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Penguins' Kindel Proves Importance To Lineup In Whirlwind Rookie Season

Pittsburgh Penguins rookie center Ben Kindel probably didn't even expect to play what is approaching 50 games for the big club this season.

Yet, here he is. He appears to be in Pittsburgh to stay, and his presence on the NHL roster could mean much more than merely just helping the team win hockey games in the now. 

Kindel, 18, has thoroughly impressed Penguins' brass this season, as the rookie center has 10 goals and 22 points in 48 games. But if you ask anyone about the impact that Kindel has made, it hasn't necessarily been about the production.

Instead, it's been about the maturity in his all-around game. The veteran-like play from the "kid" has impressed teammates - inlcuding his linemates - and they know how advanced his two-way game is for an 18-year-old. 

"Sometimes, the lights can be pretty bright if you're up here at 18, but he's handled it so well, and he does such good things on the ice as far as playing two-way hockey," said Justin Brazeau, who has been Kindel's linemate in recent games. "He's probably way ahead of the curve as far as defensive play for young guys. And then just his ability to kind of just hang onto pucks, move pucks through the neutral zone, makes it easy for guys like me and 'Mo' [Anthony Mantha]... I think he's fit in really nicely."

Of course, everyone knows by now how the young center impressed so much in training camp that he earned a spot - along with 19-year-old defenseman Harrison Brunicke - on the opening night roster. Brunicke's play faded a bit down the stretch, and he didn't quite hit the 10-game mark with the NHL club this season before eventually being sent back to juniors, meaning his entry-level contract will not activate until next season.

But the Penguins elected to give Kindel that 10th game. And then, they elected to keep him beyond his 40th game as part of the active roster, meaning he gets to unrestricted free agency a year sooner.

Penguins' Rust Suspended Three Games For Hit Against CanucksPenguins' Rust Suspended Three Games For Hit Against CanucksIt looks like the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> will be without one of their top forwards for an upcoming crucial stretch of games.&nbsp;

But that didn't seem to faze GM/POHO Kyle Dubas and the Penguins. He's not only become a mainstay in the Penguins' lineup, he's also proven himself a very important player for them - too important to jettison from the roster and send back to junior hockey with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL.

In fact, Kindel's sooner-than-anticipated emergence could, potentially, have a pretty big impact on their approach to roster-building in the next calendar year. He has already seen some minutes as a second-line center this season, and his role is likely only going to grow heading into 2026-27. Plus, if Evgeni Malkin does end up returning next season, it appears more and more likely that he will play on the wing, which speaks to how confident the Penguins feel about Kindel and Tommy Novak, who has one year remaining on his current deal.

So, the fact that the Penguins already have a legitimate top-six center for the future on their NHL roster - and the fact that Sidney Crosby does not seem to be slowing down at 38 - may pave the way for them taking some bigger swings in terms of acquiring talent.

Malkin's Return Exposes Center Depth As Strength For Penguins This SeasonMalkin's Return Exposes Center Depth As Strength For Penguins This SeasonPittsburgh Penguins' center Evgeni Malkin is poised to make his return to the lineup soon, and his deployment shows just how much center depth the Penguins have on their NHL roster this season

With Pittsburgh holding firmly onto the Metropolitan Division's second spot - and playoffs becoming more and more of a reality - they probably won't rely on the draft lottery to bring in an elite talent, and they may not even draft in the top-20. Without Kindel in the picture, the Penguins probably wouldn't feel as good about that. 

But he is in the picture, and he's already excelling. And there are two other centers selected in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft in Bill Zonnon (22nd overall) and Will Horcoff (24th overall) who are also both excelling this season and could crack the NHL roster sooner rather than later. 

Kindel's emergence this season is no small deal. But the crazy thing is that there is still so much room for him to grow. He's already seen ample time on both special teams units this season, he's counted on in some defensive zone starts and key situations, and he's consistently helping drive offense for his third line.

Do The Penguins Have What It Takes To Target Jason Robertson?Do The Penguins Have What It Takes To Target Jason Robertson?The Pittsburgh Penguins are rumored to be one of the teams in pursuit of Dallas Stars' superstar Jason Robertson should he hit the trade block.

In other words - like Brazeau said - Kindel already has so many of the details nailed down that often take younger players years to master. So, once the production catches up? The Penguins will probably have a pretty special player on their hands. 

"To be that young and doing the things he does in this league is pretty special," Brazeau said. "And it speaks to him, not only with his skillset, but just kind of how he carries himself."

And, fear not, the production will come. In a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday, Kindel tallied two goals - his first in 19 games - in front of 192 family members and friends, and he, Brazeau, and Mantha were a force most of the evening.

Hopefully, that two-goal spark lights the fire for Kindel, who is already the first rookie Penguins' player since Jake Guentzel in 2016-17 to record double-digits in goals. 

"Obviously, you want to try to help the team as much as you can, and scoring is one of those areas," Kindel said after Sunday's win. "I don't know if it's as much about confidence, but [I'll] just keep playing my game, and goals will come and go."

