For the second straight season, the Edmonton Oilers came up short against the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup final.
That has observers wondering what off-season moves could be in store for this club.
Last summer, the Oilers re-signed Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark, Connor Brown and Corey Perry, signed free agents Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner and acquired Ty Emberson and Vasily Podkolzin. During the season, they added Jake Walman, Kasperi Kapanen, Trent Frederic, John Klingberg and Max Jones.
The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman observed that Connor McDavid can sign a contract extension on July 1. The 28-year-old Oilers superstar is a year away from UFA eligibility, but it's assumed he'll stay in Edmonton, especially after Leon Draisaitl signed a long-term extension last fall.
Justin Tasch of the New York Post believes McDavid's future will dominate the NHL off-season. A massive long-term extension awaits if he commits to the Oilers. If McDavid has doubts, Tasch believes they'll trade him rather than risk losing him to next summer's free-agent market.
TSN's Darren Dreger does not doubt that McDavid will re-sign with the Oilers. For him, the question is how long of a commitment he's willing to make.
Bowman will likely want to get this piece of business done as quickly as possible. The longer McDavid goes without an extension, the more speculation and wishful thinking linking him to other clubs will emerge in the rumor mill during the summer's dog days.
Signing Evan Bouchard is another pressing concern. The 25-year-old puck-moving defenseman is an RFA with arbitration rights. He'll be seeking a big raise over the $3.9 million average annual value of his expiring contract.
Former NHL player agent Brian Lawton believes Bouchard and the Oilers will work something out. Nugent-Bowman pointed out that the Oilers have $12 million in cap space and speculated that Bouchard could take up three-quarters of it.
However, a subsequent report by Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli claimed the Oilers are expected to sign Frederic to an eight-year deal with an average annual value of $4 million. That would leave them with no cap room for Bouchard unless Bowman intends to make a cost-cutting move or two.
Nugent-Bowman and The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell and Adam Proteau believe the Oilers' goaltending remains a big question mark. The tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard struggled against the Panthers, which have a potential future Hall of Famer, Sergei Bobrovsky, between the pipes.
Skinner and Pickard have a year left on their contract with affordable cap hits, but Nugent-Bowman wondered if they'll be back. Gerry Moddejonge of the Edmonton Journal raised the possibility of Skinner becoming an early-summer trade candidate.
Meanwhile, The Hockey News’ Caleb Kearney suggested the Oilers attempt to acquire RFA winger JJ Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres. However, they could lack the suitable trade assets and cap space required to pull this off.
The news on Wednesday that Airious "Ace" Bailey, cancelled his workout with the Philadelphia 76ers has brought an issue simmering on the back burner to the front burner and a full boil:
Bailey's predraft choices — not working out for any team, seemingly not having any agency in his predraft process being run by his agent, Omar Cooper, and some rather bold/outlandish quotes — have made several teams at the top of the draft hesitate, league sources told NBC Sports. Enough that he is seen by many as sliding down draft boards. Check out what Jonathan Givony and Shams Charania of ESPN wrote in their story breaking the news about Bailey's 76ers cancellation.
Bailey's predraft strategy has perplexed NBA teams over the past month, as he is currently the only U.S.-based prospect yet to visit any clubs. He has declined invitations from multiple teams in his draft range, which is considered to be anywhere from No. 3 to No. 8...
Sources say Bailey's camp has informed interested teams that it believes he is a top-three player in the draft, but also seeks a clear path to stardom, hoping to find a situation with ample minutes and usage to maximize his full potential.
Long-time basketball insider Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 threw Cooper's name into the fire after the 76ers' cancellation, echoing what many people in the basketball world have been saying quietly.
Bailey’s agent, Omar Cooper, also wanted to get paid to do on-camera interviews this past season.
It just seems as though Ace Bailey has received some poor advice over the past year.
Bailey is brash. That's not a bad thing — Anthony Edwards was and is brash, but he also shows an understanding of the game and desire to learn that can bring some humility. Most importantly, Edwards backs it all up. Right now, Bailey's version of brash is just rubbing teams the wrong way.
Favorite part of our ESPN Combine broadcast interviews was easily Ace Bailey's answer to Sean Farnham's question.
