After 10 years in Tottenham, Son played his final game with the Spurs — a preseason friendly against Newcastle in his native Korea — on Sunday.
‘A super hard day’: Heartbreak for Sarah Gigante as Tour de France Femmes challenge fades
Australian finishes sixth on general classification after tough finale
Long Joux-Plane descent proves Gigante’s undoing on stage 9
Australia’s Sarah Gigante was forced to settle for sixth place in the women’s Tour de France as Pauline Ferrand-Prevot claimed victory for the hosts. Starting the day second in the GC, Gigante (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) lost ground on the Joux-Plane descent and finally finished the stage seventh.
“It was two hours of pain, heartbreak and hope all in one,” she said at the finish.
Continue reading...Jonathan Toews’ Return To United Center Will Be A Highlight Of 2025-26 Season
The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of events to look forward to during their 2025-26 campaign. With it being their centennial season in the NHL, a lot of celebrations are going to take place.
There is one night, however, that has nothing to do with their centennial celebration and should have the United Center crowd excited to the max. That is the night that Jonathan Toews returns to Chicago as a member of another team. On January 19th, 2026, Toews will be there with his Winnipeg Jets.
Toews was a member of the Blackhawks for his entire 15-season NHL career. Most of it was spent as the team captain. They made him the 3rd overall pick in the 2006 NHL Draft, and he became one of their all-time greatest players. Now, it will be interesting to see how he looks late in his career on another team.
Up to this point, Toews has 372 goals, 511 assists, and 883 points to go with three Stanley Cups, a Selke Trophy, and a Conn Smythe Trophy. A trip to the Hall of Fame is more than likely for the former captain.
When Toews announced his return with the Jets, the Blackhawks had this to say:
"The entire Blackhawks organization would like to congratulate Jonathan and welcome him back to the NHL. The work he's done over the past two years to make his return is a testament to his resiliency and determination - the same qualities that our fans fell in love with and continue to define him as a player."
Toews is one of the most decorated players to have come through the city of Chicago as an athlete. His legendary status in town should make for an incredibly special night when he returns.
When Patrick Kane, another Chicago sports legend, made his first return a few years ago, it was one of the most entertaining nights in franchise history. It has paved the way for Toews’s return to be just as fun.
Nights like this should be good for the young players that Chicago currently has, too. It is an insight into what they can become if they help the franchise be a perennial winner.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
Aaron Boone says it's 'gut-check time' for Yankees after suffering sweep to Marlins
The Yankees lost again Sunday as they were swept by the Miami Marlins for the first time in franchise history and now find themselves in third place in the AL East standings with a 60-52 record.
New York has gone 4-6 over their last 10 games and 25-32 since May 29. They're currently 1.5 games back of the Boston Red Sox for second place in the division and 4.5 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for first place. With Aaron Judge's return from the IL expected to happen this week, it's time for the Yanks to snap out of their funk, and manager Aaron Boone knows it.
"Yeah I mean we're going into another tough opponent that's playing well. We got to do it, we got to find a way," Boone told YES Network's Meredith Marakovits after the loss. "Again, we swing the bats really, really good. Obviously the first night. Again, I thought today was better in the at-bat quality, getting shut down by a good pitcher. But we got to put it together more than anything.
"It's getting to be real gut-check time. It's getting late. It's certainly not too late for us. And I am confident that we're going to get it together. But that's all it is right now, it's empty until we start doing it."
Boone still believes this Yankees team can turn things around, but they have to find some consistency.
"I think we got a really good team out there and that gives me confidence," Boone said. "But it's on me, it's on us, it's on all of us to pull it out and pull it out together. I think we have the makings of a very good club, but obviously we haven't shown it consistently enough."
After Saturday's 2-0 loss, Jazz Chisholm Jr.discussed his baserunning mistake and mentioned he felt the team has been "pressing a little bit." Boone said Sunday he agrees they've been pressing at times and that it needs to end if they are going to get hot.
"Maybe at times, different stretches in here," Boone said. "I thought we went through a week defensively where we were pressing a little bit. The thing I'm still excited about, even though this weekend is, we've sured up the area in the pen that was a struggle there for a while. And I feel like that's going to reveal itself here.
