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Giants getting early look at potential 2026 catching option Jesús Rodríguez

Giants getting early look at potential 2026 catching option Jesús Rodríguez originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Buster Posey once played all nine positions in a college game, but he was drafted as a catcher, retired as a catcher and will go into the Hall of Fame as a catcher. That means that for as long as he is running baseball operations for the Giants, any catcher who is acquired will merit a bit more attention. 

The most notable newcomer to the position arrived at Oracle Park on Monday afternoon, although Jesús Rodríguez might not get into a game this week. Acquired at the deadline in the Camilo Doval trade, Rodríguez was brought to San Francisco to be on the taxi squad and gain experience with a big league staff that he might be catching next season. 

The 23-year-old said he was excited for the opportunity to get a look at life in a big league clubhouse. He hopes to make a good impression, and team executives certainly will be watching him closely. Rodríguez was the main piece in the deal that sent Doval to the New York Yankees.

“We wanted to take a hard look at him in spring training,” manager Bob Melvin said. “That was the key guy in the trade. Buster really wanted him. Yeah, he’s definitely in the plans.”

The Giants will reevaluate their catching group over the winter, but there’s a good chance Rodríguez enters next spring as the favorite to back up starter Patrick Bailey, and possibly carve out a hefty role given that he’s right-handed and Bailey has struggled against left-handed pitching. 

Backup catchers are usually glove-first, but it’s the opposite with Rodríguez. He played every position but shortstop in four minor league seasons with the Yankees, and while the Giants view him as a catcher long-term, his development has been slowed by shoulder discomfort that led to plenty of DH duty when he joined the Sacramento River Cats.

What never has been in question, though, is the bat. Rodríguez is a career .309 hitter in the minors, and has batted at least .294 in every one of his professional seasons. He never has flashed much power, but he has the kind of approach that is needed for a swing-happy Giants lineup, and it showed after the trade. In 39 games with the River Cats, Rodriguez hit .322 with two homers. He struck out just 17 times and drew 18 walks. 

Asked about the reports he has gotten from the player developments staff, Melvin had a quick answer. 

“The reports are that this guy can really hit,” he said. “He has been catching but (did not catch) a ton in the Yankees organization. The bat is ahead of (the glove), of course. But from what I’ve heard, it’s a real hard-working kid and he’s doing everything he can, catching bullpens and doing as much as he can to speed up the process. The bat is just a little bit ahead right now.”

With Tom Murphy injured all season, the Giants have used Andrew Knizner, Sam Huff and Logan Porter as backups. Knizner has been the best of the bunch, but has a .561 OPS. There aren’t any top catching prospects in the organization, either. 

Rodríguez still might be relatively new to the position, but he said he loves it. His shoulder is healed, he said, and he’s looking forward to soaking up as much as he can over the next week. In particular, he wants to learn better ways to protect against passed balls and wild pitches.

Rodríguez spent plenty of time with Giants catching coach Alex Burg on Monday and because he’s serving as the team’s “emergency catcher,” he can do pretty much everything that his teammates do. He’ll take BP all week, catch bullpens and warm up pitchers between innings so he can become familiar with their pitch shapes. On Monday, he took part in his first big league hitters’ meeting. 

Rodríguez already is on the 40-man roster because he had been added by the Yankees long before the trade, but the current plan is to go with Bailey and Knizner over the final week. Still, Rodríguez will be eyed closely. Like Posey, Melvin is a former big league catcher. He has watched plenty of Rodríguez’s at-bats on video the last couple months. 

“Up close and in person, you get a little better idea,” he said. “It’s good we have him here.”

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'A good message.' Why celebrating Clayton Kershaw's retirement gave Dodgers mental 'reset'

Los Angeles, CA, Sunday, September 21, 2025 - Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw acknowledges applause from fans during a game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who announced his retirement on Thursday, acknowledges applause from fans before Sunday's game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

As Dodgers players packed in for Clayton Kershaw’s retirement news conference last Thursday, Freddie Freeman waved the Kershaw family to a row of seats at the front of the room.

He wanted Kershaw's wife, Ellen, and their four kids in front of the pitcher right when he sat down at the dais at Dodger Stadium.

How else, Freeman joked, could they get the future Hall of Famer to cry?

Turned out, in a 14-minute address announcing his retirement from baseball at the end of this season, Kershaw did get choked up from behind the mic. But, it happened first when he addressed his teammates. They, he told him, were who he was going to miss most.

Read more:Hernández: Roki Sasaki a playoff reliever? Don't put it past desperate Dodgers

“The hardest one is the teammates, so I'm not even going to look at you guys in the eye,” Kershaw said, his eyes quickly turning red. “Just you guys sitting in this room, you mean so much to me. We have so much fun. I'm going to miss it.”

