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The Ottawa Senators will be without a key player for the time being.
Forward Shane Pinto is considered week-to-week with an undisclosed injury, per Elliotte Friedman. Pinto hasn’t played since Tuesday’s dominant 4-0 victory over the Utah Hockey Club. He missed Friday night’s loss to the Vegas Golden Knights and hasn’t skated since the win over Utah.
In six appearances so far, the 23-year-old has scored once and tallied two assists. He only played in 41 games last season after serving a suspension for gambling. Pinto added 27 points, including nine goals and 18 assists for the Senators. Ottawa is off to a 4-3-0 start in 2024-25 under new head coach Travis Green and will be looking to improve upon their horrid 2023-24 campaign.
Linus Ullmark, who was an offseason trade acquisition from the Boston Bruins, took full blame for the loss to Vegas on Friday, ripping apart his own play.
“If they had a capable goalie in there today, they would have won 4-3, I would say,” Ullmark said. “It’s way too sloppy to be in this league.
“This is a type of game where you have to rely on your goaltender to shut the door and not let in those two at the end to cause us to lose the game. And I take it upon myself, it’s always what I do, I never try to put any blame on anyone else, they try the very best out there in front of me. And then it’s my job to make the saves when it’s needed.”
The Senators selected Pinto in the 2019 draft in the second round. He’s in the first year of a two-year deal. Hopefully, Ottawa will get him back soon. The team is back in action on Sunday evening against Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche before returning home on Tuesday for a matchup with the St. Louis Blues.
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Canadiens face roster issue as NHL insider reveals worrying update
The Montreal Canadiens have not extended Lane Hutson's contract, and the latest update is not positive. According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the negotiations have not advanced, and he suggests both parties need a break. "I think this negotiation has gotten very emotional, and I think everybody needs a timeout," Friedman said on his podcast. On Monday, Hutson, 21, said he wants to stay in Montreal but is leaving the negotiations to his agent. He also stated the team's front office has work to do. "I try to stay pretty hands off. Of course I want to be here, who wouldn’t? So it’s all about just working out some kinks. My agents have a job to do, and so does management here," said Hutson. Why the Canadiens must extend Lane Hutson without delay Whatever the problem, the Canadiens need to give in. A long-term deal fixes the cost of a defensive pillar like Hutson and would protect them against inflation if he plays well. Closing the deal now would avoid distractions and mixed messages. A young pillar needs stability to focus on his role. The worst for Montreal would be a short contract next season. That would empower the player after a breakout and complicate the salary cap. Hutson's ceiling as a power-play quarterback is hard to replace. The Canadiens should pay for that upside now, not later. It is too early to assume the Canadiens will lose Hutson, but the mere possibility is a major danger signal. The young player is key for Montreal, as he reduces first-pass errors and breaks high pressure with diagonal supports. His ability to turn under the forecheck turns defensive possessions into attacks with numerical advantage. Hutson often drives and fixes markers on the blueline to create controlled entries, sustaining long cycles and improving shot quality. With him on ice, the team attacks in an organized way instead of with disordered counterattacks. It's rare that Montreal hesitates at this point. His value in five to eight years will far exceed the current cost. An extension would signal a stable project. Doubts do the opposite.
The Big Five: NFL’s biggest surprises of the 2025 season — for better or worse
The 2025 NFL season has already produced unexpected plot twists, with projected playoff teams struggling and preseason afterthoughts becoming the talk of the town. For better or worse, here are the NFL's most surprising teams entering Week 6. 1. Baltimore Ravens (1-4) When things can't possibly get worse for the Ravens, they reach new depths. By losing 44-10 in Week 5 to the Houston Texans, a team it has historically dominated, Baltimore tied for its worst home loss in franchise history. The Ravens made moves this week to improve a putrid secondary, acquiring safety Alohi Gilman from the Los Angeles Chargers for edge-rusher Odafe Oweh and signing free-agent safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, but that's unlikely to provide immediate relief. In Week 6, Baltimore hosts the Los Angeles Rams, who have the league's second-ranked pass offense, so QB Matthew Stafford should carve up the defensive backfield with wideouts Puka Nacua (who is on a pace for a record-shattering season) and Davante Adams. Baltimore's offense, which is likely to be without two-time MVP starting quarterback Lamar Jackson (hamstring) for the second consecutive week, won't be able to keep up in a shootout. Oddsmakers agree, with Los Angeles an 8.5-point favorite, per ESPN BET. The Ravens appear headed for a 1-5 record entering their Week 7 bye, but they have a much more favorable schedule when they return. According to ESPN's NFL Football Power Index, Baltimore ranks No. 25 in remaining strength of schedule. With