Category: Sports News

Worldwide Sports News

Posted on

One year later, the Suns feel nothing like last season’s halfway mark

I remember last January like it is burned into my brain. As the season hit the halfway point, you could feel the dread creeping in from the corners. The Suns were 21-20, and even then it felt like the ground was already shifting beneath them. Everyone knew the January schedule was supposed to be soft. The hope was that it would act as a springboard after months of underwhelming basketball. Instead, it felt like borrowed time.

Bradley Beal was moved to the bench. Jusuf Nurkic followed, playing his final game as a Sun on January 7 before getting dealt on February 6. The whispers were getting louder. Discontent hung in the air. Mike Budenholzer was yanking every lever he could find, searching for a spark. Any spark. From the outside, it felt like watching a car crash unfold in real time. Every adjustment seemed to stack on top of the last, and nothing slowed the impact.

We know how the story ended.

A year later, I still find myself shaking my head at where this team is and how it got here. Back then, it felt like the only path forward was detonation. Strip it down. Cash in the most valuable assets. Escape the weight of bad decisions, a miserable season, and a cap sheet that read like a cautionary tale. There did not seem to be an exit ramp. It felt boxed in. Trapped.

And yet, here we are.

One year later, there is hope. There is a team worth investing in emotionally again. A group that plays with a style, toughness, and grit that actually mirrors the city it represents. Living in a desert is not normal. Enduring more than 100 days a year above 100° is absurd. That kind of environment hardens you. It demands thick skin. Stubbornness. A little bit of madness. The Suns are starting to personify that. Tough. Relentless. Slightly unhinged in the best way.

So now that we have hit the halfway point, it felt like the right time to take a step back and look at this team year over year. Five different statistics. One simple question. How different does this feel from where the Suns were at this same point a season ago?

Record

Last Year: 21-10
This Year: 24-17

Yes, we start with the record. On paper, the Suns are only three games better than they were a season ago, but the trajectory tells a completely different story. They sit seventh in the Western Conference and are within three games of the four seed.

Last season, they were 21-0 at this same point, but the path there was shaky. They stumbled to a 16-19 mark through their first 35 games, then rattled off five wins in six just to claw back to respectability. That surge landed them in the 10 seed. It never felt stable. It never felt sustainable. This version of the Suns does.

Ratings

Last Year: 114.2 OFF (10th), 115.3 DEF (22nd), -1.1 NET (17th)
This Year: 114.5 OFF (16th), 112.1 DEF (5th), +2.3 NET (11th)

You can feel the difference between this team and last year’s group almost immediately. Last season’s Suns were built around offense. When you have Kevin Durant, you are going to score, and most nights it is going to be efficient. That part always showed up. It was never the concern. The problem was everything wrapped around it. The defense was a mess, and through the first 41 games, they sat at a -1.1 net rating. That told the real story.

This season has flipped the script. The offense can bog down at times, and that is part of why the return of Jalen Green looms so large, because he is an offense-based player who can tilt the floor. But the foundation is different now. The Suns are sitting at a 112.1 defensive rating, fifth best in the league. That defense has pushed them to a +2.3 net rating, which ranks 11th overall.

It is a thin line, but it matters. Last year’s Suns were a bottom-half net rating team. This year’s group lives on the other side of that divide. That is not noise. That is a shift.

Three-Pointers

Last Year: 571
This Year: 594

How many times did I beat the three-point drum last season? With Mike Budenholzer coming in, the assumption was simple. More threes. That was supposed to be the offensive shift. And sure enough, the Suns are taking more threes this season than they did a year ago.

But the real wrinkle is not only that they are letting it fly. It is what is happening on the other end. This team is active. Disruptive. Annoying in the best way. They already have 431 steals this season, second most in the entire league. Last year’s group was at 317 through 41, which ranked 22nd. That gap tells you everything.

The threes are part of the story. The defense is the headline.

Plus/Minus

Last Year: -47
This Year: +104

Plus/minus is a fickle stat. It gets weaponized far too often in single-game debates. Even over a week, I do not lean on it much, because it is so dependent on who you share the floor with. I could be out there doing absolutely nothing, but if Devin Booker rattles off 15 points in a quarter while I am standing next to him, congratulations, I am a +15.

Over 41 games, though, it starts to tell you something real. And the difference between this season and last season is loud. A 151-point swing in the positive direction.

This is not the offensive machine that last year’s blueprint was chasing. And I am fine with that. This team has something far more valuable. A defense that can actually shut people down. That defensive backbone is what shows up in this metric. I will take the ability to stop someone every time over trying to bludgeon teams with offense.

Maybe that is the scar tissue talking. I am a product of the Seven Seconds or Less era. I watched those Suns teams light up scoreboards year after year. Beautiful basketball. Historic offense. And every postseason, when it came time to get one stop, they could not do it. That lesson sticks. Defense travels. Defense survives. And this version of the Suns finally understands that.

Deflections

Last Year: 589 (26th)
This Year: 829 (6th)

This team hustles. We have seen it all season, and it is one of the reasons people connect with this group. You cannot flip the game off because they are down 15 in the first half. Not with this team. They keep coming. They keep scrapping. They do the small things that drag them back into games possession by possession.

Deflections tell that story better than almost anything. It is the clearest measure of effort. Are you standing around watching the ball move, or are you hunting passing lanes? Are you sitting back, or are you crowding entry passes and making life uncomfortable? This season, the difference is not subtle. It is not even close compared to last year.

