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Miami updates: Terry Rozier expected in Heat training camp; sign Precious Achiuwa to one-year contract

Miami made a couple of expected moves this week, with the team's training camp set to open next Tuesday at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Let's break them down.

Terry Rozier to be in Heat camp

Miami spent the offseason looking to trade away Terry Rozier, primarily because he is owed $26.6 million — $24.9 million of that is guaranteed. However, that contract and his lack of efficiency last season scared off other teams as well, and buyout talks went nowhere.

Now expect Rozier to be in the team's training camp, reports Anthony Chiang at the Miami Herald. This is not a surprise, especially after the news that All-Star guard Tyler Herro would miss the start of the season following foot surgery. With that, new addition Norman Powell slides into the starting backcourt spot next to Davion Mitchell, and Rozier will have a key role in the rotation. Last season, Rozier averaged 10.6 points a game but was not efficient with his shot, hitting 29.5% from 3 and with a true shooting percentage of just 49.7. As Chiang notes at the Herald, Rozier was one of "only four players in the NBA who shot worse than 40% from the field and worse than 30% on threes while playing in at least 60 games last regular season."

The Heat will still be open to trading Rozier during the season, but he will have to show that he can contribute somewhere to have serious suitors.

Precious Achiuwa signs One-Year Deal

Miami was looking thin at the center position. There is Olympian and team icon Bam Adebayo, but he requested to play more four over the course of the regular season to lessen the physical wear and tear. Then there is promising sophomore Kel'el Ware and... that's about it, unless you want to count two-way player Vlad Goldin.

Enter veteran big man Precious Achiuwa, who has signed a one-year deal with the Heat, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN. This signing was expected.

Achiuwa was a solid rotation big for the Knicks last season — averaging 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds a game while shooting 50.2% — until Mitchell Robinson got healthy and returned, then Achiuwa saw his minutes drop off fast. For the role the Heat need filled, and for the veteran minimum, this is a solid signing.

With the Achiuwa signing, look for the Heat to do something to save a little money before the trade deadline. Miami was only $1.8 million below the luxury tax line and doesn't want to cross that line, so they will shed some salary somewhere.

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18 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #18

The Columbus Blue Jackets have 18 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #18. 

Let's take a look.

Robert Kron - 2001-2002 - Drafted by Vancouver in 1985.

Played 118 games for the Jackets from 2000 to 2002. He never played another NHL game after Columbus. In March 2001, Kron broke his ankle when he fell over awkwardly after taking a puck to the face. It was truly one of the oddest moments in CBJ history.

Nowadays, Kron is the Director of Amateur Scouting for the Seattle Kraken. 

Zenith Komarniski - 2004 - Drafted by Vancouver in 1996

Komarniski played in two games for Columbus in 03-04 and had zero points. He would never play another NHL after his time in Columbus and would retire in 2007. 

Komarniski is now a youth coach in Canada.

Geoff Platt - 2006 - Undrafted out of Toronto, Ontario.

Platt played 41 games as a Jacket and had a total of 14 points. After playing five games for Anaheim in 07-08, he left for Europe where he played until he retired in 2023.

Platt is now a Development Coach for the Tappara U20 team in Finland. 

R.J. Umberger - 2009-2014 - Drafted by Vancouver in 2001. 

The former Ohio State Buckeye played 445 games after coming to Columbus via trade with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2008. He scored 120 goals and totaled 250 points during his time in Columbus. He was traded back to Philly in 2014 and would retire in 2017 after signing a PTO with the Dallas Stars and being subsequently released. 

Umberger is now the Director of Hockey Operations and Head Coach for the Columbus Chill 18U AA.

David Clarkson - 2015 - Undrafted out of Etobicoke, Ontario.

Clarkson only played 26 games in Columbus before a serious back injury derailed his career. His contract was then traded twice before he officially retired. Clarkson stayed in the Columbus area after retiring, coaching the Upper Arlington High School Hockey Team for a season.

These days, he owns the NAHL's Colorado Grit. The Grit is a Tier II junior team based in Greeley, Colorado. The Grit will not participate in league competition during the upcoming season, as per the NAHL, but could return next season. For 25-26, Clarkson will be the head coach for the Okanagan HA Colorado 13U AAA.

