The Nashville Predators are locked in on center Jack Drury, signing the free agent to a 5-year, $22.5 million contract with an annual cap hit of $4.5 million, according to Puckpedia.
It's the first signing of Chris MacFarland's tenure at Predators general manager
On June 24, Nashville traded forwards Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L'Heureux to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Drury, forward Chase Bradley and a 2029 third-round draft pick.
A new chapter begins 🤝
We’ve signed forward Jack Drury to a five-year, $22.5 million contract.
Bradley remains a restricted free agent. This was the second trade that MacFarland had made as Predators general manager, and it was with his former team.
This past season with the Avalanche, Drury played in all 82 games, scoring 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points and logged 31 penalty minutes. In the playoffs, he played in 13 games, recording three goals and two assists for five points.
"Jack (Drury) is a guy that is not a 25-goal, 60-point guy, but he is elite defensively," MacFarland said ahead of the NHL Draft. "That ability for a coach to throw out a center against the other teams' top players and feel comfortable doing so on the road is massive. Then what Jack does off the ice and what he'll do for the young players. I believe it is really, really important long term."
With the signing, the Predators have around $19.87 million left in cap space ahead of the start of the free agency period on July 1.
Nashville as three unrestricted free agents in Erik Haula, Tyson Jost and Kevin Gravel, and one restricted free agent, Justin Barron.
Jun 28, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing (9) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images
The Mets dropped their second one-run game against the Phillies this weekend, losing 5-4 to drop the series against their division rivals. In a game Gary Cohen aptly called “excruciating”, the Mets went 2-16 with runners in scoring position, leaving 14 men on base, in the loss.
The beginning of the game had a much different tone than that, however, especially the first four innings. Jesus Luzardo, who got the ball for the Phillies, looked great over the first four frames, allowing four base runners (with the first one coming in the third inning), and the Mets had trouble keeping the Phillies bats silent.
The Mets operated with a quasi-bullpen game, with lefty Cionel Pérez opening the game against the lefty heavy top of the Phillies lineup. He was excellent, striking out two, before handing the ball to the first of their two bulk relievers behind him in Tobias Myers. Myers had an iffy outing, throwing two zeroes in the second and fourth but also getting hit around in the third, surrendering three runs in that inning.
Trailing 3-0 after four, the Mets handed the ball to the second of their two bulk relievers, Kodai Senga. He started off strong, sitting the Phillies down in order. The Mets finally got on the board in the fifth, when Carson Benge lined a Luzardo sinker to left field to drive home Tyrone Taylor, making it 3-1.
Senga worked himself into a jam in the sixth, walking Alec Bohm and allowing a double to Brandon Marsh, setting up second and third with no outs. He worked himself out of a man made jam of his own creation, striking out J.T. Realmuto, getting Bryson Stott to ground out to a drawn in Brett Baty, and getting Juan Soto home run stealer Derek Hill to go down swinging to end the frame still down 3-1.
Francisco Alvarez doubled to lead off the sixth off of Chase Stugart. Stugart got a pinch hitting Jared Young on strikes, but did not get a pinch hitting A.J. Ewing out. The rookie blasted a hanger of a sweeper 382 ft. into the bullpen, making it a 3-3 game. Ewing crushed it, hitting it 104 mph. Ewing exited the game with a 123 wRC+, which is a wonderful silver lining in this mostly lost campaign, especially considering he is only 21 years old.
A.J. Ewing digression aside, lets get back to the sixth inning, because it did not end there. Brett Baty followed up the two run home run with a walk, and Luis Torrens singled to make it first and third, with still only one out. Carson Benge hit a soft liner up the middle that ricocheted off the pitcher’s glove, allowing Baty to scamper home on a fielder’s choice, making it 4-3 Mets.
The good vibes would end there, really. Justin Crawford led off with a single in the seventh, and Kyle Schwarber would soon after hit his 30th home run of the season to make it 5-4 Phillies, the eventual final score. Kodai Senga would stay in the rest of the game and genuinely pitch well, but that no-good, terrible pitch to Schwarber was one mistake too many.
The Mets offense did not roll over and die, but instead could not find the big hit after Ewing delivered one in the sixth. They got two runners on with two outs in the seventh but stranded them on a Baty ground out. They loaded the bases with one out on three walks against Orion Kerkering, but a Ronny Maruicio pop out and a Francisco Alvarez strike out ended the threat. They got a base runner against closer Jhoan Duran as well, but the two-out walk would be in vein.
The Mets, who at 35-49 are facing a season fading into obscurity, are 1-8 over their last nine games, which is, in my humble opinion, not what you want. (The one win, however, was the game I attended, moving my personal record to 2-0. Season tickets please @Mets!)
Big Mets winner: 29% WPA Big Mets loser: Ronny Maruicio -24% WPA Mets pitchers: -37% WPA Mets hitters: -13% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: A.J. Ewing’s two run home run in the fourth, +27.0% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Kyle Schwarber’s two run home run in the seventh, -37.8% WPA
The Montreal Canadiens should be looking to boost their forward group this summer. Because of this, they are now being viewed as a possible landing spot for one of this year's top pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) forwards.
