PARIS – American rapper Snoop Dogg will be among the torchbearers carrying the Olympic flame in the final stretch before the opening ceremony of the Paris Games on Friday.

Snoop Dogg, 52, will carry the torch through the streets of Saint-Denis, the underprivileged northern Paris suburb that is home to the Stade de France Olympic Stadium, the town’s mayor Mathieu Hanotin said on social media platform X.

‘Saint Denis: last step before the Eiffel Tower. An international cast @SnoopDogg for the last stretch of the Olympic Flame,’ Hanotin wrote.

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The rapper, who is also contributing to NBC Primetime’s coverage of Games, is better known in the sports world for his Snoop Youth Football League. The championship game is called the ‘Snooper Bowl’.

Meet Team USA: See which athletes made the U.S. Olympic team and where they are from

Other carriers of the torch in Saint-Denis on Friday include French actress Laetitia Casta and French rapper MC Solaar.

Haason Reddick is digging in on his standoff with the New York Jets.

The two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher is not reporting to training camp Tuesday with the rest of the team, according to multiple reports.

Reddick, 29, did not participate in the team’s voluntary offseason program or mandatory minicamp after the Philadelphia Eagles traded him to the organization on April 1. He is now subject to $50,000 fines for each day of camp missed. Those penalties cannot be waived since Reddick is not on his rookie contract.

Reddick is set to earn $14.5 million in the final year of his deal this upcoming season. In Philadelphia, he pushed for a new deal after recording 27 sacks in the past two years and earned Pro Bowl nods in each campaign.

Jets coach Robert Saleh said at mandatory minicamp that he had spoken with Reddick and was not concerned about the pass rusher’s preparation.

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‘The guy’s a great dude,’ Saleh said. ‘He’s been in multiple places and played at a high level at multiple places. He’s a pro, a seasoned vet and the last guy I’m worried about on whether or not he’ll be ready to play football He know what he needs to do to get himself ready.’

Reddick is expected to play a vital role for a Jets front that lost Bryce Huff, who led the team with 10 sacks last year, to the Eagles.

The countdown to the Major League Baseball trade deadline is on, has been for months now if you’re a real transaction stan. Yet we are now reaching the earnest run-up – T-minus one week and counting – and perhaps the most foundational question has not yet been answered.

Who’s in, and who’s out?

With 12 teams boasting playoff odds hovering at or well above 50% and just six teams – the White Sox, Athletics, Angels, Rockies, Nationals and Marlins – almost certainly out, that leaves a dozen franchises still straddling whether to buy or sell by the July 30 deadline.

That makes this upcoming week of games even more crucial than usual.

With that, a look at 12 teams whose play the next week may answer the buy-sell question and, perhaps more important, to which degree:

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American League

Boston Red Sox

Record, standing: 53-46, two games out of third wild card, seven games out of AL East lead

Playoff odds, per FanGraphs: 34.3%

The final week: At Rockies (2), vs. Yankees (3), vs. Mariners (1)

Outlook: They’ve won 23 of their last 37 to turn another nondescript, perhaps cellar-dwelling year, into a real playoff shot, thanks largely to a rotation whose 3.67 ERA ranks fifth in the AL. But the bullpen has blown five late-inning saves since the All-Star break. At least they know what’s needed.

Verdict: Buy. It might behoove Fenway Sports Group to urge a few pickups, if only to make it appear the Red Sox aren’t the forgotten child of this global sports behemoth. Expect some light purchases befitting their uncertain station in life.

Tampa Bay Rays

Record, standing: 50-50, five games out of third wild card, 10 ½ games out of AL East lead

Playoff odds: 17.3%

The final week: At Blue Jays (3), vs. Reds (3)

Outlook: They took a pretty big L on Monday, losing a matinee to the Yankees that resulted in a four-game split rather than an encouraging three wins in four games. With starters Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen already starting rehab assignments in returns from elbow surgery, the roster will get a boost, although slugger Yandy Diaz remains on the restricted list.

Verdict: Buy and sell. It’d be a bad look politically to cash in the chips with a multi-billion dollar stadium project still in the public approval process. If the club feels good about Springs and Rasmussen’s returns, it could fetch a nice return dealing Zach Eflin into a starved pitching market while strengthening areas of need.

Toronto Blue Jays

Record, standing: 45-54, 10 games out of third wild card, 15 games out of AL East lead

Playoff odds: 1.2%

The final week: vs. Rays (3), vs. Rangers (3), at Orioles (2)

Outlook: Oh, they’re totally cooked. But we throw the Jays in here because selling can take on so many forms: Picking around the edges (Justin Turner, Yusei Kikuchi, Danny Jansen), digging into actual assets (Chris Bassitt, Kevin Gausman), going nuclear (Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette).

