Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland has surveyed the NHL free-agent landscape every summer since 1997. What does he see as the 2022 market prepares to officially open Wednesday at noon?

“Lots of teams are tight on the cap, so it’s going to be interesting,” Holland told ESPN. “And then other teams … you wonder if they want to spend.”

The NHL salary cap is $82.5 million for next season, a rise of just $1 million over the last season’s ceiling. That doesn’t bode well for the NHL’s middle class of players who are seeking new unrestricted and restricted free-agent deals.

“What we’re seeing play out right now is going to be [rough] for them,” one NHL agent told ESPN.

But the top-end free agents? They’ll still get their blockbuster deals, comparatively.

We’ve already seen Filip Forsberg get $68 million over eight years to stay with the Nashville Predators, Kevin Fiala get $55.125 million over seven years after being traded to the Los Angeles Kings, and 35-year-old Kris Letang get $36.6 million over six years to remain with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Who’s next? Here’s a look at where things stand with some of the biggest names on the unrestricted free-agent market.

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<p>The post Predictions for the top NHL free agents, including Nazem Kadri, Johnny Gaudreau, Evgeni Malkin first appeared on harchi90.</p>

LONDON — Novak Djokovic kept his cool in the furnace of Center Court against Nick Kyrgios to win his seventh Wimbledon championship. As Kyrgios stuck the ball in the net on championship point, Djokovic looked to his team and let out a massive exhale. The triumph sees him go one behind Rafael Nadal’s record of 22 men’s singles titles.

In a match in which Kyrgios grew increasingly frustrated with interruptions and his own team, Djokovic stayed calm in balmy temperatures to see off Kyrgios in four sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3). This was Kyrgios’ first singles Grand Slam final while it was Djokovic’s 32nd, and eventually experience won out.

Kyrgios stormed through the first set in just 31 minutes to win 6-4, with Djokovic finding it hard to read the Australian’s serve. But then Djokovic found his rhythm, lowered the tempo ever so slightly and got a foothold to take the second set 6-3 — which proved to be the turning point in the match.

Kyrgios grew visibly more frustrated during the third set and asked the umpire to remove a spectator who he said had “drunk 700 drinks, bro” and was talking to him during a point. Kyrgios also frequently directed frustration toward his team, as Djokovic largely kept his cool. He broke Kyrgios in the ninth game, and then served out to go up 2-1 in sets.

The fourth set, after a mighty effort from both players, went to a tiebreak. Djokovic got the read on Kyrgios’ serve to win on the third championship point.

This triumph moves Djokovic level with Pete Sampras and William Renshaw at seven Wimbledon men’s singles titles, one short of Roger Federer’s record. Here’s how the men’s singles final went down on Center Court and how Djokovic kept his cool as Kyrgios lost his.

THE JOKER’S REIGN AT WIMBLEDON CONTINUES @DjokerNole captures his 21st Grand Slam title! pic.twitter.com/owXKPOOog7

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 10, 2022

Taming the Kyrgios serve

Djokovic doesn’t have the reputation for being the best returner in the game for nothing. The man is a machine. But in the first set he really couldn’t get ahold of Kyrgios’ serve — which included a second ace at 125mph in just the second game of the match. Kyrgios dropped just five points on his serve in the first set to storm through. That meant Djokovic had lost a first set for the third match running at Wimbledon — just the third time in his career on grass this had happened. But Djokovic is well-versed in turning things around, and he soon got a handle on Kyrgios’ serve.

Kyrgios had won both of their previous meetings ahead of the Sunday final — and Djokovic had drawn just one break point opportunity in those two matches. But he broke Kyrgios once each in the second and third to get a foothold. It was truly remarkable given Kyrgios was managing to keep over 70% of his first serves in, but Djokovic was able to handle them at the key moments. This included the tiebreak, when he broke Kyrgios’ serve three times to allow him to serve out for the championship.

THAT’LL DO IT!@DjokerNole defeats Nick Kyrgios in the tiebreak to win the #Wimbledon championship! pic.twitter.com/VojQ4mHLN5

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 10, 2022

Third-set fireworks on Center Court

Djokovic told us Friday to expect “fireworks” in this match, and while there were no on-court flashpoints between the two players, it did not want for drama. They spoke of their blossoming “bromance” in the buildup to this match, and there wasn’t really a bad moment between them during the contest, but Kyrgios was still vocal as the match progressed as he turned on the umpire, a spectator and even his own team.

