The NBA informed teams Tuesday that it intends the salary cap to increase 10% for the 2025-26 season, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

The growth in the salary cap next season is the maximum allowed and aligns with projections the NBA sent teams last June. In a memo sent to teams, the league said the salary cap is projected to be $154.6 million and the luxury tax is projected to be $187.9 million.

In addition, the first apron projects to be $195.9 million and the second apron $207.8 million -- higher by $17.8 from this season. Teams were also informed that those below the luxury tax projects to receive a $11.5 million distribution from the ten tax-paying teams.

Despite the growth in the salary cap, ESPN projects only the Brooklyn Nets to have more than $50 million in cap space next year. The list of potential star free agents this summer include LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and James Harden; all three have a player option for next season.

AS JIMMY BUTLER boarded his first team flight with the Golden State Warriors the day before his Feb. 8 debut against the Chicago Bulls, he had something in his carry-on that he rarely travels without -- his dominoes.

It's an integral part of some of his fondest memories with his late father, Jimmy Butler Jr., who died a year earlier. His father drove an 18-wheeler and spent long days on the road but still had time to introduce his son to the world of dominoes. He educated Butler on strategy, how to always pay attention to the surroundings and the opponents' tells, and most important of all, how to become a winner.

"It's funny because that's how me and my dad would hustle people," Butler told ESPN. "We would play against some grown folks and they'll bet five dollars. ... And my dad would be like, 'All right, I'll take my son.' And everybody would be like, 'Oh man, come on man! That's no challenge! We gonna beat up on y'all.' Sometimes we would lose, but majority of times we would win."

Butler remembers how his father displayed the dominoes in the exact way they were during the previous defeat and explained his mistakes.

"His mind was so good with numbers and dominoes," Butler said. "Like mine is now, which is definitely what I got from him.

"I'd be like, 'How the f--- would I remember what I did two hours ago [let alone two weeks ago]?' And he was like, 'If you'd been paying attention, this is what you should have done and then we can run the board and we can win.'"

Butler has transferred these same practices to the basketball court, watching everything from opponents' frustrations with their coach or a referee to their limps and winces that he can use to his advantage.

"It's from the person that made me Jimmy Butler III," said the Warriors forward, who added the generational suffix to his name and jersey to honor his late father when he joined Golden State. "When I think about it, that's how my dad taught me how to count.

"I started to learn the importance of winning, of dominating, of being the best. And I have surpassed him in that. Before he passed, I was better than he was."

Butler's opponent in dominoes on this flight was Draymond Green, who had been waiting for this match. In the month and a half since then, the two have 19 NBA games together under their belts and have formed a bond that has shaped them as teammates.

When the Warriors traded with the Miami Heat for Butler on Feb. 5 and subsequently signed him to a two-year, $111 million deal, they were taking a gamble that he would salvage a once-promising season that was sinking fast, and give Green and Stephen Curry a much-needed boost toward a playoff berth. The move has worked: The Warriors have gone 16-3 with Butler in the lineup, climbing to sixth place in the Western Conference and only two games out of securing home-court advantage in the first round of the postseason. The Heat, meanwhile, are 5-17 since the trade, and they just snapped a 10-game losing streak, their longest since since 2008.

As Butler returns to Miami on Tuesday after a tumultuous breakup, the six-time All-Star has not only injected life into the Warriors but has developed chemistry with Green that could determine how far the Warriors go this season.

"Two winners that would do anything to win," Butler told ESPN of his relationship with Green. "He could care less about personal success. He's just trying to win a championship.

"I just want to win. I don't give a f--- about nothing else. We ain't going to never butt no motherf---ing heads. ... That's what people keep overlooking. They think like we going to get in fist fights. No we not. Because all we want to do is win."

GREEN HAD WAITED nine years for this game of dominoes above the clouds. When Green played with Butler on the USA Basketball team that won gold in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, they spent time playing the only version of dominoes Butler played then -- "nine no pull."

Butler owned Green, something the ultracompetitive defender didn't forget. Since then, Green has played a lot more dominoes -- even playing online against friends -- and got better over the past decade.

But so did Butler, who Green says is "a master at all of [the variety of dominoes games]."

"It's like basketball. You know how to see plays before they even come," Green told ESPN. "You can read the dominoes based off of what someone is playing. You have to manipulate the dominoes to get what you want out there to put the other person in a tough position. He's really f---ing good."

After playing countless hours on team flights and in their hotel rooms, Green finally earned his first win over Butler recently. But the real breakthrough happened between those domino sessions. The two would have long, deep conversations about how they grew up in places such as Tomball, Texas, and Saginaw, Michigan, how 29 teams passed on Butler in the 2011 draft and 34 teams skipped over Green the next year and how they can be misunderstood.