That single statistic captures what your eyes already tell you every night. This team plays harder. It plays with intent. And that hustle is the foundation of everything else they have built.

I did not think we would get here. Not this fast. I was bracing myself for a rebuild and thankful it has been, on the surface, a successful retool. Credit where it belongs. Mat Ishbia. Brian Gregory. The decision to bring in Jordan Ott. Those moves are the reason we can even have these conversations right now.

Watching this team does not feel like homework anymore. It feels energizing. You tune in to see how aggressive they are going to be, how hard they are going to play, how they try to impose themselves on the game.

One of my favorite parts of this season, especially as someone who hosts a post-game podcast after every game, has been lurking in opposing teams’ subreddits. It is unfiltered chaos in there. Sometimes insightful. Sometimes completely unhinged. But there is one consistent theme that keeps popping up: nobody wants to play Phoenix.

Opposing fans keep comparing this team to the Bad Boys Pistons from the late 80s. Annoying. Disruptive. Physical. A team they complain about while secretly respecting. They might hate Grayson Allen. They might hate Dillon Brooks. But they all say the same thing. They would love those guys on their roster. That is what the Suns have become in one season.

Last year, this was a cupcake team. A date circled on the schedule. A matador defense where stars could stroll in, put up numbers, and leave happy. This year is different. Sure, the flight to the Valley in January still sounds nice. Warm weather. Sunshine. But once you walk into that arena, you know exactly what you are in for. A dog fight. I will take that version of the Suns every single time.

Posted on

Open Thread: The Spurs have exceeded expectations at the midway point of the season

41 games down and 41 games to go. Seems like a fair spot to take pulse of how the Spurs season is going thus far.

To be clear, the Spurs have been exceeding expectations all season. They have adjusted to multiple players being injured at various times. From different starting lineups to a spree of seven straight games were the leading scorer was a different member of the squad, the players continue to elevate their on-court connections when it has mattered most.

One of the most telling aspects of the Spurs depth was when they went 9-4 while the emerging superstar was sidelined with a calf strain.

That said, they’re not perfect. They came up short in the NBA Emirates Cup. But be honest, at the beginning of the season did anyone see them making it that far? They’re the only team to have bested the NBA champs three times, but it’s the most recent meeting that still hurts. And I don’t know about you, but when I watch Victor Wembanyama, I see all the greatness a generational player has, and in one moment he makes some move that leaves me shaking my head.

One of the best highlights this season is watching Mitch Johnson come into his own as the official head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. His press conferences reveal a young, confident leader who is aware of where he and the team are. He’s not afraid to let them grow at a natural pace. It’s his pre-and post-game conferences bring the viewer into his mindset. One more than one occasion I have been reminded of just how young Wemby is. And all of a sudden I don’t see a bumbled play, I see the potential that Coach Johnson sees.

Patience has been the watchword ever since Wembanyama was drafted. For many fans, a couple of years is too long to wait. We must keep in mind that since Wemby donned a Spurs cap on draft night the team has added another Rookie of the Year, a nineteen-year-old downhill guard who plays beyond his years, and the 2023 Clutch Player of the Year.

When fans take a moment to realize that Fox and Wemby have barely played two dozen games together, restraint on everyone’s part is really unwarranted.

Although the team is young and developing, they’ve managed to bring in a great mix of experience. Fox, Luke Kornet, Kelly Olynyk, and Bismack Biyombo can offer so much. Even the latter two who aren’t getting as many minutes offer a valued presence and support to a locker room full of youth and vitality.

41 games down. With a record of 28-13 they are on pace to end the year with a record of wins in the mid-50s, a best since the 2016-2017 season.

Lots to celebrate and lots to be excited about.

How are you feeling now that the season is halfway done?

Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

Posted on

It is time for NY to part ways with Mitchell Robinson

Having Mitchell Robinson available only twice a week and the occasional Tuesday continues to undermine the Knicks. It is time for him to go. There, I said it. Load up your bows.

At times, Mitch has been my favorite Knick. He is one of the best rebounders to ever do it, a fun personality, and the longest-tenured ‘Bocker, too. That gives him a lot of rope. But load-management prevents the seven-foot center from playing back-to-backs, making for an erratic availability that must be disruptive to game planning. We have no confidence that he will survive through the playoffs, either. And this season’s numbers don’t justify the special treatment.

Indisputably, he is a prodigious talent on the glass, where he averages nine boards in 19.4 minutes per game. Almost five of those rebounds are offensive and lead to second (or third) shots. On the scoring side, his numbers have always been ugly. This season has been the worst. Mitch is averaging a career-low 4.6 points per game. His free throw percentage is forty, and he is far too cool to try granny-style.

This season, he has missed 13 of 41 games. The team has gone 17-11 with him, 8-5 without. Sure, it’s a flawed metric, but his plus-minus statistics suggest he has added to 13 games, of which the team won 11. In the 15 games where he was a zero or negative plus-minus, the team went 6-9.

Forgive my math (and tired eyes), but it looks like he’s played in 68% of the games so far this season, and contributed most positively in roughly half of his appearances. So, if he plays and he’s good, the team wins. The rest of the time—like 75% of the time—the team needs a reliable center.

