ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott said that he feels the situation with Stefon Diggs is "resolved" and clarified that he excused Diggs from Tuesday's mandatory minicamp practice.

The wide receiver was present and participated in individual drills during Wednesday's mandatory minicamp. He did not participate in team drills.

McDermott's clarification comes a day after he said that he was "very concerned, very concerned" about Diggs not being present for Tuesday's practice. The coach said Wednesday that whenever a player is not at a practice for whatever reason, he is concerned.

"That's my sentiment with any player, in particular a player as important to us as Stef," McDermott said. "And so, I get concerned when players miss for reasons off the field, for reasons on the field. Whether it be they're injured or whatever it is. That's just how I am. So, when I say very concerned, I'm very concerned, because of the situation with one of our players, and it was something that we needed to work through and those are healthy conversations that happen and I'm extremely appreciative of those conversations. It gets us, when you have those healthy conversations, it gets you to a better spot. And I feel good about that. I feel like we're in that spot."

McDermott said that Diggs did everything the team asked for by reporting to the team's facility Monday and taking his physical, then reported again Tuesday for meetings. On Tuesday, a meeting took place with "a good conversation, great communication" that led to the decision that some space was needed.

"We got to a point yesterday where I just, we just, felt like we all needed a break and some space," McDermott said. "And so, I gave Stef permission to get some space and head out and then picked up those conversations after practice."

McDermott said that he was keeping the content of the conversation and the people involved internal. Diggs did not address the media Wednesday.

Quarterback Josh Allen said that he spoke with Diggs on Tuesday and that "I'm sure we're going to have some more conversations moving forward and as an organization, as QB-receiver, as an offensive coordinator, everything that goes in."

"I know internally we're working on some things, not football related, but Stef, he's my guy. Excuse my ... I f---ing love him. He's a brother of mine," Allen said Tuesday. "This does not work, what we're doing here, without him. We wish he was in here today and was out there on the field with us and that's not the case, but I've got his back no matter what. And again, I've got no doubts that we will figure out what's going on and freaking love him. I can't stress that enough. There's things that I could do better and to help out with this process and try to get him back here and be the Buffalo Bill that he's meant to be."

Both Allen and pass-rusher Von Miller expressed their love and support for Diggs on Tuesday and minimized his absence, in part because it's still early in the NFL calendar.

Diggs signed a four-year, $96 million extension last offseason, and trading him would incur a significant dead cap hit with $31.1 million in dead money set to hit if he were traded. His deal included $70 million guaranteed, the third-most all time for a wide receiver. Diggs, 29, and Buffalo had their sights set on him retiring with the Bills when the contract was signed in April 2022.

After the team's postseason loss to the Bengals in January that featured the Buffalo offense's lowest output of the year, Diggs was noticeably upset with Allen on the sideline and left before talking to the media.

Diggs' production declined in the second half of the 2022 season. He started the year on pace for his best career season statistically with 72 receptions on 98 targets for 985 yards and seven touchdowns in the first nine games. In the nine games that followed, including the postseason, Diggs caught 47 receptions on 74 targets and four touchdowns.

"I think we're just, as an organization, maybe not communicating the right way with everything," Allen said. "So again, just trying to talk and listen at the same time and hear him out. And like I said, just try to move this forward as quickly and as respectfully as possible."

INDIANAPOLIS -- Jonathan Taylor has assessed the current economic attitudes toward running backs in the NFL, and the All-Pro is beginning to wonder what it all means for him.

The Indianapolis Colts star said Wednesday that recent developments with backs such as Dalvin Cook, Saquon Barkley and others have given him reason for pause as he embarks on his own contract negotiations. Taylor, who is entering the final season of his rookie contract, is guardedly optimistic.

"You definitely have to pay attention, just so you know, 'OK, what type of space are you entering into?'" Taylor said. "And you just hope from the track record here [in Indianapolis] that things are being evaluated the right way."

Taylor, who rushed for a franchise-record 1,811 yards in 2021, is coming off a down season in which he battled a nagging ankle injury that limited him to 11 games. He rushed for 861 yards and four touchdowns. But the sum total of Taylor's three seasons with the Colts remains highly impressive: 3,841 yards and 33 rushing touchdowns.

Taylor acknowledged that might mean only so much given how other top running backs around the league continue to fight for financial gains.

