Why we’re seeing more — and better — Russian goalies in the NHL than ever before
One of the first things Evgeni Nabokov did after retiring from the NHL in 2015 was to fly back to Moscow so he could visit friends and watch hockey with them.
There was a night when Nabokov and his friends were joined by Vladislav Tretiak — yes, the man considered to be one of the greatest goaltenders of all time — and they went to watch a game where the focal point was the opposing young goalies.
“Who do you think those young kids were? It was [Igor] Shesterkin and [Ilya] Sorokin. I had no idea who they were,” said Nabokov, whose 353 career victories are the most by a Russian goalie in NHL history. “I watched five minutes and everyone starts asking me what I think of them. I said I’d hate to make any judgments five minutes into the game. That’s when everybody said, ‘Watch, that is the next generation of kids coming.'”
Little did Nabokov know the statement made by his friends cosplaying as soothsayers about the future of Russian goaltending would be both correct and applicable to more up-and-comers than just Shesterkin and Sorokin.
The NHL has had Russian goaltenders before. But what’s being done by the current group — and what is expected to lie ahead — has many considering this to be a golden age of Russian goaltending in the league.
Shesterkin is the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, and he and Sorokin, who are longtime friends, became first-time NHL All-Stars this season while playing for the rival New York Rangers and New York Islanders, respectively. Then there’s Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who became a five-time All-Star this season to go with his two Stanley Cups, his Conn Smythe Award and his Vezina, accomplishing all that before turning 29.
“Shesterkin, I have played against him since we were 6 years old. … He was on such a bad team,” Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov said. “My team would beat them 16-0. Even when we were 13, 14 years old. It was kind of a surprise for me where he ended up. Sorokin, he was from a small city. He was my age too, but he had never been to national teams or anything like that. So I had never heard of him, but then he became good.
“Vasilevskiy has always been great. Everyone’s been talking about Vasilevskiy since he was 10, probably.”
Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky became the first Russian to win the Vezina in 2012-13, won a second Vezina in 2016-17 and is six wins away from surpassing Nabokov’s record for most wins by a Russian goalie. Sorokin’s partner with the Islanders, Semyon Varlamov, who in 2006 was the first Russian goaltender to be a first-round NHL draft pick, was a longtime starter who is closing in on being only the fourth Russian goalie with 300 wins.
Shesterkin’s former Rangers partner, the Bulgarian-born Alexandar Georgiev, is a dual Russian citizen who has emerged as a No. 1 goaltender with the defending Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. The Toronto Maple Leafs have watched Ilya Samsonov regain the consistency that led to a successful start to his career but eluded him toward the end of his time with the Washington Capitals, the team that drafted him with a first-round pick in 2015.
Among Bobrovsky, Shesterkin and Vasilevskiy, a Russian has won the Vezina four times in the last 10 seasons. That’s the most of any nation in that time, with Canada having three winners, Finland having two and the United States having one.
And then there are those awaiting their turn. The Carolina Hurricanes have made it clear that Pyotr Kochetkov is their goalie of the future, having signed him to a four-year extension. The Columbus Blue Jackets have seen glimpses of a bright future with Daniil Tarasov, whereas the Nashville Predators used a first-round pick in 2020 to select Yaroslav Askarov, who already played one game with the Preds in what is his first full campaign in North America.
In all, 10 Russian goaltenders have played in the NHL this year. That is tied with Sweden for the third most of all nationalities, per QuantHockey. Yet the most telling part about that statistic is there have been only 23 goalies who have identified as Russian in NHL history, so nearly half of them have played this season.
“When you look at how [Ilya] Bryzgalov, [Nikolai] Khabibulin and Nabokov played, it gave us a chance that we could do it,” Shesterkin said. “They helped so much. We didn’t have a lot of goalies before from Russia. But right now, you can see we have a lot of Russian goalies. Old ones, young ones, we have a lot more in Russia too. I think they helped us a lot. I think they showed us what we had to do.”
ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT the foundation of the current wave of Russian goaltenders in the NHL has to begin with Tretiak, who retired in 1984 at age 32 while still a top-level goalie. His performances for the Soviet Union were legendary and his training methods have had a lasting impact.
Old footage throughout the years revealed how Tretiak concentrated on details such as his agility, flexibility, lateral movement and positioning. Tretiak once showed Wayne Gretzky a few of those drills. There was one in which Tretiak squatted and kicked out his legs, which was said to have drawn inspiration from a Cossack dance troupe. He then continued with the drill while simultaneously juggling tennis balls.
But as Shesterkin, among others, has said, the group of goalies that included Bryzgalov, Khabibulin and Nabokov was also rather important. They became critical role models for a younger generation back home who would wake up at bizarre hours to watch their games or find YouTube clips of them and draw inspiration.
There had been only three Russian goalies in NHL history prior to Bryzgalov, Khabibulin and Nabokov. Sergei Mylnikov was the first in league history. He came to North America at 31 and played 10 games with the Quebec Nordiques in the 1989-90 season. He was followed by Andrei Trefilov and Mikhail Shtalenkov. Trefilov played 58 career games spread out over eight seasons in the 1990s, while Shtalenkov played 190 games in seven seasons from 1993 to 2000.
