Jay Leach skates in a practice for the Kraken in December 2023.
The Rangers hired Jay Leach to lead their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Named the ninth head coach in Wolf Pack history on Friday, Leach joins the Blueshirts organization after serving as an assistant coach in the NHL over the previous five seasons with the Kraken (three) and the Bruins (two).
The 46-year-old Leach is an experienced addition and has been a candidate for multiple head coaching vacancies in the NHL in recent years.
Jay Leach skates in a practice for the Kraken in December 2023. NHLI via Getty Images
“Players gravitate toward him,” Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan told The Post of Leach at the time, when he was still head coach of the Penguins. “He’s a good leader. He’s been in leadership roles when he was playing in the American League, and so he brought all of that to the coaching aspect of what he’s doing now. When I got a chance to work right next to him in Wilkes-Barre, I was really impressed, but not surprised, with his work ethic. He rolls his sleeves up, he works hard at being a good coach, and he brings a certain humility to the job every day that I think is so important for all of us.
“He has strong convictions of how the game should be played, but he also understands there’s more than one way to play the game and that you have to work with people, both players and coaches alike, in order to try to build the necessary collaboration to have success in today’s NHL.”
President and general manager Chris Drury bringing on Leach makes a lot of sense for an organization that is looking to refresh its prospect pool.
Plus, Leach has ties to Sullivan, who brought him onto his staff with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins during the 2015-16 season.
When Sullivan was promoted to the Bruins, Leach succeeded him and took over the team.
Jay Leach is pictured during a Bruins game in November 2025. Getty Images
The last time Leach served as head coach was from 2017-21 with the AHL’s Providence Bruins.
Over those four seasons, the Syracuse native led the team to back-to-back Atlantic Division titles.
Providence compiled a 136-77-26 record under Leach, who also helped the team reach the AHL’s Eastern Conference Finals as an assistant in 2016-17.
The Bruins eventually brought Leach back as an assistant at the NHL level over the last two campaigns.
A defenseman drafted 115th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes, Leach appeared in 70 NHL games across five seasons for the Bruins, Lightning, Devils, Canadiens and Sharks.
He ultimately played 12 seasons of professional hockey before making the jump into coaching.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JANUARY 17: Alex Nedeljkovic #39 of the Pittsburgh Penguins tends goal against Zach Benson #9 of the Buffalo Sabres during an NHL game on January 17, 2025 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The NHL’s salary cap is rising but many teams still find themselves in various degrees of uncomfortableness when it comes to the salary structure. The Pittsburgh Penguins are not one such team.
Offer sheets have been a seldom used venture by NHL general managers, there have only been four in the last decade. Montreal signed Carolina’s Sebastian Aho in 2019, the Hurricanes matched and retaliated two years later by giving Jesper Kotkaniemi what looks like a regrettable amount of money that the Canadiens did not match. Then in 2024 St. Louis fired shots across the bow by targeting Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg from Edmonton, which the cap-strapped Oilers opted not to match.
Going back to the entire NHL salary cap era from 2006-present, there have only been 12 total completed offer sheets. Only four of those 12 were successful to acquire a player from a team unwilling or unable to match the compensation.
The St. Louis moves showed the potential is not gone to take the aggressive action, so let’s check on this year’s crop via Sportsnet.
As every team looks at improving over the off-season, will any use an offer sheet to chase talent?@RoryBoylen has everything you need to know about compensation and which players could be interesting RFA targets. https://t.co/dsQNwg6cPb
The important information to know is the different levels of compensation required, which for 2026 is as follows:
Based on these splits, it’s a challenge to anticipate signing a mega-star like RFA Jason Robertson to an offer sheet. It would easily require first round picks from 2027-30, which is a cost too far to support making such a move.
However, as STL showed, targeting rising players who could play into a higher cost than they’ve shown in the past can pay off handsomely for the price of a second or third round pick as a sweet spot for trying offer sheets. This could be the key area of opportunity.
Zach Benson, Buffalo Sabres
As previously mentioned, if Buffalo re-signs Tuch, it would immediately be tight to next year’s salary cap. Meantime, 21-year-old Zach Benson became a core piece of the Sabres this season with a breakout 43-point campaign (in 65 games) and an even better showing in the playoffs. It might be fair to ask: Should Benson actually be Buffalo’s priority here?
Benson, drafted 13th overall in 2023, is a player who whispers say was of much interest to the Penguins had he just slipped one more pick in the draft to where they were at. (Pittsburgh ended up selecting Brayden Yager, who was traded not long after).
Sportsnet also notes that Buffalo has center Peyton Krebs and defenseman Michael Kesselring as potential restricted free agents. The Sabres currently have $17.6 million in cap space, though it stands to reason over half of that amount would be taken away if they end up re-signing star forward Alex Tuch.
Granted, if the Sabres don’t re-sign Tuch, there wouldn’t be much of a point in trying to fish away Benson via offer sheet. They’ll be in good enough shape to match in that situation. Assuming they did sign Tuch, would the Penguins be so bold as to transfer an unprotected 2027 first round pick (plus a third, which they have an extra selection in that round already) to get Benson on an offer of $7 million?
Benson scored 43 points in just 65 games this year and was a great playoff performer with nine points in 13 games and a very active, physical presence. He also just turned 21-years old and could be worth an investment to be a part of the core for a while.
It would take some faith that Benson could get a glow up like Holloway did, who went all the way up to 63 points in his first season with the Blues and was worth his contract plus the second round pick to give up. This isn’t a surefire risk-free proposition, but it could be something to think about considering the Pens were rumored to have really liked Benson in the pre-draft process. After three seasons in the NHL, there’s even more to like.
