After an odd little off day Sunday (largely because of NFL games that MLB didn’t want to compete with on TV), the American League Division Series resume today.
4 p.m. CT: White Sox at Guardians (White Sox lead series 1-0)
TV: TBS, truTV, HBO Max (streaming). Announcers: Alex Faust, Ron Darling and Lauren Jbara.
Anthony Kay, LHP vs. Gavin Williams, RHP
Kay pitched 1.1 innings on Saturday and threw 22 pitches so he’s likely an opener here.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 03: A general view during the national anthem prior to Game One of the American League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Saturday, October 3, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Ali Overstreet/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Today, we switch to the American League Division Series. Two games:
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 30: The sneakers worn by Nick Sang during the game between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 01: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the seventh inning in game three of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on October 01, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The author of some of baseball’s most beautiful swings has not gone unnoticed for his 2026 campaign: Matt Olson has been named a finalist for the 2026 Hank Aaron Award. Established in 1999, this honor recognizes the most outstanding regular season offensive performer in each league.
Congratulations to Matt Olson for being our 2026 Hank Aaron Award Finalist!
Matt slashed .251/.321/.507 with his second straight 40-homer season, 93 RBI and an .823 OPS. He is in a tie for sixth in MLB in homers with 41, just four shy of the pair leading the league (fellow NL finalists Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Schwarber with 45). He was last nominated in 2023, where he lost to fellow teammate and unanimous MVP Ronald Acuña Jr.
Winners are determined by a fan vote and panel of Hall of Famers and announced on Wednesday, November 11 at the MLB Awards – you can see the full list of nominees and vote for Olson here. Congrats, Matt! Hoping for more of this Matty O to resurface in the postseason as the NLDS continues at Truist Park tomorrow night.
LOS ANGELES — Atlanta ace Chris Sale not only told his bosses he was available, but that he felt strong.
He volunteered to pitch in Game 1 of the National League division series on short rest Saturday against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
"I really felt confident in myself in starting Game 2," Sale said. "I felt confident in my ability to go out there and be able to perform at a high level. I reiterated that plenty of times to them."
Alex Anthopoulos, Atlanta's president of baseball operations, and Atlanta manager Walt Weiss listened to him after their Game 1 loss, knew that he was willing to do whatever they wanted, but sorry, it made no sense to take that kind of gamble. Sale had pitched on four days' rest only twice the entire season.
"If you have Sale in Game 2 and Game 5, as people were screaming about," Weiss said, "we saw it as you're getting a diminished Chris Sale twice at that point. We wanted to get a full-strength Chris Sale, and that's Game 3. Then, possibly impacting the game in Game 5 like we saw in the Phillies series.
"That's what it came down to. We didn't want to have a somewhat diminished Chris Sale twice because it would have been regular rest, but he had the (relief) outing in between, and it just didn't make sense to us."
Now, they have a fully-rested Sale, the former Cy Young winner and still one of the finest lefties in the game, starting for the first time in a week Tuesday in Game 3 against the Dodgers and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto at Truist Park (6 p.m. ET on FS1).
"As we sit here today, it's the best-case scenario that we could possibly have," Weiss said. "Now we win the bullpen game, and now we have a fresh Chris Sale ready to go."
And now they silence all of the keyboard warriors and critics, who somehow believe they know Atlanta better than the folks who make a living running the team, and know their players better than anyone.
"Look, I know it's professional sports, man, and in professional sports, you're only a success really in the moment that you're having success," Weiss said. "That's it. Then you have to do it all over again.
"That's why you've got to be mentally tough, man, if you want to sit in my seat, Alex's seat, because it can get pretty vicious out there."
Certainly, no one is putting champagne on ice, or even hinting that they might now have an advantage over the powerful Dodgers, but Weiss and company know that a fresh Chris Sale is a dangerous one. He pitched an old-fashioned shutout against the Dodgers the last time he faced them in August. Sale has a 2.13 ERA this season when having six days of rest.
And if there’s a Game 5, guess who’s ready to come out of the bullpen? Yep, just like 2018 when Sale came in relief and closed out the World Series title for the Boston Red Sox.
