Lee Corso represents the soul of college football, which USA TODAY Network explores in a page print from final game and a book about our fall passion.
Arch Manning’s nightmare outing leaves Texas reeling after Ohio State loss: ‘I’ve got to play better for us to win’
It was all about the Texas QB in the buildup to Saturday's showdown with Ohio State. Manning didn't rise to the occasion though. The Ohio State defense was the star of the show in a defensive clinic.
Nikola Jokic scores 39 in Serbian win, Luka Doncic scores 39 in Slovenian loss at EuroBasket
The NBA's biggest stars were shining bright in EuroLeague on Saturday — and 39 seemed to be the number.
In a showdown of big-name NBA centers, Nikola Jokic looked dominant against Kristaps Porzingis, scoring 39 points with 10 boards in a Serbian win.
39 PTS 10 REB 4 AST
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) August 30, 2025
The Joker was unstoppable once again, as Serbia punched their ticket to the #EuroBasket Round of 16! pic.twitter.com/ynF30B0bx2
Porzingis finished with 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks, but it wasn't enough as Latvia fell 84-40. The win improved Serbia's record to 3-0 so far, and with that, they qualified for the next round (despite being without Bogdan Bogdanovic).
Luka Doncic has looked dominant through the early part of the tournament — he leads EuroBasket in points per game — and that continued on Saturday when he dropped 39 for Slovenia.
Luka gave it his all
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) August 30, 2025
Flirting with triple-double, Luka Magic had another stellar performance against France #EuroBasketpic.twitter.com/16WmJRycsr
Despite Doncic's play, France came from behind in the second half to take the win, 103- 95. At the end of the game, there was a scuffle when France's Sylvain Francisco broke the unwritten rule and decided to score rather than dribble the game out, as everyone else was shaking hands and walking off the court.
WOW, what a situation.
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) August 30, 2025
France and Slovenia players started to shake hands, and then Sylvain Francisco picked up the ball from the floor and went for a layup, which led to a brawl.
CRAZY MOMENT IN KATOWICE.#EuroBasket#EuroBasket2025https://t.co/7kb6GTEuJV
Slovenia is now 0-2 in EuroBasket, despite Doncic's elite and energetic play. They have lost to two high-quality teams in Poland and France (both are 2-0), but now Slovenia's games against Belgium, Iceland and Israel become must-win.
2026 NFL draft: Top prospects for Eagles to monitor following Texas vs. Ohio State clash
No. 3 Ohio State defeated No. 1-ranked Texas 14-7 on Saturday, and we're looking at the top 2026 NFL draft prospects for the Eagles to monitor in 2025
Ohio State defense takes down No. 1 Texas, Arch Manning with dominant effort
Defending national champion Ohio State used a dominant defense to stop No. 1 Texas and Arch Manning in its opener.
Christian Koss' pitching cameo offers needed levity in Giants' loss to Orioles
Christian Koss' pitching cameo offers needed levity in Giants' loss to Orioles originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – In an ideal season in ideal situations, Christian Koss would never toe the rubber at Oracle Park for the Giants.
Yet in a season in which very few things have been ideal, Koss has managed to put some shine on those situations.
Take Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles for example.
The Giants’ pitching staff was taking it on the chin all afternoon so when it came time to mop things up in the ninth inning, manager Bob Melvin called for Koss rather than going deeper into his bullpen.
The result? Another scoreless outing for the 27-year-old infielder in what is becoming arguably the best sideshow to the Giants season.
“He’s getting used to it, looking pretty comfortable out there,” Melvin said following San Francisco’s 11-1 loss at home. “You don’t want to have to use that but when you have somebody like that that you know is going to go out there and throw strikes and try to get you through the inning pretty quickly … he’s the guy for it and he’s all in for whatever the team needs.”
To be certain, Koss isn’t exactly an intimidating presence on the pitcher’s mound. He stands 6-feet 1-inch and is 190 pounds at best maybe after he’s had a full meal.
Nor does he have dominating stuff on the mound. The majority of the time he’s pitching, Koss is simply trying to lob the ball over the plate.
Giants starting pitcher Carson Seymour spoke to Koss previously about sticking with the same pitching motion whether he’s trying to throw hard or fast. Most of the time it’s been slow, methodical pitches that Koss throws.
“I’m going up there lobbing it, just hoping my defense does what they’ve been doing, and try to keep it scoreless,” Koss said. “I’m just glad I could help the team get through something.”
Koss has a perfect 0.00 ERA in his four outings. He’s allowed four hits and hasn’t walked anyone. He hasn’t struck out anyone either, although he came close Saturday.
