In the fifth round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders selected right-shot defenseman Vladimir Dravecky out of the Guelph Storm in the OHL.
Under a stacked Brantford Bulldogs team last year, Dravecky tallied nine goals with 19 assists for 28 points in 58 games, as well as three assists in 11 playoff games. Dravecky also scored five assists in 11 games with the Czechia U20 team in international competition, but was held scoreless at the 2026 World Junior Championship.
Dravecky was traded from Brantford Bulldogs (OHL) to Guelph Storm on June 9.
Standing at 6’0” and 192 pounds, Dravecky has a well-rounded game, possessing strong mobility and hockey sense. The blueliner doesn’t have a standout trait, but he may have scored more on a less talented team; Dravecky was stuck behind other defensemen within the Brantford depth chart.
Dravecky was expected to be selected around the third round by some scouts, so the Islanders may have found some value by picking him in the fifth.
Islanders just picked up Vladimir Davecky who was a bit buried on an elite Brantford team, but you could see signs of the ability he has. He'll be featured more at Guelph next year as they build towards the Memorial Cup. Right shot, can move pucks and make some plays.
Dravecky is now the third defenseman selected by New York, and the second right-shot blueliner chosen by general manager Mathieu Darche, who is seeking to bolster the weak right side in his team’s prospect pool.
The Islanders are slated to draft two more times, once each in rounds six and seven. Day 2 of the NHL Draft is available to watch on NHL Network, Sportsnet, and ESPN+.
Ron Harper Jr. is a real Boston success story from last season. He was signed to an Exhibit 10 (training camp contract) before camp last year, but by the end of camp, the team had turned that into a two-way contract. As the season moved past the All-Star break, Harper became a regular part of the Celtics' rotation. In April, Boston converted him to a standard NBA contract.
Now the Celtics have declined Harper's $2.6 million team option for next season to re-sign him to a three-year, $9 million contract, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN.
After the All-Star game last season, Harper averaged 11 minutes a night, scoring 5.1 points per game.
Harper is entering his fifth NBA season, but the first one with a guaranteed deal. He was on two-way contracts with Toronto and Detroit before he came to Boston.
Harper is the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper and the older brother of Spurs guard Dylan Harper.
Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the twenty eighth pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson after he was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Last June, the Brooklyn Nets traded Cam Johnson, a player earning a little more $20 million to the Denver Nuggets for Michael Porter Jr. and a future first round pick, the Nuggets unprotected first in 2032. It was a salary dump and Denver seemed tired of MPJ. The cost to the Nets for salary cap purposes: $17 million.
This June, the Brooklyn Nets traded Nic Claxton, player earning a little more than $20 million to the Chicago Bulls in a three team deal for Julius Randle and a swap of future first round picks that yielded them the Timberwolves’ unprotected first in 2026. It was a salary dump and Minnesota seemed tired of Randle. The cost to the Nets for salary cap purposed: $17 million.
You have to hope at the Nets do as well in last week’s trade as they did in last year’s. Like last year, the big piece is a 20-point scorer who’s in the prime of his career. Unlike last year, they won’t have to wait years to see how the pick worked out. Brooklyn took Joshua Jefferson, a 6’9″ point senior forward out of Iowa State at No 28.
As our Lucas Kaplan noted in story his about the pick, “though his stock dropped toward the end of the season, there had been often lottery buzz surrounding him” earlier in the season. His stock dropped in part because he’s older, turning 23 a month into the season, and he was coming off a left ankle sprain that cut short his NCAA Tournament. So upside was the issue. On the other hand, Jefferson is a big — 246 pounds at the NBA Combine — point forward, ideal for Jordi Fernandez’s offense and the Nets overall strategy of choosing quick decision-makers.
“The way Josh plays with the ball, the DHOs, the reads, the passing ability,” Sean Marks said in his post-draft Zoom call with reporters. “That’s absolutely going to fit within Jordi’s system and Jordi’s style and how he wants to play.”