Takeaways: Penguins Sneak Past Canucks To Close Out Perfect Road TripTakeaways: Penguins Sneak Past Canucks To Close Out Perfect Road TripThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> just keep on rolling.

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How Evgeni Malkin And Tommy Novak Are A Dangerous Duo

Before the 2025-26 season started, Evgeni Malkin told the Pittsburgh Penguins coaches and management staff that he wanted to play with Tommy Novak.

Novak was acquired by the Penguins from the Nashville Predators, along with Luke Schenn, for Michael Bunting and a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, before last year's trade deadline. Novak would go on to appear in only two games before suffering a season-ending injury. 

Coming into the season, Novak started the year playing a lot of minutes with rookie Ben Kindel on the third line, while Malkin centered Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau. Novak and Malkin had chemistry on their own lines before the Penguins suffered some injuries, including one to Malkin in early December.

Malkin missed a month with a shoulder injury before returning to the lineup on Jan. 8 against the New Jersey Devils. He was originally on a line with Kindel and Egor Chinakhov before head coach Dan Muse swapped out Kindel for Novak ahead of the Jan. 13 game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Novak and Malkin have been on the same line ever since that game, and the Penguins have a 5-0-2 record during that time. The two have also shown outstanding chemistry together, and it was on display again during Sunday's game against the Vancouver Canucks. 

In the second period, Chinakhov did a great job winning the puck along the boards before spinning and passing the puck to Novak, who delivered a great cross-ice pass to Malkin in the offensive zone for the game's opening goal. Malkin made no mistake with the puck on that play.

Novak's a great distributor of the puck, and when you combine that with Malkin's ability to finish chances, that's what you get. 

During the game against the Calgary Flames on Jan. 21, Malkin and Novak both scored great goals, but it was their play on Chinakhov's goal that really stood out. Malkin took the puck from Ryan Shea and galloped into the offensive zone before passing it off to Novak. Novak then had a small, one-touch feed to Chinakhov, who used his wicked release to make it 2-0 at the time. 

Novak has four points in his last three games and two goals and eight points in January, while Malkin has five points in his last three games and five goals and 11 points for the month. 

Jan 15, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Egor Chinakhov (59) celebrates his goal with Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) and center Tommy Novak (18) against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Jan 15, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Egor Chinakhov (59) celebrates his goal with Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) and center Tommy Novak (18) against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Novak and Malkin have played 173 minutes together at 5v5 this season, and have been on the ice for 48.3% of the shot attempts, 47.7% of the expected goals, 49.7% of the scoring chances, and 47.8% of the high-danger chances. While all of those numbers are below 50%, I expect them to improve down the stretch, given how they've been playing. They also have a +8 goal differential at 5v5.  

Malkin is slated to hit free agency after the season, and it's been a big story this year, given the season that he's having. Malkin has 13 goals and 40 points in 36 games and is one of the biggest reasons why the Penguins are in second place in the Metropolitan Division. 

His representatives are expected to meet with Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas during the Olympic break to discuss a possible extension. If I'm the Penguins, this is a no-brainer. I'd sign Malkin to a one-year deal to return for another year. He'd probably take at least a little bit of a discount, and the front office can also attach a full no-move clause to the deal. 

Penguins' Forward Prospect 'Called Back' To North AmericaPenguins' Forward Prospect 'Called Back' To North AmericaBy and large, things have been going quite well for prospects in the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' organization this season, as many of them have either overachieved or appear to be ahead of schedule.

He's playing like a player who still has something left in the tank and more than deserves an extension. It would also give the Penguins another opportunity for Malkin and Novak to play together for a second season in a row, since Novak still has a year remaining on his contract after this year. Novak isn't slated to be a free agent until after the 2026-27 season.

Both players have been a blast to watch on the same line this month and are a threat to score each time they're on the ice. Assuming the Penguins make the playoffs, they could be a matchup nightmare for other teams in a seven-game series.

(Data via Natural Stat Trick).

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Andrei Vasilevskiy makes 28 saves in 2nd shutout of season as Lightning blank Mammoth 2-0

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Andrei Vasilevskiy made 28 saves for his second shutout of the season and 42nd of his career, Darren Raddysh scored on a power play late in the second period, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Utah Mammoth 2-0 on Monday night.

Brandon Hagel added a power-play goal in the final minute for the Lightning, who have won 15 of 17 and swept the season series against Utah. Tampa Bay moved atop the Eastern Conference standings with 70 points, one ahead of Carolina and Detroit.

Vasilevskiy, who leads the league in goals-against average, improved to 2-0-0 against the Mammoth, both shutouts. He blanked them last season, the inaugural campaign for the Utah franchise.

Raddysh took a feed from Nikita Kucherov and one-timed it above the shoulder of Karel Vejmelka for a 1-0 lead with 2:22 left in the second.

Vejmelka made 25 saves for Utah, which lost in regulation for only the second time in its past 12 games.

RANGERS 4, BRUINS 3, OT

NEW YORK (AP) — Matthew Robertson scored at 3:53 of overtime as New York beat Boston to snap a three-game losing streak.

Will Cuylle, J.T. Miller and Will Borgen also scored for the Rangers, and Jonathan Quick got his 408th career win — passing Hall of Fame goalie Glenn Hall for 12th place on the NHL list. Quick made 21 saves and assisted on the overtime winner.

