Worldwide Sports News
Time/Place: 1:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site: South Side Sox
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Davis Martin (9-3, 3.31 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (0-1, 12.27 ERA)
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Just a few days before the NBA draft, Shams Charania of ESPN broke a piece of big free agency news. Unrestricted free agent CJ McCollum will reportedly return to the Hawks on a one-year deal:
Jake L. Fischer of the Stein Line substack and Bleacher Report added a report that the deal has a 7.5% trade kicker:
Since the Hawks acquired McCollum’s full bird rights last trade deadline, the one-year deal gives him an implied no-trade clause.
After being coming over midseason, the veteran guard helped guide the Hawks to a blazing hot finish to their regular season. McCollum averaged 18.9 points per game on 56% true shooting in 41 games with the team during this span.
But arguably, he saved his best performances for the postseason, twice hitting last minute buckets to help the Hawks take two games off the champion Knicks.
McCollum will be 35 years old next season, and there’s a chance they add a young perimeter player to the mix with their eighth overall pick this week, so this is a great compromise between retaining a key contributor while remaining focused on the future.
Clippers improve to 41-32
Don’t look now, but catching prospect Kody Huff has quietly been having a great season in Columbus as well. Huff was perfect at the plate on Saturday, going 1-for-1 with a home run and three walks, raising his season OPS to .929, which is second on the team only to Cooper ingle.
Speaking of Ingle, he walked and had an RBI from a sacrifice fly.
Other standouts for the day were Ralphy Velazquez, who went 2-for-4, and C.J. Kayfus, who went 1-fo-3 with a walk.
This game saw the activation of top pitching prospect Yorman Gomez and he was solid, striking out eight batters and walking zero in 3.2 innings. He allowed two runs on four hits.
Trenton Denholm followed with one run allowed in 3.2 additional innings and Franco Aleman finished off the game with 1.2 perfect innings and three strikeouts to earn his eight save.
RubberDucks fall to 34-33
There wasn’t much to say about this one on the offense end. Juan Benjamin had the best game, going 1-for-3 with a double, a steal and a walk. Jose Devers also went 1-for-3 with a walk.
Starting pitcher Josh Hartle was excellent, allowing one run (zero earned) on just two hits in 6.1 innings pitched. He struck out four and walked three.
Jack Jasiak followed with 1.2 scoreless innings and four strikeouts and Jack Carey initially pitched a scoreless ninth inning, but then gave up two runs in the top of the 10th and Akron was unable to answer.
Howlers fall to 31-37
There was plenty of offense for Hill City, just not enough pitching on Saturday. Luis De La Cruz paved the way, going an impressive 4-for-5 from the field with a home run and a double, just missing the cycle by a triple. He also stole a base.
Dauri Fernandez singled, walked twice and stole two bases while Anthony Martinez doubled and walked twice. Martinez has a .945 OPS at Hill City and should be playing at Lake County right now. I expect a promotion by the All-Star break.
Johnathan Martinez also had an excellent game, going 2-for-4 with a home run.
Starting pitcher Will McCausland was knocked around for five runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and a walk in 5.1 innings pitched. Keegan Zinn allowed another three runs in just 0.2 innings.
Unfortunately, after Hill City rallied for four runs to take a 10-8 lead in the top of the ninth inning Ettore Giulianelli failed to get more than one out before giving up three runs to allow Augusta to walk it off.
Guardians improve to 23-14
The ACL Guardians struck early and often in this one, jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the first two innings and then adding another five runs the rest of the way thanks to 11 hits and seven walks.
Once again, the Guardians were paced by Alejandro Blasco, who has been a freaking revelation this season at the ACL. The kid does nothing but tattoo the ball, hitting .500 with a ridiculous 1.887 OPS in the rookie league.
Blasco blasted two more home runs on Saturday, going 3-for-4 with six RBIs and a walk. In 12 games played thus far, he has seven home runs, five doubles and 11 walks. Yes, he’s averaging at least one extra base hit and one walk per game.
