The Detroit Pistons are back at it, trying to rebound from a disappointing loss to the Houston Rockets. The good news is, if you need a get-right game, you can’t do much better than face the Sacramento Kings. The Kings have lost four in a row, crashing back into reality after a fun little four-game winning streak. To win, however, Detroit is going to need to figure out its offense — particularly if Cade Cunningham remains significantly less than 100% and can’t be counted on for 30-ish points. Jalen Duren can still do his work inside, but the spacing is a huge issue, and the lack of a second creator is an uncomfortable reality while Jaden Ivey remains post-injury-Ivey and Caris LeVert remains … Caris LeVert. It’d be nice to see Javonte Green and Daniss Jenkins find a groove that leads to the confident, efficient outside shooting that the Pistons are capable of in spurts.
Game Vitals
When: 3 p.m. ET Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit Odds: Pistons -13.5
At the Giants’ FanFest event in San Ramon on Saturday, which was challenging for Lee to attend, the three-year outfielder told reporters about his favorite part of the team-bonding experience on his home turf.
“It was super surprising — and honestly, really surprising — to see that support from my teammates and coaches, and obviously, really great to get off to a great foot there,” Lee said through a translator. “So, [I’m] excited to build on those relationships this season.”
“Honestly, the whole trip stands out to me,” Lee added. “It’s something that I won’t forget for the rest of my life. But if I had to pick one moment, [it would] definitely be when we got out to some nice Korean barbecue and had a great experience with the coaches and teammates.”
It sounds like Lee had a great time — and good food.
But that’s not all.
Lee also highlighted that the Giants’ brand seems to be growing strongly in South Korea, which is a development that clearly means a lot to him.
“Yeah, it’s pretty evident the support that the Giants have in my home country in South Korea,” Lee said. “And it’s pretty cool to see the fans rallying around the team and getting excited about us over here in San Francisco.”
Lee’s job as a professional ballplayer in San Francisco has taken the 27-year-old far from home.
However, Lee’s organization has prioritized his comfort, opening itself to South Korea while attracting more Giants fans in the process.
“It’s really cool to see the Giants investing and putting a bigger focus on my home country,” Lee said. “And I’m really excited to kind of keep that momentum going.”
They'll be going for a sweep of their four-game road trip against a Canucks team that is the worst team in the league. They've lost 12 of their last 13 games and enter Sunday's game with a 17-29-5 record.
The Canucks are in full sell mode and have already traded star defenseman Quinn Hughes and forward Kiefer Sherwood. There will likely be other players on the move before the trade deadline.
Elias Pettersson leads the Canucks with 13 goals and 30 points in 43 games. Filip Hronek is right behind him with four goals and 29 points in 51 games.
Brock Boeser is also a threat to score from anywhere on the ice and has 12 goals this season. Jake DeBrusk and former Penguins forward Drew O'Connor also have 12 goals each this season.
A win would give the Penguins a four-point cushion over the New York Islanders for second place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Penguins are expected to run the same forward combinations from Thursday's game in Edmonton and will get Kris Letang back from injury after head coach Dan Muse confirmed to the media that he's available.
Here are the expected lines:
Forwards
Rakell-Crosby-Rust
Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin
Mantha-Kindel-Brazeau
Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari
Defensive pairs
Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Kulak-Letang
Shea-St. Ivany
Stuart Skinner will start in goal after having Thursday off. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
The Chicago Blackhawks will celebrate their annual “Hockey Fights Cancer” night at the United Center on Sunday. This game will take place against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
Florida, coming off an emotional overtime win over the Minnesota Wild one night prior (courtesy of Brad Marchand), comes into Sunday 27-20-3. The Blackhawks are 21-22-8. Both teams are alive in very different Wild Card races, but each needs all the points it can get.
Scouting Florida
The Florida Panthers enter Sunday five points out of the playoffs. The Atlantic Division is loaded, and a couple of very good teams will miss out as a result. Being the defending champs doesn’t get you any grace in the standings.
Florida is without its best player, Sasha Barkov. He was injured during training camp and is likely to miss the entire season. Matthew Tkachuk, who is also a game-breaking forward, just returned for the first time last week.