Jefferson said after being drafted and an impromptu trip to get a handshake from Adam Silver that he appreciates his good luck in getting selected by Brooklyn, as Brian Lewis reported.
“It was really good feedback, from the late first round, from all the front office, just seeing what they need for their team,” Jefferson said. “They felt that I fit in a lot of spots because of my versatility. I’m where I need to be. The Nets took a great chance on me, and I’m very thankful for that.”
In a way the Nets took a chance on him like they took a chance on Mike Brown at No. 6. He too missed time with a back injury.
“When that injury happened, I feel like a lot of things [were] jeopardized from that. Going into pre-draft, I was like, make the most out of your workouts and attack your rehab hard and everything will go how it needs to go, Very blessed for this position that I’m in and just very thankful.”
Marks said there was a connection between trading for Randle, then drafting similar sized forward even if their skillsets are different. Jefferson will be backing up both forwards.
“It absolutely was,” Marks said. “Josh was a guy that we have absolutely been all over all year long and watched how he played the game, his skill set. That definitely translates.
“High IQ, and when you watch him play — when Iowa State plays through him, his teammates feed off of him — he’s definitely a facilitator out there. The toughness that he has. So there were a lot of intangibles. And then he’s a winner, an absolute flat-out winner. There’s an edge to how he plays and a toughness, which we loved.”
Moreover, Jefferson brings something that the Nets have been missing for a long while: physicality, something Randle will also help with in the starting lineup.
“The thing about my game that’s going to translate pretty quickly is my physicality. The NBA is a physical game right now. You have to be physical in the playoffs to win, and that’s what I’m going to bring,” Jefferson said. “Then just continue to work on my shot. Shooting it really well throughout this pre-draft process, a lot of reps. So if I continue to do that, it’s going to keep me on the floor. And defending.”
That probably more than anything will give Nets fans positive vibes.
He is, as you might expect, not a plus athlete. His max vertical was measured at 33.0 inches at the Combine and in fact all of his athletic measurements were around the 30th percentile of the 72 prospects on hand. He has been compared to Kyle Anderson, the similar sized point forward who’s had a long NBA career playing the same game. The Nets should be so lucky.
The Detroit Red Wings initially entered the 2026 NHL Draft without a first-round selection, but that was remedied on Friday evening with the acquisition of the No. 23 overall pick from the Utah Mammoth in return for goaltender Sebastian Cossa.
With the selection, they drafted forward J.P. Hurlbert.
Heading into the second day of the NHL Draft on Saturday, the Red Wings selected a familiar name with the 47th overall pick, welcoming winger Victor Plante to the organization.
Plante's excitement was on full display, as he couldn't stop beaming throughout his first official NHL media availability session.
"I mean, it's so awesome," Plante said about his initial reaction. "Going (in) the same spot as my brother, the same exact pick too, it's pretty funny. But a huge honor, going to the Detroit Red Wings, an Original 6 franchise, it's awesome."
His family also includes brother Zam, taken by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2022, along with father Derek Plante, a former NHL player.
"I wouldn't be there without them, they're so awesome and so supportive," he said of his family. "They pushed me so hard, which is awesome. Just to live in that house is a huge honor, and it's great."
Meanwhile, knowing that he's now part of the Red Wings organization is nothing short of exciting for him.
"Just the fact that I get to go to the same franchise as my brother, which is so awesome," he said. "And just the fact that it's Detroit. So much history there, such a great franchise. There's just not enough words to be said about it, it's awesome."
Plante, who will be playing for the University of Minnesota-Duluth this fall, scored 21 goals with 27 assists for the U.S. National Development Team this past season in Plymouth.
He even lived with former Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood during the season and took in a few games at Little Caesars Arena.
"It was great, he's a fun guy to be around," Plante said of Osgood. "He took me to about four or five games. It was sick.