Pedro Dalmagro also had a great game, going 4-for-5 with a triple. Steven Cruz reached base three times by going 1-for-3 with two walks and three stolen bases while Rodny Rosario went 1-for-3 with a double and two walks.
Rehabbing pitcher Harrison Bodendorf allowed two runs on four hits in 2.0 innings. Erigaldi Perez stood out on the mound, allowing one run on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks in 4.1 innings.
SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Kraken acquired young forward Mackie Samoskevich from the Florida Panthers for the No. 25 pick in the NHL draft on Friday and a second-rounder next year, the teams announced Sunday.
Samoskevich is a 23-year-old with 64 points in 160 regular-season and playoff games who gives the Kraken a much-need infusion talent after they missed the playoffs for the fourth time in their five years of existence. He is a restricted free agent who needs a new contract.
“Mackie is a talented young player who we are excited to bring into the fold,” Seattle general manager Jason Botterill said. “He has speed, skill and scoring ability. A Stanley Cup champion with the Panthers in 2025, Mackie’s a player who can contribute offensively and add a spark to our lineup.”
Trading Samoskevich for picks clears space as the Panthers retool following a season that got derailed by injuries after they won the Stanley Cup back to back in 2024 and ’25. The 25th pick, a late first-rounder, originally belonged to rival Tampa Bay, while the second will be the higher of Winnipeg's or Columbus'.
Samoskevich was the No. 24 pick in the 2021 draft who then played at Michigan alongside new Kraken teammate Matty Beniers.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
The precipice of getting swept: a familiar, yet unfamiliar, circumstance on the South Side as of late.
Familiar because, hey, we watched this team in 2023, 2024 and 2025. It’s not like we didn’t see the brooms get broken out with more regularity than just about any set of fans, ever. Hell, they got swept three times in the first 19 games of the season just this year!
Now, just when we thought we’d broken free, all we can do is watch the Tigers creep back over the horizon like an eagle returning for another go at Prometheus.
Nonetheless, Davis Martin is probably the guy we want to see out on the hill to claw a game back and thwart the sweep. Despite Martin’s clunker against the Yankees earlier this week, he’s still giving them the best chance to win when he steps on the field, and this is the kind of game they need to get if they want to show that this magical first half hasn’t been a pure mirage.
I am going to be looking closely at Martin’s velocity early in the game. His four-seamer has slowed down incrementally in three straight starts now, going from a peak of 95.2 mph on May 16 to 93.8 mph last Tuesday, slowest since April. There’s a pretty strong argument that Martin’s start against the Yankees looks a bit differently if simple bad luck hadn’t let Ben Rice squib one against the shift in the third inning, or had Jacob Gonzalez not forgotten to cover his own base a few batters later.
That being said, Martin’s stuff was not at its sharpest on Tuesday, and when you factor in his six-run stinker against Minnesota a few starts back, it might begin to constitute a worrisome trend if it persists today. Martin threw just a single fewer inning in his first 14 starts last season than he has through his first 14 of this year, but it was after his 14th start of last year that he went on the IL with a forearm strain that wound up costing him a month. Going on the standard four days rest this afternoon, today could be a litmus test for where the budding ace is at right now.
Also, hey, Grant Taylor is available! Just like yesterday, and Thursday, and Wednesday and Tuesday. When asked about Taylor’s inactivity, Will Venable yesterday sounded frighteningly close to the precipice of simply walking back their preseason ramp-up goal of 100 innings pitched.
I don’t love it. Let’s hope this Sunday lineup can keep them in the game long enough for Taylor to show his face today.
Today marks just the second day off of the season for Miguel Vargas, who has earned a breather more than just about anybody else on this roster. Though he was still hitting the ball plenty hard, Vargas has run into some hard luck as of late, going just three for his last 27 without a walk over the last seven games.
The state of the Tigers offense is rough, and letting them complete the sweep would be quite a deflation in a way that no loss to the Yankees ever could be. I genuinely thought for a moment that this was a light getaway day lineup from A.J. Hinch before realizing that James Outman and Trei Cruz are actually near the top of their depth charts.
