We are now a bit over a week into Spring Training games and at last, Friday’s game featured just about everyone who will be in the Opening Day lineup March 26 (except Seiya Suzuki, who’s already back in Japan for the start of the World Baseball Classic).
There aren’t many question marks about the Cubs this spring, but here are a few things yet unsettled.
Matt Shaw as an outfielder
Shaw hasn’t actually made very many plays in his few games in the outfield so far this spring. He did make a misplay the other day at Sloan Park. So I can’t really tell you how he’s looked; there just isn’t enough of a sample size.
I will note that Shaw has played only right field so far — no left field, and I suspect he won’t be tried in center. Mostly, I would expect him to play second base and third base to give Nico Hoerner, Alex Bregman and Dansby Swanson a break. The team could also use him as a right-handed hitting DH from time to time.
Porter Hodge, yikes
Hodge was injured much of 2025 after having a strong 2024 and finishing that year as the Cubs closer.
So many were willing to give Hodge a mulligan for last year due to the injuries, and hoped that his natural talent would get him a middle-inning or setup spot behind Daniel Palencia, who’s already been named the closer to start the 2026 season.
Hodge has not pitched well. Again, we are talking about a very small sample size, just three games and two total innings. But he has faced 17 batters and walked seven and allowed four hits, which… is not good. He’s thrown 70 total pitches to those 17 batters, and only 33 of those 70 were strikes.
I suspect Hodge will get another outing or two, but if this keeps up he’ll be starting the season at Triple-A Iowa.
Gavin Hollowell looks good
Hodge was a likely member of the Opening Day roster, but now that’s almost certainly changed.
Hollowell has stepped up and could take that place. Once again, the sample size is only three games, but in three innings Hollowell has allowed one run and struck out eight of the 11 batters he’s faced.
As we all know, relievers are fungible and Jed Hoyer’s front office has done a pretty good job of identifying guys from the scrap heap that have become useful. Hollowell could be one of those guys. He’s 28, so maybe the Cubs could get a couple of decent years out of him.
Dylan Carlson appears to have taken the lead in the fourth-outfielder mix
Carlson went 1-for-2 with a walk in Friday’s win over the Guardians and overall is 5-for-10 this spring with a double and four walks. The usual small sample size caveats are in place here, but it’s notable to me that Carlson was given the DH nod Friday instead of Chas McCormick, who is 4-for-14 so far this spring.
Michael Conforto, who was just signed, should get some playing time soon.
With Tyler Austin now out for “months” (as noted by Craig Counsell) after knee surgery, it appears to me that of the trio of Carlson, McCormick and Conforto, two of them will make the Opening Day roster.
The Carson Kelly/Miguel Amaya tandem continues to hit
Cubs catchers batted .250/.307/.442 with 29 home runs in 2025 in 641 PA. Of those PA, 501 belonged to Kelly and Amaya (with the rest to Reese McGuire).
Kelly and Amaya have combined to go 6-for-17 (.353) this spring with a double and a home run. Spring numbers, yes, small sample size, but I think these two can hit as well as they did last year. Perhaps a bit of a dip from Kelly, who had a career year in 2025, but Amaya looks like he can finally put everything together, as long as he stays healthy.
Those are a few of the things I’ve seen so far this spring. What have you noticed?
Detroit Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle bats at live batting practice during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
By this time of year, we’re often a bit exhausted with prospect lists and rankings. Baseball America, Keith Law, Baseball Prospectus, MLB Pipeline, and our own re-ranking of the Detroit Tigers farm system are already a month or more in the books. But FanGraphs does a particularly detailed job for the most part, and often Eric Longenhagen and his staff have some contrary takes that are worth considering.
On Friday, they dropped a new set of rankings and reports for the top 47 prospects in the Tigers system. Longenhagen labels the system one of the best in baseball and very hitter heavy. That last bit has rarely been remotely the case for this system, even over the past decade of renewed emphasis on young, cost-controlled talent.
There are no real surprises at the top, as you’d expect. Basically the whole industry thinks Kevin McGonigle is the best pure hitter in the minor leagues, and one of the best in years. He and center fielder Max Clark draw 60 FV grades, while shortstop prospect Bryce Rainer gets a 55 FV grade, and the catcher-first base combination of Josue Briceño and Thayron Liranzo both get 50 FV grades. All five were on FanGraphs earlier release of their national top 110 prospects rankings.
We won’t both with much of a rundown of their reports. You can find the whole article available here for free and it is a comprehensive look at the system, with more emphasis on some of the teenaged international free agents than we’re able to produce. On the top five ranked prospects, we’ll just note that it’s good to see at least one national site didn’t completely panic over Thayron Liranzo’s tough 2025 season. The fact that Liranzo shook off the injuries and personal losses that marked his first tour with the Double-A Erie SeaWolves and got in outstanding condition over the offseason bodes well for a better 2026.
Where things get interesting is that FanGraphs only has the Tigers with two 45 FV caliber players in teenaged outfielder Cris Rodriguez and 2025 first round teenaged shortstop Jordan Yost. We agree on both, and suspect that like Kevin McGonigle, there’s a bit of underestimation going on in regard to Yost’s power potential. Everyone agrees he’s a very advanced defensive shortstop with good plate discipline and outstanding contact ability for his age. The question is offensive impact, and it will take a few years, perhaps, to see how that plays out.
Still, that’s only two 45 FV players. Most other sites have included some of Hao-Yu Lee, Max Anderson, Andrew Sears, and even teenaged pitcher Kelvis Salcedo and shortstop Franyerber Montilla in that 45 FV tier. We also have lefty Jake Miller up in that group, unlike basically anyone else. If he doesn’t turn into a good bullpen arm or backend starter over the next two years, you can roast Brandon for that one, but we’re pretty convinced he’s got the goods and just needs to get beyond the hip issues that plagued him last season and for which he had surgery in the offseason.
Notable on the rankings is the number of international free agents who haven’t yet come stateside (shoutout to Alysa Liu). We don’t rank and report on too many of those players unless they’re really known quantities with a lot of data available, because we won’t see them play much until they reach the Florida State League. FanGraphs has more resources, obviously.
Beyond Cris Rodriguez, the Tigers top IFA prospect, and right-hander Kelvis Salcedo, who impressed with advanced stuff and good strike throwing in Lakeland last year, FanGraphs has numerous other IFA prospects and reports that are interesting.
We loved the signing of center fielder Randy Santana in their 2026 signing class last month. His huge speed and power toolkit is exciting, and FanGraphs has him 14th in the system, right after 19-year-old shortstop prospect Angel De Los Santos. They both get 40+ FV grades, as do catcher Manuel Bolivar and shortstop Oscar Tineo, both top names from the 2026 class along with Santana. Those are all key names to watch for the longer term future of the Tigers’ system.
