Rangers veteran backup Jonathan Quick will return for his 19th NHL season in 2025-26. The team announced it has agreed to terms on a one-year extension, which Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports is worth $1.55M. Per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, that will be paid out via a $1M base salary and $550K signing bonus. Quick can also earn up to $300K in performance bonuses as part of his 35+ contract and has a modified no-trade clause. His performance bonuses break down as follows:
20 starts with .915+ SV%: $75K
35 GP: $25K
40 GP: $50K
20 Ws: $50K
25 Ws: $100K
The 39-year-old netminder is in his second season in Manhattan as the No. 2 to Igor Shesterkin, posting a .896 SV%, 3.14 GAA and three shutouts in 17 starts and four relief appearances this year. He was extremely hot to start the campaign, going 5-1-0 with a .936 SV% in seven appearances in October and November, but has a .874 SV% and 4-5-2 record in his last 14. He’s started two of 10 games coming out of the 4 Nations break, a light workload he should be expected to replicate down the stretch with the Rangers in a battle for their playoff lives.
Quick’s career résumé needs no introduction. The three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Kings and Golden Knights ranks 14th all-time with 402 wins, a figure that leads American-born netminders. He also has 63 career shutouts, outpacing No. 2 Ryan Miller by 19 for first all-time among Americans. He’s never won a Vezina Trophy, but was the runner-up in 2012 and a finalist in 2016.
But on the whole, Quick hasn’t been nearly as valuable to the Rangers as last year. A UFA pickup in the 2023 offseason, Quick was one of the league’s better backups in 2023-24 with a .911 SV%, 2.62 GAA, and an 18-6-2 record in 27 showings. That showing was good for 9.8 goals saved above expected behind an average Rangers defense, per MoneyPuck, a figure that’s dipped to -2.6 this year. They could do far worse for a limited-use backup, though, and those year-to-year swings have become commonplace for Quick in the twilight of his career. He hasn’t posted a save percentage north of .900 in back-to-back years since doing so in 10 consecutive seasons to begin his career.
Quick was set to be a UFA this summer after signing a similarly structured extension last March. This deal carries a higher salary guarantee and total earning potential than his current deal, which afforded him $1.275M in salary and signing bonus with just one $25K performance bonus, which he won’t earn as it required him to make 20 starts with a SV% of at least .915.
If he declines further next year, pending RFA Dylan Garand would be his replacement on the roster pending any external additions. The 22-year-old has been called up on a few occasions from AHL Hartford over the past few years to back up either Shesterkin or Quick when the other is unavailable but has yet to make his NHL debut. In 30 minor league games this year, he has a .912 SV%, 2.79 GAA, three shutouts and a 16-7-7 record.
Out of the 23 players currently on the Rangers’ active roster, 17 are now signed through next season at a combined cap hit of $84.89M, per PuckPedia. That leaves the Rangers with $10.61M in cap space to fill six roster spots, nearly all of which could be swallowed up by new deals for pending RFAs William Cuylle and K’Andre Miller.
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Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood got married two weekends ago to his partner Ariela at a stunning California estate, and pictures have just surfaced online for fans. Vancouver Canucks player Kiefer Sherwood married his now wife, Ariela, in an intimate wedding in the Cherub Garden of Stonepine Estate, Carmel Valley, California. Ariela posted Instagram glimpses, ranging from vows exchanging and couples' photos to wedding photoshoot sneak peeks. Their pet dog, Luca, was featured numerous times, including once sitting with them. 'A dream come true - 07.26.25 The Sherwoods.' The day was filled with personal touches. Kiefer Sherwood's close friend and ex-Miami University teammate Karch Bachman officiated the ceremony. Ariela walked down the aisle to a violin rendition of Taylor Swift's 'Enchanted' played by Alan Milan, and the two exchanged handwritten vows. Sherwood and Ariela, together for four years and who celebrated their engagement in January, got engaged during a Turks and Caicos vacation this past year. Sherwood Just Completed His First Season With the Canucks Sherwood signed as a free agent with the Canucks on July 1, 2024, after time with the Nashville Predators. Ariela fondly remembered their inaugural year in Vancouver as a couple this offseason, posting pictures of hiking excursions with Luca against the backdrop of nature, sushi cafe nights, horseback rides, and sunset walks. She even uploaded news of her bachelorette party and seasonal memories, from cherry blossoms that opened and snowy cityscapes to Sherwood cuddling the two new puppies that they brought home just recently. Other moments captured were a boat tour on a sunny day, a dinner with friends, and a white dress mirror selfie. 'Same time next year?' she posted, referring to how much they've fallen in love with Vancouver life.
