The Seattle Kraken have recalled center Oscar Fisker Molgaard from the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. Additionally, they have placed rookie Berkly Catton on the injured reserve.
Fisker Molgaard has been called up twice before but has played only two games in the NHL, both during his first call-up in November. He recorded an assist in his NHL debut.
Fisker Molgaard will likely be a healthy scratch tonight and is presumably called up as a precaution in case any Kraken forwards sustain an injury before tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Kings.
In the AHL, the 20-year-old has posted seven goals and 22 points in 35 games, ranking seventh in goals and fourth in points. Following tonight’s game, Fisker Molgaard will head to Milano Cortina for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Catton now joins Ben Meyers and Matt Murray on the injured reserve. Catton sustained his upper-body injury against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 29. He was announced to be out for the Kraken’s final three games before the break and that he would be able to return to the lineup when NHL play resumes.
The 20-year-old has scored five goals and 11 points in 40 games during his rookie season.
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While the NHL will suspend operations for the Olympic break, business will continue as usual in the AHL, and it will hold its All-Star Classic on February 10 and 11. The Montreal Canadiens’ farm team, Laval Rocket, will be represented by three players. Forward Laurent Dauphin, defenseman Adam Engstrom, and goaltender Jacob Fowler.
Fowler, who made his NHL debut this season amid the Canadiens’ goaltending woes, has had a new mask made for the occasion. While it’s pretty similar to the one he usually wears, it includes one significant change that is sure to please the organization’s fans.
Fowler turned to local artist JF Aumais to have the new mask made, and Aumais revealed the design yesterday on his Facebook page, stating that Fowler wanted to stick with his classic Iron Man design, but adding a few twists. The mask includes the AHL All-Star Classic logo and, on the back plate, where Fowler’s regular mask features a Florida license plate, it has a Quebec license plate instead, featuring the province’s motto Je me souviens.
JF Aumais poses with Jacob Fowler and his new mask. Photo credit: JF Aumais Mask Wraps Facebook
Fowler is having a great season with the Rocket; he has a 14-7-0 record, three shutouts, a 2.25 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. While most believed he was going to spend the whole season with the Rocket, the goaltending trials and tribulations in Montreal led to a surprise recall for the 21-year-old. In 10 games with the Canadiens, he put up a 4-4-2 record with a 2.62 GAA and a .902 SV on top of recording a shutout against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Fowler was ultimately sent back to the AHL, not because he wasn’t performing well, but rather because the organization wanted him to get plenty of action, which he wouldn’t have had in a three-goalie system with the Habs. The 10-game audition was sufficient to see that the Canadiens have a diamond in the rough in their hands with Fowler, who should be in Montreal full-time sooner rather than later.
Pierre LeBrun of TSN indicates that the Rangers are retaining 50 percent of Panarin's salary on his contract set to expire at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Vincent Mercogliano of The Athletic reports that the conditional third-round pick is the better of Los Angeles's two third-rounders in 2026, but if the Kings win one playoff round, it becomes a second. If they win two rounds, the Kings will add a 2028 fourth-round pick.
Mickey Lolich, the 1968 World Series MVP for the champion Tigers and a one-time Mets pitcher, died Wednesday.
He was 85.
The Tigers said Lolich’s wife told them he died after a brief stay in hospice care, though his cause of death wasn’t disclosed.
Mickey Lolich pitching for the Tigers during the 1968 World Series. Getty Images
Lolich’s finest hour in baseball came during the 1968 World Series, when he tossed three complete-game victories, including a one-run gem in Game 7 against the Cardinals on just two days’ rest.
That came after Lolich briefly lost his rotation spot during the regular season following a string of rough outings in July. He wasn’t pleased.
“I was having a few problems, but I had been a starting pitcher ever since 1964,” Lolich said. “I remember telling [manager Mayo Smith], ‘If we win this thing this year it’s going to be because of me.’ But I was only talking about the season. I wasn’t talking about the World Series.
“I got my revenge back in the World Series.”
Mickey Lolich (29) and first baseman Joe Torre (9) of the Mets pose on a Kawasaki motorcycle at Shea Stadium during the 1976 season. Focus on Sport via Getty Images
Lolich spent 13 seasons with the Tigers and was a three-time All-Star, finishing in the top three of the AL Cy Young voting twice.
The Tigers traded Lolich to the Mets after the 1975 season for Rusty Staub; Lolich initially exercised his 10-and-5 rights to veto the deal, but Mets brass convinced him to accept the trade.
He had a 3.22 ERA in 31 appearances (30 starts) for the Mets in 1976 before retiring. After sitting out the ’77 season, he came back for two seasons with the Padres before retiring for good.