Cook, the former Minnesota Vikings running back, was released last week after his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season. The New York Giants and Barkley, who was given the franchise tag by the team, remain in a contract standoff. And Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, also a franchise tag recipient, has yet to sign his tender after leading the NFL in rushing last season.

"You see why guys request trades," Taylor said. "They just want to feel valued by not only their coaches, their teammates, but the organization as well."

Taylor, 24, said he has had some talks with the Colts and remains optimistic a deal can be worked out. "We definitely have approached [the contract]," he said. "Hopefully they can see the value."

THE KANSAS CITY Chiefs' team charter was in its descent when Nick Lowery looked out into the darkness and saw a long, glowing red ribbon down below -- a massive line of cars on Interstate 29, backed up near the Kansas City airport. It resembled the final scene in "Field of Dreams."

"I never in my life saw what I saw when we were flying home that night," recalled the former Chiefs kicker, who played 18 years in the NFL on three different teams.

The Chiefs were returning home from a 1993 AFC divisional playoff win over the Oilers in Houston, where a quarterback by the name of Joe Montana -- in his first season with the team -- had rallied them to a 28-20 victory with a 21-point fourth quarter. They were going to the conference championship for the first time since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, prompting thousands of fans to form a giant welcoming committee at the airport.

That's what a franchise quarterback can do: He can light up a city. A quarterback like Montana, who arrived with Hall of Fame credentials, can do it before he plays a down.

With a glittering résumé comes hope, and history tells us success-starved organizations will pay dearly for those commodities, regardless of the date on the birth certificate.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos signed Tom Brady and Peyton Manning at 43 and 36, respectively. The Chiefs and New York Jets traded for Montana and Brett Favre at 37 and 39, respectively. Three are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and one will be there before long.

Whatever the reason -- doubted, slighted or injured -- they went from their supposed-to-be-forever team to a new city and a new way of doing things. Aaron Rodgers, who most certainly will join them in Canton someday, now is attempting the same late-career transition with the Jets after 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers.

Ostensibly, Rodgers doesn't need this. His legacy is secure, as was the case with the others, but he arrives harboring two chips -- the one on his shoulder and the one he wants to win.

"All of us, that's what makes us who we are -- the competitiveness," said Hall of Famer Warren Moon, who was 38 when he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings after 10 seasons with the Oilers and six with the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos. "You're not going to tell me when I should stop playing. I'm going to do that when I know I'm ready, and I'm going to show you."

This is a story of show-and-tell. Moon showed 'em -- they all did -- but there's also a truth to tell:

Change, even for the great ones, is hard.

LET'S TALK BEGINNINGS. Favre's first day with the Jets in 2008 played out in broad daylight before starstruck eyes. With 10,500 fans watching -- four times the usual crowd for training camp -- he received a standing ovation as he walked out to Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days" for his first practice. With no offseason prep and virtually no classroom time to learn the plays -- he didn't arrive until early August -- Favre launched rockets and was applauded for every completion. Yes, even the warmup tosses.

Brady's unofficial debut with the Bucs happened in semi-privacy at school fields in the Tampa area. Eager to get started, he convened teammates throughout the spring for workouts, once incurring a complaint from the mayor for training by himself in a public park -- a no-no during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Manning's earliest days with the Broncos in 2012 occurred in solitude, in a darkened film room and a lonely trainer's room. Cramming the playbook and rehabbing his surgically repaired neck, he logged 12-hour days at the facility, sometimes ordering food delivery because he didn't want to leave and disrupt his routine.

Montana's start with the Chiefs was a joke. An all-time prankster, he tried to lighten the mood in the first team meeting by secretly setting off a stink bomb. The odor was so foul that coach Marty Schottenheimer called off the meeting and evacuated the room. By all accounts, he wasn't happy.

Moon's first drive to the Vikings' facility was "a guessing game," he recalled, because he didn't know the route. (This was 1994, the pre-GPS days.) It was a stark reminder that, in many ways, he was starting over.

But nothing energizes a franchise like a quarterback who has been there, done that. He's the superhero who arrives to save the day.

"It changes everything," said former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum, who negotiated the Favre trade with the Packers. "The food tastes better. The grass looks greener. We felt like the moment he walked through the door, we had a shot to win a championship. Not talk about it, not dream about it, but like, 'OK, we've got freaking Brett Favre. Let's go!'"

