SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 20: Collin Gillespie #12 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket on Quinten Post #21 of the Golden State Warriors in the first half of an NBA basketball game at Chase Center on December 20, 2025 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors take on the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. The game will be played at 7:00PM PT in Phoenix and can be watched on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Golden State enters the matchup having lost two straight games, most recently a 113â94 defeat against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night. Despite playing shorthanded without Stephen Curry, the Warriors managed to keep pace early thanks to a strong first quarter that featured eight made threes.
The Warriors trailed by just five points at halftime, but the game slipped away in the third quarter. Golden State was outscored 26â16 in the period, struggled to generate consistent offense, and finished the night with 20 turnovers while getting overwhelmed on the glass, 56â33.
What to watch for tonight:
The NBA trade deadline has now passed, and the Warriors emerged with significant changes to their roster. The biggest of them being that Jonathan Kumingaâs tenure with the team has officially come to an end as Golden State agreed to trade him along with Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for former All-Star big man Kristaps Porzingis. The team also moved Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Toronto Raptors for a second-round pick.
BREAKING: The Golden State Warriors are trading Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/eqNWwCupEZ
This means that the Warriors will once again be undermanned heading into Thursdayâs matchup against the Suns, especially with Curry already ruled out as he continues to deal with runnerâs knee. Golden State should look to replicate their formula from Tuesday, where they shot 39.6 percent from three and 47.4 percent from the field as a team. That level of efficiency â along with limiting turnovers â will be necessary to give the Warriors a puncherâs chance of snapping their two-game skid in Phoenix.
DeâAnthony Melton is now questionable tonight for the Warriors in Phoenix with left knee soreness @NBCSWarriors
No Steph Curry, plus Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield and Trayce Jackson-Davis are off the roster
Jarvis had played for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off but wasn't part of the initial roster for the Olympic team.
Point, injured on Jan. 12, is the second Lightning player to be unable to go to Milan. Anthony Cirelli was hurt in the Stadium Series game and was replaced on Team Canada by Florida Panthers playoff MVP Sam Bennett, who also played in the 4 Nations.
The Lightning had a league-leading 10 Olympians but are now down to eight, falling behind the Panthers' nine. The Panthers got injured Brad Marchand (Canada) and Anton Lundell (Finland) back in their last game.
The Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild are tied with the Lightning with eight representatives.
Injury status on other NHL Olympians
Injured New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes isn't playing on Thursday, but The Athletic reported he's good to go for Team USA.
The Washington Capitals activated goalie Logan Thompson (Canada) from the injured list, and he started on Thursday night against the Nashville Predators. Thompson stopped 27 of the 29 shots he faced as the Capitals won 4-2.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JANUARY 27: Cam Thomas #24 of the Brooklyn Nets looks on from the bench during the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on January 27, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jeremy Chen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Contrary to recency bias, there were good times between Cam Thomas and the Brooklyn Nets â a lot of them.
âThey loved me and I loved their vibe. I felt like everything was in place⌠I just felt like it was just a match made in heaven. All our personalities connected,â said a smiling 19-year-old Cam Thomas on Draft night.
âHe has an elite skill. You watch him play. You watch him find his shot, hit his shot â thatâs a very, very high level,â Sean Marks said of Thomas in response.
In case youâve forgotten, Sean Marks traded Landry Shamet to get a second late first-rounder so he could have two late picks, one for DayâRon Sharpe of North Carolina, who he loved, and one for Cam Thomas, whom they were willing to take a chance on.
Five years later, separation was inevitable, driven by what you might call âirreconcilable differencesâ in style and on another, by the new CBA, which stripped teams of flexibility and offered harsher tax penalties. Those changes made it risky for Brooklyn to lock Thomas into a big long-term deal, so after four years, he took the qualifying offer, a rare for restricted free agents.
According to reliable sources, he turned down two offers: one for two years and $30 million, and another â a one-year, $9.5 million team option. He didnât make a counter offer. Cam Thomas believed in himself and his ability to overcome hamstring issues that had kept him off in street clothes for 53 games last season. He switched agents twice in two years.
It was all a big gamble but it gave him control of his destiny in 2027.
Nets fans were split, often virulently, on Thomas. A hefty long-term deal made little sense when Brooklyn was the only team with real cap space. The simplest: why bid against yourself? Cam was saying the same thing to himself the whole time too.
