New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes once again had a strong season for the Metropolitan Division club in 2024-25. In 62 games, the 24-year-old forward recorded 27 goals, 43 assists, 70 points, and a plus-12 rating. With this, the 2019 first-round pick was over a point per game player for the fourth season in a row.
Now, due to his latest big season, Hughes has been rewarded. This is because he has made Sportsnet's top 50 players list ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Hughes was given the No. 19 on Sportsnet's list. With this, he ranked ahead of other notable NHL stars like William Nylander (Toronto Maple Leafs), Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets), Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning), and Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators).
When looking at the year Hughes just had and his success over the years, it is not surprising in the slightest that he has been ranked as one of the top players in the NHL right now by Sportsnet. It will be interesting to see what kind of year he puts together for the Devils in 2025-26 from here.
Most British & Irish Lions on mandatory 10-week break
Chessum returns despite featuring in all three Tests
Leicester’s new club captain Ollie Chessum has been cleared to return to domestic action against Harlequins ahead of schedule this weekend. The majority of British & Irish Lions squad members are not being permitted to resume playing for their clubs until next week but the Tigers forward has been given special dispensation.
The 25-year-old was injured for a large chunk of last season and ended up starting only 16 games and featuring off the bench four times. Despite being involved in all three Lions Tests against the Wallabies, the player management load group overseeing the welfare of top players has allowed him to face Harlequins at Welford Road on Saturday.
The Tyrese Maxey-VJ Edgecombe tandem now has one NBA (preseason) game under its belt.
Maxey and Edgecombe sharing the floor was the most significant Sixers item Thursday from the team’s 99-84 preseason-opening loss to the Knicks in Abu Dhabi.
In his preseason debut, Edgecombe tallied 14 points, six rebounds and three assists. Maxey had 14 points, four assists and four boards.
Key Sixers out with injuries included Joel Embiid (left knee), Paul George (left knee), Jared McCain (right thumb) and Trendon Watford (right hamstring).
The Sixers’ second preseason game in Abu Dhabi is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. ET. Here are observations on their defeat Thursday:
The Maxey-Edgecombe backcourt
The Sixers paired Maxey and Edgecombe together to start the game alongside Kelly Oubre Jr., Dominick Barlow and Adem Bona.
That unit played with good defensive intensity out of the gate, pressuring the Knicks and hunting for turnovers. An Oubre steal on Mikal Bridges led to a Maxey fast-break bucket.
Edgecombe and Maxey’s chemistry as a duo will take time to build. Maxey threw a pass out of bounds late in the first quarter when he expected Edgecombe to stay on the wing and the rookie instead started to cut. The two talked things over as the Sixers headed to a timeout.
Individually, Edgecombe in the first quarter showcased many of the talents that made him the No. 3 pick. He grabbed a defensive rebound, pushed the ball ahead and tossed up a lob that Bona finished in high-flying fashion. Bona got another alley-oop slam about a minute later courtesy of Maxey.
Edgecombe tried for a giant highlight in the second quarter, soaring high and attempting to dunk over Knicks center Mitchell Robinson. He didn’t quite pull it off, but Edgecombe drew a foul and knocked down both of his free throws.
Meanwhile, Maxey was the Sixers’ top producer in the first quarter, running the show and scoring 10 points. He hit a smooth floater on the Sixers’ last possession of the period.
A shooting day to forget
The Sixers’ outside shooting was about as bad as it possibly could have been in the first half at 1 for 20 from three-point range. The Knicks (8 for 39) were also very subpar in that area Thursday.
The final numbers for the Sixers were 34.6 percent from the field and 8.6 percent (3 for 35) beyond the arc.
All teams have poor shooting days and preseason results deserve little scrutiny. Still, we’ll note that the Sixers went 34.1 percent from three-point territory last season, which ranked 27th in the NBA.
They need stars like Maxey and George to have better shooting seasons, and for role players to sink a higher percentage of the open jumpers those stars create.
No bench standouts
As is the norm in the preseason, the Sixers used a long bench. The team’s first five subs were Justin Edwards, Jabari Walker, Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon and Broome.
