After two lower-body injuries in quick succession during the preseason, Philadelphia Flyers forward Denver Barkey is finally on the mend and trending towards a return on the team's upcoming three-game road trip.
Barkey, 21, first suffered a lower-body injury during the preseason against the Washington Capitals, and after missing a few days, returned to practice. While getting in a session wearing a no-contact jersey, Barkey tweaked his injury again, restarting the timer and putting him back on the shelf.
The young Flyers forward had been skating wearing the yellow no-contact jersey in recent days, but on Sunday afternoon's practice, Barkey traded in the yellow sweater for a regular orange one, signaling the next step in his recovery and road back to the lineup.
After Sunday's practice, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet acknowledged that Barkey could be an option for the road trip ahead, which starts on Monday night against Tampa Bay.
"Yeah, I think he'd be an option," Tocchet said of Barkey. "Like, I don't know if it's next game or whatever, but I think he's coming in a situation where he's an option."
With Barkey starting the season on injured reserve, the Flyers allocated the roster spot created by that designation to veteran enforcer Garrett Wilson, who signed a one-year contract with the Flyers last week, making him an available to dress and play for the NHL club if and when needed.
Carl Grundstrom, who cleared waivers at the end of training camp, went unclaimed and has remained with the team, bouncing up and down the lineup as a complementary checking winger.
It is currently too early to tell which player comes out of the lineup, and what roster moves are made, to activate Barkey and get him back on the ice, though the Flyers have flexibility when the time comes.
Barkey scored five goals, 12 assists, and 17 points in 43 regular season games for the Flyers last year in his first season of professional hockey, averaging 13:24 for the eventual playoff team.
The Buffalo Sabres unveiled their 2025-26 Atlantic Division banner before their home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks, something that young forward Jiri Kulich did not contribute a lot towards. In the second game of the season, the youngster made his first mark by scoring the game-winner in the Sabres 4-3 comeback win over the Hawks at KeyBank Center.
The 22-year-old Czech was filling in for the injured Josh Norris after he suffered an injury on opening night, but that opportunity lasted until November, when his season ended due to blood clot issues.
"I'm so happy for him. He was so frustrated late last year and watching us in the playoffs, and not being able to be part of it, and he was getting his career underway in the last 20 games of the year before." Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said "(It was) a huge setback. He spent a lot of time this summer trying to get his body and just his hockey back in the right place..... I think he embraces the fact that he's playing right now. That i t could have gone any direction."
Kulich has been used in a limited role during training camp, but the Sabres are depending on him and a number of their young players to take a step this season with Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram elsewhere, and Jason Zucker out injured. The Sabres, through two games, have received some contributions from rookie Konsta Helenius (1 goal) and Noah Ostlund (2 assists) against Columbus, but most of the scoring has come from members of the veteran core group.
Jack Quinn scored for the second time in as many games, while Tage Thompson, Mattas Samuelsson, and Rasmus Dahlin have each scored. For the Sabres to be able to continue on the positive track laid out last season by snapping their 15-year playoff drought, they will need to have their young forwards to provide enough secondary offense to take some of the burden off their core players.
Buffalo continues their five-game homestand on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 21: Camilo Doval #75 and Andrew Knizner #21 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates defeating the Boston Red Sox 3-2 at Oracle Park on June 21, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I’ll confess that I don’t know what the plan is for the San Francisco Giants. It was a lot easier when the nerdy front office telegraphed its statistical interests and preferred player profiles, but these 97-game losers are sort of inscrutable. High contact hitters? Sure. Sinker-slider pitchers with strikeouts and velocity secondary? Okay. Winning? Optional. It leaves me feeling a little uncertain about which way the team will go with most of its roster decisions and even how they might decide with their arbitration eligible players.
Andrew Knizner (5.090) — $2MM | ACTUAL: designated for assignment
Joey Lucchesi (5.047) — $2MM | ACTUAL: designated for assignment
Of course, both non-tendered players wound up back with the organization at some point in 2026 — Luccehsi in a Spring Training deal he opted out of when the Giants picked up Ryan Borucki and Knizner in a major league deal back in August to give depth to a depleted catcher corps. Supremely low stakes and low performance all around (these three players combined for +0.7 fWAR in 2025 and -0.4 in 2026), but it’s worth pointing out that being a Major League Baseball player isn’t easy. Fewer than 1,000 dudes a year are good enough to play it.
These arbitration eligible players amount to cases for the team to contemplate as they approach the offseason. They can always sign these players to a contract before anything becomes fraught. That’s where the MLB Trade Rumors formula provides insight. This is the general range if not exact dollar amount teams an player alike are starting with; arbitration-based salaries are based on recent MLB history, but also need. Sure, the team might need player X, but not at cost Y. Sometimes, cost Y is a virtual given, but player X might not be quite worth it — and that’s when you see non-tenders. A non-tender is a team giving up their exclusive “rights” to or “control” of a player, but it doesn’t mean team and player can’t negotiate anymore. And, of course, in addition to non-tendering or winding up in an adversarial arbitration hearing, a team and player can simply agree to a contract.
I mention that because the commentariat seems to think that will happen with one of the Giants’ potential arbitration cases. So, let’s get into these cases, ending each one with my own judgment about what the Giants should do. I used to describe these as “predictions” because I felt a little more confident about what the team’s goals were or what sort of player profiles interest them, but as I mentioned above, I have no idea what’s going on with the team day to day. They do need to improve, though.
