Still adjusting to life without Jimmy Butler, the Golden State Warriors (25-20) are in Dallas tonight to take on Cooper Flagg and the Mavericks (18-26).
In their first outing since Butler’s season-ending knee injury, Stephen Curry and the Warriors were waxed at home Tuesday night by the Toronto Raptors, 145-127. Buddy Hield had 25 off the bench for Golden State but the defense was non-existent for the home team. The Mavericks have won three in a row including a decisive win at Madison Square Garden over the Knicks Monday night, 114-97. Flagg was back after missing the previous two games, but it was Max Christie who led the way scoring a career-high 26 points.
The Mavericks are moving north in the Western Conference standings, having won six of their last ten to pull to within 1.5 games of the final play-in spot. The Warriors are holding down the No. 8 spot in the conference. They are 7-3 in their last ten games and 5.5 games ahead of the 11th place Memphis Grizzlies, but how much does the Butler injury take out of them?
Lets take a closer look at the matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including thelatest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Warriors at Mavericks
Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026
Time: 7:30PM EST
Site: American Airlines Center
City: Dallas, TX
Network/Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA 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!
Game Odds: Warriors at Mavericks
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Golden State Warriors (-218), Dallas Mavericks (+180)
Spread: Warriors -5.5
Total: 234.5 points
This game opened Warriors -2.5 with the Total set at 230.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Warriors at Mavericks
Warriors
PG Stephen Curry
SG Brandon Podziemski
SF Moses Moody
PF Draymond Green
C Quinten Post
Mavericks
PG Cooper Flagg
SG Max Christie
SF Naji Marshall
PF PJ Washington
C Daniel Gafford
Injury Report: Warriors at Mavericks
Golden State Warriors
Gary Payton (foot) is OUT for tonight’s game
Seth Curry (sciatic nerve) is OUT for tonight’s game
Jimmy Butler (knee) is OUT for tonight’s game
Dallas Mavericks
Moussa Cisse (illness) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Daniel Gafford (ankle) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Anthony Davis (finger) is OUT for tonight’s game
Kyrie Irving (knee) is OUT for tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Warriors at Mavericks
The Mavericks are 13-11 at home this season
The Warriors are 8-13 on the road this season
The Warriors are 22-23 ATS this season
The Mavericks are 20-24 ATS this season
The OVER has cashed in 27 of the Warriors’ 45 games this season (27-18)
The OVER has cashed in just 19 of the Mavericks’ 44 games this season (19-25)
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections 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 today’s Warriors and Mavericks’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Mavericks +5.5
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 234.5
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Welcome to the Fantasy Basketball Minutes Report. Every week, I will review each team's updated minutes per game to see which players are seeing the court more or less than in previous weeks. With this information in hand, I'll try to discuss any relevant fantasy risers or fallers; players who we should be adding off waivers or removing from our teams.
The charts below are also great for exploring on your own. You can track the minutes over the last three, five, and ten games, and for the entire season, to see which trends stand out to you.
All of this data was made accessible by Kyle Bland, who is incredibly talented and also extremely generous. Be sure to follow him to check out all of his baseball data as well.
The Hawks have been without Kristaps Porziņģis and Zaccharie Risacher for six games and will be without them for another week. I recorded a video this week discussing the Hawks’ rotation in the wake of that.
Boston Celtics
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Jaylen Brown
34.1
33.1
35.2
Payton Pritchard
33.6
32.1
32.4
Derrick White
31.1
33.2
35.4
Sam Hauser
28.4
29.5
27.8
Neemias Queta
26.8
26.4
25.5
Anfernee Simons
23.6
25.9
25.3
Baylor Scheierman
20.3
17.3
14.5
Jordan Walsh
14.5
17.8
17.5
Luka Garza
14.4
17.5
19.6
It's just lather, rinse, repeat with the Celtics this season. Sam Hauser is now seeing the majority of the minutes at power forward, but that spot has been a rotation all season. I should note that Neemias Queta is a top 100 player in fantasy basketball over the last two weeks, averaging 12 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks over his last seven games.
Brooklyn Nets
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Michael Porter Jr.
31.1
31.5
32.9
Nic Claxton
28
28.4
27.6
Noah Clowney
27.1
28.1
29.3
Drake Powell
25
24.7
21.8
Nolan Traore
22.2
22.8
21.5
Day'Ron Sharpe
21.6
20.3
22.6
Terance Mann
21.6
19.7
22.6
Ziaire Williams
21.4
21.4
22.4
Egor Dëmin
21.4
22.7
25.5
Cam Thomas
19.8
22
22.5
The Nets scored just 66 points against the Knicks on Wednesday. 66 points in a full NBA game. Woof. This team is fully healthy as well. After a strong stretch, Egor Dëmin has come back down to Earth, and the Nets are simply rotating too many players to get much value out of most of them.
Charlotte Hornets
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Brandon Miller
29.3
32.1
29.9
Kon Knueppel
29.1
31
29.6
Moussa Diabaté
26.9
29.8
29.8
Miles Bridges
26.3
29.3
30.3
Sion James
23.7
21.3
23.3
Grant Williams
21.6
17.4
16.7
Ryan Kalkbrenner
20.9
18.2
19.1
LaMelo Ball
20.9
24.7
25
Collin Sexton
19.8
18.4
19.5
The Hornets are pretty healthy now, but they have decided to limit LaMelo Ball's minutes in recent games to help him through a few bumps and bruises. In fact, he's even come off the bench recently ahead of back-to-backs. It's unclear how long this will last, but it's a situation worth monitoring. Moussa Diabaté has also seen his fantasy value take a hit since Ryan Kalkbrenner returned to cut into his minutes, but that shouldn't have been a surprise.
Chicago Bulls
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Coby White
31.2
30.9
29.6
Nikola Vučević
31
32.2
32.8
Jalen Smith
29.8
28.5
25.1
Matas Buzelis
29.8
28.9
29.8
Tre Jones
26.6
26.6
27.1
Ayo Dosunmu
26.3
25.9
26.3
Isaac Okoro
24.6
26.5
26.8
Kevin Huerter
22.9
23.4
24.5
Josh Giddey (hamstring) remains out but could return over the weekend or next week. That could impact Tre Jones' value, but Jones has been a top 55 player in fantasy basketball over the last two weeks, averaging 15 points, 7.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in six games. He's worth playing until Giddey returns. Patrick Williams is also dealing with an ankle sprain, which has led to more minutes for Jalen Smith, who has been a top 100 player over the last two weeks. I'd love to see Ayo Dosunmu traded to a place where he can play a bit more.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Donovan Mitchell
37.1
35.7
35
Evan Mobley
34.3
34.2
34.1
Jaylon Tyson
33.8
30.4
27.3
Jarrett Allen
32.1
30.9
30.7
De'Andre Hunter
23.2
21.8
22.9
Dean Wade
21.8
21.8
17.3
Nae'Qwan Tomlin
21.6
21.1
18.7
Craig Porter Jr.
20.6
19.1
21
Sam Merrill and Darius Garland remain out, which has led to more minutes for Jaylon Tyson and Dean Wade, who returned from an injury of his own. Tyson has been a fringe top 100 player, and Garland is expected to miss at least another week, which should help Tyson maintain his value. Wade played 16 minutes in his return and then 27 minutes in his second game, so he's likely to play near 30 minutes a game in the coming weeks.
Dallas Mavericks
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Max Christie
30.5
31.8
31.8
Naji Marshall
28.8
31.3
30.5
Cooper Flagg
27.8
25.8
31.2
Dwight Powell
26.4
26.6
22.3
Caleb Martin
24.6
21.3
16.5
Ryan Nembhard
21.8
20.6
20.1
Moussa Cisse
21.6
19.1
19.2
Klay Thompson
21.5
22.9
22.6
Brandon Williams
20.9
22.1
21.4
Cooper Flagg returned this week after missing two games, but Daniel Gafford has been battling an ankle injury, which has led to more minutes for Moussa Cisse and Dwight Powell. None of the big men are worth chasing other than Naji Marshall, who is at the center of some trade rumors and could be dealt into a bench role on a contender soon.
Denver Nuggets
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Peyton Watson
34
34.4
35.5
Jamal Murray
33.5
35.2
36.1
Spencer Jones
32.4
30.4
28.4
Aaron Gordon
31.9
30.8
28
Jalen Pickett
27.5
27.8
28.6
Tim Hardaway Jr.
26.6
29.6
29.9
DaRon Holmes II
25.8
15.2
15.9
Bruce Brown
21.5
22.5
23.7
Hunter Tyson
20.9
11.8
16.6
The Nuggets' injury list is incredibly long. Cameron Johnson remains out indefinitely, but Jonas Valanciunas and Christian Braun could both return this weekend, while Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon are managing bumps and bruises that don't figure to keep them out long. Peyton Watson has been incredible in the interim, averaging 20.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks in the last seven games, which is top 40 value in fantasy basketball.
