The Cleveland Browns are heading into this season’s final edition of ‘Thursday Night Football’ without one of their top playmakers.

Amari Cooper is inactive for the game against the New York Jets as the wide receiver deals with a heel injury he sustained during the Week 16 win over the Houston Texans.

“I came down on one play, kind of got banged up, and generally if somebody kind of gets banged up, they don’t know what they can do after that, but I just kept going,” Cooper told reporters this week, according to Cleveland.com.

Cooper, who leads the Browns with 1,250 receiving yards, is coming off a performance in which he set the Browns’ single-game receiving record with 265 yards.

Cleveland can secure its first playoff berth since 2020 with a win or tie against the Jets.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Here’s the latest on Cooper’s outlook:

Amari Cooper inactive

The Browns announced that Cooper was inactive

Amari Cooper status updates vs. Jets

Cooper is officially listed as questionable for Thursday’s game.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Thursday that Cooper is hopeful he can play, but his status is up in the air and might not become clearer until closer to kickoff.

With Joe Flacco taking the reins to the Browns’ offense, Cooper has seen his production explode. The ninth-year veteran has recorded 22 catches for 465 yards and three touchdowns in his last three games, which have all been Cleveland wins.

Browns injury report

Cooper isn’t the only injury concern for the Browns headed into Thursday.

Punter Corey Bojorquez is listed as doubtful with a quad injury. Matt Haack was signed to the team’s practice squad this week.

Kicker Dustin Hopkins has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. Riley Patterson, whom the team signed this week, is set to fill in.

Safety Juan Thornhill (calf) and wide receiver Marquise Goodwin (knee) are listed as questionable, while defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (pectoral) is out.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Ohio State sold less than two-thirds of its allotment of tickets for the Cotton Bowl against Missouri.

Brett Scarbrough, the school’s associate athletic director for ticketing and premium seating, said Wednesday that approximately 7,500 out of its 12,000 allotted tickets were sold or set aside for guests of the team.

The demand to see the Buckeyes in the postseason is less than last year when they were in the College Football Playoff. Appearing in the Peach Bowl, which hosted a semifinal in Atlanta, their allotment of 13,000 tickets sold out within days.

It’s also down from their last appearance in a non-CFP bowl game. When Ohio State met Utah in the Rose Bowl two years ago, it sold about 13,000 tickets for college football’s oldest bowl game, about two-thirds of its allotment.

The Cotton Bowl has been a hotter ticket among Missouri fans. A school spokesman said it sold 13,000 tickets only one day after receiving a bid.

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The Tigers are appearing in the first New Year’s Six bowl game since 2014 after a surprise season that saw them finish 10-2 overall and push two-time defending national champion Georgia at the top of the Southeastern Conference’s East Division.

There is less novelty for the Buckeyes, who are appearing in their 11th consecutive NY6 game, including a previous appearance in the Cotton Bowl at the end of the 2017 season.

Scarbrough said Ohio State’s remaining allotted tickets were returned to the Cotton Bowl.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch and can be reached at jkaufman@dispatch.com.

The NHL’s holiday roster freeze is over, so trades can start up again.

Then it’s a little more than two months to the NHL trade deadline March 8.

There have been several trades and plenty of other transactions this season. The latest trade was between the Seattle Kraken and Colorado Avalanche.

General managers will be guided by another year of a tight salary cap, but it’s expected to rise next season to $87.7 million. Last summer, a lot of players signed low-cost, one-year deals, increasing the pool of potential unrestricted free agents who could be moved out for draft picks or prospects.

Follow along this season for news and analysis on deals, major transactions and other announcements that have happened in the months leading up the trade deadline:

Dec. 28: New Jersey Devils send down goalie Akira Schmid

The New Jersey Devils, who have lacked consistent goaltending this season, sent Akira Schmid to Utica (New York) of the American Hockey League. Schmid, 23, helped the Devils win their first-round series last season, but is 5-7-1 with a 3.26 goals-against average and .893 save percentage. Coach Lindy Ruff wants him to play more games and ‘get into a rhythm.’

‘Our goalies can give us more saves at times,’ Ruff said. ‘But we haven’t been as good a team in front of our goalies, either, so it’s kind of a two-way street.’

