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Report: Angels slugger Mike Trout is expected to be activated off the injured list on Friday

CLEVELAND — Mike Trout is expected to be activated off the injured list on Friday before the Los Angeles Angels face the Cleveland Guardians, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on Thursday on condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced.

The Angels have an open roster spot after Matthew Lugo was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday.

Trout hasn’t played since April 30, when he left the game against the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning with soreness in his left knee eventually diagnosed as a bone bruise. The three-time American League MVP had two operations last year on the knee after tearing his meniscus.

The 33-year-old Trout has missed 26 straight games after playing in the Angels' first 29 this season. The Halos (25-30) are beginning a six-game trip and have dropped five straight.

Trout was hitting .179 with nine home runs, 18 RBIs and a .727 OPS before being placed on the injured list. He did some base running and faced a minor league pitcher during the Angels' recent series at home against the New York Yankees.

Trout has missed 404 of the Angels’ 664 games - almost 61% - since May 17, 2021, when he tore his calf muscle and was sidelined for the rest of that season. This is the fifth straight year the slugger has had a stint of at least 25 games on the IL.

He missed five weeks of the 2022 season with a back injury, and all but one game after July 3 in 2023 after he broke a bone in his hand on a foul ball. Trout played in 29 games last season before the meniscus injury.

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Florida Panthers will face Edmonton Oilers in Stanley Cup Final rematch

The 2024 Stanley Cup Final, the series so nice we’re playing it twice.

That’s the result of the two conference finals that ended over the past couple evenings.

First, it was Florida punching their ticket to the Final with a 5-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday night in Raleigh.

Then on Thursday, the Oilers completed their five-game series win over the Dallas Stars with a 6-3 victory at American Airlines Center.

As if last season’s seven-game marathon wasn’t entertaining enough, now we get to do it all again, and it’s very possible that both teams are even better this year than they were in 2024.

During the regular season, the Panthers and Oilers met twice, once in the other’s barn.

Florida won both games, a pair of exciting, one-goal affairs.

The first meeting was in Edmonton back in December, a 6-5 Panthers win, and then again in Sunrise in late February by a final score of 4-3.

In the first game, Florida came back from a 4-2 second period deficit, scoring three goals in the third while breaking a pair of ties to earn the two points.

There was no comeback needed when the two Finalists met in South Florida a couple months later, as Florida scored first and never trailed, again outscoring the Oilers in the third period en route to the win.

Leading the Panthers in points during the two games against Edmonton was Anton Lundell, with a goal and four assist.

Each of Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad each logged three points against the Oilers: Verhaeghe scored twice and Reinhart once, while all of Ekblad’s points were assists.

Looking at how each team has done so far during the postseason, it’s no big surprised they are facing each other again.

The Cats and Oilers are the two highest scoring teams in the postseason, with Edmonton averaging 3.93 goals per game and Florida putting up 3.88.

Defensively, Florida has been the stingiest team in the playoffs, allowing just 2.29 goals per game. Edmonton isn’t far behind, giving up 2.80.

The power plays for each team are ranked 1-2, with the Oilers executing at a 29.0% success rate and the Panthers holding a respectable 23.2%.

Florida’s penalty kill is now the top unit in the playoffs, having successfully wiped-out 87.9 percent of their opponents power plays.

Edmonton’s kill hasn’t been nearly as effective, operating at a 66.7% success rate.

We’ll see how all this plays out when the Stanley Cup Final begins next week.

Game 1 is set for Wednesday, June 4 in Edmonton.

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Photo caption: Jun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) defends against Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) during the third period in game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

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Knicks stave off elimination with 111-94 win over Pacers in Game 5 of Eastern Conference Finals

The Knicks led from start to finish and by as many as 22 points, fighting off elimination in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals with a 111-94 win over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Jalen Brunson set the tone early in the first quarter, making two quick buckets and finding Mitchell Robinson for an alley-oop jam. Karl-Anthony Towns (knee contusion), who was listed as questionable, missed his first couple of shots but hit a three-pointer and scored inside to ignite the Knicks. Brunson then made back-to-back three-pointers, giving him 12 points already, as the Knicks took a 23-12 lead with 4:23 left in the first quarter.