Khabibulin was a five-time All-Star who became the first Russian goaltender to win a Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bryzgalov became the second, winning the Cup with Anaheim in 2007, while Nabokov won a Calder Trophy in addition to becoming a two-time All-Star. Each of them had long careers, with Khabibulin playing 799 games, Nabokov 697 and Bryzgalov 465.
“Obviously now, we have social media and have access to all this stuff,” said Nabokov, who grew up in what is now known as Kazakhstan. “Back in the day, we did not have that access. We didn’t know what they thought or if they were watching our games. If a game is at 7 p.m. in California, it is 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. in Moscow or Kazakhstan. You never think about stuff like that.”
Bryzgalov and Nabokov both said they never really thought about whether their success was having an impact back home in Russia. Nor did they sit around and have those conversations among the three of them. Bryzgalov said the only times he was in the same place as Khabibulin and Nabokov were international tournaments that were so quick, there was not really time to get into deep, philosophical conversations.
“You have to ask the younger generation who came after us and if they looked at us or if we had any impact on their game or their maturity while they were growing up,” Bryzgalov said. “For us, it is like history. It is only the future generations who can really judge the history, not the people who made that history.”
How impactful was that group of goaltenders to the younger generation?
“We’ve been watching them since we were kids,” said Vasilevskiy, whose father was a goalie and played against Nabokov back home. “We were watching them and imagining ourselves in the net. It was a great example for us that anything’s possible and if you work hard, one day, you can be like them. I had a chance to play with Nabokov my rookie year here and it was such a great experience. You’ve been watching that guy on TV for so many years and now you’re in the locker room talking to him. It was unbelievable.”
HOW BRYZGALOV AND Nabokov each reached the NHL shows that the Russian development model back then was not monolithic. Nabokov, now the director of goaltending and goalie coach for the San Jose Sharks, is the son of a goaltender who also played professionally. When he was coming up, they worked on technical aspects of the position, but it was never classified as “goalie sessions or goalie practices,” Nabokov said.
Nabokov said the goalies played 3-on-3 cross-ice games while wearing their full equipment. Playing those games taught them how to be better stickhandlers while feeling more comfortable with their skating. They would also have lessons about the natural way to hold a stick and the natural way to slide.
Bryzgalov said he never had a goalie coach until he arrived in North America after being drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in 2000.
“I was like a wildflower just growing in the field,” Bryzgalov said. “Sometimes, it is the most beautiful flowers that grow in the field. In the spring, you go in the mountains and are like, ‘What is on the field?’ and you see flowers just blossom everywhere. That is how I was growing up.”
Bryzgalov said goalie coaches were not common in Russia at that time. He would receive instructions from the forward coach about basic ideas on how to position his stick to prevent goals, mostly things he already had figured out on his own.
He said the mentality was direct: A far-side goal is just a great shot. A five-hole goal is an accident. He’d ask about backdoor goals and was told to not worry about it because that was a defenseman’s responsibility.
Nabokov said the approach to goaltending in the 1980s and ’90s was nowhere near as technical as it is today. He said being a goaltender was more about using your athletic ability and having great hands. Having great hands usually meant a goaltender would have good reactions.
It was more about agility and flexibility than anything else. Nabokov said they shied away from heavy weightlifting while concentrating more on exercises that strengthened their legs while also keeping them quick.
“Tennis balls were involved all the time,” Nabokov said. “When you are a kid, as soon as you get to the locker room, the coaches tell you that you should sleep with a tennis ball and bounce the tennis ball against the wall and do certain drills. They’d tell you to even sleep with a tennis ball so you could get used to it with your eyes. Now, they call that tracking.”
A number of those drills that Nabokov and others used were inspired by Tretiak. They were passed down through the generations that included Vasilevskiy, who said he still uses quite a bit of what he learned as a child and applies it to his daily routine.
Vasilevskiy said he was around 6 or 7 when he started doing lunges while simultaneously juggling two or three balls at a time. That way, he could improve his agility and strengthen his core and legs while sharpening his hand-eye coordination.
He smiles while openly admitting some of what he does may look bizarre. But it gets results.
“Even now, I am still doing some stuff on the Swiss ball that still looks weird. Like if another player sees this, he’s like, ‘What the f— are you doing?'” Vasilevskiy said. “It looks weird, but it helps. But goalies are also weird. I’ve been doing those drills in the gym for a long time.”
Goalie coaches in Russia are starting to implement more of the technical aspects of the game, Vasilevskiy said.
Shesterkin said there are a number of good goalie coaches in Russia, but sees Rashit Davydov as one of the most influential figures. A former goalie himself, Davydov has been a fixture in Russian hockey for nearly 20 years, having worked for clubs such as Dynamo Moscow and SKA St. Petersburg. Davydov also worked for the Russian Hockey Federation for eight seasons.
Shesterkin said Davydov has also worked with Bobrovsky, Sorokin and Vasilevskiy.
“He always looked at the small things,” Shesterkin said. “Rashit, he sees what different people cannot see. He worked with me mentally. We worked every day 30 minutes before practice with my goalie drills like skating. If I did a bad angle on a reverse, he’d say, ‘What are you doing?'”