Verhaeghe - Rodrigues - Reinhart
Greer - Bennett - Tkachuk
Luostarinen - Lundell - Marchand
Vilmanis - Kunin - Samoskevich
Forsling - Ekblad
Mikkola - Balinskis
Bjornfot - Petry
Tarasov
Future Hall of Famer Sergei Bobrovsky started in their win over the Wild, so Daniil Tarasov is projected to be the starter. With the way Florida defends and plays when they do have the puck, they have full confidence in both guys.
Brad Marchand, who scored in overtime on Saturday, is still a game breaker at his age. Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Anton Lundell, and Carter Verhaeghe are also players you game-plan for. With that many impactful forwards, it is no wonder that they've been in the final for three straight years.
On defense, they are missing Seth Jones, who is going to be missing from the Olympics as well. Even without him, Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling play a key role in their championship-caliber defending.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Chicago Blackhawks are coming off a 2-0-1 stretch. They didn't play perfect hockey against the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday and Friday's back-to-back games, but they still found a way to earn three of four points.
Moore-Bedard-Burakovsky
Greene-Nazar-Lardis
Bertuzzi-Dickinson-Mikheyev
Donato-Foligno-Slaggert
Vlasic-Crevier
Kaiser-Levshunov
Grzelcyk-Murphy
Knight
During the morning skate, Jeff Blashill had Oliver Moore and Nick Lardis seperated, but both are in the top six. This is an opportunity for Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar to skate with talented and speedy wingers around their age. Moore has played better as a center, and with Bedard, he will take faceoffs and be involved in all three zones.
Spencer Knight will get the start for Chicago against his old team. After a great goaltending performance all around last week, Knight is looking to keep it going.
Colton Dach and Sam Lafferty are the healthy scratches here. As of now, there are no illnesses to report; only Teuvo Teravainen is still out with an injury.
How To Watch
The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it is available on CHSN locally and on NHL Network nationally. The puck will drop shortly after 6:00 PM CT.
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The winter storm sweeping through parts of the eastern and southern United States hit Memphis hard, leading the NBA to postpone the game scheduled for Sunday between the Denver Nuggets and the Grizzlies, the league announced.
The game "has been postponed due to inclement weather in the Memphis area," the league said in announcing the decision.
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 19: James Harden #1 of the LA Clippers interacts with fans after the game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on January 19, 2026 in Washington, DC. 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 Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Almost had it, but not quite. The Brooklyn Nets had the Boston Celtics on the ropes Friday night, but a late mistake proved costly as they ultimately fell short in double overtime. The L was the team’s fourth in a row.
The opponent tonight, amazingly, is back in the playoff chase. A couple months ago, the Los Angeles Clippers looked dead in the water and were dangerously close to landing near the top of the NBA Draft, which would wind up going to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Luckily for them, they’ve figured things out. They beat the LA Lakers on Thursday night and have won eight out of their last ten games.
Where to follow the game
YES Network on TV. Gotham Sports on streaming. WFAN on radio. Tip after 9:30 PM.
🤕
No Cam Thomas (left ankle sprain), Nolan Traore (illness), Haywood Highsmith (surgery recovery) or Noah Clowney (back soreness.) Ben Saraf is back with the big club
No Bradley Beal, Bogdan Bogdanovic, or Derrick Jones. Kawhi Leonard is questionable. Chris Paul remains in exile thanks to the Clippers front office.
As the Nets PR staff noted to ND, the trip west was eventful thanks to the weather in the Northeast…
Nets flight to LA was affected by weather. It got in to LA late last night. The charter was delayed 4 hours on the ground, then flight took over 7 hours to get to LA as plane needed to fly around some weather. Team arrived around 10 pm LA time, 1 am NY time. Game is 9 pm LA time.
But they are now safely ensconced in L.A. where it’s 62 degrees and partly sunny.
