The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the best deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results. Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals and have played less than 40 NHL games.
#39 - Gustav Karlsson – Center (Falu IF - HockeyEttan - SWE)
Karlsson was the second of the Sabres sixth-round picks at the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal, where Buffalo chose three Swedish prospects with their last three picks. The 6’1”, 165 lb. center was selected as a 19-year-old overager out of the Orebro HK juniors after scoring 31 goals in 41 games, but the following season his goal totals dropped to 14.
The 21-year-old has earned a couple of stints totaling 11 games at the SHL level, but has not shown he is ready to play at the top level yet. After another season in juniors, Karlsson was assigned to the third-level pro league (HockeyEttan) and posted five goals for Vimmerby. Last season, he played at the same level for Falu IF, and only showed marginal improvement. According to Elite Prospects, he is slated to play for a third different club in as many years.
Hockey Prospect’s Black Book said in his draft year that Karlsson “doesn’t engage in puck battles hard enough and often goes in with the intent of letting someone else bring the physicality.” His inability to generate offense even at a lower level does not speak well of his future prospect of earning an NHL deal.
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The Mets player development system has taken significant strides over the last couple of years, as evidenced by the trade deadline the team was able to have. To acquire Gregory Soto, Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers and Cedric Mullins, the Mets surrendered 10 prospects, and only one of them would have made the updated top 10 prospects. Quite a few would have made this top 30, but the Mets were able to have an aggressive deadline and still retained all of their top, top prospects.
Naturally, this has made the Mets system shallower than it was, but there are plenty of new names on this list that weren’t on it in the preseason who are having standout seasons. On the other side of the coin, the top of the system is in as good of shape as it has been in recent memory.
All of the top five belong on top 100 lists, and you can make an argument for any of the top three to be ranked as the top prospect in the system. Importantly, I think the top young players are getting close to the big leagues, whether that is this year or next.
Here is my post-draft / trade deadline Mets top 30 prospects list:
1.INF/CF Jett Williams
After missing most of the 2024 season with a wrist injury, Jett has bounced back to look like himself. As of this writing, he is hitting .278 with an .870 OPS with Double-A Binghamton and is the only player in minor league baseball with 25+ doubles, 25+ stolen bases and 10+ home runs.
The well-built 5-foot-6 Williams has above average bat-to-ball skills, plus plate discipline, and average, flashing above average power. He is a plus runner who can make an impact on the basepaths and can handle all three up-the-middle positions. Most evaluators I speak to prefer him at second base to center field, but Jett’s versatility is valuable. He is the type of player you can see being a dynamic top-of-the-order threat.
MLB ETA: 2026
2. RHP Jonah Tong
What more is there to say about Jonah Tong? He has gone from a seventh-round pick with some raw pitch metrics to an ascending prospect to genuinely one of the best pitching prospects in Minor League Baseball. In 92 innings as of this writing, Tong is second among minor league pitchers with at least 90 innings pitched in ERA (1.66). He leads all minor league pitchers in strikeouts with 146, strikeout percentage at 40.6 percent, and is third in WHIP (0.80).
His repertoire features a fastball that will sit 93-95 and touch 97 mph with elite carry on it, generating north of 20 inches of induced vertical break. He has an old-school mid-70s 12-to-6 curve and his new Vulcan change has been an incredible weapon this year. He still is working on finding a consistent tight slider / cutter shape and he will even tell you he needs continued growth with his command. Tong has a chance to be a legitimate No. 2 type of starter.
MLB ETA: 2026
3.OF Carson Benge
The Mets took Benge with the No. 19 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft as a two-way player out of Oklahoma State. He gave up pitching and has focused exclusively on hitting and he has had one of the best first professional seasons from the class. He has quickly emerged as a consensus top 100 prospect in baseball, and I think you will see him inside multiple top 50 lists soon.
Among all minor league players with at least 350 plate appearances, Benge as of this writing is second in OPS (.969) and first in wRC+ (185). Specifically, his bat has really taken off once he left the more difficult environment that was Brooklyn for Binghamton. In 25 Double-A games he is slashing .370/.462/.670 (1.132 OPS) with four doubles, a triple, eight home runs and a 16/14 BB/K ratio.
From a tool standpoint, Benge is considered above average across the board offensively, whether that is the hit tool, power tool or plate discipline. He is a professional hitter with a natural opposite field approach, but he has really shown the ability to turn on the ball at the Double-A level. His swing can be a little long, which leads some scouts to wonder if he will be susceptible to velocity, but that has yet to be an issue in pro ball.
He was mostly a right fielder in college, but the Mets have given him plenty of opportunity to play center field and they have been impressed by his growth in reactions and his reads. He is an average to slightly above average athlete, so it remains to be seen how he will translate in center field long term, but the Mets will continue to have him grow there.
Benge is flying through the system, and I expect him to be knocking on the door of the big leagues at some point in 2026.
MLB ETA: 2026
4. RHP Nolan McLean
McLean has been a model of consistency this year. After allowing only four earned runs in 26.1 Double-A innings, McLean was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse where pitchers often find a big adjustment and he hasn’t missed a beat. In 14 appearances across 77.2 innings with Syracuse he has 3.01 ERA and 83 strikeouts.
McLean will throw five pitches, headlined by his mid-80s sweeper, which is one of the nastiest pitches in minor league baseball that has generated a 30 percent whiff rate at Triple-A. He mixes in two fastball shapes in a sinker and four-seamer that average around 95 mph and will touch 97. He also has a cutter and a curveball that he can really spin but only throws 9 percent of the time. In that sample size he is generating whiffs at a 49 percent clip, so he should throw that pitch even more probably.