WHILE THE TECHNICAL aspects are being taught, the trait that was discussed the most when it came to Russian goalies was their overall physical profile, which emphasizes agility, lateral movements, quickness, size and speed.
Hurricanes goalie coach Paul Schonfelder has been impressed by how practically every Russian goalie in the NHL has those attributes in great supply. His fascination stems from an Ottawa summer goalie camp that he worked at that was run by current Arizona Coyotes goaltending development coach Charlie McTavish.
McTavish and Schonfelder had a connection with a Russian agent who lived in Ottawa, himself a former goalie. He’d send his clients who were playing in Russia to Ottawa for these summer camps so they could work with North American goalie coaches to help further their development.
Vasilevskiy was one of the goalies that McTavish and Schonfelder worked with during those camps. Schonfelder said Vasilevskiy attended the camp for around five years. Seeing Vasilevskiy and the rest of the Russian goalies who came to Ottawa forced Schonfelder to take a deeper look at what made them so dynamic.
“One of the reasons they wanted to come over here is the way we train goalies in North America is a more structured approach,” Schonfelder said. “They had the athletic base, but now they were older and they needed a structure to round out the technical game. When we saw these guys, they did certain things technically that made you say, ‘Wow, that’s not right. That does not really look great.’ But they found a way to make the save and get it done.”
Schonfelder deduced that those goaltenders were allowed to make and learn from mistakes while incorporating a strong athletic base before adding the needed structure to become more complete. He said that differs from the North American approach, in which there are children as young as 7 with private goalie coaches who gain so much structure early on that they trust that instead of their athleticism.
In the 2017-18 season, Schonfelder was hired by the Hurricanes as a goaltending consultant before his current role as the team’s goalie coach. Part of his job was scouting prospects, and there was one who checked every box in terms of being that athletic Russian goalie who offered quite a bit of promise.
That goalie was Kochetkov.
Hurricanes assistant general manager Darren Yorke said Kochetkov was a classic example of a late bloomer. Yorke said Kochetkov’s first international exposure came at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championships, where he helped guide Russia to a gold medal. From there, the Canes were able to get footage of Kochetkov from earlier games while also monitoring what he did the rest of his season.
“I think it was the athleticism first and foremost for me,” Yorke said of Kochetkov, whom the Canes chose in the second round (No. 36 overall) in the 2019 draft. “It was just the explosiveness. He can go from one side of the crease to the other. It’s really breathtaking to say the least. I remember sitting there live and watching the World Juniors and watching him move side to side in the crease. It almost seemed routine with that athleticism because of how he used it to play.”
Yorke said there is never that one moment when a team is sure someone is the player for them. He said the decision to draft a player for the Canes comes back to how the team evaluates the player while remaining grounded with each piece of information it receives.
Schonfelder and Yorke speak about Kochetkov with a measured tone. On one hand, maybe he can follow the path of his countrymen and be the next bona fide No. 1 goaltender from Russia. On the other, they want him to be his own player and not weigh him down with expectations at a time when Russian goalies are making their mark.
“I want to say he could be the next guy,” Schonfelder said. “I don’t want to say he is the next Vasilevskiy because there is only one. It’s a very young stage in his NHL career. But I will be honest with you, I thought that in my head when I first watched him play and I first scouted him, that this guy has what you see with the Russian goalies in the NHL. You take a goalie in the second round, you have expectations that this guy is going to be a really good goaltender for your NHL team.”
Lightning goalie coach Frantz Jean, who has worked with Vasilevskiy since he came to the NHL, was asked what stood out about the current crop of Russian goalies.
His answer? Some of what we are seeing seems rather familiar.
“I think there’s a cycle to it,” Jean said. “There’s been that Quebec farm system for a long time during the ’80s and ’90s. Then it was the Finns and then it was the Swedes. Now for the past six, seven, eight years — probably close to a decade — it has been the Russian goaltenders.”
Jean continued by saying another attribute that makes Russian goaltenders different — beyond their physical traits — is their skating. He said they can quickly move and pivot, which places them ahead of goalies from other nations when it comes to the power they can generate and the precision that comes with it.
“I think all the countries are on the same page with how the goalies should play now,” Jean said. “You can have the same technique for all the goalies, but if you are able to identify the best athletes and teach that technique — and it’s like this in any sport — now you’ve got something really special.”
All the talk about Russian goalies has led to another question: What could have happened if NHL players had been allowed to go to the most recent Olympics?
Every nation would have faced a number of fascinating roster possibilities if NHL players had been allowed to participate. Figuring out which three goalies would have made the Russian Olympic Committee team was one of them. Vasilevskiy already had a spot because he was part of the first three players named to the ROC’s initial roster along with Lightning teammate Nikita Kucherov and Capitals left winger Alexander Ovechkin.
“At some point I looked and asked myself, ‘How do I make a choice here?'” said Nabokov, who would have been the ROC’s goalie coach. “It’s almost like you can dream of having that many good goaltenders. But I have to pick three. Then, I have to pick the one who is going to play. … It’s just unreal. You can probably say three of them are among the five best goalies in the world.”
