The New York Islanders enter the quiet part of the 2026 summer with 13 clear NHL forwards, with multiple players pushing for roles elsewhere on the depth chart.
Many expect Victor Eklund to compete for and win a job in the opening-night lineup, but that's far from guaranteed.
The 2026-27 Islanders will not be significantly changed, but a tidal wave of change is bubbling beneath the surface.
Next summer, the Islanders have four pending unrestricted free agents at forward-Kyle Palmieri, Casey Cizikas, Ondrej Palat, and Kyle MacLean.
Matias Maccelli, signed to a one-year, $2.25 million deal, is an RFA, but if the year doesn't go well, he would almost certainly be headed to the UFA market once again.
Simon Holmstrom and Emil Heineman are restricted free agents.
So, as it stands, the Islanders have seven forwards under contract for the 2027-28 season, which becomes eight if you include Eklund.
That number also includes both Anthony Duclair and Pierre Engvall, who remain candidates for a trade as soon as this summer.
That's a wide-open forward group for a crop of young, skilled players to barge right into.
Conveniently, Hamilton's going to be chock-full of those youngsters learning the ropes.
Cole Eiserman, Daniil Prokhorov and Quinn Finley -- Danny Nelson after he finishes his senior season at Notre Dame -- are all very popular names to be the "next" forward to break through after Eklund, with Hamilton first.
One name consistently passed over is Daylan Kuefler, but Kuefler is the closest of them all.
The Islanders originally selected Kuefler, 24, in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, and he's gone on to become an extremely steady pro for Bridgeport despite multiple injuries.
His skill set translates perfectly to the bottom six, with the potential to become a strong third-line shutdown winger who plays with speed and an edge.
It would not be shocking at all to see Kuefler play NHL games this season, as he's already played 105 AHL games to date.
The Islanders and general manager Mathieu Darche intentionally left the door wide-open for these young forwards to grab hold of roster spots.
Defensively, the Islanders will be open for business soon, too.
After the 2026-27 season ends, the Islanders will be able to trade any of their five NHL defenseman not named Matthew Schaefer.
After seeing Darnell Nurse go for positive value, with Morgan Rielly likely to follow, the Islanders can absolutely bank on getting good returns for any of their defensemen, with each one signed to cheap deals under the rising cap.
On the left side, both Adam Pelech and Alexander Romanov could fetch massive hauls.
Teams called this summer on Romanov, likely hoping to get him for a discount after he did not play another game following a season-ending shoulder injury in November.
Romanov's full no-trade clause kicks in on July 1, 2027.
With Isaiah George ready to push for a roster spot now, Kashawn Aitcheson joining Hamilton, and Malte Gustafsson behind them, the importance of the Islanders having flexibility with their defenseman becomes heightened.
This summer of 2026 will be looked back upon as a prelude to the Islanders' future, one led by Schaefer and the young core behind him.
That core is going to have every opportunity to succeed and explode onto the scene.
The contract would kick in for the 2027-28 season, replacing Mitchell's player option that year and starting at $60.9 million (based on the most recent salary cap estimates). It would be worth $272.8 million over the course of the deal.
Mitchell signing to stay in Cleveland is not a surprise. He said after the Cavaliers were swept out of the playoffs by the Knicks that he loved playing in the city and believed this team could reach the NBA Finals. The only mild surprise is that the 29-year-old could have waited a year to sign the extension and gotten a fifth year added onto the deal at a higher price. Instead, he chose to lock things down now.
Mitchell averaged 27.9 points and 5.7 assists per game last season as the best player on a Cavaliers roster that saw dramatic changes around him. At the deadline, Cleveland sent Darius Garland to the LA Clippers for James Harden, who is expected to sign his own extension with the team this offseason.
For a team looking to take another step forward next season, the Cavaliers have been quiet this offseason. However, they are considered the current frontrunner to land LeBron James this offseason, league sources told NBC Sports, although LeBron has not had any direct, official contact with the team, according to reports.
Mitchell has been with the Cavaliers since being traded there from Utah in 2022, and he has now taken the team as far as it has gone since LeBron left again in 2018.
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves placed left-hander Martín Pérez on the 15-day injured list with a left forearm contusion.
Pérez was hit by Juan Soto’s line drive in a 10-9 loss to the New York Mets and left the game. Afterward, Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said X-rays were negative.
Pérez (6-6) allowed six hits and five runs, four earned, in 4 1/3 innings. He has a 3.54 ERA in 18 games, including 14 starts.
Right-hander Carlos Carrasco was designated for assignment after allowing five runs on five hits in two innings.
The Braves recalled right-hander JR Ritchie from Triple-A Gwinnett and called up right-hander Owen Murphy, who has pitched for Gwinnett and Double-A Columbus this season. Murphy would make his major league debut if used in a game.
Atlanta also recalled outfielder José Azócar from Triple-A Gwinnett. Outfielder Eli White was placed on paternity leave.