Indiana closed the quarter on a 10-2 run as New York held onto a 27-23 lead. Brunson had 14 points on an efficient 6-for-9 shooting, while Tyrese Haliburton had just two points (0-for-2 shooting) and the Pacers shot 36.8 percent (7-for-19) as a team. The Knicks won the turnover battle (one to the Pacers' three), but were outrebounded 12-10.

-- With Brunson on the bench, Towns opened the second quarter aggressively with a floater followed by an and-one layup. Despite hobbling, Towns grabbed the team's first offensive rebound, scored again, and then found an open Miles McBride for three on the next possession to go up 37-32. Towns and the Knicks grew the lead to 50-36 with contributions from Landry Shamet and Josh Hart. But the Pacers didn't fold, as Jarace Walker and Benedict Mathurin both hit three-pointers to cut the deficit to single-digits before the half.

New York outscored Indiana by seven points in the second quarter, taking a 56-45 lead into halftime. Towns had 17 points and 10 rebounds at the break (+17 in 19 minutes), while Brunson was held scoreless in the second quarter. Haliburton didn't make a basket, scoring just four points on foul shots. New York took a commanding 25-18 lead in the rebound column, but turned it over six times in the second quarter.

-- Brunson came out of the locker room firing with the team's first eight points of the third quarter and Robinson secured an offensive rebound plus the putback to go up 16 points. Towns and OG Anunoby extended the lead to 72-52, their biggest lead of the series. However, turnovers continued to be a problem for NY and then Towns picked up his fourth foul with 6:24 left in the third quarter, forcing him to the bench.

-- Down 74-62 with about four minutes remaining in the third, Rick Carlisle opted for the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy on Robinson, who missed both free throws. Tom Thibodeau didn't let Indiana keep that up, subbing in Precious Achiuwa for Robinson with Towns in foul trouble. Looking to stop the Pacers' mini-run, Brunson drilled a pull-up three-pointer, plus the foul on former Knick Obi Toppin, to give him 16 points in the third quarter alone and 30 total for the game. Achiuwa's layup and McBride's jumper capped off a 12-0 NY run and pushed the lead to 86-64.

Mikal Bridges nailed a mid-range jump shot with 1.1 seconds left in the third to give the Knicks a 90-73 lead heading into the fourth quarter. New York won the third quarter, 34-28. Halliburton's quiet night continued with just one basket in the third quarter.

-- T.J. McConnell, Pascal Siakam and Walker tried to step up with Halliburton on the bench, helping the Pacers go on a 9-0 run early in the final frame and cut into the Knicks' lead. Brunson and Towns had enough left in the tank to keep it going, as the duo both scored to go up 106-90 and become the first pair of teammates since the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in 2002 to each have 20+ points in the first five games of a conference finals.

The benches emptied for the final minute and a half, as New York held on for the 111-94 win and forced a Game 6. The Knicks held the Pacers to under 100 points, which is the first time Indiana has been held under the century mark in these playoffs.

-- Towns finished a game-high +26 with 24 points on 50 percent shooting, 13 rebounds, and three assists. Bridges had 12 points, Anunoby had 11, and Josh Hart had 12 points off the bench. Halliburton was held to eight points on 2-for-7 shooting. The Knicks won the rebound (45-40) and turnover battles (15 to the Pacers' 19). Indiana shot just 40.5 percent from the field, while New York went 49.4 percent shooting.

Game MVP: Jalen Brunson

The star guard stepped up in the must-win contest, doing all he could to keep the Knicks' season alive. He finished with 32 points on 12-for-18 shooting with five rebounds and five assists.

Highlights

What's next

Game 6 in Indiana between the Knicks and Pacers will take place on Saturday, May 31 at 8:00 p.m.

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Former Devil Gets Another Chance To Capture Stanley Cup With Oilers

Former New Jersey Devils forward Adam Henrique will get another chance to capture the Stanley Cup. 

Now a member of the Edmonton Oilers, Henrique's team defeated the Dallas Stars on Thursday night by a final score of 6-3 to punch their ticket to their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final. 

The 35-year-old picked up a primary assist on the Oilers' third goal in their series-winning game. 

In the regular season, Henrique earned 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists). In the playoffs, he earned six points in 16 games. 

It marks the second straight season the Oilers find themselves battling the Florida Panthers for the ultimate prize, as Matthew Tkachuk and his teammates defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 on Wednesday night. 
Game 1 between the Oilers and Panthers is scheduled for Wednesday, June 4, in Edmonton. 