Nico Daws, who has returned from hip surgery, will back up Vitek Vanecek.

Dec. 28: Washington Capitals sign defenseman Ethan Bear

Ethan Bear will average $2.0625 million for the two-year deal. He is coming off shoulder surgery and had been working out with the Capitals. Bear, 26, has 16 goals and 47 assists in 251 career games with the Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers. He kills penalties and blocks shots. The Capitals could be getting additional help, too, because offseason signee Max Pacioretty (Achilles surgery) has resumed skating.

Dec. 27: Carolina Hurricanes recall veteran goalie Antti Raanta

The Carolina Hurricanes recalled veteran goalie Antti Raanta from a two-game stint in the American Hockey League. Raanta, 34, went 1-0-1 with a 2.90 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage with the Chicago Wolves during his first AHL appearance since the 2019-20 season. Raanta was sent down after seeing his numbers drop to a 3.61 goals-against average and a .854 save percentage from last season’s 2.23 and .910. He is fourth to last in MoneyPuck’s goals saved against expected. Pyotr Kochetkov is expected to get the start Wednesday in Nashville. Carolina reassigned goaltender Yaniv Perets to the Norfolk (Virginia) Admirals of the ECHL.

Dec. 22: Colorado Avalanche’s Samuel Girard cleared to practice after stint in assistance program

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association said defenseman Samuel Girard has been cleared to resume practicing with the Colorado Avalanche after spending time in the player assistance program. Girard, 25, had announced last month through his agent that his severe anxiety and depression had gone untreated too long and had led to alcohol abuse. He now is in the aftercare phase but hasn’t been cleared to play in games.

Also: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman upheld the six-game suspension to Detroit Red Wings forward David Perron for cross-checking Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub in the head. Perron, who had been reacting to an injury to captain Dylan Larkin, has served the six games and was set to return in Friday’s game.

Dec. 19: Banged-up Detroit Red Wings sign goalie Michael Hutchinson to NHL contract

Tuesday was a good day for Michael Hutchinson: He got himself an NHL contract, five days before Christmas.

The one-year, two-way contract (worth $775,000 at the NHL level) came about because the Detroit Red Wings need Hutchinson’s services at least through the end of the week; neither Ville Husso nor Alex Lyon is available, leaving James Reimer the lone goalie standing. Husso is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Coach Derek Lalonde described it as, ‘Ville will be unavailable to us for a while here.’ He added: ‘Alex, I do not see him available to us till probably after Christmas.’

Husso was injured in the first period of Monday’s 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. Lyon suffered an upper-body injury Saturday night in Philadelphia. The Red Wings play three games before the three-day holiday break.

– Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

Dec. 18: Ottawa Senators fire D.J. Smith, name Jacques Martin interim coach

Jacques Martin was hired earlier this season by the Ottawa Senators as a consultant for coach D.J. Smith. Now, he will run the team on an interim basis after Smith was fired on Monday.

Martin, 71, is the Senators’ all-time leader in coaching wins during the regular season (341) and playoffs (31). Daniel Alfredsson, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, was named an assistant coach, replacing Davis Payne.

Smith, who had never finished better than sixth in the division, was fired amid a four-game losing streak that included blown leads in the last two. The Senators sit in last place in the Eastern Conference.

‘I think we’re all looking for more consistency, more detail to our game, more structure,’ president of hockey operations Steve Staios told reporters.

Also: Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. … The Boston Bruins loaned forward Matthew Poitras to the Canadian national team for the world junior championships.

Dec. 16: Carolina Hurricanes place goalie Antti Raanta on waivers

The Carolina Hurricanes have placed veteran goalie Antti Raanta on waivers a day after he gave up six goals in a loss to the Nashville Predators. He cleared waivers and was sent to Chicago of the American Hockey League on Sunday. Carolina recalled ECHL goalie Yaniv Perets, who won an NCAA title with Quinnipiac last season. Raanta, 34, who gave up eight goals in a loss last month to the Tampa Bay Lightning, has seen his numbers drop to a 3.61 goals-against average and .854 save percentage from last season’s 2.23, .910 and is second to last in MoneyPuck’s goals saved against expected. Pyotr Kochetkov has been the better goalie since No. 1 goalie Frederik Andersen was sidelined with a blood-clotting issue. Andersen remains out indefinitely.

