Shortstop Javier Baez is playing in his fourth season with the Detroit Tigers after signing a six-year, $140 million contract with the organization in December 2021.

The Texas Rangers will have Jacob deGrom back in their rotation on Tuesday when they face the Athletics at Globe Life Field.

In Laviolette’s place steps in new coach Mike Sullivan, who comes to the Rangers from the Pittsburgh Penguins, who he led the team to a 34-36-12 record. As an added bit of intrigue, the 57-year-old was originally drafted by the Blueshirts in 1987 but held out and stayed for another season at Boston University.

A number of current and former New York Rangers will be on the ice in Stamford, Connecticut, on Thursday for the third annual Shoulder Check Showcase. The event supports youth mental health by bringing together current and former Rangers, along with other players to promote the message of “Reaching Out. Checking In. Making Contact.”

Pittsburgh Penguins fans hoping to get a glimpse at Mike Sullivan will not have long to wait. The two-time Cup-winning coach in Pittsburgh will be back in the Steel City coaching the Rangers on Oct. 11.

The season opener for the Penguins and Rangers will get underway at 8 p.m. on October 7 and will be airing on ESPN. The NHL's full schedule will be released on Wednesday afternoon.

NYI Hockey Now: The Fish Stix have a pair of unsigned players. The most notable is first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer. The other will be settled in a couple of weeks as Maxim Tsyplakov is heading towards arbitration, which presents a few options for the New York Islanders.

After the NHL announced Monday that the Rangers would kick off the 2025-26 schedule on Oct. 7 at Madison Square Garden against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the league released the rest of its schedule Wednesday.

The New York Rangers appear to be targeting the Islanders $30M centerman Jean-Gabriel Pageau, which would be sure to ignite a bigger feud between the two teams.

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