St. Louis Blues defensive prospects Luke Schairer, Nick Bogas, and Landon Nycz have been invited to Team USA’s World Junior Summer Showcase roster.
The camp, which will feature practices and games between players from the United States, Canada, Finland, and Sweden, will be held July 26-Aug. 1 at WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario. It’s the first evaluation step for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship.
But also featured on the roster are a trio of Blues prospects.
Luke Schairer was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the third round, 75th overall, in the 2026 NHL Draft. Schairer is a 6-foot-3 right-handed defenseman set to play with the Peterborough Petes in the 2026-27 season. Schairer is a great skater who projects to be a shutdown defender with a solid NHL frame.
Landon Nycz, another defenseman, was drafted by the Blues one round later, in the fourth round, 107th overall. Nycz is a 6-foot-2, left-handed defender set to play his sophomore season with the University of Massachusetts next season. Nycz is also more of a defensive defenseman, but he was born in late 2007 and is entering his final year of world junior eligibility.
The final player invited to the camp is Nick Bogas. Bogas was taken in the fifth round, 139th overall, by the Blues in the 2026 NHL draft. Although he is listed at just six feet, Bogas is a physical defender who thrives on the defensive side of the puck.
At the moment, these three Blues prospects are the outside looking in for making the 2027 world junior roster, but strong camps could put them on the radar.
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A two-time Stanley Cup Champion (2024, 2025): He anchored the Florida Panthers to back-to-back championships, solidifying his legacy as an elite big-game goaltender.
A two-time Vezina Trophy Winner (2012–13, 2016–17): Won both during his tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets, making him one of only a handful of active goalies with multiple Vezina Trophies.
Bobrovsky was 27–23–1 and posted an .877 save percentage. The 38-year-old improves Toronto's goaltending. He's reunited with Anthony Stolarz. Both won a Cup together in Florida in 2024.
Bobrovsky To Toronto Imminent?
1:56 p.m. ET — Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman suggests that Bobrovski's arrival in Toronto is imminent.
I do believe the Sergei Bobrovsky to Toronto arrival is upon us
1:35 p.m. ET — Perhaps a Zach Werenski trade will not be happening on July 1.'
According to TSN's Darren Dreger, Werenski, his agent Judd Moldaver and Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell all spoke in an effort to clear the air and talk things down.
Sounds like Werenski, his agent Judd Moldaver, and CBJ GM Don Waddell spoke today in an effort to clear the air and calm things down. Werenski is comfortable going back to CBJ. Waddell could present him with a trade in the meantime, but that isn’t on the radar at this point.
The Maple Leafs were reportedly interested in adding Roslovic as a free agent last season but couldn't agree on salary and term. He ended up signing with the Edmonton Oilers.
He scored 21 goals and 15 assists in 69 games with the Oilers last season. The Leafs get someone who can put the puck in the net.
Leafs and Sissons Talking
12:22 p.m. ET — Per TSN's Darren Dreger, the Toronto Maple Leafs are engaging in talks with free agent forward Colton Sissons, but nothing is done yet.
The 32-year-old played in a bottom-six center role with the Vegas Golden Knights last season. His cap hit last season was $2,857,143.
End Of The Nick Robertson Era In Toronto
11:04 a.m. ET — Just two days removed from the Toronto Maple Leafs tendering Nick Robertson a qualifying offer to retain his rights, comes word that the club has moved him to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round draft pick
Robertson goes to Pittsburgh, where he will be reunited with former Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas.
The 24-year-old has 16 goals and 16 assists in 78 games with the Leafs in 2026.
Werenski chatter
The Maple Leafs are making a play to try to acquire defenseman Zach Werenski. TSN's Darren Dreger was a guest on First Up with Aaron Korolnek and Carlo Colaiacovo, saying chatter between the two clubs has NOT included forward Matthew Knies, who himself has been the subject of much trade speculation.