"I think it just reiterates the all-hands-on-deck mentality," Sale said. "It's really where I learned it. I've never been in the postseason before I got to Boston. When you get there, and you're around winners and that mentality and that kind of culture, you see what winning at all costs looks like.
"I even got a text from (former Red Sox manager Alex Cora) that night of Game 3 of the wild-card game, and even just getting a text from him was awesome because he was someone I learned a lot from as a manager. Talk about a winning mentality and all hands on deck and just the love for your teammates, the willingness to sacrifice yourself to do whatever it is for the team.
"The conversation just always kind of comes back to the feeling we have with this team is a very similar feeling I have to that '18 Red Sox team."
Who knows, with a rested Sale, a rested Tyler Mahle, who has a 1.99 ERA since being acquired at the trade deadline, and a lights-out bullpen, no wonder why Atlanta now believes they might have something special going on, and could shock the baseball world.
"We have a lot of work to do," Sale said. "It's not over yet. You can't start getting ahead of yourself, but we're confident in who we have in our clubhouse, and we're confident moving forward."
Oct 3, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Chicago White Sox fans display a sign after the game against the Cleveland Guardians in game one of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Yesterday, the National League (NL) commanded the spotlight, as the four remaining American League (AL) teams received the day off. The Milwaukee Brewers engineered a dramatic walk-off rally against San Diego Padres elite closer Mason Miller to move one win away from the NL Championship Series. In the second game of the day, the Atlanta Braves defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 to even the best-of-five series.
Today, attention shifts to the AL Division Series, with two high-stakes Game 2s on the schedule.
Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians (5:00 PM EDT)
The upstart White Sox continued their hot start to the postseason by shutting out the rusty Cleveland Guardians 3-0 in Game 1 of this intradivisional matchup. With the series shifting to Chicago for the next two games, another win this afternoon would give the White Sox an opportunity to sweep their division rivals in their first home playoff game since 2021. As a result, the Guardians must find a way to win this contest to avoid facing elimination on the road.
Left-hander Anthony Kay will open the game for the White Sox. He will likely pitch the first couple of innings before giving way to fellow season-long rotation mate right-hander Sean Burke, who will serve as the bulk relief pitcher.
Aaron Judge’s absence limits the potency of the Yankees’ offense. Rays ace Drew Rasmussen and closer Bryan Baker combined for a one-hit shutout in Tampa Bay’s 1-0 series-opening victory. Now, New York will look to bounce back and even the series before it shifts to the Bronx.
AL Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler will look to win his first two playoff starts of 2026. The Yankees right-hander earned the win in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox after striking out ten over 6 1/3 innings.
The Rays will counter with right-hander Freddy Peralta, who went 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts after the New York Mets traded him to Tampa Bay at the trade deadline.
EL SEGUNDO, CA - SEPTEMBER 28: Sandro Mamukelashvili #54 of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a portrait during NBA Media Day on September 28, 2026 at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
One of the Los Angeles Lakers’ most intriguing offseason pickups was Sandro Mamukelashvili. Once struggling to find his NBA footing through four seasons after stints on the San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks, he broke out in 2025-26 as a key reserve for the Toronto Raptors. He averaged 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, and helped juice their offense with his shooting (38.9 percent from deep), driving and playmaking.
The Lakers rewarded his career-best campaign with a four-year, $52 million deal in free agency. That lucrative contract provides Mamukelashvili a chance to play for one of the few teams he could watch on TV as a kid in Eastern Europe. Back then, he was drawn to Kobe Bryant’s determination and mindset as an athlete, both of which have shaped how he approaches his own dedication to the craft.
“Growing up, I really respected Kobe as a player, as a mentor. I didn’t know him. I wish I did. Always read his interviews, always watched his videos” Mamukelashvili told reporters at Media Day. “I always kind of tapped into his mentality and understanding there’s no Plan B. There was only Plan A. You got to execute until there was nothing you could do. He’s an amazing player.”
Mamukelashvili’s versatility could complement Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves quite well to help render Los Angeles among the league’s most potent offensive units. He can space the floor off the ball for them, attack closeouts and form nifty two-man games with them as a screener, roller and handoff hub. If he thrives in his new home, it’ll harken back to his roots, when he was well aware of Los Angeles’ global reach as a franchise and first drew inspiration on how he should look to improve his own game.