We’ve got an early one yet again, as first pitch is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. CT at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit. If you want to join us, broadcasts are available on CHSN (TV) and WMVP AM 1000 (radio), like always!
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When the San Jose Sharks sent the 20th overall pick to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for the 27th overall selection and Michael Kesselring, a question immediately popped in my mind: just how different are the players often available at 20th overall and 27th overall?
Of course, the obvious fact of the matter is that the Sharks will have seven less players to choose from when they take the stage, but is there a major difference in the caliber of player at each draft choice? Let’s take a look.
The most obvious place to start: how many players from each draft position have found themselves enshrined at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto?
Three players drafted 20th overall have been inducted to the Hall of Fame at this point, but more could follow in the near future.
The first 20th overall pick inducted into the Hall was Larry Robinson in 1995. The legendary defenseman was drafted 20th by the Montreal Canadiens during the 1971 NHL Draft. He went on to play 1,384 games in the NHL, the majority of which came in Montreal, although he finished his career with the Los Angeles Kings. He’s the NHL’s all-time leader in plus/minus, finishing his career with a +722, and won six Stanley Cups as a player.
Michel Goulet was the next 20th overall selection inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame, earning that honor in 1998 after 15 seasons and 1,089 games in the NHL. He was selected 20th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1979.
Most recently, legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur, who was selected 20th overall by the New Jersey Devils in 1990, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 after setting numerous records throughout his career.
27th overall is a bit tricky in regards to the Hockey Hall of Fame, as technically two players drafted with that pick have gone on to be enshrined at the Hall of Fame, but only one was inducted as a player. Joe Nieuwendyk is the sole 27th overall pick to be inducted into the Hall for his playing career.
The Calgary Flames selected Nieuwendyk in the 1985 NHL Draft, and at the time, the 27th overall pick was in the second round. He went on to play 1,257 career games in the NHL for a number of different teams, and he was a three-time Stanley Cup Champion.
Colin Campbell was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a builder, but he was also selected 27th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 1973 NHL Draft.
For the sake of the on-ice argument, we won’t count Campbell toward the total of 27th overall picks to make it to the Hockey Hall of Fame since it wasn't based on his playing performance. As a result, there were three Hall of Famers drafted 20th overall and only one Hall of Fame player drafted 27th overall.
While the Hall of Fame is a nice accomplishment, quite a few great players never get that honor and it's far from the only milestone worth looking at.
Longevity is key to a successful NHL career. If a player makes it past the 1,000-game plateau, it means they were an impact player in some regard, even if they weren’t necessarily a superstar. With a late first-round pick, general managers aren’t looking for the next Macklin Celebrini or Sidney Crosby; typically, they’re looking for their long-term third-line center or second-pairing defenseman. While they certainly won’t be disappointed if they strike gold, it’s not the expectation.
Five players drafted 20th overall have played 1,000 or more games in the NHL: Brent Burns, Robinson, Brodeur, Goulet, and Travis Zajac.
At 27th overall, there have been six players to pass the 1,000-game threshold. Scott Mellanby, Nieuwendyk, John Carlson, Tie Domi, Scott Gomez, and Steve Staios all were able to hit that milestone before retiring, and Carlson is still going.
Now that we’ve gone over impact players, the next question becomes, how many legitimate NHL players have been picked with each selection? Although calling someone an NHLer is often subjective, the threshold we’ll use for this is 200 games played, as it’s very difficult for a player to hang in the league for that long if they’re playing above their skill level.
There have been 32 players selected 20th overall who have gone on to play in 200 or more NHL games during their career. California native Beau Bennett was the last player to meet the criteria, as he finished his playing career with exactly 200 games played.
That number drops slightly with the 27th overall selection, as only 28 players drafted 27th overall have appeared in 200 or more NHL games. With that being said, it’s not a substantial difference.
Overall, it appears that, as expected, the 20th overall pick does have a higher chance at producing a superstar player and an NHLer in general. With that being said, the 27th overall pick has historically had quite a few effective role players with lengthy careers.