Verdict: Sell. There’s just too much committed to 2025 to cash it all in now, and there may not be a ton of faith in the current GM to deftly pull off such an implosion. So expect the fungible parts to go, and maybe a couple other nailed-down pieces if this upcoming week gets ugly.

Detroit Tigers

Record, standing: 50-51, six games out of third wild card, 10 games out of AL Central lead

Playoff odds: 10.3%

The final week: At Guardians (3), vs. Twins (3), vs. Guardians (1)

Outlook: Seven games vs. the Nos. 1-2 teams in their division ought to knock any ambiguity out of the Tigers’ plight. They’ve played their way into uncertainty, as Cy Young candidate Tarik Skubal and rookie second baseman Colt Keith – who batted .152 with a .399 OPS in his first 30 games, .300/.844 in 59 games since – helped spark 12 wins in their last 17 games.

Verdict: Sell. Gently. Tough to see them dent those playoff deficits significantly this week, but any concept of a sell-off – like dealing Skubal two years before free agency as things are otherwise coalescing – is absurd.

Texas Rangers

Record, standing: 48-52, 7 ½ games out of third wild card, four games out of AL West lead

Playoff odds: 14.4%

The final week: vs. White Sox (3), at Blue Jays (3), at Cardinals (1)

Outlook: A real maddening title defense in Texas, where a slow start morphed into a mini-rally while awaiting the return of three injured pitchers. Max Scherzer returned, but now has a fatigued arm. Tyler Mahle is on the rehab trail and might be back next month, while Jacob deGrom is a good bit behind him, throwing bullpen sessions.

Verdict: Hold. They can’t expect much out of the returning arms, but the stunningly mediocre AL West means it’d be foolish for any contender to pack it in.

National League

New York Mets

Record, standing: 51-48, half-game lead for third wild card, 11 ½ games out of NL East lead

Playoff odds: 43.5%

The final week: At Yankees (2), vs. Braves (4), vs. Twins (1)

Outlook: The vibes are strong, as they say, and the Mets are proud to have earned the right to buy – or at least not get split up. Kodai Senga’s return should also buoy them. After this challenging week, nine of the next 13 games are against the Angels, Rockies, A’s and Marlins.

Verdict: Buy. Outside of bounceback right-hander Luis Severino, there’s not a ton of sellable assets, anyway. And fortifying the bullpen would give this group a legit – and surprising – wild card shot.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Record, standing: 51-49, half-game out of third wild card, six games out of NL Central lead

Playoff odds: 25.9%

The final week: vs. Cardinals (2), at Diamondbacks (3), at Astros (1)

Outlook: Call it the Skenes Effect if you must: The Pirates were 17-22 without the 6-6 right-hander and 34-27 since his May 11 debut; they’re also 8-3 in games he starts. Can they hit? Perhaps they’re waking up; much-derided first baseman Rowdy Tellez was batting .177 with a .463 OPS on June 1; he’s now at .246/.680.

Verdict: Buy. Even if it’s just a symbolic bench bat or bullpen arm, the beleaguered fans of Pittsburgh deserve something resembling love and trust.

Chicago Cubs

Record, standing: 49-53, 3 ½ games out of third wild card, nine games out of NL Central lead

Playoff odds: 10.7%

The final week: vs. Brewers (2), at Royals (3), vs. Reds (1)

Outlook: A brief surge of momentum toward the end of the first half was blunted by losing four of six before and after the break. A lineup that ranks 10th in the NL in runs and 12th in OPS (.689) rarely fires on enough cylinders to support decent pitching.

Verdict: Hold. It would be insulting to Wrigley Field supporters to subtract from this stalled-out team, but the market is so tight that the cost would be prohibitive to augment such an arrhythmic group.

Cincinnati Reds

Record, standing: 48-53, four games out of third wild card, 9 ½ games out of NL Central lead

Playoff odds: 5.5%

The final week: At Braves (2), at Rays (3), vs. Cubs (1)

Outlook: As fun and promising as this group is, they haven’t seen the .500 mark since May 3, when they were 16-16. While the NL Central is typically the perfect spot for a club to drag its heels and snatch a playoff berth at the end, this is not one of those seasons.

Verdict: Sell. Matt McLain’s season-long absence due to a shoulder injury has dogged this group and they actually have some veteran assets (pitchers Frankie Montas and Nick Martinez, most notably) worth spinning off.

San Diego Padres

Record, standing: 52-50, half-game out of third wild card, eight games out of NL West lead

Playoff odds: 45%

The final week: at Nationals (3), at Orioles (3)

Outlook: GM A.J. Preller doesn’t have nine lives, but he does have a catlike grace to pivot when aggressive moves don’t pan out. His latest act: Concocting a contender from the ashes of the Juan Soto era, as pitchers Michael King and Dylan Cease are firmly connected to that trade tree.

