Coming off a run to the NFC title game, Commanders seemed to fortify their roster yet agreed to trade Robinson on Friday.
Washington has also been slow to award WR Terry McLaurin, a longtime leader, a new contract.
But there are still two weeks to smooth things over and reveal a plan before the Giants come to play in the Week 1 opener.

If you’re wondering what the Washington Commanders are doing … same. But let’s not suggest they don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt despite their recent maneuvers (or lack thereof).

Friday’s agreement to trade starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers – in what effectively and belatedly becomes a Robinson-for-Deebo Samuel swap − landed with a perplexing first impression, particularly given what had occurred otherwise during the offseason.

Coming off a magical ride to the NFC championship game last season, spearheaded by Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels and a wholly new regime, the Commanders punctuated – well ahead of schedule – their return to NFL relevance. Then GM Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn spent a good chunk of the spring signaling a Lombardi Trophy push as their wunderkind quarterback entered his second season – meaning at least two more to go before Daniels is even eligible for the nine-figure extension he probably already deserves.

Peters made a deal in March for Samuel, an often dynamic player if one who’s often banged up and has limitations as a receiver. He’s also in a walk year. Also acquired was left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who has a reputation as one of the league’s better blockers … and for forgetting the snap count. Aging leaders like LB Bobby Wagner, TE Zach Ertz and QB2 Marcus Mariota all re-signed. OLB Von Miller joined, too, hoping for a Super Bowl ring with his third different team. Rookies Josh Conerly Jr. and Trey Amos appear to have the chops to be immediate and key contributors.

It all seemed to make sense, reloading and maybe upgrading in a bid to potentially deliver mortal blows to the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, who rule the NFC East and KO’d the Commanders decisively in that NFC title game.

But lately?

The Commanders have been dragging their feet amid WR Terry McLaurin’s desire for a new contract – and if ever there was a good soldier, it’s McLaurin, who also deserves a medal for willingly being front and center for his teammates while unfailingly performing at a high level throughout the final tumultuous years of the Danny Snyder era. And, even then, despite a brief holdout and a training camp largely spent in street clothes, it felt like McLaurin would – will? – probably get his bag and smoothly reassimilate into Kliff Kingsbury’s offense as the Batman to Samuel’s Robin.

But exporting Robinson, who had nearly 1,000 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns in 2024? It’s still a bit of a surprise, even though the writing appeared on the Commanders Park walls in recent days. Quinn excused Robinson from Monday’s preseason loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and had the good sense and class to inform the player and team of the situation before kickoff. Afterward, rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt scored on a 27-yard TD run. Third-year man Chris Rodriguez Jr. started at tailback and rushed six times for 62 yards.

“These are some really tough, tough decisions,” Quinn said Thursday, when Robinson remained on the roster.

“So, I’m definitely looking at those and that’s what’s keeping me up (at night).”

RECORD PROJECTIONS: How many games will Commanders win?

There’s no question that Quinn and Peters see a bigger picture than fans, reporters and maybe even some Commanders players can envision – and maybe it will come into focus sooner than later. Maybe the hype surrounding Croskey-Merritt, who’s been turning heads since being plucked out of Arizona in the seventh round is legit and no one will mourn Robinson’s departure in a month. Heck, no one in this town saw Alfred Morris coming when he rushed for a team record 1,613 yards as rookie in 2012 – directly benefiting from the presence of dual threat QB Robert Griffin III for what it’s worth.

Perhaps the combo of Daniels, veterans Austin Ekeler and Rodriguez plus Croskey-Merritt actually elevates a run game that ranked third in the league in 2024 even though no Commander rushed for as many as 900 yards. And it’s not like anyone will confuse Robinson’s pedestrian production − by NFL standards − with Christian McCaffrey, the dynamic runner he’ll now backstop. And yet Robinson was a generally reliable pass protector and a guy willing to fight for hard yards so Quinn and Kingsbury didn’t have to overly rely on Daniels, whose electric legs produced a team-high 891 yards in 2024.

Yet it’s hard to ignore the potential fraying to the “brotherhood” mantra Quinn has leaned on throughout his career. Robinson, a pending free agent due a modest $3.4 million in 2025, gets shipped out for a song two weeks before the season – for whatever the team’s reasons were, contractual or performance or both. Worse, McLaurin, a beloved team leader and perhaps the offense’s second-most important component, continues twisting in the wind for a club projected to have more than $60 million worth of salary cap space in 2026, per OverTheCap.

