The Buffalo Sabres got into the Stanley Cup playoffs last season after missing the playoffs for the previous 15 years. Buffalo also won the highly-competitive Atlantic Division in the regular-season last year, and the Sabres beat the Boston Bruins in the post-season’s opening round before losing to the Montreal Canadiens in Round 2.
There was much to like about the Sabres’ long-awaited growth last season. But in TheHockeyNews.com’s annual grades for Buffalo players, we’re also handing out grades for players who no longer are with the Sabres. And in today’s “Sabres Grades” file, we’re turning our attention to one of the centerpieces of one of this summer’s two big blockbuster trades for Buffalo – star defenseman Bowen Byram, who was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks in June for a package featuring the 2026 fourth-overall draft pick.
Playing behind Sabres star D-men Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, Byram’s opportunities in Buffalo were going to be more limited than what he’ll get with the Blackhawks. But just because Byram went on post-trade to sign a six-year contract extension paying him $12.5-million per-season with the Hawks, that doesn’t mean Byram had an A+ season. In fact, he still has room to grow his game before it gets to‘A’ territory.
But let’s focus on Byram’s 2025-26 impact, and see why he’s going to be judged by his lucrative new contract for the next half-dozen seasons in Chicago:
Bowen Byram
Position: Defense
Grade: B+
The Skinny: To be sure, Byram did many good things in his second-and-final full season in Buffalo. In 82 games last year, the 25-year-old generated new personal-bests in goals (11), points (42) and plus/minus (plus-15). And those totals came with Byram getting slightly-less time-on ice – averaging 22:20, down from 22:42 in 2024-25.
So, although Byram is going to be judged by his contract extension, the truth is he’s going to be paid $6.25-million next season before the extension kicks in next summer. And on a Blackhawks team desperate for playoff success, Byram is going to be paid as their top blueliner right away, and he’s going to be judged accordingly.
Byram’s 2025-26 totals were slightly better than his 2024-25 totals including seven goals and 38 points in 82 games. So you can see why some are calling his extension into question. Byram is a better-than-average D-man – and a much-better-than-average D-man at that. But he’s not a defenseman on the level of a Cale Makar with the Colorado Avalanche and Quinn Hughes with the Minnesota Wild. And fairly or unfairly, the change in his financial compensation means Byram is going to be judged against the performances of the crystal-clear best defensemen in the game today.
Did Byram have a good year in 2025-26? There’s no question. He found a new level for his game, and in 13 playoff games with Buffalo, he produced four goals and seven points. But that’s going to be the bare-minimum people expect out of Byram in Chicago, regardless of his change in salary next summer. And Byram isn’t close to the peak of his powers, so there definitely could be a world where he becomes more than a half-point-per-game player with the Blackhawks and a key contributor on an up-and-coming Hawks team.
And if that’s what he does for the Blackhawks next season, you can bet Byram’s grade from THN.com next summer will be at least an ‘A’.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 14: Christian Walker #8 of the Houston Astros celebrates after hitting the game winning three run home run during the tenth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park on August 14, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (63-60), who own a 3.0-game lead in the AL West, will play the middle game of their three-game series against the division rival Seattle Mariners (57-66) tonight at Daikin Park.
RHP Hayden Wesneski (2-0, 3.86 ERA) will make his fourth Major League start of the season tonight, this time opposite the M’s and RHP Emerson Hancock (6-7, 3.35 ERA).
BIG WES: After missing 14 months with injury, RHP Hayden Wesneski has returned to the Astros rotation by posting a 2-0 record with a 3.86 ERA (8ER/18.2IP) in three starts. He’s worked two straight quality starts, including tossing 7.0 innings of three-run ball in his last outing on Monday at SF. This solid start to the season has continued a strong run for Wesneski, who was great in his rehab appearances, posting a 2.25 (5ER/20IP) combined ERA in five minor league rehab starts.
ABOUT THE RECORD: At 63-60 and three games over .500, the Astros have matched their high-water mark for the season, also reached with 60-57, 59-56, 58-55, 6-3, and 5-2 records. The Astros 3.0game lead in the AL West is their largest division lead of the season.
THE TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 43-29 since May 22, which is the best record in the AL in that span. On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.
TONIGHT’S BROADCASTS: Tonight’s English telecast on SCHN will feature Kevin Eschenfelder, Geoff Blum and Julia Morales. The English radio call will be made by Robert Ford and Josh Reddick. The Spanish radio broadcast will feature Francisco Romero and Alex Treviño, while the Spanish telecast on SCHN2 will have Danny Gonzalez and Gene Flores on the call.
TONIGHT’S GIVEAWAY: At tonight’s game, 10,000 fans will receive a Yordan Alvarez Home Run Train Bobblehead, presented by Phillips66. One lucky fan who receives the Golden Yordan Alvarez Home Run Train Bobblehead will win Free Gas for a Year, Courtesy of Phillips 66.
LAST NIGHT’S WALKOFF: The Astros came back from two different two-run deficits last night and scored five runs in the 10th inning en route to a 10-7 series-opening win over the visiting Mariners. 1B Christian Walker was the hero, as he connected for his third-career walkoff homer, a three-run shot in the 10th.
RHP Peter Lambert (2ER/5IP) started for the Astros and recorded his eighth straight start of allowing two-or-fewer earned runs.
ELIAS SAYS: The Astros posted a five-run 10th inning last night, marking just their ninth time in franchise history to score five-plus runs in an extra inning and their first time to do so since they scored five runs in the top of the 11th on June 30, 2024 at NYM. Last night marked the first time in franchise history for the Astros to score five-plus runs in an extra-inning as the home team.
HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS: The Astros are celebrating Hall of Fame Weekend at Daikin Park, which will include the induction of Astros legends Alan Ashby and the late Phil Garner into the Astros Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony today. Prior to the ceremony, Ashby and members of Garner’s family will be available to the media in the press conference room at 4:30 p.m. today.
THAT’S OFFENSIVE: Among American League teams, the Astros rank first in slugging (.412), first in total bases (1710), second in OPS (.731), second in home runs (164), and third in runs scored (569). In the Majors, the Astros rank tied for third in homers, trailing only the Nationals (177) and Yankees (170), and tied with the Braves (164).
MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez holds the lead in all AL Triple Crown categories, ranking first in average (.323), first in homers (36) and first in RBI (88). Additionally, he leads MLB in OPS (1.063), OBP (.437), SLG (.626), and TB (275). In the AL, he ranks first in hits (142) and XBH (61), and second in runs (81) and walks (85).
YOR-GONE!: DH Yordan Alvarez connected for his 36th home run of the season last night, which gave him the outright lead in home runs in the AL. He’s now just one homer shy of matching his career high in homers (37 HR in 2022) and is 11 homers shy of matching the franchise record for a single season, set by 1B Jeff Bagwell in 2000 (47 HR).
WHAM BAM CAM: RF Cam Smith has a triple, three homers and seven RBI in his last six games. Smith is batting .375 (18×48) with one triple, three home runs, nine RBI and a 1.087 OPS in his last 13 games dating back to July 29.
HADERADE: LHP Josh Hader has been stellar since returning from injury in early June, going 4-1 with a 0.93 ERA (3ER/29IP), 40 strikeouts, a .121 opponent batting average (12×99) and a 0.76 WHIP, while also converting all 17 of his save opportunities, through 30 appearances.
VS. THE M’S: Prior to last night, it had been three months since the Astros last played the Mariners, last seeing them in a four-game series in Houston from May 11-14. The Astros have gone 2-7 against Seattle this season with four games left to play.
ON THE MEND: RHP Mike Burrows (rt. elbow neuritis) made his first affiliate rehab start since his injury last night, working 4.1 scoreless inning for Triple A Sugar Land in their game at Round Rock. He allowed three hits and one walk with three strikeouts while tossing 67 pitches (43 strikes).
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2009 – In the Astros 6-2 loss at MIL, 2B Kazuo Matsui singles for his 2,000th combined hit between his career in Japan and his six years in the Majors. With 2,000 hits, Matsui is automatically inducted into Japan’s Meikyukai, similar to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, August 15, 6:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network, SCHN2 (Spanish)
Radio: KTRH 740 AM; KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 14: Max Muncy #13 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a double during the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium on August 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers face the best pitcher in baseball on Saturday at Dodger Stadium. Kyle Tucker will watch.
CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 14: Cleveland Guardians right fielder Chase DeLauter (24) singles during the third inning of the Major League Baseball interleague game between the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Guardians on August 14, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 18: Jaxson Hayes #11 of the Los Angeles Lakersdunks the ball during the game against the Utah Jazz on December 18, 2025 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Do you remember how nice it was when the Jazz used to have a good defense? I won’t blame you if you say no – 2022 was the last defense Utah has put forth that has been above league average, and even then, everyone knew it was a paper tiger. In recent years, the Jazz haven’t even had the luxury of a fool’s gold defense; over the past 4 years, the Jazz have been rated the 23rd, 30th, 30th, and 29th best defenses, respectively. While frustrating to watch, it was permissible (and maybe even advantageous) for these tanking iterations of the team. But now? The Jazz expect to win, and win they will not unless that defense takes a major step forward. And if defenses are really built on the shoulders of giants, then whichever free agent center Utah brought in this offseason had better be a real gamechanger.
This is, admittedly, an unfair expectation for new Jazzman Jaxson Hayes. However, it is true that competent teams often rely on competent big men – my pick for the best 4 teams last season (Spurs, Thunder, Knicks, Timberwolves) each fielded 48 minutes of above-average center minutes. Hayes will likely be asked to play similar minute totals to fellow Western backups, such as Luke Kornet and Jaylin Williams, and a certain level of dependability is a must if the Jazz want to at least competitively spar with these rival clubs.
The question that naturally follows, then, is “Can he do it?”. In an attempt to find an answer, I went on a journey. NBA.com offers the wonderful feature to watch the plays that accompany every one of a players box score statistics from a season, and of that I took full advantage in conducting my comprehensive Jaxson Hayes deep dive. I streamed each of his shot attempts, assists, steals, blocks, and turnovers, all in very quick succession, to supplement the understanding of his game that I already held with me as a dedicated fan of the NBA. Now, out of the goodness of my heart, I’ll present my findings from this statistical expedition, so no other Jazz fan will have to repeat this rather repetitive task.
Before I begin, Jaxson Hayes’s personal history requires a disclaimer. This article does not attempt to determine the contents of his character, or whether it was “right” for the Jazz to sign him. Hayes’s issues with domestic violence are horrific, and a blemish on him and his basketball career. However, whether one likes it or not, Hayes is on the team now, and will likely play semi-meaningful minutes. For that reason, I will focus my analysis on Hayes as a basketball player, rather than Hayes as a person.
The Basics
Name: Jaxson Hayes
Height: 7’0
Weight: 220 Pounds
Wingspan: 7’3.5
Stats: 66 GP, 9 GS, 18.3 MPG, 7.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 76/100/65 (on 2 three point attempts)
Offense
BROOKLYN, NY – FEBRUARY 3: Jaxson Hayes #11 and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on February 3, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Immediately, I realized that watching every Jaxson Hayes shot attempt would be a much more entertaining exercise than when I did the same for Josh Okogie. While both are fairly simple players who do not deviate from their highly specialized role, Jaxson Hayes’s particular set of skills happened to align perfectly with Lakers superstar, Luka Doncic. So, while I was technically watching Jaxson Hayes interior shot attempts, the real star of most of these plays was Luka, making mincemeat of the defense in the pick-and-roll. This was engaging to spectate, sure, but sparks doubt about just how replicable Hayes’s production would be in a Luka-less offense. Doncic is likely one of the 5 best pick-and-roll operators in league HISTORY, and is one of the best big-man amplifiers in the league today. While Keyonte made huge leaps as a passer this past season, and Collier has immense natural talent, neither come close to any of the poise, accuracy, and creativity of Doncic. This fear of mine is reflected statistically – in the 404 minutes Hayes played without Luka, the Lakers offensive rating was 5.9 points worse than league average. With both of them on the court? 8.9 points better than league average. On-off numbers are finnicky, to be sure, especially in single season samples, but the numbers paint a picture that matches logic and the film.
