Colorado coach Deion Sanders is making another big change at quarterback after his team suffered blowout losses in its last two games.
Jets Face Kings in California Opener As Adam Lowry Returns From Injury
The Winnipeg Jets begin their California road trip on Tuesday with an opening matchup against the LA Kings, who are looking to bounce back after losing three of their last five games. The contest will be particularly notable for Jets fans, as it marks the return of captain Adam Lowry, who has been sidelined since offseason hip surgery. Lowry will look to help the Jets secure two much-needed points as they sit just one point behind the Colorado Avalanche for the top spot in the Central Division.
The Kings, meanwhile, are focused on the playoffs. Sitting one point out of a wild card position, they will be eager for a win to get back into the postseason picture. This game will be the 49th all-time meeting between the Jets and Kings. Los Angeles holds the advantage in the series with a 25-14-9 record, strengthened by victories in six of their last nine matchups against Winnipeg.
Newest Jets Injury Report Provides Good And Bad NewsJets bench boss Scott Arniel confirms Cole Perfetti, Dylan Samberg traveling with team, Adam Lowry expected to make season debut Tuesday.Lineup Storylines
The most obvious storyline surrounding the Jets organization is the return of Adam Lowry, but beneath that is an interesting subplot involving who will play alongside him. His signature third-line trio is no longer intact, as longtime Jet Mason Appleton departed in free agency, leaving a vacancy on the right wing. Lowry will continue to center Nino Niederreiter on the left, and for the first game, it appears Tanner Pearson will take over the right side.
Pearson is not the same physical, net-front presence that Appleton was, but he should complement the line’s puck movement more effectively. The previous unit was successful because of its ability to shut down opponents’ top lines while also contributing timely offense. One memorable example came when Lowry scored the game-winning goal in Winnipeg’s Game 7 victory over the St. Louis Blues in last year’s first round.
This new version of the line may lean more toward generating offense. Lowry will continue to provide his steady and defensively responsible play down the middle, a quality that remains underrated across the league. Pearson’s experience and puck-handling ability should help improve puck possession and flow alongside Niederreiter, even if the group loses some of the grit and forechecking intensity that defined the old trio.
The bottom line was also be a point of focus as the rookie duo of Parker Ford and Brad Lambert recreated a moment out of their days with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL as the duo combined on the Jets' second goal in their 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday for Lambert's first goal of his career. The hope is they can continue to quietly produce together in clutch spots like they did on Saturday.
In Los Angeles, this could be one of the final chances for Winnipeg fans to see veteran center Anze Kopitar in action. The longtime Kings captain is set to retire after this season, closing out a remarkable career highlighted by two Stanley Cup championships. Kopitar is skating alongside several new additions to the Kings’ roster, including seasoned veterans Corey Perry, Joel Armia, Brian Dumoulin, and Cody Ceci, all acquired through free agency. However, the defensive results have been disappointing.
Once known as a defensive powerhouse similar to the Jets, Los Angeles has struggled in its own zone. Dumoulin has been on the ice for 12 goals against, with nine coming at even strength and three on the power play. Ceci has surrendered nine at even strength and two more while short-handed. Another veteran defenseman, Joel Edmundson, has been on for nine goals against as well, split between five on the power play and four at even strength. Even with goals scored while they are on the ice balancing out their plus/minus ratings somewhat, Ceci still holds the worst even-strength goal differential on the team at minus five, with Dumoulin close behind at minus four.
What was once a marquee defensive matchup between two elite teams now looks different, as Winnipeg will try to take advantage of the Kings’ current struggles in their own end.
Jets' Coaching Staff Earns Early Season RecognitionArniel and the Jets' bench bosses earn early season honors. The squad's impressive start ignites playoff hopes after last year's Presidents' Trophy success.Player & Betting Trends (Presented By BetMGM)
WPG ML (+105) | LAK ML (-125)
WPG +1.5 (-238) | LAK -1.5 (+190)
O/U 5.5 Goals
The Kings are coming off back-to-back losses and will need to bring their intensity on Tuesday to bounce back. Earlier this season, their defense surrendered three goals to the Jets, and over the past ten games, they’ve allowed 29 goals. Much of that total stems from three games in which they gave up four goals each against the Blues, Blackhawks, and Stars. Outside of those matchups, the Kings have still conceded four or more goals in six of the remaining ten games. Vezina finalist Darcy Kuemper has struggled as well, posting a 3-3-3 record with a .891 save percentage this season. If the Jets can capitalize, the Kings will need to respond quickly.
