Posts

Posted on

Winners, Losers from Kevin Durant trade to Houston Rockets

On the day that two teams who were patient and calculating in building their cores to the level where they would face off in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Houston Rockets went all-in on accelerating their timeline.

After weeks of negotiations, Phoenix has agreed to trade Durant to Houston, giving it the needed scorer in its half-court offense that was clearly lacking in their first-round exit at the hands of the Warriors. The Suns got back a couple of quality players and a first-round pick — not near what they traded away to get Durant, but not a bad haul in return, considering the market.

Who won and who lost in all this? Let's break it down, starting with the details of the trade itself (which can't officially be completed until July 6 because of Jalen Green's extension):

Houston receives: Kevin Durant
Phoenix receives: Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, five second-round picks

Winner: Kevin Durant

How much Durant was planning an exit from Phoenix before the Suns started dangling him at the trade deadline (and almost trading him to the Warriors) is up for debate, but after that there was no question what was going to happen this summer.

What Durant wanted was to control the process. He wanted to get to a team that would offer him a two-year contract extension north of $100 million, and where he could contend.

Check and check.

Durant fills a specific need for the Rockets as a half-court scorer (more below on that), and the Rockets are expected to pony up and pay the man.

Just a reminder that in the NBA, the biggest stars almost always get what they want.

Winner: Houston Rockets

Houston knew what it needed to contend now.

The Rockets were the 52-win No. 2 seed in the West last season, a team built on a quality young, athletic core playing pressure defense — just like the two teams playing in the Finals — but they lacked scoring punch in the half court (Houston was 22nd in the league in half court offense). During the regular season they covered this up with defense, transition opportunities, and offensive rebounds from Steven Adams (who just got his contract extended). However, in the playoffs against an experienced and talented Warriors team, the Rockets were forced to play in the half court and couldn't score enough to win.

Kevin Durant improves the Rockets' half-court offense immensely. The man may be 37 next season, but he is still a walking bucket who averaged 26.6 points a game last season and shot 43% from beyond the arc.

Having to trade away Brooks dings the Rockets' defense a little, and now more falls on the shoulders of Amen Thompson defensively. Still, it should not be a dramatic drop-off. Additionally, the fact that the Rockets held onto young players with potential, such as Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore, is a win.

However, there is risk here for the Rockets, particularly in the long term. The two teams playing in Game 7 of the NBA Finals chose to be patient with their depth, letting it grow and coalesce, rather than making the kind of trade that would rapidly accelerate their timeline (trades for Pascal Siakam or Alex Caruso were about filling in gaps, not bringing in a superstar). Houston went the opposite direction — was this at the urging of owner Tilman Fertitta? — and if Durant is healthy and meshes, then this move looks brilliant. If injuries, age or other issues lead to a bumpy road, then Houston has pushed all in and not won the hand.

There are some hard financial decisions ahead for this team after they extend Durant, especially once Thompson's second contract kicks in for the 2027-28 season. However, those are problems the Rockets can worry about later. Right now, they can focus on winning a ring.

Loser: Game 7 of the NBA Finals

One of Adam Silver's missions has been to refocus the NBA on the court, rather than on the transaction wire. The reason is obvious: The league knows how to monetize games, it makes nothing from a social media debate about a trade.

The Durant trade was the biggest sports news of the day and dominated the discussion of what should be a thrilling Game 7, focusing the sports world on Durant and his fit in Phoenix.

There will still be plenty of talk about the game, but I guarantee you this: The story you are reading now will draw far more eyeballs than the stories later tonight out of Game 7, regardless of what happens.

What can the NBA do about this? Nothing, really. The league could put a moratorium on moves before the Finals end, but teams will already be talking anyway (this trade can't be finalized until July 6 and we're talking about it). The league could try to space out the time between the Finals and the NBA draft, but that would mean either going deeper into the summer for teams (pushing back events like Summer League) or reducing the number of regular-season games, which is a dead-on-arrival discussion right now.

Just don't think the league is happy about the timing of this trade.

