Pep Guardiola insists there’s reason for optimism at Manchester City, despite a troubled campaign that has seen the defending champions reduced to battling for a place in the top four.

Following Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, a result that boosted their hopes of playing Champions League football next season, the City boss laid out what he believes should be a “bright future” at the Etihad Stadium. (The victory moved them into fourth place, a point above Chelsea, with 11 games remaining.) “The young players and the new acquisitions maybe the club will do in the summertime — in the next transfer window — have to lead this club for the next few years,” he said.

They echoed his comments after Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool. “I saw a bright future,” Guardiola told the BBC. “Other than Kevin [De Bruyne] and Nathan [Ake], they are the future of this club in the next years, with others who will come in future windows.

Guardiola and new director of football Hugo Viana — who has replaced the outgoing Txiki Begiristain — are facing a summer rebuild as they plot their way back to the top. There’s a core of established stars to build around and some exciting young players with huge potential, but also decisions to be made on some of the old guard, including Kevin De Bruyne, who is out of contract in the summer.

Ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie vs. Plymouth Argyle (stream LIVE, Saturday, 12:15 p.m., ESPN+), we take a look at the state of City and whether the future is as bright as Guardiola believes.

The untouchables

One nice thing for City is that they’re not starting their rebuild from scratch. Erling Haaland has signed a mammoth contract that runs through 2034, and Phil Foden, who has already racked up more than 300 club appearances before the age of 25, has shown no desire to ever leave the Etihad.

Beyond those two, defender Rúben Dias has been a key part of City’s success since arriving from Benfica in 2020 and is a vocal presence in the squad. He has struggled for form and fitness this season — like many of his teammates — but is still only 27 and a strong character in the dressing room. Dias could take on an even more prominent role if there is an exodus of experienced players in the summer.

There has been a long-held belief by some at City that Rodri would one day be keen to return to Spain, but that talk has died down and there’s hope he will be fully recovered from his knee injury by the time preseason training begins in July and August.

The significant investment in Omar Marmoush in January means he will also be part of City’s future. The Egyptian, signed for £60 million from Eintracht Frankfurt, has made a positive start in a difficult situation after joining an underperforming team midseason.

Legends coming to the end?

This is where Guardiola and Viana will have to make big decisions.

Éderson, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gündogan and Kevin De Bruyne have been cornerstones of the team that won the treble in 2023 and completed four titles in a row in 2024. But nothing lasts forever, and there are now serious question marks about their futures.

Each situation is different and delicate. De Bruyne is out of contract in the summer, while Gündogan has a one-year option in his deal that would take him to 2026 if it’s exercised. There’s interest in De Bruyne from teams in Saudi Arabia and the United States, and Galatasaray believe they have got a good chance of landing Gündogan. Éderson was close to moving to the Saudi Pro League last summer, and Silva has long wanted to return to continental Europe, whether Spain, France or Portugal.

The problem facing City is that Éderson, De Bruyne and Bernardo would need to be replaced, and that won’t be cheap. Florian Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen is a target to replace De Bruyne, but there would be stiff competition from Bayern Munich and possibly Real Madrid.

If Éderson leaves, City could either make Stefan Ortega first-choice and sign an understudy or make a move for another No. 1 such as FC Porto‘s Diogo Costa.

Are they part of the future, or is it time to go?

Top of the list is Jack Grealish. At 29 and with four years at City under his belt, he should be indispensable. But he’s not. He has not been a regular in the team since the treble season, which means, naturally, his future is up in the air.

With two years left on his contract, City would demand a fee before letting him leave. There have been vague links with Tottenham Hotspur or a return to Aston Villa, but it’s likely to take significant investment — translation: wages plus transfer fee — to get a deal over the line.

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It’s different with John Stones because the issue isn’t his performances, but his durability. Into his ninth season at the Etihad and approaching his 31st birthday, he has only once been able to make more than 25 league appearances in a single campaign. His latest injury picked up against Real Madrid is set to rule him out for between eight and 10 weeks.

Guardiola’s biggest problem this season has been injuries, and it would be natural if he began to favor players he knows can stay fit.

Youngsters looking to establish themselves

The success of City’s next cycle will depend heavily on the young players the club have already invested in. If defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis; midfielders Nico Gonzalez, Claudio Echeverri and Rico Lewis; and forwards Savinho, Jérémy Doku, Oscar Bobb and James McAtee can realize their undoubted potential, then their next formidable team won’t be far away.

Savinho, Khusanov and Lewis — all starters against Liverpool on Sunday — are only 20, while Reis and Echeverri, two of the most exciting prospects to come out of South America in recent, are still teenagers. The main issue with young players is that there’s always an element of risk.

It’s impossible to tell at 19 or 20 who might be a world-beater by the time they’re 25 or 26. City can only hope that the gambles pay off.

The next generation coming through

City have one of the best academy setups in the country and they currently sit top of Premier League 2 (for under-21s) and the under-18 Premier League north group. Midfielder Nico O’Reilly (19) and defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (19) have both made appearances this season, while striker Divin Mubama (20) scored against Salford City in the FA Cup in January.

City have been good at moving on young players for big fees, although they turned down a substantial bid from Chelsea for O’Reilly on deadline day in January. The decision might have been influenced by a growing feeling that City missed a trick by not asking for more when Cole Palmer moved to Stamford Bridge in 2023.

And what about Pep in all of this?

The City boss quieted the noise around his own future by signing a contract extension in November. His deal runs until 2027, and he insisted after the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid that he intends to honor it. But it hasn’t stopped nagging questions about whether Guardiola needs the stress that comes with another rebuild. He has achieved everything in England and the only challenge left in management is to lead a national team at a major tournament. After such a grueling campaign and so many problems to navigate, City fans will only feel confident he’s definitely staying when they see him on the training pitch preparing for next season.

The post How bright is Man City’s future? Assessing Guardiola’s squad appeared first on World News Stories.

Rafael Fiziev will replace Dan Hooker on short notice to face Justin Gaethje in the co-main event of UFC 313 on March 8.

UFC CEO Dana White announced the fight Wednesday on Instagram Live.

Hooker was originally set to face Gaethje (25-5) in a five-round co-main event at UFC 313 in Las Vegas but was forced to withdraw with a hand injury less than two weeks before the fight. Hooker announced the injury in a YouTube video Tuesday. The UFC was left scrambling to keep Gaethje on the card, which is set to be headlined by Alex Pereira defending his light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Fiziev was one of the first to volunteer as Hooker’s replacement, along with fellow lightweights Renato Moicano and Mateusz Gamrot. It will be a three-round fight instead of five.

Fiziev and Gaethje previously met in March 2023, with “The Highlight” winning a majority decision. The fight was awarded a “Fight of the Night” performance bonus. Since then, Gaethje has gone 1-1. He knocked out Dustin Poirier to win the mythical BMF title in July 2023 and lost it to Max Holloway at UFC 300 in April.

Since losing to Gaethje, Fiziev (12-3) has competed only once. A knee injury prematurely ended his 2023 fight with Gamrot in the second round, and he has been on the mend since that loss.

Gaethje is ranked as the No. 3 lightweight by the UFC with Fiziev ranked as No. 11 in the division.

The post Fiziev stepping in to face Gaethje on short notice appeared first on World News Stories.

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  Mark SchlabachFeb 26, 2025, 01:13 PM ET

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  • Senior college football writer
  • Author of seven books on college football
  • Graduate of the University of Georgia

The PGA Tour begins its Florida swing with the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches this week, a sign that it’s finally warming up on the East Coast.

Even better, it means the Masters, the first major championship of the season, is right around the corner.

With the two biggest stars of last season, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, battling injuries at the start of 2025, there were a handful of comeback winners and first-timers in the first two months of the season.