My poor eyes did wind up popping out of my skull a little as I took a look at his end of the season Statcast. First, I’ll backup your skepticism with his Statcast charting from 2023-2026. Clear decline:
On the other hand, take a look at how his pitch arsenal compares to the rest of the sport:
For velocity:
#13 in sinker (98.2 mph) #1 in cutter (98.8 mph) #33 in slider (89.0 mph) #2 in changeup (94.5 mph) — only threw this pitch 25 times
For spin:
#7 in sinker (2,530 rpm) #29 in cutter (2,561 rpm) #30 in slider (2,691 rpm) #103 in changeup (1,807 rpm) — only threw this pitch 25 times
For xwOBA:
#40 in sinker (.330), +2 RV #68 in cutter (.358), -4 RV #28 in slider (.232), -1 RV XX in changeup (.055) +1 RV — only threw this pitch 25 times
When you look at where he lands on these lists, he’s basically a perfectly average or slightly above average pitcher. The pitch characteristics in the broadest possible sense (velocity and spin) still put him among the elite relievers in the sport, but we know from experience and even from this data that he’s not that. But the temptation ought to be there to see if it’s still possible to coach up control to go with the stuff.
And then there’s another stat to throw in here. Run Value is a stat that is a straightforward scoring of a pitch (ball, strike, home run) without the outcome weighing on it (a ball that’s ball four, a strike that’s strike three, a home run that drives in 3 runs). But Statcast has now added Leveraged Run Value:
Leveraged run value weights the impact of a play based on the base/out situation — in a higher-leverage situation, the positive or negative run value resulting from a pitch will be greater. Hitters and pitchers who have better “clutch” performances might have higher total run values using the leveraged version. This leaderboard also includes how much extra run value a player gains or loses from his performance in different leveraged situations.
That’s very valuable for a reliever. Context-neutral, Doval is below average, with his pitching amounting to a -2 in Run Value (2o1st out of 300); and, unsurprisingly, Doval is far from elite even by the Leveraged Run Value measure, but at +2, he’s 89 out of 300 — above average, suddenly. Not tremendously so, but about as effective as Seranthony Dominguez was this year, and he signed a 2-year $20 million before the start of the season and wound up exactly replacement level (0.0 fWAR). Doval was about the same this year: 0.1 fWAR across 3 teams, his same value in 2024 over a full season for the Giants (he was +0.6 last year for the Giants & Yankees).
Tender or non-tender? TENDER.
At the time of the acquisition, and because of MLB Trade Rumors’ tremendous track record in projecting arbitration salaries, most people (myself included) following the transaction closely — not just the storyline of his return, but that he was in good health and still throwing 98+ and had another year of team control — took this part of the MLBTR article as fact when formulating their opinion about what the Giants might do with him now that he was back in the fold:
Doval is making $6.1MM this season and can be retained for next season via arbitration. He won’t be able to get a huge raise based on this year’s 4.30 earned run average, but should be able to get into the $7-8MM range.
Now they’re projecting something distinctly different and in the much more reasonable in terms of the Giants tendering him a contract. Now, the team could still tender him, fail to come to an agreement, file a number with the arbitration panel and lose that case in which they could pay more, but then they could pull a J.D. Davis on him. On the other hand, why not keep him, or come to some sort of deal that’s in the $6.5 million range with some incentives for games finished, provided he can win back the closer job he had in his previous stint? This is about the going rate for a reliever of his type.
Rowan Wick
MLB Trade Rumors Projection: $800,000
Tender or non-tender? TENDER, but… the Giants already hold an option for 2027. He was signed before 2026 with full knowledge that he would spend the entire 2026 rehabbing. He hasn’t pitched in MLB since 2022, spent all of 2023 in the minors, but in 2024 & 2025 pitched in Japan where he had ERAs of 3.09 and 1.32 ERA.
According to the big injury update we received last Tuesday, is in Arizona throwing two side sessions per week and is expected to transition to live BPs in October. He turns 34 in November.
I’m sure his inclusion on this list is only a technicality. The Giants haven’t officially announced that they’ve exercised his option and, therefore, his MLB service clock (4.114) would trigger a sort for arbitration eligible players without a contract already for 2027. But, it’s more correct to say that the team has 8 arbitration-eligible players… or fewer, if these next couple of cases don’t actually land on the right side of the cutoff.
José Buttó
MLB Trade Rumors Projection: $800,000
My reservations about José Buttó stem entirely from his lack of an option. His 3.83 FIP from (2023-2025) is slightly more encouraging, but the 4.43 xFIP isn’t. A blood clot is a scary injury to come back from and there could simply be a numbers game the Giants can’t make work.
From a human being perspective, tendering him a contract allows him to continue his rehab with the team until the lockout hits. On the other hand, it’s hard to know just who the Giants have. He was truly dominant in 2024 and the 2025 results are approaching the polar opposite. 2026 was an injury year. Does the cycle reset and he returns to a sub-.200 batting average against guy?
Tender or non-tender? NON-TENDER.
Sinkers are still the coin of the realm (+331 Run Value, league-wide, compared to -31 for four-seamers), but Butto’s 94-96 version is easily duplicated with players the Giants already have on hand and the roster spot might be more important going to a more experienced or talented veteran or simply paying a little bit less to get more upside. If this year hadn’t been such a catastrophe in the bullpen, then I might’ve said he was an easy tender. Now, I think the team needs to cool it on their practice of holding spots for guys returning from injuries.
Now, last year, I ran into a problem where I didn’t factor in the Super Two cutoff (how early players could be eligible for arbitration), but as I’ll note below, it would seem that this case and the next one do meet the criteria for arbitration in 2027.