In a recent article for TheScore, Josh Wegman predicted that the Canadiens will sign Pittsburgh Penguins forward Anthony Mantha to a five-year contract with a $6.5 million AAV.
"While Mantha isn't as physical as you might expect for someone who's 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, his scoring touch and two-way presence could be a great fit on the second line with a cerebral playmaker like Ivan Demidov," Wegman wrote.
The idea of the Canadiens bringing in Mantha is an interesting one. The big winger just had a monster season with the Penguins, as he set new career highs with 33 goals, 31 assists, and 64 points in 81 games. With numbers like these, he would have the potential to be a strong addition to the Canadiens' top six if signed.
However, there would certainly be some risk in the Canadiens signing Mantha to a long-term deal. The big winger is turning 32 in September and has already had injury trouble in the past. It is also hard to predict that he will replicate the season he had in 2024-25.
Signing Mantha to a shorter-term deal would probably be a better move for the Canadiens. However, with Mantha being one of the NHL's top UFAs and coming off such a good year, he has set himself up for a big payday. It will be interesting to see if the Canadiens end up being the team that signs him from here.
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 31: Dean Wade #32 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots a three point basket during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 31, 2024 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a few challenging decisions to make with some of their own free agents, but the most interesting one will be forward Dean Wade. Despite his shooting numbers, teams recognize the importance of a tall wing defender – and a number of organizations are reportedly interested.
Mike Scotto of HoopsHype reports that Wade has several potential suitors aside from the Cavs: the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, and the Portland Trail Blazers. It should be no surprise that all of those teams made the playoffs.
There are several Cavalier connections with a few of those teams that make it reasonable to think Wade will be tough to keep. Former General Manager Mike Gansey now runs the Sixers and understands what Wade provides to a team as a perimeter defender. Suns head coach Jordan Ott was an assistant in Cleveland and coached Wade. The same goes for J.B Bickerstaff in Detroit, and the Pistons would certainly like to have another two-way player. Then there are the Lakers, who could be in need of a small forward if one of theirs (cough, cough) happens to leave.
The Cavs are in a precarious position with their depth, especially on the wing. Max Strus is on an expiring contract, and will be hard to move for something better. Keon Ellis is a pending free agent and did not end the season on a good note. Much will be expected of Jaylon Tyson, but he is still a young player with limited experience. Wade has the trust of head coach Kenny Atkinson, in no small part because the analytics say the Cavs are better with him on the floor. Letting Wade walk would be a daring venture for the Cavs, unless they have another plan to get the ever-elusive starting small forward.
No matter what you thought the Cubs would do this year, you absolutely did not have the following on your Cubs Bingo card:
“Jordan Wicks is going to post his first save of the year against the Brewers, in Milwaukee, coming into the game in the 10th inning with the bases loaded and nobody out.”
Who writes these scripts, anyway?
And yet, that is exactly what happened in a tension-filled contest. The Cubs did win 4-3 in 10 innings, taking the series and an important game from their division rivals.
Well. If you’ve settled down a bit from all the drama, let’s begin at the beginning.
With the Cubs rotation in shambles, this was scheduled to be a bullpen game. Ryan Rolison, who was the opener one other time this year, got those honors. And he got to two out in the second inning with no trouble, but… Craig Counsell might have left him in one batter too long. Gary Sanchez homered off Rolison with two out in the second to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead. Rolison finished off the inning without further incident.
The Cubs, as they had done in the other two games of this series, had trouble with the Brewers starter, Brandon Woodruff gave the Cubs just one hit and two walks into the sixth, the hit a double in the third by Miguel Amaya.
Bryse Wilson, who wasn’t even in the Cubs organization until four days ago and who last pitched 10 days ago, two innings for the Phillies, was spectacularly good in relief of Rolison. He threw 4.1 innings, allowed four hits and no runs, didn’t walk anyone and struck out four. So between Rolison and Wilson, they threw 6.1 innings, allowed six hits and one run, didn’t walk anyone and struck out six – that’d be a pretty good outing from any starting pitcher.
From @sportradar: Bryse Wilson and Fergie Jenkins are the only #Cubs in the modern era to have 4+ IP in relief with 0 runs allowed and 0 walks in their team debut. @WatchMarquee
Welcome to the Cubs, Bryse Wilson! One more note on Wilson, from BCB’s JohnW53:
Bryse Wilson is the 23rd player to make his debut as a Cub this season — 17 pitchers, 6 position players.
That raises the all-time count since 1876, first season of the National League, to 2,300, the most by any team.
The Cardinals are second, with 2,250. They began play in 1882. The Braves, the only other active team that began in 1876, have used 2,184, which is sixth most.
So the game went to the seventh with the Cubs still down just 1-0. With one out, Ian Happ walked and Nico Hoerner singled him to third – just the Cubs’ second hit.
Shaw walked, putting runners on first and third with one out, but pinch-hitter Pedro Ramirez struck out and Dansby Swanson flied out, ending the inning.