However, while the film clearly did show Luka and Hayes having a very synergistic relationship, I do not think that Hayes is completely dependent on Doncic. As a roller, I think Hayes is, while simplistic, rather effective. It all begins with his overwhelming, game-defining athleticism. Hayes covers ground, both horizontally and vertically, with explosive speed and range. His stride lengths are long, he gets off the ground remarkably fast, and he seems to stay in the air forever, which helps him both in the half court and transition. Additionally, while Luka is great at getting the ball to his teammates where they can score, Hayes first has to know where to be. After watching his shot attempts (makes and misses), I was impressed with Hayes’s understanding of space. He fills the areas he needs to fill, and is able to get open to catch Luka’s well-placed lob passes. With his athleticism and length, Hayes always seems to be in range for a dunk, and will place himself around the paint accordingly.
Put this all together, and Jaxson Hayes will perhaps be the best in-game dunker the Jazz have ever had.
(Before people get mad, yes, I know who Darrell Griffith and Jeremy Evans and Donovan Mitchell are. The argument for Hayes would be quantity+quality.)
I compared the simplicity of Hayes’s game to Okogie’s. Just as the majority of Okogie’s halfcourt attempts were catch-and-shoot three pointers, the majority of Hayes’s halfcourt attempts were catch-and-DUNK two pointers. For both, I got pretty good at anticipating how each shot attempt would go. If Okogie started to dribble in the film, I immediately got worried. Likewise, Hayes’s was by-far the most effective when he was asked to do as little as possible. Sometimes, he would fake a handoff to one of the Lakers 3 primary ball-handlers and attempt to drive to the rim, and this was rarely successful. Hayes isn’t the physically strongest guy, and when he’s driving into a set defense, he’s prone to get bodied off of his spots. While in a car, if you want to go forward, you shift to drive. If you want to go backward, you shift to reverse. Hayes functions in a similar way. He clearly has very distinct mindsets on offense that he struggles to switch between. While driving to the rim, you can tell he’s in the “score” gear and will be attempting a shot no matter what. He sometimes flashes pretty impressive passing (nothing crazy, but more impressive than you’d expect for a 0.9 APG center – NBA players are so good), but struggles to merge his passing gear and his scoring gear into one comprehensive offensive gear. For a player as simple as Hayes, this isn’t the biggest problem in the world – he isn’t often making the most complex decisions. In his limited role, it didn’t hurt his effectiveness too much; he still made his shots at a 76% clip, and the shot selection is rarely too abrasive. However, it certainly does limit his offensive ceiling, and means that he will likely continue to be slightly less than the sum of his parts on this end of the floor.
A few miscellaneous offensive notes;
Better touch outside of 3 feet from the rim than I expected. Didn’t take many, but his hooks and floaters were pretty efficient shots.
I don’t love his screening. Maybe it’s due to his weaker frame relative to other centers, but he sets a lot of slip or ghost screens which didn’t lead to much separation. Additionally, he uses his arms a lot in his screening form and sometimes starts to move a bit too early – expect a fair few moving screens this next season.
The offensive rebounding is nothing special, but if he does have adequate positioning down low, his combination of verticality and quick second and third jumps does help him a lot. Just doesn’t have the muscle to be too dominant of an offensive rebounder, however.
Defense
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 11: Jaxson Hayes #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers plays defense during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round Two Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 11, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
While far from a perfect defender, this is where Jaxson Hayes provides the majority of his impact. And, just like his offense, the strengths he provide on this end of the floor all rely heavily on his athleticism, which is legitimately in the 99th percentile of the 99th percentile.
Ground coverage is one the best skills you can bring defensively (if combined with some base level of basketball understanding), and Hayes is better than nearly everyone in the league at this one thing. His agility is legitimately freaky for a guy his size, and his motor revs pretty hot for a big man (except after he misses on offense – then, he’s prone to pouting before getting back on defense). He’s got the flexibility to change directions, the length and height to take up space, and the athleticism to get where he needs to be. On his good possessions, it feels that Hayes is nearly omnipresent – he can begin the play by switching onto a guard, following him closely on a drive to the rim, and then immediately pounce on a closeout to a corner shooter. His physical gifts give him such a high defensive ceiling on a play-to-play basis. For an example, look at the nimble feet he showcases following Hart to the rim, and the quick leaping ability to explode upwards and get the block.
Jaxson Hayes with the huge block, leading to a Luka Dončić lob to Rui Hachimura for the slam dunk (with replays) pic.twitter.com/mPpAOKcIoi
It’s easy to slot Hayes into the rim runner, drop defense archetype, but defensively, that isn’t quite right. He really doesn’t spend too much time in the paint, and isn’t the most effective when trying to function as a traditional defensive anchor. He doesn’t have the most core strength, and can get bumped from his interior positioning by bigger drivers. Additionally, his timing and positioning in drop defense isn’t really anything special. He does not attempt to play defense like Rudy Gobert or Walker Kessler, but this does not mean that he is not effective. He actually seems to be more in the ilk of a Jaren Jackson Jr., flying in from the weak side to help his teammates and make momentum shifting blocks. Switching appears to his preferred pick-and-roll coverage, as opposed to the more traditional drop. While I didn’t count while watching all 52 of his 2025-2026 blocks, it seemed to me that the majority of his blocks came off of these switches – the ball handlers sizes Hayes up, gets a step on him, and gets blocked from behind once he reaches the rim. This defensive style clearly benefits his athletic makeup; his ground coverage and agility aren’t maximized if he is consistently staying as close as he can to the basket. This switching style helps get rid of open midrange shots (his opponents shoot 2.5% worse in that area while he is on the court), but is less effective near the rim, where his opponents shoot 1.7% better while he’s out there. Overall, opposing offenses are less effective while Hayes plays, largely because he’s so able to muck things up and semi-competently play a variety of different defensive roles (fine at drop defense, positive as a switcher, positive as a help side defender).
Once again, though, Hayes is not perfect. He’s rather jumpy at times, biting on fakes that he really shouldn’t be biting on. His weaker physical frame leads to issues rebounding, and likely means he will need to be paired with a strong rebounder in the front court. His positioning is sometimes off – defense is a game of inches, where being one step to the left determines whether your opponent scores or misses. The best defenders make that seemingly inconsequential step more often than the only slightly above average defenders, but the impact those steps make over a season are immense. It’s why it’s sometimes difficult to see just what makes a prime Rudy Gobert or Draymond Green substantially better defensively than their peers – at some point on the defensive possession, they made a step, which causes their opponents to, rather inconspicuously, miss more shots every game. Hayes simply makes that step less than the best of the best.
