Jose Alvarado had to be stretchered off the court from an AmeriCup game Thursday night in a scary moment for himself and the Pelicans.
Alvarado had led Puerto Rico to overtime against Argentina by scoring 25 points (7-of-12 from 3). In that extra time, Alvarado was battling for a rebound, pulled it free and fell to the floor in the process, landing flat on his back and instantly started grabbing at his lower back in pain.
#AmeriCup2025 Nuestro José Alvarado tiene que salir del partido contra Argentina tras una fuerte caída en el tiempo extra.
He was down for some time and eventually had to be stretchered off the court back to the locker room. The Pelicans' guard then posted this on his Instagram story.
Jose Alvarado posts on IG after leaving tonight's Puerto Rico game on a stretcher pic.twitter.com/2wj1IPddkG
Hopefully this does turn out to be nothing, the Pelicans have had enough bad injury luck in recent years and don't need their reserve guard and fan favorite out with a back issue.
Argentina went on to beat Puerto Rico to advance to the AmeriCup semifinals against Canada. In the other semifinal, a USA team led by Javonte Smart, Zachary Auguste and Langston Galloway will face Brazil.
Josh Gorges had to take the path less travelled to get to the NHL. He went undrafted and worked tirelessly to get an opportunity as a free agent signing, which he obtained with the San Jose Sharks organization. During the 2004-05 lockout, he played with their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Barons, and made his NHL debut in 2005-06, skating in 49 games with the big club. The following year, after playing 47 games with the Sharks, he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens, along with a first-round pick in the 2007 draft (which would become Max Pacioretty), for Craig Rivet and a 2008 fifth-round pick.
It was in Montreal that he became a regular NHL player and a significant cog in the team’s defense. He was never a big points producer, but he was an effective defensive blueliner, an expert shot-blocker, and the kind of player who doesn’t think twice about sacrificing his body for the team.
In the eight seasons he played with the Habs, he developed into quite a leader, so much so that when a young Brendan Gallagher joined the team, the veteran agreed to have the rookie move in with his family, a time the Canadiens alternate captain remembers fondly.
Gorges, who went back home to British Columbia after playing four seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, had been coaching his sons in minor hockey and served as an assistant coach with the West Kelowna Warriors of the BCHL for five years. He was recently appointed as an assistant coach with his hometown Kelowna Rockets in the WHL, and gave The Gazette’s Stu Cowan a phone interview following his nomination.
Cowan reports that Gorges has no regrets about blocking his trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs back in the 2014 offseason. After eight years of bleeding red, white, and blue, he didn’t see himself crossing over to the Canadiens' rivals and was ultimately traded to the Buffalo Sabres instead. He does admit that spending four years losing was not the way he would have liked to end his career, but knowing what he does now, he still wouldn’t have agreed to the trade to Toronto.
Unsurprisingly, he still considers the Canadiens as his team, he wants to be remembered as a Montreal Canadiens player, and they remain the team he roots for. Gorges also added that he’s earned nothing but good things about coach Martin St-Louis from the likes of Shea Weber, Carey Price, and Brendan Gallagher, but he’s clearly not envious of the Habs’ bench boss since he doesn’t aspire to be an NHL coach, at least not for now.
The former blueliner was able to win a Memorial Cup with the Rockets in 2002-03, and now that the team is hosting this year’s tournament, he’s hoping to win another one behind the bench. In Kelowna, he’ll also get to coach Canadiens’ prospect Hayden Paupanekis, a third-round pick at the latest draft.
Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.
Once viewed as a veteran starting pitcher who would help the Red Sox in their pursuit of meaningful late-season baseball, right-hander Walker Buehler won’t be in Boston to see it.
The Red Sox released Buehler eight months after they signed him to a one-year, $21 million deal, the team announced Friday afternoon before opening a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
A two-time MLB All-Star, Buehler started the season third in Boston’s rotation behind left-handed ace Garrett Crochet and right-hander Tanner Houck. Houck was placed on the injured list with a right flexor pronator strain on May 13, which figured to open the door for Buehler to cement himself as a top-of-rotation complement for the lefty Crochet.
Unfortunately for both the two-time World Series champion and they Red Sox, Buehler failed to deliver on those expectations.
Buehler went 7-7 with a 5.40 ERA in 22 starts for the Red Sox. Boston was 12-10 in games Buehler started, prompting manager Alex Cora to demote Buehler to the bullpen last week. While a change wasn’t unexpected, and was a move Buehler understood, he gave up two runs on two hits in 2 1/3 innings at Yankee Stadium last Friday.