Dec. 15: Seattle Kraken acquire forward Tomas Tatar from Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche receive a fifth-round pick in the trade. The Kraken rank near the bottom of the league in scoring, and they’re hoping for the Tomas Tatar of previous seasons, not this season. He’s a seven-time 20-goal scorer who has just one goal this season after not getting a free agent contract until September. But he’s a veteran of 810 games with 212 career goals, including 50 on the power play. He’ll help Seattle deal with injuries among its forwards. The team placed Jaden Schwartz on long-term injured reserve.

In a depth trade Friday, the San Jose Sharks acquired center Jack Studnicka from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for defenseman Nick Cicek and a sixth-round pick.

Dec. 15: Columbus Blue Jackets’ Patrik Laine suffers fractured clavicle

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine, who has had problems recently staying healthy, will be out six weeks after suffering a fracture clavicle during a win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team announced Friday. He left the ice holding his shoulder in the second period after he was tripped by Toronto’s William Lagesson and slid into the boards. Laine had scored his sixth goal of the season during the first period. He was in his second game back after missing three games with an illness. He missed nine games early this season with a concussion and also was a healthy scratch once. Last season, Laine was limited to 55 games by injury or illness and played only 56 the season before.

Dec. 12: St. Louis Blues fire coach Craig Berube, name Drew Bannister as interim

General manager Doug Armstrong said he started having sleepless nights after a Dec. 8 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. After the short-handed Detroit Red Wings rallied to hand St. Louis its fourth consecutive loss, Armstrong fired Craig Berube and named Drew Bannister, head of their American Hockey League affiliate, the interim coach. ‘Your mind is starting to work when you’re everybody’s homecoming game,’ Armstrong told reporters on Wednesday, a day after making the move.

Coaching changes have turned around the fortunes of the Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild this season, and Berube took a last-place Blues team to the 2019 Stanley Cup title after his midseason hire. Bannister isn’t necessarily the coach for the rest of the season, though. Armstrong said he is looking for a full-time coach but didn’t have a timetable on when he’ll make a hire.

The Blues rank near the bottom of the league in power play and goals per game. They traded Robert Bortuzzo and waived Jakub Vrana, who’s headed to the AHL with Mackenzie MacEachern being recalled. Armstrong said he and the players share in the blame for the team’s performance. ‘Nobody should feel safe in our group,’ he said.

Dec. 8: New York Islanders acquire St. Louis Blues’ Robert Bortuzzo

The New York Islanders acquired defenseman Robert Bortuzzo from the St. Louis Blues on Friday in exchange for a seventh-round pick. The trade was announced after the team said Ryan Pulock (lower body) was going on the injured list, joining fellow defensemen Adam Pelech and Sebastian Aho. Bortuzzo, 34, won a Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019 but has been limited to four games this season and often was a healthy scratch. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Dec. 7: Nashville Predators’ Tyson Barrie discusses trade request

Nashville Predators defenseman Tyson Barrie knew he was about to be uncomfortable with the questions that were going to come his way Thursday, ones about him requesting a trade after being a healthy scratch last weekend. About the Predators granting him permission to talk with other teams.

‘I’m trying not to really air it out in the media,’ Barrie said.

As much as he might have wanted to, Barrie didn’t exactly bury any hatchets, either.

‘Well, if we’re getting into it, I’m in the stands so it doesn’t really feel like a great fit,’ he said. ‘My goal is to be playing hockey. Whether that’s here or elsewhere is up for the powers that be to decide.’ – Paul Skrbina, The Tennessean

Dec. 6: Detroit Red Wings announce when Patrick Kane is expected to make debut

Star Patrick Kane is scheduled to make his Detroit Red Wings debut on Thursday at home against the San Jose Sharks, coach Derek Lalonde told reporters. Kane was signed last week to a one-year, $2.75 million contract after offseason hip resurfacing surgery. Lalonde plans to play him with former Chicago Blackhawks teammate Alex DeBrincat and will try the pair with different centers. Kane’s minutes will be monitored. ‘There’s a lot of unknowns still there so we’ll all be patient with it and kind of let it play out a little bit,’ Lalonde said.

