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Panthers Named As Possible Match For Blackhawks Defenseman

The Florida Panthers have been named as a possible match for Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy. 

There have been several reports throughout the season that the Panthers could be interested in adding a third-pairing defenseman. Since Dmitry Kulikov went down with an injury, the Panthers have struggled to find a third pairing that they feel comfortable with. 

They signed Jeff Petry in the off-season to a one-year, $775,000 contract, but the move hasn't paid off quite as well as the Panthers would have hoped. They've attempted to play both Uvis Balinskis and Donovan Sebrango alongside him, but haven't always liked the results.

Murphy, whom The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun selected as a match for the Panthers, is a right-handed defenseman and would likely replace Petry in the lineup. As they are both right-handed, the Panthers' third pair could be Kulikov-Murphy. Murphy, 32, has played in 38 games this season, notching five assists.

Throughout his NHL career, Murphy has played 783 games, scoring 43 goals and 165 points. He's only been to the post-season once, playing in nine games. 

The Blackhawks have added several young defenseman to their lineup this year, which is why the 6-foot-4, 212-pound defenseman's ice time has gone down. He's averaging just 15:26 of ice time, over five minutes fewer than last season. 

Connor Murphy (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)

"The hurdle for Florida would be finding the cap space," said LeBrun. "Murphy’s $4.4 million cap hit is rich, but obviously it would require Chicago retaining some, plus the Panthers have $3.8 million in long-term-injured-reserve money at their disposal with captain Aleksander Barkov out. The Panthers and Blackhawks made a trade a year ago involving Seth Jones. Obviously, this wouldn’t be at the same level, but it could be beneficial."

"I also think the Blackhawks will want to do right by Murphy, who has long been respected in that room," LeBrun continued. "He’s only played nine career playoff games and they were in the Edmonton pandemic bubble in 2020, so he hasn’t experienced a traditional playoff run with fans. Joining the Cup champs would be perfect."

Murphy is in the final season of a four-year, $ 4.4 million contract he signed with the Blackhawks. With the rising cap, the Panthers could re-sign him in the off-season when his contract expires. 

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Connor Bedard Skated Before Blackhawks' Monday Practice

The Chicago Blackhawks went 1-1-0 over the weekend. At the Dallas Stars, the Blackhawks pulled off a shootout victory against one of the best teams in the NHL. On Sunday, at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the second half of back-to-back woes continued with a 7-3 loss. 

Things are difficult right now without Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar. They were already a young, growing team with those guys in the lineup, and now they are missing an exponential amount of offensive talent. 

Blackhawks Snap Losing Streak With Quality Win Over Stars Blackhawks Snap Losing Streak With Quality Win Over Stars The Chicago Blackhawks picked up a quality win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night. Penguins Skate Out Of Chicago With 7-3 Victory Over BlackhawksPenguins Skate Out Of Chicago With 7-3 Victory Over BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks were run out of their own building by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday night.

Ahead of Monday's practice at Fifth Third Arena, Connor Bedard was seen skating. He was stick handling and using some speed while skating, but he did not take any shots. Jeff Blashill said after practice that this is a part of his rehab plan. 

Blashill also gave an update on Nazar, saying that he has been upgraded to eating solid foods again. Now it is even more obvious that it is a broken jaw keeping him out of the lineup. 

Ilya Mikheyev returned to practice following the birth of his child, and the lines/defense pairs looked as such with him back: 

Bertuzzi-Greene-Burakovsky

Teravainen-Moore-Lardis

Donato-Dickinson-Mikheyev

Foligno-Dach-Slaggert

Extras: Lafferty, Toninato

Vlasic-Crevier

Kaiser-Levshunov

Grzelcyk-Murphy

Extra: Del Mastro

Knight

Söderblom

There is a lot to unpack with these lines. For one, Nick Lardis is on the same line as Teuvo Teravainen. This is a chance for Lardis to play alongside a forward whose sole goal is going to be feeding him. Oliver Moore and his speed are getting an opportunity to play center on that line, which could lead to good things for Chicago's offensive chances. 

