South Florida became college football's cool underdog, with a talented quarterback, a stingy defense and an immigrant coach.
Ramp to Camp: Which two-way player will help Celtics the most?
Ramp to Camp: Which two-way player will help Celtics the most? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics completely overhauled their two-way trio this offseason. So which one of the three new faces is most likely to make a tangible impact with the parent club during the 2025-26 season?
That’s the question we put to our panel for Part 7 of our Ramp to Camp series after the Celtics brought in the rookie troika of Amari Williams, Max Shulga, and RJ Luis Jr. (undrafted) to fill the team’s three two-way slots.
Williams (46th pick) and Shulga (57th) were draft-night additions, while Luis Jr. was acquired from Utah in a trade that sent out Georges Niang (and also forced the team to cut bait with Miles Norris, one of last season’s two-way pickups).
The 6-foot-11 Williams feels like the obvious answer here. The Celtics have multiple holes to fill up front and must utilize every bit of size they have. The player who might see the biggest spike in minutes on the parent roster is Neemias Queta, a former two-way signing who took advantage of call-ups early in his Boston tenure before before signed to the main roster.
Williams showed some obvious talents at Summer League, including excellent passing skills on the offensive end and shot-blocking prowess on the defensive side. His ability to improve as a finisher might determine just how much time he ultimately carves out in Boston.
The pathway to playing time for Shulga and Luis Jr. seems a bit more complicated. While both have intriguing elements to their game, the reality is that Boston remains well-stocked at the guard spot, while there’s a glut of young wings vying for time at perimeter spots.
Still, given all the roster changes, it feels like there is far more opportunity than usual for two-way players. This year’s batch of two-way players can confidently come to camp knowing that they have just as much of a chance of making an impression as some of the other newcomers joining the parent roster.
It’s up to the two-way gang to make the most of that time. The Celtics haven’t been bashful in turning over two-way spots. After drafting Gonzaga forward Anton Watson 54th overall in 2024, the Celtics waived him in March. They picked up Norris, only to waive him in the aftermath of the Luis Jr. acquisition.
Queta and Sam Hauser, who both should play big roles for the Celtics this season, are proof that there is a pathway to a much bigger role after starting on two-way deals with Boston.
So who does our panel like to make an impact from the two-way slot this year?
Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor
Amari Williams.
The Celtics desperately need big-man help, and Williams at least should get an opportunity to prove he’s a valuable depth option. He’s an excellent passer for his size, which could pique Joe Mazzulla’s interest early in the season.
Michael Hurley, Web Producer
You’ve come to the right place. Nobody has studied the careers of Max Shulga, RJ Luis Jr., or Amari Williams more than I have. Did you know Amari Williams is British? That’s pretty cool.
I’ll answer with Max Shulga, because anyone who hits 3s has the chance to catch Joe Mazzulla’s eye.
Sean McGuire, Web Producer
Amari Williams.
I think the path to minutes is easier for Williams given Boston’s uncertain frontcourt. The Celtics have bodies competing for those minutes, of course, but there’s no surefire starter at this point. Could Williams make a case for time with a strong camp and preseason?
On the other hand, rookie guard Max Shulga and rookie wing RJ Luis Jr. are further down the depth chart at their respective positions.
Josh Canu, Media Editor
Amari Williams.
The biggest area of concern for the Celtics this season is their frontcourt, so Williams should get his opportunities. I liked what I saw at Kentucky and think his game can translate to the NBA.
It might not happen right away, but I think by the end of the season, he’ll be a player we can pencil in for a permanent role going forward.
Max Lederman, Content Producer
Amari Williams plays a position of need and is a sneaky good passer for a big. He also has the most upside of any of the bigs on the roster, so the C’s should prioritize his development.
Kevin Miller, VP, Content
In the short run, I could potentially see Max Shulga earning a shot with his ability to play point guard and his shooting ability.
Adam Hart, EP, Content Strategy
I feel like it has to be Amari Williams simply because the Celtics are thin up front. Luis Jr. interests me, though.
Jim Aberdale, Supervising Producer, Celtics
My first instinct is to respond “none of the above” but after pounding a gallon of Green Kool Aid, I’ll go Amari Williams.
Here we have a 7-footer who was the best passing big in college basketball last year. Mike Zarren says he has “incredible vision.” I’m envisioning no-look Bill Walton passes circa 1986. Let’s go.
England opt to take ultra-cautious approach over Wood’s injury return
Fast bowler will not play for Durham this season
October tour of New Zealand could be earliest return date
Mark Wood is set to miss the entire home summer, with England deciding to take an ultra-cautious route with the fast bowler they deem central to their Ashes hopes this winter.
Wood, 35, underwent knee surgery in March and was initially targeting a return for the fifth Test against India in late July. Despite bowling in the intervals during that series, this target was then pushed back to a possible late season outing for Durham in the County Championship.
Continue reading...Dodgers flirt with another no-hitter, but this time they hang on to beat Rockies
Years ago, when Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax were at the top of the Dodgers' pitching rotation, Drysdale missed a game to attend to some personal business. Koufax pitched a no-hitter that day.
When told about the achievement, Drysdale had one question: “Did he win?”
That’s a fair question for the current Dodgers pitching staff as well. Because Monday, for the second time in three days, the Dodgers took a no-hitter into the ninth inning.
They lost the first one. And while they won the second, it wasn’t easy with the Colorado Rockies bringing the tying run to the plate three times before Tanner Scott got the last out to preserve a 3-1 win at Dodger Stadium.
