The St. Louis Blues' opening-night roster is becoming clearer, with the organization placing a pair of players on waivers.
Among those placed on waivers are goaltender Georgii Romanov and defenseman Calle Rosen.
Romanov is a 26-year-old netminder who is entering his second season with the Blues organization. He played 28 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds last season, posting an .898 save percentage and a 3.29 goals-against average.
He'll split starts with Will Cranley, who is expected to be a full-time AHLer this season.
As for Rosen, he's an experienced AHL defenseman entering his fifth year with the Blues organization. He's spent time in the NHL with the Blues, but has mainly been a reliable defenseman for the Springfield Thunderbirds.
The Blues reacquired him from the Washington Capitals, and in his return, the 32-year-old scored eight goals and added 31 points.
In addition to placing Romanov and Rosen on waivers, the Blues have recalled 2024 first-round pick Adam Jiricek and claimed defenseman Justin Barron from the Nashville Predators.
With Barron and Jiricek up in the NHL, the Blues are over the limit, so expect Tyler Tucker to be placed on the injured reserve and one of Barron or Jiricek to be sent to the AHL.
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SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 3 Dylan Harper #2, Victor Wembanyama #1, De'Aaron Fox #4, Stephon Castle #5 and Julian Champagnie #30 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the game against the New York Knicks during Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 3, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Training camp is nearly upon us. Now is the time for Mitch Johnson and the rest of the San Antonio Spurs coaching staff to see how roster plans will come to life. That means experimenting with lineups in practice and the preseason before the season starts on October 20th.
This season should be a lot of fun from a lineup-combination perspective. San Antonio has a lot of diverse talent, giving them versatility and depth they can lean on. The team will eventually settle into the rotation and lineup that will lead to the most success in a postseason run, but to start the season, there should be some tinkering here and there that will lead to some interesting 5-man groups.
Guessing what those lineups will be is easier for San Antonio than for many other teams. The Spurs have more roster continuity than most of the league. We should expect to see a lot of the same units as last year, but with Tobias Harris and Tarris Reed Jr. sprinkled in. It’s just enough of a change to look forward to the lineups that will define San Antonio’s 2026-27 season.
Starters and finishers?
De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Tobias Harris, Victor Wembanyama
I have banged the drum all offseason that Julian Champagnie should keep his starting spot heading into the regular season, despite the signing of Harris. However, the writing seems to be on the wall for Harris to take the four-man spot for San Antonio this season.
It makes sense; Harris is a veteran with a skill set the Spurs desperately needed last year. He’s a true forward with a big body who can defend decently well, hit threes (shot 36.8% from deep last year), and create his own shot when the offense stalls. He’s not quite the sharpshooter that Champagnie is, but makes up for it with those other skills
The rest of the group is exactly what you’d expect. This group (with Champagnie) had a +17.3 net rating last season and was San Antonio’s most effective lineup. A healthy and motivated De’Aaron Fox and a year-three leap from Stephon Castle could take this group to an even greater level.
We’ll see if this is indeed the closing group. If Champagnie is hot, it will be hard to keep him off the floor. If Dylan Harper takes another leap in year two, he will almost certainly need to be on the floor when the game is on the line.
Wemby-less group
Dylan Harper, Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, Carter Bryant, Luke Kornet
Go figure: San Antonio was at its worst last season when Victor Wembanyama was on the bench. That was especially noticeable in the playoffs, where teams picked on Luke Kornet when Wembanyama went to the bench. That is now an established strategy this team will have to deal with. They can make Kornet’s life easier by improving the rest of the defense around him.
Harper and Bryant are two of the Spurs’ best perimeter defenders, and Champagnie has shown the ability to play in passing lanes and hold his own on defense. This bench lineup is much better defensively, which should help them maintain leads when the starters exit.
This group should have some offensive juice, too. Harper is one of the best sixth men in the NBA, Keldon Johnson is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Champagnie was a starter during the finals, and Bryant could make a leap.
Three-guard lineup
De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, Tobias Harris, Victor Wembanyama
This is the group the Spurs have to make work. Fox, Harper, and Castle are too good to not find a way to play them all together. Those three only played 25 minutes together in the regular season, with a net rating of -26.9. Not great. San Antonio just never found a way to make the offense click with the three of them together.
