Another Worrying Outing for Paul Skenes

The Pirates have lost their last nine games with Paul Skenes on the mound, including yesterday's game in Philadelphia.
Was it always the Cy Young Award winner's fault? No. But sometimes, he did have things to blame himself for.
Yesterday was clearly one of those nights. In a 10-6 loss, he gave up no fewer than eight runs (seven earned) in just four innings of work.
In his last nine starts, he has a 5.36 earned run average.Paul Skenes in 9 starts since May 17:
47.0 IP
, 51 hits
, 28 ER
, 5.36 ERA

There aren’t many options left on the free-agent market.
I'm not necessarily saying this about the Montreal Canadiens, who have never been contenders for the free-agent dance floor. And that's just fine. #HighPrices
I'm saying this in general.
Obviously, there are still some options out there, but they aren't ideal candidates. Teams looking to improve will likely have to do so via a trade, which is nothing new.
According to The Athletic, which ranked unrestricted free agents based on sever

It was recently reported that if the Canadiens wanted to trade Samuel Montembeault during the offseason, they would be better off doing so before July 1.
After all, it's usually around July 1 that we get a better idea of the rosters of the various National Hockey League teams.
Normally, teams make moves before or on July 1 itself.
But here we are on July 2, and Monty is still here. Kent Hughes, who hasn't made many moves this summer, could still trade the Quebec native, of course.
That's surely

The Canadiens still haven’t added a key player to their roster.
While most of the league has done so—whether yesterday or during the week leading up to the draft, when trades were happening left and right—Kent Hughes has remained inactive.
He's no doubt called his 31 counterparts often. But he hasn't announced any major additions.
The result? While teams that missed the playoffs in 2026 (Washington, Florida, Toronto) have improved, and while teams that made the playoffs in the

John Carlson was arguably the biggest name on the free-agent market in 2026—even though he's 36 years old.
The defenseman, who just had a 60-point season with the Capitals and the Ducks, still has plenty of good hockey left in him. And everyone was wondering which team would be able to benefit from his services.
But now the matter has been settled: Carlson will continue his career with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He wanted to return to the East, and that's now a reality.
Carlson has signed a

It's 2026, and unfortunately, in our world, there are still people who discriminate against others based on their sexual orientation, nationality, or language, among other things.
This is the case for Alexis Cournoyer, the CH prospect who played at Cornell last season.
Nicolas Cluotier of TVA Sports reported that Cournoyer admitted he was forbidden from speaking French in the locker room.CH prospect Alexis Cournoyer says he “had a blast” at Cornell University.
But he still found it s

In the latest episode of the Passion MLB podcast, Sébastien Berrouard and Charles-Alexis Brisebois chatted about the Toronto Blue Jays and the struggles of the two New York teams, among other topics.
Enjoy the show!Just a reminder that if you'd like to listen to us live, you can do so every Wednesday at 8 p.m. on Facebook, X, and YouTube. We record live to answer everyone's questions.
However, those who prefer to listen in a more traditional podcast format can also do so by visiting all t

Nothing is official yet, but Alex Ovechkin’s return is looking less and less likely.
In recent days, GM Chris Patrick has acquired Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch, among others. And today, he added depth to his offense by signing Boone Jenner.
Darren Dreger (OverDrive) said today that all signs point to this being the end for Ovi in Washington.Darren Dreger: Re Alex Ovechkin's future: Given just how active Chris Patrick and the Capitals have been, all indications are that he's not [coming back]

Michael Hage disappointed many people by confirming that he will return to Michigan next season.
He wants to play with his brother and have one last chance to win a college championship. That's understandable.
And for those who were worried he'd stay in school until he became a free agent so he could sign with another team, don't worry: Michael Hage doesn't want to play for any team other than the Habs.Even though they didn't acquire any high-profile free agents, the CH had a very busy day. Chec

Hostile trade offers are rare.
In 2024, two players who were with the Oilers at the time—Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg—were traded to the St. Louis Blues. Three years earlier, the Hurricanes made a hostile bid for Jesperi Kotkaniemi, in response to the one the Canadiens had made for Sebastian Aho two years prior.
This season saw a first—and it's quite bizarre. Barrett Hayton accepted a $4.775 million one-year deal with New Jersey.New Jersey is offering Barrett Hayton a cont