The victory kept the Dodgers a game ahead of the San Diego Padres in the National League West with 18 games left in the regular season.
Read more:Max Muncy is back, and he hopes to help cure what ails the Dodgers
It was Tyler Glasnow who flirted with history Monday, pitching seven hitless innings before turning the game over to relievers Blake Treinen and Scott. On Saturday, a similar scenario unfolded when Yoshinobu Yamamoto came within an out of a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles before giving up a home run to Jackson Holliday.
He left at that point, only to see Treinen and Scott give up three more runs in a 4-3 Dodger loss.
So when Scott gave up a double to Ryan Ritter to start the ninth — ending the no-hitter and drawing boos from those who remained from the crowd of 48,433 — manager Dave Roberts said he hoped he wasn’t witnessing déjà vu all over again.
“I try to not think like that,” he said.
Given how the Dodgers bullpen has struggled recently, it was hard not to.
Scott, however, quickly settled down, retiring the next two batters on soft grounders before Hunter Goodman lined out to Max Muncy at third to end the game and give Glasnow (2-3) his first win since March.
It was a victory that was long overdue.
Glasnow pitched six no-hit innings his last time out only to wind up with the loss when the Dodgers (80-64) failed to score behind him. That’s become an all-too-common problem for Glasnow, who has the second-lowest ERA in the Dodgers rotation but has received the weakest support with an average of 3½ runs per start.
The Dodgers' hitters didn’t even match that modest number Monday. But when Mookie Betts delivered a two-run single in the seventh, breaking a 1-1 tie, it left Glasnow in position for the win.
“It's always good to score runs,” he said with a smile.
Smiles have been hard to come by for Glasnow. In his 15 starts, he left the game with the Dodgers trailing by multiple runs in just three of them. The Dodgers didn't even score behind him in five of those starts, which explains why he went more than 160 days between wins.
“It is what it is,” he shrugged. “But yeah, they put some at bats together, and we ended up winning.”
Glasnow, who was held out of his last scheduled start with a sore back, was pitching for the first time in 10 days and was strong from the start, striking out the side in the first — although he needed 18 pitches to do it. He fanned the side again in the sixth, but in between he gave up a second-inning run on Jordan Beck’s leadoff walk, a stolen base and two long outs, the second Kyle Farmer’s sacrifice fly to the left-field wall.
Read more:Why the Dodgers aren’t changing their slumping bullpen hierarchy yet
What he didn’t give up was a hit. Glasnow said he was aware he had a no-hitter as the game progressed, but he also knew he probably wouldn’t be allowed to finish it.
“My pitch count was pretty high,” said the right-hander, who finished with a season-high 105, striking out 11 and walking two. “I don't know how many pitches I was going to be allowed to throw.”
Also working against him were his two stints on the injured list this season and his recent back issues.
“Obviously I want to stay in, no matter what my pitch count is,” he said. “[But] given my, like, track record, I kind of understand why. I respect the decision.”
For five innings, Colorado starter Chase Dollander, who came in 2-12 with a 6.77 ERA, nearly matched Glasnow. The Dodgers didn’t get their first baserunner until the third inning and didn’t have a hit until the fifth, when Michael Conforto led off with a single to left.
Dollander faced just three batters over the minimum before leaving with an apparent injury after walking Ben Rortvedt to start the sixth. Reliever Juan Mejia walked the first batter he faced and an out later Freddie Freeman bounced a high-hopper over Farmer and down the right-field line for a tying double.
An inning later the Dodgers scored two more off Angel Chivilli (1-5) to go in front. With two out and a runner on first, Shohei Ohtani doubled to right to bring Betts to the plate. After falling behind 0-2, he picked out a belt-high slider and drove it into the center to break the tie.
With the Dodgers safely in front and Glasnow out of the game, the drama turned to the no-hitter. There have been 22 combined no-hitters in major league history, with the last one by the Dodgers coming against the Padres in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2018.
That appeared in reach when Treinen breezed through the eighth. But Ritter, the Rockies' No. 9 hitter, one-hopped the wall in left on Scott’s second pitch of the ninth. The ball appeared catchable off the bat, but Alex Call, inserted for defensive purposes, turned the wrong way, costing him any chance to make a play.
Scott retired the side on two ground outs and a liner to Muncy before celebrating with Rortvedt, who was called up from the minors Thursday and has come within four outs of catching two no-hitters in his first three starts.
“It's not me, it's these guys,” he said. “I'm doing my homework as much as I can, trying to be prepared. The pitchers are prepared. It’s just the fruit of that labor at that point.
“It's not easy. They're making it look easy.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
3 Bold Predictions For The Penguins' 2025-26 Season
We're just under a month away from the Pittsburgh Penguins' 2025-26 season getting underway inside Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers on October 7.
The Penguins will get to see their old head coach, Mike Sullivan, right away after he accepted the Rangers' head-coaching position right after the regular season ended. As a matter of fact, the Penguins will play the Rangers in two of their first three games since the Rangers will come to PPG Paints Arena on October 11.
Sullivan will get a big video tribute from the Penguins after he guided the franchise to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, and is arguably the best coach in franchise history.
Expectations aren't exactly high for the Penguins heading into this season since they're rebuilding, but that doesn't mean the year is going to be full of negatives. In honor of hockey being around the corner, let's make some bold predictions for this Penguins' season.
Tommy Novak will score 20+ goals.
