Penguins will not make playoffs // Austin Lenhardt-Barley, Staff Writer

The Penguins have gone through yet another offseason under the leadership of the president of hockey operations and general manager, Kyle Dubas. Most notably, we have seen the Tristan Jarry signing, Erik Karlsson trade, Ryan Graves signing and the Jake Guentzel trade from Dubas so far. 

Every single one of these moves has been questionable, but one thing we can credit Dubas for is his ability to acquire an abundance of young talent. The Penguins hold 33 draft picks over the next three years, 18 of which are in the first three rounds. 

This offseason, Dubas has signed Justin Brazeau, Anthony Mantha, Connor Dewar, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Caleb Jones, Parker Wotherspoon and Phillip Tomasino. All of these players have signed for one or two years to plug up the bottom six and fill some gaps on defense, and most of them are looking for fresh starts in Pittsburgh or are looking to settle down late in their careers. 

These are not signs of a winning hockey team, especially when bigger names were available. With $11 million available, you would hope to hear talks of a big winger to pair with Sidney Crosby. Instead, we are drowned in Crosby trade rumors or Evgeni Malkin’s impending retirement.

I don’t even think Bryan Rust or Rickard Rakell will finish their seasons with the Penguins, as they will get traded before the deadline in March. It is time for a long rebuild, and it starts with trading Erik Karlsson. The problem is this will be a tall task, one that only Dubas can get out of. He has made his bed, and now he must lie in it. 

Special teams, special plays, very special players // Ava Nicholas, Senior Staff Writer

With all the new adjustments the NFL made for the 2025-2026 season, special teams are becoming a whole lot more special than the name implies. Take the Philadelphia Eagles’ 33-26 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in week three, for example. Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis blocked a field goal as time expired and returned it for a touchdown, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat for the City of Brotherly Love. It’s this type of special teams heroics that make the notorious “third component” of football potentially the most important.

The numbers don’t lie — return rates have more than doubled in the first two weeks of the 2025 season, now turning every kickoff into a legitimate scoring opportunity. New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson scored the first kick return touchdown of the 2025 season with a 90-yard sprint against the Miami Dolphins in week two, showcasing exactly what these new rules were designed to create — explosive plays that keep fans wanting more. 

But with great opportunity comes great pressure. Teams have already had 18 muffs — unsuccessful attempts to gain possession of a loose ball — on 661 kickoffs already this season, nearly triple the rate in 2024. Returners are getting more chances to make plays, but that also means more chances to open the door for their opponents. 

In 2025, the third phase of the game isn’t just important — it’s the difference between making the playoffs or suffering an early exit. 

Keeping Pirates general manager Ben Cherington around for the 2026 season is the right move // Danny Shanholtzer, Staff Writer

Large swaths of Pirates fans were shocked when it was announced on Sept. 29 that Ben Cherington will continue to serve as general manager for the Pirates during the 2026 season. This shock is a fair immediate reaction, but giving Cherington one more chance to steady the pirate ship is the right thing to do.

The Pirates led all of the MLB with 18 shutouts in the regular season because of the pitching depth that Cherington has acquired. Paul Skenes had a Cy Young-worthy season in 2025, posting a 1.97 ERA. Additionally, the Pirates will have Bubba Chandler in a presumably bigger role and Jared Jones back at their disposal for the 2026 season. 

I understand that Ben Cherington has an overall record of 363-504, but with a possible lockout in 2027, moving on from Cherington now would only set the Pirates further back. The Pirates are closer to winning than they are further away. 

Konnor Griffin, currently the top-ranked prospect in the minor leagues that Cherington drafted in 2024, has the potential to dominate for the Pirates in the years to come. Cherington needs to acquire two or three major league-ready hitters for the Pirates to contend in 2026, which is why he should stay in Pittsburgh. 

Roger Federer expected to win a landslide Hall of Fame vote // Sam Harris, Staff Writer

The attention has drawn away from the Grand Slams of tennis and shifted to the Tennis Hall of Fame after the organization had just announced its top three nominees for next year’s induction ceremony. 

Svetlana Kuznetsova, Juan Martín del Potro and Roger Federer have all earned nominations to the Tennis Hall of Fame.

If you’re not a tennis fan, none of these names would sound familiar to you — except for maybe the last one. Former tennis star Roger Federer is widely considered one of the best athletes of all time. Having won 103 ATP tour singles titles, with 20 of those being grand slams, his game has stood out to fans for nearly two decades before he retired.

Federer has left such a large impact on the sport that it has brought him a huge following. I’m not saying that Kuznetsova and del Potro are not worthy of the spot — they are both phenomenal players who have had great careers. But Federer’s game is next level, and he was the first to introduce such a high level of talent to the sport.

Federer is currently in the lead to win a spot in the Hall of Fame, and I think he will keep it.