After that, the Sixers played Kennedy Chandler. The 23-year-old point guard on an Exhibit 10 contract scored 10 points. Chandler entered ahead of two-way contract player Hunter Sallis, who made a mid-range jumper soon after checking in and posted eight points and three rebounds.
No Sixers bench player had an exceptional outing and the Knicks’ second unit was superior, turning their win into a blowout in the third quarter.
Edwards struggled offensively Thursday, missing all eight of his field goals and committing three turnovers in 16 minutes.
As the Ottawa Senators continue their pre-season auditions, Tuesday’s 5-0 loss illustrated something clearly. When the Montreal Canadiens play the Ottawa Senators this season, they intend to try to intimidate them physically.
Who could blame them? Aside from Brady Tkachuk, who else on the roster can fight and win? This is not to question anyone's heart.
Zack MacEwen was signed a couple of years ago as a response to the Toronto Maple Leafs signing Ryan Reaves. MacEwen is a good fighter and always willing to answer the bell. But he hasn't fared well against the league's heavyweights.
Everyone answered the bell in the Habs game. The Habs, led by the Brothers Xhekaj, initiated the majority and, aside from Kirby Dach turtling against Donovan Sebrango, there really wasn’t a chest puff moment for the Senators.
As far as nuclear deterrents go, the Senators don’t have anyone in the system who can play regularly AND keep the other team in line.
Tyler Kleven has the size to suggest he could handle himself. However, his inaugural bout was against Adam Lowry of the Jets, and it soon became clear that Kleven played University hockey where he did not learn how to become a great fighter.
Carter Yakemchuk had 120 penalty minutes in his draft year and another 82 last year, but didn't have much interest in fighting on Tuesday night. Gabriel Eliasson, the Senators' 2nd pick in the 2024 priority selection, was regarded as the meanest player in the 2024 draft. This is a reputation he tried to uphold in rookie camp this year.
Perhaps they will be a pair one day. This doesn’t solve the current dilemma.
Ridly Greig will take all comers and that isn’t necessarily a good thing. He irritates. He doesn’t intimidate.
Other teams may take note of what happened on Tuesday and try to replicate it. The risk is not only having liberties taken with your star players, but also having your captain taken out of the game defending people when he should be wreaking havoc in front of the opposing goalie.
Looking within the division, the defending champion, Florida Panthers, are without a couple of key pieces in Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, who play the hard minutes, but the Panthers also have the likes of Sam Bennett, who can play it anyway you want or someone like AJ Greer, who can play hard minutes and fight.
The Leafs have said goodbye to Mitch Marner, and new faces like Nicolas Roy won’t replace his offence but will make them bigger and harder to play against. They also brought in Michael Pezzetta for nights when trouble is expected. Simon Benoit is a defenseman who brings both size and the ability to use it effectively to the table. Not the most intimidating roster in the division, but they are big enough not to get pushed around.
The Bruins have the likes of Nikita Zadorov who is as mean as they come, and they also doubled down on former Senator Mark Kastelic for another three years. Say what you will, but Kastelic can play a fourth-line role and can win a fight. He had 10 last year alone. The Bruins, as a team, had the second most fights in the NHL last season with 30.
The Bolts don’t have a lot of guys who fight but they have plenty of guys who can, and they are huge with the likes of former Senator Nick Paul, Victor Hedman, Erik Czernak, and the list goes on. Teams won’t intimidate them physically.
The Sabres don’t have a Matthew Barnaby type and haven’t in a long time. Adding Josh Norris didn’t make them tougher to play against. They also own the longest playoff drought in the league at 14 seasons. Coincidence? They had the eighth most fights in the league last year at 23. Fights at the end of games you are about to lose don’t add up to much in the standings.
The Detroit Red Wings don’t have anyone who would fit the description of an enforcer. They also have the second-longest playoff drought in the league at nine years. Coincidence? Mason Appleton is a gritty player, but as an off-season signing, he doesn’t really inspire fear, and nor do adding Jacob Bernard-Docker and Travis Hamonic. Hard to say where Stevie Y is taking this team.
