DENVER — New Nashville front-office executive Chris MacFarland didn’t take long to strike a deal with his former team in trading for Colorado forward Ross Colton.
MacFarland, who recently left his role as Avalanche GM to become the president of hockey operations/general manager of the Predators, acquired the veteran center along with goaltender Isak Posch. Colorado receives goalie Magnus Chrona and a pair of third-round picks (2026, ’27).
“We are very excited to add Ross Colton to our forward mix,” MacFarland said in a statement. “Ross is a versatile, two-way winger who will add sandpaper and grit into our middle six group.”
Colton is coming off a season with Colorado in which he had nine goals and 15 assists over 73 games. He was third among Avalanche players with 159 hits. Colton and the Avalanche made it to the Western Conference Final before being swept by Vegas.
It was MacFarland who helped orchestrate the trade that brought the 29-year-old Colton to Colorado on June 28, 2023, through a deal with Tampa Bay. Soon after, Colton was signed to a four-year contract.
The trade gives more draft capital to Joe Sakic, who’s stepping back into the role of GM in the wake of MacFarland’s departure. Sakic, who’s also the president of hockey operations, was in that position when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Chrona joins a team that features a goaltending tandem of Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood. The pair won the William M. Jennings Trophy, which went to the goalies who played at least 25 games for the team that allowed the least amount of goals in the regular season.
Last season, the 25-year-old Chrona was 9-11-3 with a 2.94 goals-against average for the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League. Chrona remains familiar with the area having suited up at the University of Denver from 2019-23. He was part of the Pioneers when they won the national championship in 2021-22.
Posch spent time with the Colorado Eagles in each of the last two seasons. The Swedish native was named to the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic for the Pacific Division.
“He is a big goalie who will add to our already impressive depth at this position,” MacFarland said.
Aug 22, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean (26) pitches the ball against the Atlanta Braves during the sixth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Mets lineup
Carson Benge – RF Bo Bichette – 3B Juan Soto – LF Marcus Semien – 2B Mark Vientos – 1B Francisco Alvarez – DH A.J. Ewing – CF Luis Torrens – C Zack Short – SS
SP: Nolan McLean – RHP
Reds lineup
Edwin Arroyo – 2B JJ Bleday – LF Sal Stewart – 3B Nathaniel Lowe – 1B Eugenio Suarez – DH Spencer Steer – RF Noelvi Marte – CF Jose Trevino – C Matt McLain – SS
SP: Nick Lodolo – LHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 12:40 PM EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
I am going against the grain here because of the odds. The Over/Under is two runs lower than Monday’s opener, and that's too steep of a drop for me,
The pitching matchup of Ohtani against Shane McClanahan looks appealing for the Under, but both are struggling.
Shohei allowed a season-high four runs in just over six innings last time out, and McClanahan has lost his last two starts — giving up eight runs in nine innings.
An easier Over with positive odds is worth a flier and should be played to +100.
Shawn Krest's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 22-26, -1.91 units
Over/Under bets: 27-25, +0.91 units
Rays vs Dodgers odds
Moneyline: Rays +156 | Dodgers -163
Run line: Rays +1.5 (-133) | Dodgers -1.5 (+127)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+117) | Under 7.5 (-122)
Rays vs Dodgers trend
The Tampa Bay Rays have covered the run line in 26 of their last 45 games (+10.80 Units / 20% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rays vs. Dodgers.
How to watch Rays vs Dodgers and game info
Location
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
First pitch
3:10 p.m. ET
TV
Rays.TV, SportsNet LA
Rays starting pitcher
Shane McClanahan (6-4, 3.23 ERA)
Dodgers starting pitcher
Shohei Ohtani (6-2, 1.06 ERA)
Rays vs Dodgers latest injuries
Rays vs Dodgers weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Brendan Gallagher may be on his way out and unlikely to wear the Montreal Canadiens’ jersey next season, but on Tuesday, he attended the CN Sports Complex in Brossard like a few of his teammates. Why? Well, it wasn’t to skate as the veteran didn’t put on his equipment, but he did spend some time on the bench watching Ivan Demidov and prospect Alexander Zharovsky skate. He wasn’t the only curious Hab as Nick Suzuki, Phillip Danault, and Jacob Fowler were also in attendance.
According to TVA Sports’ Nicolas Cloutier, Gallagher’s agent is pleased with the way the Canadiens have been handling the veteran’s case this offseason. Now that the Stanley Cup final is over and the Carolina Hurricanes have been crowned champions, teams have started moving on the trade market. The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Philadelphia Flyers made a surprising goalie swap, the Colorado Avalanche sent Ross Colton to the Nashville Predators for picks, in other words, it’s business as usual.
