CINCINNATI, OH - JUNE 20: Casey Janssen #44 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on June 20, 2014 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Toronto defeated Cincinnati 14-9. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Casey Janssen turns 45 today. He has always been one of my favourites, and a favourite among readers of this site. Long before I joined, the site even interviewed him back in 2008.
Janssen was selected in the fourth round of the 2003 draft out of the University of California, during the J.P. Ricciardi era. That year, the Jays picked David Purcey in the first round, with Zach Jackson, Curtis Thigpen, and Adam Lind all chosen ahead of Casey.
Janssen made his Blue Jays debut at the end of April 2006, stepping in after A.J. Burnett landed on the DL due to complications from his 2003 Tommy John surgery. Casey started off strong, going 3-2 with a 3.12 ERA in six May starts, but struggled as the season progressed, ultimately finishing 6-10 with a 5.07 ERA.
In 2007, a string of pitching injuries shifted Janssen to the bullpen, where he became the setup man for closer Jeremy Accardo. He finished the year with 24 holds, 6 saves, and a 2.35 ERA in 70 appearances. While he only struck out 39 batters in 72.2 innings, he excelled at keeping the ball on the ground and consistently got the job done.
Casey missed all of 2008 and the early part of 2009 due to a torn labrum. The Jays tried him as a starter upon his return, but after five rough outings and a 6.23 ERA, he transitioned back to the bullpen for good, where he remained a key contributor for the next five seasons.
Between 2010 and 2014, Casey appeared in 279 games, recording a 2.99 ERA and 83 saves. He served as the team’s closer from 2012 to 2014 and currently ranks fifth on the franchise’s all-time saves list and fifth in games pitched by a Blue Jays pitcher.
You might recall that he battled a bout of food poisoning over the All-Star break, which likely contributed to a difficult second half. After a solid start to the season, he posted a 5.70 ERA following the break.
Following the 2014 season, Janssen signed with the Nationals, but struggled in 2015, leading the team to decline his option for 2016. He was briefly with the Padres and Red Sox organizations, but never made it back to the majors. In 2017, he continued his career in the Mexican League.
I’m not exactly sure why Janssen became such a favourite here, but he was undeniably effective. I always enjoyed his distinctive follow-through, especially the pronounced bend in his lead leg that brought him so low to the ground. It also helped that he seemed like a genuinely good guy.
Marcus Semien turns 36 today.
In 2021, Marcus played all 162 games for the Blue Jays, slashing .265/.334/.538 with 45 home runs and 15 steals. He earned both the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards for second base and finished third in MVP voting.
The Jays finished that season 91-71, which was only good enough for fourth place in the AL East.
Afterward, Semien signed a seven-year, $175 million contract with the Rangers. Before this season, the Rangers traded him to the Mets. He’s not having a great season there.
Over his 14-year career, Marcus has hit .251/.319/.429 with 267 home runs and a 49.9 bWAR.
Happy Birthday, Marcus.
On this day in 2019 (seven years ago), Cavan Biggio hit for the cycle—just the third Blue Jay to do so, joining Jeff Frye and Kelly Gruber.
His game unfolded like this:
– Strikeout in the first
– Two-run homer in the third
– Single in the sixth
– Double in the eighth
– Two-run triple in the ninth, part of a four-run inning that secured the win
He also stole two bases, scored three runs, and drove in four.
The game took place in Baltimore. I noted in the recap that the announced attendance was 9,280, but estimated that about 9,000 were disguised as empty seats. The Jays won 8-5.
Vegas Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon doesn’t mince words. He speaks with conviction, and he means every word he says.
His statement about inking Golden Knights captain Mark Stone to a two-year contract extension was par for the course.
“The organization shifted when we acquired Mark Stone,” said McCrimmon. “For me, that was the player that we thought could be a star— [and he] has been a star. When you factor in the character of his leadership and what he’s meant to the organization, he’s just been a tremendous, tremendous player for the Golden Knights.”
Stone, who has played exactly 400 games in a Golden Knights sweater, is coming off a career year. In 60 games, he scored 28 goals and posted a career-best 73 points. Stone was a crucial part of the Golden Knights’ lethal power play— he scored nine goals and 27 points on the man advantage.
“With him going into the final year of his contract, we were really excited to keep him with our organization for this year, plus two more,” said McCrimmon. “He feels great, and he had one of his best years last year.”
Stone’s on-ice play speaks for itself. He’s an elite two-way winger who makes up for his lack of foot speed with one of the sharpest minds in the game. He kills penalties and is on the ice in every late-game scenario. He’s one of the most underappreciated players in the game, but those lucky enough to watch or play with Stone on a nightly basis have nothing but good things to say about him.
“I think the people in this room appreciate Mark’s contributions as much as anyone does,” said McCrimmon.
If anyone has earned the right to retire a Golden Knight, it’s Mark Stone. He’s the team’s emotional leader, and the amount of effort he gives every game is never in question.
“He’s our original leader,” McCrimmon finished. “I think that we’re thrilled with his level of play, his leadership, and everything that goes with him being our captain.”
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 30: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in action during a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on March 30, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
They spent weeks waiting for LeBron James to make a decision, only for the King to choose Philly over returning home. This put Cleveland’s offseason on the brink of disaster. They needed a wing — and with the free agency pool drained, the Cavs had almost nothing to show for it.