Finding a way to make this work had to have been one of the coaching staff’s top priorities this offseason. This unit probably needs two major things to work: continued improvement in shooting from Castle and Harper, and more time on the court together. Harper shot 47.9% from three after the All-Star break last season, while Castle hit 41.7% of his threes in the same time frame. If that improvement carries over into the regular season, this lineup could sing. More than anything, this group just needs time to play together and figure out how to coexist.
Harris is a great add for this group, too. He helps them maintain size on the interior while not sacrificing shooting and playmaking. With Wembanyama on the floor, the team can maintain defensive dominance while maximizing playmaking and perimeter speed. On paper, it’s a lineup that makes a lot of sense; it just needs time to become one of the team’s go-to groups.
A couple of standouts emerged at the Montreal Canadiens’ camp. Up front, Florian Xhekaj has raised more than a few eyebrows with his consistent play, intense effort, and forecheck. On the blueline, David Reinbacher turned heads. The fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft may have seen his development slowed by a slew of injuries, but he’s fully healthy now and has shown what he can do in three preseason games.
Kaiden Guhle’s injury couldn’t have come at a better time for Reinbacher. It opened the door for him, and he didn’t just step into the space; he opened it with authority. So much so that he even got an audition to play alongside Lane Hutson in the Kraft Hockeyville game in Trois-Rivières. The Canadiens’ top defenseman was impressed with the youngster's play and had nothing but positive comments about his young partner after the game.
Yet, on Sunday, after putting a first group of players on waivers, the Canadiens reassigned 10 players to the Laval Rocket, including Reinbacher. He was joined by Owen Beck, Jacob Fowler, Dillan Bentley, Laurent Dauphin, Jared Davidson, Filip Mesar, Luke Mittelstadt, Owen Protz, and Tyler Thorpe. In other words, Florian Xhekaj and Adam Engstrom are the only two players who aren't on NHL contracts and are still with the team. Unless Kaiden Guhle is put on injured reserve, the Canadiens would have 24 players on their roster rather than the 23 permitted. Meaning there's still a move to make before Monday at 5:00 PM.
Meanwhile, Alex Belzile and Kaapo Kahkonen highlighted the group placed on waivers, along with Brett Berard, Hunter McKown, Sasha Pastujov, Samuel Poulin, Ethan Samson, Maksymillian Szuber, and Reilly Walsh.
Seeing Xhekaj stay up is surprising, given how many forwards are under contract, and Reinbacher heading to Laval is just as surprising. Throughout camp, he appeared to have the inside lane on Engstrom. Perhaps the organization would rather Engstrom sit as their seventh defenseman than Reinbacher if they decided to play Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj?
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 17: The sneakers worn by Myron Gardner #75 of the Miami Heat during the game against the Detroit Pistons during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 17, 2025 at the Pavilion 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Kevin Cheveldayoff has never been afraid to revisit the past.
Throughout his tenure as general manager of the Winnipeg Jets, Cheveldayoff has regularly circled back to players already familiar with the organization. But Winnipeg passed on one such opportunity Saturday when former Jets goaltender Eric Comrie cleared waivers after being placed on the wire by the San Jose Sharks.
One day later, several more familiar names are available.
Former Jets Laurent Brossoit, David Rittich, Dominic Toninato and Ville Heinola were among the players placed on waivers Sunday as teams continued trimming their rosters ahead of Monday's deadline.
Photo by Robert Edwards/USA Today
The Jets made two moves of their own, placing forward Danny Zhilkin and defenceman Henry Thrun on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the Manitoba Moose. Should both clear Monday, Winnipeg would be down to 24 healthy players and require one more move to reach its opening roster.
It comes one day after defenceman Isaak Phillips and forwards Nikita Chibrikov, Noah Gregor and Parker Ford all cleared waivers. The quartet can now be assigned to Manitoba after being placed on the wire Friday, while goaltender Thomas Milic was assigned directly to the Moose.
While the Jets continue sorting through their own roster, Sunday's waiver wire presents some interesting possibilities.
Brossoit is perhaps the most obvious example of Cheveldayoff returning to a familiar player in the past. The goaltender spent three seasons with Winnipeg from 2018-21 before leaving for Vegas, only to return to the Jets two years later.
Rittich spent the 2022-23 season in Winnipeg, while Toninato became a familiar face between the Jets and Moose after originally joining the organization in 2020.
