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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. 

24 Nashville Predators in 24 days series 

Adam Wilsby

Jordan Oesterle

Andreas Engulund

Cole Smith

Michael McCarron

Justin Barron

Zachary L’Heureux

Matthew Wood

Nick Blankenburg

Brady Martin

Michael Bunting

Justus Annunen

As an NHL prospect

St. Cloud State s Nick Perbix skates toward the Nebraska-Omaha goal during the first period Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. Scsu Vs Nebraska Omaha Puk 11 St. Cloud States Nick Perbix skates toward the Nebraska-Omaha goal during the first period Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

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? 

Nov 7, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Nick Perbix (48) looks on against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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.  

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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.

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What we learned as disastrous fifth inning dooms Giants in brutal loss to Padres

What we learned as disastrous fifth inning dooms Giants in brutal loss to Padres originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN DIEGO — Tim Lincecum was well onto the back nine of his career when he threw a no-hitter at Petco Park. Justin Verlander might be approaching his 18th green, but for about an hour on Thursday, he too was mowing down the San Diego Padres. 

Then it all spun out of control, thanks in part to some sloppy Giants defense. 

After a strong start, Verlander got knocked out in the fifth inning, which included three consecutive successful bunts by the Padres. He fell to 1-10 in an 8-4 loss, the 24th in 33 games for the Giants since July 12.  

They dropped the final three games of the series and lost six of seven to the Padres over the last two weeks, getting outscored 44-13 in those seven games. Overall, the Giants went 3-10 against the Padres, who are neck-and-neck with the Los Angeles Dodgers atop the NL West standings. 

Well, Poppie Is A Little Sloppy

Verlander retired the first nine batters he faced, striking out three. But the Padres scored two runs in the fourth and then piled on in the fifth as the wheels came off. 

With two runners on, the Padres put down three consecutive bunts. Freddy Fermin’s was generously ruled an infield single after Casey Schmitt whipped the ball down the right field line, and when Luis Matos tried to pick it up, he dropped it. Two runs scored. 

Fernando Tatis Jr. followed with a bunt single and Luis Arraez bunted both runners into scoring position. When Manny Machado lined an elevated fastball into the gap, the Padres had a 6-2 lead. Verlander’s day was done. 

Schmitt is a natural third baseman, but he struggled this week while filling in for Matt Chapman in his hometown. He made four errors in the four games at Petco Park. 

Devers Demolition 

The two early runs for the Giants came after a series of misplays on the other side. Tatis and center fielder Ramon Laureano got crossed up on a high fly ball and it bounced off Tatis’ glove, allowing Matos to reach third. Andrew Knizner followed with a liner to right that skipped past Tatis for an RBI double, and he scored later in the inning, which included a bobble at second base. 

There was only one error on the Padres during the sequence (Tatis is going to win the Gold Glove anyway, he probably does not need the extra help).

The Giants got on the board in a more traditional way in the sixth when Rafael Devers crushed a Dylan Cease fastball well over the right field wall. It left the bat at 108 mph and went 435 feet, making it the fifth-longest homer of the year by a Giant. 

Join The Club

Willy Adames followed the Devers blast with a homer of his own, which ended Cease’s day. It was the third time the Giants have gone back-to-back this year, and oddly, all have come in the last five games. 

Adames’ homer gave him 20 on the year, the most of any Giant who has been here all season (Devers has 25). He’s the third San Francisco Giants shortstop to hit 20 homers while playing the position, joining Rich Aurilia and Brandon Crawford. Aurilia holds the SF-era record with 36 homers as a shortstop in 2001. 

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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Sabres Prospect Profile – Simon-Pier Brunet

The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results. 

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 40 NHL games. 

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#22 - Simon-Pier Brunet - D (Drummondville - QMJHL)

Brunet was the Sabres fourth-round pick at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. A teammate of Buffalo blueline prospect Vsevolod Komarov, the 6’2” 196 lb. defenseman had not shown much of an offensive side in the first two years of his junior career, posting just 17 points in 99 games before being drafted, but last season the 19-year-old posted 32 points (8 goals, 24 assists) in 60 games with Drummondville of the QMJHL. 