But Quinn is attuned to the NFL’s business side, much as he seems to be tiring of questions regarding Robinson and, especially, McLaurin, who’s now off the PUP list but not yet practicing. As for Peters, who previously worked for the Niners, he witnessed his former boss, John Lynch, routinely drive hard bargains late into the summer and make many tough decisions – most worked out fine.

The Commanders only have 16 days until the regular season starts. Also, the Commanders have 16 days until the regular season starts. Much will doubtless be revealed before they open against the division rival New York Giants on September 7, a game that maybe isn’t the layup it appeared to be even two weeks ago.

But in this brief interim, maybe a Washington squad loaded with veterans and led by a galvanizing coach deserve a little time and grace before anyone on Capitol Hill, Richmond, Ashburn, Landover or anywhere else in the greater DMV (D.C.-Maryland-Virginia) area pushes the panic button.

But just a little.

No more crazy playoff ideas. No more lone wolves. 

The Big Ten set the bar this summer for College Football Playoff change, and the SEC just met and exceeded it. 

Your move, Big Ten.

It’s time to see just how badly the Big Ten wants CFP expansion.

The SEC on Thursday, Aug. 22 made the first move to the center of the room, adding a ninth game to its annual conference schedule starting in 2026 — the one thing the Big Ten said it had to see before moving forward with CFP expansion.

The Big Ten has played nine conference games since 2016, and the SEC playing eight has been a sticking point between the super conferences. 

The Big Ten claimed it had a more difficult road to the playoff by playing nine. The SEC countered with, well, “We’re the SEC, and you’re not.” 

That all ended with the SEC’s long-awaited move to nine conference games. 

There’s nothing left to argue now for the Big Ten. It wanted the SEC on a level playing field, and the SEC called the Big Ten’s bluff.   

It not only moved to nine conference games, it kept a rule that forces league schools to schedule at least one non-conference game against a power conference opponent. 

Now the future of College Football Playoff expansion rests with the Big Ten, which can agree to the 5-11 format that every other Bowl Subdivision conference favors – automatic qualifiers from the five highest-ranked conference champions, and 11 at-large teams – or it can continue down the road of obstruction.

By demanding a unrealistic 4-2-1-3 format (it’s too dumb to explain), or an expansion to 24 or 28 teams (speaking of dumb), the Big Ten will expose its true desire: increased revenue at the cost of others.  

If the Big Ten still refuses the 5-11 format – which it said was more advantageous to the SEC because it could earn more at-large selections with an easier road of less conference games – it never cared about the SEC moving to nine games in the first place. 

For years, the SEC has been seen as the college football boogeyman, the all-powerful conference that controlled all things on and off the field. The death of fun, even.

It recruited the best players, won the most championships, and got the most breaks by whatever postseason plan was in place (hello, Alabama). An embarrassment of riches no one could deny or overcome. 

Until Michigan and Ohio State won back-to-back national titles the past two seasons, slowly pulling the SEC’s invincibility into question. The Big Ten then flexed and executed a power play, forcing the SEC to move off its eight-game conference schedule.

It even dragged the Big 12 into the fray, using the prop of the Big 12 playing nine conference games, too. So why couldn’t the SEC?

The Big Ten said it wanted everyone on the same page, including the ACC. Or maybe that was just another Alliance thing.

The next thing you know, SEC coaches left their conference spring meetings in May and declared their desire to play the Big Ten in non-conference games. As soon as possible. 

And for the first time, there was real momentum to move to a nine-game league schedule. Even the longtime holdouts – Kentucky, the Mississippi schools, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, South Carolina – moved toward the inevitability of it all.

“They’ve won the last two national titles,” LSU coach Brian Kelly. “We need to play them, they’re on top now.”

But you know the old southern adage, the higher you get on the ladder, the more your ass shows. The Big Ten is now in danger of this power play blowing up in its lap. 

In a perfect world, playoff strife ends quickly. The Big Ten sees the SEC’s move as genuine, and responds accordingly. 

The 5-11 format passes, and college football moves to a 16-team CFP field beginning with the 2026 season. 

It’s time to see how badly the Big Ten wants playoff expansion.

Or if it’s interested in showing more of its ass. 

