There's a real chance the Yankees welcome Luis Gil back into their starting rotation before the calendar turns to August, considering last year's AL Rookie of the Year just passed another test on his minor league rehab assignment.
In his second start with Double-A Somerset on Friday, the 27-year-old right-hander looked sharp, striking out seven in 3.1 innings against the Rockies' affiliate. While the outing wasn't blemish-free -- he gave up a two-run home run in the first inning plus a pair of walks -- Gil threw 39 of 57 pitches for strikes and touched 97 mph on his fastball.
The latest rehab outing from Gil mirrors his first, as he punched out six across 3.1 frames of one-run ball for Somerset on July 13. He's logged 6.2 innings in the minors thus far, and held opponents to a .167 average.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone recently said there's no intention of rushing Gil, who's been on the injured list since spring training with a right lat strain. But the expectation is for him to pitch next for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on July 23, and if all goes well, he could be activated shortly thereafter.
Of course, the Yankees will exercise caution with Gil once his return to the majors arrives. But he should certainly boost a top-heavy rotation that's endured season-ending injuries and felt back-end vulnerabilities.
Sweet Lu 🔥@Yankees RHP Luis Gil punched out SEVEN in his second start of 2025!
Let’s review each move…overall grade at the end!
William Eklund
The Sharks inked their 22-year-old star winger, who broke out with a career-high 58 points last season, to a three-year, $16.8 million extension ($5.6 million AAV) that kicks 2026-27.
That figure was in line with San Jose Hockey Now’s predictionin early June: “If Eklund and the Sharks discuss three or four-year extensions, over $5 million AAV seems like a realistic possibility.”
The Sharks, however, may regret not locking up their budding star to more years…but Eklund is also not a sure thing to develop into a playoff-caliber first-line winger. And from Eklund’s perspective, he’s sick of losing, so I’m sure that he would want to commit long-term to a winning program.
So it’s couple that’s moving in together, but isn’t sure if they’re ready to get married yet.
Grade: A
John Klingberg
Klingberg, 32, signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Sharks.
If healthy, the 6-foot-2 right-hander should prove to be a bargain. In his prime, he was one of the top offensive defensemen in the NHL, and he looked spry during the Edmonton Oilers’ Stanley Cup Final run.
But he’s also played just 25 regular-season games over the last two years because of persistent hip troubles.
The Sharks also don’t have a secure safety net to quarterback the top power-play unit after Klingberg. So he better stay healthy.
It’s high-risk, high-reward move, even on a one-year pact. But it also could have the greatest pay-off of any of Grier’s moves this summer.
Grade: B-
Adam Gaudette
The Sharks inked 28-year-old center-winger Gaudette to a two-year, $4 million contract.
Gaudette has had an interesting career track: In 2019-20, he had 33 points in 59 games with the Vancouver Canucks. Last year, he scored a career-high 19 goals with the Ottawa Senators.
In between, however, Gaudette bounced between the NHL and AHL with multiple organizations.
NHL scouts think that he’s a legitimate talent though, so if he’s finally found his consistency, he could prove to be another bargain.
At worst, he should be a usable fourth-liner.
Grade: B+
Philipp Kurashev
Kurashev, 25, signed a one-year, $1.25 million contract with the Sharks.
The 6-foot-0 center-winger is yet another reclamation project: The Chicago Blackhawks declined to qualify him after he scored just 14 points in 51 games last year. In 2023-24, he had a career-high 54 points.
So will the real Kurashev please stand up?
Grade: B
Alex Nedeljkovic
The Sharks traded a 2028 third-rounder to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Nedeljkovic.
On and off the ice, Nedeljkovic should be an excellent complement to star prospect Yaroslav Askarov.
Dealing a third-rounder seems like a high price for your backup goalie, but it was important to find a compatible personality who’s capable of stepping up between the pipes if Askarovfalters, but also has no problem taking a backseat.
Losing a third-rounder hurts, but the Sharks should be able to easily recoup that by the 2028 Draft.
Grade: A-
Dmitry Orlov
Orlov, 33, signed a two-year, $13 million contract ($6.5 million AAV) with the Sharks.