Mavrik Bourque, Dallas
The Stars’ top priority is to get Robertson under contract, which would be a big ticket, certainly in the $12 million range, that would put them over the cap. Meantime, the 24-year-old Bourque would be offer sheet eligible after his first 20-goal season. Perhaps a quiet playoff showing may cool interest in going the offer sheet route, and GM Jim Nill may be looking at trade options instead.
Pittsburgh and Dallas have been a good trade fit with one another recently. The two worked together last year to send Matt Dumba plus a second round pick to the Pens last year to ease some Stars cap woes. Those problems are back again for them, which means the Pens might not even need to offer sheet Bourque to acquire him. Volunteer to take the salary of Ilya Lybushskin ($3.25m for one more year) and then it could see what other particulars would need to be done to get Bourque as a part of the deal could be a workable gambit.
If dangling that carrot via a trade ended up not working out, the Pens could always turn to using the stick of the offer sheet for Bourque. It looks like the Stars have about $13 million of cap space for next year, of which Robertson would require almost all of it. Should a team come in with a $4.7 million offer for Bourque, that might put a lot of strain on the Stars’ structure – depending on what further moves they could make to get around that. Something’s got to give in Dallas, if a team adds a little more pressure to the situation they might be able to get Bourque out of it, via whatever means it might take via trade or offer sheet.
Olen Zellweger/Pavel Mintyukov, Anaheim
Carlsson and Gauthier grab most of the attention in regards to Anaheim’s RFAs, but it also has two young defencemen who are offer sheet eligible. Zellweger and Mintyukov, two 21-year-olds, both finished with 22 points this season, while Mintyukov averaged about a minute-and-a-half more of ice time, mostly because of his shorthanded minutes.
Of the two, Zellweger may be the one to watch more closely on the offer sheet front. His average ice time dropped by nearly two minutes from 2024-25 to 2025-26 and he only played three playoff games for the Ducks.
These two have been oft-talked about, with little more new ground to tread. Anaheim having to give new contracts to breakout stars Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier makes them a very interesting team to watch this offseason. They also have a total of two NHL defensemen currently signed for next season according to CapWages. A lot is going to go on out there. Maybe the Pens can get involved, maybe not, but watching the Ducks navigate this summer will be worth watching.
Zack Bolduc, Montreal
One of Montreal’s four RFAs, Bolduc scored 12 goals for the Canadiens this season but got to 19 with St. Louis the year before that. If he stays in Montreal, a new contract might come in the range of $3 million, but is there a team out there that values his potential higher than that?
When Montreal traded for Bolduc last summer, our scout Jason Bukala wrote that it had “acquired at worst a middle-six forward. He’s more likely a top-six winger.” That didn’t come to fruition right away, but Bolduc is still just 23 years old. If a team still sees him as a player who could score 20-25 a season and have top-six upside, might they take a shot on a short- or medium-term contract worth around $4.5 million — a rate that might make Montreal a little uncomfortable and require only a second-round pick as compensation?
A team like the Pens could pay a little more for a player in salary, assuming they really liked the player or thought he could take off to justify the move. Whether or not they would actually want to do that is of course the unknown $64,000 question. Bolduc, 23, has yet to really take off, does Pittsburgh (or anyone else) think he could have that Holloway-esque type of increase in the future? If so, $4 million and giving up a second round pick would be a small price to pay. If not, onto the next.
—
More often than not the offer sheet goes unused, though the increased amount of second+third round picks that Pittsburgh has in the next few years makes them decent candidates to use if the right situation was out there. The Pens have used that to acquire Egor Chinakhov and Elmer Soderblom in trades, straying outside the lane to attempt an offer sheet coup would be unexpected but a bold, risky move at attempting to bolster the team’s talent level.
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It’s officially time to Knight up.
After an impressive Game 2 comeback overtime win, Sebastian Aho’s Carolina Hurricanes tied Mitch Marner’s Vegas Golden Knights at one game apiece in the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals.
Next up, the high-stakes series heads to the VGK’s home T-Mobile Arena. The two Sin City contests are scheduled to take place:
A hypothetical Game 6 — if the Finals goes that far — would go down Sunday, June 14 in Vegas.
If you’d like to be at any one of these Stanley Cup tilts, last-minute tickets are still available.
Better yet, prices have significantly decreased since we last reported on how much they cost for games at the T-Mobile Arena.
When our team wrote about prices for Stanley Cup games in Vegas on June 1, prices started at $1,604 including fees on SeatGeek at the time of publication.
Now, just a mere four days later, seats can be found for as low as $666 including fees.
Yes, prices have dropped nearly $1,000 (!) in just four days.
Throw in the fact that you can save $10 off purchases over $250 at checkout using promo code NYPOST10 and you’ve got a steal of a deal (Editor’s Note: this discount is only valid for users’ first purchase on SeatGeek).
In theory, the Knights should be coming home, up 2-0.
However, Knights Head Coach used a coach’s challenge on goaltender interference with five minutes left in regulation and got his call overturned, which resulted in a two-minute minor penalty that led to a power play for the ‘Canes, a momentum shift and their subsequent victory.
“Instead of Vegas going home looking to move to the verge of a second championship in nine years of existence, the series is all square, despite [Carter] Hart making some big saves and Brett Howden scoring his playoff-leading 12th and 13th goals,” The Post noted in a Game 2 postmortem.
When asked for comment, Head Coach John Tortorella said: “I have my thoughts. I’m not discussing it here.”
We can’t wait to see what happens next.
For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes below.
What do tickets cost to see Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup home games?