Ritchie is 1-2 with a 4.53 ERA in nine games, including seven starts, for Atlanta this season. He was optioned to Gwinnett after he threw three scoreless innings to earn his first save in a 14-3 win over New York.
The Mets also made a move before their game at the Braves, acquiring right-hander Matt Seelinger from the Detroit Tigers for cash. Seelinger, 31, was drafted by Pittsburgh in 2017. He had a 3.89 ERA and one save in 27 games with Triple-A Toledo this season and has never pitched in the majors.
Joe Espada was dealt a rough hand before Monday’s series opener against the Washington Nationals.
He was sending one of Major League Baseball’s worst starting pitchers, Mike Burrows, to the mound against one of the game’s best lineups with only a five-man bullpen at his disposal.
Josh Hader and Bryan King were unavailable after pitching on both Saturday and Sunday. Cristian Javier also wasn’t available after throwing two innings Saturday in his first relief appearance since Game 1 of the 2022 ALDS.
That left Espada with AJ Blubaugh; Steven Okert, whose 43 appearances rank fourth in the majors after pitching in two of three games against the Rays; Enyel De Los Santos, who had allowed runs in five of his previous six outings; the wildly inconsistent Nate Pearson; and someone claiming to be Bryan Abreu.
Espada needed a good outing from Burrows, or at the very least a long outing. He got neither. Burrows allowed five runs in the third inning after being handed a 6-1 lead. He got through the fourth without allowing a run. Desperate to avoid his depleted bullpen, Espada sent Burrows back to the mound in the fifth. He surrendered his 21st home run of the season on his third pitch, then retired just one of the next four hitters before Espada had seen enough.
Burrows owns a 5.99 ERA through his first 18 games (17 starts) as an Astro. Only Arizona’s Zac Gallen has been worse among qualified pitchers. Bad luck and poor defense were legitimate excuses for a rough start to the season, but he has a 6.98 ERA over his last nine starts with a 6.55 FIP, so yes, he’s been that bad.
The Astros hoped Burrows could occupy a top spot in their rotation for five years when they acquired him from the Pirates in December. While it seems unlikely right now, he could still reach that potential. But for the good of everyone involved, the Astros need to send Burrows to Sugar Land—or maybe even West Palm Beach.
It would give Burrows an opportunity to work on things in a low-pressure environment. It would also allow Javier, who looked good on Saturday, to move back to the rotation, which would give Espada a bullpen arm he can use on back-to-back days.
The Astros are just 1 ½ games back of Texas for the American League’s final wild card, and the AL West remains in reach. The team sent Burrows to the bullpen last month for what Espada called “a breather.” It lasted one turn through the rotation. He needs more than a breather right now, and with Javier back and Ronel Blanco and Lance McCullers Jr. on the way, the Astros can afford to do that now.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 30: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after a 124-103 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals at Target Center on May 30, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Whether Luka Doncic eventually or eventually does not return to the Dallas Mavericks, this has been a fun exercise to play out if it is even a possibility. Now that we have laid out both the motivation and the path for all parties involved, it’s time to ask the $250 million question. Is this possible? Tyler and David, the architects of the project, give their thoughts.
Tyler’s take
<p>After LeBron went home to Cleveland (and possibly for a third time soon), it feels like anything is possible (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Estabrook Group)</p><br>
So, what are the chances that this can actually happen? For Dallas’ part, everyone who was instrumental in the demise of Doncic has been fired, and the team has pretty clearly shown it’s trying to distance itself from what happened. Yes, ownership is still in place, but I don’t view that as problematic. LeBron went home to Cleveland after Dan Gilbert torched him on the team website right after “The Decision”, left again in 2018, and might even go back for a third tour of duty as a Cav. There’s precedent, and ownership in reality plays a very small role in the day to day operations for a player.
The Mavericks just need to position themselves to be a legitimate contender between now and then. As the Lakers try and manage their way through the West with a deeply flawed roster, the potential that Doncic becomes disgruntled with a situation he didn’t ask for grows. Dallas just needs to be ready to pounce when it happens. It feels like it’s a somewhere between a pipe dream and a somewhat realistic I’ve just seen the future dream for Doncic to come home at the moment. But dreams sometimes turn to reality. And for that matter, sometimes it’s not just a dream. It’s fate.
David’s take
DALLAS, TEXAS – APRIL 09: A fan holds a sign in honor of Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on April 09, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. 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 Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Of course, the plan we laid out is all fan fiction currently. But the facts are the facts. Seeds are being planted that could push Doncic back to the Lone Star State in two years. Realistically, I would give it a 30 or so percent chance. The Lakers will be the only team eligible to offer him a life-changing amount of money, and that may simply be too hard to pass up. We could be overestimating the emotional piece in all this, and maybe Doncic just goes somewhere better positioned to win. A situation like LeBron James returning to Cleveland in 2014 rarely happens, and for good reason. There are a thousand moving pieces in a deal like that. That being said, if the player wants it, the team will make it work. Jim Paschke, former television voice of the Bucks, expressed this exact sentiment recently in an interview with new member of the Miami Heat, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He tells him that he can “always come home”, and the former MVP acknowledges that option will be in his mind. Antetokounmpo is much older than Doncic, and referenced a tail-end Kevin Garnett as the likely precedent to a future move, but the fact remains: an active player is willing to concede that coming home one day is something on their mind.
