At the top of the list of things the 76ers need to turn next season around is key players staying healthy. This is a bad start.
Paul George underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee "to treat an injury sustained during a recent workout," the 76ers announced on Monday. That's a rather vague description of what was done, and the only timeline the 76ers gave was that George will be re-evaluated before training camp starts in September. Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports had a few more details.
A source familiar with George’s injury told me this was essentially an arthroscopic clean up and did not involve the major ligaments
If that report is accurate, George should be good to go by the start of next season. However, nothing feels certain with George and his health.
George, who was attending games at the Las Vegas Summer League, played in just half of the 76ers' games last season due to knee and groin injuries. That followed the pattern in Philly, where Joel Embiid played in 19 games, Jared McCain played 23 games, and Tyrese Maxey played in 52 due to an assortment of injuries. When George did play, he averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists a game, while shooting 35.8% from beyond the arc.
Philly enters next season as the biggest question mark in the Eastern Conference (if not the NBA). On paper, the Embiid/George/Maxey core should lead one of the — if not THE — most talented team in the East, but can they be trusted to stay healthy and mesh under coach Nick Nurse? In a down Eastern Conference, this team has the potential to win the conference, but numerous questions lie in its way.
Health is at the top of that list of questions. George's surgery may be nothing and something forgotten about by the time next season tips, but it feels like a bad omen. At least.
The Yankees are expected to be very active ahead of the trade deadline.
Longtime GM Brian Cashman told reporters last week that he’s preparing to “go to town” as he looks to improve the club in the second-half.
Three of the biggest needs mentioned: starter, bullpen help, infielder.
One player who continues to be connected to the Bombers is Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez.
It remains to be seen whether or not Arizona will actually make Suárez available in the coming weeks, but recent reports have indicated they will, and he certainly would make a ton of sense in the Bronx.
The 34-year-old is an impending free agent in the midst of a spectacular campaign.
While he’s enjoyed his second season with Arizona, he certainly sounds open to the idea of landing with more of a title contender such as the Yankees ahead of the trade deadline.
“I’m happy where I am, but I understand the game and the business,” Suárez said at All-Star Media Day. “Whatever happens, if I stay it’s fine but if I go its okay too, I will do my best wherever I am -- right now I’m happy where I am.
“The Yankees are the Yankees,” he added on potentially landing in the Bronx. “It’s a team that wants to win. They had success last year but are still hungry, if I go there I will do my best to try and help them win the World Series.”
Suárez has been terrific in the middle of things for Arizona -- earning his second career All-Star appearance.
The right-handed hitting slugger has already topped his home run total from last season (30), he’s driven in a National League leading 78 runs, and has accounted for a WAR of 3.0 through the first-half of the season.
Though Suárez’s glove isn’t nearly as valuable as his bat, but he would present the Yanks with a starting-caliber option so they can keep fellow All-Star Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second full-time.
The NHL’s trade and free-agency period has died down, which gives us the opportunity to weigh in on the top teams in the league by position. We’re kicking things off by examining the NHL’s best defense corps.
The criteria for narrowing things down to five teams includes identifying the best blend of the limitation of quality scoring chances against and overall offensive production. If they were very strong in one category and above average in another, that helps. Of course, quality depth on ‘D’ plays a factor as well.
With that said, here are this writer’s picks for the top five defense groups in the NHL, with new-addition players in italics:
1. Colorado Avalanche
Defensemen: Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Josh Manson, Samuel Girard, Brent Burns, Sam Malinski
Adding Burns to an already-dynamic collection of blueliners gives the Avalanche as deep a group of D-men as there is.
Burns has lost some of the offensive punch he had in recent years, but Colorado doesn’t need him to lead the team in scoring by a blueliner. That’s because the Avs led the NHL in points from defensemen in 2024-25, with 211. Colorado was also 12th in the league with a 2.82 goals-against average and 11th in fewest expected goals-against per 60 minutes, with 2.87, according to naturalstattrick.com.
Superstar Norris Trophy winner Makar and Toews power the Avalanche’s defense group. Manson and Girard form an excellent second pair. Burns and young puck-mover Malinski comprise the third pair. It doesn’t get better than that.
2. Florida Panthers
Defensemen: Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, Seth Jones, Nikko Mikkola, Dmitry Kulikov, Jeff Petry
The back-to-back defending Cup champions had an embarrassment of riches on the back end. Re-signing Ekblad was a massive move, and having him and Jones on the right side is a heckuva one-two punch. Replacing veteran Nate Schmidt with the experienced Petry shouldn’t hurt the depth, either.
