That $136-million contract, which runs from 2026-27 through 2033-34, is the most expensive in NHL history. The previous high, in terms of total value, was Alex Ovechkin's 13-year, $124-million contract he signed with the Washington Capitals in 2008.
Kaprizov's cap hit is also the richest in NHL history, being a $3 million increase over the $14 million Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl agreed to last September.
This new contract for the Russian left winger comes weeks after he reportedly rejected a $128-million deal, which was likely spread out to $16 million across eight years, earlier in the month.
Kaprizov is entering his sixth NHL season with Minnesota. He’s never played a full 82-game campaign as he battled injuries over the last few years. However, he’s proved to be one of the best offensive minds in the league.
Last season, Kaprizov played 41 games and scored 25 goals and 56 points. Despite only featuring in half the season, he was still the third-highest scorer on the Wild, just four points behind second-place Marco Rossi and two goals behind leading scorer Matt Boldy.
After missing some time, Kaprizov made it back before the Stanley Cup playoffs. He led the way for the Wild, scoring five goals and nine points in six games during a first-round loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The 28-year-old has proven his value to the Wild, and he's received Hart Trophy votes in four of his five seasons to date. His best finish in Hart Trophy voting was in 2021-22, when he recorded a career-high 47 goals and 61 assists for 108 points in 81 appearances. The then-sophomore finished seventh in the Hart race.
Kaprizov has the third-best odds of winning the Hart Trophy this upcoming season, according to
sportsbook BetMGM. Sitting behind Connor McDavid of the Oilers and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, Kaprizov’s odds are set at 9.00 (+800).
Despite only being a member of the Wild for five seasons, Kaprizov owns a few franchise records, including the most points in a season (108 in 2021-22).
He is also fifth in all-time scoring for the Wild. Going into the 2025-26 season, Kaprizov has 386 points as he chases Mikko Koivu's franchise-leading 709 points.
Kaprizov was one of the NHL's top pending UFAs in the summer of 2026. He skips the free-agent market, while McDavid has yet to sign a contract extension with the Oilers. Other pending UFAs include the Golden Knights' Jack Eichel, Winnipeg Jets' Kyle Connor, New York Rangers' Artemi Panarin and the Capitals' Ovechkin.
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The Florida
Panthers' hopes for a Stanley Cup three-peat were dealt a significant
blow last week when captain Aleksander Barkov suffered a serious
knee injury during training camp.
Barkov's injury
generated conjecture over how the Panthers intend to replace him.
With their captain out for the season and left winger Matthew Tkachuk
sidelined until December or January, they have plenty of cap flexibility once
both players are placed on long-term injured reserve to bolster their roster.
Pittsburgh Hockey
Now's Dan Kingerski cited a rumor circulating that suggested the Panthers target Evgeni Malkin. The 39-year-old center is eligible
for UFA status next summer.
Kingerski debunked
that rumor, pointing out that it was tied to comments made by Malkin that were misunderstood when he was asked if he would consider a trade this year. He
mentioned Brad Marchand's trade to the Panthers last season worked
out for the former Boston Bruins captain, but he didn't know how he would
react if the Penguins attempted to move him.
If Malkin were
willing to accept a trade, Kingerski believed the Panthers could be a
good fit.
For now, the
Panthers intend to look to within their roster and their system to
offset Barkov's absence. If they do go the trade route at some point,
they might have younger targets than Malkin in mind, preferably
someone who plays a solid two-way game like Barkov.
In Chicago,
Blackhawks left winger Lukas Reichel was the subject of recent trade
speculation. On Sept. 7, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Timesreported Reichel thought he would be traded to the Edmonton Oilers at
one point during the summer.
Chosen in the
first round of the 2020 draft, Reichel has struggled to establish
himself as a top-six winger. On Sept. 11, Sportsnet's Elliotte
Friedman said it was understood that the Blackhawks could move the
23-year-old if they found a suitable trade partner. He added
that Reichel understood it might be time for a chance.
On Monday, Scott
Powers of The Athletic reported the Blackhawks had informed teams
that Reichel is available. However, he isn't certain if the young
forward will be traded, demoted or remain on the roster when the
season opens next week.
In the past, the
rebuilding Blackhawks could afford to be patient with Reichel's
development. However, with several promising youngsters in their deep
prospect pool pushing for NHL spots, it may be time to move him to a
club where he'll have a second chance to reach his potential.
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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
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Warriors superstar Steph Curry continues to evolve entering Year 17 of his career.
The 37-year-old guard is wrapping up an offseason that featured a book release, a trip to China and his annual youth camp. It also, of course, featured a conditioning regimen to keep himself in shape ahead of another 82-game season.
That offseason conditioning programs looks much different than it did heading into his 2009-10 rookie season.
“It’s evolved based on trying to be more efficient with the work that you get in and more intentional about how each day is designed on-court, off-court,” Curry said about his offseason conditioning on Monday at Warriors Media Day.
New data-tracking technology has come into play, with metrics such as heart rate and time on feet driving the construction of an offseason regimen, according to Curry.
