New York Islanders development camp was a great success, like Borat would say.
The young players from this past draft class and the few previous ones were all able to be together since the camp happened right after the draft, as opposed to a week before the start of training camp.
All the prospects got a taste of what being part of the Islanders organization is all about and a sneak peek at what it takes to be an NHL player.
However, their development is just starting and picking the right offseason routine and offseason workout partners could be the difference in a good summer and a great one.
Islanders captain Anders Lee skated with Horvat last summer and it did a world of good for him.
No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer told us he's skating this summer with Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech with Mark Giordano as his coach.
Defenseman Isaiah George, who got a cup of coffee in the NHL last season, is also training with them.
Having prospects train with NHLers, especially those in the same organization, is massive in acclimating these young players to the team, as well as in building relationships, chemistry, and providing firsthand insight into what it takes and what is expected of someone who dons the blue and orange.
Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
Another Ducks prospect will be making the transition from playing in Europe to playing in North America this upcoming season, but it won't be for college hockey just yet.
Latvian defenseman Darels UÄźjanskis has decided to play for the Flint Firebirds in the OHL for the 2025-26 season. Previously, UÄźjanskis was drafted by the Sioux City Musketeers in the eighth round of the USHL Draft in May and was expected to play in the USHL this season. He was then drafted fifth overall by the Firebirds in the CHL Import Draft two weeks ago.
"I was drafted in May to the USHL and Sioux City Musketeers, but I felt more for the CHL in Canada," UÄźjanskis said in an interview with hockeysverige (translated from Swedish). "So I waited for it. Now in July, the Flint Firebirds (OHL) chose me, so that's where I'm going."
Committed to the University of Connecticut for the 2026-27 season, UÄźjanskis will play one season in the OHL before transitioning to collegiate hockey.
UÄźjanskis spent the last two seasons primarily playing in Sweden for AIK's J20 team. He was second among defensemen in scoring this past season. This came after the Ducks drafted him in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
With two development camps now under his belt, UÄźjanskis is currently in Florida, where he is competing in the SoFlo hockey summer league. He will continue training in Florida until the beginning of August, when he will report to Flint for training camp.
"I feel much better without the puck and more confident in the defensive game," UÄźjanskis said. "I play much tougher and more aggressive than last year, I think.
"(The Ducks) want to see a two-way defenseman who can be trusted in all zones, and be aggressive and able to handle all parts of that game, but also create offensively. I have the summer to get bigger and stronger, so that will also help me for the season. Then I just want to get used to North American hockey."
Making it to the NHL as a seventh-round pick is an uphill battle, but not impossible. With more developmental paths opening up for prospects, like being able to play in both the CHL and NCAA now, finding the right development techniques and systems has become more accessible for young players.
Jordan Walshâs ejection in Las Vegas on Monday night was ill-advised â unless you ask his conflict-loving head coach.
The Celtics forward was tossed from Bostonâs NBA Summer League matchup with the Heat in the first half after he shoved Miami guard Pelle Larsson following a foul call. It was Walshâs second technical foul of the game, which meant an immediate ejection for the 21-year-old wing.
Considering the stakes for Walsh at Summer League as he aims for a larger role in Bostonâs rotation this season, getting thrown out in the first half isnât ideal. But when he hit the showers Monday night, he encountered some words of encouragement from Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla.
âHe told me he loved it,â Walsh said of Mazzulla, via SB Nationâs Noa Dalzell. âAs soon as I got ejected, I got to the locker room and checked my phone and he was texting me like, âI love this out of you.â
âSo, take that for what it is. But Joe was hyped.â
That message is coming from the same person who said he wants to âbring back fightingâ in the NBA, so perhaps we shouldnât be surprised that Mazzulla enjoyed Walshâs chippiness. And that chippiness appears to be a point of emphasis for the 21-year-old as he enters his third NBA season.
