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19 OHL Players Invited To NHL Scouting Combine

The 2025 NHL Scouting Combine started on Monday. A total of 19 of the OHL's top draft eligible players were invited to the combine ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft. 

"The NHL Combine is the final showcase event before the NHL Draft," said Director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr. "It's a week full of interviews, medicals and fitness testing where the players get to interact with NHL personnel and the NHL clubs get to learn as much as possible about the future stars of our game."

In total, 90 players were invited to the combine. That means that the OHL made up just over 20 percent of the players invited to the event. 

At the end of the day, the combine is another event where players have an opportunity to impress NHL teams and show why they should be selected on draft day. 

IceDogs Name Frank Evola General ManagerIceDogs Name Frank Evola General ManagerYesterday, the Niagara IceDogs announced that longtime Windsor Spitfires' Director of Scouting and Hockey Operations Frank Evola will become the sixth GM in franchise history. 

The 19 players invited to the combine, in no particular order, are as follows. 

Kashawn Aitcheson (BAR)

Henry Brzustewicz (LDN)

David Bedkowski (OS)

Kieren Dervin (KGN)

Ethan Czata (NIAG

Kristian Epperson (SAG)

Tyler Hopkins (KGN)

Jack Ivankovic (BRAM)

Aleksei Medvedev (LDN)

Brady Martin (SOO)

Porter Martone (BRAM)

Michael Misa (SAG)

Jack Nesbitt (WSR)

Jake O'Brien (BFD)

Cameron Reid (KIT)

Malcolm Spence (ER)

Simon Wang (OSH)

Matthew Schaefer (ER)

Luca Romano (KIT)

Knights Take Care Of Business At Memorial CupKnights Take Care Of Business At Memorial CupTwo words followed the London Knights throughout the 2024-25 season: unfinished business. 

The 2025 NHL Draft will take place on June 27 and 28 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The New York Islanders have the first-overall pick in the draft, followed by the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks. 

There has been a lot of discussion online about whether the Isles will take Schaefer or James Hagens with the first-overall pick. NHL Central Scouting ranked Schaefer at the top of their list of North American skaters, however, Hagens is from Long Island. There is a segment of hockey fans who believe drafting the local boy could come ahead of taking the top prospect in the draft. 

Based on the rankings, the OHL will have a heavy presence in the top-five picks at the 2025 NHL Draft. We will see whether that is the case come draft night. For now, the players will continue to prove themselves at the combine.

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Padres at Giants Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for June 4

It's Wednesday, June 4, and the Padres (35-24) are in San Francisco to take on the Giants (33-28). Nick Pivetta is slated to take the mound for San Diego against Kyle Harrison for San Francisco.

Jake Cronenworth's go-ahead RBI in the top of the 10th inning lifted the Padres over the Giants, moving them to 2-0 in the series.

Manny Machado was also big for the Padres yesterday. He went 4-4 with two RBIs. None bigger than his RBI single in the top of the 10th inning to tie the game.

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Padres at Giants

  • Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2025
  • Time: 9:45PM EST
  • Site: Oracle Park
  • City: San Francisco, CA
  • Network/Streaming: NBCS BA, Padres.TV

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Padres at the Giants

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Padres (-114), Giants (-106)
  • Spread:  Padres -1.5
  • Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Padres at Giants

  • Pitching matchup for June 4, 2025: Nick Pivetta vs. Kyle Harrison
    • Padres: Nick Pivetta, (6-2, 2.74 ERA)
      Last outing (Pittsburgh Pirates, 5/30): 6.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 8 Strikeouts
    • Giants: Kyle Harrison, (1-1, 2.51 ERA)
      Last outing (Miami Marlins, 5/30): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 1 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Padres at Giants

  • The Giants have won 12 of their last 20 home games
  • The Giants' last 3 games at home versus the Padres have stayed under the Total
  • The Padres have covered in 4 of their last 5 road games but they are profiting 1.62 units

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Padres and the Giants

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Padres and the Giants:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the San Francisco Giants on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the San Francisco Giants at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

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  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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Cool Jazz back at Yankee Stadium as Chisholm’s homer sparks New York to 3-2 win over Cleveland

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees had been missing their cool Jazz.

