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Saturday, 17 January 2026
Senators’ clash with Canadiens a chance to show rebuild isn’t far behind
OTTAWA — The Montreal Canadiens are 10 points up on the Ottawa Senators in the standings — and their rebuild feels about 10 times more exciting, too.
Senators fans’ disdain for Montreal and Toronto are closely matched, but when one is on your same journey and begins to beat you, it hurts just a little bit more.
Four years ago, the Senators and Canadiens were mired in rebuilds, buried at the bottom of the standings. Since then, Montreal has risen up from laughingstock status.
The Senators, meanwhile, hopes to at least get one chuckle after a disappointing and dramatic start to their season when they host the Habs Saturday on Hockey Day In Canada (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT).
Their rivalry is just getting started. During the pre-season, Senators forward Nick Cousins slashed Canadiens rookie Ivan Demidov, leading to a fight.
“Nobody likes dirty tricks,” Canadiens defenceman Arber Xhekaj said.
In their most recent matchup, Brady Tkachuk taunted the Montreal crowd after scoring the game-sealing goal.
“Always tight games and with a lot of emotion,” Senators defenceman Thomas Chabot said about the rivalry. “Those are the games you circle on the calendar.”
Pure cinema every time these two foes meet.
Yet the difference between the two has been clear: the Canadiens are younger and more offensively inclined, featuring highly skilled players and a plethora of prospects and draft capital.
So what do the Senators have going for them?
Well, Tkachuk for one. If the Canadiens had drafted him over Jesperi Kotkaniemi back in 2018, the fiery forward might already have a statue in Montreal.
Meanwhile, Tim Stutzle could be as good as any forward in the fearsome rivalry.
Then there’s Jake Sanderson, who will be compared to Lane Hutson until global warming gets us all. There is no question Sanderson is the better defensive defenceman. It ain’t close.
Plus, the Senators have a slew of effective centres from Stutzle to Dylan Cozens, Shane Pinto and Ridly Greig — all of whom are signed through 2029.
We won’t discount the centre Oliver Kapanen has become in Montreal. Nevertheless, the Senators are a bigger team. The Habs’ stars — including Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Demidov and Hutson — are all under six-feet tall. None of the Senators’ stars are below six-foot-one.
The issue the Senators face compared with Montreal is twofold: lack of assets and lack of big-market spending power.
The Senators’ most recent two first-round picks are struggling, and the team doesn’t own a first-rounder in 2026. Meanwhile, Demidov, who was picked two spots ahead of Carter Yakemchuk, looks to be a superstar.
At the same time, Canadiens prospects such as Jacob Fowler and Michael Hage could be difference-makers soon. Yakemchuk and Logan Hensler’s progress are less assured.
Right now, the Canadiens are ahead of the Senators in their rebuild. Yet hockey is fickle, and timelines are unknowable. Just look at the last two Presidents’ Trophy winners, who have each spent time at the bottom of their conferences this season.
Montreal’s edge might even be moot if the Senators didn’t have awful goaltending.
If the Senators had the Habs’ goaltending — which is hardly anything to boast about at an .883 team save percentage — the teams could conceivably have swapped spots in the standings.
Ottawa’s Saturday meeting with playoff-destined Montreal on Hockey Day in Canada is more than just a battle of adversaries. For the Senators, it’s an attempt to reclaim some ground in the race to rebuild.
Adams’ apples
Ullmark back with team
We are never able to walk in another man’s shoes, but we’d imagine it’s been quite a month for Ullmark, from taking a leave of absence shortly after Christmas to rumours swirling about his personal life that led to the Senators’ angry denial. Nevertheless, Ullmark was back with the team, skating at practice on Friday.
“It’s great. It’s a big step in the right direction,” Chabot said.
“Obviously, when you have Linus out with the talent that he is and how good he is as a player, you’re obviously going to miss him in net.”
