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Our best NHL player props for Monday, March 2
Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.
Prop #1: Adam Fantilli Over 2.5 shots
-120 at BET99
Columbus Blue Jackets go-to center Adam Fantilli has only picked up 10 shots across his past 26 games despite recording a healthy 26 attempts. That 38.5% conversion rate is well below the 47.7% mark he posted through the first 52 games of the season, and there’s nothing scary about this matchup.
The New York Rangers rank below average in both shots allowed per game and Corsi For percentage at 5-on-5, and Fantilli is also one of the primary shooters on Columbus' No. 1 power-play unit.
Landeskog has been on the ice with MacKinnon for a healthy 265:15 of ice time this season, and the Avs have scored 6.79 goals per 60 minutes while also running wild at 5-on-5 with 58.0 Corsi For percentage and 56.6 expected goals percentage.
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Where to watch: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
Prop #3: Marco Kasper Over 0.5 points
+160 at BET99
Detroit Red Wings forward Marco Kasper is projected to skate on the No. 1 line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. Raymond paces the team in points, with Larkin ranking third, so this is an excellent opportunity for the 2022 eighth-overall pick.
Kasper is also finding his footing with seven points and 29 shots across his past 12 games. Plus, the Nashville Predators have surrendered the fifth-most goals per game.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Buffalo Sabres are in a position to add to their roster. At the time of this writing, the Sabres have a 35-19-6 record and are second in the Atlantic Division standings. With this and the Sabres looking to avoid extending their playoff drought to 15 years, they should not be afraid to make some moves.
One trade need that the Sabres could look to address is bringing in another forward to their middle six. Due to this, they are now being connected to an interesting forward from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Matthew Fairburn named Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann as an "ideal target" for the Sabres.
"McMann is the type of fast, forechecking winger who would fit on any of Buffalo’s lines. He’s also got some goal-scoring pop to his game and only makes $1.35 million per year," Fairburn wrote.
There is no question that McMann would be a nice addition to the Sabres' roster. The 6-foot-2 forward is currently in the middle of a strong season for the Maple Leafs. In 59 games this campaign with the Original Six club, McMann has recorded 19 goals, 13 assists, 32 points, and 133 hits. This was after he set career highs with 20 goals, 14 assists, 34 points, and 136 hits in 74 games this past season with the Maple Leafs.
When looking at how McMann has performed over the last two seasons with the Maple Leafs, it is clear that he would give the Sabres a nice mixture of secondary scoring and grit if acquired. This would be beneficial for the Sabres, but especially when the games get tougher during the playoffs.
Due to his ability to play both wings, the Sabres would be able to slot McMann in multiple spots in their lineup. Yet, the idea of a line with him, Josh Norris, and Josh Doan is an appealing one. Furthermore, he would give the Sabres another clear option for their power play because of his offensive skill.
Nevertheless, with the Sabres looking to get into the playoffs, it would make sense for them to bring in a forward like McMann. It will be interesting to see if they do just that.
Overall you have to be happy with the way the Pittsburgh Penguins played their first week back out of the 2026 Winter Olympic break. Despite not having captain Sidney Crosby in the lineup, they still earned five out of a possible six points to help maintain their place in the second playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division. While Saturday’s game against the New York Rangers produced a frustrating result, letting a 2-0 lead slip away against a bad team and losing yet another shootout, the way they responded on Sunday made it all pretty easy to let go. The important thing at this point is to just keep collecting points. They are.
Now they enter an important week for their season: Trade deadline week.
Yes, there are games to be played as well, and they really start to get into the meat of their tough March schedule, but it is also going to be fascinating to see how Kyle Dubas handles this week from a roster move perspective.
He has already been busy this season, having traded Tristan Jarry to the Edmonton Oilers for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round draft pick, acquiring Egor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets for second-and third-round picks, and then most recently trading defenseman Kulak to the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Samuel Girard and another 2028 second-round draft pick.
That is a lot.
There might still be more ahead.
The big questions to watch this week:
Does he make a move for another depth defenseman?
Does he try to acquire a center for the short-term with Crosby sidelined, or is he confident enough in the Penguins ability to win games and stay competitive until the captain returns?
Does he risk trading Anthony Mantha for what could be a big return, even though he has turned out to be a big part of this roster?
Does he trade Skinner to further add to the Jarry trade tree, while also creating an opportunity for Sergei Murashov to get a more permanent look and role in the NHL?
Does he find another impact player with term-remaining on their contract that fits in with the current young core?
We know he has a ton of draft pick capital to trade from, he has opportunities to acquire more if he trades from that, and we know the Penguins have an enormous amount of salary cap space to work with both this season and in future seasons.
There are a lot of possibilities here. My guess is there is at least one more trade of some importance before Friday. It is just a matter of what that looks like.
In between all of that there are games to deal with.
The week begins on Tuesday with a road game at the Boston Bruins. The Bruins have been wildly inconsistent all season and remain a tough team to get a read on. Their record is fine. Their underlying numbers are terrible and suggest a team that has overachieved.