Pipe down, I know Karl-Anthony Towns often starts at that position. But we have seen first-hand what Minnesota knew, which is that KAT cannot be your last line of defense. The guy is a turnstile whose natural inclination is to foul at the rim. That’s why Minny gave up so much to get Rudy Gobert. The big Frenchman made up for the defensive sins of Karl, who is otherwise a scoring-savant.

(These are the days I’m especially grateful for all those years of the venerable Patrick Ewing.)

The solution does not appear to be on the roster. Early this season, back-up center Ariel Hukporti had us hyped enough at times to bandy about potential nicknames. Then he crashed back to Earth with some truly dud performances and a bagful of DNPs. I’m not entirely out on him, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of coaching up going on.

Guerschon Yabusele is not a center. Period. He may also not be a Knick . . . let me refresh my news feed.

So there’s KAT, Mitch, and Ariel on the depth chart. Those are your centers. Do you have faith in those guys landing the Larry O’Brien trophy? If so, you’re more generous than this writer.

A smart decision, from a basketball and business standpoint, would be to trade Robinson for a seven-footer by the February 5 deadline. He’s making $12.95 M this year and will likely hit the open market this summer as a UFA.

As for a trade: Who would want this oft-injured player who needs a new contract and plays limited games? And what big men are possibly available on the market before the deadline? Let’s ponder those topics with fresh eyes in another article. I just woke up at 4 a.m. with a burning desire to get this out of my system. Because: crazy.

Truly, I thought to unburden myself of this belief would be a relief (try saying that like Clyde, it’s fun). What I feel is bummed. There are numerous reasons, beyond basketball ability, to be fond of Mitch. The guy is a genuinely good egg; for starters, Google what he did for his grieving high school coach. In the locker room, his teammates seem to have enjoyed his jester personality (maybe with the exception of Randle). His is always the next jersey I will buy if I ever decide that I don’t have too many in the back of my closet already. Sure, his taste in music sucks. He still commits crimes on the free throw line. No one’s perfect. To see him leave New York will hurt the regions of my heart that have not yet hardened, and it will make the product even more bland. But if the Knicks are serious about raising another banner, it’s time to replace Mitch with a dependable, durable, and available center.

Go Knicks.

Posted on

The Cardinals’ 2026 Roster and the Cost of Choosing Too Slowly

With the Nolan Arenado trade in the books, the Cardinals roster is coming into focus. While we are likely to see a few more transactions before the buses roll into Jupiter, this feels like a good time to give a zoomed-out look at the 40-man roster and the upper-minors depth. Regardless of what happens with Brendan Donovan and JoJo Romero before spring training, 2026 will be a year with a significant amount of roster churn as Chaim Bloom and the front office sort through a roster full of unproven players and a top farm system with a number of significant players set to graduate. 

I think the term “runway” has been retired by the Cardinals marketing team, but it may actually be more relevant now than at any point in 2025. I don’t think there was anything wrong with the concept last season, but the fun of it for the fans was quickly subverted by watching Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker struggle. To add insult to injury, the roster still felt clogged with veterans Erick Fedde, Miles Mikolas, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado, gobbling up significant innings and plate appearances (sometimes deservedly so). That dynamic will not be a problem this season as the roster has been trimmed of any player who does not fit Bloom’s long-term vision of a roster built on young and/or internally developed talent. 

2026 will be a high-stakes game of Red Light, Green Light, with 60 players within the organization fighting for 40 roster spots when the dust settles on the 2026 season and rosters reset in mid-November. Bloom’s job for the next ten months is to make sure that the right players get opportunities and the right players get shipped out for more prospect capital. For this exercise, I am setting aside prospects that are unlikely to impact the team or roster in 2026. The 60 players in question (actually 62, counting those on expiring contracts) are grouped into four categories:

  • 40-man roster (years of control in parentheses) 
  • Players who will need to be added by season’s end to avoid exposure to the Rule 5 draft
  • Players who might debut ahead of schedule regardless of 40-man or team-control restrictions
  • Players/prospects on the Triple-A roster who could force their way back into the discussion 

40-Man Roster

This roster is relatively deep, if lacking top-end talent, with only a handful of players who wouldn’t be rostered by the majority of teams. The other thing that jumps out is the amount of team control across nearly the entire roster.  With the exception of May and Romero, every player is under control through at least 2027. Once the season starts, players can be moved to the 60-day Injured List to free up roster space, so there is flexibility here, with Roby and Hjerpe most likely to start on the 60-day IL. One thing I will be following this season is how the team approaches freeing up additional roster spaces as needed. Will they trim the weaker part of the back of the 40-man? Or will they be proactive at trading from the top of the 40-man if the opportunity presents itself? 

Prospects Needing Protection 

This group is made up of players who are roughly top 50 prospects in the organization and will require a 40-man roster spot to avoid Rule 5 draft exposure. It is important from a roster-management perspective, but it also impacts how quickly we could see these players during the 2026 season. If the Cardinals plan to protect them and they have progressed enough to benefit from MLB playing time, they are likely to be added to the 26-man roster at some point during the season. This is the pattern we have seen with top prospects Masyn Winn, Thomas Saggese, and Jimmy Crooks. This dynamic is not limited to top prospects as more depth pieces like Nick Raquet and Cesar Prieto were added during the 2025 season. From this group, only Leonel Sequera, Travis Honeyman, and Jesus Baez have not appeared in Double-A or higher. Any of the rest are within punching distance of a major-league debut.