Sometimes, fans romanticize sports in a way that players never consider. But sometimes, the player is on the same page too. And we have a puncher’s chance that Doncic feels the same way we do.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 12: Garrett Temple #17 of the Toronto Raptors looks on ahead of playing against the Brooklyn Nets in their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on April 12, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Following reports that Willie Green and Joe Boylan will be joining the Dallas Mavericks coaching staff under head coach Dusty May, we are now learning that Garrett Temple will be on board as well.
UPDATE: Garrett Temple is joining Dusty May's coaching staff in Dallas, Dan Eveloff of @PrioritySports confirms to @TheSteinLine.
After a 16-year playing career, Temple has accepted May's pitch to move into coaching on a staff also to feature ex-Pelicans coach Willie Green. https://t.co/OnWkXBP45G
Temple has no coaching experience at the NBA level, but that is because he was playing for the Toronto Raptors as recently as this past season. Temple got his start in the league in 2009 and stuck around for 16 years over two stints that were separated by a single season playing in Italy for Casale Monferrato (2011-2012). During his NBA tenure, he was part of 12 different teams.
The bulk of his career was spent with the Washington Wizards (four years), but his best campaign came with the Brooklyn Nets during the 2019-2020 season when he averaged 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
On the surface, Temple is a puzzling hire. What attracted May to a career journeyman with no coaching experience? The answer primarily lies in that journeyman characteristic. Temple stuck around the league as long as he did in no small part due to him being a positive locker room veteran and mentor to younger players. Apparently, May convinced Temple to retire specifically to join his staff.
May clearly sees something he likes, and although Temple is a somewhat unexpected hire, he absolutely fits the pedigree May seems to be after in coaches such as Green and Boylan. After coaching at the collegiate level and with a relatively young team that is likely to get younger, bringing in a guy like Temple who was himself playing just a few short months ago, is more of a slick move than it appears on the surface. This also speaks to who May is – a coach who can clearly get folks to buy in to what he is looking to do going forward at the helm of the Mavericks.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
The Dodgers' (60-32) Dalton Rushing delivered a walk-off winner in the 11th inning versus the Rockies (37-55), winning, 8-7. The Dodgers have now won five straight versus the Rockies.
Colorado is a 0.5 game up over the Los Angeles Angels for the worst record in baseball. The Rockies are 1-2 in the last three games after winning three consecutive prior. To start July, Colorado is hitting .316 (2nd) with the fourth-most home runs (11) and top five ranks in OBP, OPS, and SLG. Colorado has scored a ridiculous 53 runs in the last six games with a 4-2 record.
Los Angeles is 4-1 over the last five games and 15-5 in the previous 20 outings. The Dodgers are 2.5 games up on the Brewers for the best record in baseball. Shohei Ohtani hit his 299th career home run in the win Monday as he improved his batting average versus Colorado to .355 on the season with seven RBI and nine runs scored.
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Rockies at Dodgers
Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Time: 10:10 PM EST
Site: Dodger Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
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Odds for the Rockies at the Dodgers
The latest odds as of Tuesday:
Moneyline: Los Angeles Dodgers (-286), Colorado Rockies (+228)
Spread: Rockies +1.5 (+108), Dodgers -1.5 (-131)
Total: 9.5
Probable starting pitchers for Rockies at Dodgers
Tuesday's pitching matchup (July 7): Justin Wrobleski vs. Michael Lorenzen
The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani is hitting .288 with 90 hits, 18 home runs and 51 RBI over 312 at-bats
The Dodgers’ Alex Freeland is hitting .226 with 42 hits and 63 strikeouts over 186 at-bats
The Rockies’ Troy Johnston is hitting .310 with 83 hits, 3 home runs, and 39 RBI over 268 at-bats
The Rockies’ Ezequiel Tovar is hitting .209 with 62 hits and 84 strikeouts over 296 at-bats
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rockies at Dodgers
The Dodgers are 44-48 ATS
The Rockies are 50-42 ATS, ranking seventh-best
The Dodgers are 49-43 to the Under, ranking ninth-best
The Rockies are 45-44-3 to the Under
The Dodgers are 18-27 ATS at home, ranking fifth-worst
The Rockies are 24-18 ATS on the road, ranking fourth-best
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Rockies and the Dodgers
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Rockies and the Dodgers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Dodgers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Dodgers at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 9.5
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TORONTO, ON - APRIL 14: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors protests a possession call against the Washington Wizards in the first quarter during Game One of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre on April 14, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. 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 Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) | Getty Images
July 7th, 7/7, is a date that will live in infamy for the world of Toronto sports, because one of our prodigal sons has finally come home, for good. As the clock wound down to 9:30, a hush fell over the room all of a sudden, a blanket of silence broken only by the murmurs of cameramen and the muffled chatter of people in the bleachers, as the crowd waited for Kyle Lowry to take the stand at the podium.