10:26 a.m. ET, Dreger clarified his comments on Werenski.
It’s been assumed Knies will be part of a package if Toronto lands Zach Werenski. See how things develop, but there’s a chance the Leafs won’t have to give up the power forward if this trade comes together.
There has been a lot of chatter surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs and goaltender Sergei Bobrovski. The former Florida Panthers goalie is expected to hit the market at noon. According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, a last-ditch effort from the Panthers to keep him fell apart after Bobrovski asked for $21 million over three years.
Is that the right price for Toronto? Time will tell.
Bobrovsky Scotiabank Arena Photo Was Real
Hockey Insider Frank Seravalli feels a union between the Leafs and Bobrovsky is inevitable. There was a picture going around a few weeks ago that showed Bobrovsky on the jumbotron at Scotiabank Arena. Seravalli was a guest on The Fan Morning Show on Wednesday and said the photo was real.
"I've confirmed that was real," Seravalli said. "This Bobrovsky thing was a 'hey, get this ready in case he's coming and we can pitch him in person, it was one of those situations. This didn't mean in the moment that it was locked in, but there were planning to be pursuing him."
Updated regularly...
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Ariel Hukporti is leaving the Knicks to sign a one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Hukporti's contract will pay him $3.4 million with the Knicks' Eastern Conference rivals.
Acquired in a draft night trade with the Mavericks in 2024, Hukporti played just 25 games as a rookie but saw his role expand in his second season, playing 54 games while averaging 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds.
The 7-footer provided some quality depth behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, and also logged some key minutes during this year's championship run, averaging 10.8 minutes per game in the four-game sweep of the Sixers.
With Philadelphia, Hukporti will provide depth behind Joel Embiid and Adem Bona.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 14: Kaedan Korczak #6 of the Vegas Golden Knights skates with the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period in Game Six of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Not every trade or roster move needs to be a franchise-altering move to also be considered a smart move.
Tuesday’s Kaedan Korczak for Parker Wotherspoon trade is a good example of that for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It is not something you are likely to look back on and say, “that is a major turning point for the franchise.” But it is something that makes a great deal of sense, and I’m a little surprised at the mass confusion (and even some criticism) that it has received.
Wotherspoon ended up being an excellent signing for the Penguins, and one that worked out significantly better than anybody could have hoped for a year ago when it was completed. Wotherspoon shockingly filled out the left-side role on the top-pairing next to Erik Karlsson, was a strong complement to him, and had by far the best season of his career.
And now the Penguins trade him?
Well.
Yeah.
And I completely get it.
For as strong as Wotherspoon played and worked out during the 2025-26 season in his role, there are a few important factors to keep in mind.
He is entering the final year of his contract and, given the ballooning rate of mid-level and lower-level NHL player contracts under the rising salary cap, his number was about to rise. Dramatically.
Would that have been a smart investment for the Penguins? He is going to be 30 years old when that next contract kicks in, and has really only excelled at the NHL level while playing alongside a future Hall of Famer in Karlsson for one season. If you want the Penguins to get younger, giving a 30-year-old defenseman that has a limited track record of NHL success a big-money deal is not going to accomplish that.
Prior to joining the Penguins he had 16 points in 108 games and was mostly an organizational depth defenseman. His numbers and contributions away from Karlsson, even this past season, kind of matched that level of play.
What Wotherspoon did have going for him initially was that despite the lack of production and games played, he had mostly posted strong underlying numbers in smaller roles that he typically won.
The latter point is key for Korczak, because he is basically in the same situation coming from Vegas. He is a younger version of what Wotherspoon initially was for the Penguins.
From an underlying numbers perspective, Korczak has been wildly effective in his smaller, depth roles.
Over the past three seasons the Golden Knights outscored teams by a 102-68 margin when Korczak was on the ice during 5-on-5 play. That was the best 5-on-5 goal-differential among Vegas defensemen, and fourth-best among 295 defensemen that logged at least 500 minutes.