The Tigers IFA signing class last month is the most highly and widely regarded we’ve ever seen for the organization. They’re all years away, but hopefully that’s a good sign that Scott Harris and Jeff Greenberg’s adjustments to the Tigers international department will pay dividends in the years ahead.
Starting pitcher Jhonan Coba, still 19 and due to pitch in Single-A this summer, presumably, is another name worth watching from recent IFA classes, as are teenage shortstop Luis Aguilera, and center fielders Josueth Quinonez and Andy Mata. All get just 35+ grades at this point, but they’re just getting started.
As noted, the long-term question in the system is whether they’re going to develop enough pitching. Adding McGonigle, Clark, Briceño, and hopefully Bryce Rainer and Thayron Liranzo in the years ahead should give the Tigers a really strong positional group to work with for a long time. They have a lot of very young talent already that could form the next wave. What they need is some of their litany of talented but banged up arms drafted over the last three years to get beyond the injuries and start developing as hoped.
Right now, we have Miller, Salcedo, Andrew Sears, and right-handers Lucas Elissalt and Jaden Hamm as the best of the bunch. Obviously Hamm’s stock has taken a real hit over the past two seasons as he was scraping the end of top 100 lists not too long ago. Elissalt was the low key breakout pitching prospect of 2025, and needs only to get stronger and refine his command a little more to leap toward the top of the Tigers’ system.
The Tigers appear pretty well stocked with bats for the long haul. Hopefully the pitchers take a turn for the better. Only time will tell on that front.
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 27: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on February 27, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
1. Dominant Shooting Display
Coming off of Boston’s lowest scoring output of the season against the Denver Nuggets at only 84 points, the Celtics came back home to TD Garden and set a new season-high in points with 148 against the Brooklyn Nets. Boston did this with some historic shooting, going 52-78 (67%) from the field and 22-34(65%) from three point range. This resulted in the highest effective field goal percentage in NBA History, at 80.8%. Looking at the shooting chart, it is all Celtics green.
2. More Incredible Ball Movement
Continuing the trend on the Celtics historic offensive night, Boston racked up 38 assists in their win over Brooklyn, a new season-high and the most they had in a game since the 2022 season. When asked about the Celtics ball movement postgame, Joe Mazzulla talked about how it was funny people equate assists to ball movement. He said, ““Sometimes you only need one pass for an assist. We’re making good reads we’re making shots. So we have to continue to be able to do that.”
Joe Mazzulla on the Celtics ball movement coming out to 38 assists tonight
“Sometimes you only need one pass for an assist. We're making good reads we're making shots. So we have to continue to be able to do that.” pic.twitter.com/xSaoIxS8f9
In the Celtics 97-81 win against the Phoenix Suns on February 24th, Boston used a 50-11 run between the second and third quarters to pull ahead and stay ahead to take the victory. In this game, Boston once again used long scoring runs to control the game, this time it was a 51-16 run from the 7:07 mark of the third quarter to the 6:56 mark of the fourth quarter.
Hard to believe by the final score, but this was a close game at halftime, where the Celtics led 66-57. You could tell that Boston was going to eventually win this game, but recent history has showed that Brooklyn does not go away quietly. However the Celtics outscored the Nets 43-26 in the third quarter and 39-28 in the fourth quarter to end it.
4. Nikola Vucevic Bounce Back
In the loss to the Denver Nuggets, Nikola Vucevic had one of his worst games with the Celtics, finishing with 2 points and 8 rebounds on 1-7 shooting. In his matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, Vucevic bounced back with his best game as a member of the Celtics, finishing with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists on 9-13 shooting from the field, 3-3 from three point range, and 7-7 from the free throw line. Vucevic is the third player in Celtics history to record 25+ points, 10+ rebounds and 85+ TS% off the bench alongside Kevin McHale and Payton Pritchard.
In the Celtics recent games, teams have started to pull the chair out from Nikola Vucevic when he gets the ball inside. To counteract this, Vucevic showed off some quick post moves tonight, getting the ball and putting up the shot before the defense had time to make their move.
Vucevic was also incredible when it came to trailing and rolling in the pick-and-roll in this game. He always ended up in the right place at the right time for a pass from Jaylen Brown or Derrick White on the roll and it was a masterful display.
You might see people using databallr statistics to diminish the incredible season that Jaylen Brown is having. According to the numbers, Brown is a net negative according to his on/off rating at a -10.1. Boston is a +5.2 net rating when he is on the floor vs a +15.3 net rating off the floor. I have to quote the great Homer Simpsons of The Simpsons fame to give you my opinion on this stat: “People can come up with statistics to prove anything Kent. Forty percent of all people know that.” Brown showed he was a huge positive in this game against the Nets, finishing with 28 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block on 9-12 shooting from the field and 4-4 from three with a +25 +/-.
The Nets decided to put two defenders on Brown for most of this game and because of that, he was able to dissect the defense and find the shooter for a wide open shot.
Scoring wise, Brown was able to get to the basket at will and take advantage of very poor defensive play by the Nets. On most of these possessions he is able to get the switch on to a big and blow by them for an easy look at the rim. His three point shooting was very impressive to me as well because Brown doesn’t take a lot of threes and in this game he was able to knock down some pretty difficult step-backs on some solid contests.
Payton Pritchard was another player who had a tough game against the Nuggets and was able to bounce back in a big way. He finished with 22 points and 5 assists on 9-12 shooting from the field and 4-5 shooting from three. He was also a +40 in +/- in this game, the highest on the team in this game. Pritchard had a great run in the second quarter when he scored 8 straight points on Brooklyn but the fourth quarter is where he started to show out.
Not taking any chances, Pritchard scored 9 points on 4-4 shooting from the field and 1-1 from three, finishing as a +15 for this quarter alone. He utilized the jumper in this scoring run and used his handle to get his defender off the spot so he could splash the shot in their face and kill any potential momentum that Brooklyn tried to build.
In his last 10 games, Derrick White is averaging 6.8 assists since becoming the Celtics starting point guard. I have raved about his ability to pass in another article but he once again showed these improvements of timing on his passes in this game. White finished with 12 points, 7 assists, and 2 blocks on the night and did an amazing job setting up his teammates. His most impressive passes in this game for me came along the perimeter. When the Celtics were swinging the ball around, White did a great job of finding the open man for the a wide open three.
In a game where 6 Celtics players ended up in double digit scoring, Baylor Scheierman finished with a very underrated great game. In 13 games in the starting lineup this season, Scheierman is averaging 8.7 Points, 6.3 Rebounds, 2.5 Assists 1.1 Steals on 42% shooting from the field and 37% shooting from three. In this game he had 10 points and 6 assists on 3-3 shooting but there was a sequence in the second quarter of this game that puts into perspective how good he has been.
