There is a new No. 1 at the top of the SPEED SPORT Power Rankings this week! Who moved to the top of our weekly motorsports rankings? Click below to find out!

When teams draft prospects, there's always a hope to see year-to-year improvement. There's always a few guys who take big leaps, whether it shows up in the players' production or manifests itself in new skills acquired.

Here's one player from every NHL team that I thought had a big breakthrough this season. For some, it puts them on the cusp of the NHL roster. For others, it's merely an improvement in chances of making it. But any progress is a positive.

Anaheim Ducks

Maxime Comtois, LW, Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)

Comtois had a very strong 2017-18 season, but what he did over the course of the 2018-19 campaign was truly remarkable. The big 20-year-old winger started the season with Anaheim and had seven points in 10 games. Then he captained Canada at the World Junior Championship before returning to the QMJHL, where he ripped the league to shreds when healthy. He had 31 goals and 48 points in just 25 regular-season games, then 11 goals in 16 playoff games. This season opened my eyes more to the full arsenal of Comtois' skills, including his rather nasty physical game. He has a nose for the net and can create offense with power and skill. He could be on the NHL roster next season.

Arizona Coyotes

Nate Schnarr, C, Guelph Storm (OHL)

How's this for a breakout season? Schnarr went from 39 points in 57 games in 2017-18 to 102 points in 2018-19. The big 20-year-old center was an offensive driver for Guelph, showing a good combination of energy and power to go with solid finishing skills.

Boston Bruins

Jack Studnicka, C, Niagara Ice Dogs (OHL)

With tremendous speed, Studnicka routinely burned defenders and made plays on the way to 83 points in the OHL this season. Traded from Oshawa to Niagara, Studnicka went from the guy to just one of several stars and really showed his versatility. His game is all about pace and making plays, but the 20-year-old can play many roles. Having showcased his versatility, he's made a strong case to make the next step in the not-too-distant future.

Vincent Kompany is hoping to take Manchester City's head of academy coaching and a number of young players on loan with him to Anderlecht, sources have told ESPN FC.

Kompany, 33, announced on Sunday that he will leave City this summer, after 11 years with the club, to become player-manager of Anderlecht.

After he announced his departure, Kompany said he wanted to recreate Pep Guardiola's style at the club where he started his career and said: "It's the football I want to teach."

City are keen to retain strong links with Kompany and highly rated youth coach Simon Davies could further help the development of young players in the Jupiler League.

Davies was in charge of City's Under-23 side after Patrick Vieira left for New York City FC in Major League Soccer in 2015 before becoming head of academy coaching.

The former Manchester United midfielder helped develop the talents of midfielder Phil Foden along with Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho and Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz.

- Marcotti: Man City are the greatest team of Premier League era
- Man City to auction Pep Guardiola's 'coatigan'

Kompany said farewell to fans at the club's victory parade in front of 100,000 fans in Manchester on Monday and was presented with the club's goal of the season award for his strike against Leicester in his last game at the Etihad Stadium.

And Guardiola said he expects his captain to return to City in the future.

"I think we're going to miss him [Kompany] a lot," the City boss told fans. "I'm going to miss him, but he is going to see us in the future because he is coming back sooner or later.

"It's the best way to say goodbye after an incredible season together. He was a real captain, he helped us a lot."

Kompany will be back in September for a testimonial match in aid of the homeless at the Etihad Stadium where former players Yaya Toure, Pablo Zabaleta and Joe Hart are expected to play.

Although plans for a statue to Kompany are still to be confirmed, City have plans to make a "lasting tribute" to their most successful ever captain.

The United States will host Cuba on Oct. 11 and Canada on Nov. 15 in the first CONCACAF Nations League.

CONCACAF said Tuesday that the Americans, seeded in Group A, will play at Canada on Oct. 15 and at Cuba on Nov. 19.

Sites have not been determined.

Other Nations League groups are:

B -- Bermuda, Mexico, Panama

C -- Martinique, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago

D -- Costa Rica, Curacao, Haiti

The top team in each League A group advances to the semifinals in March, and the last-place team is relegated to League B.

The U.S. intends to play exhibitions on the September FIFA dates for national teams.