For most of his career, Orlov has been one of the better two-way defensemen in the league and was the No. 2 blueliner for the 2018 Stanley Cup-winning Washington Capitals. Orlov, however, had an up-and-down last two seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Like many of the Sharks’ acquisitions this off-season, Orlov will have to find the fountain of the youth, but the 5-foot-11 left-hander is still a quality blueliner, and should be a steadying force for what’s been one of the league’s worst defenses over the last three years.
And if his decline is real, a two-year commitment won’t hurt. Orlov is also regarded as a solid locker room presence, which the young Sharks always need.
Grade: A-
Nick Leddy
The Sharks claimed the 34-year-old blueliner off waivers from the St. Louis Blues.
In his day, the 6-foot-0 left-hander was also one of the better two-way defenders in the league. Leddy slipped last year, but still retains most of his trademark skating chops.
He’s in the last year of his contract, $4 million AAV. Just two seasons ago, Leddy still provided top-four caliber work, so hopefully he was just banged up last year.
Grade: A
Ryan Reaves
The Sharks acquired the 38-year-old enforcer for Henry Thrun.
On the surface, swapping a 24-year-old defenseman for a limited and older skater — Reaves played 7:48 a night last year — seems like an obvious no-no.
But honestly, both Thrun and Reaves are considered low-value trade assets, and Reaves brings a very particular set of skills to the Sharks that they don’t have.
Thrun is a fork, which the Sharks have plenty of, while Reaves is a meat tenderizer, one of the few around the NHL.
Although Reaves has slowed down on the ice, non-Sharks league sources believe he’s still one of the most feared enforcers in the NHL, will protect San Jose’s many young stars, and will also inject a one-of-a-kind energy into a quiet locker room.
Grade: B
I’d give the Sharks a B- grade this offseason.
Individually, Grier has made a series of good-to-great moves. But collectively, I’m not sure that these moves will take the Sharks out of the cellar.
On one hand, it’s not necessarily Grier’s fault, it’s hard to sell the top free agents on a last-place team. Grier, wisely, also exercised caution with his free agent expenditures, not overextending himself in the middle class of the market — there’s a danger in overspending on free agents and ending up with a better-but-ultimately-mediocre team.
On the other hand, Grier built the team that has finished last in back-to-back seasons. If San Jose is still unattractive to free agents, it’s Grier’s short-term pain for his vision of long-term gain.
The Sharks need to get out of last place sooner than later, and hopefully, this is the group that does it. Right now, that’s very much still in doubt.
A look back at the intense rivalry and infamous clashes between the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche.
There are storied rivalries in hockey like the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens, the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Lightning, or even the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings. But in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there was one that defined the league as a whole and took many by surpise as it came out nowhere.
It was a violent war on ice whenever the Red Wings would clash against the Colorado Avalanche as cheapshots and dirty plays would ignite grusome saga. The 1996 Western Conference Finals had left a bitter taste in Detroit’s mouth as the newly competitive Colorado Avalanche eliminated the Red Wings in six games.
The most notable part of the series is a hit that many Red Wings fans remember as the final game of the series saw forward Kris Draper of the Red Wings get blindsided by a vicious check from Colorado’s Claude Lemieux. Draper’s face required reconstructive surgery and when Lemieux didn't apologize and was suspended for only two games. Detroit knew they were going to have to take things into their own hands when they faced off again.
On March 26, 1997, it was clear the Red Wings had a score to settle as the brawls ensued halfway through the first period with Red Wings forward Darren McCarty finding Lemieux and pummeling him near the boards while Lemieux turtled, unable to respond.
The brawls extended to the goalies as Detroit's Chris Osgood and Colorado's Patrick Roy fought center ice. Brendan Shanahan laid out Roy with a flying check. Igor Larionov and Peter Forsberg got into it. It was pure chaos as the crowd in the Joe Louis Arena erupted.
More than 18 fighting majors were handed out with the Red Wings happy that they got to exact their revenge. Detroit would go on to win the game 6-5 with McCarty scoring the game winner in dramatic fashion. From there, the rivalry only escalated.
The two teams met in the playoffs five times between 1996 and 2002, including the 2002 Western Conference Final, where Detroit obliterated Colorado in a 7–0 drubbing during Game 7 in which Roy was embarrassed by a glove save where he got up and celebrated thinking he had the puck, only to realize it was in the back of the net.