Still, he is an overall positive on this end, even if we shouldn’t be expecting some game-changing force. He produces big, momentum shifting plays, and those have value. When Keyonte George is on a hot streak during game 3 of the first round of the 2027 Western Conference Playoffs, and Jaxson Hayes swats a Reed Sheppard floater into the fifth row, The Delta Center will be rocking. That big-play potential means something to me, and solidifies my slightly positive evaluation of Hayes’s defense.
Conclusion/How It All Fits
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 11: Jaxson Hayes #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after a slam dunk against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the third quarter in Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jaxson Hayes makes stuff happen – you can feel when he’s out there – and the Jazz do need someone like that (the team seemed to recognize this, with another signing, Okogie, also being a real shaker). However, does he make enough good things happen to play in the postseason? I’m not as sure about that. I appreciate the battle-tested dynamicity that Hayes brings to the team. He’s not going to fade into the background like Filipowski or Cody or Brice or Bamba tend to do. Instead, he’ll inject around 15 minutes per game of chaos, and I believe that is valuable. I just don’t think he does anything quite good enough to project him as someone that can certainly play on the biggest stage, especially offensively. While his defense is loud, I worry how tangible his offense will be against strong interior opponents without the buoy of Luka’s dominant playmaking. In the playoffs, the Jazz can’t afford to be playing 4v5 offensively, if the weak link isn’t guaranteeing a rather impressive level of defensive fortitude. So, while Hayes is good enough defensively to be be a regular season positive, will that be enough in a 7 game series against the Spurs? The Thunder? That remains to be seen.
Luckily for the Jazz, they do have a rather versatile front court, with different options that they can mix and match. I’m particularly excited to see minutes with both Hayes and Filipowski on the court, as I think their strengths and weaknesses are pretty synergistic with each other. With his shooting, Filipowski can play at the power forward, and provides the front court rebounding to mitigate Hayes’s rebounding in that department. Hayes’s switching and ground coverage, on the other end, insulate some of Filipowski’s defensive weaknesses. I’d also like to just have a taste of a Nurkic+Hayes front court – in his younger years, Hayes nearly split his minutes 50/50 between power forward and center, and would provide a jolt of athleticism next to Nurkic’s more ground bound style. This only makes sense is Nurkic can maintain and improve his shooting numbers next year.
After this deep dive, I believe I am in the camp that Hayes will provide good, dependable production in the regular season, eating minutes at an above-replacement level. I also expect his minutes to decline precipitously in the playoffs, where Jaren Jackson Jr. may play more as a backup center (much of the synergistic benefits Hayes provides to Filipowski can be given by Jackson as well). While much has been said about the problems that arise from JJJ center minutes, it’s not like Hayes is some dominant rebounder either – will the Jazz be losing that much by replacing his minutes with Jackson? This is not an indictment on Hayes – the team isn’t paying him very much money, so if he is just a regular season minute eater, you can’t really complain. He dunks, he blocks, and he tries, all of which will be appreciated by a Delta Center crowd anxious for things to, once again, begin to happen.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 14: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners bats during the fourth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on August 14, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners season is likely over, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop here at Lookout Landing.
Emerson Hancock takes the mound for the good guys today, and will oppose one of the skis tonight. No, not Jacob Misiorowski, nor Hayden Wrobelski, who face each other in Los Angeles — boy do I wish I was watching that game tonight instead. No, also not Parker Mushinski, who pitched in relief today for the Rockies. The Astros will instead hand the ball Hayden Wesneski. The two things I know about him is he’s a Houston native and someone the Mariners have smacked around in the past. I’d prefer to learn nothing new about him today.
I think we’ve passed the point where Lineup Analysis is interesting in any way. But hey, Brock Rodden is back in there at shortstop, and Victor Robles gets another start, this time in right field with Julio back in center.
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 14: Louis Varland #77 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches during a game against the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre on August 14, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yankees 1 Blue Jays 4
A few more runs would be ok, but it is so much fun watching the Jays lately. On a bullpen day, we beat one of the best pitchers in baseball.
We used seven pitchers:
Braydon Fisher was the opener. He threw a scoreless inning with just a walk in there.
Ricky Tiedeman got the next five outs. He did give up two hits and a run, but he also had two strikeouts in his first appearance in the majors. Great job.
Simeon Woods Richardson got the next seven outs. He allowed just 1 walk with two strikeouts.
Mason Fluharty pitched a 3 up, 3 down sixth.
Spencer Miles got the seventh. He gave up a hit, and had a strikeout. He gets the win.
Tyler Rogers gave up a single in the eighth, and struck out one.
Louis Varland was unhittable in the ninth. He gets save #28. That would tie him for the 22nd most saves in a season for the Jays. Randy Myers 1998 had 28.
The offense did more than enough, which, even in this little great stretch, is unusual.
We Scored:
1 in the third: After Charles McAdoo lined out hard to the first baseman, Brett Bateman walked. Nathan Lukes singled him to second and Alejandro Kirk singled him home. Nice to get a run off Cam Schlittler. Unfortunately Jesús Sánchez and Kazuma Okamoto popped out.
1 in the seventh: Ernie Clement (pinch hitting) singled and McAdoo doubled (a couple of feet higher and it would have been a home run) him home. Just an amazing read and run by Clement. Despite another single and a Lukes sac bunt (Yankees brought in lefty Brent Headrick). After an intentional walk to Kirk (smart move), Myles Straw (who came in as a pinch runner in the sixth) struck out (and beat his helmet into the ummm helmet rack after) and Okamoto lined out (98.6 mph, but into a glove).
2 in the eighth: Andrés Giménez led off with a single (and I would call that a clutch situation). Brandon Valenzuela was (barely) hit by a pitch. Yankees challenged but the replay showed it just touched his forearm on the way by). Clement singled to load the bases. McAdoo singled in one (he had a big day). After a Bateman fly out, Lukes very softly ground one down the first base line that the Yankees’ pitcher could only pick up the ball and tag Nathan, allowing our fourth run. The Yankees intentionally walked Kirk again, but Straw ground out.
We had ten hits and four walks (the Yankees had four hits and two walks). Bateman, Clement (coming into the game late) and McAdoo had two hits each. Lukes, Kirk (with two walks), Okamoto, and Giménez all had one.