“The game in and of itself, I'm going to miss a lot, but I'll be OK without that,” he later added. “I think the hard part is the feeling after a win, celebrating with you guys. That's pretty special.”

Days later, that message continues to reverberate.

For the Dodgers, it served as a reminder and a reset.

Ever since early July, the team had lived in a world blanketed by frustration and wracked with repeated misery. Many players were hurt or uncharacteristically slumping. The team as a whole endured an extended sub-.500 skid. Behind inconsistent offense and unreliable bullpen pitching, a big division lead dwindled. Visions of 120-win grandeur were meekly dashed.

Amid that slump, the club’s focus drifted. From team production to individual mechanics. From collective urgency to internal dissatisfaction.

Read more:Dodgers fall to Giants in regular-season home finale, plan to return in the playoffs

“Everyone on this team has been so busy this year trying to perfect their craft,” third baseman Max Muncy said, “that sometimes we forget about that moment of just hanging out and enjoying what we’re going through. “

Or, as Kershaw put it after his final regular-season Dodger Stadium start on Friday, “the collective effort to do something hard together.”

“All that stuff is just so impactful, so meaningful,” Kershaw explained.

And if it had gone missing during the depths of mostly difficult summer months, Kershaw’s retirement has thrust it back to the forefront.

“I do think it helps reset,” Muncy said. “Over the course of seven, eight months, you see each other every day and sometimes you take that a little bit for granted … It’s not something that anyone forgot. But sometimes you need a refresher. I think that was a good moment for it.”

Don’t mistake this as a “Win one for Kersh!” attitude. The Dodgers insisted they needed no extra motivation to defend their title, even after what’s been a turbulent repeat campaign.

But, both players and coaches have noted recently, their efforts this year have sometimes felt misplaced. The togetherness they lauded during last year’s championship march hadn’t always been replicated. A pall was cast over much of the second half.

“When you’re not winning games, it’s not fun,” veteran infielder Miguel Rojas said earlier this month. “But at the end of the day, we gotta put all that aside. … We have to come here and enjoy ourselves around the clubhouse, regardless of the situation.”

The Dodgers did that and more this past weekend, when a celebration of Kershaw — which included nearly team-wide attendance at his Thursday news conference, several on-field ovations Friday, and Kershaw’s address to Dodger Stadium on Sunday — was accompanied by three wins out of four against the San Francisco Giants.

“Watching him get choked up when he started talking about the teammates — it was just a crazy feeling in that room,” pitcher Tyler Glasnow recounted from Thursday’s announcement.

Added Muncy: “You hear when he talks about the stuff he’s gonna miss the most, the stuff that he enjoys the most: It’s being a part of the team. It’s being with the guys. It’s being in the clubhouse.

“To hear a guy like him just reinforce that, I think it’s a good message for a lot of people to hear.”

Read more:Dodgers defeat Giants, but Will Smith's playoff availability remains a concern

In Muncy’s estimation, the Dodgers have “seen a reflection of that out on the field” of late, having moved to the verge of a division title (their magic number entering play Monday was three with a 10-4 record over the last two weeks.

“There’s been more of an effort to try and enjoy the moments,” Muncy said. “Make sure we’re still getting our work in, but try to enjoy the moments.”

The Dodgers made a similar transformation last October, when they used their first-round bye week to build the kind of cohesion they had lacked in previous postseason failures — one the team credited constantly in its eventual run to the World Series.

Kershaw's retirement might’ve provided a similar spark, highlighting the significance of such intangible dynamics while lifting the gloom that had clouded the team's last two months.

“There's obviously been a lot of things to point [to this season], as far as adversities, which all teams go through,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “But I think that as we've gotten to the other side of it … guys have stuck together and they've come out of it stronger, which a lot of the times, that's what adversity does.”

More adversity, of course, figures to lie ahead.

The Dodgers ended the weekend on a sour note, with Blake Treinen suffering the latest bullpen implosion in a 3-1 loss on Sunday. They’ll still enter the playoffs in a somewhat unsettled place, needing to navigate around a struggling relief corps and overcome a hand injury to catcher Will Smith.

Read more:Shaikin: Clayton Kershaw was always at the heart of the Dodgers' franchise revival

It means, like last year, their path through October is unlikely to be smooth.

That, after a second half full of frustrations, they’ll have to lean on a culture Kershaw emphasized, and praised, repeatedly over the weekend.

“To have a group of guys in it together, and kind of understanding that and being together, being able to have a ton of fun all the time, is really important,” Kershaw said. “The older I’ve gotten, the more important [I’ve realized] it is. Like, you can’t just go through your day every day and go through the emotions. You just can’t. It’s too hard, too long to do that.”