Regardless of how their final pair shapes up, Florida’s top four of Ekblad, Jones, Forsling and Mikkola are mobile puck-movers who limit opponent chances to the outside. They averaged the seventh-fewest high-danger chances against, the fourth-fewest expected goals against and the fifth-fewest shots against. While they were only 23rd in the NHL in points by defensemen, they were 13th in goals by defensemen and easily outchanced their opponents.
Their defensive acumen when the games matter most is the reason why they’re one of our top six defense corps.
3. Washington Capitals
Defensemen: John Carlson, Jakob Chychrun, Matt Roy, Rasmus Sandin, Martin Fehervary, Trevor van Riemsdyk
The Capitals made some strategic improvements to their back end in the past couple seasons, acquiring Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators and signing Roy in free agency last summer. They also got Sandin from the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2023. But Washington has built a terrific defense corps, which finished fourth place in points by defensemen last year, with 200.
The Capitals’ 2.79 goals-against average also finished ninth in the NHL, while their shots against and high-danger chances against were above average. They’re clearly stronger offensively than defensively as a group, but their main pairings this past season outchanced their opponents when on the ice. And given that four Caps D-men – Chychrun, Roy, Sandin and Fehervary – are signed for at least the next four seasons, Washington’s defense corps will likely stay a top-level force for the foreseeable future.
4. Carolina Hurricanes
Defensemen: Jaccob Slavin, K’Andre Miller, Sean Walker, Shayne Gostisbehere, Jalen Chatfield, Alexander Nikishin
The Hurricanes had one of the best groups of blueliners last season, but they lost veterans Brent Burns to Colorado and Dmitry Orlov to San Jose this summer. Still, this group remains elite because Carolina GM Eric Tulsky acquired Miller via trade with the New York Rangers.
The Canes were 13th in the NHL in points from defensemen, with 171. But it’s their skill at preventing goals that’s why they’re an elite group of D-men. Jaccob Slavin is among the NHL’s best defensive defensemen, after all. Carolina finished 10th in the league in goals-against average (2.80), and the Hurricanes’ defense made life much easier on their goaltenders by limiting quality scoring chances for the opposition. They allowest the fewest shots per game in the NHL, with 24.9.
Of defense pairs that logged at least 500 minutes this past season, the Gostisbehere and Walker pair had the highest expected goals percentage, at 59.6 percent, according to moneypuck.com. The Slavin-Burns pair was fourth, at 57.4 percent.
5. New Jersey Devils
Defensemen: Luke Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, Jonas Siegenthaler, Simon Nemec, Brenden Dillon
The Devils were snakebit by the injury bug last season, which limited star D-man Hamilton to only 64 games. However, when everyone’s healthy, New Jersey’s defense has the skill at both ends of the ice that’s the envy of many, if not most teams.
The Devils were 20th in the league in points by defensemen (161), but Hamilton led the NHL with 40 points among defensemen who played 65 games or fewer. Youngsters Hughes and Nemec are only 21 and still developing, and Siegenthaler and Pesce are 28 and 30 years old, respectively. Only Hamilton (32 years old) and Dillon (34) are closer to the end of their careers than the beginning, so this group should only improve. The team was also above average in limiting high-danger chances.
Seattle’s Cal Raleigh won his first All-Star Home Run Derby after leading the big leagues in long balls going into the break, defeating Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero 18-15 in the final round Monday night.
The Mariners breakout slugger nicknamed Big Dumper advanced from the first round on a tiebreaker by less than an inch over the Athletics’ Brent Rooker, then won his semifinal 19-13 over Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz, whose 513-foot first-round drive over Truist Park’s right-center field seats was the longest of the night.
Hitting second in the final round, the 22-year-old Caminero closed within three dingers, took three pitches and hit a liner to left field.
Becoming the first switch-hitter and first catcher to win the title, Raleigh had reached the All-Star break with a major league-leading 38 home runs. He became the second Mariners player to take the title after three-time winner Ken Griffey Jr.
Raleigh was pitched to by his father, Todd, former coach of Tennessee and Western Carolina. His younger brother Todd Raleigh Jr. did the catching.