Brunet does have the size and skating ability that could have develop into a matchup shutdown defender down the line. In June, the 6’2”, 196 blueliner was dealt by the Voltigeurs to Victoriaville, where he will play next season, but reports indicate that after next season he will head to the NCAA to play at Merrimack College.  

The Sabres obviously recognize the organizational need for right-handed blueliners with their top four defenders in Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Bowen Byram, and Owen Power all left-handed, that is why they have drafted predominantly righties (Radim Mrtka, David Bedkowski, Adam Kleber, Brunet, Maxim Strbak, Gavin McCarthy, and Komarov) in the last four drafts.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

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Colorado Avalanche Prospect Signs With London Knights

The retooling of the London Knights roster has been in full throttle throughout August. GM Mark Hunter has been actively signing free agents with valuable junior-level experience. Additionally, through the import draft, the team has acquired a large right-shot defenseman who was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in this past June's draft.

On Monday, the Knights organization announced the signing of Swedish blueliner Linus Funck to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. London used their first-round selection (58th overall) in the 2025 CHL Import Draft to take Funck. He is the 13th player from the first round of the draft to sign in the OHL for the upcoming season. 

Funck, 18, was taken 118th overall in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL Draft by the Avalanche. He played in Sweden’s top junior league (J20 Nationell) for the Lulea HF organization. Funck led his team in scoring amongst defensemen with 28 points (5 goals, 23 assists) in 48 games. Also, he wasn’t afraid to mix it up from time to time, a trait the Hunter brothers will adore, recording 59 penalty minutes. 

London Knights Bolster Lineup With Latest Two SigningsLondon Knights Bolster Lineup With Latest Two SigningsThere’s one thing that the London Knights don’t do: rebuild. Fresh off back-to-back OHL Championships, and several of their star players leaving the team due to graduating to the professional level or aging out of the league, don’t expect the Hunter brothers to stay quiet.

“Defensively, Funck shows good awareness and positioning within his own end. He’s quick on puck retrievals and shows great intensity when battling for the puck in the corners and down low. He anticipates and kills plays very well and does a great job of quickly transitioning to offense. While he has some bite, if he adds a little more strength to his game, he could become even more of a threat on the backend.” 

Peter Baracchini, a writer for The Hockey Writers, wrote a draft profile for Funck. The above quote is just a snippet describing Funck’s value on the defensive side of the puck. In his article, he mentions that the Swede is a pass-first kind of player, but does a good job at walking the blueline to find open shooting lanes. 

The Hunter brothers love size on their blueline. Funck stands at 6-foot-3 and 183 pounds. Pair that with his fluid mobility and you have a right-shot defenseman who can shut down attacks swiftly with his feet and reach. 

London has had one of the best bluelines in the OHL for a few years now. Their depth was unmatched. However, Oliver Bonk, Cam Allen, and most likely Sam Dickinson, won’t be back. The opportunity for Colorado’s fourth-rounder to play top-four minutes is there, as the Knights arguably only have one right-shot defenseman — Henry Brzustewicz — capable of handling those minutes. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's OHL site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

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Penguins: Where Sidney Crosby Ranked On New Top Centers List

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby may be entering his 21st NHL season, but he is still a legitimate superstar. He had another fantastic season in 2024-25 for the Penguins, as he recorded 33 goals, 58 assists, and 91 points in 80 games. This was the 20th season in a row that Crosby produced at an over a point per game pace, which is an NHL record.

With Crosby once again being one of the NHL's most dominant players in 2024-25, he has rightfully made the NHL Network's latest Top 20 Centers Right Now list.

Crosby earned the No. 5 spot on the NHL Network's list, ranking ahead of other star centers like Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, and Brayden Point. Crosby also moved up, as he was No. 6 on the NHL Network's list last year. 

While Crosby is now 38 years old, he has not shown any signs of slowing down. He is easily still one of the NHL's best players, and it will be fascinating to see what kind of year he can have with the Penguins in 2025-26 from here. 

Report: Former Penguins Defender Heading OverseasReport: Former Penguins Defender Heading OverseasFormer Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jan Rutta has reportedly found his new home and will be taking his talents overseas.
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Cubs OF Kyle Tucker played with a small fracture in his right hand after he got hurt in June

CHICAGO — Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker played with a small fracture in his right hand after he got hurt in June, and manager Craig Counsell said that might have contributed to his trouble at the plate.