Detroit Pistons
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Cade Cunningham
30.8
33.3
34.1
Jalen Duren
27.8
28
26.3
Tobias Harris
27.7
27.9
23.5
Duncan Robinson
27.7
27.7
25.9
Ausar Thompson
23.8
24.9
24.7
Isaiah Stewart
21.9
21.9
25.5
Daniss Jenkins
19.3
16.5
18.3
Jaden Ivey
18.8
18.8
19.4
Caris LeVert
18.5
19
17.6
Cade Cunningham has been dealing with an illness and a hip injury, which have limited his minutes, but neither appears to be overly serious. Tobias Harris has returned and immediately resumed his normal role, which has limited Isaiah Stewart's usage and value. You have to wonder if the Pistons would be better off trading Jaden Ivey since their rotation is so deep that he rarely plays.
The Rockets had been operating at the status quo for a while, but Steven Adams is now likely to be sidelined for over a month with a severe ankle sprain. In the one game since that occurred, we saw Josh Okogie move back into the starting lineup, but Tari Eason played more minutes. We also saw Clint Capela only play 12 minutes, so he may not see the boost in time that many expected.
Indiana Pacers
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Andrew Nembhard
34.6
33.5
32.8
Pascal Siakam
33.7
34.2
33.8
Aaron Nesmith
30.4
31.1
31.8
Jarace Walker
25.8
23.4
21.8
Johnny Furphy
20.4
23.2
22.2
Jay Huff
17.2
19.3
21.6
Quenton Jackson
17.2
16.4
17.1
Isaiah Jackson returned from injury but is only averaging 11 minutes per game in his three games back. There's just very little to be excited about or to discuss here.
Kawhi Leonard has missed the last three games with a knee injury, which has allowed Jordan Miller to step up. Miller is averaging 14.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.6 steals over his last seven games. That's been a nice boost for the Clippers, but when it comes to on-court production, this is really just a two-man team with some rotating pieces around them.
Los Angeles Lakers
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Luka Dončić
34.7
34.6
36.2
LeBron James
32.8
32.8
33.4
Marcus Smart
27.1
28.6
30.6
Jake LaRavia
24.7
29.4
32
Deandre Ayton
23.8
27.5
28.4
Rui Hachimura
22.9
20.9
20.9
Maxi Kleber
20.7
20.7
9.5
Gabe Vincent
19.1
17.3
17.3
Jarred Vanderbilt
18.9
17.4
20.9
Austin Reaves is inching closer to a return, which would likely lead to a minutes hit for Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia. However, until that happens, this remains even more of a two-man team than the Clippers, with not one Lakers player in the top 135 in fantasy basketball over the last two weeks other than LeBron James and Luka Dončić.
Memphis Grizzlies
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Jaren Jackson Jr.
31.7
31.5
32.3
Ja Morant
29.2
29.2
31
Santi Aldama
27.7
29.4
28.9
Jock Landale
26.8
27.3
24.8
Cedric Coward
25.7
25.8
25.3
Cam Spencer
21.9
25.1
25.2
Jaylen Wells
21.3
22.7
25.4
GG Jackson
20.2
18.3
19.9
Vince Williams Jr.
19.4
20.4
20.7
Ja Morant returned from his calf injury, but the Grizzlies are still dealing with injuries to a few other players and sorting out a rotation that seems destined to be impacted by the trade deadline.I recorded a video this week going into all of it.
Miami Heat
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Norman Powell
32.2
32.2
29.7
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
29.6
30.1
24.3
Andrew Wiggins
29.6
30.5
29.1
Bam Adebayo
29.4
30.6
30.1
Pelle Larsson
27.8
28.1
25.5
Davion Mitchell
22.3
21
25.5
Simone Fontecchio
21.1
20
12.4
Kasparas Jakučionis
19.1
21.2
14.8
Kel'el Ware
17.1
14.9
19.5
Kel'el Ware has been battling a hamstring injury, which has hurt his minutes and production. Tyler Herro is also dealing with a rib injury that will sideline him at least another week. That has led to plenty of minutes and production for Jaime Jaquez Jr. and a slight boost for Davion Mitchell.
Milwaukee Bucks
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
AJ Green
29.4
30.3
32.3
Ryan Rollins
27.9
29.9
32.6
Giannis Antetokounmpo
27.7
29.4
29.9
Bobby Portis
27.1
25.1
23.8
Kyle Kuzma
26.8
25.5
24.2
Kevin Porter Jr.
25.6
29.6
34.8
Myles Turner
25.2
24.9
26
Cole Anthony
19.1
15.8
15.8
Man, does it seem like Giannis Antetokounmpo wants out. He's taking the fewest shots that he's ever taken. With Kevin Porter Jr. (oblique) also getting hurt again, we're likely to see a lot of Ryan Rollins over the next few weeks. We could also see Gary Trent Jr. back in the rotation and/or Bobby Portis take on more work.
Zion Williamson is dealing with an illness right now, and Herb Jones is still battling his ankle injury. Yet, no new players have really stepped up. Derik Queen is in a bit of a slump but remains a top 80 player in fantasy basketball over the last two weeks. There's little else of note here.
New York Knicks
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
OG Anunoby
33.3
32.9
33.5
Jalen Brunson
32.1
23.1
30.2
Mikal Bridges
31.6
33
32.7
Karl-Anthony Towns
28.4
29.8
29.7
Miles McBride
27.4
29.3
31.1
Josh Hart
26.4
30.4
30.5
Mitchell Robinson
18.3
18.5
21.3
Landry Shamet
17.6
17.3
17.3
The Knicks are a bit of a mess right now, as I covered in a video this week. The good news is that Jalen Brunson returned from his ankle injury, and Landry Shamet made his return from a shoulder injury, so the team is healthy. Other than Josh Hart, who admitted he came back from his ankle injury early because the team was struggling. The biggest question surrounding the Knicks right now is whether or not they can win with Karl-Anthony Towns or if he needs to be moved at the deadline.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
34.4
33.9
34.3
Chet Holmgren
31.1
29.5
30.9
Luguentz Dort
29.4
27.3
26
Aaron Wiggins
29.1
25.9
24.8
Ajay Mitchell
26.1
26.3
28.1
Cason Wallace
23.8
23.3
24
Isaiah Joe
23
18.2
16.7
Kenrich Williams
17
16
14.8
The Thunder are not only dealing with an injury to Jalen Williams, which I discussed in a video this week, but Ajay Mitchell also got hurt on Wednesday night. With Alex Caruso also battling a groin injury, expect a lot of work for Aaron Wiggins, but the Thunder's impressive depth is starting to be tested right now.
The 76ers are continuing to monitor minutes for Joel Embiid and Paul George as the two veterans recover from knee injuries. Good thing for Philadelphia that Tyrese Maxey has emerged as a bona fide star and the face of the franchise, as I covered in a video this week.
Phoenix Suns
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Devin Booker
34.9
36.1
34.5
Dillon Brooks
31.1
31.5
30.7
Grayson Allen
28.7
28.7
26.2
Royce O'Neale
27.4
28.7
29.1
Collin Gillespie
27.3
28.5
27.9
Mark Williams
24.2
25.3
24.2
Oso Ighodaro
23.4
22.4
22.3
Jalen Green
19.9
19.9
19.9
Jordan Goodwin
19
21.2
22.4
The Suns got Jalen Green back this week and are now playing Grayson Allen a full complement of minutes with him fully recovered from his own injury. My colleague, Noah Rubin, broke all of that down in a video this week.
Portland Trail Blazers
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Toumani Camara
33.6
33.7
35.2
Shaedon Sharpe
32.2
31.9
31.5
Deni Avdija
31.8
34.9
35.8
Donovan Clingan
30.9
29
30.6
Sidy Cissoko
28.3
27.8
24.5
Caleb Love
26.2
28.3
27.7
Jerami Grant
22.4
22.4
22.4
Jrue Holiday
20.1
19.3
19.3
Robert Williams III
18.3
17.1
15.4
Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday are back, but Portland is continuing to monitor their minutes. That has allowed Caleb Love to remain in the rotation. Shaedon Sharpe has also had a nice month of January, and is averaging 23 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.3 steals per game over his last six games. That's top 50 value in fantasy basketball.
Sacramento Kings
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
DeMar DeRozan
34.4
35.4
35.1
Russell Westbrook
33.1
33.9
33.5
Zach LaVine
29.6
31.5
32
Malik Monk
27.1
23.2
24.2
Dylan Cardwell
24
22.4
20
Maxime Raynaud
20.9
22.2
24.8
Precious Achiuwa
20.2
25.3
23.8
Nique Clifford
19.6
18.1
18.6
Dennis Schröder
19
19.3
21.4
Domantas Sabonis
18.4
19.3
19.3
Domantas Sabonis has returned, but the Kings are going to be cautious with his minutes as they look to keep him healthy and trade him at the deadline. One name to watch is Dylan Cardwell. He has entered the rotation and flashed some intriguing ability and skills on the glass. If the Kings do make some trades, he could see a big bump in minutes and usage.