His 54.51 expected goal share was fourth-best among Vegas defenders over that time and 19th among the aforementioned 295 defenders across the league.
His 2.12 expected goals against (and 1.88 actual goals against) per 60 minutes were tops on Vegas. That expected goals against number was third-best in the NHL while the 1.88 actual goals against were ninth-best.
This isn’t to say that Korczak is one of the best defensemen in the league, or that he was even Vegas’ best defenseman. That’s not the point here. The point is he was given a specific role, even in sheltered minutes, and performed exceptionally well in that role. He’s probably earned a bigger opportunity and a bigger role to see what he does with it. Maybe he gets better and handles it well. Maybe he doesn’t and he remains as a highly effective depth defenseman. Either way, it’s a younger player onto the roster.
He is also four years younger than Wotherspoon and already signed long-term with some cost-certainty on what should be a favorable contract with a $3.25 million salary cap number. When you see what bottom-pairing defensemen are going to start going for, it’s going to look even better. Especially as the salary cap skyrockets in the coming seasons. A $3.25 million cap hit on a $104 million cap is the equivalent of a $2.95 million cap hit under the 2025-26 cap of $95.5 million. When the cap rises up to $113 million in 2027-28 it will be the equivalent of a $2.6 million cap number.
The Penguins needed to find a defense version of Egor Chinakhov. They needed to find some younger legs, especially on their back-end where most of their 2025-26 roster was either on the wrong side of 30, or rapidly approach it. This is a nice swing at that. And even if Korczak doesn’t blossom the same way here, it’s still a nice brick to have at the bottom of your lineup that you know can fill a specific role.
Kyle Dubas made mention after the draft of this potentially being a more methodical brick-by-brick process.
This is a brick.
It’s a smart brick with a little bit of upside at a fair cost.
I’m also not overly concerned about the left spot on the top-pairing on July 1, because a year ago at this time we also had no idea who the left spot on the top-pairing would be. If you had proposed it being Wotherspoon, even after he was signed, you probably would have been laughed at. There is a lot of time to fill that spot, and as long as Karlsson is on the roster I am confident the Hall of Famer will make it work. Just as he did with Wotherspoon.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 14: Defenseman Alexander Nikishin #21, Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov #52 and Right Wing Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrate winning the Stanley Cup after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in game six of the Stanley Cup Final on June 14, 2026 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Matthew Bolt/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
First of all, happy Canada Day to our friends north of the border!
The trade and free agent rumors are hot and continue to be flying. Late last night it was revealed that Zach Werenski vetoed a trade to Dallas. Supposedly the Hurricanes are still trying to sign John Carlson.
Also, Alexander Nikishin’s name has been in everyone’s mouths.
Free agency officially starts at noon today.
The nice thing about all of this is that the Canes are not desperate and they don’t have to do anything if they choose not to. Worst case scenario might be to just keep the rights to Nikishin and let him think about taking a lesser salary than he wanted, or go back to Russia.
Although, I still would not be surprised to see Carolina do something big no one has talked about.
If you have thoughts, feel free to leave them in the comments of our “open thread”
NHL free agency opened at noon ET on Wednesday, July 1, and a lot more could go on than just unrestricted free agents changing teams.
The unrestricted free agent pool includes two-time Stanley Cup winner Sergei Bobrovsky and defensemen John Carlson and Rasmus Andersson.
Players whose contracts run out in 2027 are free to sign extensions. Key players in that group are reigning MVP Nikita Kucherov, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes and San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini.
Big-name restricted free agents such as Jason Robertson, Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier also need new contracts for next season.
He'll average $7 million in a three-year deal, according to multiple reports. Bobrovsky, 37, has won two Stanley Cups and two Vezina Trophies, but he's coming off his worst season. Still, he's an established goalie who can help the Maple Leafs as they try to come back from the end of their nine-year playoff run. He'll be reunited with Anthony Stolarz, his former backup in Florida.