David Pastrnak is one of the best players in hockey and the main guy they have to be concerned with, while Morgan Geekie has turned into a top goal-scorer (nobody saw that happening) and gives them a strong 1-2 punch offensively. But they have limited depth beyond those two and a defense that gets really thin as soon you get beyond Charlie McAvoy.
The Penguins always seem to struggle in Boston, and already lost there once this season having lost a 1-0 game back on January 11. They have just one regulation defeat since then, going 10-1-4 in the 15 games since, earning 24 out of a 30 possible points. That is an .800 points percentage.
The Penguins then return home for a three-game homestand that begins on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo has been the NHL’s best team record-wise since mid-December, and is coming off an impressive 6-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. They look for real and are going to be a very formidable opponent. The Penguins, however, have won the first two games of the season against Buffalo, outscoring them by a 9-4 margin. The first game was probably a little misleading with its 4-2 final score (the Sabres were arguably the better team in that game), but the Penguins response before the Olympic break was a thoroughly convincing win.
They then have another weekend back-to-back. The first of those games will be on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers kind of sunk out of the playoff race before the Olympic break and are now going into the NHL Trade Deadline as likely sellers. It remains to be seen what their roster will look like on Saturday, but I would not anticipate any major changes. This will be the fourth meeting of the season, with the Penguins have won two of the first three and collecting five out of a possible six points in those games. The past two games have been completely one-sided with the Penguins outscoring them by an 11-4 margin.
The Penguins then conclude the week on Sunday, book-ending it with another game against the Bruins, this time at home. Both teams will be playing the second half of a back-to-back, while the Penguins will have the advantage of not having to travel and already being at home.
On paper, this is a tough schedule. They have three games against likely playoff teams, but the Penguins have done extremely well in those matchups this season. Against teams currently in a playoff position, they are 12-5-7, good enough for a .645 points percentage. That would be a 105.7 points pace over an 82-game season. Against teams with a top-10 points percentage they are even better with a 9-3-3 record this season. They have been able to consistently raise their game and level of play against playoff teams and the top teams in the league.
Still, these are going to be some tough games. Given where the Penguins are in the standings, the cushion they have created for themselves and the fact they are still without Crosby for the time being, they pretty much need to just play .500 hockey to maintain things until Crosby returns. Anything that results in four or more points this week should be considered a win.
Lucas Raymond is on pace to average more than a point per game for the first time in his career.
With most of his points coming by way of assist, my Red Wings vs. Predators predictions see him picking up a helper against a weak defensive side.
Let’s dive deeper into my NHL picks for Monday, March 2.
Red Wings vs Predators prediction
Red Wings vs Predators best bet: Lucas Raymond Over 0.5 assists (-105)
Lucas Raymond has recorded an assist in 19 of his last 30 games against bottom-half defenses, consistently taking advantage of favorable matchups.
He has a great one on Monday, as the Nashville Predators rank 28th in goals against, conceding 3.44 per game.
They continue to struggle defensively, sitting 27th in 5-on-5 goals allowed over the last 10 games, and have also conceded a power-play goal in five straight.
Raymond leads the Red Wings in points at full-strength and on the power play, making him a prime candidate to take advantage.
Red Wings vs Predators same-game parlay
Dylan Larkin goes as Raymond goes. He’s hit the scoresheet in eight of the past 10 games when Raymond has picked up a point, which makes sense given they correlate on the top line and power play.
Moritz Seider shoots more on the road when Detroit doesn’t control the matchups. He generates a lot of his volume from the right point, where the Predators rank 27th in shots allowed over the last 20 games.
Red Wings vs Predators SGP
Lucas Raymond Over 0.5 assists
Dylan Larkin Over 0.5 points
Moritz Seider Over 1.5 shots on goal
Red Wings vs Predators odds
Moneyline: Red Wings -105 | Predators -115
Puck Line: Red Wings +1.5 (-275) | Predators -1.5 (+220)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+105) | Under 6.5 (-125)
Red Wings vs Predators trend
Lucas Raymond has assists in four of his last six games against Nashville. Find more NHL betting trends for Red Wings vs. Predators.
How to watch Red Wings vs Predators
Location
Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
Date
Monday, March 2, 2026
Puck drop
2:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN Detroit, FDSN South
Red Wings vs Predators latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Melbourne recently released a membership video that leaned into the cliches and the disappointment – one of the better executed and coherent offerings from the club in recent years. They were eight wins off finals last year. But they beat Brisbane at the Gabba, nearly beat Collingwood twice and ran top-placed Adelaide close. They lost half a dozen games by eight points or less.
Clippers vs Warriors best bet: Clippers moneyline (-125)
The Los Angeles Clippers are right on the Golden State Warriors’ heels in the West, sitting in ninth with a 28-31 record. The Clips pulled out a thrilling 103-102 victory over their Pacific Division rivals on January 5.
Ty Lue’s squad got back on track on Sunday with a huge victory over the Pelicans, and the Clippers have won three of their last five road games, beating a few good teams during that span, like the Timberwolves, Rockets, and Nuggets.
