Posts

Posted on

Could Moritz Seider Be the Red Wings' First 99 Overall Player in EA NHL Series?

On Monday, exciting news dropped ahead of the release of the newest entry in the EA Sports NHL series, with NHL 27 set to arrive in early September. 

The new game brings back several fan-favorite elements, including the return of GM Connected franchise mode, along with more detailed, customized arena presentations across all 32 NHL teams, meaning Little Caesars Arena will finally look and feel more like the true home of the Detroit Red Wings.

The bigger headline, though, is that the NHL series is borrowing a concept from other EA Sports franchises like Madden and EA FC. NHL 27 is introducing a 99 Club, reserved for the handful of players considered the very best in the sport, distinguished by a perfect 99 overall rating.

 EA announced the first member of that club on Monday with Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who becomes the first player in the history of the NHL video game series to carry a 99 overall.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.

The news kicked off plenty of speculation, including who might become the first player in Red Wings history to crack the 99 Club. The most obvious candidates are two players expected to be pillars of the franchise for years to come with defenseman Moritz Seider and winger Lucas Raymond. 

Both have drawn increasing attention from fans this offseason, with Seider earning wide praise for his continued development and Raymond, still just 24, producing at a near point-per-game pace.

Seider looks like the more obvious pick of the two as he was recently ranked the ninth-best defenseman in the league by NHL Network, and if his trajectory continues, the German blueliner could eventually take over the Red Wings' captaincy and become the face of the franchise, both in Detroit and potentially as the club's first-ever 99 Club member in the game.

Detroit won't be short on honorable mentions down the line, either. Prospects like Emmitt Finnie, Trey Augustine, Nate Danielson, Max Plante and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard could all develop into future candidates as the organization builds around its next wave of talent.

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!

Image

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Posted on

Orioles vs. Rays discussion

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - AUGUST 16: Christian Encarnacion-Strand #32 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates a two RBI double in the top of the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on August 16, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Parker Freedman/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Orioles will play the fourth and final game of the series tonight in Tampa Bay. Wrap-around weekend series are rare these days. So are four-game sweeps of first place teams. Baltimore can’t control its schedule, but it can dictate the results on the field tonight.

The O’s won a pair of one-run games before thumping the Rays 10-2 on Sunday. They’ll look to finish the job this evening against Shane McClanahan (9-6, 3.09 ERA).

Tyler O’Neill will play right field and bat leadoff against the lefty. He’ll be followed by designated hitter Pete Alonso and second baseman Jackson Holliday. Coby Mayo will bat cleanup and play first base.

Gunnar Henderson will look to ride a recent hot streak from the five hole. Christian Encarnacion-Strand will handle the hot corner, and Jeremiah Jackson will play left field. Christian Franklin will play center field and bat ninth. Carlos Narváez will hit eighth and catch Brandon Young.

Young (9-3, 3.33 ERA) is looking for his 10th win of the season. The majority of Baltimore’s high-leverage relievers should be available following yesterday’s blowout win.

Orioles lineup

  1. T O’Neill (R) RF
  2. P Alonso (R) DH
  3. J Holliday (L) 2B
  4. C Mayo (R) 1B
  5. G Henderson (L) SS
  6. C Encarnacion-Strand (R) 3B
  7. J Jackson (R) LF
  8. C Narváez (R) C
  9. C Franklin (R) CF

Starter: RHP Brandon Young (9-3, 3.33 ERA)

Posted on

Gamethread 8/17: Marlins at Phillies

DYERSVILLE, IA - AUGUST 13: Cristopher Sánchez #61 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on prior to the MLB Field of Dreams game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Minnesota Twins at MLB Field at Field of Dreams on Thursday, August 13, 2026 in Dyersville, Iowa. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:

For the Marlins:

Let’s talk about it.

Posted on

Za’Darius Smith free agency update: Could spurn Browns for former coach

Aug 4, 2024; Cleveland Browns defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99) points during practice at the Browns training facility in Berea, Ohio. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Uh, oh. Here we go again, perhaps.

Sunday afternoon, we covered a report that former Cleveland Browns DE Za’Darius Smith was expected to rejoin the team after a visit to Berea. Smith seemed a bit confused by that report, as he commented on social media that he had another workout lined up with another team before deleting that comment.

