Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones told the Chicago Sun-Times during the 4 Nations Face-Off break that he ‘would like to give myself a chance to win.’

His frustration with the play of the 31st-place Blackhawks showed after the team’s latest loss Tuesday.

‘We’re the exact same team right now as we were Game 1,’ he told reporters. ‘It’s pretty evident out there. We haven’t made any strides to be a better, more simple hockey team, and it shows. We don’t get a lot of wins because of that.’

The struggling Blackhawks are an expected seller with the 3 p.m. March 7 trade deadline approaching. Jones, a right-shot defenseman who plays big minutes, would be a potential target – with a caveat. He’s signed through 2029-30 with a $9.5 million cap hit. He would have to waive his no-trade clause to be moved.

Blackhawks teammates Ryan Donato and Pat Maroon, a three-time Stanley Cup winner, are pending unrestricted free agents.

Here’s a look at players who could be available if their teams decide over the next week to become sellers:

Boston Bruins

Hampus Lindholm probably won’t return this season and fellow top four defenseman Charlie McAvoy suffered a significant shoulder injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off. As a result, the usually aggressive Bruins will probably ‘take a much more cautious approach,’ general manager Don Sweeney said earlier in the week.

‘We will look at all opportunities to improve our team now but more importantly moving forward,’ he told reporters.

Pending unrestricted free agent Trent Frederic’s offensive numbers have dropped, but his rugged style is a plus during the playoffs. He left Tuesday’s game with an injury.

Captain Brad Marchand is also a pending UFA, though both sides say they hope he can be a Bruin for life.

‘We’ll have to have a conversation with him now that 4 Nations is over, sit down with Brad and his representatives and have a clearer path … as to what his final outcome will be,’ Sweeney said.

Pittsburgh Penguins

They’re heading into the wrong direction, losing their first three games after the break, and a makeover seems inevitable. Forward Rickard Rakell would fetch a big return because the 25-goal scorer has three years left on his deal. Their pending UFAs include defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (currently injured) and forward Anthony Beauvillier.

New York Islanders

The banged-up Islanders have lost four in a row. USA Olympian Brock Nelson, who topped 30 goals his previous three seasons but is off that pace this season, would be one of the NHL’s top trade targets if general manager Lou Lamoriello shops the pending UFA. Kyle Palmieri also is a pending UFA.

Seattle Kraken

Penalty killer Brandon Tanev, who’s popular in Seattle, is a pending UFA. So is two-time Stanley Cup winner Yanni Gourde, but he might be out past the trade deadline because of sports hernia surgery.

St. Louis Blues

Captain Brayden Schenn has been mentioned as a trade possibility. In fact, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that teams might be interested in uniting Schenn and brother Luke, a Nashville Predators defenseman. The brothers were teammates with the Philadelphia Flyers earlier in their career. But the Blues are close to a playoff spot.

Montreal Canadiens

Their pending UFAs include forwards Jake Evans and Joel Armia, plus right-shot, shot-blocking defenseman David Savard.

Buffalo Sabres

They’re last in the Eastern Conference and their playoff drought could hit 14 seasons. Dylan Cozens’ name has been tossed around on trade lists. Forwards Jason Zucker and Jordan Greenway are pending UFAs and defenseman Bowen Byram is a pending restricted free agents.

Nashville Predators

They’re among the NHL’s most disappointing teams, sitting near the bottom of the league after adding Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault in the offseason. Forward Gustav Nyquist is a pending UFA.

San Jose Sharks

The last-place Sharks have already moved Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci. Defenseman Mario Ferraro has another left on his contract.

Philadelphia Flyers

They already moved Morgan Frost and Joel Farrabee. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and forward Scott Laughton have term left on their deals and could draw interest.

Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks have improved but general manager Pat Verbeek is usually good for moving a player or two. Defenseman Brian Dumoulin is a pending UFA. He was hurt Tuesday. Goalie John Gibson always seem to be on trade lists and maybe he finally moves now that Lukas Dostal is the No. 1 goalie.

(This story was updated with new information.)

Resumes are everything when it comes to making the NCAA men’s tournament, but as some teams have shown, going on hot or cold streaks can dramatically alter where a team falls in the bracket.

There’s been some significant shifts in the newest edition of the USA TODAY Sports Bracketology, highlights by teams like Michigan State, Clemson and Brigham Young making big jumps thanks to impressive winning streaks.

Don’t think you have to be in the Big Ten or SEC to improve your stock either; squads in the Mountain West and West Coast Conference are getting rewarded for capitalizing on opportunities. Meanwhile, some of the big names in the sport like Kansas and Purdue are seeing their projected spot in the field continue to fall, inching toward being in the bottom half of the field.