This isnât about whoâs right or wrong. It wonât look good if he goes somewhere and contributes to winning basketball (which was the Nets overriding concern with him.) Itâs often forgotten that Thomas entered the NBA when the Nets were championship contenders. But ultimately itâs a sad tale, no matter how it shakes out for the Nets or Cam Thomas.
They had the most skilled team in the NBA when Thomas was drafted. He was influenced by multiple future Hall-of-Famers, coached by one already in Springfield. He didnât need to be anything other than the spark behind those guys.
This isnât about reliving the past, itâs about understanding how a young player became a product of his environment.
âI was pretty steady because I felt like the team I was going to is a championship-level team.
Weâre going to be winning games. Weâre going to be playing for something,â Thomas continued.
âFor him to continue to learn under three of the greatest scorers the league has right now will be great for him. The other part of it is that he is fearless. Heâs not afraid. I think thatâs what weâre looking for. Guys with that competitive edge to them and a chip on their shoulder,â Marks added in 2021.
He came into the league with riches. Kevin Durant was basically his mentor during those days and it was easy to understand why. Thomas was quiet, similar to KD, maybe a little awkward too, but his mantra was also similar to the now Houston Rocket: âHoopers Hoop.â
âI feel like Cam has a bright future,â Durant said about Thomas on Jan. 1. âIt just takes somebody to believe in his talent and his skill. Scorers and guys that score the basketball at a high rate they get taken for granted in this league a bit. Weâre so used to loving defenders and playmakers and guys that can be connectors, sometimes scorers get taken for granted.â
The former Net isnât wrong and whoever he signs with will have to appreciate his scoring prowess.
It wasnât all bad. Sometimes it was undeniable great! Thomas became the youngest player ever in Nets history to score 40 or more points in three consecutive games. Heâs up there with Nets greats â heâs recorded 10+ 40-point games in his career, tying him with Kevin Durant for the third-most in Nets NBA history, behind Vince Carter and Kyrie Irving. He brought the Nets back from the largest deficit ever â 28 points â at the Garden no less, hitting a 28-footer. As Steve Nash, who had taken some big shots in his career, remarked post-game, âI wouldnât have taken that shot.â But Cam Thomas as full of confidence as any 20-year-old can be did.
But things can get messed up in the National Basketball League. The Big Three, mentors all, left in famous huffs. The head coach at the time of his 40/40/40 streak said of that accomplishment he wished they had resulted in wins. Coaches, the front office and teammates begged for better defense, better playmaking, fewer sulks, less âshit ainât funnyâ or profanity-filled tweets directed at a writer. There were moments that seemed to put him on the high road. But his hamstring issues â three strains last season, one this year â just exacerbated things.
In the end, the Nets did not believe that he contributed to winning. That was the bottom line. He had his fans inside, among them the owner, it should be noted. And outside, the playgrounds loved him. He was always the most popular player at the Practice in the Park.
And letâs be real: this season was a disaster. Ending it earlier may have been wiser. He suffered a left hamstring injury which cost him yet another 20 games in November and December. If his stock was âlowâ before, it was lower at the deadline. He remained a liability on defense and it didnât seem like he was engaged. Hard to blame him or the Nets.
Another perspective is that he didnât have much of a chance to prove himself. He was already a fish out of water but his availability has been too limited for someone ready for a big contract. Thomas, who sat on the second night of back-to-backs, hasnât started a game since November 5. He took 12.8 shots per game â the lowest since his second year in the league.
Cam couldâve handled the situation better. His response to Zach Lowe was unnecessary and he does not hold a good poker face. Then came the breaking pointâŚ
Cam Thomas is not with Brooklyn as the Nets are in the process of departing for tomorrow night's game against Orlando, sources say. Thomas is officially out for personal reasons.
At just 24, the Nets will find out whether they made a mistake with Cam Thomas soon enough. But as long as Sean Marks has been GM of the Nets, itâs been highlighted how he does the right thing by players and agents. Thatâs up for debate in this situation, dependent on how Thomas turns out. He is a homegrown player. He did take pride in being part of the Brooklyn Nets, although in his valedictory with Marc Spears, it was all about the future, not the past, the team heâs headed to, not the one he just leftâŚ.
NBA free agent guard Cam Thomas to @andscape: âSuper excited ready to actually help and contribute to another team. My next team is getting elite scoring, good playmaking and a good combo guard.â https://t.co/yr4a9z4nDD
But now heâs on his way. There are already stories and tweets about who might be interested in him. He seems to believe heâll be back on the court again soon.
