Sports
Three NHL Teams Ready to Make Major Offseason Moves
The draft is one week away. Free-agency begins a few days after that.
Welcome to the NHL off-season, which has plenty of compelling storylines to provide a fix for fans between now and next season.
While this summer’s free-agency crop does not have much sizzle as past years, it — along with the rising salary cap — creates the possibility of some summertime trade winds as clubs kick off their quest to Stanley Cup glory in 2027.
With that in mind, here are three teams poised to make major noise between now and puck drop on the 2026-27 campaign.
San Jose Sharks
Led by one of the league’s best up-and-comers in Macklin Celebrini, the Sharks took a massive jump forward last season, going from perennial also-rans to missing the playoffs by four points.
A blueprint for San Jose’s next step can be found by looking at state rivals, the Anaheim Ducks. Both teams are loaded with young talent, and have plenty of tantalizing prospects. Anaheim added veterans in key spots, and jumped into a playoff position this past season.
The Sharks have holes to fill and possess the assets to add via trade and salary-cap space to ink players interested in joining a team on the rise.
And thanks to the lottery, San Jose also owns the second overall pick in this year’s draft, giving the club the option to either add another possible future star or using it to acquire a big piece immediately.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal reached the Eastern Conference final in an exciting playoff run, but received a huge lesson in a five-game loss to the eventual Stanley Cup-champion Carolina Hurricanes.
That defeat will spark the players and the organization to find ways to take another step. Where Montreal needs help is obvious, a second-line center and top-four defenseman, preferably who can play on the right side.
Players for those roles are costly to acquire, but the Canadiens are at the stage when it is time to make a big push for the likes of Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, for example.
One player bandied about as trade bait is top prospect Alexander Zharovsky, a second-round pick last year who had a sparkling season in the KHL.
St. Louis Blues
Sure, we could discuss Edmonton poised to sign Mike Babcock as coach (to paraphrase the movie Dodgeball, “bold strategy, let’s see if it pays off”), how the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers plan to pull out of the depths, and even how the Hurricanes plan to repeat.
Amidst all that, it is St. Louis who piqued our interest. On paper, the Blues finished just outside a playoff spot, but that is thanks to a late-season push that ended with a four-game winning streak after they were eliminated, and it is obvious changes are needed.
The Blues have plenty of cap space, prospects and a whack of valuable draft picks — notably three first-round selections — if they want to go on a spending spree.
At the same time, they have the likes of goaltender Jordan Binnington, defenseman Colton Parayko and forwards such as Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas as trade chips should they opt to re-tool.
New general manager Alexander Steen has the opportunity to make a huge mark on the franchise. What lane will he choose to take?
Sports
MLB roundup: Down 7, A's rally to beat Angels on walk-off walk
Jun 19, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (16) celebrates with teammates after drawing a walk to win the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images Jonah Heim drilled a pinch-hit, game-tying two-run homer in the ninth inning and Nick Kurtz drew a bases-loaded walk in the 10th as the Athletics rallied from seven runs down to post a wild 12-11 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night at West Sacramento, Calif.
Heim’s homer came off Sam Bachman with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Jacob Wilson homered and drove in three runs and Lawrence Butler and Max Muncy also went deep for the Athletics.
Jose Siri and Logan O’Hoppe each slammed three-run homers as the Angels tied their season best with five blasts. Denzer Guzman added a two-run homer and Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel hit solo shots as the Angels lost for the fifth time in six games.
Butler started the 10th as the runner on second and Henry Bolte walked off Kirby Yates (0-3). Butler and Bolte then executed a double steal. One out later, Yates hit Zack Gelof in the helmet to load the bases. Samy Natera Jr. entered to face Kurtz and walked him on five pitches.
Cubs 16, Blue Jays 2
Carson Kelly belted his second career grand slam to highlight his six-RBI performance, fueling Chicago’s rout of visiting Toronto.
Kelly belted his grand slam to highlight a seven-run first inning for the Cubs. He had an opportunity for another grand slam in the sixth but drew a bases-loaded walk. Kelly also legged out an RBI infield single in the seventh. Pete Crow-Armstrong collected an RBI single among his three hits and reached base in all five of his plate appearances.
Chicago right-hander Ben Brown (4-2) allowed two runs on four hits in six innings to improve to 3-0 in his last four starts. Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman (4-5) lasted just two innings and surrendered seven runs on seven hits and four walks.
Royals 6, Cardinals 5
Seth Lugo returned from a scary injury and allowed an earned run over six innings, and Jac Caglianone homered with two RBIs as Kansas City held on for its third straight win, topping visiting St. Louis.
