Since ancient times, undue importance has been given to low-sized prospects. Look no further than Cole Caufield, the 5-foot-7 Montreal Canadiens 50-goal scorer who fell to 15th overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Despite scoring 72 goals during the season, the previous US development team record (Auston Matthews, 55) was demolished.

The New Jersey Devils could take advantage of that bias towards smaller players by selecting Viggo Bjork if he is still available with their 12th overall pick in the first round on June 26.

Björk Caulfield is not small either. He stands at 5-foot-10, 172 pounds, and watching his style of play in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) or the recent IIHF World Championship should put most size concerns to rest. He has drawn comparisons to Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point.

However, we have seen it time and again. Many scouts are stubborn and stale in their analysis of less skilled players, even if those players continue to prove them wrong.

The Athletic draft expert Corey Pronman has Bjork headed to the Devils at #12 in his mock draft. Trading the pick might be in the Devils’ best interest. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned about general manager Sunny Mehta, it’s that he’s not afraid to do what he feels is right, even if it’s unpopular.

Thus, if nothing comes of the Devils’ time, using the pick on Bjork could still be an incredible option. Based on skill and talent alone, he is in the top five.

Playing against NHL talent at the World Championship, he didn’t look out of place in any way. Take it from the great Sidney Crosby himself:

“It’s not easy [being that young at Worlds] … You know, he’s very balanced and you can tell he’s competitive. He’s not the biggest guy but he sees the ice well, makes good shots, does everything well. The way he competed, he was really tenacious with the puck.”

Sweden has equalized against Canada in the power play.

Viggo Björk (#2026NHLDraft) wins the faceoff against Ryan O’Reilly, Oliver Ekman-Larsson finds Lucas Raymond who makes no mistakes, just sneaks past him to tie the game!

– Tony Ferrari (@theTonyFerrari) 15 May 2026

Björk has two points (1G, 1A) in three games, as well as a disallowed goal, and despite his youth he has not shied away from participating in (and winning) puck battles. Both his playing ability and general hockey IQ seem well ahead of his age.

“They doubt [related to size] “Should fade out early,” said Ivan Ortiz of SMAHT scouting. “He is a well-rounded, intelligent player who is already managing the physical demands of professional hockey. Bjork plays with consistent energy and awareness, constantly scanning the ice and staying engaged in all three zones.

If the Devils retain Nico Hischier – which they should – the 1-2-3 punch of Hughes, Hischier and Bjork could be absolutely lethal on the road.

Bjork can also excel on the right wing, which could be a better option if he becomes a perennial 50+ point producer.

Viggo Bjork preventing Canadian defenders from pressuring a shot is something that won’t show up on the stat sheet or that people who aren’t looking for it won’t notice.

What you do is equally important #NYR pic.twitter.com/ZF2cJu6v12

– NYLOUIE TM️ (@NYLOuie) 15 May 2026

There is no guarantee that Björk will still be on the board at pick No. 12. But if he is, which wouldn’t be a surprise given his drafting history, the Devils shouldn’t think too much about it.

History with Mehta says he probably won’t think too much about it; They had Jesper Bratt, who was drafted #172 in 2016, ranked as the third best player in the entire draft via their draft model.

As GM, Mehta is clearly in a much more influential position than he was a decade ago. Fans should have full faith in Mehta and company. Decide to pursue.

Daniel is the New Jersey Devils beat reporter for SportsNut. He graduated from Montclair State University in 2025… More about Daniel Amoia

On Saturday night inside the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix will be shaking up the mixed martial arts game with their Rousey vs. Carano event. The 11-fight card will showcase the past, present and future of the sport and will feature a star-studded main card.

In the night’s headliner, women’s MMA legends and pioneers, Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, will face off in a dream fight that no one ever expected. Additionally, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou will be in action against one-time PFL Champion Phillip Lynn, and fan favorite brawlers Nate Diaz and Mike Perry will face off in a welterweight bout.

Ahead of Saturday’s card, we offer predictions for who will win the evening’s main card bouts.