Sidelined since April 29 by a strained right oblique, Jazz Chisholm Jr. drove Tanner Bibee’s first pitch of the seventh inning toward the right-center stands. He shuffled up the first-base line, holding his bat, convinced it was a tiebreaking home run.

And it was, barely, caught by a fan in the first row, 358 feet from home plate.

“Our hitting coach told me a story about Reggie Jackson,” Chisholm said after the 3-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians. “He hit a homer that barely went over the fence. And he was like, `Hey, Reggie, how did you know that was gone?’ And he’s like, `Well, I hit 567 (actually 563) of them.’ So I told my coach, my story is that I’ve hit 1,000 homers in my dreams, so I had to know that one was gone, right?”

Chisholm went 2 for 3, also blooping a fifth-inning single for the Yankees’ first hit and scoring on DJ LeMahieu’s single. Anthony Volpe went deep six pitches after Chisholm, giving New York back-to-back homers for the fifth time this season.

“Honestly, I pictured a 3 for 3, but I’d take a 2 for 3,” Chisholm said.

He returned to third base, his position with the Yankees last year, after making 29 starts at second through April 29, when he got hurt at Baltimore. New York manager Aaron Boone decided to leave LeMahieu at second, where he’s started since coming back from a spring training calf injury on May 13.

Chisholm didn’t complain about the position switch and gushed: “This is my favorite organization I’ve ever been a part of.”

“I just want to win. I want a ring,” Chisholm said. “You got (Aaron) Judge. You got Volpe, and they come and talk to you and when you have such a good relationship with the manager, I mean, you don’t mind doing anything for a guy that you have a good friendship with.”

An All-Star with Miami in 2022, the 27-year-old played middle infield for the Marlins from 2020-22, was moved to center field from 2023-24, then inserted at third when the Yankees acquired him in a trade last July 27.

“Everyone’s really pumped for him and happy for us that he’s back helping us,” Volpe said. “He’s just so smooth and has such a great arm that you can play wherever you want to play with him over there.”

Wearing a baby blue, 11 1/2-inch glove from his own company, Absolutely Ridiculous Innovation for Athletes (ARIA), Chisholm grabbed Ángel Martínez’s grounder down the line in the third and made a strong one-hop throw to first from foul territory for an inning-ending out. The glove is intended to be used for Father’s Day on June 15 and Chisholm started to break it in during three rehab games at Double-A Somerset.

“Sometimes you catch the ball over there at third base and you look at the first baseman and you’re like, wow, he’s pretty far,” Chisholm said.

He is batting just .194 with eight homers and 18 RBIs. But in addition to his bat and glove, Chisholm adds a vivacious personality.

“Really excited to have him back and good to see him have that kind of impact right away,” Boone said.

Devin Williams, back as closer after Luke Weaver strained a hamstring, allowed Carlos Santana’s one-out double and pinch-hitter Daniel Schneemann’s two-out RBI single in the ninth, then retired Bo Naylor on a flyout for his sixth save as AL East-leading New York won for the 11th time in 14 games.

During spring training, Boone and the Yankees talked of Chisholm combining with Volpe, the third-year shortstop, on an exiting double-play combination.

“I really thought I was done at third base,” Chisholm said. “I thought I left my career over there with a good stamp, but I guess we’re back again. We got to shine again. We can’t let that reputation go down at third base.”

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Who Is New Pittsburgh Penguins Coach Dan Muse?

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced they have hired Dan Muse as their 23rd coach in franchise history. This is Muse’s first opportunity at being an NHL bench boss.

Muse is Kyle Dubas’ first head coaching hire as the GM and president of hockey operations of the Penguins. The Mike Sullivan parted ways with the team after the season and since joined the New York Rangers.

“During this process, we met with many candidates who we felt would have been a fit as the next head coach of the Penguins, but ultimately, Dan Muse stood out as the best choice,” Dubas said in a statement.

“What separated Dan was his ability to develop players, win at all levels where he has been a head coach and his consistent success coaching special teams in the NHL,” he added.