DE Jared Verse talked on Monday about the potential addition of Smith and getting to pick the veteran’s brain.

Previously, the Browns brought in another former defensive end, Jadeveon Clowney, and seemed interested in signing him before the former first overall pick returned to the Houston Texans instead.

Could things be repeating themselves, this time with a bit of Kevin Stefanski revenge added to it?

Stefanski was fired in Cleveland following the 2025 season and quickly hired as the Atlanta Falcons head coach during the cycle that brought Todd Monken in to coach the Browns. According to Mary Kay Cabot, who had the initial report that Smith would sign back in Ohio, the team thought they had a deal done:

As noted, Smith could help fill a big need for the Falcons and rejoin Stefanski instead of rejoining Cleveland, where he played for Stefanski for almost two years before being traded.

In his 11 years in the NFL, Smith compiled 343 tackles, 176 QB hits, 87 tackles for loss, and 70.5 sacks.

Do you want Smith to return to the Browns? Would his joining Stefanski instead of Cleveland bother you even more than Clowney choosing the Texans?

Join the conversation!

Sign up for a user account and get:

  • Fewer ads
  • Create community posts
  • Comment on articles, community posts
  • Rec comments, community posts
  • New, improved notifications system!
Posted on

Buss family reportedly to sell remaining shares of Lakers to new owners

It's truly the end of an era.

The Buss family has agreed to sell its remaining 17.8% of the Lakers to the team's incoming owners, Josh Kushner and Bob Iger, a story broken by ESPN’s Shams Charania and since confirmed by multiple sources.

When the Buss family first sold its majority stake to Mark Walter last year, the family retained that 17.8%, enough for Jeanie Buss to remain on as Governor for the next five years, something written into the sales agreement. Now, without the ownership stake required by the league, Buss will no longer serve that role. Most likely, Iger will fill that role, he has been the face of the new ownership, although it could be Kushner.

There are six Buss family members in the trust — Jeanie Buss, Jim Buss, Johnny Buss, Janie Buss, Joey Buss, and Jesse Buss (all children of the late owner Jerry Buss) — and four of them had to vote to ask for this. The other five Buss family members approached Jeanie, asking to sell the remaining stake, reports Yaron Weitzman (who wrote a book on the Lakers). The family released this statement to ESPN.

"We have decided as a family to sell the remaining Buss Family Trust shares to the Bob Iger group as part of the ongoing transaction. We love the Lakers, Laker fans and will continue to support Los Angeles; but it is time to use this opportunity to move on and exit gracefully while we still can."

This is the real end of an era. Jerry Buss bought the Lakers — along with the Fabulous Forum, where the team played through the Showtime era, as well as the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL — in 1979. Jerry Buss was an innovative owner who realized long before others that the league was selling an entertainment product. That led to innovations like a dance team, the Laker Girls, as well as in-arena music during the games and breaks, and much more.

As everything around the league changed and evolved, the Buss family ownership of the Lakers did not — and the team thrived under their ownership. The team won 11 championships under 46 years of Buss ownership, appeared in many more NBA Finals, and evolved into an iconic brand, the biggest one in the sport.

They did that because of all the stars who came through under their watch: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, up through LeBron James.

After all that stability, the Lakers have now been sold twice in 14 months. First to Mark Walter, who also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, as Walter is staring down a federal and SEC investigation into potential fraud tied to insurance companies in his holdings — as well as the sports teams he owns and their valuations — he reportedly needed to pay down debt. Selling the Lakers may have been how he got that cash.

One thing to watch out for: Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka recently got a contract extension and isn't going anywhere soon, but Jeanie Buss was his friend and protector within the organization. With her gone, his safety net is gone.

Posted on

Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals – Rhett Lowder vs. Andre Pallante

St. Louis Cardinals v Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds lost to the St. Louis Cardinals earlier on Monday, and surprisingly it was not due to the work of lefty Kent Emanuel.