Then there is Heinola.
Winnipeg selected the Finnish defenceman 20th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft and spent years waiting for him to establish himself as a full-time NHL player. Heinola's time with the organization finally came to an end this summer when he joined the Vegas Golden Knights, only for the 25-year-old to land on waivers before the regular season.
Whether any of those reunions would actually interest Winnipeg is another question.
The Jets' decision not to claim Comrie is a timely reminder that familiarity alone isn't enough. The 31-year-old netminder had one of the more unusual relationships with the organization, having been drafted by Winnipeg, lost on waivers and eventually returned to the Jets before leaving for San Jose this summer. Despite Winnipeg's current uncertainty in goal behind Stuart Skinner, Comrie went unclaimed and is now eligible to report to the AHL's San Jose Barracuda.
There are plenty of intriguing names beyond the former Jets, too.
Forwards Sammy Blais, Philip Tomasino, Jakob Pelletier and Alexander Holtz were among those exposed Sunday, as were defencemen Henri Jokiharju, Juuso Välimäki and Ilya Lyubushkin.
Former Brandon Wheat Kings forward Cole Reinhardt was placed on waivers by the Florida Panthers, adding another Manitoba connection to the list.
The goaltending market is particularly crowded. Along with Brossoit and Rittich, Ilya Samsonov, Vitek Vanecek, Kaapo Kähkönen and Mads Søgaard were all made available.
For Cheveldayoff, the timing is intriguing.
Winnipeg has spent the weekend moving closer to its final roster, going from 26 healthy players Friday to 24 following Sunday's moves. The Jets have one final decision of their own to make before Monday's deadline.
At the same time, 31 other teams have provided them with plenty more to consider.
Ahead of the start of the 2026 regular season, the Philadelphia Flyers still have major question marks on defense, particularly on the third defense pair.
On Saturday, not long after Flyers general manager Danny Briere announced that former No. 6 overall pick David Jiricek would make the roster, Jiricek made a series of errors that led to goals against the Flyers despite facing against a greatly undermanned Washington Capitals team in the preseason finale.
A faulty anticipation of transition, a backhanded pass directly to a Capitals player, and a silly penalty contributed to three goals for Washington, and the Capitals' fifth goal in the 5-1 beatdown came after Noah Cates failed to handle a pass from Jiricek in the neutral zone,
Once Washington won that puck, Jiricek was too far out of position, and Rasmus Ristolainen was left back to defend by himself, and Aleksei Kolosov was nowhere near good enough to erase any of those mistakes on Saturday night.
This is precisely what the Flyers signed up for when they added the 22-year-old Jiricek via trade, but the problem for them is that they have aspirations of making the playoffs, and Jiricek still needs to develop despite needing to pass through waivers to make it back to the AHL.
Those two things don't mix, and while another NHL team may not necessarily be motivated to become Jiricek's fourth team in as many years since he was drafted in 2022, it is a possibility.
More concerningly, Oliver Bonk and Helge Grans have not done enough to steal a job from Jiricek, and Simon Benoit, a veteran newcomer, is not a right-shot.
If the Flyers want to take their time with Bonk and Jiricek and let the youngsters develop, they will need to turn elsewhere to maintain the integrity of their ultimate goals for the season.
NHL waiver wire flush with options
Nick Perbix could bring the size the Flyers covet on defense. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)
The good news for the Flyers is that they have at least two options available to them, entirely for free, on the NHL waiver wire.
On Saturday, the Boston Bruins placed defenseman Henri Jokiharku, a 27-year-old former first-round pick and veteran of 448 regular season games, on waivers.
The Finn was an NHL regular with Buffalo, but since coming to Boston, he's placed in just 59 games, scoring two goals, 17 assists, and 19 points with a +9 rating while filling in on the power play and penalty kill when needed.
The 6-foot Jokiharju has two years remaining on his contract at a $3 million cap hit, and he's undeniably an upgrade on Benoit, Jiricek, Grans, Bonk, and even Noah Juulsen, who the Flyers made the playoffs with as their third-choice right-shot defender last year.
Further south, the Nashville Predators placed former Tampa Bay Lightning standout Nick Perbix on waivers, and the 6-foot-4 Canadian might better align with what the Flyers are trying to do on defense.