Verdict: Buy. Preller rarely stands on the sidelines and his two trade acquisitions are throwing the ball too well to be ignored.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Record, standing: 51-50, one game out of third wild card, eight games out of NL West lead

Playoff odds: 38.2%

The final week: At Royals (2), vs. Pirates (3), vs. Nationals (1)

Outlook: This looked to be The Hangover, Part II, but the Diamondbacks have rallied from their post-World Series stupor to angle into playoff position. And with Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez and Jordan Montgomery due to return soon from injury, they are only getting stronger.

Verdict: Buy. Part pragmatism, part vibes. A core that’s proven it can get to the World Series and a fan base that’s come back strong deserve as much, particularly in the bullpen.

San Francisco Giants

Record, standing: 48-53, four games out of third wild card, 12 games out of NL West lead

Playoff odds: 17.3%

The final week: At Dodgers (3), vs. Rockies (4)

Outlook: A perfect final-week trial to determine their fate: Battling the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine while hoping to mop up at home against the last-place Rockies. This club has been dogged by an inability to take care of business against weaker opponents.

Verdict: Hold. The group hasn’t earned any significant cookies from the front office, but it’s worth seeing what returning pitchers Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb can offer – along with the gradual emergence of Blake Snell.

The U.S. men’s basketball team is not unbeatable. Perhaps a loss at the 2024 Paris Olympics is unlikely with LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and multiple other All-Stars. But not impossible.

The U.S. lost to France at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (but still won gold), and the Americans did not medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Of the 11 other teams at the Summer Games, a few — Germany, Canada, Serbia, Australia — can beat the U.S. in a one-game scenario playing a 40-minute game under FIBA rules (slightly different than the NBA game) against teams with more continuity. Anything is possible, international basketball expert Fran Fraschilla said.

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The U.S. is heavily favored to win gold in Paris (it would be its fifth consecutive) with a roster that is drawing comparisons to some of the other great U.S. Olympic teams, including the 1992 Dream Team and 2008 Redeem Team.

Meet Team USA: See which athletes made the U.S. Olympic team and where they are from

Here are men’s Olympic basketball power rankings, a scouting report from Fraschilla on each team and odds to win gold for each team:

1. USA

Group C
Best Olympic finish: 16 gold medals, including 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020
Last Olympic finish: Gold at 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Top players: Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, LeBron James
Odds: -500

Fran Fraschilla scouting report: “Overwhelming talent but playing a different sport. We’ve seen that, especially as the world is caught up talent-wise, FIBA rules make a big difference when the United States takes on the other best teams in the world. I compare FIBA rules and NBA rules to Spanish and Portuguese. They are two languages that sound the same, but they’re completely different. When the United States has struggled in recent years, in part it’s because I don’t think they understand the difference in the rules in terms of how fast the game goes, the smaller court and the emphasis on 3-point shooting. It’s probably a more physical game, and keep in mind this is never a best-of-seven. This is one shot, 40 minutes. Anything can happen.”

2. Canada

Group A
Best Olympic finish: Silver at 1936 Berlin Olympics
Last Olympic finish: Seventh at 2000 Sydney Olympics
Top players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Lu Dort
Odds: +1,100

Fran Fraschilla scouting report: “Canada runs into the same issue that the United States does in that because they have 11 NBA players, there’s not the normal continuity you would see from a FIBA team from other parts of the world. In one sense, the depth of NBA talent is a major plus. In the other sense, when you watched USA play Canada in Las Vegas, it really looked like more of an NBA game than it did a FIBA game. There’s nobody outside the United States that has a better group of guards than Canada. I think they’re the second-best team in this tournament because of the depth of NBA talent. But I’ll get back to what I said. I think their lack of continuity could be an impediment.”

3. France

Group B
Best Olympic finish: Silver three times
Last Olympic finish: Silver at 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Top players: Nic Batum, Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, Victor Wembanyama
Odds: +1,200

Fran Fraschilla scouting report: “There’ll be an excitement of France playing on their home turf. There will be a psychological advantage to being the host country at the Olympics. Now you got some guys with proven experience like Gobert, Fournier and Batum and let’s throw the Nando de Colo in there. Then you’re mixing it with some young future NBA stars like Wemby and (Bilal) Coulibaly. I don’t think they have the backcourt play to sustain a win over Team USA if it came down to it. But they’re certainly capable of medaling given the roster they have and the experience they have.”