Most of Koss’s pitches were clocked in the high 40s before he muscled up for an 84 mph fastball on a 1-2 count to Coby Mayo that barely missed the outside of the strike zone. Fans booed the call, which starting pitcher Carson Seymour thought was a clear strike.
“I thought the one heater he threw, I think it was 84 which is pretty impressive because it wasn’t like he did a full leg lift or anything like that, I thought it was a strike,” Seymour said. “I guess he’ll live to fight another day.”
Ideally, the Giants won’t have a need to have Koss pitch again. Position players generally are called upon to pitch in games that are blowouts.
That factor alone, Koss believes, is one of the reason’s he’s had the pitching success that he’s had this season.
“I throw it slow enough,” Koss said. “Kind of at a point in the game where the hitters are kind of over it too. I know as s a hitter myself facing a position player is never the best thing to do. I’m just up there throwing it slow enough in a rough spot for them.”
Canadiens Blueliner To Be Honored
This year, the Lions du Lac St-Louis, a midget AAA team based in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. Since its inception in 1976, many talented youngsters have played for the team on their way to the NHL. As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the team will retire the jerseys of five NHLers who have marked its history.
On September 5, the jerseys of Montreal Canadiens’ defenseman Mike Matheson, free agent and former San Jose Sharks blueliner Marc-Edouard Vlasic, New York Islanders’ forwards Jonathan Drouin and Anthony Duclair, and Anaheim Ducks’ left winger Alex Killorn will all be retired.
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Vlasic played for the Lions from 2002 to 2004 before joining the Remparts de Québec in the QMJHL and being drafted by the Sharks, with whom he has spent his entire career so far. While he has never won the Stanley Cup, he does have two silver medals from the World Championship, one gold medal from the Sochi Olympics, and was part of the World Cup-winning team in 2016.
Killorn spent a single season in Lac St-Louis before joining the Harvard University program, where he caught the eye of the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, who drafted him in the third round of the 2007 draft. He won the Cup twice with the Bolts and has now played 950 NHL games; he is expected to reach the 1000-game mark this upcoming season in Anaheim.
Former Hab Drouin, Matheson, and Duclair were teammates with the Lions when the team won the Jimmy-Ferrari Cup in 2011. Drouin was the only one to spend two seasons with the Lac St-Louis team before being drafted by the Halifax Mooseheads. Alongside Nathan MacKinnon, he won the QMJHL championship and the Memorial Cup before being drafted third overall by the Lightning in 2013. While his career hasn’t gone as expected, he has played 607 games with the Lightning, the Canadiens, and the Colorado Avalanche, picking up 374 points in the process.
As for Duclair, he joined the Remparts de Quebec of the QMJHL before being drafted in the third round by the New York Rangers. Since then, he has played for eight NHL teams. Just like Drouin, he has played 607 NHL games, but he’s slightly less productive with 314 points.
Finally, Canadiens’ rearguard Matheson was the Lions’ captain in 2010-11, leading the team to a championship and being named the league’s best defenseman. After playing midget hockey in Quebec, he joined Boston College in the NCAA and was then selected in the first round by the Florida Panthers in 2012. So far, he has played 627 NHL games with the Florida Panthers, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Canadiens, accumulating 265 points along the way.
Matheson has really come into his own in Montreal, setting new highs in offensive production and becoming an important leader on a young Habs team. While he hasn’t been relied on as much offensively of late, his mentoring has been crucial for the young defense corps. It will be interesting to see how the Canadiens will choose to go forward in his case as he’s entering the final year of his contract.
Canadiens: Big Season Ahead For MathesonThe Montreal Canadiens made the most significant trade of the summer when they acquired Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. That acquisition is going to have a substantial impact on the team and on certain players in particular. One of the players who is likely to be the most affected is Mike Matheson.
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What we learned as Giants' blowout loss to Orioles snaps six-game winning streak
What we learned as Giants' blowout loss to Orioles snaps six-game winning streak originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Just like that, the worries returned to Oracle Park.
Less than 24 hours after a brilliant offensive display renewed hopes of making it to the postseason, the Giants were effectively shut down and looked a lot more like the underachieving team they’ve been for most of the season while absorbing an 11-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
Gone were all the good vibes that had been built during a six-game winning streak, as the Giants once again fell two games under .500.
Like the score indicated, this was a one-sided game that left many in the crowd of 37,711 unhappy despite glorious weather in the Bay Area.
Willy Adames provided the one big highlight for the Orange and Black with his 25th home run of the season, a two-out solo drive off Orioles starter Trevor Rogers in the first inning. That extended the Giants’ streak of consecutive games with at least one home run to 12.
