West Indies captain Hayley Matthews has been ruled out of the upcoming Women’s Big Bash League in a massive blow to reigning champions the Melbourne Renegades.
Yankees snap scoreless streak, but commit late error vs. Angels in sixth straight loss
The Yankees finally snapped their dreadful scoreless streak, but Anthony Volpe's costly error in the eighth inning proved to be the difference in a 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.
New York had just three hits and extended their losing streak to six games.
Here are the takeaways...
-- New York's scoreless streak reached 30 innings after being sent down in order by 24-year-old righty Jack Kochanowicz in the bottom of the first inning. Thankfully, Jazz ChisholmJr. snapped the offensive nightmare in the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run into the right field stands, tying the game at 1-1.
-- Cody Bellinger gave the Yanks a 2-1 lead with a solo homer to right field of his own in the bottom of the fourth inning. It was NY's first lead in a game since they beat the Kansas City Royals 1-0 on Thursday, June 12 -- a total of 51 innings without a lead.
-- Making just his eighth start of the season, Ryan Yarbrough found himself in a quick hole. The left-hander let up a one-out, solo home run to Nolan Schanuel as the Angels took an early 1-0 lead. Yarbrough nearly made another mistake against Schanuel, but got some help from Aaron Judge against the right field wall to end the third inning and keep it a tie game.
The solo home run continued to be the theme of the night, as Yarbrough left a cutter over the plate for Jo Adell to crush a homer to center field and tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the fifth inning. He settled down to get a flyout and then Volpe came through with an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. Yarbrough came back out for the sixth inning and got Schanuel to ground out for his final hitter of the night.
Yarbrough's final line: two earned runs on two hits (both HRs) with eight strikeouts and three walks over 5.1 IP.
-- Ben Rice showed off his arm in the top of the second inning, throwing out Logan O'Hoppe trying to steal second base. It was Rice's first career start at catcher, having played a combined 7.2 innings at the position in six previous appearances. Rice went 0-for-1 at the plate and was pinch-hit for by Giancarlo Stanton in the bottom of the seventh inning (flyout) and replaced by J.C. Escarra behind the dish.
-- Reliever Yerry De los Santos lasted just 0.1 IP as Mark Leiter Jr. came in with two on base to get the third out of the sixth inning. He recorded another out in the seventh, but let up back-to-back singles and Fernando Cruz replaced him to get the next two outs. Cruz stayed in to pitch the eighth inning and recorded just one out, walking the bases loaded. Tim Hill came in to escape the jam, but Volpe misplayed Adell's hard grounder and threw it away, allowing the go-ahead run to score and make it a 3-2 game.
-- The Yanks had a scoring chance late as Jasson Domínguez walked and Austin Wells was hit by a pitch. However, the offensive issues persisted and Trent Grisham (popout), Judge (flyout), and Bellinger (popout) all failed to drive in the game-tying run. NY got one more opportunity in the ninth against Kenley Jansen after Paul Goldschmidt reached first on an error, but Chisholm (flyout), Escarra (lineout), and Volpe (strikeout) came up short.
Game MVP: Jo Adell
The former top prospect homered and drove in another run to bury the Yanks.
Highlights
Ben Rice catches one stealing! pic.twitter.com/dSGqju7TKn
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 18, 2025
For the first time in 30 innings, the Yankees have scored a run!!!
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 18, 2025
Jazz Chisholm Jr. homers! pic.twitter.com/nZbW67Mxaf
The Yankees have scored two runs and have the lead!
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 19, 2025
Cody Bellinger homers! pic.twitter.com/CdEYgmPOX8
What's next
The Yankees (42-31) wrap up their four-game series against the Angels (36-37) on Thursday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.
Carlos Rodon (8-5, 3.01 ERA) takes the mound and will be opposed by LHP Tyler Anderson (2-4, 4.44 ERA).
NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-06-20 12:51:35
Mets outmatched by Chris Sale, Braves in 5-0 loss as losing streak reaches five
The Mets went quietly against Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night, losing 5-0.
Here are the takeaways...