Junior Dos Santos vs. Robellis Despaigne

Junior dos Santos will go down as one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in MMA history. However, the 42-year-old has a lot of wear and tear on his body. Especially his chin. While he has won back-to-back fights at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, he faces a tough matchup against bronze medalist Robellis Despaigne of Cuba on Saturday.

The taekwondo master has speed and length – which he uses well. This is demonstrated during the seven-fight winning streak of the new Karate Combat Heavyweight Champion. If this were 2016, the Brazilian would get the W. But he’s nowhere near that fighter and will have a long night against Despaigne.

Francis Ngannou vs. Philip Lins

At Rousey vs. Carano, former UFC heavyweight king Ngannou returns to the cage for the second time after dethroning the MMA world leader four years ago. While the heavyweight division in MMA is quite weak at the moment, MVP found a strong opponent in “The Predator” Lince.

The former PFL star is entering the fight with a lot of confidence after four consecutive wins in the UFC. However, they were all lightweight. Ngannou will have a massive size and strength advantage. If “Monstro” can stay up and running, he could make this interesting. However, he does not possess great strength, and it seems that it will take only a short time for “The Predator” to catch his prey.

Salahdin Parnasse vs. Kenneth Cross

Saturday’s Rousey vs. Carano main card brings an intriguing battle of champions as KSW lightweight king Salahdin Parnasse faces tough-n-uff 155-pound titlist Kenneth Cross. This bout could easily be Fight of the Night as both are talented finishers.

Parnasse has 14 stoppages in 22 wins (7 knockouts and 7 submissions), while Cross has 13 finishes in 17 wins (6 knockouts and 7 submissions). Finally, Parnasse comes from a better promotion where he faces tougher competition. Look for him to approve the decision later this week.

Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry

The fight most fans are waiting for is the welterweight bout between popular brawler Diaz and Perry. The former is one of the most popular fighters in UFC history. However, the age difference in this scrap cannot be ignored.

Diaz turned 41 last month and has 34 fights to his body and chin. Perry has suffered plenty of brain trauma throughout his 22-fight career, but at age 34, he is a far better athlete than he is right now. At the same time, he brings legal power into his hands and is feeling confident having emerged as one of BKFC’s hottest talents.

Diaz is sure to get a lot of stakes, but expect an upset split-decision win for Perry after scoring a few knockdowns during the fight.

Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano

No one expected a fight between Rousey and Carano to ever happen and there were many who did not want it to happen. But we’re getting it on Netflix, and it’s still a dream fight with historical relevance as two of the most important figures in the evolution of women’s MMA.

Both women are motivated and look to be in good shape – especially Carano. But it won’t be a display of elite athleticism as Rousey turned 39 last month and Carano turned 44. The big question is, can Rousey avoid taking some big shots to dominate Carano and throw her around?

Rousey is very durable and is the better athlete of the two at the moment. Furthermore, Carano never came close to facing a wrestler of the silver medalist judoka’s caliber. “Rowdy” should have learned from the knockouts in her previous two fights and been more cautious as she looked for takedowns and forced Carano to tap in Round 2.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

The first round of the NBA Playoffs is in the books and there were some surprises with the Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets being eliminated. This creates even more intrigue in our latest set of second round and NBA playoff predictions.

Let’s take a look at our NBA Conference Semifinals predictions.

(4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (1) Oklahoma City Thunder

There’s still no timeline for Luka Doncic’s return, so we’re assuming he won’t play in the Western Conference Semifinals. For the Los Angeles Lakers, that means relying on 41-year-old LeBron James, as he averaged nearly 40 minutes per game alongside Austin Reaves against Houston. Not only do the Oklahoma City Thunder have NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the best player in basketball at the moment, but they rarely turn it over as a team (12.0, second lowest in the NBA) and they are excellent defensively. The Lakers’ lack of shooting and bucket-getters will be immediately exposed in this series, and it will be over quickly.

• Prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder beat Los Angeles Lakers

(6) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (2) San Antonio Spurs

Anthony Edwards’ injury certainly makes this series more interesting. It now appears the Minnesota Timberwolves star will return for the Western Conference Semifinals; The only question is how effectively he will play despite the bone injury. Minnesota went 2–1 during the regular season series, but the final two matchups in January were decided by a total of 4 points. However, the Timberwolves will be without Donte DiVincenzo. All eyes will naturally be on the head-to-head battle between Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert. Given the ridiculous level at which Wembanyama is playing on both ends of the court, we’re rooting for San Antonio to win with his star power and depth.

• Prediction San Antonio Spurs won six games

(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (1) Detroit Pistons

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons both barely survived the first round, so there should be no rest vs. rust debate for the Eastern Conference Semifinal matchup. What Cleveland brings to the table is the All-Star guard tandem of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, each of whom is capable of taking over a game. However, there are two issues for the Cavaliers. First, Detroit can bring defensive intensity and offensive scheme to both Mitchell and Harden. More importantly, while Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are very good veterans, Pistons centers Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart bring far more physicality. We don’t think Cleveland has the toughness or consistency to win this series.

• Prediction: Detroit Pistons advance in six games

(7) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (3) New York Knicks

The New York Knicks are probably the best team left in the Eastern Conference. That said, the Philadelphia 76ers are playing underdogs and there’s nothing Joel Embiid would love more than to eliminate the Knicks to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals. Where New York may run into a little trouble is the fact that Embiid may be a stopper against Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges isn’t bringing anything offensively. Philadelphia could pull off another upset if everyone stays healthy, but it’s far from certain and New York has better answers for Embiid than Boston. Ultimately, the deeper and more defensive-minded team advances.

• Prediction: New York won seven matches

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 Cup Series heads to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend for its 11th points race of the season. We’re continuing our weekly NASCAR predictions once again, making our first correct pick for the winning driver of 2026.

Let’s take a look at our Worth 400 predictions. We’ll start with the poll winner and work our way through the stages before predicting who will walk to victory.

Kyle Larson earns pole at Texas

Kyle Larson and the No. 5 team have performed well in qualifying this season, coming to Texas with the second-highest average starting position (7.7) in the Cup Series. However, they have failed to win a single pole in the points race this year. What better time to break that cold streak than at a track where Larson has won pole three times since 2021? As we learned on DBC, there will be a waxing crescent moon this week, so Larson should be able to take advantage in qualifying.

READ MORE: NASCAR Power Rankings before Texas

Austin Cindric wins Stage 1

In the last two trips to Texas Motor Speedway, Austin Cindric and the No. 2 team have had good speed. He finished third in the Wurth 400 and won Stage 1 last year, and last year he posted the second-best average lap time (29.2 seconds). We’re projecting Cindric to put up one of the five best lap times on Saturday and then carry it to the Stage 1 victory.

RELATED: NASCAR weekend schedule at Texas Motor Speedway

christopher bell takes stage 2

Christopher Bell and the No. 20 team need a strong points day at the Wurth 400 this weekend. Bell has finished 17th or worse in the last three races and has not scored 30 points in his last five visits to the track. Considering the widespread belief that true Cup Series championship contenders must finish in the top five in points at the end of the regular season, Bell (ninth place) has some real ground to make up. We’re predicting it will come down to Sunday, with the No. 20 winning Stage 2 (10 points) and finishing in the top five in points that day.

Eric Jones finished in the top 10 in most points scored on the season

Erik Jones had a legitimate chance at a top-five finish before finishing 23rd at Talladega. This was his third consecutive 23rd position. Change is coming to the Wurth 400 this weekend. Jones has three top-10 finishes at Texas since May 2021 and he flourished at this track years ago with Joe Gibbs Racing. After scoring a combined 42 points in the last three races, Jones is looking to score more than 38 points on Sunday.

Chase Briscoe wins the Wurth 400

Chase Briscoe finished 27th at the Wurth 400 in his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing last year due to a suspension issue. Before that, he had three top-five finishes here with SHR and the No. 19 team has its own history of excellence in Texas. There have been plenty of downs for Briscoe and JGR in 2026, but the No. 19 has always had momentum. This would be seen once again on Sunday, with Briscoe marching to victory.

