One of the New York Rangers’ top defensive prospects is none other than EJ Emery.
The Rangers selected Emery in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft with the hopes he could blossom into a reliable NHL defenseman down the road.
However, during his first season playing at the University of North Dakota, Emery struggled from a statistical standpoint as he only recorded one point in 31 games.
Rangers director of player development Jed Ortmeyer doesn't believe this is an issue though since Emery’s game is not necessarily about loading up the stat sheet.
"I don't think his game is measured on production," Ortmeyer said via Dan Rosen of NHL.com. "It's his ability to defend and play in all situations in terms of penalty killing, playing against other team's top players and shutting them down, being hard to play against. He's so focused on working from the (defensive) zone out."
Not only does Ortmeyer feel that Emery’s lack of statistical success is not a concern, but he believes Emery showed a lot of promise throughout his freshman season.
“He had a really good year. He’s one of the youngest defensemen in college hockey as a true freshman,” Ortmeyer said. “It's a tough league he was playing in. He was able to step in and have a big role and play big minutes for them. I think his development is heading in the right direction and he’s on a great path at a great school. We are excited about what he’s doing and where he’s going.”
The 19-year-old attended Rangers development camp in July, and he’s set to return to North Dakota for his sophomore season.
With it being September, most of the players who hit the market as unrestricted free agents (UFAs) this summer have been signed. While this is the case, there are still some interesting players available for the taking who could land professional tryouts (PTOs) over the next few weeks.
Among the veteran defensemen still looking for their next contract is former New Jersey Devils blueliner Jon Merrill.
Merill played this past season with the Minnesota Wild, where he posted two goals, six points, 41 hits, and 85 blocks in 70 games. This was his fourth season with the Wild, but his tenure in Minnesota came to an end this summer after he was not re-signed. Now, with the regular-season being only one month away, he still has not found his new home.
Yet, when noting that Merrill can work well in a bottom-pairing or seventh defenseman role, the possibility of him getting a PTO before NHL training camps start is certainly there. Teams are always on the hunt for more defensive depth, and Merrill is one of the top unsigned blueliners left. It also does not hurt that he has 12 years of his NHL experience.
Merrill was selected by the Devils with the 38th overall pick of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. In 216 games over four seasons with the Devils, he recorded six goals, 30 assists, 36 points, and 173 hits.
The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the youngest organizations in the NHL. They do have some veterans on the roster who will make an impact in 2025-26, but most of the hope comes from players who are still on their entry-level contracts.
The Blackhawks are well represented on this list, starting with their young superstar, Connor Bedard. He is ranked second, only behind San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini. Bedard has a case to be number one, but his somewhat underwhelming season on a struggling team in 2024-25 leaves a lot to be desired.
Connor Bedard is still very much on track to be a star in the league, like Celebrini. The latter just has more hype surrounding him due to the events of the last year.
Bedard was one of 11 Blackhawks players named on a list that included 173. He is the only one who landed in the first tier, the “elite player” category.
Tier 2 didn't have any Blackhawks in it. However, Artyom Levshunov did make tier 3 (Bubble NHL All-Star and top of the lineup player. He was ranked 22nd overall.
Levshunov, a former second overall pick in the draft, has a ton of upside. He is the fifth defenseman on the list, with the ceiling of being a top-pair NHL defenseman. Big and meaningful minutes are on the slate for Levshunov in 2025-26.
Anton Frondell, Chicago's third overall pick in 2025, was in Tier 4 and ranked 26th, which Pronman described as a "top of the lineup" player tier. For Frondell, who will play 2025-26 in Sweden, that is not a bad way to be evaluated at this stage. If he turns out to be a top-six two-way forward for Chicago, they will see that as an absolute win.
If he is a second-line center long-term behind Bedard, they'd be set down the middle of their scoring lines. The tools are there for him to be a key contributor for the next decade.
Tier 5, where Pronman has "bubble top and middle of the lineup players", is where you'll find Frank Nazar (ranked 45th), who just earned an incredible contract extension. Pronman isn't as high on Nazar as most, but the respect is there to acknowledge that he could be a top-of-the-lineup player.