Just the second Derby switch-hitter after Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman in 2023, Raleigh hit his first eight left-handed, took a timeout, then hit seven right-handed. Going back to lefty, he then hit two more in the bonus round and stayed lefty for the semifinals and the final.
Caminero beat Minnesota’s Byron Buxton 8-7 in the other semifinal.
Atlanta’s Matt Olson, Washington’s James Wood, the New York Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the Athletics’ Brent Rooker were eliminated in the first round of the annual power show.
Cruz and Caminero each hit 21 long balls and Buxton had 20 in the opening round. Raleigh and Rooker had 17 apiece, but Raleigh advanced on the tiebreaker of their longest homer, 470.61 feet to 470.53.
Cruz’s long drive was the hardest-hit at 118 mph.
The longest derby homer since Statcast started tracking in 2016 was 520 feet by Juan Soto in the mile-high air of Denver’s Coors Field in 2021. Last year, the longest drive at Arlington, Texas, was 473 feet by Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna.
Wood hit 16 homers, including a 486-foot shot and one that landed on the roof of the Chop House behind the right-field wall. Olson, disappointing his hometown fans, did not go deep on his first nine swings and finished with 15, He also was eliminated in the first round in 2021.
Chisholm hit just three homers, the fewest since the timer format started in 2015.
Seattle’s Cal Raleigh won his first All-Star Home Run Derby after leading the big leagues in long balls going into the break, defeating Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero 18-15 in the final round Monday night.
The Mariners breakout slugger nicknamed Big Dumper advanced from the first round on a tiebreaker by less than an inch over the Athletics’ Brent Rooker, then won his semifinal 19-13 over Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz, whose 513-foot first-round drive over Truist Park’s right-center field seats was the longest of the night.
Hitting second in the final round, the 22-year-old Caminero closed within three dingers, took three pitches and hit a liner to left field.
Becoming the first switch-hitter and first catcher to win the title, Raleigh had reached the All-Star break with a major league-leading 38 home runs. He became the second Mariners player to take the title after three-time winner Ken Griffey Jr.
Raleigh was pitched to by his father, Todd, former coach of Tennessee and Western Carolina. His younger brother Todd Raleigh Jr. did the catching.
Just the second Derby switch-hitter after Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman in 2023, Raleigh hit his first eight left-handed, took a timeout, then hit seven right-handed. Going back to lefty, he then hit two more in the bonus round and stayed lefty for the semifinals and the final.
Caminero beat Minnesota’s Byron Buxton 8-7 in the other semifinal.
Atlanta’s Matt Olson, Washington’s James Wood, the New York Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the Athletics’ Brent Rooker were eliminated in the first round of the annual power show.
Cruz and Caminero each hit 21 long balls and Buxton had 20 in the opening round. Raleigh and Rooker had 17 apiece, but Raleigh advanced on the tiebreaker of their longest homer, 470.61 feet to 470.53.
Cruz’s long drive was the hardest-hit at 118 mph.
The longest derby homer since Statcast started tracking in 2016 was 520 feet by Juan Soto in the mile-high air of Denver’s Coors Field in 2021. Last year, the longest drive at Arlington, Texas, was 473 feet by Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna.
Wood hit 16 homers, including a 486-foot shot and one that landed on the roof of the Chop House behind the right-field wall. Olson, disappointing his hometown fans, did not go deep on his first nine swings and finished with 15, He also was eliminated in the first round in 2021.
Chisholm hit just three homers, the fewest since the timer format started in 2015.
Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez controls the ball in front of Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin during a playoff game in April. (Michael Conroy / Associated Press)
The Clippers team Brook Lopez grew up watching as a young kid in Southern California is not that same franchise anymore.
These Clippers are about putting a winning product on the court and about putting together the right talent to win games — and that is what sold Lopez on signing with them.
“It’s crazy to see, but it’s very cool — seeing the climb, the ascent,” Lopez said Monday afternoon at a news conference hours before the Clippers and Lakers played each other in an NBA Summer League game at Nevada Las Vegas. “I’m a Cali boy. I grew up in the Valley, in North Hollywood. Obviously things were very different back then and to see where the Clippers have come now, it’s just astonishing, it’s beautiful. I’m glad to be a part of it and hopefully I can help take them even further up.”
Lopez decided not to return to the Bucks after seven seasons in Milwaukee and opted not to sign with the Lakers, joining the Clippers on a two-year, $18-million deal.