-Making just his second start of the season, this time for the injured Kodai Senga, Paul Blackburn was greeted rudely by Ronald Acuña Jr. on the first pitch he threw, allowing a leadoff home run that gave the Braves a quick 1-0 lead. It was far from the end as Blackburn allowed a single and a walk before retiring his first batter of the game on a groundout that advanced the runners to second and third.
-Blackburn's battery mate, Luis Torrens -- in for Francisco Alvarez who did not have a good game defensively on Tuesday night -- made a costly mistake of his own in the first inning when he touched the ball with his mask after the ball got away from on a swing-and-a-miss which is not allowed. The fielding error resulted in the same thing as a balk which scored a run and moved the runner on second base to third base.
Marcell Ozuna drove in the third run of the strange inning with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0, Atlanta.
-To Blackburn's credit, after that tough start to the game and capped at around 70-75 pitches, he ended up going 3.2 innings and didn't allow another run, exiting with the Mets down 3-0. That is, until reliever Jose Butto entered the game and allowed the stranded runner to score on a wild pitch that should've been a passed ball on Torrens after the catcher just failed to reach for a ball inside.
Torrens made another mistake earlier in the game after he tried framing a pitch which resulted in him not catching the ball with a runner on third base. Fortunately, the runner didn't break for home plate, although he easily could've.
-Opposite Blackburn was Chris Sale who entered the game with a 1.14 ERA over his last seven starts. The left-hander continued his recent dominance, outmatching the Mets over 8.2 scoreless innings. Sale allowed four hits, all singles and two by Starling Marte, entering the ninth inning as he bid for a shutout. However, a Brandon Nimmo pop fly single over third base with two outs would be it for Sale who threw 116 pitches (85 strikes).
-Jeff McNeil extended his on-base streak to 20 games, the longest active streak in the majors, following his single in the fifth inning.
-New York's bullpen went 4.1 innings and allowed just one run, a Matt Olson moonshot off Ty Adcock in the seventh inning. It was the first run Adcock allowed as a Met this season in three innings.
Game MVP: Chris Sale
8.2 innings of shutout baseball is enough for the 36-year-old to get the honors.
Highlights
Luis Torrens touched the ball with his mask in the first inning, which allowed each runner to advance a base and the Braves to score their second run pic.twitter.com/yF1JK5g9Nf
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 18, 2025
Jeff McNeil has a 20-game on-base streak pic.twitter.com/CE5lfr0Hom
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 19, 2025
What's next
The Mets and Braves close out their three-game series on Thursday night with a 7:15 p.m start time on SNY.
RHP Clay Holmes (7-3, 2.87 ERA) goes up against RHP Spencer Strider (1-5, 4.35 ERA).
What is 'pressing' in baseball anyway? We ask Yankees’ Cody Bellinger
Cody Bellinger is standing at his locker at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, the day after his manager made the relatively rare admission that his team’s offense was pressing.
Aaron Boone is not one to critique players at a postgame news conference, but he knows his guys, and he knows that their at-bats during Tuesday’s 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels -- the team’s third consecutive shutout -- were beneath their capabilities.
That game extended the Yankees’ scoreless streak to 29 innings (it hit 30 before Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s home run in the second inning Wednesday).
“Pressing” is a tricky concept. Even for non-athletes who watch baseball every day, it is difficult to diagnose. The best evidence we can usually find of it is when players chase pitches out of the strike zone. But there has to be more to it.
Bellinger is a thoughtful and seasoned hitter, so it seems worth asking him: What is pressing, anyway? What happens to a hitter when he is doing it, and how does he know?
Bellinger thinks for a beat, then says, “The crazy thing about this game is that there's so many variables. Your swing is feeling bad that day. The pitcher is making pitches on you. Did you swing at the wrong pitch -- or the right pitch, and then miss it?
“That's why it's hard to explain these things, why you're having success and why you're failing. Sometimes I go back [over a game and think], I felt good, why didn’t I get any hits? Well, I only got one pitch in the middle of the plate and I missed it and I missed it.”
Bellinger stops to shake his head.