With the Players Championship only two weeks away, and the Masters teeing off at Augusta National Golf Club in 43 days, it’s a great time for the first PGA Tour Power Rankings of the season.

A reminder: This list isn’t the top 25 men’s golfers in the world, with Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton and others competing in the LIV Golf League. While I’m giving Scheffler and Schauffele the benefit of doubt, the rankings were largely determined by what golfers have accomplished this season to date.

1. Scottie Scheffler

The world No. 1 golfer missed the first month of the season with a hand injury suffered in an accident while cooking Christmas dinner. He’s rounding into form with three top-25 finishes in as many starts this season, including a tie for third at the Genesis Invitational. This is traditionally the time of year when Scheffler heats up; he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship (both for the second time) in March 2024.

Don’t look now, but McIlroy is playing well just before the Masters, which he needs to win to complete the career Grand Slam. He collected his 27th PGA Tour victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Feb. 2. He didn’t putt well in his last start at the Genesis Invitational, but he figures to be much more comfortable on Florida’s Bermuda greens.

Åberg’s immense talent was on display at the Genesis when he defeated an elite field for his second PGA Tour victory. In only his second full season on tour, the 25-year-old is getting a second look at golf courses. That includes Augusta National Golf Club, where he was solo second, four strokes behind Scheffler, in his debut in 2024.

4. Xander Schauffele

After picking up his first two major championship victories at the PGA Championship and The Open in 2024, Schauffele has made just one start on tour this season because of a strained rib cage. After skipping signature events at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis, Schauffele is scheduled to return at next week’s API at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida.

The 2021 Masters champion finally looks healthy (knock on wood) after battling neck and back injuries the past couple of seasons. He claimed his 11th PGA Tour victory at The Sentry in the season opener and tied for 13th at the Genesis. He’s sixth on tour in strokes gained: total (1.641) and is 18th on approach (.699), 15th around the green (.517) and 34th in putting (.474). If he gets his driver going again, look out.

The Austrian-born Straka continues to get better and better, winning for the third time on tour at The American Express on Jan. 19. Straka’s iron play has been stellar this season. He doesn’t hit it far off the tee but finds most fairways. He captured his first PGA Tour victory at PGA National Resort & Spa in the Honda Classic in 2022.

Like Straka, English is among a handful of former University of Georgia golfers who have made noise on tour this season. English took home his fifth PGA Tour victory, his first since the 2021 Travelers Championship, with a one-shot victory over Sam Stevens at the Farmers Insurance Open on Jan. 25. English bounced back from major hip surgery and a swing change to lift a trophy again.

Morikawa has won just once on tour since claiming his second major championship at the 2021 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England. He came close in his first start in 2024, losing to Matsuyama by three strokes at The Sentry. Morikawa’s irons and putter have been dialed in early this season.

It looked like the former Stanford star was going to pick up his second PGA Tour victory in four months (the first came at the RSM Classic in late November) after he carded eight birdies in 11 holes to take a three-shot lead in the final round of the Genesis Invitational. But then Åberg chased McNealy down and beat him by a stroke. McNealy, a former world No. 1 amateur golfer, had top-10s at The Sentry and WM Phoenix Open, too. The budding star seems to be only scratching the surface of what he can do on tour.

The former Illinois golfer showed flashes of what was coming last season when he tied for fourth at the PGA Championship and finished 14th at the U.S. Open. On Feb. 9, he became the first Belgian-born golfer to win on the PGA Tour when he took the WM Phoenix Open by a whopping seven strokes. He’s one of the best putters on tour and is more than solid off the tee. His inconsistent iron play had held him back until now.

After being left off the International team in last year’s Presidents Cup in Montreal, Taylor holed a birdie on the second playoff hole to defeat Nico Echavarria in the Sony Open in Hawaii on Jan. 12. There’s no doubt Taylor struggled in 2024, missing the cut in all four majors, but his game is clicking early this season.

After battling his swing for much of the past two seasons, there are plenty of signs that JT is close to breaking through. He was runner-up at the American Express, two strokes behind Straka, and tied for sixth at the WM Phoenix Open and for ninth at the Genesis. His iron play has been much better — he’s fourth on tour in strokes gained: approach (1.054). After struggling mightily on the greens in 2024, Thomas is gaining strokes in putting (.217) this season.

Cantlay has been intimately involved in reshaping the PGA Tour the past couple of seasons, which might be one of the reasons he hasn’t finished atop a leaderboard since the BMW Championship in August 2022. He already has three top-15 finishes this season, tying for fifth at both the American Express and the Genesis. He’s second in greens in regulation (76.4%), and his putting has been better than most.

After a debilitating back injury caused Berger to step away from the course for 18 months, he found his form again during the fall. He has already piled up three top-25 finishes in six starts this season, including a tie for second at the WM Phoenix Open. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Berger pick up his fifth PGA Tour victory at The Champion course at PGA National Resort & Spa, his home course.

Henley had a bit of a breakthrough in the majors last season, tying for seventh in the U.S. Open and finishing solo fifth at The Open. He has two top-10s in four starts this season, thanks to his strong iron play and putting. Henley took down McIlroy and others in a playoff to take home his second tour victory at the Honda Classic in March 2014.

The South Korean golfer captured PGA Tour victories in back-to-back seasons in 2020 and 2021, but has been searching for his third one the past four seasons. He’s off to a good start this year with a solo third at The Sentry and tie for fourth at the Farmers Insurance Open. His inconsistent iron play — he’s 171st in strokes gained: approach (-.919) — led to missed cuts at The American Express and the Genesis.

Finau’s wife, Layla, gave birth to their sixth child last month. The birth of his daughter seemed to inspire Finau, who tied for 13th at Pebble Beach and for fifth at the Genesis. The six-time winner on tour seems to be rounding into form after undergoing surgery in October to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

The English golfer has made only two starts on the PGA Tour this season — he tied for 22nd at Pebble Beach and for fifth at the Genesis. With Fleetwood now ranked 10th in the Official World Golf Ranking, it seems to only be a matter of time before the eight-time worldwide winner finally claims a victory in the U.S. He had six straight top 25s on the DP World Tour at the end of 2024.

The former UC Berkeley golfer is one of the best follows on X, and now he’s playing great golf to back up his tips. Kim, whose only Tour victory came at the 2018 John Deere Classic, tied for second at the WM Phoenix Open and for 13th at both the Genesis and Mexico Open. Ranked 147th in the world at the end of 2024, Kim has climbed to 79th, his highest OWGR ranking.

The U.S. Ryder Cup team captain gave the European squad plenty of bulletin board material in the third season of Netflix’s Full Swing, when cameras captured him telling teammates at last year’s Presidents Cup, “I’m gonna get criticized as the captain next year. They’re gonna underestimate me, they’re gonna doubt me. I’ve been doubted my whole f—ing life. That’s when I do my best work. We’re gonna go to Bethpage to kick their f—ing ass.” Bradley has three top-15s in five starts.

After winning the Rocket Mortgage Classic against a lighter field for the second time in his career in 2024, Davis seems like a golfer who might take off this season. He tied for fifth at Pebble Beach and has two other top-20s in five starts. His iron play and short game are very good, but his inaccuracy off the tee (56.1% of fairways) is holding him back.

Lowry would probably love nothing more than to be heating up this summer before The Open returns to Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, where he won a Claret Jug in 2019. He hasn’t had a PGA Tour stroke-play victory since, although he did win the Zurich Classic team event with his good friend McIlroy last year. Lowry’s solo second at Pebble Beach was a good early sign.