James Harden not only paused his contract extension to allow them to keep searching, but also played an active role in recruiting their biggest splash of the summer, Peyton Watson.
“Getting a call or text from [Harden] throughout my process to let me know the Cleveland Cavaliers are interested,” said Watson during his introductory press conference.
“ That matters a lot because obviously he has one of the great basketball minds we’ve ever seen. Being embraced by him immediately was something that was very flattering to me.”
Watson was one of the hottest sign-and-trade candidates on the market this summer. The 6’8” wing had a career-best season shooting the ball and fit the mold of what the Cavs have been missing.
Meanwhile, Harden waited until September to sign an extension that he could have signed in July. This gave Cleveland the financial flexibility to go big game hunting.
More importantly, Harden used his reputation as one of the game’s greatest playmakers to reel in an organizational assist.
“I was super, super blessed to hear from him, and it made me more excited about what my role could be on the team,” said Watson. “It was early on when he had first talked to me… when I got that call and was informed that I was gonna be a Cleveland Cavalier, it just made it mean that much more to me because I knew I was being embraced day one by the team and front office. That just matters.”
Vibes matter. Enthusiasm is what leads to chemistry. Watson is excited about being in Cleveland and building a relationship with Harden. That’s some of the best news that you can hear leading into training camp.
Harden can’t pick up the phone and make the trade himself. But he did everything else in his power to facilitate this deal.
MARYLAND
HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Jimmy
Snuggerud isn’t going anywhere and won’t be going anywhere for a while.
Despite
not being a part of a flurry of NHL players to get in long-term
contracts that could go as long as eight years by the end of the
Collective Bargain Agreement that ended on Tuesday at 11 p.m. (CT)
before the new CBA kicked in that only offers max contracts at seven
years, the first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft by the St. Louis
Blues isn’t concerned about not getting something done by Tuesday.
“No,
not at all,” Snuggerud
said Thursday after Blues opened training camp for the 2026-27
season.
“I think there’s certain ways teams do things and every player is
different honestly. Every guy goes through talks and what not.
Nothing really occurred and I’m just happy to keep going here. Like
I said, it’ll all take care of itself. I’m not too concerned with
it.”
Snuggerud,
who had 51 points (21 goals, 30 assists) in 70 games in his first
full NHL season, enters this season in the final year of his
entry-level contract and will be quite the bargain at a $950,000 cap
hit that includes a $1.55 million average annual value. But what
about beyond? We won’t speculate, but it’s a known factor that
the 22-year-old, who was recently engaged, will get a nice, hefty
payday. Depending on what the term and dollars come to eventually,
Snuggerud has no desire to get a deal done with anyone but the team
that drafted him and he most certainly sees himself here for the long
term as part of the core.
“For
sure. I want to be here,” Snuggerud
said.
“I would love to be here for as long as I can. I love this city. I
love everything about it. It’s calm, people are really nice. Fans
are crazy and the home games are fun. When I say it’s going to take
care of itself, I think just come to the rink every day and try to do
my best as I possibly can. Obviously I would love to be here for as
long as possible. I love what we’re doing, the direction has a
purpose.”
There
were a flurry of deals done on
Tuesday by other teams, including Cutter Gauthier (six years, $13.5
million AAV) with the Anaheim Ducks; Drake Batherson (eight years,
$10.75 million AAV) with the Ottawa Senators; Ryan Leonard (eight
years, $10.75 million AAV) and Justin Sourdif (eight years, $6.35
million AAV) with the Washington Capitals; Luke Evangelista (five
years, $7.25 million) with the New Jersey Devils, and Alex Newhook
(four years, $5.55 million AAV) with the Montreal Canadiens.
Batherson,
Leonard and Sourdif took the max eight years and got their payday
now, some didn’t, and in Snuggerud’s case, he preferred to wait
it out. And that’s OK with both the player and the team.
It
doesn’t mean the Blues aren’t looking at the dynamics and what’s
been going on around the league.
“We
spend a lot of time discussing all these things internally and what
the options are, but at the end of the day, we’re back to our
philosophy on how we want to approach it,” Blues
general manager Alex Steen said.
“We do our best to continually communicate with the players and the
representatives. We don’t want our players guessing anything so we
keep them as informed as we can and we go from there.”
President
of hockey operations Doug Armstrong signed two players coming out of
his entry-level contract to long-term deals immediately: Vladimir
Tarasenko (eight years, $60 million, $7.5 million AAV) in 2015 and
Alex Pietrangelo (seven years, $45.5 million, $6.5 million AAV) in
2013.
“Yeah
we've kept an eye on everything that's going on,” Armstrong
said.
“Our belief all along has been 'trust but verify' on our players.
Our philosophy isn't like philosophies of other groups and I'm not
saying what's right or wrong -- to rub the crystal ball and to hope
things might happen and work out.
“Since
2010, I think we've had two players come out of entry level that
signed long-term extensions and that was Tarasenko and Pietrangelo,
both second-team All-Stars after their third year. So yeah, my belief
and I've shared it with Alex (Steen)
and
he agrees with me, we trust these guys. We want them to get rich. We
want to pay them. We just want to make sure that they've earned that
paycheck. So we're willing to allow them to play like we did last
year with Broberg and Holloway.”
The
Blues signed Broberg to
a six-year, $48 million extension ($8 million AAV) on Jan. 10, then
extended Holloway on May 1 for five years at $38.75 million ($7.75
million AAV), opting to go for shorter term than the max.