The Canadiens didn't have a particularly busy day on the free-agent market today. The club signed Ivan Demidov to a long-term deal (at a good price)… but other than that, they haven't been very active.
They signed Alex Belzile, Kaapo Kahkonen, Samuel Poulin, and Ethan Samson… but we're talking about guys who, barring a huge surprise, will spend the next year in Laval.
So, when you look at it objectively, the Canadiens didn't land a single NHL-caliber player today. And if you compar

The New York Mets, as we know, aren't having a great season. The team is in last place in its division with a 36-50 record… and is in the midst of a rough stretch.
Seeing the Mets (far) behind the Nationals and the Marlins wasn't exactly part of the plan.
And Steve Cohen, in an interview with the New York Post, reflected on his team's season. Unsurprisingly, he's not exactly a satisfied customer.
The owner acknowledged that he is “extremely concerned” about the Mets. He's havi

For the past few days, Zach Werenski has been the talk of the NHL. The defenseman reportedly told the Blue Jackets that he had no intention of staying in Columbus beyond his current contract, so the team began shopping him around.
And last night, it was reported that the defenseman had turned down an offer that would have sent him to Dallas. On top of all that, there was tension between Werenski and the Blue Jackets.
Everything was going swimmingly… or so it seemed.
But today, we're seein

One of the best contracts of the day was probably signed by Kent Hughes.
Just as he did in 2024 when he signed Juraj Slafkovsky, he has just done the same with Ivan Demidov. His $9.15 million-a-year deal is a good move.
And that's true even if it doesn't make the team any better than it was last year.
Hughes, who seemed eager to become the Russian's best friend at the press conference, didn't manage to sign him at a good price just because of his charming personality.
He did it because the offer

The Canadiens have signed two players.
But let's not get carried away: these two signings aren't going to change everything in Montreal. Far from it, in fact…
In a press release, the Habs announced that they had agreed to the terms of two-way, one-season contracts with forward Samuel Poulin and defenseman Ethan Samson. Obviously, these two players are expected to play in Laval next season.The Canadiens have agreed to the terms of one-year, two-way contracts with forward Samuel Poulin and

Max Scherzer in Vancouver
He'll pitch in the minors while the team is on the West Coast.
Max Scherzer said he's traveling with the Blue Jays out west and will make a rehab start on Friday with Vancouver.He'll rejoin the team in Seattle on Saturday, throw a side session on Sunday, and determine his next steps from there.
— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) July 1, 2026
The Prospect Game
JoJo Parker and Nolan Perry will represent the Blue Jays.SS JoJo Parker and SP Nolan Perry will be the #BlueJays' t

Vincent Trocheck’s name has been making the rounds in rumors for a little while now. And now the matter has finally been settled.
According to Elliotte Friedman, Trocheck has been traded to the Utah Mammoth.
He'll be joining Logan Cooley on the team's center line.Vincent Trocheck to Utah
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2026It's worth noting that, according to reports, Trocheck was a player the Canadiens were interested in. That said, he wasn't really interested in playing

In the last few minutes, Kent Hughes and Ivan Demidov spoke to the media.
They provided an update on the Russian player's new contract… and the GM also discussed the state of his team.
For those who missed it, here's the press conference:Follow Demidov and Hughes' press conference live from BrossardTune in now to live media ops with Demidov and Hughes from
Brossard
#GoHabsGo
https://t.co/3SWd765pq8
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) July 1, 2026And toward the end of the press conf

National League trade.
Darnell Nurse, who earlier today expanded the list of teams he wanted to be traded to, is heading to the Sharks to join Macklin Celebrini.
So far, we know that Shakir Mukhamadullin will be part of the trade and that the Oilers did not take on any salary in the deal. Here's how things appear to be unfolding:
Nurse to SJ
Shakir Mukhamadullin will be part of the return
The Oilers will not retain any salary
We're waiting for the final detailshttps://t.co/HlJah24rzn
&mdash

The Canadiens have reached an agreement with another player in the last few minutes.
After signing Ivan Demidov to a long-term deal and recalling Alex Belzile, the club has signed Kaapo Kahkonen. The goaltender arrived in town on July 1 and will be back for another season.
He spent the year in Laval, and it's likely that a similar role awaits him next year.
Note that Kahkonen's contract is a single-component deal. This means he'll earn the same salary regardless of whether he plays in Montreal o