“You gotta have Miggy doing the mic on the bus. You gotta have Kiké. You gotta have all these guys that are able to keep us having fun and energized every single day. That’s what this group is, and it’s been a blast.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Sporticast 486: Dodgers Hit a Sales Milestone Only They Can

On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including the Los Angeles Dodgers reaching 4 million fans over the course of the MLB regular season.

The Dodgers are the first baseball team to reach that milestone since the New York Yankees and New York Mets in 2008. The only other teams to do it were the Toronto Blue Jays (1991-93) and Colorado Rockies (1993). It’s an average of 49,537 fans per game, and strong show of ticket sales for MLB’s highest-revenue club. The Dodgers made $855 million in revenue in 2024, according to Sportico’sMLB valuations, more than the Yankees’ $799 million.

Here’s the catch: No other MLB team could hit that 4 million fan milestone currently. Dodger Stadium’s 56,000-seat capacity is the largest in MLB. The Yankees, Mets and Rockies are all in new stadiums, and the Blue Jays downsized their building last year. The second largest stadium in the league is in Arizona with a max capacity of about 48,300.

Next the hosts talk about the Sphere, the MSG-backed entertainment venue in Las Vegas. While sporting events like UFC and concert acts like U2 get a lot of attention, it’s the non-live shows that deliver most of the economics for the venue. The latest is an adaptation of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, which has generated more than $65 million in ticket sales through June. Plans for a Sphere in London have been scrapped, but the group plans to open one in UAE via a franchise model in the coming years.

The hosts close by discussing upheaval in college and junior hockey, where better development and new rules have changed recruiting and career paths for young prospects.

(You can subscribe to Sporticast through Apple, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts.)

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Ramp to Camp: Predicting Jayson Tatum's return date for Celtics

Ramp to Camp: Predicting Jayson Tatum's return date for Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Better days ahead.

That’s the mantra Jayson Tatum delivered over the summer while detailing the early stages of his rehabilitation from Achilles surgery. We can’t help but think it might be a bit of slogan for the 2025-26 Celtics, too.

Because regardless of how the season plays out — and we still believe this team is going to surprise some pundits out of the gates — every day is one step closer to Tatum being back on the court. And that means even better days are ahead.

But when exactly do we think Tatum might be back in an NBA game?

For Day 17 of our Ramp to Camp series, we asked our panel to predict the date that Tatum will return to game action for the Celtics.

First, all the necessary disclaimers: None of our prognosticators are doctors. No one can possibly know how Tatum’s rehab will progress from this moment. But using glimpses from his first 17 weeks of recovery as a guide, we’re tossing some darts at the calendar.

The Celtics have intentionally put no timeline on Tatum’s rehab. All we know is that he’s attacked his recovery with relentless energy, and every indication suggests he’s making encouraging progress. Boston’s brass did all it could to set Tatum up for success, including getting him into surgery almost immediately after the injury with the hope of giving him every opportunity to make an expedited recovery. 

When Tatum initially ruptured his Achilles in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, we simply assumed we wouldn’t see him again until October, 2026. Why would the team rush him back? And operating with an abundance of caution might ultimately be the best plan of attack.

But we also know how hard it’s going to be for members of the Celtics organization to keep Tatum on the sidelines once he starts checking the final boxes in his rehab. He’s going to be itching to play in October, let alone March or April.

Tatum sure appears to be doing all he can to force the team to ponder whether a return this season is the best path. 

As Celtics president Rich Gotham noted over the summer: “What I know about JT is that he’s gonna do everything he can to put us in a position to make a decision [about when he plays again].”

Tatum celebrates his 28th birthday on March 3, 2026. That would be slightly more than nine months removed from his injury. If doctors are certain he wouldn’t be putting himself at risk by using late-season games to shake some rust — all while pacing himself in the early stages of that return — we could see Wednesday, March 4 being a belated birthday gift to himself.

The Hornets might not necessarily be a circle-the-date matchup on the surface, but Tatum would have a bunch of Duke fans watching the Hornets broadcast back in North Carolina.

The month of March is overflowing with intriguing matchups. If Tatum is healthy enough by that point, there’s no shortage of opportunities to make a glitzy return.

But here’s the bottom line: If we’re even simply pondering Tatum being close to a return before the end of the 2025-26 season, then that’s a win on its own. And there are most certainly better days are ahead.

Let’s see what dates our panel predicted for Tatum’s return:

Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor

March 14 vs. Washington.

Yes, there’s a case for holding Tatum out the entire season and ensuring he’s fully healthy for 2026-27. But based on how he’s been attacking his rehab, we could absolutely see him being cleared to play 10 months and one day after his surgery.

After weeks of lobbying, Tatum finally convinces the Celtics to let him play limited minutes against the lowly Wizards on the first game of a three-game homestand.