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

Sanders aims to destigmatize incontinence by openly discussing his experience and incorporating the product into his image.
The ad campaign follows Sanders’ surgery where his bladder was removed and replaced with a neobladder.
Sanders uses Depend to manage the changes in his bathroom habits post-surgery.

Colorado coach Deion Sanders did his first advertisement for the Depend adult diaper brand after having his cancerous bladder removed in May.

But it’s not just the latest sponsorship deal for Sanders, who also is seen in advertisements for Blenders eyewear, Aflac insurance and California Almonds.

This one is about his personal health.

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“I wasn’t joking! I truly DEPEND on @Depend,” Sanders said on Instagram on Friday Aug. 22. “Ain’t NO SHAME in taking care of yourself. NO SHAME in getting health screenings. And there certainly ain’t NO SHAME in needing added protection or using Depend to stay in the game. That’s not weakness – that’s WINNING”

The ad shows packages of the underwear underneath his Nike shoes.

The company that owns the brand confirmed to USA TODAY Sports in July that it has a partnership with Sanders. Depend often is associated with jokes about old age and embarrassing problems with incontinence. But Sanders has said he wants to take the shame out of it by discussing it openly and associating it with his personal fashion.

‘I’m about to sexy ’em up,’ Sanders told retired NFL receiver Michael Irvin in an interview posted July 28.

Sanders said after bladder surgery that “I truly depend on Depend. I cannot control my bladder.”

After his bladder was removed, a neobladder was put in its place from his small intestine. It’s led to changes with how he goes to the bathroom. Sanders talked about it with Irvin.

“You have to push through your stomach and force the pee out,” Sanders said. “Like you can’t just pee, and when you feel like you gotta go pee, you need to pee or you gonna start leaking.”

This product helps him deal with that.

“No shame at all!” Depend responded to Sanders on social media site X. “We’re proud to help you stay in the game, Coach Prime.”

Sanders has recovered from cancer and is coaching his team as normal this month. His team opens the season Aug. 29 at home against Georgia Tech.

Follow Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bscrhotenb@usatoday.com

Maxx Crosby was sold on Pete Carroll after their initial encounter when the head coach was in Las Vegas interviewing for the Raiders position.

“I was talking about his suit,” Crosby recalled. “I was like, ‘Hey, you might need to get a little bit smaller suit. That one might be outdated.’ And he’s not the one that’s going to stand down from that. He came right back at me and was talking (expletive), and I’m like, ‘Yeah, this is my type of guy.’ Those are the tough coaches you love that they’re not too sensitive anything like that. Coach (Pete) Carroll is all about that.”

Cleveland Browns making huge mistake playing Joe Flacco over young QBs

Carroll’s already put his imprint on the Raiders since the franchise named him head coach in January. Raiders players have lauded the 73-year-old’s energy and lively practices, which is even more impressive considering Carroll is entering his 31st season in the NFL.

“He’s super energetic. I don’t know how he does it, but like the guy wakes up, like it seems like he just pops out of bed, man,” Raiders quarterback Geno Smith said of Carroll last week. “He’s just fired up as soon as he wakes up. And I mean he brings the juice every single day. When you have a leader like that at the helm, you have no choice but to fall in line. And so all of us as leaders on the team, and every single guy on the team, we’re following coach’s lead, and he’s doing a great job of leading us.’

Carroll’s registered nine seasons of at least 10 wins in his head coaching career and coached the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl 48 title. The veteran head coach is confident he can impart similar amounts of success to the Raiders. He already declared this offseason the Raiders are going to “win a bunch of games” on the heels of Las Vegas coming off a 4-13 campaign.

Carroll can insert his name as a coach of the year candidate if the Raiders win “a bunch of games” in 2025. The Raiders haven’t recorded a winning season since 2021 and reside in an AFC West division that’s arguably the toughest division in football with a who’s who list of head coaches.

‘Isn’t that something? Yeah, I think it’s great,” Carroll said when asked about coaching against Sean Payton, Andy Reid and Jim Harbaugh in the AFC West. “If you’re going to be any good, you got to beat the best teams. You have to beat them, and so if this division is loaded with that, then that’s what’s going to make us what we are. And going against Andy (Reid) and Sean (Payton) and Jimmy (Jim Harbaugh) down there, it couldn’t be any more challenging because these guys are terrific football coaches, and they’re going to have a complete team.”