Lolich finished his career with a 217-191 record, 3.44 ERA and 2,832 strikeouts, the 23rd most in MLB history.
Mickey Lolich in 2018. MLB Photos via Getty Images
“Lolich will be remembered as one of the most durable and dominant left-handed pitchers of his era and a cornerstone of Detroit’s pitching staff for more than a decade,” the Tigers said in a statement.
The NBA trade deadline is drawing nearer and more teams are making game-changing moves to alter the NBA landscape heading into the playoffs. However, through all the hullabaloo, the most impactful event might have happened last night.
SGA had been selected as an All-Star Game starter. 2026 would have marked his fourth consecutive All-Star Game appearance.
When did SGA suffer his injury?
Gilgeous-Alexander suffered his abdominal injury during Oklahoma City's 128-92 win against the Magic on Feb. 3.
Despite the injury, SGA still managed 20 points and nine assists, extending his streak of consecutive 20-point games to 121 games. He played 28 minutes in the contest, scoring his final point with just over two minutes remaining in the game.
When will SGA return?
SGA will miss at least five games, and will be re-evaluated following the All-Star break. Oklahoma City's first game after the break will be on Feb. 20 at home against the Brooklyn Nets.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 04: George Kirby #68 of the Seattle Mariners at bat against the Detroit Tigers at T-Mobile Park on October 04, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The grass isn’t always greener. The skies, famously, aren’t liable to be much bluer elsewhere either.
George Kirby has thrived in Seattle. A perfect fit for the Mariners as an organization, obsessed as they are with avoiding free passes and controlling the count and zone. Intense on the mound and, seemingly, off of it, Kirby is a beneficiary of the organization into which he was drafted. A fly ball pitcher who, for most of his career, has been among the most contact dependent hurlers in the sport, Kirby thrives in Seattle.
All until 2025.
There was no catastrophe for Furious George, but things began on the wrong foot. Not only was he sidelined to start the season with shoulder inflammation, but his knee had been bothering him as well, contributing to a longer-term outlay that also doubled as Kirby’s first ever trip to the injured list in his big league career. Upon his return, for the first time ever, Kirby struggled. Extensively. He was drubbed out of the gate by the Astros and Nationals, and spent the rest of the season attempting to claw back into alignment. Kirby feasted upon the Angels for 37 strikeouts to just three walks and six earned runs in 19.1 innings, but the rest of the league ran him for a 4.64/3.58 ERA/FIP in 106.2 IP.
In any representation of his last campaign, two clear storylines stand out. First is Kirby’s willingness to work outside the zone, as the famously walk-averse righty ran his highest-ever walk rate. 5.5% is still 18th-lowest in MLB among pitchers with at least 120 innings (of which there were 105), but Kirby’s been 6th, 1st, and 2nd in the category since entering the league. Cause for concern? Not… really. Kirby’s strikeout rate ticked up in essentially equal measure, perhaps circumstantial or perhaps with intent as he looked behind him (more on that in a moment). By K-BB%, Kirby has ranked 21st, 17th, 20th, and… 16th from 2022-2025, echoing Luis Castillo in his capacity to consistently deliver high-quality numbers despite frequent tweaks to his pitch mix and locations.
Yes, Kirby pitched out of the zone more than ever, but he got the expected outcomes. More whiffs than ever, the best called strike-plus-whiff rate of his career. Fewer swings, sure, and less chase even, but the chases he did get were more impotent. If Kirby’s intention was to mitigate some of the ambushability inherent to his strike-pumping ways, however, he only partially succeeded. Hitters still didn’t clobber Kirby, but while they were whiffing more, they barreled him up more frequently too. It’s not clear to me that this is connected, but that’s the confusion of gauging Kirby’s last campaign: what is tied to injury and rust, and what was intentional alteration?
Kirby cut his splitter and barely worked in a lesser changeup due to difficulty in using the pitch comfortably as he returned to health. Was the lowered arm slot which shifted the shape of his sinker and blurred the previously-distinct movement of his slider and curveball a tactical adjustment, or a compensation for his preseason discomfort? What was his plan, and what was what he did after getting hit in the mouth?
The second point of delineation is evident in Kirby’s overall line a year ago, a 4.21/3.37 ERA/FIP. We know better now than to attribute batted ball outcomes as pure fortune, but as we’ve addressed already, Kirby didn’t start giving up purely rockets. A small uptick in hard hit rate does not explain the 9th-highest ERA-over-FIP in MLB (among our same 105 player, 120+ IP cohort). Three of the top-10 in this range are, as to be expected, Colorado Rockies, with Diamondbacks and Phillies in the mix as well.
