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'A better team' than last year? Why Yankees say they are, even without Soto
On Dec. 8, one month and nine days after a nightmare fifth inning torpedoed the New York Yankees' hopes of overcoming a 3-1 deficit to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, the Yankees absorbed another franchise-shifting loss at the winter meetings in Dallas.
Juan Soto wasn't returning. And he wasn't just not returning -- he was signing with the New York Mets.
The Yankees offered the superstar outfielder a 16-year, $760 million contract. When he rejected it, general manager Brian Cashman and his front office turned to plans they had devised during their pursuit of Soto should they need to pivot. His departure set in motion a flurry of activity over a 12-day stretch in mid-December to attempt to raise the floor on a roster with franchise cornerstones Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole still in their primes.
"You can't replace a Juan Soto," Cashman told ESPN this week. "So how do you cushion the blow and diversify that throughout the lineup? And then the defense was a real problem on our roster. We had a bad defensive team. We have an opportunity to upgrade the defense at the same time, which will improve our run prevention and our pitching. So, getting more athletic, getting more protection on the defensive front while still trying to provide good, strong balance on the offensive side was, ultimately, the simple framework."
The Yankees believe their aggressive restoration attempt after an uncharted disappointment -- losing a bidding war for your superstar free agent? To the Mets? -- wasn't just successful. They believe it was an upgrade.
"Some people may disagree with me," Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner told the YES Network on Tuesday, "but some people will agree with me: I think we have a better team right now than we did a year ago today."
The Yankees' first post-Soto move -- just 48 hours after Soto accepted a 15-year deal worth $765 million guaranteed to defect to Queens -- was to bolster a strength: They added another front-line arm to a deep rotation with an eight-year, $218 million contract with Max Fried, one of the three best starters on the free agent market.
A day later, the Yankees agreed to re-sign reliever Jonathan Loaisiga to a one-year, $5 million deal. Two days after that, they acquired Devin Williams, arguably the best closer in the sport, from the Milwaukee Brewers for left-hander Nestor Cortes and prospect Caleb Durbin. Four days later, they finalized a trade with the Chicago Cubs for Cody Bellinger. Three days after that, they acquired reliever Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson from the Cincinnati Reds for backup catcher Jose Trevino.
Then, on Dec. 21, the last major addition: an agreement with veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on a one-year, $12 million contract.
"The Soto deal is insane," a rival executive said. "It could be a blessing in the end. Fried is an ace. Bellinger might hit 30 HRs there and shores up their defense. Goldschmidt is a Hall of Famer. Added a bullpen arm. All in all, pretty good."
The Yankees let second baseman Gleyber Torres and relievers Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle walk in free agency. Anthony Rizzo and Alex Verdugo are among the other contributors from last season's club who won't return.
"I think they've pretty much nailed everything they've done," a rival scout said.
Among the Yankees' potential targets in a pivot were left-hander Blake Snell and shortstop Willy Adames. The team held Zoom calls with both free agents. Real interest was expressed from both sides. But both players decided to sign in the week before Soto made his choice. The Yankees, not wanting to commit to any long-term deals before knowing where Soto would sign, watched them go elsewhere.
The Yankees also held a Zoom call with Corbin Burnes, the third of the big three free agent starters, but an offer was never made, sources said. The Yankees, with Snell off the market, instead focused on Fried.
In the bullpen, Williams represents an upgrade over Holmes, the Yankees' closer until he lost the job in early September, though it could be for just one season. Williams arrives with just one year of control remaining, just like Soto had.
"At the end of the day, we are trying to win," Cashman said. "It's a win-now move, just like Soto's acquisition the previous year was a win-now move. And, obviously, the Yankees are about impact and trying to find impact."
The Cubs, seeking to free up payroll, were between trading Bellinger to the Yankees or Toronto Blue Jays, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations. The Cubs ultimately settled on the Yankees' offer of right-hander Cody Poteet, also sending the Yankees $5 million to pay down Bellinger's salary over the next two years.
At the time of the trade for Bellinger, the Yankees were still shopping for a first baseman. They never had interest in signing Pete Alonso, sources said. Christian Walker could have been a fit, but the Yankees decided they didn't want to pay the penalty for signing a player who was given the qualifying offer. The Yankees engaged in discussions with the Cleveland Guardians on Josh Naylor, but the two sides couldn't come to a resolution, according to a source, before Naylor was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In the end, it came down to giving the job to Ben Rice, a rookie last season, or signing one of two free agents in their late 30s: Goldschmidt or Carlos Santana. Goldschmidt, another former MVP, is 37 years old and coming off his worst season, but the Yankees were encouraged enough by his strong second half (.271/.319/.480) with St. Louis to make the low-risk investment.
Goldschmidt's down season -- he batted .245 with 22 home runs, a .716 OPS, and 1.1 fWAR -- would still be a considerable improvement on the production the Yankees received from their first basemen in 2024, who ranked last in the majors in OPS (.594), tied for 26th in home runs (17) and 27th in fWAR (-1.2).
