CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) — Evgeni Malkin remains as passionate as ever about hockey as his 21st season with the Pittsburgh Penguins begins.
Whether it's his last, be it in Pittsburgh or anywhere else, only his body knows. And right now, it's not telling the 40-year-old Russian star anything.
“I mean it’s a hard question,” Malkin said Friday. “We see what’s going on during the season, you know. And right now I won’t say yes.”
He also won't say no, though he has one very clear metric that will play a massive role in whatever happens beyond this season.
“If I not feel hundred percent, I’m not playing,” Malkin said, adding that if he's not helping the team to win, “I'm retired.”
Malkin was able to turn the clock back a bit last year, posting 19 goals to go with 42 assists despite missing time with injuries. He averaged over a point per game for the first time since 2019-20 and seemed fueled by the desire to prove to Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas he was still worth the investment.
Dubas played his cards close to the vest until after Pittsburgh's first-round playoff exit to Philadelphia. He praised Malkin's effort and about a month later, negotiations that appeared a little tense outwardly resulted with Malkin signing a one-year deal to remain with the club where he's won three Stanley Cups, two scoring titles and an MVP during a career that will almost certainly end in the Hall of Fame.
The deal also extended the partnership between Malkin, captain Sidney Crosby and defenseman Kris Letang to 21 years and counting, the longest three teammates have ever played together in major North American professional sports history.
Though Malkin believes it's production, not nostalgia, that has kept them together.
“It’s not we're just here because we win three Cups, you know,” he said. “I hope we’re here because we still play good.”
The Penguins are banking on it. Pittsburgh largely kept together the roster that finished a surprising second behind Carolina in the Metropolitan Division, including re-signing forward Egor Chinakhov, a Russian who blossomed while playing alongside Malkin after being acquired in a trade with Columbus.
There are now four Russians on the team, allowing Malkin the chance to serve as a mentor in the same way former Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar did for him two decades ago.
“Any advice, any like ‘Go to dinner,’ you know, we just do it. “I'm the old guy here and I just have the experience.”
Malkin begins the year with 1,407 career points, just 14 shy of surpassing Hall of Fame center Adam Oates to climb into the top 20 on the NHL's all-time list.
He's done it while serving as the emotional ‘yin’ to Crosby's more reserved ‘yang.’ If Malkin had ended up somewhere else, maybe he'd had been the face of the franchise. He's long made peace with the trade-off. If this is his final season, it's been a great ride. But he's not quite ready to head off into the sunset just yet.
“I think last year I showed my good games, and I am excited to be here,” he said. “And again, like, I’m here to win.”
New York Mets first baseman Jared Young is taken off the field on a stretcher after colliding with pitcher Nolan McLean during a game on Thursday. (Seth Wenig / Associated Press)
New York Mets first baseman Jared Young was carted off the field Thursday night after he took a knee to the head during a collision with pitcher Nolan McLean while both players were trying to make a play on a ground ball hit by Philadelphia’s Justin Crawford.
Young, who landed face-first in the dirt, reportedly was briefly knocked unconscious during the sixth-inning incident at Citi Field.
“It was scary to sit there and just know that he wasn’t with us in that moment,” Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said after the game. “He was just somewhere else.”
Young was able to give a thumbs-up to the crowd, however, as he was driven off. Mets interim manager Andy Green told reporters after the game that it “feels at this point in time like we’ve avoided the scariest outcomes.”
A CT scan at a hospital was negative, said Green, who added that Young had concussion symptoms but also had full use of his extremities.
Still, Green said after his team’s 3-0 loss, “it was a terrifying moment on a baseball field. Took him a while to come to. It was a really scary collision.”
On Friday, the Mets placed Young on the seven-day concussion injured list and provided an update from Green that the player is doing “as good as could be expected, or hoped for, given what we saw last night.”
“All the tests that were ran, we got the right kind of results,” Green said. “Everything we have heard has been really optimistic from the recovery standpoint.”
McLean remained in the game and struck out Philadelphia’s Garrett Stubbs to end the inning. He was replaced by reliever Tobias Myers in the seventh.
Young, 31, has been a bright spot for the Mets (69-84) during his first full season, hitting .266 with nine homers and 39 RBIs in 103 games. A left knee injury caused him to miss six weeks early in the season.
“He’s somebody we all respect and appreciate and have love for,” Lindor said. “He’s been a big part of our team this whole year.”
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 16: Oneil Cruz #15 of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates his solo home run with third base coach Tony Beasley #27 in the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on September 16, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pirates have hovered around .500 all season, which was enough to keep them in contention through the trade deadline. But the Phillies and Padres have pulled away since then, leaving the Pirates without a postseason appearance for the eleventh consecutive season.
Kansas City Royals (67-86) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (76-77) at PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Last year the Pirates scored the fewest runs in baseball, this year they are fifth. The spike in offense has come from the additions of veterans Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn, improvements by Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales, and solid rookie debuts by Esmerlyn Valdez (who is out this series) and Konnor Griffin.
Who’s hot:
Rafael Flores Jr. is hitting .390/.405/.561 over his last 11 games.
John Rave is htiting .255/.369/.509 with four home runs and five steals in his last 18 games.
Who’s not:
Konnor Griffin is hitting .200/.245/.300 in 12 games since coming off the Injured List.
Nick Loftin has hit .158/.200/.211 in his last 12 games.
Interesting splits:
Oneil Cruz is hitting .311/.364/.462 against lefties.
Maikel Garcia is hitting .333/.405/.413 with runners in scoring position
Since July 1, Randy Dobnak has the 9th-highest groundball rate among starting pitchers at 49.8 percent. Paul Skenes has the tenth-best strikeout rate in baseball at 27.8 percent.
Noah Cameron has a 3.18 ERA on the road in 14 games this year. Right-handers are hitting .216/.313/.290 against Bubba Chandler.
Opponents are hitting just .191 against Michael Wacha, and FanGraphs grades his changeup as the fourth-best in baseball. The Pirates have not yet announced a starter for Sunday, but it could be lefty Antoine Kelly, who was just called up.
Pittsburgh has a 4.13 ERA out of their bullpen, with the third-highest walk rate. They are tied with the Royals with 24 blown saves. Mason Montgomery and Gregory Soto are tied for the team-high in saves with 14 each. Montgomery has the second-highest strikeout rate among qualified relievers.
The Pirates swept the White Sox in Chicago last week, but dropped back-to-back series to the Cubs and Brewers. They are 39-36 at home this year, with the fourth-best home wRC+, hitting .269/.347/.431 at PNC Park.