The two talk and laugh for so long that they lose track of time, sometimes forgetting to eat dinner and realizing in the wee hours of the morning that they have shootaround soon. Butler said they spent nearly six hours playing dominoes with locals at his Big Face coffee shop in Miami on Sunday.

"You heard all these stories about Jimmy Butler's story," Green said. "But I've never really heard the full story. I just heard bits and pieces of it. So I'm kind of using this time to get to know his story.

"Because Jimmy's like this closed book that no one really knows."

Whether it's speculation over the infamous Minnesota Timberwolves practice with Karl-Anthony Towns or the dramatic divorce with the Heat, Butler says he doesn't care what people think or say about him.

But he found common ground with Green, who has dealt with his own drama from the infamous Jordan Poole punch in practice to his indefinite suspension after his chokehold on Rudy Gobert and striking Jusuf Nurkic in the face last season.

Butler says he and Green have heard much of the same criticism.

"We got a lot in common with kids, our love for basketball," Butler said. "Small town individuals that happen to end up on a big-time college basketball squad, late draft picks that have overcome everything to become who they are today. That's what those conversations are and I just appreciate it. I shed grace on everybody that just wants to sit here and s--- on Jimmy Butler III and talk. But it's because you don't know what I'm doing. Nobody does.

"[And] Draymond ain't no f---ing a--hole. I knew it though. ... It's like, 'Bro, nah, you just a winner. You're a truth teller.' And people don't like that."

During a 114-102 win over the Knicks on March 4, Butler saw Green yelling at a fan in Madison Square Garden and walked over to calm his teammate. He too has been trying to learn more about Green during their marathon dominoes sessions.

"If I know what makes you click, I know how to calm you down," Butler said. "I know how to get you fired up. And I've learned a lot about Draymond too, to where when that motherf---er is yelling at a fan, I can be like, 'Hey, hey, hey, hey, come on now. What are we doing?'

"'Look man, they ain't going to beat us. They're not going to help us win and they're not going to beat us. We are not putting this in [the referees'] hands. F--- it.'"

Butler's connection with the Warriors' longtime defensive anchor has been a big part of the team's recent success. Since Butler's debut, the Warriors are second in the league in defensive efficiency (108.6), behind only the Detroit Pistons (108.5). The Warriors were 10th in that category before Butler's arrival.

Butler and Warriors coach Steve Kerr say the Warriors discovered something in the second half of that win in New York. Coming out of halftime, the Warriors outscored the Knicks 67-47, playing the kind of two-way ball Kerr has been preaching. Butler, with the ball flowing through him in and out of the paint, had 13 of his 19 points and three of his four assists in that half.

"We turned the f---ing corner [that] night," Butler said. "Talking about give me the ball and letting me play certain ways. ... We figured something out. I'm much more efficient and I'm harder to guard when I get to do more than one thing besides isolate."

The instant defensive connection between the two Warriors reminded Kerr of Green's championship pairings with Andrew Bogut and Andre Iguodala. But as he thought about it a little bit more, Kerr likened Green and Butler to another elite defensive tag team.

"Pippen and Jordan," Kerr told ESPN of his legendary former Bulls teammates.

"Just incredible intelligence and athleticism combined with versatility. There's definitely some of that."

After Butler's first game as Warrior ended with a 132-111 comeback win in Chicago, Kerr compared Butler's aura and swagger to a "lion." It's a description Kerr says he got from Green.

"Two lions are better than one," Warriors guard Gary Payton II said.

THE TORONTO RAPTORS were looking to stun the Warriors for a second time this season last Thursday night with Curry in the locker room after a scary fall in the third quarter. Curry would sit out the rest of the game with what was later ruled a pelvic bruise and sat out Saturday's loss in Atlanta (he is questionable to return Tuesday).

Jamal Shead was pushing the pace when he saw an open Ochai Agbaji streaking toward the basket. The Raptors' point guard fired a lob from half court only to watch Green fly in and deflect the pass, preventing an easy score that would have cut the Warriors' lead to one with 1:57 left.

Later, down three with 20 seconds remaining, Shead once again thought he had an opening after beating Brandin Podziemski toward the basket. But this time, Butler made a leaping game-sealing block on Shead at the rim.

As the Chase Center buzzed, the Warriors' newest star walked toward half court and pointed at Green.

"I got you!" Butler yelled at Green, who chest bumped and roared back at his teammate. "I can do it too!"

In the span of a minute and a half, Green and Butler slammed the door on the Raptors for a 117-114 win.

"Draymond just fight. Draymond just got a will," Butler said. "He is not the tallest guy. He don't got the longest of arms, finds a way. I'm not here to say that [former teammates] Bam [Adebayo] not this or that Joakim [Noah] not this. That's not what I'm doing.

