Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw waves his cap as he leaves during the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. (John Froschauer / Associated Press)
It was one last batter. One last strikeout. One last ovation for a future Hall of Famer.
And it ended, fittingly, on a helplessly empty swing.
In the top of the sixth inning on Sunday afternoon, in the final regular-season outing of his illustrious 18-year career, Clayton Kershaw snapped off a trademark slider that ducked below the zone. Eugenio Suárez waved at it for a strikeout like so many countless others before him.
With that, Kershaw had his seventh strikeout of the day and the 3,052nd of his career. He had completed 5 ⅓ scoreless innings, lowering his career ERA to 2.53 — the best among any starting pitcher with 1,000 career innings in the live ball era (since 1920).
In the dugout, manager Dave Roberts motioned to fellow veteran Freddie Freeman, sending the first baseman out to the mound to remove Kershaw from his last career start.
When he got there, the two exchanged an embrace, Kershaw hugged the rest of his infield teammates, and then he acknowledged a cheering T-Mobile Park crowd as he walked back to the dugout.
He donned his cap, waved his arm and disappeared down the stairs — for perhaps the very last time.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw embraces his teammates as he gets lifted from Sunday's game against the Seattle Mariners. (John Froschauer / Associated Press)
If Kershaw is to take the mound again before retirement this winter, the Dodgers will have to advance through the first round of the playoffs.
Ahead of his scoreless 5 ⅓ inning start in the Dodgers’ 6-1 win against the Seattle Mariners in Sunday’s regular-season finale, Roberts said Kershaw would not be on the team’s roster for next week’s best-of-three wild card series against the Cincinnati Reds.
The decision isn’t shocking. Kershaw was not going to feature in the starting rotation for the series. And though he could have been an option in the bullpen, the Dodgers already have an abundance of left-handed relievers.
Thus, the Dodgers (who finished the season 93-69) will have to reach at least the National League Division Series for Kershaw to pitch in a major league game again. Roberts noted that, if the team does advance, Kershaw could be an option in any capacity.
“You just don’t know how things are gonna play out,” Roberts said. “I can see him starting a game. I can see him coming in for a short burst. I can see him in long relief. I can see him in a lot of ways. I don’t think anyone can predict how that’s gonna play out. We gotta get through the wild card series, and see who’s standing after that.”
If this is the end of the line for Kershaw, he is going out on his own terms.
After being limited by injuries for much of the past three seasons — including missing all of last year’s World Series run with toe and knee injuries that ultimately required offseason surgery — the 37-year-old decided to return to the Dodgers this season for one last crack at a championship chase.
He wound up turning in one of his most impactful performances.
Though Kershaw’s 11-2 record and 3.36 ERA are no career highs, his ability to consistently produce over 23 outings this season (including a ninth-inning appearance as a reliever last week) proved to be invaluable for the Dodgers. He was a steady veteran presence early in the year, when the team was battling a wave of rotation injuries. He was a losing-skid stopper on multiple occasions over the second half, when the team nearly squandered a division lead that once was nine games.
“I don’t think we’d have won the division,” Roberts said, when asked where the team would have been without Kershaw this season.
“He delivered 10 times over for us.”
Roberts acknowledged that Kershaw exceeded all of his expectations for the aging pitcher this season. He relished watching the all-time Dodgers icon write one last memorable chapter to his legendary, record-setting MLB career.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and catcher Ben Rortvedt, center left, walk to the dugout after working the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners. (John Froschauer / Associated Press)
“He doesn’t want handouts, he doesn’t want freebies, he doesn’t want to be a token,” Roberts said. “He was a big part of what we accomplished this year.”
And, if the Dodgers can get through this week’s wild-card series, he still might be at some point in the playoffs as well.
Ohtani sets career, club HR mark
A year after breaking the Dodgers’ single-season home run record with a career-high 54 long balls last season, Shohei Ohtani reset the high mark once again Sunday.
After two-run home runs from Hyeseong Kim and Freeman early in the game, Ohtani extended the Dodgers' lead with a solo blast to center field in the seventh. It was his 55th homer of the year, leaving him one shy of Kyle Schwarber for most in the NL.
Reds outfielder Gavin Lux celebrates after hitting a double against the Dodgers in a game at Dodger Stadium last month. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he would be scoreboard watching on Sunday afternoon.
But he insisted he didn’t care how things played out.
His team, of course, had already been locked in as the National League’s No. 3 seed, set to host a best-of-three wild card series starting Tuesday.
What wasn’t clear until the end of play on Sunday, however, was whether the Dodgers would be facing the Cincinnati Reds or New York Mets to open the postseason.
“I honestly don’t really care, I really don’t,” Roberts said. “I think the way we’re playing right now, it doesn’t matter who we play.”
In a photo finish for the NL’s final wild card berth, all the Reds needed was a win against the Milwaukee Brewers, or a Mets loss. The Mets needed a win and a Cincinnati defeat.
Turned out, the Reds got a Mets loss as the Marlins knocked off the Mets, 4-0, in Miami after Cincinnati dropped its finale to the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-2.
Thus, it will be the Reds coming to Chavez Ravine this week.
Here are nine things to know about the Reds ahead of Game 1 at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday at 6:08 p.m. (ESPN):
Tito magic
On Sept. 5, the Reds appeared left for dead. They were a game under .500. They were trailing the New York Mets by six games for the final NL wild card spot. They had two other teams to catapult in the standings.