I am all aboard the Tommy Novak train entering the 2025-26 season and think a lot of Penguins fans are sleeping on him. He only got to play in two games before he got hurt and had to miss the rest of the season. Novak came over from the Nashville Predators in the Michael Bunting trade before the 2025 NHL trade deadline.
The Penguins got younger in that deal and think Novak can be a good fit in their top nine for this season. He's an underrated goal scorer and has a release that people don't talk about enough. He finished last season with 13 goals and 22 points in 54 games while rocking a 14% shooting percentage.
For his career, Novak is a 15.2% shooter, with a career-high shooting percentage of 18.3%. He can score from anywhere and will have the opportunity to play second and third-line minutes this year. He's flexible and can play both center and wing, meaning head coach Dan Muse may put him on Malkin's wing at times. On paper, it is a strong fit since Novak can score and has some slick vision.
Novak's career high in goals is 18, but he will break that this season and get his first 20-goal season.
Erik Karlsson will score 70+ points (if he's not traded).
This one may seem a bit crazy since Karlsson hasn't even gotten over the 60-point plateau during his Penguins tenure. However, he has more to give and is going to come into this season motivated to prove his detractors wrong after his first two seasons with the team.
He was banged up heading into last season after suffering an injury during training camp, and it took him a bit to find his game. His first month was especially rough, but after that, he settled in a bit more and was one of the top 5v5 offensive play drivers among all defensemen in the NHL. He was also great at the 4 Nations Face-Off since the Swedish coaching staff had a plan for him, and he executed it to perfection.
Karlsson will have the opportunity to get top-pairing minutes this season since he's the Penguins' best defenseman, which means he will spend a ton of time with the Sidney Crosby line. He'll also likely be the power play quarterback after the Penguins let Matt Grzelcyk walk to free agency. The power play isn't Karlsson's strong suit, but he'll still get points from it.
If this prediction comes to fruition, there will be teams calling the Penguins for his services after a slow summer in terms of trade rumors.
4 Penguins Who Could Surprise In 2025-26It’s no secret that the expectations for the Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t exactly sky-high this season. The team is somewhere in the midst of a rebuild, and there is uncertainty regarding the futures of several players on the roster.
Arturs Silovs will steal starts from Tristan Jarry.
The Penguins acquired Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks on July 13 to bolster their goaltending depth heading into the season. Silovs is bringing a lot of momentum into this year after helping the Abbotsford Canucks win the Calder Cup last season. He was the best player on the team and was named the MVP of the Calder Cup Playoffs after finishing with 16 wins, a 2.01 goals-against average, and a .931 save percentage.
Silovs is the favorite to win the backup spot to Tristan Jarry, who still has a lot of question marks heading into the season. He was sent down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton multiple times last season due to poor play before coming up for the last month of the season. To his credit, he played well to end the year, but it still shouldn't inspire a lot of confidence heading into this season.
Jarry is what he is at this point in his career, and with that in mind, Silovs will steal some starts from him since he will be the more consistent goaltender. Consistency in the NHL has been an issue for Silovs, but this will be the season where he starts to solve that problem.
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MLB ticket issues create entry delays at Dodger Stadium and other ballparks
Issues accessing tickets from the MLB app caused problems at the entry gates for some fans trying to enter Dodger Stadium before Monday's game between the Dodgers and Colorado Rockies.
It's unclear how many fans were affected, but the problem wasn't confined to Dodger Stadium — the issue has been ongoing since at least last weekend at MLB ballparks across the country.
"MLB’s ticketing system TDC is experiencing difficulties across multiple venues for retrieving tickets and fan entry," the Dodgers said in a statement. "The league is working with the Dodgers and other franchises to address the issues."
The Dodgers notified season ticket holders Monday about the situation, urging them to reset their passwords on the MLB website. They instructed them to contact the team's member services department if they were unable to access their tickets or couldn't reset their passwords.
An MLB representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Staff writer Kevin Baxter contributed to this report.
Read more:Why the Dodgers aren’t changing their slumping bullpen hierarchy yet
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Mets' Cedric Mullins 'trying to find that adjustment' amid rough stretch
When the Mets traded for Cedric Mullins at this year's trade deadline, he was supposed to serve as an upgrade offensively compared to the options they had on the roster. However, the outfielder has been stuck in a slump since joining New York and has shown little signs of busting out anytime soon.
Now hitless in his last 25 at-bats after his 0-for-2 night on Monday, Mullins is doing everything he can to get back on track and help the Mets but nothing seems to be working.
"Rough start," he said after the team's 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. "Trying to find that adjustment that kinda gets me going. Felt like I had it at one point, just lost (it) somewhere along the way, but gonna keep working."
In 30 games as a Met, Mullins is slashing .174/.284/.272 with one home run and a .556 OPS. And while he's not necessarily known as the biggest threat at the plate, the 30-year-old did have 15 home runs and a .738 OPS with the Baltimore Orioles before getting traded and has held his own offensively during his career.
Still, all New York was hoping for out of Mullins following the trade was for him to be a step up from what Tyrone Taylor was contributing offensively. Instead, Mullins has struggled just as badly as Taylor has this season.
"I think I’m just trying to focus on contributing to a win," Mullins said. "I think that could be adding a little pressure, but it comes with the territory so (I'm) working diligently each day to get better."
But with time running out and the Mets, losers of three straight and four out of their last five, scuffling to the finish line, they need Mullins to pick it up sooner rather than later, especially with Taylor, the better defender, currently on the IL.
If not, it could potentially force New York to play Jeff McNeil in center field with another option at second base, moving Mullins to the bench.