He arrived in Brooklyn believing he was joining something special. For a few years, he did. Now both sides move on, carrying equal parts promise and disappointment. At 24, Thomasâ career is still wide open but this chapter will always feel like unfinished business for both him and the Nets.
While the Detroit Red Wings were reportedly interested in acquiring skilled winger Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers, it was former Red Wings general manager Ken Holland who ultimately landed one of the biggest prizes on the open trade market.
Holland, who is in his first season as general manager of the Los Angeles Kings, acquired Panarin from the New York Rangers on Wednesday afternoon, and sent forward prospect Liam Greentree and a conditional third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to the Rangers in return.
What's more, Panarin won't just be a rental for the Kings. Holland acted quickly, signing their new prize forward to a two-year, $22 million extension.
âObviously, we made the deal today to make our team better," Holland said. "We signed him to a two-year extension. We werenât going to do it as a rental. He didnât want to go anywhere as a rental. He wanted to find a home, so weâre thrilled that he wanted to waive the no-trade (clause) to come to LA. Weâre happy that we were able to get him to a two-year extension, and after two years, Iâm hoping that weâre working on another extension, but (Iâll) worry about that down the road." Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Holland is no stranger to pulling off major blockbuster acquisitions via free agency or trade, dating back to his time with the Red Wings, when he brought in players such as Dominik Hasek, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille, Marian Hossa, and Brian Rafalski.
"I think it was just a matter of these types of players with this resume are very, very difficult to find, and we had an opportunity to add one today," Holland said of Panarin.
The Kings, who have not won a postseason series since their 2014 Stanley Cup win, just bolstered their lineup with one of the top forwards in the game without having to give up much to acquire him.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
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.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) â Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson is set to make his season debut Friday after recovering from a torn left hamstring.
Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter told reporters, including The Oregonian, on Thursday that Henderson would play Friday when Portland hosts the Memphis Grizzlies.
Henderson, 22, tore his left hamstring during an offseason workout in September and has been working his way back ever since. He has averaged 13.3 points, 5.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds over two seasons since the Trail Blazers selected him with the third overall pick in the 2023 draft.
DETROIT, MI - NOVEMBER 10: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket as Alexandre Sarr #20 of the Washington Wizards plays defense during the game on November 10, 2025 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards play the Detroit Pistons at 7 p.m. tonight at Little Caesars Arena. Watch the game on Monumental Sports Network.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 18: Egor Demin #8 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against the Miami Heat at Barclays Center on December 18, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Heat won 106-95. 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 Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The trade deadline came and went on Thursday. In a decade worth of deadlines, Sean Marks doesnât typically make a big midseason move unless his hand is forced (e.g. Big 3 trades). The loudest move he made at this yearâs deadline wasnât a trade â they waived Cam Thomas. There were other moves, too.
Hereâs a summary of where things stand for the Nets after the NBA trade deadline:
Oct 3, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) reacts after the third inning against the Atlanta Braves of game one of the National League divisional series playoff baseball game at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Repetition is the root of commonality, but there was actually a time when the Dodgers werenât seen as the prohibitive favorites heading into every playoff series. The stage was quite different back in 2013. Largely propelled by first-year impactful performances from Yasiel Puig and Zack Greinke, a Dodgers squad without the depth weâve grown accustomed to returned to the postseason for the first time in four years to play a 96-win Braves team. After a playoff hiatus towards the end of the Brian Cox tenure, Atlanta was making the postseason for the third time in the last four years and was the more experienced team.
One big advantage the Dodgers had over the Braves in that particular series was in the form of high-end starting pitching. While Atlanta had a very successful campaign with the likes of Julio Teheran, Mike Minor, and Kris Medlen â the latter faced Clayton Kershaw in Game 1. Los Angeles had two established aces and a number three in Hyun Jin-Ryu that rivaled any team in that period. Now, the depth after those three was very shaky, which led Kershaw to start Game 4 on short rest even though Los Angeles had the lead in the series, but thatâs getting ahead of ourselves.
Back then, when pitchers still hit, the Braves only trailed the Rockies in slugging percentage among National League teams, finishing the year at .402. Those numbers were a bit worse against southpaws, which made sense given how lefty-heavy that Braves team was at the top, with the likes of Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, and Brian McCann.
