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Red Sox at Yankees Wild Card Game 2 prediction: Odds, expert picks, pitching matchup, betting trends, stats

Bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning down by two runs.

That was the scenario in Game 1 for the Yankees as Boston's Aroldis Chapman prepared to face Giancarlo Stanton, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Trent Grisham.

Stanton struck out.

Chisholm Jr. flied out to right.

Grisham struck out.

Ballgame. Boston takes Game 1 of this Wild Card series.

As exciting as the bottom of the ninth was, the story was Garrett Crochet. Acquired in the offseason from the White Sox to fill the void at the top of their rotation, the 26-year-old lefthander delivered. Crochet dominated throwing a career-high 117 pitches over 7.2 innings allowing just four hits including an Anthony Volpe solo blast in the second inning. Along the way, Crochet struck out 11.

Max Fried started for the Yankees and was nearly as good if not slightly better allowing four hits and striking out six over 6.1 shutout innings. The difference was Max was deemed to be fried after throwing 102 pitches. Max left the mound and Luke Weaver promptly allowed hits to the only two batters he faced, and a 1-0 lead turned into a 2-1 deficit.

The Yankees now turn to Carlos Rodon Wednesday hoping to avoid elimination from the postseason. The Red Sox are handing the rock to Brayan Bello.

Lets dive into the matchup and perhaps find a few sweats along the way.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Red Sox at Yankees - Game 2

  • Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2025
  • Time: 6:08PM EST
  • Site: Yankee Stadium
  • City: Bronx, NY
  • Network/Streaming: ESPN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Red Sox at the Yankees - Game 2

The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:

  • Moneyline: Boston Red Sox (+138), New York Yankees (-169)
  • Spread:  Yankees -1.5 (+131)
  • Total: 7.5 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Red Sox at Yankees - Game 2

  • Pitching matchup for October 1, 2025: Brayan Bello vs. Carlos Rodon
    • Red Sox:Brayan Bello (11-9, 3.35 ERA)
      Bello has allowed 15 earned runs in just 25 innings in September (5.40 ERA)
    • Yankees:Carlos Rodon (18-9, 3.09 ERA)
      Rodon has struck out 5 or more in three of his last four starts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Red Sox at Yankees

  • After closing the regular season with 2 hits in his final 14 ABs (.143), Anthony Volpe opened the playoffs with 2 hits in 3 ABs
  • With his 2 hits Tuesday night, Alex Bregman now has 90 hits in 100 career playoff games
  • Aaron Judge picked up a couple of hits in 4 ABs to give him 47 hits in 224 (.210) postseason ABs
  • Luke Weaver had not allowed a run in his previous six appearances

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for Game 2 between the Red Sox and the Yankees

Rotoworld Best Bet

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday’s game between the Red Sox and the Yankees:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the New York Yankees -1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.5.

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Aaron Boone explains pulling Max Fried in Yankees' Game 1 loss to Red Sox: ‘He gave us what we needed’

Max Fried was spectacular in his Yankees postseason debut on Tuesday night. 

He worked his way through three efficient frames to open the game, holding the rival Red Sox to just two hits, but then was faced with trouble in each of the next few innings. 

The ace left-hander worked around two-on-and-two-out jams in both the top of the fourth and the fifth, getting Jaren Duran to strikeout swinging and then Yankee killer Alex Bregman to groundout to third, respectively. 

He began to labor again after issuing a one-out walk in the sixth, but was able to get the speedy Nate Eaton to ground into a hard-hit inning-ending double to dance through the frame. 

Fried admitted that he exerted a lot of energy trying to work out of those jams, but he felt he had enough left in the tank for whatever the team needed. 

Aaron Boone decided that was just the leadoff man, Duran, whom he got to roll over for the first out of the top of the seventh, before turning things over to the bullpen. 

It didn’t take long for that decision to immediately backfire on the Yanks. 

Luke Weaver entered and immediately allowed the next three batters to reach, with the big blow being a pinch-hit go-ahead two-run single from Masataka Yoshida. 

Boston added another run against David Bednar later in the game, but that inning would go down as the difference in the Wild Card series-opening loss. 

Despite things not working out, Boone stood by the decision to pull Fried with 102 pitches. 