To have things go this poorly requires some ill fortune, as Dylan Cease and Sonny Gray can attest. But to have this occur with Seattle as your home park is difficult to reconcile. Kirby’s 0.85 gap between his earnie and his fippie (don’t love that) is the worst in a decade for a Seattle starter at this workload. Marco Gonzales ran a 0.57 gap in 2018, 15th in MLB, the last time a Mariner entered this range of ill fortune despite the contact-suppressing confines of T-Mobile Park at their backs. It requires a retreat to 2016 James Paxton to find a Seattle pitcher more maligned than Kirby, whose 0.99 ERA-FIP presaged a stretch of several brilliant seasons for the Big Maple. In T-Mobile Park history, only the most contact-managing, cartoonishly unfortunate have outpaced Kirby’s bitter, season-long pill.
This is about where I’ve hit my wall. Kirby’s issues are somewhat intertwined to defensive ineptitude, but neither by BABIP nor contact outcomes does his performance stand out too egregiously. Instead, it seems like Kirby’s mistakes were punished, even when they stayed in the ballpark, often enough that the exemplar of efficiency was unable to methodically carve through opponents with the ease he’s shown in seasons past.
Kirby’s plan in 2026 appears to be that of a player dissatisfied with his previous campaign. His splitter had been an adaptation of Kevin Gausman’s famous out pitch, and its jettisoning for comfort forced him to tie a hand behind his back. If he’s intending to return the pitch to his mix in 2026, as has been intimated, that alone will aid him in his efforts to build on a more strikeout-shaped repertoire. A season ago, Kirby seemed primed to ascend to ace-hood in Seattle’s staff. The first struggle-filled season of his career may finally grant the New York suburbanite what fuels him best: a chip on his shoulder.
Well this is awkward. Will James Harden be on the Cleveland Cavaliers bench in Intuit Dome as they immediately face his now-former team, the Los Angeles Clippers?
My Cavaliers vs. Clippers predictions cannot capitalize on that likelihood, but they do recognize how quickly Kawhi Leonard struggles without Harden, a harsh truth amid our NBA picks on Wednesday, February 4.
Cavaliers vs Clippers prediction
Cavaliers vs Clippers best bet: Kawhi Leonard Under 26.5 points (-110)
Without James Harden in the lineup, Kawhi Leonard scores three fewer points per game and shoots much worse from deep.Harden both set up Leonard and took offensive pressure off him. In four games playing without Harden this season, Leonard has fallen short of this prop three times.
That is not a massive sample size, but it is worth noting.
And it will be only human if Leonard’s urgency wanes the day after his supposed running mate with the Los Angeles Clippers has been traded despite the Clippers’ recent surge, not to mention that he was traded to tonight’s opponent, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cavaliers vs Clippers same-game parlay
Leonard has shot 3-of-23 from deep in four games without Harden, falling short of this three-pointers prop in all four games. Playing shorthanded tonight should not help the Clippers in any way.
Cavaliers vs Clippers SGP
Kawhi Leonard Under 26.5 points
Kawhi Leonard Under 2.5 three-pointers
Cavs -2
Our "from downtown" SGP: Clippers Sinking
Swapping frustrating point guards who will both not play tonight should obviously deflate this total. It should also further deflate the Clippers. Cleveland just went in on a title chase this season; Los Angeles just ruined all positive momentum.
Cavaliers vs Clippers SGP
Kawhi Leonard Under 26.5 points
Kawhi Leonard Under 2.5 three-pointers
Donovan Mitchell Over 28.5 points
Cavs -2
Under 222.5
Cavaliers vs Clippers odds
Spread: Cavaliers -2 | Clippers +2
Moneyline: Cavaliers -130 | Clippers +110
Over/Under: Over 222.5 | Under 222.5
Cavaliers vs Clippers betting trend to know
Cleveland has gone 4-1 against the spread in its last five, exceeding bookmakers’ expectations by an average of 10.5 points even when including the sole ATS loss. Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Clippers.
How to watch Cavaliers vs Clippers
Location
Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA
Date
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Tip-off
10:30 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN Ohio, FDSN SoCal
Cavaliers vs Clippers latest injuries
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 6: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks and Jonathan Kuminga #00 of the Golden State Warriors battle for position on MARCH 6, 2024 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s starting to look like the Jonathan Kuminga saga could drag out into the summer, even though that’s not what anyone had hoped for. Things have been trending in that direction for a while, despite Kuminga’s roller-coaster season with the Golden State Warriors, and now it really looks like they might end up that way.
