Arteta keen to sustain Champions League form at Inter
Gabriel Jesus wants to fulfil his ambition of winning trophies with Arsenal and believes they are “getting closer” after three successive runners-up finishes in the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta’s side head into their meeting with Inter in Milan on Tuesday night top of the Champions League table after winning all six of their games, while Arsenal also have a seven‑point lead in the Premier League and remain in both domestic cup competitions. Jesus is the only member of Arsenal’s squad who has won the title having picked up four winners’ medals during his time at Manchester City.
The Avalanche have accomplished a lot of firsts this season.
First team in the League to reach 70 points. First team to win 30 regular season games. First team to have multiple ten game winning streaks. First team to lose just one game in regulation on home ice.
With a win against the Washington Capitals this afternoon, the Avs will ensure that last statistic doesn’t change.
Colorado Avalanche (33-5-8)
The Opponent: Washington Capitals (24-19-6)
Time: 2:00 P.M. MST/4:00 P.M. EST
Watch: TNT/HBO Max, TruTV (US National Broadcast), MNMT (Washington Capitals Broadcast Area Only) SN+, NHL Centre Ice (Canadian Broadcast Areas)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
It took over one hundred days (one hundred and one, to be exact) for the Avalanche to suffer their first regulation loss on home ice since the start of the 2025-2026 season. The Nashville Predators, who made their final trip of the regular season to Ball Arena last Friday, secured a 7-3 victory off a four point night from former Avalanche center Ryan O’Reilly (which included his seventh career hat trick) and a three point night from captain Roman Josi. Goaltender Juuse Saros stopped 40 of 43 shots for Nashville’s third straight win, which has pushed them into contention for the last wild card spot in the Western Conference.
Head Coach Jared Bednar didn’t mince words after his team’s performance, citing “no positives” could be gained from his team’s effort against Nashville. He didn’t stop there, saying he “hated that game from start to finish”.
Pretty accurate: the Avalanche surrendered the first goal of the game right out of the gate with just thirty seconds played to O’Reilly (a bit of payback of sorts for Brent Burns scoring just fifteen seconds on Saros in the Avs’ 3-0 victory at Bridgestone Arena back on November 22), which was the beginning of a very long night for the returning Mackenzie Blackwood. Blackwood, who had missed the past six games due to injury since recording a 6-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on New Year’s Eve, stopped 23 of 28 shots in his first action of 2026. While some of those goals that got past him could be explained away as incredibly unfortunate (Sam Girard deflecting a puck past him), or near unpreventable (O’Reilly’s point-blank redirect of Luke Evangelista’s shot through heavy traffic), there were certainly others that Blackwood surrendered (Michael Bunting’s breakaway late in the second period) that would have been nice to see him come through with a save.
While many of the Avalanche skaters certainly deserve their fair share of criticism for their performance on Friday night, Brock Nelson may be one of the few who could be spared. Nelson matched O’Reilly goal for goal in the first period and gave his teammates opportunities to build on his efforts. Unfortunately, a completely uninspired second period allowed Nashville to take control of the game. Martin Nečas’ early third period goal that pulled the Avs within one provided a blip of hope, but Nashville rolled off three goals within a 2:28 span late (including a pair of empty net goals) to put the game out of reach.
While the loss to Nashville certainly stings, and they have played the Avalanche very tough this season, it’s important to keep in mind that this was the first regulation loss on Ball Arena ice this season, and it was due to happen at some point. Had they put together a more complete game and still came out on the losing end, the loss may not taste quite so bitter.
The loss also didn’t impact the Avs’ position as the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and entire League standings. Factor in that Dallas has only won twice this calendar year (and lost ten of its last twelve games) and Minnesota has won just three times in January, a lopsided loss for the Avs to Nashville—the single regulation loss on home ice this entire season—seems comically light by comparison.
Nathan MacKinnon remains the League leader in goal scoring (36), and will have a chance to reclaim the League lead in overall points from Edmonton’s Connor McDavid; MacKinnon is one point behind McDavid’s 83 points for the mark. Cale Makar still leads all defensemen in points (53), but Columbus’ Zach Werenski is one point shy of tying him for that mark. Scott Wedgewood still leads the League for the lowest goals against average (2.19), and while it seems plausible for Bednar to turn to him after being idle since the Avs’ overtime loss against Toronto, he may start Blackwood to keep him working to return to form and save Wedgewood for Wednesday’s game against Anaheim.
Today’s game against Washington will be the fifth game of the seven game home stand for the Avs. Prior to splitting the season series last year, Colorado enjoyed a four game winning streak against Washington dating back to November 19, 2022.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Gavin Brindley – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin Victor Olofsson – Jack Drury – Ross Colton Zakhar Bardakov – Parker Kelly – Ivan Ivan*
Defense: Cale Makar – Sam Girard Josh Manson – Brent Burns Ilya Solovyov – Sam Malinski
Between the Pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood Scott Wedgewood
*Ivan Ivan, who was recalled from Loveland ahead of the Nashville game, was sent back down after the loss. It’s possible he could be recalled again as he played in Saturday’s Colorado Eagles game but sat out on Sunday.