“Like, it's insane,” he continues. “You did everything right and hit it right at them, right? There are just the variables in this game.”
“When,” I ask, “Do you know when you’re specifically pressing or trying to do too much, versus just dealing with one of those variables?”
“In the game, you don't know,” Bellinger says. “In the moment, you don't know. And then, maybe after a few games, you're like, ‘Okay, I'm doing too much. Let me calm down. Let me go back to the basics. Let me figure out, what am I gonna do today to help the team win?’ Sometimes you have to go back home and reflect.”
“When it’s all happening at game speed, you don’t have time to reflect on it?”
“Yeah,” Bellinger says. “You’re in the competition. It's more like you say to yourself later, ‘Yeah, I was probably getting out of myself a little bit just trying to do too much. My head's at first base. I'm trying to hit the ball into the fourth deck, when, in reality, I don't need to do that.”
“So it’s swinging too hard, trying to pull too much, things like that?”
“Potentially,” Bellinger says. “The crazy part is that it could also be mechanical issues. Am I late, you know what I mean? That's why the game is amazing, though, too. There's not another game like it, right?”
It can also be luck. We talk about a few well-hit balls in Boston that could have changed the entire narrative.
“You go back to the Boston series,” Bellinger says. “[Paul] Goldschmidt hit a ball that was foul by an inch, right? D.J. [LeMahieu] ’s ball was foul by an inch. He hit a 110 mile-per-hour ground balls -- two of them -- and they didn't find holes.”
We haven’t even mentioned the weather yet. I note that the Yankees lost at least two or three home runs to the conditions during the first two games of the Angels series. Austin Wells hit one at 101 mph to right field in the seventh inning Tuesday. On a hot summer night, wouldn’t that ball have gone over the wall?
“That’s right,” Bellinger says. “The wind's been blowing in, it’s a little misty, all that.”
He pauses again. “It's a weird game, right?” he says. “It’s the craziest sport of all -- for sure. Right?”
While we have this conversation, Bellinger is carrying a .125 batting average over his past seven games. A few hours later, he blasts his tenth homer of the season over the right field wall.
Go figure.
Q&A: Dave Roberts says Mark Walter will help make Lakers a perennial title contender
The Buss family's decision to sell its majority stake in the Lakers to Dodgers controlling owner Mark Walter sent shockwaves through L.A. on Wednesday.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was among those surprised by the development. Speaking to reporters before his team's game against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium, Roberts shared his thoughts on what Walter could bring to the Lakers.
Question: What's your reaction to the deal?
“Obviously he’s had some kind of stake the last few years or whatever. He’s really committed to the city of Los Angeles in various ways. Sports is something that he’s very passionate about, and certainly Los Angeles sports. I think it’s a very exciting day for the Lakers, for the city of Los Angeles. And I think speaking from [the perspective of] a Dodger employee, he’s very competitive. He’s going to do everything he can to produce a championship-caliber team every single year and make sure the city feels proud of the Lakers and the legacy that they’ve already built with the Buss family.”
When did you learn that about him?
“I would say probably seven, eight, nine years ago, just having a conversation with him as far as how much he enjoyed spending time in Los Angeles, and a lot of low-hanging fruit in the sense of what this city could be, already is, and can be. He wanted to infuse kind of his intelligence, his resources. He just wanted more skin in the game. That’s just speaking for him. But he’s obviously a very smart person.”
How have you seen him be competitive
“I think he does everything he can to provide resources, support. He wants to win. He feels that the fans, the city, deserves that. I think that’s never lost. It’s more challenging us always to, how do we become better and not complacent or stagnant to continue to stay current with the market and the competition to win not only now but for as far as we can see out.”
Read more:Lakers selling majority ownership of franchise to Dodgers owner
What makes a good owner?
“I think a good owner in my eyes is a person that lets the people that he hires do their jobs. He does a great job of letting Stan and Andrew and Gomer, all those guys, Lon, do their jobs right. But also kind of holding us all accountable, and also providing resources needed. In this case, players, to field a team that’s warranted of a championship-caliber team every year. Also, doing stuff for charity and appreciating not only the baseball side but just as important, the business side. He invests a lot of resources in that as well. I think that that’s kind of all-encompassing of what I’ve been fortunate to be around.”