It’s the penultimate week of the regular season for most of the country, while few will be preparing for conference tournaments after the weekend. Here are the teams on the rise and teams that are falling down the projected bracket.

Rising

Michigan State

Current projected seed: No. 2 (South)

The Spartans jumped two seed lines after an impressive week with convincing Quad 1 defeat of Purdue and rival Michigan, with the latter coming on the road. They are now tied on top of the Big Ten and have an impressive Quad 1 record of 8-4. A No. 1 seed seems unlikely, but Michigan State can really position itself at the two line with four Quad 1 games to finish the regular season, starting with a trip to Maryland this week.

Clemson

Current projected seed: No. 5 (West)

Don’t tell Clemson the ACC is down as the Tigers continue to climb, up three seed lines from earlier this month. After beating Duke, Clemson has followed with three more wins, all by double-digits, and have the second-best NET rankings in the conference at No. 22. The rest of the regular season is relatively easy, so the Tigers are well-positioned to have their best record in ACC play.

Utah State

Current projected seed: No. 7 (East)

Utah State has jumped back into the top half of the bracket and up three seed lines from last week. The emphatic win over San Diego State did wonders for Utah State’s resume, which now includes a 10-4 Quad 1 and 2 record. A chance to boost the resume awaits the Aggies with road trips to Boise State and Colorado State − both Quad 1 opportunities − this week.

Saint Mary’s

Current projected seed: No. 6 (West)

The Gaels have been a No. 5 seed in the past three tournaments are trending back toward a familiar spot. The West Coast Conference regular season championship was locked up Saturday with their first season sweep of Gonzaga since the 2015-16 season. Saint Mary’s has a strong NET rankings of No. 16 and a 4-2 Quad 1 record and are locked into the WCC semifinals already.

Brigham Young

Current projected seed: No. 8 (East)

In less than two weeks, BYU has gone from First Four territory to safely in the field. The Cougars moved to the top half of the bracket with a four-game win streak that includes three Quad 1 victories − a home drubbing of Kansas and victories at West Virginia and Arizona. They can add another Quad 1 win against Arizona State on Wednesday and are well positioned to make back-to-back tournaments for the first time since 2014-15.

Oklahoma

Current projected seed: No. 12 (South, First Four)

Oklahoma has gone from being out of the field to now in the First Four thanks to a much-needed home defeat of Mississippi State. The win snapped a five game skid, but the Sooners still need more if they want to keep their spot. The four remaining games of the regular season are Quad 1 contests, starting with Kentucky visiting on Wednesday.

Falling

Purdue

Current projected seed: No. 4 (East)

Thanks to a four-game losing streak, Purdue has gone from a No. 2 seed to now sitting at No. 4. A strong resume is what’s keeping the Boilermakers in the top 16 and sure, all four losses were Quad 1 games, but the latest defeat to Indiana was a big setback. Friday’s game against UCLA is critical to change momentum and keep them in that No. 4 position.

Kansas

Current projected seed: No. 7 (West)

The preseason No. 1 team continues to have an epic fall down the projected bracket. After suffering a bad road loss against Utah, the Jayhawks got destroyed by BYU for one of their worst losses under Bill Self. They have responded with back-to-back wins, but they came two of the worst Big 12 teams – Oklahoma State and Colorado. Kansas can climb back up with three tough games to close the regular season, but it currently are in position for its lowest seed since it was a No. 8 in 2000.

Illinois

Current projected seed: No. 9 (South)

The blowout loss to Duke at Madison Square Garden perfectly summarized how bad things have gotten in Champaign. It was the third consecutive loss that pushed Illinois to a 9-8 Big Ten record, resulting in it falling in the bottom half of the bracket, far from the No. 4 spot it was in at the end of January. The Fighting Illini got a much needed win against Iowa, and have a big matchup against Michigan on Sunday.

Gonzaga

Current projected seed: No. 10 (Midwest)

Mark Few’s Sweet 16 streak is in jeopardy with Gonzaga now slated to be a double-digit seed. It suffered the season sweep of Saint Mary’s and now has a measly Quad 1 record of 2-6. The NET ranking of No. 10 will ensure the Bulldogs make the tournament, but they are currently slated for their lowest seed since they were a No. 11 in 2016. The Quad 1 win over Santa Clara could really help generate some momentum with San Francisco in the regular season finale.