The Rangers, last in the Eastern Conference, took two of three against Boston this season. They improved to 6-13-4 at home and won for only the third time in 14 games overall.

Elias Lindholm had two goals and Morgan Geekie also scored for the Bruins. David Pastrnak added three assists to reach 900 career points. He has nine assists in his last five games. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 24 shots.

ISLANDERS 4, FLYERS 0

NEW YORK (AP) — Ilya Sorokin stopped 21 shots for his NHL-best sixth shutout of the season and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored two goals to lead New York to a win over Philadelphia.

Mathew Barzal and Tony DeAngelo also scored for the Islanders. The Islanders scored power-play, short-handed and even-strength goals.

A game after they were shut out for the first time this season, Pageau snapped the scoreless streak with his ninth goal of the season on a short-handed shot past Samuel Ersson.

The Flyers allowed their fifth short-handed goal of the season.

OILERS 7, DUCKS 4

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Mattias Ekholm scored a hat trick and Edmonton rode a dominant second period to a victory over Anaheim.

Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid each added a goal and an assist for the Oilers, Spencer Stastney scored his first in an Edmonton jersey and Darnell Nurse also scored.

Leon Draisaitl contributed four assists and Tristan Jarry stopped 36 of the 40 shots he faced.

Three of Anaheim’s four goals came from Mikael Granlund on the power play, starting with his 10th tally of the season 3:24 into the game.

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NBA Final Score – Timberwolves 108, Warriors 83: A Game with Good Bones

The injury lists were longer than your last grocery list.

If you are on the Golden State Warriors and are a notable rotation player, you likely didn’t play on this back-to-back.

We were in Notes app territory.

Conversely, no Anthony Edwards for the nagging foot infection he’s been dealing with, and came off of a mediocre game by his standards on Sunday night.

Putting it lightly, it’s been a horrific stretch in Minneapolis, and Sunday night’s game was an environment closer to a vigil than a basketball game.

Pair it all with the uninspiring lull that the Wolves are currently forging for themselves on the floor, Monday night was simply a must-win game for a much better team on paper and a fanbase that just needed something to cheer for.

But who would bring the energy? An unfocused, unenthused Timberwolves team had been rolling through the last week without a tone-setter, and the results followed. Early on, much of the same seemed to be happening.

Julius Randle hit his first three but would go on to miss his next four, and a similar tone was set for a team that tends to settle for shots. Out of the Wolves’ first 12 shot attempts, eight of them were threes. With no Draymond Green for Golden State, the Warriors deeply lacked interior defense and were begging to be out-rebounded and outscored in the paint with Quinten Post playing most of their center minutes.

Rudy Gobert would need to play well. He did. His 15 points and 17 rebounds showed a return to aggression that’s been missing for the Wolves center over the last few games.

Largely because of the center’s return to form, the game would follow its anticipated projection as has been the theme all year. When Gobert plays well, the Wolves are able to lean into the only identity that wins them games: Defense.

The home team would go on to pull in front of the Warriors by 28 points by the beginning for the fourth quarter and close the deal in emphatic fashion.

The slow start? Short-lived.

A shot in the arm was needed badly, and while they may just have gotten it, it wasn’t going to happen without a little help from the bench. A team so desperately searching for players to come into the game and make an impact, Monday served as a perfect opportunity to show a pulse from Chris Finch and company’s unit.

Enter Bones Hyland.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JANUARY 26: Austin Rivers interviews Bones Hyland #8 of the Minnesota Timberwolves after the game against the Golden State Warriors on January 26, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Bones Leads the Bench

The Timberwolves bench is in need of a defibrillator.

26th in bench field goal percentage and 22nd in bench points per game, it’s a unit whose inconsistency outside of former Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid shows on a night to night basis.

Lacking a super high ceiling with Mike Conley typically a part of the unity on a night to night basis, Bones Hyland is one that can that can play a major role in elevating it. The problem is he shares the adjective in the above paragraph; inconsistency.

When Hyland scores 10 or more points, the Wolves are 7-4. When he scores 15 or more, the Wolves are 3-0.

Monday was no exception, as Hyland finished the night with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 25 minutes of action.

“We gotta have those performances on a nightly basis to be honest with you,” Head Coach Chris Finch said after the game.

During the aforementioned three-point slog at the beginning of the game that didn’t yield much offensive production, Hyland’s entrance into the game signaled more of a focus to attack the paint and get Golden State on their heels. His first six points came by way of transition layup, which parlayed into easier shotmaking.

“It definitely feels like the basket opens up more,” Hyland said after the game about starting things off by going to the basket and seeing a couple layups go down.

For him, so much of it is proactivity on the offensive end and being aggressive.

“Playing fast, being myself out there…I feel like I got back to that,” he said.

How does he continue to be himself as time goes on? Being less deferential in the offense, especially with a franchise player in Anthony Edwards making his way back into the lineup in short order. Hyland’s two best scoring games have come when Edwards has not been in the lineup (the other one coming in the road win against Milwaukee).