Michael Hurley, Web Producer

Late October, 2026.

I know everybody is getting excited, and that’s a good thing. Maybe I’m a worrywart, but the idea of Tatum rushing back to “save the day” sounds like a recipe for re-injury, sadness, dismay, and the like.

Even with Tatum, the Celtics were going to lose to the Knicks last postseason. I think he’d be better served letting Brad Stevens cook next summer and build a behemoth for 2026-27, and then help that team go on a championship run. I see minimal reward to the risk of rushing him back.

Josh Canu, Media Editor

March 22 vs. Minnesota.

I think the noise will start to get loud during the All-Star break and he could come back even sooner, but I’ll play a little more conservative than that and pick a homestand against Minnesota and Oklahoma City. Tatum is entering his physical prime and we know he hates to miss games, so I think he is going to surprise a lot of people. 

Kevin Miller, VP, Content

October 2026.

I want it to be this season, but if there’s a one percent chance that he’s not 100 percent, then you have to be patient.  

Adam Hart, EP, Content Strategy

March 27 vs. Atlanta.

A Friday night at TD Garden could be a rocking welcome for Tatum. He then gets at least one of the next two games off with the back-to-back on the road. Ease him in, but give him a huge ovation from the fans.

Kayla Burton, Celtics Pregame Live host

February 27 vs. Brooklyn.

I would hate to see him rush back, but he’s already rehabbing so well and working incredibly hard to get back out there. Plus he hates sitting out. He’ll be too antsy to sit out the whole season, and he will be back soon after the All-Star break.

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The Breakdown | No place for ‘old school’ rugby values as PREM rebrand aims to turn heads

English top flight’s push to attract a younger audience is accelerating and relegation may soon be a thing of the past

Times are changing so rapidly in rugby that even the competition names now have go-faster stripes. Farewell to the familiar old Premiership and welcome, kicking off on a Thursday this year, to the Gallagher Prem. Or, strictly speaking, PREM. Who needs boring extra lower-case syllables or superfluous vowels in 2025 anyway?

Even the league’s updated logo is now bright orange to denote “intensity” and the mission to woo new fans – the younger the better – is accelerating by the week. Ask Rob Calder, Prem Rugby’s suitably bearded head of growth, what he thinks, for example, about the traditional rhythm of promotion and relegation and he does not hold back. “There’s a Victorian interest in promotion and relegation but actually that’s existential for a lot of clubs.” Sorry, are you suggesting the meritocratic English club pyramid is a Victorian concept? “Yeah. I think it’s old school. If you want the sport to grow you need to grow the conditions for ambition and investment.”

This is an extract taken from our weekly rugby union email, the Breakdown. To sign up, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

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Rockets' Fred VanVleet suffers torn ACL, could miss entire season

The Houston Rockets realized the value of Fred VanVleet, which is why they re-signed the guard to a two-year, $50 million contract this summer. It also shows just what kind of blow this latest news is for a team with championship aspirations.

VanVleet suffered a torn ACL at an unofficial team workout in the Bahamas and could miss the entire upcoming NBA season, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and since confirmed by others. This was a contact injury, and VanVleet has returned to Houston, where he is expected to have surgery later this week.

On a roster stacked with talent on the wings and in the frontcourt — Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and more — VanVleet was the glue at an otherwise thin point guard spot that held everything together. VanVleet averaged 14.1 points and 5.6 assists last season, and is a plus defender. Last season, the Rockets were 3.3 points per 100 possessions better when VanVleet was on the court. VanVleet's value really stood out in the playoffs, when he averaged 18.7 points, 4.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds a game and the Rockets were 21 points per 100 possessions better when he was on the court in their series loss to the Warriors.

VanVleet's injury puts a lot of pressure on second-year guard Reed Sheppard, who was being asked to make a big step up to the backup point guard role this season and now will have more on his plate. Behind him is veteran Aaron Holiday.

This is a potentially serious blow to the Rockets' title hopes, especially in a deep West where Oklahoma City brings back 14 players from the team that just won the title, and the Denver Nuggets have stacked the roster around Nikola Jokic (that's not even mentioning Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves or the LeBron James and Luka Doncic tandem in Los Angeles).

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Preseason: Takeaways from the Ducks 6-1 Win over the Mammoth

The Anaheim Ducks hosted their first preseason game of the exhibition season on Monday, when they faced off against the Utah Mammoth.

The Ducks dropped a tight checking affair the night before against the Los Angeles Kings in a game mostly made up of inexperienced players, AHL players, and prospects.

This time out, they iced a nearly all-NHL top nine forward group, an NHL top four defensive unit, and projected backup Petr Mrazek. This was Chris Kreider and Mikael Granlund’s first appearances in full Ducks uniforms.