Muse spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the Rangers. His other NHL experience was as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators between 2017 and 2020.

He helped both teams earn three division titles. The Predators claimed the Central Division title in 2017-18 and 2018-19, while the Rangers topped the Metropolitan Division in 2024. The Predators and Rangers also won one Presidents’ Trophy each, with Muse behind the bench in 2018 and 2024, respectively.

In these roles, Muse was in charge of the penalty kill. Despite the Rangers finishing 22nd in the league this season, they had the 11th-best penalty-kill percentage. Last season, the team had the third-best penalty kill in the league.

John Hynes and Dan Muse (Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images)

In the 2017-18 season, when Nashville won the Presidents’ Trophy, they had the sixth-best penalty kill. Pittsburgh’s GM took note of that.

“His leadership of special teams units at the NHL level in both Nashville and New York produced elite results consistently,” Dubas said.

“His overall body of work, attention to detail and vision for our group showed us that he is the best coach to take our team forward. We’re excited to welcome Dan, and his family, to the city of Pittsburgh.”

Muse does have previous experience as a head coach. The 42-year-old was the bench boss of the U-17 and U-18 USA Hockey National Team Development Program teams.

He won a USHL title in 2016-17 and a U-18 World Junior Championship gold medal in 2022-23.

Promo image credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

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Red Sox manager Alex Cora proclaims his team ‘not getting better’ following 8th loss in 10 games

BOSTON — Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been proclaiming recently that he didn’t think his team was far from putting good baseball together following a dismal stretch of games.

Those days of optimism appear to be dwindling after Boston’s latest setback.

The Red Sox lost their 17th one-run game of the season, this time falling 4-3 to the Los Angeles Angels in 10 innings filled with missed opportunities, poor execution defensively and another inconsistent night from the bullpen. It was their eighth loss in 10 games. They are now 9-10-1 in series play, including 4-5-1 at Fenway Park.

“We keep making the same mistakes. We’re not getting better,” Cora said after the game. “At one point it has to be on me I guess. I’m the manager. I’ve got to keep pushing them to be better. They’re not getting better. They’re not. We keep making the same mistakes. I’ll be honest about it and very open about it.”

The loss came a night after Boston also lost by a run to an Angels team that had lost seven of eight and three consecutive series.

The game started out with some promise.

Starting pitcher Brayan Bello pitched a scoreless first to snap a four-game streak of Boston pitchers allowing at least one run in the opening inning.

But then the Angels took a 3-0 lead in the third inning via an RBI single by Zach Neto and a two-run single by Nolan Schanuel.

Boston got one run back during its half of the inning but failed to close the gap more despite having runners on second and third base with no outs.

The Red Sox outhit the Angels for the second straight game. But also also committed three fielding errors.

“You get frustrated, but at one point, OK, what are you going to do? What’s going to change? We keep doing the same thing,” Cora said.

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Count On Bobrovsky, Panthers Limiting Oilers Offence in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Finals

Florida Panthers look to shut down Edmonton Oilers offence in Stanley Cup Finals rematch. 

Image

One of the most highly-anticipated Stanley Cup Finals in years starts on Wednesday with the star-studded Edmonton Oilers hosting the defending Champion Florida Panthers. 

It promises to be an eventful series, marking just the third Stanley Cup Final rematch in NHL history. The Oilers are out for redemption after falling short in game seven last year, nearly completing a dramatic comeback from a 3-0 series deficit.

Game one will be a crucial one for both sides as the team that wins game one of the Stanley Cup Final has won the series 64 out of 84 times, which improves when that opening win comes on home ice, as the odds jump to 51 out of 61 times in history. 

All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

More NHL: 2025 Stanley Cup Final Betting Preview: Oilers-Panthers Set for Epic Rematch

Edmonton Oilers vs Florida Panthers Game 1 Best Bets:

  • Under 6.5 goals (-132)
  • Panthers ML (+104)
  • Sam Bennett Over 0.5 points (-120)
  • Carter Verhaeghe Over 0.5 points (-115) 

More NHL: Oilers vs. Panthers: Breaking Down Game One Trends Ahead of 2025 Stanley Cup Finals

The public seems to expect that an offensive shootout is coming as the sportsbooks have the game listed at over/under 6.5 total goals. The sense is that the Oilers will want to rebound after last year's loss and push the Panthers into a high-scoring affair for a series-opening win. 