No further runs crossed the plate in the seventh, eighth or ninth. Oddly, Justin Dean was sent up to bat for Matt Shaw in the top of the ninth. He struck out. Here’s why that change was made:
Matt Shaw had some wrist soreness which is why Justin Dean pinch hit for him in the 9th. #Cubs
The Cubs got good relief work from Caleb Thielbar, Tyler Ferguson (despite a throwing error with a runner on first on a pickoff attempt) and Jacob Webb. With the potential winning run on second and two out in the bottom of the ninth, Webb struck out Joey Ortiz to send it to extras [VIDEO].
All the leverage relievers have now been used by both teams, so the Brewers had to use Joel Kuhnel in the 10th. Dean was the placed runner. He went to third on a ground out. Swanson struck out, and then the Cubs rallied. Ball one was thrown to PCA, who was then intentionally passed. PCA stole second without a throw, taking away a force play and putting two runners in scoring position. Alex Bregman was hit by a pitch, loading the bases.
A three-run lead in an extra inning should usually be enough for the visiting team. But remember when I said that all the leverage relievers had been used?
That meant Ethan Roberts was on for the Cubs. He’s been pretty good much of this season, but not on Friday against these same Brewers. Joey Ortiz was the placed runner for Milwaukee, and he scored on a single by Christian Yelich to make it 4-2. Then Jackson Chourio walked and Brice Turang singled, loading the bases.
That’s when Wicks came into the game. You were not filled with confidence at this move, but it was the only move Counsell had. Wicks walked Garrett Mitchell to make it 4-3. Wicks looked completely nerve-wracked on the mound, just as he had much of this season.
And then, some magic happened. Wicks got Jake Bauers to pop to short left for the first out.
Sanchez, who had started the scoring with his second-inning homer, was the next hitter. I was thinking, “If only Wicks could get him to hit the ball on the ground, he’s a good double-play candidate.”
You can see in the reaction by the Cubs fans there, and in the Cubs dugout, how big, how important this win was. It showed, I believe, that the Cubs are just as good as the Brewers, even with all the pitching injuries, even when having to use random pitchers picked up off the waiver wire. I am going to say this right here, right now, and you can believe me or don’t, but if the Cubs can somehow go on a run and win the NL Central, that run begins right here, right now, with this win in Milwaukee on June 28, 2026.
The Cubs’ series win here is an excellent accomplishment. It continues their good run – now 12-4 in their last 16 games – and moves them to within 5.5 games of first place. They’re now 23-21 on the road and return to Wrigley Field Monday to begin a six-game homestand. If you’re not optimistic now… well, jump on the bandwagon with me, won’t you?
The Cubs will open a three-game series against the San Diego Padres Monday evening at Wrigley Field. Shōta Imanaga will start the series opener for the Cubs. At this writing the Padres do not have a starter listed for Monday. Game time is 7:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
Kodai Senga threw relatively well in his first career relief appearance Sunday, aside from one bad pitch.
The right-hander did well to save the bullpen and keep the Mets in a three-run ballgame.
Senga cruised his way through the top of the Phillies’ order in his first inning of work, including a four-pitch strikeout of Kyle Schwarber on a nasty slider out of the zone.
He found himself in immediate trouble after giving up a walk and a double leading off the sixth, but was able to dance his way out of danger with help from two more strikeouts.
The Mets rallied to jump in front for the first time in the ballgame in the bottom-half, and Andy Green decided to stick with Senga with the top of Philly’s order coming back up.
Green revealed postgame that the majority of New York's top arms were unavailable.
This time the Phillies' big bats were able to get to him, as the Met-killer Schwarber jumped all over a 1-2 fastball in the heart of the zone following three straight forkballs, crushing it over the right-center fence.
"Where we were at that point in the game and the count, it didn’t have to be a fastball," Senga said via a translator. "If I was going to go fastball since we were ahead, preferably it would’ve been higher, so there's a lot of think about."
Senga recovered nicely, retiring six of the next seven batters he faced to close the day.
The Mets had plenty of chances to pick him up as well, but couldn’t deliver the big hit needed, sending him home with the loss for the sixth consecutive outing.
It wasn’t all negative this time around for Senga, though, as he held the dangerous lineup to just the two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out four over five innings.
He leaned heavily on his signature ghost-fork, using it to generate six of his 11 whiffs.
“I thought he was really good today,” Green said. “There was aggression in everything he threw.
“He used his forkball more, it's an elite weapon and we saw good hitters take bad swings at it -- that’s always been an elite weapon, it was good to see him use it in pivotal situations and we encourage him to continue to do it.”
Senga handled a starters workload, but his role moving forward still remains to be seen.
He knows at the end of the day, it comes down to the results.
"It's just up to me" he said. "If I can compete and be in the zone unlike my previous outing where strikes were strikes and balls were clearly balls, that’s not going to play, then I don’t deserve a spot in the rotation -- on the flip side, if I am able to compete I do feel I deserve a spot."
Ewing wasn't in the lineup with Philadelphia starting left-hander Jesus Luzardo, but was ready when his name was called upon to pinch-hit with one down in the sixth inning. Facing righty Chase Shugart, Ewing took a 0-1 sweeper and smacked it for a 382-foot game-tying two-run shot.
“Everybody in the lineup card has a role to play that day, whether they're in the starting nine or you're on the bench,” Ewing said. “And just staying prepared, staying into the game, the full nine innings.”
