BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Karon Catchings matched career highs with five 3-pointers and 23 points and Georgia overcame an early 15-point deficit to beat LSU 83-71 on Saturday to snap a three-game losing streak.
Jeremiah Wilkinson added 18 points, Somto Cyril 12 and Blue Cain 10 for Georgia (17-6, 5-5 SEC), which shot 51% and made 10 of 25 3-pointers for 40%.
Max Mackinnon scored 26 points, one off his season high, to lead the Tigers (14-9, 2-8). Marquel Sutton added 14 points and Pablo Tamba grabbed 12 rebounds to go with seven points. LSU shot 42% and just 22% on 3-pointers.
Ahead by five at halftime, the Bulldogs stayed in front the rest of the way and used an 8-0 spurt capped by a Catchings 3-pointer to take their largest lead of 17 with four minutes to go.
After an early Tigers' flurry from the arc when they hit five of their first seven 3-point attempts and broke out to a 31-16 lead, they then missed their final 16 tries from distance. After the Tigers' fast start, the Bulldogs outscored the Tigers 26-6, hitting four 3-pointers to go into the break ahead 42-37.
Up next
Georgia is home against No. 17 Florida on Wednesday.
The Philadelphia Flyers are slumping midway through the season yet again, and one of the 2026 NHL Draft's top prospects following a similar trajectory might fall right into their laps as a result.
Heading into the Olympic break, the 25-20-11 Flyers sit eight points out of a playoff spot, trailing both the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins for the second wildcard and Metropolitan Division 3 playoff spots.
As a result, they've got some of the worst odds to reach the postseason; Moneypuck currently gives the Flyers a 10.7% chance of making the playoffs, which is the ninth-worst in the NHL and fourth-worst in the Eastern Conference.
So, once again, the focus for the Flyers and Flyers fans may as well rest on the 2026 NHL Draft, which is shaping up to have an interesting draft class for a few reasons.
For starters, wingers Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg are the clear leaders of the pack at the forward position, and a deep defensive group is headlined by the likes of Keaton Verhoeff, Chase Reid, Alberts Smits, and Carson Carels.
Of course, as is the Flyers' luck, the center position is a bit weaker and more volatile, though Canadian pivot Tynan Lawrence stands alone at the top... for now.
Lawrence, 17, is currently ranked fourth overall by EliteProspects' consolidated rankings and 11th overall by EliteProspects themselves, but there is a pretty good chance he ends up closer to 11 than four, which bodes well for the Flyers.
The 6-foot center started the season as the captain of the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks, with whom he scored 10 goals, seven assists, and 17 points in 13 games before making the jump to the NCAA with Boston University.
The grass hasn't been greener on that side, though, and the top 2026 draft prospect has just one goal and one point in 10 games at the collegiate level.
Lawrence's speed and puck skills still make him a top-tier offensive threat (and prospect), but the NCAA, at least so far, has been too great an adjustment too quick.
Fortunately for him and the Flyers, though, Philadelphia has had no issues with players coming in and out of college and taking time to adjust.
After all, defenseman Carter Amico, who was at Boston himself, just went the other way to Muskegon and took a step back.
Porter Martone had a slower start to his career at Michigan State, and his teammate, Shane Vansaghi, hasn't produced as much as his skillset would typically allow for.
Other Flyers prospects currently playing in the NCAA include Cole Knuble, Owen McLaughlin, Heikki Ruohonen, Jack Murtagh, Ryan MacPherson, and Noah Powell.
It should also be noted that Ty Murchison, Alex Bump, and Karsen Dorwart all just turned pro from the college level, too.
This is all to say, though, that the Flyers have no problems being patient with college players and young players learning to be pros and adjusting to new environments.
No two journeys are the same, obviously, and Lawrence's case is not exempt.
The Flyers are finding out, perhaps the hard way, that rushing the rebuild along isn't going to work out well for them without acquiring the talent first.