The Reds have lost nine of their last 13 — all of those games against the Brewers and Dodgers, pretty tough competition.
Then again, the Cubs are a pretty good team as well, and the Cubs have won seven of the first 10 games between these two teams this year.
For more on the Reds, here’s Wick Terrell, manager of our SB Nation Reds site Red Reporter.
Once again the Cincinnati Reds get to limp home at the end of a disappointing season, both literally and figuratively. Winners of just 2 of their last 10 games, the meat of their schedule has hit them at the precise time they were most ill-equipped to deal with it, and both the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers have slammed shut even the tiniest windows of ‘success’ this club could have held open down the stretch.
The Reds have been eliminated from postseason contention, officially. They’ve secured a ‘losing’ season with their 82nd loss. Brady Singer, who Chicago will unfortunately (for them) miss this series, has pitched so poorly he has mercifully made it impossible, surely, for the Reds to consider giving him a Qualifying Offer at season’s end. All that remains to be seen now for Cincinnati is if the Cubs can help them build on their -154 run differential on the season and make a run at the league-leading Colorado Rockies mark of -177.
At least Elly De La Cruz has gone nuclear of late. He’s staking his claim for NL Player of the Month and – in a non-PCA world – as the best player on the senior circuit altogether. Hopefully that shows up again for one last series in Great American Ball Park for the 2026 year with the Cubs in town.
Fun facts
The Cubs and Reds have played 2,439 games against one another since 1890, when the Reds jumped to the National League from the American Association, where it had been a founding member in 1882.
Over 137 seasons, the difference in wins and losses between the Cubs and Reds is . . . 23, with the Cubs leading, 1,220-1,197. There have been 32 ties.
The Cubs won two of three games in their previous trip to Cincinnati this season, on July 10-12, bouncing back from a 4-0 loss to win, 5-3 and 8-4.
They dropped four straight games in their second, late-season appearance at Great American Ball Park last year. The Cubs last swept a series there June 27-29, 2016. This is their 26th visit to Cincinnati since then. Five times, they won the first two games and lost the third, most recently Aug. 11 and 13-14, 2022.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Friday: Clay Holmes, RHP (2-3, 3.46 ERA, 1.205 WHIP, 4.07 FIP in seven starts with Cubs; 6-7, 2.85 ERA, 1.145 WHIP, 3.58 FIP in 16 starts overall) vs. Chase Burns, RHP (15-3, 2.80 ERA, 1.150 WHIP, 3.17 FIP)
Saturday: Matthew Boyd, LHP (8-5, 4.16 ERA, 1.238 WHIP, 4.34 FIP) vs. Nick Lodolo, LHP (3-5, 5.12 ERA, 1.490 WHIP, 5.76 FIP)
Sunday: David Peterson, LHP (5-2, 4.15 ERA, 1.457 WHIP, 4.27 FIP in 14 games with Cubs; 8-8, 5.11 ERA, 1.551 WHIP, 4.06 FIP in 30 games overall) vs. Rhett Lowder, RHP (6-11, 5.79 ERA, 1.520 WHIP, 4.78 FIP)
Times & TV channels
Friday: 5:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Reds market territories)
Saturday: 5:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Sunday: 12:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, also streaming on Peacock (outside the Cubs and Reds market territories)
Prediction
Given these pitching matchups, the Cubs ought to score a lot of runs in this series. They’ll take two of three.
Up next
The Cubs return to Wrigley Field for the final regular season home series of 2026. They’ll face the Miami Marlins in a three-game series beginning Tuesday evening, after an off day Monday.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 6: Tyler Mahle #54 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch in the bottom of the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 6, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s hard to believe, but there are just nine baseball games remaining in the regular season for the Atlanta Braves. The first of those nine will come on Friday night in Houston as the Braves battle with the Astros for first time in 2026.
The Astros, despite a paltry 77-76 record and a -50 run differential, find themselves atop the abysmal American League West by a game over the Rangers. For comparison, a 77-76 mark would place Houston just ahead of the Marlins in the NL East, a rousing 12 games back of the Braves.
Houston’s lost six of their last 10 heading into the series, although they did take their most recent series against the Royals.
Friday night’s tilt will feature Tyler Mahle, who has been nothing short of superb with the Braves. Mahle ranks among the top 20 starters in baseball since the trade deadline, posting a stellar 1.25 ERA / 3.03 FIP / 3.22 xFIP across seven starts and 43.1 innings. Mahle’s coming off seven strong innings against the Phillies last weekend, allowing just one run on six hits and no walks. Mahle’s game plan on Friday will be issuing an intentional walk to Yordan Alvarez every time and working to get his peers out.
The Astros will counter with 29-year-old righty Peter Lambert, who has been the club’s best starter in 2026. Lambert owns a 3.71 ERA (3.81 FIP, 4.44 xFIP) across 26 starts. Outside of a complete blowup against the Angels on August 20, Lambert has allowed 2 earned runs or fewer in every start since the calendar flipped to July. An impressive run for a team that has fallen well short of expectations.
Atlanta holds a four-game lead over the Phillies in the division. The magic number sits at 5 to clinch. It would be nice to trim that number quite a bit this weekend to make the final week of the regular season mostly academic. The Phillies have a four-game series against the Mets this weekend, which they won the first game of on Thursday night
First pitch in Houston is set for 8:10pm ET. You can watch and listen to the game in all the usual places.
RICHMOND, VA - SEPTEMBER 17: Jackson Flora #18 of the Richmond Flying Squirrels pitches during the game between the Erie SeaWolves and the Richmond Flying Squirrels at CarMax Park on Thursday, September 17, 2026 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Matthew Mitrani/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
For the final time this season, our San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball roundup features multiple teams. First we lost the Arizona Complex League squad, then the pair of teams in the Dominican Summer League. Next up was High-A Eugene, followed by Low-A San Jose. And now? AA Richmond has joined the group. Six teams who won’t get to write about until next year, and just one remaining.
So here’s what happened on Thursday, the final multi-game day of the Minor League season for the GIants.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
AAA Sacramento (79-65)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Reno Aces (Diamondbacks) 3-0 Box score
A very rare thing indeed: a Pacific Coast League shutout! And yet, despite that, the most notable performance came on offense. Specifically, on one swing of the bat from right fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL).
Davidson, playing in his 2nd game since returning from a recent minor injury, only hit 1-4 with 2 strikeouts, but he certainly made the hit count: he accounted for all 3 of Sacramento’s runs with a stunning 433-foot, 106.3-mph home run.
