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We’re three weeks away from Thanksgiving — usually an all-important marker in the NHL.

In the salary cap era, if you’re in a playoff spot on the holiday, history says you have more than a 75% chance of making the postseason. It’s an indicator many front offices swear by, and will dictate how teams conduct business for the rest of the season — be it player additions, subtractions, or even coaching and management changes. Since the season began a week later than usual, those decisions may be pushed back. It’s still early, but here are some of the biggest stories percolating around the NHL early in the 2022-23 season.


World Cup of Hockey on ice?

There was a lot of optimism for the World Cup of Hockey returning in February 2024. According to multiple sources, that date is now in jeopardy — and the tournament could be pushed back. We should know an answer by the end of the month. This weekend is key, as the NHL, NHLPA and IIHF representatives will all be present in Toronto for Hall of Fame festivities and are expected to continue discussions and hopefully firm up answers.

However if solutions aren’t found soon, it would make February 2024 unrealistic. The logistics for the tournament are complicated. It will occur midseason for the NHL. There are expected to be early-round games in Europe; the final rounds would be in North America. If the NHL helps stage a tournament, it wants to do it right.

One of the biggest issues is the participation of Russian players as the war in Ukraine continues on. The IIHF has banned Russia from international events, but the NHL and NHLPA were hopeful that they could find a solution — such as having Russian athletes compete under a neutral name or flag. However, some participating countries have said that’s not satisfactory, and have advocated that no Russian players participate at all. Other remaining issues: The IIHF’s top business partners have also expressed trepidation over holding the tournament in the middle of the NHL season. And the NHL is still in negotiations over broadcast rights in North America.


Devils competing now and building for later

As Devils coach Lindy Ruff was introduced to the crowd at the home opener last month, he was booed by some. Then the Devils lost for the second straight game, 5-2.

“It sucked, it was terrible to hear that. The first Sunday of the season was not fun for me at all,” GM Tom Fitzgerald said. “But by no means is that going to persuade me on any decisions. It’s a tough market. Yankees fans booed Aaron Judge in the playoffs after he hit 62 home runs. Coaches have been booed in New Jersey before Lindy, too. The one thing that helps is winning.”

And that’s exactly what the Devils have done. New Jersey is one of the NHL’s biggest surprises, atop the Metropolitan Division at 9-3. Fitzgerald credits a commitment to team defense as the biggest reason. But the offseason moves have paid off.

John Marino is better than I anticipated,” Fitzgerald said. And Vitek Vanecek has been an important 1B goalie, especially as Mackenzie Blackwood is shelved with yet another injury. Blackwood is being further evaluated by doctors Tuesday, but early word is that he sustained a mid- to low-grade sprained MCL, which should sideline him for three to six weeks

• The Devils were dealt a blow when their biggest offseason signing — two-time Stanley Cup champion Ondrej Palat — underwent groin surgery after just six games. While Fitzgerald says Palat’s impact is still felt off the ice — setting an example for young players — it doesn’t sound like the Devils will use the LTIR space to add short-term help. And even if their success continues, it doesn’t sound like the Devils will be in the market for any late-season rentals.

Fitzgerald said he has been working the phones for “hockey trades” (like the John Marino for Ty Smith deal) but it’s against his philosophy to bring in a player for a few months to help out, especially where his team is in their evolution.

“I believe you build a team over the summer versus over the trade deadline,” Fitzgerald said. “I was a trade deadline acquisition twice. One time I left two young boys behind [at home], the other time I left three young boys behind. It’s really hard on the player. I was also [in management] in Pittsburgh when we acquired James Neal midseason. He tried, but it was just too quick of an ask and he couldn’t do what he needed to do. When he was able to stay the summer and get work in with guys like Evgeni Malkin, you saw a much better version of him the following year.”

While the Devils have some needs — including wanting to get bigger — Fitzgerald said he is not “picking up something just to add.”

“We have been talking about player development for a while, now we owe it to these kids to see what we have,” Fitzgerald said. “They’re assets, whether they help us here or help us get players here.”

The Devils haven’t given a timeline, but I heard it’s looking like anywhere from two to three months for Palat. “When we get Ondrej back, that’s just a luxury,” Fitzgerald said.