When Kyrgios missed his chance to break Djokovic at the end of the second set — surrendering three set points — he increased the chat toward his box. He was growing increasingly frustrated at how the match was developing, and the chat continued into the third set. At one point he said to his box, “I do n’t understand it! Why ?! I do n’t get it,” then followed that up with, “I’ll hit a 130 [mph] second serve, that’s what I’ll do.” He then threw down an ace. He was also given a warning for an “audible obscenity” during this set, and all in front of the 8-year-old Prince George, who was sitting in the front row of the Royal Box alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

He was also angered by a spectator he said was talking to him during points. He complained about the spectator to the umpire, saying: “Why is she still here? She She’s drunk out of her mind.”

And there was his own team, whom he was fuming with as the third set progressed. “I can’t do anything, do you guys care or what? Doesn’t feel like it. Do you know how difficult it is to ace a guy three times?!” This continued into the fourth, with Kyrgios shouting at his box during the tiebreak, “What are you scared for?!”

It was the third set when the momentum shifted behind Djokovic. Kyrgios’ frustration continued into the fourth with several incorrect line calls going against him, and at one point he said to the umpire, “You’ve done no decent overrules in three hours.”

“It’s officially a bromance.”

–@DjokerNole to @NickKyrgios pic.twitter.com/QQCZyFDbxX

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 10, 2022

The battle to be the ultimate men’s GOAT

Djokovic sits at 21 men’s singles Grand Slams, just one behind Rafael Nadal. Nadal has always brushed aside the significance of emerging from this golden generation with the most Slams between him, Djokovic and Roger Federer. But Djokovic has frequently spoken about wanting to be out ahead of the rest. Still, his vaccination stance may make things difficult in the next couple of Slams.

He is currently not allowed to travel to the US due to not being vaccinated against COVID-19, while Australia issued a three-year ban after he was deported in January. That means he’s unlikely to play another Slam until France next year, on his least-favorite surface. At age 35, judging by his competitors, Djokovic still has a handful of years at the top ahead of him, but the opportunities to rack up the Slams are slowly ebbing away.

What’s not in doubt is his current hold on the Wimbledon title. Kyrgios had spoken about the importance of experience here — and how while this would be his first Grand Slam final Djokovic knows every blade of grass and exactly how to navigate the sport’s biggest occasion. He said this would give Djokovic the advantage and he was proven correct as Djokovic won his fourth title on the bounce.

Djokovic has won his past 39 matches on Center Court, and his winning run stretches to 28 matches at Wimbledon (the two losses in 2016 and 2017 both occurred on Court No. 1). He reiterated his love for Center Court throughout the past fortnight and the next time we see him winning a Slam may well be this time next year. By that point Nadal will have had three opportunities to stretch out in front, while Federer may still be in the midst of his comeback.

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LONDON — Even Elena Rybakina didn’t expect to win Wimbledon this year. She didn’t even see herself reaching the second week.

She knew she had been putting in the work and had long-term dreams for herself, but she wasn’t happy with her preparation ahead of the tournament and had struggled with injuries recently. Rybakina, 23, didn’t have many expectations for herself when she started play at the tournament.

But match by match, against opponents like Simona Halep and Bianca Andreescu, both former major champions, Rybakina proved to herself what she was capable of. And on Saturday, Rybakina stunned the world — and even herself — with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 comeback victory over Ons Jabeur on Center Court for the first major title of her career.

After the final point had been won as Jabeur’s backhand sailed out of bounds, the normally reserved Rybakina puffed out her cheeks and shook her head, seemingly in disbelief. She smiled only after she had shaken hands with Jabeur and the chair umpire.

“I’m actually speechless,” Rybakina said on court moments later. “To be a winner is just amazing, I don’t have the words to say how happy I am.”

How did Rybakina win on Saturday and what does it mean for her going forward? Here are our key takeaways.