For Nazar, 2025-26 is about leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that he is an above-average player. His speed, creativity, and tenacious ways could be how he takes that next step as a producer.
Then there is the "middle of the lineup" tier 6. There you will see Kevin Korchinski (80th), Sam Rinzel (86th), Sacha Boisvert (111th), Oliver Moore (113th), Mason West (136th), Colton Dach (151st), and Roman Kantserov (162nd).
Having Rinzel below Korchinski is certainly a choice. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher defenseman has his feet wet in the NHL, but he has a lot more to prove. If he plays anything like he did towards the end of the season, he will be closer to Levshunov's tier than this one with Korchinski.
The rest of the forwards in this group all make sense. They all could have years where they are big offensive contributors to the team, but none of them are guys that the Blackhawks are hoping can lead them in scoring en route to the playoffs.
Everybody views prospects differently. This is another perspective that ultimately shows that the Blackhawks have done a wonderful job of stockpiling talent, regardless of the order. What Kyle Davidson and his staff do with said talent remains to be seen.
To view Pronman's rankings in full, you can click here.
The Mets (75-65) fell to the Detroit Tigers (81-60) by a score of 6-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Comerica Park.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Clay Holmes allowed an early unearned run thanks to a Hayden Senger catcher's interference call that extended the second inning, but the right-hander was mostly effective, if not efficient. Holmes had some good swing-and-miss stuff, striking out six Tigers, but he ran his pitch count up to 85, and his afternoon ended after his second walk of the fifth inning. Lefty Gregory Soto was called upon to try to get out of the jam, but a wild pitch and two-run single by Riley Greene gave the Tigers a 3-1 lead.
Holmes went 4.2 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out six and walking three.
-- It was a good day at the dish for Pete Alonso. After grounding a single in his first at-bat, Alonso put the Mets on the board in the third inning thanks to a two-out RBI double to right-center -- his 35th two-bagger of the season. Alonso ended up with three hits on the afternoon, the only Met with multiple base knocks.
-- Starter Casey Mize limited the Mets to one run over 5.0 innings, but the visiting squad had a prime opportunity against the Tigers' bullpen in the top of the sixth. A Juan Soto walk and Alonso's third hit of the game put two runners on with nobody out, and Mark Vientos would cash in with an RBI single to left off of Tommy Kahnle to cut the lead to one run. But with the bases loaded and one out, Starling Marte went after the first pitch he saw, grounding into a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play.
-- Ryan Helsley's nightmare tenure with the Mets continued in the bottom of the seventh. After allowing a leadoff single and walk, Helsley, while struggling with his command, grooved a fastball to Kerry Carpenter, who lined a three-run homer just over the wall in the right, making it a four-run game.
Helsley has now given up 14 earned runs in 11.0 innings since being acquired at the trade deadline.
Game MVP
Carpenter, whose three-run blast broke the game open and killed any momentum the Mets had been building.
NC State opened the season with a 24-17 win over East Carolina on Thursday night at Carter-Finley Stadium, avenging its Military Bowl loss to the Pirates. Now, the Wolfpack is ready to turn the page as Virginia visits Raleigh on Saturday. But while the Cavaliers and Wolfpack are set to clash, it will be the […]
Fans enter Angel Stadium on opening day prior to the start of the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on March 31, 2014. (Jeff Gross / Getty Images)
Dodger Stadium might not be the first ballpark in Southern California served by a gondola, if that comes to pass. In Anaheim, city planners are considering whether to pursue a gondola that would serve Angel Stadium.
For more than a decade, the city has explored how to connect its two main visitor hubs along Katella Avenue, with Disneyland and the Anaheim Convention Center about three miles west of Angel Stadium and Honda Center.
The effort has accelerated recently, spurred by city approval of a plan that allows Disney to expand its theme parks and add nearby attractions as well as the construction of OC Vibe, a dining, entertainment and residential village surrounding Honda Center.
In May, the chief executive of the local tourist agency told Spectrum News that a gondola was one of the transit options under consideration. On Tuesday, the Anaheim Investigator posted public records regarding the gondola option, including a study the city had paid a gondola company $20,000 to produce.