On paper, Bailey checks all the boxes of a prototypical modern NBA wing: He's 6'8", a freak athlete, high motor, can create his own shot, can shoot the 3 (36.7% this season), and is a tough shot maker, averaging 18.4 points and 7.2 rebounds a game. The ceiling for Bailey has always been high, and moments at Rutgers last season showed that potential. However, he's polarizing because some scouts question how much of that potential he will live up to.
At one point, Bailey was considered almost a lock for the No. 3 pick (after Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper), but now he is sliding down draft boards. For example, ESPN's plugged-in Givoney has Bailey going No. 6 to the Wizards.
The 76ers (assuming they keep the No. 3 pick, no sure thing) would ask Bailey to play a role in the guard rotation with Tyrese Maxey, along with stars Joel Embiid and Paul George, on a team with title aspirations next season. This report suggests Bailey is looking for a team that will turn over the keys to the offense to him next season. That's a much shorter list., but it also may not matter to teams who would just draft him anyway.
Charlotte, at No. 4, features LaMelo Ball running the offense, along with Brandon Miller on the wing. Would they rather have a shooter like Duke's Kon Knueppel? Utah at No. 5 is trying to build a style and culture in the mold of Oklahoma City and Indiana. Would they want to bring Baley into that, or pass? The Wizards at No. 6 or the Pelicans at No. 7 may be the kind of fit Bailey is looking for, but how strong is their interest in him? Brooklyn would be another team that would take him and give him the keys to the offense, if he falls that far.
Time will tell how Bailey's predraft decisions play out — if he plays well on the court next season, all this will be forgotten (and some GMs could be in trouble for passing on him). However, if he doesn't fulfil his potential, it's the GM who drafted him who could face trouble. That mix is what has teams high on the draft board having lengthy discussions about Bailey.
The St. Louis Blues are officially the Stanley Cup Playoffs' worst team.
At one point, the Blues were just 1.6 seconds away from eliminating the Winnipeg Jets and moving on to face the Dallas Stars in the second round, but thanks to the latest game-tying goal in postseason history from Cole Perfetti, Winnipeg bounced back to force overtime.
In that extra period, it was Jets captain Adam Lowry who redirected a Neal Pionk point shot, propelling Winnipeg to the Game 7 victory and onward to the second round, eliminating Jordan Binnington and the Blues just like that.
Thanks to Winnipeg's loss to Dallas, which then lost to Edmonton, which lost to Florida in the Stanley Cup, it can be officially be determined that St. Louis is the ultimate loser of the postseason.
Usually the bite of playoff elimination stings a bit less when you lose to the team that won the championship or lost in the final.
This time around for both the Blues and Jets, the storyline couldn't get any bleaker. They lost to the team that lost to the team that lost to the team... and so on, and so forth.
On the other side of the coin is Edmonton and Florida. One team has lost the Cup final in back-to-back years, while the other has now been to the Stanley Cup for three-straight seasons, winning the last two.
Will Winnipeg and St. Louis find a way to retool their teams to fit the blueprints laid out by Paul Maurice and Kris Knoblauch in Florida and Edmonton?
The Yankees revealed on Thursday that reliever Luke Weaver was in position to be activated from the 15-day injured list as soon as Friday, and sure enough, they put that plan into action at the anticipated time.
After missing two-plus weeks with a left hamstring strain, the Yankees reinstated Weaver on Friday afternoon, marking a speedy recovery for an ailment that initially carried a month-plus timetable. The right-hander will be back in the bullpen while the team hosts the Orioles for a weekend set.
When asked about the closer role before Friday's game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters the job will belong to Weaver "on some nights." He'll be sharing ninth-inning opportunities with Devin Williams, who's resembled his old, All-Star self of late with a laudable 1.88 ERA in last 15 games.
How long the Yankees will go with the closer-by-committee approach with Weaver and Williams remains to be seen. In the meantime, Boone said the plan is for Weaver to avoid back-to-back games while ramping up to his regular workload. Matchups will determine their appearances, too.
"I look at him and Devin like we've got two elite guys back there," Boone said. "With Devin, you're always pretty much going to keep him to an inning. With Weave, he's kind of that fireman... On the nights when they're both available and we're in the eighth inning with a save situation, I'll probably match it up with how I think they line up best..."
Weaver has been an invaluable back-end arm for the Yankees. This season, he's registered a sharp 1.05 ERA and 0.70 WHIP across 25.2 innings (24 appearances) with 24 strikeouts and eight saves. He's also held opponents to a career-low .128 average.