During their years of hatred from 1996 and 2002, either the Red Wings or Avalanche won the Cup five times with both side elevating their play solely to beat the other. With loaded rosters including several hall-of-fame players, the rivalry was one of the greatest in hockey history and will always be remembered when the Red Wings and Avalanche face off again.
Not that I blame them, but the Blueshirts talk optimistically about a revival because that's what they're supposed to do but we – feet firmly on the ground – take their "talkin' the talk" with two grains of salt and a glass of Ovaltine.
What matters about Rangers futures is what independent NHL thinkers have to say. One such Wise Man is Joltin' Joe Dionisio, former Newsday columnist. Now running the Hockey Program at Santa Barbara's Ice In Paradise rink, Joe D does not hold back.
"Most of the Rangers' challenges are mental," says Dionisio who points a pinky at Mike Sullivan. "If the coach can cultivate a better attitude from his players, they'll behave better on the ice.
"If Sully can quell the bad locker-room karma lingering from Trouba, Goodrow and the like, he might well steer his club back on course."
Joe does not wear NHL blinders. He knows all about the Mika Zibanejad "You-can't-trade-me" issues and Iggy Shesterkin's bumpy-slumpy play last season.
Dr. Dionisio doesn't care if The Mighty Mika has Blue Cross or not, Jultin' Joe has the prescription.
"Zibanejad was mentally fatigued from his pedestal as whipping boy," Dionisio argues. "The coach needs to play shrink and rebuild Z's confidence. If he can do that, it would be a huge boost.
"As for Shesterkin, Sully has to find a cure – same as for Alexis Lafrenière – for what ails them. I diagnose it as 'Bloated Contract Syndrome.'’
Hustling back to his real job, Joltin' leans on that legendary catcher-philosopher Yogi Berra for a cool thought: "Hockey is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical!"
Dodgers third base Max Muncy (13) grimaces as he holds his left knee after colliding with Chicago White Sox outfielder Michael A. Taylor (21) after he tagged Taylor out trying to steal third base in the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium on July 2. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
But, when doctors explained how close he came to suffering something so much worse, from when Michael A. Taylor slid into his leg at third base on July 2, even Muncy was amazed by the infinitesimal margins.
“If the timing was just a millisecond different either way,” he was told, “you’re probably looking at surgery, and done for a long time.”
Instead, barely two weeks removed from having the outside of his knee bent inward on that play, Muncy was out doing early work at Dodger Stadium on Friday afternoon; running in the outfield, playing catch with coaches and performing agility drills in front of trainers without any obvious signs of pain or discomfort.
“We’re pleasantly, not surprised, but happy with the spot that I’m in right now,” Muncy said afterward, having also taken swings for the first time since his injury earlier on Friday afternoon. “It feels great. I’m moving well. Progressing quickly. We’re trying to be smart about it, and understand where we’re at, and what it’s gonna take to get back on the field. But we’re in a really good spot … We’re kind of right where we think we should be at.”
If not, it seems, already a few steps ahead.
While Muncy was initially expected to miss roughly six weeks with his left knee bone bruise, manager Dave Roberts struck a more optimistic tone as the Dodgers opened the second half of their season.
“He’s in great shape right now,” Roberts said Friday. “I don’t really know a timeline. But I do know … it’s going to be a lot sooner than anticipated, which is good for all of us.”
Since Muncy — who was one of the hottest hitters in baseball in May and June — got hurt, the Dodgers have not looked like the same offense. In their last 11 games entering Saturday, the club was 3-8, averaging less than three runs per game, and struggling to fill the gaping hole their slugging third baseman has left in the middle of the lineup.
Since the start of July, only the penny-pinching Pittsburgh Pirates have been worse than the Dodgers in batting average (.205) and OPS (.594).
“We've still got a lot of good players,” Roberts said. “But yeah, there's a certain line of demarcation when Max is not in the lineup, what happens to our offense.”
The Dodgers’ problems, of course, go beyond Muncy’s absence. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have all been slumping of late (or, in Betts’ case, for much of the season). Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman have been nowhere near their typical standard since returning from injuries in May. And the depth options the Dodgers have called upon have provided few sparks of life.