There are a few things for McLean to work on, specifically against left-handed hitting, but I think he is close to being big-league ready. I would personally be surprised if you did not see him in Queens in 2025.
MLB ETA: 2025
5. RHP Brandon Sproat
Sproat’s fall on this list is a combination of the excellent seasons that the above prospects have had and some level of inconsistency that Sproat has shown throughout the season. A lot of that can be attributed to his overthinking and trying to outsmart opposing hitters early in the season rather than trusting his stuff.
Since the end of June, Sproat has really turned his season around. In those 33 innings he has a 0.55 ERA with 39 strikeouts and opposing hitters are hitting only .145 with a .430 OPS against him.
He is back to attacking hitters with his fastball that sits in the mid-upper 90s and has touched 100 mph in each of those starts. He also throws a sinker that has helped him generate a 56 percent groundball rate on the season. He mixes in two breaking balls with a sweeper and gyro slider, with a change-up that could be a weapon versus lefties but has some inconsistencies.
Much like McLean, I think Sproat is nearing a big-league opportunity.
MLB ETA: 2025
New York Mets first baseman Ryan Clifford (87) works during a Spring Training workout at Clover Park. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
6. 1B Ryan Clifford
Clifford is still the biggest power threat in the Mets system, around a 60 grade on the 20-80 scouting scale. The 21-year-old has taken a step forward in every statistical category in his second year at the Double-A level. He is slashing .245/.361/.484 (.845 OPS) with 17 doubles, 21 home runs and 70 RBI while trimming his strikeout percentage by over 3 percent from last year. Those 21 home runs are tied for sixth in Minor League Baseball.
While the strikeout rate is still a little higher than you’d like at 26 percent, Clifford has taken strides in being more aggressive earlier in counts than he was in 2024, when at times it seemed like he was simply trying to work counts. In 2025 he is now hunting pitches regardless of count but has good enough plate discipline to take his walks (15 percent walk rate).
Defensively, Clifford will play some right field where he does have a strong throwing arm, but lacks in range that will likely keep him as a first baseman at the next level. I can see a promotion to Triple-A occurring in 2025, putting Clifford on the big-league radar sometime in 2026. He has the chance to be a low average, high on-base percentage middle-of-the-order power bat.
MLB ETA: 2026
7. SS Elian Peña
Peña signed with the Mets in January of 2025 for $5 million, which is the franchise record bonus for an international amateur.
Peña started his professional career in the Dominican Summer League by going 0-26. Not ideal, but in 34 games since then, Peña is hitting .330/.449/.563 (1.012 OPS) with nine doubles, five home runs, 22 RBI with 15 stolen bases while posting a strong 25/18 walk-to-strikeout ratio.
The 17-year-old comes equipped with plus bat-to-ball skills and plus plate discipline. The advanced knowledge of the strike zone showed up in showcases even before turning professional, as well as in batting practice, where he will refuse to swing at pitches that he deems to be a ball as to not make a habit out of swinging at pitches outside the strike zone.
He has good bat speed and projects to have above average power and the chance to be a 25-home run type of bat down the road as he physically matures. Defensively, most project that he will end up at third base long term, but the Mets will start his career at his position of comfort at shortstop.
Peña may have the highest ceiling of any prospect in the Mets system, but he is years away from potentially contributing at the major league level.
MLB ETA: 2029
8. 3B Jacob Reimer
Reimer is a beneficiary of the hitting lab that is in the same space as the pitching lab in Port St. Lucie. Now, there isn’t the same level of tech related to hitting as there is pitching, but the utilization of force plates as well as mechanical analysis helped develop a new stance for Reimer that has led to a breakout 2025.
After missing largely all of 2024 with a torn hamstring, Reimer has bounced back to slash .267/.369/.471 (.840 OPS) with 24 doubles, 12 home runs and 57 RBI split between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton.
Reimer has average bat-to-ball skills, but grades above average in raw power as well as plate discipline. Defensively he has enough arm and good hands at third base, enough so that evaluators believe he could stick there with first base being another option, though that would put extra emphasis on the bat.
Unlike some of the prospects above that have high ceilings, Reimer makes the list here as more of a floor player who could be a future starting third baseman.
MLB ETA: 2027
9. OF A.J. Ewing
Ewing was a fourth-round compensatory pick in the 2023 MLB Draft that the Mets received when Jacob deGrom signed with the Texas Rangers.
He was likely my biggest oversight in my preseason top 30 list, where he just missed, and he has had a massive 2025 season. In 91 games split between Low-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn, Ewing is hitting .318/.421/.433 (.864 OPS) with 18 doubles, eight triples, three home runs and 56 stolen bases.
Ewing is a plus athlete who has transitioned smoothly in center field. Offensively, he thrives with his pitch recognition as well as not swinging and missing (only 70 strikeouts in 91 games). I don’t think home run power will be a big part of his game, though he does have some room to physically mature and shows the ability to pull the ball with authority at times. Where Ewing could thrive is focusing on a gap-to-gap line drive approach and utilizing his wheels.
Ewing is a fun player with room for a little more physical maturation who should start 2026 at the Double-A level as a 21-year-old.
MLB ETA: 2028
10. LHP Jonathan Santucci
Santucci was the Mets’ second-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Duke. He was a former two-way player who became a full-time pitcher for the first time in his last year of college.
After a slow start to his professional career, in 65 innings since May 16, the lefty has posted a 2.08 ERA and batters have hit .175 against him and he’s struck out 77.
