There are many signs that the NHL season is just a few weeks away. The players have returned to Brossard in droves, the radio stations are launching their Fall programs, and the Montreal Canadiens’ communication department has sent an email to the media covering the team, which includes key dates for the upcoming weeks.
Firstly, on September 10, the rookie camp will kick off with the usual physical and medical tests for the team’s brightest young players. They will all hit the ice the next day to get ready for the Prospect Showdown, which will take place on September 13 and 14.
Then, on September 15, the team will hold its traditional golf tournament at the Laval-sur-le-Lac golf club. As always, the Habs’ brass and the players will be meeting the media before teeing off. Last year, that day was all about being “in the mix.” It’s going to be interesting to find out what the theme will be this season.
On September 17, the Canadiens’ camp will officially kick off with the physical and medical tests. The players should therefore hit the ice for the first time on September 18, just four days before the first exhibition game, which is scheduled for September 22nd against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
This year, Montreal will play six exhibition games, including four at home, one in Toronto, and one in Quebec City against the Ottawa Senators. The last preseason game is scheduled for October 4 and will give Martin St-Louis and his men three days before the season officially kicks off on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 8.
The first regular-season game at the Bell Centre will take place on October 14 against the Seattle Kraken. This was followed by a visit from the Nashville Predators on October 16 and another from the New York Rangers on October 18.
Hockey is right around the corner. Can you smell it? The Canadiens’ players certainly can, as the CN Sports Complex in Brossard was very busy this morning. Faceoff specialist Marc Bureau was on hand, working on draws with Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Juraj Slafkovsky, Zachary Bolduc, Oliver Kapanen, Joe Veleno, and Alex Newhook. As for Lane Hutson and Arber Xhekaj, they were the last two on the ice, working on their shots.
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Pro-Palestinian protests have disrupted race in Spain
Thursday sees 12th stage of 21-stage Tour take place
The Israel-Premier Tech team have said pulling out of this year’s Vuelta a España would “set a dangerous precedent in the sport of cycling” after pro-Palestinian protests disrupted the 11th stage of the race on Wednesday.
There was no winner declared on Wednesday’s stage due to protesters at the finish line in Bilbao. Israel-Premier Tech were also the target of protests during the team time-trial last week and there have been suggestions that some members of the peloton would like the team to withdraw from the race.
NHL Offseason Recap: Marner to Vegas, Big Trades, Key Moves Unveiled
The long wait is finally coming to an end. Hockey season is almost upon us. Rookie camps and training camps open this month, and for those who detach from everything to focus on soaking up the summer sun or turn attention to their favorite baseball or WNBA team, a lot has happened since the Florida Panthers captured the team's second-straight Stanley Cup by defeating the Edmonton Oilers, this time in six games.
Matthew Schaefer went No. 1 overall in an NHL Draft that featured few surprises, and the subsequent opening of NHL free agency was more of the same. It was highlighted by one big decision, Mitch Marner, but was relatively quiet aside from that. With the NHL salary cap jumping from $88 million in 2024-25 to $95.5 million in the upcoming season, an increase of $7.5 million, teams had the ability to maintain their pending free agents in ways that they haven't been able to in years prior, and, for the most part, took full advantage of the newfound flexibility.
With free agency being a bit of a dud, trades were where most of the action happened, and there were certainly a couple of big names that have new homes for the upcoming season.
Here's a full recap of the big moves made over the doldrums of the summer months:
Mitch Marner's Big Move to the Vegas Golden Knights
After a nine-season tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs, in which he had 741 points in 657 career regular-season games, Marner is officially moving on from his hometown team. The 28-year-old, who has 13 goals and 50 assists in 70 playoff appearances in his career, is off to the Golden Knights, acquired with an eight-year, $96 million extension in a sign-and-trade for Nicolas Roy. He joins an already stacked forward group that includes established NHL stars Mark Stone, Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertl, along with last year's breakout star, Pavel Dorofeyev. The Golden Knights currently sit over $7 million clear of the salary cap, but the news that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will miss at least the entirety of the upcoming season, and potentially more, will likely take care of that overage.