Does this mean you’re sitting courtside?
“Yes. (Laughter). I’m sure a lot of people are hitting Mark up, but I might add myself to the list.”
Read more:Plaschke: Lakers had a great ride with Buss family, but Dodgers owner will give team new life
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Mets' Frankie Montas has another rough outing in rehab start for Triple-A
Making his sixth rehab start and fourth with Triple-A Syracuse, right-hander Frankie Montas turned in another disappointing outing in what could possibly be his final start before re-joining the Mets.
Things started off well for Montas who went the first three innings without allowing a run before he was dinged for two in the fourth. He then went back out for the fifth with the game tied at 2-2 and gave up a three-run homer to Troy Johnston to put a crimp in his start.
Montas wasn't out of the woods yet after a double and wild pitch put a runner on third base with two outs. He retired the final batter of the inning to strand the runner at third, but the damage was already done.
The righty finished his night by going five innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out two. He threw 80 pitches (47 strikes).
It was the latest in a string of bad outings for the 32-year-old who entered the night with a 13.17 ERA (2.34 WHIP) in just 13.2 innings. After the start, Montas' ERA rose slightly to 13.19.
On the bright side, it was the longest start Montas was able to pitch during his rehab with his previous-long being four innings on June 3 when he also allowed five earned runs (on four home runs).
Manager Carlos Mendozasaid before Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Braves that the Mets will need to make a decision on Montas soon.
"Let’s see how he feels after the outing today," the skipper said. "We wanna see execution, obviously, and then we have a decision. We gotta talk to him, but we’re approaching the deadline where we gotta make a decision on him."
What’s holding up CFP expansion? SEC and Big Ten are at a potential impasse on these key issues
Keeping the playoff at its current 12-team format is a grim reality for some, but it’s a possibility, perhaps even a probability as negotiations creep closer to the Dec. 1 deadline.
Majority stake in Lakers will be sold at $10 billion valuation
Remember when Steve Ballmer bought the L.A. Clippers for $2 billion and everyone lost their minds?
Eleven years later, stay in town multiply it by five.
Minority owner Mark Walter has purchased a majority stake in the L.A. Lakers at a valuation of $10 billion. That's a record for any American sports franchise.
The late Dr. Jerry Buss bought the team in 1979 for $67.5 million.
The Buss family had owned 66 percent of the team. Jeannie Buss reportedly plans to continue to continue to serve as the team's governor, which will give her the power to vote on league matters at NBA ownership meetings.
Earlier this year, the Boston Celtics sold at a valuation of $6.1 billion. Last month, a minority stake in the 49ers was sold at a valuation of $8.6 billion.
It's safe to say that controlling interest in any NFL team would generate a valuation of more than $10 billion. Some teams (like the Cowboys) would approach or exceed $15 billion.
The fact that the Lakers were sold at a $10 billion valuation will only make that more likely.
Plaschke: Lakers had a great ride with Buss family, but Dodgers owner will give team new life
For 46 years it’s been a wonderful ride, the sweetest of sagas, the Buss family treating the Lakers like their precocious child, nurturing, embracing, empowering, transforming them into arguably this country’s most celebrated sports franchise.
But it’s time.
It’s time to give their baby to somebody who won’t be burdened by the family ties or deep friendships that have increasingly interfered with the chasing of championships.
It’s time to hand their beloved to somebody with enough money to keep it strong and enough vision to keep it relevant.
It’s time for the Lakers to... become the Dodgers?
Yes! It’s them! They’re here! Welcome, welcome, welcome! Come on in! Make yourself at home! History has been waiting for you!
Read more:Lakers selling majority ownership of franchise to Dodgers owner
This is really happening, the majority ownership of the Lakers is really being sold to Dodgers chairman Mark Walter and his TWG Global group at a franchise valuation of $10 billion, making it the richest transaction in sports history.