The former Stanford golfer, who is tied with Tiger Woods and McNealy for the school record of 11 career victories, has quietly put together a solid stretch of golf with three top-25s in his past four starts. He tied for third at the Genesis, three shots behind Åberg, which earned him $1.2 million. Rodgers has scrambled well, but needs to improve his approach shots (-.040) and putting (-.529) if he’s finally going to capture his first PGA Tour win after 288 starts.

The 45-year-old Glover has been one of the most outspoken critics of the tour’s reduced fields and pace-of-play problems. After struggling in 2024 with only two top-10s in 27 starts, he has shown promise early this year, tying for third at Pebble Beach against an elite field. Glover is 47th in strokes gained: putting (.331) after finishing 139th (-.215) in 2024.

Campbell’s surprising victory at last week’s Mexico Open at VidantaWorld was a much-need reminder that storybook victories are still an important part of the sport. Campbell made 186 starts on the Korn Ferry and PGA Tour combined before finally winning. His $1.26 million payday was almost as much as he’d earned over the past decade. The 37-year-old, who ranks dead last on tour in driving distance (277.8 yards), is now headed to the Masters, Players Championship and PGA Championship this season.

Just missed the cut: Adam Scott, Robert MacIntyre, Sam Burns, Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland, Billy Horschel, Sahith Theegala, Aaron Rai, Denny McCarthy, Aldrich Potgieter, Jason Day, Sam Stevens, Andrew Novak, Taylor Pendrith, Justin Rose

The post PGA Tour Power Rankings: Where do Scottie and Rory rank after two months? appeared first on World News Stories.

The third week of the 2025 Six Nations saw Wales put out a much better performance despite losing to Ireland, while England earned their first win over Scotland in four years.

So which players went a step towards cementing their place in the British & Irish Lions squad, and who still has some work to do?

Each week, ESPN writers Tom Hamilton and James Regan weigh in on who should be in the XV.

1. Andrew Porter, Ireland (prop)

Hamilton: Porter holds on to this spot, despite being given a tough time by WillGriff John. Keep an eye, though, Ellis Genge and Nicky Smith will be pushing him close.

Regan: Genge is having a really good tournament, but Porter will start. A Porter-Genge combination will be frightening for Australia, though.

2. Dan Sheehan, Ireland (hooker)

Regan: Still immense. He’ll be aware of the other options Farrell may has, such as Jamie George and Ronan Kelleher.

Hamilton: Same as before. Even though Sheehan was used in a starting role instead of an impact option at the weekend, he is the dominant hooker available.

3. Finlay Bealham, Ireland (prop)

Hamilton: Purely off the back of a truly remarkable showing on Saturday, I’d slot Will Stuart in here. The England tight-head put in his finest showing at Test level.

Regan: Stuart has been good, but this Irish front-row has so many runs on the board I can’t see Farrell shifting much here.

4. Maro Itoje, England (lock)

Regan: Impossible to see him losing this spot.

Hamilton: Won a key penalty and disrupted a pivotal lineout. Itoje keeps his spot.

5. Tadgh Beirne, Ireland (lock)

Hamilton: I’d keep Beirne here. Joe McCarthy did well on his return against Wales but Beirne and Itoje will bring plenty of threat for the Lions.

Regan: I’m still leaning towards a McCarthy, but it is hard to leave Beirne out. With Tom Curry playing so well maybe Beirne does revert to lock and they bring McCarthy off the bench?

6. Tom Curry, England (flanker)

Regan: Curry has been so impressive for England he definitely deserves his spot here.

Hamilton: Curry stays here for me. He’s in superb form and is one of the finest flankers in world rugby.

7. Josh van der Flier, Ireland (Flanker)

Hamilton: I vouched for a change here from Rory Darge last week, and I stand by that. Josh van der Flier is the outstanding openside at present, but Jac Morgan is also pushing him close.

Regan: No arguments form me, Van der Flier has been immense.

8. Caelan Doris, Ireland (No. 8)

Hamilton: He’ll be Lions captain, so Doris obviously starts. He missed the Wales match through injury, but remains the heartbeat of the Irish side.

Regan: Farrell may look around and be concerned about the depth here. Maybe that is because Doris is so dominant, but if he were to get injured, there isn’t someone who comes close to bringing what the Ireland captain does.

9. Jamison Gibson-Park, Ireland (scrum-half)

Regan: The gap between him and the chasing pack is growing by the week. He is so good.

Hamilton: Alongside Antoine Dupont, Gibson-Park is the outstanding scrum-half in the Six Nations. He was again a game-changer for Ireland at the weekend and surely has this jersey nailed down.

10. Finn Russell, Scotland (fly-half)

Hamilton: I think Russell is the best fly-half in the northern hemisphere, but on form alone, Sam Prendergast has become the front-runner to be Lions No. 10 in the summer.

Regan: He isn’t having his best Six Nations, but I still can’t see anyone taking the No. 10 jersey off Russell. Prendergast has been good, but still too inexperienced at the minute for mine.

11. James Lowe, Ireland (winger)

Regan: Aside from maybe Gibson-Park, no player has risen to the occasion more than Lowe this year. There were question marks around him prior to the Six Nations and he has emphatically answered them all.

Hamilton: No change here. It’s Lowe’s shirt to lose.

12. Bundee Aki, Ireland (centre)

Hamilton: Aki remains the dominant (fully fit) inside centre at present, although Tuipolutu will challenge that when he returns to action.

Regan: Aki has been very good. I think it will come down to which combination Farrell opts for more than anything. Who can work with who? I can start to see an all-Irish midfield taking shape.

13. Huw Jones, Scotland (centre)

Regan: Jones has still looked good in a struggling Scotland team. He will be hoping more than anyone that Tuipulotu has a good end to the season and they get to revive their partnership this summer. That said, I think Ollie Lawrence may have surpassed him after the weekend. This is a position with so many options.

Hamilton: Jones keeps this shirt for the time being. The Irish duo will push him, as will Lawrence, but Jones is just about ahead of the rest.

14. Darcy Graham, Scotland (winger)

Hamilton: This is going to be fascinating. With Immanuel Feyi-Waboso out until the final matches of the season, and Graham missing the weekend’s action, there are plenty of options here. For me, Tommy Freeman is the main man at the moment.

Regan: Graham still has credit in the bank, but Freeman has been a great beneficiary of Fin Smith’s England promotion. They have a great connection that’s making him look good.

15. Blair Kinghorn, Scotland (fullback)

Hamilton: Even though he was rested at the weekend, Hugo Keenan will have his eyes on this. Kinghorn did well against England so let’s keep him here for the time being, but if Keenan impresses against France, then it is his shirt.

Regan: If he keeps going there, I would love to see Marcus Smith appear at fullback on the tour. He offers something different and you want to fit your best, most exciting players in any way you can.

– Monday overreactions: England’s attack in need of revamp?
– Tom Hamilton from Twickenham: England finally showing progress
– Who could replace Warren Gatland as Wales head coach?
– WATCH: Relive some of Six Nations’ classic games
– Six Nations and Women’s Six Nations: Full fixture list
– British & Irish Lions 2025: Australia tour fixtures

The post British & Irish Lions watch Week 3: Is Sam Prendergast pushing Finn Russell at No. 10? appeared first on World News Stories.

The NBA world was turned upside down Feb. 2 when the Dallas Mavericks traded five-time All-Star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a future pick.

The deal sent shockwaves through the league leading to on-going discourse about the repercussions of the deal in Dallas and what the future now holds for the Lakers, one of the most decorated franchises in the league history. The ire from Mavericks fans erupted after the franchise questioned the conditioning and commitment of their former superstar on his way to Los Angeles and Davis picked up another lengthy stay on the IR midway through his first game in Dallas.

