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NHL Playoffs: The Return Of Stars' Heiskanen Should Terrify The Other Cup Contenders

Miro Heiskanen (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

The Dallas Stars entered this season as a Stanley Cup contender, but some injuries put their championship hopes in question.

Now, the Stars are virtually back at full strength, and that should terrify the Winnipeg Jets and the rest of the NHL teams still in the playoffs.

If there were any reason to believe Dallas wasn’t going to go far in the playoffs, it was injuries to key members Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. The two veterans missed the first round of the playoffs as the Stars took on the Colorado Avalanche. 

Dallas still found a way to win in seven games and move on to its second-round showdown against the Jets. After their Game 3 victory over Winnipeg, the Stars lead the series 2-1.

The Stars’ incredible depth allowed them to ease Robertson and Heiskanen back into the lineup without any pressure on them to do the heavy lifting. 

Robertson returned to action in Game 1 against Winnipeg. He finally got on the scoreboard in Tuesday night’s Game 4, and it’s just a matter of time for him to produce points more often.

That said, the bigger impact will be Heiskanen returning to the lineup. The blueliner came off long-term injured reserve and played Game 4. 

To say Heiskanen will have a positive impact on the Stars’ playoff hopes would be a gigantic understatement. We’re talking about one of the NHL’s top-five D-men who can play upwards of 25 minutes per game with few, if any, errors. 

The ripple effect and calming influence of Heiskanen’s return should make Dallas the favorite to win it all – at least in our view.

What’s truly amazing about the Stars is they’re already super strong before mentioning their top players up to this point in the playoffs: goalie Jake Oettinger and right winger Mikko Rantanen. 

Oettinger had a .911 SP and 2.71 GAA heading into Game 4 – numbers more than sufficient to allow Dallas’ offense to put up enough goals to win games.

Rantanen is far and away the best acquisition at the NHL trade deadline, and the Stars couldn’t be more pleased. 

Rantanen leads all playoff players in points, with nine goals and 18 points in only 10 games. In the race to decide the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, Rantanen has to be considered the favorite. He came into this post-season with a championship pedigree, and his sense of urgency and determination set the tone for his Stars teammates.

As for Heiskanen and Robertson, the two longtime Stars are looking for their first career Cup win, and there may be no better opportunity to win one than now. 

The Stars need all hands on deck if they’re going to beat the Jets and square off against either the Edmonton Oilers or Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference final. They now have nearly all their players back, except for Nils Lundkvist, who’s out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. 

Still, the Stars have the talent and depth at every position to go far and win their second Cup in franchise history.

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Rohan Dennis given two-year suspended sentence after car crash that killed wife Melissa Hoskins

Former world champion cyclist avoids jail after pleading guilty to committing aggravated act likely to cause harm after 2023 incident that killed Olympian Hoskins

Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis has received a suspended jail sentence over a road incident that led to the death of his wife, fellow Olympian Melissa Hoskins.

Dennis, 34, appeared in South Australia’s district court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to a charge of committing an aggravated act likely to cause harm.

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Rumor: Sacramento to test trade market for DeMar DeRozan

It was a long road, but the Sacramento Kings — particularly ownership — seems to understand this team was just not that good.

Said ownership was not happy with how things started last season, the team was 13-18 and losing a lot of close games, so coach Mike Brown was fired and replaced by organizational favorite Doug Christie. How that we t down left a bad taste in the mouth of De'Aaron Fox, who asked for a trade, a complex deal that brought back Zach LaVine to provide some scoring. The result of all that? A core of DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis and LaVine, coached by Christie, which went 12-15 after the All-Star break and could not get out of the play-in. That led to GM Monte Morris being shown the door and Scott Perry being brought back from the Knicks to turn things around.

How does he turn things around? Possibly trade DeRozan, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports.

The focus in the California capital shifts now to what sort of dealing we could see from the Kings' new regime. There has been no shortage of rumbles, since the hiring of Scott Perry as general manager, that Sacramento is expected to gauge the trade market for veteran swingman DeMar DeRozan.