While the 20th overall selection gives the Buffalo Sabres a wider prospect pool to choose from, the 27th overall pick produces effective players at a similar rate, meaning the Sharks didn’t give up much value at all to add a useful defenseman, Michael Kesselring, to their blue line.
All-in-all, it appears both teams got exactly what they needed from the trade. The Sabres get a slightly higher chance of getting a player that will eventually crack the NHL, while the Sharks kept their lottery ticket and added the exact type of player they’d hope to get with the 20th overall selection in Kesselring.
It’s series finale time, as the San Francisco Giants finish off their South Beach series against the Miami Marlins with some Sunday day baseball. The Giants are sending ace Logan Webb (4-4, 3.46 ERA) to the mound, against right-hander (and Santa Rosa native) Ryan Gusto (0-2, 7.24 ERA).
Enjoy the Sunday baseball, everybody.
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Who: San Francisco Giants vs. Miami Marlins
Where: loanDepot Park, Miami, Florida
When: 10:40 a.m. PT
Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area
National broadcast: n/a
Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM
It’s raining in Chicago today, and the conclusion of the Jays’ seties with the Cubs has been preemptively bumped to August:
As Wilner notes, this is a really tough break. Instead of a pretty favourable matchup against Shota Imanaga [not Seiya Suzuki, who is a DH, apologies for the error in the original version of this post], with some momentum after yesterday’s big comeback, Dylan Cease will face a much tougher opponent in Hunter Brown tomorrow night. Resting the bullpen undoubtedly helps, but that 17 game stretch in August ia going to be a brutal slog right as the wildcard race really takes shape.
Plus, we all now have a Sunday afternoon to kill. On Father’s Day of all days.
After the Rays took game one, the Nats grinded out a one run win in game two of the three game set. That sets the stage for a rubber match this afternoon. The Nats will look to win yet another series, while the Rays look to stay hot at home.
Blake Butera made a few tweaks to his lineup. Jacob Young is out of the lineup after banging into the wall yesterday. The outfield will consist of Daylen Lile in left, Dylan Crews in center and James Wood in right. Jose Tena will be in the DH spot and Drew Millas will be behind the plate. Andrew Alvarez is on the mound, and the Nats will look for more length than usual from the southpaw.
With a lefty on the mound, the Rays are making a few changes. Ryan Vilade will make his first start of the series in right field. Jonny DeLuca will also be back in the lineup. Ben Williamson will play second base, while Nick Fortes gets his first start of the series behind the plate. Nick Martinez has been a great signing for the Rays, and will take the ball today.
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Game Info:
Stadium: Tropicana Field
Time: 1:40 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
This is a big rubber match for both teams. The Nats will look to enter a massive 4 game clash with the Phillies with some momentum. Another series win would be a massive boost for the boys on this Father’s Day. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
Less than 24 hours after the Phoenix Suns re-signed guard Collin Gillespie to a 4-year, $48 million deal, Phoenix is bringing back guard Jordan Goodwin on a three-year, $19 million deal that includes a player option for the third season, according to NBA Insider Shams Charania.
The first year of the deal starts at $5.8 million, and the third year with the player option is worth $6.8 million, according to Arizona Sports Insider John Gambadoro.
Goodwin, 27, had a career year with the Suns this past season, averaging nine points per game, five rebounds, two assists, and led the team with 109 steals. Goodwin started Game 1 of the Suns’ series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but missed the rest of the team’s playoff run after injuring his calf early on.
Initially being traded to the Suns as part of the Bradley Beal deal, Goodwin spent the first half of the 2023-2024 season in Phoenix until he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, who waived him. After spending the 2024-2025 campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers, Goodwin resigned with the Suns last season and made the roster out of training camp, and impressed.
Phoenix continues to bring back key players from their surprising season last year, and according to Charania and Gambadoro, retaining Mark Williams is the next order of business.
We were dazzled on Friday night, and disappointed yesterday. The Yankees, and certainly the readership, are hoping to be at least satisfied come Sunday afternoon, as the club looks to win yet another series, this time against the Reds. It’s not going to be easy — Chase Burns isn’t quite Cam Schlittler, but he is The Guy The Reds Turn To In Games Like This.