San Antonio Spurs
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
De'Aaron Fox
34.1
31.8
32.8
Julian Champagnie
31.4
30.4
32.2
Stephon Castle
31.3
31.2
31.2
Victor Wembanyama
28.9
27.2
26.3
Keldon Johnson
27.6
24.9
25.8
Harrison Barnes
25.3
23.2
25.6
Dylan Harper
23
23.9
21.4
Luke Kornet
21.7
21.1
23.2
Devin Vassell (thigh) remains out, and Luke Kornet is dealing with an adductor injury, so Julian Champagnie continues to see big minutes, and the Spurs are starting to increase Victor Wembanyama's playing time. This team operates through Wmeby, De'Aaron Fox, and Stephon Castle, so those are really the only three names to know for fantasy purposes.
Toronto Raptors
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Scottie Barnes
35.3
37
36.6
Brandon Ingram
34.9
36.4
32.8
Immanuel Quickley
32.6
32.6
33.6
Jamal Shead
28.6
31.8
29.2
Sandro Mamukelashvili
27.5
26.1
24
Collin Murray-Boyles
24.6
30.8
31.4
Ochai Agbaji
18.7
23.2
16.7
Gradey Dick
18.2
22.4
18.8
RJ Barrett (ankle), Jakob Poeltl (back), and Collin Murray-Boyles (thumb) remain sidelined. That has really just led to more usage for Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, who are both top 20 players over the last week. Sandro Mamukelashvili has also stepped up of late and has some value as long as Murray-Boyles remains out (which might not be long).
Utah Jazz
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Keyonte George
36.8
34.6
34.2
Ace Bailey
32.2
31.6
26.2
Brice Sensabaugh
29.7
30.6
28.8
Kyle Filipowski
29.4
27.8
22.3
Jusuf Nurkić
28.6
28.6
30.1
Cody Williams
26.7
28.5
25.3
Walter Clayton Jr.
23.9
24.8
23.8
Isaiah Collier
23.9
24.4
24.1
Kevin Love
20.7
20.7
19.4
The Jazz injury list is long because tons of guys are listed as Questionable as the team rotates which players to give days off to in their quest to tank but not do it so obviously. That has led to more minutes and usage for Brice Sensabaugh, who has taken advantage of the opportunity and should continue to play big minutes with the stars resting.
Washington Wizards
Name
Last 3
Last 5
Last 10
Bub Carrington
38.3
36.1
32.3
Tre Johnson
30.3
29.7
27.9
Kyshawn George
29.7
29.6
28.6
Alex Sarr
29
25.6
26.5
Khris Middleton
27.4
25.1
23.1
Justin Champagnie
26.3
25.4
23.9
Jamir Watkins
22.1
22.1
22.1
Will Riley
18.7
20.5
18.4
Marvin Bagley III
18.7
19.8
18.1
Bilal Coulibaly is hurt yet again, and Khris Middleton is battling an illness. This team is now driven by Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr, with Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson occasionally popping up for solid performances.
There is a lot to like about the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. It was not only another workman-like win where they outplayed another opponent, but they did it without their top-two defenseman in Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang. Calgary might not be a particularly good team, but that is still two points you want to get. Not only given the fact it is two points in the standings, not only because of who you were playing without, but also because you know you are going to have a tough game on Thursday night against the Edmonton Oilers in the second-half of the back-to-back. They did what they needed to do.
It also put them, for the time-being, in second place in the Metropolitan Division as they head into Game No. 50 of the 2025-26 regular season on Thursday night. We are not really talking about a small sample size of games for the season. They are more than halfway through the season and not only still collecting points like a playoff team, they are also playing like a playoff team.
They have a top-10 points percentage in the NHL and for the season are top-10 across the board in expected goal share, scoring chance share and high-danger scoring chance share. Over the past 25-30 games they have also started to defend at a really high level when it comes to suppressing shots, scoring chances and expected goals. They have the results and they have the process. It is all encouraging.
There are a lot of factors at play in this.
Obviously Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are still playing great, and that changes the math on things and the overall expectations.
Head coach Dan Muse has brought a new voice and injected a new energy into the team.
Kyle Dubas has also been on a roll in terms of his roster moves and piecing together the roster and the future. That is the thing I want to focus on today.
When Dubas took over the Penguins job he was not exactly inheriting the best situation. The prospect pool was among the worst in the NHL, they had spent significant draft assets for years and had a relatively empty cupboard of picks, and had just seen their playoff streak end with a very flawed NHL roster. In his first offseason he took some pretty significant swings and tried to go all in on winning right away. It did not work. There were mistakes. There were bad moves. Things did not work.
From the start of the 2024-25 season, however, Dubas has been on an absolute roll in terms of his moves. It has produced a pretty good hockey team right now, some real long-term roster and salary cap flexibility, a rapidly improved farm system and a cupboard full of draft pick capital.
Let’s recap some of it.
Buying draft picks by taking on bad contracts created more trade opportunities
Going into the 2024-25 season the Penguins had real salary cap flexibility for the first time in years, and they put a lot of that to use by taking on some bad contracts to stockpile draft picks.
They received a second-round pick from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for taking on the remainder of Kevin Hayes’ contract.
They built off of that move by flipping that pick back to the Blues so they could use it for an offer-sheet, with the Penguins receiving St. Louis’ second-round pick in 2026 and a third-round pick in 2025. They basically got two draft picks for nothing other than taking on some salary and hiding Hayes in the lineup.
Along with the Hayes move in 2024, they also acquired third-and sixth-round picks from Nashville in exchange for Jordan Frasca and taking on Cody Glass’ contract.
That resulted in trading Glass at the deadline, along with minor league forward Jonathan Gruden, for Chase Stillman, Max Graham and a 2027 third-round pick. The third-round pick was the key piece of that deal, meaning the Penguins essentially added two third-round picks and a sixth-round pick for Jordan Frasca and Jonathan Gruden. That is a win in terms of asset management.
Before this season the Penguins acquired a 2028 second-round pick from Dallas in exchange for defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok and taking on Matt Dumba’s remaining contract.
Those additional picks proved to be significant, with the Penguins trading that 2026 Blues pick, as well as one of their additional 2027 third-round picks, for forward Egor Chinakhov a few weeks ago. Chinakhov is still young, still extremely talented, and is off to a great start with the Penguins. It is a good gamble, even if it does not not pan out long-term.
Even with that move the Penguins still have multiple picks in the second-and third-rounds in each of the next three classes.
None of these moves on their own are cornerstone moves or the type of thing that are going to move the needle much in a rebuild, or re-tool, or whatever you want to call it. They are, however, small little wins. Like I said on Tuesday, a bunch of small little wins add up into big wins.
The 2025 Trade Deadline looks like huge win
With realistic playoff expectations slipping away mid-way through the 2024-25 season, and with some pending unrestricted free agents they were probably were not going to re-sign, the Penguins went into another sell mode in advance of the 2025 trade deadline.
They traded defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O’Connor, both pending UFAs, to the Vancouver Canucks for the New York Rangers 2025 first-round pick, Vincent Desharnais, Danton Heinen and Melvin Fernstrom.
Desharnais and Heinen were nothing more than roster-filler, and both have already been traded. Heinen as part of the Chinakhov deal, and Desharnais for the San Jose Sharks fifth-round pick in 2028. Fernstrom is at least an intriguing prospect.
The first-round pick was the key piece of that deal, and it ended up being the No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The Penguins then flipped that pick on draft day for picks No. 22 and 31. After selecting Bill Zonnon with the No. 22 overall pick, the Penguins traded pick No. 31 and pick No. 59 (which was acquired at the deadline from the Washington Capitals for rental forward Anthony Beauvillier) to the Los Angeles Kings for pick No. 24 which was used to select forward Will Horcoff. Zonnon and Horcoff are both now among the Penguins top prospects, and very intriguing prospects.
Along with that, they added another branch to the Jake Guentzel trade tree by sending forward Michael Bunting to the Nashville Predators for forward Tommy Novak and defenseman Luke Schenn. Novak has been a very solid middle-six player for the Penguins this season that has played a variety of roles. Not a star, but a talented player that is going to score 15-20 goals with 45-50 points on an affordable contract. There is value in that. They then turned around and immediately dealt Schenn to the Winnipeg Jets for their second-round pick in 2026 and their fourth-round pick in 2027. With Winnipeg sitting near the bottom of the NHL standings, that second-round pick is looking way more valuable than it did at the time of the trade.