All Vegas Golden Knights T-Mobile Arena Stanley Cup home game dates and the cheapest tickets available (versus what they cost on June 1) can be found here:
Vegas Golden Knights home game dates
Ticket prices start at
Ticket prices started at on June 1
Game 3 Saturday, June 6
$666(including fees
$1,774(including fees)
Game 4 Tuesday, June 9
$709(including fees
$1,604(including fees)
Game 6 Sunday, June 14
$939(including fees
$1,635(including fees)
How much are Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup home game tickets?
A complete calendar including all Hurricanes Eastern Conference Finals home game dates at the Lenovo Center and the best prices on tickets (compared to what they were going for on June 1) are listed below.
Carolina Hurricanes home game dates
Ticket prices start at
Ticket prices started at on June 1
Game 5 Thursday, June 11
$1,009(including fees)
$1,717(including fees)
Game 7 Wednesday, June 17
$2,064(including fees)
$2,086 (including fees)
How to watch the Hurricanes and Golden Knights on TV
Fans hoping to catch Tortorella’s talented team on the tube can watch all playoff games on ABC in the US or Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports in Canada.
Just make sure to review your local listings before tuning in.
If you don’t have cable, your best bet may be DIRECTV.
Huge 2026 concerts
Not sure what to do once the final buzzer sounds on the 2025-26 NHL season?
No worries.
Many of the most exciting acts around will be out and about all summer long. Here are just five of our favorites you won’t want to miss live.
• Evanescence with Spiritbox
• Tame Impala with Djo
• Five Finger Death Punch
• Avenged Sevenfold with Good Charlotte
• RUSH
Plus, you won’t want to miss Metallica’s Sphere residency. They’ll be at the eye-popping venue from October through March 2027.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
Georgii Romanov's run with the Springfield Thunderbirds in the Calder Cup Playoffs didn't go unnoticed by the St. Louis Blues.
On Friday, the team announced it signed the 26-year-old to a two-year, two-way contract.
Romanov and Vadim Zherenko split time in the American Hockey League last season, and after being acquired from the San Jose Sharks to offset the loss of Colten Ellis to the Buffalo Sabres via waivers prior to the season, Romanov went 9-12-4 with a 3.29 goals-against average, an .896 save percentage, and one shutout in 28 regular-season games.
But in the playoffs, Romanov helped lead the Thunderbirds to the Atlantic Division Final and was 7-4-0 with a 1.84 goals-against average, a .939 save percentage, and two shutouts in 11 postseason appearances.
Romanov has played in 78 AHL regular-season games and is 29-27-17 with a 3.18 GAA, and a .902 save percentage.
He has a 3.53 GAA and an .888 save percentage in 10 career NHL regular-season games with the Sharks.
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ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 04: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves makes a catch during the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Truist Park on June 4, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Two of the top four offenses in runs scored will face off tonight when the Pittsburgh Pirates come to town to play the Atlanta Braves. The Braves are third in MLB in runs and the Pirates are only four runs behind them.
The Braves will be facing Mitch Keller who has yet again put together a season of almost the exact same output of an ERA in the low fours. This year it is currently at 4.35. The good news for the Braves is that many of their core lineup bats have a history of doing well against Keller. Ronald Acuña has nineteen at-bats against Keller in which he already has three HRs, a .421 average, and 1.371 OPS. Matt Olson has the same exact OPS against Keller in twelve at-bats to include one HR and a .500 average.
Austin Riley has ten at-bats against Keller and has a .400 average and 1.055 OPS, and Mauricio Dubón has a .400 average and .955 OPS in ten at-bats. Michael Harris has struggled to an OPS of .500, but has a .250 average against Keller in twelve at-bats, so before the lineup dropped it was interesting to wonder if Walt Weiss was going to factor this in when he penciled in the names.
The other question mark, which has been daily at this point, is who is going to get the start at shortstop. Ha-Seong Kim has faced Keller in eleven at-bats and is hitless and has not exactly been living up to expectations this season so it made sense to sit him tonight, but Weiss could have decided to give him more reps to try and get him in a groove.
Finally, Austin Wynns had not made his first start yet, so some may have been patiently awaiting to see if tonight was going to be the night, especially considering Sandy León is clearly on the roster for his glove and veteran presence since it seems like he has not hit in a decade.
It turns out that Weiss went with Dubón at SS so that Mike Yastrzemski could be in LF and Dominic Smith could be the DH. It also looks like we will have to wait for Austin Wynns to get his first start in a Braves uniform. Outside of León, this looks to be the best offensive lineup to face Keller.
Martín Pérez will be on the bump for the Braves in the midst of his best season since 2022. He has been aided by BABIP and strand rates, but he still has his best expected ERA (xERA) since 2022 as well. Even though Martín Pérez has been in MLB since 2012, no player on the Pirates has more than nine at-bats against him. Brandon Lowe has an OPS of .788 in those nine at-bats. One player to keep an eye on is long time Brave, Marcell Ozuna. Ozuna is second on the team with seven at-bats against Pérez, and has done a ton of damage. He owns a .571 average and 1.700 OPS.
With the first two prospects we highlighted, we looked at a skilled two-way center in Tynan Lawrence before breaking down the play of a fast-growing, ultra-skilled winger who is rising up the boards due to his potential in Wyatt Cullen.
Today, we are going to look at Daxon Rudolph, a talented defenseman whose WHL production doesn’t quite match his draft rankings.
Rudolph is a 6-foot-3, right-handed, puck-moving defenseman with offensive skill and a smart defensive game.
