St. Louis Blues PTO attendee Milan Lucic exited practice early today after tweaking his groin and has been given a 50/50 chance of participating in tomorrow's practice, per Jeremy Rutherford.
Lucic skated in the Blues' second pre-season game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, recording an assist and two hits in 15:26 of ice time.
Lucic was brought into St. Louis on a PTO with the possibility of joining the team as a physical presence. The 37-year-old comes with plenty of NHL experience, scoring 233 goals and 586 points in 1177 games.
Lucic hasn't played much hockey recently, last playing in the 2023-24 season, where he recorded just four games with the Boston Bruins. The Blues have plenty of options for their bottom six, but none have the skillset Lucic can provide, which is a 6-foot-3, 236-pound frame and several NHL fights under his belt.
It's not a forgone conclusion that Lucic will sign with the Blues, but GM Doug Armstrong has stated that he is open to giving players a second chance, and if Lucic can snag it, he'll give it to him.
The Chicago Blackhawks have several young players eyeing NHL jobs with the 2025-26 regular season right around the corner. One of them is Colton Dach, as the 22-year-old forward is a candidate to earn a bottom-six spot in Chicago's lineup at the start of the season.
Dach played in a career-high 25 NHL games this past season with the Blackhawks, where he recorded two goals, seven points, and 86 hits. Overall, the 6-foot-4 forward undoubtedly demonstrated that he is not afraid of the physical side of the game and did provide a little offense along with it. Thus, the possibility of him getting more chances on the Blackhawks' roster this season should not be ruled out.
Dach will be in the lineup for the Blackhawks during their Sep. 23 preseason contest against the Detroit Red Wings. With this, Dach will certainly be looking to stand out with a strong night, as it could very well increase his odds of making the NHL roster out of camp.
It will be very interesting to see what kind of performance Dach can put together for the Blackhawks against the Red Wings from here. He is undoubtedly one of the youngsters to keep an eye on during this contest.
ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild announced its starting goaltender for Sunday's game against the Dallas Stars in Dallas
Cal Petersen will get the start between the pipes for Minnesota in Dallas for the Wild's first preseason game. The Stars are playing a very heavy veteran lineup tonight. It should be a good test for Petersen.
The native of Iowa has played in 106 NHL games in his career across six seasons. He is 46-44-10 with a 2.96 GAA, .903 SV% and has four shutouts.
He was signed as some extra insurance if Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt get injured. Gustavsson will back him up on Tuesday in Dallas.
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The Montreal Canadiens have several young players looking to earn spots on their NHL roster ahead of the 2025-26 season. Among the Canadiens' most notable prospects looking to impress is forward Owen Beck.
Beck just completed his first full professional season during the 2024-25 campaign. The 21-year-old forward spent the majority of the year down in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Laval Rocket, where he recorded 15 goals, 29 assists, 49 points, and a plus-10 rating in 64 regular-season games. He also played in 13 playoff games for Laval this spring, posting two goals and six points.
Beck also played in 12 games for the Canadiens during the 2024-25 season, where he recorded one assist and 23 hits. Overall, while he did not break out offensively, he still showed promise. As a result, he is a candidate to watch for the Canadiens' opening night roster and will be looking to have a big preseason.
Beck certainly got off to a good start with that in the Canadiens' recent preseason matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins, as he scored at the 2:36 mark of the third period to tie the game up at 1-1. Beck worked very hard for his goal, too, as he kept jamming the puck in front before scoring.
While Beck's goal was not the flashiest, this is exactly the kind of play that the Canadiens are hoping the exciting prospect can provide for them. It will be interesting to see how he builds off his solid start to the preseason from here.
After nine years without Stanley Cup playoff hockey, most fans of the Detroit Red Wings have become realists. That's because, heading into the 2025-26 regular season, it's apparent to many of them that the Red Wings have little chance of securing a playoff berth.
The moves Wings GM Steve Yzerman has made this summer are leading many to expect more out of Detroit this year. But, when you consider all the things that need to go right for the Red Wings to even be in the conversation for a playoff spot, it becomes clearer why the Wings are a smart bet to once again miss the post-season.
Sportsbook BetMGM has set the odds for Detroit to miss the playoffs at 1.33 (-300) and 3.30 (+230) to make the post-season.
While it's possible one of those teams can take a step backward, the reality is that they are strong teams. And that’s to say nothing of the two other teams in the Atlantic – the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres – who also are desperate to make the playoffs this year. The competition for a playoff berth is ferocious, and the Red Wings may not have the horses to get into the post-season.
Compounding matters for the Wings is another fact – namely, that the Metropolitan Division will also be more competitive this season. The Metro – which sent only three teams to the playoffs last year – could send four teams to the playoffs next season.