Kuminga, after a long stalemate of an offense, returned to the Warriors on a 1+1, and it seemed there was an unspoken agreement that he would be dealt at the deadline. But then he was in the starting lineup on opening day, and thrived, and it briefly looked as though he would return to being a core part of the team going forward.
That didn’t last long. Kuminga was removed from the starting lineup and, eventually, the rotation altogether. When he became trade eligible on January 15, he asked for a trade, and it seemed the writing was on the wall.
Not so fast. The Warriors, while clearly trying to trade the fifth-year wing, poured some cold water on the idea when Mike Dunleavy Jr. pointed out that there needs to be an interested party with a compelling offer in order for a trade to occur. And all the rumors and reports have suggested that no such offer has taken place.
Which brings us to the star of the hour: Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Warriors are trying with all their might to trade for the two-time MVP, and all of their chips are on the table. Kuminga would almost certainly be involved in any deal for the superstar: his contract could be paired with Draymond Green’s to match salary, or, if the Dubs use Jimmy Butler III to match salary, Kuminga could be added on top to allow Milwaukee to offload a contract.
Golden State has put all of their eggs in the Giannis basket and, as such, they’re unlikely to entertain any other trades until the Antetokounmpo situation is fully resolved (there wasn’t even a hint that they were in on Anthony Davis, for instance, and he was just traded for peanuts).
That puts Kuminga in a funny situation. The Warriors are Giannis or bust, and so, it seems, is Kuminga. Appearing on an episode of Run it Back, The Athletic’s Sam Amick noted that the Sacramento Kings still had interest in Kuminga before the Antetokounmpo rumors heated up, but, “if Giannis doesn’t get traded, I think the Warriors hold him.”
A Jonathan Kuminga trade is dependent on Giannis, says Sam Amick 👀
It would potentially be a little awkward if Kuminga rides out the season on the Warriors. But, with Butler’s injury, he’ll have a big role on the Dubs or the rest of the year, if he can get and stay healthy. And if he plays well, the Warriors can opt into his contract for next season, and then make another run at trading him over the summer … maybe even revisiting an Antetokounmpo deal.
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 18: Michael Fulmer #51 of the Boston Red Sox poses for a portrait during photo day at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 18, 2025 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
He had missed all of 2024 following Tommy John surgery and last season for the Red Sox and Cubs he threw a combined 5.2 innings. Previously, he’d thrown 674 innings across three teams and seven MLB seasons with a 3.94 ERA (4.00 FIP), 7.7 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, and 1.0 HR/9. More importantly, he was AL Rookie of the Year in 2016 for Detroit and an All-Star the following season, in both seasons as a starting pitcher.
In his first three major league seasons, he made 75 starts and went 24-31 with a 3.81 ERA. His 8.2 fWAR over this stretch made him as valuable as David Price, Marcus Stroman, and Kevin Gausman.
He had knee surgery at the end of 2018 and missed all of 2019. When he came back, he wasn’t the same starter and was converted into a reliever and did very well there. He features a 94 mph fastball and a sweeper, so you can see how he vaguely fits into the mold the Giants have made for their relief corps. And 2026 being his second year removed from Tommy John is typically when the benefit of that procedure bears fruit, so, the Giants have added another high upside lottery ticket to their lottery bullpen.
Bericoto has some of the best power in the system […]
While Bericoto is a bat-first player, he’s no slouch with the glove. He’s perfectly competent at first base, and I’d go so far as to call him decent in the outfield. He doesn’t need to light the world on fire in the batter’s box to be a valuable Major Leaguer … if he can hit above league average, he can help the Giants, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he finds his way onto the big league roster sometime this summer.
Davidson offers one of the best combinations of raw power and speed among Giants farmhands, grading as plus in both categories. He won’t fully tap into his pop until he starts turning on more pitches and lifting them more frequently, but he has the bat speed and strength to hit 20 or more homers per season. He could be one of the best pure hitters in the system, as he has a sound left-handed swing and a fairly disciplined approach that allowed him to handle southpaws and all types of pitches in Single-A despite his inexperience.
Jared Oliva
Oliva had been signed to a minor league deal on January 12, and the 30-year old outfielder has a .755 OPS in 8 minor league seasons to go with 225 stolen bases. He’s had just 59 major league plate appearances (all for the Pirates), but the most recent were in 2021. In each of the last four seasons, he’s spent the full minor league season in Triple-A for the Pirates, then the Angels, then the Mariners, and last year with the Brewers.
Infielders
Osleivis Basabe
Basabe slashed .249/.309/.412 for Triple-A Sacramento last season and might provide another option if Christian Koss fails to hold on to hearts and minds or Casey Schmitt isn’t quite ready to go or Tyler Fitzgerald has fully turned back into a pumpkin.