Santucci has a clean delivery with two plus pitches with his mid-90s fastball and mid-80s gyro slider. There is some reliever risk as he needs to continue to refine his third pitch and his command, but he is a hard-working kid who Mets people believe will get there.
If he can put the package together, there is no reason this can’t be a future No. 3 or No. 4 type of starter.
MLB ETA: 2027
/ USA TODAY Sports/SNY Treated Image
11. RHP Jack Wenninger
Wenninger has had a breakout 2025 in Double-A with a 2.84 ERA in 101.1 innings with 113 strikeouts. The 113 strikeouts has him tied with McLean for 11th in all of Minor League Baseball. He has had a tick up in velocity, with his fastball now touching 97 mph. His splitter is a swing-and-miss offering and he also mixes in a two-seam fastball, curveball and gyro slider. Profiles like a back-end starter.
MLB ETA: 2027
12. INF Boston Baro
This is a buy-in on the tools. Baro hasn’t had the best season statistically, though over the last 28 days he is hitting .301/.342/.425. He has above average bat-to-ball and pitch recognition skills. He still needs to impact the baseball more, but I think this is a pure hitter. He is a slightly above average athlete who has stolen 24 bases and played second, shortstop and third, with third base likely being his best position to play to his strong throwing arm.
MLB ETA: 2028
13. OF Eli Serrano III
Serrano in a way is the opposite of Baro – he got off to a great start but has struggled more of late. He had an ankle injury that set him back, but he is getting back into the flow of things. He has 17 doubles and seven home runs in 73 games for High-A Brooklyn. He has added good weight and strength to his 6-foot-5 frame that should lead to at least above average power once he leaves the confines of Brooklyn. He also possesses a good plan at the plate. He has played a fair amount of center field and handled himself adequately, but most believe he will profile best in right field where his plus arm will play.
MLB ETA: 2027
14. RHP Will Watson
Watson was the Mets’ seventh round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of USC. He has made strides in his first professional season working with the Mets pitching development program posting a 2.76 ERA in 84.2 innings split between Low-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn while striking out 97. He specifically has been much better at the higher level with a 1.99 ERA for Brooklyn. He has a four-pitch mix, with a fastball that will sit 94-95 and touch 97 mph. He also throws a change-up, gyro slider and cutter. He will need to continue to refine his command, but this has the early signs of another Mets pitching development win.
MLB ETA: 2027
15. OF Nick Morabito
Morabito was the Mets organizational player of the year in 2024 and has continued on his trajectory here in 2025. He is hitting .284/.356/.412 for Double-A Binghamton with 23 doubles, four home runs and 34 stolen bases. Morabito’s calling card is his athleticism, where there is little doubt that he can handle center field at the next level. He has good bat-to-ball skills but needs to improve the quality of contact, though he has begun to pepper gaps more this year. It is possible this is a fourth outfielder profile, but I think Morabito is a future big-leaguer.
MLB ETA: 2027
16. C/1B/OF Chris Suero
The Bronx native is the most versatile player in the Mets system. He has spent considerable time at catcher, first base and left field this year where he is slashing .238/.381/.452 (.833 OPS) with 15 home runs, 59 RBI and 27 stolen bases in 85 games between High-A Brooklyn and recently Double-A Binghamton. There may not be a plus tool in his bag, but he is average across the board with a chance for above average power. His versatility will likely carry him to the big leagues, even if it is in a reserve role where he could almost be a bonus player with his versatility including catching.
MLB ETA: 2027
17. 2B Mitch Voit
Voit was the Mets first pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Michigan, where he had a breakout season for the Wolverines with a 1.140 OPS. The former two-way player began focusing exclusively on hitting in his final year of college, and that will be the path forward with the Mets. Offensively, he has excellent bat speed and in-zone contact rates. His swing is natural at lofting the ball in the air and he posts above average, at times plus exit velocities. He is a good athlete who thrived at second base despite never playing it before this season. I look at him as more of a high-floor player rather than a big ceiling.
MLB ETA: 2027
18. INF Marco Vargas
Vargas was the headlining return of the David Robertson trade back in 2023. At one time he was a top 10 prospect in the system, but missed most of last year with a wrist issue and his 2025 has been just solid. He has above average bat-to-ball and pitch recognition skills but really does not impact the baseball at all. He is a solid athlete who has played around the infield and has stolen 33 bases. He probably projects more as a backup infielder type, if his hit tool carries him through the upper minors.
MLB ETA: 2027
19. RHP Dylan Ross
Ross, a pure reliever, was a 13th round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, but due to a Tommy John revision in 2023, he did not make his professional debut until September of 2024. He has since flown through the system, making it all the way to Triple-A in his first pro season. He has a 2.23 ERA in 36.1 innings with a whopping 61 strikeouts. It is a power arsenal with a fastball that will sit in the upper 90s and touch triple digits. His splitter is a plus offering at 90-91 mph and he has generated a 61 percent whiff rate on that pitch. He also has an upper 80s gyro slider that he’s thrown 30 percent of the time and has generated a 75 percent whiff rate. I wouldn’t rule out a big-league debut in 2025, but given the Mets trade deadline, I will lean 2026.
MLB ETA: 2026
20. INF Trey Snyder
Snyder was the Mets’ fifth round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, where the Mets signed him for an above slot $1,322,500. Although he hasn’t put up much by way of stats this year, the Mets are pleased with his advanced plan at the plate and work ethic. He can stand for further physical maturation to impact the ball more. Defensively he grades out above average, spending the most time at third base this year.