Sánchez also had two walks. And he had a bad moment in the outfield too. Runner on second, single by George Lombard. The runner on second scored easy, but Sánchez still threw home, which allowed Lombard to get to second. The right move was to throw to the cutoff man. Thankfully, it didn’t end up costing us.
Valenzuela threw out Luis García trying to steal second. I thought García got a good jump, but Brandon made a great throw and Giménez made a great tag.
Jays of the Day: McAdoo (0.17), SWR (0.14) Rogers (0.12), Miles (0.09), Kirk (0.09) and Clement (0.09). Honourable mention to Bateman, Fisher, Fluharty and Varland.
Tomorrow, we have a 1:30 Eastern start time. Dylan Cease (7-5, 2.40) goes for the sweep. Ryan Weathers (5-7, 3.69) starts for the Yankees.
Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani has been dealing with a knee and biceps injury.
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani is making progress in a return to the rotation.
Ohtani threw his first bullpen in nearly a month on Friday and the next step for the right-hander will be another bullpen session and a live batting practice if all goes accordingly, manager Dave Roberts said Saturday.
The Dodgers have revealed their plan to ramp up Shohei Ohtani before returning to the mound. Brad Penner-Imagn Images
“Then,” Roberts said, “I would see him in a major league game.”
Ohtani was in the midst of a Cy Young performance, sporting a 1.79 ERA with 95 strikeouts across 85.2 innings of work this season. The 32-year-old’s pitching clinic was halted by a knee and biceps injury, which essentially halted his two-way duties for the foreseeable future.
Barring any setbacks, it appears Ohtani is on track to return to the rotation in the coming weeks.
While the rotation certainly misses Ohtani, his absence has also caused problems for the Dodgers bullpen. The overtaxed unit has gone from eight to seven relievers, a factor in the recent poor performance from Dodgers relievers.
Ohtani, the pitcher, hasn’t made a start for the Dodgers since July 3. But Ohtani, the hitter, has continued grinding.
Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani has been dealing with a knee and biceps injury. Wally Skalij for CA Post
The Dodgers two-way star is hitting .290 with 27 home runs, 74 RBIs and a .930 OPS. There have been several questions surrounding Ohtani’s performance at the plate in 2026, particularly surrounding the taxing workload of a dominant pitcher.
Though Ohtani’s offensive numbers haven’t been as strong as his first two seasons with the Dodgers, his success as a two-way star has put him at the forefront of the MVP race.
Former members of the Vancouver Canucks will take the spotlight in this off-season article series. From those skating with new NHL teams heading into the 2026–27 season to those who are now playing for international clubs, these featured players have skated in at least one game at the NHL level as a member of the Canucks.
Today’s segment will take a look at the 11 former Canucks that are set to compete for teams in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division during the 2026–27 season.
While Chatfiled may have only played in 18 games with Vancouver, the defenceman was part of the Canucks organization for much longer than that. Prior to making the jump to the NHL with Vancouver, Chatfield playaed for the Canucks’ then-AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, from 2017–18 to 2019–20. After his 18 games with Vancouver in 2020–21, he signed with the Hurricanes in free-agency.
After five seasons with the Hurricanes, Chatfield became a Stanley Cup champion in 2025–26, winning the trophy alongside Carolina after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in six games during the Stanley Cup Final. The defenceman had a goal and seven assists in 19 post-season games. He’ll enter the final season of a three-year contract with the Hurricanes come the start of 2026–27.
As a Canuck, Garland quickly made a name for himself as a hustling, no-quit player who put effort into every shift that he played in. He set a new career-high in points in his first season with the Canucks in 2021–22, scoring 19 goals and 33 assists in 77 games. In every near full-season he played for Vancouver in, he consistently registered season point-totals of above 45.
Though he signed a six-year contract extension with Vancouver during the 2025 off-season, he was traded ahead of the 2026 Trade Deadline and now plays for the Blue Jackets. In his first 21 games with Columbus, he scored five goals and two assists. Four of these goals came within his first three games with his new team.
Danton Heinen, Columbus Blue Jackets
Vancouver acquired Heinen by signing him to a two-year contract during the 2024 free-agency period. The forward only ended up skating in 51 games for the Canucks though, scoring six goals and 12 assists, before he was shipped back to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a trade package for defenceman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O’Connor.
Heinen was traded once again in 2025, this time being sent to Columbus along with two picks in exchange for Egor Chinakov. The forward skated in 33 games with the Blue Jackets in 2025–26, putting up five goals and five assists. Columbus signed him to a one-year, $1M extension during the off-season.
Erik Gudbranson, Columbus Blue Jackets
A veteran defenceman who spent three seasons with the Canucks, Gudbranson came to Vancouver via trade with the Florida Panthers. In his first year with Vancouver, 2016–17, he averaged a near career-high of 20:20 minutes per game, but saw his ice time drop slowly in the following seasons. He was traded to the Penguins in 2019 in exchange for Tanner Pearson.
After stints with the Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators, and Calgary Flames, Gubranson seems to have found a fit in Columbus, having spent the past four seasons with the Blue Jackets and re-upping with the team with a one-year extension. In 2025–26, he scored a goal and two assists in 37 games but missed most of the season due to various injuries.
The captain of the Canucks for four of the nine seasons he spent with the team, Horvat quickly established himself as a leader as his time with Vancouver went on. The forward put up his first 20-goal season with Vancouver in 2016–17, registering his first 30-goal year in 2021–22. After 621 games with the Canucks, Horvat was traded to the Islanders in January of 2023.
After being acquired by New York, Horvat signed an eight-year contract that enters its fourth year at the start of the 2026–27 season. Though injuries slightly derailed his season, Horvat notched the fourth 30-goal season of his NHL career in 2025–26, putting up 31 goals and 26 assists in 68 games. He was also named to Canada’s 2026 Winter Olympic team.
Mar 3, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing J.T. Miller (8) controls the puck against New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (14) during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Miller was acquired via draft-day trade in 2019, with the forward immediately setting a then career-high (72 points) in his first year with the Canucks in 2019–20. He continued to follow these efforts up with more career-highs in 2021–22 (99 points) and 2023–24 (103 points), before he was traded to the team that drafted him, the Rangers, in January of 2025.
Miller, who’d spent six seasons with New York in his first stint with the team, was named the captain of the Rangers at the beginning of the 2025–26 season. He scored 17 goals and 36 assists in 68 games with New York and also won a Gold medal with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Including the 2026–27 season, Miller has four more years remaining on the seven-year contract he initially signed with Vancouver.