With that, Davidson is on the doorstep of becoming the first Giants prospect to hit 30 home runs in a season since Adam Duvall back in 2012. He’s got 3 more games to crank 1 more dinger out of the park … can he do it?
Also having a nice hitting day was designated hitter Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL). Bericoto is officially on a rehab assignment, though it’s unclear if he’ll return to San Francisco again this season or not, since the Giants seem to be enjoying getting frequent playing time for Drew Gilbert, Jonah Cox, Turner Hill, and Scott Bandura (and, to a lesser extent, Grant McCray). Bericoto has been fairly rusty during his rehab stint, but not in this game, as he went 3-4 with a strikeout, with one of his singles leaving the bat at a stunning 110.8 mph.
The rest of the offense was lifeless. Apart from that pair, which sat at the top of the lineup, the River Cats hit just 3-22 with 0 extra-base hits and 1 walk. Third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL), who has been doing a good job recovering from a late August/early September slump, had an off day, going 0-4 with a strikeout, though he had some hard contact.
On the pitching front, it was a bullpen game that handled the shutout and, for the first 5 innings, it was even a no-hitter. It wasn’t the cleanest partial no-hitter, as RHP Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL) was first to take the mound and walked 3 batters in his 2.2 no-hit innings, though he also struck out 3. Bednar, who threw 26 of 41 pitches for strikes, has been a lot better lately, following a fairly rough re-introduction to AAA. His overall numbers at the level are still quite poor — he has a 6.33 ERA and a 4.75 FIP — but he’s showing something, that’s for sure. He’s definitely someone who could end up factoring into the MLB bullpen at some point next season.
Then it was RHP Wilkin Ramos, who took down the next 2.1 no-hit innings, with just 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. Like Bednar, Ramos — who made his MLB debut earlier in the year, but has since been outrighted — doesn’t have the best numbers in AAA, as he has just a 4.07 ERA and a 4.91 FIP, with 8.0 strikeouts per 9 innings. But he’s got a lot of funk, and if he stays in the system next year he could work his way back to the Majors.
RHP Christian Alvarado finally broke the no-hitter when he gave up 3 hits in 2 innings, but he kept runs (and free runners) away, and struck out 2. What a great story Alvarado has been this year: he signed during the season after having not pitched in the Minors since 2019. The 31-year old was thoroughly dominant for AA Richmond, and is now trying to find his footing with AAA, where he’ll hopefully be a big asset next year.
Rounding out the shutout were RHPs R.J. Dabovich and Eric Cerantola, who each pitched a scoreless inning, Dabovich with a hit allowed, and Cerantola with 1 walk but 3 strikeouts. It’s so great seeing Dabovich healthy, after the 2020 4th-rounder lost so much time to injury. Let’s hope he can carry that health into next season.
AA Richmond (eliminated)
Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Erie SeaWolves (Tigers) 5-3 Box score
2026 was an absolutely brilliant season for the Flying Squirrels, but it didn’t end well. They were skidding and sliding all over the place as the regular season neared an end, and it resulted in being swept out of the playoffs.
But Richmond went out with a bang, thanks to one of the more exciting performances of the year on the farm: the AA debut of RHP Jackson Flora. The record books will show that Flora only had 1 appearance in his debut season, after being drafted 4th overall in July’s draft. But after that debut — a strong, if slightly shaky 1-inning start for Low-A San Jose — Flora had a dominant playoff appearance in Low-A. In that game, he tossed 2 no-hit innings with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts, and certainly opened some eyes.
The Giants moved him all the way up to AA which was both a recognition of his talent/readiness, and also a logistical matter given San Jose’s schedule and the fact that High-A Eugene’s season was over. And on Thursday, Flora made his AA debut in the playoffs, and one-upped his Low-A performance.
The UC Santa Barbara product needed just 28 pitches to take down the first 2 innings of the game, and here’s how they went:
Strikeout swinging Strikeout swinging Strikeout swinging Pop up Ground out Strikeout looking
Hell of an introduction, champ.
Jackson Flora’s night is over, and it was a perfect one in his Richmond debut
2.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 H, 4 K
Fastball got up to 99, but the kick change stole the show today, it looked gross. The kid might already have big league level stuff #SFGiantspic.twitter.com/JhOETLXtMe
After that dominance, we’ll spend the entire offseason trying to figure out where the Giants will place Flora when next season begins. I do think the way he made quality AA hitters — including Zyhir Hope — look silly should rule out returning all the way down to Low-A, but I do think there’s a good chance he starts next season in High-A, rather than in AA. Even if he is in Eugene when the schedule kicks off, it almost certainly won’t be for long. This guy is the real deal, folks!
Next up was someone who we do know will be in Richmond when 2027 begins: LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL). Fresh off of winning Pitcher of the Year honors in the High-A Northwest League, Bresnahan made his fourth appearance for Richmond, after a trio of regular season starts to end the year. As with his prior starts, Bresnahan showed off some incredible strikeout stuff, while also serving as a reminder that the jump from High-A to AA is not the easiest one. The recently-turned 21-year old, who had a 2.92 ERA, a 4.32 FIP, and 10.8 strikeouts per 9 innings with Eugene this year, struggled with command in this game. He only threw 52 of 89 pitches for strikes, which led to 4 walks and a hit batter in just 3.2 innings. That, combined with 4 hits, knocked him for 4 runs (3 earned), but he struck out 6 batters along the way!
It’s all part of the learning curve. In his 4 AA games, Bresnahan finished with 23 strikeouts in 19.2 innings, and that’s worth being very, very excited about.
RHP Tyler Vogel had a very nice game, as he gave up just 1 walk in 2 shutout innings, with 2 strikeouts. Vogel, a 12th-round pick in 2022 out of Jacksonville University, spent the entire season with Richmond, primarily pitching 9th innings. He finished the year with a 3.25 ERA, a 4.63 FIP, and 9.4 strikeouts per 9 innings, albeit with 5.5 walks per 9.
As with Sacramento, Richmond’s 3 runs all came from a single swing of the bat, as designated hitter Kaeden Kent gave the team a 4th-inning lead with a towering 3-run home run.
Kent, who finished the day 1-3 with a walk, was getting his feet wet after a full season in High-A (split between the Yankees and Giants affiliates, and interrupted by injuries). The record books will show that Kent has yet to make his AA debut, as he was called up just for the playoffs, but that majestic home run he hit begs to differ!