Finch mentioned after the game that he sometimes sees his primary-scoring bench guard defer too much when players higher in the pecking order are in the game, and that it needs to change.

“I told him he’s allowed play like this when Ant doesn’t play,” he half-joked after the game. “He’s an aggressive player by nature, and I think that helps him.”

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 26: Joan Beringer #19 of the Minnesota Timberwolves goes up for a shot past Malevy Leons #33 of the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter at Target Center on January 26, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Warriors 108-83. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

Emptying the Notebook

1). It wasn’t “back to normal”, but Target Center did feel like it let out a slight exhale. Perhaps it was the news that dropped, perhaps it was the team finally showing up and giving fans what they paid for. But being in attendance on Sunday was one of the more emotional events I’ve been to that I carried with me into the next day. To see something normal feel so abnormal was jarring to its core, and I will not forget it. Take time to heal, or press right on forward into bellowing for your team; everyone reacts differently. But hopefully between the result and demeanor on Monday night, it helps in whatever way you need it to.

2). The loudest cheer for a substitution during the evening was the obligatory rousing applause for Joe Ingles, following shortly behind by Joan Beringer’s entrance. The French rookie is working is way into fans’ good graces, both online and in real life. His continuous hustle for loose balls, lack of shying away from contact, and can’t-miss athleticism are easy reasons as to why it could be, but I also think fans see him as a solution to the bench problems above. I don’t think that’s the case. Happy to be proven wrong. Until then, it seems as though he’ll continue to be a matchup-specific chess piece.

3). Anthony Edwards was a late scratch and Finch said after the game that he was not aware of it heading into the evening. Frankly, this is a time where I start to get concerned about things in that it could be a nagging issue. Late scratches are never really a good sign, but Finch had no update with confidence that Edwards would be definitively back in the lineup after Monday, and that he was not able to speak to the performance staff as of his press conference. Something to certainly keep an eye on, and in hoping that it isn’t an injury that bleeds into the All-Star break.

Up Next

The Wolves will head to Julius Randle’s home city of Dallas on Wednesday and take on a Mavericks team currently punching above its weight class. The Mavs have won four of their last five, two of which coming against the vaunted and merciless Utah Jazz (or so we saw when the Wolves went to Salt Lake City a week ago).

Because Anthony Edwards was out on Monday night with right foot injury maintenance, it would be expected that he makes his return to the lineup on Wednesday.

Tipoff is at 7:30 PM CST. and broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network.

Highlights

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Penguins' Forward Prospect 'Called Back' To North America

By and large, things have been going quite well for prospects in the Pittsburgh Penguins' organization this season, as many of them have either overachieved or appear to be ahead of schedule.

Unfortunately, that has not been the case for everyone. 

On Monday, Penguins' forward prospect Melvin Fernstrom - acquired as part of the deal that sent Marcus Pettersson to the Vancouver Canucks prior to last year's trade deadline - was called back from his SHL club, Orebro HK, after struggling to begin his season there. Fernstrom, 19, could join the Penguins' organization in some capacity, whether that's with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL or the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins of the AHL.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound right winger produced just three goals and four points in 36 SHL games this season for Orebro, which was in stark contrast to last season - eight goals and 17 points in 48 games - when he earned SHL Rookie of the Year honors. According to the Tribune Review's Seth Rorabaugh, he was loaned to AIK of the HockeyAllsvenskan - Sweden's league a step below the SHL - on Jan. 15, but Fernstrom did not see any playing time there. 

The decision was officially announced in a press release by Orebro on Monday, in which they said that Fernstrom was not going to receive adequate playing time in Sweden.

The Penguins signed Fernstrom to a three-year entry-level contract last summer, and he was loaned to Orebro this season. The forward - selected by Vancouver in the third round (93rd overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft - still needs to pass through immigration, per Rorabaugh's report, and a decision on where he will spend the remainder of the 2025-26 season has not yet been made.

Rust To Have Hearing For Hit To Head Against CanucksRust To Have Hearing For Hit To Head Against CanucksBryan Rust will have a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety on Tuesday.

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Ekholm scores hat trick as Oilers hold off Ducks for 7-4 victory

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Mattias Ekholm scored a hat trick and the Edmonton Oilers rode a dominant second period to a 7-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Monday.

Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid each added a goal and an assist for the Oilers, Spencer Stastney scored his first in an Edmonton jersey and Darnell Nurse also scored.

Leon Draisaitl contributed four assists and Tristan Jarry stopped 36 of the 40 shots he faced.

Three of Anaheim’s four goals came from Mikael Granlund on the power play, starting with his 10th tally of the season 3:24 into the game.

His linemate Alex Killorn added an even-strength tally 55 seconds into the middle frame, Beckett Sennecke notched two assists, and Ville Husso made 25 saves in the loss.

The result snapped a seven-game win streak for the Ducks, who downed the Calgary Flames 4-3 in overtime on Sunday.

The Oilers got some fresh faces into the lineup with winger Kasperi Kapanen returning after missing three games with an injury and center Josh Samanski made his NHL debut.