"We haven’t seen the results," said manager Carlos Mendoza. "He’s a really good player and I know he wants to contribute, but we got to help him because I feel like he’s missing good pitches to hit."
For what it's worth, Mullins believes he can turn things around.
"Eighteen games left, that can be shifted in a positive direction between now and then," he said.
Penguins Prospect Bill Zonnon Set to Join 2025-26 Training Camp
The Pittsburgh Penguins haven't officially announced their training camp roster yet, but we know at least one of the top prospects will be there when it likely opens next week.
Bill Zonnon, one of three players the Penguins selected in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, will be at Penguins training camp.
Bon camp les gars! 💪
— ArmadaBLB (@ArmadaBLB) September 8, 2025
☑️Justin Carbonneau (Blues)
☑️Bill Zonnon (Penguins)
☑️Spencer Gill (Flyers)
☑️ Vincent Collard (Red Wings)
☑️ Maël Lavigne (Flames)
☑️ Mateo Nobert (Golden Knights)
☑️ Vincent Desjardins (Avalanche)
☑️ Arseni Radkov (Canadiens)
☑️ Jakub Milota (Predators) pic.twitter.com/HHQ4IHpjzD
Zonnon was picked with the 22nd overall pick by the Penguins after they selected Benjamin Kindel with the 11th overall pick. They later selected Will Horcoff, son of former NHL player Shawn Horcoff, with the 24th overall pick.
Zonnon has spent the last three seasons in the QMJHL and will spend his fourth in the league this season with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. He spent the last three years with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, and his production went up each year, including this past season, when he finished with 28 goals and 83 points in 64 games.
The Penguins' coaching staff and management will get to see how he does at camp before sending him back for his junior season. They're really excited about him and think he can be a mainstay in the NHL once he develops more.
His game is more east-west but uses his shot really well and is really good around the net front. He also has some slick playmaking ability. There's a lot to like about his game, and it'll be great to see him showcase his skill once camp starts.
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Red Wings Players To Watch In 2025-26: Mason Appleton
There were plenty of offseason additions made by Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman, though none could truly be considered of the "major splash" variety.
One such addition that is flying a bit under the radar with the potential to be among the more intriguing signings is that of former Winnipeg Jets forward Mason Appleton, who signed a two-year contract and will earn a $2.9 million annual cap hit.
UPDATE: The #RedWings have signed forward Mason Appleton to a two-year contract with an AAV of $2,900,000. pic.twitter.com/yQO7G4t24d
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 2, 2025
It's a homecoming of sorts, as he already had ties to Michigan with his two seasons in East Lansing for the Michigan State Spartans from 2015 through 2017.
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Selected 168th overall in 2015 by Winnipeg, Appleton has built a steady, unflashy NHL career, appearing in exactly 400 games. The majority of his time in the NHL has been played with the Jets aside from a relatively short time with the expansion Seattle Kraken before he was traded right back to Winnipeg that season.
While Appleton won't be filling up the scoring sheet, one area he can thrive in is one that the Red Wings badly need help in - the penalty kill.
Detroit's penalty killing flirted with NHL history last season, and not remotely in a good way. The Red Wings were in very real danger of setting the worst penalty killing efficiency percentage in League history since the statistic began being tracked in 1977.
They finished at 70.1 percent efficiency, the worst in the NHL and not far off from the all-time worst 68.2 percent set by the 1979-80 Los Angeles Kings.
Newly-Signed Mason Appleton Hungry For Playoff Hockey With Red Wings He already has local ties to the Mitten State, and he's returned - this time, as a seasoned NHL veteran.
Appleton is expected to slot into a bottom-six role with Detroit, but could be a central figure with their penalty killing as he was during his tenures with the Jets. He'll also be filling a role that was occupied on the PK last season by Tyler Motte, who was not re-signed.
Don’t expect Appleton to hover any higher than around the 10 goal mark this season - but that’s not why he was signed. Yzerman clearly values his reliable 200-foot game, with the hope that he can provide a much-needed boost the penalty kill.
At 6'2", Appleton also brings an element of size to the Red Wings lineup that also wants to be harder to play against.
Last season, Detroit missed the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference by just five points. Even an average penalty kill ranking could have made a significant difference in picking up those extra points in the standings.
Look for him to begin the season on either Detroit's third or fourth line, but to be included in Detroit's first penalty-killing unit.
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Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2025: Young Forward Keeps Getting Better And Better
Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.
With more talent in the system than Pittsburgh has had in years - and 13 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft - top prospects lists are becoming more competitive and more difficult to discern. Since the prospect pool is deepening, The Hockey News - Pittsburgh Penguins takes a look at the top-20 prospects in the organization.
This may be subjective, but it does seem like the Penguins have a pretty clear-cut top-three at this point in time. Really, any one of them could be Nos. 1, 2, or 3, and that is reflected on a lot of Penguins' prospect rankings.
For THN - Pittsburgh's No. 3, we have Rutger McGroarty, who has made significant strides since his acquisition last summer - and who figures to be a key part of the Penguins' future plans.
#3 F Rutger McGroarty
About those other Penguins' prospect rankings? To be honest, many of them still have McGroarty at No. 1, and for good reason.
The 21-year-old forward was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets in August of 2024, and it cost the Penguins their top prospect at the time in Brayden Yager. The price was high for McGroarty - even if he wanted out of Winnipeg - and many were a little bit wary of how that trade would pan out for the Penguins.
Of course, it's still early, and both McGroarty and Yager will, hopefully, have long NHL careers ahead. But the Penguins probably got the better prospect out of the deal, and he's the kind of player that every contending team would want to have in their top-six.