Winner (relatively): Phoenix Suns

Listening to Phoenix owner Mat Ishbia speak, there was legitimate concern that the Suns might try to trade Durant for other win-now players rather than taking a step back, retooling the roster, and thinking longer term. This trade was a longer-term move, acquiring a young player in Green and the No. 10 pick, as well as all those future second-round picks.

This was not the haul the Suns had to give up to get Durant (Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and four first-round picks), but considering KD's current market, this was as good as they were going to do. This is a win for the Suns, but more of a solid double in the gap than a home run.

There is still a lot of roster work to do in Phoenix: Booker, Beal, Green, Brooks, and Grayson Allen are all 2/3 wings, now a crowded position in Phoenix. There are more trades and roster tweaks to come. But this deal was about as good as they were going to do.

Loser: Miami Heat

Miami isn't much of a loser here. Today, they stand exactly where they did yesterday, still at a crossroads with a roster that is neither good enough to contend nor bad enough to tank.

The fact that they are still standing at that crossroads is why they slip slightly into the loser category — but if I were standing in Pat Riley's Italian loafers, I would have made the same call. The reported sticking point in talks was the inclusion of promising young center Kel'el Ware — the Rockets wanted him, the Heat would not give him up. While it's easy to question not giving up a rookie who played 22 minutes a night for Kevin "freakin" Durant, the reality is that's trading a promising 21-year-old for a 37-year-old with an injury history is bad business. Miami rightfully thought that wasn't worth the risk.

Still, without Durant, the question remains in Miami: What's the plan?

Posted on

Orioles catcher Maverick Handley leaves game after collision with Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr.

NEW YORK — Baltimore Orioles backup catcher Maverick Handley left Sunday’s 4-2 loss to the New York Yankees after being knocked over in a collision at the plate with Jazz Chisholm Jr.

“He got hit pretty hard,” Orioles manager Tony Mansolino was quoted as saying by the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. “We haven’t seen a collision like that at the plate, probably, since all the new rules came in. So we’re evaluating him right now, full body, every part of it. We’ll have more information tomorrow. ... We’re evaluating everything right now, so nothing official on concussion protocol. There’s obviously a chance that that happens. We’ll have more information tomorrow on him.”

With Baltimore ahead 2-0 in the second, Chisholm hit a two-out double off Dean Kremer and went home on DJ LeMahieu’s single to left.

Colton Cowser’s throw was up the third-base line. Handley moved to his left for the throw, arriving for the ball at the same time as Chisholm, who tried to veer to the inside to avoid contact.

Chisholm, whose left cleat had come off as he speeded down the line, caught Handley with his right arm, fell past the plate and had to come back to touch it.

Handley, a 27-year-old who debuted in April, got up slowly and was removed after a discussion with Masolino and head athletic trainer Scott Barringer. Baltimore replaced Handley with former Yankees player Gary Sánchez.

Baltimore already is without All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman, who strained his left oblique and is on the injured list for the first time in his major league career.

After San Francisco All-Star catcher Buster Posey sustained a season-ending leg injury in May 2011, Major League Baseball ahead of the 2014 season adopted a rule preventing catchers from blocking a runner’s direct path to the plate without the ball.

Posted on

Mets' Carlos Mendoza explains Kodai Senga's 'good' injury update, 'a decision' looming for Mark Vientos

Mets right-hander Kodai Senga is throwing and third baseman Mark Vientos continues to play for Triple-A Syracuse, New York manager Carlos Mendoza explained in injury updates before Sunday's game at the Philadelphia Phillies.

"He is -- he's throwing," Mendoza said when asked if Senga "is throwing or doing anything at the moment."

"That's a good thing that, even right after the injury, he was able to keep the arm moving. So, yeah, I think he's playing catch. I'll see him (Monday) and have more info there. But, yeah, I was told that he's throwing."

Mendoza most recently said last Sunday that Senga (7-3, 1.47 ERA), whom the Mets placed on the 15-day injured list June 13 due to a right hamstring strain, was not "completely shut down" and already "in a better place" since sustaining the injury June 12 in New York's 4-3 win over the Washington Nationals.