To Los Angeles sports fans, it’s worth even more.
For the future of professional sports in this city, it’s priceless.
This is the best thing to happen to the Southland’s sports landscape since, well, the last time Walter’s TWG Global group bought something this big.
It was 2012, and they bought the Dodgers, and just look what they’ve done with them.
Since 2013, Walter’s team has been in the playoffs every year, won their division 11 of those 12 years, appeared in four World Series and won two of them.
Since 2013, the Lakers have won one title in their only Finals appearance during that period while making the playoffs only half the time.
Mad respect to the Buss family, who oversaw 11 championships while providing the stage for greats from Magic Johnson to Kobe Bryant to LeBron James. But since the death of patriarch Jerry Buss in 2013, the organization has lacked a sustained championship vision and effective championship culture.
Everybody loves Jeanie Buss, who will continue in her role as Lakers governor, but she has grown increasingly out of touch with the demands of the modern game.
Where contending teams are now led by analytics-driven minds, she would rely on old friends like Linda and Kurt Rambis and Rob Pelinka, who became part of the family by being Kobe Bryant’s agent.
Where contending teams increasingly relied on younger players, Buss’ Lakers were always tied to aging superstars, their title hopes crashing around a hobbled Bryant and now buckling under a slowly eroding James.
Since Jerry Buss’ death, the vision-less Lakers have wandered through the NBA desert in search of a strong leader who could build for sustained success.
In Walter’s group, they have that leader.
If the Dodgers are any indication, the Lakers are in for the sort of massive facelift that would make even a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon blush.
There will be money poured into the Lakers’ woefully small infrastructure, more money for coaches, more money for scouts, more money for trainers, more money for the amenities at Crypto.com Arena.
Who knows, maybe even more money for a new arena eventually? Don’t scoff, the Dodgers spent more than $500 million just to put a shine on Dodger Stadium, they will dig deep for that fan experience. They will dig deep for everything.
If there’s an insanely expensive but wildly successful general manager candidate out there — former Golden State guru Bob Myers comes to mind — the new Lakers will buy him.
If there’s an experienced but costly head coaching candidate hanging around, the new Lakers will nab him.
Although they will be somewhat constrained by the salary cap, the new Lakers will go deep into any tax to buy the best players as long as they can retain their draft picks.
The Dodgers are about winning every year, not just the next year, so expect the new Lakers to covet the future as much as the present.
This is good news for young Luka Doncic. This is not such good news for James.
The Buss family always vowed to do whatever it takes to keep James happy and allow him to retire here. The new Lakers won’t be so sentimental. James hasn’t signed on for next season yet, and maybe this change of ownership changes what once appeared to be a slam dunk.
The new Lakers won’t have the rich heart of the old Lakers. But they also won’t have the old destructive loyalties.
The new Lakers will be only about winning, something Jerry Buss understood and amplified, something which has been sadly lost since his passing.
The Buss family was good for Los Angeles, and their stewardship of one of this city’s crown sports jewels should be celebrated.
But it’s time, and it’s perfect that their neighbors down the road have decided to be the ones to spruce up the place.
Before this sale, the only thing the Dodgers and Lakers shared occurred after victories, when both team’s sound systems would blare, “I Love L.A.”
Now they share a championship bank account, a championship vision, and a championship commitment.
Man, I love L.A.
Read more:Plaschke: A painful truth: Lakers must trade Austin Reaves
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-06-20 19:25:32
Sabres Potential Trade Partner: New York Rangers
The NHL's off-season has arrived, and we're turning our attention in this THN.com series to potential trade partners for the Sabres.
We began the series by looking at the Utah Mammoth, Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks and Philadelphia Flyers. And in our newest file, we're focused on the New York Rangers. Let's get right to it.