The trade that received almost no headlines at the time was the acquisition of forward Connor Dewar and defenseman Conor Timmins from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Dewar has become a key part of the Penguins strong fourth line, while Timmins was flipped on draft day for the No. 39 overall pick in the draft (defenseman Peyton Kettles) and defenseman Connor Clifton.
Again, a lot of little small wins adding up into one big advantage.
The current result of those in-season trade deadline moves has been:
Penguins traded: Marcus Pettersson, Drew O’Connor, Michael Bunting, Cody Glass, Jonathan Gruden, Anthony Beauvillier
That is three of the top-39 picks in a draft class (Zonnon, Horcoff and Kettles), two productive NHL players (Novak and Dewar), a depth defenseman (Clifton), another potential top-40 pick in this year’s draft (Winnipeg’s second-round pick), Winnipeg’s 2027 fourth-round pick and San Jose’s 2028 fifth-round pick.
That is a lot of value, both current and potential, for three pending non-elite free agents and two organizational depth guys.
Ben Kindel looks like a player
The Penguins did not have any sort of NHL Draft Lottery luck, falling two spots when the numbers were actually drawn. They still ended up coming away with what looks to be a really good player in center Ben Kindel. Kindel is Dubas’ highest draft pick with the Penguins, and the early returns on it look outstanding.
Even though Kindel is in an extended goal drought, the fact he is more than holding his own as an 18-year-old center in the NHL, as a non-top-five pick, is largely unprecedented in the modern NHL. He is still on pace for more than 40 points this season while also playing an extremely advanced two-way game. He may not be a superstar, but he looks like a player that has an outstanding 15-year career ahead of him as a top-of-the-lineup player.
When you add in the aforementioned moves to get Zonnon, Horcoff and Kettles and that draft class significantly altered the Penguins prospect pool in a very positive way. While the farm system is still lacking a truly elite cornerstone player, there are at least future NHL players here. That is a complete 180 difference from what it was when Dubas was hired.
Bargain free agent signings are paying off
The expectation for the free agent signing of Anthony Mantha was that he would probably be this year’s version of Anthony Beauvillier. A cheap, low-risk veteran that would get plugged into a top-six role, score some goals and then get flipped at the trade deadline for a second-round pick.
Even with the Penguins in playoff contention, that very well still could happen. But going into play on Thursday he is already up to 14 goals and 32 points in 49 games, and has been a great bargain signing. Keep in mind, Beauvillier had just 13 goals and 20 points in 63 games before he was traded for that second-round pick.
Then there is Justin Brazeau, who was signed to a two-year contract worth just $1.5 million per season. He has already set a career high in goals (14) in just 35 games, while also showcasing surprisingly smooth hands for a big, power forward. He has been a late-bloomer, and eventually a productive player, at every level he has played at. Even if there is some shooting percentage regression in the second half or next season, he at least looks like a solid depth player at a cheap rate.
Defenseman Parker Wotherspoon’s two-year, $1 million per year deal has also produced more than reasonably expected. He has taken advantage of his biggest opportunity in the NHL yet and showed he can at least be a capable depth player.
None of this even gets into the addition of Rutger McGroarty or the Tristan Jarry trade, which were two other significant trades over the past two seasons.
The jury is ultimately still out on a lot of this. We have no idea how those draft picks are going to develop, what the Penguins are going to do over the next few months this season and what sort of form this rebuild is going to take on in the coming seasons. The fact remains that Dubas has built what looks to at least be a playoff contending team this season, while the Penguins still have one of the best long-term salary cap situations in the NHL, a rapidly improved farm system and more draft pick capital than any other team in the NHL.
He had some huge — and bad — misses in his first year. He has been on a roll ever since. The Penguins are better for it this season and arguably much better for it in the future.
Arsenal remained on top of the Champions League on the penultimate matchday of the group phase, which also featured a targeted Jude Bellingham celebration
• Jonas Gahr Støre, the prime minister of Norway and the recent recipient of a Nobel peace prize-related missive from Donald Trump, took in a Champions League match on Tuesday. Bodø/Glimt’s stadium is more than 700 miles from Oslo but the prime minister’s long journey proved well worth it. Bodø beating Manchester City 3-1, a first-ever win in the group stage, was Norway’s greatest club football triumph since Rosenborg beat – and knocked out – mighty Milan from the competition in December 1996.
Well, the first round of voting was a bit of a non-shocker. Shortstop Leo De Vries absolutely ran away with the top spot on this year’s Community Power Rankings, winning over 95% of the vote en route to being named the top prospect in the Athletics’ system by the fans. It comes as no surprise. Literally, no surprise. After De Vries was one of the top overall prospect in the entire sport last year he didn’t do anything to dispel expectations, especially after coming over mid-season in the Mason Miller trade. It won’t be long before we see him on the biggest stage in the Green & Gold and that could come as soon as this coming season. Another building block on the horizon for the A’s!
The new prospect joining the remaining nominees for the second spot in the CPL is actually one of the newest members to the organization. Shortstop Johenssy Colome, who only just signed with the Athletics last week, was considered one of the top overall prospects out of Latin America this year and the A’s made sure to ink him to a big deal he couldn’t refuse. The 17-year-old, who has baseball in his blood with multiple family members making it to the big leagues, is a far ways away from the major leagues but he’s already displayed huge power for a player his age. Add in the fact that many scouts believe Colome could legitimately stick at shortstop, and the Athletics could reap major rewards for their long-term investment in the Dominican native. How high will Athletics Nation rank him in the list when all is said and done?
The process for this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:
Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of voting will win the ranked spot. The remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new nominee.
In the comments, below the official voting, the community will nominate players to be put onto the ballot for the next round. The format for your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that player should rank.
The voting continues! Who will take the second spot? Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.
Jump’s fastball is difficult for opposing hitters to pick up with an arm angle that creates some deception. The heater sits about 92-94 mph and can reach up to 97 with good carry up in the zone. His upper-70s curveball has significant downer break, and his low-80s slider has cutting action. His fading low-80s changeup is used far less than his other three offerings.
Listed at 6-foot, Jump lacks the size of a typical starter, though his growth since the surgery and ability to generate his stuff with arm speed helps his potential outlook as a long-term starter. The ceiling of a mid-rotation starter is there, though some scouts believe he might be better suited in a bullpen role. To start out, the A’s will develop him as a starter and look to see him maintain good health and strike-throwing ability.
A left-hander with a rangy body and a loose, whippy arm, Arnold has seen his stuff tick up since leaving Jesuit High School for Tallahassee. Coming from a lower arm slot and flat approach angle, his fastball, which was 88-92 mph in high school, now sits in the 94-95 mph range and touches 97, with a ton of life to miss bats. While his slider can be a little wide at times, the 82-85 mph sweeping breaking ball is a second plus offering that elicited a 43 percent miss rate in 2024 and ‘25 combined. His changeup is his third pitch, and he doesn’t need it much, but there’s some feel for it.
Arnold has shown the ability to fill up the strike zone and limit damage while maintaining his stuff deep into outings. With the funky arm slot, his stuff has drawn some comparisons to Chris Sale, a reason why people think it shouldn’t take him too long to join a big league rotation.
Bolte is a tooled-up athlete who continues to fill out his big 6-foot-3 frame. His impressive raw power continues to show up in the Minors, though there is still a real concern over his swing-and-miss and high strikeout rate as he continues to struggle with offspeed stuff out of the zone. The A’s have worked with him to revamp his swing in order to improve his bat path and cover more of the zone, which has produced slight improvements in those areas, though there is still plenty of work to be done.
Another shining tool for Bolte is his near-elite speed, which was on display last season as he swiped 46 bags. That speed also comes in handy on defense, combining that with a strong arm that makes him a solid outfielder at all three spots. Further refining is required, but he remains an exciting talent with a very high ceiling who continues to steadily advance through the system.
While working around the injuries, Nett has continued to show stellar velocity, touching as high as 99 mph in the Minor Leagues last season. He typically sits 95-97 mph and gets swing-and-miss up in the zone thanks to ample carry. He also throws a tight 81-84 mph slider that ran a 38 percent whiff rate in ’24 and a sharper 90-92 mph cutter that can catch hitters off guard. He’ll mix in an upper-70s curveball with more vertical drop and he’s scrapped a low-80s splitter in favor of a much more effective 88 mph kick-change that really neutralizes lefties.
Nett has some effort in his delivery, and the 2025 season (pre-trade) was the first time he’d posted a walk rate below 13 percent at any Minor League stop. Combine that with the early injury concerns, and it’s easy to think he could be a reliever eventually. But his arsenal is deep enough, and his stuff is promising enough — when combined with strides taken this season — to keep landing him in a starting role in the upper Minors.