I expect the opposite effect to work as we've seen both teams using their defences to shut down the best of opposing offences and make for low-scoring outcomes.

This happen in last year's game one of the Finals, where the Oilers were blanked in a 3-0 loss. In game two, they were limited once again with the Panthers managing to continue their smother of the Oilers offence for a 4-1 victory. 

This is the third straight Finals appearance for the Panthers and they know what they are doing with their mindset likely being that they aren't going to let in a goal at all costs.

I expect this mentality to shine through once again as the Oilers are coming in with a new team and the highest of expectations as they are expected to win the series. 

With that in mind, we will need to see some scoring from someone as a goal has to be scored and we gave a pretty lengthy deep dive recently on what players excel in series-opening games. For the Cats, the most notable name is Sam Bennett, who has made a knack out of scoring clutch goals. 

More NHL: New Mitch Marner Next Team Betting Odds Highlight Unexpected Frontrunner

The Canadian forward found the net against the United States in the Four Nations Championship and has built a reputation for strong starts, scoring in three consecutive Game Ones and tallying four goals in his last five series openers. 

Bennett has been playing on a line recently with the dynamic duo of Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk, who both have a stellar history of opening up series with a bang. Verhaeghe offers better value in this spot, having consistently delivered in series openers. 

He scored in last year’s Stanley Cup Final game one and has totaled four goals and five assists in his last seven Game Ones. This postseason alone, he’s recorded one goal and four assists across three series openers. The two forwards should come together for a much needed goal in a tight low-scoring affair. 

More NHL: 2026 Stanley Cup Odds: Oilers, Panthers Lead Early Contenders But One Unexpected Favourite Emerges

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Ceddanne Rafaela walks it off vs. Angels with comical homer

Ceddanne Rafaela walks it off vs. Angels with comical homer originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

In Wednesday’s series finale against the Los Angeles Angels, Ceddanne Rafaela saved the day for the Boston Red Sox with a walk-off home run that could only have happened at Fenway Park.

Rafaela laced one over the right-field fence to secure Boston’s 11-9 victory. The ball traveled only 308 feet, making it the third-shortest homer hit at Fenway Park and the shortest walk-off homer altogether in the Statcast era (since 2015). It wouldn’t have made it out of any of the other 29 MLB ballparks.

When you’re hot, you’re hot. Rafaela’s walk-off marked his third consecutive game with a homer, and it prevented Boston from being swept.

Rafaela was one of the few bright spots in a brutal series for Boston. It dropped the first two games of the series 7-6 and 4-3 to bring its record in one-run games this season to 6-17.

The Red Sox’ struggles continued Wednesday as starter Lucas Giolito allowed four runs in the top of the first inning, but the offense answered with five of their own in the bottom of the frame. It was a back-and-forth affair from that point on until Rafaela came through with his miracle homer.

They’ll look to carry their momentum into the Bronx when they begin a three-game series against the first-place New York Yankees on Friday.

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Mets prospect Jonah Tong strikes out 11 in five hitless innings as Double-A dominance continues

Fast-rising Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong twirled his latest gem on Wednesday afternoon for Double-A Binghamton.

Relying heavily on his fastball while also judiciously mixing in his curve, Vulcan changeup, and developing slider, Tong held the Somerset Patriots (the Yankees' affiliate) hitless during his 5.0 innings of work.

The only trouble Tong got in all day came in the second inning, when he issued three walks (the only free passes of his day). But he escaped the jam by getting back-to-back strikeouts, and proceeded to retire the final 11 batters he faced.

Tong's ERA with Binghamton over 10 starts and 49.0 innings is 2.02.

Wednesday's outing was the second time this season that Tong was untouchable.

He fired 6.2 perfect innings on May 10, with reliever TJ Shook finishing the seven-inning perfect game after Tong reached his pitch count.