So
for Snuggerud, his next contract could fall anywhere in the five to
six, and up to seven years, and if making a comparable, he could very
well fall into a category that Leonard got in Washington. Just let
the process play out and it will get done.
“Come
to the rink every single day and do my job,” Snuggerud
said.
“I’d say it’s there, but I’m not thinking about it. I think I
can speak for everyone in this room. We just want to win games and
contracts take care of themselves if you win games. I think everyone
in here wants to do it. There’s a lot of guys other than me that
are going through the same thing. I’d say it’s there, but I just
want to win.”
And
if you think Snuggerud will want to go for the fame and fortune,
think again. He’s not a big city guy coming from Minneapolis. St.
Louis is his style of place to live.
“Growing
up in the Midwest, it kind of has that Midwest feel,” Snuggerud
said of St. Louis.
“There’s not too much going on. It’s relaxed, it’s calm and
it’s nice to have that. You don’t really get that everywhere in
other cities. Kind of that homey feeling that you get. When you get
into the games, the fans are unbelievable and they care so much about
us.
“I’m
just kind of that low-key, relaxed guy.”
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Utah Mammoth will have a familiar face watching from afar for much of the upcoming season.
Former Mammoth forward Nick Bjugstad is expected to miss four to six months after undergoing surgery last week to repair a torn left pectoral muscle, the New Jersey Devils announced Thursday as NHL training camps begin to ramp up.
Bjugstad sustained the injury during the offseason, putting a significant dent in his first season with New Jersey before he even had an opportunity to get back on the ice. The 33-year-old joined the Devils at the trade deadline last season after being acquired from the St. Louis Blues.
Before that move, however, Bjugstad spent the 2024-25 season with Utah, appearing in 66 games and recording eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points.
His time in Utah represented another chapter in a lengthy NHL career for the 6-foot-6 forward, who was originally selected 19th overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2010 NHL Draft. Bjugstad has since suited up for eight organizations, including the Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Minnesota Wild, Arizona Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers, Utah, St. Louis and New Jersey.
Across 821 career games, he has accumulated 163 goals and 339 points.
Bjugstad reached the 20-goal mark twice in his career, including a 22-goal campaign with Arizona in 2023-24, while his most productive season came in 2017-18 when he established career highs with 19 goals, 30 assists and 49 points in Florida.
His offensive production has dipped considerably in recent years, though, with only 14 goals over the span following his 22-goal season. Last year was particularly difficult, as he managed six goals and nine points in 61 games between St. Louis and New Jersey after posting 19 points in Utah.
The Hockey News wishes Bjugstad a safe and successful recovery. After working to prepare for another NHL season, the veteran forward undoubtedly hopes to put this setback behind him and return to the ice as soon as his recovery allows.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 15: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of the game at Target Field on September 15, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It wouldn’t have been a proper Yankees-Twins series in Minnesota without a game that devolved into extra-innings madness. The Yankees failed to cash in multiple bases loaded opportunities and so missed a chance to sweep, falling farther behind the Rays in the standings. Nonetheless, the Bombers took care of business in the first two games of the series, and it is from the middle game that we pull our candidate for Sequence of the Week.
We join Max Fried with two outs in the bottom of the fifth on Tuesday at Target Field. The Yankees have a 3-1 lead courtesy of a Cody Bellinger two-run homer and George Lombard Jr. RBI single. However, the Twins are threatening to cut the lead to one with Emmanuel Rodriguez on second with a two-out double. That brings the number nine hitter Austin Martin to the plate, a batter Fried absolutely wants to retire to avoid the lineup turning over with a runner in scoring position.
After going almost all fastballs the first time he faced Martin, Fried looks to steal a called first-pitch strike with a backdoor sweeper.
After seeing mostly hard stuff that moved away from him, you can understand why Martin would give up on this pitch early given how far from the strike zone it is initially aimed. Fried sweeps in a dandy on the outer half for called strike one.
Establishing that backdoor breaking ball for a called strike forces Martin to respect any pitches that start away, even those that look like balls out of the hand. This opens up a host of possibilities for Fried, including the changeup low and away for chase.
This is a pretty well-executed changeup out of the zone down and outside. It looks like it is aimed at that corner of the zone before fading away from the hitter. You can see Martin was initially tempted to chase the pitch — a product of that first pitch backdoor sweeper — before holding up for an impressively disciplined take.
With Martin taking against that last pitch away, Fried and Ali Sánchez feel that there is an opening for another backdoor sweeper.
Another decently executed pitch, just a little too low to nip the bottom of the zone for a second called strike. It is worth noting that Martin showed some willingness to offer before backing off, so that outside pitch is still open for chase opportunities.
Not wanting to fall any further behind in the count, Fried throws his first fastball of the encounter. However, unlike the four-seamers and sinkers he threw Martin in the first AB, this cutter breaks toward the hitter instead of away. Therefore, if the hitter succeeds in reading fastball spin out of the hand, a backdoor cutter that starts off the plate away should freeze Martin.
That is precisely what happens, Fried pinpointing this cutter with precision on the corner up and away. Martin leaves the bat on his shoulder, only to watch the pitch cut across the black of the plate for called strike two.
Now that he has established his fastball in the zone and has the count leverage in his favor, Fried has an opening to climb the ladder with the cutter hoping for a chase and whiff under a pitch elevated above the zone.