It’s not often that teenage prospects launch home runs. But Colome has a tendency to get to that jumpy pop with frequency, consistently leveraging his swing well – so well in fact, that one evaluator mentioned the most recent occasion on which he saw an international prospect continually get to their launch point in such a manner was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Colome is a right-handed hitter with explosive hands and a solid contact rate, although he has been known to be a tad aggressive in the box as a means of getting to said power.
Something of an athletic marvel at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds at age 16, Colome is an agile athlete who shows a lot of lateral quickness. The fluidity of his movements and strong arm led to a Manny Machado comparison being hung on him defensively. Much like the seven-time All-Star, Colome may move off short as his frame fills out, but he’s a tremendously dedicated worker and has the feet, soft hands and instincts to stick at the premium position.
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Programming Note: Each CPL vote will run for around 48 hours, so don’t delay making your selections!
The people have spoken and sweet-swinging catcher Cooper Ingle is our No. 7 Cleveland Guardians prospect. Ingle won in a landslide, earning 46.4% of the vote, beating out Juan Brito (19.6%) and Jaison Chourio (11.9%). He is the No. 7 CTC prospect for the second consecutive year.
Ingle was the Guardians’ fourth-round draft pick in 2023, selected No. 125 overall out of Clemson. He wasted little time, playing 17 games at High-A Lake County the season he was drafted, impressing with a dominant slash of .288/.464/.385, good enough for a 153 wRC+ in a small sample size.
The backstop began the 2024 season by repeating at Lake County, where he blossomed. Ingle showcased improved power, blasting nine home runs over 68 games, nearly doubling his 2023 ISO from .096 to .187. His contact skills improved as well, slashing .313/.433/.500 with a ridiculous 170 wRC+. He was so impressive that he was named the Midwest League’s MVP while playing just 68 games before being promoted to Double-A Akron.
Ingle began the 2025 season repeating at Double-A, where he continued to excel, slashing .272/.391/.441 over 92 games and earning a promotion to Triple-A Columbus. He struggled with making loud contact at Triple-A, but he surprisingly decreased his strikeout rate while increasing his walk rate following the promotion, posting a 105 wRC+ over 28 games played.
Look for Ingle to begin 2026 repeating at Triple-A and for him to likely make his MLB debut at some point this season, although how much playing time he gets will depend on injuries and the continued offensive development of Bo Naylor.
Now, it’s time to determine who is number five in the Guardians’ loaded farm system! Your options are below:
Was lined up to make his MLB debut in 2025, but multiple injuries prevented the switch-hitter from getting his opportunity and it’s possible he could be passed up completely.
Impressed at the complex league, then hit the ground running in a late season promotion to Single-A before running out of steam late in his age-17 season. Loaded with potential.
Chourio was lining up to be Cleveland’s top prospect after a sensational 2024, but he was slowed in 2025 by a nagging shoulder injury and had a very average season. He’s looking to bounce back in 2026.
Acquired from Pittsburghin the Spencer Horwitz trade, Hartle was one of Cleveland’s most successful starting pitchers in its minor league system in 2025. Stands 6-foot-6, but doesn’t have a ton of velocity.
Cleveland’s first round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the 6-foot-6 LaViolette instantly becomes one of the top power hitting prospects in the system. Strikeouts and contact have been an issue, however.
One of Cleveland’s most impressive hitters in its minor league system during his stint at High-A Lake County as a 20-year-old. Rosario has a unique combination of speed and power, but will need to overcome his strikeouts.
Acquired from Toronto in the Shane Bieber trade, Stephen rocketed through the minor league system in 2025 before hitting a wall in Double-A.He instantly became one of Cleveland’s top pitching prospects.
Lakers star Luka Doncic's fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, left him out of a message about "ups and downs" that she shared in a post recapping the last decade.
Lakers star Luka Doncic’s fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, left him out of a message about “ups and downs” that she shared in a post recapping the last decade.
Goltes, who is a model and influencer, shared dozens of Instagram photos showing her modeling, pregnant and spending time with the couple’s two young daughters — but Doncic was not pictured.
“2016–2026. A decade of good times, hard lessons, and everything in between,” Goltes, 27, wrote.
“Plenty of ups and downs, but I wouldn’t change a single moment .”
The six-time NBA All-Star and Goltes welcomed their second daughter on Dec. 4.
Doncic and Goltes are fairly private about their relationship.
The Jordan Brand athlete missed multiple Lakers games to be with Goltes in Slovenia for the birth of their second child last month.
Lakers star Luka Doncic’s fiancée, Anamaria Goltes was candid about “ups and downs” in an Instagram post recapping the last decade. Instagram/Anamaria Goltes
Doncic notched a triple-double L.A.’s 115-107 win over the Nuggets in Denver on Tuesday. He finished with 38 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Lakers play the Clippers in Inglewood on Thursday night.
As of Monday, Doncic was leading fan voting for this year’s NBA All-Stars in the Western Conference.
Lakers star Luka Doncic’s fiancée, Anamaria Goltes was candid about “ups and downs” in an Instagram post recapping the last decade. Instagram/Anamaria Goltes
Doncic and Goltes got engaged in Slovenia in July 2023 — five months after they announced the birth of their first child, Gabriela, in an Instagram post on Dec. 1, 2022.
Luka Doncic Lakers looks on during the game against the Nuggets on January 20, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver. NBAE via Getty Images
“I met her in Croatia in the same camp I go to now. I met her when we were 11 — I don’t know, something like that,” Doncic said during a 2023 appearance on “Headliners with Rachel Nichols” on Showtime. “So, I’m really happy to have her. It’s been great and she helps me a lot.
“It’s a lot of pressure outside. When I get home, it’s no basketball talk. She don’t like basketball, but she goes to every game. I mean, she likes it now, but she didn’t like it, which is good for me. I really like that.”
The Milwaukee Bucks are seven games below .500, have a -3.5 net rating, and are outside even the play-in in the East, sitting as the No. 11 seed. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the defending champions and the best team in the NBA again this season. So, when the two teams met on Wednesday night in Milwaukee, the expected happened, and the Thunder easily handled the Bucks in a blowout win, 122-102.
After the game, a frustrated Giannis Antetokounmpo went off on his Bucks teammates.
"We're not playing hard," Antetokounmpo said, via the Associated Press. "We aren't doing the right thing. We're not playing to win. We're not playing together. Our chemistry's not there. Guys are being selfish, trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team. Guys trying to do it on their own.
"At times, I feel like when we're down 10, down 15, down 20, we try to make it up in one play, and it's not going to work."
All season long, the Bucks have looked much better — at least like a legit playoff team and maybe a threat — when the ball is in Antetokounmpo's hands. On Wednesday, he had only had 11 shots (14 true shot attempts as he got to the line six times), and he has not had more than 13 shot attempts in his last four games. Part of that is how teams are defending the Bucks, overloading on Antetokounmpo and daring anyone else to beat them.
"I'm not the guy that will yell and cuss his teammate out and demand the ball," Antetokounmpo said. "I've never done that in my career. But I feel like I've played with teammates that kind of understand the gravity that I can cause for our team, in how I can create for teammates and for myself, and how I can help the team be more successful.
"But maybe for some reason, I don't understand -- maybe because we're young, maybe because we're not playing well, maybe because guys think it's their turn, they want to carry the team on their back and try to turn this around — but I really don't get it. I really don't."
This rant will spark more noise from talking heads and on social media about the Bucks trading Antetokounmpo at the deadline, but the facts on the ground there have not changed. Milwaukee is not going to trade the best player in franchise history — the guy who drives the economy of their team in a smaller market — unless he demands it, and Antetokounmpo has said he would never ask for a trade. Add in Antetokounmpo's massive $54.1 million salary, and trading him in the next two weeks is very difficult under the luxury tax apron-era CBA.
The Bucks are being very active on the trade market, looking to add major talent — Zach LaVine, Ja Morant, and other names are mentioned — and improve the team, not trade away their star and the face of the franchise.
While people around the league believe Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are headed for a split, league sources have consistently told NBC Sports it was most likely to happen in the offseason. That's when Milwaukee will offer Antetokounmpo a max extension, and if he doesn't sign it — as most expect — it is essentially trade demand without having to play the bad guy and articulate it. The Bucks will have to trade him or risk losing him for nothing in the summer of 2027 (where the Clippers, Heat and others are lined up with cap space, waiting). It's possible Antetokounmpo will use the contract extension offer as leverage to get the Bucks to upgrade the roster (as they did with Jrue Holiday and later Damian Lillard when earlier Antetokounmpo extensions were up) and then re-sign with the team. But this time it feels different.
All of that is months away. Right now, Antetokounmpo wants to win with this team on the court and the Bucks do not look like even a playoff team.