Speaking after a 4-3 victory over Milwaukee, Counsell confirmed a report that detailed the extent of Tucker’s injury.

The All-Star slugger jammed his right ring finger during an awkward slide in a victory over Cincinnati on June 1. Initial X-rays were negative. He missed one game and then made a pinch-hitting appearance before returning to the starting lineup on June 5.

“He was sore for a little while, but was able to play,” Counsell said. “We did some more imaging, and it showed a small fracture that was healing, and, you know, that’s it. Is it possible that this has caused kind of like, playing through it, changed some things? Yeah, absolutely. I think it’s probably likely that at some point that happened. But he wanted to play.”

Counsell said Tucker hasn’t had any more imaging since the fracture was found, and it has healed by this point.

“(It) hasn’t been an issue,” Counsell said.

The 28-year-old Tucker hasn’t played since he went 0 for 4 in a 7-0 loss to Milwaukee. He has been getting some time off in hopes of helping him break out of his prolonged slump, but he could return to the lineup as soon as the series finale against the Brewers.

Tucker has brushed off any questions about his health amid his offensive slump.

“I’m fine,” he said. “I mean, I’ve played, you know, for the most part every game this year. So I’m fine going out there.”

Tucker was acquired in a December trade with Houston. He is eligible for free agency after this season.

He got off to a terrific start this year, batting .290 with 17 homers, 52 RBIs and a .923 OPS in his first 85 games. He made the All-Star Game for the fourth time.

But he hasn’t been the same player since the break. He is batting .148 (8 for 54) in August, and he has just two extra-base hits — both doubles — in his last 24 games.

“The fact that he’s going through that and he’s trying to grind for us and get it any way he can to put himself in a good position to play, I mean that just kind of shows you the type of guy is, and the kind of teammate he is,” rookie third baseman Matt Shaw said. “And I think for all of us, that helps motivate us as a team.”

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Corey Toole given debut as Wallabies try for back-to-back wins against Springboks

  • Winger starts as Australia bid for historic win in Cape Town

  • Rob Valetini and Tom Robertson also come in

Corey Toole will make his Test debut in one of three changes to the Wallabies starting side as they attempt to go back-to-back against the Springboks in South Africa for the first time since 1963.

The 25-year-old Paris Olympics sevens star will replace injured winger Dylan Pietsch for their Rugby Championship clash in Cape Town on Saturday night local time (Sunday 1.10am AEST).

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Canadiens: Slafkovsky Named Player Of The Year In Slovakia

For a third year, Montreal Canadiens player Juraj Slafkovsky was named the hockey player of the year in his native Slovakia. The 21-year-old might not have met his expectations in the last season, but he did well enough to catch the eye of the voters. The title is awarded each year through a voting process by the Slovak Hockey Association.

He had already won the distinction in 2022 and in 2024 when he cleaned up at the Slovakia Hockey gala, winning the Best Under 20 Player and the Best Forward award as well.

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In his third NHL season, the left winger managed to score 51 points, a one-point improvement over his second season output. The power forward spent most of the season on Nick Suzuki’s wing alongside Cole Caufield, but once again had a slow start. His play picked up later in the season as he started playing a more physical game.

In a recent interview, he mentioned that he would be satisfied if he managed to score between 65 and 70 points. This would be quite an improvement, but given the fact that the Canadiens should have a more menacing top six this season, which should take some of the pressure away from the top line, it might just be doable.

The youngster also said that he needs to stop talking about what he must do and start doing it on the ice, echoing the statements of many fans on social media. Ivan Demidov’s presence should bring some much-needed internal competition for the top line role on the left. If Slafkovsky falters, the young Russian will be ready and willing to step into the role.

In February, the winger will be heading to Milano-Cortina to represent Slovakia in the Olympics. This should be great motivation for the player, who was a standout performer at the 2022 games, having picked up seven goals in as many matches, which led his country to a bronze medal. It was that performance that caught the eye of the hockey world and helped make him the first-overall selection at the 2022 draft. The Slovaks will be hoping for another medal finish this time around, but with the NHL players being back in the fold, powerhouses like Canada and the USA should find their way back to the podium, making their task much harder.

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