Nate Furman
He was the player to be named later in the Alex Cobb trade of 2024. To quote me from my writeup of that transaction:
He’s 5’8”, bats left-handed, and has played second, third, and shortstop across his two minor league seasons. […] If the power really was coming along before [a] shoulder injury, you could imagine a ceiling of a left-handed version of Tyler Fitzgerald — that delicious power-speed combo. Although, don’t sleep on 91 walks and 93 strikeouts in his brief MiLB career (158 games, 666 PA).
Furman played four levels of Giants minor league ball in 2025 and slashed .369/.493/.601 across Rookie ball, A-ball, High-A, and Double-A. He spent the bulk of his time at High-A Eugene and posted a 1.139 OPS in 96 PA. He had a .970 OPS in the 39 PAs following his promotion to Double-A.
Buddy Kennedy
The Giants signed him to a minor league deal on December 15th. He has an .816 OPS in 8 MiLB seasons (3,004 PA) and a .545 OPS in 181 career MLB PA. Like Basabe and Furman, he can play multiple positions on the infield, but especially second base.
Parks Harber
Acquired from the Yankees in the Camilo Doval trade, he’s a corner guy (first and third bases) who can also play a little outfield (right field, specifically). The 23-year old right-hander lit up the Arizona Fall League with a line of .383/.513/.683 in 76 PA and even participated in the Home Run Derby:
Jake Holton
The Giants picked up this 27-year old first baseman on a minor league deal back in December. The former Tigers farmhand has a career .806 OPS in six minor league seasons and spent the last three full seasons playing all year for Detroit’s Double-A team. He has 69 career MiLB home runs.
The veteran backstop signed a deal back in January that could be worth at least $1.6 million (there are also incentives) if he makes the roster. His highwater mark was back in 2021 when he hit 22 home runs for the Tigers.
Logan Porter
He makes it onto the non-roster invite list for the second season in a row. This, despite Porter getting into five games for the Giants last season. He’s best known for his OBP. He had a .346 OBP in 286 PA with Sacramento.
Bednar has been rising in the CPL: last year he came in at No. 42, and the year before, he went unranked. But three years ago he was ranked No. 25, and in his CPL debut he was all the way up at No. 8.
[…]
Bednar will need to keep making strides in the walk department if he wants to follow in his brother David’s footsteps and become a high-quality MLB reliever. But he certainly did a fantastic job using 2025 to remake his game, and show off new electricity, as he added a few extra MPHs to his pitches, and flirted with triple digits. The strikeout stuff really was remarkable: his 14.49 strikeouts per nine innings ranked eighth out of the 1,383 Minor League pitchers who threw at least 50 innings last year (and if you remove his AAA stint, his 14.92 mark would have ranked third). There’s the makings of not just an MLB pitcher in there, but a very good one.
2025 was a tale of two stories for Harris. It was just his second full season of Minor League Baseball, as he joined the organization in the summer of 2023 as an undrafted free agent (remarkably, the Giants have three UDFAs in their top 30). Harris, who is 6’2 and well built, began the year with AA Richmond, where he was utterly dynamic. He posted a 1.69 ERA and a 1.73 FIP in 13 relief appearances, while striking out 25 batters in just 16 innings … and only walking four. Everything was going brilliantly, and he received an early promotion to AAA Sacramento.
That’s where the struggles began,
RHP Caleb Kilian
The 28-year old signed a minor league deal with the Giants back in December. In three seasons with the Cubs, he threw 27.1 innings, struck out 21, walked 20, and allowed just 2 home runs. He’s another fastball-sweeper combo reliever, but the Statcast numbers suggests he needs a little more velo and a lot more spin to make it an effective combo.
LHP Nick Margevicius
The Giants signed the 29-year old to a minor league deal at the end of December in a move I thought was strange. Bizarre. Dissatisfying. In 2019, this dude was front of mind as he handcuffed the Giants as a Padre, allowing just a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings. But his soft-tossing lefty ways only worked on that one team for that one season, because he hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2021.
RHP Wilkin Ramos
The Giants signed him to a minor league deal back in November and he spent all of 2025 in Pittsburgh’s minor league system, dominating at Double-A and struggling in Triple-A. He’s a sinker-slider reliever with perhaps below average spin on the latter type. This post makes a case that he keeps getting work because of his pitch shapes.
LHP Juan Sanchez
Now that he’s in his Tommy John recovery, the Giants will be very excited to get a look at this 25-year old long-time farmhand to see if his electric stuff from the left side of the plate can translate against minor league competition.