The 23-year-old Burns showed flashes of his potential last year, and is rounding himself into a damn good form this season, his first full in The Show. (This will actuallly be his second start against the Yanks, as he fanned eight Yankees in his MLB debut last year.) The second overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest, Burns features one of the best fastballs in the game and maybe the best slider, a hilarious pitch with a .192 wOBA against and a 52.6 percent whiff rate that made me laugh aloud when I looked it up. If a Yankee gets to two strikes today, you can have a pretty good idea what pitch Burns is going to turn to. The problem is most major-league hitters haven’t been able to help themselves even when they know what’s coming.
Rodríguez is a little bit of a different story. The org’s top pitching prospect at the start of the season, the righty has been more than respectable with Triple-A Scranton but has stumbled a little in his first three MLB starts. He has been used in times of semi-to-real emergency, which might explain part of it, but the big issue is his walks. He’s walked more big leaguers than he’s struck out, and at this level you’re just allowing too much traffic for anything to happen. Despite what we saw yesterday, the Reds aren’t typically a powerhouse offense — if you don’t give them chances, you can have a decent day on the mound.
Spencer Jones gets a taste of the cleanup spot today, and Jasson Domínguez finds himself batting in the two hole. The youngsters look to play a significant role in the game for at least one day. Also note that Austin Wells is back with the Yankees today, activated off the IL following a rehab assignment in Triple-A. J.C. Escarra was sent back to Triple-A with the Yanks electing to keep Ali Sánchez as the backup.
How to watch
Location: Yankee Stadium – Bronx, NY
First pitch: 1:35 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES, RedsTV
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | WLW 700 (CIN)
Streaming: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)
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Here’s the Guardians lineup:
Here’s the Astros lineup:
Let’s go, Guardians!
The Ducks' 2025-26 season has been over for just over a month and with the 2026 NHL Entry Draft just around the corner, it feels like a good time to start recapping this past season for each player in the organization.
Today's edition of 'By the Numbers' will feature players who wore Nos. 41-50 this season.
If you missed the previous edition of 'By the Numbers', you can click here to read it.
After playing in almost 200 AHL games, Gaucher finally got the call to the NHL at the end of the regular season. He appeared in three games and while he didn’t get much ice time due to his limited role on the fourth line, he showed that he should probably be in the NHL as a full-time depth option next season.
More of a defensive stalwart than an offensive dynamo, Gaucher spent most of his third professional season in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls. He found himself in a middle-6 role as head coach Matt McIlvane’s choice to center the Gulls’ checking line. He set a new career high with 29 points in 62 games, scored his first professional hat trick and also spent time on the Gulls’ penalty kill.
Gaucher has battled injuries throughout his pro career, which has stalled his development slightly. But his call-up this past season was a nice reward for the work that he’s done over the past three seasons. Capable of playing on the wing in addition to down the middle, Gaucher could slide into the hole left by Jansen Harkins, should the Ducks decide not to bring him back.
Washe joined the Ducks late last season, signing with them right after winning an NCAA Championship with Western Michigan. He appeared in the final two games of the 2024-25 NHL season.
After being one of the final training camp cuts, Washe spent the first three months of the season with the Gulls, putting up 27 points in 36 games. He was named an AHL All Star and represented the Gulls at the AHL All-Star Game in Rockford alongside goaltender Calle Clang.
Washe was recalled by the Ducks in January, filling the role of fourth line center while Leo Carlsson recovered from Morel-Lavallée surgery. He scored his first NHL goal on Jan. 16 in a 3-2 shootout win against the Los Angeles Kings and never returned to the AHL, finding a role as the Ducks’ fourth line center even after players like Carlsson and Mikael Granlund returned from injury.
In the playoffs, Washe, along with Jeff Viel and Ian Moore was tasked with keeping Connor McDavid off the scoresheet. The unorthodox line fared quite well in their expedition, too, though perhaps it can be argued that McDavid wasn’t at full health. But who is during the playoffs?