Washington Capitals
Washington can also relate to the struggles of Dallas and Minnesota, having only three wins to their credit to begin the month of January. They have lost six of their previous nine games since the start of the calendar year, the most recent being a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Saturday at Capital One Arena. As Brock Nelson was the primary source of offense for Colorado against Nashville, defenseman Jakob Chychrun filled that role for Washington against Florida, scoring the team’s only goals in the contest. After giving his team a 2-1 lead near the halfway mark of regulation, Florida scored four unanswered goals against goaltender Logan Thompson and never looked back.
Washington currently sits in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division, and trail the Buffalo Sabres (yes, the Buffalo Sabres) by three points for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. With today’s game marking the start of a five game road trip through the Western Conference, which includes some winnable contests against Vancouver, Calgary, and Seattle, Washington can gain some ground (or build some momentum, at least) in the wild card race before wrapping up their road swing in Detroit prior to returning to the District.
If you were asked who was leading Washington in goals, you’d probably say it was Alex Ovechkin. Incredibly, Tom Wilson leads all Capitals skaters in goals (22), just eleven shy of his career best he posted last season (33). He also leads the team in points (42), and was recently named to Team Canada’s roster for the upcoming Olympics in Italy. Wilson, however, has not played for Washington since a 3-2 shootout loss to Chicago on January 3 due to injury. As for the NHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer, Ovechkin is second in goals (20) and points (41). Defenseman John Carlson is third on the team in points (38), and leads all Washington skaters in assists (29). Chychrun is second among Washington skaters in points (35), but leads all defensemen in goals (17).
Despite losing his last three starts, Thompson ranks sixth in goals against average among goaltenders (2.38), just behind Colorado’s Blackwood (2.26). He will likely get his fourth straight start in today’s contest against the Avalanche.
Washington skated away with a 5-2 victory over Colorado in their only visit to Ball Arena last season on November 15, 2024. They wrap up the season series against Colorado at home on March 22.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Alex Ovechkin – Dylan Strome – Anthony Beauvillier Aliaksei Protas – Connor McMichael – Ryan Leonard Ivan Miroshnichenko – Nic Dowd – Ethen Frank Brandon Duhaime – Hendrix Lapierre – Brett Leason
Defense: Jakob Chychrun – John Carlson Martin Fehérváry – Matt Roy Rasmus Sandin – Trevor van Reimsdyk
Between the Pipes: Logan Thompson Charlie Lindgren
We’re less than a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting, which means that in about 10 weeks, we’ll have real baseball to cover. Until such time, we’ll be covering something called hypothetical baseball, where the headlines feature player-team combinations that may never come to fruition, proposed storylines that bear absolutely no fruit, and rumors so sensationalized they could have been offered up by a dimly-lit Jonathan Frakes. Aren’t you excited? Then get reading, bubba! (New catchphrase.)
There haven’t been many strong acquisition-based rumors around the Central this offseason; by and large, transactions have been sudden and low-profile, and the gossip has largely centered on which Central stars might be off their current teams by Opening Day. This weekend, however, Jon Heyman reported that the White Sox are kicking the tires on Michael Conforto, who is coming off a very poor year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but carries with him a track record and some name recognition.
Remember everything that I was just saying, one bullet point ago? Well, I bring tidings on that front, too. Jon Heyman — no relation — also reported that the New York Yankees have expressed interest in a pair of Chicagoan acquisitions; one is Nico Hoerner, who bears absolutely no relevance to a linkdump about the American League Central. The other is Luis Robert, Jr., who bears grizzly-level relevance.
The Cleveland Guardians picked up Carter Kieboom on a minor-league deal. The former top prospect will receive a non-roster invite to spring training and could find himself working an infield/depth role for the big-league club.
Most of our rivals this offseason have been focused on on-field moves. The Kansas City Royals appear to have been focused on field moves. And I don’t mean their proposed migration into a stadium downtown, or elsewhere, either. No, this meandering, poorly-constructed sentence is referring specifically to a change in dimensions at Kauffman Stadium. This week, the Royals announced a plan to bring in most of their outfield by 10 feet, as well as lowering the height of the fences. The size of the outfield has historically made Kauffman a good hitters’ park in general, but has restricted home run totals as a result.
Okay, that line is slightly tongue-in-cheek. But only slightly. To be fair, it’s not particularly the Dodgers that broke baseball. Jesse Friedman made a salient post on Twitter, which I largely agree with.
All of these statements can be true at once: 1) Dodgers are doing precisely what they should be doing. 2) They probably won’t win the 2026 World Series. 3) Some owners need to spend more. 4) MLB’s competitive balance mechanisms are flawed and in need of fixing.
My major disagreement with the above is point #2. I think the Dodgers probably will win the 2026 World Series, and if they don’t, it will only be due to the randomness of the playoffs. Perhaps the Yankees or the Blue Jays might be able to edge them over the relative sprint of seven games. But my concern is more to do with the 2026 regular season, which occupies the great bulk of the year, even if MLB probably makes most of its money over the month of the postseason. After the arrival of Kyle Tucker on the Los Angeles Dodgers, the over/under on their win tally is the best by eleven games.
Not the best in the NL West. Or even the best in the NL. It’s eleven games better than any other team in the major leagues. They are projected to win the NL West by seventeen games over the Padres. The division is shaping up to be an absolute procession, of the same kind seen in 2019. Remember that year? No, you don’t. Because the Dodgers’ divisional lead hit double-digits by the first week in June, and fans of every other team tuned out on the race the rest of the way. The projection for 2026 isn’t too much of a surprise, considering the current projected payrolls in the NL West.