Also: The Buffalo Sabres acquired winger Eric Robinson from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2025. The fourth-liner has 82 points in 266 career games, including one goal in seven games this season. The Blue Jackets later placed defenseman Adam Boqvist, goalie Elvis Merzlikins and forward Cole Sillinger on the injured list. Boqvist (shoulder) is expected to miss four weeks. … The Toronto Maple Leafs announced defenseman John Klingberg will have season-ending hip surgery. He signed a one-year, $4.15 million deal in the offseason but hasn’t played since Nov. 11. The Maple Leafs, also missing defensemen Mark Giordano and Timothy Liljegren, are looking for a replacement through a trade. ‘It’s no secret we’ve investigated what the market is, what those costs could be,’ general manager Brad Trevling told reporters. … Jacques Martin, who has been a head coach for nearly 1,300 NHL games (692 with Ottawa), was named an advisor to the Senators’ coaching staff.

Dec. 4: Winnipeg Jets sign Nino Niederreiter to three-year extension

He’ll average $4 million in the contract that kicks in next season. He is the third player signed long-term since the Jets moved out Pierre-Luc Dubois and Blake Wheeler during the summer, following Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck. Niederreiter, 31, is tied for fourth on the Jets with six goals and is sixth with 14 points.

Dec. 1: Simon Nemec called up amid New Jersey Devils’ issues on defense

Simon Nemec, the No. 2 pick of the 2022 NHL draft, made his NHL debut after being called up amid the team’s major absences on defense. He played 22:38, had two assists and three shots, and was a minus 2 in the 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks. Before the game, the Devils announced that top defenseman Dougie Hamilton is out indefinitely after having surgery on his left pectoral muscle. Also, defenseman Brendan Smith was suspended for two games for slashing Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny. He will forfeit $11,458.34 in pay and Konecny was fined $5,000 for his cross-check on Smith. The Devils also announced that forward Tomas Nosek had surgery on his right foot.

Also: The Montreal Canadiens and goalie Sam Montembeault agreed to a three-year, $9.45 million extension. The Quebec native had been claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers in 2021

Nov. 30: Vancouver Canucks acquire defenseman Nikita Zadorov

The Vancouver Canucks got stronger on defense by adding rugged 6-foot-6, 248-pound defenseman Nikita Zadorov from the Calgary Flames. The Canucks gave up the fifth-round pick they acquired a day earlier in the Anthony Beauvillier trade, plus a 2026 third-round pick. Calgary’s return doesn’t seem high for a player who led the Flames in hits and is going to a division rival, but Zadorov had requested a trade and is a pending unrestricted free agent. The Flames, who have pushed closer to a playoff position after a tough start, also have forward Elias Lindholm and defensemen Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev in the final years of their contracts.

Nov. 28: Chicago Blackhawks waive Corey Perry, trade for Anthony Beauvillier

The Chicago Blackhawks placed Corey Perry on unconditional waivers on Tuesday in order to terminate his contract. The team said it determined that Perry ‘engaged in conduct that is unacceptable, and in violation of both the terms of his Standard Player’s Contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments.’ The Beauvillier trade happened later. The Vancouver Canucks, who acquired Beauvillier last season in the Bo Horvat trade, will receive a fifth-round draft pick. More important for Vancouver, the Blackhawks take on his entire $4.15 million cap hit, giving them flexibility before the trade deadline. Beauvillier, a winger like Perry, has two goals and six assists in 22 games this season.

Perry issued an apology Thursday for his ‘inappropriate and wrong’ behavior.

BLACKHAWKS: More details on why Chicago is cutting ties with Corey Perry

Nov. 28: Detroit Red Wings sign Patrick Kane

The one-year, $2.75 million deal will reunite Patrick Kane with Detroit’s Alex DeBrincat, his former linemate on the Chicago Blackhawks. DeBrincat had two 40-goal seasons while in Chicago. The question is how Kane will perform after hip resurfacing surgery during the offseason.  Though recent videos showed Kane going through intense workouts, Capitals star Nicklas Backstrom is taking a leave of absence to determine his future after having the same surgery during the 2022 offseason. Considering Kane wanted to play for a contender, that says something about his faith in the Red Wings’ direction after they try to end a seven-year playoff drought. Daniel Sprong is giving up his No. 88 for Kane and will wear No. 17 instead.