Rene Bourque - 2016 - He was undrafted out of Lac La Biche, Alberta.

Bourque played 57 games for Columbus over two seasons. He totaled 7 goals and 12 points. He signed in Colorado for the 16-17 season, and then after one year, left for Sweden, where he would retire after one season.

Pierre-Luc Dubois - 2018-2020 - Drafted by Columbus in 2016. 

The former number 3 overall pick for Columbus played 239 and amassed 159 points wearing #18 for the Jackets. He was traded to the Washington Capitals in 2024 from the LA Kings and will attempt to get his career back on the right track. Washington is his fourth team since 2021. 

Last year with the Caps, Dubois set career highs in assists (46) and points (66). 

Our Ken Campbell said of Dubois: "To say that Dubois, the third overall pick in the 2016 draft, had something of a deer-in-the-headlights complex during his first training camp would not be an overstatement. Tortorella saw a young player who was overwhelmed, so much so that he had to check with team management to make sure that was the kid they had just picked third overall. But in everything to his physique to his body language to his swagger, so much was different this year. Tortorella said that at the beginning of the season he was concerned about putting Dubois in a situation he wasn’t prepared to accept and contemplated playing Dubois at the wing. But that has kind of gone out the window with Alexander Wennberg unproductive and injured. Brandon Dubinsky was never going to fill that No. 1 center role, but he was also hurt, and the depth at center took a hit. So it’s a good thing Dubois stayed in the middle and started to produce. “We think we’re so smart, the coaches, the managers,” Tortorella said. “We have all these ideas about developing players, and we worry too much. He has blown us away with how he has handled the situation. He’s grabbed ahold of it and wants more.”

Lane Pederson - 2023 - Undrafted out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Pederson played 16 games as a Jacket after being picked up on waivers in 2022-23 and had three points. He didn't play any NHL games in the last two seasons, and he signed with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

There are 18 days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena. 

The pre-season schedule is as follows:

Saturday, Sept. 27 at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET

Tuesday, Sept. 30 vs. Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET

Saturday, Oct. 4 at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET

* Games in bold are home games * 

After that, the Blue Jackets will open the regular season on the road against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.

Let us know what you think below.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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Mariners win AL West for 1st time in 24 years as Cal Raleigh reaches 60 homers in 9-2 win over Rockies

SEATTLE — Only fitting it was Cal Raleigh who catapulted the Seattle Mariners to their first AL West championship in 24 years.

The switch-hitting catcher launched two more homers to give him a major league-best 60 this season, and the streaking Mariners clinched the fourth division crown in the franchise’s 49-year history with a 9-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

“To do it in this fashion, on this night, in front of these fans, mom and dad, obviously, was really cool,” Raleigh said.

The lone big league team that’s never been to a World Series, Seattle last won the AL West in 2001 when it set an American League record with 116 wins — thanks in large part to a prolific rookie season from new Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki.

But similar to that team, winning the division this year required more than a record-setting performance from one player. In addition to Raleigh, the 2025 Mariners had four other All-Stars: outfielders Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodríguez, as well as right-hander Bryan Woo and closer Andrés Muñoz.

“Really proud of the guys here,” said Raleigh, the seventh big league player to reach 60 homers in a season. “It’s 20-plus years since we’ve done something like this, and it’s special. It’s special to this group, to this organization, to the city.”

Even with that All-Star quintet, the Mariners entered the mid-summer break just six games over. 500, a mark that held prior to the July 31 trade deadline. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto felt compelled to add to a team that entered August 4 1/2 games back of the division lead, and did so in a meaningful way.

The Mariners acquired slugging third baseman Eugenio Suárez and multi-talented first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks, and getting ahold of both has proven to be quite the shrewd move. Since the deadline, the Mariners have gone 31-17, won 16 of their last 17 and clinched a playoff spot thanks to some late-game heroics from Naylor.

It hasn’t just been a potent Mariners lineup — one which entered the game with the third-most homers in the majors — that has powered the club back to the postseason for the first time since 2022.

Despite injuries to the likes of right-handed starters George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Logan Evans and Logan Gilbert, the Mariners’ rotation has held together. Veteran right-hander Luis Castillo has been steady and available all season, while Woo broke out in a big way during his first All-Star campaign.