In the three weeks since the trade, the Mavericks have gone 5-4 and maintained a solid hold in the Western Conference’s play-in tournament despite a run of impactful injuries. Kyrie Irving averaged 27.7 points during that stretch as the new look Dallas roster attempts to navigate the post-Luka world.

Meanwhile, the Lakers are just 2-2 in games when Doncic plays. He’s averaged 19.0 points over that span but appeared to turn a corner on Saturday with a 32 point, 10 rebound and seven assist performance against the Denver Nuggets in a 123-100 win. A calf injury had sidelined Doncic for nearly six weeks (22 games) prior to the trade and the Los Angeles staff has kept an eye on his health as he gets back into playing shape with a brand new franchise. He’s averaging 26.7, 8.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game this season.

The Lakers host the Mavericks on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET) in the teams’ first game since the trade that sent Luka to Los Angeles.

ESPN Insiders Dave McMenamin and Tim MacMahon will be keeping tabs on all the updates inside the arena in the build up to the game in our live blog while Tim Bontemps and Chris Herring will provide analysis from this highly anticipated Western Conference clash.

More on the Luka Dončić trade

The post Live updates: Luka faces Dallas for the first time since the trade appeared first on World News Stories.

• ESPN News Services

Feb 25, 2025, 10:43 PM ET

Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova has withdrawn from next month’s tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami because of a back injury that has kept her out of action since November.

The world No. 16, a surprise champion at the All England Club last year, sustained the injury during the Tour’s Asian swing of tournaments and appeared hampered by it at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, where she reached the semifinals.

The 29-year-old Czech skipped the Australian Open in January, saying she needed more time for her injury to heal.

Austria’s Julia Grabher will take Krejcikova’s place in the main draw at the BNP Paribas Open, which begins March 5.

The Miami Open kicks off March 18.

Reuters contributed to this report.

The post Krejcikova (back) to miss Indian Wells, Miami appeared first on World News Stories.

The 2025 NFL offseason is moving at lightning speed. More than two weeks have passed since the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX, the franchise tag window closes March 4 and the legal tampering period for free agency starts March 10. The first official event of the offseason, however, is the 2025 NFL combine, which begins this week.

Front office executives, coaches and scouts are in Indianapolis to get a closer look at 2025 NFL draft prospects. On Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, coaches and general managers will speak to reporters at the combine, looking ahead to free agency, the draft and to next season. On-field workouts for prospects begin Thursday and go through Sunday.

We’re tracking news from the combine on Tuesday with everything we hear from coaches and GMs:

The post Live updates from coaches, GMs at the NFL combine: Latest news appeared first on World News Stories.

Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir is expected to resign from his position, sources told ESPN.

Muir is closing out his 13th year at the school, which during his tenure has won more than 30 NCAA championships and eight Directors’ Cups for overall athletic department excellence.

The move comes amid a transitional period for the athletic department. The school is completing its first season in the ACC, a move made amid the fracturing of the traditional Pac-12.

Stanford’s marquee sports have struggled in recent seasons. The football program has lost nine games each of the past four seasons and has not played in a bowl since 2018 (it was bowl-eligible during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season).

The men’s basketball program hasn’t played in the NCAA tournament since 2014.

Muir is a decorated administrator and served as chair of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee for the 2018-19 season. He began working with the committee in 2012.

Muir has also been a member of USA Basketball’s 12-member board of directors since 2017.

Prior to his arrival at Stanford in 2012, Muir held the same position at Georgetown and Delaware. He also worked in the athletic department at Notre Dame, rising to deputy athletic director before departing in 2005.

In 2021, Stanford reversed course after announcing it would eliminate 11 of its 36 varsity sports. A grassroots effort helped save the sports, and the school drew significant scrutiny for the initial decision.

The post Stanford AD Muir expected to resign, sources say appeared first on World News Stories.

• Ryan S. Clark

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  Ryan S. Clark

  ESPN NHL reporter

  Ryan S. Clark is an NHL reporter for ESPN.

• Kristen Shilton

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  Kristen Shilton

  ESPN NHL reporter

  Kristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN.

Feb 24, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

The 2024-25 NHL trade season began early, as the Carolina Hurricanes landed Mikko Rantanen and the New York Rangers secured J.T. Miller. But many big names remain on the board, raising the usual questions as we look ahead to the March 7 deadline:

Who are the contenders that could make a big push? Which teams are caught between either going for a wild-card spot or moving on from players to collect draft capital? And how can the teams that are destined for the lottery use the deadline to gain more draft picks for their rebuilds?

Here’s a comprehensive look at what the trade deadline could mean for every team, complete with the players and picks that are expected to be in play, as well as the salary cap restrictions. Plus, we identify the moves we think each team should make.

Stats are collected from sites such as Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Reference and Evolving Hockey. Cap space figures are per PuckPedia as of Feb. 23.

Note: Kristen Shilton provided the guide for the Atlantic and Metropolitan teams, while Ryan S. Clark handled the Central and Pacific clubs.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

Deadline status: Proceed with caution
Cap space: $5.72 million
Players, picks in play: Trent Frederic, Justin Brazeau, Morgan Geekie, Parker Wotherspoon

The Bruins are in a tough spot. Boston doesn’t look like a contender this season but there’s no desire to throw in the towel. So, does GM Don Sweeney go fishing for a low-risk rental or two to give Boston a potential boost? Or does he listen to offers for upcoming free agents such as Frederic and Brazeau and simply let the Bruins ride this season out (mostly) as is and see how the chips fall?

Boston’s likely best bet is to stand pat and figure out the organization’s optimal next direction in the offseason. The Bruins have been battered by injuries — the hole left by Hampus Lindholm has been particularly tough — but there’s no reason to make any rash moves, either. Sweeney should do his due diligence without the expectation of making the Bruins better or worse.

Deadline status: Motivated dealers
Cap space: $22.73 million
Players, picks in play: Bowen Byram, Dylan Cozens, Jordan Greenway, Jack Quinn, Jason Zucker

Buffalo has let another season slip away, and the best thing GM Kevyn Adams can do to salvage anything from this mess is to be an active trader at the deadline. The Sabres have players of interest to contending clubs — like Zucker and Greenway — and young players who haven’t panned out for the organization — hello, Cozens and Quinn! — that will continue losing value if Adams doesn’t act soon.

There’s no use in pretending this Sabres’ squad can just run it back next season and hope something magically changes. Adams standing pat at the deadline won’t benefit Buffalo now or in the future. If the Sabres are serious about ever seeing the playoffs again, then the road there starts by making hard decisions right now.

Deadline status: Optimistic adders
Cap space: $7.84 million
Players, picks in play: Amadeus Lombardi, Alex Lyon, Carter Mazur, Jeff Petry, Vladimir Tarasenko

Detroit has pushed its way into the playoff picture this season, and GM Steve Yzerman would be well-served in helping the team stay there by making a few key additions at the deadline — namely, another center and a defenseman.

Yzerman could target players on expiring contracts such as Jake Evans, or even guys with some remaining term like Ryan Strome or Connor Murphy. Regardless of which players Yzerman brings on board, his strategy should be to see the Red Wings get better by March 7 and take advantage of their impressive surge.

Detroit has waited a long time to be in this position again, and it would behoove Yzerman to give his players confidence in their ability to stay in the hunt through April.

Deadline status: Cautious adders
Cap space: $2.73 million
Players, picks in play: Spencer Knight, Tomas Nosek, Nate Schmidt

Florida doesn’t have much to dangle out there at the deadline. It has no picks in the first three rounds of this upcoming draft, and it won’t be looking to move players on the roster either given how well the season’s gone. It’s exactly for that reason Florida is unlikely to do much at all before March 7.