Also: The Buffalo Sabres loaned rookie goalie Devon Levi to Rochester (New York) of the American Hockey League. He had been in a three-goalie system with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Eric Comrie and his numbers were down from the strong start he had last season after leaving Northeastern University. The move allows Levi to see more action than he would in the NHL. “We’re super excited about Devon, believe in him,’ general manager Kevyn Adams told reporters on Wednesday. ‘This is an opportunity for him to get in a rhythm, get sharpened up.”

Nov. 27: Minnesota Wild fire coach Dean Evason, hire John Hynes

John Hynes is back in the NHL after being hired to replace fired Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason on Monday. The Wild made the switch after a 5-10-4 start in which the team struggled defensively and especially on the penalty kill. Hynes, who knows Wild general manager Bill Guerin from their days in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, was a midseason replacement previously with the Nashville Predators. He was fired last summer after missing the playoffs. He also coached the New Jersey Devils and has a 284-255-63 NHL record, making the playoffs four times.

Nov. 25: Chicago Blackhawks’ Corey Perry to be away from team for foreseeable future

Corey Perry will be away from the Chicago Blackhawks for the foreseeable future, general manager Kyle Davidson said Saturday. Perry, 38, hasn’t played since a 3-2 loss to Buffalo last Sunday. He was a healthy scratch for the last two games.

“It’s been a team decision so far to hold him out, and that’s about all I’m able to provide,” Davidson said.

In a statement provided to Hockey Night in Canada, Pat Morris, Perry’s agent, said the forward stepped away from the team to attend to personal matters.

Perry was acquired from Tampa Bay in a June trade, then agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract. He has four goals and five assists in 16 games. His absence comes as the Blackhawks deal with a series of injuries among their forwards. Taylor Hall, another offseason acquisition, is scheduled for right knee surgery on Monday in Minnesota. – Associated Press

Also: The New York Islanders claimed veteran defenseman Mike Reilly off waivers from the Florida Panthers and placed defenseman Adam Pelech (upper body) on long term injured reserve.

Nov. 24: Colorado Avalanche’s Samuel Girard enters mental health treatment

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard is entering the NHL/NHL Players’ Association Player Assistance Program. He announced through his agent that his severe anxiety and depression had gone untreated too long and had led to alcohol abuse.

‘Taking care of your mental health is of the utmost importance, and I encourage everyone to speak up and seek help should you feel like you need it,’ he said in a statement.

Girard, 25, has played all but five games of his seven-year NHL career with the Avalanche and had a career-best 37 points last season. He had one goal and three assists through 15 games this season and had missed the past two games for personal reasons.

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said the team supports Girard going to get help.

“You’ve got to take care of yourself first before you’re able to come and help a team,’ he said.

Nov. 24: Winnipeg Jets coach Rick Bowness returns from leave of absence

Winnipeg Jets coach Rick Bowness returned behind the bench Friday for the first time since he took a leave of absence on Oct. 23 after his wife Judy had a seizure. He said she’s doing as well as expected with her new medication and will stay with their children when he’s on the road. Associate coach Scott Arniel went 9-2-2 in Bowness’ absence. The Jets beat the Florida Panthers 3-0 with Bowness behind the bench.

Also: Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson played his 10th NHL game on Friday, meaning he’s staying in the league and not being returned to his junior hockey team. Benson scored his first NHL goal on Wednesday with a spectacular move. … The Washington Capitals said forward T.J. Oshie won’t travel with the team after a hard collision in Friday’s 5-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

Nov. 23: Chicago Blackhawks’ Taylor Hall to have ACL surgery

Chicago Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall, the former No. 1 overall pick who was acquired to mentor and play alongside rookie Connor Bedard, will have ACL surgery and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

‘It came from an accumulation of a bunch of little injuries from the game and even in practice the other day,’ coach Luke Richardson told reporters. ‘It became unstable and we need to fix it.’