Golden State is still without Steph Curry, and it's 4-6 in its last 10, losing three of its previous four contests at home.
Clippers vs Warriors same-game parlay
Kawhi Leonard has turned back the clock, averaging 27.9 points per game. He’s stayed healthy, and it’s paid off.
The veteran has cashed the Over in points in two of his last three appearances, posting 30+ in both of those games.
Brook Lopez is one of the better shooting bigs in the NBA, averaging 1.5 makes on 4.2 attempts for a 35.2% clip. Lopez just drained 4 of 7 threes on Sunday against New Orleans, and he was also 2-for-7 last week against the Timberwolves.
Clippers vs Warriors SGP
Clippers moneyline
Kawhi Leonard Over 27.5 points
Brook Lopez Over 1.5 made threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: Jones Keeps Up
Derrick Jones Jr. has cashed the Over in points in five of his last six appearances.
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
By the second half of 2025, Brooks Baldwin had established a truly impressive launch angle at bat. | Brad Mills-Imagn Images
I really hate to keep beating the same drum, but I’m going to continue to be on the record as believing that the make-or-break aspect of the next would-be competitive era of White Sox baseball — the aspect that Rick Hahn and friends utterly failed at from 2017-19 — is going to be whether they can find at least a couple All-Stars or solid starters out of the scrap heap. In other words, unexpected help that picks up the slack when all of the prospects aren’t magically good at the same time the moment they hit the big leagues — a concept that Rick Hahn always seemed a little bit challenged by.
As I’ve blabbed about a million times before, the Cubs don’t win in 2016 without Jake Arrieta. In Houston José Altuve was barely a Top 100 prospect, Dallas Keuchel never came close to sniffing a prospect list, and Marwin González was a critical cog in their championship roster. The Orioles may have blown their shot, but they wouldn’t have even had one if they hadn’t gotten more than 500 extra-base hits from the previously-anonymous Anthony Santander and Cedric Mullins over a five-year stretch.
Things look more promising for the Sox this time around. When the decision was made to tear down the core that brought home the 2021 AL Central crown, nobody knew that Shane Smith was going to be in the plans as a Top 3 starter, and I can’t think of another Sox prospect who’s ever rebounded from “seems like a bust” to “possibly a superstar” like Colson Montgomery.
Over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to be identifying and breaking down five players on the Sox roster who could potentially be those unexpected building blocks — and what it means for the team if it ever comes to fruition.
Let’s get straight to the point here. I want you to look at an assortment of hand-picked stats from three young Sox players, measured from July 3-onward last year.
Player A, as you’ve probably gathered from the massive slugging number and perhaps conspicuous cutoff date, is Colson Montgomery. Player B probably isn’t hard to pin down as Kyle Teel, who’s probably second to Montgomery in terms of excitement generated for future Sox teams, and whose numbers are particularly exciting for a solid receiver behind the plate.
Player C, though? That’s Brooks Baldwin, who was called back up to the majors on July 1 last season and proceeded to hold his own with the best of the Sox young talent the rest of the way (albeit with a bit less playing time). It’s not an exaggeration to say that he came as close to matching Montgomery’s absurd second-half output as anybody else on the Sox, especially when you look at the batted-ball metrics.
Interesting! Very Interesting!
Let’s turn this into a quick deep-ish dive on what exactly happened between his initial demotion in May and final recall to Chicago in July. I found a real short answer: He figured out how to hit fastballs in the air instead of on the ground.
In fact, I wrote this entire article before I realized video existed of the kid going oppo-taco on a Spencer Strider fastball. The same Spencer Strider whose entire shtick is, hey, you can’t hit me because I consistently throw a four-seamer up in the zone faster than you can blink.
Baldwin’s bat speed isn’t elite, but it’s not unplayable either. Even when he’s struggled, he’s made solid contact, posting above-average exit velocities at every measured level. When he came back from Charlotte at the beginning of July, all of that hard contact suddenly started going places where it could do actual damage. His overall fly ball percentage jumped from 30% to 48% after that call-up!
I’m pretty embarrassed I didn’t notice it before. It didn’t take a lot more diving to locate the specific place of improvement, either.
The game is largely moving away from traditional fastballs, but pitchers are always going to have to throw them. The key for Baldwin is to avoid getting himself out on breaking stuff. There are a solid number of solid big-leaguers who make a living off of hammering fastballs. It’s plenty conceivable that Baldwin could become one of them.
The flip side is that Baldwin’s tendency to chase is still worrisome. Even after he started being awesome against heaters (I specifically love how he took his average launch angle against sinkers from a virtually flat one degree all the way up to 16, solidly in line drive territory) he still offered at pitches out of the zone at a rate near the bottom of the league. Damage against fastballs doesn’t matter if pitchers can spam breaking balls and offspeed pitches and get away with it most of the time.