RHP Gregory Santos
The prodigal reliever returns? After a breakout 2023 with the White Sox (66.1 IP, 2.65 FIP) he struggled the past two seasons with the Mariners mainly due to injury (14.1 IP, 4.41 FIP).
The only other surprise for me was an omission. I was almost certain the Giants would’ve added left-handed reliever Matt Cronin, who is a free agent and did play for Tony Vitello at Arkansas.
The list also reflects the state of the Giants’ farm system. Bryce Eldridge is now on the 40-man roster and after him, the talent pool isn’t even ready to make the jump to Spring Training invites. Maybe next spring for some of the talent way, way down on the farm.
This year’s group is one less than last year’s group and we saw a decent bunch of them make it to the big league team in 2025, so, get familiar with some of these names!
Former San Jose Sharks forward Thomas Bordeleau has a new home.
The St. Louis Blues have acquired Bordeleau and a 2026 fourth-round pick from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for veteran forward Nick Bjugstad.
The Sharks traded Bordeleau to the Devils during this past off-season in exchange for forward Shane Bowers. Now, he is heading to the Blues organization with this latest move.
Bordeleau spent the entirety of his tenure with the Devils organization down in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Utica Comets. In 35 games with Utica this season before being traded to the Blues, the 24-year-old forward recorded two goals, six assists, and eight points.
Bordeleau was selected by the Sharks with the 38th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. In 44 games over four seasons with the Sharks, he recorded six goals, 12 assists, and 18 points.
TRADE ALERT! We’ve acquired Thomas Bordeleau and a conditional 4th-round pick from New Jersey in exchange for Nick Bjugstad. #stlblues
The Winnipeg Jets were not in the running to acquire New York Rangers superstar Artemi Panarin, but his trade to the Los Angeles Kings could make life even more difficult for Winnipeg as the playoff race tightens.
The Kings acquired Panarin in exchange for prospect Liam Greentree and a conditional third-round pick, immediately bolstering a Western Conference contender. If the Kings win a playoff round this year, the third-round pick becomes a second-round and if they win two playoff rounds, they will also receive a fourth-round pick in 2028.
New York will be retaining 50 per cent of Panarin's contract for the remainder of this season and the Kings have also agreed on a two-year extension with Panarin, that is believed to carry a cap hit of $11 million per season.
The deal sends Panarin, 34, to a team that will now be a major threat in the West, adding elite scoring and veteran leadership to a roster already built to compete. Panarin has 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points in 52 games this season, putting him on pace for 86 points over 78 games.
This marks the ninth consecutive season he has averaged over a point per game. Since 2019–20, he ranks among the league’s top six scorers with 205 goals and 402 assists for 607 points in 482 games.
The Rangers are adding an exciting young talent in 20-year-old forward Liam Greentree, a first-round pick at 26th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, who is expected to develop further in the juniors before making his NHL debut.
The Oshawa, Ontario native likely won't join the New York till next season or possibly even later. Currently captaining the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL for the past three seasons, Greentree has been a standout performer this year, recording 23 goals and 22 assists for 45 points in just 34 games.
For the Jets, who are fighting to climb the Western Conference standings, the trade presents another obstacle. The addition of Panarin to a Western team creates a potential matchup nightmare in the playoffs, as Winnipeg would now have to navigate a matchup in what would be the conference finals with one of the league’s most dynamic forwards.
The move increases the Jets’ margin for error and reduces their already slim odds of a deep playoff run as the Kings are also fighting for a playoff spot as they currently sit one point out of a wild card spot.
Winnipeg’s current roster features talent and potential, but acquiring a superstar like Panarin was always unrealistic given the team’s position and cap space. Still, seeing Panarin land in the Western Conference underscores the level of competition the Jets face in their quest for a playoff spot, let alone the Stanley Cup.
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WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 1: Khris Middleton #22 of the Washington Wizards dribbles the ball during the game against the Sacramento Kings on February 1, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. 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 Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It may have taken way longer than Dallas Aggies may have liked, and it may not be for very long, but Texas A&M great Khris Middleton is finally a Dallas Maverick. Middleton was involved in a deal between the Mavericks and Washington Wizards centered around Anthony Davis, and is headed back to the Lone Star State at age 34.
BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks are trading 10-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum to the Washington Wizards for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, 2 first-round picks and 3 second-rounders, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/sfrQQubI5i
Middleton is in his 14th NBA season, 12 of which were spend as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. During his tenure there he was a three-time All Star, and a member of their 2021 NBA Championship squad.