Meanwhile, Vientos -- on the 10-day injured list since June 3 due to a right hamstring strain -- batted second and started at third base Sunday in Syracuse's 6-4 win over the Miami Marlins' Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

"He was playing (Sunday) in Triple-A," Mendoza said of Vientos, whose fourth rehab game since last Tuesday saw him produce a 1-for-5 performance that featured a third-inning single. "We've got to make a decision where we'll give him a couple more games on the Triple-A level.

"So, I've got to check with (president of baseball operations) David (Stearns). I've got to get the report from him and some of the coaches down there in Triple-A and then we'll have a decision."

Syracuse has Monday off before a six-game series at the Nationals' Rochester Red Wings from Tuesday through Sunday.

"Well, I mean, with him, he's had a lot of at-bats here," Mendoza said of Vientos, who has a .230/.298/.380 slash line with six home runs and 21 RBI through 53 games this season with the Mets. "He went down ... what, two, three weeks (ago)? ... I don't know if you're comparing it with (catcher Francisco Alvarez's) case or not -- completely different cases here because (Vientos) had a full spring training, 200 plate appearances.

"But, again, we'll see if he needs more at-bats because of the timing. But I think the health is going to be the No. 1 question and, if he's physically ready to go, then the next phase or the next step will be, 'OK, how are you feeling?' Timing-wise and things like that."

Posted on

Cal Raleigh connects on 31st home run of year for Seattle Mariners

CHICAGO — Seattle Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh hit his major league-leading 31st homer when he went deep in the first inning of Sunday’s game against the Chicago Cubs.

Raleigh hammered the first pitch of his at-bat against Colin Rea — a 93.8 mph fastball — for a two-run shot on a hot afternoon at Wrigley Field. The massive drive to center had an exit velocity of 105 mph.

It was Raleigh’s fourth homer of the weekend series and his fifth in his last five games. He snapped a tie for third for the most homers in franchise history before the All-Star break.

The switch-hitting Raleigh was the designated hitter for the Mariners for the series finale after he was behind the plate on Saturday.

Raleigh also walked in the third and singled and scored in the fifth.

Posted on

Phillies remind themselves they can outplay the Mets with 2 blowouts in series win

Phillies remind themselves they can outplay the Mets with 2 blowouts in series win originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies will play 84 more games this season but that doesn’t take any importance away from the result of Sunday night or this weekend.

Finally, they played well against the Mets, winning a series and reminding themselves that this isn’t as bad a matchup as the previous 11 — nine Phillies loss — indicated.

And beyond the symbolic meaning, beyond ending the weekend in first place thanks to two blowout wins, these head-to-head matchups could end up determining the NL East. The Phillies and Mets won’t play again until the final week of August. There aren’t many opportunities to make up direct ground and this was one both teams wanted to seize.

In Friday night’s series opener, the Phils’ offense came alive in the seventh inning to turn a tie game into an eight-run win. On Saturday, the Mets won a laugher. Sunday night’s finale had the look of a pitchers’ duel early but the Phillies broke through in the bottom of the fourth, batting around and scoring five times off lefty David Peterson in a 7-1 win.

“You play for the lead, you play against a division rival, it makes it exciting,” Edmundo Sosa said. “We got the win, now we’re leading the division and need to keep working day by day so we can sustain that lead.”

Kyle Schwarber started the party with a 432-foot solo home run off the ivy wall past center field. Nick Castellanos doubled with one out and was singled in by Otto Kemp, who hit a ball hard off the glove of shortstop Francisco Lindor.

The biggest blow of the decisive fourth inning, though, was an opposite-field three-run shot by Sosa. It had to feel like a redemptive moment after he was picked off of second base with nobody out the prior inning and had been 3-for-39 (.077) in the calendar month leading up to Sunday. He went 3-for-4 in the win with a single, double and homer.

