Jared McCain was the early frontrunner for Rookie of the Year last season until a torn meniscus in December ended his season. This season, the 76ers are counting on him to take a step forward in his sophomore season as part of a promising young backcourt with Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes (who is still negotiating his contract for this season) and No. 3 pick last June V.J. Edgecombe.
Now comes word that McCain will miss the start of the season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right thumb, the team announced.
This injury has hit other NBA players — most notably Paul George — and usually takes about a month to recover from.
Last season, McCain stood out to start the season, averaging 15.3 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds a game while shooting 38.3% from beyond the arc. He's also a standout NBA player on social media, most recently because of a team photo of him looking like he was about to bench 10-pound weights. McCain had fun with that and posted a video of himself doing bicep curls with a 2.5-pound dumbbell.
That was funny. To Sixers fans his injury is not as this team has the potential to be a contender in a down East, but only if everyone stays healthy.
If anyone outside the Yankees clubhouse last week genuinely envisioned the AL East race up for grabs entering the final weekend of the season, their hopes couldn't have been any higher. After all, the Blue Jays owned a commanding five-game lead for first place just 10 days ago.
But the window to a division title never closed for the Yankees. With four games left on the calendar, they've entered Thursday in a stunning deadlock with the Blue Jays atop the standings. While the head-to-head tiebreaker isn't in their favor, they've defied expectations amidst chaos.
The Yankees (90-68) must finish one game better than the Blue Jays in order to steal the crown and clinch a first-round bye. What once seemed like too tall of an order is now easily attainable, and the satisfaction of already securing a postseason spot isn't enough for Aaron Boone.
"I'll take the bye all day long. It's winning a series, essentially, without having to play one," the Yankees' manager said ahead of Thursday's series finale with the White Sox. "We've seen teams come out of the wild-card situation and run the table. We've seen it the other way. But if you're asking me if I get to choose, I'll take the bye."
It's no surprise Boone prefers a shorter journey to the World Series. His team took this route last season as AL East champions and the top-overall seed, bypassing the best-of-three Wild Card series and outlasting the Royals and Guardians before falling to the Dodgers in the Fall Classic.
The weekend pitching plan
The first-round bye offers clear advantages. Not only do teams receive nearly a week of vital rest from a grueling 162-game campaign, but they also get the luxury of a stress-free alignment of their starting rotation. So, the fewer taxing games, the better.
Yankees ace Max Fried pitched in Wednesday's win, and Carlos Rodón is lined up to start Thursday's contest. The pair of valuable left-handers can, in all likelihood, be ruled out for weekend appearances against the Orioles, and this reality shouldn't bother Boone.
But who's slated to take the mound in the coming days? Boone said the "probables" are Will Warren (Friday), Cam Schlittler (Saturday), and Luis Gil (Sunday). Based on this normal order, Schlitter would be available on regular rest for a potential do-or-die Game 3 of the Wild Card round.
Boone also mentioned there aren't any plans of asking Ryan Yarbrough or Paul Blackburn to spot-start or provide bulk relief work, but nothing is set in stone. The strategy is fluid while their fate is simultaneously decided by the Blue Jays, on the brink of a total September meltdown.
A familiar postseason strategy
Whether the Yankees host a best-of-three series of a best-of-five next week, their October success will be contingent upon familiar factors. They're trusting arms like Fried and Rodón to thrive under the brightest lights. They desperately need Aaron Judge to deliver at the plate.
Their recipe for wins requires home runs, and they'll once again have the opportunity to demonstrate this years-long philosophy from the franchise can actually yield results the fanbase has grown to doubt.
By design, the Yankees lead the majors in homers (266) and OPS (.786) this season. The threat of the long ball isn't disappearing, and Boone believes their power bats throughout the lineup provide an edge. But he also hopes to see more athleticism and timely hitting this time around.
"It's about getting on base as much as you can, and hopefully you put a few balls in the seats," Boone said. "But there's going to be those games you've got to win that are low-scoring, that you're going to be kept in the ballpark. I've seen athleticism return more and be a little more valued over the years. Some of that is rule-based.
"Defense, little things that happen over the course of the game become important in those one-off games. But at the end of the day, it's hard to just hit, hit, hit, double, hit, walk. You've got to usually take advantage of putting some mistakes in the seats. We've seen that play out a lot over the years of, teams that do that, usually continue to advance."