It will be very exciting seeing Kent (who, if you’re new here, is Jeff’s son, was a 3rd-round pick last year, and came to the Giants in the Heliot Ramos trade) have a full year in the system next season, where he’ll presumably be playing middle infield across from Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL). Won’t that be fun! Kent finished the regular season with a .790 OPS and a 107 wRC+, but impressed with his well-rounded game, which featured just a 16.0% strikeout rate, strong defense, and 24 stolen bases. He’s also headed to Arizona in a few weeks for the Arizona Fall League, so that will be fun.
Otherwise, it was a very quiet day in the batter’s box, as Richmond had just 4 hits and 3 walks. Quiet ends to the season for the Squirrels top position player prospects, as shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) hit 1-4, while center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) went 0-3 with a walk. Outfielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) didn’t play.
Bon voyage, Richmond!
Home run tracker
29 — Bo Davidson — [10 in AAA; 19 in AA] 9 — Kaeden Kent — [1 in AA; 8 in High-A]
Friday schedule
Sacramento: 6:45 p.m. PT vs. Reno (SP: Darien Smith)
New York Islanders prospect Victor Eklund has the best chance of any youngster to crack the opening-night lineup.
He dominated during rookie camp, but the big question is how he'll look in main camp.
Not only does he look the part, but after scoring in day two's scrimmage, Eklund has now scored in every game.
In the first rookie showcase game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center, he rifled a slingshot high blocker side.
In the second rookie showcase game, also against the Devils, Eklund hopped on a loose puck in front of goal.
And his latest was a beauty, as he knocked down a Matthew Schaefer point shot before scoring on Vitek Vanecek, who had been sliding to stop the initial shot.
He played in Friday's scrimmage alongside Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Emil Heineman, which has been his linemates over the first two days of training camp.
"Well, he looks good," Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer said. "You don’t want to get out in front of it too far. I think we’ve still got a lot of runway here, and he’s going to play some exhibition games against NHL teams, which is important.
“But he’s scored in every game that we’ve stuck him in — the two rookie games, today in the scrimmage — so he’s just got to continue on that path. But again, it’s early, and that’s what you want. You want young players to make those decisions as tough as possible.”
Eklund will likely play in at least three of the four preseason games, starting with Sunday afternoon against the Devils at The Rock.
Othmann joined the Flames late in the 2025-26 season after Calgary acquired him from the New York Rangers on March 6. The 23-year-old appeared in two games with the Flames, picking up two points, while also playing 14 games with the Calgary Wranglers.
The Pickering, Ontario native spent the early portion of last season moving between the Rangers and their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, before the trade sent him to Calgary.
Contract Details
• Position: Left Wing
• Contract: One year, two-way
• AAV: $975,000
• Drafted: 16th overall by the New York Rangers in the 2021 NHL Draft
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 17: Jake McCarthy #31 of the Colorado Rockies celebrate with teammates in the dugout after scoring a run in the first inning during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Thursday, September 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Mariners have entered that phase of the season where they’re just playing out the remaining games without much purpose beyond fulfilling the MLB schedule. The last time the M’s were playing irrelevant games this early in September was during the pandemic-shortened season in 2020. It’s been so long, I almost forgot what it was like to be in this limbo state.
The Rockies are well acquainted with playing irrelevant games, however. The last time they were truly competitive was back in 2018 when they won 91 games. Since then, the team has been in the midst of a long and arduous rebuilding cycle that doesn’t seem like it’s anywhere close to ending. After reaching a nadir seven years into this cycle with 119 losses last year, the team finally made a change atop the organization, hiring Paul DePodesta to lead the baseball operations department. The team is on track to make a 16 win improvement over last year — a small but meaningful step forward — but the work of building another contender in Colorado will continue for the foreseeable future.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Jake McCarthy
LF
L
558
15.8%
5.2%
0.190
112
Connor Norby
2B
R
354
28.8%
10.5%
0.141
96
Hunter Goodman
C
R
535
31.8%
8.2%
0.288
113
TJ Rumfield
1B
L
600
13.7%
11.7%
0.154
125
Cole Carrigg
CF
S
335
23.6%
8.4%
0.199
104
Kyle Karros
3B
R
441
20.2%
11.3%
0.165
103
Mickey Moniak
RF
L
416
27.2%
5.3%
0.242
94
Adael Amador
DH
S
68
14.7%
10.3%
0.254
135
Ezequiel Tovar
SS
R
479
25.5%
6.1%
0.123
51
Here’s a crazy stat: the Rockies’ .325 wOBA as a team is the highest it’s been since 2019. Over the past six years, despite playing in a stadium that boosts offense to ridiculous levels, the team has put up a .308 wOBA, 21st in baseball during that period. Last year’s breakout from Hunter Goodman and this year’s breakout from TJ Rumfield have gone a long way toward improving the lineup. Those two batters are dramatically different in approach; Goodman is a traditional power hitter with huge home run totals to go along with a huge strikeout rate. Rumfield is more measured in his approach, content to take a walk and put the ball in play to take advantage of the huge outfield in Coors Field. Cole Carrigg and Kyle Karros are another pair of youngsters who have shown a lot of promise this year. There are glimpses of a competent lineup here.