Sosa is 5-for-7 lifetime against Peterson and started at second base because of the lefty opponent. He could start twice more on Tuesday and Wednesday against Astros southpaws Framber Valdez and Colton Gordon.

“I had a feeling this morning,” Sosa said. “I woke up really optimistic and talked to my wife, we prayed together and I told her I felt optimistic about the day, that I felt I was going to have a great day.”

Manager Rob Thomson also went with Buddy Kennedy at first base and Kemp in left field on Sunday, the rookie’s first major-league start in the outfield. This could be the arrangement against lefties until Bryce Harper returns from a bout of wrist inflammation. Harper is expected to swing in the batting cage on Tuesday or Wednesday and if he responds well the next morning, could be right back in the lineup in Houston.

That’s the Phillies’ next stop. They emerge from the weekend 47-31 and a game ahead of the Mets, who they trailed by 5½ as recently as June 12.

Jesus Luzardo turned in his second-best start of the season with 6⅔ scoreless innings, walking off the mound to a standing ovation. The best offenses Luzardo has faced this season have been the Dodgers, Mets and Cubs twice. He’s allowed one earned run in 25⅔ innings in those four starts, proving he can dominate even the most powerful and patient lineups when he’s on.

“Ideally you have the same juice for every start but I’d be lying if I said starts like tonight you don’t bring a little extra,” he said. “You know what’s on the line.”

Luzardo did an excellent job against a tough top of the Mets order. Lindor, Starling Marte, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso were a combined 1-for-11. He put multiple men on base in only the fourth inning, which he ended with a groundball. Luzardo set down 10 in a row after Lindor’s leadoff single and retired nine of his final 10.

“Sunday Night Baseball is what you live for, two top teams tied for the division,” he said. “It’ll be fun going into the second half seeing them again. We put up a good fight, it was fun.”

The Phillies are off Monday after a stretch of 19 games in 20 days. Two of their final three weeks before the All-Star break will be spent on the road — Houston and Atlanta this week, San Francisco and San Diego to close out the first half.

The Phils will adjust their rotation slightly to move Zack Wheeler ahead of Cristopher Sanchez. They’ll start Ranger Suarez on Tuesday, Wheeler on Wednesday and Sanchez on Thursday, splitting up the lefties against an Astros lineup that is almost entirely right-handed.

Posted on

Flyers Target Maxim Shabanov Takes Important Step in NHL Journey

Image

On Sunday, the Philadelphia Flyers received an important update regarding top KHL free agent Maxim Shabanov and his journey to the NHL.

Shabanov, 24, has officially chosen Quartexx Hockey as his North American representation, which will now allow him to negotiate and sign with the Flyers or other NHL teams come July 1.

Notably, Quartexx serves as the representation for Flyers players such as Nick Deslauriers, Oliver Bonk, Elliot Desnoyers, Anthony Richard, Jacob Gaucher, and Ben Gleason, as well as former Flyers Victor Mete and Morgan Frost.

Quartexx also represents New York Islanders forward Maxim Tsyplakov; the Islanders are one of the teams interested in Shabanov according to their shared agent, Alex Chernykh.

For GM Danny Briere and the Flyers, the next step will be successfully pitching Shabanov and Quartexx on a role conducive to success at the NHL level.

"There is only one criterion. We just need to look at the team rosters and understand where he will really have his place, as it happened with other players. So that he comes there and plays in the NHL, so that he has time and a place in the roster," Chernykh said in a previous interview. "For us, the player’s place in the NHL plays a role. We are now thinking more about the player, not the club."

Note that, at his age, Shabanov is only permitted to sign a one-year, entry-level contract with the Flyers or other NHL teams.

His upcoming contract negation will center purely on his role and fit with the Flyers and not salary and term.

Posted on

Shohei Ohtani pitches sharp first inning for Dodgers before driving in 5 runs at the plate

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani took another significant step toward his full capability on the mound while he threw one hitless inning.

And at the plate, the Dodgers’ two-way superstar was once again at the peak of his powers.