Recent matchups between Winnipeg and Los Angeles have been low-scoring affairs, with under six total goals in four straight meetings. Tuesday’s game, however, feels poised to break that trend. Offensively, the Kings have scored 23 goals in their last eight games, hitting the three-goal mark in six of those contests. Historically, LA has also found ways to penetrate Winnipeg’s stingy defense, outscoring the Jets 36-28 in their last ten encounters.
Much of the Kings’ offensive firepower comes from Adrian Kempe. Although he has just five goals this season, he also has ten assists for 15 points in 13 games. Kempe has consistently torched Winnipeg, tallying four goals and five assists for nine points in his last five matchups, including four consecutive multi-point games with a goal in each.
Winnipeg will counter with the league’s top scorer, center Mark Scheifele, who has nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points in 12 games. The 32-year-old from Kitchener has historically performed well against the Kings, recording eight goals and six assists for 14 points in his last 13 games versus LA.
Goalie Matchup
Winnipeg: Connor Hellebuyck Expected (Season: 6-3-0 record, 2.34 GAA, .921 SV% | VS LAK: 7-9-1 record, 3.12 GAA, .902 SV% in 17 Games)
Los Angeles: Darcy Kuemper Expected (Season: 3-3-3 record, 2.85 GAA, .891 SV% | VS WPG: 8-3-0 record, 2.65 GAA, .918 SV% in 13 Games)
Winnipeg's AHL Moose Rollercoaster Start Continues with Another Heartbreaking LossAnother overtime defeat seals the Manitoba Moose's frustrating early season, leaving their offensive struggles and playoff hopes hanging by a thread.
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Tottenham 4-0 Copenhagen, PSG 1-2 Bayern Munich, and more: Champions League – as it happened
Micky van den Ven scored an amazing solo goal for Spurs, while Luis Diaz hit two and was sent off for Bayern in Paris
Thomas Frank has called for better support from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium crowd after revealing that Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence had apologised to him for their reaction to the 1-0 home defeat against Chelsea on Saturday.
Van de Ven and Spence were incensed when the full-time whistle sounded and the Spurs fans booed, as they had done at half-time with their team trailing to João Pedro’s 34th‑minute goal. The defenders stormed past Frank towards the tunnel, ignoring their manager’s attempts to get them to acknowledge the supporters in the South Stand – a bad look at the end of another bad Premier League day at the stadium.
Continue reading...Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid: Champions League – as it happened
Alexis Mac Allister’s second-half header secured Liverpool a deserved victory, as Trent Alexander-Arnold copped some expected flak on his return
1 min: Liverpool are playing towards the Kop in this first half. They prefer it the other way round; Xabi Alonso has clearly given his captain Federico Valverde the heads-up on that.
Liverpool get the ball rolling. The Anfield faithful chant the name of Andy Robertson in the pointed style. His old full-back friend looking on from the benches.
Continue reading...Braves’ Alex Anthopoulos says club ran extensive external search before promoting Walt Weiss as manager
ATLANTA — There were times during the Atlanta Braves’ 33-day search for a new manager that Walt Weiss thought “that ship had sailed” regarding his chances to move up from bench coach and replace Brian Snitker, who is transitioning to an advisor role with the franchise.
He got the call he was hoping for from Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos.
“We all know Alex, how thorough he is and how stealthy he is,” said Weiss, who spoke to reporters for the first time as Braves manager after eight years as bench coach. “He likes to work under the cover of darkness, and so you know this process would be like that at times. But yeah, I couldn’t be more excited yesterday when I got that call.”
In addition to his eight years as Snitker’s bench coach, during which the Braves reached the postseason seven times, Weiss played the final three years of his 14-year MLB career in Atlanta from 1998-2000. He was an All-Star for the only time in his career in 1998 under Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox.
There was speculation the Braves would go outside the Cox tree for this opening after hiring Fredi González (2011) and Snitker (2016). Anthopoulos did not specify how many formal interviews he conducted, though he said he spoke to “a lot” of candidates and other people about the opening. Ultimately, he stayed in house.
“It is important for us to get it right,” Anthopoulos said. “It was a rare opportunity for us to really canvas the entire league, talk to as many people and do as much background work as we could. And ultimately, that search came back to Walt, and I couldn’t be more excited his experience, his character, his work ethic. (It) is exactly what we want here.”