Since the league expanded its postseason field to 12 teams and introduced the new Wild Card round in 2022, only three teams with a first-round bye have reached the World Series. The rest doesn't guarantee a deeper playoff run, but the AL and NL pennant winners last season enjoyed the reward.
HERSHEY, Pa. — The Flyers’ roster evaluation picked up Thursday night as the team suffered a 5-1 preseason loss to the Capitals at Giant Center, the home of Washington’s AHL affiliate.
Jacob Gaucher provided the Flyers’ lone goal, which whittled the Capitals’ lead to 3-1 in the second period.
But Washington countered with a goal just 1:07 minutes into the third period and later added one more for good measure.
“I don’t know if there are any guys that played well,” Rick Tocchet said. “That’s OK, though. Third game, two-, three-hour bus ride. There are some factors to it. I’ll probably have to give these guys off the ice tomorrow, to give them some rest. It was just a tough night for a lot of guys. That’s going to happen.”
• Rodrigo Abols knows that stringing together consistent performances will be his ticket to staying with the Flyers.
Tocchet and management decided to make Abols the only skater to play in all three preseason games so far. The head coach definitely wanted to see if the big forward could sustain his effectiveness from a strong opener.
“There’s some good stuff there,” Tocchet said. “I think there are things to work with going forward.”
The 29-year-old continued to make his case for the season-opening roster. In the second period, Abols and Nicolas Deslauriers had a hard-working shift pay off on Gaucher’s goal.
“You could feel it, I’m not going to lie, you could feel it was the third game in five nights,” Abols said. “But I think that’s where I’ve got to learn to pick my spots and put myself in good positions — not cheat for offense, not get stuck out there. But I think I managed that pretty well.”
Derek Souders/NBC Sports Philadelphia
• The Flyers dressed Alex Bump, Nikita Grebenkin and Jett Luchanko, three of their top young roster hopefuls.
Bump saw a showcase with Travis Konecny and Noah Cates. He nearly made the Capitals pay for a turnover in the first period when he rung iron on a blast.
But the 21-year-old winger was unable to crack the scoresheet. Grebenkin and Luchanko couldn’t get much going offensively on the Flyers’ second line.
“It’s hard to evaluate, I think the overall team looked really tired,” Tocchet said. “We looked tired tonight, you could tell. Even, like, a six-foot pass was tough for us tonight. We’ve got to just stick with it and we’ve got to refresh it a little bit.”
The 28-year-old played the first period and converted eight saves on nine shots. He did a nice job tracking pucks through traffic.
The goal he allowed was on a Washington power play after Noah Juulsen, who’s trying to win a job on defense, was whistled for kneeing. The shot was a laser from the circle by Andrew Cristall.
Aleksei Kolosov, who has played in all three exhibition games, stopped 16 of 20 shots over the final two periods. The Capitals’ third goal was a leaky one for Kolosov as a loose puck snuck through his legs.
Washington’s fourth marker came at shorthanded. Jack Nesbitt had a turnover near the Flyers’ offensive blue line that led directly to Connor McMichael’s breakaway tally.
The 23-year-old Kolosov entered with 27 saves on 30 shots through his first two preseason outings.
• A lot of bubble defensemen suited up for the Flyers.
Helge Grans was one of them and had a tough moment in rush coverage during the second period. Ivan Miroshnichenko beat Grans to the outside on his way to the net for the Capitals’ 2-0 goal.
Dennis Gilbert had a painful blocked shot in the second period. He has played the part when it comes to a reliable sixth or seventh defenseman.
Adam Ginning committed a first-period penalty but also made a heads-up defensive play not long after to help prevent a goal. He picked up an assist on Gaucher’s goal.
• The Flyers trimmed their roster to 42 players with 10 cuts Thursday afternoon.
Oscar Eklind was placed on waivers for the purpose of reporting to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
Samu Tuomaala, Massimo Rizzo, Tucker Roberston, Cooper Marody, Garrett Wilson, Zayde Wisdom, Sawyer Boulton, Keith Petruzzelli and Yaniv Perets were sent to the Phantoms.
• The Flyers are back in preseason action Saturday when they host the Bruins at 5 p.m. ET.
More punishment for Rangers at the hand of a Belgian opponent. A familiar combination of self-destruction and the poor defending endemic under Russell Martin deepened Ibrox’s gloom. Reduced to 10 after Mohamed Diomande’s reckless first-half challenge, insult was added by Genk’s goal being scored by a former Celtic striker in Oh Hyeon-gyu.