In the WHL this season with the Prince Albert Raiders, the 2023 WHL first overall pick scored 28 goals and 78 points in 68 games. Both categories ranked third among defensemen in the WHL, trailing Bryce Pickford and Jonas Woo, both of whom played for the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Rudolph’s regular season was outstanding, but he took his game to another level in the playoffs, as the Raiders lost in the WHL finals. Rudolph tied for the league lead in points during the post-season, recording nine goals and 27 points in 19 games.
With his track record as a first overall pick in the WHL, as well as his outstanding point production from the blueline, it feels almost odd to see him projected in some cases to fall outside the top 10, but skating deficiencies are why defenders like Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Alberts Smiths, and Keaton Verhoeff have been ranked ahead of him.
The 18-year-old Rudolph is an incredibly smart player. He sees the game well on both sides of the puck. His vision allows him to make plays in the offensive zone and break up plays in the defensive zone.
With the puck in the o-zone, Rudolph is a threat to connect on give-and-gos, slide into the play unguarded, and rifle a heavy shot. In his own end with the puck, Rudolph makes heads-up passes and uses his feet to navigate forecheckers. While the concern is that it might not translate to the NHL, at the junior level he is more than capable of making those plays with his feet.
The native of Lacombe, Alta., will make the big jump to the NCAA next season, joining the mighty University of Denver. Despite the loaded blueline, Rudolph is expected to be the leader of the backend and bring the program back to the National Championship.
This draft features several highly rated defensemen, as we previously mentioned, but there are plenty of teams that are in need. While the Blues’ prospect pool on defense doesn’t lack depth or skill, adding a big, puck-moving right-handed defenseman is never a bad thing. It’s a sought-after commodity, and an abundance will only improve the team’s outlook.
Because so many teams are looking for defenders, there is a strong chance that Rudolph is selected anywhere between picks 7-10, which would result in the Blues missing the opportunity to draft him.
Either way, if a team can fix his skating issues, they could be looking at a potential top-four, two-way defender with a big frame.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Multiple reports on June 5 indicate Larkin's discontent with the Red Wings has brewed over a few years.
According to ESPN's Emily Kaplan, the tension can at least be traced back to Larkin's 2023 contract extension, which ended up at eight years with an $8.7 million AAV.
Quiet trade deadlines have done nothing to alleviate that tension, with 2025 resulting in Larkin speaking out about Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman's conservative nature at the deadline.
"We didn't do anything," Larkin told reporters during clean-out day last April. "We didn't gain any momentum from the trade deadline. Guys were kind of down about it. So it would have bee nice to add something and bring a little bit of a spark on the ice and maybe a morale boost as well.”
In 2026, the Wings did make some deadline moves, but they were relatively tepid. On a team that had shown cracks following a hot start to the year, they added Justin Faulk from the Blues and David Perron from the Senators. With the Red Wings collapsing late in the season again, it's clear Larkin, who will be 30 on July 30, doesn't see the Red Wings' roster management as a situation where he can win.
Obstacles to Steve Yzerman making Dylan Larkin trade
Put two stubborn people into a room to make a decision, and it's going to be hard to reach a compromise.
That's the big problem here. Larkin's no-trade clause gives him a lot of leverage over where he goes. But his long-term contract and the fact free agency's center market is a desert gives Yzerman a lot of leverage over other teams. What you have is a triangle where it may be easy for two sides to come an agreement, but hard for the third.
Yzerman is not a GM who is going to settle. But the teams with assets to burn — particularly picks, which will have to factor into the deal — may not spur Larkin to waive his NTC.
With the Red Wings missing a top-six center, regardless of whether he's perceived as a first- or second-line center, this may be the move that kicks Detroit into an actual rebuild. But that has to start with getting the Larkin return right.
In truth, this is a big black eye on Yzerman's tenure in Detroit. Larkin would have been 5 years old watching Yzerman hoist the cup against Carolina in 2002, making this akin to Matt Duchene asking out of Colorado when Joe Sakic was the GM.
That Duchene situation needs to be Yzerman's blueprint. While the odds of the Red Wings getting a haul like the Avalanche got from the Senators are slim-to-none, Larkin's request is a hard reset on the Red Wings. Rather than building a timeline around the 30-year-old Larkin, the Red Wings now turn their attention to 24-year-old Lucas Raymond and 25-year-old Moritz Seider.
With that in mind, assets will be the name of the game. The plan to play piecemeal around Larkin didn't work for Yzerman, and now he's in a tough spot. For Sakic, it took over a year to grant Duchene his request, which came with a lot of bellyaching about how Duchene became a negative influence. Does Yzerman have that kind of time? Larkin's no-trade clause expires after the 2026-27 season. But there have been murmurs that have swelled into a dull roar on the lack of progress Yzerman has made already.
All things told, everyone is just kind of... stuck. Yzerman is stuck with a tweener 1-2 center who doesn't want to be there. Larkin is stuck on a roster he doesn't believe he can win with. And Red Wings fans are stuck with a team that just saw its already questionable vibes take a nosedive.
Ultimately, the best way is, as always, forward. But to do that, someone is going to have to put ego aside. And with egos that are this big, that's going to be a tall order.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin dished to The Post about his "die-hard" love of the Knicks.
He’s scoring some points with Knicks fans.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin dished to The Post about he and President Trump’s “die-hard” love of the team — saying players haven’t had such good chemistry since the days of Patrick Ewing and Hubert Davis in the 90s.
“It’s so exciting — and good luck to any of those San Antonio Spurs fans who think that a team that hasn’t lost a game in over 40 days is about to go two and four in the most important games of their entire lives,” he said, as the on-fire team geared up for Game 2 of the NBA finals Friday night.
