Last year, New York Giants fans were introduced to rookie running back Jackson Dart and running back Cam Scatebo. Now, as both enter their second seasons, they have established themselves as starters, but this time, they will be working under a new head coach. Now that John Harbaugh has arrived, he has different plans for how the offense will be run.

Recently, Dart told fans during a Giants town hall how the team’s new-look offense will operate.

Dart claimed, “It looks like we’re not going to throw the ball a lot. We’re going to keep giving it to Scott until they can’t stop it.”

Does Harbaugh really want this mentality exposed in the media long before the Giants play their first game? Did Dart reveal these potential plans because the 2025 first-round pick isn’t that thrilled about it?

Still, it’s important to take Dart’s comments with a giant-sized grain of salt, as they come right after Skatabo committed to playing all 17 games this season, rushing for over 2,000 yards in the process. Oh yes, and he reminded fans that “every time I’ve gone to a new team, I’ve won a championship in the second year.”

This is exactly the type of rallying cry commonly heard in a team town hall setting. Harbaugh later said that he thinks the Giants have the potential to be the best place to be in the NFL.

“I don’t think there’s potentially a better tight end group in the league,” Harbaugh said. “There’s a lot of people going to Jackson.”

With Isaiah Potential, Theo Johnson, Chris Manhertz and Thomas Fidone, the Giants’ tight end room has certainly improved, but are they close to the best? He has a lot to prove.

RELATED: 2026 NFL QB rankings after Aaron Rodgers rejoins the Steelers

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A bigger conversation could soon begin regarding Connor McDavid and his future with the Edmonton Oilers. McDavid was not pleased with Edmonton’s performance during the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs after reaching the finals the previous two seasons. However, what if the NHL superstar decides to leave the Oilers for a better situation?

Below, we’re taking a look at five NHL teams to see if McDavid requests a trade from Edmonton.

san jose sharks

The future is very bright for the San Jose Sharks full of elite prospects. If McDavid is interested in playing alongside Maclin Celebrini, San Jose has the asset pool to satisfy Edmonton. There will be questions as to whether the Oilers will trade McDavid within the division, but not many teams have better trade packages.

utah mammoth

The Utah Mammoth are another team that has a lot of business to do right now. Utah is in the Western Conference, but the Oilers will be able to get the edge thanks to their NHL superstar. Under the leadership of Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley, the addition of McDavid will benefit the organization. The question is whether McDavid wants to play in Utah or a bigger market.

tampa bay lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning are clearly a good fit for McDavid. If McDavid requests a trade, Tampa will have a bigger chance to get him on the short list because of head coach John Cooper. At the Olympics and Four Nations, Cooper led Canada and McDavid was their star player. If anything changes in Edmonton, the Lightning figure to be paired with McDavid.

montreal canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens are on the rise, and may be assured of a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals. If McDavid ever wants to move out of Edmonton, Montreal has the ability to make a trade work by linking him to Cole Caufield & Co. This would allow McDavid to remain in Canada during his championship season with the Canadiens.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs would love to add Connor McDavid, and it could be a mutual feeling. McDavid has had ties to Toronto since his childhood, and a trade with the Maple Leafs would help him come home. Toronto may not be an attractive destination after missing the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but McDavid could help the team moving forward.

READ MORE: Auston Matthews traded to Los Angeles Kings? 5 possible business sites

Austin Konensky is a writer at SportsNut, covering the NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA and more. His work can also…more about Austin Konensky

Kawhi Leonard’s days as a Los Angeles Clipper are done. one way or another.

We are still waiting for the NBA’s decision on how to punish the Clippers for the alleged ‘cap rigging’ scandal. This could potentially void Leonard’s contract (with one year remaining on $50 million). But even if not, it appears that Kawhi’s trade from La La Land is certain this summer.

Rumors have been flying around in recent weeks, but the latest information from insider Sean Deveney seems to put the nail in Kawhi’s coffin in LA.

According to a source close to Deveney, the Clippers will “move into a rebuild” this summer based on securing the No. 5 pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

“I think you’ll see that they really move forward with rebuilding this summer, and they can probably get it done relatively quickly.”

The Clips got a huge lead on that young move before the trade deadline. They added exciting young backcourt players Benedict Mathurin, 23, of the Indiana Pacers, and Darius Garland, 26, of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He moved ahead of veterans Ivica Zubac and James Harden in the process.

Next, a perfect move to stay young in a trade to send Leonard to a team that needs a veteran superstar with championship credentials.

3 teams named as top summer contenders for Kawhi Leonard

Devenney specifically names three teams that are renowned as prime contenders for superstar-hunting Leonard:

• Miami Heat
• new York Knicks
• Golden State Warriors

The Warriors attempted to trade for any big star they could acquire at the deadline, with rumored targets including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, and Kawhi. They’ll try again this summer, potentially on all three fronts.

Brett Siegel of Clutch Points writes, “Trading for a big-name star is extremely relevant for owner Joe Lacob and the Warriors.”

All three teams are also in the running in the Giannis sweepstakes, but Kawhi will also be a target.

Leonard returned to the top of his game last season. He proved that even at the age of 34, after years of injury troubles, he can still be one of the top players in the NBA. Kawhi averaged a career-high 27.9 points along with 6.4 boards and 3.6 assists per game in 65 games.

He is a two-time Finals MVP, in 2014 with the San Antonio Spurs and in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors.

Is there some tension between Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics? Former NBA star and Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady recently said on his podcast that there were “deep issues” between Brown and the Celtics, although team president Brad Stevens and Brown himself denied this.

The team performed brilliantly in the first round of this season’s playoffs, taking a 3–1 series lead against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Is Jaylen Brown looking to move on? He described it as his most enjoyable season in the NBA. That’s saying something since they won the championship in 2024. But could his happiness have been the opportunity he got to be The Man in Boston for most of this year? Jayson Tatum was out until the beginning of March, and perhaps Brown really liked taking the reins of his team.

If that’s the case, he could get it on a full-time basis if the latest discussions are successful. This wouldn’t be the first time the Browns have heard their name in trade rumors. But Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, speaking on NBC Sports, said it could get more serious this summer.

It has been a complicated relationship. He has to absorb trade rumors year after year. So if there is any tension, it is understandable. But if there was an opportunity for Boston to trade Jaylen Brown, it would probably be this offseason…

One team is going to get Giannis (Antetokounmpo), and that will probably leave five or six teams out there with young players, picks, draft capital and a whole bunch of stuff that they can potentially offer Boston for Jaylen Brown in a trade... They’re hearing reports of tension, and wondering if there’s an opportunity to take Jaylen Brown.

And you could honestly argue that acquiring Jaylen Brown is a better decision than acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo (based on age and recent injury history).

4 teams named as contenders to trade Jaylen Brown this summer

Mannix then specifically names four teams that could fit the bill to shift from Giannis to Jaylen trade focus:

• Miami Heat
• Houston Rockets
• Golden State Warriors
• atlanta hawks

These are actually the teams that seem to be most linked to Giannis, along with the New York Knicks. Undoubtedly, Kevin Durant will loom large over Brown in Houston, although KD could be dealt. And in Golden State, as long as Steph Curry exists, no one else can ever be “the guy.”

Brown finished the regular season with the best numbers of his career as he was the only alpha player out-scoring Tatum for the first 4 1/2 months. He posted 28.7 points, 6.9 boards and 5.1 assists per game. He took more field goal attempts (21.7 per game) and free throw attempts (7.5 per game) than ever before in his career. And he led the entire NBA in two-point FG attempts, at 16.0 per night.

Again, much of this will be impacted next season with Tatum’s return. So between that and the so-called “deep issues” between him and the team that his friend T-Mac talked about, perhaps Brown would welcome a new destination.

Here are the Montreal Canadiens and NHL news items you may have missed on Wednesday.

montreal canadiens news

• Habs captain Nick Suzuki was named a finalist for the Selke Trophy, awarded annually to the forward judged to have made the greatest defensive impact. They are considered favorites for the trophy, but more importantly, we have this latest proof that Suzuki has done a great job leading his team by example, both on and off the ice. [Nick Suzuki Selke Bid – Model Of Consistency And Leadership]

• The future is now, old man! The Canadiens and Habs represent two of the youngest clubs in the NHL, and considering they are the only remaining Atlantic Division teams in the playoffs, it would be hard for you to argue that they aren’t also among the most exciting clubs in the league.

The kids are fine in Montreal and Buffalo

📺: Canadiens vs. Sabers Game 1 tonight at 7PM ET on Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/ZDtSlgx2yY

– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) 6 May 2026

• The Canadiens defeated the Sabers by a wide margin in Game 1, but Buffalo scored four goals on its first nine shots, enough to secure a crucial first win of the series. [Canadiens Highlights: Sabres Strike First]

• Top prospect Bryce Pickford was named WHL Defenseman of the Year on Tuesday, and followed up with the Player of the Year award on Wednesday. The highly skilled defenseman scored a ridiculous 45 goals in 55 games for the Medicine Hat Tigers. [Canadiens Top 20 Prospects: No. 7 – Extraordinary Pickford]

Year of the Tiger!@CanadiensMTL possibility and @tigershockey Captain Bryce Pickford is the recipient of the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the WHL Player of the Year. #WHLAwards pic.twitter.com/d9fIVjhjAX

– Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) 7 May 2026

• Renaming your entire establishment is certainly a commitment to this cause.

Double Bar in Montreal changes its name to Dobbs for Habs playoff run pic.twitter.com/WJ910fDCDD

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) 6 May 2026

• Few things cause second-hand pain more than watching someone drop a piece of frozen, vulcanized rubber straight onto the ground. balls. The good news is that Caden Guhle returned to the ice soon.

Caden Guhle has suffered where it hurts… but he’s here! ???😅 pic.twitter.com/s9HcQNZJJo

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) 7 May 2026

Sportsknot Network

• The New Jersey Devils should aggressively trade their 12th overall pick instead of using it to select a player in the 2026 NHL Draft. Tuesday night’s draft lottery brought a few surprises. The Toronto Maple Leafs moved up to first overall. The San Jose Sharks moved up eight spots to number two. [New Jersey Devils]

• Trade rumors are like sunshine around this time of year; The further you go into the summer, the more there is. The Edmonton Oilers already have a lot of decisions to make this summer. While some believe they need to find a way to send out defender Darnell Nurse, there are bigger problems that must be addressed. [Edmonton Oilers]

• The Minnesota Wild are halfway through the start of their summer vacation after losing 5-2 to the Colorado Avalanche in Game 2 of the Western Conference Second Round series. [Minnesota Wild]

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

Dynamo Dresden’s Kofi Amoako has emerged as a new target leeds united Beyond the summer window.

The defensive midfielder joined the second division German club from VfL Wolfsburg in July 2025.

Before that, witness the game Covered claims from Germany Chelsea’s interest in the 20-year-old player. However, the Blues made no solid progress a year ago and Leeds United are now their latest partners from England.

The Germany U21 international played 2,165 minutes in 31 matches this season.

His league statistics per game this season are as follows:

• Appearances: 30
• Total minutes played: 2,086
• Intercept: 0.6
• Tackle: 2.0
• Possession won (final third): 0.2
• Recovery: 2.7
• Clearance: 1.7
• Blocked Shots: 0.2
• Duel won: 3.9

Leeds United will face competition

Kofi Amoako’s performances for Dynamo Dresden have already been noticed by several Bundesliga sides.

is according to imageWhich state Union Berlin, Hamburg SV, and 1. FSV Mainz 05 have already shown interest. Daniel Farke’s side have now joined the race as the Whites are also keen.

What would it mean for Leeds United to enter the war ‘Significant increase in transfer fees’ For Dynamo Dresden.

So far, a fee of around €2m has been quoted, but this is now likely to rise. In the last window, third division German team Hansa Rostock sold Ryan Naderi to Rangers for €6m. Using this transfer as an example, Bild points out that the money involved is on a ‘completely different scale’ to that in the UK.

In other words, Dynamo Dresden may be able to collect more than €2m for Amoako as Leeds United have now joined the fray.

Wolfsburg, which collected €200,000 last year, will receive 10% of the profits from its sale.

leeds united have options

transfer market Kofi Amoako is worth €2m. The Elland Road club are ‘keen’ to sign him, but he is not the only defensive midfielder on their agenda.

On March 21, Khel Sakshi Covered claims from Portugal Hidemasa Morita is likely to join Leeds United. The Whites wanted him last summer and offered €10m, but he did not leave Sporting.

The Japanese defensive midfielder’s contract expires in June and he could be free in the summer.

Morita, 30, has experience playing at the highest level and, unlike Amoako, he will not need much time to adapt. Daniel Farke’s side want a new defensive midfielder and have options to choose from.

Just days after being fired by the Boston Red Sox, Alex Cora was reportedly offered a chance to take over as the Philadelphia Phillies. It looks like he’ll have even more job offers this winter.

USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale reported over the weekend that in addition to the Phillies, Cora is “expected to be wooed” by both the Houston Astros and New York Mets.