âI feel like Iâm trying to get under peopleâs skin,â Walsh added. â⌠Iâm trying to get them confused and throw them off their rhythm. [It] ended up happening to me, but I want to disrupt everybody. I want to take out your rhythm. I want to take you out of your plays, your sets. I want to speed you up.â
While thereâs value in being a disruptor, Walsh also needs to avoid crossing the line and hurting his team. He had a team-high 13 points at the time of his ejection, and Bostonâs offense struggled in his absence en route to a 100-96 loss.
Walsh has a golden opportunity to expand his role this season with Jayson Tatum sidelined due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, and heâs proven he can make an impact with his defense and hustle. He shot just 36.1 percent from the floor and 27.3 percent from 3-point range last season, however, and if he canât contribute more offensively, he may find himself behind second-year wing Baylor Scheierman on the depth chart.
Walsh and the Summer Celtics will be back in action Thursday night against Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers at 9 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
The MLB All-Star Game festivities soon could return to Third and King.
If MLB and the Players Association agree to allow players to compete in the 2028 Olympics, San Francisco is a frontrunner to host the All-Star Game that year, the San Francisco Chronicleâs Susan Slusser reported Tuesday, citing a league source.
According to Slusser, if MLB players are allowed to compete in the Olympics, both the league and the union reportedly would prefer a West Coast destination for the All-Star Game in order for the participants to be able to easily travel to Los Angeles, where the Summer Olympics baseball tournament will be held.
Slusser also reported that the momentum appears to be in favor of allowing MLB players to compete in the 2028 Olympics.
The other West Coast options include Petco Park in San Diego and T-Mobile Park in Seattle â both of which have hosted the All-Star Game more recently than Oracle Park â and Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, which, according to Slusser, is not in consideration. It is unclear if Angel Stadium in Anaheim is a likely option.
Following this yearâs event at Truist Park in Atlanta, the All-Star Game will be played at Philadelphiaâs Citizens Bank Park in 2026 and Chicagoâs Wrigley Field in 2027.
With the All-Star game taking place Tuesday night, it's the perfect time to break down the NL CY Young race between the 23-year-old Paul Skenes versus 35-year-old Zack Wheeler and why one player is the better bet than the other.
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NL CY Young: Paul Skenes (-105) vs Zack Wheeler (-125)
Wheeler's calling card to voters is simple â he's never won a CY Young. At age 35, this could be Wheeler's final shot at the elusive award, but is what he's done enough or more impressive than Skenes?
understand the logic of betting Wheeler, but if you've watched the two pitch this season, I think Skenes is the better of the two and arguably the best in all of baseball (Tarik Skubal says hi). However, if you look at basic stats and their consistency, you would say Wheeler has the slight edge, right?
Pre All-Star Break Stats and NL Ranks
Paul Skenes
Zach Wheeler
2.01 ERA (1st)
2.36 ERA (6th)
121.0 innings pitched (5th)
122.0 innings pitched (T-3rd)
.189 opponent batting average (T-3rd)
.181 opponent batting average (1st)
0.93 WHIP (5th)
0.86 WHIP (2nd)
131 strikeouts (8th)
154 strikeouts (2nd)
12 starts with 0 or 1 ER allowed
11 starts with 0 or 1 ER allowed
3 games of 3 ER or more
4 games of 3 ER or more
4 wins (T-104th)
9 wins (T-8th)
8 losses (tied-20th most)
3 losses (T-4th best)
If youâre looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
There isn't much that differentiates the two besides the wins, losses, and strikeouts, which all favor Wheeler. Skenes does have 26 more ground-balls than Wheeler and seven fewer homers allowed (13 to 6), which may bother some. Skenes clearly isn't trying to be that high-rate strikeout guy like early in his rookie season, but get more efficient outs and pitch longer into games â which he's done exceptionally well.
However, while wins and losses historically are a common driving factor for voters, it's becoming not as detrimental since the offense is out of the pitchers control, more so than ever with the universal DH â meaning Skenes could have the upper hand.
If you haven't seen or heard about that stat by now here it is â If the Pirates would have scored four runs in each of Skenes' 42 career starts, his win-loss record would be 28-1 rather than 15-10.