Ewing, who added a single in his three at-bats, said that being aggressive in counts is when he feels most comfortable at the plate.
"I feel like when I'm at my best, my at-bats end with one or two swings,” he said. “And I've been feeling more like myself recently."
In his last 14 games, Ewing has 16 hits in 47 at-bats (.340) with a 1.043 OPS as he has seven extra-base knocks and 12 RBI. And Sunday's homer, his third in that span and set up the Mets grabbing a lead after a CarsonBenge groundout later that same inning, was his first career pinch-hit hit.
“You just treat it like every other at-bat,” he said. “You’re getting prepared for it during the game a little bit, too.”
He added that the communication on that is “great” from the coaching staff in terms of who he might be facing and that gave him a “good idea” about when he might be entering.
Unfortunately, the lead was short-lived and, in the end, it was the Mets’ 15th one-run loss on the season, the most in the National League.
“That’s just baseball, it’s hard,” Ewing said of losing the lead after coming back from three down. “You just gotta show up tomorrow, we got three more in Toronto.”
RISP anything but crisp
Getting on base wasn’t the issue on Sunday, as the Mets had nine hits and eight walks. But the nine men in the starting lineup and three who came off the bench combined to go 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 14 runners stranded.
Perhaps the most crucial and, for Mets fans, most painful instance came in the home half of the eighth when Orion Kerkering issued three walks to load the bases with one out, throwing eight straight out of the zone to do so. But Ronny Mauricio popped out on a 1-0 count and Francisco Alvarez went down swinging after getting ahead 1-0.
“I saw just misses,” interim manager Andy Green said about what he saw on the day.
“Saw a bunch of guys taking aggressive passes and just missing pitches,” Green continued. “Obviously, there's a whole ton of times we could have hopped back in front, that was a huge swing from AJ to do that for us off the bench; that's impressive. We just didn't bring guys home today.”
When asked if there were times when they asked hitters to be more patient, Green said there were “certain situations” when the Mets had the “take sign” on for players in the game.
“It's not every situation,” the interim skipper said. “There's times where you want aggression on pitches that you should be able to hit and handle. So, different points in time of the game state today, there were takes on for guys, and then at different points in time, they were turned loose. And we weren’t able to get it just right today.”
With the day's poor showing, the Mets are now batting .238 (ninth-lowest in baseball) with a .678 OPS (fourth-lowest) and 216 RBI (lowest) with RISP.
Green had four options on his bench today and used three of them. Lindor was the lone man left out of action, and Green said he was unavailable.
“He was tempting,” the manager said about the opportunities when he could have used Lindor off the bench, but “he had the day entirely.”
Lindor played in the first two games of the series, the first time he’s done back-to-back games since he was activated from the IL on Wednesday, after several weeks out due to a calf strain.
Lindor had two hits (a triple) with two RBI and a walk in his seven at-bats of the series.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Born eight minutes earlier than his twin brother, Liam, Marcus Ruck is fine with ceding NHL draft bragging rights.
All that mattered to Ruck on Saturday was being selected with the 39th pick in the second round by Pittsburgh in following his brother, who was drafted 22nd overall by the Penguins a day earlier.
“He can brag to me all he wants. I’m just so happy to be with him. I know he won’t brag, but if he wanted to, he could,” Ruck said. “To be with him, it’s so special.”
The twins are from Osoyoos, British Columbia, and spent the past two-plus seasons as one of the Western Hockey League’s most productive tandems in Medicine Hat. Marcus led the WHL with 108 points last season, while Liam, a right wing, finished second with 104 points.
Liam was projected to go first, and when the Penguins chose him, Markus began looking ahead to No. 39, Pittsburgh’s next turn to pick.
“I didn’t have a preference of when, I just knew where I wanted to go and who I wanted be with,” he said, noting his brother kept his spirits up overnight. “He kept me calm and told me it was going to happen. So for it to happen, it’s awesome.”
The NHL said this marked the fifth time twin brothers were selected by the same team in the draft, in a group that includes Hall of Famers Daniel and Henrik Sedin going second and third to Vancouver in 1999.
The Rucks were part of a family theme in a draft that had Caleb Malhotra going third to Vancouver, where his dad was just hired as the Canucks head coach.
The Calgary Flames opened the third round by selecting WHL Vancouver forward Joe Iginla. He’s the youngest son of Hall of Famer and longtime Flames star Jarome Iginla, and his selection came after older brother Tij went No. 6 to Utah in the 2024 draft.
Rogowski picks hockey over baseball
Whatever doubts Brooks Rogowski had in choosing hockey over baseball quickly evaporated following the first pick in the second round.
The 18-year-old from Livonia, Michigan, had taken his seat with his family on the draft floor, when NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly announced Rogowski being selected at No. 33 by Vancouver.
“The relief was immediate. You hear your name called and all the stresses just kind of fall off you,” Rogowski said.
And the selection validates the choice the 6-foot-7, 235-pound Rogowski made two years ago. In picking hockey, after being drafted by the OHL Oshawa Generals, he put baseball behind him — and to the regret of his father and uncle, who both enjoyed minor-league baseball careers.