Nic Claxton and Day’ron Sharpe are going to be in for a fight on the inside tonight. Ivica Zubac is tied for fifth in the NBA in rebounding at a shade over 11 boards per game. He’s especially tough to deal with on the offensive glass as he captures almost four o-boards a night. To make things more challenging for the Brooklyn duo, Zu is tremendous at the rim. The big guy has shot 70 percent on shots inside of three feet for six consecutive seasons and has an especially soft touch on jump hooks and the like. With Clowney banged up, more will be on their plates tonight. Both of these teams have struggled on the glass this month. Brooklyn is 29th in rebounding in January while Los Angeles is 25th. Whoever wins the possession battle has a great chance of winning this game.
If the Nets want to keep up with the Clips, they’re going to need a huge night from Michael Porter Jr. MPJ struggled in the first matchup against Los Angeles, which was a game after he experienced an MCL sprain against the Orlando Magic. He’s toughing it out, but it has taken a bit of a toll on his performance. Either way, he’ll see if he can make something happen, especially if Leonard is limited tonight.
This Nets team has a great tendency to bounce back and fight harder after tough losses. It speaks to the buy in across the roster and with a team looking to find its future, something that’s a good value to possess. As Nic Claxton recently said:
“It’s so many games when you play an 82-game season. So, you really just can’t get too high, you can’t get too low. You get beat by 50, you got to be ready to respond. If you lose a tough game like this, you just kind of just got to be even-keeled through everything.”
Gotta keep picking yourself up every time you get knocked down.
Player to 👀: James Harden
Just when you think it’s over, Harden reminds you how special he is. This is year 17 for the future Hall of Famer and while he’s not at the gravity bending highs of his peak, is still incredibly good at what he does. The Beard is still a great finisher at the rim, a foul drawing magnet, and has gotten his turnover rate considerably down even as he’s taken on more offensive responsibilities. Harden still has his flaws of course, but the good he does outweighs it. As the Clippers hope to go on a miracle run this postseason, they’re going to need their lead guard to play at a superstar level if they want to beat the bevy of title contenders in the Western Conference.
With no Traore, Egor Dёmin and Drake Powell will get more minutes at the guard position. Dёmin hasn’t crossed the 25 minutes played plateau in each of his past four games, but that should change tonight with Traore and Cam Thomas out. This is the start of a five game road trip that will take the Nets across the country. We’re deep in the dog days of the NBA season as everyone’s waiting for the trade deadline to pass and then the All Star break so they can get some much needed rest. For rookies trying to find their footing, it’s especially tough as the grind of the NBA season is starting to wear on them a bit. A good outing from the kids tonight would give them a nice boost as they face some tough competition ahead.
From the 📺
It’s Conference Championship Sunday in the NFL, and the Seattle Seahawks are looking to reach their first Super Bowl in over a decade. We can’t watch it here because the NFL doesn’t do YouTube embeds, so watch it here. While you do that, special shouts to Alicia Keys
Out of the five players the Nats received in the MacKenzie Gore trade, RHP Alejandro Rosario is the most complicated case. He has the highest upside of anyone in the package, but also has the lowest floor. The case of Alejandro Rosario is strange and mysterious, but if things break the right way, the Nationals are getting a top of the rotation arm.
While Rosario has massive upside, there is a lot of weirdness involved too. After a dominant 2024 season which we will get into, Rosario blew out his elbow last February. In the modern game, this is not unusual at all. Pitchers go down with major injuries all the time.
However, this is just where the weirdness starts. In July, it was reported that Rosario had yet to undergo surgery. Apparently, Rosario was dealing with something that made him unable to get surgery. A couple weeks ago though, it was reported that Rosario had finally undergone surgery. However, after the trade, Paul Toboni refuted that, saying he had not had surgery yet, but will in the next few weeks.
Just to clarify this: Paul Toboni said Rosario will be undergoing Tommy John surgery in the next few weeks. Targeting a full return in 2027. Called it a "worthwhile bet to make." https://t.co/4jIhtQFic1
This is such a weird situation, and we are still awaiting clarity. Assuming Rosario actually has surgery in the next few weeks, he will be out for all of this season as well. At that point, Rosario will have missed the last two seasons due to this elbow injury. With all the time off, it is very hard to say if he will be the same pitcher. If he is the pitcher he was in 2024 though, the wait will be worth it.