But Williams' reliability in high-leverage spots while Weaver was on the shelf can't be ignored either. After a disastrous spring, in which he posted a 6.53 ERA and lost closer duties, he's bounced back with a 1.35 ERA in seven June appearances. He's also converted four saves and struck out 10.
"This has been over a month of some excellence. He's going to close a lot of games," Boone said of Williams. "That's the reality. I want to put him, Weave, the rest of the guys in the best position to be successful. So, that'll mean Devin closing a lot of games. But there will be those given nights where I use him in the eighth."
Earlier in the week, Boone indicated a rehab assignment wasn't even necessary for Weaver. The 31-year-old veteran faced hitters in live batting practice on Tuesday for the first time since injuring his hamstring, and Boone described the session as "excellent."
"Any time you add someone like Luke, it just makes the entire thing better, on top of what he brings," Boone said before Thursday's win. "Maybe a little [surprised by the recovery], just based on the initial readings. But that being said, I know he felt good right away.
"Even the few days after, he got the PRP in there, I knew based on his throwing program right away. His ability to get right back on the mound was big. He was throwing a side, however many days in, had a few sides, the live. Looks really good, so it's all been encouraging."
While the Yankees are welcoming Weaver back with open arms, their bullpen hasn't been helpless without him. The unit owns a 2.63 ERA since June 3, the day Weaver was placed on the injured list. It's the seventh-best mark in all of baseball.
Ivan Provorov and Don Waddell have both said publicly that they want a deal done to keep Provorov in Columbus, but will it get done?
According to RG.org, the New York Rangers are very interested in him, with a source citing, “He’s one of their options for strengthening the defensive line."
The Rangers want to make a few moves, which could include moving K’Andre Miller, who is an RFA. Losing Provorov to division rival New York would be a bit of a blow.
Provorov is coming off of one of his best seasons, scoring 33 points and averaging 23 minutes a game. He also played 82 games for the third season in a row, and for the 6th time in his 9 year career. Having a player who can stay healthy and be available is worth about half the salary he could get if we're being honest.
The Blue Jackets need to find a way to keep Ivan Provorov. I'm sure Provorov wants a long-term deal, but does Don Waddell want that? My guess is that Waddell would probably want a three to four year deal. While Provorov definitely wants a 7 or 8 year contract. Not really rocket science on that guess.
Columbus needs to find a way to keep Provorov. Even Provorov's wife has said publicly that they would love to stay in Columbus.
Let us know what you think below.
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Reirden was last on the Penguins’ staff in 2023-24 as an associate coach. He’s a former defenseman who has a Stanley Cup ring from his time as an associate coach with the 2017-18 Capitals.
Rick Tocchet’s coaching staff is set to feature Reirden, Yogi Svejkovsky and Jay Varady.
Reirden, who turns 54 years old next Wednesday, appears to be the Flyers’ Brad Shaw replacement. Reirden oversaw Washington’s defense before he was hired as the team’s head coach the offseason after it won the Stanley Cup. In two seasons as the Capitals’ bench boss, Reirden went 89-46-16, but had a pair of first-round playoff exits.
In addition to overseeing the Flyers’ defensemen, Shaw also coached the penalty kill. It’s uncertain who will now be in charge of the Flyers’ PK.
At his last stop, Reirden coached Pittsburgh’s power play, which struggled in his final season. The Penguins had the NHL’s third-worst man advantage in 2023-24 at 15.3 percent. In May 2024, Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review detailed Reirden’s four seasons (and second stint) with Pittsburgh.
In his four seasons working with Washington’s defensemen, the Capitals surrendered the league’s second-fewest goals per game at 2.45. Defenseman John Carlson was an All-Star in both of Reirden’s seasons as a head coach.
The Flyers have found their third assistant coach.
The club added Todd Reirden to its staff Friday, along with assistant video coach Dylan Crawford.
Reirden was last on the Penguins’ staff in 2023-24 as an associate coach. He’s a former defenseman who has a Stanley Cup ring from his time as an associate coach with the 2017-18 Capitals.
Rick Tocchet’s bench will feature Reirden, Yogi Svejkovsky and Jay Varady.