Henrique spent the first eight seasons and 455 games of his career with New Jersey. On May 25, 2012, he etched his name in Devils' history with his overtime goal against the New York Rangers to secure New Jersey's spot in the Stanley Cup Final. 

The Devils eventually traded him to the Anaheim Ducks with Joe Blandisi and New Jersey's third-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft for Sami Vatanen and a conditional draft pick on Nov. 30, 2017. After spending seven seasons in Southern California, Henrique was dealt to Edmonton by the Tampa Bay Lightning for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 or 2026 NHL Draft in Mar. 2024.

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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Mets Prospect Roundup: Blade Tidwell strikes out 11, Jonah Tong has quality start

With the bevy of prospects in the Mets minor league system, here's how they did at the various levels ...

Triple-A Syracuse

It was the Blade Tidwell show. The young right-hander dominated the Iowa Cubs, pitching 5.2 no-hit innings. In the sixth, Tidwell walked two batters before he was pulled for Dedniel Nunez, who allowed the runners to score. Tidwell's night finished throwing 97 pitches (60 strikes) across the 5.2 innings without allowing two runs on no hits and four walks. He struck out 11 batters and lowered his ERA to 3.97.

On the offensive side, Drew Gilbert finished 0-for-4 with a walk and run scored. Ronny Mauricio excelled, going 2-for-4 with his third home run of the season in the eighth inning.

Double-A Binghamton

The Rumble Ponies played two on Thursday and Jonah Tong was on the mound for Game 1. Tong struck out seven batters over six innings (82 pitches/46 strikes) while allowing just one run on three hits. However, Tong's command wasn't as sharp and it led to four walks. Still, Tong came away with his third win after the Rumble Ponies' 2-1 win over the Chesapeake BaySox.

Jett Williams went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run while Ryan Clifford went 1-for-2 with an RBI double and two walks.

In Game 2, Williams went hitless in three at-bats, but did draw a walk and scored a run. While Clifford went 1-for-3 with a walk, his only hit a solo shot the eighth of the season.

High-A Brooklyn

After Frankie Montas finished his second rehab start, Jonathan Santucci piggybacked off the veteran right-hander and had a great game.

Santucci pitched 5.1 scoreless innings while allowing just two hits, and two walks and striking out six batters. Over his last three outings, Santucci is 3-0 with a 0.59 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 17 strikeouts .

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Oilers' Jeff Skinner Scores First Career Playoff Goal After 15 Seasons

After 15 Seasons and 1,078 regular-season games, Edmonton Oilers left winger Jeff Skinner has finally scored his first career playoff goal on Thursday.

His goal gave Edmonton a 3-0 lead in the first period of Game 5 of their Western Conference final against the Dallas Stars. It wasn’t the prettiest goal he’s ever scored, but he certainly won’t mind. His tally gets the Oilers one step closer to advancing to the Stanley Cup final for a second-straight year.

It started with a puck battle in the corner of Dallas’ zone, where Skinner came out with the puck and attempted to execute a centring pass to Trent Frederic. The play was broken up and bobbled in front of the crease before it popped out onto Skinner’s stick. 

From the slot, the 33-year-old made no mistake, throwing it through Casey DeSmith’s five-hole. DeSmith was subbed in for Jake Oettinger as the Stars’ starting goaltender allowed two quick goals on two shots in the first seven minutes of the opening period.

This is Skinner’s second career playoff game. He was the next forward available for Edmonton after losing two right-wingers in Connor Brown and Zach Hyman. Hyman has been ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs as he requires a season-ending surgery.

Therefore, Skinner is playing on the left wing beside Adam Henrique and Frederic on the fourth line.

Ever since his playoff debut earlier in the post-season, he’s been a healthy scratch for Kris Knoblauch’s team.

Jeff Skinner scores a goal in Game 5 of the Edmonton Oilers' Western Conference final series against the Dallas Stars (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

His first playoff appearance came in Game 1 of the first round against the Los Angeles Kings. The Oilers lost that game 6-5 and nearly completed an incredible comeback. 

Skinner recorded a secondary assist in that game to cut the Kings' lead to 4-2. He played 11:12 of ice time and earned a minus-2 plus-minus rating.

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Seattle Kraken Hire Lane Lambert As New Coach

The Seattle Kraken's coaching search is complete.

