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Nationals take SS Eli Willits, son of ex-MLBer Reggie, with No. 1 pick in draft

Nationals take SS Eli Willits, son of ex-MLBer Reggie, with No. 1 pick in draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Washington Nationals selected Oklahoma high school shortstop Eli Willits on Sunday night with the No. 1 pick in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft in a selection seen by some as a surprise.

The 17-year-old Willits is the youngest player ever taken No. 1 overall. He’s the son of ex-big leaguer Reggie Willits, who played six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels and also coached with the New York Yankees.

Willits, from Fort Cobb-Broxton High School, is a switch-hitter who is expected to develop a power swing.

“I feel like I have good hitability and I’m going to take that to the next level,” Willits said when asked about his strengths. “And I feel like my power is up and coming, but I needed to get into an organization like the Nationals that can help develop that and take that to the next level.

The draft came one week after the Nationals fired longtime general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez. The timing of the moves added more uncertainty to a draft that might be one of the most unpredictable in recent years, including the choice of the No. 1 pick.

The Los Angeles Angels added another surprise with the No. 2 pick by selecting UC-Santa Barbara right-hander Tyler Bremner. Seattle followed by taking LSU lefty Kade Anderson.

The Colorado Rockies picked shortstop Ethan Holliday at No. 4, landing the son of longtime Rockies star Matt Holliday. Ethan, from Stillwater, Oklahoma, was a candidate to go first overall, just like brother Jackson Holliday with did with Baltimore in 2022. They would have been the first brothers to be drafted with the first overall pick.

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred was greeted with boos by fans at the draft held at the Roxy Theater at The Battery, adjacent to the Braves’ Truist Park two days before MLB’s All-Star Game. Manfred noted the Braves chose eventual Hall of Famer Chipper Jones with the No. 1 overall pick and said this draft is “a chance for a team to make a franchise-altering selection like the Braves made in 1990.”

The first three rounds were scheduled for Sunday night, with the remainder of the draft to follow on Monday.

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Nationals take SS Eli Willits, son of ex-MLBer Reggie, with No. 1 pick in draft

Nationals take SS Eli Willits, son of ex-MLBer Reggie, with No. 1 pick in draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Washington Nationals selected Oklahoma high school shortstop Eli Willits on Sunday night with the No. 1 pick in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft in a selection seen by some as a surprise.

The 17-year-old Willits is the youngest player ever taken No. 1 overall. He’s the son of ex-big leaguer Reggie Willits, who played six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels and also coached with the New York Yankees.

Willits, from Fort Cobb-Broxton High School, is a switch-hitter who is expected to develop a power swing.

“I feel like I have good hitability and I’m going to take that to the next level,” Willits said when asked about his strengths. “And I feel like my power is up and coming, but I needed to get into an organization like the Nationals that can help develop that and take that to the next level.

The draft came one week after the Nationals fired longtime general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez. The timing of the moves added more uncertainty to a draft that might be one of the most unpredictable in recent years, including the choice of the No. 1 pick.

The Los Angeles Angels added another surprise with the No. 2 pick by selecting UC-Santa Barbara right-hander Tyler Bremner. Seattle followed by taking LSU lefty Kade Anderson.

The Colorado Rockies picked shortstop Ethan Holliday at No. 4, landing the son of longtime Rockies star Matt Holliday. Ethan, from Stillwater, Oklahoma, was a candidate to go first overall, just like brother Jackson Holliday with did with Baltimore in 2022. They would have been the first brothers to be drafted with the first overall pick.

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred was greeted with boos by fans at the draft held at the Roxy Theater at The Battery, adjacent to the Braves’ Truist Park two days before MLB’s All-Star Game. Manfred noted the Braves chose eventual Hall of Famer Chipper Jones with the No. 1 overall pick and said this draft is “a chance for a team to make a franchise-altering selection like the Braves made in 1990.”

The first three rounds were scheduled for Sunday night, with the remainder of the draft to follow on Monday.

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Yankees' Luis Gil impressive in first rehab start, strikes out six in 3.1 innings for Double-A

Yankees starter Luis Gil made his first rehab start on Sunday with Double-A Somerset and had an impressive outing.

