The Pittsburgh Penguins have fired associate coach Todd Reirden.
No successor has been named.
Reirden, who served two stints on the Penguins’ coaching staff, oversaw the team’s defense corps and power play.
His work with that power play, which ranked 30th in the 32-team National Hockey League during the just-concluded season, was the subject of considerable criticism.
Reirden worked under Dan Bylsma from 2010-2014 and Mike Sullivan from 2020-2024. In between, he had a two-year run as head coach of the Washington Capitals. He also spent time as coach of the Penguins’ top farm team in Wilkes-Barre before joining the parent club for the first time.
“We are grateful to Todd for his dedication and commitment to the Penguins over two separate stints with the organization,” Kyle Dubas, the Penguins’ president of hockey operations and general manager said in a statement released by the team. “Mike Sullivan and I have spent time over the past two weeks evaluating the coaching staff and, although these decisions are never easy, we agree that this change was in the best interest of the team moving forward.”
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ two-paragraph announcement of Reirden’s departure made no mention of assistant coaches Mike Vellucci and Ty Hennes or goaltending coach Andy Chiodo.
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NHL insider Allan Mitchell of 'The Athletic' revealed that Stuart Skinner, Matthew Savoie, and Vasily Podkolzin could be the most likely to be traded next. Between this summer and the 2026 trade deadline, the Edmonton Oilers have three especially valuable trade chips, other than future draft picks, who may have a big part to play in retooling the roster. GM Stan Bowman may be forced to dip into that pool of assets if the team wants to make another deep playoff run, writes Allan Mitchell of 'The Athletic'. 'It is not a guarantee. Excluding future draft picks, who are the (three) most valuable trade pieces between today and the trade deadline in 2026? Stuart Skinner, Matthew Savoie, Vasily Podkolzin.' - Allan Mitchell Stuart Skinner is the most intriguing trade chip. With a mere cap hit of $2.6 million, the 25-year-old is an affordable starting goalie with loads of playoff experience: 50 playoff games and two Stanley Cup Final appearances, to name a few. Stuart Skinner could be included in a package deal to upgrade the Oilers crease While Stan Bowman has mentioned evaluating the goalie depth chart, Stuart Skinner could be moved out if the right deal comes along. Nevertheless, if Edmonton is looking for an upgrade in the crease, Skinner could be the pawn in a potential trade. Matt Savoie will undoubtedly compete for a top-six role alongside Leon Draisaitl. The talented winger impressed with the AHL's Bakersfield Condors and has one year of pro hockey on his resume. If he gets rolling early with Leon Draisaitl, he's unlikely to go. But if he struggles, Bowman could shop him for a veteran with a decent contract. Vasily Podkolzin flourished on Draisaitl's flank along with Connor McDavid in his inaugural campaign, far surpassing expectations with fine five-on-five play. While he has demonstrated moments of brilliance, the quality of his attack is not certain. With other prospects like Matt Savoie and Isaac Howard competing for minutes, Podkolzin could find himself a surplus on the roster and a valuable asset in a mid-season deal.
