NHL free agency big board: Where does Marner land? Who are the other top options?
-
Greg Wyshynski
NHL teams head into this offseason with an understanding of where the salary cap is climbing over the next three seasons. It’s projected to rise to $95.5 million next season; $104 million in 2026-27; and then up to $113.5 million in 2027-28.
That could lead to more teams comfortably retaining their own players on expiring contracts. Or it could lead to those players receiving inflated offers in free agency, as a rising cap means rising chaos.
Here’s a look at the unrestricted free agent field, organized into different tiers. There are also some significant restricted free agents, too — like forwards Matthew Knies (Maple Leafs), JJ Peterka (Sabres) and Marco Rossi (Wild); and defensemen Evan Bouchard (Oilers), Noah Dobson (Islanders) and K’Andre Miller (Rangers). It’s anyone’s guess if last season’s offer sheet fun was an anomaly or the new normal.
The contract terms and average annual contract values are courtesy of PuckPedia. In the case of players whose salaries were retained in transactions, we’re listing the full average annual value of their contracts.
Which players are you hoping your team signs this offseason?
The free agent who will earn the most attention this offseason.
Age: 28 | 2024-25 cap hit: $10,903,000
Marner’s noncommittal answers at Toronto’s postseason media availability did little to discourage the notion that the winger — who has played his entire nine-year career with his childhood team that drafted him fourth overall in 2015 — is done in Toronto. It might be time for a change: Blaming Marner for the franchise’s playoff failures has become an annual rite, and he’ll easily break the bank in unrestricted free agency. The lure to leave has never been stronger.
Over the past five seasons, six players have more points than Marner (450 in 357 games): Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Artemi Panarin and David Pastrnak. Marner has the fewest goals scored (138) of that group, but he’s significantly better defensively than most of that lot: His 14 shorthanded points in that span tie him with Aleksander Barkov, who is currently collecting Selke Trophies like they’re Pokémon.
Marner’s points-per-game rate over the past five regular seasons is 1.26. It dips to 0.93 in the playoffs during that span. Although he has 42 points in 48 games, Marner has been called “passive” and much worse in the playoffs. Former NHL player Jordan Schmaltz said Marner bails out of physical plays in the postseason like he has “a parachute” on his back.
All of this is to say that Marner is a complicated acquisition. The skill is unquestionable. The will, when the games matter most, has been questioned annually. Who wants that on their roster, and what is it worth?
It was reported at one point that the Leafs were considering a deal for eight years and $13.5 million per season, which would have made him the team’s highest-paid player annually over Auston Matthews ($13.25 million). Mikko Rantanen, who would have been the belle of the free agent ball had he not signed with the Dallas Stars, is making $12 million annually over eight years in a state with no income tax, for context.
The Carolina Hurricanes tried to acquire Marner for Rantanen but were rebuffed by the player, who had a full no-movement clause — and a son who would be born in May, making that decision completely understandable. They’ve got the cap space, and the need, to be interested in Marner again.
Teams on the rise such as the Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks and Utah Mammoth have been mentioned for Marner — if he still wants some of that Original Six flavor, playing in the Windy City while threading passes to Connor Bedard wouldn’t hurt.
Teams that love to make their offseason splashes such as the Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights have been speculated, as have the Los Angeles Kings and New York Islanders who could look to do something big. There has even been talk about a reunion with former Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas at the Pittsburgh Penguins — heck, if the rap on Marner is that he can’t figure out playoff hockey, you could do a lot worse than having Sidney Crosby as your tutor for a couple of seasons.
All of this is assuming he leaves Toronto. While it certainly looks like that’ll happen, let’s all remember the golden rule of NHL free agency: His stuff is there.
Tier 2: The impact players
These are established players who can play key, immediate roles for a team.
Age: 29 | 2024-25 cap hit: $4.425 million
Bennett is essentially the anti-Marner: The majority of his value is derived from his win-at-all-costs postseason play, with the “costs” typically being the physical wellbeing of opponents. Bennett is a dependable regular-season performer, as he had 25 goals and 26 assists this season for the Panthers to go along with 90 penalty minutes.
He’s going to be paid handsomely this summer. Perhaps by someone looking to have him be the last piece of their championship puzzle; or perhaps as a Stanley Cup-winning teacher who can instruct a middling team how to take the next step.
The assumption is that someone is going to price the Panthers out of Bennett, but let’s remember two things here: He loves playing for Florida, and GM Bill Zito knows what an essential ingredient Bennett has been in their postseason success — and that Bennett comprises a dynamic duo with star Matthew Tkachuk. The two sides have engaged in contract talks during the season.
Age: 28 | 2024-25 cap hit: $6.65 million
There’s probably more interest outside of Vancouver in signing Boeser than within the Canucks organization, which has sent mixed signals about retaining him. He is one season removed from a 40-goal campaign and has eased concerns about his ability to remain in the lineup for a full season.
There’s been heavy speculation that the Burnsville, Minn., native could find his way to the Wild, but don’t count out potential suitors such as the Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils.