Reid, Payton and Harbaugh led their teams to the postseason while the Raiders were on the outside looking in last year. Carroll and the Raiders face an uphill battle as they attempt to get back into postseason contention. But Crosby, Smith, tight end Brock Bowers and first-round pick running back Ashton Jeanty are players Carroll can build around. And one thing Carroll’s proved this offseason is he’s ready for the challenge ahead.

The so-called Week 0 includes four games featuring FBS programs.
Kansas State and Iowa State face off in Dublin, Ireland, in the first major college football game of the 2025 season.
Kansas showcases its newly renovated David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium when it hosts Fresno State.

We made it, college football fans. Opening day for the 2025 season is here at last, meaning we finally have some actual games to watch.

It’s an abbreviated slate on Saturday, so there’s a good chance your favorite team isn’t taking the field yet on this so-called Week 0. But these games do actually count, and in a couple of cases they have conference implications as well. Think of it as a plate of tasty appetizers before next week’s main dish.

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Here’s what you need to know for Saturday, including matchups, game times, TV information and things to keep an eye on over the course of the day.

No. 20 Kansas State vs. No. 21 Iowa State

Time/TV: Noon ET, ESPN

Why watch: Oh, you’ll watch. It’s the season kickoff, and it’s been more than seven months since we’ve had actual college football. Making this matchup from Dublin, Ireland, even more appealing, it’s a pairing of ranked teams, and it will count in the Big 12 standings. Playoff implications? Never too early to think about that, right?

Why it could disappoint: About the only way it could is if either team commits a spate of turnovers. It could turn into a ground-and-pound affair given the strength of the respective pass defenses, but that should mean a close contest throughout.

Fresno State at Kansas

Time/TV: 6:30 p.m. ET, Fox

Why watch: Not to be outdone, the Sunflower State’s other FBS program also gets a Week 0 jump start. The Jayhawks’ opener in its newly renovated home stadium is not a Big 12 affair, but it could be a challenge nonetheless against a Bulldogs’ squad that usually lands in the upper tier of the Mountain West. Kansas QB Jalon Daniels is back, but he needs to be better out of the gate as eight of his 12 interceptions last season came during the Jayhawks’ 1-5 start. His counterpart for the Bulldogs and new head coach Matt Entz will be the well-traveled E.J. Warner, son of NFL hall-of-famer Kurt, who played most recently at Rice.

Why it could disappoint: Both teams have a lot of new pieces and as such will be far from finished products when they take the field. But Kansas should have the overall talent advantage, which will assert itself sooner or later.

Sam Houston at Western Kentucky

Time/TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBSSN

Why watch: This is the second actual conference game on the Week 0 lineup, and it could be the most entertaining of the day. Both the Bearkats, who made the transition quickly from the FCS level to win 10 games last season, and the Hilltoppers, established perennial contenders in C-USA, expect to be in the hunt for the league title once again. The bad news for Sam Houston is its success came with a price as coach KC Keeler was hired away by Temple, so it will be up to new head man Phil Longo to keep the wins coming. The good news for the Bearkats is QB Hunter Watson is back after accounting for 21 total TDs last season. WKU coach Tyson Helton is still in Bowling Green, but he had to fill a lot of holes from last year’s squad that played for the conference crown a year ago. His new QB is all-name team candidate Maverick McIvor, who transfers in from Abilene Christian where he put up huge numbers while leading the Wildcats to their first Championship Subdivision playoff appearance.

Why it could disappoint: Western Kentucky took last year’s encounter 31-14 at Sam Houston, so the Bearkats will have to avoid playing catchup again. But if both offenses are able to click, this could be a track meet from start to finish.

Stanford at Hawaii

Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CBS

Why watch: For a couple of teams well below the national championship radar, this matchup is more important than it might appear. Just getting to a bowl is an uphill climb for both, and the loser of this opener will face even longer postseason odds going forward. Hawaii was just a win short last season, and now the Rainbow Warriors want to make the most of this rare opportunity of a Power Four conference member paying a visit to the islands. The Cardinal, after a disappointing inaugural ACC campaign and a tumultuous offseason, need to start 2025 on a positive note. Interim Stanford coach Frank Reich will look to Oregon State transfer QB Ben Gulbranson to lead the retooled roster. Warriors coach Timmy Chang will hand the QB reins to Micah Alejado on a full-time basis after he delivered a couple of strong outings to close out last season.

Why it could disappoint: Honestly, there are any number of ways things could go off the rails for either team. From an entertainment standpoint the best-case scenario for viewers would involve both teams scoring early, but there will likely be a lot of miscues.