The moment Elena Rybakina became a Wimbledon champion #Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/gVCU9oqxx5

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 9, 2022

that serve

Entering the match, Rybakina had a tournament-leading 49 aces — 19 more than any other woman — and was averaging eight per match. Not to mention, she had the second-fastest serve speed among the women at a blistering 122 mph (trailing only Coco Gauff’s 124 mph). It had been a dominant, and nearly unstoppable, asset for Rybakina over the fortnight. But in the opening set on Saturday, Jabeur completely neutralized it — and Rybakina failed to record an ace for the first set all tournament.

But that dip in dominance didn’t last. Rybakina rediscovered her serve — and form, and all-around level — in the second set. In the final game of the set, she won every point on her serve, and sealed the set with an ace. Ultimately, she had four aces on the day, including one that notched 117 mph in the final game of the match, and perhaps most impressively, didn’t get broken again.

fighting spirit

Never one to show much emotion on court, Rybakina stayed calm and composed despite not having the crowd on her side and Jabeur’s early control. If she was fazed, it never showed. When she returned to the court for the second set, she looked like a new player – with an answer for everything Jabeur sent her way.

It was a staggering turnaround, and she never allowed Jabeur a chance to get back into the match and almost completely silenced the crowd in the process. The unflappable Rybakina never yelled “come on” or “let’s go,” or even offered a hint of a smile, and appeared clinically focused on the next point.

While Jabeur had a number of consequential errors down the stretch, Rybakina never took her foot off of the gas.

Forever part of Wimbledon history.#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/e9nDLrstli

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 9, 2022

the history-maker

Currently ranked No. 23, Rybakina became the first woman ranked outside of the WTA’s top 20 to win at Wimbledon since Venus Williams in 2007. And she became the first woman to win at the All England Club after losing the first set since Amelie Mauresmo in 2006, and the youngest woman to clinch the title since Petra Kvitova in 2011.

Rybakina was already the first player representing Kazakhstan to reach a major final, but she is now the first to take home the trophy as well. While the achievement is a monumental one for the Central Asian nation, Rybakina’s nationality has become the subject of scrutiny over the past two weeks. Born and raised in Russia, she switched federations in 2018 – Kazakhstan was formerly part of the Soviet Union and sits on the Russian border – in order to gain additional funding for her career.

As Russian and Belarusian players were banned from participating at Wimbledon this year because of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Rybakina has repeatedly been asked about her allegiances and current ties to her home country. While she has downplayed her connection to Russia and said she was “really happy” to represent Kazakhstan, it is believed she still predominantly resides in Moscow and it added a layer of intrigue to the trophy presentation.

However, in front of the crowd and the bright glares of the cameras, both Rybakina and the Duchess of Cambridge were all smiles and pleasantries with the Venus Rosewater Dish.

The future is bright

Despite the milestone victory — and collecting a $2.4 million paycheck — Rybakina won’t see every effort rewarded in the rankings. With the WTA stripping Wimbledon of ranking points because of the ban on Russian and Belarusian players, Rybakina will remain at No. 23 in the rankings on Monday. During any other major, Rybakina would have earned an addition 2,000 points and would have cracked the top 10 for the first time in her career.

Still, Rybakina now enters the hard-court portion of the season as a Grand Slam winner and will look to improve upon her career-best third-round appearance at the US Open. She had previously won one of her two titles before Wimbledon on the surface (at Hobart in 2020) and now with momentum and confidence on her side, she could have even more success.

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NBA 2K23 Summer League kicked off Thursday night with a matchup between Orlando’s Paolo Banchero and Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr., the No. 1 and No. 3 picks, respectively, in last month’s NBA draft.

The Magic won 91-77 in the first meeting between two of the NBA’s most anticipated rookies, with Banchero notching 17 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists. Smith had a quieter night in his Rockets debut, finishing with 10 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists.

no. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey made his debut with the Detroit Pistons, scoring a team-high 20 points en route to an 81-78 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 7 pick, had his debut cut short by a shoulder injury that ended his night after just six minutes.

The action continued Friday with several other rookies getting their first action in Vegas.

Which first-year players stood out? Our NBA insiders break down the rookies who stole the show through the first two days in Las Vegas.

