Here Comes the Boom welcomes back Rivals national basketball analyst Jamie Shaw to break down the latest in Kentucky basketball recruiting. There’s been a lot of movement in the world of recruiting lately. Shaw shares his thoughts on Tyran Stokes and why he’s the No. 1-ranked player in the country. He also shares the latest […]
Here Comes the Boom: The Latest on Tyran Stokes and Bruce Branch with Rivals’ Jamie Shaw
Here Comes the Boom welcomes back Rivals national basketball analyst Jamie Shaw to break down the latest in Kentucky basketball recruiting. There’s been a lot of movement in the world of recruiting lately. Shaw shares his thoughts on Tyran Stokes and why he’s the No. 1-ranked player in the country. He also shares the latest […]
Sloppy Giants continue to look overmatched by Padres after ‘frustrating' series
Sloppy Giants continue to look overmatched by Padres after ‘frustrating' series originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres already had the best ballpark food in the National League, but this spring, they decided to kick things up a notch. A mini donut stand showed up down the first base line, and several concession stands now sell replica Western Metal Supply Co. buildings filled with banana pudding and nilla wafers.
The dessert is the greatest addition to Major League Baseball since the pitch clock, and judging by how many Padres and Giants fans were carrying it around over the last four days, it might singlehandedly cover the next $300 million contract that Padres executive A.J. Preller decides to hand out.
In just about every way — ballpark atmosphere, food, scoreboard graphics — the Padres are ahead of the curve. Giants employees can feel it when they visit a ballpark that used to be jokingly known as AT&T Park South, and that extends to the field, too.
Thursday’s 8-4 loss was the sixth in seven games between the NL West rivals over the past two weeks. The Padres outscored the Giants 44-13 over those seven games, and the difference between the two teams — once competing for the same Wild Card spot — is now 11 games.
Overall, the Giants went 3-10 against the Padres this year and got outscored by 36 runs. It’s one thing to finish well behind your division leader, but the Giants now trail the Los Angeles Dodgers and Padres by double-digit games. Given their trajectory — they have the worst record in baseball over the past five weeks — there’s a chance they finish 20 back of two teams in their own division.
From the top step of the dugout, it has certainly felt like the Giants have been working uphill in just about all of these matchups.
“If you get behind them, their bullpen is pretty tough to score on. We’ve done that often against them and we haven’t done enough offensively to put any pressure on and keep some of their plus guys out of the game,” manager Bob Melvin said. “They have a good lineup. They played well against us. Earlier in the year, I felt like we matched up a little bit better against them, but certainly it’s frustrating.
“It’s a team in your division that you feel like you should play better baseball against. To go 3-10 is bad.”
The Padres are addicted to star power, but that’s not necessarily the reason the Giants have been overwhelmed. Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. have had good years, but not MVP ones. Jackson Merrill’s sophomore campaign has been ruined by injuries. Their bullpen is the best in the league and is even stronger with the addition of Mason Miller, but their rotation has been patched together.
They do, however, do several key things that the Giants do not. They’re last in the National League in strikeouts, more than 200 behind the Giants, and that’s what stood out to Justin Verlander when asked about the matchup.
“They put the ball in play a lot,” he said, pausing for several seconds. “They put the ball in play a lot.”
That was on full display in the fifth inning, which ruined Verlander’s day and left him with a 1-10 record. The Padres put down three consecutive bunts, one of which was thrown into right field by Casey Schmitt. When the rolling ball was dropped by Luis Matos, it became a two-error play that led to two runs.
The Giants caught a couple of breaks early, too, which led to two runs. But they have been unable to fully make an opponent pay in recent weeks. The Padres did, with Machado lining a two-run double off Verlander after the errors, making it a 6-2 game.
“It’s just their ability to capitalize on mistakes,” Schmitt said. “They capitalized on my mistakes.”
Schmitt made four errors in the series, which generally was filled with sloppy baseball by the Giants. That’s particularly frustrating for the staff, given that Buster Posey’s main directive after executing a trade deadline sale was to play cleaner baseball.