Randy Rodríguez
MLB Trade Rumors Projection: $800,000
As with José Buttó, Rodríguez appears to be just past the cutoff point for arbitration eligibility. From this August post on MLB Trade Rumors:
[…] players automatically qualify for arbitration when they have at least three years of service time and don’t already have a guaranteed contract. For players who finish a season between two and three years, the top 22% of players in terms of service time also qualify, as long as they spent at least 86 days of the most recent season on the active roster or injured list. The cutoff will vary slightly from year to year, depending on the details of the players in the 2-3 window. Looking at previous years, the recent cutoffs have been as low as 2.115 and as high as 2.146:
Rodriguez is at 2.148, which would seem to just surpass the cutoff, based on history (Butto is 2.168). It’s immaterial to his case, of course, as the Giants will tender him a contract and sign him to a deal.
Tender or non-tender? TENDER. The only thing that might be interesting to see is if they sign him to a multi-year deal or include some incentives in this next one. On the other hand, he is the closer in waiting who’ll be 27 in 2027. His agent could simply ask for something more in line with those figures. The arbitration panels aren’t a total free-for-all — he could only be compared to players who’d previously been in his situation: a 27-year old right-handed relievers in his first year of arbitration. They also tend to emphasize counting stats, and with only 4 major league saves under his belt, it’s probably not a compelling case. Still, his talent is sort of undeniable and so the Giants might not actually have as much leverage in this situation. But they have to make sure they don’t accidentally set a new precedent for future arbitration hearings or agents. Maybe they don’t throw $1-$1.5 million his way, but don’t be surprised if they wind up signing him for a number greater than $800,000… unless MLB Trade Rumors projected the cutoff incorrectly again and this is another Patrick Bailey/Ryan Walker situation where he (and Butto) aren’t actually arbitration eligible.
Okay… have I sufficiently C’d my A? Moving on…
Casey Schmitt
MLB Trade Rumors Projection: $2.5 million
Tender or non-tender? TENDER. I didn’t want to waste any time on this one. Obviously, the Giants will hold on to Schmitt. Will they sign him for greater than the projected $2.5 million is the only question. He certainly has a case with being a potential multi-positional player; but, at the same time, this is probably a fair deal for a guy who might struggle to replicate the great season he just had. A .780+ OPS with a ~.300 OBP is tough to sustain over a full season.
Andrew Knizner
MLB Trade Rumors Projection: $1 million
He has put up some traditional backup catcher numbers in the parts of two seasons he’s played for the Giants. A .620 OPS in 168 PA across 62 games is definitionally “backup” but also “fungible.”
Tender or non-tender? NON-TENDER. There’s not too much separation between a million bucks and the league minimum, but every $10,000 counts and non-tendering doesn’t foreclose the possibility of his return (again), but the Giants have a lot of catching options at this point and if they’re really wanting to spend a little money, there are likely to be better options on the open market.
Jason Foley
MLB Trade Rumors Projection:$2.3 million
The Giants signed him in the offseason to a 1-year $2 million contract. According to MLB Trade Rumors’ previous projection, that was under the $3.15 million he would’ve made in arbitration, and so you can see why teams make these strategic non-tenders. Foley missed 2025 recovering from surgery and the Tigers decided to reallocate that money for other purposes (losing the AL Central and trading away Tarik Skubal, I guess). The Giants came in and offered him a number below that projection and now he’s projected for a number that’s still less. The Giants could easily re-sign him for another $2.5 million, but let’s consider Foley’s case in full:
A 4.15 ERA in 26 IP with a 4.22 FIP and 1.50 WHIP. Prior to joining the Giants, he had a career 2.3 BB/9 and 6.8 K/9. Those were 3.8 and 5.2 with the Giants. Now, it was his first year back from injury, and as Zack Minasian has pointed out, it’s the second year when the real pitcher reasserts himself. Is Foley’s peak that of a late inning reliever who can help out in high leverage?
If they keep Doval, then it’s Doval, Rodriguez, Dylan Smith (?), and Jason Foley as quasi-late inning reliever guys. All of them (Rodriguez included) seem best-suited for the 7th inning at best. As four arms in an 8-arm bullpen, though? That could work. Leaves two spots for a pair of left-handed relievers and two spots for late inning guys (an 8th inning guy and a closer). But does that configuration make sense? No space for a long reliever (unless it’s one of the lefties) or, say, Trent Harris, whose velocity gets more strikeouts and will cost substantially less.
At the same time, didn’t the Giants sign him in order to re-sign him? He suppressed home runs and got a lot of groundballs — exactly what they were looking for from him.
Hentges had a very interesting year in that his relative success (0.5 fWAR, 10.1 K/9, 0 HR allowed, 3.19 ERA / 3.24 FIP in 45 G) came from some very limited leverage (1.02 average leverage at start of appearance; 36.2 IP). But he walked 25 batters in those 36.2 innings and he had a severe reverse platoon split:
vs. LHH — .328/.434/.358 vs. RHH — .173/.311/.240
He was also a tremendous jerk. But that might be a feature rather than a bug. We don’t know yet what the Justice Department’s pursuit of justice against the Giants will be, but it’s entirely possible that Hentges could file a Civil Rights claim against the team for non-tendering him.
Tender or non-tender? TENDER. It would be surprising if the Giants non-tendered a bible thumper who had a superficially good year and figures to get better in his second year removed from injury. I personally don’t believe the team should hold space for acknowledged bigots, but I have to accept that they do. And so, if bigots are on the menu, then this is one to keep in the fold.
Ryan Walker
MLB Trade Rumors Projection: $1.6 million
This would be a strategic non-tender under most circumstances:
2023: 61.1 IP, 3.23 ERA / 3.68 FIP, +0.7 fWAR 2024: 80.0 IP, 1.91 ERA / 2.52 FIP, +1.7 fWAR 2025: 61.1 IP, 4.11 ERA / 3.30 FIP, +0.6 fWAR 2026: 32.2 IP, 7.16 ERA / 5.52 FIP, -0.5 fWAR
He’ll be 31 in 2027 with a pair of options. He still throws 95 with his sinker, but that slider spin rate dipped to 2,499 rpm this season. In 2025, those averaged 96 and 2,696, respectively, so that’s a meaningful slip. Another team could probably work to fix his mechanics, or maybe the Giants have a plan to do that. His time in the minors didn’t seem to help with that this year, and with a planned lockout, the Giants aren’t going to have much time to work with him in the offseason.