What Are Realistic Expectations For McGroarty And Koivunen This Year?The Pittsburgh Penguins have a pretty decent forward group entering the 2025-26 season, especially if they don’t make any trades between now and October 7, when they open the regular season against the New York Rangers.
McGroarty actually broke the NHL roster out of training camp last season due to a strong showing and some circumstantial factors with injuries. He played in only three games before being re-assigned to the AHL, and in those three games, he looked a step behind in his skating and in his reads.
Then, he wasn't NHL-ready. He also had a relatively slow start to his AHL career, and things didn't pick up for him down in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) until the second half. Although it was building up to something all season long, it was in his final stretch of AHL games - when he recored eight goals and 18 points in his last 19 games - that McGroarty earned another look at the NHL level.
And it was brief, but he did not disappoint.
Playing alongside Sidney Crosby before a lower-body injury - resulting from a blocked shot - ended his season, McGroarty put up a goal and three points and displayed natural chemistry with the Penguins' captain. His skating and first step was much-improved, he made some ridiculous and instinctual passes, and he was counted upon late in games when the Penguins had it all on the line.
Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) on XSidney Crosby has TEN goals and 18 points over his 12-game point streak 🔥He passed with flying colors the second time around, and his performance in those last five games should - barring a disastrous training camp - earn him a permanent spot on the NHL roster next season. McGroarty seems to have so many details and intangibles already interwoven in his game, and he has a hockey sense that one simply can't teach. He's also a natural leader and locker room presence, which isn't something often said about a young guy just breaking into the league.
It's hard to say exactly how high McGroarty's ceiling is. The Jets' 14th overall pick in 2022 certainly has offensive upside, and it may take a few seasons for him to really hit his full potential. That said, his 200-foot game is already well-rounded. He doesn't shy away from contact, he excels in transition with his vision, and he anticipates on both ends of the ice.
At the very least, he should be a very effective third-line winger for the Penguins going forward, but it's completely justifiable to expect him to exceed that. The fact that he meshed so well so instantly with one of the smartest - if not the smartest - players in hockey history says a lot, and if he continues to get top-six deployment with either Crosby or Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh, the sky is the limit.
McGroarty may not be a franchise cornerstone piece, but he figures to be a very important complementary piece of the puzzle going forward for the Penguins. Hopefully, he only continues to build on what has already been an impressive start to his professional career.
Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2025: First-Round Pick Has Star PotentialHeading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.
The list so far:
- No. 5: G Sergei Murashov
- No. 6: D Owen Pickering
- No. 7: F Tanner Howe
- No. 8: G Arturs Silovs
- No. 9: G Joel Blomqvist
- No. 10: F Tristan Broz
- No. 11: F Will Horcoff
- No. 12: F Mikhail Ilyin
- No. 13 F Filip Hallander
- No. 14: F Bill Zonnon
- No. 15: F Melvin Fernstrom
- No. 16: D Emil Pieniniemi
- No. 17: F Avery Hayes
- No. 18: F Cruz Lucius
- No. 19: D Finn Harding
- No. 20: D Peyton Kettles
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Carlos Mendoza reacts to 'inconsistent' Mets after third straight loss, dwindling NL East hopes
Monday's 1-0 loss at the Phillies brings the Mets' NL East deficit to eight games as three more chances remain in New York's final regular-season series with Philadelphia.
"Look, we've been pretty inconsistent," said manager Carlos Mendoza, whose team has lost four of its past five games as it clings to the third wild card. "We put ourselves in this position, which we're still right there.
"Obviously, the goal is to win the division... But we've got to keep going. We've got to turn the page here. We've got to be ready for another game tomorrow and continue to get the job done. But overall, the inconsistency and here we are in this position."
New York (76-68) totaled five hits against the Phillies (84-60), who scored one run -- Nick Castellanos' second-inning RBI single -- in a tough-luck loss for rookie RHP Nolan McLean.
"I think it's just having a hard time putting everything together for quite a bit," Mendoza said of the Mets' inconsistent 2025 season. "We got out of the gate and everything was working. And then, at times -- whether it was the starting pitching or runners in scoring position offensively, we haven't been able to play good defense at times.
"So, I feel like we haven't done that consistently and here we are. But continue to trust the guys, I know we have a lot of talent and we're going to turn the page."
18 games remain for New York, continuing with Tuesday's 6:45 p.m. start on SNY, and Mendoza maintains his confidence in the Mets' ability to make a turnaround.
"Very confident," he said. "This is a team that's been through a lot, and we'll find a way -- we'll find a way to get the job done.
"We've got to keep fighting. We've got to continue to work. But I trust those guys. There's a lot of experience there, there's a lot of talent and I'm pretty confident that we'll get to where we want to get."
4 Penguins Who Could Surprise In 2025-26
It’s no secret that the expectations for the Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t exactly sky-high this season. The team is somewhere in the midst of a rebuild, and there is uncertainty regarding the futures of several players on the roster.
But even if much isn’t looking up for the Penguins this season, there could be a few players who could exceed expectations.
Here are four Penguins’ players who could surprise in 2025-26.
Tommy Novak
Novak, 28, was acquired from the Nashville Predators prior to the 2025 trade deadline as part of the deal that sent forward Michael Bunting the other way. Unfortunately, Novak only played in two games post-deadline for the Penguins until a lower-body injury ended his season.
Now, he has the chance to carve out a pretty important role in the lineup.