Even though this offering misses the top of the zone by about a foot, it’s not a complete waste pitch. Fried has reset the hitter’s eye level for the fastball up, which should open the door for a breaking ball down and in.
That is just what Fried’s thought process is with the count full. He doesn’t need to give in with a fastball with first base open, knowing that it will be very hard for Martin to lay off a breaking ball that looks like a strike out of the hand.
Now this is what you call a back-foot sweeper. The pitch looks like a strike for much of its journey toward home until the lateral sweep really seems to accelerate in the final 15 feet. It’s just where you want to land a pitch like this, close enough to the strike zone to extract the chase but close enough to the batter that he is not able to pull in his hands in time to make contact.
Asked after the start what positives he would take away, Fried cited breaking ball command and an economical pitch count to go seven strong on just 88 pitches, the first point certainly highlighted by this sequence.
The Yankees desperately needed this start from Fried, not only to boost their chances of winning this particular game but also as a sign of continued build-up from the recurrence of his left elbow bone bruise. Fried labored in the start before this one, needing 80 pitches to complete 3.1 innings. Seeing him back to his best when it comes to pitch efficiency and damage limitation has to be encouraging as they formulate their postseason rotation plans.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 11: Duop Reath #26 of the Portland Trail Blazers drives to the basket during the first half of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on December 11, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
No sooner did I publish an article saying the Phoenix Suns didn’t need an immediate solution to their center depth following the injury to Mark Williams than the team went out and acquired Duop Reath. Timing, am I right?
On the surface, the addition of Reath appears to provide a stopgap at center while Williams works his way back from his torn labrum. Ultimately, however, that might not be what this is. According to Suns insider Duane Rankin, Reath will join the Suns on a non-guaranteed contract as a training camp invite. So while Phoenix has added another center to the mix, his roster spot is far from guaranteed.
Still on vacation. Still working.
Sources inform @azcentral Duop Reath is a training camp invite for Phoenix Suns, who begin camp Sept. 29.
Mark Williams has shoulder injury that'll sideline him for months.
Haywood Highsmith signing put Suns at 15 players for standard roster.…
I think that makes this a great move by the Suns because it invites healthy competition into the third-string center role. Phoenix already has CJ Huntley on a two-way contract, and he could fill that role if needed. The expectation isn’t for the third center to play 23 minutes a night, after all. It’s to provide depth when necessary, especially when foul trouble presents itself.
Rather than simply hand that role to Huntley, the Suns are bringing in competition. Huntley still has plenty of development ahead of him after missing Summer League with hamstring issues. Reath, meanwhile, is 30 years old and preparing for his fourth NBA season. And that fourth season matters. Reath is still eligible for a two-way contract. So if the Suns like what they see in him but don’t believe he’s done enough to earn a guaranteed roster spot, there is another path available.
A guaranteed spot would likely require Phoenix to move off Jamaree Bouyea, whose contract doesn’t become fully guaranteed until January 10. The Suns still value Bouyea and would like to keep him within the organization, so there’s no reason to force that decision right now. Phoenix also already has all three two-way spots occupied by Koby Brea, Pat Spencer, and CJ Huntley, which puts more pressure on those players to perform as well.
That’s what I like about this acquisition. It creates competition at the back end of the roster. It allows iron to sharpen iron and reinforces the idea that the best man wins. It’s a shrewd move and another example of Brian Gregory thinking ahead rather than waiting until he absolutely has to make a decision.
And while I wrote previously that the Suns didn’t need to make an immediate move at center, I still believe that. They haven’t really made a decision yet. They’ve created competition. Training camp will determine what happens next, and from there, the organization can decide how it wants to move forward.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 14: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres celebrates his solo home run with Jackson Merrill #3 in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 14, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (83-69) at Colorado Rockies (56-96), September 17, 2026, 12:10 p.m. PST
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our thread
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 12: Tanner Gordon #29 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Comerica Park on September 12, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The offense fell flat for the Colorado Rockies as Mason Adams struggled on the mound, leading to a 9-3 victory for the San Diego Padres. The Rockies will now look to settle for a series split in their final match-up against the Padres in 2026.
Tanner Gordon (1-4, 5.55 ERA) takes the ball for the Rockies, still trying to figure out a role with the Rockies. Since rejoining the rotation on August 21, Gordon has had two brilliant starts surrounded by three not-so-great starts. In his last two outings, he has allowed nine runs on 18 hits in 8.2 innings of work. Specifically, he allowed four runs on 10 hits in four innings against the Detroit Tigers. A familiar issue is that Gordon may throw a lot of strikes, but he gives up a lot of contact and that gets him into trouble. He doesn’t walk many and can get a modest number of strikeouts, but if he isn’t inducing the kind of contact that leads to groundball outs, things can get away from him in a hurry.
This will be Gordon’s first appearance against the Padres this season. He has made three previous starts in his career, going 1-1 with a 4.60 ERA. He made two starts in 2025, allowing seven runs on eight hits over 9.2 innings of work. He had 14 strikeouts against two walks, but was stung by four home runs. The Padres have a knack for hitting the ball hard, especially at Coors Field, so that will be something that Gordon has to be mindful of.