Perbix, 28, was an analytics darling in Tampa Bay playing a lesser role, but after just one year in Nashville, he's on waivers.
Perbix scored three goals, 10 assists, and 13 points in 79 games for the Predators last season while averaging a career-high 2:41 a game on the penalty kill, adding some important special teams value for a prospective taker like the Flyers.
Both Jokiharju and Perbix, with their short-term, affordable contracts, make sense as adds for the Flyers as they prioritize the proper development of Jiricek and Bonk.
The Flyers will need to spend a bit of cash to add either player via waivers, but that's no problem for them with their $13.9 million in cap space.
Now, it's more a question of how they want to develop Jiricek and how important he is to their future, compared to making the playoffs and remaining as competitive as possible.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 24: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, September 24, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Yankees recently confirmed who’s taking the mound for the best-of-three American League Wild Card Series against the Red Sox.
Cy Young frontrunner Cam Schlittler will take the bump for Game 1 in the Bronx to kick off the MLB postseason. Max Fried will hopefully help the Yankees advance in Game 2, and if needed, Gerrit Cole will close out the series on Thursday.
This rotation isn’t too far off from our earlier predictions on who makes the postseason roster, and it may be the best-case scenario for the Pinstripes. Hypothetically, if the Yankees ultimately overcome Boston in the Wild Card Series, Schlittler will be available to pitch for Game 2 against the Rays in the ALDS.
The 25-year-old righty made his postseason debut in Game 3 of the 2025 Wild Card Series against the Red Sox and made a splash with a breakout performance on the big stage in the 4-0 victory, allowing five hits and striking out 12 in eight shutout frames. He made his second appearance against the Blue Jays in Game 4 of the ALDS, allowing eight hits and giving up four runs in 6.1 innings.
Fried, who finished the regular season with a 2.80 ERA and 0.99 WHIP, has strong numbers against Boston since joining the Yankees. Facing the Red Sox in six games, including the postseason, Fried posted a 1.24 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 41 strikeouts in 36.1 innings. A 2021 World Series champion with Atlanta who was excellent in their championship clincher, Fried threw 6.1 shutout innings against Boston in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series last year.
Cole, who was limited to 22 games and finished the regular season with a 3.61 ERA and 1.10 WHIP, will look to continue the Yankees’ postseason run in the Wild Card Series finale. If the Yankees sweep Boston in two games, he could be the starter for Game 1 of the ALDS. Fourth starter Carlos Rodón—who earned well-deserved chatter of a possible start in his own right with a 1.89 ERA in his last seven starts—would likely be in play for that outing if this series goes three games, the southpaw will be available out of the bullpen in the Wild Card as well. Obviously, the Yankees have to worry about getting past Boston first before they can fully plan for anything else.
You definitely won’t want to miss Schlittler face off against either standout rookie Payton Tolle or veteran right-hander Sonny Gray in a highly anticipated rivalry matchup to kickstart a potential long run into the postseason. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST on Tuesday from Yankee Stadium.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Jeremy Peña #3 of the Houston Astros points to the dugout after hitting a two-run home run against the Athletics during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on September 26, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TODAY’S FINALE: The Houston Astros (80-81) conclude the 2026 regular season with the final game of a four-game series against the Athletics (64-97) at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, CA.
Astros RHP Peter Lambert (8-10, 3.87 ERA) will be on the mound, opposite RHP Seth Johnson (1-0, 6.19 ERA) and the Athletics.
THE LAMBO: RHP Peter Lambert has been the most consistent starter for the Astros this season, as he leads the club in wins (8), starts (28), innings pitched (153.2) and strikeouts (153). He’s allowed two-or-fewer earned runs in 19 of his 28 starts on the year and has done so in 11 of his last 15 starts.
THE POSTSEASON CHASE: The Astros and Rangers are locked in a tight race down the stretch for the AL West with the two teams having the same record with one games left to play. The Astros own the tiebreaker over the Rangers with a season series victory (9-4 record).
CLINCH SCENARIO: The Astros can clinch the AL West division today with a win against the Athletics or a loss by Rangers against the Twins.
VS. THE ATHLETICS: This is the final series between the Astros and Athletics this season, with the two clubs last seeing each other from Aug. 21-23 at Daikin Park. The Astros have gone 6-6 vs. the Athletics this season. The Astros also own an overall regular season record of 126-112 against the Athletics, including a 61-61 record on the road.