Novak has amassed 49 goals and 117 points in 203 career NHL games, and he is a reliable two-way presence. The Penguins have long-needed a third-line center, and Novak could fit that bill. He could even skate alongside Evgeni Malkin and bring some defensive conscientiousness to that line as well as some playmaking ability.
Either way, there is some potential for Novak to break out offensively in a bigger way this season. His best NHL season was 2023-24 with Nashville, when he recorded 18 goals and 45 points in 71 games. Don’t be too surprised to see Novak hit career-highs in production, especially if he skates alongside Malkin.
Under-The-Radar Penguins To Watch In 2025-26The Pittsburgh Penguins enter the 2025-26 season having gone three straight seasons without qualifying for the playoffs, and it appears likely to become four unless they exceed expectations.
Parker Wotherspoon
Wotherspoon was signed to a two-year, $2 million free agent contract this summer. Previously with the Boston Bruins, the 28-year-old blueliner has done a fairly good job in a bottom pairing role through parts of three NHL seasons, routinely shutting down the opposition and occasionally throwing punches.
Yes, that has been in mostly bottom-pair, sheltered minutes. But Wotherspoon will have a real chance at fitting into a bigger role in Pittsburgh, which could help or hurt him.
Although it’s fair to wonder whether playing minutes that he’s not accustomed to or built for will minimize his effectiveness and expose flaws in his game, it’s just as fair to wonder whether he can take full advantage of icing those minutes and unlocking more from his game - especially if he is going to be playing alongside the likes of high-risk defensemen in Erik Karlsson or Kris Letang.
The 2025-26 season is a big test for Wotherspoon, so it will be interesting to see if he can take the reins and become a reliable top-four shutdown presence for the Penguins.
Penguins New Defenseman Is Intriguing AdditionThe Pittsburgh Penguins have had themselves a busy 2025 NHL off-season. They have brought in several new players to their roster this summer as they continue their retool.
Arturs Silovs
Perhaps no battle in training camp - or during the regular season - will be quite as interesting as the one between the pipes.
With Alex Nedeljkovic traded to the San Jose Sharks this summer, it looked for a minute as if Tristan Jarry and rookie Joel Blomqvist would jockey for the NHL starting position. But then, the Penguins went out and acquired Arturs Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks, and all of that changed.
Up to this point, his NHL career has been a bit rocky. Silovs, 24, has appeared in 19 NHL games and has posted a 3.13 goals-against average and an .880 save percentage. He did have a gutsy run in the playoffs for the Canucks in 2023-24, though, but his 2025 Calder Cup run in the AHL is really what got people talking.
The 6-foot-4, 203-pound Latvian netminder went 16-7 with five shutouts, a 2.01 goals-against average, and a .931 save percentage to lead the Abbotsford Canucks to their first-ever Calder Cup this season. Silovs was dominant, and it continued the narrative of him being able to come up big when the games matter most.
And, boy, do the Penguins ever need that guy in net. Silovs may just be the starting goaltender by season’s end, and he has a chance to separate himself from everyone else for now - including some talent between the pipes in the Penguins’ farm system.
Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2025: New Penguins' Goaltender On Verge Of BreakoutHeading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.
Connor Dewar
Let's not stretch the truth too much here. But Dewar could, potentially, be a really solid bottom-six player for the Penguins.
The 26-year-old left wing was brought over from the Toronto Maple Leafs - along with defenseman Conor Timmins, who was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres on draft day this summer - and did far more in 17 games with the Penguins last season than he did in 31 games with the Leafs. He registered four goals and seven points after recording just three assists with the Leafs, and he found himself in different spots in the Penguins' lineup.
Dewar isn't going to be an overly productive player. That's just not who he is. But Penguins' fans were already a bit enamored with Dewar in a short sample size last season, and even if he doesn't score at that same pace, he does a lot of other things away from the puck that make him valuable. And that's why GM and POHO Kyle Dubas brought Dewar back after non-tendering him as an RFA.
He's speedy, he's tenacious, he's relentless, and he drives the net. The Penguins need this kind of energy guy in their lineup, and he could very well attach a bit more offense to his already-strong defense this season depending on where he's deployed.
What Will The Penguins' Bottom-Six Look Like This Season?If one thing is for certain when the Pittsburgh Penguins open training camp a month from now, it’s that they have a whole lot of players in the mix for precious few spots on the roster.
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Mets' offense unable to help out Nolan McLean, blanked by Phillies in 1-0 loss
The Mets were shut out on Monday night against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1-0 loss. New York has now lost 11 of its past 13 one-run games and has fallen to 8.0 GB of the first-place Phillies for the NL East title.
Here are the takeaways...
-After more than a month of red-hot offense, New York has been stymied as of late and that continued on Monday against a struggling Aaron Nola. The right-hander limited the Mets to just three hits and two walks over six scoreless innings while striking out seven.
The scoring drought went into the ninth inning where Phillies closer Jhoan Duran entered the game to try and save a 1-0 score. New York's offense finally perked up with Pete Alonso leading off the inning with a single up the middle. With one out, Mark Vientos hit an opposite-field double to put the Mets in business with the tying and go-ahead runs on second and third.
With a golden opportunity to tie or even take the lead, Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez struck out swinging to end the game in disappointment for New York. Alvarez's strikeout was even more disappointing as he looked like the Alvarez of old, swinging at three pitches way outside and looking way too overzealous.
-The Mets didn't do Nolan McLean any favors as the rookie pitched well for a fifth straight start to begin his career and managed to keep the Phillies off the board for most of the night. The only run given up by the right-hander came in the second inning after he allowed three straight hits to start the inning.