4. Germany

Group B
Best Olympic finish: Seventh at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics
Last Olympic finish: Eighth at 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Top players: Dennis Schroeder, Andreas Obst, Franz Wagner, Mo Wagner
Odds: +3,000

Fran Fraschilla scouting report: “With Germany, it’s continuity. It’s a group of guys who have played together for a number of years now. And now the difference is unlike 10 to 15 years ago: Many of these guys actually happen to be NBA players. So the idea that that there’s any kind of intimidation, it goes out the window. They have the confidence because they’ve done this before. They pretty much ran the U.S. off the court in the World Cup. And so coming off a gold medal (at the 2023 World Cup), they’re playing a FIBA game that they know better than the United States.”

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5. Serbia

Group C
Best Olympic finish: Silver at 2016 Rio Olympics
Last Olympic finish: Silver at 2016 Rio Olympics
Top players: Nikola Jokic, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Filip Petrusev, Ognjen Dobric
Odds: +1,600

Fran Fraschilla scouting report: “This is not a vintage Serbia team we’ve seen in the past. This is a Serbia team that is certainly well-coached, well-schooled. They play smart together, and they have arguably one of the two or three best players in the world (Jokic). So, they are dangerous. But the key for Serbia is do they have enough up and down the roster to contend for a medal? When they play the United States, Serbia will know how to control the tempo in order to take it from 70 possessions to 55 or 60.”

6. Australia

Group A
Best Olympic finish: Bronze at 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Last Olympic finish: Bronze at 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Top players: Dyson Daniels, Josh Giddey, Joe Ingles, Jock Landale, Patty Mills, Josh Green
Odds: +4,000

Fran Fraschilla scouting report: “They have the most continuity of any of the teams in this tournament as far as FIBA basketball. And remember, they’re coming off a very emotional 2021 in Tokyo because it was the first time they medaled. Coach (Brian) Goorjian and his staff know international basketball as well as anybody in this tournament. They have a healthy combination of talent and continuity. And I would throw in toughness because they’re a very tough cerebral team.”

7. Spain

Group A
Best Olympic finish: Silver three times including 2012 London Olympics
Last Olympic finish: Sixth at 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Top players: Rudy Fernandez, Willy Hernangomez, Juan Hernangomez, Lorenzo Brown
Odds: +5,000

Fran Fraschilla scouting report: “The golden generation of Ricky (Rubio), the Gasols (Pau, Marc), Rudy (Fernandez), and the others has passed. And the problem for Spain is that they are in the group of death. They’re capable of stealing a bronze. I just think it’s going to be A) very difficult to get out of the group of death and B) to make a lot of noise if they get to the quarterfinals.”

8. Greece

Group A
Best Olympic finish: Fifth three times including 1996 Atlanta Olympics
Last Olympic finish: Fifth at 2008 Beijing Olympics
Top players: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nick Calathes, Georgios Papagiannis
Odds: +2,000

Fran Fraschilla scouting report: “Is Giannis good enough to get them out of the group of death? Barely. I’m not sure there’s much excitement for them going far in knockout play if they get there. Now do I think they’ll get out of the group of death? My guess is that they will not. I wouldn’t count on it based on the overall roster that they have. But when you have one of the three or four best players in the world in a tournament like this …”

9. Brazil

Group B
Best Olympic finish: Bronze three times, including 1964 Tokyo Olympics
Last Olympic finish: Ninth place at 2016 Rio Olympics
Top players: Marcelinho Huertas, Raul Neto, Bruno Caboclo
Odds: +10,000

Fran Fraschilla scouting report: “Their best player happens to be a guy who used to be two years away from being two years away. And he’s no longer that, at least on the international scene. Marcelinho is 41, and he’s still going strong in Spain’s ACB. They just don’t have a lot of firepower. They’re no longer the team of (Leandro) Barbosa and Nene and (Tiago) Splitter. This is a different generation of Brazilians, and by and large it’s an inexperienced team.”

10. Puerto Rico

Group C
Best Olympic finish: Fourth at 1964 Tokyo Olympics
Last Olympic finish: Sixth at 2004 Athens Olympics
Top players: Jose Alvarado, Tremont Waters
Odds: +30,000

Fran Fraschilla scouting report: ‘It’s a scrappy team. They beat Lithuania on their home court (to make the Olympics). Give them credit. They play with great spirit, and they’ll play hard against the United States in pool play. It would really take a Herculean effort to beat the U.S. Now having said that, I say Herculean, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they could get out of the group. But they’ll have a hard time getting out of group playing and getting past Serbia.”

11. Japan

Group B
Best Olympic finish: Ninth at 1936 Berlin Olympics
Last Olympic finish: 11th at 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Top players: Rui Hachimura, Yuta Watanabe
Odds: +50,000

Fran Fraschilla scouting report: “They don’t have a lot. Obviously, Rui and Yuta have NBA experience. There’s really not much there other than the fact that at least in group play, they can be a nuisance to Germany and France and Brazil. But I don’t see them getting out of the group.”