Ohtani recorded two strikeouts in his second mound start for Los Angeles, allowing just one baserunner on an error. The three-time MVP then drove in five runs at the plate, hitting a three-run triple in the seventh before adding his NL-leading 26th homer in the eighth inning of the Dodgers’ 13-7 victory over the Washington Nationals.

Ohtani is proceeding deliberately on his way back to longer weekly mound appearances, but the three-time MVP is encouraged by what he’s been able to do in two short starts.

“I do feel like I have to work on some things,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “But at the same time, I do feel like I can perform better, even better than I used to be able to perform at.”

Ohtani threw 18 pitches against Washington, recording 12 strikes with one wild pitch. After leadoff hitter CJ Abrams grounded out, Mookie Betts dropped James Wood’s popup in the sun, but Ohtani struck out Luis García Jr. and Nathaniel Lowe to end it.

Ohtani’s fastball topped out at 98.8 mph after hitting 100 in his first outing, and he finished both of his strikeouts with breaking balls.

“He was considerably better today, as far as the stuff, the life of the fastball, the command of his pitches,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Much better, so overall a really good outing.”

Roberts was referring to improvement since Ohtani’s Dodgers mound debut, when he allowed two hits and a run while throwing 28 pitches in an inning against San Diego in his first pitching appearance since 2023 with the Angels.

“It’s going to be a gradual process,” Ohtani said. “I want to see improvements with the quality of the pitches that I’m throwing, and then also increasing the amount of pitches, so it’s going to be gradual.”

Roberts and Ohtani both said the Dodgers don’t have a firm timeline to expand Ohtani’s starts to full length, but he feels increasingly confident in his ability to go longer. Roberts said the Dodgers’ pregame plan was to use Ohtani for just one inning against Washington, and Betts’ error erased the small possibility of sending Ohtani back out for the second.

“Overall, I was able to relax much better compared to my last start,” Ohtani said. “That was the original plan, and I’m looking forward to adding more innings and more pitches.”

Ohtani had been in a minor slump at the plate over the past six games since his first mound start, going 4 for 23 with 11 strikeouts. He struck out again in his first two at-bats against Michael Soroka, who pitched five dominant innings before fading in the sixth.

But Ohtani ended his mini-skid with two emphatic extra-base hits in the late innings.

After drawing a walk in the sixth and scoring on Max Muncy’s grand slam, he smashed a 101.3 mph ground ball into the right field corner for a bases-clearing triple. He added his two-run homer one inning later.

“Today was good,” Roberts said. “Hopefully it quiets the noise a little bit (about) the days that he pitches.”

The Dodgers are still determining how they will handle the day-to-day details of the dual pursuits of baseball’s only serious two-way player in several decades.

Roberts acknowledged that Ohtani could move out of his customary leadoff spot in the Dodgers’ lineup on the days when he pitches, particularly at home. While Ohtani has told Roberts he isn’t bothered by pitching the first inning and then going straight to the on-deck circle to be the Dodgers’ first batter in the bottom half, Roberts recognizes it’s not ideal.

“He’s said that he’s completely fine with hitting leadoff (and) doesn’t want to change,” Roberts said. “So I think that for now, we’ll stay status quo, but coming out of this one, you could say maybe it might make more sense to hit second or third or fourth.”

Ohtani didn’t pitch at all last season while recovering from arm surgery during his first season with the Dodgers under a 10-year, $700 million contract. He won his third MVP award while becoming the first player in baseball history with 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season, and the Dodgers won his first World Series championship.

Ohtani entered third in the majors with a .996 OPS, but some of his other offensive numbers have gone down slightly this season while he returned to a steady throwing program.

The Dodgers have no public concerns about Ohtani’s production, remaining supportive of his two-way play — and they need his arm, given their season-long injury woes on the mound.

“I think right now he’s good with one inning, and all these conversations we have with him, obviously,” Roberts said. “As time goes on, we’ll get to a certain point, but there’s no sense in rushing it right now.”