Coming out of the last lockout, the competition committee sought to make the game faster and more entertaining with an emphasis on skill. This led to the near extinction of the dedicated enforcer. It also led to players who can both play harder minutes, be physical AND fight when needed, all the more valuable. Tkachuk is the Senators' only such player.
Teams don’t need a lot of pugilism to be effective, but they do need some, and aside from their captain, the Senators have a glaring gap in this department.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders conclude their preseason slate on Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. We will be chatting with head coach Patrick Roy and select players at 4 PM ET.
Puck drop is slated for 7 PM ET and can be watched, exclusively, on ESPN+.
Forward Jonathan Drouin, who missed Wednesday's skate due to illness, did rejoin the team on Thursday but did not take part in line rushes. Roy didn't think he'd play when we spoke to the bench boss following Wednesday's skate.
Drouin went pointless in three preseason games, but was clearly getting more comfortable with his new team in each passing game.
"It’s something you feel. You’re forechecking and you're in your head saying, ‘Am I in the right spot?’ or ‘Am I forechecking the right guy?’ That stuff kind of goes away. & you’re just playing. You’re skating, you’re freer."#Isles@TheElmontershttps://t.co/4cIaYpPSMH
Forwards Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri were on the ice but neither took part in line rushes. Both took part in penalty kill work.
Goaltender Ilya Sorokin told us he wanted to play in two preseason games, and he'll get to do that as he'll start the finale. He stopped 23 of 26 in a 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils last Friday \\.
Forward Maxim Tsyplakov, who wasn't available for the first four preseason games, did skate on Monday, but did so on the fourth line. He's focused heavily on going North and not as much East-West-South play that got him in trouble at times during his rookie season.
We'll see what he can show alongside Barzal.
Forward Calum Ritchie also played on the fourth line last game, but we know he is a top-six forward once he develops to the level the organization envisioned.
While making the Islanders' roster out of training camp is going to be tough despite his strong performance, Thursday serves as his final chance to show his worth, and the Islanders seem to be giving him an opportunity to do that, playing alongside Anthony Duclair and Emil Heineman.
Here's how the Islanders lineup on the power play:
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Former New York Rangers defenseman Niko Mikkola has landed a big payday, as he has signed an eight-year, $40 million contract extension with the Florida Panthers. His extension will kick in during the 2026-27 season.
Mikkola first signed with the Panthers during the 2023 NHL off-season in free agency after finishing the 2022-23 season with the Rangers. Since then, he has become a key part of Florida's blueline and has won the Stanley Cup twice. Thus, it is understandable that the Panthers have locked him up to this long-term contract extension.
Mikkola was acquired by the Rangers with forward Vladimir Tarasenko during the 2022-23 season from the St. Louis Blues. In 31 games with the Rangers that season following the trade, the 6-foot-6 defenseman recorded one goal, three points, 38 blocks, 55 hits, and a plus-4 rating. He also played in seven playoff games for the Blueshirts in 2023, where he recorded two assists, 12 penalty minutes, and a plus-2 rating.
Jonathan Kuminga enters the 2025-26 NBA season with a new contract — and a new jersey number.
The young forward returned to Warriors practice Thursday after signing a two-year, $48.5 million contract with Golden State, and he appears to have exchanged his No. 00 jersey number to No. 1.
The contract agreement ended a summer-long standoff between Kuminga and Golden State.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters Thursday that Kuminga participated but scrimmaged for only half of the scrimmage time as the team continues to ease him back into action.
Kerr added that Kuminga “looked good” and “did a nice job” on his first day back.
As Kuminga seeks a clean slate with the Warriors after a drama-filled offseason, perhaps a jersey number is just one of the many changes he will encounter this season.