Mrazek stopped 14 of just 15 shots surrendered, mostly from distance and rarely on a second opportunity.

Utah’s lineup featured the likes of Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Dylan Guenther, and Mikhail Sergachev.

Karel Vejmelka got the nod for the Mammoth in this game and saved 10 of 13 shots before being pulled after the second period. Jaxson Stauber came in for the third period and stopped 7 of 10 shots.

Quack of Dawn: Ducks Morning Report - 09/22/25

Preseason Live Blog: Utah Mammoth vs Anaheim Ducks

Here are my takeaways from this one (take everything with a grain of salt, as it’s still very early in preseason):

Systems-Every system feels like a throwback to a bygone era, but with a minor tweak. That’s meant to be a compliment, as this team required a change in that department, and they suit the roster well.

The penalty kill was a rotating box and diamond that wasn’t as disruptive as hoped for, but it took away dangerous seams. They ran a 1-2-2 neutral zone forecheck, allowing smart and skilled players to utilize their instincts to break up opposing efforts.

Most encouraging was the offensive zone. Puck possession is paramount, as is seeking out the most dangerous looks possible. The team has the skill to hang on to pucks and extend possessions while making deft reads off-puck.

Beckett Sennecke-His goal was spectacular and translatable. His on-puck game is polished, and he’s improved his protection ability. However, if this team is to make a true run for the playoffs, it may be in their best interest to keep him through training camp and send him back to junior before the season. His off-puck defensive habits are special, but on-puck leaves a lot to be desired. He could stand to improve his angling and engagement before he’s to be fully trusted at the NHL level. Unless of course, the Ducks feel he can contribute to their end goal and these last few efforts aren't indicative of the immediate impact he can make.

Drew Helleson-Helleson fits next to LaCombe and within this system perfectly. He’s an energy-conserving, cerebral defender who can now better utilize his length and anticipation to win pucks and ignite play the other way. He’s an under-the-radar breakout candidate who may not be as under-the-radar after tonight’s performance.

The Ducks will be back at it on Wednesday, when they’ll host the Los Angeles Kings at Honda Center for their third preseason game.

Preseason: Takeaways from the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 Loss to the Los Angeles Kings

Anaheim Ducks Training Camp: Zellweger, Mintyukov to Benefit Most from New Coaching Staff, Systems

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Like Sidney Crosby, Malkin Deserves To End Career On His Terms

Apr 8, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) looks on against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

There are certainly a lot of stories coming out of Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp in 2025, even if the pre-season is still in its infancy. 

The team has an entirely new coaching staff led by Dan Muse, and young, promising prospects are making themselves stand out in pursuit of NHL roster spots.

But one of the biggest stories from training camp - despite the youth of camp - has come from the team's oldest player.

On Friday, Penguins' veteran center Evgeni Malkin spoke with the Pittsburgh media for the first time this season. The future Hall-of-Fame center touched on a few topics, including his summer and his first impressions of his new head coach and the way he is running training camp.

“This is the second day,” Malkin said at the time. “Really hard. But I like it. I feel fine. The league is not easy anymore. Thirty-(two) good team, young teams coming into the league. They’re flying. I’m ready every day. Focused every day.”

But the topic that made the most noise - and broke airwaves - was regarding his future. 

Malkin, 39, is entering the final season of his current four-year deal that pays him $6.1 million annually. There have already been a lot of discussions around his potential retirement at the end of the season, and understandably so: Malkin hasn't been playing peak best hockey for the past two seasons - even if 33 goals and 117 points in 150 games certainly aren't bad numbers - and he will be 40 years old next season.

5 Observations From First Week Of Penguins' Training Camp5 Observations From First Week Of Penguins' Training CampOn Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins officially opened training camp for the 2024-25 season. And through three days, there has been a lot of action.

In any case, that's not what had folks talking. It's what he said - specifically - about his future in Pittsburgh and whether he wanted to retire a Penguin or have the chance to play for another Stanley Cup on a contending team elsewhere.

Malkin - always honest - gave an honest answer.

“It depends on how the season is going,” he said. “If we play great, and I play great, and I feel confident and show my game, why not one more year? The season is huge for me, my team, myself. I’m still hungry."

He continued: "It's hard. We see a story like Brad Marchand. Looking good. Team trades you, you win the Cup. It’s a little weird, too. Of course, everybody wants to make the playoffs, maybe make one more run at the Cup. Great story. But I don’t know how I would feel if the team wants to trade me.”

And that's just the thing. There should be no "if the team wants to trade me" in this case.