“The Lakers organization, I think, is the biggest organization in the world when it comes to basketball. Even in Georgia where I could rarely find an NBA game on TV, you would only see Lakers games,” Mamukelashvili said. “Growing up, I was a big fan of Kobe. I think that’s what influenced me to get his tattoo because I really work hard. I think Mamba Mentality is important in this sport and the dedication, passion and everything that comes with it. I love being a Laker and I’m really excited.”
On Monday, the Calgary Flames placed forward Connor Zary on waivers, a move that comes after the club reportedly tried to shop the 25-year-old over the summer.
Zary, a former 24th overall pick back in 2020, carries a modest $3.775 million cap hit this season and next. Any team that claims him would get a forward with a track record of NHL production for nothing but the cost of his contract.
One team that could take a look is the Winnipeg Jets as the team's prospect pipeline is not deep, and the club could use help up front. The Jets struggled to score last season, finishing with the eighth-worst offense in the NHL at 2.79 goals per game.
The bottom of Winnipeg's lineup is made up of older veterans like Vladislav Namestnikov, Nino Niederreiter and Alex Iafallo. Adding a younger player like Zary offers higher upside and could give the Jets a new look in their bottom six. Zary has spent his entire career with Calgary since being drafted in 2020, and a first change of scenery could be a chance to make the most of a fresh opportunity.
He would be a low-risk, high-reward type of addition and if it does not work out, Zary would only be on the Jets' payroll through the end of next season, and with the salary cap continuing to rise, his cap hit becomes easier to absorb.
In his first full NHL season, Zary recorded 34 points in 63 games, a pace that would have translated to roughly 45 points over a full 82-game schedule. If he can produce at that level in a Jets uniform at that price, he would be worth a spot in the lineup. Should Isak Rosen fail to produce on the second line alongside Viggo Björck and Cole Perfetti, Zary could be an option to join that unit in the top six.
The only problem with the move is the injury concerns around Zary and his knee injury sustained during the 2024–25 NHL season following a knee-on-knee collision. Since then, Flames fans have noticed Zary's skating that was once viewed as elite has taken a hit and could be the reason why he has seen his play start to take a downturn and is now being placed on waivers.
It would be a risk adding Zary, but with Winnipeg's offense having finished so poorly last season, and the team making only minor changes to its forward group, like drafting Björck, it begs the question of whether or not it's worth taking at least a flyer on Zary to see if that electric player is still in there prior to his knee injury.
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Following a rare day off between home playoff games, the well-rested Tampa Bay Rays will look to take a commanding 2-0 lead over the New York Yankees on Monday in their best-of-five American League division series.
The Rays got 7 ⅔ innings of no-hit pitching from Drew Rasmussen in a 1-0 victory over the Yanks in Saturday's series opener. The AL's top seed will have trade deadline acquisition Freddy Peralta (10-11, 4.42 ERA) on the mound in Game 2 against Yankees ace – and likely AL Cy Young award winner – Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95 ERA) in a battle of right-handers.
Follow along for live updates, lineup news, key moments, analysis and highlights from Rays vs. Yankees in the ALDS.
Yankees vs Rays live box score
Where to watch Rays vs. Yankees: Channel, live stream
First pitch between the Rays and Yankees is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Monday, Oct. 5.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone comments on lineup decision
04:54 PM ET, October 5 2026, Kristie Ackert
St. PETERSBURG - Ryan McMahon is 1-for-14 in his career against Freddy Peralta. He's batting ninth for the Yankees in Game 2 anyway.
Aaron Boone isn't blinking.
Down 0-1 and coming off a one-hitter, Boone ran back the exact same lineup Drew Rasmussen just carved up. That's eight left-handed hitters again, tying the postseason record the Yankees set against Boston in the Wild Card Series. Rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. is the only right-handed bat.
Boone's read is that Saturday was about Rasmussen, not the plan.
He has a case. Against Sonny Gray in Wild Card Game 2, this exact group scored nine runs. Bellinger is 6-for-14 with a homer and four walks against Peralta, and he has three walks and no official at-bats against him this season. Rice hit .356 with seven homers against the Rays this year.