Still, Muncy figures to be a linchpin in the Dodgers’ long-term potential at the plate — with his recovery growing ever steadily in importance as the rest of the lineup flounders in his wake.
“We got to figure out how to get something going," said outfielder Michael Conforto, chief among the Dodgers’ underachievers this season. "Every time we go out there, we expect to score, and that's what we've been doing all year. It's just one of those stretches [where it’s] a little bit tougher to get runs in. But, you know, obviously, we have faith in our guys, and some big names in here that made their careers on scoring runs and driving guys in. I think we'll be OK."
Muncy, of course, is one of those proven names.
And in another fortunate stroke with his recovery, he remains confident his injury won’t significantly impact his swing once he does come back.
“If [the injury] was on the inside of the knee, it’d probably be a different story,” Muncy said. “But just being on the outside, I think it’s a good spot, knowing that I don’t feel it at all when I’m pushing off on the backside.”
Muncy tested that theory for the first time Friday, taking some light swings in the cage that he said “felt fine.”
“It’s a lot of work, more work than actually playing in the game, which always sucks,” Muncy said of his rehabilitation process. “But it’s that way for a reason … You don’t want to have any other injuries that are a side effect from it.”
So far, even that latter concern has been quelled, with Muncy noting that “there’s no lingering side effects with it.”
“All in all,” he reiterated, “we’re about as lucky as we could be.”
There is always plenty of excitement among NHL fans when their favorite teams sign a big player in free agency. It is understandable, as they are expected to make a significant impact, and in many cases, they do.
However, in some cases, there are scenarios where players end up struggling after joining a new team. This was certainly the case with a few of last year’s top free-agent signings.
Let’s now look at three notable signings from this past summer who underperformed in 2024-25 and also why they could end up turning things around next season.
Steven Stamkos, C, Nashville Predators
After signing a four-year, $32-million contract with the Nashville Predators last off-season, Steven Stamkos struggled with consistency in his first year with the Central Division club. In 82 games with the Predators, he posted 27 goals, 53 points, and a minus-36 rating. This was after he had 40 goals and 81 points in 79 games during his final year with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023-24.
Stamkos showed flashes of his star form at times with the Predators this past season, but he also had serious offensive struggles. For example, he did not record a point in 13 consecutive games from Jan. 25 to March 2, which is simply unheard of from the future Hall of Famer. He also started the season with just one point in his first eight games.
Why Stamkos Can Turn Things Around
While Stamkos’ first season with the Predators did not go as planned, fans certainly should not sleep on the 2008 first-overall pick. He still produced like a legitimate star just back in 2023-24 with Tampa Bay and has been one throughout his NHL career. Thus, the possibility of him turning things around cannot be ruled out.
Furthermore, this was the first season Stamkos played on a team that was not the Lightning in his 17-year NHL career. As a result, it naturally took him some time to adjust to the Predators’ system, and a bounce-back season could be on the way for him in year No. 2 in Nashville.
Jonathan Marchessault, C, Nashville Predators
Sticking with Nashville, Jonathan Marchessault also did not necessarily perform up to expectations in 2024-25. After scoring a career-high 42 goals and recording 69 points in 82 games in his final season with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023-24, he had 21 goals, 56 points, and a minus-29 rating in 78 games this past season with Nashville.
Like Stamkos, Marchessault had trouble producing at the level expected of him for much of the season. When noting that the 34-year-old winger has a $5.5-million cap hit until the end of the 2028-29 season, they will be hoping that he has a bounce-back campaign in 2025-26.
Why Marchessault Can Turn Things Around
Marchessault may have had his rough moments this past season, but it is hard to believe that he can’t pick his play back up next season. He has shown throughout his career that he can produce like a star, and a clean slate next season could help things on that front.
Furthermore, the Predators as a whole simply had a bad year in 2024-25. Thus, players like Marchessault and Stamkos could improve their numbers next season if the team around them also gets things back on track.
Elias Lindholm, C, Boston Bruins
After signing Elias Lindholm to a seven-year, $54.25-million contract this past off-season, the Boston Bruins thought they found their long-term first-line center. However, Lindholm did not reach expectations in his first season in Boston, posting 17 goals, 30 assists and a minus-4 rating in 82 games.