Yes, the Dodgers this year, between salary and luxury tax, will be spending more than twice as much as any other team in the NL West. There’s no other division which will have such a dramatic imbalance. Sure, the Mets are spending, but the Phillies are right there with them. The same goes in the AL East, where the Yankees, Blue Jays and Red Sox are within $62 million of each other. The next most top-heavy would be the NL Central, but there, the Cubs’ spending difference over the next team, the Brewers, is only about $104 million: barely a third of the almost $300 million advantage enjoyed by the Dodgers in the West.
“Your team could do this too.”
Ah, the frequent bleat of the Dodgers fan, to which I succinctly reply: bullshit. I refer you to Forbes’ Business of Baseball report, which is as good a resource as we have in regard to the finances of the thirty MLB franchises. Looking at the revenue column in the most recent report, there are precisely two other teams whose entire income would allow them to match the Dodgers’ salary bill for their major-league roster in 2026. The Dodgers’ TV deal alone ($334 million per year) is more than every penny the Diamondbacks make. Yes: if nobody at all ever went to Dodger Stadium or bought an Ohtani jersey, they’d still be richer than Arizona.
So the “Doing this too” approach would be a speed-run to insolvency, or require some benevolent billionaire owner to treat the franchise as a money pit, and hurl their own personal fortune into the coffers. Neither solutions are credible in the slightest. Even if we could, I’m severely unconvinced Kyle Tucker should be the recipient of such largesse. While the Dodgers were racking up most of the $2.11 billion they now have on the books in guaranteed salaries, most of the moves made sense.
But in what universe is Kyle Tucker worth $60 million a year? I mean, he is certainly a good player. But his 4.6 bWAR last year ranked him 33rd-best among position players. He did miss time with a calf injury, but had Tucker matched his career high, 5.5 bWAR would still have barely crept into the top twenty. Even using the increased $11 million per WAR figure, he’ll need that career high every year to justify the contract. In isolation, this would seem like a significant overpay for Tucker. If the D-backs has paid that much for Tucker, I’d not have been happy.
But this is the way the Dodgers now operate, with eight contracts on the books in excess of a hundred million dollars. The Diamondbacks have…. one. To steal a quote from Heathers: Veronica Sawyer: Why do you have to be such a mega-bitch? Heather Duke: Because I can be. Make no mistake: this is all perfectly legal under the current rules. But Manfred has sat on his hands and watched as the only tool they can apply against luxury tax has been proven completely useless. It has become part of the cost of the Los Angeles Dodgers doing business, and MLB rakes in its share. The other teams and fans? Fuck ‘em.
Bring on the lockout
The game needs a hard salary cap, and I certainly agree, a salary floor. Though it’s probably going to be too late: there will likely be some kind of grandfather clause going on, allowing the Dodgers to keep running out a $400 million team until their current deferred salaries expire. That will be 2047, when Edwin Diaz – then in his mid-fifties – is scheduled to receive his final check from LA. But it’ll be better than nothing, which is in effect the restriction currently in place on spending. Looking at my current complete lack of interest in the 2026 regular season as a competitive endeavor, the sooner the better.
Because right now, the best hope the D-backs have of ever winning the division is probably… realignment. Unfortunately, most of the proposals I’ve seen involve Arizona remaining in the same division as Los Angeles. More games with Dodgers’ fans invading Chase Field is clearly sub-optimal. There ain’t enough Raid available for that. But there was this one, in which we end up with the Angels, Padres and Athletics. That would work. Of course, the ideal scenario would be to put the Dodgers in their own division, by themselves, so nobody has to play them until the post-season.
But while we’re thinking radically, why not realign things by payroll? These days, with jet travel the norm, geography is far less significant than it was. So why not get each club to submit their total payroll budget at the start of the year, rank them, and organize divisions that way? For example, the Super-Platinum Division right now would be the Dodgers, Mets, Phillies and Blue Jays; the Balsa Division would be the Marlins, Rays, Indians and White Sox. That way, teams would compete against others with similar payrolls and it would be a much more equitable test of skill. Or do it fantasy baseball style: every team gets exactly the same budget.
There are options, for sure. Though getting the player’s union to agree might be a different matter. But it is worth noting that, while the average baseball salary passed five million dollars this season for the first time, the median salary – the point where half the players earn more and half earn less – dropped to $1.35 million. It’s $300K lower than it was a decade ago, and that’s not including inflation. Just as with team totals, individual salaries are become increasingly more top-heavy, and indicates the record-setting level of money in the game is not floating all boats equally.
After missing the last three games, which resulted in all losses for the Kings, including the last game Perry played against the Stars, the Kings could use the 40-year-old right winger, who has been great this season for them with 10 goals, 13 assists, and 23 points.
Perry was reportedly on ice as practice got underway this morning and skated with the Kings' power play unit alongside Brandt Clarke, Kevin Fiala, Adrian Kempe, and Andrei Kuzmenko.
Corey Perry is on the ice this morning for the @LAKings as practice gets underway!