The Panthers don’t have a weakness so obvious it must be addressed by GM Bill Zito. Perhaps an additional defenseman or a depth forward would give the reigning Stanley Cup champions some insurance on what they hope will be another long spring. If nothing materializes to Zito’s satisfaction — that works with his limited resources — Florida will be no worse off. It’s an enviable spot to be in.

Deadline status: Set the market
Cap space: $7.55 million
Players, picks in play: Joel Armia, Christian Dvorak, Jake Evans, David Savard

For a brief moment, Montreal looked like it was putting together a special run. But the Canadiens went into the 4 Nations break on a 1-7-1 skid, six points out of a wild-card spot and with little reason to believe GM Kent Hughes shouldn’t be trading away whatever assets he can by the deadline.

Montreal has a slew of pending UFAs — Armia, Evans, Dvorak, et al. — who could be valuable additions in more competitive lineups, and the potential returns might set the Canadiens up well for future seasons.

Evans is likely to draw the most interest because of his age (28). Given the lack of a long-term deal coming together, Hughes should push hard to find a suitor for Evans now while he’s garnering serious attention.

Deadline status: Breakthrough adders
Cap space: $1.66 million
Players, picks in play: Michael Amadio, Anton Forsberg, David Perron

Ottawa is holding fast to a wild-card spot, and retaining it should put the Senators in the market to add at the deadline. Or at least that’s their goal.

The reality? They don’t have much to offer. Ottawa has a weak prospect pool, only one first-round pick in the next two drafts, its exciting young core is mostly locked in, and there’s little cap space to work with on building around it.

GM Steve Staios will simply have to get creative. Ottawa needs a forward and defenseman, at minimum, to give itself a chance of staying on track in the wide-open Eastern Conference. Brandon Tanev and Ryan Donato both make sense in the Senators’ scheme; Ivan Provorov could help boost the blue line. Staios could also prioritize veteran savvy, considering the lack of postseason experience in his current group. David Savard or Carson Soucy might be viable targets from that perspective.

Deadline status: Bold adders
Cap space: $3.97 million
Players, picks in play: 2026 first-round pick, Nick Perbix, Conor Sheary

The Lightning have been perennial deadline adders because they believe — with good reason — that they can make a Cup run any season. And GM Julien BriseBois should feel particularly emboldened considering his team’s play has improved of late. What the Lightning needs most is forward help; particularly in the bottom six. The team is too top-heavy; the stars are performing to standard, but they’re not getting a ton of consistent support elsewhere.

Alex Tuch‘s name keeps bubbling up around Tampa Bay because he’d be an ideal fit — he has got the speed, skill and versatility (plus some edge) and a reasonable $4.75 million cap hit. Kyle Palmieri is another option BriseBois should pursue. The Lightning could pursue Jake Evans if they target a center.

Coach Jon Cooper gets the pieces to fit and creates chemistry even in the shortest spans (i.e. at the 4 Nations Face-Off). BriseBois can do the shopping; chef Cooper will make the most of Tampa Bay’s ingredients.

Deadline status: Now or never
Cap space: $2.20 million
Players, picks in play: 2026 first-round pick, Easton Cowan, Fraser Minten, Nick Robertson

Toronto has to be done tinkering. It hasn’t worked, not when the stakes are highest (i.e., in the playoffs), and the Leafs are running out of time to see their vaunted core carry them to the Cup. Toronto’s main problem is it doesn’t have much to offer outside of its top prospects such as Cowan and Minten. But if GM Brad Treliving wants to add a true difference-maker (and he should), those players represent the going rate.

The Leafs must acquire a reliable third-line center who won’t get run over in the postseason. Ryan O’Reilly — who was brought in as a deadline addition in 2023 — or Brayden Schenn would qualify. And Jake Evans has been tied to the Leafs for a reason, too.

Toronto would benefit from adding another defenseman, but it would need to be a short-term veteran (like Carson Soucy) so Treliving can put the majority of his assets into adding the right forward.

METROPOLITAN DIVISION

Deadline status: Waiting it out
Cap space: $499,000
Players, picks in play: 2025 first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick, Alexander Nikishin

Carolina got a jump on the league when it acquired Mikko Rantanen from Colorado in January. Rantanen hasn’t found his stride with the Hurricanes — with just one goal and two points in six games — but these things can take time. Hence why Carolina brought in Rantanen well before March 7.

The Hurricanes also added Taylor Hall for some veteran forward help, and if Carolina were to do anything else before the deadline it should be in the same vein. GM Eric Tulsky should look to a skater like Jake Evans to ensure the Hurricanes are stout down the middle. Depending on the ask on another winger — such as Mathieu Olivier or another low-risk player on an expiring contract — it could give Carolina the boost it needs to maximize an already impressive collection of offensive talent.

Deadline status: Conservative adders
Cap space: $68.06 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 first-round pick, Mathieu Olivier, Ivan Provorov

Columbus was fortunate to have plucked Dante Fabbro off waivers from Nashville as a pre-deadline addition who has worked out nicely so far. But don’t expect GM Don Waddell to stop there. The Blue Jackets have exceeded expectations — even without Boone Jenner in the lineup most of the season and missed time for Sean Monahan and Kirill Marchenko — and Waddell will make an effort to reward his group with some depth acquisitions to give it a shot to compete until the end.

Ryan Donato or Nick Robertson would be interesting options to fill bottom-six roles, and Scott Laughton would be a versatile player for Columbus to slot somewhere, too. The real question is whether Waddell has confidence that when Jenner and Monahan are both available, the pair can play up to their usual standard. If not, he’ll want to take advantage of the trade market to keep Columbus from slipping out of the playoff bubble.

Deadline status: Add, add, add
Cap space: $1.30 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 second-round pick, 2026 first-round pick, Anton Silayev

New Jersey is another squad that needs to build down the middle. Erik Haula has been a strong stopgap as the Devils’ third-line center, but it wouldn’t hurt to upgrade there. Trent Frederic would benefit from a change of scenery, and he could slide around the Devils’ middle six depending on injuries or other trade acquisitions. And there’s always the potential for a reunion in New Jersey with former Devil Kyle Palmieri.

The Devils have enough talent on defense to feel good about their blue-line status now and in the future. If GM Tom Fitzgerald really wants to push his chips in, then scoring depth and perhaps adding another goaltender — given Jacob Markstrom‘s injury status — should be the priority. And the sooner, the better, too — New Jersey appears primed for a playoff run, and bringing in those new players to get acclimated will be huge for the Devils’ chances.

Deadline status: Rejuvenating adders
Cap space: $2.73 million
Players, picks in play: Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Kyle Palmieri

Given that the Islanders have a shot at the postseason, it’s only right for GM Lou Lamoriello to tweak his roster enough that they stay in that mix. Nelson and Palmieri could both be traded to potentially return what the Islanders are lacking — and that’s a bona fide scoring threat.

Would the former Leafs GM consider a reunion with Toronto’s Nick Robertson, who, given the right opportunity and appropriate ice time, might provide that extra punch up front? Nothing should be off the table when it comes to adding a young forward in that vein.

This team also has the worst power play in the league, so any skater the Islanders bring in should have some experience on special teams. Lamoriello should also capitalize on the interest in his veteran forwards even if it’s just acquiring future assets — New York went four consecutive seasons without a first-round draft pick. Time to start making up for that drought.

Deadline status: Shopping cart is out
Cap space: $11.99 million
Players, picks in play: 2026 first-round pick, Will Borgen, Zac Jones, Ryan Lindgren, K’Andre Miller

The Rangers followed the Hurricanes’ lead and got into their trade business early — Jacob Trouba, Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko and Victor Mancini are out; J.T. Miller and Borgen are in. But the Rangers shouldn’t stop there. Although this team spiraled early this season, it has rebounded to be in the playoff hunt again, and GM Chris Drury’s addition of Miller showed his belief in New York staying within reach of a wild-card spot.