ROAD WARRIORS: Today is the final game of a six-game road trip for the Astros. Since going 1-9 on the first road trip of the 2026 season, the Astros have gone 40-30 (.571) on the road since April 14, which ranks third in the AL in that span, behind the Red Sox (43-28) and the Yankees (42-30).
LAST NIGHT’S GAME: The Astros defeated the Athletics, 13-2 at Sutter Health Park last night. RHP Hayden Wesneski allowed two runs (one earned run) on six hits and one walk with five strikeouts in seven innings. SS Jeremy Peña (4×6, 4 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI) recorded his fourth multi-homer game of the season. The Astros offense combined for 16 hits.
GOIN’ DEEP: The Astros have hit 225 homers as a team this year, which is the most in the Majors. The last time the Astros led the Majors in home runs was in 2000, when they hit 249 home runs.
TWO-OUT MAGIC: The Astros lead the American League in two-out runs with 320 on the season, trailing only the Cubs (332) in the Majors. 3B Isaac Paredes leads this effort, as he holds the Major League lead with 46 two-out RBI, directly ahead of STL 1B Alec Burleson (45 RBI).
THE FIREMAN: LHP Josh Hader has converted 26 consecutive save chances to open his season, which is the Astros record. Should Hader finish the season without a blown save, he would become the seventh pitcher in MLB history to post 26-plus saves without a blown save. The last Major Leaguer to do so was RHP Ken Giles in 2018 (26 SV).
THE CASE FOR THE MVP: DH Yordan Alvarez is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award. Alvarez leads the American League in OPS (1.036), slugging percentage (.604), OBP (.432), batting average (.316), total bases (340), walks (109), IBB (33), wRC+ (180), OPS+ (189) and extra-base hits (77). He also ranks second in home runs (42), second in RBI (105), second in hits (178), fourth in doubles (34) and fourth in runs (104).
BATTING TITLE: DH Yordan Alvarez enters today’s game leading the American League in batting average. He is looking to become the third player in franchise history to earn a batting title, joining 1B Yuli Gurriel (2021) and 2B Jose Altuve (2014, 2016-17).
YORGONE: DH Yordan Alvarez launched his 42nd home run of the season last night at ATH. His 42 home runs are tied for the fifth most in Astros franchise history.
Astros Most Home Runs – Single Season
1. J. Bagwell: 47 HR (2000)
2. L. Berkman: 45 HR (2006)
3. R. Hidalgo 44 HR (2000)
4. J. Bagwell 43 HR (1997)
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Last night’s victory was the 255th win for Astros Manager Joe Espada surpassing Hal Lanier for the ninth-most managerial wins in Astros franchise history. Espada owns a 255-229 record with the Astros.
THAT BOY BLU: RHP AJ Blubaugh leads MLB relievers with 96.0 innings, with MIL LHP Aaron Ashby (87.0 IP) the next closest. He is seeking to become the 1st Astros pitcher to lead their league in innings since RHP Doug Jones in 1992 (111.2 IP). His 96.0 innings this season are the most by an Astros reliever since RHP Octavio Dotel tossed 97.1 innings in 2002.
STRONG SEPTEMBERS: 3B Isaac Paredes has a 1.026 OPS this month to go along with a team-leading 21 RBI, which ranks tied for second in the AL. C Yainer Diaz is also having a strong September, as he’s hitting .354 (28×79) with four homers, 11 RBI and a .960 OPS in 22 games (19 starts) this month.
RACKING UP K’S: RHP Bryan Abreu has posted 528 career strikeouts, which ranks fourth among relievers in Astros history. He’s closing in on third-place RHP Dave Smith (529), needing only one strikeout to match the Astros reliever from the 1980s. LHP Billy Wagner (694) and RHP Brad Lidge (557) sit atop that all-time list.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1967 – In a classic, 11-inning pitchers duel in the Dome, both starting pitchers go the distance, with the Astros coming out on top over the Phillies, 1-0. LHP Mike Cuellar tallies 12 K’s in his 11.0 shutout innings. Phillies starter Jim Bunning allows just one run in his 10.2 innings of work. 1B Chuck Harrison singles home RF Rusty Staub to give the Astros the walkoff win.