SABRES: Rookie Zach Benson scores first NHL goal in spectacular fashion

Hall had been limited to 10 games (four points) this season because of injuries.

“It’s heartbreaking — someone that loved to play so much and every game is so impactful, such a good hockey player and such a good person,’ Bedard said.

The Blackhawks also placed forward Andreas Athanasiou (groin muscle) on the injured list and called up Joey Anderson and Cole Guttman.

Nov. 17: Florida Panthers activate Brandon Montour, Aaron Ekblad

The defending Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers got off to a 10-5-1 record even with key absences. Now, they’re getting defensemen Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad back, activating them from the injured list after they recovered from offseason surgery for playoff injuries.

Montour set a franchise record for points by a defenseman (73) and was their top-scoring blueliner in the playoffs. Ekblad, like Montour a right-hand shot, was taken No. 1 overall in the 2014 draft. Defenseman Josh Mahura went on the injured list to make the salary cap situation work.

Nov. 12: Edmonton Oilers fire coach Jay Woodcroft

The Edmonton Oilers fired coach Jay Woodcroft on Sunday after a 3-9-1 start and replaced him with Kris Knoblauch, the Hartford Wolf Pack coach and Connor McDavid’s former junior hockey coach. That’s the third recent move with a connection to three-time MVP McDavid. His agent, Jeff Jackson, was hired earlier as CEO of hockey operations and the team also signed his former junior hockey linemate Connor Brown.

McDavid said Monday he was surprised by the move and said Woodcroft ‘never lost the room.’

The Oilers were a trendy pick to go far in the playoffs, but have disappointed this season. Last season’s No. 1-ranked offense is 26th this season, with McDavid possibly slowed by an injury that cost him two games. Their goaltending issues have been worse. Jack Campbell was sent to the American Hockey League in the second year of his five-year contract. Stuart Skinner, a rookie of the year finalist last season, ranks last in the league in goals saved above expected, according to MoneyPuck.

Knoblauch – and newly hired Oilers legend Paul Coffey coaching the defense – will be tasked with getting the Oilers back to a playoff spot. There’s precedent: Woodcroft went 26-9-3 down the stretch in 2021-22 as a midseason replacement and led the team to the Western Conference final. 

Also: The Colorado Avalanche announced that goalie Pavel Francouz (lower body) will miss the rest of the season. He has yet to play in 2023-24 and will return to the Czech Republic to be with his family. The team also signed forward Joel Kiviranta to a one-year deal.

Nov. 10: Pittsburgh Penguins to retire Jaromir Jagr’s number

Jaromir Jagr, drafted fifth overall in 1990, won Stanley Cup titles in his first two seasons and ranks fourth in franchise history with 1,079 points in 806 games. He played 11 seasons with Pittsburgh before being traded to the Washington Capitals. He ranks second all-time in NHL history in points and fourth in goals. His No. 68 will be retired on Feb. 18.

Nov. 8: Minnesota Wild trade Calen Addison to San Jose Sharks, acquire Zach Bogosian from Tampa Bay Lightning

Addison was sent to the San Jose Sharks for forward Adam Raska and a 2026 fifth-round draft pick. The defenseman is a power play specialist, but he is unreliable in his own zone. That led to him being a healthy scratch often down the stretch last season. With the Wild getting Jared Spurgeon back soon from injury (he was activated from long-term injured reserve on Friday), the power play opportunities will dwindle. Addison will be more valuable to the Sharks, who dealt Erik Karlsson last summer. He will be a restricted free agent at season’s end.

Bogosian lacks Addison’s offense, but the veteran takes care of his end of the ice. He’s a right-handed shot, like Addison.

“He’s a big guy,’ Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin told reporters. ‘He still skates well. He brings heaviness. He brings some grit and we need that.”

The trade buys the Lightning a little bit of salary cap breathing room. Bogosian, in the final season of a three-year contract, has a $850,000 cap hit.

Nov. 7: Edmonton Oilers place goalie Jack Campbell on waivers

Campbell, who signed a five-year, $25 million free agent deal in 2022, hasn’t played well since arriving. Stuart Skinner surpassed him last season and was a rookie of the year finalist. This season, Campbell was chased in the season opener and has gone 1-4 with a 4.50 goals-against average and .873 save percentage. He cleared waivers and will work on his game in the American Hockey League as the struggling Oilers try to get into a playoff spot. Edmonton recalled Calvin Pickard from Bakersfield (California) to back up Skinner.

