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Paul D. Grant — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 10:34:53 EDT

Five notes for the Maple Leafs’ next front office

Justin Bourne — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:45:37 EDT

Around the city of Toronto, everyone has a plan for how to fix the Maple Leafs. I tend to be subjected to a lot of them given my job, so I have some idea about the themes floating around out there right now. To those people, I want to put some bumpers in the gutters so you can bowl more strikes. There’s some good ideas out there, but some real empty frames too.

Here’s my blanket two cents for those who want to see the Leafs get better, and that includes the next front office.

1. Cookie-cutter moves are not going to solve this problem

If the Leafs are only making the moves we on the outside can see, they’re in trouble.

Over the Brad Treliving era, the Toronto Maple Leafs were paint-by-numbers. They couldn’t get over the hump in the playoffs — you know playoffs, with its brute physicality and attrition — so the Leafs GM went out and got brute physicality. Ryan Reaves, Max Domi, Tyler Bertuzzi, those types.

Square peg, square hole.

When they were a playoff team in 2025 and it came time to buy, they spent like Rockefellers. They waited right up until the deadline (while a team like Florida got the jump and traded for Seth Jones a week prior), then paid exorbitant prices for two players, one of whom they engaged on an hour prior to said deadline (Brandon Carlo).

When they weren’t a playoff team, they unloaded jetsam into the sea as the boat sunk, taking whatever prices they could get at the last minute with the “something is better than nothing” mentality.

They didn’t retain money to increase returns, they didn’t take on bad money to gain assets, they didn’t buy low on underachievers in-season (looking at you, Egor Chinakhov), they didn’t find a single way to do more than the guy at the bar beside you could’ve done.

So when everyone puts together their plan for the next version of the Leafs, I pray that those in the next version of the front office can see more than we can. It’s going to take some creativity to find their way back to being good beyond just signing a few UFAs.

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2. No more specialists

Hockey analysis is often over-simplified, which is to say, the lesson from the Florida Panthers is said to be “Be tough, be bullies, be mean.”

We talk less about the fact that the face of those labels, Sam Bennett, scored 15 times in the playoffs and won the Conn Smythe Trophy. He tied their other “greasy” player Matthew Tkachuk in points with 23. “Rat” Brad Marchand scored 10 and 10 for 20. My point is, those are full-service hockey players, and the physical stuff is just one of the clubs in the bag.

So adding Reaves doesn’t really solve your problems.

But this also goes for every other position. OK, you want a player who defends, but that doesn’t mean you need guys who only defend. The Leafs’ entire D-corps are “good defensive veterans,” but when nobody can make plays, you end up having to use those tools an awful lot.

In today’s NHL, everybody has to be able to do a bit of everything. We’ve talked for years about the Leafs puzzle pieces “fitting” (or how they haven’t), but when each piece can change shapes depending on need, it becomes a lot easier. Quit hunting for guys who solve only one problem.

3. Focus on who you want in, not who you want out

The greatest contrast between the Vegas Golden Knights (playoff success) and the Leafs (not so much) is Vegas looks around the league and says “How can we get that good player?” while the Leafs look at their roster and say “How can we get rid of this guy?”

Nazem Kadri had to go, Mitch Marner had to go, Jake Gardiner had to go. People are always convinced the problem will be solved by subtractions without any plan for additions. This is easily the most common solution I come across in the wild. “You gotta get rid of Player X.”

Now Morgan Rielly has to go, and Auston Matthews has to go according to some, William Nylander to others. (You know, because you can’t win a Cup with Phil Kessel, you can’t win a Cup with Alexei Kovalev, you can’t win a Cup with Alexander Ovechkin.)

I can hear the case for Rielly, but don’t let the greater point being made get lost. For years, it’s been a worry about who should go. If you want the Leafs to get better, turn your focus to the 31 other rosters around the league.

4. Don’t fear the word “data”

Fun fact, I failed Grade 11 math. I get a great kick out of anyone who now perceives me as some “numbers guy,” as I spent most of my life perceived as some hockey-playing jock to others. But apparently my lack of fear in noting that “Hey that team gets way more shots than the other team when this player is on the ice” has turned me into some analytics guru.

I am repeatedly baffled by the fear some old school hockey guys have of the numbers. We do a segment on Kyper and Bourne sometimes where I throw some data at Kyper called “useful or useless” and it’s great. What’s crazy is this is all Keith Pelley and the Leafs are looking for in their next President and GM when it comes to data: a willingness to look at the numbers and play that game.

“Hey that might mean something,” or “Hey I think that’s totally useless” are perfectly fine answers. They aren’t trying to hire Stephen Hawking.

What they’re opposed to is someone who is unwilling to even hear those numbers, to consider them, to see if there’s not some info there that can help. At no point will anyone make you use Pythagorean theorem (a term I knew but had to Google to confirm).

I hear people saying “everyone has data guys now,” and that’s true. But not all management teams are willing to even consider the information, which is both insane and childish, and it’s those guys who fall behind. “Useful or useless” is all it takes.

And finally,

5. You gotta have, and articulate, a plan

I have zero time for the idea that Leafs fans are too impatient to rebuild. Sports fans today are smart, they’ve been forced to learn the salary cap and contract clauses and the lottery and playoff systems. They generally “get” it all. If they see what the team is doing — and if what the team is doing is building for the long term — you can sell hope, and that’s exciting.

As prospects enter the pipeline and develop, the fans will be on your side. They just need to know that what you’re doing is on purpose, and has an end in sight.

And if you want to make the playoffs next year, great. It’s doable. Say that, but tell them how that works hand-in-glove with the team’s long-term forecast, too.

Fans can handle some losing, they can have patience, but what they don’t have time for is a lack of direction. You can’t be wandering in the woods, executing one cookie-cutter move after the next and hoping for miracles.

Reflection turns into relief for Guerrero, Blue Jays

Shi Davidi — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:31:31 EDT

TORONTO – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. threw his hands up in the air after receiving Jeff Hoffman’s relay to first for the final out of a streak-busting win, took off his hat, pumped his arms to the heavens and joined the Toronto Blue Jays for handshakes.

A night earlier, at the end of a 4-1 setback to the Los Angeles Dodgers that was his team’s sixth straight loss, the superstar first baseman sat in the dugout for an extended period, staring at the field.

The contrast between the two moments was telling.

“Giving my thanks to God,” Guerrero said of holding his arms up to the sky. “It was a tough week for us. We won, we have a day off and we come in fresh for Friday, that’s what it is. (Tuesday) I spent probably 15 minutes in the dugout thinking how we can beat those guys and (Wednesday) we did.”

Wednesday’s win wasn’t all pretty, with another error leading to a run, two more 0-fers with the bases loaded, leaving them an unfathomable 1-for-19 this season with three on, and a 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position that actually nudged their average up to .215 (23-for-107). But pressure on the bases in the eighth inning by Davis Schneider, who went first-to-third on an Andres Gimenez bouncer up the middle, and Gimenez, who stole second leading to a Will Smith throwing error that scored the decisive run, turned the tide.

The Blue Jays maintained that aggressiveness on the bases despite a Guerrero mistake after his leadoff double in the sixth, as he broke to third on a Jesus Sanchez grounder right in front of him, only for Miguel Rojas to range right and throw to third for a frustrating out.

“That was a tough one because (Rojas) was playing behind me,” said Guerrero. “Sanchie hit it hard. I thought it was going to be a base hit. He did a good job. I talked with (first base coach Mark Budzinkski) and next time it’s better to go back and then go to third. We learn from that I think it’s not going to happen again.”

There have been plenty of lessons early for Guerrero and the rest of the Blue Jays.

While he was sitting in the dugout Tuesday night, Guerrero said he was thinking how “everybody in here has to get better, especially myself.” His groundout to third with two on in the sixth Tuesday left him “mad with myself” and wanting to “take that back.”

“You have to think sometimes, how you get better, how you do something to help the team win,” he said. “To me, better than being mad, breaking a bat, breaking something, I just relax (in the dugout post-game), see the fear and try to come through myself.”

Guerrero reached base three times in four trips Wednesday, including a walk in the seventh after George Springer’s RBI double and Daulton Varsho’s run-scoring single tied the game 3-3. He acknowledged that “sometimes we want to be the guy” but stayed disciplined in that spot, refusing to chase as Blake Treinen tried to get him to expand.

The plate appearance was an example of the “take better at-bats” approach he feels will get him hot. “Believe in myself in the box and try to get my pitch. Try to not chase. … It’s 12 games in and we have 150 to go. It’s going to be good.”

Hoff delivers

Jeff Hoffman closed out Wednesday’s win against the gauntlet atop the Dodgers lineup, earning a save that offered some validation for a weird start in which the underlying numbers haven’t matched the results.

Through seven appearances, he’s struck out an absurd 15 of 31 batters faced, yet he’s allowed runs in three of those outings, although only two of the four have been earned. Against the Dodgers, he struck out Shohei Ohtani to open the frame, gave up a Kyle Tucker single and Will Smith walk, rallied to strike out Freddie Freeman and then induced a roller to the mound from Max Muncy for the final out.

“Especially with my position, nobody really cares what the process is, because when something goes wrong, you just lose,” said Hoffman, “it’s just nice to see what it’s supposed to look like. So many weird things have happened over the first week and it’s nice to finally see one all the way through and end with us winning the game.”

One priority for Hoffman this season is to be more unpredictable in his pitch sequencing, particularly against a team like the Dodgers that is good with usage tendencies. The pivotal Freeman at-bat was a great example, as he threw two splitters to start and then went with three straight fastballs to get a chase swing, rather than vice-versa.

“I was heavy on the split (Tuesday) night and I felt like that was probably a pitch that if I threw it early in the outing (Wednesday), it was a good pitch they were going to be looking for,” said Hoffman. “So, once we had the spots and the counts to be able to throw the fastball with a little bit more room for error, we could climb the zone and see how high they’ll go. When you’ve been heavy with the splitter and it’s been a good pitch and it is getting people out, that’s in their heads, so we’re just going to be able to sneak a few more fastballs by them.”

Learning curve

Alejandro Kirk’s fractured left thumb and the subsequent surgery that will sideline him for six weeks has meant rookie catcher Brandon Valenzuela is working through “a really high learning curve” as he acclimates to the majors.

It’s a challenge the 25-year-old is embracing as he’s “learning from the pitching staff, learning the guys, learning from Kirk, (Tyler) Heineman, Drew (Butera, the catching coach), amazing dudes to have in my corner, having their input into all of my pre-game stuff, my scouting report for the games, my game reviews, all of that.”

Valenzuela has appeared in four games so far and came into Wednesday’s game in the eighth inning as a defensive replacement after Myles Straw ran for Heineman in the seventh. That left him handling two high-leverage innings behind the plate in the 4-3 win.

The Blue Jays’ game-planning process at the big-league level is similar to that in the minors, he said, but is more involved as at triple-A Buffalo, “it was just me and the pitching coach going through the scouting reports. Here it’s catching coach, pitching coach, starting pitcher, me, Heinie, so it’s not me by myself. I get more help.”

During spring training, Valenzuela played in 11 games, which helped him build familiarity with the pitching staff, but one difference is “on the field it’s more competitive,” he said. “The games in spring training for me mattered because I needed to make a name for myself. During the season, it’s about the team, it’s no longer just me, there’s the whole city. So there’s a lot more competitiveness from us and the other teams.”

Nonetheless, “playing feels the same,” he added. “I ain’t gonna lie, I was a little nervous for my first game, but once I got my first inning out of the way, it was like, same game I played my whole life. I felt prepared.”

NHL Power Rankings: Biggest headline for all 32 teams

Ryan Dixon — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:46:17 EDT

While there’s plenty to choose from, there’s a compelling case that the story of the 2025-26 NHL season is the incredible showings of two teenagers.

The current campaign is flush with big-time developments. Among the teams that will or very well could miss the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, you have the two-time defending champions from Florida, the Winnipeg Jets team that finished first overall last season and the Washington Capitals squad that finished second.

At the moment, four Eastern Conference playoff slots are held down by squads that did not make it last year, and that number in the West is three.

For all the immediate turnover we’re talking about here, though, it’s easy to feel like the story of the season is the new, long-term brilliance represented by Macklin Celebrini and Matthew Schaefer.

These guys aren’t just teenagers; they’re young teenagers by NHL standards. Schaefer — who’s one goal shy of tying Brian Leetch’s record for goals by a rookie defenceman — won’t turn 19 until just before the start of the next training camp. Sophomore Celebrini, meanwhile, is still 19 until mid-June.

Both players are playing two full campaigns before turning 20, and what these two have done at their age is wild. If Schaefer can get his 23rd goal as a freshman defenceman, he’ll tie a record Leetch set when the latter was 20 years old. As for Celebrini, his 108 points represent the third-most in league history by a teenager, and he’s the first guy to post more than 100 points in an age-19 season or younger since Sidney Crosby had 120 as a 19-year-old in 2006-07.

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(For clarity, we’re using age guidelines set on Hockey Reference’s wonderful Stathead feature, where a player’s age for the purpose of a given season is determined by how old you are on Jan. 31 of that campaign.)

When’s the last time teens have shone like this in a season? Not surprisingly, you’ve got to go back to a wide-open era.

The 1983-84 season saw 19-year-old Steve Yzerman post 89 points, 19-year-old Brian Bellows bag 41 goals, 19-year-old Phil Housley record 77 points from the blueline and — perhaps most incredibly of all — Housley’s 18-year-old teammate in Buffalo, Tom Barrasso, win both the Vezina and Calder Trophies.

Four years before that, a 19-year-old Wayne Gretzky won the first of his eventual nine Hart Trophies in his first NHL campaign while, during that same 1979-80 season, future five-time Norris Trophy winner Ray Bourque blasted on the scene with 65 points.

Forty-five years later — adjusting for how the game is played, ect. — it doesn’t feel hyperbolic to compare Celebrini and Schaefer to Gretzky and Bourque.

While it’s hard for other teams to compete with the developments seen in San Jose and Long Island, every squad has its own story of the season. So, for our final regular-season power ranking of the year — we’ll have a playoff version on the eve of the post-season on Friday of next week — we wanted to highlight a headline or two for all 32 clubs at the (almost) conclusion of this watershed campaign.

1. Colorado Avalanche (51-16-10) Much of what went right in Colorado — Nathan MacKinnon being a 50-goal man and MVP candidate, Martin Necas playing at a 100-point pace in his first full year with the club — doesn’t register as a huge surprise. But how about Scott Wedgewood leading the league (among goalies with 30 games played) with a .918 save percentage? Wedgewood has looked good in limited showings previously, but this is the first time he’s suited up in over 40 contests (43) and he’s posted a career-best SP at a time when save percentages are, on balance, falling around the league.