Ohio State

Current projected seed: No. 11 (Midwest, First Four)

The amount of losses are really starting to hurt Ohio State, which now has a mediocre 15-13 record. It had an inexcusable home blowout defeat to Northwestern before losing on the road to UCLA. The No. 34 spot in the NET ranking helps, but the 8-13 Quad 1 and 2 record is becoming increasingly suspect. The Buckeyes can’t afford losing to Southern California on Wednesday.

Georgia

Current projected seed: Out

After starting the season 14-2, Georgia went 2-9 afterward and was headed out of the tournament picture. The Bulldogs don’t have a bad loss on the season, but continuously losing is what was hurting them. However, Georgia could be back in the mix soon after pulling off a wild upset over Florida on Tuesday. It snapped a four-game skid and was the biggest win of the season for the Bulldogs, giving them a third Quad 1 victory.

INDIANAPOLIS – No more rats. 

And overall, steadily rising grades across the NFL, according to the NFL Players’ Association annual team report cards based on player surveys, now in its third year of existence.

The top teams are more of the same, with the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings ranking first and second, respectively, for the second straight year. The Atlanta Falcons, with a new training facility, jumped from 25th to No. 3. In fourth was the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers came in fifth. 

Last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ report stated that rats had taken up residence at the team’s facility. This year’s report offered little juicy details such as that, although the Falcons experienced a ventilation issue in the locker room that led to some odor complaints. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers also reported some odorous grievances. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers, the New York Jets, the Cleveland Browns, the New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals were the bottom five teams in that order, per the survey. 

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Here are other takeaways from the report cards that have become a tradition for their release in conjunction with the league’s NFL scouting combine. 

Top risers

The Falcons’ new facility and new cafeteria were major factors behind their drastic climb in the rankings. A first-year strength staff brought the grade in that area from F- to an A and is an example of something that drastically changes the player experience, according to NFLPA chief strategy officer JC Tretter. Head coach Raheem Morris, whose first year with the team was the 2024 season, also rated high compared to ex-coach Arthur Smith.  

The Washington Commanders went from the bottom (32nd) to 11th. Owner Josh Harris clearly took note of the survey and said in the aftermath: “I’m not a F-minus guy.” 

 “(It) shows the point of this project,” Tretter said.

Dan Quinn was the top-ranked head coach. 

“I’ve heard glowing things about Dan Quinn,” Tretter said. 

There was a major jump in food service in Washington and the addition of daycare on game days led to a jump in family services from a F- to B+. Travel was another improvement for the Commanders. 

The Kansas City Chiefs also moved up from the bottom. Owner Clark Hunt was another responsive owner, Tretter said. They hired a full-time dietician and the grade subsequently went from F to A-. Their training staff, which had received a D and F- in the first two years of the survey, respectively, improved to C.

“The Chiefs made major improvements this year,” Tretter said.

“None of those are $50 million investments,” Tretter added. “Those are small investments that make a big difference.” 

Owners, dieticians judged in additional contexts 

Previously, owners had been judged based off one question: how willing were they to invest in the team? The 2024 survey also asked players whether their bosses contributed to positive team culture and to rate their commitment to building a competitive team. 

For dieticians, players were asked about the depth of their nutrition plan they received and how accessible the dieticians were to players. 

Owner rankings

The two relative newcomers to the NFL’s 32 owners, Greg Penner with the Denver Broncos and Harris (eighth overall) with the Commanders, are already making their mark – at least within their own clubs. The top five owners according to the rankings are: 

Stephen Ross (Dolphins) 
Arthur Blank (Falcons)
Mark Wilf (Vikings)
Penner 
Dean Spanos (Chargers) 

And the bottom five owners are: 

28. Art Rooney (Pittsburgh Steelers) 

29. Robert Kraft (Patriots) 

30. Michael Bidwill (Cardinals) 

31. David Tepper (Panthers) 

32. Woody Johnson (Jets) 

The Jets’ situation

Johnson, who ranked last among all owners, was cited as the main reason for the Jets’ overall decline from 21st to 29th. Players cited “top-down” concerns within the organization and also felt he responded to past criticism in backwards ways. For example, the team’s highest-rated in last year’s survey was the dietician. She was not retained and ended up with the Chiefs, who drastically improved in the food categories.

Daycare matters 

The Indianapolis Colts added daycare on game days to take their “treatment of families” grade from a D to a B+. 

“One thing that stands out is the daycare,” Tretter said. 

The offer gives something to the families and the number has gone from 11 teams that did not provide it in the first year of the survey to seven in year two to just three – nearly a “universal offer,” Tretter said – that don’t. 

“We showed what guys want,” Tretter said. 

The Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles are the only teams who still do not offer daycare on game days. 

No coordinator rankings this year

Six coaches who appeared on the 2024 top coordinators list (top five on offense, defense, special teams) are now head coaches in the league: 

Brian Callahan (Tennessee Titans) 
Aaron Glenn (New York Jets) 
Quinn (Commanders) 
Morris (Falcons) 
Kellen Moore (New Orleans Saints) 
Brian Schottenheimer (Dallas Cowboys) 

The union did not have players rank coordinators this time, however. The length of the survey is always a consideration and it’s certainly something the union will revisit in the future. 

Floor is rising 

The union has found zero correlation between winning percentage and scores. However, owners are competitive and peer pressure is a factor, as is free agency. 

“No one enjoys not being good at their jobs,” Tretter said. 

The survey included 1,695 respondents, with an average of 52 per team – essentially more than 75% of the union, including practice squad and those on injured reserve. The survey was conducted during union leadership’s visits to teams from Aug. 26 to Nov. 20, 2024. 

The No. 5 to No. 8 overall team rankings were all marginally close, Tretter said. 

In 2023, 81 areas received an A- or above, but that increased to 114 in 2024. Sixty-five areas had grades of D+ or below and has decreased to 32. F- is nearly an extinct category with four marks.

“The standard is rising,” Tretter said. “The floor is rising.”

This story has been updated with new information.

The Jordan Brand commercial in support of Luka Doncic’s first game against his former team Tuesday was genius.

It featured a person – presumably Doncic though we can’t see a face – changing a purple-and-gold sports car’s license plate from Texas to California.

And the chef’s kiss was the spot’s outro song “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” the country breakup song made famous by George Strait.

Fantastic. It’s even more cunning knowing that Mavericks president of basketball operations/general manager Nico Harrison worked for Nike for nearly two decades.

In Los Angeles on Tuesday, Doncic conjured some of that Luka Magic with a triple-double: 19 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals and two blocks in the Lakers’ 107-99 victory against Dallas.

It was Doncic’s first game against his former team since that blockbuster trade rattled the NBA. The deal that sent Anthony Davis and Max Christie to the Mavericks for Doncic still reverberates.

This will suffice. Doncic gets the first last laugh. Who gets the next one remains open. They play again April 9 in Dallas and a playoff series between the Lakers and Mavericks would be spellbinding.

But we’ll see. For now, Doncic is the winner, and the Lakers look formidable with Doncic and LeBron James – a team that has championship potential at the high end and a team that is going to be a difficult out at its baseline.

James scored 16 of his team-high 27 points in the fourth quarter, and the James-Doncic pairing – even with James at 40 years old – is one of the league’s most potent offensive duos. They showed that in a 123-100 victory against Denver on Saturday, a game in which the two stars combined for 57 points (Doncic had 32), 19 rebounds, 12 assists, five steals and four blocks.

They’re just warming up. Most games, opponents will need to put up a big score to beat the Lakers. On Tuesday, the Lakers’ defense held the Mavericks to less than 100. The Mavericks were without Davis, who is injured.

At All-Star Weekend 10 days ago, James said, “Just the excitement of being able to add a caliber player like that, a generational talent like that to our franchise, it’s something that’s given me energy. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do. … As he continues to get in form, I think we could be really good going down the stretch. But we’ll see what happens.”

For a team that is 35-21, in fourth place in the Western Conference, the Lakers have the sixth-best odds to win the title. That’s what Doncic, a five-time All-NBA selection who turns 26 Friday, brings.

Now, he’s been injured for a portion of the year. Tuesday was just his fourth game since playing on Christmas, and that was part of the reason the Mavericks traded him. There are concerns about his health and long-term availability.

While Doncic understands this is a business, in making a business decision, the Mavericks concluded they could not win a title with Doncic. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not four months from now. Not next season. Or the season after. Not ever.

That made it personal along with whispers on his way out regarding concerns about his weight, conditioning and dedication to basketball.

There is belief that this trade has detonated a desire within Doncic to prove the Mavericks wrong.

But ads, marketing, words alone and even regular-season triple-doubles with Harrison at Crytpo.com Arena watching in person won’t get it done.

It’s one of the most mesmerizing storylines in league history.

The basketball – beautifully spinning off his fingertips into the basket or into a teammate’s hands – is in Doncic’s court.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Super Bowl 59 champion Philadelphia Eagles may not look like the 2025 Eagles, but general manager Howie Roseman said Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine fans should trust the front office’s plan – and have a little patience.

“Really, we have to do whatever we can to keep this window open as long as possible,” Roseman said. 

