Flyers fans are “starving” for a superstar player. That’s what’s driving a lot of the angst around Matvei Michkov, former team captain Chris Pronger said.
On Monday’s episode of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, Pronger, a hockey Hall of Famer who spent the last three years of his 18-year career with the Flyers, shared his thoughts on the team’s rebuild and Michkov’s development as a professional.
The never-ending rebuild
The current regime spearheading the Flyers’ rebuild, led by president Keith Jones and general manager Danny Brière, has been in place since May 2023, just under three years. But Flyers fans are still reeling from the failures of previous regimes.
“They’ve been in what’s called a rebuild for what seems like 12 years,” Pronger said. “I think they’re frustrated and they want the rebuild to be over, but they didn’t go about the rebuild properly in the early days.”
The Flyers haven’t made the playoffs since the COVID bubble in 2020, and have advanced past the first round just once since the 2012-13 season — during that bubble playoff run, which was played in an empty building in Toronto.
The most important keys to any successful rebuild are finding a star center and a No. 1 defenseman, two things that have eluded the Flyers so far. It takes lottery luck, which the Flyers haven’t had much of lately. But those who believe Michkov, a winger, becoming a star will be the difference between a Stanley Cup-contending Flyers team and the draft lottery aren’t being realistic, according to Pronger.
“I don’t know any team — any team — that rebuilds with a winger,” Pronger said. “I don’t know one good team who rebuilt with a winger. You don’t rebuild with a winger, you rebuild up the middle — center, defense, goalie. I know you [draft] the best player available, and clearly he was the best player, but as it relates to that, sometimes you have to luck out, too, in a rebuild and get the right pick when the right player is available.”
In January, Pronger posted on X that those centerpiece players are the hardest to find, and the Flyers need to be patient and deliberate about compiling assets to make those moves if they become available. But he also suggested that the best way to rebuild is to tear it all the way down, like San Jose and Chicago have done, for a chance at landing a player like Macklin Celebrini or Connor Bedard.
Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov has struggled in his second season with the team.
How to help Michkov
Michkov came into camp out of shape, something Pronger admitted he’d also done early in his career, in his second and third NHL seasons. Teams don’t get a lot of practice time, Pronger said, so it’s extremely difficult to play yourself into shape during the year. Pronger’s coach at the time, former Flyers boss Mike Keenan, was extremely tough on him, to the point where Pronger joked that even his teammates started to feel bad.
He also pointed to the language barrier between the Russian Michkov and the coaching staff as a hurdle.
“The fact that he doesn’t speak the language very well, if at all, that’s part of the problem, because it might not be translating properly what he’s going through, what he’s dealing with,” Pronger said. “… You’ve got to be hard on young guys, but it’s not 1995, either. That’s not how this world works in today’s hockey world, in today’s NHL. You have to find a connection with the player. There’s ways to be hard.”
The Flyers do not employ a full-time Russian translator for Michkov, instead relying on Slava Kuznetsov, a skating coach who also works with Olympian Isabeau Levito, to translate for him.
Now, the Flyers need to teach Michkov how to be a pro, Pronger said, and that includes setting the example of him coming into camp in shape, and learning to be more responsible with the puck.
“I saw a few of their games last year with [John Tortorella], and he played [Michkov] a bit differently,” Pronger said. “He got him on the power play, to me it looked like he was putting him in more positions for success. It looked like he let him do a little more, but wasn’t — I don’t know if teaching him is the right word, but showcasing his abilities and not digging into the other parts of the game where he needed to improve.”
The Flyers are off for the Olympic break and will return to the ice on Feb. 25 against the Washington Capitals.
The Eagles have their replacement for longtime offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.
A league source confirmed an NFL Network report that the Eagles are hiring Minnesota Vikings offensive line coach Chris Kuper for the same role in Philadelphia. Kuper’s contract with Minnesota expired after the season and the team did not retain him, according to The Athletic.
Kuper, 43, had been the line coach for the Vikings since 2022 and crossed paths there with new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion in 2023, when Mannion was on the roster as a quarterback.
Kuper, who was drafted in the fifth round in 2006 and played guard for the Denver Broncos for eight seasons, also worked as an assistant offensive line coach under Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio when Fangio was the head coach in Denver from 2019 to 2021.
Jeff Stoutland had been the Eagles’ offensive line coach since 2013.
Kuper has big shoes to fill. Stoutland was the Eagles’ offensive line coach from 2013 to 2025 and was widely regarded as the best line coach in the NFL. Stoutland announced his departure from the Eagles last week. The Eagles are moving to a new scheme under Mannion, and while Stoutland was offered a chance to return as offensive line coach, according to a source, he wasn’t going to have the role of run game coordinator and ultimately decided to step away from coaching with the Eagles.
The Eagles’ offensive line took a dramatic step back in 2025, mostly because of injuries. Lane Johnson missed half the season, and Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens were never or rarely fully healthy and did not have the same impact as in previous seasons. The futures of Johnson and Dickerson could be up in the air, and the Eagles could be forced to replace one or two key parts of the line, or at the very least need to start planning for replacements via the draft or free agency.
Kuper’s hiring marks the fourth new offensive coach in the building, a process that started when the Eagles hired Mannion on Jan. 29. They also hired former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard to be the pass game coordinator and hired Green Bay wide receivers coach Ryan Mahaffey as the run game coordinator and tight ends coach.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — As the Eagles demonstrated last year, defense wins championships.
The Seattle Seahawks pounded the New England Patriots and their quarterback Drake Maye for three quarters and cruised to a 29-13 victory in Super Bowl LX on Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium.