While Gallagher’s agent previously mentioned that the Vancouver Canucks had interest in the veteran, if the Canadiens are unable to conclude a trade, they could also buy out the alternate captain. That could happen if potential trade partners are proving a bit too greedy in negotiations, requesting too much as a sweetener to take on the contract. While they’d be doing the Canadiens a favour by picking up the veteran’s contract, the contract could also be useful to them to reach the cap floor, giving Hughes some leverage in negotiations.
For instance, if Vancouver were to manage to trade away Elias Pettersson and his huge contract, they would have trouble meeting the cap floor, and Gallagher’s contract would then come in rather handy. Last season, Hughes only had to give the San Jose Sharks a fifth-round pick and take on Gannon Laroque’s contract to shed Carey Price’s huge contract. The Sharks were near the 50-contract limit, and it provided them with some much-needed relief.
In an ideal world, the Canadiens would be able to trade Gallagher early this offseason, and Hughes could then move on to addressing the team’s needs.
Now that the Stanley Cup has been awarded, the NHL offseason is in full swing. The month-long window between now and mid-July is when the vast majority of business will be done prior to the 2026-27 season.
Trades have already taken place, the NHL Draft is less than two weeks away, and unrestricted free agency will soon follow. Between those marquee dates on the calendar, the NHL buyout window looms for players whose teams view them as having vastly underperformed relative to their contracts.
The NHL buyout window is now open, as it is over 48 hours following the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final, and will run through June 30 at 5 PM EST.
Note: For buyout explanations and calculations, head to puckpedia.com’s buyout calculator tool
For the first time in nearly a decade, the Anaheim Ducks are a competitive NHL team who is projected to at least threaten the $104 million salary cap ceiling. Cap hits are no longer irrelevant to the Ducks, and every dollar on the books will matter very soon.
When examining the Ducks’ cap sheet, one player jumps off the screen: Frank Vatrano. His production dropped off a cliff, and he had a difficult season in 2025-26, on and off the ice.
Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek typically holds the meat of his contract negotiations for the offseason, but on Jan. 5, 2025, he extended Vatrano on a creative three-year deal. Vatrano was in the middle of his third straight 20-goal season for the Ducks, a year removed from a 37-goal All-Star campaign in 2023-24, and had become an identity piece for the organization as they were attempting to put the finishing touches on an extended, painful rebuild.
Vatrano’s deal is worth a total of $18 million, but due to ten years of deferred money ($900k annually between 2035 and 2044), his yearly cap hit dropped from $6 million to $4.57 million. The deal includes a seven-team NTC.
Vatrano was Verbeek’s first UFA signing after he took the job in 2022, and Vatrano outperformed expectations in an elevated role due to the Ducks’ lack of talent and rebuild timeline. Following 2025’s hiring of Joel Quenneville as Anaheim’s next head coach, Vatrano had a difficult time carving a role in the newly implemented system, was injured for a stretch with a fracture in his shoulder, and stepped away from the team for personal reasons.
His final stat line for 2025-26 included just nine points (5-4=9) in 50 games, and he served as a healthy scratch for multiple games, including the Ducks’ entire two-round, 12-game playoff run. It’s safe to question Vatrano’s future with the Ducks.
If Vatrano were to be bought out during the current window, his cap hit would drop to $571,189 for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons, and would be $2 million in 2028-29 and 2029-30. Vatrano would receive $8 million of the $12 million in remaining money he’s owed on the contract.
The possibility remains that the Ducks simply keep Vatrano and allow him to work past the issues he faced in 2025-26. There’s also the possibility that they are able to trade him. The 2026 NHL unrestricted free agency class is notoriously weak, the salary cap continues to rise, and teams will likely attempt to improve their teams via the trade market.
Former Ducks center Ryan Strome went through similar difficulties to Vatrano in 2025-26, and the Ducks were able to move him and the entirety of his $5 million AAV contract to the Calgary Flames at the trade deadline in exchange for a seventh-round pick. Vatrano had a higher ceiling than Strome did during the duo’s time together in Anaheim, and teams may believe they can recapture that magic. They’d have to be willing, however, to assume the responsibility of paying Vatrano through the year 2044.
The next few weeks will be very telling when examining the immediate and long-term future of the Anaheim Ducks. This is a pivotal offseason following their first success in nearly a decade, and a buyout may unfortunately be seen as necessary.