That makes Tynan Lawrence the perfect project for them to take on at the 2026 NHL Draft.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - FEBRUARY 7: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks go up for a jump ball during the game on February 7, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks were blown out Saturday evening by the San Antonio Spurs, 138-125. Stephon Castle put on a basketball clinic for the Spurs, posting 40 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists, and three steals. Klay Thompson was the high point man for Dallas off the bench with 19. The Mavericks have now lost seven in a row.
There was a furious pace to the early minutes of the game, and the Spurs took full advantage of a questionable Dallas transition defense. Head coach Jason Kidd was forced to call a timeout with San Antonio going up 16-6 following a Flagg turnover where he appeared to hurt his shoulder. New Maverick Marvin Bagley burst out of the timeout with a couple of hustle baskets. A Brandon Williams three forced a Spurs timeout with Dallas down 21-18. The Mavericks kept the energy high all period but San Antonio had an answer for every Dallas shot. They weathered the Dallas push and closed out the first quarter up 39-32.
The Mavericks continued to fight in the second frame, taking their first lead at 8:30 on a Caleb Martin drive and finish. As the period wore on, the Spurs finally matched the Dallas energy; slowly and surely they overtook the Mavericks on the scoreboard. An end-of-quarter scoring flurry put the Spurs up by 14 as Dallas could not match the talent level San Antonio put out on the floor. Dallas entered halftime down 81-67.
Nearly all season long, the Mavericks have made a living off of simply playing hard. They’ve stayed in games due to consistent effort married to reasonable enough talent. But the third quarter against the Spurs was one of the rare times that energy just didn’t matter. The Spurs thumped Dallas, growing the lead bit by bit. The Mavericks simply couldn’t hang. Halfway through the period, the San Antonio lead grew to 24. There was a Cooper injury scare (maybe his third of the game?) in the frame where his foot bent at a concerning angle, but he seemed fine. The Spurs led going into the fourth 116-91.
The final quarter was largely about Castle beating the brakes off Dallas and everyone getting out of the game without an injury. Dallas tried to eat into the lead, but could not stop the Spurs from scoring. Dallas fell to San Antonio, 138-125.
Dallas is a long way off from what San Antonio is doing
There’s optimism among the Dallas fanbase, and there absolutely should be. Cooper Flagg rules and clearing off a bunch of salary, which will allow the Mavericks a chance to build something new, is important. But make no mistake: Dallas has a long way to go to even being a playoff team in my view.
Kyrie Irving’s return will be great if he stays in Dallas. A top-tier draft pick will also help and if the Mavericks get lucky, that may change my view somewhat. But compared to the Spurs, they lack in every area. That’s not an insult either, the Spurs are loaded for bear and ready to go try and win a title. But there are levels to this whole NBA contender thing, and Dallas is much closer to the bottom of the league than the NBA playoffs, and I think the optimism folks are feeling is blurring just how much this team actually needs. But one player can change things, and you never know what happens in the lottery and in free agency. Maybe I’m wrong here, but getting bushwhacked by the Spurs in two straight games puts a damper on my positivity.
England white-ball captain Harry Brook has confessed the fallout from his nightclub altercation has been “horrendous”, hoping to put the ordeal behind him after the T20 World Cup.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 20: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives against Jordan Goodwin #23 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 13: Alex Sarr #20 of the Washington Wizards drives against Duncan Robinson #55 of the Miami Heat during the first quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on April 13, 2025 in Miami, Florida. 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 Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Wizards play the Miami Heat tomorrow. Let’s preview this one.
Game info
When: Sunday, Feb. 8, 2 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Washington
How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass
Injuries: For the Wizards, Tre Johnson (ankle), Tristan Vukcevic (hamstring), Trae Young (knee, quad), Cam Whitmore (shoulder), Dante Exum (knee) and Anthony Davis (finger) are out. Jaden Hardy and D’Angelo Russell are day-to-day.
For the Heat, Tyler Herro (ribs) and Terry Rozier (administrative leave) are out. Pelle Larson is day-to-day.