Finally, after nearly 30 months of being supervised by a court-appointed authority, the BCCI members are on track to regain control with the board elections scheduled for October 22. This significant decision was taken by the three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) in Delhi today, nearly two-and-a-half years after it was appointed by the Supreme Court to oversee the BCCI's implementation of the Lodha Committee's recommendations.

The development comes close on the heels of the negotiations between the BCCI members - state associations - and senior Supreme Court advocate PS Narasimha, the amicus curiae appointed earlier this year. Having heard all the BCCI members individually, Narasimha submitted a report to the court, which will sign off on the matter when it reopens office in July after the summer recess.

It is understood that 31 out of the 38 state associations have technically agreed to comply with the Lodha recommendations subject to all the concessions discussed and approved by Narasmiha. Of the seven other members, a few wanted to take a final call after consulting with their own members.

One important recommendation that Narasimha agreed to modify, in step with the state associations, was regarding the strength of the Apex Council, a key authorising body under the reforms. Narasimha agreed to expand it from nine members to 19. Under the CoA-approved BCCI constitution, the Apex Council would comprise nine members both at the board and state level, something the board members objected to.

During the negotiations, Narasmiha also provided clarity over the disputed recommendation concerning the tenure of the office bearer. The Lodha Committee had recommended that an office bearer could preside for nine years separately at the state and the BCCI level, as long as the cooling off period was exercised. But the new BCCI constitution registered last year was not clear on this point. Narasimha confirmed that an office bearer could work for 18 years as long as the cooling off period of three years, which comes into play after two consecutive terms of three years each, was exercised.

The CoA chairman Vinod Rai, at the time of appointment, had said the interim panel's role was akin to the nightwatchman in cricket. But their role turned out to be significantly more lengthy as virtually every board member - state association - was against readily implementing the Lodha reforms that were approved by the court in 2016.

As the state associations became more dogged in their stance, the CoA's vigil extended and so did its authority. Gradually as the CoA wielded its control beyond the Lodha reforms and even became the final authority on cricketing decisions. Consequently, a parallel conflict erupted with the state associations and the three BCCI office bearers contesting the CoA's powers and approaching the court on the matter on several occasions.

With the states associations adopting a confrontational stance, the CoA submitted 10 status reports in the court listing out the difficulties it was facing in helping the BCCI implement the reforms. The court intervened intermittently, including amending a few of the original Lodha recommendations. Last October the BCCI chief executive officer Rahul Johri, at the behest of the CoA, registered a new BCCI constitution mandating the reforms.

Several states refused to budge though, even with the CoA asking the court to bar the voting rights of all BCCI members that declined to be compliant. A total of 80-odd interlocutory applications - pleas - were filed by various state associations contesting the reforms.

However, Narasimha's mediation role seems to have worked, allowing the CoA to now put out a roadmap for the elections. Rai said the CoA was "exceedingly happy" that the BCCI members had decided to become compliant. "It was a nightwatchman who came to stay," Rai told ESPNcricinfo. "However I feel very happy that the state associations have cooperated and all the recommendations have been accepted, which means now there is a general consensus that cricket administration should be streamlined and run [in an] objective and transparent manner. The CoA is exceedingly happy to entrust the administration of the BCCI back to the democratic body."

According to Rai, till the elections are held the CoA will continue to monitor and authorise cricketing operations, including matters related to the appointment or renewal of coaching staff. Incidentally, the tenure of the coaching staff of the Indian men's team is till the World Cup, which ends on July 14.

The BCCI elections will usher in a new era in Indian cricket administration, which has historically been run by a group of individuals that has wielded power and exercised control for decades.* To contest these elections, both at the state level and the BCCI, an administrator/office bearer would need to fulfil the following criteria: he/she should be an Indian citizen, not over 70, not insolvent or of unsound mind, not a government servant or a minister, not part of any other sports federation, and most importantly not held office at state or BCCI level for a cumulative period of nine years.

It remains to be seen whether the three current BCCI office bearers - CK Khana (acting president), Amitabh Choudhury (acting secretary) and Anirudh Chaudhry (treasurer) - will be eligible to contest the elections. All three have reportedly served for more than the permissible nine years at their respective state associations. At the BCCI level, all three have served for varied periods and might need to serve the mandatory three-year cooling off period before being eligible to contest board elections.