Speaking with SNY last week, Tong discussed his ascension and highlighted what he's working on -- including his new slider.

"Right now we’re tinkering with shapes, so I can’t really tell you what exactly is happening," Tong noted about the slider. "We’re tinkering with a few things, but really happy with the progress of that."

The 21-year-old right-hander is also mindful of the need to limit his walks.

"The most obvious one for me is the walks right now," he said. "They’re definitely there. I do think – and I’m really confident -- that they’re not always gonna be there. It’s just more getting my feet wet and getting into the season. Last year happened for me right out of the gate, and this year it’s just a little bit slower when it comes to that.

"It’s just being more consistent, and knowing that when I’m in the zone we’re gonna have a lot of success. And just feeling confident in that. So I think just being in the zone early and often, and having the ability to put away hitters is something I’ve shown I can do – I just need to do it a little more consistently."

Tong will almost certainly get promoted to Triple-A Syracuse at some point this season, at which point he'll be one step away from his ultimate goal.

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Orioles at Mariners Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for June 4

It's Wednesday, June 4, and the Orioles (23-36) are in Seattle to take on the Mariners (32-27). Cade Povich is slated to take the mound for Baltimore against Emerson Hancock for Seattle.

Tomoyuki Sugano was great in the Orioles' 5-1 win yesterday. He struck out five batters in 7.0 innings. He walked on batter, and only gave up one run.

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Orioles at Mariners

  • Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2025
  • Time: 9:40PM EST
  • Site: T-Mobile Park
  • City: Seattle, WA
  • Network/Streaming: ROOTNW, MASN 2, MASN+

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Orioles at the Mariners

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Orioles (+111), Mariners (-132)
  • Spread:  Mariners -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Orioles at Mariners

  • Pitching matchup for June 4, 2025: Cade Povich vs. Emerson Hancock
    • Orioles: Cade Povich, (1-4, 5.29 ERA)
      Last outing (St. Louis Cardinals, 5/28): 4.2 Innings Pitched, 5 Earned Runs Allowed, 8 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 9 Strikeouts
    • Mariners: Emerson Hancock, (2-2, 5.64 ERA)
      Last outing (Washington Nationals, 5/29): 5.1 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries, and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions, and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Orioles at Mariners

  • After losing the series opener, the Mariners have an 8-3 record in game 2 this season
  • The Orioles' last 5 matchups against American League teams have gone under the Total
  • It has been 6 games since the Mariners last covered the Run Line

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Orioles and the Mariners

Rotoworld Best Bet

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread, and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information, and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Orioles and the Mariners:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Seattle Mariners on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Baltimore Orioles at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

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  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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BREAKING: Penguins Name Dan Muse New Head Coach

Jan 7, 2020; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators head coach John Hynes talks with assistant coach Dan Muse during the first period against the Boston Bruins at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

After more than a month of searching, the Pittsburgh Penguins have finally named a successor to Mike Sullivan behind the bench.

On Wednesday, the Penguins named Dan Muse the 23rd head coach in team history. Muse had been an assistant coach for the New York Rangers - who hired Mike Sullivan as their new head coach on May 2 - for the past two seasons from 2023-25.

Previously, he had an assistant coaching gig with the Nashville Predators from 2017-20. In both stints, he was primarily responsible for running the penatly kill units - which were both top-five units during his tenure.

“During this process, we met with many candidates who we felt would have been a fit as the next head coach of the Penguins, but ultimately, Dan Muse stood out as the best choice," Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas released in a statement. "What separated Dan was his ability to develop players, win at all levels where he has been a head coach, and his consistent success coaching special teams in the NHL. From his success in developing college and junior players, to his impactful work with veteran players during his time in the NHL, Dan has shown a proven ability to connect with players at all stages of their careers and help them to reach their potential.

“Additionally, his leadership of special teams units at the NHL level in both Nashville and New York produced elite results consistently. His overall body of work, attention to detail and vision for our group showed us that he is the best coach to take our team forward. We’re excited to welcome Dan, and his family, to the city of Pittsburgh.”

