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Saturday's game between the Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates was stopped in the top of the second inning due to a rain delay.
Before the pause, New York had runners on first and second with two outs and Mark Vientos about to step up to the plate, already up 1-0 after scoring a run off Bailey Falter in the first inning.
The game is set to resume at around 6 p.m.
The Yankees will lose their share of games during a long baseball season, but the way they lose games can magnify some of the struggles a team can have.
And right now, the Yankees' inconsistent offense reared its head in Saturday's 7-0 loss to the last place Athletics.
Entering Saturday's game, the Athletics had the second-worst ERA in all of baseball (5.42) in addition to the second-highest batting average against (.267). Those numbers didn't matter as the Yankees could only muster three hits (all singles) and through the first two games of this weekend series, have only put up three runs.
After the game, the prevailing question raised to the players and manager Aaron Boone was, what's going on with the offense?
"Yeah, just little inconsistent, going through it a little bit right now," DJ LeMahieu, who had the team's final hit, said. "But, obviously, we have all the confidence in the world in our lineup. Just haven't gotten hot at the same time... a couple guys doing their thing, but collectively, I don’t think it's enough."
"It's just baseball. We just haven't performed our best the last couple weeks, but there's going to be ups and downs, and I think the point is just to keep going," Paul Goldschmidt, who had one of the Yankees' three hits, said after the game. "Keep making the adjustments that are needed individually and as a group and have good at-bats, that we're a very capable team. Just take it every day out there. Try to win as many games as possible."
Boone said the team was "held down" by Athletics starter JP Sears, who historically hasn't pitched well against the Yankees but has shut them down this season. In two starts against New York this year, Sears has allowed just one run across 10.2 innings pitched.
What made him effective on Saturday was the change of speeds and executing his spots to both lefties and righties. But going back to his lineup, Boone understands they've been inconsistent, but he believes there've been more good games than bad of late.
However, he feels the offense has gone away from taxing the pitchers like when they are hitting well but Boone thinks it's only a matter of time.
"Last two days, been shut down a little bit more than we'd like, but you got to get a couple guys going, and in times like this, it always comes down to getting a big hit with runners out there," Boone said. "We're doing an okay job of creating some traffic, even though we haven't gotten a lot of hits the last two days. But I feel like, over the last week, 10 days, we've had our opportunities. We got to cash them in...It comes down to you gotta cash in when you get opportunities when you're going through a little bit."
On Saturday, the Yankees went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left six runners on base. Aaron Judge was the main culprit in that stat, stranding two runners in the third inning and another in the sixth. Over his last 15 games, Judge is hitting .182 with three homers and striking out 24 times.
Boone attributes this rough patch for Judge to baseball, but was encouraged by two hard-hit balls that were outs -- including a 406-foot flyball that would have been a home run in 20 parks.
But the Yankee captain isn't the only one struggling. Goldschmidt has tapered off from his hot start to the season. Over his last 30 games, the former NL MVP is slashing just .198/.267/.321 and the Yankee first baseman acknowledged he isn't helping the team as they go through this tough month of June.
"I feel good. I feel fine, but you know, I haven't played well for the last few weeks, maybe even this whole month," he said. "So, again, that's part of the game and working to see if there's, you know, adjustments to be made and trying to show up every day and perform.
"But that's hurt our team, the way I've played this month, and, again, just show up and be ready to go tomorrow and every day. Just try to help us win."
In June, the Yankees are 12-14, but they remain confident their offense will come alive again because, as LeMahieu said, they've shown who they can be already this season.
"I just saw it the first two months. And it's a long season," he said. "I hate saying that, but you want to win every game, but I know we'll be fine. We just gotta keep going, keep getting better."
The Yankees will host the Athletics for the rubber game of their series on Sunday.
The Vegas Golden Knights wrapped up their 2025 NHL Draft in Round 6 by selecting Alexander Weiermair and Gustav Sjoqvist.
With the 186th pick, Alexander Weiermair was selected from the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League.