During his time at A&M, he averaged more than 13 points and 5 rebounds each of his final two seasons. He was a good, but not elite, player at A&M, so it’s fair to say that going from a relatively unheralded second-round pick to a three-time All Star with $288 million in career earnings means he vastly surpassed expectations as a pro. He’s been a fantastic ambassador for A&M athletics, and it’s great to have him back in Texas. Though considering that his contract expires at the end of this season, we don’t know how long he’ll stick around.
The Detroit Red Wings will not be adding New York Rangers star winger Artemi Panarin after he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in a blockbuster deal.
The Kings acquired Panarin in exchange for prospect Liam Greentree and a conditional third-round pick, leaving Detroit out of the running despite reportedly being in the mix. If the Kings win a playoff round this year, the third-round pick becomes a second-round and if they win two playoff rounds, they will also receive a fourth-round pick in 2028.
New York will be retaining 50 per cent of Panarin's contract for the remainder of this season and the Kings have also agreed on a two-year extension with Panarin, that is believed to carry a cap hit of $11 million per season.
Detroit has an opening on the top line alongside captain Dylan Larkin and rising star Lucas Raymond. Panarin, 34, would have been a natural fit, providing elite scoring, playmaking, and veteran leadership to complement the young core.
Panarin is having another standout season with 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points in 52 games, putting him on pace for 86 points over 78 games. This marks the ninth consecutive season he has averaged more than a point per game.
Since 2019–20, Panarin ranks among the league’s top six scorers with 205 goals and 402 assists for 607 points in 482 games, making him one of the most productive forwards in the NHL over the past four seasons.
The Rangers are adding an exciting young talent in 20-year-old forward Liam Greentree, a first-round pick at 26th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, who is expected to develop further in the juniors before making his NHL debut.
The Oshawa, Ontario native likely won't join the New York till next season or possibly even later. Currently captaining the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL for the past three seasons, Greentree has been a standout performer this year, recording 23 goals and 22 assists for 45 points in just 34 games.
The Red Wings’ pursuit of Panarin showed GM Steve Yzerman potentially eyeing a move to accelerate the rebuild, but in the end, they could not convince the star winger to join the Motor City.
Detroit will now continue its season without the veteran star and while missing out on Panarin is a setback, it also leaves the Red Wings with flexibility to explore other options before the trade deadline or in future seasons.
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SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: Anthony Davis #3 of the Dallas Mavericks warms up before their game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on January 06, 2026 in Sacramento, California. 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 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One month and three days of hell is over. Anthony Davis is no longer a Dallas Maverick.
The blockbuster trade was announced by Shams Charania, who reported that Davis will be traded to the Wizards for four players and five draft picks.
But how does this trade effect the Mavericks?
Well, let’s break it down.
Trade terms:
Mavericks receive: Khris Middleton, A.J. Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, 2026 OKC Thunder first round pick, 2030 top 20 protected Warriors first round pick, 3 second rounds picks
Wizards receive: Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, Dante Exum, D’Angelo Russell
On the surface the trade return seems underwhelming, as the picks the Mavericks are receiving very late first-round picks, but that wasn’t the reason they made this trade. The primary motivation for this trade is to clear the books for the future with Cooper Flagg at the franchise helm. The Mavericks will free up over $70 million dollars next year, with every player outside of A.J. Johnson being on an expiring contract.
The Mavericks are also trading two other bad contracts; those being both D’angelo Russell, and Jaden Hardy.
This added flexibility is huge for the Mavericks, both in the short and long term. In the short term, these moves will allow for the Mavericks to sign both Ryan Nembhard, and Moussa Cisse to standard NBA contracts this offseason (as it did not create open roster spots for them), while also creating a $20 million rade exception.
But the biggest advantage of the trade is the long-term flexibility it affords the Mavericks, as now the team has ample room under the salary cap and extra draft picks to build around Flagg. They also gained two more draft picks in a stacked 2026 draft class, giving them even more bites at the apple. It will also allow them to tailor the roster around Flagg. With three more players on expiring deals, the Mavericks can bring in 4-5 new players during the offseason. This should allow them to focus on bringing in shooting and playmaking to supplement Flagg and avoid repeating the mistakes of last offseason.
While this may not be the team’s final move, it certainly gives the Mavericks room to be more discerning with other trade possibilities, seeing as how they no longer need to worry about large looming cap ramifications heading into next season.
With Davis gone, the remnants of Nico Harrison’s vision are well and truly buried, and a new era can begin. While the focus is certainly on the objective changes this will bring to the team, it should also help speed up the healing process and allow Mavericks fans to fully focus on the team’s 19-year-old generational talent.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 13: Ke'Bryan Hayes #3 of the Cincinnati Reds waits for the pitch against the Athletics during the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park on September 13, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s easy to forget, but Elly De La Cruz made 29 starts (and appeared in 32 overall games) as the 3B of the Cincinnati Reds back in his first year in the big leagues in 2023. That was in deference to Matt McLain, current 2B and resident backup SS, who made 52 starts at short that year.