2. Carolina Hurricanes (50-22-6) The Canes have the best power play in the league since the calander flipped to 2026 (31.6 per cent) and that feels like a significant development for a team that’s struggled to find a goal or two when it matters most. Carolina has had decent PPs in past seasons — ranking in the 10th-to-15th range — but nothing like what we’ve seen for going on four months now in Raleigh.

3. Buffalo Sabres (48-23-8) You can be a sophomore in college and have only vague recollections of playoff hockey in Buffalo. You cannot overstate how huge this leap-forward season has been in Western New York. This team can do damage in the playoffs this year and, now that it’s shaken the stink of a 14-year drought, it’s reasonable to expect real contention from the Sabres year over year.

4. Dallas Stars (46-20-12) Wyatt Johnston has been a great player from the moment he joined the league, but he’s taken another meaningful leap in Year 4. The Stars have a legit, stud No. 1 centre on their hands. Johnston, 22, is already at 43 goals this year — 10 more than his previous career high of 33 from last year — and he leads the NHL with 26 power-play strikes.

5. Montreal Canadiens (46-22-10) Cole Caufield is one goal away from becoming the first Habs player with 50 in 35 years and Nick Suzuki is four points away from becoming the first player to put up 100 points in a Canadiens sweater in 40 years. Their offensive numbers are symbols of a new, exciting era in Montreal that officially landed this season.

6. Minnesota Wild (45-21-12) You could argue the Wild landed the best player via trade any team has in a while when they acquired Quinn Hughes just before Christmas from Vancouver. While Minny needs to pair a summertime extension with the swap to make it a slam-dunk transaction, getting Hughes is still far and away the story of the season for the Wild.

7. Tampa Bay Lightning (48-24-6) Nikita Kucherov may win the Hart Trophy, but we have to go with the stunning blue-line breakout achieved by Darren Raddysh. The guy who turned 30 about six weeks ago has 69 points in 71 contests this year, exploding his previous personal best of 37 from last season. The timing is something else, with Raddysh set to become a UFA in a 2026 class largely bereft of high-end talent.

8. Pittsburgh Penguins (40-22-16) The story here is just a complete shift in perception — at least from the outside world — in terms of where the Pens are as an organization. This seemed like a lottery team all day long in September but not only is Pittsburgh on the verge of pinning down a playoff spot, the Penguins are almost certain to open the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on home ice. Few developments in the league this year are as shocking.

9. Boston Bruins (43-26-10) While it’s surprising to see Boston back in the playoffs one year after a hard reset, it did feel like there was a path back to being competitive for this club. Still, did anybody anticipate the Bruins being fourth in points percentage (.684) in the second half and second overall at home (.731)? Morgan Geekie validating last year’s breakout with an even better 37-goal (so far) campaign and the emergence of Fraser Minten playing so well as a rookie centre are two huge developments for this club. The cherry on top of the sundae would be Toronto handing over a pick in the six-to-eight range at the draft thanks to last season’s Brandon Carlo trade.

10. Philadelphia Flyers (40-26-12) A 15-5-1 run since Feb. 26 has transformed the feel around this squad. Thanks to that showing, Philly could snap a five-year playoff drought and provide important post-season experience to a bunch of core players on the team who’ve never been there.

11. Ottawa Senators (41-27-10) Anybody else starting to wonder if the story of Ottawa’s season will be the Sens peaking at right time? Who wants to play this team in Round 1 if Ottawa gets some saves?

12. Utah Mammoth (41-30-6) This club’s aggression since moving to Utah — up to and including acquiring MacKenzie Weegar at the trade deadline — is about to pay off in the form of a playoff appearance in Year 2 in Salt Lake City that will nourish a new fanbase and create even more excitement for hockey in the area. By the way, the Mammoth are nearly locked in WC1 in the West and will play a Pacific Division winner that’s basically going to have the exact same record as Utah. It’s not like the Mammoth will be overmatched in Round 1.

13. Edmonton Oilers (40-29-10) The Oilers finally made a goalie move, acquiring Triston Jarry from the Penguins, and yet the club will enter the post-season with just as many — if not more — questions about the crease as when Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard were the battery.

14. Vegas Golden Knights (36-26-16) The late-breaking development was John Tortorella replacing Bruce Cassidy with eight games to go and — for the moment — looking as though he’s going to get Vegas into the playoffs on a heater. The Knights are 4-0-0 under “Torts” and have allowed two or fewer goals in three of those outings.

15. Washington Capitals (40-30-9) The Caps took a step back this year, but may still squeak into the playoffs. We’ll know sometime early in the summer if the retroactive story of this season was watching goal king Alex Ovechkin play in the NHL for one final twirl.

16. New York Islanders (42-31-5) Following the Knights’ lead, the Isles axed Patrick Roy in the final flickers of the season as they try to claw back into one of the playoffs spots they (very surprisingly) held for much of the year. New York has four games — all at home — left and likely needs all eight points to get in.

17. Columbus Blue Jackets (39-27-12) The second-half surge under new coach Rick Bowness won’t mean a thing if the Jackets can’t make the playoffs. Still, it’s a huge development to see Jet Greaves — who just turned 25 — show he’s got the goods to be a No. 1 in his first full season.

18. Detroit Red Wings (40-29-9) Another miserable stretch run has this franchise in a serious funk. Two years ago, the Wings had a 5-12-3 hiccup that killed them, then, last year, Detroit posted a 6-13-1 skid that torpedoed its playoff chances. This time out, it’s an 8-13-4 slide that’s been capped with absolute heartbreakers in the Wings’ past two appearances, as Minnesota found a game-winning goal with 1:51 to go in the third on Sunday and Columbus got an equalizer with 17 seconds left on Tuesday before netting the OT winner. Just absolute misery in the Motor City as the team tries to snap a nine-year playoff drought.

19. Los Angeles Kings (32-26-19) It’s been a tough year all around in L.A., but seeing one of its offensive stars, Kevin Fiala, have his season wiped out by an injury at the Olympics was very tough for a team that always struggles to score. Of course, we must acknowledge Anze Kopitar becoming the all-time franchise leader during his final NHL season, every one of them spent with the Kings.

20. Nashville Predators (37-31-10) Everyone is getting traded! Steven Stamkos is cooked … no, wait, he’s one of the best goal-scorers in hockey again! Barry Trotz is stepping down … and nobody is getting traded?! I don’t know what the story of the season in Nashville is, but the word of the year is “rollicking” and somehow, at the end of this wild season, the Preds could still make the post-season.

21. Anaheim Ducks (41-32-5) Hopefully for Ducks fans, the story of the season won’t be a six-game skid that continues to the point they miss the playoffs. Barring that — and Anaheim should have enough of a cushion to at least get in — this year will be about a promising young core returning post-season hockey to Orange County for the first time since 2018, as the arrow points distinctly up on the franchise.

22. New Jersey Devils (40-35-3) It just feels like the Quinn Hughes trade rumours in the first half of the season impacted the Devils dressing room and a talented team that perpetually disappoints once again found a way to be less than the sum of the parts. Somebody else is going to get the job of assembling those parts now — and there are really good ones here — with GM Tom Fitzgerald and the club parting ways.

23. St. Louis Blues (33-32-12) Not to duck the assignment, but the real question here is what will be the story of the off-season during a summer when Alex Steen is officially taking the GM reins from Doug Armstrong? Will the Blues resume their sell posture from the deadline and re-examine moving vital pieces like centre Robert Thomas and Colton Parayko, or will the emergence of young players such as goalie Joel Hofer, rookie winger Jimmy Snuggerud and young blue-liner Philip Broberg be enough to convince Steen to stay the course?

24. San Jose Sharks (37-33-7) Macklin Celebrini’s emergence has put San Jose in a position not only to compete for a playoff spot well ahead of schedule, but have management be emboldened enough to go out and help the club by adding a player such as Kiefer Sherwood. That the Sharks are already in that headspace speaks volumes about how well this rebuild is going and not many people had that telegraphed before the year.

25. Winnipeg Jets (34-31-12) If you’re a Jets fan, you’re hoping this season ultimately comes to be viewed as nothing more than a gap year, with the club returning to contention in 2026-27. Winnipeg must find some support scoring in the off-season, though.

26. New York Rangers (33-37-9) This was supposed to be a bounce-back season under the guidance of new, win-now coach Mike Sullivan. Instead, this year cemented the notion from last season that something is truly foul here. Where the Rangers rebuild/retool goes from here is hard to say, but the idea there could be a quick fix has gone out the window.

27. Florida Panthers (37-37-4) From the moment Aleksander Barkov injured his knee at training camp, the dye was cast. This battered-and-bruised squad finally broke down under the weight of three straight trips to the final. The Cats will be back — good and mean as ever — next fall.

28. Calgary Flames (32-36-9) Flames fans are probably fretting that a 6-2-2 run in the past three weeks has damaged the lottery odds for a team that has not drafted in the top three picks since moving to Calgary 45 years ago.

29. Toronto Maple Leafs (32-32-14) In the parlance of youth, the Leafs have “crashed out.” If they can do so to the point of retaining their first pick — rather than forking it over to Boston — based on it falling int the top five of the draft, maybe it will feel worth it. A premium pick and a new, exciting GM hire could get Buds backers to perk up a little.

30. Chicago Blackhawks (28-36-14) Perhaps the story of the season for the Hawks happened in the KHL, where 2023 second-rounder Roman Kantserov became a scoring star and incredibly intriguing prospect with a 36-goal campaign (in 63 games).

31. Seattle Kraken (32-34-11) The Kraken weren’t a hockey team as much as a yo-yo this year. Seattle’s season, in six chunks: 11-5-5; 1-9-1; 8-0-1; 2-5-2; 7-3-0; 3-12-2.

32. Vancouver Canucks (22-47-8) The Canucks scraped the bottom and embraced it. Vancouver fans can only hope the story of the season is their team winning the lottery on May 5 and picking first overall for the first time in franchise history.

Rajakovic deserves recognition for Raptors’ playoff push

Michael Grange — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:22:59 EDT

Erik Spoelstra is NBA royalty. Minted.

He’s got two rings to prove it, as he led the Miami Heat to the NBA championship in 2011-12 and 2012-13. Having LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh at their respective Hall-of-Fame peaks probably had something to do with that, but Spoelstra also led the Heat to the Finals as a fifth seed in 2019-20 and the seventh seed in 2022-23.

He’s guided Miami to the playoffs 14 times in 17 years without the benefit of a significant rebuild. He’s trying to do it for the 15^th time in the final days of his 18^th season. He’s done it with different types of teams and different levels of talent.

The primary question mark around Spoelstra isn’t his coaching chops; it’s how he has been so good for so long and never been recognized as the NBA coach of the year?

Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic is still trying to build out his NBA resume in his third season as head coach. This is the first time he’s had a chance to compete for a playoff spot.

It’s what makes this two-game series the Raptors have at home against Spoelstra and the Heat so compelling. The second game, especially.

The Heat were beaten convincingly enough on Tuesday that they had a team meeting after the game. The Raptors are expecting a response on Thursday (Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet+, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT).

“They will be locked in, ready to throw the first punch, I’m sure,” said Raptors big man Sandro Mamukelashvili.

There aren’t many moments in a regular season when things stay still long enough that you can get a snapshot of a coaching match like this, where two evenly matched, mostly healthy teams are playing important games on proper rest. This is one.

Rajakovic deserves recognition for getting the Raptors this far: on the brink of securing Toronto’s first playoff appearance since 2021-22. Two seasons ago, the Raptors won 25 games and were 25^th defensively. They won 30 games last season and were 17^th defensively.

The Raptors won their 44^th game on Tuesday against Miami, are sixth defensively and have held the Heat, the second-highest scoring team in the NBA, under 100 points in all three meetings this season.

The competition for coach of the year is very deep this season, with plenty of examples of teams exceeding expectations (Spurs, Hornets, Pistons, Suns) or meeting their own incredibly high standards (Thunder, Celtics, Nuggets).

But the Raptors and Rajakovic deserve consideration.

The job isn’t done, Rajakovic would be the first to tell you. But he’s enjoying digging in with his staff, trying to figure out whatever wrinkles might be coming from Spoelstra and the Heat.

More pick-and-roll sets featuring Tyler Herro. Starting Norm Powell and Herro together to give the Heat more punch? Going with a double-big lineup, starting Kel’ el Ware alongside Bam Adebayo?

“This is what you sign up for,” said Rajakovic. “It’s very, very exciting … the path that we had the past two years and this in my third year of coaching here to be in a position to plan, to fight for something, to fight for the playoffs, to fight for seeding, it’s all very, very meaningful.”

Remarkably, of the two coaches, it’s likely Spoelstra who is under more pressure.

The Heat will have to navigate the Play-In Tournament for the fourth straight season, regardless of whether they can scratch out a win Thursday night. Their loss to the Raptors on Tuesday guaranteed it. The Heat are now 0-3 against the Raptors, and have scored more than 20 points under their season average in all three of their losses to the Raptors.

Defensively, the Heat have fallen apart over the past month, allowing 125.7 points per 100 possessions since a seven-game winning streak came to an end on March 12^th. That puts them 27^th in the NBA over that stretch, ahead of only the Wizards, Grizzlies and Pacers and behind the Jazz and Kings, five teams whose mission is to tank their season and have the best draft lottery odds.

A typical NBA head coach would be taking molten lava levels of heat – no pun intended – for that kind of disassembly in the final month of the season.

Somehow, we suspect that Spoelstra will survive ok. A coach with a lesser track record might not.

Which is why this season and how the Raptors finish is almost disproportionally important for Rajakovic. Even three years in, he remains relatively unproven. Only consistent winning buys security for coaches in the NBA, but the hardest part is staying on the job long enough to build up a track record.

But the signs are there. How many coaches would build a top-10 defence from a lineup that has featured just one ‘plus’ defender (Scottie Barnes) for most of the season?

Or a mid-pack offence with a lineup featuring neither a lob threat nor more than one proven high-volume three-point shooter after Immanuel Quickley?

How teams perform out of timeouts can be a useful shorthand for coaching acumen. Does a coach have a ready bag of plays to go against a set defence that fits the personnel available?

For what it’s worth, the Raptors have generated the second-best expected shot value out of time-outs this season. Their actual points per possession is 13th, which is still quite respectable for a team that intentionally uses their defence and transition game to generate so much of their scoring. Doing so since they lack the kind of game-changing offensive hub that some other coaches can rely on.