Top PP unit was on the ice very early working on a few things and Perry was with that group, alongside Clarke/Fiala/Kempe/Kuzmenko.
The Canadian winger also took rushes with Kempe and Alex Laferriere, indicating that the coaching staff is actively evaluating his play to see where he could slot back into the lineup for tomorrow's home game.
The veteran forward missed the Kings' last three games, including the Jan. 14 game against the Vegas Golden Knights and the back-to-back games against the Anaheim Ducks on the 16th and 17th. Perry hasn't played in a week since his last match against the Stars last Monday, where he finished with one point and an assist, resulting in a loss.
The Kings desperately need Perry, who is currently on a four-game losing streak and has lost six of their last seven games, clearly playing their worst stretch of the season. Not to say Perry will solve all of Los Angeles' problems, but could use the veterans play with no Anze Kopitar yet in the lineup.
In other news, with Perry eyeing his return to the lineup, the Kings are going to loan forward Andre Lee to the Ontario Reign. Lee played seven games amid injuries and players away from the team, scoring one goal, one assist, and two points.
Clearly not great numbers, but Lee had some strong moments on the ice and should continue to improve as he develops in Ontario.
There are also future implications for Anze Kopitar's status with the team, as he's missed the last 7 games for the Kings, and there is still no target date for his return. This means that if Kopitar is unable to play tomorrow against the Rangers, we may see Perry step into the top-six role to give Los Angeles a reliable veteran contributor amid Kopitar's injury.
As the Kings prepare for a key matchup against the Rangers tomorrow night at 10 p.m. ET, with their team struggling over the last 13 games, this game could provide an emotional lift for a team still looking to find its identity and momentum in a tight Western Conference.
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A six-game losing streak has followed them across time zones, joined now by fresh injuries and a lineup that seems to change by the day. What begins against the Golden Knights is more than another road game; it is a chance to reduce the season to something manageable again.
1. A Losing Streak That Has Become Mental as Much as Tactical.
Six losses in a row do not all look the same, but they begin to feel the same.
For the Flyers, the slide has taken on a familiar rhythm: an early mistake, a burst of opposition goals, a furious but incomplete push back into the game. What started as a couple of uneven nights has hardened into something heavier, the kind of stretch that makes every pass look a fraction slower and every decision a fraction louder in a player’s head.
Travis Konecny: “There’s plenty of time to figure it out. We’ll be okay.”
Echoed the statements of Cam York and Rick Tocchet today that guys are overthinking and sometimes doing too much to try to get going during games.
The numbers are stark, yet the mood around the team is more complicated than the record suggests. This is not a group that has stopped working, but has stopped trusting that the simple play will be enough. When confidence dips, structure tends to follow it out the door. Philadelphia has begun chasing offense before earning it, searching for a single shift to erase what should be a 60-minute process.
Vegas represents the most unforgiving kind of opponent for a team in that state. For the Flyers, the challenge will be to resist the temptation to play the entire game in the first ten minutes and to remember that discipline, not desperation, is the quickest path out of a skid.
2. Another Injury, Another Test of Identity.
Just when the lineup seemed thin enough, it got thinner.
Rodrigo Abols’ placement on injured reserve with a lower-body injury landed with particular weight because of what followed: his removal from Latvia’s Olympic roster, an ominous sign that this is not a short interruption. Abols had quietly become a fourth-line staple for the Flyers—responsible defensively, useful on the forecheck, capable of stabilizing a line.
Rodrigo Abols (18). (Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News)
He joins Rasmus Ristolainen on IR, another absence that cuts directly into the team’s physical spine. Ristolainen’s recent upper-body injury has already forced the defense into uncomfortable pairings, and the Flyers have felt it most in front of their own net, where details have frayed.
The call-ups of Lane Pederson and Hunter McDonald will bring new legs and hopefully new life into this group. Pederson brings veteran edges and a willingness to live in the uncomfortable parts of the ice. McDonald offers size and a simple, north-south approach on the back end.
3. Vegas as a Mirror.
If the Flyers want to remember what they are trying to become, Vegas is a useful study guide.
The Golden Knights are not flawless, but they are relentlessly coherent. They play fast without playing rushed. Their defense activates without forgetting its first job. Most importantly, they are emotionally flat in the best possible way—never too high after a goal, never too frantic after one against.
Philadelphia, by contrast, has been riding waves within single periods. The Flyers’ best hockey this season arrived when they mirrored Vegas’ temperament: five men above the puck, clean breakouts, offense born from layers rather than heroics. Those habits have slipped during the skid, replaced by hopeful stretch passes and extended shifts spent in survival mode.
The road environment may actually help. There is a simplicity to being away from home—no last change to overthink, fewer distractions, a collective bunker mentality. Against a team like Vegas, the Flyers need to be adult: win walls, exit zones on the first touch, make the goalie’s life predictable for a night.
Travis Sanheim (6), Travis Konecny (11), and Trevor Zegras (46). (Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News)
4. The Opportunity Hidden Inside the Trip.
This game begins a road stretch that could easily intimidate a fragile team, but the Flyers are anything but.
At home, the losing streak has hung over every shift like an unpaid bill. On the road, the season can shrink to a simpler equation—one opponent, one building, one chance to change the story. Philadelphia has historically responded well to those conditions, and there is reason to believe the travel schedule could act as a palate cleanser.