There is no timeline for his return, but it likely won’t be too long until we see Ullmark don a Senators jersey in game action once again.
Who knows what level of Ullmark will be present when he plays again after a month-long hiatus? Maybe time away has helped clear his mind.
Meanwhile, the Senators signed James Reimer to a one-year contract, but he has yet to play in the NHL this season.
“He could get into action soon,” Green said.
You’d expect Reimer to get a chance to play this weekend in Ottawa’s back-to-back with Montreal and Detroit, though he did not play in either end of a back-to-back earlier this week.
It was Leevi Merilainen who got the crease for the rare feat of nine straight games.
“I can’t play every game, every night, even though I want to,” Merilainen said.
Merilainen has produced a sub-standard .868 save percentage and a minus-14.6 goals saved above expected this season, the latter of which ranks third-worst in the league behind only Ullmark and Canadian Olympian Jordan Binnington.
Nothing is clearer than the Senators’ No. 1 issue: goaltending.
But goaltending is voodoo in the NHL. Just look at Brandon Bussi, who was waived in October by the Panthers. Bussi was snagged by the Carolina Hurricanes and has gone on a 16-3-1 run in his first 20 starts.
Merilainen says he hasn’t been told what the plans are for the goalies when Ullmark gets back into the lineup. With Merilainen still waiver-exempt, the Senators can send him down to Belleville if he needs game time.
The right move for the Senators would be to hold on to Ullmark, Merilainen and Reimer and see who gets hot. The Senators only need one to excel.
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Friday, 16 January 2026
Raptors’ Quickley questionable vs. Clippers, Barrett and Poeltl out
The Toronto Raptors‘ injury report is starting to look more like a laundry list with each passing day.
They’ll be without at least four players when they host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night (Sportsnet ONE or Sportsnet+, 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT), and could possibly be without four more.
RJ Barrett (ankle), Jakob Poeltl (back), Ja’Kobe Walter (hip) and Chucky Hepburn (two-way) have all been ruled out already by the team. Barrett and Walter are considered day-to-day.
Barrett has already missed Toronto’s last three games after twisting his ankle in a loss to the Boston Celtics last week. Walter will miss his third straight game on Friday, with his injury originally occurring in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers last Sunday.
As for Poeltl, he is set to miss a 13th consecutive contest due to his lingering back problems and has yet to suit up since a six-minute stint back on Dec. 21.
Meanwhile, Immanuel Quickley (back spasms), Sandro Mamukelashvili (illness) and Garrett Temple (back spasms) are all questionable entering the matchup against the surging Clippers — 8-2 in their last 10. All three were sidelined for the Raptors’ win over Pascal Siakam and the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.
Although the Raptors started that game with 10 healthy players, they left with nine as Jamison Battle exited midway through the contest with an ankle injury of his own. The sophomore sharpshooter could miss even more time as he’s been listed as doubtful for Friday’s matchup.
The 25-17 Raptors won’t get much rest to nurse their injuries in order to maintain their fourth-place standing in the East, as they’ll hit the road for a five-game West Coast trip after hosting the Clippers.
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Thursday, 15 January 2026
MLB Rumour Roundup: Where things stand with top free agents
With spring training on the horizon and Opening Day not far behind, a number of prominent free agents remain without a team for 2026.
While it’s not unusual for MLB’s off-season to linger into January and February, this winter’s market has been an especially slow burn — particularly at the top end. Even after Alex Bregman inked a $175-million deal with the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, five of this year’s FanGraphs top-10 free agents remain unsigned, with pitchers and catchers set to report in less than a month.
However, things could be set to change, as recent days have seen a few logs tossed on the hot stove when it comes to the free agencies of Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette and Cody Bellinger.
Perhaps most notably among the trio of impact hitters was the fresh reporting that surfaced Tuesday around the Tucker sweepstakes.