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

Entering the 2026 NFL Draft, many eyes were set on the Dallas Cowboys, who began the weekend with the 12th and 20th overall selections in the first round. Some thought the Cowboys might even move up the draft board to secure an elite talent in the top 10 selection.

The Cowboys eventually moved around, moving from 10 to 11 and still acquiring a top prospect in Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. The Cowboys also moved down with their second pick, trading up to the Philadelphia Eagles before selecting UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence with the 23rd overall pick.

Overall, many were happy with what the Cowboys did, adding an impact safety that could control the secondary, and giving a pass-rush group a boost that was desperately needed. Still, not everyone thought the Cowboys made the right decision.

In particular, former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban called the Lawrence selection a “reach”. Still, that was a hot-mic moment they probably didn’t think could be heard on-air. But he was.

Later, when Saban was asked to provide his analysis while the cameras were on him, he strangely had a different opinion, calling Lawrence a “sleeper.”

“Actually, this guy was one of my sleepers for yesterday,” Saban said. “But he’s a good player… This guy is a good player. I thought he was a guy that was going to be overlooked in the draft, but obviously the Cowboys didn’t overlook him.”

“It’s a reach” 😬 pic.twitter.com/60zloMY8nq

– Awful Announcement (@awfulaannouncement) 24 April 2026

Lawrence was widely projected to be selected in the second round, although some analysts believed he had a chance to fall in the late first round. As we’ve seen, it just takes a team to fall in love with a prospect, and that’s clearly what happened with Lawrence in Dallas.

RELATED: 6 best 2026 NFL draft classes including the Bills and Browns

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

The 2026 NFL Draft is exactly one week away, and the picture is starting to come into focus ahead of the Arizona Cardinals’ first-round selection. Expectations are the Las Vegas Raiders will take quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick. The New York Jets will select a pass-rusher, possibly Texas Tech’s David Bailey or Ohio State’s freak linebacker/edge rusher Arvel Reese.

But what about the Cardinals at No. 3? This remains the biggest mystery. While NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports that a trade down for Arizona is “very much in play”, others suggest the Cardinals have a surprise selection in mind.

Recently, SNY’s Connor Hughes reported that we “shouldn’t be surprised” if the Cardinals select Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love with the third overall selection in the first round.

The Cardinals’ selection of Love came as a shock when they brought back James Conner and signed Tyler Allger to a $12.5 million contract this offseason. Of course, Love has a higher ceiling than either of these two, but Arizona also has other, more pressing needs such as an offensive tackle or even a pass-rusher.

Still, if the Cardinals are sticking to the best player available mantra, it’s hard to argue against the selection of Love. Many consider him the best overall player in the draft class, and Arizona could inject talent on both sides of the ball.

RELATED: 2026 NFL mock draft: Trades that captured the first round of the NFL draft

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

The 2026 NBA Draft is still a few months away, but there is already a general sense of what the first round of the draft might look like. Mexico’s Kareem Lopez, a projected first-round pick, who is currently playing in the National Basketball League (NBL) in Australia, recently announced his intention to enter the upcoming NBA draft, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

“Playing in the NBA has been my dream and my goal my entire life,” Lopez said. “Honestly, I remember. I was probably 5 years old, drawing pictures of myself playing in the NBA… You know, it’s pretty special to be in this position right now.”

While Kareem Lopez is expected to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft, what is even more important for the NBL forward is that he is on track to become the first Mexico-born player to be selected in the first round of the draft.

The first round has included players of Mexican descent before, such as Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., none of whom were born in Mexico. Lopez is on track to become the first Mexican-born player since Eduardo Nájera.

Nájera was selected 38th overall in the 2000 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets. He played 12 years in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets and Charlotte Bobcats.

Lopez has played the past two seasons in the NBL, opting to take the professional route instead of playing college basketball. In recent years, players such as LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddy, AJ Johnson, Alex Sarr, Ousmane Dieng and Ryan Rupert have used the NBL’s Next Stars program as a starting point before entering the NBA Draft.