It marked his final appearance for the Red Sox, who opted not to use Buehler in any of its four games against the Baltimore Orioles. Boston swept the four-game series with three one-run wins at Camden Yards.
Once viewed as a veteran starting pitcher who would help the Red Sox in their pursuit of meaningful late-season baseball, right-hander Walker Buehler won’t be in Boston to see it.
The Red Sox released Buehler eight months after they signed him to a one-year, $21 million deal, the team announced Friday afternoon before opening a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
A two-time MLB All-Star, Buehler began the season as the No. 3 starter in Boston’s rotation behind left-handed ace Garrett Crochet and right-hander Tanner Houck. Houck was placed on the injured list with a right flexor pronator strain on May 13, which figured to open the door for Buehler to cement himself as a top-of-rotation complement for the lefty Crochet.
Unfortunately for both the two-time World Series champion and the Red Sox, Buehler failed to deliver on those expectations.
Buehler went 7-7 with a 5.40 ERA in 22 starts for the Red Sox this season. He surpassed six innings pitched in eight of those 22 starts and Boston was 12-10 in those games.
Buehler’s struggles prompted manager Alex Cora to demote him to the bullpen last week. While a change wasn’t unexpected — and was a move Buehler understood — he responded by allowing two runs on two hits in 2.1 innings at Yankee Stadium.
That outing marked his final appearance for the Red Sox, who opted not to use Buehler in any of its four games against the Orioles this week. Boston swept the four-game series with three of those wins coming by one run — situations where Cora notably didn’t use Buehler.
In other roster moves Friday, the Red Sox selected left-handed pitcher Payton Tolle from Triple-A Worcester, recalled infielder/outfielder Nick Sogard and optioned outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia.
Tolle, the No. 2 prospect in the Red Sox farm system, will make his MLB debut opposite Pirates ace Paul Skenes at Fenway Park on Friday night.
Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber hits one of his four home runs Thursday in Philadelphia. (Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
Kyle Schwarber's last swing Thursday night was a disappointment. He'd hit four home runs, and in the eighth inning had a chance to become the first player in major league history to hit a fifth. He popped up.
By doing so, however, the Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter averted a certain controversy and cries that his accomplishment was tainted.
Why? Because the pitcher he faced was Atlanta Braves infielder Vidal Bruján, a position player mopping up the last inning of the Phillies' 19-4 victory at Citizens Bank Park.
Bruján lobbed a 57.4 mph pitch over the middle of the plate. Schwarber hit it straight into the air for an infield-fly rule out. Controversy averted.
By going deep in the first, fourth, fifth and seventh innings. Schwarber became the 21st player to hit four home runs in a game, an accomplishment even more rare than a perfect game, 24 of which have been pitched.
Schwarber was only the fourth player to get a chance to hit a fifth homer, joining Mike Cameron (2002), Lou Gehrig (1932) and Bobby Lowe (1894). Everyone else on the list hit their fourth home run in their last at-bat.
"I thought he was going to do it, I really did,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters after the game. “There was no doubt in my mind."
Schwarber was less sure. He has 333 career home runs and an MLB-leading 49 this season, but has zero home runs in 15 plate appearances against position players, against whom he is two for 10 with two walks, two hit-by-pitches and one sacrifice fly.
"I've got a mental block somewhere in my head that I'm not very good against position players,” Schwarber said.
His difficulty is an anomaly. Bruján has an earned-run average of 27.00 in three career pitching appearances, having given up two home runs and nine runs in three innings.
The Dodgers have used two position players to finish games this season. Kiké Hernández has an ERA of 15.10 in 5 1/3 innings and Miguel Rojas has a 12.60 ERA in five innings, including two in a 16-0 loss to the Cubs when he had the dugout laughing by imitating his teammates.
Rojas wore Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s blue glove, wiggled the ball in it and hesitated during his windup. He imitated Clayton Kershaw, raising his glove high above his head going into the stretch. He tried to look like rookie Roki Sasaki, bending his back knee and lifting his front leg uncomfortably high before releasing the pitch.
All of which took a bit of the sting out of the Dodgers' worst shutout loss in franchise history.
“I guess a little bit of levity in a game like that is certainly helpful,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It just shows [Rojas] watches the games. To be able to throw two innings was huge for us, and we needed every bit of that.”