"So yeah, when you have a lot of expectations and you feel like you're a good club and you're capable of doing a lot of things, that comes into play sometimes a little bit. But you go to get over that. That's part of being a good team, that's part of being a big leaguer is you got to deal with those kind of things. We have at times I feel like, but we got to go."
The manager said the mood in the locker room post-sweep was as you'd imagine, but they have to "dig out of it" and start finding ways to string wins together. Although, New York's schedule won't get easier as they start a three-game series on the road against the Texas Rangers on Monday before returning home to face the Houston Astros over the weekend.
"Definitely that's not a good feeling," Boone said. "You get beat up, you're coming out to try and salvage and you're behind the eight ball pretty quick. That's part of it. You got to pick yourself up, you got to dig out of it and be able to handle it. It's getting time where we need to start doing it and doing it in a consistent manner. Hopefully we start that tomorrow."
NHL Summer Splash Rankings: No. 15, Colorado Avalanche
We’ve passed the halfway point of The Hockey News’ NHL summer splash series – our rankings of the off-season of every NHL team. In these files, we’re examining each team’s lineup additions, departures, hirings and firings, and judging which teams improved, which teams got worse, and which teams stayed the same. And in this particular file, we’re focused on the team that came in 15th overall in our rankings – the Colorado Avalanche.
The Avalanche made a slew of roster changes last season, and while Colorado did lose their first-round series against Dallas, there’s still many things you have to like about where they are as a team today. Of course, there’s superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, there’s also a goalie tandem that was one of the NHL’s better duos, and the Avs have depth throughout the roster.
As you’ll see below, the Avalanche didn’t make a lot of noise this summer. But the reality is that Colorado GM Chris MacFarland made all the moves he needed to last season. When you deal with a salary cap conundrum by trading an elite winger in Mikko Rantanen for an above-average forward in Martin Necas, you’ve set the table for many more solid seasons.
But before we take a bigger look at the Avs as a team, let’s look at the few additions MacFarland made to his roster.
Additions
Brent Burns (D)
The Breakdown: The Avalanche had one of the deeper defense corps in the league last season, with Makar, Devon Toews, Josh Manson, Samuel Girard and Sam Malinski forming an elite back end. But MacFarland raised the bar for Colorado’s blueliners by signing veteran star and former Carolina Hurricanes D-man Brent Burns to a one-year, $1-million contract.
At 40 years old, Burns is the oldest player in the league. And while his offensive numbers have dropped steadily in recent years, Burns’ snarl and size makes him a valuable, experienced hand. Something tells us Burns had a number of teams vying for him this summer, so getting him at an incredible discount is a huge win for the Avalanche.
So, if you’re saying “that’s it?” to this Avs acquisition, you’re underestimating Burns and the Avs’ all-around depth. But with Burns anchoring Colorado’s third defense pairing, you’re sealing off any real weakness in the Avalanche’s defense. And when you take into account the Avalanche’s depth at forward, it’s clear this is a team that didn’t have to make many additions to still be one of the Western Conference’s very best teams.
Departures
Charlie Coyle (C), Jonathan Drouin (LW), Joel Kiviranta (LW), Ryan Lindgren (D), Erik Johnson (D)
The Breakdown: Yes, the Avs allowed a handful of veteran contributors to leave via free-agency – most notably, center Coyle, who signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, winger Drouin, who signed with the New York Islanders, and defenseman Lindgren, who joined the Seattle Kraken – but you have to look at Colorado’s team through MacFarland’s eyes. And that means looking at a lineup that gets a huge boost with the return to action of captain Gabriel Landeskog, which is like making a major trade with nothing but cap space to pay for it.
Meanwhile, the Avalanche’s few moves have freed up approximately $3.34 million in cap space, and you’d better believe MacFarland is going to use every penny of it as he goes to the trade market at some point this year. If MacFarland’s moves last season are any indication, he’s not a GM afraid to make tough moves and swing for the fences in doing so. If you’re an Avs fan, you have to be happy with his job performance thus far.
The Bottom Line
The Avalanche play in arguably the NHL’s toughest division in the Central Division. With tough teams like the Stars, Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues all around them, the Avs have to be at their best if they hope to secure home-ice advantage as a top-two seed next season.