The coaching staff’s message has been consistent: stop trying to solve everything at once. The Flyers do not need to score six goals in Vegas. They need to win the first period, then the next shift, then the next puck race. A single composed performance would not erase the past two weeks, but it would remind the room what competence feels like.
Pederson and McDonald may play modest roles, yet their presence carries symbolic weight. They arrive without the baggage of the streak, with simple instructions and simpler expectations. Sometimes that's contagious.
5. Getting Out of Their Own Heads.
More than systems or personnel, the Flyers’ opponent right now is psychological gravity.
You can see it in the way sticks tighten after an early goal against, in the extra deke at the blue line, in the pass that looks for a perfect option instead of the correct one. Rick Tocchet has spoken repeatedly about “cheating” for offense and the mental fatigue that follows losing. The Flyers have been trying to think their way out of a problem that requires skating their way out.
Vegas will test that resolve immediately. The Golden Knights start fast and punish hesitation. If the Flyers can absorb pressure without abandoning structure—if they can play boring in the best sense of the word—they will give themselves a chance to not just stay in the game, but win it.
The season is not at a crossroads yet, but it is approaching a busy intersection. For a team that has spent two weeks watching games slip through its fingers, the chance to grab one back is more valuable than ever.
Projected Lines
Philadelphia Flyers
Forwards:
Trevor Zegras - Christian Dvorak - Travis Konecny
Nikita Grebenkin - Sean Couturier - Owen Tippett
Matvei Michkov - Noah Cates - Denver Barkey
Carl Grundstrom - Lane Pederson - Garnet Hathaway
Defense:
Travis Sanheim - Cam York
Nick Seeler - Jamie Drysdale
Emil Andrae - Noah Juulsen
Goalies:
Sam Ersson
Aleksei Kolosov
Vegas Golden Knights
Forwards:
Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Mark Stone
Pavel Dorofeyev - Mitch Marner - Reilly Smith
Keegan Kolesar - Tomas Hertl - Braeden Bowman
Cole Reinhardt - Tanner Laczynski - Alexander Holtz
Currently on a three-game winning streak after snapping a nine-game winless streak, the Ducks look to keep things rolling against the New York Rangers. The Ducks are coming off a 2-1 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, while the Rangers are coming off a 6-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
“That's got to be our mindset,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said. “Continue on building on that kind of standard. How well we play without the puck is important. Let’s be hard to play against, playing that way.”
Chris Kreider returns to the lineup against his former team after missing the past two games with an illness. He’ll slot in on the top line alongside Mason McTavish and fellow former Ranger Ryan Strome.
Jan 13, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks left wing Chris Kreider (20) moves the puck against the Dallas Stars during the third period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
“Last week was great,” Kreider said. “Taking four points in the home and home back-to-back, that was great. Our game against Dallas was our best game of the year.”
“We kind of stopped shooting ourselves in the foot a little bit,” Jacob Trouba said. “Played pretty simple, solid hockey. To play against LA, those two games, I think that's kind of what it requires. I thought we did a good job of sticking with that game and we've had some success with it, so probably stick to that in defending and being responsible and making good plays with the puck.”
“Simple in the game, putting it in areas where we can keep the puck and advance it,” Quenneville said on the adjustments his team has made lately. “The risky plays being inside or outside the blue lines are probably more predictable and enhances us getting pucks. Eliminating unnecessary rush chances is probably what it can lead to.”
Jan 5, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba (65) scores a goal against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
“They’ve been going pretty good the last couple games,” Trouba said of the Rangers. “I think last game, scored a lot of goals. Mika (Zibanejad) has been good and hot, which is good to see. Staying consistent with our game and simplicity and what made us successful the last couple is what we're going to have to stick to.”
“A ton of firepower, detail-oriented team,” Kreider said. “ Our game's got to be tight. Got to continue to build on what we’ve done the last few games. Play good defense, help our goalies out and trust that we'll get our chances from playing good defense.”
Chris Kreider speaks to the media after the Ducks’ morning skate at Honda Center.
Ducks Projected Lines
Chris Kreider - Mason McTavish - Ryan Strome Alex Killorn - Mikael Granlund - Beckett Sennecke Jeffrey Viel - Ryan Poehling - Cutter Gauthier Ross Johnston - Tim Washe - Ian Moore
Jackson LaCombe - Jacob Trouba Olen Zellweger - Radko Gudas Pavel Mintyukov - Drew Helleson
Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)
Rangers Projected Lines
Artemi Panarin - Vincent Trocheck - Alexis Lafrenière Gabe Perreault - Mika Zibanejad - J.T. Miller Will Cuylle - Noah Laba - Brennan Othmann Taylor Raddysh - Sam Carrick - Jonny Brodzinski
Vladislav Gavrikov - Braden Schneider Matthew Robertson - Will Borgen Urho Vaakanainen - Scott Morrow
Philadelphia’s front office had been planning for Bichette to man third base for the foreseeable future, and the outcome reportedly left a sour taste.
Bo Bichette agreed to a three-year deal with the Mets. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“The word livid was used in terms of the reaction to the news that Bo did not end up coming to the Phillies and went to the Mets,” MLB.com Phillies reporter Todd Zolecki said Saturday on “The Phillies Show” alongside reporter Jim Salisbury and former general manager Rubén Amaro Jr.