Peralta has thrown his changeup more since the trade, and it's the pitch right-handers lean on against lefties. Rasmussen used his to carry a no-hitter into the eighth. The Yankees watched it happen and didn't change a thing.
The alternatives weren't great either. Paul Goldschmidt is the best of them, a right-handed bat with nine hits against Peralta, seven of them for extra bases. But he went 2-for-24 against the Rays this season. Jose Caballero, the popular pick to replace McMahon, is 0-for-2 with two strikeouts against Peralta.
Last October, Toronto ended the Yankees' season in the ALDS against a lineup built the same way.
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For the first time this postseason, the New York Yankees’ backs are against the wall.
On Saturday night, Drew Rasmussen and the Tampa Bay Rays blanked the Bronx Bombers 1-0 in Game 1 of the ALDS where Aaron Boone’s squad was held to just one hit — and a costly base-running blunder — after exploding for 18 runs against Boston in the two-game Wild Card round.
“We just didn’t generate enough obviously,” the Yankee skipper said in a postgame press conference. “The losses are gut punches but you just gotta keep moving.”
Tonight, New York will get another crack at the AL East winners when they meet at Tropicana Field for Game 2.
Ace Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95 ERA) and Rays midseason acquisition Freddy Peralta (10-11, 4.42 ERA) will start in the cutthroat contest.
“We’re obviously always thrilled when we hand the ball to Cam and hopefully we can go out and put some [runs] on the board to support him…come out of here with a split and head back home,” Boone noted.
Don’t miss this one. We expect a showstopper in St. Petersburg.
Here’s how to tune in to the Game 2 of the best-of-five ALDS without cable.
Yankees vs. Rays start time
Game 2 of the Yankees-Rays ALDS is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET today, Oct. 5.
How to watch Yankees vs. Rays ALDS Game 2 for free
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Yankees vs. Rays starting pitchers
Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95 ERA) will start for the Yankees and Freddy Peralta (10-11, 4.42 ERA) is toeing the rubber for the Rays.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
Have blessing, will travel: These Sox fans came 340 miles for Mike Vasil’s magic. Hopefully, the pixie dust covers another win in Cleveland. | (David Richard/Reuters Connect)
The White Sox have already taken over home-field advantage. Now, how about stealing Cleveland’s peace of mind?
After sweeping the Astros out of the Wild Card Series, the South Siders blazed into Cleveland and grabbed Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday. Grant Taylor supplied four scoreless frames of absolute filth, while Munetaka Murakami launched a two-run, 112.2 mph bomb that I’m pretty sure still hasn’t landed.
Three postseason games, three wins. The Good Guys are making this October thing look pretty fun.
Today, they have a chance to head home with a 2-0 lead and put the Guardians one loss away from cleaning out their lockers. There’s plenty of work left, but making our division rivals sweat through an otherwise lovely fall afternoon sounds like a worthwhile activity.
Anthony Kay will serve as the opener, with Sean Burke expected to take over for bulk work. Apparently, escaping postseason bases-loaded jams earns you a promotion around here. El Duque Lite has already helped the Sox out of trouble in Wild Card Game 2 and ALDS Game 1. It would be nice to let Kay pitch without the entire neighborhood standing on the bases for once.
Having already worked two innings this postseason, Kay likely won’t go more than a couple of frames before handing things off. The veteran southpaw has been particularly stingy against Cleveland this season, surrendering just three earned runs over 20 innings across four starts and holding the Guardians to a .171 batting average.
His Baseball Savant profile isn’t exactly a sea of red, but there are tools here to get the job done. His sinker grades best among his pitches, sitting in the 67th percentile in run value, while his ability to coax hitters into chasing ranks in the 75th percentile. The approach should be to establish strikes early, use the sinker to generate ground balls and make the Guardians reach for pitches they can’t drive.
The catch is that getting hitters to chase hasn’t translated into piles of strikeouts. Kay sits in the 20th percentile in K rate and 36th in whiff rate, so he won’t be turning every plate appearance into a punchout. His xERA and xBA also rank near the bottom, a reminder that his excellent results against Cleveland don’t give him much room to get sloppy. Give the defense something manageable, keep the free passes down and hand Burke a clean game.