Cutter Gauthier helped out on Granlund’s first goal of the night and extended his point streak to five games with three goals and four assists across the stretch.

Up next

Ducks: Visit the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.

Oilers: Host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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Sabalenka books spot in Australian Open semi-finals after challenging win over Jovic

  • Women’s No 1 survives soaring temperature to defeat teenager 6-3, 6-0

  • Melbourne Park enacts extreme heat protocols on way to 45C

Aryna Sabalenka ended the teenage challenge at the Australian Open with an emphatic quarter-final final victory over Iva Jovic.

Having defeated 19-year-old Victoria Mboko in the fourth round, the world No 1 dropped just three games against 18-year-old American Jovic in a 6-3, 6-0 victory.

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Padres prospects poorly regarded among pundits

Kruz Schoolcraft

There are 15 days until San Diego Padres pitchers and catchers report to Peoria, Ariz. for their physicals prior to the start of Spring Training. This Saturday is Padres Fanfest and here is hoping that there will be some real news to discuss for the next offseason notes.

As of today, the last significant action for the Padres occurred in December with the signing of Sung-Mun Song and the re-signing of Michael King. Since then, Song has been injured and the Padres have signed a lot of minor league free agents.

International Class

As of Jan. 22, the Padres have signed 29 international players to contracts. Most are for less than $10,000 and don’t count against their bonus pool. At last count, according to MadFriars.com, the organization had about $1 million or more left to sign players before the window closes Dec. 15.

Other than the 16- and 17-year-old international players, there have been other free agents signed to minor league contracts.

Minor league free agent signings

IF Luis Verdugo – Older brother to Padres prospect Rosman Verdugo, he was in the Philadelphia Phillies organization in 2025 and with the Chicago Cubs organization from 2018-2024.

IF Carson Tucker – Played in the Pioneer league in 2025 and was not in a league in 2024. Originally with the Cleveland Guardians organization.

IF/OF Nick Solak – The 31-year-old has played 1B/2B/3B as well as outfield. He was in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 2025 and was with the Texas Rangers 2019-2022. His MLB slash line over parts of six seasons with four MLB teams – .250/.325/.369 in 259 games and 876 at-bats. He played in four games for the Pirates last year. Solak probably gets a spring invite.

IF/OF Samad Taylor – Taylor received a Spring Training invite. Recently DFA’d by the Seattle Mariners, Taylor had some MLB time with Seattle but spent most of the past two seasons in Triple-A. He is known for his on base skills and speed and is out of minor league options.

Preseason Prospect rankings released

MLB Pipeline, Baseball America and The Athletic’s Keith Law have all recently released their preseason rankings of the top MLB prospects. With the Padres farm system ranked in the bottom three of baseball, it should not be a surprise that their players are not well regarded.

Padres catching prospect Ethan Salas has been at spring mini-camp in Peoria since it started last week. Although he hasn’t played any significant time in 18 months, he is reportedly fully recovered from the stress reaction in his back that sidelined him almost all of last season.

Both Law and Baseball America list Salas as their only Padres prospect and he has dropped significantly in those rankings.

MLB Pipeline doesn’t list him at all and lists LHP Kruz Schoolcraft as the only Padres prospect on their list. He is listed at No. 88. Salas is not on the MLB Pipeline list of top 10 catchers in the minor leagues and is noted as only an interesting player to watch for the season. Although noting his Gold Glove caliber defensive skills and 20-plus home run potential, his absence from the game for so long has pushed him out of consideration.

Notable international player

Diego Serna, who will be playing under the name Diego Castelo, was highlighted in an si.com article by Gregory Spicer. Serna, 16, was signed for $1 million by the Padres out of Mexico and is only one of two left-handed pitchers ranked in the top 100 international free agents by Baseball America.

Spicer notes his advanced accomplishments and refers to him as the steal of the class. He could be the international player that debuts professionally in the US instead of the Dominican Summer League.

Mason Miller speaks

Padres reliever Mason Miller appeared on the Foul Territory program on Jan. 15 to discuss his offseason and plans for the new year. He stated his desire to remain in the bullpen for 2026 but specifically said that the decision is for this year and there is no decision about the future. The Miller interview begins at about minute 44:00.

Truck Day

Thursday was Truck Day for the Padres. It is the unofficial start of Spring Training for all anxious baseball fans. Every year the Padres put out a video of the day and this year was no different. With almost no news from the team to get fans excited, we will have to Keep the Faith and get excited for truck day until A.J. Preller gives us something else to talk about.

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Randy Jones Celebration

The Padres hosted a celebration of life for Padres Legend and Hall of Famer, Randy Jones. The team announced that they will be wearing a number 35 patch on their uniforms this season to celebrate the life of the first real Padres star and the first Padre to win a Cy Young Award.

RJ was the first Padre on the cover of Sports Illustrated and about the only thing fans had to be excited about in those early years of Padres baseball. He was a great junk pitcher (sinker, slider) in the days when those pitchers were valued. His most proud accomplishment was pitching 25 complete games in his standout season of 1976, in which he won the Cy Young.

Part of what made him special was who he was off the field. RJ took his responsibilities to the team seriously after retirement and he did the same with fans.