Penguins Icon Malkin Facing Uncertain Final Chapter Ahead Of 2025-26 SeasonPenguins Icon Malkin Facing Uncertain Final Chapter Ahead Of 2025-26 SeasonFor years now, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been a study in disappointment. In failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the past three seasons, the Penguins have failed their core of veteran star talent, including captain Sidney Crosby, center Evgeni Malkin, and defensemen Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson. But in Malkin’s case specifically, he stated time and again that he wanted to remain in Pittsburgh for his entire career.

Malkin has earned the right - just like teammate Sidney Crosby - to go out on his terms. If he wants to Cup chase one last time, he should have a lot of say in where he goes and will have full say if he goes at all, since he has a full no-movement clause.

But if he wishes to stick around and retire a Penguin, he should get to do just that, too.

For starters, the Penguins aren't going to recoup significant assets for a 39-year-old Malkin, anyway. With a strong draft class on the horizon in 2026, teams aren't going to be willing to throw around first-round picks like they're nothing. Unless Malkin has a ridiculously good season - and unless a team gets ridiculously desperate - nothing higher than a second-round pick should be expected in return, and the Penguins already have second- and third-round picks out the wazoo over the next three drafts. 

If the return isn't going to be worth losing a legendary franchise player, anyway, there's no reason for Kyle Dubas and company to approach Malkin about waiving his no-movement clause whatsoever.

Nov 27, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) and center Evgeni Malkin (71) talk before a face-off against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

That is, unless Malkin is the one who initiates it.

Dubas said prior to training camp that the team plans to regroup with Malkin and his camp during the 2026 Olympic break in February. If Malkin would go to Dubas at that time and declare that he wishes to go to a true contender, that changes things. 

Malkin is certainly within his right to do that if it's what he wants. He's earned that. He owes the Penguins and the city of Pittsburgh absolutely nothing at this point. And, if he does have a good year, it's always possible for him to be dealt at the deadline and re-sign with Pittsburgh for one more year after.

But, despite all the noise - and his other comments - take it from Malkin himself: At this point, he has no desire to leave Pittsburgh. 

“I hope I stay here,” Malkin said. “Like Sid, Tanger, Penguins forever, for sure. I hope we play great. I want to stay here, for sure.”

Like Crosby, maybe fans and larger hockey media should take Malkin's words at face value. 

And, maybe, so should Dubas when the time comes. 

'The Young Guys Are Coming': 3 Observations From Dubas's Pre-Season Press Conference'The Young Guys Are Coming': 3 Observations From Dubas's Pre-Season Press ConferenceOn Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins opened their 2025 training camp with a few words from general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas. 

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

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Penguins Hold Strong, Fall To Canadiens In Pre-Season Shootout

Sep 22, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins forward Tristan Broz (26) plays the puck during the first period of the game against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

On Monday, Pittsburgh Penguins' hockey officially kicked off for the 2025 pre-season.

And the performances of some of the Penguins' most promising prospects was certainly a sight for sore eyes - even if the result didn't go their way.

The Penguins fell to the Montreal Canadiens, 2-1, in a shootout after an all-around tight, solid game. Forward Tristan Broz scored the lone goal for the Penguins in regulation on a first-period power play, and he also registered the team's only shootout goal. Owen Beck potted one for the Canadiens in the second period, while Sean Farrell and Oliver Kapanen capitalized in the shootout to seal the win for the Habs.

Goaltender Joel Blomqvist started the game for the Penguins and stopped all 11 shots he faced, and youngster Sergei Murashov relieved him midway through the second period and surrendered just one goal on 20 shots. 

There were a lot of things to like about the Penguins in this game, and the youngsters certainly showed up. Here are some thoughts and observations from Monday's pre-season opener.

- Broz really showed up to the rink tonight in all three zones.

He made some really solid reads on the penalty kill all night long, he was on the second power play unit and put home a rocket on a nice, quick feed from Valtteri Puustinen, and he was showing off his 200-foot game and hockey smarts during five-on-five play. 

When folks talk about the Penguins' top prospects and who has a shot at the opening night NHL roster, Broz is sometimes left out of those conversations. But he shouldn't be counted out. I'm not sure there's another player like Broz in the Penguins' organization in terms of his versatility, his smarts, his ability to finish, and his effectiveness on the defensive side of the puck.

He's just a solid all-around player, and the strides he made at the center position in the AHL last season have certainly shown in his game. If this guy hits his ceiling, he could be a reliable second- or third-line center option for the Penguins in the very near future. 

- Another two-way player who looked solid Monday was Tommy Novak.

Novak, 28, was acquired at the trade deadline from the Nashville Predators, and a post-deadline injury only let him see two games with Pittsburgh last season. He finished the season with 13 goals and 22 points in 54 games. 

I knew Novak was a decent skater, but I was surprised by how fast he looked out there. On a third-period penalty kill, he killed about 20 seconds off the clock by skating in circles around the offensive zone with the puck, and he was able to get himself back into almost every play. 