Baylor Scheierman has been really good in games that he has started this season: 8.7 PPG 6.3 REB 2.5 AST 1.1 STL 42% FG% 37% 3P% pic.twitter.com/aSx7wasge8
In the second quarter, at the 3:43 mark, Scheierman had the ball on the wing with the shot clock running down. He then fired an incredible hook shot pass to Sam Hauser in the corner who splashed the three. Then on the next offensive possession, Baylor got into the paint, stopped on a dime, and hit a sweet fadeaway jumper.
This is the perfect sequence to show the improvements that Scheierman has made since his rookie season. Last year he was known for some flashy passes but not much more. This game proved that he knows when to make the right play. Last year there were times where he was timid when it came to creating his own shot. This game proved that his confidence is at an all time high.
9. Hugo Gonzalez Cutting
Hugo Gonzalez had a very good game coming off of the bench in this one, finishing with 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 blocks on 4-6 shooting. He didn’t hit a three in this game but the thing that made him so impactful was his ability to cut to the basket when the Celtics are looking for it. Two of his cuts came when Brooklyn decided to double the Celtics player with the ball. Hugo came streaking in from the three point line and was able to finish with an easy dunk. The other came on an alley-oop inbounds play from Scheierman where Gonzalez had a free lane to the hoop.
At the trade deadline this year, the Celtics decided to trade Josh Minott to the Brooklyn Nets despite showing some flashes with Boston earlier this season. Despite only playing one game for the Nets since the trade, Nets coach Jordi Fernandez talked highly of the young wing’s character. Fernandez said, “Great personality. Just you could say that he’s been a teammate in the group for a long time the way he’s just blended in right away. He knew what we were about.” He also talked about Minott ramping up with the G-League team for this game.
I asked Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez how it has gone integrating former Celtic Josh Minott into his system.
“Great personality. Just you could say that he's been a teammate in the group for a long time the way he’s just blended in right away. He knew what we were about.
In his second game with Brooklyn against the Celtics, he had a semi-Revenge Game against Boston, finishing with 9 points on 4-7 shooting in 16 minutes off the bench. The play he was able to exact his revenge came in the first quarter with a monster poster dunk on Hugo Gonzalez that had everyone in the crowd stunned.
Overall I think Brooklyn will be a great place for Minott to continue his development as a player. There are very low expectations for Brooklyn right now and if they end up getting another top pick, he could be a very nice insulating player behind the rest of the rookies. I am very high on Minott so I hope he has a very long and successful NBA career moving forward but tonight the Celtics got the better of him in this matchup.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - FEBRUARY 27: Nikola Vucevic #4 of the Boston Celtics attempts a three-point basket against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at the TD Garden on February 27, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
During Nikola Vučević’s Boston Celtics debut, both sides struggled. Three weeks ago marked the beginning of Vučević’s acclimation, and since then, his synergy has begun to take shape.
It was a stark contrast on Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets. Vučević’s offensive instincts kicked in, and decisively; he wasn’t hesitant. He was constantly in motion, whether it meant rolling to the basket or hanging around the perimeter, ready for a catch-and-shoot three. The Vučević on the floor 21 days after debuting was exactly what the organization was looking for at the trade deadline.
Checking in after Boston’s 148-111 one-sided win over Brooklyn at TD Garden, Vučević admitted he’s felt the progress take form but knows there’s still work to do.
“It’s been pretty good,” Vučević told reporters, per CLNS Media. “I’m still getting used to the offense and my new teammates, and learning their tendencies — learning my ways. At times, I overthink a little bit, which makes me hesitant and takes away my aggressiveness. And I feel like tonight I was able to put it more together, just play off my teammates.”
The synergy between Vučević and the Celtics extended beyond his comfort zone. Boston came within inches of breaking the 43-year-old record set by the 1983 San Antonio Spurs for the best single-game field-goal percentage (70.7 percent). In the fourth quarter, the Celtics hovered around 70 percent, but a few misses down the stretch left them at 66.7 percent. Still, they set the all-time mark for effective field-goal percentage (80.8 percent), surpassing last season’s Milwaukee Bucks (80.4 percent).
Vučević provided 28 points and 11 rebounds off the bench in 25 minutes, notching his third double-double in a Celtics uniform.
“Just have to find the right balance of playing my game, being aggressive, using my instincts, but make it fit within what we want to run,” he told reporters.
Vučević shot a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, pitching into a dominant night of Mazzulla-ball. The Celtics shot 64.7 percent, knocking down 22 of their 34 attempts from 3-point range.
In many ways, it looked as though Vučević had reached the final stages of his acclimation. There were no force-feeds to get him going, nor any need for patience from Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. Vučević simply looked like himself, even though in Boston, that requires adjusting to a role off the bench rather than in the starting lineup. For many players around the league, that challenge could affect their ability to contribute.
However, Vučević has steadily turned each Boston appearance into a stepping stone — even as Mazzulla prefers not to let him get too comfortable for the team’s sake.
“I hope that he’s never completely comfortable because then we don’t get better,” Mazzulla told reporters, per CLNS Media. “But whether it’s walkthrough, whether it’s film session, whether it’s practice, we’re just constantly watching film, communicating — what do you see here? Where can we get better at? The thing with him is that because of his versatility, he’s going to see different stuff throughout, and we have to be ready to react to that as well as him.”
Vučević has functioned as something of an addition-by-subtraction acquisition. He isn’t as quick or crafty as Anfernee Simons, but he restores what the Celtics lost this past offseason: a true floor-spacing center.
Boston parted ways with Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet — a trio that included two of the league’s best 3-point shooting big men. Substituting Simons for Vučević, though, reintroduces that element, while also allowing Mazzulla to slide Payton Pritchard back into his natural sixth-man role alongside Vučević, thus strengthening Boston’s depth and lineup balance.
“Every day is a day we get better,” Jaylen Brown told reporters, per CLNS Media. “So we’re continuing to find him in his spots, and allowing him to feel more comfortable is big time for our team. I think today was a great step forward. I like to see him aggressive. I think that’s a good sign for us, especially when teams are trying to double or take certain parts of the game away. I think he did a good job today.”
Mazzulla initially said that getting Vučević settled in would be a two-sided effort, required from both Vučević and his new Celtics teammates. So far, both sides have pulled their weight. Friday night’s victory reflected that effort coming to fruition, and Vučević noticed it coming together in real time.
“Tonight, everything clicked,” Vučević told reporters. “We took our time with our decisions. Everything was done with more attention to detail.”