There was a compelling clash of heavyweights in Catalonia, some unhappy rumblings at Real and a legend of Azerbaijani football roared
• The viewers. Barcelona v Paris Saint-Germain was the final many wanted last season. Wednesday’s group-stage meeting showed why. The fixture did not disappoint, even if, with red tape delaying the opening of the renovated Camp Nou, it was played in the less atmospheric Lluís Companys Stadium. Luis Enrique’s young Parisians staged a comeback in Catalonia, thanks to their coach’s expert use of his squad. Senny Mayulu, 19, upstaged Lamine Yamal by scoring the equaliser – Wednesday was the first match this season Yamal had failed to either score or contribute to a goal. Instead, the resurgent Marcus Rashford set up Ferran Torres’s opener for Barça. PSG were shorn of Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the forward line that claimed last season’s crown. No matter: 23-year-old Bradley Barcola stepped up as the senior forward and ravaged Hansi Flick’s high-line, high-wire defence. The youngsters kept coming for PSG: 17-year-old Ibrahim Mbaye was replaced by another teenager, Quentin Ndjantou, to play alongside the lively Lee Kang-in. In the end, Achraf Hakimi supplied the assist for Gonçalo Ramos, another sub, to score the 90th minute winner and inflict Barcelona’s first loss this season. “If you’re the best team, you have to show it on the pitch, and not talk,” said Ramos, who habitually scores late goals off the bench. “We are the champions of Europe.”
The Boise State Broncos and Notre Dame Fighting Irish meet for the first time in program history, this Saturday. Live coverage begins at 3:00 PM ET on NBC and Peacock
There is a scene in the third episode of FACEOFF: Inside the NHL Season 2 that, depending on your view of the Pittsburgh Penguins, is either highly inspirational or the saddest thing ever.
In it, Sidney Crosby is sweating and grunting through a set of squats in a workout room that he has personally decorated with portraits of the past 16 Stanley Cup winners. He apparently started putting these pictures up in 2008, after the Penguins lost in the final to the Detroit Red Wings. That summer, Crosby hung a photo of Nicklas Lidstrom hoisting the Cup. He then hung up an empty frame next to it as motivation for the following season.
The Penguins went on to win the Cup in 2009. Since then, Crosby has continued the tradition.
“I always put the winning captain up,” Crosby said in the Prime Video docuseries. “When we lost in ’08, I just wanted as a reminder, so I started doing that. Kept putting them up and leave the empty one there.”
Here’s the thing: no one — and I mean absolutely no one — is picking the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup this season, let alone qualify for the playoffs. The Hockey News' Yearbook predicted that the Penguins, which finished last season in seventh place in the Metro, will end up dead last in the division. But even in what is being framed as a rebuilding year, he still believes that this could also be the year where he adds another one of his photos to the empty frame.
Call him an idealist, if you want. Or delusional. But you have to love the competitiveness fire that still burns brightly inside the veteran captain. You also have to wonder why Crosby is pushing towards a goal that seems so unrealistic and unachievable.
When asked by an off-camera producer what keeps him motivated at this stage of his career, the Penguins captain was succinct in his answer: “I think winning,” he said. “I don’t really know any different.”
FACEOFF: Inside the NHL Season 2 premiers on Prime Video on Oct. 3, with the six-episode docuseries featuring Crosby, the Tkachuk brothers, William Nylander and more.
“Sid and Pat were just amazing to us on this project,” director Daniel Amigone told NHL.com. “It’s hard to get that kind of access. It was certainly not guaranteed throughout. Hopefully, we represented it accurately, and we stand behind what we have in the show.”
Indeed, Crosby only knows one way. But that way is at odds with the path that the Penguins are forging.
GM Kyle Dubas is not trying to win a championship this season. He’s not even trying to make the playoffs. No, with an over-the-hill roster and a cupboard that is bare of top-end prospects, he’s trying to win the No. 1 pick in the draft. In order to do that, the Penguins need to lose. And they need to lose big — and probably for more than just one season.
So what is Crosby doing staring at a wall of portraits and squatting? It’s like the life-imprisoned convict who keeps his sanity by digging a hole to freedom, only to realize that he’s been digging towards the cell next to him. The goal is not only unrealistic, it’s unreachable.
That is, as long as he remains in Pittsburgh.
Which raises the question: if the only thing motivating Crosby is winning, then why not accept a trade to Colorado or even Montreal, where the chances at winning are much greater than they are in Pittsburgh?