Weiss won a World Series with Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa in Oakland and either played or worked under Don Baylor, Rene Lachemann, Clint Hurdle and Snitker. He said he has learned from all of them and will incorporate that into how he works his second stint as an MLB manager, which lasted from 2013-16 in Colorado. He had a 283-365 record (.437).
“I’ve evolved from my first job in Colorado,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot. The game has changed. I’m sure I’ve changed and hopefully (I’m) wiser.”
Weiss said any team outside of the Dodgers would sign up for what the Braves have accomplished the last eight years under Snitker and he understands the brand of the franchise and what it means to the fanbase. He also said his familiarity with the players and the organization will allow him to hit the ground running during his first season when the Braves try to rebound from a 76-86 season that had a mix of costly injuries and some underperformance of established players.
“It takes a better part of a year to truly understand your team,” Weiss said. “I’m talking about getting to know them on a deep level. What makes them tick? What situations (do) they thrive in, even down to their body language? So that’s a process that takes the better part of a year. And I think the fact that I’ve been here, a lot of those things are already established.”
The Braves did not have any announcements regarding Weiss’s staff, but that is a “front-burner” issue for Anthopoulos, who said he has already discussed it with Weiss. He also made it clear what the expectations are moving forward.
“(Making the playoffs), that’s just a standard that we’ve set here,” Anthopoulos said. “And that’s a credit to Snit, to Bobby Cox, to (former general manager) John Schuerholz that have set the standard here. You know, you guys like Nick Saban, the standard is the standard, and it is. We expect to be in the playoffs year in and year out. So, you know, this is a real responsibility, and we owed it to make sure that we left no stone unturned and were as thorough as we could be, even if it was someone that was already internal.”
LIV Golf backtracks from short format to 72-hole tournaments after pressure from players
Tour’s name partly based on Roman numeral reference
Leading players want better preparation for majors
LIV Golf has surprisingly backtracked on one of its founding principles by announcing tournaments in the fourth season of the Saudi Arabian-backed league will be played over 72 holes. Until now, LIV has proudly operated over 54 holes and three days, with the name itself partly based on a Roman numeral reference point. Could a rebrand to LXXII be imminent?
The dramatic shift, which is believed to have come after pressure from players, means LIV will soon mirror the schedule traditional golf tours it once tried to upstage. LIV will, however, continue to run both individual and team competition elements.
Continue reading...Pete Alonso Free Agent Profile: Contract prediction, best fits, stats
Much different than last season, Pete Alonso is entering free agency coming off a tremendous season at the plate. Will that be enough to finally get him paid though?
The league consensus seems to be that he’s destined to be a designated hitter sooner rather than later and that lumbering sluggers like him aren’t worth long-term commitments. Let’s see if that’s really the case.
Stars like Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, and Cody Bellinger join headliners Kyle Tucker, Dylan Cease, and Bo Bichette in a 2025–26 MLB free agent class loaded with impact bats and arms.
Matthew PouliotDon’t forget: Check out theRotoworld player news feed for all the latest news, rumors, and transactions as MLB’s Hot Stove gets underway!
▶ Alonso in Review
Alonso has been one of the most prolific run producers in the league since he debuted in 2019. He set the all-time rookie home run record that season with 53 and has never hit fewer than 34 in a full season since.
Overall, only Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber have more homers than Alonso since he entered the league and no player has driven in more runs.
Yet, he’s still had some major ebbs and flows in his overall consistency as a hitter. He put up career lows with a .217 batting average and .318 on-base percentage in 2023 with a shockingly low hard-hit rate that dipped below the major league average.
He followed that up with another lackluster season by his own standards setting career lows in homers and RBI. Many of his quality of contact metrics did tick back up though, just without enough consistent contact being made.
It was nice to see those regular season doldrums not carry into the playoffs where he had a .999 OPS, 10 RBI, and four homers in 13 games including this dramatic blast to give the Mets an improbable win over the Brewers to advance to the NLDS.
PETE ALONSO!!!!!!!!!!!!! #POSTSEASONpic.twitter.com/LzgpxTWUzN
— MLB (@MLB) October 4, 2024
Despite those heroics, the two worst seasons of his career back-to-back didn’t put him in a good position as his contract expired after last year. He floundered on the market until early February before begrudgingly signing a two-year deal with an opt-out to return to the Mets.