On the road, against a tough opponent, and at the height of his powers, coming off what would be crowned his second Cy Young win in the last three years, Kershaw dominated in a manner that we donât even see from the aces these days, pushed well beyond the currently acceptable levels, finishing his outing with a whopping 124 pitches.
Setting the tone early, Kershaw finished the opening frame with bookend strikeouts against Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman, utilizing that patented down-and-away slider to lefties to punch out Heyward and then blowing a heater by Freeman. Back then, the Kershaw had an easy 95-mph heater he could turn to, something he had to adapt to being without for the second half of his career.
Scoring in every inning between the second and fourth, the Dodgers took a commanding 5-0 lead that felt insurmountable with Kershaw on the mound, particularly with a couple of shutdown frames in the second and third. Trailing 5-1, the Braves had an opportunity to get back into things with Andrelton Simmons up, two on and two out, but once again, that slider bailed him out. Kershaw threw a down-and-in breaking ball to the Bravesâ shortstop, who couldnât help but swing on top of it, thus ending the threat.
Kershaw would leave that game with 12 punchouts, which would remain his career high in the postseason for many years until a marvelous eight-inning performance against the Brewers in 2020, in which he recorded 13 Ks, eventually helping the Dodgers win their first championship that year.
Starting a trend that would remain for the better part of Kershawâs prime, the Dodgersâ ace was called upon to pitch on three days rest in Game 4 of this series, as the Dodgers hoped to avoid having to go back to Atlanta for a Game 5. Holding his own as he would routinely do in such instances, Kershaw tossed six strong with two unearned runs in a game ultimately decided in the late innings by a Juan Uribe go-ahead homer.
That Dodgers team faltered in the NLCS, but for where it was in its contention window, it had a decent run, and if it even got as far as the NLCS, it owed a lot of it to Kershaw, who played a humongous role in this series against an equally strong Braves team.
Les Bleus opened the tournament with a dominant victory in Paris
7 mins. The attack is contained by France and a forced pass in midfield is spilled by a green hand. France will have a scrum in their own 22.
5 mins. The Ireland scrum creaks, but holds enough for Gibson-Park to clear their lines. This but of solid work is followed soon after by Osborne banging a MASSIVE 50:22 to give his side their first attacking platform of the game.
Since they werenât able to swing a deal before the NBA trading deadline expired, the Brooklyn Nets are reportedly waiving guard Cam Thomas.
ESPN reported the news Thursday, Feb. 5, which allows Thomas to explore the market and find a new home.
Thomas, 24, had an uneven tenure with the Nets. He proved at times that he was a capable scorer, averaging a career-high 24.0 points per game last season. But Thomas was a restricted free agent this past offseason and a true market never really materialized, so the Nets brought him back on his qualifying offer.
As Brooklyn has transitioned to its younger players, Thomasâ role has been reduced. Still, heâs a young player who has significant deficiencies with his defense and offensive efficiency, but he could provide a boost in the right system.
Here are potential landing spots for Cam Thomas:
Milwaukee Bucks
Now that Giannis Antetokounmpo is sticking around at least through the end of this season, Milwaukee may try to add some pieces to convince Antetokounmpo to commit to the franchise over the long term. The Bucks, though, may be trying to find the balance between staying competitive in the East versus improving their draft pick positioning in whatâs a talent-rich draft. The Bucks rank 23rd in offensive rating (112.9), however, so Thomas could offer a scoring boost.
Orlando Magic
They werenât that active before the trading deadline, but the Magic still have some offensive issues. Paolo Banchero has struggled to take the next step and Desmond Bane has offered a nice boost, but Orlando still could use some perimeter shot creation. The Magic are 25-24 and hanging around the play-in window in the East. Their defense is their strength, so they have other players that can mask Thomasâ deficiencies in that area, but the scoring is what they could use.
Boston Celtics
This is a team with the structure and culture in place to take a potential flyer on Thomas. Certainly, the defensive issues donât align with Bostonâs identity. But the Celtics may also be looking to find a low-cost replacement for Anfernee Simons, whom the Celtics just traded to Chicago for Nikola VuÄeviÄ. The Celtics would feel that Thomasâ career-low 39.9% shooting is more of an aberration, but if thereâs one team that can get Thomas to refine his game, it would be Boston.