Still, there’s still a much wider range of outcomes with Baldwin than many of us are giving him credit for. Defensive metrics have panned his work pretty much across the board, but he’s plenty fleet of foot, ranking in the 82nd percentile for Baseball Savant’s sprint speed metric. It also thinks he has a solid enough arm, one that will play all across the diamond even if it’s nothing special. Contrasted with someone like Lenyn Sosa, whose lack of lateral speed and overall athleticism put a hard cap on his defensive ceiling, Baldwin still has room for improvement. This is not the guy who has the tools of a negative defender.
Now, to zoom out of the nitty-gritty. Let’s assume July-August-September Baldwin is what we actually get this season. Pencil in a 120 wRC+ switch hitter who isn’t better-than-average at any position, but can give any of your regulars a breather on any given day. He’s going to walk and strike out at rates around league average, and he’s got enough speed to do some damage on the basepaths. Project it out over 500-odd trips to the plate, and you get a guy who might push 20-20 without even locking down a regular position.
In what world were the 2026 White Sox supposed to have a guy like that that we didn’t already know about?
Did I just accidentally describe peak Ben Zobrist when trying to come up with a comp for Brooks Baldwin? Maybe I did! So sue me. This is the thought experiment right here, guys. Does anyone expect every single one of the farm system’s ranked prospects to hit their ceilings any more than they did the last time? I’m sure one of these years, we’ll finally witness long-awaited glory from a rotation topped by Jon Rauch, Matt Ginter, and Dan Wright.
If the 2027 or 2028 White Sox are going to be competitive, it’s not going to be because of Teel, Edgar Quero, the Montgomerys, and Roch Cholowsky.
(Pause for dramatic effect)
That’s a lie! Of course it’s going to be because of them. A better way of putting that might be to say that if the 2027 or 2028 Sox want a shot at being 100-win juggernaut instead of a 92-win question mark or 84-win flop, it’s not going be because the top prospects clicked; it’s going to be because someone like Brooks Baldwin turned into a poor-but-not-necessarily-crazy-poor man’s Ben Zobrist, and nobody saw it coming. Nobody but us, of course.
It could just as easily be that Baldwin reverts to the 60 wRC+ hitter he was for the first 80-odd games of his big league career. It’s almost famously common knowledge by now that September stats have, broadly speaking, no real correlation with performance the following season. But hey, tell that to Lenyn Sosa in September 2024.
If Baldwin does anything in 2026 akin to how Sosa followed up on that scorching-hot September, there’s no telling how the calculus on this team’s roster might be changed seven months from now.
The 2026 NHL trade deadline is less than a week away, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are certainly a team to keep an eye on leading up to it. The Penguins have already made multiple trades this season, but they should not be done yet.
One area that the Penguins could look to improve is their center depth. Due to this, one player who could make a lot of sense for Pittsburgh to target is Boston Bruins center Matthew Poitras.
Poitras is a name to watch leading up to the deadline, as The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta recently reported that the Bruins are open to trading the 21-year-old forward. With Poitras still being young and having plenty of skill, he is the kind of player that the Penguins should consider taking a chance on.
If the Penguins brought in Poitras, he would give them another solid forward prospect to work with. He also has a decent amount of NHL experience, too, as he has recorded seven goals, 20 assists, and 27 points in 69 career NHL games over three seasons. However, with the Bruins having several centers, he has had trouble cementing himself as a full-time player in Boston.
Yet, a change of scenery could be exactly what helps Poitras take that next step. The potential for him to blossom into an impactful middle-six forward is there, and it is fair to wonder if he could do just that with the Penguins.
Poitras has appeared in 49 games this season with the Providence Bruins, where he has 10 goals and 31 points. This is after the 2022 second-round pick had 17 goals and 41 points in 40 games with Providence this past season. Overall, the young forward has shown promise in the AHL and could be a good player for the Penguins to add to their system because of it.
Rockets vs Wizards best bet: Kevin Durant Over 24.5 points (-120)
Kevin Durant has been a beast since the All-Star break, cashing the Over in points in four of six games.
The Houston Rockets superstar just torched the Magic for 40 last week, and then he went off for another 32 points on Saturday night against the Heat. Durant is averaging 28 PPG on the road this season, which is just above his season average of 26.2 points.
A homecoming for Durant will always provide some extra motivation, and he did score 23 against the Washington Wizards earlier in the campaign.
Rockets vs Wizards same-game parlay
Alperen Sengun is averaging 6.3 assists per game, and he’s cashed the Over in dimes in four of his last six games since the break. Sengun already dished out six assists against the Wizards earlier in the campaign, and Washington allows the second-most dimes in the Association.
Tari Eason isn’t a household name, but he’s proven to be a key piece for the Rockets lately, hitting the Over in four of his last five outings.
The 24-year-old had 11 rebounds on Saturday, and another eight last Thursday against the Magic.
Rockets vs Wizards SGP
Kevin Durant Over 24.5 points
Alperen Sengun Over 5.5 assists
Tari Eason Over 7.5 rebounds
Our "from downtown" SGP: Everybody Beats the Wiz
Houston has won six in a row against Washington, and they’ve covered the 15.5-point spread in back-to-back meetings.