The Athletic‘s Will Sammon wrote that the New York Mets have “held multiple video meetings with Tucker within the last week” and that they are offering the outfielder $120 to $140 million for three years. Additionally, Fansided‘s Robert Murray reported that the Mets extended a short-term offer worth $50 million per year.
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MLB off-season: Signings and trades tracker
Keep up with the latest free-agent signings and trades throughout the MLB off-season as we track the biggest moves throughout the winter months.
When comparing New York’s bid to the “long-term offer” the Toronto Blue Jays have put forth to Tucker, per ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, while considering that he has reportedly also met with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the (multi) million-dollar question then becomes: What is the 29-year-old seeking in his first trip to the open market?
The answer could hold the key to Tucker’s ultimate landing spot, but according to the New York Post‘s Mike Puma, the Mets aren’t expecting a decision to come until “at least Thursday.”
As that decision draws closer, the rumour mill continues to churn with teams eager to bolster their rosters before returning to the diamond. Here’s a roundup of the latest buzz from across MLB.
Phillies considered Bichette’s ‘most serious suitor’ after meeting
Tucker isn’t the only free agent making the rounds in the new year, as Bichette met with the Philadelphia Phillies on a video call on Monday, a development that appears to have shifted the star shortstop’s market.
According to The Athletic‘s Matt Gelb, the two sides left the meeting with “optimism,” and rival clubs are beginning to view the Phillies as Bichette’s “most serious suitor.”
One key differentiator for the Phillies, per Gelb, is their willingness to extend beyond six years to sign the longtime Blue Jay, a strategy the club and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski have frequently employed to land top free agents.
A pair of recent examples came in the last four years, when Philadelphia gave Trea Turner an 11-year contract and retained starter Aaron Nola on a seven-year deal to get both agreements over the finish line.
As is always the case in free agency, though, one phone call can change anything, and Bichette’s market extends beyond Philadelphia.
USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale wrote Tuesday that the Boston Red Sox “are expected to aggressively pursue Bichette” after losing Bregman to Chicago. The New York Yankees are reportedly in the mix, as well, per the New York Post‘s Jon Heyman, as the Bronx Bombers survey the market, should they miss out on a reunion with Cody Bellinger.
Speaking of the Bellinger reunion…
One of this off-season’s most widely assumed outcomes has been Bellinger returning to the Bronx, after his one season in pinstripes resulted in an .813 OPS and 29 homers.
But the two sides have been unable to align on contract length, with the Yankees reportedly offering five years and Bellinger seeking seven.
Heyman provided an update on Tuesday, reporting that the parties “continue to talk into this week” and that New York has tried to enhance its proposal by adding an opt-out and excluding any deferred money from the contract.
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Nightengale wrote that the Yankees are justifying their five-year offer due to the fact that no position-player free agent has received a longer deal and because their bid would make Bellinger the fourth-highest paid outfielder in the sport.
Bellinger, 30, and his agent, Scott Boras, however, are pushing for the longer contract because the former MVP is younger than the other free agents who signed earlier this winter.
Giants ‘aggressively pursuing’ trade for second baseman
Already boasting an infield that includes Rafael Devers, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman, the San Francisco Giants are reportedly trying to round out the group with an upgrade at the keystone spot.
ESPN‘s Jeff Passan reported Tuesday that the Giants are “aggressively pursuing a second baseman” and have been engaged in trade talks with the St. Louis Cardinals for Brendan Donovan and with the Chicago Cubs for Nico Hoerner.
Donovan has been one of this off-season’s most discussed trade chips. The soon-to-be 29-year-old is coming off his first career all-star appearance and has proven to be a consistent presence in the Cardinals lineup through his four big-league seasons.
With two years of team control remaining and St. Louis shipping out most of its established veterans, Donovan has been rumoured to be available for most of the winter. The Red Sox and Seattle Mariners have also been reported as suitors for his services.