“It looks terrible,” Melvin said. “When you’re not hitting and you play bad defense, it just looks awful. Two errors on one play — you look at Justin’s line, and he certainly did not pitch to that line. His stuff the first couple innings was just as good as we’ve seen it and we scratch a couple (runs) and then obviously the fourth and the fifth just got away from us.
“We continue to work on it. We do have some guys playing some different positions at this point in time and some new guys here, but that’s no excuse. We have to play cleaner defense.”
Verlander has pitched well in recent weeks, but he was charged with seven earned runs. He has had unfathomably bad defensive luck, run support and help from the bullpen this season, and on Thursday, the frustration showed. The future Hall-of-Famer chose some words carefully, knowing that not much needed to be said about how shaky the defense was behind him.
But he also called it “one of the more frustrating games of my career.”
“Especially with the season I’ve had, you’re kind of scratching and clawing to find your way out of it and you feel like you’ve finally found something to grasp onto, and then you have a game and inning like that,” he added. “I’m being tested, for sure.”
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Canadiens Defenseman Appears On New Trade Board
Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report has released his latest NHL Trade Block Big Board for the month of August. Among the 15 players who made Richardson's trade board is Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson.
Seeing Matheson among the players on this trade board is not necessarily surprising, as he has been the subject of trade speculation throughout this off-season. With the Canadiens having several young defensemen and Matheson entering the final year of his contract, there have naturally been questions about his future in Montreal.
Yet, if the Canadiens were to trade Matheson during this off-season, it would undoubtedly come with risk. The 31-year-old is still an important veteran and leader on the Canadiens' blueline, so his absence would be felt if he were to be moved.
In 80 games this past season with the Canadiens, Matheson recorded six goals, 25 assists, and 31 points. This was after the left-shot defenseman scored 11 goals and set career highs with 51 assists and 62 points in 82 games with the Canadiens during the 2023-24 season.
Nevertheless, with Matheson entering next season as a pending UFA, some fans will naturally wonder if the Canadiens could trade him by next year's deadline. Yet, a contract extension would put the trade rumors surrounding Matheson to bed. It will be interesting to see what happens with him from here.
Canadiens Are 2 Moves Away From Perfect Off-SeasonIt has been an excellent off-season for the Montreal Canadiens. They most notably acquired star defenseman Noah Dobson and promising young winger Zack Bolduc in separate trades. They also improved their depth by bringing in Joe Veleno, Sammy Blais, and Kaapo Kahkonen through free agency. Report: Kaleb McGary set to miss time with injury
The Falcons will be without one of their key offensive players for a bit.
Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, right tackle Kaleb McGary will miss time with the apparent leg injury he suffered during Wednesday's practice. But at this point, McGary's timeline for recovery is unknown.
McGary, 30, was carted off the field during the midweek session. He was scheduled to have an MRI to determine the extent of his injury.
A first-round pick in 2019, McGary has started 92 of the 93 games played in his career. With Michael Penix Jr. being a lefty quarterback, McGary’s position has that much more importance as he protects Penix’s blindside.
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Five Wingers Poised To Break Into The NHL Full-Time In 2025-26
Over the past week, TheHockeyNews.com has examined prospect goaltenders and defensemen who look ready to make the jump to being full-time NHLers.
Now, it’s time to see the wingers who look to join that group, and they’re an exciting bunch.
As for the criteria, it’s the same as the defensemen list, so these players must have been either AHL or NCAA regulars last season, still eligible for the Calder Trophy and are at least 20 years old.
Without further ado, here are five breakthrough wingers for the 2025-26 NHL season.
Matt Savoie, Edmonton Oilers
Everywhere Edmonton Oilers prospect Matt Savoie has played, he’s found success. He averaged more than a point per game in the United States League and WHL in juniors. By the end of his first full AHL season in Bakersfield, the 2021 ninth overall pick from the Buffalo Sabres has blossomed into a player ready to make that jump to the NHL.
There are still questions about Savoie’s game at the next level.
Will his diminutive 5-foot-9 stature hinder his ability to remain an offensive threat? Can he create consistently at the NHL level rather than rely on being an off-the-puck finisher?