Offsetting the loss of a player of Soto's caliber -- one who recorded a .989 OPS, blasted 41 home runs, posted an 8.1 fWAR, routinely delivered in clutch situations and made life easier for Judge hitting behind him -- is an inexact science, with several moving pieces beyond all those transactions.
Judge is slated to move from center field, where the metrics said he performed poorly last season, back to right field. Jasson Dominguez, the organization's top prospect, should be given an extended run for the first time after September call-ups the past two seasons -- and he should be an upgrade in left field over Verdugo, one of the least productive regulars in baseball last season. Add Bellinger in center field, and the Yankees' outfield projects to drastically improve defensively.
"What's going to matter ultimately is the wins and losses that transpire over the six months when we open March 27th," Cashman said. "Once that starts, that's the real world. Sleep on us, don't sleep on us. Overrate us, underrate us. None of it matters. All that matters is us winning. And if we win as much as we're capable of winning, then it keeps those dark storms, that are really not fun to deal with, away. And that's all I care about."
The Yankees aren't quite finished yet. They would like to further replenish the roster in two areas.
Acquiring a third baseman or second baseman -- and having Jazz Chisholm Jr. play the other position -- remains on their to-do list, though club officials maintain they have internal options, including DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza. Trading for Nolan Arenado or signing Alex Bregman are not among the options, sources said.
They could also use a left-handed reliever; the team's 40-man roster currently doesn't include one. A reunion with Tim Hill, who excelled after joining the Yankees in June and recorded a 2.05 ERA in 35 appearances, is on the table.
Financially, the salaries of Goldschmidt, Fried, Williams and Bellinger will combine for $74.6 million on the Yankees' competitive balance tax (CBT) payroll while Soto alone will count as $51 million against the Mets' CBT ledger. To facilitate further acquisitions, however, the Yankees prefer to shed right-hander Marcus Stroman's contract, which includes $37 million over the next two seasons. The Yankees' current projected CBT payroll is $302.9 million, according to Cot's Contracts, putting them nearly $62 million over the tax threshold.
Since they've been over the tax for at least three straight years, the Yankees would be taxed at a base rate of 50% plus a 60% surcharge if they exceed the threshold by at least $60 million at the end of the season.
Last season, the Yankees paid a $62.5 million tax for their $316 million CBT payroll. The tax bill was the third-highest among the nine payees. The Mets were second. The team that beat them in October was first.
The Dodgers, after investing more than $1 billion in player contracts last winter, continued splurging after winning the World Series, committing more than $450 million to free agents this winter after paying a $103 million tax payment on top of their $353 million payroll last season. Their spending spree has drawn angst from all corners of the baseball world -- including from the Yankees, once the free-spending Goliath who engendered ire throughout the industry.
"It's difficult for most of us owners to be able to do the kind of things that they're doing," Steinbrenner said.
The Yankees, according to Forbes, are the highest valued franchise in the majors and the fourth-highest-valued sports franchise in the world at an estimated $7.55 billion. The Dodgers rank a distant second in baseball and 24th in the world at $5.45 billion but are making major inroads in Japan with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and now Roki Sasaki on the roster.
For now, the Dodgers are the defending champions, and they are, on paper, better than ever -- with All-Stars seemingly everywhere. The Yankees, without Soto, will try to chase them down with a very different roster after a very busy offseason. Time will tell if their pivot was enough.
"It's impossible to make 110% great decisions at all times," Cashman said. "We're trying to aspire to that, but maybe this '25 version will be the magic run. We'll see."
Lynn, who also oversees all aspects of the women's rugby programme at Hartpury College and University set-up, will take charge of Wales for the first time during the Six Nations.
He already coaches a large contingent of Welsh internationals at Gloucester-Hartpury, with captain Hannah Jones, prop Sisilia Tuipulotu, fly-half Lleucu George and hooker Kelsey Jones among them.
Gloucester-Hartpury currently hold a three-point lead in the Premiership ahead of Harlequins and a 10-point advantage on Bristol Bears in fifth, with the top four teams qualifying for the play-offs.
Since the start of December they have won their past six league games - including against three of their four top four rivals. They place Leicester Tigers away in their next game on Saturday.
"It's something we set out in June, July, let's get a home semi-final, it's knock-out rugby, it's what we enjoy, and my full focus is on Gloucester-Hartpury and making sure we can [do that]," Lynn added.
"We said in the meeting on Monday, where we've come from just before Christmas, playing all those top four teams and coming away with max points it's incredible.
"I'm super proud of the group of players and staff that we've got. That job has been done and now it's looking to build going into knockout stages."
BARBERVILLE, Fla. The Super DIRTcar Series doesnt start its season until Feb. 12. But that isnt stopping Justin Stone and his dad, Todd, from starting their season early.