Marner was undoubtedly the biggest fish available in an otherwise underwhelming group of free agents. As previously mentioned, the class was severely weakened by players re-signing with their current teams ahead of the opening of free agency. Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad and Sam Bennett, all key pieces of the Panthers' Cup run, are all back in Sunrise on long-term deals. Brock Nelson, a big acquisition at the trade deadline last year by the Colorado Avalanche from the New York Islanders, re-signed with the Avalanche. The Maple Leafs may have lost Marner, but they re-signed John Tavares to an extremely team-friendly contract. Ivan Provorov, Patrick Kane, Trent Frederic, Kevin Bahl, Ryan Donato, the list goes on and on. So who did end up moving?
Well, two high-end wingers did wind up making it to July 1: Nikolaj Ehlers and Brock Boeser. To keep on theme with this year's free agency, Boeser ended up re-signing with the Canucks on a seven-year, $50.75 million deal. Ehlers, however, is switching teams, going from the Winnipeg Jets to the Carolina Hurricanes with a six-year, $51 million contract. Carolina needed a boost to the top six and will get it with Ehlers, who has scored over 20 goals in all but two of his 10 NHL seasons, as long as he can remain healthy.
Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov is also on the move, joining the New York Rangers on a seven-year, $49 million deal. He fills a hole on the left side for the Rangers after the departure of Ryan Lindgren, who signed with the Seattle Kraken in free agency, with the hope being that Gavrikov can be the long-term defense partner for star Adam Fox. Mikael Granlund decided not to re-sign with the Dallas Stars and is off to the Anaheim Ducks on a three-year, $21 million agreement. Other notable players on the move include Dmitry Orlov to the San Jose Sharks, Christian Dvorak to the Philadelphia Flyers, Pius Suter to the St. Louis Blues and Cody Ceci to the Los Angeles Kings.
Defensemen Dominate NHL Offseason Trade Market
While free agency may have been disappointing, the trade market certainly tried to help make up for it, highlighted by some big-time defensemen switching clubs.
Noah Dobson, a 6-foot-4 blueliner one year removed from a 70-point season, was traded on the day of the NHL Draft to the Montreal Canadiens for two first-round draft picks and forward Emil Heineman. The trade gives the Canadiens two major offensive pieces to work with on the blue line between Dobson and returning rookie sensation and Calder Trophy winner, Lane Hutson.
Montreal also grabbed some headlines with a one-for-one trade of defense prospect Logan Mailloux for forward Zachary Bolduc from the St. Louis Blues. Bolduc, a 2021 first-round draft selection, put up 19 goals and 17 assists in his first full NHL season last year at the age of 21. After making the playoffs for the first time since being the league runner-up in the strange 2021 season, the Canadiens and GM Kent Hughes have certainly not been shy about trying to improve the team, making big, bold moves to try and go further than just getting a ticket to the dance.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes continued their busy offseason and cashed some of the draft capital from the blockbuster Mikko Rantanen deal to acquire defenseman K'Andre Miller from the Rangers, trading a conditional first-round pick, a second-round pick and defenseman Scott Morrow. Miller joins a stacked left side of the Carolina defense corps, also featuring shutdown star Jaccob Slavin, top prospect Alexander Nikishin and offensive threat Shayne Gostisbehere.
In the Western Conference, the Utah Mammoth made their first major trade since relocating from Arizona, acquiring young forward JJ Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres for forward prospect Josh Doan and right-shot defenseman Michael Kesselring. Peterka scored 27 goals and added 41 assists last season and should add some much-needed scoring punch to the Mammoth top-six.
The Ducks were probably the most active team in the league when it came to working the phones, pulling the trigger on a multitude of notable trades. First, they got Chris Kreider from the Rangers for a minimal net loss in compensation. Then, they executed a bit of a surprising move, sending the talented Trevor Zegras to the Flyers in exchange for forward Ryan Poehling, a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick. Zegras has one year remaining on his contract that pays him $5.75 million annually, and he'll look to revitalize his career in Philadelphia. Finally, there was a resolution to the ongoing John Gibson trade rumors; he was moved to the Detroit Red Wings for goaltender Petr Mrazek, a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick. Gibson will battle it out with 38-year-old Cam Talbot for the starting job in Detroit as they continue to buy time for their top goalie prospects.
Finally, the Edmonton Oilers were able to pry Isaac Howard away from both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Michigan State University, where Howard was set to play his senior season. In a swap of late first-round draft picks, the Oilers sent forward prospect Sam O'Reilly for Howard's services and signed him to his entry-level contract. He figures to make an instant impact with Edmonton, perhaps on the wing of either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl.