RELATED: MLB Insider reveals which manager could be fired next

Cora turned down the opportunity with Philadelphia in April and opted to forgo the remainder of the 2026 MLB season to spend time with his family. However, he is widely expected to return to the dugout in 2027.

While the Astros (Joe Espada) and Mets (Carlos Mendoza) have publicly stuck to their managers, change is expected. Espada is in danger of being fired during the season and Mendoza’s future in New York is tenuous.

RELATED: Early favorite emerges to become Phillies manager in 2026

Cora, age 50, is a three-time World Series champion who has played a role in title wins as both a manager and bench coach. He is well-liked by the players and appears to be an ideal fit for an older team with experienced players looking to win a championship.

Why are the Phillies favored to hire Alex Cora?

While Mets owner Steve Cohen could offer Cora a contract that would make him one of the highest-paid managers in MLB next season, Philadelphia may be in a better position to give him the job.

Given Cora’s experience in Boston, where chief baseball officer Craig Breslow had extensive influence over the organization, his relationship with his next boss will be important. In Philadelphia, he will have the opportunity to reunite with Dave Dombrowski.

It is worth noting that Cora had worked in the Astros organization for some time, but that was only for the 2017 season as a bench coach. Most of his experience came in Boston, many of which were years when Dombrowski worked in the Red Sox front office.

As Phillies manager, Cora would have the support of a president of baseball operations he trusts and ownership that is willing to spend on a winner. Ultimately, it would be surprising if Cora is not hired by Philadelphia this winter.

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

During the 2025 college football season, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was easily one of the best players on the field. He not only won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given to the nation’s top elite QB in college football, but he also finished as a Heisman finalist.

Still, when it came to evaluating Pavia’s prospects, many thought the 5-foot-10 QB would not be drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. They were right.

A total of 257 players were selected across the three-day event, but not Pavia. After the NFL Draft ended on Saturday, the race to sign him as an undrafted free agent began.

Yet, unlike hundreds of others who have already signed contracts, Pavia have taken a different path.

He has already agreed to participate in the Ravens’ rookie minicamp this weekend. However, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, “if the Ravens don’t sign him other teams may also want to bring him in.”

Whatever happens, Pavia faces a tough road ahead. For now, he will compete for a chance to become the Ravens’ third-line QB behind Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley. Still, there may be more opportunities to come if things don’t work out well this weekend.

Pavia threw for 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season, while completing 70.6% of his passes. Pavia threw for another 862 yards and 10 touchdowns as a runner, demonstrating dual-threat ability. But he was in college; He still needs to prove himself in the NFL.

RELATED: 2026 NFL Power Rankings: Evaluating the worst, best teams after the NFL Draft

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While performance on the field will really determine which teams make the best moves in the 2026 NFL Draft, it’s always worth checking out how much some rosters improved over this past weekend. This practice favors teams with premium draft capital, but it also highlights how different some of these clubs could look this fall.

Let’s take a look at the list of NFL teams that we believe have improved the most through the draft.

New York Jets

The New York Jets looked to be one of the worst teams seen in the last decade during the second half of the 2025 NFL season. Not surprisingly, when you eliminate most of your roster, there’s a lot of room for improvement. We think New York did a great job in the NFL Draft.

In the first two rounds, there’s a great case that New York came away with four starters. David Bailey could be an exciting No. 2 edge rusher for Aaron Glenn in 2026, D’Angelo Ponds found the right team to use, and the Jets strengthened their passing game with the selection of playmakers Kenyon Saadiq and Omar Cooper Jr. There will also be more depth on the defensive interior with Darrell Jackson Jr., and we’re eager to see how Glenn utilizes his size (6-foot-3) and speed (4.4). 40-yard dash) in a rotational role for safety VJ Payne.

Connected: Ranking the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates

dallas cowboys

It is a popular opinion to say that the Dallas Cowboys came out of the 2026 NFL Draft with one of the best performances. Our assessment is that this rookie class, especially the top three picks, will prove vital in a remarkable one-year turnaround for this Cowboys defense. That step forward could also be the difference in potentially winning the NFC East.

Although we don’t expect Caleb Downs to perform like an All-Pro as a rookie, a Pro Bowl selection is on the table because of Christian Parker’s system. This is great, as it took Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejean until their second season under Parker in Philadelphia to do this, but a significant improvement defensively for Dallas makes it possible.

We also like what the Cowboys did at edge rusher by taking Malachi Lawrence (23rd overall pick), Jayshawn Barham (92nd overall pick) and LT Overton (137th overall pick). Suddenly, pass-rushing depth is no longer an issue for this team, and they have already upgraded the backbone of their defense. We’ll also mention the fact that Dallas acquired linebacker Dee Winters, who, if healthy, will be an upgrade from Kenneth Murray Jr. Jerry Jones and company made improving the defense their top priority, and we believe they succeeded.

tampa bay buccaneers

Sometimes it’s good to have luck on your side in the 2026 NFL Draft. For whatever reason, frontrunner Ruben Benn Jr. dropped to 15th overall. We feel pretty confident in saying that if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had picked this high, they would have been taken in the top eight. He’s an immediate starter, solidifying a position that has plagued this Buccaneers defense for years. What makes the selection even better is that Ben will be in a good position to produce quickly as he is joining a defensive line that includes Vita Vea and Caliza Cansi. Tampa Bay’s defensive line may eventually become a problem for other teams again rather than the team’s problem.

Fittingly, in a draft where the Buccaneers had addressed a position of weakness for several years, linebacker Josiah Trotter was the 46th pick overall. He was built for Tampa Bay’s defense, due to his excellent ability to attack everything in front of him. Dropping back into coverage is certainly an issue, but it’s clearly something the Buccaneers’ coaching staff is accustomed to dealing with at linebacker. Elsewhere on defense, Keyontae Scott (116th pick overall) could be a good nickel corner for the Buccaneers this season, and DeMonte Capehart provides some depth if Kansas goes down again.

RELATED: Best 2026 NFL Draft Classes

kansas city chiefs

Not only were the Kansas City Chiefs coming off their worst season since 2012, but they also moved on from corners Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson this offseason. Moving on from the All-Pro cornerback isn’t always an easy call, but this could lead to an improvement on the Kansas City defense we saw last year.

As good as McDuffie was, he had his limitations, and Mansur Delaney plans to be a better boundary corner who matches up well against bigger wide receivers. The Chiefs finally found their future at defensive tackle and landed Peter Woods with the 29th pick overall. We know Woods was extremely talented at Clemson, but he will get far better coaching in the NFL than he did at Clemson. Although his maximum range may not be reached for a few years, he could make a real positive impact on the interior in 2026.

Additionally, Kansas City added some pass-rushing depth on the edge with R Mason Thomas (40th pick overall). The history of the Chiefs coaching staff gives us all the confidence in the world that Jadon Canady (109th overall pick) can develop into a quality rotational cornerback. Credit Kansas City for improving defensively; It was needed.

cleveland browns

As much criticism as the Cleveland Browns organization receives from the public, general manager Andrew Berry knows how to identify talent. In our view, Cleveland was the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and we look forward to seeing both sides of the ball next season.

The focus, naturally, is on an offense that features a new left tackle (Spencer Fano) along with two wide receivers (Casey Concepcion and Denzel Boston) whose skills complement each other perfectly. While there is no true ‘alpha’ receiver on this Browns offense right now, it doesn’t seem to be as necessary at the moment as there is now a good group of playmakers to pair with tight end Harold Fannin Jr.

Cleveland got a deal to land safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, the 58th overall pick, who will make a name for himself as a rookie. Berry also learned what can happen when you don’t have depth on the offensive line, adding swing tackle Austin Barber and center Parker Brailsford. While we can’t be confident that Shedure Sanders is the long-term answer in Cleveland, the right infrastructure is in place to evaluate him now.

RELATED: NFL Power Rankings, evaluating teams after the 2026 NFL Draft

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

As we continue to discuss the upcoming NHL playoff series between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning, we have already established which team will have the advantage at 5v5.

Statistically speaking, the Bolts are the better team at even strength and by a fairly wide margin. And yet, once we filter out the results of the four games between the Habs and the Lightning, the Canadiens ultimately have the better shot share.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some special team stats that will power organizations in the playoffs.

Canadiens Vs. electric powerplay

There are two ways to look at this. The first involves judging the powerplay efficiency of the respective teams and declaring the winner. Thus, with a 23.1% efficiency, the Canadiens are the better team with the man advantage than the Lightning (20.7%).

However, once we dig a little, it becomes clear that the Habs are using their excellent shooting skills to maintain their powerplay, which would be considered ‘at risk’ once a thorough audit is completed.

While the Canadiens have the 10th-best power play in the league, and with the advantage of having the 10th-most goalscorers per 60 minutes of ice time, they are among the worst clubs in the entire league when it comes to regular shots as well as high-danger scoring opportunities.

The Lightning are worse than the Habs in both goals and efficiency, though the discrepancy between their shots and goals isn’t as glaring as we’re seeing in Montreal.

This presents the Canadiens with a reality that must be addressed in the playoffs: they probably score more goals on the power play than they want to. On the other side of the coin, it also suggests that they can improve their game with the man advantage by taking more shots.

Of course, this has been pointed out all year and very little has been done to improve the deteriorating state of the power play.

Canadiens Vs. thunderbolt penalty killing

The Canadiens are the better team on the power play, but the same cannot be said on the penalty kill. The Lightning kill more penalties, allow fewer routine and high-danger scoring opportunities, not to mention actual goals.

All things considered, one team is elite, while the other is struggling to emerge from the bottom of the league.

To make matters more interesting, Andrei Vasilevskiy had the third-highest save percentage on the penalty kill in the entire regular season (.900), while Jacob Dobbs (.859) was 26th. As for Jacob Fowler, he was only on the ice for 90 penalty kill minutes, finishing the season with an .873 save percentage in that position.

Simply put, while we can debate how much of an advantage the Canadiens actually have on the power play, we probably shouldn’t waste too much time debating which club will have a significant edge on the penalty kill.

All Montreal Canadiens statistics via Natural Stat Trick.

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

Dan Morgan has been the general manager of the Carolina Panthers for two draft processes. The 2026 NFL Draft will be his third as president of football operations/GM. Ironically, former NFL linebacker Morgan has only invested a first-round pick in a wide receiver in the two drafts he has presided over.

In 2024, the Panthers made Xavier Leggett the 32nd overall pick in the first round. He has yet to compile 1,000 total yards (860 career total). Meanwhile, last year’s selection, Tetaroa McMillan, who was taken eighth overall, gained 1,014 receiving yards while earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in his first season.

Despite the Panthers selecting a receiver in the first round in each of the last two drafts, Carolina still has a need at the position. After all, Leggett hasn’t developed into the star the Panthers hoped, not like McMillan.

Even though the Panthers have done this in back-to-back years, their GM still says Carolina could target another receiver with their first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, where they are ranked 19th.

“No. I think with anything, we’re going to take the best player,” Morgan said via the team’s website. “So if we feel like the best player is someone who is 19 years old, I wouldn’t hesitate to draft another wideout. I don’t think there’s any rule that says you can’t draft a wide receiver three years in a row. So I wouldn’t really put us in a box and say we wouldn’t draft him.”

The Panthers are generally projected to target a receiver in the first round. After seeing how much of an impact McMillen had on former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young’s game, one can’t help but wonder if a more complete and consistent group of receivers could really unlock Carolina’s scoring attack. The Panthers may feel the same way.

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

With eight selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals will soon add a group of youth to the roster. It all starts on April 23, where the Bengals have the 10th overall pick in the first round, and fans have spent the last few months speculating who might be joining Cincinnati.

recently, athleticBengals insider, Paul Dehner Jr. made his prediction. As many other analysts have predicted in the Bengals mock, Dehner predicted that Cincinnati would add to their secondary by making Tennessee cornerback, Jermod McCoy, the tenth overall pick in the first round.

McCoy is considered the second-best cornerback in the 2026 draft class. Nevertheless, he missed the entire 2025 season due to a torn ACL, and he is still viewed as a lock for the first round. It makes one wonder whether he would have been classified as the best cornerback if McCoy had not suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Either way, it shows that the film McCoy put on tape at Oregon State in 2023 and Tennessee in 2024 is strong enough for NFL evaluators to remain very high on his pro prospects. McCoy recorded two interceptions in his first season and four interceptions in his second season. There’s certainly more to come in the NFL, and Cincinnati could be an ideal landing spot for the 6-foot-1, 188-pound corner.

RELATED: Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowler campaign for blockbuster trade involving All-Pro

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The NHL has officially announced the 16 teams for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. While the playoff field is now set, seeding remains undecided heading into the final days of the regular season. In fact, almost all of the first-round matchups have not yet been determined. Only one playoff series has been completely determined before the final game.

Here’s a look at the confirmed NHL playoff teams and what’s still at stake before the brackets are finalized.