That said, we’re still feeling very good about Colorado’s chances to do great things next year. MacKinnon is very much a beast still in his prime, and the same goes for Makar. MacFarland may have a cap problem when Necas’ contract expires at the end of the coming season, but we expect MacFarland will deal with it, either at the trade deadline or well before it. Necas’ contract demands may push him out of Colorado’s cap framework, but even then, we’d expect MacFarland will move Necas and get back important parts in return.
Otherwise, this Avalanche team is the perfect example of not needing to make a boatload of trades to be ranked above-average in our summer splash ranks. Colorado did what they needed to do last season, and they’ve now been given the opportunity to settle in as a larger group and press forward past some of the league’s best organizations.
The Avs are slick, speedy and skilled to a depth that’s the envy of many teams. And if and when Colorado does go on another deep playoff run, no one will say they didn’t see it coming.
Summer Splash Rankings
15. Colorado Avalanche
16. Ottawa Senators
17. Boston Bruins
18. Edmonton Oilers
19. Minnesota Wild
20. Seattle Kraken
27. Dallas Stars
28. Calgary Flames
30. Winnipeg Jets
32. Buffalo Sabres
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Sanchez and defense shine as Phillies take series from Tigers
Sanchez and defense shine as Phillies take series from Tigers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Turns out the pitching dual that was supposed to take place on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park was pushed back to Sunday.
While Phillies’ Zack Wheeler and Detroit’s Tarik Skubal combined for 13 innings, no walks and split 20 strikeouts, there were the six earned runs.
Instead, the real mound battle took place Sunday, and Cristopher Sanchez stole the show. A weekend that had a playoff feel in the three games against a Tigers team that is tied for the most wins in the American League, tilted the Phillies way as they took the tiebreaking third game with a 2-0 win.
This type of game was a baseball purists dream with outstanding pitching, phenomenal defense by both teams and timely hitting. All of those factors leaned a little more towards the Phillies as they improved to 63-48 on the year and now own a half-game lead on the Mets for first place in the National League East.
Sanchez rarely found himself in trouble during his eight innings of only 84 pitches. And the rare time that he did, his defense was there to erase it. It was the 10th shoutout win on the season for the Phillies and Sanchez improved to 10-3 while lowering his ERA to 2.40.
“It felt great,” Sanchez said. “I’m coming off a four earned start (at Chicago White Sox). I had months without that happening to me so I needed to change that and did it.”
He did it emphatically. It was obvious very early that Sanchez had his stuff as he threw just 10 pitches in the first inning, nine for strikes and struck out two. In the fourth, after giving up consecutive singles to start the inning, Sanchez struck out Spencer Torkelson before fielding a double play ball.
“It’s just control,” said Rob Thomson of Sanchez’ night. “Command of his fastball, changeup is just a swing and miss pitch. He can throw it at anytime and he throws it for strikes. Because of the velocity people have to gear up for that then all of the sudden this changeup with great arm action and a lot of depth gets him out front and they swing and miss. He’s really come on.
“I’m awfully proud of the work he’s done. He made a couple of really nice defensive plays, too. A couple of years ago that 1-6 throw that he made, might not be accurate. He’s worked on it. He’s the full package now.”
The game was really a full package game for the entire team. They got a run in the second on a Nick Castellanos single, a double by Brandon Marsh then a ground out RBI by Max Kepler. When things got a little dicey in the seventh with a pair of singles to open the seventh, Sanchez coaxed a ground out then was helped by the play of the night from Edmundo Sosa, who fielded a grounder and threw a strike to home to cut down Jahmai Jones for the second out. After a walk loaded the bases, Sanchez forced another groundout to end the inning.
“It was tough because the runner did a really good job getting up the line and blocking my view,” said catcher J.T. Realmuto. “Sosa made a great throw because usually he would want to throw that on the inside, but with where the runner was so far that he couldn’t make a throw inside the line so he threw it on the other side, which briefly I got blocked out of the ball but he put it in the perfect spot. It’s just instinctual on his part because it happened so fast. His instincts were really good on that play.”
Holding that 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the eighth, all thoughts were on an insurance run and Kyle Schwarber provided it by hitting a bomb into Ashburn Ally for his 38th of the season and the final margin of victory.