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 17: MacKenzie Gore #1 of the Texas Rangers poses for a portrait during photo day at Surprise Stadium on February 17, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, LSB.
Shawn McFarland has three observations from another Rangers spring training game, one in which MacKenzie Gore left the beats impressed.
Nikola Jokic popped to his feet and angrily confronted Lu Dort after the Thunder forward tripped him during the Nuggets’ overtime loss Friday night at rival Oklahoma City.
The three-time league MVP said afterward it was a “necessary” response to a play that earned Dort an ejection from the game early in the fourth quarter at Paycom Center.
“It’s an unnecessary move and a necessary reaction,” Jokic said after the 127-121 loss to the defending NBA champions. “There is no such thing — I think there’s not supposed to be those things on a basketball floor. “So, it was just an unnecessary move and a necessary reaction by me.”
Lu Dort was ejected after appearing to trip Nikola Jokic on this play.
Jokic and OKC center Jaylin Williams also were assessed double technical fouls on the play in the confrontation between the sides that went to seven games in the second round of last year’s Western Conference playoffs before the Thunder eventually secured the NBA title.
It was ruled via review that Dort’s foul was a flagrant 2 — resulting in automatic ejection — after replays showed he backed into Jokic as they ran up the court and stuck out his right foot to trip the eight-time All-Star.
Jokic being held back in front of Dort (5). Getty Images
Jokic bounced up and angrily bumped chests with Dort before Williams stepped in and traded shoves and jersey grabs with the Denver center.
Coaches and officials then broke up the ensuing on-court scrum.
“Just competing,” Williams told ESPN. “Two teams competing, that’s it. That’s all I got.”
Dort sticks out his right leg as Jokic runs by. @ESPN/X
Crew chief James Williams told a pool reporter after the game that the refs deemed Dort’s contact “to be unnecessary and excessive with a high potential for injury.”
OKC coach Mark Daigneault seemed to suggest that the ruling was based on Jokic’s status among the league’s best players.
Jokic gets in Dort’s face. @ESPN/X
“I will say this: If [Williams] is running up the floor and gets tripped, we expect a flagrant 2 from this point forward,” Daigneault said. “That’s all. If that’s the precedent, if that becomes a malicious play and flagrant 2 is the line in the sand on that, we would expect that if it’s [Williams]. We would expect that if it’s anybody. And if that’s the case, we’re good.”
The game also featured the return to the Thunder lineup for reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 36 points and nine assists in 34 minutes after sitting out the previous nine games due to an abdominal strain.
The teams will meet again March 9 in Oklahoma City.
The Carolina Hurricanes will look to extend their point streak to 12 games on Saturday night as they welcome the Detroit Red Wings to the Lenovo Center.
Two of the top five teams in the Eastern Conference by points percentage square off, as both clubs come in having won their first game back from the Olympic break.
The Hurricanes are more or less in cruise control toward their first regular season division championship since the 2022-23 season with an eight-point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins with 24 games to the finish line.
Detroit, on the other hand, is working through a gauntlet of an Atlantic Division. The Tampa Bay Lightning lead the way, but the Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres are all looking like quality playoff teams.
While all of those squads look like safe bets to make the playoffs, the jockeying for positioning down the stretch will be one of the most compelling stories in the league.
These two teams played an entertaining game in the Motor City on January 12 when the Hurricanes forced overtime with a late goal before the Wings took the win in overtime on a goal that featured a controversial no-call on a possible interference infraction right in front of the Carolina net.
If this game is anywhere near as compelling as that one, the fans are in for a treat.
Here’s how to check out the action…
Time: 7:00 PM
TV: FanDuel Sports Network. Mike Maniscalco will handle play-by-play alongside Tripp Tracy doing color. Hanna Yates will provide off-ice reports as well as host pregame starting at 6:00 and postgame that will run for about 30 minutes after the conclusion.
Streaming:FanDuel Sports Network App for fans in the Carolinas. Outside of the area, the ESPN app has you covered as they have every out-of-market hockey game available to watch.
Radio: The pregame on 99.9 The Fan starts at 6:30. At 7:00 PM the Hurricanes Radio Nework (consisting of 99.9, 730 The Game in Charlotte, ESPN New Bern 107.5/1490, and ESPN Greenville 107.5/1570) picks up the FDSN feed. You can also stream the call on the Hurricanes app.
Feb 26, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryce Miller (50) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Hello friends, and welcome to the weekend!
Last night the Mariners dueled in the desert with the fearsome Snakes, losing 3-1 in what Kate aptly described as a snoozer.
Speaking of sleep, I’m coming to you live after finally getting a decent night’s rest. I am a pretty picky sleeper. Not on purpose, mind you. I just need to be in a bed, in an adequately cold room with minimal light and sound (except my requisite white noise machine or app) and I will generally sleep fine. But I am not the kind of person who can sleep on couches, recliners, cars, trains, or planes.
How about you? Are you someone who can sleep just about anywhere, or are you a more restless soul like myself? Sound off in the comments.
In Mariners news…
After a lost season last year, Ryan Bliss is back and ready to prove that he deserves a spot on the big league roster. Adam Jude at The Seattle Times has the story. ($)
Bryce Miller opened up about his elbow issues and why he decided to forego surgery this winter. It turns out that, like all of us, even Miller himself was initially confused why he shouldn’t just get the procedure done.
Could Colt Emerson make a serious run at an Opening Day roster spot this year? Daniel Kramer has the latest.
Matt Monagan at MLB dove into the legend that Negro Leagues sensation Josh Gibson hit a 600+ foot home run in Puerto Rico.
Players around the league were asked about the strangest superstitions they’ve seen in the league. I feel like I’m learning a lot about Logan Gilbert today.
Anders’ picks…
I am all the way here for the island vibes. 2027 can’t come soon enough!
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Bobby Witt Jr. #7 of the Kansas City Royals at bat during the sixth inning of a Spring Training game against the Chicago Cubs at Surprise Stadium on February 23, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“We talked about it earlier in the spring,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro told reporters in Surprise, Arizona. “We talked and toyed with the idea of all different lineups. But this, specifically, was to give him a chance (to bat leadoff), because I’m pretty sure he is going to do it with Team USA (in the upcoming World Baseball Classic). Let him do it for a couple of days before he leaves.”
The goal was to work on Garcia’s first-step quickness and both his backhand and forehand plays. There’s a reason third base is called the hot corner, and if Garcia can see as much quick spin and create as many angles as he can in practice, theoretically, it makes it easier in the game.