Eastern Conference playoff teams

Atlantic Division

• buffalo saber
• tampa bay lightning
• montreal canadiens

Metropolitan Division

• carolina storm
• pittsburgh penguins
• philadelphia flyers

wild card teams

• boston bruins
• ottawa senators

Western Conference playoff teams

Central Division

• colorado avalanche
• dallas stars
• minnesota wild

Pacific Division

• vegas golden knights
• edmonton oilers
• anaheim ducks

wild card teams

• utah mammoth
• Los Angeles Kings

What still remains to be decided

• Vegas, Edmonton and Anaheim still fighting to win Pacific Division
• Boston and Ottawa have one more game to earn the top wild card spot in the Eastern Conference
• Utah and Los Angeles have two games to decide the wild card spot in the Western Conference
• Several NHL teams fighting for home ice advantage in the Stanley Cup playoffs

What’s next in the NHL?

The 16 NHL playoff teams may have been determined, but there is still plenty of intrigue to wrap up the 2025-26 regular season. The Pacific Division is still in contention while playoff position will be the most important factor over the next few days. After all, the Stanley Cup Playoffs reward teams that can earn home ice advantage.

While wild card drama won’t be present in the final days of the NHL regular season, there is a lot that needs to be determined before the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

READ MORE: Full NHL playoff pictures today – updated standings and Stanley Cup bracket

Austin Konensky is a writer at SportsNut, covering the NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA and more. His work can also…more about Austin Konensky

Casual fans who came to watch Miami Dolphins football last season will be in for a special surprise when the 2026 NFL season begins this fall. The team’s most notable players have either been waived or traded, including Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Heck, even head coach Mike McDaniels has been let go. While the Dolphins’ departures already look like a Pro Bowl roster, more changes could be coming to South Beach.

While first-year Dolphins general manager John-Eric Sullivan has previously stated that the team has three “pillars”. He said those players are Pro Bowl running back D’Von Achane, center Aaron Brewer and All-Pro linebacker Jordan Brooks. However, all three of those cornerstones or “pillars” are entering the final year of their contracts.

With the way the Dolphins have torn the roster down to the studs, some of these players may not have much interest in re-signing with Miami. Sure, the burden of money may sway his opinion, but other teams smell blood in the water, and trade activity could increase during the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

While Sullivan had previously committed to the three names above sticking with the Dolphins for years to come, when questioned again recently, he changed his tune.

Now Sullivan is saying, “No one is untouchable in this business.” Dolphins fans found out just how hard it was to see one of their biggest stars leave earlier this offseason. Yet now dolphins are seen putting up for sale signs in their yards for leftover scraps.

Of course, Sullivan is right that no one is untouchable in the NFL. But that still doesn’t reveal how willing the team is to actually deal its remaining top talent. Yet, as we’ve seen before, it only takes one offer for Miami to refuse to change plans.

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

There have been rumors of the Cleveland Browns potentially trading for top star Myles Garrett for the past few years. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year had also requested his exit a year earlier before receiving an extension from the team.

While general manager Andrew Berry is saying the right things and claims he wants Garrett to finish his career in Cleveland, several NFL insiders still believe a deal is possible, including Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. On Friday, he made a reasonable case for why a trade should not be rejected and presented a compelling evidence.

“There was a recent contract amendment that delayed Garrett’s offseason option bonus deadline from the 15th of the league year in March to seven days before the start of the regular season,” Florio wrote. “Obviously, this allows the Browns to trade Garrett without paying the option bonus.”

A Myles Garrett trade is still in play, and it could potentially happen right before or during this month’s NFL Draft. If that were the case, let’s take a look at six teams that could use their draft assets to acquire the seven-time Pro Bowler.

dallas cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys still have a big hole at the pass rush after trading Micah Parsons just weeks before the start of the 2025 season. They’re hoping to fill that void with one of this year’s top pass-rushing prospects. However, Garrett is not only a proven commodity, but he is arguably the best pass rusher in the game.

The Cowboys have two picks in Round 1, and an owner/general manager in Jerry Jones is always ready to make a bold move. Could George Pickens be added to a potential deal to help make money? After how poorly we performed on that side of the ball last year, it would make more sense to pay one specific player on defense rather than pay big bucks to three players on offense (Pickens, CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott).

New York Jets

The New York Jets were a disaster last season and need all the help they can get. So having two first-round picks this season is a big plus. However, they are a team in a major market, and bringing in box office stars will always appeal to ownership.

However, they could opt to give the Browns just one of their selections in Round 1 and instead offer first-rounders in future years. Which is not a bad thing. The chance to have the No. 2 overall pick and two picks in the top six this month will certainly interest Cleveland.

pittsburgh steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a league-leading 12 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, including the 21st overall selection. They still have a solid chunk of salary cap space (via Over The Cap) to use for Garrett’s contract.

The Steelers are not a franchise known for making big trades. And the Browns are unlikely to move Garrett within the division. But they may make an offer Cleveland can’t refuse. Such as their first picks in 2026 and 2027, plus five or six more picks this year. Pittsburgh has five selections in Rounds 3 and 4 later this month.

jacksonville jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars are tied for the second-most selections in this year’s draft with 11. But the biggest issue with the trade proposal is that they don’t have a first-rounder this year. Plus, they lack notable cap space. However, for a team that isn’t that far away from becoming a serious force in the AFC, Garrett is a target you make risky moves for.

Might Cleveland be interested in a deal for their second and three first-rounders this year, as well as their first-rounder in 2027, as well as players like Brian Thomas and/or Travon Walker? It’s worth a try to get the Browns on the horn and find out.

philadelphia eagles

The NFL should be horrified at the thought of Myles Garrett on the Philadelphia Eagles. Although it seems impossible, general manager Howie Roseman can never be underestimated. And as a team in the title race, giving up a late first-rounder won’t be an issue. Additionally, adding a star receiver like AJ Brown to the deal would be a very interesting sweetener.

The Eagles trading for Garrett is a long shot, but it can’t be completely ruled out as they look to capture their second title in three years.

Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders could be a serious contender for a Myles Garrett trade on draft night. According to Over the Cap, he has the seventh overall pick in the NFL Draft and approximately $50 million in cap space. After a surprising decline in 2025, Garrett is the superstar who can lead the Commanders back to the NFC Championship Game next season.

Washington has the resources and desperation to fight to make Cleveland a bold offer during the 2026 NFL Draft.

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

Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha has insisted he is not chasing individual recognition with Brazil, even though his club form is cementing his position ahead of the World Cup.

The Brazilian spoke ahead of the friendly against Croatia, making it clear that his priorities with the national team differ from those expected of attacking players.

“I’m not looking for headlines,” Cunha said espn brazil. “When we wear this shirt, it’s about more than being remembered. It’s about being part of a winning group, like so many before us.”

This stance offers an interesting contrast to his situation at Manchester United, where he has been one of the key attacking figures during the club’s recent rise under Michael Carrick.

Club form versus international reality

Cunha’s performances in England have been consistently good. He recently spoke about his spell at Manchester United Interview for a Brazilian channel. However, he acknowledged that translating that form to Brazil is not always easy.

“We want to come here and give it our all.” he explained. “People who have been here a long time understand things faster, they know what the manager wants. But we still need some adaptation.”

That adjustment period is already visible. Cunha started in Brazil’s recent 2–1 defeat to France but did not register a goal contribution.

Nevertheless, the forward rejected any suggestion that the result had affected confidence within the team.

“Nothing has changed in our confidence,” He said. “We all have the same idea of ​​what we want, which is to win the World Cup.”

Keeping perspective ahead of the World Cup

For Cunha, the level of opposition in recent matches is part of the process.

“France and Croatia are two top level national teams,” He said. “Usually we don’t have that much experience in these games, so it’s great to get this opportunity.”

He also pointed to the difference in preparation time as a factor in maintaining trust in the group.

“They had more time to prepare, but we felt we could have won,” Cunha added. “Even in defeat, it shows we’re on the right track.”

That mindset matches the approach he mentioned earlier. Individual performances may shape perception, but Cunha’s focus remains elsewhere.

This could be a positive sign for Manchester United. A player who is less concerned with individual headlines and more focused on collective success fits well within a team striving for long-term stability.

As Cunha said, the aim is simple – to contribute to something bigger than yourself, whether at Old Trafford or on the international stage.

🇺🇾 Manuel Ugarte | Aston Villa and Newcastle United tryouts

➡️PL outlook revealed for midfielder
🏆Manchester United player ideally wants transfer sorted before World Cup
⬆️ Priority is to remain in the top league https://t.co/8tFRKFb605 #avfc #nufc #free

– Sports Witness (@Sport_Witness) 31 March 2026

We’ve reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament, with March Madness largely anticipated as three of the No. 1-seeded teams have advanced to this round. We will now get real matchups between the best college basketball teams in 2026, creating high stakes and a lot of excitement this weekend.

Let’s take a look at our Elite Eight predictions for the weekend matchups in the men’s NCAA Tournament.

(3) Illinois Fighting Illini vs. (9) Iowa Hawkeyes

The Iowa Hawkeyes are the lowest-seeded team in the NCAA Tournament and are coming off a stretch that includes a last-second win over the defending national champion Florida Gators. The three-ball has been a key factor in the Hawkeyes’ success during this journey to the Elite Eight, with the team scoring a combined 20 runs in the last two games. The Illinois Fighting Illini are favored to punch their ticket to the Final Four, but it’s worth noting that the program allowed 8.4 three-pointers to be made per game (275th in the NCAA) during the season. That said, Illinois has played strong defensive play throughout the tournament and its scoring ability is nearly unmatched. We’re calling for upsets, with Iowa dictating the pace of the game and dropping three wickets in a thrilling win.

• Prediction: Iowa Hawkeyes – 74, Illinois Fighting Illini – 71

RELATED: Saturday’s Elite Eight schedule

(1) Arizona Wildcats vs. (2) Purdue Boilermakers

The Arizona Wildcats are in a tough position to advance to the Elite Eight, with their last loss coming on February 14 against Texas Tech. During this winning streak, the program picked up two top-10 wins over Houston and Iowa State, and then it handed coach John Calipari his most lopsided defeat ever in the NCAA Tournament. The Purdue Boilermakers’ resume may not be as impressive, especially after a narrow win over No. 11-ranked Texas in the Sweet Sixteen. However, Purdue has its own wave of momentum in this matchup with Braden Smith and Trey Coffman-Renn looking unstoppable. Against any other opponent, we might be inclined to pick Purdue. However, this draw favors Arizona to win comfortably.

• Prediction: Arizona Wildcats – 80, Purdue Boilermakers – 71

RELATED: Arizona Wildcats HC forward tied to UNC Tar Heels

(6) Tennessee Volunteers vs. (1) Michigan Wolverines

If you’re a fan of watching defense, this Elite Eight matchup between the Tennessee Volunteers and Michigan Wolverines is the one for you. Rick Barnes has taken Tennessee to the Elite Eight for the third consecutive season, a run most notable considering the amount of roster turnover during the offseason. Tennessee is coming off two impressive wins over Virginia (79-72) and Iowa State (76-62), but this looks like a matchup where the story ends. Michigan’s suffocating defense and ability to score efficiently should lead the Wolverines to a win and a berth in the Final Four.

• Prediction: Michigan Wolverines 73, Tennessee Volunteers 68

(2) UConn Huskies vs. (1) Duke Blue Devils

The Duke Blue Devils haven’t exactly looked like one of the best college basketball teams during the NCAA Tournament. They took on Siena lightly in the first round, narrowly escaping with a six-point win, then narrowly lost to St. John’s in the Sweet Sixteen. Still, All-American freshman forward Cameron Boozer is capable of taking over a game, and we just saw Caleb Foster score 11 points in the second half less than a month after suffering a broken foot. Duke has proven itself comfortable in tough games. Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies, on the other hand, have handled their business against the likes of UCLA and Michigan State, but have struggled against top competition. We think talent won out in this one, Duke is back in the Final Four.

• Prediction: Duke Blue Devils – 77, UConn Huskies – 71

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

Who will get the first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft? This is a question that has become a big point of discussion this season due to the massive amount of tanking around the NBA. Although the lottery isn’t until May 17, we’re looking at the teams that are actually most worthy of the No. 1 overall pick.

Let’s take a look at our list of the five teams most worthy of winning the NBA Draft Lottery and getting the right to the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

1.Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies are the most eligible team for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Ja Morant’s injuries and his questionable commitment to the game have really put this team in a position where it needs a rebuild. So, the organization correctly acknowledged that by trading away Desmond Benn and later Jaren Jackson Jr. We’ve seen what Memphis can do for the likes of Jaylen Wells (39th overall pick in 2024) and Cedric Coward (11th overall pick in 2025), they know how to maximize player development. Plus, the city of Memphis deserves a new franchise cornerstone that it can rally behind. On top of all that, the NBA would certainly like to see that the team that wins the NBA Draft Lottery is not the team that has basically played double-digit games this season.