Toronto Raptors
Toronto was mostly quiet during the deadline, but this is a team that could still be looking to make some modest improvements to ensure its playoff push. Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley are the primary offensive catalysts for this team, but Toronto still has periods of stagnancy and could use some shot creation off the bench.
Utah Jazz
The big splash was the move to land Jaren Jackson Jr., but the Jazz may still want to land some more offensive talent as Utah makes a push to creep into the play-in window. One reason why this could be a problematic fit, however, is the defensive concerns. The Jazz rank dead last in the NBA in defensive rating (122.0) and Thomas wonât help that.
With the start of camp just a week away, the Yankees have announced their list of non-roster invitees to audition for a spot with the team this spring.
These 27 players not on the team's 40-man roster are attending and will play for a spot on the Opening Day roster or a spot in their minor league system. Seventeen of those players were signed to minor league contracts this offseason and consist of names who have played at a high level in the majors with other organizations already. Seth Brown and Paul DeJong are two of the more intriguing names on this list and could potentially break camp with the team as bench pieces.
For the other 10 players, they are a mix of minor leaguers who have been in the system, but not on the 40-man roster, acquired in the Rule 5 Draft or returned to the Yankees after playing for them in 2025.
High-profile prospects are also in this group, and have ranked highly in MLB Pipeline's list. George Lombard Jr. (No. 32), Carlos Lagrange (No. 79) will be there, while Ben Hess -- the Yankees' No. 6 prospect -- will make his spring training debut.
Spencer Jones and Elmer Rodriguez are already on the 40-man roster and will be attending.
Here are the 2026 Yankees non-roster invitees:
INF/OF Seth BrownÂ
RHP Dylan Coleman
RHP Alexander Cornielle
OF Kenedy Corona
RHP Yovanny Cruz
INF Paul DeJong
RHP Drake Fellows
RHP Bradley Hanner
C Payton Henry
RHP Adam Kloffenstein
INF/OF Marco Luciano
RHP Travis MacGregor
INF/OF Ernesto MartĂnez Jr.
INF Jonathan Ornelas
C Miguel Palma
C Ali SĂĄnchez
INF Zack Short
RHP Brendan Beck
LHP Kyle Carr
RHP Harrison Cohen
RHP Carson Coleman
OF Duke Ellis
RHP Ben Hess
RHP Carlos LagrangeÂ
INF George Lombard Jr.
RHP Michael Arias
C Abraham Gutierrez
Yankees pitchers and catchers are set to report Feb. 11 while position players report Feb. 15.
AUSTIN, TEXAS - JANUARY 7: Carson Tinney #8 of the Texas Longhorns poses for a portrait on Texas baseball media day on January 7, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by The University of Texas Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
When the 2025 MLB Draft was approaching, Texas Longhorns head coach Jim Schlossnagle was hopeful to keep his standout catcher, Rylan Galvan, on the Forty Acres for another season.
Instead, the Buster Posey Award finalist signed with the Chicago White Sox after he was selected in the 13th round, sending Schlossnagle and his staff into the NCAA transfer portal to find an impact replacement.
That search turned into a resounding success story when Texas landed a commitment from star Notre Dame transfer Carson Tinney, also a finalist for the Buster Posey Award as the nationâs best catcher, and the only D1 Baseball All-American to enter the NCAA transfer portal last offseason.
âThereâs never been a good baseball team with a bad catcher, ever,â Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle said this week on the On Second Thought podcast. âWe had to go get a great one and, luckily, Carson was out there and he had a real great interest in Texas.â
âThey proved to develop guys. They proved, obviously, to develop catchers,â Tinney said of his commitment. âI got along with the coaches very well. The area is great. And I was on campus, and it felt like the right place for me, so I pulled the trigger.â
A first-team All-American in 2025 by the NCBWA and Baseball American, Tinney elevated his stock with a breakout season, leading the Fighting Irish in batting average (.348), runs (52), homers (17), RBI (53), total bases (119), walks (34), on-base percentage (.498), slugging (.753), and multi-RBI performances (17) after battling injuries as a freshman that limited him to 15 starts in 28 appearances during which he batted .268 with three home runs and nine RBI.
In the batterâs box, Tinneyâs prodigious pull-side power is elite, producing a top-10 average exit velocity in college baseball last season. This offseason, Tinneyâs exit velocity has reached 112 to 114 miles per hour at Texas and up to nearly 120 miles per hour in training.
