Patrick Kane will officially not be joining the Buffalo Sabres.
The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that they have signed Kane to a two-year contract with an $8 million average annual value.
The Sabres were heavily linked to Kane this off-season. However, instead of playing for his hometown team in Buffalo, Kane will instead be returning to the Blackhawks.
This is certainly tough news for the Sabres, as Kane would have had the potential to be a strong addition to their top six. Furthermore, with the Sabres moving on from Alex Tuch this off-season, Kane would have had the potential to be a nice replacement for him.
The Sabres will now need to explore their options elsewhere if they want to improve their forward group before the start of the season.
In 67 games last season with the Detroit Red Wings, Kane posted 16 goals, 41 assists, and 57 points. With numbers like these, the Blackhawks should benefit from having him back in their lineup. It will be interesting to see what he can do on a line with young star Connor Bedard.
Mar 29, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers mens basketball head coach Will Wade looks on against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
LSU Tigers men’s basketball head coach Will Wade has a clear vision for what he wants the program to look like as they continue rebuilding the roster.
Speaking about the roster overhaul with Brendon Fairbairn of Louisiana First News, Wade said the emphasis was on bringing in players with the size, athleticism and skill needed to compete in one of college basketball’s toughest conferences.
“Long, athletic guys that can compete in the SEC,” Wade said. “You need some skill and shooting at the guard spot, and we feel like we’ve accomplished a lot of that.”
The comments highlight the philosophy driving LSU’s roster construction throughout the beginning of this new era. In today’s SEC, where teams regularly feature elite athletes and NBA-caliber talent, Wade believes length and versatility are essential. At the same time, adding guards who can stretch the floor with consistent outside shooting was another major priority during the rebuilding process.
While the Tigers will feature several new faces this season, Wade’s confidence suggests LSU has assembled a roster capable of fitting the style of play he wants to implement.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 22: Luis Rengifo #21 of the San Diego Padres reacts after a two-run home run during the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on July 22, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Michael King deserved better than what he got. The San Diego Padres starter completed six innings and scattered five hits while allowing just one run to the Atlanta Braves. The Padres did nothing to support him on offense and his night ended with Atlanta holding onto a 1-0 lead. Jackson Merrill helped out in the top of the seventh inning with a solo home run to tie the game, but that was all the offense could muster in support of King.
San Diego and Atlanta entered the eighth inning with the teams still tied at 1-1. The Padres went down in order in the top of the eighth inning. Wandy Peralta took the mound in the bottom half of the frame and had a complete meltdown that saw the Braves score four runs on three hits with a walk in just 1/3 of an inning pitched. He was replaced on the mound by Randy Vasquez who had his own struggles over 2/3 of an inning as he allowed two more runs on four hits with a strikeout.
The six-run inning by the Braves set the stage for the Padres in the top of the ninth. The game appeared all but over before the San Diego offense suddenly came to life. Pinch-hitter Sung-Mun Song flied out to start the frame, but Xander Bogarts walked and Jake Cronenworth doubled to put runners at second and third. Gavin Sheets followed with an RBI-single to make the score, 7-2. Sheets advanced to second base on a wild-pitch and the Padres had runners at second and third with one out. Fernando Tatis Jr. stepped to the plate and hit a triple that got under the glove of Atlanta center fielder Michael Harris II and rolled all the way to the wall. The hit by Tatis made the score, 7-4.
San Diego tacked on its final two runs when Luis Rengifo connected on a two-run home run off Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias to make the score 7-6 before he struck out Manny Machado and Ty France to end the game. Based on the recent success and only being down a run, those were the two batters the Padres would have wanted at the plate, neither of them were able to come through in a big moment.
San Diego will try to win Game 4 in Atlanta to force a split this morning at 9:15 a.m.
Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune believes the newfound power of Fernando Tatis Jr. could have an effect on how the Padres approach the trade deadline.
Boston, MA - July 20: Boston Red Sox shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng celebrates scoring a run. The Boston Red Sox played the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on July 20, 2026. (Photo by Christian Kantosky/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Before we close the book on the Red Sox historic 15-game winning streak and move on to the rest of the regular season tomorrow, I want to take a step back and marvel at what we just witnessed — because, folks, it really was nothing short of extraordinary.
If you told me at the beginning of the year that the 2026 Red Sox were going to tie the franchise record for consecutive wins at 15 straight games, I would have been delighted and surprised, but not shocked. On paper, they had some really good pieces on this roster, and theoretically, any streak of this magnitude would have been powered by some version of the following:
Garrett Crochet leading the charge from the top of the rotation.
Ranger Suarez slotting in nicely and making his three turns during the streak.
Roman Anthony becoming a superstar.
Jarren Duran recapturing the magic of his 2024 season.
Trevor Story finding a way to repeat 2025.
Connelly Early or Johan Oviedo making a leap and contributing to the wins through the stretch.
Marcelo Mayer blossoming into an everyday player and making an impact.
The best hitter on the team all year by nearly 200 OPS points not being suspended for five games in the middle of the streak.
In reality, exactly none of those things happened. It’s crazy enough the Red Sox did this without Crochet, Anthony, Story, and Oviedo, who they’ve been missing virtually all year, but for the streak to come exactly as things got even worse is a borderline miracle. Remember, Connelly Early made his last start in that Nationals series on the final day of June and went on the IL just before all this started. Ranger Suarez did make one start early in the streak against the Angels, but he left in the third inning, which basically turned that game into an unexpected bullpen night.