Over/Under: Over 224.5 (-110) | Under 224.5 (-110)
Rockets vs Wizards betting trend to know
The Houston Rockets have hit the Game Total Under in 25 of their last 35 games (+14.00 Units / 36% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Rockets vs. Wizards.
How to watch Rockets vs Wizards
Location
Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Date
Monday, March 2, 2026
Tip-off
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
SCHN, MNMT
Rockets vs Wizards latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
While much of the attention through the first few weeks of Spring Training has been on the Braves pitching staff, the Braves offense has been the source of much success so far. Power has been on full display from just about everyone, from newcomers such as Mike Yastrzemski to emerging prospects like John Gil. Of course, the mainstays are also getting in on the fun, including Austin Riley. Riley went deep for the second time on Sunday, and has looked locked in so far this Spring. If Riley can return to his 2022-2023 form, the Braves offense can be among the best in baseball once again.
Braves made their first round of cuts, including reliever Hunter Stratton and utilityman Nacho Alvarez. Most of the cuts were to free players up to join their respective WBC clubs.
Feb 26, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
“I’ve only been here for four years, and you’re already talking about this?” Freeman said. “That makes me happy because that means I’ve done my job well.”
Consider this a bonus daily question to answer in the comments below: What cap should Freeman wear when he’s inducted into the Hall of Fame?
Start your Monday off by seeing the reception Shohei Ohtani received when arrived in Osaka for Japan’s final two tuneups before the World Baseball Classic, from Theo DeRosa at MLB.com.
Speaking of World Baseball Classic news, old friend Ryan Yarbrough was added to the United States roster for pool play, replacing Twins pitcher Joe Ryan. Yarbrough pitched for the Dodgers in parts of the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and is currently with the Yankees.
The Vancouver Canucks (18-24-7) return to Rogers Arena on Monday when they take on the Dallas Stars (36-14-9). For the Canucks, they will have their eyes on snapping a five-game losing steak, which started back on January 31. As for the Stars, it is full steam ahead as they have eight-straight.
As the trade deadline approaches, the rumour mill continues to swirl around Vancouver. Tyler Myers has sat out the last two games while players like Evander Kane and Teddy Blueger have continually been mentioned in trade rumours. With the way this season has gone, Monday could very well be the final game for some of the Canucks roster.
Shifting to the game itself, Vancouver needs to have a stronger effort than they did on Saturday. While the Canucks were able to generate shots, most chances in the offensive zone were one-and-done. Vancouver also has to be more aware as they gave up far too many odd-man rushes in Saturday's loss.
Players To Watch:
Center Elias Pettersson:
The big question heading into Monday is how will Elias Pettersson respond? Not only was he benched for the final half of the third period on Saturday, but he was called out by Adam Foote who made it clear he needs to play better. With no goals in his last 13 games, Pettersson needs to find a way to step up and show that he can be a valuable part of the future.
Jamie Benn:
Could Monday be the final time Jamie Benn plays an NHL game in British Columbia? It is possible as the 37-year-old Victoria-born forward faces the Canucks for the final time this season. If this is the end for Benn, he will go down as one of the provinces best players as in 1,229 games, he has scored 400 goals while recording 979 points.
Nov 20, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn (14) defends against Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland (8) in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Vancouver Canucks (18–34–7):
Points:
Elias Pettersson: 13–22–35
Filip Hronek: 5–27–32
Jake DeBrusk: 13–15–28
Brock Boeser: 12–14–26
Evander Kane: 10–16–26
Goaltenders:
Thatcher Demko: 8–10–1
Kevin Lankinen: 7–20–4
Nikita Tolopilo: 3–3–2
Jiří Patera: 0–1–0
Dallas Stars (36-14-9):
Points:
Mikko Rantanen: 20-49-69
Jason Robertson: 33-35-68
Wyatt Johnston: 32-31-63
Miro Heiskanen: 7-41-48
Roope Hintz: 15-29-44
Goaltenders:
Jake Oettinger: 24-10-4
Casey DeSmith: 12-4-5
Game Information:
Start time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
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, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 26: T.J. Rumfield #64 of the Colorado Rockies greets Braxton Fulford #37 after hitting a two-RBI home run during the eighth inning of the spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium on February 26, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First baseman T.J. Rumfield’s life took a turn on January 28, 2026, when he found himself traded to the Colorado Rockies:
The Rockies announced today they have acquired Minor League 1B T.J. Rumfield from the New York Yankees in exchange for RHP Angel Chivilli. pic.twitter.com/0NfWWaJIk5
Rumfield was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021 and was traded to the New York Yankees in November of that year. He was successful in the Yankees farm system, even earning a Gold Glove in 2023, but between Paul Goldschmidt and Ben Rice, it was clear there was not place for him on the Yankees roster.
A Yankees surplus fit a Rockies area of need following their decision to DFA Michael Toglia last winter.