Ilya Mikheyev was on the third line with Ryan Donato and Jason Dickinson. This line, no matter what, is going to play hard, be sound defensively, and may chip in some offense here and there. 

Landon Slaggert goes down the lineup with Colton Dach and Nick Foligno on the fourth line. Slaggert, who was recently recalled by Chicago from Rockford, deserves to be in the lineup more than the extras based on how he's played since coming back. 

With Bedard and Nazar out at the same time, Ryan Greene is getting another chance at the top-line center position. Tyler Bertuzzi and Andre Burakovsky are good wingers for Greene in this experiment. 

On defense, Ethan Del Mastro was the extra. They haven't been dressing seven since Sam Rinzel was sent down to the Rockford IceHogs. For now, it is status quo for this group.  

Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom each played in the 7-3 loss to the Penguins on Sunday. Both of them are going to be needed with a lot of hockey coming up in a short period of time. We won't know until Tuesday who is going to start against the New York Islanders on the same evening. 

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What we learned as Steph Curry drops 27 in Warriors' bounce-back win over Nets

What we learned as Steph Curry drops 27 in Warriors' bounce-back win over Nets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

An ugly overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors, where the Warriors blew another fourth-quarter lead, had to be quickly flushed with a game the next night in Brooklyn against the Nets. 

The response from the Warriors was a 120-107 win over the Nets at Barclays Center, beating one of the NBA’s hottest teams this month. The Warriors, now 17-16, have just one more game in 2025 when Steph Curry gets to enjoy a Charlotte homecoming against the Hornets on New Year’s Eve. 

Curry (27 points) and Jimmy Butler (21 points) combined to score 48 points as the rest of the Warriors’ starting five scored 14.

Here’s what coach Steve Kerr will be happiest about: The Warriors won the turnover battle, outrebounded the Nets, went 28 of 34 on free throws and received contributions throughout the roster. 

The Warriors’ bench outscored the Nets 58-27, and all eight players who came off their bench had a positive plus/minus.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ win over the Nets (10-20):

Gotham City Duo 

As if playing 41 minutes and scoring 39 points the night prior wasn’t enough. There isn’t another road arena where Curry scores at a higher clip than Barclays Center. He came into Monday averaging 30.1 points per game against the Nets on the road, and was ready to do whatever it took to get the Warriors back in the win column.

Butler made sure Curry had his trusted sidekick beside him. That became most evident during the third quarter. Curry in the third quarter scored 10 straight points for the Warriors, and then watched Butler score the Dubs’ last 11 points without him.

Butler was a perfect 4 of 4 from the field and 5 of 6 on free throws for 13 points in the third quarter, and Curry’s 10 points came from making three of his four field goals and both of his free throws.

The two scored 23 of the Warriors’ 30 points in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Warriors were able to lean into their strength in numbers.

On a night where the Warriors were cold from 3-point range, Curry’s five total threes were half of the team’s 10. Butler didn’t attempt one 3-pointer. His damage was done at the free-throw line, where he went 11 of 12.

Dipping Into Depth

Since Al Horford played 17 minutes Sunday in the first game of a back-to-back and De’Anthony Melton was inactive to preserve his health, their roles were flipped Monday. Melton was back in and it was time for Horford to take a seat. On the second night of a back-to-back, where the Warriors went to overtime and lost in Toronto the previous night.

Steve Kerr turned to his bench quickly, even bringing some surprises to his rotation. Gui Santos was a healthy DNP (Did Not Play) in each of the last two games, yet was Kerr’s first man off the bench Monday for his size against a bigger Brooklyn team. Kerr used 10 players in the first quarter and 13 by halftime, with Buddy Hield, Pat Spencer and Will Richard joining the party in the second quarter. 

The Warriors had 14 healthy players available Monday. Jonathan Kuminga was the only one who remained on the bench in his warmup gear. But Kerr’s decisions made a big difference. All eight bench players had a positive plus/minus in the first half, and their reserves had outscored the Nets 33-13.

Brandin Podziemski, who played 10 minutes in the first half as a plus-9 with four points and two rebounds, then started the third quarter in place of Quinten Post.