DeRozan, 35, is still an efficient bucket getter, especially from the mid-range. He averaged 22.2 points and 4.4 assists per game last season. DeRozan will make $24.8 million next season and $25.7 million in the 2026-27 season, at which point he becomes a free agent.

The Kings may find the market for DeRozan limited, he is seen more as a floor raiser than a piece to add for a deep playoff run. While he can score points, he prefers to work in isolation and doesn't shoot many 3-pointers, which means he's not a natural fit on a lot of rosters. He's also a minus defender.

For his part, DeRozan sounded like a guy resigned to the idea he might be on the move when speaking to the media after the end of the Kings' season.

"You don't have many opportunities left to give yourself a chance to compete in the playoffs. That's all you kind of want at this stage of your career..." DeRozan said. "I'm not trying to play another five, six years. You've only got so many years. That window closes quick."

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Wilson makes explosive hometown return in Athletics' rout of Dodgers

Wilson makes explosive hometown return in Athletics' rout of Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Sometimes, the stories write themselves. 

That certainly was the case on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, as Jacob Wilson’s multi-home run game propelled the Athletics to a commanding 11-1 series-opening win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Not only did the 23-year-old shortstop prove yet again why he’s the franchise’s top prospect, but he did so in his hometown. Wilson grew up in Thousand Oaks, a suburb around 30 miles northwest of the iconic ballpark. 

It was a full-circle moment for Wilson.

“It’s awesome being able to come home and play in a stadium that I’ve seen so many games here as a fan,” Wilson told NBC Sports California’s Jenny Cavnar and Dallas Braden on “A’s Cast.” 

“I had a bunch of family in the stands today. It was a pretty special game for me, knowing that I get to come back home and see all these people again in front of friends and family.” 

Wilson opened the game with a leadoff single before adding two-run homers in the top of the third and the top of the fifth. 

In front of so many familiar faces, Wilson registered the first multi-homer game and first four-RBI game of his young MLB career.

Wilson finished the day 4-for-5 as the Green and Gold unloaded 18 hits against the defending champions in a game that also saw rookie Nick Kurtz hit his first career home run.

“It’s so awesome to see him come up and do his thing, especially so soon after the draft,” Wilson said about Kurtz. “It’s awesome to share the field with him. He’s doing a great job.” 

Wilson has slashed .363/.389/.513 with five home runs and 26 RBI through his first 40 games this season.

And while the offense piled in the runs, pitcher Jeffrey Springs held star Shohei Ohtani and Co. to one run over seven strong innings.

It was the perfect return back home for Wilson. 

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Royals sign veteran Rich Hill to minor league deal. They would be his 14th team if called up

HOUSTON — The Kansas City Royals are giving Rich Hill another chance to pitch in the big leagues.

The Royals signed the 45-year-old left-hander to a minor league deal Tuesday, and he will report soon to the club’s spring training facility in Surprise, Arizona. Once he gets up to speed, Hill likely will head to Triple-A Omaha and try to prove he can still help a major league ballclub with designs on contending for the postseason.

Kansas City entered Tuesday night’s game in Houston tied for second in the AL Central.

Hill made his big league debut with the Cubs in 2005, and he has made 248 starts and appeared in 386 games over the past two decades. He has a 4.01 ERA with 1,428 strikeouts while pitching for 13 different franchises; the Royals would be the 14th should he get called up, joining Edwin Jackson as the only players to play for that many clubs.

Hill made four appearances out of the Red Sox bullpen last season before he was designated for assignment in September. His best season was in 2016, when he went 12-5 with a 2.12 ERA while pitching for the Athletics and the Dodgers.

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Koss slam gives Giants ‘energy' for much-needed offensive outburst

Koss slam gives Giants ‘energy' for much-needed offensive outburst originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — At some point for just about every big league hitter, the moment comes. But few can say they did it in as cool a way as Christian Koss. 

The rookie infielder picked up his first career home run on a grand slam to left that gave the Giants the lead for good on Tuesday night. He became the 17th player in franchise history to hit a slam for his first big league homer, and the first since Brandon Crawford in 2011 to have it be a go-ahead slam. 