President of baseball operations Paul DePodesta sent RHP Angel Chivilli to the Bronx in return for Rumfield, who learned about the trade while preparing for spring training at their complex in Tampa, Florida.
“I got a call from our farm director, Kevin Reese, with the New York Yankees,” Rumfield said. “He asked me if I was at the field, and I told him ‘No,’ and he said, ‘Well, you’re gonna have a new address’ and that sort of thing. So that’s basically how that happened. And I basically picked myself up, moved from Tampa all the way out here to Arizona.”
Settling in with a new team
So far, Rumfield is fitting in with a rebuilding Rockies.
“It’s been going good,” he said. “I feel like all the guys are super welcoming, and everybody’s talking to each other in the game, communicating. I feel like it’s just been a really welcoming environment.”
And although he’s admittedly new, what he’s seen so far is encouraging.
“From what I’m getting so far, it’s been a really positive environment,” Rumfield said. “I feel like we’re heading in the right direction, and everybody seems to be getting along, and we have a shared vision and focus.”
He’s had a successful spring training — more on that in a moment — but for Rumfield, it marks years of hard work coming together.
“I think it’s just a culmination of hard work over the course of my career,” he said, “like playing with the Yankees for last five seasons, being drafted by the Phillies. It’s just all those years of hard work finally coming to like a fruition.”
Looking ahead, he just wants to be a positive force: “I think it’s just trying to impact the Rockies in a positive way, like trying to win games and do that sort of thing.”
Manager Warren Schaeffer is a fan.
“I like a lot,” Schaeffer said. “I love his ABs. I like his homers — I think we all like his homers — but we all like his walks, too. He plays solid defense, which we don’t have. He hasn’t got a ton of action out there, but you can tell that he moves around well over there. I love his confidence, love the way he interacts with people. TJ is doing a good job right now.”
Interesting fact: Both Schaeffer and Rumfield are Virginia Tech alumni, and Schaeffer was quick to make the connection. “I believe the first time I got here,” Rumfield said, “I went to his office to introduce myself, and I think one of the first things we said was ‘Go Hokies,’” adding, “it’s nice to have some sort of familiarity.”
The Battle for 1B
The Rockies have struggled to find a viable first baseman since CJ Cron was traded. This year, however, they look to address that problem.
Actually, let me take a step back.
In the past, the Rockies would be searching for a first-base specialist, like the iconic Todd Helton, but with this front office, there’s more interest in player versatility. Currently, four players are competing for that position: Rumfield, Charlie Condon, Blaine Crim, and Troy Johnston. (Let’s set aside the utility players who could play first base.)
Of those four players, Rumfield (L) and Crim (R) are the least versatile while Condon (R) and Johnston (L) can play multiple positions.
Now, let’s consider the numbers. I know: Spring training stats are worthless. But right now, they’re all we have to go with, so let’s see what’s there with all relevant caveats applying, including the fact that Crim has been unable to play due to an oblique injury though you can read his “Ranking the Rockies” review here.
Rumfield: 14 AB; .357/.500/.1000; 3 HR; 0 SB
Condon: 13 AB; .538/.625/1.231; 3 HR; 0 SB
Johnston: 18 AB; .222/.333/.278; 0 HR; 1 SB
Obviously, Rumfield and Condon are not going to stay this hot, and Johnston is better than his spring training numbers show. In 2025, he had 112 ABs and finished the season slashing .331/.420/.750 with four homers and two stolen bases. Similarly, last season in 54 ABs, Crim slashed .241/.295/.556 with five home runs and no stolen bases.
If I were a betting person (and you know I’m not), I would expect Condon and Crim to start the season in Triple-A Albuquerque with Rumfield breaking camp with the Rockies as their primary first baseman with switch-hitting Edouard Julien as the RH platoon bat. The Rockies, then, will have to decide what happens to Johnston. Can they use him in a utility role, or would they send him to ABQ as well?
In the meantime, the competition at Salt River Fields is collegial.
“I think we talk to each other about, in general, the game,” Rumfield said.
“Whether we’re on the field talking about fielding or in the batting cage talking about hitting, it’s just all about sharing ideas because you never know if you pick something up from one guy and you can use that in the game,” he said.
“So it’s just picking your teammates brain, just constantly having conversations.”
This week on the internet
Trevor May has a strategy for pitching at elevation:
“It’s a complete overturn,” Ezequiel Tovar said of the revamp[ing] Rockies. “You have new faces. You have a new front office. You have new players in the clubhouse — a complete overhaul and change, a new mentality. But at the end of the day, we have to find ways to win games. We’re trying to find different methods to win games.” In the near term, look for Tovar at short for Team Venezuela in the WBC.
Patrick Saunders spoke with Rockies hitting coach Brett Pill about the strategy to improve hitting.