TEAM: New York Rangers
CAP SPACE: $13.9 million
FREE AGENTS: Nicolas Aube-Kubel, RW; Arthur Kaliyev, LW; Will Cuylle, LW (RFA); Adam Edstrom, LW; Calvin de Haan, D; K'Andre Miller, D (RFA); Zac Jones, D (RFA); Matthew Robertson, D (RFA)
NEEDS: Depth on defense; bottom-six forwards
SABRES FIT? The Rangers were a dysfunctional mess last season, falling out of the playoffs completely after being the best regular-season team in the league in 2023-24. Rangers GM Chris Drury somehow got a vote of confidence from team owner James Dolan, and the first move he made this off-season was to trade veteran winger Chris Drury. This tracks with last year's moves to get rid of veterans (including defensemen Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren) as well as youngsters Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil.
That said, the Rangers clearly aren't rebuilding -- at least, not yet -- as they acquired star center J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks, and veteran D-man Will Borgen from the Seattle Kraken in trades last year. The Rangers have a decent amount of salary cap space, but much of it will have to go to D-man K'Andre Miller, an RFA who will have plenty of alternatives if someone tries to offer-sheet him and take him out of Manhattan.
So, could there be a match with the Sabres? Probably not, although we could see a scenario in which Buffalo trades defenseman Bowen Byram to the Blueshirts in return for the rights to K'Andre Miller. As an RFA, Miller has no no-trade or no-move protection, so he couldn't veto a move to the Sabres. And if Buffalo can get into the playoff picture next year, Miller may be persuaded to sign long-term with the Sabres.
Sabres Potential Trade Partner: Philadelphia FlyersThe Buffalo Sabres are likely to be active on the trade front this summer. And as part of an ongoing series on THN.com's Sabres site, we're examining potential trade partners for Buffalo.
Otherwise, there really isn't a match for what Buffalo has to offer. The Rangers have too many veterans who do have no-trade or no-move clauses, so that all but completely rules out the Sabres from landing a talent like center Mika Zibanejad or center Vincent Trochek, both of who would assuredly help the Sabres get into the post-season.
Still, landing K'Andre Miller should be very tempting for Buffalo. At 25 years old, Miller isn't yet in his prime, and he could be a terrific second-pair blueliner for the Sabres. His salary last season was $3.87-million, and his modest production of 20 assists and 27 points means his asking price on a new contract isn't going to hamper Buffalo's financial picture. Indeed, a slight raise for Miller close to or right at the $5-million range would be very affordable for the Sabres. And given that Drury has been unable to sign Miller at this point, you have to figure his days as a Ranger are over.
The other option that's more of a longshot is Rangers left winger Alexis Lafreniere, who is just about to start his first year of a contract extension paying him $7.45-million per season. Lafreniere had a disappointing season of 17 goals and 45 points last year -- a major drop from his 28-goal, 57-point season in 2023-24. And like K'Andre Miller, the 23-year-old Lafreniere also doesn't have any no-move or no-trade protection.
Sabres Potential Trade Partner: Vancouver CanucksThe NHL's off-season is more or less at hand, and teams are beginning to make significant trades. And in this new series on THN.com's Buffalo Sabres site, we're looking at potential trade partners for the Sabres.
Can the Sabres step up and offer, say, winger Alex Tuch for Lafreniere? It's true Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams would be giving up more offensive production in surrendering Tuch, but considering that Tuch will be a UFA at the end of next season, dealing him now for a cost-controlled asset like Lafreniere might be better financially for the Sabres in the long run.
Moreover, if Lafreniere bounces back with a better performance akin to the one he had two years ago, suddenly the loss of Tuch's offense wouldn't be so bad. Remember, Lafreniere was the first-overall pick in 2020 for good reason; he's still got all kinds of time to realize his potential, and he could be doing that with Buffalo.
Sabres Potential Trade Partner: Colorado AvalancheThe Buffalo Sabres are entering the 2025 off-season as one of the key NHL teams to watch. As they try to re-jig the roster with the goal of ending their 14-year streak with no playoff appearances, the Sabres are highly-motivated to make a splash. But what are they likely to do on the trade front -- and what teams are out there that could be a trade partner? That's the focus of this new series on THN.com's Sabres site.