The last time we saw Alejandro Rosario on the mound, he was one of the best pitching prospects in the sport. Despite an underwhelming career at the University of Miami, the Rangers still took Rosario in the 5th round of the 2023 draft due to his stuff. That bet paid off in a big way in his first pro season.
Rosario put up video game like numbers between Low-A and High-A. He posted a 2.24 ERA in 88.1 innings with 129 strikeouts to just 13 walks. That is just an absurd level of dominance and it made him a consensus top 100 prospect after the 2024 season.
Alejandro Rosario | RHP | 24 yo
Before his elbow injury in 2024, Rosario posted absurd K/BB numbers that landed him on top 100 lists.
A+, AA (2024): 2.24 ERA | 0.93 ERA | .207 BAA 88.1 IP | 129 SO | 13 SO
It was not just the production that excited people about Rosario, it was also the stuff. He showcased three potential plus pitches with plus command in 2024. His fastball averaged 97 MPH on his fastball and it had good carry at the top of the zone. He also has a hard splitter that absolutely devastates hitters. To round out the arsenal, he also has a mid-80’s slider that is a potentially plus pitch too.
The craziest part of all is that he commands all of these weapons at a very high level. Rosario walked just 3.7% of hitters in 2024, which is nuts. He was pounding the zone with his premium stuff and hitters could not cope.
He will be out for two years, but the guy from 2024 is a top of the rotation arm. On the radio, Paul Toboni said the Nats would have had absolutely no shot at getting a player like this without the injuries. He acknowledged the risk he was taking, but felt like it was worth it.
In a five player package, taking a swing on Rosario makes a lot of sense. With players like Gavin Fien and Devin Fitz-Gerald in the deal, you are not relying on Rosario to make the haul worth it. He is just a high end lottery ticket with the chance to become a star.
There was a post that said Nats fans should think of this a little bit like the Cade Cavalli situation. I think there is a lot of truth in that. Rosario just turned 24 earlier this month, so we probably are not going to see the best of him until he is 26 or 27 years old, like Cavalli. However, if that stuff comes back, the Nats are getting a real piece, just like Cavalli.
I suppose the way to think of Alejandro Rosario is kind of like what Cade Cavalli was when he went down with TJ originally. He'll be older, but he has enough talent to establish himself once he's, like, 27. In the meantime, he's a non-factor to be treated like a lottery ticket
With how strange the Rosario saga has already been, I would not be shocked if he never throws a pitch in the MLB. I also would not be shocked if he has a top 10 finish in Cy Young voting one day. There is such a wide range of outcomes here. As a second or third piece of a five player deal, I am fine with accepting the massive variance.
We are going to have to make sure that Rosario actually gets the surgery, but if he does, he will be tracking for an early 2027 return. Hopefully the potential lockout does not provide yet another complication.
Even if he does come back fully healthy in early 2027 and games are being played, we are probably not going to see the best of Alejandro Rosario until 2028 and beyond. He will likely be pretty rusty after all that time off. This is a long term bet, but there is a chance the Nationals hit the jackpot here.
With the Feb. 4 roster freeze and March 6. NHL Trade Deadline approaching, trade rumors revolving around Artemi Panarin have begun to pick up steam.
Quickly after New York Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury issued a letter outlining the team’s plan to retool the roster, it was reported that Drury held an individual meeting with Panarin and informed him that the Rangers do not plan to re-sign him past this season and will look to trade him to anywhere he wishes to go.
Panarin’s seven-year, $81.5 million contract is set to expire this upcoming summer, as he will become an unrestricted free agent if a contract extension is not signed before July 1.
In a potential deal for Panarin, the Rangers are reportedly seeking a similar return to the one the New York Islanders received for Brock Nelson from the Colorado Avalanche.
"He's the name that everyone's focused on right now and if you'll remember last year Brock Nelson was traded from the Islanders to Colorado and the trade was for Cal Ritchie, a first rounder, and a conditional third, there were other players involved, but those were the key pieces, and it sounds like that's where the Rangers starting point is with Panarin right now,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said.