Marcus Pettersson, New York Rangers
Part of one of the most notable days in recent Canucks history, Pettersson was acquired in the second trade made by Vancouver on January 31, 2025. The defenceman was signed to a six-year contract extension only a couple of games after that, though he only ended up playing in one of them for Vancouver before being flipped to the Rangers for a 2030 first-round pick.
In his first and only full-season with the Canucks, Pettersson was one of only three players to skate in all 82 games for Vancouver. He put up three goals and 15 assists but struggled defensively at times. Pettersson still has five years remaining in his $5.5M AAV deal.
A former near 40-goal scorer for the Canucks, Kuzmenko was a highly sought-out free-agent when Vancouver first signed him in July of 2022. He put together an impressive 74-point campaign in his first NHL season in 2021–22 but quickly saw his play drop-off after. Kuzmenko was packaged up and sent to the Flames in the Elias Lindholm deal in 2023–24.
Since his time with the Canucks, Kuzmenko hasn’t quite hit that same offensive gear that he found in his first NHL season. He spent the 2025–26 season with the Los Angeles Kings, scoring 13 goals and 12 assists in 52 games. The forward missed a good chunk of the end of the regular season recovering from surgery for a torn meniscus, slotting in to play in one game during the Kings’ post-season run. He has since signed a one-year, $5M deal with the Penguins.
Artūrs Šilovs, Pittsburgh Penguins
Šilovs has had some of the most memorable moments in his career throughout the past few seasons, ranging from helping Latvia to their first medal at the IIHF World Championships in 2023, to being named MVP of the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs with Abbotsford. He made a name for himself in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs by backstopping Vancouver to Game 7 of the second-round after injuries to both Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith.
Traded to the Penguins during the 2025 off-season, Šilovs continued his stretch of notable play in pressure-filled situations by winning two of his three starts in Pittsburgh’s first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers in 2026. He registered a SV% of .900 or higher in all three games, including allowing only one goal in the eventual series-clincher for the Flyers. With Stuart Skinner departing in free-agency, it appears Šilovs could take the role of starting goaltender for Pittsburgh.
One of three pieces acquired in the Horvat trade, Beauvillier spent a total of 55 games with the Canucks split over 2022–23 and 2023–24. He put together 11 goals and 17 assists during this span of time. In November of 2023, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for a conditional fifth-round pick in 2024.
A couple more trades resulted in Beauvillier finding his way to Washington, with whom he signed a two-year contract extension with in 2025. He played in all 82 games for the Capitals in his first full season with the team, doing so for the first time in his NHL career, and scoring 15 goals and 13 assists.
Vincent Desharnais, Washington Capitals
Signed and traded by the Canucks within the span of less than a season, Desharnais skated in 34 games in his time with Vancouver, recording three assists. He was traded to the Penguins as part of the Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor deal, finding himself on the move a month later after also being traded from Pittsburgh to the San Jose Sharks.
Desharnais stuck with the Sharks for the 2025–26 season, playing in 53 games and logging a career-high average of 18:11 minutes played per game. He also put together a goal and six assists in this span. Notably, he signed a four-year, $4.2M AAV contract with the Capitals during the 2026 free-agency period.
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TORONTO — Perhaps because there is not much else he can do at the moment, Aaron Boone sat in his office Saturday after another familiar loss and pointed to his lineup card.
“I’m looking at these names, [they’re] all capable of doing really big things for us,” the Yankees manager said.
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And yet, in the same breath, he acknowledged the other reality they are facing.
“This is who we got,” Boone said. “These are our guys.”
And more often than not lately, regardless of who they are facing or which names are in the lineup, they have not been good enough.
Once again, the Yankees were shut down Saturday, this time being four-hit by a parade of seven Blue Jays relievers in a 4-1 loss on an otherwise beautiful afternoon at Rogers Centre.
Including the playoffs, the Yankees (68-55) are just 3-11 north of the border dating back to last year, but they can’t hit in any country these days. Since June 20 — a few weeks after Aaron Judge last played a game — the Yankees have averaged just 3.3 runs per game. It has been worse of late, scoring just three runs over their past 27 innings — resulting in three losses that dropped them to seven games back of the Rays entering their Saturday night game — and scoring two runs or fewer in 10 of their past 15 games.
Cam Schlittler of the New York Yankees pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on August 15, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Getty Images
“Of course, you’re going to go through ups and downs in a season — I’d say we definitely wouldn’t ever expect it to go so long,” Ben Rice said. “But with that being said … we’re going to come out of it. Once we get rolling, hope to start stringing more wins together.”
Before this series — which will end Sunday with the resurgent Blue Jays (61-64) throwing their ace, Dylan Cease — the Yankees had gone 5-1-1 in their past seven series, four against playoff teams. And yet, even most of their wins have been excruciating, nail-biting games in which their offense has mustered just enough to narrowly avoid wasting quality starting pitching.
That was not the case Saturday, with Cam Schlittler becoming the latest victim, as the Blue Jays broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning off Brent Headrick then added two insurance runs in the eighth off Tim Hill.
“Having some of the right at-bats, but then at the back end of the game, just shut down and kind of went silent again,” Boone said. “Broken record. Obviously, we know we got to be better.”
Asked about what he could do to get his offense going, Boone responded that he could “maybe shake up the order a little bit here and there,” which sounded more like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. And there is no magic bullet sitting on the bench — instead it resides on the injured list, in the form of Judge (who just started playing catch Friday), Cody Bellinger (who could be back by next weekend) and Giancarlo Stanton (who has been out since late April and remains a mystery for when and in what form he will return).
Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk (30) celebrates hitting an RBI single against the New York Yankees during the third inning at Rogers Centre. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
But the Yankees do, in fact, have to continue playing games until they return, and cannot afford to just wait for them to save the day.
Saturday, they got off to a solid start when their two youngest hitters in the lineup, Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. strung a single, stolen base and single together to create a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
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But they did not have another hit until the seventh inning, when Luis García Jr. led off with a single, just to be promptly erased as he was caught stealing second base. García stole just four bases with the Nationals this season but Boone cited Blue Jays righty Spencer Miles being slow to the plate and trying to “exploit” that to make something happen.