In sum, the Rangers and Sabres probably won't be hooking up on a major trade this summer. But Sabres fans can dream of situations in which Buffalo and the Blueshirts collaborate on a deal that shakes up the chemistry of both teams. And acquiring K'Andre Miller or Lafreniere certainly would change the mix in Western New York.
Flyers 2026 Stanley Cup Odds: Better Than the Canadiens?
The Philadelphia Flyers do not have the best early odds of winning the Stanley Cup in 2026, but how their odds rank compared to some other teams around the NHL might come as a shock.
The Flyers, who finished with the fourth-worst record in the NHL this season at 33-39-10, are not projected to win the Stanley Cup next year by any means, but oddsmakers are clearly expecting Philadelphia, led by new head coach Rick Tocchet and star sophomore forward Matvei Michkov, to take a step forward in 2025-26.
According to FanDuel, the Flyers have +8000 odds to win the 2026 Stanley Cup, which are notably only the 13th-lowest odds and ahead of Metropolitan Division rival Columbus Blue Jackets (+8500), the Anaheim Ducks (+10000), the Montreal Canadiens (+10000), Boston Bruins (+11000), and Buffalo Sabres (+14000).
In the case of the Flyers, this is an implied probability of roughly 1.23%.
Fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins (+28000), Seattle Kraken (+31000), Chicago Blackhawks, and San Jose Sharks (+50000) can safely flush next season down the toilet if the opinions of oddsmakers mean anything.
The Flyers placing ahead of both the Canadiens and the Blue Jackets is a considerable surprise, given that the Canadiens made the playoffs with a 40-31-11 record and 91 points and the Blue Jackets narrowly missed out at 40-33-9 and 89 points.
Meanwhile, the Flyers finished dead-last in the Eastern Conference with a measly 76 points and just 21 regulation wins.
Flyers 2025 Draft Picks Officially Set with Help from Sergei BobrovskyWith help from old friend Sergei Bobrovsky, all of the Philadelphia Flyers draft picks in the 2025 NHL Draft are now set in stone, including their three coveted first-round picks.
Sure, the Canadiens could use some work up front to help ease the burden on captain Nick Suzuki and Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson, but they're about to have a full offseason and regular season of Ivan Demidov.
As for the Blue Jackets, they have an outstanding young core of forwards like Kirill Marchenko, Dmitry Voronkov, Yegor Chinakhov, Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson, Cole Sillinger, and Gavin Brindley in addition to superstar defenseman Zach Werenski and prospects like Jet Greaves, Corson Ceulemans, Cayden Lindstrom, Denton Mateychuk, and Stanislav Svozil.
Even a slight step forward from these young guns, combined with some additions in free agency to smooth over the edges, should easily spell a playoff berth for Columbus.
The Flyers, on the other hand, don't have the No. 1 centers the Canadiens and the Blue Jackets have, and they don't seem to be optimistic about the prospects of landing one via trade this summer, either.
After all, GM Danny Briere has already said that teams are not giving away centers outside of fourth-line guys, and some of those same teams are also jockeying with the Flyers to move up in the 2025 NHL Draft order.
So long as Briere and the Flyers remain stagnant, they have no chance of making good on these odds, as dismal as they may already be.
Manager ins and outs – June 2025
BBC Sport tracks all the manager ins and outs in the Premier League, Scottish Premiership, Women's Super League, English Football League and National League.
All of the managerial movements for June will appear below.
