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Lucas Giolito’s free agency saga has finally come to an end.

After being one of the top-rated free agents heading into the 2026 season, his offseason was relatively sparse. Despite interest from several clubs, his agents could not find a preferred number at any time in the offseason.

That changed this morning, as the San Diego Padres announced the signing of Giolito on the X. The move is a way for the Friars to strengthen their rotation after Nick Pivetta landed on the injured list for the indefinite future. He will be able to join the club around mid-May.

Giolito must be added to the roster within 25 days of his signing. Kevin Ace of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that he would begin his season with Low-A Lake Elsinore. This is likely so the Padres’ coaching staff can evaluate him after the offseason. Giolito has stated on several occasions that he has been pitching throughout his vacation, but trainers would still like to check his stuff.

Salary implications for ascetics

It is reported that the contract is worth $3 million and is prorated. This means the Friars are only paying Giolito for the time he has spent with them (not for the portion of the season he has missed so far).

If that amount is correct, it would be a steal for San Diego. General manager AJ Preller has been overpaid in the past. Starting pitching is also at a premium in MLB, so it’s surprising to see one of the top-rated free agent pitchers at $3 million by the end of April 22nd.

Giolito has been a great back-end option for the Boston Red Sox over the past few years. This culminated in a career-best 3.41 ERA in 2025. While there was speculation that this would not last long, their underlying metrics are painting a different picture. But the Padres (and their lack of starting pitching depth) are willing to take a gamble on the right-hander.

Over the years, he has battled countless injuries that have kept him off the field. The Padres are hoping to get a full, healthy season from Giolito. If that’s the case, he’ll be considered as a depth option for the rest of 2026. It’s possible that once everyone is healthy he will stop rotating between the big and the small. But if Giolito competes well enough to earn a spot, the Friars will have no choice but to keep him.

As the regular season winds down, the NHL playoff picture is heating up. With just days left in the 2026 regular season, several division titles and wild card spots remain undecided, setting up a chaotic finish that could reshape the Stanley Cup playoff bracket.

Here are eight predictions for how the final stretch of the NHL regular season will unfold.

Edmonton Oilers win Pacific Division in a tight race

The Edmonton Oilers will win the Pacific Division to conclude the 2025–26 NHL regular season. The Oilers are in a tight race with the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks, but their schedule over the next three games isn’t terrible. Edmonton already has a one-point advantage and will play the Los Angeles Kings, Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks. It’ll be a tough task, but Connor McDavid and company will get the job done.

New York Islanders miss playoffs due to tough schedule

The New York Islanders have impressed with budding sensation Matthew Schaefer, but it won’t be enough to clinch a spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. New York faces the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, April 11, three points out of the final wild card spot. The Islanders also have the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes to close out the season. It’s been a great campaign, but New York will miss the playoffs.

Detroit Red Wings miss playoffs despite most points since 2015

The Detroit Red Wings will finish the 2025-26 NHL regular season with 95 points, but that will not be enough to make the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Red Wings have lost a lot of points in the past few weeks, putting the team in a difficult situation. This would be the most points scored by Detroit since the 2014–15 NHL season, marking a vast improvement. However, the Red Wings are technically four points behind and will be very difficult to overcome.

Ottawa Senators reach 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs

The Senators are on fire and it will take them to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ottawa currently holds the final wild card spot with 94 points, and will look to win against New York, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New Jersey Devils. Brady Tkachuk and the Senators would reach 100 points and clinch a playoff berth before the conclusion of the regular season. Watch out for Ottawa in the first round as the team is on serious momentum.

Boston Bruins avoid complete collapse in final NHL regular season game

The Boston Bruins are five points good in the wild card standings, but they will avoid a major collapse. Boston would eventually go on a six-game losing streak before reaching the NHL regular season final against New Jersey. The Bruins would barely make the playoffs by holding off the hard-charging Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets. Boston hasn’t made the playoffs yet, but a win in New Jersey would seal the deal.

San Jose Sharks perform strongly, but fall short of playoffs

The San Jose Sharks would make a strong showing but fall short of the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. The Sharks would run up the table and finish on 89 points, but the Los Angeles Kings would win three of their last four, taking them to 91 points. San Jose will make every effort to make the playoffs in the next four games, but Los Angeles has the current advantage. It would still be a very successful season for the Sharks.

Los Angeles Kings advance to Stanley Cup playoffs

The Kings will advance to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sharks are leading the table with an easy NHL schedule, with Los Angeles needing to win at least three of their next four games. The Oilers would defeat the Kings, but the team would finish the season with a three-game winning streak against the Canucks, Seattle Kraken and Calgary Flames. Los Angeles will have to take advantage of the easy matches to take the organization to the playoffs.

Buffalo Sabers win Atlantic Division for first time since 2010

The Buffalo Sabers would win the Atlantic Division for the first time since the 2009–10 season. Buffalo has a two-point advantage and tiebreaker, meaning it can clinch the division with two wins to end the season. The Sabers would take care of the Chicago Blackhawks but would lose to the Dallas Stars. However, Montreal lost one of its last three games in regulation, clinching the division to Buffalo for the first time in 16 years.

READ MORE: Auston Matthews linked to surprise NHL team amid trade rumors

Austin Konensky is a sports writer at SportsNut, covering the NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA and college football. His work…More about Austin Konensky

With only 11 games remaining on the docket, the Montreal Canadiens are in a very good position when it comes to playoff chances.

Before we move on, I would like to address one small annoyance when discussing the process of qualifying for the playoffs. We will often see analysts saying that a team has not yet been ‘mathematically eliminated’, or something similar. However, it should be noted that mathematics is at the core of every playoff race.

Therefore, we can assume that every elimination is based on mathematics.

Every qualification, every win, every loss and most everything related to the game is like this.

Of course, this is absolutely the right thing to choose, and it fits in perfectly with my annoying habit of reminding everyone that there is no such thing as an ‘assistant captain’ in the NHL.

This is an alternate captain. They don’t bring their captain coffee or pick up his dry cleaning.

With that in mind, let’s get to the crux of the matter in Montreal mathematical The race to qualify for the playoffs.

Or, optionalPlayoff race.

Montreal Canadiens Playoff Odds

As it stands, the Canadiens’ playoff chances have increased to 93.8%.

They’re not a lock, but all things considered, the Habs should qualify for the playoffs in the tightly contested Eastern Conference.

This may seem a bit counterintuitive, as they are only four points ahead of the Ottawa Senators, but it’s important to remember that it is very, very difficult to make the final stretch of the year. The game featured three-point games, reducing the importance of the late-season push.

Eastern Conference Playoff Odds (via Money Puck)

Carolina Hurricanes – 100%

Buffalo Sabers – 99.98%

Tampa Bay Lightning 99.91%

Montreal Canadiens 93.8%

Pittsburgh Penguins – 79.4%

Columbus Blue Jackets – 77.9%

Boston Bruins – 72%

Ottawa Senators – 66.5%

New York Islanders – 54.1%

Detroit Red Wings – 39.2%

Philadelphia Flyers – 12.6%

Washington Capitals – 4.1%

New Jersey Devils – 0.5%

Florida Panthers – 0%

Toronto Maple Leafs – 0%

New York Rangers – 0%

Final Montreal Canadiens Regular Season Games

remaining rivals: Nashville Predators, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning (x2), New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils (x2), Florida Panthers, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers.

Of the 11 games remaining on the docket, the Canadiens will face teams in a playoff spot on only four occasions (Hurricanes, Lightning x2, Blue Jackets, Islanders).

To make matters more interesting, only two of those rivals are playing in the Atlantic Division.

The situation is reflected in Montreal’s strength of schedule (SOS), which is not the easiest in the league, but is the least worrisome in the Eastern Conference, as only four teams have an easier SOS.

Eastern Conference strength schedule (via Tankathon)

1 – Boston Bruins (.615)

2 – New York Islanders (.607)

3 – Columbus Blue Jackets (.603)

4 – Ottawa Senators (.598)

5 – Philadelphia Flyers (.596)

6 – Tampa Bay Lightning (.594)

7 – Detroit Red Wings (.584)

8 – New Jersey Devils (.582)

9 – New York Rangers (.581)

10 – Carolina Hurricanes (.579)

11 – Montreal Canadiens (.577)

12 – Buffalo Sabers (.572)

13 – Pittsburgh Penguins (.570)

14 – Florida Panthers (.569)

15 – Washington Capitals (.568)

16 – Toronto Maple Leafs (.563)

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont

It’s been an eventful 2026 NFL offseason so far, and we’re still only a few weeks away from making some of the biggest moves. Many of the top NFL free agents are now off the board, but there are still some impactful starters and key contributors who could sign with clubs in the next few days.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at our NFL free agency predictions for the top offensive players heading into the weekend. We will make a defensive list on Saturday.

Kirk Cousins, quarterback: Las Vegas Raiders

One of the most common NFL comparisons for quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who will be selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, is Kirk Cousins. While this may not sound as appealing, let’s remember that Cousins ​​has a career 96.8 passer rating and is likely to reach 45,000 career passing yards with 300 passing touchdowns in 2026. That also fits the Las Vegas look. The Raiders want an experienced quarterback who can mentor Mendoza during his rookie season and serve as the starting quarterback temporarily. Cousins ​​could start the first few games while Mendoza gets a better feel for Clint Kubiak’s playbook and adjusts to playing under center, and then take over in October.

READ MORE: Fantasy football winners, losers from NFL free agency

Aaron Rodgers, QB: Pittsburgh Steelers

Everything the Pittsburgh Steelers have said publicly, combined with reports about the front office’s thinking, points to one thing: Aaron Rodgers is coming back for the 2026 NFL season. Even the Michael Pittman Jr. trade, acquiring a receiver who excels at creating quick separation and getting open early, hints at a plan to help a future Hall of Famer at quarterback. We don’t think Rodgers will sign until around June, but we strongly believe he will be the Steelers’ starting quarterback in 2026.

RELATED: Why the Pittsburgh Steelers made a mistake hiring Mike McCarthy

Stefon Diggs, wide receiver: Baltimore Ravens

The off-field concerns surrounding Stefon Diggs have a lot to do with how quiet his market is in NFL free agency. That said, he still put up 1,013 receiving yards on 85 receptions in his first full season last season after suffering an ACL tear. It will be a bit of a gamble for first-year head coach Jesse Minter, but the Baltimore Ravens have proven they are willing to take some non-medical risks. Diggs could be a complementary receiving threat to pair with Zay Flowers, giving Lamar Jackson a better receiving corps in his first year with new play-caller Declan Doyle.

Read more: The worst contracts from the first day of NFL free agency

Jaouan Jennings, wide receiver: Tennessee Titans

In previous NFL free agency predictions, we have seen Juwan Jennings landing with the Seattle Seahawks or Washington Commanders. However, Seattle has re-signed Rashid Shahid and Commanders general manager Adam Peters is focusing more on Brandon Aiyuk after he was released. This makes the Tennessee Titans the best fit for Jennings. The 6-foot-3 wideout offers a skill set that’s very different from free-agent signing Wan’Dale Robinson, as he can be a red-zone weapon whose size also makes him an effective target on third downs. The move will be about providing quarterback Cam Ward with a variety of pass-catching options in Brian Daboll’s offense. Plus, if Tennessee drafts Jeremiah Love, Jennings is a willing blocker.

Rasheed Walker, offensive tackle: Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns have addressed right tackle (Tytus Howard), center (Elgton Jenkins) and guard (Zion Johnson and Teven Jenkins) this offseason. That still leaves a glaring hole at left tackle. Luckily for Cleveland, there isn’t much left on the market for Rasheed Walker. He has been the best offensive tackle available since the beginning of NFL free agency, but his contract demands remain an issue. We think he’ll sign a one-year deal worth over $20 million to play left tackle for Cleveland. This fills a need for the Browns, giving them flexibility heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, while also allowing Walker to test the market again next season.

David Njoku, tight end: Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles gave themselves a little more time to decide on Dallas Goedert’s future with the club, but parting still appears to be the most likely outcome. What became clear last season was that this offense needs more help at the last minute, so it should come through both the NFL Draft and free agency. After spending nine years in Cleveland, Njoku likely wants to play for a Super Bowl contender with a quarterback he trusts to get him the football. With a defense focused on stopping Saquon Barkley, Devonta Smith and AJ Brown, as well as the athleticism of Jalen Hurts, Njoku could get plenty of open looks in Philadelphia.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The Milwaukee Bucks suffered a blow against the Miami Heat on Thursday at Kasia Center when Ousmane Dieng missed the remainder of the contest due to an illness.

Dieng has been playing well since the Bucks acquired him from the Chicago Bulls before the trade deadline, even earning a starting spot right away.

Milwaukee announced on the air that he would not return to the game. Dieng, who was subbed out in the third quarter, failed to score in 14 minutes.

The Bucks are trying to snap a two-game slump, while the Heat are coming off a memorable win against the Washington Wizards, with Bam Adebayo leading the way with 83 points.

Dieng probably has a chip on his shoulder after the Oklahoma City Thunder traded him to the Charlotte Hornets with a second-round pick in February, despite helping them win last season’s championship. In return the Thunder received Mason Plumlee.

Dieng was traded to the Bulls along with Collin Sexton and three second-round picks in exchange for Coby White and Mike Conley Jr. Two days later, Dieng arrived at the Bucks in a three-team deal that also included the Phoenix Suns.

The feeling of being pinballed wasn’t good for Dieng’s morale, but since landing in Milwaukee, he has seen a bigger role, averaging 8.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 22.9 minutes.

At the age of 22, he has a lot to offer. Being moved to the Bucks, where he could learn from Giannis Antetokounmpo, looks like a blessing in disguise for the 11th overall pick.

At the time of writing, Miami leads Milwaukee in the fourth quarter.