The moment was memorable, even if Koss will have to piece some of it together with replays. He blacked out as he ran the bases. It was the way you dream it up in just about every way, except one. 

“I kinda messed up the handshake with Willy [Adames],” he said after a 10-6 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. “He kinda got on me for it, but I haven’t been in that position before.”

To be fair to Koss, the handshake appeared to be a very complex one. 

“The moment got a little too big,” he said, laughing. “I panicked a little.”

Koss’ slam wiped out an early three-run deficit and Robbie Ray did the rest, getting through six to become the first Giant since John Burkett in 1993 to go 6-0 through his first nine starts. The Giants have won all nine of them, and this one snapped a four-game skid that included three one-run performances from a lineup that saw a shakeup Monday afternoon.

Adames was moved down, and after two days of working on a smaller, calmer leg kick, he hit a homer to left and came a few feet away from putting one in the arcade. Jung Hoo Lee did clear that wall, picking up his first homer at Oracle Park this year and doing so on Korean Heritage Night. 

The Lee blast got the biggest pop from the 30,960 in attendance. But it was the Koss slam that made the biggest difference.

“That home run brought in a different vibe, a different energy in the dugout,” Lee said. 

Ray called it “huge,” saying the players had a sense that Koss might do something noteworthy. He has looked comfortable with runners on base all year, but this was something different. Koss got a low sinker and blasted it into the first row in left. 

“He’ll never forget that moment,” Ray said. “He’ll be telling his grandchildren about it.”

For now, there’s just one young child in the Koss family. She was there on Opening Day in Cincinnati as Koss celebrated making the initial roster with a strong spring, and he has shown enough defensive versatility to stick on a roster that is desperate for more offense from the bottom of the lineup.

Koss made the team in part because of how simple his swing is in bigger spots. If there’s a runner on second, he’ll try to slap the ball to the right side. If he needs to move a runner over, he’s shown he can do that, too. It’s an old-school approach, and if the Giants need a spark, well, apparently he’ll hit a slam. 

“You definitely don’t draw up a grand slam as the first one,” he said. “Even in that situation, I wasn’t really trying to put a big swing on it. I was trying to stay out of a double play and elevate something. I put a good swing on it.”

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Rangers place Corey Seager on 10-day injured list with right hamstring strain

ARLINGTON, Texas — Corey Seager was placed on the 10-day injured list again Tuesday by the Texas Rangers after the two-time World Series MVP shortstop had already missed four of their previous five games because of right hamstring soreness.

Seager is on the IL for the second time this season, with the latest move retroactive to Sunday. He had played in only five games since being activated May 3 after missing 10 games with a right hamstring strain. He homered twice Saturday at Detroit.

There was no immediate move for right-handed closer Luke Jackson, who was struck on his pitching hand by a 111-mph comebacker liner on the only pitch he threw after coming into the ninth inning of their 2-1 win over Colorado on Monday night.

Jackson still had some swelling Tuesday, but X-rays and a CT scan showed no broken bones and he said he didn’t anticipate having to go on the IL. He was in the clubhouse squeezing a squishy stress ball in his right hand in an effort to help relieve what swelling remained on the top of his hand and the wrist area where the ball struck him.

The Rangers activated catcher Kyle Higashioka from the 10-day IL after he missed 12 games because of a mild left intercostal strain.

Seager, who is in the fourth season of his 10-year, $325 million contract with the Rangers, is hitting .300 with six homers and 12 RBIs in 26 games this season.

The five-time All-Star missed the end of last season after his second hernia surgery in less than eight months. That operation last September was a right sports hernia repair, on the opposite side of his abdomen from a procedure the previous January.

He dealt with the left hernia issue at the end of 2023, when he still hit .318 with six homers, 12 RBIs and 15 walks in 17 postseason games as the Rangers won their first World Series title. He was on the IL twice that season, for a left hamstring issue and a right thumb sprain.

Ryan McMahon was leading off the ninth for Colorado in the series opener when he hit the ball right back at Jackson. The ball struck the pitcher’s hand and popped up in the air before falling to the ground for an infield single.