The 2025 season is on the way and several budding players on our Way-Too-Early Top 25 teams are primed for breakout campaigns.
Tony Rojas should add to Penn State’s proud Linebacker U tradition. After a banner freshman season, safety KJ Bolden is on his way to becoming Georgia’s next defensive star. And incoming freshman running back Gideon Davidson could give Clemson’s offense an immediate jolt.
Who else could break out in 2025? Our college football experts break it down:
Breakout player: Eddrick Houston, DE
With all four starting defensive linemen (Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams, Ty Hamilton) from the national title team moving on to the NFL, the Buckeyes have a major void to fill up front. But Houston, the No. 35 overall recruit last year, seems primed to step into a lynchpin role along the defensive line. Houston (6-foot-3, 270 pounds) was recruited as a defensive end but played inside last season. Wherever he ends up in 2025, he figures to be an impact player for the Buckeyes. — Jake Trotter
Breakout player: Arch Manning, QB
It’s kind of hard to break out when your name is Arch Manning — even if he’s a first-year starter — so we’ll go with the man who could be Manning’s security blanket in coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense: Spencer Shannon. Two years ago, Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders caught 45 passes for 682 yards. Last season, TE Gunnar Helm caught 60 passes for 786 yards and seven TDs. As a redshirt freshman, he appeared in four games last season, but Sarkisian has touted him as their best in-line blocker and someone who has vastly improved his ball skills. At 6-7 and 255 pounds, he’s a mismatch for linebackers and Sarkisian noted he has spent two seasons practicing with Manning already, so they have a rapport. — Dave Wilson
Breakout player: Tony Rojas, LB
After earning honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore, Rojas, a rising standout linebacker, seems primed for a big 2025 season. Rojas surged in the College Football Playoff, highlighted by his pick-six in Penn State’s opening-round victory over SMU. With Abdul Carter on his way to the NFL and All-Big Ten linebacker Kobe King gone as well, Rojas should take on a more central role under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. — Trotter
Breakout player: Jaden Greathouse, WR
Until the CFP semifinal and national championship game, Greathouse had only 359 yards receiving. But in those final two games against Penn State and Ohio State, Greathouse stepped up for 13 receptions for 233 yards and three touchdowns. In the second half against the Buckeyes, Greathouse spearheaded a furious Notre Dame comeback that came up just short. That spectacular ending could prove to be a springboard for Greathouse to be even greater in 2025. — Trotter
Breakout player: KJ Bolden, DB
One of the best young defenders in the SEC last season, Bolden made his presence felt on the back end of that Georgia defense. As a true freshman, Bolden was overshadowed by All-American safety Malaki Starks but rose up and played some of his best football in the postseason. He’ll only get better in 2025 and will be one of the anchors in a Georgia secondary that is also returning some talented young cornerbacks. Bolden is an excellent open-field tackler and, according to Pro Football Focus, gave up only eight yards in 134 coverage snaps last season. — Chris Low
Breakout player: Makhi Hughes, RB
Running back Jordan James was an underrated part of the Oregon offense last season and, with him leaving for the NFL, the Ducks were quick to add Hughes from the transfer portal to try to fill the void. Hughes spent his past two seasons at Tulane averaging over 5 yards per carry each of those two seasons and totaling 22 touchdowns (15 last season). Without Dillon Gabriel under center and with a younger quarterback in Dante Moore taking over, it wouldn’t be surprising if offensive coordinator Will Stein relies on Hughes (as well as the rest of the Ducks’ running back room) to be the fulcrum of their offense this coming season. — Paolo Uggetti
Breakout player: Gideon Davidson, RB
Unlike last season, when Clemson was all-too tethered to Phil Mafah, it’s a crowded backfield for the Tigers in 2025. Still, that doesn’t mean a lead back won’t emerge from a group that includes last year’s second-leading rusher Jay Haynes, David Eziomume, Keith Adams Jr. and converted receiver Adam Randall. But if there’s a true superstar to emerge, set those sights Davidson, a true freshman described by coach Dabo Swinney as “the best freshman back in the country.” Davidson was ranked as a top-100 prospect across the board, and he averaged better than 9 yards per carry in high school. He’s explosive and powerful, and if he hits the ground running at Clemson, he could carve out a sizable role on an offense poised to be among the most talented in the country. — David Hale
Breakout player: Nic Anderson, WR
Even though he’s new to the LSU roster after transferring from Oklahoma, Anderson has all the tools to be one of the most dynamic playmakers in 2025, especially with Garrett Nussmeier throwing to him. The 6-4, 220-pound Anderson sat out all but one game last season after tearing his quadriceps. But as a redshirt freshman in 2023, he set an Oklahoma freshman record with 10 touchdown catches and averaged 21 yards per catch. Anderson is back to full strength, and with Kyren Lacy headed to NFL, Anderson should emerge as the go-to receiver in LSU’s offense. — Low
Breakout player: Keelan Marion, WR