He liked the idea of playing with Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Ivica Zubac, a former teammate when they played on the Lakers in 2017-18, and for Clippers coach Tyronn Lue. Lopez also had a connection with Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations. Frank was the coach of the New Jersey Nets when Lopez was there.
“Looking at my options, I was just thrilled the Clippers reached out and were one of them,” Lopez said. “They’ve been a great team for quite a while now. They have a ton of great players, obviously Hall of Famers, All-Stars, great young players. My guy Zubi! And there is a great chance to win a championship here.”
Clippers center Ivica Zubac, right, blocks a shot by Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray in Game 3 of the first round of the NBA playoffs on April 26. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Over the course of his career, Lopez has been a starting center. He played in 80 games last season with the Bucks, averaging 31.8 minutes per game. And he was still productive at 37, averaging 13 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.9 blocks, while shooting 50.9% from the floor and 37.3% from three-point range.
But Zubac has emerged as one of the top centers in the NBA, even making the NBA’s All-Defensive second team.
Out of the 1,105 regular-season games Lopez has played, he has started in 1,064. With the Clippers, however, he'll likely come off the bench.
“I’m just trying to come in and help the team win,” Lopez said. “Whatever that may look like, that’s what I’m here to do. Wherever my minutes may come from when I’m on the court, the beginning of the game, middle of the game, end of the game, I’m trying to be out there trying to help my team win and beat the other team on the court.”
Because he can stretch the floor with his outside shooting, the 7-foot-1 Lopez can see a world in which he and 7-0 Zubac are on the court playing together.
“I think we complement each other extremely well,” Lopez said. “Obviously, we’ll be very big. I think we’ll be great defensively, just dominating the paint, sealing the paint off. And then offensively, we complement each other there as well. I’ll spread the floor for him, give him all the room in the paint to go wild.”
When the Bucks visited the Clippers last season, Lopez got to see the Intuit Dome.
He was impressed by the arena that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer built and that also played a role in his decision.
“He texted me right away, (saying) how excited he was to have me on the team,” Lopez said. “I told him the same thing back. I’m excited to win and I think that’s what we’re all here for and it’s going to be so much fun.”
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, left, and New York Yankees star Aaron Judge are not competing in the 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times; Yuki Iwamura / Associated Press)
A home run contest without baseball’s two most famous home-run hitters?
What’s the point?
Ohtani pointed to the contest’s physical demands as to why he didn’t compete. Judge said he would only consider participating if the event was staged in New York.
How unfortunate for baseball, which has the perfect stage to showcase its two most popular players but can’t persuade them to perform on it.
Here’s one potential remedy: Let Ohtani and Judge write the rules.
That might not change Judge’s position, but it could change Ohtani’s. Ohtani has certainly pondered modifications that could be made to the Derby to make him more inclined to participate, some of which he shared at All-Star media day.
“That’s not for me to decide,” Ohtani said in Japanese. “However, personally, I think there could be limits on the number of pitches, the number of swings, and a focus on flight distance.”
The commissioner’s office should listen.
As profitable as baseball is, its cultural relevance in this country is diminishing. The most popular athletes in the United States are football and basketball players. Outside of Ohtani, and maybe Judge, no baseball player transcends his sport.
In Ohtani, baseball finally has its long-awaited face of the game, and the sport would be negligent to not maximize his stardom, both domestically and abroad.
Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners might be the major league leader in home runs, but he’s a nobody as far as the general public is concerned. The same is true of everyone else in the eight-player Derby field — Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brent Rooker of the Wandering Athletics.
Shohei Ohtani runs the bases after hitting his 30th homer of the season against the Chicago White Sox on July 1. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
By participating in the Derby, Ohtani wouldn’t just draw attention to the event. He would also elevate his competitors, giving them chances to introduce themselves to audiences that would otherwise remain ignorant of their existences.
If baseball has to reduce the number of swings taken by Derby participants to gain that kind of exposure for its players, it should reduce the number of swings taken by Derby participants.
For that matter, if Ohtani says he would participate only if he’s allowed to hit soccer balls, let him hit soccer balls.
Why not?
What would be compromised, the integrity of a barely-watchable made-for-television event?
Ohtani’s reticence is based on history. When Ohtani made his only Derby appearance in 2021, the format was similar to what it is now. In the first round, Ohtani had three minutes to hit as many homers as possible, as would be the case today. The Derby has since added a 40-pitch limit.
Ohtani was eliminated by Juan Soto in the opening round, after which he said with a simile, “It was more tiring than the regular season.”