NBA summer league 2022: One player to watch on every team

no. 1 vs. no. 3: Banchero and Smith meet for the first time

Banchero came into the NBA draft process billed as the most NBA-ready prospect in the class. Smith, on the other hand, oozes potential but turned 19 less than two months before draft night and was always going to need time to develop. When they took the court against each other Thursday night, both players proved those scouting reports — at least for one night — to be accurate.

Banchero, who looked every bit the 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds he’s listed at, used his size and physicality to get wherever he wanted on the court. He finished with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists in 25 minutes. He played the way he likely will for Orlando next season: by serving as a de facto point guard in a power forward’s body.

He didn’t always get a lot of separation and has work to do defensively, and he admitted after the game he’s using summer league to get himself into shape, but even in a one-game sample it was easy to see what put him atop the draft.

Smith, on the other hand, is going to take a lot more time — and it showed. He was at times last season at Auburn for not being assertive enough with his teammates in getting the ball, and that happened Thursday night.

But there’s plenty to like about his game. Smith’s high, quick release, combined with his 6-10 frame, has the potential to make him a serious spot-up shooting threat. In time, he could easily put on weight to expand his game like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard and other young, projectable wings before him.

He competes hard on defense and has quick feet, which gives him significant upside at that end, as well.

Smith’s development is going to take time, particularly on a very young Rockets team with some inexperienced guards getting the lion’s share of the ballhandling minutes, led by last year’s No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green.

Two other significant rookies also stood out in this game: Houston’s Tari Eason (No. 17 overall) and Orlando’s Caleb Houston (No. 32 overall).

Eason, a 6-8 forward from LSU, has the kind of rangy build that could make him an elite defensive wing. His 3-point shot, though, is going to take a lot of work to make him into a true 3-and-D player, and he did a lot of extra work on offense in this game that he wo n’t be doing in regular-season action.

Houston, a former five-star recruit Michigan who struggled as a freshman and fell out of the first round, is a very intriguing prospect. He finished with 20 points on 5-for-9 shooting from 3-point range in 28 minutes. The 6-foot-8 Houston is the kind of long, athletic forward who could be a real find for Orlando if he develops into the player he was supposed to be before his lone collegiate season. — Tim Bontemps

Ivey and Duren shine for the Pistons

The Detroit Pistons came away from the NBA draft last month feeling like major winners after adding a pair of lottery picks — No. 5 overall pick Ivey and No. 13 overall pick Jalen Duren — to a budding young core centered around Cade Cunningham, last year’s top overall selection. Both Pistons fans and Cunningham, who watched from the sidelines, got their first glimpse at the duo during Thursday’s opener against the Portland Trail Blazers — from the opening play of the game.

On the first possession of the game, Ivey tossed an alley-oop toward the basket for Duren, who finished a two-handed dunk with authority.

Ivey scored a team-high 20 points with 6 rebounds and 6 assists while showcasing the athletic traits he brings to a Pistons backcourt that has a chance to be dynamic. Ivey zoomed past defenders with a quick first step and barreled toward the basket like a runaway train. However, his summer league debut was still a bit erratic, especially during the first half while he was trying to adjust to the speed of the game. He made some errant passes and ill-advised decisions that led to five turnovers and five fouls.

Duren, meanwhile, had been waiting all week for the draft night trade that brought him to Detroit to become official, and he was officially added to the roster the morning before the first game. Although the team kept him on a minutes restriction that limited him to 12 minutes, he made the most of his time on the court. Duren, who does not turn 19 until November, finished with nine points, a rebound and a pair of blocks. His size and vertical ability were so imposing that he looked far from the youngest player in last month’s draft.

There will certainly be growing pains with both rookies, but their debuts provided enough reasons for continued optimism about the future in Detroit. — Jamal Collier

Mathurin leads all scorers for the Pistons

Bennedict Mathurin, the Indiana Pacers’ highest draft pick (No. 6) since Rik Smits in 1988, looked the part in his first summer appearance Friday against the Charlotte Hornets. Mathurin led all scorers with 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting, knocking down three 3-pointers.

Mathurin’s ability to shoot the NBA 3 is the bedrock of his game entering the league. Opponents must respect Mathurin potentially pulling up off the dribble – one of his three makes was off the dribble in transition – which enhances his ability to create space as a driver. Mathurin leveraged that room to get off pull-up jumpers with a similarly smooth stroke.