But, yeah, the Feds.
The Giants are under a microscope in one particular instance. Ryan Walker might be simply uncuttable.
Tender or non-tender? NON-TENDER. Still, he was tremendously bad. Can’t he just get a job in the administration or in right wing media as a victim of Woke? Or… with the Rays on a minor league deal and return to his 2024 form?
So, this is around $13 million in commitments, which would put them around $157 million in salary ($160 million for the current CBT). But who do you think the Giants will keep — or should keep?
In the top of the ninth inning of the Milwaukee Brewers' NL division series opener, fate intervened during a fly ball off the bat of San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France.
For many Brewers fans, it wasn't a wire or a part of the infrastructure that saved the game – it was the spirit of beloved late broadcaster Bob Uecker.
"I'm telling you, Ueck reached up there and knocked that ball down like a basketball center rejecting a ball, you know what I mean?" Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. "I think Ueck was involved."
He was a fixture at the ballpark and in the clubhouse as the Brewers chased their first World Series championship over the years.
This season could be their best chance to claim that elusive title. The Brewers finished with the best record in the majors during the regular season (103-59).
That means they'll have the home field advantage − and the spirit of Bob Uecker lurking − as they continue their quest for a berth in the 2026 Fall Classic.
The NHL trade market has another notable name to keep an eye on.
On Saturday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that Detroit Red Wings restricted free agent defenseman "prefers" to be traded from the Original Six club. However, Friedman also noted that the Red Wings have told teams that they are still looking to re-sign Edvinsson despite the young blueliner wanting a move.
With Edvinsson being a young defenseman with good upside, it is fair to wonder if the Canadiens could consider kicking tires on him. It would not hurt for them to add a top-four young defenseman like Edvinsson, and he could be a perfect fit on their roster as they look to be top contenders this season.
Edvinsson appeared in 72 games last season with the Red Wings, where he posted nine goals, 25 points, 94 hits, 148 blocks, and a plus-12 rating. This was after he had seven goals, 31 points, 86 hits, and 144 blocks in 78 games for Detroit in 2024-25. With numbers like these, he has shown promise early on in his NHL career and would be an intriguing player for Montreal to add to their roster.
Edvinsson's size also adds to his appeal, as he is 6-foot-6. It is a never bad thing to have a big blueliner who is good at moving the puck.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if Montreal kicks tires on Edvinsson.
If you're someone who likes track meet-style NHL games, this one was certainly for you.
And, if you're a Pittsburgh Penguins' fan, you may have had a few heart palpitations - but the team ultimately earned the fate it probably deserved in the end.
After going up 5-1 in the second period Saturday, the Penguins surrendered four consecutive goals to the Montreal Canadiens to force overtime. However, Pittsburgh overcame the blown lead and won it OT, 6-5, on a Tommy Novak goal, which was his second of the game.
Malkin, Declan Carlile, Sam Girard, and Ben Kindel also registered goals for the Penguins, and goaltender Arturs Silovs stopped 20 of 25, including several breakaway attempts.
It wasn't the cleanest win, and it's not exactly a great sign that the Penguins surrendered a four-goal lead, which is something they did with regularity in December last season during a long losing streak. But, given how many new faces they have and the shortened pre-season practice schedule, it's understandable that everyone is still getting up to speed.
"It's early the year," Carlile said. "Obviously, we're going to have some things to clean up, but we'll move on, and we got a big two points."
Montreal had the first laugh in this one, outshooting the Penguins, 8-1, for the first part of the first period and going up 1-0 on a snipe off the rush by Cole Caufield. But, with a little more than six minutes left in the first, Mike Matheson took an interference penalty on Sidney Crosby and sent the Penguins to the power play, when Evgeni Malkin scored a garbage net-front goal to even the score.
From there, the Penguins took over, and they were in control for most of the game.
By the end of the first, shots were tied, 9-9, and their dominance in the last five minutes of the opening frame carried over immediately into the second period. 32 seconds in, defenseman Declan Carlile cut from the right side into the slot, where he unleashed a wrist shot on one foot through a screen to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead.
Then, after a dominant shift by the Penguins' first line of Sidney Crosby, Nick Robertson, and Rickard Rakell around the eight-minute mark, Girard put the exclamation point on it by burying a Crosby backhand pass behind Dobes at the net front to make it 3-1.
Six minutes later, Malkin forced a turnover in the neutral zone and shuffled the puck to Egor Chinakhov, who broke in on a two-on-one with Novak. Selling shot the whole way, Chinakhov snuck a perfect pass across to Novak, who put it home for the three-goal lead.
The onslaught continued just a minute and a half later when - on another power play opportunity - Erik Karlsson placed an elite-level shot-pass right on the blade of Kindel in the slot, who redirected it into the net and made it 5-1 in favor of the home team.
Nick Suzuki scored a late goal in the second to cut the lead back to three, and Caufield registered his second of the game three and a half minutes into the third period to make it 5-3. The Penguins appeared to go ahead by another tally a few minutes later, as Chinakhov got the puck down low on the right side and used his speed to power his way across the net-front, sliding the puck past Dobes.
However, Montreal challenged for offside on Karlsson, and the call on the ice was overturned. That gave Montreal some momentum in the homme stretch of regulation, and they were able to earn consecutive goals by Chris Kreider and Ivan Demidov within the last minute and eight seconds to force overtime.