Hoerner, meanwhile, appears to be a relatively new addition to the trade block. After landing Bregman to hold down the hot corner in Chicago, the Cubs could shift 24-year-old Matt Shaw from third to second base following an uneven rookie season, potentially making Hoerner expendable.
The 28-year-old is coming off a 2025 season in which he hit .297 with 29 stolen bases and continued to perform as one of the top second-base defenders in baseball.
With just one year remaining on a three-year, $35-million extension signed in 2024, Hoerner would likely cost less in a potential trade than Donovan.
Quick hits
• After losing Bregman, the Red Sox have shown interest in free-agent third baseman Eugenio Suárez, according to Sean McAdam and Chris Cotillo of MassLive. Boston reportedly checked in on Suárez ahead of last season’s trade deadline.
• The Detroit Tigers are exploring the starting-pitching market and have talked with free agents Chris Bassitt and Lucas Giolito, per a report from The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal and Sammon on Saturday. However, the Tigers may be less likely to make an addition if they lose their arbitration case against Tarik Skubal, who filed for $32 million versus the club’s $19 million submission.
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NBA Rumour Roundup: How does Morant market look after Young deal?
If the anti-climactic Trae Young trade was any indication, the market for undersized guards with undeniable offensive capabilities but glaring defensive deficiencies certainly doesn’t favour the seller.
It’s not enough to be a one-way player in the NBA anymore — coaching staffs are getting better at hunting mismatches as players are too strong or fast or skilled not to garner advantages in favourable matches — and guys like Young routinely find themselves on the wrong side of a one-on-one or switch.
So, with Ja Morant‘s name coming up in trade rumours, it’s worth wondering what the market for him even looks like, considering his similarly small stature, defensive ineptitude, and susceptibility to injury.
The fuss around the league with less than a month to go until the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline is that Morant will be the next all-star to get moved. On Friday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Memphis Grizzlies are entertaining offers for the high-flying point guard, and the noise has only grown in recent days.
Charania added that the Grizzlies would prioritize draft picks and young players in return, potentially positioning them for a rebuild as they approach the mid-season mark at 17-22 and 10th in the Western Conference, without a real path to contention in the near future.
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However, much like Young, the market may not be as impressive as one might have expected two or three years ago.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Grizzlies are hoping for at least one first-round pick for Morant, but it’s no sure thing after seeing Young go to Washington in a salary dump without any draft compensation involved.
“They got four firsts and a swap for Desmond Bane, and (the Grizzlies are) hoping for one first for Ja Morant,” Stein said on the All NBA Podcast. “It just tells you that small guards, no matter how electric, if they’re not known for playing defence, and if they’re not known for availability, the market’s gonna be limited.”
According to Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin O’Connor, the Grizzlies would also be willing to take on bad contracts if it means they get picks or young players in return, sweetening the pot for any team willing to take Morant.
With that low a price, the market should be flush with teams looking to acquire the 26-year-old, but with a $39-million price tag this season and two more years under contract above $40 million, plenty of teams may not want to cuff themselves to a player that hasn’t proven to be able to win, let alone stay healthy.
So, who are the teams to watch for Morant? Unlike the shock move for Young, where he’ll head up a rebuild in Washington, the suitors for Morant appear to be past that point. According to FS1’s Rachel Nichols, Morant’s preferred destination would be Miami, while NBA insider Jake Fischer and Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel both reported that the Milwaukee Bucks could be a team in the running as they look to salvage the Giannis Antetokounmpo era. Additionally, Charania mentioned on NBA Today on Tuesday that the Sacramento Kings may be interested.
Stein also indicated that the Raptors could be a team to make a play for Morant, as the belief among rival teams is that there’s win-now pressure surrounding the front office, but his statistical fall-off this season — averaging 19 points, 3.2 rebounds and 7.6 assists while shooting 40.1 per cent from the field and 20.8 per cent from three — may not be appealing enough of an upgrade over current PG Immanuel Quickley.