“I’m happy to have rounded out my coaching staff by bringing Todd and Dylan on board,” Tocchet said in a statement released by the team. “Todd’s extensive experience across all levels of coaching, as well as his success throughout his career, will play a pivotal role in all facets of our game.
“Dylan adds another level to our video team in an area that is rapidly expanding and becoming more critical in the outcome of games and the way teams prepare.”
Reirden, who turns 54 years old next Wednesday, appears to be the Flyers’ Brad Shaw replacement. Reirden oversaw Washington’s defense before he was hired as the team’s head coach the offseason after it won the Stanley Cup. In two seasons as the Capitals’ bench boss, Reirden went 89-46-16, but had a pair of first-round playoff exits.
In addition to overseeing the Flyers’ defensemen, Shaw also coached the penalty kill. It’s uncertain who will now be in charge of the Flyers’ PK.
At his last stop, Reirden coached Pittsburgh’s power play, which struggled in his final season. The Penguins had the NHL’s third-worst man advantage in 2023-24 at 15.3 percent. In May 2024, Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review detailed Reirden’s four seasons (and second stint) with Pittsburgh.
In his four seasons working with Washington’s defensemen, the Capitals surrendered the league’s second-fewest goals per game at 2.45. Defenseman John Carlson was an All-Star in both of Reirden’s seasons as a head coach.
Crawford, 35, was a video coach on Tocchet’s staff in Vancouver.
The Boston Red Sox’ “Big Three” will temporarily become the Big Two.
The Red Sox are sending infielder Kristian Campbell back to Triple-A Worcester, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Thursday. Outfielder Wilyer Abreu is expected to return from the injured list and join Boston’s active roster in a corresponding move, per multiple reports.
Campbell entered the 2025 season as the No. 2 prospect in the Red Sox organization — behind Roman Anthony and ahead of Marcelo Mayer — but made the Opening Day roster as the team’s starting second baseman, while Anthony and Mayer began the campaign in Worcester.
Campbell validated the Red Sox’ decision out of the gate, slashing .301/.407/.495 through the end of April while earning American League Rookie of the Month honors. He’s been mired in a major slump since then, however, slashing .159/.243/.222 in May and June while struggling mightily in the field.
(His seven errors are tied for the second-most in the American League, and he ranks 49th among 49 qualified MLB second basemen with an Outs Above Average rating of negative-8, per StatCast.)
The 22-year-old agreed to an eight-year contract extension with Boston in early April, so he’s not going anywhere. But Campbell’s demotion is a reminder of the challenges that face young prospects when they reach the MLB level, and the Red Sox are hoping that a reset in Worcester can help him get back on track.
Boston is in the midst of a nine-game West Coast road trip that continues Friday in San Francisco against the Giants. So, it’s likely that Campbell remains in Worcester at least until the Red Sox return home the following Friday (June 27) to face the Toronto Blue Jays.
David Hamilton has started the previous two games at second base and could see more playing time while Campbell is in Worcester.
SAN FRANCISCO – On a picture-perfect beautiful day where the seats were filled at Oracle Park, the Giants found life late to avoid a three-game sweep and beat the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 on Thursday.
Starting pitcher Logan Webb continued his campaign of a second straight bid for the MLB All-Star Game. Webb for the most part found his way out of the few jams he faced as the Guardians scored one lonesome run off him. Webb racked up nine strikeouts and six groundouts to earn his seventh win of the season.
The Giants’ offense looked like they were going to let him down as they have far too often. They only had two hits and were scoreless through the first six innings. But they found their juice after the Seventh Inning Stretch with Wilmer Flores being the hitting hero of the day thanks to a pinch-hit go-ahead double in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Casey Schmitt was the only Giant to have multiple hits, and six starters went hitless.
Over the final two innings, Randy Rodriguez and Camilo Doval didn’t allow a hit or walk, striking out three and sending the Guardians away with a loss.
Here are three takeaways from the Giants’ win.
Another Webb Gem
Halfway through his seventh season in the big leagues, and with 161 games already to his name, Thursday was a first for Webb. Outside of the Giants, the Guardians were the last team Webb had yet to face.
His day started with some tough luck when Guardians leadoff hitter Steven Kwan beat Webb to first base on an infield single. Webb rebounded by striking out the next batter, and the inning ended on a diving catch from left fielder Heliot Ramos to prevent at least one run scoring. But trouble caught up to Webb in the third inning when a bloop to left field from Jose Ramirez scored the first run for either team.