In other words, as ridiculous as this Red Sox team going on a heater would have sounded in late June, the one way you kind of sort of could have seen it happening would have been on the back of their excellent rotation. And while numbers wise that’s mostly what happened, doing it with right as Early and Suarez went on the shelf is truly next level stuff, venturing into uncharred waters in bizzarro world.
(Random side note here: Ranger Suarez getting sick and not being able to come off the IL last night probably did cost the Sox win No. 16. By all accounts, his groin injury was healed and he was ready to come back, but an illness delayed his return until this weekend. If he doesn’t get sick, there’s a 99.9% chance he delivers a much more competitive outing than Eduardo Rivera gave us last night, And given the buzz in the crowd and the fact that it was also Venezuela Celebration night at Fenway Park, there’s a decent chance the Red Sox find a way to pull that one out with a starter from Venezuela making a comeback and rocking a strong outing on the mound.)
Getting great pitching with a depleted rotation is one thing, but it only gets more amazing when you step back and realize the Red Sox managed to win 15 games in a row with Willson Contreras suspended for five games in the middle of it.
Do you know where the Red Sox rank as a team in home runs this year in the American League? That would be dead last. So when you take Contreras, who has been by far the best bat throughout the 2026 season, out of the lineup, it should’ve resulted in disaster. Instead, the Sox averaged five runs per game through that stretch and got random contributions from guys all over the lineup.
You’d also think that maybe Jarren Duran, who has been productive in the past and shown brief power explosions within his dreadful 2026 season would’ve covered some of that gap. Instead, he batted .170 with a .569 OPS during the 15-game streak, and .125 with a .336 OPS during the five games Contreras was out. Seriously, how the hell did the Sox win all this games?!?
Even once Contreras did come back, they were still winning in highly improbable fashion. This includes their biggest comeback of the entire season Saturday against the Rays, and the fact that during each of the last four games of the streak, the Sox got outhit by their opponent. In order to make this work, they had to go from a team that was getting none of the hits in high leverage situations early in the season, to a team getting seemingly all of the hits in high leverage situations. No one guy stood out, and that’s probably why it worked so well.
Whoever you want to credit most, this team deserves an immense amount praise for finding a way to work as a cohesive unit while shorthanded with the season teetering on a the cliff’s edge. Regardless of how things play out from here, these guys earned a spot in a storied history book.
For the rest of our lives, whenever any Red Sox team goes on a double digit winning streak, a graphic will pop up on the screen showing the longest Red Sox winning streaks of all time, and sitting there right next to an absolutely loaded 1946 team will be this group of “dawgs that just want to win” as Anthony Seigler put it. It will be another magnificent reminder that every once in a while, baseball produces the seemingly impossible.
This Red Sox team — and I emphasize THIS Red Sox team — tied the franchise record for most consecutive wins. This is the same group that couldn’t muster a winning streak longer than three games as of a month ago and was setting daily records of futility not seen since the Depression-era Red Sox of the 1930s. Somehow it was THIS group that pulled off the inconceivable.
Not the 2004, 2007, 2013, or even 2018 powerhouses. Not one of those 1970s teams that always got off to hot starts before letting glory slip through their fingers, and not one of those 1910s squads that won four World Series in seven years that we know only from black and white photographs. No, it was this 2026 group who basically ended up together by accident after huge pieces of the roster either didn’t perform or ended up on the IL.
Now what could be more absurd and wonderful than that?
Over the last couple of weeks, the report was that Patrick Kane was deciding between the Buffalo Sabres and the Chicago Blackhawks. Each market has significance to Kane for different reasons.
On Thursday, the Blackhawks announced that Kane had chose them. He is coming back to Chicago, where he became a hockey legend, on a two-year deal with an average annual value of $8 million.
During the 2022-23 season, the Blackhawks traded Kane to the New York Rangers for a playoff run. Every year since has been spent with the Detroit Red Wings, and now he's back with Chicago, where he spent the first 16 years of his NHL career.
With Kane comes a lot of experience that few players ever have. He has won the Stanley Cup, the Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoff MVP, the Hart Trophy as League MVP, and a scoring title (Art Ross Trophy). With that experience comes wisdom, which can help all of the younger players on the team.
The Blackhawks will be without Connor Bedard for the first month of the season, but he is sure to get some ice time with Kane at even strength and on the power play when he returns. Until then, it will be Anton Frondell and Frank Nazar's chance to play with the Chicago legend.
Kane was a productive playmaker in 2025-26 with 16 goals and 41 assists for 57 points in 67 games played. That's not his career point-per-game pace, but it is a solid total for a player of his age. In 1369 games played, Kane has 508 goals, 892 points, and 1400 points. Now, at 37, he hopes to continue finding the fountain of youth with his new (and old) team.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 24: Pittsburgh Penguins center Ben Kindel (81) skates during the second period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Colorado Avalanche on March 24, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
We might still be a couple of months away from the start of the 2026-27 NHL season, but it is not too early to start taking a look at some projected performances for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season. So let’s start our yearly look at some over/unders.
We start today with Ben Kindel and some of the potential young players that could make an impact or see significant playing time for the Penguins this season.