PR after PR after PR đ¨
Top college prospect Carson Tinney caps his PR streak at 119.5 MPH EV, landing #2 on the FL college leaderboard đŞ pic.twitter.com/Mn9zC26oMo
âHe has that big, big power â when he comes to the plate, the crowd is going to pay attention because you never know what youâre going to see,â Schlossnagle said.
âHe gets ahold of that ball, itâs going a long way,â Texas sophomore left-hander Dylan Volantis said.
At Notre Dame, Tinney combined that power with the command of the strike zone expected from a catcher in drawing 34 walks for an on-base percentage of .498 and a solid strikeout rate of 25 percent. In comparison, Galvan had a strikeout rate of 35.5 percent, as he was more prone to take close pitches late in the count and swing and miss.
âHeâs improved as an overall hitter, which is what he has to continue to do to be the draft pick that he wants to be and to be the hitter that we want him to be,â Schlossnagle said.
Since arriving on the Forty Acres, Schlossnagle praised the development of Tinneyâs leadership ability and his improvement behind the plate after throwing out 17-of-25 attempted base stealers in 2025.
âHeâs a really good catcher. Heâs got unique receiving abilities. He throws well,â Schlossnagle said.
â đđŤđđ°đŹđđđŤ đđĄđ˘đđđđđŠđŹ (@BrewsterCaps) July 29, 2025
Longhorns pitchers like Volantis appreciate the big target that Tinney presents behind the plate and his coach in the Cape Cod league last summer praised the way that Tinney is able to frame pitches.
âHe makes our pitchers better,â Jamie Shevchik said. âHe steals strikes. Thereâs pitches that are probably two, three balls off the plate that heâs pulling back in and getting calls on.â
This is what a catcherâs system looks like.
Answers for whatever the game demands.
Simple. Fluid. Efficient. Consistent. Effective.
Build the system. Challenge the system. Refine the system.
Despite adding 40 pounds since high school, when he reached 87 miles per hour throwing from behind the plate with a pop time of 1.80 seconds, Tinney has maintained his athleticism.
But no matter how much athleticism and toughness Tinney has, one certainty for the 2026 season is that heâll suffer some knocks playing catcher and need some games off or at designated hitter to stay fresh, so he wasnât the only important addition at the position.
With the departures of Oliver Service and Cole Chamberlain, backup options for Schlossnagle last season, landing a catcher with experience was paramount to allow some development time for signee Presley Courville.
Texas looked to the junior-college ranks to fill that need by signing San Antonio product Andrew Ermis, who made big strides as a hitter last season at Temple, improving his batting average from .255 to .338 with 10 home runs and 41 RBI. According to Schlossnagle, that offensive improvement has continued in Austin, but his floor is set by his advanced catching ability.
âHeâs a really good catch-and-throw guy. I mean, really good,â said the Texas head coach.
The other certainty for the 2026 season is that if the Horns are going to make a run to Omaha, Tinneyâs power in the middle of the lineup and play behind the plate will play crucial roles.
The NHL roster freeze is underway, meaning the St. Louis Blues wonât trade anyone until it ends on Feb. 22.
That doesnât mean there isnât any trade speculation, or that general managers arenât discussing moves they could make before the March 6 trade deadline.
A new report from Ansar Khan of MLive suggests that Blues defenseman Justin Faulk could be the defenseman the Detroit Red Wings need to solidify their blueline.
The Red Wings have no shortage of stout right-handed defenders. Moritz Seider is enjoying a phenomenal season and is considered by many to be a Norris Trophy finalist when the season ends. The 24-year-old has scored seven goals and 38 points this season while averaging 25:40 of ice time. Heâs a two-way defender who brings a physical element.
The other young right-handed defender on the Red Wings roster is Axel Sandin-Pellikka. The 20-year-old has notched six goals and 18 points, showing signs that he can be a good offensive defenseman in the NHL. But he has struggled defensively and requires more sheltered minutes, and thatâs where Faulk comes into play.
Faulk would slide nicely on the Red Wingsâ second pair alongside either Simon Edvinsson or Ben Chiarot. Faulkâs defensive capabilities, and his ability to add offense from the blueline are the exact skillset the Red Wings are looking for.
Faulk wouldnât be required to play big minutes, as Seider and Edvinsson are their minute-munchers. But Faulk would allow Sandin-Pellikka to play sheltered minutes in more offensive situations, which would benefit his game.