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TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 13: Josh Naylor #12 and Julio Rodriguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners celebrate after Rodriguez's three-run home run in the first inning of Game Two of the American League Championship Series presented by loanDepot between the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Monday, October 13, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Thomas Skrlj/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Seattle Mariners are struggling offensively. Yes, their team wRC+ is around league-average. Yes, they are finally running nearly their entire full healthy lineup out for the first time all season (save Bringo Dingo, may your groin heal in peace). But Seattle entered Saturday 25th in MLB in runs per game at 4.02, a 651 run pace. T-Mobile Park always will curtail Seattle a bit, but a season ago they concluded at 4.75 runs per game, 10th in MLB and a 766 run season. There are several culprits, but one of the most glaring is one you don’t have to wait around to see.
Of the 158 players to receive at least 250 plate appearances this year, Seattle has three of the worst hitters in baseball on the first pitch.
Julio Rodríguez, 356 PAs, 116 swings, .224 wOBA (151st)
League-average for 2026 is a .389 wOBA on first pitch swings, well ahead of the .317 league-average wOBA overall. Obviously, you can’t strike out on a first pitch swing, but it’s a common strategy for hitters to maximize their outcomes. Kyle Schwarber is notorious for this, swinging 104 times out of 343 opportunities, with a staggering .759 wOBA this year. Nick Kurtz, Aaron Judge, Byron Buxton, as well as numerous other less-notable over-performers are also among the most successful ambush hitters. Quelle surprise, as a team overall, the M’s are near the cellar as well, with a .348 wOBA (28th) on 1,027 swings in 3,105 PAs. Some M’s are obviously lifting the numbers a bit, like Arozarena and his .443 wOBA (62nd) in 318 PAs and 106 swings. But it’s is a huge hole from three of the most present and frequent hitters in Seattle’s lineup.
This is not some longstanding issue, either. A year ago, all three players were right there with Arozarena as above-average ambushers. Per Baseball Savant, the cliff of poor production has been precipitous thus far this year.
Not a single barrel for Julio on first pitches, and a 31.9% hard hit rate for Naylor, on pitches ostensibly meant to be receiving a hitter-friendly hack. If we’re wondering where the missing power has been for Naylor this year, ta da!
Moreover, this issue has been prolific. Naylor is tied for 14th-most swings on first pitches, while Julio is 45th. Crawford’s numbers are poor, but his first pitch swings not as frequent by rate (26.6%) as Naylor (41.9% of first pitches) or even Rodríguez (32.6%). And as we can see from their 2025 numbers, it’s not just average performance they’re losing out on. First pitches were where all three players generated MUCH of their offensive production a year ago. All three hit the ball harder, drove in runs and generated scoring opportunities, and blew open big innings with this aggression.
There’s still time to turn things around, and not a crystal-clear explanation as to why these numbers have sunk so prodigiously. But at least for the next few weeks, it might be nice to see some of Seattle’s key hitters take a pitch.
Apr 10, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (51) greeted by designated hitter Casey Schmitt (10) following his two run home run during the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
The Giants have played 81 games, marking the official halfway point of their 2026 schedule. Before I highlight some of the truly lowlights of this what’s-shaping-up-to-be historically awful season, let’s first contextualize their 33-48 record and then do that fun thing where we double all the current stats to “project” end of season results.
To start, this is a top 10 worst first half of a season in the history of the Giants. Not just the San Francisco era, but New York, too.
That’s very impressive. Buster Posey is on his way to the Hall of Fame and is one of the most famous Giants in living memory, and yet he will go down as having grounded the franchise into one of the most destructive shoals ever encountered. So, let’s give Buster credit for doing something that most would’ve assumed only a total amateur with zero experience could’ve done. That he’s done it a whole year into the job, too, shouldn’t be dismissed. Whatever he learned last year led him to the decisions that have begat a total disaster this year.
That the Giants are still off the pace of the franchise’s sole 100-loss team doesn’t appear to be a fluke of luck (double their wins and they might go 66-96!). This is (probably) where senior advisor Bobby Evans comes in. He was running the team during their 98-loss season, so we can be sure he’s providing the input that keeps the team clear of triple digit losses. Hold on to him, Buster!
But it’s not all mockingly great news. The Giants do, as anticipated, have one of their best lineups in the 21st century.