The Seahawks had standouts on offense and special teams, as running back Kenneth Walker displayed in an MVP performance and kicker Jason Myers showed in making all five of his field goal attempts. But it was their “Dark Side” defense that set the tone and carried Seattle to its second title and first in 12 years.
What does the Seahawks’ achievement mean for the Eagles moving forward? Well, not much more than the Eagles realized a year ago when they made a future Hall of Fame quarterback look helpless. No matter how you do it, pressuring the quarterback is paramount.
Maye is no Patrick Mahomes, and few expected the 24-year-old and a young Patriots team to get this far in coach Mike Vrabel’s first season at the helm. Of course, the same could have been said for Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold, who once got lost in the NFL wilderness before general manager John Schneider signed the free agent last offseason.
But it was coach Mike Macdonald’s defense, Walker’s tough running, and Myers’ leg that compensated for an unremarkable passing attack. Here are five takeaways — with an Eagles slant — from the 60th Super Bowl:
Byron Murphy II (91) and the Seahawks’ front four got after Drake Maye all night.
A familiar defensive philosophy?
Schneider knows something about building elite defenses. Twelve years ago, the Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” unit whipped quarterback Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos and won going away, 43-8, in Super Bowl XLVIII.
This group, led by another elite secondary, may not yet have the name recognition of Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas from that early 2010s Seattle defense. But third-year cornerback Devon Witherspoon and rookie safety Nick Emmanwori are already two of the best at their respective positions.
The Seahawks consistently pressured Maye, and their zone coverages and heavy dime personnel took away the quarterback’s few reads. There were just as many moments when the quarterback had little time in the pocket due to the pass rush.
The four-man front did its job, but Macdonald’s selective blitzes had Maye dipping his eyes as the game progressed. Witherspoon got to him four times from the slot. He forced two throwaways, registered a sack, and hit Maye just as he threw on a key play in the fourth quarter. The ball landed in linebacker Uchenna Nwosu’s arms and he went 45 yards the other way for a touchdown and a 29-7 lead.
A year ago, the Eagles famously didn’t blitz once and sacked Mahomes six times and forced three turnovers. The Seahawks weren’t a blitzing team in the regular season, and Macdonald followed that approach in the Super Bowl, sending extra rushers just 13.2% of the time, according to NextGen Stats.
Maye was sacked six times and pressured on 52.8% of his drops. And like Mahomes, he tossed two interceptions and fumbled once. The Patriots, meanwhile, went against their norm and blitzed Darnold on 53.7% of his drops.
There are different ways to skin a cat. The Eagles’ scheme isn’t changing, with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio returning after mulling retirement. But there could be room for a slightly more aggressive approach next season.
No other defense was as passive in 2025. The Eagles had the highest percentage of light boxes in defending the run and they had the lowest blitz rate in the NFL. Fangio’s approach worked for the most part, but he didn’t have the defensive front he had a year ago.
Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is headed to Las Vegas to become Raiders head coach, and elements of his scheme will show up in Philly next season with Sean Mannion.
How did the Shanahan-McVay scheme fare?
With the Eagles expected to change their offense after the hiring of coordinator Sean Mannion, the Seahawks offered an opportunity to see how the Shanahan-McVay system that Seattle operates offensively would fare on the biggest stage.
The results were mixed. But two staples of the scheme that have flourished under 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and Rams coach Sean McVay and their acolytes were effective against the Patriots: under-center play-action and outside zone runs.
Darnold was under center for almost half the plays — 35 of 71 — as coordinator Klint Kubiak stayed committed to the ground game. It helped that the Patriots never really threatened the Seahawks. But Walker was often allowed to run downhill and finished with 135 yards rushing on 27 carries.
He gained 71 yards on 12 carries (5.9 average) on runs outside the tackles. The Eagles long had an inside zone-heavy offense under run game coordinator Jeff Stoutland. But they tried to shift away from that tendency last season when they essentially took that responsibility from the offensive line coach.
It was a mild tweak, meant to create more diversity in the running game, but improvement was marginal. There will likely be a more significant transition under Mannion, who played under McVay and Kubiak, and coached under another from the Shanahan tree: Matt LaFleur.
Stoutland’s sudden resignation, after coach Nick Sirianni was prepared to hire tight ends coach Ryan Mahaffey to assume running game duties, was further evidence that change is coming. The Eagles want an offense that has more variables and under-center plays that give quarterback Jalen Hurts more layup throws.
Darnold’s lone touchdown pass came from under center when play-action caught Patriots linebacker Jack Gibbens. The quarterback found wide-open tight end AJ Barner for a 16-yard score early in the fourth quarter.
How far will Sirianni go in altering the offense? It’s been relatively the same structure since 2021. The Eagles had great success with it, but last season’s regression was stark, and wasn’t all on first-time coordinator Kevin Patullo.
How Hurts and the rest of the returning offense adapt is to be determined. But change is coming.
Milton Williams (97) had a sack and was around the football all night.
Milton Williams balled out — again
Milton Williams fell short in his quest to become the fifth player to win back-to-back titles for different teams, but the Patriots defensive tackle had nothing to be ashamed about.
The same could be said for New England’s defense. The unit kept the Patriots within striking distance despite the offensive struggles. But, ultimately, they succumbed after Maye and Co. went three-and-out on five of six possessions during one stretch.
Aside from cornerback Christian Gonzalez, Williams might have been the Patriots’ best defender. He gave Seahawks right guard Anthony Bradford fits and finished with six pressures, one sack, and one batted pass.
The former Eagle, who had two sacks and a forced fumble in last year’s Super Bowl, beat a double team before dropping Darnold in the backfield for a third-quarter loss. It was the Patriots’ lone sack of the game.