Former President Trump speculated that Vladimir Putin may attend the 2026 World Cup despite Russia’s ban from FIFA competitions.
Trump’s comments came during the announcement of the World Cup draw location at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
Russia was banned from FIFA following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine and did not participate in 2026 World Cup qualifying.

Despite Russia being banned from FIFA competitions, Donald Trump said he thinks that Vladimir Putin will attend the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Aug. 22 to announce that the draw for the World Cup would be held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Trump showed off a photo of himself and the Russian president from the historic summit in Alaska and suggested that Putin would come to next summer’s tournament.

Trump said he believes Putin ‘will be coming, depending on what happens’ but did not elaborate beyond reiterating that he ‘may be coming and he may not, depending on what happens.’

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, standing beside Trump as he made the remarks in the Oval Office, did not comment on the possibility of Putin attending.

Russia was banned from competing in FIFA and UEFA competitions following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and it didn’t participate in qualification for the 2026 tournament.

Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup and Putin took on a large public-facing role during the festivities. He spoke at the opening ceremony and was on the field for trophy presentations following France’s win over Croatia in the final.

Northwestern University fired football coach Pat Fitzgerald over hazing allegations, but later admitted he wasn’t responsible.
The university settled lawsuits with 34 former players and issued a public apology to Fitzgerald.
Although Northwestern acknowledged hazing occurred, an investigation found no evidence Fitzgerald knew about or condoned it.

There’s no reason to pull punches now, no sense in deferring to the politically correct thing. 

What Northwestern did two years ago to former coach Pat Fitzgerald was character and career assassination. Full stop. 

Forget about Thursday’s cash settlement or an official statement of apology, which admitted Northwestern wrongfully fired Fitzgerald prior to the 2023 season because he should’ve known about hazing within the football program.

It will never be enough.

Because here’s the worst part of this gross, reckless negligence from Northwestern: the university’s actions don’t disappear by throwing cash at the problem, and with a public relations-fed, attorney-orchestrated admittance of guilt.

Fitzgerald will forever be stained by association. Truth and innocence be damned.

Once you’re painted with the wide and indelible brush of public opinion – once everyone jumps on the pile to get their pound of flesh – it never fades.

“Evidence uncovered during extensive discovery did not establish that any player reported hazing to Coach Fitzgerald,” Northwestern’s statement read. “Or that Coach Fitzgerald condoned or directed any hazing.”

That’s about two years and one coaching job too short.

How much is a man’s reputation worth? How many millions will it take for Fitzgerald, his wife, Stacy, and their three sons to be at peace with the public humiliation brought about by Northwestern’s actions?

I want to be very clear: There’s no room for hazing, anywhere. Not in sports, not in society. It preys on the weak, dehumanizes the innocent and changes lives forever.

Northwestern acknowledged hazing within the football program, and announced it had settled lawsuits with 34 former players. But it took Northwestern more than two years to finally admit another gross injustice: blaming Fitzgerald for the hazing, and firing him for cause with nearly $70 million remaining on his contract. 

But this story isn’t about money, it’s about university officials bending to social media pitchforks and taking punitive action in a ruthlessly reactionary time where the squeakiest wheel held more power than the truth.

And taking two years to admit they blew it. 

When he announced Fitzgerald’s firing in July of 2023, Northwestern president Michael Schill said 11 current or former Northwestern players, “acknowledged that hazing has been ongoing within the football program” — and that “new media confirmed that hazing was systemic dating back many years.”

Whatever ‘new media’ means.

So Schill took anecdotal evidence of hazing and player mistreatment from current and former players – through a six-month investigation that began in November of 2022, and then from ‘new media’ – and used it as evidence to fire Fitzgerald.

What he learned from the six-month, third-party investigation initially led to a two-week suspension. What he read from “new media” then led to Fitzgerald’s firing.

It’s at this point where I remind everyone that just because you’re a university president, it doesn’t mean you’re the brightest bulb in the shop. Most university presidents are fundraisers above all else. 

Some lead their universities to unthinkable wealth. Others to public shame, complete with a public apology and settlements for all involved. 

It doesn’t matter how much money was just deposited into Fitzgerald’s bank account. Or that Northwestern finally admitted wrongdoing. 

Northwestern fired the one good thing it had going for it athletically, the one guy who had become the face of a world-renowned university.