The 34 year old journeyman was effectively plucked out of independent league ball to make this start, as the Reds got him, sent him to AAA Louisville to start once, and then rolled him out there today. He more than rewarded them by lasting 5.0 IP and allowing just 2 ER, and instead it was (once again) the putrid Cincinnati offense that backed him by scoring just a lone run in a 2-1 loss.

That means the Reds have scored 1, 1, 4, 0, 1, 9 (!), 0, 4, 1, 2, 3 runs in their last 10 contests. Good luck winning with that!

It’ll be Rhett Lowder who’ll next try to get the opponent to score -1 runs so the Reds can try to win zero to negative one, as he’ll start the evening half of Monday’s doubleheader against the Birds. Veteran Andre Pallante will start for St. Louis, with first pitch set for 6:40 PM ET.

Here’s how the Reds will line up to start Game 2 of the day:

Posted on

Igor Shesterkin Still Considered Among NHL’s Top Goaltenders Despite Rangers’ Struggles

Danny Wild-Imagn Images
Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Despite the New York Rangers’ struggles over the past two seasons, Igor Shesterkin is still widely considered to be one of the premier goaltenders in the NHL.

Shesterkin ranked No. 3 on NHL Network’s top 10 goalies list heading into the 2026-27 season. 

The only two goaltenders to be ranked ahead of Shesterkin are Andrei Vasilevskiy and Connor Hellebuyck. 

The other goaltenders on this list include Ilya Sorokin, Jeremy Swayman, Logan Thompson, Jake Oettinger, Dan Vldar, Jesper Wallstedt, and Jakub Dobeš. 

This past season, the 31-year-old goaltender recorded a 25-19-6 record, a .912 save percentage, and a 2.50 goals against average. 

“I could play way better, for sure,” Shesterkin said of his 2025-26 performance. “I was a little bit shocked when I checked my numbers. I was a little bit upset about it, but still it was top-four, top-five (in save percentage). I cannot say that’s pretty good, but still.”

During the 2024-25 season, Shesterkin signed an eight-year, $92 million contract extension with the Rangers, making him the highest paid goalie in the NHL, which still stands today.

Posted on

Yankees to activate Carlos Rodón Tuesday night against Orioles

DETROIT, MI - JUNE 22: New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón (55) pitches in the first inning during the game between the Detroit Tigers versus the New York Yankees on Monday June 22, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI. (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Yankees announced today that Carlos Rodón will make his return from the injured list tomorrow night. Out since June 28th with left elbow inflammation, the left-hander will start in the first game of this week’s three-game set with the Orioles.

Rodón made two rehab starts in the lead-up to his return, looking particularly sharp in his most recent outing, striking out seven and allowing two hits in 4.1 shutout innings for Somerset on August 13th. He was limited to 58 pitches in that start, so expect him to be on a fairly restrictive pitch count tomorrow night.

The Yankees desperately need offensive reinforcements, but they’ll take anything they can get right now. Rodón’s return should further deepen what’s been the best pitching staff in the league, though how the roster shakes out remains to be seen. The most obvious candidate to be bumped out of the rotation is Will Warren, who has been outpitched over the course of the summer by his mid-rotation mate Ryan Weathers. Warren would’ve been on full rest for tomorrow night, so perhaps he could be involved in a piggyback sort of setup as the Yankees try to slowly increase Rodón’s pitch count.

Rodón had a 3.30 ERA in nine starts and 46 innings before hitting the shelf in June. His season had already been abbreviated by offseason elbow surgery, his season debut not coming until May 10th in Milwaukee. Though injuries have ensured this hasn’t been the kind of campaign Rodón envisioned, he’s been effective when healthy and would give the Yankees a downright super rotation if he can pitch as he did earlier year.

Posted on

Mets Notes: David Stearns on Kodai Senga's success as reliever, Jorge Polanco's outlook at first base

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns discussed several topics ahead of Monday's game against the Padres...

Senga's new role as a high-leverage reliever

Stearns spoke on Kodai Senga, who has served as the team's closer in the place of the injured Devin Williams. This August, Senga has not allowed a single run across five outings, each lasting one full inning, and has picked up the first three saves of his career in the process.

"Kodai has done a great job," said Stearns. "He's adjusted very well, and it's not just in the performance, it's also in how he's getting ready for those performances. It's not the easiest transition to make."