Miller and Lindgren haven’t been consistent difference-makers on the blue line, and swapping them for new options will take pressure off Adam Fox to do it all on the Rangers’ back end. Mario Ferraro might be of assistance there, or if Drury wanted to take on a pending RFA like Bowen Byram, it could be an audition for how the two sides might match up in a longer-term relationship.

But the Rangers’ focus has to be on the here and now. Filling in the blanks with some second- and third-line scoring is going to provide insurance New York needs given the roller-coaster seasons that most of their forwards have endured. Drury can’t be too conservative if New York is going to have a successful stretch drive.

Deadline status: Selling sunset (on the season)
Cap space: $6.55 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 first-round pick, Scott Laughton, Rasmus Ristolainen

It’s highly unlikely that the Flyers make the postseason. Therefore, GM Danny Briere should be accepting serious inquiries. Briere already flipped Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to Calgary for Andrei Kuzmenko, a prospect and picks.

Whatever Briere targets in return for Philadelphia’s other players must be with a similar eye on the next steps in the team’s rebuild — namely bolstering the organization’s goalie depth and stocking the cupboards with some exciting prospects for future middle-six and blue-line roles. Sounds simple enough, right?

To be clear, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Flyers. Matvei Michkov has provided a fine boost in his rookie campaign, and there are intriguing players in the franchise’s pipeline. But the returns for Laughton and Ristolainen could help set up Philadelphia for even more success down the road given what genuine interest there is out there for their services. Briere should keep his phone close.

Deadline status: Soft dealers
Cap space: $8.47 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 first-round pick, Anthony Beauvillier, Matt Grzelcyk, Matt Nieto, Rickard Rakell

Pittsburgh is likely too far out of the playoff picture to merit GM Kyle Dubas bringing on depth skaters to help boost the Penguins’ chances of making it. Yes, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin & Co. would probably prefer that to throwing in the towel, but it’s important to be realistic.

Pittsburgh’s focus can begin turning toward the future, and that means putting Rakell out there for teams with current postseason aspirations and prospects they can send back to a Penguins group in need of fresh young faces. Dubas has prioritized prospects in the past who are closer to NHL-ready than not, and that strategy has come with mixed results. Looking at the quality of these skaters’ long-term potential is critical.

Pittsburgh has avoided the “R” word for a while, but this offseason could tell a different tale. Dubas has some assets to toss out there now to expedite whatever process is going to turn Pittsburgh back into a perennial contender — whether it’s called a rebuild, a retool, a reload or something else.

Deadline status: Better be adding
Cap space: $3.65 million
Players, picks in play: Alexander Alexeyev, Hendrix Lapierre, Sonny Milano

The Capitals have been this season’s surprising success story, and not just because Alex Ovechkin is closing in on Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record. It only makes sense for GM Chris Patrick to capitalize on that by adding some depth to the lineup.

They could use some help in their bottom six at center and on the wing. Veterans like Yanni Gourde, Scott Laughton and Brandon Tanev could all be intriguing short-term options to complement Washington’s younger core, which has done well this season but still doesn’t have the kind of experience those more seasoned skaters bring to the ice and the dressing room.

But it’s crucial for the Capitals not to disrupt the chemistry they’ve worked hard to cultivate and that has continuously paid off for them. We’re not talking drastic, swing-for-the-fences trades here. It’s about Washington feeling confident that it has enough personnel to carry it through what could be a long spring.

CENTRAL DIVISION

Deadline status: Continue adding to the farm system
Cap space: $18.21 million
Players, picks in play: F Ryan Donato, D Seth Jones, F Pat Maroon, D Alec Martinez, F Craig Smith

With Seth Jones telling the Chicago Sun-Times that he’s talking to the club about a potential trade, it presents an opportunity for the Blackhawks to add more draft capital. The key word here being: potential.

Jones has three years remaining on his deal worth $9.5 million annually. Having such a sizable salary cap hit makes moving on from Jones a challenge.

How do the interested teams go about clearing the space to make a deal happen — while also ensuring they present the sort of package that pleases the Blackhawks? As for the Blackhawks, a Jones trade would likely include salary retention, meaning they would have all three retention spots filled for this season (they’ll get Jake McCabe and Mikko Rantanen off their books in the offseason).

Deadline status: Strengthen the second line
Cap space: $4.76 million
Players, picks in play: two 2025 second-round picks, 2026 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick

Anything or nearly anyone could be in play with the Avalanche. Just ask Mikko Rantanen.

But more directly, adding more second-line help appears to be the area of greatest need. Since they won the Stanley Cup in 2022, they’ve struggled to create a consistent second line. It’s possible they might have that once Valeri Nichushkin returns from injury and he’s paired with Jonathan Drouin and Casey Mittelstadt, who has been inconsistent during his first full season in Denver.

Or they could seek to add reinforcements elsewhere, with the idea that it could be the difference between securing a Central Division spot or a wild-card entry.

Deadline status: Maybe add more? Maybe hold firm?
Cap space: $4.60 million
Players, picks in play: 2026 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick

The Stars are in a championship window and have been for the past few years. But they are in one of the more nuanced situations ahead of the deadline.

They’ve built much of the current core through the draft, which is why they’re hesitant to trade draft capital. But they already moved on from their 2025 first-round pick and a conditional 2025 third-round pick to get Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci.

That trade reinforces that they could be willing to part with draft capital for the right player or players. Is that something they could do when it comes to filling the void left by Miro Heiskanen‘s injury? He’s expected to return by the playoffs, which presents one of two options: Do the Stars try to add more help? Or will prospect Lian Bichsel show the coaching staff and front office that he can be trusted with an extended run on the big club?

Deadline status: Add scoring help around the edges
Cap space: $8.23 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 second-round pick, 2026 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick

The challenge facing the Wild is finding legitimate scoring options on team-friendly terms. Their collective goal prevention is why they’re challenging for a playoff spot. Their collective inability to consistently score goals, however, could be what gets them eliminated in the first round.

They’re around league average in goals per game, but their plus-4 goal differential was the second lowest among the Western Conference teams in a playoff spot at the start of the 4 Nations.

What complicates everything is the combined $14.743 million cap hit from the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts. That drops to $1.6 million in the offseason. But until then, it leaves the Wild needing to get creative in order to get more scoring power in the lineup. Once Kirill Kaprizov comes off LTIR, his $9 million cap hit must be taken into account.

Deadline status: Figure out the strongest path for the future
Cap space: $23.56 million
Players, picks in play: F Gustav Nyquist

Are they in a rebuild, a retool or somewhere in the middle?

The Predators are in a bizarre position. Two years ago, the franchise moved on from key players like Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen, only to emerge as a playoff team the following season. After adding major free agents in Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei this offseason, they now have eight players with deals that have more than three years left, with six of them earning more than $5 million annually.

It leaves Gus Nyquist as the only pending UFA who could be moved. The Predators have quite a bit to consider before and after the trade deadline.

Deadline status: Strike if the right deal is there
Cap space: $4.69 million
Players, picks in play: F Radek Faksa

The Blues were eight points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot heading into the 4 Nations break; can they get back in the mix?

They could move on from their first-round picks over the next three years should they want to use that draft capital to make a trade. But they lost a 2025 second-round pick along with a 2025 third-round pick due to the Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway offer sheets. It’s not that the Blues can’t use draft picks to facilitate a deal. But it’s tougher to justify for a team for which a playoff berth seems remote.