Kinda.
Sorta.
The team’s 102 wRC+ through the first half of the season (.255/.309/.418) is ranked 8th just looking at Giants offenses since 2000. This is a fun list, too:
I don’t know what it means that the 8th worst record aligns with the 8th-best offense of the century, so I have to assume it’s just a coincidence. Remarkably, it looks as though that Buster has managed to recreate the lineup of the Giants team that is of a kind with at least two teams from his era:
There are obviously some notable differences between these teams (way better defense in 2009 & 2014) and the hitting and pitching environments have changed quite a lot (for example, the 2014 team’s 3.50 ERA was 10th-best but with all the advanced metrics just 9.4 fWAR in value — 26th!) but it seems pretty clear that the objective is to literally take the franchise back to the championship era. Most nostalgia lovers can be criticized for falling in love with a misremembered past, but credit to Buster Posey for sticking to actual facts.
If you just double some of the counting stats, though, these Giants, while projected to have one of the higher team home run totals of the century (172 — 11th out of 27). Their projected runs scored (642) would be 21st, though. But 1,422 hits? Humm baby, that’d be good enough for 12th! Then again, they’re also on pace for 396 walks (25th) and just 52 stolen bases (24th). Hmm, but their on-pace-for 316 doubles? That’d be the most by a Giants team this century.
Actually, that’d be the most doubles by a Giants team in the history of the franchise. I’m serious! I can’t believe it, either. The 314 doubles hit by the 2004 team is currently #1 in the entire history of the Giants. The 2026 Giants have already hit 158, so they’re on pace to set a new mark. And if that feels a little off to you, that’s because the Giants used to hit way more triples back in the 1800s and early 1900s. That franchise leaderboard is replete with teams from that pre-war era. The 1911 team leads the franchise with 103 triples (just 41 home runs). The 1893 team is second (101 triples — 61 home runs).
If we round up Jung Hoo Lee’s 297 plate appearances a bit, then the team is also on pace to have six hitters with at least 600 plate appearances. That’s NEVER happened in the entire history of the Giants franchise. And even if Luis Arraez were to be traded, let’s say, five times is still rare (2000, 1973, 1962, 1954, 1951, 1935 — and multiple times it has happened four times). Some other positives and curios.
Casey Schmitt
He’s on pace for 30 doubles and 32 home runs in 618 plate appearances. Just 167 Giants have hit that mark in the history of the franchise and, yeah, there’s a lot of Bonds (Bobby & Barry), Willie Mays, Will Clark, etc. on there, but if you limit it to the 21st century (the Oracle Park era), just 45 Giants make the cut.
Schmitt is on pace to match 2003 Marquis Grissom in plate appearances, but with those “projected” power numbers, he ascends to some rarified air (for the Giants, anyway). He’d eclipse Willy Adames’s 30 home run mark from last season to rank 8th on the season home run total list in the Oracle Park era.
He has 85 hits through 81 games and if that pace holds (no reason to believe it will — but just in case…) a 170-hit season would tie Buster Posey’s 2014 total. Now, here’s the kicker. Buster Posey was 27 in 2014. Schmitt would be just the fourth Giant under 30 to record that many hits. Just for fun:
Matt Duffy just missed the cut with 169 hits in 2015 at the age of 24, but that’s it. There have been 95 seasons of Giants Baseball where a player under 30 had at least 170 hits and most of them occurred before 1930. But even since 1930, the Giants’ offensive strengths coming from young players is confined to the pre-Will Clark era, with just 11 players under 30 to record at least that many hits since 1989.
So, if it happens, it will be very cool, and historically significant. But no matter the final result, 2026 being Schmitt’s breakout season is already the story.