Yet the ERA of position players pitching since 2021 has been about 10.00, according to FanGraphs. Not everybody is laughing.
Why do position players find themselves on the mound? The practice is stomached by managers who want to protect their actual pitchers from overuse. It's a way of throwing in the towel, waving the white flag, wishing for the mercy rule used in youth baseball.
MLB has acknowledged that the prevalence of position players pitching has become a problem, with critics saying the practice makes a mockery of the game and impacts the validity of statistics — a sacred part of baseball.
MLB responded in 2023 by implementing a rule restricting the use of position players pitching to games where a team is trailing by at least eight runs at any point, leading by 10 runs in the ninth inning, or in extra innings.
It hasn't done much to stem the tide. Teams are on pace this season to challenge the 2022 record of 132 pitching appearances by position players. As recently as 2008, there were only three such pitching appearances and in 2006 there were none.
So Schwarber hitting a historic fifth home run off anyone other than a legitimate pitcher would have triggered howls from purists and anyone else who believes crushing a 57.4 mph pitch into the seats is a joke.
As it was, belting four homers was quite a feat. Schwarber is the fourth Phillies player to do so, joining Mike Schmidt (1976), Chuck Klein (1936) and Ed Delahanty (1896). He also was the third player to do so this season, joining Eugenio Suárez of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Nick Kurtz of the Athletics.
Others on the short list include the Dodgers' Shawn Green in 2002, who in a 16-3 win over the Brewers also doubled and singled to set a record with 19 total bases.
Schwarber got an early start with a 450-foot solo homer in the first inning and a two-run shot in the third. He added a three-run homer in the fifth and finished with another three-run blast in the seventh inning.
When it looked like he'd get one last at-bat in the eighth, Schwarber yelled out a question while hitting in the underground batting cage adjacent to the dugout.
“I shouldn't have even asked the question, but I was like, 'How many guys have hit five?'” Schwarber said. “And nobody said anything, so I was like, 'Oh, OK, well that answers the question.'"
Thanks to his pop fly against Bruján, the answer remains the same: Nobody.
And thanks to his pop fly against Bruján, nobody can complain that a cherished record was broken in a way that would have raised the ire of many.
The New York Rangers have made multiple additions to their roster this off-season. Vladislav Gavrikov was their most significant signing of the summer, but he is not the only new defenseman who Rangers fans should be excited about.
Back in July, the Rangers traded defenseman K'Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes in a major swap. One of the main pieces the Rangers got back from the Hurricanes in the trade was prospect defenseman Scott Morrow. He is undoubtedly a Rangers player to watch closely in 2025-26.
By bringing in Morrow, the Rangers have added a right-shot defenseman with plenty of upside. The potential for him to blossom into a top-four defenseman in the future is there, and he has already shown promise at the NHL level early on in his career. In 14 regular-season games this past season with the Hurricanes, he recorded one goal and six points.
Morrow spent the majority of this past season at the American Hockey League (AHL) level with the Chicago Wolves, however. He did well with the AHL squad, posting 13 goals, 26 assists, and 39 points in 52 games. With numbers like these, it is clear that the 2021 second-round pick has the potential to produce offense from the point, and the Rangers will be hoping that he can translate it over to the NHL level.
It is going to be very fascinating to see how much of an impact Morrow can make with the Rangers in 2025-26. The possibility of him breaking out and becoming a nice part of their blueline next season is undoubtedly there.
The St. Louis Blues are an intriguing team on the rise. A major reason behind it is that they have multiple promising young players with good upside. As a result, it is fair to say that the Blues are heading in the right direction.
When looking at the Blues' roster heading into the 2025-26 campaign, it is clear that they have a few young players who have the potential to hit new levels. In a recent article for NHL.com, Pete Jensen named defenseman Philip Broberg as the club's top fantasy hockey breakout candidate for the 2025-26 season.
When looking at how well Broberg performed for the Blues this past season, it is entirely understandable that Jensen views him as a prime breakout candidate. The 2019 eighth-overall pick cemented himself as a full-time NHL defenseman for St. Louis in 2024-25, as he recorded new career highs with eight goals, 21 assists, 29 points, and a plus-21 rating in 68 games.
Yet, as an impactful Broberg was in 2024-25, it is fair to wonder if he can hit a new level this upcoming season. The left-shot defenseman is still just 24 years old and only has 149 games into his NHL career, so he certainly has the potential to continue to improve. It will be interesting to see if he can take that next step and emerge as a star for the Blues next season from here.