MLB ETA: 2029
21. RHP Ryan Lambert
Lambert, another reliever, was drafted in the eighth round in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma. In 37.1 innings split between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton, Lambert has a 1.93 ERA in 37.1 innings with 60 strikeouts. He has a vintage power reliever repertoire with a fastball that sits 95-97 mph and will touch 100 mph with a power mid-upper 80s slider. I expect him to make his big-league debut in 2026, when he has a chance to be a high leverage reliever.
MLB ETA: 2026
22. RHP Jonathan Pintaro
We saw Pintaro briefly at the big-league level, and we know the story of him being signed out of independent ball just over a year ago. He is converting from starter to reliever but still manages a five-pitch mix with a four-seam fastball up to 97 mph, a cutter, sweeper, change-up and gyro slider. He likely projects best as a multi-inning relief option.
MLB ETA: Already Made It
23. C Yovanny Rodriguez
Rodriguez had a tough pro debut in 2024 after being the Mets top international signing in that period. In his second go in the Dominican Summer League, he is hitting .333 with a .958 OPS. He is a hit over power profile with an advanced knowledge of the strike zone for an 18-year-old. Defensively he has grown as a receiver, but his strength is his plus arm – he has thrown out 33 percent of base runners this year.
MLB ETA: 2030
24. LHP Zach Thornton
Thornton has been out since the end of June with an oblique injury, but prior to that he was having a big year. In 72.2 innings between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton, Thornton posted a 1.98 ERA with 78 strikeouts and a minuscule 11 walks. He won’t blow anyone away with pure stuff, but he is a pitchability left-hander who can control his whole arsenal. He throws both a four- and two-seam fastball in the 91-94 mph range to go with a gyro slider, curveball and change-up. He has the feel of a future back-of-the-rotation type of starter, which would be a big player development win.
MLB ETA: 2026
25. C Daiverson Gutierrez
Gutierrez’s best trait is putting the bat on the ball and avoiding the strikeout. In 72 games with Low-A St. Lucie he has almost as many walks (47) as strikeouts (48). He shows the natural ability to loft the baseball, but he needs to hit it harder more consistently. Defensively, he is an average receiver with above average arm strength, but suboptimal pop times has led to some stolen base issues early in his career. The 19-year-old has a toolbox, but he is still very raw.
MLB ETA: 2029
26. INF Jeremy Rodriguez
Rodriguez was the prospect the Mets acquired from Arizona for Tommy Pham at the 2023 deadline. He got off to a hot start with the Mets organization, but the 2025 season has been a struggle. He still is just 19 and excels at avoiding chase and swinging and missing. He needs some real physical maturation as he does not impact the baseball much at all. He is an average athlete who can handle both second base and shortstop.
MLB ETA: 2028
27. OF Edward Lantigua
Lantigua was the Mets 2024 Dominican Summer League Player of the Year. He is having a strong first season stateside with the Complex League, hitting .288 with a .832 OPS. He has impressed with his plate discipline, with more walks (33) than strikeouts (29). He has above average raw power that is shown more in batting practice. The 18-year-old has plenty of room to physically mature and turn that raw power into game power. He is an above average athlete who plays primarily center field but has dabbled in the corners. It will be interesting to see what happens as he continues to physically mature.
MLB ETA: 2029
28. RHP Peter Kussow
Kussow is the only other 2025 draft pick to crack this list as a fourth round pick out of high school in Wisconsin. The Mets signed him for $897,500, which is second round money. He is a projectable 6-foot-5, 205 pounds with broad shoulders and some natural stuff. He is raw, as is usual for cold weather pitchers, but he has a fastball that will touch 97 mph and a power gyro slider that’ll get into the upper 80s. He has a change-up, but it needs work as he didn’t really need it in high school. He is a name to watch as we head into 2026.
MLB ETA: 2030
29. RHP Douglas Orellana
Orellana converted to a full-time reliever this year, and he has dominated the Double-A level with a 1.64 ERA in 33 innings with 46 strikeouts. He struggled in his first taste of Triple-A, but he should be back there soon. It is an extreme over-the-top delivery with his primary pitch being a mid-upper 80s tight slider/cutter. He also has a four-seam fastball that will sit in the mid-90s and a curveball.
MLB ETA: 2026
30. RHP Jace Hampson
Hampson was the Mets’ 18th round pick out of high school in Washington state in the 2024 draft. He was a two-way player that is fully moving to pitcher now. He showed a natural ability to throw strikes in his first season for the Complex League with only seven walks in 38 innings. He throws both a sinker and four-seam fastball in the 93-94 mph range and shows the natural ability to spin a gyro slider and curveball. The Mets believe there is more in the tank for Hampson, and he is a name to watch in 2026.
Roig will help Raducanu prepare for US Open and beyond
Emma Raducanu has added Rafael Nadal’s former coach Francisco Roig to her team on a full-time basis before this month’s US Open, it is understood.
The 2021 winner at Flushing Meadows has worked with British coach Mark Petchey on an informal basis since March and enjoyed a positive run of results. However, Petchey’s TV commitments meant he was always unable to become Raducanu’s full-time coach and after a trial with Roig following Wimbledon, the 22-year-old will begin work with him in Cincinnati this week. He has agreed a contract until the end of 2025.
Predicting what NHL teams might do at the NHL Draft every year is a tricky bit of business, and you can go at it from one of two angles. You can try and rank things based on where you believe players will be selected in the draft. Or you can also rank things based on the level of impact you believe the player will one day have in the NHL.