The Rockies don’t have a starter listed for Friday’s game at the time of publication but I expect Ryan Feltner to take some portion of the bulk innings. He had been a member of the Rockies’ rotation for most of the year but has been shifted to the bullpen in a long relief role recently. He pitched on Tuesday in relief of Kyle Freeland and spun five shutout innings against the Padres. At one point back in 2024, he looked like he had figured out how to find some success pitching at altitude — he posted a 4.49 ERA and a 4.16 FIP in 30 starts that season — but a series of injuries last year derailed that progress. He’s been mostly healthy this season, but his effectiveness has waned and now the team is reevaluating where he fits on the roster.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Gabriel Hughes
59.1
19.0%
8.7%
9.0%
40.7%
6.37
4.04
Bryce Miller
107.1
24.3%
7.8%
15.3%
37.5%
4.19
4.55
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
51.3%
50.6%
92.4
84
80
113
0.300
Sinker
14.3%
7.6%
92.9
81
164
64
0.326
Changeup
4.6%
15.6%
87.8
80
33
91
0.396
Curveball
3.7%
15.0%
78.7
82
103
116
0.232
Slider
11.5%
5.6%
86.5
96
Sweeper
14.6%
5.6%
85.5
96
It must be totally demoralizing to be a pitching prospect in the Rockies organization. You put in all the work to make your way through the minors up to the big leagues and then face the toughest pitching environment in baseball. Gabriel Hughes made his debut in July and has actually pitched pretty well all things considered — his park-adjusted FIP is better than league average at 92. Unfortunately, his ERA is more than two runs higher at 6.37. His fastball has a really interesting movement profile; it doesn’t fade arm-side like most four-seams tend to do. Instead, it has a bit of cut to it so that it’s almost arrow-straight from a three-quarters arm slot. Opposing batters find it extremely hard to square up even if they have no problem making contact with it.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Tomoyuki Sugano
142.2
14.0%
5.5%
15.3%
37.6%
5.49
5.49
Kade Anderson
25.1
19.6%
7.5%
13.8%
35.1%
5.33
4.44
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
18.6%
22.6%
92.5
86
78
80
0.416
Sinker
25.2%
14.0%
92.5
82
41
58
0.445
Cutter
11.3%
10.5%
89.0
82
74
84
0.481
Splitter
15.2%
26.2%
86.9
73
87
109
0.312
Curveball
5.6%
9.7%
79.8
84
65
97
0.331
Slider
11.3%
7.7%
85.4
87
59
86
0.311
Sweeper
12.9%
9.3%
83.7
87
62
58
0.327
Every rebuilding team needs a veteran innings eater or two to soak up as many innings as possible during the season. That’s Tomoyuki Sugano’s job this year. After coming over from NBP last year, he’s posted nearly identical 5.36 and 5.49 FIPs over the last two seasons while making 57 starts for the Orioles and Rockies. He’s got a deep repertoire that features a solid splitter, three variations on a breaking ball, and three very hittable fastballs. It’s a problem when all three of your fastballs feature expected wOBAs that start with a four.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Astros
77-76
0.503
—
-50
L-L-W-L-W
Rangers
76-77
0.497
1.0
-39
W-W-W-W-L
Mariners
71-82
0.464
6.0
-56
W-L-L-L-W
Athletics
61-92
0.399
16.0
-214
L-W-L-L-L
Angels
59-94
0.386
18.0
-77
L-W-W-L-W
On Wednesday, the Astros and Rangers were tied atop the AL West standings, but separated by a game after Houston won and Texas lost on Thursday. The Astros host the Braves and the Rangers host the Blue Jays this weekend.
Mar 3, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) reacts to a penalty call against the New Jersey Devils during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
Ed Mulholland/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida forward Brad Marchand is expected to miss the first month of the season, meaning the 38-year-old will be sidelined for the Panthers’ first 14 games, at minimum, while continuing to recover from offseason surgery.
Marchand revealed in mid-August that he had surgery, the details of which have not been released. He was dogged by a lower-body issue for much of last season when Florida’s hopes of contending for what would have been a third consecutive Stanley Cup were derailed by injuries throughout the lineup.
“He’s going to take the month of October for rehab,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said after the team’s first day of training camp. “That may mean he’s ready to play right at the end of it. That may mean he needs a short period of time, assuming no setbacks. But we’re planning on rehabbing for October.”
Marchand missed a career-high 30 games last season. He was effective — with 27 goals and 27 assists for 54 points in 52 games — before getting shut down in early March, around the time it became clear that Florida was not going to qualify for the playoffs.
Marchand was on the ice, though not in either of the two sessions that Florida used for its first day of camp. He went through a separate workout with forward Jonah Gadjovich, who was limited to 10 games last season before having neck surgery.
Gadjovich remains out indefinitely, Maurice said.
“There’s a couple of things that we’re trying to get sorted out,” Maurice said. “Clearly, it’s been a long-term issue for us and it hasn’t resolved, so we’re still looking at different options and searching for some answers on this to see if we can get him back playing. He’s skating, as you saw, so we’re not concerned with that. But we’ll list him as out indefinitely.”
Former Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane, left, smiles while Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, reads a formal proclamation declaring Aug. 8 as Patrick Kane Day in Chicago at a ceremony at Johnny’s Ice House West on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Chicago. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Chicago Tribune/TNS
CHICAGO — Once again, Patrick Kane took the ice for the start of training camp with the Chicago Blackhawks. That used to be his regular routine, but it was a different experience for him this time around.
Kane is getting used to his old surroundings as he begins his 20th NHL season in the same place where he started his career. The veteran forward signed a two-year, $16 million contract with Chicago in free agency.
“A lot of it is so familiar in a lot of ways, and then you get out there on the ice and you look at all the players out there and everyone’s completely different, right?” a chuckling Kane said. “So different coaches, different players. So different in that way, but yeah, so exciting.”
Chicago is hoping the offseason additions of Kane and defenseman Bo Byram — alongside the growth of its young core — will help lift the team into contention in the rugged Western Conference. The Blackhawks went 29-39-14 last year, an 11-point improvement from the previous season and still last in Central Division.
“We wouldn’t make some of the transactions we made if we didn’t believe there was a step to be had here,” general manager Kyle Davidson said. “Now, there’s a lot that goes into it. ... It’s all about showing up and expecting something every night and we should expect to arrive and win. And so, where that ends up at the end of the year, we’ll see.”
Going to the postseason with Chicago used to be an annual occurrence for Kane, who turns 38 in November. He skated in playoff games with the Blackhawks for nine straight years beginning in 2009, winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
Kane, who won the 2016 Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, isn’t the same player he was during those previous playoff runs. But he had 16 goals and 41 assists in 67 games with Detroit last season. He has at least 50 points in 18 of his 19 seasons.
“He’s still a great player,” Chicago goaltender Spencer Knight said. “You can tell the skill he has, his awareness on the ice with the puck and without the puck, so I think that’s something that’s going to really help us. ... I think he’s going to bring a lot of skill and talent out of a lot of other players, which is what I think will be so good for us.”
Kane skated on a line with Frank Nazar, 22, and rookie Roman Kantserov on the first day of camp, who also is set to turn 22.
The Blackhawks open the season on Sept. 29 at Vegas, so coach Jeff Blashill doesn’t have much time to tinker with his lines.
“Patrick is a super high IQ hockey player, and a lot of give-and-go to his game,” Blashill said. “Both Frankie and Roman can play some of that give-and-go game with him; they think it a little bit the same way. Historically, when Patrick has had a center that can create lanes with his speed, it has helped him. Frankie, with his speed through the middle, will open up some different passing lanes, as well.”
Blackhawks captain Connor Bedard is expected to miss the start of the season as he continues his recovery from left shoulder surgery. He could play alongside Kane on the team’s top line when he returns.
Kane has been getting to know all the team’s young players. He likes Nazar’s competitiveness and he said Kantserov is very smooth.