The last time the Ducks bought out a player was when they bought out the final two years of former cornerstone forward Corey Perry’s eight-year deal on June 19, 2019.
Welcome to our annual Lakers season in review series, where we’ll look back at each player on the team’s roster this season and evaluate if they should be part of the future of the franchise. Today, we wrap our series with a shift away from the players and towards the head coach, JJ Redick.
Maybe it’s a product of the internet-fueled brain rot that distorts the passage of time these days, but it feels like five years have passed since the debates about JJ Redick’s qualifications to be an NBA head coach, spurred on by his post-playing days podcast career and never having coached at any level beyond his grade-school-aged sons’ teams.
Or maybe it’s the fact that after two full NBA campaigns under his belt, Redick has so quickly and thoroughly dismissed those concerns as irrelevant, it seems like ancient history that ever mattered in the first place.
Either way, it’s no small feat that Redick has put all of that talk behind him to the point that it is hard to imagine him doing anything else besides coaching now. Consecutive 50-win seasons and playoff appearances with home court advantage in the first round do have a way of shifting the perception of a coach under the type of scrutiny Redick was just two years ago.
The degree to which this matters at this point may not be very much at all.
After all, I think JJ would be the first to tell you that, beyond even the wins and losses, he simply wants to be judged on whether he has maximized the group of players he coaches in a specific season. But the fact that we’ve gotten to that point with Redick at all this early into his career is worth mentioning as meaningful — and the fact that this seems to be the only standard he’s being held to at all now even more so.
Yes, there have been growing pains and things have been far from perfect, but I think it’s abundantly clear now that Redick is viewed only as a coach. And, after two seasons, it’s fairly clear he’s a pretty good one.
How did he coach?
Coming off a rookie season that saw his roster upended by a franchise-altering trade, Redick’s second year was also a challenging one due to injuries and player availability impacting a roster that, even with multiple holdovers, did introduce three new rotation players, including two starters.
Whether it was LeBron missing all of training camp and the team’s first 14 games with sciatica, Austin Reaves missing substantial time with two calf strains and an oblique injury, and Luka Dončić missing the team’s final five games and the entire playoffs with a hamstring strain, Redick had to navigate a season where his best three players rarely played together and, when they did, were adjusting to the ever-shifting roles borne from that lack of shared court time.
Redick, though, handled this deftly, creating an environment where roles were backed by communication, understanding, and belief in the players’ abilities to take on whatever was put in front of them. This was exemplified both by the team’s incredible month of March and then in the team’s playoff upset of the Rockets.
In the former, a string of good health was backed by a redefined pecking order that saw Redick cater to Dončić and Reaves as his primary ball handlers and shot creators while LeBron took on a more supportive role as an off-ball worker who focused on doing more with less. Credit the players — particularly LeBron — for being able to adapt on the fly, but Redick also deserves his flowers for formulating this sort of plan and for having the wherewithal to organize the team in a way that, in one stroke, optimized the group while also diminishing the role of a player whose reputation and cachet is as substantive as LeBron’s.
And then, in the latter playoff stretch, with both Dončić and Reaves injured, Redick not only turned back to LeBron as an on-ball creator and primary leader, but crafted offensive game plans that prominently featured Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard as primary scorers and ball-handlers and defensive schemes meant to play into Houston’s lack of experience and guard play by pressuring the ball and forcing turnovers.
In essence, Redick took two totally different groups with different strengths on both sides of the ball and created environments where both experienced great success. Because this is a player’s league and the Lakers were obviously led by historically great individual players, Redick really did not get the credit he deserved in real time. But hindsight really does reveal how much of a strong coaching job the dichotomy of these two stretches required.
Overall, then, it’s more than fair to say that Redick had an excellent year coaching.
He wasn’t perfect by any means and you could certainly nitpick some of the decisions he made over the course of the year, but there were very few, if any, times where I could honestly say I didn’t understand a choice he made, even if I disagreed with it. Which, honestly, is all you can ask for from a coach as an outsider. Can this be explained rationally? If the answer is yes, you don’t have to agree.
Further, I’d argue there was a general adaptability and willingness to change course when something wasn’t working, which really mattered towards the team’s success this year.
Whether it was the aforementioned reorienting of the team’s hierarchy around Luka and Austin or the ultimate shift he made to bring Rui off the bench in favor of Smart, Redick often got to where he needed to be with this roster rather than stubbornly sticking to ideas that would have been easier to stomach politically. And while it’s fair to wonder if he could have done some of these things sooner, I think it’s more important you get there eventually — because some coaches never do.