The table was emblazoned with Lowry’s own logo, a brushstroked “K”, with the clawed ball of the Raptors sitting to its right. Notably, the table had two microphones, and two bottles of water. For a minute, I hoped against hope that there would be another player who would come and take the microphone alongside Lowry – Number 10 to go along with Number 7 – but it would not come to pass.
The presser began with a video on a 70 foot screen showing off Lowry’s years of Raptors highlights. GM Bobby Webster took the mic and spoke. He talked about the franchise before and after Kyle Lowry, and began to reminisce on the 2019 playoffs. He talked about game 6 of the NBA Finals, about how Lowry “rose above” everything and everyone on the court. And then, the crowd rose to their feet, giving the point guard a standing ovation as he took the mic.
Lowry shouted out his friends and family, thanking them, before beginning to address the media. He cracked at Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, who got the first question, with the two Raptors icons ribbing each other for their age. Lowry called Toronto a “hockey town, hockey place,” where his hard work tied him to the culture of Toronto. He referenced the 2014 series against the Brooklyn Nets as the moment when he felt like Toronto began to feel like home to him.
“I think I had a hell of a career,” said Lowry. When asked about what he would be doing in retirement, he spoke earnestly, saying “golf,” before continuing, saying how he would value time with family, and the ability to “see my kids grow up.” When asked about his favourite charge that he ever took, Lowry immediately answered that it was the one he took in the All-Star game against Kawhi Leonard. “He still owe me some money from that,” cracked Lowry in his trademark deadpan gruffness. He spoke about his relationship with DeMar DeRozan, reminiscing on their continued friendship, saying that “he’ll be here when the thing [retired number] goes up top.”
Speaking about potentially being memorialized as a statue, stating that if it were to happen, he would to the fans the design of the statue. Mid-press conference, a phone was brought up to Lowry, who revealed that Vince Carter was calling him in, praising the younger guard, and making promises of golfing soon. Like Carter, whose relationship with the franchise was complex, before a capstone retirement, Lowry joked about his at-times choppy connection to the Raptors.
Looking to the future, Lowry spoke about the current state of the franchise, saying that “they’re trying to win another championship,” and when talking about Kawhi Leonard, he said “that’s why he’s here.” He praised current players on the team, namely Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, and another defensive guard, Jamal Shead.
Reflecting on his last game in Toronto last season, Lowry called the moment of applause a “storybook ending.” And then, as if the true end to a movie, Lowry signed a placard printed with his career achievements, posed with his family, as “Let Me Clear My Throat” by DJ Kool rang out over the stadium speakers and photos were taken of the man who many call the Greatest Raptor of All Time. As people off the court, the man who achieved the heights of NBA stardom in the 2010s went out in the most 2010s way possible. With DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win” blasting. A final joke from Lowry. That’s the way he’d want to go out, I think.
The Chicago Cubs (50-40) open a three-game series in Baltimore tonight against the Orioles (42-49). Chicago trails Milwaukee by six games in the National League Central while Baltimore sits twelve games behind Tampa in the American League East.
The Cubs won 6-4 Sunday at Wrigley Field against the Cardinals to salvage the final game of an otherwise lost weekend series. Chicago was outscored 20-1 in the series’ first two games. Baltimore arrives home taking two of three against the Reds in Cincinnati. The O’s won the first two games against the Reds, including 3-0 Friday and 8-5 Saturday before dropping Sunday's finale 3-2.
Tuesday's pitching matchup features veteran left-hander Matthew Boyd (3-1, 5.08 ERA) for Chicago against right-hander Shane Baz (4-8, 4.19 ERA) for Baltimore. The Cubs have pieced together innings from Boyd while dealing with injuries elsewhere in the rotation. Boyd's ability to limit free passes and keep the ball in the yard will be keys to his success or lack thereof this evening. Baz has been one of Baltimore's top swing and miss hurlers with 87 strikeouts in 101 innings. Run support, though, has often been an issue for Baz. The Orioles have scored just 57 runs in Baz’s 17 starts (3.35 runs per start).