What to watch for
Washington is playing many games in a short stretch. In fact, today’s game and tomorrow’s matinee is less than 24 hours apart! As for the Heat, they are coming off a two game losing streak, most recently to the Boston Celtics last Friday. Let’s see if the Wizards can snap back out of the funk they were in their loss to the Brooklyn Nets earlier this afternoon.
NEW YORK — Paul Goldschmidt and the Yankees have agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract, according to a person familiar with the negotiations, another move by New York that makes its 2026 roster resemble last year’s team.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Saturday because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.
A seven-time All-Star and the 2022 NL MVP, the 38-year-old Goldschmidt hit .274 with 10 homers, 45 RBIs and a .731 OPS after signing a one-year, $12.5 million contract as a free agent.
He tailed off badly, hitting .287 with eight homers, 36 RBIs and a .776 OPS before the All-Star break and .245 with two homers, nine RBIs and a .631 OPS after. The right-handed-hitting Goldschmidt lost playing time at first to lefty-batting Ben Rice and started just two postseason games.
A seven-time Gold Glove winner, Goldschmidt provides defense and a veteran presence to a team seeking its first World Series title since 2009. He has a .288 average with 372 homers, 1,232 RBIs and an ,882 OPS in 15 major league seasons with Arizona (2011-18), St. Louis (2019) and the Yankees.
Coming off an AL Division Series loss to Toronto, New York has had a relatively quiet offseason. The Yankees’ major moves were re-signing outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger to a five-year, $162.5 million contract, acquiring left-hander Ryan Weathers from Miami in a trade and retaining center fielder Trent Grisham with a $22,025,000 qualifying offer.
In his latest 32 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Sharks are "active" and looking to add to their roster. In addition, Friedman also noted that the Sharks will be looking to free up some contract space in the process.
"San Jose is active. Two signed defencemen after this year: Sam Dickinson and Dmitri Orlov. Eying more, while also trying to alleviate their contract logjam, at 49 out of a maximum 50," Friedman wrote.
Hearing that the Sharks are open to adding to their group is not surprising. They already made a notable move last month when they acquired Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks. Furthermore, they are still in the playoff race, so it would make sense for them to upgrade their group.
As Friedman noted, the Sharks have several pending free agent defensemen. With this, it would make sense if they tried to add another blueliner to their roster, but especially if they have term. However, adding another forward could also be worthwhile for the Sharks.
Yet, if the Sharks hope to upgrade their roster, they will need to create more room when it comes to their contracts.
Nevertheless, the Sharks will be a team to watch once the NHL Olympic roster freeze ends on February 23 until the March 6 trade deadline. It will be interesting to see what kind of moves they make from here.
PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 2: Jalen Green #4 and Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns look on during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on November 2, 2025 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The last time Devin Booker and Jalen Green both finished a full game without leaving injured came against Philadelphia during that six-game road trip. The very next night, everything changed. Green hurt his hip in Atlanta. Booker twisted his ankle. Since then, seven games have passed, and both have been working their way back.
Tonight, the schedule brings it full circle. The Suns face the Philadelphia 76ers again. Both Booker and Green are available to play.
INJURY UPDATE: Devin Booker and Jalen Green are AVAILABLE for tonight's game. pic.twitter.com/Hx3Wr5VIOS
If you are a Philadelphia fan, you are probably asking yourself, why us. And yet, here we are. The door is open for both Devin Booker and Jalen Green to play.
That is huge if you are a Suns fan. First, it tells you they are healthy enough to give it a go. Second, it addresses something that was glaring in the last game against Golden State. They needed them. Badly.
Even a limited version of Booker and Green changes the geometry of the floor. It gives the offense a true primary ball handler. Someone who can organize possessions, calm things down, and get the team into something functional. We saw what happens when that is missing. After Grayson Allen went down against the Warriors, the offense stalled. Isolation piled on isolation. The rhythm disappeared.
With both available tonight, that safety valve exists again. If the game tightens late and the Suns need offense, need structure, need someone to put their hands on the wheel, that option is back on the table. And that alone changes the ceiling of what this team can be in those moments.