These questions are valid, but they’re so far overblown by all accounts.
Savoie has the skating, the smarts, the deception and the skill to be a capable offensive second-line-caliber guy.
Even if Savoie tops out as more of a supplementary offensive player, we’ve seen players in that mold succeed on first lines next to genuine stars, such as Capitals playmaker Dylan Strome next to Alex Ovechkin last season or previously, Mike Hoffman with Mark Stone on the Ottawa Senators.
With Zach Hyman potentially missing time next season recovering from wrist surgery, Savoie could have opportunities to play with the best of the best, such as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Savoie is listed as the third-best right winger on the Oilers' depth chart in The Hockey News’ 2025 Yearbook & Fantasy Guide.
Gabe Perreault, New York Rangers
In Gabe Perreault’s draft year, he netted the most points in USA Hockey National Team Development Program history with 132 over 63 games. He beat out a plethora of NHL stars, such as Auston Matthews (117 in 60), Jack Eichel (87 in 53) and NHL 26 cover star Matthew Tkachuk (95 in 65), to name a few.
Unlike those mentioned above who were selected well within the top 10 of the NHL draft, Perreault fell to the New York Rangers at 23rd overall.
Draft concerns included his skating, a lack of bulk and how he’d do without his NTDP linemates, Washington Capitals pick Ryan Leonard and the San Jose Sharks’ Will Smith.
While his skating has marginally improved, and he’s become more physically engaged and mature with time, the concerns surrounding Perreault’s reliance on his linemates are worth amplifying. Since Smith’s arrival in San Jose, Perreault’s stat line from his first to second seasons in the NCAA fell by 12 points. Given this, Perreault’s lack of significant skating improvements may hinder his truly elite upside. He should be more well-rounded to fit lower in the lineup.
With the Rangers’ youth movement in full swing, The Hockey News projects Perreault as the No. 2 right winger on the team. Given this opportunity, Perreault should succeed despite his skating, as he has the tools and hockey sense to become a high-end cerebral playmaker at the NHL level.
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Ville Koivunen, Pittsburgh Penguins
Ville Koivunen’s stock has skyrocketed with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He was overlooked when the Carolina Hurricanes included him in the trade to Pittsburgh for beloved star forward Jake Guentzel at the 2024 trade deadline. While the 2021 second-round pick averaged close to a point per game in Finland in 2023-24, he struggled to produce in an AHL stint the season before. However, from the moment he joined the Baby Pens in the AHL, things took off.
In his first full-time AHL season, Koivunen led the Penguins' affiliate in points with 56. This led to an eight-game NHL call-up where he put up seven assists thanks to his exceptional vision and deception.
Koivunen is ranked as the No. 1 left winger on the Penguins, and one would have to imagine what a full season next to Sidney Crosby could do to fast-track his development.
Bradly Nadeau, Carolina Hurricanes
Drafted late in the QMJHL, USHL and even his home province’s Maritime Junior Hockey League, Nadeau quickly rose to prominence in the BCHL, scoring 45 goals and 68 assists for 113 points over 54 games in his draft year.
The impressive play led to him being drafted 30th overall in 2023 by the Hurricanes. He was considered a project player at the time.
Just one year later, Nadeau made his NHL debut with the Hurricanes after a seismic 46-point rookie campaign in the NCAA with the University of Maine.
Needing some more seasoning, Nadeau played his age-19 season in the AHL with Chicago and very quickly adapted to the pro game, adding more physicality and playmaking to his game alongside his dangerous shot.
Given this, it wouldn’t be surprising if Nadeau sneaks onto the Hurricanes roster out of camp despite being ranked as the No. 5 right winger on the team in the 2025 Yearbook.
Five Goalies Poised To Break Into The NHL Full-Time In 2025-26Anticipate a wave of newer faces looking to prove themselves in net this NHL season.
Liam Ohgren, Minnesota Wild
When Liam Ohgren got the call-up to the Minnesota Wild after a string of injuries last season, the 2022 19th overall pick made them count.
