The Lead

Ovechkin Names Season 22 His Last

Alex Ovechkin said Monday that his 22nd NHL season will be his last, turning the Washington Capitals' year into a farewell tour for the captain who holds the league's career goalscoring record. Announcing the end in advance gives every opposing arena a scheduled goodbye and gives the league a full season to build around one player.

The record is already his, so the final season has no milestone left to chase. Its value comes from appearances: each visit by Washington is now a ticketed event, and building rinks that pay to see him is the one thing a record cannot do on its own. Few players leave with the all-time mark in hand and the date of departure chosen.

For the Capitals, the season now runs on two clocks. One is the standings, which reward depth and health. The other is a calendar of tributes, which rewards Ovechkin simply being on the ice. Coaches usually get to manage minutes against results, and this year they will manage them against a farewell as well.

The Rest of the Slate

MLB Postseason

The White Sox beat the Guardians 4-3 and the Rays beat the Yankees 5-2, and each now holds a 2-0 lead in its American League Division Series. The Rays got there on New York's sloppy defense, and both leaders now play Game 3 with a chance to close at home or on the road.

NFL

Atlanta beat New Orleans 45-24 on Monday Night Football, with Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson combining for five rushing touchdowns. A ground game that productive gives the Falcons a repeatable template, and the next opponent will have to commit extra defenders to stopping it.

Raptors

Toronto signed forward Tyson Degenhart and waived guard Andre Jackson Jr. in a corresponding move announced Monday afternoon. A one-for-one swap at the end of the roster is a depth adjustment, and the useful tell will be how the minutes shake out at forward.

The Number

Blue Jays regular-season wins in 2026, against 83 losses A fifth-place finish in the AL East and no postseason berth set the baseline for the winter ahead. A team four games under.500 is close enough to contend that the front office will be tempted to patch rather than rebuild, so watch whether the first offseason moves add real talent or just fill depth.

What's On Today

            6:00 PM ET · Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves, NLDS Game 3
7:00 PM ET · Nashville Predators at Toronto Maple Leafs
9:30 PM ET · Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres, NLDS Game 3
          

Top Dog — Betting Angle

The pick: Maple Leafs moneyline against Nashville. A day of practice at Ford Performance Centre and the home crowd at Scotiabank Arena give Toronto the cleanest edge on tonight's card.

“A record is permanent, but the farewell is the part you can still buy a ticket to”