While this offseason might not have been as eventful as some others, there was still some significant movement to speak of. Coming out of the flat cap era, there was bound to be an adjustment period, and that's where we seem to be now. As teams get more acquainted with the new environment, there should be more offseason drama in seasons moving forward.
In this week's Closer Report, Ryan Walker continues to have an excellent second half, taking over as the Giants' closer with Randy Rodríguez set to undergo Tommy John surgery. Meanwhile, Shawn Armstrong is taking the lead in the Rangers' late-inning committee. All that and more as we review the last week in saves.
Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
Tier 1
Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners Edwin Díaz - New York Mets Aroldis Chapman - Boston Red Sox
After blowing a save against the Guardians on Friday, Muñoz bounced back with a clean inning Sunday, striking out two batters for his 32nd save of the season. Behind Muñoz, Matt Brash has been outstanding in setup duties, registering 19 holds and a 1.86 ERA over 38 2/3 innings.
Díaz surrendered two runs against the Marlins in a non-save situation on Saturday, then converted a four-out save against the Tigers on Monday with a pair of strikeouts. The 31-year-old right-hander has converted 25 saves with a 1.87 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and an 81/18 K/BB ratio across 53 innings.
Chapman made two appearances this week, extending his perfect outing streak to six games. He struck out two against the Pirates on Sunday before striking out one in a clean frame against the Guardians on Monday, converting two saves to give him 28 on the season with a sparkling 1.00 ERA over 54 innings.
Tier 2
Jhoan Duran - Philadelphia Phillies Robert Suarez - San Diego Padres Daniel Palencia - Chicago Cubs
Duran made three perfect outings this week, picking up a pair of saves against the Braves and Brewers. The 27-year-old right-hander is up to 25 saves with a 1.95 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a 66/18 K/BB ratio across 60 innings. José Alvarado returned from his suspension on August 19 and has allowed three runs with five strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings in middle relief.
No save chances for Suarez this week. He recorded five outs in a non-save situation against the Orioles on Monday, striking out three batters. Meanwhile, Palencia worked four outings for the Cubs, taking two losses and recording two saves.
Tier 3
David Bednar - New York Yankees Pete Fairbanks - Tampa Bay Rays Kenley Jansen - Los Angeles Angels Carlos Estévez - Kansas City Royals Bryan Abreu - Houston Astros Ryan Walker - San Francisco Giants Abner Uribe - Milwaukee Brewers Tanner Scott - Los Angeles Dodgers Emilio Pagán - Cincinnati Reds Cade Smith - Cleveland Guardians Jeff Hoffman - Toronto Blue Jays Raisel Iglesias - Atlanta Braves Kyle Finnegan/Will Vest - Detroit Tigers Dennis Santana - Pittsburgh Pirates
Bednar pitched two scoreless innings against the White Sox on Saturday to fall in line for a win. Camilo Doval stepped in for a save in the bottom of the tenth inning. Devin Williams had pitched the seventh, giving up a run to charge him with a blown save. Bednar has run with the closer role, posting a 2.45 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and a 71/15 K/BB ratio across 51 1/3 innings.
Fairbanks struck out two batters in each of his appearances, picking up two saves against the Nationals. The 31-year-old right-hander is up to 24 saves with a 2.81 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and a 53/15 K/BB ratio across 51 1/3 innings. Meanwhile, Jansen also picked up two saves this week to bring him to 25 on the year.
Estévez worked around a hit on Saturday to pick up a save against the Tigers, breaking a streak of six clean outings. The 32-year-old right-hander has locked down a career-high 36 saves with a 2.58 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 50/20 K/BB ratio across 59 1/3 innings.
In Houston, Abreu struck out two in a scoreless inning for a save against the Rockies last Thursday, then surrendered three runs to take a loss against the Angels on Saturday. The three-run outing broke a 12-game scoreless streak. Still, the 28-year-old right-hander has recorded a 1.89 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 95/27 K/BB ratio across 62 innings.
Walker needed to record just one out against the Cubs last Thursday to fall in line for a win. He followed with a clean inning against the Rockies on Tuesday, then recorded the final two outs in Colorado on Wednesday to convert his 14th save. Walker is set to finish out the season as the Giants' closer with Randy Rodríguez set to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery.
Uribe made two scoreless appearances against the Blue Jays, picking up a save on Saturday. He then surrendered two runs for the loss against the Phillies on Monday, his third appearance in four days. Regular closer Trevor Megill, nursing a Grade 1 flexor sprain, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Thursday with hopes of returning when he's eligible on September 9.