“All those type[s] of things that help monitor the output that you have over the summer so that you’re working smarter and coming into camp fresh knowing that there’s still a little bit of building to go,” Curry explained, “But that I’m in pretty good shape where you’re not putting your body through any unnecessary stress with that transition from off-season to in-season.”
Balance is key for Curry’s preparation heading into his 17th season. As an established scoring sensation, his on-court skill set does not need much improvement, if at all. Maintaining health and conditioning is the priority for the Warriors’ superstar.
“Probably the first decade was more on-court than off-court and that’s actually flipped now where it’s probably 60-40 off-court to on-court percentage now,” Curry noted.
Curry has played in 70-plus games in each of the last two seasons. It is the first time he has logged that many games in consecutive years since the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.
His 16 seasons with the Warriors is the most with a single team among active NBA players. Last season, he averaged 24.5 points per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the field. Curry led the league with 3-point field goals made (4.4) and attempted (11.2) per game.
In going through the numbers for this grade-the-Mets piece, what jumped out most was how many players had bad-to-horrendous Septembers, both position players and pitchers.
So while it’s true the Mets’ failed season was in some ways a slow death, 17 games under .500 from June 13, it’s also fair to call it a late-season collapse, as this team played its worst baseball -- both statistically and fundamentally -- with everything on the line, making way too many mental and physical mistakes.
That has to be part of the evaluation for David Stearns and the front office, as to just how widespread changes to the ballclub should be going forward.
But one thing for sure: it makes for a messy report card, even with some strong overall seasons from their stars.
It wasn’t all his fault, but Stearns, the president of baseball operations, has to take the majority of the blame for this calamitous season, just as he received so much credit for 2024.
Injuries and underperformance from Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, and David Peterson were at the root of the second-half swoon, but Stearns has to take the hit for the Frankie Montas signing, which drew plenty of criticism at the time.
He also chose to make room for his young, homegrown players over bringing back high-intensity sparkplug Jose Iglesias, and, as I wrote Sunday, a lack of intangibles may have been a factor this season -- especially if you put stock in the Mets’ 0-70 record when trailing after eight innings. His trade deadline deals failed badly, though he received high marks at the time from all corners it seemed, including me.
Finally, perhaps my biggest issue with Stearns was waiting too long to call up Nolan McLean, as the Mets were giving away games starting the likes of Brandon Waddell, Justin Hagenman, and Chris Devenski, due to injuries in the starting rotation.
Mendoza definitely deserves to come back, in my opinion, but he’s got a lot to prove after he didn’t seem to demonstrate the same feel for making in-game decisions that he had in 2024.
Some of that was being stuck with a weak bullpen, which can make any manager look bad. But even so, at times he seemed to have a lot more faith in that 'pen than most fans or analysts, pulling starters more quickly than he should have and trusting the likes of Ryne Stanek and Gregory Soto in big spots.
To cite a couple of specific decisions, not bringing back Edwin Diaz after a seven-pitch inning in that crucial loss in late September to the Nationals, and not pinch-running Tyrone Taylor for Starling Marte in a game in Milwaukee, both proved costly. Also, Mendoza seemed to be more obsessed with righty-lefty matchups, for hitters and pitchers, than he had been the previous season.
I still think he has a good feel for communicating and managing his players, which is essential to the job, and I don’t believe he lost the clubhouse, as it becomes fashionable to say when a team underperforms. But he has to find a way to help recreate that 2024 vibe that was missing this season.
Another 30-30 season but disappeared for a long stretch in the second half when the Mets were struggling, perhaps because of the broken toe. Got hot in September and while his defense overall was good again, Lindor made more misplays than usual, some that were costly.
He delivered with the bat and was the Mets’ most consistent and clutch hitter from start to finish. But the defense was a problem. Every throw became an adventure. His high throw that led to Kodai Senga’s hamstring pull changed the season.
Mets need to re-sign him also need a plan to ease him out of being the everyday first baseman.
For his first year dealing with the huge expectations of his contract, Soto had a very good season offensively. He just didn’t have those huge, difference-making moments that he had in the past for other teams, including the Yankees.
And with the season on the line in late September, when the Mets needed him most, his bat was relatively quiet. He had two extra-base hits over the final eight games, one of them a meaningless home run in a big loss.
Solid season for Nimmo but at age 32, it’s starting to look like his best years are behind him as he posted a second straight sub-.800 OPS.
He was one of the Mets’ better hitters in the clutch, hitting .310 with runners in scoring position, but he had a quiet September in the heat of the Wild Card race, with a .278 on-base percentage and three extra-base hits, all home runs.
GRADE: B
New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty (7) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning at Citi Field. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
BRETT BATY
All in all Baty was a pleasant surprise, blossoming into a very good third baseman, and athletic enough to play a solid second base as well, while seeming to finally get over the hump with the bat. Hit .280 in August/September with above-average on-base and slugging numbers.