But then, they reeled off 13 wins in their next 21 games, including an 8-3 run to end the year. They clinched a playoff spot on the final day of the season, their first in a full campaign since 2013.
And they did it, first and foremost, by following the lead of their veteran manager.
At 66 years old, two-time World Series champion and three-time manager of the year Terry Francona came out of what appeared to be his managerial retirement to take another crack at contention with upstart Cincinnati.
His first season wasn’t easy, with a young pitching staff and a patchwork offense struggling to find consistency for much of the year. But over the last month, the Reds hit their stride while the Mets quickly collapsed. Now, Francona is back in the postseason for the 12th time in his 24-year career. His 44 career playoff wins are seventh-most all-time, one spot behind Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
Electric Elly
The Reds do not have an overpowering offense. They rank just 15th in scoring, 20th in batting average and 21st in home runs and slugging percentage. They have just two qualified batters with an above-league-average mark in OPS+.
One of them, however, is Elly De La Cruz.
And even at just 23 years old, he has become the biggest threat in their lineup.
In just his third MLB, De La Cruz earned his second All-Star selection while batting .264 with 21 home runs, 85 RBIs, a .774 OPS, and 37 stolen bases. In each of the last four categories, he leads the team.
A 6-foot-5, 200-pound switch-hitter, De La Cruz is prone to strikeouts (he has 178 this season) and is not hitting the ball as hard as he did last year. But he is also one of the game’s most intriguing and exciting up-and-coming talents, and will now get his first crack on a postseason stage.
Now in his sixth MLB season, Lux has still not realized the top-prospect potential he came up with in Los Angeles a half-decade ago. While he has hit a team-best .269 during his first season in Cincinnati, he has just five home runs, a .725 OPS, and a negative mark in wins-above-replacement according to Baseball Reference.
What Lux has provided to his new club, however, is some World Series-winning experience. He has gone from a young role player on the Dodgers, to something of a veteran leader with the Reds.
Lux, whom the Dodgers traded away after signing Hyeseong Kim in January, has served in a utility role this year, getting starts at second base, left field and as the designated hitter. He didn’t have a great postseason with the Dodgers last year, when he hit just .176 during the team’s title run. But now, he has a chance to help upset the team that dealt him coming into the season.
Hunter Greene homecoming
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene works against the Dodgers in a game last month at Dodger Stadium. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)
Eight years ago, the Reds drafted right-handed pitcher Hunter Greene second overall out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks.
Now, after being a key part of their rebuild, the 25-year-old will get the chance to make his postseason debut at Dodger Stadium.
The strength of the Reds is their starting rotation, which ranks seventh in the majors in ERA this season and fourth during their surge since Sept. 6. Greene has been a key piece of the puzzle, going 7-4 with a 2.76 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 19 starts despite missing more than two months in the middle of the year with a groin strain.
Greene is one of the hardest-throwing starters in the majors, with a fastball that averages 99.5 mph and a slider that clocks in at almost 90 mph. He’s one of the sport’s best at getting chase, whiff and strikeouts, ranking fifth among pitchers with 100 innings with a 31.4% K-rate.
Greene will also be lined up for a potential Game 1 start, having not pitched since Wednesday. The start before that was perhaps the best of his career: A one-hit, nine-strikeout shutout of the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 18.
The rest of the rotation
Greene might be the most gifted Reds’ starter, but others in their rotation have been even more productive this season.
Andrew Abbott, a 26-year-old left-hander who excels at limiting hard contact, is 9-7 with a 2.80 ERA in 28 starts. Nick Lodolo, another left-hander with an excellent curveball/changeup combination, is 9-8 with a 3.30 ERA, also in 28 starts.
The team’s wins and strikeout leader is Brady Singer, a lengthy 6-foot-5 right-hander who went 14-11 with a 3.95 ERA. Zack Littell is the other member of the Cincinnati rotation, though the trade deadline acquisition hasn’t been as good with the Reds (4.39 ERA) as he was with the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this season (3.58 ERA).
The real question for next week is which of those arms are available. Abbott and Singer pitched on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, to help the Reds clinch their playoff berth. Lodolo and Littell last threw the two days before that.
Red(s)-hot closer
Emilio Pagán was no stranger to the ninth inning before this year, having recorded 33 saves in his first eight MLB campaigns.
But this year, the veteran righty has been among the most dependable closers in the majors, as one of just six relievers with at least 30 saves (he has 31) and a sub-3.00 ERA (his is 2.93).
With his fastball/splitter/cutter mix, Pagán has been especially good down the stretch, having converted five consecutive save opportunities and thrown nine consecutive scoreless innings since Sept. 8.
The Reds’ talent might pale in comparison to the Dodgers at most spots on the roster. But the reliability of their closer is one place where they have a clear edge.
Ohtani killers?
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Graham Ashcraft reacts after striking out Pittsburgh Pirates' Joey Bart during a game on Thursday. (Jeff Dean / Associated Press)
The Reds finished the season with just one left-handed pitcher, Brent Suter, in their bullpen.
But when it comes to matching up with Shohei Ohtani, they do have a couple righties with successful personal histories against him.