12. South Sudan

Group C
Best Olympic finish: This is South Sudan’s first Olympic appearance.
Top players: Wenyen Gabriel, Carlik Jones, Nuni Omot
Odds: +40,000

Fran Fraschilla scouting report: “The coolest thing about South Sudan is the indication that African basketball is slowly but surely spreading around continent. This country has been through so much with its civil war, and the fact that they are going to represent Africa is a very big deal. This is a team bereft of NBA talent, but that does not diminish the effort they’ve made to represent Africa in Paris. It’s an incredible accomplishment and I think they’ll be a fan favorite when they take the court.”

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Simply put: Nope, no chance I’d jump in the dirty Seine River. Paris Olympians may not have that choice. Let me explain.

If marathon swimming and triathlons are held in the Seine as planned, rather than at a backup venue, Olympians’ only choice could be to swim in the iconic river or withdraw from the Games. Although Paris Olympics organizers vowed to clean the river to safe swimming standards with a reported $1.5 billion investment, questions about the Seine’s cleanliness have lingered in the weeks leading up to the Games.

The dirtiest body of water many – or maybe most – people have swum in is a pool or hot tub. Of course, pools are treated with a variety of chemicals to sanitize the water, kill bacteria, limit algae and neutralize byproducts, among other functions. While chemicals, such as chlorine and bromine, work relatively quickly, they’re not instantaneous.

In another life as a competitive swimmer and lifeguard, I learned the gross truths about what’s really in a pool. Assume there’s urine because there’s always urine. But beyond that, there’s sweat and spit and mucus – sometimes blood and feces – along with body and hair care products. It’s best not to think about it.

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Meet Team USA: See which athletes made the U.S. Olympic team and where they are from

Open water swimming is a different story, though. I’ve done that too, including in the Detroit River. The lifelong pool swimmer in me much prefers looking down at a tiled black line than murky nothingness.

‘I have incredible respect for those (open water) athletes,’ pool swimmer Katie Ledecky said, adding, ‘It’s just personally not for me.’

Same, same, especially when you consider how much water swimmers swallow.

People ingest about 32 milliliters, or a little more than an ounce, per hour of swimming, according to a 2017 study in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency and published by the Journal of Water and Health.

So when it comes to swimming in the Seine – which has been largely banned since 1923 – not a chance for me, even though Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo jumped in Wednesday. Team USA Olympians are hoping for the best.

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‘It’s pretty disappointing that the Olympic organizers have really not locked in cleaning this venue up as far in advance as they should have, to the point where now the whole world is questioning whether it’s going to happen in time,’ Team USA Olympic marathon swimmer Ivan Puskovitch said last month.

Open water swimmers aren’t strangers to dirty or questionable water. Two-time Olympic triathlete Morgan Pearson said he’s encountered discarded condoms while swimming in New Jersey.

‘I feel like the water quality is always a big hype or concern leading into Games, like going into Rio and going into Tokyo,’ Team USA Olympic triathlete Taylor Spivey said in June. ‘So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.’

In June, the water still contained high amounts of fecal bacteria – including E. coli, making it unsafe to swim in – partly as a result of unseasonably high rainfall.

But as of July 12, the water quality met safety standards for at least 10 of the previous 12 days, Agence France-Presse reported, leaving hope for the triathlon beginning July 30 and marathon swimming starting Aug. 8.

If the water quality is unsafe for marathon swimming and triathlons, Olympics organizers have backup dates planned and an alternative venue – the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, which is just outside Paris and already hosting canoe-kayak and rowing events – should it be necessary.

The USOPC and national governing bodies have said they’re monitoring the Seine water quality situation and following the lead of international federation standards for safety.

‘Having worked with them closely, I trust their standards,’ Rocky Harris, USOPC chief of sport and athlete services and former USA Triathlon CEO, said in April. ‘They’re actually higher than American standards. Like, you could swim in a lake in America that wouldn’t be up to their standards.’

If safety remains a concern come competition time, Team USA open water coach Ron Aitken said he’ll advise but leave the final decision to compete or not to the athletes and their families.

‘It certainly gives me a little bit of anxiety, and my fellow competitors, because we spend our whole lives preparing for this moment and we want to be able to compete,’ Puskovitch said.

‘The only thing that we can do as athletes is … have faith in the situation and make sure that – regardless of water cleanliness, venue, whether the venue changes or not – we’re ready to show up and race the best 10k we can.’

As for me, there are few things I won’t try once, and despite noting all the dangers, I may have just talked myself into considering (hypothetically) jumping in if the Seine is safe enough for Olympic competition.