GRADE: B+
FRANCISCO ALVAREZ
Turned his season around both offensively and defensively after his demotion to Triple-A. From there he put up a .921 OPS with a .360 on-base percentage and a .561 slugging percentage. With eight second half home runs in 35 games, Alvarez showed signs of regaining the power that’s expected from him, while playing through injuries to his hands.
GRADE: B+
TYRONE TAYLOR
Outstanding defensive season in center field made Taylor a valuable player who was missed in September when he was out with a hamstring injury. Didn’t hit much overall but did deliver in clutch, hitting .328 with runners in scoring position.
GRADE: B
JEFF MCNEIL
Was having a solid season but disappeared in September, hitting .187 with a .240 slugging percentage and a .514 OPS. Finished the season going 4-for-44 in final two weeks. Did provide important value with his defensive versatility, including playing an adequate center field.
GRADE: C
Sep 17, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets designated hitter Starling Marte (6) celebrates with second baseman Jeff McNeil (1) after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
STARLING MARTE
The veteran outfielder had his moments as a part-time DH, but like many of his teammates, did little in September, hitting .228 with no walks, so, yes, a .228 on-base percentage as well, and a .544 OPS.
GRADE: C
RONNY MAURICIO
Showed flashes of high-ceiling potential with the bat but remained true to his reputation for poor plate discipline. Vulnerability to breaking/offspeed stuff kept him from earning consistent playing time. Played well defensively at third base. Hard to tell about his Mets future.
GRADE: C
MARK VIENTOS
Hugely disappointing season after his breakout 2024 that included postseason heroics. Finally looked like he was figuring it out in the second half but then went cold in September, hitting .184 with two home runs.
I don’t cite WAR numbers often, but his -0.2 WAR speaks to his poor defense and lack of foot speed, in addition to his poor offense. In short, he’s a DH.
GRADE: D
CEDRIC MULLINS
Mets were desperate for a center field upgrade at the trade deadline, hoping for the best with Mullins, who wasn’t having a very good season in Baltimore. Still, nobody expected him to be a disaster in New York, hitting .182 with no pop, while playing poorly in center field -- getting slow jumps and bad reads.
That play in final week against the Nationals where he stopped running the bases while the ball was in plain sight on the ground, assuming it had been caught, summed up his Mets tenure.
GRADE: F
New York Mets pitcher Edwin Daz (39) reacts after the final out of the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. / Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
Superb season as Diaz regained his 2022 excellence, closing games with dominance from start to finish. Pitched to a 1.63 ERA over 66.1 innings, his most as a Met.
GRADE: A+
NOLAN MCLEAN
The great hope for next year and beyond. Was dazzling in eight starts after August call-up, featuring elite stuff and uncommon poise. Should have been called up sooner, which could have at least gotten the Mets into the postseason.
GRADE: A
CLAY HOLMES
His conversion from reliever to starter proved a success, as he pitched to a 3.53 ERA over 165 innings, nearly 100 more than his previous high. Seemed to hit a wall in the second half but wound up finishing strong, throwing six shutout innings in game No. 161 with the season on the line.
GRADE: B
DAVID PETERSON
What happened? At age 29, Peterson went from being an All-Star in July to unpitchable by season’s end, as Mendoza wouldn’t let his fully-rested lefty anywhere near the mound in a do-or-die final game of the season.
Was it the workload, as Peterson’s 168 innings pitched were 46 more than his highest previous total? Whatever it was, his 9.72 ERA in four September starts spelled doom for the Mets.
GRADE: C–
Sep 28, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea (59) looks on against the Miami Marlins after the first inning at loanDepot Park. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
SEAN MANAEA
A lost season for the lefty, after his change in delivery and his 2024 dominance earned him a three-year, $75 million contract. Mets better hope his woes were mostly the result of his oblique injury and then the loose bodies in his elbow. Was so untrustworthy by season’s end that Mendoza pulled him after two walks in the second inning of a scoreless game in the season finale.
GRADE: D
KODAI SENGA
He was having an A season before the hamstring injury on June 12, then a D performance in eight starts after his return that led to a minor league demotion. His inability to pitch when he’s in less than perfect health has become an issue.
GRADE: INCOMPLETE
BRANDON SPROAT
Showed high-ceiling potential, with feel as well as stuff, in his four starts.
GRADE: INCOMPLETE
JONAH TONG
At age 22, Tong wasn’t quite ready to be tossed into the deep end after only two Triple-A starts. But he too showed high-ceiling potential.
GRADE: INCOMPLETE
BROOKS RALEY
By season’s end Raley was the second-most dependable reliever, pitching to a 2.45 ERA in 30 appearances after his return from Tommy John surgery.
GRADE: A–
New York Mets relief pitcher Tyler Rogers (71) pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning at Citi Field / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
TYLER ROGERS
The numbers were OK, as Rogers pitched to a 2.30 ERA after coming over in a trade from San Francisco, but his pitch-to-contact style resulted in too many key hits in big spots down the stretch.
GRADE: C
HUASCAR BRAZOBAN
The right-hander had his moments. He was dominant early in the season but very inconsistent overall.