Willy Adames blasts his 25th homer of the season 🔥
pic.twitter.com/720cmbM3D0— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) August 30, 2025
Other than that, the Giants didn’t give their fans much to cheer about as the hometown team lost at Oracle Park for the first time in two weeks.
The Orioles did a great job of being aggressive against Giants starter Carson Seymour (0-2) and were equally effective once Seymour left. Baltimore got runners in scoring position in every inning except the fifth and sixth, putting the Giants on their heels for most of the afternoon.
It got so rough for the Giants pitching that manager Bob Melvin used infielder Christian Koss to pitch the ninth. Koss needed nine pitches to work a 1-2-3 inning.
Here are the takeaways from Saturday:
Where did all that O go?
One day after setting season-highs in runs (15), hits (18) and hits with runners in scoring position (eight), the Giants reverted back to their mostly quiet ways on offense.
Beyond the home run by Adames, the Giants had just thre runners get past past first base.
Most of the blame for that goes to Trevor Rogers, who has been the Orioles’ most dominant pitcher for most of the 2025 MLB season. Rogers allowed one run and five hits over seven innings, earning a Baltimore-era franchise record with his 10th consecutive start of six innings or more while allowing two runs or fewer.
Seymour Saw Less
Seymour’s first career start in the majors didn’t last very long. The right-hander’s afternoon ended after throwing 60 pitches in three innings.
The Orioles were getting good swings off Seymour all afternoon. Even the outs were hard hit.
Seymour retired only 12 batters and allowed four runs and five hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
The relief wasn’t exactly clean but the Giants had enough fresh arms to cover for Seymour’s early exit.
Creeping up on 30
The Giants haven’t had a player hit 30 home runs in a single season since king swatter Barry Bonds banged out 45 in 2004, but that streak is likely to end this year.
Adames hit his 25th homer of the year Saturday and is the first Giants player to have 25 or more entering September since Bonds in 2007. He needs five more over the final 16 games which is doable considering Adames had hit six in his last nine games.
Twenty of Adames’ home runs this season have been solo shots.
Rafael Devers leads the Giants with 27 home runs but only 12 have come in a Giants uniform.
What's New In NHL 26 World Of Chel
World of Chel has received some improvements in NHL 26.
The most impactful change comes to loadouts with the goal of removing a meta build.
Boosts have been removed and have been replaced with three X-Factor slots.
X-Factors are no longer only available in specific player classes. Any player can now use any ability, allowing players to use different skills with different positions.
There has been an adjust to Ability Points (AP), it ca now be increased to +10 and decreased to -10, each loadout has an AP budget.
Your player class will impact which attributes you can increase the most, a sniper will be able to increase their shot power more than a playmaker.
As discussed previously there are 28 X-Factors in NHL 26 with five categories and three tiers. This allows you to build around your favorite trait or add lots of extra skills.
The Battle Pass is now free for all users and time sensitive objectives have now been added to increase rewards.
All special characters from NHL 25 have been updated. New characters will be added each season.
Players will now be able to transfer all of their EASHL Club information from NHL 25 to NHL 26 including name, identity, grudge match records, identity, and club details.
There is a limited window to transfer your club so do it ASAP.
EA SPORTS NHL's WoC notes can be seen here.
The full list of the players and their attributes can be seen here.
NHL 26 is set to release Sept. 12, those who pre-order the deluxe edition get access Sept. 5.
For more NHL Gaming news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.
Ottawa Senators: Ranking The Six Best At Each Position
It’s been a productive summer for Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios, who’s taken care of nearly all his offseason business. Staios bolstered the NHL roster by signing veteran center Lars Eller and acquiring defenseman Jordan Spence in a draft-day trade. He’s also wrapped up most of the organization’s free agent signings, with only defensemen Donovan Sobrango and Max Guenette left to finalize.
As the Senators prepare for another training camp, The Hockey News Ottawa has ranked the top six players at each position. While some forwards can play multiple roles — complicating things — the following lists rank Ottawa’s best players by position, regardless of the lines they'll probably be on.
Left Wing Rankings
Brady Tkachuk
Ridly Greig
David Perron
Nick Cousins
Olle Lycksell
Zack MacEwen
There’s no debate at the top: Brady Tkachuk is the Senators’ number one left winger, and it’s not close. The bigger question is the battle for the second spot. Ridly Greig enters his third full NHL season — often the breakout year for young players — while veteran David Perron will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing campaign. Lycksell is a point-per-game AHL player, but he's also 163 pounds. The rugged MacEwen might be the first option on the fourth line in the event of injury.