The hottest hitter in Chicago's lineup is Pete Crow-Armstrong, who enters the series batting .292 with 19 home runs, 49 RBIs, and 98 hits. PCA went 2-for-4 with a steal and a run scored in Sunday's win over St. Louis. After a slow start to his first campaign in Baltimore, Pete Alonso has been the biggest offensive force for the O’s with 19 home runs and 60 RBIs.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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The Latest Odds: Cubs vs. Orioles
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Chicago Cubs (-118), Baltimore Orioles (-102)
Spread: Cubs -1.5 (+135), Orioles +1.5 (-163)
Total: 9.5 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers and their Stats: Cubs vs. Orioles for July 7
Cubs: Matthew Boyd Season Totals: 33.2 IP, 3-1, 5.08 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 37K, 10 BB
Pete Crow-Armstrong has hit safely in 6 consecutive games (9-19)
Alex Bregman is 3-16 in July
Dansby Swanson is 9-22 over his last 6 games
Pete Alonso was 4-11 in the weekend series at Cincinnati
Adley Rutschman has hit safely in 4 straight games (5-18)
Samuel Basallo is 5-15 over his last 6 games
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Top Betting Trends & Insights: Cubs vs. Orioles
The Cubs are 37-53 on the Run Line this season
The Orioles are 45-46 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 50 times in Baltimore’s 91 games this season (50-38-3)
The OVER has cashed 49 times in Chicago’s 90 games this season (49-40-1)
Expert picks & predictions: Cubs vs. Orioles
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Orioles and the Cubs:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Orioles on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Orioles on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 9.5
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England player subject of racial abuse on social media
Club issue strong statement condemning incident
Wigan Warriors have reported the racial abuse aimed at Junior Nsemba after Super League’s Magic Weekend to the police with their coach, Matt Peet, calling on the sport to stamp out the treatment to which the 22-year-old was subjected.
The England international was the subject of racist comments on social media in the aftermath of Wigan’s victory over St Helens at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday evening. The Warriors have confirmed the matter has been referred to the relevant authorities and the Rugby Football League, while also issuing a strongly worded statement.
Chris Thorburn may not be taking part in the Winnipeg Jets' expanding alumni roster after all. A recent announcement from the St. Louis Blues appears to explain why.
After initially being included on the roster for Winnipeg's alumni game vs. Montreal ahead of the 2026 Heritage Classic this October when the Jets unveiled their growing list of alumni participants earlier this offseason, Thorburn's name has later been removed.
A Jets public relations representative later indicated that the former fan favourite was "no longer a 100 percent commit," with the Blues now confirming the next step in his hockey career.
Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA Today
St. Louis announced a series of front-office promotions following Alexander Steen's transition to general manager, including Thorburn's promotion from development coach to director of player development. The Blues also elevated former Winnipeg Jets captain Keith Tkachuk to advisor to president of hockey operations Doug Armstrong after seven seasons as the club's director of recruitment.
Thorburn remains a familiar face to Jets fans after spending four seasons with the organization following its relocation from Atlanta in 2011. The rugged forward appeared in 255 games for Winnipeg between 2011 and 2015, serving as an alternate captain while earning a reputation as one of the club's hardest-working and most respected veterans.
After finishing his 14-year NHL career as a member of the Blues' 2019 Stanley Cup championship team, Thorburn returned to the organization as a development coach in 2021. His latest promotion puts him in charge of helping guide the franchise's next generation of prospects.
Tkachuk's promotion carries Winnipeg significance as well.
Although he never suited up for the current iteration of the Jets, Tkachuk remains one of the most recognizable players in franchise history after captaining the original Jets before the club relocated to Phoenix in 1996. He played 563 games with the franchise, recording 323 goals and 630 points, cementing himself as one of the organization's all-time greats.
Now, nearly three decades after leaving Winnipeg, Tkachuk continues to climb the executive ranks in St. Louis, joining Thorburn in taking on an even larger role within one of the NHL's most established front offices.
NHL Free Agency began almost a week ago on July 1. According to CapWages.com, 389 players were seeking new contracts, and the list has been reduced to roughly 223 heading into the second official week of the NHL off-season.
When free agency kicked off, 19 former Calgary Flames players became free agents, and now that list has dwindled to eight. Today, we are going to look at the top five players still looking for a new team for 2026-27.
Anthony Mantha
Anthony Mantha had a resurgence season last year with the Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring a career-high 33 goals and 64 points on a team that bounced back and qualified for the playoffs.
The 11-year veteran is one of the top wingers still available, and at 31, he may be looking for a long-term deal, but could end up settling on another one-year prove-it deal before landing a multi-year contract. During Mantha's one season with the Flames, in 2024-25, he scored just four goals and seven points in 13 games.
Cam Talbot
Cam Talbot is an ageless wonder, just recently turning 39 and still looking for a gig in the NHL. For the last two years, he'd been in goal for the Detroit Red Wings, posting a 33-28-11 record on a team that failed to qualify for the playoffs in either of the years he was there. After 13 seasons in the league, he's 278-204-53 with a .911 SV% and 2.69 GAA.
Moreover, last season, Talbot produced a .883 SV% and 3.19 GAA, his totals of the decade, making it a little more difficult to land a starting or backup role on a contender.
Calle Järnkrok
For the past four seasons, Calle Järnkrok has played with the Toronto Maple Leafs, beginning his tenure there with a 20-goal season back in 2022-23. Since then, he's tallied a total of 16 games over the past three seasons. Meanwhile, he was minus-15 last year, the seventh-worst total on the club.
After 13 seasons, Järnkrok has 143 goals and 316 points in 774 games. He'll be 35 at the beginning of the season, and could be looking for a fresh start with a new club on one of his final NHL deals.