“Coming in there, going against (Tyler) Holton, a good left handed pitcher,” Schwarber said. “I took the first pitch as a strike, swing and miss at the second one and it’s just trying to put the ball in play, really. Trying to extend it to get to (Bryce Harper). Harp’s been swinging it great and I was just able to stick it out there and got enough of it and it went out. Obviously, insurance is great when you can add any sort of runs there, especially in a close game and you can kind of pad it.”
It’s more than great when you now have the luxury of getting to Jhoan Duran to close things out. He did just that, but not without a terrific play from Harper who leaped to get a high throw from Sosa and got down on the bag for the second out of the inning. Duran closed it out with a 103 MPH fastball on Riley Greene.
“Pretty good,” said Thomson of his closer’s outing. “Not sure I’ve witnessed 103. He was really strong tonight.”
The whole team was. In all areas.
From The Archives: Red Wings' Osgood Wants To Be Osgreat
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Red Wings' Osgood Wants To Be Osgreat - Dec. 6, 1996 - Vol. 50, Issue 13 - Mike Brophy
Don’t be fooled by the boyish good looks or the soft-spoken voice-quite often barely audible, especially when the conversation turns to his ranking among goaltenders in the NHL.
A fire bums inside of Detroit Red Wings’ goalie Chris Osgood. Stoking the flames is his desire to be No. 1. That’s not on his team, because he already is. He wants to be No. 1 in the league.
“I want to win the Stanley Cup more than anything,” said Osgood, 24. “I’ll do anything to win. At the same time, in my mind, I want to be one of the best goalies in the league, if not the very best. Ever since I came into the league, it has been my goal to be the best goalie in the league.”
Osgood won’t reveal how close he feels he is to reaching the summit, although his sterling numbers and continued success suggest it is within sight. Since Osgood joined the Red Wings in 1993-94, only four goalies-Mike Richter of the New York Rangers, Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils, Ed Belfour of the Chicago Blackhawks and Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers—have recorded more wins than Osgood’s 83. And those goalies were clearly No. 1 on their teams, getting the bulk of playing time while Osgood shared the crease with Mike Vernon.
Wins are wonderful. So are personal statistics. But there’s more to ranking goalies than simply considering their numbers. Osgood’s 39 victories (with just six losses and five ties) last season was tops in the league. He tied with Hextall for best goals-against average at 2.17 and tied with Brodeur for seventh-best save percentage at 91.1.
Patrick Roy, on the other hand, tied for 12th in goals-against and 10th in save percentage, but led the Colorado Avalanche to the Cup-his third. For that, Roy remains the king. And Curtis Joseph of the Edmonton Oilers, who didn’t rank in the top 30 in GAA or SP last season, got the nod for Canada’s entry at the World Cup. Osgood wasn’t among the three goalies on the team.
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Osgood hadn’t been around long enough to receive serious consideration for the post. Experience certainly was a key in selecting Bill Ranford of the Boston Bruins and Brodeur as Joseph’s backups.
Playing for a powerhouse such as the Red Wings is both a blessing and a curse for Osgood. Of course he racks up wins, the Red Wings play a strict defensive system that would benefit any goalie. It’s worth noting, though, while the team had difficulty winning this season. Osgood’s own numbers remained impressive. He led the league in GAA at 1.73 and was third in SP at 93.4. And because the Red Wings have not utilized the defense-oriented left wing lock the way they did the previous two years, Osgood has been left to his own devices more often.
“Since he came into the league, the one thing he has done consistently is find a way to win,” said Detroit assistant GM Ken Holland. “For that, he deserves credit.”
But he doesn’t get the elite status afforded Roy, Richter, Brodeur, Dominik Hasek of the Buffalo Sabres and John Vanbies-brouck of the Florida Panthers. There is a glut of challengers. Osgood, Jim Carey of the Washington Capitals and Nikolai Khabibulin of the Phoenix Coyotes are among the up-and-comers.
Osgood needs his team to have a successful playoff to receive the recognition he deserves. That’s going to be tough because anything short of winning the Cup is considered failure in Detroit.
Meanwhile, Osgood continues to work diligently at his craft, concentrating on positional play. A save he made on Colorado’s Joe Sakic last year, diving back into the net, was picked best play of the year. Osgood said if his game were where he wants it to be, it wouldn’t have been a consideration. “I want to be in the right place at the right time,” he said, “and not have to make the flashy save because I was out of position.”