Ben Kindel: Over/under 18.5 goals
The play of Ben Kindel was one of the biggest (and most surprising) developments for the 2025-26 Penguins. After being initially viewed as a potential reach and overdraft at no. 11 overall, Kindel arrived in Pittsburgh in training camp and kept checking every box along the way to eventually earn a spot on the opening night roster.
Then he stuck around beyond the opening nine games.
Then he ended up becoming one of their best all-around players at only 18 years old and scored 17 goals in 77 games.
His ceiling remains a bit of an unknown, but there is no reason why he can not be an outstanding No. 2 center for the next decade. And potentially more.
So what is a reasonable expectation for him going into year two?
Let’s just look at some comparable seasons and performances.
Since the start of the 2005-06 season there have been 11 players, outside of Kindel, that scored between 10 and 20 goals in their age 18 season in the NHL. Enough goals to be a full-time player, but not quite enough to look like an immediate superstar.
It’s a list that includes Andrei Svechnikov, Sam Gagner, Valeri Nichushkin, Evander Kane, Zach Benson, Kaapo Kakko, Aaron Ekblad, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Cole Sillinger, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and David Pastrnak.
There are a lot of REALLY good players on that list. Pastrnak and Svechnikov are the best-case scenarios. Nugent-Hopkins, Benson, or Nichushkin would be outstanding.
There are also some that kind of stalled out and disappointed.
But the one thing that stands out about almost all of their year two performance is that there was not always a huge immediate progression, and sometimes there was even a little bit of a regression.
Nugent-Hopkins, for example, scored only four goals in year two. Pastrnak scored just 15. Svechnikov was the only one that topped 20 in his second season. As a group, they averaged a 17-goal pace over 82 games in year two of their careers. Sometimes the sophomore slump and a regression is a real thing. It doesn’t mean the career doesn’t pan out. It just means progress and development is not always steady and consistent, and does not always work the same way for people. It is not always a steady, consistent line.
It’s also entirely possible that the goal-scoring numbers do not take a big increase, but that the player becomes a better all-around player.
So with all of that in mind, I am saying over/under goals for Kindel in 2026-27 is 18.5. That might seem underwhelming given his rookie total, but I think it’s right in line with what should probably be reasonably expected.
Rutger McGroarty: Over/under 10.5 goals
I still believe in McGroarty, and I still think he has a chance to have a good NHL career and be a player that can make it. It might not be a first-line star, but I could still see him being a very good second-line or middle-six winger. You still need players like that. It can be beneficial if they come from within the organization.
The 2025-26 season was a struggle for him as injuries limited his start to the season, and he never really got going at the NHL level. Or got much of an opportunity given how deep the roster turned out to be. At the moment, there is still a big-time log-jam at forward, but I still have to think (or want to think) he can force his way into the lineup at some point and produce.
I liked what I saw from him this past season, even if it didn’t always translate into offense at the NHL level. But he was still a point-per-game player in the AHL, and still showed some goal-scoring touch. Let’s set the over/under here at 10.5 goals.
Harrison Brunicke: 40.5 NHL games
I am not even looking at goals or total points here. Just NHL games. Brunicke’s development is going to be enormous for the Penguins for a couple of reasons.
For one, he is one of the prospects in the organization that might actually have top-line (or top-pairing) potential. He also showed enormous improvement as the 2025-26 season went on as he played in multiple different levels of the sport. By the time the season ended, he was playing a big-time role in the AHL as a 19-year-old, and was one of Wilkes-Barre’s most trusted and best all-around defensemen.
All of that is encouraging.
But it is also important to keep in mind he is still only going to be 20 years old and has still only played 20 games of pro hockey. The Penguins have a lot of options on defense right now, and especially on the right side, and his proper development still has to take priority over everything else. He is too important long-term to mess this up.
I do not necessarily think it would be a bad thing or hurt him to get some time in the AHL. It’s where he should have been this past season if he were eligible for it. But will he force the Penguins’ hand and play well enough to be an NHL regular? Or will the Penguins try to push him no matter what?
Ville Koivunen: 5.5 goals
This is not really a question of Koivunen’s ability or potential, but perhaps more of a question of whether or not the Penguins still believe in him.
I am not sure of the latter.
He was perhaps the most underwhelming of the Penguins young players in 2025-26, scoring just two goals in 39 regular season games.
For his career, he is only at two goals in 47 games.
There are still some things to like in his game. His possession metrics are consistently strong. He seems to be a good playmaker. He has been outstanding in the AHL. But something is missing when he gets to the top level, especially when it comes to his ability to get pucks on net and score goals.
The Penguins reportedly told him this was a big offseason for him, and the pressure seems to be on. He is going to be 23 years old this season, and while that is not old in hockey player years, it is starting to get into danger territory for prospects.
Bill Zonnon: 10.5 points
I do not expect Zonnon to start the season in the NHL, but I do think there is a real chance we see him at some point. Either as a temporary call-up in an injury situation, to replace somebody that is traded, or because he simply forces the issue and plays his way into a spot. At the time of the 2025 NHL Draft, it almost felt like he was the one guy among the three first-rounders that was the best bet to be an NHL-ready player. The way he arrived in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton late in the season did not really do anything to hurt that reputation. He was outstanding from the moment he arrived.
The most likely outcome for this season is that he gets a full season in Wilkes-Barre and becomes a bigger factor in 2027-28, but I am not going to eliminate the possibility of him exceeding that expectation. Will he get enough games, and play well enough, to top 10.5 points?