Travis Hamonic
Travis Hamonic was a teammate of Talbot in Detroit last season, where he played just 26 games and recorded two points with a minus-11 rating. He'll be 36 next month, which may be a reason why he's still looking for a new deal. Considering his most productive seasons came almost a decade ago, he'll be looking for a modest contract to get him closer to retirement after 17 seasons.
Curtis Lazar
Curtis Lazar played for the Flames' provincial rival, the Edmonton Oilers, last season, appearing in 45 games and picking up six points, including four goals. Two years ago, he had a 25-point season, a career-high for the bottom-six player. Considering Lazar has never played 82 games in a single season, he'll be hard-pressed to land a role on a contender, in what would be his 13th NHL season.
Honorable Mentions
The three other former Flames players left looking for new deals also include Derek Forbort, Jordan Oesterle, and Kevin Rooney. Interestingly, all three of them combined to play four games in the league last season, so the likelihood of them landing a new NHL contract is slim, but never say never. Considering all three are still under 35, they could continue playing professionally with a chance of a call-up.
Jul 12, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (center) gets set to tag out Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (right) attempting to steal second base in the eighth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images
The New York Mets (38-53) are back home for one final series before the All-Star break as they host the Kansas City Royals (37-54) for three games at Citi Field. The Mets took two out of three from the Royals in Kansas City last year, and took two out of three the last time these two teams squared off at Citi Field back in 2024. All time, the Mets are 14-16 all-time against the Royals, which includes their World Series loss in 2015.
The Mets earned a hard-fought split with the Braves to complete a 3-5 road trip. It was a tale of two halves of a series for the Mets in the Braves, which started with two losses (-3 loss on Friday and 14-3 on Saturday) that were dominated by the Braves and incredibly sloppy affairs by the Mets. New York rebounded for two one-run victories, 10-9 win on Sunday (a game that, quite frankly, felt like a loss after they allowed six runs in the ninth to almost snatch defeat from the jaws of victory) and 7-6 on Monday in extra innings. The latter was the team’s second victory when trailing after eight innings this year, a feat they accomplished exactly zero times in 2025.
The main focus around the club continues to be the trade market and trade value for some of their best assets. With the team clearly being sellers, the team appears open to business. Trade rumors have been swirling, and every player on an expiring contract seems to be available. The team will almost certainly look for someone to take Freddy Peralta, AJ Minter, and Brooks Raley, while guys like Clay Holmes and Bo Bichette could also draw some interest. It’s unfortunate that the only things we have to look forward to at this juncture of the season are trade returns and draft prospects, but the club appears to be treating the deadline as a chance to retool rather than rebuild, with their eyes set on competing once again in 2027. This will be David Stearns’ chance to at least gain some points in the eyes of the fanbase if he can really nail the returns on the trades he orchestrates.
One of the lone bright spots continues to be Juan Soto, whose three-run homer on Monday gave New York a two-run lead in the ninth (a lead Devin Williams would eventually relinquish before the team jumped ahead for good in the tenth). Soto was voted in as a starter for the NL squad in the upcoming All-Star game. Soto leads all NL players in OPS (.984) and wRC+ (168) and is ninth among hitters with a 3.0 fWAR. He is also ninth in home runs with 19, tied with Shohei Ohtani, whom he will be battling with for NL MVP honors later this year. While so much has gone wrong for New York this season, Soto has continued to perform at his usual incredible pace, even with the early-season injury that kept him out of the lineup for a little bit. In even the worst of seasons, it’s always a joy watching Soto play baseball for your team.
This series is shaping up to be a race to the bottom of the standings, as both the Mets and Royals are in the bottom-five of records in the league and could be competing to help their lottery odds this week. The Mets currently find themselves one game better than the Royals heading into play today. The Royals, like the Mets, enter this series on a two-game winning streak after taking the final two games of their series against the Phillies. Prior to that, they dropped four in a row and eight of their previous nine.
The Royals enter play with a 95 wRC+ as a team, which is 21st in baseball, and a .708 OPS, which is 20th. Meanwhile, their 384 runs scored are 20th in MLB (no doubt that both numbers were aided by their 15-1 outburst against the Phillies yesterday). On the pitching side of things, their rotation sports a 4.52 ERA (23rd in MLB) and a 4.33 FIP (20th). Their bullpen is by far their biggest weakness, as their relievers enter play tonight with a 5.21 ERA (29th), and a 5.15 FIP (30th), so if you can keep the game close heading into the late innings, you stand a good chance against them.
Bobby Witt Jr. remains one of the best players in the league despite the team’s struggles. Witt Jr. enters play today slashing .292/.364/.467 with a 128 wRC+ and a 4.7 fWAR in 85 games. He has 12 home runs to date and also has 30 stolen bases already, which is tops in the American League and second only to Nasim Nuñez of the Nationals in all of baseball. On the other end of the spectrum, veteran Salvador Perez is having a miserable year, hitting .209/.249/.347 with a 59 wRC+ and a -1.3 fWAR in 83 games. The nine-time All-Star and lone holdover from the 2015 World Series-winning club has the worst fWAR among all position players in baseball, as his career may finally be reaching its end.