The Cougars return their top two pass catchers from last season between Chase Roberts and Darius Lassiter. But if a BYU offense that finished 11th in passing yards per game among Big 12 programs last season is going to take a leap with second-year starting quarterback Jake Retzlaff, it might require Marion to carve out a larger role. An All-American kick returner who caught 24 passes in 2024, Marion has yet to fully unleash the downfield potential he flashed when he hauled in 28 passes for 474 yards and 5 touchdowns as a freshman at UConn in 2021. Year 3 with the Cougars could be the platform for Marion and his elite speed to become another important weapon for a BYU offense shouldering the weight of Big 12 title and legitimate playoff aspirations in 2025. — Eli Lederman
Breakout player: Nyck Harbor, WR
There might not be a receiver in the country more physically intimidating than Nyck Harbor, who checks in at 6-5, 235 pounds. That’s made him an object of curiosity on South Carolina’s offense for the past two years, despite only small steps forward in his development. But as LaNorris Sellers blossomed down the stretch last season, Harbor, too, seemed to find something extra, finishing with 15 catches, 272 yards and two scores in his final five games of the 2024 season. The Gamecocks wide receivers room was less than dynamic as a whole last year, but Harbor represents real promise — and after two years of incremental improvement, he looks poised to truly deliver on that promise in 2025. — Hale
Breakout player: Cannon Butler, DL
A central focus of the Cyclones’ offseason has been the challenge of replacing 1,110-yard receivers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins, and Iowa State added a pair of new options for quarterback Rocco Becht in transfer pass catchers Chase Sowell (East Carolina) and Xavier Townsend (UCF). But the Cyclones also have production to fill in on the defensive line after the departures of defensive end Joey Petersen (team-high 8.0 TFL last fall) and 2024 sack leader J.R. Singleton. Enter Butler, an athletic defensive lineman and Northern Iowa transfer who totaled 59 tackles and 1.5 sacks in an impressive junior season last fall. At 6-6, 241 pounds, Cannon carries positional flexibility to play on the edge or inside and has tools to establish himself as a valuable component in an otherwise inexperienced Cyclones defensive end unit this fall. — Lederman
Breakout player: Ty Simpson, QB
There will be some intrigue this spring surrounding the quarterback battle at Alabama, especially with Ryan Grubb coming in as offensive coordinator. The Crimson Tide brought in five-star freshman Keelon Russell, and talented Austin Mack followed Kalen DeBoer to Alabama from Washington last year. But it’s Simpson’s time now after backing up Jalen Milroe the past two seasons. The Alabama staff really liked the way Simpson competed last preseason and last spring, and he wasn’t too far behind Milroe. While not as dynamic an athlete as Milroe, Simpson is still plenty athletic and more consistent throwing the ball. This is Simpson’s fourth year on campus, and though he hasn’t played much, he’s a good fit for what Grubb and DeBoer want to do on offense. — Low
Breakout player: Cole Rusk, TE
The Illini had big hopes last season for Rusk, who transferred in after earning FCS All-American honors at Murray State. But Rusk sustained a season-ending knee injury during fall camp. Rusk will now have an opportunity to give quarterback Luke Altmyer a reliable pass-catching option after Illinois’ tight ends combined to generate only 20 receptions last season. — Trotter
Breakout player: Kyson Brown, RB
Replacing the 1,711 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns All-American running back Cam Skattebo produced last fall won’t be easy. The portal addition of Army transfer Kanye Udoh (1,117 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024) is promising for the Sun Devils’ 2025 backfield, but the 293 carries Skattebo logged last season are more than Udoh had in two years at Army (278), meaning Arizona State probably will have to spread its backfield snaps a bit more in 2025. If that’s the case, third-year rusher Brown could be in line for a bigger role this fall after recording 351 yards and a pair of scores, averaging 4.81 yards per attempt as a sophomore. Brown’s ability in the passing game also distinguishes him alongside Udoh, who brings a grand total of two career receptions in 23 career games operating in Army’s run-heavy offense. — Lederman
Breakout player: LJ Johnson Jr., RB
Miami transfer Brashard Smith was a surprise star for the Mustangs last season, rushing for 1,332 yards and 14 TDs. With Smith departing for the NFL, Johnson, who rushed for 879 yards over the past two seasons, returns to give the Mustangs a powerful runner, but SMU spreads the field and will need someone to help fill Smith’s shoes. Rhett Lashlee highlighted freshman Dramekco Green Jr., who averaged 9.2 yards per carry and rushed for more than 1,500 yards as a high school senior, as someone who could get early playing time. — Wilson
Breakout player: Jerand Bradley, WR
The stakes are heightened for second-year starting quarterback Avery Johnson in 2025, and Kansas State reinforced at wide receiver to help him this offseason, adding transfer pass catchers Bradley (Boston College), Caleb Medford (New Mexico) and Jaron Tibbs (Purdue). Among that trio, Bradley stands out as the most intriguing. The 6-5 receiver, who began his career at Texas Tech, never fully settled in during his lone season at Boston College in 2024. But Bradley been as an productive downfield target in the Big 12 before, hauling in 87 passes for 1,175 yards and 10 touchdowns across the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Red Raiders, and he’ll have an opportunity to assert himself in the Wildcats’ passing attack alongside top returner Jayce Brown, who logged 47 receptions for 832 yards and 5 touchdown in 2024. — Lederman
Breakout player: Zen Michalski, OL