Sergei Murashov: .900 save percentage
If there is a prospect in the organization that has “franchise player” upside, it is most definitely Murashov.
The talent is there.
The ceiling is high.
His time in North America so far has been highlighted by dominant play and dominant numbers.
It is all very, very encouraging.
But he is a goalie, and still a young goalie with almost no NHL resume at this point. There is not a more volatile, more random, and more unpredictable type of player in the NHL than this. The ceiling is high. The floor is low. The Penguins seem ready to commit to him and Arturs Silovs as their goaltending duo for the season, and it will be the biggest X-factor in how their season goes.
Murashov might eventually end up reaching his ceiling at some point in the future. I do not expect it right away as a rookie. I would be happy with anything that is league average or above, and a .900 save percentage would be decently above the league average. Can he get there this season? It would be a nice step and a nice debut as a full-time NHL goalie if he can.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 17: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the second inning during the game against the Texas Rangers at Truist Park on July 17, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Braves brunch baseball is back on the menu, folks.
The things to like about last night’s game? Runs on the board for the good guys (albeit late), ultimately not snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, and guaranteeing a series split.
No need to relive the bad or discuss the ninth inning other than the totally normal Iggy save.
The Braves have a golden opportunity to win a series against the Padres at home for the first time since 2018 (!) with their ace on the mound.
At this point in the season with our rollercoaster rotation, it almost brings tears to the eyes to see Chris Sale set to start. Sale (10-6, 2.06 ERA) twirled a gem in his last time out with seven shutout innings against the Texas Rangers. He threw 89 pitches, only surrendered two hits, and struck out six in a rare occasion for Braves starters this season: pitching 6+ innings. He also recorded career strikeout #2,700.
Other than that, July’s been a mixed bag for Chris with the frustrating rain-shortened outing in St. Louis and the five innings of three-run ball versus the Mets in the July 4th laugher.
The Padres did not face Sale when the Braves were in San Diego, but Manny Machado leads the team in ABs against him (11-for-35, .355 AVG, and .993 OPS). Xander Bogaerts is next-highest, 7-for-22. They have a homer apiece. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Gavin Sheets also have a homer off Sale in a smaller sample size. We’re hoping for more of what Jake Cronenworth has going on: he’s 0-for-10 with 6 K’s.
For the finale, the Padres will call upon starter Griffin Canning (1-8, 6.67 ERA). The former Angel/Met struggled mightily against the Braves when he faced them on June 23. Wandy Peralta served as an effective opener, but Canning only recorded two outs in the second inning. He gave up three earned runs before departing, and a fourth one scored after Kyle Hart walked in an inherited runner. Canning’s career versus the Braves: 7.2 IP, one loss, and a 12.91 ERA.
Since that game in San Diego, Canning hasn’t fared much better. The longest he’s lasted in his last four starts is 4.2 innings. His best outing in that bunch is when he held the Dodgers to one run in four innings of work.
With Sale pitching and the reemergence of the Braves offense in July, this one has the makings of a decisive win #60 to take the series and end the homestand on a high note. We’ll see what the lunchtime baseball has in store.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 03: Yegor Chinakhov #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins scores a goal between the legs of John Gibson #36 of the Detroit Red Wings during the first period at Little Caesars Arena on January 3, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan.Pittsburgh defeated Detroit 4-1. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
A friend of mine offered an interesting question, mostly just to chat about for a little and move on but it’s been sticking in my mind for a while now. The question was who will be in last place in the Eastern Conference next season?
It’s been an interesting point to ponder on in the dead of summer. Not all the teams are particularly good, but no one is currently trying to be bad by punting the season through a long-term rebuilding strategy these days that has made themselves a poor team either. There are no Chicago’s or Calgary’s in the East these days that will drop far behind the pack and await what they hope will be a brighter future. All 16 teams in the East, to varying degrees, have the goal, desire and something of an expectation to make the playoffs next season.
That shapes up to mean chaos and fun. Take a look at last season – the three worst teams in the Eastern Conference ended up being Florida (the 2x defending Stanley Cup champions), Toronto (the team that finished second in points for the conference the year prior in 2024-25) and the New York Rangers (who were first in the East as recently as 2023-24).
That’s probably three teams that this time 12 months ago almost no one would have guessed would be at the bottom of the conference, although there were some warning signs with NYR and Aleksander Barkov’s preseason injury did impact the Panthers in a predictable way before the year started. If anything in the modern NHL, you might as well throw out the results of the prior year when attempting to forecast the future. The base of what has happened isn’t going to be a roadmap for what is to come, by and large for many teams.
Going off my preseason predictions, I would have had Philadelphia, Boston and Pittsburgh as the bottom-three teams in 2025-26, all of which you might notice made the playoffs. That’s pretty humbling to undertake the projection of who could be the worst in 2026-27.
So who is going to end up 16th out of 16 teams? Let’s see how it could happen with some candidates, in no specific order.
Detroit Red Wings – There are a lot of pieces of strife here: the captain wants a trade, the franchise legend GM got kicked upstairs, one of their best players in Alex Debrincat is an impending free agent with an uncertain future, their defense is mostly a collection of trash besides one great player and their goaltending is borderline shaky. Maybe the Red Wings pull the nose up on this thing, but isn’t a challenge to imagine that things get worse before they get better.