There's definitely some degree of overlap in the two projection styles, but it's unbelievably difficult to know for sure if a player who thrives at the pace and competition of the amateur level will be able to do the same against the bigger, stronger, faster pace of the NHL.
As we look back on The Hockey News' 2020 NHL Draft Preview Issue, published right before the greatest draft in Sens history, it sheds some light on just how hard these predictions are.
For example, everybody's number one that year was Alexis Lafreniere, but five years later, no one would rank him in that spot again in a re-draft. THN's 100 projections that year included six future Senators and one that didn't make the top 100 but was still drafted early in the second round.
Tim Stutzle prediction: 3rd overall (picked 3rd overall) Correct
The die isn't fully cast on the 2020 Draft class, but it's getting there, and it's always interesting to look back at how people felt about certain players. Some players proved everyone right, while others proved everyone wrong.
The Hockey News Archive May 11, 2020/vol. 73, issue 06
Prospect Rankings
Games were cancelled, but the show must go on. So we look ahead to a draft featuring elite-level talent and depth. Oh, and watch out for the Germans!
WHILE THE SEASON didn't end the way anyone predicted, scouts and GMs will still have to select their future – and by all accounts, it’s a great draft class.
Alexis Lafreniere went post-to-post as the No. 1-rated prospect, and the Rimouski Oceanic phenom only strengthened his grip on the top spot as the campaign went on. Quinton Byfield is a good bet to go No. 2 thanks to his incredible upside, but what happens next will be fascinating.
Tim Stutzle could become the highest-drafted German since Leon Draisaitl went third in 2014, but don’t count out Lucas Raymond or even Jamie Drysdale. No matter what happens, it’s going to be a celebratory draft for German hockey. Stutzle, J.J. Peterka and Lukas Reichel make up the nation’s best class ever.
In the following pages, you will find our ranking of the top 100 players in the 2020 draft class. The top 62 prospects get full reports, written by senior writers Ryan Kennedy and Ken Campbell, featuring quotes from NHL scouts, while we provide snapshot descriptions of the remaining hopefuls. From Alexis Lafreniere to Alex Laferriere, we’ve got you covered.
This article originally appeared on The Hockey News:
We’re in the thick of The Hockey News’ NHL summer splash series – our rankings of the off-seasons of each NHL team, moving in reverse from the 32nd-place Buffalo Sabres to the No. 1 spot. And today’s team is No. 14 in the series – the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Looking at every team’s lineup additions, departures, and hirings and firings where applicable, we’ve come up with a consensus on where teams are in the moves they’ve made this summer. Some teams have clearly improved, some teams have made a slight improvement or have been radio silent when it comes to trades and signings. And some teams have regressed.
The Penguins are a good example of a team that’s made some extensive changes – particularly, regarding their defense and goaltending – and we’ve judged Pittsburgh to be slightly better than they were at the end of another disappointing season. As we’ll explore below, they’re a team that’s gotten slightly better, but that doesn’t mean you should start planning to see the Pens in the playoffs next year. They changed things up with trades and signings, but we’re not sure they’re even going to be in the mix for post-season hockey.
Additions
Arturs Silvovs (G), Anthony Mantha, LW; Justin Brazeau, RW; Matt Dumba, D; Connor Clifton, D; Parker Wotherspoon, D; Alexander Alexeyev, D
The Breakdown: When you’re fortunate enough to employ superstar Sidney Crosby, star forward Evgeni Malkin, and defensemen Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson, you have fewer needs than many teams. Thus, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas went out and made seven additions to bolster his team, but we don’t expect all six of the above players to be needle-movers for Pittsburgh.
The one big question mark that could propel the Pens into the playoffs is new goalie and former Vancouver Canuck Silovs. The Penguins desperately need better goaltending than they had last year, and if Silovs can provide it, that will be a huge advantage for Pittsburgh.
Meanwhile, Mantha is a reclamation project who has hit the 20-goal mark just once since 2018-19. Brazeau is known for his physical play, but he’s not going to body-check the Penguins into the victory column. Dumba was a salary dump by the Dallas Stars, and Clifton and Wotherspoon were acquired to fill out the last defense pairing.
All of this is to say that, weighed against the players they parted ways with, the Bruins have indeed slightly improved. But there’s still a long road ahead for some of these players, and Pittsburgh’s defense corps in particular was the focus of Dubas & Co. as he worked his way through the off-season. In sum, we’d say this is a “nothing to write home about, but technically speaking, they did improve” team.
Departures
Alex Nedeljkovic (G), Matt Grzelcyk, (D), Conor Timmins, (D), P.O. Joseph (D), Matt Nieto (LW)
The Breakdown: In some ways, this category is a plus for the Penguins. They didn’t move heaven and earth to trade Karlsson – but that may still happen – and after getting rid of five fringe players, they didn’t take too big a hit. The most visible loss is Nedeljkovic, who had some stretches of good play last season, but he didn’t do it consistently.
So, the primary loss for Pittsburgh is Grzelcyk – a decent-enough blueliner who somehow still is without a contract as of early August – and after that, you’re talking about a regular healthy scratch in Timmins, and two players (Joseph and Nieto) who combined to produce six points last year. Six. These players may be strong positive influences in the dressing room, but if we’re talking purely about how they slot in on paper, you can see why the Penguins weren’t notably better, but they still had a better off-season than half of the league.
Indeed, the focus of the Pens should be about the future, and sometimes, doing that means you have to strip things down. Dubas hasn’t bought into that concept at this point, but if the Penguins stall and start to spiral, there will be a strong push to trade veterans Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. And it’s getting close to high time that Dubas makes more substantial moves than he’s done this off-season.