The six-foot left winger showed off his speed, willingness to engage physically and a deceptive, NHL-level shot. By season’s end, the 21-year-old amassed 24 more games of experience in the big league, scoring two goals and three assists.
Ohgren’s work rate has seemingly transitioned off the ice as well as the youngster looks swole in off-season training photos. The additional bulk and conditioning might be just enough of what Ohgren needs to make the Wild’s bottom six full-time next season. He’s currently positioned as the No. 5 left winger in THN’s Yearbook.
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Bring Back Fabbri? Red Wings Weigh Options for Top Line LW Spot
As training camp nears, the Detroit Red Wings face a crucial decision of who will fill in as the first-line left wing.
The Detroit Red Wings are a little under a month away from in-game action as they prepare for training camp and pre-season. One of the few remaining question marks left in the Detroit lineup is the top line left wing spot. It's unclear as of right now who will occupy the left wing of Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin with fewer solutions becoming available.
The team reportedly hopes to keep their second line of Marco Kasper, Patrick Kane, and Alex DeBrincat intact, as the trio showed strong chemistry and offensive potential last season. With that line likely staying together, the coaching staff will need to look elsewhere to fill the top-line left wing role. Whether that means promoting from within, giving a young prospect a shot, or making a late offseason move. There are still several names in the mix, and each brings a different set of strengths and risks to consider.
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Veteran Netfront Presence in van Riemsdyk
The early lineup reports have recent Red Wings' add James van Riemsdyk on the top line left wing spot and this does make a bit of sense. During last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, van Riemsdyk occasionally played top line minutes at times with Sean Monahan and it worked out quite well for them. JVR posted 16 goals, his highest total in three seasons, and finished with 36 points, marking the eighth time he was able to do so in his last nine seasons.
It's not an elite option like they were hoping for but a big body in front to screen the goaltender could help boost the production of the other forwards getting better openings same for defenceman like Moritz Seider or Simon Edvinsson from the point.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Rookie Opportunity
One potential option that some contending teams have been rumored to be exploring is giving a big chance to an up-and-coming prospect for top line minutes with two elite linemates. This can hopefully fast track their development and work as a low-cost option on an entry-level deal compared to a player with millions coming in against the cap. The back-to-back Western Conference Champion Edmonton Oilers are rumored to be experimenting with this as they would like to give high-end prospect Isaac Howard a chance to carve out a meaningful role.
This is expected to be a role on the top line with one of the best players in the league in Connor McDavid with the elite Zach Hyman on his opposite wing. The Red Wings have several options they could use for this method like former first round pick Nate Danielson or former third round pick Carter Mazur, who are both expected to contend for NHL roster spots this September.
Yzerman, Red Wings Parts Ways with In-State Standout, Signs with Sabres AffiliateThe Detroit Red Wings lose rights to former draft pick and Michigan State captain Red Savage as he signs with Sabres AHL affiliate.
Sign Fabbri? Offer Sheet McTavish? Max Pacioretty?
There are still several options on the market worth exploring for the position. Veterans like Max Pacioretty or Tomas Tatar, both possibly nearing unofficial retirement, remain available. There are also younger reclamation projects such as former first-round pick Jakub Vrana who could offer some upside.
Another intriguing possibility is bringing back former Red Wing Robby Fabbri. Despite being limited to just 44 games last season due to an upper-body injury, he could be an option if healthy as he had his most productive years in Detroit. From 2020 to 2024, Fabbri recorded 127 points with 61 goals in 234 games. His 61 goals rank third and his points rank sixth on the team during that span, all while averaging just under 16 minutes of ice time per game. His 0.54 points per game average suggests he could potentially reach the 45 to 50 point range in a larger role. Fabbri could be a low-cost, short-term experiment who could easily be moved down the lineup if it does not work out.
Lastly, the most unlikely option is trying to put in an offer sheet for Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish. The young, growing talent is a restricted free agent with the Red Wings having been involved in trade talks with for some time. Not much news has come out about the situation since but as we draw very close to the season it seems unlikely he will be moved.
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Philadelphia Flyers Have a Top 5 NHL Prospect Once Again
Not long after the graduation of Matvei Michkov, the Philadelphia Flyers once again have a top five NHL prospect in their system.