“He gave us what we needed,” the skipper said. “They pressured him pretty good in the fourth, fifth, sixth. Had a couple of baserunners in each inning. Felt like he kind of cruised through the first few and ends up pitching great, but had to work pretty hard there.

“I was going to have the sixth be the end -- after we finished with the double play, I wanted him to go out and get Duran and felt like we were lined up pretty well from there.”

New York will look to stay alive Wednesday with Carlos Rodon on the mound.

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McAllister, Entwistle score in Orlando, Panthers come up short against Lightning

The Florida Panthers played what could end up being one of their last neutral site preseason games on Tuesday night.

Florida faced off against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Kia Center in Downtown Orlando, something that has become a regular occurrence of late, but a game that could be in jeopardy due to the NHL shrinking preseason schedules starting next season.

It was Tampa who got on the board first, with Oliver Bjorkstrand taking advantage of the extra space allowed during a 5-on-3 power play and beating Brandon Bussi to give the Bolts a 1-0 lead midway through the opening frame.

MacKenzie Entwistle tied the game for Florida less than five minutes later, centering a pass toward Wilmer Skoog in the slot that went off a Tampa defenseman and past goaltender Jonas Johansson.

Two quick goals by Tampa about midway through the game gave the hosts (it was a Lightning home game in Orlando) a two-goal lead heading into the third period.

Ryan McAllister, one of Florida’s top young AHL prospects, scored his first goal of the preseason just 2:30 into the final frame to bring the Cats within one.

It was what you might call a goal scorers’ goal as McAllister was quick to one-time a nifty pass by Skoog through Johansson from a sharp angle inside the right faceoff circle.

That would be as close as the Cats would get, unfortunately.

Johansson stopped five of Florida’s six third period shots on goal, securing the narrow victory for the Bolts.

Neither team dressed any of their ‘big guns’ but that is expected to change in the coming days.

Florida and Tampa will battle two more times, Thursday in Tampa and Saturday in Sunrise, to wrap up their respective preseason schedules.

Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice has said previously that he plans to play many of his NHL regulars in the two tune-up games.

Florida will host the Chicago Blackhawks for Opening Night in exactly one week, on Tuesday, Oct. 7.

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Photo caption: Sep 24, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida Panthers right wing MacKenzie Entwistle (44) gets ready for the face off against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)

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Yankees bullpen falters again in playoff-opening loss to the Red Sox

NEW YORK (AP) — The bullpen that has been one of the New York Yankees’ biggest weaknesses this season faltered again in their playoff opener and has them on the brink of being eliminated by the rival Boston Red Sox.

After Max Fried worked six scoreless innings in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, manager Aaron Boone let him take the mound in the seventh. But Boone removed Fried after he retired the first batter in favor of Luke Weaver, who walked the first batter he faced and allowed a double and Masataka Yoshida’s two-run single.

David Bednar gave up back-to-back hits in the ninth to give Boston some breathing room, and Boone’s in-game pitching decisions were under the microscope yet again in the aftermath of Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss.

There were plenty of pregame decisions questioned, too, with left-handed hitters Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ryan McMahon not in the lineup against Boston starter Garrett Crochet, who got 23 outs before fellow lefty Aroldis Chapman recorded the final four to close it out. Crochet retired 17 consecutive batters after allowing Anthony Volpe’s solo home run.

But after turning to Nestor Cortes in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers last year — with Freddie Freeman hitting a walk-off grand slam in Game 1 on Cortes’ first pitch — and making other calls to the bullpen that didn’t work out, Boone put himself in position to be second-guessed again.

Fried cruised through his first postseason start in pinstripes, allowing four hits and walking three batters. He threw 63 of his 102 pitches for strikes and got a standing ovation as he departed.

Post-injury Weaver showed up. The righty had a 1.05 ERA in his first 24 appearances went on the injured list in June with a strained left hamstring and had a 5.31 over his final 40 games.

That’s emblematic of the Yankees’ season, when their bullpen ERA of 4.37 ranked 23rd out of 30 teams.

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History Of Expansion Draft Losses: The Sens That Got Away

Things are going pretty well these days for former Ottawa Senators goalie Joey Daccord. For one, he's starting his new set-for-life contract, a five-year deal worth $25 million to tend goal for the Seattle Kraken.