That would leave only four playoff spots for Atlantic teams. And that would mean Detroit’s fight for a playoff berth will be a task all the more mountainous.
Another thing that has to go right for the Red Wings this coming year is their health. Last season, 10 of Detroit’s top-11 point-producers played at least 70 games. Only center Andrew Copp, who appeared in 56 games last year, and that should be a sobering thought indeed for Wings fans.
If the injury bug takes a big bite out of Detroit’s roster, the Red Wings don’t have nearly enough depth to keep them in the mix for a playoff spot. Even if newcomer goalie John Gibson performs well, he’s got an injury history that doesn’t make you confident he’ll be a workhorse who appears in 50-60 games this season.
Lastly, in addition to their team health and the teams around the Wings opening up a playoff spot for them to get hold of, Detroit needs Yzerman to spend his team’s salary cap space on a difference-maker.
The Red Wings currently have $11.9 million in cap space, and that rightly puts a ton of pressure on Yzerman to, at last, land a big fish that can help elevate Detroit’s all-around game.
However, there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to do that. And if Yzerman can’t find a trade partner prepared to give up a needle-moving talent, the Red Wings’ cap space will go unused and, in many people’s minds, wasted.
Do you see what we’re getting at here? Detroit needs just about everything to go exactly according to plan – something that never happens. If the Lightning, Maple Leafs, Panthers, Canadiens and Senators all live up to expectations, there’s simply no room for the Red Wings to get into the playoffs.
If any of Detroit’s key players are sidelined for a significant period of time with injuries, there’s not enough NHL-caliber talent on the roster to rise to the occasion.
Furthermore, if the Wings can’t bring in a difference-maker via trade, there’s not enough high-end skill to carry them into the post-season. It all adds up to a bleak picture for the Red Wings.
We’re not trying to tell you there’s nothing to like about the Red Wings. They’ve got some young players who will be above-average players for the next 10 years or longer, including right winger Lucas Raymond and defenseman Moritz Seider.
But when there are so many potential pitfalls in the road ahead for them this season, it’s small wonder most pundits aren’t picking the Wings as a playoff team. Too many things can go wrong for them, and by the time the regular season ends, Detroit could see its playoff drought extended to a full decade.
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The Detroit Red Wings enjoyed one of the longest postseason streaks in professional sports, qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs every season from 1991 through 2016.
During that time, they advanced to the Stanley Cup Final six times, and won the Stanley Cup four times, adding to their total of the most championships by any NHL club based in the United States.
However, their five-game series loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2016 Eastern Conference Quarter Final remains their most recent playoff appearance to date.
Since then, the Red Wings have moved from Joe Louis Arena to Little Caesars Arena, hired beloved team icon Steve Yzerman as their general manager, and experienced an especially trying season of 2019-20 season, earning the lowest point total in franchise history since 1985-86.
The good news is that they’ve made gradual, incremental improvements in the standings since then, with the 2024-25 campaign being the only season under Yzerman in which they didn’t improve their point total from the previous year.
Little Caesars Arena has yet to host a Stanley Cup Playoff game, something that veteran Andrew Copp, entering his fourth year with the club, said has to change this season, which is the franchise's 100th in the NHL.
"We have to make the playoffs, it's our goal and our focus," Copp said following Tuesday's practice. "Anything short of that is going to be looked at as not good enough, and I don't think we can be fearful of admitting that. We need to look at our goal straight in the eye, and everything we do from now until April is to make the playoffs."
Copp, who hails from the Detroit suburb of Ann Arbor and also played college hockey for the Michigan Wolverines, suffered a season-ending injury in late February. Naturally, it was difficult for him to not be available to help his team on the ice from that point on.
"It was definitely not fun at a time when I felt that both my team and the team game was starting to take off," he said. "I think we'd just finished two seven-game win streaks in 20 games. It was bad timing, for sure. But I feel like I had a long time to train and I had a long time to clear my head mentally, be refreshed for a new season."
A key penalty killer for the Red Wings, Copp is understandably excited to be back on the ice after missing the final month and a half of last season.
"I'm excited," Copp said. "I was chomping at the bit maybe in July and August more than usual because it'd been that long since I played a hockey game, so I'm very excited. I think every individual is the same, you want to have as big a role as possible, play as well as possible."
“I don’t think it’s bad,” San Francisco Giants veteran pitcher Justin Verlander said then. “I definitely think it’s going to take some time to get it right, just like everything that’s been implemented in the game. We don’t know the ripple effects of it. But in the end, in big spots everyone wants the call to be right.”
The challenge system is not an automated umpire and does not call every pitch—the home plate umpire still has that duty. But the pitcher, catcher or hitter has the right to challenge a call at least twice every game. They can indicate it by tapping their cap or helmet immediately after the challenged pitch. There can’t be any help from any other player on the field or in the dugout.