Sounds like Werenski, his agent Judd Moldaver, and CBJ GM Don Waddell spoke today in an effort to clear the air and calm things down. Werenski is comfortable going back to CBJ. Waddell could present him with a trade in the meantime, but that isn’t on the radar at this point.
He'll average $8.25 million in the deal, up from $8 million in his last contract. He adds a physical presence to the Sharks and he scored 10 goals last season with the Ducks.
He'll average $3.75 million over two years. The question is whether he's a backup or is the No. 1. The Jets are listening to offers on Connor Hellebuyck. By signing Skinner, who has been a No. 1 goalie (albeit up and down), the Jets don't need to get back a goalie if they trade the former Vezina Trophy winner and U.S. Olympian. Skinner went to the Stanley Cup Final with Edmonton twice and was traded to Pittsburgh last season.
He'll average $8.5 million in the seven-year deal, per reports. Andersson was acquired from the Flames during the season and reached the Stanley Cup Final.
He'll average $5 million in the deal, per reports. He played a key role in the Panthers' two Stanley Cups and also played for Finland at the 2026 Olympics, winning bronze.
He will average $2.2 million in the two-year deal. Ersson struggled in Philadelphia last season and was traded to Toronto and then Ottawa. He'll back up fellow Swedish goalie Linus Ullmark in Ottawa.
Korpisalo will take over the backup goalie role from retired Jonathan Quick. The Bruins receive minor league forward Kalle Vaisanen and a 2028 fourth-round pick. Korpisalo has one year left on his contract.
He could get five years with a $7 million average, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Marchment's late father, Bryan, played six seasons with the Sharks.
Zuccarello is getting a one-year deal with bonuses, according to multiple reports. Haula's deal is two years at $3.6 million a season. per reports. Haula adds to the Kings' center depth after Anze Kopitar's retirement. Zuccarello will help the Kings' power play. NHL insider Frank Seravalli also said the Kings are signing Corey Perry, who started last season in Los Angeles.
He'll average $9.125 million in the extension, which kicks in during 2027-28, according to his agent, Dan Milstein. He finished second in Calder Trophy voting with 62 points in 82 games.
Demidov extension breakdown: 27-28, $11.5 M SB, $1 M salary 28-29, $11.5 M SB, $1 M salary 29-30, $9.5 M SB, $1 M salary 30-31, $6.7 M SB, $1 M salary 31-32, $6.3 M SB, $1.2 M salary 32-33, $6.3 M SB, $1.2 M salary 33-34, $5.8 M SB, $1.7 M salary 34-35, $7.5 M salary
He'll average $1.5 million in his six-year deal, per reports, to help with the Panthers' cap hit. Gudas' rights were acquired this week. He had won the Stanley Cup in 2024 before leaving for the Ducks.
Bourque, a forward, and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin are headed to Nashville for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick. Bourque had 20 goals and 41 points last season. The Predators continue to load up on scoring depth after earlier adding Jack Drury, Ross Colton and Nils Hoglander. The Stars gain cap room with restricted free agent Jason Robertson still to sign.
Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, reports that GM Steve Yzerman would like a top-six center and a winger in return for Larkin, who has five years left on his deal. Yzerman said after the draft that he would act in the best interest of the Red Wings and "I cannot make any guarantees or did not make any guarantees that that request could or would be met."
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports that the Blue Jackets had a verbal agreement on a trade with the Stars, but Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski vetoed it. Stars defenseman Thomas Harley would have been part of the return package, Friedman said.
Two-time Stanley Cup winner Sergei Bobrovsky is heading to free agency after the Panthers couldn't reach a deal and the team acquired two goalies. Here are the top NHL free agents:
The Flyers got an up-close look at Noel Acciari in the first round of the playoffs.
Now they have him on their roster.