Prospect that May Debut Early

Wetherholt will obviously be up for most of the year barring some unforeseen catastrophe. Doyle is more of a long shot. Two of the four college pitchers drafted in the top 20 picks of the 2024 draft made major league debuts in 2025 (Chase Burns and Trey Yesavage). For Doyle to debut, he will need to hope the Cardinals are in playoff contention, or make an absolute mockery of the minor leagues. 

Forgotten Prospects 

None of these players on their own is particularly likely to be impactful, but the Cardinals have spent years trying to get Thompson, Santos, and Naughton healthy. Koperniak and Rajcic are both former decent prospects that had tough 2025 seasons. 

Starting Pitching 

The starting rotation is what got me thinking about this whole depth question in the first place. While we are still waiting on the ZiPS projections to be released for the Cardinals, I would expect them to have a bottom 10 or possibly bottom five projected rotation. After their trades with Boston and the Dustin May signing, they do have a surprisingly deep rotation. Andre Pallante might start the season as the seventh starter or in the bullpen. While Pallante might never establish himself as the mid-rotation arm he has flashed promise of, he is the exact kind of guy that a team like the Cardinals with no immediate plans to contend, should be giving starts to.  The problem is, you could make the same argument for every pitcher in the rotation. Along with Pallante, Liberatore, McGreevey, Dobbins, Fitts, and Leahy all project as fourth or fifth starter types. It will be critical for the Cardinals to sort through this group of pitchers and hang on to the right ones for the next contention window. Every team needs at least seven starters to get through a season, but we haven’t even touched on the minor leaguers at the upper levels vying for big-league starts. 

The injured trio of Hence, Hjerpe, and Roby is taking up a lot of space. Roby will miss all or most of the season, so he is pretty much a lock to take up a roster spot going into next offseason. Hence and Hjerpe need to be pushed aggressively, if healthy, even if that means moving them to the bullpen. In a perfect world, they could get 70 innings starting in the minors and then finish out the year in the St. Louis bullpen. 

In an ideal world, multiple pitchers from the Mathews, Henderson, Mautz, and Doyle group shove their way into the picture by midseason. At this point, the Cardinals should have some answers on the top seven. If May and/or Pallante are pitching well, they could be traded to open up some starts. 

Mathews, Lin, and Henderson are all on track to be added to the 40-man roster at season’s end. The rest have some work to do, but even adding three more pitchers with only May leaving via free agency will necessitate additional moves. 

Relief Pitching

I won’t say much about relief pitching. Reliever volatility is too high to try to predict even a year in advance. It will likely be impacted substantially depending on which starters are redirected to the bullpen. On the prospect front, Gastelum rode an incredible changeup to a 35.4% strikeout rate. He could be up sooner rather than later. Austin Love shook off a two-year injury sabbatical and had a solid season in Springfield. After struggling with command in the first half, he put up a 26/4 K/BB ratio in August and September across 19 IP. He is my sleeper pick for a Matt Svanson type rise in 2026. 

Catcher

I won’t spend much time on the catcher position as this has been discussed ad nauseum over the last 12 months. My desired outcome would be that Ivan sticks at catcher and Pages is flipped for a prospect to open up time for Crooks. I understand why they are waiting, but this is another area where a decision will need to be made at some point. 

Infield

The infield picture is the one that surprised me the most compared to my preconceived notions. The starting infield looks great (even assuming Wetherholt replaces Donovan), and Fermin/Saggese/Gorman are a reasonable group to fight it out for at-bats, but Blaze Jordan and Wetherholt stand alone as the only-upper minors options not already on the 40-man. This is not necessarily a problem given the objectives of 2026, but it explains why the Cardinals chose to hang on to Cesar Prieto and Bryan Torres. There just aren’t that many eligible players if Donovan follows Arenado out of town.

Outfield 

Cardinals’ outfielders ranked 26th in baseball last season putting up a combined 1.4 fWAR. So, the good news is there is nowhere to go but up… Nootbaar, Scott, Church, and Walker are in line to get the first crack at rectifying the outfield play we were subjected to in 2025. Looking at this group of 40-man players and prospects on the way, you can see why Chaim Bloom has signaled adding an outfield bat via free agency. Outside of Joshua Baez, there are no projected starting-caliber players in the upper minors. With only two years of control left, a strong first half will likely put Nootbaar back on the trade block. Davis, Levenson, and Honeyman would all need a substantial breakout to factor into the long-term plans in a meaningful way. If no outside help is brought in, Fermin, Saggese and Torres could be given a crack at an outfield spot as well. 

What I would like to see in 2026

We have to wait for spring training to start making our bold predictions, so consider this more of a wish list. Here are the eight things I would like to see happen to shape the roster over the next ten months. 

  1. Brendan Donovan traded before spring training
  2. JJ Wetherholt given the Opening Day start
  3. Pitching prospects called up aggressively to replace faltering rotation or bullpen pieces
  4. Church, Saggase, Fermin, and Torres given opportunities rather than signing a free-agent stopgap
  5. Dustin May, Lars Nootbaar, Nolan Gorman, and  Andre Pallante shopped at the trade deadline, if performing well 
  6. JoJo Romero traded before spring training
  7. Hjerpe and Hence given major league opportunities as early as possible
  8. Luis Gastelum, Austin Love, and Skylar Hales given early opportunities in bullpen

Posted on

Preview: Wizards play Nuggets on Saturday night

The Washington Wizards play the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night. Let’s get to it

Game info

When: Saturday, Jan. 17 at 9 p.m. ET

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network

Injuries: For the Wizards, Cam Whitmore (shoulder), Bilal Coulibaly (back) and Trae Young (quadriceps) are out. Khris Middleton and Tristan Vukcevic are day-to-day.