Lindholm’s struggles this past season led to him being bounced around the lineup, and he even spent time on Boston’s third line. With Lindholm carrying a $7.75-million cap hit, this is not ideal, and the Bruins will be hoping that Lindholm can prove he can be a full-time top-six center for them next season.
Why Lindholm Can Turn Things Around
Lindholm’s finish to the season should provide some optimism. After being moved back up to the first line, Lindholm formed strong chemistry with David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie. In his final seven games of the season, he recorded four goals, five assists, nine points and a plus-11 rating. This is undoubtedly encouraging, and the Bruins will be hoping he can build off it in 2025-26.
Lindholm also revealed at the end of the season that he had been dealing with a back injury that he suffered during training camp, which negatively impacted him at the start of the campaign. Now that he is healthy, perhaps he can have that big season the Bruins will be hoping for in 2025-26.
The Anaheim Ducks and general manager Pat Verbeek crossed a sizable item off of their summer agenda on Thursday when they signed goaltender Lukas Dostal to a five-year contract that carries an AAV of $6.5 million.
“It’s a big honor,” Dostal said when addressing the media following the announcement of his signing. “I always look at myself in the mirror, and I see a kid who came from a village with 300 people in it. It’s always a good reminder that you have a dream and you want to chase it. There’s always the possibility to reach it. It’s a big milestone, but there’s a long way ahead of us. We have an amazing team.”
Dostal followed up an impressive rookie season in 2023-24 with an even better sophomore season in 2024-25, in which he solidified himself as the unquestioned number one goaltender in Anaheim for the foreseeable future.
Dostal, along with John Gibson, was part of potentially the best goaltending tandem in the NHL in 2024-25, and the pair was the most impactful contributing factor to the Ducks’ 21-point jump in the standings from the year prior.
He finished the season with 49 starts and appeared in 54 games. He posted a .903 SV%, stopped 10.28 goals above expected, and tallied his first career shutout.
If Dostal hadn’t already seized control of the starter’s job in Anaheim, the trading of John Gibson in late June put any and all doubt to rest. Dostal will now head a goaltending group featuring himself, veteran and fellow Czech countryman Petr Mrazek, and Ville Husso. The latter two will likely battle for the backup role, and each will likely get NHL games in 2025-26 with the Ducks.
With his new contract in place, Dostal will carry dramatically increased responsibility and expectations on his shoulders as the Ducks have stated their intended goal for the upcoming season is to make the 2026 playoffs.
“I truly believe it. It was one of the reasons that I was willing to sign a long-term deal,” he said when asked about the outlook of the organization. “It’s always about trusting the process, and I really trust the process of what’s going on in Anaheim right now. It’s very exciting for the future.”
Now that Dostal has received the baton from Gibson as the goaltender who will backstop the Ducks’ hopeful transition from rebuilding team to contending team, a figurative statement was made league-wide that he’s “the guy” now in Anaheim, and with that, he won’t sneak up on anyone. He is no longer a “no-name goalie," he will start more games than he ever has, and he will face the toughest opponents on the Ducks' schedule.
With his $6.5 million cap hit, Dostal is now the tenth-highest-paid goaltender in the NHL. He’s still making considerably less than the tier above him that features Juuse Saros ($7.74 million) and the four goaltenders each making $8.25 million: Ilya Sorokin, Jeremy Swayman, Jake Oettinger, and Linus Ullmark. However, he now leads the next tier of highest-paid goaltenders, which includes more experienced veterans like Gibson ($6.4 million), Adin Hill ($6.25 million), and Jacob Markstrom ($6 million).
Dostal’s demeanor is as poised as they come, something even more impressive considering he just turned 25 years old less than a month ago, and he’s never expressed the slightest indication of being rattled, on or off the ice.
After a blazing hot start in 2024-25, where he was near or at the top of the NHL in every goaltending statistic, his numbers wavered as the season became longer and longer. That could either be attributed to fatigue after playing the most hockey in his life, or to uncertainty and inability to reestablish a rhythm with Gibson’s seesaw battle with injury reserve last season.
Dostal is now 121 games into his NHL career and carries a career .902 SV%, a 42-58-13 record, and two shutouts. He’s sharp on his angles in the crease, and he has full trust in them. He never swims amid flurries in front of him, remaining square to pucks in tight at all times.