And please, keep traffic off the bases in front of José Ramírez. Kay has already performed enough postseason escape acts. Let’s try an inning without the handcuffs today.
Will Venable is sticking with the strategy that has gotten the Sox this far. Burke’s four-inning start in Wild Card Game 2 remains their only traditional starting assignment of the postseason. Otherwise, it’s been all hands on deck, with the next pitcher ready whenever the situation calls for him. We’ll see whether the third outing with that approach produces another win — and whether our blood pressure survives it.
Cleveland will counter with Gavin Williams, the No. 23 overall pick in the 2021 draft. The 27-year-old righthander finished the regular season 14-8 with a 3.76 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 32 starts.
This will be Chicago’s fifth look at Williams in 2026. The South Siders slashed .227/.318/.320 against him in their previous four meetings, so they know firsthand that stringing together hits isn’t easy. Their last encounter, Sept. 14 in Cleveland, ended with Williams taking the loss despite allowing only two runs on four hits, with two hit batters, three walks and seven strikeouts.
That game offers a useful reminder: The Sox don’t have to knock him all over the ballpark to beat him.
Williams’ Savant card practically flashes a warning sign when it comes to strikeouts: 97th percentile in K rate, 94th in whiff rate and 81st in chase rate. His four-seamer has both velocity and results behind it, while his sweeper ranks in the 98th percentile in run value. After the All-Star break, he was one of the best in strikeouts, with a 14.5 K/9. So, for the Good Guys to be successful, they can’t spend the afternoon waving at breaking balls off the plate. That would make his job entirely too easy.
But there’s a pretty big opening beneath all that swing-and-miss. Williams sits in the first percentile in hard-hit rate allowed, third in barrel rate and 12th in average exit velocity allowed. Making contact is the hard part. When hitters do connect, they’ve been capable of absolutely smoking the baseball. Looking at you, Mune and Colson Montgomery.
That makes selective aggression the assignment. Work the count, make Williams bring the ball into the zone and be ready to hammer a mistake. Patience shouldn’t mean watching a hittable strike sail past, especially against someone with this many ways to finish an at-bat. Look for something to drive early, then refuse to expand the zone when he tries to tempt them with that sweeper.
His cutter and sinker have graded much less favorably than his four-seamer and sweeper, so those could offer opportunities if he turns to them. Still, the goal is to punish location mistakes, not assume any particular pitch is batting practice. Make those plate appearances expensive and cash in when he gives the Sox an opening.
A walk and one loud swing can do plenty of damage. Murakami was kind enough to demonstrate that last part Saturday.
Chase Meidroth has been leading the postseason charge with a .364/.417/.636 slash line and 1.053 OPS. Colson has also delivered, including a clutch double in Game 1. Meanwhile, Mike Vasil and his magic wand need to send a little pixie dust toward Miguel Vargas and Braden Montgomery, whose bats have been on the cooler side. Miggy did reach three times Saturday with two walks and a single, though. We’ll happily take that kind of contribution while waiting for the extra-base hits.
The formula remains familiar: Make their pitcher work, capitalize on mistakes and keep the free passes under control. Another Murakami souvenir headed toward a neighboring ZIP code wouldn’t hurt, either.
First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT on another perfect fall day, with sunshine and temperatures in the low 60s. Catch the game on TBS, truTV, UniMás or HBO Max, or listen to the local radio call on ESPN Chicago 1000.
Clear the afternoon calendar. The Good Guys have a chance to bring home something much better than a split.
Oct 7, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; A general view of the ALDS logo on the field in game three of the 2019 ALDS playoff baseball series between New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
After the Braves tied up their series with the Dodgers 1-1 and the Brewers took a 2-0 lead on the Padres on Sunday, the American League Division Series are on tap today.
After the Rays beat the Yankees 1-0 and the White Sox beat the Guardians 3-0 on Saturday, all four teams got an off day on Sunday. Chicago used five pitchers to hold Cleveland scoreless and Munetaka Murakami hit a two-run homer to carry the White Sox to victory in Game 1. Drew Rasmussen threw eight scoreless innings, giving up one hit and striking out 10 Yankees for the Rays, who got the one run they needed from a Jonathan Aranda homer.