Washe is in the final year of a two-year contract that he signed with the Ducks last August. He will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2026-27 season and have arbitration rights. As of now, the expectation is that he will begin the 2026-27 season as the Ducks’ fourth line center. He was also used heavily on the penalty kill as the season progressed, with his knack for winning faceoffs being heavily valued.
Now the Gulls’ all-time leader in games played, Brouillard returned to San Diego after stops in Hartford and Coachella Valley. Brouillard also became the all-time leader in goals scored among Gulls defensemen. On top of all of that, he was also chosen to represent Team Canada at the Spengler Cup, where he put up two points in three games and was named to the Spengler Cup All-Star Team.
A versatile player, Brouillard set the blueprint for Ian Moore, able to rotate between forward and defense. Brouillard didn’t spend as much time on the wing this past season as he had previously, though, primarily suiting up as a defenseman on the Gulls’ bottom pair.
With his AHL-only deal expiring this summer, it would make sense for both parties to reunite for another season. The Gulls recently signed captain Ryan Carpenter to a one-year extension, bringing back an experienced veteran. Brouillard would provide the same qualities.
If this is the end of Johnston’s tenure with the Ducks, then what a run it’s been. General manager Pat Verbeek claimed him off waivers from the New York Islanders during preseason in 2023. His acquisition at the time was a puzzling one, but did add forward depth with players like Brock McGinn injured at the time.
While Johnston’s physicality and size made him a nasty customer, his lack of foot speed didn’t fare very well at times in Greg Cronin’s man-to-man defensive scheme. He often drew the ire of Ducks fans, who called for other players to fill his spot in the lineup.
Johnston was much more of a spectator during his second season with the Ducks, playing in just 43 games due to healthy scratches and two separate injuries. But he did play alongside Cutter Gauthier early in his rookie season, when Cronin wanted Gauthier to focus on getting back to basics. Mason McTavish also had a stint on the fourth line alongside Johnston for similar purposes.
With Joel Quenneville entering the picture this past season as the new head coach, Johnston once again got the first crack of being on the fourth line. But contrary to the previous two seasons, he was sprinkling in some offense alongside his physicality and the occasional fight.
He picked up his first career Gordie Howe hat trick in October in a 5-2 win against the Nashville Predators, collecting three points that night. He had two multi-point efforts this past season and set a new career high in assists (11) and points (14). A lower-body injury prematurely ended his regular season in March, but he returned for the playoffs, drawing in against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Johnston is a pending UFA and it’s unclear whether he’ll be returning. Quenneville and Verbeek do seem to like his grit, physicality and overall nastiness. But Johnston is also 32 and his play style doesn’t necessarily hold up well as players age.
Sennecke was one of the Ducks’ top performers this season. It was unclear at the start whether he would remain with the Ducks all season long, but he quickly put that notion to bed. He was the beneficiary of Ryan Strome suffering an oblique injury just before the season opener, being elevated to the second line after spending most of training camp on the fourth line.
60 points was good enough for third among all Ducks skaters in 2025-26, third in Calder Trophy voting and a spot on the NHL All-Rookie team. Sennecke became the eighth NHL All-Rookie Team selection in franchise history, joining Cutter Gauthier, Trevor Zegras, John Gibson, Hampus Lindholm, Frederik Anderson, Bobby Ryan and Paul Kariya.
Sennecke isn’t short of confidence, attempting crafty moves whenever he can. Sometimes, those moves would be performed recklessly, leading to turnovers and scoring chances against. It’s a situation that isn’t unfamiliar for many young players trying to make their mark in the league. Quenneville benched Sennecke at various points throughout the season, with Sennecke understanding that there’s a time and a place for these moves.
With Troy Terry expected to be out until December while recovering from hip impingement surgery and a torn labrum, Sennecke is one of the players who will be relied upon to shoulder the load. Depending on what offseason moves the Ducks make, Quenneville might even opt to stack his top line with Gauthier, Carlsson and Sennecke.
The Ducks selected Nilson in the second round of last year's draft. He spent the past season in the NCAA with Michigan State, playing mostly on the second line with Nashville Predators prospect Ryker Lee.