GRADE: C
REED GARRETT
Strong early, inconsistent overall and eventually injured, headed for Tommy John surgery.
GRADE: C-
RYNE STANEK
Seemed to be a DFA candidate for much of the second half, which made it hard to understand why Mendoza used him as often as he did in high-leverage spots, especially in the season finale.
GRADE: D
RYAN HELSLEY
There were ominous signs even when Mets traded for him, as the opposition had been pounding his fastball with the Cardinals. But nobody expected him to be a such a bust.
I shudder
to think what the Knights may do with a top-five offense that added Mitch
Marner, a perennial 100-point threat with excellent playmaking and defensive
ability that you can play in any situation.
It does
make a lot of logical sense to play Marner and Jack Eichel, a worthy MVP
candidate last season, on separate lines given their ability to drive play
themselves. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case, at least early in the
season, with the Knights toying with the idea of stacking their top line. It’s
not something they’ve ever had the luxury to do; while they’ve gone after some
big names, an Eichel-Marner combo would be the best they ever had, and arguably
a top-five duo in the league.
That Marner
cost them nothing but cap space should push the Knights offense to an even
higher level. To date, only one team in the cap era, the 2021-22 Panthers with Jonathan
Huberdeau (115 points), Aleksander Barkov (88 points) and Sam Reinhart (82),
has ever averaged more than four goals per game. Can the Knights do this? On
paper, I think it’s totally possible. THN Yearbook & Fantasy Guide projects
Eichel and Marner to combine for 199 points this season.
It won’t cost
the Knights a balanced lineup, either, considering Tomas Hertl and William
Karlsson are as good as you can get with your No. 2 and 3 centers. Mark Stone
is still a fantastic Selke-level winger when healthy, and Pavel Dorofeyev (35
goals in 82 games), Ivan Barbashev (21 even-strength goals) and Brett Howden
(22 even-strength goals) can provide scoring from the other lines. The Knights
can throw out three scoring lines on a nightly basis no matter how they
configure their players.
There are
no shortage of quality fantasy options here with Eichel and Marner both worth
first-round picks in standard 12- or 14-team leagues, and then having a minimum
of three others – Dorofeyev, Hertl, Theodore – worth rostering even in the
shallowest of leagues.
Where the
Knights will certainly feel a hit, however, is the absence of Alex Pietrangelo
due to injury. There’s no replacing a player of his caliber and it puts a lot of
emphasis on their current top trio, Shea Theodore, Brayden McNabb and Noah
Hanifin, to pick up the slack. Zach Whitecloud joins the top four, but the jury’s
still out on a defensemen entering his age-29 season who has never averaged
more than 18 minutes per game. Jeremy Lauzon, who will likely anchor their third
pairing, is worth noting due to his significant potential for hits, who played
himself into banger league relevance after leading the league with 386 hits in
2023-24.
Goaltending
is somewhat dicey if only because the Knights have zero depth behind Adin Hill.
At one point they had a parade of capable backups, but Akira Schmid played in
just five games last season and through four seasons has started just 36 games.
Hill is coming off the first season in which he appeared in at least 50 games, and
his play held up a lot better than I thought, but there’s little margin for error.
At least with Ilya Samsonov last season, he brought plenty of experience and
still had stretches where he was very reliable, including a perfect 4-0-0 in December
last season with a .948 SP and 1.25 GAA.
Prediction:
Even with
some question marks regarding their depth on defense and in net, the Knights win
their third division banner in four seasons with an outstanding offense. Even
with a new team, Marner acclimates himself well with the Knights in the Western
Conference, where he can live with relative anonymity compared to being the
hometown franchise savior in Toronto.
A looming
free agency for Eichel has very little cause for concern given how well he’s
fit on the Knights. With plenty of deals expiring this season and the next – Karlsson,
Stone, Reilly Smith, Brandon Saad, Jeremy Lauzon among them – the Knights have the
cap space and plenty of proof they can be a contender for season to come,
making it easy to convince Eichel to stay.
As the
Central Division teams beat each other into oblivion with the divisional
playoff format, the Knights will have a clear path to the conference final and
beyond. Their main rival remains the Oilers, who don’t offer as much depth as the
Knights and have even bigger questions in goal.
All
stats courtesy of naturalstattrick.com, moneypuck.com, hockeyviz.com, allthreezones.com,
hockey-reference.com, eliteprospects.com unless otherwise noted.
Sublime Spaniard beats world No 4 in straight sets
But he pulls out of Shanghai Masters to ‘rest and recover’
After consoling his opponent and embracing his team at the end of another successful week on the tour, Carlos Alcaraz had just one thought on his mind. He immediately sought out a pair of scissors to finally remove the extensive bandage wrapped tightly around his left ankle.
Having started his week in Tokyo by rolling his ankle and being unsure about whether he would continue, Alcaraz ended it with his eighth title of the season as he overcame a spirited fight from a physically hampered Taylor Fritz to triumph at the Japan Open with a 6-4, 6-4 win.