If the water quality is questionable, I’d need a fat bonus plus medical expenses covered. And even then, it still might be a hard pass.

Cornerback Tyson Campbell and the Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to a contract extension. Campbell is set to sign a four-year, $76.5 million deal that’ll keep him in Jacksonville long-term as reported by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

He’s now the highest-paid cornerback in league history to yet be named to a Pro Bowl, per Rapoport.

Campbell was selected with the first pick of the second round in the 2021 NFL draft out of the University of Georgia. He has recorded six interceptions and 30 pass deflections during his three-year career with the Jaguars.

He posted a breakout season in 2022, logging career numbers in interceptions (3) and pass deflections (15), ascending to one of the top players at his position. But last year he dealt with a soft tissue injury that forced him to miss six games.

Still, the organization is confident in him returning to his prior form under new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen.

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“There’s nothing he can’t do, athletically,” Nielsen said when asked of Campbell earlier in the offseason. “Really a smart player and picked our stuff up. Our guys have done a great job of teaching him, fundamentals, technique, and then how he can operate within the scheme.”

Campbell has been lauded by the coaching staff for his leadership in a young defensive back room. Though a young player himself, he constantly shares his advice with younger players.

Now, he’ll be around to help mentor those younger players for years to come.

NHL general managers had money to spend this offseason with the salary cap rising from $83.5 million to $88 million.

That led to a busy free agency season in which USA TODAY Sports’ top 25 players moved within three days.

Though things are calming down and the Columbus Blue Jackets filled the final coach opening, there are more transactions to come.

Stars Leon Draisaitl, Sidney Crosby, Mitch Marner and Igor Shesterkin are eligible to receive contract extensions. Jeremy Swayman, Lucas Raymond, Seth Jarvis and Moritz Seider are among restricted free agents needing new contracts.

Here are the top NHL transactions that have occurred during the 2024 offseason:

July 23: Sabres agree to terms with Beck Malenstyn

Forward Beck Malenstyn, acquired from the Washington Capitals in an offseason trade, agreed to terms with the Buffalo Sabres on a two-year contract with a $1.35 million cap hit. He had filed for salary arbitration. Malenstyn is known for his defensive work, penalty killing and physical play. He led the Capitals last season with 241 hits while recording career highs with six goals, 15 assists and 21 points.

Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen also has filed for arbitration.

Also: The Toronto Maple Leafs and forward Connor Dewar agreed to a one-year, $1.18 million deal. He had filed for salary arbitration.

July 22: Blue Jackets hire Dean Evason as coach

The Columbus Blue Jackets have settled on a new head coach.

Dean Evason will run the Blue Jackets’ bench after agreeing to a multi-year contract to fill a void created by the June 17 firing of Pascal Vincent. Not counting interims, Evason, 59, becomes the 11th coach in the franchise’s 24-year history.

Evason steps into the role after veteran Todd McLellan removed himself from the search process earlier this month. Evason doesn’t have as much experience as an NHL head coach as McLellan, but handled that role with the Minnesota Wild for five years before he was fired in November. Evason went 147-77-27 in 251 games with the Wild, including four trips to the playoffs.

– Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch

July 20: Canucks sign free agent forward Daniel Sprong

Winger Daniel Sprong’s deal with the Vancouver Canucks is for one year at a reported $975,000. He’s coming off back-to-back 40-point seasons despite averaging 11 to 12 minutes a night. He’ll add secondary scoring to a team that ranked sixth in goals per game last season. Sprong will get another chance to prove himself after the Seattle Kraken didn’t give him a qualifying offer in 2023 and the Detroit Red Wings let him go to free agency.

July 19: Red Wings, Joe Veleno reach deal, avoid arbitration

The Detroit Red Wings and forward Joe Veleno agreed to a two-year, $4.55 million contract, according to Sportsnet. He had filed for salary arbitration after getting a career-best 12 goals and 28 points in a bottom six role.

July 17: Hurricanes, Evgeny Kuznetsov agree to terminate contract

The Carolina Hurricanes placed forward Evgeny Kuznetsov on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. He cleared waivers and the contract was terminated, which will allow Kuznetsov to play in Russia. He had one year, at a $7.8 million cap hit, left on his contract. The Washington Capitals, who traded him to the Hurricanes last season, retained half of that, and both teams are now free of that cap hit.

The mutual decision brings another offseason change to the Hurricanes roster. They weren’t able to re-sign trade deadline acquisition Jake Guentzel and traded his rights to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he signed. Defensemen Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce and forwards Teuvo Teravainen and Stefan Noesen left in free agency. Defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Matt Walker and forwards Jack Roslovic and William Carrier are among the offseason additions.