Along the way, the Yankees’ best run-suppressing starter (Schlittler in 5 ¹/₃ innings) and reliever (Headrick) each dared to give up a run, which was effectively too much for their offense to overcome.
“We had one offensive explosion [scoring 10 runs Wednesday against the Mariners], and if not for what we’ve been going through the last couple months, these last few days are a little bit of tough luck involved, where guys are hitting some balls on the screws, we’re putting the ball in play mostly,” Boone said. “But it’s the big leagues and we’re fighting down the stretch now to be a playoff team.”
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 15: Spencer Jones #78 of the New York Yankees celebrates after hitting a single in the second inning during the game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Saturday, August 15, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Colton Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
There are ways and ways of losing a low-scoring game, and when it feels as though you’ve underperformed far more than simply being dominated, the frustration level rises, such as in this 4-1 defeat to the Blue Jays. Held quietly by the Jays in a bullpen game, the Yankees lost their fourth straight Schlittler start.
Making matters even worse, the Yankees actually got on the board early thanks to George Lombard Jr., who has been a breath of fresh air for an offense in desperate need of one. His early numbers aren’t spectacular, but as a shortstop who puts the bat on the ball and makes key plays both ways, the RBI single in the second—driving in Spencer Jones—was just the latest of these.
That one run could’ve led to more if the Yankees as a whole were more reliable in seizing opportunities, Lombard taking second after the Jays left fielder foolishly didn’t throw the ball to second. Then in scoring position with just one out, Lombard was stranded as the Blue Jays pounced on the sequence of lefties at the bottom of the Yankees order—Ricky Tiedemann, making his major league debut, retired Ryan McMahon and Austin Wells.
It didn’t take long for the Jays to hurt Cam Schlittler for the first time, stringing a sequence of unlikely hits together—none more so than a Nathan Lukes single to the opposite field on a fastball well above the belt. Lukes’ knock presented a two-on and one-out situation for Alejandro Kirk, who hit a groundball to second, just escaping Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s glove and a potential double play to instead drive in a run. Facing an even bigger threat than Tiedemann an inning before, Schlittler punched out Jesús Sánchez and came back from a 3-0 count to retire Kazuma Okamoto and keep the score at one-all.
That sequence in the second of Lombard reaching only to be stranded by the bottom of the order’s inability to make something happen happened again in the fifth—this time even without a lefty to retire McMahon and Wells, the latter on a double play induced by Simeon Woods Richardson. Needing to look somewhere for length in the hope of not completely wearing down the bullpen, the Jays got 2.1 scoreless from Richardson. The right-hander has found success in the early samples of his return to Toronto, being this long-relief option out of the bullpen.
In the sixth, the Yankees had a favorable matchup with Helliot Ramos hitting against the lefty Mason Fluharty, who was brought in to handle Trent Grisham and Ben Rice. Not only did Ramos not manage to make strong contact, but without hustling down the line, he was thrown out despite Andrés Giménez’s initial bobble at short.
Schlittler left the game during the sixth after a couple of men reached with just one out and was at the mercy of the bullpen. The Yankees’ starter saw his line preserved by Brent Headrick, who punched out Andrés Giménez and retired Brandon Valenzuela.
Changing things up on the path to not scoring, the Yankees’ disappointment in the seventh came on an ill-advised stolen base attempt from Luis Garcia Jr. after leading off the inning with a single. Afterward, Spencer Jones was struck out by Spencer Miles on six pitches, not a single one of them a strike. The list of letdown at-bats grew longer by the minute.
Each of these wasted chances felt like it brought the Blue Jays closer and closer to a win. Eventually, the Yankees staff wasn’t going to keep up the zeroes, and that happened in the bottom of the seventh. Charles McAdoo narrowly missed out on a home run but got enough for an RBI double off the left-hander Headrick. Paul Blackburn pitched his way out of the mess created by Headrick and stranded the bases loaded. However, an inning later the Jays added a pair of insurance runs off Tim Hill, the first Yankee pitcher in this game to truly be off it, allowing the first four hitters he faced to reach safely. Even then, much like in the previous frame, a Yankees pitcher stranded the bases loaded, this time Yerry De Los Santos.
Those insurance runs felt as irrelevant as they could be because Louie Varland dominated the bottom of the ninth in such a fashion that getting someone on base would’ve been a massive task. The Blue Jays closer struck out the side to wrap up yet another loss at Rogers Centre.
If the life of the Yankees offense hasn’t been easy in the first two games of this series, expect further difficulties in Sunday’s finale at 1:37 p.m. The Yanks will try to avoid the sweep, sending Ryan Weathers to face off against the Jays’ ace, Dylan Cease.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow pitches during the top of the fifth inning of a game against the Texas Rangers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif., on Friday, April 10, 2026. (2026 Carlin Stiehl)
Tyler Glasnow will rejoin the Dodgers’ rotation after making one more start in the minor leagues, manager Dave Roberts said on Saturday.
Glasnow, who hasn’t pitched in a major league game since May 6, retired 11 of 13 batters he faced on Friday night in a start for the Dodgers’ triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.
Los Angeles Rams player Myles Garrett meets Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow before a game against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij/For the California Post) Wally Skalij for CA Post
“It was a good one yesterday,” Roberts said. “I think our thought is going to do another one, five (innings) and 75 (pitches), and then he’ll join us.”
Glasnow threw 67 pitches in 3 ⅔ innings on Friday night.
Glasnow was 3-0 with a 2.72 earned-run average in seven starts when he was placed on the injured list.
The 6-foot-8 right-hander made a conscious effort to put on weight over the offseason in hopes that it could help him remain healthy. In his first season with the Dodgers, in 2024, his season was cut short by an elbow strain. He missed 2 ½ months last year because of a strained shoulder.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow pitches during the top of the fifth inning of a game against the Texas Rangers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif., on Friday, April 10, 2026. (2026 Carlin Stiehl) Carlin Stiehl for CA Post
Roberts and the front office could be forced to make difficult decisions leading into the postseason. The Dodgers are expected to use a four-man rotation in October, and if Ohtani is able to pitch an inning or two per game as an opener, Glasnow could be asked to pitch out of the bullpen.
Glasnow started three playoff games on the Dodgers’ championship run last year, but he also pitched in three games as a reliever, including the Games 6 and 7.