Deadline status: Use that cap space
Cap space: $21.06 million
Players, picks in play: 2026 second-round pick, 2026 third-round pick

They have a healthy amount of cap space and owners who have made it clear they’re willing to spend. And while the team has a full war chest of draft picks, is it worth parting with first-rounders to make additions for a wild-card race, when picks later in the draft could suffice?

What could help GM Bill Armstrong answer those questions is if the UHC can cut its pre-4 Nations wild-card gap from six points to a margin that suggests a serious push for the playoffs is possible. If so, the Utah Hockey Club could make the inaugural campaign of hockey in Utah a memorable one.

Deadline status: Be aggressive but strategic
Cap space: $8.69 million
Players, picks in play: F Nikolaj Ehlers, 2025 first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has made it clear at the past few trade deadlines that he’s not afraid to make moves to bolster his team’s chances. The expectation is he’ll take the same approach this season, considering the Jets have emerged as the biggest (positive) surprise in the Western Conference.

What makes this particular deadline a critical one is that the Jets have five pending UFAs and four pending RFAs. It’s a group that includes Ehlers, who presents the front office with a dilemma. Do the Jets use the deadline to move Ehlers and get a player with cost certainty? Or do they hold on to him for the playoffs, with the idea they could trade his rights for something before free agency if the sides can’t reach a deal?

PACIFIC DIVISION

Deadline status: Keep ears open for advantageous deals
Cap space: $60.86 million
Players, picks in play: D Brian Dumoulin, F Robby Fabbri

Even though the Ducks are in a rebuild, this season was about making some form of progress. They’ve done that, considering they had 54 points through 54 games having not finished with more than 60 points in each of the past two seasons.

But they also entered the 4 Nations nine points out of the final wild-card spot. It’s within the same margin as the Blues, Flames and Utah Hockey Club. And the Ducks have quite a bit of cap space should they want to utilize that advantage.

While it’s clear the Ducks are making progress, is it the sort of progress that turns into a playoff appearance this season — or do they keep building for future seasons?

Deadline status: Make the necessary moves to stay in playoff contention
Cap space: $63.67 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 first-round pick via FLA, 2025 first-round pick via NJD, 2025 second-round pick, 2026 first-round pick via VGK

It’s clear the Flames need scoring help. In fact, they need quite a bit of it considering they entered the 4 Nations averaging 2.64 goals per game, which ranked 30th out of the NHL’s 32 teams. They have four first-round draft picks between the 2025 and 2026 cycles, and the necessary cap space to facilitate a deal.

What’s unclear, however, is if the Flames are the proverbial chicken or the egg. They returned from 4 Nations just three points out of the final wild-card spot, while on a three-game losing streak. The front office could decide that this simply might not be the year. Remember, this is a team that traded away Noah Hanifin, Jacob Markstrom, Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev and Tyler Toffoli last season — maybe the retool needs a little more time.

Deadline status: Find creative ways to strengthen their lineup
Cap space: $5.16 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 second-round pick, 2026 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick

The Oilers are a top-four team in goals per game and a top-eight team in goal prevention; in other words, this is one of the NHL’s more well-rounded teams.

But given their current cap restrictions, are the defending Western Conference champions in a position to bolster their roster to make another run? If they are able to add any help, they’re going to have to find a way to maximize their current space. The Oilers could use their draft capital to swing a deal for help — if they can get other teams to retain salary to make it work. Or they could be faced with having to move on from someone on their roster in order to create the flexibility needed.

Deadline status: Make the move that gets them beyond the first round
Cap space: $3.50 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick

The Kings rank in the bottom third in goals per game, while being near league average in scoring chances and high-danger scoring chances. They also need to add scoring depth.

While the Kings have more than a dozen players who have scored more than 10 points, six skaters — Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala, Alex Laferriere, Warren Foegele, Anze Kopitar and Quinton Byfield — have accounted for 75% of their goals this season. Adding more depth would help a team that’s trying to get out of the first round for the first time in more than a decade.

Deadline status: Add for the future
Cap space: $25.54 million
Players, picks in play: D Jan Rutta, F Luke Kunin, F Nico Sturm

Make no mistake, the Sharks’ focus is on building for the future. They’ve made a recent habit of having more than four pending UFAs on the roster in the event there’s a chance to attain draft capital via trade.

That happened already this season when they traded Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci to the Stars, which saw them add a second first-round pick for this year’s draft.

One note: The Sharks already have all three of their salary retention slots filled — but all three of their remaining pending UFAs listed above carry manageable cap hits that are less than $3 million annually. Now it’s just finding the right suitor for them.

Deadline status: Start planning for next season
Cap space: $4.27 million
Players, picks in play: F Yanni Gourde, F Brandon Tanev

The Kraken are staring at missing the playoffs for a consecutive season and for the third time in their four-year history. What does the future look like, and what current players will be part of that future?

Gourde and Tanev are attractive to contending teams as two-way players who provide depth (and a Stanley Cup pedigree, in Gourde’s case). The Kraken should do their best to get a return for them, with a chance to add more prospects or draft capital given all the questions they’ll have to answer this coming offseason.

Deadline status: Add scoring for the playoff push
Cap space: $8.97 million
Players, picks in play: D Carson Soucy, 2025 first-round pick, 2025 second-round pick, 2026 first-round pick

The Canucks’ primary mission before March 7 is to find another forward who can help fill the scoring void created by the J.T. Miller trade.

Moving on from Miller brought Filip Chytil to Vancouver. But is Chytil enough to make up for Miller’s production, given he had three straight seasons of more than 80 points? Chytil had three points in his first four games, which was a promising start. But the deadline could still provide the Canucks with a window to add another impact forward in their attempt to return to the playoffs.

Deadline status: Continue to add to a roster that’s in a championship window
Cap space: $1.88 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 second-round pick, 2026 second-round pick, 2027 first-round pick

The Golden Knights have continually proved they are willing to tinker with the roster to keep the championship contention window open as wide as possible. Don’t expect this trade season to be any different.

Keep in mind that they don’t have their first-round pick for the next two seasons. That hypothetically leaves them trying to figure out how they can add while balancing draft capital and their cap situation. But do not expect them to go quietly into the night, particularly as they remain among the top teams in the West.

The post NHL trade deadline preview for all 32 teams: Players, picks in play, what teams should do appeared first on World News Stories.

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  Alden GonzalezFeb 21, 2025, 08:00 AM ET

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  ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Sometime around mid-August last year, Mookie Betts convened with the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ coaches. He had taken stock of what transpired while he rehabbed a broken wrist, surveyed his team’s roster and accepted what had become plainly obvious: He needed to return to right field.

For the better part of five months, Betts had immersed himself in the painstaking task of learning shortstop in the midst of a major league season. It was a process that humbled him but also invigorated him, one he had desperately wanted to see through. On the day he gave it up, Chris Woodward, at that point an adviser who had intermittently helped guide Betts through the transition, sought him out. He shook Betts’ hand, told him how much he respected his efforts and thanked him for the work.

“Oh, it ain’t over yet,” Betts responded. “For now it’s over, but we’re going to win the World Series, and then I’m coming back.”

Woodward, now the Dodgers’ full-time first-base coach and infield instructor, recalled that conversation from the team’s spring training complex at Camelback Ranch last week and smiled while thinking about how those words had come to fruition. The Dodgers captured a championship last fall, then promptly determined that Betts, the perennial Gold Glove outfielder heading into his age-32 season, would be the every-day shortstop on one of the most talented baseball teams ever assembled.

From November to February, Betts visited high school and collegiate infields throughout the L.A. area on an almost daily basis in an effort to solidify the details of a transition he did not have time to truly prepare for last season.

Pedro Montero, one of the Dodgers’ video coordinators, placed an iPad onto a tripod and aimed its camera in Betts’ direction while he repeatedly pelted baseballs into the ground with a fungo bat, then sent Woodward the clips to review from his home in Arizona. The three spoke almost daily.