The challenge is then analyzed and the results displayed on the main video board in each MLB ballpark, revealing whether the call is sustained or reversed.
If a challenge is successful, the team retains it. If it’s not, that team loses the challenge. In extra innings, a team will get one more challenge if it has none remaining.
The system has also been tested successfully in the minor leagues and the Arizona Fall League, which use the calls by the automated umps for every pitch.
Rather than implement the entire system, MLB has decided to start with just challenges first.
“It’s cool. I like it,” said Alek Thomas, an Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder who became used to it in their minor league system. “I wish we had more challenges. In the minor leagues, I tapped my head a lot if I didn’t agree with a call.”
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a surprise announcement Tuesday morning – goaltender Joseph Woll was taking an immediate leave of absence from the team to attend to a family matter. But while the hockey world wishes for the best for Woll, the business of hockey continues. And the Maple Leafs are fortunate that they have solid depth in net to hold the fort until Woll is ready to return.
To be sure, no one knows whether Woll will return in a matter of days, weeks or months. However, Leafs GM Brad Treliving has always found a way to build above-average netminding depth, and this year appears to be no different.
Two years ago, it was longtime NHLer Martin Jones who was Toronto’s third option in net. Last year, it was longtime NHLer Matt Murray who was No. 3 on the Maple Leafs’ goaltending depth chart.
This year, with Woll and tandem-mate Anthony Stolarz under contract, Treliving clearly felt good about a trio of youngsters battling for the third goalie spot and playing time that might include a stint at the NHL level. Those three youngsters are Swedish native Dennis Hildeby, and Russians Artur Akhtyamov and Vyacheslav Peksa.
The 24-year-old Hildeby has by far the most experience of the three, appearing in 73 American League games with the Toronto Marlies. Last season in the AHL, Hildeby put up a .908 save percentage and a 2.55 goals-against average in 30 appearances.
Hildeby just signed a three-year contract extension that will pay him $841,667 per year, so unless he struggles out of the gate – or if Peksa or Akhtyamov go on an incredible streak of performances and leap over him in Toronto’s pecking order of goalies– Hildeby is going to get the first chance at playing in the NHL next year.
Meanwhile, Akhtyamov appeared in 26 games with the Marlies last season, posting a .901 SP and 2.81 GAA. As for Peksa, he played two games with the Marlies last season, posting an .878 SP and 3.77 GAA.
Both Akhtyamov and Peksa are 23 years old, so Father Time is on their side at the moment. But if Hildeby struggles at the AHL level or after being recalled by the Leafs, Treliving may turn to one of Akhtyamov or Peksa and give them their first NHL opportunity.
There’s no question the Maple Leafs will be at their best only after Woll returns. Woll has earned his position, and when he’s back and ready to go, Treliving will shuttle one of Hildeby, Akhtyamov or Peksa back to the Marlies, while the team will be thrilled to have Woll playing hockey again.
But if Woll is out of action for a good chunk of time, Stolarz is going to need a break now and then. And that’s where Toronto’s third goalie comes into the picture.
Playing net in one of the NHL’s biggest pressure-cooker markets has melted the resolve of many Leafs goalies over the years. Therefore, Toronto management must be reasonably confident that they can deploy a young goaltender into NHL action without the goalie taking a competitive nosedive and impacting the Leafs’ place in the standings in a negative way.
So whether it’s Hildeby, Peksa or Akhtyamov, the challenge is the same for whoever winds up being the Leafs’ third goalie: keep the Maple Leafs at or near the top of the Atlantic Division and be a terrific understudy for Stolarz, or be moved on from as Toronto’s backup.
There’s no grey area here – a backup goalie either performs to expectations, or they’re bouncing around the league in short order. So while the Buds are hopeful Woll returns sooner rather than later, they’re going to need netminding help getting to that point.
With the way things are shaping up, the Leafs could be putting some of their season in the hands of a goalie who has yet to make their mark at the NHL level.
It's a calculated gamble by Treliving, but one that could pay off handsomely for the third straight year.
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For the first time since last season, Brandon Nimmo will be the Mets' starting center fielder on Tuesday night when they begin a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs.
Starling Marte will be in left field and Juan Soto remains in right field.
With the final week of the regular season underway and New York fighting for a playoff spot, Mendoza is shaking things up and leaving no stone unturned.
The decision comes as the Mets' other options in center field -- Cedric Mullins and Jose Siri -- have failed to generate enough offense and also struggled defensively.
Nimmo has played 144 games in left field this season and four games in center field, although he hasn't started a game there since 2024, when he made 22 starts in center.