1964 – Fittingly, Jimmy Wynn is the hero in the finlal game played at Colt Stadium as he drives home Rusty Staub in the 12th inning for a 1-0, walkoff win over the Dodgers. Colts RHP Bob Bruce hurls all 12.0 innings to earn the win, outdueling RHP Don Drysdale, who hurled 10.0 scoreless frames.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Sunday, September 27, 2:05 p.m. CT
Location: Sutter Heath Park, West Sacramento, CA
TV: SCHN, NBC Sports, Peacock
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Former Winnipeg Jets defenceman Logan Stanley has finally found a home for the 2026-27 NHL season.
The New York Islanders announced Sunday that they have signed Stanley to a one-year contract. The deal carries a $1.5-million cap hit.
Photo by Marc Desrosiers/USA Today
The signing comes unusually late for the 28-year-old, who remained an unrestricted free agent throughout the summer and nearly the entirety of training camp despite putting together the best offensive season of his NHL career in 2025-26.
Stanley recorded nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points in 76 games split between Winnipeg and the Buffalo Sabres last season. Twenty-one of those points came in 59 games with the Jets before Winnipeg dealt the six-foot-seven, 231-pound defenceman to Buffalo ahead of the March 6 trade deadline.
Former #NHLJets defenceman Logan Stanley has found a new home on the Island.
He signs a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Islanders - a far cry from the 5x$5 extension some were suggesting mid-season.
Whether he gets into the Isles’ final exhibition game tonight is unclear.
Stanley added five assists in 17 regular-season games with the Sabres before appearing in eight playoff contests. He was held pointless during Buffalo's postseason run and was scratched for the final four games of its second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens.
His move to Long Island brings an end to a lengthy period of uncertainty for the former Jets first-round pick.
Winnipeg selected Stanley 18th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft after trading up to acquire the pick. He eventually developed into a regular on the Jets' blue line and appeared in parts of six seasons with the club before being moved to Buffalo last spring.
Stanley's final season in Winnipeg proved to be his most productive. He established career highs offensively while taking on a larger role, averaging more than 17 minutes of ice time per game during his 59 appearances with the Jets.
Now, he'll attempt to carve out a role on an Islanders blue line that already features the likes of Matthew Schaefer, Alexander Romanov, Ryan Pulock and Tony DeAngelo.
Stanley joined his new teammates for practice Sunday morning, but his late arrival means he won't have the benefit of an exhibition tune-up. New York has already completed its four-game preseason schedule and will open its regular season Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Islanders will therefore have only a few practices to get Stanley acclimated before the games begin to count.
Stanley has appeared in 278 career NHL regular-season games, recording 14 goals and 62 points. He has also suited up for 25 Stanley Cup playoff games.
After spending nearly seven months waiting for his next NHL opportunity, the former Jet will now get it on Long Island.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 08: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball during Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena on May 08, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the first time in his NBA career, Joel Embiid is far down in the pecking order in terms of interesting narratives for this Sixers franchise.
You have LeBron James taking a minimum deal to seek a ring in Philadelphia of all places, where we haven’t hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy since 1983. Jaylen Brown has arrived via trade from the Sixers’ arch-rival to go on a scorched-earth, “Analytics are whack” campaign for the next eight months or so. We could even turn next to Tyrese Maxey’s continued ascension up the All-NBA ladder or VJ Edgecombe building on a stellar rookie campaign before arriving at Embiid.