The right-hander went 3.1 innings and allowed a run on two hits and a walk while striking out six. He threw 50 pitches (36 strikes) which was his pitch-count.

It was the first time Gil was back on the mound after suffering a right lat strain in spring training which landed him on the 60-day IL to begin the season.

Before New York's rubber game against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, manager Aaron Boone told reporters that the organization definitely wants Gil to have at least a few rehab starts before he returns to the majors, although a final number of pitches thrown for his next start is not yet set.

"It'll probably be a more conservative build," Boone said about Gil.

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The Best Active NHL Players Who Were Never Drafted

The NHL draft took place a couple of weeks ago, and GMs across the league made big decisions by selecting players they believe will help their respective teams in the future.

However, plenty of players don’t get selected and go undrafted, and despite not getting drafted by an NHL team, their hockey career certainly isn’t over. Some pan out to be NHL all-stars, award winners and Stanley Cup champions.

Here’s a short list of some of the best active undrafted players in the NHL today.

Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Florida Panthers

Sergei Bobrovsky is arguably the best, if not one of the best, goaltenders in the NHL right now. He’s coming off a second-straight Stanley Cup victory with the Florida Panthers. Those two Cups put Bobrovsky on a path to potentially get into the Hockey Hall of Fame with him already owning two Vezina Trophies from 2013 and 2017.

After two incredible seasons in the KHL playing for his hometown Novokuznetsk, Bobrovsky signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers in May 2010. 

The Russian netminder was a force right out of the gate. In his NHL debut, he led the Flyers to a win against their state rivals Pittsburgh Penguins. He recorded a .935 save percentage and allowed just two goals in a 3-2 win.

Fast forward 15 years later and Bobrovsky has the most career wins recorded by a Russian goalie in NHL history. In addition, he’s 10th on the all-time list for wins with a chance to climb the list next season in the final year of his contract. Matching last year’s 33 wins would take him up to sixth, surpassing Henrik Lundqvist’s 459 wins. 

Artemi Panarin, LW, New York Rangers

One of the premier offensive talents in the NHL, Artemi Panarin, entered the league as a 24-year-old rookie. He signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks in April 2015 and took off from there.

Panarin is one of the few players to win the Calder Trophy as an undrafted player. He scored 30 goals and 77 points in his first campaign, including a debut goal against the New York Rangers, the team he currently plays for.

Artemi Panarin (Robert Edwards-Imagn Images)

Following two years in Chicago, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he would play another two seasons. After that, he signed a big ticket deal with the Rangers, inking a seven-year, $11.6-million per-season contract on July 1, 2019. 

With that contract, Panarin became the second-highest paid player in the NHL at the time by average annual value, only behind Connor McDavid. The 33-year-old proved his worth, recording four 90-point seasons in his six years in Manhattan, including a 120-point campaign in 2023-24.

Logan Thompson, G, Washington Capitals

Logan Thompson has played in several different leagues and divisions in his journey to becoming an NHL goaltender. 

Starting in the WHL, he played parts of four seasons for the Brandon Wheat Kings, and during those four years, he played 22 games for the Grande Prairie Storm of the AJHL. After his junior hockey career, Thompson played one season for Brock University in U Sports.

Since then, he has played 40 ECHL games and 50 AHL games before he became an NHL regular in 2021-22 with the Vegas Golden Knights. Eventually, he was traded to the Washington Capitals in June 2024.

Last season, Thompson stamped his name on the list of top goaltenders in the NHL. In 43 regular-season appearances, he recorded a 2.49 goals-against average and a .910 SP. 

During that campaign, he registered an incredible streak where he went unbeaten in regulation for 16 straight games. This run came shortly after he wasn’t listed on Canada’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Now, he’s one of the top goalies in the league and is within reach of representing Team Canada at the 2026 Olympics. 