Lee Zeldin spoke to The Post about the Knicks while promoting a waterway clean-up on Long Island. NY Post
He compared the team’s winning streak to its thrilling success in the mid-90s.
“The chemistry was an exciting time for New York,” he said. “It was the best…the city, the energy. And it’s just been a long time since we’ve had that feeling.”
“They would, you know, pop up five, six, seven threes and you’d hear the crowd chanting for Hubert Davis,” he said of the time period.
The Long Island native said he and President Trump will both be glued to the NBA finals as the Knicks face off against the Spurs.
“You know, of course we’ll be watching the games every minute. Game one I found myself in front of my sofa, in front of my TV, frequently standing as if I was actually at the game,” he said of his excitement.
The Knicks face off against the Spurs in Game 2 Friday night. Christopher Sadowski
“The president has been a diehard fan for decades. You can find all the photos and videos of him through the 90s and the 2000 and the 2010s, basically until he started running for president, sitting court side,” he said.
“[There’s] great video from the mid 90s of Charles Oakley falling into him as he was sitting in court-side. So yeah, he’s been no stranger to those Knicks games for years,” Zeldin said.
Zeldin spoke to The Post about his passion for the Knicks before leaving on a boat to Oyster Bay near the Long Island Sound to promote a Trump administration project aimed at preserving the waterway.
Zeldin at an Oval Office event. Samuel Corum/POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
The project, managed by the EPA and the state, centers on improving water quality, restoring coastal habitats and upgrading septic systems.
He predicted the Knicks, who haven’t won an NBA championship since 1973, would take home the title.
“That’s a great young team that the Spurs have. And that’s a long road, long future. But man I don’t think they have it this year. I don’t want to get too bullish so I won’t start guaranteeing anything,” he said.
“But as a Knicks fan, as a diehard, you gotta believe.”
On paper, Dylan Larkin and the Red Wings should be a perfect fit. A legendary franchise drafting a homegrown player, him starting at 19 years old, making the playoffs, losing to a Lightning team that was way ahead of the Wings' schedule in five games, taking those lumps and figuring out how to get further next time.
The problem? There hasn't been a next time. With the Sabres making the playoffs this season, the Red Wings, the American team with the most Stanley Cups — who play in Hockeytown, USA — now have the longest active playoff drought in the league at 10 years.
Larkin has been a captain for six of those years, occupying a space left vacant for two seasons after the retirement of Henrik Zetterberg. He was named captain Jan. 13, 2021, 635 days after THE Captain Steve Yzerman returned to Detroit after a wildly successful stint building the Lightning roster. The very Lightning roster that knocked the Wings out of the playoffs in Larkin's rookie year.
And yet, even as hope sprung eternal under the Yzerplan and results were promised with time, things continued to fizzle for the Red Wings. On March 1, 2023, Larkin signed an eight-year, $69.3 million extension which immediately preceded a 5-9-1 month. March went on to become a dreaded month for Wings fans, with Detroit going 3-9-2 in 2024, 4-10-0 in 2025, and finally 5-7-2 this past season.
After the latest Red Wings collapse, which was interrupted by a Team USA gold medal from a team Larkin made a huge impact on, things have boiled over. Larkin reportedly requested a trade June 4, throwing his Red Wings future into jeopardy. However, with a no-trade clause, Larkin has a lot of leverage over that trade Yzerman may not acquiesce to.
Here's a look at some possible destinations for Larkin, along with what could be required for Larkin in what may be Yzerman's biggest test yet as the embattled Red Wings GM.
Dylan Larkin possible trade destinations
Minnesota Wild
This is the deal that immediately makes the most sense.
It gets Larkin out of the Eastern Conference, the Wild are a team looking for a true 2C, it would put Larkin back with one of his USA teammates in Quinn Hughes, allow him to keep playing in a high-profile hub of hockey, give him a chance to win quickly, and the Wild have a GM in Bill Guerin who has proven in the past he's willing to be aggressive.
The question with this deal is if the Wild would be willing to offload another first-round pick after dropping 2026 to Vancouver for the Hughes trade. This is a team desperately looking to win now, and Larkin would be a boon at its weakest position. But the Wild need to find a package that keeps that win-now mentality intact while also outbidding other possible suitors (assuming Larkin doesn't demand Minnesota or bust). That's a big hurdle for Guerin.
Montreal Canadiens
The assumed immediate reaction from Habs fans to this idea is fair. "We're building for the future, we don't need a 30-year-old center behind Nick Suzuki."
However, if we learned nothing from the USA run in the Olympics, it's that Larkin is more than capable of thriving with the right core. The Canadiens had a tumultuous postseason, going to two straight Game 7s before getting shellacked by a rested Hurricanes team. Larkin certainly raises the average age of the Habs a hair, but this is a team built to win in the future that is perfectly capable of winning now. Trading for Larkin to bolster the top six is a win-now move.
This time, the problem is Yzerman. This year showed the Atlantic doesn't need any help strengthening itself, so Yzerman might not want to create a problem he has to continue to deal with. The package would have to be hefty. Perhaps too hefty for a team building what Montreal is building to consider.
Las Vegas Golden Knights
No trade list is complete without Vegas.
The Golden Knights will make offers on anyone available, and winning is undoubtedly a big factor for Larkin, making the no-trade clause less of an obstacle given Vegas is one of two teams still playing. Eichel-Larkin would be a potent 1-2 punch at center as well.
The Jack Eichel trade with Vegas helped to spur on a true Sabres rebuild. Maybe history repeats itself with another Atlantic team.
Columbus Blue Jackets
An ex-Michigan star waiving a no-trade clause to go to Columbus may feel sacrilege, but there's a lot for Larkin to like in Columbus. First and foremost is Zach Werenski, a close friend of Larkin's.