Williams wasn’t as dominant vs. the run and finished with just one tackle. But Walker had most of his success running away from New England’s interior defense.
Vrabel knew he had to hang his hat on his defense, but his game management and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ play-calling leaned conservative. Their most egregious moments came on McDaniels’ early run call on third-and-5, and the team electing to punt on fourth-and-1 at the Patriots’ 41 while down 12-0 in the third quarter.
Vrabel also erred in not going for two after a Patriots touchdown narrowed Seattle’s lead to 19-7 early in the fourth quarter.
Williams might not have won for a second straight year, but he further justified the Patriots signing him to a four-year, $104 million contract last offseason. The 26-year old told The Inquirer last week that he never wanted to leave Philly and felt slighted when the Eagles didn’t tender an offer.
The Eagles had first-rounders Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, along with Moro Ojomo, returning at defensive tackle. It would have been difficult for general manager Howie Roseman to justify extending Williams with other necessary investments waiting in the pipeline.
But time will tell, assuming Carter and Davis eventually get signed to second contracts, if the Eagles made the right decision.
Mack Hollins (13) finally got the Patriots on the board and acquitted himself well overall.
How did the other ex-Eagles perform?
Williams was one of four former Eagles to play in Super Bowl LX. Josh Jobe was the only one to end the night with confetti on his head. The Seahawks cornerback started on the outside and was sticky in coverage and stout against the run. He finished with seven stops and one pass breakup.
Jobe, who spent his first two years in Philly, said he watched last year’s Super Bowl “[ticked] off” after the Eagles released him before the 2024 season. He revived his career in Seattle and will be one of the more sought-after corners on the market this offseason.
The Seahawks may not allow him to reach free agency, even if homegrown cornerback Riq Woolen is also slated to be unrestricted. Seattle has only four starters slated to become free agents. The Seahawks should, theoretically, be a contender again next season.
Woolen had a rough patch in the fourth quarter when Patriots receiver Mack Hollins caught back-to-back passes vs. him in coverage. Hollins’ first catch came over the middle for 24 yards and the second was an over-the-shoulder 35-yard grab for a touchdown.
Hollins, who won a Super Bowl with the Eagles when he was a rookie in 2017, was hoping to cap a journeyman career with a second title.
Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss played his first two seasons in the NFL for the Eagles before getting released late into the 2023 season. New England snatched him up a day later and he has risen the ranks since.
Elliss blitzed early and hit Darnold before he threw incomplete. He also notched three tackles. But he had a relatively quiet night.
John Schneider is on a short list of the NFL’s best GMs along with the Eagles’ Howie Roseman.
Best GM in the NFL?
Schneider joins the Chiefs’ Brett Veach and the Eagles’ Howie Roseman as the only current GMs to win more than one Super Bowl. While Veach has won all three of his with the same coach (Andy Reid) and quarterback (Mahomes), Schneider and Roseman have won their two titles with different coaches and quarterbacks.
The latter two men have been tied together since they became GMs just days apart in 2010. They took different paths to the top spot — Schneider came up the traditional way as a scout, while Roseman got his start on the business side — but both are now regarded by many as the two best NFL roster-builders.
Schneider can now say he’s not only been to as many Super Bowls as Roseman’s three, but he’s also matched him in Lombardi Trophies. The lone feather in his cap could be winning titles with completely different rosters and coaching staffs, while Roseman had several holdovers last season from the 2017 championship squad.
Nine nations will compete in five group stage matches this summer, plus two more in a knockout game on July 4. Here’s what you need to know about those countries and their fans — and what those fans need to know about Philly.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Sean Mannion once played a pivotal role in the Seattle Seahawks beating the Eagles. But it came as neither player nor coach. It was as a quasi-player-coach — at least that’s how Drew Lock saw the future Eagles offensive coordinator.
In December 2023, Lock started at quarterback for the injured Geno Smith when Seattle hosted the Eagles in a Week 15 matchup. The Seahawks, like the Eagles, were slumping. But the playoffs were still within reach and Lock wanted to atone for the previous week’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers when he tossed two interceptions.
Mannion was the backup, just a chinstrap away from playing himself, but he spent most of the week, and especially game day, preparing the starter for his big moment.
“Me and Sean had to get really close that Eagles week — the week I ended up starting,” Lock said to The Inquirer a week before the Seahawks’ Super Bowl win. “Geno was trying to rehab as much as he could to be able to come back the next week. It was really me and Sean in the quarterback room most of the week.
“But the pep talk he gave me at my locker before we went out there, the stuff he’d say to me on the sideline, it didn’t sound like a fellow quarterback. It sounded like someone who was going to lead men one day. It just sounded different. You could feel it.”
Lock played splendidly despite not knowing what defense he might see after Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai’s demotion became public just hours before kickoff. Mannion, who was in his ninth and final season as a player, shifted into the role of coach just a few months before he would officially become one with the Green Bay Packers.
“It was how focused he kept me,” Lock said. “He saw and told me the things that I did well after a drive, or maybe the things I could have done better. I think it was more about delivery than anything.”
Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion played with the Seahawks in his last NFL stop.
Lock was solid throughout the closely contested game, but he delivered in the clutch. With under two minutes left, he guided the Seahawks on a 10-play, 92-yard game-winning drive. All the yards came through the air, with Lock targeting cornerback James Bradberry in coverage, capped by a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
The 33-year-old Mannion, who was hired by the Eagles two weeks ago after a prolonged search, has several ties to the Seahawks. He was coached by both offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, who along with Lock, became champions after the Seahawks beat the Patriots, 29-13, on Sunday night.