His father, Casey, was drafted by the Chicago White Sox and his uncle, Ryan, drafted by the Dodgers.
“Obviously they’re still sad about baseball, but I think this was the right decision,” Rogowski said. “You know, get to wear a nice jersey, so I think that they’re more than happy with that.”
Rogowski is committed to play at Michigan State in two years, and appreciates he still has plenty of room to develop after growing up focusing more on baseball.
“I have a lot more to improve,” he said. “You have a lot of these guys who have been doing this for a long time. I’m still relatively new to it, and I think there’s a lot more to me that needs to come out.”
As a rookie, Rogowski had 11 goals and 23 points in 66 games with Oshawa, and built on that with 42 points (15 goals) in 46 games last season.
Not bad for the former first baseman.
“Exactly. It’s very different,” Rogowski said comparing the two sports. “I have always been a decent hockey player, but I think the rapid growth, I can attribute to athletic ability.”
A day after pop icon Justin Bieber took the stage to announce the Toronto Maple Leafs taking Penn State forward Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 pick, there were several notable highlights over the final six rounds on Saturday.
Golden Knights 2nd-round pick forfeited
The second round featured just 31 selections with the Vegas Golden Knights forfeiting their 63rd pick after being sanctioned by the league for violating media regulations. Former Vegas coach John Tortorella was also fined $100,000 for refusing to speak to reporters following a second-round-series-clinching Game 6 victory at Anaheim.
At No. 40, the Florida Panthers used their first pick of the draft on right winger Simas Ignatavicius. Though born in Memphis, Tennessee, he relocated with his family to their native Lithuania, a nation that by his count has four hockey rinks.
Though his father played basketball, Ignatavicius was drawn to hockey at age 3 while watching a practice at a rink inside a shopping mall. Six years ago, the 18-year-old moved to Switzerland to develop his skills.
— Doman Szongoth went No. 156 to Buffalo in becoming the fourth Hungarian player selected in the NHL draft, and first since Janos Vas in 2002.
— Six Czech goalies were selected, and led by Tobias Trejbal, who went No. 42 to Calgary.
— Teams completed 20 trades, with the most notable involving St. Louis acquiring defenseman Brandon Carlo from Toronto for picks No. 73 and 76.
The St. Louis Blues acquired Brandon Carlo from the Toronto Maple Leafs during the NHL draft on Saturday, those teams’ latest steps to remake their rosters during an offseason of upheaval.
St. Louis sent the Nos. 73 and 76 picks to Toronto for the 29-year-old defenseman.
Carlo lasted just 88 games with the Leafs after they sent a first-round pick, a fourth-rounder and highly regarded forward prospect Fraser Minten to Boston for him at the deadline in March 2025. That was with the previous regime in charge, and general manager Brad Treliving was fired two months ago and replaced weeks later by John Chayka, and they only got to keep the pick this year because they won the lottery for the No. 1 overall pick.
This is the third trade of the week for the Blues, who are also in transition as GM-in-waiting Alexander Steen is set to take over for seasoned executive Doug Armstrong next week. Armstrong in his final days at the helm has been plenty busy.
On Tuesday, he traded Jordan Kyrou to Washington for fellow forward Connor McMichael, prospect Milton Gastrin and the No. 16 pick, accumulating a league-high four in the first round. On Friday night, he sent two of them to Anaheim for 23-year-old Mason McTavish, who is signed through 2031.
Carlo provides some dependable veteran stability on the right side on defense, especially if the Blues decide to trade Colton Parayko or Justin Faulk as part of their summer overhaul. He is going into the final year of his contract at a salary cap hit of just under $3.5 million.
“We’re excited (Carlo has) got his size and length, his ability to kill plays, his experience,” Armstrong told reporters in Centene, Missouri. “Getting stronger up front and having strong goaltending, we think we’re going to be more competitive than we were last year.”
Toronto used the third-round picks on Canadian winger Zach Olsen and Swedish defenseman Mans Gudmundsson.
Hurricanes get John Carlson’s rights
The reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes jumped the queue to talk to John Carlson before the 36-year-old defenseman can become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday. They sent the 192nd pick and the rights to pending restricted free agent forward Kyle Masters to Anaheim to get an exclusive negotiating window with Carlson.
Traded to the Ducks by the Capitals less than 13 hours before the deadline in March, Carlson is believed to want to get back on the East Coast for family reasons. He spent his first 16-plus NHL seasons with Washington and helped the team win the Cup in 2018.
More trades at the NHL draft
New Nashville president of hockey operations and GM Chris MacFarland spent his first few weeks on the job largely adding players he was familiar with from his time in Colorado. On Saturday, he added fresh blood from the East by acquiring big, Swedish winger Adam Edstrom in a trade with the New York Rangers.
The Predators sent the 148th pick in the draft (a fifth-rounder) and the rights to minor leaguer Massimo Rizzo to New York. The Rangers, who also traded Brett Berard to Montreal on Friday, are not expected to tender Rizzo a qualifying offer and would make him an unrestricted free agent.
The Avalanche traded Ivan Ivan to the Bruins for Fabian Lysell in a swap of young forwards.
Who is the newest Seattle Kraken player, and what do you need to know?