While the power of friendship may not be enough to send Larkin to Ohio, the Blue Jackets have been stuck in purgatory for some time now. If they want to make a splash, Larkin is certainly one way to make one. The Blue Jackets do, however, have a slight logjam at C. Adam Fantilli and Charlie Coyle make up 1 and 2C in Columbus. Acquiring Larkin probably kicks Adam Monahan back out to wing, should Columbus pull the trigger.
The San Antonio Spurs desperately need to hold down the fort tonight against the New York Knicks before heading into a hostile Madison Square Garden. Ahead of Game 2 of the Finals, our NBA player prop projections have locked in on a few major value spots you'll want to target.
By breaking down the data and comparing it to the latest market lines, we’ve uncovered where the strongest betting edges lie for this pivotal matchup.
If you’re building your card, here are the model’s top NBA picks for Friday, June 5.
Knicks vs Spurs computer picks for Game 2
Knicks
Spurs
Towns o10.5 rebounds -125
Fox o14.5 points -115
Anunoby o15.5 points +102
Champagnie o2.5 3-pointers +100
Brunson u6.5 assists -150
Wembanyama o11.5 rebounds -120
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Knicks Game 2 computer picks
Karl-Anthony Towns Over 10.5 rebounds (-125)
Projection: 11.41 rebounds
New York’s relentless effort on the glass has been a defining trait all season, with the Knicks ranking 6th in the league by hauling in 12.5 offensive rebounds per game.
A massive portion of that interior wealth belongs to Karl-Anthony Towns. KAT carried that regular-season dominance right into the NBA Finals, dominating the paint in Game 1 with a stellar 19-point, 12-rebound double-double that completely disrupted the San Antonio Spurs’ interior defense.
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OG Anunoby Over 15.5 points (+102)
Projection: 15.41 points
OG Anunoby has been an absolute cash cow for this line, clearing his points prop in 10 of the New York Knicks' 13 postseason games.
While the Spurs boast the defensive tools to make life difficult, Anunoby has consistently found a way to assert himself in a resilient New York offense that adapts to any scenario. Expect him to deliver once again & take the Over on Anunoby's points prop tonight.
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Jalen Brunson Under 6.5 assists (-150)
Projection: 6.39 assists
Jalen Brunson has hit the Over on 6.5 assists just three times in his last 10 games, and keeping "Captain Clutch" contained is San Antonio's top priority for Game 2.
To establish any peace of mind, the Spurs must disrupt Brunson both as a scorer and a playmaker. Forcing him into a frustrating, inefficient night is the key to throwing the loaded Knicks off script, and San Antonio's defensive blueprint begins and ends with slowing down New York's star guard.
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Spurs Game 2 computer picks
De'Aaron Fox Over 14.5 points (-115)
Projection: 17.76 points
While it’s entirely understandable that injuries have kept De'Aaron Fox from playing at 100%, his seven-point dud in Game 1 simply won't cut it.
The Spurs desperately need more production from their star guard if they want a fighting chance to give their home crowd some life before the series shifts to New York. Expect a resilient bounce-back performance tonight & back Fox to put it all on the floor and erase the memories of his Game 1 struggles.
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Julian Champagnie Over 2.5 3-pointers (+100)
Projection: 2.55 3-pointers
You know the old saying: you can take the kid out of New York, but you can't take New York out of the kid. Julian Champagnie proved that in the series opener, letting it fly against his hometown team to the tune of a 5-for-10 shooting performance from deep.
Playing against your roots in the NBA Finals brings a different kind of juice, and Champagnie was locked in. Expect him to bring that exact same energy to the floor tonight & the Spurs are going to need every bit of it.
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Victor Wembanyama Over 11.5 rebounds (-120)
Projection: 12.74 rebounds
San Antonio has been dominant on the glass lately, ranking as the league's second-best offensive rebounding team over its last five games. When it comes to reliable bets, few lines look safer than Victor Wembanyama’s rebounds.
Wemby hauled in 12 boards in Game 1, and with the Spurs desperate to avoid a 2-0 hole before heading to New York, expect him to fight even harder tonight to limit Towns & Co. from creating second-chance opportunities.
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How to watch Knicks vs Spurs Game 2
Location
Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
Date
Friday, June 5, 2026
Tip-off
8:30 p.m. ET
TV
ABC
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 11: Roki Sasaki #11 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Roki Sasaki’s path in the big leagues has tested the resolve of a player who, before coming to the US, had known nothing but absolute success in his career. Something has clicked during the course of the season, though, for the right-hander to turn a corner in the last month, finishing May with a 3.18 ERA and a sub-1.00 WHIP. In his last start, Sazaki showed up with increased velocity, sitting at 98.5 MPH on his four-seam fastball, nearly a tick and a half above his season average. The increased velocity helped Sasaki induce more whiffs on his four-seamer, something he hasn’t done particularly well this season, with a whiff rate slightly below league average on the pitch.
As well as Sasaki pitched against the Phillies in a game the Dodgers ended up losing thanks to late hiccups from Tanner Scott, much like in Thursday’s defeat against the D-backs—it pales in comparison with what Sasaki accomplished the last time he faced the Angels. Sasaki was marvelous in seven innings of one-run ball against the Angels with eight punchouts, keeping Mike Trout in the yard, the number one goal for any pitcher facing the Halos.