Ohtani went on to win his first most valuable player award that year, but the Derby marked a turning point in his season. In 84 games before the All-Star break, Ohtani batted .279 with 33 homers and 70 runs batted in. In his 71 games after, he hit just .229 with 13 homers and 30 RBIs.
He implied that experience was why he was unlikely to return any time soon.
“With the current rules, it’s pretty difficult,” Ohtani said last month, “so for now, I don’t think there’s much of a chance.”
For baseball, that translates to limited viewership.
Viewership for the Derby was at its highest in the first decade of the 2000s. Of the five most-viewed Derbys, only one was staged in the last 15 years: The 2017 Derby, which Judge won as a rookie. Judge has not competed since.
The Derby doesn’t make the players. The players make the Derby. And if the sport’s only superstar is open to taking part, the league should facilitate it.
The Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski was dominant against the Dodgers last Tuesday, striking out 12 in six innings and yielding only a leadoff home run to Shohei Ohtani. (Aaron Gash / Associated Press)
Seven days ago, Jacob Misiorowski was really only known by the most die-hard of baseball fans.
And even then, he was far from any sort of household commodity.
“I don’t even know who I’m pitching against,” future Hall of Fame Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw said last week, a day before squaring off against the Milwaukee Brewers' rookie phenom who had made only four career starts prior.
“Is that the guy who twisted his ankle on the mound, the ‘Twisted-His-Ankle’ guy?'” Kershaw added, able only to recall a widely shared clip of Misiorowski having to exit his MLB debut a month earlier amid five hitless innings after turning his ankle on the downslope of the hill.
“I know he throws hard. I saw a couple highlights,” Kershaw continued.
But, as far as the 23-year-old’s reputation was concerned, that was it — both to Kershaw, and most casual observers of the sport.
Then, however, came the game that changed everything — for Misiorowski, Major League Baseball and the conversation around this year’s All-Star festivities in Atlanta.
Last Tuesday, Misiorowski had his official coming-out party with a dominant six-inning, one-run, 12-strikeout gem against the mighty Dodgers — easily the most electrifying outing of the young flamethrower’s nascent career.
Days later, in a move that stunned the sport, Misiorowski was unexpectedly added to the National League All-Star team — an immediately controversial move given his one total month of big-league service time.
On Monday, at an All-Star media day event near Truist Park in Atlanta, Misiorowski’s presence was still dominating story lines at the Midsummer Classic, especially after several members of the Philadelphia Phillies (who felt two of their pitchers, Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suarez, were more deserving of All-Star nods even though they wouldn’t have pitched in the game) derided Misiorowski’s selection over the weekend as a “joke” and public relations stunt by the league.
It was the first question Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who will helm the National League team after winning last year’s World Series, fielded at a Monday afternoon news conference at the Coca-Cola Roxy Theater.
And when Misiorowski took his seat at media day, he was immediately peppered with questions about the backlash to his inclusion, and how he felt about people who argued he wasn’t deserving of being in the game — especially his NL teammates from the Phillies.
“I mean, they’re not happy,” Misiorowski said with an awkward smile. “But they’re not upset with me. It’s nothing I did. So they were all nice to me. The clubhouse has been good.”
For all the visceral takes and viral reactions the Misiorowski story has generated in recent days, chances are it will blow over by the time Tuesday’s game rolls around.
Roberts confirmed Misiorowski will pitch in the contest, probably somewhere in the middle innings.
And while he said Misiorowski’s selection, coupled with the withdrawals from numerous other NL All-Star pitchers, required a “deeper conversation” about how the game could be improved, he added that he was all for having Misiorowski take part in this year’s event.
“For this young kid to be named an All-Star, I couldn’t be more excited for him,” Roberts said. “It’s gonna be electric. The fans, the media, you’re gonna love it. So for me, it’s an easy answer, because if it brings excitement, attention to our game, then I’m all about it.”
If it wasn’t for Roberts’ team, the Misiorowski drama might have never happened.
Entering his start against the Dodgers last week, Misiorowski had a 3.20 ERA, was coming off a five-run, 3 ⅔ inning clunker against the New York Mets, and (despite his 100-plus mph fastball and wicked repertoire of breaking pitches) was nowhere near the All-Star picture.
Even internally, he acknowledged, he was still getting comfortable in the majors.