Oct. 13: Colorado Avalanche sign defenseman Devon Toews to seven-year extension

He’ll average $7.25 million in the deal, which begins next season. Heading into the season, Toews led the league with a +120 plus-minus rating since he was acquired from the New York Islanders in 2020. He’s right behind defenseman Cale Makar in average ice time during that time.

Oct. 10: Carolina Hurricanes acquire forward Callahan Burke from the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Caleb Jones

The Hurricanes loaded up on defense this offseason and Jones was the odd man out. Both players will play for the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles.

Winners of three outright Big Ten championships in a row, something never before achieved in program history.

Three consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoff.

Win or lose in the Rose Bowl matchup on New Year’s Day against Alabama, three top-five finishes in a row for the first time in the poll era.

Even without a national championship on the ledger, it’s possible to view this as the most accomplished three-year run in the modern era of Michigan football.

And it was all expected eight seasons ago, when Jim Harbaugh returned to the program after a highly successful run at Stanford and in the NFL. Harbaugh was viewed as the perfect fit across multiple levels: As someone who knew the program and, more importantly, knew how to win.

But it wasn’t easy. Even with the Rich Rodriguez era nearby in the rearview mirror, the 2020 season stood as perhaps the low point in modern program history: Michigan lost four of six games while struggling to field a complete team amid the coronavirus pandemic, leaving Harbaugh’s future in serious doubt and coaching reputation at an all-time low.

‘If you did a poll of Michigan fans, I’m not sure if Harbaugh comes back,’ said John Bacon, an author and journalist who has written extensively about the program. ‘People forget that pretty quickly.’

In the wake of that season, Michigan hasn’t necessarily been reinvented but retooled and reimagined – younger, tougher, bruising, bullying and overflowing with confidence, the Wolverines have finally matched the expectations that came with Harbaugh’s arrival.

Three years after that low point, widespread coaching changes, the development of one of the top quarterbacks in program history and the evolution of Harbaugh himself could yield the program’s first national championship since 1997 – when it shared the title with Nebraska – and first outright title since 1948.

‘It was a pivotal point in 2021 for Michigan, for them to take an absolute trust fall and let it fly,’ said Big Ten Network analyst and former Michigan tight end Jake Butt. ‘It has paid absolute dividends.’

The coaching youth movement

Six assistant coaches were let go following the 2020 season, including well-regarded defensive coordinator Don Brown, and only two returning assistants remained in the same position.

While it’s not uncommon for programs to replace one, two or three assistants in a given offseason, the rash of moves reeked of desperation – decisions akin to shifting the deck chairs on the Titanic, typically reserved for head coaches grasping at straws or given the ultimatum to make changes or else.

Rather than postponing the inevitable, the coaching changes are the biggest driver in Michigan’s return to national prominence.

Harbaugh’s first run of hires, beginning in 2015, leaned toward veteran and established coaches; this steadiness helped Michigan right the ship coming out of the Brady Hoke era but, by 2018 or 2019, seemed to cap the Wolverines’ progress.

That changed following the 2020 season. Of the six new hires, only one, co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs Steve Clinkscale, was over 39 years old. Clinkscale, then 42, was the oldest on-field assistant coach on Michigan’s staff.

‘That, to me, is the pivot point,’ Bacon said.

The youth movement sparked innovations on offense and defense as Harbaugh ceded some control over schematics to younger and less proven assistants; while some of these coaches have since been replaced, the variety of younger voices with fewer ingrained coaching concepts has helped Michigan blossom into one of the most complete teams in the Bowl Subdivision.

Going young has also helped build relationships that have reaped dividends in recruiting and the transfer portal.

While Michigan continues to rank second or third in the Big Ten in the annual team recruiting rankings, behind Ohio State and often Penn State, the Wolverines’ classes have fewer misses and enviable retention, with only one scholarship player currently in the portal. Michigan has also flourished with bringing in transfers, often pinpointing players at specific positions who are earmarked for starting roles.