Michael King (11-9, 3.03 ERA) makes the start for the Padres. It’s been business as usual for King since his transition into a full-time starter when joining the Padres in 2024. In 175 innings of work, he has 148 strikeouts against 66 walks while opponents are hitting just .215 against him. King has been an effective workhorse all season, working at least six innings in all but nine of his 30 starts. He’s been on a hot streak lately, allowing just three runs over his last four starts, all of which came in seven innings. King’s command can get shaky at times, but he combats that with a strong strikeout ability and by getting weak contact.
He last faced the Rockies on July 28, allowing four runs on six hits over six innings. In five career appearances against Colorado, King has a 5.54 ERA over 26 innings of work. He has given up five home runs while striking out 30 against eight walks. A free-swinging Rockies offense will need to make him work and find a way to square up the ball like they did Tuesday night.
The first day of the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp has concluded, and head coach Jim Hiller is very pleased with how a number of his players performed and worked.
Toronto's bench boss revealed that one player who really caught his attention was 21-year-old Easton Cowan. Cowan, who was positioned on the right wing next to Colton Sissons and Nick Paul, was all over the ice in Hiller's eyes.
"If I just had to say 'who was the player that just jumped out at you in this morning's session,' to me it would be Easton Cowan," Hiller said. "He makes some plays with the puck, but he was a puck hound. He was everywhere, I thought."
Cowan is entering his sophomore year in the NHL. Last season, he recorded 11 goals and 29 points in 66 games, averaging 14:43 of ice time per game.
Coming into the league, he was seen as a playmaking forward, especially from his days with the OHL's London Knights, winning two OHL titles, a Memorial Cup, and collecting MVP awards in both the regular season and playoffs.
But with a year under his belt with the Maple Leafs to this point, he's providing another dimension to his game.
"We talked to him about that," the bench boss said. "He's got tremendous skill, but where he can help us best is be a puck hound and then use that skill. And to me, he was all over the ice."
Hiller later added who stood out to him from the second group on Thursday. The second group was mainly filled with players from the AHL's Toronto Marlies.
"I thought Groulx, Lettieri and Mermis," he listed as three that impressed him. "Those three were so dialled in and worked so hard and were complete pros out there. That's really what jumped out of me. And it wasn't one, it was all three of those guys. I was like, wow, did they set the tone for this group. So you hope it goes that way, but you never know. So those three in the second."
Groulx and Mermis both featured for the Leafs last season.
Groulx played 13 games for the Maple Leafs last season, registering three goals and five points. Mermis featured in 11 appearances, providing one assist.
Lettieri hasn't featured in the NHL for Toronto yet, but he led the American League in scoring during the Calder Cup playoffs. He scored 11 goals and 26 points for the Marlies in that run.
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Sam Malinski has already taken another significant step in his development with the Colorado Avalanche, but standing still does not appear to be an option.
After establishing himself as a full-time NHL defenseman for a second consecutive season and playing all 82 games last year, Malinski arrived at training camp with a simple objective: keep getting better.
“I think there's still a lot of room to grow in my game,” Malinski said Thursday while speaking to Guerilla Sports' Jesse Montano. “So I definitely still have that hunger to just keep getting better.”
The numbers suggest just how much progress Malinski made last season. After recording five goals and 10 assists for 15 points in 76 games during his first full-time season with Colorado, he exploded for eight goals and 32 assists and finished with 40 points in all 82 games last year.
Yet Malinski isn't approaching this season as though he has figured everything out.
His offseason included roughly a month away from hockey, giving him time to return home to Minnesota, reconnect with family, watch his young nephews run around and get out on the golf course before eventually returning to training. Once the work resumed, the focus shifted toward continuing to develop the tools that have helped him become an increasingly dependable part of Colorado’s blue line.
There is an interesting contrast to Malinski's game. The Cornell product has the skating and puck-moving ability to create offense from the back end, including a willingness to walk the blue line and wait patiently for a shooting lane. Reminiscent of fellow Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, the shrewd Malinski can shimmy across the ice, subtly shifting his angle before unleashing a wicked wrister toward the net. His 40-point season demonstrated that his offensive game is no longer merely an intriguing part of his potential.
His 40-point season demonstrated that his offensive game is no longer merely an intriguing part of his potential.
Now, the emphasis at camp is on the other side of the puck.
“You go the whole summer and you work on a lot of skill stuff and shooting and all that,” Malinski said. “So just trying to dial in the little habits of, you know, going back for pucks and defending guys.”
That attention to detail has become a recurring theme in Malinski's development. Rather than point to one secret behind his improvement, he has previously credited the Avalanche's veteran room for showing him how NHL players maintain themselves over an entire season.
He has paid close attention to what his teammates do, from recovery routines to the daily habits that allow veteran players to remain effective over the course of an NHL season. Brent Burns, in particular, caught his attention last year.
For a player who attended an Ivy League institution like Cornell University, there has always been something distinctive about Malinski's willingness—and ability—to learn from virtually everyone around him. His curiosity has become just as important to his development as his skill set, allowing him to absorb lessons from teammates who have already navigated the challenges he is now facing.
That mentality remains intact as he enters another season.
“I don't think I need to treat it a whole lot different,” Malinski said.
The production has already improved dramatically. Now Malinski is looking for the next layer of his game.
Now, a heavily upvoted shitpost from the Diamondbacks subreddit, and a Tweet by one of the most toxic members of fandom may not seem worth bothering about. And they probably are not. But it does reflect a general feeling that September is the cruelest month for Arizona fans. It is true that this is the fourth consecutive season where the team could be seen as imploding. There was the “backing into the post-season” meme from 2023, missing out by a narrow margin in 2024 and 2025, and while the story of this year has yet to be completed, at the time of writing the team is on the outside of the NL playoff picture. Never mind that their record would be winning two of the three divisions in the AL…
So, first stop. Is there any truth to the perception?