For the Nuggets, Christian Braun (ankle), Nikola Jokic (knee), Jonas Valanciunas (calf), Cameron Johnson (knee) and Tamar Bates (foot) are out. Aaron Gordon, Bruce Bowen and Jamal Murray are day-to-day.

What to watch for

This week has been tough for Wizards fans since the team is in the middle of a five game losing streak with no end in sight. Losing last night/early this morning to the Sacramento Kings doesn’t help things because that was the most winnable game on paper.

Tonight, Washington will play a Denver team that is 28-13 and winners of five out of their last six games — and all of those games being decided by single digits. Franchise player Nikola Jokic and numerous others are out. But it will still be an uphill battle to get an upset on the second end of a back-to-back while the Nuggets have rested since last Wednesday when they beat the Dallas Mavericks, 118-109 on the road.

Posted on

Vancouver Canucks Gameday Preview #48: A Potential Franchise Record-Tying Match Against The Edmonton Oilers

The Vancouver Canucks (16–26–5) have the chance to tie a franchise record tonight against the Edmonton Oilers (23–17–8). With a loss tonight, Vancouver will tie the record for the longest losing streak in club history. This comes after the Canucks have lost their past nine straight, with the most recent being a 4–1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Edmonton, who is still currently in a playoff spot, dropped their most recent match against the New York Islanders by a score of 1–0. 

Things have not been fun for the Canucks and their fans as of late, as despite some spirited efforts throughout their previous six-game road trip, they have yet to record their first win of 2026. Things may get even more negative in the coming days, as the Canucks will spend their next eight games on home-ice, where their record on the season is a poor 4–12–3. For fans who are pro-rebuild, this string of losses is pretty much their ideal scenario, as the Canucks have put themselves in a solid position to remain 32nd overall in the entire league. 

On the ice, the penalty kill will be something to watch for the Canucks. Vancouver allowed two goals during Columbus’ two power plays on Thursday. Since the start of the calendar year, the Canucks have surrendered nine power play goals-against while also allowing multiple power play goals in three different games during this span. They’ll face a daunting task tonight as Edmonton currently holds the top power play unit in the NHL with a success rate of 33.3%.  

Players To Watch: 

Brock Boeser 

Brock Boeser has been one of the players who has struggled most during Vancouver’s nine-game losing streak, though he managed to score the lone goal in the Canucks’ most recent loss, with this being his first since November 28. Tonight’s game marks a milestone for Boeser, as the forward is expected to skate in his 600th career NHL game. Boeser has consistently had the Oilers’ number, as he’s currently riding a four-game point streak against Edmonton that has seen him score three goals and four assists. With his goal-scoring skid seemingly over, tonight would be a great occasion for Boeser to experience more of an offensive output. 

Vasily Podkolzin

The former Canucks forward is in his second season with the Oilers and has seemed to fit in well as an Evander Kane-esque replacement. His 10 goals and 10 assists are tied for the sixth-most points on his team, which is a pretty good production rate considering what Vancouver received in return for him. If he’s able to stay consistent in his scoring, Podkolzin will smash his previous career-high of 26, which he recorded in his first NHL season with the Canucks. Also of note is the fact that Podkolzin has registered a point in each of the two games Vancouver and Edmonton have played against one-another so far this season. 

Oct 26, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks right wing Conor Garland (8) shoots the puck against Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard (30) during the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
Oct 26, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks right wing Conor Garland (8) shoots the puck against Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard (30) during the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images

Vancouver Canucks (16–26–5): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 13–16–29

Filip Hronek: 3–24–27

Kiefer Sherwood: 17–6–23

Jake DeBrusk: 12–10–22

Brock Boeser: 10–12–22

Goaltenders: 

Thatcher Demko: 8–10–1

Kevin Lankinen: 6–13–4

Nikita Tolopilo: 2–2–0

Jiří Patera: 0–1–0

Edmonton Oilers (23–17–8): 

Points: 

Connor McDavid: 30–52–82

Leon Draisaitl: 25–42–67

Evan Bouchard: 11–35–46

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: 11–26–37

Zach Hyman: 16–11–27

Goaltenders: 

Tristan Jarry: 12–3–2

Calvin Pickard: 5–6–2

Connor Ingram: 4–3–1

Game Information: 

Start time: 7:00 pm PT 

Venue: Rogers Arena 

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: Sportsnet 650 

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.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

Vancouver Canucks Podcast Rundown: BC’s Last In The Leagues

Capitals Did Not Want To Part With Cole Hutson In A Potential Quinn Hughes Trade With The Canucks

Latest Trade Rumour Links Canucks Evander Kane With Another Pacific Division Team

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.

The Hockey News
The Hockey News
Posted on

Islanders vs. Flames Matinee News: In praise of Ilya; Bo still home

I am still reeling from that Ilya Sorokin performance on Thursday in Edmonton. Ye gods, that was a masterpiece.

But anyway, on to the next one. The Islanders are in Calgary for an afternoon meeting, and David Rittich will start against his former team (though as he noted, there aren’t a lot of former teammates in the other room).