On the other side, the Dodgers sit in the dark on what to expect from opposing starter Reid Detmers and the Angels. They’ll be facing a starting pitcher who, in the month of May alone, managed to walk six batters, strike out 14, and give up eight earned runs, all in separate starts. When he is on, Detmers can dominate a lineup, but that’s not the case very often. Historically, the Dodgers have punished Detmers quite regularly with 19 runs in just 29 innings against the southpaw.
Most NHL players don’t outperform their regular-season numbers — many don’t even get the chance to try. But for Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden, that doesn’t apply.
After putting up the first two goals of the night, Howden’s postseason total climbed to 13, holding the mantle of team leader in goals. Remarkably, 10 of those have been scored on enemy ice. That's a 76.9% road-goal rate, the highest among active playoff scorers with 10+ goals.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 5, 2026
For context, across 58 regular season games, Howden recorded 12 goals and 10 assists.
And when was Howden’s last best playoff run? It was in 2022-23, the year Vegas won the Stanley Cup. That season he put up five goals and 10 points in 22 games, shooting 16.7% and playing a reliable 13:59 per night. In this season’s playoffs, he has outdone himself with a 39.4% shooting percentage, securing three-game winners, all while logging a career-high 16:35 per game.
The Conn Smythe conversation seems to be looking in his favor.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 5, 2026
“It was two great plays,” he said on the postgame broadcast. “One, Mitch (Marner) put the puck in a perfect spot. I just looked down, the puck was there, and I felt like I had an edge on him. And then Barbie (Ivan Barbashev) made a great play on the second one. I just tried using my speed up the middle there, and he found me in a great spot.”
Now, with the series sitting at 1–1, Howden and the team will return to home ice for Game 3.
“We’ve been through a lot of adversity this whole year,” Howden said. “It’s just another step for us to climb, and, like I said, we’re super excited to get back home and, you know, get back to our fans.”
PHOTO CAPTION
Jun 4, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden (21) scores against Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) and defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) during the second period in game two of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 04: Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber #12 is shown at bat during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Diego Padres on June 4th, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The offense the Phillies have been trotting out this season has been putrid at worst, average at best. You know this is something that can be state with almost factual intent when people get excited about the team scoring six runs on Wednesday. There have been a few spurts here and there of competence, most notably the games that followed the firing of Rob Thomson. Even in those games, the lineup was mostly reliant on Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber going nuclear for a few weeks in a row. In most of the other games this season, the help received by those two has mostly come in the form of Brandon Marsh. Nary a helper can be found with any regularity.
It’s quite jarring to use leaderboards for different offensive categories and see where the Phillies are ranking. After Wednesday’s game, the top of the National League leaderboard did see this trio mixed in. There’s Kyle Schwarber, sixth in the NL in wRC+ (157). Hey, there’s Harper, hanging around the top fourteen names (140). Look, scroll just a hair further and you can find that junkyard dog in Marsh (132), mixed in with names that, preseason, you’d have never put him with, names like de la Cruz and Freeman.
It’s not that trio that have been the problem. It is the supporting cast that has let the team done. One could argue that a lot of the blame could be placed on one or two players, but it truly has been a collective effort of badneess on the two thirds of the lineup not producing. Take that same wRC+ leaderboard mentioned up top and flip it so that the lowest numbers are at the top and you will find not one, not two – not even three – Phillies names there. You’ll find FIVE Phillies regulars among the very bottom of the league in wRC+ – Adolis Garcia (66), Alec Bohm (67), Trea Turner (73), Justin Crawford (78), and Bryson Stott (78). Adjust the qualifications a bit to lower the required plate appearances to 110 – hi, J.T. (71)!
That’s not just horrid, that’s downright….offensive.
The Phillies’ offense is off to a historically terrible start. Coming into Tuesday’s three-game series against the Padres at Citizens Bank Park, their .224 team batting average is 2nd-worst in MLB (Padres, .218). Even in a season in which offenses throughout baseball are generally struggling, it is particularly terrible.
But even worse, their .224 average is the worst, through any team’s first 59 games in franchise history, of all time.
Folks, when you’re mentioned with wartime Phillies teams, that’s company that needn’t be kept. The unprecedented part is how bad it might get should these same players continue being this bad. In baseball history, there has only been one team that has had 5 or more players with 375 or more plate appearances and an OPS+ of 76 or less: the 1950 St. Louis Browns. As of right now, the Phillies have six regulars with an OPS+ less than 77.
It is just bad right now, the outburst on Wednesday notwithstanding.
The question becomes, can they change anything to make it better? Outside of radical personnel changes, that answer is probably no. Instead, the best change they can make is making sure the players that are hitting best are hitting the most often. That means having a lineup change imminent. As resistant as certain players are to do doing that, the struggle they have to score runs should have them lean towards doing as much as possible to take advantage of what they have working now.
Kyle Schwarber was the obvious choice to move into the leadoff spot, but he has a .609 OPS from that spot, a number that is almost 400 points lower than his accustomed second spot. On the flip side, Trea Turner has been better hitting second, clocking in with a .730 OPS from the spot. It’s unlikely the team would move Bryce Harper from his preferred third spot in the order, making Marsh the best option to hit behind him since he’s really the only one hitting well. It might be time to consider yet another move, this one maybe a bit more stark.
Marsh
Turner
Harper
Schwarber
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Marsh is not your typical leadoff hitter, yet drastic times, drastic measures, yada yada. He’s hit in the position a few games in his career, but mostly with the Phillies, he has been relegated (often rightfully so) to the second half of the lineup. The idea here is: if he’s on a career best hot streak this long into the season, why not ride it as long as possible? Sure, that bumps Schwarber all the way down to the cleanup spot, taking away the idea that a team should give their best hitters as many cracks at the plate as possible, but again – the team isn’t scoring runs often. Something different should be on the table.