Favre, feted by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg before he played a game, led the Jets to an 8-3 start in 2008, fueling Super Bowl dreams. But he tore a biceps tendon in his throwing arm and they missed the playoffs at 9-7 even though he gutted it out and didn't miss a game. Favre retired for the second time in 11 months following the 2008 season -- but this one didn't last, either. His next team got what the Jets wanted. A healthy Favre led the Vikings on a playoff run in 2009.

The others -- Brady, Manning, Montana and Moon -- led their new teams to the playoffs in the first season. Brady took it further, winning the Super Bowl. So did Manning, but it didn't happen until his fourth and final season in Denver.

Before the confetti, there was adversity, especially for Manning.

He was released by the Indianapolis Colts after sitting out the 2011 season with a significant neck injury, and there was no guarantee he'd recapture his vintage form. Former Broncos coach John Fox said Manning had to "reteach himself" how to pass a football. Because of nerve damage, Manning "didn't know where his arm was" when he reached back to throw, according to Fox.

To this day, Fox is awed by what Manning had to overcome. He believes the injury, coupled with the pink slip from the Colts, provided premium fuel.

"In Peyton's case, I don't think he ever expected the Colts to cut him," Fox said. "He's very respectful and never says a bad word about the Colts organization, but he had a purpose now -- and that's huge. That's a big thing with these elite athletes."

Montana endured something similar with the San Francisco 49ers. He missed the 1991 season with an elbow injury, then was the backup to Steve Young in 1992. Essentially, he missed two straight years, finding himself in limbo after four Super Bowl championships with the 49ers.

No one would've questioned his greatness if he had opted for a golden parachute, but he surprised many, including the 49ers, by pursuing the Kansas City opportunity.

"I think he had experienced the pain of sitting behind Steve Young, not feeling like he was appreciated," said Lowery, who sat with Montana in first class on team flights -- the privilege of being the two oldest players on the Chiefs. "Joe's mind and heart went to, 'I'm going to get those f---ers.'"

Moon was coming off his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl with the Oilers when he got traded to Minnesota in 1994 (a few months after losing to Montana in the playoffs). He understood the financial implications -- the salary cap was in its infancy -- but he felt wronged.

And he spoke up.

"I told the GM at the time, Floyd Reese, 'You know what? I'm not done yet. I understand why you're doing this, but I think you're making a mistake,'" Moon said. "The next time we played, I saw him after the game -- we beat them -- and I told him, 'I told you so.' He just laughed."

Moon, who got a late start in the NFL because of his CFL career where he won five Grey Cups, made two more Pro Bowls with the Vikings. He proved his point.

Brady's exit from the New England Patriots was presented by both sides as a mutual parting. His contract expired, he became a free agent and chose the Bucs. They hadn't made the playoffs in 12 years, but he saw them as a stock on the rise.

The first year had a storybook ending, as Brady ended up with the Lombardi Trophy in his arms for the seventh time in his career, but there was tension along the way. People forget the Bucs were 7-5, in danger of missing the playoffs.

Brady, after 20 years in the Patriots' system, wasn't comfortable in coach Bruce Arians' offense. They adjusted on the fly, using their bye week to make the offense more Brady-friendly. The result: The Bucs didn't lose another game the rest of the season.

"Having to learn a new offense in your 18th, 19th year, it's almost impossible because you have to unlearn your old offense," Manning said in a recent episode of "The Pat McAfee Show." "You saw it with Brady.

"He goes to Tampa and they're making him learn some different language. All of a sudden ... they're like, 'Maybe we should just call the plays Tom used to run in New England.' OK, OK, let's do that. Boom! They go to the Super Bowl."

Reflecting on his Denver offense, Manning said they combined playbooks -- his personal playbook and the Broncos' -- to create a hybrid. During the offseason transition, Fox hired former longtime Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore -- a Manning guru, if you will -- to teach Manning's system to the Denver coaches.

It was a historic success, as the Broncos set the league record for most points in a season (606) in 2013.

From an X's and O's standpoint, Moon had it tougher than anyone. In Houston, he directed the run 'n' shoot, a four-receiver attack with lots of option routes and motion -- an offense rarely used in the NFL. In Minnesota, he had to become a traditional dropback passer, which meant learning new footwork.