After all, at the age of 38, it’s not like he has many more years of this.
"But, you know, it's one of those things that's the hard part about losing. I think everybody thinks that losing is, the buzzer goes, you lose the game, and that sucks. But there's so much more. It’s the turnover, it's the unknown, the uncertainty, the question marks. That’s the stuff that's tough, and it makes you appreciate all those years of we're competing and going after that big acquisition every single trade deadline. I don't think I took it for granted, but I definitely appreciate it that much more now."
You could argue that Crosby has won enough and done enough where chasing another Cup isn't that important on his to-do list.
Sure, Crosby’s already a three-time Stanley Cup winner and a two-time Olympic gold medallist who probably deserves to be placed next to Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe on the Mount Rushmore of the greatest players to have laced up their skates.
But he’s also a player who finished in the top-10 in scoring last season with 91 points and who captained Canada to a championship at the 4 Nations Face-Off. In February, Crosby will participate in his third Olympics, where he’ll try to lead the country to its third gold medal.
In other words, he can still win. And he can still help a team, whether it’s a Colorado or Montreal, win. But what he can’t do is help the Penguins win, no matter the motivation and no matter how many squats he’s performing.
"It hasn't changed my approach," he said. "I mean, I still go out there trying to win every single game and try to be the best that I can be. I think that youth and having that energy around you isn't a bad thing, either. And we've got a lot of hungry guys, a lot of competition for spots. So, I think you just try to find different things that you can feed off of, and still continue to learn through it.”
While familiar names sit atop the preseason fantasy basketball rankings, the 2025-26 season has the potential to be a wild one, thanks to injuries that occurred either during the offseason or during last year's playoffs. Fred VanVleet's ACL tear means multiple players will be asked to do more in Houston, which may benefit Amen Thompson, Alperen Şengün, and Reed Sheppard. And Achilles tendon tears suffered by Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, and Tyrese Haliburton will also be impactful.
While Lillard's on-court return to Portland will be delayed, this will be a critical season for Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, whether we're talking fantasy or "real" basketball. Boston lost multiple rotation players in the aftermath of Tatum's injury; how will this impact Jaylen Brown and Derrick White? As for the Pacers, the combination of Haliburton's injury and Myles Turner moving to Milwaukee raises the ceilings of Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard, to name two. Below is our preseason top-200 ranking, led by Denver's Nikola Jokić.
As the Mets' 2025 season spiraled out of control, with the team falling from 45-24 in the middle of June to 83-79 and out of the playoff field, there were lots of things that went wrong.
But the main culprit was a starting rotation that didn't have enough depth to withstand the injuries that hit it, had most of its members underperform down the stretch, and wasn't seriously bolstered externally at any point during the season.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns spoke the day after the season ended about run prevention (both pitching and defense) being a big reason for the team's downfall and a huge point of emphasis this offseason.
"From a roster construction perspective, on the run prevention side of the ball, we didn't do a good enough job of fortifying our team when we had injuries midseason," Stearns said. "Clearly, that was a point in our season where on the run prevention side of things we went from a very good team to a team that wasn't good enough to maintain a sizable lead -- not only in the division, but in the playoff chase."
Stearns added:
"I think holistically as I look at our pitching staff, we needed to do more over the course of the season. That is very clear. What we were faced with at at the deadline? I think our fanbase would be perhaps even more upset if we had made some of those moves. But the entirety of our run prevention unit was not good enough this year."
While Stearns is well aware of what needs to change ahead of 2026, the Mets are in a tricky spot when it comes to maneuverability.
In other words, with so many starting pitchers already under team control for next season, how will New York make big changes while also incorporating some of their homegrown pitchers and adding help via trade and/or free agency?
David Stearns / USA TODAY Sports/SNY Treated Image
As things currently stand, here are the starting pitching options who are under team control for 2026:
Sean Manaea ($25 million owed in 2026, under contract through 2027) Kodai Senga ($15.4 million owed in 2026, under contract through 2027) Clay Holmes ($13 million owed in 2026, under contract through 2027) David Peterson (arbitration-eligible for the final time) Nolan McLean Brandon Sproat Jonah Tong Christian Scott
Frankie Montas will earn $17 million in 2026 in what is the second and final year of the deal he signed last offseason, but is expected to miss the year due to Tommy John surgery. Tylor Megill is arbitration-eligible for the second time, but -- like Montas -- is expected to be out for the season because of Tommy John surgery.