A defensively responsible player, it was difficult for Nilson to consistently generate his own offense during his first collegiate season. He had just 11 points in 35 games, but also missed time while competing for Sweden in the World Juniors. He had three points in seven games at the tournament, helping Sweden win gold for the first time since 2012.
With Michigan State's No. 1 center Charlie Stramel now signed to the Minnesota Wild, there is an opportunity for Nilson to grab more ice time. 2024 fourth overall pick Cayden Lindstrom, who would be Nilson’s main competition, didn’t fare much better than him in 2025-26, putting up just 10 points in 31 games.
Another offseason full of strength and conditioning should allow Nilson to have a much more productive season offensively in 2026-27.
It’s been slow-going for Warren, whose development has been plagued by injuries. He’s played 60 games in consecutive seasons, which is encouraging, though most of his playing time this season came on the Gulls’ bottom pair.
Warren is the protypical stay-at-home defenseman, using his size and length to negate opposing opportunities before they can develop. His speed and agility while defending the rush has improved since his arrival in San Diego, which has turned him into a reliable defender. He isn’t going to shock anyone with his offensive abilities, but he did manage 12 points this past season.
Though the Ducks’ right-hand side of defense is a bit in flux right now with John Carlson departing and Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas also potentially on their way out, it’s difficult to imagine Warren having a spot on the Ducks next season, at least right away. He’ll have to beat out the likes of Ian Moore, Drew Helleson and Tristan Luneau, who all have NHL experience.
But with Luneau expected to be in the NHL full-time next season, Warren will likely slide into a top-4 role with the Gulls and be able to prove that he is getting closer to deserving an NHL call-up.
Myatovic’s offensive ceiling probably isn’t as high as most guys who are drafted where he was (33rd overall). He’s scored 19 points in consecutive seasons, his first two as a professional. Where he thrives the most is defensively and on the forecheck. Alongside Gaucher and Judd Caulfield, the trio was relied upon to be a defensively stout line. Myatovic also spent plenty of time on the Gulls’ penalty kill.
He’s still a couple of years away from an NHL call-up, thought his play style would be complementary to the likes of Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Beckett Sennecke. A puck hound who can forecheck well, recover pucks and feed high-level playmakers is exactly the type of player you need on a team with Stanley Cup aspirations. Just ask the Carolina Hurricanes.
Whoever the Gulls’ next head coach is may be able to find an expanded role for Myatovic, who spent time on the top line at various points of the season.
In his first full season in North America, Solberg logged big minutes on the left side of the Gulls’ defense. He spent most of the season as part of the top-4, playing alongside both Roland McKeown and Tristan Luneau. He had 24 points in 71 games and racked up 102 penalty minutes.
Solberg’s trademark physicality was on display all season, which became a double-edged sword at times if he decided to go out of his way to finish a thundering hit and inadvertently pulled himself out of position.
For as promising as Solberg has already looked, especially recently in the IIHF World Championship, the Ducks can afford to be patient with his development. Jackson LaCombe mans the helm on the left side of the Ducks’ defense, followed by the likes of Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger. Tyson Hinds received a late-season call-up and showed that he could be an NHL regular next season as well.
Solberg will likely begin next season with the Gulls again, logging heavy minutes as one of their top left-handed options. Injuries can come at any time, so it’s possible that he sees NHL action at some point next season. But it seems unlikely for now.
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Former Anaheim Ducks Goaltender Frederik Andersen is a Stanley Cup Champion
Attention switches to England’s tour squad announcement as the Northampton and Exeter players patch up and press on
Of all the celebratory snapshots of Northampton’s Prem final triumph, perhaps the best was the morning-after picture of Henry Pollock and Fin Smith in bed with the trophy accompanied by backing vocals from Frank Sinatra. “That’s life, that’s what all the people say. You’re riding high in April, shot down in May. But I know I’m going to change that tune, when I’m back on top, back on top in June …”
Talk about suitably perfect lyrics. Saints may have finished top of the regular-season table but when they were being smashed 41-17 at Leicester on 9 May they looked far from dead certs to collect a second title in three years. To have claimed it on the occasion of their captain, George Furbank, making his final Saints appearance made it all the sweeter for Pollock, Smith and all his other close compadres.