Among the possibilities the company pitched, according to the Investigator: the gondola’s towers, which hold the support cables in place, could be flared to resemble the Big A, the landmark that gives the ballpark its beloved nickname.
“It is fun and exciting to think about something like a gondola,” said Mike Lyster, the city spokesman. “We know Dodger Stadium’s has generated a lot of interest. To suggest it’s anything more would give the wrong impression.”
Lyster said Anaheim officials also have been in touch with Tesla and Waymo about options for driverless shuttles or trams, and with a company called Glydways that pitches small driverless vehicles operating along dedicated pathways.
The gondola company, called Swyft Cities, does not have gondolas in commercial operation but has discussed a similar option with the city of Irvine for use in its emerging Orange County Great Park neighborhoods.
Lyster said the possibility of expanding the Disneyland monorail has not come up in “recent discussions,” since the newer options might turn out to be environmentally friendlier and less costly.
“We have to evaluate these emerging technologies to determine which ones may have staying power, which ones may be cost-effective,” Lyster said. “We’re too early to say this one or that one may be a strong candidate."
Swyft Cities estimated a gondola construction cost of roughly $35 million last year and increased the cost to $125.7 million this year, the Investigator reported. The estimated cost of the proposed Dodger Stadium gondola, which would involve construction over hillside terrain, has risen from $125 million when former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt first pitched the plan in 2018 to about $500 million now.
In its presentation to Anaheim, Swyft Cities said the next step would be for the city to commission a “detailed analysis, preliminary engineering, and implementation strategy.”
The estimated cost of that study, should the city choose to want it: $350,000 to $500,000.
One of the reasons Craig Breslow offered for his extended delay in elevating Roman Anthony to the major league roster earlier this year was that he and the organization simply did not want to place too much pressure on the shoulders of a 21-year-old rookie.
Over the course of three-plus months, that rookie proved that pressure would not be a problem.
Anthony played both corner outfield spots and batted in the top four spots in the order, quickly making himself invaluable to a team making a run at the AL East.
Yet now he’s gone, placed on the injured list with an oblique strain and likely to miss the rest of the regular season and perhaps a week or two of the postseason. Alex Bregman, the only position player who’s been more valuable to the Red Sox since Anthony’s call-up, described it as a “gut punch.”
And while that emotional component will be difficult for the Red Sox to overcome, they’ll still have to take the field 22 times without Anthony to finish the regular season. That means manager Alex Cora will have to mix and match his lineups each night to try to maximize his roster and make up for the significant vacancy at the top of the order.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the picture who may — and may not — be able to step up in Anthony’s absence.
Refsnyder vs. righties
Rob Refsnyder and Romy Gonzalez have been lefty killers all season long. It’s a bit absurd how well they’ve mashed against southpaws, with Gonzalez posting a .994 OPS against lefties and Refsnyder not far behind at .950.
Cora has carefully managed his usage of Refsnyder, who has more than twice as many plate appearances against lefties than he does against righties this season. That may have to change, as Refsnyder is the most logical option to get more playing time in right field.
But Refsnyder will have to prove he can be better against righties. He’s hitting just .234 against them this year (compared to .300 vs. lefties) with a .620 OPS. Those numbers are in line with his career numbers vs. righties (.231 average, .634 OPS in 738 plate appearances), so it may be unreasonable to expect him to suddenly become a different player.
Yet in the midst of a tight playoff roster, Refsnyder and his 10 years of big league experience should at least make him comfortable in some big spots.
Where is Wilyer?
The Anthony absence would be much less of a concern if Wilyer Abreu was nearing a return. Alas, the Gold Glove right fielder has not had a quick recovery from his calf injury, and his return to the field does not seem at all imminent.
Cora told WEEI on Wednesday that Abreu is “not close” to returning, noting that Abreu still has not run since going on the IL in mid-August.
Abreu was in the midst of an excellent year, batting .253 with 22 home runs, 69 RBIs and an .811 OPS in his second full season in the majors. His return would be a major boost to the lineup and in the field, but he hasn’t played since Aug. 17, and the clock is ticking on him being able to return at all.