Martin has talked of “results coming through difficulty” but could not have chosen to manage a club where poor results will cause more difficulty. Ibrox was undersold, just 38,000 present, though in attendance was Andrew Cavenagh, the chairman gladhanding fans before kick-off. The American co-owner’s scheduled visit to Glasgow has allowed him to experience what fans have been served during the new ownership’s choice of manager. “I’ll find out in about 15 minutes,” said Martin, asked if he had yet received Cavenagh’s verdict. “I look forward to seeing him.”
Zack Minasian has a specific approach to assessing Bob Melvin and the rest of the Giants’ coaching staff as San Francisco’s underwhelming 2025 MLB season nears a close.
Minasian, in his first year as San Francisco’s general manager under first-year president of baseball operations Buster Posey, revealed his thought process to KNBR’s “Murph and Markus” on Thursday.
“You’re always evaluating it, even with how well you play … as well as the other departments of baseball operations,” Minasian told Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher. “When you have years like this, it pushes you more and more to evaluate all of your departments and how they’re firing, and it makes you really question, ‘Are we good enough here, are we good enough there?’
“I’m probably still at the point of evaluating myself, and what can I do differently, and how can I play my part to get us where we want to go as opposed to anybody else.”
The 78-81 Giants were eliminated from National League playoff contention after Tuesday’s 9-8 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Oracle Park.
Despite key offseason additions such as Willy Adames and the blockbuster mid-year acquisition of Rafael Devers, San Francisco couldn’t sustain its intermittent stints of success long enough, thus missing the postseason for the eighth time in nine campaigns.
Minasian shared more thoughts about Melvin, San Francisco’s second-year skipper, and the staff amid the team’s disappointing finish.
“There’s always going to be conversations — whether you’re winning or losing, you’re always going to have conversations about your staffing, and how it looks,” Minasian said. “In regards to Bob, he’s a consummate professional, and he really cares about the Giants.
“Beyond that, we’ll just continue to do our work. And as the season ends, we’ll evaluate the team and evaluate our system and our options going forward …”
Minasian and San Francisco appear to be committed to Melvin after exercising his contract option for the 2026 season in July.
However, changes must be made for the Giants to return to the glory days Posey experienced firsthand as a player.
The Seattle Kraken defeated an Edmonton Oilers roster that featured Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard and starting goaltender Stuart Skinner 4-1 in their third pre-season game.
The Kraken got the scoring started in the first period despite minimal efforts on goal, but they never felt like the game was ever getting away from them.
Jagger Firkus tapped in a power play goal on a rebound, and Logan Morrison scored his first of the pre-season, before Ben Meyers and Jani Nyman scored insurance markers in the third period. Joey Daccord and Nikke Kokko turned away 24 of the 25 shots they faced.
Here are three standout performers from last night's win:
Tyson Jugnauth
The 21-year-old blueliner took part in his first pre-season game of the season and fit in perfectly. He recorded 18:13 of ice time, and despite not recording any points, Jugnauth looked comfortable with the puck on his stick and in the defensive zone.
His defensive skills were put to the test on several occasions, including defending consecutive 2-on-1s that featured McDavid, the world's best hockey player. Jugnauth stayed calm and composed, deflecting a pass by Draisaitl intended for McDavid and then later forcing Ekholm into a weak shot and negating any passing lane to send the puck to McDavid.
In the third period, Jugnauth defended a 3-on-1, once again deflecting a pass before the Oilers could get off a Grade A chance.
Firkus is a point producer, and he has been throughout his entire junior career and in the early stages of his pro career. Last night, we got a glimpse of how Firkus can leave his imprint on hockey games.
The power play goal capped off the strong performance, but the 21-year-old was making nifty passes and was eager to get the puck into high-danger scoring areas. He finished the game with a goal and three shots on target in 14:39 of ice time.
Ben Meyers and Logan Morrison
Meyers and Morrison each finished with a goal and an assist in last night's game, and the duo looked like they fit in at the NHL level. They each filled the score sheet and were effective offensive chance creators throughout the game.
Meyers finished with two shots on goal, four hits and two blocks in 17:10 of ice time, while Morrison put up three shots on goal, one hit and one block in 13:21 of ice time. Meyers and Morrison are likely on the outside looking in for an NHL roster spot, but with the injuries the Kraken are facing, the pair have moved up the depth chart and could be one of the first names called up from the AHL to start the season.