The reality
TL;DR No.
The team’s performance in September over the past few years is not particularly better or worse than their performance the rest of the year. Indeed, the last time the D-backs had any kind of losing record in September was in 2022. Here’s their performance by each calendar month since the beginning of the 2023 season:
Mar/Apr: .517
May: .495
June: .551
July: .495
Aug: .554
Sep/Oct: .511
The overall win percentage in that time is .521. Based on that, over the 3.5 seasons and 92 September games, you would expect their record in the month to be 48-44. It is actually… 47-45. If that’s the “choking” demanded for the narrative, it’s an underwhelming one. Now, I also hear, “The meltdown is when they need to win the last few games to make the wildcard they lose.” So let’s take a look at each recent season specifically, and see what actually happened.
2023. Well, the above doesn’t exactly support the idea of a meltdown, does it? On September 13, Arizona had just a 30.7% chance of making the post-season. But they were about to go on an 8-2 run which included sweeps against both the Cubs and Giants. The former was particularly huge. They came in to Chase Field on September 15, with a 2.5 game lead over the D-backs, and left three days later, behind Arizona and broken. Including that series, Chicago went 5-10 the rest of the way, and their odds cratered from 58% to zero in five days. Now that’s what I call a genuine September meltdown. Losing the last four games, as the D-backs did? Irrelevant, as the subsequent playoffs proved.
2024. This is the season where I would say there is the best case for a meltdown, and it’s likely where the myth began. Though September as a whole was hardly a disaster, Arizona going 13-13. That, however, perhaps felt like a meltdown after the Diamondbacks went a stellar 35-17 in July and August. With seven games to go, the D-backs were three clear of the Braves. However, they’d lost the tie-breaker. Arizona went 2-5, while the Braves went 5-2, and the rest is history. But four of those games were against the Padres and Brewers, who were ahead of us in the standings. It included a loss by the odd run in nineteen in Milwaukee. A win there and the meltdown myth never gets started. That’s the margin we’re talking about here. Maybe we should be blaming the team which started 4-7 that year, not the one which finished 6-5.
2025. For there to be a “meltdown” in September, I’d say there has to be a significant chance of success there to begin with. But the highest chance of the D-backs making the post-season that month was only 12.3%. The last day it was even twenty percent – still an outside shot – was back on July 19. Sure, as in 2023, they finished the year on a losing streak: five games this time. But also as there, that ignores the good run the Diamondbacks went on immediately before that, winning seven of nine. They’d have needed to go 4-1 thereafter to reach the playoffs, for an overall 11-3 record over the last couple of weeks. Not doing so, going “only” 7-7, is hardly a meltdown.
Why the difference?
What I think is interesting is why some people choose to think the D-backs collapse, when the facts really don’t particularly support that as a narrative. I think part of it is actually a back-handed compliment, in that this is the first time, literally in a generation, where the D-backs have been consistently competitive for several years in a row. Put it this way: nobody cares very much right now about September meltdowns over at Purple Row, despite the Rockies playing 42 points worse after August 31. Below, you’ll see the team’s winning percentage through 136 games, which is there or thereabouts around the end of August (save for 2020, when I used the number through 35 games).
The 2023-26 run is the first time the Diamondbacks has been above .450 (the line highlighted above), through that point in the season, for five consecutive seasons since 2003. It’s the first time in over twenty years where Arizona have had four seasons in a row with meaningful baseball in the second half of this month. We’re not used to having September baseball that matters. Or, at least, it seems to. The reality, of course, is that wins and losses count exactly the same. If you’re looking for a reason why we “backed into the playoffs” in 2023, the 8-16 record of the D-backs in July is a far bigger explanation than anything in September.
Maybe fans remember failure better than success? Just ask Byung-Hyun Kim. Or this season, where we’ve had perpetual complaints about D-backs’ LOBsters. They actually score a higher percentage of baserunners than 23 of the 30 MLB teams. Or demands the Diamondbacks do a better job with a man on third and less than two outs, when only three teams bring those runners home at a higher rate than Arizona. I’m not sure if it’s a result of baseball being a game where a 30% success rate at hitting is considered elite, and 70% of baserunners will be stranded. It goes against studies which have shown team victories tend to be better remembered.
Yet here we are, some recalling meltdowns that barely happened. Of course, some people simply have a narrative to push, e.g. “Torey sucks!“ and will make up whatever history they want to support it.
Conclusions
“My job is to get us to the playoffs. What happens after that is f___ luck.” — Billy Beane
The reason he said that is because baseball has the biggest element of random chance in any of the major sports. The difference in the spot where ball meets bat, between a game-ending fly-ball and a game-winning home-run, is so small as to be beyond the bounds of human skill. Sure, some are better at it than others. But even Mark McGwire hit a home-run fewer than every ten at-bats. A baseball game is a series of chaotic and inherently unpredictable events. Over a season of 162 games, less so. But the smaller you shrink that, the greater the odds of something unexpected.