"I'm just saying that motherf---er just gets it done. Like real defensive player of the year s---. How can you argue with it?"

Butler has been as much of a boon for Curry on the offensive end of the court as he has for Green.

Before Curry's pelvic injury, Butler stabilized the non-Curry minutes -- the Warriors were a plus-60 when Curry wasn't on the court. And the Warriors have a 74% assist percentage since Feb. 8, the highest during that span, which would also be the highest assist percentage over a full season by any team since 1953-54, according to ESPN Research.

The Warriors are 7-2 in clutch-time games with Butler, who delivered his second triple-double as a Warrior with 16 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds to close out the Raptors with the Curry in the locker room. He isn't in "Playoff Jimmy" form just yet as he went 4-for-15 shooting, including 1-for-11 in the fourth quarter. But it was his presence inside that opened up the game for others and his defense -- he had two steals and two blocks -- that helped save them that night.

"I think [it's the] the disruption," said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau when asked how Butler would pair alongside Green. Thibodeau was Butler's former coach with Chicago and Minnesota. "Their ability to think on their feet is really good and their anticipation. ... Draymond's unique because they're not sacrificing defense when he's at center. His ability to read plays, his anticipation, the way he roams and is so disruptive off the ball.

"Jimmy in a lot of ways is very similar."

Curry has been looking for another star to help alleviate the offensive pressure. And Green has found another elite defender who wants to win just as badly as he does.

"For a team that's beaten up on everyone for so many years, everybody wants to crush you," Green said. "And sometimes you just need reinforcement. You need backup that's not falling in line. You need backup that come with their own s---, backup that come with their own fear implemented around the landscape. We needed it.

"We're both smart. And we're both heartless ... heartless when it comes to the opposition. He rewrites the book, which also rewrites the possibilities of things that can be done here."

Catcher Cal Raleigh and the Seattle Mariners are in agreement on a six-year, $105 million contract extension, sources told ESPN, tying the reigning Platinum Glove winner to the franchise that drafted him into the next decade.

The 28-year-old Raleigh, a third-round pick out of Florida State in 2018, is a defensive stalwart and power threat from both sides of the plate whose propensity for clutch hits has endeared him to Seattle fans.

The extension, which will start this season, buys out three years of free agency. Raleigh was scheduled to make $5.6 million as a first-time arbitration-eligible player this year.

Nicknamed "Big Dumper" because of his ample posterior, Raleigh took over full-time catching duties for the Mariners in 2022 and immediately asserted himself as one of the best catchers in baseball. He repeated his success in his second full season and improved even more in 2024, hitting .220/.312/.436 with 34 home runs and 100 RBIs.

Between Raleigh's arm and pitch-framing, he is regarded by evaluators as an elite defensive catcher -- and was rewarded with the American League Gold Glove as well as the Platinum Glove, awarded to the best defensive player at any position in each league.

Raleigh has emerged as a leader in the clubhouse for Seattle, which enters the 2025 season with hopes of winning the AL West for the first time since 2001. The Mariners broke a two-decade-long playoff drought in 2022 but missed the postseason in 2023 and 2024 despite winning 88 and 85 games, respectively.

While the Mariners have found success based around their homegrown starting pitching, the two long-term contracts they've given are to Raleigh and center fielder Julio Rodriguez, who is signed through 2029, with a player option that would cover 2030-34.

Seattle could have a long window of contention ahead if their farm system -- which is among the best in baseball -- continues to produce high-level talent. Led by shortstop Cole Emerson, the Mariners feature a variety of position-playing prospects as well as pitchers, including 2024 draft picks Jurrangelo Cijntje (a switch pitcher) and right-hander Ryan Sloan.

The death of Miller Gardner, the 14-year-old son of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, remains under investigation, but possible asphyxiation has been ruled out, authorities in Costa Rica told ESPN on Tuesday.

Agents from the Quepos and Parrita office of Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Department (OIJ) are investigating, OIJ spokesperson Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia said in a statement. Alvarado Garcia added by phone that the teenager's death had been handled as possible asphyxia but said that cause had been ruled out as of Tuesday.

Brett Gardner and his wife, Jessica, announced their son's death Sunday in a statement released by the Yankees. The statement said Miller had fallen ill, along with several other family members, while on vacation. "We have so many questions and so few answers at this point," the statement said, "but we do know that he passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Friday, March 21st."

Monday, the United States Embassy in Costa Rica and the U.S. Department of State confirmed to ESPN the death of a U.S. citizen in Costa Rica on Friday, March 21, but offered no additional details on the cause of death.

"Out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones during this difficult time, we have no further comment at this time," a State Department spokesperson told ESPN.