The closing lineup featured the trio of Curry, Butler and Green, plus Melton and Richard. Nobody was better in the fourth quarter than Richard. The rookie played 11 minutes and was a plus-13, scoring 10 points and swiping two steals. Melton was a game-high plus-26, and Richard was second to him at plus-22.

Trade Season Auditions?

With the calendar year near a close, Jan. 15 being a few weeks away and the Feb. 5 trade deadline less than two months from now, scenarios are being created for how the Warriors can improve their roster. Perhaps two players from their opponent on Monday night can help. 

Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton have been connected to the Warriors, and both are being watched closely by the fan base. It didn’t take long to see why. By the time the Warriors had eight points, so did Porter. He scored the first three points of the game from a wide-open corner three and ended the first quarter with 10 points. Porter was the second or third option in Denver with the Nuggets. Against the Warriors, he continued to prove why he can be a top option during the best season of his career. 

Porter was up to 17 points at halftime, seven more than the Warriors’ leading scorer, who was Curry at 10 points. He still was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points through three quarters. Porter’s 27 points were tied for a game-high with Curry, scoring beyond the arc, in the midrange and at the rim.

While Claxton is averaging a career high in points per game, he impacts the game in a handful of other ways. Claxton would have been the Warriors’ third-leading scorer with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and he also would have led them in rebounds (nine), steals (three) and blocked shots (three).

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

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How to watch Dallas Mavericks vs. Portland Trailblazers: TV/live stream info for tonight's game

Don't miss tonight's Peacock NBA Monday doubleheader. The excitement tips off at 8:00 PM ET when the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the San Antonio Spurs, followed by the Dallas Mavericks vs Portland Trailblazers game at 10:30 PM.

See below for additional information on how to watch both games and follow all of the NBA action on NBC and Peacock. Peacock will feature 100 regular-season games throughout the course of the 2025-2026 season.

Click here to sign up for Peacock!

Dallas Mavericks:

The Mavs have lost four of their last five games, most recently falling 113-107 to the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. Cooper Flagg finished with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and five assists in the loss. P.J. Washington added 17 points and 5 rebounds, while Klay Thompson finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds.

Anthony Davis did not play on Saturday after leaving the team's Christmas Day loss with a groin injury. He is listed as questionable for tonight's game with right abductor soreness.

NBA: Denver Nuggets at Dallas Mavericks
NBA Trade Rumors 2025-26: Anthony Davis rumors fly, Harden to stay put, Hawks active
Will a big star be on the move at the trade deadline?

Portland Trailblazers:

The Trailblazers defeated the Boston Celtics 114-108, ending their three-game losing streak. Shaedon Sharpe led the way for Portland with 26 points and 5 rebounds. Deni Avdija finished with 24 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds, while Toumani Camara added 20 points. Donovan Clingan chipped in 18 points and finished with a game-high 18 rebounds.

How to watch Dallas Mavericks vs Portland Trailblazers:

  • When: Tonight, Monday, December 29
  • Where: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
  • Time: 10:30 PM ET
  • Live Stream:Peacock
NBA: Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls
Fantasy Basketball Week 11 Schedule Primer: Giannis Antetokounmpo is back!
Antetokounmpo will have the opportunity to play four games in Week 11 against some of the NBA’s worst defenses.

What other NBA games are on tonight?

Cleveland Cavaliers vs San Antonio Spurs - 8:00 PM ET on Peacock

How to watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock:

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.

Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

How to sign up for Peacock:

Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC & Bravo hits—Peacock is here for whatever you’re in the mood for.

NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule

Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.

What devices does Peacock support?

You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.

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(12-29-25) Sabres-Blues Gameday Lineup

ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Blues will have to play without another injured forward for the foreseeable future.

Pius Suter is the latest to hit the injury list after the Blues (15-16-8), who host the red-hot Buffalo Sabres (19-14-4) on Monday (7 p.m.; FDSNMW, ESPN 101.1-FM). The forward will be reevaluated in four weeks with a right high ankle sprain sustained in the third period of a 3-2 win against the Nashville Predators on Saturday after getting an MRI on Sunday.