Right now, only two players are guaranteed to play in the All-Star Game: Ernie Clement and Shohei Ohtani.
Both finished at the top of the fan vote in their respective leagues.
We know that the Dodgers' DH will be his team's designated hitter. But the question is whether he'll also pitch for the National League.
It's important to note that the pitching roster is not subject to fan voting. MLB decides which pitchers are invited, and the manager decides who starts.
And since the Dodgers made it to

Sergei Bobrovsky, as we know, was probably the biggest name on the market today. The Panthers goaltender, who has an impressive track record, saw his former team move in a different direction.
The Panthers acquired Jacob Markstrom yesterday… and that pretty much confirmed that Bob wouldn't be coming back.
The question was where Bobrovsky would end up. And from the start, it felt like the Maple Leafs were the favorites to land him.
And it's finally been confirmed: the Russian will continue

Last week, Jeff Gorton spoke with the media ahead of the draft.
And, as mentioned, he indicated that there was a possibility Hage might make the jump to the National Hockey League for the upcoming season.
But that won't happen. Hage has confirmed that he'll be returning to the NCAA for a third year.Michael Hage confirms he's returning to Michigan
— Marc Antoine Godin (@MAGodin) July 1, 2026Is this the end of the world? Not necessarily, no.
Hage will have the opportunity to win the NCAA cha

Here we go.
The Canadiens have signed Alex Belzile. Reports indicate a two-part contract worth $850,000 for the player who played in Laval last season.
In other words, he's signed on to stay in Quebec.Alex Belzile 1 X $850,000 (2-way) @CanadiensMTL @TVASports
— Renaud Lavoie (@RLavoieTVA) July 1, 2026In his career, he has played 44 regular-season games (all with the Canadiens) but none since 2023. From 2023 to 2025, he played for the New York Rangers organization.
Last year, he returned to

On Saturday, during the second day of the NHL Draft, the Ducks traded John Carlson's rights to Carolina.
The Hurricanes gave up a prospect (Kyle Masters) and a sixth-round pick to acquire the defenseman's rights, with the goal of persuading him to sign a new contract in Carolina.
But that hasn't happened yet. And now…
And now, that means the defenseman is a free agent. He's free to sign a contract with any team he wants… and according to Eric Engels, the Canadiens are interested in

On Monday night, Joe Veleno did not receive a qualifying offer from the Canadiens. This made him an unrestricted free agent.
There was a good chance he would end up returning, but he was going to test the market anyway.
And now it turns out that Veleno won't be returning to Montreal after all: he's found a new team elsewhere.
According to Tony Marinaro, Veleno will continue his career with the Rangers.
He signed a one-year contract… for $1.2 million. So he got more than the minimum&hellip

Those who wanted to see Mason Marchment sign a contract with the Canadiens will be disappointed.
We knew there was a lot of interest in his services on the market, and in the end, the Sharks won the race.
Marchment is heading to San Jose, and as reported by Elliotte Friedman, the deal is reportedly a five-year contract worth approximately $7 million per season. Mason Marchment sounds like he's headed to San Jose…the long-time home of his father, Bryan, who has played both on- and off

Will Tarik Skubal be traded this summer? That's the million-dollar question everyone in Major League Baseball is asking themselves every day.
If so, we know there are several teams to watch in the race for this top-tier left-handed pitcher. That's only natural: we're talking about one of the best pitchers in MLB and a two-time Cy Young Award winner.
But who will go after him, then?
The more we read about the situation, the more one team's name keeps coming up. This time, it's Bob Nightengale's t

It's official: Ivan Demidov has signed a long-term contract with the Canadiens.
The young Russian has signed an eight-year deal to stay in Montreal for the long term. Keep in mind that this new contract won't take effect for another year, as he'll still be on his entry-level contract next year.
The big question was what the salary would be. And we finally have the answer: he signed for $9.125 million per year.
He will therefore be the team's highest-paid forward (starting in 2027–28), but

Ivan Demidov’s agent has just set the internet ablaze on X.
Dan Milstein—without holding back—claims he has something big coming to Montreal.
What does that mean? There are a few possible options, in my view.Gold Star Hockey has big news coming out of Montreal. More to come. #AreYouGoldStar?
— Dan Milstein (@HockeyAgent1) July 1, 2026Of course, we know that Demidov will be eligible to sign a contract extension today. The young Canadiens player could be in line for a new d