If we presume a 26-game month, there’s a better than even chance that a .500 team will lose at least four games in a row. It’s about a one-in-three chance for a five-game losing streak, so having one is basically meaningless in terms of “proving” anything. The problem is that, when a season comes down to the last few games, you’re basically in “playoffs before the playoffs”. Take 2025, where the D-backs would have needed to win four of the last five games to make it in. At that point, to quote Beane, what happens is “f___ luck”. It’s really not up to Torey very much. And you can expand the principle backwards.
The Diamondbacks are, let’s be honest, not going to compete for the division title any time soon. The Dodgers simply have too many competitive advantages. From having the reigning MVP on their books for $2 million this year, to that Godzilla-sized television contract, alone worth more than all of the D-backs’ revenue streams combined. While the scales of balance have the Dodgers’ thumb pressing down on one side, all we can hope for is to compete for a wild-card spot. And four years in a row, Torey Lovullo has got us there, successfully negotiating the shoals of injury and MarteGate to have the team playing meaningful baseball into late September.
Maybe it’s just me, but realistically, it’s hard to demand anything more.
The Cubs took two of three from the National League East division-leading Braves at Wrigley Field, winning the series. Once again, likely NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong led the Cubs offense with two home runs and a triple, but as has often been the case this season he’s had company with another teammate having a big game. On Wednesday night that backup act was Alex Bregman who put on an offensive show of his own [VIDEO].
In addition to hitting his 26th bomb of the year, Bregman added a triple and a double on the night. It was just another great night at the ballpark for the 32-year-old third baseman who has a 5 fWAR season in his first year with the Cubs, the first such year for him since 2022. Bregman has really turned a corner since the All Star Break, as you can see from his splits below:
Half
G
PA
HR
R
RBI
SB
BB%
K%
ISO
BABIP
AVG
OBP
SLG
wOBA
xwOBA
wRC+
First Half
94
431
9
45
41
2
11.4%
15.3%
.119
.267
.241
.336
.359
.312
.310
97
Second Half
56
250
17
43
47
1
9.6%
13.6%
.318
.294
.305
.384
.623
.427
.340
174
It’s been a pretty big turnaround since mid-July for Bregman and it’s mostly apparent on the power front. You can see that in both the Isolated Slugging (ISO) above but also just in the home run tally with Bregman almost doubling his home run total from the first half in 180 fewer plate appearances. But what really puts these numbers in perspective is the league context. Below you can see the top 15 players in MLB by fWAR since the All Star Break (is it any wonder the Cubs lead the league offensively with three guys in the top 15?):
Name
Team
G
PA
HR
R
RBI
SB
BB%
K%
ISO
BABIP
AVG
OBP
SLG
wOBA
xwOBA
wRC+
WAR
Pete Crow-Armstrong
CHC
57
269
23
52
52
13
11.52%
26.02%
.389
.280
.269
.357
.658
.419
.400
169
4.4
Alex Bregman
CHC
56
250
17
43
47
1
9.60%
13.60%
.318
.294
.305
.384
.623
.427
.340
174
3.4
Elly De La Cruz
CIN
57
253
13
44
30
12
12.25%
25.69%
.258
.375
.303
.387
.561
.406
.402
156
3.2
Fernando Tatis Jr.
SDP
55
248
18
45
43
12
10.48%
14.11%
.311
.287
.301
.379
.612
.416
.432
169
3.1
Jackson Merrill
SDP
56
236
15
36
45
7
4.66%
21.19%
.279
.344
.315
.349
.594
.398
.422
157
2.9
Gabriel Moreno
ARI
53
239
9
31
43
2
10.46%
14.23%
.227
.331
.314
.385
.541
.396
.360
151
2.7
Steven Kwan
CLE
54
245
2
40
14
4
13.06%
9.39%
.081
.385
.351
.437
.431
.389
.348
153
2.5
Alejandro Kirk
TOR
46
188
8
15
32
1
11.17%
11.70%
.164
.328
.321
.394
.485
.377
.340
145
2.3
Pete Alonso
BAL
56
246
16
32
37
3
10.98%
22.76%
.259
.326
.292
.386
.552
.401
.424
163
2.2
Ty France
SDP
53
227
9
29
33
0
9.69%
19.38%
.205
.367
.323
.396
.528
.398
.344
157
2.1
Seiya Suzuki
CHC
55
254
9
45
33
2
16.54%
22.05%
.214
.317
.262
.390
.476
.380
.352
143
2.1
Rafael Devers
SFG
52
226
18
39
46
0
13.72%
22.12%
.337
.278
.275
.376
.611
.413
.367
165
2.1
Ezequiel Duran
TEX
56
232
7
28
32
4
8.19%
24.14%
.174
.336
.271
.341
.444
.343
.303
122
2.0
Randy Arozarena
SEA
56
251
14
44
30
4
10.36%
21.12%
.237
.289
.265
.367
.502
.377
.334
151
1.9
Carter Jensen
KCR
52
221
11
32
25
1
14.48%
26.24%
.280
.263
.226
.344
.505
.366
.355
134
1.9
Qualified hitters, select stats
Bregman hasn’t just been good in the second half, he’s been the best hitter in baseball by some metrics. The above chart is sorted by fWAR but if it were resorted by wRC+, a stat that measures hitters run production off a league and park normed baseline of 100, Bregman would rank first, followed by a virtual tie between Fernando Tatis, Jr. and PCA. Bregman is also pacing the field in wOBA, a fancy on-base percentage that gives hitters more credit for extra base hits.