Insanity at its finest! While four runs is a lot for any pitcher to get, that stat is supposed to provide clarity on how poor the Pirates offense and bullpen is and why that shouldn't hold Skenes back in CY Young voting.
In his career wins, Skenes has a 1.19 ERA compared to a 2.39 ERA in losses or non-decisions, so either way, he hasn't been the Buccos' problem since he arrived. This year alone, Skenes has allowed 27 runs over 20 starts and the Pirates have lost 11 of those 20 games!
Pittsburgh's offense has scored the fewest runs in not just the NL, but all of baseball â even the Rockies and White Sox. For more context, the Phillies have scored 112 more runs than the Pirates in one less game.
Both Skenes and Wheeler will be dominant in the second-half, I have no doubts, but Skenes could post a sub 2.00 ERA this season (was doing so through 19 starts), sub .200 OBA, and still have a losing record, which on surface level makes no sense.
Despite how it looks or sounds, I think what Skenes is doing weighs more impressive, challenging, and deserving than what Wheeler is doing. Pitching under the pressure of allowing two earned runs and being almost guaranteed a loss is not common and that's what Skenes goes through every start.
I played and tweeted Skenes out at +115 to win NL CY Young and would go out to -115 odds prior to his first start for the second half of the year. I already played him at +300 on Opening Day to win CY Young, so I am double-dipping.
Pick: Paul Skenes to win NL CY Young (1u)
Vaughn Dalzellâs MLB Futures Card
2 units: Aaron Judge to lead MLB in home runs (+130) 2 units: Cam Smith to win AL Rookie of the Year (+150) 2 units: Jacob Misiorowski to win NL Rookie of the Year (-110)
1 unit: Shohei Ohtani to win NL MVP (-110) 1 unit: Bobby Witt to win AL MVP (+450) 1 unit: Elly De La Cruz to win NL MVP (+2000) 1 unit: Garrett Crochet to win AL CY Young (+450) 1 unit: Paul Skenes to win NL CY Young (+115) 1 unit: Paul Skenes to win NL CY Young (+300) 1 unit: Jacob Misiorowski to win NL Rookie of the Year (+100) 1 unit: Byron Buxton to win AL Comeback Player of the Year (+430) 1 unit: New York Yankees to win AL East (-115)
0.5 unit: Dodgers to win 117-plus games (+650) 0.5 unit: Paul Skenes to lead MLB in wins (+1400) 0.5 unit: Garrett Crochet to lead MLB in wins (+2200) 0.5 unit: Juan Soto to lead the MLB in homers (+2800) 0.5 unit: Yordan Alvarez to lead the MLB in homers (+2000) 0.5 unit: Roman Anthony to win AL Rookie of the Year (+1200) 0.5 unit: Jacob Misiorowski to win NL Rookie of the Year (+1100)
0.25 unit: Drew Pomeranz to win NL Reliever of the Year (+1500) 0.25 unit: Aaron Judge to bat .400 by the All-Star break (+800) 0.25 unit: Aaron Judge to bat .400 for the season (+5500) 0.25 unit: Oneil Cruz to lead MLB in stolen bases (+15000)
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âElite duo right there,â Poole, who was acquired by the Pelicans from the Washington Wizards earlier in the offseason, said when reacting to the news.
The former Warrior duo played four seasons together before Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards in 2023, and then to the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this month.
During their time together, they were key contributors to the Warriorsâ 2022 NBA championship. Poole averaged 13.2 points in the finals, while Looney averaged five points along with seven and a half rebounds.
âIâm so happy bro ⌠thatâs some of the best news Iâve heard yet,â Poole continued.
Shortly after the signing was announced, Looney Facetimed his former teammate. Poole had a wholesome response when answering the call.
âWelcome bro ⌠itâs been a long time cominâ bro,â Poole said.
These two were beloved in the Bay, and now theyâll be competing against Golden State in a stacked Western Conference.
Generations of kids spent their childhood trying to answer the question âWhereâs Waldo?â, but that was an easy task compared to trying to answer the interrogation thatâs on the mind of every Montreal Canadiensâ fan this offseason: Who will be the Habsâ second line center?