His most underrated quality is his ability to track pucks throughout the zone and through traffic. Though he’s a sound, fundamental goaltender, he can flash an occasional, yet remarkable athletic save when it’s necessary and shift the momentum of a game.
Dostal’s understanding of the NHL game has improved dramatically, and he’s now displaying veteran game-management skills, reading the ice in front of him and the progression of play, freezing pucks when his teammates need a whistle or advancing pucks when opposing teams are changing or tired.
Dostal plays his best hockey when it matters most, which to this point has been for Czechia on the international stage. He was named as one of the first six players added to his home country’s Olympic roster. Still, he and the Ducks will also be looking to play meaningful games well after the Olympic tournament has concluded in February.
With this new deal and the departure of Gibson, the crease in Anaheim belongs solely to Lukas Dostal. He’s been burdened with a tremendous amount of pressure, but he’s evaded the pitfalls of that pressure in the past, and this situation seems to be no different. He’s poised to make the jump into the club of the NHL’s truly elite goaltenders this upcoming season.
Former Hershey Bears forward Pierrick Dube has signed a one-year deal in Russia with Traktor Chelyabinsk, it was announced earlier this week.
Dube, whose 2024-25 season was his second in the Washington Capitals organization, spent the entire year with the Bears. Over 58 regular season games, he scored 19 goals and added 21 assists for 40 points. With the Bears having made the playoffs, Dube put up three points in eight games.
Over his brief professional career in the Caps system, Dube did manage to make his NHL debut in 2023-24, but he went pointless in three games. Prior to making the jump to the pro game full time, Dube played in the QMJHL with the Quebec Remparts, Chicoutimi Sagueneens and the Shawinigan Cataractes.
With Dube off to the KHL, he could still realistically earn another opportunity to play in the NHL. Having proven to be a productive in the AHL, Dube has the skills needed to be a top-tier player in the KHL and draw the interest of NHL teams come next off-season.
Before the game begins, the Mets will retire David Wright's No. 5 jersey in a ceremony that will start at 2:30 p.m., with coverage of the event happening on SNY.
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
Juan Soto is tied for ninth in MLB in home runs this season (24) and is slashing .284/.411/.627 over his last 30 games
Brandon Nimmo reached base three times on Friday and is hitting .333 with six XBH during a 12-game on-base streak
Edwin Diaz has allowed one earned run since April 21, and his season ERA of 1.66 ranks tied for third among MLB closers
Clay Holmes will take the mound and look to lower a 5.28 ERA and 1.37 WHIP registered through three July starts (15.1 IP)
REDS
METS
TJ Friedl, CF
Brandon Nimmo, LF
Matt McLain, 2B
Francisco Lindor, SS
Elly De La Cruz, SS
Juan Soto, RF
Austin Hays, DH
Pete Alonso, 1B
Gavin Lux, LF
Mark Vientos, DH
Spencer Steer, 1B
Jeff McNeil, CF
Tyler Stephenson, C
Ronny Mauricio, 3B
Jake Fraley, RF
Brett Baty, 2B
Noelvi Marte, 3B
Luis Torrens, C
What channel is SNY?
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Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices.
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For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.
The 2009-10 season was a magical one for the Montreal Canadiens.
It was a special year, the one in which the team celebrated its centennial, the
first NHL team to do so. Special jerseys, the unveiling of the Ring of Honour,
and a centennial game against the Boston Bruins, which the Habs won 5-1.
Still, it wasn’t an easy season. GM Bob Gainey had made significant
changes during the offseason, trading for Scott Gomez with the New York Rangers`
and then letting long-standing captain Saku Koivu and enigmatic sniper Alexei
Kovalev walk in free agency. On July 1, he signed a slew of free agents;
Jaroslav Spacek, Hal Gill, Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta, and now New York
Islanders GM Mathieu Darche all arrived. Paul Mara and Travis Moen signed on
July 10.
Patrice Brisebois retired, Mathieu Schneider left for a second
time, and Alex Tanguay signed elsewhere in August, just like Francis Bouillon. With
that spectacular lineup overhaul, it took some time to build chemistry, and the
Canadiens barely made the playoffs. However, once they were in, they inflicted severe
damage.