Jung Hoo Lee
He’s on pace for 182 hits which would put him into the same company as the group I mentioned for Casey Schmitt. The story of his 2026 is also that it’s his breakout season. If his 38-doubles pace holds, he’d match 1993 Barry Bonds, 1989 Willy Clark, 1958 Orlando Cepeda, and 1941 Johnny Rucker
He’s also on pace for just 54 strikeouts, which only 90 Giants who were under 30 with 600 plate appearances have done in franchise history. Drop the age filter and we’re still talking just 144 Giants, none of whom played in the 1980s and 1990s. In the Oracle Park era, it’s happened just four times:
4. Buster Posey, 2015 — 52 K 3. Omar Vizquel, 2006 — 51 K 2. Barry Bonds, 2002 — 47 K 1. Barry Bonds, 2004 — 41 K
I deem this absurd! And hope it happens.
Luis Arraez
It’s a shame he’s likely to be traded, because he’s on pace to have a lot of hits in his age-29 season which puts him in the same group I placed JHL and Schmitt in, but with just 13 strikeouts through the first half, his “on pace for” total of 26 would put him on a list of Giants that hasn’t welcomed anyone new in over 70 years: have fewer than 30 strikeouts in a season. The last time was 1955 when Don Mueller struck out just 12 times in 640 plate appearances. Again, a shame he won’t end the season on the Giants.
Let’s talk pitching
Their “on pace for” mark of 700 earned runs allowed would land the 2026 team into the top 10 most runs allowed in franchise history, pushing the 1995 squad (699 runs) down one notch. They’d slot in just behind 2008 (701). If they wind up with a team ERA of 4.40 ERA (where it stands now), that’d be 12th-worst in franchise history, ahead of teams like 1997, 1984, 2018, 2008, and 2005, but behind 1947, 2017, 1970, 1895, 1896, 1930, 2006, 2020, 1999, 1996, and 1995.
The Giants are on pace for 870 innings from their starting rotation. Now, not to be misleading, they got just 837 innings from the starting staff last season.
They’re on pace for just 30 saves, which hasn’t happened since 1992.
On pace for 1,274 strikeouts, though, which would be the 11th-best in franchise history.
On the other hand, 616 walks, which would be the 8th-worst in franchise history. They walked 652 in 2007 and 623 in 2000, so it would be the 3rd-worst result of the Oracle Park era.
This was a simple doubling exercise just to see if there was much fun in taking the team as is and imagining the future. If you want to be more scientific, you can always go to players’ FanGraphs pages and see the rest of the season projections to get perhaps a more realistic look at where they’ll land. For example, just doubling Logan Webb’s numbers gives him 26 starts, 166.2 IP, and a 3.36 ERA with a 3.8 fWAR, but if you look at, say, ZiPS, he’s projected to make 15 more starts (28), wind up with 178.1 IP, a 3.14 ERA, and 4.3 fWAR. Half a win better, and something proved by the eye test as he’s looked simply dominant and like his old self since coming off the IL.
So, the Giants could do better overall the rest of the way. They’ve been slightly better here in June, after all… then again, with the trade deadline looming and the dog days of summer on the horizon, is it reasonable to expect improvement on what has been a bad team for three months? Eh, why not? If you’ve read this far, it means you’re a fan who never stops hoping.
The Vancouver Canucks have selected Connor Davis with the 129th-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Davis, a re-draft who is currently 19 years old, spent the 2025-26 season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL, scoring 26 goals and 29 assists in 59 games with the club. During the post-season, he scored two goals in two games. Prior to this season, he played for Salisbury School in USHS-Prep, putting together 21 goals and 23 assists in 31 games played.
Davis is currently committed to the University of North Dakota in the NCAA for the 2026-27 season.
As it stands, Davis is the sixth forward the Canucks have selected at the 2026 NHL Draft, with their only other non-forward selected being a goaltender.
Jun 26, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; The logo for the NHL draft during the first round at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
The Canucks now have three picks remaining at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Through the first four rounds of this year’s draft, Vancouver selected Caleb Malhotra (3rd-overall), Adam Novotný (24th-overall), Brooks Rogowski (33rd-overall), Niklas Aaram-Olsen (41st-overall), Dmitri Ivchenko (78th-overall), and Yaroslav Bryzgalov (97th-overall). Their next selection will take place in the sixth round, when they select 161st-overall.