Bregman hasn’t just turned it on in the second half, he’s returned to vintage Bregman. In fact, by the end of 2026 a glance at his slash line will show 2026 as his best season by fWAR since 2022. His process in scrutinizing his at bats and making adjustments is obvious to anyone watching him study the tape in the dugout after an at bat, but if you’re more of a chart type you can also see the adjustment below:
You can see how Bregman’s wOBA and ground ball rate are inversely correlated pretty clearly in this chart. As Bregman has hit the ball in the air more, he’s gotten better production. The results speak for themselves [VIDEO].
It’s a good sign that the Cubs offense has kept rolling as they past the mid-point of September. With nine games left to play, they’ll need Bregman, PCA and Seiya Suzuki to keep setting a torrid pace offensively as they try to out hit their pitching woes down the stretch and into the Wild Card round.
On Wednesday, long-time NHLer and Minnesota Wild enforcer Ryan Reaves announced his retirement from hockey with a social media post.
In his Instagram post, the 39-year-old shared his love for the sport and what it meant to him.
Reaves played 16 NHL seasons, scoring 66 goals and 140 points in 962 games. Reaves spent just one season with the Wild, but he made his mark on the fans and organization as a positive personality. As an enforcer, Reaves wasn't lighting it up offensively, but teammates constantly raved about his energy and his ability to stand up for them on the ice.
In his season with the Wild, Reaves recorded 31 penalty minutes and 1,137 across his NHL career.
"I never thought this day would come. I thought I was invincible. I thought I could play forever, but like all good things, it must come to an end," Reaves wrote in his retirement post.
"Today, I retire from the sport I’ve loved since I was 5 years old. It was a hell of a ride. Thank you to everyone who supported me throughout this journey. I may not be on the ice anymore, but I know I will always be close to hockey in one way or another. You can rest easy knowing the corners are a little safer today," he added.
Reaves didn't win any hardware and fell just short of the 1,000-game mark, but he will be remembered for his physical style and the impact his personality had on the NHL.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.
See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source.Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 16: Center fielder Myles Straw #3 of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates hitting a RBI single during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Rogers Centre on September 16, 2026 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy off-day. I don’t know about anyone else, but I am happy to have an off-day.
I am happy we have meaningful baseball to watch in September. If you go back a month or so, I didn’t think we’d get that, so this is a bonus. It would be nice if we could be consistent, but this is the hand we’ve been dealt. When people ask if we are going to make the playoffs, I’ve been saying ‘no’, but I’d be happy to be wrong.
So, what do you think? Do you think the Jays will pull it out? Are you just enjoying the ride? Is it too much of a rollercoaster?
It has been a weird season—so many pitching injuries. We seemed to have too many starters at the start of the season, and now we are having two bullpen days every five. The team seems to be doing its best to be careful with the pitchers, but we have several older pitchers with a lot of innings on their arms. And a handful of young arms who are being pushed harder than they’ve ever been.
And, of course, so many guys not hitting. Too many guys not hitting, starting with Vlad, of course, and going pretty much down the whole roster. Other than Brett Bateman, it seems everyone has had long slumps (and he hasn’t been around long enough to slump). I have said before that I believe in changing hitting coaches every year. Not that it is fair. Not that it is the coach’s fault. And it would be a lousy way of doing business. But I believe players sometimes need to hear things a different way. Even if they are saying the same things, which they pretty much will.
But none of it is the coaching. The coaches didn’t get dumb over the winter.
I said, in the game thread, that I zone out when people try to tell me how easy hitting is. Anyone who thinks it is easy hasn’t watched a curveball with a bat in their hand.
Anyway, what do you think? Will the Jays pull it off and make the playoffs? And are you enjoying the ride? Or is it too much of a rollercoaster?
The 2022 12th-rounder missed the entire 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery and didn’t crack the Jays’ preseason Top 30 list as a result. He looked revitalized after rehab, however, and finished with a 2.50 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 117 strikeouts over 82 2/3 innings across the Single-A, High-A and Double-A levels, and he jumped into the Top 100 when it became clearer that he had the stuff to back up the results: a 93-95 mph heater with improved velo, two whiff-inducing breakers in a slider and a curveball and an improved offspeed option in his mid-80s splitter.
Even as the major league team has been inconsistent, the Blue Jays have had a very successful year on the farm. They graduated several key contributors to the major league team, including Brandon Valenzuela and Spencer Miles, who have drastically outperformed their prospect rankings. Johnny King and Nolan Perry took major steps forward on the mound, and Sean Keys and Charles McAdoo did at the plate. Ricky Tiedemann also finally returned and reached the majors.
They traded their top prospect Arjun Nimmala, but got back a team-controlled starter. They also boosted their depth, acquiring Dasan Hill from the Twins and Brett Bateman from the Cubs. Bateman has been a revelation and has taken over the leadoff role that they’ve struggled to fill all season. Overall, the good far outweighs the bad with this system, and they are positioning themselves to bounce back in 2027.
Tomorrow we start the next ‘most important series of the season’. Three games with Texas. I’m thinking a series will would be good and a series loss might be the end of their chances. They have 9 games left. They are a game behind the Rangers, and 1.5 behind the White Sox, 2 games the Guardians. And they need to pass two of those teams.
Tomorrow Dylan Cease starts. Saturday José Soriano. And Monday, some version of Spencer Arrighetti and the bullpen