Depending on who you ask, the replies go from Kirby Dach to Zach Bolduc to âKent Hughes is just about to pull a big trade, I can feel it!â or even to: Ivan Demidov would be the perfect fit at the second line pivot.
But what does the man himself believe? Well, unlike what has been reported in the last day or so, Demidov has never said that it was outside of the realm of possibilities that he would play center and that it wasnât something that interested him at all. According to RG.orgâs Marco DâAmico, the young Russian said he would have to see if he could play at center. He has done it in the past, as a junior player, but never in the KHL.
PSA: Ivan Demidov never refused to work on his faceoffs this summer.
I was asked why he isn't an option for 2C and brought up a quote from Ivan back in February. He just wasn't confident in being able to play C because of faceoffs. https://t.co/bMvjWIfglvpic.twitter.com/iuH4dwGw1Q
Humble as they come, Demidov also added that face-offs would be the key factor, and he doesnât always win them. The rookie will play wherever the Canadiens ask him to play, but heâs not confident that he could play center in the NHL. He didnât say anything controversial, and any claims that he might have an attitude problem are false. He didn't refuse to work on his draws this offseason either.
I donât know how the idea could even be entertained given the fact that the player has elected to stay in Montreal this Summer and is diligently putting in the hours at the Canadiensâ Brossard training facilities instead of enjoying the sunshine and the scorching weather. Last weekend, he even appeared in a shootout showcase in Boisbriand to please the fans, and heâs also set to play in the Living Sisu LSHL three-on-three league this Summer.
Could Demidov end up being the Canadiensâ second-line center? Maybe, but right now, it doesnât seem likely, especially given the fact that the youngster typically doesnât lack confidence, and he confesses he doesnât know how good he could be playing that position.
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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Over the weekend, a report that Anton Frondell would play the 2025-26 season in Sweden after signing his ELC with the Chicago Blackhawks went viral in the hockey world. Overall, this is not a shocking piece of news.
The Blackhawks have been careful lately when it comes to calling players up to the NHL. They only want truly ready guys, if not a little more than ready. Not everybody can be Connor Bedard and make an impact at 18 years old.
Playing for DjurgĂĽrdens of the SHL for another year will be great for Frondellâs development. DjurgĂĽrdens is moving up a level in that league, so the competition will be stiffer, which is magnificent for Frondell as a young forward trying to enhance the two-way game.
Frondell will be joined on the team by one of his good friends in Victor Eklund, who the New York Islanders selected 16th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Eklund isnât the only notable teammate of Frondell with DjurgĂĽrdens either. He will suit up with former Blackhawks forward Marcus Kruger. Kruger is a tremendous elder player to have surrounding a young talent like Frondell.
Was Kruger a key contributor offensively during Chicagoâs dynasty years? No. As far as forwards go, they had Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Patrick Sharp for that. With that said, Krugerâs effort, character, and âdo what I can for the teamâ attitude made him one of the best role players in NHL history.
Kruger was skilled enough to play for an excellent Swedish Olympic team in addition to being a key player on a championship-caliber NHL team. He accepted his role and executed it.
Having the countryman connection in addition to the Blackhawks connection should help Kruger pass some knowledge on to Frondell. When he comes to North America full-time for hockey, he will have learned his trade well.
Throughout his 520 NHL games, Kruger played all but 48 with the Blackhawks. Those 48 came with the Carolina Hurricanes. Kruger had 38 goals and 85 assists for 123 points. When he was on the ice, despite his low offensive totals, Kruger was an effective player. He was so good defensively that he even earned some Selke Trophy love a couple of times.
Frondell has infinitely more tools than Kruger did, but the mentality of being a good two-way hockey player is something that the elder can help the rookie with.