Two highly ranked prospects for the 2026
NHL Draft went head-to-head on Tuesday night. On one side was standout forward
Ivar Stenberg. On the other stood Viggo Björck, who finished last season by
breaking the all-time scoring record in Sweden’s junior league. Also in
Djurgården’s lineup were 2025 third-overall pick Anton Frondell and another
former first-rounder, Victor Eklund.
Ivar Stenberg was asked about his journey
to this point prior to the game.
“It’s about building on last year’s
playoffs. There were things that were good and that I wanted to carry forward,
even though it’s difficult,” said Ivar Stenberg to TV4 before the game.
Is there any part of your game you still
need to develop further?
“It’s about getting better with the puck
and in decision-making. I want to be stronger on the puck and know when to make
certain decisions. Mostly, it’s about becoming more mature in my game and a bit
more grown-up.” He continues: “The coach wants me to play my game and do the
things that define me,” said Ivar Stenberg before the game.
The game between Frölunda and Djurgården
was the only matchup of the day and drew major interest. The all-time
attendance record for an indoor hockey game in Sweden was set, with 13,950 fans
packing Avicii Arena in Stockholm.
Victor Eklund created the game’s first big
chance. He battled his way to the puck and fired a low shot, with Anton
Frondell lurking for the rebound. But Frölunda goalie Lars Johansson was there
to turn it aside.
It took until the 18th minute for the first
goal to arrive. Buffalo Sabres’ 2019 fifth-round pick Filip Cederqvist
capitalized on a rebound after a scrambled sequence in front. It all started
with a breakaway from Erik Thorell that Magnus Hellberg stopped but couldn’t
control the rebound on, allowing Cederqvist to score his second goal of the
season. Before the period was over, Max Friberg made it 2–0 for Frölunda, who
went into the intermission with a two-goal lead.
During the first intermission, Islanders
first-rounder Victor Eklund of Djurgården wasn’t satisfied with the
game.
“We’re cutting corners a bit. We’d rather
take a wide turn instead of stopping and chasing the puck. That’s what we need
to work on.” He continues: “We’re not working at 100%, and that’s something we
have to fix before the second period,” said Victor Eklund to TV4 during the
first intermission.
Frölunda goal scorer Filip Cederqvist, on
the other hand, was much more positive during the intermission.
“Djurgården came out really strong, which
was expected on their home ice. They pushed us back, but we kept them fairly
well to the outside. Then it was nice to get two goals at the end of the
period.” He went on to describe his goal: “I saw that Thorell was open, then
the puck bounced out and I was in the right place,” said Filip Cederqvist to
TV4.
A strong start to the second period from Anton Frondell
Djurgården struck early in the second
period. Chicago’s third-overall pick Anton Frondell worked the puck down into
the offensive corner before sliding a slick pass back to Albin Grewe, who fired
it into the top corner. Strong plays from both the goal scorer Grewe and the
playmaker Frondell.
Midway through the second period, Frölunda
restored their two-goal lead through Filip Hasa. Holding the puck confidently
at the blue line, Hasa ripped it high past Magnus Hellberg in the Djurgården
net. Just a minute later, Frölunda added another goal to lead 4–1.
Before the period was over, Djurgården’s
August Berg fired a shot from the blue line to make it 4–2. That gave
Djurgården a glimmer of hope, but it was short-lived as Frölunda extended their
lead to 5–2.
Stenberg picks up two assists in the third
Frölunda wasted no time getting on the
board in the third period. Just 55 seconds in, Filip Cederqvist carried the
puck in and set up Jere Innala, who shoveled home the 6–2 goal. The assist gave
Cederqvist his fourth point of the game.
A seventh goal followed for Frölunda, with
Ivar Stenberg carrying the puck into the zone before moving it along to Theodor
Niederbach, who set up Max Lindholm to make it 7–2. Frölunda piled on four more
goals to finish with an 11–2 win, while Djurgården looked every bit the newly
promoted SHL side. Stenberg picked up another assist on the power-play tally
that capped the scoring at 11–2.
Among the young players, Ivar Stenberg and
Anton Frondell stood out the most. Frondell had a strong second period,
creating a scoring chance and picking up an assist on Albin Grewe’s goal.
Stenberg was a constant threat, showing majestic puck control throughout the
game. He was rewarded with an assist for carrying the play that led to
Frölunda’s 7–2 goal. He also picked up an assist on the final goal after being
involved in the power-play setup.
Fans who made their way to the Bell Centre to watch the
Montreal Canadiens on Monday night got to see Ivan Demidov and new defenseman
Noah Dobson. On Tuesday, they’ll see the top line: Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki,
and Juraj Slafkovsky, the second pair of defensemen, which consists of Kaiden
Guhle and Lane Hutson, and both Xhekaj brothers. For the first time, Arber and
Florian Xhekaj will be suiting up for the same team.
