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While the expectation is that Rick Tocchet will remain behind an NHL bench next season, there’s a possibility it won’t be with the Vancouver Canucks.

Canucks president hockey of operations Jim Rutherford told reporters Monday that the team won’t exercise its option for Tocchet, adding that the organization has instead offered a new, more lucrative contract for him to remain in Vancouver.

“We don’t feel it’s right to have somebody here that may have his mind somewhere else,” Rutherford said. “I’d say that about anybody. This is not just about Toc. We believe that — and I believe that — Toc and his coaching staff did as good a job coaching this team this year as they did the year before when he was coach of the year.”

Rutherford said Tocchet was dealt “a totally different hand this year.”

A midseason hire during the 2022-23 season, Tocchet’s first full campaign with the Canucks was one of the strongest in franchise history, as they won 50 games, finished with 109 points and won the Pacific Division. He guided the Canucks to their first postseason appearance since the 2019-20 season and was a win away from reaching the Western Conference finals.

Despite losing Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov in free agency, the Canucks still had several players return this season.

Vancouver opened with a 15-8-5 mark, but there were multiple on-ice and off-ice issues that hindered its season. Thatcher Demko, who won 35 of his 51 games in 2023-24, was injured and was limited to just 23 games this season.

As for the off-ice problems, there was the friction between star forwards J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. The duo had a strained relationship for years, and those tensions reached the point where Canucks captain Quinn Hughes publicly acknowledged there was an issue even though Miller and Pettersson denied any contention.

It led to Miller, who scored 37 goals and 103 points, being dealt to the New York Rangers before the trade deadline. The Canucks struggled to find ways to replace his production as they finished six points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

Despite missing the playoffs, Hughes was among those who said they wanted Tocchet to stay.

“This year, we’ve talked enough about the incident that happened and the fact it [affected] the chemistry in the room in the first half and it forced a trade,” Rutherford said. “But with all that going on, how he handled the situation and how he handled the team was really good. So I give him and his staff kudos for the job they’ve done this year.”

His work with the Canucks over the past two-plus seasons is why Tocchet is one of the more coveted coaching options at a time in which there are numerous teams seeking a new direction.

After finishing his playing career, Tocchet became an NHL head coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the 2008-09 season. He was out after the 2009-10 season, but he established himself as an assistant head coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins and helped them win two Stanley Cups.

Tocchet was hired by the Coyotes and got the salary-cap-strapped franchise into the playoffs in his third season. Both he and the Coyotes agreed to part ways after the 2020-21 season, and Tocchet was then hired by the Canucks in January 2023 to replace Bruce Boudreau.

What Tocchet accomplished with the Coyotes was only amplified by his time with the Canucks — and led to him being named the Jack Adams Award winner for the NHL coach of the year last season.

Now, he’s staring at the prospect of either staying with the Canucks or taking a new job elsewhere. The Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers were already in need of a new coach, with all three ending the season with interim coaches. On Saturday, the Anaheim Ducks and New York Rangers respectively moved on from their coaches to create five openings with the idea that the Canucks could join that collection of teams if Tocchet signs elsewhere.

“As for the contract, we’ve gone through a process, we’ve negotiated,” Rutherford said. “I would suspect sometime this week, he’ll have a decision. … We’re hoping that he takes that contract and stays.”

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‘So that’s why they’re called the 0’s’: Twins troll Orioles after shutout win

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'So that's why they're called the 0's': Twins troll Orioles after shutout win

The Minnesota Twins are on a roll. They extended their winning streak to 11 games Thursday with a 4-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles that completed a series sweep. Their confidence carried over to social media, too, as they trolled the Orioles.

Minnesota used a three-run third inning to propel itself to victory, with home runs from DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and Byron Buxton.

The Twins hold the longest win streak in MLB; its their their longest run of victories since winning 12 straight from April 22 to May 4 last season, according to ESPN Research. The franchise record is 15 set in 1991.

Minnesota poked fun at Baltimore’s namesake with a post after the game, referring to the Orioles also being known as the “O’s” — and swapping a zero in for the O.

The Twins have won each of their six matchups against the Orioles this season. All of them have come during Minnesota’s current win streak.

Minnesota (24-20) is fourth in the American League Central behind the Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers.

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Red Sox rookie Campbell working out at 1st base

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Red Sox rookie Campbell working out at 1st base

Star Boston Red Sox rookie Kristian Campbell has started working out at first base in the wake of Triston Casas‘ season-ending knee injury.

Campbell worked out at first before Friday night’s series opener against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park, and Red Sox manager Alex Cora addressed the situation when he spoke to reporters before the game.

“Looking for options,” Cora told reporters. “Obviously, we’re getting Romy [Gonzalez] probably at the end of the week, early next week, but just introduce him to first base and see how he looks. That’s where we’re at.”

Casas ruptured the tendon in his left knee while running to first base during a game against the Minnesota Twins earlier this month. His replacement at first, Gonzalez, was placed on the 10-day injured list because of a left quad contusion last week.

One potential replacement, star slugger Rafael Devers, said after Casas went down that he would not be open to moving to first after he went from third base to designated hitter during spring training to make room for Alex Bregman.

Campbell, one of baseball’s top prospects, broke camp with the big league team and has been its primary second baseman through the start of the season. He has also played in the outfield and at shortstop and third base in his career, but never first.

Asked what he would need to see for Campbell to be a realistic option at first for his team, Cora added: “The process started, right? It can take 10 days, 15 days, a month, two months. But we started the process and introduced him to first.”

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McCullers on mound after threatening messages

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McCullers on mound after threatening messages

ARLINGTON, Texas — Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. gave up two unearned runs over four innings against the Texas Rangers on Friday, six nights after the right-hander failed to get out of the first inning in a game that he said was followed by online threats.

McCullers, who is making a comeback after sitting out two full seasons because of injuries, gave up seven runs while getting only one out in Houston’s 13-9 loss last Saturday, then said afterward that he had received online death threats directed at his children. The Astros said Houston police and Major League Baseball security were alerted to the threats.

The 31-year-old right-hander on Friday made only his third start for the Astros since the 2022 World Series. He earned a no-decision.

McCullers needed 83 pitches to get through his four innings and he threw 53 strikes. He struck out two, walked one and gave up four singles.

The only runs against McCullers came when Jonah Heim had a two-run single with two outs in the second inning. That was three batters after shortstop Jeremy Peña was charged with an error when he failed to catch a throw from McCullers, who was trying to get the lead runner at second base after fielding a comebacker.

Jake Burger, whose homer was the only run in the Rangers’ 1-0 win in the series opener Thursday night, then had an infield popout before Heim’s hit into the right-field corner.

Astros manager Joe Espada said before Friday’s game that McCullers mentally was “in a good spot. Physically, he’s fine. He just needs to go out there and just have some confidence and pitch, be aggressive in the zone and we have his back.”

McCullers had surgery in June 2023 to repair his right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur, and was rehabbing last June when he had a setback during a bullpen session that shut him down for the rest of the season. He made four starts in the minor leagues this year before rejoining the Astros rotation on May 4.

“We all have confidence he can do it. He just needs to go out there and do his thing,” Espada said. “It’s going to happen.”

McCullers is 49-33 and 3.53 ERA in 133 games (130 starts) for the Astros since his big league debut with them in 2015.

An All-Star in 2017, McCullers went 10-6 with a 3.86 ERA in 25 games in 2018 before Tommy John surgery. He was 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA in 28 starts in 2021, then signed an $85 million, five-year contract that goes through 2026.

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