A view of The Battery at Truist Park in Atlanta, which is playing host to the MLB All-Star Game this week. (Daniel Shirey / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
In 2021, Times columnist Bill Plaschke incurred the wrath of Atlanta by blaspheming the entertainment district surrounding the Bravesâ ballpark as a âsterile shopping mall.â The district, called The Battery, prefers the grand descriptor of âthe Southâs preeminent lifestyle destination.â
Letâs take a walk around The Battery, so you can understand why it could become one of the flash points in the coming holy war between owners and players.
If you leave the ballpark through the right-field gates, you are in The Battery. Youâll see a plaza in front of you, and around you places to ride a mechanical bull, go bowling, navigate an escape room or take in a concert.
You can eat, drink, shop, dance, stay in a hotel. You can live here, in apartments above the storefronts. You can work here, in office towers housing corporate giants.
âTo create an environment where you can spend eight, nine hours at The Battery and the field, and still feel like you have all the time in the world, I think theyâve done a wonderful job building this place,â Dodgers and former Braves All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman said.
The Braves built all this, not only to lure fans to come early and stay late on game days but to make money from the property 365 days a year rather than 81. On that front, it is a spectacular success: Nine million people come here each year, and the Braves generated $67 million in revenue from The Battery last year.
This, according to major league officials, is the template for the modern team. The Angels had planned a ballpark village twice as large as The Battery. Imagine what the Dodgers could build, and how much revenue they could generate, on property twice as large as the Angel Stadium site.
And, speaking of revenue, Rob Manfred has something he likes to say to players about it. The MLB commissioner spoke at the Bravesâ Investor Day last month and said he tells players that their share of the sportâs revenue has dropped from 63% in 2002 to 47% today.
Baseball is the only major sport in America without a salary cap system, in which owners agree to spend a designated percentage of revenue on player salaries.
âIf we had made a deal 10 years ago to share 50-50, you wouldâve made $2.5 billion more than you made,â Manfred said he has told players, in comments first reported by Sports Business Journal.
The players and their union rolled their collective eyes at those comments. It is no secret that many owners want a salary cap, and the cost certainty that comes with it.
âItâs all tactics,â Dodgers All-Star catcher Will Smith said. âItâs all early negotiating stuff.â
Said Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star outfielder Corbin Carroll: âOwners donât want to put money in our pockets. For them to emphasize how we need this so much, thereâs a reason for that.â
Tony Clark, the unionâs executive director, said the revenue numbers the league shares with the union are not consistent with Manfredâs statements. And, when you consider a percentage of revenue, you have to define what counts as revenue: What goes into the pool to be shared with players?
Tony Clark, executive director of the MLB players' union. (Brynn Anderson / Associated Press)
So letâs go back to The Battery, and to the revenue opportunities that such ballpark villages create for teams.
A report released in April by Klutch Sports, the Los Angeles-based agency, called such villages âthe sports industryâs $100+ billion growth engine,â particularly as media revenue wanes. Within the pitch to team owners: Those villages âgenerate attractive financial returns that stand outside of league revenue sharing requirements.â
Translation: You can make all these millions without sharing any of it with the players.
The Braves are building here because the team plays here. That is the new issue looming over the next round of collective bargaining: If a team builds around its ballpark, should that revenue be shared with players?
âOh yeah,â Athletics All-Star designated hitter Brent Rooker said. âRevenue is just any dollar that teams bring in that ultimately could be turned around and used to put a better product on the field. Itâs got to include tickets, TV, concessions, all the things around the stadium. Itâs got to include all of it.â
Is the money a team makes from renting office space outside the ballpark really relevant to the team?
Hereâs what Braves president and chief executive Derek Schiller told ESPN about The Battery: âYou've got a whole other set of revenues from the real estate development that can then be deployed for the baseball team.â
I asked Clark whether, if negotiations turn to the possibility of revenue sharing along the lines Manfred discussed, the money from ballpark villages needs to be part of the conversation.
âYes,â Clark said.
He declined to elaborate. Understand this about Clark: He can filibuster a yes or no question into a 45-second monologue without actually answering yes or no. That he would say a clear âyesâ and nothing else leaves no doubt about his position.