The Guardians never scored again off Webb.
Knowing how badly the Giants needed a win, Webb certainly did his job. Webb lasted seven innings and though his seven hits allowed were his most this month and the third-most he has given up this season, he struck out nine and did walk a single batter. When Webb walked off the mound to end the top of the seventh inning, he officially was tied with Chris Sale for the second-most strikeouts in the National League at 114.
Jung Hoo’s June Gloom
Manager Bob Melvin made a noticeable lineup change Wednesday when Jung Hoo Lee was slotted into the six-hole. Lee was even lower one day later, batting seventh. Neither change helped the struggling Lee.
After going 0-for-4 with a strikeout, two groundouts and a pop out, Lee on Thursday was 0-for-2 with groundouts to first base. Lee’s swing doesn’t look free and easy right now. He’s moving all over the place and appears to be overcompensating trying to catch up to velocity.
This isn’t a one or two-game problem for Lee. In 16 games (14 starts) this month, Lee now is batting .185 (10 of 54) and only has three RBI. Lee is in a clear slump, but there was a big positive of his that led to the Giants’ win.
The Plan Works
Undoubtedly, the best sight of the day for the Giants was seeing Gavin Williams in the Guardians’ dugout when San Francisco came to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Giants only mustered two hits off Williams in six innings, walking three times but striking out twice as much.
Schmitt roped a single to center field to open the bottom of the seventh off reliever Matt Festa, and Lee followed by walking on four pitches. Melvin then went the small-ball route of bunting Schmitt and Lee into scoring position, turning to Flores off the bench to hit for Christian Koss.
Now that Rafael Devers is wearing Giants colors, Melvin gets to use Flores as a weapon off the bench in clutch situations. On the sixth pitch Flores saw, he turned on a slider for a double down the third-base line that scored Schmitt and Lee to get the Giants on the scoreboard and ahead of the Guardians.
The first six innings were an eye-sore offensively. Getting Lee’s speed on the bases and Flores’ clutch genes coming through were exactly what the Giants needed to avoid a series sweep.
The Idaho Steelheads, in conjunction with the Idaho Central Arena, will host an NHL pre-season game between the LA Kings and Utah Mammoth Sep. 30 at 7 Pm inside the Idaho Central Arena.
“We are extremely excited to be able to bring NHL hockey back to the Treasure Valley for the second time in the last four years,” Eric Trapp, President of Idaho Sports Properties, said in a statement. “With the success we have had hosting NHL events in downtown Boise, it was a goal of ours to host another game after seeing how well it was received back in 2022.”
This will be the third NHL preseason game and fourth NHL event hosted in Downtown Boise. The Vegas Golden Knights and Arizona Coyotes met on Oct. 8, 2022 most recently. The LA Kings and San Jose Sharks met for an exhibition game on Sep. 24, 1997 prior to the inaugural Steelheads season, and it was the third event hosted in the history of the Idaho Central Arena. The Steelheads also hosted the Dallas Stars Training Camp in Sept. 2018, which included an intra-squad scrimmage on the final day.
"Bringing NHL hockey back to Boise is an incredible opportunity, and we couldn’t be more excited," said LA Kings President Luc Robitaille. "This preseason game is a chance for us to share the speed, skill, and energy of Kings hockey, with a passionate and growing fan base in Idaho. We’re proud to help showcase the game in new communities and look forward to creating a memorable experience for everyone in Boise.”
Steelheads Season Ticket Holders will have the first right to reserve their seats for the NHL Preseason Game with a presale on Jul. 15 and the deadline on Aug. 1. Information regarding tickets for the general public will be announced on a later date.
LAS VEGAS -- With the NHL season officially in the books, Golden Knights fans will certainly have their eyes set on the upcoming draft.
Locally, they're also anticipating the annual Battle for Las Vegas charity softball game that pits members of the Knights against members representing the Las Vegas Raiders.
Raiders tight end Brock Bowers is the captain of the Raiders and friends.
Now in its sixth year, the star-studded charity softball event is scheduled for July 12 at 8 p.m. at Las Vegas Ballpark at Downtown Summerlin.
While the Knights fans await the announcement of Eichel's roster, the Raiders announced their roster on Thursday.