With Game 2 for both series taking place today, will the pitchers continue to dominate? Or will the offenses show up?
Chicago White Sox (0-0) at Cleveland Guardians (0-0) — 3 p.m. MDT
Pitching Matchup: Anthony Kay (10-9, 4.44 ERA) vs. Gavin Williams (14-8, 3.76 ERA)
The Yankees jumped through the Wild Card Series without incident, sweeping the Red Sox away in a 2-0 result that featured a 16-run differential, but they’re facing a much-tougher task now that they’re up against the Rays in the ALDS. Tampa Bay quieted their offensive momentum completely in Game 1, Drew Rasmussen pitching a one-hit masterpiece over eight innings, but if they ever found a pulse in that game it was eminently winnable as Tampa had only scored one run for themselves on a Jonathan Aranda home run against Gerrit Cole. Game 2 is on deck later tonight, and while it remains a crucial one for the Yankees to win to avoid putting their backs to the wall, the season is far from over after one ugly game.
Plenty of questions were raised after getting punched in the face by the Rays though, and if the Yankees’ playoff hopes get to continue beyond this week they’ll have to answer them in rapid succession. Can their offense do more than hope to wear out opposing starters and feast on relief pitching? Will they need a gem from every starter they send out on the mound to have a chance of advancing? Who can be the spark plug in a game like Saturday’s when its clear that things aren’t working out? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.
Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of October 8th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
VOORHEES, N.J. - Carl Grundstrom has been a good soldier for the Philadelphia Flyers in his two years with the organization, eagerly taking up whatever role the coaching staff has in mind for him.
To start the 2026-27 season, Grundstrom has already found himself up in the Flyers' top-six, complementing offensive-minded linemates Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett.
While the Flyers still struggle as a team, Grundstrom's stabilizing role has helped Zegras and Tippett at both ends of the ice. According to Natural Stat Trick, Zegras and Tippett were out-attempted 26-10 without Grundstrom, and out-chanced 13-1.
With Grundstrom on their line, the opponents' attempt advantage was a more modest 17-9, with chances 8-4. The Flyers' trio did, however, score a goal, while not allowing any at the other end.
That goal was none other than the game-tying goal in an eventual 3-2 loss against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night, but it was important in the sense that the Flyers finally showed some signs of life.
After several attempts, Tippett flung a shot through traffic into a yawning Hurricanes cage to tie the game at 1-1, with Grundstrom battling hard with K'Andre Miller in front of the net and flopping all over the place trying to recover the loose puck before Tippett cashed in.
"Grunny's great. I've played with him a handful of times now, and he plays with a lot of speed. He plays physical, he's heavy, he gets to the dirty areas, and he's not afraid to shoot the puck," Tippett said of Grundstrom after the game. "I enjoy playing with him, and he brings a lot."
It's a familiar role for the 28-year-old Swede, who also spent time flanking Noah Cates and Matvei Michkov last season.
While unsustainable, Grundstrom did show flashes of his offensive potential, scoring seven times in 11 games for the Flyers between Dec. 9 and Dec. 30, including a four-game streak during which the Flyers won three of four games.
Grundstrom is reprising that type of role early this season with Zegras and Tippett, and he's relishing the opportunity.
"Obviously, two really, really good hockey players. I love playing with those guys. I just try to be hard on the forecheck, play physical, play my game to help them out," Grundstrom glowed to The Hockey News after Sunday's practice.
Grundstrom was placed on waivers by the Flyers back on Sept. 23 and eventually cleared, though if claimed, could have been playing hockey elsewhere.
With injuries to Denver Barkey and Nikita Grebenkin, the Flyers made the move early in the event they needed to make roster space for the return of one of their two younger players.
Grundstrom isn't fazed by that, though.
"Just try to play my game... play my game and work hard. That's my mindset."
Grundstrom has played no fewer than 47 games in each of the last six seasons, and while he is an established bottom-six rotational piece at worst, his grip on an NHL roster spot is tenuous... for now.
If he continues to prove his value with his physical attributes and pace of play, the Flyers will have tough decisions to make going forward.