Isaac Collins drove home two with one of his two doubles for the Royals. Lugo (3-4) gave up five hits and just two runs (one earned) in his first start since taking a line drive to the forehead June 10 versus Texas. Kansas City secured its first winning home series over the Cardinals since 2020.
St. Louis’ Michael McGreevy (3-6) allowed five runs and eight hits over five innings. Blaze Jordan’s two-RBI single highlighted a three-run ninth for the Cardinals, but Alex Lange got Jose Fermin to ground into a game-ending fielder’s choice to earn his fifth save.
Rangers 9, Padres 7
Wyatt Langford went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs as Texas rallied from a five-run deficit to earn a victory over visiting San Diego in Arlington.
Alejandro Osuna and Jake Burger each drove in two runs, while Jacob deGrom (6-4) threw six innings of six-hit, six-run ball, while striking out nine. Jacob Latz earned a four-out save — his 13th in 15 tries for Texas, which had dropped five of its last six games.
Ty France hit two home runs and drove in five for San Diego, which has lost three of its last four. Randy Vasquez (6-5) lasted just 3 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits.
Dodgers 6, Orioles 5
Dalton Rushing delivered the game-tying RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning and Ryan Ward raced home on a throwing error by right fielder Tyler O’Neill to win it as Los Angeles roared back to edge visiting Baltimore in the opener of a three-game series.
The Orioles scored five straight runs via back-to-back homers by Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso in the sixth and a tie-breaking two-RBI single by Jeremiah Jackson in the seventh before the Dodgers came back against Baltimore closer Ryan Helsley (0-3). The Orioles have lost five of six.
Freddie Freeman grounded out leading off the ninth against Helsley, who was making his second appearance after missing seven weeks with a right elbow injury. Mookie Betts followed with a homer to make it 5-4. Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki allowed three runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Red Sox 6, Mariners 2
Ranger Suarez allowed one hit over 6 2/3 scoreless innings as Boston defeated host Seattle.
Caleb Durbin went 3-for-4 with a double and homer for the Red Sox, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Suarez (3-3) took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning, when Josh Naylor hit a one-out double.
Julio Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in the ninth for the Mariners to thwart the shutout bid. Bryce Miller (3-1) permitted one run on three hits in five innings.
Braves 3, Brewers 2
Veteran Martin Perez outdueled Jacob Misiorowski to lead Atlanta to a win over visiting Milwaukee in the first game of a series matching division-leading clubs.
Perez (6-3) pitched six innings and allowed one run on six hits. The Braves took a 2-1 lead in the sixth on Mauricio Dubon’s two-out single and got an insurance run on a Mike Yastrzemski home run. Raisel Iglesias allowed a run but converted his 33rd straight save opportunity, dating back to last season, thanks to Eli White’s outfield assist which threw out the would-be tying run.
Misiorowski (8-3), coming off a complete-game shutout win on June 12 against Philadelphia, pitched six innings and allowed two runs on five hits. It was the first time the right-hander has allowed more than one run in a game since April 25. Brice Turang had both RBIs for the Brewers.
Yankees 5, Reds 0
Cam Schlittler recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts in six dominating innings to help New York defeat visiting Cincinnati.
The Yankees won for the 16th time in their past 22 games and improved to 10-5 since losing Aaron Judge to a fractured right rib, thanks to Schlittler’s stellar performance. Winless in his previous three starts, Schlittler (8-3) allowed four hits and walked none. He threw 66 of 96 pitches for strikes.
Cincinnati lost for the 11th time in 16 games without Elly De La Cruz (strained right hamstring), who started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville Friday.
Tigers 4, White Sox 3
Kerry Carpenter had a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth inning and host Detroit held on for a 4-3 win over Chicago. Matt Vierling hit a two-run homer and Dillon Dingler supplied three hits and scored two runs for the Tigers.
Detroit ace Tarik Skubal allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. Skubal, who recorded eight strikeouts, was making his second start since undergoing a surgical procedure on his pitching elbow.
Junior Perez had the first two hits of his career, including a solo homer, for the White Sox. Randal Grichuk also homered.
Marlins 4, Giants 3
Rookie Owen Caissie went 3-for-3 with three RBIs as host Miami defeated San Francisco.
The Marlins are 12-4 this month, giving them MLB’s best record so far in June. Overall, Miami has reached .500 at 38-38. It was a bullpen day for the Marlins, who used eight pitchers. Their sixth pitcher, Cade Gibson (1-0), earned the win, retiring all five batters he faced.