Kraken Prospect Could Follow A Similar Path To Jani Nyman
Seattle Kraken forward Carson Rehkopf is gearing up for his first season of professional hockey in the AHL with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and the 20-year-old could follow a similar path to a fellow Kraken prospect.
Jani Nyman made the jump from professional hockey in Finland to North America, dominating and achieving several milestones, which included a call-up and an extended stint in the NHL. With the Firebirds, the 21-year-old scored 28 goals and 44 points in 58 games, leading the team in goals and ranking second in points. He earned a nod to the All-Star game and was among the best rookies in the AHL.
In his stint in the NHL, Nyman notched three goals and six points in 12 games, proving he was more than ready to play in the NHL.
Part of Nyman's success was attributed to his size and NHL-ready frame. Listed at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Nyman was never pushed around or looked out of place, something Rehkopf could do this year.
Rehkopf has torn the OHL apart in the last two seasons, scoring 42 goals and 86 points in 57 games this past season. The year prior, Rehkopf recorded 52 goals and 95 points in 60 games. The Barrie, Ont. native is ready for his next challenge, and it'll come by way of the AHL.
If Rehkopf hopes to follow in the footsteps of Nyman, it'll start with a strong training camp and pre-season. Nyman was one of the standout performers in the pre-season last year and carried the momentum into the OHL season.
The 6-foot-2, 201-pound left-handed forward also has an NHL-ready frame and play style. Rehkopf uses his speed to force defenders onto their heels in transition. The threat of his shot creates play-making opportunities, and his passing abilities open up space for him to showcase his shot. He also possesses tremendous offensive instincts, which help him find open areas near the front of the net.
The Firebirds enter the 2025-26 season with one of the youngest forward groups in the AHL. Due to the youth of the roster, Rehkopf will have plenty of opportunities to take on a larger role and possibly earn a call-up to the NHL following the trade deadline, like Nyman did.
Trio Of Kraken Prospects Invited To Team Canada's World Junior Summer Showcase RosterThree Seattle Kraken prospects, Berkly Catton, Jake O'Brien and Ollie Josephson, have been invited to Team Canada's World Junior Summer Showcase roster.
Mets' Carlos Mendoza non-committal on Frankie Montas' role moving forward: 'He's got to be better'
Mets starting pitcher Frankie Montas struggled for the second straight outing on Sunday, allowing seven runs over four-plus innings to the San Francisco Giants in what became a 12-4 loss.
The veteran right-hander gave up four runs in the third inning, three coming on a HR from Rafael Devers, and then let up another three runs in the fourth inning. Carlos Mendoza kept Montas in to pitch the fifth, but he walked the leadoff man and that would end his day. Montas has now allowed 12 runs over his last two starts (8.1 IP combined) and his spot in the rotation moving forward is a bit up in the air.
"I mean we just got done with the game here. He's got to be better and he knows that," Mendoza told reporters when asked if Montas' role is up for discussion.
The manager's response doesn't indicate a change is coming immediately, but it's possible the Mets could mix up the rotation if Montas' poor performance continues.
Montas threw 92 pitches over the four-plus innings Sunday, as he was already at 60 pitches through the third inning. He only walked two Giants, but continued to leave balls over the plate and struggled to get anything by them. His ERA is now up to 6.68 on the season and he's allowed four earned runs or more in four of his seven starts.
"He just couldn't get swing-and-misses," Mendoza said. "Pitch selection, location. I mean that pitch to Devers was right down the middle... When you do that to good hitters, they're going to make you pay... Overall, just not getting swing-and-misses, location, and he got hit."
Mendoza added: "Comes down to execution, pitch selection, using his pitches effectively. Whether it's the cutter up and in vs. lefties, the slider, the sinker against righties. The sequencing is got to be better. He's got to be able to execute and he's not doing that right now."
Montas acknowledged it was "a tough day" for him on the mound, but showed confidence in his ability and desire to turn it around.
"Just keep on working to be honest with you," Montas said. "Season's not over. There's a lot of room to improve, definitely working to get better. Something that I was going to say is, they're going to have to kill me out there. I'm a kid trying, I'm a kid trying to make pitches. Just try to keep making people out."