We all know Scottie Scheffler is the best golfer on the planet by a fairly large margin, but what makes him so much more consistent than other stars in professional golf? Bryson DeChambeau, one of Scheffler's biggest rivals in major championships, thinks he knows the answer. In Tuesday's appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," DeChambeau detailed how Scheffler dominates the PGA Tour weekly. "He's got the best spin and distance control I've ever seen," DeChambeau said. "He controls the golf ball from a spin perspective so much better than everybody else. Like, if you're 175 yards out, and it's 10 miles [an hour] into the wind, he knows how to control the flight and spin to get that ball to land right next to the hole every time. Probably since Tiger [Woods], he's the best that we've seen." The stats confirm DeChambeau's breakdown. Scheffler has ranked first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach in three straight seasons. He also ranks first in proximity to the hole and greens in regulation percentage over the last four years. Iron play is Scheffler's superpower, but it wasn't always that way. "I played with him in college a bunch, and I've said it before, but he's definitely improved since college for sure," DeChambeau said with a chuckle. "It's impressive to see what he's done, and we're all aspiring to do that. That's something I've gotta get better at. I can hit it farther than him. I can hit it probably straighter than him. I can make just as many putts as him, but, really, it's about my iron play right now and wedges to get a little more consistent." Iron play is the biggest indicator of success in professional golf. If you're giving yourself more birdie chances from close range than anyone in the field, you're going to have the best chance to win by Sunday afternoon. No one is better at hitting specific distances more consistently than Scheffler. Just look at how accurate he is. DeChambeau has the best chance to catch Scheffler as the best player in the world because he's elite off the tee and on the greens, but that won't happen unless he makes a major improvement to his iron game.
It is no secret that NASCAR's current road-course package has not been very good. Aside from the mile-and-a-half tracks that were once the least competitive and exciting in the series, those races are the rare bright spot for the Next Gen Car since its inception in 2022. Shane van Gisbergen drove away to an 11.1-second win over Christopher Bell in Sunday's race at Watkins Glen and set multiple records in the process. While the racing was not particularly exciting, that was not what left former crew chief and current analyst Steve Letarte frustrated the most following the weekend. A recurring issue in each race over the weekend was drivers utilizing the runoff areas around the track and not staying on the traditional racing surface, which ultimately led to some crashes in Saturday's Xfinity race. "So, I hate track limits that have to be officiated," Letarte said on "Inside the Race." "Because I like tracks that you should just stay on the track. I didn't think it mattered. Now, I am team get-them-back-on-the-race-track-at-Watkins-Glen. I don't love the Watkins Glen that I see. ... I think Turn 1 is not as great of a corner with no exit respect or responsibility. You just blow the exit. I think the carousel is a much easier corner, being able to just go driver's left. "I also think Turn 6 is going — let me add, that I think the (Connor) Zilisch, SVG wreck between the last two corners (in the Xfinity Series race) happened because they left the track, and the Austin Hill wreck with Michael McDowell happened off the race track. Now, both could have been avoided, we can talk about who's at fault. What I'm saying is, I've never driven a lap at Watkins Glen. I can analyze what happens between the white lines." This comes one year after rumble strips were placed in Turn 1 to keep drivers from using the runoff area, and that clearly has not worked. As the field has got closer together, using up all the track has become a common way for drivers to establish momentum, especially as they prepare for the right-hander going into The Esses at Watkins Glen. The bottom line is NASCAR's road-racing product needs to get better and Letarte wants to see race cars "stay on the race track because I think it will be a better race." Van Gisbergen's historic dominance certainly does not help, but the overall road course product is not great. Whether NASCAR makes some changes to the runoff areas and enforces track limits remains to be seen, but that still may not be the biggest issue if the racing does not improve.
Caleb Williams was considered the top prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft, but a Super Bowl champion wasn't wild about the Chicago Bears quarterback. In a story published Tuesday, The Athletic's Jon Greenberg shared excerpts from Seth Wickersham's new book, "American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback," set to release Sept. 9. He also interviewed the ESPN writer via a phone conversation. Citing a section of Wickersham's book, Greenberg noted Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton scouted Williams, despite the team not being in a position to take him. The process left him with concerns. Before the 2017 draft, Payton developed a formula to help calculate processing speed for QB prospects, a critical factor in NFL success. Unlike fellow second-year QB Bo Nix — whom the Broncos selected with pick No. 12 in 2024 — Williams scored poorly. Payton also felt the 2024 No. 1 pick left "too many completions on the field at USC," per Wickersham. Other coaches share similar sentiments about the former Southern California Trojans star. On Monday, The Athletic's Mike Sando released his annual QB tiers. The tiers are numbered one through five, with one being the best and five being the worst. Williams landed in Tier 3. A head coach told Sando that Williams' processing looked "alarming" when watching the tape. An offensive coordinator said the 23-year-old often holds the ball far too long, consequently taking too many sacks. During his rookie season, Williams took the most sacks (68 in 17 starts) in the NFL. To cut the 2022 Heisman winner slack, his offensive line was shaky. According to Pro Football Reference, the unit ranked sixth in the NFL in pressures allowed (160). After firing Matt Eberflus, the Bears hired former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as head coach. His marriage with the young QB seems to be off to a rocky start. Williams has reportedly looked inaccurate during training camp. Williams still has time to get the hang of his new playbook before the regular season starts in September. However, if his problems persist in year two, that would validate Payton's doubts about the QB.
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