Yet while the Sixers are better equipped than ever to go forward without Joel on a given night in November or February, he remains the lynchpin in this franchise’s championship aspirations. When available last season, he still played at an All-Star level, with averages of 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 blocks. It’s maybe 75-80 percent of his past MVP-level production, but still something only a dozen or so players in the league can replicate. While Philadelphia has any number of ball handlers and guys to score the basketball, they don’t have anyone else capable of being a two-way presence on the interior. Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti are not starters on a championship team, so Joel needs to be able to wade through two months of postseason action if this organization is going to reach its goal. The upside is the roster around him is better equipped than ever to get him to the postseason; the downside is everything else, which means at this point, we must bring up the criticisms from the haters…
They imagine he was a hurdle to overcome in LeBron coming to Philadelphia, but then James speaks glowingly about him. They fabricate some feud between him and Jaylen Brown because Joel isn’t all over social media welcoming Brown post-trade, but then it comes out that he was part of the group in constant communications with his new teammate. They bring up dietary stuff from ages ago, even though he’s in the best shape in years. They mention old maturity concerns that are basically a thing of the past now that Joel has found happiness in a family of his own and taken proactive steps to be in a better place mentally to sort through past traumas and setbacks. And yet, the “he’s never available” criticism does have some ring of truth to it, because…
It does feel like it’s always “something” with Joel. It doesn’t matter that he works his tail off to return and play with a facemask or a huge brace or whatever. Or that there are sometimes things entirely outside of his control, like his appendix bursting or coming down with a temporary neurological condition like Bell’s palsy. Any time there’s a prolonged period of things going well for Embiid, it seems like something is bound to pop up to ruin it. It’s frustrating. I guarantee he’s more frustrated about it than anyone. But to say you feel secure about his health or that you’re not worried about his body breaking down over the course of the season would be insane to me. Sometimes people’s bodies just do not cooperate and, unfortunately, we have years and years of evidence of that being the case for Joel.
So that’s where we are with Joel Embiid, a complicated situation as always. He’s somehow both far down on the list of importance for this Sixers roster, and maybe the most important. I would love, love, love for him to get his One Shining Moment, but like with his availability, I can’t say I’m counting on it. Let’s hope I’m wrong.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander (35) throws a pitch during his last MLB game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Detroit Tigers (76-85) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (81-80)
Time/Place: 3:10 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site:Bucs Dugout Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP River Ryan (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Jared Jones (5-6, 3.87 ERA)
The Knicks filled out their training camp roster with familiar and expected names.
Tyler Nickel, a second-round pick this year, and Kevin McCullar Jr., a second-round pick in 2024, were both officially signed Sunday to two-way contracts, the team announced.
The moves pushed the Knicks to 20 bodies for training camp this week, one short of the maximum.
Tyler Nickel looks on during the game against the Brooklyn Nets during the NBA Summer League game on July 10, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Nickel, 23, who was drafted 47th overall in June, impressed in Summer League as a tall 3-point specialist at 6-foot-7.
The Vanderbilt product shot 41.3 percent on treys in five Summer League games in Vegas.
Recent history suggests Nickel has a chance to make an impact. Three Knicks former second-round picks – Miles McBride, Tyler Kolek and Mohamed Diawara – are all on standard contracts this season. Nickel was also reportedly mulling a return to college to capitalize on an NIL payday. But, as The Post reported in August, he long ago decided to play this season with the Knicks.
McCullar Jr., a 25-year-old guard, played the last two seasons with the Knicks, making a combined 25 appearances while averaging 2.2 points in 7.4 minutes on 40.7 percent shooting.
He had a breakthrough game in late December last season, helping the Knicks to victory in Atlanta with 13 points and eight boards. But McCullar Jr. failed to crack the rotation thereafter, and again couldn’t secure a standard contract.
Kevin McCullar Jr. gestures after a play during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden on April 12, 2026. Getty Images
This will be the third season McCullar Jr. operates on a two-way contract, which allows a player to split time in the NBA and G League. With the signings of McCullar Jr. and Nickel, the Knicks have used two of their three two-way contracts.
The Knicks will host Media Day on Monday, followed by the start of training camp in Tarrytown on Tuesday. Their preseason opener is Oct. 5 at Philadelphia.
On Sunday, the Florida Panthers continued their roster cuts, placing eight players on waivers for the purpose of being assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL.
NHL opening night rosters are due at 5 p.m. EST on Monday, Sept. 28.
According to PuckPedia.com, the Panthers have placed eight players on waivers: forwards John Beecher, Sam Lafferty, Cole Reinhardt, Kai Schwindt, Cole Schwindt, and Nathan Bastian, and defensemen Donovan Sebrango and Alexander Petrovic.
Bastian attended the Panthers' training camp on a professional tryout. Prior to being placed on waivers, Bastian signed a one-year, $850,000 contract. His minor league salary will be $525,000, with $575,000 guaranteed.
As for the other forwards, Beecher and Lafferty were brought in during the off-season with NHL experience. They'll likely clear waivers and should be used as call-ups throughout the season.
As for Reinhardt and Cole Schwindt, the Panthers claimed both off waivers last year. Reinhardt and Schwindt's waiver placement comes with serious risk, as they're enticing pieces NHL teams could be interested in claiming.