Prospect savants EliteProspects recently released their latest list of the top 100 NHL-drafted prospects, featuring Flyers picks ranging from Jett Luchanko to Alex Bump.
But, to find the first Flyers prospect on the list, you won't have to read very long at all.
Forward Porter Martone, drafted sixth overall by the Flyers in the 2025 NHL Draft in June, placed fourth overall on EliteProspects's ranking.
The only players ahead of the 18-year-old future Flyers star are 2024 first-round pick Ivan Demidov and 2025 draft classmates Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa. Not too shabby, huh?
Notably, Martone ranked ahead of players like Ryan Leonard, Zeev Buium, Beckett Sennecke, James Hagens, Michigan State University teammate Cayden Lindstrom, and Tij Iginla.
Flyers Reportedly Rejected Islanders Trade to Secure Porter MartoneThe Philadelphia Flyers were open to lots of things ahead of the NHL Draft, but, ultimately, a bold New York Islanders trade offer wasn't enough to pull them away from selecting Porter Martone with the sixth overall pick.
Players like Brady Martin and Anton Frondell didn't even crack the top 20 in this ranking.
"Porter Martone understands hockey at a deeper level than most. He knows where to be, how to move, and where to pass to break the opposition’s coverage and score," EliteProspects director of North American scouting Mitch Brown wrote.
"Not only does he have all the necessary tools to play in the NHL, but his hockey sense grades as elite. If he can become more physical and add pace to his game, he should become a top-line play-driver."
Should Martone take that next step as Brown suggests, he'll provide with the Flyers with yet another elite player on the wings alongside Matvei Michkov.
Martone, of course, would be the second star prospect at the position in the last two years for the Flyers, succeeding Michkov.
The Flyers would love to add more high-end talent down the middle to get the puck to those guys, but it's not as if they don't have it all.
Flyers' Porter Martone Badly Snubbed in Ranking of Top NCAA ProspectsTop Philadelphia Flyers prospect Porter Martone will undoubtedly be one of the most exciting young prospects playing in the NCAA this season, but, strangely, some would disagree.
Plus, Brown predicted Luchanko would eventually take over as a second-line center for the Flyers in the near future, particularly due to his unobstructed path to the role.
A new addition like Trevor Zegras might have something to say about that, but there are no guarantees the former Anaheim Duck is a long-term solution with only one year remaining on his contract.
So long as Martone continues to progress in the NCAA, as widely expected, the Flyers will be in a good position to contend for a Stanley Cup for a long time.
Expect the No. 6 overall pick to see NHL ice as soon as this upcoming spring after his freshman season in the NCAA.
Former Blue Jackets & Penguins Forward Emil Bemström Leaving North America
It seems Emil Bemström’s time in North America has come to an end.
It was reported last week by Henrik Sjöberg of HockeyNews.se that Bemström will return to Europe. But he won't be playing in his home country of Sweden as many people would expect him to do.
Instead, Bemström will take his talents to Switzerland and play for SC Bern of the Swiss National League per Sjöberg. Bern has been playing since 1931 and is widely considered the most successful franchise in the NL. The team has yet to make it official, and he's not listed on their roster.
After being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in February of 2024, he played a total of 38 games, scoring 3 goals and totaling 6 points. He was not tendered a contract by Pittsburgh this summer.
In Columbus he played in 242 games. He scored 34 goals and had 75 points. Unfortunately for Bemström, he could never get it to click in the NHL.
In the AHL is where he really excelled. For the Cleveland Monsters, he played in 33 games and had a total of 47 points. For the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season, he had 48 points in 48 games.
It seems young Bemström was just good enough for the AHL, but just not quite good enough to make it work in the NHL.
He's still young at 26, so I wouldn't write off Emil Bemström making an NHL return just yet.
Let us know what you think below.
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24 Nashville Predators in 24 days: Nick Perbix
Is it October yet?
Unfortunately, no, but we're here to help pass the time. From Aug. 8 to Sept. 1, The Hockey News Nashville Predators will be counting down 24 players in 24 days, profiling every current or potentially rostered player.