There is a lot that still needs to work itself out in the duration of training camp. It's unclear at this point whether Novak might play in a top-six role next to Evgeni Malkin or if he's going to be this team's third-line center. Either way, I think he is going to be a solid, reliable player for the Penguins this season, and his role may end up being influenced by whether or not youngsters like Broz and Filip Hallander push for roster spots. 

I'm eager to see more from him this season.

5 Observations From First Week Of Penguins' Training Camp5 Observations From First Week Of Penguins' Training CampOn Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins officially opened training camp for the 2024-25 season. And through three days, there has been a lot of action.

- I can't say enough how good Murashov was in this game.

First and foremost, it would be unfair to take anything away from Blomqvist, too. He wasn't tested as much as Murashov was, but anytime you don't allow a goal against in an outing, it's a good day. Blomqvist did his job - and did it well - then handed the keys to Murashov to close out the game.

I wrote about this Sunday, but it's amazing to me just how easy and effortless Murashov makes goaltending look. The easy saves are second-nature, the hard saves look easy, and the very hard saves are being made almost every time. 

Even on the goal against, Murashov made two or three saves before that, and Matt Dumba's stick was a culprit in the puck finally sneaking past him. He made a ridiculous cross-crease toe save in overtime, and he didn't even flinch when Ivan Demidov - a likely Calder candidate for the Habs next season - tried to deke him out in the shootout.

His poise, confidence, and ability far exceed his age of 21. If he's not the starting goaltender in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) this season, the Penguins are doing something wrong. This kid just has it.

- Some snippets of new head coach Dan Muse's system were slipping through the cracks during the exhibition game. I can't claim to be an expert in the field of systems work, but one big difference that I did notice was that there is a lot more movement in general.

A lot more.

There seemed to be a lot less perimeter play and more center drive. The power play was a constant rotation with no one standing dormant or stagnating. There is definitely an emphasis on an attack mentality in all three zones and on swarming the puck carrier defensively. 

I'm curious to see how these changes look with some of the more veteran players on the roster. But there seems to be buy-in from the younger guys, and the emphasis on movement was refreshing to watch.

'The Energy Is Through The Roof': Competition The Focus In Dan Muse's First NHL Training Camp'The Energy Is Through The Roof': Competition The Focus In Dan Muse's First NHL Training CampBy the time day one of Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp concluded, new head coach Dan Muse had nearly lost his voice. 

- It is very important to emphasize that this was only one pre-season game, and it was the first pre-season game. The Canadiens' lineup wasn't stacked - even if there were a few higher-profile players like Patrik Laine and Noah Dobson in the lineup - and neither was the Penguins.'

But it's hard to ignore the performance that Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke put on together as a pairing.

Pickering really looks like he has the potential to develop into a solid, reliable, hard-to-play-against top-four blueliner. He has figured out a way to use his 6-foot-5 frame more advantageously, and he routinely shut down opposing scoring chances all night long. He, like Brunicke, is also good in transition and knows how to man the offensive blue line.

Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2025: Defenseman Should Be Full-Time In The NHL This SeasonTop-20 Penguins' Prospects 2025: Defenseman Should Be Full-Time In The NHL This SeasonHeading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.

And Brunicke? I don't know what else there is to say about this kid.

Just when I thought there were times in the first three training camp practices when he was trying to do too much, he went out in a competitive setting and made that a distant memory. His secondary assist on Broz's power play goal was a thing of beauty, as he faked a shot and made the Canadiens' defense overcommit, exposing a wide-open passing lane to Broz, who quickly dished it to Puustinen, who quickly dished it back.

Brunicke also looked solid on the defensive side of the puck, using a strong stick to disrupt and his hockey sense to read angles and cut them off. He saw a few shifts in overtime, too, and was one of three Penguins' defensemen to see the ice - the others being Dumba and Ryan Shea.

There is still a lot of pre-season left. Six more games, to be exact. But these two already look comfortable playing together and have chemistry, and they were the best defensive pairing on the ice Monday by a mile. And that's saying something, since Dumba and Connor Clifton were solid, too.

If they carry this play through the end of the pre-season - and against better competition - there is no way they should be leaving the city of Pittsburgh when final roster cuts are made.

For Penguins' Prospect, Training Camp Is A Family Reunion - And An OpportunityFor Penguins' Prospect, Training Camp Is A Family Reunion - And An OpportunityOn Jun. 28, something pretty special happened for Pittsburgh Penguins' forward prospect Avery Hayes. 
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Senators Send Prospect Gabriel Eliasson And Two Others Back To Junior

Right before their first preseason game on Sunday, the Ottawa Senators trimmed their roster from 52 to 49 players, sending defenseman Gabriel Eliasson, forward Blake Vanek, and defenseman Eerik Wallenius back to their junior clubs. Ottawa now continues camp with five goaltenders, 15 defensemen, and 29 forwards competing for roster spots.