The Seattle Kraken announced on Sunday, June 21st, that the team had acquired Mackie Samoskevich from the Florida Panthers in exchange for the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a conditional second-round pick in 2027.
The 23-year-old has played in three NHL seasons and won the Stanley Cup in 2024-25, his second NHL season.
In 156 NHL games, Samoskevich has recorded 27 goals and 36 assists.
Prior to joining the NHL, Samoskevich played at the University of Michigan for two seasons. While there, he earned two honors.
Big Ten All-Freshman Team (2022)
Big Ten Second All-Star Team (2023)
The 5’11” center spent the three seasons prior to joining the NCAA with the Chicago Steel of the USHL, where he continued building his game.
Samoskevich was fifth among USHL rookies in 2019-20 with 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) in 47 games.
Last season, he recorded a career high of 32 points in 77 games played, adding another strong season to his résumé.
Kraken general manager Jason Botterill also spoke to NHL.com about the newest addition to the team.
“For me, there’s the fact that, at such a young age, he’s been able to win a Stanley Cup already, and he’s been a part of a very successful organization in Florida,” Botterill said. “I just love his age, love his speed, and I love his shot. So, I think he’ll fit in very well with the style of play that we’re trying to play on an everyday basis here.”
MORRISVILLE, N.C. — At first glance, Carolina Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky doesn’t have a ton to do with the roster as the Stanley Cup champs head into the offseason.
Then again, the Hurricanes have never been the type to just sit back, either.
They’re fresh off beating the Vegas Golden Knights to claim the Cup for the second time, the first coming 20 years ago when coach Rod Brind’Amour was captain. The team has most of its core locked up to long-term deals, though that won’t stop the Hurricanes from looking to bolster the roster all the same.
“There’s always room to improve, there’s always spots we can get better,” Tulsky said Friday night after the first round of the NHL draft.
“Our goal is to build a team that even when we’re not playing our best, even when we have some injuries, we still can win the Cup. ... We need to keep taking steps to get to where we can be favorites year in and year out no matter what comes our way.”
On Saturday, Tulsky bought an exclusive negotiating window with pending free agent defenseman John Carlson, sending a late pick to Anaheim to jump the queue ahead of the market opening Wednesday.
What business is ahead on the roster?
The Hurricanes headed into the offseason with 36-year-old veteran Frederik Andersen — who anchored the net during Carolina’s 12-1 march through the Eastern Conference playoffs — as their biggest-name unrestricted free agent. Reserve forward Nicolas Delauriers and seventh defenseman Mike Reilly were the other unrestricted free agents, though the Hurricanes signed Deslauriers to a two-year deal on the stage of their downtown-Raleigh championship rally.
There’s another variable with defenseman Alexander Nikishin. The 24-year-old former top prospect became a lineup regular and worked in the third pairing through the playoffs, so the Hurricanes must decide whether to sign him — bridge or long-term — or potentially trade him.
Nikishin’s name has been popular for trade speculation. Tulsky said the Hurricanes had to pivot quickly to draft preparations and next week’s start of free agency, so contract negotiations for him hadn’t been a priority yet.
“It’s easy to punt for a little bit and let the dust settle and take care of the things that are pressing, then figure out where we’re going to go from there,” Tulsky said.
There’s another issue to monitor: the health of top-line forward Seth Jarvis. Tulsky said Jarvis is expected to be out up to six months after shoulder surgery, a timeline that would could linger into next season. That could open a lineup spot for rising prospect Bradly Nadeau or someone else.
The Hurricanes haven’t been afraid to take big swings
The Hurricanes had been aggressive before in trying to push a perennial playoff team over the top, notably by adding Jake Guentzel and Mikko Rantanen to find more high-end finishers. But they ended up dealing Guentzel’s rights to Tampa Bay in summer 2024 shortly before his expected departure in free agency, then had to move Rantanen after just 13 games in 2025 when it became clear he wouldn’t sign an extension.
The latter deal, however, worked in securing forward Logan Stankoven as the primary return from the Rantanen pivot. Stankoven centered the second line with Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake that scorched its way through the playoffs, with that trio combining for 25 goals and 55 points in the playoffs.
The question now is how much to tinker after rolling to a 16-3 playoff record en route to the Cup, especially with the roster set to return largely intact.
The motivation, though, won’t change.
“I promise you, we’re going to try to do it again,” Brind’Amour told fans during the team’s championship rally.
Carolina’s roster is filled with players locked up on long-term deals
Five of Carolina’s top nine forwards are signed through at least 2030-31, while physical forward Andrei Svechnikov is signed through 2028-29. Among the outliers, 37-year-old captain Jordan Staal — who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP — and Jordan Martinook each have one more year on their deals.
Staal wasn’t ready to retire on a high note, telling The North State Journal after the June 20 parade: “No, I want to win another one.”
As for defensemen, Jaccob Slavin and K’Andre Miller are notably lined up through 2032-33, while top-four defenseman Sean Walker is signed through 2028-29. Blue-liners Jalen Chatfield and Shayne Gostisbehere are each entering their final contract year.
Beyond Andersen in net, Stanley Cup Final hero Brandon Bussi is entering a three-year deal signed in February and reserve Pytor Kochetkov has one more year on his deal.