Suter, who has seven goals and seven assists in 37 games this season, did not practice on Sunday.

It means Robby Fabbri will go back into the lineup in Suter’s spot after being a healthy scratch on Saturday. Also, Mathieu Joseph will re-enter the lineup on the fourth line, and go in for Jonatan Berggren.

But what the Blues will miss in Suter is a plethora of things.

“We haven’t had enough forwards grab and taking ownership of being reliable, trustworthy and really good at their habits and details defensively, and that’s why you see different people in there in different games, because when guys are on their details, they get that opportunity and there’s an opportunity for people to grab that,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “We have certain players we know are going to be there, but it’s not like we have two lines of it, and that’s up to the players to grab it. It’s very similar to the discussion we had yesterday about coming into our lineup and who does. We don’t want guys to come out of the lineup, and when you go into the lineup, it’s up to you to be really good at those habits and details so that we don’t take you out. That’s for everybody.”

Could Otto Stenberg, a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, be the guy to replace Suter’s wealth and many things be brings to the game? We’ll have more on that in an upcoming story.

- - -

The Blues will look to derail the Sabres express. In winning eight in a row, the Sabres, who lost 3-0 to the Blues in early November, have scored three or more goals in each game and won four of them by multiple goals, four of them by one goal, outscoring their opponents 25-15.

“It’s a lot different. Just their confidence, their swagger, you could see it,” Montgomery said of the Sabres. “They expect to score goals, they are scoring goals, they’re scoring gritty goals at the net front now besides the skill level that they have, and they have skill on three lines. That’s why your details and in the D-zone off the rush have to be good. And I think that if our details are good there, we’re going to get opportunities going the other way. And then it’s up to us. Last game we were 8-2 in odd-man rushes for. You keep getting those numbers and we get better at executing off the rush, we’re going to start scoring a lot more goals. It’s up to us to be really good at those odd-man rushes.”

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said in beating the Blues, there are several key factors.

“I think the numbers say they’re a great team to get interior shots too so we can’t let pucks go through us,” Ruff said. “I think their speed is evident. Their ‘D’ get up ice. Similar to us, our ‘D’ are heavily involved, their ‘D’ are heavily involved. We’ve got to make sure we don’t turn it into a track meet, that we’re weary of their guys coming.”

The Blues have another opportunity here to get to the .500 mark with a win.

“I think results are secondary right now to our process,” Montgomery said. “I talk about habits and details a lot and our process, the things that we believe in, winning the net fronts, winning special teams, winning the Grade A chances. There’s a lot of things, details that go into those major part of the process, and if we continue to be better at those things in the process, the results will take care of themselves. I’ve always believed that, and I will always believe that as I am a coach.”

- - -

It will be another homecoming for a St. Louis kid playing in the NHL when O’Fallon’s own Josh Dunne, who previously played in two preseason games in St. Louis with the Columbus Blue Jackets, will make his first regular-season appearance here tonight with the Sabres.

I’ll have more on Dunne’s return to St. Louis later, and also got a chance to catch up with goalie Colten Ellis and get his thoughts in being waived by the Blues and what it means to be in the NHL and have this opportunity.

- - -

Blues Projected Lineup:

Jake Neighbours-Robert Thomas-Pavel Buchnevich

Otto Stenberg-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou

Robby Fabbri-Dalibor Dvorsky-Jimmy Snuggerud

Alexey Toropchenko-Oskar Sundqvist-Mathieu Joseph

Philip Broberg-Colton Parayko

Tyler Tucker-Justin Faulk

Cam Fowler-Logan Mailloux

Joel Hofer will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Jonatan Berggren and Matthew Kessel. Dylan Holloway (high ankle sprain), Pius Suter (high ankle sprain), Nathan Walker (upper body) and Nick Bjugstad (upper body) are out.