Secondly, his old school announced this week it plans to honour Daccord by retiring his number 35 jersey. Daccord's number will rise to the rafters at Arizona State University in the Sun Devils' season opener when they face Gavin McKenna and Penn State on October 3rd.

Daccord will become the first ASU player to ever have his number retired, and he's also the first to be drafted, sign, and play with an NHL team. The Sens selected him in the seventh round back in 2015.

But he's long gone from the Sens organization because they left him unprotected in the 2021 Seattle Expansion Draft. Teams could only protect one goalie, and the Sens went with Filip Gustavsson, while leaving Daccord, Anton Forsberg, Marcus Hogberg, and Matt Murray unprotected.

It got me thinking about players the Senators have historically lost in the expansion drafts of the past.

Here's the full list:

2021: G Joey Daccord (Seattle Kraken)

2017: D Marc Methot (Vegas Golden Knights)

2000: F Kevin Dineen (Columbus Blue Jackets)

2000: F Joe Juneau (Minnesota Wild)

1999: F Phil Crowe (Atlanta Thrashers)

1998: F Denny Lambert (Nashville Predators)

1993: D Mark Ferner (Anaheim Ducks)

1993: F Marc LaBelle (Florida Panthers)

Because the pre-Vegas expansion draft rules allowed existing teams to protect many more talented players on their rosters than we saw in the past, there's a huge drop-off in calibre before 2017. So any discussion about the greatest player Ottawa ever lost in an expansion draft is a two-horse race between Methot and Daccord. 

We'll give the edge to Methot right now, because his loss was the biggest to the team, simply because the Sens spent a lot of years trying to find another right-shot defenseman like him. But Meth is now long retired, and Daccord has a lot of race track still ahead, so we may have to revisit this in a few years.

In the meantime, we'll always have a soft spot for Daccord, especially after his emotional interview following his first NHL win, a few months before he headed for Seattle.

After unexpected start, Joey Daccord candidly details ‘special’ first NHL win After unexpected start, Joey Daccord candidly details ‘special’ first NHL winundefined

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Yankees' bullpen coughs up lead, spoil Max Fried's gem in Game 1 loss to Red Sox

Max Fried delivered the kind of high-level start that befits a $218-million ace and departed Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series with his Yankees ahead of the Red Sox. But the Yankee bullpen -- one of their potential postseason danger zones -- blew the lead. 

Now, the Yanks face elimination in their own ballpark. 

Boston beat the Yankees, 3-1, Tuesday night in the opener of this best-of-three affair, which means the Sox can advance by beating the Yanks again in Game 2 Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. 

Luke Weaver came in with one out and nobody on in the seventh and did not have it. He gave up two runs, squandering a 1-0 lead. That meant the Yanks had to try to rally against Boston ace Garrett Crochet, who was amazing. 

Here are the takeaways...

- The Yankees ranked 23rd in MLB in relief ERA during the regular season, despite some talented arms, trade-deadline additions and role shifts. No wonder it was a source of such consternation through the summer. Yankee manager Aaron Boone doubtless will be second-guessed for taking out Fried for a reliever when he did, even if Fried had thrown 102 pitches. Fried only exceeded that number eight times during the regular season, when his high was 111. David Bednar gave up a Boston insurance run on an RBI double by Alex Bregman in the ninth.

- In the bottom of the ninth, Aaron Judge, whose postseason numbers are well-documented, came up with a runner on first and no one out and Boston closer Aroldis Chapman on the mound. Judge singled up the middle, his second hit of the game, to put the tying run on base. Cody Bellinger followed with a single to load the bases and put the potential tying run in scoring position. But Chapman struck out Giancarlo Stanton, got Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a flyout to right field and fanned Trent Grisham to seal the win.

- Volpe’s second-inning homer was an opposite-field shot to right that traveled 382 feet and gave the Yanks a 1-0 lead. Volpe turned around a Crochet fastball clocked at 97 miles per hour for his second career Postseason home run. The first was his grand slam in Game 4 of last year’s World Series against the Dodgers. 

- The Yanks held a 1-0 lead into the seventh inning, but after Fried came out, Weaver gave up the advantage. With one out, he walked No. 8 hitter Ceddane Rafaela in an 11-pitch battle. The next hitter, Nick Sogard, doubled to put runners on second and third. Red Sox manager Alex Cora then sent up pinch-hitter Masataka Yoshida so he could have a lefty hitter face Weaver. Yoshida swatted a two-run single into center to put Boston ahead, 2-1. Fernando Cruz relieved Weaver and got two outs sandwiched around a walk, limiting the damage. 