In a phone call Tuesday with ESPN, Alvarado Garcia said Miller Gardner was found in his hotel room in Manuel Antonio, a popular resort district, in the province of Puntarenas on Friday morning. He added that Miller Gardner's air passages were not obstructed but that there were traces of vomit.

The 14-year-old was with family members who told investigators that they had "gone to eat at a restaurant and that the food had made them sick," Alvarado Garcia said. It's unclear which family members were with him and where the restaurant was located.

A study was requested at Costa Rican Institute for Research and Teaching in Nutrition and Health (INCIENSA) of the University of Costa Rica. That study, along with an autopsy and other analyses, is being processed over the next two to three months.

The statement by Miller Gardner's parents said: "Miller was a beloved son and brother and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile. He loved football, baseball, golf, hunting, fishing, his family and his friends. He lived life to the fullest every single day."

The Yankees said in the statement that the organization is "filled with grief" after learning of Miller Gardner's death.

"Words feel insignificant and insufficient in trying to describe such an unimaginable loss. It wasn't just Brett who literally grew up in this organization for more than 17 years -- so did his wife, Jessica, and their two boys, Hunter and Miller. We grieve with Brett, Jessica, Hunter, and their community of family and friends in mourning the loss of Miller, who had a spark in his eyes, an outgoing and feisty personality, and a warm and loving nature. Our love for the Gardner family is unconditional and absolute, and we will offer our enduring support while understanding their desire for privacy at this time. May Miller rest in peace," the team said in its statement.

Miller Gardner played high school football in South Carolina and wore No. 11, which his father donned during 14 MLB seasons, all with the Yankees. Brett Gardner, a popular team leader, was a member of New York's 2009 championship team and retired in 2021.

Right-hander Ryan Johnson made the Los Angeles Angels' Opening Day roster and is expected to debut in the major leagues without having played a single minor league game, sources told ESPN.

Johnson, who is 22 and was drafted in the second round last year, signed for $1.75 million but did not pitch after throwing 106 innings in his junior season at Dallas Baptist. Once he debuts -- Johnson is expected to work out of the bullpen -- he would be the first player to skip the minor leagues entirely since Garrett Crochet, who joined the Chicago White Sox in 2020, when the minor league season was canceled because of COVID-19.

Johnson will be only the third player since 2001 to play in the big leagues without a minor league appearance, joining Crochet and right-hander Mike Leake (2010). Since the implementation of the draft in 1965, only 23 players before Johnson have been moved straight to the big leagues.

The Angels' bullpen currently includes veteran closer Kenley Jansen, hard-throwing Ben Joyce and right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn, who in a dozen games last year as a rookie posted a 2.12 ERA. With a fastball that has touched 100 mph and a hard slider upon which he relies, Johnson won the job with a stellar spring in which he struck out 10 and walked just one over 11 innings, with a 3.97 ERA.

The aggressiveness in promoting Johnson aligns with the Angels' organizational philosophy that has seen players rocket through the system. First baseman Nolan Schanuel made his major league debut just 40 days after the Angels took him with the 11th pick in the 2023 draft. Shortstop Zach Neto played only 44 games for the Angels before his April 15, 2023, promotion. Second baseman Christian Moore, Los Angeles' first-round pick last year, spent 23 games at Double-A to end the 2024 season.

At 6-foot-6 and with a funky, high-energy delivery and elite deception, Johnson struck out 151 batters and walked 14 for Dallas Baptist and won Conference USA Player of the Year. Johnson is the 10th-best prospect in the Angels' organization, according to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel's farm system rankings.

Cam Smith, the fast-rising 22-year-old slugger acquired as part of the Kyle Tucker trade with the Chicago Cubs this offseason, has made the Opening Day roster for the Houston Astros.

Smith was informed of the decision before the Astros' exhibition game Tuesday night against their Triple-A club.

In a video shared by the team, Houston manager Joe Espada addressed players in the clubhouse and then brought out Smith's mother, who notified her son of the decision.

The call up. #BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/5d1HxEFk0l

Houston Astros (@astros) March 25, 2025

"I always thought it was possible," an emotional Smith told reporters shortly after he was informed of the decision. "I had a great group of guys to help me out to get here today. I always thought it was a possibility for it to happen. And we're here today talking about it now. So I'm very blessed.

"At one point it was just me and her (his mother) in the house. She struggled to take me to baseball games and practice. I'm just happy to do it for her."

Smith's ascension to the major leagues has been meteoric. He played just 32 games in the minors last season after being drafted 14th overall by the Cubs in July. According to MLB.com, that's the third-fewest games played by a position player before he made it to the big leagues since 1965. Only Pete Incaviglia of the 1986 Texas Rangers (zero games) and John Olerud of the 1990 Toronto Blue Jays (six) got there faster.

Smith had a huge spring to help his cause, as he hit .342 with four home runs.