Montreal had possession for the first minute of the extra frame, but a minute and a half in , Malkin and Novak had a two-on-one . Once again, Novak didn't miss on the perfect feed from his teammate, and the Penguins held on for the victory.
- After the game, Karlsson was pretty adamant that he wasn't offside, and to be honest, he had a point. He appeared to have possession crossing the blue line despite his feet entering the zone first, and by the book, that means he should not have been called offside.
Karlsson had a rather stern conversation with the official about it, too, recalling the exchange in comedic fashion to us later on.
"I'm in full control," Karlsson said. "I asked them who was in control, and they said, 'no one.' So no one was in control of the puck then? I mean, I made a nasty seam play right after."
It's a good thing that call didn't end up mattering, because I don't think Karlsson would have been in as good of spirits in the aftermath. That non-goal really turned things around in the third period, regardless, and gave the Habs the momentum they needed to make a push.
- This was a really, really weird game for Silovs. On one hand, the Penguins probably never hold a lead in this game, let break from the Canadiens' early control, if not for Silovs answering the call on several different breakaway opportunities and high-danger chances.
On the other hand, though, he didn't look particularly outstanding on some of the goals let in. It appeared he was screened on Caufield's first goal, but a failed poke check on Suzuki led him to deflect the puck into his own net off the shot, he was off-angle on Caufield's second goal, and he was very deep in his net for Kreider's, even if that one was a bit more understandable because he had to hold the right post leading up to it, and Kreider was unimpeded at the net-front.
He saved them in this game, but he simultaneously could have been better in terms of what was actually given up.
He made a heck of a play from his knees at the blue line on Malkin's power play goal to keep the puck in the zone. His assist on Novak's first goal was the work of an elite playmaker, deceptive and flawlessly timed. His play on the non-goal showed off his speed and surprising strength, as it was a Bryan Rust-like power move across the net-front amped up a few notches because of how fast he got from the right wall to the net.
This guy could be a legitimate superstar for the Penguins. His shot is obviously elite, but he always manages to find new ways to surprise me with his multidimensional offensive toolset.
I don't think 40 goals is out of the question, and honestly, point-per-game probably isn't, either. What a talent he is.
- Speaking of talent, Kindel looks like he's on a whole different level this season.
Yes, it's important not to overreact to one game, as he missed the 7-0 rout of the Philadelphia Flyers on opening night. But he is faster, he's stronger on the puck and along the walls, he's a relentless forechecker, and he is such a cerebral player in all three zones.
This roster is very deep at the forward position, and there are all kinds of offensive weapons for Kindel to play alongside. He was with Andrei Kuzmenko and Hendrix Lapierre in this game, and in the pre-season, it was him, Kuzmenko, and Rust.
If he continues to play the way he did Saturday, this is going to be a big year for him. In my opinion, he has superstar potential, and I feel like a lot of folks vastly underestimate what his ceiling is.
If he and Chinakhov can hit their respective ceilings, the future looks pretty bright for this Penguins' team.
- The Penguins have three new defensemen - Carlile, Kaedan Korczak, and Trevor van Riemsdyk - on their blue line this season, and Sam Girard has been in Pittsburgh for only about eight months. Given all the new faces combined with the shortened pre-season, the group hasn't had a ton of time to practice systems and grow used to one another. Sometimes, the feeling-out process takes time.
Of course, there were sloppy moments in this game from everyone, particularly the blue line. Girard had a few moments, and van Riemsdyk left a play in the first period to fetch a new stick from the bench while partner Kris Letang was up in the play, leaving the ice exposed for a breakaway opportunity.
But, all things considered, head coach Dan Muse is impressed with the way all three new guys have looked in these first two games.
"I think they're adjusting well," Muse said. "All six of them, in tonight's game, made some big defensive contributions. With Carlile, you saw it in terms of the goal, jumping up in the play, getting involved that way. van Riemsdyk, I think, both games, you've really seen that veteran game that he plays. The stick detail is outstanding, the positioning's outstanding. And then, Korczak, I thought he had a really good game. I mean, you look at those blocks that he had, and it's like, you have one big block, and sometimes, you'll see that a player might shy away from the net. But he was right back at it. I thought he had a really strong game as well.
"I think that they've all come in here and found a way to have a positive impact in these first couple of games."
- Prior to the game, there were, obviously, the usual rituals for home openers happening. Then, there was a small celebration for the Penguins' 60th anniversary season, which culminated in Mario Lemieux dropping the puck at center ice to kick things off for the season.
During the first TV timeout, the Penguins also had a tribute for Lyle Odelein - a former NHL defenseman who spent his last NHL season with the Penguins in 2005-06 - who died Saturday at age 58.
The Penguins always get these things right. What a gesture by the coaching staff it was to put Kuzmenko out with those four to begin the game, and it says a lot about what his teammates think of him in that locker room.
It's good to see him back with the team and wearing his new number, 62, in honor of his father.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Egor Demin #8 of the Brooklyn Nets looks on during the game against the New York Knicks during the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League on July 10, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
There’s been so much written and spoken about Egor Dëmin’s greatly improved strength and how it’s helped him amplify his offense, drive the lane and finish without fear. But as C.J. Holmes reports, there are other aspects to his new physique. He wants to play more with the ball in his hands, as he did in college, and wants to see the best player on the opposing team in front of him.
“I’ve been working there a lot this summer, so I’m willing to take a role and take those opportunities to go there,” Dëmin said, adding how he wants to create as he did at BYU where he got the reputation as having the best court vision in his draft class. That’s not something we saw much of last year. Defense is a priority as well, he said.
”Last season it was harder for me, but I think this year what I’m emphasizing on is getting to the lane, getting to the paint, which is going to open up so much more opportunities for exactly that,” Dëmin said. “For being able to create not just for myself but for others and having opportunities for passes and playing in transition, playing fast basketball with gravities like Mike [Porter Jr.], like Julius [Randle], like Mikel [Brown Jr.].”
Indeed, that stronger and more versatile Dëmin should be just one of several improvements to Brooklyn’s distributing game. Mikel Brown Jr. is one of the most electrifying passers in this year’s draft class and Julius Randle is one of the NBA’s top passing big men, averaging five assists a game last season. And although the No. 28 pick in the draft, Joshua Jefferson, will likely see a lot of time out on the island, the 6’9”, 240-pounder played point forward for Iowa State last season.
All of that plus that newly acquired strength should add new wrinkles to Jordi Fernandez’s offense. As Holmes writes:
Dëmin sees opportunity. Porter, Randle and Brown can draw defenders and finish the looks he creates, giving him options in the paint even as Brooklyn distributes the ball among more playmakers.
Porter Jr. thinks it will work out well for everyone. He’s no longer just a 2 who can play the 1, no longer just a shooter but a distributor.
“So, I think Egor is very comfortable playing the point guard position or the shooting guard position,” Porter said at Media Day. “I mean, I think he definitely has physically matured enough to play the point guard if that was needed because guys aren’t bothering him when he’s pressured.
“And now that he’s getting in the paint and finishing around the rim, I think he’ll make a humongous jump.”
Demin also likes reminding people of his game at BYU.
“I think last season it was a lot more off the ball, kind of catch-and-shoot type of plays,” Dëmin said. “While at BYU I was 80% of the game, I was with the ball in my hands.”
Boston, MA - October 4: Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard at practice at the Auerbach Center on October 4, 2025. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
CHARLESTON — For the first time in nearly a decade, the Celtics are hosting a portion of their preseason training camp on the road: in Charleston, South Carolina, at The Citadel. The team arrived in Charleston on a rainy Saturday afternoon, and began camp at the McAllister Field House on Sunday morning.
“It’s really been 10 years since we did it, a bunch of new guys, so just wanted to really take a step back, get away, and vibe with each other in a different environment,” Mazzulla said at practice earlier in the week. “It’s always good to shake it up a little bit.”
Mazzulla said Charleston serves as a continuation of training camp, which started in Boston last Tuesday.
Payton Pritchard said that although he’s a big fan of South Carolina — particularly for its golf — the location of camp doesn’t impact him.
“It’s cool to be down here, but it don’t matter where I’m at,” Pritchard said. “The mindset’s the mindset, so we could be in the mountains, desert — don’t matter. It’s never changed.”
Several Celtics are working with new player development coaches
It’s common practice for Celtics practice to get a new player development coach most seasons. While the Celtics’ coaching staff is exactly the same, a lot of the players are working with new coaches.
Mike Conley and Payton Pritchard are working with God Shamgod Jr, who last year led Jaylen Brown’s player development. Paul George is working with Amile Jefferson, who last year worked with Nikola Vucevic. And, Mitchell Robinson is working with Nana Foulland, who last year worked with John Tonje.
Paul George getting up shots here this morning with Amile Jefferson, his player development coach this season pic.twitter.com/McJ4cErCjU
Some players, like Jayson Tatum, continue to work with the same player development coaches as last season. Celtics assistant coach Tony Dobbins helped Tatum through his recovery from an Achilles tendon rupture, and continues to be his point person.
Jayson Tatum is getting in some work with Tony Dobbins, who helped him through his Achilles rupture recovery last season pic.twitter.com/Sfr1ILAeAF
Craig Luschenat, who is the head of player development, has been tasked with working with rookies Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell (last year, Luschenat worked more with Sam Hauser and Baylor Scheierman).
Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman are working with assistant coach Tyler Lashbrook, who was a finalist for the Portland Trail Blazers head coach job.
Jordan Walsh feels more comfortable in Year 4
Jordan Walsh is coming off a big season: he was in the rotation for the first time, established himself as an elite defender, and started 25 games. Then, in July, he signed a 3-year, $15 million contract extension.
All of that has combined to make him feel a little bit more relaxed than before.
“It feels more stress-free, honestly,” Walsh said. “It’s the first year where I can kind of take a breath of fresh air. Obviously I still have a job and some role I have to play to be able to play. But it finally feels like ‘All right, we got we got a little bit of wiggle room.‘ Like I can breathe a little bit, but of course, never forgetting what the standard is, and what the expectation is.”
Despite being just 22 years old, Walsh is also one of the longer-tenured players on the roster (only Jayson Tatum, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Derrick White have been in Boston longer). So, he’s begun to view himself as somewhat of a vet.
“I told Joe that, and I think that was my biggest mistake of the year so far,” Walsh said. “And now I think he’s trying to hold me to a whole ‘nother standard. So I’ll just go around not say that anymore. But yeah, I definitely feel different. I definitely feel older. I feel more experienced, especially with this team.”
Joe Mazzulla and Jordan Walsh are catching up at practice here in Charleston
Jordan shared this morning that he told Joe he feels like a vet
Walsh already feels the ramifications of having referred to himself as a veteran to his head coach.
“We were having a drill one day, and we were losing,” Walsh said. “Me and PG were on the same team, and Joe was like, ‘Yo, you know what the standard is here? You know what to strive for — like, go tell PG that.’”
Walsh was thrown off; how was he going to coach up a storied player like Paul George, who is 14 years older than him?
“Like, you want me to coach PG? You want me to mentor him?” he asked Mazzulla. Mazzulla responded. “You’ve been here for a while. You should do that.”
The Celtics have established a new post-flight yoga routine
The Celtics are now beginning to implement a mandatory, 15-minute yoga session at the team hotel upon landing in new cities for roadtrips.
“We did a little team mobility thing,” Jordan Walsh said. “Had a good time.”