The Bottom Line
The Penguins have missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the past three seasons, and they haven’t won a playoff round in seven years. And that’s with some of the top talent in the world on their team. That’s a stunning reality that should sober up Pens management and get them advocating a push to be out of the Mushy Middle of the league – not good enough for playoff action, and not bad enough to land a top prospect at the beginning of the draft.
So, when we have them relatively in the middle of the pack this summer in these ratings, don’t take it to mean we see the Penguins storming out and securing a playoff berth. They should be viewed with skepticism until they prove themselves worthy of fan and management confidence. And if things go sideways and they’re near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference standings, you better believe there will be a PR nightmare until Dubas shows he’s going ahead fully focused on the future and starts making blockbuster moves.
Otherwise, it all feels like the Penguins are running to stand still. They’ve got too many third-and-fourth-line talent and too many question marks on defense and in net. They were active this summer, but the bottom line is that we don’t see their additions/departures column as having moved them much at all in our summer splash rankings. Yes, they didn’t regress, but a slight progress isn’t much to write home about. And time will tell whether these moves were precursors to blockbuster deals during the year.
Tkachuk finished tied for the team lead in scoring in both the 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has 88 goals and 254 points in 211 regular season games and 69 points in 67 playoff games in three seasons with the Panthers.
Florida have made the Stanley Cup Finals all three years Tkachuk has been on the team.
He is the first Florida Panther to be on the cover since John Vanbiesbrouck in NHL 97. Olli Jokinen appeared on several editions of NHL 2005 is Europe.
Mets right-hander Frankie Montas had another rough outing on Sunday against the San Francisco Giants, with manager Carlos Mendozanon-committal after the game as to whether or not Montas would make his next start.
Speaking on Monday afternoon, Mendoza explained that Montas will indeed pitch on Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers, but his role is still to be determined, as the Mets could potentially opt to use an opener in front of the veteran.
“We’re having those discussions here. He is going to pitch against the Brewers,” Mendoza explained. “So, [Kodai] Senga is going to go Friday after the off day, but because we have an off day in between that series, we could get creative.
"So, maybe an opener in front of him, but as of right now, on Saturday, he’s going to play a part in that game. Depending on how we get through on Friday, we’ll see, but like I said, on Saturday he’s pitching.”
Mendoza spoke with Montas about that decision, saying that Montas will prepare as if he’s making the start, whether or not an opener is used.
“He’s willing to do whatever it takes,” Mendoza said.
After missing the bulk of the first half of the season due to a lat strain suffered in spring training, Montas has struggled since returning to the mound. In seven starts, the veteran has pitched to a 6.68 ERA and a 1.545 WHIP. He’s allowed 4+ earned runs in four of those starts, and is yet to go 6.0 innings in any outing.
With Montas’ issues front and center, there’s been plenty of chatter about whether the Mets should promote one of their top pitching prospects from Triple-A Syracuse, namely Brandon Sproat or Nolan McLean.
Asked on Monday if he’s been watching those two any more closely of late, Mendoza said he’s always keeping an eye on the minor leaguers, though he did note that both players are seemingly ready, or at least very close to being ready, to pitch in the majors.
“I’ve been watching those guys for a long time,” said Mendoza. “Every time they pitch, I read the reports, I watch some of the outings, a couple innings, but nothing changes as far as my routine goes. … I know they’ve been pretty good down there, and that’s all they need to do. Continue to do what they’ve been doing.”
“They continue to put themselves in a position where, like, ‘Alright, we’re going to have that conversation.’ They’re knocking at the door. … We like where they’re at in terms of their development.”
Paul Blackburn Update
Elsewhere on the rotation front, the plan is for Paul Blackburn to make one more rehab outing for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday. After that, the Mets will have a decision to make on how to use the veteran right-hander.
Blackburn has been on the IL since early July with a right shoulder impingement. In his first three outings for Syracuse, Blackburn has allowed four runs on 14 hits with 14 strikeouts to four walks in 16.2 innings
When the basketball gods handed San Antonio the No. 2 pick and the chance to draft highly-touted point guard Dylan Harper, there were questions in other front offices if the Spurs might play hardball in negotiations with De'Aaron Fox and not give him the max that was expected after a mid-season trade for the former All-Star.
No, they paid him the max. The Spurs and Fox agreed to a four-year max contract that could be worth up to $229 million, his agent Rich Paul told ESPN's Shams Charania. (The actual total will likely be closer to $22.4 million, the $229 million figure is based on the salary cap going up 10% next year, while the NBA projects it will rise by 7%.) This is a straight four, with no options for the player or team, and kicks in for the 2026-27 season, keeping Fox under contract until the summer of 2030.
The Spurs traded for Fox at the deadline in a massive three-team deal (which included Zach LaVine to the Kings) after Fox's representatives reportedly told Sacramento management he would not sign an extension with the team. Fox had previously questioned if the Kings were committed to "competing at a high level." San Antonio was Fox's preferred landing spot, giving him the chance to pair up with Victor Wembanyama on a team building a contender.
However, Wembanyama and Fox only played five games together before the French center was out for the season due to blood clots in his shoulder. Fox averaged 19.7 points per game shooting 27.4% on 3-pointers — both numbers well below his career averages — in 17 games before ending his season in March to undergo finger surgery.