After bursting onto the minor league scene last summer, when he hit six home runs in six consecutive Single-A games, the Cubs traded him to Houston for All-Star right fielder Tucker in a winter, blockbuster deal.

Now, there's a good chance he'll take Tucker's place in the outfield on Opening Day on Thursday against the New York Mets after he played third base at Florida State.

"I've been here for eight years and we haven't had the conversations we are having about a lot of our players because we've had a team that's pretty much been built," Espada said recently. "Now we're trying to move some players around and be creative. As a manager, it's super exciting to see young players showcasing themselves and putting us in a tough spot to make tough decisions."

The move to the outfield for Smith came in mid-March, further foreshadowing the Astros' decision to eventually keep him on the roster. In the same trade for the young prospect, the team also acquired third baseman Isaac Paredes, facilitating Smith's move to right field.

"I'm not setting expectations," Smith said of a potential move to the outfield. "I'm just playing ball. I'm playing free."

Smith was drafted in the first round after playing two seasons with the Seminoles. He took major steps between his freshman and sophomore years after playing in the Cape Cod League in 2023. He hit .387 with 16 home runs for Florida State last year before being drafted.

According to ESPN Research, if Smith starts Thursday against the Mets, he'll be the second-youngest Astros position player to make his MLB debut as a starter on Opening Day. The youngest was Rusty Staub (19) in 1963.

Smith was asked how he's handling his early success in the pros.

"Slow heartbeat," he said.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Aaron Boone's first message to the 2025 New York Yankees, delivered at Steinbrenner Field in mid-February when all uniformed personnel were still beardless and an ulnar collateral ligament had not yet torpedoed their ace's season, was about hunger. Having the hunger to win. Fighting for it.

"It's not just a given," said Boone, who is entering his eighth season as the team's manager. "The early indications tell me I do think we have an edge to us, a purpose to what we're doing. But it's early. We gotta live that."

For the Yankees, and their fan base, expectations never fluctuate. It's forever World Series or disappointment, and disappointment has punctuated each of the past 15 seasons.

That appetite spiked coming off a 2023 season in which the Yankees missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years. This season, the hunger is amplified by a vastly different result in 2024: The Yankees reached the World Series only to squander a five-run lead in a home elimination game against the Los Angeles Dodgers -- with one of the worst defensive innings in postseason history.

Baseball is a sport that requires people to constantly flush away inevitable failure to move on to the next pitch, the next at-bat, the next game. But, as Boone knows, failure can also serve as a motivator. His players are learning all about that, too.

"I think some of those things, some of those feelings you don't necessarily get over ever," 23-year-old shortstop Anthony Volpe said. "But I think our team and our clubhouse has done a pretty good job of using those things and those feelings to push us to new heights and new things. I think the best part is I don't think we'll ever get over that."

The inning-long disaster gave way to an equally long offseason: seeing Juan Soto defect to the rival New York Mets in free agency this winter, losing ace Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery this spring. Now, with a reshuffled roster, the Yankees will look to move forward, starting with their season opener Thursday at Yankee Stadium against the Milwaukee Brewers.

How do the players -- and the franchise -- bounce back?

"When you mess up a couple of times in one game, especially in the biggest game of the year, it sucks," Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. "Then that brings in the hunger for this year. Like everybody is ready to roll. Everybody's super excited. Everybody's locked in."

THE TEAM THAT plays Thursday in the Bronx will be very different from the one that took the field on the eve of Halloween, the last time Yankee Stadium hosted a baseball game.

That night, the fifth-inning debacle -- made possible by three two-out miscues, opening the door for the Dodgers to score five runs -- did not ultimately cost the Yankees the World Series. New York rallied and led 6-5 entering the bottom of the eighth inning before fumbling another lead. But it is the infamous fifth inning's sequence of events -- Judge dropping a routine fly ball in center field, Volpe committing a throwing error, Cole not covering first base on a ground ball to Anthony Rizzo that should've ended the inning without a run scored -- that will be remembered.

"I mean, it's tough," Cole said. "Just gotta carry it like a battle scar."

Said Boone: "I feel like it's going to sting forever. And that's what I said to the guys immediately after the game. Hard for me to say if the way it happened, if that makes it sting any more. I don't know. Getting to where we got to and the amount of success we had last year and not finishing it off, it hurts."

Baseball history is littered with postseason collapses. Several of them have happened in New York, including in 2003 at the old Yankee Stadium, when Boston Red Sox manager Grady Little stuck with Pedro Martinez in the eighth inning with a 5-3 lead in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. The decision backfired. The Yankees rallied to tie the game and, in the 11th inning, Boone -- then a Yankees infielder -- clubbed a Tim Wakefield knuckleball into the left-field stands to send New York to the World Series.