The Password
When Abreu went to the IL, the Red Sox called up their top outfield prospect, Jhostynxon Garcia — aka “The Password.” The 22-year-old saw the field in five games with Boston, and he went just 2-for-7 with two walks and five strikeouts in his limited opportunities.
Garcia has handled the transition to Triple-A well this year, as he has a .904 OPS with 17 homers in 69 games for the WooSox.
Yet Garcia may not quite be ready for a regular role on a team making a playoff run in September, and Cora likely won’t be eager to have Garcia on the field in big spots down the stretch.
Remember Kristian Campbell?
It wasn’t all that long ago that Kristian Campbell became the first of the “Big Three” to make it to the majors, making the team out of camp and signing an eight-year extension shortly thereafter.
Yet after a hot start (.313/.420/.515 in his first 28 games), Campbell batted just .154 with a .451 OPS in his next 39 games. Campbell was sent down to Worcester in late June and has yet to return to Boston.
Campbell has played well for Worcester, with an .831 OPS while playing second base, left field and center field being moved to first base as part of the potential solution to that Red Sox problem in the wake of Triston Casas’ season-ending injury.
While Campbell has seemingly proven himself at the Triple-A level, Cora didn’t sound eager to have Campbell rejoin the Red Sox when discussing the 23-year-old in mid-August.
“It’s the same things he struggled here with,” Cora said, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “Pitch recognition, covering certain shapes of fastballs. That’s something that’s hard because he’s not gonna get that down there. He’s not. The velo here is harder, it’s faster. Locations are on point here. With all due respect to the players down there, the gap is a big gap. Just one of those where we’ve got to keep working. He’s got to keep working and see what the future holds.”
Clearly, Cora was of the belief that Campbell still had work to do. Will the losses of Abreu and Anthony change his mind?
And lastly … Nate Eaton
The person who literally replaced Anthony on Tuesday night was Nate Eaton, and he actually came through with a big hit to set the stage for Boston’s four-run eighth inning.
Eaton has been a minor contributor for the Red Sox this year, playing in 21 games and batting .275 with a .658 OPS. Eaton has posted good numbers for Worcester (.290/.373/.483) and given his speed, he makes sense as a bench option for Cora to use in certain spots.
But at 28 years old, Eaton is well-established as a fringe major leaguer and thus won’t see extended usage over the final four weeks of the season.
Former Mets left-handed reliever José Castillo, who was designated for assignment on Aug. 30, was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners and added to their 40-man roster on Wednesday.
Castillo, 29, was acquired by New York from the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 15 in exchange for cash, and pitched in 16 games for the Mets.
He had a 2.35 ERA and 1.76 WHIP over 15.1 innings, tallying 19 strikeouts and six walks. The lefty last pitched in the bigs on Aug. 29 against the Miami Marlins, allowing one run on four hits over 2.0 innings.
Those appearances brought his season ERA down to 4.98 after he struggled with the D-backs, pitching to an 11.37 ERA over 6.1 innings in five games earlier this season.
Castillo also pitched in 10 games for Triple-A Syracuse while with New York, posting a 1.69 ERA and striking out 16 in 10.2 innings.
It is not very often that you hear an NHL player be that transparent about the possibility of one of their teammates being moved. Yet, based on Backlund's comments, it certainly feels that Andersson will be traded elsewhere at some point as he enters the final year of his contract.
Let's discuss three teams that stand out as possible landing spots for Andersson.
Vegas Golden Knights
In late June, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported that Andersson only wanted to sign a contract extension in a potential trade if it was with the Vegas Golden Knights. Since then, the Golden Knights have been heavily linked to Andersson as a potential landing spot.
The Golden Knights are well known for making big moves, and it would make a ton of sense for them to bring in Andersson. Considering Alex Pietrangelo has stepped away from hockey to try to recover from injuries and might not return, the Golden Knights certainly could use another effective two-way right-shot defenseman. Landing Andersson would provide them with just that.
The Golden Knights would need to be creative to be able to afford Andersson, considering they're more than $7 million over the salary cap. Pietrangelo will likely be on the long-term injured reserve, which gives Vegas more cap room to work with, but the team will still only have around $1.16 million in space once that happens.