Jackson said that had “to be the hardest ball” to ever hit him.

“The second it hit my hand. I didn’t know, like, how bad it was. You know, adrenaline,” he said. “Then my hand swelled up so fast I couldn’t even, like, think about holding the ball ... It wasn’t comfortable last night. But this morning I woke up, felt pretty good.”

Jackson, who signed with the Rangers as a free agent in February, is 0-3 with a 5.54 ERA and eight saves.

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Report: Ex-Hurricanes Forward Finalist For Canucks Coach Gig

Manny Malhotra (© Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)

Late last month, Rick Tocchet announced that he was moving on from the Vancouver Canucks. With this, the Canucks are now looking for a new head coach, and a former Carolina Hurricanes forward is reportedly one of the favorites for the job.

According to The Province's Patrick Johnson, former Hurricanes forward Manny Malhotra and current Canucks assistant coach Adam Foote are the frontrunners for Vancouver's head coaching gig. Johnson also added that Malhotra is the "slight favourite" in the race. 

Hearing that Malhotra is getting serious consideration for the Canucks' head coaching job is understandable. The 44-year-old is currently the head coach of the Canucks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks and led them to a 44-24-2-2 record this season. Abbotsford is also set to play the Colorado Eagles in the Pacific Division Final.

If the Canucks end up going with Malhotra, it will be the Mississauga, Ontario native's first NHL head coaching job. However, he has experience as an assistant coach at the NHL level, as he previously held the role with the Canucks (2017-18 to 2019-20) and Toronto Maple Leafs (2020-21 to 2023-24). 

Malhotra spent the 2013-14 season as a member of the Hurricanes, where he served as an alternate captain. In 69 games with the Metropolitan Division club, the 1998 seventh-overall pick posted seven goals, 13 points, 82 hits, and an even plus/minus rating. His time with the Canes ended when he signed a one-year deal with the Montreal Canadiens during the 2014 NHL off-season. 

Recent Hurricanes News 

Hurricanes Benefiting From Taylor Hall Addition Big TimeHurricanes Benefiting From Taylor Hall Addition Big TimeThe Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Washington Capitals by a 5-2 final score in Game 4. This victory was massive for the Hurricanes, as they now have a 3-1 series lead over the Capitals and only need one more win to advance to the Eastern Conference Final. Former Hurricanes Forward Fined For Dangerous HitFormer Hurricanes Forward Fined For Dangerous HitNHL Player Safety has announced that former Carolina Hurricanes forward Max Domi has been fined $5,000 for boarding Aleksander Barkov during the Toronto Maple Leafs' Game 4 matchup against the Florida Panthers on May 12. This is the most Domi could have been fined under the current CBA. Hurricanes Legend Eric Staal Lands Exciting New GigHurricanes Legend Eric Staal Lands Exciting New GigThe Buffalo Sabres have announced that they have hired Carolina Hurricanes legend Eric Staal as special assistant to the general manager.
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Yankees sign veteran RHP Anthony DeSclafani to minor league deal

The Yankees have signed veteran right-hander Anthony DeSclafani to a minor league deal on Tuesday and will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

DeSclafani, 35, was with the Giants a year ago but was part of a trade to the Twins in the Robbie Ray deal to the Mariners. He was then part of a trade with the Twins for shortstop Jorge Polanco. Unfortunately for DeSclafani, he suffered an elbow injury in his throwing arm that required season-ending surgery.

Prior to going under the knife, DeSclafani pitched 19 games (18 starts), where he pitched to a 4-8 record and a 4.88 ERA. His best season came in 2021 with the Reds when he pitched to a 13-7 record and a 3.17 ERA across 31 starts.

Over his nine-year career, DeSclafani has a 54-56 record with a 4.20 ERA with the Marlins, Reds and Giants.

With Carlos Carrasco recently DFA'd and sent to Triple-A after clearing waivers, the Yankees are looking for a potential arm in the rotation to pitch alongside Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Will Warren and Clarke Schmidt.