Which teams may be in the mix for Panarin’s services?
Friedman links a few specific teams to Panarin, including the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and Washington Capitals.
It’s unclear if he would be willing to waive his no-move clause for any of these three teams or if he has a preference on exactly where he would like to end up.
“I think some of the teams are looking around, Anaheim,” Friedman said. “Panarin has a history with Joel Quenneville, I think LA has some decisions to make about their overall situation where they are right now and where they truly are as a franchise and what an extension would look like, I think Washington with an extension, and I think there's a bunch of other teams, I'm always conceding that I'm missing teams in on this, but I think that's kinda where the market starts, the trade talks start and some of the teams are trying to figure out what Panarin is willing to do.”
In 51 games this season, the 34-year-old forward has recorded 19 goals, 37 assists, and 56 points, while averaging 20:51 minutes.
Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha scored outrageous goals as Man Utd came from behind to stun the league leaders
This, from my MBM colleague Tim de Lisle,is a terrific read on what Michael Carrick’s Manchester United did so well last weekend.
United showed more intensity than usual, as you’d expect in a derby, but they also showed more composure. Carrick had called for it beforehand, and as possibly the calmest player ever seen in a United shirt, he speaks with some authority on the subject. When Amad broke away in the 33rd minute, he coolly rounded Donnarumma and rolled the ball into an empty net. When Fernandes broke away eight minutes later, he went one better, landing a defender on his backside after rounding the keeper. Both goals were disallowed, but they stood as statements of intent.
It’s never the same again! Every game is different but we’ve had a good week and we’re in good shape. We understand this has been a tough place to come for many teams. But we’re going into the game in a good spirit and that’s the most important thing.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The NBA postponed two games on Sunday in Memphis and Milwaukee because of the massive winter storm that has made for dangerous travel conditions across much of the U.S.
The Dallas Mavericks tried twice to fly to Milwaukee for their game against the Bucks on Sunday night, but conditions didn't allow it. A decision to postpone was announced a few hours before tipoff. Earlier Sunday, a game between the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies was postponed about three hours before tipoff.
Reschedule dates were not announced.
The Memphis area was experiencing a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain that began falling early Saturday morning and continued Sunday morning. South and east of Memphis, freezing rain has collected on power lines and trees, causing widespread outages and blocked roads. Authorities had recommended people stay off the streets as the wintry mix and frigid temperatures caused a refreeze.
The Nuggets said they planned to fly out at some point on Sunday, depending on the conditions at Memphis International Airport. They are scheduled to play at home Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons.
The Grizzlies are scheduled to play the Rockets in Houston on Monday.
An NBA G League game scheduled for Monday between the Memphis Hustle and Stockton Kings in Southaven, Mississippi, was postponed and rescheduled for Feb. 19.
At least two college women's basketball games were postponed: No. 17 Tennessee’s visit to No. 18 Mississippi on Monday and Tulane's visit to Memphis on Tuesday. Reschedule dates were not announced.
In men's basketball, a game featuring Tennessee at No. 21 Georgia was pushed back a day from Tuesday to Wednesday. Purdue Fort Wayne and IU Indianapolis, and Southern Illinois and Evansville had Sunday games postponed without make-up dates announced.
The schedule changes come after dozens of games were moved around earlier in the week in anticipation of the storm.
The Buffalo Sabres have successfully bounced back from a pair of losses against Minnesota and in Carolina with three straight wins over Nashville, Montreal, and a 5-0 shutout against the New York Islanders at the UBS Arena on Saturday afternoon. Jason Zucker scored twice, Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Alex Tuch scored for Buffalo, who moved past Montreal into third place in the Atlantic Division.
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff spoke to the media after the game:
It seemed like your penalty kill got you the momentum back, like it did for the Islanders:
It looked like when we were on the power play, and we were on the penalty kill. I thought our penalty kill was fantastic too. Didn't give up q chance. Did a real good job, Lyon stalled them out. I thought when we had chances to pressure, we did. Maybe a couple clears, we didn't get down the ice. But other than that, these last two games, the times we have killed them have been very good.