However, it appears that Stearns isn't yet convinced to hand Senga the closer role moving forward, both when Williams returns from injury and looking ahead to next season.

"I'm excited for [Senga] that he's doing this right now. From a future perspective, we'll [look at that] later," Stearns stated.

No expectation for Polanco to play first base

Looking ahead to 2027, Stearns was asked whether he wants to see Jorge Polanco play first base between now and the end of the season, with an eye on finding a solution at that problem position for the Mets defense.

"I don't think we need to see that," he replied. "The most important thing is getting [Polanco] on a path to be physically in a much better place in 2027 than he has been this season."

Polanco has played in just 36 of the Mets' 125 games this season, and was sidelined from April 18 to July 7 with left Achilles bursitis, as well as a wrist injury.

Pushing the limits of the young starting pitchers

Stearns has been encouraged by the strong performances of New York's trio of rookie starters: Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and Zac Thornton. 

He explained that he wants to see each of them continue to challenge themselves to push deep into ballgames ahead of the season's end.

"We don't, frankly, have innings limits or innings guides," said Stearns. "It's more about continuing to evaluate how each individual pitcher is feeling, how they're recovering, and at this point we're in a good spot with all of them.

"They're solidifying themselves as pitchers at the major-league level, and that's important for us going forward."

Stearns' approach to prospect integration and development

Finally, following a whirlwind trade deadline which saw the Mets bolster their prospect ranks with the acquisition of infielders Jefferson Rojas and Sammy Stafura (among others), Stearns outlined his vision for what a successful Mets farm system looks like. 

"So much of it is making them feel welcome, putting them in the best position to succeed, and allowing their talents to speak for themselves. It's important to get to know the player and the person, trying to be patient, allowing our coaches and player development staff to get quality time with them."

Stearns is proud of the performances of Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing, who are setting the standard for what successful prospect promotion to the big leagues looks like.

"I think we have gotten development at the major-league level in terms of seeing progress from young players, and it's very encouraging for us to see them perform," Stearns concluded.

Posted on

Canadiens Young Forward Ready To Break Out

The Montreal Canadiens have many promising young players. Among them is forward Zachary Bolduc, as the 23-year-old has had a nice start to his NHL career.

Bolduc has shown promise early on during his NHL career. During the 2024-25 season with the St. Louis Blues, he recorded 19 goals, 17 assists, and 36 points in 72 games. He followed that up by posting 12 goals and 30 points in 78 games during his first season with Montreal in 2025-26. 

Overall, in his first two full NHL seasons, Bolduc has shown that he can provide solid secondary offensive production and grit. Yet, it would not be surprising if he takes another step forward this campaign.

Bolduc has the tools to emerge as a top-six winger, and the Canadiens have a spot to fight for on their second line. With that, it would be huge if the 2021 first-round pick sees an increase in offensive production this campaign.

It is going to be very interesting to see what kind of season Bolduc can have for the Habs in 2026-27. There is a lot to like about his game, and it would be great for Montreal if he breaks out and becomes a true top-six forward. 

Posted on

Oneil Cruz set to return to Pirates after serious hand injury

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (15) reacts as he round the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Chicago Cubs Saturday evening at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co

After missing the past two months and stints on both the 10 and 60-day IL, Oneil Cruz is back.

The Pirates activated Cruz to the 26-man roster on Monday following a fractured left hand injury.

Cruz hasn’t played since he suffered the injury on June 7 in Atlanta and missed 58 games during the heart of summer. 

He appeared in six minor league games between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis over the last two weeks before returning to Pittsburgh for final evaluation.

The Pirates also activated reliever Yohan Ramirez off the paternity list and optioned left-handed starter/reliever Hunter Barco and outfielder Ronny Simon to Triple-A. 

Cruz is not in the lineup as the Pirates begin the first of three games against the Detroit Tigers to begin the back half of a six-game home stand. 

Left-handed Framber Valdez will start for Detroit, but Cruz is batting .312 with a .361 on-base percentage and .506 slugging in 77 at-bats against lefties this season.

In 64 games, Cruz is slashing .264/.350/.472 with an .822 OPS. He was on pace for his first 30/30 season with 14 home runs and 21 steals before the halfway point.