“When you look at this team, the depth of our lineup, the depth of our pitching, the bullpen,” manager Dan Wilson said, “we’ve got incredible guys here.”

Woo leads all Seattle pitchers in wins, innings pitched, strikeouts and Wins Above Replacement. However, he won’t take his next turn in the rotation, as his scheduled start against the Rockies is being skipped due to pectoral tightness, Seattle general manager Justin Hollander said.

Having a healthy Woo for the postseason would go a long way for the Mariners, who are closing in on a first-round bye.

Of course, it won’t be easy for the Mariners in October. Still looking for its first pennant, the franchise has never made it further than the AL Championship Series in five postseason appearances.

But as Seattle has proven all season, it is hardly a one-dimensional club, even if Raleigh has drawn ample headlines with his propensity for the longball. Instead, it’s a deep team with plenty of camaraderie and a handful of starting pitchers who would be aces on other teams.

“We care about each other, truly,” Rodríguez said. “We would die for each other every single day. It means a lot for a team to be able to be like that.”

Only time will tell if this Seattle squad has what it takes to write a new chapter, and go further in the postseason than any previous Mariners team.

“I think we’re playing our best baseball right now, and that’s the teams you see win it all,” Gilbert said. “So, I think we’ve got a chance.”

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Dodgers close on another NL West title, hurting Diamondbacks’ playoff hopes with 5-4 win in 11 innings

PHOENIX — Tommy Edman singled home the tiebreaking run with two outs in the 11th inning, Justin Wrobleski got the final three outs to stabilize a shaky bullpen and the Los Angeles Dodgers moved closer to another NL West title by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4.

Edman’s line-drive single off Brandyn Garcia (0-2) scored Freddie Freeman, and Wrobleski retired three straight batters for his third career save and second this season.

Los Angeles’ magic number is down to one, meaning any win by the playoff-bound Dodgers or any loss by second-place San Diego will clinch the division crown. The Dodgers are trying to win the NL West for the 12th time in 13 years.

It was a costly loss for the Diamondbacks, who remain tied with Cincinnati one game behind the New York Mets for the final National League wild card. The Mets and Reds also lost, but the D-backs couldn’t take advantage.

Arizona loaded the bases with one out in the 10th, but couldn’t push across the winning run. Jack Dreyer retired Jake McCarthy on a popup and then Blake Treinen (2-7) coaxed James McCann’s shallow fly to end the threat.

The D-backs trailed 4-1 heading into the eighth but responded with a three-run rally. Corbin Carroll’s RBI double made it 4-2, Gabriel Moreno’s infield single cut the margin to 4-3 and pinch-hitter Adrian Del Castillo tied the game with a sacrifice fly off reliever Edgardo Henriquez.

Dodgers lefty Blake Snell had his third straight excellent outing, throwing six innings of one-run ball while striking out five.

Los Angeles rookie Roki Sasaki had a successful return to the big leagues, striking out two batters in relief during a scoreless seventh in his first outing since May 9.

Andy Pages gave the Dodgers a 3-1 lead in the fourth with a two-run homer.

Key moment

Dreyer and Treinen made good pitches to get the final outs of the 10th.

Key stat

Carroll has 32 stolen bases and 31 homers this season. He’s the first D-backs player to join the 30-30 club.

Up next

The Diamondbacks throw RHP Zac Gallen (13-14, 4.70 ERA) against Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-8, 2.58).

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Phillies wrap up a 1st-round bye, hitting a team-record 8 homers to rout the Marlins

PHILADELPHIA — Edmundo Sosa hit three of Philadelphia’s team-record eight home runs, Kyle Schwarber had two to pad his National League lead and the Phillies wrapped up a first-round bye with an 11-1 victory over the Miami Marlins.

Assured one of the top two seeds in the NL, the East champion Phillies (93-65) will open the postseason at home Oct. 4 in a best-of-five Division Series.

Schwarber hit Nos. 55 and 56 and also doubled and singled. He trails Seattle’s Cal Raleigh by four for the major league homer lead after Raleigh hit his 59th and 60th in the Mariners’ game against Colorado.

Philadelphia hit seven homers against Atlanta on Aug. 28, with Schwarber getting four of them.