The Flames are a couple steps above the Western basement and seven points below the final wild card spot. They’ve been better-ish of late (5-5 in their last 10) but are still expected to basically tread water for the lottery.

First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News

  • With no Bo Horvat, the Isles are getting by on great goaltending. [Newsday]
  • Some timely improvement from Anthony Duclair has also helped. [Post]
  • Takeaways, Barzal on Sorokin: “There’s not enough words to describe how good that guy is.” [Isles]
  • More discussion of Sorokin on the Tri-State podcast with Arthur Staple. [YouTube]
  • Confirmed now, Horvat will not be joining them on this trip. [Post]

Here’s a selection of practice media availabilities from yesterday, including Tony DeAngelo noting that Adam Pelech “may look like a stay-at-home defenseman, but he breaks out like an offensive defenseman,” and Andrew Gross asking Czech David Rittich if he’s “a sentimental guy” as he returns to Calgary:

Today’s opponent: Presented without comment, other than to be rude earworm for your afternoon:

Elsewhere

Last night’s scores included Carolina thumping Florida NINE to one and Tampa Bay finally losing, but still getting a regulation point.

  • Another letter! Chris Drury signed a letter to fans about the Smurfs disaster, and I believe he actually wrote it because it was worded weirdly and included em dashes and en dashes within the same sentence. It’s weird how J.T. Miller did not save them. [NHL]
  • Dean Evason was blindsided by his firing in Columbus. [Sportsnet]
  • Supposedly trade talks are heating up for Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson. [TSN]
  • This is an old story resurrected, but: How Moncton got Ted Nolan back into coaching, and eventually a call from the Isles. [Sportsnet]
  • The Sabres are feeling the magic. [AP]
  • Bourne: Why the Leafs have trouble holding leads. [Sportsnet]
Posted on

MLB free agent gems remain beyond Cody Bellinger. Where will future Hall of Famers land?

The big boys are off the board. The quick pivots have been exhausted. Now, Major League Baseball teams must make do with whatever's left on the free agent market a little more than three weeks before spring training camps open.

There have been some notable salvage jobs in the past week, with the Boston Red Sox losing out on Alex Bregman, only to pivot to run prevention and snag lefty Ranger Suárez. Or the Kyle Tucker-to-L.A. stunner prompting the Mets to ambush Bo Bichette with a $42 million annual salary.

Now, the wriggle room is less, the surefire talents all but gone from our list of available players. There are still avenues to improve, but they are narrower. Let's explore them:

Cody Bellinger: Last big bat standing

Cody Bellinger spent 2025 with the New York Yankees.

And that's no exaggeration. With Tucker, Bichette and Bregman spoken for, Bellinger represents the lowest-hanging fruit on a board that counts 34-year-old third baseman Eugenio Suárez as the next-best available positon player.

Two questions: How badly do the Yankees want Bellinger back - and do the spurned Mets and Blue Jays loom as legitimate threats?

In one sense, Bellinger was dealt a losing hand with the Tucker-Bichette shuffle, with Citi Field and Dodger Stadium both potential destinations. Tucker closes the door on L.A., but the Mets still have a massive hole in left field. The Blue Jays missed out on Tucker, couldn't renew vows with Bichette and now it's unknown if they're so desirous of an outfield upgrade that they'd be willing to spend the cash on a nine-figure deal for Bellinger, 30, after the 28-year-old Tucker spurned them.

The Yankees, meanwhile, still exist.

Other than welcoming back Trent Grisham once the center fielder accepted the $22 million qualifying offer, and trading for lefty Ryan Weathers to hold down the fort until a group of starting pitchers get healthy, it's been a virtually silent winter. Sure, their payroll will be north of $250 million, and creeps toward $300 million for tax purposes at the moment.

For now that's well shy of the Dodgers, Mets and Phillies and even trails the Blue Jays. In a relative sense, they've got money to burn. Yet they've made it clear so far that Bellinger doesn't fall into their "spare no expense" bucket. We'll see if they find a mutually happy zone.

Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen: Last aces* standing

And we say that with the understanding that both fellows have fulfilled that role – the Houston Astros winning all four of Valdez's postseason starts in their 2022 World Series title run, Gallen earning the starting nod for the NL in the 2023 All-Star Game - yet may not hit the market as such.

Valdez is still plenty good - his 3.66 ERA in 2025 was his worst as a full-time starter, yet still 14% better than league average. At 32, he's experiencing slippage in almost every peripheral, though he remains a groundball machine. His pitch-mixup kerfuffle wasn't great, and he may not inspire fans to flock through the turnstiles, but Valdez figures to remain a rotation rock through the term of any contract of reasonable length.

Gallen's arc is a little more acute. His ERA soared to 4.83 in 2025 as he gave up 31 home runs, and his WHIP settled in at 1.26 each of the past two seasons. Gallen's pullside flyball and barrel rates were both career wosts, even as his surface-level stuff has remained the same. In short, a little bit of diagnostic work for a signing team to attack.

Still, at 30 and 32, respectively, Gallen and Valdez have far less tread on their arms than the alternatives. Valdez can certainly credibly front a rotation, or at least lend quality innings to someone that needs it; Baltimore and the New York Mets both harbor playoff dreams, though the Mets may not be willing to provide the contract length Valdez prefers.

Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander: Old guys rule?