Posted on

A New York Hockey Guy Goes To Florida Watches The Panthers Grow

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Editor's Note: Joltin' Joe Dionisio was a top-notch sports columnist with  Newsday for many years – among his other literary accomplishments. Now hockey manager for Santa Barbara's Ice In Paradise rink, Dionisio was in South Florida when the Panthers were born. Here he presents his view of the Cup Final followed by an exclusive report on the early struggles of hockey journalism Down South.

Take it away, Joe:

"Florida was relentless in the Stanley Cup Final. Role players and stars checked with equal vigor.  Their respected coach milked every bit of talent, from first-liner to fourth-liner.  Management was laced with puck-savvy hockey minds.  But I'm not talking about the 2025 Stanley Cup champs.

"The DNA of today's Panthers was born over three decades ago, when the NHL granted an expansion team to South Florida.  

"It's worth noting the huge influence New York had on the first chapter of the Cats' nine lives. Islanders GM Bill Torrey took the reins as president. Roger Neilson -- fired five months earlier by the Rangers – took over as coach and Isles legend Billy Smith served as goalie coach.  

"Blueshirts netminder John Vanbiesbrouck was the very first player plucked from the 1993 expansion draft. (His tandem partner was ex-Islander Mark Fitzpatrick). Rangers d-man Joe Cirella and Isles winger Tom Fitzpatrick were later nabbed in the expansion draft.

"The Empire State Meets Sunshine State theme wasn't only on the ice. My Islander colleague Greg Bouris did stellar work as the Panther's PR boss.  

"As a native New Yorker, I was among the initial wave of journalists covering the NHL's newest club. At the Palm Beach Post, I served as the very first hockey columnist in South Florida newspaper history.   

"I was also in the 'delivery room' when the team was born, as Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga strolled into the Palm Beach Breakers Hotel to announce his latest toy. I was nearly alone at that press conference, because the Florida media didn't give a rat's ass – pun intended – about hockey. 

"Roger Neilson used to sit on a bench with his dog, right outside Lighthouse Rink off Federal Highway in Pompano Beach, and nobody ever recognized him.  A few Floridian journalists knew of the NHL, but many wouldn't have known Mario Lemieux from Nintendo Mario. The gaffes of some reporters were quite embarrassing.

"Try following the following boo-boos on for size:

The referee called a penalty on the Panthers for icing. Chris Chelios is the NHL's worst goon. "When do they play the fourth quarter?" a fellow reporter asked me.    

"This past week's hockey mania in Broward County shows the evolution of the fanbase.  I'm elated to see how far the franchise has come."

Thanks to Joltin' Joe.  I know that Al Greenberg, my man in South Florida, agrees because Al Greenberg also has witnessed  the evolution of a hockey revolution as detonated by the Panthers!

Posted on

Why Are A Handful Of Buyout Candidates Former Or Current Maple Leafs Players?

The NHL’s buyout window is now open, and the list of possible buyout candidates shares a connection: a decent handful of them are either current or former members of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In THN.com’s list of potential buyout candidates, a whopping five of seven players had direct ties to the Leafs. 

Those five players – left Pierre Engvall of the New York Islanders, defenseman TJ Brodie of the Chicago Blackhawks, blueliner Justin Holl of the Detroit Red Wings and current Leafs players Ryan Reaves and David Kampf – all had disappointing seasons in 2024-25, so it’s hardly a shock that teams might be considering (or in Brodie’s case, have already decided) to buy out their deals. 

But the Toronto connection tells you something many hockey observers already know – namely, that the spotlight that comes with being a Leaf can artificially inflate the value of a player, at least for the short term.

This is why teams like the Isles shelled out big money and long term for a relatively unproven asset like Engvall. The Swedish pivot signed an astonishing seven-year, $21-million contract with the Islanders in the summer of 2023. 

It took only a year for the Isles to have buyer’s remorse on the contract, placing Engvall on waivers in October 2024 after he had only played 92 games in an Islanders uniform. He also only had eight goals and 15 points in 62 games this past season. The Leafs didn’t sign Engvall to that contract, but you have to imagine former Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello’s connection to Toronto factored into his decision to sign Engvall long-term.