Last week, ahead of Super Bowl LX, they spoke glowingly about Mannion, despite his relative coaching inexperience. Janocko said he had a photographic memory.
“In the quarterback room, going over third downs, prepping for a third down day on Thursday, being able to give him two, maybe three words of a play call, he could spit out the rest after just looking at it that morning,” Lock said. “I don’t know many guys that can do that. It was just extremely impressive.”
Standing in the hallway outside the Flyers’ locker room in the bowels of Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, Rasmus Ristolainen confessed that he isn’t the most emotional person. But for a few fleeting seconds, as he chatted with The Inquirer, a smile radiated from his face.
“Means a lot. I haven’t had the chance to play the last couple of Olympics, so [it] means even more,” he said, confirming that he had that rare smile when coach Antti Pennanen called to welcome him to Finland’s squad.
“And then, obviously, think about all the players who wore the jersey and when you watched them play when you were a kid. So that means a lot.”
For the first time since the 2014 Sochi Olympics, NHLers will be back on the world’s biggest stage. At that time, Ristolainen was 19 years old, splitting time between the Buffalo Sabres and Rochester of the American Hockey League during his first year in North America.
On Jan. 5, a few weeks before Finland would win the bronze in Sochi, he scored one of the biggest goals in the nation’s history. In overtime, the physical defenseman hopped over the boards, carried the puck around Sweden’s Robert Hägg — the Flyers’ 2013 second-round pick — cut across the crease, and tucked in the golden goal to clinch the World Junior Championship.
His game-winner gave Finland its first World Junior medal since 2006 and first gold since 1998.
“Obviously, it was a big one, and, you know, sometimes I used to make plays and play a little offense,” he said with a chuckle.
“World Juniors is a great tournament, and it’s the first time you get to play on the big stage,” he added. “So much excitement, and obviously, I have good memories when we won it.”
Worth the wait
Ristolainen manned the blue line two years later at the 2016 World Cup for a Finnish squad that went 0-3-0, was shut out by Sweden and Russia, and scored just one goal against Team North America.
But then that was it.
There were several reasons he hasn’t represented Finland since, but the biggest was a dark injury cloud that seemed to follow around the native of Turku.
Last February, the Flyers defenseman was all set to play at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but right before the tournament, he was knocked out with an upper-body injury. A month later, he underwent surgery on a right triceps tendon rupture. That came after two surgeries in 2024.
“So basically, three surgeries in the same elbow. Obviously started with a pretty bad infection, which I played with for multiple weeks until I couldn’t anymore,” he disclosed in December of the injuries that cut his last two seasons short and had him start this season late.
“And then we found out there is some infection and a torn triceps tendon. So obviously, did those two things separately, and then tried to get back.”
He returned — probably too quickly in hindsight, he thinks — “and then it suddenly snapped, and not sure when or where it happened again.”
“Obviously, second time the same tendon [was] torn,” he said. “So saw a different doctor this time, and his timeline and recovery were a lot longer, which I think was the key and helped. And, yeah, right now I’m here and feel pretty good.”
‘The more pressure, the better’
In the last few weeks, Ristolainen missed a handful of games for the Flyers, and everyone held their breath, hoping he wouldn’t have to skip yet another opportunity to don the blue and white of Suomi. Nobody held their breath more than former Dallas Star Jere Lehtinen.
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen checking Tampa Bay’s Zemgus Girgensons on Jan. 10. He adds a physical presence to the Flyers.
“We know he’s a big, big body,” Lehtinen, who is Finland’s general manager, said in a telephone interview from Milan. “He moves quick, a physical guy, and in the defensive zone it’s tough to play against him.
“But at the same time, he gets up to play and has a good shot. … So, the main thing is he brings us size and speed and physicality. And if you want to succeed as a team, you need those types of players in your defensive zone, [who] may play against the top players.”
The 6-foot-4, 208-pound blueliner credits his physicality to his days growing up in Turku. Joking that he’s old enough that he didn’t have iPads growing up, he spent his days playing street hockey. As he recalls, he “was always the youngest one, so I had to kind of fight my way through and earn the spot to play with the big boys.”
Ristolainen, 31, is one of six players from that successful World Juniors squad, which includes goalie Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators, Stars defenseman Esa Lindell, forward Teuvo Teräväinen of the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen, and ex-NHLer Mikko Lehtonen. And Lindell, Teräväinen, Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes, and Mikael Granlund of the Anaheim Ducks played with the Flyers defenseman at the World Cup.
Lehtonen believes the players’ connections and experience, whether having success like in 2014 or disappointment in 2016, are important. But, while Ristolainen says watching Finland win silver at the 2006 Torino Olympics as a 12-year-old is his favorite Olympic moment, he’s looking to do one better.
So, any pressure, especially since Finland is the defending Olympic gold medalist?
“The more pressure, the better,” Ristolainen said. “Everyone wants to play the pressure games; obviously, they are all must-wins. So I’m very excited.”
It was a little jarring to see the reaction that Jared McCain got the other night when he checked into a game against the Rockets for his first minutes as a member of the Thunder. The home crowd sure didn’t sound like one that thought the Sixers had sold high on McCain, as Daryl Morey contended the previous day when defending his decision to trade the second-year guard to Oklahoma City for a (presumably) late first-round pick in June’s draft. While the wisdom of NBA crowds probably shouldn’t dictate personnel strategy, the ovation awarded McCain by his new fan base at least served to validate the prevailing sentiment back here in Philadelphia. Given that the defending NBA champs are plenty excited to add McCain to a roster that already had an overabundance of talent, it’s tough to accuse Sixers fans of overreacting if they feel let down by the move.
