With the NHL and NBA gearing up for the playoffs, the MLB season coming around the corner, and the NFL offseason in full swing, here’s what has happened in the world of professional sports.
National Football League: Free agency and Draft preparation
With the offseason in full swing, several teams around the NFL have been making moves and gearing up for the upcoming season and title runs.
The San Francisco 49ers have been busy this offseason picking up star wide receiver Mike Evans from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, signing him to a three-year, $42.5 million contract.
Additionally, the Niners have added receiver Christian Kirk and traded for Cowboys DT Osa Odighizuwa, who has 17 career sacks, coming to the team with the least amount of sacks last season.
The Kansas City Chiefs have also made moves, signing the Super Bowl MVP, Kenneth Walker III from the Seahawks, a great addition to a Chiefs team that desperately struggled to run the ball last season. The Chiefs also re-signed Travis Kelce to a three-year, $57 million extension.
Quarterback Geno Smith makes his return to the New York Jets, where his career started, with his former team, the Las Vegas Raiders, looking to draft Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana.
NBA: Teams are clicking at the right time.
The Los Angeles Lakers have started to find their groove offensively, with LeBron James taking a back seat to Luka Dončić, giving the offense a younger and bigger boost. The Lakers were on a nine-game winning streak that was snapped by the Detroit Pistons on March 23.
The Warriors have been struggling as of late with the loss of Steph Curry due to a right knee injury, and despite their win on March 23, it seems matters will only get worse, as Warriors guard Moses Moody exited the game on a stretcher after his knee buckled on a wide-open dunk.
The hope for Golden State is that it is nothing serious; the severity will be unknown until Moody’s MRI at a later date.
Jared McCain of the Oklahoma City Thunder made his first return to Philly on March 23, where he dropped 13 points and two assists, hitting three threes and helping the Thunder to a 123-103 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
NHL: History is made!
The young phenom Macklin Celebrini has continued to play at the highest level for a 19-year-old ever in NHL history, racking up 96 points with 35 goals and 61 assists. Despite his phenomenal performance, the Sharks have skidded out of a playoff spot and have found themselves in a four-game losing streak.
The Buffalo Sabers have made a massive improvement from last season, winning 44 games and leading the Atlantic Division. Stars Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin are putting up 72 and 65 points, respectively.
On March 22, Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals became the second player in NHL history to score 1,000 goals, joining the great Wayne Gretzky. The record-setting goal came in the third period against the Avalanche to tie the game, but the Capitals would lose in overtime.
MLB: The season awaits
Spring Training wraps up on Tuesday, March 24, with the Dodgers, Giants, Braves and Yankees all dominating over the stretch of preseason baseball, with high hopes for a repeat championship for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The season officially opens on Wednesday, March 25 at 5:05 p.m. PST with a game between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees at Oracle Park in San Francisco.