Lane Lambert is the new coach of the Seattle Kraken and the first coaching hire for new GM Jason Botterill. Lambert gets a second crack at coaching an NHL team after leading the New York Islanders from 2022-23 to halfway through 2023-24.

"After conducting an extensive search, we're thrilled to announce Lane as our new head coach," Botterill told NHL.com's Kraken site. "We cast a wide net for suitable candidates. What impressed us throughout the interview process was Lane’s strategy and vision for this team. He was an integral part of the Capitals winning the Cup and the Islanders advancing to two straight Eastern Conference finals. We have full confidence in Lane to lead this team behind the bench."

With the Islanders, Lambert had a combined 61-46-20 record, including a 42-31-9 record in 2022-23 and a 19-15-11 record in 2023-24 before the Islanders replaced him with Patrick Roy. The 60-year-old guided the Isles to the first round of the playoffs in 2023, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games.

Lane Lambert (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

Lambert spent the 2024-25 season as an associate coach on Craig Berube's bench with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Before his time with the Islanders, he was an assistant coach on the Washington Capitals from 2014-15 to 2017-18, winning the Cup in 2018. He's also been an assistant coach for the Nashville Predators and the bench boss of the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals and WHL's Prince George Cougars.

"I'm so excited to become the head coach of the Seattle Kraken," Lambert said in the announcement. "When it came time to writing a new chapter, I couldn't think of a better fit. Seattle is an incredible sports town, and I’ve been impressed by the energy of the fans every time I’ve been there as a visiting coach. This team has a talented group of young players poised to take the next step and a core group of veterans with great leadership qualities."

The Melfort, Sask., resident played 283 career NHL games from 1983 to 1989 for the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and Quebec Nordiques. The right winger had 58 goals and 66 assists for 124 points.

Lambert and Botterill, the latter of whom was promoted to the GM role after Ron Francis was elevated to president of hockey operations, oversee a Kraken squad that finished seventh of eight teams in the Pacific Division with a 35-41-6 record. Despite making the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Kraken missed the following two post-seasons.

Under one season of now-former coach Dan Bylsma, the Kraken finished 16th in the NHL in goals-for with an average of 2.99, 24th in goals-against average at 3.20, 23rd in power-play percentage at 18.9 and 21st in penalty-kill percentage at 77.2.

That said, they have an intriguing mix of talent on the roster, including youngsters Matty Beniers, Shane Wright and Ryker Evans, and veterans Jared McCann, Brandon Montour, Vince Dunn, Chandler Stephenson and Jaden Schwartz.

Botterill said he wanted a coach who can build relationships with those players. 

"You have to have constant communication with your players," he told NHL.com. "I think it's important that it doesn't just always come from the head coach. The coach has to delegate, and Lane is deeply familiar with that. The coach has to make sure his assistants are interacting non-stop with the skills coach and strength coach, so you are all on the same page, delivering the same message to the players. You're looking for the head coach to be the CEO of the locker room."

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Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. reaches base three times in first rehab start with Double-A Somerset

Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. had his first rehab game with the Somerset Patriots on Thursday night, and it was a successful on at the plate and in the field.

Chisholm started at third base with the Patriots as the Yankees are looking to give him reps at the hot corner to give him and the team versatility in the infield. He played five innings in the field, all at third base.

Chisholm never played third base until he moved there when he was acquired by the Yankees at the trade deadline last season. He began the 2025 season at second base, but with the return of DJ LeMahieu and the season-long injury to Oswaldo Cabrera, the Yankees are giving themselves flexibility with their defensive alignment and lineups.

"[Manager Aaron Boone] told me he wanted me at third base. He really wanted me at third base. I'm a team guy. I'm here to win a ring. I'm not here to fight over positions," Chisholm said about playing third base after the game. "We've got some of the best players in the world on our team...I'm just here to help us win."

At the plate, Chisholm went 2-for-3 with a walk. He singled to right field in his first at-bat before walking in his second. In his third at-bat, Chisholm missed a home run by inches to dead center but had to settle for a double. George Lombard Jr. would drive in Chisholm with a triple.

The top Yankees prospect was 1-for-5.

Another Yankees prospect, Spencer Jones, made his return to the lineup after being sidelined with an intercostal injury he suffered earlier this month. Jones went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

On the mound, JT Brubaker had a great rehab start with the Patriots. Making his third minor league start, second for the Double-A affiliate, Brubaker threw 48 pitches (30 strikes) in four innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three batters. His ERA dropped to 1.35.