a healthy Jackson and an AFC North up for grabs, don't rule out a second-half surge. Yet it's just as likely Baltimore spends all season in a hole it can't get out of. 2. Indianapolis Colts (4-1) The most surprising success story of the season is in Indianapolis, which has surpassed all expectations. Quarterback Daniel Jones, who entered 2025 3-13 in his past 16 starts, is playing like an MVP candidate. Through five games, the No. 6 overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft is 107-of-150 (71.3 percent) for 1,290 yards, nine total touchdowns and two interceptions. The offense has generated most of the headlines, and for good reason, but the defense has been a revelation as well. The unit has held three of its first five opponents under 300 yards and forced a turnover in each game. Indy's fortune might not change in Week 6 as it hosts the Arizona Cardinals, who are coming off one of the most embarrassing collapses in recent history, blowing an 18-point lead at home to the previously winless Tennessee Titans. Arizona (2-3) has turned the ball over five times in its past two games. With road games remaining against the Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks, the Colts will soon provide a more accurate gauge on where they stand. But rather than being a Week 1 flash in the pan, Indianapolis looks built for the long haul. 3. San Francisco 49ers (4-1) Colts head coach Shane Steichen's main competition for Coach of the Year should be Kyle Shanahan, who has done a masterful job of leading a hobbled 49ers squad to the top of the NFC West. San Francisco is 3-0 without starting quarterback Brock Purdy, with Mac Jones joining Daniel Jones as one of the year's great reclamation projects. The Niners are also thriving without elite production in the run game from Christian McCaffrey, who is averaging 3.1 yards per carry. San Francisco is already 3-0 in division games, but to maintain its edge in the NFC West, the offense must become more balanced. Through Week 5, the Niners are first in pass offense (290.6 yards per game) but rank last in yards per rush attempt (3.1) and are the league's only team without a rushing touchdown. (Every other team has at least two.) 4. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1) The Jaguars made the AFC South the only NFL division with two one-loss teams after coming back to win at home against the three-time defending AFC champion Chiefs in Week 5. Jacksonville ranks in the top 10 in the NFL in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Jaguars have ascending talent on both sides of the ball, with running back Travis Etienne (443 rushing yards) averaging career highs in yards per carry (5.8) and rush yards per game (88.6). First-year head coach Liam Coen has done a good job of running him in advantageous situations, with Etienne only facing a stacked box (eight or more defenders near the line of scrimmage) on 13 percent of his carries, the sixth-lowest rate among qualifying running backs, per NFL Pro. The defense, led by first-year defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, a former Green Bay Packers linebackers coach/run game coordinator, has more than held up on its end, forcing an NFL-high 14 turnovers. Linebacker Devin Lloyd (four interceptions, one fumble recovery) is one of the league's most improved players. ESPN's FPI gives the Jaguars a 75.4 percent chance to reach the playoffs, the third-highest odds in the AFC, trailing the Buffalo Bills (92.2 percent) and Colts (85 percent). 5. Las Vegas Raiders (1-4) "I'm processing it poorly to tell you the truth," first-year Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, 74, told reporters after his team's 40-6 trouncing at the Colts last Sunday. "I did expect to win right out of the chutes," Carroll added. Technically, Las Vegas did, defeating the New England Patriots (3-2) in Week 1. But four consecutive losses have dimmed hopes of a playoff run and instead raised significant questions, particularly at quarterback. Geno Smith, acquired in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason, has regressed significantly after a strong three-year run as Seahawks starter. Through five games, Smith leads the NFL in interceptions (nine), throwing one on 5.5 percent of his pass attempts, more than double his rate from 2022-24 (2.1 percent). Instead of contending for a postseason spot, the Raiders, a longtime doormat, are closer to the No. 1 pick. Las Vegas is projected to end the season with the league's fifth-worst record, per ESPN. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Cowboys coach makes it sound like personnel change some were expecting won't happen ahead of Week 6
Bengals' Zac Taylor explains shocking Joe Flacco move for Packers game