The club is signing the bottom-six forward to a two-year, $5.6 million contract, according to a report Wednesday by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The deal has an average annual value of $2.8 million.
Acciari had 13 goals, 12 assists and a plus-14 rating last season with the Penguins. The 34-year-old will replace some of the tough-to-play-against qualities that the Flyers lost in the Garnet Hathaway trade.
As a guy who can play center or winger, Acciari will provide head coach Rick Tocchet with different options. He won 61 percent of his faceoffs against the Flyers in the playoffs. He had an assist and a minus-1 mark during the series, which the Flyers won in six games.
The Flyers got an up-close look at Noel Acciari in the first round of the playoffs.
Now they have him on their roster.
The club agreed to terms with the bottom-six forward on a two-year, $5.6 million contract. The deal has an average annual value of $2.8 million.
Acciari had 13 goals, 12 assists and a plus-14 rating last season with the Penguins. The 34-year-old will replace some of the tough-to-play-against qualities that the Flyers lost in the Garnet Hathaway trade.
As a guy who can play center or winger, Acciari will provide head coach Rick Tocchet with different options. He won 61 percent of his faceoffs against the Flyers in the playoffs. He had an assist and a minus-1 mark during the series, which the Flyers won in six games.
TORONTO, ON - JULY 1: Mason Fluharty #68 of the Toronto Blue Jays warms up ahead of playing the New York Yankees, in front of Canadian flags for Canada Day celebration, ahead of their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on July 1, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
ST PAUL, MINNESOTA - APRIL 30: Jason Robertson #21 of the Dallas Stars skates with the puck against the Minnesota Wild in the second period of Game Six of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Grand Casino Arena on April 30, 2026 in St Paul, Minnesota. The Wild defeated the Stars 5-2. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy free agency to all who celebrate! NHL Free Agency 2026 opens at 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 1 — and what’s really marked this year’s group is far less about the players available to be signed as unrestricted free agents, and more related to the anarchy that could ensue with established talent.
If you’ve been following along, we already know that this 2026 class of UFAs is fairly weak. Teams worked to get ahead of the best players leaving, either locking them up to long-term deals or trading them around the draft to teams that subsequently got contracts done themselves. This also means that players who didn’t get dealt already are now causing major waves, operating as the dominoes people are waiting to fall before other signings take place. The players we’re really waiting on right now are:
Jason Robertson, LW — Dallas Stars: Robertson is an RFA, but has already informed multiple teams that he won’t sign contracts with them, killing multiple trades. Where Robertson ends up will start the dominoes at forward
Zach Werenski, D — Columbus Blue Jackets: Werenski is one of the best defensemen in the NHL, and wants to be on a contender. Stunningly he killed a potential trade to the Dallas Stars, so now teams are waiting to see whether or not CBJ can get a deal done.
John Carlson, D — Carolina Hurricanes: One of the top free agents this year, Carlson was dealt to the Hurricanes during the late rounds of the NHL Draft solely to give the Canes three extra days to negotiate with him ahead of free agency. The league waits to see whether or not this move was successful, and it will have a huge impact on the rest of the class if Carlson doesn’t end up hitting the market at noon.
We’ll be following along with all the signings as they happen, and giving a full list of the moves.
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 30: Joc Pederson #3 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with Alejandro Osuna #19 in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run to tie the game in the third inning during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Sean Finucane/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Rangers 4, Guardians 2
Another kind of weird win.
Wyatt Langford on the injured list. Brandon Nimmo out of the lineup with an injury. Corey Seager in the lineup, only to be pinch hit for immediately because he couldn’t get his back loose.
No problem, right?
Jacob deGrom did his thing, despite allowing a two run homer to the third batter he faced.
deGrom has allowed 16 homers this season. 8 of them have come in the first inning.
Weirdly, he’s allowed 5 homers in the fourth inning.
But while he has allowed only 6 runs, total, in the fourth inning despite allowing those 5 homers, deGrom has allowed 17 runs in the first inning of games this year. He’s allowed 20 runs in every other inning, total.