Status of Blackhawks’ rebuild

When the Blackhawks went on a four-game winning streak early in October, people kept asking Chicago GM Kyle Davidson one thing: “Are you happy?” Because this isn’t according to plan. The Blackhawks aren’t supposed to be good this season. They’ve been transparent about it. They’re in a rebuild.

“It’s funny because it goes against what some people thought we were going to be,” Davidson says. “Everyone is focused on the draft, right? But we’re trying to do the best thing for the team and organization every night, and that’s putting a hardworking effort on the ice. Every night we show up, we want to win. We’re not putting a team on the ice that we expect to lose. Wherever we end up in the standings, it’s our job and our scouting staff’s job to find talent from that point.”

The one thing I have heard consistently about Chicago from players and player agents is that the vibes around the locker room are more positive than last year. Winning helps. There’s been a buy-in to the blue-collar style Luke Richardson and his staff have implemented. But the organization, despite their goals of a long-term build, have made sure everyone feels appreciated through the process. For example, the team stayed an extra night on their California trip. The players golfed at Pebble Beach while the staff got a day in Napa. That’s not an insignificant expense. But it can have a significant impact.

• Davidson is not putting a timeline on Patrick Kane to make a decision on where — if at all — he’d like to be traded. Asked whether he has had any conversations with other teams on Kane, Davidson was emphatic: “Zero. Zero conversations.” Since it’s expected to be a complicated trade — including a waived no-move clause, and probable retention of salary — Davidson said he “didn’t foresee anything soon.” On where things stand with Jonathan Toews, Davidson said: “We’re just glad he’s back and feeling good and producing.” I’ve heard that some teams are looking at Toews, especially given the start he’s having (seven goals in 12 games). Like Kane, Toews has a NMC, so it’s up to him if he wants to leave (and where).

I have heard some people around the league wonder about Seth Jones’ availability. Jones’ contract ($9.5 million cap hit through 2029-30) is more intriguing with the salary cap potentially rising by $4 million this summer. Davidson poured some cold water on that. He said every conversation his front office has had about future plans has included Jones. “Seth is a big part of what we’re doing here moving forward,” he said. “We feel really lucky to have Seth on our team and on our team long-term.” Now if a team calls with an offer on Jones that blows them away, the Blackhawks will listen, but they’re not going out shopping him. And that’s exactly where Davidson expects to be by the March 3 trade deadline for his entire roster. “Given the situation we’re in, we’re going to be a team that certainly listens,” Davidson said. “They have to be things that are advantageous for us, but we’ll see how it shakes out. The one thing we’re always going to have our eyes on is building the right way.”


Price will be high for Senators

The Ottawa Senators are for sale, and it’s expected to be a months-long process. Once the Senators identify their preferred buyer, the sale would need to be approved by commissioner Gary Bettman and the NHL’s board of governors. The sale is contingent on a background check.

The next BOG meeting is scheduled for December in Florida. However, because of the additional layers involved, it’s unlikely a sale would be approved then.

But here’s the good news for the league: While Sportico listed the Senators as worth $650 million in its latest valuations, one NHL owner told ESPN he’s “realistically optimistic” the Senators will be sold for more than that. There are expected to be multiple bidders — yes, including actor Ryan Reynolds, who has expressed interest — which will drive up the price. But perhaps more importantly, the sale will be tied to a real estate opportunity, as the new owner can help seal a deal for a long-coveted downtown arena.

“When Fenway [Sports Group] came in and took control of the Penguins, obviously they were interested in the team and getting involved with the NHL,” the owner said. “But I think that land around the arena was just as attractive to them.”


A winning trade

Could the Jack Eichel trade be the rare NHL deal that works out perfectly for both sides? Eichel (14 points in 13 games) and the Vegas Golden Knights (best record in the West at 11-2-0) are flying. But so too are the Buffalo Sabres, who began to feel a culture change in their locker room in the middle of last season. Buffalo (7-5) is keeping up in the competitive Atlantic Division and has a good shot of breaking its league-worst 11-year playoff drought. Eicher will be returning to Buffalo for the second time on Thursday night (ESPN+/Hulu, 7 ET).

Two facts about the Sabres: They are the youngest team in the league and have the highest cap space in the league. GM Kevyn Adams would like to reward the fan base and have his young team experience playoff hockey, but he’s not going to lose sight of the larger plan, which includes sustained success.