It was like learning how to read from sheet music after years of playing by ear, but Moon worked on it for countless hours after practice and eventually mastered it, leading the league in completions in 1995 at age 39.

Time was the enemy for Favre and the Jets, who didn't make the trade until two weeks into training camp. Tannenbaum was stressed, knowing they had to cram a few months of work into three weeks.

The former GM, who took a private jet to Favre's home in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was anxious as he waited for Favre and his wife to pack their suitcases for the trip to New York. Let's just say Favre wasn't in hurry-up mode, and Tannenbaum could almost hear the clock ticking toward Week 1.

"The whole thing was surreal," said Tannenbaum, now an ESPN analyst. "I felt a sense of relief, to be candid, when he and Deanna were on the plane and the door closed. I felt like, 'OK, I did my job.' I slept great on the plane."

Instead of force-feeding their system to Favre, the Jets adjusted as much as they could to suit him. When all else failed, he did what he did best -- he improvised. Players said Favre was famous for making up plays in the huddle.

PAUL HACKETT OBSERVED from the sideline last week, chatting with Jets owner Woody Johnson as they watched the team's prized acquisition -- Rodgers -- practice under the guidance of Paul's son, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

Talk about a full-circle moment.

Thirty years ago, it was Nathaniel -- only 13 -- who studied his dad as he coached Montana through his initial paces at Chiefs practice. Paul was hired that year, 1993, as the offensive coordinator.

The situations are strikingly parallel. Years before joining the Chiefs, Paul was Montana's quarterbacks coach for three years in San Francisco. Paul's presence in Kansas City was one of the factors that convinced Montana it was the right place.

Similarly, Nathaniel was Rodgers' coordinator for three years in Green Bay, where they forged a tight bond. That relationship, Rodgers said, was a primary reason for him agreeing to the trade.

Nathaniel said he has discussed the Montana years with his now-retired dad, 75, hoping to cull nuggets that can apply to the present. Rodgers, too, has talked to the elder Hackett about it.

"I was lucky to be just a young kid when that happened with Joe and my father, and I thought it was a great experience for both of them," Nathaniel said. "Both of them had come into an organization that was starved to move forward in their progression, and I think my dad and Joe -- it was great because they had been in the same system. A lot of that is the same for Aaron and I."

Rodgers' background in Hackett's version of the West Coast offense should make for a seamless transition from a schematic standpoint. It did for Montana. As Lowery recalled, "Joe, in practice, was like watching the conductor of a New York symphony." Unfortunately, Montana suffered a concussion in the 1993 AFC Championship Game, and the Chiefs lost to the Buffalo Bills 30-13.

Not every legendary quarterback gets a happy ending. Some don't even get a happy beginning on their second team. The most infamous examples are Joe Namath and Johnny Unitas, iconic players with the Jets and Baltimore Colts, respectively, who headed to the West Coast looking for a final fling.

Unitas, 40, looked out of place with the San Diego Chargers in 1973 and played poorly in four starts. Namath, 34, got the same number of starts with the Los Angeles Rams, and the results were almost identical in 1977. Those golden right arms had three touchdown passes apiece.

Looking back, Namath said he underestimated the late career change, calling it "a very difficult transition." He loved the Jets -- he was the face of the franchise -- but they had a new coach and a young roster. Not interested in a rebuild, he requested a trade. It was tough. Even calling plays was hard; he kept reverting to his old plays with the Jets.

No one expects this to happen to Rodgers, 39, who seemingly has everything he needs. He's reunited with an old coach, a handful of former Green Bay teammates and a system that helped him win the NFL MVP in 2020 and 2021.

Manning expects Rodgers to succeed because of his familiarity with the offense, saying, "He's going to be able to play so much faster."

Bucs coach Todd Bowles, the defensive coordinator in Brady's first season in Tampa, said, "I can't speak for the Jets and Aaron. I can speak on what Tom did for us and we won a Super Bowl. ... Aaron is so smart. He can see things on the field that only the great ones can see. He's an outstanding player, he really is."

And a motivated player.

A contentious divorce from the Packers has provided additional ammunition for Rodgers, according to those who know him. They say he's rejuvenated, eager to prove last season -- a down year by his standards -- was a fluke.