Follow along with the Canucks’ 2026 NHL Entry Draft picks via our tracker:
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NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 21: New Jersey Devils introduce General Manager Sunny Mehta at Prudential Center on April 21, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI vis Getty Images
After acquiring the 119th overall pick in the fourth round from the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft when they traded down from 35th to 37th in the second round, the New Jersey Devils selected Lavr Gashilov from Avto Yekaterinburg of the MHL. In the 2025-26 season, Gashilov scored 16 goals and had 53 assisst in 51 MHL games while also getting into two VHL games and three KHL games. Gashilov stands at 5’11” and 185 pounds (per Elite Propsects, though he is listed much taller elsewhere [as high as 6’3″, with the KHL having him at 6’2″]) and is a left-handed center. Per Byron Bader’s Hockey Prospecting, Gashilov may be the steal of the later rounds with first-round level production.
Gashilov is highly regarded as a playmaker with defensive deficiencies. However, he looks pretty good in the offensive zone! In HSD Prospects’ highlight package on him, you can see just how lethal a passer he is from anywhere on the ice.
In Smaht Scouting’s midseason rankings, Gashilov was ranked 38th. However, they did knock him for his skating. Here’s what Dan Haurin had to say about him there:
He plays with an above average motor, constantly keeping his feet moving and involving himself in the play. He also plays a strong physical game, putting bodies on opposition every chance he gets, while showing an ability to make quick plays to teammates while tangled up in battles. He’s got some soft hands and an ability to feather pucks through tight lanes to teammates in the offensive zone. The skating is a question at this point in his development however, with his strides being a bit too choppy and lacking an element of explosiveness and quickness on his edges.
This does contrast with NHL Network’s view of the player, where he was regarded as a plus skater who completely lacks physicality. I guess we will see. Watching him skate in his highlight package, I do tend towards the Smaht Scouting view of him. He seems like far less of a rush threat than the forwards the Devils have previously selected this draft, and his soft hands and high-level offensive IQ should be a boon to the Devils when they do establish possession. He looks like a PP1-type player who probably should not play on a shutdown line, which is fine. Player development should focus on maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses, rather than washing over what makes a player valuable in the first place.
Importantly, Gashilov is only under contract through the 2026-27 season. If he does not get established in the KHL by the end of this season, he could very easily be signed by Sunny Mehta to play in the AHL or NHL after the upcoming year. Since Gashilov is coming out of the MHL, I could very well see him going to the VHL to continue developing his skills in the second-tier Russian league. He certainly has little left to learn in Russian juniors.
In all, I am a fan of these picks. Our previous GM regime put little value on these kinds of high-scoring, low-risk picks in the later rounds, and that has seemed to reflect in the lack of prospect viability over the last few years. Gashilov has a lottery-level NHLe. And while I wish I could have the data to look at his microstats to evaluate his playdriving ability, what publicly available analytics we can see seem to like him as well.
FAYETTEVILLE, AR - MAY 31: Arkansas Razorbacks outfielder Justin Thomas Jr. (4) at bat during the NCAA Division I Regional baseball game between the Creighton Blue Jays and Arkansas Razorbacks on May 31, 2025, at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Photo by Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (35-43) lost 8-1 (BOX SCORE)
McPherson started for Sugar Land and allowed 2 runs in the first inning only retiring two batters before being pulled. The offense got on the board in the third inning on a Brooks sac fly. The Sugar Land pen struggled allowing another 6 runs as El Paso extended their lead. The offense had their troubles too as they were unable to score again and fell 8-1.
Michael Knorr, RHP: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Sam Carlson, RHP: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Tom Cosgrove, LHP: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Roddery Munoz, RHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
J.P. France, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Jose Fleury, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (33-40) lost 3-0 (BOX SCORE)
Hicks started for the Hooks and went 4.1 innings allowing 2 runs with 3 strikeouts. The bullpen allowed one run but the Hooks’ offense had a rough night collecting just 2 hits as they were shutout in the 3-0 loss.