The Hoosiers picked up a key transfer from down the road in former Notre Dame center Pat Coogan, who started 26 games for the Fighting Irish. But another transfer could also play a big role up front as Indiana revamps its offensive line after last year’s playoff run. Michalski stepped in after left tackle Josh Simmons sustained a season-ending knee injury, then started the next game against Nebraska before sustaining his own injury. Michalski could slide in at right tackle in his first season as a full-time starter and solidify an Indiana offense that holds promise behind transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza. — Trotter
Breakout player: Caleb Banks, DT
The Gators got a huge win when defensive tackle Banks decided to return to school for one more season to anchor a front that improved dramatically as 2024 progressed. Banks had an impressive final month. In the final three games, the 6-6, 325-pound Banks had seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. In all, he had 21 tackles (10 solo) and will now be relied on to help set the tone up front for a team with growing expectations. As much excitement as there is surrounding DJ Lagway, there is also tremendous upside for the Florida defense heading into 2025. — Andrea Adelson
Breakout player: Mike Matthews, WR
Matthews came in as a five-star receiver last season as a freshman but didn’t provide much production for a Tennessee offense that was lacking in explosive plays. He briefly flirted with transferring after the season but decided to return and is somebody the Vols desperately need to blossom and give them some firepower in the passing game. Matthews caught seven passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns last season. He has big-play ability written all over him, and with Tennessee losing seven receivers from last season’s team, there’s a chance for Matthews to live up to his billing. — Low
Breakout player: Jordan Guerad, DL
After battling an early season injury, Guerad had a strong finish to his season, culminating with six tackles (two for a loss) and a sack in the bowl game against Washington. The interior of the D-line looks like a point of need for the Cardinals after the departures of Thor Griffin, Dezmond Tell and Notre Dame transfer Jared Dawson, but a healthy Guerad will get ample opportunity to continue his development and prove he’s the answer to Louisville’s biggest defensive need. — Hale
Breakout player: Jordan Marshall, RB
The Wolverines featured a strong running back duo last season in Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards, who combined for 1,537 yards. But with both runners sitting out the ReliaQuest Bowl to prepare for the draft, the Wolverines might have uncovered their back of the future in Marshall. A blue-chip freshman out of Ohio, Marshall rushed for 100 yards on 23 carries in the first meaningful action of his career, earning bowl game MVP honors in Michigan’s 19-13 victory over Alabama. With Marshall and Alabama transfer Justice Haynes, running back seems primed to remain a strength for the Wolverines. — Trotter
Breakout player: Terry Bussey, WR
The Aggies landed the dynamic Bussey, the No. 1 athlete and No. 18 overall prospect in the 2024 ESPN 300, with an eye on him playing cornerback. But with a more urgent need for playmakers on offense, he switched to wide receiver late in the summer. His best game came against Missouri, when he caught three passes for 76 yards. On the season, he caught only 17 passes, but 11 came in the last four games. With a year under his belt on offense full time, the Aggies are hoping to find more creative ways to utilize his 4.4 speed. — Wilson
Breakout player: Elija Lofton, TE
Lofton drew raves last season as a freshman for his versatility and playmaking ability. Though he played in every game, Miami had three more experienced tight ends on the roster so his snaps were limited. That will no longer be the case heading into the 2025 season. With Elijah Arroyo, Cam McCormick and Riley Williams all gone, Lofton will take over as the top tight end. Though it might appear that the group depth will take a hit, the coaching staff feels great about the position because of what Lofton is poised to become as he reaches his full potential. At 6-3, 230 pounds, he has the athleticism to play both tight end and running back, but also the size and strength to block the way Miami expects from its tight ends. — Adelson
Breakout players: Jambres Dubar and Sire Gaines, RBs
There is no more Ashton Jeanty in the backfield for Boise State, but the majority of the offense built to support a strong running attack remains. It’s why Dubar and Gaines could be in line for breakout seasons. In two seasons, Dubar has had limited action (87 carries, 434 yards and 4 touchdowns) and Gaines’ freshman season in 2024 featured 20 carries for 156 yards and 1 touchdown. With quarterback Maddux Madsen returning, and an internal hire as the new offensive coordinator in Matt Miller, the system that can fuel another explosive rusher is not so different in 2025. Come the fall, Madsen probably will be asked to do a lot more, but so will Dubar and Gaines. — Uggetti
Breakout player: Zxavian Harris, DT
Ole Miss had one of the most dominant defensive lines in the country last season, and the Rebels’ numbers bear that out. They were second nationally in scoring defense and rushing defense and set a school record with 53 sacks. Most of the key players from that unit are gone, but Harris, a 6-7, 320-pound tackle, returns in the middle of that Ole Miss defensive line and will be force in 2025. He has played in 37 games over the past three seasons and shown flashes of dominance. His senior season will be his best yet, and Ole Miss will need that from him. — Low
-
Jorge Castillo
SARASOTA, Fla. — The state of the 2025 Baltimore Orioles, one of enviable surplus in position-player talent and a potential deficit in the pitching department, was on display in their clubhouse Tuesday afternoon.