- Fried, who had a blazing finish to his regular season, was terrific, throwing 6.1 scoreless innings and leaving to a huge ovation once he had gotten the first out of the seventh. Fried allowed four hits while striking out six and walking three. He threw 102 pitches, 63 of them for strikes. Fried, who was making his 21st career postseason appearance (13th start), trimmed his playoff ERA from 5.10 to 4.66 with the gem. While his final line was spotless, run-wise, he did encounter some trouble. To his credit, he wriggled out of it each time, though.

- In back-to-back innings midway through the game, Fried wobbled but did not allow a run. With two out in the fourth, he walked Carlos Narváez on a 3-2 pitch after narrowly missing striking him out and then gave up a bloop double to right to Nate Eaton. Amidst the threat, Fried fell behind the next hitter, Jarren Duran, 3-0, but rebounded to strike him out with a breaking ball. When he came off the mound afterward, the normally stoic Fried slapped his glove in celebration of getting a big out. Still, it took effort to get through the danger – Fried threw 24 pitches in the fourth inning alone, running his pitch count up to 61. In the fifth, he again walked a hitter on a 3-2 pitch with two out -- this time it was Rob Refsnyder -- and then gave up a single to Trevor Story. But Fried retired Alex Bregman on a grounder.

- Fried threw seven different pitches during his outing, according to Baseball Savant, and generated 19 swings-and-misses overall. The Red Sox swung at his curveball 10 times and missed eight times. He threw a particularly gorgeous one to strike out Story to end the third inning with a runner on second. 

- The Yankees had an early opportunity when Paul Goldschmidt and Judge clocked consecutive singles to start the first inning. But Crochet dealt with it quickly. First, the Boston lefty got Bellinger to swing-and-miss at 98.7-mph heat for strike three. Then he got Stanton to hit into an inning-ending, 6-4-3 double play. 

Game MVP: Garrett Crochet

Crochet, who allowed four hits and one run across 7.2 terrific innings. He struck out 11 and walked none. After allowing a solo homer to Anthony Volpe in the second inning, Crochet retired 17 straight hitters until he gave up a single to Volpe in the eighth. Crochet fanned the last batter he faced, Austin Wells, catching him looking at a fastball clocked at 100.2 miles per hour. Crochet threw 117 pitches, 78 for strikes.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees and Red Sox meet again for Game 2 of the Wild Card series on Wednesday evening as New York looks to stave off elimination. First pitch is set for 6:08 p.m.

Carlos Rodon will take the mound against Brayan Bello.

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Newly Retired NHLer Max Pacioretty Is A First-Class, Dedicated Human Being

When you become an NHL player, you’re fortunate to join a highly elite club.

Now try to picture how elite and fortunate you have to be to play meaningful, memorable hockey in two Original Six markets. You’re the cream of the crop of the cream of the crop.

That’s what you have to know about longtime NHL left winger Max Pacioretty, who retired Tuesday after 17 seasons, including playing the most of his career with the Montreal Canadiens and finishing with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Despite his lofty stature, Pacioretty didn’t make some grand pronouncement he was done playing. Instead, news came that Pacioretty would be joining the University of Michigan – his NCAA team, in his adopted home state – as a special assistant to Michigan coach Brandon Naurato. And in revealing his next chapter, Pacioretty was, as he was his entire life as an NHL player, a class act through and through.

"I'm so thankful for the teammates, coaches and fans who have been a part of my journey,” Pacioretty said in the announcement. “Hockey has given me so much, and now I have the opportunity to help develop the next generation of players. Michigan has a tradition of producing elite talent, and I can't wait to share what I've learned to help these guys grow on and off the ice. Just as important, this next step allows me to be closer to my family and spend more time with my kids. I'm going to be coaching my four boys in youth hockey, and that's something I'll really cherish as a dad.”

We’ve said often that, in the pro hockey world, you wind up cheering not for any one team but for players as human beings. And the 36-year-old Pacioretty was very easy to root for.

When Pacioretty made his NHL debut in 2009, he still had some serious adversity to deal with right away. In 2010-11, an injury at the hands of Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara caused Pacioretty to miss the rest of the season.