Age: 29 | 2024-25 cap hit: $6 million
Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has done an impressive job dispelling the “no one wants to sign in Winnipeg” accusation, having gotten Mark Scheifele, Connor Hellebuyck and Neal Pionk to re-up in the past few years. Ehlers is his latest test.
“We’ll put our best foot forward with him to try to make our case to be a unique Jet-for-life-type player,” Cheveldayoff said.
A consistent point producer, Ehlers put his best foot forward toward a free agent payday with his best points per 60 minutes average (3.5) in five years. He is an offensive force — when he is in the lineup, as Ehlers has played over 70 games just once in the past four seasons, and he has missed time in the playoffs, as well.
Age: 29 | 2024-25 cap hit: $7.5 million
The common thinking when the Panthers acquired Seth Jones from the Blackhawks was that the team would let No. 1 defenseman Aaron Ekblad walk as a free agent. But Zito has been adamant that the team could still retain the career Panther, even with Jones adding $7 million to their blue line and with Florida having other contractual business to address (like a potential new deal for Bennett).
With options such as Jakob Chychrun having re-signed ahead of free agency (eight years, $72 million with Washington), Ekblad is easily the best big-name D-man available — and one with a Stanley Cup ring, no less. He had 33 points with an average ice time of 23:31 in 56 games this season, which was truncated by a 20-game suspension for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA performance-enhancing substances program.
Age: 37 | 2024-25 cap hit: $6.125 million
There’s been no better advertisement for the star winger’s value than what he has done with the Panthers after they acquired him from the Bruins. He has brought a veteran tenacity to their bottom six, while occasionally popping up to play with Aleksander Barkov. He has produced, too, with 13 points in 16 playoff games.
As coach Paul Maurice noted, the Panthers needed a player as vocal and media-friendly as Marchand to take the pressure off some of the more serene talents on the team.
If he doesn’t remain in Sunrise, there will be no shortage of teams interested in adding his winning pedigree — although salary and term will be the trick in signing him. Let’s face it: There wouldn’t be a next chapter more interesting than Marchand signing with the Maple Leafs, the team he has tormented for years — but he has recently admitted to cheering for the Leafs as a kid growing up in Halifax.
Age: 33 | 2024-25 cap hit: $6 million
Nelson was one of several players the Avalanche added in their trade deadline shopping spree that couldn’t get them past Dallas in the opening round. Nelson had six goals and seven assists in 19 games for the Avs in the regular season but went scoreless in four of their seven playoff games against Dallas.
Was the fit good enough for both that he seeks to extend in Colorado, or are there other destinations for Nelson to bring his variety of skills and get some extra contract term in the process?
Age: 34 | 2024-25 cap hit: $11 million
While Mitch Marner was noncommittal about his future in Toronto, Tavares did everything but belt out a version of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from “Dreamgirls” after their playoff elimination.
“I’ve expressed my desire to stay and wanting to make it work,” the veteran center said.
Do the Leafs bring him back at the right price point, or is Tavares another roster sacrifice made in the name of changing the mix after their playoff disappointment? One intriguing potential destination: Utah, which could use both a big-name free agent signing and a veteran presence in the middle.
Tier 3: The best bets
These players have shown they’re worth the investment.
Age: 34 | 2024-2025 cap hit: $3 million
Duchene has found a fit in Dallas, and Dallas found a fit in Duchene. He was one of the best value signings last offseason, inking a one-year extension worth $3 million before tallying 82 points in 82 games, his best offensive season since 2021-22 with Nashville. His playoff output through 16 games was less exceptional with just one goal and five assists.
Given the lack of unrestricted free agent veteran scorers with his credentials, there could be temptation to check how green the grass is elsewhere. But it’s possible Duchene is following that late-career path of other veterans: Taking a series of one-year deals to remain with a team he likes.
Age: 29 | 2024-2025 cap hit: $5.875 million
Gavrikov just completed a two-year deal that he signed with general manager Rob Blake in 2023. The wrinkle here: Blake is no longer the GM, with Ken Holland now at the helm in Los Angeles.
Gavrikov had a strong defensive season with the Kings and chipped in 30 points (five goals, 25 assists), which was the second-highest total of his six-season career. He was solid when paired with either Mikey Anderson or Jordan Spence.
All of this it say that the Kings should seek to retain Gavrikov. But if his new deal is too rich for what Holland wants to do with the rest of this roster, other teams will gladly add him to their blue line.
Age: 37 | 2024-2025 cap hit: $6.5 million
Barring something unforeseen, Giroux should extend his relationship with the Senators before free agency hits. He had 50 points in 81 games this past season, his third with Ottawa, which made the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.
There’s no reason to believe he won’t still be a Senator next season, but if he shakes loose, he has enough offensive pop left to help someone.
Age: 33 | 2024-2025 cap hit: $5,166,666
He was coveted at the trade deadline as a quintessential checking center with Stanley Cup championship experience. Gourde ended up going back to the Lightning from the Seattle Kraken, for whom he tallied 14 points in 21 games but was a nonfactor in five playoff games.
GM Julien BriseBois has said the team acquired Gourde with the idea of keeping him beyond this season. But as Steven Stamkos will attest, that usually means it’ll happen based on the Lightning’s economics, which might not sync with Gourde’s.