Sosa was activated before the game after being out since Sept. 16 because of a groin injury. Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm and Otto Kemp also homered.

Jesus Luzardo (15-7) struck out 10 in seven innings against his former team. He allowed three hits and one run.

Marlins starter Ryan Weathers (2-2) lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing five earned runs on six hits — three of them homers. Valente Bellozo allowed four homers in the seventh.

Key moment

Sosa came off the IL before the game and promptly hit home runs in three consecutive at bats. His three-run shot in the fifth inning off newly entered reliever Lake Bachar gave the Phillies a 6-1 lead.

Key stat

Schwarber’s third-inning home run was his 23rd off a left-hander this season, the most in major league history.

Up next

Phillies RHP Walker Buehler (9-7, 5.13 ERA) was set to face RHP Janson Junk (6-3, 4.27) in the series finale.

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Three NHL Players Who Could Surprise You In 2025-26

Stuart Skinner has received a lot of attention with the Edmonton Oilers over the last couple of years. His play has been under a microscope, specifically in the playoffs, where Edmonton made back-to-back Stanley Cup final appearances.

The Oilers goaltender has been inconsistent in between the pipes, especially last season, when he recorded a .896 save percentage and a 2.81 goals-against average. It was statistically his worst campaign of the three full seasons he’s played in the NHL.

Three NHL Players Who Could Surprise You In 2025-26Three NHL Players Who Could Surprise You In 2025-26As much as the hockey world tries to predict how well a player performs in any given season, NHLers continue to cause double takes with incredible campaigns.

Drop a comment and share your perspective. 

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New C's owner Bill Chisholm responds to CBA concerns with clear statement

New C's owner Bill Chisholm responds to CBA concerns with clear statement originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Bill Chisholm joins the Boston Celtics at an interesting time in the franchise’s history, to put it mildly.

The Celtics have made 11 straight postseason appearances and have played in two of the last last four NBA Finals, winning their 18th championship in June 2024. But Chisholm, who officially became the Celtics’ lead owner in August, takes over a C’s team that just parted ways with four members of that championship squad (Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet and Al Horford) and will be without its best player (Jayson Tatum) for most if not all of the 2025-26 season.

As president of basketball operations Brad Stevens confirmed earlier this summer, Boston’s roster overhaul was necessitated by the NBA’s second apron, which imposes harsh financial and roster-building penalties on teams that exceed the luxury tax by a certain amount.

While the previous ownership group led by Wyc Grousbeck was committed to spending whatever it took to compete for championships, it’s fair for fans to wonder if Chisholm and his investor group will have the same mindset, especially as the Celtics enter a season with significantly lower expectations.

Our Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg posed that question to Chisholm in an exclusive interview with the new C’s owner on the Celtics Talk Podcast.

“It’s complicated, but I think the spirit of what it’s trying to do is a positive thing,” Chisholm told Forsberg of the second apron’s restrictions. “And as you think about, ‘How do you build champions?’ — not just for one year, but for multiple years — you look at, over the last seven years, I think there’s been seven different champions.

“I want to be a champion every year, and that’s what we’re shooting for. And that’s why you need people like Brad and Joe (Mazzulla), and you need leadership on the court with Jayson and Jaylen (Brown) and Derrick (White) and folks like that.”

In short, Chisholm is well aware of the challenges presented by the second apron and the league’s new collective bargaining agreement. But just like Grousbeck, his goal is to raise banners.

“There (are) some ins and outs there,” Chisholm added. “But at the end of the day, as an investment group, we’ll do whatever we can to make sure this team is a champion, and we’ll work around it.”

That’s a refreshing message for Celtics fans to hear. And even if the C’s take a brief step back in 2025-26 while Tatum recovers from his Achilles surgery, it sounds like Chisholm will give Stevens and Boston’s front office free rein to put together a championship contender as soon as possible.

Check out Chisholm’s full interview with Chris Forsberg on the Celtics Talk Podcast.

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Blackhawks Hint At More Roster Decisions At Thursday's Training Camp Practice

During training camp on Thursday morning, the Chicago Blackhawks hinted at a handful of roster decisions with the way that they split up teams. 