2. Washington Wizards

Placing the Washington Wizards here instead of the Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets or Utah Jazz would draw criticism. In our view, Indiana doesn’t need a top pick in a tremendous down year when they have Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac. We also do not believe that Utah’s multi-year tanking plan spearheaded by Danny Ainge should be rewarded. Instead, magicians are more qualified. AJ Diabantsa or Cameron Boozer could enter a core that already includes Trae Young, Bilal Koulibaly and Alex Sarr. Even what happens to Anthony Davis is excluded. Washington has already positioned itself to become an Eastern Conference contender next season ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

3. Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings aren’t intentionally tanking, it’s just an organization that is worryingly badly run and coached. Sacramento is actually the worst NBA team in the entire 2025-26 NBA season, but they haven’t had a head coach willing to go to extremes to improve the team’s NBA Draft Lottery odds, as we saw in March. Typically, this would make Sacramento the most eligible team for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. That said, given how owner Vivek Ranadive has run the team, landing in Sacramento would be detrimental to the potential of any top prospect.

4.Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls haven’t exactly been a well-run organization in recent years, that’s good. The least you can say in defense of this franchise is that it clearly isn’t at the levels we’ve seen from the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers this year nor the likes of the Utah Jazz over the past few seasons. Chicago also isn’t resting its star player for the rest of the year like the Milwaukee Bucks. Of the teams that will have realistically top-10 lottery prospects, Chicago is one of the few that has remained mildly competitive at least through the second half of the season. At the same time, there is a desire to see a generational talent land in Chicago and potentially transform an aging franchise.

RELATED: Chicago Bulls HC addresses UNC Tar Heels rumors

5. Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks received universal praise last year for acquiring the unprotected rights to the New Orleans Pelicans’ first-round selection in the 2026 NBA Draft. Fast forward to now, there is about a 25 percent chance that it will become one of the top four. Meanwhile, the Hawks are headed for a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference with player development in the success of Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu. Atlanta won the NBA Draft Lottery a few years ago, but Zachary Rissacher was one of the worst prospects to go No. 1 overall in recent memory. It’s an exciting idea to imagine this rising Hawks team winning the draft lottery again and adding AJ DiBantsa to play alongside Johnson and Dyson Daniels.

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

Alabama star Ty Simpson is one of the more divisive prospects in next month’s NFL Draft. Draft evaluators know the quarterback is talented, but the big question is what is his potential? Scouts only have one season of tape to look at as a starter. And while he was great for most of the year, he went backwards in the last month of the year, but it wasn’t necessarily all his fault.

Simpson is likely to be taken at some point in Round 1, or early in Round 2, and teams such as the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New York Jets have been linked to the QB prospect. However, this week, veteran draft expert Todd McShay claimed there is a mystery team that has not been considered as “hidden” as the Simpson movers in the evaluation process.

With that in mind, let’s speculate who the mysterious team interested in Simpson might be.

miami dolphins

It’s been a busy offseason for the Miami Dolphins. They have moved on from several veterans, including former starting QB Tua Tagovailoa. They replaced him in free agency with Malik Willis, the best signal caller on the market. However, the Liberty alum is far from a sure thing.

It’s not out of the question that Miami invests a Day 2 pick at some safety if Willis disappoints. At the very least, they can try to develop the Alabama star and look to trade him in the future.

indianapolis colts

The Indianapolis Colts are in a mess in the QB room. They should have Daniel Jones back in 2026, but he is returning from a nagging condition, so it’s unclear when he’ll be available to play. Additionally, backup first-round bust Anthony Richardson is looking for a trade. So, as of now, fifth-round pick Riley Leonard looks to be in line to start in Week 1.

While they feel Jones can be their franchise QB for a long time, his health is a big question mark. Also, he is not tied to any long-term deal. Simpson could be Indianapolis’ Plan B if they can’t rely on the former New York Giants QB.

carolina panthers

This is a make or break season for former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young. If the Carolina Panthers QB can’t take a leap forward and become a consistent impact player, the team will move on. While they have a solid backup option in Kenny Pickett, he is also an unsuccessful starter on the other team.

The organization has enough evidence not to believe it, so it would be understandable if they were a mystery team taking a close look at Simpson as an option in Round 2.

Los Angeles Rams

Before trading one of their picks in Round 1, the Los Angeles Rams were viewed as a potential suitor for Ty Simpson. There’s a very real possibility that this is Matthew Stafford’s final season, so LA should start preparing for life after the reigning MVP. It wouldn’t be surprising if they try to trade up in Round 2 and go after the Alabama QB as Stafford’s successor in 2027 or 2028.

dallas cowboys

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones is very unpredictable. Some people hoped they would actually trade top star Micah Parsons, but they lost out last fall. That’s why Dak Prescott shouldn’t assume a roster spot is secure for the remainder of his contract.

The soon-to-be 33-year-old has a huge contract that is increasingly limiting the team’s cap flexibility. It wouldn’t be surprising if Jones is already thinking about replacing him, and Simpson could be an interesting option in Round 2. Prescott’s contract remains a stumbling block, and unless Prescott leads Dallas to the Super Bowl, it seems unlikely he will be able to accomplish that in 2028.

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

The 2026 NFL Draft class is quite deep at wide receiver, with at least five wideouts expected to be taken in Round 1. One of the pass-catchers who is generating a lot of interest in the pre-draft process is Washington Huskies standout Denzel Boston.

According to Tony Pauline of Essential Sports, Boston has interest from the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints. They are among at least 10 teams that have scheduled predraft visits with Boston.

RELATED: 2026 NFL Mock Draft

• Denzel Boston Stats (2025): 62 receptions, 881 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns, 14.2 yards per reception

Standing 6-foot-4, Boston offers prototypical size for an outside wide receiver. He earned third-team All-Big Ten honors as the leading receiver for the Huskies last season and followed that with a strong performance at the NFL Scouting Combine.

While New Orleans (Chris Olave) and Buffalo (DJ Moore) have proven No. 1 wide receivers, Boston brings a complementary skill set. He offers an excellent catch radius with tremendous ball skills and strong hands, providing the ability to become a red-zone weapon for long periods of time and even help on some downfield 50-50 balls.

RELATED: Early bold predictions for the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft

In terms of his career trajectory, the Saints or Bills would be better landing spots for Boston. He can play more of a complementary role in Buffalo’s passing game, catching passes from Josh Allen and playing alongside Moore and Dalton Kincaid. New Orleans offers another ideal situation, where he could be paired with Olave and second-year quarterback Tyler Shaw.

Miami will have a very clear path to goals, but he’ll also be joining a team in the early stages of a rebuild with an offensive play-caller in Bobby Slovic, who has had mixed results in that role. Given that Miami and New Orleans both have top-11 picks, those two clubs are likely looking at him as an option early in Round 2 or as a potential trade-up target.

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

On Monday night, the Milwaukee Bucks surprisingly waived Cam Thomas after Thomas had a falling out with the Brooklyn Nets following the trade deadline. The Bucks waived Thomas on March 23, meaning he is ineligible to play in the postseason because he was waived after the March 1 playoff eligibility waiver deadline.

Nonetheless, Thomas is free to sign with any NBA team, provided those teams register interest in him. At this point, Thomas’ stock is at its lowest, and it would be worrisome to other teams that the Bucks, a team that is hungry for talent, gave up on a player who at one time averaged 24 points per game.

But of course, just because Thomas didn’t live up to expectations in Milwaukee doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a future in the NBA now. All he has to do is land in a team with a solid infrastructure and some patient teaching that can allow him to become the best version of himself.

Thomas’ ability to score the basketball is evident, as his 3,822 career points in 257 games (88 starts) are nothing like trying to luck out. But he’s facing a crossroads in his career, and choosing his next team, if he even gets a choice, will be key in determining whether he can serve as a microwave scoring piece in the NBA and pick up where he left off during the 2023-24 season or whether he’s bound to spend a few years overseas.

Here are some teams that make some sense as potential destinations for Thomas.

4. Sacramento Kings

In terms of strict fit on the court, this is not a good destination for Thomas at all. The Kings still have a glut of guards, and the last thing they need is to further clog the roster and make their logjam at those positions worse. Furthermore, the Kings are already closely monitored, and integrating Thomas’ brand of basketball into a team that is already in disarray won’t be the easiest.

The Kings also have Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan still active, and Thomas won’t be good enough to be guaranteed touches from those players.

But the Kings haven’t exactly focused on building a team that fits together, and perhaps they’ve become the latest team to look to Thomas to try to get his career back on track.

Sacramento can give him all the chances to score. Will this result in beautiful basketball? not even close. Would it be hilarious to see the Kings try this? Absolutely.

3. Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers have been devastated by injuries at the end of the 2025-26 season and have led to their decline in the NBA standings. Somehow, they’re still in seventh place in the East, meaning they’re still a long way from making the playoffs even with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid improving.

The good news is that Paul George is likely to return in the 76ers’ next game. The bad news is that it’s not clear exactly when Maxi will return. Another bad news is that Philly is missing a lot of Jared McCain, as their guard depth has been so depleted amid injuries that they’ve had to bring in Cameron Payne and play him heavy minutes.

Although Thomas can’t help the 76ers make one last attempt at the postseason, he can at least help them clinch the sixth seed in the conference. Philly is simply hungry for a shot-maker of Thomas’ level, and he would make VJ Edgecombe’s life a lot easier amid the team’s lack of offense.

2. Miami Heat

The Heat are in the midst of a tough five-game losing streak, and the last thing the team needs is to undergo a major change and bring in Thomas – another high-usage player. They are struggling to find balance at the moment, as they have had to bring 2026 NBA All-Star Norman Powell off the bench.

But the Heat culture is famous for developing untested players and turning them into winning contributors. He helped Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin, all of whom were part of their 2023 NBA Finals team, earn millions and millions of dollars when every other team in the NBA wasn’t sold on his ability to contribute.

What Thomas needs most is structure, and the Heat organization should help provide him with that.

Signing Thomas doesn’t mean he has to play anyway; Miami could simply bring him in, have him train with the team and acclimate to the team’s system, and get him ready for next season if they like what they see from the 24-year-old guard.

1. Indiana Pacers

With the departure of Benedict Mathurin via the Ivica Zubac trade, there could be an opportunity on the Pacers bench for a microwave scorer like Thomas. The problem is that Thomas is two inches shorter than Mathurin, and he is not even on the same level as the Los Angeles Clippers guard as a rebounder and defender.

But Thomas is a proven bucket-getter, and head coach Rick Carlisle has had success in the past with smaller guards who can score points in groups. Monta Ellis flourished under Carlisle. Trey Burke and Yogi Ferrell played some of their best basketball under Carlisle.

Thomas has not found any legitimate mentor for his career. The Nets quickly released him, as they did not want to give him a big contract last offseason. The Bucks gave their roster spot to Pete Nance, a wing who fits in with the team more easily.

Carlisle knows his way around Thomas’ playing style at guard, and Indiana, at least through the 2025-26 season, could give him a chance to prove if he can fit into what the team is building. The Pacers are under no pressure to win this season anyway, so they may simply hand the keys to Thomas as an audition to see if he’ll have a role on the team next season.

Who will win the NBA Championship this year? While the 2026 NBA Finals won’t start until June and we’re not even at the end of the regular season, it seems like we’ve seen enough to predict which clubs are making a realistic attempt at winning it this year.

Let’s take a look at our ranking of the NBA Finals contenders. If a team is not listed, we do not believe they have a viable path to winning the championship this season.

1.Oklahoma City Thunder

Even with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell each missing significant time this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder are likely to finish the regular season with the best record in the NBA. Through 70 games, Oklahoma City has allowed the second-fewest PPG (107.5), lowest opponents’ field goal percentage (43.4 percent) and its league-best 11.0 net rating is equal to the combined net value of the fourth (San Antonio Spurs) and 10th-best teams (Minnesota Timberwolves) in the NBA. SGA is now healthy and consistently performing better than last season, Mitchell is back and Williams should be ready for the playoffs. Additionally, thanks to Daryl Morey trading away Jared McCain, the Thunder’s rotation is deeper than last season.

RELATED: NBA MVP Race; Ranking of top five candidates

2. San Antonio Spurs

The last time the San Antonio Spurs appeared in the NBA playoffs (2019), Victor Wembanyama was 15 years old and De’Aaron Fox was in his second season with the Sacramento Kings. It’s actually the very limited postseason experience on the Spurs roster that we are lacking with the team. That said, San Antonio went 4-1 against Oklahoma City with a +26 point differential in the regular season and Wembanyama has been able to dominate Chet Holmgren in a series. Plus, it’s been made clear that the likes of Stephen Cassel, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Dylan Harper have just as bad feelings toward the Thunder as Wambayama. If we’re picking anyone outside of Oklahoma City to win the NBA Finals, it’s San Antonio.