So, credit to Redick. He still has learning and refining to do, but the trajectory he’s on is positive and I believe in where this team can go with him as the head coach.
What is his contract situation moving forward?
By all accounts, Redick is under contract for several more seasons after receiving a contract extension following his first season that reportedly tacked on two more years to what was originally a four-year deal. That would leave Redick with four years still on this deal now, which positions him well to be the Lakers’ coach for the foreseeable future.
Even beyond that contractual security, though, it is also clear that Redick has a strong relationship not only with Dončić, but with LeBron and Austin. This sort of alignment with your team’s best players can often mean more than the number of years left on your deal or even the sort of support you might have from your general manager.
Should he be back?
Unequivocally, yes. While this is clearly Luka’s team from the player side of things, Redick feels nearly as indentured as the team’s head coach. And just as the team will clearly try to acquire the sorts of players who best complement Dončić and his skill set, I also believe the team will target players who fit into how Redick wants to play while possessing the character and skill set that Redick has established as pillars for the team.
This decision certainly turned heads and shocked many for a couple of reasons. Hiller's name never really came up in the build-up to this hire, and he's coming off a tenure with the Los Angeles Kings that wasn't particularly impressive.
However, this is a new page for Hiller in his head coaching career, and the Maple Leafs' current situation is very different from the Kings team Hiller led for parts of the last three years.
When Hiller was with the Kings, he had his team play very defensively. From Feb. 2, 2024, to March 1, 2026, Hiller's official tenure, Los Angeles averaged 2.86 goals per game. That puts the Kings tied for the ninth-worst offense in the NHL over that span.
The Kings did not play an exciting brand of hockey under his guidance, but that could be partly because of the makeup of the team.
Hiller coached an aging Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, leaving his top offensive producer to be Adrian Kempe, who has never scored more than 75 points in his NHL career. Not to mention, Quinton Byfield has yet to blossom into the high-flying center that he is expected to be.
When a team like the Kings has a veteran core, most of the time, the organization will want to find ways to always be competitive. Another example of that is the Pittsburgh Penguins, who seemingly refuse to go through a complete rebuild as long as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are around.
And with a team that lacks offensive prowess, the way to win games is to keep the other team from scoring. In that sense, Hiller was very good at getting the Kings to buy in defensively, and the numbers prove it.
In that same span in which Hiller led Los Angeles from behind the bench, no team in the NHL was better than the Kings at keeping the puck out of their net.
The Kings averaged 2.60 goals against, marking them with the best defense in the league. They also have the fifth-most shutouts in the NHL with five, and while Darcy Kuemper was solid and a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2024-25, those numbers are a nod to Hiller's system.
Even though Hiller has only really presented a defensive system for his team as a head coach in the NHL, that doesn't mean that's all he can provide. After all, when he was an assistant coach in the NHL, including with the Maple Leafs for four years, he looked after the power play.
As Toronto's power-play operator from 2015-16 to 2018-19, Hiller had success with the Leafs special teams. In that span, the Maple Leafs have the fifth-best power play in the NHL, registering a 21.3 percentage rate.
Therefore, Hiller does have the ability to create offense out of his team. But what gives him an even greater chance to be successful as the head coach of the Maple Leafs is his history with the team.
Toronto's roster has certainly changed a lot since Hiller moved on from the Maple Leafs' coaching staff. However, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly have remained on the team since.
It may not be a coincidence that Hiller's last year with the Maple Leafs, Tavares and Rielly had the best campaigns of their NHL careers. Tavares scored a career-high 47 goals and 88 points while Rielly recorded 20 goals and 74 points, as well as Norris Trophy recognition, finishing fifth in the award's voting.
Not to mention, Hiller was a teacher to Matthews and Nylander in the early parts of their career, a critical moment in their development and a factor in how talented they have become over the years.
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TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday hired Jim Hiller as the 41st head coach in franchise history, bringing back an assistant with the club from 2015-19.
Most recently, Hiller served as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, compiling a 93-58-24 record over parts of three seasons. The Kings fired Hiller on March 1 following an 8-1 loss to Edmonton.
“(Hiller) has worked with successful teams throughout his career, connects well with players and brings a clear approach behind the bench,” Chayka said in a news release. “We believe he’s the right person to lead our team and help us reach our goals.”
Hiller served as an assistant coach with the Kings for two seasons before being promoted to head coach.
A native of Port Alberni, British Columbia, Hiller spent 11 seasons coaching junior hockey, including stints with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans and several teams in the British Columbia Hockey League, before moving to the NHL ranks.