And by all accounts, Rajakovic seems to have the people skills nailed.

“Throughout this whole season, personally, there’s been a lot,” said Raptors big man Sando Mamukelashvili, who has had a career season under Rajakovic and had 11 points and was +23 off the bench on Tuesday. “You go through things mentally, physically … (and) his office is always open, so it’s easy to step in there. A lot of head coaches are a little bit unapproachable, so just having the freedom to step in there and tell him what I feel and what I think I can do, where do I see myself, where does he see me? … I think that helps you through the long run.”

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Still, properly evaluating coaches is really hard. There are so many elements they are tasked with overseeing that drawing firm conclusions from the outside looking in is almost a fool’s errand.

It’s easy to say coaching should be measured by wins, but talent has a lot to do with how many wins a team has. Steve Kerr did remarkably well in Golden State when Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant were in their prime. What’s remaining of the Warriors will scuffle to finish 10^th in the Western Conference this season.

“There’s a lot of different levels to it,” said Spoelstra when I asked him what goes into evaluating an NBA coach. “There’s communication, leadership, motivation, setting up a program, developing a culture, having consistency to standards every day, acumen, ability to relate, ability to push, to toe the line, like all of it.

“And every single one of us, there’s days when we’re hitting the mark, and then there’s days when we’re missing the mark miserably. That’s the life of a coach, and you’re constantly searching and trying to develop your craft to be able to bring the most out of the locker room. Whatever that potential may be.”

With 79 games down and three to play, including one more against the Heat on Thursday, it’s fair to say that Rajakovic has done an impressive job of getting his team this far – to 44 wins and the cusp of the playoffs.

But there are still those three games left to play.

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Mike Koreen — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:12:57 EDT

Rory McIlroy off to his best Masters start in 15 years to share early lead

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:16:51 EDT

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy has been celebrating all week at Augusta National as the defending champion, and on Thursday he found something else to savor — a 5-under 67, his lowest start at the Masters in 15 years to share the early lead with Sam Burns.

McIlroy settled in after a slow start. He blistered a 3-wood out of the first cut over the hill and onto the green at the par-5 eighth to set up an easy birdie, a swing that brought a little more freedom the rest of the way.

But then, nothing is more freeing than finally having a Masters green jacket.

“I think winning a Masters makes it easier to win your second one. I do,” McIlroy said. “It’s hard to say because there’s still shots out there that you feel a little bit tight with, and you just have to stand up and commit to making a good swing and not worry about really where it goes.

“But I think it’s easier for me to make those swings and not worry about where it goes when I know that I can go to the Champions Locker Room and put my green jacket on at the end of the day.”

Burns was among the early starters. He played the par 5s with three birdies and an eagle and wound up with his lowest score in his fifth Masters appearance.

“Historically, people who have success here play the par 5s really well, and we were able to do that today. So it’s a good recipe around this golf course,” Burns said.

The gorgeous blue sky and only moderate wind by Augusta standards had the look of a pleasant day for all, except the players know better. If the forecast holds, it could be the first Masters in 25 years without rain. That means firm greens, a fast course and frayed nerves.

“I think this could be the toughest Masters we’ve played in a while,” Shane Lowry said after a 70. “They can do whatever they want with the golf course this week. … I think before the week is out, it’s going to get very, very crusty around here.”

Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world trying to win his third Masters in five years, was among the late starters. He made an early statement.

Scheffler rolled in an 18-foot eagle putt on the par-5 second hole, and followed with a driver on the 350-yard third hole that tumbled up the slope and onto the green, setting up a two-putt birdie from about 35 feet. He was 3 under through three, then completed the front nine with all pars without ever finding too much stress.

Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters champion and a two-time winner on the European tour this year, was at 69 along with Jason Day and Kurt Kitayama. Reed was atop the leaderboard for so much of the day due to two eagles on the front nine that sent him out in 31.

But he dropped a shot on the 10th, and then was flummoxed by what he thought was an ideal shot for his second into the par-5 15th. Such are the firmness of the greens that his shot hit hard off the back of the green, bounded down the slope and didn’t stop rolling until it was in the pond on No. 16.

“Water?” Reed asked his caddie as he looked toward the green. “It landed on the green.”

“That was a head-scratcher for me,” Reed said later. “I didn’t see that going that far, but if I have 7-wood or closer into that green — especially to that pin — I’m going to go for it every day. … I knew if it went over the green, we would be fine. Didn’t really think I was going to go 30 yards over the green.”

While the lack of a big wind made it manageable, Augusta National can still take a bite out of anyone. Bryson DeChambeau found that out on the 11th hole when he put his approach in the right bunker and it took him three to get out on his way to a 76.

Patrick Cantlay had nine 5s on his scorecard, did not make a birdie and shot 77. Eight players already were at 80 or higher, including Aldrich Potgieter — among the longest hitters in golf — with an 84 in his Masters debut.

McIlroy wasn’t sure want to expect in his 18th appearance, his first as the Masters champion. Only twice had he started with rounds in the 60s, his best a 65 in 2011. That year, he went on to shoot 80 on the final day.

There were still nerves. It’s still Augusta National.

“My hope was to get off to a solid start,” he said. “I feel like the way I played, 5 under, exceeded where I thought I would be or what I wanted to do.”

Q and A with Chris Pronger: Talking life, limits and the Maple Leafs GM job

Paul D. Grant — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:51:49 EDT

Over the course of a rambunctious Hall of Fame career, Chris Pronger has always managed to push the limits. Not only is he a Stanley Cup champion, a double Olympic gold medallist, and Hart and Norris Trophy winner, he’s also been suspended eight times and had his heart stopped by a puck. He also worked for the NHL’s Department of Player Safety and as a senior advisor to hockey operations for the Florida Panthers.

These days, among other things, Pronger is doing TV work and leaning into leadership coaching, notably in his memoir, Earned: The True Cost of Greatness from One of Hockey’s Fiercest Competitors, which comes out next week.

Pronger, 51, joined us Wednesday over the phone from suburban St. Louis to talk player discipline, the state of the game and what NHL job would be a good fit.

This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Sportsnet: Welcome, Arizona Coyotes legend Chris Pronger. How are you now?

Chris Pronger: Yes! Yes, when am I getting into, what is that, the Ring of Honour?

SN: Couldn’t save the team, could you?

CP: They’re gone now. Uh-oh.

SN: So I heard you wrote a book. How did that happen and why now?

CP: I had actually kicked tires on writing a book for 10 or 12 years; it just went down a path and I didn’t like the framework of the book. It wasn’t the type of book that I wanted to write. Wasn’t maybe the right storyline, if you will, or was going to have the right impact. And over the last two and a half years, as I’ve begun to build up my speaking platform and really put some speeches together and start researching experiences and stories and different things that would provide more context for what I was talking about, I started to see a framework for the book. And so, based off that, I started: OK, well, let me see if this is going to work. And, obviously, as a public speaker, you need a calling card, which is the book. So it actually started to make a lot of sense.

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SN: I haven’t read it all, but so far, it’s a nice mix of memoir and motivational. There’s the glory, of course, but you also own up to your mistakes, including explaining what happened in Edmonton.

CP: Nobody bats a thousand. We all make mistakes. But we need to take accountability. I talk about that in the book a lot, taking ownership, taking accountability, not only for actions, but go on that next step of learning from them and understanding and how or why we made that mistake, and then making sure that you don’t make that mistake again.

SN: I wanted to get your honest take on a couple of hot topics. First of all, player discipline. You spent time in the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. What did you learn from the time there as an assistant?

CP: When I was there, Rule 48, the hits of the head was really a focal point and a hot-button issue. And every year I was there, we tweaked and changed the rule, and in doing so, there’s always an equal and opposite reaction. So as we tried to explain the rule and show various clips of angles that players could take to make contact and hit people and play with that physical edge, then something else would happen. So as you take a different approach, then we started to see a lot more knee injuries, a lot more shoulder injuries, and that became an issue. We had to really kind of dig into that. And as we changed that angle, players that were about to be hit, they felt like they could get out of the way, so they would drag their leg, or they would have their shoulder in a compromising place. So there’s always an equal and opposite reaction to anything that we do.

SN: Have you thought about taking another job in the NHL?

CP: I’ve had opportunities to talk to some folks, and been asked if I wanted to coach and other things. And I’m open to having a conversation, as I’ve said in the past, and have had many conversations. For a number of reasons, it either wasn’t a fit for them or it wasn’t a fit for me. And I think it needs to be the right fit and the right opportunity for me to want to stop doing what I’m doing. I’ve spent a lot of time getting into broadcasting and doing all this stuff, and it’s fun, it’s fulfilling. And I just want to make sure that if I do do something else, it’s for the right reasons and the right opportunity.

SN: Your name has been circulating for open NHL jobs. So I’m going to ask you straight out, what’s your level of interest in taking a position with the Toronto Maple Leafs, as, say, a GM or as a director of player personnel?

CP: I have not been contacted. So, are you interested? Well, we’ll see. I mean, I’m interested in having a conversation. What does it look like? For me, personally, there’s a lot more that goes into it than just the opportunity. What does it look like? There’s a lot more to it than just, I get to do it. It’s, What does that entail? … Is big brother over your shoulder the whole time, right? How much autonomy do you have? And, when you set a vision and a plan and a course … I would have the conviction. Do they have the conviction? There’s a lot that goes into that. And that’s why I talk about it, is it the right fit? Are they, whichever team, is that what they’re interested in? And it might not be a fit, and it might not be the opportunity that we all think it is, depending upon a number of varying factors.

So for me, it’s not really that cut and dried and not that simple, and that’s why I always say it needs to be a conversation first to really get a read on what the opportunity actually is, and what does it look like, and what are their expectations, right? So there’s a lot of things that kind of revolve around that, where you’ve got to have that conversation understanding what they’re looking to get out of this new hire or this person that’s coming in. And there’s a lot of different expectations that can be varying. So what does that look like? What does success look like to them? I know what it looks like to me.

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SN: What does success look like for you? For a team like the Leafs, for example.

CP: Winning means you’re winning it all. You’re carrying the trophy around at the end of the day. That’s it. That’s winning.

SN: What do you think happened with the Leafs this year?

CP: I have no idea. When you’re not there, you’re not immersed in the locker room and immersed in the day-to-day operations, we’re just lobbing stuff at like, well, it could be this. They’ve had a lot of injuries, they got off to a poor start. There’s a lot of things that have kind of taken place there this year relative to last year. And, (they’re) another year older. And, frankly, people think teams just kind of roll along year after year after year. (But) every year is a new year. What happened in the previous year has no effect on that year. If that was the case, then players would just only get better because they’re more experienced and they’ve got more understanding, and they don’t.

Some people have good years, some people have bad years, some people have career years. Finding that inflection point for all those is hard. And so, from an expectations standpoint, what does that look like? And then sometimes when you add injuries in and systems and style, and they lose a player, and Mitch Marner’s 100 points, and they add these guys. And how does that all work? So there’s a lot of nuance to it, and there’s a lot that goes into it.

SN: As a former player, how can you tell if a team is not together, it’s not cohesive, it doesn’t have chemistry?

CP: You grow into those roles, and you grow into learning how to believe in one another. I talk about in the book a lot, you go through a lot of adversity. That’s how you grow. You don’t grow by never being challenged and winning. You grow through adversity. You grow through being challenged and then figuring out what you’re made of and what you’re all about. And so that’s why that part is incredibly important, is to go through adversity together, learn together as a group.

Sometimes it clicks, and sometimes it doesn’t. And that’s the foundation that you need to find and figure out, is this a group that can do that? You speak of Buffalo, there’s been a lot of turmoil. Follow that team around over the last 14 years since they made the playoffs, and how many years did they pick first overall? And why aren’t they getting it? … And now, this year, for whatever reason, they seem to have figured it out, they’re playing as a well-oiled machine and playing for one another and believe in one another and have that togetherness that you need to be successful in this league, because the parity is so close.

SN: Do you see that with the Leafs?

CP: Well, do you see that with the Leafs?

SN: My opinion doesn’t matter here. It seems like they’ve had some issues.

CP: That seems to be the narrative that everybody’s spinning right now. You could look at the events surrounding the (Auston) Matthews incident (where teammates did not respond to a Radko Gudas hit that ended Matthews’ season) and go, ‘OK, what is the problem?’ which they’ve since talked about and tried to, I guess, fix, but the damage was already done. So for me, it would be, ‘OK, what have we learned from this? How can we change not only the narrative, but change how we handle situations like that?’ And it’s not always about fighting. It’s not that type of stuff. It’s … how do we respond in those situations when that happens to our best player, our captain? … It could have been anybody. In that particular case, it was (Matthews) and, obviously, it took on a life of its own.

SN: It seems like last year we were talking about the Leafs not stepping up for each other.

CP: And then that goes into, are they getting it, do they, to your point, do they have an issue? And I guess if you go off last year, then was it addressed, or how was it addressed? When you’re not in the room and you’re not around them, you don’t get the vibe or the understanding of how they’re dealing with these things on a day-to-day basis. Are they just rolling their eyes, like, Oh, here we go again. Are they actually taking it to heart, like, We need to make a change, we need to fix this. … How are they handling these moments where their character is being questioned all the time?

SN: But it seems like the Leafs have had a lot of adversity. They’ve gone through playoff adversity. This group of players has changed coaches, they’ve changed GMs. So you’d think the adversity box would have been checked by now.

CP: And sometimes it’s not in the current group, right? And sometimes it takes one person to come in and change that narrative. All kinds of things can happen. It’s not always throw the baby out with the bath water. There’s mitigating circumstances. There’s other things that happen that can change the narrative real quick.

SN: Changing gears just a little bit. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are right around the corner. You went to three Stanley Cup Finals with three different teams. How would you characterize the playoffs for someone who has never been in them before?

CP: Just the the momentum swings that can happen, the energy in the building, the magnitude of every moment, what that feels like, and how that can take hold of you. … Whether you’re the eight seed or the one seed, this is your opportunity to make your mark and have a chance to win. What I’m going to assume was a dream growing up, to be successful and carry that Stanley Cup around the ice and kiss it and show it to everybody in the crowd, and show it to your family and friends in the crowd and all the rest of that … to show that baby off.

SN: What does success look like in the playoffs, on an individual basis?

CP: When you get in the playoffs, that’s where matchups are incredibly important, finding your matchups and winning your matchups, owning them and winning them. And that part of it was always fun. The other team wants to win just as bad as you do. And, on any given night, you’re either the better combatant or you’ve got to learn and figure out a way to, if somebody’s owned the game, then how do I win now?