I would like to see Mathurin develop his plan to attack hard closeouts. He dribbled in after one for a pull-up midrange attempt, the once-dominant NBA strategy that now has lost favor to a side step or one-dribble reset for an open 3-pointer. Mathurin’s athletic repertoire also includes the ability to drive closeouts and the leaping ability that saw him finish a transition lob off the backboard from 2021 Indiana first-round pick Chris Duarte with a powerful dunk.

At the defensive end of the court, Mathurin’s strong fame aids him as an on-ball defender. He could stand to be more active defensively off the ball.

On the other side, Hornets center Mark Williams faced more of a learning curve in his debut. Without a strong pick-and-roll point guard to set him up like he’ll have with LaMelo Ball during the regular season, Williams frequently caught the ball in the middle of the paint and struggled to finish. Williams, who shot 72% during the 2021-22 season at Duke, was 2-of-8 from the field. He did contribute eight rebounds and a pair of blocks in that span. — Kevin Pelton

Agbaji should give Cleveland fans hope for the future

Cleveland’s Ochai Agbaji scored 16 points in an encouraging summer league debut, but it’s how he did it that should have Cavs fans most excited. Twelve of Agbaji’s 16 points came from beyond the arc, and he proved to the NBA world that he could not only knock down catch-and-shoot 3s, but create his own looks from deep too, as he hit this NBA-ready step- back early in the first.

Abgaji looked confident in his debut, and he has good reasons for that — he arrived in Vegas with one of the best résumés of any rookie in his class. The 22-year-old shooting guard not only helped the Kansas Jayhawks win the NCAA title in April, but he was also named a first-team All-American and Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four. Those achievements owe a lot to the simple fact this rookie played a ton of college hoops — he was the only senior drafted in the first round this season, and the oldest lottery pick in this year’s draft.

Still, the Cavs are hoping Agbaji’s best days are still ahead of him and that he can help this group improve its offensive efficiency. Last season, the Cavs ranked fifth in the league in defense but just 20th in offense, thanks in part to a mediocre output from beyond the arc.

Agbaji has the potential to become an elite 3-point scorer, and his debut didn’t do anything but support that claim. He took nine 3s in his first game as a pro, making four of them. If he can add some perimeter strength to this Cavs core that already features Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, Cleveland’s future is only getting brighter. — Kirk Goldsberry

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Although less than a month has passed since the Golden State Warriors won the 2022 NBA Finals in six games over the Boston Celtics, teams are headed to the desert to get their 2022 draft picks and latest signees out onto the court.

NBA 2K23 Summer League is taking place July 7-17 in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion. The 75-game event will feature all 30 NBA teams, with each playing five games.

After each team has played four games, the two teams with the best record will play in the championship game on July 17, with the other 28 teams playing consolation games that weekend.

The action began Thursday night, when 2022 No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic faced off against No. 3 picks Jabari Smith and the Houston Rockets. On Saturday, Smith will face No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder (8 pm ET, ESPN2) and Banchero will meet No. 4 picks Keegan Murray and the Sacramento Kings (4 pm ET, ESPN).

This year’s lottery picks aren’t the only ones set to play in Vegas, as 2020 No. 2 pick James Wiseman will suit up for the Warriors for the first time since April 2021.

What should fans and teams be looking for from the most interesting prospects at summer league? NBA Insiders Jonathan Givony and Kevin Pelton go team by team, highlighting one player to watch and why.

Chet Holmgren’s summer league debut

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MONTREAL — Arizona Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong smiled when he was called an “NHL draft nerd” after the first round ended Thursday night.

“It was extremely fun,” he said. “We were in town early. Maybe a couple days too early. But we were excited about the draft. Had some fun with it. Put on our blue suits.”

The Coyotes’ front office had the most amusing fit for any team at the 2022 NHL draft in Montreal. When Armstrong, team president Xavier Gutierrez and Arizona’s front office took the stage to announce center Logan Cooley with the No. 3 overall pick, they were all wearing matching bright blue suits with red ties.

“I don’t like when everybody wears different colors. So if anyone has complaints it’s [on] me,” Armstrong said. “We’re a team. We should look like one.”