Be it either Qualcomm Stadium or Petco Park, he could be seen walking around with sharpie in hand, always ready to sign and chat with anyone who greeted him. I had many conversations with him throughout the years and he even joined me and friends for a chat during dinner when he had his restaurant in Hazard Center.

RJ was special and will be missed.

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Sengun and Durant score 33 apiece as Rockets beat the Grizzlies 108-99

HOUSTON (AP) — Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant each scored 33 points as the Houston Rockets broke open a close game in the fourth quarter and beat the Memphis Grizzlies 108-99 on Monday night.

The Rockets trailed by a point at the start of the fourth before going on a 21-9 run in the first seven minutes of the period to seize control and win for the fifth time in six games.

Tari Eason scored 11 of his 17 points in the first half and Amen Thompson finished with 14 assists and eight points. Reed Sheppard, who earlier Monday was named to the Rising Stars game for the NBA's All-Star weekend, finished with four points on 2-for-11 shooting, including 0 for 7 from 3-point distance.

Sengun had an impressing shooting night for the Rockets, going 7 for 7 from the field in the first half and 15 for 17 overall. He also contributed nine rebounds and six assists.

Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama scored 17 points apiece for the Grizzlies, who lost their third straight, for the fourth time in five games and for the 10 time in 13 games. GG Jackson added 14 points, Jaylen Wells had 12 and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 11. Cam Spencer, who along with Wells and Cedric Coward, was named to the Rising Stars game, finished with 14 assists and five points.

Both teams struggled with their shooting in the first half. The Grizzlies shot 37% (21 for 57) from the field, including 4 for 19 (21%) from 3-point distance, yet led 54-51 after two quarters. The Rockets shot just a bit better, going 20 for 51 (39%) from the field and 5 for 20 (20%) from distance.

Trailing 77-6 at the start of the fourth quarter, Houston went on a 12-2 run to take control and extended its lead in the period. The Grizzlies trimmed their deficit down the stretch, but were never able to catch up.

Memphis was without two-time All-Star Ja Morant, who is out for at least the next three weeks due to a sprained ligament in his left elbow. He was injured Wednesday during the Grizzlies’ 124-122 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Grizzlies last played Friday, losing to New Orleans. Their game against Denver scheduled for Sunday was postponed due to extreme weather in the Memphis area.

Up next

Grizzlies: Host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.

Rockets: Host the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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Celtics spoil Robert Williams and Jrue Holiday’s return, beat Trail Blazers 102-94

The Boston Celtics hosted the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night. Former Celtics guard Jrue Holiday suited up against the C’s for the first time since his June 23rd, 2025 trade. Boston had a moving video tribute for the two-time NBA champion in the first quarter, and was given a standing ovation by the Celtic faithful. Boston lead all night and Portland hung around late, but Boston would win it 102-94, Pritchard had 23 points and Jaylen Brown had 20 points.

Boston started the game with Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta, Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard and Derrick White. Jrue Holiday started for the road Blazers running the point alongside, Clingan, Camara, Cissoko and Sharpe.

Both teams started out cold missing the first 9 field goal attempts before Neemias Queta scored on a mini jump hook in the key at the ten minute mark of the first quarter. Jaylen Brown had his second assist as he found Derrick White on the outlet fast break layup.

Portland were scoreless for the first four minutes of the game. Robert Williams III checked into the game for the road team, finally faced off against his former team for his time, due to numerous injuries for the Trail Blazers. Queta was subbed out for Amari Williams as the first big off the bench, Boston up 13-5 to start the game.

Hugo Gonzalez got snubbed by the league prior to the game, missing out on the Rookie vs. Sophomore game. He hit a swooping layup to open his account, Amari Williams assisted it off to his fellow rookie. White drew a poair of Trail Blazer defenders and dumped it off to Amari Williams for the two handed dunk. Boston’s lead was out to 12 points, 19-7.

Boston closed out the quarter in dominate fashion, highlighted by a Pritchard buzzer beater three, up by a massive 21 points after one quarter, 32-11.

Boston started the second quarter with Simons, Queta, Sheierman, White and Hauser as the Celtics looked to keep the pressure on Portland. Portland was shooting a dismal 19 percent from the field, and just 1-12 from downtown and were without Deni Advija for the game. Holiday hit the Blazers second three-pointer as they looked to get back into the game.

Jan 26, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9) guards Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Portland got it back to 14 points midway through the quarter, Robert Williams in the thick of some good defensive and offensive stretch of play for the Blazers. Portland started the quarter on a 15-5 run as the home team struggled with turnovers and offensive fouls to start the quarter. Boston had 7 turnovers total in the second quarter in a sloppy quarter, compared to the Blazers with 8 turnovers.

Boston shooting a paltry 3/14 from the field in the second quarter at the three minute mark of the first quarter. Amari Williams was doing a little bit of everything for Boston in his 15 minutes of first half action. Simons swished home a corner three-pointer and Pritchard hit a second buzzer beater as Boston headed into halftime with a 15-point lead, 52-37.