But Roseman also said the most important season is the next one and that maximizing it is the top priority. 

“We have to be creative to make sure we’re keeping as many of our good players as we can,” he said.

Several key contributors to the championship roster could potentially not be with the team for the 2025 season. 

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Linebacker Zack Baun, a first-team All-Pro in his first season with the Eagles, was on a one-year, $5 million deal. For Philadelphia to re-sign him, that price would surely be higher and for more years. Milton Williams (two sacks in the Super Bowl) and Josh Sweat, who had 2.5 against the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, are going to hit the open market. 

Right guard Mekhi Becton, formerly a tackle the Eagles moved to an interior line spot, is also set to be a free agent. Backup offensive linemen Fred Johnson and Nick Gates are also up for free agency. Linebacker Oren Burks, who stepped into a starting role for the injured Nakobe Dean during the playoffs and through the Super Bowl, is another pending free agent. 

There is also the specter of Brandon Graham’s retirement, which would create another need on the defensive line. Backup running back Kenneth Gainwell – always game to spell Saquon Barkley – is also a free agent.

That being said, the trenches will always be Roseman’s priority. He never feels like the Eagles have enough linemen on either side of the ball and perpetually remains on the lookout for those positions at every avenue of acquisition, whether it’s in free agency, the draft, after the draft or “on the street,” as Roseman said.

“It’s really an unhealthy obsession to be honest with you,” Roseman said. “I never feel good enough because I can convince myself – I can go back and watch a game from this year and see that we were down three offensive linemen and say, ‘You need eight starting linemen.’ 

“You can never have enough of them.”  

The salary cap is increasing to between $277.5 million and $281.5 million in 2025, per a memo sent to teams this month, which would afford Roseman and owner Jeffrey Lurie some flexibility in their efforts to bring back players or replace them. 

“To put us in a box and say, ‘Hey we’re not going to plan on paying that, we’re not going to pay because historically we haven’t done that’ I mean, part of what we do is evolve is look at things and see how things are affecting our team, how things are affecting the league, and seeing our place in that,” Roseman said. 

That’s all part of the process Roseman deploys regardless of the previous season’s results: Identify the guys they want as quickly as possible and be confident in their choices. There is humility to know they won’t always be the right ones, but for the ones they hit on, it allows the Eagles to start the proration earlier and saves money in the long run. 

The Eagles have successfully negotiated contract extensions for players such as quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver DeVonta Smith in recent offseasons to help spread out future cap hits and secure short-term flexibility. 

“Obviously you got to find the happy medium towards making sure the players are fairly compensated and feeling good about it,” Roseman said. “At the same time, doing it early enough to try and save some cap room.” 

Roseman believes the team has plenty of players in their prime under contract for the foreseeable future. Getting players on their first contract is part of the path for the Eagles, however, Roseman said. Linebacker Nicholas Morrow and defensive lineman Jalyx Hunt could certainly fall into that category. 

Roseman stressed remaining consistent with the front office’s vision for continuing to play at a high level. The creativity to make it all financially possible follows. The pillars – aka the offensive and defensive lines – matter most. 

“You can’t just make up opportunities,” Roseman said. 

Throughout his tenure, Roseman has accrued a reputation for being the league’s most formidable trader. One player who could be on the market – despite his team’s public reluctance to actually trade him – is Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. Roseman was explicitly asked about bringing the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year and four-time All-Pro to Philadelphia. 

He had no interest in discussing anyone under contract with another team.

Roseman did offer Eagles fans one promise. 

“There will not be a player that’s available that we won’t study – that we want to look at and see if he could help the team,” Roseman said. “Sometimes those opportunities work and you’re able to do that. Sometimes they don’t.”

The four-time Super Bowl champion tight end spiked rumors of a football comeback that emerged at the NFL combine on Tuesday. Fox Sports reported Wednesday that Gronkowski had no interest in making a return.

‘Crazy bro,’ the tight end said, according to Fox Sports. ‘They must know something about me that I don’t … I was just in Australia for a few days. Now it’s time to relax a little. No football.’

Gronkowski played in the NFL for 11 years: nine seasons with the Patriots before an initial retirement before the 2019 season, then two more with the Buccaneers after returning from that retirement one year later. The four-time All-Pro won a fourth Super Bowl with quarterback Tom Brady in the 2020 season, then retired for a second time in 2022.

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In retirement, Gronkowski has started his media career as an NFL analyst for Fox Sports and is featured on their ‘Fox NFL Sunday’ and ‘Fox NFL Kickoff’ programs.

Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan initially reported the possibility of a Gronkowski comeback.