After the Montreal Canadiens’ 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild, former Canadiens’ star defenseman P.K. Subban took to social media to talk about current Hab blueliner Lane Hutson. While the 21-year-old has been snubbed by Team USA for the Milano-Cortina twice now, the ESPN hockey analyst believes he should be in the conversation for the Norris Trophy this season.
Subban believes that Hutson impacts the game at both ends of the ice, offensively and defensively, thanks to his competitiveness and drive. He sees him as a leader who galvanizes the young Canadiens, and a player who craves the big moments, who wants to be THE guy in those big moments.
According to Subban, not only should Hutson be in the conversation, but he has a legitimate chance of winning the Trophy, before adding that anyone who doesn’t believe he should be in the conversation is “absolutely nuts”. Unsurprisingly, he also believes that Team USA is making a mistake by not taking the youngster to the Olympics.
Subban was a Canadiens’ second-round pick (just like Hutson) at the 2007 draft and spent the first seven seasons of his 13-season NHL career in Montreal. He played 434 games with the Canadiens, putting up 278 points, including 63 goals. He’s the last Canadiens’ defenseman to have won the Norris trophy back in 2012-12, when he put up 38 points in a lockout-shortened 48-game season in which he played 42 matches.
A reportedly polarizing figure in the Canadiens’ dressing room, Subban was traded to the Nashville Predators on June 29, 2016, for Shea Weber, who would go on to become the Canadiens’ 21st captain. As for Subban, he spent three years in Nashville, reaching the Stanley Cup Final once but falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games, before being traded to the New Jersey Devils during the 2019 offseason. He played the last three years of his career with the Devils, who then decided not to offer him a new contract, which led to his retirement from the game.
The Colorado Avalanche lost a game in a shootout yet again last night, but long before that, it was clear that the Avalanche weren’t exactly locked into a highly intense contest. Lukas Dostal had a great game and nearly secured the shutout if not for a one-timed beauty from Artturi Lehkonen late in the contest. Even with that, last night’s game watched like a late-night infomercial, and I’m not in the market for any non-stick pans. I had this article queued up before the Avs and Ducks put us to sleep, but the game solidified my opinion. The Colorado Avalanche are bored.
I don’t want this article to be perceived as a slight to the Avalanche organization or players. I am simply pointing out what we all know. It’s human nature not be all that interested in inconsequential contests. The same season in which Colorado has a 10-point lead on the rest of their division, 77 points in 48 games played, all of the NHL will come to a pause to make way for the grandaddy of them all. International high-stakes hockey. It would only be human nature for the likes of Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon to feel like they are just biding their time before things get going in Milan, Italy.
Moreover, this team as a whole has already proven it’s a dominant regular season team, but the true proving grounds and arena of opportunity come in the postseason. This is yet another cup-or-bust year, smack dab in the middle of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar’s prime. The remaining 34 games of the regular season are gonna be slow going.
Dallas downgrading
The only saving grace for high-stakes hockey on a nightly basis early on in the season was that the Dallas Stars were just about keeping up all along the way, that is, until recently. Dallas being hot on the Avalanche heels gave Colorado plenty to play for, as winning the division should mean avoiding the Stars and the Minnesota Wild, who should still take two and three in the Central.
The Avalanche experienced some injuries lately, finally dropped a game in regulation at home, lost consecutive games again, and are 5-3-2 in their last ten. Guess what Dallas is up to? They are 3-5-2 in their last ten, including a three-game losing streak.
— Starcastic Remarks-THPN Stars Podcast (@StarcasticR) January 2, 2026
Colorado has faced more adversity than ever as of late, and what has it cost them in terms of the standings and their big lead? Absolutely nothing.
Now I’ll never root for the Dallas Stars, but I would actually be pretty annoyed if they lost to the tune of being a wildcard team and a potential first-round matchup. So I guess Dallas needs to win some more games.
Reason for concern
I’m not writing this as some hard-hitting analysis or take, but mostly pointing to something that could rear it’s ugly head in the future. A wise man once told me that we are only as good as our habits, and it’s super hard to maintain great/elite-level habits when the stakes aren’t that tangible. That’s what makes these guys pros, and that will be the challenge for the rest of the regular season.
We saw Nathan MacKinnon appearing plenty passionate in Colorado’s bounce-back win over the Capitals earlier in the week, which is a good sign. He will have to fabricate and convince himself more than ever this regular season that it’s about the details and habits.
I think they are in good hands with Bednar at the helm, as he seems to be fine with keeping his big-name guys out when the opposition shortens their bench. Even when they have a stranglehold on the division.
I suppose it’s better to ease up now and save the best for last. I just hope that switch flips with ease, because sometimes that’s not the case. Would hate for that to pop up at the worst possible time. That’s exactly what has happened to other clubs in the past, namely the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning and the 2022-23 Boston Bruins.
The Phillies announced Thursday that infielder-outfielder Weston Wilson was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles.
Wilson, 31, spent parts of his first three Major League seasons with Philadelphia. Across 100 games with the club, the utility man slashed .242/.328/.428, tallying 20 extra-base hits.
Wilson initially joined the Phillies on a minor-league contract in January 2023 and began receiving more consistent playing time in 2024, when he appeared in 40 games.
That season, he posted an .836 OPS across 98 plate appearances.
His most memorable moment came on August 15 against Washington, when he hit for the cycle. Wilson became the 10th player in franchise history — and the first rookie — to accomplish the feat, doing so during the Phillies’ broadcasters in the stands game.
Wilson struggled to find consistent footing in 2025, hitting .198 across 52 games.
When the Phillies made J.T. Realmuto’s signing official Tuesday, the corresponding move was designating Wilson for assignment, opening a spot on the 40-man roster.
The emergence of Otto Kemp provided the Phillies with additional positional flexibility off the bench, alongside Edmundo Sosa, who can handle multiple infield positions.
The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres meet for the second time in the span of a week on Thursday, January 22.
Both of these Atlantic Division teams find themselves firmly in playoff spots, and the Sabres are looking to end an egregious 14-season playoff drought.
My Sabres vs. Canadiens predictions and NHL picks suggest another high-scoring thriller between these two offense-centric teams, with Lane Hutson continuing to cement himself as one of the league's best defensemen.
Sabres vs Canadiens prediction
Sabres vs Canadiens best bet: Lane Hutson 1+ assists (-150)
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson has taken his seemingly nonsensical omission from the American Olympic team personally.
The sophomore leads all defensemen in assists this season (43) and is only two points behind Cale Makar for the lead among blueliners. Over his last 21 games, Hutson has 26 helpers — four more than any other defenseman has points over that span.
Bill Guerin's least favorite defenseman has six apples in his last three games, including two against the Buffalo Sabres a week ago.
Sabres vs Canadiens same-game parlay
On a related note, Alexandre Carrier is another Habs defender who has been on fire lately. Not only does he have four goals in his last five games, but the Quebec City native leads the entire NHL with 26 blocked shots in his last eight games.
His 113 blocked shots are good for fifth in the league this season, and for good measure, the 29-year-old now has more points than Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault.
Montreal, despite being the league's youngest team, trails only the Colorado Avalanche in scoring and has tallied 4+ goals in five of its last six against Buffalo.
Montreal has won five of the last six and seven of the last 10 games against Buffalo. Find more NHL betting trends for Sabres vs. Canadiens.
How to watch Sabres vs Canadiens
Location
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Date
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
MSG Sportsnet, TSN2
Sabres vs Canadiens latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
Ten days ago, I threw a challenge into the void. I went to The Feed and asked, in full Stephen Crowder fashion, for someone to change my mind on the idea that the Suns should stand pat as the trade deadline approaches.
And I am still right where I was then. I like this team as it is built. I like the depth. I like the balance. Power forward remains an area of opportunity, sure, but I do not see anything out there that feels both attainable and worth disrupting what they have going.
Before we dive in, I want to say this sincerely. Thank you. Thank you for taking the time to think through it, to type it out, and to engage with the exercise. I know how much work that is, because I live in a keyboard most days. You all brought thoughtful ideas and real effort.
So now let’s get into it. Let’s walk through what the community had to say, and I will explain where I agree, where I disagree, and whether anything actually moved the needle for me. Let’s explore.
jrm2020: Lauri Markannen
Several of us have been advocating for acquiring Lauri Markenen from Utah for the past several weeks. To repeat some of the rationale presented: fills the Suns biggest position of need with size, experience, proven scoring and rebounding (currently averaging more PPG than anyone on the Suns), and is around the same age as core vets like Booker, Brooks, and Allen. It would be a serious all-in win now move that would immediately raise the team’s ceiling to what I believe would be the level of a true contender. Also, the Jazz have a serious incentive to tank enough to guarantee a top 8 pick so to avoid it being conveyed to OKC. Would definitely requiring sacrificing something of real value to get him, and the Suns probably don’t have enough of the draft capitol that Utah probably primarily wants, but maybe by involving a third team something could be cobbled together to satisfy them. I’m not aware of the Jazz’s position on moving him now, but he’s certainly been rumored as being a target for other teams, so why not us?