But in that game against the Dodgers, Misiorowski bounced back from a leadoff home run from Shohei Ohtani by giving up just three other hits. He mowed through the Dodgers’ league-leading offense with triple-digit fastballs and upper-90s mph sliders, which Dodgers catcher Will Smith called the nastiest current pitch in the sport. And he emerged with a newfound sense of belonging at the big-league level.
“That’s one of those games you look back on and you’re like, ‘OK, now we go,’” Misiorowski said Monday. “Now it starts.’”
Afterward, no one praised the young right-hander more than Kershaw, who started his postgame remarks about Misiorowski by quipping, “I know him now, huh?”
And now, a week later, so too does the rest of the baseball world; with Misiorowski’s dismantling of the Dodgers helping to thrust him into a spotlight he could have never imagined seven days earlier.
“I think it was just one of those things that, when it happened, it’s not really anything I’ve done,” he said. “I’m not gonna say no to MLB about coming to the game, so it is what it is.”
Back on June 30, the Montreal Canadiens traded goaltender Cayden Primeau to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick. The trade was understandable, as Primeau fell down the Canadiens' depth chart and was placed on waivers by them in December. Furthermore, Jakub Dobes ended up playing very well after being called up to the Canadiens' roster, so it was time for Montreal to move on from Primeau.
In 11 appearances with the Canadiens during the 2024-25 season, Primeau had a 2-3-1 record, a .836 save percentage, and a 4.70 goals-against average. Overall, it was a rough year at the NHL level for the 2017 seventh-round pick.
While things did not go well for Primeau this past season with the Canadiens, the potential for him to turn things around and break out with the Hurricanes should not be ruled out. With Primeau being just 25 years old, it could still be possible for him to prove that he can be a legitimate NHL goaltender. This is especially so when noting that he has now gotten a much-needed fresh start.
Primeau also simply dominated after being sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL) this past season. In 26 games with the Laval Rocket, he had a 21-2-2 record, a .927 save percentage, and a 1.26 goals-against average. Those are excellent numbers, so it makes sense that a team that needs more goalie depth, like the Hurricanes, are taking a shot on him.
Furthermore, before struggling this past season while with the Canadiens, Primeau performed well for them in 2023-24. In 23 games with Montreal that campaign, he had a .910 save percentage and a 2.99 goals-against average. Perhaps he could get back to this form on a team with a strong defensive group like the Hurricanes.
When looking at the Hurricanes' roster, Primeau should serve as a call-up option for them. However, with the Michigan native still being young and getting a much-needed change of scenery, he very well could improve his game as a member of the Hurricanes. It will be intriguing to see if he does just that from here.
The All-Star third baseman was at the tail-end of his career as he battled through injuries, but he was still the captain of the club and made sure that he took the young starting pitcher under his wing.
That certainly left a lasting impression on deGrom.
Speaking at All-Star Media Day on Monday in Atlanta, the now Texas Rangers starter told reporters that he’s thrilled to see Wright’s No. 5 being lifted up into the Citi Field rafters later this week.
“David was awesome for me early in my career,” he said. “My first year in the major leagues my locker was right next to him, to have a guy like that and to be able to learn from him, there’s no telling where I’d be without that experience.
“I’m super happy for him his number is being retired, he’s one of the all-time great Mets.”
This is also a pretty big week for deGrom, as he's making his first All-Star appearance since 2021 as a Met.
After dealing with injuries over the past few years, the 37-year-old has stayed healthy and returned to his dominant form this year with Texas -- pitching to a 2.32 ERA and 0.90 WHIP across 19 first-half outings.
The return to the festivities has presented him an opportunity to reconnect with some of his old teammates from the Big Apple.
“It was fun to see them,” he said. “You make a lot of friends in this game -- I keep in touch with some of those guys still, so it’s good see them and say hello, I’m happy with what they’ve been able to do this year.”
One of those former teammates is Pete Alonso, who says it’s awesome to finally see deGrom back healthy and at the top of his game.
“With Jake feeling like himself, there’s never a doubt what his ceiling is,” he said. “He’s a guy that as long as he’s healthy he’s going to be a standout and one of the best in the world at what he does, so I’m super happy for him.
“Being a teammate of his for a long time, just seeing him overcome adversity and get his body right and be able to perform the way he has, it’s special -- he’s a Hall of Fame talent and to see him find that success it’s just really special what he’s been able to do.”