Mendoza went on to say the Mets will "continue to help him with his pitching ability and being able to get through a lineup a few times." Although, it's not clear how much longer the leash will be for Montas, especially after the team opted to improve the bullpen at the trade deadline instead of acquiring a new starting pitcher. If they do decide to move on from Montas, New York could call up top prospects Brandon Sproat or Nolan McLean to take his spot, as both have been having strong seasons in Triple-A.
From The Archive: Nabokov For Kiprusoff
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Nabokov For Kiprusoff - Sept. 7, 2009 - Vol. 63, Iss. 03 – Adam Proteau
THE NHL’S INCREASINGLY RECEDING summer break is just about over. With a couple of notable exceptions – a solution for Dany Heatley in Ottawa and some type of significant move from San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson – teams have remodeled their roster as much as they’re prepared to before the regular season’s first dozen games reveal their strengths and deficiencies.
Some of those teams will be rewarded for their confidence early in the campaign; others will feel significant pushback from the hockey gods and stumble hard out of the gate.
Unfortunately, thanks to the implication of parity brought on by the salary cap era, a bad start for certain franchises (for example, five of the Original Six teams or the rebuilding Islanders) will resonate in a far more negative manner than it would for, say, the Detroit Red Wings.
But if it gets more difficult to make trades each year of the collective bargaining agreement, what caliber of in-season roster reshaping can be done anymore?
It depends what you think of the term “lateral move.”
For instance, let’s say the Calgary Flames and Sharks stink up October with no more than a few wins apiece. Like coach Alain Vigneault in Vancouver and goalie Ray Emery in Philadelphia, neither team can afford a slow start.
Calgary has added a new elite defenseman in Jay Bouwmeester and a new coach in Brent Sutter, while the local hot seat hosts the haunches of Brent’s other brother Darryl, the team’s GM.
The Sharks have underachieved to an extent that cries out for some substantive change, yet we’ve only seen alterations via natural attrition (Jeremy Roenick’s retirement) and unnatural attrition (eg. the non-tendering of qualifying contracts to restricted free agents Marcel Goc, Lukas Kaspar and Tomas Plihal).
Of course, there’s no way either Wilson or Sutter moves Joe Thornton or Dion Phaneuf during such a skid, because they know other GMs can smell blood in the water and would go skimpy on the trade offers.
Which brings us back to the lateral move. Picture a Sharks-Flames deal like this one:
To San Jose from Calgary: A 32-year-old goalie with 204 career regular season wins, 25 playoff wins, a career .912 regular season save percentage and career 2.46 regular season goals-against average;
AN EX-NHL GM SAYS IT’S A POTENTIAL DEAL THAT PASSES THE SMELL TEST
3 AHL Rookies Who Could Be Difference Makers for the San Jose BarracudaThe San Jose Sharks have an abundance of prospects who will be battling for spots in the NHL and the American Hockey League this coming season.
To Calgary from San Jose: A 34-year-old goalie with 249 career regular season wins, 32 playoff wins, a career .911 regular season save percentage and a career 2.38 regular season GAA.
That’s right: Miikka Kiprusoff to San Jose, Evgeni Nabokov to Calgary.
Yeah, Kiprusoff’s contract term (he’s signed at an average of more than $5.8 million per year through 2013-14) differs greatly from Nabokov’s (he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after earning $5.375 million this season), but trading two virtually identical players would be a notable deck-shuffling that minimizes the potential downside associated with moving big-money players.
Besides, the Sharks have all kinds of cap flexibility after this season. More importantly, they’d be repatriating Kiprusoff back into the organization that drafted him in 1995.
The Flames, meanwhile, would have Nabokov in a contract year and cap relief if he didn’t pan out. They’d also be bringing in a familiar face – at least, familiar to Darryl Sutter, who coached Nabokov in San Jose for the first two-and-a-half seasons of the goalie’s career.
According to one former NHL GM (who spoke on condition his name not be used), it’s a potential deal that passes the smell test.
“It does make sense,” the former GM said of a Nabokov-for-Kiprusoff swap. “From the Flames’ perspective, I think they’d love to pass on Kiprusoff and get out of that contract.
“Beyond that, it makes sense age-wise, salary-wise, and you have two (GMs) comfortable enough with one another to make that deal. One of the really interesting things is that Nabokov is one of the very best puckhandling goaltenders in the league. I start to wonder if Brent (Sutter), after having been around Martin Brodeur in New Jersey last year, might think that’s an element they need.”