The Golden Knights have selected Alexander Weiermair with the 186th overall pick! #VegasBornpic.twitter.com/Q7CJUNMQ8S
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 28, 2025
Weiermair, 20, is a right-shot center known for his success in transition. He provides smooth delivery through the neutral zone with crossovers, drives to the net, and an ability to cut back when good defenders close in, yet cuts inside on poorly gapped ones.
He takes initiative to start give-and-gos and is not afraid to make contact with his opponents, enabling him to consistently find space across the ice.
With the 187th pick, Gustav Sjoqvist was selected from the AIK from the HockeyAllsvenskan League.
Vegas selects Gustav Sjoqvist with the 187th pick! #VegasBornpic.twitter.com/5darCVd4gi
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 28, 2025
Sjoqvist, 19, brings his strong defensive skills to the table. His 6-foot-3 frame and weight of over 200 pounds give him a distinct advantage, making him an aggressive and calculated heavy hitter.
Known to be a heavy shooter, Sjoqvist scored 11 goals in 31 games in his final AIK Jr. season. In his time with AIK he gained experience at the professional level in Sweden's second-tier league and contributed modestly while maintaining a positive plus/minus.
✂️ Gustav Sjoqvist Tingsryd vs. AIK 2/215 seconds · Clipped by Malia Poblete · Original video "Tingsryd vs. AIK | Highlights 2/2" by HockeyAllsvenskanWith these two selections, the Golden Knights have officially concluded their 2025 NHL Draft class.
We are excited to welcome our four newest prospects to the organization! #VegasBornhttps://t.co/Kwry8uw5XN
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 28, 2025
ST. LOUIS -- It was a very limited draft weekend for the St. Louis Blues, the fewest selections they've had in a draft since 1968 when they had two.
The Blues were without their second- and third-round picks this season following the compensation to the Edmonton Oilers for offer sheet signings of Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway last year, a trade of their fourth-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Alexandre Texier and trade with the Detroit Red Wings in 2023 for the acquisition of Jakub Vrana.
The Blues concluded the 2025 NHL Draft with just three selections, finishing off the day on Saturday with picks in the fifth and sixth rounds in the draft in Los Angeles, selecting Russian right wing Mikhail Fyodorov with the 19th pick (147th overall) in the fifth round, and selecting a goalie for the first time since 2019, grabbing Love Harenstam with the 19th pick (179th overall) in the sixth round.
The Blues selected right win Justin Carbonneau with the 19th overall pick on Friday night.
"Very excited, players that we've done the due diligence on them, had them placed on our list in an area that we were excited about," said Blues director of amateur scouting Tony Feltrin. "Obviously Justin Carbonneau at the position that we got him at 19. Very pleased with that selection, along with our fifth- and sixth-round selections, players that we coveted.
"[Carbonneau] was a player in the grouping that the excitement level was still going to be there if that transpired. The goal-scoring ability, the passion that he plays with, the will to score, he'll run over the top of players to take it to the net. He can score from distance with a tremendous shot, good hands, strong compete, lots of things to like."
Fyodorov, 18, is small in stature at 5-foot-11, 152 pounds but had 43 points (17 goals, 26 assists) in 46 games last season for Magnitogorsk Stalnye Lisy of the Russian MHL League last season who will attend development camp starting Monday.
"Skilled player, very good edges, nifty, quick puck skills," Feltrin said. "There's some offensive ability there. He can really snap a puck. Not the biggest body. The physical maturity will come. We did lots of video on him. We have a Russian-based scout that saw him a number of times. We just saw him at a recent agency camp in Florida. Skilled player."
Harenstam, 18, is 6-2, 196 and toiled in the J20 Nationell for Skelleftea AIK J20s last season, along with Lulea J20 and was 10-9-0 with a 3.31 goals-against average and .895 save percentage for Skelleftea AIK J20s; he will not be here for the development camp.
He is the first goalie drafted since the Blues took Will Cranley in the sixth round in 2020.
With the help of former Blues goalie Brian Elliott, who's in the organization as the goaltending scout and development coach, this was a player the Blues felt was worth the selection.