Right Wing Rankings
Drake Batherson
Claude Giroux
Michael Amadio
Fabian Zetterlund
Arthur Kaliyev
Hayden Hodgson
Drake Batherson and Claude Giroux are neck-and-neck here, but Batherson’s skating and youth give him the slight edge. Meanwhile, despite his big new contract, I'm not ready to rank Zetterlund ahead of Amadio, who's turned into a good, consistent two-way guy for the Sens. Zetterlund can lift heavy things; now he needs to lift up his offensive production. Five points in 20 regular-season games and zero in the playoffs won’t cut it.
Kaliyev, a recent free agent signing with a laser of a shot, will be intriguing to watch after the Kings moved on from him last season. Still, if the Senators have injuries and need a fourth-line winger, they may opt for the wrecking ball option here too, making Hodgson the likelier call-up.
Center Rankings
Tim Stützle
Shane Pinto
Dylan Cozens
Lars Eller
Jan Jeník
Stephen Halliday
Tim Stützle is Ottawa’s undisputed number one center. The debate comes at the second spot, where we believe Shane Pinto edges out Dylan Cozens. Based on his paycheque and what the Sens gave up, Cozens will obviously get the first crack at second-line center. While Pinto may not have truly broken out offensively yet, we love his intelligence, speed, and two-way game. If he gets more offensive responsibility, high in the batting order, the stats will come.
Cozens, meanwhile, has to show he can return to being the player he was a couple of years ago. Last season's glimpse was a decent audition. But as former Sabres coach Lindy Ruff put it back in March, “Dylan could never quite find his game here.” That's a concerning critique that no one has ever had for Pinto.
Right Defense Rankings
Nick Jensen
Artem Zub
Jordan Spence
Carter Yakemchuk
Nikolas Matinpalo
Lassi Thomson
Assuming Nick Jensen returns to full health after hip surgery, he’s Ottawa’s top right-side defender. Zub remains steady, but might be pushed by the newcomer Spence, who'll get plenty of opportunities this season. GM Steve Staios basically got him for nothing in a slick bit of draft-day maneuvering. The more Spence succeeds, the better that looks on Staios.
Carter Yakemchuk, the Senators’ 2024 seventh-overall pick, could push for NHL minutes sooner rather than later. Even after re-signing Matinpalo, Staios hasn’t dismissed the idea of Yak cracking the roster out of camp. But if Jensen is healthy, the kid will likely start the year in Belleville.
https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/steve-staios-we-re-not-dismissing-that-carter-yakemchuk-makes-our-team-out-of-camp
Steve Staios: 'We’re Not Dismissing That Carter Yakemchuk Makes Our Team Out of Camp'When the Ottawa Senators selected defenseman Carter Yakemchuk seventh overall at the 2024 NHL Draft, the assumption in most hockey circles was that he'd eventually need a pinch of seasoning in the AHL before cracking the NHL lineup. Then the kid suddenly changed some minds after almost making Ottawa's roster last fall.
Left Defense Rankings
Jake Sanderson
Thomas Chabot
Tyler Kleven
Donovan Sobrango
Jorian Donovan
Matthew Andonovski
Jake Sanderson is Ottawa’s number one on the left side, and Thomas Chabot remains a fairly strong second option. But Tyler Kleven continues to climb the ranks with his physical, punishing style of play, and could narrow the gap on Chabot as the season progresses.
Goaltender Rankings
Linus Ullmark
Leevi Meriläinen
Hunter Shepard
Mads Søgaard
Jackson Parsons
Kevin Reidler/Vladimir Nikitin
Ottawa’s NHL tandem is set with Ullmark and Meriläinen, but injury history makes depth crucial. Søgaard has the most NHL experience of the group and would likely get the first call-up. Still, Hunter Shepard is a name to keep an eye on. It's hard to ignore a guy who's won two of the last AHL Calder Cups.
Of course, a player's ranking is highly subjective and doesn't necessarily dictate where he'll play in the lineup. Those decisions rest solely on the whims of Travis Green and his coaching staff. But in taking stock of everything, it's pretty clear the Senators boast a roster that won't be an easy out for anyone this season.
By Steve Warne
This article was first published at THN.com/Ottawa
Read more Sens articles from The Hockey News-Ottawa:
Our One-On-One With Drake Batherson
Could Arthur Kaliyev Be The Senators' Next Adam Gaudette Story?