Alex Newhook, Samuel Bolduc, and Joshua Roy will be forming
the second line. This is a big opportunity for the St-Georges native. Unlike
Oliver Kapanen, who only served as a placeholder for Kirby Dach on Monday, Roy
will be skating in a role that’s actually available. After a great summer of
training, Roy shed 16 pounds and, as a result, he’s much faster on his skates.
Samuel Blais, Joe Veleno, and Austrian winger Vinzenz Rohrer
will form the third line while the younger Xhekaj will center Luke Tuch and Tyler
Thorpe, a line that could do a lot of damage in Laval, should the three start
the season there.
On the blue line, the older Xhekaj and Alex Carrier will be
the second pairing behind Guhle and Hutson, and David Reinbacher will suit up
with Tobie Paquette-Bisson. While some would probably like to see Reinbacher get
a chance in the NHL this season, the youngster isn’t ripe for the show yet. The
knee injury he sustained last year didn’t help his development, even though the
Canadiens kept him involved in team meetings and video sessions; there’s
nothing like actually playing the games.
In net, Jakub Dobes and Kaapo Kahkonen will split the games
like Samuel Montembeault and Jacob Fowler did on Monday against the Pittsburgh
Penguins. As for the visiting Philadelphia Flyers, they won’t be dressing Russian-born
Matvei Michkov, who played in Sunday’s game and featured in the highlight reels
for the wrong reason when first-overall pick at the last draft, Matthew
Schaefer, stopped him on a breakaway.
Just an absolutely insane defensive backcheck from Matthew Schaefer on Matvei Michkov 😱
There will be at least a couple of familiar faces wearing
orange, though. Christian Dvorak, who left the Canadiens in free agency this
summer, will return to his old stomping ground, and another former Hab, tough
guy Nicolas Deslauriers, will also be in the lineup. Other big names who will
suit up for the Flyers include Sean Couturier, Owen Tippett, and Travis
Sanheim.
If Deslauriers wants to rough someone up, he can expect plenty
of opposition; the Xhekaj brothers, Thuch, and Thorpe all play with a physical
edge. It’s been some time since a pair of brothers suited up for the Canadiens;
the last ones to do so were Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn in 2007-08.
After racing out to an MLB-best 45-24 start, it seemed that the 2025 Mets were going to coast to the playoffs.
Whether they won the NL East title or made it in as a Wild Card appeared to be the only question.
But since climbing to the above record on June 12, New York has gone 35-52.
It's been a stunning turn of events for a team that is this loaded with talent, has a well-regarded manager in Carlos Mendoza, is led by a terrific executive in David Stearns, and is owned by Steve Cohen -- who has left no stone unturned when it comes to reshaping the franchise and putting it in position to contend year after year.
With six games to go in the regular season, the Mets no longer control their playoff destiny, having dropped into a tie with the Reds for the third and final Wild Card spot -- with Cincinnati owning the tiebreaker.
Injuries to Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas hurt early, leaving the Mets to rely on a rotation that had Clay Holmes (converting from relieving to starting), Kodai Senga (coming off an injury-riddled 2024), David Peterson (who had struggled with consistency), Griffin Canning (5.19 ERA/5.26 FIP in 2024), and Tylor Megill (career ERA of 4.56 and a lengthy injury history).
New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea (59) delivers a pitch during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The rotation excelled early, but started to falter in May.
Megill had a 5.79 ERA from May 4 to June 14, and hasn't pitched since due to injury.
Canning began to regress to the mean during his start on June 10 and was lost for the season on June 26 when he tore his Achilles.
Holmes has pitched admirably as he's blown way past his prior high for innings pitched in a season, but hasn't been able to provide much length. Since June 7, he has completed more than 5.0 innings in just three of his 16 starts (counting only the non-piggyback ones).
Senga has not been himself since returning from a hamstring injury, and made his last two starts in the minors.
After a hot start that led to an All-Star selection, Peterson has faded, with a 7.59 ERA in 40.1 innings since Aug. 6.
Manaea, who is pitching with loose bodies in his elbow that he says are not impacting his performance, has a 5.59 ERA in 58.0 innings and is now part of the aforementioned piggyback with Holmes.
Then there's Montas, who had a 6.28 ERA in 38.2 innings after returning and was then lost for the year on Aug. 15 due to Tommy John surgery.
All of this has put tons of pressure (and an enormous workload) on the bullpen, led to the Mets playing from behind way too often, and resulted in them having three rookies anchoring their staff down the stretch (more on that in a bit).
New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) is greeted in the dugout after hitting a two run home run in the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. / Wendell Cruz - Imagn Images
An offense that has been too inconsistent
The Mets' offense has shown the ability to bludgeon its opponents, but it has also had long stretches where it has been among the most anemic in the league.
