NHL All-Star skills predictions: Fastest skater, hardest shot, outdoor events
-
ESPN staff
The 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend is upon us. Friday night will be the All-Star skills competition, the broadcast of which will begin at 7 ET on ESPN and ESPN+. Saturday will be the All-Star Game itself at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida, with coverage beginning at 3 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+.
Things typically get a little goofy — in the best way possible — for the skills competition, and the South Florida destination for this year’s event means that we will see two Florida-centric outdoor events: the Pitch ‘n’ Puck and the Splash Shot. Of course, the skills competition will also include classic events such as fastest skater, hardest shot, breakaway challenge and accuracy shooting.
Who do we think will win these events, and what else are we excited about seeing? Our panel is here to debate those very questions.
Who wins the fastest skater?
Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter: Cale Makar. Hockey fans talk a lot, and rightfully so, about Nathan MacKinnon‘s speed whenever the focus is on the Colorado Avalanche. The reality is that Makar is also one of the fastest skaters in the league. Avs players have told me that the following doesn’t happen, but it’d be dope to see Makar and MacKinnon challenge each other at practice to see who is faster.
Emily Kaplan, NHL reporter: In 2016, then-rookie Dylan Larkin set a mark of 13.172 seconds — blazing fast — breaking the 20-year record for the event. I say the Detroit Red Wings captain avenges a so-so showing last year and regains his crown.
Arda Öcal, NHL host: Give me Kirill “The Thrill” Kaprizov in an upset. I have no statistical basis on this — I just want him to win.
Kristen Shilton, NHL reporter: Makar is a sneaky-fast skater. We always give love to the forwards in these events, but if there’s a defenseman who can out-speed any competition, it’s got to be Colorado’s breakout blueliner.
Greg Wyshynski, NHL reporter: Give me Chandler Stephenson of the Vegas Golden Knights in an act of defiance. You have people saying, “Why is Chandler Stephenson here instead of a Seattle Kraken player to replace the injured Matty Beniers?” And then you have people that are simply saying, “Why is Chandler Stephenson even here?”
Winning the fastest skater competition would be a declarative statement. He should break into “This is Me” from “The Greatest Showman” in the postrace interview.
1:52
Best of NHL All-Star Weekend: Fastest skater edition
Ahead of the 2023 NHL All-Star Game, check out the fastest skaters from the previous years in the skills competition.
Who wins the hardest shot?
Clark: Let’s go with Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones. He had a strong showing in 2019 when his hardest shot reached 99.4 mph. It was good enough for third then. Maybe there is a chance he adds a bit more velocity and walks away with this year’s title.
Kaplan: I feel like people will overlook Elias Pettersson, but he’s the favorite for me. And it sounds like the puck and player tracking data from the season would back me up.
Öcal: I’ll go with Josh Morrissey. I wouldn’t want to block his shot, would you?
Shilton: Going with Josh Morrissey here, too. They play a hard game in Winnipeg, and Morrissey has had some practice putting his weight behind a shot. Plus, this is a great moment for him to show off a little and get on anyone’s radar who hasn’t noticed what a terrific season he’s having for the Jets.
Wyshynski: While I long for the days of Zdeno Chara setting the radar gun ablaze through the sheer velocity of his shots, perhaps I’m underestimating this group. I’ll also go with Seth Jones, who has experience in the event and will probably relish the chance to put some existential angst about the Blackhawks’ current status behind his slapper.
1:59
The best of the NHL hardest shot competition
Take a look back at the best moments from the hardest shots contest at the NHL All-Star Game.
What do you think about the outdoor events this year?
Clark: On one hand, it’s a creative way to commemorate the All-Star Weekend being in South Florida. On the other hand, it makes you wonder if this it will be something the league will do in other markets. For example, what would be the outdoor event in Calgary, Edmonton or Winnipeg in February?
Kaplan: I’m all-in, and love how the league is constantly adapting to the local environment and trying new things. The Splash Shot is going to produce some fun moments — especially with good buddies Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon competing as a partnership.
Öcal: I love them when they are in warm weather. If the All-Star Game is ever in the wonderful city of Winterpeg, I hope for all involved that there are no outdoor events taking place, or that they are sponsored and outfitted by Canada Goose. While in Florida? Keep us at the beach all day long! Please!
Shilton: The NHL trying anything new is a good thing in my book, especially at All-Star Weekend! The outdoor element is a nod to where the event is being held (shoutout, South Florida) and allows the league to incorporate more creativity into its annual showcase. Dig it.
Wyshynski: I’m torn, but only because of the pre-taped nature of the events. For example, I’m someone who appreciates the unpredictability and occasional chaos of the sketches on “Saturday Night Live,” rather than the tightly edited pre-taped segments. That said, the commercial parodies and behind-the-scenes vignettes they pre-tape are exponentially funnier.
Ultimately, I lean more to the positive on the outdoor events, particularly because of their ingenuity — like hockey golf! — and the undeniable comfort of the players involved, working at a pre-taped pace.
1:42
The best of the NHL All-Star Game
Watch the best plays from previous NHL All-Star Games as the 2023 edition faces off on Saturday.
What are you most looking forward to seeing?
Clark: Seeing the fan turnout for the game. One thing South Florida does extremely well is turn out for events. It’s another reason why the College Football Playoff, New Year’s Six bowl games and the Super Bowl do so well there. South Florida excels whenever there is a spectacle, and to see what it can do with the NHL All-Star Game should be interesting to watch.
Kaplan: Jason Robertson competing in the Pitch ‘n’ Puck event. Robertson told me this summer that he’s notoriously not a good golfer — despite golf generally being the go-to hobby for most hockey players. Robertson said he’s probably in the bottom first percentile of all NHL players when it comes to golf, and in his words, “How am I supposed to get good at golf if nobody invites me?”
This event isn’t purely golf, but it’s going to be entertaining to see him compete in a golf-inspired event.
Öcal: I am still holding strong for an eventual “breakaway challenge becomes the dunk contest” narrative, so I hope we see elite creativity in the contest.
Shilton: I can’t wait to see how this Splash Shot event goes down. The pairings are incredible — Crosby and MacKinnon? Yes. Tkachuk brothers? Even better — and if it brings out the fun side of these guys, then it’s all the better for everyone. Does anyone have a special trick up their sleeve? How into it will the players get? Excited to see if they’ll embrace the spirit of the thing and really go for it.
Wyshynski: Sidney Crosby. I’ve covered All-Star Games for the entirety of his career. The biggest story about Sid used to be why he wasn’t participating in one — injury, apathy, etc. — rather than what he was going to do at All-Star Weekend.
But as he’s gotten older, this experience has meant more to him. At 36, “Sid The Kid” is participating in a dunk-tank shooting contest and working with his former arch nemesis Alex Ovechkin in the trick shot competition. That’s wild! I love casual, fun-lovin’ Sid. It took a while, but he’s here.
-
Jorge Castillo, ESPN Staff Writer
The San Diego Padres have acquired second baseman Luis Arraez in a trade with the Miami Marlins for reliever Woo-Suk Go and prospects Dillon Head, Jakob Marsee and Nathan Martorella, the teams announced Saturday.
The Padres also received nearly $7.9 million in cash considerations, leaving them responsible only for the major league minimum salary for Arraez.
The transaction represents the first significant move for the Marlins since Peter Bendix took over as the team’s president of baseball operations in November after Kim Ng departed. It marks the beginning of the Marlins’ teardown of an underachieving roster that has produced the third-worst record in the majors at 9-25 with a minus-61 run differential after reaching the postseason in 2023.
On the other side, it’s another aggressive deal for A.J. Preller, the leader of the Padres’ front office since 2014. Arraez, one of the sport’s best contact hitters, will give the Padres a needed left-handed-hitting weapon after Juan Soto was sent to the New York Yankees in December. San Diego is 17-18 with a plus-6 run differential.
“It’s really amazing — that guy is a baller,” Fernando Tatis Jr. said about Arraez after the Padres’ win Friday night. “He’s probably the closest to Tony Gwynn right now, so looking forward to seeing him in our lineup. … The guy’s a pure hitter, and I can’t wait for him to help us.”
Miami is paying San Diego $7,898,602 of the $8,491,398 remaining for the final 149 days of Arraez’s $10.6 million salary. That left his cost to the Padres at $592,796 — exactly a prorated share of the $740,000 minimum.
Arraez, 27, was the Marlins’ best player, an All-Star and batting champion each of the past two seasons. This season, he is batting .299 with a .719 OPS in 33 games, all started at second base. He also has extensive experience at first base.
“When a guy like that is taken out of the lineup or potentially traded, you feel it, because he’s such a good kid and one of the leaders in that clubhouse,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said, “so there’s definitely a shock value.”
Arraez is expected to start games as the Padres’ designated hitter, but the club plans to cycle through the DH spot. Jake Cronenworth, Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado could also get at-bats there. Bogaerts has been the club’s starting second baseman.
Go spent seven seasons in the Korean Baseball Organization before signing a two-year deal with a mutual option worth $4.5 million guaranteed during the offseason. The 25-year-old right-hander appeared in 10 games for Double-A San Antonio, posting a 4.38 ERA across 12⅓ innings after failing to make the Padres’ bullpen out of spring training.
Head was the Padres’ first-round pick (25th overall) last year out of high school. The 19-year-old center fielder is batting .237 with a .683 OPS and three stolen bases in 21 games in low-Class A.
Martorella is batting .294 with an .820 OPS in 23 games in San Antonio. The Padres selected the 23-year-old first baseman in the fifth round of the 2022 draft. Marsee, a 22-year-old outfielder, has spent the season in San Antonio batting .185 with two home runs. He was a sixth-round pick in 2022 out of Central Michigan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
-
Jorge Castillo, ESPN Staff Writer
NEW YORK — Yankees ace Gerrit Cole threw off a mound Saturday morning for the first time since being shut down in mid-March, checking off another box in his road back from an elbow injury.
Cole took the mound in the Yankees’ bullpen at 10:40 a.m., hours before New York took on the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium. He said he threw 15 pitches, 13 for strikes and all fastballs. He said the pitches averaged 89 mph.
“It was exciting,” Cole said. “This was a good day for me. I was fired up.”
Cole, 33, started the season on the 60-day injured list after being diagnosed with nerve irritation and edema in his pitching elbow following one spring training outing. The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner is eligible to come off the injured list May 27, but the Yankees have declined to share a timetable for Cole’s return.
On a scale from 1 to 10 — 10 being game ready — Cole reported he is “somewhere between 1 and 5.” He said how his body responds over the next 48 hours will decide when he throws off a mound again.
Cole’s injury was a significant blow to a club with championship-or-bust aspirations, but the Yankees’ starting rotation has been one of the best in the majors and a primary reason for the team’s 21-13 start. The rotation’s 3.43 ERA through Friday ranked ninth in the majors. Its 183⅔ innings pitched ranked fourth.
Luis Gil, Cole’s rotation replacement, logged the best start of his young career Wednesday, holding the explosive Baltimore Orioles scoreless on two hits over a career-high 6⅓ innings. Gil, 25, has recorded a 3.19 ERA in 31 innings across six starts despite leading the American League with 20 walks.
Earlier this week, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said neither the team’s nor the rotation’s success will impact Cole’s timeline. Asked whether the overall success has made his absence more “palatable,” Cole was unsure.
“I don’t really have anything unpalatable to compare it to,” Cole said. “You know what I’m saying? So I’m just kind of like, just like everybody else, just glad we’re playing well.”
Also on Saturday, the Yankees reinstated infielder Jon Berti from the 10-day injured list and designated former first-round pick Taylor Trammell for assignment.
Berti, 34, has been out of the Yankees’ lineup since April 10 with a left groin strain. The Yankees had selected Trammell off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 18, and he collected 1 hit, 1 walk and 2 runs in five games with New York.
Field Level Media contributed to this report.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Environment12 months agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports6 months agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Environment1 year agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Sports4 weeks agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Environment1 year agoTesla advances Powerwall pilot project with German electric company