Roughly 24 hours after outsiders learned that the Cincinnati Bengals were acquiring veteran quarterback Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed that Flacco will start over Jake Browning when 2-3 Cincinnati plays at the Green Bay Packers (2-1-1) this coming Sunday. While speaking with media members, Taylor explained that somewhat surprising decision. Why Zac Taylor believes he can get Joe Flacco "up to speed quickly" "He's already spent a lot of time meeting with us, getting up to speed, so I feel really good about where he's at," Taylor said about Flacco, per Dave Clark of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "You just know him. ...Very comfortable with his style, concepts he's good at, things that we do. All of the terminology, there's a carryover, more so than I would have anticipated. So I feel like we can get him up to speed quickly." Flacco lost three of four September starts with the Browns before the Super Bowl XLVII Most Valuable Player was benched in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel. According to Pro Football Reference stats, Flacco began Wednesday ranked last in the NFL among qualified players with a 60.3 passer rating for the ongoing season. Additionally, he's 28th out of 32 signal-callers with a 36.7 adjusted QBR. That said, Flacco is a 40-year-old who has seen every defensive concept an opposing coordinator could and will throw his way. Back on Sept. 21, he helped the Browns earn a 13-10 win over the Packers in downtown Cleveland. Zac Taylor likes that Joe Flacco faced this Packers defense in September "It's different than a young quarterback coming in, trying to learn the system and understand what a defense is trying to do to try to challenge you," Taylor added about his decision to start Flacco versus the Packers. "Not only that, but he's played Green Bay this year, so he's already gone through a week of prep. ...Now the communication and the weekly rhythm is maybe different and unique, but he's already prepared for this opponent. So he gets a chance to refresh himself on that, while at the same time just learning our system and our terminology...and how we operate." Shortly after Taylor made his comments, ESPN BET had the Bengals listed as massive 14.5-point underdogs against Green Bay. Perhaps that line and the fact that he was discarded by Cleveland will give Flacco some extra motivation heading into the showdown that will take place at Lambeau Field.
New trade target identified for Steelers: 'It would not surprise me'
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a team that has been connected to every potentially available wide receiver in the NFL over the last several years. The fan base has been clamoring for a big move at the position that will bring in another high-level player to pair with DK Metcalf, but it seems like a longshot that that would happen. However, there are some candidates around the NFL that could be moved, especially on teams that have gotten off to a disappointing start to the year. The trade deadline is Nov. 4, so a deal would need to be reached in under a month. Pittsburgh was linked to Tyreek Hill throughout the 2025 offseason, but it never really seemed like a deal would happen. That is especially true after he suffered a horrific season-ending injury. However, one of his teammates could now be an interesting addition to Pittsburgh. Jaylen Waddle has been a really good wide receiver ever since entering the NFL in 2021, but he is stuck in Miami. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote in a recent article that he believes teams will start calling about the wide receiver, and Pittsburgh doing so would make a lot of sense. "League execs are already wondering which struggling teams could enter fire sale mode," Fowler wrote. "In the AFC East, the Jets would have several attractive trade possibilities on the defensive side of the ball, as would the Dolphins on offense. It would not surprise me if teams start to call on Miami receiver Jaylen Waddle if the Dolphins continue to struggle, though I highly doubt Miami would entertain that at this point, especially with Tyreek Hill out for the season." Losing Hill for the entire 2025 season makes it hard to imagine that Miami would part ways with Waddle, but the team is struggling and it is hard to find a path to that franchise succeeding in the near future. Head coach Mike McDaniel seems to be as pre-fired as a head coach can be, and there has been rumblings about the franchise completely cleaning house and moving on from Chris Grier as general manager as well. Waddle arguably had his best season during his rookie year in 2021 when he caught 104 passes for 1,015 yards and six touchdowns, but he broke that single-season yardage and touchdown mark the following season in 2022. He started his career off very well, but injuries and inconsistent quarterback play has made it difficult for him to thrive in Miami. It is completely reasonable to think that Waddle might be open to a change of scenery, while Miami might want to bring in some draft capital to start building for the future. Steelers should be involved in talks for multiple wide receivers Waddle could be an option in Pittsburgh, but another receiver to keep an eye on is Jakobi Meyers. The Las Vegas Raiders are also 1-4, and the team doesn't seem to be getting any better. The quarterback play has not been good, and it is going to be hard to compete in the AFC West after getting off to a horrendous start. Fowler wrote about Meyers being a trade candidate, and about how he expects deals involving wide receivers to happen ahead of the deadline. "One other receiver from a struggling team to watch could be Jakobi Meyers," Fowler wrote. "The Raiders and Meyers couldn't reach a deal before Week 1 despite his trade request, and with the Raiders sitting at 1-4, interest in the player could tick upward. Anyway, there will be much movement leaguewide, and I suspect enough interest in the receiver position to forecast a move or two." Meyers and Waddle would both be welcomed additions in Pittsburgh. However, it is still unlikely for the franchise to be able to land either player. Waddle would carry a very large cap hit with him in 2027 and 2028, and Meyers would need a new extension as the trade is done.
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