Honorable Mentions

Chris Tanev, D, Toronto Maple Leafs

Neal Pionk, D, Winnipeg Jets

Jonathan Marchessault, C, Nashville Predators

Mats Zuccarello, RW, Minnesota Wild

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Giants' quiet offensive day vs. Dodgers perfectly sums up first-half struggles

Giants' quiet offensive day vs. Dodgers perfectly sums up first-half struggles originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Bob Melvin is generally quick to answer questions, but when he was asked Sunday afternoon to sum up the first half, he paused for four seconds and took a deep breath.

“We’d like to have a few more wins,” Melvin said. “But we put ourselves in a position to have a good second half and get to the postseason.”

If the 2025 MLB postseason started Monday, the Giants would be watching from home. They went 52-45 in the first half, which is better than most expected, but still has them third in the NL West, a half-game behind the San Diego Padres and six behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Giants are currently half a game out of the final NL Wild Card spot. 

Of those 52 wins, there have been some stunners. On this homestand, Patrick Bailey hit a walk-off inside-the-park homer, the ninth walk-off at Oracle Park this season. When Luis Matos shocked the Dodgers with a two-run blast in the ninth Sunday, the Giants were poised for a 10th. 

But the Matos blast was San Francisco’s only notable offensive moment in a 5-2 loss on Sunday that fit in with much of the first half, and especially June and July. The Giants rank 24th in the league in OPS and 21st in runs. Even with Rafael Devers in the fold, this is a lineup that was a disappointment in the first half and didn’t adequately back one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. 

On Sunday, All-Star Robbie Ray allowed two runs over six innings to give the Giants a chance for a series win, but they managed just three hits through eight. After Matos took Tanner Scott deep, they failed to score the automatic runner from second in the 10th and 11th innings. 

There was some bad luck involved — James Outman chased down Devers’ liner to the track in the 10th — but the day was also filled with unproductive at-bats against Yoshinobu Yamamoto and a mediocre Dodgers bullpen. Before the Devers at-bat, Patrick Bailey failed to get a bunt down and then flew out softly to center. Afterward, Willy Adames grounded out to third. 

Adames has been the team’s most dangerous hitter over the past month, but he finished the first half with a .680 OPS. The only Giant who heads into the break with an OPS above .800 is Devers, who did most of that lifting in Boston. He was at .905 before the trade but is at .656 in orange and black.

Matt Chapman had a solid first half and is on pace for a four-win season. Heliot Ramos has slumped in recent weeks, but he should generally be happy, too. His 117 wRC+ puts him right behind Chapman as the only Giants hitters who have been comfortably above league-average. 

Mike Yastrzemski (.723 OPS), Jung Hoo Lee (.720) and Wilmer Flores (.696) all had their moments in the first half, but the overall numbers don’t stand out. Bailey’s flyout in extras gave him a .203 average at the break. Opening Day second baseman Tyler Fitzgerald played his way back to Triple-A, and Matos did so poorly against lefties before Sunday’s blast that a planned platoon of him and Yastrzemski was scrapped. 

Melvin looks at all of those names and sees a solid everyday lineup on paper. He mostly stuck with the same group against the Dodgers, but the Giants managed just eight hits over the final two games of the series. Melvin said afterward that he still has plenty of faith. 

“We’re going to be better offensively. I believe that,” he said. “We have some guys that are coming around a little bit, we have some guys that will come around a little bit more. We have some guys in the middle of the lineup that are going to do more damage. I do think our offense is going to be better in the second half.”

The team’s decision-makers see a group that should benefit from the four days off. Devers has been playing through groin and back tightness and Chapman had just one extra-base hit in eight games after rushing back from a hand injury. Others might simply need a couple of days on the lake to clear their heads, but it’s dangerous to just assume that the second half will bring fresh luck. The Giants were remarkably healthy throughout the first half, with Chapman being the only one of the team’s marquee hitters to miss real time. 

That was an area where the Giants benefitted from plenty of good fortune. In extra innings Sunday, there was nothing but bad luck. 

After the near-miss from Devers, the Dodgers took the lead on a pair of bloops and an infield single. There wasn’t much the Giants could complain about, though. For most of three hours at Oracle Park, they did very little to put themselves in position to win the game. It was the kind of day they have gotten used to, even while generally having a good first half. 