Asked how he plans on using his cap space, Adams laughed. “That’s a good question,” the Buffalo GM said. “We’re always going to talk about every opportunity to get better, but you also have to know long term there are bigger goals, and in the evolution of where we want to be as a franchise, we’re still building. One thing we know we want to do is reward the players who are here, and the next step is signing them to big contracts.”

Dylan Cozens is an RFA this summer while No. 1 overall picks Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin are eligible for long-term extensions beginning this summer. All three players are viewed by the Sabres as critical in the larger plan.

One of the big things Adams and coach Don Granato have done is empower their young players. Part of that is letting them know they don’t have to be perfect. “We’re encouraging our players to play fearlessly, to make mistakes,” Adams said.

That has helped unlock a new level for Dahlin, who is playing with more confidence than we’ve seen since he entered the NHL.


Latest in Boston

The Bruins’ signing of Mitchell Miller summed up in a text by a rival executive: “One of the biggest unforced errors I’ve seen in my two decades working in this sport.” Boston cut ties with the 20-year-old defenseman on Sunday, but it’s a stain on the judgment and processes for Bruins president Cam Neely (who apologized Monday) and GM Don Sweeney. It’s embarrassing enough to note that “new information” came forward after considering the signing for a year. Mitchell was convicted in juvenile court in 2016 of racially abusing and bullying a classmate, Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, who is Black. Bruins management never reached out to the parents of the victim, who have maintained that Miller never properly apologized to their son.

Kudos to Bruins players — specifically captain Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Nick Foligno — who all publicly voiced their discomfort with the signing. There’s a lot of strong leadership in that locker room.

• Jim Montgomery and Bruins management addressed the team ahead of training camp, a typical practice in the NHL. When Montgomery was done with his speech, Bergeron stood up and gave his own speech. And then Charlie McAvoy, who wears an A, stood up and said something. And then the rest of the leadership group followed. Montgomery didn’t know it was coming. He just watched in awe. “I’ve never seen that in all of my years in the game,” Montgomery said. “I think it’s something they’ve always done, going back to [Zdeno] Chara. The leadership in this room is different than anything I’ve ever experienced.”

Montgomery has a theory for why his team has been so quick to adapt to his systems. The team already played good defense, and had centers who take pride in a responsible game. “They already knew how to play away from the puck,” he said. “I didn’t need to change anything there; that eliminated a lot of teaching.”

So a majority of drills have featured how the Bruins wanted to play with the puck. “And that was fun for guys, right? It’s exciting,” Montgomery said. “More practice was slanted toward offense, playing with the puck, and the guys really took to that.”

• One bright spot on the Bruins is the resurgence of Foligno. Many fans were counting out the 35-year-old former Blue Jackets captain, who makes $5.5 million but scored just two goals last year. He was put on waivers to start the season.

Foligno has been a revelation for Boston’s bottom six, with three goals and four assists in his first 12 games, looking more like the version we knew in Columbus.

“He was recuperating from a massive surgery. He didn’t get time to train. When you’ve lived comfortably somewhere for a decade, and you have three young kids, and you move and now your wife doesn’t know anyone, and you don’t know where to go, you come home and your house is kind of a mess,” Montgomery said. “He told me before the season, ‘I hate to make excuses, but all of those things are not a problem anymore.’ And he’s been so much better for us.”


Early draft rumblings

Before the season, a director of amateur scouting suggested to me a story idea: “Will Connor Bedard really go No. 1?” He then watched one of Bedard’s games with the Regina Pats, and reported back. “Never mind,” he said. “Clear-cut No. 1.”

Bedard has had a terrific start to his WHL season, which should cement his status come June. The only reason for trepidation is that behind him are elite players who might have had the chance to go No. 1 in other years. The University of Michigan’s Adam Fantilli and Sweden’s Leo Carlsson have both received very high praise. Then there’s Russia’s Matvei Michkov, who is expected to still go top five — despite the inherent risk of when he’ll be able to come play in North America, since the winger is under contract in Russia through the 2025-26 season.

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Sources: Jays give Vlad Jr. 14-year, $500M deal

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Sources: Jays give Vlad Jr. 14-year, 0M deal

First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays are in agreement on a 14-year, $500 million contract extension, pending physical, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Sunday night.

This is a monumental, no-deferral deal to keep the homegrown star in Toronto for the rest of his career, and comes as the 5-5 Blue Jays are in the midst of a road trip that takes them to Fenway Park to meet the Boston Red Sox on Monday.