Set-up man Graham Ashcraft and multi-inning swingman Nick Martinez have both faced Ohtani 10 times in their careers. The soon-to-be four-time MVP is 0-for-nine in both matchups, having drawn only one walk against each.
For reference: There are only seven other pitchers against whom Ohtani is at least 0-for-nine in his career (one of them, coincidentally, is a current teammate: Clayton Kershaw).
A deep bullpen
The Reds have two other relievers to know — and they might be the best two on the team.
Right-hander Tony Santillan not only led the majors with 80 appearances this season, but did so while posting a 2.44 ERA and allowing hitters to bat only .200 against him.
Another right-hander, 24-year-old Connor Phillips, has only been a full-time fixture on the Reds’ big-league roster since mid-August. But in that time, he has allowed only three runs in 18 ⅔ innings while striking out 26 batters and giving up five total hits.
Wild-card wackiness
The Reds will be the lower-seeded underdog in next week’s series. But recent history suggests that could work to their benefit.
In three postseasons since MLB expanded its playoff field in 2022, road teams have won in eight of the 12 best-of-three wild card series — a reminder that with such a small sample size, anything is possible in the crapshoot of October.
This year will be the Dodgers’ first time playing in the new wild card round, after they secured byes to the division series in each of the past three seasons.
Angels owner Arte Moreno, on the field before a home game in 2023, has seen his team go through 10 consecutive losing seasons. (Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
The standings spoke for themselves, but the Angels’ management wanted you to know they had comprehended the lesson.
“Obviously, we’re not doing it the right way,” team president John Carpino told reporters five years ago. “We’re not winning games. So something is not right in our organization.”
That was after the 2020 season, and after five consecutive losing seasons. The Angels since have endured another five consecutive losing seasons.
The general managers have changed, and so have the managers. The only constants in this run: Carpino and owner Arte Moreno.
I wanted to ask both men to share with fans what the Angels have determined about what was not right in their organization and how they have been going about trying to fix it. Neither man was available for an interview, a team spokesman said.
The standings continue to speak for themselves. The Angels finished in last place last season, with the worst record in team history. They sank into last place again this season, the first time in 50 years the Angels finished in last place in consecutive years.
Moreno, 79, explored selling the team three years ago but is not expected to do so this winter, according to people familiar with his thinking but not authorized to speak publicly.
He might be better served, some of those people said, to wait out the collective bargaining negotiations set to start next year and see if owners can push through a salary cap, which league executives believe would increase franchise values — that is, sale prices.
When Carpino spoke about “something is not right in our organization,” he did so in discussing the dismissal of Billy Eppler as general manager. In Eppler’s five years, the Angels posted a .469 winning percentage and finished a combined 110 games out of first place.
“It was a business decision,” Carpino said of Eppler’s firing. “And we’re in the business of winning baseball games, and we just didn’t win enough over the five-year period.”
In the five years under current general manager Perry Minasian, the Angels have posted a .442 winning percentage and finished a combined 111 games out of first place.
Moreno is expected to determine this week whether to retain Minasian and manager Ron Washington, who underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery in June but would like to return. Minasian has one guaranteed year and an option year left in his contract. Washington, 73, has an option that the Angels had leaned toward picking up before he fell ill and went on medical leave.
Angeles general manager Perry Minasian, right, introduces Angels new manager Ron Washington, left, during a news conference at Angel Stadium in Nov. 2023. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
It is unlikely Moreno could lure an established general manager to replace Minasian or a current manager to replace Washington. The likes of Andrew Friedman and Dave Dombrowski have declined overtures in past years from the Angels, who never have hired a president of baseball operations to work in concert with a general manager. (Minasian’s brother, Zack, is the San Francisco Giants’ general manager, working under president of baseball operations Buster Posey.)
The Angels absolutely need to tighten up their fundamentals, including sloppy defense and baserunning that has alarmed people who advise Moreno. That is Washington’s calling card. The Angels went 36-38 under Washington and 36-52 under interim manager Ray Montgomery.
The other finalist Moreno selected when he hired Washington, Buck Showalter, is available. So is longtime Orange County resident Skip Schumaker, the 2023 National League manager of the year for the Miami Marlins.
Torii Hunter, the former Angels star and current special assistant, is interested in managing and could command a clubhouse with the kind of relentless positivity Dave Roberts brings to the Dodgers. Darin Erstad, another former Angels star, has experience teaching young players as a college coach and would be a stickler for fundamentals and accountability. Albert Pujols would like to manage; Moreno already employs him under a personal services contract.
But this all comes down to players, of course. For two years now, the Angels have talked about nurturing a quality core of young players while running out the clock on Anthony Rendon’s $245-million contract, with the idea that Moreno might then reopen his checkbook to add the final free-agent pieces to a budding contender. Rendon’s contract runs out next year.
Yet the Angels so far have developed just two young players who would unmistakably fit onto a championship roster: shortstop Zach Neto and pitcher José Soriano.
Outfielder Jo Adell could, if his 37-homer season — his first career season as a league-average hitter — is for real. Pitcher Reid Detmers could, at least as a reliever.
First baseman Nolan Schanuel and center fielder Bryce Teodosio could, if the Angels can find enough big bats to keep them in the lower half of the lineup. Catcher Logan O’Hoppe could, if his offensive and defensive regression can be corrected. Second baseman Christian Moore could, if his bat is as advertised.