- - -

Sabres Projected Lineup:

Peyton Krebs-Tage Thompson-Josh Doan

Noah Ostlund-Josh Norris-Alex Tuch

Zach Benson-Ryan McLeod-Jack Quinn

Jordan Greenway-Josh Dunne-Beck Malenstyn

Mattias Samuelsson-Rasmus Dahlin

Owen Power-Michael Kesselring

Bowen Byram-Zach Metsa

Alex Lyon will start in goal; Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Isak Rosen and Jacob Bryson. Tyson Kozak (upper body), Conor Timmins (broken leg), Jason Zucker (upper and lower body), Colten Ellis (concussion), Jiri Kulich (blood clot) and Justin Danforth (lower body) are all out.

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Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Anthony Black lighting it up

The NBA’s Christmas Day slate offered no shortage of star power or intrigue. The festivities opened with a monster comeback from the New York Knicks as they took down the Cleveland Cavaliers. Steph Curry reached 26,000 career points as his Warriors took down Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost a snoozer to the Houston Rockets, but the night closed on a high note as Nikola Jokic’s 55-point triple-double lifted the Nuggets past the Anthony Edwards (44 points) and the Timberwolves in overtime.

As we head into 2026, here are the top fantasy basketball waiver wire adds for Week 11.

→ Watch the NBA on Peacock on Monday night, as the Cavaliers take on the Spurs at 8 p.m. ET followed by the Mavericks against the Trail Blazers at 11 p.m. ET!

NBA: Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls
Fantasy Basketball Week 11 Schedule Primer: Giannis Antetokounmpo is back!
Antetokounmpo will have the opportunity to play four games in Week 11 against some of the NBA’s worst defenses.

Priority Adds

1. Anthony Black
2. Bilal Coulibaly
3. Moussa Diabate
4. Collin Gillespie
5. Tim Hardaway Jr.
6. Jaylon Tyson
7. Egor Demin
8. Brook Lopez
9. Jake LaRavia
10. Tari Eason
11. Sandro Mamukelashvili
12. Dylan Cardwell

Anthony Black, Orlando Magic (38 percent rostered)

Black was a recommended pickup last week, and he paid off handsomely for fantasy managers who added him. Over his last eight games (all starts), the young guard has averaged 20.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.6 blocks and 2.6 triples across 34.8 minutes. He went off for arguably the best game of his career in Saturday’s upset win over the Nuggets, dropping 38 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals and seven triples. With Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner still banged up, Black should continue to see big run. Even when both players return, Black has done enough to earn meaningful minutes, which should keep him relevant in standard leagues for the rest of the season.

Collin Gillespie, Phoenix Suns (35 percent rostered)

Gillespie continues to shine for Phoenix, and there’s no reason to expect him to slow down anytime soon. He’s scored 16+ points in five straight games, averaging 16.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 2.2 steals and 3.2 triples across 32.6 minutes. He’s provided elite value in multiple categories, and it’s a shock that he’s so widely available in Yahoo! leagues.

Tari Eason, Houston Rockets (31 percent rostered)

Eason has logged four games since returning from a lengthy absence, and in that span, he’s averaged 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.8 triples across 20.3 minutes. Eason started each of Houston’s last two games, and he totaled a healthy six steals, three blocks and three triples. He may not be a strong source of points, rebounds or assists, but he offers elite upside for the scarce defensive categories.

Jaylon Tyson, Cleveland Cavaliers (25 percent rostered)

Tyson continues to get it done for Cleveland, taking on meaningful minutes off the bench and filling in when needed. Over his last three games, he’s averaged 19 points, 9.0 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 0.7 blocks and 1.7 triples. He finished with a 23-point, 15-rebound double-double on Saturday.

Bilal Coulibaly, Washington Wizards (25 percent rostered)

Coulibaly has missed half of the season due to injury, but when available, he’s posted some great numbers. Across his last three outings, he’s averaged 16.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 2.0 steals, 1.3 swats and 1.3 triples. Coulibaly’s value as a defensive specialist makes him a strong waiver wire target, but his serviceable scoring is the cherry on top.