This season was much better. Alonso got back to hitting the ball incredibly hard and was eighth in the league with a 141 wRC+ partially fueled by a career-best .272 batting average. He made more contact, that contact was consistently of higher quality, and he maintained what has always been elite bat speed plus elite swing decisions.
His future at first base is in question, but Alonso is still absolutely an elite hitter and can likely sustain as such through his mid-30s.
▶ Market Outlook
A huge bounceback campaign without being saddled by a qualifying offer will surely help Alonso get closer to the long-term deal he sought last offseason. Early word from agent Scott Boras is that they’re seeking a seven-year contract.
Pete Alonso expected to seek at least seven-year deal in free agency: report https://t.co/BtNxRmgaV3pic.twitter.com/GboXplTbch
— SNY (@SNYtv) October 11, 2025
This will probably more serve as an anchoring point rather than a firm line. The only first baseman in the league who signed for more than three years are Freddie Freeman, Matt Olson, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Alonso is either older, less consistent, or simply not on the same level as the members of that trio.
Still, a four- or five-year deal could make sense given a skill set – top of the league bat speed and excellent swing decisions – that should keep him as a high-end power hitter until his mid-30s.
A lot of the conversation will come back to his overall value though, which is dragged down by a poor glove. That likely makes him best fit as a part-time designated hitter now and possibly close to a full time one within a few years. Also, the way we’ve seen similarly built powerful first baseman fall apart quickly as they’ve aged.
Everything you need to know about MLB free agency, including key dates, the top names on the market, qualifying offers, and draft pick compensation.
- ,
D.J. Short
▶ Best Fits
Mets: The most obvious fit given his long history with the club and lack of a fill-in at first base if he were to sign elsewhere. He’s the franchise’s all-time home run leader, a fan favorite, and is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. Yet, the Mets were unwilling to give him a long term contract last winter so it’s very possible they once again balk if a bidding war takes Alonso’s deal to five years or more.
Red Sox: Desperate for both a power bat and first baseman, Alonso fits the bill for a team that could be aggressive this winter after a surprise playoff appearance. Triston Casas is still (somewhat) in the picture though, so it’s unclear if they’d commit many years to Alonso.
Phillies: Let’s get crazy. Is there a world where Bryce Harper can move back to the outfield to acquiesce Alonso at first base? It was apparently on the table last offseason and the Phillies are desperate to get over the hump, with or without Kyle Schwarber. Taking a huge bat out of the Mets’ lineup would be an added bonus.
Then, it’s about whether certain power-hungry teams actually want to spend money.
ThePirates should be a great fit if they ever decide it’s time to try and win baseball games. Same goes for the Mariners if Josh Naylor winds up elsewhere and they’re willing to open up the checkbook. Maybe the Rangers as well if they believe they’re still in their competitive window. Do the Reds want to tie their lineup together with a true masher? Then boom, Alonso is a fit there too.
Yet, we’ll never be certain who is actually willing to spend money in any given offseason.
Contract Prediction
Once again, Alonso’s market could be softer than he and Boras hope and if they overplay their hand once again, the Mets will be sitting back and ready for a compromise. Plus, Alonso is so embedded in the Mets’ culture that all parties likely want to wind up back together.
Mets - Four years, $108 million
Kings stars Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis questionable with injury vs. Warriors
Kings stars Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis questionable with injury vs. Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Kings could be without two of their top stars when their Northern California rivals visit Golden 1 Center on Wednesday.
Sacramento guard Zach LaVine (back) and center Domantas Sabonis (ribs) are listed as questionable for their upcoming game against the Golden State Warriors, though Malik Monk, who has missed the Kings’ past two games for personal reasons, is available.
Sabonis appeared to be dealing with an injury to his side in the first quarter of Sacramento’s loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night, but he still played 37 minutes and recorded a 13-point, 17-rebound double-double.
Sabonis, who missed the 2025-26 NBA season opener with a hamstring injury, is averaging 14.5 points on 52.2-percent shooting with 14.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game this season. He historically has turned it on against the Warriors as a member of the Kings, averaging 19.5 points, 14.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 10 games vs. Golden State since 2022.