“I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to return to Toronto and lead the Maple Leafs,” Hiller said in the release. “This is a special organization with great players, passionate fans and high expectations. I’m looking forward to getting to work with our players and staff and doing everything we can to help this team reach its full potential.”
The Leafs fired Berube on May 13 after two seasons, following a first-to-last turnaround this past season. After finishing atop the Atlantic Division in 2024-25 and making it to the second round of the playoffs, Toronto fell to last in the division and 28th in the NHL.
His firing came 10 days after Chayka was brought on board to replace Brad Treliving. Chayka called the Berube firing “an opportunity to start fresh,” and said the team would go through a wide-ranging search.
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 11: Filip Hallander #11 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates during the game against the New York Rangers at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 11, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Vitals
Player: Filip Hallander Born: June 29, 2000 (25 years old) Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 203 pounds Hometown: Sundsvall, Sweden Shoots: Left Draft: 58th overall (second round) in the 2018 NHL draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins 2025-26 Regular Season Statistics: 13 games played; one goal; three assists; four points Contract Status: Entering second year of a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $850,000. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2027.
Story of the Season
Now back in the fold after two successful seasons with Timra IK, Hallander earned a spot on the opening night roster for the 2025-26 season under new head coach Dan Muse.
On Oct. 16, 2025, he scored his first NHL goal, a shorthanded game-winner over the Los Angeles Kings, some seven years after being drafted.
Hallander’s impressive October and 2025-26 season would come to a screeching halt after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his leg in November 2025. The diagnosis forced Hallander to miss several months, but he successfully progressed through his recovery enough to rejoin his teammates for practice by mid-February.
He was loaned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on a conditioning assignment on Feb. 18.
In three games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Hallander recorded a lone goal, but was recalled from his conditioning assignment Feb. 27.
He did not appear in a game for the remainder of the season.
Hallander notched an assist on opening night in the 4-3 win over the New York Rangers, and three games later, recorded his first-career NHL goal against the Kings.
He’d go pointless after that game, but saw his ice time dramatically increase from 10:58 in a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers on Oct. 23 to 16:09 the next game against the Blue Jackets.
He recorded assists in back-to-back games against the St. Louis Blues and the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 27 and Oct. 28, respectively.
Regular season 5v5 advanced stats
Data via Natural Stat Trick. Ranking is out of 18 forwards on the team who qualified by playing a minimum of 150 minutes.
Hallander barely qualifies for this data set, playing just over 152 minutes of ice time, the lowest of any eligible forward. The numbers are somewhat volatile and should be treated more as a snapshot of a few shifts than as a reliable assessment of his true performance this season.
The on-ice save percentage and goals for percentage almost certainly regress if Hallander logs more substantial ice time, and in that same breath, he probably generates a better Corsi for percentage, for example, than his 16th-ranked finish indicates.
Ultimately, Hallander showed encouraging flashes as a defensively responsible depth forward. The question is whether he can translate that effectiveness over 700-900 minutes, where the luck factors disappear, and his true impact becomes clearer.
Highlights
Filip Hallander scored his FIRST NHL GOAL! Here is how it sounded on the Penguins Radio Network, presented by S&T Bank. pic.twitter.com/cJYypEsSee
What is Hallander’s health status heading into next season? Will he have to earn another role within Pittsburgh’s bottom-six? What does Dan Muse make of a soon-to-be 26-year-old with just 16 NHL games under his belt?
Ideal 2026-27
Hallander is still under contract for the 2026-27 season, and players like Noel Acciari, Kevin Hayes, and Anthony Mantha are more likely than not to depart the organization, creating a few openings for the remaining forwards.
Still just 25, Hallander may yet have some untapped bottom-six potential, but his long-term outlook and health status remain in question. While injuries are unpredictable, durability remains just as much of a desired trait as goalscoring.
Bottom line
Some flashes of a decent NHL player were there early on, before injury derailed his season. If he can stay healthy, Hallander could offer cheap, effective bottom-six depth for a Penguins team that is once again primed for a bit of a facelift this offseason with cap space at Kyle Dubas’ disposal to go big-game hunting.
Final Grade: C
Some may view a “C” grade as too generous, but considering his solid October, I am going to grade him based on what he offered when he was in the lineup.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are turning to former Los Angeles Kings coach Jim Hiller to get them back to the playoffs after the end of their nine-year streak.
Hiller was fired by the Kings in March but is familiar with the Maple Leafs organization, serving as an assistant coach from 2015-19, making the playoffs three times in that four-year span.