Pritchard hit a three-pointer to open up the third quarter for his 15th point of the night, a game high. Derrick White dunked it home on the fast break as Boston extended the lead to 20-points. Pritchard hit another triple with the shot clock winding down after Amari Williams had his push shot rejected by the Timelord.

Robert Williams III was making life tough for Boston inside, his presence saw multiple Celtics players altering their shots in the third quarter. Williams was sagging off Amari Williams playing a free safety type of role for the Trail Blazers.

Jaylen Brown was whistled for a tech for shoving Toumani Camara under the basket, Blazers back within 10 points 66-56 with four minutes to go in the third quarter. Brown and Camara were going at it as things were getting physical. Pritchard’s step back two-pointer over Caleb Love was his 20th point of the game, giving Boston a 13-point lead, 73-60.

Brown hit a tough step back over two Blazer defenders to close the third quarter as things were tight in a low scoring game, Celtics by 10 points, 75-65.

Robert Williams dunked home an alley oop to start the 4th, cutting Boston’s lead to 8 points. Simons scored a two-point jumper at the other end, he then went coast to coast to score over Williams in transition. Sam Hauser finally hit his first three-pointer of the game after missing his first four attempts. Portland was hanging around though as the lead seesawed around 10 points to start the fourth quarter.

Jan 26, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday (5) shoots the ball while Boston Celtics forward Amari Williams (77) defends during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Joe Mazzulla rested Brown for the first six minutes of the fourth after his heavy minute load in the last two B2B games on the road. Derrick White hit a triple, Hauser hit mid range floater to cap a 9-0 run for the home team. Hauser was in rhythm and hit his next three-point attempt, Boston ahead by 14 points with six minutes to go.

Brown checked back into the game to try and finish things off for Boston. Pritchard’s corner three-pointer came off a sweet Derrick White dish, it was his 23rd point. Boston held a 13 point lead with three minutes to go at the last TV timeout. Rookie Amari Williams was a plus 8 off the bench for Boston, the Kentucky product would finish the game with a decent stat line of 9 points, 7 boards and 2 blocks.

Pritchard jammed his finger on a rebound attempt and went straight to the back with the trainers. Jerami Grant drove inside to cut the Celtics lead to 7 points. Boston struggling to close out the game and fouled Camara who then cut it to 5 points with 35 seconds to go. A Derrick White triple finally iced the game, White let out a sigh of relief as he had 7 turnovers on the night in a physical game.

The Boston Celtics next host the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night 7:30pm EST, 28th of January.

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Blackhawks Big Defender Having Breakout Year

The Chicago Blackhawks are showing clear signs of improvement this season. The Blackhawks currently have a 21-23-8 record and are sixth in the Central Division standings. This is after they finished the 2024-25 season with a 25-46-11 record. 

While the Blackhawks still have more work to become a playoff team again, they are heading in the right direction. One reason why the Blackhawks have improved this season is that multiple of their youngsters are making a big impact. Louis Crevier is one of them, as he has been enjoying a nice breakout year for the Original Six club. 

Crevier has not only cemented himself a spot on the Blackhawks' NHL roster this season but has also played on Chicago's top pairing with Alex Vlasic. When noting that Crevier has shown that he can be a very solid shutdown defenseman, he has certainly earned this opportunity with Chicago. 

In 49 games so far this season with the Blackhawks, Crevier has recorded new career highs with four goals, 10 assists, 14 points, and 79 hits. Overall, he has been a nice part of the Blackhawks' roster and is undoubtedly creating more excitement from fans about his future with the team because of it. 

It will now be interesting to see how Crevier builds on his breakout season with the Blackhawks, but the 6-foot-8 defenseman has been quite a nice story so far. 

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NHL fines William Nylander $5,000 for middle finger at camera

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows William Nylander gives the middle finger to a broadcast camera during an Avalanche-Maple Leafs game, Image 2 shows William Nylander #88 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates with teammates after a goal during the first period against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on January 15, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

William Nylander said he’s sorry, but the NHL is making sure that he’s really sorry. 

The league handed Nylander a $5,000 fine for “making an inappropriate gesture” after he flipped the middle finger to a TV camera that had been pointed in his direction during Sunday’s Maple Leafs game against the Avalanche. 

The TSN broadcast had its cameras pointed at the press box, where Nylander and other Leafs players not suited up for the game had been seated, when he gave it the middle finger and then started laughing. 

William Nylander gives the middle finger to a broadcast camera during an Avalanche-Maple Leafs game. X @GinoHard_

“Nylander directed an inappropriate gesture at a television camera operator while the camera was directed at Mr. Nylander and his teammates in the press box. The gesture was shown live on-air during the game broadcast,” NHL senior vice president of player safety George Parros said in a statement. “This serves as a reminder the code of conduct governing Players extends throughout the arena at NHL games and in public game situations.”

Nylander did apologize for his actions in a post on social media on Sunday, as well as while speaking with reporters on Monday after the Leafs practiced. 

He said he made the gesture out of frustration and that it wasn’t directed towards anybody in particular. 

“I just wanted to apologize for my actions yesterday. It was out of frustration, so I’m sorry about that,” Nylander said. 