Aside from that, McLean looked good once again and although he wasn't as sharp as he has been in other outings, he was able to maneuver out of trouble. The 24-year-old surrendered seven hits and walked three but allowed just the one run over 5.1 innings. He struck out five and threw 91 pitches (56 strikes), but recorded his first loss of his career to go to 4-1. His ERA remains a superb 1.42.
-On the bright side for New York, its bullpen pitched well with Gregory Soto, Brooks Raley and Ryan Helsley combining for 2.2 scoreless innings. Helsley's outing was the most encouraging as the struggling reliever struck out two in the bottom of the eighth inning to keep the Mets within a run.
-Brett Baty had a good day at the plate and went 1-for-1 with a walk, but he was picked off first base with two outs in the fifth inning and Juan Soto at the plate. Baty was replaced for a pinch-hitter in the eighth.
-Of New York's five hits, two came off the bat of Alonso who went 2-for-4, including a double. The rest of the Mets' fab four went 0-for-10 with two walks.
-In the ninth, pinch-runner Ronny Mauricio perhaps could've scored on Vientos' double, but he held up between first and second base on a ball that was clearly going over right fielder Nick Castellanos' head. It's not certain that Mauricio would've scored, or even been sent home with New York having two chances to drive him in, but it was a baserunning mistake nonetheless.
Game MVP: Aaron Nola
Despite his season-long struggles this year, Nola shut out the Mets over six innings and outdueled McLean to get the 1-0 victory.
Highlights
Diving stop by Brett Baty! pic.twitter.com/HY5Fj5nGbm
— SNY (@SNYtv) September 8, 2025
Francisco Alvarez exchanged words with Edmundo Sosa after tagging him out on a dropped third strike pic.twitter.com/aCqPPsYheH
— SNY (@SNYtv) September 9, 2025
Nolan McLean gets Max Kepler looking to get out of trouble in the 5th pic.twitter.com/bhnAR77gew
— SNY (@SNYtv) September 9, 2025
What's next
The Mets and Phillies continue their four-game set with a Tuesday night battle starting at 6:45 p.m. on SNY.
LHP Sean Manaea (1-2, 5.60 ERA) hopes to get his season back in the right direction and will face LHP Ranger Suarez (11-6, 2.89 ERA).
The Dadonov Case Part 2: Can The Senators Still Avoid Losing Their 2026 First Round Pick?
As thoroughly detailed in Part 1 of this piece, we have taken many twists and turns to get where we are today in the Evgenii Dadonov case, with the Ottawa Senators on the verge of surrendering their 2026 first-round pick. The question Sens fans are eager to pose is, can there still be an exit off this highway and a reasonable justification to have the penalty reduced?
While some may believe the team has been simply delaying the inevitable by deferring the punishment as long as they are able to, owner Michael Andlauer does not appear to have shifted his stance since the time of the initial ruling in November 2023. That stance is: the penalty is too harsh, no one involved is a part of the organization anymore, and there is precedent for the NHL reducing a first round pick penalty to a team.
Let’s look at each of these elements individually:
A first-round pick is too harsh a penalty for this particular offence
While the NHL is within its rights to levy any kind of penalty it wishes in disciplinary matters, this particular ruling does appear to be fairly arbitrary. Docking a team a first-round pick is not something the NHL does lightly and in fact, we have to go back 15 years to find the last time they did it (we’ll be revisiting that case shortly). Especially considering the league did conduct an initial investigation which determined zero punishment was warranted, it seems they went from 0 to 100 in the subsequent re-opening of the case.
Andlauer would be certain to point out that in previous cases with a first round pick penalty, the league determined that there was active malicious intent in attempting to skirt league rules (ie for cap circumvention purposes etc).
What would have had to be determined as part of this investigation is whether the Senators (represented by Dorion) knew of the presence of this list and outright misled Vegas as to its existence, or whether their messaging was a result of internal miscommunication.
In other words, was this a result of malicious intent or simple incompetence?
While we don’t know the answer publicly, we do know that the full trade details had been worked out at the time of the trade call. Vegas was aware the 10-team clause was in the original contract and only wanted clarification on if they were on it or not and a confirmation they would be getting it.
At that point, there was zero benefit in Dorion misleading them; if he had truly known the list had been submitted, the trade had already been worked out. Vegas almost certainly was not anticipating at that time that they would be trading Dadonov later that same season. That is not an easily movable contract, so the presence of a fairly pedestrian 10-team no-trade clause would not have been disqualifying for them.
So, it would be fairly safe to assume that this was all caused by the Senators' front office being incompetent in their internal record keeping and communication, not them actively misleading another team as part of a transaction. We can all agree both are bad but the latter is certainly worse.
Furthermore, in the time since this ruling, the league has reportedly re-evaluated their policy on how no-trade lists are stored and there is now a lever where the league is involved in the receipt of these annual lists. This would appear to be a tacit acknowledgment that this was perhaps not the best system and could lead to these types of problems.
No one involved in the incident is with the Senators’ organization anymore
The Sens owner at the time of the trade is deceased. The assistant GM left the organization during the investigation and the GM is no longer here with the new owner stating this incident was the primary reason why. The man directly accountable for the entire debacle (Pierre Dorion) has already received the most severe consequences for his part in it. As Andlauer would surely note, the previous case where a first-round pick was involved (I swear we’re getting to this momentarily) was re-evaluated in part because new ownership had taken over the team being punished.