San Antonio is a patient organization and coach Mitch Johnson is expected to spend this season figuring out how Fox, Harper and reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle fit together — and especially how they mesh with Victor Wembanyama. The expectation around the league has been that the Spurs will eventually have to move on from at least one of their guard trio, although this Fox contract ends right when Harper's second contract would kick in, so the timing may work out. Fox, especially if his numbers dip, will be challenging to trade on this new contract. Wembanyama can sign an extension after next season, and it would kick in for the 2027-28 season.
So far the trade from Sacramento to San Antonio has worked out as well as Fox wanted. Now he needs to earn that money on the court.
Florida Panthers superstar forward Matthew Tkachuk has been revealed as EA Sports’ NHL 26 cover athlete, becoming the first Panther to grace the cover since John Vanbiesbrouck on NHL 97.
Tkachuk is as popular a hockey player as you’ll find nowadays. The two-time Stanley Cup winner totals 258,000 Instagram followers and 71,900 followers on X, but that’s just the start of his popularity.
Tkachuk dealt with a major injury this season, forcing him to dress in just 52 games. He returned for the start of the post-season but was still nursing the injury. Despite the injury hampering his abilities, Tkachuk poured in eight goals and 23 points in 23 games. Unfortunately for the former sixth overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, the injury issues will carry into the 2025-26 season, as he’s expected to miss several months while rehabbing from corrective surgery after suffering an adductor injury and a hernia.
Tkachuk joins a list consisting of the Hughes brothers, Cale Makar, Trevor Zegras, Sarah Nurse, Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Alex Ovechkin and former Panthers teammate Vladimir Tarasenko as recent players to appear on the cover.
Seattle’s Cal Raleigh — better known by the catchy nickname “Big Dumper” — has lived up to the moniker, dropping baseball into the outfield seats all over the big leagues this season.
Manager Dan Wilson has been in awe of his talents.
“That’s what you get from Cal,” Wilson said. “Night in, night out, blocking balls, calling the game, leading a pitching staff, throwing runners out — that’s what Cal does and he does it very well.”
Oh ... wait a second. Wilson obviously wasn’t taking about Raleigh’s prodigious power — he’s talking about how the 28-year-old handles the most demanding defensive position on the baseball field: Catcher.
Raleigh has smashed 42 homers this season, putting him on pace for 60, with a chance to catch Aaron Judge’s American League record of 62. That would be fun to watch under any circumstance. The fact that the All-Star and Home Run Derby champion is also responsible for guiding the Mariners’ pitching staff on most nights makes it even more impressive.
Seattle is currently in the thick of the American League playoff race with a 60-53 record, and the Mariners are relying on Raleigh’s bat and his brain to try and make the playoffs for just the third time since 2001.
There’s the mental side of the job — meetings, film study, calling pitches — but there’s also the wear and tear of the physical side. The 2024 Gold Glove winner is also squatting, handling the run game, taking painful foul tips off all parts of his body, putting his 6-foot-2, 235-pound frame through the ringer four or five nights a week.
All while hitting those homers.
Catching is demanding and can wear on power hitters
The fact that it took Raleigh a few years in the big leagues to emerge as a true superstar — this is his fourth full season with the Mariners — isn’t surprising. The learning curve for young catchers can be severe and the defensive part of the job takes precedence. There’s a long list of backstops who couldn’t hit a lick yet carved out long MLB careers.
Raleigh is a man of many talents and his power was always evident. He hit 27 homers in 2022, 30 in 2023 and 34 last season. Now he’s on pace for 50 long balls and maybe more. There are only five other players in big league history who have hit at least 40 homers while primarily playing catcher: Salvador Perez, Johnny Bench (twice), Roy Campanella, Todd Hundley and Mike Piazza (twice). Bench, Campanella and Piazza are Hall of Famers.
It’s evidence of a player at the top of his game — and one who has come through plenty of experience.
“I don’t think I’m trying any harder or doing any more than I have in the past,” Raleigh said. “Maybe a little more focused on the right things, and not constantly trying to tweak or change something that I have been in the past. So, I think that’s been the biggest part to the success, and just trying to keep that consistent and steady.”
Wilson was more direct, putting into perspective what Raleigh has accomplished through the first four months of the season.
“It’s pretty staggering,” Wilson said.
Raleigh’s big numbers are part of an offensive surge for MLB catchers: Will Smith, Hunter Goodman, Logan O’Hoppe, Shea Langeliers, Alejandro Kirk, Salvador Perez and William Contreras are among roughly a dozen at the position who are more than holding their own at the plate.
Veteran catcher Carson Kelly is on pace to have his best offensive season in the big leagues at 31, batting .272 with 13 homers and 36 RBIs for the Chicago Cubs. He’s been in the big leagues for 10 years and said the balance between offense and defense is tough for young players.
“It’s almost like you’re drinking from a firehose with how much information you have,” Kelly said. “And I think, as you see catchers, as the years go on, you get smarter.
“You get smarter in your routines. and you’re able to focus on the little details,” he continued. “When you get called up as a young guy, there’s so much going on. And as the years go by and as the days go by, you get more comfortable. ‘OK, I know this, I know that, how do I really funnel this down into a couple points?’
“I think that’s, you know, when you see catchers kind of take off.”
Some adjustments are helping catchers stay fresh
One major factor for the increased offensive production for catchers could be the one-knee down defensive stance that’s been adopted by nearly every MLB catcher over the past five years.
The argument for the stance is its helpful for defensive reasons, including framing pitches on the corners.
But there’s also the added benefit that it’s a little easier on the knees than squatting a couple hundred times per game.