"A player that warrants the selection where he was," Feltrin said of Harenstam. "Love was the No. 1 goaltender of the Swedish U18 team. He's got a bright future, he's got athleticism and has produced.
"That's a trait of the ultimate compete. Nobody's every going to score on the attitude for sure.
"Brian's in a league with (Blues goalie coach) David Alexander and the staff that have the greater knowledge on the goaltender front. We consider ourselves somewhat layman in our goaltender evaluations, especially when he hear the terminology that they utilize where we'll see. Love stops the puck and we recognize that."
Development camp begins Monday and runs through Thursday from noon-1:15 p.m. at Centene Community Ice Center and is free and open to the public.
After a victorious first round at the 2025 NHL Draft, the New York Islanders had six picks on Day 2.
It started off with a bang -- figuratively and literally -- with the Islanders selecting punishing forward Daniil Prokhorov with the 42nd overall pick.
Islanders Select Hard-Hitting Forward Daniil Prokhorov With Their Second-Round SelectionAfter a successful first day at the 2025 NHL Draft, the New York Islanders used the 42nd overall pick to select forward Daniil Prokhorov of the MHL.
Here are the rest of the picks:
Luca Romano, C
With the 74th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Islanders selected center Luca Romano out of the OHL.
With the Kitchener Rangers, Romano tallied 25 goals with 26 assists for 51 points in 67 games.
Romano excels in transition and creates pace for his line. The center is on the smaller end at 5’11” and 176 pounds, but he makes up for his stature with a high compete level and strong skating.
As the engine of Kitchener’s offense, Romano is a workhorse who eats minutes and produces at a decent clip. The Toronto native still needs to develop his faceoff ability to stick as a center in the NHL, but his game is relatively well-rounded.
Tomas Poletin, LW
The Islanders followed their Romano pick by selecting Czech winger Tomas Poletin 106th overall out of the Finnish Liiga.
Poletin scored a combined 13 goals with 10 assists for 23 points in 26 games with the Pelicans U18 and U20 teams. The left winger also appeared in 15 games with the Pelicans’ Liiga team, but he received limited ice time and didn’t appear on the scoresheet.
Poletin is a rugged power forward who puts in “extreme effort” for every shift, according to EliteProspects. Making his living off puck battles and the forecheck, Poletin utilizes his heavy 6’1” and 205-pound frame to dominate defenders.
Poletin was also Czechia’s captain at the U18 World Championships, chipping in 15 goals in 29 games across two tournaments.
Sam Laurilia, LHD
With their 5th round pick at 138th overall, the Islanders then selected defenseman Sam Laurila out of the USHL.
Laurila tallied 8 goals with 33 assists for 41 points in 57 games with the Fargo Force. The Minnesota native’s point total was tied for 4th in the USHL among defensemen.
Laurila is an opportunistic two-way player whose offense took a big step once leaving the U.S. NTDP. The left-shot defenseman shines in transition, creates dangerous give-and-gos, and doesn’t shy away from contact.
As a slight overager, Laurila was passed on at last year’s draft.
Burke Hood, G
At 170th overall, the Islanders added goaltender Burke Hood of the WHL.
Hood posted a 3.13 GAA and a .910 SV% in 42 games with the Vancouver Giants. In his first WHL season, the goalie earned a respectable 19-13-6 record.
Standing at 6’3” and 192 pounds, Hood controls the crease with his size and athleticism. Hood tracks the puck well through traffic and isn’t afraid of contact with opposing forwards.
Hood also has above-average lateral agility, positioning, and composure—his game contains few holes.
Jacob Kvasnicka, RW
To finalize their 2025 NHL Draft, New York selected winger Jacob Kvasnicka from the U.S. NTDP with the 202nd overall pick.
Kvasnicka scored 18 goals with 21 assists for 39 points in 66 games with the NTDP, as well as 5 goals with 9 assists for 14 points in 27 games within the USHL.
Kvasnicka’s greatest strength is arguably his speed, which he utilizes to make zone entries and provide offense. The right-shot forward isn’t an elite creator, but he also kills penalties and forechecks well.