“The spin when the right-handed hitter hits to my backhand is a little bit tough in the game because it’s the big leagues and they hit it hard,” Garcia said. “So it’s kind of hard to read it. But when I moved to third, I just started waiting for the ball, don’t go forward too much because they hit it too hard. And then when we [went] to the forehand, we [were] trying to work on my first step, right after I got the ball with the backhand. That’s going to help me because I can get to more balls in the hole.”
“It’s just a reminder of how strong our culture is, which we take a lot of pride in,” president of baseball operations and general manager J.J. Picollo said. “We want to celebrate accomplishments and celebrate our team, but there are times when we need to celebrate individual accomplishments, and this day is one of them.”
Joining Witt and Garcia as the next potential core pieces of Kansas City’s lineup are Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen, who had wildly different debuts last season. Caglianone arrived in June with a heaping helping of hype following his legendary collegiate career and speedy ascent through the minors, but he faceplanted as a rookie, ranking as one of the least productive hitters in baseball. That Cags was exposed so harshly was not a massive surprise, considering his hyper-aggressive approach. Now it’s on the talented 23-year-old to flush his forgettable debut and figure out how to tap into his tremendous raw power more reliably against the best arms on the planet.
The Royals’ top-tier talent is good enough to claim a playoff spot. It will be up to the supporting cast, and possibly two young hitters who could step forward. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is an MVP candidate. A healthy season from lefthander Cole Ragans could result in Cy Young Award votes. The Royals developed third baseman Maikel Garcia, first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and lefthanders Kris Bubic and Noah Cameron into their best selves. The X-factor for Kansas City is the performance of second-year slugger Jac Caglianone and rookie catcher Carter Jensen. Breakthroughs from them would lengthen the lineup.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 16, 2025: Carson Benge #3 of the New York Mets looks on during the third inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Washington Nationals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 16, 2025 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
From the very beginning of the offseason, David Stearns—normally one who plays things extremely close to the vest—has been fairly clear whenever the subject of the 2026 outfield comes up. He has repeatedly stated that 2024 first round pick Carson Benge will enter spring training with a chance to win a starting job for the major league team. The team’s actions over the past few months—trading franchise stalwart Brandon Nimmo, pursuing exactly one starting outfielder (ultimately settling on center fielder Luis Robert Jr.) while leaving the other empty spot wide open—have only further proven that Stearns has not been misleading us on the subject. And while he is facing some competition this spring, it’s not exactly a murder’s row of alternative options—recent signings MJ Melendez and Michael Tauchman would probably be the likeliest alternatives, but they are both players who have some strengths but may be better served as backups.
Indeed, while Benge is not an absolute lock to make the team—there is always the chance that the Mets could decide he needs a little bit more time in the minors—it seems clear that the front office’s hope is that he will head north with the club as their starting right fielder. And if he happens to not make the team right out of camp, it’s fair to assume that he would still get the call to the majors before too long.
It’s not hard to see why the Mets are enamored with Benge. After being drafted with the 19th overall pick out of Oklahoma State in the 2024 draft, the 23-year-old outfielder was sensational in his first full pro season last year. He started off his year in Brooklyn, whose park has a history of being murderously tough for left-handed hitters specifically. It was perhaps a sign of how high Benge’s stock would ultimately rise that he was up to the task of playing in that difficult environment, as he put up a 168 wRC+ in 60 games in High A ball along with a respectable .178 ISO despite hitting just four home runs. Once he received a midseason promotion to Binghamton, his power numbers surged, as he put up a .254 ISO and doubled his home run output from his Brooklyn numbers in almost half the games played in Double A ball. That dramatic surge against improved competition caused the Mets to once again promote him, though shortly after arriving at Syracuse he was hit in the hand with a pitch and subsequently missed a few weeks. His numbers upon returning to finish out the season were not particularly impressive (more on that in a bit), but those couple weeks of middling production were not enough to dampen an exceptional season. Splitting time across three different levels, he put up a .281/.385/.472 slash line with 15 home runs (good for a 150 wRC+) and 22 stolen bases across 116 total games.
All of these factors have caused Benge to dramatically rise on various prospect lists this offseason. Virtually every reputable outlet has ranked him as the second best prospect in the Mets’ farm system, behind only Nolan McLean. In overall MLB prospect rankings, he has come in at 16th by MLB Pipeline, 19th by Baseball America, 15th by ESPN, 18th by The Athletic, 10th by Baseball Prospectus, and 21st by FanGraphs. Virtually all of the write-ups from these outlets have painted a similar picture of a player who is solid in virtually all aspects of the game (if not outright great in any one particular area). Evaluators have also praised Benge’s outfield defense, suggesting that he could prove to be an above-average center fielder. While the Mets may end up giving him some playing time there, the acquisition of Robert means that the majority of his playing time in 2026 will almost certainly come in right field, where he should grade out as a plus defender.
Despite all the factors working in Benge’s favor, there has been a somewhat surprising lack of excitement from Mets fans—a group that, historically, has not had problems with placing grand expectations upon prospects with much lesser pedigrees—at the idea of him playing a major role for the 2026 team. Some have outright questioned the logic of almost handing him a starting job right out of the gate and called for Stearns to acquire another outfielder before the season starts. Two primary reasons have been cited for this skepticism: 1) Benge’s poor numbers in his limited Triple A action last year suggest that he could use more seasoning before being fully ready for the big leagues, and 2) putting this much confidence in any rookie with zero major league experience is a big gamble for a team with playoff aspirations.
Let’s address both of these points. The first one is fairly easy to counter: While a cursory glance at Benge’s Baseball-Reference page will suggest that he struggled in Syracuse, the actual batted ball data shows that he was hitting the ball about as hard and consistently as he was in the lower levels. MLB.com’s Sam Dykstra provided the specific numbers recently:
Benge ran an above-average 105.9 mph 90th-percentile exit velocity at Triple-A, topped out at 110.4 mph and made contact on 87 percent of his pitches inside the zone. (MLB average for Z-contact was 83.2 percent.) His chase rates were fine, too, if closer to average, while his 18.4 percent K rate and 8.7 percent walk rate didn’t scream struggle. Instead, Benge may have fallen victim to rough luck in a smallish sample – his .188 BABIP was significantly lower than his marks of .372 and .337 at High-A and Double-A, respectively.
When taking these factors into account, it makes sense that the front office was not particularly discouraged by Benge’s showing in Syracuse. Perhaps something about his performance in spring training will suggest that he needs more minor league time after all, but pointing to his bad topline numbers in 24 Triple A games without looking at the larger context is not an effective argument against his major league readiness.