Age: 33 | 2024-2025 cap hit: $5 million
One of several great moves made by Stars GM Jim Nill this season, Granlund was rescued from last place San Jose, for which he posted 45 points in 52 games. Granlund had 21 points in 31 games for Dallas then nine in 16 playoff games while skating on the “Finnish Mafia” line with Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz.
Someone is probably going to overpay for Granlund, whose uptick in goal scoring has coincided with pending free agency. But he has produced points wherever he has played (Pittsburgh excluded).
Age: 34 | 2024-2025 cap hit: $5 million
Palmieri offers new Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche one of his first challenges. It’s clear that former GM Lou Lamoriello wanted to extend the winger, hanging on to him at the trade deadline. There’s virtue to that: Palmieri registered 30 goals and 24 goals over the past two seasons, and offense isn’t exactly in abundance on the Islanders’ roster.
That said, it’s high time for New York to turn over the roster Lamoriello built to diminishing returns, and Palmieri has been there since 2021.
Age: 28 | 2024-2025 cap hit: $6.75 million
Provorov is a good skater who can play on the power play and the penalty kill while munching considerable minutes (23:21 per game). He’s a very solid puck mover who has elite puck-retrieval skills. If the Blue Jackets retain him, he can be the veteran anchor for their second pairing behind Zach Werenski.
They hung onto him at the trade deadline, and general manager Don Waddell said he wants to sign him this summer. If Provorov hits the open market, he won’t be the only GM with that aim.
Tier 4: The best values
Under-the-radar gems, analytics darlings and difference-makers with low-cost contracts.
Age: 27 | 2024-25 cap hit: $1.25 million
This isn’t the first time Beauvillier has been in this tier, but his season with the Penguins and the Capitals underscored how valuable he can be on a budget contract, especially his six points in 10 playoff games with the Caps in their brief playoff run.
Strong underlying numbers, good output and still only 27 until next month.
Age: 31 | 2024-25 cap hit: $1 million
If it wasn’t for that other Connor stealing all the attention in Edmonton, perhaps more people would have appreciated the regular season Connor Brown had for the Oilers — 13 goals and 17 assists in 82 games, skating to a plus-9 in 14:01 of average ice time per game — on a steal of a contract.
It took his playoff outburst — five goals and three assists through 14 games — to really grab some attention:
A hard-working, pace-setting player.
Age: 36 | 2024-25 cap hit: $2.25 million
“Daddy” had an impressive walk year with 20 goals and 20 assists in 80 games. He saw similar averages in the first year of his two-year deal with Dallas. He is never getting back to the offensive numbers he posted in his prime, but at the right average annual value, Dadonov can be an offensive strength in the regular season.
Age: 33 | 2024-25 cap hit: $3.15 million
The former Anaheim Duck was a trade-deadline pickup for New Jersey who was pressed into more service than expected due to injuries to the Devils’ defensive corps in the playoffs. In their five-game series against Carolina, Dumoulin averaged 29:21 per game in ice time, skating over 36 minutes in two overtime games and playing well in the process.
The two-time Cup winner with Pittsburgh still can bring it in the postseason.
Age: 26 | 2024-25 cap hit: $2.5 million
Yes, that’s Dante Fabbro of the Why on earth did the Nashville Predators put Dante Fabbro on waivers last season? fame. The Preds’ loss and the Jackets’ gain, as Fabbro had 26 points in 62 games, skating to a plus-23 with Columbus as Zach Werenski‘s partner.
The underlying numbers reaffirm he was great on both ends of the ice. Obviously, a lot of that is playing with a Norris Trophy finalist, but Fabbro earned his time with Werenski.
Age: 31 | 2024-25 cap hit: $2.75 million
The former Boston Bruins defenseman had a quietly strong season for the Penguins with one goal but 39 assists — 24 of them at even strength. Defense was never his calling card, but offensively, he was solid in traditional stats and analytics.
Age: 29 | 2024-25 cap hit: $1.075 million
Wait, a former Buffalo Sabres forward being acquired by the Golden Knights and finding his game again? Never seen that before …
Anyway, Olofsson had 15 goals and 14 assists on a bargain-basement “show me” contract. He has demonstrated in the past that, when healthy, he has a ton of offensive upside.
Age: 34/2024-25 cap hit $5 million
There’s a reason the Golden Knights ran it back with Smith at the trade deadline. He is a perfectively serviceable depth forward who is going to produce decently on offense and can contribute on both special teams.
He is fine if cast in the right role — that is, not a top-line winger — as the Rangers discovered.
Age: 29 | 2024-25 cap hit: $1.6 million
Suter is teetering on the brink of a potential overpay, after setting career highs in goals (25) and points (46) in a contract year with the Canucks. But his goal production has been steady in limited roles throughout his career, and he does enough away from the puck — according to the analytics — that even a dip in last season’s numbers won’t make a multiplier on his cap hit regrettable.
Tier 5: The boom-or-busts
Players who have the ability to justify the investment or whose contracts could eventually become an eyesore on PuckPedia.