SN: Who looks good to you right now?

CP: It’s tight. I think the East is what the West was, in the sense that Tampa, Buffalo, Montreal, Carolina look like they’re the cream of the crop in the East. And to me, it feels like the East is going to beat itself up like the West has over the last number of years. … There’s a lot of teams in the East that I would argue are pretty strong contenders. I don’t know if we could say that about the West.

SN: What do you see yourself doing next? You can only play in so many Arizona Coyotes alumni games.

CP: (laughs) Exactly, right? I’m excited about my direction. Broadcasting has been a lot of fun this year. We’ll see what happens next year. … I’m not sure. I try not to put guardrails up. I’ve been kind of building this on the fly, but one pillar at a time, if you will, and then kind of seeing how it all takes shape.

SN: Sounds like you’re a free agent, and not quelling the rumour mill.

CP: I’m a free agent as it relates to not having a TV contract, but that’s in the process of happening over the next, probably, month or two. And as it relates to, I guess the other part of your question, I mean, listen, I’m not gonna say no when I haven’t been offered anything. What’s there to say no to? Right? I mean, what am I saying no to? I haven’t been offered anything. I haven’t had a conversation. So for me, once you have a conversation, they might say no, I might say no, or I might say, Let’s continue to talk, and let’s see what it looks like on the other end.

SN: Maybe like you’ll have time to dedicate a Chris Pronger statue in front of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

CP: Wouldn’t that be nice, right? (laughs) Someday, yeah, no doubt.

SN: Thanks for doing this, man.

CP: Yeah, sure, I appreciate it.

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Noah Love — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 17:21:44 EDT

Maple Leafs, Devils granted permission to talk to Panthers assistant GM Sunny Mehta

Sportsnet Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:32:04 EDT

The Toronto Maple Leafs can pick the brain of a buzzy candidate for their front office.

The Leafs and New Jersey Devils have been granted permission to talk to Florida Panthers assistant GM and head of analytics Sunny Mehta, Sportsnet confirmed on Thursday.

The Athletic was first to report the news.

Mehta, 47, has been part of the Panthers’ front office for both of their Stanley Cup wins the past two years after being hired in September 2023.

Mehta is highly regarded for his work with analytics.

He studied music at the University of Miami, then made a living playing guitar in New Orleans.

Mehta served as a trader at Peak6 Capital Management at the Chicago Board of Trade and got his master’s degree in data science from City University of New York.

His also thrived as a poker player, and he co-authored two books on the subject: Professional No-Limit Hold ‘Em: Volume One (2007) and Small Stakes No-Limit Hold ‘Em (2009).

Mehta headed up the NHL’s first full-time analytics department with the Devils from 2014 to 2018.

After leaving the Devils, Mehta consulted for the Washington Capitals in the 2019-20 season. He also worked for the Arizona Coyotes in 2010-11, as well as for six Major League Baseball teams through a partnership with Zelus Analytics.

The Leafs fired GM Brad Treliving earlier this month, while the Devils parted ways with GM Tom Fitzgerald earlier this week.

Canada’s Nick Taylor off to near-flawless start at Masters

Adam Stanley — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:18:07 EDT

AUGUSTA, Ga. – They say experience matters more around Augusta National than any other venue in professional golf. Nick Taylor, in his fourth spin around the Georgia peach, has learned plenty – and the results are starting to show.

Taylor opened the 2026 Masters with a 1-under 71 — just two shots back of his career low at Augusta National — and save for a late bogey had a near-flawless start.

Taylor started with a birdie on the par-5 2nd and stayed steady through the opening nine. Taylor missed a short birdie effort on No. 9 but got a sneaky one on the very next hole — nailing a curling, lengthy putt on No. 10.

“That was a nice one. You know going left, it’s quicker, breaking a lot left, going up towards that back-right pin it goes a bit left. It was one of those, it looked pretty good the whole way, and for it to drop was pretty nice, especially after having a good opportunity on 9 and missing it,” Taylor said.

“My speed was pretty good all day, so it was nice for that one to drop.”

Taylor had a vicious lip out on No. 17 for his lone bogey of the day, but still came in under par for Thursday. He missed just two fairways and hit 78 percent of his greens in the opener and in the late afternoon, Taylor was inside the top 15 of the leaderboard.

This has been a different kind of start to a PGA Tour season for Taylor, whose son, Charlie, started kindergarten back home in British Columbia, which has meant the family hasn’t travelled as much with him in 2026. In fact, the whole of the Florida swing, Taylor was on the road alone.

That’s why, Taylor said, a week like this — where his two kids were part of the Par-3 Contest along with Corey Conners’ family on Wednesday — is extra special.

“I’ve been lucky since they were born, they’ve travelled a lot. It’s different now,” Taylor said. “Being able to bring them out for a special event like this, they’re going to be able to come (to the RBC Heritage next week). I’ve loved every tournament they’ve come to, but it makes it more special when you know it’s a more rarity now than it used to be.”

Taylor said Thursday that the way Augusta National was playing — firm and fast
— was his idyllic kind of course conditions. When it’s wet, that hurts Taylor as one of the shorter players on the PGA Tour, but he said he likes seeing the ball chase out and having to be more precise with his irons.

“The course is playing a bit shorter but obviously on the greens it’s very difficult,” Taylor said. “So, I think that gives myself the best chance.”

Taylor, whose best major finish came last year at the U.S. Open when he finished tied for 23rd, is, at this year’s Masters, equal parts comfortable and experienced. And after Thursday’s round, he is in a prime spot to climb the leaderboard.

How Oilers, Penguins can clinch playoff berths Thursday

Sportsnet Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:38:08 EDT

There is a lot at stake in the 14-game slate of NHL action on Thursday.

Per the NHL, four teams can lock up a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, while the Colorado Avalanche can secure the Presidents’ Trophy.

Despite being idle, the Edmonton Oilers can become the second Canadian team to clinch a playoff spot if they get some results to break their way.

The Oilers will officially in the post-season if the Anaheim Ducks defeat the San Jose Sharks in any fashion and the Utah Mammoth defeat the Nashville Predators in regulation, combined with any result in the Winnipeg-St. Louis game other than a Jets regulation win.

Over in Utah, the Mammoth can clinch their post-season spot if they beat the Predators in regulation and the Ducks defeat the Sharks in any fashion.

If the Mammoth clinch, it would mark the first playoff appearance for the team since it relocated to Utah.

Over in the East, Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins have three different ways to secure their return to the post-season.

The easiest way for the Penguins to clinch is if they defeat the New Jersey Devils in any fashion on Thursday. They can also clinch if they get one point against the Devils and the Buffalo Sabres defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets in any fashion, or if the Toronto Maple Leafs defeat the New York Islanders in any fashion and the Sabres defeat the Blue Jackets in regulation.

The Boston Bruins, who are also idle, are the last team that can book its post-season ticket on Thursday. Boston will clinch if the Maple Leafs defeat the Islanders in regulation, the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Detroit Red Wings in regulation, and the Sabres knock off the Blue Jackets in regulation.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche have three chances on Thursday to secure home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs by winning the Presidents’ Trophy.

The Avs will lock up the league’s best overall record if they defeat the Calgary Flames in any fashion.

If they don’t secure a victory against the Flames, they can also win the Presidents’ Trophy if they get one point against the Flames and the Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Carolina Hurricanes in any fashion, or if the Blackhawks beat the Hurricanes in regulation.

Tigers’ Meadows hospitalized after head-to-head collision with teammate Greene

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:50:55 EDT

MINNEAPOLIS — Detroit Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows was sent to a hospital for overnight observation after he collided head-to-head with teammate Riley Greene as they converged for a fly ball on Thursday.

Greene made the catch, and Meadows landed on his back in a daze, barely moving with his hands pointed up and blood appearing on his face. After a few minutes, Meadows was able to sit up. Medical personnel slowly helped him stand and move toward a cart that was waiting to take him away.

“It’s a terrible feeling. I still feel terrible,” Greene said after the game against Minnesota at Target Field. “He hit my head. I don’t know where I hit him, to be honest, but I just really hope he’s OK.”

Meadows had a concussion, manager A.J. Hinch said after the Tigers lost 3-1 to the Twins and were swept in the four-game series. The collision caused Meadows to bite the inside of his mouth, which led to the bleeding.

“We’re going to get him checked out for everything, but this one worries me,” Hinch said.

Josh Bell led off the eighth inning for Minnesota with a shallow fly to left-center that Greene appeared to be calling for as he and Meadows ran toward the ball. Meadows tried slowing up and backing off at the last second. But his face appeared to slam against Greene’s head, sending both players tumbling to the grass.

“It’s a perfect tweener, and you have two guys who like to go and get it,” catcher Jake Rogers said. “It’s a scary thing.”

Meadows has started 11 of 13 games in center field for the Tigers this season. Matt Vierling made the other two starts. Meadows went 0 for 3 on Thursday and is batting .250 with two extra-base hits.

The 26-year-old Meadows, who was a second-round draft pick by the Tigers in 2018, made his major league debut in 2023. He missed the first two months of last season with a nerve problem in his upper right arm. Then he missed more than a month with a shoulder injury and finished with a .215 average and a .621 OPS.

Blue Jays’ Trey Yesavage makes second rehab start for single-A Dunedin

Sportsnet Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:57:19 EDT

The Toronto Blue Jays‘ rookie phenom is one step closer to his 2026 debut.

Trey Yesavage made his second minor-league rehab start of the season on Thursday, allowing four runs while striking out six and walking one over 2.2 innings with the class-A Dunedin Blue Jays.

The 22-year-old right-hander’s first start was on April 3, starting the 30-day clock on his rehab assignment. Yesavage opened the season on the injured list due to a shoulder impingement.

A player may be assigned to a minor-league club for injury rehabilitation while remaining on the major-league injured list for a maximum of 30 days.

All four of the runs Yesavage allowed in the outing came on singles. He threw 34 of his 52 pitches for strikes, induced 10 whiffs and topped out at 96.1 m.p.h. with his four-seam fastball.

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During his first season of professional baseball in 2025, Yesavage rocketed through all four levels of the Blue Jays’ minor-league system before making his debut in the majors on Sept. 15.

He broke the Blue Jays franchise record for strikeouts in a major-league debut with nine and proceeded to be a key contributor to Toronto’s World Series run.

Yesavage had a 3.58 ERA over six post-season appearances – five of them starts – striking out 39 batters over 27.2 innings and walking 11. This included an 11-strikeout, no-hit performance over 5.1 innings against the Yankees in the ALDS and a record-breaking 12-strikeout start against the Dodgers in Game 5 of the Fall Classic.

The Blue Jays’ rotation is in desperate need of reinforcements, as Jose Berrios (right elbow stress fracture), Shane Bieber (right elbow inflammation), and Cody Ponce (ACL sprain) are all currently on the IL, along with Yesavage.

Veteran signing Patrick Corbin is scheduled to start the Blue Jays’ series opener against the Twins on Friday.

NBA issues statement on viral play in Kings loss vs. Warriors

Sportsnet Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:07:40 EDT

After a late-game moment between the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors caught viral attention, the NBA has decided to let bygones be bygones.

The league issued a statement on Thursday saying “the NBA has completed an investigation of the Sacramento Kings and head coach Doug Christie’s decision to foul intentionally late in the team’s game against the Golden State Warriors on April 7.”

The Warriors won the game in question, 110-105, but it came after the moment in question, where Christie was seen directing his team to foul Seth Curry — a career 86 per cent free-throw shooter — despite leading with a couple of minutes left in the fourth quarter.

According to the NBA, “investigation determined that Christie mistakenly believed that the Warriors were not in the penalty and therefore instructed his team to foul in an attempt to stop the clock and utilize one of the team’s remaining timeouts.”

With the loss, Sacramento (21-59) fell into a tie for the fourth-worst record in the NBA with the Utah Jazz, giving the Kings nearly a 47 per cent shot at landing a top-five pick in the 2026 draft.

“The investigation found that Christie made no intentional effort to give the Warriors a shooting foul, or to cause the Kings to lose the game,” the NBA’s statement concluded.

The moment sparked plenty of debate online in reference to tanking around the NBA and the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of the league’s strategies — like the play-in tournament — to combat any alleged antics.

Even Warriors forward Draymond Green was asked about the head-scratching moment, and his response was that he “saw a team tonight foul Seth Curry with three minutes to go in the game for no reason.”

Reporters also asked Green for his thoughts on how to stop tanking and his solution was to “keep fining teams.”

“I get fined when I do wrong, just fine the hell out of people.”

Maple Leafs recall four AHL players, Akhtyamov to start vs. Islanders

Sportsnet Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:03:39 EDT

The Toronto Marlies will be well represented in New York on Thursday night.

Goalie Artur Akhtyamov, forwards Luke Haymes and Ryan Tverberg, and defenceman William Villeneuve were all called up from the AHL on an emergency basis by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, the team announced.

In a corresponding move, forward Bo Groulx was loaned back to the Marlies.

The four callups come after a tough night for the Maple Leafs in Washington, where they saw Anthony Stolarz, Brandon Carlo and Dakota Joshua all exit with injuries.

All three injured Leafs have already been ruled out for Thursday’s game against the New York Islanders.

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube confirmed after Wednesday’s game that Akhtyamov, 24, will make his first NHL start against the Islanders.

In 36 games with the Marlies this season, Akhtyamov has a 20-12-4 record with a 2.90 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage.

Already eliminated from the playoffs, the shorthanded Maple Leafs will look to play spoiler against an Islanders team trying to climb back into the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Report: FC Cincinnati in talks with Neymar’s camp

Sportsnet Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:41:46 EDT

Could Neymar be the next international star to make his way to MLS?

FC Cincinnati is at least exploring the possibility.

The club has engaged in preliminary talks with the Brazilian’s camp, The Athletic reported Thursday.

Neymar, 34, is under contract with Brazil’s Santos through the end of the year. He was not selected to Brazil’s roster for the March friendly window.

Neymar previously played for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia).

Cincinnati does not currently have an open designated-player spot, which complicates any potential move.

MLS teams have made a big push to woo international stars in recent years, most notably Lionel Messi with Miami.

Cincinnati entered MLS in 2021 and has been a top-five team in the regular season the past three years.

This year, Cincinnati has two wins and four losses.

The Masters (home)

Paul D. Grant — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:49:55 EDT

2026 Masters Leaderboard: First Round

Sportsnet Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:13:30 EDT

The pieces are all in place for the Masters as the world’s top golfers look to earn the green jacket. Follow the action using our live leaderboard.