Tatum has aggressively attacked his rehab from the very beginning. He underwent surgery in New York less than 12 hours after rupturing his Achilles tendon at Madison Square Garden in Game 4 of the Celtics’ second-round playoff series with the New York Knicks. He spent essentially his entire offseason in Boston, working out regularly at the Celtics’ training facility under the guise of trainers and medical staff. And about four months after his initial injury, he’s already participating in basketball drills, which he documented in an eye-opening YouTube video over the weekend.
Tatum’s recovery has impressed his Celtics teammates, several of whom admitted to Insider Chris Forsberg at Monday’s Media Day that they were surprised to see the All-Star forward going through a basketball workout this soon after a surgery that keeps many players sidelined for a full year.
While Tatum is the latest in a long line of NBA players who suffered Achilles injuries — most notably Dejounte Murray, Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton this past season — Forsberg believes Tatum could set a new standard with how swiftly he recovers.
“I think we’re watching something potentially unprecedented in terms of how quickly he can get back to a high level,” Forsberg said Monday on Arbella Early Edition. “There are still a lot of hurdles to go. It’s still a long time. I don’t think they’re going to rush this at all. But you can’t watch that video and then say, ‘Oh, a 200-day season and he’s not going to be back.'”
Tatum’s surgery was performed by Dr. Martin O’Malley, a renowned surgeon who reportedly has performed a special type of Achilles surgery called the “SpeedBridge” repair that can lead to a faster recovery time. It’s still unclear whether Tatum had that specific procedure, but nonetheless, he seems to be on the cutting edge of his rehab in several respects.
“You have to understand, they got him into surgery at an unprecedented rate,” Forsberg added. “No one has ever torn their Achilles and then been into surgery less than 12 hours before. Nobody who has (had) this injury in the NBA has gotten this Speedbridge procedure in that situation and then been back to rehabbing on this aggressive timeline.
“This might set a precedent for how we view this injury, and I know that’s daunting, because you never want to be the first one … but every indication is, he is progressing at a rate where we at least have to think about these conversations.”
“I’m gonna move it up. I’m into February now, and maybe I’ll be in January at some point,” Forsberg said. “I can’t watch that tape and not think to myself he’s going to be back on a basketball court sooner than later, as long as everyone is confident he cannot re-aggravate this injury, and he is at a point where the strength is enough.”
Here are five things to watch for the Sixers in the preseason:
What’s different about the offense?
Joel Embiid said on Day 1 of training camp that the Sixers have changed their offense “quite a bit.”
“I’m in the dunker (spot),” he said with a smile. “Let me just chill in the dunker and everybody else does whatever they want.”
We imagine Embiid will still be a major piece of the Sixers’ offense and not a mere spectator when he’s available. It also does sound like the Sixers intend to play a more guard-centric, up-tempo style.
“It’s certainly something we want to do as far as just creating more of a passing, ball movement type of situation,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said Sunday. “There has been a lot of drill work leading up into (training camp) and it’s starting to take shape pretty good. … Again, I keep saying we’ve got a little bit more speed, we’ve got a little bit more perimeter play, we’ve got a little bit more guys that can get involved in actions. So we want them touching the ball.”
Edgecombe’s game and jumper
VJ Edgecombe has drawn glowing praise from all corners of the Sixers’ practice gym.
“VJ’s a special talent,” Tyrese Maxey said Friday of the No. 3 pick. “One of his talents that a lot of people don’t really use is how hard he plays on both ends of the floor, whether that’s offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding, guarding the ball, playing in transition.
“Those are little things that a lot of people don’t do, so I think he’s going to be really good at that. He likes to learn, he wants to get better. The sky is the limit for him.”
Though the preseason results won’t matter, it will be interesting to see Edgecombe’s jump shot (on top of his sensational athleticism and all the tools Maxey named). Nurse mentioned at media day that Edgecombe made “great strides” with his shooting during the offseason. The 20-year-old said Saturday he’s improved his arc and consistency.
The backup bigs
Andre Drummond said at media day that he’s “100 percent to go” after struggling with a left big toe injury last season.
Nurse has also noted Drummond’s fitness level.
“I think he’s at least 20 or so pounds lighter than he was a year ago at this stage, so that’s a good start,” Nurse said Sunday. “He can probably keep going on that just a little bit more, but it’s helping him and his toe feels better. That’s obviously helping him. He’s moving a little bit better and he’s been playing very good.”
Drummond and second-year big man Adem Bona appear to be the main names behind Embiid at center. Bona’s coming off of an excellent end to his rookie season and won a EuroBasket silver medal this summer with Turkey.
According to Drummond, Bona is “jumping two inches higher than he did last year.” According to Nurse, the 22-year-old is “breaking all the weight room records.”
“It’s competitive,” Nurse said of the Sixers’ backup center outlook. “There’s three, four, five of them, depending on how far you want to go with it. … It’s Bona, it’s Drum, it’s (Johni) Broome, it’s (Jabari) Walker. (Dominick) Barlow maybe a little bit, too. … I think they know they’re in a battle. If you came to watch practice and you were watching that position, you’d see a lot of competition going on between that whole group.”