Regardless of whether the elements come together for that particular trade to become reality, there’s no doubt the bar for NHL blockbusters has been re-set by the league’s newfound financial prudence – and that bar hasn’t been heightened.
It’s as if the league and its teams are doing what everybody else is doing in this uncertain economy: sticking with what they know, keeping risks to a minimum, getting value-for-value as much as possible.
That’s why, for the foreseeable future, lateral moves may be the only ones that get made.
68 Days Until Opening Day: The Sharks' History of Number 68We’re just 68 days away from the San Jose Sharks kicking off their season against the Vegas Golden Knights at the SAP Center.
From The Archive: Michael Misa vs. James Hagens The Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features.
From The Archive: The Joes' Last Stand? The Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features.
From The Archive: Stay-At-Home SharkThe Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features.
White Sox place INF Miguel Vargas on IL with oblique strain
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) The Chicago White Sox placed infielder Miguel Vargas on the 10-day injured list on Sunday because of a left oblique strain.
Vargas, 25, was scratched from Saturday night’s 1-0 victory at the Angels. Vargas, who was acquired from the Dodgers as part of a three-team trade in July 2024, is batting .229 with 13 homers and 44 RBIs in 106 games.
The White Sox also recalled infielder Curtis Mead from Triple-A Charlotte before their series finale against the Angels. Left-hander Bryan Hudson and right-hander Elvis Peguero were claimed off waivers from Milwaukee and assigned to Charlotte.
Mead, 24, came over when the White Sox traded right-hander Adrian Houser to Tampa Bay on Thursday. He hit .226 with three homers and eight RBIs in 49 games with the Rays this year.
Twins score 4 runs in 1st inning, beat Guardians 5-4 to snap 4-game losing streak
CLEVELAND (AP) Trevor Larnach had a two-run in a four-run first inning and the Minnesota Twins beat the Cleveland Guardians 5-4 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis also drove in runs in the first against Joey Cantillo (2-2), who struck out a season-high nine over 5 2/3 innings. Kody Clemens’ bunt single in the eighth plated DaShawn Keirsey Jr. with an insurance run.
The Guardians trailed 5-2 going into the ninth, but Brayan Rocchio’s pinch-hit single off Michael Tonkin scored Nolan Jones and C.J. Kayfus. Erasmo Ramírez entered and retired Daniel Schneemann and José Ramírez in order to close out the win.
Minnesota snapped a four-game losing streak. Kody Funderburk (2-1) tossed two scoreless innings of relief, and Ramírez earned the save in his first big-league appearance since Aug. 30, 2024, with Tampa Bay.
José Ramírez hit a two-run homer in the first and Schneemann had three hits for the second day in a row for Cleveland, which had won four straight. Kayfus doubled for his first hit in the majors, one day after being recalled from Triple-A Columbus.
José Ureña, pitching for his sixth team in three years, started and gave up two runs in four innings for the Twins. Wallner and Clemens had two hits apiece.
Cantillo gave up four straight hits to Austin Martin, Ryan Jeffers, Wallner and Lewis to begin the game. The left-hander had only given up three total hits in the first inning of his other five starts this season.
Ureña became the first player this season to appear in games with four teams, previously pitching for the Mets, Blue Jays and Dodgers.
Twins: Manager Rocco Baldelli has not determined who will start Monday in a bullpen game at Detroit.
Guardians: RHP Slade Cecconi (5-7, 3.77 ERA) opens a three-game series Monday at the New York Mets.
Stowers homers as Marlins beat Yankees 7-3 to earn first sweep of New York in club history
MIAMI (AP) Kyle Stowers hit a three-run homer and the Miami Marlins completed the first sweep of the New York Yankees in franchise history a 7-3 victory on Sunday.
The Marlins (55-55) won all three games against the Yankees (60-52) to reach .500 for the first time since April 15. They became the first major league team to go from 16 or more games under .500 to a .500 record since the Rays in 2014.
Stowers made it 6-1 when he connected on an 0-2 fastball from Brent Headrick, who entered in the fourth with two on after starter Luis Gil (0-1) was lifted 3 1/3 innings into his season debut.
Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, struck out three and surrendered five runs and five hits while issuing four walks in his return from a high-grade lat strain. He threw 77 pitches.