He had a 93-58-24 record in the regular season with the Kings, including tying a franchise record for wins and points, but he lost in the first round in his two trips to the playoffs.
“Jim is an experienced coach with a strong understanding of what it takes to win in today's NHL,” general manager John Chayka said. “He has worked with successful teams throughout his career, connects well with players and brings a clear approach behind the bench. We believe he's the right person to lead our team and help us reach our goals.”
This is a crucial year for the Maple Leafs. They missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. But they landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft by winning the draft lottery.
They are expected to take Gavin McKenna with that pick, and Hiller would be his first NHL coach.
“I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to return to Toronto and lead the Maple Leafs,” Hiller said. “This is a special organization with great players, passionate fans and high expectations. I’m looking forward to getting to work with our players and staff and doing everything we can to help this team reach its full potential.”
Jim Hiller's coaching experience
Before becoming the Kings' head coach, he had been an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings, Maple Leafs and Kings. He was interim coach or head coach of the Kings for 175 regular-season games. He began his coaching career in junior hockey in the Western Hockey League.
Jim Hiller as Kings head coach
He was promoted to interim coach in February 2024 after the Kings fired Todd McLellan. He got the Kings to the playoffs, where they lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round.
The Kings removed the interim title and he led the team to a franchise-record-tying 48 wins and 105 points. They faced the Oilers in the first round for the fourth time in four years and lost for the fourth time, despite taking a 2-0 series lead.
They led in Game 3 when Evander Kane scored to tie the game. The on-ice officials initially ruled he kicked in the puck but a review overturned that. Then Hiller challenged for goaltender interference and lost, giving the Oilers a power play. Evan Bouchard scored 10 seconds later for a 5-4 lead and eventual 7-4 victory.
"We felt like it was goalie interference, so we challenged it," Hiller told reporters after that game. "Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose on those and tonight (we) lost and it cost us big time. No other way around it."
"Jim Hiller did a fabulous job in leading the team to 105 points," Holland said. "They were good defensively. They were good on special teams. The team played hard. ... He'll be a better coach next year for the experience he went through this year."
Holland fired Hiller and naned D,J, Smith interim coach on March 1. The Kings had a five-game losing streak around the Olympic break, including an 8-1 loss to the Oilers.
BADALONA, SPAIN - JUNE 14: Sergio de Larrea of Valencia Basket warms up during the Spanish League, Liga ACB Endesa, basketball Semi Final Game 3 match played between Asisa Joventut and Valencia Basket at Olimpic Arena on June 14, 2026 in Badalona, Spain. (Photo By Javier Borrego/Europa Press via Getty Images) | Europa Press via Getty Images
Depending on how the board falls, Spanish guard Sergio de Larrea could be available when New York is on the clock on draft night next week. Should the Knicks consider him with their 24th or 31st selection?
The Basics
Team: Valencia Basket (Spain’s Liga ACB)
Position: Guard
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 204 lbs
Age: 20
2025-26 Stats: 8.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.4 APG, 40.9% FG, 36.7% 3PT, 81.3% FT (in ACB play)
Projected Draft Range: Late first to early second round (Picks 25–35)
The Numbers
De Larrea has built one of the cleaner international profiles heading into the 2026 NBA Draft. He played meaningful professional minutes for Valencia Basket in Spain’s ACB and a bit smaller role at the EuroLeague. In any case, he gave scouts more than a large sample against professional, older, stronger, and truly more experienced competition for the past few months.
His ACB production stands out because it came in a rotational role, with De Larrea averaging around 18 minutes per game while shooting 36.7% from three and 81.3% from the free-throw line. At the end of the day, however, this is a guard whose value is found in his passing and decision-making.
De Larrea averaged 3.6 assists per game in ACB action, showing good court vision and building him into one of the more intriguing bigger guards in the class, and the best guard outright coming from overseas. That said, De Larrea is not a high-volume scorer or explosive downhill athlete. But he has size, polish, shooting indicators, and something the Knicks might like in his professional experience, giving him a strong baseline.
Making things more intriguing is the fact that the Knicks have already been linked to him, as Jake Fischer reported New York’s interest in the Spanish guard, writing, “I’m told that the Knicks, like the Timberwolves, have interest in Spain’s Larrea.”
What Does He Do Well?
Advanced Playmaking: De Larrea’s biggest appeal is his feel. He sees passing windows early, plays with pace, and can operate in ball-screen actions without rushing. At nearly 6’7”, he can see over smaller guards and make live-dribble reads that many late-first prospects cannot consistently make yet.