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Mets' Frankie Montas shows improvement in second rehab start with High-A Brooklyn

After a tough first rehab start with High-A Brooklyn, Mets right-hander Frankie Montas showed improvement in his second on Thursday night.

Montas pitched three innings (49 pitches/28 strikes), allowing two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out three. The 32-year-old was jumped for those two runs by Aberdeen in the first inning when he walked the leadoff man and allowed a double to put runners on second and third with no outs. Montas would settle in and get the next three batters out, but a groundout and sac fly allowed two runners to score.

From there, Montas would scatter runners over his final two innings.

It was an encouraging sight as Montas couldn't get out of the second inning in his first rehab start this past Saturday. In that start, he pitched just 1.1 innings while allowing two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out one. Montas was on a 30-35 pitch count (he threw 37), but the Mets were confident enough to let him get close to 50 pitches.

Manager Carlos Mendoza will likely give an update on Montas' status and potential next steps before the series opener with the Rockies on Friday.

While the Mets rotation has excelled in 2025 so far, the addition of Montas could give Mendoza an option to go with a six-man rotation. After signing with the Mets this offseason, Montas began the season on the IL with a lat injury during spring training.

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Dominant: Thunder posting numbers never seen before on way to NBA Finals

Dominant: Thunder posting numbers never seen before on way to NBA Finals originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The manner in which the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched their spot in the NBA Finals seemed fitting.

It was a blowout.

Those have been the story of the Thunder season.

There hasn’t been a team in NBA history with at least 12 wins by 30 points or more in a season — or with four such wins in a single postseason — until now. The Thunder are putting together one of the most dominant years in league history in terms of outscoring opponents. The most recent entry on that list: a 124-94 romp over Minnesota to clinch the Western Conference title, a score that probably could have been a lot worse if the Thunder were so inclined.

“This isn’t our goal,” Thunder guard, NBA MVP and West finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We didn’t start the season like we want to win the West. We want to win the NBA championship. Now we are a step closer to our goal and we’re happy about that. But it’s still four more games to go win, four really hard games to go win and we have to be the best version of ourselves for four nights to reach the ultimate goal.”

A look inside the numbers paints a picture of how dominant this season has been for the Thunder:

They’re winning by 12.5 points per game

The biggest point differential per game in NBA history, including playoffs, was posted by the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks — who outscored teams by 12.6 points per game.

The Thunder are winning by 12.5 per game when counting the regular season and the playoffs (the NBA Cup championship game, by league rule, doesn’t figure into any official stats that are kept).

That’s the second-biggest rate in league history, for now.

They have beaten 28 of the 29 other NBA teams by double figures at least once this season. The only team to avoid that fate against the Thunder was Golden State, which actually outscored Oklahoma City by an average of 4.7 points per game in their head-to-head matchups.

“They embody everything it means to be a team,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “And so, they deserve this. They deserve the opportunity that we have now. I couldn’t be happier for them because they invest so much in their own games, but they also invest so much in each other and in the team. And I just think it’s a really uncommon thing in professional basketball that they’ve built.”

The 30-point wins

There have been 13 games this season involving the Thunder that were decided by 30 points or more. They won 12 of them.

Minnesota absolutely throttled the Thunder in Game 3 of the West finals, winning by 42 points. It was a rare blip for Oklahoma City.

The Thunder have had a win by at least 30 points in every series — a 51-point win over Memphis in Round 1, wins by 43 and 32 points over Denver in Round 2, and now the 30-pointer that eliminated Minnesota in Round 3.

Oklahoma City’s eight 30-point wins in the regular season came against teams that all missed the playoffs; Toronto, Washington, Sacramento, Phoenix, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Utah. But to do it four times in the playoffs speaks to the ability the Thunder have to simply run away from quality opposition.

“They’re a really good team,” Minnesota star Anthony Edwards said. “Everyone here knows it. It’s no surprise to nobody here that this team is pretty good.”

80 wins

Oklahoma City is now at 80 wins this season, including playoffs. It’s the 15th time in NBA history that a team has won 80 in a season.

If the Thunder win the NBA title, they’ll finish with 84 wins — a total that only the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (88), 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (87) and 1996-97 Bulls (84) have reached.

“Happy for the moment, but this isn’t our goal,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “This isn’t the end of the road. … One more series to try to go win.”