“You pick yourself up,” Melvin said. “And you move on.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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While buzz about LeBron's relationship with Lakers, trade rumors make headlines, action remains distant

LAS VEGAS — LeBron James created quite a buzz when he walked into the Thomas & Mack Center to watch his son Bronny play at Summer League for the Lakers (and Bronny is looking pretty good).

However, despite the vibes fans may get from headlines and social media, LeBron is not generating much buzz in Las Vegas about his potential trade or exit from the Lakers as one might think. It's a topic, but one that often relatively quickly turns to shrugs. That's because the dynamics are understood, and there is no clear endgame. Here's where things stand.

• The Lakers are looking past LeBron now to their Luka Doncic future, but believe they can contend with that duo this season. LeBron understands the Lakers' focus but also understandably may not be happy about it. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst wrote about this recently:

James understood the Lakers taking advantage of an opportunity to pivot to the younger superstar. But from James' perspective, sources said, nuance was sometimes lost during the transition. Doncic had never asked to be a Laker. James, for his part, had chosen L.A., coming in 2018 when the team had missed the playoffs five consecutive seasons, the worst run for the franchise since it moved from Minneapolis. Two years later, James had helped deliver a 17th championship.

[LeBron's agent Rich] Paul also had to formally inform the Lakers that James intended to pick up the final year of his contract after the team did not engage in any substantial discussions about extending him by a year or two, sources said, as they had done twice previously during James' Lakers' tenure.

• LeBron would have to request a trade to make it happen (he has a no-trade clause) and has not done so. What's more, Paul "hasn't even discussed the possibility of wanting a trade in the future" with the Lakers, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said during the broadcast of the Lakers’ Sunday Summer League game. Because he has a no-trade clause, LeBron would have leverage and complete control over any trade process.

• Four teams did reach out to Paul to at least kick the tires on a LeBron trade, McMenamin added.

• The challenge in finding a trade is that LeBron wants to contend and be in a city and with a franchise of his choosing. He could stay in the Western Conference, but then he would still have to beat out Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant and Houston, Nikola Jokić and an improved Denver roster, Anthony Edwards and Minnesota, and the list goes on and on. He could try and force a trade to the East, but the deals to New York or Cleveland or wherever would gut those rosters of depth and make those teams considerably older with a very short window (for example, the Cavaliers Darius Garland for LeBron swap makes them 15 years older and it's debatable how much better, if at all).

What sparked all this was Paul's statement to ESPN's Shams Charania when LeBron exercised his player option for this season.

"LeBron wants to compete for a championship. He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.

"We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what's best for him."

Ultimately, what's best for him this season, where he potentially can contend, may very well be staying with the Lakers. This is a 50-win team that comes together for a full training camp and now has a center in Deandre Ayton, the Lakers are going to be good (if they can get enough stops).

That's not going to stop the headlines, however.

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Start of Sunday's Mets-Royals game delayed due to rain

Sunday's series finale between the Mets and Kansas City Royals will begin in a rain delay.

The new start time is 2:50 p.m.

It's the second game of the series to be delayed due to weather after the series opener began after a lengthy rain delay as well.

Clay Holmes is scheduled to start and Sean Manaea is set to make his season debut out of the bullpen in the final game before the All-Star break.

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Bello tosses gem, Rafaela homers again as Sox win 10th straight

Bello tosses gem, Rafaela homers again as Sox win 10th straight originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox are the hottest team in baseball heading into the MLB All-Star break.

With help from right-hander Brayan Bello, the Red Sox completed a four-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday and extended their win streak to 10. Coming off his first career complete game, Bello gave the Fenway Faithful an encore with just one run allowed over 6.1 innings pitched in Boston’s 4-1 win.

Red Sox fans showed their appreciation for Bello’s recent dominance with a standing ovation as he walked off the mound.

“Like I’ve been saying, we’ve been playing well. And we’re going to go as far as we can if we pitch,” Cora said after the win. “And the kid (Bello), today, that was electric. He’s grown so much in the last three years.”