Kuznetsov spent time last season in the NHL/NHL Players’ Association assistance program and finished with only 24 points in 63 games. He scored a league-best 32 points during the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup run. He also was known for his goal celebration of flapping his arms like a bird.

The Hurricanes announced later in the day that they had re-signed forward Jack Drury to a two-year contract with a $1.725 million cap hit.

July 16: Joe Pavelski announces retirement

Joe Pavelski, who said in June he would take next season off, officially announced his retirement. Pavelski, 40, finishes with 476 goals and 1,068 points in 1,332 career regular-season games between the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars. He’s the NHL’s leading U.S.-born playoff goal scorer with 74 and helped lead the Stars to back-to-back trips to the Western Conference final. Pavelski never won a Stanley Cup but he went to the Final in 2016 with the Sharks, scoring a playoff-leading 14 goals and four game-winners, and in 2020 with the Stars. He had been captain of the Sharks.

July 16: Kings re-sign Quinton Byfield

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft will get five years at a $6.25 million average. The Los Angeles Kings forward was a restricted free agent. The deal follows a breakthrough last season with a jump from three goals and 22 points to 20 goals and 55 points while being moved into a top six role. If he continues that progress, the deal will look good years from now.

Also: The St. Louis Blues said defenseman Torey Krug has been diagnosed with pre-arthritic changes in his left ankle and will be evaluated in six to eight weeks. If he needs surgery, he will miss the 2024-25 season. The team said the injury is a cumulative result of a bone fracture from earlier in his career. … Vancouver Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs signed a two-year contract. He was pressed into action in the playoffs after an injury to Thatcher Demko.

July 13: Rangers, Blue Jackets sign players

The New York Rangers re-signed defenseman Braden Schneider to a two-year contract with a reported $2.2 million cap hit. The Columbus Blue Jackets and goalie Jet Greaves settled on a two-year deal and avoided arbitration. It’s a two-way deal the first year that pays him less in the American Hockey League, but the second year is a one-way deal.

July 11: Utah’s Tij Iginla signs entry-level contract

Igina, the son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, was the Utah Hockey Club’s first draft pick, taken sixth overall in June. He had 84 points in 64 games last season with Kelowna of the Western Hockey League. Iginla and Detroit Red Wings selection are the 13th and 14th of June’s 32 first-round picks to sign a three-year, entry-level contract.

Also: The Lightning and defenseman J.J. Moser reached a two-year, $6.75 million contract, avoiding arbitration. He was acquired from Utah in the Mikhail Sergachev trade.

July 10: Ryan Suter signs with Blues

Defenseman Ryan Suter, 39, who was bought out for the second time in his career, signed a one-year, $775,000 contract. He can earn another $2.225 million in performance bonuses. The Dallas Stars bought out the final year of his three-year contract. He was bought out by the Minnesota Wild in 2021.

July 8: Capitals name Chris Patrick general manager

Chris Patrick becomes the seventh general manager in Capitals history after being promoted from associate GM. Brian MacLellan was promoted to president of hockey operations. Patrick is the son of Capitals chairman Dick Patrick.

The Capitals were one of the busier teams this offseason, trading for Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, Jakob Chychrun and Logan Thompson and signing Matt Roy, Brandon Duhaime and Taylor Raddysh.

July 6: Top two NHL draft picks sign

No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini (Sharks) and No. 2 pick Artyom Levshunov (Blackhawks) signed three-year, entry-level deals rather than return for another season at college. They could end up at different levels. Celebrini, who was the clear-cut No. 1 pick, is expected to open the season with the Sharks. Levshunov, depending on what happens in training camp, could start in the American Hockey League.

July 5: 14 players file for salary arbitration

Fourteen restricted free agents have filed for salary arbitration, the NHL Players’ Association announced.

They are (in alphabetical order): Jake Christiansen (Blue Jackets), Connor Dewar (Maple Leafs), Jack Drury (Hurricanes), Ty Emberson (Sharks), Jet Greaves (Blue Jackets), Ryan Lindgren (Rangers), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sabres), Beck Malenstyn (Sabres), Kirill Marchenko (Blue Jackets), J.J. Moser (Lightning), Martin Necas (Hurricanes), Spencer Stastney (Predators), Joe Veleno (Red Wings) and Oliver Wahlstrom (Islanders).

The key one is Necas, who has been linked to trade rumors. Moser and Malenstyn were acquired in offseason trades.

Hearings will be held from July 20 to Aug. 4, though nearly all players reach a settlement beforehand.

July 3: Kraken hires Jessica Campbell as assistant coach

Jessica Campbell made history when she was hired to join Dan Bylsma’s coaching staff on the Seattle Kraken.

She becomes the first female full-time assistant coach in NHL history to work behind the bench

Campbell, 32, made similar history in the American Hockey League when Bylsma hired her as an assistant coach with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in 2022. Bylsma, a former Stanley Cup winner, is bringing Campbell with him to the NHL after being named Kraken coach in May.