Walker, Barlow ‘in a very similar situation’
Both Barlow and Walker seem to have plausible routes to earning a larger role than the typical two-way contract player. Each could boost their case with strong showings in the preseason.
“They’re in a very similar situation, very similar positions,” Nurse said after Day 2 of training camp. “Barlow’s constantly on the glass, keeping the basketball alive, etc. I did talk to Jabari about that. Jabari can really rebound the ball. … He’s one of those guys that emphatically snatches rebounds out of there and he’s really good on the defensive glass especially.
“I just kind of reminded him yesterday that I didn’t quite see that, but I did see it today. … He was a lot more active kind of open-floor attacking, which we’re trying to get him to work on. He does have a handle enough and the size in the open floor to take guys on with some shoulder hits and some things. It’s a work in progress, there’s a ways to go on that with him, but he was very good today.”
The 22-year-old Barlow is 6-foot-9 with a 7-3 wingspan. He hasn’t been an outside shooter in the NBA (10 for 40 from three-point range across 96 games), but Barlow’s a good athlete who views his versatility as a strength.
“When I was at Overtime Elite, I think I played every position — two, three, four, five,” he said following Sunday’s practice. “The game is changing so much. You see a team like Houston run double-big lineups. You see Golden State run Draymond (Green) at the five and he’s traditionally undersized. I think the game is just evolving.
“On a night-to-night basis, you see different matchups and different positions, so I don’t worry so much about position. It’s just continuing to play a role and find ways to help our team be as effective as possible.”
How healthy can Sixers be on opening night?
The Sixers would love to minimize the injury woes that overwhelmed them from the very start of last year. It’s not a massive stretch to say injury-free preseason games would be successful preseason games.
Trendon Watford has been dealing with right hamstring tightness, which the Sixers have called a “day-to-day” injury.
“We are getting closer,” Nurse said of Watford’s status. “I would hope and I think that we’re going to see him in the practices at some point (in Abu Dhabi). … That’s what the hope is, I believe.”
The Russian forward signed a record-breaking contract extension with the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday worth $136 million across eight years.
The deal is the richest in NHL history in total money and average annual value ($17 million). Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin held the previous record for total money ($124 million) and Edmonton Oilers All-Star Leon Draisaitl held the previous record for AAV ($14 million).
Kaprizov will play the 2025-26 season on the final year of the five-year, $45 million contract he signed with the Wild in 2021. His new extension will kick in with the 2026-27 season.
The eight-year deal will be one of the last in the NHL, as the league’s new collective bargaining agreement will limit players re-signing with their own teams to seven-year maximums. Free agents joining new teams can sign for a maximum of six years.
The Wild selected Kaprizov in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut in January 2021 and went on to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie. In 2021-22, he set team records in single-season goals (47) and points (108) and earned the first of three straight All-Star appearances.
Kaprizov notched 25 goals and 31 assists across 41 games in 2024-25 before a lower-body injury cut his season short.
The Wild open the 2025-26 regular season against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, Oct. 9, as they look to win their first playoff series since 2014-15.
The Russian forward signed a record-breaking contract extension with the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday worth $136 million across eight years.
The deal is the richest in NHL history in total money and average annual value ($17 million). Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin held the previous record for total money ($124 million) and Edmonton Oilers All-Star Leon Draisaitl held the previous record for AAV ($14 million).
Kaprizov will play the 2025-26 season on the final year of the five-year, $45 million contract he signed with the Wild in 2021. His new extension will kick in with the 2026-27 season.
The eight-year deal will be one of the last in the NHL, as the league’s new collective bargaining agreement will limit players re-signing with their own teams to seven-year maximums. Free agents joining new teams can sign for a maximum of six years.
The Wild selected Kaprizov in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut in January 2021 and went on to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie. In 2021-22, he set team records in single-season goals (47) and points (108) and earned the first of three straight All-Star appearances.
Kaprizov notched 25 goals and 31 assists across 41 games in 2024-25 before a lower-body injury cut his season short.
The Wild open the 2025-26 regular season against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, Oct. 9, as they look to win their first playoff series since 2014-15.
The Buffalo Sabres are embarking on their 56th season and have a storied history, but that proud record has been sullied recently by a 14-year playoff drought. The club has 15 players who have been inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and many others that deserve recognition. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at players in Sabres history by their jersey number, ranking the top three players to wear that particular number.
#1 - Eight players have worn this number in the history of the Sabres
Third: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen - The Sabres current starter was selected 54th overall in 2017, won the OHL’s Most Valuable Player award and a World Junior Championship with Finland in 2019, and has posted a 71-65-15 record in three-plus seasons with Buffalo.
Second: Don Edwards - Edwards began his Sabres career at age 21, replacing veteran Al Smith as the backup for Gerry Desjardins in 1976-77. He became the full-time starter the next season after Desjardins was injured and led the NHL with 38 victories. The bulk of his career was as a tandem partner with Bob Sauve, who won the Vezina Trophy in 1980. Edwards is third on the Sabres all-time victories list with 156, behind only Ryan Miller and Dominik Hasek.