Fitzgerald played at Northwestern, was an assistant coach at Northwestern, and eventually became the most successful coach in school history. 

Not just by wins, but by the lives he impacted. 

Northwestern wasn’t a football power under Fitzgerald, but its teams performed well enough, and played with such passion, that college football blue bloods Michigan, Notre Dame and Southern California (and a few NFL teams) tried to lure Fitzgerald from Evanston. 

He told them all to take a hike.

He loved living in Chicago, loved molding young men – yeah, it sounds corny and contrived in the current age of me-first players – and ritually declared they would graduate with a degree from “one of the finest institutions in the world.” 

The world. 

The world just got a little smaller. And no amount of money or exculpatory statements of fact can change a thing. 

Truth and innocence be damned. 

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

Most of the NHL’s top unrestricted free agents found homes early in July.

But there is still plenty of action to track during the NHL offseason. There are trades to be made and restricted free agents to re-sign. Salary arbitration hearings were scheduled from July 20 to Aug. 4, although players and teams settled beforehand in all 11 cases.

Also, players whose contracts run out after the 2025-26 season are eligible to sign contract extensions at any time.

Here is a look at the latest signings, trades and other news that have happened since the initial surge of movement in late June and early July:

Aug. 22: Marco Rossi signs three-year deal with Wild

Rossi, 23, will average $5 million in his three-year contract after recording career bests of 24 goals, 36 assists and 60 points. The start of his NHL career was delayed by complications from COVID, but he has recorded back-to-back 20-goal seasons. He led the Wild with seven power-play goals last season and finished second in points to help Minnesota reach the playoffs despite losing Kirill Kaprizov for half a season to injury.

Also: The Panthers added center depth by signing Luke Kunin to a one-year deal. He split time last season between the Sharks and Blue Jackets and was leading San Jose with 163 hits at the time of his trade.

Aug. 21: Frank Nazar signs extension with Blackhawks

The Blackhawks saw enough after 56 games to make Nazar, 21, the highest-paid player on the team – for the moment. The nearly $6.6 million cap hit in his seven-year extension, which kicks in during the 2026-27 season, moves him past Tyler Bertuzzi ($5.5 million).

Nazar, a 2022 first-round pick, had 26 points in 53 games in 2024-25 after being recalled from the American Hockey League in December. The extension continued his run of good news. He helped the United States win gold at the world championships and he has been invited to USA Hockey’s Olympic orientation session.

Connor Bedard, the No. 1 overall pick of 2023, is also eligible for an extension and almost certainly will top Nazar’s number.

Aug. 20: Victor Olofsson signs with Avalanche

Olofsson signed a one-year deal with Colorado worth $1.575 million, according to puckpedia.com. He played last season with the Vegas Golden Knights and had three 20-goal seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. The winger will provide secondary scoring after the Avalanche traded Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood this summer.

Also: Utah Mammoth goaltender Connor Ingram was cleared by the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to return to the NHL. He went into the program in March.

Aug. 19: Milan Lucic signs tryout agreement with Blues

Lucic, 37, will try an NHL comeback, coming to St. Louis’ training camp on a professional tryout agreement. He last played in October 2023 and entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. He has been cleared by the program, the Blues said. During his prime, Lucic was a key power forward and won a Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011. His numbers had dropped off in recent seasons.

Aug. 18: Hudson Fasching signs with Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets added forward depth by signing Hudson Fasching to a one-year deal. It’s a two-way contract, meaning he’d make less if sent to the American Hockey League. Fasching, 30, played for the New York Islanders the past three seasons and has 40 points in 175 career NHL games with three teams.

Also: The Colorado Avalanche signed University of New Hampshire defenseman Alex Gagne to a two-year, entry-level contract. The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder was team captain last season, had a career-best 17 points and led the Wildcats with 62 blocked shots.

Aug. 15: Travis Hamonic signs with Red Wings

Hamonic is getting a one year deal at $1 million. The veteran depth addition likely will play in the bottom defense pairing. He ranked second on the Ottawa Senators last season in blocked shots per 60 minutes and also killed penalties. Detroit will be his fifth NHL team. Hamonic, who turns 35 on Aug. 16, has 53 goals and 242 points in 900 career games.

Aug. 10: Jack Johnson signs tryout agreement with Wild

The 38-year-old defenseman will go to camp as a tryout in a bid for a 20th NHL season. He played 41 games last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Wild might be without defenseman Jonas Brodin at the beginning of the season, according to the Athletic.