Third Test, day three: Australia 225 and 121; West Indies 143 and 27
Australia wrap up 176-run victory and claim 3-0 series sweep
Mitchell Starc has produced one of the all-time great bowling spells and Scott Boland taken a hat-trick as Australia bowled West Indies out for 27 to win the third Test.
On a historic day in Jamaica, Australia’s quicks ran riot to wrap up a 176-run victory and claim a 3-0 series sweep of the Frank Worrell Trophy.
LAS VEGAS — Brook Lopez has never played for the Clippers.
Yet his free agent signing with them this summer is a sort of homecoming, with multiple ties between the Southern California native and the Clippers. That starts with team president Lawrence Frank.
"He was my coach way back when in 2008 with the New Jersey Nets," Lopez said. "So it's definitely a full circle moment."
Lopez was a hot name early in free agency, linked to the Lakers (a team he did play for in the past), the Rockets, and others, but he signed a two-year, $17.9 million contract to back up Ivica Zubac with the Clippers.
"Everything happened pretty fast, but looking at my options, I was just thrilled the Clippers reached out and were one of them," Lopez said. "You know, they've been a great team for quite a while now. They have a ton of great players, obviously Hall of Famers, all sorts of great young players. I got Zuby [Ivica Zubac]. And there's just a great chance to win a championship here."
Among Lopez's connections with the Clippers is Zubac — they were teammates on the Lakers a decade ago. Look for Tyronn Lue, who likes big lineups, to experiment with playing Lopez and Zuback together.
"I think we complement each other extremely well," Lopez said. "Obviously, we'll be very big. I think we'd be great defensively, just dominating the paint, sealing the paint off. Then offensively, we complement each other there as well, spread the floor for him, give him all the room in the paint for them to go wild."
Lopez's primary role with the Clippers will be as a backup big behind Zubac, but because of his floor spacing shooting — 37.3% from beyond the arc on 4.7 attempts a game last season — he's going to find himself in a lot of different lineups and roles.
"We'll see. I'm capable of a lot of stuff," Lopez said. "Obviously, I'm comfortable spreading the floor. I'm comfortable being in the post. I love defending, I love being anchor on defense. Bottom line, I just want to help the team win. Whatever they need me to do, whatever they see fit for my role, I'm going to be working as hard as possible to be great at that."
One teammate Lopez thinks there will be fast chemistry with is James Harden — Lopez knows where his points will come from.
"I'm going to get as many pick-and-rolls with him as possible," Lopez said with a laugh. "Just get in that pocket. I know he's going to make something good out there." The other role Lopez will play with the Clippers is that of a mentor.
The Clippers have a few young players, most notably No. 30 pick Yanic Konan Niederhauser, a center from Switzerland via Penn State, a 6'10 "center who has moved well and shown flashes at Summer League.
Lopez is excited about being a veteran mentor.
"I was fortunate to play with a lot of great players throughout my career: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Vince Carter. I can keep going down the line, but particularly KG was someone I was fortunate to play with when I was a younger player in this league and he helped mold me to the player I am today.
"So I think it's only right to pass on the things he taught me. Help the younger guys the same way he helped me. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him."
Ultimately, Lopez is back home in Southern California — closer to Disneyland than he has been at any stop in his professional career — and about to play for a franchise that was not on his radar growing up.
"I'm a Cali boy. I grew up in the valley, North Hollywood. Obviously, things were very different back then," Lopez said. "To see where the Clippers have come now, it's just astonishing. It's beautiful."
The Clippers think it's beautiful to have him in their lineup, too. It's a sort of homecoming.
Winning the first Bronze medal in Latvian hockey history. Taking a superpowered Edmonton Oilers team to seven games in the Division Finals. Backstopping his team to their first Calder Cup in franchise history. Making five shutouts in 24 playoff games, three of which came in series-clinchers. While Artūrs Šilovs’ journey with the Vancouver Canucks has seemingly ended as of his trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins, there is no shortage of the impact his clutchness has had on the Canucks organization.
Let’s take it back to 2019, a season when Vancouver fans had both Jacob Markström and Thatcher Demko within their ranks, but saw a gem in the sixth round of the draft and decided to take him. Šilovs went 156th overall to Vancouver, entering the Canucks organization alongside fellow 2019 draftees such as Vasily Podkolzin and Nils Höglander. By this time, Šilovs had already proved himself as capable at an international level. Despite Latvia not making it far in the 2019 IIHF U-18 World Junior Championship, Šilovs still held his own against stacked teams like Sweden and Canada. He faced 140 shots in four games, letting in 13 goals from this amount.