"They're getting a pissed-off Aaron Rodgers, which is exactly the Aaron Rodgers you want," said former Jets coach Eric Mangini, who coached Favre in 2008. "When he was pissed off about Jordan Love, he won the MVP. When he was pissed off about his contract, he won the MVP. When Jordan Love wasn't an issue and the contract was taken care of, not as great. Now he's pissed off. It's perfect."

The stakes are enormous for the Jets, who, after 12 consecutive non-playoff seasons, have shifted into win-now mode. The owner is paying nearly $60 million in guarantees for Rodgers, who will earn a total of $108 million if he plays a second year. This is the same owner -- Johnson -- who fired Mangini when things went awry at the end of Favre's one-year run.

If anyone can appreciate the pressure on coach Robert Saleh, it's Mangini.

"I would say embrace it, because it's real and it's not going away," Mangini said. "It better work. If it doesn't, odds are someone else will try to make it work next year."

As rival teams begin reaching out to the Washington Wizards to explore the possibility of trading for three-time All-Star guard Bradley Beal, team president Michael Winger and Beal's agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, are staying in close contact to discuss scenarios presented to the franchise, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

After completing the first season of a five-year, $251 million contract, Beal's unique standing as the NBA's only current player to have a no-trade clause negotiated into his deal gives him the ability to control not only possible destinations but also how a potential package to acquire Beal impacts his ability to play for a contender elsewhere.

If Winger is inclined to fundamentally reshape the roster of a franchise that has missed the playoffs in four of the past five seasons, teams won't only have to talk with Winger and Wizards general manager Will Dawkins on trade ideas -- they'll have to include Bartelstein in a three-way conversation.

With the NBA draft looming June 22 and free agency commencing July 1, conversations on Beal's future with the Wizards are expected to become more frequent, sources said.

Beal, who has played his entire 11-year career with Washington, has enjoyed a close relationship with the community and with owner Ted Leonsis. Nevertheless, Leonsis said he has given Winger full autonomy on whether he wants to pursue a rebuild with the Wizards or continue a trajectory around high-priced veteran talent.

The Wizards are awaiting player-option decisions by forwards Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis, who can both become unrestricted free agents.

Beal averaged 23.2 points on a career-best 51% shooting in an injury-plagued 50 games last season. For his career, he has averaged 22.1 points, including back-to-back 30-PPG seasons in 2019-20 (30.5) and 2020-21 (31.3).

ST. LOUIS -- The San Francisco Giants recalled outfielder Luis Matos on Wednesday from Triple-A Sacramento.

Matos batted second against the St. Louis Cardinals and went 1-for-3 with a run scored in the Giants' 8-5 victory in 10 innings.

Matos, from Venezuela, was hitting .398 with a 1.120 OPS and seven home runs over 24 games at Sacramento. At 21, he was the youngest player in Triple-A.

Matos was pulled from the River Cats' game Tuesday night after outfielder Mitch Haniger was hit by a pitch that night and suffered a fractured right forearm in the third inning of the Giants' 11-3 win over the Cardinals.

When he was pulled, Matos was already 1 for 2 with a solo homer. Matos, who began this season in Double-A Richmond before being promoted in mid-May, has homered in three straight and in five of his last six games.

Matos entered this season as San Francisco's No. 7 prospect, according to MLB.com.

The Giants also recalled infielder David Villar. Haniger was placed on the 10-day injured list and right-hander Keaton Winn was optioned to Sacramento.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez will be sidelined at least four weeks with the oblique strain that landed him on the injured list Friday.

Astros general manager Dana Brown gave the update on the timeline for Alvarez's return Wednesday during an interview on SportsTalk 790 AM.

"It's going to take at least two weeks for us to get a feel for how it's healing," Brown said.

"You take those two weeks and then another week to figure out when he starts to have some activity, and OK, how's his body responding? That's three weeks right there. You're looking at, once he's starting to swing a bat, maybe it's four weeks or so."

Alvarez aggravated the oblique on his final swing in the batting cage before exiting after his lone at-bat in Houston's 3-2 loss Thursday to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Alvarez, 25, is hitting .272 with 17 homers and 55 RBIs in 57 games this season.