The assumption is that both will be on some kind of minutes restriction, especially Booker. Ankles are tricky. That is not something to mess with. Jalen’s hip feels a little less alarming, but it still sits next to the hamstring issue he was dealing with, so caution makes sense there too.
It will be interesting to see how Jordan Ott staggers the rotations. Finding the balance between effectiveness and fatigue matters. You want them impactful while they are out there, without pushing them into anything risky or rushed.
All that said, praise the Lord. The boys are back.
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 09: Terrance Gore #11 of the Atlanta Braves dives back to first base on an attempted pick-off during Game 2 of the NLDS between the Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Saturday, October 9, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
I hope that the weekend is treating you well, wherever you are.
Here’s a not-so-random clip. Rest in peace, Terrance Gore.
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 26: Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Atlanta Hawks arrives to the arena before the game against the Indiana Pacers on January 26, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Per head coach Steve Kerr, the Golden State Warriors plan to keep Kristaps Porziņģis out of the next three games (tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers, Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies, and Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs), keep him in San Francisco to work towards game fitness, and debut him after the All-Star break.
Steve Kerr said the Warriors plan is to hold Kristaps Porzingis out the next three games, keep him working in San Francisco during the All-Star break and debut him out of the break.
Porziņģis was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, a pivot-move from failing to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks. Porziņģis hasn’t played since January 7 due to being diagnosed with what’s called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS. However, reports are that Porziņģis is healthy enough to return to play, with conditioning being the only hurdle he has to overcome.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 07: Will Riley #27 of the Washington Wizards shoots over Egor Demin #8 of the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Barclays Center on February 07, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This matchup with the Brooklyn Nets was the Wizards’ most important game of the season, and they came prepared. Shorthanded because of the Anthony Davis trade — apparently, it’s a long walk from Dallas to DC — the Wizards sat mainstays Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, and Alex Sarr with “injuries.”
Also sitting this one out: Trae Young (“injury”), Tre Johnson (sprained ankle), and Cam Whitmore (deep vein thrombosis).
Too good to play: Justin Champagnie produced 21 points and 9 rebounds in just 22 minutes in the Wizards’ all-important loss to the Brooklyn Nets. | NBAE via Getty Images
And darn the luck, Skal Labissiere’s 10-day contract expired, and they couldn’t come to an agreement on another one. Or something. The front office didn’t forget that 10-day contracts exist — they gave one to Keshon Gilbert, who’s been playing for the Capital City Go-Go. Gilbert got 29 minutes.
Also, starters like Justin Champagnie (22 minutes), Tristan Vukcevich (20 minutes), and Bub Carrington (22 minutes) were apparently on some kind of minutes restriction. Presumably to protect their health.
Oh yeah, did I mention it was critical for the Wizards to lose this one? Yeah, it was essential. At 13-37, the Nets were a game ahead of Washington in the quest for better draft lottery odds. Losing this one puts the team’s in a virtual tie, but the Wizards are now 1-2 against Brooklyn, which means they have the tie-breaker. The teams have one more game against each other (likely a must-lose for both, which might lead to tank-tacular shenanigans), which is April 5. Mark your calendars.
Despite all that preparation, the Wizards played the Nets close for the first 6-7 minutes. Then Brian Keefe went to the bench, and things avalanched. Washington gave up 46 points and trailed by 26 after the first quarter. They fell behind by as much as 34 before mounting a second half comeback that got them as close as 12. Kudos to the available for playing hard throughout.
Thoughts & Observations
Champagnie had 21 points on 8 shots to go with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in just 22 minutes.
Good offensive game from Will Riley, who scored 27 points on very good efficiency (129 offensive rating). He managed just three rebounds and two assists in 45 minutes. The three steals and a block were nice.
Sharife Cooper had another solid game — 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists — though the team was -20 with him out there.
I’ve not been impressed by Danny Wolf so far this season, but he played the game of his (short) NBA life against Washington — 7-11 from the floor, 16 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and zero turnovers.
Nolan Traore is fast. YODA didn’t like him much as a draft prospect, but I can see what the eyeball scouts saw in him. So far, on balance, YODA is looking more likely to be correct. We’ll see.