READ MORE: 2026 NBA Mock Draft Ahead of March Madness

3. Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics entered the weekend with a 6-1 record with Jayson Tatum in the lineup. Admittedly we were a little concerned about the decision to bring him back from a torn Achilles so soon, but the perennial All-Star forward has really impressed in his return. This is now a lineup that features two MVP-caliber performers in Tatum and Jaylen Brown, while Derrick White may be the best No. 3 player on any team in the NBA. Boston has the most playoff experience in the Eastern Conference and we can confidently say that this is the best coached team we have ever seen. It’s just a question of how Tatum performs during the playoffs and whether a sub-.500 record against top-10 teams is a sign that Boston can withstand an upset in the NBA Finals.

Read more: Single-game NBA scoring records for all 30 teams

4. Denver Nuggets

Ranking the Denver Nuggets fourth among potential NBA Finals contenders is all about Nikola Jokic. He currently ranks fourth in the NBA playoffs in career win shares per 48 minutes (.2298). If you just focus on the last four years, Jokic has an absurd 0.25 WS/48 and has averaged 28.7 points, 13.2 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game while shooting 53.5 percent from the field in his last 51 playoff games. With Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon healthy, they don’t need to carry much for Denver. Denver’s 10-12 record over the last 22 games should ring some alarm bells and Cam Johnson has been a big disappointment, but we’ll never underestimate Jokic’s ability to lead his team to the NBA Finals.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers

Are the Cleveland Cavaliers a better team with James Harden than Darius Garland? Yes, we definitely have more confidence in their chances of making the playoffs this season after the trade. That said, Harden’s proven reputation for collapsing in win-or-home playoff games is a serious concern for Cleveland. There’s already plenty of evidence that the Jarrett Allen-Evan Mobley frontcourt pairing doesn’t work well in the NBA playoffs, even with the performance Donovan Mitchell has had at that time of the year (28.3 ppg) for Cleveland. The Cavaliers have a chance to win the Eastern Conference, but this team will likely need a significant injury in the West to win the NBA Finals.

6. New York Knicks

It’s now or never situation for the New York Knicks. Mike Brown was brought in during the offseason with the hopes that he would make enough changes to ensure that Madison Square Garden would host multiple NBA Finals games. From February 1 to March 20, New York posted a respectable 16–7 record with a +8.7 point differential and included wins over the Nuggets, Spurs, and Rockets. There’s a strong case for the Detroit Pistons in this spot, but we’re giving the Knicks a slight edge due to their playoff experience.

RELATED: NBA scouts, executives cast doubt on NY Knicks’ chances for playoff run

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 Miami Dolphins have been one of the busiest teams of the offseason. We’ve already seen them move on from their head coach and general manager, and the new leadership group has wasted no time in whittling down the roster.

That process took a big leap Tuesday, then, when GM John-Eric Sullivan traded star receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a first-round pick plus changes. It’s clear the Dolphins are in the middle of a fire sale. It has also prompted teams to go after other players on Miami’s roster. But it turns out that not everything is ready to be achieved.

According to ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter, teams are also trying to trade for Pro Bowl running back D’Von Achane. However, the Dolphins have no interest in trading their 24-year-old starting running back. The Dolphins are responding to teams by telling them he is not available.

However, Achane is eligible for a contract extension this summer, and he could be one of the few players with whom the new arrangement commits to a multi-year deal immediately. Thus, teams looking to inject some pace into their attack will have to look elsewhere.

Achen was drafted by the Dolphins in the third round as the 84th overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. He started only four games as a rookie, but the Dolphins still couldn’t keep him off the field, as Achane was so effective. He has rushed for 800, 907 and 1,350 yards in his three playing seasons, and South Beach could have more meat for one of the game’s best running backs.

RELATED: Jaylen Waddle traded: Winners, losers from Broncos and Dolphins deal

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

New Jersey Devils superstar Jack Hughes didn’t pull his punches when talking about where his golden goal ended up. He wants it back, and he made it known.

He can be found in the link below.

Elsewhere, Matthew Neese’s business partner, Doug Armstrong’s resignation, more.

Devil’s Trade Rumors and News

ESPN: So, uh, Jack Hughes isn’t happy with his golden goal at the Hockey Hall of Fame, huh? He pulled no punches, explaining that he felt he should have the puck that won the gold medal over Canada in Milan last month.

📺 devil’s rink report: Is Tom Fitzgerald on the hot seat, or did his comments at the 2026 NHL trade deadline feel like he’s really going nowhere? Pasha Eshghi joins me for the latest Devils Rink Report to discuss what the GM needs to do to take the heat off himself if he does indeed return next season.

Full episode here 👇🏼 Watch the full Devils Rink report here:

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NHL Trade Talk, News and National Hockey Now

athletic ($):This is why Doug Armstrong resigned as general manager of Hockey Canada.

Daily Faceoff: Claude Giroux. Nick Jensen. Lars Eller. There could be a mass exodus of veterans via trade and free agency as the Ottawa Senators need to regroup.

Sportsnet: Therefore, Leon Draisaitl is going to miss the rest of the regular season. Ouch. Mark Spector says it’s a good time for the Edmonton Oilers to take a look at how they’re doing without one of their superstars.

montreal hockey now:Cole Caufield is a 40 goal scorer. Watch the Montreal Canadiens forward score his 40th goal.

Toronto Hockey Now: The Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly listened to forward Matthew Nease at the trade deadline. Nick Kyprios has linked three teams to the 23-year-old power forward. Is Satan one?

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

If the Toronto Maple Leafs are indeed willing to discuss a Matthew Nese trade — and multiple sports insiders say they were at the deadline — he would get the team a far better return than Auston Matthews or William Nylander. So says insider Nick Kyprios, and his explanation, focused on the fact that Nease has no trade protections, makes sense:

If the Leafs are looking to make a big splash, a deal with Nese could attract a bidding war that would involve far more teams, rather than shopping around for Auston Matthews or William Nylander, who have no upside and will essentially be picking up their future teams. With Nese, the Leafs can control the entire process, giving them a good selection of high-level talent to choose from.

To that end, Kyprios has named three teams that would make the most sense as trade partners for the Leafs in any Matthew Nease negotiations. Starting with the team that actually started all these rumors in the first place:

montreal canadiens

GM Kent Hughes got everyone’s attention when he said after the deadline that he was working on something “important” down to the wire, and could revisit it in the summer. The Nice rumors arose courtesy of Kyprios and other insiders like Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and TVA’s Renaud Lavoie.

The Leafs will be looking for “three or four pieces,” and of course, the Habs are loaded with top young players and prospects. Kiper says Michael Hayes, Dave Rickenbacker, Owen Beck and Caden Guhle will be “interesting names to watch”.

chicago blackhawks

Another team full of young assets that they can offer. They aren’t on the same level as the Canadiens to become a serious contender, but Nese would be a big addition for them as they take the next step. Kiper explains that the Hawks already had interest in Nese a few years ago, when former Toronto GM Kyle Dubas talked to them about a trade that would bring Brandon Hagel to Toronto. “The Blackhawks’ interest in Nese has not waned,” Kyprios writes.

The Mammoth have a number of notable prospects that could interest the Leafs in a Nese trade package

utah mammoth

They’re looking to make a big splash up front, and though they acquired a coveted trade piece at the deadline in the form of defenseman McKenzie Weegar, they’re still looking for a top-six difference maker. Kiper named a number of impressive prospects for the Mammoth that would be of great interest to the Leafs, including Caleb Desnoyers, Taj Iginla, Maverick Lamoureux and Russian Daniel Butt.

Kyprios summed it up for Toronto by saying “If this deadline proves anything, it’s that if a trade doesn’t involve one of Matthews, Nylander or Nease, it’s going to be hard to add significant picks and prospects.”

After operating as a 30-team league for decades, the NBA is betting on adding two franchises by the 2028-2029 season, with Las Vegas and Seattle the clear leaders.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, a vote will be held next week on the possibility of expanding the league to 32 teams.

“The pace for stakeholders to approve the survey is based on what industry executives will bid in the range of $7 to $10 billion for each team,” Charania said.

“If the bids reach the required threshold the 32 teams will have a potential final vote at the end of the year to finalize the transaction. In both voting rounds, 23 of the 30 governors would have to vote in favor.”

There have been long-running discussions about starting a team in Las Vegas, with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James even rumored to be one of the owners, as it has rapidly emerged as one of the biggest sports cities in the country.

A return to Seattle, meanwhile, would restore the NBA to one of its hottest markets. The Seattle SuperSonics played in the league from 1967 to 2008 and won the title in 1979, before the franchise became the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Of course, there are logistical issues to discuss, including accommodating conferences and schedules. Some, including Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, have argued that the NBA needs to reduce its games, and adding two more teams could do the opposite.

As the league continues to grow in popularity and globalization, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has often stressed the need to innovate and adopt reforms, emphasizing that expansion has always been a consideration.

The next few days will be important for the future of the NBA.

One of the biggest stories in the NBA this season has been the number of teams vying for a better position in the 2026 NBA Draft. While tanking isn’t a big issue in the National Football League, where there is no draft lottery involved, some clubs are not indicating a strong desire to win next season.

It’s hard to blame them. Even a year later, there is extraordinary buzz about a 2027 NFL Draft class that will include quarterbacks Arch Manning, Dante Moore and Brandon Sorsby — not to mention elite talents like wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, edge rusher Dylan Stewart and cornerback Leonard Moore.

RELATED: 2026 NFL Mock Draft

With that in mind, we’re highlighting some teams that are already indicating they’ll try next season to land a better selection in the 2027 NFL Draft.

New York Jets

The New York Jets already have three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, so we know a lot of their resources will be devoted to scouting and player evaluation for the upcoming season. Now, the front office brought in several veteran talents (Joseph Ossai, Demario Davis, Kingsley Anagbare, David Onyemata and Minkah Fitzpatrick) to help protect Aaron Glenn. Did it significantly improve the roster? Yes. However, it didn’t take long as New York looked to be one of the worst NFL teams in recent memory during the second half of the 2025 campaign. New York still has a roster of bottom five players in the NFL and there is a real possibility the club has a top-three pick, a top-15 pick and a top-20 pick in Round 1 next year.

las vegas raiders

Even with the return of Max Crosby, the calculus hasn’t changed much for the Las Vegas Raiders. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza will take time to adjust to playing under center, and passers who lack elite physical tools may be exposed to the talent and speed in the NFL. Additionally, the team is working to integrate a new-look offensive line and a receiving corps that, despite the recent addition of Jalen Naylor, still has a lot to prove. That is to say, Las Vegas may have to be satisfied with five to six wins in 2026.

miami dolphins

It certainly appears as if the first-year tandem of head coach Jeff Hafley and general manager John-Eric Sullivan are planning a multi-year rebuild for the Miami Dolphins. Releasing Tyreek Hill was obvious, but taking a historic dead-cap hit by cutting Tua Tagovailoa really signals that 2026 will be the season this regime tears the roster down to the studs. De’Von Achen and Jaylen Waddle are still around, which makes it a more interesting landing spot for dual-threat quarterback Malik Willis, especially since there are very few stakes in Miami. The Dolphins are making a smart bet on Willis to be their long-term quarterback. If it doesn’t work out this fall, they could relatively easily move on from him and draft a top signal-caller in the 2027 NFL Draft — or, if Willis lives up to his potential, Miami could nab a top defender next year. Either way, it’ll probably be one of the top five.

cleveland browns

It’s certainly a decision to move quickly with Shadure Sanders and Deshaun Watson as your starting quarterback options for the 2026 NFL season. One thing is for sure: The Cleveland Browns and first-year head coach Todd Monken don’t have any good options. It doesn’t help that the rebuilt Browns offensive line features a below-average guard they overpaid for (Zion Johnson), a center (Elgton Jenkins) who has been in a decline for two seasons now, and Taven Jenkins on the interior. It took Myles Garrett a record-breaking season to win five games for Cleveland last season. With Jim Schwartz gone, five wins could be the maximum for the Browns this fall.

Arizona Cardinals

That’s not to say the Arizona Cardinals haven’t made any additions this offseason. The signing of Isaac Seumalo will improve the offensive line, and Tyler Allger is absolutely an upgrade for the run game, at least compared to the team last season after a string of injuries. However, there’s probably a six-win ceiling for a team quarterbacked by Jacoby Brissett or Gardner Minshew with a bottom-10 defense. First-year head coach Matt LaFleur will also experience growing pains on the job, likely leading Arizona to no more than five wins. With the roster situation overall, the Cardinals are certainly more focused on building an infrastructure that will welcome a quarterback like Arch Manning or Dante Moore.

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

We’re just into the first week of free agency and the league has already spent $1 billion. There’s never been a better time to hit the open market in the NFL. The second week of March marks the start of a new league year, and with it comes the annual free-agency frenzy – when front offices wheel and deal, and players cash in.

For years, the league believed that extravagance in free agency rarely resulted in Super Bowl contention. But this offseason? That script has been flipped. With multiple star players hitting the market and massive deals being struck in a matter of days, the spending spree has been unlike anything the NFL typically sees.