Bunker blowup at Amen Corner sends DeChambeau to a 76 on first day of Masters

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:36:50 EDT

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Amen Corner put Bryson DeChambeau through the wringer again.

DeChambeau needed three shots to exit a greenside bunker on the 11th hole at Augusta National, and he never really recovered from that triple bogey in a first-round 76 at the Masters on Thursday. DeChambeau faces an uphill climb if he’s going to put himself in the position he was in last year — playing in the final group on the final day.

“Just going to give what the golf course gives me,” he said. “I have to try to hit my irons better. I drove it left numerous occasions.”

The worst opening round by a Masters winner was Craig Stadler’s 75 in 1982.

It was the pond on the 11th hole that did DeChambeau in last year. His shot into the water led to a double bogey, and he was unable to keep up with Rory McIlroy, who beat Justin Rose in a playoff.

This time, DeChambeau was in the bunker to the right of the green, the opposite side from the water. His first two shots didn’t make it out.

“Bunker was softer than I anticipated,” he said.

That DeChambeau was even in that position was surprising, given that he was sitting pretty in the fairway after his tee shot. His approach went into the bunker after a couple bounces.

“The ball flew 12 yards farther than I wanted it to,” said DeChambeau, who hit only eight greens in regulation. “I had a good shot.”

DeChambeau, who won twice recently on the LIV Tour, had seven holes left to make up for his nightmare on No. 11. He didn’t give himself many opportunities.

He parred the par-3 12th, the second of the three Amen Corner holes, after missing the green. After wayward drives, he didn’t go for the green on either of the remaining par 5s — Nos. 13 and 15. He missed the green from about 65 yards on 13 and about 105 on 15, doing well just to save par on the latter.

His round ended with a three-putt bogey on 16, an approach to 8 feet for a birdie on 17, and then a tee shot into a bunker that led to a bogey on 18.

That won’t cut it if he wants to be a factor this weekend.

“Everybody has an ability for weird things to happen, and today I just did not have my irons under control, which is weird,” DeChambeau said. “It’s been good coming into it.”

Schauffele’s tee shot lands inside of fan’s merchandise bag

Sportsnet Video — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:51:05 EDT

Hojgaard pulls off shoe and sock only to roll his shot back into water hazard

Sportsnet Video — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:21:15 EDT

Maple Leafs Live Tracker: Toronto vs. NY Islanders

Sportsnet Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 18:34:02 EDT

The Toronto Maple Leafs look to play spoiler against the playoff-chasing New York Islanders on Thursday night. Catch the action on Sportsnet+ and follow every play with the live tracker.

Report: Bryson DeChambeau builds own club for Masters

Sportsnet Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:57:06 EDT

Bryson DeChambeau is living up to his “Mad Scientist” nickname this week.

The American golfer told ESPN he will play with a 5-iron made with a 3D printer at the Masters.

DeChambeau said he has been working on building his own clubs for years.

When asked why he’ll debut one this week, he said: “Because they’re finally ready.”

“There’s this nature that I have about myself where innovation is a habit of mine, and I really find and take pride in that ability to learn — even through failure, even through making a bad decision or a good decision — what I can get from that,” DeChambeau added.

DeChambeau finished in the top 10 at the past two Masters, but the LIV Golf League member is still looking for his first green jacket.

He has two major championships, at the U.S. Open in 2020 and ’24.

DeChambeau has long been associated with physics-based approaches to golf, often using unique clubs.

“We’ll see where it goes. We’ll see where it takes me,” DeChambeau said of the new club. “All I could say now is, if I don’t put them in the bag, it’s my fault now.”

Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson open the Masters

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:31:11 EDT

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Masters got underway beneath whispy white clouds and a bright blue sky Thursday when Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson once again struck the ceremonial tee shots down the first fairway at Augusta National.

Well, mostly down the first fairway.

After the 90-year-old Player struck his shot down the middle, and celebrated with a big leg kick, the 86-year-old Nicklaus stepped to the tee. With the temperature in the low 50s, he offered a tongue-in-cheek warning to the patrons lining the tee box — “Oh, boy, watch out,” he said, “and I don’t mean that facetiously” — and then proceeded to hit a low hook right toward those down the left-hand side.

Nicklaus chuckled to himself as he walked back to the group.

Last up was the 76-year-old Watson, who used the tee that the Golden Bear had left stuck in the ground. “May I use your tee?” Watson asked. “It’s why I left it,” Nicklaus replied, and the two-time Masters champion proceeded to strike his drive right down the middle.

With that, the 90th edition of the Masters was underway.

The honorary starter has been a tradition at Augusta National since 1963, when Jock Hutchinson and Fred McLeod hit the opening shots of the tournament. The idea had come to club founder Bobby Jones years earlier, and over time, it has become a treasured part of the Masters mystique, with 11 dignitaries and past champions serving in the role over the years.

Byron Nelson, Gene Sarazen and Sam Snead performed the duty throughout most of the 1980s and ’90s, while Arnold Palmer was joined by Nicklaus and Player for many years. When the King died in 2016, it left just Nicklaus and Player in a twosome, so Watson was asked to join them, and the trio continues to this day.

How much longer is a big question surrounding the Masters these days.

So is who might take on the role next.

Schauffele’s drive lands in merchandise bag at Masters

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:56:20 EDT

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Maybe gift shopping really is out of control at the Masters.

Xander Schauffele’s tee shot on the par-5 eighth hole Thursday at Augusta National ended up in somebody’s merchandise bag, just a few feet to the left of the fairway. Schauffele used a tee to mark the spot, removed the ball and then handed off the bag to a woman in a pink and white outfit.

He was able to play on without penalty and made par.

“It just flew straight into the bag. It was a great break. That bounce would’ve put me in the pine straw and who knows if I would’ve had a shot to hit up the hill,” Schauffele said after shooting a 2-under 70 in the first round.

“So thanks to the lady on 8,” he said.

Schauffele shouldn’t sell himself short for his own role in a solid first day. After his tee shot on the par-4 ninth ended up in some pine straw and his second shot found a bunker, he splashed out to within inches of the hole for a par.

He made three birdies and two bogeys on the back nine.

“A little bit of a mixed bag,” he said.

No pun intended, presumably.

NHL injuries (home)

Paul D. Grant — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:15:30 EDT

Senators’ Chabot to return vs. Panthers just 17 days after breaking arm

Sportsnet Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:25:05 EDT

The Ottawa Senators are getting healthier at the perfect time.

Just 17 days after suffering a broken arm, defenceman Thomas Chabot will make his return to the lineup for Thursday’s game against the Florida Panthers, the team confirmed.

Ottawa head coach Travis Green said that Cameron Crotty will come out of the lineup with Chabot healthy.

The Senators said Chabot would miss four to eight weeks after breaking his arm on March 23 and then undergoing surgery.

But the defenceman has made a quicker-than-expected recovery and is ready to go for the Senators’ final four games of the season.

The Senators have been hit hard by injuries on defence in recent weeks, so Chabot’s return will give the team a huge boost in its fight for the final playoff spot in the East.

Chabot has seven goals and 24 assists in 55 games this season.

The Senators enter Thursday’s game against the Panthers two points clear of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Avalanche say Nazem Kadri will miss a few games

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:15:51 EDT

DENVER — Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri will miss “some games” because of a finger injury, Colorado coach Jared Bednar said Thursday.

Bednar added the Avalanche hope to work him back into the lineup before the playoffs, maybe as soon as next week. The Avalanche have five games remaining, including Thursday night against the Calgary Flames.

Colorado has already clinched the Central Division and the top seed in the Western Conference. A win over Calgary wraps up the Presidents’ Trophy, which goes to the squad with the best NHL record.

Kadri was hurt in a 3-1 win over the Blues in St. Louis on Tuesday. He has four goals and five assists in 16 games since being acquired by Colorado as part of a trade deadline deal with the Flames on March 6.

The 35-year-old Kadri helped Colorado to a Stanley Cup title in 2022.

In addition to Kadri, the Avalanche are without defenceman Cale Makar because of an upper-body injury. Makar skated with the team in a red, non-contact sweater Thursday. Makar is set to miss his fifth straight game.

Panthers defenceman Seth Jones broke foot vs. Canadiens, coach says

Sportsnet Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:55:59 EDT

The injury bug has taken another chomp out of the Florida Panthers.

Head coach Paul Maurice told reporters on Thursday that defenceman Seth Jones suffered a broken foot on Wednesday against the Montreal Canadiens.

Maurice added that Jones’ injury occurred in the second period but that the 31-year-old “gutted it out” and played through it until the end of the game. Jones finished what ended up as a 4-3 shootout loss with an assist through 31 shifts and 29:27 of ice time.

As far as an update goes, the Panthers’ bench boss said “We’ll get it looked at when we get back (to Florida).”

The team is in the midst of a five-game road trip, with two away games remaining in Ottawa and Toronto before heading back to Florida for the Panthers’ last two contests of the regular season.

As for Jones, he joins a laundry list of injured players on the Panthers this season. The likes of Brad Marchand, Aleksander Barkov and Evan Rodrigues are on long-term injured reserve already, while other roster mainstays such as Aaron Ekblad, Dmitry Kulikov and Sam Reinhart are expected to miss the rest of the season with injuries of their own.

The back-to-back defending champions have understandably suffered because of the many absences, entering Thursday with a 37-37-4 record. Florida sits seventh in the Atlantic Division and has been eliminated from playoff contention.

As for Jones, the one-time all-star has put up 32 points (seven goals, 25 assists) through 52 games in his first full season with the Panthers. The veteran blue-liner was dealt to Florida from the Chicago Blackhawks mid-way through last season. He leads all defencemen on the Panthers roster in points and average time on ice.

Sabres goalie Alex Lyon could miss start of playoffs with strained lower body muscle

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:43:22 EDT

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo Sabres goalie Alex Lyon could miss the start of the playoffs due to a strained lower-body muscle.

Coach Lindy Ruff provided the update on Thursday, a day after Lyon was hurt during the team’s pre-game skate ahead of Buffalo’s 5-3 win at the New York Rangers. Ruff said the initial prognosis is the goalie missing a week, while adding there is a chance he won’t be available for the start of the playoffs, which are scheduled to open April 18-19.

The Sabres, who host Columbus on Thursday night, are contending for the Atlantic Division title after clinching their first playoff berth in 15 seasons.

The 33-year-old Lyon has gone 20-10-4 in his first season in Buffalo while sharing the starting duties with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Buffalo is carrying a third goalie, Colten Ellis, who was scheduled to face Columbus in his first start since a 31-save outing in a 4-3 overtime loss at Tampa Bay on Feb. 3.

Ellis entered the day with a 7-4-1 record, and would serve as Luukkonen’s backup while Lyon is sidelined.

Devils’ Luke Hughes to have procedure, done for season

Sportsnet Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:38:33 EDT

Luke Hughes‘ season has come to an early end.

The New Jersey Devils have shut down the defenceman for the rest of the season, the team announced Thursday.

Hughes will undergo a procedure and get a head start on rehab for the off-season.

The Devils have four games remaining on their schedule and have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

Hughes, the younger brother of Jack and Quinn, will finish the season with six goals and 29 assists over 68 games.

In October, the Devils inked their young defenceman to a seven-year, $63-million deal.

Breaking down concern level for Blue Jays’ underachieving top bats

Nick Ashbourne — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:36:51 EDT

The Toronto Blue Jays have experienced many flavours of misery during their 5-7 start, but their lineup’s ineptitude ranks at the top of their list of woes.

In 12 games, the club has scored just 41 runs with a wRC+ (93) that ranks 19th in the majors. Some of the team’s issues have resulted from an inability to capitalize on promising situations — the Blue Jays are a miserable 1-for-19 with the bases loaded — but Toronto isn’t just suffering from unlucky sequencing.

The team is getting underwhelming performances up and down the lineup. Generally speaking, new additions like Kazuma Okamoto and Jesús Sánchez have pulled their weight, but the hitters who drove 2025’s offensive success have struggled early. Specifically, Toronto hasn’t got much from the six returning players who were above-average at the plate last year by wRC+ in at least 250 plate appearances: George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Daulton Varsho, Alejandro Kirk, Addison Barger and Nathan Lukes.

In 2025, that group collectively hit .274/.348/.473, good for a 128 wRC+. So far in 2026, that sextet has a .177/.282/.285 line, for a 68 wRC+. Some kind of bounce-back is a near certainty, but the extent of that rebound will be critical to the team’s chances this season.

Looking at some of the individual struggles provides better insight about how hopeful the Blue Jays should be about this group finding its footing — and how concerned the tough start is. In a couple of cases (Kirk and Barger), getting healthy is the worry for now, and that pair has fewer combined plate appearances (45) than either Springer or Guerrero. It’s also safe to put Lukes aside because he’s only had part-time work so far (21 PA) and is more of a role player when everybody’s healthy.

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That means the group Toronto really needs significantly more from in the near term is the trio of hitters who’ve sat atop the lineup the last two games: Springer, Varsho, and Guerrero.

George Springer
2025 rate stats: .309/.399/.560 for a 166 wRC+
2026 rate stats: .184/.273/.367 for a 89 wRC+

What’s going on: Even after Springer’s first multi-hit game of the season, his numbers aren’t anywhere near where he’d want them to be.

The good news for Springer is that he’s provided some OK power production with a .184 ISO that’s not too far from his career average (.211), and he’s taking his walks (10.9 BB%). Outside of that, it’s been a struggle.

It would be easy to look at Springer’s BABIP (.212) and come to the conclusion he’s just been unlucky, but he’s put too many soft balls in the air with a massive 26.3 per cent infield fly rate to show for his efforts. His expected average (.167) and SLG (.344) are pretty close to his real numbers. His strikeout rate (25.5 per cent) is on the high side for someone who’s been under 20 per cent in each of the last four seasons.

That’s all discouraging stuff, but none of it seems too predictive of what’s to come. Because of Springer’s age (36), whenever he falters, he’ll open the door to worries about rapid decline, but his early underlying numbers aren’t particularly alarming. A common concern for older players is declining bat speed, but his average bat speed (73.3 mph) matches last year’s mark (73.7 mph) closely. His high strikeout rate, for instance, is also backed by a contact rate (77.2 per cent) better than his 2025 standard (73.9 per cent).

Springer doesn’t look like a hitter whose capabilities have abandoned him, just a guy who’s a little bit off and getting under the ball too much.

Concern level: Low

Daulton Varsho
2025 rate stats: .238/.284/.548 for a 123 wRC+
2026 rate stats: .184/.295/.237 for a 59 wRC+

What’s going on: Varsho is in an interesting position because his numbers are indisputably poor, but his process looks intriguing, at least on the surface. The outfielder has generally been approximately average at drawing walks and below-average at avoiding strikeouts, but this year he’s been excellent on both counts (13.6 BB% and 13.6 K%).