Justin Faulk has scored 11 goals and 30 points in 57 games while averaging 22:29 of ice time. (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)
The Red Wings have a boatload of prospects and draft picks that they could use to acquire Faulk. They also have plenty of cap space to acquire Faulkâs full $6.5 million cap hit.
The Red Wings are in the midst of a spirited battle in the Atlantic Division, as they are just four points back of the division lead, but are also just three points ahead of the second wild card spot.
Detroit needs as many experienced players as they can get their hands on, and Faulk would provide them with a much-needed upgrade.
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.
The Diamondbacks traded infielder Blaze Alexander to the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, Feb. 5, in exchange for right-handed reliever Kade Strowd and a pair of minor leaguers, a deal that represents the clubâs biggest addition to its bullpen yet this winter.
Strowd, 28, enjoyed a strong debut in the big leagues last season, posting a 1.71 ERA in 25 games, allowing only one homer, walking 13 and striking out 24 in 26â innings. He arrives in Arizona with six full years of club control.
Strowd, who averages 96 mph with his fastball, pitches predominantly off his cutter, a pitch he threw 41.1 percent of the time. He also throws a sinker, curveball and sweeper.
The Diamondbacks are also getting two prospects: right-hander Wellington Aracena and infielder Jose Mejia.
In exchange, the Diamondbacks had to part with Alexander, who had a breakout second half after taking over at third base following the trade deadline. He hit .230/.323/.383 with seven homers while playing excellent defense at third base.
Alexander became somewhat expendable after the Diamondbacks acquired third baseman Nolan Arenado in a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals last month. The Diamondbacks still have infield depth in the form of Jordan Lawlar.
The Flyers were quiet offensively Thursday night, giving Dan Vladar little support in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Senators.
Jamie Drysdale scored with just 1:14 minutes left in regulation to force OT.
Tim Stutzle scored the winner for Ottawa just 47 seconds into the bonus session.
The Flyers fell to 2-8 in overtime (theyâre 5-3 in the shootout).
The Flyers (25-20-11) head into the Olympic break having lost 12 of their last 15 games (3-8-4). Theyâve been outscored 62-38 in that stretch.
Rick Tocchetâs club failed to build off its 4-2 win Tuesday night over the Capitals. The Flyers havenât won consecutive games in a month. The last time they did was Jan. 3-6.
âEarlier in the season, when we were fighting for one of the top positions in the division, we realized that was probably a little ahead of schedule, probably getting better results that were warranted at the time,â general manager Danny Briere said Tuesday night. âWhat has happened now, the way weâve been playing lately and whatâs happening, I also know that itâs not as bad as the way weâve been playing. So weâre somewhere in between all of that.â
The Flyers went 0-1-2 against the Senators (28-22-7) in their regular-season series.
⢠Vladar once again performed like the Flyersâ best player.
The 28-year-old carried his team with 25 saves on 27 shots.
Ottawa cracked him midway through the game when Nick Cousins scored on a rebound.
Senators netminder James Reimer stopped 14 of the Flyersâ 15 shots.
But the Flyers are now in sixth place. They entered Tuesday seven points back of the third-place Islanders in a crowded Metropolitan Division.
⢠The Flyers had just eight shots at second intermission.
They had little going offensively. They finally started to generate some looks after Ottawa took its lead, but they couldnât scratch one across.
Drysdale saved them late in the third period with a great shot to earn the Flyers a point.
⢠Sean Couturier nearly snapped his goal-scoring drought with a drive to the net in the third period. But the Flyersâ captain was denied and his rebound attempt went wide. He has gone 29 straight games without a goal.
⢠The Flyers at least prevented Claude Giroux from hurting them.
The teamâs former captain has 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 12 career games against the Flyers.
⢠Emil Andrae was a healthy scratch for a fifth straight game.
Tocchet and assistant coach Todd Reirden wanted to keep Noah Juulsen in the lineup because of the penalty killâs recent run of success. But Juulsen ended up not playing at shorthanded (the Flyers committed just one penalty).
The Flyers need to find a way to get Andrae back in the lineup after the break.
⢠The Flyers now go 19 days without a game because of the NHLâs participation in the Olympics.
While the Olympics are in action, the Flyers are scheduled to resume practice Feb. 17. Their first game back from the break is Feb. 25 when they visit the Capitals (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
Flyers recognize their Olympians Dan Vladar, Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen. pic.twitter.com/EdfUZtBeJo