That said, they have never been afraid to make aggressive moves if it means landing an effective player.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars have plenty to be optimistic about heading into the 2025-26 season.
They have a strong mix of veteran and young forwards to go along with an elite goaltender in Jake Oettinger. However, after Miro Heiskanen, the right side of their defense is Dallas' Achilles heel. Acquiring Andersson would be an excellent way to fix this.
Andersson would give their second pairing a massive boost if acquired. However, he could also be an option for their top pairing if Miro Heiskanen moved to the left side or misses time. In either scenario, the Stars' top four would improve tremendously with an Andersson addition, and Ilya Lyubushkin and Nils Lundkvist down the depth chart.
Similar to the Golden Knights, the Stars would need to move out some salary to make a trade for Andersson work. That is where things could get tricky, as Dallas currently only has a little over $400,000 of cap space. Even if Andersson is still available closer to the trade deadline and the Stars accrue cap space, they still must make more room to acquire the blueliner.
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins could also be a dark horse team to watch when it comes to Andersson. While they re-signed Henri Jokiharju this off-season, they still have not found the best top-four replacement for Brandon Carlo since trading him to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Acquiring Andersson would change that.
Andersson would significantly improve the right side of Boston's defense. Having a one-two punch of Charlie McAvoy and Andersson would make the Bruins a much more difficult team to go up against. He would also give them another quarterback to work on their power play due to his offensive skills.
The Bruins' goal is to prove that last season was a fluke and to get back into the playoffs in 2025-26. Acquiring Andersson could help their odds of doing just that.
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The video re-iterates that the L2/LT glitch that was prominent in NHL 25 has been patched. There is now a speed cap and penalty on the mechanic, players will not be able to blow by opponents while shielding the puck. Players will also slow down when spamming the pivot override with their right stick.
The hip checking mechanic has also been adjusted to stop it from being used as a forechecking option. The power of the hit will be influenced by how much the player has to turn. This should stop players from being able to utilize the hip check to cover large portions of ice.
Reverse hitting has also received a nerf, factoring in the size and weight of the player more than NHL 25.
EA notes they reduced the number of X-Factors in an attempt to eliminate less impactful ones and simplify when X-Factors will be activated. There is new UI that will show when an X-Factor is active.
The gameplay shows clips of some of the 80+ new goalie animations and discusses NHL EDGE data. It will be interesting to see how this data is implemented throughout the cycle of the game and if it makes a noticeable impact.
Parise spent 19 seasons in the NHL split between the Devils, Minnesota Wild, New York Islanders, and Colorado Avalanche, where he posted 434 goals, 455 assists, 889 points, and a plus-76 rating. In seven seasons as a member of the Devils, the 2003 first-round pick posted 194 goals, 216 assists, and 410 points in 502 games.
Gomez played in 16 NHL seasons in his career, where he posted 181 goals, 575 assists, and 756 points in 1,079 games. In eight seasons over two stints as a member of the Devils, he had 121 goals, 361 assists, and 484 points. He also won the Stanley Cup with New Jersey twice and the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2000.
Uefa requires squads to have eight ‘homegrown’ players
Thomas Frank has left Mathys Tel out of his Tottenham squad for the league phase of the Champions League while he has been unable to find room in it for Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin – even though they could return from long-term injuries while there are still ties to play.
Frank has been in an impossible position because of how the profile of his players has jarred with Uefa’s regulations. Put simply, the head coach has too few homegrown squad members and too many who have come from elsewhere. He was always going to have to exclude six players from his 25-man “A” list.
The Wichita Thunder, ECHL affiliate of the NHL's San Jose Sharks and AHL's San Jose Barracuda, have announced that they have extended their affiliation agreement with the Sharks and Barracuda for the 2025-26 season.
Under the affiliation agreement, the Sharks will be able to designate players within their development system for assignment with the Thunder. The club will also be composed of players who are signed to two-way AHL contracts in addition to those on ECHL contracts (under agreement with the Thunder).
“We're happy to keep our partnership with San Jose going," stated Thunder GM Joel T. Lomurno. "We saw some solid talent come through Wichita last season. I'm looking forward to seeing those guys take the next step and excited to see what new players we can develop this season.”