That’s a lot of ifs, and even then the Angels still would have holes at third base, in the outfield, and throughout their pitching staff.
The Angels’ hitters this year led the majors in strikeouts and ranked in the bottom three in on-base percentage. The Angels’ pitchers had the highest earned-run average in the American League — as a starting corps, as a relief corps, and as a staff as a whole. The Angels’ defense, by one measure, was the worst in the AL.
The Angels can say they won nine more games this season than last — mostly thanks to better health. Five pitchers each started more than 20 games for the Angels this season; two did last season. Even still, the team’s run differential was the worst in the AL.
National analysts continue to rank their farm system as one of baseball’s thinnest; the Angels scoff and say they like their prospects. In July, however, they demoted their No. 5 starter to the minors without a minor league starter ready to fill in.
In an 11-day span, they twice used an infielder throwing 34 mph lobs to mop up a major league game, then ran out of pitchers in a triple-A game and used an infielder in a save situation (and lost the game). The lineups in recent weeks too often resembled those used on split-squad days in spring training.
I asked a high-ranking National League official whether the responsibility for persistently weak depth should properly fall upon Minasian. Sure, the official said, but then he reminded me that bidding wars are not always at the major league level, for millions of dollars. The best minor league free agents look for the best deal too, and that often is not found in Anaheim.
That is really the issue. The Angels are a major-market team operating for now as a mid-market team.
Remember last winter, when the Athletics lured pitcher Luis Severino to Sacramento for $67 million and everyone in baseball pointed out the A’s never had signed anyone for that much money?
Under Minasian, you know how many players Moreno has signed for that much money? Zero. Moreno understandably shied away from the big bucks after the Rendon and Josh Hamilton disasters, but Minasian’s record contract is $63 million, for pitcher Yusei Kikuchi.
The Angels’ major league player payroll, while in the $200-million range, ranks among the middle third of teams — and a third of that is payable to Rendon and Mike Trout. Their attendance, up slightly from last year but down about 25% from its peak, ranks among the middle third of teams. Their television revenue is down significantly from last year, after the parent company of what was then called Bally Sports emerged from bankruptcy.
All of that is why it is important for fans to hear from Moreno and Carpino what they determined was not right in their organization and how they have been going about trying to fix it. It is not evident in the standings, or to the fans deciding whether to buy tickets, or to pay to watch from home.
And then fans can decide whether to continue to appreciate affordable baseball, staffed by friendly people, in aging but comfortable Angel Stadium, or instead to enjoy championship-caliber baseball at Dodger Stadium or Petco Park.
The 2025 Mets' playoff hopes have officially ended -- along with their season.
A year that started with such high expectations coming off an NLCS appearance and big offseason ends in massive disappointment, as Sunday's 4-0 loss to the Miami Marlins officially sends the club home early.
If New York had won -- with the Cincinnati Reds (83-79) losing their final game of the season, 4-2, at the Milwaukee Brewers (97-65) -- the team would've been in.
It looked as if the Mets (83-79) were going to soar their way to the postseason after getting off to an MLB-best 45-24 start.
The only thing left to question was whether they'd win the NL East or make it in as a wild card.
However, things slowly but surely took a turn for the worse in mid-June, as Carlos Mendoza's squad went on to post a bottom-three record in baseball the rest of the way, which ultimately left it short.
Despite the ups and downs of the 2025 campaign, the Mets entered the final weekend of the regular season in control of their playoff destiny. However, Friday's 6-2 loss to the Marlins allowed the Reds to pull even in the wild-card standings with Cincinnati holding the tiebreaker.
There's plenty of finger-pointing to go around for the reasoning behind this dip.
The MLB-best rotation took a massive decline as they lost Griffin Canning, Frankie Montas, and Tylor Megill to injuries, Clay Holmes hit his career-high in innings, David Peterson was unable to maintain his All-Star form, and both Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea struggled upon returning from the IL.
Youngsters Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Jonah Tong provided a late-season boost, but it wasn't enough.
The offense certainly has to shoulder some of the blame as well -- they were an extremely inconsistent group despite receiving another phenomenal showing from their sluggers at the top -- Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo, among others.
This lineup showed the ability to do damage against anyone, but it also endured way too many extended stretches where it was among the most anemic in the league -- particularly during their numerous large skids.
Defensively, they also made way too many physical and mental errors, which quickly cost them.
And even the trade deadline reinforcements came around to backfire on David Stearns.Cedric Mullins never found his footing in the Big Apple, Ryan Helsley was a nightmare before settling into a groove, and Gregory Soto was inconsistent down the stretch.
In the end, it's just an unfortunate result for a $340 million team that got off to a terrific start.
The Yankees' 3-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles in Sunday's regular-season finale puts New York into the playoffs on a high note.
Takeaways
How does Luis Gil factor into the Yankees' playoff rotation? The right-hander's mixed outing -- two runs (back-to-back fourth-inning homers) on three hits while striking out two and walking two in five innings -- leaves the door open to whom the third starter should be with rookie Cam Schlittler trending behind veterans Max Fried and Carlos Rodón.
Gil (4-1, 3.32 ERA) threw 45 strikes on 79 pitches and, while deserving of more run support, could not hold the Yankees' 1-0 lead after first baseman Ben Rice's first-inning solo shot. While the Toronto Blue Jays' pending win over the Tampa Bay Rays (they led 13-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning when this was published) left the Yankees on the outside looking in at the AL East, Gil had a chance to make a statement and did not.
Rice's second home run -- a go-ahead solo shot to lead off the eighth inning -- put the Yankees ahead, 3-2, and capped a strong first full regular season for the 26-year-old. After logging 50 games last year, he ended his 2025 campaign slashing .255/.337/.499 with 26 home runs and 65 RBI in 138 appearances.
Desigated hitterGiancarlo Stanton is heating up at the right time. The veteran slugger torched the Orioles (75-86) this weekend for five hits (three home runs) and seven RBI, capped by Sunday's fourth-inning RBI single to tied the game at 2-2. Stanton, 35, winds down Year 8 as a Yankee while slashing .273/.350/.594 with 24 home runs and 66 RBI in 77 games. He has turned up his intensity in the postseason, and the end of the regular season appears to be a teaser for that.
The Yankees, pending the finish of the Blue Jays' game against the Rays, are set to be in the AL Wild Card against the Boston Red Sox with Tuesday's best-of-three series opener.
#6 Oregon stuns #3 Penn State in Happy Valley. #17 Alabama goes to Athens and upsets #5 Georgia. Virginia shocks #8 Florida State. A full Week 5 recap.
The Buffalo Sabres bounce back from a 5-2 loss to the Red Wings in Detroit on Thursday with their own 5-2 win over the Wings at KeyBank Center on Saturday afternoon. Tage Thompson scored a pair of goals in the victory, with Josh Norris, Rasmus Dahlin, and rookie Radim Mrtka adding singles. Alex Lyon went all the way for the Sabres, making 26 saves in the contest.
Just after the game, the club announced a massive 24-player roster cut, demoting 15 players to AHL Rochester Americans; forwards Riley Fiddler-Schultz, Konsta Helenius, Tyler Kopff, Olivier Nadeau, Viktor Neuchev, Isak Rosen and Anton Wahlberg, defensemen Isaac Belliveau, Vsevolod Komarov, Zach Metsa, Nikita Novikov, and Jack Rathbone, and goaltenders Topias Leinonen, Devon Levi and Scott Ratzlaff.
Rathbone was placed on waivers and cleared on Sunday, enabling him to be sent to the Amerks, as were nine players on AHL contracts: forwards Matteo Costantini, Jagger Joshua, Trevor Kuntar, Redmond Savage, Graham Slaggert, Brendan Warren, and defensemen Aiden Fulp, Noah Laaouan, and Peter Tischke.
Helenius, 19, played well during the exhibition slate for the Sabres, but will benefit from more AHL experience and could be an option for an NHL call-up later in the season if he continues to progress. Rosen will be embarking on his fourth AHL campaign after leading the Amerks in scoring last season, while Levi (who was an AHL All-Star but went 2-7-0 in nine games with Buffalo last season) seems destined to play another year in Rochester, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen healthy, and veterans Alex Lyon and Alexandar Georgiev ahead of him on the depth chart.
David Moyes has said he takes no comfort from the turmoil at West Ham with his former club on to their third manager since he departed 16 months ago.
Moyes delivered West Ham’s first trophy for 43 years in the 2023 Europa Conference League only for many supporters to demand a change of manager and more adventurous style throughout the following season. He admits that 2024 was probably the right time to leave from his perspective too.
It was decided by Detroit Red Wings general manager that Lucas Raymond, whom he drafted with the fourth overall pick in 2020, is a foundational building block.
To that end, he re-signed Raymond to an eight-year contract extension just over one year ago, ensuring Raymond would be wearing the Winged Wheel all throughout the prime of his NHL career.
Raymond responded in the first season of his new contract by establishing a new career-high 80 points in 82 games played, and as far as the Red Wings are concerned, the sky is the limit.
If Raymond's words last week are any indication of what Red Wings fans can expect from him this season, a new career-high in points could potentially be in the cards.
"I feel like I found my game faster than usual when you feel comfortable and up to speed out there," he said following Training Camp.
It wasn't long ago that Raymond himself was a rookie who's place in the forward lineup wasn't a sure thing when he began his inagural NHL Training Camp in September 2021. Not only did Raymond claim a roster spot, but he firmly put himself into the conversation for Rookie of the Year by tallying 23 goals with 34 assists.
The honor ultimately went to his teammate, Moritz Seider, who also began his NHL career at the same time Raymond did that season.
Raymond knows what some of the younger players who are trying to establish position in the Red Wings' system and thus far have made impacts in pre-season play, including Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, Carter Mazur, and Emmitt Finnie.
"I think a lot of guys coming up have had a really good Camp, it's fun to see," Raymond said of the numerous prospects who were present in Training Camp. "You see guys put their foot forward out there and try to make it as hard as possible for coaches and management."
Raymond also acknowledged that the skill of Detroit's younger players attempting to make the team have a motivating effect on the current players on the roster to up their own games.
"It's really exciting, and I think that just adds to it, the pressure coming from underneath and kind of puts a fire underneath everyone's ass a bit," Raymond said with a smile. "It's been fun."
