One of the things New Jersey Devils fans are hoping for is a first-round exit from the Minnesota Wild.

Why?

Because some people are still holding out hope that the Devils might take Hughes’ older brother if he is hesitant to commit to his new team. When the calendar turns to July 1, Hughes has one year left on his contract. So whether it’s a deal this summer or via free agency next offseason, the less successful Minnesota is, the more likely it is that Quinn won’t commit.

Personally, I see Quinn staying in Minnesota. But never say never. Especially when there are no results.

At the Links, a slow burn by Devils ownership before eventually firing Tom Fitzgerald.

Elsewhere, chaos in Philly, Alexis Lafreniere’s big deal, and goalie crisis in Buffalo?

Devil’s Trade Rumors and News

New Jersey Hockey Now: Why didn’t Devils ownership fire Tom Fitzgerald sooner? At Sunny Mehta’s introductory press conference, managing partner David Blitzer explained that “there was no eureka moment.”

📺 devil’s rink report: So, what priorities will Mehta face as he steps into his new role as general manager in New Jersey? We break it down in the latest Devils Rink report.

Full episode here 👇🏼

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Buffalo hockey now: Yes, that’s my name in the byline. I’m helping with our Buffalo Sabers coverage while they’re in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. First, after heading into Game 2, does Buffalo already have a goaltender crisis?

Forever Blueshirts: The New York Rangers knew their top six wasn’t scaring anyone. Part of the issue is that Alexis Lafreniere hasn’t taken the step forward expected. The former No. 1 overall pick explained that he knows he can get even better, and wants to maintain his strong position in 2025-26.

Athletic ($): Devils fans are expecting it to be bad, but after the Minnesota Wild’s loss to the Dallas Stars last night, their reaction in Game 4 while falling behind 2-1 in the series will really tell us all if they are any different.

If not, maybe Quinn Hughes isn’t ready to live in Minnie.

Boston Hockey Now: As for the Boston Bruins, they do not have a captain in this Stanley Cup playoffs. However, Jeremy Swayman is establishing himself as a leader.

Philly hockey now: What a series this is shaping up to be for the Philadelphia Flyers. Amidst massive chaos last night they took a 3-0 series lead over their rivals from Pennsylvania. More from Will James here.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

Some players have had incredibly great starts to the year. Very few people keep it up, most of them lose their flame. Think about outfielder Pete Crowe-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs last year or James Wood of the Washington Nationals. Both made it to the All-Star season halfway through, then their bats cooled off noticeably.

But there is another group that starts getting cold even before it gets hot. Consider Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers, who hit 19 home runs after the 2025 All-Star break. That group offers hope for those who have begun the cold of 2026. So which hitters are on the list, and who can turn it around?

Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez

The superstar duo has had a very poor start to the year for the Seattle Mariners. The pair have put together a .192/.284/.574 batting line with just four home runs. A lack of production has resulted in the Mariners finishing fourth in the American League West.

Seattle ranks in the bottom third of the MLB rankings when it comes to team batting average (.218) and OPS (.675). Due to the recent injury to Brendan Donovan, the Mariners will need this pair to wake up to compete this year, and soon.

If Seattle hopes to return to the bright lights of the postseason, they will need moments of resurgence from Raley and Rodriguez. They don’t need Raley to be the historic catcher he was with 60 home runs last year, but they need some (and they need it now).

Vinnie Pasquantino

The mainstay first baseman of the Kansas City Royals struggled To start the year. On this list, “Pasquatch” has probably had the worst start, with a .148 batting average and .488 OPS.

The Royals are in the same spot as the Mariners, finishing last in the AL Central so far due to their lack of offensive production. The club ranked 22nd in all of MLB in homers (18) and 24th in average (.223).

Pasquantino was a big factor for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. He hit three home runs in one game for Italy, helping lead them to a miraculous semi-final. If he can rediscover that slug in Kansas City, his year will heat up quickly.

Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr.

Despite the San Diego Padres’ offensive attack leading the team to the second-best record in MLB (15-7), the superstar duo has suffered losses. Tatis is still missing his first home run of the year. This is the longest homer drought he has ever suffered in the beginning of a season. Machado is sitting there with an even more powerful bat, slashing .186/.330/.630 to start the year.

There are signs of change for Fernando. He’s off to a colder-than-ice start, but, over his last seven games, he’s batting .318/.407/.318. The homer is still to come, but with the series starting tonight at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies, it looks like the first one in one of those hitter-friendly environments could be coming.

The same expectation is true for Machado, who has taken advantage of the Rockies’ high-altitude playing environment in the past. If he can get it going this week, hopefully that continues. He has been one of the strongest hitters for the Padres throughout his career, but it has been an uncharacteristically long drought for a third baseman.

complete new york mets

Wow, have the Mets been bad. The orange and blue have been tough to watch lately as they struggle to last place in the NL East. They lost 11 consecutive games and have yet to emerge from that slump.