First, 41-year-old Charlie Morton, the second-oldest player in the majors, was scratched from his Grapefruit League start against the Toronto Blue Jays that evening without an immediate reason, briefly raising concerns that the Orioles’ rotation had experienced another setback. Within minutes, corner infielder Coby Mayo, one of the top prospects in baseball, openly expressed his displeasure to reporters about Baltimore’s decision to option him to minor league camp.
But Morton was not injured — the Orioles just chose to have him pitch in a simulated setting on a back field instead of facing a division rival. And the Orioles are not down on Mayo, who has clubbed 34 home runs with a .919 OPS in Triple-A over the past two seasons — they simply decided they did not have room for him on the big league roster.
“That’s what happens when you have good teams,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said.
The Orioles expect to be good for a reason. The question is, how good?
This year’s club features a lineup, fueled by a ballyhooed young core, that should mash even after Anthony Santander and his 44 home runs left to join the Blue Jays during the offseason. The starting rotation, however, projects as the worst in a loaded American League East — the only division in baseball that PECOTA projects will have all five teams win at least 80 games.
“The other four teams are really, really good teams,” Hyde said. “It’s going to be a dogfight every night. You’re going to be facing somebody that’s really good on a nightly basis in the division.”
The Orioles have been good enough to navigate the treacherous AL East and reach the postseason in each of the past two years. Whether they can make another playoff appearance — and finally win a game in October — will come down to their pitching, particularly the starting rotation.
The Orioles do not have a proven ace. They had one last season in Corbin Burnes, a former Cy Young Award winner whom they acquired entering his final season before free agency. Burnes had an All-Star season in Baltimore, posting a 2.92 ERA across 32 starts. Then he left. Seeking a home out West, the right-hander signed a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks at the end of December.
The Orioles have replaced him with two veteran free agents on the wrong side of the aging curve — Morton and 35-year-old Tomoyuki Sugano — on one-year deals for a combined $28 million. To fill the hole left by Santander in the outfield, they signed veteran Tyler O’Neill to a three-year, $49.5 million deal. In the process, Baltimore, in David Rubenstein’s first offseason as principal owner, raised its luxury tax payroll from $89.4 million last season to $126.8 million, which ranks 24th in baseball, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts.
“I think it’s a tough thing in sports, particularly for baseball, particularly for teams that aren’t the handful of larger market teams that can run the $300 million payrolls, that you’re going to have athletes leave,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said. “Nobody wants it any time, but a big part of our profession is scripting out what’s the healthiest way to run the organization long term and from top to bottom and sometimes that involves not being the winner on a free agent.”
The rotation took another step back earlier this month when Grayson Rodriguez, the Orioles’ projected No. 1 starter, was shut down with elbow inflammation. He started throwing again Tuesday, but will begin the season on the injured list, leaving Zach Eflin to start on Opening Day in Toronto. Dean Kremer, Cade Povich and Albert Suárez complete Baltimore’s list of options for the rotation.
Internal reinforcements could eventually bolster the group. Right-hander Kyle Bradish, who finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting in 2023, is on track to join the rotation in the second half of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June. Left-hander Trevor Rogers, an All-Star in 2021 who struggled mightily upon being traded to Baltimore last summer, could be available early in the season after dislocating his right kneecap in January.
The final spot in the rotation is a competition between Povich, a 24-year-old left-hander who recorded a 5.54 ERA in 16 starts last season, and Suárez, a 35-year-old journeyman who emerged last season to post a 3.70 ERA across 133⅔ innings. Povich was given Morton’s start Tuesday and tossed five hitless innings, better positioning himself for the job. Morton, meanwhile, threw to Orioles hitters on a back field as he prepares for his 17th season.
The right-hander launched his career as a mediocre young pitcher, became a first-time All-Star at 34 years old and is now an age-defying wonder who has outlasted most of his peers. Along the way, he’s been around successful young rosters. He was on the Pittsburgh Pirates‘ last playoff teams in the mid-2010s. He won a World Series with the Houston Astros in 2017, advanced to another one with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020 and won his second title with the Atlanta Braves in 2021.
He said these Orioles, a few of whom are nearly half his age, remind him of the Astros teams he played on.
“I think certainly you want to prove yourself on an individual level to other people, to yourself,” Morton said. “But once you start to taste winning and once you start to kind of see that you can be, as a group, better than you, then you kind of build a momentum. And that momentum becomes something that really shapes your identity. And then you start to, as a group, believe in being able to do things that are greater than what you thought you could do maybe at the beginning. I think in Houston we had that.”
The Orioles’ position-player group, while bursting with talent, is not foolproof. Superstar shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who finished fourth in AL MVP voting in his age-23 season in 2024, could miss the start of the season with an intercostal injury. Two-time All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman, the organization’s other cornerstone, is seeking to rebound from a second-half collapse in production. Second baseman Jackson Holliday, the top prospect in baseball a year ago, will look to establish himself after slashing .189/.255/.311 in 60 games as a 20-year-old rookie.