New York Rangers – We liked their offseason in terms of immediate upgrades to the team, but last year’s last place team still has a lot consternation hanging over it like a black fog. This team looks like they’re one Igor Shesterkin injury away from disaster. Of course, that could be said of many if their best player was out, but I think the Rangers this year have a low ceiling and an even lower floor that puts them in the conversation of being a low-end team.
Pittsburgh Penguins – The top five returning scorers range in age of 33-40, eventually the core that was strong enough to power the Pens to the playoffs last season is going to lose strength. Several supporting players all had career seasons last year and could be difficult to duplicate. The top-three goaltenders in the organization have combined for 78 career NHL games entering the season, the defensive numbers were among the worst in the league without much in the way of upgrades.
New York Islanders – The Islanders strategy seems to be ‘let’s hope Peter DeBoer can make some magic’, because they’ve done almost nothing this off-season to improve. They’ve lost multiple captain-type of players recently (first Brock Nelson in 2025, then Anders Lee this summer). Matthew Schaefer and Ilya Sorokin (plus Bo Horvat and Mat Barzal) might given them enough talent to escape last place, but this also looks like a situation where a new GM needs some burdensome contracts to tick away while replenishing the system with young talent, a process that sometimes means enduring pain along the way.
Columbus Blue Jackets – Their top six players from last season: Zach Werenski (might not sign with them again, was almost traded before situation smoothed out), Kirill Marchenko (reportedly doesn’t want to re-sign), Adam Fantilli (RFA, still unsigned), Charlie Coyle (re-signed as an overpayment), Boone Jenner and Mason Marchment (both left as free agents). Looks very unsettled right now for an organization known to take one step forward followed by shuffling towards the back.
Buffalo Sabres – They lost their second-highest scoring forward (Alex Tuch) and second-highest scoring defenseman (Bowen Byram) with no replacement, save Olen Zellweger. The highest paid forward (Josh Norris) has missed more time with injury than he’s played in the last four seasons. Their current goalies (Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen) don’t inspire a lot of confidence, though rumors of a Connor Hellebuyck trade would surely elevate Buffalo into a strong position – if it materializes. It would be shocking if the Sabres ended up all the way at the bottom, and they showed they have a very high ceiling if their young core takes another step, but I don’t know, can’t shake the feeling that they have elements of coming back to the pack after a tremendous season.
–
We just blurbed on six teams, not far off from half the conference. The options added up quickly, even though the cases for all could be stretches and dependent on worst case scenarios happening. Maybe one of these teams finish last, but then again it wouldn’t be a shocker if several of them end up making the playoffs next season either. That’s the NHL these days, filled with parity and unexpected outcomes. About all we can know for sure is that some team out there is going to finish at the bottom, and much like last season’s lower-end teams, they probably will be wondering just how it ended up that way.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: Tobi Lawal, Morez Johnson Jr. and Sergio De Larrea of the Dallas Mavericks poses for a portrait during the 2026 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on July 15, 2026 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Less than six months ago, The Mavericks fielded a team that included Anthony Davis (age 33), Dante Exum (age 31) and D’Angelo Russell (age 30). They shipped out those players (and Jaden Hardy; 24) for Khris Middleton (age 34) and Marvin Bagley (age 27) (and AJ Johnson; 21). This cleared up a major financial crunch and made the Mavs a touch younger. Since then, all three of Middleton, Bagley and AJ Johnson have also moved on, furthering the youth movement.
Following those moves, the Mavericks have spent the offseason loading their team with athletic, rangy players who are age 25 and under. Following is a list of the current roster.
Returning players age 25 and under
Max Christie – Age 23 – 6’5”
John Poulakidas – Age 23 – 6’6”
Dereck Lively – Age 22 – 7’1”
Moussa Cisse – Age 23 – 6’11”
Cooper Flagg – Age 19 – 6’9”
New players age 25 and under
Marcus Sasser – Age 25 – 6’1”
Zaccharie Risacher – Age 21 – 6’8”
Jett Howard – Age 22 – 6’8”
Morez Johnson – Age 20 – 6’9”
Tobi Lawal – Age 23 – 6’8”
Santi Aldama – Age 25 – 7’0”
Sergio De Larrea – Age 20 – 6’5”
Tarik Biberovic – Age 25 – 6’7”
Vsevolod Ishchenko – Age 21 – 6’3”
That is nine new players age 25 or younger joining a roster that retains five other players that are 25 or younger. Of those 14 total players, the shortest is Sasser at 6’1” but he has an insane 6’7” wingspan.
Will all of these players be rotation-ready to open the season? No. Is every one of these players going to be on the team in five years? Unlikely. Is this roster destined for greatness? Maybe. Lively may still be recovering from injury by the time the season starts, while Howard, Lawal, Ishchenko and others may be on two-way deals (or altogether waived). None of that is the point, however.
The point is that the newly built Mavericks’ front office, led by Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz, clearly have a vision for the type of team they want to build around Cooper Flagg. Moreover, they have constructed that team with a paucity of assets thanks to the last regime. Despite that, they have found ways to get clever by moving up in the Draft to get a player like De Larrea, trading virtually nothing to get a former #1 pick in Risacher, matching an incredibly favorable contract for Cisse, manufacturing a favorable trade to pick up Aldama, using second round draft assets for Lawal and Ishchenko, and snatching a proficient marksman from overseas in Biberovic.