You talked about this before. In the third period, you changed your lines, and had a defensive guy on each line. Was that your thought, since you don't have the last change?
I changed them in the second, to be honest with you. I just didn't like the way it was going. We just needed a little spark. Not really more about defensive guys, just more about seeing if we could get a little bit of life in the lines that generate a little bit more. And I thought, the McLeod line came out at the start of two periods and got us a goal. Benson and Thompson have played a lot together, and Ostlund has played such good hockey, that line looked pretty good too. I think sometimes inside of a game, you just have to mix things up. We're not getting the matchups. They were trying to match up their heavy guys against us. So I thought, try to get away from it.
The Sabres sign winger Josh Doan to a seven-year contract extension.
How big of a spark has Jason Zucker provided in recent games?
Jason Zucker has kind of sparked you guys the last couple of years. We need that. We need that out of our veteran guys. He not only scores two goals, but he lays himself out on a big blocked shot too. I look at that sometimes as being bigger than scoring. He's putting himself first and forefront to help win a hockey game.
Mattias Samuelsson has always been a defensive contributor, but how big has his offense this season?
I think we've all seen the creating offense and making good plays. He's really been a rock back there on both sides of the puck when it comes to killing plays, and it comes to joining even. The shot to Tuch on the fifth goal. I mean, perfect shot. Tuch got his blade underneath it, but his outlet passes first and foremost, I thought were excellent.
The Buffalo Sabres just keep winning. With their 5-0 victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday, they now have a 29-17-5 record and have jumped up to third place in the Atlantic Division standings.
With the Sabres continuing to impress, they are putting themselves in a position to be buyers at the 2026 NHL trade deadline. One of their top goals ahead of the deadline should be to bring in another top-six forward. When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, New York Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck stands out in a major way.
With Rangers GM Chris Drury confirming that the team is retooling and open to making moves, Trocheck has been creating a ton of buzz as a trade candidate. When noting that he is a proven top-six center with an affordable $5.625 million cap hit until the end of the 2028-29 season, several teams should be targeting him. The Sabres would be wise to be among them.
If the Sabres brought in Trocheck, he would give them another star forward to work with in their top six and on both their power play and penalty kill. This would be great for a Sabres team that is looking to get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
In 38 games so far this season with the Rangers, Trocheck has recorded 11 goals, 21 assists, and 32 points. This is after he had 59 points in 82 games during the 2024-25 season and a career-high 77 points in 82 games back in 2023-24. With numbers like these, he would be a major pickup for the Sabres, and it will be intriguing to see if they pursue him because of it.
It’s Sunday, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! For the second straight Sunday, New York City is getting hit by a wintry weather, although this time, it’s a storm expected to be so bad that many schools had already cancelled classes on Monday before the weekend even started. Now, the temperature may be chilly, but fortunately for us, the hot stove was piping hot for the Bombers this week. And since I know the anticipation is killing you, let’s get started!
The Inevitable Occurred
All winter, the Yankees and Cody Bellinger acted like a pair of high school kids that clearly were interested in each other but were afraid to make the first move. As soon as the offseason began, Bellinger changed his Instagram profile picture, ditching a shot of him in a Yankee jersey in favor of a generic animated shot with a blank hat.
Then, early last week, Bellinger and Austin Wells broke the Yankees portion of the Internet. The outfielder posted pictures of himself working out to prepare for the season, and the catcher posted a sad emoji in response. Immediately, fans began to wonder if he knew something we didn’t.
Then, Wednesday afternoon, the news finally broke: the Yankees and Bellinger had agreed to a five-year deal that kept the popular outfielder in the Bronx. While Belli himself did not post on social media about the deal, he immediately changed his profile picture back to a picture of him in a Yankees uniform. Meanwhile, his wife, Chase, and mother, Jennifer, posted the following:
Last night was the 101st New York Baseball Writers’ Gala, where the winner of the BBWAA’s major awards each officially received their honors. That included Aaron Judge, who took home his third career AL MVP and second in a row. Should be four! But it was a nice moment.