The Kansas City Royals were hoping to bolster their outfield ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. They were able to do just that in a trade on Saturday. Steve Gilbert from MLB.com reported that the Royals have acquired outfielder Randal Grichuk from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Mark Feinsand from MLB.com reported that relief pitcher Andrew Hoffman will head to Arizona in exchange for Grichuk. The Royals desperately needed help in their outfield. Royals outfielders had been the worst in the majors, posting an atrocious .219/.273/.328 batting line with just 19 home runs entering Saturday's action. Although Grichuk is in the midst of a disappointing season himself, he is an immediate upgrade over whatever the Royals have sent into the outfield. Grichuk had posted a .243/.280/.462 batting line in 186 plate appearances entering Saturday, hitting seven homers and 15 doubles. In exchange, the Diamondbacks receive Hoffman, who FanGraphs ranked as the Royals' 22nd-best prospect entering the season. His upper-90s fastball and new kick change are both considered plus offerings, although his ability to command his arsenal is questionable at best. Hoffman's potential and flaws were evident this season. He made his major league debut for the Royals, allowing six runs, two earned, on seven hits and four walks over 4.2 innings, striking out five. However, Hoffman had dominated at Triple-A, posting a 3.60 ERA and a 1.125 WHiP over his 40 innings, striking out 55 batters with just 10 walks. He is another intriguing addition for a Diamondbacks team that has prioritized pitching in their two trades thus far. The same upside does not exist for the Royals. Kansas City had the same record as the Diamondbacks entering the second game of their doubleheader against the Guardians. Grichuk signed a one-year contract with $5 million guaranteed for 2025. There is a mutual option worth $5 million, with a $3 million buyout, for 2026. Theoretically, Grichuk could be part of the Royals' plans next season. However, mutual options are rarely picked up. As the Royals are currently under .500 and need to pass four teams in the standings to seize the final wild-card spot, adding a rental option does not make sense. It is possible that both sides can work out an arrangement for 2026, but unless that happens, the Royals' latest move is questionable at best.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have plenty of suitors for third baseman Eugenio Suarez. A new team has reportedly entered the market for his services. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Phillies have reached out regarding Suarez. While Lauber did not provide any indication as to whether or not those talks have gained traction, the Phillies are an intriguing suitor for the Diamondbacks' third baseman. The Phillies' interest may be a recent development. Jon Heyman of the New York Post speculated on Friday that the Phillies could emerge as a suitor in the wake of third baseman Alec Bohm landing on the injured list with a fractured left rib. Suarez is in the midst of what is arguably his best season thus far. He has produced a .249/.321/.587 batting line in 421 plate appearances entering Saturday with 36 homers and a major league-leading 87 RBI. Suarez would be more than just another powerful bat in the lineup. Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and first baseman Bryce Harper are both left-handed hitters — adding Suarez would provide more balance in the batting order. He would also provide a counter against opposing managers bringing in a lefty reliever to face Schwarber and Harper. The biggest question would be how the Phillies would handle an eventual logjam on the roster. Bohm is expected to return from the IL in mid-August and would not have a clear path to regular at-bats if Suarez were acquired. Schwarber could theoretically return to left field to open up playing time at the DH spot, but his outfield defense is mediocre at best. However, as the Phillies are also looking to upgrade the outfield, where Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh have been disappointments, adding Suarez could solve several problems in one fell swoop.
The Boston Celtics have finally accomplished their prime mission this offseason, sans injured six-time All-Star power forward Jayson Tatum: to avoid a payroll above the league's harsh second luxury tax apron. Tatum will be shelved for most or, more likely, all of the 2025-26 season as he recovers from an Achilles tendon tear suffered during the Celtics' six-game second round series loss to the New York Knicks. With incoming new owner William Chisholm clearly uninterested in overpaying for a club with no realistic shot of winning a 19th championship next summer, Boston team president Brad Stevens traded away two starters — six-time All-Defensive guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for guard Anfernee Simons and one-time All-Star center Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks for forward Georges Niang and a second rounder — and let key reserve center Luke Kornet walk in free agency. Power forward/center Al Horford remains a free agent, but he's likely destined for the Golden State Warriors. So the team has effectively ditched three of its top six players, with a fourth — its best — probably shelved all year. More news: Celtics' Al Horford Holding Up Free Agency, Says Insider But Boston remained over the Celtics' second luxury tax apron. Until now. Per NBA insider Chris Haynes, Davison has already moved on, having inked a new contract with the Houston Rockets. According to the league's transactions log, Davison's deal is a two-way contract, although Haynes has not reported the contract details just yet. Because Davison logged three seasons' worth of two-way contracts with the Celtics, he had become ineligible for anything but a standard roster spot in Boston, per Daniel Donabedian of ClutchPoints. By waiving Davison, the Celtics were able to duck under the second luxury tax apron, which opens up several roster-building mechanisms. As Donabedian astutely predicted, Davison wasn't short of suitors, thanks to a productive 30-game regular season run with Boston's NBAGL affiliate, the Maine Celtics, that netted him an All-NBA G League First Team selection last season. Across those 30 games, Davison averaged 25.1 points on .483/.336/.742 shooting splits, 7.6 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per. More news: Former Celtics Champion Gets Exciting New Gig Jayson Tatum Receives Injury Advice From Former Celtics Forward Celtics Called Out for Trading Away Former First-Round Draft Pick For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.
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