Normally, results like that come from an increase in both swing decisions and contact ability. In Varsho’s case, though, his swing rate on pitches inside and outside the zone are approximately the same as last year:

Season	In-Zone Swing%	Out-of-Zone Swing%
2025	75.1%	29.9%
2026	77.8%	30.2%

Varsho hasn’t awakened his inner Joey Votto, so the walk rate spike is unlikely to be durable. His contact rate is higher than usual, but not out of place among other 12-game spans in his career:

That means it’s tough to get too excited about the positives, and the big negative here is that Varsho’s not making any hard contact. Coming off a season where he hit 20 home runs in just 71 games, he hasn’t cleared the wall yet, and his average exit velocity (82.9 mph) ranks 262nd among 272 qualified hitters. His max exit velocity in 2026 is just 101.2 mph. For reference, he hit a ball 102 mph or harder 44 times on 176 balls in play last year.

While the sample is still small, it’s a bit shocking to see a hitter who has traditionally sold out for power make so much harmless contact. There was talk during the spring about Varsho trying to hit the ball to all fields more, and perhaps this is the result. The outfielder is a self-described tinkerer who may have gotten away from what makes him special in an effort to become a more complete hitter.

Maybe Varsho is capable of using the whole field and making more contact while also performing as a high-end power threat, but there’s no proof of concept for that. The version of the outfielder that’s performed well in the past pulls the ball in the air a lot, even if it means striking out plenty.

Varsho can probably tinker his way back out of the trouble he’s in now, but he’s a ways away from recapturing his 2025 form.

Concern level: Medium

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
2025 rate stats: .292/.381/.467 for a 137 wRC+
2026 rate stats: .268/.412/366 for a 131 wRC+

What’s going on: Guerrero’s production has been acceptable for an MLB hitter this season, but poor for a lineup centrepiece.

The first baseman has done an excellent job of drawing walks (17.6 BB%) and limiting strikeouts (9.8 K%), which is a great starting point for offensive excellence, but he’s not doing much else particularly well.

Guerrero has just two extra–base hits on the season, though to his credit, one was a towering 437-foot blast to left-centre field.

The 27-year-old’s primary issue right now is a familiar one: he’s pounding the ball into the ground. His groundball rate sits at 52.8%, and his launch angle of 3.7 would be a career low if it held up. The good news for Guerrero is that he seems to have periods like this every season, his power escapes him, and he ends up finding his way. Even in both of his best years (2021 and 2024), he had complete power outages over 12-game spans like the one we’re currently seeing multiple times:

There’s also evidence that bad luck is dragging Vladdy’s numbers down at the moment. His expected average (.294) and SLG (.505) are more than respectable, even during a period when he’s not squaring the ball up as well as he’d like.

Concern level: Low

Frozen Four preview: Battle of blue bloods

Mike Koreen — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:05:22 EDT

Much has changed in NCAA men’s hockey this season, but some of the traditional power programs remain the big forces.

The first Frozen Four of the CHL-players-allowed era features the four teams with the most national titles in NCAA history.

The Denver Pioneers (10 titles), Michigan Wolverines (nine), North Dakota Fighting Hawks (eight) and Wisconsin Badgers (six) will battle it out Thursday and Saturday in Las Vegas.

The biggest sign of change might be the goaltending crew — all four starters are freshmen for the first time in Frozen Four history and all have CHL experience.

Forty-nine NHL Draft picks are on the rosters, just two behind last year’s record total (per College Hockey Inc., which began keeping track in 2014).

Here’s a look at Thursday’s semifinal matchups:

North Dakota (29-9-1) vs. Wisconsin (23-12-2), 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT

Exciting game for Calgary

North Dakota has three Flames prospects on its roster, led by first-round pick and NCHC rookie of the year Cole Reschny, who has points in nine of his past 10 games. Defenceman Abram Wiebe, acquired in the Rasmus Andersson deal, and seventh-round Flames pick Cade Littler also play for first-year North Dakota coach Dane Jackson.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin has Flames pick Eric Jamieson on defence and its starting goalie is former Calgary Hitmen netminder Daniel Hauser. The native of Chestermere, Alta. had a four-game shutout streak with the WHL team last season and set a career record for wins.

Spectacular Spunar

North Dakota goalie Jan Spunar recorded a pair of shutouts in the first two rounds of the tournament, blanking Merrimack and Quinnipiac. The Czech native has a .917 save percentage and 1.90 goals-against average this season.

Penalty-kill problems

The Badgers are within two wins of a national title despite having the second-worst penalty kill in the 63-team men’s hockey national landscape (70.9 per cent). North Dakota, meanwhile, has the seventh-best power play. Wisconsin needs to stay out of the box in its first Frozen Four appearance since 2010.

Feeling a draft

North Dakota’s first-year defenceman Keaton Verhoeff is considered a strong bet to go in the top 10 of this year’s NHL Draft. Verhoeff and Reschny were teammates with the WHL’s Victoria Royals last season.

On a roll

Wisconsin forward Quinn Finley, a New York Islanders prospect, led the regional portion of the tournament with five points in two games. The former U.S. world junior team member is in his third year at Wisconsin.

Quite a comeback

Wisconsin rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the third period to upset Michigan State 4-3 in overtime to earn a berth in the Frozen Four. Senior captain Ben Dexheimer scored the OT winner.

Michigan Wolverines (31-7-1) vs. Denver Pioneers (27-11-3), 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT

Long wait

The Wolverines are making their NCAA-leading 29th Frozen Four appearance, but haven’t captured a national championship since 1998. They entered the tournament as the unanimous No. 1, but Michigan faces an extremely tough test against Denver

Coach David Carle’s Pioneers skated away with NCAA championships in 2022 and ’24. Carle is 14-3 all-time in the NCAA tournament. The 36-year-old has, so far, resisted the temptation to jump to pro hockey.

How healthy is Hage?

Michigan forward and Montreal Canadiens first-round pick Michael Hage missed his team’s tournament opener with an injury and played less than seven minutes in the Albany, N.Y. regional final against Minnesota Duluth.

The Wolverines are a more dangerous team when the Canadian junior team member can play more. Hage has 13 goals and 38 assists in 38 games this season.

Hobey Baker battle

Two of the three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as top player in college hockey are set to square off.

Wolverines captain and undrafted senior forward T.J. Hughes is second in NCAA scoring this season with 56 points (21 goals, 35 assists) in 39 games. He figures to sign an NHL deal when the season ends.

Denver’s Hobey finalist is San Jose Sharks prospect Eric Pohlkamp. The junior defenceman also leads all NCAA blue-liners and his team in scoring with 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists) in 39 games.

Minnesota Duluth forward Max Plante (Detroit Red Wings) is the other Hobey finalist.

Net gains

Denver freshman goalie Johnny Hicks, 20, started the season as his team’s No. 3, but is now the hottest goaltender in the country. The five-foot-10 native of Kamloops, B.C. is an incredible 14-0-1 with a .958 save percentage and 1.12 GAA. Not bad for a player who has just 15 games of CHL experience (last year with Victoria) after moving to the WHL from the BCHL once the NCAA eligibility rule changed.

Hicks’ goaltending counterpart in this game is the lone Frozen Four netminder picked in an NHL Draft. Michigan’s Jack Ivankovic (.923 save percentage, 2.13 GAA in 34 games) was a second-round selection by the Nashville Predators last year. He has also played for Canada’s junior team during the past two years.

Best in the country

Denver is riding an 11-game win streak, tied for the longest run in the NCAA this season with two other teams. The Pioneers are also unbeaten in 15.

Denver will go up against the country’s top power play. Michigan is clicking at a rate of 31.6 per cent

Rare double

Michigan is looking to become the first school in history to win the NCAA hockey and men’s basketball titles in the same year. The basketball team beat UConn in the national final on Monday.

The Big Ten Conference, which has Michigan and Wisconsin as members, already has national championships this year in men’s basketball, women’s basketball (UCLA) and football (Indiana).

Commit watch

Denver has already landed one of the top CHL commits for next season in Vancouver Giants defenceman Ryan Lin, a first-round prospect for this year’s NHL Draft.

Mike McMahon of College Hockey Insider reported last week that Michigan and Denver are the early favourites for Everett Silvertips star defenceman Landon DuPont, who could enter the NCAA ahead of a bid to go No. 1 overall in the 2027 NHL Draft.

AP source: Justice Department investigating NFL for anticompetitive practises

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:29:02 EDT

The Justice Department is investigating the NFL for potential anticompetitive practices, according to a government official.

The official, who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday, said the investigation is “about affordability for consumers and creating an even playing field for providers.”

The investigation was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The NFL has not received a notification that the league is being investigated, according to two other people with knowledge of the situation. Those people spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak on possible legal matters.

The investigation comes amid increasing federal scrutiny of the amount of money fans are paying to watch sports on television. The Federal Communications Commission, for example, is seeking public comments on the ongoing shift of live sports from broadcast channels to streaming services.

The NFL said in a statement Thursday that over 87 per cent of its games are available on broadcast television, including all that are played in a team’s local market.

“The NFL’s media distribution model is the most fan and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry. The 2025 season was our most viewed since 1989 and reflects the strength of the NFL distribution model and its wide availability to all fans,” the league said in its statement.

Utah Sen. Mike Lee, chair of the Senate judiciary subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy, and consumer rights, wrote a letter to the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission on March 3 urging them to review whether the NFL’s distribution methods are in line with the Sports Broadcasting Act, which grants limited antitrust immunity to allow teams to collectively license game broadcasts to national networks.

“The modern distribution environment differs substantially from the conditions that precipitated this exemption. Instead of a small number of free broadcast networks, the NFL now licenses games simultaneously to subscription streaming platforms, premium cable networks, and technology companies operating under different business models,” the Republican senator wrote. “To the extent collectively licensed game packages are placed behind subscription paywalls, these arrangements may no longer align with the statutory concept of sponsored telecasting or the consumer-access rationale underlying the antitrust exemption.”

Lee said in his letter that football fans spent almost $1,000 on cable and streaming subscriptions. Forbes estimated the cost of watching every NFL game via streaming last season at $765.

The NFL aired games last season on CBS, NBC, ABC/ESPN/ESPN+, Fox, NFL Network, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube TV.

The league averages nearly $11 billion per season in revenue from its media deals. That could increase since the sale of Paramount to Skydance Media allows the league to renegotiate its deal with CBS.

The rights deals go through 2033 with most outlets and 2034 with ESPN. The league has an opt-out clause after the 2029 season, which it is likely to exercise since 83 of the top 100 broadcasts last year were NFL games, according to Nielsen.

The Sports Broadcasting Act exemption passed in 1961 applies only to broadcast television. Courts have ruled in the past that it does not apply to other media, including cable, satellite and streaming.

The Sports Broadcasting Act includes a rule allowing blackouts of local games, which still applies to out-of-market packages sold by the league. The NFL ended local TV blackouts, which applied to games within 75 miles of a team’s market if they did not sell out 72 hours before kickoff, after the 2014 season.

Last year, the House Judiciary Committee requested briefings from the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB on whether antitrust exemptions should still be granted for coordinating their broadcast television rights.

All four of the major North American professional sports leagues have deals with streaming platforms.

In 2024, a jury in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles ruled the NFL violated antitrust laws in distributing out-of-market Sunday afternoon games on a premium subscription service and awarded $4.7 billion in damages.

A federal judge overturned the verdict in the class-action lawsuit because the testimony of two witnesses for the subscribers had flawed methodologies and should have been excluded.

The lawsuit covered 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses in the United States who paid for the “Sunday Ticket” package on DirecTV of out-of-market games from the 2011 through 2022 seasons.

Because damages can be tripled under federal antitrust laws, the NFL could have been liable for $14,121,779,833.92.

AP study: MLB average salary hits a record $5.34 million, Mets lead again

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:49:59 EDT

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball’s average salary rose 3.4 per cent on opening day to a record $5.34 million, according to a study by The Associated Press, and the New York Mets topped spending at the season’s start for the fourth straight year.

Mets outfielder Juan Soto is the highest-paid player for the second consecutive season at $61.9 million and was followed by New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger at $42.5 million.

Philadelphia pitcher Zack Wheeler and Mets third baseman Bo Bichette tied for third at $42 million. Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was fifth at $40.2 million, just ahead of Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge at $40 million.

The Mets’ payroll of $352.2 million was just below the record $355.4 million they set in 2023 and up from $322.6 million last year. The Mets’ total is more than five times that of Cleveland, the lowest-spending team at $62.3 million.

The two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers were second at $316.6 million, down from $319.5 million last year. The Dodgers’ total would be $395.2 million if deals for nine players with deferred money had not been discounted to present-day value. The Mets have deals with deferred money with just three players and their total would be $360 million without discounting.

MLB’s average of $5,335,966 increased from $5,160,245 at the start of last season and has risen 28 per cent under the five-year collective bargaining agreement that expires in December, an average of 5.6 per cent annually.

The top five spenders were unchanged from last year, with the Yankees third ($297.2 million), followed by Philadelphia ($282 million) and Toronto ($269 million).

Six clubs had $250 million payrolls, up from four; and 10 teams had $200 million payrolls, an increase from nine.

Eight teams were under $100 million, up from five.

Detroit had the biggest increase, up $64.2 million to $206.7 million after signing pitcher Framber Valdez, re-signing Gleyber Torres with a qualifying offer and giving a big raise to ace Tarik Skubal via arbitration. Atlanta increased by $44.1 million, and the Chicago Cubs, Toronto and the Mets by just under $30 million.

Minnesota slashed payroll by $46.3 million from opening day last year to $96.5 million.

St. Louis cut its opening-day payroll from $141.5 million to $100.4 million. The Cardinals’ spending includes $44 million it is paying Arizona and Boston as part of trades to get rid of Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras, plus just under $3.4 million to Arenado as the present-day value of a $6 million assignment bonus that originally had been deferred money owed in his contract and remains payable by the Cardinals in 2040 and ’41.

Other teams with big cuts included the Guardians ($40.2 million), Texas ($37.3 million) and Washington ($23.3 million).

Payrolls include the 942 players on opening-day rosters and injured lists. They do not include players on the restricted list such as Cleveland pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, Atlanta outfielder Jurickson Profar and Philadelphia outfielder Johan Rojas.

They also don’t reflect players who started the season assigned to minor league teams such as Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim and Toronto pitcher Yariel Rodríguez.