Only time will tell what will work and what will not, but Mavericks fans can take a few things to heart. They have a young, long athletic team, many of whom are on favorable contracts. They have a front office that had a plan and creatively executed that plan. And gone are the days of sneaker connections and covert coffee house trades or an owner who overrules his defacto GM to leave a generational talent on the draft board.
This is what a rebuild from a barren wasteland looks like. Young guys, many of whom you’ve never heard of, hopefully providing some excitement and a growth trajectory to root for. Oh, and those players on the roster over age 26? All of them currently remain intact as either veteran leadership or trade pieces. For now, the Mavs have a team the likes of which they’ve rarely featured, with some remaining assets and most of the summer remaining to do more.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 15: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat and Tim Duncan #21 of the San Antonio Spurs embrace after the San Antonio Spurs victory in Game Five and winning the 2014 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on June 15, 2014 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2014 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
As we count down the days until LeBron James finally makes his free agency decision, it seemed like a good time to count down the Spurs’ top five moments against the 23-year vet.
#5 – Ginobili gets gold; Pop makes an impact
Just a few months after LeBron split his first two games against San Antonio as a Cleveland rookie, he joined Tim Duncan on the USA roster in the 2004 Summer Olympics. The Spurs’ Manu Ginobili, of course, stole the show as Argentina downed the United States in the semifinals and Italy in the gold medal game. Despite the Americans’ third-place finish, that Olympic run forged LeBron’s longtime vocal respect for San Antonio legend Gregg Popovich, a U.S. assistant coach in 2004.
#4 – LeBron laments Kawhi sub
Late in the second quarter of Game 5 in the 2013 NBA Finals (which the Spurs won to go up 3-2 in the series), James famously grimaced at the free throw line when Kawhi Leonard checked back into the game. The clip became a popular GIF and spoke to Leonard’s burgeoning impact, which reached its apex a year later when the Spurs won their fifth championship with Kawhi as Finals MVP.
In Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals, the Spurs began their romp through the series with some help from the broken air conditioning in the AT&T Center. With temps in the arena exceeding 90 degrees, James cramped up and missed the last 4:00 of the fourth quarter. Leading just 94-92 when James left the game, the Spurs turned up the heat and won going away, 110-95.
#2 – Timmy’s ‘trash talk’ caps Spurs’ sweep
The Spurs claimed their fourth championship by sweeping LeBron’s Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA Finals. After Game 4, Tim Duncan joked with LeBron, “This is gonna be your league in a little while … but, uh, I appreciate you giving us this year.” The future Hall of Famers shared laughs and backslaps as Duncan prophetically poured salt in the wound: James would later appear in eight straight NBA Finals (and nine of 10), winning four titles … one less than Timmy!
#1 – Sweet revenge!
LeBron’s missed three-pointer that would have tied Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals definitely would be in our top 5 had the Spurs grabbed that rebound. But alas … we know what happened after that. The “Beautiful Game” Spurs wouldn’t be denied the next year, however, dominating the Heat 4-1 in the 2014 Finals rematch. The Game 5 clincher saw Miami jump out to a 22-6 lead before the Spurs went on a 59-22 run. Ginobili’s poster dunk to cap a 14-0 second-quarter run was the biggest of many highlights as San Antonio won its fifth NBA title.
Overall, the Spurs are one of just two teams LeBron has a losing record against. He’s 30-33 vs. San Antonio (including playoffs) and 28-34 vs. Denver.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 30: Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 30, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Atlanta Hawks have been the masters of the trade system this offseason, and with it, they’ve acquired players who have the chance of elevating the team this upcoming season. With the financial flexibility the Hawks have, they’ve been able to take on contracts while also not having to give up much in return.
In Onsi Saleh’s latest deal, he acquired Lu Dort from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a three-team trade with the Dallas Mavericks. The Hawks moved Zaccharie Risacher to the Mavericks, and Ryan Nembhard was sent to Atlanta. For the Hawks, the big acquistion was Dort, who’s played with the Thunder for the past seven seasons, and helped them win a championship just two seasons ago.
Dort is definitely the type of player you hate to play against, but love when they’re on your team. The Hawks can say they’re on the right side, and Dort will bring toughness and grit that had been missing from the team for some time.
Outside of those intangibles, the one thing that sticks out about Dort is his defensive prowess and ability to guard almost anybody on the floor. Dort is just 6’4, but you would think he was a few inches taller the way he can disrupt an offense with his physicality. The Thunder have several above average defenders, but Dort seemed to always be the one tasked with guarding the best player on the opposing team, whether it was Luka Doncic one night or Victor Wembanyama the next.
Yes, Dort has that kind of range.
It’s mostly because of his bulky figure, and that allows to keep his assignment in front of him. He has good hands to easily swipe the ball, and he’ll go for an occasional block here or there. Opposing players would probably say it’s hard to get past him, and he does it all without fouling as much, which is good attribute. There’s a reason he earned All-Defensive honors two seasons ago, and he could’ve been on the list several other years.
His versatility on defense alone will allow the Hawks to do a lot of different things on that side of the ball. Dyson Daniels and Dort on the court together could cause havoc for backcourts or even frontcourts, as they have the same kind of range to where they can defend almost anybody on the floor. Dort could also allow Daniels to save some of his energy on defense, which will only make him more efficient in other areas on the floor.