Come Opening Day, they'll be 37, 41 and 43 years old, respectively, the latter two bound for the Hall of Fame. And for those averse to long-term entanglements with arms they don't love, these dudes certainly fold neatly into almost any team's plans.

Bassitt is coming off a three-year, $63 million deal with the Blue Jays, one that finished with him performing gallantly out of the playoff bullpen, giving up one run in seven appearances. Over 162 games, he's showing no signs of slowing down, hitting 200 innings in 2023 while throwing 181, 171 and 170 in '22, '24 and '25. Reliable.

Scherzer and Verlander, meanwhile, will seemingly never stop pitching. Verlander posted a 3.85 ERA in his lone season in San Francisco, but a typically defanged Giants attack held him to a 4-11 record - and stuck on 266 wins for his career.

Scherzer, meanwhile, started Game 7 of the World Series for the second time in his career. He pitched capably in the postseason, but crazy stuff tended to follow Mad Max around, as it tends to do: Toronto lost his first Series start in 18 innings, then suffered the 11-inning gut punch that ended their season. Still, Scherzer gritted through an early-season thumb problem to make 17 starts, completing at least six innings in six of them.

That's what you'll get with these guys: No promise of ideal health or consistent length, but the occasional magic that comes with a generational talent, for around $15 million a year.

The rest: Buddy, can you spare a reliever?

Do hope that your favorite team got in on the early rush of relievers. Erstwhile Blue Jay Seranthony Dominguez remains the last remaining arm that can be charitably termed high-leverage. A gaggle of itinerant lefties - Danny Coulombe, Brent Suter and Justin Wilson - are available.

And there's a decent pocket of starters who tuck between the bigger-ticket items and the old dudes, led by Lucas Giolito, who had five starts of seven or more innings and one or no earned runs given up last season; his track record does come with injury concerns.

Zack Littell and Nick Martinez also provide versatile, proven arms that can pad the back of a rotation or a proverbial sixth starter spot.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB free agent rumors and news surround Cody Bellinger, Framber Valdez

Posted on

Roger Federer steals the show at Australian Open's first formal opening ceremony

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Australian Open's first formal opening ceremony became the Roger Federer show on the eve of the season-opening major.

There was Crowded House, the band, playing a set of four hits. There was a full house — a capacity crowd in the 15,000-seat stadium.

Rod Laver, the great Australian player of Grand Slam fame, was in the house. The 87-year-old Aussie was sitting courtside in Rod Laver Arena, the center court at Melbourne Park named in his honor.

Federer, the six-time Australian Open winner and 20-time Grand Slam champion, partnered past champions Andre Agassi and then Ash Barty in an exhibition doubles match against Pat Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt as the main feature of the program.

It went to script, with Federer winning the first point despite framing a forehand and then emphatically finishing off the victory with a leaping overhead winner.

Novak Djokovic, who has won 10 Australian titles among his record 24 major championships, was there to watch.

The Australian Open main draw singles competitions start Sunday. Djokovic plays his opening match on Monday.

Australian Open organizers turned the 2026 edition into a three-week festival of tennis, with 217,999 fans attending across six days to watch exhibitions, qualifying and the 1 Point Slam before the main draw started.

Federer was back in Australia for the first time since 2021, making the trip now because he retired from competitive tennis before he could do a farewell season tour.

“It really truly means so much to me when people like Rocket (Laver) show up,” Federer said. “It’s super important to be grateful” to earlier generations of stars.

___

More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Posted on

San Francisco Giants retiring Jeff Kent's No. 21

Summer 2026 belongs to Jeff Kent.

The San Francisco Giants legend will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, on July 26. However, his ceremonious affairs won't stop there.

The Giants plan to have a Hall of Fame celebration for Kent on Aug. 29 at Oracle Park when they play the Arizona Diamondbacks. To honor Kent, San Francisco will also retire his No. 21 jersey before the game.

Kent, who spent six seasons in San Francisco, became a member of the Giants Wall of Fame in 2009. His bronze plaque is located along King Street.

The Giants Wall of Fame pays tribute to the organization’s greatest players who have, either, played a minimum of nine seasons for the Giants or played five seasons with at least one All-Star appearance or championship win in San Francisco, according to MLB.com.

More MLB: Giants, Athletics add international prospects on MLB signing day

Kent had the best years of his 17-year MLB career with the Giants. He was a five-time All-Star, three of his nods coming as a member of the Giants from 1999 to 2001. He was named the 2000 NL MVP.

Kent was a four-time Silver Slugger Award-winner, having won the hitting title with the Giants from 2000 to 2002.

Kent becomes the 14th player to have his number retired by the organization. He joins Christy Mathewson, John McGraw, Bill Terry (3), Mel Ott (4), Carl Hubbell (11), Monte Irvin (20), Will Clark (22), Willie Mays (24), Barry Bonds (25), Juan Marichal (27), Orlando Cepeda (30), Gaylord Perry (36) and Willie McCovey (44).

San Francisco, along with every MLB team, retired the No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson on April 15, 1997.