The second point is perhaps a bit more complicated. Because yes, trusting an unproven rookie inherently carries some amount of risk. Benge wouldn’t be the first top prospect who couldn’t translate his minor league dominance into major league production, and he wouldn’t be the last. And if he proves to not be ready, the Mets will be in a bit of pickle, as they might well have a major hole in their outfield. But let’s consider a couple of factors here:
Given the additions the Mets have made to the offense this offseason—Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, the aforementioned Robert—there are, on paper, relatively few gaping holes in the lineup right now. Benge will probably start out the season in the bottom third of the lineup, where there won’t be all that much pressure on him to put up huge numbers. If he winds up being the great player the Mets expect him to be and they move him up in the order, great. But it’s not an outright requirement for the team to be successful.
Recall who Benge would be replacing in the outfield. Brandon Nimmo, despite showing clear signs of decline, was broadly fine in 2025 but no more than that. He put up a 114 wRC+ last year with defensive statistics (0 OAA) that, quite frankly, probably undersell the level of degradation in his outfield skills. Benge is a very, very safe bet to be a significantly better defensive outfielder than Nimmo in 2026. If he provides even comparable offensive numbers (i.e. slightly above average production), he will almost certainly prove to be an upgrade over what the Mets got out of the position in 2025. And that is a somewhat measured projection for Benge—there is upside for a much greater level of offensive output.
Again, the Mets would not be in an ideal position if Benge proves to not be ready for a major league role—but they wouldn’t necessarily be helpless. Tauchman or Melendez are not particularly exciting options, but maybe one of them proves to be at least passable if pushed into a more meaningful role. Maybe Baty proves that he can be at least passable in the outfield and the Mets just end up playing him there more. Maybe one of the team’s other top prospects with outfield flexibility—A.J. Ewing, Ryan Clifford, maybe even Jacob Reimer—becomes ready at some point in the season and can take the job. Or—worst case scenario—the Mets may need to address the hole at the trade deadline, where it is usually not particularly hard to find decent corner outfield options available. Point being, there will likely be ways for the team to pivot if they need to.
Here is what I would consider the most important point: Every front office makes decisions about which risks they are willing to accept and which ones they are not, but virtually every player the Mets might have acquired to play over Benge would have carried some type of risk. Stearns could, for instance, have decided that the safety of acquiring a proven major league contributor would have made it worth it to beat the Yankees’ offer for Cody Bellinger and place in one of the corner outfield spots. That might make us feel more comfortable projecting a baseline level of production in 2026, but the team would then be assuming risk in potentially locking themselves into a player for more years than they were comfortable with. He could have signed a smaller name to a lower-level contract—Mike Yastrzemski or someone of that ilk—but then you are locking out the potential higher upside that a player like Benge provides. You can do this with essentially every other player the Mets could realistically have pursued. So when the subject of risk comes up with Benge, we should acknowledge the potential fallbacks, but we should also note that the risk of placing trust in a top 20 prospect is not actually THAT high when compared to the risks that alternative moves would have held. It’s just a different type of risk—but nevertheless a calculated one.
All of this is an extremely long-winded way of making a pretty simple point: we should be very, very excited to see the Mets giving Benge runway to be a major contributor to the team right out of the gate this year. Given his prospect pedigree, the median scenario we should be hoping for is that he will at least be a solid starting player—someone who perhaps needs to sit against some tough lefties to start but provides good offensive and defensive value on the whole. And again: the upside for even greater outcomes is there. Along with McLean, Benge could well be a leading candidate for National League Rookie of the Year (and it is worth noting that either of those two players winning the award would grant the Mets a PPI draft pick in the following year’s draft, provided they are both on the major league roster for most of the season). And given the emotional blow of the team losing numerous homegrown core players this offseason, the prospect of Benge coming up this year and cementing himself as a stalwart piece for the franchise’s new core should be one that puts a smile on every fan’s face.
GOODYEAR, AZ - FEBRUARY 19: Joey Cantillo #54 of the Cleveland Guardians poses for a photo during the Cleveland Guardians photo day at Goodyear Ballpark on Thursday, February 19, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Nic Antaya/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
We are finally back. Now a week into Spring Training, quite a few pitchers are showcasing a lot of intriguing tweaks and adjustments to their arsenals, starting with Gavin Williams.
First off, a quick shoutout to TJStats for chart images and more! A more than worthwhile site that you should use throughout baseball season.
Secondly, I *WILL NOT* be looking into a pitcher’s velocity unless it is substantially up or down. We will call this the Doug Nikhazy rule.
Gavin showcased a sinker at times in 2025, going to it less than 7% of the time, but in his first Spring start, it was heavily featured and likely lends to the belief that he will lean on it more in 2026. It was mislabeled at times on Statcast on Tuesday against LA and only tracked four sinkers, labeling three others fastballs, but thanks to the TJStats daily ‘Pitch Editor’, I was able to switch over the fastballs that matched the sinker profile, and came out with a quality breakdown of where Gavin’s sinker is at heading into the season.
Gavin’s sinker last season averaged 9.7 inches of induced vertical break and 15.1 inches of arm-side run. He went to it almost exclusively against right-handed hitters. In his first outing of the Spring, he turned to it against just righties, and it profiled with better shape, generating 11.7 inches of induced vertical break and 16.4 inches arm-side. Similar to his cutter last season, I expect his sinker to take a step forward in usage this season as he continues to round out his arsenal.
Now we’ll take a look at another Guardians starting pitcher, Slade Cecconi, who showcased more aggressive changes in arsenal in his first outing, and I am very excited about it.
Above shows the difference in movement patterns between Cecconi’s slider and cutter from 2025 to his first outing in the Spring. Cecconi’s cutter got him into quite a bit of trouble when he used it last season. It often turned into a cement mixer and hovered in the middle of the plate far too often, getting barreled at a 20% rate. In his outing on Wednesday, Cecconi’s cutter worked along an axis identical to his 4-seam (1:15), finding a more stable horizontal axis. His slider also generated nearly three inches more glove-side break with less induced vertical break.
He slider went through a more pronounced change. It works along a better horizontal axis, and in doing so, it’s become more sweeper-like. Cecconi generated more horizontal separation between his cutter and slider during his outing where it was more of a diagonal drop last season. This is a much needed change for Cecconi, whose struggles to work across the zone with his breaking pitches got him hit hard throughout 2025. He will need to utilize his slider more consistently to do this (3.1% usage in ‘25), and with a far better shape (106 TJStuff+ on 2/25, 98 TJStuff+ in 2025).
BULLPEN NAMES TO WATCH
Shawn Armstrong showcased his good cutter/sweeper combo in his first outing on Wednesday
Expect Armstrong to be a strong help along the back-end of the ‘pen. Gaddis will need him.
Cody Heuer has struggled substantially early in his first couple outings this Spring.
31.4% overall zone-rate and 30% walk rate across 10 batters faced…not great!