Payton Pritchard said that, in previous years, some players did yoga together upon landing, but many, like himself, did not: “It wasn’t mandatory before, so many people didn’t do it. I wasn’t one that really did it before, but it’s a lot of benefits to it. It’s cool that we all did it together, so hopefully we’ll continue it.”
The sessions are lead by Celtics athletic trainer Paul West, who has been with the team since 2020.
“He’s good at it,” Pritchard said.
The Celtics begin preseason action in Cleveland on Thursday
Celtics training camp continues on Monday in Charleston. On Wednesday, the team will fly to Cleveland for their first preseason game of the season.
The vibes so far have been high. But, Joe Mazzulla noted at practice that it’s easy to be connected and in good spirits this early in the season.
“Every team you lead is the most together team right now,“ Mazzulla said. ”Because we haven’t traveled. No one’s gotten benched. No one’s been on a losing streak. No one’s gotten blamed in the media. No one’s had to go stand in the corner for 10 minutes and not get the ball. So, you learn those things as the season goes on, and you just learn how to work through those things together. And you can’t simulate those. It just comes with time. And so, right now I would say all 30 teams feel great about themselves, and we got to wait till adversity hits. And adversity is even a strong word. There’s nothing really adverse about playing in the NBA. But we got to wait until stuff doesn’t go your way, and then you got to figure out who we are and how we’re going to be at our best.”
Owner has put in £10m but seven victorious players at Old Trafford were in the Championship two years ago and stayed at Trinity
It may seem quite obvious to suggest there is plenty Super League can learn from its newest champions but as Wakefield Trinity’s dreams came true at Old Trafford on Saturday evening, it was easy to ponder just how transformational a moment this is for not only them, but so many others, too.
This fairytale has captured the national attention and punctured the mainstream unlike few other Super League stories in recent times. A second-tier club just two years ago, Wakefield are now champions of England and have a possible showdown with the NRL champions, Sydney Roosters, to contemplate early next year in the World Club Challenge.
There were 21 goaltenders selected in the 2014 NHL Draft, including Sorokin's good pal, New York Rangers backstop Igor Shesterkin (No. 118), who sits with 22 shutouts.
Former Columbus Blue Jackets and now Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (No. 76) ran ks third with 12 while Islanders third-string netminder Vitek Vanecek (No. 39) with 11.
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (No. 36) sits with 10 to round out the top-five.
Sorokin, the Vezina Trophy runner-up to Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy last season, led the NHL with seven shutouts. He also led the NHL in 2022-23 with six shutouts.
He came close to leading the league in 2021-22, with seven, but then Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom led the way with nine.
Last season, Sorokin passed Islanders great Chico Resch (25 shutouts) to sit atop the franchise leader board.
The Yanks were shut down by Rays ace Drew Rasmussen, who tossed eight shutout innings, struck out 10 batters and allowed just one hit, a double to catcher Austin Wells, who was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.
New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) looks on during batting practice prior to game one of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, Saturday, October 3, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With likely American League Cy Young winner Cam Schlittler slated to start Game 2, the Yankees legend said the club must capitalize on the matchup.
“That’s the approach you have to have,” Jeter added. “You have Schlittler on the mound — you must win that game.
“Tampa has been the best team in the American League all year, they are tough to beat, especially in that stadium. You cannot go down 0-2, I don’t care if you’re back to New York or not, and expect to win three [in a row].”
New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells was tagged out at third base trying to stretch a double into a triple to end the eighth inning of Game 1 of the ALDS. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post
After dominating the Red Sox across two games of the Wild Card series, the Yankees’ offense could not muster much in Game 1.
Gerrit Cole allowed only a solo home run to Jonathan Aranda across five solid frames, which was not enough on a night where the offense was lifeless — and later compounded by Wells’ baserunning blunder.
“That Wellsie mistake, is that the reason they lost? Probably not,” Alex Rodriguez said during the postgame show.
“But when you look at the first six months, it’s a dress rehearsal for October…If you’re not accountable April through September, these mistakes are not a surprise.”
The Yankees are set to face former Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta, who was acquired by the Rays at the trade deadline in Game 2.
Antonelli and Hamilton led the criticism in Sepang
Race delayed after software problems in wet conditions
Formula One drivers issued a damning condemnation of the sport’s current engine regulations that caused the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia to open with farcical scenes of cars stopping on track and unable to accelerate because of software problems in the electronics that control the engines.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won in Sepang but only after F1 suffered the embarrassment of a host of cars barely able to complete two formation laps in the wet as they were making their way to the grid.
(Original Caption) Frank Crosetti, Yankee infielder, who covered the short stop position in the 1937 World Series for the American League Pennant Winner is shown in this photograph.
There is probably no one in baseball history more decorated than Frankie Crosetti. Across his years as a player and then as a coach, he was part of 17 World Series championship teams, all of which were as a Yankee. While he wasn’t a bad player — 27.8 career fWAR — he was hardly ever the star of the championship teams he played on, nor was he the manager of the teams he coached on. However, he was quite clearly helpful to have around in several capacities.
On this, “Crow’s” 116th birthday, let’s look back at the life and times of the serial winner.
Frank Peter Joseph “Frankie” Crosetti Born: October 4, 1910 (San Francisco, CA) Died: February 11, 2002 (Stockton, CA) Yankees Tenure: 1932-48
Crosetti was born in San Francisco, the son of an Italian immigrant father and a mother whose parents were immigrants themselves. He would end up being one of a couple Italian-American Yankees from the Bay Area, as future teammates Joe DiMaggio and Tony Lazzeri were San Francisco-born children of immigrants themselves.