Bello has looked like a true frontline starter since the calendar flipped to June. Over his last seven outings, the 26-year-old boasts a 2.61 ERA with six quality starts. He enters the break with a career-best 3.14 ERA on the season.

The Red Sox also got a boost Sunday from the scorching Ceddanne Rafaela. The electrifying outfielder, whose walk-off homer secured Boston’s eighth straight win, hit a clutch two-run shot in the sixth inning.

Suddenly, the Red Sox are only 3.5 games back in the American League East standings and in possession of the second wild-card spot. At 53-45, they will enter the All-Star break with as many wins as the New York Yankees.

Veteran closer Aroldis Chapman, who fittingly struck out the side to close out Sunday’s victory, will be the only Red Sox player on the AL All-Star roster for Tuesday’s game. Garrett Crochet and Alex Bregman also received All-Star nods, but neither will suit up for the Midsummer Classic.

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NHL Rumors: 2 Under-The-Radar Penguins Trade Candidates

The Pittsburgh Penguins are the most popular team in the rumor mill right now. It is understandable, as Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Erik Karlsson are currently considered three of the top trade candidates in the league.

While there is a real chance that we could see a few of the Penguins' top players on the move, they also have some under-the-radar trade candidates to keep an eye on. Let's discuss two of them now. 

Blake Lizotte 

Blake Lizotte is entering the final season of his contract and could be a player to watch because of it. There certainly could be some interest in him if he is made available, as he is a solid bottom-six center who chips in a bit offensively, kills penalties, and isn't afraid of the physical side of the game. His reasonable $1.85 million cap hit also adds to his appeal. 

Teams in need of a bottom-six center could call the Penguins about Lizotte, whether that is during this off-season or at the 2026 trade deadline. In 59 games last season with Pittsburgh, the 27-year-old recorded 11 goals, 20 points, 60 hits, and a minus-4 rating. 

Danton Heinen 

Danton Heinen is another Penguins forward entering the final year of his deal who could make sense for Pittsburgh to shop. He had a down 2024-25 season split between the Vancouver Canucks and Penguins, as he recorded nine goals and 29 points in 79 games. However, he notably bounced back a bit after being traded to Pittsburgh, posting 11 points, and a plus-3 rating in 28 games. 

When playing at his best, Heinen is capable of providing solid offensive production to go along with steady two-way play. Just back in 2023-24 with the Boston Bruins, he had 17 goals and 36 points in 74 games. If he bounces back next season and puts up numbers like this, he could be a popular trade chip for Pittsburgh to make available at the deadline. 

Penguins' Low-Risk Move Could Pay Off Big TimePenguins' Low-Risk Move Could Pay Off Big TimeThe Pittsburgh Penguins have brought in multiple new players so far this off-season. This includes forward Anthony Mantha, as the Penguins signed the veteran winger to a one-year contract that carries a $2.5 million cap hit. It also comes with an extra $2 million of potential performance bonuses.

photo credit: © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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Anton Frondell Will Sign With Blackhawks, Play 2025-26 In Sweden

The Chicago Blackhawks selected Swedish Forward Anton Frondell with the third overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. He is immediately one of the top three prospects in the organization, with the ceiling of a top-six NHL center. 

Over the weekend, a report from Swedish media site Expressen said that Frondell would be signing with the Chicago Blackhawks. He won't, however, play in the NHL right away. He will return to Sweden to play for  Djurgårdens of the SHL. 

Djurgårdens has moved up to the highest level of the SHL, so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to anyone that Frondell will return for another year. The Blackhawks have been good about developing players who need it away from the NHL. 

Going up against stiffer SHL competition and a chance to play for Sweden in the World Junior Championships will be great for him. 

Part of this report suggests that Frondell won't attend training camp, but all of that needs to be confirmed by the team. Either way, he will be in a good spot for his first year following the draft as he looks to become a star in the best league in the world. It will take time, but he's taking the wise road. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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Florida Panthers’ Physicality And Talent Produced A Cup. Is It A Trend?

Did the 2024-25 Florida Panthers start a trend en route to their second-straight Stanley Cup?