I am not anti-Lauri Markkanen. I like him as a player, and I understand the appeal. On paper, his addition feels like a clean next step in properly building around Devin Booker. He grades out as a highly productive player on both ends per B-Ball Index, and from a pure roster construction standpoint, the fit makes sense. At least on the surface.
Where it falls apart is the cost. That is the real hang-up. And jrm2020 nailed the key issue. The Suns probably do not have the draft capital Utah would want. That is correct. But it goes deeper than picks.
Markkanen is making $46.4 million this season. Even with a third team involved, you are talking about moving real money and real depth to make the math work. I am not there yet. Not with how this team feels right now.
This is the type of move you revisit in the offseason. Especially once you have clarity on Jalen Green. He is the kind of financial piece that could eventually help grease the wheels on a deal like this. But right now, the timing is off. The Suns do not have the draft assets to realistically land Markkanen, even with creative accounting and extra teams involved. Neither player is on an expiring deal either. Green would still have two years left after this season. Markkanen has three, with his contract climbing to $53.5 million by 2028-29.
The idea makes sense. The reality does not.
Making this move now would be a full pivot. One that strips depth to chase a single outcome. Utah would want picks. Phoenix does not have enough. Other teams can beat that offer easily. Exploring it right now feels like an exercise in futility.
I would rather let this season breathe. Evaluate Jalen Green. Ride the momentum. Cashing in every chip for a move like this, right now, feels premature.
Mind changed? Interesting theory, but I’m standing pat.
Jtasher: Bobby Portis
The one person I am interested in is Bobby Portis. Good size PF who is tough, can shoot the three and has that mad dawg personality that will fit with the rest of the team. Also someone who has nba experience in the playoffs. But I do not think green should be traded for him and I do not think either o Neal or Allen are enough to get him (without expending draft capital). For the bucks, I think he is available to maybe convince Giannis to stay (if they get an upgrade) or if they blow every thing up. If so a third party may be needed to give them the return on what they want or us to get him.
Bobby Portis is a really interesting name, because he checks a lot of the boxes for what this team could use at the power forward spot. He’s 6’10”, at 30 he fits the timeline, and brings the toughness and edge this team clearly values. He plays with aggression, rebounds with intent, and can stretch the floor. The shooting is the eye catcher. He is hitting a league-best 47.4% from three right now, which is absurd.
He is making $13.4 million this season with two years left, the final year being a player option. From a math standpoint, you can build a deal that works. What does that look like?
It is not complicated. Milwaukee gets some financial relief and a first-round pick, even if that pick has been passed around so much it barely feels real anymore. Maybe you sweeten it with another asset and call it a day.
This is the type of move I can at least talk myself into. But there are roadblocks. The first is that what the Suns have at that position has actually been working. Portis would fit, but disrupting what is clicking always gives me pause.
The bigger issue is Milwaukee. They are struggling at 18-24, but they are in the East. With Giannis Antetokounmpo, a run is always on the table. I am not sure they want to rock the boat that hard.
And then there is the draft reality. The Bucks have fewer picks than the Suns after years of pushing chips in for Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard. If Portis ever truly hits the market, Phoenix should absolutely knock. The problem is other teams will likely have more ammunition to force that door open.
Mind changed? My skepticism is wavering.
Headz77: Jeremy Sochan
O’Neal for Sochan. I think it works straight up, and makes sense for both teams. Might even get the Suns out of the luxury tax?
First off, why can nobody spell Royce O’Neale’s last name correctly? Seriously. It is not only the community. Our own writers battle with it regularly, and I swear I have spent an unreasonable portion of my life editing those letters back into the proper order.
Now, Jeremy Sochan. He has never really done it for me. Yes, he plays hard. Yes, he brings toughness. If you are a team starving for edge and effort, I get the appeal. The Suns are not that team. They already have that. Other teams need Jeremy Sochan. Phoenix does not.
He is shooting 25.7% from three this season and sits at 28.7% for his career. In this hypothetical, you are giving up an elite three-point shooter for someone who hustles, rebounds a bit, and brings energy. That has value. It does not have value here. He would not start. He would come off the bench. At 6’8”, without a three-point shot, living on effort and physicality.
And that is where I get stuck. Do we not already have that guy? His name is Ryan Dunn.
Mind changed? If anything, the needle just moved the other way.
sdhx19: Jalen Smith/Grant Williams
I have 2 names in addition to Portis, who might be the best case. One is our own Jalen Smith, who is in top 50 in rebounds per 36, can protect the rim, shoot the 3 and is somewhat buried in Chicago. The big Q is is he quick enough to defend consistently on the perimeter but either way I think he can be very useful here. 2y ~9m per year.
The other is just returning from injury, Grant Williams from CHA. He is tough, can reb and shoot the 3, not the quickest feet but will provide if healthy. As we know we do business with CHA regularly. he has 2y ~13m per year so he is obtainable.
You really did get a two-for-one here.
Time is a flat circle, right? The guy drafted instead of Tyrese Haliburton and Devin Vassell. The guy who actually fit what the Suns needed at the time, then never got a consistent runway. Jalen Smith. He is making $9 million this season, which makes acquiring him incredibly easy from a math standpoint.
On a middling Bulls team, he has played 36 games, started 6, and is putting up 9.4 points and 6.9 rebounds while shooting a respectable 34.7% from three.
When it comes to Stix, I keep coming back to the same question. Why? Is it because we think we need a bigger body? If that is the case, I would rather funnel those minutes into Oso Ighodaro or Ryan Dunn, both cheaper, both already here, both still in the development phase. I want to see what they actually are instead of bringing back a retread because we talk ourselves into needing size.
The only way I can sell this to Chicago is as a financial reset. You pitch it as expiring contracts. Nick Richards expires. Nigel Hayes Davis expires. You frame it as freeing up money instead of paying Smith $9.4 million next year for a player you are not fully invested in anymore.
And here is the real problem. Chicago does not do things like this. They never have. They never seem interested in getting better or cleaner financially. It is honestly impressive in its own way. Every year it is the same cycle. Hover around the Pla-In. Lose. Run it back. No aggressive trades. No draft maneuvering. Unless Sacramento is calling, the phone stays quiet. They are not rebuilding. They are not contending. They simply exist.
Mind changed? Status quo: preserved.
Now Grant Williams. Is the goal here to become the most hated team in the league? Because if that is the mission, we are halfway there already with Grayson Allen and Dillon Brooks. Should we complete the villain arc and bring Grant Williams into the mix, too? And while we are at it, is Charlotte the only team we are allowed to trade with anymore?
I have zero interest in Grant Williams. Start with the ACL. That stuff lingers, and it usually takes a full season after the return before a player looks like himself again. Then add the rest of the résumé. Undersized. Loud. Has rubbed locker rooms the wrong way everywhere he has been. Boston moved on. Dallas moved on. Now he is parked in Charlotte, drifting.
Would he fit the culture? Maybe. But I do not want to give up anything this team currently has to make room for Grant Williams wandering around the rotation. And can you imagine him and Dillon Brooks sharing the floor? That is not defense. That is a complimentary free-throw package for the other team. Fouls. Technicals. Whistles nonstop. Candy on Halloween. Hard pass.
Mind changed? That logic doesn’t live in my neighborhood.
That was a fun exercise, and I landed in the same place I started. Bobby Portis is the one name that genuinely makes me pause and think. Outside of that, nothing I have seen feels strong enough to change how I view this team or what it is becoming.
This roster is built to compete right now, and I did not expect to be saying that at this point of the season. I am thankful that I am. But I do not believe in making moves for the sake of making moves. This team has depth. It has flexibility. Yes, power forward remains an area where size could help, but depth matters, and any addition risks disrupting that balance.
The Suns are not hunting the way the Sixers are for perimeter shooting. They are not scrambling the way the Lakers are to prop up an expensive top end with duct tape depth. This team is balanced. It knows who it is. I have no appetite to upset that right now.
They can compete. They can disrupt. They can make noise in the playoffs without touching a single button. And being in that position, unexpectedly, is a really good place to be.
Writing a primer on a player who it feels like Mets fans simultaneously don’t know very well but also know intimately well in Luis Robert Jr. is an interesting position to be in. The 28-year-old Cuban-born center fielder defected in 2016 and signed with the White Sox the following year, spending his entire career until this point with an American League club the Mets rarely face off against. But the Mets have also been connected to Robert in trade for nearly two full calendar years at this point and his name has been brought up at least a handful of times every trade deadline and offseason since 2024 as the Mets searched for answers to their center field problem.