“I thought, you know, as a line today, we got more and more chemistry as the day went on and things got better and better,” Kane said. “So excited to keep building with them.”
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 30: Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter talks with manager Dave Roberts #30 before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on March 30, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s a decent chance that your life insurance premiums have helped pay for Shohei Ohtani’s contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Pablo Torre, fresh off of exposing the Los Angeles Clippers’ pathetic efforts to circumvent the NBA salary cap to satisfy Kwahi Leonard, has moved on to the Walter story and even in the first episode of his report, there’s enough to make you want to chew asphalt to stop from screaming.
So, yes, your suspicion that this golden era of Dodgers baseball is fraudulent in some way has proved to be correct. I can’t remember when I said this — it was either 2023 or 2024 — but I figured that the only thing that could take down the Dodgers is some unforeseeable calamity or a massive scandal, and I think they’ve got a scandal.
From The Athletic:
At the core of the suit are allegations that the insurance companies misled policyholders about the structure of their annuity packages by secretly sending their money into a fund fueling Walter’s larger business network. That fund allegedly helped Walter buy the Dodgers in 2012 and a majority share of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025, along with a raft of other investments.
In typical annuity plans, policyholders make payments to insurers, which then invest that money into stocks, bonds or index funds that pay the customer interest over time. Insurers normally invest their customers’ money into relatively safe assets and, by law, must notify regulators about any investments made in entities affiliated with the insurer.
Walter’s firms Delaware Life and Clear Spring allegedly reported having 3 percent of their assets in affiliated companies, but were actually investing 42 percent of those payments in companies affiliated with the billionaire’s other business interests, accounting for nearly $17 billion. The companies described the discrepancy as an internal labeling error.
The implications of the Walter investigation is sort of more than people probably want to fathom, because to think that Mark Walter is the only billionaire engaging in this sort of impropriety to enrich himself and his investing partners is a degree of naivete that should automatically ban you from using the internet. This entire century has seen digital robber barons loot the public in every conceivable manner.
The Torre video points to some of the extreme cronyism that setup Walter as he came to Los Angeles to purchase the Dodgers, including how rigged their incredibly rich cable TV deal actually was. It just underscores how naturally suspicious we all should be of so-called billionaires. They don’t come by those billions honestly, and they have your hand in your pocket whether you like it or not. They see a pot of money — risk pools, state and federal taxes, etc. — and they see opportunity and begin planning for a heist. They’ll dress themselves up however they have to get people to let them inside.
Mark Walter has no blood relationship to the Guggenheim family. Guggenheim Partners, founded in 1999, came by their name through a licensing deal with the Guggenheim family, because “The Guggenheim name has long been synonymous with philanthropy and has a reputation for its contributions to the advance of humanity.” ::wanking motion:: The real reason? Mark Walter, a charlatan, needed to buy credibility, which the Guggenheim name instantly conferred. “The firm was created to bring the Guggenheim name back to Wall Street after decades away from finance.”
A side note: this is actually standard practice in high finance. Giants principal owner Charles Johnson was the CEO of Franklin Templeton investments from 1957 to 2004 (taking over from his dad who began the firm in 1947). Franklin Templeton gets its name from Benjamin Franklin, “because Franklin epitomized the ideas of frugality and prudence when it came to saving and investing.” ::wanking motion:: Also, as a reminder, Johnson helped get Donald Trump into the White House and has bankrolled this century’s conservative reformation of the United States. Billionaires are, effectively, roaming nuclear warheads.
But these nukes don’t have autonomous guidance systems. They need to be brought in like the Trojan Horse. Mark Walter softened the ground in Southern California by charming the LA Times and getting LA’s mascot, Magic Johnson, firmly on board (see Torre video for more on Magic’s involvement). Granted, the McCourt family were rotten and hollowing out the Dodgers, but the LA Times puff piece on him was silly in the moment and gross to read now.
“Decent” is one word often used to describe Walter, 51, the chief executive of Guggenheim Partners, a financial services company that manages more than $125 billion in assets. He’s also private, unassuming and almost studiously unflashy.
Born in Iowa and schooled at Creighton University and Northwestern University Law School, Walter has a net worth of $1.3 billion, according to Wealth-X, a Singapore business-intelligence firm that assesses the fortunes of the ultra rich and ranks Walter seventh among Major League Baseball owners. Walter is not on the Forbes list of the world’s billionaires.
[…]
“I’m a fairly quiet and private person,” he said at the time. “So I haven’t sought publicity.”
[…]
The insider who spoke on condition of anonymity said the firm’s success owes largely to Walter’s fiscal discipline and his skill as a “very focused, very careful” investor.
“I can tell you he is a guy with one of the great financial minds of our time, and he will help that team,” the person said.
Walter has said he is making a significant personal investment in the team, but neither he nor the Dodgers’ new ownership group — Guggenheim Baseball Management — has revealed the sources of purchase money in its all-cash bid of $2.15 billion, which topped others by about $500 million and was well above most estimates of the franchise’s worth.
So, yes, everything is true. Families were denied life insurance claims while they paid for Blake Snell’s bogus rehab stints. Shohei Ohtani will be collecting your parents and grandparents’ premium dollars and down the ripping off taxpayers. The Dodgers are the devil and if this century has proved anything, it’s that evil always wins.
But make no mistake, the Dodgers will probably win this series because the Giants stink by comparison. Sure, there has been some excitement with some flashes of upside from younger players and Los Angeles is looking very old these days — but, come on. The Dodgers have been better than the Giants for a while now. Even if this scandal takes them down, the only thing that does is give Giants fans a momentary thrill. Like the old couple in What About Bob? who help Bob because they hate that Dr. Leo Marvin swooped in and took the house they dreamed of buying right out from under them and then cheer when Bob blows up that house.
It doesn’t change the fact that the Giants have been losers for most of the last decade (and 13-13 in this Oracle Park era). And, as shaky as LA has looked — they had a losing record in August (13-14)! and were 26-25 in July & August — they’re 11-5 in September, 47-28 on the season in Dodger Stadium (and have won 10 of their last 12 home games). Sure, Shohei Ohtani is out, Freddie Freeman’s power has disappeared, and Blake Snell actually seems to be hurt again. But, Tyler Glasnow’s off the IL. They have Tarik Skubal. Mookie Betts has been hot the past month (.951 OPS). Jorge De Paula, their top hitting prospect, is up and having Juan Soto-esque at bats. The Giants might shut down Logan Webb for the rest of the season, but if they don’t he’ll probably get buzzsawed. Rafael Devers is out, but Bryce Eldridge is heating up. Jonah Cox is a dude. Jung Hoo Lee is not.