The father-son duo will take on a new challenge by competing in a DIRTcar UMP Modified during Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park, Jan. 30-Feb. 8.
The plan is to alternate nights, but well see how it goes, Justin Stone said. Were guaranteed one night, but after that, we dont know what the car is going to look like. Were both pretty excited and intrigued by it, especially at Volusia.
With the opening night of DIRTcar Nationals on Thursday, the Stones shook down the car at Golden Isles Speedway earlier this week. Todd said the experience didnt go as expected.
I got in the car, and I was like, oh boy, I dont know if I can do this, he said. Justin adapted pretty quick. The car drives totally different than a [Big Block]. When you get in the corner in a [Big Block], if you put it to the floor, youre going to spin out. With these cars, you have to keep your momentum up, and its the total opposite of how Ive been taught to drive.
While Todd is new to a UMP modified, hes no stranger to racing during Florida Speedweeks. Hes competed at New Smyrna Speedway in an asphalt modified, pro late model and super late model, earning two wins in the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.
Traveling to Florida has become a tradition for the Stone family, using February as a month of fun.
We have a shop down here in Florida, and I just like having a car down here so we can come down and have fun, relax, and have a good time, Todd Stone said.
As the Middlebury, Vt., duo prepares for fun in Florida, the laps Justin gets in the UMP modified will still be valuable. Its track time that will help him when the Super DIRTcar Series races at Volusia, Feb. 12-15.
Its going to be a learning curve, Justin Stone said. I think its going to be fun. Theres going to be a ton of cars, and Im excited to see where the week goes.
I think its going to be really good for Justin to get some time on the track, Todd Stone said. Hes been here two times and has only raced six Features, so its good for him to go around the track.
I love watching him progress. I love being able to give him the opportunity to do this. Im his biggest critic, but Im his biggest fan, too. I just love it.
Random Vandals Racing Set For Full World Challenge Campaign
CONCORD, N.C. Following an impressive 2024 GT3 debut season, which included a landmark second-place finish at Barber Motorsports Park, Random Vandals Racing will return to GT World Challenge America powered by AWS with a full-season Pro class entry.
BMW M Motorsport driver Connor De Phillippi, alongside RVR driver, Kenton Koch, will lead the charge, piloting the Vbrick Systems BMW M4 GT3 Evo as the team sets its sights on a championship run.
Additionally, Conor Daly will rejoin the team as the third driver for the prestigious Indianapolis 8-Hour race, bringing his wealth of experience and proven track record in endurance racing to RVRs lineup for the marquee event.
In its debut GT3 season, RVR showed immediate competitiveness, highlighted by the No. 99 Vbrick Systems BMW M4 GT3 achieving a podium at Barber Motorsports Park with Daly and Koch. Building on this momentum, RVR will elevate its commitment to the series with the full-time Pro Class lineup of De Phillippi and Koch
This is the next step in Random Vandals evolution as sportscar team, said Paul Sparta, Team Principal of Random Vandals. The Kenton, Connor, Conor lineup was very successful in our partial season last year. Their collective experience, technical acumen, and vibe is a fantastic combination and should produce great results in 2025.
The growth of the Random Vandals Racing program has been a pleasure to watch, said Adam McGregor, BMW NA Motorsport and Customer Racing Manager. The team and their steady expansion is the epitome of success with a BMW Customer Racing program. Im eager to cheer on Paul and the rest of the Vandals in their sophomore season with the BMW M4 GT3.
Last year was an awesome introduction to GT3 racing for RVR, said Kenton Koch. It was amazing to be part of such a talented group, especially given how quickly everything came
together. Now with experience under our belt and the off-season to prepare, Im excited for what this next season will have in store! Beyond pumped to partner with Connor De Phillippi for the full season and have Conor Daly join us for the Indy 8 Hour. Opportunities to co-drive with drivers of this caliber dont come around often, and Im grateful to be a part of such a strong program.
Joining the RVR family for the full season is the perfect continuation of what we started last year, said Connor De Phillippi. Their commitment to performance has been on full display over the offseason as theyve built out the team structure for 2025. With our knockout driver combo alongside Kenton for the full season and adding Conor Daly for the Indy 8H, I believe we have the pieces we need to have a successful racing program. Truly excited to get to work..
I want to thank Paul and the rest of the Random Vandals Racing team for giving me the chance to get behind the wheel again, said Conor Daly. It felt great to get right in and be competitive last year in a really strong field of cars. Im excited to use what we learned together to go collect some more trophies in 2025.
PUTNAMVILLE, Ind. Tommie Estes has been named general manager of Honest Abe Roofing Lincoln Park Speedway as USAC takes over as promoters of the historic five-sixteenths-mile race track.
The Lincoln Park Speedway season will feature 26 nights of racing between April and September.
Estes brings more two decades of leadership and hands-on knowledge to the role, positioning him to continue the legacy of excellence at one of Indianas most beloved dirt racing venues. Furthermore, Jen Estes will serve as the tracks co-manager.
A long-term agreement between the track owner Dave Allison and USAC Promotions is in place to assure long term stability for Lincoln Park Speedway competitors and race fans.
We are greatly appreciative to all the phenomenal groups that showed interest in promoting Lincoln Park Speedway, track owner Dave Allison said. After an extensive evaluation of all interested parties, we decided that the best choice for the long-term stability, continued growth, expansion and exposure for Lincoln Park Speedway would be to allow USAC to promote the LPS facility. They will continue the tradition of local Saturday night racing at LPS, and Im confident in USACs ability to take the facility to the next level of entertainment for our fans and race teams.
Estes, who began his racing career as a driver has served as competition director for the ASCS National Sprint Tour, the Chili Bowl Nationals, and most recently for the USAC Silver Crown National Championship, a role hell continue in alongside his duties at Lincoln Park.
Im honored to take on this role at Lincoln Park Speedway, Estes said. This is an iconic venue, and Im excited to work with the great team here to build upon the tracks rich history. My goal is to continue growing the tracks reputation for thrilling racing while ensuring we deliver the best experience for drivers, fans, and the local community. Im looking forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Lincoln Park is set to host five USAC national events in 2025, including four USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car shows starting on April 11 followed by the Bill Gardner Sprintacular on July 4-5, plus NOS Energy Drink USAC Indiana Sprint Week Presented By Honest Abe Roofing on July 25. The track welcomes the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championships Indiana Midget Week on June 5.
Haley Believes Spire Has More Than Enough To Go Win Any Given Week
Perhaps the dark horse team to keep an eye on during the NASCAR Cup Series season is Spire Motorsports.
Founded in 2018, Spire has quickly evolved from a field filler to field disruptor as the team enters the upcoming season hoping to make another leap to become a contender.
With a mixture of experience and youth within its three-driver lineup, the team may be in for a monumental season.
Heading into the new year, veteran Michael McDowell anchors the teams driver stable alongside Justin Haley and reigning rookie of the year Carson Hocevar.
Haleys Cup Series career started at Spire, where the team scored a rain-shortened victory in the summer at Daytona (Fla.) Intl Speedway during its inaugural season.
Since then, the Indiana native has made stops at Kaulig Racing and Rick Ware Racing. With only eight races left last year, Spire and RWR traded drivers as Corey LaJoie landed with RWR while Haley returned to his old stomping grounds.
According to Haley, the atmosphere was very different from the version of Spire Motorsports he had previously driven for.
Jeff Dickersons (co-owner) been open about this, Haley began. When I was originally there, we were just trying to get to the track and trying to figure out how to get to the race track and be competitive.
Now its, How do we win? I think thats on every banner in there. Every goal, every calendar is just to win and thats all that matters anymore. They definitely have hired the right people to win and they have acquired the right assets and car components to win.
Just getting the best of the best and things like that and building the best of the best, Haley continued. It was definitely interesting coming back at the end of the year. It was definitely different for all of us and I was trying to get acclimated into a situation.
Get acclimated with a crew chief that Id never worked with and the spotter I never worked with, just for it all to go away in seven races. Normally you have an offseason to prepare for that. Things like, me and Rodney have been in talks every day preparing. Weve had meetings. Weve been together.
Jumping back into that thing at Kansas and I had a Tuesday meeting and that was it. It was definitely different.
What a crazy year, this year has been. Kind of took a chance and feel like it paid off for whatever reason that is and trying to make the best of it going forward.
Haley will have a strong leader to lean on with Rodney Childers serving as his crew chief.
As the 2014 Cup Series champion alongside driver Kevin Harvick, Childers was arguably Spires biggest signing as he brings a title-winning pedigree to an up-and-coming race team.
As the season is set to begin this weekend with the CookOut Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium exhibition race, Haley believes the team is in a strong position, stating, I feel like we have the best of everything.
We might not have as many employees, or as many parts as the big teams or what have you, but we have enough, Haley affirmed. We have more than enough to go win any given week.
Its definitely a situation that Ive never been in that we go to the race track and are like, Wow, we have everything here. Its definitely different for me. Im excited for it.
CONCORD, N.C. The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series will have six rookie drivers this season and more than half the touring racers have two seasons or less experience on the tour.
Though experienced sprint car racers, Cole Macedo, Hunter Schuerenberg, Zach Hampton, Skylar Gee, Garet Williamson and Chris Windom will all take on the full series schedule for the first time.
Noting that todays young drivers race differently, World of Outlaws champions David Gravel and Donny Schatz provided insight to the rookie vs. veteran dynamic on the Outlaw trail.
Its going to be interesting. Theres going to be a lot more fireworks, said reigning World of Outlaws champion David Gravel. I feel like this past year the top seven, eight guys, theres a lot of fireworks with them. Now were going to have it, 12-13 cars deep.
Windoms more of a veteran guy, not going to drive wild. But youre going to have Zach Hampton driving wild. Garret Williamson, hes a gasser. Hunter Schuerenberg, hes a gasser too, Gravel added. I know Hunter really well. Its something I know he was always a non-winged guy and transferred over to wing racing. Happy for him to get the opportunity to race the World of Outlaws. I think Garret Williamson has a lot of talent as well. I think hell have a solid season.
Through 29 years on the circuit, 10-time series champion Donny Schatz has seen rookies come and go.
I dont have a responsibility to do anything for them, Schatz said during a Jan. 28 interview. I know that I had to earn the respect of Steve Kinser and I had to earn the respect of Sammy Swindell, Dave Blaney, Danny Lasoski, Mark Kinser and all the guys that were there when I came out. You dont see that in todays environment.
One thing that I always say is that youll have guys who come and race with us and they will do magnificent when they pick the shows they want, but if something doesnt go right, they get to go home and hit reset, he noted. When you commit and you pack your bag and load up and go World of Outlaws racing, now it changes and I have seen it effect so many guys who dont expect it. Guys who think they are ready. They go and do it and it can be the ultimate beat down. I think that you are going to see that this year.
Asked specifically about this years rookie class, Schatz said: They are all fairly seasoned, so it is going to be an interesting scenario. They are going to find themselves in positions where they get in trouble and it gets to be a beat down and it is hard to keep up. Maybe not all of them are going to make it the whole time.
I hope they do, but I can tell you the toughest season I ever had was my rookie year. Just getting to the end is a tough road. If someone wants to come and ask me for advice, I will help. I have no problem with that. I try to encourage them to do things the right way. Obviously, there are guys I have raced with that we had problems with who have become some of my closest friends.
Gravel had a similar opinion.
Everybody wants to be a World of Outlaw guy, but when you go and do it, it really changes your opinion on if you really want to be a World of Outlaw, because it is grueling, Gravel said.
Night in, night out, you got to perform. If you dont, you could go on a 10-race stretch that sucks and you could get really depressed and really down on yourself.
Schatz makes no bones about todays younger generation of racers being different.
I think a lot of that comes from the younger generation, they going at it a little differently than maybe my era did, he explained. We worked on the cars. I owned the cars and have done all those things. Todays generation, they just go for it at all costs, over, through or on top of, it doesnt matter. Its all about getting the results.
I think you have seen the most generation that has done it by feeding off of what I did or what Steve (Kinser) did. We all feed off of each other, but todays environment with live streaming, you can go back and replay everything. Thats a completely different scenario than what I was subjected to.
Back then if you wanted to see Steve Kinser race, you needed to be at the race track, and you needed to watch him when he was on the race track, Schatz noted. Now, you can go back and find footage of these guys and watch and learn from their mistakes for countless hours. I am sure there are a lot of people that do that. What took me a lot of years to figure out, now people can watch all those things and see how things transpired in a short amount of time.
KLADNO, Czechia -- Ice hockey great Jaromir Jagr is selling a majority stake in his hometown team the Kladno Knights in the Czech league.
Jagr said on Thursday he's selling an 80% stake to businessman Tomas Drastil while holding on to the remaining minority stake. Financial details were not given.
"Something is coming to an end," Jagr said. "But a new era, and I hope a more successful one, is about to start."
Jagr and Drastil said a key reason for the move was to boost the club financially.
Jagr acquired full ownership in 2017 when he got 30% from the town. He had had 70% since 2011.
The 52-year-old Jagr has played for Kladno since the Calgary Flames released the NHL's second-highest scorer in 2018. Kladno was his first professional team as a teenager.
This is his 37th professional season. Jagr said on Thursday he would be happy to complete this season by leading Kladno to the playoffs for the first time, and he will deal with his future only after that.
Men's college hockey bubble watch: Sizing up road to the Frozen Four
The men's college hockey season is hitting high gear, with conference races heating up and the selection of the NCAA tournament field less than two months away. While there's some separation at the top, with Boston College and Michigan State posting key wins of late, the grouping is tight after that as teams battle to secure their spots in the 16-team tournament for a chance to reach the Frozen Four in St. Louis.
The NCAA field includes the winners of the six conference tournaments -- Atlantic, Big Ten, CCHA, ECAC, Hockey East and NCHC -- and 10 at-large teams based on the PairWise rankings. As things stand, Hockey East and the Big Ten are gobbling up the at-large spots, with both leagues looking strong and deep. In the current projection, six Hockey East teams make the cut (with two more on the bubble) and four Big Ten teams are in.
Conference tournament championship games are scheduled for March 22, with the NCAA tournament selections to be announced March 23. Regionals will be held March 27-30, with the Frozen Four on April 10 and 12.
Here's a look at where the NCAA field stands, broken into tiers based on how secure each team's spot is, with teams listed in order of the PairWise rankings as of Jan. 30. Each team's résumé includes an outlook by ESPN college hockey analyst Andrew Raycroft.
Dozens of men's and women's college hockey games, including games from Hockey East and the ECAC plus full coverage of the NCAA tournaments, are available to stream on . Subscribe here.
Frozen Four or bust
Boston College
Record: 18-4-1, 11-3-1 Hockey East
Key games: Feb. 3 vs. Northeastern (Beanpot semis); Feb. 10 vs. BU/Harvard (Beanpot consolation/championship)
Numbers to know: Ryan Leonard leads the country in goals per game (0.83), with 19 in 23 games. ... BC has not given up an even-strength goal in its last six games.
Raycroft's take: Coming off a sweep of crosstown rival BU, the Eagles have solidified themselves at the top of the polls and PairWise rankings. Led by first-round NHL draft picks Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault, BC has a deep, talented forward group. Goalie Jacob Fowler will be a Mike Richter finalist, and along with an experienced D core, the Eagles are No. 2 in the nation in goals against (1.74 per game).
Michigan State
Record: 20-3-3, 11-2-3 Big Ten
Key games: Feb. 7-8 home-and-home vs. Michigan
Numbers to know: Michigan State has posted wins over Boston College, Western Michigan and Minnesota, with a 4-1-2 combined record against those teams, which are all in the PairWise top 6.
Raycroft's take: Adam Nightingale continues to lead the Spartans' resurgence as one of the premier programs in the country. The Big Ten leaders have just three losses on the season, all to top-16 teams. World Junior legend Trey Augustine is the backbone for this group in the crease and Isaac Howard, a first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning, leads the nation in scoring (1.50 points per game).
Safe and sound
Minnesota
Record: 19-6-3, 10-4-2 Big Ten
Key games: Feb. 14-15 at Michigan; Feb. 21-22 vs. Ohio State
Numbers to know: Jimmy Snuggerud has a goal in five straight games and 11 goals in his last 12 games. ... Brody Lamb is tied for second in the nation with eight power-play goals.
Raycroft's take: The Gophers are the highest scoring team in the country at 4.0 goals per game, led by third-year captain Jimmy Snuggerud. Bob Motzko is in his seventh season at Minnesota, and along with his four first-round draft picks, the Gophers are tournament tough. Even with three straight losses (two in OT), the Gophers are still in position for a No. 1 seed.
UConn
Record: 14-8-2, 7-6-2 Hockey East
Key games: Jan. 31 at Providence; Feb. 21 vs. Maine
Numbers to know: The Huskies are unbeaten in their last seven games, including a win and tie at Maine, where the Black Bears are 9-2-2 on the season. ... UConn also has wins over BC, UMass-Lowell, Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart, all of whom are currently projected in the NCAA tournament field.
Raycroft's take: Coach Mike Cavanaugh is on the verge of leading his Huskies to their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance. UConn is unbeaten in January, thanks in large part to the play of the goalie tandem of Tyler Muszelik and Callum Tung. Offensively, sophomore Joey Muldowney is scoring at a rate of just over a point per game in the very tough Hockey East.
Maine
Record: 15-5-3, 7-3-3 Hockey East
Key games: Feb. 7-8 at Providence; Feb. 21 at UConn
Numbers to know: Maine is third in the country in scoring defense (1.78 GAA) and scoring margin (1.61 per game).
Raycroft's take: Despite losing last season's top scorer Bradly Nadeau, Ben Barr and the Black Bears find themselves in the top 10 of PairWise for the second straight season. Four of their five losses have come against teams in the top 7 of PairWise as they've played one of the toughest schedules in the country. Sophomore goaltender Albin Boija is in the top five nationally in wins and GAA, and should be a stalwart down the stretch.
Western Michigan
Record: 17-4-1, 10-1-1 NCHC
Key games: Feb. 14-15 vs. Omaha; Feb. 21-22 at Arizona State
Numbers to know: Western Michigan is the only team in the country in the top five in both scoring offense (3.55) and scoring defense (1.82). ... The Broncos have allowed only four power-play goals all season.
Raycroft's take: The Broncos have the best penalty kill in the nation at 92.7% and fifth-year senior goalie Cameron Rowe is 12-1 with a .926 save percentage. They have won six in a row since the calendar turned and are 10-1-1 in NCHC play. Their balanced scoring attack, 10 WMU players have double-digit point totals, should bode well come regionals.
Denver
Record: 18-6-0, 7-5-0 NCHC
Key games: Jan. 31-Feb. 1 vs. Omaha; Feb. 7-8 at Arizona State
Numbers to know: Denver ranks in the top 10 nationally in scoring margin (first, 1.79), goals per game (second, 3.75), goals allowed per game (sixth, 1.96), power-play percentage (first, .318), penalty kill percentage (ninth, .851) and faceoff win percentage (third, .550).
Raycroft's take: The defending champion Pioneers started the season 12-0 but have since wavered a little. However, a David Carle-led team cannot be overlooked and will certainly be a force in March. Leaders Jack Devine (1.38 points per game) and Zeev Buium (1.14) continue to dominate, and don't forget goaltender Matt Davis and his heroics from last season.
On solid footing
Providence
Record: 15-6-3, 5-5-3 Hockey East
Key games: Feb. 7-8 vs. Maine; Feb. 14-15 home-and-home vs. BU
Numbers to know: Providence went 10-1 in nonconference play, with a pair of wins over both Arizona State and Colorado College, plus wins over Clarkson and Dartmouth of the ECAC.
Raycroft's take: The Friars have lost four in a row but still land in the top 10 of PairWise because of the strength of Hockey East. Another team with a very balanced attack (13 players with at least nine points), Providence will be battle tested and rely on its heavy identity come regionals.
UMass-Lowell
Record: 13-7-3, 6-5-2 Hockey East
Key games: Jan. 31 at BC; Feb. 8 at UConn; Feb. 22 at Providence
Numbers to know: UMass-Lowell has excelled away from home, going 9-1-1 in road games or on neutral ice. Its best home performance came in early December with a shootout win over BC.
Raycroft's take: The largest turnaround in college hockey belongs to the River Hawks. Last season's 8-24-4 record is in the rearview mirror, especially after sweeping fellow Hockey East opponent Providence on the road this past weekend. UMass-Lowell is an experienced team with a strong forecheck that could present problems in the one-and-done scenario of tournament play.
Boston University
Record: 13-9-1, 9-5-1 Hockey East
Key games: Feb. 3 vs. Harvard (Beanpot semis); Feb. 10 vs. BC/Northeastern (Beanpot consolation/championship)
Numbers to know: BU is third nationally in scoring (3.65 goals per game), with Cole Eiserman sitting eighth with 0.64 goals per game and fourth with seven power-play goals.
Raycroft's take: BU is heading into trophy season coming off back-to-back losses to rival BC. The Terriers are looking to make it to the Frozen Four for the third straight year under coach Jay Pandolfo. Offense is not a problem for this high-flying team led by freshmen Cole Hutson and Cole Eiserman, and the Terriers look to get a defensive bump from freshman goalie Mike Yegorov, who looked good in his collegiate debut this past weekend against BC.
Ohio State
Record: 15-7-2, 8-5-1 Big Ten
Key games: Feb. 21-22 at Minnesota; Feb. 27-28 vs. Michigan
Numbers to know: Four Ohio State players have at least 20 points on the season, including Aiden Hansen-Bukata, who is fifth nationally in assists per game (0.86).
Raycroft's take: The Buckeyes have lost four of five in Big Ten play but are still firmly within the at-large field. Coming off a down season after making the NCAA tournament in 2022-23, Ohio State is led by Northeastern transfer Gunnarwolfe Fontaine. (What a hockey name!) A tough Big Ten schedule lies ahead and will challenge Scott Rohlik's group.
In the field -- for now
Michigan
Record: 14-10-2, 8-7-1 Big Ten
Key games: Feb. 7-8 home-and-home vs. Michigan State; Feb. 14-15 vs. Minnesota
Numbers to know: Michigan's offense can be explosive, with 12 games scoring four or more goals, but the Wolverines also have been shut out four times.
Raycroft's take: The Wolverines are under .500 since the start of December but do have wins against ranked teams Michigan State, Arizona State and BU. TJ Hughes and freshman Michael Hage lead the way with better than a point per game. This is a talented group that has the ability to come together in the last month of the season.
Quinnipiac
Record: 15-8-2, 9-3-1 ECAC
Key games: Jan. 31 at Dartmouth; Feb. 8 vs. Clarkson; Feb. 28 at Clarkson
Numbers to know: Quinnipiac ranks fifth in the country in penalty kill percentage (.878) and 10th in scoring defense (2.32 GAA).
Raycroft's take: Just two years removed from winning the national championship, the Bobcats are 9-2-1 since the start of December. The ECAC leaders have a program with a strong identity, led by coach Rand Pecknold, and is built for the second half of the season. Four NHL draft picks on the back end anchor this team and freshman Dylan Silverstein (2.12 GAA) has been solid in net. While Quinnipiac is on the right side of the at-large bubble for now, any slip-up would likely make the ECAC a one-bid league.
Arizona State
Record: 14-9-1, 9-5-0 NCHC
Key games: Feb. 7-8 vs. Denver; Feb. 21-22 vs. Western Michigan
Numbers to know: Ryan Kirwin in tied for fourth in the country in goals per game, scoring a conference-high 16 in 24 games. ... Arizona State is 7-2 in its last nine games against ranked opponents, including back-to-back wins at Denver in late November.
Raycroft's take: The Sun Devils are thriving in their first season of NCHC hockey. Sitting in third place with a 9-1-1 record in its last 11 games, ASU is an older team built through the transfer portal that seems to be jelling at the right time.
One-bid league champs
Minnesota State
Record: 17-7-2, 12-4-2 CCHA (No. 17 in PairWise)
Key games: Feb. 7-8 vs. Augustana; Feb. 21-22 at Lake Superior State
Numbers to know: Minnesota State has allowed only 1.58 goals per game, the best mark in the country, and has allowed two goals or fewer in 15 of its last 16 games.
Raycroft's take: The CCHA figures to be too close to call until the final weekend. The Mavericks are currently leading the way under second-year coach Luke Strand. Minnesota State is leading the nation in goals allowed per game because of its workhorse goalie Alex Tracy and his .941 save percentage. Look for Michigan Tech and Bowling Green to also challenge for the CCHA bid by the end of the season.
Sacred Heart
Record: 15-9-4, 12-6-2 Atlantic (No. 28 in PairWise)
Key games: Jan. 31-Feb. 1 at Niagara; Feb. 22 vs. Bentley
Numbers to know: Sacred Heart is 2-2-1 against ranked opponents, including a 1-0 loss to UConn on Jan. 25, when it held the Huskies to 17 shots on goal.
Raycroft's take: The Pioneers are leading a very competitive Atlantic conference by the slimmest of margins, with Niagara, Bentley and Holy Cross right on their heels. Freshman goalie Ajeet Gundarah has led the way between the pipes, giving up more than three goals just once all season, while junior forward Felix Trudeau is scoring more than a point per game. The Atlantic conference always seems to come down to the last weekend and this season will be no different.
On the bubble
New Hampshire
Record: 11-9-3, 3-8-2 Hockey East
Key games: Feb. 14-15 at Maine; Feb. 28-March 1 home-and-home vs. BC
Numbers to know: UNH has outshot its opponents by a 707-557 margin, but has outscored it foes by a much slimmer mark (69-61). ... The Wildcats also have given up four short-handed goals and seven unassisted goals on the season.
Raycroft's take: Coach Mike Souza has his team battling in the mix of an extremely tough Hockey East again this season. The Wildcats lost five conference games in a row in January and will need a strong finish to move up the standings.
Wisconsin
Record: 11-12-3, 6-9-1 Big Ten
Key games: Jan. 31-Feb. 1 at Minnesota; Feb. 14-15 at Ohio State
Numbers to know: Wisconsin has faced one of the toughest schedules in the country, dropping seven of eight against Denver, Michigan State and Minnesota, but the Badgers are 2-1-1 against Michigan and get another shot at the Gophers this weekend. ... Wisconsin is fourth in the country in faceoff win percentage (.549).
Raycroft's take: Mike Hastings' second season at Wisconsin sees the Badgers scrambling to make the NCAA field after a 2-5-3 start. Sophomore Quinn Finley is tied for fourth in the nation with 34 points, while Ryland Mosely and Gavin Morrissey find themselves in 15th with 28 points each. Tommy Scarfone is trying to fill the void left by last year's Mike Richter Award winner Kyle McClellan.
UMass
Record: 13-10-2, 4-7-2 Hockey East
Key games: Feb. 7 at UConn; Feb. 14-15 home-and-home vs. BC
Numbers to know: The Minutemen's final 10 games are against teams ahead of them in the PairWise rankings, so they will have an opportunity to move up. ... The UMass power play is second in the country with a .301 conversion rate.
Raycroft's take: The 2021 national champion Minutemen are the eighth Hockey East team in the top 18. The UMass offense is being carried by junior forward Cole O'Hara, who is third in NCAA scoring with 35 points, while sophomore goalie Michael Hrabal, a 6-foot-6, second-round draft pick who is property of the Utah HC, has a .924 save percentage.
Miguel Almirón has rejoined former side Atlanta United from Newcastle United on a permanent deal, the MLS side confirmed.
It brings an end to the forward's five-year spell at St. James' Park, where he made over 200 appearances and scored 30 goals.
The Paraguay international was Newcastle's club-record signing in 2019, when he arrived in a 20 million ($26m) deal from Atlanta. The 30-year-old's standout season for the club came in 2022-23, where he scored 11 goals and assisted a further four to help Newcastle secure Champions League qualification for the first time in 20 years.
Almirón was a beloved figure among the Newcastle fanbase, and his goal against Paris Saint-Germain in a famous 4-1 Champions League win only further heightened his cult status.
In his first stint at Atlanta, Almirón lifted the MLS Cup in 2018.
"I'm very happy to return to Atlanta United, a club and a city that has always held a special place in my heart," Almirón said.
"I'm grateful to Arthur M. Blank and the entire organisation for the opportunity and I'm looking forward to reuniting with the fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and creating more moments of joy together."
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe paid tribute to Almiron in a club statement.
"He has been the ultimate professional, and he has been a big part of some of our most memorable moments in recent seasons," he said.
"He is a great person and we'll miss him greatly, but this is the right move at the right time for him and his family and we wish them well."
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