Muse, 42, first stepped into the coaching realm at a higher level as an assistant for the Yale University men's ice hockey team from 2009-14. From there, he became heavily involved in USA Hockey, coaching the Chicago Steel of the USHL from 2015-17 and for the National Team Development Program (NTDP) from 2020-23.  The 2023 Under-18 World Championship team won the gold medal with him at the helm.

He also has ties to Penguins' forward prospect Rutger McGroarty, who he had coached as part of the USNTDP program.

More details on the hire to come. 

Former Penguins' Assistant Joins Blackhawks' Coaching StaffFormer Penguins' Assistant Joins Blackhawks' Coaching StaffIt appears that Mike Sullivan - who departed as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Apr. 28 and subsequently joined the New York Rangers as their new bench boss - isn't the only former Penguins' coach to land a new gig for the 2025-26 season.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!        

Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel - Imagn Images

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Is the fantasy football hype around Chase Brown warranted? Let's investigate

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

If you were underweight on Chase Brown in 2024 fantasy football, you weren’t alone, and you probably felt it by midseason. But with 2025 drafts heating up, a surprising consensus has emerged across the fantasy community: Brown is not only a locked-in RB1, but his profile in the Bengals offense looks rock-solid for another top-tier season.

Let’s dig into Matt Harmon and Scott Pianowski’s conversation from the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast for a nuanced breakdown of Brown’s outlook.

Subscribe to Yahoo Fantasy Forecast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

Brown finished last season as the RB12 overall, emerging as one of the rare true hits for zero-RB drafters. When Zack Moss missed time, Brown “was the only game in town,” as Harmon put it, regularly dominating not just the early-down work but also the hurry-up and high-scoring packages — a holy grail scenario for fantasy running backs.

Pianowski put it bluntly: “Chase Brown was a screaming right answer … He never came off the field. He was good in all packages … [and] a running back who never comes off the field in that situation is fantasy gold.”

Perhaps the most important note for Brown’s fantasy managers is how little has changed in Cincinnati. Burrow, Chase, Higgins — everyone’s back, and the system remains in place. The only real additions in the RB room? Taj Brooks (a Day 3 rookie) and some veteran insurance in Samaje Perine. Neither is expected to cut deeply into Brown’s role; the Bengals’ lack of a splashy running back addition speaks volumes about their trust in Brown.

Even the oft-circulated Zack Moss “threat” doesn’t move the needle. Pianowski is firm: “Zach Moss? Last year, what, 3.3 yards a carry? Give me a break … He really should be like an RB3 on a decent team and he might ultimately be that on this team.”

Brown fits the traits fantasy managers crave:

  • Three-down role: He handled 90%+ snaps in multiple games last year — a pace that, even if dialed back, still lands him in RB1 territory.

  • Concentrated offense: As Harmon notes, the Bengals have “a very highly concentrated nature of this offense.” You don’t have to squint to see the targets for Brown (alongside Chase and Higgins) being safely locked in.

  • Game-script-proof: Even in negative scripts — likely with Cincinnati’s defense still projected to struggle — Brown will continue to see playing time and pass-catching work.

The Yahoo Fantasy Forecast episode highlights that the industry consensus is to rank Brown right around RB12-13, and that’s roughly where his best ball ADP is landing — yet Pianowski went as far as to call him flat-out mispriced: “People who are getting Brown in the third round right now, enjoy it while it lasts. He’ll be a locked-in second-round pick, I think, when the major part of draft season kicks in.”

There’s a broader fantasy team-building angle here, too. If you love building out dominant receiver rooms and going “Hero RB,” Brown is a prime candidate. Pianowski says it best: “Is Chase Brown good enough for a Hero RB build? And my answer is, absolutely. If I left the draft where the only signature back I had was Brown and I had that wide receiver … I was winning the flex. I was winning the wide receiver room. That’s a roster I’d go to war with.”

Of course, every player has risks. With Brown, it comes down to:

  • Pedigree concerns: As a former Day 3 pick, some “what if?” always lingers until a player receives massive team investment.

  • Volume adjustment: The coaching staff has hinted they don’t want every game 90%+ snap shares, but even a dip to 70-75% would be plenty.