That includes the eight-game losing streak from Sept. 6 to 13, when New York scored just 24 runs -- an average of three per game.
Over the weekend as the Mets were losing two of three games to the last-place Nationals, they mustered only three runs during an 11-inning loss on Saturday and scratched across only two as they lost by a run on Sunday. On Saturday specifically, it came down to a failure to execute with runners on base in the ninth and 10th innings.
Given that Juan Soto will likely finish in the top three in MVP voting, that Pete Alonso has an .876 OPS and 38 home runs (and has been red hot for a month), and that Francisco Lindor is having another phenomenal season, the level of inconsistency and depth of the struggles at times has been odd.
In addition to the big three of Soto, Alonso, and Lindor, the Mets are also getting strong seasons from Jeff McNeil (115 OPS+), Francisco Alvarez (118 OPS+), Brandon Nimmo (114 OPS+), Starling Marte (118 OPS+), and Brett Baty (109 OPS+).
Mark Vientos' up-and-down year has hurt a bit -- as has the absence of Jesse Winker and lack of production from center field. But those relatively minor things don't explain how alarming the struggles have sometimes been.
Not enough proactivity in July
When the rotation was in need of arms in July, the Mets opted to rely on bullpen games -- and to keep a struggling Paul Blackburn in the rotation (they lost his last four starts).
Specifically, they were swept by the Orioles in a doubleheader where they used Brandon Waddell, Justin Hagenman, and Richard Lovelady in Game 2. And they lost a game to the Yankees where Waddell put them in an early 5-0 hole before they fought back. But Zach Pop was used in relief, and struggled as they game slipped away.
During that time, the club also relied on Blade Tidwell for starts and bulk innings as he pitched to a 9.00 ERA over four appearances.
While this was going on, Nolan McLean was excelling for Triple-A Syracuse and Brandon Sproat was starting to find his form. It is totally understandable that the team didn't turn to Sproat in July, given how his season started. But had New York called up McLean at that point, it can be argued that they would've won a few of the games they in effect punted.
Sep 2, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean (26) delivers in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. / David Reginek - Imagn Images
It's impossible to know how ready McLean would've been on July 4 or July 10 as opposed to Aug. 16 (when he made his big league debut). But it made sense to find out, given the alternatives.
Now, as the Mets try to salvage a once-promising season, all eyes are on McLean -- who has become their stopper. He has been joined recently in the rotation by Sproat and Jonah Tong, who will all make starts this week.
***
Even though it was possible to see the Mets' rotation issues coming, and even though the offense has been perplexing at times, the team should not have fallen this far -- even with the rotation and offensive problems.
That they find themselves fighting for a playoff spot falls primarily on the players for too often failing to execute.
Meanwhile, I've seen lots of consternation regarding the trade deadline Stearns had. But it's mostly revisionist history.
The trades for Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers, and Gregory Soto were lauded at the time, and Cedric Mullins was viewed as a needed offensive upgrade.
Sometimes, players don't perform up to their standards, as has been the case with Helsley (whose pitch-tipping played a hand in it) and Mullins (whose power has mostly vanished as a Met). Rogers (2.25 ERA) and Soto (3.86 ERA) have been good since being acquired.
Could Stearns have traded for starting pitching help at the deadline? Sure. But the prices were sky-high and the impact pitchers rumored to be available were not moved.
In any event, the Mets still have a week left to write their story.
If it's one that ends in the playoffs, what has happened since the middle of June will be a footnote. If it ends with New York on the outside looking in, it might become a book.
With the NHL pre-season having kicked off, there are already several big-name young players stuck in limbo. New Jersey Devils’ Luke Hughes, Anaheim Ducks’ Mason McTavish and Nashville Predators’ Luke Evangelista are the three notable RFAs left without an NHL deal as training camp is well underway. In addition, former first-round picks Alexander Holtz and Rasmus Kupari are also in need of a new contract.
Fans and the media have learned that there is a pattern when players and teams have lengthy standoffs in contract negotiations. A trend has formed over the years where players would miss camp and sometimes part of the season due to negotiations, only to underperform once an agreement had been made.
In the previous article, The Hockey News looked at how some of the most notable contract holdouts of the pre-salary cap era fared. However, with the 2004-05 lockout bringing in unrestricted free agency for long-tenured NHLers, restricted free agency was left to younger players. Furthermore, a Dec. 1 deadline for RFAs and the potential for offer sheets has made it so that fewer teams are willing to sit a player out the entire season due to negotiations.
William Nylander, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
The Kyle Dubas-led Toronto Maple Leafs were entangled in two major RFA negotiations that spiralled. William Nylander was coming off back-to-back 60-point, 20-goal seasons. He showed plenty of flashes of skill, but at that point, he hadn’t elevated his game to that of a true star.