LaVine has been nothing short of spectacular for Sacramento so far this year. He has scored 30-plus points in all but two of the Kings’ first seven games, averaging 27.4 points on 51.6-percent shooting with 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
The Warriors will come to Golden 1 Center on the latter half of a back-to-back, and facing a Kings team without LaVine or Sabonis certainly would make the job much easier for Golden State’s aging roster.
Roebuck and Steward injuries likely to trigger major England reshuffle against Fiji
Smith, Arundell and Lawrence in frame to start
Borthwick faces dilemmas to backline selection
Injuries to Tom Roebuck and Freddie Steward look likely to trigger an eye-catching reshuffle in England’s backline for the Test against Fiji on Saturday. Marcus Smith, Henry Arundell and Ollie Lawrence are all in contention to be involved, with Manny Feyi-Waboso potentially the solitary starting back-three survivor from the win against Australia on last Saturday.
The head coach, Steve Borthwick, had been hoping to announce his starting XV early this week only for that plan to be mothballed when Roebuck limped out of training prematurely on Tuesday with an ankle problem. Steward has not trained so far this week after sustaining a finger injury late in the win against the Wallabies, opening the way for Smith to replace him at full-back.
Continue reading...Dvorsky's Goal Highlights What's Been A Strong Start To His Blues Career
In a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers that snapped a seven-game losing streak, rookie Dalibor Dvorsky scored his first NHL goal.
With the Blues trailing the Oilers 2-0 in the second period and possibly on the verge of losing an eighth consecutive game, their top prospect and 2023 10th overall pick stepped up to shift the momentum.
The Blues were looking for Dvorsky to show off his excellent shot, and finally, after patience from Robert Thomas and Justin Faulk, Dvorsky got the puck in his wheelhouse and ripped it into the top of the Oilers' net.
“Obviously, it was awesome,” Dvorsky said. “Nothing else to say. Great pass from Faulk there. Just tried to shoot it, and I'm happy it went in.
The goal came in Dvorsky's third game of the season, and due to his play, the goal always felt near. Whether he was paired with Jordan Kyrou and Mathieu Joseph or Dylan Holloway and Oskar Sundqvist, the 20-year-old was continuously finding ways to affect the game at both ends of the ice.
Despite his time dropping a bit each game this season, coach Jim Montgomery has given Dvorsky opportunities elsewhere, as he did last night by placing him on the flank of the top power play unit. The move clearly paid off.
Although the goal is the main talking point and will probably be the main reason he gets another game in the NHL, Dvorsky's overall effect on the game has been very positive, especially at 5-on-5.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Blues own 67.14 percent of the expected goals with Dvorsky on the ice, 57.14 percent of the high-danger chances (4-3), and have a Corsi For percentage of 61.40 percent. Although the sample size is small, those stats are among the best on the Blues.
What adds to the intrigue or makes the stats more impressive is that he is doing it while playing center. The Zvolen, SVK, native is a natural center who claims he feels more comfortable playing down the middle. Center is a difficult position to play in the NHL, but so far, Dvorsky has shown he's up for the task and is excelling.
Dvorsky hasn't locked down his role in the NHL quite yet, but if he continues to perform at this level, Montgomery will be pleased to write Dvorsky's name into the lineup each and every night.
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Observations from Blues' 3-2 Win Vs. OilersDvorsky's first NHL goal fuels comeback; Thomas return was crucial; right place, right time for Suter game-winner; Broberg's challenge to take on McDavid keys to breaking seven-game losing skid for St. Louis Canucks To Terminate Contract Of Former First-Round Pick Vitali Kravtsov
Only a couple of months after signing a new deal that could help him return to the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks have put forward Vitali Kravtsov on unconditional waivers with the intent to terminate his contract. Kravtsov was brought back to the Canucks organization in hopes of bringing some middle-six offensive depth to the team, though the forward was unable to crack the lineup out of training camp and has only played with the Abbotsford Canucks this season.
Kravtsov is a former first-round pick, selected ninth-overall by the New York Rangers in 2018. He was traded to Vancouver back in 2023, playing in 16 games and putting up a goal and an assist. After his contract expired that year, he returned to the KHL where he spent the next two seasons with Traktor Chelyabinsk.
Kravtsov’s 2024–25 season was fruitful offensively speaking, as he scored 27 goals and 31 assists in 66 games, leading the Canucks to take one more shot with the forward by signing him during the 2025 off-season. He participated in Vancouver’s training camp this season, skating in a couple of pre-season games, but ultimately didn’t make the impact that the Canucks had hoped he would and was sent down to the AHL. Kravtsov had a goal and three assists in 10 games played with Abbotsford this year.