The roster for Team Bowers includes current Las Vegas Raiders players Jack Bech, AJ Cole, Daniel Carlson, Thayer Munford Jr., Eric Stokes, Aidan O’Connell, Jeremy Chinn, Sincere McCormick and former Raiders tight end Darren Waller.
The event, which gives fans the chance to watch their favorite local athletes compete for Las Vegas’ ultimate bragging rights, will open with a Home Run Derby one hour before the opening pitch of the softball game.
The night will conclude with a postgame fireworks display.
Proceeds from the event are directed to the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation, which will then make donations to selected beneficiaries that include: Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE, Make-A-Wish Nevada, Best Buddies and Assisting Lives in Las Vegas.
The initial event launched in 2019 and to date has raised more than $1 million for deserving nonprofits.
According to TSN collaborator Bruce Garrioch, right winger Claude Giroux could be interested in signing with the Montreal Canadiens when he hits free agency on July 1. It’s not that the Tricolore would be his first choice, though. The 37-year-old would like to sign a contract extension with the Ottawa Senators, but some believe the two sides are at a stalemate.
Talks are continuing to see if the gap can be bridged, and the Sens have made a one-year offer for an over-35 contract. Garrioch also reports that league executives have estimated Giroux could hope for a $3 million base salary with achievable bonus targets that could see him earn between $4.5 million and $5 million.
Giroux’s family is well settled in Ottawa, and that’s a big part of the reason why he would like to stay put, and probably why he would be interested in signing with Montreal if a deal can’t be reached, given geographical proximity. ‘
Throughout his 18-season career, the 5-foot-11, 188-pound forward has played 1,263 games and accumulated 1,116 points. Since joining the Senators, his production has steadily declined, dropping from 79 points to 64 and then 50 this past season.
The veteran has spent most of the season playing in Ottawa’s top-six alongside the likes of Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle. Fellow veteran David Perron still has one year to go on his contract with the Ontario outfit, meaning there’s already an experienced player on the roster.
While there’s no denying that Giroux has been a force in the NHL and is still a talented player, I struggle to see why the Canadiens would feel the need to make him an offer. Montreal is in dire need of a top-six center and a right-shot defenseman. Of course, the Habs have lost their most experienced player with David Savard’s retirement, but Brendan Gallagher is already 33 years old, and Mike Matheson is 31; they’re both fairly experienced. Giroux has been to one Stanley Cup Final, just like Gallagher.
I expect that the only way Kent Hughes could make him an offer is if he fails to find what he needs on the trade market or in free agency. This is somewhat similar to when Danny Briere said he would like to sign with the Canadiens towards the end of his career; however, this didn’t exactly go well. He played 69 games in Montreal, putting up 25 points, and found himself playing on the fourth line at times.
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
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Dodgers owner Mark Walter, left, and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, right, stand for a photo with Shohei Ohtani at Ohtani's introductory news conference in December 2023. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers are getting a new owner. And in Los Angeles, he’s already a familiar name.
Thirteen years after buying the Dodgers and transforming the team into a juggernaut in Major League Baseball, billionaire businessman Mark Walter is in line to become the new majority owner of the Lakers.
Suddenly, the once anonymous Chicago-based investment manager is about to have both of the Southland’s most prominent professional sports teams in his portfolio.
For Lakers fans, Walter’s arrival will mark a massive shift following decades of family ownership of the team by the Buss family. But, they won’t have to look far to find examples of how Walter has operated another iconic Los Angeles sports brand.
"He's really committed to the city of Los Angeles in various ways," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday, after the stunning news of Walter's impending purchase of the Lakers first emerged. "He's going to do everything he can to produce a championship-caliber team every single year, and make sure the city feels proud of the Lakers and the legacy that they've already built with the Buss family."
As Walter's ownership of the Lakers prepares to begin, here are four things to know about his stewardship of the Dodgers over the last decade-plus.
Money is (almost) no object
When Walter’s Guggenheim Baseball group bought the Dodgers in 2012, the once-proud franchise was mired in embarrassment and mediocrity.
Under Frank McCourt’s ownership, the team was in bankruptcy. It had not fielded a top-10 MLB payroll three years running. And it had won the National League West only three times since the turn of the century, seemingly miles away from ending what was already by then a decades-long World Series drought.