Baseball’s median salary, the point at which an equal number of players are above and below, rose to $1.4 million from $1.35 million and remained below the record high of $1.65 million at the start of 2015. Active rosters expanded to 26 players in 2021.

Average and median salaries decline over the course of the season as veterans are released and replaced by younger players making closer to the minimum. MLB calculated the 2025 final average at $4.61 million and the players’ association at $4.72 million.

There were 519 players earning $1 million or more, at 55% the same as last year.

Nineteen players earned $30 million or more, an increase of four; 74 were at $20 million, up from 66; and 168 at $10 million, down from 177.

Thirty-one players made the $780,000 minimum.

The top 50 players make 30 per cent of the salaries, up from 29 per cent in the prior two years, and the top 100 earn 49 per cent, up from 48 per cent last year.

The AP’s figures include salaries and prorated shares of signing bonuses and other guaranteed income. Payroll figures factor in adjustments for cash transactions in trades, signing bonuses that are the responsibility of the club agreeing to the contract, option buyouts and termination pay for released players.

MLB’s payrolls are based on 40-man rosters and fluctuate each day depending on roster moves.

MLB Highlights (April 9)

Joseph Luca Casciaro — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:03:33 EDT

MLB Highlights: Athletics 1, Yankees 0

Sportsnet Video — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:41:19 EDT

MLB Highlights: Twins 3, Tigers 1

Sportsnet Video — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:57:23 EDT

MLB Highlights: Marlins 8, Reds 1

Sportsnet Video — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:56:09 EDT

Retool or rebuild? How flailing teams decide future

Mark Spector — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:14:41 EDT

EDMONTON — So you’re sitting around a table at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, arguing with Dave Bidini over the future of the Maple Leafs.

Or you’re talking Canucks with Michael Buble, crushing a few Granville Island pints at the Black Frog.

The topic: To rebuild or not rebuild?

Do we have what it takes for a retool? Or will it be one of those middle-of-the-road, not-too-good-but-not-too-bad teams, like so many retools produce?

Can our market handle a rebuild? (Answer: Has anyone ever NOT renewed their season tickets in Toronto?)

It’s a topic in Calgary and St. Louis, no more or less than it is for New York Rangers fans. Or in Washington, where the retool looked pretty good 12 months ago.

But today? Meh …

What do you do when your team bottoms out? Can the owner afford a rebuild? (With franchise values in the billions, the answer is always yes.) Will the fans stomach six or seven years out of the playoffs, with no concrete promise that success will follow?

And what about the players? What’s it like for them?

“A lot of dark days,” said Jason Dickinson, who spent most of four seasons in Chicago before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers at the trade deadline. “A lot of tough moments where you sit there and wonder, ‘Is it all worth it?’ Are you doing the right things? ‘Am I doing enough to help move things along?’”

If you see a version of yourself or your team somewhere in all of this, then this is your homework:

Tonight: San Jose at Anaheim, at 10 p.m. ET.

Have a nap, then get some beers and snacks and watch the Ducks and Sharks fly around the ice, with Macklin Celebrini, Cutter Gauthier, Will Smith and Beckett Sennecke.

Two promising young goalies are Yaroslav Askarov and Lukas Dostal. Two fast, exciting teams that will figure out their defensive games, one day. But for now, they’re as entertaining as you could imagine.

Toronto fans could have a team like this. But not without living through the pain they lived through in Anaheim and San Jose.

The Ducks missed the playoffs for seven seasons. San Jose’s drought will reach seven if it misses again this season.

From the stands or your seat on the couch, it takes patience. Down in the dressing room, it’s something else altogether, as very few players or coaches who start a rebuild are still there for that first playoff game.

“It’s a different experience from a fan to a player,” said Oilers defenceman Connor Murphy, who did a four-year stint as a Phoenix/Arizona Coyote before transferring to Chicago for another nine seasons.

Aside from the COVID bubble season, when almost everyone made it, Murphy has never played an NHL playoff game.

“As a player, it’s hard to go through, just because you want to have the best team possible,” Murphy explained. “You want (the roster) to be filled with all the free agents available; you want to be able to trade every year for players to add, to get better. When you’re seeing your teammate get traded away or losing guys every season, that’s very hard.”

Any fool can start a rebuild.

You trade away your pending free agents. Turn veteran players into as many draft picks as you can accrue.

But it takes wise management, excellent scouting and development, some slick horse trading and a huge dollop of luck to finish one.

The Blackhawks embraced their rebuild, and this will be Year 6 with no playoffs. They do not look to be a year behind the Ducks or Sharks, just as the Detroit Red Wings in no way resemble the Montreal Canadiens.

“It’s a hard thing to go through,” Dickinson said of his Chicago experience. “From a fan experience, the patience has shown very strong in Chicago. It’s not easy to have losing seasons and then stay focused on the future with the young players and what they can bring. As a player, it’s a challenge.

“It brings in that business aspect, that you can only control so many things. What point is a team at in their climb? You just try to play your best and be the best teammate you can.”

It’s not easy, Toronto. Or Vancouver. Or Calgary.

But take a look at what’s cooking in California, and decide for yourself if it’s all worthwhile.

Calgary referee Drew Fischer picked for FIFA World Cup officiating roster

Canadian Press — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:13:12 EDT

Calgary referee Drew Fischer will work the FIFA World Cup after being named Thursday to the tournament’s list of match officials.

FIFA selected 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials from 50 member associations for the expanded event.

Assistant referees Michael Barwegen of Coaldale, Alta., and Lyes Arfa of Laval, Que., were also named, giving Canada three officials at the tournament.

The appointments, drawn from all six confederations, include 41 more officials than the 2022 tournament in Qatar and follow a three-year evaluation process based on performance at domestic and international levels. Six women match officials were also selected, matching the 2022 total.

Fischer, 45, is a two-time Major League Soccer referee of the year and has worked more than 200 MLS matches since his debut in 2012.

He served as a video assistant referee at the World Cup in Qatar, including the semifinal, and has also worked as a VAR at the women’s World Cup and Club World Cup, and as an on-field and video official at the Olympic Games.

Match officials will report to a pre-tournament seminar in Miami beginning May 31, with video officials based in Dallas at the International Broadcast Centre during the competition.

As in previous tournaments, goal-line technology and an advanced version of semi-automated offside will be used, along with connected ball technology and referee body cameras that will provide new on-field perspectives.

“For the first time in World Cup history, fans will be able to see things from the referee’s on-field perspective,” FIFA referees chief Pierluigi Collina said.

The World Cup kicks off June 11 in Mexico City and Guadalajara, with matches also played in the United States and Canada.

Toronto will host six matches at the tournament, with Vancouver staging seven.

The Canadian men’s team opens the tournament on June 12 in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina before facing Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24 in Vancouver.

Analyzing how the Flyers suddenly got back into the playoff race

Adam Vingan — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:15:27 EDT

Like professional wrestler Randy Orton striking an unsuspecting opponent with his “RKO” finishing maneuver, the Philadelphia Flyers have come out of nowhere to grab a playoff spot as the regular season winds to a close.

Philadelphia, which has won nine of 12 (9-3-0), looked dead in the water after losing 12 of 15 (3-8-4) entering the Olympic break. But now the Flyers are just four points back of the archrival Pittsburgh Penguins for second place in the Metropolitan Division, with each team having four games left.

By going 15-6-1 since the NHL restarted Feb. 25, the Flyers have improved their playoff odds by 40.4 percentage points — second only to the Ottawa Senators, whose playoff odds have risen by 70.4 percentage points.

“I’m really proud of how the guys are battling,” Flyers general manager Danny Briere told NBC Sports Philadelphia last week. “It would have been easy to pack it in a few weeks ago, but no, these guys keep fighting for (the playoffs).”

Philadelphia’s reversal of fortune has been powered by a renewed commitment to defence, specifically off the rush. The Flyers, who ranked 16th in rush scoring chances against per 60 minutes at the Olympic break, are No. 1 in that category over the past six weeks. They have also improved from 12th to first in odd-man rushes against per 60 in that span. Over the past 15 games, the Flyers have the highest scoring-chance (plus-34) and goal (plus-12) differential off the rush of any team in the league.

In addition, the Flyers have made it much harder for opponents to access the slot after they have entered the zone. Philadelphia has allowed the fourth-fewest slot shots on net and sixth-fewest slot-driving plays (passes and carries) per 60 since Feb. 25. The Flyers were 12th and 17th in those areas before the break, respectively.

“The neutral zone can win or lose you games,” Flyers coach Rick Tocchet told reporters. “I would say eight to 10 years ago, (it was) probably last on the list for coaches. You always worried about the (offensive and defensive zones). … I think we’ve been clogging up (the neutral zone) pretty (well).”

Stronger defence has made life easier for goaltenders Dan Vladar and Samuel Ersson, who have responded by recording 17 combined quality starts in 22 tries (77.3 per cent) and saving 15.9 goals above expected. The latter figure ranks eighth in the league since Feb. 25. Vladar, in particular, has had a breakout season in his first year as a starter. His 75 per cent quality-start rate this season (36-of-48) is tied for seventh, and his 30.4 goals saved above expected are 11th.

On the offensive end, 19-year-old rookie forward Porter Martone has provided an instant boost. Martone, whom the Flyers drafted sixth overall last summer, has four points in his first five games and recently became the second-youngest player in league history to score his first career goal in overtime. Since debuting March 31, Martone leads Philadelphia in scoring chances (15) and slot shots on net (11). His line with Travis Konecny and Christian Dvorak has outscored opponents 3-1 at five-on-five.

“I didn’t really get a training camp to adjust,” Martone told reporters. “I feel like I kind of got thrown into the thick of it. We’re in the playoff picture. But everyone in this locker room has done a tremendous job from the coaching staff and players, just really getting me ready.”

Forward Tyson Foerster’s earlier-than-anticipated return from arm surgery has also strengthened the Flyers’ offence. He has three goals in four games after missing four months of action, joining Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett on the top forward line. In 35:35 of ice time at five-on-five since Foerster’s return, Philadelphia’s No. 1 line has generated 69.3 per cent of the expected goals.

If the Flyers make the playoffs, it will be the first time for many of their players. Philadelphia’s lineup against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday had a combined 158 games of playoff experience, led by veteran fourth-line forward Luke Glendening (50). Eleven of the 19 players who appeared in the Flyers’ 5-1 win have never experienced post-season hockey in the NHL, including defenceman Rasmus Ristolainen, whose 817 career games are the most by an active player without a playoff appearance. (Vladar has made two relief appearances but zero starts in the playoffs.)

“These are the games that you want to play with each other and for each other,” Flyers defenceman Nick Seeler told reporters after the win against the Devils. “It’s been a blast. I think this group has come together since the Olympic break, more than ever.”

At the Letters: Fighting against the current

At The Letters — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:23:27 EDT

After a tough start to the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Toronto Blue Jays managed to salvage a win and avoid another sweep. Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith discuss the team’s latest wave of injuries, the ongoing pitching puzzle, and the underperforming offence.

76ers’ Joel Embiid to undergo surgery for appendicitis

Sportsnet Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:53:02 EDT

The Philadelphia 76ers‘ chase for a playoff spot just took a major hit.

Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with appendicitis and will undergo surgery on Thursday afternoon in Houston, the team announced.

He’d already been ruled out for the 76ers’ game against the Rockets due to illness, per the team’s injury report, but no further timeline has been announced.

Embiid last played on Monday, putting up 34 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in a loss to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.

The Cameroonian big man has been limited to just 38 games this season due to knee and oblique injuries, averaging 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 blocks. With his absence on Thursday, Embiid fell short of playing at least half the season for a third consecutive year.

Embiid’s diagnosis is a blow to the 76ers’ playoff hopes, as the team entered Thursday as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and just 0.5 games back of the Orlando Magic. Philadelphia can finish as high as fifth or as low as ninth in the East with just three games remaining.

The 76ers are hoping to make the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season and advance beyond the second round for the first time since 2001.

It’s pursuit that’s been burdened by multiple absences from the likes of Embiid and Maxey, who recently returned from a 10-game injury stint, and Paul George, who missed 25 games due to suspension.

Embiid expressed his frustrations with Daryl Morey, the 76ers president of basketball operations, on Friday night for not allowing him to play in Washington last week.

“I was pissed off. I wanted to play basketball,” Embiid said. “I wasn’t allowed to play basketball, so I think this is more of a question of Daryl Morey or whoever makes the decisions.”

–With files from The Associated Press

NBA fines Magic $25,000 for violating injury reporting rules

Sportsnet Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:40:04 EDT

It turns out the Orlando Magic‘s win on Monday night didn’t come without a cost.

The NBA has fined the Magic $25,000 for violating injury reporting rules, the league announced on Thursday.

According to the NBA, the Magic failed to accurately disclose Anthony Black‘s status before the game against the Detroit Pistons. The third-year guard was listed as out in Orlando’s initial injury report and subsequently played in the game on Monday.

Black played 15 minutes off the bench, putting up 14 points, two assists and two steals in an important win for the Magic.

Orlando (44-36) has won four consecutive games entering Thursday, moving up to seventh in the Eastern Conference and just 0.5 games back of the Toronto Raptors in sixth.

The Magic are looking to make the playoffs for a third consecutive season and advance past the first round for the first time since 2010.

NCAA weighs five-year eligibility limit for college athletes with age restrictions

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:16:07 EDT

An NCAA panel is scheduled to discuss potential changes to eligibility rules that would include an age limit, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.

The proposal, which mirrors language written in the executive order issued by President Donald Trump last week, would give athletes five years of eligibility with the clock starting when an athlete turns 19 or graduates from high school, whichever is earliest. There would be limited exceptions but they would not include injuries, which has been a common reason for players to ask for and receive extra eligibility.

The details will be reviewed and discussed by the Division I Cabinet next week, but not voted on for implementation, according to the two people who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the NCAA hasn’t publicly discussed the proposal. Yahoo Sports was first to report the details.

Trump called for “clear, consistent and fair eligibility limits, including a five-year participation window” that limits athletes to one transfer with one more available once they get a four-year degree.

Speaking at the Final Four over the weekend, NCAA President Charlie Baker said Trump wanted to figure out a way to “get something on the books that works and represents what most people are looking for at this point, which is a much simpler eligibility process, which we’ve been talking to our committees about.”

Still unknown is whether the rule would shield the NCAA from lawsuits over eligibility. Dozens of players have sued for extra years, claiming injuries and other circumstances made them candidates for extra eligibility.

Heisman Trophy runner-up and Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia remains the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging an NCAA rule counting seasons spent at junior colleges against players’ Division I eligibility time. That case is slated for trial in February.