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Believe it or not, the NBA Draft is just two days away.
Perks of winning the championship, I guess.
Here’s the latest from across Knicks nation.
On the issues with Atlanta in the first round of the playoffs:
“They came out hot. They came out and played. There is a lot of pressure for New York. No matter what people say or how people feel, as players you feel it a little bit. So Atlanta was hooping and they were doing a great job. We were in a close game with Atlanta, we should not be. And they had nothing to lose. We had everything else to lose.”
On the pressure the Knicks felt:
“So, we are in a close game like, we got to close this out. We got to figure it out. It was so staggering that we were trying to figure it out that we were putting so much pressure on ourselves.”
On the meeting that changed the Hawks series:
“And then it was time when we had a meeting and it was like, OG Pat Ewing talked to us like, listen, we have been here before, let us do this. And after that, we just woke up and we never looked back.”
On teams elevating their play against the Knicks:
“When you play the Knicks, everybody plays good. Role players, the stars, it is just like, we play the Knicks, now we are turning up.”
On nearly quitting basketball for baseball:
“I remember telling my dad one time, ‘I really want to quit basketball and play baseball.’ That was the Dominican in me for sure, Howard, I’m not going to lie to you.”
On wanting to be a Yankees player:
“I just wanted to play nothing but baseball, I wanted to be a Yankee. It was something completely different to not have been the best at something, and to continue to have to prove to people that I could be as good or even better than who they say is the best.”
On his love for baseball:
“I was just able to go out there and have a bunch of fun and the pure joy of the sport.”
On returning to basketball:
“I will never forget, my childhood friends called me and they were saying there was an AAU basketball tournament to play, and they really missed playing basketball with me. And [they asked] if I would just join that weekend to play because I didn’t have a baseball tournament. They brought me back to the love of playing basketball, and I came back to the game and played my freshman year, I was back on the scene playing basketball and found myself back here, now as a New York Knick and as a champion.”
On why New York embraced Karl-Anthony Towns:
“Because he’s humble, caring, loving. And he wanted to bring something to New York that they’ve been thirsting for 53 years. When he puts on that jersey, he knew every time he put it on he was representing his mother, the city, and he wanted to give them a chance to be where they were yesterday.”
On how he’d define KAT:
“I call him a perfectionist. Everything had to be right. He always was reading, he always was knowledgeable and stuff, and he was very, very on point, so when you talk to him you have to have all your facts because he already knew what the right answer would be. To this day he’s the same way.”
On his son’s personality:
“Extremely humble. He takes everything to heart. He wants the best for everyone. He just wants to be a friend to you. He’s not arrogant, none of that. He’s down to earth. He’s relatable to anybody, it don’t matter who you are.”
On Towns’ first game as a Knick:
“Magical moment. Because to me it was the moment — it was a full circle thing. It didn’t happen to me, it happened to him.”
On fulfilling Jacqueline Cruz-Towns’ dream:
“But to know that when he walked out there in that uniform that night he represented … and this was his mother always wanted him to be — represent the New York Knicks and play in New York. To me it was an emotional night because he fulfilled her dream. She wasn’t here … but she was here. Because she’s part of him.”
On the Knicks’ identity:
“It’s team and its grit, right? The team starts with [Jalen] Brunson giving up 113 million. The team starts, you know, in college, them learning how to win, them dealing with pressure, them being clear-minded and focused in the clutch in endgame situations, getting used to that.”
On Mike Brown’s impact:
“Also, a lot of credit to Mike Brown coming in, the atmosphere, the culture, the way they talk about each other – you can just feel it. You can feel they really love each other, they root for each other… They just don’t care about individual stats. And the grit, every time someone needs to step up, somebody does. Whether it’s OG or Mikal or Josh Hart, even Alvarado.
“They always have somebody that steps up and makes a difference and so really just their ability to create winning plays that’s something it just feels like every time it’s close, the Knicks are going to find a way.”