in the first place.
Now, I want to say there is no way they are going to trade Kevin Durant, but I am the same guy who said they would never trade for Kevin Durant and hang their championship hopes on a 37-year-old with a lengthy injury history. That to me is kind of the issue. I hope they know what the plan is, because from where I am sitting, I have no clue. I have stood 10 toes down for Rafael Stone and Ime Udoka over the last three seasons, but in my humble opinion, enough time has passed where it’s time to start asking some questions about the job Rafael Stone has done.
My first question is this… How is it that after having a top four pick for four years in a row, having 10 first round nd picks total, the Rockets managed to get exactly zero consistent shooters, and after trading away Jalen Green and Cam Whitmore, have just one freakishly athletic player in Amen Thompson, who can create their own shot or shots for others. Yes, Alperen Sengun is athletic for his size, however he is not the type of player that will break down any defender and create offense, and if you want to agree to disagree that’s okay… I’ll give Stone two guys… out of 10. Neither of whom is a consistent shooter.
How is it that the Oklahoma City Thunder have shooters all the way down to the ball boy and guy who wipes the sweat off the floor, and the Houston Rockets have none? How is it that they have 11 guys who can create a shot for themselves, and the Houston Rockets have two? Rafael Stone built this team. No one, and I mean NO ONE he has drafted is a consistent shooter. If Reed Sheppard becomes that, then he will have drafted exactly one shooter.
Now, for those of you who will say, “But the ping pong balls never went his way…” Okay, so he couldn’t have drafted Cade Cunningham, but you did get an absolute freak of nature in Jalen Green, and you gave up on him at the age of 23. He couldn’t draft Paolo Banchero… but he could have drafted Jaylen Williams. I’ll give a slight pass on this as Jabari was projected to be a much more consistent shooter in the NBA, but I get my draft analysis from TV and the internet. Rafael Stone gets paid a lot of money to be right. I will give Jabari this complement. He cares and he steps his game up in big moments. That’s the kind of guy you want on your team, but in hindsight, he is not the third best player from that draft class. I’m not going to fault him for drafting Amen Thompson because in my opinion, outside of Wemby, Thompson is the best player from that class. However, Thompson is a guy you put on a team full of shooters and the Rockets had none at the time they drafted him.
So, if you couldn’t draft the shooters then why couldn’t you add them in free-agency? Luke Kennard could have been made a Rocket last offseason. Instead, Stone signed DFS to a three-year deal. A 35-percent career three-point shooter, because he had one efficient shooting season with the Lakers and Nets. Duncan Robinson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Seth Curry??? Anyone? Rather, we saw the Rockets turn into a stand around and watch KD, because no one else can create a shot, offense. Udoka is not absolved from this conversation, but Raphael Stone is doing the grocery shopping, and like me when my wife sends me to the store, he keeps forgetting stuff.
The Rockets cannot, in my opinion, turn around and make the Kevin Durant trade obsolete by flipping him after one season. I think, they want to get a look at the team with Fred Van Vleet, with a healthy DFS, with a healthy Durant and Steven Adams, but go back and just read what I wrote there. Put the odds on all of that happening. Put the odds on that beating OKC, or even the Lakers. The year to run it back one more time was this past season and Rafael Stone said “NOPE!” So now, what is he going to do? Because the job is still his. He painted himself into this corner and he’s going to have to get himself out of it, quickly.