‘I just know that if the team has success and my impact is a good one, it could potentially open the doors for others,’ she said.

July 1-4: Early days of free agency

The Nashville Predators were among the winners by signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. The Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights lost key players early but have added back. On Day 3, the Detroit Red Wings signed two-time Stanley Cup winner Vladimir Tarasenko.

A look at the opening days of 2024 NHL free agency

June 24-July 1: Who was traded before free agency?

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals were busy on the trade front. The Lightning moved out Mikhail Sergachev and Tanner Jeannot, then acquired the rights to Jake Guentzel and signed him to a seven-year, $63 million contract. The Capitals traded for forwards Dubois and Mangiapane, defenseman Chychrun and goalie Thompson, moving out goalie Darcy Kuemper and Beck Malenstyn.

Two weeks ago, 38-year-old Keegan Bradley was named the United States captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, scheduled for Sept. 26-28. On Tuesday, he made his first move towards putting together his team.

Bradley named Webb Simpson as a vice captain for the biennial bash, a choice that will bring plenty of experience to the U.S. locker room.

Simpson has represented Team USA six times, three of which were Ryder Cup appearances (2012, 2014 and 2018).

“Webb is someone who I have long admired and respected as a competitor and friend,” Bradley said in a statement. “He possesses a wealth of team golf experience and knows what it takes to win. Webb will be a valuable member of our leadership team and a trusted resource for me as we prepare for Bethpage Black next September.”

After compiling a 4-4-1 record in his Ryder Cup playing career, this is Simpson’s first time being appointed as a vice captain.

“I am honored to be chosen by Keegan to serve as a Vice Captain in 2025,” Simpson said. “Competing in three Ryder Cups will forever be among my career highlights. I have no doubt that Keegan will be a fantastic captain and a tremendous leader, and could not be more excited to get to work as we seek to reclaim the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.”

Briton Andy Murray, the first male tennis player to claim two Olympic singles gold medals, said on Tuesday that he will play the final event of his glittering career at the Paris Games before heading into retirement.

Murray, widely regarded as one of Britain’s all-time great sportsmen, won gold in London 2012 beating Roger Federer in the final and successfully defended his title in Rio four years later defeating Juan Martin del Potro.

The 37-year-old, who in 2013 ended a 77-year wait for a British men’s singles champion at Wimbledon and won the trophy again in 2016, had previously said that he was unlikely to continue his career beyond this year.

‘Arrived in Paris for my last ever tennis tournament @Olympics,’ Murray said on social media, alongside a picture of himself on the Rio podium.

‘Competing for Britain has been by far the most memorable weeks of my career and I’m extremely proud to get to do it one final time.’

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Murray, who was knighted in 2017 for his services to tennis and charity, was hailed by International Tennis Federation chief Dave Haggerty for his contributions.

‘Sir Andy has lived and breathed the values of tennis throughout his long career, championing equality and helping to send the message that our sport is for everyone,’ Haggerty said.

‘We will of course remember his two Olympic golds; his Grand Slam wins and his never-say-die attitude on the court. We will also remember his Davis Cup victory with Great Britain in 2015, helping his team to the title for the first time since 1936.

‘While this wonderful chapter of his career is now drawing to a close, we know that Sir Andy’s love of tennis will see him continue to be involved in helping to grow and develop our sport globally.’

The injury-plagued Murray received a star-studded, emotional farewell earlier this month at Wimbledon, the venue where he won two of his three major titles, following a first-round doubles defeat partnering his brother Jamie.

The Scot, who had surgery on June 22 to remove a spinal cyst which was compressing his nerves and made him lose control and power in his right leg, decided he was not fit enough for the demands of singles competition at the All England Club.

Murray’s hopes of a final hurrah partnering fellow former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in mixed doubles at Wimbledon were dashed when she withdrew due to a wrist issue.

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The tennis competition at the Olympics begins on July 27 and Murray, who made his Olympic debut in Beijing 2008, will play in both singles and doubles alongside Dan Evans in his fifth and final Games.

Murray also has a mixed doubles silver from the London Games, where he partnered Laura Robson.

The former world number one resurrected his career after having hip-resurfacing surgery in 2019 but has struggled to make the latter stages of leading tournaments since and endured an ankle injury earlier this season in Miami.

‘I’m ready to finish playing,’ Murray had said at Wimbledon. ‘I don’t want that to be the case. I would love to play forever.

‘This year’s been tough with the ankle, then obviously the back surgery, the hip. I’m ready to finish because I can’t play to the level I would want to anymore.

‘I know that it’s time now. I’m ready for that.’