Now, an analyst has revealed just how staggering the league’s free-agency spending has been this early in the offseason.

NFL free agency begins a billion-dollar spending spree

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, money is flying through the league at a historic pace. Since Monday, NFL teams have paid out a record $5.83 billion in total player compensation, including $2.59 billion guaranteed at signing.

That’s a big jump from last year’s opening week numbers, when teams spent a combined $4.88 billion with $2.19 billion guaranteed during the same period.

A big reason for the spending spree? The league’s ever-expanding salary cap, which increased by $22 million this year, goes from $279.2 million in 2025 to $301.2 million in 2026. This growth is largely fueled by the NFL’s massive 11-year, $110 billion media rights deal with Amazon, CBS, ESPN, Fox and NBC.

The cap has been rising steadily in recent seasons, but the 2026 increase opens up a new level of pay for players across the league. So far this offseason, eight players have either reset the market at their position or received the richest free-agent deal ever for their role in terms of average annual value.

Among the deals that made headlines:

• CB Trent McDuffie – Traded to and signed by the Chiefs rams For 4 years, $124 million
• Of trey hendrickson – Signed by crows For 4 years, $112 million
• LT Laremy Tunsil – Re-signed by commanders on one 2-year, $60.2 million extension
• edge jalen phillips – Signed by panthers For 4 years, $120 million
• WR Alec Pierce – Re-signed by colts For 4 years, $114 million
• C Tyler Linderbaum – Signed by raiders For 3 years, $81 million
• RB Kenneth Walker III – Signed by Chiefs For 3 years, $43.05 million
• Te Isaiah possibly – Signed by veteran For 3 years, $40 million
• P Jordan Stout – Signed by veteran For 3 years, $12.3 million

McDuffie, Tunsil, Linderbaum and Stout all became the highest-paid players at their respective positions, while Phillips, Pierce, Walker and Likely set new records for free-agent contracts at their positions.

And the spending started rapidly. According to NFL Research, between the opening of the legal tampering window and Monday night at 8 p.m. ET, teams had already given away contracts worth $2.3 billion.

For years, the league’s conventional wisdom has suggested that players are better off signing extensions with the teams that drafted them, as franchises were historically cautious about spending more in free agency. But with the salary cap continuing to skyrocket, being patient may be the better play now on the open market.

Just look at the Tennessee Titans, who led the league by giving away $293.2 million in free agency to draft No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward in 2025. The Las Vegas Raiders were not far behind, spending $281.57 million as they prepared to draft Indiana Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza with the top pick in April.

One phrase agents have been throwing around this offseason is “biggest average per year by a free agent.” It’s a clever way of marketing — adding “by a free agent” helps differentiate those deals from the bigger contracts players often get via extensions, giving new signings a little extra sparkle.

The Carolina Hurricanes won…somehow…and Alexander Nikishin almost completed Gordie Howe’s hat trick.

Facing the Pittsburgh Penguins for the first of three meetings in March, the Hurricanes were nearly overpowered by a lack of discipline and some honestly questionable calls in the game, which certainly created some playoff-style energy.

Logan Stankoven opened the match with a goal eight minutes into the match, but Nikolaj Ehlers was injured shortly after in a tangle with Erik Karlsson in the corner boards. Thankfully, he returned at the beginning of the second frame and played the rest of the game.

Less than 20 seconds after Ehlers’ injury, Anthony Mantha tied the game with less than a minute remaining in the first period.

As the second period began, so did the onslaught of penalties.

The Hurricanes spent eight minutes in the box, six of which were in favor of the Penguins. The third penalty – drawn when William Carrier closed his hands on the puck – resulted in a power play goal by Bryan Rust, giving Pittsburgh the lead.

However, the fourth penalty was taken by Alexander Nikishin, who also drew a penalty on Noel Acciari after he pulled the Penguins winger into a duel while his teams dunked it in the melee. However, this resulted in equally harsh punishments as they more or less stuck to each other.

Eric Robinson tried to stuff the puck and it led to a nice scrum
Alexander Nikishin tried to go at it with Noel Acciari, but it didn’t lead to a full fight, just a little skirmish
Divisional rivalry, playoff style hockey is already heating up and I’m here for it… pic.twitter.com/RsqZwFjOFN

– Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) 11 March 2026

Things got wild in the third period

In the third period, the Hurricanes finally got control of their game and kept a clean frame, with Mark Jankowski tying the game and Seth Jarvis giving them the go-ahead goal.

This time, the Penguins kept the penalty box bench hot, and even gave the Hurricanes a pair of two-man advantages.

Nikishin was able to convert a very well executed back-and-forth play to tie the special teams goals and give the Hurricanes a two-goal lead. If the feud with Accieri had been more than any foul, Nikishin would have got a Gordie Howe hat-trick. This wouldn’t be the first time he’s gotten close to someone this season, and I’d be surprised if it’s the last.

However, with more than two minutes left in the game, the arena DJ saw fit to play the Hurricanes’ celebration song, ‘Sweet Caroline’, which is usually played in the final seconds of a sure-win game.

And can you guess what happened? Acciari and Rust tied the game while Stuart Skinner hit the bench.

And then came overtime

Overtime began, which saw Jakob Slavin enter the penalty box after barely a slash on the stick of Anthony Mantha. However, that apparently wasn’t an issue as Mantha then beat goaltender Frederik Andersen.

Despite some back-and-forth attempts, no goal could be scored after which a shootout took place.

Seth Jarvis, Andrei Svechnikov and Jackson Blake went for the Hurricanes, while Ben Kindel, Egor Chinakhov and Anthony Mantha did so for the Penguins. Svechnikov and Blake were both able to find the twine, but Kindel was the only penguin to have such luck.

The Hurricanes won the game 5–4, but would see them again the following Wednesday.

Frederik Andersen had a little help distracting him straight from the Mushroom Kingdom in the shootout 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Bs6860KPVy

– Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) 11 March 2026

Special teams performed well

Going into the game, the Hurricanes were at a notable disadvantage, as they ranked 11th on the power play (22.5%) and 14th on the penalty kill (79.4%), while the Penguins ranked sixth on the power play (25.3%) and second on the penalty kill (84.4%). Additionally, they were without their usual power play quarterback Shayne Gostisbeer, who missed his second consecutive game due to a lower body injury.

Still, he had four notable runs shorthanded, and killed four of five penalties while scoring on one of five power plays.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

AFC Bournemouth star Allie Junior Crupi is on the agenda for Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid in the summer window.

At least that’s what Téléfoot in France is reporting, relayed by le10 sport. They cover interests from Liverpool, PSG and Real Madrid and the striker has also responded to interests from these clubs.

Bournemouth agreed a deal with FC Lorient in February 2025 for Crupi to arrive at the Liberty Stadium last summer.

The 19-year-old has made 24 appearances, including 13 starts, and scored eight goals for Bournemouth so far. This included late equalizers against both Leeds United and Manchester United, which helped Andoni Irola’s side pick up two points.

Crupi also scored in Bournemouth’s league win over Tottenham Hotspur and defeat to Arsenal. His performances and ability did not go unnoticed in England and across Europe.

Liverpool in picture with Real Madrid and PSG

Last month, Sports Witness news broadcast from france Arsenal and League 1 winners Bournemouth are looking at the player.

Téléfoot now supports PSG’s interest and adds Liverpool and Real Madrid to its list of favourites.

On behalf of Arne Slot, the Paris club and Real Madrid signed Milos Kerkez, Ilya Zbarny and Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth respectively last summer. Los Blancos activated the latter clause while Liverpool and PSG negotiated a fee.

The Reds could compete with PSG and Real Madrid to sign the France U21 international after this season.

Frenchman thrilled with interest from big clubs

The Bournemouth attacker, for his part, is pleased that these clubs are showing interest in him.

“It’s nice when people talk about me, when they talk about these big clubs,” He said.

“But the most important thing for me is what I do on the pitch, this is the best league in the world, so performing here means you can perform anywhere. The most important thing for me is to perform here, and then we’ll see what happens.”

Crupi’s contract and price

Player’s contract is till 2030 transfer market He is worth €22m. This is the highest valuation so far in his short career.

However, if they decide to sell him, Bournemouth will demand a fee far higher than his current valuation.

Last summer, Liverpool spent big on both Alexander Isak and Hugo Aktike. Therefore, it may not make sense to sign Crupi next season.

Earthquake tremors were felt in Leafs Nation on Wednesday night. The Toronto Maple Leafs officially indicated that the sale was in progress. The club released the healthy trio of Bobby McMann, Scott Lawton and Oliver Ekman-Larsson for “roster management purposes”. As it turns out, while discussions were apparently ongoing, no trade was imminent…yet. It was more of a “bubble wrap” situation, just to make sure an injury didn’t put the kibosh on a potential deal.

Leafs GM Brad Treliving is having deep talks on those three and perhaps more of his charges as Friday’s trade deadline (3:00 p.m. Eastern) now looms.

As for Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the Buds’ top defenseman this season, he has boosted his stock in a big way. With two years left on his $3.5 million AAV, there is interest in him on multiple fronts. Insider Elliotte Friedman, speaking on NHL Network, names two teams he thinks belong in the OEL:

• boston bruins
• detroit red wings

Both Atlantic Division rivals are completely eyeing strengthening their bluelines. Adding a strong skater and puck mover like Ekman-Larsson, who also brings physical ability and a high hockey IQ, is just what these teams want. OEL is also having its best offensive season in seven years, with 35 points in 61 games.

The Leafs would certainly be happy to keep him, but passing up a trade for him when his value is so high would be a mistake. They’re hoping to acquire a first-rounder and a few additions.

Scott Lawton joins the Avalanche

Laughton is a pending unrestricted free agent at a $3 million AAV, but has been retained 50% by the Philadelphia Flyers in a trade a year ago. Friedman says the Colorado Avalanche appear to be the main pursuers, and the $1.5 million cap hit isn’t too steep for them. The Leafs could also retain a few to boost returns.

The gritty two-way bottom-six center is just what the doctor ordered for the Avs. As far as returns go, the Minnesota Wild paying a second-rounder for less-skilled Michael McCarron bodes well for the Leafs.

There is a lot of interest in Bobby McMann

And that brings us to McMann. There is huge demand for a 20 to 25 goal scorer (he is currently ranked 19th with 20+ games left). James Murphy at rg.org lists seven teams that appear to be big, fast-paced:

• edmonton oilers
• seattle kraken
• Los Angeles Kings
• minnesota wild
• san jose sharks
• Nashville Predators
• tampa bay lightning

The Oilers look to be the frontrunners in the McMann Derby. The Kings and Kraken are desperate for offensive tackles, so the 6-foot-2, 209-pound forward would make a lot of sense for either one of them.

The 29-year-old McMann has repeatedly said he wants to remain with the Leafs, but Toronto is reportedly unwilling to go down to the five-year, $5 million AAV price tag he’s looking for. However, talks on that front are continuing as of Thursday morning.

It should be an interesting 24+ hours in Leafs Nation as the deadline approaches.

Now that the NFL Scouting Combine is over, the football world is back to one of the biggest topics of the offseason: Max Crosby’s status with the Las Vegas Raiders. Crosby has reportedly told the team that he will not play another snap with the team, and other reports have indicated that he has done the same with the Raiders.

While new head coach Clint Kubiak has made it known that he wants the five-time Pro Bowl pass-rusher on the team. However, the Raiders have reportedly set a price tag in a potential Crosby trade, looking for two first-round picks and a player similar to what the Cowboys got for the Micah Parsons trade. However, Crosby is two years older than Parsons.

Nevertheless, according to Albert Breyer Sports IllustratedThere may be some news soon on the Crosby trade front. Breyer says he would “probably lean toward the Crosby trade happening this week.”

Breere listed the Bears, Bills, Cowboys, Eagles, Patriots, Rams and Ravens as teams that are “keeping an eye on Crosby’s availability.” He further said that it would be “difficult” for the Raiders to get the type of trade return that the Cowboys got for Parsons a year ago.

In other words, he doesn’t think the Raiders can get two first-round picks for Crosby, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try. The Raiders should have no trouble securing a first-round selection, as well as a replacement for one of the game’s best pass-rushers, but the top two selections appear to be a stretch.

RELATED: NFL team suggests Fernando Mendoza ‘should get arrested’

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 San Antonio Spurs remained undefeated in February. For Victor Vembanyama this is not a fact.

“Feels like an accomplishment. I think, looking back, we can say it’s been a satisfying month.

“It feels good.”

In defeating the 11 opponents they faced from February 1 to February 26, this period featured a game that could be considered close by most standards. And that win was by nine points.

“I think we only had one win that was single digits,” Wembley said, pointing to the team’s first contest of the month, a 112-103 win versus the Orlando Magic.

“So does that mean it was perfect? ​​Of course not. But looking back, you know it was never going to be perfect, so that’s pretty satisfying,” the Generations star continued.