Franco Aleman’s two appearances have been split results
First outing saw better command with swing and miss on slider
control woes continued in second outing; allowed a home run and walked two batters, struggling to locate his secondaries still
SPOT START SQUAD WATCH
Will Dion: 2 IP // 3 K // 0 ER // 4 whiffs // 28.6% whiff rate // .225 xwOBACON
Showcased great command, quality low 90s fastball with good VAA traits; slider looks to be improved; likely this year’s Nikhazy
Austin Peterson: 1.1 IP // 1 K // 1 BB // 3 whiffs // 4 ER // .565 xwOBACON
Lived in the heart of the plate; does not have the stuff to venture inside the shadow; doesn’t have the stuff to get deep in counts to nibble
Doug Nikhazy: 2 IP // 1 K // 1 BB // 0 ER // 3 whiffs // .663 xwOBACON
Breaking stuff continues to be impressive
fastball continued to look fringy; both induced whiffs and got smoked
Nov 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Jason Dickinson (16) tries to score against the Colorado Avalanche during the third period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
With two of five games in a seven day stretch now behind them, it’s safe to assume that the Colorado Avalanche were looking forward to the weekend.
This afternoon, the visiting Chicago Blackhawks will make their only regular season appearance in Denver, as the Avs face their third consecutive Central Division opponent in four days.
Colorado Avalanche (38-10-9)
The Opponent: Chicago Blackhawks (22-27-9)
Time: 4:00 P.M. MST/6:00 P.M. EST
Watch: ALT, ALT+ (Avalanche Broadcast Area), CHSN (Blackhawks Broadcast Area), ESPN+, NHL Center Ice (Outside Regional Broadcast Areas – US), SN+, NHL Centre Ice (Canadian Broadcast Areas)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche currently sport a .500 record for the month of February, going 2-2 in that time frame. This would sound a lot more alarming if it weren’t for the extended Olympic pause that led to playing only four games through the month. A victory today would keep them from posting their second consecutive sub-500 month of hockey, and would certainly provide a lift after losing 5-2 to the visiting Minnesota Wild this past Thursday. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 31 of 34 shots in a contest that featured an impressive goalie duel between him and Filip Gustavsson—who stopped 45 of 47 shots in his own right—only to be overshadowed by questionable judgement (see Brent Burns launching the puck into the crowd during an Avalanche penalty kill that was already down not one, but two skaters) and officiating (poke checks are penalties now?).
Coach Jared Bednar lamented his team’s inability to widen the gap on both Minnesota and the idle Dallas Stars. “It’s the standings at the end of the year is what matters, right? So, that [game] was a missed opportunity; that’s what that was. Nine points if we win, two games in hand, that’s a long road to try and catch you, and now it’s tight. Five [points] with two [games] in hand, and there’s lots of hockey to be played. We’ve just got to take care of our business.”
The loss allowed Minnesota—playing in a first game of a back to back pair of their own—to leapfrog over Dallas to second place in the Central Division, closing to within five points of the Avs. However, just like the Avs, Minnesota failed to seize the moment in their second half of back to back games, as they lost to the Utah Mammoth by a score of 5-2 at Delta Center on Friday evening. The loss prevented them from closing to within three points of the Avalanche, who can now restore their seven point cushion with a win this afternoon.
Hockey giveth, and hockey taketh away.
Nathan MacKinnon returned to the lineup against Minnesota for the first time since returning from the Olympics, and while he did not add to his NHL goal scoring total—he remains at a League best 40 goals—he did reach the 95 point plateau (Edmonton’s Connor McDavid leads all skaters with 100 points). Martin Nečas, who scored his 24th and 25th goals of the season on Thursday evening, trails Brock Nelson (30) for third place in team scoring, and is three goals shy of tying his career high (28). While the loss to Minnesota may look lopsided by box score alone, Blackwood’s play to keep his team close for the majority of the contest ought to merit a return to the crease today.
The Avs still remain the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and League standings. Coming into this afternoon’s game, they have a game in hand on Dallas (who will be in action at American Airlines Center tonight against the Nashville Predators), and three games in hand on Minnesota.
Today’s game is the second in the three game series with Chicago. The Avs won the previous matchup on November 23, a 1-0 decision.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Gabe Landeskog – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Artturi Lehkonen – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Victor Olofsson Joel Kiviranta* – Parker Kelly – Gavin Brindley
Defense: Devon Toews – Cale Makar Josh Manson – Brent Burns Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski
Between the Pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood Scott Wedgewood
Kiviranta, who was injured during the second period after taking a hit from Minnesota’s Zach Bogosian, is uncertain for today’s game at the time of this writing.
Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago had a great start to 2026, winning five of their first six games in January. However, they followed up that effort by losing nine of their next twelve games prior to the Olympic break. Currently occupying seventh place in the Central Division standings with 53 points, they remain two points ahead of last place St. Louis (51). They kicked off a five game road trip prior to the Olympics, with their most recent effort being a 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday evening.
Like Colorado, Chicago also representation in Italy at the Olympics, but to a significantly smaller scale. Center Teuvo Teravainen won the bronze medal alongside Kiviranta as a member of Finland’s roster. The notable absence is center Connor Bedard, who was not invited to participate as a member of Canada’s Olympic roster. Bedard, who scored his twenty-fourth goal of the season against Nashville on Thursday night, currently leads all Chicago skaters in assists (30) and points (54), and ranks second to left wing Tyler Bertuzzi in goals (26).
While Bedard’s solid sophomore campaign led many to believe that he was on the short list to be selected to the Olympics by Hockey Canada, he was ultimately left off the roster once the final selections were announced. Bedard missed twelve games with an upper body injury sustained in a literal last second face-off sequence against St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn back in December, leading many to speculate if the injury was a key factor in leaving Bedard off the Canadian Olympic roster.
Goaltender Spencer Knight is three wins away from tying his career high (19) in his first full season with Chicago. He will likely start today against Colorado. Despite leading all Chicago goaltenders in wins (Arvid Soderblom has five wins on the season and Drew Commesso has one), Chicago has given up more than two goals in fourteen of ninteen games played in since the start of the New Year. That has contributed to the third worst goal differential (-33) in the NHL; only St. Louis (-52) and Vancouver (-62) rank lower.