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Los Angeles Dodgers acquire former All-Star reliever Alexis Díaz in trade with Cincinnati Reds

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired former All-Star reliever Alexis Díaz from the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday in a trade for minor league pitcher Mike Villani.

The Dodgers moved right-hander Evan Phillips to the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster for Díaz, who had a 12.00 ERA in six games for Cincinnati this season.

Díaz finished fifth in voting for NL Rookie of the Year in 2022, and he was chosen for the NL All-Star team in 2023 when he went 9-6 with a 3.07 ERA and 37 saves. He recorded 28 saves in 32 opportunities last season with a 1.30 WHIP, but he also began a decline that continued into this season.

Díaz lost his job as Cincinnati's closer last month, and he was demoted to Triple-A Louisville nearly a month ago despite making $4.5 million this season.

The 28-year-old Díaz is the brother of Mets closer Edwin Díaz.

Villani, a Long Beach State product, was the Dodgers’ 13th-round pick in last year’s amateur draft.

Phillips went on the injured list May 7 with elbow discomfort, and his recovery does not appear to be going well. Manager Dave Roberts said earlier this week that Phillips' inability to begin a throwing program was “a little concerning.”

Phillips is among of 14 Dodgers pitchers on the injured lis, a group making more than $100 million combined this season. The injured arms include starters Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki, and the relievers include Phillips, Kirby Yates, Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol.

Phillips was a key component of the eventual World Series champions' bullpen last year, and he earned 42 saves over the past two seasons.

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Minnesota Wild Youngster Is Going To Be Well-Paid This Summer — But It Shouldn't Be By The Sabres

Marco Rossi (Sergei Belski, USA TODAY Images)

The Buffalo Sabres have their own collection of restricted free agent players to deal with this summer -- most notably, defenseman Bowen Byram and left winger J.J. Peterka -- and although the Sabres have more than enough salary cap space to make a splash ($23.2 million, as per Puck Pedia), one looming RFA who is getting a lot of attention of late is one they should absolutely steer clear of.

We're talking about Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi. The 23-year-old Austrian had a solid season for Minnesota this year, setting new personal bests in goals (24), assists (36) and points (60), but there's a reason why his name has cropped up in media speculation: when the Wild had to put their best lineup together for their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Rossi was relegated to the fourth line, averaging only 11:08 of ice time. Rossi did post two goals and three points in six playoff games, but the prevailing sentiment is that he's going to be parting ways with the Wild either via trade, offer-sheet, or both.

Given that Rossi made a relatively-modest $863,334 this season, he's bound to get a considerable raise on his next deal. But why should the Sabres -- not exactly the most physically-imposing team in the NHL -- want to add a 5-foot-9 forward to the mix? Besides, Buffalo has its share of youngsters, and giving up the type of assets the Wild would want (a first-round draft pick and a decent prospect) does not seem to be a wise move for the Sabres.

No one is saying Rossi isn't talented. He's not close to his prime yet, and a 30-goal year certainly isn't out of the question for him in the future. But considering where the Sabres are in their competitve development, adding a youngster who couldn't be a meaningful part of an up-and-coming Wild team isn't a move that many legitimate playoff teams would make, at least in the short-term.

The Sabres need someone with more experience than Rossi can offer right now. They don't need to surrender picks and prospects when they've got youngsters in-house who should get a longer look at the NHL level. Let some other team take a chance on Rossi, as Buffalo doesn't need to take that risk at the moment.

Here's Why Oilers' Clutch Player Needs To Be A Free-Agent Target For SabresHere's Why Oilers' Clutch Player Needs To Be A Free-Agent Target For SabresIn their current playoff push, the Edmonton Oilers have received contributions from throughout the lineup. But one player -- albeit a currently-injured player -- is someone the Buffalo Sabres ought to be targeting when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The Sabres did have success with another Austrian native -- former star winger Thomas Vanek -- but in this case, they should be leaving well enough alone and focusing their efforts on acquiring a more proven commodity than Rossi. He's going to be well-compensated by one team or another this summer, but Rossi almost assuredly won't be coming to Buffalo. The risk/reward of adding someone who, for all we know, could take a backward or lateral step this coming season just doesn't make sense for the Sabres.

So put away those Buffalo jerseys with 'Rossi' on the nameplate. He's not going to be a Sabre, and that's not a bad thing for where Buffalo is in its development.