Though I doubt there’s a realistic scenario that sees Elly ever need to play some 3B on the regular, he’s got the chops and the experience there. That’s some versatility from the planned starting middle-infield, with McLain also having a wealth of outfield experience from his days at UCLA, in Cape Cod League play, and even in the Arizona Fall League, too.
To their collective left is a logjam at 1B, it would appear. The way the Reds plan to un-jam those logs is, once again, through versatility. Sal Stewart, a 3B and 2B by trade prior to his 2025 call-up, will presumably rotate through all three positions (as well as DH). The recently signed Eugenio Suárez is himself a former shortstop of these very Reds, and while those days are long over, he’s been a 3B at the big league level for a decade and will presumably be fully capable of providing cover there when not at DH or 1B himself.
Then, there’s Spencer Steer, a Gold Glove finalist at 1B this past season who may well be staring at the starting LF job right now. He’ll play both of those spots often, while there’s word that the former 3B and 2B will get time at 2B, at least, to keep his bat in the lineup. Though putting him at SS for any serious time is a bridge too far, Steer profiles as the most versatile player on the roster – that is, of course, if the Reds remain committed to keeping former 3B/SS/2B Noelvi Marte as their everyday RF, something he only just began to to last August.
(Even then, it’s easy to see Marte sliding back into the infield mix in a 15 inning game with tons of other switches, or if someone gets injured unexpectedly, and the club wants him to learn more CF, too.)
There’s been some talk of seeing if TJ Friedl can get some run in LF, as that would allow Dane Myers – a platoon OF who’ll play all over the OF – to cover CF and increase the defensive quality of the overall outfield. Catcher Tyler Stephenson has played 1B in 32 games in his career, with 76 additional appearances at DH to keep his bat in the lineup against LHP. Even fringe roster guys like Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Tyler Callihan have positional versatility, with CES experienced at both corners on the infield and Callihan playing just about everywhere but short.
That’s a comical level of flexibility, really. If it were truly his goal, manager Terry Francona could go weeks of fielding lineups every single day that a) were actually feasible and b) never played the same player in the same position two days in a row, especially with the likes of Will Benson and JJ Bleday experienced at all three OF spots on top of all the rest.
Then, though, there’s Ke’Bryan Hayes. Somehow, every time I try to figure out what the Reds are actually up to, it all seems to make sense until we get to Hayes.
Hayes has over 9100 innings logged as a professional since being a 1st round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates all the way back in 2015, and all but 5.0 of those innings have come as a 3B (with those handful in a trio of late-game appearances at short back in 2022). He’s a 3B, a 3B only, and does so with glovework that may well be the best of any player in the sport despite a bat that’s been one of the worst of any regular for over two seasons running.
Hayes is the lone position player on the roster outside of backup catcher who plays nowhere else, making him something of a unicorn on a roster that’s otherwise put together specifically to highlight versatility. Hayes is also a unicorn in the sport itself as a glove-first player at a position otherwise populated by big-hitting sluggers, a glove-first player who doesn’t play the defensive positions higher up the pecking order of importance like CF or SS.
If you look at how this roster is actually put together, the one glaring thing they don’t seem to have is a classic glove-first guy who can fill in at every single infield position as a late-inning guy, as a utility knife for precisely the right scenarios and alignments. You know the archetypes – the Jose Oquendos, the Tony Phillips, the Craig Counsells, the Juan Uribes, the Ryan Freels (RIP). In Hayes, they found a guy with two of the most overriding characteristics of classic utility guys – great glove, no bat – but didn’t get a guy who, for whatever reason, has never been tasked with taking that elite defense all over the diamond to unlock the rest of his roster.
So, he’s on a versatile roster as the guy who most profiles as a player who should move around a lot, but doesn’t. Instead of being paid like a guy who’s a utility player, he’s on a long-term deal that guarantees him $36 million and makes him one of the higher-paid guys on the team. Despite all of that, he’s not just a guy that the Reds overpaid for something he’s not and ended up in this situation of mutual volition, he’s the guy the Reds went out and got specifically because this is who he is, and did so despite having a handful of better bats who also look like they should probably play 3B most days.
Perhaps there’s a renaissance with Hayes’ bat in there somewhere that I don’t see. Perhaps the Reds are, for whatever reason, simply content to get 1.6 dWAR from Hayes at 3B batting 9th most days and nothing more, all while one of Stewart, Suarez, or Steer sits on the pine those days.