Scott made just one appearance this week, giving up a three-run homer to blow the save against the Diamondbacks on Sunday. It was Scott's third appearance since coming off the injured list. Still, the 31-year-old left-hander can be expected to continue working as the Dodgers' primary closer.
Pagan struck out the side for a save against the Cardinals on Sunday, then surrendered three runs on two homers to blow a save against the Blue Jays on Monday, his third outing in four days. The 34-year-old right-hander has recorded 26 saves with a 3.34 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and a 66/20 K/BB ratio across 56 2/3 innings.
Smith struck out three batters in a clean, four-out save against the Mariners on Saturday. He had some trouble on Tuesday against the Red Sox, giving up three runs without recording an out. Hoffman also gave up three runs in an outing, taking the loss against the Brewers on Saturday. He recovered with a pair of scoreless innings, including his 30th save on Tuesday against the Reds. Hoffman's up-and-down season has resulted in a 4.85 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 78/20 K/BB ratio across 59 1/3 innings.
Iglesias continues his strong second half with two scoreless appearances, picking up a save against the Phillies on Sunday. Meanwhile, Vest recorded his 20th save against the Royals on Friday. And in Pittsburgh, Santana locked down three more saves, giving him 13 to go with a 2.40 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and a 49/15 K/BB ratio across 60 innings.
Tier 4
JoJo Romero/Riley O'Brien - St. Louis Cardinals Jose Ferrer - Washington Nationals Shawn Armstrong - Texas Rangers Calvin Faucher/Ronny Henriquez/Tyler Phillips - Miami Marlins
Romero made five appearances on the mound this week, converting three saves. He's up to seven with a 2.06 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and a 47/24 K/BB ratio across 52 1/3 innings. Romero has been working in a committee with O'Brien, who's been sidelined for a few days with a shoulder issue but expects to avoid the injured list.
Ferrer converted two saves for the Nationals, giving him six since taking over as closer following the trade of Kyle Finnegan. In Texas, Armstrong has six saves as he picked up two this week. The 34-year-old right-hander has taken the lead for closing duties for the Rangers, posting a 2.51 ERA over 61 innings.
Tier 5
Keegan Akin - Baltimore Orioles Justin Topa/Cole Sands - Minnesota Twins Sean Newcomb - Athletics Andrew Saalfrank - Arizona Diamondbacks Jordan Leasure/Steven Wilson - Chicago White Sox Victor Vodnik - Colorado Rockies
But while both teams traded blows in what felt like a playoff preview, the game will be remembered by the meltdown eighth inning by the Yankees, which was pushed to Houston's favor by what the team called an "inconsistent" strike zone from homeplate umpire Brian Walsh.
With the score tied at 4-4, Devin Williams was called upon to keep Houston down when he allowed a leadoff double to Carlos Correa. But a walk to Jesus Sanchez, with two questionable ball calls in the at-bat, put Williams in a bind. The right-hander then bounced back by striking out Yainer Diaz before walking Christian Walker to load the bases. Ramon Urias struck out swinging, bringing Taylor Trammell to the plate as the game-defining at-bat.
Trammell worked the count to 2-0, but Williams seemingly dotted the inside corner for a strike that Walsh called a ball, setting up a 3-0 count. Trammell would eventually walk on five pitches, pushing across the go-ahead run.
Manager Aaron Boone pulled Williams afterward and the reliever said a few words to Walsh as he walked back to the dugout. What Williams said prompted the first ejection of Williams' career.
"I already looked at [the replays]," Williams said after the game. "[Walsh] definitely missed four [pitches] and I told him, and he threw me out for it."
Boone would also be ejected after the skipper chirped at Walsh while walking back to the dugout.
Camilo Doval relieved Williams, and he allowed a single before balking in a run and throwing a wild pitch that plated another as the inning got out of hand.
Boone called the eighth "tough" and said there were some close pitches but gave credit to the Astros for putting together good at-bats against starter Will Warren and the bullpen in the second half of the game as the reason the game got away from the Yankees.
When asked about Walsh's strike zone, the Yankees skipper agreed that it was inconsistent but again credited Houston for the comeback.
"I thought it was maybe a little inconsistent. This is more we had a lead, had a couple of chances to add on and the Astros put some good at-bats together," he said. "They were squaring up good pitches against us in the second half of the game. Outslasted us."