Key dates
June 30: Deadline for the BCCI to appoint an electoral officer, and the preparing of the electoral protocol by the said electoral officer in consultation with the CoA, which should be communicated to all the state associations
July 1: Deadline for appointment of an electoral officer by the state associations
August 14: Deadline for completion of election protocol and electoral roll of the state associations by the state's electoral officer
September 14: Deadline for completion of elections of the state associations
September 23: Deadline for sending of names of representatives of state associations to the BCCI
September 30: Deadline for preparing the electoral roll of nominees qualified for the BCCI elections
October 22: The BCCI elections

*16.20GMT, May 21: The article was updated with information on candidates' eligibility

There are some things - flights, cups of tea and your heartbeat, for example - you want to find predictable.

And perhaps it is the same with squad announcements. Squad announcements for global tournaments, anyway.

Selectors have had four years to plan for such events. They have had four years to ensure that every player knows their role and every player knows what to expect from their team-mates. At this stage, squads should be settled and predictable.

England have achieved that pretty well. Yes, David Willey is unfortunate. Yes, Joe Denly will be disappointed. But, for the first time in many, many years, England are going into a World Cup with a relatively settled, well-balanced side that has a realistic chance of victory. The position that provoked most debate and discussion on Tuesday was that of reserve spin bowler. It's a detail, really. An important one, but nothing compared to what we have seen before.

Perhaps, to appreciate how smooth this process has been, it is worth comparing it to the chaos with which we have become accustomed. In 2015, for example, England sacked their captain, Alastair Cook, a few weeks before the tournament. Then, on its eve, they changed the new-ball attack (demoting Chris Woakes to first-change) and fiddled with the batting order (swapping Gary Ballance and James Taylor at 3 and 6). In the tournaments before that, it became customary for them to change their wicketkeeper (2007 and 2011) or opening partnership (1999) at the last minute. Indeed, in 1999, they dropped their captain (Adam Hollioake) and their opening batsman (Nick Knight) shortly before the tournament and prepared for a home event with a training camp in… Lahore. You could hardly make it up.

And, even if England did go into a tournament with their best side, there was usually some crisis (the Zimbabwe affair of 2003, for example) or late change of approach that threatened to derail their progress. There rarely had a chance to define plans or develop well-rehearsed strategies. In a format in which role definition and planning is so important, England have invariably gone into World Cups hoping it would all come together on the night. It rarely has done.

It doesn't feel like that this time. While the introduction of Jofra Archer has come at a late stage, anyone taken by surprise simply hasn't been paying attention. While England would, in an ideal world, like him to have played more than three ODIs - and, indeed, more than 17 List A matches - the experience he has of playing in high-profile, high-pressure T20 leagues suggests he has the talent and temperament to succeed. His range of skills - not least his well-controlled pace - are a huge asset to a team that, Mark Wood apart, can look a little pedestrian. They were, remember, thrashed for a six by Chris Gayle on average every 8.10 balls he faced in the recent series in the Caribbean. Archer's batting and fielding are also more than useful. He is British, he is eligible and he is very good. His is not, at this stage, a remotely controversial selection.

Nor is Liam Dawson. He is, quite simply, a more experienced, more reliable spin bowler than Denly. And while Denly is almost certainly a better batsman, Dawson's average of 45.33 in the Royal London Cup is proof that he's no mug either. Besides, the role essentially demands that the occupant can come into the side at short notice and fill the hole left by injury to either Moeen Ali or Adil Rashid. Dawson is a better fit for that specific job. Denly may console himself with the knowledge that he now has the opportunity to return to county cricket and score heavily in the Championship with a bid to securing a place in the Ashes. He is the man in possession of the No. 3 spot in the Test side, after all.

Willey could yet win a recall mid-tournament. While he is not officially on any reserve list, it stands to reason that he - and perhaps Chris Jordan - would be next in line should one of England's seamers suffer an injury. His left-arm variation, the swing he can generate with the new ball and the control he demonstrates at the death are all attractive qualities. But it was his ill-fortune to be competing for the new ball, in particular, with Archer, Wood and Woakes. Leaving him out was a tough decision, but it was also probably right.

Again, in an ideal world, England might have liked Dawson to have been with them throughout the Pakistan series. Or at least for the final couple of games, when it became apparent the selectors were not in total agreement over the suitability of Denly for the role. But at least Dawson was playing cricket rather than running drinks on for his colleagues, and it is not as if he is a stranger to either the environment or the players.