Five years might not seem like a long time, but in the NHL, it can feel like a lifetime. For the Ottawa Senators, the difference between their 2020–21 opening night roster and the group projected to hit the ice to open the 2025–26 season is quite staggering. In fact, of the 19 players who dressed for that first game in January of 2021, only a small handful would have any shot at cracking today’s lineup.
When you stack the two rosters side by side, the transformation is impossible to ignore. Ottawa has gone from a patchwork rebuilding lineup to a team brimming with talent and high expectations.
Players Who Wouldn’t Get A Look Today
Of those 19 players from 2020–21, the majority would have little to no chance of making the current Senators roster. Names like Matt Murray, Nikita Zaitsev, Christian Wolanin, Derek Stepan, Cédric Paquette, Josh Brown, Artem Anisimov, Braydon Coburn, and Chris Tierney are reminders of a different era — one where Ottawa was barely treading water. It was hard to say which was more severe, the volatility of Sens' ownership or the sluggishness of their rebuild attempt.
Most of the players above have since retired (Stepan, Anisimov, Coburn), shifted overseas (Zaitsev, Paquette, Tierney), or are now clinging to bubble status between NHL and AHL (Murray, Wolanin, Brown, Watson). Simply put, they’re no longer near the standard set by Ottawa’s current core.
Players Who Might Have An Outside Chance
Two others, Erik Gudbranson (now in Columbus) and Evgenii Dadonov (in New Jersey), are still in the NHL, but neither would have an easy time carving out a spot in Ottawa’s lineup today. Back in 2020–21, they were relied on as everyday players. Now, they’d be depth options.
Players Who Were Good Enough, But Moved On
A few names from that opening night roster remain good NHL players, just not in Ottawa anymore. Nick Paul has found a long-term home in Tampa Bay, Connor Brown is still in the league as a two-way forward with New Jersey, and Josh Norris was traded to Buffalo back at the deadline. All three were quality players who would still be assets in Ottawa, but the page has been turned.
The Pillars
That leaves just four players from that night who are still here and thriving: Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, Thomas Chabot, and Drake Batherson.
Tkachuk, now captain, has been the heartbeat of the franchise for most of the past five years. Stützle, still a teenager back in 2020–21, has blossomed into a superstar center. Chabot remains a solid puck-moving top-four defenseman, while Batherson continues to be a consistent offensive weapon. These are the four building blocks that carried Ottawa through the darkest days of the rebuild and into what they hope is the start of a sustained run of contention.
When you step back and see that only six of the 19 players from that opening night lineup in 2020–21 would realistically have a place in the current roster, it underscores just how much things have changed. It also explains why it took so long to return to contention.
This wasn’t just about waiting for prospects to develop — it was about clearing out and replacing nearly an entire roster.
The 19-year-old winger Liam Greentree was selected 26th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2024 NHL draft and will likely not be on the official roster come the 2025-26 opening night, but the top prospect could make it sooner than people might think.
Who is Liam Greentree
Greentree has been one of the OHL’s most talented forwards with the Windsor Spitfires this past season, lighting the league on fire with 49 goals, 70 assists, and 119 points.
The size and height Greentree possesses are imposing, standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing over 200 pounds, he already has a body ready for the NHL. Add his ability to drive the puck in the goal, the speed, and IQ, and it’s easy to see why he’s considered to have immense potential for the Kings' system.
Last season, Greentree took a massive leap in the OHL, demonstrating his offense, decision-making, and vision, making him a dual threat. Many analysts have highlighted his contributions and why he could be a top priority for the Kings this upcoming season.
The Ducks defeat the Kings 5-3 for LA's first loss in the preseason.
Under different situations, Greentree might have found his way on the ice consistently throughout the regular season on a rebuilding team. Still, Los Angeles is in win-now mode, especially with Anze Kopitar announcing that this will be his last season with the Kings.
Kings are going to go all in on Kopitar’s last season and will look to raise another banner for the first time in over a decade. With their forward group already set, the organization has made it clear they’re choosing veterans with more experience over younger players who have no experience playing on the ice.
This doesn’t mean Greentree won’t be successful for the Kings organization, but it does mean that he will likely return to the OHL for another year, where he will play top minutes and further develop his game, rather than being limited to a bench role.
The Kings will closely monitor his progress, with a potential call-up later in the season or next season if an injury occurs or a player leaves in free agency.
Wonder if Tyler Toffoli's development pathway is a blueprint for Liam Greentree. Four years in the OHL with high production levels. Then a full year in the AHL with an NHL cup of coffee. Then a fulltime NHLer around age 22. @ByronMBader@NHLRussellpic.twitter.com/CSVNbFLiA4
Again, while Greentree will most likely play out these last preseason games this weekend before being reassigned to the OHL, his future remains bright in LA.
In the next two years, he should be on the roster and play a pivotal role for a playoff-contending team that can drive the offense and step into a major role after Kopitar and other veterans ride off into the sunset.
The Calgary Flames were a surprising team last season. While they didn’t make the Stanley Cup playoffs – that part was expected of them – the St. Louis Blues beat them out on a tie-breaker after the two teams levelled on points for the last wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Ultimately, this Flames team could once again be what they were last season – a 'mushy middle' team. A club that's too good to finish at the bottom of the standings and earn a top draft pick, but not good enough to make the post-season.