MLB Network has been visiting all MLB teams at their spring training homes. I thought Paul DePodesta’s comments on “raising the floor” were worth sharing:
Sep 6, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Jake Bauers (9) celebrates his two run home run with catcher William Contreras (24) and first baseman Andrew Vaughn (28) against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Brewers ended last season with a prominent figure in their first base rotation that no one saw coming, who wasn’t even in the organization at the beginning of last season. But Andrew Vaughn, who seized the job after Rhys Hoskins (who has now departed the club) was injured and the Brewers traded Aaron Civale for him, figures to play a big part in 2026 as well. Vaughn presents one of the team’s biggest questions for this season: Can he come anywhere close to repeating his production from last season?
There are a couple of other players who figure to man first base for the Brewers at some point this season, one of whom may be hoping to get a significant — and probably final — opportunity with the major league club. Let’s check out the names in play for games at first base this season, and take a brief glance toward the future.
Andrew Vaughn
We’re all familiar with Vaughn’s story by now. No. 3 pick in the 2019 draft. A top 20 overall prospect. Debuted two years later at 23. Topped 15 homers in each of his first four seasons. But his progress stagnated fairly quickly, and as an offensive player, Vaughn appeared to have peaked early — his best OPS+ to date was in 2022, his second year, when he hit .271/.321/.429 with 17 homers in 134 games. Add to it that Vaughn was first used in the outfield by the White Sox — where he should absolutely not have been playing — and was then moved to first base, where he didn’t grade out particularly well defensively. His start in 2025 was so bad that Chicago demoted him to the minors, and then took the opportunity to send him to Milwaukee for Civale.
At the time of the trade, Vaughn didn’t figure to play into the Brewers’ plans. Hoskins was healthy, and Vaughn had given no reason to play him. He was only 27, but it looked like his career was in jeopardy. But getting out of Chicago turned out to be a very good thing for Vaughn: he showed some life at Triple-A Nashville, and when Hoskins got hurt just after the Fourth of July, Vaughn got his opportunity and did not disappoint.
In his first 33 games with Milwaukee, Vaughn hit .325/.394/.600, hit six doubles and nine homers, and knocked in a remarkable 35 runs. He showed a knack for getting the big hit, and “King Vaughn” quickly became a cult hero of sorts. While he cooled off a little in the last month-and-a-half of the season, Vaughn still posted a 142 wRC+ and 1.9 fWAR in just 64 games as a Brewer.
The question now is whether those 64 games were a blip or whether Vaughn is a good offensive player who needed to get out of a bad situation in Chicago. He has shown an ability to hit over his career, but in four-plus years with the White Sox, he had an OPS+ under 100 (97). That’s a long track record, and the major reason to be skeptical of his one-third-of-a-season in Milwaukee. That skepticism is apparent in Vaughn’s projections; for example, ZiPS projects Vaughn for a 100 wRC+ (20 homers, but just a .244/.305/.413 batting line) and 0.5 WAR. Others are similar.
But the optimistic take is that the wake-up call of getting sent to the minors, plus a better coaching staff in Milwaukee, has unlocked Vaughn’s significant bat-to-ball skills. One way this is apparent is in Vaughn’s walk rate, which jumped from 3.6% to 9.4% between his time in Chicago and Milwaukee last season; the 9.4% walk rate he posted in Milwaukee would have been a career high over a full season. Vaughn also wasn’t, apparently, a beneficiary of good luck last season: he really was scalding the ball. There’s a ton of red on his 2025 Statcast page, and maybe he was just on a heater, but he wasn’t getting bloop singles or benefitting from bad defense.
That’s the biggest reason for optimism here, and he’s off to a good start this spring: he is hitting .429/.529/.643 through five games.
Jake Bauers
Another player who needs to prove that late-season improvements were for real is Vaughn’s backup/platoon mate, Jake Bauers.
Bauers was another highly regarded prospect — he was in the top 50 in Baseball America’s 2018 rankings — but he was never able to come through on his promise after debuting in 2018 and has bounced around the league ever since. The Brewers, with whom he landed in 2024, are his fifth major league team.
Pat Murphy seemed to take a liking to Bauers in 2024; he had a good, reliable glove at first base and had enough pop that he could run into a ball, making him a good option off the bench. But the overall numbers still weren’t great: despite 12 homers in only 346 plate appearances, Bauers hit just .199, had an 84 OPS+, and had -0.4 WAR according to Baseball Reference.
But he stuck around in 2025, and his overall numbers improved in 2025, and much of those improvements came after a stint on the IL that caused him to miss about a month between late July and late August. After returning, though, Bauers smoked the ball: he hit .321/.433/.500 with four doubles, two homers, and 10 RBIs in 67 plate appearances between his return on August 23 and the end of the season. That carried into the postseason; he was 4-for-13 (.308) with a double and a homer in five postseason games.
Were his late-season adjustments real? Bauers looked like a real threat in the postseason when hardly anyone else on the team was hitting. He has the tools to be a solid offensive player if he’s figured something out: he has a solid .179 isolated power number over the last three seasons, and should be a source of homers for the club, even in limited duty.
Bauers also offers the Brewers flexibility in one other respect: while he is by no means a good outfielder, he is capable of playing there, and indeed appears to be a preferred defensive option in left field to the aging Christian Yelich at this point.