Ins
24 June: Rob Edwards - Middlesbrough
22 June: Martin Paterson - Notts County
20 June: Matt Beard - Burnley women
19 June: Gerhard Struber - Bristol City
18 June: Ruben Selles - Sheff Utd
16 June: Brian Barry-Murphy - Cardiff City
16 June: Alun Armstrong - Gateshead
14 June: Adam Lakeland - Halifax
13 June: Tom Cleverley - Plymouth
12 June: Simon Grayson - Hartlepool
12 June: Thomas Frank - Tottenham
11 June: Sergej Jakirovic - Hull City
3 June: Liam Manning - Norwich City
2 June: Ryan Mason - West Brom
2 June: Steven Pressley - Dundee
Outs
24 June: Marti Cifuentes - QPR
18 June: Chris Wilder - Sheff Utd
12 June: Anthony Limbrick - Hartlepool
8 June: Robert Vilahamn - Tottenham women
6 June: Ange Postecoglou - Tottenham
4 June: Michael Carrick - Middlesbrough
3 June: Simone Inzaghi - Inter Milan
3 June: Liam Manning - Bristol City
Lakers reportedly being sold from Buss family to Dodgers owner Mark Walter for record $10 billion valuation
The Lakers may be the biggest team brand in the NBA, with the most globally recognized star on the team, but in many ways, they were a throwback — the Lakers were the Buss family business. The children of legendary owner Jerry Buss run the team as their primary source of income, all have roles in operating the team, and they own the team through a shared trust (they own 66% of the Lakers). However, without a massive outside income source, it has become increasingly difficult for them to keep up financially in spending off the court with private equity owners or individuals like cross-town Clippers owner Steve Ballmer (net worth $151 billion). For example, the Lakers have likely the smallest scouting staff in the NBA; it was just not where they spent money. The cost of keeping up has been getting harder for a team that has to turn a profit to feed a lot of mouths.
That's why the Buss family is selling a majority stake of the Lakers to Dodgers owner Mark Walter at a franchise valuation of $10 billion, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and confirmed by others, including NBCLA.
The Buss family will retain 15% ownership, at least for a time, according to the report. That is enough for Jeanie Buss to stay on as governor under the NBA's bylaws, and she is expected to do so. This sale has to be approved by the NBA Board of Governors (the other owners).
This sale price sets the record for an NBA team, topping the $6.1 billion valuation of the Boston Celtics for their sale earlier this year (that sale is still being finalized).
Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke for $67.5 million, and that sale included the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and the Los Angeles Forum (now owned by the Clippers' Ballmer and is a popular concert venue). The Lakers have won 11 NBA championships since that purchase and have consistently featured some of the best and most popular players in the sport, including Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, and now LeBron James.
Jeanie and the five other Buss children own the Lakers through a complex trust set up by Jerry Buss before he passed in 2013, and they could only sell if the majority of them agreed to the deal. While there had been rumors that Jim Buss — who was head of basketball operations for the team but was ultimately pushed aside by Jeanie as fans grew restless — and at least one other family member had wanted to sell for a while. The way the trust is rumored to be structured, the shares owned by the Buss children do not automatically pass on to their children (if one Buss family member passes, the split goes from six to five). With several of those Buss family members older than 60, it may have factored into the decision.
Walter is the CEO of TWG Global, a private equity company, as well as the co-founder and CEO of Guggenheim Partners. He is the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers (with Guggenheim) as well as the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, Chelsea FC of the English Premier League, the Cadillac Formula 1 racing team (as well as other auto racing teams) and the Professional Women's Hockey League. He bought a share of the Lakers in 2021 — 27% of the team from Philip Anschutz — and with that, he was given the first right of refusal should the Buss family choose to sell.
Magic Johnson, the Lakers legend and part-owner of the Dodgers (and often the face of that management team), told Lakers fans to celebrate.
Laker fans should be estatic. A few things I can tell you about Mark - he is driven by winning, excellence, and doing everything the right way. AND he will put in the resources needed to win! I can understand why Jeanie sold the team to Mark Walter because they are just alike -…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 18, 2025
Job well done to my sister Jeanie Buss for striking an incredible deal and picking the right person to carry on the @Lakers legacy and tradition of winning - Mark Walter, my business partner and friend! Mark Walter is the best choice and will be the best caretaker of the Laker…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 18, 2025
What Walter has shown with the Dodgers is a willingness to spend. While the NBA salary cap structure — especially now with its luxury tax aprons — is not going to allow Walter to buy players in quite the same way he has with the Dodgers, there are certainly places he can spend off the court such as the scouting mentioned above. The Lakers do not own Crypto.com Arena — AEG, the Anschutz Entertainment Group run by Philip Anschutz does, and he also owns the NHL's Kings — but have a lease that runs through 2041.