Kai Russell wrote this story.
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The Vancouver Canucks have selected right winger Gabriel Chiarot with the 175th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Vancouver has already selected center Braeden Cootes of the Seattle Thunderbirds, goaltender Alexei Medvedev of the London Knights, center Kieren Dervin of the Kingston Frontenacs and center Wilson Björck of Djurgårdens IF J20, making the Canadian winger their fifth selection of the draft. Chiarot has spent his entire career in the OHL, playing last season with the Brampton Steelheads.
Chiarot had a productive season in 2024-25. He scored 21 goals while adding 35 points in 66 games. Chiarot also has experience playing with another Canucks prospect as he was teammates with Vilmer Alriksson this season.
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Listed at 5'11", 191 lbs, Chiarot is a scrappy player who loves to throw hits. He thrives in front of the net and is not afraid to battle defenders who are bigger than him. Chiarot is projected to return to the OHL next season.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.
ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild could be without its top defenseman for the start of the 2025-26 season.
Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin announced on Saturday that defenseman Jonas Brodin received surgery on an upper-body injury a few weeks ago.
Brodin, 31, finished the season healthy and competed in the IIHF Men's World Championships with Team Sweden. After that, along with some offseason training, Brodin had to get a surgery done on his upper-body.
Guerin said he thinks that Brodin could miss some time to start the season. Whether that be training camp or games will be unseen.
The Wild traded defenseman Declan Chisholm on Saturday to the Washington Capitals to move up in the Draft. This, along with Brodin's injury, now opens a spot for Carson Lambos to make a push for the team.
Lambos, 22, was the Wild's 26th overall pick from the 2021 NHL Draft. He has spent the last two years in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Iowa Wild.
In 68 games during the 2024-25 season, Lambos recorded five goals and 19 points. He took on a huge role for Iowa and received a lot of ice time. He even earned an NHL call-up but did not play.
Minnesota Wild Trade Defenseman Declan Chisholm To Washington The Minnesota Wild announced on Saturday a trade with the Washington Capitals. The Wild have traded defenseman Declan Chisholm to the Capitals along with the 180th pick in the 2025 NHL Draft for defenseman Chase Priskie and the 123rd pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Minnesota Wild Select Defenseman Theodor Hallquisth At Pick No. 52 In 2025 NHL DraftAfter a quiet first day for the Minnesota Wild with no picks in the first round, the Wild have made their first pick from the 2025 NHL Draft. With pick No. 52, the Wild selected defenseman Theodor Hallquisth from Orebro of the Swedish Junior League.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have selected defenseman Brady Peddle with the 91st overall pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
Welcome to Pittsburgh, Brady Peddle! 🐧 pic.twitter.com/z9U90Kd21h
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) June 28, 2025
Peddle, 18, just completed his first season in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Waterloo Black Hawks. In 62 regular-season games with the USHL club, he posted three goals, seven assists, 10 points, and a plus-12 rating.
However, what's very encouraging about Peddle is that his play improved big time during the playoffs with Waterloo. In 15 playoff games this year with the USHL squad, he posted one goal, nine assists, and 10 points.
With the Penguins needing help on the left side of their defense, it is understandable that they are taking a chance on Peddle. The 6-foot-3 blueliner is not afraid of the physical side of the game and is also smart with the puck. Thus, this has the potential to be a solid pick for the Penguins.
Family Reunion In Order As Penguins Select Brother Of Forward ProspectThere appears to be a family reunion on the horizon for a pair of Pittsburgh Penguins prospects.
Photo Credit: © Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Nashville Predators wrapped up the 2025 NHL Draft with the 163rd pick in the sixth round, selecting Finnish defenseman Daniel Nieminen.
Nieminen scored 11 points with the Pelicans in his first season in the Finnish Elite League. He also played in the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, scoring two points in seven games.
The 6-foot, 187-pound defenseman, with a left shot, is expected to play with the Pelicans next season and will stay there for a few years before coming to North America.
The next season in the Finnish Elite League will be crucial for the Predators to gauge how good Nieminen can be.