  • Bengals defense improvement: If the defense outperforms expectations, there could be fewer shootouts — but the unit is projected to remain bottom-10.

Summing up the takeaways from Harmon and Pianowski, Chase Brown is one of the best RB picks you can make at the 2/3 turn. Opportunity, team trust and fantasy-friendly game environment — all the ingredients are there. Don’t overthink it, don’t get sidetracked by backup chatter, and be comfortable making him the hoss of your RB room. When the Bengals’ carnival kicks into high gear, you’ll be glad Brown is riding shotgun.

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'If I Can Win The Masters, Leafs Can Win The Stanley Cup': Rory McIlroy Gifted Toronto Jersey By MLSE CEO Keith Pelley

Professional golfer Rory McIlroy still believes the Toronto Maple Leafs can win the Stanley Cup.

The 36-year-old is at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Alton, Ontario, for the RBC Canadian Open, which begins on Thursday. McIlroy, who won the 2025 Masters, was joined by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment President and CEO Keith Pelley on Wednesday for the tournament's Pro-Am.

Following their round of golf, Pelley gifted McIlroy a Maple Leafs jersey with his last name on the back. The PGA and European Tour golfer knows Pelley from when the 61-year-old served as president of the PGA European Tour from 2015 to 2024.

"If I can win the Masters," McIlroy said on Wednesday via TSN's Bob Weeks, "then the Leafs can win the Stanley Cup."

McIlroy has won the RBC Canadian Open twice, in 2019 and 2022.

Report: Maple Leafs Could Target Bruins Interim Head Coach Joe Sacco To Fill Lane Lambert's Vacated RoleReport: Maple Leafs Could Target Bruins Interim Head Coach Joe Sacco To Fill Lane Lambert's Vacated RoleThe Toronto Maple Leafs could be after another coach to join their bench after associate coach Lane Lambert's departure.

This isn't the first time the former world number-one has weighed in on the Maple Leafs. Following his final round at the tournament last spring, McIlroy hoped Toronto could get closer to its goal of winning the Stanley Cup in 2025.

"I don’t know much about the Leafs, I had dinner with someone that’s pretty intimately involved a few nights ago, so sounds like they’re making some changes this off-season," McIlroy told the Toronto Sun, "and hopefully that’s the catalyst to hopefully that’s the catalyst to making a run in the playoffs and maybe getting that Stanley Cup."

Under new head coach Craig Berube, the Maple Leafs won their first Atlantic Division title since its inception in 2013. Toronto eliminated the Ottawa Senators in six games before being ousted in seven games by the Florida Panthers in round two.

Tanev, Gourde Contracts And Deferred Money Provide A Blueprint For Maple Leafs To Re-Sign John TavaresTanev, Gourde Contracts And Deferred Money Provide A Blueprint For Maple Leafs To Re-Sign John TavaresJohn Tavares wants to stay in Toronto. The former Maple Leafs captain made that clear when speaking to reporters shortly after his team was eliminated in the second round at the hands of the three-time defending Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers. This desire, coupled with the Maple Leafs' cap constraints, begs the question: How can both sides find common ground? Reportedly, the Maple Leafs would welcome him back, but not at the hefty $11 million per season salary cap hit that came with his first contract in Toronto. Recent contracts signed by other players offer a compelling glimpse into potential solutions.

It's the furthest the Maple Leafs have gone in the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2002, when they beat out the New York Islanders and Senators to advance to the Eastern Conference Final. Toronto lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games, ending their Stanley Cup hopes that year.

There's a lot of uncertainty around the Maple Leafs entering this offseason. Mitch Marner and John Tavares are unrestricted free agents, while Matthew Knies is a restricted free agent. Tavares and Knies have expressed their desire to remain in Toronto, but Marner, who's had several chances to say he wants to remain a Maple Leaf, hasn't done so.

Former Maple Leafs Defenseman Mark Giordano To Coach NHL Top Prospect Matthew SchaeferFormer Maple Leafs Defenseman Mark Giordano To Coach NHL Top Prospect Matthew SchaeferMark Giordano has been busy since last playing in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Meanwhile, Toronto GM Brad Treliving said in his season-ending media availability that the team's DNA needs to change.