Tuesday, July 7: TBD vs. Seth Lugo, 7:1o PM EDT on SNY
TBD
The Mets have not named a starter for Tuesday’s game. It’s likely Kodai Senga could factor into the game in some capacity, but he pitched on July 3, so he may not be ready to pitch on Tuesday.
Lugo is failed to reach the heights of his 2024 campaign, when he finished second in AL Cy Young voting and 15th in AL MVP voting. Despite that, he’s still been a mostly-solid pitcher for the Royals over the past two years. He’s picked up a loss in each of his last two outings, both against the Rays. His last time out, he allowed three earned runs on nine hits over six innings, and before that he allowed seven earned runs on seven hits over five innings. This is the right-hander’s first start against his old club, whom he last played for in 2022.
Wednesday, July 8: Christian Scott vs. Stephen Kolek, 7:10 PM EDT on SNY
Scott was handed his first loss of the year in his last outing, going four innings and giving up three earned runs on two hits to the Braves. He walked four and surrendered two home runs, two things that have plagued him as of late. Specifically, he’s allowed six home runs in his last three starts after allowing just one in his previous eight outings.
Kolek got off to a strong start, earning a win in three of his first four starts, including a complete game shutout in his fourth start of the year. He’s fallen on hard times lately, failing to go beyond the second inning in each of his last two starts. His last time out, he returned from the Family Emergency List to pitch two innings. He allowed three earned runs on four hits in the outing as he picked up the loss to the Rays.
Thursday, July 9: Sean Manaea vs. Michael Wacha, 1:10 PM EDT on SNY
Manaea got hit pretty hard in his last start, allowing six earned runs over five innings against the Braves. It was tied for the most earned runs he’s allowed in a game this season, and the most he’s given up since getting bumped up to the rotation. It was a discouraging step back after a pretty strong stretch for the left-hander, but with no better options, Manaea will remain in the rotation as the club searches for better outings from their starting pitchers.
Wacha is in his 14th major league season and still performing very admirably. The former Met, who is in his third season in Kansas City, leads the AL in innings pitched and has pitched into the sixth in all but two of his 18 starts this year. In his last start, he went six innings and allowed four earned runs on eight hits in a loss to the Phillies. It was the sixth time he’s allowed four earned runs or more this year, and he allowed a season-high three homers after allowing 10 in his previous 17 outings.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 30: Matthew Boyd #16 of the Chicago Cubs pitches during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field on June 30, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s been impossible for the Orioles to sustain genuine momentum this season, and … I’m not sure this series, involving three home games against the Chicago Cubs, is going to be the one that does it.
The Cubs come to Camden Yards in second place in the NL Central, six games back of a red-hot Brewers club, and considering their genuinely bad rotation health luck, to be still in second is pretty gritty of them. At 50-40, Chicago has actually won 7 of its last 10, but that’s despite a starting five that’s been held together with duct tape most of the year. (The Orioles, at 42-49 and buried in fourth in the AL East, 12 games back, don’t have the injury excuse in quite the same way.)
The Cubs bring real thump. As a team they’ve got one of the top two offenses in the game, per Fangraphs, with a .244/.338/.409 slash line with 112 home runs. Pete Crow-Armstrong has been the engine of it, with his .910 OPS with 19 homers and 23 steals, almost an unfair line to be getting from your centerfielder. Dansby Swanson has been so-so for most of the year (.716 OPS) but has caught fire over his last month (.981 OPS). Seiya Suzuki (13 HR, .795 OPS) and Ian Happ (17 HR, .768 OPS) round out a lineup that can change a game with one swing.
On the Baltimore side, the story is uneven as always. Gunnar Henderson has 16 homers but only a .701 OPS. Pete Alonso has quietly been Baltimore’s best hitter (.810 OPS, 19 HR), and Samuel Basallo has shown real thump too, at age 21 (.789 OPS, 14 HR). Coby Mayo, on the other hand, is still searching—a .628 OPS overall, though he’s shown flashes in shorter stretches this year.
Here’s how these two teams match up in each game of the series.
Game 1, Tuesday: 6:35pm Eastern
RHP Shane Baz (4-8, 4.19 ERA, 87 K) v. LHP Matthew Boyd (3-1, 5.08 ERA, 37 K)
Baz has settled in as a legitimate mid-rotation piece since coming over from Tampa, and his recent form has been solid—a sub-.700 OPS against over his last 28 days of work. The one soft spot is the platoon split: he’s been much tougher on right-handed hitters (.667 OPS against) than lefties (.802), and the Cubs lineup has real left-handed power in Busch, Suzuki, and Happ.
Boyd is the wild card of the series. He was an All-Star a year ago, but a biceps strain and then knee surgery have limited him to just five starts in 2026. So far, the numbers (6.00 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) reflect a pitcher still finding his rhythm. If the old Boyd shows up, this is a real problem for Baltimore. If not, the Orioles’ lineup should have chances.