There have been other bumps on the road. The loss of Alex Hales - who may be remembered as the Pete Best of cricket if England go on to win the trophy (Denly may be remembered as the Jimmie Nicol) - might have destabilised some squads. Equally the introduction of Archer might have unsettled the bowlers and provoked reasonable concerns about talent pathways in both England and the Caribbean.

But, whatever feathers within the squad were ruffled by Archer's arrival have long since been patted back down - not least by evidence of his obvious ability and his amiable, equable nature - while Hales has simply been left behind. This team, like kids cramming ahead of important exams, no longer had time for the class joker. Damning though it sounds, his absence has hardly been mentioned in recent times.

So England go into this tournament confident, settled and united. Their squad has bite with the ball, punch with the bat and balance through the depth provided by the all-rounders. This may well be the best World Cup squad they have ever assembled; it certainly represents their best chance to win in many years.

The No. 32 has been put back in circulation by the Buffalo Bills for the first time since 1977, the last season O.J. Simpson wore the number.

Running back Senorise Perry, who signed with the Bills as a free agent, is wearing the number during the team's organized team activities. He told The Athletic that he thought the number was retired.

"I thought it was retired, but then I was told it was available. Boom, I took it," he told The Athletic.

"I know the situation. I know that greatness comes with that number, playing in Buffalo. But I'm willing to take anything that comes my way. I'm going into my sixth year, and I know what it takes to get in this league and stay here. With that number on my back, I know I'm doing well for my family."

Simpson rushed for 10,183 yards and 57 touchdowns and led the NFL in rushing four times in nine seasons for the Bills, but his post-career troubles with the law have kept his number from being retired. His name does appear on the team's Wall of Fame at New Era Field.

Simpson, 71, was acquitted in 1995 for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, but a civil court jury found him liable for wrongful death and ordered him to pay $33.5 million. That total has now increased to more than $70 million since the original verdict in 1997. He was sentenced to prison in 2008 for armed robbery and kidnapping after entering a Las Vegas hotel room to recover stolen memorabilia items. He was paroled in 2017.

"Whatever they do is fine with me," Simpson told The Athletic in a telephone interview. "That's how I feel. When I played there, I tried to honor the team. Since I left, I always tried to honor the Bills.

"And, to be honest, it's not something I think about. There's too much else going on in life."

Perry, 27, has mainly contributed on special teams during his NFL career, averaging 20.6 yards on 22 kick returns. He has rushed for 30 yards and caught two passes in his career.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots have signed star receiver Julian Edelman to a two-year contract extension that includes an $8 million signing bonus and $12 million in guaranteed money, a source told ESPN on Tuesday.

The extension through the 2021 season includes $19 million in "new" money, and gives the 32-year-old Edelman, the MVP of Super Bowl LIII, a chance to finish his career where it started.

The extension was first reported Tuesday by NFL Network.

Edelman was scheduled to earn a base salary of $2 million in 2019. He also had a chance to earn a $500,000 workout bonus, $375,000 in roster bonuses and other incentives for this season.

After missing the first four games of the 2018 regular season because of a suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, Edelman totaled 100 receptions for 1,238 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games (12 regular-season, three playoff).

Edelman, 32, has three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots, and had 10 catches for 141 yards in this year's victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

He has 115 postseason receptions, which trails only Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (151). He also has six 100-yard receiving games in the postseason, which is tied for second in NFL history with Michael Irvin behind Rice (8).

After the Super Bowl, coach Bill Belichick noted how Edelman played quarterback at Kent State and made the transition to receiver with the Patriots after he was selected in the seventh round of the 2009 draft, a move that earned his respect.

Belichick said other than collegiate wrestler turned NFL offensive lineman Stephen Neal, "Nobody has worked harder than Julian in my career to develop his skills and his craft at another position."

In an offseason when the Patriots have undergone significant personnel turnover -- including the retirement of tight end Rob Gronkowski -- Edelman returns as quarterback Tom Brady's No. 1 pass-catching option. Outside of Edelman and first-round draft choice N'Keal Harry, the Patriots have a wide-open competition for roster spots at wide receiver.