Of the veterans above, all but Holmes struggled badly this season. And aside from Holmes, they all have huge question marks attached to them.
Manaea missed the first half of the season and pitched the second half with loose bodies in his elbow. The results were ugly, as he posted a 5.64 ERA and was eventually removed from the rotation.
Senga was fantastic until hurting his hamstring in June. After he came back, he struggled so badly that he was sent to the minors. Once there, he was unable to get his mechanics right, and did not pitch again in the majors over the final few weeks of the year. Stearns said after the season that it would be "foolish" to count on Senga for 30 starts in 2026 given what's happened the last two seasons.
Peterson had a first half that got him an All-Star nod, but fell off in a big way late. From Aug. 6 through the end of the season, Peterson had an 8.42 ERA, though the 3.88 FIP he had during that span suggests he also got pretty unlucky on balls that were put in play.
As far as McLean, Sproat, and Tong, one of them -- at least for now -- is unlike the others.
McLean was mostly dominant in 48.0 innings over eight big league starts, posting a 2.06 ERA (2.97 FIP) and 1.04 WHIP while striking out 57 batters -- a rate of 10.7 per nine. His stuff was filthy, and his poise and mound presence was off the charts.
Aug 27, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean (26) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. / Vincent Carchietta - Imagn Images
Sproat and Tong both showed flashes, but it will be a surprise if either one enters spring training as a favorite for a rotation spot. In Tong's case, it seems likely he'll start the year with Triple-A Syracuse since he made just two starts there before his promotion to the bigs.
Scott, who should be healthy and ready to go after having Tommy John surgery during the 2024 season, is a nice depth option to have.
After dissecting all of that, it's easy to envision this kind of scenario:
Holmes (who stretched out to 165.2 innings and excelled while transitioning from reliever to starter), Manaea (who flashed serious potential in 2024 and had an uneven 2025), and McLean (who looks like a possible frontline starter) are earmarked to open the 2026 season in the rotation, with the two other members to be added via trade and/or free agency.
That would mean a decision on Senga, who is coming off two lost seasons and is under contract through 2027. It would also mean a decision on Peterson, who is out of minor league options and has shown the ability to excel in the bullpen.
Regarding who the Mets could target for those empty spots?
It can be argued that they should be looking for one frontline level starter and another who can pitch in the middle of the rotation.
Looking at the free agent market, there are some intriguing top of the rotation options, including Ranger Suarez, Michael King, and Framber Valdez. But all of them are on the wrong side of 30, and only Valdez has had a real extended run of success pitching at an ace level. Dylan Cease is an interesting option and has an enticing arsenal, but he's had two down years out of the last three.
There's also the fact that Stearns has suggested he doesn't love making huge free agent commitments to starting pitchers.
So perhaps the Mets sign a middle of the rotation option and turn to the trade market for the top of the rotation guy.
With one of the best farm systems in baseball, the Mets should theoretically be able to trade for pretty much any starting pitcher who becomes available. And it's possible a bunch of really interesting ones are out there this winter.
That includes Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins, Joe Ryan of the Twins, and possibly Tarik Skubal of the Tigers. Skubal is set for free agency after the 2026 season, and if Detroit determines that he's likely to walk after the year, they'll have an enormous decision on their hands this offseason -- and the ability to get a huge haul back for someone who will be coming off back-to-back Cy Young seasons.
In the event the Mets do add a frontline starter and a middle of the rotation arm to a group that also includes Holmes, Manaea, and McLean, the question becomes what they do when some of their young talent is ready to contribute. The answer, as the Mets found out this season, is that you can never have enough pitching.
The Seminoles' stunning loss at Virginia makes a win over Miami even more crucial. Will this season spiral like last year? Or has FSU's investment in its program and the new faces around it changed how they'll respond?