Time will be the ultimate judge. Morey admitted as much on Friday as he laid out the rationale for the Sixers’ somewhat surprising decision to trade McCain without receiving any sort of established NBA talent in return. The veteran executive said that he made the McCain move with the thought that the draft capital it returned would eventually facilitate the addition of such talent, but that nothing sensible presented itself before Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline.
“We thought that the draft picks we got would help us more in the future — and could’ve helped us this deadline,” Morey said. “The picks we got were offered to many teams and nothing materialized for a player that we thought could move the needle with those picks now. But we feel like going forward, those picks will help us build the team in the future in a good way.”
What might that look like?
It’s a sensible question to consider even now.
Sixers president Daryl Morey intimated that he could use the draft picks from the Jared McCain trade in a deal for a veteran down the line.
The Sixers still have plenty they can accomplish this season. Whatever they do with the McCain draft capital won’t help them in those endeavors. At 30-22, they are 3½ games behind the second-place Knicks and Celtics, part of a group of six or seven teams jockeying for playoff position in an Eastern Conference that lacks a bona fide powerhouse. Yet their third-best player is a rookie, and their second-best player is only now looking something like the player who single-handedly made them a contender for so many years.
Even in a conference where Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton are out for the season and the first-place Pistons have the sixth-best championship odds, it’s difficult to picture a Big Three of Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe winning a title in 2025-26. Especially with Paul George in the early stages of a 25-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy. Which makes next year a viable consideration.
On Friday, Morey sounded a lot like the guy who entered the 2022 offseason planning on trading away the club’s first-round pick for a win-now player. That year, the Sixers ended up trading the No. 23 pick for De’Anthony Melton (technically, they drafted David Roddy and then shipped him to the Grizzlies). Likewise with the McCain trade. Morey didn’t make it in order to position the Sixers to draft a player in June.
“That wasn’t the main focus,” he said. “I think it’s a nice focus, because we do think this draft is a good draft, but we’re not necessarily using the pick in this draft. It could be used for moves around the draft. The three seconds that we got with it, we think those could be used to move up in this draft. Obviously, myself and our front office have done a lot of deals over the years, and this just gives us more tools to make the moves that we think will help our future more than we saw with Jared, who we gave up. But that’s not a comment on Jared.”
A few things are worth pointing out. The Melton deal is a relevant example of the sort of player the Sixers could potentially acquire in a one-for-one deal. Then 24 years old, Melton was a nice player, but hardly a needle-mover. He was coming off a season in which he averaged almost 23 minutes per game in a playoff rotation, shooting .374 from three-point range and contributing lots of the little things. He ended up averaging nearly 28 minutes and 10.1 points for the Sixers in 2022-23, then missed the second half of 2023-24 with a back injury. Then Melton moved on, signing a free-agent contract with the Warriors.
So, it’s worth noting that Melton spent only two years with the Sixers, which is the same amount of time McCain had left before the team would have needed to make a decision on a contract extension.
That said, the Sixers have more draft capital to play with this time around. They are also heading into an offseason when teams could be looking to accrue draft capital in order to facilitate an offer for Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, which could shake loose some opportunities for the Sixers (assuming Antetokounmpo himself isn’t a target).
Perhaps Thunder standout Luguentz Dort will be a good fit for the Sixers in the offseason.
It isn’t hard to dream up deals that would lend some new and Sixers-affirming perspective to the decision to trade McCain. One scenario in particular involves the team that just acquired the young guard. The Thunder are fast approaching a point where they could need to make some tough decisions with regard to their roster. One player in particular who would fit nicely with the Sixers — or with any contender — is 26-year-old wing Luguentz Dort, who has an $18.2 million team option next season, his last before free agency. If the Thunder don’t think they can accommodate a market-rate contract for Dort, it would make a lot of sense for them to explore moving him this summer. A defensive dynamo and good shooter, Dort would surely attract plenty of interest on the trade market.
Should the potential for such a move present itself, the Sixers will be in a better position to make a competitive offer. The McCain draft capital could also help them shed the last two years of George’s contract should they have the opportunity to sign or acquire a player using the cap space they would free up by parting ways with George’s salary. Those are just a couple of for-instances.
Again, time will tell. McCain played 14 minutes for the Thunder the other night. He didn’t add much to the stat sheet: five points, a couple of turnovers, 1-for-3 from three-point range. But he did finish with a plus-12 in a game the Thunder lost by six. The Sixers hope they will end up parlaying the McCain trade into a player who can contribute to a championship team. The Thunder hope that’s what McCain is.
With the NFL season officially over, attention and focus over the next two months turns to free agency and the draft. The Las Vegas Raiders are on the clock with the No. 1 pick, with a new head coach in Klint Kubiak and an expected new quarterback next season.
There is much to consider for the teams picking next. The draft is much stronger on the defensive side of the ball in Round 1, and we could see a run on defensive players similar to what we saw in 2024 when the first 14 picks were offensive players.
The Eagles own the No. 23 overall pick, and their offensive philosophy is expected to undergo changes with Sean Mannion at offensive coordinator. Will they give Jalen Hurts more weapons, rebuild their offensive line, or add another defensive star?
Here’s how we’re projecting the first round of the 2026 NFL draft with the order now officially set:
It will be a surprise if the Raiders select someone other than Fernando Mendoza at No. 1.
1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, gives the Raiders staff a quarterback to build around as a new era and regime begin in Las Vegas.