When he returned to action in the fall of 2011, Pacioretty thrived, recording 33 goals and 32 assists while being named winner of the Bill Masterton Trophy, given to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication” to the sport.

Even then, he was only really getting started.

From 2013-14 onward, Pacioretty reeled off four straight seasons with at least 30 goals and 60 points. And in 2015, he was rewarded for his diligence, skill and professionalism by being named the 29th captain in the history of the Canadiens. 

Pacioretty became such a star in Montreal, Quebec-based McDonald’s restaurants named a burger in Pacioretty’s honor.

But all good things have their end, and Pacioretty eventually struggled, not only in terms of point production but in terms of his health. So when Pacioretty was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018, Habs fans were happy to get back an up-and-coming star and future Montreal captain in center Nick Suzuki.

Thus began a turbulent time for Pacioretty.

Despite netting 32 goals and 66 points in his second season with Vegas, Pacioretty’s injury issues came back. He missed 33 games in 2021-22 with a broken foot and wrist, and after the Golden Knights traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2022, he suffered a devastating torn Achilles tendon and played only five games with the Hurricanes. One year later, he was playing with the Washington Capitals, but another Achilles injury limited him to only 47 regular-season games. The end seemed near for him.

But something unpredictable and inspiring happened for Pacioretty last season. Following his modest playing contract with the Maple Leafs, Pacioretty emerged as an effective power forward for Toronto.

Injuries, healthy scratches and salary cap limitations kept Pacioretty to only 37 regular-season games with the Blue and White. But in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Pacioretty had the final renaissance of his NHL days, posting the Leafs’ series-clinching goal against the Ottawa Senators in the first round. Pacioretty wound up with three goals and eight points in 13 playoff games with the Buds last spring, earning a notable place in Leafs history.

Max Pacioretty (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

In the end, Pacioretty didn’t win a Cup. But his performance last year was a good one to go out on. He’ll always be loved in Montreal, and Leafs Nation will remember him fondly. There are very few players who can make that specific claim.

Not every NHLer's exit ends with a championship, but Pacioretty became an icon (small letter 'i' in Toronto) in two Canadian markets. That's no small feat. And now, he goes home to Michigan and gets to give back while playing for his collegiate team. Despite all the unfortunate parts of his on-ice days, Pacioretty has still been quite fortunate.

Pacioretty almost assuredly won’t be a Hockey Hall of Famer. But he has always been a first-class human being, a terrific ambassador for the game and a credit to the sport. He’ll be missed in NHL circles, but he’ll undoubtedly keep on giving back.

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.

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LeBron James looking at slow ramp-up to Lakers season

El Segunda, CA, Monday, September 29, 2025 - LeBron James guzzles a drink before meeting with reporters at Lakers media day at UCLA Health Training Center. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
LeBron James guzzles a drink before meeting with reporters Monday at Lakers media day. He did not practice on Tuesday as he slowly prepares for his 23rd NBA season. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

LeBron James did not participate in the Lakers' first day of training camp Tuesday because of “nerve irritation in the glute.”

James’ teammates Marcus Smart, Gabe Vincent and Adou Thiero were “under either return to play protocols or modified protocols” during the team’s first sessions.

James is entering his NBA-record 23rd season and the goal is to ramp him up to be ready for the regular-season opener Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.

“Yeah, I think it’s probably a little bit longer of a ramp-up leading into opening night for him just obviously in Year 23, it’s uncharted territory here,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “So, I felt, and in talking with performance and in talking with Mike (Mancias, James’ personal trainer) and LeBron, like probably did too much last year in camp, which was great for me as a first-year head coach to get buy-in from him.

“But it’ll be a slower process with him leading into the first game. He’s obviously got 22 years so far of wear and tear on the body and he’s dealing with a little bit of nerve irritation in the glute. So, we’re just playing the long game with LeBron.”

Redick said Vincent was “just modified” and the hope is that he’ll play in the preseason game Friday against the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert.

“He should be good to go live by the end of the week and we expect him to be able to play Friday,” Redick said. “And that’s just, again, the management of, as we did last year as well.”

Smart could be seen shooting after practice, but the Lakers are taking it slow with him as well.

“Marcus, he’s dealing with a little bit of Achilles' tendinopathy,” Redick said. “He’s been in a slow ramp-up. He was a modified participant, nothing live today. He’s expected to be fine by the end of the week.”