Game 2, Wednesday: 6:35pm Eastern
RHP DeanKremer (1-1, 3.18 ERA, 20 K) v. RHP Colin Rea (6-5, 4.74 ERA, 68 K)
Kremer’s return has been one of the few unambiguous bright spots for Baltimore lately. In three starts since returning from a quad strain, he’s flashing a strikeout rate well above his career norm (10.6 K/9), and the results to match. Whether that holds up over a longer look remains the question, but for now he’s given the rotation exactly the lift it needed.
Rea has been a steadying presence for a Cubs staff that’s had arm after arm hit the injured list (Cabrera, Brown, Taillon, Boyd have all missed time this year) and he’s pitched well in his last three starts specifically, with just three earned runs in 15.1 IP. With one of the worst fastballs in the game by expected run average, he’s not going to overpower anyone, but he’ll compete, and given how thin Chicago’s depth has been, that’s valuable.
Game 3, Thursday: 6:35pm Eastern
LHP Trevor Rogers (6-7, 4.70 ERA, 65 K) v. LHP David Peterson (4-7, 4.28 ERA, 68 K)
Rogers has been the definition of matchup-dependent this year: brutal against right-handers (.779 OPS against) but nearly unhittable against lefties (.526 OPS against). The Cubs lineup skews right-handed outside of Busch, Conforto, and Crow-Armstrong, which doesn’t play to Rogers’s strength the way a lefty-heavy lineup would.
David Peterson has one good thing going for this season: he’s a lefty. Traded from the Mets, the team that drafted him in the first round in 2017, at the end of June, Peterson was struggling in Citi Field and continues to struggle at Wrigley, allowing 12 runs in 9.1 innings so far. Maybe the O’s lately-producing righties—Rutschman, Alonso, Mayo and O’Neill recently—can give the struggling lefty more problems.
The Cubs have a strong lineup, but an injury-riddled rotation. These are winnable games, on paper, for a team that badly needs some. Will the Orioles find enough offense to make it count? What do you think, Birdland?
Jul 6, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Drey Jameson (99) high fives third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) after their win over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Chadd Cady-Imagn Images | Chadd Cady-Imagn Images
Outfielder Max Kepler hit his first home run in a Diamondbacks uniform and racked up four RBIs in Arizona’s 8-0 win over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.
After bringing in Geraldo Perdomo on an RBI single in the first inning, Kepler took Padres starter Walker Buehler deep with a three-run homer in the third.
The Diamondbacks optioned Pfaadt to Triple-A Reno to both get his pitch count built back up as a starter, but also to try and locate the form that just a year ago had the organization looking at him as a foundational piece.
Pfaadt dominated the Padres’ lineup, tossing five scoreless innings while allowing just four hits and did not walk a batter. He struck out six as the Diamondbacks rolled to an 8-0 win at Petco Park.
In two starts since returning from Reno, Pfaadt has allowed one earned run over 10 1/3 innings pitched.
Contreras, meanwhile, has been one of Boston’s most productive hitters, batting .284 with 20 home runs, 59 RBIs and a .920 OPS. His combination of power, patience and postseason experience would strengthen Arizona’s lineup.
Adding Contreras would give Arizona another middle-of-the-order power bat to complement the contact and speed throughout the rest of the lineup.
The Brewers are not an easy team to beat, and the Diamondbacks certainly held their own, but they weren’t able to execute quite enough to make it happen. And the road is not getting much easier.
The Diamondbacks will have to head out on the road, without an off day Monday, to face the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers in six straight divisional matchups.
Though the Padres have not been hitting well, they have a strong bullpen (despite some recent injury news), and games between Arizona and San Diego tend to be hard-fought games, regardless of either team’s record.
The Snakes have leaned hard into lefty-hitting high school position players in the past with Kayson Cunningham (last year’s first-rounder), Slade Caldwell (2024 first-rounder), J.D. Dix (switch-hitter; 2024 compensation-rounder), Ivan Luciano (2024 second-rounder), along with other historic picks such as Corbin Carroll and Alek Thomas. If he gets to No. 15, I could see Arizona being a floor for Jared Grindlinger, but the other potential fits for the Diamondbacks either don’t appear to be a target of theirs or will go about 10 picks later. LSU outfielder Derek Curiel fits here, but he might not make it to this pick; the board is making it easier to take a pitcher here, even if that isn’t normally what Arizona tends to do with high picks.
The Dodgers announced a few roster moves before tonight’s series opener against the Rockies. As skipper Dave Roberts said last night, Evan Phillips is officially back from last year’s Tommy John surgery. Los Angeles also added reliever Carlos Durán to their 40-man roster, though he’ll remain at Triple-A Oklahoma City on an optional assignment.
L.A. optioned righty Paul Gervase to OKC to open a spot in the bullpen for Phillips. They needed to clear a pair of 40-man roster spots, so they released lefty Jake Eder and designated catcher Chuckie Robinson for assignment.