The Swede hit the closed market in July 2018, and over the next months, anxiety began to build within Leafs Nation as ‘Willy’ remained without a contract.
The short-term return on investment was bleak. Nylander only skated in 54 games that season, notching just seven goals and 27 points. Even after that disastrous campaign, Nylander picked up right where he left off before the contract dispute.
It was only in the last few seasons of the deal that it truly became a steal for the Leafs as Nylander finally became the superstar that the team knew he had in him. To this day, Nylander remains an integral piece of the Leafs and a fan favourite.
Mitch Marner, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Just one season after the Nylander saga, Mitch Marner became an RFA in July 2019. He had just recorded a career-high 94-point season — the most since Mats Sundin’s 90-point campaign in 1996-97. Negotiations were incredibly tense, with his agent reaching out to the Swiss league’s ZSC Lions that August as the two sides couldn’t come to a deal.
Marner would sign a six-year deal just after training camp began, which would eat two years of UFA eligibility, but with a no-move clause on the last two years of the deal, preventing any trades without Marner’s express permission.
On the ice, Marner’s production took only a minor dip during the following two shortened pandemic-impacted seasons, while also working on his defensive game. He would then surpass his prior production, even reaching the 100-point mark just last season.
However, the damage was done. The tough negotiations turned the hometown kid into a punching bag for the fans, which would eventually become one of the causes for his departure from the team to the Vegas Golden Knights this past summer.
Brady Tkachuk, LW, Ottawa Senators
When Ottawa Senators’ Brady Tkachuk became an RFA at the end of the 2020-21 season, and was in a similar situation to Nylander. Tkachuk had eclipsed the 20-goal mark twice, but he had only had a career high of 45 points at that time from his rookie season.
Despite the stagnant production, then-GM Pierre Dorion knew that he had a star-in-the-making. However, Dorion’s negotiation tactic of signing young players to long-term deals over bridge contracts while offering little to no bonus money made the unproven Tkachuk’s negotiations difficult, forcing Tkachuk to miss camp and pre-season.
Tkachuk’s story is one of the best cases among fraught negotiations in terms of performance. In the campaign following the contract debate, he put up his best season yet with 30 goals and 67 points. Now, Tkachuk is a bona fide star, leader and fan favourite.
Jeremy Swayman, G, Boston Bruins
While players have shown varying degrees of success after missing camp, pre-season or even regular-season action because of contractual impasse, Jeremy Swayman’s case shows that the outcomes for goaltenders can be significantly worse. Simply put, the Boston Bruins botched Swayman’s negotiations from the get-go.
In 2023-24, the Anchorage, Ala. native split the crease with Linus Ullmark, who was coming off a Vezina Trophy-winning season. Swayman had marginally outplayed the veteran goaltender in the regular season, posting a .916 save percentage to Ullmark’s .915.
However, in the playoffs, Swayman would go on to take the reins with a .933 SP over 12 games. As the off-season began, the team decided to prioritize the younger goaltender who had better results.
The B’s could have easily kept Ullmark around as a stake to drive Swayman’s asking price down, as Swayman had no clear runway to become a bona fide starter in the short-to-medium term with Ullmark around.
However, the Bruins rushed an Ullmark trade to Ottawa, giving Swayman’s camp leverage to increase their asking price. At that point, it was clear that Boston needed Swayman as their No. 1 netminder.
As the weeks turned to months, Swayman and the Bruins struggled to come to terms until just ahead of the regular season, where the parties convened on an eight-year deal, $8.25 million AAV—the same price as Ullmark’s extension with the Senators but at twice the length.
The rust was very evident once Swayman stepped foot into NHL action, as it felt as though he became the worst version of himself, with accentuated weaknesses and inconsistency. He would post a .892 SP and 3.11 goals against average while starting 58 games.
Those were far from the numbers Boston was hoping for from a goalie fresh off a top-10 Vezina Trophy finish. Now with a full camp, one can expect that in his sixth year, the 26-year-old goaltender can bounce back into form and live up to the price tag and expectations of a legit starter.
Already with several negotiations dragging into pre-season play, these examples serve as reminders that when players miss training camps due to negotiations, it can lead to major slumps in the short term, and worse, fractured relationships in the long term.
Luke Hughes may be willing to put water under the bridge once he signs, thanks to playing with his brother Jack, and McTavish might be able to as well, with the Ducks potentially eyeing him as a future captain, making his situation not too dissimilar to that of Brady Tkachuk’s.
As the saying goes, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. However, what happens in negotiations stays with the players.
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The Phillies have to be excited to get back in front of their home crowd to close out the regular season.