Note: Encarnacion has 33 stolen bases this season.
James Hicks, RHP: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Railin Perez, RHP: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Jack Dashwood, LHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Ramsey David, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Jose Guedez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
A+: Asheville Tourists (20-52) won 7-4 (BOX SCORE)
Smith started for Asheville and was solid allowing 2 runs over 4.2 innings while striking out 6 batters. Asheville got on the board in the 5th inning on a Daudet RBI single. The Drive took a 4-1 lead in the 6th but Asheville got one run back in the 8th on a Powell solo home run. In the 9th, Asheville got a run on a bases loaded hit by pitch to Garcia and with 2 outs and the bases loaded, Thomas connected on a 3 run double to give Asheville the lead. Powell added an RBI single to extend the lead. Frias was solid in relief tossing 3 scoreless innings as he closed out the 7-4 win.
Parker Smith, RHP: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Garrett Apker, RHP: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Francisco Frias, RHP: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (WIN)
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (37-35) won 2-1 (BOX SCORE)
The Woodpeckers got on the board in the first inning thanks to a Flores 2 run home run, his 11th home run of the season and second game in a row with a home run. Perez started for the Woodpeckers and pitched well allowing 1 run over 5 innings while striking out 7. The game went into a rain delay before the start of the 6th and was ultimately called, ending in a Perez complete game and Woodpeckers 2-1 win.
Note: Perez ha 10 BB/77 K in 67.2 innings this season.
The New Jersey Devils came into Day 2 of the 2026 NHL Draft with just four selections to make, and two of them were in the second round. However, they moved back two spots from 35 to 37 with the Chicago Blackhawks, and took on the 119th overall pick as a result.
With the 119th pick in the draft, the Devils selected forward Lavr Gashilov of Russia. He played in the MHL, which is the minor league to the KHL, and had 16 goals and 53 assists for 69 points in 51 games played.
He has the ability to score some goals, but the playmaking is where he has thrived so far in his young career. Having 50 assists is an incredible achievement, even with it being the lesser of the two prominent Russian leagues.
Gashilov is the first player to lead the MHL in assists during a draft-eligible season. He did a lot of his great work on the power play, which is a major part of his game.
If you're looking for areas of improvement within Gashilov, his play away from the puck stands out the most. That is an area of concern for a lot of prospects who prioritize offense, and it's something that the Devils must develop within his game if he is going to become an NHL forward.
Usually, players with his set of skills only have a place in the top six of an NHL lineup. If he never reaches the potential to play in that role, he is unlikely to have the tools to be a bottom-six forward.
Sunny Mehta, with a lot of his selections so far, has used his selections on players with high ceilings and low floors. The development staff has their work cut out for them, but the reward could be players who make a difference.
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While the San Jose Sharks were awaiting their first pick on day two of the 2026 NHL Draft, Mike Grier got some other business taken care of. On Saturday, the Sharks announced that they had signed forward Zack Ostapchuk to a four-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2.35 million.
Ostapchuk, who was originally drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft, has quickly carved out a role for himself as a bottom-six center of the future for the Sharks since being acquired from the Senators as a part of the Fabian Zetterlund trade.
During the 2025-26 season, Ostapchuk started the campaign with the Sharks' American Hockey League affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. After 11 games with the Sharks' farm team, Ostapchuk earned a call up in the middle of November and never looked back.
In 59 games with the Sharks, Ostapchuk scored four goals and seven total points. With that being said, he's more regarded for his play on the defensive side of the puck and on the penalty kill. He's lining up to be the Sharks' long-term fourth-line center, a role that often goes under-appreciated, but makes a massive difference.
May 18, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets pitcher Christian Scott (45) throws to the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images
Earlier today, the Mets re-instated Christian Scott from the 15-day injured list to make the start against the Phillies later this afternoon. In a corresponding move, the club options Zach Thornton to Triple-A.
