7:00 AM ET Emily KaplanESPN Auston Matthews‘ lucrative new deal with the Maple Leafs set a precedent, but it also means that when it kicks in next season, the two contracts with the highest cap hits in the league belong to players under the age of 23 (the other being Connor McDavid, of course). Welcome
NHL
5:42 PM ET Emily KaplanESPN Minnesota Wild captain Mikko Koivu will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL and meniscus in his right knee, the team announced Wednesday. Koivu, 35, is scheduled to undergo surgery Friday. He sustained the injury after colliding with Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson in the first period
6:29 PM ET Associated Press WHISTLER, British Columbia — Andre Boudrias, the former Vancouver Canucks captain and Montreal Canadiens assistant general manager, has died. He was 75. The Canadiens said Boudrias died Tuesday in Whistler. A cause of death wasn’t given. From Montreal, Boudrias spent most of his early professional career in the Canadiens’ farm
12:52 PM ET Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Nashville Predators have acquired veteran forward Brian Boyle from the New Jersey Devils for a second-round pick in the June NHL draft. The Predators will be Brian Boyle’s seventh team in 12 seasons. Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images The Predators announced the trade Wednesday. The Patriots’ Super
3:35 PM ET Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Nashville Predators made a pair of trades Wednesday, acquiring veteran forward Brian Boyle from the New Jersey Devils and forward Cody McLeod from the New York Rangers. The Predators will be Brian Boyle’s seventh team in 12 seasons. Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images The Predators swapped a
10:39 AM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN With their sixth Super Bowl championship, following their ninth AFC title, Tom Brady‘s New England Patriots are one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. In fact, ESPN’s Ian O’Connor declared it the best of the best: “It’s time for the nation to embrace the non-debate. The Patriots’ dynasty is
7:47 PM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin has passed Sergei Fedorov as the top-scoring Russian player in NHL history. The Washington Capitals captain picked up his 1,180th point on T.J. Oshie‘s goal that opened the scoring Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks. Ovechkin broke the record in his 1,055th game, 193 games fewer than
5:36 PM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler has a concussion and will be out at least a week after a scary fall Monday night in Philadelphia. Coach Travis Green says Edler needed stitches but did not have any facial fractures after going to the ice head-first during a 2-1 loss
5:35 PM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN Center Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs agreed to a five-year contract extension that’ll pay him $58.17 million through 2024. Here’s a look at the ripple effects of this deal, with some distinct winners and losers. Winner: Auston Matthews Welcome to the new NHL, where 21-year-old stars dictate terms
1:44 PM ET The Toronto Maple Leafs have agreed with star center Auston Matthews on a five-year extension worth $11.634 million annually. Matthews, 21, has 23 goals and 23 assists in just 38 games this season. Matthews will have the second-highest average annual value in the league behind Connor McDavid‘s $12.5 million. Matthews’ teammate John