“That can’t make you complacent,” Tulsky said of winning the Cup. “That can’t have you saying, ‘You know what? We’re fine where we are.’ Other teams are taking steps, things change year to year. We need to keep finding ways to get better every time we can.”
Jack Drury has spent the past several days in the Bahamas enjoying a well-earned vacation with his family. Judging by the smiles in the photos circulating on social media, it's safe to say life has been treating him well.
Now the former Colorado Avalanche forward has another reason to celebrate.
Just days after being acquired by the Nashville Predators, the 26-year-old center has secured the biggest contract of his NHL career. Nashville has signed Drury to a five-year contract worth $22.5 million, keeping him with the organization through the 2030-31 season at an average annual value of $4.5 million.
The deal will pay Drury $4 million during the 2026-27 season before increasing to $4.625 million annually over each of the final four years. Beginning in 2027-28, he'll receive full no-trade protection for two seasons before that converts to an eight-team no-trade list for the final two years of the agreement.
It's another clear indication that new Predators general manager Chris MacFarland wasted little time investing in a player he knows well.
MacFarland acquired Drury from the Avalanche earlier this week in a deal that sent former first-round picks Zachary L'Heureux and Fedor Svechkov to Colorado, along with Nashville receiving forward Chase Bradley and a third-round selection in the 2029 NHL Draft. The price reflected how highly MacFarland values Drury, having watched his development firsthand during his time with the Avalanche.
While Drury has never been known as a prolific scorer, he quietly put together the best offensive season of his career in 2025-26. He established a new personal best with 10 goals while matching his career high with 27 points after adding 17 assists. More importantly, he appeared in all 82 regular-season games, giving Colorado dependable depth down the middle every night.
His value extended well beyond the scoresheet.
Drury developed into one of Colorado's most reliable faceoff specialists, winning 58.1 percent of his draws during the regular season. That number climbed above 61 percent during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where he chipped in three goals and two assists across 13 postseason games.
Those are the types of details coaches and general managers notice, even if they don't always generate headlines.
MacFarland is clearly betting that there's still more offense to unlock. Through parts of five NHL seasons split between the Carolina Hurricanes and Avalanche, Drury has totaled 30 goals and 52 assists for 82 points in 268 career games. Nashville believes those numbers are only part of the story.
Had the two sides not reached an agreement before free agency, Drury would have entered the offseason as a restricted free agent with arbitration rights after finishing the final season of his contract with the Avalanche. Instead, Nashville wasted little time rewarding its newest acquisition with long-term security, underscoring just how strongly MacFarland believes Drury can become an important piece of the Predators' future.
Even after committing $22.5 million to Drury, the Predators still have nearly $20 million in salary cap space to work with. That gives MacFarland plenty of flexibility as he continues putting his stamp on the roster during his first offseason as general manager.
If his track record in Colorado is any indication, MacFarland isn't interested in making minor adjustments. He's intent on building a team in his vision, and Nashville appears well-positioned to remain one of the NHL's more aggressive clubs as it works toward reestablishing itself as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 28: Christian Walker #8 of the Houston Astros hits a three-run home against the Detroit Tigers during the 10th inning at Comerica Park on June 28, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It took the Astros’ offense 7 innings to get into gear, but they were able to hit the gas when they needed to.
The Houston Astros (42-44) climbed out of a 3-0 hole early to come back and defeat the Detroit Tigers (35-49) 7-5 in 10 innings today at Comerica Park.
It is the the 5th straight series win for Houston, a season high. With the win, the Astros climb within 2 games of .500 since April 10 (they were 6-8). Houston is now only 1 game out in the AL West behind Texans and 0.5 GB of Seattle for the 3rd Wild Card spot in the AL.
The game did not start off the way the Astros had expected, especially with staff ace Hunter Brown on the mound.
In the bottom of the 2nd, a leadoff single by Kerry Carpenter was followed by a 2-run HR by Zach McKinstry (3) to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
The Astros, among the leaders for fewest errors this season, giftwrapped a run for Detroit in the 3rd. With Kevin McGonigle on 2nd base with two outs, Riley Greene hit a ball to second base that Raynel Delgado couldn’t handle. The error allowed McGonigle to score and gave Detroit a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the 7th, Delgado would atone for his fifth inning gaffe. After Jake Meyers reached and advanced to 2nd on an error by Tigers 1B Colt Keith with two out, Delgado smashed his first career HR 409 feet to right to draw the Astros within 1 at 3-2.
Things got dicey for Houston in the 9th as closer John Hader (W, 2-0) struggled with his command. After striking out Hao-Yu Lee for the first out, he walked Ben Malgeri. After retiring Matt Vierling on a fly ball to left, Hader then walked both McGonigle and Jahmai Jones before closing the inning by striking out Greene to leave the bases loaded.
In the 10th, with Jeremy Pena as the ghost runner, Tigers reliever Kenley Jansen (L, 1-4) walked Yordan Alvarez on 4 pitches that weren’t close. Isaac Paredes would follow with his 3rd hit of the game, an RBI single to drive in Pena and give the Astros their first lead of the game at 4-3.