Jeff Kent's best Giants moments

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeff Kent jersey retirement: Giants retiring his No. 21

Posted on

Today on Pinstripe Alley – 1/17/26

It was a heck of a hot stove week, with two pairs of transactions seemingly moving in unison. The Cubs swiped Alex Bregman from the Red Sox, which prompted Boston to pivot to a five-year deal with Ranger Suarez. A couple nights later, the Dodgers did what they do and signed Kyle Tucker, which appeared to spur the Mets into inking their own opt-out-laden deal with Bo Bichette. Will the dominoes keep falling? This flurry of activity leaves Cody Bellinger as the last big bat on the market, and the Yankees, for now, still seem to have the best offer on the table. Will the saga, finally, come to a conclusion? Perhaps we’ll know this weekend. On the site today, it’ll be a quieter one, with Jeff profiling Chili Davis as part of our Yankees Birthday series.

Questions/Prompts:

1. Do you expect the Mets’ signing of Bo Bichette to take them out of the running in the Cody Bellinger sweepstakes? Or will they still compete with the Yankees for the outfielder’s services?

2. Who will emerge from this weekend of the NFL playoffs as the Super Bowl favorite?

Posted on

Recap: Wizards drops fifth straight to Kings, 128-115

The Washington Wizards lost to the Sacramento Kings 128-115 on Friday in a battle between bottom feeders at Golden 1 Center.

The Wizards had to fight their way out of a huge hole they dug themselves in during the opening period. A three-pointer from Bub Carrington gave the Wizards a 7-6 advantage at the 9:33 mark of the first quarter. Washington held that lead for all of 17 seconds before Sacramento took it back for good. The Kings went on a 19-0 run to close out the first quarter, as the Wizards went scoreless for nearly five minutes.

Washington battled back in the second quarter. Alex Sarr led the way with his 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the first half. One of his buckets came off a sweet dime from Tre Johnson.

Jamir Watkins also flashed more of his defensive potential on a strip and slam off DeMar DeRozan. He helped the Wizards trim the halftime deficit to 67-61.

The Wizards got the game to within three in the opening minutes of the second half. But the Kings once again closed the quarter strong, thanks to our old friend Russell Westbrook. The lead ballooned to 17 heading into the final period.

A Carrington triple and a pair of Tre Johnson treys to open the fourth quarter helped get the Wizards within single digits. The Kings managed to stifle any moment for a run, holding on for a 13-point win.

Johnson finished with 18 points and 4 assists, while Sarr’s quiet second half left him at 19 points. Justin Champagnie and Kyshawn George each tacked on 15.

While Washington lost the battle, it won the tank war as the Kings went a full game ahead of the Wizards in the standings. The Wizards close out their road trip against the Nuggets in Denver.

Posted on

‘I’m back’: Damien Martyn out of hospital after surviving meningitis

  • Former Australia batter given a ‘50/50 chance of surviving’

  • Spent eight days in induced coma

Damien Martyn has said he is back after overcoming a meningitis scare, which he said took his life out of his hands.

In a heartfelt post on his social media accounts, the former Australia batter said he was given a 50% chance to live after battling the disease, which causes an infection and swelling of fluid and membranes around the brain and spinal cord. The 54-year-old was put into an induced coma on 27 December and was fighting for his life in a Gold Coast intensive care unit until he woke eight days later.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Golden Knights host the Predators after Dorofeyev's 2-goal game

Nashville Predators (23-20-4, in the Central Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (23-11-12, in the Pacific Division)

Paradise, Nevada; Saturday, 10 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Golden Knights -267, Predators +216; over/under is 6

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Nashville Predators after Pavel Dorofeyev's two-goal game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Golden Knights' 6-5 overtime win.

Vegas has an 11-6-6 record at home and a 23-11-12 record overall. The Golden Knights have allowed 138 goals while scoring 152 for a +14 scoring differential.

Nashville has a 10-10-2 record in road games and a 23-20-4 record overall. The Predators are 11-3-4 in games decided by one goal.

The matchup Saturday is the second time these teams meet this season. The Predators won 4-2 in the last meeting.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Eichel has 17 goals and 38 assists for the Golden Knights. Mark Stone has nine goals and eight assists over the last 10 games.

Steven Stamkos has 21 goals and 12 assists for the Predators. Ryan O'Reilly has five goals and six assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 6-3-1, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.5 assists, 2.5 penalties and 7.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.

Predators: 7-3-0, averaging three goals, five assists, 3.8 penalties and 9.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.

INJURIES: Golden Knights: None listed.

Predators: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Posted on

Florida visits Washington in Eastern Conference action

Florida Panthers (24-19-3, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Washington Capitals (24-18-6, in the Metropolitan Division)

Washington; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Capitals -141, Panthers +118; over/under is 5.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Washington Capitals and the Florida Panthers hit the ice in Eastern Conference play.

Washington has gone 14-9-3 in home games and 24-18-6 overall. The Capitals have a 10-11-6 record in games their opponents serve fewer penalty minutes.

Florida has gone 10-10-0 in road games and 24-19-3 overall. The Panthers have a -15 scoring differential, with 138 total goals scored and 153 given up.

The teams play Saturday for the third time this season. The Panthers won the last meeting 5-3. Sam Reinhart scored two goals in the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Dylan Strome has 11 goals and 25 assists for the Capitals. Justin Sourdif has six goals and four assists over the last 10 games.

Reinhart has 24 goals and 21 assists for the Panthers. Sam Bennett has three goals and six assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Capitals: 4-5-1, averaging 3.4 goals, 6.1 assists, 4.5 penalties and 11.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

Panthers: 4-5-1, averaging 2.3 goals, 3.5 assists, 6.3 penalties and 16.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.6 goals per game.

INJURIES: Capitals: None listed.

Panthers: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.