Rafael Devers led the Giants’ offense with a homer, his 11th of the season. Giants starter Landen Roupp, who hasn’t won a game since April 26, pitched well but was left with a no-decision. The right-hander struck out seven in six innings, allowing just two runs. However, he is now 0-6 with three no-decisions over his past nine starts.
Rays 5, Nationals 2
Jonathan Aranda sliced a go-ahead, three-run homer off the left field foul pole, and Tampa Bay kicked off a season-long 10-game home stand with a comeback defeat of Washington.
Jonny Deluca returned to the lineup after a nearly month-long absence and hit a solo homer for the Rays, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Griffin Jax (2-5) threw five innings and allowed two runs on four hits including two solo homers. Closer Bryan Baker notched his 19th save with a perfect ninth.
Luis Garcia Jr. went 2-for-3 with a homer and CJ Abrams also went deep for the Nationals. Miles Mikolas (2-6) was the bulk reliever after projected starter Cade Cavalli was scratched earlier in the day due to illness. He surrendered five runs on nine hits.
Astros 9, Guardians 3
Jose Altuve slugged a game-altering three-run homer and Jeremy Pena delivered a multi-homer game as Houston topped visiting Cleveland.
The Astros improved to 16-10 since May 22 and moved within five games of .500 for the first time since April 17. Altuve and Pena went a combined 5-for-9 with seven RBIs. Right-hander Tatsuya Imai (4-3) matched his season high by working six innings, allowing three runs on six hits while recording a career-high 11 strikeouts.
Guardians starter Tanner Bibee (2-8) allowed an unearned run in the first inning and a solo homer to Pena in the third that enabled the Astros to close within 3-2. He was charged with four runs (three earned) on four hits in 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Rockies 4, Pirates 3
Pinch hitter Braxton Fulford delivered a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning and host Colorado survived to beat Pittsburgh in Denver. Kyle Freeland struck out eight to become the second Rockies pitcher to reach 1,000 for his career, joining German Marquez (1,069).
TJ Rumfield homered among his two hits and Ezequiel Tovar also had two hits for the Rockies, who recovered to win the opener of the three-game series. Colorado has alternated losses and victories for six games.
Jared Triolo had two hits and an RBI for Pittsburgh, which overcame Freeland’s longest start of the season. Freeland blanked the Pirates on two hits through seven innings and reached his strikeout milestone when he fanned Marcell Ozuna in the seventh.
Diamondbacks 9, Twins 5
Corbin Carroll had three hits — including his league-leading ninth triple — and drove in four as Arizona took the opener of its three-game set with Minnesota Twins in Phoenix.
Ketel Marte homered, Nolan Arenado had two hits and scored a run, and Ildemaro Vargas drove in two runs for the Diamondbacks, who have won four of five. Arizona starter Michael Soroka lasted just one inning before posterior left hip discomfort ended his night early.
Victor Caratini, Josh Bell and Royce Lewis homered for the Twins, who were trying to win five in a row for the first time this season. Twins rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-5) allowed six runs (three earned) and nine hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked three.
–Field Level Media
Sports
FaZe send Falcons to first loss in CDL Major 4 qualifying
The hands of an esport gamer clutching the controler at Encore Esports Gaming Lounge in New Rochelle on Thursday, December 20, 2018.
E Sports
FaZe Vegas handed the Riyadh Falcons their first defeat in Call of Duty League Stage 4 Major qualifying, prevailing 3-0 on Friday as the third and final week of matches began.
In the day’s other action, the undefeated Los Angeles Thieves downed Cloud9 New York 3-1, and the Paris Gentle Mates topped the Boston Breach 3-1.
The 12 Call of Duty League teams are playing five qualifying matches apiece to determine seeding for the fourth major of the season to be held Thursday through June 28 at Nanterre, France. Each team receives 10 CDL points for each win.
On Friday, Vegas routed Riyadh 250-166 on Gridlock Hardpoint, 6-1 on Gridlock Search and Destroy and 7-0 on Gridlock Overload.
The United States’ Jovan “04” Rodriguez paced FaZe with 61 kills and a plus-40 K-D differential. Saudi Arabia’s Saud “Exnid” Al-Ati logged 45 kills and a minus-7 K-D differential for Riyadh.
The Thieves opened with a 250-158 triumph on Hacienda Hardpoint before Cloud9 equalized with a 6-2 win on Sake Search and Destroy. Los Angeles wrapped up the match by capturing Scar Overload 3-2 and Den Hardpoint 250-210.