Austin Wells was asked after the game whether the strike zone changed as the game went on, and the Yankees backstop took a beat but was candid.
"Yes. I would say yes," he said.
That wasn't more evident than in the ninth inning. After Cody Bellinger's three-run shot cut the Astros' lead to 8-7, Jazz Chisholm Jr. struck out looking on a pitch that seemed to be a bit outside to end the game. Chisholm had some words with Walsh after the game was over.
Williams understands that missed calls are a part of the game and pitchers are supposed to push past it, but admitted that it's difficult to accept when it "changes outcomes."
"When you’re making good pitches, which I was, not getting those calls really changes the course of an at-bat," Williams said. "Correa hit the double, so I had my back against the wall right away. made some really good pitches to Sanchez, which he missed two in that at-bat. I competed but…I don’t know.
"It’s just ridiculous to have the inning that I had and then Jazz got the bat taken out of his hands on a pitch that was a lot further from the zone than pitches I was making.”
"He had the right to be frustrated. Felt like there was definitely some calls that we would have loved to go our way," Wells said of Williams. "The game, mistakes, is what it is. We go back, watch video, try to get better. I hope that those guys are going to do the same."
Flyhalf Tom Lynagh also returns; Nic White keeps place
James O’Connor to come off bench in Townsville on Saturday
Nic White’s retirement tour will continue in Townsville when the halfback partners returning Wallabies flyhalf Tom Lynagh and captain Harry Wilson against Argentina.
Andrew Kellaway has won the battle to fill the injured Tom Wright’s boots at fullback at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday in the other change to the side that lost narrowly in Cape Town a fortnight ago.
Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.
With more talent in the system than Pittsburgh has had in years - and 13 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft - top prospects lists are becoming more competitive and more difficult to discern. Since the prospect pool is deepening, The Hockey News - Pittsburgh Penguins takes a look at the top-20 prospects in the organization.
For No. 7, we turn our focus back to the forward front, where a second-round pick from 2024 - currently on the shelf with a long-term injury - has plenty of raw potential. And that is Tanner Howe.
But despite the injury, there is nothing to suggest that it will be anything more than a minor setback for Howe, who continued to impress the Penguins' organization last season. The 5-foot-11, 182-pound left wing is speedy, versatile, and has a lot of potential to develop a formidable two-way game.
Selected 46th overall by the Penguins in 2024 and subsequently signed to an entry-level contract, Howe began the 2024-25 season with the Regina Pats of the WHL, registering six goals and seven points in 10 games. He was then traded mid-season to the Calgary Hitmen, where he amassed 12 goals and 39 points in 37 games, and he spent a good chunk of time playing with eventual Penguins' 2025 11th overall pick Ben Kindel.
He fit in with the Pats right away, and the progress he made throughout the season should pick up right where it left off when he tore his ACL. Howe's defensive game is still a work in progress, but he has the hockey sense, the motor, and the edge to keep improving upon it. Offensively, he's great around the net front, has some craftiness to his game, and has displayed a finishing touch and a lethal shot that could very well translate to the NHL level.
It seems that there are a lot of forwards with "middle-six potential" in the Penguins' organization, but Howe is one of those players with a higher ceiling. He may not be on the same level as Rutger McGroarty or Ville Koivunen, but there is a lot of room for him to continue climbing Penguins' prospect charts if he can lean into that 200-foot game and situational versatility.
The 2025-26 NHL season will be a pivotal one for many teams.
The Detroit Red Wings are at a dire crossroads in a nine-year “will they, won’t they” mystery of playoff contention. The Edmonton Oilers have not yet locked up their all-time great talent - a pending unrestricted free agent - entering a season that follows two consecutive Stanley Cup Final losses to the Florida Panthers. The Boston Bruins need to decide whether it’s time to tear things down to the studs and trade their best player or try to rebuild on-the-fly around the few veterans they have. The San Jose Sharks need to figure out whether it’s worth trying to tank one more time for a true generational talent or if they’re better off letting the youth they already have fully take the wheel.
There are many other compelling storylines to follow across the NHL. And one of the most compelling - and perplexing - is that of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Many expected the Penguins to be quite active in the trade market over the summer. Although they made some moves - such as acquiring goaltender Arturs Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks and sending Alex Nedeljkovic to the Sharks - they weren’t the Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, or Bryan Rust-type moves that a lot of people anticipated. Yet they also - surprisingly - decided to keep all 13 of their 2025 draft picks instead of leveraging any of them for young talent.