Senators' NHL Dream Began Over Pints in the Dressing Room
Former Ottawa Senator Travis Hamonic Signs With Atlantic Division Rival
Mets' Francisco Alvarez joins Triple-A Syracuse as DH in Saturday's game against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
Mets catcherFrancisco Alvarez is with Triple-A Syracuse for Saturday's game at the Yankees' Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, manager Carlos Mendoza explained before New York's matchup with the Miami Marlins.
"Good," Mendoza said of how Alvarez is doing. "He's in the lineup today, Triple-A, DHing."
Alvarez recently fractured his pinky but took batting practice Friday at Citi Field, two days after the injury news surfaced.
"He caught a bullpen fine," Mendoza said of Alvarez, who Syracuse subsequently announced would bat third. "He's fine. That's why he got in the car and he's in Scranton right now. They're playing Scranton and he's DHing today, and see how he gets through it and maybe he's catching tomorrow."
Mendoza did not have a time frame for Alvarez's return to the Mets' lineup.
Alvarez, 23, is slashing .265/.349/.438 with seven home runs and 24 RBI in 56 games with the Mets this season.
Mets recall Chris Devenski, designate José Castillo for assignment
The Mets recalled RHP Chris Devenski and designated LHP José Castillo for assignment, New York announced before Saturday's game against the Miami Marlins.
Devenski, 34, has a 2.84 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 12.2 IP over 11 games this season with the Mets.
He last pitched for New York July 29, a 7-1 loss to the San Diego Padres, when he allowed one run on one hit (a home run) in 1.1 IP.
The Mets optioned him to Syracuse July 31. In eight Triple-A games this month, Devenski posted a 1.04 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 8.2 IP.
The 29-year-old Castillo, meanwhile, has been with New York and Syracuse since the Mets acquired him for cash in a May 15 trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In 16 games with the Mets, Castillo posted a 2.35 ERA and 1.76 WHIP over 15.1 IP. He allowed one run on four hits while striking out two in two innings of Friday's 19-9 win over Miami.
'Demoralised Rangers must grasp Old Firm opportunity'
It's a strange one. That's the word going into the Old Firm derby - strange.
It will have been a quiet few days in the Rangers dressing room, a time for reflection after the debacle in Bruges.
Russell Martin will have faced his toughest couple of days as Rangers head coach, just trying to pick the players up and getting them to believe they can go out and beat Celtic on Sunday.
He has to get them together and make sure that everyone has positive messages. It's the only way he can go about it. He cannot read the riot act.
He's got to totally change tact and make sure he doesn't throw the players under the bus.
It'll be tough trying to be positive, even just speaking to the players, but he has to make sure they don't linger on the 6-1 Champions League loss in Belgium, even though it's one of the toughest results in the club's history.
They can beat Celtic, because it's at home and it's Rangers. But they're going to have to show so much more - starting by being more solid in defence and midfield.
The occasion of the derby makes you run more and get into tackles. They have got to try and dominate the midfield area, because Celtic are strong in there, and they've got to look a lot more potent going forward and start scoring some goals.
But the biggest thing for Rangers just now is keeping Celtic out. Build from the back, get a solid base and make sure you're not losing goals.
We went to Parkhead last season when we hadn't won there for a long time and we got the victory.
We were on the back of a good result in Fenerbahce, so it was all positive.
Somehow, Martin has to find a way of giving out positive messages even though it's the worst defeat he could suffer. If you give out negative messages and it's down, I don't even think the derby can look after itself.
You could usually throw a derby at any set of Rangers players and they go, 'we'll be up for this'. Will they be? I'm not so sure because they look absolutely demoralised. They have got to find a way.
The way Russell Martin is speaking about James Tavernier, I think we'll see him on the team on Sunday.
It remains to be seen if Nico Raskin gets in but I always say you've got to manage your big players.
He is one of the best players at Rangers. You've got to get him in the team but it's how he goes about getting the best out of Raskin.
They have a better chance of beating Celtic by having Raskin in the team, but I'm just not sure who he's going to pick.
You're always 90% sure that eight or nine players will be in it, but anybody could get an opportunity on Sunday. It's up to them to go and grasp it.
Former Rangers striker Billy Dodds was speaking to BBC Sport Scotland's Andrew Petrie.
Predicting The NHL's Atlantic Division Rankings In 2025-26
The NHL’s Atlantic Division might well be the league’s most competitive division. And in this short THN.com series, we’re predicting how it will look at the end of the 2025-26 regular season.
As part of this article, you’ll find this writer’s rankings of the Atlantic Division teams. Additionally, you’ll see where each team was placed in The Hockey News’ Yearbook & Fantasy Guide 2025 and their odds of being Atlantic Division winners, as per BetMGM.