I usually don’t buy the “you have to score runs on Pitcher X early or else you won’t score on him at all” cliche that announcers often use, but in the case of deGrom, it has been true this year.
deGrom ended up going 7 innings, striking out 9 and not walking anyone. After allowing a Daniel Schneemann single to start the second, he retired the next 17 batters in a row. Schneemann broke the streak with another single and then stole second, which didn’t matter, because deGrom struck out Gabriel Arias to end the inning.
With those nine strikeouts, deGrom passed Aaron Nola for 103rd on the all time strikeout list, with 1966, though Nola, who is just three Ks behind him, will likely move back ahead of him in Nola’s next start.
Ahead of deGrom are Kenny Rogers (1968 Ks), Bob Welch (1969), Al Leiter (1974), Livan Hernandez (1976), and then John Clarkson and Ervin Santana (1978).
Unusually, the Guardians were on deGrom’s slider — he got just 5 whiffs on 21 swings on his slider. However, he was blowing his fastball past them, getting 10 swings and misses on it.
Peyton Gray and Jacob Latz handled the eighth and ninth, with Latz getting his 18th save of the season, putting him third in the A.L. in saves.
deGrom going seven innings is also big in terms of getting most of the bullpen a day of rest, though Latz will likely be unavailable for the series finale on Wednesday after pitching two days in a row.
The lineup, perhaps not surprisingly, didn’t put many baserunners on, but if you hit homers and time those homers well, you don’t necessarily need to have a lot of baserunners.
Joc Pederson tied things up with a two run homer in the third after Nicky Lopez had singled.
Josh Jung homered off of Shawn Armstrong in the eighth for the Rangers’ insurance run.
Incidentally, Armstrong, whose departure caused such angst this offseason, has a 4.74 ERA and 4.73 FIP this year, with his walk rate almost doubling from 2025 and his home run rate more than doubling.
Armstrong had a 4.86 ERA in 2024 and a 4.38 ERA in 2022, compared to a 2.31 ERA in 2025 and a 1.38 ERA in 2023. Maybe you should just sign him in odd numbered years.
As for the third run…man, I’m reluctant to even talk about it, due to the secondhand embarrassment.
Ezequiel Duran singled to start the seventh, and went to second on an Evan Carter U3 grounder that caused much discussion on the broadcast as to whether or not it should have been called a foul ball.
Alejandro Osuna then hit a routine fly ball to left field. Cooper Ingle, playing in just his fourth major league game, made the catch.
Then, apparently forgetting how many outs there were, he started trotting in, and threw the ball into the stands.
That would have been fine if it was, as Ingle apparently thought, the third out. But since it was the second out, throwing the ball in the stands meant that Duran advanced two bases, scoring the go ahead run.
The Rangers benefited from that play, but even so, I was cringing. I felt bad for Ingle. I was, honestly, relieved when Jung homered — I didn’t want that play to be the difference in the game.
Ingle ended up striking out to end the game, as well. Honestly, I feel for that dude right now.
That Osuna fly out was the only at bat the Rangers had with a runner in scoring position in the game. The Guardians had just two — Kyle Manzardo’s home run off of deGrom in the first inning, and the Arias strikeout after Schneemann stole second in the seventh.
The win keeps the Rangers in first place in the A.L. West, a half game up on Seattle, two games up on Houston, and four games up on that team in Sacramento.
Jacob deGrom hit 100.5 mph with his fastball, averaging 98.7 mph. Peyton Gray’s fastball topped out at 93.7 mph. Jacob Latz reached 96.4 mph with his fastball.
Jake Burger had a 108.1 mph groundout. Evan Carter had a 104.0 mph fly out. Joc Pederson’s homer was 102.7 mph off the bat. Josh Jung’s homer was 101.0 mph.