Spurs correct mistakes during February streak

For a month starting in late December, Spurs found themselves playing against teams that were struggling themselves. After a third win in 10 days versus the Oklahoma City Thunder on Christmas Day, San Antonio lost at home two nights later to a Utah Jazz team that went 11–19. By the time they lost to the New Orleans Pelicans on January 6, the Spurs had lost four of six, with three of those setbacks coming to a team with a losing record and the other being to a Cleveland Cavaliers team that was a game above .500 when they went in. San Antonio.

“We showed that this was one of our weaknesses. I think especially about the loss against Utah that we had in 2025. After a good series of big matches, we had a few more average losses,” Wembanyama reflected.

During this 11-game winning streak, the team with the second-best record in the West not only handled three teams with losing records, but also took care of business in several contests against shorthanded contenders.

“That was already my mental state at that time. I think it’s something as a team that has potential, as a team that grows and has some success at the beginning of the season. For me, these are things we have to go through. And even though we know we have to take all the games the same way, those are the lessons that are best learned from failing, losing games,” Wembley admitted.

“It’s nothing that has bothered us. I think we’ve made progress in that regard, even if we’re not there yet,” said Spurs’ leading scorer.

Spurs’ Victor Vembanayama talks championship controversy

Asked whether Spurs’ performance in February proved Spurs are legitimate title contenders, Wembanyama offered no assurances.

“I can’t answer that because it’s the first time I’ve been in this position, but talking about the floor; I think it was something we had to raise at the beginning of the season to show that our ceiling is extremely high. Our record against the strongest teams in the league is fantastic.”

In addition to the above three wins against the defending NBA champions, the Spurs have defeated every Western Conference team except one that will qualify for an expanded postseason, including play-ins, when the season ends in late February. And the one team they haven’t been on top of – the Los Angeles Clippers – they haven’t played yet.

The Spurs will face the Clippers in early March as they look to build on the league’s best current streak.

A new rumor claims teams around the NFL are leery of the idea of ​​giving an elite prospect to the Kansas City Chiefs with their first pick in April’s NFL Draft.

After 10 consecutive seasons of excellence, the Chiefs’ dynasty may be coming to an end. For the first time since head coach Andy Reid took over in 2013, Kansas City finished with a losing record (6–11). To add insult to injury, superstar QB and face of the organization Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Keeping your Week 1 availability up in the air.

That’s why this will be a very interesting offseason as the Chiefs front office looks to make roster changes to get back to their Super Bowl contender standard in 2026. Improving parts of the offensive line and defense will definitely be on the to-do list. However, with the ninth overall selection in the 2026 draft, they have a rare opportunity to get a top 10 player from this year’s class.

The team has been linked with a number of different players at No. 9, including Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love. And according to ESPN draft expert Matt Miller, rival organizations are praying the Heisman Trophy finalist doesn’t fall into the Chiefs’ lap.

NFL teams fear the Kansas City Chiefs are drafting Jeremiah Love

“Being here [at the combine] For two days now, I can tell you one thing I hear from everyone in the NFL. ‘Please don’t let Jeremiah Love come to Kansas City. Don’t let this happen. ”Patrick Mahomes don’t give Jeremiah any love,” Miller said during an appearance dan patrick show.

The NFL Draft expert also claimed that Love is the best prospect in the entire draft, and it’s “not even close.” However, he also said that teams were also afraid of the Chiefs getting Xavier Worthy in Round 1 of the 2024 event. While the receiver has been a solid contributor to the team, he has not become the star that rivals thought he could become.

It should be noted that Love is a player with a much more impressive resume than Worthy and looks ready to make an impact in Year 1. The Chiefs have lacked a true No. 1 for years. Getting one that can break up plays in the run and pass game would give Mahomes a serious weapon in 2026.

Additionally, with NFL teams placing a lower value on running backs, it is very possible that Love might go ninth overall.

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

The Brooklyn Nets have their sights set on the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. After making an NBA-record five-round selection last June, the team is committed to building through the draft for the first time in the Brooklyn era.

Despite this, according to NBA insider Jake Fisher, rival teams continue to point to Brooklyn as a potential trade suitor for Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer.

Fisher wrote, “I’ve heard rival teams thinking loudly about the potential emergence of Brooklyn as a credible destination given the Nets have a large amount of draft capital to package with Michael Porter Jr. … or with a trade construction that puts MPJ to play alongside Antetokounmpo.”

While the Nets are in the early stages of a rebuild, Antetokounmpo has long been viewed as their top trade target.

Rival teams think the Nets could enter the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes

Brooklyn has established itself as one of the NBA’s worst teams in pursuit of the top pick in a crowded 2026 draft. However, the team will not be tanking next season, as it has to pay a 2027 first-round pick swap to the Houston Rockets. The Nets have the ammo to put together one of the most competitive packages for Antetokounmpo.

They have an NBA-best 13 first-round picks over the next seven years. Michael Porter Jr. or Nic Claxton could serve as the main salary filler in an Antetokounmpo deal. Brooklyn could also include young prospects like Nolan Traore, De’Ron Sharp, Noah Clowney, Drake Powell and Danny Wolf.

The main question surrounding the Nets’ potential pursuit of Antetokounmpo is whether they can make a deal with enough assets to build a team around the two-time MVP. With several teams pursuing the Bucks superstar at the deadline and several more teams likely to enter the equation in the offseason, the price won’t be low.

When a superstar of Ja Morant’s caliber is reported to be interested in a trade, much of the NBA community usually shuts up and takes notice. However, recent conversations suggest that the Memphis Grizzlies never had a strong trade market for the superstar, despite the fact that the franchise actively explored trade options before the deadline.

According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Grizzlies may have to wait for teams like the Milwaukee Bucks in the summer to get an attractive return.

“Sources say Sacramento has shown only modest interest. I’m told Miami also inquired about Morant only with the idea of ​​acquiring him in a deal similar to Washington’s asset-light acquisition of Trae Young. And sources say the Heat were not actively pursuing Morant in the days before the deadline because Antetokounmpo had become their primary target,” he wrote.

Stein reports that multiple teams believe the Bucks’ interest in Morant is genuine, whether it’s to pair him with Giannis Antetokounmpo or as a potential successor.

“Many teams came out of the deadline believing that the Bucks’ interest in Morant was genuine … whether it was to establish him as Antetokounmpo’s eventual successor as the Face of the Franchise or because they believe they can truly create a Giannis-and-Ja pairing,” he wrote.

Memphis openly explored deals as part of a broader rebuild, having already traded forward Desmond Benn and Jaren Jackson Jr. for three first-round picks and young rotation pieces.

Despite Morant being a two-time All-Star and former franchise centerpiece after Memphis’ 56-win season and Western Conference Semifinal run, the interest hasn’t been pressing.
Sacramento’s involvement never progressed beyond exploratory dialogue, especially with Morant reportedly unwilling to play there. Miami showed interest and was widely believed to be Morant’s preferred destination, yet the Heat prioritized Giannis Antetokounmpo as their primary target.

Of course, Morant’s diminished value stems from availability and efficiency concerns. The 26-year-old has appeared in only 20 games this season, averaging 19.5 points and 8.1 assists, but recorded career lows in efficiency (41% FG, 23.5% from three).

Memphis is also just 7-13 in games played, and barring a quick return to form, the situation appears grim as far as genuine interest and an attractive trade package is concerned.

The New York Knicks made a strong comeback against the Houston Rockets and won. He displayed serious composure, which was in question in the previous defeat. Additionally, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson both played incredibly well – something that could have been expected on a regular basis early in the season, and yet something that hasn’t been seen nearly enough. But while the win should inspire optimism, the reason for the pause is the Detroit Pistons.

New York played a great fourth quarter in its recent win against Houston. They finished the game on a 33–13 run, which included Brunson’s 18 points. The Knicks also held the Rockets to 28% shooting in the final 10 minutes of the game. And their defense, led by new addition Jose Alvarado, forced several changes.

The Knicks have played well against more top teams than the Rockets. The Knicks have performed incredibly well against most of the league’s top competition this season. They are now 1-0 against Houston, 2-1 against Boston Celtics, 2-0 against Cleveland Cavaliers, 1-0 against Denver Nuggets, 1-0 against Los Angeles Lakers and 1-1 against San Antonio Spurs.

However, they have struggled mightily against the Pistons, a team they will likely see in the 2026 playoffs. In fact, New York is 0-3 against Detroit on the season, and their next matchup is scheduled for (much) later in the season.

Are the Pistons too tough for the Knicks?

The Pistons present completely different problems for the Knicks than other elite teams. First of all, there is their physicality Very To struggle. Detroit boasts the NBA’s second-best defensive rating (108.3). His size is challenging on the downside. Jalen Duren is eighth in the league in rebounds (10.5 per game), and Isaiah Stewart is sixth in blocks (1.2 per game). Ironically, neither Duren nor Stewart were available for the Pistons’ most recent win over the Knicks on February 19.

Pistons also push the limits of materiality and efficiency. According to Statmuse, he leads the league in fouls per game (22.3). And why not? When your team is built like Detroit, the only disadvantage in fouling is a penalty. Agreed, this is not ideal. But the cumulative effect of fouling results in a reputation bump that forces teams to think twice about how they attack open lanes.

The piston perimeter protectors are also exceptionally strong. Cade Cunningham and Auser Thomson are two of the best at blocking opposing perimeter players. And both are physical enough to compete with bigger wings in the post and around the basket.

It became clear that New York couldn’t match Detroit’s toughness while remaining focused and locked down.

Can the Knicks offense be consistent enough to take down the Detroit Pistons?

If the Pistons are a more physical team, which they are, the Knicks should emphasize their strength, finesse, and finesse. This is how New York defeated Detroit in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Brunson took the lead. And for all the Pistons’ defensive abilities, they had no answer for Brunson when he was in his own zone and protecting the basketball.

In the 2025 playoffs, Brunson averaged 31.5 points and 8.2 assists per game. His footwork and finesse were on full display, including a series-clinching shot. If the Knicks are to be successful against the Pistons, Brunson will need to get back to that kind of game.

In the 2025–26 regular season, Brunson scored the ball very well, averaging 29.7 points per game. But he also turned the ball over. Very. Brunson averaged five turnovers per game in their regular season series against the Pistons, compared to just 2.6 turnovers per game in last season’s first round – and 2.3 turnovers per game the entire season (so far) this season.

Knicks supporters also need to do more. Towns and OG Anunoby missed the second of three games with the Pistons this season. But when he played he did not perform well enough. Towns averaged 13.5 points over the two games, and Anunoby averaged 6.5 points per game.

Granted, there are more failings to highlight – like how the Knicks crushed on the glass – but the simple fact is that when their second- and third-leading scorers add up to an average of 20 points per game, the Knicks are unlikely to perform well.

Fortunately, the Knicks have time to digest their recent loss against the Pistons and lick their wounds. New York has 25 games remaining before the playoffs, and their first-round rematch with Detroit is unlikely. That matchup will likely come later in the playoffs. So, the Knicks have some time to figure out how to approach the Pistons. But one thing is for sure, he has his work cut out for him.

Early in the NFL offseason, the Miami Dolphins made a lot of noise after firing head coach Mike McDaniels, replacing him with former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, and conducting a recent roster breakdown to free up cap space for free agency.

Their decision to waive star receiver Tyreek Hill garnered a lot of attention, but a new report claims they are on the verge of moving on from another key member of their roster. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, “The Dolphins have had trade talks with teams regarding five-time Pro Bowl S Minkah Fitzpatrick.”

Miami traded Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers a year ago to acquire a 2018 first-round pick. However, they would clearly like to move on from the $15 million the 29-year-old will make in 2026.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at five teams that should target a star safety, including the Las Vegas Raiders.

cincinnati bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals’ defense was a mess this offseason and is close to losing top star Trey Hendrickson. They will certainly make some notable additions on that side of the ball through the NFL Draft. However, they still need meaningful veterans who can lead those youngsters and make plays on the field. Targeting a Fitzpatrick trade could be on Cincy’s radar this offseason if they can free up more cap space.

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears could lose both Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard in NFL free agency this spring. If that worst-case scenario happened, or if they only lost one, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they looked at a Fitzpatrick trade. It seems like Chicago is a few touches away from becoming a serious Super Bowl contender in 2026. The five-time Pro Bowler could be one of those pieces.

Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders defense was very poor last season. That’s why improving their pass rush will be a top priority this offseason. However, achieving that kind of high-value-add is not easy. Since they struggled to prevent big plays last season, it makes sense to target proven talent in the secondary as well. Fitzpatrick is one of the most versatile safeties in the game and could be a useful weapon for head coach Dan Quinn.

las vegas raiders

Even with Max Crosby on the field, the Las Vegas Raiders defense struggled last season. After the end of 3-14 they need help in many places. They also need more proven veterans on both sides of the ball who can make an immediate impact. Because Fitzpatrick can bring so much to the defense, and since Las Vegas will have a lot of cap space available, they should consider a trade for the Dolphins’ safety.

tennessee titans

2025 was a difficult year for the Tennessee Titans and finished with a disappointing 3-14 record. A major reason for this was that the defense was the worst in the NFL. They need to add some big-name talent to the unit and will have a bunch of cap space to do so this offseason. The duo of Minkah Fitzpatrick and Amani Hooker could give Tennessee one of the best safety duos in the game next season.