Synchronized fashion has become the rage for players as they arrive for NHL outdoor games. This was perhaps the first time an NHL front office has attempted the matching fashion gimmick at the draft.

Hockey social media lit up with comments about the look. That was before fans even got a glimpse at the inside of the suits.

Game faces on. pic.twitter.com/NT9U2o3yVI

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) July 7, 2022

the outside of the @ArizonaCoyotes synchronized suits was awesome.

The inside was EPIC. #nhldraft2022 pic.twitter.com/qUONAARpBN

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) July 8, 2022

“There’s some good comic relief on the internet,” Armstrong said. “But I do believe that we were the best dressed at the draft, in my opinion,”

Who were they wearing?

“State and Liberty,” said Armstrong. “They gave us a good deal on them. I’ll be honest with you, and I’m not just saying this because I think that they’ll sponsor us, but they’re the most comfortable suits that I’ve ever worn in my life.”

Even as the fans had a chuckle, Armstrong believes that the Coyotes are going to be trendsetters.

“Remember in Carolina when they did the postgame celebrations? Everybody made fun of them. Now it’s culture. It’s fun,” he said.

“The NHL’s going to buy into it. Even the lining.”

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We all love best-of lists, but what if people around the NFL created their own? To preview the 2022 NFL season, we surveyed more than 50 league executives, coaches, scouts and players to help us stack the top 10 players at 11 different positions, from edge rusher to interior offensive lineman. This is the third edition of these rankings, and there are several players who moved up or dropped from last year’s lists. Thursday, we focus on the linebackers.

Here’s how our process worked: Voters gave us their best 10 players at a position, then we compiled the results and ranked candidates based on number of top-10 votes, composite average, hundreds of interviews, research and film-study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen. In total, more than 50 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases all positions. We had several ties, so we broke them with the help of additional voting and follow-up calls with our rankers. Each section is packed with quotes and nuggets from the voters on every guy — even the honorable mentions.

The objective is to identify the best players right now for 2022. This is not a five-year projection or an achievement award. Who are the best players today? Pretty simple.

We’ll roll out a position per day over 11 days. Here’s the schedule: edge rushers (July 5), defensive tackles (July 6), off-ball linebackers (July 7), cornerbacks (July 8), safeties (July 9), interior offensive linemen (July 10), quarterbacks (July) 11), running backs (July 12), wide receivers (July 13), tight ends (July 14) and offensive tackles (July 15).

Racking up tackles doesn’t get a linebacker high on this list. What matters most to league execs, coaches, scouts and players when evaluating the NFL’s top linebackers is how they affect game plans — and how often they create turnovers.

Splash plays are paramount at the “stack” or off-ball linebacker position. That helps explain the top two in the voting: One is imperfect but elite at getting the ball back to his offense, the other is so good at sacking quarterbacks he might not even be an off-the-ball linebacker a year from now.

The position is lacking in undeniable stars. The depth of playmaking is strong, however, with more than 20 players garnering at least one vote. Plus, several 30-year-olds are still playing at a high level. Let’s look at some of the game’s top linebackers as ranked by execs, coaches, scouts and players around the NFL.

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MONTREAL — The NHL’s general managers met on the eve of the 2022 NHL draft. What their meeting lacked in rules changes or policy news, it made up for with post-meeting news and buzz on trades, free agents and other league matters.

Here’s a glimpse at what was said, and heard, in Montreal on Wednesday, including the latest buzz on pick trades, progress on deals for Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin, and what comes next for Evander Kane:

Prepare for players — and picks — in motion

The lead up to any draft includes some degree of trade talks.

This year, general managers sound braced for even more potential movement than usual. And that could start early in Thursday’s first round.

“I do think there’ll be quite a few trades this week,” Philadelphia Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher said. “And [then] what that means with draft slots. We’re open to moving [pick] no. 5 and yet No. 5 hasn’t been moved once in 20 years. Teams typically don’t move back or move out of a high pick. It happens infrequently, but I think everyone’s exploring, and maybe by virtue of the fact that it is a flatter draft, the other teams are more willing to consider moving back.”

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Attention Green Bay Packers fans, astrologers and tattoo aficionados the world over: Aaron Rodgers has gotten some new ink.