2. New York Jets: Arvell Reese, LB/edge, Ohio State
New York has several needs to address and will have multiple first-round picks to do so. Reese is a physical player who has excellent run and chase ability and pass rushing potential, although his best position is linebacker.
Bain is a game-wrecker. Teams may question his arm length, but his impact on the game is felt no matter where he’s aligned. He would give Arizona some much-needed youth on the defensive line and could become a cornerstone piece on its defense.
4. Tennessee Titans: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Quarterback Cam Ward simply needs more weapons as the Robert Saleh era begins in Nashville. Tate is a three-level separator who can be a go-to receiver in a Titans offense that was devoid of a top target last season.
5. New York Giants: Francis Mauigoa, OT/OG, Miami
The right side of the Giants’ offensive line needs upgrades under John Harbaugh, and Mauigoa, the top overall lineman in the draft, can be an immediate starter at guard or tackle.
6. Cleveland Browns: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
Cleveland and new coach Todd Monken need plenty of upgrades on offense, but Tyson, a dynamic wideout when healthy, gives whomever plays quarterback next season a top wideout option.
Could Sonny Styles make an impact for a shaky Commanders defense?
7. Washington Commanders: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Adding Styles would massively upgrade a spot that was constantly attacked last year. The “other” Ohio State linebacker is a reliable tackler, explosive athlete, and excels at slipping past blockers to make plays at and behind the line of scrimmage.
8. New Orleans Saints: Makai Lemon, WR, USC
Tyler Shough looked like a long-term quarterback option while closing out the Saints’ season. In Lemon, New Orleans gets a wideout to pair with Chris Olave who can win from multiple alignments and is special with the ball in his hands after the catch.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Defensive line could be an alternative priority here for Kansas City, but Love would give this offense a much needed dual talent in the backfield, which has not been the case for most of Patrick Mahomes’ career.
10. Cincinnati Bengals: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Downs is one of the smartest and most instinctual players in the draft, with the versatility to play in the box and manned up on a tight end. He would help raise the floor of Cincinnati’s secondary.
11. Miami Dolphins: Mansoor Delane, DB, LSU
Miami must improve at corner under new coach Jeff Hafley, and Delane helps accomplish that. He’s a smooth cornerback with excellent anticipatory and ball skills who proved he can shut down his side of the field in 2025.
David Bailey was one of college football’s top playmakers last season.
12. Dallas Cowboys: David Bailey, edge, Texas Tech
Bailey is a relentless pass rusher who utilizes his snap count timing and burst to win on the inside and outside shoulders of offensive tackles. He gives Dallas the needed juice they lost after trading Micah Parsons before the start of last season.
13. Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons): Jermod McCoy, DB, Tennessee
McCoy missed all of last season while recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the offseason. When he was healthy at Tennessee in 2024, he was a shutdown corner who got his hands on the football in both man and zone coverages.
14. Baltimore Ravens: Keldric Faulk, edge, Auburn
Faulk is closer to a defensive lineman than an outside linebacker, but he’s an excellent run defender who played a contain style of defense, which limited his pass rushing ability. He would give Baltimore a strong presence on run downs.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
The Buccaneers were in on Jihaad Campbell last year before taking wide receiver Emeka Egbuka instead in the first round. They won’t ignore the position twice, taking the Georgia linebacker with good instincts and playmaking skills at the second level.
16. New York Jets (via Colts): Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
New York has a big hole in the middle of its defense after trading Quinnen Williams at the deadline last season. Banks, who played in only three games last season because of a foot injury, has game-wrecking ability that the Jets need on their defensive line.
17. Detroit Lions: Spencer Fano, OT/OG, Utah
Detroit must do some reshuffling in its interior offensive line and needs a long-term replacement for Taylor Decker, who turns 33 in August. Fano can fit both roles, although he was primarily a tackle in college.
Former Eagle Isaiah Rodgers played well in 2025 for the Vikings, but the team needs to get younger at the position. Terrell, the younger brother of Falcons defensive back AJ Terrell, excels in zone coverage and has a nose for the football.
19. Carolina Panthers: Peter Woods, DL, Clemson
Derrick Brown continues to be one of the league’s most underappreciated defensive linemen, but Carolina needs another playmaker to pair with him. Woods wasn’t as good in 2025 as he was as a sophomore, but he still showed flashes of dominance as a pass rusher and run defender.
Could new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker be eyeing Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (7)?
Another year, another Toledo standout goes in the first round. McNeil-Warren is an outstanding athlete with excellent ball skills who showed he could play a single high safety role.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
A long-term option at quarterback still looks possible here, but Aaron Rodgers is likely returning next year under new coach Mike McCarthy. Pittsburgh gets a ball winner in Boston, who is tough to defend in the red zone and is a smooth route runner.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: T.J. Parker, edge, Clemson
The Chargers continue to get the most out of Khalil Mack, but their edge rushing corps needs more youth in it. Parker, who recouped his draft stock at the Senior Bowl, is a power rusher who can get after the quarterback off the edge.
Kenyon Sadiq might fill a huge need for a potentially depleted tight end position in Philly.
23. Eagles: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
Sadiq has been mentioned as a popular pick possibility for the Eagles, and for good reason. He’s a dynamic athlete who can be a field stretcher and red zone target, and would fit a Mannion scheme that has Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan influences.
The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane reported on his podcast last month that Landon Dickerson returning to the Eagles next season is an uncertainty. While guard would become a top need if Dickerson unexpectedly departs, the depth of the interior offensive line class is much stronger on Days 2 and 3 of the draft.
Lane Johnson’s uncertainty also looms large. But look for the Eagles to give Mannion’s offense a much-needed, dynamic tight end who can also hold his own as a blocker with Dallas Goedert entering free agency.