Andlauer has an especially strong case here because of the due diligence period of his purchase period mentioned in the Part 1 timeline where Senators representatives indicated that they considered the investigation a “non-issue”. As he stated afterwards, “I don’t know if a first-rounder is a non-issue to you guys, but it is (an issue) to me”.
The timing of when the ruling was rendered was suspicious to Andlauer. The interviews with both front offices were conducted nearly 10 months prior. He could certainly speculate that the league held off on a public issuance of their decision so as not to muddy the waters during the team sale period and then only dropped it on his lap after the deal was done. If Andlauer was serious about pursuing it, this could open up legal avenues to the Senators sale representatives and even the league which is something the NHL would obviously wish to avoid.
There is precedent for the NHL reducing a first-round pick penalty
Now we will talk about Ilya Kovalchuk, but only briefly as this is only to provide the example of the similarities involved that Andlauer could look to leverage. In short, in 2010 the New Jersey Devils signed Kovalchuk to a wild 17-year contract (back before there were contract term limits) that would take him into his mid-40’s.
The league correctly identified this as cap circumvention, voided the contract and punished the Devils with a $3 million fine, loss of a third-round pick, and a future first-round pick which (like the Senators) they could choose to have applied in any of the next four seasons. The Devils (like the Senators) deferred the first-round pick to the final option year, but then in March 2014, prior to the draft, officially asked for an appeal. Their case for appeal was that the Devils were under new ownership, but more importantly, Kovalchuk had retired from the NHL and left for the KHL which changed the circumstances materially of the punishment. The NHL agreed and reduced the punishment by cutting the fine in half and issuing the Devils the last pick in the first round (as opposed to their own).
While there are similarities in both cases, there are differences as well. The Devils leaned on the fact that Kovalchuk’s retirement did impact their cap and financial situation in a way that was unforeseen and this was a case primarily about cap circumvention as opposed to a team misleading other teams as part of a player transaction. But what it does indicate is a willingness for the league to reconsider their initial penalty if they feel something has changed in the interim since their ruling.
It should be said that the last time commissioner Gary Bettman was asked about this case roughly a year ago, he did not seem especially inclined to change his mind. “I haven’t had that discussion in a way I think would be appropriate for me to comment publicly, but my inclination would be no,” was what he said at the time.
The question would be this: how would the NHL feel if Andlauer and the Senators officially asked for an appeal and a chance to make their case the way the Devils did with Kovalchuk? That has not happened to this point and it may never happen, but if we use the Kovalchuk case as a guideline, at any point during this season, this is certainly a request the Senators could make leading up the draft.
In deferring the punishment for as long as they’ve been able, it also makes the wound less fresh for Vegas, who most likely got what they wanted out of the ruling (public exoneration of their role in the incident). It does seem like a compromise could at least be proposed. For example, I'm sure a reduction to the loss of a second-round pick would be acceptable for the Sens.
Time will tell whether this gets pursued any further or if the Senators are resigned to their fate, but until Andlauer says otherwise, there’s still potential for this to be re-evaluated. I’ll be certain to update the article if and when anything develops. In the meantime, the Sens have a Cup to win this season, so we’ll be certain to shift our focus there as the season gets underway.
More Sens Headlines at THN:
Former Ottawa Senators Winger Alex Formenton Returns To Pro Hockey
Ottawa Senators Radio Play-By-Play Team Won't Travel To Road Games This Season
Senators Captain Brady Tkachuk: 'We Want More'
Four Major Storylines This Month At Ottawa Senators Training Camp
Staios: 'We're Not Dismissing That Yakemchuk Makes Our Team Out of Camp'
Ottawa Senators: Ranking The Six Best At Each Position
Red Wings' Dylan Larkin Recognized in NHL.com’s Annual Top 50 Rankings
Dylan Larkin carries the weight of the Detroit Red Wings on his shoulders as team captain, embodying the hopes of a success-starved fan base. There is arguably no one on the ice more determined to bring playoff hockey to Little Caesars Arena for the first time.
As a 19-year-old rookie on the last Red Wings team to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2015–16, Larkin has since faced difficult questions night after night as the team’s leader and endured several challenging seasons, none of which were more trying on the ice than the 2019–20 campaign.
Through it all, which have included some off-ice challenges, Larkin has persevered and grown into a man in front of our eyes. Not only did he recently marry, but he's now the father of a newborn baby girl, Lennyn Marie Larkin, born in May.
When the Red Wings do ultimately break their lengthy playoff drought, you can bet that Larkin's spirit will be lifted in ways he didn't think possible.
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Following his fourth straight campaign of scoring no less than 30 goals, Larkin landed into the No. 41 slot on NHL.com's recent rankings of the best 50 players in the League today, besting the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Jake Guentzel, and Brady Tkachuk.
Our Top 50 Players Right Now list kicks off with 50 to 41!@NHL | #NHLTopPlayerspic.twitter.com/MbqrDoS7rT
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) September 8, 2025
While attending a Detroit Tigers game at Comerica Park last week, Larkin expressed optimism for the upcoming season, citing the steady influx of young talent onto the roster.
"We're going to have some guys who will come up and impress, and hopefully solidify themselves as roster players for a bright future in their careers and for our team," he continued. "I'm really excited for the group and the possibilities of what can happen over the next 82 games for us."
It won't be long before Larkin and the rest of his Red Wings teammates hit the ice in Traverse City for Training Camp, which officially begins on Sept. 18. This will be followed by the beginning of pre-season play against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sept. 23 at Little Caesars Arena.
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