“It’s kind of a rug-pulled-from-under-them situation.”
Salisbury added that the team had “legit, real confidence” last Thursday that Bichette would sign with them.
The longtime Phillies scribe compared the Mets’ late swoop for Bichette to one of the most famous heists in history.
“It feels like the Lufthansa heist at LaGuardia from ‘Goodfellas’,” Salisbury said with a chuckle — blending the infamous real-life December 1978 robbery at JFK Airport later depicted in the film with the Mets operating just across the street from LaGuardia in Queens.
Amaro, who spent parts of seven seasons as the Phillies GM before joining the Mets as a coach and advisor from 2018-19, said the high-profile signings of Kyle Tucker and Ranger Suárez put the Mets in “panic” mode.
The New York Post back page for Jan. 17, 2026, featuring the news of the Mets signing Bo Bichette.
“As if the Phillies fans needed to have another reason to be pissed off at the Los Angeles Dodgers, they are the wild cards here,” Amaro said.
“The Dodgers signed Tucker, that was a target for the Mets and a target possibly for the Red Sox. Ranger goes to the Red Sox on a panic sign, and I believe in my heart of hearts, it was another panic sign by the Mets to sign Bo Bichette and to do what they did.”
The career shortstop did not seem to have an obvious fit in Queens — where Francisco Lindor is locked in as the starter — but he had expressed to teams a willingness to change positions.
Bichette, who turns 28 in March, will now man the hot corner in Queens while bolstering a Mets lineup that has lost Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil this offseason.
He led the American League in hits in back-to-back seasons from 2021-22 and finished second to Aaron Judge for the batting crown in 2025.
Despite battling a serious knee injury sustained in early September, Bichette slashed .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs over 139 games.
The Vancouver Canucks continue their eight-game homestand on Monday with a matchup against the New York Islanders. Vancouver comes into this game having lost their last 10 and will be looking to avoid a historic 11th straight loss. Here are the lineup notes for January 19, 2026.
During morning skate, the Canucks announced that they had traded Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks. In return for the reigning NHL hit king, Vancouver received two second-round picks and defenceman Cole Clayton. Sherwood is currently injured and may not be ready to return in time for when the Sharks visit the Canucks later this month.
As for the starting goaltender, that will be Kevin Lankinen. Monday will be his 23rd start of the season, with the 30-year-old posting a record of 6-13-4. Lankinen has played the Islanders three times in his career and has posted a 1-2-0 record.
Lastly, Teddy Blueger most likely will not play on Monday. Head Coach Adam Foote didn't completely rule him out, but it appears his return will have to wait. Blueger has been out since October 19 and has only played two games this season.
Jan 3, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood (44) during a stop in play against the Boston Bruins in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
M. Pettersson-Hronek Buium-Myers
E. Pettersson-Willander
Lankinen Patera
Game Information:
Start time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
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The Los Angeles Lakers star was not voted as starter for February's NBA All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, next month, after 10 players – five from each conference – were revealed during the league's MLK Day coverage on Monday, Jan. 19.
It breaks a record run of 21 consecutive All-Star Games in which James has been selected as a starter, dating back to his second season in the league.
The five starters from each conference were chosen through voting conducted through the fans (50%), media (25%) and current players (25%).
The 41-year-old still has an opportunity to make this year's All-Star Game as a reserve in his record 23rd season. Those will be announced on Sunday, Feb. 1 after being picked by the league's coaches.
This year's All-Star Game, scheduled to be played on Feb. 15, features a round-robin style USA vs. World format with the goal of having 16 American selections and eight international picks.
The NBA is trying again to jolt life into its All-Star weekend after years of waning interest from players and fans alike. The solution this year has been to attempt to replicate some of dynamics from the successful 4 Nations Faceoff event held in lieu of an NHL All-Star Game in 2025.
His candidacy as an All-Star during got more complicated after he missed the opening 14 games of the Lakers' regular season while dealing with sciatica. James was nonetheless averaging nearly 23 points, six rebounds and seven assists through, Sunday, Jan. 18.
James has been selected as an All-Star in every year of his NBA career except his rookie season (2003-04) and won All-Star Game MVP three times.
The NBA tips off early on MLK Day, which means NBA player props to bet on all day long.
I’ve found my three best bets for today, including Devin Booker dishing out the dimes against the Nets, and one of my favorite trends going, which is fading the Miami Heat on the glass.
Check out those and more of my NBA picks for Monday, January 19.
Filipowski averages 2.0 assists per game, but has nine since being inserted into the starting lineup three games ago. He also had six assists in a matchup against the Spurs at the end of December.
Opportunity combined with pressure from Wemby means Filipowski is a great bet to hit the Over on his assists prop here.
Booker averages 6.4 assists per game overall, and 7.0 over his last seven games, topping 6.5 assists five times over that stretch.
Tonight, he faces a Nets team that has struggled defensively, particularly when opponents are willing to make the extra pass. The Nets rank 24th in defensive rating and allow the second-most assists per possession.
Book will cook the Nets with his playmaking ability.
The Miami Heat are playing basketball. This means I am fading them on the glass.