Also: The Kraken agreed to terms with defenseman Ryker Evans for two years at a $2.05 million average. He ranked fourth among Seattle blueliners with 25 points and was first with 123 hits.

Aug. 9: Nathan Bastian signs with Stars

He’ll get a one-year, $775,000 contract and add depth to the forward group. Bastian had played all but 12 games of his NHL career with the New Jersey Devils and ranked third among New Jersey regulars last season with 12.83 hits per 60 minutes. He has career totals of 33 goals, 68 points and 190 penalty minutes in 276 regular season games between the Devils and Seattle Kraken.

Aug. 8: Two-time Stanley Cup winner Kyle Clifford retires

Cllifford, who won Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014 with the Los Angeles Kings, is retiring after 13 NHL seasons. The NHL Players’ Association said he would move into a player development role with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Clifford had two stints with the Leafs and finished his playing career in the organization with the American Hockey League’s Marlies. He also played for the St. Louis Blues and finished with 66 goals, 144 points and 905 penalty minutes in 753 NHL games.

Aug. 8: Avalanche re-sign Joel Kiviranta

Kiviranta is sticking around for a third season in Colorado by signing a one-year deal. Terms weren’t released. The bottom-six forward had 16 goals last season.

Aug. 2: Nick Robertson settles before arbitration hearing

All 11 players who filed for salary arbitration settled their cases before their hearings, with the Maple Leafs and Robertson the last to do so. Here are the new contracts the players agreed to, listed alphabetically.

Morgan Barron (Winnipeg Jets): Two years, $3.7 million.Lukas Dostal (Anaheim Ducks): Five years, $32.5 million.Drew Helleson (Anaheim Ducks): Two years, $2.2 million.Kaapo Kakko (Seattle Kraken). Three years, $13.575 million.Nick Robertson (Toronto Maple Leafs). One year, $1.825 million.Dylan Samberg (Winnipeg Jets): Three years, $15.75 million.Arvid Soderblom (Chicago Blackhawks): Two years, $5.5 million.Jayden Struble (Montreal Canadiens): Two years, $2.825 million.Conor Timmins (Buffalo Sabres): Two years, $4.4 million.Maxim Tsyplakov (New York Islanders): Two years, $4.5 million.Gabriel Vilardi (Winnipeg Jets): Six years, $45 million.

July 31: Sabres’ Devon Levi re-signs for two years

He’ll average $812,500 in the deal and is the final restricted free agent who needed to re-sign. He has had back-to-back solid seasons in the American Hockey League. With the Buffalo Sabres signing Alex Lyon this summer, Levi is expected to spend more time in the AHL for now.

July 28: Nicklas Backstrom signs deal in Sweden

The former Capitals star, 37, is returning to hockey by signing a deal to play for Brynas for the first time since 2006-07. He had played 1,105 NHL games in between, recording 1,033 points. But he had missed all of last season and most of 2023-24 while recovering from 2022 hip surgery.

July 17: Maple Leafs acquire Dakota Joshua from Canucks

Vancouver receives a 2028 fourth-round pick. Joshua will likely slot in the Maple Leafs’ bottom six forwards. He had a career-best 18 goals and 32 points in 2023-24 but missed the beginning of last season after having surgery for testicular cancer. He finished with 14 points in 57 games. He originally was drafted by the Maple Leafs but never played for them.

July 17: Blue Jackets’ Yegor Chinakhov requests trade

Yegor Chinakhov, a former first-round draft pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets, has asked for a trade.

The agent for Chinakhov posted on X, formerly Twitter, about the trade request.

“I had some misunderstandings with the coach during the season,” read the post quoting Chinakhov. “Now I would be glad to have a trade. I would like to move to a different location. Will I return to Russia? As long as I can play in the NHL, I will keep developing here.”

Chinakhov, who was selected with the No. 21 overall selection in 2020, missed nearly half of last season with a back injury, an issue that also sidelined him for the final 17 games in the previous season. – Joey Kaufman, Columbus Dispatch

July 15: Sabres re-sign Bowen Byram for two years

The defenseman will average $6.25 million in the deal. He was considered a candidate for an offer sheet but the Sabres reportedly filed for arbitration to prevent that. He ranked third among Sabres defensemen in average ice time and third with 38 points. The cap hit makes him the third highest paid defenseman on the team behind Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power.