The 2025-26 season will be the fourth year that the Thunder will partner with San Jose. Last year, Wichita had 10 players spend time in the Air Capital that were either on AHL or NHL contracts.
Goaltender Gabriel Carriere impressed during his time with the Thunder and then earned his first NHL contract with the Sharks this past March. Defenseman Braden Hache appeared in 33 games with the Thunder. He was recalled and earned a consistent role in the lineup for the Barracuda.
Defensemen Jeremie Bucheler, forwards Mitchell Russell and Luke Grainger and netminder Aaron Dell all played for both the Thunder and the Barracuda.
"Wichita is a premier franchise in the ECHL with a proven track record of developing NHL prospects well," Sharks Assistant General Manager and San Jose Barracuda General Manager Joe Will noted. "The staff, facilities and city are all first class."
San Jose joined the NHL in 1991. The Sharks have advanced to the Western Conference Final six times, which included them capturing the Presidents’ Trophy in 2009. San Jose has also earned five Pacific Division titles and made a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2016.
“I'm excited to be back with San Jose for another season,” Thunder Head Coach Bruce Ramsay stated. “Last year, I was able to work with some talented players that lived out their dreams as they continue to pursue a chance to play in the NHL. It was a pleasure to help develop guys like Gabriel Carriere and Braden Hache, who both signed second contracts with the organization. I'm proud of Gabe, who really improved his game and earned an NHL contract with the Sharks and equally as proud with Braden, who is back with the Barracuda.
“I'm happy with the progress of several other players who spent a significant amount of time here. We look forward to growing our partnership and working together to ensure success at each level for all three teams.”
San Jose has several ties to the ECHL. Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky served two seasons as a head coach for the South Carolina Stingrays. NHL Goaltending Coach Thomas Speer played in three league contests as a member of the Idaho Steelheads and Las Vegas Wranglers in the 2011-12 season and went on to serve as Goaltending Coach with the Allen Americans, then the Sharks’ ECHL affiliate, from 2014-15 through 2016-17.
USA Hockey announced its 2025 Hall of Fame class Wednesday, including longtime NHL veterans Joe Pavelski, Zach Parise and Scott Gomez. The class also includes Olympic gold medalist Tara Mounsey and photographer Bruce Bennett.
The five will be enshrined at a ceremony in St. Paul, Minn., on Dec. 10.
Pavelski’s 1,068 points over 18 NHL seasons are the sixth-most ever by an American-born player. He added 143 more points in his 201 playoff appearances. He is one of the best players in San Jose Sharks history, having helped the club reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2016 and retiring with the second-most goals in franchise history. Internationally, Pavelski won a silver medal with the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.
Parise scored 889 points in the NHL — 17th all-time amongst Americans — and captained the New Jersey Devils to the 2012 Cup Final. He also won a silver medal with Pavelski at the 2010 Olympics, and served as the U.S. captain in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Gomez finished with 181 goals and 575 assists in his 16 years in the NHL. He won two Stanley Cups with the Devils in 2000 and 2003, and played for the U.S. in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Mounsey helped the U.S. win Olympic gold in 1998 and silver as the hosts in 2002. She was considered one of the best offensive defensemen in women’s hockey during her career.
Bennett is one of the most prolific hockey photographers of all time. He has taken photos at more than 5,300 NHL games, 45 different Stanley Cup Finals and six Winter Olympics.
The Navy All-American Bowl Road to the Dome tour will visit Cheery Creek High School in Englewood, Colorado, on September 5th to recognize Tufanua Ionatana Umu-Cais as a 2026 Navy All-American.
Rangers Add 100th Anniversary Logo To Centre Ice At Madison Square GardenIn honor of their 100th season, the New York Rangers have added a 100th anniversary logo to centre ice at Madison Square Garden.
USA Hockey announced its 2025 Hall of Fame class Wednesday, including longtime NHL veterans Joe Pavelski, Zach Parise and Scott Gomez. The class also includes Olympic gold medalist Tara Mounsey and photographer Bruce Bennett.