On offense, Dort is more of a spot-up shooter than anything else, and he thrived in that role with the Thunder. His 3-point percentage shows it over the past three years, and he’s hit some big shots at big moments for them. Dort found himself open in a lot of situations due to the gravity of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but their style of offense feels similar to the Hawks, where they share the ball a lot and always find the open man.
Dort should be able to have the same kind of success on offense, especially since the Hawks pride themselves on getting up three-pointers. Outside of the 3-point shooting, Dort doesn’t have much offensive versatility, but his physicality gives him the ability to put pressure on the team.
It’s uncertain what lineups will look like right now, but Dort might be utilized best coming off the bench for the Hawks. He has been starting for most of his career, but with the Hawks’ starters returning this season, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he were sent to a reserve role.
In the end, the Hawks definitely got better with the Dort acquisition, and the next thing is seeing how he meshes with the team.
The Cubs took an early lead, only to see it vanish when Colin Rea allowed a three-run homer. Then the offense basically vanished, and the game was put out of reach when the pen gave up an additional run in the late innings.
Oh, you think I’m talking about Wednesday’s 5-1 Cubs loss to the Tigers. That is, in fact, an accurate description of what happened Wednesday evening at Wrigley Field… but it is also an accurate description of last Friday’s 5-2 loss to the Twins — a three-run homer served up by Rea was the difference in that game, too.
This is what happens when the guy who’s your sixth or seventh starting option winds up in the rotation for an extended period due to injuries. Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer now has 11 days to address that issue before MLB’s Trade Deadline. Let’s hope he finds the right answer, or answers.
Then Detroit hit that aforementioned three-run shot in the fourth. Riley Greene led off with a double and Rea walked Torkelson. Rea did get the next two hitters to fly to left. Then came the three-run homer, by Hao-Yu Lee, giving the Tigers a 4-1 lead.
A three-run deficit in the fourth doesn’t sound insurmountable, but the Cubs offense was completely moribund the rest of the game. After Suzuki’s homer, the Cubs got just two runners past first base — a two-out double by Happ in the fourth, and then Happ taking second on defensive indifference after drawing a two-out walk in the ninth. They seemingly had a chance in the sixth when Pete Crow-Armstrong reached base when Tigers starter Keider Montero couldn’t handle his comebacker leading off the inning. One out later Montero was out of the game for reliever Drew Sommers, who got Michael Busch to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Credit to Ryan Rolison, Gavin Hollowell and Caleb Thielbar for keeping the Cubs in the game. Those three combined for three shutout innings, allowing one hit and striking out six. Tyler Ferguson, though, allowed a run in the ninth to make it 5-1, though it might as well have been 50-1 the way the Cubs offense was shut down by Tigers pitching.
Honestly, there isn’t much else to say about this game. Credit to Montero, who allowed just three other baserunners after Suzuki’s homer, and the Tigers pen. Here are Craig Counsell’s postgame remarks [VIDEO].
Final note on this game from BCB’s JohnW53:
This was the Cubs’ third game of the season in which their only run came on a homer. The first two were six days apart, May 25 and 31, when they lost at Pittsburgh, 2-1, and at St. Louis, 5-1.
They had four such games last year, two of them at home. They also had four in 2024, after having had seven in 2023 and six in 2022. Back in 2018, they had a team-record 14.
The Cubs have played 516 one-run, one-homer games since 1901, an average of four. They won 56 of them, lost 456 and tied four.
Incidentally, the weather was great Wednesday in Chicago, maybe the nicest day of the summer so far… temps in the 70s, clear skies, light winds, no humidity. That brought out the second-largest Wrigley crowd of 2026 to date, 40,512. Too bad they all couldn’t see a win (though many in the Wrigley crowd were Tigers fans).
It’s not the end of the world, but the Cubs really have to do better than 3-3 on a homestand against two mediocre teams. And they would have, if Alex Bregman had just taken ball four from Kenley Jansen on Monday instead of swinging and missing. This homestand makes the Cubs’ record against AL teams this year 12-18, which is… not good. They lost a game to the Brewers in the NL Central after Milwaukee won on Wednesday, so the Cubs trail by seven games. The Phillies lost to the Dodgers, so the Cubs continue to lead them by 1.5 games for the first wild card spot.
The Cubs have Thursday off — and then they will play 17 days in a row, having lost their next scheduled off day Aug. 7 for a makeup game against the Blue Jays for the June 21 rainout. The first of those 17 straight games, 10 of which will be on the road, will be Friday against the Pirates at Pittsburgh. Matthew Boyd will start the series opener for the Cubs and his opponent will be Pirates right-hander Jared Jones. Game time Friday is 5:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees hit the road to take on the Phillies in a three-game series starting Friday...
Jose Caballero chaos
Caballero's pitch-clock antics have finally drawn the ire of MLB. In Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader, Caballero was assessed a pitch-clock violation in what the umpiring crew revealed was a mandate from the league.
The league believes Caballero's gamesmanship is closer to being deceitful to the pitcher and will not be tolerated moving forward. Caballero was not in the starting lineup for Game 2, so we couldn't see how he and the Yankees will adjust to this new enforcement. We'll certainly see it this weekend, and you can expect more disagreements with the umpires.
Can the offense wake up?
While Caballero combats with the umpiring crew, it's sort of overshadowed the Yankees' continued offensive ineptitude.