1. Florida Panthers
The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 1st
BetMGM Atlantic Division Winner Odds: 2.55 (+155)
Why I've Ranked Them First: Against all odds, the Panthers figured out how to retain the services of three UFA veterans – left winger Brad Marchand, center Sam Bennett and defenseman Aaron Ekblad – who all could’ve done just as well or better financially by signing with a different team. So, while it does sting Florida to be without injured star right winger Matthew Tkachuk until the new year, the Panthers’ all-around depth is about as good as it gets.
You can say a lot of things about Florida – they’re line-crossers, they’re borderline-dirty, they hurt people – but you can’t say they’re not proven winners. And although they’re going to be favorites to win their third-straight Stanley Cup, they showed last season that it didn’t make a whit of difference where they finished in the playoff ranks. This is a team built to win, and the Panthers are going to do a lot of winning in 2025-26.
Why I Could Be Wrong: Maybe Tkachuk’s absence hurts the Panthers’ chances to win close games. Perhaps Sergei Bobrovsky acts his age when he turns 37 in September, and new backup Daniil Tarasov doesn’t work out as envisioned. Maybe the toll of so much playoff hockey starts to bite into Florida’s effectiveness. There are many possibilities that could dethrone the Panthers as the Atlantic’s top team.
Now, we don’t see any of these aforementioned things preventing the Panthers from making the playoffs, but in a highly competitive division like the Atlantic, any of those developments could allow other Atlantic teams to overtake Florida for the top spot. But if they’re relatively good on the health front, and their veterans put in the hard work, it’s hard to see the Panthers not being a top team in the division.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 3rd
BetMGM Atlantic Division Winner Odds: 4.60 (+360)
Why I've Ranked Them Second: Let’s get the obvious out of the way: the Maple Leafs will be a different team in the post-Mitch-Marner era – a team that won’t make as many highlight-reel offensive plays, and a team that won’t be quite as sharp defensively without Marner. But you know what? The Leafs were not an empty vessel that Marner propped up every game. This Toronto team won the division last season – only its second division title since 1999-2000 – and they have the talent to do so again.
If you’re acknowledging Marner played a major role and will be missed, you also have to acknowledge the Maple Leafs have excellent depth at all positions other than at left wing. And you have to believe the Buds are going to be a home-ice advantage team in next year’s playoffs. Of course, they’ll be judged next season by how far they go in the post-season. But when it comes to the regular season, Leafs coach Craig Berube is going to guide this grittier team to at least get to second-place in the Atlantic, or possibly, to their second-straight Atlantic title win.
Why I Could Be Wrong: The removal of Marner from the picture will ramp up expectations on returning Maple Leafs star forwards Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Matthew Knies, and that pressure could send Toronto on a downward spiral. The Leafs were a consistently great team last year, but there’s no assurance everything is going to go their way in 2025-26. And with the improvements of teams like the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, Toronto could find itself battling just to hang onto a wild-card berth.
The Maple Leafs can’t afford a harsh bite from the injury bug, because if health woes strike one of Toronto’s stars, they don’t have replacement-level value to slot in in their place. That could spell big trouble for the Leafs’ aspirations to win home-ice advantage once again.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 2nd
BetMGM Atlantic Division Winner Odds: 3.70 (+270)
Why I've Ranked Them Third: In THN.com’s Summer Splash series, the Lightning finished a distant 25th in the league in terms of their off-season. But that’s because their biggest off-season addition was former Maple Leafs fourth-line forward Pontus Holmberg. That said, the Summer Splash series didn’t focus on what teams likely will be dominant next season. And Tampa Bay’s overall high-quality depth is going to make them a surefire playoff team again in 2025-26.
Any team that has multiple future Hockey Hall-of-Famers at forward, on defense and in goal should be regarded as a playoff lock until further notice. And there’s no reasonable reason to believe the Lightning will miss the playoffs next year. The Bolts need to be healthy, but that’s true of every team. So long as superstars Andrei Vasilevskiy, Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point are in their lineup, the Lightning are going to be tough to beat – and they’re going to have a firm hold on a playoff spot.
Why I Could Be Wrong: Remember a couple of years ago, when Vasilevskiy posted the worst save percentage of his career? Sure, he still finished with a .900 SP that season, but for the first time in his pro hockey career, Vasilevskiy looked human. He rebounded in a major way last season, but Vasilevskiy is now moving toward his mid-thirties, and maybe he can’t bail out his teammates the way he often did as he carved out a legacy as one of the NHL’s best netminders.