It's Friday, August 29 and the Pirates (59-76) are in Boston to take on the Red Sox (75-60). Paul Skenes is slated to take the mound for Pittsburgh against Boston.
The Red Sox have yet to name its starting pitcher but it may not matter. Boston is hot with four straight wins and seven of the past eight as they meet Skenes at Fenway. Over the last eight games, Boston has scored 36 runs.
However, Pittsburgh is heating up too. The Pirates have won six of the past eight games and scored 36 runs in the same span as the Red Sox. Pittsburgh's won three of the last four Skenes' starts, so we will see if that success continues in Boston.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Pirates at Red Sox
Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
Time: 7:10PM EST
Site: Fenway Park
City: Boston, MA
Network/Streaming: SNP, NESN, MLBN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Pirates at the Red Sox
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Pirates (-110), Red Sox (-110)
Spread: Red Sox 1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Pirates at Red Sox
Pitching matchup for August 29, 2025: Paul Skenes vs. TBA
Pirates: Paul Skenes, (8-9, 2.07 ERA) Last outing: 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts
Red Sox: TBA
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Pirates at Red Sox
The Pirates won 4-0 in Skenes' last start
The Pirates are 3-1 in Skenes' last 4 starts
Pittsburgh is 6-2 in the last 8 games
Boston is 7-1 in the last 8 games
Boston is 4-0 in the last 4 games
The Over is 12-7-1 in the Pirates' last 10 road games and the Red Sox's last 10 at home combined
The Pirates have covered the Run Line in 6 straight games
The Red Sox have won 4 of their last 5 matchups against teams with worse records
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Pirates and the Red Sox
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Pirates and the Red Sox:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Boston Red Sox at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
He didn't record a point in any of the games he played in, while serving as a fourth-line, 13th forward throughout training camp and preseason.
The 18-year-old, drafted in the second round (No. 45) of the 2025 NHL Draft, was invited to their training camp after two seasons playing in the VHL, their junior league.
Winning a job in the KHL was going to be a tough task for Prokhorov, but receiving an invitation was surely a positive sign in terms of how his potential is viewed.
Dynamo Moscow's head coach, Alexey Kudashov, was asked about what he saw from the youngsters, and that's when he made a comment on Prokhorov (translated):
"Everything is going fine. Some of them played matches in the youth team, and some are playing for Dynamo Saint Petersburg. Everyone is in the squad, everyone is preparing, and everyone is in good shape. The question is whether someone will need a little more time, like, for example, Prokhorov. He is a very young guy and is only taking his first steps in adult hockey. It so happened that he practically did not play in the VHL. Everything is new for him now. All the players are ready; the only question is when the dream will start to be realized." (H/t Dynamo Website)
*The VHL is the KHL's equivalent to the AHL.
For Prokhorov, playing in the KHL at 18 would have been one thing. However, going back to juniors in Russia likely doesn't make sense for his development, especially when he has the chance to come to North America.
Yes, he'd be playing juniors over here, but playing for the OHL's Sarnia Sting -- they drafted him in the second round of the CHL Import Draft -- and getting acclimated to the North American game likely makes the most sense.
Dynamo holds Prokhorov's rights, and they certainly could sign him to play in the VHL.
We await to find out Prokhorov's plan. Don't be shocked if he signs his entry-level deal really soon.
Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
It's Friday, August 29 and the Mariners (72-62) are in Cleveland to take on the Guardians (66-66). George Kirby is slated to take the mound for Seattle against Logan Allen for Cleveland.
The Guardians broke a six-game losing streak with two consecutive victories over the Rays to win that three-game series. Seattle on the other hand has won three of the past four games and won back-to-back series over the Athletics and Padres. The Mariners hosted the Guardians for a three-game set in Seattle earlier this season and the Mariners won all three by 12 combined runs. Can the Guardians stay or get hot and return the favor at home?