Guerrero, 26, a four-time All-Star and son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, had said he would not negotiate during the season after the sides failed to come to an agreement before he reported to spring training. The sides continued talking, however, and sealed a deal that is the third largest in Major League Baseball history, behind only Juan Soto‘s 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets and Shohei Ohtani‘s 10-year, $700 million pact with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Blue Jays, snakebit in recent years by Soto and Ohtani signing elsewhere, received a long-term commitment from their best homegrown talent since Hall of Famer Roy Halladay.

They had tried to sign Guerrero to a long-term deal for years to no avail. Toronto got a glimpse of Guerrero’s talent when he debuted shortly after his 20th birthday in 2019 and homered 15 times as a rookie. His breakout season came in 2021, when Guerrero finished second to Aaron Judge in American League MVP voting after hitting .311/.401/.601 with 48 home runs and 111 RBIs.

Guerrero followed with a pair of solid-but-below-expectations seasons in 2022 and 2023, and in mid-May 2024, he sported an OPS under .750 as the Blue Jays struggled en route to an eventual last-place finish. Over his last 116 games in 2024, the Guerrero of 2021 reemerged, as he hit .343/.407/.604 with 26 home runs and 84 RBIs.

With a payroll expected to exceed the luxury tax threshold of $241 million, the Blue Jays ended the season’s first week atop the American League East standings. Toronto dropped to 5-3 on Friday after a loss to the Mets, in which Guerrero collected a pair of singles, raising his season slash line to .267/.343/.367.

Between Guerrero and shortstop Bo Bichette‘s free agency after the 2025 season, the Blue Jays faced a potential reckoning. Though Bichette is expected to play out the season before hitting the open market, Guerrero’s deal lessens the sting of Toronto’s pursuits of Ohtani in 2023 and Soto in 2024.

Toronto shook off the signings of Soto and first baseman Pete Alonso with the Mets, left-hander Max Fried with the New York Yankees and infielder Alex Bregman with the Boston Red Sox to retool their roster. Toronto gave outfielder Anthony Santander a heavily deferred five-year, $92.5 million contract, brought in future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer on a one-year, $15.5 million deal, bolstered its bullpen with right-handers Jeff Hoffman and Yimi Garcia, and traded for Platinum Glove-winning second baseman Andres Gimenez, who is hitting cleanup.

Toronto’s long-term commitments will allow for significant financial flexibility. In addition to Bichette and Scherzer, right-hander Chris Bassitt and relievers Chad Green and Erik Swanson are free agents after this season. After 2026, the nine-figure deals of outfielder George Springer and right-hander Kevin Gausman come off the books, as well.

Building around Guerrero is a good place to start. One of only a dozen players in MLB with at least two seasons of six or more Wins Above Replacement since 2021, Guerrero consistently is near the top of MLB leaderboards in hardest-hit balls, a metric that typically translates to great success.

Like his father, who hit 449 home runs and batted .318 over a 16-year career, Guerrero has rare bat-to-ball skills, particularly for a player with top-of-the-scale power. In his six MLB seasons, Guerrero has hit .288/.363/.499 with 160 home runs, 510 RBIs and 559 strikeouts against 353 walks.

Originally a third baseman, Guerrero shifted to first base during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Had the Blue Jays signed Alonso, they signaled the possibility of Guerrero returning full time to third, where he played a dozen games last year.

With the extension in place, the 6-foot-2, 245-pound Guerrero is expected to remain at first base and reset a market that had been topped by the eight-year, $248 million extension Miguel Cabrera signed just shy of his 31st birthday in 2014.

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Jackson-Earnhardt Jr. trademark dispute resolved

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Jackson-Earnhardt Jr. trademark dispute resolved

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -= It looks like Dale Earnhardt Jr. has waved the red flag in a short-lived trademark dispute with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

The NASCAR legend announced Friday on social media that he has secured the right to use a stylized version of No. 8 and will abandon the original No. 8 logo used by Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports. This decision came two days after Jackson filed an opposition claim with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to stop Earnhardt from putting that JR Motorsports version of No. 8 on merchandising.

“We are looking forward to the remainder of an already successful season,” Earnhardt wrote on social media.