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CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 18: Jared Jones #17 of the Pittsburgh Pirates throws a pitch during the first inning in game one of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on July 18, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the middle game of a three-game set, as they take on the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park.
Jared Jones will get the start for the Pirates, and he is hoping to get out of a recent funk. He has lost each of his last three starts, including his most recent appearance against the New York Mets on August 9, when he pitched only three innings and gave up six hits and eight earned runs in an 11-1 thrashing of the Pirates. Jones has not won in nearly a month, but his team has struggled to score on offense with him on the mound. During the last four games he has pitched in, the Pirates have scored a combined five runs and have not scored more than two in a single game.
It won’t be easy for the Pirates to score tonight as Sonny Gray takes the mound for the Red Sox. Gray has the most wins out of any pitcher in the American League with 14, but he is coming off a loss in his last start against the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched six innings, giving up six hits and two earned runs, but the offense was not clicking like it normally does, resulting in a 2-1 loss at the Rogers Center.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, FOX
Pitching Matchup: Sonny Gray (14-3, 2.79 ERA) vs. Jared Jones (2-4, 5.03 ERA)
BD community, chime off in the comments section below.
Douglass had first broken record with 23.49sec in heats
Kate Douglass lowered her own world record in the women’s 50m freestyle for the second time in one day, winning the Pan Pacific Championships final in 23.19sec.
In the morning preliminaries, the 24-year-old American swam 23.49 to take the mark away from teammate Gretchen Walsh, who finished second in the evening final in 23.74. Australia’s reigning world champion Meg Harris was third in 23.89.
This past week, the Portland City Council approved $120 million to pay for much-needed renovations to the Moda Center, home to the Portland Trail Blazers. Combined with already approved state and county funds, that totals $586 million for the renovations.
However, all the funding hinges on the Trail Blazers agreeing to a new lease that would keep the team in Portland through 2050. The Trail Blazers — particularly owner Tom Dundon — and the city disagree over some key terms of that lease and are entering negotiations. There is a deadline to sign that lease by the end of the year, or the state money ($365 million) goes away.
There are two ways this is likely to play out: Either, by Dec. 17 (a deciding City Council vote on the lease terms), the City of Portland and Dundon's Trail Blazers will have agreed on a new lease that will keep the beloved franchise in Portland for another two decades; or we will know that Dundon bought the team with the intention of moving it, a script the Pacific Northwest has seen before.
What does Dundon want?
Notice that the Trail Blazers themselves are not on the list of groups contributing to the Moda Center refurbishment — Dundon said at a meeting in Portland he thought the team contributed enough by the taxes it pays in the state. That follows his pattern since buying the team.
Dundon has not made friends in Oregon since buying the Trail Blazers — and absolutely wasted the honeymoon period new owners usually get with fan bases. He has come off as entitled, a billionaire penny-pincher treating the team like a private equity asset, not acting as a steward of a brand and franchise important to the community.
There have been so many penny-pinching moves. There was the public relations mess of not bringing two-way players to a postseason game. There was the story of the team masseuse and other Portland personnel waiting for hours in a hotel lobby because he wouldn't pay for late checkouts. There was the lowballing of coaching offers — something he denied but was discussed plenty around the league — that ultimately saw a successful coach in Tiago Splitter head to Chicago (while they found a good coach in Mica Nori, he had to sign an owner-friendly contract, essentially a one-year deal, that the coaches' association decried). A lot of team staff was let go on the business side. Most recently, long-time and popular Trail Blazers television play-by-play voice Kevin Calabro walked after refusing a "subprime" offer, while analyst Michael Holton, studio hosts Neil Everett and Jamie Hudson, radio voice Travis Demers, and Tom Haberstroh, who brought a statistical take, were all let go.
Dundon and the Trail Blazers say the organization has been losing money, and argue this was cutting out fat and waste. The team says the primary reason it is losing money is an unfavorable lease deal. Dundon and the Trail Blazers argue that in negotiations with the city, they need to get the best deal possible to make the team profitable. To fans in Portland? It all reads as what people nationwide have come to despise about billionaires and private equity.
The City Council approved a term sheet with the money, and that's what the negotiations over the coming months will be about. The city sees its term sheet as putting in protections for itself in this process, but Dundon has already dismissed the sheet out of hand.
What are the expected issues with the negotiation?
• It's going to start with the $3 million annual rent charge.
Portland City Council approves amended Moda Center by an 8-4 vote.
Added more than $3m annual rent to a term sheet that Blazers already scoffed at, so some tough negotiations ahead. But it's a term sheet nonetheless.
• Taxes. The city gets a six percent tax on each ticket sold and every parking fee at the building. The team wants that number reduced.
• The city wants the Trail Blazers to agree to hire union workers for the renovations and construction process, as well as for concession workers and others on game night.
• The Trail Blazers want increased security in and around the arena on game night and for the city to pay for that.
The Trail Blazers see all of this as costing the team money.
Could Dundon move the team?
Never say never, but this would be an incredibly tough sell to the NBA league office and the 29 other owners. While the term sheet can be negotiated, local and state governments stepped up with money to do the renovations. That matters.
Also worth noting, one of the challenges with the Trail Blazers has been that they are isolated on the map, there is not another team in the Pacific Northwest, which makes travel much longer. That appears likely to change in the next few years if (really, when) an expansion team in Seattle is approved — the league doesn't want to put a team in Portland and have them be the ones isolated.
Where would Dundon move the team? With expansion teams — paying massive franchise fees — targeted for Seattle and Las Vegas, the league is not going to let another team swoop in and take over those markets. Maybe he wants to move the team to Raleigh, North Carolina, where his NHL team, the Hurricanes, play. That, however, is about 170 miles from an existing NBA team in Charlotte, and you can bet that ownership group would push back about having another team in what they see as their market.
Also, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, back when he was David Stern's deputy, led the push to find an owner and keep the Kings in Sacramento. He didn't let that team move to a bigger market in Seattle. Silver likes stability. Finally, make no mistake, moving the team out of Portland would be a public relations disaster for the league.
Never say never with the NBA, but Dundon finding the political will with the league and the other 29 owners to sign off on him moving the team is a long shot.
That is not going to make the negotiations over the next couple of months any easier. Expect both sides to try to negotiate through the public in the coming months, there will be contentious moments, but in the end, the money is on the table to get the upgrades done. A deal should be struck.
Unless Dundon never had any intention of striking a deal.