If the players do ask that owners share revenue from such ballpark villages, the response would be predictable: First, we share baseball revenue from baseball operations, and real estate developments are not baseball operations. Second, if you want to share in the revenue, you can share in the risk too, by helping to fund construction of the ballpark village, say, or by assuming some of the losses when a tenant drops its lease and leaves storefronts or office buildings unoccupied.
Said Carroll: âI think thatâs a conversation that wonât need to happen, because it wonât get to that point. A salary cap is a nonstarter from the unionâs perspective.â
Enjoy the All-Star Game Tuesday, because this summer is one of relative peace. The collective bargaining agreement expires after next season, which means the rhetoric between players and owners ought to be flying this time next year. If the owners insist on pushing a salary cap, a lockout almost certainly would follow.
And, if the owners push revenue sharing, The Battery could provide the push for the playersâ pushback.
Warriors basketball soon is approaching, Dub Nation.
Golden State released its preseason schedule for the 2025-26 NBA campaign, with three of its five games at Chase Center.
Here is the full five-game schedule:
Oct. 5: Warriors vs. Lakers at Chase Center
Oct. 8 Warriors vs. Trail Blazers at Chase Center
Oct. 12: Warriors vs. Lakers at Crypto.com Arena
Oct. 14 Warriors vs. Trail Blazers at Moda Center
Oct. 17 Warriors vs. Clippers at Chase Center
Oct 5: Warriors-Lakers at Chase Center Oct 8: Warriors-Blazers at Chase Center Oct 12: Warriors-Lakers at Crypto Oct 14: Warriors-Blazers at Moda Center Oct 17: Warriors-Clippers at Chase Center
Warriors have three home preseason games and two on the road
Following a gutwrenching end to the 2024-25 NBA season, Golden State will look to bounce back in 2025-26 around its core of Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
Rest of the squad unchanged for Old Trafford clash
Liam Dawson has been added to Englandâs squad for the fourth Test against India, ending an eight-year exile from the longest format in international cricket.
Last month the Hampshire all-rounder made a successful return to Englandâs T20 side after a three-year absence and, with Shoaib Bashir forced to pull out of the India series with a broken finger, he has finally been rewarded for his excellent red-ball form in recent seasons: 49 first-class wickets in 2023 followed by 54 in 2024, by a considerable margin his two most successful campaigns.
Brown, the Giantsâ No. 5 prospect in 2023, according to MLB Pipeline, batted .248/.339/.286 with zero home runs, seven RBI and 14 stolen bases in 122 combined plate appearances across rookie-ball, High-A and Double-A levels this season.
The speedy 27-year-old outfielder, a 10th-round draft pick by the Giants in 2021, had a breakout 2022 minor league season, slashing .346/.437/.623 with 23 homers and 44 stolen bases across three levels. But he did not advance past the Double-A level in five minor-league seasons with San Francisco.
Pomares, signed by the Giants as an international free agent in 2018, batted .209/.268/.352 with nine home runs, 34 RBI and nine stolen bases in 299 plate appearances with Double-A Richmond this season.
Peterson spent the last two seasons on a two-way deal with the Celtics, appearing in just three games during the 2023-24 campaign while spending most of the season in the G League with the Maine Celtics. He saw more opportunity last season, however, playing in 25 games for Bostonâs parent club and averaging 2.2 points over 7.4 minutes per game in those appearances.
The 25-year-old Peterson is an excellent 3-point shooter who has shot 42.1 percent from distance over 28 NBA games. Heâll reunite in Charlotte with former Celtics assistant Charles Lee, who took over as Hornets head coach last season.
While Peterson showed some promise in Boston, his departure seemed likely after the Celtics reportedly signed both of their second-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft â big man Amari Williams and guard Max Shulga â to two-way deals. Forward Miles Norris also is on a two-way deal with Boston, meaning the team has no more open two-way slots.
Peterson joins Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet among the players leaving the Celtics this offseason, while veteran Al Horford is expected to depart in free agency as well. If Horford signs elsewhere, forward Torrey Craig would be Bostonâs final unsigned free agent.
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