This week, the Baseball Hall of Fame announced its two newest members, Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones. While the two players are known more for their time with the Mets and Braves, respectively, they both did suit up for the Yankees: Jones donned the pinstripes in 2011 and 2012, while Beltrán was a part of the 2014, 2015, and 2016 teams before he was traded to the Texas Rangers. In addition to a collection of statements from key members of the organization, the Yankees made individuals posts celebrating both players.
Former Yankees center fielder/current professional guitarist performed at Carnegie Hall earlier this month, and unsurprisingly, Suzyn Waldman made sure that she was in attendance.
CC Sabathia posted some photos from “The Player’s Cup” this week. Honestly, I’m not 100% sure what event he is referring to — a quick Google search reveals an MLB Open, but that was an event that was supposed to occur in November — but it still seems like they all had a fun time.
The last two weeks have seen people posting photos from 2016, as they reminisce about the glory days when the Villanova Wildcats defeated the UNC in the NCAA National Championship (at least, that’s what comes to mind when I think of 2016). And naturally, now that this trend is two weeks old, we’ve got celebrities and corporate accounts joining in. First, we have Anthony Rizzo recalling one of the greatest World Series of all time, as the Cubs finally overcame their curse and proved that nothing is impossible, except maybe a Pope that roots for the Cubs.
Jonathan Loáisiga had been part of the Yankees’ organization since joining them as a minor leaguer in February 2016 following a failed stint with the Giants. Injuries ravaged his career, but he was a bullpen staple in 2021 in particular, posting one of the better relief seasons you’ll see in the modern era, recording a 2.17 ERA, a 2.58 FIP, and a 1.019 WHIP across 70.2 innings. Alas, those aforementioned injuries were a constant issue for him, and he and the Yankees finally went their separate ways, making it official when Loáisiga signed a minor-league deal with the Diamondbacks earlier this month.
Loáisiga took to Instagram to thank both the Yankees and their fans, in both Spanish and English. Best of luck to him in Arizona!
The Buffalo Sabres turnaround in mid-December may have had more to do with two factors; the return of center Josh Norris from nearly two months on the injured list, and the going with Alex Lyon between the pipes. The Sabres went 14-3-1 with Norris in the lineup before he suffered a rib injury against Philadelphia on January 14th, and Lyon won seven straight before suffering a lower-body injury in St. Louis on December 29.
The Sabres pace slowed down slightly with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis between the pipes, but Lyon has continued where he left off, winning two games this week against Nashville and pitching a 26-save shutout against the NY Islanders on Saturday afternoon for his club-record tying ninth consecutive victory.
The Sabres sign winger Josh Doan to a seven-year contract extension.
The win is Lyon’s 12th of the season (12-6-3, 2.70 GAA, .911sv %) and moves the 33-year-old into the club lead in victories over Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The veteran netminder had matched five other Sabres goalies (Ryan Miller, Bob Sauve, Don Edwards, Carter Hutton, and Gerry Desjardins) with eight consecutive victories, and is now tied with Desjardins for the club-record, set in 1976-77.
"He's just given us a lot of real good hockey battle-hardened games. Tonight was fabulous. You look at the power play that we got a whole all out of sorts. The four saves he made on the power play, that could have turned the game for sure," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said after the game. "(Alex has) been able to step in, coming off injury, and play well, battle through games. He's given us some great hockey."
The win moved the Sabres into third spot in the Atlantic Division, tied with Montreal and one point ahead of Boston, who hold the two Eastern Conference wildcard spots. Lyon could set the record when Buffalo finishes off their road trip in Toronto on Tuesday.
The NHL will freeze rosters on Feb. 4, ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, and they’ll unfreeze on Feb. 22, meaning teams will be unable to execute trades or other transactions during that two-and-a-half-week stretch.
Many close to team operations suggest the Feb. 4 date could be used as a “mini trade deadline,” ahead of the real NHL trade deadline on Friday, March 6. The landscape in the NHL this season is vastly different from most due to almost all 32 teams remaining in a playoff race to varying degrees.