Jackson, who has worn No. 8 since his college days at Louisville, previously registered the trademark “ERA 8 by Lamar Jackson.” His filing had argued Earnhardt’s attempt to trademark that particular version of No. 8 would create confusion among consumers.

The trademark review for a challenge can take more than a year. If the U.S. Patent and Trademark appeal board would have denied Earnhardt, Jackson could have sued him if Earnhardt had used it for merchandising.

This isn’t the first time that Jackson has tried to stop another athlete from filing a trademark on this number. In July, Jackson challenged Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman’s attempt to use “EIGHT” on apparel and bags.

When asked about this dispute last summer, Jackson said, “We’re going to keep this about football. That’s outside noise. We’re sticking with [talking about training] camp, football, and that’s it.”

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Hamlin holds off Byron in OT for Darlington win

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Hamlin holds off Byron in OT for Darlington win

DARLINGTON, S.C. — Denny Hamlin did his job so his pit crew could do its most stellar stop at the perfect time.

Hamlin came into the pits after a final caution in third place and told himself to hit every mark, then let his guys take over.

And that’s what the Joe Gibbs Racing group did, pulling off a perfect winning moment that sent Hamlin out with the lead. He took over on the final restart and held off William Byron to win the Goodyear 400 on Sunday.

It was Hamlin’s 56th career NASCAR win, his fifth at Darlington Raceway and his second straight this season

“When you think about 56 wins, that’s a huge deal,” said Gibbs, Hamlin’s longtime car owner.

Hamlin said he hung on throughout as Byron and others looked like they might pull out victory. Instead, Hamlin waited out his time and then pounced as he broke away during the green-white-checkered finish.

“I can still do it, I can do it at a high level and look forward to winning a lot of races this year,” Hamlin said.

Hamlin won for a second straight week after his success at Martinsville.

Hamlin chose the outside lane for a final restart and shot out to the lead and pulled away from series points leader Byron and NASCAR wins leader Christopher Bell.

Hamlin looked like he’d have a strong finish, but not a winning one as Ryan Blaney passed Tyler Reddick for the lead with three laps left. But moments later, Kyle Larson spun out forcing a final caution and the extra laps.

It was then time for Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing pit crew to shine as it got him out quickly and in the lead.

Byron, who led the first 243 laps, was second with Hamlin’s JGR teammate Bell in third.

“There are two people I really love right now, my pit crew and Kyle Larson,” Hamlin said to a round of boos from those in the stands.

Reddick was fourth and Blaney was fifth. The rest of the top 10 finishers were Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, Ty Gibbs and Kyle Busch.

Hamlin credited the past two victories to his pit crew.

“The pit crew just did an amazing job,” he said. “They won it last week, they won it this week. It’s all about them.”

Blaney had thought he was clear to his first-ever Darlington victory after getting by Reddick late. When he saw the caution flag for Larson’s spin, he said he thought, “Oh, no! I thought we had the race won.”

So did Byron, who sought was to become the first NASCAR driver in nearly 25 years to lead every lap on the way to victory. He got shuffled down the standings during the last round of green-flag pit stops and could not recover.

“It was looking like it was going to be a perfect race and we were going to lead every lap,” he said.

But once “we lost control, it was too late to get back up there,” Byron said.

Bad day

Kyle Larson, who won the Southern 500 here in 2023, had high hopes for a second Darlington win. But he slid into the inside wall coming off the second turn on lap three and went right to garage where his team worked the next couple of hours to get him back on track. Larson returned on lap 164 after falling 161 laps off the pace. Larson finished next to last in 37th.

Biffle’s ride

Greg Biffle, the last NASCAR driver to win consecutive Cup Series victories at Darlington in 2006 and 2007, drove the pace car for the Goodyear 400 on Sunday. Biffle has had an eventful few months, flying rescue missions with his helicopter into areas of the Southeast affected by devastating Hurricane Helene in September.

Biffle was planning a weeklong trip to the Bahamas when his phone started going off about people stranded in parts of Western North Carolina.

“I went to the hangar and the power was out,” Biffle said. “We got the hangar down open with the tug and got the helicopter out. Once I got in the air, I realized what had taken place.”

Biffle then flew the next 11 days from “sunup to sundown.”

“It was incredible,” Biffle said. “It was pretty tough going for the first week.”

Biffle won the Myers Brothers Humanitarian Award for his work.

Up next

The series goes to Bristol on April 13 before taking its traditional Easter break.

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