Thiero said Monday that he still has some “swelling” in his left knee that kept him out playing in the summer league in Las Vegas and has slowed his time on the court since then.

Redick said Thiero was running, cutting and jumping with coaches, but that they will take it slow with him.

“It’s really about playing the long game with him,” Redick said. “We look at this year as a developmental year and there’s no reason for us to push his body and create a long-term problem. His knee is in a really good spot. We just want to be really careful.”

Redick said, “that’s the goal,” when asked if James will be ready to play in the season opener.

James, 40, has played 71,104 minutes over his career, including the playoffs.

“You’ll hear me use this a lot: it is unchartered territory,” Redick said. “I don’t think there’s a proven way to handle someone who has this much mileage, this many minutes, been asked to do so many things on both ends of the court. We asked a lot of him last year, we asked a lot of him to start the year in camp, so it’s just working as a partnership and trying to figure it out.”

Even with James not practicing, Austin Reaves said it won’t be a problem for the three leaders to find ways to make it smooth for their teammates.

Along with James and Luka Doncic, Reaves is viewed as one of the Lakers' stars and he says James always is engaged even when he doesn’t practice.

“Yeah, just communication,” Reaves said. “To have good dialogue back and forth, what everybody likes, what we can do to be successful. With him being one of the highest IQ guys to ever play the game, I think it’s not that hard to piece it in even if he’s not out there right now, He sees the game just as good as anybody that has ever played the game. So, like I said, it’s having conversations, dialogue back and forth what we feel like we can do to help our team be successful is going to be, I think, key.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Stalemate over: Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors reportedly agree to two-year, $48.5 million contract extension

In the end, Jonathan Kuminga wasn't going to leave about $15 million this season on the table, even if it meant giving the Warriors control over the second year of his contract (and with that, making him easier to trade).

After a summer-long stalemate, the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga have agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million contract extension, with a team option on the second season, a deal first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.

This was essentially one of the offers that had been on the table since the start of summer, although the Warriors' first offer was about $8 million less in total, Charania notes. Kuminga's leverage was to take the one-year, no-trade-clause qualifying offer of $8 million, but this year's salary alone for Kuminga will be nearly three times the $7.6 million Kuminga made last season. That's hard to walk away from.

Kuminga chose the two-year offer from the Warriors over a three-year, $75 million offer with a team option on the final year. This shorter deal potentially makes him a free agent sooner and increases the likelihood of his being traded.

With this extension, Kuminga can be traded on Jan. 15. That is the goal for both sides. A split has been brewing, and Golden State listened to offers this summer but was unimpressed by what Sacramento, Phoenix and others put on the table. A potential trade also means coach Steve Kerr — who has long kept Kuminga on a short leash — will have to showcase him more early this season. That will not be easy on a team that has Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green at the four, Kuminga's natural position. When he does get minutes, Kuminga has to shine.

Kuminga saw his role shrink last season after the addition of Butler, and while he averaged 15.3 points per game last season, he shot just 30.5% from 3-point range. Kuminga excels at getting downhill and driving the rim, but that's not always the role Kerr has wanted him to play in the Warriors' ball-movement offense.

With this signing, the Warriors will officially ink Al Horford to the taxpayer mid-level exception of $5.7 million, which will hardcap the team at the second apron. Golden State's other signings, such as De'Anthony Melton and Gary Payton, will be for the minimum.

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Sabres' Defense Corps Could Be The Difference Between Buffalo Making And Missing Out On Playoffs

Bowen Byram (David Kirouac, USA TODAY Images)

Yesterday, we put forth our opinion that the Buffalo Sabres need a big year out of star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin if they were going to contend for a Stanley Cup playoff berth (and end their 14-season playoff drought. And 24 hours later, we're sticking with that notion. But this column is an addendum to yesterday's column. Because while the Sabres need Dahlin to spearhead a defensive renaissance for this franchise, Buffalo isn't going to be a playoff team unless something else happens in addition to Dahlin being very difficult to play against particularly in their own zone.

And that "something else" is this: the Sabres need their entire defense corps to make a major step forward this year and cut down Buffalo's porous D-zone play. The Sabres were tied for third-from-last place in goals-against average last season at 3.50 goals-against per-game. Only one team -- the Montreal Canadiens -- finished outside of the playoffs last year despite posting a G.A.A. that was outside the top-16 in that department.