But Boston proved you can reach the summit after hitting rock bottom -- the Red Sox exacted their revenge in the ALCS against the Yankees the next year by becoming the first team in major league history to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven series.

"Losing Game 7 [in 2003] was devastating, and it's hard not to have that linger a little while into the offseason," said Miami Marlins assistant general manager Gabe Kapler, an outfielder on both the 2003 and 2004 Red Sox teams. "And we definitely felt like we were as good or were better than the Yankees in 2003. We made some important additions in that offseason, and we felt like going into 2004 we were poised to make a run."

In the days after the World Series, the Yankees received another dose of motivation. Members of the Dodgers emptied a saltshaker on an open wound when they criticized the Yankees in various podcast interviews, pointing out that they entered the series expecting to exploit New York's subpar defense and baserunning. Around this time, too, bumper stickers of the Fox score bug from the fifth inning -- showing the Yankees up 5-0 with two outs -- went viral.

Jon Berti, a Yankee in 2024 who signed with the Chicago Cubs during the offseason, said Dodgers players "disrespected" the Yankees with their criticism. Boone said he hopes his team will handle winning the World Series "with a little more class" if it does so. Yankees reliever Luke Weaver said he didn't understand the motivation for the comments. Other Yankees steered clear.

"What am I going to say?" said Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, the reigning AL MVP. "You win, you can kind of say whatever you want. If you don't like it, you got to play better."

The Yankees won for most of the 2024 season, finishing with an AL-leading 94-66 record before knocking off the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians to claim the pennant.

"I think there's a blend of like, pride and confidence for how well we played, for how long we played," said Cole, who will act as an unofficial pitching coach this season while he recovers from surgery. "And then there's like a little chip. There's like a little edge. So it's a nice blend of like, 'Hey, we know we're good. We know we can get back there.'"

The Yankees' attempt to return will come in a wide-open American League. PECOTA, Baseball America's widely cited projection system, predicts the Yankees will finish with 85 wins, enough for a third-place finish in the competitive AL East, the seventh-best record in the AL and a 51.1% chance of making the playoffs.

This year, they will rely on a new group of veterans -- headlined by lefty ace Max Fried, All-Star closer Devin Williams and former MVPs Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt -- and a wave of young position players -- Volpe, Jasson Dominguez, Austin Wells and Ben Rice will begin the season as regulars -- to absorb Soto's departure and a rash of injuries. And to become that last team standing, they'll have to play better when it matters most.

"In my two seasons, I think there's always been laser focus," Volpe said. "But I think there's probably just that little -- I mean, a pretty big chip on everyone's shoulder."

THIS OFFSEASON WAS full of change for the Yankees -- and represented a shift in their place in the landscape of Major League Baseball. The Dodgers, not the Yankees, are now the organization irking owners around the sport with their lavish spending, again positioning themselves as World Series favorites with a lucrative revenue stream from Japan and a projected payroll more than double that of 16 other teams, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. Meanwhile, the Mets lured Soto to Queens after his sensational season in the Bronx -- a previously unthinkable notion for the little brother franchise in the decades before billionaire Steve Cohen bought it.

Even the Yankees' traditions have changed. Last month, hours before the club's Grapefruit League opener, owner Hal Steinbrenner announced a modification to the organization's long-standing facial hair policy -- since 1976, beards had been outlawed, with free agent signees famously changing their signature looks upon becoming Yankees. "Well-groomed beards" are now allowed, though the definition of "well-groomed" remains unclear.

Days later, the team confirmed -- in the wake of the Dodgers celebrating their World Series title to the song on the field at Yankee Stadium last fall -- that Frank Sinatra's rendition of the theme from "New York, New York" will be played only after wins. The song -- for several years Liza Minnelli's version was used after losses -- had been played after all Yankees home games since 1980.

Of course, much remains the same. The oft-stated win-or-bust goal stands. And the Yankees' projected payroll is again more than $300 million, fourth in the majors.

Upon hearing Soto's decision, GM Brian Cashman sprang into action, making a series of moves in December to overhaul the roster. The Yankees signed Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract two days after Soto chose the Mets. Williams, strikeout specialist Fernando Cruz, Bellinger and Goldschmidt were acquired over the next 10 days. The front office didn't spend enough to fix everything -- upgrading third base remains unchecked on the list of priorities -- but the transactions raised the team's floor.

"I think we addressed some needs or some deficiencies more so than we would've been able to had we brought Juan back," Boone said. "But there's a lot of different ways to do it. And I think if it has to be one way, you limit yourself a little bit."

Regardless, a series of blows this spring is already testing the team's depth.

Losing Cole leaves the Yankees' projected top-tier rotation without its No. 1 option. Luis Gil, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, will miss at least the first two months with a lat strain. Clarke Schmidt will begin the season on the injured list with a balky back.

With those three sidelined, Carlos Rodon will be the team's No. 2 starter and will get the ball for Thursday's season opener. Marcus Stroman, who reported to camp not expected to make the rotation, will begin the season as the No. 3 starter. Will Warren, a 25-year-old rookie, and Carlos Carrasco, a 38-year-old non-roster invitee to spring training, round out the group.

Giancarlo Stanton, who, alongside Soto, powered the Yankees' postseason run with a Herculean October, has torn tendons in both of his elbows and will miss substantial time, if not the whole year. Their veteran third-base option, DJ LeMahieu, is hurt again. Other concerns include Dominguez's defense in left field and a shortage of right-handed hitters to better balance the lineup.

"All you're trying to do is create that type of momentum to when you finally get everything you want, it's on the right trajectory," Weaver said. "So it's kind of weathering the storm, so to speak, in order to hopefully see that rainbow."

The Yankees, as they have done in each of the past four years, could acquire a player in the final days leading up to the start of the regular season to bolster the roster. Last season, in need of a third baseman, they traded for Berti the day before Opening Day.

"I think we have a good team," Cashman said, "and we look forward to testing it when we deploy March 27th."

The 2025 Yankees will undoubtedly be tested. By the injuries. By the rest of the American League. By the weight of what happened during -- and since -- Game 5.

"You think about any loss, you can't really sit there and dwell on it," Judge said. "Whether it's losing Game 1 or losing Game 5, a loss is a loss. We just didn't do our job."

NEW YORK -- With the clock winding down in regulation in a tie game, the Islanders appeared to get the go-ahead goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, it was immediately waved off by officials, and New York ended up losing 4-3 in a shootout.

Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri redirected a shot from Alexander Romanov past Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins with about 9 seconds remaining. After officials waved it off for goaltender interference, the situation room in Toronto reviewed the play and confirmed the no-goal call on the ice.

"If Toronto is afraid to overturn calls made by their referee, we don't need Toronto," Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. "That's all I want to say."

Shortly before the deflection, Palmieri skated in front of the crease and Merzlikins came forward and bumped into him.

According to the league's explanation, "Palmieri impaired Merzlikins' ability to play his position in the crease prior to the goal."

Palmieri didn't like the call.

"He said there was contact initiated in the crease," Palmieri said of a conversation with the referee. "And I guess the goalie needs five minutes to get reset and ready for the shot, and it looked like he couldn't wait to wave it off."

With one point earned for the shootout loss, the Islanders pulled into a tie with the New York Rangers and one point behind Montreal for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. Columbus is another point back.

The Washington Capitals have officially punched their ticket to the postseason dance already, and the Winnipeg Jets are well on their way to doing so as well (a win over the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday would have done it, but that was not in the cards apparently).

Those two teams meet on Tuesday night (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+), and could meet again if they make the Stanley Cup Final. As of now, each is poised to face the second wild-card team in their respective conference -- might they prefer one of the bubble teams over the others?

In Winnipeg's case, the team currently in the second wild-card spot is the St. Louis Blues. The Jets have gone 2-1 against the Blues this season, with one of the wins coming via shootout, and they'll face off again on Apr. 7. If the Calgary Flames slide into that spot for an old-school Smythe Division showdown, the Jets also went 2-1 against them this season (though the last game was back on Jan. 26).

The Utah Hockey Club could make a push into that spot, and -- you guessed it -- the Jets have gone 2-1 against the NHL's newest team. The final team with a legit shot at the West's last spot is the Vancouver Canucks, against whom the Jets have gone 1-1, with their final matchup this Saturday.

The Caps' first-round opponent of the moment is the Montreal Canadiens; Washington won two of three against Montreal, with the loss coming in OT. If the New York Rangers slide in as the opponent, the Caps will hope to avenge their sweep in last year's playoffs, and appear likely to do so based on regular-season results; they won each of the three matchups against the Blueshirts. Washington won its only matchup against the New York Islanders this season, with two games remaining.

The Capitals have also had success against the Columbus Blue Jackets (two wins in two games thus far, with two remaining in April) and Detroit Red Wings (two wins this month after a loss on Dec. 29).

So although the path will get more difficult as the playoff tournament wears on, it appears that both the Caps and Jets are in good shape -- on paper, at least -- heading into the opening round.

There is less than a month left until April 17, the final day of the regular season, and we'll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we'll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today's schedule
Yesterday's scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Montreal Canadiens
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils

Western Conference

C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 St. Louis Blues
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers

Tuesday's games

Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).