Cleveland needs to get younger and improve its offensive line at multiple positions, and Proctor, a mauling lineman who can play guard or tackle, helps the Browns improve that area of their team.
25. Chicago Bears: Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech
Hunter has been on an upward trajectory since the Big 12 championship game and continues to prove he’s more than just a run stuffer. Chicago needs a dynamic defensive lineman and Hunter brings a three-down presence that is desperately needed.
26. Buffalo Bills: KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
It seems Josh Allen needs more receiving help every year, and 2026 is no different. Concepcion is dynamic with the ball in his hands and would give Buffalo’s offense a much-needed vertical threat.
27. San Francisco 49ers: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
Trent Williams is under contract for one more year in San Francisco but is entering the twilight of his career — he turns 38 in July. Lomu, an excellent pass protector with quick feet, gives San Francisco a long-term option at an important tackle spot.
28. Houston Texans: Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
Houston doesn’t have many holes on defense but could use more juice on the interior. McDonald is a run stuffer who has the quickness to shoot gaps on run downs and the power to push the pocket in drop-back scenarios.
29. Rams: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
Quarterback was a consideration here even with Matthew Stafford returning for 2026, but Freeling can upgrade either tackle spot for the Rams with his athleticism and experience playing both in college.
Both Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (left) and Josiah Trotter (right) starred as linebackers at St. Joe’s Prep.
30. Denver Broncos: Josiah Trotter, LB, Missouri
Denver’s linebacker situation needs to improve. Trotter, a St. Joseph’s Prep grad and the younger son of longtime Eagle Jeremiah Trotter Sr. and brother of current Eagle Jeremiah Trotter Jr., is a physical, throwback linebacker who can shed blocks and get after the quarterback in blitzing scenarios.
31. New England Patriots: Cashius Howell, edge, Texas A&M
New England is winning with older edge rushers right now but must get younger at the position. Howell is a pass rush specialist who can bend the corner despite having sub-31-inch arms.
32. Seattle Seahawks: Olaivavega Ioane, OL, Penn State
Seattle doesn’t have many needs, but center and right guard are spots that could be upgraded. Ioane is a bruising guard who generates displacement in the running game and is a stout pass protector.
Those moves were made in part to accomplish the team’s goal of getting under the luxury tax threshold at the trade deadline for the fourth consecutive year. But the Sixers will still need to make roster additions for what they hope is a championship run.
Right now, Charles Bassey is on his second 10-day contract, while Patrick Baldwin Jr. is on his first 10-day. Once those contracts expire on Saturday, the Sixers will have two available roster spots.
Since five games have passed during Paul George’s 25-game suspension, the forward will be moved from the active to the suspended list. So the Sixers will be able to sign an additional player if need be.
The team could opt to use one of the available spots to convert Jabari Walker’s two-way contract into a standard contract, as the Sixers did with Dominick Barlow on Thursday. Walker has been inactive for the last two games because he ran out of the allotted number of games a two-way player can be available for an NBA game.
The Sixers also can try to sign players via the buyout market. However, Walker’s situation will factor into their decision-making.
The Sixers have to decide whether they want to convert Jabari Walker’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal or add players in the buyout market.
“Jabari, for sure,” Morey said. “Not to reference our [collective bargaining agreement] we all live under, [but] it’s sort of like, you know, annoying … just how it all works, that Jabari can’t play for some games here. He’s obviously been part of our next man up mentality. I think coach [Nick] Nurse has done a good job when we’ve had players in and out, which we’ve had less of this year. But we’ve still had quite a bit, especially with the recent Paul news, things like that.”
With George suspended for violating the league’s anti-drug program, Barlow has moved back into the starting lineup at power forward. Trendon Watford and Justin Edwards have been the two forwards off the bench.
“He’s been a tremendous next man up type contributor,” Morey said of Walker. “We hope to have his services going forward, but we do have to weigh optimal use of our sort of scarce two roster spots, and against the other opportunities as well. So that’ll be written over time, whether or not we do that conversion there.”
The Sixers are $1.57 million below the $187.9 million tax line and $3.75 million under the $195.9 million first apron. As a result, the Sixers will have only enough space under the luxury tax to fit two more season minimum salary contracts for the rest of the season.
Among the buyout-market candidates are power forward Chris Boucher, point guard Lonzo Ball, forward Haywood Highsmith, and wing Khris Middleton, if he is waived by the Dallas Mavericks.
The Boston Celtics traded Boucher to the Utah Jazz, who waived him.
Boucher failed to crack the Celtics’ rotation after signing a one-year minimum deal this past summer. However, he flourished in the last seven seasons as a reserve glue guy for the Toronto Raptors. Nurse was Raptors coach during Boucher’s first five seasons in Toronto. He was able to get the best out of the undersized post player, who averaged 8.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 406 games as a Raptor.
Sixers forward Dominick Barlow had his two-way contract converted to a standard deal on Thursday.
Highsmith began his NBA career as a Sixers two-way player on Jan. 8, 2019. After being waived less than a month later, he thrived with the Delaware Blue Coats, leading to an opportunity with the Miami Heat. He played in 213 games, with 80 starts, over four seasons with the Heat before signing with the Brooklyn Nets last summer.
He has not played this season because of a meniscus tear in his right knee. Now healthy, Highsmith has been taking part in five-on-five drills and was on track to return Wednesday before the Nets released him to free up a roster spot. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder is expected to draw interest from teams looking for wing depth.
Middleton is a three-time All-Star with career averages of 16.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, while shooting 38.5% from three-point range in 810 games over 14 seasons.