The four-time NFL MVP revealed his new design on his Instagram account on Wednesday. The tattoo, by Hungarian artist Balazs Bercsenyi, is exceptionally detailed and full of different astrological designs.

“There’s a deep and meaningful story and connection to absolutely each element of this art piece, and I’ll share a little more about that one day,” Rodgers said in his Instagram caption.

From what we can see of the design, several elements appear to relate to astrological symbols. At the top, there’s the Sagittarius zodiac sign (Rodgers himself is a Sagittarius, having been born on Dec. 2, 1983) and two lions that could call to mind the sign of Leo. A single open eye adds an aura of mystery to the whole thing, among several constellations. The signs of Aquarius and Scorpio are also present.

This season will be Rodgers’ 18th in the NFL, all of them spent with the Pack. He has only gotten better with age, as he is coming off back-to-back MVPs in his age 37 and 38 seasons.

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]]> https://harchi90.com/aaron-rodgers-shows-off-his-mysterious-new-arm-tattoo/feed/ 0 6630 https://harchi90.com/eng-vs-ind-5th-test-2022-yesterday-we-fell-short-with-bat/ https://harchi90.com/eng-vs-ind-5th-test-2022-yesterday-we-fell-short-with-bat/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 16:10:40 +0000 https://harchi90.com/eng-vs-ind-5th-test-2022-yesterday-we-fell-short-with-bat/ It started with a match-haul of nine wickets at Trent Bridge over a year ago and ended with a world record with the bat at Edgbaston. In between, there was a workhorse-like spell at Lord’s and magic at The Oval-all of which contributed to his 23 wickets, the most by an Indian bowler in a …

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It started with a match-haul of nine wickets at Trent Bridge over a year ago and ended with a world record with the bat at Edgbaston. In between, there was a workhorse-like spell at Lord’s and magic at The Oval-all of which contributed to his 23 wickets, the most by an Indian bowler in a Test series in England. Then came the captaincy.

Essentially, it should’ve been everything Jasprit Bumrah could have asked for, right? It wasn’t. He, and India, would’ve dearly loved to wrap up a series win in England, but that wasn’t to be. The fifth Test, which was originally to be played in Manchester last September, finished with England pulling off their highest-ever chase in Test cricket – 378 – with seven wickets in hand.

A disappointed Bumrah touched upon India’s batting lapses in the second innings as the turning point in the Test. India lost their last seven wickets for 92 to fold for 245.

“This is the beauty of Test cricket, isn’t it? Even if you have three good days, you have to keep coming in and keeping up the good performances,” he said. ” I think yesterday [Monday], we fell short with the bat, and we had to come back with the ball. That is the phase where we let the opposition in, and the momentum kept shifting away from us.”

Bumrah credited England’s fighting spirit and their ability to seize the advantage at key moments. “Ifs and buts… if you go back, you could say in the first match if there was no rain, we could’ve won the series, but this is how the game of cricket goes,” he said. “England played really well, they put us under pressure.

“We were even going ahead in the game, but they kept on fighting, and they played better than us in the second innings and won the game. So yeah, hard-fought series, but that’s the ideal result, isn’t it? Both teams played good cricket.”

Bumrah had a word of praise for Rishabh Pant, who turned the game around on the opening day by lifting India from the depths of 98 for 5 with a counterattacking 146 off 111 balls. His 222-run sixth-wicket stand with Ravindra Jadeja set the tone for India’s 416.

“He takes his chances. He and Jaddu [Jadeja] Really got us back into the game because we were really struggling at that time. [At] 98 for 5 England were on top. They counter-attacked and got us into the game, and we were ahead in the game. That’s the beauty of Test cricket, we’ve got different characters in our team. he [Pant] takes his chances, backs his game, and goes to the hilt. So, very happy for him, he had a very good match.”

Having had a taste of Test captaincy, it was something he was happy to hand back to Rohit Sharma? Or does he see himself in the hot seat going forward?

“That’s something I don’t decide,” he said. “It was a good challenge. I always like responsibility. That’s the way I’ve always played cricket. It was a new challenge; a lot of great learnings came my way, and I was a lot more involved in the game. Very happy , it was an honor to lead the team. It was a great experience.”

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