The American League Rookie of the Year in 2019, Alvarez is batting .293 with 115 homers and 338 RBIs in 425 career games with the Astros.

Information from Reuters was used in this report.

Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery Tuesday on his injured right forearm.

The Astros announced that McCullers had surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his pitching arm and to remove a bone spur. The injury-plagued right-hander is expected to return next season.

McCullers, who did not pitch in a game this season, originally injured the flexor tendon during the 2021 American League Division Series and aggravated the injury during a spring training bullpen session in February, according to the team.

"After the injury happened in February, Lance worked his tail off to get back on the mound," Astros general manager Dana Brown said Wednesday in a statement. "This guy is a warrior and did everything in his power to get back. But each time he built himself up to an increased pitch total off the mound, the pain would come back. It's unfortunate, but we look forward to him being back on the mound next season."

McCullers, 29, also missed most of last season because of the flexor tendon injury, going 4-2 with a 2.27 ERA in eight regular-season starts and 0-1 with a 5.87 ERA in three postseason starts.

An All-Star in 2017, McCullers also missed the entire 2019 season after he underwent Tommy John surgery. The right-hander has spent his entire nine-year career with the Astros, going 49-32 with a 3.48 ERA.

LAS VEGAS -- Even after a blowout loss in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Florida Panthers maintain they are on the verge of something big.

That sentiment was shared by several Florida players following their series-ending 9-3 defeat to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena.

"It's huge. There's no stopping now," Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. "There's no stopping here. A bump in the road, and it's going to sting. It stings now. But we'll find a way to come back next year and be stronger because of it."

For the Panthers, just winning Game 3 against Vegas saw them go further than the 1995-96 team that became the first in franchise history to reach the Stanley Cup Final before being swept in four games.

Ekblad wasn't the only person who walked the line between the immediate disappointment of losing in a Stanley Cup Final and what appears to be a promising future.

Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who has been with the club for four seasons, talked about the progress that's been made over the past few years. He reflected on how last season's team became the first since that 1995-96 squad to win a playoff round, before ultimately losing in the second round to the in-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning.

"This year, we won three rounds," Bobrovsky said. "So, we're building. We are getting there, and we are excited. Next season, we're going to have another opportunity, and I am excited for that."

Florida is expected to have 16 players who are at least under contract for next season. It's a group that includes core members Aleksander Barkov, Brandon Montour, Matthew Tkachuk, Bobrovsky and Ekblad. But there are also pending unrestricted free agents in Radko Gudas, Alex Lyon and Marc Staal.

CapFriendly projects the Panthers will have a little more than $10 million in available cap space that general manager Bill Zito and his front-office staff can use to address their roster in the offseason.

Between their cap situation and the collective optimism shared by players, it appears the Panthers could have everything needed to at least be in the postseason hunt next season.

And while Florida coach Paul Maurice was emotional when talking about how much his team "gave me a great year of my life," he also was quick to address how returning to the playoffs will not be easy.

"We're going to have a hell of a time making the playoffs next year. That's a fact," Maurice said. "Because it's hard. There's good teams [that] miss. You come in feeling better about yourself because you played two months longer? You're in trouble. As soon as you learn to love the hard, we're going to have some players in that locker room who will be on our roster but they will not be in our opening night lineup. We're probably talking two or three months. I've got some guys that are going to take four to six months to heal."

Although he did not specifically name the players who could be out for those extended periods, Maurice did say that Tkachuk missed Game 5 after fracturing his sternum in Game 3 and was "one of four guys with broken bones."

LAS VEGAS -- Jack Eichel admitted there were times he had lost hope.

The Vegas Golden Knights star didn't make the playoffs for the first seven years of his career. He was often injured and maligned during his time with the Buffalo Sabres -- drafted second overall in 2015 as a franchise savior, but unable to save the franchise. His first season with Vegas was also the first time it missed the playoffs.

Was it him?

"I think it's only human nature to have some doubt creep in when you don't make it to playoffs for an extended period of time," Eichel said. "You're wondering if it will ever happen. So many people go through their whole career without having the opportunity to hoist the Stanley Cup. It's the hardest thing in the world [to win]."

When the final horn sounded Tuesday night to end Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, a 9-3 rout of the Florida Panthers, Eichel skated with his arms extended into a pile of teammates. The doubts were gone. There was only one thing running through his mind.