After being drafted, Šilovs made his way to the OHL, where he spent a season with the Barrie Colts. In 36 games with Barrie, he registered a 16–13–4 record, a 3.87 GAA, and a SV% of .891. The season after, however, after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down virtually all sports leagues, Šilovs’ spot in team lineups got scattered. In 2020–21, he played one game with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL, as well as two games with HS Riga and four games with HK Modo in Latvia.
The 2021–22 season was more consistent for Šilovs, who joined the Canucks organization semi- full-time as a member of the Abbotsford Canucks. He played in 10 of Abbotsford’s games this season, saving 221 of 249 shots faced in this span of time and registering his first AHL shutout with 26 saves in his second match of the season. In this season, Šilovs also played for the Trois-Rivières Lions of the ECHL, registering a .920 SV% and 2.37 GAA in 10 games.
In international play, Šilovs shone. He played in four of Latvia’s games in the 2022 IIHF World Championship, serving as a backup to Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Even so, Šilovs managed to show his skills, making his first start of the tournament against Austria in a narrow 4–3 victory. He finished the tournament with 80 saves made on 84 shots against, putting up a 1.22 GAA and .952 SV%.
The 2022–23 season was a big one for Šilovs, who increased his playing time in the AHL, played in his first NHL game, and made history for the country of Latvia. He played in 44 games for the AHL Canucks this season, posting a record of 26–12–5 and recording four shutouts. His first NHL start came in February of 2023, in a home game against the New York Rangers. Despite the loss, Šilovs faced 27 shots and stopped 22. He only got busier after that, as he faced 30 or more shots in three of his remaining four games with the Canucks in 2023. His first NHL win came in his second NHL game, as he made 35 stops on 37 shots to win Vancouver a game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
After Vancouver’s season ended, Šilovs rejoined Abbotsford for a Calder Cup run, in which he played in two games. While Spencer Martin started the majority of the AHL Canucks’ games, Šilovs managed to split his own record with a win against the Bakersfield Condors and a loss against the Calgary Wranglers.
Upon Abbotsford’s exit from the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs, Šilovs joined Team Latvia at the 2023 IIHF World Championship hosted by Finland and his home country. In a surprise run, in which Šilovs played in all 10 of his team’s games, Latvia secured their first Bronze medal in history with a shocking 4–3 overtime victory against Team USA in the Bronze-medal game. Šilovs was easily one of the best goaltenders of this tournament, as he faced 280 shots throughout and saved 258 of them. He finished with a record of 7–2 and had one shutout against Kazakhstan.
This Bronze medal win only marked the beginning of Šilovs’ clutch moments for the Canucks. He once again shared games with Vancouver and Abbotsford in the 2023–24 season, playing in four for Vancouver and 34 for Abbotsford. Of course, many remember the 2023–24 season as the one in which Šilovs held the Canucks in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs after injuries to goaltenders Demko and Casey DeSmith. He kicked off his NHL postseason career with a 27-save win against the Nashville Predators, later making a 28-save shutout in Game 6 of Vancouver’s first-round series to help the team advance to the Division Finals. He came up with multiple clutch saves in the team’s seven-game series against the Oilers, including a 42-save win in Game 3, but ultimately, Edmonton got the best of them.
Nearly a year after his Stanley Cup Playoff debut, Šilovs was once-again tasked with helping a Canucks team win in the postseason. This time, it was Abbotsford who required his help. The AHL Canucks’ 2025 Calder Cup victory was a masterclass in showcasing Šilovs’ even tempo and ability to shine during high-pressure moments. The Latvian goaltender started all 24 of Abbotsford’s playoff games and finished the team’s run with a 2.01 GAA and .931 SV%. Šilovs looked calm and controlled in the net during all situations — something that burned brightly in his three series-clinching shutouts against the Tucson Roadrunners, Coachella Valley Firebirds, and Colorado Eagles. For his poise in net and unbelievable play during this run, Šilovs was named MVP of the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs.
While Šilovs will now start a new journey with the Penguins, his time with the Canucks was certainly memorable. With Pittsburgh, he will now have the opportunity to prove himself at the NHL level — something that may not have happened as soon with Vancouver given how crowded the goaltending department currently is. Regardless of where Šilovs finds success, his feats are certainly worth a party.
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