Michael Porter Jr. had a decent though subpar game (for him). Overall, his numbers this season look eerily like they did when he was with the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic was not in the game.
Four Factors
Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).
The four factors are measured by:
eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)
FOUR FACTORS
WIZARDS
NETS
LGAVG
eFG%
53.8%
62.1%
54.3%
OREB%
13.5%
34.2%
26.1%
TOV%
15.1%
13.1%
12.7%
FTM/FGA
0.354
0.154
0.208
PACE
99
99.4
ORTG
114
128
115.5
Stats & Metrics
PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).
PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.
POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.
ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.
USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.
ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.
+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.
Players are sorted by total production in the game.
SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 15: James Harden #1 of the Los Angeles Clippers looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings during a NBA Preseason game on October 15, 2025 at Golden 1 Center 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
11-time NBA All-Star James Harden is set to make his debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road tonight against the Sacramento Kings at 10 PM Eastern.
Cleveland acquired Harden in a stunning blockbuster deal earlier this week, trading away long-time point guard and two-time All-Star Darius Garland in the process.
It was an emotional week for Cavs fans. Many had personal attachments and appreciation for Garland’s time in Cleveland. His departure was marked final in Los Angeles as the entire team hugged him goodbye after their win over the Clippers.
Harden joins a roster rebuffed by championship expectations. Alongside him are two other newcomers in Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis. Those two made their debuts against the Clippers on Wednesday night. They return to play their former team tonight.
Watching how Harden can fit in will be a treat. This is a generationally talented playmaker who demands the ball more than most players in league history. At the same time, Harden has co-existed with numerous stars throughout his career. Fitting in with Donovan Mitchell shouldn’t be too heavy a challenge.
Harden is averaging an elite 25 points and 8 assists this season. He still has an uncanny ability for drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line. But, he’s also as good as it gets at orchestrating the pick-and-roll. Pay close attention to how Harden and Jarrett Allen get along tonight. Their two-man action could quickly become a bread and butter for the Cavs.
Cleveland has been on a roll recently. They’ve won eight of their last two games, improving to 31-21 after a rocky start to the season. They have the easiest remaining schedule in the Eastern Conference and might have improved at the deadline. We will get our first look at their biggest addition in just a few hours.
The Vancouver Canucks have officially reached the 2026 Winter Olympic break with 57 games of the 2025–26 season under their belt. Throughout that span of time, the Canucks have played themselves comfortably into 32nd in the NHL with a record of 18–33–6 and 42 points. Here’s how the Canucks stack up to the rest of the NHL at the 2026 Winter Olympic break.
Team Stats
Vancouver Canucks team stats at the 2026 Winter Olympic break.
Aside from in goals-for (145, 29th in the NHL), Vancouver ranks either 32nd or 23rd in their listed team stats. Along with their record and points-percentage (.368%), Vancouver also ranks 32nd in the NHL in goals-against (208) and penalty-killing (70.6%). When it comes to their shots per game (26.9), faceoff win rate (48.5%), and power play (18.2%), the Canucks actually rank 23rd in the NHL.
Individual Skater Stats
Vancouver Canucks individual skater stats at the 2026 Winter Olympic break.
Vancouver’s three goal-scoring leaders — Elias Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk, and Drew O’Connor — are all tied with players like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evgeni Malkin, and Matvei Michkov for 125th in the NHL when it comes to total goals scored throughout 2025–26. This is one of the four categories that DeBrusk leads the Canucks in at this point in the season, as he also leads Vancouver in shots (156, tied for 25th in NHL), power play points (14, tied for 70th in NHL), and power play minutes (192:07, 28th in NHL). Marcus Pettersson has also taken the lead in an extra category, now leading the Canucks in blocks (95, 37th in NHL) in addition to minutes played on the penalty kill (160:19, 23rd in NHL).
Goaltending Stats
Vancouver Canucks goaltending stats at the 2026 Winter Olympic break.