Today’s match-up against Colorado marks their only regular season visit to Denver, and marks the first game of a back to back weekend. They will finish the weekend in—where else?—Salt Lake City against the Mammoth on Sunday afternoon. The season series against Colorado will conclude on home ice at United Center on March 20.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Ryan Greene – Connor Bedard – Andre Burakovsky Oliver Moore – Frank Nazar – Tyler Bertuzzi Ryan Donato – Jason Dickinson – Ilya Mikheyev Teuvo Teravainen – Nick Foligno – Landon Slaggert
Defense: Alex Vlasic – Louis Crevier Connor Murphy – Sam Rinzel Matt Grzelcyk – Artyom Levshunov
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 29: Pavel Zacha #18 of the Boston Bruins celebrates his first period goal with David Pastrnak #88, Jonathan Aspirot #45, and Morgan Geekie #39 against the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden on January 29, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by China Wong/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
With a 3 PM start, you’re getting the rare “Preview/Public Skate” combo!
Hold onto this post, it may be worth money someday.
I say “3ish” for the start time, as these ABC national games always seem to kind of just start whenever they want. 3:01, 3:12, 3:99…you decide.
The Flyers beat the Rangers in OT last time out, a 3-2 road win on Thursday.
With that win, the Flyers are still hanging around the very fringes of the Eastern Conference playoff race: they’re eight points behind the Bruins for the second wild card spot, with three teams between them and the B’s.
Similar to Thursday night’s game, the Bruins fill be facing a team attempting to chase them down in the standings, so it goes without saying that this is a pretty big game for both sides.
(I should probably stop saying that in general, as that will be the case for every game unless a team is completely out of contention. Cliches are fun though.)
One of the reasons the Flyers have been hanging around: the play of former Bruin Dan Vladar, who has been a great signing for Philly.
Vladar is 17-9-6 on the season with a 2.46 GAA and .905 save percentage. He has stumbled a bit lately though, posting a 1-3-3 record in his last seven starts.
These two teams met at TD Garden back in late January, a 6-3 win for the Bruins that saw the home team get goals from six different scorers.
Spreading the wealth, etc.
It remains to be seen if Jeremy Swayman will draw back in for the Bruins today. You could make a pretty convincing argument that Joonas Korpisalo deserves another start after Thursday’s performance, but I guess we’ll see.
Michael DiPietro was sent back to Providence on Friday, an indication that Swayman will at least be available to dress.
Other than that, not much has changed since Thursday for the black and gold.
Bobby Brink has seen his shot volume increase since Tyson Foerster went down with an injury.
My Bruins vs. Flyers predictions expect that trend to continue in a favorable shooting matchup against Boston.
Let’s take a closer look at my NHL picks for Saturday, February 28.
Bruins vs Flyers prediction
Bruins vs Flyers best bet: Bobby Brink Over 1.5 shots on goal (-170)
Bobby Brink’s shot volume has risen noticeably without Tyson Foerster, especially at home.
Before Foerster’s injury, Brink averaged 1.5 shots on 2.5 attempts in Philadelphia. He has since produced 1.8 shots, 3.6 attempts, and gone Over 1.5 shots 62% of the time.
The boost is more noticeable in favorable matchups. In five home games against Bottom-10 shot suppression teams, Brink has averaged 2.6 shots on 4.4 attempts. He cleared this line in each.
The volume should remain strong against the Boston Bruins, who’ve allowed the third-most shots to wingers over their last 10 games.
Bruins vs Flyers same-game parlay
Philadelphia Flyers forward Owen Tippett has averaged 3.6 shots on 6.6 attempts over his last 10 home games, going Over in eight of them.
The lone Unders were against stingy shot suppression teams like the Senators and Kings — which the Bruins are certainly not.
Projected starters Jeremy Swayman (fourth) and Dan Vladar (15th) both rank near the top of the league in Goals Saved Above Expected, meaning it should be difficult to translate those shots into goals.
Bruins vs Flyers SGP
Bobby Brink Over 1.5 shots on goal
Owen Tippett Over 2.5 shots on goal
Under 6.5
Bruins vs Flyers odds
Moneyline: Boston -105 | Philadelphia -115
Puck line: Boston +1.5 (-250) | Philadelphia -1.5 (+205)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+115) | Under 6.5 (-135)
Bruins vs Flyers trend
The Flyers have hit the Under in each of their last five games (+5.00 Units / 90% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Bruins vs. Flyers.
How to watch Bruins vs Flyers
Location
Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Date
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Puck drop
3:00 p.m. ET
TV
ABC
Bruins vs Flyers latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
It’s a busy Saturday evening across the National Hockey League, with a total of 13 games on the schedule. That means there’s lots of value in the NHL player props, and I’ll include Brayden Point, Matthew Schaefer, and Macklin Celebrini.
Read more in my NHL picks for Saturday, February 28.
Best NHL player prop bets today
Player
Celebrini Over 3.5 shots on goal
-120
Schaefer anytime goal
+475
Point Over 0.5 assists
+115
img alt="Get a first bet encore up to $800 with the BET99 promo code COVERSNHL" width="100%" loading="lazy" src="https://img.covers.com/promo-articles/bet99nhlcreative2526.jpeg"Get a first bet encore up to $800 with BET99 bonus code COVERSNHL. (not available in Ontario)
Our best NHL player props for Saturday, February 28
Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.
Prop #1: Macklin Celebrini Over 3.5 shots on goal
-120 at BET99
Macklin Celebrini just lit it up with Team Canada at the Winter Olympics, proving to the world he’s already one of the NHL’s elite. He never has any issues creating chances, averaging 3.48 SOG per contest.
The Sharks star didn’t get on the scoresheet in his first game back from the Olympics, but Celebrini did register five shots on target. He’s cashed the Over in SOG in three of his last four games.
He’ll get pucks on net against the Oilers tonight.
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSCA, SN
Prop #2: Matthew Schaefer anytime goal
+475 at BET99
Matthew Schaefer’s rookie season has been one for the ages. The first overall pick has collected 41 points overall, and that includes 18 goals.
He’s given the Islanders a boost on both ends of the rink.
The youngster bagged two goals in his first game since the break on Thursday against the Canadiens, and he’s found the back of the net in four of his last six appearances.
The Isles face the Blue Jackets tonight, and that’s good news for Schaefer. He’s lit them up in 2025-26, already scoring twice across two meetings. Schaefer will score No. 19 this evening.
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MSGSN, FDSN OH
Prop #3: Brayden Point Over 0.5 assists
+115at BET99
Brayden Point has missed substantial time this season due to injury, but his numbers are still impressive.
In 39 games, he’s scored 14 goals and registered 21 helpers. The Canadian has hit the ground running since the NHL returned from the Olympic break, too.
The 29-year-old has notched assists in back-to-back games, setting up a goal on Wednesday against the Maple Leafs. He also had another helper in Thursday’s loss to the Hurricanes.
The Lightning welcome the Sabres to town tonight, and Point has collected 11 assists in 18 home contests.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Celebrini Over 3.5 shots on goal
Schaefer anytime goal
Point Over 0.5 assists