Lane Kiffin's current team (Ole Miss) is fighting for CFP position, while his potential future team (Florida) will try to spoil the party again.
NHL Rumor Roundup: Could The Oilers Pursue Juuse Saros? Have The Penguins' Trade Plans Changed?
The Edmonton Oilers' inconsistent goaltending has some observers calling on GM Stan Bowman to scour the trade market for an upgrade.
Those calls reached a crescendo following their humiliating 9-1 defeat at home to the Colorado Avalanche last Saturday.
Embattled starting goalie Stuart Skinner rebounded with back-to-back wins over the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers. However, that hasn't stopped the demands for Bowman to replace him.
Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators is one suggested option. The 30-year-old netminder is in the first season of an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $7.74 million. He also carries a full no-movement clause, but some pundits wonder if he might waive it to join a contender.
Saros was first suggested as an Oilers trade target by Daily Faceoff's Jeff Marek on Nov. 6. Four days later, The Athletic's Allan Mitchell pondered the cost of acquiring the Predators' starter. He pointed out that it would be difficult, given that the Oilers have limited salary cap room and few trade assets.
Sportsnet's Mark Spector also acknowledged those issues. Meanwhile, Bleacher Report's Frank Seravalli noted that Saros' performance hasn't been much better than Skinner's and questions whether he has the size and ability to win in the post-season.
Mitchell felt that the Predators would have to take on two players and retain part of Saros' cap hit to make the dollars work. He suggested that replacing struggling backup Calvin Pickard would be a more prudent (and affordable) move.
As for the Predators, there is no indication that they are considering moving Saros. In other words, don't expect to see Saros suiting up for the Oilers anytime soon.
Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, the Penguins' better-than-expected start has some observers wondering if it changes their trade plans for this season.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson and forwards Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust were fixtures in the rumor mill throughout the summer and into training camp. However, the speculation surrounding those players has largely vanished in recent weeks. The same applies to longtime Penguins stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who surfaced briefly in the rumor mill at the start of this season.
Josh Yohe of The Athletic believes Karlsson, Rakell and Rust won't be going anywhere as long as the Penguins remain in the playoff hunt this season. He doesn't anticipate GM Kyle Dubas would spoil an opportunity for Crosby to skate in the postseason again.
Yohe also doesn't see Dubas being a major buyer at the March 6 trade deadline if the Penguins remain in playoff contention. He believes the Penguins GM won't sacrifice the future for quick fixes.
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 or creating your own post in our community forum.
York full-back Mata'afa signs new contract
York Knights full-back Toa Mata'afa has signed a new deal to remain with the newly promoted Super League club.
The 28-year-old joined the club for 2025, having spent two seasons in France with Baroudeur de Pia and later FC Lezignan.
He made 19 appearances for the Knights in 2025 and scored 12 tries, helping them win the 1895 Cup and reach the Championship Grand Final.
"I'm really excited to continue my journey with the York Knights and step up into the Super League," Mata'afa said.
"It's a great opportunity to keep developing and help the team build on the achievements this year."
Prior to his move to the northern hemisphere, Mata'afa played for North Sydney Bears in the NSW Cup.
"For me, he's a player whose ceiling limit could be anywhere. He's got a really cool head on him, some great leadership ability, great skill and athleticism," Knights head coach Mark Applegarth said.
"The best part about Toa is I think we've barely scratched the surface with him yet and I'm really looking forward to working with him again."
Texas’ third act: Can the Longhorns make a run to the CFP?
For Texas, the mantra is simple: Winning takes care of everything. And it all starts this weekend between the hedges in Athens.
Pittsburgh Penguins Vs. Nashville Predators Preview: Lineup Changes, Where To Watch
After five days off, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be back in action on Friday against the Nashville Predators for the first of two games in Sweden.
These two games are part of the NHL's Global Series for this season. The second game will take place on Sunday.
The Penguins are coming off a 3-2 loss against the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday, while the Predators lost 6-3 to the New York Rangers on Monday.
Things haven't been going well for the Predators this season, having lost five in a row and eight of their nine heading into Friday's game. They have a 5-9-4 overall record, good for only 14 points.