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who led his team to the College Football Playoff last season, went to court after the NCAA denied a waiver request to play in the 2026 season after he was healthy enough to play in just three of his five seasons. A three-judge panel of the Mississippi Supreme Court recently denied an NCAA appeal.

While Ole Miss could have the dynamic Chambliss back this fall, at fellow SEC school Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar’s bid for an injunction that would have enabled him to keep playing for the Volunteers this fall was denied by a Knox County judge.

“I think it would be great if we got to five years of eligibility for our players,” New Mexico football coach Jason Eck said. “So much is in flux by what kind of judge you get and things like that. I think getting away from that, where there’s a lot of subjectivity, having a really objective criteria would be great.”

Some of the players who have gone to court contend the NCAA has no right to limit their ability to earn money with eligibility caps. The NCAA is seeking a limited antitrust exemption from Congress, saying it needs the help to clear up the confusing landscape.

Attorney Mit Winter, who specializes in sports law, called the five-year proposal tied to an age limit “a very sensible rule” in offering a “more black and white” evaluation to player eligibility, particularly for schools navigating a complicated waiver process determined on a case-by-case basis.

Yet the same hurdles would remain when it comes to holding up against lawsuits, such as players still not being considered employees or having collective bargaining to establish agreed-upon standards.

“To the legal aspect, yes, I would imagine there would still be legal challenges to it,” Winter said of the proposal. “It might be a little easier to defend than the current rules we have. But when you just look at it from a broad point of view, it’s still essentially limiting how long someone can work as a college athlete and be paid as a college athlete.

“Now that athletes are being paid in many cases millions of dollars per year, you could see why someone would want to challenge a rule that says you can only be paid as a college athlete for five years.”

Max Verstappen’s race engineer to leave Red Bull for rival McLaren

Associated Press — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:50:21 EDT

MILTON KEYNES, England — Max Verstappen’s race engineer and close ally GianPiero Lambiase is set to leave the Red Bull team in 2028 and will join Formula 1 rival McLaren as its chief racing officer.

Red Bull said Lambiase, who is also Red Bull’s head of racing, will leave when his current contract expires.

“’GP’ is a valued member of the team, which he joined in 2015,” Red Bull said. “Until his planned departure, ‘GP’ continues in his roles as Head of Racing and as Race Engineer to Max Verstappen. The team and he are fully committed to add more success to our strong track record together.”

The move to McLaren will see team principal Andrea Stella delegate part of his current role. Lambiase would answer to Stella.

“The role of the Chief Racing Officer already exists within the team’s structure with overall leadership of the race team. These duties are currently managed by Andrea Stella in addition to his role as Team Principal,” McLaren said.

The move could fuel speculation around Verstappen’s future in F1. The four-time champion has been a vocal critic of the increased reliance on electrical power in the new generation of F1 cars, has his own racing projects outside of F1 and has talked about wanting to spend more time with his family.

He told BBC radio last month he would consider his future and didn’t rule out leaving the sport at the end of the season.

Andreescu, Cross open for Canada in Billie Jean King Cup qualifying

Canadian Press — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:28:37 EDT

Bianca Andreescu and Kayla Cross will handle singles for Canada in Billie Jean King Cup tennis qualifying against host Kazakhstan on Friday.

Canada will be without its highest-ranked player after Victoria Mboko, the world No. 9, withdrew from the competition last month.

Cross, ranked No. 198 in the world, opens against No. 74 Yulia Putintseva in her first singles match.

Andreescu, ranked No. 130, follows against Sonja Zhiyenbayeva (No. 1,023).

Ariana Arseneault and Sasha Vagramov are slated for the doubles match Saturday.

Andreescu is also scheduled to face Putintseva later Saturday. If needed, Cross plays Zhiyenbayeva in the fifth match. 

Canada’s Auger-Aliassime advances to quarterfinals in Monte Carlo, to face Sinner

Canadian Press — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:52:19 EDT

Canadian tennis star Félix Auger-Aliassime advanced to the quarterfinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters on Thursday with a walkover when opponent Casper Ruud retired.

Auger-Aliassime was up 7-5, 2-2 and had just fired his fourth ace of the match to complete a hold when the Norwegian withdrew from the match.

Auger-Aliassime improved his record this year to 17-6 and is the first Canadian to advance to the quarterfinal of every ATP Masters tournament.

The 25-year-old from Montreal, who is seeded sixth at the clay-court event, faces a tough opponent in the next round in second seed Jannik Sinner.

Sinner lost a set but advanced with 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-3 win over Czechia’s Tomas Machac. The Italian had not dropped a set across his previous 18 Masters matches, a run that includes titles in Paris, Indian Wells and Miami.

Sinner has a 4-2 record against Auger-Aliassime, with all four wins coming in high-profile matches last year. He beat the Canadian in the final of the Paris Masters, the semifinals of the U.S. Open, the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Masters and the round robin of the ATP Finals.

Blue Jays raise issue with Ohtani getting extended warmup between innings

Sportsnet Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:37:11 EDT

Although the Toronto Blue Jays avoided a series sweep against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 4-3 win on Wednesday, the game wasn’t without some tension.

Shohei Ohtani, who was kept in check for most of the night, was on the mound opposite the Blue Jays in Toronto for the final game of a three-game set. Well, he eventually took the mound — to the dismay of the Blue Jays.

Ohtani spent the top half of the opening inning on base after drawing a walk, and once the frame flipped and it was his turn to pitch, the two-way superstar took longer to warm up than those on the Toronto side appreciated. Ohtani didn’t take the mound to loosen up until there were fewer than 60 seconds left on the two-minute clock, and then the timer was extended for him.

That prompted action from George Springer as the Blue Jays leadoff hitter left the on-deck circle to have a conversation with home-plate umpire Dan Merzel, which was speculated to be about Ohtani’s extended warmup.

The Japanese star being afforded extra time — the two-minute clock is subject to umpire discretion — is not uncommon, especially after half-innings in which he’s taken part offensively. But it’s also not an unfamiliar sight to see opposing teams take exception to it.

During Game 7 of last season’s World Series, Blue Jays manager John Schneider was seen airing his grievances on the matter with umpire Jordan Baker.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged as much on Wednesday when asked about Ohtani’s unique circumstances.

“I think they were a little frustrated about how long Shohei takes in between innings,” Roberts said. “But if he’s on the bases, there’s got to be some grace, which the umpires are trying to give him.”

A more measured response from Roberts than his initial reaction to the Blue Jays’ protest on Wednesday. The Dodgers’ bench boss appeared to be visibly frustrated when Springer approached the umpire to inquire about Ohtani’s extended warmup.

“Yeah, if you’re on the other side, you’re trying to rush him as much as possible and treat him like any other pitcher,” Roberts explained. “But the truth is that he’s different, but I understand their gripe.”

Ohtani ended up sticking in the game for six innings, giving up one run on one walk and two strikeouts. On the offensive end, he went 0-for-3 with one walk and two strikeouts.

The Blue Jays look to shake off the drama-filled World Series rematch when they host the Minnesota Twins for a three-game set, starting on Friday (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT).

Tough decisions loom for Canadiens’ St. Louis, including what to do with Hage

Eric Engels — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:50:44 EDT

BROSSARD, Que. — It’s been a lingering question, with the college season almost complete and Michael Hage appearing NHL-ready, and we’re not closer to having it answered.

Albeit not definitively. Because even if Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis showed an unexpected level of flexibility with his lineup for Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout win over the Florida Panthers, it’s impossible to say for sure what he’ll do with Hage if/when management signs the 21st-overall pick in the 2024 draft to an entry-level contract before the end of the regular season.

With four games remaining, the Canadiens are four points out of first place in the Eastern Conference and in a three-way tie for top spot in the Atlantic Division and St. Louis already said twice in the last 48 hours that the top priority is to win games and accomplish those goals.

But changes he made to Montreal’s lineup Tuesday made it clear it’s not the only priority.

That St. Louis made so many of them to test different players in different situations suggested he might be open to making more, and Hage could be his biggest one yet.

The dynamic, 19-year-old forward, who’s posted 26 goals and 85 points over 71 games spread over the last two years with the Michigan Wolverines, is headed to the Frozen Four. He could win a national championship Saturday, but he could also be available to the Canadiens by then if the Wolverines lose to the Denver Pioneers in the second semifinal on Thursday.

With playoff positioning and home-ice advantage still at play, it felt questionable St. Louis would pop Hage into his lineup for even one game before the end of the season — Hage would likely only be available for one if he plays in Saturday’s championship game — and that was still the case Tuesday morning.

The coach was asked then about changes and didn’t guarantee any of them, despite Joe Veleno’s unclear status for the game. He was also asked about what he’d like to see from the Canadiens’ second line and never gave any indication he intended on tweaking it.

Then came Tuesday night.

Scratching Brendan Gallagher to get Kirby Dach back in after Dach missed 11 games with an upper-body injury wasn’t much of a surprise, but bringing Alex Texier in off his seven-game absence with a lower-body injury for Veleno (sick) and placing him in Oliver Kapanen’s place on Montreal’s second line was.

Kapanen, who has 22 goals this season, moved to the fourth line with Phillip Danault and Josh Anderson, making it the first game he’d played away from Ivan Demidov this season.

The result was strong enough to suggest it won’t be the last one.

Texier did what Kapanen hasn’t been able to do as much of, making a new combination with Demidov particularly compelling.

St. Louis said earlier in the day that Texier’s ability to extend offensive-zone time and play in possession was key no matter where he slotted in.

And then he said after the game, over which Demidov was Montreal’s most threatening player opposite Texier, “When you extend and the other team gets a little tired, now (Demidov) gets a touch and he’s got a little bit of space, he’s tough to handle. We’ve got to get it to that, we’ve got to create more instances for him.”

Alex Newhook’s speed and versatility between Texier and Demidov — not to mention his improved faceoff percentage of late — made him a good fit to balance out the line.

But those are the elements that make Newhook a good fit anywhere in this lineup, potentially making way for Hage to step in and have a chance to showcase his ability from the place he’d fit best — with Texier and Demidov — for at least a game.

“I think (Hage is) a dynamic skater, really good hockey mind,” said Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson, who came out of college and jumped into NHL games in April of 2024.

“I think he’s just got a really high hockey IQ,” Hutson continued. “He competes and is a lot of fun to watch. Tons of skill.”

Throwing Hage in at this stage of the season still represents a difficult decision for St. Louis, though.

The coach will have many more to make before the Canadiens are through playing hockey this spring.

Take Veleno, for instance: He was missing for a valid reason Tuesday night, and now could find himself as a healthy scratch again before long, despite playing so well that St. Louis was praising him up and down Tuesday morning.

“He’s playing with some jam, and he’s playing with a lot of details defensively,” the coach said of the player who ranks third on the Canadiens in hits (149) and has been a key cog on an improved penalty kill of late.

“He’s been very noticeable, disruptive, and he’s been really good,” St. Louis added on Veleno.

If Gallagher hasn’t been as effective through the second half of this season, he still has a body of work in the playoffs that suggests he’ll be needed.

Scratching Gallagher for the odd regular-season game is one thing, but doing so for a playoff game is another. The 33-year-old has the most playoff experience of anyone on the team and he plays the brand of hockey that prevails at that time.

Kapanen, who’s played so mature that it’s easy to forget he’s a rookie, has yet to show he does.

Part of that is he has only three games of playoff experience.

The Finn has been a great complementary piece in the top six for most the season, though, and he has enough variety in his game to make him effective anywhere.

Still, St. Louis will have to watch Kapanen play more games in the bottom six and ask himself just how much more effective he’ll be than Veleno or Gallagher — not to mention Dach — in such a role come playoff time.

As St. Louis mentioned after Wednesday’s practice, he hasn’t had to weigh so many different factors in his decisions to date.

He must balance factors of age and experience with youth, talent and energy. He must consider roles of each of his players. He must also find ways to keep everyone engaged and prepared to give the Canadiens what they’ll need at any given moment.

“How do I do it?” St. Louis asked.

“I don’t know, but I’ll do my best doing it,” he responded.

There’s still time before the decisions he makes become that much more consequential, with the playoffs more than a week away.

How St. Louis made decisions Tuesday suggested he’s willing to experiment, though, for now. Even with playoff positioning and home-ice advantage still on the line.

That could open the door to Hage as soon as he’s available to play.

Will this be Ovechkin’s final season in the NHL?

Sportsnet Video — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:52:05 EDT

Canadian fighter Jamie Siraj to debut at UFC Winnipeg after health scares

Sportsnet Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:04:38 EDT

Canadian fighter Jamie Siraj has finally made it to the UFC.

The featherweight has been added to the upcoming UFC Fight Night event in Winnipeg, where he will face American John Yannis in a 145-pound preliminary matchup.

The UFC officially announced Siraj’s addition to the card Thursday morning.

The 31-year-old is from Lower Mainland in B.C., and has trained out of the famous Tristar Gym in Montreal alongside current UFC contender Aiemann Zahabi plus former two-weight champion Georges St-Pierre, among other talent throughout Canadian mixed martial arts.

Siraj made his professional debut in 2014 and holds a 14-3 record, but his career has seen significant interruptions and setbacks.

Most notably, there was a four-year span from mid-2019 to mid-2023 during which Siraj did not compete due to life-threatening health issues.

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Canada’s Mike Malott and Brazil’s Gilbert Burns headline a Fight Night in Winnipeg. Watch all the UFC action on Saturday, April 18 on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet+ with coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT.

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“In 2020, I ended up getting a brain infection,” Siraj told UFC.com back in 2023 ahead of his scheduled comeback fight at the time. “I had to go into a coma, and in healing from that, my body developed an auto-immune disease that was attacking my body’s connective tissues. I ended up septic in the hospital a bunch of times, and then I was put in another coma and almost died at the beginning of 2022. “(From 2020 to 2023) I probably spent a year-and-a-half in the hospital.”

He has gone 6-1 since returning to competition less than three years ago and most recently has been competing in B.C.’s Battlefield Fight League.

Siraj is coming off consecutive second-round submission victories and his only loss since 2016 was early last year against Diego Brandao, a UFC veteran and past winner of The Ultimate Fighter. Other than that defeat, Siraj is 11-1 in the past decade.

Yannis, 31, is a 9-4 pro who lost his UFC debut last August when he was submitted by Austin Bashi in the opening round.

Siraj is one of nine Canadian-born fighters set for the UFC Winnipeg card, which is headlined by Ontario welterweight Mike Malott facing one-time title challenger Gilbert Burns of Brazil in a five-round main event.