As a result, it’s difficult to tell what exactly the plan is for these Penguins in 2025-26. They have missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons - which follows a 16-year postseason streak - and still have a core of 38-year-old Sidney Crosby, 38-year-old Kris Letang, 39-year-old Evgeni Malkin, and 35-year-old Karlsson. They also have what appears to be a bleak defensive corps and questionable-at-best goaltending, with Silovs, rookie Joel Blomqvist, and Tristan Jarry - waived in the middle of the 2024-25 season - presumed to be the frontrunners jockeying for the starting position.
Even if the Penguins are certainly getting younger and more talented on the periphery of their roster - among others, prospects Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, Filip Hallander, and Owen Pickering should have a decent shot at making the team out of training camp - they still lack a lot of the younger core pieces needed to sustain contention in the future.
Penguins’ general manager and president of hockey operations has reiterated that he isn’t just interested in building a short-term winner as quickly as possible. Instead, he wants to build back up a culture of sustained success, which typically takes some time. He even expressed in his post-season press conference that the Penguins making the playoffs in 2025-26 would be an accomplishment.
If this is the case, it is a bit puzzling that the Penguins aren’t making the kinds of moves that indicate they’re going for the full rebuild - especially in a draft year that includes the best talent since Connor McDavid in 2015.
Of course, it’s never clear what is going on behind the scenes with Pittsburgh. Dubas and his staff keep a rather tight-lipped operation, so any number of things could be happening that folks simply aren’t privy to. Perhaps the offers for Karlsson, Rakell, and Rust simply aren’t high enough for Dubas’s liking. Maybe they are actively working on something involving one or more of those players. There could be other moves in the works that have nothing to do with those guys, too.
In other words, there may be a world where Dubas and the Penguins don’t deem it necessary to draft Gavin McKenna in order to contend in the near- and long-term. Perhaps they see a vision of a contending future that includes at least one of Karlsson, Rakell, and Rust. Maybe they’re convinced that the defense and the goaltending is poor enough to put them in lottery contention even if they don’t move any of those guys.
After all, think about it: If the Penguins were to strike lottery gold and have the opportunity to draft McKenna next season - and Karlsson, Rakell, and Rust remain on the roster at that point - it stands to reason that they could turn things around both quickly and sustainably. They already have enough prospect talent and draft capital to target - for example - a young, talented left defenseman that could be part of their contending future. And that prospect talent, again, should begin to fill out the periphery of the roster this season and even more so in 2026-27. They’ll also have near-unlimited spending power in free agency next summer.
It’s not really that difficult to see that potential vision. It’s still likely that at least one of the “big three” trade candidates won’t be on the roster through the end of next season, but it’s not impossible for the Penguins to compete with one or two of them still around.
But, at the end of the day, the Penguins are still too good as of right now to be surefire McKenna contenders. And - if keeping some of their veterans around in hopes of a quick but sustainable turnaround is the plan - they are still banking almost everything on a lottery ball falling the right way next season.
There are many paths Dubas and the Penguins can take from here, and there are still a lot more dominoes to fall. But even if that uncertainty makes the Penguins an interesting story for this upcoming season, it sure doesn’t make things any easier for them looking ahead to the future.
The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2025 has been announced, and it includes a former Montreal Canadiens forward.
Former Hab Scott Gomez is among the five players who have been elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. In addition to Gomez, Joe Pavelski, Zach Parise, Tara Mounsey, and Bruce Bennett have all been named to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
Gomez appeared in 1,079 NHL games over 16 seasons, posting 181 goals, 575 assists, and 756 points. He was also a two-time Stanley Cup winner, two-time All-Star, and the NHL's Calder Memorial Trophy winner in 2000. Thus, he undoubtedly had a strong career.
Gomez spent three seasons with the Canadiens from 2009-10 to 2011-12, where he recorded 21 goals, 87 assists, and 108 points in 196 games. His time with the Canadiens ended when he was bought out in 2013.
Shohei Ohtani reacts after striking out in the first inning Wednesday. (Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)
It was a pivotal moment, in a pivotal game, in what’s become a pivotal week for the Dodgers in the National League West standings.
Which, rather predictably given their recently floundering form, meant they found a new way to mess it all up.