No one likes to be among the very first cuts, of course, but early dismissal from class isn't necessarily an indictment of the players or their value as prospects.

When a young prospect still has junior eligibility and they clearly aren't NHL-ready yet, teams generally send them packing earlier than they might otherwise, just so they can get settled in with their junior club as soon as possible and not miss too much of the season. But if they're truly on the NHL radar, their junior teams can wait.

None of the three moves came as a surprise, though each cut has its own story.

Eliasson Back in Barrie

The most notable name among Sunday’s cuts was Eliasson, the Sens' second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Standing at 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds, Eliasson isn't just big. He's got a mean streak. He posted 3 goals, 7 points, and 116 penalty minutes last season with the OHL’s Barrie Colts. While scouts love his size and physical edge, the Senators want him to continue refining all parts of his game.

As the 39th overall pick in the 2024 Draft and a Swedish national junior team member, the Sens may have quietly hoped Eliasson would make their decision harder this year, the way Carter Yakemchuk did last fall. But another early exit from camp is something the big Swede will no doubt use as motivation heading into another season back in Barrie, much to the chagrin of every OHL right winger who chases a puck into the corner on Eliasson's side of the ice.

Vanek Heads to WHL

Blake Vanek, son of former Buffalo Sabre Thomas Vanek, was drafted this past June in the third round. The American winger trampled the Minnesota high school ranks with 53 points in 28 games, but the Senators will have a better idea of his NHL potential once he begins his first WHL campaign with the Wenatchee Wild. For Vanek, this was always about getting a little taste of the NHL pace before returning to junior.

Wallenius Off to New Brunswick

Eerik Wallenius is now set to make his debut with QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats. The Finnish defenseman was taken by the Sens in the fifth round in 2024, partially because size matters in Ottawa. At 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, Wallenius has that, and now, like Eliasson, he needs to round out the rest of his game if he's to begin turning heads at next year's camp.

What's Next?

The Sens continue their preseason schedule Tuesday night in Toronto (7pm) against the Maple Leafs. Then, in a few days, it's a trip to Quebec City for two games – one against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, and the other on Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens. Expect a much bigger round of cuts sometime before the team heads to Quebec.

Meanwhile, as they send Eliasson, Vanek, and Wallenius on their way, the junior-aged trio has their marching orders, and the Senators are hoping the decisions on them will be considerably harder at next year's camp.

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Senators GM Steve Staios On Why He Brought Back The Same Group
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"It's A Big Year": Red Wings Sebastian Cossa Knows The Stakes Heading Into 2025-26

Fans of the Detroit Red Wings can be excused for envisioning 2021 Round One Draft selection Sebastian Cossa enjoying the kind of career that Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has enjoyed.

After all, it was current Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman who drafted Vasilevskiy with the Tampa Bay Lightning 19th overall in 2012. He's gone on to become one of the NHL's best players at the position, and helped his club win the Stanley Cup in consecutive seasons. 

For Cossa, his development has hit a few snags in recent months, notably when he was pulled from the Calder Cup Playoffs by the Grand Rapids Griffins this spring during what was ultimately a three-game series loss. 

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Cossa's numbers down the stretch of the season also weren't the best, which he knows that he must reverse heading into his fourth season of professional hockey.

"I didn't have the best second half last year, I wasn't happy with the playoff performance," Cossa said during Red Wings Training Camp. "There's a bit of a chip on the shoulder when it comes to that. I want to prove I can play at a really high level in the AHL and hopefully get (an NHL opportunity).

"I was rock solid the first half of the year up until to around December, then a couple of injuries in Grand Rapids and Detroit, and you miss a couple of guys and we got into a bit of a slump, the whole team. I wasn't playing great. It's unfortunate."

Cossa is going to have the chance to get more experience at the NHL level, albeit in pre-season play, over the next eight games the Red Wings are scheduled for before the beginning of the regular season on Oct. 9. 

Red Wings Announce Roster Cuts Ahead of Pre-Season SlateRed Wings Announce Roster Cuts Ahead of Pre-Season SlateTraining Camp has officially wrapped up for the Detroit Red Wings, who have one internal event remaining on the schedule before the pre-season begins on Tuesday.

While Cossa did pick up his first official NHL victory last December as part of a relief appearance against the Buffalo Sabres, it remains his only regular season action to date. 

If he wants additional opportunities, he knows that he's going to have to work for them. 

"It's a big year, but nothing really changes for me," Cossa said. "I had a real good summer and put in a lot of work. I'm just trying to stay consistent through the year. I want to gain the experience I've gained the past few years and push the pace and be the best version of myself."

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