But then came Guggenheim — making huge infusions of cash, followed by a sudden return to contention.
Since 2013, the Dodgers have exceeded MLB’s luxury tax threshold (the closest thing baseball has to a soft salary cap) eight times and topped the league in spending seven times.
They’ve splurged repeatedly on star talent, from lucrative extensions for Clayton Kershaw, Andre Ethier and Kenley Jansen; to blockbuster acquisitions of Adrián González, Hanley Ramírez and Zack Greinke; to the more recently transformative arrivals of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani.
And in that span, they’ve never once missed the playoffs, won their division 11 of the last 12 seasons, and reached the World Series on four occasions — finally breaking through with championships in 2020 and 2024.
“He wants to win,” Roberts said of Walter. "He feels that the fans, the city deserves that."
Walter’s Guggenheim group has made major outlays beyond the roster as well. They invested in what has become one of the most renowned farm systems in the sport. They have built a robust analytics department in the front office. They’ve made multiple major renovations to Dodger Stadium, upgrading fan areas and the players’ clubhouse facility.
There have been moments when the team has shown financial constraint, most notably when it strategically stayed under the luxury tax in 2018 and 2019 — to the chagrin of some fans at the time.
But in the last two offseasons, the Dodgers have spared almost no expense, this year becoming the first team in MLB history to boast a $400-million luxury tax payroll.
“The commitment from our ownership group from the minute I got here has been incredible,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said this offseason. “It has always been, ‘Hey let’s push. Let’s go. Let's get better.’”
Business is booming
Shohei Ohtani, center, gestures to teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto, left, as Roki Sasaki, right, looks on during a news conference in Japan in March. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
For all the money the Dodgers have spent, they’ve had little problem super-charging revenue streams at the same time.
Shortly after Walter’s Guggenheim group bought the team, it struck a ground-breaking 25-year, $8.35-billion television deal with Time Warner Cable, leading to the creation of a Dodgers-exclusive SportsNet LA cable channel (albeit, one that many fans could not access through their television providers until the 2020 season).
In recent years, the team has also sought to expand its brand internationally — an effort that was significantly amplified by the $700-million signing of Ohtani in December 2023.
For years leading up to Ohtani’s free agency, the Dodgers had identified an opportunity to capture the Japanese baseball market. They saw the chance to sign him, as well as other Japanese stars such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, as a way to become that nation’s most popular MLB team.
That reality came to fruition at the start of this season, when the Dodgers opened their season in Tokyo in front of sellout crowds painted almost entirely in shades of Dodger blue apparel.
According to Sportico — which valued the Dodgers at $7.73 billion this year — the team was estimated to have also eclipsed $1 billion in revenue during the 2024 season, with Ohtani’s arrival leading to an influx of Asian sponsorship agreements, skyrocketing merchandise sales and even a team-run fan club based in Japan.
Stability in leadership
When Walter’s Guggenheim group first came into the picture, the Dodgers didn’t make sweeping personnel moves right away.
Stan Kasten was inserted as team president, but preexisting general manager Ned Colleti and manager Don Mattingly maintained their posts all the way through the 2014 season.
Changes did eventually come in the front office and the dugout. Friedman, then seen as the most promising young executive in the sport, was hired ahead of the 2015 campaign. Roberts replaced Mattingly a year later.
But ever since then, leadership in the organization has remained largely the same.
Rather than rock the boat in times of trouble, Walter has practiced patience when it comes to personnel decisions.
Roberts’ 10-year managerial tenure has best epitomized that preference for stability. At multiple junctures, factions of the fan base have called for his firing — such as after the Dodgers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 2019, or won just one postseason series in the three years after their 2020 title.
But the Dodgers stuck the course with Roberts, who was then hugely influential in guiding the team to last year’s unlikely run to a championship, navigating his way around a rash of pitching injuries.
Now, Roberts is the highest-paid manager in baseball in annual salary, and will be under contract for four more seasons after this year.
A hands-off approach
Other than the money his Guggenheim group has spent, the defining trait of Walter’s ownership of the Dodgers might actually be the hands-off style with which he has run the team.
Walter is typically seen in-person around the club on only a handful of occasions over the course of the regular season. He delegates much of the organization’s day-to-day operations — on the business and baseball fronts — to Kasten, Friedman and their respective lieutenants, including chief marketing officer Lon Rosen and general manager Brandon Gomes.