Losing defenseman Nick Perbix also could hurt Tampa Bay’s status in the Atlantic. Hedman is now 34 years old, and while we’re not suggesting the end is near for the Swedish blueliner, very few continue to beat Father Time year after year, and the Lightning’s many miles on their competitive odometer could start them on a downward spiral – and maybe they get passed by the Ottawa Senators. Tampa may be primed for a fall, if not in terms of making the playoffs, then in terms of being a true top-three team in the Atlantic.
4. Ottawa Senators
The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 4th
BetMGM Atlantic Division Winner Odds: 9.50 (+850)
Why I've Ranked Them Fourth: Let’s look at this placement as a positive for the Senators. It’s probably not realistic to pin all your hope on Ottawa vaulting up to first or second place in the division. Let’s just recognize the Senators are a more experienced group, and a group that may not be able to knock off teams like the Leafs, Lightning and Panthers, but firming up their grip on a wild-card spot would still be progress, so long as they put up a longer playoff fight than they did last year.
The Sens took a step forward this past season. They went from 37-41-4 in 2023-24 to 45-30-7. That’s an excellent first year for coach Travis Green, and it gives them the foundation on which they raise the bar to a new level. That’s the challenge for the Senators, and although we feel pretty good about picking Ottawa as a playoff team, we nonetheless see them as needing a little while longer to develop before they can push into a home-ice advantage position.
Why I Could Be Wrong: The Senators certainly can’t afford a step backward in 2025-26. Missing out on the playoffs would be a catastrophe. So you have to consider the possibility that the pressure to produce playoff games next year is going to be considerable, and Ottawa can’t let the expectations overwhelm them. Otherwise, the playoffs are going to be out of reach.
The Sens’ core of Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson have established themselves as difference-makers. Now Ottawa needs their depth players to overachieve if they’re to keep pace in the Atlantic. The Senators have foundational players, and they have solid goaltending. But in what is arguably the NHL’s toughest division, the Sens aren’t as strong on paper as teams like Toronto, Florida and Tampa Bay are. But that could change if everyone steps up.
5. Montreal Canadiens
The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 5th
BetMGM Atlantic Division Winner Odds: 15.00 (+1400)
Why I've Ranked Them Fifth: After a long time in the wilderness, the Canadiens have come in from the cold and put themselves in a position to be a respectable playoff contender. Last year’s first-round exit at the hands of the Washington Capitals showed Montreal management how far they still have to go before they’re seen as a playoff lock or a team destined to go on a long playoff run. That’s a possibility, we suppose, but there’s also the possibility the Canadiens take a lateral step, still finishing fifth in the Atlantic for the second-straight season, but losing out on a wild-card berth as the Metropolitan Division sends four teams to the post-season.
The Habs pulled off a stunning off-season trade with the addition of former New York Islanders star defenseman Noah Dobson, and it’s now fair to say that Montreal’s defense corps is one of the stronger defense corps in the league. That should make them a tough opponent, but we believed the improved play in the Metro will push them out of the playoff picture.
Why I Could Be Wrong: Montreal’s day in the sun is coming, and maybe it’s coming sooner than we suspected. Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has improved his team’s roster piece by piece, and he’s now at a point where he’s looking to augment his roster with savvy support players. If Hughes can deliver them, Montreal could pull off a shocker and vault over the Senators and put a firm grip on the fourth-place spot.
The Canadiens have shown us the potential Hughes and Montreal brass see in them. Now it’s about pushing down the gas pedal and accelerating the rebuild – and coach Martin St. Louis feels like just the kind of coach who can take them there. The Habs have the foundation you want to see in a true Cup contender, and once they fill out the forward group, they’re going to be extremely tough to beat. And 2025-26 could be the year they figure it all out and confirm their status as one of the teams to beat in the Atlantic and the Eastern Conference.
6. Buffalo Sabres
The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 7th
BetMGM Atlantic Division Winner Odds: 51.00 (+5000)
Why I've Ranked Them Sixth: By the end of last season, the Sabres were relying on journeyman goalie James Reimer, and they finished the season in seventh place in the division. Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams may be under more pressure next season for any GM whose name isn’t Steve Yzerman, and THN’s editorial staff believed the Sabres had the worst off-season of any team in the league. You can understand why Sabres fans are so exhausted by all the years of excuses. If things don’t go right for Buffalo – and any finish that doesn’t include a playoff appearance will be listed as something that didn’t go right for the Sabres – there’s going to be major unrest in Western New York.
Getting one spot better in the division than they got to last year but still missing the playoffs is exactly the kind of hollow victory the Sabres have been used to in recent years. They’ve had years of rebuilding all for naught, and missing the playoffs would call into question management’s ability to do its job. And unfortunately for Buffalo fans, the Sabres are going to be outclassed by five teams in the division, if not more.