Honorable mention to Oscar Fisker Molgaard, who has come as advertised in his first two pre-season games. The 20-year-old has two assists, but his attention to detail and defensive acumen have been noticeable. If he can carry the momentum into the start of the AHL season, Fisker Molgaard could see some NHL action towards the tail end of the season.
Despite the comments he made at the end of his tenure, John Tortorella insists he never quit on the Philadelphia Flyers... or anything else, for that matter.
Tortorella, 67, was fired by the Flyers on March 27, just two days after a 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs that prompted the veteran coach to say, "I'm not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we're at right now."
But, Tortorella wanted to set the record straight on why he said what he said. In his eyes, he didn't want to become the guy who lets everyone off easy at the end of the year because they're miles off a playoff position.
“It was kind of weird for me, getting fired with nine games left. It really surprised me. [General manager Danny Briere] and I did have some disagreements on discipline of a player, had some disagreements the last few weeks of that season," Tortorella told Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com. "I loved coaching them."
One such incident of discipline handed down by Tortorella was the benching of Cam York during that game against the Maple Leafs, when the 24-year-old's night ended after just eight shifts and 3:50 of ice time.
York was benched by interim head coach Brad Shaw for the entirety of the following game for disciplinary purposes, too, but then things eventually blew over.
“I’ve seen teams be really good playing out a season when it means nothing. You’re relaxed. I’ve seen players play better," added Tortorella. "I don’t want to be that guy. It was out of respect to my team that I was not doing a good job. I wasn’t. Do I think I should have got fired for it? No, but I have too much respect for those players to kick the hell out of them right to the bitter end.
“It was the right thing to do by Danny [to sell at the deadline]. They’re doing it the right way, and I was on board with that. But it’s hard. It’s hard for those guys, and that’s what I was trying to say after Toronto.”
With his team falling out of playoff position two seasons in a row, Tortorella had to cope with the departures of players like Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, Scott Laughton, and Sean Walker ahead of the last two NHL trade deadlines.
The key difference from 2024 to 2025 was that in 2025, the Flyers were never particularly close to the postseason and ultimately finished with the fourth-worst record in the NHL.
Tortorella also assured Cotsonika he wants to coach again, regardless of what others think of how things ended with the Flyers.
“Do I want to coach again? Yeah. I heard a couple NHL coaches accuse me [of quitting on the team]. Did I quit on the team after those comments I made in Toronto? I haven’t quit on a [bleeping] thing in my life. Those comments were totally taken out of [context]," Tortorella said.
“Listen, I don’t think I explained myself totally correctly, either. But I miss it already. I miss preparing [for] camp. I miss the camaraderie of camp. Yeah, I want to coach, so we’ll see what happens.”
The gruff coach's next opportunity at the NHL level will have to wait, as all of the offseason vacancies have been filled in between his dismissal from the Flyers and now.
In the interim, Tortorella will be coaching the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, where he'll be joined by new New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan, Minnesota Wild head coach John Hynes, and Rangers assistant coach David Quinn.
Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros break down LAFC’s hot run of form since acquiring Son Heung-Min, and what it could mean for the club as we head into the playoffs. Next, they recap USMNT activity across Europe, including which striker abroad is staking his claim to be the national team’s #9. Later, they react to some of the biggest news in world soccer, including Harry Kane’s possible return to Tottenham, Ousmane Dembélé’s Ballon d’Or win, and more.
The Mets shuffled up their bullpen once again on Thursday, calling up right-hander Kevin Herget from Triple-A Syracuse.
In a corresponding move, left-hander Richard Lovelady was designated for assignment, while righty Chris Devenski was outrighted to Triple-A.
Herget, 34, has appeared in five games for the Mets this season, pitching to a 3.27 ERA with five strikeouts and 10 hits allowed over the course of 11.0 innings. His most recent appearance was 1.2 scoreless innings against the Reds on Sept. 6.
Lovelady, meanwhile, continues to bounce back and forth between the active roster and the minor leagues. The lefty pitched 2.0 innings for the Mets in Wednesday’s loss to the Cubs, allowing two runs (one earned) while throwing 31 pitches.
Seattle Mariner Cal Raleigh joins elite MLB company as he hits his 60th home run of the season during the eighth inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies on Sept. 24. (Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh became the seventh player in MLB history to hit at least 60 home runs in a season Wednesday night when he drove two hits out of T-Mobile Park during the Mariners' 9-2 win over the Colorado Rockies.