In this writer’s mind, that’s the worst place a team can be because you really have nothing to show for it – no elite prospect for the future, nor a playoff experience. Flames GM Craig Conroy has to be smart enough to recognize that and want more of this Calgary team from a futuristic standpoint.
The Flames should be setting themselves up for help from the draft in the next three to five years. Otherwise, the team could be mired in the mushy middle, always chasing their own tail, never quite finding the mix to give Flames fans something to invest their time, money and emotion in. It would be an emotional sinkhole, swallowing everyone and their pride in the process.
With that said, Calgary has players who, if traded, could accelerate their much-needed rebuild. Everyone knows Calgary star defenseman Rasmus Andersson will probably be dealt. Even Flames captain Mikael Backlund said it's "obvious" that Andersson will get traded.
Even after this season, Kadri has a 13-team no-trade list for the remaining three years of his contract, which pays him $7 million against the salary cap.
If all these circumstances of trading Kadri fall into place, only then can Conroy dangle his veteran in front of buyers.
Some have said Kadri’s $7-million salary is an obstacle to him being moved, but in an NHL where the salary cap ceiling is rising exponentially until further notice, taking on Kadri’s salary shouldn’t be a problem, whether or not the Flames retain some salary.
If they do retain in a Kadri deal, they’ll get better prospects and draft picks; if they don’t retain, they get Kadri’s cap space to invest in someone who isn’t approaching their mid-thirties.
By moving Andersson and exploring Kadri as a trade piece in the future, the Flames would be tacitly admitting that their current core just isn’t good enough, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. It could be time to change course from a future mired in mediocrity.
For most teams, the only way you do that is to take a step back. There’s a reason why teams regularly tear it down to the studs. It’s the most reliable, most proven method to build a long-term Cup contender.
For example, the San Jose Sharks have traded away star players such as defensemen Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns, as well as center Tomas Hertl and right winger Timo Meier. In return, they received assets that aid the franchise's future and gave the team a better opportunity to receive a higher draft pick.
Now, the Sharks have one of the most exciting young cores in the league, including Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Michael Misa from the 2025 draft, and more. It's all thanks to the hard decision of moving the aging core.
It’s far more preferable than running as fast as you can, just to make the playoffs and be roadkill for a team that’s at the top of your division.
Though the Flames surprised many by challenging for a playoff spot last season, this is still a flawed Calgary team that doesn't have the depth to get them through a competitive season.
Furthermore, the Pacific Division has gotten more competitive this past off-season. The Seattle Kraken and Anaheim Ducks, who both finished below Calgary last season, have made improvements this summer. There's a real possibility that either the Kraken or the Ducks push their way up the division, forcing the Flames to drop.
In many ways, that would be a good thing, because Calgary would benefit from bottoming out. It's not to say Flames fans should celebrate every loss, but the truth is the Flames do not have comparable talent to players like Edmonton Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid or Vegas Golden Knights’ center Jack Eichel. The only way they’re going to get one is through the draft. Thus, more regular-season pain is required for Calgary to make significant off-season gains.
Therefore, the organization needs a step back or two before stepping forward, and this year will be a year where they need patience and understanding as their youngsters develop and they make moves with an eye toward three or four seasons from now.
In sum, Calgary has to avoid being a mushy middle team at all costs. The only way to do that is to go on the competitive roller-coaster that includes a steep plunge before they can reach exciting heights again.
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The Pittsburgh Penguins were back at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex for another day of training camp on Sunday, and there was a big emphasis on special teams.
Players from Groups A and B warmed up on separate rinks before scrimmaging for 45 minutes. Instead of the usual 5v5 scrimmage, each team rotated between having two-minute power plays.
Ville Koivunen was one of the standouts during the power play scrimmage. He scored the first goal for Team Black when he banked it off a defender and in. He was later showcasing his strong vision with some of his passes in the offensive zone.
He's had the opportunity to skate with some of the Penguins' top players at camp, including Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell, and Erik Karlsson, and confirmed after practice that he's starting to build some more chemistry with them.
"Yeah, of course," Koivunen said. "I know how they play and what they want to do on the ice, so that's helped a lot."
Koivunen got to spend time on Crosby's line to end the 2024-25 season and looked comfortable, notching seven points in eight games. He also got time on Evgeni Malkin's line, but appears more likely to at least start the season on Crosby's line.
Speaking of Malkin, he beat Sergei Murashov five-hole to give Team Black a 3-0 lead over Team Gold after Tommy Novak made it 2-0 a few seconds prior. Malkin had his legs during Saturday's 4-1 preseason win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, and that didn't change on Sunday.
Benjamin Kindel continued to show his strong hockey IQ and playmaking ability when he threaded a beautiful pass through traffic from the blue line to set up Danton Heinen for Team Gold's first goal. Kindel has looked more comfortable as training camp has progressed and had the opportunity to play with the NHL regulars on Saturday.
He never looked out of place and used his skating ability to get some quality chances, just as he did in two previous preseason games. It's still unlikely that he gets a nine-game tryout, but he's not super far away from being an NHL player.
Defenseman Caleb Jones cut the lead to 4-2 at the end of the power play portion of the scrimmage before the format switched to 6-on-5. Both teams got to work with an extra attacker for the last few minutes of the scrimmage and it resulted in a 7-3 win for Team Black.