For now, Bauers and Vaughn are likely platoon at first. Bauers posted a .769 OPS against right-handed pitching in 2025 (and was given only 17 plate appearances against lefties) while Vaughn crushed lefties, with an .859 OPS (and just .661 against right-handers).
Tyler Black
Tyler Black is doing everything he can to get a job this spring, but it’s very possible that it won’t be entirely up to him. Strong minor league seasons in 2022 and 2023 got Black into top 100 prospect lists heading into 2024, but a lack of opportunities and an offensive step back at Triple-A Nashville have hurt his stock. And while he did get a brief major league debut in 2024, Black has appeared in just 23 games over the past two seasons. Now he’s 25, and it feels like if the Brewers don’t see something from him in a sustained way at the major league level, he might be on his way out of the organization.
Black’s superpower is a fantastic batter’s eye. He’s got a 15.7% walk percentage in five minor league seasons, and that’s translated to the majors (in an admittedly tiny sample size), where he’s walked 12 times in 70 plate appearances (17.1% rate). But Black doesn’t boast the kind of power you’d like from a major league first baseman: while he’s a good contact hitter, he has just average power, with 42 homers in 386 minor league games (and a career high of 18). He hit just five home runs in 2025, one of which came while he was rehabbing at the Arizona Complex League.
But back to this spring: it’s only been four games, but he’s 8-for-12 with four extra-base hits (two doubles, a triple, a homer) in 13 plate appearances. Of course, all of those at-bats came in February, when pitchers aren’t exactly locked in, but it seems like Black is making a statement: “Please don’t forget about me.”
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to see where Black figures into the Brewers’ plans, barring an injury to Bauers. He has played third base in the minors, but if he were a viable defensive option there, the Brewers would likely not have signed Luis Rengifo. All accounts are that his defense at third is not a viable major league option; his future is likely at first base or in one of the outfield corners.
If a Brewer regular does get injured, Black is likely to be one of the primary alternatives: he might get the first call with an injury to an outfielder, a first baseman, or to designated hitter Christian Yelich. Obviously, we hope no one gets injured, but Black is still intriguing enough that many fans — myself included — would like to see him get an extended run in the majors to see what he can do. Whether it happens this season or not is a major question, but as Black approaches his 26th birthday in late July, he may be running out of time with the Brewer organization.
Who might be coming next?
Beyond Black, the Brewers have several intriguing minor league hitters who are either already playing first base or may end up there. Very quickly:
Luke Adams was drafted in the 12th round in 2022 out of high school, and in his first three full seasons as a Brewer minor leaguer, he has shown off an incredible amount of patience: if Black’s 15.7% minor league walk percentage is impressive, what does that make Adams’ Soto-like 17.6% walk rate? Adams’ power needs to develop — he’s hit 11 home runs in each of the last three seasons, though he did that in significantly fewer games in 2025 than in the two seasons prior — but if he can develop into his considerable 6-foot-4 frame, he could be a major league player.
The only other two players I’m going to mention here are both considered third basemen at this point, but may or may not stick there. The first is last year’s first-round pick, Andrew Fischer. Fischer (who hit a bomb in Saturday’s spring training game) was one of the best college hitters in the country in 2025 and then hit .311/.402/.446 in his professional debut in 19 games at High-A Wisconsin. His offensive game is tantalizing, and he could progress quickly through the Brewers’ system. He figures to start at Double-A Biloxi this season. He might be able to stick at third base, but given how much middle-infield talent exists in the Brewers’ minor league system at this point, a move to first might be down the line.
Defensively, Brock Wilken is in the same boat. He’s been playing exclusively third base in the Brewers’ system, but while he’s viewed as capable there, it doesn’t figure to be one of his strengths. Wilken had an impressive season in 2025, after his 2024 season was derailed by a pitch to the face in April of that season. In 2025 at Double-A Biloxi, Wilken played only 79 games but hit 18 homers and 17 doubles in just 344 plate appearances; he also walked a whole bunch, and put together a .226/.387/.489 batting line. The Brewers started Wilken at first base in their spring training contest on Monday, so even though he’s played exclusively third in the minors, they’re obviously starting to think about him as a first baseman. He figures to start at Triple-A Nashville and could conceivably make a major league debut this season.
Happy March, everyone! It feels like Spring Training only just got started, but we’re already at World Baseball Classic week as the games get underway on Thursday March 5th. It’s crazy to think that we were just complaining how it felt like winter would never end, and now we’re in the same month that will se MLB games return at last!
We’ve got some fun tidbits to get your week started, as Aaron Judge shares his committment to bringing a WBC victory home for Team USA, while Shohei Ohtani was busy dazzling Japanese fans with his batting practice as he prepared for the big event.
Plus, a little look at the likely lineups for Opening Day (never too soon to get excited), and the Cardinals have decided to stick with Oliver Marmol for at least another two years.
Fantilli Over 2.5 shots
Landeskog Over 0.5 assists
Kasper Over 0.5 points