Most of those problems have been aggressive. Despite offseason trade acquisition Freddy Peralta’s slow start (4.05 ERA, 26.2 IP), the pitching has been mostly solid. But the crime has become harder to watch. New York’s leader in batting average (50-plus AB) is catcher Francisco Alvarez with a .263 mark. The team has hit a combined .226 (23rd in MLB).

But the Mets have a good roster. Superstars like Bo Bichette, Francisco Lindor, Luis Robert Jr. and Juan Soto create a formidable offensive group. It’s just that none of them have clicked yet. When they do (and they should do so soon), Mets fans will be rewarded after a historically difficult stretch.

The Boston Red Sox came into the season with aspirations of winning the AL East, and some in baseball saw them as World Series contenders. Hours after the series loss to the San Diego Padres at Fenway Park, fans were criticizing the team and chanting “sell the team”, with at least one fan-favorite echoing the frustration to some extent.

Speaking to reports after Sunday’s loss to the Padres, outfielder Roman Anthony criticized the team’s energy and made it clear that the way everyone is playing is unacceptable.

“We need to find a way to bring more energy and be better. This is unacceptable. This is unacceptable to the fans. This is unacceptable to the standard we set for ourselves.”

Roman Anthony of the Boston Red Sox after Sunday’s loss to the San Diego Padres

RELATED: MLB Power Rankings Week 1, see where the BOS Red Sox stand

What went wrong for the Red Sox?

Things looked promising on opening day. Boston opened the season with a 3–0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Anthony went 3-for-4, Trevor Story had an RBI single, Jaren Duran went 2-for-5 at the plate with an RBI, Marcelo Meyer went 2-for-2 off the bench with two runs scored, and Sedan Rafaela went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Since then it has been largely downhill.

In eight games played from March 28 to April 5, the Red Sox lineup has collectively posted a .211/.286/.374 triple-slash line. According to FanGraphs, during that span Boston ranked 25th in runs scored (27), 25th in walk rate (8.5 percent) and 18th in OPS (.659), along with the second-highest strikeout rate in baseball (29.2 percent).

Anthony has been part of the problem after his stint with Team USA. He got off to a strong start on Opening Day, but has since posted a .167/.242/.333 triple-slash line with a 36.4 percent strikeout rate in 33 plate appearances. Meanwhile, Meyer (.136/.200/.364), Story (.108/.108/.216), and Duran (.160 batting average) have also been disappointing since their season-opening win.

Pitching has also been a problem for Boston. Top free-agent signee Ranger Suarez has given up 13 hits and eight earned runs in 8.1 innings in his first two starts, Brian Bello (eight hits and five earned runs) was rough in his first start of the season, and Conley Early’s command was an issue Saturday.

As Fenway Sports Group continues to ask fans to pay more at the ballpark, the product on the field is deteriorating. Given everything that’s happened so far, it’s no surprise that fans chanted “Sell the team” at Fenway Park on Sunday, and we’ll hear more of that in Boston down the road.

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

West Ham United have received a strong reaction from the Brazilian after Matthias Martinelli officially signed a contract renewal with Fluminense until the end of 2030.

According to a report from a Brazilian outlet globo esporteThe 24-year-old midfielder put pen to paper on Tuesday.

The agreement has been in progress for several days, but is now fully completed. His previous deal ran till December 2027.

The timing is significant, as West Ham was among the clubs to do so Try Fluminance early this year. The Brazilian side rejected the approaches without starting formal negotiations.

Rejected bid and escalating situation

Globo Esporte recall that Fluminense rejected an offer of €13m (£11.1m) during the first transfer window of 2026. The report does not name the club making the bid, but West Ham was linked earlier With that range of data.

Internally, Martinelli is not viewed as a negotiable asset. The midfielder is a product of the club’s academy and has become one of the leaders of the team.

At just 24 years old, he already has 300 senior caps for Fluminense. In doing so, he became the first academy graduate to reach that milestone. He also started in the club’s 2023 Copa Libertadores victory and most recently won the 2026 Rio de Janeiro State Championship trophy as captain.

Those details strengthen its symbolic and sporting value. Therefore, the renewal is as much strategic as it is emotional.

Player ambition balanced with club stance

Recently he said this in an exclusive interview we covered that timeMartinelli admitted that he dreams of playing in one of the world’s top leagues. However, he made his position clear.

Any move, he said, should work for both him and Fluminense. This cannot be just a unilateral decision.

That balanced message is now gaining added importance. By extending to 2030, Fluminense has significantly improved its negotiating position. Any prospective suitors would need to move on from the previously rejected €13m (£11.1m).

The landscape has changed for West Ham. The interest may remain, but the cost of doing business has increased.