Marlins starter Edward Cabrera (5-5) pitched six innings of two-hit ball with seven strikeouts and one walk. His only blemish came against the first batter he faced. Trent Grisham drove Cabrera's 98.1 mph four-seam fastball to right-center.
Miami rookie Jakob Marsee, who made his major league debut on Friday, was 2-for-4 and finished a single short of the cycle.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. launched a two-run homer off Josh Simpson that pulled New York within 6-3 in the seventh, as “Let's go Yankees!” chants erupted at loanDepot Park. Marsee then ripped an RBI triple to center in the bottom half that stretched the lead to four.
Xavier Edwards had two hits, including an RBI single. Troy Johnston had a run-scoring double.
The Marlins honored former manager Jack McKeon before the game. McKeon, 94, guided Miami to its 2003 World Series win over the Yankees.
Miami is 24-24 against the Yankees, including the postseason, becoming the only franchise the Yankees don’t have a winning record against.
Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara (6-9, 6.36) pitches the opener of a three-game series against the Houston Astros.
Yankees LHP Max Fried (12-4, 2.62) starts the opener of a three-game series at the Texas Rangers.
Blackhawks Surging Forward Is Prime Breakout Candidate
The Chicago Blackhawks have several exciting young players in their system. One of them is undoubtedly Frank Nazar, as the 2022 first-round pick has the tools to emerge as a legitimate top-six forward as he continues to gain more experience at the NHL level.
Nazar certainly showed plenty of promise this past season, as he had success at both the NHL and AHL levels. In 53 games with the Blackhawks on the year, the 21-year-old forward recorded 12 goals, 14 assists, and 26 points. He also thrived while with the Rockford IceHogs, posting 11 goals, 13 assists, and 24 points in 21 games.
Nazar only got better with the Blackhawks as the campaign rolled on, too, as he tapped into his offensive potential in a noticeable way. In his final eight appearances of the season with the Blackhawks, he recorded five goals and nine points. This included ending the year on a three-game goal streak, so he undoubtedly impressed.
Now, after having such a strong finish to his solid rookie season with the Blackhawks, there is no question that Nazar is a big-time breakout candidate heading into 2025-26. The potential for him to emerge as a significant part of the Blackhawks' roster is there, and it would not be shocking in the slightest if we see his offensive production skyrocket next season. It will be fascinating to see what kind of year he has with the Blackhawks from here.
Blackhawks Intriguing Prospect Is Goalie To WatchThe Chicago Blackhawks have plenty of intriguing prospects in their system. One of them is goaltender Drew Commesso, as many feel that the 23-year-old netminder could become a nice part of the Blackhawks' future.
Photo Credit: © Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
Kyle Isbel has go-ahead hit as Royals score 5 in 10th to beat Blue Jays 7-4
TORONTO (AP) Kyle Isbel hit an RBI double in the 10th inning, and the Kansas City Royals rallied to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-4 on Sunday.
Vinnie Pasquantino hit a tying single with two out in the eighth, and Kansas City scored five in the 10th while taking two of three from the AL East-leading Blue Jays.
The Royals are 24-12 in series finales, winning their past nine.
Hunter Harvey (1-0) pitched one inning for the win as Kansas City returned to .500 at 56-56.
Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger cut into Kansas City's lead with RBI singles in the bottom of the 10th, but Toronto (65-48) lost a home series for the first time since losing two of three to the White Sox from June 20-22.
Isbel drove in the winning run with a double down the line against Seranthony Domínguez (2-4).
Jonathan India walked and Bobby Witt Jr. was hit by a pitch before Tyler Tolbert added a two-run single.
Witt scored on a throwing error by catcher Alejandro Kirk, and Maikel Garcia capped the rally with a sacrifice fly.
Blue Jays outfielder Joey Loperfido had two hits, including an RBI single in the fifth.
Isbel’s tiebreaking hit came on the first pitch he saw from Domínguez, a 96 mph fastball.
The Royals are 9-7 in series-deciding games.
Royals: LHP Bailey Falter (7-5, 3.73 ERA) is scheduled to start against Red Sox RHP Brayan Bello (7-5, 3.19 ERA) on Monday.
Blue Jays: LHP Eric Lauer (6-2, 2.68 ERA) is expected to face Colorado RHP Tanner Gordon (2-3, 4.85 ERA) on Monday.