If nothing else, it reinforces the dire need for a middle of the order right handed bat the team needs to add as soon as possible. The lack of production from Bohm, Garcia and Realmuto has made this doubly tough as it forces the team to shuffle deck chairs with the lineup card. Don Mattingly can rotate whoever he wants, wherever he wants, but if the team is going to continue to not hit, does it really matter?
Will they consider a lineup change? Probably not. There has been a lot of confidence emanating from the coaching staff that the players struggling will turn things around. There is plenty of time and history to indicate that might actually happen. Yet with a National League that has a surprising number of teams thinking they can get into the playoffs, banking wins now with a lineup constructed to better fit what they need could lead to a more secure playoff spot down the line.
As I said before, drastic times, drastic measures.
28 Apr 2002: Third baseman Joe Randa #16 of the Kansas City Royals makes a throw to first but fails to get the out against the Baltimore Orioles at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Elsa/ Getty Images | Getty Images
Last night I went to a trivia night contest at a local bar and one of the questions was – what number are the three uniform numbers retired by the Royals all divisible by? (answer below*) Retired numbers are reserved for the greatest in club history. But we all have our favorites that weren’t necessarily Hall of Famers, All-Stars, and sometimes they’re not even starting players.
One of my favorite Royals of all-time was Joe Randa. Nicknamed “the Joker” for his wide smile while he batted, Randa was a sure-handed third baseman and a doubles machine who seemed to have a knack for clutch hitting. He was a bit quiet and unassuming, modest, and hard-working – and fans loved that. He returned the love, calling Kansas City his home, even after he was traded away early in his career. He returned and become a solid starter and key to one of the best offenses in club history. He never made an All-Star team, but he’s one of my favorite players – I was fortunate enough to write his biography for the Society of American Baseball Research.
I have had some other favorites that never even reached the fame of Randa. Rey Palacios, Rusty Meacham, Esteban German, Justin Huber, Nori Aoki, Tim Collins, and of course, Kila Kaaihue were all guys I rooted for to make it.
Who was your favorite under-the-radar Royals player of all-time?
*-Five. (#5 George Brett, #10 Dick Howser, #20 Frank White)
TORONTO, ON - CIRCA 1990's: An aerial view of the Toronto Skydome with the roof open during an American League game at the Skydome circa the 1990's in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo By MLB Photos via Getty images) | MLB via Getty Images
Today marks the 36th anniversary of the Blue Jays’ first game at the SkyDome.
The stadium officially opened a couple of days earlier with a gala event featuring Oscar Peterson and comedian Andrea Martin. On June 8, Rod Stewart performed the first concert at the venue. I wonder if he has changed his setlist since then?
I have a story about that first game. Thirty-two years ago, I was a much younger Blue Jays fan. Some of the Jays’ games aired on CTV, but locally, they decided to join the game in progress after the evening news. You can imagine my disappointment. After the news finally ended, instead of switching to the game, they aired a half-hour feature about the construction of Skydome and a tour highlighting the ballpark’s modern features—hot and cold running water, vintage popcorn from the first Exhibition Stadium game, quirky details like that.
By the time the broadcast finally switched to the game, it was already an hour and a half underway. Naturally, I was not pleased.
The Jays lost 5-3 to the Brewers. Jimmy Key pitched a complete game, allowing 9 hits and throwing 141 pitches—yes, 141 pitches in a loss. Cito Gaston wasn’t one for pitch counts. In Key’s next start, he lasted only 3 innings and allowed 5 earned runs. The bullpen had already logged 19 innings over three games in Boston prior to this one, so Key took one for the team.
To be fair to Cito Gaston, this was the only game that season in which a Blue Jays starter topped 140 pitches. Across MLB in 1989, there were 39 games where a pitcher reached that mark—Nolan Ryan led the way with seven, Roger Clemens had four, and Bobby Witt had two. No other pitcher had more than one such outing. John Farrell, a familiar name, threw 159 pitches against the Jays in a Cleveland loss. Unsurprisingly, 1989 was the last year Farrell would throw more than 100 innings. The highest single-game pitch count that season belonged to Nolan Ryan, who threw 164 pitches on September 12 against the Royals—and didn’t even finish the game.
Gary Sheffield drove in the game’s first run in the opening inning, scoring Paul Molitor—who notched the first hit—on a groundout.
The Blue Jays’ first runs and home run at SkyDome came courtesy of Fred McGriff, who launched a two-run shot that also brought home George Bell.
Our batting order was (what a terrific lineup):
Junior Felix RF
Tony Fernandez SS
Kelly Gruber 3B
George Bell LF
Fred McGriff 1B
Lloyd Moseby CF
Ernie Whitt C
Rance Mulliniks DH
Nelson Liriano 2B
Bell and McGriff hit homers. Kelly Gruber went 2 for 4 with a double.
After that game, the Jays sat at 23-32, sixth in the AL East and nine games behind the Orioles. Despite the slow start, the team rallied for a remarkable 76-41 run to capture the division title. That was the year Cito Gaston took over from Jimy Williams after 36 games and a 12-14 record, guiding the club to a 77-49 finish. A trade deadline acquisition of Mookie Wilson also energized the roster.
The new ballpark delivered a major revenue boost, with luxury suites starting at $150,000 and SkyClub seats fetching between $2,000 and $4,000.
SkyDome was met with rave reviews from both players and fans. Ernie Whitt even dubbed it the eighth wonder of the world.
Anne Murray performed the national anthems, just as she did for the inaugural Blue Jays game at Exhibition Stadium.
What are your memories of the early days of SkyDome?
Knicks
Spurs