Sandro Mamukelashili, Toronto Raptors (22 percent rostered)

Jakob Poeltl (back) has been in and out of Toronto’s lineup throughout the season, and when available, he’s logged just 25.3 minutes per game - his fewest in six seasons. Mamu has posted reliable numbers off the bench and as a starter. He came off the bench Sunday in favor of Scottie Barnes at center, and Barnes came away with a monster 23/25/10 triple-double. Despite his move to the bench, Mamu delivered 13 points, six rebounds, two steals, a block and a triple.

Moussa Diabate, Charlotte Hornets (19 percent rostered)

Diabate is a must-add right now, as he continues to see big minutes for Charlotte as the team’s starting center. He should remain locked into that role until Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow) returns. Across his last three games, Diabate has averaged 9.0 points, 15 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals across 32.3 minutes.

Brook Lopez, Los Angeles Clippers (19 percent rostered)

BroLo was another name listed in last week’s column, but he was rostered in only 4% of Yahoo! leagues on December 22. After some great play, his roster percentage has increased 500%, and fantasy managers should grab him now. Lopez went off for a career-high nine triples on Friday and finished with 31 points. Over his last four games, he’s averaged 13.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 3.5 triples across 30.3 minutes. Lopez won’t score 30 points every night, and he won’t crash the glass with authority, but he can certainly be useful as a shot-blocker and three-point shooter. He should have first dibs on the starting center job until Ivica Zubac returns.

Tim Hardaway Jr., Denver Nuggets (15 percent rostered)

THJ was trending up in his own right, but the absence of Cameron Johnson has allowed Hardaway Jr. to step into the starting lineup. Across his last four games (two starts), THJ has averaged 20.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 5.0 triples across 32 minutes. He’s scored at least 19 in four straight and 20+ in three of those. He’s not going to offer much in the peripheral categories, but if you need points and triples with decent efficiency and low turnovers, Hardaway Jr. is your man.

Egor Demin, Brooklyn Nets (11 percent rostered)

After a slow start to his inaugural campaign, the rookie out of BYU has started to deliver. Over his last five games, Denim has averaged 14.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 3.0 triples. He’s locked in as Brooklyn’s starting point guard, and his production should continue to trend up as he finds his footing at the professional level.

Jake LaRavia, Los Angeles Lakers (6 percent rostered)

The Lakers suffered another blow last week when it was announced that Austin Reaves will miss at least four weeks with a Grade 2 calf strain. The absence of Reaves should allow LaRavia to step into a larger role for the Lakers, and LaRavia has answered the call when given additional opportunities this season. Over his last five games, LaRavia has averaged 10.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.0 triples across 28.4 minutes. Nick Smith Jr. is also in the mix in deeper leagues.

Tyler Kolek, New York Knicks (7 percent rostered)

Over his last six games, Kolek has averaged 10.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.3 triples across 23 minutes. He’s seen significantly more run with Miles McBride sidelined, and that trend should continue for as long as Deuce is out. Kolek is a reliable source of assists when given additional playing time, although his upside is still capped by the availability of Jalen Brunson.

Dylan Cardwell, Sacramento Kings (4 percent rostered)

Cardwell hasn’t been starting for Sacramento. That spot with the first unit still belongs to Maxime Raynaud, but Cardwell has done enough off the bench to make some noise. Managers in need of blocks and rebounds can pick up Cardwell. He failed to record a block in Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, but in five games prior, he averaged 2.6 swats to go with 6.8 rebounds. He warrants consideration in standard leagues, but Cardwell is certainly worth grabbing in deeper formats.

Other options:Cam Spencer (31%), Aaron Nesmith (21%), Keldon Johnson (15%), Moses Moody (12%), Spencer Jones (3%)

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Andrew Heaney says he is retiring after 12 major league seasons

Pitcher Andrew Heaney says he is retiring after 12 major league seasons.

“I am now ready to return my focus and energy to being a husband, father, family man and active member of my community,” he wrote on social media. “I’m retiring from baseball, but I hope to give back more than I received.”

A 34-year-old left-hander, Heaney was 56-72 with a 4.57 ERA in 208 starts and 22 relief appearances for Miami (2014), the Los Angeles Angels (2015-21), the New York Yankees (2021), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2022, 2025), Texas (2023-24) and Pittsburgh (2025), which signed him to a one-year, $5.25 million contract in February.