In the top of the second inning on Wednesday night at PNC Park, the Dodgers appeared to be in optimal position.
Earlier in the day, the second-place San Diego Padres had been swept by the woebegone Baltimore Orioles, opening the door for the Dodgers to extend their 2½-game lead in the division. And despite trailing by a run in their own showdown against a last-place team, the Dodgers had the Pittsburgh Pirates on the ropes, loading the bases with no outs for a chance to take the lead.
The task, at that point, was simple.
Get the ball in play. Manufacture some early scoring. And, at the very least, set a positive tone for a night in which the NL West lead could grow.
“That’s a situation where you get shorter with your swing, use the big part of the field and you’ve got to drive in a run,” manager Dave Roberts said.
That approach, however, never materialized.
Over the rest of an inexplicable 3-0 loss to the Pirates, what happened next would instead loom large.
First, second-year outfielder Andy Pages came up, worked another full count against Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft … then went down swinging chasing a slider that would’ve been ball four.
Next, rookie infielder Alex Freeland again ran the count full, got an elevated slider up in the zone to hit … but kept the bat on his shoulder as the umpire rung him up for a called third strike.
A Kiké Hernández flyout would ultimately end the inning. But it was the first two at-bats that had Roberts fuming afterward.
“You never want to say that one inning kind of win or loses a game,” Roberts said. “But the second inning, bases loaded, nobody out — I just felt that we had two bad at-bats and didn't come away with anything.”
“That flipped the game,” Roberts later added. “It flipped the momentum.”
Indeed, on a night the Dodgers (78-61) failed to score any of their 11 baserunners or record a hit in seven at-bats with men in scoring position, no sequence was more frustrating than their second-inning fizzle.
It was the latest epitome of the team failing to produce in a clutch situation. Another example of their roster flunking some basic fundamentals.
“We've got to collectively get all of us on board understanding the magnitude of each at-bat, each situation,” Roberts bemoaned from his office postgame. “I sound repetitive [about how] it's got to get better. But I do believe that having the right approach, the right mindset, the right urgency in a particular at-bat lends itself to better results."
This has been a recurring theme for the Dodgers during the second half of the season; the kind of fine-margin miscues that have haunted them during a perplexing 22-29 stretch since July 4.
Sometimes, it’s their big-name superstars that falter. In other cases, it’s younger contributors like Pages and Freeland who fail to execute when required.
The only constant: Every time the Dodgers seem to be turning a corner, they find another way to trip themselves up.
“I do believe that the guys that we have in the room are capable of putting together consistent team at-bats of urgency from the first pitch on,” Roberts said. “But at the end of the day — and I'm sure our players are echoing the same message — we just got to get it done.”
This week’s series at PNC Park (the fourth straight the Dodgers have dropped here over the last four years) has exemplified the club’s maddening current rut in other ways.
One night, they explode at the plate for seven runs … only for their pitching staff to give up nine as it did in Tuesday’s loss.
The next, they piece together a decent pitching effort (even after Shohei Ohtani was scratched from his scheduled start because of an illness) … only for the offense to squander every single opportunity they had to take control of the contest (and lose catcher Will Smith along the way to a bruised hand he suffered on an errant foul ball, though postgame X-rays came back negative).
“We haven’t really put it together at all for a while now,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “We need to start playing better.”
On Wednesday, the Pirates jumped in front in the first inning, when Bryan Reynolds homered in the 12th pitch of his at-bat off spot starter Emmet Sheehan. Andrew McCutchen doubled the lead in the second, adding to the sting of the Dodgers’ squandered bases-loaded opportunity with a line-drive home run in the game’s very next at-bat.
After that, “we just really couldn't put anything else together,” Roberts said.
Or, more precisely, they failed to finish any other chances off.
The Dodgers loaded the bases again with two out in the third, before Alex Call hit a dribbler up the first-base line to retire the side.
The team had two runners aboard again in the fifth and seventh, but continued to come up empty each and every time.
“We had guys on, we just didn’t get the hit,” said Freeman, who rolled into a fifth-inning double-play to extinguish that threat. “Frustrating night.”
The only saving grace right now is that the Padres (who have lost four in a row while dealing with a string of deflating injuries) haven’t made up ground against them.
“I’m very much aware of that,” Roberts said. “But they’re feeling the same thing we are. We’ve got to control what we can control. And we’re certainly not.”