Because of injuries, the Milwaukee Bucks moved the former fixture to the Washington Wizards last February in a four-team trade that enabled them to acquire Kyle Kuzma from Washington. On Thursday, Middleton was moved to the Mavericks as part of a three-team trade that netted the Wizards 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis.
While he’s not the player he once was, Middleton could be a solid option to provide some scoring off the bench if the Mavs buy him out.
Ball was the second overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017. The 6-5, 190-pounder also played for the New Orleans Pelicans and Chicago Bulls before a significant knee injury derailed his career. The Bulls traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in June. In a salary-clearing move, Cleveland traded him on Thursday to the Jazz, who waived him.
Former Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Lonzo Ball could be available for teams to sign in the buyout market.
He averaged just 4.6 points on 30.1% shooting (27.2% on three-pointers) in 35 games with three starts for the Cavs. But he could be an option to provide guard depth after the Sixers parted ways with McCain and Gordon.
“I mean, we have two [spots] to fill,” Morey said of the team’s needs. “Obviously, Barlow was one of the signings. I think balancing it out with guard and wing might — we really want to go for best player. I mean, obviously, that sounds trite, but that’s true. You do want to focus on a little roster balance in terms of adding. …
“We thought, yeah, backfilling Paul was a possible spot while he was out, but I hate to repeat it again, the operative players that were available [in a trade] weren’t adding in a way that was material [compared] to what teams wanted us to give up.”
The long road to World Cup qualification isn’t over for six non-European countries.
Of those final six, three, in Iraq, Bolivia and Suriname will head to a FIFA playoff round in late March to battle it out for the last spot in Group I. Win, and in addition to a berth into the World Cup alongside Norway, France and Senegal, a stop in Philly awaits for one of the three group stage games to be played against France on June 22 (5 p.m., Fox29, tickets).
No pressure.
What’s that road look like? For Suriname and Bolivia, it’s a first-round, single-elimination playoff match in Monterrey, Mexico, on March 26 (5 p.m.). The winner will then face Iraq, again in Monterrey on March 31. That game is currently scheduled to start at 9 p.m.
Your matchups for the FIFA World Cup 26 Play-Off Tournament! 🆚
Here’s your guide to all three ahead of March’s playoff rounds, the key players who could help their nation get over the hump, and if any of these three nations have previously had a footprint here in Philly.
About the nations
BOLIVIA
Confederation: CONMEBOL; FIFA world rank: 76
A seventh-place finish in grueling CONMEBOL qualifiers is what led to the South American nation needing to win two more matches for a trip to what would be its fourth World Cup finals appearance. Coincidentally, it would be Bolivia’s first trip since 1994, the last time the event was held in the United States — should they qualify. Bolivia will look to advance out of the group stages, something it hasn’t done in any of its previous appearances in 1930 and 1950.
IRAQ
Confederation(s): AFC and WAFF; FIFA world rank: 58
The Lions of Mesopotamia, as this team is affectionately known are looking for just its second ever World Cup berth, qualifying for the 1986 edition in Mexico. The team qualified for this year’s FIFA playoff by way of originally finishing third in their qualifying group, and then needing to playing a pair of inter-confederation playoff matches. The first one against Saudi Arabia, saw the Saudis book its second consecutive trip to the World Cup at the expense of Iraq. Iraq would redeem itself by defeating the United Arab Emirates, securing this final opportunity to qualify. As the nation with the highest FIFA ranking of the three, Iraq will face the winner of March 26 first round playoff match between Bolivia and Suriname.
A second place finish in Group A of Concacaf World Cup qualifying is what kept hopes alive for this tiny South American nation which is home to a little over 600,000 people according to 2024 World Bank data. Nestled between, Guyana and French Guiana, this Dutch colony is just two matches away from qualifying for its first ever World Cup. To get it over the hump, the country appointed former Ajax manager Erik Ten Cate as its coach in December ahead of the March playoff match against Bolivia. Ten Cate, 71, has experience with the national team as its assistant in 2023.
Bolivia’s goalkeeper Carlos Lampe (right) celebrates with teammate Luis Haquin following their team’s 1-0 victory against Brazil in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match on Sept. 9, 2025.
Players to watch
Carlos Lampe (Bolivia): The longtime goalkeeper wasn’t in net for his nation in the 2024 Copa America tournament in the United States, but is expected to lead this team in March’s playoff round. Lampe, 38, who has dual citizenship in Argentina, plays his club ball for Bolívar La Paz in the first division of the Venezuelan league.
Sheraldo Becker (Suriname): Becker has had a healthy career in Europe as a forward since 2019. Currently, he’s signed with CA Osasuna in Spain’s La Liga, but is on loan with Mainz 05, in Germany’s top division. He appeared in in 20 matches for his country including six games during qualifying.
Aymen Hussein (Iraq): Hussein ranks fifth all-time on his nation’s list of top goalscorers. Since debuting for his national team in 2015, Hussein, 30, has had 88 appearances, scoring 31 goals, 12 of which have arrived in World Cup qualifying campaigns. He’s expected to lead again as Iraq will look to qualify for the World Cup for the second time ever.
Philly ties
While it would be a first for both Suriname and Iraq to have passed through the Greater Philadelphia Region as a soccer nation, Bolivia trained at WSFS Sportsplex took part in a June 12, 2024 friendly against Ecuador at Subaru Park in Chester as part of a tune-up game ahead of that summer’s Copa America tournament. Bolivia was in a group with the U.S. men’s national team and in the first match for both countries, the Americans trounced the South American nation, 4-0.