Why I Could Be Wrong: Buffalo does have some terrific players – defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, winger Tage Thompson – but one of the knocks on them is that they haven’t been able to augment their lineup with productive veterans. Another knock is that they make a regular habit of trading players – most recently, up-and-coming winger JJ Peterka – and the optics of moves like that one make Buffalo a locale that isn’t at the top of many players’ lists. But we could be wrong, and Sabres coach Lindy Ruff may steer Buffalo into a wild-card berth. That’s probably the ceiling for the Sabres this year, but it should be a ceiling they can get close to.
The Sabres might take all the naysayers’ negativity and use it as motivation to surprise people in 2025-26. It’s certainly not going to be easy to push past teams like Ottawa and Montreal, but the Sabres have every opportunity to prove to opponents they’re a different team – 82 opportunities, to be exact. And miracle seasons have happened for teams like the Sabres, so it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility for Buffalo to end their playoff drought at 14 years. Because if the drought lasts 15 years, Sabres fans may feel like the misery will never end.
7. Detroit Red Wings
The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 6th
BetMGM Atlantic Division Winner Odds: 41.00 (+4000)
Why I've Ranked Them Seventh: It’s been painful to imagine the frustration Red Wings fans feel. This organization was for a very long time the gold standard for hockey organizations, but for the past nine seasons, Detroit has flailed and wailed, and been a non-playoff team. And for the past six seasons, they’ve had franchise icon Yzerman underwhelming in his attempts to build an elite roster.
Thus, the Wings have been unable to consistently compete with actual Cup contenders in the East and the Atlantic. Since 2015-16, the best this franchise has finished is in fifth place (just twice), and every other year was spent in sixth, seventh or eighth place in the division. That’s not an anomaly. That’s what you really are as a team. And that’s why we think Detroit is going to finish in second-last in the Atlantic
Why I Could Be Wrong: Todd McLellan came in as the Wings' coach last season and had some immediate success. However, that success was short-lived, and Detroit’s players once again proved they weren’t a playoff team. But Yzerman added goalie John Gibson in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks this summer, and the defense-challenged Wings could respond very well to Gibson coming in and providing experience between the pipes.
The high end for this Detroit team is a wild-card spot, and you have to figure Yzerman is desperate to use every bit of his $11.9-million in salary cap space during the season. The Red Wings have some components to like, and the newly rejigged roster might catch lightning in a bottle and emerge as a wild-card team.
8. Boston Bruins
The Hockey News Yearbook Division Rank: 8th
BetMGM Atlantic Division Winner Odds: 101.00 (+10000)
Why I've Ranked Them Eighth: The Bruins shockingly plummeted down the Atlantic standings last season, finishing dead last in the division. Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman struggled behind a defense corps that had injuries (to veteran Hampus Lindholm) and behind a team that had multiple trades (that sent veteran Brandon Carlo to Toronto, and captain Brad Marchand to the Panthers). Bruins GM Don Sweeney acknowledged his team was flawed, and he focused on the future with the roster moves he made.
Boston may not be quite so bad this year, but even a slight improvement may only see them add a few standings points to their credit. The Bruins aren’t going to bowl over opponents with sheer skill and dogged determination – instead, they’re going to sink to the bottom of the Atlantic and force Sweeney to look at making more moves with an eye on the future.
Why I Could Be Wrong: Over the years, the Bruins have made their doubters look silly. And that could prove to be the case this coming season, as Boston has numerous veterans (including superstar winger David Pastrnak and rugged defenseman Charlie McAvoy) who could get the Bruins back in the thick of things as they pursue a wild-card berth.
A rebound year from Swayman would be just what the doctor ordered for Boston, and an improved performance from center Elias Lindholm would also help the Bruins’ cause. And given that few people believe Boston will be a playoff team, the pressure on the Bruins won’t be nearly as harsh as it will be for other teams. Boston has too many proud vets to just roll over, and they could pull off an upset by sneaking into a wild-card spot.
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Vuelta a España: Philipsen sprints to stage win again as Træen stays in red
Jasper Philipsen pips Viviani and Vernon in photo-finish
Torstein Træen retains overall lead from Vingegaard
Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen sprinted to victory in stage eight of the Vuelta a España, edging Elia Viviani and Ethan Vernon in a photo-finish as Torstein Træen retained the red jersey.
Viviani’s Lotto teammates tried to lead him out in the last 1,000m of the 163km flat ride from Monzón to Zaragoza, but Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Philipsen, who had also won the first stage, pushed in the final moments to steal the victory.
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