The rivalry has never been more dead and over, but it’s never been a better time to hate the Los Angeles Dodgers, because you cannot hate them enough. They lied, cheated, and stole their way to championships, which on the one hand is great, but on the other hand might put a lot of insurance purchases in a bad situation. It’ll also be bad for baseball fans because it’ll be used as cover to lockout the sport and (attempt to) break the MLBPA. Of course the Dodgers won’t lose their championships over this. The Astros didn’t. In fact, the Astros were hardly punished. The rest of the sport was: the qualifying offer came in, the minor leaguers were shrunk, a bunch of rule changes meant to “improve” the game were foisted on the players… and that’s what’s on offer with the Dodgers situation infecting these CBA negotiations. Like the NBA’s ridiculous salary cap system, owners use their own management decisions to both damage their investments and inflect pain on their labor force.
Rich people and baseball owners, especially, steal money from regular people all the time — that’s what all those publicly financed stadiums amount to — but this time, it’s the Dodgers doing it and in a very damaging way. The Dodgers, the “crimes.xls” organization, might have ruined baseball, but in so doing, they might have given the public a crucial glimpse behind the curtain to see just what our American oligarchs are up to — it’s not just seeing the sausage being made, it’s seeing that we’re the sausage.
Series Overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (64-89) at Los Angeles Dodgers (93-60) Where: Dodger Stadium | Los Angeles, California When: Friday at 7:15pm, Saturday at 6:10pm PT, Sunday at 1:10pm PT National broadcasts: Apple TV (Friday)
Projected starters Friday: Cesar Perdomo (LHP 0-1, 3.68 ERA) vs. Tyler Glasnow (RHP 4-1, 3.50 ERA) Saturday: TBD vs. Tarik Skubal (LHP 10-7, 2.70 ERA) Sunday: TBD vs. TBD
Prediction time
Jonah Cox will steal a base. Freddie Freeman will homer. He has hit 1 home run in his last 244 plate appearances (58 games).
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 13: Konnor Griffin #6 of the Pittsburgh Pirates throws to first base during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Sunday, September 13, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kyle Sheridan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates is a team that is filled with a bunch of young talent. Even though they most likely won’t make the playoffs this year the future looks incredibly bright. Here are three young players that will be the stars for Pittsburgh next season.
Konnor Griffin
The obvious pick here is Griffin, the Pirates drafted him 9th overall in the 2024 draft. In his first season in the majors Griffin has a .262 batting average with five homers and 27 RBIs. The 20 year old has missed a lot of the season due to injuries.
His offensive numbers aren’t mind blowing but he does a little bit of everything on the field. His baserunning and defense are both excellent which makes a truly dangerous and versatile player. Griffin is only 20 years old so he will grow and mature as a player as well, so the future at short stop is bright.
Esmerlyn Valdez
Esmerlyn Valdez has been a great source of power for the Bucco offense. He has 17 home runs and 47 RBIs on the season with 72 games played. The right fielder is just 22 years old, marking another big time player that is under the age of 25 for this team.
Valdez is already one of the better hitters on the team and the fact that he is just 22 years old and this was just his first season in the majors should be really exciting for all the fans.
I expect both Valdez and Griffin to be big time contributors to the offense lineup next season. They have both dealt with injuries throughout the year but if they are able to stay healthy for next season we could be looking at two players that will be considered stars on the team.
Rafael Flores Jr.
It has been a while since the Bucs have had true offensive power from behind the plate but Flores jr has brought that in only 40 game plates this year. The 25 year old has nine homers with 40 RBIs. He has split time from behind the plate with Henry Davis and Endy Rodriguez.
I know that Rodriguez was playing pretty well before he suffered his season ending injury but I see a lot of potential in Flores jr. He brings power to the lineup and is a good defender behind the plate. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Pirates come into next
season with Rodrigues and Flores jr as their main two catchers, leaving Henry Davis behind.
If these three players continue to develop and grow we could be looking at the next big three Pittsburgh and could possibly see those young stars help the Pirates finally get into the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 25: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the game on December 25, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Philadelphia is undeniably a huge sports town and certain fans preen about their “4 for 4” status. Still, there exists a hierarchy, and who sits atop it is a certain combination of what part of the season we’re in, current competitiveness of each club, overall likeability of the team.
The last time the Sixers unquestionably sat atop the hierarchy was all the way back in 2001 for the Allen Iverson-led NBA Finals run. Between AI, still one of the city’s most popular athletes ever, an underdog status that you know Philadelphia loves, and a lunchpail defensive attitude that further endeared the squad to fans, it was a perfect combination for what became a magical playoff run. Could this be the year the Sixers ascend back up the Philadelphia sports mountain? Let’s examine.
First and foremost, Philadelphia is an NFL city. The Eagles dominate coverage and conversation across the greater Delaware Valley. For anyone to pass the Eagles in the current hierarchy, it has to be a combination of another team being really good and the Birds greatly disappointing. This could be a tough hurdle for the Sixers to overcome, because the Eagles should be pretty good, currently sitting with the seventh-best Super Bowl odds, per Fanduel.
Still, the narrative is easy to construct. Despite winning a Super Bowl MVP, Jalen Hurts is a somewhat divisive quarterback that a section of the fanbase would be happy to move on from. Last year left a bitter taste in fans’ mouths with a bunch of ugly wins that overshadowed the huge flaws in the offensive scheme. Sean Mannion is in as offensive coordinator this season, but the opening win over Washington was uneven, and the offensive line looks like it could be an ongoing issue. There’s every chance some tweaks are made and the Eagles go on to have a very successful season, but you can envision a scenario where things go off the rails and fans demand a major shakeup.
Next, we have the Phillies, and I have a much easier case to make than I would have needed a couple weeks ago. After a recent rough patch, a couple wins have settled things a bit, but there’s still plenty of concern with the postseason approaching. Jesus Luzardo was just placed on the injured list, bringing into question the one surefire advantage the team had in a playoff series, which was the starting rotation. The bullpen is a mess and all the same questions exist about the lineup that have caused them previous postseason swoons, namely there aren’t enough patient hitters and they’re easy to gameplan around in a playoff setting. Vibes are very low at the moment. Fans were already getting antsy with this current core after the recent postseason defeats, and an early exit this fall could spell full-on emotional removal from the Phils with the emotional hierarchy.
