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HOUSTON — The door to re-signing free agent Alex Bregman is “cracked” open for the Astros, but keeping the third baseman with the team might still be a long shot, general manager Dana Brown said Saturday.

Speaking at the team’s fan fest, Brown talked at length about the possibility of re-signing Bregman, who has spent his entire nine-year career with the Astros.

“The interesting thing is, when we made some trades and some moves this offseason, we never realized that Bregman would still be on the market at this time,” Brown said. “We’ve had some conversation and I could kind of leave it there, but we’ve had some conversations.”

He added those conversations were positive before he was asked whether that means that the door for re-signing Bregman is still open.

“I would say it’s cracked, right,” Brown said. “The fact that he’s still available, it just makes it interesting like, man, this guy is such a good player, he’s done so many wonderful things here. And so, we’ll stick with the cracked door and see what our conversations lead to.”

If Houston brings Bregman back, it would create a crowded situation in the infield. They traded outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs for infielder Isaac Paredes before signing free agent first baseman Christian Walker this offseason.

“Our group is pretty set,” Brown said. “We made some moves and some trades and solidified our top five in our lineup, and so it’s a long shot, but the fact that [Bregman’s] a free agent, we’ll have discussions about him like we have discussions about every other free agent.”

The day that Walker was introduced in Houston, Brown said Walker would be the team’s first baseman and that Paredes would play third. But Brown said Saturday that Bregman would play third base if he were to re-sign.

“I love watching Bregman play third base, so I can’t imagine putting Bregman or having [manager Joe Espada] put Bregman in any other position other than third base,” Brown said. “That’s his home. He puts on clinics when he’s playing third base, and he’s just as special as anybody, Gold Glove there, and so I can’t picture him playing anywhere else.”

Bregman is a two-time All-Star who won a Gold Glove last season and a Silver Slugger Award in 2019 when he came in second in American League MVP voting.

Espada said he has kept in touch with Bregman, 30, throughout the offseason and that while he tries to give him space, he wants to make sure he understands that he wishes he would stay in Houston forever.

“I tell him all the time … this is home,” Espada said. “I understand the process. You sit down with your family, you’re trying to do what’s best for you, your family and your kids. But this is home, and this is his family.”

While Bregman would remain at third base in Houston, it’s unclear whether his return would force Jose Altuve to move from second, a position he has played his entire 14-year career.

Altuve was vocal at the end of last season about his desire for Bregman to remain with the team, but Espada wouldn’t say whether he has spoken to him about the possibility of changing positions to facilitate that.

“If we get there, we’ll have that conversation with him, but his willingness to do whatever it takes to win — it’s important to us,” Espada said. “He’s a cornerstone of this team. He’s the heart of this organization. He understands that … but if we get to that point, I’m sure that we’ll have that conversation and we’ll talk about how that’s going to look moving forward.”

Altuve said those conversations haven’t happened but that he would be open to whatever the team needs.

“Alex, he’s one of the best players in the whole league, but he’s definitely one of the best players on the team, so we want him to stay,” Altuve said. “So whatever I have to do for him to stay, I’m willing to do it.”

Some believe that Altuve would need to move to the outfield if Bregman returns. He was asked about how difficult it would be to make the transition after never playing outfield at any level of his career.

“For Alex, nothing will be difficult,” he said with a smile.

Altuve said he has gone through a range of emotions in the past few months as he has tried to figure out where Bregman would sign.

“I thought he’s going to be back for sure,” Altuve said. “Then I thought he’s not coming back for sure. Now I’m like, OK, in the middle.”

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Longtime Islanders forward Clutterbuck retires

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Longtime Islanders forward Clutterbuck retires

Longtime New York Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck announced his retirement from the NHL on Wednesday after 17 seasons.

Clutterbuck, 37, spent his last 11 seasons with the Islanders before sitting out the 2024-25 season.

“Hockey gave me everything — a purpose, a brotherhood, and a lifetime of memories,” Clutterbuck wrote on Instagram. “To (longtime linemates) Matt (Martin) and Casey (Cizikas) — it was an honor to go to war with you night in and night out. What we built together means more than words can say. And to the Islanders faithful — your passion, loyalty, and love made Long Island home. Thank you all. On to the next chapter.”

Clutterbuck, who is the NHL’s all-time hits leader with 4,029, recorded 293 points (143 goals, 150 assists) and 698 penalty minutes in 1,064 career games with the Minnesota Wild and Islanders.

The Ontario native was selected by the Wild in the third round of the 2006 NHL Draft.

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Bruins CEO vows return to playoffs next season

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Bruins CEO vows return to playoffs next season

Boston Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs vowed that his team would return to the playoffs next season despite finishing in last place and trading away several players at the deadline.

“We’ve spoken at great length about this: The team that we currently have, [if] healthy and with the additions we intend to make this summer, I anticipate that we’ll have a playoff team and play meaningful hockey at this time of year in 2026,” he said.

The Bruins were last in the Atlantic Division (76 points) with their lowest standings points percentage (.463) in 18 seasons. The team fired head coach Jim Montgomery 20 games into the season and traded popular veteran players such as captain Brad Marchand, center Charlie Coyle and defenseman Brandon Carlo at the deadline.

“We fell way short and it’s disappointing for us,” team president Cam Neely said. “It’s disappointing for our fan base. They deserve better. They’ve supported us for a hundred-plus years. This gives us an opportunity to regroup a little bit, reset and build back better.”

GM Don Sweeney laid out a plan for that quick build back to contention. The first target is to add more offense, specifically on the wings.

“The scoring potential of our group needs to be increased and addressed this summer,” said Sweeney, whose team was 28th in the NHL in goals per game despite a 43-goal campaign from star David Pastrnak.

Sweeney said he wants the Bruins to get back to their core identity of being a strong defensive team in front of effective goaltending. Both Jeremy Swayman, in the first year of an eight-year, $66 million contract extension, and Joonas Korpisalo were in the negatives for goals saved above expected this season.

“Our goaltenders previously have been really, really good. This year, they weren’t as good. That’s fact. And our team in front of them didn’t defend with the same level of conviction,” he said.

Then there’s the aspect the Bruins hope turns around for next season: health. Key defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm both missed significant time last season.

To orchestrate all of this, Sweeney and Neely have to decide on the next head coach of the Bruins. Joe Sacco went 25-30-7 as an interim coach. Sweeney said Sacco has been informed that there will be a coaching search and that he’ll be a finalist for the job. The coaching search process is underway for Boston.

Sacco led the Avalanche to a 130-134-40 record from 2009-2014 and was a finalist for coach of the year in his first season. He spent 10 years as a Bruins assistant before being promoted for the rest of the season when Jim Montgomery was fired.

Sweeney is facing some uncertainty himself. He has been the Bruins’ general manager since May 2015, but is entering the last year of his contract. Neely said he’s debating whether or not to extend Sweeney.

“I’m still contemplating what the best course of action is. I really feel like Don has done a good job here, for the most part,” Neely said.

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Avs’ Landeskog, out 3 years, could return Game 3

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Avs' Landeskog, out 3 years, could return Game 3

DENVER — Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog could play in his first NHL game in nearly three years on Wednesday night against the Dallas Stars.

Landeskog was the first player to take the ice at morning practice ahead of Game 3. He went through a series of shooting drills before his teammates joined him. Should Landeskog play, it would be his first NHL appearance since June 26, 2022, when he and the Avalanche beat Tampa Bay to capture the Stanley Cup. He has been sidelined because of a chronically injured right knee.

“We’ll see,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said about the possibility of Landeskog suiting up. Earlier in the day on Altitude Sports Radio — the station for the Avalanche — Bednar said, “There’s a good chance that he’s going to play tonight.”

Asked what criteria he would use in making a determination, Bednar simply responded: “Gut feeling.”

Colorado’s first-round series with Dallas is tied at 1-1.

Landeskog’s presence on the ice could provide a big boost not only for his teammates but also for the capacity crowd. His No. 92 sweater is a frequent sight around the arena.

“Everyone is rooting for him. It’s a great comeback story,” Bednar said after morning skate. “I trust in Gabe’s preparation, and what I’m seeing with my own eyes that he’s getting close and ready to play. I think he feels really good about where he’s at.

“Adding him back into our locker room, he’s almost an extension of the coaching staff, but he’s still one of the guys and the guy that everyone looks up to. You can’t get enough of that this time of the year.”

Landeskog’s injury goes back to the 2020 “bubble” season when he was accidentally sliced above the knee by the skate of teammate Cale Makar in a playoff game against Dallas. Landeskog eventually underwent a cartilage transplant procedure on May 10, 2023, and has been on long-term injured reserve.

He was activated Monday before Game 2 in Dallas and skated in pregame warmups but didn’t play.

Stars forward Matt Duchene was teammates with Landeskog and they remain good friends.

“We’ve been rooting for him to come back,” said Duchene, who was the third overall pick by Colorado in 2009. “Obviously, it makes our job harder having a guy like that out there, but on the friends side, the human side and the fellow athlete side, I think everyone’s happy to see the progress he’s made. … I’m just really happy that he’s gotten to this point.”

The 32-year-old Landeskog recently went through a two-game conditioning stint with the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles. He has practiced with the Avalanche leading up to their opener in the NHL playoffs.

“He’s looking good so we’ll see where things go,” Makar said. “For him, I know it’s going to be a huge night when he does play. It’s going to be really exciting for us to have him back in the room and have the captain back.”

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