That tells you all you need to know about the importance of defense. When you have it, the way the Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights had it last season, you know you've got it. And when you don't have it, the way the Sabres didn't have it last year, or the year before that, or the year prior to that, you know what you're missing.

So while the majority of the pressure defensively will be on Dahlin (and of course, Buffalo's goaltenders) to lead the way this season, the reality is that his fellow Sabres blueliners also have to come through with big step-up years.

To be sure, Buffalo needs bigger and better years from defenseman Owen Power. The 22-year-old posted career highs in goals (7), assists (33), and points (40) last season, but there's a troubling aspect or two about Power's improvement that will get plenty of attention this season. For one thing, Power's ice-time average was nearly three full minutes less than Dahlin's.

Sabres Need This Key Player To Have Big Season If Buffalo Is To Be Playoff TeamSabres Need This Key Player To Have Big Season If Buffalo Is To Be Playoff TeamThe Buffalo Sabres need solid years from everybody to even come close to being in the mix for a Stanley Cup playoff appearance for the first time in a decade. But (and at the risk of just pointing out one of those players when it will take big efforts from most Sabres players to make Buffalo a playoff team) we're going to focus on a player this writer believes has to have a big year to get the Sabres back in the post-season.

We get it -- Power is on Buffalo's second defense pairing, so it's understandable why he'd have fewer minutes than Dahlin. But when you're paying a player $8.35-million for the next six seasons, you probably want the defender to be playing more time than 21 minutes a night.

But it isn't just Power and Dahlin that have to be good for Buffalo to be a playoff team. Freshly re-signed D-man Bowen Byram also needs a big year -- to prove the Sabres were right to re-sign him at a $6.25-million salary, and to set himself up for another big payday when he becomes a UFA in the summer of 2027. And if he's on the top pairing with Dahlin, Byram's individual numbers should spike in a positive direction. Byram did have career-best numbers in assists (31) and points (38) last season, but with his new salary, more will be expected of him.

Value In Former Sabres Shows Buffalo Has Talent -- But So Far, The Mix Has Always Been WrongValue In Former Sabres Shows Buffalo Has Talent -- But So Far, The Mix Has Always Been WrongBelieve it or not, the Buffalo Sabres and their players are not inherently terrible. Sure, there are Buffalo players you may believe to be flawed, and sure, the Sabres have been consistently sub-par for the past 14 seasons -- none of which have ended with Stanley Cup playoff games being played in Western New York.  But if you look at some of Buffalo's former players, you see that they have some value across the league, even though they have a stint with the Sabres on their resume.

Finally, the rest of Buffalo's D-men also have to come through with some type of solid contribution this season. Matias Samuelsson will need to be a stable stay-at-home defender, while new acquisitions Michael Kesselring and Conor Timmins will need to make better-than-average first impressions in their own way.

There's no area in which the Sabres are too good in order to make up for bad Sabres areas. They need everything working in their favor if they're to be a playoff team in 2026.

And if they don't get that -- if they don't improve significantly on defense this year -- the defense corps in Western New York at this time next September will look drastically different.

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Devils Star Makes New Best NHL Players List

Jesper Bratt (© James Guillory-Imagn Images)

New Jersey Devils star Jesper Bratt had an excellent 2024-25 season for the Metropolitan Division club. In 81 games on the year, the 27-year-old winger scored 21 goals and set career bests with 67 assists and 88 points. This was also the third year in a row that he set a new career high in points, so he just keeps better. 

Now, Bratt has been rewarded for his big season, as he has made another top NHL players list. 

Sportsnet ranked Bratt as the No. 47 spot in their top 50 NHL players list heading into the 2025-26 season. With this, Bratt ranked ahead of other notable stars like Lane Hutson (Montreal Canadiens), Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay Lightning), and Thomas Harley (Dallas Stars). 

Given the year that Bratt just had for the Devils, it is entirely understandable that he has been ranked among the NHL's best 50 players by Sportsnet. It is well deserved, as Bratt was one of the top wingers in the league this past season and is expected to be the same in 2025-26 for New Jersey. This is especially so when noting that he has been over a point per game player in each of his last two seasons with the Devils.