“A hundred percent,” said Goodman, the Rockies primary catcher who is hitting .279 with 20 homers. “You think about back in the day when everybody was squatting … being in a squat for that long can be can be hard on your legs. Getting on a knee gives your legs a little bit of rest for sure.”
Statistical trends suggest he has a point. Catchers have accounted for 12.2% of all MLB homers this season, making a slow climb from 10% in 2018.
Raleigh’s been the best of the bunch and fans — along with his catching peers — are noticing.
“It just seems like on both sides of the ball, when he’s behind the plate he’s really focused on his pitchers and calling a good game and all the things that a catching position entails, and then when he comes up to the plate, he can do damage,” Kelly said.
Hockey Betting Is Growing Rapidly - Nov. 2 1990 - Vol. 44, Issue 07 - Stan Fischler
Though the NHL may officially object, hockey betting continues to grow. Evidence is abundant in the continent’s betting capital, Las Vegas, where casinos now regularly post NHL odds. And the second annual, 250-page book, Betting Hockey 90-91, has been published by the city’s foremost ice oddsmaker, Bobby Bryde. Bryde lists the Flames as 3-1 favorites to win the Stanley Cup, followed by Boston and Edmonton at 5-1. Quebec is the longshot at 100-1. Kirk Brooks, director of Vegas’ Imperial Palace sports book, also lists the Flames at 3-1 and Edmonton at 5-1. But Brooks places Boston and Buffalo in a tie for the next spot at 7-1 and Quebec at 200-1…Flyers’ leader Rick Tocchet is one of many NHLers who are concerned about a walkout next season. “We don’t want a strike,” says Tocchet. “Nobody wants a strike but we have to use the word ‘prepare.’
Right now we have things we’re looking at but this much is certain; it’s going to be an interesting summer for (NHLPA director) Bob Goodenow.”…The Flyers are understandably worried about Ron Hextall suffering yet another groin injury and the effect it may have on his future. “I felt good coming into camp this year,” the goalie insists. “I worked out all summer with Pat Croce (Flyers’ physical therapist) and didn’t even consider injuries-.”…Washington’s substantial early game attendance at home indicates that the blemish of last spring’s ‘sexpose’ has been effectively neutralized. Insiders say a summer-long advertising campaign by marketing head Lew Strudler saved the club from an image disaster.
RISKY BUSINESS
The latest issue of Financial World magazine describes the NHL’s 1990s expansion plans as “a risky strategy that could backfire on president John Ziegler.” FW asserts that what makes “the NHL’s scheme truly agamble”, is the $50 million franchise price. “How do you justify investing $50 million, when each club’s media revenues are so small,” asks Mike Megna of Minneapolis-based American Appraisals. “It’s unrealistic. Hockey isn’t like other sports that have a network TV contract. It is primarily a local market revenue generator.
Ranger fans will be shocked on Nov. 7 when arch-foe Denis Potvin strides to center ice before the Sabres game for a Rangers’ presentation. The hook is that Potvin has become frontman for the Alka-Seltzer plus-minus award (formerly the Emery Edge) and gives the prizes in arenas across the league. Crowd control that night might be a problem, but Madison Square Garden’ has embarked on a program to curb the negative behavior of rowdy fans. During the summer, MSG enforced its policy by cancelling the subscriptions of 25 Ranger season ticket-holders. “We’re drawing the line in the use of language that is no longer acceptable,” says MSG’s communications director Bobby Goldwater. But based on early games this season, there has been no significant change for the better.
The feeling among many Penguins is that Mario Lemieux will not be available until the New Year, at the earliest. The sombre air in the Penguins’ organization is echoed by teammates who say, all we can do now is hope and pray. Speculation is Pittsburgh management is looking to the future without Mario in its plans…One of the better comeback stories belongs to Brennan Maley, who signed a one-year contract with Tom McVie’s AHL club (Utica) after being out of competitive hockey for four years.
Kid brother of New Jersey’s David Maley, Brennan spent four years at Omaha’s Creighton University where he pitched for the varsity baseball team and tied a record for most appearances with 24. “I feel like I have a new lease on life,” says Brennan. “I know I’m a longshot but I always wondered if I could play hockey at this level…Scouting for the Edmonton Oilers, Hall of Fame defenseman Harry Howell says the difference between contemporary back-liners and his ilk is that “today’s defensemen feel they have to be offensive. In my day it was defense first. Goals were a bonus. But that all changed with the advent of Bobby Orr of the Bruins.” So, who are 1990-91’s best defensive defensemen in Howell’s mind? “Kevin Lowe, Rod Langway, Mike Ramsey, Brad Marsh and Scott Stevens. Ramsey is the best of them all. Marsh isn’t pretty but he’s very effective and knows how to get in the way.”
ON THE MOVE?
North Stars’ defenseman Peter Taglianetti is one Minnesotan who’s not anxious to move to San Jose next season. “I thought I was secure in Winnipeg,” says Taglianetti. “But I moved to Bloomington and got settled. Maybe the weather is nicer in California but I wonder about the hockey atmosphere. Most of the players on the North Stars feel the club was mismanaged before and they’re wondering if it’s going to happen again.”
Teammate Dave Gagner says he’s not concerned about moving to California. “What’s more on our mind is the low turnout of fans in Minnesota,” says Gagner. “It’s very disappointing but I don’t know one guy on the team who doesn’t like being in the Twin Cities. When I played for the Rangers, everyone left New York for the summer. In Minnesota, the players all stay.”
…Mats Sundin has been winning raves since becoming a Nordique, but the best statement comes from Whalers’ defenseman Ulf Samuelsson who says, “He reminds me a lot of Lemieux.”