In related news, the man who reportedly caught the milestone ball appears to have given it away to a young fan sitting nearby. Sure, the gesture wasn't nearly as historic as what the player lovingly known as Big Dumper had just accomplished, but it was pretty cool — especially considering the ball's potential value.
Here's more on Raleigh's 60th home run and the act of kindness that followed.
Big night for Big Dumper
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh takes a curtain call after hitting his 60th home run of the season against the Colorado Rockies. (Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
Raleigh entered the night with 58 home runs, already well beyond his previous career high of 34 from last season. The switch-hitting catcher was batting left-handed in the first inning when he blasted a 93-mph fastball from Tanner Gordon 422 feet into the upper deck behind right field for home run No. 59.
Then, with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning, chants of "M-V-P" were already raining down on Raleigh as he stepped to the plate, batting left-handed again, against Rockies reliever Angel Chivilli.
One pitch later, the at-bat was over and Raleigh had made history. He ripped a 98-mph fastball from Chivilli 389 feet into the right field stands to join Babe Ruth (1927), Roger Maris (1961), Sammy Sosa (1998, 1999, 2001), Mark McGwire (1998, 1999), Barry Bonds (2001) and Aaron Judge (2022) as the only players to hit at least 60 home runs in a season.
Raleigh rounded the bases, then took a curtain call in front of an ecstatic crowd that included his parents, Todd and Stephanie Raleigh.
It was the 11th time this season Raleigh has hit multiple home runs in a game, which ties the MLB record held by Hank Greenberg (1938), Sosa (1998) and Judge (2022). Raleigh, who also had a two-run double in the second inning, finished with four RBIs to give him an American League-leading 125 this season.
In addition to Raleigh's personal achievements Wednesday night, the Mariners clinched their first AL West title since 2001.
"It's crazy,” Raleigh said after the game. “Sixty is, I don't know what to say. I didn't know if I was going to hit 60 in my life. And then I did it like this. Just tonight, I mean, what a way to do it."
Raleigh has four regular-season games left to try to break Judge's AL record of 62 home runs, set in 2022. The all-time MLB record is 72, set by the San Francisco Giants' Bonds in 2001.
Kind gesture in the stands
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh rounds the bases after his 60th home run of the season Wednesday at T-Mobile Park. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
Based on a fan video posted on social media, it appears that a man wearing Mariners gear initially ended up with the historic ball. That fan can be seen holding the ball over his head while others seated nearby applaud his (and Raleigh's) accomplishment.
A second video, posted by the same fan who posted the first one, appears to show that the man gave the ball to a younger fan (someone can be heard in the video joyfully exclaiming, "Oh my God! They gave it to this kid!"). The boy and an adult appear to be following security out of the stands, presumably to somewhere the Mariners might be able to make an offer to secure the ball for Raleigh.
The Times did not receive an immediate response from the Mariners regarding the current whereabouts of the ball, what the young fan may have been offered for it and whether the original fan who got the ball was recognized in any way for his gesture.
The fans sitting around him definitely appreciated it. The same video shows them applauding the man, who tipped his hat to them and seemed genuinely happy with his decision to part with the ball.
It's a feel-good story that helps cleanse the palate weeks after another viral incident took place in the stands at a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins in Florida. Phillies fan Drew Feltwell secured a home run ball hit by Harrison Bader and placed it in the glove of 9-year-old son Lincoln.
A woman quickly approached Feltwell, however, and angrily declared that the ball belonged to her. In an effort to set an example for his children by de-escalating the situation, Feltwell later said, he reached into his son's glove and gave it to the woman, who quickly became known on social media as "Phillies Karen."
Selfless to a fault?
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh waves to the crowd after being acknowledged Tuesday by Mariners president of business operations Kevin Martinez for setting the team record for home runs in a season. (Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
Still, some folks on X are calling the Mariners fan "stupid" and "foolish" for giving away a ball that could be worth a fortune. Last year, the home run ball that gave Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani the distinction of being the only MLB player to have 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season sold at auction for a record $4.4 million.
It still remains to be seen, however, just who will receive that money. Three individuals have claimed to have been the rightful owner of the ball, and the matter remains tied up in Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit Court. A calendar call in the case has been set for January.
Last week, another act of selflessness followed a different milestone home run for Raleigh. When he hit his 57th home run of the season Saturday against the Houston Astros, Raleigh broke Ken Griffey Jr.'s team record for home runs in a season.