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Mariners at Guardians
Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
Time: 7:10PM EST
Site: Progressive Field
City: Cleveland, OH
Network/Streaming: RSNW, CLEG
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Mariners at the Guardians
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Mariners (-157), Guardians (+132)
Spread: Mariners -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Mariners at Guardians
Pitching matchup for August 29, 2025: George Kirby vs. Logan Allen
Mariners: George Kirby, (8-6, 4.05 ERA) Last outing: 1.50 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Mariners at Guardians
Seattle is 3-0 versus Cleveland this year
Cleveland is 2-6 in the past 8 games
Seattle is 3-1 in the last 4 games and 4-2 over the past 6 games
Seattle is 4-7 in the past 11 games
Both starting pitchers teams have lost each of their last two games (Kirby, Allen)
The Mariners' last 4 road games at the Guardians have gone over the Total
The Mariners have failed to cover the Run Line in 12 of their last 15 road games
The Mariners have lost 7 of their last 10 games
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Mariners and the Guardians
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Mariners and the Guardians:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Cleveland Guardians at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
Jonah Tong will be on the mound for his major league debut. Tong, 22, tore through Double-A and Triple-A this season, posting a 1.43 ERA and 0.92 WHIP while striking out a whopping 179 batters in 113.2 innings over 22 starts
Mark Vientosis slashing .357.404/.881 with six homers, four doubles, and 17 RBI in 47 plate appearances over his last 11 games
Starling Marte is hitting .354/.404/.582 with four homers and six doubles in 79 plate appearances over his last 24 games
MARLINS
METS
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
What channel is SNY?
Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.
How can I stream the game?
The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.
Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices.
Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”
To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.
For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.
For a lot of hockey players, retiring and stepping away from
the game is hard. You can see it right now with former Montreal Canadiens
defenseman David Savard who’s already saying he would like to remain with the
team in some capacity. Earlier this week, we heard that former top line center
Tomas Plekanec will get his first experience behind the scenes at HC Kladno.
In an interview with TVA Sports’ Anthony Martineau, Plekanec
explained that he is now the Sports Director of the Kladno Knights, a Czech team
with which he played for parts of three seasons after retiring from the NHL. If
the team sounds familiar, it’s probably because it’s the Czech club, which is
owned by Jaromir Jagr, who is still playing for it, even at 53 years old.
Speaking about his role, Plekanec explained that the on-ice
decisions belong to the coach, but everything else hockey-related falls to him,
meaning that he’s the equivalent of a GM in the NHL. When asked if he would
like to have a management role with the Canadiens one day, he smiled and said, “Never
say never, right? I’ll think about it when it comes.”
The 42-year-old was a third-round pick and 71st
selection overall at the 2001 NHL draft and played 15 seasons in the NHL, all
with the Canadiens aside from a 17-game stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs to
whom he was traded when he was a pending UFA for Kirby Reichel, Rinat Valiev,
and a second-round pick at the 2018 draft. The pick turned into Jacob Olofsson,
the 56th selection, the Swedish player is now 25 and he has never
played in North America.
The trade was still a big win for the Canadiens since Valiev
was then used in a package to acquire defenseman Brett Kulak from the Calgary
Flames. The blueliner played parts of four seasons with the Canadiens before being
traded to his hometown team, the Edmonton Oilers, for William Lagesson, a
conditional 2022 second-round pick, and a 2024 seventh-round pick. The latter
became left-shot defenseman Rasmus Bergqvist, while the former became reigning
Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson.
Once his contract expired, Plekanec signed another contract
with the Canadiens and played three more games in the 2018-19 season, recaching
the 1,000-game mark. The veteran was then approached by the organization about
a potential trade, but as he always wanted to retire as a member of the Sainte-Flanelle,
he agreed to have his contract terminated by the organization.
In the end, he played 1,001 games in the NHL, including 984
as a Hab. He gathered 608 points (233 goals and 375 assists), skating in a top
offensive role with the Canadiens. The center’s best season came in 2009-10
when he put up 70 points and added 11 points in 19 games as the Canadiens rode
Jaroslav Halak’s hot streak to the Conference Finals.
Throughout his career, he was recognized as a very defensively
responsible pivot, regularly getting votes for the Frank J. Selke Trophy,
awarded to the best defensive forward. He was a mainstay on the Canadiens’
penalty kill and was also strong in the faceoff department.
Unfortunately for Plekanec, the 15 years he spent with the
team weren’t the Canadiens’ best, and he spent most of his career in the wrong
chair. Had he played on other teams, he wouldn’t have been a top-line center,
but since the Canadiens focused on defense for most of his career, he ended up with
a significant offensive role and stepped up to the challenge.
Once he called time on his NHL career, Plekanec went back
home to Czechia and finished his season with the Brno Kometa, where he played
another season before joining fellow countryman Jarg with Kladno. In 66 games
with the Kometa, he put up 40 points and added another 106 points in 117 games
with Kladno before hanging up his skates for good during the 2023-24 season.
Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.