First: Roger Crozier - Crozier won the Calder Trophy and was the first player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy in a losing Stanley Cup Final effort with Detroit in 1966. Bouts of chronic pancreatitis kept him out for long stretches with the Red Wings, and in 1970, he was traded to the expansion Sabres.
In spite of continuing health issues, he played 107 games in the club’s first two seasons, but Crozier led the Sabres to their first playoff appearance in 1973, and in Buffalo’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1975, he went 17-2-1, with a 2.62 GAA. He finished his Sabres career with a 74-76-29 record.
The Chicago Blackhawks are at the halfway point of training camp. One week from today, they will be in Sunrise to take on the Florida Panthers in their first game of the season. Florida will raise their second straight Stanley Cup banner while the Blackhawks continue to try and build to become a team like that again.
Halfway through preseason, there are a lot of things to be figured out. Who is going to fill out the lineup at forward and defense? Who will earn what role? There are three more games, all at home, and a handful of practices to go before things will be truly set.
The truth is also that the decisions made for opening night can be changed for every game after. A lot of young players are going to be in and out of the lineup throughout the season.
When the Hawks do reach opening night, however, you can expect the lineup to look something like this:
Andre Burakovsky - Connor Bedard - Ryan Donato
Teuvo Teravainen - Frank Nazar - Tyler Bertuzzi
Colton Dach - Jason Dickinson - Ilya Mikheyev
Nick Foligno - Lukas Reichel - Landon Slaggert
Extra - Sam Lafferty, Oliver Moore
This would mean that the Blackhawks start Ryan Greene in the AHL and that Landon Slaggert is healthy enough to go on opening night. Oliver Moore could draw in, but it is hard to place where he'd fit in with these lines over guys who clearly earned spots.
Colton Dach brings something to this group that they don't have much of, which is grit, tenacity, and toughness. He is not afraid to get in someone's face if he feels it necessary.
Sam Lafferty, in his third tenure on the team, will probably make the team, but he won't be in the lineup regularly. He'll for sure play, but keeping younger players out in his favor every night would not be wise for the development plan.
Although he has been in trade rumors, Lukas Reichel should be in (at minimum) a bottom-six role as long as he's in the organization. He has looked good in recent preseason games, and he has a huge final week of camp ahead of him to cement that role.
If this ended up being the top six, it wouldn't be all that surprising to anyone. Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar, although young, deserve the opportunity to work as a two-headed monster down the middle. There are some good wings on each of their lines to help them.
Alex Vlasic - Sam Rinzel
Wyatt Kaiser - Artyom Levhunov
Nolan Allan - Connor Murphy
Extra: Louis Crevier
There are five defensemen on the Chicago Blackhawks who are locks to make the team if healthy. Some of them came in feeling like they needed to prove themselves, but there is no doubt that Alex Vlasic, Sam Rinzel, Wyatt Kaiser, Artyom Levshunov, and Connor Murphy are the five most NHL-ready players in the organization on the blue line.
Matt Grzelcyk is in camp on a PTO. There is no need for him to make the team over any of the younger players that the Blackhawks have competing for spots. They have Connor Murphy there to be the veteran on the unit, and they don't need a second.
Jeff Blashill said that Grzelcyk will only make the team if he feels that there isn't a younger player who deserves the spot. Well, there are about three guys who have a case.
Based on the way he's played through the first half of camp, Nolan Allan deserves that job. Right behind him is Kevin Korchinski, followed by Ethan Del Mastro. Allan's physical presence in their most recent game against the Minnesota Wild serves as a reminder of what he can do when he's out there.
Kevin Korchinski will get his chances this season. He is mostly relied on to be a puck-mover, but the rest of his game is still coming together. As for Del Mastro, it's been a tough go for him in the games he's played, mostly in a larger role, which may see him get some more seasoning in the AHL to start. If any of these three on the outside looking in have a strong end to the preseason, however, we may be singing a new tune come next week.
Spencer Knight
Arvid Soderblom
Spencer Knight is going to be the team's number one goalie. This is the first time in his young career that he will enter a season as a true top guy for a team. The prize in the Seth Jones trade for Chicago was Knight, and he's ready to show why. So far in the preseason and camp, he's been brilliant.
As for the backup spot, Arvid Soderblom came into camp with the edge because he was good in his role last year, but Drew Commesso is coming up fast. Although both played very well up to this point, the Blackhawks ultimately decided to get Commesso down to the Rockford IceHogs to continue in his development. Soderblom will serve as Knight's primary backup.
Can anything change here?
Anything can change with these projected lineups before opening night next Tuesday. Ryan Greene could force the Blackhawks to take him over Oliver Moore or Lukas Reichel. One of the three defenseman left off could force Nolan Allan to begin his season in Rockford. There could be an unforeseen injury that changes everything.
There are still three preseason games (all at home) to go against the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, and St. Louis Blues. That stretch begins on Tuesday against the Wings, which will feature a combination of players fighting for the final spots and roster locks.