Inconsistency and struggles against lefties plagued Cruz in 2025, while the injury ripped apart what has been his best season in the majors.

His 44 RBIs still rank fourth on the team, and the offense has significantly missed his power and speed either leading off or in the middle of the lineup. 

It may be a little too late for the Pirates, who are 61-65 and sit 6.5 games out of the final wild card.

The Pirates are looking up at the Cardinals, Marlins, and Diamondbacks as the Phillies and Padres (67-58) are tied for the last two NL playoff seeds.

Posted on

Rockies DFA Michael Lorenzen, recall TJ Shook

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 15: Michael Lorenzen #24 of the Colorado Rockies looks on prior to the game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Saturday, August 15, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Bryan Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Today, the Colorado Rockies announced that the have designated for assignment RHP Michael Lorenzen and recalled RHP TJ Shook.

Lorenzen, 34, joined the Rockies as a free-agent signing for the 2026 season on a one-year, $8 million deal. The contract includes a $9 million club option for the 2027 season.

However, he has struggled since joining the team. He currently has a 7.08 ERA in 115.2 IP. Despite his diverse pitch arsenal, Lorenzen has been unable to adjust since joining the Rockies. He also had a 4.59 FIP and a 1.88 WHIP.

Earlier today, Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer confirmed that Tanner Gordon will take Lorenzen’s place in the rotation, according to Christian Saez.

In a second roster move, the Rockies have recalled TJ Shook from Triple-A Albuquerque. This season, Shook has a 3.02 ERA in 42.7 IP. This includes an 8.50 K/9. Current, players facing Shook have an OPS of .737.

He was first promoted in June 2026 after being selected by the Rockies in the Minor League Phase of the 2025 Rule 5 Draft from the New York Mets.

The Rockies have 37 players on the 40-man roster.

Purple Row will continue to follow this developing story.

Join the conversation!

Sign up for a user account and get:

  • Fewer ads
  • Create community posts
  • Comment on articles, community posts
  • Rec comments, community posts
  • New, improved notifications system!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Posted on

Jeanie Buss’ siblings got the last laugh in family’s sale of the Lakers

EL SEGUNDO, CA - AUGUST 10: Jim Buss and his sister Jeanie Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers attend a news conference where Dwight Howard was introduced as the newest member of the team at the Toyota Sports Center on August 10, 2012 in El Segundo, California. The Lakers acquired Howard from Orlando Magic in a four-team trade. In addition Lakers will receive Chris Duhon and Earl Clark from the Magic. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It turns out burning bridges with all of your siblings might come back to haunt you.

On Monday, the Buss Family Trust agreed to sell its remaining nearly 18% of the Lakers to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, a surprising final twist in the family’s ownership of the team. Whatever Hollywood-esque storyline you can come up with about how this played out probably won’t live up to the finale that played out.

According to reporting from Dave McMenamin of ESPN, an emergency meeting of the siblings was called last week where Jeanie tried one last power play.

While this could be connecting dots that aren’t there, the four-year timeframe would align with Jeanie’s agreement with Mark Walter to remain governor for at least five years. The initial word from Bob Iger was that the new owners intended to honor that agreement.

However, Jeanie’s fraught history with her siblings came back to bite her as there was a reason for the emergency meeting. As it turns out, the family executed the tag-along clause, which allows minority owners to join the sale if a majority owner sells.

The other Buss siblings took the chance to cash in on the sale and, in the process, oust Jeanie as governor.

What an incredible bit of drama. I’d say to bring back “Winning Time” so that we could eventually see this play out on screen, but this feels like something straight out of “Succession” anyway.

Truly, it couldn’t be scripted any better.

Jeanie thought she had the final say by siding with Mark Walter on the sale, securing her spot as team governor and firing the last members of her family from the team over the last year. As it turns out, the dominoes had already started falling, as Walter had his own issues with the federal government that may have prompted the sale, leading us to this point.

Imagine the siblings’ realization when it dawned on them that they could not only pocket another couple hundred million dollars but also force Jeanie out in the process.

It’s a show that’d win all the awards in Hollywood.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.