The ball landed in the Astros bullpen and was recovered by longtime Houston bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte, who personally took the ball to Raleigh and placed it in his glove.
“He said: 'Thank you so much, I appreciate it. That means a lot to me,’” said Bracamonte, who received a hug from the opposing team's star catcher. “And I said, ‘This is great.’”
Raleigh said of Bracamonte: “Class act over there with him, so I'm very grateful. He could have easily just thrown it up in the air, but he, I guess, understood and kept it for me ... so very nice thing to do.”
The No. 6 Oregon Ducks go head-to-head with the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions in a rematch of last year's Big Ten Championship game. Live coverage begins at 7 PM ET.
While the odds of making a loaded championship-caliber lineup are long, Atro Leppänen is making a name for himself early in the preseason with the Edmonton Oilers.
Fresh off a record-setting season in Finland’s SM-Liiga, where he led all defensemen with 63 points, he is turning heads early in Edmonton Oilers training camp, and the Finnish defenseman is embracing the challenge of adapting to the NHL. He chose the Oilers -- a team with a tough lineup to crack -- and despite the hurdles, has aspirations to play in Edmonton.
Speaking with Leppänen after Wednesday's preseason loss to the Seattle Kraken, the defenseman shared his thoughts on adjusting to the pace of the NHL and his decision to join the Oilers.
“The speed is very fast compared to what I’m used to, but I’ve been able to move the puck well and play pretty solid defensively,” Leppänen said. "It's a little bit faster, but just to get used to a couple of shifts and then it's gone."
Leppänen, 26, signed with the Oilers in the spring after weighing options from multiple teams. “They reached out in the spring, and another team did as well,” he explained. “It was an intuition choice. The Oilers had good players and nice plays, so it was a pretty easy decision.” He also had some familiarity with the organization, having played with Finnish teammates who had connections to Edmonton.
Adjusting to the smaller North American ice surface hasn’t been a major hurdle. “Honestly, it hasn’t been that bad,” he said. "I think, pretty fast and well, and the forecheck is harder. They check and hit harder, but just move the puck, and guys are good that you play with."
Leppänen's Path to the NHL Has Been An Interesting One
Leppänen's recent strides towards a shot at the NHL seem all the more impressive when you consider where he's come from. He recounted the challenges of balancing hockey with odd jobs during his younger years. “I worked in factories and even in a museum, watching the paintings,” he said with a laugh. "Nobody touched the painting. Yeah, that was my job.“
He said he had no interest in anything beyond hockey. "I mean, I was pretty young and had no really interest in going to school, yet I didn't really have anything that I else that I wanted to do. So why not just play? It wasn't really that hard of a decision, I wasn't thinking about too much about quitting and stuff like that most of the time. So it was just to play and had nothing else to do. So why not?"
His hard work has paid off. The defenseman signed a one-year deal with the Oilers, and while his immediate path might lead him to the AHL, head coach Kris Knoblauch didn't rule out a scenario where Leppänen could get NHL games.
Knoblauch said when asked where Leppänen might fit on a team that seemingly has no spots, that he is looking for the best player at every position. That message seems to have been passed on to Leppänen, who isn't done fighting for a spot on the roster. When asked if he was used to fighting, he suggested that was a strong choice of words, even hinting that battling might not be the best description.
Still, he gets the notion he's going to have to stand out to earn a spot.
When asked, "Why did you like some guys would pick a team that's easier to make, it's hard team to make two Stanley Cups in a row... Did you think about that?" He responded, "So I'm kind of used to it, and it's just kind of grind it out." He added, "I mean, it's definitely a tough lineup to crack. I think, I think there's a chance."
Leppänen Seems Appreciative Of The Opportunity
Leppänen credited the coaching staff for their guidance. “They’ve been very positive, telling me to keep moving the puck and playing my style. That’s what I plan to do,” he said.
I specifically brought up how much he's playing thus far in preseason, getting several games in a row and big minutes in those games. Was this something he wanted to keep doing, taking as many opportunities as would be tossed his way? “I mean, sure, the more you play, I think even, it can be a little bit more exhausting, but you get the feel for the game, and you can get a little bit of flow going. So it's, I think it's easier to more you play, kind of easier to go."
"I think just kind of once in a lifetime chance to come, and if you get it, get the opportunity. Just gotta take it."
Derek Souders/NBC Sports Philadelphia