It’s not that the Heat are a bad rebounding team (they’re not great, ranking 21st in rebounding rate), it’s that they play at the highest pace in the NBA, and take the most shots per game.
More shots inherently mean more rebounds, and the only question is which Golden State Warriors player to target tonight.
My favorite option is Brandin Podziemski. The shooting guard averages 4.4 rebounds per game and has topped 4.5 four times in his last eight games.
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And for the first time in 21 seasons, LeBron James was not selected as one of the first five, though he still has the chance to extend his record streak of consecutive All-Star selections.
The NBA made the announcement Monday, Jan. 19, during the pre-game show leading into the Oklahoma City-Cleveland Cavaliers game that’s part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day showcase.
Starters were selected through a fan vote (50% weight), and a survey of NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%). Players were selected without regard for position. Accounting and services giant Ernst & Young managed and certified the surveys.
The format for this year’s game, however, will be different this season. The league is going to a USA versus the world format in which three, eight-player teams will compete in a round-robin tournament. The East and West starters, therefore, will be slotted into those eight-player teams. NBA coaches will select All-Star reserves, but if there are not enough domestic or international player, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will intervene to fill out the teams.
Here are the 10 starters for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, which will be held Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles:
NBA All-Star Game starters
Eastern Conference
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons (second All-Star selection)
Jalen Brunson is taking his show from the Broadway stage out West for a Hollywood premiere.
The Knicks' leading man has been named a starter for the Eastern Conference in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA, the league announced Monday afternoon.
It's Brunson's third consecutive All-Star nomination, and second straight as a starter, as he's having arguably his best season in the league with 28.2 points, 6.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game over 37 contests this year.
He joins the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey, Detroit Pistons' Cade Cunningham, and Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown as the East starters.
The Western Conference starters will consist of the Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic, Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic, Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama.
Brunson recorded 12 points, five assists, and four rebounds over 17 minutes in the 2024 All-Star Game (East vs. West format) and then scored three points with three assists in the 2025 All-Star Game for Kenny Smith's Young Stars team (three-team single elimination tournament format).
This year, the All-Star Game will adopt a new USA vs. World format with a round-robin tournament consisting of three teams. There will be two teams made of American players and one of international players with each team having eight players. If the teams fall short of the required numbers, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will add to the player pool. Overall, there will be four, 12-minute long games and the two teams with the best record will advance to the championship round.
The 2026 All-Star Game reserves will be selected by the league's coaches on Feb. 1.
The teenager Charalampos Kostoulas scored a brilliant overhead kick in injury time to rescue a point for Brighton
4 min Kadioglu, playing at left-back tonight, cuts inside and hits a hopeful shot from the left edge of the penalty area. It bounces just in front of Petrovic, who holds on with authority. Good boy.
2 min “I have much interest in the game tonight,” writes Roger Kirkby. “If Bournemouth don’t win tonight, no team in the Premier League will have won their last two games. Something rare in the world of anoraks.”
There were a number of lessons to take away from the Phillies’ failure to haul in Bo Bichette to a seven-year, $200 million contract last week.
Like with most teams, the luxury tax remains a self-imposed impediment to the Phils’ willingness to spend. The Dodgers and Mets are the two teams who will hold their noses to overpay players obscenely large average annual values in order to land them, eating tens of millions of luxury tax dollars in the process. They are willing to give away opt-outs throughout these short-term contracts, ceding much of the leverage to the player.
It’s clear if the Phillies want to play in the same free agency pool as Los Angeles and New York, they must re-evaluate their belief that young free agents prefer long-term security and big money deals. And if they continue to use the luxury tax as a soft salary cap, as most teams do, they will lose out on free agents to those two teams.
Maybe that’s a price they’re willing not to pay, but in the wake of the Bichette decision, it feels antiquated.
The price a team pays for needing to build out a roster through big-money free agent deals is sometimes unpalatable, but that is the bed Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies had to sleep in following the collapse of the 2007-2011 Phillies mini-dynasty that left the team with a roster of aging players and a farm system that offered little in terms of ready-to-play, impact talent.
Hopes were high that as the team traded away Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and others for prospects that the rebuild of 2013-2017 would be quick and fill the roster with young stars. Instead, the Phils’ return to respectability did not come because Scotty Jetpax, Dom Brown, Nick Martinez or Vince Velasquez took the team to the next level. It came because of free agent contracts to Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber and others.
Some of those deals are showing their age. They will likely be paying Castellanos $20 million to play somewhere else in 2026. Taijuan Walker’s $18 million salary is a tad pricey for a No. 6 starter/swing man. One wonders if the Phillies would think twice about Trea Turner’s 11-year, $300 million contract if they could do it again, and one can assume most would love a do-over of Aaron Nola’s seven-year, $172 million contract that still has another six years left on it. Add to that Kyle Schwarber’s five year, $150 million deal, J.T. Realmuto’s three-year, $45 million and, of course, Bryce Harper’s 13-year, $330 million contract, and you’ve got an inflexible roster with a high price tag.
To be fair, some of those guys are still playing at a very high level. Whether Harper remains “elite” or not, one cannot argue his contract hasn’t been outstanding for the organization. After a rocky first season, Turner has given the Phillies what they hoped for at shortstop, and Schwarber is an elite power hitter. But all those deals helped butt Dombrowski up against the fourth luxury tax, and outside of re-signing Schwarber and Realmuto, the Phillies’ biggest expenditure on a position player in free agency this off-season was outfielder Adolis Garcia. Contract extensions may also come soon for Jesus Luzardo and Jhoan Duran at some point. More money will be spent.