Landon Slaggert, Sam Savoie, Brett Seney, and AJ Spellacy are listed as unavailable, but they took a skate ahead of practice. Joey Anderson, Laurent Brossoit, and Ty Henry are also on the same list, but were not on the ice. In the case of Brossoit and Henry, their injuries are a lot more long-term.  

The Blackhawks announced two teams of players for practice, as they have for a large portion of training camp. This time around, however, there is a clear meaning behind the two teams. 

"Team 1" is a squad of players who could make the NHL team. There will be cuts from this group as it is larger, but this is the squad that has Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Sam Rinzel, Nick Foligno, Teuvo Teravainen, and the rest of the "locks". 

The smaller "Team 2" has players who came in thinking that they would make the team out of camp, but the Blackhawks are hinting that they will begin in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs.

Kevin Korchinski, Nick Lardis, Nolan Allan, and Drew Commesso are among those participating with that AHL team. As of now, it is fair to assume that the decision has been made that they will not start the season in Chicago. Anything, including injuries, can happen, but this is a significant move in practice. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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Red Wings Eye Second Straight Preseason Win When Battling Sabres on Thursday

The Red Wings play their second preseason game Thursday when taking on a division rival in the Buffalo Sabres.  

The Detroit Red Wings restart their preseason on Thursday with a divisional showdown against the Buffalo Sabres. Before last preseason, these two haven't faced off in exhibition action since the 2021-22 season. With little history between them, the Red Wings have a 1-1-1 record over their last three exhibition matchups versus Buffalo. 

Fans could see some big names take to the ice for the first time this season like in Detroit's preseason opener on Tuesday when they faced off against the Chicago. The Blackhawks played some of their highest end talent like star center Connor Bedard and 2024 second overall pick Artyom Levshunov.

Detroit is coming off a gutsy win in their preseason opener as they downed the Blackhawks 3-2 thanks to an impressive performance from former seventh round pick Emmitt Finnie, who scored and dished for an assist in a multi-point performance. Other notable names in the win were his linemates in other top prospects for Detroit with Nate Danielson, who also scored, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, who recorded a pair of assists. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

With Detroit playing mostly their prospects in the opener, except for J.T. Compher, Jonatan Berggren and Travis Hamonic, we get a more veteran-focused lineup deployed for Thursday's matchup as Red Wings bench boss Todd McLellan would like to make sure all their routine starters have enough time to get their legs underneath them before the start of the season.

In the action will be captain Dylan Larkin, Marco Kasper, Lucas Raymond, Andrew Copp, Moritz Seider and Cam Talbot backing up starter Michal Postava. Making his Red Wings debut is Mason Appleton, who is expected to play on a line with Michael Rasmussen and Copp. 

"It's Time": Dylan Larkin Lays Out Clear Goal For Red WingsThe city of Detroit hasn't hosted a Stanley Cup Playoff game since April 2016 against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Joe Louis Arena, who at that time were overseen by general manager Steve Yzerman.

Last Sunday, the Red Wings played in their signature split squad game called the Red and White Game in Grand Rapids and led to some impressive performances.  Finnie was again a standout after scoring while playing on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. Detroit winger Elmer Söderblom also made his case for the top-line left wing spot, turning heads after scoring twice and impressing during training camp scrimmages while playing on the top unit. The battle for the top-line left wing spot remains one of the key storylines to watch, with no clear frontrunner emerging. 

Another position battle heading into the season could be with naming a No. 1 starting goaltender despite the team trading for a former all-star netminder in John Gibson. The former Ducks goaltender appeared in 29 games (28 starts) and posted a lesser record than Talbot at 11‑11‑2 while playing for a weaker team in the Ducks but posted a better goals against average (GAA) at 2.77 and a better save percentage at .912 compared to Talbot's GAA at 2.93 and his .901 save percentage. Both haven't seen the ice yet in the preseason as former first round pick Sebastian Cossa took the crease for the opener and will make the decision in net for the Sabres matchup an interesting one.

Click Here if you want to check out more expanded storylines on the Red Wings training camp roster.   

Red Wings Prospect Signs Four-Year Deal To Stay With Russian ClubRed Wings Prospect Signs Four-Year Deal To Stay With Russian ClubRed Wings recent 5th round pick Nikita Tyurin signs four-year extension with Russian club

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Three NHL Players Who Could Surprise You In 2025-26

As much as the hockey world tries to predict how well a player performs in any given season, NHLers continue to cause double takes with incredible campaigns.

Two great examples from last year would be Brandon Hagel's 90 points, or even Sam Bennett earning a spot at the 4 Nations Face-Off, winning the Conn Smythe and leading the Stanley Cup playoffs in goals.

Call them breakouts, comebacks or whatever you want. One thing is for sure is these three players could surprise fans and teams across the NHL in a good way this season.

Morgan Rielly, D, Toronto Maple Leafs

Morgan Rielly was a shadow of himself last season and didn’t perform anywhere close to expectations as the No. 1 D-man for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It got to the point where the defenseman lost his quarterback position on the top power-play unit.

Part of his drop-off could be from playing in coach Craig Berube’s system for the first time, where toughness and simplicity took over puck possession and offensive zone time, both Rielly’s strengths. The 31-year-old scored seven goals and 41 points in 82 games, his lowest points-per-game average since 2016-17. In addition, he made 99 giveaways last season, the most in his career.

While his offensive play picked up in the post-season, with seven points in 13 games, it’s uncertain whether Rielly will get back to being a 60-plus point D-man. 

However, Rielly is ready to turn a new page, rewrite the narrative and surprise people in 2025-26.

At the beginning of training camp, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said he had a real good, honest chat with Rielly and believes he took it to heart. Rielly also said he did a lot of reflecting over the summer and had some challenging conversations.

"I believe that I did everything I could to be prepared for a great season, and I think that's the truth for all of our guys," Rielly told reporters. " I know everyone puts a lot of pressure on themselves, approaching a new season, and you try to do everything you can to be prepared.  So for me, I took steps, and my goal was to leave no stone unturned in trying to bounce back and have a great year."

Morgan Rielly and Stuart Skinner (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)

Stuart Skinner, G, Edmonton Oilers

Stuart Skinner has received a lot of attention with the Edmonton Oilers over the last couple of years. His play has been under a microscope, specifically in the playoffs, where Edmonton made back-to-back Stanley Cup final appearances.

The Oilers goaltender has been inconsistent in between the pipes, especially last season, when he recorded a .896 save percentage and a 2.81 goals-against average. It was statistically his worst campaign of the three full seasons he’s played in the NHL.

His 26 wins were also worse than his 36 in 2023-24 and 29 in 2022-23. Sportsbook BetMGM has the odds of Skinner winning more than 29.5 games at 1.91 and under 29.5 at 1.87.

Skinner is still a relatively young goaltender in this league, with a long road ahead of him. With that, the 26-year-old netminder has gained plenty of experience over the years, dealing with the workload of a true starter and seeing two deep playoff runs.

He has also won at two different levels before he reached the NHL. In junior, he won the WHL championship in 2017-18 with the Swift Current Broncos, leading his team to the Memorial Cup. He also won the Pacific Division playoffs with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors in the 2020-21 season affected by COVID-19.

Oilers GM Stan Bowman likes what he's seen from Skinner entering this fall.

"I just really like his attitude coming in," Bowman told reporters last week. "He's trained hard this summer. He looks to have a refreshed approach to the year with a new goalie coach."

Skinner also said he aimed to help his joints and extend his career by losing weight this past summer.

While people seem to write off Skinner, he could be the best version of himself this season.

Dylan Guenther, RW, Utah Mammoth

Utah Mammoth right winger Dylan Guenther had a hot start to last year. After scoring the franchise’s first NHL goal on opening night, he went on a three-game goal streak. In that span, he scored five times and was named the NHL’s first star of the week.

He was solid for Utah all season, recording 27 goals and 60 points in 70 appearances. However, toward the end of the season, Guenther cooled down and has since fallen back under the radar. 

Along with his fellow Mammoth young stars, such as Logan Cooley and JJ Peterka, Guenther will look to surprise fans, and he could reach the 40-goal mark. He was on pace to score more than 30 goals in a full 82-game season last year. So, it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility for him to join the rest of the league’s elite scorers in 2025-26.

BetMGM has set the odds for Guenther to reach at least 40 goals at 9.00 (+800), and the odds for the 22-year-old to take home the Rocket Richard Trophy are at a whopping 301.00 (+30,000).

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

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Newcastle’s Red Bull rebrand brings fresh energy to rugby’s troubled outpost

High-profile takeover has rejuvenated an ailing club, with the opportunity for Steve Diamond’s team to take flight and grow

Don’t mention the F-word. Such has been the pace of the Red Bull rebrand that one Newcastle official joked there would be spot fines for anyone who forgets it is no longer the Falcons giving them flight.

Energy drinks are in, feathered friends out, but the feelgood factor now coursing through the north-east promises more than just a dopamine hit. For the club, who only a few months ago were exploring a loan from their league rivals to stay afloat, and the revamped Prem, there is a feeling that the Red Bull revolution can be seminal.

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Zack Minasian previews how Giants will approach bullpen rebuild for 2026 season

Zack Minasian previews how Giants will approach bullpen rebuild for 2026 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

As the Giants’ 2025 season wraps up this weekend, the team is starting to look forward to the offseason and a fresh start in 2026.

Perhaps the biggest question for San Francisco heading into next year will be its bullpen, which went from stellar in the first half to shaky at best since the All-Star break.

In an interview with KNBR’s Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher on Thursday, Giants general manager Zack Minasian discussed how the front office will approach their offseason rebuild of that staff.

“We’ve shown — and teams around baseball have shown — there’s a lot of ways to do it,” Minasian explained. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be the big free-agent reliever, but then again, it can be the big free-agent reliever. We’ve seen both work. We’ve seen both not work. So, it can be minor-league free agents. It can be in trade. I think it’s fair to say we just want to get more arms, more reinforcements, be open-minded to how we use our own players.

“I think we saw Hayden Birdsong early in the year really dominate in the bullpen as a prospect starter. And we put him in the rotation, and I think he flashed it and struggled, but do we consider more young guys in the bullpen?

“Those are all questions that we’ll be asking each other as we really start to roll our sleeves up come Monday, and we’ll look at how we make this team better in 2026.”

Clearly, there are a lot of possibilities for how the Giants’ bullpen will look next spring, and it’s likely to look quite different compared to this past spring.

After having perhaps the best bullpen staff in MLB for the first few months of the season, the Giants traded away Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval at the deadline, while All-Star Randy Rodriguez was lost to Tommy John surgery. And without those trusty late-inning stalwarts, San Francisco’s relievers have cost the team several games down the stretch.

Prior to the All-Star break, San Francisco’s bullpen posted an ERA of just 3.14 — the lowest in the league. But since then, that mark has fallen to a 12th-best 4.01.

For an organization that prides itself on having a consistently top-notch bullpen, Minasian and Co. have plenty of work ahead of them to rebuild San Francisco’s staff back to its prior form.

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Guardians defy odds with historic comeback for AL Central lead

CLEVELAND — Steven Kwan wasn’t looking at the American League Central standings in early July when the Cleveland Guardians were eight games under .500, in fourth place and 15 1/2 games behind the Detroit Tigers.

The All-Star outfielder wasn’t about to look on Wednesday night, even though the Guardians have staged the biggest comeback in baseball history.

Cleveland moved into sole possession of first place with a 5-1 victory over Detroit and became the first major league team to overcome a deficit of 15 1/2 games and take the lead in either division or league play, beating the Detroit Tigers 5-1.

Cleveland (86-72) has a one-game lead over Detroit (85-73) with four games to play. The Guardians also have the tiebreaker by taking the season series. The last time the Guardians had sole possession of the division was on April 22, when they were 14-9 and a half-game ahead of the Tigers.

The 1914 Boston Braves were 15 games back in the National League on July 4 and rallied to win by 10 1/2 games according to Elias. Since baseball went to division play in 1969, the biggest deficit overcome was 14 games by the 1978 New York Yankees to win the AL East.

“Ignorance is bliss. You kind just keep your head down and don’t worry about those kind of things,” Kwan said. “It is a long, long season, so I think if you get caught up in those things early on, you’re going to be doomed.

“Just keep pushing, keep doing what we do. Can’t jinx it either. I mean, we’ve been doing what we’ve been doing for so long, it’d be a little silly to look forward too far.”

According to FanGraphs, the Guardians had a 2.9% chance to make the postseason and a 0.2% chance to win the division on Sept. 1. After improving to an MLB-best 18-5 in September, they have a 92.3% chance for the postseason and 80.7% to take the division for the second straight year.

“It feels good, but there’s no prize for having that spot today. I’m really proud of what our guys have done to get themselves back into it and give us a chance to get into the postseason,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “We have a lot of work left to go. It’s exciting. Sure, we’re going to enjoy the win for a few hours, but we got another game tomorrow going to come out ready to go.”

A key to the Guardians’ hot September has been their pitching. The starting rotation has allowed two or fewer runs in 19 consecutive games, matching the 2019 Tampa Bay Rays and 1916 New York Giants for the second-longest streak since the mound was moved.

The 1917 Chicago White Sox have the mark at 20, according to Elias.

Guardians starters are 12-0 with a 1.35 ERA during their 19-game run. Tanner Bibee improved to 3-0 in September, allowing only one run in six innings.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t think about the streak at any moment other than when you guys bring it up to me. We’re out here to win games each and every day, and those guys compete with each other,” Vogt said. “The truth is that when they take the mound, they want to give us a chance to win. And man, have they stepped up the last few weeks.”

Even though All-Star third baseman José Ramírez provided another big hit with a two-run double in the seventh inning, the Guardians have been getting unlikely contributions from the rest of the lineup.

George Valera — who made his big-league debut Sept. 1 after eight years in Cleveland’s minor-league system — hit a two-run homer in the third inning to give the Guardians the lead.

“I mean it’s great. We are playing baseball that matters right now and we’re doing everything we can to make a push,” said Valera, who has reached base safely in eight of 10 starts.

The Guardians finish with Detroit before hosting Texas in the final regular-season series.

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Maple Leafs Lineup For Pre-Season Matchup Against Canadiens Revealed And Where To Watch

The Toronto Maple Leafs will visit the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on Thursday as they drop the puck on their third pre-season game.

As is usual, the Maple Leafs will dress mostly second-string players alongside the mandated minimum of NHL veterans. The Canadiens are expected to ice an NHL-loaded lineup.

Noteworthy is the inclusion of Easton Cowan, who will play in his third consecutive pre-season game. Toronto’s top prospect has impressed through the first week of training camp, earning praise from teammates and head coach Craig Berube.

Steven Lorentz, Scott Laughton, Bobby McMann, David Kampf, and Dakota Joshua highlight the everyday NHLers on Toronto’s roster.

None of Toronto’s projected top-six defensemen will dress; Dakota Mermis and Philippe Myers will instead get the top defensive assignments.

Goaltender Dennis Hildeby is slated to start in Montreal, drawing attention following Joseph Woll's indefinite departure to tend to a personal family matter. Hildeby made 23 saves on 23 shots in 40 minutes of work during Toronto’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.

'We're All Here For Him': Maple Leafs React To Joseph Woll Taking A Personal Leave of Absence, Lend Support'We're All Here For Him': Maple Leafs React To Joseph Woll Taking A Personal Leave of Absence, Lend SupportThe Toronto Maple Leafs revealed some unexpected news on Tuesday when they announced that goaltender Joseph Woll had stepped away to deal with a personal family issue.

Puck is set to drop at 7:00 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on TSN4 in Toronto’s viewing region, while Canadiens fans will tune in on TSN2.

What the Leafs can expect from the Canadiens tonight

The Leafs' veterans like Lorentz and Laughton will have a tough test on their hands going up against Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson, acquired from the New York Islanders, in addition to the likes of Russian star Ivan Demidov.

"I know Dobson's been around a little bit, but this Demidov kid seems pretty electric when he's got the puck on his stick," Lorentz said Thursday morning "So it's going to be a good test for the veterans that we got in the group tonight, it's going to be a good test for the young guys to see what these young world-class players are really all about."

Laughton, acquired by the Maple Leafs at the NHL trade deadline from the Philadelphia Flyers, will get his first taste of Toronto vs. Montreal.

"I haven't been part of much here so far, so I'm excited to get into it. Great building to play in, so it's always fun going there," Laughton said. "I haven't seen too much of those new guys there (in Montreal), they've got some skill up front. They got a ton of speed, and adding Dobson, I think, helps their back and big guy that can move the puck. And they got a good goalie. So it's a good team and a younger team, but, yeah, excited to go there today."

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