Time will tell, but the Panthers were an NHL anomaly – a hard-checking team that was both talented and tough, a rare combination for a champion.

Since the days when the Philadelphia Flyers were known as the Broad Street Bullies in the 1970s, few teams have led the league in penalty minutes and won the Stanley Cup.

Going back 50-plus years, there have been only five teams that won the Cup after leading the league in penalty minutes during the regular season.

Those five teams: This year’s Panthers, the 2020-21 Tampa Bay Lightning, the 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks and the Flyers in 1973-74 and 1974-75. The Panthers, who were 10th in the NHL with 21 fights this season, didn’t get into nearly as many scraps as those Flyers teams, but they didplay with an aggressive, hell-bent style.

All five of the aforementioned teams did more than flex their muscles and play with a physical edge. Much more. They all had several standouts to complement their chippy players.

Let’s take a look:

1973-74 Philadelphia Flyers

The physical members of the Broad Street Bullies – Dave (Hammer) Schultz, Bob (Hound) Kelly, Andre (Moose) Dupont and Don (Big Bird) Saleski – received most of the publicity, but the Flyers oozed with talent. Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, Rick MacLeish and Ross Lonsberry each had 30-plus goals, Bernie Parent was the league’s best goalie (1.89 goals-against average, .932 save percentage), and the defense was superb, especially at clearing bodies in front of the net.

The defense was anchored by Barry Ashbee (plus-53), Dupont (plus-34), Jimmy Watson (plus-33), Ed Van Impe (plus-31), Joe Watson (plus-28) and Tom Bladon (plus-25). The Flyers had seven players with more than 100 penalty minutes, led by Schultz (348 minutes) and Dupont (216).

1974-75 Philadelphia Flyers  

The Flyers were in the middle of a span in which they led the league in penalty minutes a staggering 11 straight times. But they also topped the NHL in fewest goals allowed and used the same formula as the previous season to win another Cup.

Brawn, plus talent, equaled sensational results. In addition, the Flyers added hard-shooting right winger Reggie Leach, and he responded with a team-leading 45 goals. Schultz topped the NHL with 472 penalty minutes, and most of the players, like this year’s Panthers, played with an edge and an unparalleled intensity.

2006-07 Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim started the year at +1200 to win the Cup, but they overcame the odds with hard-nosed play, timely scoring, and excellent goaltending and defense. Though the Ducks’ league-leading 1,457 penalty minutes paled in comparison to the Flyers’ total in 1974-75 (1,955), they played with a physical nature that was keyed by Shane O’Brien, George Parros, Travis Moen, Sean O’Donnell, Chris Pronger, Brad May, Shawn Thornton and the Niedermayer brothers, Scott and Rob.

Pronger (plus-27), playing in his first season in Anaheim, anchored the defense, ageless Teemu Selanne scored a team-leading 48 goals, and goalies Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2.26 GAA, .918 SP) and Ilya Bryzgalov (2.47 GAA, .907 SP) were terrific. The Ducks also had a strong penalty kill, which was needed because Anaheim was shorthanded 121 times in 21 playoff games that year, killing 86.8 percent of the infractions.

2020-21 Tampa Bay Lightning

In a regular season shortened to 56 games because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tampa Bay won the Cup after a regular season in which it led the NHL with a modest 597 penalty minutes. Pat Maroon (60 minutes), Barclay Goodrow (52) and Luke Schenn (51) were the penalty leaders for the Bolts, who won the Cup more on scoring and goaltending than their physical play.

Andrei Vasilevskiy (2.21 GAA, .925 SP) was brilliant in net, and five players scored at least 15 goals, led by Brayden Point (23), Steven Stamkos (17) and Yanni Gourde (17). Nikita Kucherov, who missed the regular season after undergoing hip surgery, had a league-best 32 points in 23 playoff games.  In the Finals, the Lightning outscored the Canadiens, 17-8, as they coasted in five games.