Reliable Shooting: The shooting profile looks a bit of a work-in-progress, but his three-point shooting in ACB play, combined with his free-throw touch, gives him a strong foundation as an NBA spacer in time. He can punish defenders who go under screens, hit spot-up looks, and operate away from the ball.
Positional Size: De Larrea has legitimate guard size. He is big enough to play next to a smaller lead guard and skilled enough to handle secondary creation duties.
Professional Polish: He has already played in a structured European system against veteran competition, both at the domestic and continental levels. That does not guarantee immediate NBA success, as we very well know around these places, but it lowers the developmental risk compared to prospects who still need to learn some basics of the pro game.
What Are the Concerns?
Limited Burst: De Larrea is not an explosive athlete. He does not consistently win with a lightning first step, and NBA defenders may test whether he can create separation without a screen.
Physical Strength: He still needs to add a good deal of strength, which matters as a finisher, ball-handler under pressure, and defender against bigger NBA guards and wings.
Defensive Ceiling: His size will help on D, but he is not a high-level defensive disruptor for now. De Larrea projects as a smart positional defender more than someone who blows up actions with elite athleticism.
Scoring Creation: De Larrea is more of a connector than a takeover scorer. He can shoot, pass, and make smart reads, but he is unlikely to become an offensive engine.
The Knicks Fit
The Knicks enter the 2026 NBA Draft with picks No. 24, No. 31, and No. 55, and there has already been reporting that New York could look to move one of its first-rounders if only to save themselves some dough.
If the Knicks keep one of their late first-round picks, de Larrea fits the type of cost-controlled, high-IQ contributor who makes sense for a team smacked right in the middle of their contending window and coming off winning a championship. De Larrea would not need to dominate the ball at all, could play next to Brunson, splitting minutes with Deuce McBride and Tyler Kolek, and function with the second unit while honing his skillset in Tarrytown and watching from the pine most of the time.
The most obvious angle to consider regarding the little Spaniard has to do with the Knicks’ long-term roster building. If New York wants to maintain some flexibility while managing an expensive championship core, a late-first/early-second rookie who can provide guard depth on a controlled contract has real value.
NBA Comparison
Best-Case Comparison: International Malcolm Brogdon (Steady guard who wins with strength and decision-making but lacks burst)
Median Outcome: Tomas Satoransky (Tall European guard who can pass, organize, play on or off the ball, and survive as a rotation player without scoring that much)
Low-End Outcome: Frank Ntilikina (Welp)
The Verdict
Pass at 24. New York may have access to higher-upside prospects, especially if someone like Meleek Thomas, Isaiah Evans, Chris Cenac Jr., or Morez Johnson Jr. slips. But at No. 31, de Larrea’s combination of size, shooting, passing, and professional polish is hard to ignore.
Think twice at 31. If Sergio de Larrea is still on the board when the Knicks pick early in the second round, he makes some sense. The Spaniard may not have star upside nor a legit role during his first days in Manhattan, but that is not necessarily what the Knicks need right now. De Larrea profiles as a smart, skilled, low-maintenance guard who can help a good team stay organized, space the floor, and develop into a reliable rotation piece. We don’t know what will happen to Deuce McBride once his deal expires, and the only long-term option at the point is Tyler Kolek. Considering de Larrea will likely be gone at No. 55, the Knicks would need to make a tough decision here.
The New York Knicks made history last Saturday, capturing the franchise's first NBA championship in 53 years. This Thursday, June 18, New Yorkers will get to celebrate the milestone in the franchise's first ticker-tape parade.
“For more than 50 years, New Yorkers have waited for this moment. Through near misses, heartbreak and a hope that every year could be our year, this city never stopped believing in the Knicks. And this team fulfilled that hope with grit, resilience, and heart — just like the five boroughs itself,” said New York City Zohran Mayor Mamdani in a statement. “New Yorkers have cheered for our team from packed living rooms in the Bronx to watch parties in Brooklyn, from bars in Queens to Staten Island to Manhattan, and Madison Square Garden itself. Now it’s time for our city to celebrate together. Bing bong.”
See below for everything you need to know about the 2026 Knicks championship parade.
The New York Knicks rallied once again thanks to a 45-point performance from Jalen Brunson to beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5, winning the team’s first title since 1973.
Cooper Connolly continued his impressive form with the bat as two Australian debutants impressed in a four-wicket win over Bangladesh in the opening T20 international on Wednesday.
Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks during the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The Celtics may not be sitting still at No. 27.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Boston is looking to trade up in the first round of next Tuesday’s NBA Draft. The Celtics currently hold the No. 27 pick and the No. 40 pick, but Fischer reported that they have been exploring a move higher on the board.
While Boston continues to loom as a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo landing spot, sources say the Celtics are looking to trade up in the first round of next Tuesday’s NBA Draft from their No. 27 pick.
The first is pretty straightforward: Brad Stevens and the Celtics may have found a player they like and do not believe he’ll be there at 27. That is the normal draft-week explanation.
The louder version is the one you’re probably already sick of hearing about. We’ll get to…him…later.
Maybe the Celtics are trying to jump a few spots for a frontcourt prospect they think fits the next version of the roster. Or perhaps they’re trying to improve their draft capital before the rest of the offseason starts moving. Maybe they are doing both, because Brad Stevens has never seemed like someone who enjoys having only one door available to him.
Either way, Boston exploring a move up feels like the first move in what figures to be a busy offseason.
Who could Boston be targeting?
Henri Veesaar feels like the cleanest name to watch.
ESPN’s latest mock draft has the North Carolina big going No. 24 to the Knicks, which puts him close enough to Boston’s range for a trade-up conversation to make some sense. At 7 feet, with shooting touch and pick-and-pop potential, Veesaar checks a lot of the obvious boxes for a Celtics team still trying to solve its frontcourt issues.
ESPN’s latest Mock Draft has the Lakers selecting Henri Veesaar with the 25th overall draft pick, a center out of North Carolina
He is the #3 ranked center on ESPN’s Top 100 Prospect List for the 2026 class and shot 42.6% from three last season 👀 pic.twitter.com/xyoNwaFpCx
A big who can keep the floor spaced, rebound enough and do more than simply occupy space would give Boston a better answer than hoping the current rotation solves itself.
Jayden Quaintance is another interesting name if the Celtics are comfortable with the medical risk tied to his knee. If Boston wants to jump higher, names like Chris Cenac Jr., Hannes Steinbach and Morez Johnson Jr. could come into play, but that would require a more aggressive move. Aday Mara is probably the dream version of the idea, though ESPN has him at No. 11, which feels like a different conversation entirely unless something much larger is about to happen.
If the Celtics stay put, Tarris Reed Jr. could still make sense as a more physical, ready-now big. But if Fischer’s report is tied to a specific frontcourt target, Veesaar is the easiest name to connect.
My big fat Greek trade rumors
You didn’t think we were getting through a Celtics offseason report without Giannis Antetokounmpo showing up, did you?
Fischer’s note also mentioned Boston as a team very much still looming in the Giannis conversation, which gives the trade-up report a second layer to consider. Moving up could be about drafting a player. It could also be about improving the quality of an asset before a larger deal takes place.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – APRIL 03: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics and Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks talk after a game at Fiserv Forum on April 03, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A better first-round pick is more attractive than No. 27 in almost any trade conversation with the Bucks. That does not magically make a Giannis deal realistic, simple or even likely. Nothing about acquiring a player of that caliber is ever straightforward. But if Boston is trying to keep every door open, turning No. 27 into something slightly more appealing would at least fit the larger logic of the offseason.
That is probably the cleanest way to look at this for now. The Celtics are trying to give themselves more options.
Maybe they want to move up for a big who can help answer the frontcourt question. Maybe they want a better asset before taking a bigger swing. Maybe nothing happens, because draft-week rumors have a long history of being just that: rumors.
Still, for a team with limited easy ways to improve, exploring a move up makes sense.
The Celtics can stay at No. 27 and hope the board cooperates. Or they can try to make sure it does.
The Sharks originally had picks No. 2 and 20 in the first round, and now will enter the June 26 draft with the No. 2 and 27 picks, essentially moving back seven spots with its second first-round pick to acquire Kesselring.
The 26-year-old Kesselring originally was a sixth-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2018, and in four NHL seasons, recorded 55 points (12 goals, 43 assists) in 190 career games with the Arizona Coyotes, Utah Hockey Club and Sabres.
“Michael has a big frame with solid two-way ability,” general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “He is a responsible player in the defensive zone with a well rounded offensive game, and will be a good upgrade for us patrolling the blueline. We’re happy to have him a part of the organization.”
Kesselring also played for Team USA at the 2024 and 2025 World Championship.
The Sharks entered the offseason with a clear priority to upgrade their blue line, and Wednesday’s trade was the first step toward fixing that issue.
COVERS INTEL: Ohtani blamed mechanics on the mound for the injury, 
Raphielle Johnson
Kurt Helin