‘I think there was a concerted effort on Michigan’s part to bring in assistant coaches who were not just great coaches but excellent recruiters,’ said Allen Trieu, who covers Midwest recruiting for 247Sports.com.

‘I think prior to that, they targeted assistant coaches who were more known for their coaching acumen. With this group of hires, it’s really paid off in recruiting.’

The development of J.J. McCarthy

Another factor has been the development of junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy, a two-time all-conference pick who completed 74.2% of his throws this season with 19 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

‘I think the big difference is at quarterback,’ Trieu said. ‘They haven’t had a guy in there who was a top recruit out of high school that they developed for several years. That’s the biggest difference. I think the rest of the roster makeup is pretty similar to other rosters at Michigan.’

McCarthy has 41 touchdowns and just nine interceptions since becoming the Wolverines’ full-time starter last year, building a case for being the first Michigan quarterback taken in the first round of the NFL draft since Harbaugh himself in 1987.

The Harbaugh-era quarterbacks who preceded McCarthy were steady, at least, and often better than that: Jake Rudock, Wilton Speight, Shea Patterson and Cade McNamara were reliable passers who protected the football and fit snugly into a less-than-innovative offensive scheme.

McCarthy is a different sort of quarterback: dynamic, explosive and oozing with next-level talent, he’s easily a match for the other three quarterbacks in this year’s playoff – Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., Texas’ Quinn Ewers and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe.

‘He checks every box,’ Butt said. ‘What you have with J.J. is a guy who has been in the same system for three years. So you can understand, naturally, you progress by learning the system, learning the calls.’

The evolution of the program can be seen in the Wolverines’ evolution in quarterback play. McCarthy isn’t a game manager or complementary piece; he’s the centerpiece of the offense and the driving force of a unit that has bulldozed every opponent on this season’s schedule.

‘His leadership is what sets him apart,’ Butt said. ‘Guys follow J.J., and when your best player is your best leader and he leads by example, that’s culture.’

A changed Jim Harbaugh

If almost imperceptible from the outside, Harbaugh has taken dramatic steps within the program to alter the ‘more is more’ ethos that helped Michigan quickly turn things around and win 38 games in his first four seasons.

He remains college football’s biggest lightning rod. Harbaugh stands in the middle of two stories that threatened to engulf Michigan’s regular season: one, allegations of rule violations committed during the COVID-19 year that saw him suspended for the first three games of the regular season, and two, the sign-stealing scandal focused on analyst Connor Stallions that resulted in him being suspended for three games before the Big Ten championship.

But amid all the noise, ownership of the program has shifted. Rather than control every aspect of the Wolverines’ day to day, Harbaugh has ceded much of these rights to his coaches and players. In a nearly night-and-day shift from those early seasons, Michigan represents more of a democracy than a dictatorship.

‘He has put the coaches more in charge and the players more in charge,’ said Bacon. ‘He’s delegated a lot more and trusted his people a lot more than before.’

If not necessarily Harbaugh 2.0, he’s been more willing than ever before to allow others to provide input and feedback, and adapt when needed. One example is his delegation of responsibility to current Charlotte coach Biff Poggi, who spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as Harbaugh’s consigliere, counselor and conduit to the locker room.

Another can be seen in how he’s placed his absolute trust in strength coach Ben Herbert, whom Harbaugh has called the ‘X-factor in our entire football program.’

‘You can just see that the culture has completely changed,’ Butt said. ‘Harbaugh has completely changed. Their perception of themselves and the belief in their ceiling has completely changed.

‘Michigan knows very clearly who they are right now.’

There’s still a big piece missing from Michigan’s résumé: a national championship. The 2021 team was humbled by eventual national champion Georgia. Last year’s team took TCU lightly and was embarrassed. The next step is to beat Alabama and the winner of the Sugar Bowl between Washington and Texas to cement this stretch as the greatest in modern program history.

‘We’ve accomplished many of our goals, and now winning it all is what we had also put on the goal sheet,’ Harbaugh said.

‘That’s what we’ll turn our one-track mind to, to this next opponent and playing Alabama in the Final Four, and we’ll do what we always do. We’ll play, we’ll prepare, we’ll practice, and get ready to give it our very best.’