Scott made his last start exactly 15 days ago, when he allowed four earned runs over 4 2/3 innings against the Cardinals at Citi Field. He surrendered three homers in the outing and did not factor in the decision, with the Mets eventually winning the contest to avoid a sweep. Scott, who missed all of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2024, returned earlier this year and has been one of the team’s best pitchers. He currently owns a 3.10 ERA and a 3.84 FIP, with 47 strikeouts across 40 2/3 innings.
Thornton pitched last night for the Mets and had significantly more success than he did in his major league debut. After allowing three consecutive hits and one run to begin the game, he buckled down and limited Philadelphia to just the one run and five hits over six innings. He struck out seven and walked just one batter, but did not factor in the decision. With the team needing starting pitching following Kodai Senga’s demotion and the David Peterson trade, it’s very likely we will see more of Thornton in the coming months.
The Pittsburgh Penguins traded up to the fourth round of the 2026 NHL Draft on Saturday.
They originally had a sixth-round pick but traded it, along with a 2027 fourth-round pick, to the Boston Bruins for the 111th overall pick.
The Penguins have acquired the 111th overall pick from the Boston Bruins in exchange for the 170th overall pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick (originally Winnipeg's). pic.twitter.com/j75GIPlZek
The Penguins found a player that they liked and traded up to select 20-year-old defenseman Parker Von Richter of the OHL's Barrie Colts. He played in 28 games with the Colts this season, compiling eight goals and 24 points. He also finished the playoffs with two goals and 14 points in 21 games.
Von Richter originally started the 2025-26 season with the Brampton Steelheads before they traded him to the Colts. He had four goals and 25 points in 38 games with the Steelheads before he was traded.
Von Richter is committed to the University of New Hampshire for the 2026-27 season.
He stands as the Penguins' last pick of the day unless they acquire another pick.
In the fourth round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders selected right-shot defenseman Lincoln Kuehne out of Arizona State University in the NCAA.
Kuehne scored one goal with one assist for two points in 30 games last season, logging limited minutes for the Arizona squad. The 6’2” defenseman previously played with the USNTDP.
The Fargo, North Dakota native is a steady, rangy blueliner with above-average skating and shutdown ability. His 205-pound frame enables him to play with physicality, and while he won’t produce many points, Kuehne can break the puck out and make the occasional play up ice.
Active feet, quickness, and physical skills are Kuehne’s best elements. Combined with his tools, he pushes rushes wide, comes across, and secures pucks. Even against quick attackers, he instantly matches their moves, eliminates…
Kuehne joins the shallowest area of the Islanders’ prospect pool: the right side. New York added yet another left-shot defenseman by drafting Malte Gustafsson yesterday, so the right-shot Kuehne will serve as a necessary supplement for the farm system.
The Islanders have only one other right-shot defensive prospect inTomas Machu out of Providence College. Now, general manager Mathieu Darche has bolstered this positional weakness — at least in part.
The Islanders are slated to select three more times, once each in rounds five, six, and seven. Day 2 of the NHL Draft is available to watch on NHL Network, Sportsnet, and ESPN+.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have a knack for finding value in the middle rounds of the NHL Draft, as they have drafted talents such as Bryan Rust, Jake Guentzel, Harrison Brunicke, and Sergei Murashov beyond the first round.
And they may just have found more with their third-round pick Saturday.
With their 86th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the Penguins selected LW Pierce Mbuyi from the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL. Mbuyi, a 5-foot-10, 163-pound forward, had 32 goals and 75 points in 68 games last season, and he confirmed he will go back to the Sound for one more season before heading to Penn State for the 2027-28 season.
Although a bit undersized, Mbuyi has the scoring ability and the motor to generate quite a bit offensively. His speed is the hallmark of his game, but he excels around areas of the net-front despite his physical disadvantage and thrives off the rush, creating opportunity and forcing turnovers in the neutral zone. He is also strong on the forecheck and uses his skating to his advantage on that front.
Mbuyi was an alternate captain for the Sound last season and was named the team's captain last spring.
The Penguins had one more selection in the draft, and they traded up to 111th overall to select defenseman Parker Von Ricther.