William Nylander #88 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates with teammates after a goal during the first period against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on January 15, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NHLI via Getty Images

Nylander has been dealing with a groin injury and will miss his sixth game on Tuesday night when the Sabres visit the Maple Leafs. 

The Leafs have lost four of the five games that he’s been out with the injury. 

Leafs coach Craig Berube seemed ready to move on from the middle finger incident. 

“He made a mistake. He owned up to it,” Berube said. “Things happen. People make mistakes. Players make mistakes. Coaches make mistakes. It happens. He knows it’s wrong and he owned up to it.”

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Rangers snap three-game skid with 4-3 OT win over Bruins

NEW YORK (AP) — Matthew Robertson scored at 3:53 of overtime as the New York Rangers beat the Boston Bruins 4-3 on Monday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

Will Cuylle, J.T. Miller and Will Borgen also scored for the Rangers, and Jonathan Quick got his 408th career win — passing Hall of Fame goalie Glenn Hall for 12th place on the NHL list. Quick made 21 saves and assisted on the overtime winner.

The Rangers, last in the Eastern Conference, took two of three against Boston this season. They improved to 6-13-4 at home and won for only the third time in 14 games overall.

Elias Lindholm had two goals and Morgan Geekie also scored for the Bruins. David Pastrnak added three assists to reach 900 career points. He has nine assists in his last five games. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 24 shots.

Cuylle opened the scoring midway through the first period with his 12th of the season. Borgen’s wrist shot tied the game at 3 with 6:17 remaining in the third.

The Rangers celebrated their 1994 championship team before the game as part of the franchise’s centennial celebration.

Up next

Bruins: Host the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.

Rangers: Visit the New York Islanders on Wednesday.

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Luka Doncic puts on a show, scoring 46 points in Lakers' win over Bulls

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) drives to the basket as Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) watches during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Lakers guard Luka Doncic drives to the basket in front of Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic during the first half of the Lakers' 129-118 win Monday night. (Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)

Luka Doncic skipped, shimmied and shot. The Lakers dunked, hollered and won.

Doncic dazzled yet again with 46 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in the Lakers' 129-118 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday. The Lakers (28-17) notched their fourth win in five games. It was his third game in the last four with at least 10 assists — all wins.

The 26-year-old guard scored 32 points in the second half. He mimicked shooting pistols after he laced one three-pointer. After another, late in the fourth, he skipped backward on defense away from the Bulls' bench. Doncic’s second-half scoring barrage picked up after LeBron James scored 20 of his 24 points in the first half. Rui Hachimura added 23 points off the bench.

Read more:Luka Doncic scores 33 and remains unbeaten against Mavericks in Lakers comeback

Hachimura, who has been coming off the bench since he returned from a calf injury two weeks ago, hit nine of 11 shots from the field, including four threes. He drained consecutive threes, both spurred by Doncic passes, in the third quarter to help the Lakers hold off a Bulls comeback.

A transition dunk from Hachimura put the Lakers up by 20 with 1:27 left in the first half. The Lakers, after struggling with airline delays leaving Dallas on Saturday night, looked as if they would cruise comfortably to a win.

Then Chicago closed the half on a 7-0 run. It grew to a 18-5 stretch that forced coach JJ Redick to call a timeout when the Lakers' lead was cut to seven. It shrank to one with 6:42 left in the third quarter.

Lakers star LeBron James dunks in front of Chicago Bulls guard Coby White in the first half Monday.
Lakers star LeBron James dunks in front of Chicago Bulls guard Coby White in the first half Monday. (Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)

The Lakers answered with an 8-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from Hachimura. Doncic whipped a one-handed behind-the-back pass across the court to Gabe Vincent, who re-directed it to Hachimura. He drained the shot. On the next Lakers possession, he hit another three-pointer off a Doncic assist.

Hachimura has made eight of 12 three-point attempts in the last two games.

The starting lineup could soon shift again with Austin Reaves close to returning from a calf injury that has kept him out for more than a month. Redick said Reaves could be back as soon as Thursday’s game against Cleveland.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Matthew Robertson scores in OT to lift the Rangers over the Bruins 4-3

NEW YORK (AP) — Matthew Robertson scored at 3:53 of overtime as the New York Rangers beat the Boston Bruins 4-3 on Monday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

Will Cuylle, J.T. Miller and Will Borgen also scored for the Rangers, and Jonathan Quick got his 408th career win — passing Hall of Fame goalie Glenn Hall for 12th place on the NHL list. Quick made 21 saves and assisted on the overtime winner.

The Rangers, last in the Eastern Conference, took two of three against Boston this season. They improved to 6-13-4 at home and won for only the third time in 14 games overall.

Elias Lindholm had two goals and Morgan Geekie also scored for the Bruins. David Pastrnak added three assists to reach 900 career points. He has nine assists in his last five games. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 24 shots.

Cuylle opened the scoring midway through the first period with his 12th of the season. Borgen’s wrist shot tied the game at 3 with 6:17 remaining in the third.

The Rangers celebrated their 1994 championship team before the game as part of the franchise’s centennial celebration.

Up next

Bruins: Host the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.

Rangers: Visit the New York Islanders on Wednesday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.