The only two teams to have, in any shape or form, declared themselves “sellers” this season are the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers. The Rangers sent out a statement to fans and followers that they’re to enter a “retool” period with their franchise and make significant changes to their current roster.
Rangers star winger Artemi Panarin (34) has been told that the organization has no intention of offering him a contract extension, and they’d be willing to work with him to find him a new team via in-season trade.
Premier NHL insider Elliotte Friedman mentioned the Anaheim Ducks as a team that’s “looking around” at Panarin on his “Saturday Headlines” TV hit and that the current asking price is what the New York Islanders received when they sent center Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche at the 2025 trade deadline.
Brock Neslson was traded along with William Dufour to Colorado in exchange for Calum Ritchie, Oliver Kylington, a 2026 first-round pick, and a conditional 2028 third. The conditions were not met, so the Islanders will keep that third-round pick.
“(Panarin) is the name everyone is kind of focused on right now,” Friedman said. “It sounds like (the Nelson trade) is where the Rangers’ starting point is with Panarin right now. Part of this is also, will he be willing to sign an extension?
He has a no-move clause, so he controls where he goes. Some of the teams that are looking around: Anaheim. Panarin has a history with Joel Quenneville.”
Panarin is in the final year of a seven-year contract that carries an AAV of $11.6 million. His deal also includes a full no-move clause, which essentially allows him to handpick his destination and could drive his acquisition cost down.
If the Anaheim Ducks are involved, they’d likely want some sort of guarantee that he’d sign an extension, as their season could very much end with them not qualifying for the playoffs, and if they do, it’s unlikely they’d be serious Stanley Cup contenders.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
NHL insider Frank Seravalli appeared on Sportsnet’s “Real Kyper & Bourne” show and revealed Panarin’s desired term for said extension.
“I think there’s a number of teams that are looking at this situation, going, ‘Hmm, I don’t know if we’re in it for the long haul with Panarin,’ and by long haul, I mean legitimately that,” Seravalli said. “The belief is around the league that Panarin is looking for a longer-term deal, potentially even one that takes him to 40.”
The Ducks have nearly $26 million in current cap space and a projected $39 million in cap space for the 2026-27 season. Ryan Poehling, Jacob Trouba, and Radko Gudas will be unrestricted free agents come July 1, while Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, Ian Moore, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger will become restricted free agents.
That projected cap space could disappear quickly, but the Ducks could still likely fit Panarin’s potential extension under the 2026-27 ceiling. The question then becomes one of cost and fit.
As mentioned, the acquisition cost may be depressed due to limited options, and even if Panarin gets his desired six-year term, he’ll likely require north of $10 million in AAV. If the Ducks were to match the Rangers’ ask for him, Anaheim would send a first-round pick to New York along with a player or prospect of similar value to Ritchie (Tristan Luneau, Stian Solberg, or Olen Zellweger).
On paper, a 35 to 40-year-old Artemi Panarin doesn’t quite align with the Ducks’ perceived “contending window,” as his best years are likely behind him. However, he’s produced 926 points (321-605=926) in 803 career NHL games and has scored over a point-per-game every season since his first two in the NHL (2015-16 and 2016-17), where he scored 77 and 74 points, respectively. On the last-place team in the Eastern Conference in 2025-26, he’s again tallied 56 points (19-37=56) in 51 games. Though he eventually will, it doesn’t seem like he’s slowing down just yet.
Though the ideal scenario would be for the Ducks to acquire a “prime-aged” star player (roughly 24-27) who does fit their window, Panarin would, in theory, stabilize a clearly volatile young core, aid in rehabilitating their struggling power play, as well as buoy, nurture, and enhance the potential of the team’s youngest and most talented players.
Most insiders and speculators are theorizing that Ducks' general manager, Pat Verbeek, is looking to take a “big swing” to improve his roster this season or over the summer. We’ll soon discover if Panarin will represent that swing and if he’ll rejoin former teammates Trouba, Ryan Strome, Frank Vatrano, Chris Kreider, and his first NHL coach, Joel Quenneville, in Anaheim.