TJ Brodie and Mitch Marner (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)

Meanwhile, Brodie and Holl also had the benefit of using their time in the Toronto spotlight to be signed by the Blackhawks and Red Wings, respectively. Chicago and Detroit should’ve seen the Maple Leafs’ decision to let Holl and Brodie leave as a warning sign, but they didn’t, and Brodie got a two-year, $7.5-million contract while Holl got a three-year, $10.2-million deal. 

It’s hard to discern which contract was worse between the two of them. 

Holl quickly stood out like a sore thumb in Detroit, with his defensive deficiencies exposed almost immediately. He only averaged 14:48 of ice time in ’24-25, more than five minutes under his 20:14 average in his last season with the Leafs. And Brodie eventually became a regular healthy scratch less than one year into his time in the Windy City with a career-low average ice time of 15:38.

Each of the two D-men had some good days as Maple Leafs, but there’s no question their value was boosted considerably by Toronto’s profile in the media.

This isn’t to suggest most of the players we’ve mentioned don’t have a place in the NHL. (That said, at this stage, Reaves simply isn’t an NHLer anymore.) 

On less-costly contracts, the expectations on many, if not most of them, would’ve been greatly reduced. But playing for the Leafs clearly inflates the value of players, and teams need to take a careful approach to signing anyone who’s played in Toronto. And that applies to all the players we’ve mentioned, but especially Kampf, Reaves and probably winger Calle Jarnkrok, another candidate to be bought out of his contract with the Maple Leafs.

Exploring Buyouts? Why That Would Be A Major Misstep For The Maple Leafs This SummerExploring Buyouts? Why That Would Be A Major Misstep For The Maple Leafs This SummerThe Toronto Maple Leafs could look quite different next season. From star forward Mitch Marner testing free agency to a wealth of vacant spots up front to fill either via trade or free agency, General Manager Brad Treliving has the opportunity to put an additional stamp on the team he took over in 2023. But what he should try to avoid, if possible, is using buyouts.

Any time an NHL team considers acquiring a former Maple Leaf, there should be a serious case of buyer beware. Just because a player had a few moments of success in the white-hot spotlight of Toronto, that doesn’t mean they’re worth throwing a boatload of money at. 

Playing in Toronto doesn’t automatically make you great. It only makes you seen, and that’s not reason enough to invest vast sums of money in someone who you probably could replace with someone else on a far cheaper contract.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Posted on

Penguins Rumors: 3 Teams Who Could Sign Matt Grzelcyk

The Pittsburgh Penguins are entering the off-season with multiple pending free agents, and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk is the most notable. The Massachusetts native will become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1 if the Penguins do not re-sign him by then. 

When noting that Grzelcyk is coming off a 40-point season and has a good amount of playoff experience, he would certainly have suitors if the Penguins do not bring him back. Due to this, let's go over three teams who could sign Grzelcyk this summer.

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings could be pursue Grzelcyk this off-season, as their left side could use a bit of a boost. This would be even more of the case if defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov leaves LA and signs elsewhere this off-season.

If the Kings landed Grzelcyk, he could slot nicely on their third pairing and be another option for their second power-play unit. However, he also could move up their lineup when injuries arise, so he could be a nice depth addition for a playoff club like the Kings. 

Boston Bruins 

The Bruins will likely aim to improve their defense this summer, so a reunion between them and Grzelcyk could make sense. Grzelcyk had a solid tenure with the Bruins, and that could be enough for them to consider bringing him back. 

Grzelcyk notably had great chemistry with Bruins star blueliner Charlie McAvoy. However, at this point of his career, Grzelcyk would likely be a better fit for the Bruins' bottom pairing if brought back. 

San Jose Sharks 

The Sharks desperately need help on the left side of their defense, so a player like Grzelcyk could grab their attention. When looking at their current defense, Grzelcyk could work well on their second pairing and would be an obvious choice for their power play. Furthermore, he would give them another veteran to help mentor their younger players.