Walker’s 56 RBI now tie Yordan Alvarez for the team lead.
In the bottom of the 10th, Enyel De Los Santos would allow a 2-run HR to Spencer Torkelson (13), but that was as close as the Tigers would get as the Astros won 7-5 and took 3 of 4 in Detroit.
The Astros now come home for a 6-game homestand starting with 3 against the Minnesota Twins.
Pitching Probables:
Mon: Peter Lambert (6-4, 3.28 ERA) vs. Zebby Matthews (3-5, 4.56 ERA)
Tue: Mike Burrows (3-8, 5.48 ERA) vs. Joe Ryan (5-4, 3.18 ERA)
Wed: Tatsuya Imai (5-3, 5.36) vs. Taj Bradley (6-3, 3.98 ERA)
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Defenseman Brandt Clarke has agreed to a five-year, $37 million deal to stay with the Los Angeles Kings.
The Kings announced the deal Friday for Clarke, the eighth overall pick in 2021 who has grown into the new cornerstone of their defense.
Clarke had career highs of eight goals and 32 assists while playing in all 82 regular-season games last season for the Kings, who lost in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. He was third in the NHL with 185 blocked shots, and he finished fourth on the LA roster in scoring.
The 23-year-old Clarke spent parts of the past four seasons with the Kings, but has been an NHL regular for only two years. Los Angeles general manager Ken Holland still saw enough to lock down the mobile defenseman through the 2030-31 season.
The Kings hired Peter Laviolette as their head coach earlier this month, and Clarke’s offensive skill fits well into the team’s possible evolution away from its traditional defense-first mentality to a more aggressive club under Laviolette.
Clarke was the Kings’ most prominent restricted free agent heading into the summer, but Holland also must make decision on unrestricted free agents Andrei Kuzmenko and Scott Lawton.
DENVER — Joe Sakic wasn’t content to simply run it back. Far from it, even if the Colorado Avalanche did have the best record in the regular season.
“Super Joe,” his nickname as a Hall of Fame player, has certainly lived up to his reputation of “Trader Joe” since stepping back into his role of GM for the Avalanche. He already has orchestrated several deals in this young offseason.
Because if there’s one thing Sakic knows all about, it’s championship windows. His squad, back in the day, won a pair of Stanley Cup trophies in 1996 and 2001.
The Avalanche are in the midst of another window with Nathan MacKinnon, captain Gabriel Landeskog and Cale Makar leading the way (they won in 2022). Sakic is giving the team a mini-reboot after the Avalanche were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final.
“We’re trying to move on to next year, but if we’ve got to look back, that’s what it was — we just didn’t play well,” Sakic said Friday night before the start of the NHL draft. “We’re always looking to find a way to just, even if it’s a little bit better, to try and get better.”
Sakic inherited the GM job again — on top of his responsibilities as president of hockey operations — when Chris MacFarland recently left for the front office of the Nashville Predators.
The good friends already have executed several trades, with Sakic sending Ross Colton to MacFarland’s Predators and later Jack Drury.
“We weren’t friends,” Sakic cracked. “No, it was good. (MacFarland) did what he thought was best for his group. I thought we did what was best for our group. Obviously, those decisions for us really were cap decisions, freed up some space. We couldn’t have brought everybody back.”
Not done tinkering with the roster, Sakic made a splashy deal with Columbus that sent Valeri Nichushkin to the Blue Jackets for draft picks. It’s a way to free up space given Nichushkin had four more seasons left on his contract at a salary cap hit of $6.125 million. That savings could be used to negotiate a long-term extension with Makar, a two-time Norris Trophy winner as the league’s top defenseman.
“They’re tough decisions,” Sakic said. “But when you have a cap you’re dealing with and you’re trying to make the best decisions for your team to try and get under — it was a tough phone call to make to Val for the great things he’s done for our organization.”
Sakic used some of the resources to re-sign blueliners Brent Burns and Brett Kulak on Friday. The 41-year-old Burns will return for a 23rd season and another crack at a Stanley Cup title that’s eluded him. He is a powerful leader in the locker room and a reliable player on the ice. Burns enters the 2026-27 season needing 57 games to tie Phil Kessel for the longest regular-season ironman streak in NHL history.
Burns is set to earn the veteran minimum of $850,000 and can make up to $3 million in incentives, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because financial terms were not disclosed.
Sakic certainly knows the value of a grizzled defenseman: He had Hall of Famer Ray Bourque on board when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2001.
Also back is Kulak, who agreed to a five-year contract from the Avalanche worth a reported $22.5 million. The 32-year-old Kulak was acquired by the Avalanche on Feb. 24 as part of a deal with Pittsburgh. He averaged just over 19 minutes of ice time in 27 regular-season games.
Sakic doesn’t figure to be done revamping this roster, either. The Avalanche could always use another forward or two.
“It’s going to be the players that we feel are a good fit for us, for what we’re trying to do,” Sakic said. “Hopefully it works out. If it doesn’t work out, we’re going to have a good amount of cap space and draft capital for things to happen during the year.
“There’s no panic on our end. We’re not rushed. If we’ve got to start out with some kids this year to see what they got, what they can do, we’re perfectly happy with that as well.”