Today's player profile is defenseman Nick Perbix.
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As an NHL prospect
A rarity in the NHL Draft, Perbix was selected out of high school, picked 169th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
During his senior year at Elk River High School in Minnesota, he scored 40 points in 25 games and was a finalist for the Mr. Hockey statewide award. The following season, he'd join the Omaha Lancers in the USHL.
In his first junior year, Perbix scored 29 points in 56 games and had a plus/minus of 19. He also had two points in four playoff games that year.
He'd commit to St. Cloud State University for the 2018-19 season and play there until 2022. In four seasons, Perbix recorded 89 points in 135 games and just 71 penalty minutes. In his senior year, he'd earn All-NCHC First Team honors.
During his senior year, Perbix had the opportunity to play for the United States at the Winter Olympics in Beijing. He had one point in four games as the United States finished fifth.
Professional career
Perbix joined the Syracuse Crunch for the final 12 games of the 2021-22 season, where he scored eight points in 12 games and recorded one point in five playoff games.
He'd only play two games in Syracuse the next season, earning a call-up to Tampa for the majority of the season. Perbix played in 69 games, scoring 20 points for a plus/minus of 11 and logging 22 penalty minutes. He played in six playoff games, scoring three points.
In the 2023-24 season, he played a career high 77 NHL games, recording 24 points, 22 of them being assists, and just 10 penalty minutes. Last season, Perbix had 19 points in 74 games and 20 penalty minutes.
As a free agent this offseason, Perbix signed a 2 year, $5.5 million contract with the Predators.
What role will he play this season?
There was a lot of talk about how Nicolas Hague was the Predators' best signing in the offseason, but statistically, it was Perbix.
They didn't lock him down on a long contract, but he's a defenseman who's proven to be a little bit more offensively active and isn't in and out of the penalty box. Specifically, with the 22 assists during the 23-24 season, he can get players the puck.
On the back end, the Predators need more defensemen who can push the puck. Roman Josi and Brady Skjei have done that, but that effort needs to be spread up and down the lineup, or at least expanded in the first two pairings.
Perbix hasn't done a ton of scoring in his NHL career, but he has the potential to be an active defender if put in the right situation. He should be getting a run at working with Josi or Skjei and getting the chance to elevate his game.
Al Horford, other Warriors free agents in holding pattern awaiting Kuminga situation to resolve
The Golden State Warriors currently have nine guaranteed contracts on the books for next season. While other NBA teams are filling their 14th and 15th roster spots and signing guys up for training camp invites, the Warriors largely remain in a holding pattern while the Jonathan Kuminga restricted free agency plays out — Golden State doesn't know precisely what it has to spend until Kuminga's contract is on the books.
That leaves free agent Al Horford in a holding pattern — he's going to sign with the Warriors for at least the taxpayer midlevel exception ($5.7 million). But, everything is on hold, something NBA insider Jake Fischer talked about at Bleacher Report (hat tip Hoops Rumors). Fischer said the Warriors remain "very confident" they will sign Horford.
"Al Horford's situation is a bit different because, depending on where the Warriors land in a cap/tax situation, I believe he is slated to make upwards of the full taxpayer mid-level exception. There has also been some discussion about whether or not he could potentially be receiving a two-year deal with a player option as well."
Horford would bring the Warriors up to 10 guaranteed contracts, they would need to sign at least four more players, all for the minimum. Players linked to the Warriors include Gary Payton II, Seth Curry, De'Anthony Melton and Malcolm Brogdon, Fischer said.
It all comes back to Kuminga — a situation likely to drag out into next month and closer to the start of training camp at the end of September. If, as expected, he and the Warriors work out some kind of compromise around the two-year, $45 million offer the team has on the table, that would leave the Warriors with enough space below the second apron of the luxury tax to sign Horford to the taxpayer midlevel and sign the other players on minimum deals. However, if Kuminga were to sign the $7.8 million qualifying offer (making him an unrestricted free agent next summer), the Warriors would have more room to maneuver.
For now, everything remains on hold.