"We did it. We're Stanley Cup champions, man," Eichel said after Vegas captured its first championship in the franchise's six-year history. "I'm just so proud of our group and so happy to be a part of this organization and this city, with these fans. I feel really fortunate and blessed."

Eichel spent six seasons with the Sabres, scoring 355 points in 375 games, but was unable to return Buffalo to the postseason. He was criticized as a one-dimensional offensive player and someone that hadn't lived up to his eight-year, $80 million contract that he signed in 2017. But the Sabres were unable to build around Eichel, who had five head coaches and three general managers during his tenure.

Sensing the Sabres were entering another rebuild, he asked for a trade in 2020. But one didn't materialize.

Eichel and the Sabres finally hit their breaking point when the center suffered a herniated disk in his neck in March 2021. Buffalo management preferred that Eichel undergo fusion surgery. Eichel and his team wanted him to have an artificial disk replacement surgery, which had never been performed on an NHL player to that point. Under NHL collective bargaining agreement rules, teams have the final say on how to treat injuries.

In November 2021, Eichel was traded to the Golden Knights, who allowed him to have his preferred surgery. He was limited to 34 games last season due to injury recovery. Vegas missed the playoffs, making it seven seasons in a row Eichel missed the postseason.

That streak was finally broken in 2023.

"First playoff and first [Stanley Cup] win for him, right?" forward Jonathan Marchessault said. "That's a pretty good average."

Eichel and Marchessault were the Golden Knights' most dynamic duo during their Stanley Cup run. Eichel finished with 26 points (6 goals, 20 assists) to lead the playoffs. Marchessault had 13 goals, tied with Leon Draisaitl for most in the playoffs, along with 25 points.

"Honestly, ever since he came here, we were just a different team," said Marchessault, as he sat next to the Conn Smythe Trophy he won as playoff MVP. "He's a game-changer for the group. And this trophy could have definitely went to him. I could never have that without him."

Eichel elevated his play during this season, playing a 200-foot game where his defense was often as good as his offense. The Golden Knights credited new coach Bruce Cassidy with aiding in that transformation.

"I know it was a little tough for him in his previous spot," Cassidy said. "I couldn't be happier for him."

Cassidy said he had a relationship with Eichel before coming to Vegas, from his days in Boston. Eichel skated with the Bruins in the summer and Cassidy was friends with his skating coach. They met right away when Cassidy was hired by the Golden Knights. They talked about what the coach expected from his centermen and asked what Eichel needed from him.

"This was a fresh start for both of us," Cassidy said. "That's the way I looked at it. Let's see if we can do this together. Jack's been super from Day 1. There's been no pushback in terms of what the ask was. All he wants to do is win."

As Eichel stood on the ice after skating with the Stanley Cup, he was surrounded by loved ones, including his father, Bob.

"You get choked up seeing your family," he said. "They've been with you since the beginning, so you almost want to win it for them more than for you. You think about the s--- you've been through and they're by your side every day. It means a lot."

Eichel had three assists in Game 5, playing as large a role in their Cup-clinching game as anyone. On the biggest stage, in the biggest moment, Eichel made a difference.

"A superstar like that gets so much media attention. And he delivered," Marchessault said. "I'm so happy for him and proud of him."

Once again, in spite of a global financial crisis, soccer clubs around Europe spent an incredible amount of money to sign players in January and this summer may not be any different.

Indeed, clubs spent a record $1.57 billion (£1.27bn) on transfers in the January transfer window, according to FIFA, with the Premier League doing most of the heavy lifting themselves at 57.3% of the total. But with two giants of the game in Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr) and Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) now taking their careers outside of Europe, who will step up?

Already there have been some big deals agreed ahead of the various transfer windows opening. Here are grades for all the major summer transfers, with each day listed in order of highest fee.

All fees are reported unless confirmed with an asterisk (*).

July 5

LIONEL MESSI
Free

Inter Miami: A+

When the MLS secondary window opens on July 5, Messi will be an Inter Miami player. It seems incredible, but the 35-year-old GOAT made it clear why he didn't want to return to Barcelona or head to Saudi Arabia after leaving PSG this summer. America is a new challenge and one he will relish. It was a complex deal to pull off, but David Beckham-owned Miami did it with a little help!