Grzelcyk showed this season that he can be effective on a non-playoff team, so he could be a nice pickup for the Sharks on a short-term contract. 

Penguins Rumors: 4 Teams Linked To Rickard Rakell Penguins Rumors: 4 Teams Linked To Rickard Rakell Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell has been creating plenty of chatter in the rumor mill again now that the off-season is here. With the Penguins retooling their group, questions have naturally come up about the 32-year-old winger's future in Pittsburgh.

Photo Credit: © John Jones-Imagn Images

Posted on

Mets send slumping catcher Francisco Alvarez to minors

PHILADELPHIA — Scuffling catcher Francisco Alvarez was demoted to the minors by the New York Mets on Sunday.

The team optioned Alvarez to Triple-A Syracuse and recalled Hayden Senger from its top farm club before Sunday night’s series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Senger will back up Luis Torrens, who replaces Alvarez as New York’s primary catcher.

The move comes after Alvarez went 2 for 5 with a 452-foot home run late in Saturday night’s 11-4 victory over Philadelphia, which snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Mets. But he is batting only .236 with three homers, three doubles, 11 RBIs and a .652 OPS in 35 games this year.

Alvarez was activated April 25 after beginning the season on the injured list with a hamate fracture in his left hand, and he missed two games this month while on the paternity list.

The 23-year-old Alvarez, once rated baseball’s best minor league prospect, had 25 homers and 63 RBIs with a .721 OPS as a rookie in 2023.

Senger, 28, made his major league debut for the Mets this season and was batting .179 (5 for 28) in 13 big league games.

New York began the day tied with Philadelphia atop the NL East.

Posted on

After coming through with game-winning hit, Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. says he 'lives for' big moments

Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. came ready to play in Sunday's 4-2 win against the Baltimore Orioles, hitting a game-winning two-run double in the eighth inning with the score tied and accounted for all four New York runs.

Chisholm ended the day 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored. He also showed off his wheels and aggressiveness in New York's three-run eighth inning, scoring on a chopper to the drawn in infield by sliding into home thanks to an error by Gary Sanchez. After initially being called out as the ball beat Chisholm, home plate umpire Jansen Visconti quickly reversed the call.

"I mean, that’s what I live for," Chisholm said of coming through in the big moment and making things happen. "That’s how I grew up playing baseball in high school, little league -- that’s how I played, and I feel like there’s no need to change."

On the go-ahead double, Chisholm attacked a 3-0 fastball with runners on first and third after getting the green light with New York needing a spark offensively. The plan worked as Chisholm blasted one 384 feet high off the right-center field wall, just barely missing a three-run bomb.

Despite the aggressiveness in the at-bat, the third baseman wasn't trying to do too much in that situation as a fly ball would've gotten the job done.

"I was just trying to drive in the run," he said. "You know, we’re down one run in the bottom of the eighth -- we’re either trying to go into the top of the ninth tied or winning -- so 3-0 count, he hadn’t thrown me a fastball the whole at bat, I’m only looking for one pitch. I’ve been seeing pitches really well out of the hand and I saw it out of the hand and I just tried to hit a fly ball to center field, honestly."

He's not kidding about seeing the ball well right now as the 27-year-old is batting .358 over his past 15 games. During that time, he's driven in 10 runs and scored seven, putting him right in the action.

Entering the eighth inning down 2-1, Chisholm had all the confidence in the world that the Yankees would be able to break out and find a way to win the game.

"For me, ever since I’ve gotten here, we have a lot of comeback games," he said. "It was ridiculous last year, how many times we came back. So I feel like, any time I step on the field wearing this uniform with the guys that come on the field with me, we can come back from anything. We came back from nine one time and I was like, ‘Yeah, we can do anything.’"

Sunday's win meant a series victory for New York, which has now won three out of its past four games following a six-game skid that included three straight shutout losses. Since then, the Yanks have scored 23 runs and look to be back on track at 45-32 and a 2.5-game lead on the Tampa Bay Rays.

"Everybody goes through a rough stretch," Chisholm said. "We all do it."