JETS@CANUCKS
Winnipeg Jets (9-6-1, 4th in North) vs. Vancouver Canucks (8-11-1, 6th in North)
Vancouver; Friday, 7 p.m. PT
BOTTOM LINE: Mark Scheifele leads Winnipeg into a matchup with Vancouver.
He's fifth in the league with 22 points, scoring eight goals and recording 14 assists. Vancouver averages 11.2 penalty minutes per game, the second-most in the NHL. Tyler Myers leads the team with 35 total minutes. The Jets are 9-6-1 against the rest of their division. Winnipeg ranks eighth in the NHL averaging 3.4 goals per game, led by Nikolaj Ehlers with 10.
Vancouver defeated Winnipeg 4-1 in the last meeting between these teams on Jan. 30. Brock Boeser scored two goals for the Canucks in the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Boeser leads the Canucks with 12 goals and has 21 points. Bo Horvat has three goals and two assists over the last 10 games for Vancouver.
Ehlers leads the Jets with 10 goals and has 18 points. Scheifele has five goals over the last 10 games for Winnipeg.
LAST 10 GAMES: Canucks: 3-6-1, averaging 2.6 goals, 4.1 assists, 3.6 penalties and 7.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.5 goals per game with an .880 save percentage.
Jets: 5-4-1, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.8 assists, 3.1 penalties and 6.5 penalty minutes while allowing 2.7 goals per game with a .916 save percentage.
INJURIES: Canucks: None listed.
Jets: None listed.
SAN DIEGO -- Fernando Tatis Jr. has yet to take a ground ball or swing a bat at spring training and he's already the talk of the San Diego Padres' clubhouse.
The electrifying shortstop and the Padres agreed Wednesday to a $340 million, 14-year deal, according to two sources, giving San Diego's camp even more buzz than it already had after the team made a number of high-profile off-season moves.
"There's great excitement around here," manager Jayce Tingler said on a videoconference Thursday.
"Holy smokes, that's a lot of money," newly signed reliever Mark Melancon said. "Just playing across from him, his energy is awesome. You can see how it energizes the team. From everything I've heard, he's a great guy, he's got his head on his shoulders. That's why the front office has stepped up and come to terms with him."
It will be the longest contract signed in MLB history. Giancarlo Stanton, now with the New York Yankees, signed a 13-year, $325 million deal with Miami in 2015.
Bryce Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019. The biggest deal by dollars remains Mike Trout's $426.5 million, 12year contract signed with the Angels in 2019. Tatis' deal will be the third-largest.
Tatis began the intake process Thursday. It will take 24 to 48 hours before he's cleared and can enter the complex, and then he must take his physical.
Tingler couldn't talk about the contract, but had plenty to say about Tatis, who at 22 has quickly become one of the faces of MLB.
"I think the easiest thing to see with him is his talent," he said.
San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. tosses his bat after hitting a home run in San Diego in last season’s playoffs.
"That's on all aspects -- the way he runs, the way he moves, the way he can hit for power, hit all directions. The work ethic, seeing him consistently improve in a lot of areas of the game, certainly defensively. The way he plays the game with such a fun spirit. The way his teammates view him, the way he treats other people. All those factors."
Tatis has bloomed into a superstar in less than two full seasons with the Padres, hitting .301 with 39 home runs, 98 RBIs and 27 stolen bases in 143 games. He helped San Diego end a 13-year playoff drought in 2020 and win a wild-card series against the St. Louis Cardinals before the Padres were swept by the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Division Series.
He stands out because of his flair, easy smile, blond dreadlocks flowing from under his cap, a uniform dirtied by his hardcharging play and his dance moves in the dugout after hitting home runs.