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, and Erik Karlsson were on PP1 for Team Black, while Tommy Novak, Justin Brazeau, Ville Koivunen, Anthony Mantha, and Kris Letang were on PP2.
Team Gold's top power play consisted of Ben Kindel, Philip Tomasino, Tristan Broz, Filip Hallander, and Caleb Jones. The second PP unit featured Robby Fabbri, Valtteri Puustinen, Matt Dumba, Avery Hayes, and Broz.
The Penguins will play their fifth preseason game on Monday against the Detroit Red Wings. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Training camp is hours away, which means the 2025-26 NBA season is upon us.
It’s been a long, particularly quiet offseason, not just for the Kings but throughout the entire league. Specifically for Sacramento, though, some questions need answers.
Some might be answered through training camp, some might require more time and carry into the regular season. While there are dozens of questions and concerns we can address, let’s break down NBC Sports California’s top three questions entering the Kings’ 2025 training camp, set to begin on Tuesday.
What does this roster look like?
The Kings’ roster construction was heavily criticized last season, especially after their trade deadline moves left them without a point guard.
There was a belief that under new general manager Scott Perry and assistant GM B.J. Armstrong, big moves would be made, and the Kings would “blow it all up” in the offseason. They, in fact, didn’t blow anything up and will enter the 2025-26 season with essentially the same roster as last season.
Sacramento’s big offseason acquisition was signing veteran guard Dennis Schröder, who instantly fills the void at starting point guard. The rest of the projected starting lineup, one would think, is Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis.
Here’s a roster breakdown as it currently stands:
Guards
Dennis Schröder Zach LaVine Malik Monk Keon Ellis Devin Carter Terence Davis
Domantas Sabonis Isaac Jones Dario Šarić Maxime Raynaud Drew Eubanks
The question then turns to what the rotations will look like. After losing Jonas Valančiūnas in the offseason, who will back up Sabonis at the center position? Who will be the first player off the bench for Sacramento in that “sixth man” role? Is it Monk, who has thrived in that role, or maybe Ellis?
Also, will the closing lineups be the same as the starting lineup? Or, will Doug Christie experiment with other players, such as Ellis, for defensive purposes?
This might not be answered until a few games into the season.
Expectations for Keegan Murray in Year 4?
As with most lottery picks, the expectations always have been high for Keegan Murray since the Kings selected him No. 4 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft.
But many people don’t believe he has lived up to the hype through three seasons with Sacramento.
A large part of that last season was that so many players on the Kings’ roster last season required the ball in their hands, limiting the amount of touches Murray got. As we stated earlier in this article, a vast majority of those players will return to the Kings this season, so the “issue” hasn’t been resolved for Murray.
While not being able to contribute consistently on offense as much as he — or the Kings — have liked, Murray has grown enormously as a defender since his rookie season. He now stands as the unquestioned best defender on the team, with the ability to defend one through five.
“Yeah, ideally I don’t want to be guarding the five-man,” Murray said in April. “It’s not the most fun thing in the world. If I have to do it, I have to do it, regardless of who’s on our team [or] who’s not. At the end of the day, team defense wins championships.”
The Kings have lacked wing depth for years, and even after Murray’s seemingly public cry for help, they still haven’t addressed it.
Defending Kevin Durant or chasing Steph Curry around for 35 minutes and then trying to contribute offensively is a lot to ask of a young player, but as Murray said, it’s something he’s willing to do if he must. Getting him some help along the wing, however, could unlock a whole other level for the 25-year-old who’s itching to break out and live up to his two-way star potential.
A report from the Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson earlier this summer stated that the two players the Kings kept out of trade talks were Murray and Ellis. So, if that’s true, how are the Kings’ decision makers laying out a clear path to stardom for these players they supposedly value so much if they aren’t giving them the right opportunities?
With all that being said, what are the Kings’ realistic expectations for their former No. 4 pick as he enters Year 4 with the team?
Schröder is a 12-year NBA veteran who’s played on nine different teams. He has been to the playoffs nine times in his career, including two trips to the conference finals. He’s an unselfish player who creates for his teammates, which should benefit players such as LaVine and Murray. He also can get his own bucket when he needs to.
Not to mention, he’s fresh off leading Germany to the EuroBasket gold this summer and was named the EuroBasket MVP after averaging 20.3 points, 7.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game.
His energy, tenacity and leadership should be a welcome addition to the Kings, especially in a locker room full of several young and inexperienced players.
Defensively, his contributions should be an immediate upgrade. Schröder isn’t a lockdown defender by any means, but his effort and commitment on the end of the court never is something coach Christie will have to worry about. Fox, for example, became a much better defender over the course of his eight-year career with Sacramento. With a player like Schröder, though, it’s not something Christie and the Kings coaches will have to teach him, but rather, something already instilled in him.
One area we’re curious to see is how he meshes with Sabonis, who isn’t your typical five-man. As we’ve seen with other Kings guards, it usually takes them some time to adjust and adapt to Sabonis’ play style. But when it works, it works and it’s beautiful basketball. Hopefully for the Kings, a full training camp together will allow them the time to figure it out.
Nicole Auerbach jumped the Crimson Tide all the way up to No. 4 after the win in Athens. Why are her fellow AP voters hesitant to give Alabama more credit?