2024-25 Florida Panthers

The Sunshine Bullies topped the NHL with 853 penalty minutes in the regular season, then led the league, by far, with 370 penalty minutes in the playoffs. A punishing, physical style was part of the Panthers’ trademark, and the team became even chippier after it acquired Brad Marchand in March, sending Boston a conditional second-round selection in the 2027 draft.

In short, the Panthers were hard to play against. They won board battles, outmuscled opponents for pucks, and flourished with their physical style of play. The Panthers were also second in the NHL in penalty minutes in 2023-24, a year in which they won their first Cup.

A.J. Greer, Sam Bennett and Niko Mikkola were the Cats’ penalty-minute leaders in the regular season, but most of the team played with an edge and gave opponents little time or space on the ice. Sam Reinhart (39 goals, 81 points), Aleksander Barkov (20 goals, 71 points), Matthew Tkachuk (22 goals), Carter Verhaeghe (20 goals) Bennett (25 goals) and Marchand (10 goals in 23 playoff games) led the offense.

The Florida Panthers pose for a photo with the Stanley Cup after winning Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

Meanwhile, the D got strong performances from Gustav Forsling, Dmitry Kulikov, Mikkola, Aaron Ekblad and Nate Schmidt. And, as with all the teams on this list, the goaltending was top-notch. Sergei Bobrovsky, a future Hall of Famer, had a 2.44 GAA and .905 save percentage in the regular season, then was even better in the playoffs (2.20 GAA, .914 SP).

It all added up to another Cup, and it will be interesting to see if other teams try to copy their formula.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

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Athletics select left-handed pitcher Jamie Arnold at No. 11 in 2025 MLB Draft

Athletics select left-handed pitcher Jamie Arnold at No. 11 in 2025 MLB Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Athletics selected a pitcher in the first round for the first time since 2016 in the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday, choosing Florida State left-hander Jamie Arnold at No. 11 overall.

After finding successful position players with 2024 first-round pick Nick Kurtz and 2023 first-rounder Jacob Wilson, the A’s certainly hope they’ve struck gold in Arnold, who completed an excellent sophomore season last spring and finished third among all Division I pitchers in strikeouts.

As a junior this season, Arnold is 8-2 with a 2.98 ERA across 15 starts with 119 strikeouts to 27 walks and a 1.063 WHIP.

Arnold’s MLB.com draft profile describes the 21-year-old as having a “rangy body and a loose, whippy arm,” with a fastball that sits in the 94-95 mph range and an ability to hit 97. His breaking ball forced a 41-percent miss rate in 2024, and he has drawn comparisons to nine-time MLB All-Star Chris Sale.

The last time the A’s drafted a first-round pitcher was in 2016, when they took right-hander Daulton Jefferies at No. 37. They selected left-hander A.J. Puk at No. 6 overall the year before that.

The A’s have one pick remaining in the 2025 draft at No. 48.

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Giants select Tennessee infielder Gavin Kilen with No. 13 pick in 2025 MLB Draft

Giants select Tennessee infielder Gavin Kilen with No. 13 pick in 2025 MLB Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Buster Posey appears to have added an impact bat with his first draft selection as the Giants’ president of baseball operations.

San Francisco selected Tennessee infielder Gavin Kilen with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday afternoon.

Kilen shone at the plate last season, hitting .357 with a 1.112 OPS in 53 games for the Tennessee Volunteers.

After being touted as one of the best high-school hitting prospects in the 2022 class, Kilen’s insistence on attending Louisville University led to him falling all the way till the 13th round, where he was selected by the Boston Red Sox. Kilen never signed with Boston and spent the following two seasons with the Cardinals, spending his freshman year at second base before moving to shortstop as a sophomore.

Kilen then transferred to Tennessee for his junior season, helping lead the Volunteers to an impressive 48-17 record before falling to the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Fayetteville Super Regional.

At 5-foot-11, 187 pounds, Killen is known for his exceptional contact hitting skills, boasting a 60 hit grade on the 20-80 scale, per MLB.com.

While the Giants have the left side of their infield solidifed with Matt Chapman and Willy Adames, there isn’t a standout player blocking Kilen’s path toward securing the second-base job with the big-league club somewhere down the line.