He was 5-10 with a 5.52 ERA this year in 23 starts and four relief appearances. He was released by the Pirates on Aug. 29, signed with the Dodgers three days later and made one appearance for Los Angeles, allowing three runs over two innings at Seattle on Sept. 27. He did not pitch in the postseason.

Heaney started and won Game 4 of the 2023 World Series for Texas, allowing one run over five innings.

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Jeff Blashill Believes Blackhawks Were Better Vs Penguins Than The Score Indicated

The Chicago Blackhawks took on the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday night at the United Center. It was a 7-3 blowout that ended any goodwill earned in their Saturday night shootout win over the Dallas Stars. 

After giving up four goals on seven shots, Spencer Knight was pulled. The team didn't get the spark that Jeff Blashill was looking for offensively, so he put Knight back in for the third. 

Penguins Skate Out Of Chicago With 7-3 Victory Over BlackhawksPenguins Skate Out Of Chicago With 7-3 Victory Over BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks were run out of their own building by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday night.

After the game, Blashill didn't sound like the head coach of a team that was just blown out in the second half of a back-to-back yet again. Instead, he sounded like a coach who was satisfied with the effort and process. 

‘‘It was a night their chances went in, in the first, and our chances didn’t,’’ Blashill said. ‘‘Then you’re just digging yourself out of a hole that’s difficult to dig out of." 

Spencer Knight was leaky, and the Blackhawks did have a couple of chances in the first minute of regulation. Blashill, based on his words, thinks that if Knight was as sharp as he's been this year, and maybe they buried one of their earlier chances, that the game would have gone much differently. 

‘‘We probably had more quality chances than we did last night, especially in that first part," Blashill said. "We probably gave up similar stuff. Theirs went in, and ours didn’t. That’s hockey.’’

The fact of the matter is that it's another four-plus goal defeat that came on the second leg of a back-to-back situation. They are 0-4 in those games, and all of them have been by four or more. They allowed seven or more in three of them. With eight more of these remaining, including this upcoming weekend, it is worth analyzing. 

Wyatt Kaiser and Nick Foligno spoke after the loss, and each of them tried to diagnose what the problem is. If they knew for sure, they would have corrected it already, which is a common answer when an NHL player is asked how something can be fixed. 

Even after tough losses, and this has been said a lot so far in 2025-26, Jeff Blashill is not going to get up to the podium and blast his players unless there is a serious problem. He believes in them up and down the lineup. 

 ‘‘I like who they are as people. I like who they are as competitors. I like who they are as hockey players. And I like the potential in the group, even for the rest of this season." 

It is going to be a tough run of hockey. They don't have Connor Bedard or Frank Nazar right now due to injury, and that makes it harder to win. However, sticking to the process that allowed them to have success earlier in the season will do them good down the stretch as they try to come out of this slump. 

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Panthers' Anton Lundell Slapped With A Fine; Lightning's Scott Sabourin As Well

In the battle of Florida, once again, the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning hashed out their anger towards each other through fights and extracurricular activities.

Ultimately, the Lightning left with the two points, defeating the Panthers 4-2. The Panthers took an early lead with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, but three unanswered goals by the Lightning were enough to secure the victory. 

Unsurprisingly, the game was marked by penalties, with two resulting in fines. Anton Lundell was fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for high-sticking Tampa Bay’s Jake Guentzel. Coincidentally,  Scott Sabourin has been fined $2,018.23, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for slashing Florida’s Niko Mikkola. 

The Panthers had 10 power play opportunities, converting just one. The Lightning had six but failed to score. In the end, the Panthers were given 49 penalty minutes. The Lightning were handed 85 penalty minutes. 

Prior to the game, the Panthers and Lightning were warned by the NHL to keep the fights and altercations clean. The NHL Department of Player Safety felt that none of the altercations needed supplementary discipline, and no suspensions were handed out. 

The Panthers and Lightning have met three times this season, with one more game set for Feb. 5 in Tampa. The Panthers have won just one of three matchups this season. 

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