After clawing their way back in Game 1 on Wednesday before falling in extra innings, the Yanks mustered just two runs in the nightcap. While it was enough to split the doubleheader, the offense will need to do more if they hope to keep pace with a formidable Phillies lineup, and the starters they are planning to utilize -- more on that later.
Since they've returned from the All-Star break, the Yankees have scored more than three runs just once (Monday) and have plated two runs or fewer in four of six games.
Going up against Philadelphia's stud southpaws
The Yankees will likely miss Zack Wheeler this weekend, but two of the three Phillies starters are nothing to scoff at.
Apr 13, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Fernando Cruz (63) reacts during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium. / John Jones-Imagn Images
Jesus Luzardo will take the mound in the series opener and has had a solid season, with a 3.43 ERA, and the southpaw has dominated of late.
Over his last seven starts, Luzardo has allowed just seven earned runs across 42.1 innings (1.49 ERA). He's also struck out 63 batters during that span, including 18 over his last two starts (12 IP).
And then we have the series finale on Sunday when the Yankees will go up against Cristopher Sanchez, the All-Star Game starter for the National League and one of the front-runners for the NL Cy Young Award. Sanchez has not fared well lately, allowing 24 earned runs across 39.1 innings (5.49 ERA) over his last seven starts.
However, Sanchez has allowed just five runs in his last two starts while striking out 14 batters.
The Yankees will have their hands full with these two.
Shuffling the pitching plan
Inserting Max Fried back into the rotation has shuffled the Yankees' pitching schedule a bit. It was changed even more when Aaron Boone used Will Warren in relief on Wednesday.
Warren was scheduled to start Friday's series opener, but the right-hander will now go Sunday. Cam Schlittler will start Friday, with Ryan Weathers taking the mound on Saturday. With so much shuffling, how will the pitchers react?
Bullpen warriors
The Yankees bullpen, with its flaws, has been generally effective as the lineup has struggled. With Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick becoming key pieces, the bullpen has solidified a bit, but can they continue to roll? Fernando Cruz, who has been dominant for most of the season, has struggled of late and gave up the lead in extras in Game 1 of the doubleheader on Wednesday.
And when we see Camilo Doval, how will he perform? The Yanks don't know what they'll get out of Weathers or Warren, so the bullpen will need to be nails this weekend. Luckily, the off day Thursday should help.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Cody Bellinger
Bellinger has struggled, but his at-bats have looked much better lately.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Cam Schlittler
Between Warren, Schlittler, and Weathers, it's hard to pick against the Cy Young front-runner.
Which Phillies player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?
Trea Turner
The shortstop has had a down year, but his power numbers have been great of late, smashing four long balls in his last seven games.
Alex Mcfarlane of the Reading Fightin' Phils is on the mound during a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on July 11, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
It’s no secret that the Phillies bullpen needs help. That was true even before they lost Brad Keller for the season, as every reliever not named Jhoan Duran has been at best inconsistent or at worst downright brutal. They’ve already churned through many of their options on the 40-man roster, hoping to find some stability somewhere before looking to address the issue at the trade deadline.
Curiously however, one name they haven’t really tried is Alex McFarlane. The 25-year-old has been called up to the Majors twice this season but has only appeared in one game, pitching the ninth of a 9-5 game lass night. In the minors, he has yet to even pitch above Double-A despite logging a 2.06 ERA in 32 appearances this season with 47 strikeouts in 35 innings for Reading. However, those gaudy strikeout numbers also come with an extremely high walk rate, as McFarlane has issued 18 free passes in his 35 innings of work. For his minor league career, McFarlane has posted a walk rate of at least 12% every year since his first full season in professional ball in 2023. That walk rate is at least part of the reason why the team still hasn’t promoted him to Triple-A or used him more in the majors.
Yet they’ve elected to carry him on the major league roster twice, thus starting his service clock. The team is running out of viable internal options to try in their bullpen to see if they can alleviate some of the pressure before the trade deadline arrives. The time may be approaching where the Phillies will have to give McFarlane a bigger role either with a promotion to Triple-A or by actually seeing what he has with extended use in the Majors.
So, should the Phillies give Alex McFarlane a real chance in the bullpen? Should they send him to Triple-A first or see what he does against MLB hitters right now?
Despite saying that there was interest in coming back for what would have been a third full year with the Detroit Red Wings, future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane is heading back to where it all began.
Kane has signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, returning to the club that he helped lead to the Stanley Cup three times in his career.
According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, it's a two-year pact worth $8 million per season.
The circle is complete.
Patrick Kane is re-joining the Blackhawks on a two-year deal.
In mid-April, Kane expressed interest in running it back in Detroit.
“I think there is mutual interest for me to come back and continue my career here. It’s been a great spot for me, my family, and my son, and I’ve definitely enjoyed my time here," Kane said in April during Detroit's season-ending media availability. "But there’s no rush. I’ll talk things over with my agent and my family, and we’ll see how everything plays out.
Last season, Kane finished fifth overall in Red Wings scoring, registering 16 goals and 41 assists for 57 points. While with Detroit, Kane scored his 500th career goal and also became the highest-scoring U.S.-born player in NHL history.
He originally joined the team as an unrestricted free agent in December 2023.
This is yet another considerable setback for Detroit, who is already considered a longshot to make the postseason next spring.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