Regardless, the sea change in the NBA’s trade market has been clear. Gone are the days of blockbuster packages for assumed superstars — players who can sell tickets but not necessarily win games. The idea of what a winning player is has changed, and the market has adjusted… drastically.
If Morant is gone, is Jaren Jackson Jr. the next domino?
While the Morant market might not net the Grizzlies an ideal return as they move into another possible rebuild, a potential Jaren Jackson Jr. trade would likely garner a much more appealing package.
The three-time all-defence forward signed a five-year, $240-million contract in the off-season, and though he’s averaging only 18.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks — a step down from his marks over the past three seasons — his ability as a stretch big with above-average rim-protection ability should be appealing to any contender.
Yahoo! Sports’ Kelly Iko reported Monday that, while the Grizzlies may still choose to move forward with Jackson Jr. as the team’s centrepiece, it’s also possible that he could be the next domino to fall with intriguing production from youngsters like Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer.
According to Fischer, rival teams are monitoring his situation and hoping that he also asks out, with the Toronto and Atlanta testing “Memphis’ resolve for keeping Jackson,” with the market for high-level bigs getting murkier following Anthony Davis‘s hand injury.
Where do Raptors stand with Quickley?
With the Toronto Raptors firmly in a playoff spot at fourth in the Eastern Conference, and with some clear needs at the point guard and centre spots, it stands to reason that they’ll be buyers come the deadline.
However, their current contract situation, particularly as it concerns Quickley, could cut down on their options over the next month.
The 26-year-old guard is on the books for $32.5 million per year until the end of the 2028-29 season, and his production hasn’t exactly lived up to that number. He’s averaging 16.5 points and 6.1 assists while shooting 42.3 per cent from the field and a below-league average 34.7 per cent from three.
According to Fischer, the Raptors had checked in on Domantas Sabonis, but the Sacramento Kings had no interest in taking back the contracts of either Quickley or centre Jakob Poeltl, who’s on the books for three more years at an average of $28 million per year.
Additionally, the Raptors were a contender in the Young sweepstakes before his trade to Washington, with the team building a package around Quickley and draft capital, per Fischer. However, the Hawks also had no interest in taking back the Raptors guard because of the remaining salary.
So, while it seems the Raptors have gauged the market on the guard, the list of takers is small if not nonexistent, which limits their options to buy without parting with guys like RJ Barrett come the deadline.
Fastbreaks
• Lakers on the lookout: On the back of a 5-5 stretch, the Los Angeles Lakers once again look like a team ready to make a change to help them tip-toe the line between LeBron James’ twilight year(s) and Luka Doncic’s prime. According to Fischer, the Lakers have been monitoring the Jonathan Kuminga situation in Golden State as a 23-year-old wing who could make sense with Doncic in the long run. More drastically, perhaps, is a potential interest in Jackson Jr., with James’ agent Rich Paul suggesting on the Game Over Podcast that the Lakers should trade Austin Reaves for the Grizzlies forward.
• Davis still on the market: Davis’s market seemed to dry up after the oft-injured big man suffered a hand injury, even though it won’t need surgery, according to the team. And because of that shortened recovery time, Charania reported that the Mavericks have therefore continued to gauge the market on their big man, with “multiple interested teams.” Among that group, the Hawks and Raptors are the “foremost” interested parties, per Charania on Wednesday. Davis remains in line to return at some point this season and could possibly help a contender, though his continued struggles with injuries may lower his price tag for interested parties.
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Canadian men to host Uzbekistan in friendly in Edmonton on June 1
The Canadian men’s soccer team is returning to Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium, although this time it’s for a game in June not November.
“So we’re fairly confident snow pants won’t be a requirement,” quipped Arlindo Gomes, vice-president of business development and venues management for Explore Edmonton.
Canada’s last game at Commonwealth was an infamous 2-1 frigid win over Mexico in a November 2021 World Cup qualifier before 44,212 hardy fans. According to Environment Canada, the game-time temperature was at minus-9 C, with a wind chill of minus-14 C.