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What we learned as game-tying Luis Matos homer wasted in Giants' loss to Dodgers

What we learned as game-tying Luis Matos homer wasted in Giants' loss to Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Before Sunday’s game, Giants manager Bob Melvin reminded his hitters that there was still a game to be played before their MLB All-Star break. For eight innings, it looked like the group was ready for a vacation, but Luis Matos changed all of that in the ninth.

Matos came off the bench and stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers with a two-run homer off closer Tanner Scott, tying a game that had been a snoozer for the home crowd all afternoon, but it wasn’t enough.

The Matos jolt was the only notable offensive moment in a 5-2 loss that fit in with a lot of the first half. The Giants pitched as well as anyone, but far too often the bats were silent. They went 52-45 in the first half and will head into the break six games behind the Dodgers. 

After the Matos homer, neither team scored the automatic runner in the 10th, which put Spencer Bivens in a hell of a spot. With a runner on second in the 11th, he came in to face Shohei Ohtani and the top of the Dodger lineup. Before Bivens’ warm-up music had even finished playing, the Giants put up four fingers to intentionally walk Ohtani. 

Bivens got two quick outs, but the Dodgers went back on top on Freddie Freeman’s bloop and added a second run on an infield single. Another bloop made it a three-run lead, and possibly gave Bivens the title of having pitched the unluckiest inning of the 2025 MLB season. 

The Giants had just three hits through eight, but Matt Chapman singled with one out in the ninth and Matos jumped on a hanging slider and crushed a 424 foot homer. Matos had just six hits in 48 at-bats against left-handed pitchers this season as he strolled to the plate.

The first-half finale was a matchup of two of the game’s best starters, and both did their part. Robbie Ray had a quality start, but the Giants got absolutely nothing going against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who gave up a grand slam to Casey Schmitt exactly a month ago at Dodger Stadium. 

Yamamoto allowed just three hits and cruised through seven innings. The only real threat came in the seventh, when Jung Hoo Lee hit a two-out double. Yamamoto got some revenge on Schmitt, freezing him with an inning-ending splitter at the top of the zone, but thanks to his bullpen, he didn’t pick up his ninth win of the year. 

The All-Star

Ray made his second All-Star team but won’t pitch because the Giants moved him up to appear in this series instead of Hayden Birdsong. That proved savvy, even if the lineup gave him absolutely no support.

Ray went six innings for the 13th time in the first half, allowing two runs and striking out six. Two of them came in the fourth, when Freeman doubled to get the Dodgers on the board and put two in scoring position with one out. Ray struck out Teoscar Hernandez and Andy Pages to strand the runners. 

Ray finished the first half ranked fourth in the NL in innings (119), just behind teammate Logan Webb, who leads the league at 125 2/3. He’s sixth in ERA and strikeouts. 

The Other All-Star

With the break coming up, Melvin was able to get aggressive with Randy Rodriguez, who will make his first All-Star appearance on Tuesday but otherwise has four days to mostly rest up after a spectacular first half. 

Rodriguez pitched the eighth with the Giants trailing by a couple of runs, and he easily kept it that way. Michael Conforto and Shohei Ohtani flew out, and Rodriguez capped the inning with a strikeout of Mookie Betts on a nasty slider. He finished the first half with a 0.86 ERA. 

Rodriguez has the lowest ERA among MLB pitchers who have thrown at least 35 innings this season. He’s the first Giants reliever to post an ERA under 1.00 through his first 40 appearances of a season. 

Ryan’s Return

The best long-term development this week might have been the reemergence of Ryan Walker. The former closer got a breather on the last road trip to work on some mechanical fixes, and they appear to have changed the trajectory of his season. Walker hit 99.4 mph in Saturday’s game, easily the hardest pitch of his career, and he touched 97 three times in a dominant inning Sunday. 

Walker struck out a pair and got a grounder to first while pitching the seventh and going back-to-back days. His four hardest pitches of the season have come this weekend.

Walker said he was surprised by the extra juice on Saturday, and the Giants were thrilled. They need another reliable late-innings option, and Walker is again looking like the guy who cut through the National League for six months last year. 

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