On the back of ninth-round selection Jaroslav Halak, the
Canadiens dispatched the Washington Capitals and Alexander Ovechkin in the
first round, and Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round,
both series needed seven games. But Montreal then lost 4-1 to the Philadelphia
Flyers in the Eastern Conference Final. Still, an idol was born for
Montrealers, and those playoffs became known as the “Halak Spring”.
In honour of Jaroslav Halak’s retirement, here how the Canadiens turned a 9th round pick in 2003 into Patrik Laine and a 2nd round pick in 2026. pic.twitter.com/aZpMJKLF9J
Still, the Slovak goaltender wasn’t the chosen one and on
June 17, 2010, GM Pierre Gauthier traded Halak to the St. Louis Blues for Lars Eller
and Ian Schultz. Gauthier called it a “big picture” decision, betting on the long-term
potential of fifth-overall pick Carey Price, but fans were shaken. Canadian
member of Parliament Justin Trudeau even chimed in, saying in the House of
Commons, “What? Halak for two hockey sticks and a bag of magic beans?”.
At the time, I lived in London, England, and I remember
emerging from the Tube only to receive a trade notification on my cell phone,
which prompted a few choice words, not only from me but from a fellow commuter.
We struck up a conversation about the deal and drowned our sorrows over a pint
at the nearest pub. Little did we know that the trade, which at the time seemed
lopsided, would bring dividends for years and ultimately lead to Kent Hughes striking
a deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2024 offseason.
It took some time, but one of the assets acquired in the Halak
trade proved to be a valuable asset. It wasn’t Ian Schultz who never played a
single game in the NHL and ended his career playing for the Edinburgh Capitals
of the Elite Ice Hockey League in the United Kingdom, a league that once
included the London Knights, the team that helped me through hockey droughts at
times during my eight years in London. Still, the level of play was nowhere near
the NHL’s.
The other player, however, Lars Eller, evolved into a great
two-way center who skated with the Canadiens until he was traded to the Capitals for two draft picks. He went on to win a Stanley Cup with
them. The 58th overall pick in the 2017 draft, which was used to
select Joni Ikonen, a center who never came over to this side of the pond. The 62nd
overall pick in the 2018 draft was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for two
additional draft picks in the same year.
The fifth-round pick was used to select Samuel Houde, who
spent some time in the AHL and the ECHL before joining the Sierre HC in the Swiss
league. As for the third-round pick, it became Jordan Harris, a blueliner who
would sign with the Canadiens after spending four years in the NCAA with Northeastern
University.
Harris spent three seasons with the Canadiens, but with a
blueline full of promising young defensemen, he was used by Kent Hughes to
acquire sniper Patrik Laine and a second-round pick at the 2026 draft.
Whatever happens with Laine this upcoming season, I think it’s
safe to say the Halak trade wasn’t that bad in the end, it’s still paying off
today, and we won’t know until next June what that second-round pick will
become.
It’s wild to think that after Halak announced his retirement
yesterday, his trade three is still going strong and could still deliver another
impact piece for the Canadiens, after all, Lane Hutson was a second-round pick,
so it’s possible to find hidden (or not so hidden, and just diminutive in size)
gems in that round.
Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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Sir Alex Ferguson was a guest at Rangers' training centre on Friday [Getty Images]
Russell Martin says the support he has had from Sir Alex Ferguson since taking over as Rangers head coach has been "incredible".
The former Manchester United manager paid his first visit to the club's Auchenhowie training centre on Friday, in the company of Rangers great John Greig.
Ferguson, 83, played for two seasons at Rangers from 1967-69, while Greig, 82, spent his entire career at Ibrox before a five-year spell as manager.
"Any team talk or message I give is done when those two speak about this club and what it means to them," Martin told RangersTV.
"They are both really behind us and what we are doing. They are desperate for this team to do well.
"They feel the same way as the fans. They want to see a team that fights and works for everything and has a way about them on the pitch that exemplifies what they believe this club to be about."
Martin played under Sir Alex's son Darren Ferguson at Peterborough United who made him captain when he was just 21.
"He reached out and said his dad wanted to give me a call," Martin added.
"I said 'of course' and since then Sir Alex has been in tough regularly. He's been great. He's been so supportive of me personally, which is incredible.