Roberts framed that approach as a positive on Wednesday.
“I think a good owner in my eyes is a person that lets the people that he hires do their jobs,” Roberts said. “[Walter] does a great job of letting Stan and Andrew and Gomer, all those guys, Lon, do their jobs, right? But also kind of holding us all accountable and also providing resources when we need it.”
Under that system, however, the Dodgers have nonetheless run into occasional controversies — from the signing and suspension of Trevor Bauer in 2021, to the decision to rescind, then reinstate, a Pride Night community award to a trans-rights group amid public backlash in 2023.
Even this past week, the Dodgers came under fire for their delayed response to recent immigration raids that have unsettled the city, though the team was expected to announce plans for assistance to immigrant communities on Thursday.
In each of those situations, Walter refrained from offering any public comments. And generally, he has been reclusive with the media ever since buying the Dodgers, having rarely been made available to reporters to answer questions about the state of the club.
The Dallas Stars re-signed center Matt Duchene to a four-year contract on Thursday.
Duchene's new contract runs through the 2028-29 campaign with an average annual value of $4.5 million. The 34-year-old was a pending UFA after playing the past two seasons with the Stars on one-year, $3-million contracts.
“We are thrilled to have Matt back with our organization,” Stars GM Jim Nill said in a press release. “As our team’s leading scorer last season, he helped to solidify our forward group while also providing invaluable leadership off the ice and in the community. The fit with Matt and our team has been seamless from the start, and we’re looking forward to continuing to pursue our shared goal of bringing a championship to Dallas.”
With this new contract, eight players on the Stars have higher cap hits than Duchene does for next season, but none had more points than his 82 in 82 games in 2024-25. He also ranked third on the team in goals, with 30. Those were his best totals since his career-high 43 goals and 86 points with the Nashville Predators in 2021-22. Duchene's 52 assists this past season, however, set a new high.
While Nill took care of getting Duchene under contract, the Stars now have some difficult decisions to make.
Among the UFAs are longtime captain Jamie Benn and trade deadline acquisition Mikael Granlund.
Benn, 35, finished an eight-year contract worth $9.5 million annually. While he had 78 points in 82 games in 2022-23, his point totals decreased to 60 in 2023-24 and 49 this past season. He also averaged 15:18 of ice time.
In the playoffs, Benn had a goal and two assists for three points in 18 games while logging a minus-11 rating and 13:06 of ice time.
Granlund, 33, had five goals and 10 points in the playoffs while averaging 17:27 of ice time. He also had 21 points in 31 games after the Stars acquired him and Cody Ceci from the San Jose Sharks in February. Dallas sent a first-round pick and third-rounder in the 2025 draft, but the Stars lost to the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 in the Western Conference final.
Granlund had a four-year contract with a $5-million cap hit. Overall, in 2024-25, Granlund had 22 goals and 66 points in 83 games.
The Stars' other pending UFAs are Evgenii Dadonov, Colin Blackwell, Ceci and Brendan Smith. Their RFAs are Mavrik Bourque and Nils Lundkvist.
Three massive contracts kick in for the Stars next season.
Dallas signed starting goaltender Jake Oettinger to an eight-year contract extension with an $8.25-million cap hit last October. At the trade deadline, they re-signed 22-year-old Wyatt Johnston to a five-year deal worth $8.4 million per season.
Also at the trade deadline, the Stars pulled off a blockbuster by acquiring right winger Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes and signing the 28-year-old to an eight-year contract with a $12-million cap hit.
Test captain identifies weakness ahead of India series
He reveals Jofra Archer is pestering him for a Test call
Ben Stokes may have described England’s recent lack of Test action as “a bit odd” but playing just one game in the past six months has given the side space to reconsider their approach before the series against India.
Stokes has won 23 of his 33 games in charge while losing 12 and insisted: “I don’t think it’s arrogant to say that we’ve been good over the last three years.” But with England’s next 10 Tests coming against either India – starting at Headingley on Friday – or Australia they have prepared for potential adversity.
The Edmonton Oilers Should Learn From The Champs And Make Bold MovesThe Edmonton Oilers once again came up short in the Stanley Cup final, falling to the Florida Panthers for the second year in a row.