Reinhardt ended the season strongly with the Panthers last year and picked up where he left off in the pre-season. As for Schwindt, he's proved to be a very reliable defensive center.
Yesterday, the Panthers placed Angus Crookshank, Casey Fitzgertald and Tobias Bjornfot on waivers; all cleared and have reported to the Charlotte Checkers.
An interesting note following all these waiver placements is that Bokondji Imama was not placed on waivers and remains with the NHL club. It appears that he could begin the season as the Panthers' 13th forward, or possibly in the opening-night lineup.
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Francisco Lindor hit his 300th career home run on Sunday, Sept. 27 in the final game of the 2026 regular season, reaching the mark after being stuck on 299 for two weeks.
That's a milestone that the Mets needed right now. In fact, they need any bright spot they can find in this season.
The Mets missed the playoffs for the second year in a row in a season that failed to launch. Lindor's own numbers tell a lot of the story. He came into the game hitting .222 with 20 home runs, well off his usual pace, on a team that hasn't given him much to play for down the stretch.
But the milestone gives the Mets something to celebrate.
The first 138 home runs of Lindor's career came with Cleveland, which drafted the shortstop eighth overall in the 2011 draft and signed him for $2.9 million. It didn't take long before that looked like a bargain.
He hit .313 with 12 homers in just 99 games as a rookie in 2015, finishing second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting, and by 2016 he was the shortstop carrying a young Cleveland team through the postseason, hitting .310 with 18 hits over 15 games on the way to a World Series.
With a start like that no wonder he picked up the nickname Mr. Smile.
It's been harder for Lindor, 32, to keep up that moniker in Queens.
He was traded to the Mets in January 2021, sending Amed Rosario, Andres Gimenez, Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene back in return. Three months later the Mets signed him to a 10-year, $341 million extension that runs through 2031. He got off to a slow start that April, slow enough that his own fans booed him, a rough welcome for a guy who'd just signed the richest deal in franchise history.
Since then, he's gone 30-30 twice and in October 2024, he hit the grand slam that sent the Mets past the Phillies and into the NLCS, still one of the best nights that Citi Field has had in almost a decade.
The Carolina Hurricanes have their opening night roster set, trimming their roster down to the 23-player maximum.
The team announced on Sunday that they have reassigned both Felix Unger Sorum and Bradly Nadeau to the Chicago Wolves and have placed defenseman Juuso Valimaki on waivers for the purpose of reassignment.
In addition, Seth Jarvis has been placed on injured reserve as he continues to recover from his offseason shoulder surgery.
That means that the final roster will look like this:
Andrei Svechnikov - Sebastian Aho - Eric Robinson Taylor Hall - Logan Stankoven - Jackson Blake Nikolaj Ehlers - Jordan Staal - Jordan Martinook Nicolas Deslauriers - Mark Jankowski - William Carrier
Jaccob Slavin - Jalen Chatfield K'Andre Miller - Sean Walker Shayne Gostisbehere - Charles Alexis Legault
So in the end, Charles Alexis Legault and Mike Reilly won out the competition for the team's sixth and seventh defenseman spots over Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Juuso Valimaki and Joel Nystrom.
Reilly had by far the best showing amongst all the prospective blueliners, anchoring the team's top pair through the first two preseason games and while Legault wasn't as impactful, he has the physical traits and playing style that the team wants in that depth role.
In addition, neither Unger Sorum nor Nadeau impressed the organization enough to dethrone any of the team's established forwards, although perhaps we could see one or both at some point in the season.
Both players have dominated the AHL and had really good showings in the preseason to boot, but for whatever reason, the staff isn't yet sold on them.
Lastly, it seems the team is perhaps worried about placed goaltender Cayden Primeau on waivers, hence why they're keeping him up, at least to start the year.
Primeau, 27, has over 50 games of NHL experience and is coming off of a really strong AHL season where he had a 21-11-7 record and a 0.916 save percentage (9-9-0; 0.913 Sv% in the postseason).
Even though he's on a two-year deal, there is a good chance he gets claimed, which did happen last year before the team managed to reclaim him after he spent around a month in Toronto.
But this is the lineup that the team will be sending out against the Florida Panthers for the NHL season opener on Tuesday.
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