The Canucks’ goaltending department has not been what many expected of them this season. Vancouver’s highest-ranked goaltending stat compared to the rest of the NHL is Kevin Lankinen’s high-danger shots faced (261), in which Vancouver places 15th in the league. In comparison, however, Thatcher Demko holds the team’s lead in high-danger save-percentage with .803% (T-37th in NHL). Their lowest-ranked stat on this list is their win count (T-48 in NHL), which Demko has held since the 35-game mark with eight.
Vancouver will resume the season on February 25 with a home game against the Winnipeg Jets at 7:00 pm PT. They’ll head to Washington for a quick match against the Seattle Kraken on the 28th, before taking part in two more home games against the Dallas Stars (March 2) and Carolina Hurricanes (March 4) ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline.
Feb 4, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) makes a save against Vegas Golden Knights left wing Ivan Barbashev (49) during the second period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JULY 06: Relief pitcher Bryce Jarvis #40 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches during the game against the Kansas City Royals at Chase Field on July 06, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
More right-handed pitchers? Don’t mind if we do! This batch includes some names about which I’m quite excited, with promising youngsters, crafty veterans and someone bidding for their fourth season playing on the Diamondbacks…
Daniel Eagen (80)
There’s a case to be made that Eagen is the team’s top pitching prospect. A third-round pick in 2024, he chewed up High-A pitching last season, with a K-rate of 12.2 per nine innings (including an immaculate inning). He was subsequently named Northwest League Pitcher of the Year. The launching pad of Amarillo proved a reality check, Daniel allowing five home-runs in under twenty frames. But if he can adapt in 2026, his rise should continue. In addition to the interview below, I recommend checking out this episode of the Snakes Territory where Jesse Friedman had a very good in-depth discussion with Daniel.
This pitcher last appeared in the majors in 2022. After that, he tried his luck in Japan, but right distal clavicle lysis – and, no, I’ve never heard of that either – derailed his career there. Returning to the US, he has been in the minors with the Blue Jays, Nationals, Royals and Mets. Most recently, he had four scoreless appearances for Triple-A Syracuse, before spending the winter in the Dominican Republic, pitching for Aguilas Cibaenas. There’s no denying the stuff – Statcast had his sinker averaging 98.7 mph in 2022, and he fanned 57 over 35 AAA innings last year. But control has been an issue, and will likely define whether he’s useful in his time here.
Tom Hatch (43)
The D-backs will be Hatch’s sixth organization: last year was his most active in the majors, tossing 34 innings between the Twins and Royals. Though the results were ho-hum, a 5.82 ERA and 6.02 FIP. Like Fernandez, he moved to Japan for the 2023 season, and it did not go well for him either: a 7.46 ERA in 22 innings. The following year, he went to Korea, but the contract got nixed after his physical. Between that and his poor peripherals last season, this seems more like a depth piece. Unless something changes dramatically, if we see Hatch in the majors, it’ll indicate that something has gone very wrong for the 2026 Diamondbacks.
Bryce Jarvis (40)
Jarvis looked set for a career role as a long reliever in 2023-24, throwing 83 innings with a 3.14 ERA. However, that outperformed his FIP by almost two runs (5.09), and regression to that hit hard in 2025. His FIP was a career-best 4.50; his ERA a career-worst 5.73. He was designated for assignment in December, to make room for Michael Soroka, but went unclaimed and is now outside the 40-man roster for the first time since he made his debut in August 2023. However, there still might be a role for him in 2026, unless the team wants to use a starting pitcher in the long relief role, rather than a specialist like Jarvis.
Derek Law (38)
This is definitely the most experienced pitcher in the group, with 322 major-league games to his name, since Law made his debut with the Giants in 2016. He was very good during his last stab at the big leagues, in 2024. Derek had a 2.60 ERA over 90 innings out of the Nationals bullpen. However, a forearm issue derailed his 2025 campaign before it got going, eventually needing surgery in late July. The estimated recovery time at that point was ten months, so he is highly unlikely to be anywhere near ready by Opening Day. Proving his health will be the first thing, but if he returns to anything close to his 2024 form, Law would be a good pickup when he returns to the mound.