DENVER, COLORADO - DECEMBER 31: A general view of post-game fireworks after the game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Winnipeg Jets at Pepsi Center on December 31, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The Jets defeated the Avalanche 7-4. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Ah, that new league year smell.
Join us and follow along as we celebrate the official start of the 2026-27 NHL season and witness hundreds of millions of dollars spent on free agents hitting the open market. The festivities begin officially at 10 a.m. MT.
Who will the Avalanche sign to round put their roster? How many AHL level deals to help the Colorado Eagles are on tap? And as always, plenty of intrigue on who will get the largest contract in the NHL on the open market? Some big extensions are eligible starting today as well, will any get filed and announced quickly?
Is the flurry of trades largely concluded for the Avalanche and NHL as a whole or will there be more shocking moves on the horizon? Join us in the comments as it all unfolds.
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Jun 29, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Bryan Reynolds (10) celebrates win with right fielder Billy Cook (25) and left fielder Jake Mangum (28) against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Pirates fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
As of this morning, the Pittsburgh Pirates are 43-43. Certainly an improvement over the Bucs teams of years past, but not quite good enough for the MLB Playoffs. They currently sit at 3 games back of a Wild Card spot. What we want to know is if you think the Bucs can battle their way into the Wild Card?
Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results!
The Philadelphia Flyers are unlikely to make a big splash in NHL free agency this year, though it would be unwise to put it past them to chase a feel-good story while addressing a position of need at the same time.
In this year's free agent class, the center position is probably the weakest, unless you're looking for bottom-six depth.
The Flyers, who traded away Garnet Hathaway and Nick Deslauriers, and will probably let Rodrigo Abols walk, need to get some fourth-line grit back, as well as someone who can play center when they need it.
One player who already knows the organization and locker room intimately is Scott Laughton.
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Laughton, 32, is part of a small crop of veteran centers drawing interest from teams, including the Flyers.
"Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Toronto, Utah, Vancouver. These teams were all around Noel Acciari, Erik Haula, Boone Jenner, Scott Laughton, Colton Sissons (Nashville reunion?), Kevin Stenlund. I believe Utah still lusts after Vincent Trocheck, who prefers the east. Kings tried to get Haula before Laughton, but he was hurt at the time. They like him," Friedman reported for Sportsnet.
If the Kings really do like Erik Haula more than Laughton, it's more likely than not they simply bring in Haula and let Laughton go.
After just 10 goals, six assists, and 16 points in 63 games across two seasons with the Maple Leafs, Laughton was dealt to the Kings for a measly 2026 third-round pick as Toronto's playoff aspirations were more than dashed.
The longtime Flyers forward, now a veteran of 745 NHL regular season games, had his homecoming with the Maple Leafs, and it didn't work.
Laughton never necessarily wanted to leave the Flyers anyway, and he could find himself back in Philadelphia at the perfect time, now that the team just made the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
To that end, it wouldn't be like Laughton is sacrificing the playoffs to return to the Flyers; he can chase both now.
Whether or not he and the Flyers can make a reunion happen remains to be seen, but there appears to be at least tentative interest from the team's side of things.
The team time trial returns as this year’s Tour starts in Barcelona for the first time in race’s history
The first team time trial since 2019, past many of Barcelona’s prime tourist sites – La Rambla, Sagrada Familia – but with a novel format: riders’ times will be taken individually at the uphill finish. So rather than trying to finish four or five riders together, teams will wear out non-climbers early on, then have lighter men peeling off one by one in the finale – replicating the usual approach to a summit finish in a road race. Advance warning: Jonas Vingegaard’s Visma, Remco Evenepoel’s Red Bull, and Tadej Pogacar’s UAE Emirates are masters of this game.
Blues Trade Away Two Third-Round Picks On Second Day of 2026 NHL DraftTeam had three selections, used two in trade to acquire Brandon Carlo from Toronto; focused more on defense, goaltending after picking two centers in first round on Friday