"I don't believe that you have to go and change 20 players, right? It's not always about that. It's what can we do to help our guys? What can we do to find guys that can help?" Treliving said.

"If there is change that we need to make with the team, how do we bring people in that have a mindset like that? But it's those big moments of really embracing it, but finding a way, whatever that way is, to get through it and have success."

Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

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Rory McIlroy annoyed over driver disclosure at US PGA Championship

  • Masters champion’s driver failed test at Quail Hollow

  • ‘The process is supposed to be kept confidential’

Rory McIlroy has admitted being “pissed off” and “annoyed” after news of a forced driver change leaked during the US PGA Championship last month. McIlroy had to switch heads early in the week at Quail Hollow after his driver was deemed non-conforming by a United States Golf Association test.

The scenario is perfectly common – when club faces become too springy through overuse – and also happened to the eventual champion Scottie Scheffler. The process, though, is meant to be private.

Continue reading...
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Royals at Cardinals prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for June 4

It's Wednesday, June 4, and the Royals (32-29) are in St. Louis to take on the Cardinals (33-27). Noah Cameron is slated to take the mound for Kansas City against Miles Mikolas for St. Louis.

The Royals won a 10-7 shootout against the Cardinals yesterday. Jonathan India went 3-5 with three runs. Bobby Witt Jr. also had a big game. He went 2-4, with one home run and four RBIs.

Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Royals at Cardinals

  • Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2025
  • Time: 7:45PM EST
  • Site: Busch Stadium
  • City: St. Louis, MO
  • Network/Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Royals at the Cardinals

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Royals (+110), Cardinals (-131)
  • Spread:  Cardinals -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Royals at Cardinals

  • Pitching matchup for June 4, 2025: Noah Cameron vs. Miles Mikolas
    • Royals: Noah Cameron, (2-1, 1.05 ERA)
      Last outing (Cincinnati Reds, 5/28): 6.1 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 2 Strikeouts
    • Cardinals: Miles Mikolas, (4-2, 3.90 ERA)
      Last outing (Baltimore Orioles, 5/28): 4.0 Innings Pitched, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 9 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries, and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions, and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Royals at Cardinals

  • The Cardinals have won their last 4 head-to-heads against the Royals with Miles Mikolas as the opener
  • The Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas has an ERA of 3.32 in his last 5 home starts on the mound
  • With Miles Mikolas starting the Cardinals have covered the Run Line in 7 of their last 8 games

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Royals and the Cardinals

Rotoworld Best Bet

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread, and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information, and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Royals and the Cardinals:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the St. Louis Cardinals on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Kansas City Royals at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

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Livingston believes Steph injury ‘robbed' Warriors in Wolves series

Livingston believes Steph injury ‘robbed' Warriors in Wolves series originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Just about a month removed from Steph Curry’s Grade 1 hamstring strain in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, the “what if” still remains for the Warriors.

Curry’s former teammate, Shaun Livingston, agrees with most fans in saying that the Warriors would have had a chance to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves had the injury not occurred.

“They definitely have a shot,” Livingston told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole on Wednesday. “There’s no question about it. He changes the game, he changes the series and the outlook and the way you strategize for the team.”

The Warriors won Game 1 of the series against Minnesota before dropping the next four games sans Curry.

The 11-time NBA All-Star averaged 24.0 points, 5.7 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game in the Warriors’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets and was locked in Game 1 against the Timberwolves, as he had 13 points in just 13 minutes played prior to sustaining the injury.

“When you have guys that go down like that, it’s just, again, there’s so many ripple effects that come out of a player going down,” Livingston told Poole. “Just all these different second and third order effects, you know, to a guy going down. So, I really feel like obviously the Warriors were robbed in that series with injuries. They put a valiant effort up but again we’ll never know because injuries are just a part of the game.”

Curry, 37, racked up four championships with the Warriors, but the chance at a fifth title run this past season could be a “what if” that’s brought up for the foreseeable future.

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