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

It seems inevitable that the NBA will eventually grant an expansion franchise to Las Vegas. An announcement is expected later this year after the NBA completes its new media rights deals.

Due to the success of the Golden Knights, there may be a lot of unrealistic expectations for a new NBA team in Vegas. Taking a step back, the Golden Knights can arguably be considered the most successful expansion franchise in North American men’s professional sports history.

While the St. Louis Blues made the Stanley Cup Finals in the first three years of their existence, this was due to a unique setup where one of the “Expansion Six” of Oakland, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Minnesota or St. Louis had to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals as the Finals pitted the winner of the “Expansion Six” playoff versus the winner of the “Original Six” playoff. The Blues lost each of those three Stanley Cup Final series.

Of course, the Golden Knights made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in more traditional fashion in 2018, their first season of existence, losing to the Washington Capitals (4-1). They later defeated the Florida Panthers (4–2) in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals to win the Stanley Cup in their sixth season of existence. They also reached the Western Conference Finals in their third season of existence and finished as division champions in four of their first eight seasons. Vegas has made the NHL playoffs in seven of its first eight seasons and is poised to make the post-season again in 2026.

How does all this success compare to other NHL expansion teams? Well, this is nothing more than a comparison. Since the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in their sixth season, we’ll look at the first six seasons of expansion teams since 1991. Since this is Vegas, we’ll give each team a ranking of a famous Las Vegas Strip property. Wynn (class of the bunch), Planet Hollywood (surprisingly good), Flamingo (good, but could be better), and Circus Circus (comically bad).

As you can see from the chart, Vegas has the best winning percentage and most playoff appearances of any franchise in its first six seasons. It was fitting that Vegas defeated Florida to capture their first Stanley Cup as, up to that point, Florida was the most successful expansion team of the modern era, having made the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals in just their third season of existence, but were swept by the Colorado Avalanche.

Additionally, if anyone watched the first few seasons of Atlanta, Tampa Bay, San Jose or Ottawa, you know that Circus Circus is an apt description as those teams were nothing short of clown shows.

So, it’s clear that the Golden Knights have been the most successful NHL expansion team in the modern era, but how do they stack up against expansion NFL, MLB, and NBA teams? Only five expansion teams in the Big Four history of North American men’s professional sports have captured titles in a shorter or longer period of time than the Golden Knights. However, there are some caveats. In 1996, the Baltimore Ravens were technically considered an expansion team because their history and records were left in Cleveland, but they were far from a typical expansion team. While the Browns still had only three players left when the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV, the base they started with in Baltimore was far better than a typical expansion team.

The same applies to the 1984 Edmonton Oilers championship team. The team came to the NHL from the World Hockey Association for the 1979–80 season with a roster of young stars that rivaled any established NHL team’s roster. The team included two of the greatest players in NHL history, a young Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, and gathered a wealth of talent around them.

The Marlins won the World Series in 1997, in only their fifth season of existence. However, they did not record a winning record in any of their first four seasons and then suddenly sold all of their stars shortly after purchasing the championship, losing 108 games the following season.

The Milwaukee Bucks and Arizona Diamondbacks were legitimate expansion teams that won championships faster than the Golden Knights. In fact, the Bucks only have a .672 winning percentage over a team’s first six seasons, which is better than Vegas. The Bucks also tallied five playoff appearances and two Finals appearances in Vegas’ first six seasons; After winning the championship in its third season in 1971, Milwaukee lost to the Boston Celtics (4–3) in the 1974 NBA Finals.

Another comparison is to look at the first six seasons of the most recent expansion teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. We’ll use the same hotel ranking system as above.

Arizona winning the 2001 World Series in only their fourth year of existence is certainly notable, but even compared to expansion teams from other leagues, the Golden Knights are still on top. Other than the Golden Knights, no expansion team since 1998 has made more than three playoff appearances in their first six seasons and no other expansion team since 1998 has had a higher win/point percentage in their first six seasons.

The Seattle Kraken were the NHL’s next expansion team after Vegas, so how did they stack up? Seattle is currently in its fifth season of play. His winning percentage is .483 with one playoff appearance in his first four seasons. Respectable, but incomparable to Vegas’ continued success.

Vegas remains the gold standard by which all other modern expansion teams are measured. Yes, they certainly took advantage of some favorable expansion draft rules and loopholes that previous expansion franchises were not afforded, but they remain a perennial Stanley Cup contender now approaching their tenth season in the NHL. They have been able to accomplish what many have not been able to do, consistently win on the Las Vegas Strip.

The 2025-26 Los Angeles Lakers are an elite company right now, and history tells us that this elite company isn’t that great.

Entering the All-Star break, despite having a 33-21 record, the Lakers trailed by one point, which is not normal at all. In fact, LA is just the third team in NBA history with a 60% or better winning percentage and a negative point differential at the All-Star break.

The Athletic’s Law Murray wrote, “The other two aren’t exactly the teams the Lakers want to emulate.” “The 2021 Portland Trail Blazers went 21-14 at the All-Star break while being outscored by 15 points and were eliminated from the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Denver Nuggets in six games. The 1997 Charlotte Hornets went with a 29-19 record (.604) while being outscored by 15 points and then lost to New York in the 1997 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Lost to the Knicks.”

As a result of their record, the best of the three on the club, and a stellar, league-best 15–3 record in clutch time, Murray has labeled the Lakers’ season “somewhat extraordinary”.

This could bode well for LeBron James, Luka Doncic and company, although last season, the Lakers lost in the first round of the playoffs despite having a solid record in the regular season following the acquisition of Doncic. Still, the Lakers are almost certainly a better team, in general, than the 2024-25 team, which had a better injury situation and still wasn’t as stable as this year’s Lakers.

Only one LA player has played every game this year: Jake Laravia. Additionally, he is the only player on the team to have played more than 46 games. The Lakers’ star players – James, Doncic and Austin Reaves – have all missed at least a dozen games. Reeves was out more than a month until recently, James missed almost the entire first month of the season, and Doncic was sidelined for the final four games before the All-Star break with a hamstring injury.

The Lakers return to action on Friday against crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers at home before hosting the Boston Celtics on Sunday.

Although the New England Patriots were defeated 29–13 by the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, it does not put an end to their remarkable season. They improved from 4–13 and last place in the AFC East in 2024 to 14–3 in 2025 and became division champions and conference champions.

The Chicago Bears also moved from worst to first in the NFC North this season, going from 5-12 a year ago to 11-6 this season.

The bottom eight teams in their respective divisions are hoping to have similar success to what the Patriots and Bears achieved. Here is our ranking of the teams that have the best chances of moving from worst to first in their respective divisions next season.

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1. New York Giants (4-13)

The New York Giants have two things in common that propelled the Patriots and Bears from worst to first. They upgraded their head coaching position with the addition of John Harbaugh, and they have a talented quarterback who is entering his second year in Jackson Dart.

Often, quarterbacks make their biggest jumps from one year to the next, and with Malik Nabors coming back from a torn ACL, we should see a huge jump in Dart’s production. In addition to Dart and Nabors, the Giants have talented players such as Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Dexter Lawrence and Andrew Thomas.

The NFC East is winnable as both the Eagles and Cowboys have taken a step back this season, and the Commanders have a roster that is starting to show their age at certain positions. Big Blue will add an impact player with the fifth overall selection in the draft, giving them the best chance of going from worst to first.

2. New Orleans Saints (6-11)

Although they finished in last place in the NFC South with a 6–11 record, they finished the year strong, winning four of their last five games, including wins over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the division winners, the Carolina Panthers. In his 11 starts, rookie quarterback Tyler Shaw showed steady improvement as the season progressed and had three games with a passer rating over 100.

Head coach Kellen Moore is entering his second year on the job, and he and Shaw will have better command of the team in 2026. The team will likely add an offensive playmaker with the eighth overall selection to help boost their offense, which was ranked 23rd.^third.

The best sign for the Saints’ chances of winning the division is that there is no dominant team in the NFC South, as the other three teams finished 8-9 this season.

3. Detroit Lions (9-8)

The Lions were perhaps the most disappointing team this year as they missed the playoffs after winning the NFC North the previous two seasons. Poor offensive line play, losing safety Brian Branch to a torn Achilles tendon, and losing five of their last eight games ultimately cost them their chance to make the playoffs.

The Lions have two of the best skill position players in the league in Jahmir Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown, but for whatever reason, the team doesn’t live up to expectations. It was clear that losing both of their coordinators played a big role in their regression.

If they replace some pieces on the offensive line and defense, they should contend for the division crown. However, they are in the most competitive division in the NFL as every team in the division had a winning record.

4. Cleveland Browns (5-12)

The Browns are hoping newly minted head coach Todd Monken can help turn the team’s fortunes around. The biggest positive for the Browns is that they have one of the best defenses in the league, led by reigning Defensive Player of the Year and single-season sack king Myles Garrett. The bad news is that they had the 30th ranked passing offense and 31st ranked passing offense.

The Browns have two selections (6 and 24) in the first round.^th Overall), which should result in two immediate impact players. What is good for Cleveland is that the two teams that dominate the division, the Steelers and Ravens, are going through coaching changes as Mike McCarthy is replacing Mike Tomlin, and Jesse Minter is replacing John Harbaugh.

If they can get better quarterback play from Shadure Sanders or whoever will be under center, it wouldn’t be a shock to see them at the top of the AFC North.

5. Tennessee Titans (3-14)

New head coach Robert Saleh has the task of rebuilding a Titans team that has gone 6-28 over the past two seasons. This will be Saleh’s second stint as an NFL head coach, and one thing we know from his background is that the Titans’ defense will be much improved.

Saleh hired former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll as the team’s new offensive coordinator and turned around an offense that was ranked 31st.^{scheduled tribe} In the league. Daboll’s top duty will be to help develop quarterback Cam Ward, in the same way he helped develop Josh Allen when he was offensive coordinator with the Bills.

Despite the experienced coaching staff, the Titans lacked talent compared to the rest of the division, which had two playoff teams in the Jaguars and Texans. No matter how much Ward improves in year two, it’s hard to see them breaking ahead of the rest of the AFC South next season.

6. New York Jets (3-14)

The first year of the Aaron Glenn regime was an epic disaster as the defense failed to record an interception for the entire season, and their quarterback situation was as shaky as any team in the league with Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor. The Jets ranked last in passing offense (140.3 yards per game), and right now, it’s anyone’s guess who will be under center in Week 1. Additionally, the Jets’ minus-203-point differential was the worst in the league.

The Jets currently have the second and 16th overall selections in the draft and they have a ton of options they can do with those selections. One positive for the Jets is that the other teams in the division have question marks of their own. Despite making it to Super Bowl LX, the first-place schedule will be tough for the New England Patriots after having one of the easiest schedules in the last quarter of a century. Both the Bills and Dolphins have new first-time NFL head coaches in Joe Brady and Jeff Hafley.

All that being said, it’s highly unlikely the Jets will be able to compete with the Patriots and Bills.

7. Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)

The Raiders have the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, where they are expected to take Heisman Trophy winner and national champion Fernando Mendoza from Indiana. The Raiders have arguably the best tight end in football in Brock Bowers, and rookie running back Ashton Jeanty showed promise despite running behind a poor offensive line.

But other than Bowers and Jeanty, there isn’t much positive going on with the silver and black. crime ended 32^Ra in the league, and the Pro Bowl defensive end has been the subject of trade rumors after the team placed him on IR at the end of 2025.

The biggest reason we don’t see the Raiders go from worst to first with rookie head coach Clint Kubiak is that this division is just too talented. The Broncos were the number one seed in the playoffs, and if Bo Nix had not been injured in a 33–30 divisional round victory over the Buffalo Bills, they probably would have been in the Super Bowl. The Chargers will be better off with Rashawn Slater and Joe Ault at starting tackle and the Chiefs will recover from missing the playoffs for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era when he returns to action. The Raiders will once again look to finish in the basement of the AFC West.

8. Arizona Cardinals (3-14)

It would take a major miracle for the Cardinals to go from worst to first in the NFC West in 2026. Not only did the other three teams, including the defending Super Bowl Champions Seattle Seahawks, make the playoffs, and a case can be made that the Seahawks, Rams, and 49ers are the three best teams in the NFC.

Rookie head coach Mike LaFleur has a lot on his plate as he takes over a team that lost 14 of its last 15 games in 2025, and it is rumored the team may try to move on from quarterback Kyler Murray this offseason. Trey McBride is one of the best tight ends in the NFL, but teams are still waiting for Marvin Harrison Jr. to show the talent he showed in college. This would be the longest shot for the Cardinals to win the NFC West next season and could miss the division for the second year in a row.

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