Canadian defender Sam Adekugbe went viral after throwing himself into a snowbank after Cyle Larin scored to give Canada a 2-0 lead. The stadium was quickly dubbed Estadio “Iceteca,” after Mexico’s iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
“An amazing environment,” said Canada coach Jesse Marsch, who watched the game from Europe with then-coach John Herdman running the Canadian sideline.
Expect more comfortable conditions when Canada hosts Uzbekistan on June 1 as part of its final preparations for the FIFA World Cup. Marsch expects a sellout at the 56,400-capacity Edmonton venue.
It will be the penultimate warm-up for the 27th-ranked Canadian men, who will wrap up their preparations with a June 5 or 6 game in Montreal against a yet-to-be announced opponent in the June 1-9 international window.
Co-host Canada opens World Cup play in Group B on June 12 against a European qualifier in Toronto before heading west to host No. 54 Qatar and No. 17 Switzerland on June 18 and 24, respectively, in Vancouver.
Uzbekistan, ranked 50th in the world, will make its World Cup debut this summer in Group K alongside No. 6 Portugal, No. 13 Colombia and the winner of an Intercontinental playoff featuring No. 56 Congo DR, No. 70 Jamaica and No. 150 New Caledonia.
Marsch is currently holding a camp for out-of-season players in California ahead of a friendly Saturday against No. 94 Guatemala in Los Angeles. It’s the first meeting between the two since the Central Americans knocked Canada out of the Gold Cup in a quarterfinal penalty shootout in Minneapolis last June.
After the Guatemala games, Canada’s next outings will be a pair of games in Toronto in the March 23-31 FIFA window against yet-to-be announced opposition.
The Uzbekistan friendly comes two days after the UEFA Champions League final in Budapest, which could make for some challenging travel for Canada captain Alphonso Davies, an Edmonton native, if Bayern Munch makes the championship game.
Marsch said he hopes Davies makes the Champions League final, adding “I can’t imagine a world where even after that he doesn’t find a way to get to Edmonton as soon as possible.
“As our captain, and at home in Edmonton, we’re going to make sure that Alphonso’s there and that he’s on the pitch at some point.”
The Edmonton game also falls on FIFA’s deadline for teams to declare their final World Cup roster.
A natural grass pitch will be laid for the Uzbekistan game. Asked if the grass will remain at Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack deflected the question, saying “Still some details to be worked out on that.”
The CFL’s Elks referred the question to city officials. Canada Soccer did not immediately respond to a question about the future of the grass.
Canada will hold a pre-tournament camp in North Carolina around the June international window.
It will mark the second time Canada and Uzbekistan have faced off. The Canadian men defeated Uzbekistan 2-1 in June 2016 a friendly in Bad Waltersdorf, Austria.
Uzbekistan and Canada have both risen up the rankings in recent years with Uzbekistan at No. 96 in September 2018 and Canada at No. 120 in January 2017.
“I think their trajectory is very similar to ours,” Marsch told a media availability in Irvine, Calif. “So we think it’s a good team. It does now represent a bit of a similar playing style to Qatar. A really good challenge and a really good team so I think it will be great preparation for us.”
Uzbekistan split a pair of games in Asian World Cup qualifying with Qatar winning 3-2 at home (on a 112th-minute goal) and losing 3-0 away.
Uzbekistan, known as the White Wolves, is coached by former Italian star defender Fabio Cannavaro, a four-time World Cup participant and 2006 winner. Cannavaro took over from former Uzbek international Timur Kapadze in October after the team had qualified.
Uzbekistan had come close previously to qualifying but fell just short in continental qualifiers for both Germany 2006 and Brazil 2014. It booked its ticket by finishing runner-up to Iran in its third-round AFC qualifying group, finishing above the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan and North Korea.
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