The Predators had the 182nd overall pick as their final pick of the draft, but traded it to the Utah Mammoth for a 2026 sixth-round pick.
🚨 Daniel Nieminen sivaltaa @lahdenpelicans:in tasoihin! 💥
— Liiga (@smliiga) April 10, 2025
Mikä ilta meillä onkaan – jatkoeriin mennään. 😮💨
📺 @MTVUrheilu | #Liiga#PelicansFi@Mestispic.twitter.com/W5JZeVDz6x
Nashville also received the Edmonton Oilers' 2026 fifth-round pick when it traded the 131st overall pick.
Nashville had three first round picks on Friday.
The selected Soo Greyhounds center Brady Martin with the fifth overall pick, Kitchener Rangers defenseman Cameron Reid with the 21st overall pick and Madison Capitols forward Ryker Lee with the 26th overall pick.
On Saturday, Lincoln Stars defenseman Jacob Rombach was selected with the 35th pick, and Brampton Steelheads goalie Jack Ivankovic was picked with the 58th overall pick.
A trade with the Vegas Golden Knights has given the Nashville Predators an extra pick in the NHL Draft, coming in the fourth round at 122nd overall.
They traded the 55th overall pick to the Golden Knights for the 58th and 122nd overall picks.
They selected Chicoutimi Saguenéens defenseman Alex Huang with the pick.
The combination of poor offense and defense put the Yankees behind the eight ball as they fell to the Athletics, 7-0, on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
New York mustered just three hits and has now only scored three runs across the first two games of the series. The A's entered play with the second-worst ERA in all of baseball (5.42) along with the second-highest batting average against (.267).
With the series tied, the Yankees (47-35) will lean on the returning Marcus Stroman to avoid the series loss.
-After pitching seven no-hit innings in his last start, Clarke Schmidt picked up where he left off, getting the first three batters in order and pushing his scoreless innings streak to 26.1, the longest single-season scoreless streak by a Yankees starter in the Expansion Era (1961).
He would extend that streak to 28.2 innings, the most by a Yankee since Don Larson's 29 straight in 1958, but Brent Rooker put an end to the feat with his solo shot in the fourth to give the A's a 1-0 lead. Schmidt lost his command in the sixth, walking the first two batters on eight pitches. After a mound visit, Schmidt bounced back to strike out Rooker, but Nick Kurtz deposited a 1-2 cutter over the right field wall to give the Athletics a 4-0 lead.
Schmidt would finish the frame to give the Yanks six solid innings. He threw 85 pitches (55 strikes), allowing four runs on four hits and two walks while striking out seven batters.
-On the offensive side, the Yankees' offense just couldn't get the big hit against former Yankee prospect JP Sears. Sears allowed just one hit through the first five innings, but the Yankees made him work, walking three times and setting up Aaron Judge for a big inning with runners on first and second and two outs. However, Judge flew out to right field to end the Yankee threat.
After Cody Bellinger's first-inning single, the Yankees wouldn't get another hit until Paul Goldschmidt led off the sixth with a single of his own. Judge would have another chance to drive in runs, and just missed a two-run shot, launching a drive to the deepest part of Yankee Stadium for an out. The ball left his bat at 107 mph, had an xBA of .750 and went 406 feet, but it wasn't enough. It would have been a home run in 20 parks.
Judge finished 0-for-3 with a walk. His average has dipped to .354.
The offense as a whole had three hits, five walks, struck out seven times and grounded into two double plays. They were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left five runners on base.
-With the score still 4-0 in the eighth, the game got away from the Yanks. After Allan Winans walked the first two batters, Max Muncy laid down a bunt that popped in the air in front of homeplate but none of the Yankees played it aggressively and it dropped between Austin Wells and Winans. Worse than that, Wells picked it up -- when it potentially could have rolled foul -- and tried to throw to first for the force but almost threw it into the outfield.
A sac fly and a strikeout later, Austin Wynns hit a single to score another run. Bellinger threw to third to cut the runner down there but it skipped past Jazz Chisholm Jr. and no one backed him up, so another run scored as the Athletics' lead ballooned to 7-0.
Kurtz's blast put the game away even before the defensive mishaps in the eighth inning.
The Yankees and A's complete their series on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m.
Marcus Stroman (0-1, 11.57 ERA) returns from the IL and will be opposed by former Yankee, Luis Severino (2-8, 4.83 ERA).
With the 111th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL Draft, the New York Rangers selected forward Mikkel Eriksen.
Eriksen grew up in Norway and played the majority of his youth hockey years there.
The 17-year-old center spent most of last season playing in Sweden for Färjestad BK J20 where he recorded 22 goals, 21 assists, and 43 points.
“Mikkel Eriksen is a highly productive two-way forward who plays a heavy, detailed game and projects as a bottom-six NHL player with middle-six upside,” via Neutral Zone. “He is a reliable, versatile center with translatable habits, including a strong motor, high-end puck anticipation, above-average passing touch, and a shoot-first mentality…
“While Eriksen is not overly dynamic or explosive, he is well-rounded and competes in all three zones, making him a safe bet to earn trust at higher levels.”
Rangers Select Two Defensemen In Third Round of 2025 NHL DraftThe New York Rangers had two picks in the third round of the 2025 NHL Draft, selecting defensemen Sean Barnhill and Artyom Gonchar.
Eriksen stands at 5-foot-11, 187 pounds. He is expected to play for Färjestad BK J20 in Sweden again this upcoming season.
The NHL and the NHLPA held a press conference on Friday afternoon, highlighting the key points of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which has been agreed in principle. Amongst the numerous modifications, one stuck with me: the new 84-game calendar.
With 82 games per season, for some, the season is already long enough, but this change will have two consequences: a shorter preseason and the possibility for each team to play four games per season against each team in its division.
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Preseason games are a necessary evil, not so much for the regulars to get back into the swing of things, as it once was. Nowadays, the players show up to camp already in shape; they don’t need two weeks to work out and eliminate the weight of the Summer’s excesses. If you’re not ready for the start of camp, you get left behind. The Montreal Canadiens had two perfect examples in Kirby Dach last season; he played catch-up all year before finally being injured, and in Joshua Roy, who couldn’t make the team and was sent down to Laval.
Rookies and fringe players do need those games to show what they can do and sway the brass’ collective mind in their favour, and the bottom line is, they need some NHL caliber competition in those games so that it’s possible to see how they will cope with opponents of that caliber. However, there’s no need to have as many games as have taken place, especially since players risk injuries when they play in these meaningless games that have no impact on the standings. Need I remind you of Patrik Laine and David Reinbacher’s knee injuries last season?
As for the possibility of playing four games per season against each divisional rival, it just makes sense, and it’s fairer that way. The team that didn’t get to play the top team in its division as many times as the others had an unfair advantage; this will level the playing field.
The new calendar will also allow each team to play three games against each of the other teams in their division and two games against each team in the opposing conference, resulting in one home game and one away game. The time when fans would go without having a visit from some of the top players in a season is over. The Bell Center fans will get to see the likes of the Colorado Avalanche' Nathan MacKinnon, and the Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid, and Leon Draisaitl every year, and I don’t think anyone will be complaining. Canadiens fans like to see their team win, but they know their hockey and enjoy seeing the best of the best.
Also, the extra two games when the 84-game season kicks in for the 2026-2027 campaign would allow Brendan Gallagher to play exactly 1,000 games as a Montreal Canadiens in his current contract, providing he plays all the game of course. After Andrei Markov was robbed of the achievement, it would be great to see the alternate captain make it.
Photo credit: Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
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June 28, 2025 - With the 134th overall pick in round 5 of the 2025 NHL Draft the Seattle Kraken have selected Maxim Agafonov, an 18-year-old defenseman from Moscow, Russia. He captained the U16 team in 2022–23, moved up to U17 and U18 squads, and posted a +13 in the U18 finals. At 6'2", 195 pounds, he played for Krasnaya Armiya in 2023–24 (1G, 7A in 36 games) and for Tolpar Ufa in 2024–25 (6G, 8A in 35 games), where he’s expected to return next season.
Agafonov is ranked in the top 80 by several outlets:
A strong, shutdown defenseman, Agafonov excels in positioning, puck retrieval, and disrupting plays. His offensive game is raw, but his size and hockey sense make him a potential sleeper pick.
Related
2025 NHL Draft - Kraken Select Will Reynolds As The 68th Overall Pick In The Third RoundJune 28, 2025 - With the 68th overall pick in the third round of the 2025 NHL Draft, the Seattle Kraken have selected defenseman Will Reynolds from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
Photo Credit: HC Salavat Yulaev
Catastrophic blunder spoils Robbie Ray's gem in Giants' loss to White Sox originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
It only takes a split-second for a baseball game to turn on its head, which is exactly what happened during the Giants’ 1-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday afternoon at Rate Field.
With starting pitchers Robbie Ray and Adrian Houser locked in a scoreless pitchers duel, San Francisco appeared poised to break the deadlock after Brett Wisely and Christian Koss reached base to lead off the top of the sixth inning, putting runners on second and third with no outs and the heart of the Giants’ lineup coming to the plate.
Rafael Devers, the Giants’ star acquisition stepped into the batter’s box with a chance to deliver the kind of game-changing hit that made him such an appealing option for San Francisco.
That cricitcal momentum shift came, but not for the Giants. Devers struck out and White Sox catcher Edgar Quero threw a rocket to third base, catching Wisely off the bag for a strikeout-back pick combination that delivered a devastating blow to the Giants’ chances of scoring.
HOUSER AND QUERO ‼️ BIG-TIME PLAYS pic.twitter.com/LaDTecCbMt
— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) June 28, 2025
Heliot Ramos flew out to end the frame, giving the White Sox a critical jolt of energy that carried over into the bottom half of the inning when outfielfer Andrew Benintendi’s solo home run supplied the game’s only scoring.
BOMBS AWAY FOR BENNY 🔥 pic.twitter.com/12ni4PGpSK
— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) June 28, 2025
While Ray dealt yet again (6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 6 K) that blast proved decisive in a loss that has become all too familiar as the Giants’ anemic offense was to blame once more.
“Obviously, that’s a tough situation,” Ray told reporters postgame about Wisely getting picked off. “Getting the strikeout and then thrown out at third base, back pick like that is kind of tough because you got a great hitter in Ramos coming up, and he hits a fly ball to center field, that’s a sac fly normally. It did feel like kind of a momentum shift for sure.”
While it was unclear why Wisely was so far off the bag in that situation, Giants manager Bob Melvin clarified how the blunder occured.
“He was trying to get a good jump on a ground ball, but he has got to be able to get back,” Melvin said. “Once the ball crosses home plate, got to be able to get back. He’s trying to get out there and be aggressive and when the ball hits the ground take off and get your best chance to score a run, but have to be able to get back.”
“Robbie pitched so good, gives up one pitch for a homer and we can’t scratch a run across. It’s very frustrating.”
Melvin also alluded to Wisely’s mistake coming as a result of the Giants as a team being more aggressive on the basepaths in an effort to make up for the lack of clutch hits and runs as San Francisco’s offense has sputtered as of late.
“We’re trying to be aggressive and do some things to score some runs, and in this case it backfired,” Melvin said. “So, we got to keep working to take that kind of pressure off ourselves offensively. We got to be able to score more runs than we’ve been doing and put more pressure on the starting pitcher.
“Whether it’s early in the game, whether it’s in the middle of the game — granted [Houser] had really good stuff, he had a really good sinker, it was down in the zone, balls on the ground. But we have to be able to put more pressure on because every opportunity that comes and something goes wrong, it’s magnified, and it comes down to a lack of offense.”
The Giants still have a chance to get out of Chicago with a series win if they are victorious Sunday, but these kind of losses continue to be an issue for a team that boasts a dominant pitching staff that has more than held up its end of the deal this season.
After managing to make four selections in the second round of the 2025 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers are making their prospect pool a whole lot bigger and better.
Though Flyers GM Danny Briere insisted Friday that he and his team were not setting out to add size, they did just that to kick off Round 2.
With the 38th overall pick, having traded down with the Seattle Kraken, the Flyers landed right-shot defenseman Carter Amico, who stands at a casual and certainly unimposing 6-foot-6, 240 pounds.
Amico was felled by a major knee injury this season, limiting him to just three assists in 13 games. But at his best? The 18-year-old is a one-on-one monster whose impressive skating ability, especially for his size, allows him to destroy plays before they happen.
Adding Amico to a pool of right-shot defenders that already includes Oliver Bonk and Spencer Gill means the Flyers are not banking on Jamie Drysdale becoming the force he has the talent to be at the NHL level.
Bonk, Gill, and Amico are all 6-foot-2 or taller, so size shouldn't be an issue for the Flyers going forward on that side of the ice.
Why the Flyers Passed on James Hagens in the NHL DraftAfter drafting top winger Porter Martone over center James Hagens at the top of the 2025 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers will have to wait a little longer to find the No. 1 center of their future.
The Flyers followed up the selection of Amico with the NHL Draft's two most tenacious, annoying ankle-biters in wingers Jack Murtagh and Shane Vansaghi.
But, Jon, how many wingers can the Flyers really have? That's not something I have the ability to answer, but Murtagh and Vansaghi both could've very easily been first-round talents. The Flyers landed both in Round 2.
Murtagh, at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, was one of my best players available heading into Saturday's proceedings.
A versatile winger, Murtagh is unrelenting in his pursuit of the puck, skates like the wind, and already has an above-average shot, even for NHL standards. I think he has a future as a top-nine left wing with 30-goal potential depending on his role and linemates.
As for Vansaghi, his skating needs a lot of work, even by his own admission, but he hits opponents like it's personal.
The Michigan State flanker has some real skill, but his role at the NHL level will primarily be to serve as an effective power forward. Vansaghi will be a fun addition to a Flyers winger group that is on the smaller side, especially on the right with Bobby Brink, Matvei Michkov, and Travis Konecny all shorter than 6-foot.
NHL Draft 2025: Can (or should) the Flyers draft Porter Martone?With a guaranteed top six pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers have an array of potentially franchise-altering options at their disposal. But is Porter Martone, a winger in the purest sense, one of them?
To wrap up Round 2, the Flyers added another massive player in the form of Matthew Gard, a 6-foot-5, defense-first center who can move around surprisingly well for his size.
The big concern here is that the Flyers have drafted a big, tall center with a capped NHL ceiling three times in two years, following Jack Berglund last year and Jack Nesbitt on Friday night.
Gard is a much better skater than Nesbitt and Berglund are, but his offensive skills are more on the average side.
The Flyers still have smaller, more talented centers in Trevor Zegras and Jett Luchanko, but you have to wonder how they plan on getting that guy who screams future No. 1 NHL center.
Right now, they don't have one, and if the team improves on their 29th-place finish next season, the task becomes that much harder, especially with James Hagens off to Boston.
Gard is talented and boosts the center prospect pool regardless, but the Flyers can only conceivably have one or two of these players in their lineup at center as Stanley Cup contenders in the future. Stocking up on them probably isn't the best of ideas, but we'll have to wait and see.
Notably, by drafting Gard, the Flyers missed out on top goalie prospect Jack Ivankovic, the fourth-highest rated goalie on my Flyers big board, and a big left-shot defenseman they really need in their cupboard in Kurban Limatov.
I ranked Limatov ahead of Haoxi Wang, who went to San Jose 33rd overall at the top of Round 2.
So, ultimately, the Flyers have a plan: get bigger and stronger. They added some of the skill in Nesbitt, Murtagh, and Porter Martone, and pure size and traits in Vansaghi and Gard.
The Flyers will still need to add more of that skill in future trades and drafts, but the NHL Draft has been an important exercise in building team identity to this point. That identity is now readily apparent.