By the time Betts arrived in spring training, Woodward noticed a “night and day” difference from one year to the next. But he still acknowledges the difficulty of what Betts is undertaking, and he noted that meaningful games will ultimately serve as the truest arbiter.

The Dodgers have praised Betts for an act they described as unselfish, one that paved the way for both Teoscar Hernandez and Michael Conforto to join their corner outfield and thus strengthen their lineup. Betts himself has said his move to shortstop is a function of doing “what I feel like is best for the team.” But it’s also clear that shouldering that burden — and all the second-guessing and scrutiny that will accompany it — is something he wants.

He wants to be challenged. He wants to prove everybody wrong. He wants to bolster his legacy.

“Mookie wants to be the best player in baseball, and I don’t see why he wouldn’t want that,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think if you play shortstop, with his bat, that gives him a better chance.”

ONLY 21 PLAYERS since 1900 have registered 100 career games in right field and 100 career games at shortstop, according to ESPN Research. It’s a list compiled mostly of lifelong utility men. The only one among them who came close to following Betts’ path might have been Tony Womack, an every-day right fielder in his age-29 season and an every-day shortstop in the three years that followed. But Womack had logged plenty of professional shortstop experience before then.

Through his first 12 years in professional baseball, Betts accumulated just 13 starts at shortstop, all of them in rookie ball and Low-A from 2011 to 2012. His path — as a no-doubt Hall of Famer and nine-time Gold Glove right fielder who will switch to possibly the sport’s most demanding position in his 30s — is largely without precedent. And yet the overwhelming sense around the Dodgers is that if anyone can pull it off, it’s him.

“Mookie’s different,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “I think this kind of challenge is really fun for him. I think he just really enjoys it. He’s had to put in a lot of hard work — a lot of work that people haven’t seen — but I just think he’s such a different guy when it comes to the challenge of it that he’s really enjoying it. When you look at how he approaches it, he’s having so much fun trying to get as good as he can be. There’s not really any question in anyone’s mind here that he’s going to be a very good defensive shortstop.”

Betts entered the 2024 season as the primary second baseman, a position to which he had long sought a return, but transitioned to shortstop on March 8, 12 days before the Dodgers would open their season from South Korea, after throwing issues began to plague Gavin Lux. Almost every day for the next three months, Betts put himself through a rigorous pregame routine alongside teammate Miguel Rojas and third-base coach Dino Ebel in an effort to survive at the position.

The metrics were unfavorable, scouts were generally unimpressed and traditional statistics painted an unflattering picture — all of which was to be expected. Simply put, Betts did not have the reps. He hadn’t spent significant time at shortstop since he was a teenager at Overton High School in Nashville, Tennessee. He was attempting to cram years of experience through every level of professional baseball into the space allotted to him before each game, a task that proved impossible.

Betts committed nine errors during his time at shortstop, eight of them the result of errant throws. He often lacked the proper footwork to put himself in the best position to throw accurately across the diamond, but the Dodgers were impressed by how quickly he seemed to grasp other aspects of the position that seemed more difficult for others — pre-pitch timing, range, completion of difficult plays.

Shortly after the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees to win their first full-season championship since 1988, Betts sat down with Dodgers coaches and executives and expressed his belief that, if given the proper time, he would figure it out. And so it was.

“If Mook really wants to do something, he’s going to do everything he can to be an elite, elite shortstop,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. “I’m not going to bet against that guy.”

THE FIRST TASK was determining what type of shortstop Betts would be. Woodward consulted with Ryan Goins, the current Los Angeles Angels infield coach who is one of Betts’ best friends. The two agreed that he should play “downhill,” attacking the baseball, making more one-handed plays and throwing largely on the run, a style that fit better for a transitioning outfielder.

During a prior stint on the Dodgers’ coaching staff, Woodward — the former Texas Rangers manager who rejoined the Dodgers staff after Los Angeles’ previous first-base coach, Clayton McCullough, became the Miami Marlins‘ manager in the offseason — implemented the same style with Corey Seager, who was widely deemed too tall to remain a shortstop.

“He doesn’t love the old-school, right-left, two-hands, make-sure-you-get-in-front-of-the-ball type of thing,” Woodward said of Betts. “It doesn’t make sense to him. And I don’t coach that way. I want them to be athletic, like the best athlete they can possibly be, so that way they can use their lower half, get into their legs, get proper direction through the baseball to line to first. And that’s what Mookie’s really good at.”

Dodger Stadium underwent a major renovation of its clubhouse space over the offseason, making the field unusable and turning Montero and Betts into nomads. From the second week of November through the first week of February, the two trained at Crespi Carmelite High School near Betts’ home in Encino, California, then Sierra Canyon, Los Angeles Valley College and, finally, Loyola High.

For a handful of days around New Year’s, Betts flew to Austin, Texas, to get tutelage from Troy Tulowitzki, the five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner whose mechanics Betts was drawn to. In early January, when wildfires spread through the L.A. area, Betts flew to Glendale, Arizona, to train with Woodward in person.

Mostly, though, it was Montero as the eyes and ears on the ground and Woodward as the adviser from afar. Their sessions normally lasted about two hours in the morning, evolving from three days a week to five and continually ramping up in intensity. The goal for the first two months was to hone the footwork skills required to make a variety of different throws, but also to give Betts plenty of reps on every ground ball imaginable.

When January came, Betts began to carve out a detailed, efficient routine that would keep him from overworking when the games began. It accounted for every situation, included backup scenarios for uncontrollable events — when it rained, when there wasn’t enough time, when pregame batting practice stretched too long — and was designed to help Betts hold up. What was once hundreds of ground balls was pared down to somewhere in the neighborhood of 35, but everything was accounted for.

LAST YEAR, BETTS’ throws were especially difficult for Freddie Freeman to catch at first base, often cutting or sailing or darting. But when Freeman joined Betts in spring training, he noticed crisp throws that consistently arrived with backspin and almost always hit the designated target. Betts was doing a better job of getting his legs under him on batted balls hit in a multitude of directions. Also, Rojas said, he “found his slot.”

“Technically, talking about playing shortstop, finding your slot is very important because you’re throwing the ball from a different position than when you throw it from right field,” Rojas explained. “You’re not throwing the ball from way over the top or on the bottom. So he’s finding a slot that is going to work for him. He’s understanding now that you need a slot to throw the ball to first base, you need a slot to throw the ball to second base, you need a slot to throw the ball home and from the side.”

Dodgers super-utility player Enrique Hernandez has noticed a “more loose” Betts at shortstop this spring. Roberts said Betts is “two grades better” than he was last year, before a sprained left wrist placed him on the injured list on June 17 and prematurely ended his first attempt. Before reporting to spring training, Betts described himself as “a completely new person over there.”

“But we’ll see,” he added.

The games will be the real test. At that point, Woodward said, it’ll largely come down to trusting the work he has put in over the past four months. Betts is famously hard on himself, and so Woodward has made it a point to remind him that, as long as his process is sound, imperfection is acceptable.

“This is dirt,” Woodward will often tell him. “This isn’t perfect.”

The Dodgers certainly don’t need Betts to be their shortstop. If it doesn’t work out, he can easily slide back to second base. Rojas, the superior defender whose offensive production prompted Betts’ return to right field last season, can fill in on at least a part-time basis. So can Tommy Edman, who at this point will probably split his time between center field and second base, and so might Hyeseong Kim, the 26-year-old middle infielder who was signed out of South Korea this offseason.

But it’s clear Betts wants to give it another shot.

As Roberts acknowledged, “He certainly felt he had unfinished business.”

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