If there is an overarching pair of themes that tell the story of Robert’s career, it’s injuries and sky-high potential. Robert made his spring training debut for the White Sox in 2018 and hit a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning, but then landed on the injured list for two months because he sprained a ligament in his thumb while sliding into second base in the game. That spring debut ended up being a microcosm for Robert’s White Sox career.
Robert’s major league debut came in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, before which he signed a six-year, $50 million contract with the White Sox before appearing in a single big league game. That contract included team options for 2026 and 2027; the White Sox picked up Robert’s 2026 option in November prior to the trade and the Mets will now be responsible for Robert’s entire $20 million salary this season. The 2027 option is also for $20 million with a $2 million buyout. Robert won a Gold Glove in his first major league season and came in second in the American League Rookie of the Year balloting. Robert also helped carry the White Sox to their first postseason berth in over a decade—shortened season wackiness notwithstanding—and hit the longest postseason home run in White Sox history in the Wild Card round against the A’s. Things were off to a promising start for the young outfielder.
He carried that momentum right into the 2021 season, in which he hit over .300 in his first 25 games before suffering a complete tear of his right hip flexor on May 2—the first of a string of devastating injuries Robert would have to deal with in his young career. That hip flexor tear cost him three months, but in only 68 games and just shy of 300 plate appearances in 2021, Robert still amassed 3.4 fWAR. Robert’s production fell the following season, as he put up a 111 wRC+ in 2022. Though he played more games (98) than in 2021, he still suffered multiple more minor injuries that year, including a sprained wrist in September that prematurely ended his season.
Robert’s best year of his career by far was his age 25 season in 2023 when he played nearly a full season (145 games), over which he put up 5 WAR, hit 38 home runs, drove in 80 runs, and stole 20 bases—all while playing elite center field defense (12 OAA). He earned All-Star honors that year, won the Silver Slugger, and came in 12th in the AL MVP voting. Though Robert still has potentially a lot of years left to play at age 28, that 2023 season unfortunately represents the zenith of his professional career so far. Perhaps most notably, Robert has not sniffed 38 home runs before 2023 or since.
In all, according to data from FOX Sports, Robert has had over thirty—that’s right 30, as in, three-zero—IL stints in six big league seasons. That’s, well, a lot of injuries. And they are not all bumps and bruises either. Some of these are significant soft tissue injuries that led to lengthy absences. Robert played in just 53% of possible games from 2021 to 2023 and has failed to reach the 145-game high-water mark from 2023 in either of his past two seasons, which have been injury-riddled and mediocre. His 2024 and 2025 seasons were basically carbon copies of each other with an 86 and 85 OPS+ respectively, worth 1.4 bWAR each, and 210 games played across both seasons.
That all seems pretty grim, but there is plenty of reason for optimism here. Even with his history of lower body injuries, Robert maintains excellent—and flashes of brilliant—center field defense with 7 OAA in 2025, landing him in the 93rd percentile. This is certainly in keeping with David Stearns’ vision for improving the team defensively. Robert also maintains elite sprint speed and stole 33 bases last season—a career high. On the offensive side of things, his bat is as speedy as his legs; the inimitable Sarah Langs pointed out that only Robert, Julio Rodríguez, and Oneil Cruz had both sprint and bat speeds in the 90th percentile or better in 2025. That is encouraging company to keep. If you take a gander at xwOBA, Luis Robert’s was the same in 2025 as one Cody Bellinger—he who put up a well above average offensive season last year, was one of the most anticipated and coveted free agent bats this offseason, and was connected to the Mets for many weeks before signing with the Yankees yesterday.
To phrase it charitably, the White Sox are not known as one of the more forward-thinking or advanced organizations in the sport. Of course, when it comes to injuries and realizing the potential evident in the underlying hitting metrics, there is some luck involved. But there is also good injury prevention strategy and hitting instruction involved too and the Mets are likely better positioned than the White Sox in these arenas to help tip the odds of 2023 Robert reappearing in their favor. And while I do think people often wave “change of scenery” around like a wand, hoping that a new team will magically fix all of a player’s woes, lifting the fog of the heinous vibes that come with three consecutive 100+ loss seasons from Robert’s view probably can’t hurt.
It’s easy to see the appeal of this trade on both sides. The Mets have traded a blocked infield prospect with no options remaining and a starting pitching prospect from a farm full of excellent young arms for a player still in his twenties who they have been targeting for years, fits the roster perfectly, and whose potential they think they can maximize. Luisangel Acuña will now have the privilege of everyday playing time to hopefully be the best version of himself. For the White Sox, Robert is the talented, but oft-injured last bastion of a core that fell spectacularly short of expectations and was slowly jettisoned, piece by piece. And Robert also committed the greatest sin of all: making money without providing the bang for that buck consistently enough. For Mets fans still aching over the scattering of our own core of the first half of the 2020s, take comfort in the fact that unlike the team from whence Robert came, this is not a teardown. Unlike Robert was in Chicago by the end of his tenure, Pete Alonso was not the only bright spot in the abyss. At best, Mets fans can dream on Robert putting up a dynamic and fun to watch 5 WAR season, solving (at least in the short-term) the team’s longstanding center field quandary, and being a part of the beginning of the Mets’ next era of success. At worst, if Robert is injured and/or underperforms, as has been the case of late, the Mets have overpaid—something they can afford to do—for one mediocre season that still has a decent chance of exceeding the production the Mets got from center field in 2025.
Ah prospects. Sometimes they really hurt you. After watching the Detroit Tigers pass on Zach Neto and instead select Jace Jung in the first round of the 2022 amateur draft, there was some hope of redemption in the second round. The Tigers picked up an athletic shortstop with power out of the University of Oklahoma named Peyton Graham, and for a while I expected he’d add muscle to his reedy 6’2” frame and take advantage of his power and plate discipline to reach the majors as at least a platoon player who could handle the shortstop position effectively.
Things have not worked out that way. Graham spent much of the 2023 and 2024 seasons battling injuries. He missed half a season in 2023 after getting hit in the face by a pitch. In 2024 he was hit by another that broke two fingers. Beyond those injuries he’s had various minor sprains and strains that he’s had to work through. And after three full seasons of A-ball, he still hasn’t made the strength gains required to reduce the need for his long, high effort swing and all out approach to playing the infield.
Graham was never going to be a quick mover to the big leagues, but the progress required to keep his higher end projections hasn’t materialized. It was easy to be patient after all the injuries coming into 2025, but he needed a a strong move to the Double-A level in 2025 to keep a platoon player future on the board. Instead, he had a good year with the West Michigan Whitecaps without any real breakthroughs and didn’t make the leap to the upper levels.
Graham hit seven homers, 23 doubles, and three triples in 100 games in 2026. He also stole 20 bases for the Whitecaps, slashing .283/.366/.423. He did manage to trim his strikeouts down to a reasonable 20.8 percent, walking in 9.8 percent of his at-bats. Zone discipline has never been the issue for him, but ultimately those numbers don’t matter much without more progress in his overall quality of contact.
Despite his slender frame, Graham will still show you above average juice on occasion, but he just hasn’t developed the physicality to simplify his swing and still relies on a lot of moving parts to generate his quality batspeed. He starts early and is often caught a little off balance or just plain late, leading to a lot of pop-ups on pitches up in the zone. There’s plenty of hard line drive contact and stretches where he’s catching the ball out front and driving more pitches, but it just hasn’t sustained it well enough. In 2025, he finally caught fire for a while from mid-May to mid-July hitting all seven of his home runs on the year in that stretch. For a while things were looking pretty interesting. But then he cooled down after the All-Star break before finishing strong in the Whitecaps postseason run to the Midwest League championship.
As a shortstop, Graham’s main flaw was just generally being too busy. He has good reactions and a solid glove, but his all out style led to too many errant throws. He has the arm strength to play third base, and enough speed to play the outfield corners well, and the Tigers started getting him more work in all those positions in 2025 while Kevin McGonigle took the reps at shortstop. Graham did improve as a defender this season and played much more within himself, looking like an above average second baseman who is solid at third as well. He can handle shortstop too, but he’s fringy there and fits a lot better at second base in particular. He didn’t get that much work in the outfield, but should be able to handle the corners reasonably well with more reps.
There would be a little more optimism if Graham hit left-handed, but the path for a right-handed hitting utilityman is exceedingly narrow. His development was short-circuited early on by the injuries, and I’ve always thought he would be a late bloomer, but it’s getting pretty late indeed. His raw power is still a lot better than most utility types, and his improved defense helps his case to a degree, but raw power doesn’t help unless you’re getting to plenty of it. It was at least a positive sign that he was finally looking more like the player the Tigers were hoping for in the middle of the season. Graham will be in Erie this season, and we’ll see if he can build on the modest progress he made in 2025.
Raphielle Johnson
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