As a child, Crosetti learned baseball with his brother, using a whittled down board as a bat and the end of a corncob as a ball. He never much loved school and eventually dropped out when he was 16. He started playing semi-pro baseball out on the west coast and soon caught the attention of the Pacific Coast League’s San Francisco Seals. While the Seals appreciated his talent, they thought he was a bit too small and began sending deliveries of milk to his house every morning. He soon packed on 10 pounds and began playing for the Seals in 1928.
Over the next couple seasons, Crosetti became a very good player in San Francisco. In 1930, he hit .334 with 27 home runs, while also being regarded as a very good fielding shortstop. That caught the eye of Yankees’ scout Bill Essick, who was credited with signing DiMaggio, Lefty Gomez, and others for the team. Essick convinced the Yankees to sign Crosetti.
Even after the signing, Crosetti spent 1931 with the Seals, but reported to the Yankees for 1932. Early in the season, manager Joe McCarthy stuck with the veteran Lyn Lary at short with Crosetti at third, but by midseason Crosetti was starting at short and would hold onto that spot for much of the next decade.
The Yankees won the 1932 World Series, but Crosetti got his career off to a bit of a slow start in that season and over the next two, as the Yankees fell back to the pack in the standings. Ahead of the 1935 season, Crosetti worked with the University of California track coach and came into the season bigger, faster, and stronger than he ever had been. While he played well the following year, Crosetti went down with an injury during the season, requiring surgery on his knee.
Crosetti was seemingly running out of chances going into 1936, but he managed to keep hold of his spot in spring training. In the regular season, he then turned in probably the best year of his career. In addition to his always reliable defense, he hit .288/.387/.437 with a career-high 15 home runs. He was named an All-Star for the first of two times in his career. With that, plus Lou Gehrig, Bill Dickey, and a rookie DiMaggio, the Yankees returned to the World Series, winning the AL pennant and then beating the Giants in six games for Crosetti’s second championship.
Crosetti would never match those offensive exploits again, but he remained a reliable part of the Yankees’ roster for years to come. Besides his defense, he also became known as the most vocal Yankee in the field, with his “Crow” nickname being more than just a play on his last name. In addition to ‘36, he was part of the Yankees four-peat from 1936-39. In 1938, he would’ve had an argument for World Series MVP had it existed, as he OPSed 1.056 in the series, made a couple crucial defensive plays, and hit an eighth inning home run in Game 2 that gave the Yankees the lead for good as they eventually swept the Cubs.
As the calendar turned into the 1940s, Crosetti would start to lose some playing time, as a young shortstop named Phil Rizzuto arrived on the scene. He did get his spot back for a little bit while Rizzuto was serving in the military during World War II, but was never a regular again after that. The Yankees kept him around as a bench player and then a player-coach as the mid to late 40s came along. He would add three more championships to his collection as part of the Yankees 1941, ‘43, and ‘47 teams.
Crosetti gave up playing after 1948 and became a full-time coach, holding a role with the Yankees through 1968. He became the team’s third base coach and won another nine World Series titles over there. He was valued not only for helping younger players along, but also because he never held any ambitions to manage himself. He turned down managerial opportunities from other teams and kept with the Yankees through several managers.
There have been many Yankees who have been better players than Crosetti, but based on the way baseball works nowadays, I don’t think anyone will ever become more decorated than Crosetti.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Oct 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) reacts during the fifth inning of game one of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
That was just one of 94 pitches thrown by Skubal on Saturday, and the only one in triple digits, though he had four others between 99.6-99.8 mph, which could be reasonably rounded to 100. Skubal for the game averaged 98.1 mph on his 12 four-seam fastballs and 97.6 mph on his 15 two-seamers, up from his regular season averages of 96.8 mph and 96.7 mph, respectively.
“I think the juices flow a little bit different in postseason games,” Skubal said. “So when I reach back a little bit in postseason stuff, there’s some good counts to kind of let it go in the second inning. … I think environment and adrenaline and the juices flowing kind of always help.”
Skubal, who went to high school in Arizona and currently lives in the state, the heat was something he’s used to. He said as a kid he played a Little League game once in Lake Havasu in 127-degree heat. Skubal stayed hydrated on Saturday and got into a groove, retiring 15 straight batters after a leadoff single to open the game, before allowing a solo home run and two walks in the sixth inning for his only run allowed. The left-hander struck out seven in six innings, lowering his career postseason ERA to 1.97 in seven starts.
Skubal was so focused on pitching, he wasn’t even thinking about the temperature.
“I didn’t really think it was that hot out there until I got done and I walked back in the dugout. I asked — I forget who was sitting, I think it was Snell. I was like, ‘Has it been this hot all game?’ He was like, ‘Yeah,’” Skubal said. “Wow, it’s amazing what your brain can do in certain circumstances and moments. It’s amazing what you can control and kind of eliminate.”
Skubal’s performance helped eliminate one of the three wins the Dodgers need to advance, with Blake Snell waiting to pitch in Game 2 and then Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Tuesday in Atlanta for Game 3.
“To have Blake going tomorrow to follow up with what Tarik did today and knowing that you got Yama in the holster for Game 3, we’re in a good spot,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It all starts with winning Game 1.”
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 14: A general view of a Texas Rangers New Era cap sitting on a baseball glove during a baseball game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on August 14, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, folks…
Evan Grant, Time Cowlishaw and Kevin Sherrington make their predictions for the four LDS series that kicked off yesterday.
Ty France’s potential go-ahead homer for the Padres in Milwaukee hit a roof cable and ended up being caught by Jackson Chourio for an out. Sam Miller noted, as an aside, that the Padres’ #2 hitter in NLDS game one was a player who was released in August…by the Padres.
Flyers' Denver Barkey 'Looking To Run Away' with New NHL RoleThe Philadelphia Flyers are exploring moving Denver Barkey to a new position on the heels of some impressive NHL and training camp showings.