Despite a huge series victory, where they clinched the NL East, against the Dodgers, some glaring offensive numbers stood out.
Including Emmett Sheehan, who followed lefty opener Anthony Banda, Los Angeles’ starting pitching shut down the Phillies’ offense all series.
Between Sheehan, Shohei Ohtani and Blake Snell, the trio combined for 17 ⅔ innings, allowing just three hits and one run (0.51 ERA) while racking up 24 strikeouts.
Luckily, timely hitting proved to be the difference, as Philadelphia took two of three at Dodger Stadium.
But with LA likely looming as an NLDS opponent, it’ll be worth watching whether Rob Thomson’s group can adjust to their starters.
When the Phillies went into Chase Field to face the Diamondbacks, the offense didn’t fare much better. With runners in scoring position, the bats went cold, going just 4-for-30 in those situations.
Whether Arizona still has their number from two seasons ago or not, the Phillies will look to right the ship with their RISP struggles during this final homestand.
Trea working back
The Phillies’ star shortstop was on the field this afternoon taking live at-bats against minor leaguers Danny Harper and Andrew Walling.
When asked if Trea Turner would return before the end of the regular season, Thomson kept it short with reporters.
“We’re hopeful,” he said.
Sep 7, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) celebrates after hitting a home run against the Miami Marlins during the sixth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Thomson added that Turner is running at about “70 to 75 percent.” He emphasized it isn’t essential for Turner to play before the postseason begins, though getting him some reps would certainly help.
In Turner’s absence, Harrison Bader has done a phenomenal job atop the lineup. He’s slashing .339/.383/.518 with six extra-base hits in 60 plate appearances and credits hitting in front of Kyle Schwarber.
“Hitting in front of that caliber of bat is awesome,” Bader said. “I think when you have a really good bat behind you, it changes the mentality of the pitching staff.”
“Honestly, hitting leadoff has been awesome,” Bader added. “I’m just trying to keep the spot warm until Trea comes back, and I’ve enjoyed it.”
Reyes receives MVP honors
Earlier today, Minor League Baseball announced its Double-A All-Stars and awards — and Phillies prospect Felix Reyes took home hardware.
The 24-year-old, who spent almost the entire season with Reading, was named Eastern League Most Valuable Player.
In his fifth professional season, Reyes broke out in a big way. He hit .335 with 15 homers and 67 RBIs, posting a .937 OPS over 95 games.
“He can really hit … and he’s a really good player,” Thomson said.
Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2020, Reyes finished just shy of the Minor League batting title, trailing only Rangers prospect Cody Freeman.
My take on Casty
Obviously, it was a hectic road trip — and Nick Castellanos’ comments to reporters only stirred the pot further.
After a few days to cool down, one key takeaway remains: Castellanos is clearly playing with a chip on his shoulder. And that hasn’t been a negative in the batter’s box.
Since the start of September — when he fully assumed the platoon role, he’s slashing .306/.333/.500 in 36 at-bats. He’s also excelled against right-handed pitching in that span, hitting .333.
With free agency ahead this offseason and his constant emphasis on staying focused on bringing a World Series championship back to Philadelphia, I see the storyline as a positive heading into October.
Wouldn’t it be something if, after all the controversy, Castellanos played a key role in a championship run?
As Philly fans have heard often: trust the process.
Tuesday preview
The Phillies open a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park against a red-hot Marlins club. Miami has won 10 of its last 11 under first-year manager Clayton McCullough.
The Marlins, who sit four games out of the last Wild Card spot, are 2-4 against Philadelphia this season.
They’ll send out right-hander Edward Cabrera (7-7, 3.57 ERA). The 27-year-old is making his first start since Aug. 30 after an elbow sprain landed him on the IL.
In his lone start against the Phillies, back on June 19, Cabrera went 6 ⅓ innings, allowing just two hits and one run in a 2-1 Phillies win.
His numbers at Citizens Bank Park, though, haven’t been as sharp. In three starts, he’s posted a 4.91 ERA, allowing 16 hits in 14 ⅔ innings.
His last outing at The Bank? Six earned runs in just four innings.
For the Phillies, it’ll be the ever-reliable Cristopher Sánchez (13-5, 2.66 ERA). The southpaw gutted through his last outing in Los Angeles, rough early but finishing strong with seven innings of four-run ball.
Sep 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
In what’s likely his final start of a Cy Young-caliber season, the Phillies should feel good about their chances of securing the coveted first-round bye.
With a win and a Dodgers loss (to Arizona), they’ll clinch an automatic bid to the National League Division Series.
Milan Lucic Latest In "Second Chances" For St. Louis Blues Under Doug ArmstrongMARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- The St. Louis Blues have been down this road before, and general manager Doug Armstrong is quite familiar with them. 