The Flyers have some exciting young players, highlighted by Porter Martone. The front office certainly looks to have things on the right track, and beating the Penguins in the first round of the playoffs last season was enjoyed by one and all east of Harrisburg. Still, the sweep to Carolina showed this group still has some growth steps ahead of them. The Flyers are in the fun come up stage of a franchise rebuild cycle, but it’s hard to say they’re a threat to being atop the city hierarchy.
So, let’s make the case for the Sixers?
Before this offseason, I would have said there was no chance. With his injury history and huge contract, half the fan base wants Joel Embiid gone, and the other half is always internally wincing for the next injury report to drop. Tyrese Maxey is and always has been terrific, but he’s not enough to overcome all the scars of the playoff heartbreaks, tough injuries, and bizarre off-court situations that have plagued this franchise in recent years. No, we needed something big to reset the table and Mike Gansey arrived to provide it. The trade for Jaylen Brown immediately put the Sixers put into the short list of true contenders. Fans took notice. Then, LeBron James chose to come to Philadelphia on a minimum contract. Money was not a factor, and the greatest player of at least his generation…chose…the…Sixers. Sure, he’s 41 years old with a bad back, but LeBron is still playing at an All-Star level and he’s here on a minimum deal.
Things still need to break right. There’s injury luck involved and pieces needing to gel and all the rest of it. But the Sixers are now tied with the defending champion Knicks for the third-best NBA title odds, per Fanduel. They’re objectively the most fascinating team in the league, as evidenced by their having the maximum number of nationally televised games this season. It’s the potential for the perfect storm of competitiveness and intriguing storylines that could catapult the Sixers back atop the Philadelphia sports hierarchy for the first time in decades.
MARYLAND
HEIGHTS, Mo. -- When Cam Fowler stepped to the podium last week,
there was no sugar-coating. There was no hiding from what he
considered the harsh reality of facts.
“Last
year it’s no secret, it was a difficult season for me personally,”
the 34-year-old defenseman said succinctly. “I’ll be the first
one to say that I wasn’t anywhere near the player that I expect to
be.”
This
is a player with 16 years’ worth of experience and 1,124
regular-season NHL games. You take him at his word for it. And you
wouldn’t expect anything less than the honest truth, but watching a
step back, Fowler isn’t off with his assessment.
When
the St. Louis Blues acquired him from the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 14, 2024 for
minor league defenseman Jeremie Biakabutuka and a second-round pick
in the 2027 NHL Draft, it was a steal of a deal. Fowler came to St.
Louis and made an immediate impact.
After
having just four assists in 17 games with the Ducks, he flourished
with 36 points (nine goals, 27 assists) and a plus-19 in 51 games for
the Blues, helping them go on a tear and reach the Stanley Cup
playoffs to face the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets, and
Fowler had 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in a seven-game
series ultimately won by Winnipeg.
The
Blues were so impressed with the return they got from a player that
thrived playing with Colton Parayko, they signed him to a three-year
extension at $6.1 million average annual value that carries a full
no-trade clause until Jan. 29, 2027, to which it becomes a 15-team
NTC.
Fowler
played in all 82 games last season, but there was something missing;
he did finish with 30 points (four goals, 26 assists) but was a
minus-11 averaging 21:05 time on ice per game after averaging 21:42
the previous season.
“I
went home this summer, reflected on a lot and really just got back to
basics,” Fowler said. “I really had an emphasis on working hard
this summer and making sure that I’m ready to go, and that’s
mentally as much as it is physically. They know what they’re
getting from me. I’m happy to slot into the lineup wherever they
feel is the best opportunity for me. I’m looking forward to getting
back to some competitive hockey and getting back to the player that I
know I can be because I just felt like I let a lot of people down
last year in that regard. I don’t want that to happen again.”
At
the outset, the Blues are pairing Fowler with fellow veteran Brandon
Carlo, acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs on the second day of the
2026 draft for two 2026 third-round picks. It looks like it could be
a good match, but in order to get the Fowler of old back into the
fold, Blues coach Jim Montgomery likely paired Carlo with Fowler to
put a reliable, stable, defensive-minded guy there so that Fowler can
get back to doing what he does best: jump into the offense and make
his mark there.
“It’s
a guy that’s taking the puck and skating,” Montgomery said of
Fowler’s best attributes. “He was in a 4-on-2 and a 3-on-2 today.
He almost tipped in a backdoor pass. It’s him getting in and out
and it’s him dictating plays going north. When he’s playing on
his toes offensively, the rest of the game takes care of itself.”
Perhaps
adding a familiar face should help Fowler get back to his top-end
game again with the addition of former Ducks coach Greg Cronin, who
the Blues hired as an assistant that will work with the defensemen
and who coached Fowler in Anaheim in 2023-24 and 24-25 prior to being
traded here.
“Obviously
I have a good relationship with ‘Crow,’ playing for him in
Anaheim,” Fowler said. “I think anyone that spends time with him
knows he’s a hard-nosed guy that demands a lot but also is fully
transparent with his players and wants us to be the best version of
ourselves. He’s going to push us every day. I think he wants us to
be uncomfortable in the things that we’re doing to help push us to
be better players, but he does have a soft side to him. He really
does care about us as people and our families. I’m looking forward
to getting the opportunity to working with him again.”
Perhaps
making a veteran feel uncomfortable may be the best medicine Fowler
can get, and get him back to the 2024-25 Blues version.
“It
was definitely something that was unique for me the first time I met
(Cronin), some of the things that we were working on in training camp
there in Anaheim,” Fowler said. “I can honestly say the way that
he approaches the game, especially from a defensive mindset and
working with the ‘D’, that stuff, if we get more and more
comfortable with it will help us defensively as a team and
individually. There are times, if you guys are watching, you’ll see
some of the things that we’re doing, it’s definitely unique to
hockey but it’s a lot about body position, making sure that our
shoulders are staying square and that we’re in between the player
and the net and making sure that we’re not giving up easy
opportunities. Those are big, key factors for him and something that
we’ll really be working on in training camp.”
A
more well-polished Fowler and Carlo third pairing behind Philip
Broberg and Logan Mailloux along with Parayko and Theo Lindstein can
really balance out this Blues defensive unit.
“We
understand that there’s going to be wins and losses along the way
but it’s about the approach that we have and the process of what
we’re doing that’s most important to us,” Fowler
said. “I don’t feel like we
did a good enough job of that last year and that’s everyone, myself
included. There’s definitely an emphasis on that this coming
season.”
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