"It's the first time he's been here and it was just brilliant for everyone to see him."
Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Trevor Megill, left, and catcher William Contreras celebrate after a 2-0 win over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
If you’re a Dodgers fan, of course, you would love to see the Dodgers win the World Series again. If you’re a baseball fan above all, though, you ought to be pulling for the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Dodgers served as a convenient bogeyman for owners of many other major league teams last winter. To fans pointing a collective finger at the owner of their local team, all too many of those owners pointed a finger in our direction: It’s not us. It’s them.
“The Dodgers are the greatest poster children we could’ve had for how something has to change,” Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort told the Denver Gazette last March.
How, those owners shrugged, can we compete against a team playing in a major market and spending half a billion dollars on a star-studded roster?
The Brewers play in the smallest market in the major leagues — Sacramento included, Denver definitely included.
The Brewers are 57-40.
This is not about a sprinkling of fairy dust. The Brewers have made the playoffs six times in the past seven years, prospering even beyond the financially motivated departures of star shortstop Willy Adames, Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes and two-time National League reliever of the year Devin Williams, and even after manager Craig Counsell and president of baseball operations David Stearns left for teams in major markets.
“It’s not really an abnormal year,” said designated hitter Christian Yelich, the Brewers’ franchise anchor. “Each year, we’re picked to finish last or second-to-last in our division, regardless of what happened the year before.”
The Brewers cannot pay the going rate for power, so they do not try. Of the free agents signed by Milwaukee last winter, the most expensive one in the lineup for Friday’s victory at Dodger Stadium: outfielder Jake Bauers, signed for $1.4 million. Shortstop Joey Ortiz was obtained in the trade of Burnes; third baseman Caleb Durbin was acquired in the trade of Williams.
The Brewers rank in the bottom 10 in the majors in home runs, but they rank in the top 10 in walks, stolen bases, sacrifice bunts and fewest strikeouts.
Milwaukee's Caleb Durbin celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning of a 2-0 win over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
“We know what we are,” Yelich said. “We know we’re not going to have a lineup full of guys that hit 30 homers. You’ve got to force stuff to happen sometimes and try to put pressure on the other team and try to manufacture runs any way you can.”
They are one of two teams — the Detroit Tigers are the other — to rank among the top 10 in runs scored and in earned-run average. No NL team has given up fewer runs than the Brewers.
The Dodgers lead the majors in runs scored. In four games against Milwaukee, the Dodgers have scored a total of four runs.
“They can really pitch,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “The ’pen is lights out. They catch it. They play good defense. In totality, they do a good job of preventing runs.”
Whether they can do a good job of deterring a lockout, well, that might be a whole other ballgame.
The collective bargaining agreement expires after next season. The owners have not explicitly stated a salary cap is their goal but, at least the way the players’ union sees it, why else would commissioner Rob Manfred already be talking about a lockout as a means to an end?
At the All-Star Game, union chief Tony Clark blasted the concept of a salary cap.
“This is not about competitive balance,” Clark said. “This is institutionalized collusion.”
A salary cap would provide owners with cost certainty and potential increases in franchise values, not that fans would care much about either. So, to the extent that owners might settle on a talking point in negotiations, what Manfred said at the All-Star Game would be it: “There are fans in a lot of our markets who feel like we have a competitive balance problem.”
If you’re the union, you’ll say MLB has not had a repeat champion in 25 years. If you’re an owner, you’ll say no small-market team has won the World Series in 10 years.
If you’re the union, you’ll say expanded playoffs offer every team the chance to win a wild-card spot and get hot in October, as the 84-win Arizona Diamondbacks did two years ago. But, should the Brewers win the World Series this year, owners certainly would call it the exception that proves the rule.
Over the past seven years, the Brewers have made the playoffs as many times as the Yankees have. Yet, for all their success in the regular season, the Brewers have not won a postseason series since 2018.
Baseball has not lost a regular season game to a work stoppage since 1995, the last time the owners pushed hard for a salary cap. They might do so again next year, which would jeopardize the 2027 season, but to argue small markets need a salary cap to win after the team in the smallest market won the World Series might ring hollow.
If the Brewers’ success could derail the potential disaster that would be a work stoppage, America ought to be rooting on The Miz.