The front office cannot un-spend all the cash they are committed to spending, so in order to keep the window of contention open, the Phillies must do what they were unable to do in 2012 when the 2008 championship core began to age and it all fall apart.
They need to actually produce impact talent from their minor league system. They need to produce the next generation of stars.
Even after all the investments the Phils have made since Dombrowski took over, Philadelphia’s farm system is not considered among the top half of the league. Fangraphs ranks it 20th, and ESPN and MLB Pipeline had it 21st in August of last year. There are few highly touted prospects in the minors with the exception of their Big 3: Andrew Painter, Justin Crawford and Aidan Miller.
Can they hit on all three?
They will certainly get their chances. This time a year ago, Phils fans were salivating at the notion of Painter and his electric stuff in the starting rotation, even coming off of Tommy John surgery. A disappointing season in AAA has taken some of the shine off his arrival, and no one is sure if he will be able to adequately replace Ranger Suarez’ absence in the rotation (it would be great if Nola could step up into the Ranger role and save Painter the need to do it.) If Painter doesn’t turn out to be a top-of-the-rotation starter sooner rather than later, it will be a profound disappointment.
Sorry, kid. You were presented to us as an ace in the making. Those are the expectations, if not right away, then soon.
Crawford’s numbers in the minors have always been good. It makes sense that the Phillies are handing him the everyday job in center field. He’ll hit No. 9 in the lineup, and hopefully won’t be needed to do more than get his feet wet and contribute from time to time in ‘26. He has his detractors, but with an outfield that projects to be one of the weakest in MLB this season, Crawford turning into a quality big league player would go a long way to solidifying what appears to be a real weakness, both in 2026 and beyond.
Then, there’s Miller. He’s the top prospect in the organization right now, a power-hitting shortstop who got off to a very rough start in AA Reading but came on over the final six weeks of the season, finishing with a flourish in AAA Lehigh in the final week. He’ll start there in 2026, and all eyes will be on whether he stays at shortstop or transitions to another spot on the diamond in an effort to get him to the big leagues quicker.
Like Painter, they need Miller to turn into a star. He needs to be better than Rhys Hoskins, Alec Bohm or Bryson Stott became. He needs to be a Harper/Schwarber/Turner type player. Will that happen right away? Of course not, but at some point in the next 2-3 years.
If you think that’s unreasonable, it’s not. The Phillies drafted and developed three superstar position players in Utley, Howard and Rollins that became the backbone of a championship team. There are prospects playing for other teams who made a major impact in the Majors right away. First round draft picks are supposed to be great. It’s why they were drafted first. As the existing core ages, these younger players need to make up for what will certainly be a dip in production.
The Phillies need the farm system to hit because, even if they wanted to spend the money, there are no high impact free agents hitting the market in the next two years, as noted by ESPN’s Jeff Passan last week.
Sure, Bichette could opt-out of his Mets deal after the first year, but do you really see the Phillies re-engaging with him and his agent after what transpired last week? Given the paltry list of position players above, any help supplementing the roster, at least from an offensive standpoint, must come from within.
Outside of the Big 3, the player development side of the organization needs to do a better job getting players to be ready to play at a high level in the big leagues. Some organizations do a phenomenal job of churning out high-quality players year after year. The Dodgers almost never draft in the first round and always pick at the end of every round, and yet they have a top-five farm system in baseball. It’s not luck.
Last year’s first round pick for the Phils, pitcher Gage Wood, will start in high-A ball, although there are thoughts he could be a quick riser and potentially pitch in the bullpen this season. Aroon Escobar and Dante Nori are 21-year-olds in AA Reading this season. Neither projects as an All Star caliber player in the Majors, but much development remains. Gabriel Rincones Jr. is the likeliest to see time in the big leagues this season, with a powerful left-handed swing that murders right-handers and crumbles against southpaws. And then there is their big international signing, 17-year-old Francisco Renteria, the No. 3 international prospect this year, who has drawn comparisons to Hall of Fame candidate Bobby Abreu.
No one is putting that kind of pressure on the kid, but Renteria is as good a raw talent that has come into the Phillies farm system in a long time.
The Phillies also need to continue to develop pitching. Cristopher Sanchez wasn’t drafted by the Phils, but he was developed by the team and has turned into one of the five best starters in the game. Ranger Suarez, who just signed with Red Sox, was born and raised in the Phils’ system. Aaron Nola, despite his faults a year ago, is a future Wall of Famer and, if he has another few productive seasons, could warrant Cooperstown conversation. There are success stories there, but after Painter and Gage, there is a lack of young starting pitching prospects in the system, with Moises Chace’s lost 2025 season putting a dent in his prospects.
If the only way the Phils are going to be able to put a playoff caliber team on the field is through free agency, they’re going to have to run their payroll north of $350 million in the coming years. That doesn’t seem sustainable. Dombrowski spent his first year in Philadelphia diagnosing the problems and coming up with solutions to fixing them.
Kyle Filipowski
Devin Booker
Brandin Podziemski