A different approach in Wednesday’s second inning might have changed all that. Instead, it served as another regrettable failure, turning a potentially pivotal chance to stretch the division lead into one of the season's most dispiriting losses.
Smith update
Smith exited Wednesday's game after the second inning, when a foul tip bounced off the dirt and hit his right throwing hand as it was hanging behind his right thigh.
Because Smith's X-rays came back negative, Roberts said the club was hopeful he could avoid the injured list. However, given the swelling and soreness he was feeling postgame, the team was still planning to call up a third catcher on Thursday for more roster insurance.
Now we have a few more details. The NBA's Competition Committee was presented with the idea of three 8-man teams — two USA, one World team — playing in a round-robin format, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. These would be 12-minute games, three of them, with the undefeated team (if there is one) taking the title. The idea was presented by the NBA and the players' union to the committee (made of owners, GMs and players) and received positive feedback, according to the report.
A few quick thoughts on this:
• The USA vs. World format fits perfectly on NBC and Peacock in 2026 because the NBA All-Star Game falls in the middle of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. While Silver was vague on details, this is expected to be a Ryder Cup-style format, featuring the USA vs. the World.
• The 2026 NBA All-Star Game in Southern California (at the Clippers' new Intuit Dome) will be played in the afternoon Pacific time, allowing for a Winter Olympic lead-in and more Olympic content on NBC and Peacock after the NBA exhibition.
• Making it a three-team round robin eliminates the need for a fourth team to fill out a bracket-style tournament, as was done last year in San Francisco. The fourth team in that tournament was the winner of the Rising Stars game (rookies and sophomores) and those youngsters getting on the Sunday All-Star stage was not popular with veteran players and other All-Stars who were voted onto the team by fans or selected by coaches for their play.
• An eight-man World Team roster would be stacked — the last seven MVP winners were international players. The world team could be an eight-man roster of Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam and Jamal Murray — and that doesn't include Franz Wagner, Lauri Markkanen, Kristaps Porzingis, Alperen Sengun and Rudy Gobert.
• When asked about a potential USA vs. World format at last February's All-Star weekend, international players were far more enthusiastic than the Americans.
"I would love that. Oh, I would love that," Antetokounmpo said. "I think that would be the most interesting and most exciting format. I would love that. For sure, I'd take pride in that."
Francisco Alvarez is getting closer to a return to the Mets, and in his potentially final rehab game with Triple-A Syracuse, the backstop showed his prodigious power.
After flying out in his first at-bat against Buffalo on Wednesday, Alvarez came up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth inning. Stepping to the plate against CJ Van Eyk, Alvarez was down 0-2 in the count when a fastball was left up in the zone. Alvarez got around the pitch and launched the ball 405 feet -- at 105.6 mph -- for the grand slam. The blast gave Syracuse a 7-0 lead.
Alvarez finished 1-for-4 with a walk but caught all nine innings of Syracuse's 8-2 win on Wednesday. In five games with Triple-A, Alvarez is 4-for-19.
In addition to Alvarez, the Mets had Jose Siri rehabbing with Triple-A. In his second game with Syracuse, Siri went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Siri was the DH in Tuesday's game, but played center field on Wednesday for seven innings before he was pulled. In two games, Siri is 2-for-9 with two RBI and four strikeouts.
In the prospect department, Jett Williams went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. His big hit came in the eighth, a two-run shot that went 384 feet.
Carson Benge and Ryan Clifford went a combined 0-for-8 with a walk and an RBI, and four strikeouts.
Kevin Parada made his Triple-A debut after his promotion and started as the team's DH. He went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. He also stole a base.
The Ottawa Senators have signed defenseman Donovan Sebrango to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2025-26 season, per PuckPedia.
The contract will pay him $775,000 at the NHL level and $140,000 in the AHL. He was tendered a qualifying offer by the Senators on July. 1.
Sebrango notched eight goals and 20 points in 50 games with the Belleville Senators while serving as an assistant captain and went pointless in two games with Ottawa last season, the first NHL games of his career.
The Ottawa, Ont., native has 13 goals and 45 points in 220 career AHL games with the Senators and Grand Rapids Griffins.
Originally a third round selection of the Detroit Red Wings in 2020, Sebrango was dealt to Ottawa in July 2023 in the trade that sent Alex DeBrincat to Detroit.
The 23-year-old seems set to play big minutes in Belleville and could be in line for more NHL games with Ottawa's lack of left-handed defensive depth.