“We have guys that still haven’t reached their upside for me,” Hyde said.
If that happens — if Henderson somehow takes another step, if Rutschman rediscovers his form, if Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad, all 26 and under, play to their potential — then the Orioles will be very good. To be great, they’ll need their rotation to exceed expectations.
“We made the playoffs,” first baseman Ryan Mountcastle said of last year’s club, which was swept in the wild-card round by the Kansas City Royals. “That’s always huge. You just got to get there first. It wasn’t the end result we wanted, but I think we’ve learned from it, we’ve grown from it. Hopefully we bring it into this coming year, hopefully make the playoffs again and make a better run.”
The race for the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot is by no means a two-team showdown — but the two teams tied in standings points for that position are squaring off on Thursday.
The Vancouver Canucks — who currently hold the coveted playoff spot, with 75 points and 25 regulation wins in 68 games — will be visiting the St. Louis Blues (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+/Hulu/Disney+), who also have 75 points and 25 regulation wins but in 69 games.
So, with apologies to the Calgary Flames and Utah Hockey Club, Thursday night’s clash has become extra pivotal, after the clubs split the first two games of the season series and will not play again.
Looking beyond this game, the Blues play five of their remaining 12 games against current playoff teams; the Canucks have an extra game down the stretch, but they play seven of their final 13 against playoff teams, including five of their final six.
Stathletes likes the Blues’ postseason future a bit more, putting their playoff chances at 56.8%, with the Canucks at 26.3%.
There is a lot of runway left until April 17, the final day of the regular season, and we’ll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.
Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule
Yesterday’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Montreal Canadiens
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 Vancouver Canucks
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Los Angeles Kings
Thursday’s games
Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).
Colorado Avalanche at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m.
Calgary Flames at New Jersey Devils, 7 p.m.
Toronto Maple Leafs at New York Rangers, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m.
Florida Panthers at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m.
Montreal Canadiens at New York Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Vancouver Canucks at St. Louis Blues, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+/Hulu/Disney+)
Anaheim Ducks at Nashville Predators, 8 p.m.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles Kings at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m.
Winnipeg Jets at Edmonton Oilers, 9 p.m.
Buffalo Sabres at Utah Hockey Club, 9 p.m.
Boston Bruins at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m.
Carolina Hurricanes at San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday’s scoreboard
Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Colorado Avalanche 1
Minnesota Wild 4, Seattle Kraken 0
Expanded standings
Atlantic Division
Points: 85
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 14
Points pace: 102.5
Next game: @ CBJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 85
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 14
Points pace: 102.5
Next game: @ NYR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 83
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 15
Points pace: 101.6
Next game: @ DAL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 77
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 15
Points pace: 94.2
Next game: vs. COL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 97.3%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 15
Points pace: 89.3
Next game: @ NYI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 36.5%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 84.4
Next game: @ VGK (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 5.1%
Tragic number: 26
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 82.0
Next game: @ VGK (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 2.4%
Tragic number: 23
Points: 60
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 74.6
Next game: @ UTA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 20
Metro Division
Points: 98
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 14
Points pace: 118.2
Next game: vs. PHI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 86
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 15
Points pace: 105.3
Next game: @ SJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 13
Points pace: 95.1
Next game: vs. CGY (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 96.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 72
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 85.6
Next game: vs. TOR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 25.5%
Tragic number: 26
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 85.7
Next game: vs. MTL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 23.8%
Tragic number: 28
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 85.7
Next game: vs. FLA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 12.4%
Tragic number: 28
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Points pace: 77.3
Next game: vs. CBJ (Friday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 18
Points: 64
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 76.1
Next game: @ WSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 18
Central Division
Points: 98
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 13
Points pace: 116.5
Next game: @ EDM (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 89
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 15
Points pace: 108.9
Next game: vs. TB (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 85
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 13
Points pace: 101.0
Next game: @ OTT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 83
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 13
Points pace: 98.6
Next game: vs. BUF (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 92.6%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 89.1
Next game: vs. VAN (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 56.8%
Tragic number: 27
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 85.6
Next game: vs. BUF (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 8.6%
Tragic number: 25
Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 71.0
Next game: vs. ANA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 14
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 59.1
Next game: vs. LA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 3
Pacific Division
Points: 86
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 15
Points pace: 105.3
Next game: vs. BOS (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 84
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 14
Points pace: 101.3
Next game: vs. WPG (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 16
Points pace: 100.6
Next game: @ CHI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.3%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 14
Points pace: 90.4
Next game: @ STL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 26.3%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 89.3
Next game: @ NJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 16.5%
Tragic number: 29
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 79.6
Next game: @ NSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 20
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Points pace: 76.1
Next game: @ EDM (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 15
Points: 45
Regulation wins: 13
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 54.3
Next game: vs. CAR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Note: An “e” means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.
Points: 45
Regulation wins: 13
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17
Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21
Points: 60
Regulation wins: 21
Points: 64
Regulation wins: 17
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 24
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 19
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 21
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 24
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 25
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 22
Points: 72
Regulation wins: 30
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 25
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 25
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports12 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway