Wild Fighting for Home Ice with 18 Games Left
Minnesota Teams
Wild pushing for playoff position — With just 18 games left in the regular season, the Minnesota Wild are still in the hunt for home-ice advantage in the playoffs. NHL analyst and former GM Brian Lawton broke down their chances ahead of Tuesday night's game against Utah (8 p.m., ESPN+). It's crunch time for Minnesota's hockey team.
Vikings pick up extra draft pick — The Vikings will receive a compensatory pick in the 2026 NFL Draft as compensation for losing quarterback Sam Darnold to the Seattle Seahawks last offseason. That brings Minnesota's total to seven picks in this year's draft. Compensatory picks are automatic bonuses the league gives teams that lose key free agents.
Timberwolves on Tuesday — The Wolves host the Los Angeles Lakers tonight, so if you're looking for something to watch, that's your game.
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NFL
Free agency is in full swing — NFL free agency kicked off this week, and teams are spending big. The Raiders landed center Tyler Linderbaum and earned top marks for the move, while the Titans also broke the bank on several signings. The Dolphins, meanwhile, are releasing longtime quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, closing a chapter in Miami.
Draft outlook shifting — With so many players changing teams in free agency, the landscape for the upcoming NFL Draft (late April) is already changing. Two prospects worth watching: quarterback Ty Simpson and receiver Jeremiyah Love, whose expected landing spots look different after this week's moves.
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NBA
Celtics vs. Spurs tonight — a Finals preview? — The Boston Celtics (one of the league's best teams) travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs tonight, and analysts are calling it a potential NBA Finals preview. Experts slightly favor the Celtics, even though the Spurs hold marginally better title odds right now. Worth keeping an eye on.
Detroit's Isaiah Stewart on a mission — Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart has been calling himself the best defender in the NBA — and he's trying to play his way onto the All-Defensive ballot. He needs to hit 65 games played to be eligible for awards, which means suiting up for nearly every remaining game this season.
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MLB
Spring training is underway — Baseball's spring camps are in full swing as teams prepare for the 2026 season. The Los Angeles Dodgers are going for an unprecedented third straight World Series title, and pitching star Tarik Skubal (who won the Cy Young Award last year) is looking to three-peat as the game's top pitcher. That's the big storyline heading into the new season.
Free agent market wrapping up — Most of the top 50 free agents have found new teams, with the remaining signings trickling in. If you follow a specific team, now's a good time to check if they made any moves this offseason.
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NHL
Trade deadline fallout — The NHL trade deadline just passed, and several top prospects were moved to new teams. The big question now: how quickly will these young players make an impact? Scouts are keeping close tabs on 10 notable names who landed in new cities.
Western wild card race is tight — The Utah Hockey Club (yes, that's a real team — they relocated from Arizona last year) plays the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night, with Utah trying to hold their grip on a wild card playoff spot. The Columbus Blue Jackets are also in the mix after adding winger Conor Garland at the deadline. The Western playoff race is genuinely chaotic right now.
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College Sports
Championship Week is here — College basketball's conference tournaments are underway this week, meaning the road to March Madness officially begins. These tournaments determine automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament, so every game matters for bubble teams trying to punch their ticket.
Duke's Cameron Boozer wins Freshman of the Week — The son of former NBA star Carlos Boozer has been one of the best freshmen in college basketball this season. He earned the final Freshman of the Week honor of the regular season, capping a strong debut year for the Blue Devils.
Arizona lands top recruit — The Arizona Wildcats just locked up five-star shooting guard Caleb Holt, the No. 1 player at his position in the 2026 recruiting class. He's expected to contribute immediately next season.
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Other Sports
Players Championship tees off — Golf's biggest non-major, The Players Championship, is underway in Florida. Collin Morikawa has been playing some of his best golf lately and could be the one to watch this week. The tournament is essentially the PGA Tour's Super Bowl — the purse is massive and every top player shows up.
Jon Jones wants out of UFC — Heavyweight champion Jon Jones publicly requested his release from the UFC after being left off a high-profile card at the White House. Jones and UFC president Dana White are at odds over Jones' health status and his place on upcoming fight cards. It's the biggest drama in MMA right now.
Tottenham in crisis — English soccer club Tottenham Hotspur has lost all three games since hiring new manager Igor Tudor in February, and they've tumbled into a relegation battle — meaning they could get dropped to a lower division. To make things worse, they're also back in the Champions League (Europe's top club competition) this week against Atletico Madrid. Rough timing.