Ottawa Senators at Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m.
Nashville Predators at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m.
Montreal Canadiens at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m.
Vegas Golden Knights at Minnesota Wild, 8 p.m.
Washington Capitals at Winnipeg Jets, 8 p.m.
Detroit Red Wings at Colorado Avalanche, 9 p.m.
Seattle Kraken at Calgary Flames, 9 p.m.
New York Rangers at Los Angeles Kings, 10:30 p.m.

Monday's scoreboard

Vancouver Canucks 4, New Jersey Devils 3 (SO)
Columbus Blue Jackets 4, New York Islanders 3 (SO)
Dallas Stars 3, Minnesota Wild 0
Detroit Red Wings 5, Utah Hockey Club 1

Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

Florida Panthers

Points: 89
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 11
Points pace: 102.8
Next game: vs. UTA (Friday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Toronto Maple Leafs

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 12
Points pace: 101.9
Next game: vs. PHI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Tampa Bay Lightning

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 12
Points pace: 99.6
Next game: vs. PIT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Ottawa Senators

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 13
Points pace: 93.9
Next game: @ BUF (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 98.2%
Tragic number: N/A

Montreal Canadiens

Points: 75
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 13
Points pace: 89.1
Next game: @ STL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 48.8%
Tragic number: N/A

Detroit Red Wings

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Points pace: 84.3
Next game: @ COL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 3.0%
Tragic number: 22

Boston Bruins

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 78.6
Next game: @ ANA (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 15

Buffalo Sabres

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 73.7
Next game: vs. OTT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 14

Metro Division

x - Washington Capitals

Points: 102
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 12
Points pace: 119.5
Next game: @ WPG (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Carolina Hurricanes

Points: 90
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 12
Points pace: 105.4
Next game: vs. NSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

New Jersey Devils

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 10
Points pace: 92.3
Next game: @ CHI (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 94.6%
Tragic number: N/A

New York Islanders

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Points pace: 86.7
Next game: vs. VAN (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 28.0%
Tragic number: 24

New York Rangers

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 85.5
Next game: @ LA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 17.9%
Tragic number: 22

Columbus Blue Jackets

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Points pace: 85.5
Next game: vs. VAN (Friday)
Playoff chances: 9.4%
Tragic number: 23

Pittsburgh Penguins

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 78.6
Next game: @ TB (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 15

Philadelphia Flyers

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 74.0
Next game: vs. OTT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 11

Central Division

Winnipeg Jets

Points: 100
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 11
Points pace: 115.5
Next game: vs. WSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Dallas Stars

Points: 94
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 12
Points pace: 110.1
Next game: @ EDM (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Colorado Avalanche

Points: 89
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 11
Points pace: 102.8
Next game: vs. DET (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Minnesota Wild

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 11
Points pace: 98.2
Next game: vs. VGK (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 96.8%
Tragic number: N/A

St. Louis Blues

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 10
Points pace: 92.3
Next game: vs. MTL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 71.1%
Tragic number: N/A

Utah Hockey Club

Points: 75
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 86.6
Next game: @ TB (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 13.3%
Tragic number: 17

Nashville Predators

Points: 60
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Points pace: 70.3
Next game: @ CAR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 4

e - Chicago Blackhawks

Points: 51
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 58.9
Next game: vs. NJ (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Pacific Division

Vegas Golden Knights

Points: 92
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 12
Points pace: 107.8
Next game: @ MIN (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Los Angeles Kings

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 13
Points pace: 103.4
Next game: vs. NYR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Edmonton Oilers

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 12
Points pace: 101.9
Next game: vs. DAL (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.5%
Tragic number: N/A

Vancouver Canucks

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 90.1
Next game: @ NYI (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 8.9%
Tragic number: 20

Calgary Flames

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 91.5
Next game: vs. SEA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 10.6%
Tragic number: 23

Anaheim Ducks

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Points pace: 79.7
Next game: vs. BOS (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 12

Seattle Kraken

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Points pace: 75.1
Next game: @ CGY (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 7

e - San Jose Sharks

Points: 47
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Points pace: 55.1
Next game: vs. TOR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Note: An "x" means that the team has clinched a playoff berth. An "e" means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL's Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.

1. San Jose Sharks

Points: 47
Regulation wins: 14

2. Chicago Blackhawks

Points: 51
Regulation wins: 18

3. Nashville Predators

Points: 60
Regulation wins: 22

4. Buffalo Sabres

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 22

5. Philadelphia Flyers

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 17

6. Seattle Kraken

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 24

7. Anaheim Ducks

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 22

8. Pittsburgh Penguins

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 20

9. Boston Bruins

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23

10. Detroit Red Wings

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 25

11. Columbus Blue Jackets

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 23

12. New York Rangers

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 31

13. New York Islanders

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25

14. Utah Hockey Club

Points: 75
Regulation wins: 24

15. Calgary Flames

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 26

16. Vancouver Canucks

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 25