Age: 35 | 2024-2025 cap hit: $9.5 million
Benn signed his eight-year contract in July 2016, but it somehow feels much longer ago than that. Perhaps because of his 16-year tenure with Dallas; when Benn was a rookie, Mike Modano was still on the Stars. But also because this contract was a topic of debate from the moment it was signed.
While Benn’s most productive offensive days are behind him, he has still managed 49 points in 80 games this season in a limited role; he has been under 16 minutes in average ice time for the past three seasons.
GM Nill said Benn will be a Dallas Star for life, but the two decided to have this season play out before talking extension. Benn’s value is in his leadership, physicality and intangibles. But Dallas or whichever team signs him needs to tread lightly in AAV and term here.
Age: 40 | 2024-2025 cap hit: $8 million
The beard, the ranch, the mysterious bag filled with mysterious items. There are few NHL players who have inspired the kind of lore that Brent Burns has. He also used to inspire a lot of offense, but that production has fallen off steeply over the past two seasons — from 61 points to 43 points to 29 points in 82 games this season, the lowest average of points per 60 minutes of his career.
Is this run the end of the line for Burns? He hasn’t said. But there’s always going to be a market for a puck-moving defenseman in the NHL who can log 20 minutes per game.
Age: 29 | 2024-2025 cap hit: $2 million
Donato had an all-timer walk-year bump this past season, setting new career highs in goals (31) and assists (31) in 80 games with the Blackhawks. He was talking to Chicago about a new deal around the trade deadline, and the Hawks opted not to move him. That’s an indication they see him as part of their group moving forward. Having chemistry with Connor Bedard probably doesn’t hurt.
The questions now: How does one quantify that in a contract? And can Donato repeat the feat in a noncontract year?
Age: 30 | 2024-2025 cap hit: $2.5 million
Drouin recaptured his offensive game with Colorado, which acquired him with the encouragement of his junior hockey teammate Nathan MacKinnon. It was a heartwarming story. Less so was the fact that, once again, the injury bug munched on him this past season.
He had 37 points in 43 games, showing that when he’s in the lineup he can be effective. Operative phrase: when he’s in the lineup.
Age: 36 | 2024-2025 cap hit: $4 million
We almost put “Showtime” in the “best bets” category given how he outperformed his incentive-laden, one-year contract with Detroit last season by tallying 21 goals and 38 points in 72 games. He played well with longtime linemate Alex DeBrincat and responded well when Detroit hired Todd McLellan to take over as coach.
The issue with Kane is on the other side of the puck, where he was analytically the weakest defensive forward on the Red Wings.
Age: 29 | 2024-2025 cap hit: $5.5 million
Kuzmenko fit really nicely with the Kings after they acquired him from the Flyers. He seemed to be the player Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe had been waiting for to join their line. Assuming new GM Ken Holland sees it the same way, it’s going to be intriguing to find out how that is valued in regard to AAV and term.
If Holland doesn’t, then Kuzmenko will be onto a fifth team in three seasons, tantalized by his offensive pop and power-play prowess.
Age: 27 | 2024-2025 cap hit: $4.5 million
The Rangers traded the 27-year-old to the Avalanche at the trade deadline. He’s a solid defensive defenseman who could complement a puck-moving partner, like he did in New York with Adam Fox.
But at this point in Lindgren’s NHL career, it’s practically predestined that he is going to either play through injuries or miss some time because of them.
Age: 33 | 2024-2025 cap hit: $7.75 million
Orlov surprised many the last time he was a free agent by signing a short-term, high-AAV contract with the Hurricanes. He had a slight uptick in offensive production this season but remained just above replacement level as a defender. Orlov has been especially rough in his own end in the playoffs.
While the Canes could let him walk, there’s likely value in keeping Orlov around as a partner and mentor to rookie Alexander Nikishin, who looks like something special.
Age: 33 | 2024-2025 cap hit: $3 million
What was expected to be one of the best value signings in the NHL last offseason never really worked out that way for Skinner and Edmonton. He had 16 goals and 13 assists in 72 games, skating just 12:60 on average. He did appear in one playoff game against the Kings, his first postseason action of his 15-year career.
Skinner is two seasons removed from a 35-goal campaign with Buffalo.
Age: 37 | 2022-23 cap hit: $10.5 million
We know what kind of player Toews was for the Blackhawks: a Selke Trophy-winning captain who won three Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe, one who was still putting up numbers (31 points in 53 games) deep into the Chicago rebuild.
But we don’t know what kind of player he is now, having last appeared in a game back in April 2023 before stepping away from the NHL for health considerations and personal growth.
Toews has expressed an interest in coming back to play again. That has led to speculation about a comeback with everyone from his hometown Winnipeg Jets to the championship-starved Maple Leafs to the Oilers, for whom his old GM Stan Bowman now works.
Tier 6: The goalies
The few, the proud, the available goaltenders
Age: 34 | 2024-25 cap hit: $3.85 million
Allen outplayed Jacob Markstrom in the regular season, with a higher save percentage (.908), more goals saved above expected (8.75) and just as many shutouts (four). The Devils like their goaltending, and GM Tom Fitzgerald has discussed negotiating to bring Allen back. But given the other options on the free agent goaltending market, someone might go higher than the Devils are willing to go.
Age: 29 | 2024-25 cap hit: $3.4 million
The former starter for the Colorado Avalanche, Georgiev was sent to the Sharks in the Mackenzie Blackwood trade. Things weren’t all the better for him there, as Georgiev had minus-13.7 goals saved above expected in 31 games for San Jose.
GM Mike Grier already told the goaltender he won’t be back with the Sharks next season.
Age: 32 | 2024-25 cap hit: $900,000
One of five goalies the Wings used this season, Lyon played 30 games for Detroit with an .896 save percentage and a 14-9-1 record. He was just under average in goals saved above expected at minus-1.63.
Age: 28 | 2024-25 cap hit: $1.8 million
Signed in a cost-effective deal as a backup to Adin Hill, Samsonov had a second straight season with a sub-.900 save percentage, along with a minus-7.85 goals saved above expected.
Age: 29 | 2024-25 cap hit: $3.4 million
A former starter with the Devils, Vanecek split time between the Sharks and Panthers this season, and he wasn’t particularly great for either of them.
Age: 27 | 2024-25 cap hit: $2.2 million
Dustin Wolf‘s incredible rookie season was supported by 30 games of perfectly average goaltending from Vladar, who remains a reliable tandem goalie if not much more.
Tier 7: The spackle
The other free agents available who don’t neatly fall into these tiers.
Mason Appleton, C, Winnipeg Jets
Cam Atkinson, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning
Joel Armia, LW/RW, Montreal Canadiens
Nathan Bastian, RW, New Jersey Devils
Nick Bjugstad, C, Utah Mammoth
Justin Brazeau, RW, Minnesota Wild
Cody Ceci, D, Dallas Stars
Tony DeAngelo, D, New York Islanders
Calvin de Haan, D, New York Rangers
Christian Dvorak, C, Montreal Canadiens
Lars Eller, C, Washington Capitals
Robby Fabbri, F, Anaheim Ducks
Radek Faksa, C, St. Louis Blues
Anton Forsberg, G, Ottawa Senators
Trent Frederic, C, Edmonton Oilers
Adam Gaudette, RW, Ottawa Senators
Tanner Jeannot, F, Los Angeles Kings
Kasperi Kapanen, RW, Edmonton Oilers
John Klingberg, D, Edmonton Oilers
Luke Kunin, F, Columbus Blue Jackets
Sean Kuraly, C, Columbus Blue Jackets
Oliver Kylington, D, Anaheim Ducks
Andrew Mangiapane, F, Washington Capitals
Anthony Mantha, RW, Calgary Flames
Brock McGinn, LW, Anaheim Ducks
Gustav Nyquist, RW, Minnesota Wild
Max Pacioretty, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Nick Perbix, D, Tampa Bay Lightning
Corey Perry, RW, Edmonton Oilers
Jeff Petry, D, Detroit Red Wings
Taylor Raddysh, D, Washington Capitals
Jack Roslovic, F, Carolina Hurricanes
Jan Rutta, D, San Jose Sharks
Brandon Saad, LW, Vegas Golden Knights
Nate Schmidt, D, Florida Panthers
Brendan Smith, D, Dallas Stars
Nico Sturm, C, Florida Panthers
Brandon Tanev, LW, Winnipeg Jets
James van Riemsdyk, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets
Sports
Delayed flights, missed meals and little sleep: How college teams adjusted to cross-country travel
-
Kyle Bonagura
IF THERE WERE ever a moment when Oregon State baseball coach Mitch Canham would have had reason to second-guess his decision for the Beavers to play an independent schedule in the wake of the Pac-12’s collapse, it might have been in the early hours of March 31.
Oregon State had just completed a three-game series at Nebraska and was waiting out a four-hour delay in the Denver airport. The team still had a two-and-a-half-hour flight to go, and it would take at least another two hours after that to get on the bus in Portland and drive home to Corvallis, just as the rest of the town would be starting their day.
It started ordinarily enough, but this Sunday quickly devolved into a comedy of errors.
There was a standard breakfast before the noon game, which had a three-hour window to be played before the team needed to leave for the Lincoln airport to catch its flight. Things started to go off the rails in the bottom of the seventh inning. That’s when OSU gave up nine runs before another in the eighth to lose 16-7, after which it found out a popular local barbecue joint had cancelled the team’s postgame meal.
The Beavers didn’t have enough time to make other food arrangements — or shower — before they needed to be at the airport, so they took their chances at finding food at the terminal. There turned out to be only one option, a sandwich spot, but as the Beavers arrived, the place’s only two workers got into a loud argument.
“We’re trying to get a sandwich right before we get on the plane, because we haven’t eaten and they just start going at each other,” Canham said. “One guy is like, ‘I quit.’ And we say, “No, not yet, man. How about we get 30 sandwiches real quick and then you quit?'”
The plea didn’t work, leaving this increasingly hungry college baseball team without a meal for another couple hours before the members would have a chance to grab food during their layover in Denver. And when they were delayed, it felt like the team was living an elaborate prank.
“We look at each other, we laugh and alright, what’s next?” Canham said. “How do we make the best of this?”
If there was any consolation for Canham as he tried to get some sleep in the airport that night, it came when he found out several of his players crossed paths in the terminal with the Cal baseball team. Their former Pac-12 rival — now playing in the ACC — was on its way back from Louisville, and its flight wasn’t going to leave until 6 a.m.
These are no longer just isolated inconveniences, they’re the new normal.
Oregon State’s long trek home was more than just a rough travel day, it was a glimpse of the logistical challenges many programs now face. For Oregon State, Cal, UCLA and other West Coast teams, this year of realignment has brought a constant grind to remain at the highest levels of college athletics.
WHEN THE DUST settled on the latest round of college sports realignment, few schools bore as much responsibility as UCLA. Along with crosstown rival USC, the Bruins were a main driver in breaking up the Pac-12 when they opted to leave for the Big Ten.
For football, the situation was different. The travel generally involves shorter trips than most nonrevenue sports, and schools typically charter flights for football, which limits many of the headaches that come with commercial travel. Most of the trips align with weekend game schedules, so there’s less interference with academics, making the whole proposition more manageable.
But what would it mean for nonrevenue sports such as women’s soccer?
“My first reaction was obviously a bit of surprise,” said UCLA women’s soccer coach Margueritte Aozasa, who led the Bruins to the 2022 national title in her first year as coach. “I was on a recruiting call when the news dropped, and I was like, ‘Oh.’ But at the same time, I was pleased because the Big Ten is well-positioned in the future of collegiate sports.”
Aozasa and her staff soon realized that while the number of trips on UCLA’s 2024 schedule didn’t change much from the Pac-12 days, the cross-country flights added significant fatigue.
“The biggest adjustment we’ll make going forward is investing more in recovery,” Aozasa said. “Our team actually performed really well on the road, but it was the games the next week, when we had to come back after making that longer travel trip, that we noticed it.”
To track that toll, UCLA relied on GPS wearables and readiness surveys, which showed higher levels of fatigue and soreness than usual. The data helped confirm what coaches had anticipated, that there would need to be different recovery processes than when most of the games were confined to the West Coast.
Some early-season injuries also added to the strain. Players logged more minutes than expected, and the cumulative wear of flights, hotels and unfamiliar fields only added to the challenge.
“It wasn’t just the travel,” Aozasa said. “We were very shorthanded early on, so that stretch of games — Kentucky, Tennessee, then two back-to-back Big Ten trips — it really tested us.”
The impact was felt most acutely during the Big Ten conference tournament, which was already a new concept as the Pac-12 didn’t have a postseason conference tournament. UCLA won the tournament, but doing so meant the Bruins had to play three games in six days — including a snow delay in Minnesota — as a precursor to the NCAA tournament.
“We definitely felt it,” Aozasa said. “Playing three games in six days away and then coming back was not easy. It’s something we, as a staff, have to adjust to.”
UCLA received a No. 2 seed in the tournament, but was eliminated in the second round.
Aozasa expects that with time the sort of issues they dealt with for the first time this season won’t feel like issues at all, and they’ll just be part of life in big-time college athletics. The team will be able to learn from the experiences each season and apply those lessons down the road.
“Last year was probably the only time we’ll have to plan a nonconference schedule before we had the conference dates,” Aozasa said. “This year, we’re back on track. We have our home and away opponents and the dates set, so we can plan more thoughtfully.”
One of the main topics for concern as realignment dispersed West Coast teams across the country was the potential impact on academics. And while that remains top of mind for many coaches, Aozasa said the adjustment was easier than she expected.
For a sport like women’s soccer, the number of missed classes didn’t really change. Yes, their flights were longer, but the number of travel days was similar.
“If we were having this conversation seven or eight years ago, it would be a different story,” she said. “But now, with how used to remote learning everyone is, our players didn’t have to make any major adjustments on the academic side.”
There was also the benefit of being exposed to new places.
“We had players who had never been to the Midwest,” Aozasa said. “They got to see college towns for the first time, experience a pumpkin patch that wasn’t in a parking lot. The girls loved it.”
For all the talk of challenges, Aozasa said she was proud of how her team adapted.
“We have to be adaptable,” Aozasa said. “We have to be advocates for the health and wellbeing of our players, but we also have to be adaptable. That’s the only way forward in college sports today.”
Aozasa’s positive outlook on competing in the Big Ten wasn’t a stance shared on campus by men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin, who at various points this past season expressed frustration with UCLA‘s new life on the road.
Following a home win against Iowa in January, Cronin was asked about what kind of impact the travel to the West Coast might have had on Iowa.
“Wear and tear on them? Is that a joke? Please tell me that’s a joke,” Cronin said. “We have to go back [East] four times. Oh, the Big Ten teams get to come to Los Angeles where it’s 70 degrees one time a year. They don’t even have to switch hotels. [UCLA and USC] are 12 miles apart, are you kidding me? Please tell me you’re kidding me.”
Cronin’s rant went on.
“We’ve seen the Statue of Liberty twice in the last three weeks while we were landing. We also saw the Capitol Building,” Cronin said. “And we’ve still got to go back, and then we’ve got to go back for the Big Ten tournament. They do it one time.”
By the time UCLA’s season was over, the Bruins took 12 trips outside of Los Angeles, traversing the country to the tune of approximately 35,240 miles in the air. After flying approximately 21,000 miles the year before, it was an increase of about 66%.
Still, UCLA finished tied for fourth in the Big Ten during the regular season and earned a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament. After winning their first-round game against Utah State 72-46, the Bruins bowed out in the second round with a 67-58 loss to second-seeded Tennessee.
With the loss marking the end to a long, often frustrating season, Cronin delivered another memorable round of travel critiques in the postgame news conference.
“Right now guys, it’s 12:40 a.m. and our season just ended,” he said. “Right now my biggest concern is how bad the seats are on [our Allegiant Air] flight, on that terrible plane we’re going to have to fly home tomorrow.”
Cronin’s unfiltered criticism made it clear he felt like UCLA was at a competitive disadvantage with the amount of travel his team had to do within the Big Ten compared to the conference’s longtime members.
While it should be easy to understand his point, and it is hard to argue against it, Cronin isn’t exactly a sympathetic figure, for a couple reasons. The most obvious is that UCLA brought this upon itself. While Cronin might not have been consulted on the decision to leave to the Pac-12 and is in no way responsible for the move, the university was not forced into this new normal like, for example, Oregon State was. UCLA determined the increased media revenue from being in the Big Ten was worth sacrificing in other ways.
Then, of course, there is the success of the women’s basketball programs at UCLA and USC, which dealt with the same kind of travel challenges and still managed to go a combined 65-7 during the regular season and earned No. 1 seeds, before they were both eliminated by eventual champion UConn. The travel might make winning more difficult, but after one season it’s impossible to say with any confidence to what degree it makes a difference.
In 2024, the UCLA softball team played two games outside the Pacific Time Zone during the regular season — both in an early-season invitational tournament in Florida — before the NCAA tournament and its eventual trip to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma.
This year, that number jumped to 14, including a six-game road trip that included games in Iowa, Washington D.C. and Maryland. But the results were similar. UCLA hosted in the first round and took two of three last week in a super regional at South Carolina to return to the Women’s College World Series. If there was a competitive disadvantage that came from more time on the road, it was minimal.
AFTER MOST OF the Pac-12 fled for safe haven in the Big Ten, Big 12 and, finally, the ACC, Oregon State — along with Washington State — lost the proverbial game of musical chairs.
It left Canham weighing the future of Oregon State baseball. Realignment did not leave the Beavers with many viable options to maintain their place as an elite college baseball destination.
“I looked at the possibilities and just didn’t see anything that lined up,” Canham said. “A lot of the options were conferences that typically get one bid into the postseason. And that’s not the level we want for our program or our players. We want to play the best.”
Washington State sent its baseball team to the Mountain West as an affiliate member, but that wasn’t an appealing destination for the Beavers. So, after seeking out the viability of affiliate membership elsewhere, Oregon State made a bold decision: it went independent. The Beavers are the only independent college baseball team this season, and they’ll be independent again in 2026.
The choice came with a heavy dose of uncertainty and an even heavier travel burden. Without a conference to rely on for a bulk of the scheduling, Canham spent hours on the phone, calling around to piece together a full slate of games.
“I needed an opportunity to try to fill out a schedule and see if we could make this work,” he said. “I was going to call and ask for that game to fill a complete schedule.”
While Oregon State’s ballpark, Goss Stadium, offered a premier setting, getting other teams to visit — especially late in the season during conference play — was difficult. Many preferred to keep their bye weeks at home, leaving Oregon State with little leverage to bring opponents to Corvallis.
“I assumed that everyone would want to come here and play because of the history, the ambience, just the beauty of the ballpark,” Canham said. “But for Year 1, that was not necessarily in the cards for many schools.”
The Beavers instead faced an exhausting schedule of away games, spending countless hours in airports, buses and hotel rooms. Of their 54 games this season, only 19 were at home.
It was the kind of season that tested everything: sleep schedules, nutrition, recovery. It wasn’t unusual for the team to practice on the road as late as 9 p.m. on a Thursday after a full day of travel.
Earlier this month, the team met at its facility to catch a 4 a.m. bus to get to Portland for a flight to Iowa. But the bus never showed up, leaving coaches to pack players and bags into their own cars.
“I go, ‘There’s no bus,'” Canham said. “So I said, ‘All right, everybody, coaches get your cars.’ We loaded up all the guys and drove them to the airport ourselves.”
But if any program was equipped for adversity, it was Oregon State. With three national championships in 2006, 2007 and 2018, the Beavers have long been a powerhouse in college baseball. Under former coach Pat Casey, Oregon State became one of the most respected programs in the country.
That tradition has carried on under Canham, a former Oregon State catcher who played on the 2006 and 2007 title-winning teams. He has seen firsthand what it takes to succeed on the national stage, and he is doing everything within his power to maintain that legacy.
“This is a program that’s built on toughness and resilience,” he said. “We’ve played in some of the biggest games in college baseball history, and we’re going to keep pushing to be in that conversation every year.”
Despite the chaos of this independent season, the Beavers refused to view it as a burden.
“None of these are complaints,” Canham said. “These are all blessings, how we choose to look at this. Because if we’re trying to prep these guys for going on and playing in the professional ranks, they’re going to be doing a lot of that constant travel on the road.”
In Cal’s first baseball season in the ACC, coach Mike Neu also had to reimagine his strategy to scheduling. The Bears would have to cross the country for any conference away games except against Bay Area-rival Stanford, so Neu wanted to limit the travel early on.
“Once I found everything out, the goal was, ‘Let’s play more at home knowing we’re going to travel a little bit more, and let’s leave a day earlier,'” he said.
His focus was on cutting down on travel days, reshuffling midweek games and ensuring his players had enough time to recover and adjust to different environments. Cal had been scheduled to play in a tournament in Texas, but Neu backed out of that and replaced it with local games.
In the past, Cal had always left on Thursday for road trips in the Pac-12, but that changed this year. For trips back East, the team would leave on Wednesday. The change came for a couple reasons, but largely stems from an experience Cal had traveling to Pittsburgh in 2023. For that trip, Cal’s direct Thursday flight to Pennsylvania was canceled. The team ended up having to connect and got in very late that night, without the chance to practice and get acclimated.
“That’s one of those factors that probably made the decision easier to leave on Wednesday because if that happens on Wednesday, OK, we’re going to be fine,” Neu said.
After playing mostly local games to start the season, Neu said he’ll likely replicate the plan next year, and he is confident the team could actually handle another out-of-town tournament at the start of the season or another road trip, possibly in Southern California.
“I don’t think that would be overwhelming for us,” Neu said. “I think this season has probably given me the confidence we don’t have to play every game at home in the preseason.”
Playing at home didn’t end up serving as much of an advantage, at least not in the most basic way to evaluate such things. The Bears finished the season 12-18 at home, 10-12 on the road and limped to a 9-21 record to finish in last place in the ACC. With the No. 16 seed in the ACC tournament last week, Cal won a pair of 9 a.m. ET games in Durham, North Carolina, against No. 9 Miami and No. 8 Wake Forest before being eliminated by top-seeded Georgia Tech.
THE TRAVEL TOLL was real, but — at least for Oregon State — so was the payoff. After finishing their independent season 41-12-1, the Beavers earned the No. 8 national seed in the NCAA tournament. That means they’ll host a regional in Corvallis that begins Friday and, if they advance, they would again play host, but for a super regional.
The question now is whether any of this is truly sustainable. Will the cross-country flights, missed meals and sleep-deprived nights slowly erode the competitive edge these programs have fought so hard to maintain? Will players be worn down by the mental and physical toll, or will they find ways to adapt, season after season?
For now, the realignment trend across college sports is for conferences to become more national. But with such a drastic shift, it’s fair to wonder whether, years from now, some of these nonrevenue sports might ultimately trend back in the other direction. That day won’t come soon, but the jury is still out on whether this new era of constant travel is truly the way forward, or simply a phase that college sports will eventually outgrow.
-
Adam Rittenberg
Baylor defensive lineman Alex Foster, 18, died early Wednesday after he was found with multiple gunshot wounds in a car in his hometown of Greenville, Mississippi, the Washington County Coroner’s Office said.
Foster redshirted the 2024 season at Baylor and went through practice this spring.
The Greenville Police Department said they responded to reports of a shooting at 12:11 a.m. Wednesday and found a single male victim in his car with multiple gunshot wounds. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead about half an hour later.
Greenville Police have not released the name of the victim. No arrests have been made but the investigation is ongoing.
“We are heartbroken by the unexpected loss of Alex Foster, a beloved member of our football family,” Baylor coach Dave Aranda and athletic director Mack Rhoades said in a joint statement. “Our deepest condolences are with Alex’s family and all who loved him, as we lift them up in prayer now and in the days to come. … Alex’s memory will forever be part of our hearts and this program.”
— Baylor Football (@BUFootball) May 28, 2025
Aranda posted a separate message on X, adding, “Our hearts are broken, and our prayers are with his family, friends and all those who loved him so deeply.”
Foster, who was listed at 6-foot-5 and 292 pounds, played high school football for St. Joseph Catholic School in Madison, Mississippi. He was an ESPN three-star recruit in the 2024 class.
The shooting was part of a “surge in violent crimes” that Greenville Mayor Errick D. Simmons said in an address threaten the community. Simmons said the city issued a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. to curb the violence, which has included multiple shootings and “senseless killings.”
Simmons said all nightclubs and late-night establishments in the city must cease operations at midnight as part of the curfew, with a special emphasis being placed on “juvenile safety and parental accountability.”
“It’s to protect the lives and well-beings of every Greenville resident in light of this growing crisis. … we cannot stand by and let violence rip through our neighborhoods. Enough is enough,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 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
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway