Carolina Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said trading for star winger Mikko Rantanen was a risk worth taking, even after Carolina failed to sign him and dealt him to the Dallas Stars before Friday's NHL trade deadline.

"Our organization is characterized by an aggressive approach. Being aggressive means taking some risks. It means taking some chances," Tulsky said. "If the team was already winning [Stanley] Cup after Cup after Cup, maybe that would be a time to be conservative, but we haven't gotten to where we want to be yet. Ultimately, that means you're taking some risks."

Rantanen was traded twice within two months. The Colorado Avalanche traded him to the Hurricanes on Jan. 24 in a blockbuster three-way trade that included Carolina acquiring Chicago Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall. Colorado received winger Martin Necas, who was Carolina's leading scorer this season, as well as Hurricanes center Jack Drury, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder. The Blackhawks also took on half of Rantanen's $9.25 million salary cap hit to facilitate the trade.

Rantanen wasn't his dominant self in Carolina, scoring six points in 13 games while adjusting to what he described as an unexpected trade out of Denver.

The Hurricanes engaged in extension talks with Rantanen. Carolina presented Rantanen and his agent with a detailed contract proposal during the 4 Nations Face-Off, with ESPN's Kevin Weekes reporting that the average annual value of the deal was between $13 million to $14 million. But it became clear that the pending unrestricted free agent would not commit to Carolina before Friday's 3 p.m. ET deadline.

"My sense of it was that this just didn't feel like home for him, as far as I can tell. And that's OK. He's making an eight-year commitment," Tulsky said.

The Hurricanes were open to keeping Rantanen for the short term, with Tulsky calling it a "perfectly fine outcome." But he said the deadline offers were too enticing not to explore -- including the one from Dallas that the Hurricanes ultimately accepted.

The Stars traded forward Logan Stankoven, a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick for Rantanen, the NHL's sixth-leading scorer over the past three seasons (279 points in 223 games). Both first-round picks are top-10 protected. Dallas agreed to the trade after coming to terms with Rantanen on an eight-year contract extension with an annual average value of $12 million.

Tulsky said trading Rantanen "wasn't the goal" but that the team is comfortable with how the situation ended up, praising Stankoven's potential and the draft capital the Canes acquired.

He lamented that Carolina couldn't use those picks before the trade deadline to bring in help for this season, citing how much time it took for Dallas to finalize its contract with Rantanen and for the teams to close their deal. The Hurricanes didn't have cap flexibility until the Rantanen trade was closed, and Tulsky said Carolina missed out on some players it was targeting in the interim.

Rantanen's decision to sign with Dallas marked the second straight season a star acquisition has spurned the Hurricanes. Winger Jake Guentzel was acquired at last season's deadline but left for the Tampa Bay Lightning as a free agent. Tulsky defended his franchise, saying the situations weren't similar and that "we've got a lot of high-end players that have signed here long term."

The first-year general manager said he expects to walk his players through the franchise's "team building" plans soon. Tulsky was emphatic that he has no regrets for acquiring Rantanen from Colorado.

"When you move him out, that's a loss for the current year. But we felt we were getting enough in this deal that it was the best thing for the organization in the long term," Tulsky said.

Almost a year and a half after suffering a serious knee injury playing for Brazil -- and with little football in the meantime --- Neymar is back. Brazil's all-time top scorer has been recalled to the squad for CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers later this month against Colombia and Argentina. So that poses the question: How will the 33-year-old's return impact Brazil in these upcoming matches?

Is he ready?

A very good question, to which the answer is "probably not." True, he has exceeded expectations of his fitness since going back to Brazil to rejoin Santos earlier this year.

Neymar left Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal after coach Jorge Jesus decided not to register him for the league, saying that he was not keeping up with the rhythm of the others in training. But after coming off the bench in his first game for Santos, he has started the subsequent six -- twice staying on until the end -- and the team's results have certainly improved. He is in the process of regaining match fitness, and has done some excellent things, but almost all of them have been from set pieces.

He has been striking corners and free kicks with all of the old quality. But from open play, he is finding it hard to make an impact, especially in the vital space on the edge of the opposing penalty area. And most of these matches have been against minor opponents in the Brazilian Campeonato Paulista (São Paulo State Championship). Playing in World Cup qualification, against two of the best sides on the continent (the finalists of last year's Copa América) is a giant step up.

Why is he back?

Because there is a Neymar-shaped hole in the middle of the Brazil team.

"We have been waiting for him," said Brazil coach Dorival Júnior. "And this is the first time he's been available. The other players have been publicly expressing what he means to our group."

It would seem reasonable to conclude that if Brazil were sailing through the qualifiers, then there would be no need to rush him back so soon. As former Brazil international striker Dodô said on local TV, "It's not the right time. Given two or three months he'll be back at his best."

Dodô was aware that he was part of a small minority. Brazil are fifth in the table, with plenty of tough games ahead, such as an away trip to the altitude of Bolivia on the final matchday in September. In any previous World Cup qualifying campaign, there would be genuine concerns about missing out on the competition. But with six South Americans going through automatically to 2026 -- and the seventh having the chance of a play-off -- there is no need to panic. But there are plenty of reasons to be worried, not least because Brazil's objective is to win the World Cup fifteen months from now.

Also, if qualification is not really in doubt, the job security of the coach most certainly is. There is a need, then, for a short term fix, a morale boost, the return of the saviour.

Will he start these games?

Starting this weekend, things get serious for Santos. They are now in the semifinals of the Campeonato Paulista. From now on, there are no small teams, starting with historic rivals Corinthians on Sunday, with a title at stake.

So something will depend on how he comes through these games. He came off in last Sunday's quarterfinal win over Red Bull Bragantino feeling some muscular discomfort, and needing ice on his thigh. Dorival Júnior will be watching closely.

"We're not creating high expectations," ]the Brazil coach said.

"Putting all the responsibility on this comeback. He's going through a process of recuperation. We understand this, we are aware of this."

But the absence of both Lucas Paquetá and Andreas Pereira from the squad would seem to be significant. Neymar is the only one on the squad who would seem comfortable in the role of deep lying playmaker, which was the position he was already filling with Brazil when he was injured.

Where once Neymar was -- in the expression of former national team coach Tite both bow and arrow -- now he is more likely to be the former. With plenty of pace in front of him -- Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha, Savinho -- Neymar can now drop deep and thread passes before joining up with the attack. And even a Neymar largely restricted to set pieces can be useful. Given quality service, the centre-backs are very dangerous attacking the ball at corners. Neymar is one of the best supply lines in the business.

President Donald Trump created a task force Friday to prepare for the 2026 World Cup, which will bring the globe's premier soccer tournament to North America at a time when his on-again, off-again tariffs have ratcheted up tensions across the continent.

"I think it's going to make it more exciting," Trump said of playing the World Cup amid sharp rhetoric among leaders of the host nations. "Tension's a good thing."

The task force, which Trump will chair, will coordinate the federal government's security and planning for the tournament, which is expected to draw millions of tourists to the United States, Canada and Mexico.

"It's a great honor for our country to have it," Trump said of the World Cup after meeting with officials from FIFA, the international soccer governing body. He said he'd like to attend multiple games.

Preparations are ramping up across the continent alongside tensions between the United States and its neighbors as Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs before backing off, spooking markets and leading to fears of a trade war and economic downturn. He also has spoken pejoratively of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and mused about Canada becoming a U.S. state, which has boosted national pride north of the border.

For 2026, the World Cup will expand to 48 teams playing 104 matches across three nations. Seventy-eight of 104 matches will be played in the U.S., with 13 games each in Mexico and Canada, and as many as six matches a day. The final will be played July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the task force will ensure that each of the visitors, who will travel from around the world, "feels safe, feels happy and feels that we are doing something special."

"So we're here to create and to make the best show on the planet ever," Infantino said. He gave Trump a personalized game ball and unveiled an elaborate trophy that will go to the winner of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which will pit top soccer clubs against each other this summer ahead of next year's matchup of national teams.

Trump later brought Infantino to show off the trophy at the start of a White House cryptocurrency summit. The United States, where soccer has grown in popularity but remains a niche sport, represents a major growth area for soccer, Infantino said.

Infantino likened producing the World Cup to holding three Super Bowls daily for a month, a dizzying security and logistical challenge for the host governments.

The Trump administration will face a second test on the global sports stage in 2028, when the Summer Olympics will be held in California, the first time the Games will be in the U.S. since Salt Lake City hosted in 2002.

The Las Vegas Raiders have traded for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, reuniting him with head coach Pete Carroll, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler on Friday.

Las Vegas gave up a 2025 third-round pick for Smith, sources said. The deal ends his five-year stint in Seattle, where he revived his career and became a two-time Pro Bowl selection.

Smith has one year and $31 million left on his contract. The Raiders are taking on all $31 million, a source told ESPN's Brady Henderson. The Seahawks will save that $31 million in cash and cap space while taking on $13.5 million in dead money.

In 2024, Smith, 34, completed 70.4% of his passes while throwing for 4,320 yards, 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He helped the Seahawks finish 10-7, but they were unable to make the playoffs in their first season under coach Mike Macdonald.

While starting all 17 games, he broke his own franchise record for passing yards and completion rate, carrying an offense with an overmatched line and no consistent run game. He also led four game-winning drives, giving him nine over the past two seasons to tie Patrick Mahomes for the most in the NFL in that span.

Smith's last game-winning drive came in the Seahawks' Week 18 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

But Smith's 15 interceptions were the third most in the NFL. Four of his interceptions came in the red zone (most in the NFL). His 21 touchdown passes tied for 13th, and his QBR of 53.8 (21st) was his lowest in three seasons as Seattle's full-time starter. He was sacked 50 times (third most).

"Geno's our quarterback," Macdonald said last month, one of several times he's publicly endorsed the signal-caller since the end of last season. "I don't understand the conversation. It's pretty obvious this guy is a heck of a quarterback. He's our quarterback. We love him. Can't wait to go to work with him."

Smith ranks 21st in Total QBR over the past two seasons. He had the league's seventh-best QBR in 2022, when he made the Pro Bowl, was named AP Comeback Player of the Year and led the Seahawks to a wild-card berth after taking over as starter in the wake of the Russell Wilson trade.

The Seahawks re-signed Smith to a three-year, $75 million contract in March 2023. That deal gave him the opportunity to make an additional $30 million via contract escalators. Smith hit $6 million of those escalators with his performance last season. That $6 million was added onto the $10 million roster bonus Smith was set to earn on March 16.

Smith unsuccessfully argued for a new deal last offseason after seeing several quarterbacks cash in with big-money extensions, and he was upset that the Seahawks would not give him one, according to multiple sources. It was a nonstarter for the organization given its policy of not renegotiating contracts with more than one season left.

The $25 million average of Smith's last deal ranked 19th among quarterbacks (it was 20th before the New York Giants released Daniel Jones) and last among full-time starters not on their rookie contract.

The Seahawks were working to extend Smith's contract over the past week, but when progress was not being made, the Raiders stepped in and showed interest in acquiring him. With the Seahawks struggling to get a new deal done, they opted for a third-round pick instead.

Since Carroll became the Raiders' coach in February, he made it known that he wants to start winning immediately. During the NFL scouting combine, Carroll said the team's "win now" approach should factor into every decision the team makes in shaping the roster for the 2025 season.

"We are trying to take it as far as we can as soon as we possibly can," Carroll, 73, said. "I'm not looking for a grace period. ... I don't think that way at all."

Smith is expected to be the seventh Raiders quarterback to start in a game since the team moved on from Derek Carr following the 2022 season.

During the combine, general manager John Spytek said the team would explore every avenue in adding a quarterback after Las Vegas finished 4-13 under Gardner Minshew, Aidan O'Connell and Desmond Ridder, who started one game. Minshew is expected to be released at the start of the new league year, a source told ESPN.

Carroll and Spytek mentioned O'Connell and Carter Bradley would have a chance to compete for the job. At the same time, Spytek said, "We've got to win more games too."

While Smith is an upgrade from the Raiders' previous starters, they have plenty of work to do to surround their new quarterback with offensive talent. Las Vegas has players to work with such as Brock Bowers, who led all tight ends in receiving yards (1,194) during his rookie campaign. Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers recorded his first career 1,000-yard season after three straight years with at least 800.

ESPN's Brady Henderson contributed to this report.

New York Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson is expected to miss at least two weeks after spraining his right ankle late in Thursday night's overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Brunson, attempting a shot with 1:24 remaining in the extra period, came down on the foot of Lakers guard Austin Reaves after being fouled on a drive to the basket, rolling his ankle in the process. Visibly in pain, Brunson was helped up by teammates and stayed in the game to make both free throws and tie the score at 107. He then went to the locker room.

Brunson led the Knicks with 39 points and 10 assists. He sent the game into overtime with a three-point play after the Lakers rallied from a double-digit deficit midway through the fourth quarter.

It's hard to overstate Brunson's importance to the Knicks' explosive offensive attack. The two-time All-Star, who finished fifth in last season's MVP voting, has controlled the ball for an NBA-high 8.7 minutes per game this season, according to Second Spectrum data. Brunson's late-game play has been particularly noteworthy, with his 145 points in clutch scenarios tied for most in the league.

The 28-year-old captain is seventh in the league in scoring (26.3 points per game) and eighth in assists (7.4).

The team said Friday it will provide an update on Brunson's status in "approximately two weeks."

Brunson's injury could not come at a worse time for the Knicks. The loss to the Lakers began a five-game West Coast trip.

New York, which is 40-22 and in third place in the Eastern Conference, remains in Southern California to face the Clippers on Friday night before facing Sacramento on Monday night, Portland on Wednesday night and Golden State on March 15.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Starter Grayson Rodriguez and reliever Andrew Kittredge will miss the Baltimore Orioles' opener because of injuries.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters Friday that Rodriguez has pitching elbow discomfort. Hyde said Kittredge needs arthroscopic knee surgery and will be sidelined for multiple months.

Rodriguez, a 25-year-old right-hander, went 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA in 20 starts last season. He struck out 130 and walked 36 in 116 2/3 innings.

Kittredge, who turns 35 on March 17, was 5-5 with a 2.80 ERA and one save in 74 relief appearances for St. Louis last year.

Baltimore opens at Toronto on March 27.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker received some good news regarding the oblique issue that has limited him during spring training.

Walker had flown back to Houston to get the oblique examined. Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters Friday the MRI did not reveal any strain.

Espada said Walker was returning to the Astros' spring training camp Friday and would ease back in.

Walker, who turns 34 on March 28, batted .251 with a .335 on-base percentage, 26 homers and 84 RBI in 130 games for Arizona last season. He signed a $60 million, three-year contract with the Astros in December.

British number one Katie Boulter recovered from a set down to beat Irina-Camelia Begu in the second round at Indian Wells.

The Romanian won the first set in a tie-break but Boulter then took charge to win 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 6-0 in California.

Boulter, 28, is playing just her third tournament of the year and had a bye in the first round while Begu, ranked 74 in the world, beat Ann Li of the USA.

The Englishwoman will face a much sterner test in the third round when she plays Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, with the seventh seed having beaten Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands 6-3 6-3.

Boulter has dropped to 38 in the world rankings having not played since being knocked out of the Australian Open second round in January.

Scotland co-captain Finn Russell says he pays little attention to criticism directed at him, and has moved on quickly from his crucial missed kick against England in the Six Nations at Allianz Stadium.

Russell had a chance to effectively win the game in London by converting Duhan van der Merwe's 79th-minute try, but his touchline effort slid past the post and England held on for a 16-15 victory.

The Bath fly-half was central to an impressive Scotland attacking display that produced three stunning tries, but some fans and pundits have instead focused on his wayward display from the tee that saw him miss all three attempts at goal.

And he said: "I think that's just part of the job, isn't it?

"If I'm going to be the 10 and the goal-kicker, and I don't get the kicks like I could have done against England, that's all going to come with it.

"That's why you do it, to get these chances and opportunities. Had I got that kick, it would have been a different story. But missing it, that's part of it and that's how it goes. I'm not too stressed about what's been said about my game.

"As long as I'm happy with it myself, that's all that matters. I go back to my family and friends and they're the ones that either pick me up or put me down either way, depending on how it goes.

"My dad was saying, 'unlucky with the kick, but you played really well overall'. For me, that means more than what others say."