Filip Forsberg leads the team in goals with seven and points (14). Despite the Predators' struggles, he's one of the top goal scorers in the NHL. Ryan O'Reilly has also had a good season, compiling six goals and 13 points in 18 games. The Predators also still have Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, who can hurt teams at any time.
The Predators will be without the services of top defenseman Roman Josi in these two games since he's on injured reserve. It's a major loss for them since he does everything as their No. 1 defenseman.
Going back to the Penguins, they took line rushes during Thursday's practice, and first-round pick Ben Kindel remained on the top line alongside Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust. Evgeni Malkin was still centering Tommy Novak and Anthony Mantha on the second line.
Here were the full practice lines:
Forwards
Kindel-Crosby-Rust
Novak-Malkin-Mantha
Dewar-Lizotte-Koppanen
Koivunen-Hayes-Tomasino
Defense
Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Shea-Letang
Clifton-Brunicke
Dumba-Graves
Time will tell if Brunicke gets back into the lineup on Friday. He has been a healthy scratch for three games in a row after last playing on Nov. 3 in Toronto.
Head coach Dan Muse confirmed after the morning skate that Arturs Silovs will start in goal after he didn't play last Sunday.
Puck drop is set for 2 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh and NHL Network. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Ford and George urge England to make history by beating New Zealand
England’s 2012 Twickenham win frequently referenced
Jamie George: ‘Why can’t we be next team talked about?’
Maro Itoje’s England have been urged to cement their place in sporting legend by becoming only the nation’s ninth ever side to defeat the All Blacks.
England head into Saturday’s crunch clash as marginal favourites, with meaning a first Twickenham win over New Zealand for 13 years, and George Ford has revealed that the former captain Jamie George has issued a call to arms, imploring his teammates to carve themselves a slice of history.
Continue reading...Pitch Points: Pep’s next thousand games; will Messi drag Miami to glory?
The world of soccer throws up no shortage of questions. Today, Graham Ruthven endeavors to answer three of them
Pep Guardiola has done a lot with his 1,000 matches as a manager. At Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, he has lifted 40 trophies (including three Community Shields, because why wouldn’t you count them?), yet not even this fact quantifies the way Guardiola has defined an entire era (or two) of the sport.
Continue reading...Pros and Cons: Should the Mets trade for Luis Robert Jr.?
This offseason’s message from the Mets has been largely built around run prevention.
And since David Stearns has been with the organization, center field has been the spot that he's prioritized defense the most.
In 2024, he acquired Tyrone Taylor from the Brewers and signed Harrison Bader as a free agent -- that worked out well as the Mets made a run to the NLCS.
In 2025, Bader left as a free agent and the Mets attempted to acquire a similar defense-first type of player in Jose Siri from Tampa Bay. That did not work out. He was injured for most of the year and ended up getting DFA'd before the season ended.
Now, there is another opportunity to pursue run prevention in center -- a potential trade for 28-year old White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr.
If you look him up on Baseball Reference, the stat line will leave plenty to be desired. He slashed .223/.297/.364 (.661 OPS) with 14 home runs, 53 RBI and 33 stolen bases in 2025. However, there is more under the hood that has Robert as a very intriguing buy-low option.
From a contractual standpoint, Robert is owed $20 million in 2026 with a $20 million club option for 2027. He would be a true year-to-year proposition.
Here are the pros and cons of trading for Robert…
PROS
Robert is an excellent athlete and has all the tools to be a special player.
In 2023 at 25-years old, Robert posted an .857 OPS with 38 home runs and looked the part of a future MVP candidate.
While he has not replicated that offensive success since, there were some intriguing things in the advanced statistics that suggest there are better offensive days ahead for the still-in-his-prime center fielder.
His 2025 season began to take a turn offensively when the calendar flipped to July, and that led to him being considered a prime trade deadline candidate. The Mets were among the teams in conversations with the White Sox, but they ultimately decided to keep Robert.
Robert hit .293/.349/.459 (.808 OPS) with six home runs, 21 RBI and 11 stolen bases from July 8 until his season ended in late-August due to a hamstring strain
Robert has the raw power you are looking for, with a max exit velocity of 115.8 mph in 2025. He also possesses elite bat speed in the 92nd percentile. His 26 percent strikeout rate is certainly below average, but he trimmed it significantly from 33 percent in 2024. Robert also posted a career best 9.3 walk percentage, which is an above average number in the 62nd percentile.
What's clear is Robert had a better approach at the plate in 2025 with perhaps some bad luck mixed in, as evidenced by a .250 expected batting average. It just did not end up showing in his end of season numbers.
Robert’s defense and speed help raise his floor as a player. He is a plus defender in center, rating at +7 OAA in range, which ranked in the 93rd percentile. His arm is more above average than plus, but it plays in center field.
From a speed standpoint, his sprint speed has made incremental growth each of the last four seasons, with his career best of 29 feet per second in 2025, which ranked in the 90th percentile.
CONS
While the advanced numbers suggest some bad luck for Robert, the reality is that he has OPS' of .661 and .657 the last two seasons. Even if there is belief in a bounce back, that's two consecutive seasons of offensive numbers that would not be ideal in an everyday lineup for a contender.
Another issue that Robert has missed significant time with injury every season of his big league career except for his breakout 2023, when he played 145 games.
Over the last two seasons he played in just 210 of 324 possible games. He also played under 100 games in both 2021 and 2022. Is he a player the Mets can rely on to take the field every day?
Robert also might block a prospect like Carson Benge or Jett Williams from getting an opportunity in center in 2026.
If the Mets were to acquire someone like Robert, it would be with the idea that he is their center fielder if he is healthy. That does go against Stearns' idea that they must leave room for young players to make an impact on the big league roster.
VERDICT
Since July, I have been openly in favor of acquiring Robert. The price won’t be cheap, but it also won’t be exorbitant. I don’t think the Mets would have to part with any of their very top prospects in a deal.
The White Sox could have interest in one of the Mets' potentially surplus major league infielders such as Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio or Luisangel Acuña. If the Mets could land Robert for one of those and a mid-level prospect, that could be considered a risk worth taking.
However, Stearns' comments at the GM meetings about Benge having the opportunity to compete for a job out of spring training has changed the dynamic.
He said at his end-of-season news conference that he needed to be more aggressive. At the time, that was considered to be talking about calling up young pitchers like Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat or Jonah Tong earlier than he did.
He may have meant being more aggressive with prospects in general, which has become more of the norm in baseball over the last couple of years.
Benge was on the fast track, making it to Triple-A in his first professional season after being a first round pick. If the Mets are planning to have Benge compete for center field out of camp, getting Robert -- or really any other full-time locked-in center fielder -- does not make a lot of sense. They’d be better suited using their assets to acquire pitching or help at a different position on the diamond.
Why Patrick Roy Challenged One Goal and Not the Other In Islanders’ 4-3 OT Victory Over Vegas
LAS VEGAS -- To challenge for goaltender interference or not to challenge for goaltender interference -- that is the question that the New York Islanders faced twice on Thursday night against the Vegas Golden Knights.
At 18:56 of the second, Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore shimmied to the front of the net before pushing the puck and Ilya Sorokin's right pad into the goal:
Really surprised they didn’t challenge, thought for sure this was interference. https://t.co/DEf2Coddsipic.twitter.com/4h5qxAtrrM
— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) November 14, 2025
The Islanders took a good-hard look at it, but chose not to challenge.
"It was a tough call," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said postgame. "I mean, I think part of us wanted to challenge it, but at the same time, I mean, we felt like the puck was loose, and it was like a loose puck. He definitely pushed the pad. There's no doubt about that, but we thought it was a loose puck, so that's why we didn't do it."
Here's what Sorokin said postgame:
"Yeah, I feel [my pad was pushed in there]. I think it was 50/50," Sorokin said. "Because I watched the review in the game, and I feel it's an insane moment, puck goes in the net."
Later on in the game, at the 10:45 mark of the third period, Reilly Smith buried the 3-2 go-ahead goal. But, the Islanders did in fact challenge for goaltender interference as Brett Howden pushed Kyle Palmieri into Sorokin, limiting the ability for the star netminder to make a play on the shot.
21 ➡️ 20 ➡️ 19 ➡️ 🥅 pic.twitter.com/jU85Zuvtr8
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 14, 2025
"I mean, the Hawkeye went down, and I thought the league should have done something about this, and then they should have reviewed themselves and decided if it was a good goal or not," Roy said. "Rule 69.1 says that when the player pushes an opponent into the goalie...So I don't know if the writing is it means something anymore, you know, and if doesn't, if it's not the case, they have to redo the rule book."
One thing about this last challenge is Roy's confidence in the penalty kill, which is now 10-for-11 on this road trip and 23 for their last 25.
“We have a lot of trust in the way we’re killing the penalties right now, and Boughner deserves a lot of credit for working so hard with our guys, and our guys deserve a lot of credit to put a lot of pride into it,” Roy said. “But at the same time, it allows you to take chances. Example, on that challenge call. I mean, if you didn’t trust, you would not challenge, but you believe that you’re going to kill it.”
The Islanders ultimately overcame their non-challenge and challenge, winning 4-3 in overtime courtesy of a Jean-Gabriel Pageau shorthanded goal.
They play game five of a seven-game road trip on Friday night against the Utah Mammoth. Puck drop is at 9 PM ET.
Slumping Maple Leafs Off To Worst Start In A Decade: 'There's Less Runway,' Says John Tavares
Is it time to panic, yet?
That was the question following the fourth straight loss by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
Eighteen games in, the Leafs have won eight games, which matches their fewest number of wins to start a season since drafting Auston Matthews in 2016. That they accomplished this unflattering feat with one of the most favourable schedules in NHL has to be concerning.
After all, 13 of Toronto’s 18 games have been played at home. Only four of their opponents so far this season (Montreal, New Jersey, Carolina and Los Angeles) made the playoffs last year. And yet, following Thursday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Kings, the Leafs find themselves in 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is that even with Matthews out of the lineup with a lower-body injury and both of their goalies currently unavailable, the Leafs are only four points out of first place.
In other words, there's no reason to panic — yet.
“Panic’s never going to help,” said coach Craig Berube. “But there is a level of urgency, for sure. It’s been there for a minutes. But I’m not going to panic. That doesn’t help anything or anybody.”
Give it a couple of more weeks and Berube might feel different.
'Maybe End The Season': Maple Leafs Fans Sound The Alarm After Matthews' Injury And Another LossThe Toronto Maple Leafs allowed 15 goals in their last three games, and Auston Matthews' status is uncertain after suffering a lower-body injury. Some fans are already bringing up tanking.After all, U.S. Thanksgiving (Nov. 27) has long been the barometer for predicting whether teams will make the playoffs. Last year, only three teams that were out of a playoff spot by the holiday weekend ended up qualifying for the post-season.
Toronto was not one of those teams. By Thanksgiving last year, the team was in first place in the Atlantic Division with a 13-7-2 record. The Leafs ended up winning their division. But that team had Mitch Marner. That team also had a defensive identity, which along with their 100-point winger, who was traded to Vegas in the summer, appears to have vanished this season.
This year’s Leafs lack confidence and structure. They turnover too many pucks. They give up too many shots, too many odd-man rushes and far too many goals — especially in the second period, where Toronto has now given up 27 goals this season, the second most behind the Edmonton Oilers, who've given up 29.
It’s their second year playing under Berube, but it looks like he and his system were implemented less than a month ago.
The Leafs' offense is ranked fourth with 3.61 goals per game, which according to William Nylander is a positive because "scoring goals (is) that's harder." But they're also averaging the most goals-against (3.83 per game) and the fifth-most shots (31.2 per game). On Thursday, Toronto gave up a 2-0 lead in the second period, and a 3-2 lead in the third period, after being outshot 37-15 in a game that they never deserved to be leading in the first place.
'That Doesn't Help Anything Or Anybody': Maple Leafs Not Hitting The Panic Button Yet Despite Four Straight LossesThe <a href="https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/lak-vs-tor/2025/11/13/2025020269">Toronto Maple Leafs got ahead of the L.A. Kings</a> early on Thursday night, yet they didn't finish the game on the winning end.
"We got the lead in the third and I thought we sat back a little too much," said Berube. "You know, again, just advancing that puck up the ice with speed, jumping, getting the holes. It's confidence for me a little bit, and puck play. Like, you know, the plays are there. We're just not making them and just not seeing it well enough right now, but we've got to pick up our pace. We've got to be more confident in those plays. To me, that's the difference in the game."
One month in, Toronto, which has made the playoffs in each of the past nine seasons, doesn’t look like a playoff team. Instead, they look like that team that won eight games in 2016-17, back when Matthews, Marner and William Nylander were rookies and the Leafs hadn't figured out how good they were supposed to be.
Why this team, which is older and more experienced, hasn't figured that part is might be the most confusing aspect of this season so far.
“I don’t think you go out and expect anything,” said John Tavares, who had a pair of goals against the Kings on Thursday. “I think you have to go out there and earn it. I think with the team we have, a veteran team, we know we haven’t been to the level that we expect on a consistent basis. We have to work our way through it. Obviously, it’s been a battle for us … things are only getting tougher and tougher within our own division, within the league.”
Well, before things get tougher, they get easier. Or, at least, it should be easier.
The Leafs have five more games before U.S. Thanksgiving. Three of them are against teams that did not make the playoffs last year.
If that's not enough to get the Leafs into a temporary playoff spot, then they probably don't deserve to be in one in the first place.
“There’s lots of hockey left,” said Tavares. “But that doesn’t mean that you don’t take any game for granted. They all mean the same. But obviously, the more games that go by there’s less runway.
“We still have more than half the season to go — we’re not even at the quarter mark yet.”
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 or creating your own post in our community forum.
How to watch La Salle vs Penn State: Live stream info, preview for Saturday’s game
Tip-off for La Salle vs Penn State is at 1 PM ET on Peacock.
Braden Smith takes over, leads No. 1 Purdue past Alabama, lets Tide fans know about it
Purdue point guard Braden Smith scored 21 of his 29 points in the second half to lead the top-ranked Boilermakers over Alabama in a top-10 showdown.
How to watch Maryland vs. Marquette: TV, live stream info, storylines for Saturday’s game
The Big Ten meets the Big East in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Joseph Parker denies taking ‘any prohibited substance’ after failing drugs test
New Zealander lost against Fabio Wardley in London
Failed test ‘came as a real surprise to me’
Joseph Parker has denied taking a prohibited substance after he failed a drugs test on the day of his 11th-round stoppage to British heavyweight Fabio Wardley, expressing confidence an investigation would clear his name.
Ipswich-born Wardley and New Zealander Parker produced a pulsating encounter in London on 25 October to determine who would become WBO mandatory challenger to undisputed world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Continue reading...Jonathan Kuminga ruled out for Warriors vs. Spurs with bilateral knee tendonitis
Jonathan Kuminga ruled out for Warriors vs. Spurs with bilateral knee tendonitis originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
After missing the second half of Wednesday’s game, Jonathan Kuminga has been ruled out of the Warriors’ second consecutive game against the Spurs in San Antonio on Friday at Frost Bank Center.
Kuminga is dealing with bilateral patellar (knee) tendonitis, and while he could miss some time, the Warriors aren’t worried about it being a structural issue.
The 23-year-old forward isn’t expected to miss an extended period of time, but the Warriors want to be cautious with their young wing who’s been dealing with some recent soreness in his knees.
Golden State is in the midst of a six-game road trip, which it’s gone 1-1 so far.
After San Antonio, the Warriors will face the New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic and then close out the road trip in Miami against the Heat.
In 13 games (12 starts) this season, Kuminga is averaging 13.8 points on 47.8 percent shooting, with 6.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 27.7 minutes.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr experimented with a new starting lineup in Wednesday’s win that moved Kuminga to the bench after he had started the previous dozen contests.
Kuminga played just 12 minutes and went scoreless before being pulled for good at the half.