The Canucks conduct this move with both their NHL and AHL clubs suffering from depleted lineups. With Vancouver still missing Conor Garland, Teddy Blueger, Filip Chytil, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Nils Höglander, Victor Mancini, and Derek Forbort, the team has needed to pull from an Abbotsford lineup still missing players like Jett Woo, Guillaume Brisebois, and Nikita Tolopilo. With Kravtsov’s contract terminated, the AHL Canucks will look to fill yet another spot in their lineup.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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2025-26 men’s college basketball championship odds, betting: Purdue favored to win March Madness
Purdue is ranked No. 1 in the AP preseason poll for the first time.
Peterson and Dybantsa lead a stacked freshman class as college basketball season begins
Darryn Peterson and A.J. Dybantsa sat behind tables about 20 feet apart inside the T-Mobile Center, the site of the Big 12 men's basketball tournament, a couple of weeks ago, dutifully answering questions about their upcoming freshman seasons. Peterson and Dybantsa had been ranked Nos. 1A and 1B among prep basketball players for years, their paths seemingly always intertwined.
NHL's Eastern Conference Has Incredible Historic Parity
It might be hard to believe, but November is already here. With this, the first month of the NHL season has officially passed.
Normally, at this point in the season, fans are starting to get a clearer idea of which teams are likely to make or miss the playoffs. However, this is certainly not the case in the Eastern Conference right now.
Every team in the Eastern Conference currently has a points percentage of .500 or better. That has never happened by Nov. 4 in the history of NHL conferences, which were established in the 1974-75 season.
Even the Philadelphia Flyers, which are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, have a 6-5-1 record and .542 points percentage.
The Boston Bruins once had a 3-6-0 record after losing six straight games in regulation. Yet, they have now improved to a 7-7-0 record after winning each of their last three games. Going by points percentage, they're last in the East at .500.
The Tampa Bay Lightning also struggled out of the gate, but they have turned things around. After starting the campaign 1-4-2, the Bolts are now 6-4-2 after winning five straight.
And the Pittsburgh Penguins, which many expected to be among the NHL's worst clubs, have instead been one of the league's top teams early on. They have an 8-4-2 record and are second in the Metropolitan Division standings.
Every Eastern Conference team having a .500 points percentage or better has also led to the standings being very close early on.
The Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Lightning, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators and Bruins each have 14 points.
Meanwhile, the New York Islanders, Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres and Flyers round out the Eastern Conference standings with 13 points each.
At the top of the conference, the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings and Penguins have 18 points each. The Habs have played only 12 games and have a .750 points percentage, while New Jersey and Detroit have played 13, and Pittsburgh has played 14.
Five points separate first and last in the East, so things are incredibly packed, and one hot or cold streak can completely change a team's position in the standings.
On Nov. 4, 2024, the Penguins, Islanders, Sabres, Canadiens and Flyers all had points percentages below .500. The year before that, the Flyers, Blue Jackets, Pens and Senators were in that category.
The Western Conference, meanwhile, does not have the same parity.
The Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets lead the way with 19 and 18 points, respectively. While the East has six teams with a points percentage of more than .600, the West has seven. And five squads sit below .500: the Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames.
With all of this, there is no question that parity in the Eastern Conference is incredibly high right now. While things will almost certainly change on that front, fans are being treated to some exciting, very competitive hockey early on.
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Kings reportedly to sign veteran big man Precious Achiuwa for frontline depth
Sacramento has an All-Star level center starting in Domantas Sabonis, but when he goes to the bench coach Doug Christie has had to turn to 6'9" Drew Eubanks, who is undersized for the role.
Enter veteran big man Precious Achiuwa, who the Kings are about to sign, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and since confirmed by other Kings writers (Jake Fischer was first in reporting Sacramento’s interest on Monday).
Achiuwa has played for Miami, Toronto and New York in his five NBA seasons, averaging 7.6 points and 5.7 rebounds a night. He is also undersized at 6'8" but plays bigger than that. He was in training camp with the Heat this season, but was never expected to make their already full roster.
The Kings are expected to waive little-used big man Isaac Jones to create the roster spot for Achiuwa, Charania reports.
Sacramento is off to a 2-4 start this season, ranked in the bottom 10 in the league in both offense and defense.