Lakers center Deandre Ayton participates in the team's media day at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo on Monday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Deandre Ayton spent the last two years fading away from the national spotlight on a team that was closer to getting the first overall pick than getting to the first round of the playoffs. On Monday, the 7-foot center stood in front of flashing lights, answered questions in a packed news conference and glanced up at a shiny line of 17 championship trophies.
Ayton, whose inconsistent career hit a new low in Portland, where he was bought out of his contract and criticized for a poor work ethic, smiled at what he called “the biggest stage.” The former No. 1 overall pick is ready to launch his revenge tour with the Lakers.
"It's the biggest opportunity, I can say, of my career,” Ayton said Monday at Lakers media day. “Some people say it's my last leg, some people say it's my last chance. Well, it's the opportunity I can say I'm truly not going to take for granted.”
Marcus Smart knows the feeling. The 2022 defensive player of the year is coming off a contract buyout in Washington. After nine years and three all-defensive team honors with the Boston Celtics, Smart has played in just 54 games over two injury-plagued years with Memphis and Washington. The 31-year-old recognizes some may have forgotten the “Celtics' Marcus Smart" — the player who guarded all five positions, knocked down timely threes and brought contagious, tone-setting toughness.
The Lakers still remember.
“I know what he brings to the game,” LeBron James said. “I know that team is first, second, third, fourth, fifth, when it comes to Marcus Smart.”
Despite his resume and standing in the league, Smart doesn’t expect automatic entry to the Lakers' starting lineup.
“Whether I start or come off the bench,” Smart said, “my presence will be made.”
Lakers guard Marcus Smart takes part in media day at UCLA Health Training Center on Monday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Smart’s defensive prowess could be a significant boost to a starting group that figures to include James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Rui Hachimura, who started in 57 of his 59 regular-season appearances last season, is in the final year of his contract after averaging 13.1 points and five rebounds per game last season.
Facing the possibility of coming off the bench ahead of a contract year, Hachimura said he would defer to coaches to decide what was best. Coach JJ Redick said the team has seven or eight starting-caliber players, and the starting lineup doesn’t weigh heavily on his mind entering his second season at the helm.
The center was the Lakers’ most significant offseason addition after the blockbuster trade that brought Doncic to L.A. also left the team without a starting center. Jaxson Hayes, who was thrust into the starting role out of necessity but fell out of the rotation during the playoffs, will be a valuable one-two punch with Ayton at center, James said. Forward Maxi Kleber, who played only five minutes after joining the team during the midseason trade with Dallas, said he is fully healthy after a lengthy foot injury.
Kleber, 33, knows firsthand the impact Doncic can have on a post player’s career. Kleber has played with Doncic since the Slovenian superstar was drafted in 2018 and marveled at Doncic’s ability to get easy shots for his teammates. Lob chances will start falling from the sky like never before for Ayton.
After practicing together in the offseason, Kleber commended Ayton for getting stronger and adding to his physical presence on the court. Redick has challenged the entire roster to arrive in “championship shape.”
Ayton didn’t need the additional motivation.
“You guys have an Angry Ayton,” the 27-year-old said, “where I've been disrespected most of my career and just been doubted. And I'm here where all [that is] behind me and I can add all that fuel into winning and playing alongside Luka."
Doncic, out for his own redemption after last year’s trade and conversations about his weight and work ethic, was eager to begin his first training camp with the Lakers. Coming off a quarterfinals appearance at EuroBasket with the Slovenian national team, Doncic said he felt stronger and quicker on the court after his offseason physical transformation. One of the league’s pick-and-roll savants, Doncic should help Ayton rediscover the dominance he flashed while helping the Phoenix Suns reach the NBA Finals in 2021 and post a franchise-record 64 wins in 2022.
Finally back in the NBA spotlight with a new team, Ayton relishes the chance to chase more meaningful records.
“You can feel the pressure through the door,” Ayton said. “This team wants to win a championship."
ELMONT, NY -- At the start of the third period of Monday night's New York Islanders preseason game against the New York Rangers, general manager Mathieu Darche joined the MSGSN broadcast.
Brendan Burke asked Darche about what he's thought of Matthew Schaefer so far, the No. 1 pick who was in the midst of his third preseason game.
"He's been really good," Darche told Burke. "His scoring ability just stands out. When you watch him, one aspect that has actually impressed me, which a lot of times with younger players, it takes longer, is his defending. Because at the end of the day, you can be great on offense. If you don't defend, you can't play in this league, so he's been very good.
"Talk about another guy that's making a push to be here on October 9. So again, there's a game tonight, there's a game on Thursday, we'll make those final decisions, but he's been as advertised.
Through three preseason games, Schaefer has played a total of 69:12 minutes, recording two assists, with eight shots on goal, six individual scoring chances, five rebounds created, three hits, 11 hits taken, with four penalty minutes -- both coming in his first preseason game.
When the puck drops against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arean on Oct. 9, opening night, Schaefer will (very, very likely) make his NHL debut, skating alongside Scott Mayfield, who has proven to be a rather strong partner for the rookie.
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