France’s Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez carried the Thieves with 93 kills and a plus-7 K-D differential. The United States’ Jordan “Encourage” Byrd put up 95 kills and a plus-15 K-D differential for Cloud9.
After Paris took Gridlock Hardpoint 250-121, Boston claimed Fringe Search and Destroy 6-3. The Gentle Mates then prevailed 3-1 on Den Overload and 250-233 on Sake Hardpoint.
The remaining qualifying schedule:
Saturday
–Miami Heretics vs. Cloud9 New York
–Vancouver Surge vs. Los Angeles Thieves
–Toronto KOI vs. OpTic Texas
–Riyadh Falcons vs. G2 Minnesota
Sunday
–Vancouver Surge vs. Miami Heretics
–Toronto KOI vs. G2 Minnesota
–FaZe Vegas vs. Carolina Royal Ravens
Call of Duty League Stage 4 Major qualifying standings, with match record and map differential:
1. Los Angeles Thieves, 4-0, +5
2. Riyadh Falcons, 3-1, +2
3. Paris Gentle Mates, 3-2, +4
4. Boston Breach, 3-2, +2
5. G2 Minnesota, 2-1, +2
6. OpTic Texas, 2-2, +4
7. FaZe Vegas, 2-2, +1
8. Carolina Royal Ravens, 2-2, 0
9. Miami Heretics, 1-2, -2
10. Toronto KOI, 1-2, -4
11. Vancouver Surge, 0-3, -7
12. Cloud9 New York, 0-4, -7
–Field Level Media
Sports
Injury-plagued Tigers hope Troy Melton continues success vs. White Sox
Detroit Tigers pitcher Troy Melton (52) throws against Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Troy Melton missed his most recent turn in the Detroit rotation due to back tightness. The right-hander avoided a trip to the injured list, however, and is scheduled to start for the Tigers against the visiting Chicago White Sox on Saturday.
The Tigers won the opener of the three-game series 4-3 on Friday.
Melton (3-0, 2.81 ERA) had his season debut delayed until late May due to right elbow inflammation. He has wasted no time giving the Tigers’ rotation a boost, winning three of his first four starts.
The only time Melton didn’t notch a victory came against the White Sox on May 29, but it was a quality performance. He limited Chicago to one run and six hits in seven innings, but the Tigers lost 4-3 in 10 innings.
Melton is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three career outings (two starts) against the White Sox.
Keeping Melton healthy is crucial for the Tigers, who continue to deal with a host of injuries.
Justin Verlander, who has pitched just once this season due to a left hip ailment, was slated to return on Sunday. Instead, he will be out several more weeks due to a left hamstring strain.
Starter Jack Flaherty is on the injured list due to a left ankle injury.
Key position players Gleyber Torres, Wenceel Perez, Javier Baez and Parker Meadows are also sidelined. Perez fractured his left orbital bone in Houston this week when he was hit in the face by a resistance band.
“We will know more when we get through the eye doctor and face doctor and see where he’s at in terms of activity level. But he’s safe and he’s in a good place,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “The swelling has started to go down.”
The Tigers called up 27-year-old outfielder Trei Cruz from Triple-A Toledo to take his place. Cruz’s grandfather, Jose Cruz, and father, Jose Cruz Jr., both played in the majors. Trei Cruz went hitless in three at-bats on Friday in his major league debut.
“He’s had to work hard to get here,” Hinch said. “It just shows, not everyone’s journey to the big leagues is a smooth ride. I love that he’s been tough enough to handle it.”
No matter who is wearing the White Sox uniform this season is seemingly producing. Chicago called up Junior Perez from Triple-A Charlotte this week to fill in for Everson Pereira, who sustained a concussion while hitting the outfield wall as he made a catch against the New York Yankees on Wednesday.
Perez delivered the first two hits of his career on Friday, including a solo homer.
“He is an above-average runner, defender on the corners and projects about average in center field,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “Stolen bases are part of his game. He has plus power and makes plus decisions at the plate. He is very similar to Pereira.”
Perez played 36 games for Triple-A Las Vegas in the Athletics’ system this season before the White Sox acquired him in a trade last month.
Sean Newcomb was a late choice to be the opener for the Saturday contest as Venable will employ a bullpen game. It will be his first start this year after 28 relief outings.
The 33-year-old left-hander exited his most recent appearance on Wednesday against the Yankees due to a left triceps contusion after getting hit by Anthony Volpe’s line drive. He allowed three runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning.
Newcomb has a 1.74 ERA and no decisions in five career appearances (all in relief) vs. the Tigers. He did not give up a hit in 2 2/3 scoreless innings against Detroit on May 29.
–Field Level Media
