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Liam Hendriks targeted July 1 for his return when he landed on the injured list.The Chicago White Sox closer’s prediction turned out to be pretty close.AdvertisementThe Sox reinstated Hendriks from the IL on Monday ahead of a crucial three-game series against the division-leading Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Sox also reinstated outfielder Adam Engel from the IL and optioned outfielder Adam Haseley and pitcher Jimmy Lambert to Triple-A Charlotte.[ [Don’t miss] Chicago White Sox begin ‘critical stretch’ of 15 games in 14 days vs. AL Central opponents. Here’s what to watch for starting tonight. ]“It was kind of meet in the middle,” Hendriks said Friday in San Francisco. “They had initially targeted July 8, I was going (with) the first, so we met at the Fourth.”AdvertisementHe added with a laugh: “If you’re looking at the math, that means I win. Closer to my date.”Hendriks had been on the IL retroactive to June 11 with a right forearm strain. He threw a simulated game Friday as a final step toward returning.“I would have been fine being active (Friday), but they wanted to check the box of the sim game,” he said. “You have to understand their point of view: They don’t want to start rushing people back. My point of view (is) I’m not most people. I like to throw more than your average, but we’re all good and ready to go.”Hendriks has a 2.81 ERA, 16 saves and 37 strikeouts in 25 appearances.“He’s going to be a huge add back to our pen,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said Friday.Engel had been out since June 23 with a strained right hamstring. He’s slashing .240/.297/.349 with 11 doubles, one home run, 10 RBIs, 18 runs and nine stolen bases in 56 games.

The 17-year-old daughter of Mark Budzinski, the Toronto Blue Jays’ first base coach, reportedly died when she fell off a raft in a Virginia river Saturday and was struck by a boat propeller.Officials have not publicly identified the victim, but a 17-year-old girl was killed Saturday after falling off an inflatable tube in the James River, according to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. When the boat turned around to get her, she was hit by the propeller.AdvertisementThe principal of Glen Allen High School, in Glen Allen, Va., announced Sunday that Julia Budzinski had died and the Blue Jays said that Budzinski would be away from the team after the death of his daughter.Tampa Bay Rays players and staff stand for a moment of silence Sunday. (COLE BURSTON/Getty Images)“This devastating loss is felt by our entire organization and we grieve alongside Bud and his family,” general manager Ross Atkins said in a statement.Advertisement“I have known Bud for more than 25 years and have always admired his commitment as a dad and husband first. He is loved and well-respected by our entire clubhouse and holds a special place in all our hearts.”The Blue Jays and the visiting Tampa Bay Rays held a moment of silence before Sunday’s game.A spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources did not immediately return a request for comment from the Daily News Monday.Julia played varsity soccer and varsity volleyball for the Glen Allen Jaguars and served as vice president of the National Honor Society, according to her school.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Chicago White Sox have a major opportunity ahead of them beginning Monday.A stretch of 15 games in 14 days — all against American League Central teams — starts with three at home against the division-leading Minnesota Twins. The Sox conclude the homestand with four against the Detroit Tigers.AdvertisementThen they go on the road for eight. That trip begins July 11 with four games in three days in Cleveland. They travel to Minnesota for the final four games before the All-Star break. And there’s more AL Central after the break when the Guardians visit Guaranteed Rate Field for four games in three days July 22-24.“This is a very critical stretch for us,” Sox closer Liam Hendriks said Friday. “It’s definitely make-or-break to help the front office clarify what the hell we’re doing this year. Whether it’s a good year, whether it’s a sit-and-wait year, whatever it is. But we need to, in this clubhouse, figure it out and take care of some business.Advertisement“We are facing our division, which is good but can also be very bad. If we can play our kind of baseball, go out there and have fun and enjoy the game again, we’ll be just fine because the talent level in this clubhouse, we know what we need to do.”[ [Don’t miss] White Sox enter July still trying to turn the corner ]The Sox are 38-39 after a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants and in third in the AL Central, 4½ games behind the Twins (45-37) and 2½ behind the Guardians (40-36).“Just lock it in and try to put together some good games, some good at-bats, and rally around each other,” Sox shortstop Tim Anderson said Saturday. “And hopefully we can get the job done.”Here’s what to watch for in the division matchups.The Twins’ Byron Buxton watches his three-run homer off White Sox closer Liam Hendriks (31) in the 10th inning April 24, 2022, in Minneapolis. (Jerry Holt/AP)The last time the Sox saw the Twins, they watched Byron Buxton round the bases after hitting a game-ending three-run homer off Hendriks in the 10th inning at Target Field.The 6-4 loss completed a dismal series for the Sox, who were swept in the three games April 22-24.The Twins had more walk-off magic this weekend against the Baltimore Orioles. Buxton hit a two-run homer in the ninth Friday for a 3-2 victory. Jose Miranda drove in Alex Kirilloff in the ninth with a single Saturday for a 4-3 win.Buxton is fifth in the AL with 21 home runs. Luis Arraez leads the league in batting average (.344) and on-base percentage (.419).Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Johnny Cueto gives the White Sox rotation a big shot in the arm ]Johnny Cueto, Michael Kopech and Lance Lynn are the scheduled starters for the Sox this week. Dylan Bundy, Chris Archer and Joe Ryan are in line to pitch for the Twins.Help is on the way for the Sox bullpen as Hendriks anticipates being reinstated from the injured list Monday. He has been on the IL retroactive to June 11 with a right forearm strain.Tigers shortstop Javier Báez (28) in the first inning against the Diamondbacks on June 24, 2022, in Phoenix. (Rick Scuteri/AP)The Sox have had some of their best offensive outings against the Tigers.They posted season highs in runs (13) and hits (22) the last time the teams played June 15 at Comerica Park. Yoán Moncada had a career-high five hits, including a three-run homer in the first.The Sox have won five of six against the Tigers this season, outscoring them 46-14. The only loss was on opening day, when the Tigers scored twice in the ninth for a 5-4 win.Javier Báez had the game-winning hit in the opener. The former Cubs shortstop is slashing .212/.249/.364 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs in 65 games.AdvertisementThe Tigers are fourth in the division at 30-47. This is their first visit to Guaranteed Rate Field this season.Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor (22) celebrates with designated hitter Franmil Reyes after hitting a grand slam in the ninth inning against the White Sox on May 9, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)The Sox had one of their toughest losses of the season during their last series against the Guardians, squandering a six-run ninth-inning lead May 9 at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Guardians won 12-9 in 11 innings.The Guardians have had the Sox’s number so far, winning four of the first five. That includes a doubleheader sweep April 20.José Ramírez is in the AL MVP conversation. The third baseman is slashing .292/.377/.588 with 16 homers and a league-leading 63 RBIs.Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has been terrific, leading the AL with 19 saves. He earned AL Reliever of the Month for June.The Sox follow the four games in Cleveland — including a doubleheader July 12 — with four in Minnesota leading into the All-Star break.AdvertisementAnd they return from the break July 22 with the first of four games in three days against the Guardians at Guaranteed Rate Field, making it 19 straight against the AL Central.“That will be fun,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said Sunday. “Head to head. Twins just won a couple of games late, they’re for real. Cleveland is for real. Detroit is very competitive. “It’s exactly what you need. You need to play against tough competition. That’s how you get better.”

The woman accused of fatally shooting elite cyclist Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson has arrived back in the U.S. to face murder charges, according to U.S. Marshals Service officials.Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, 34, was picked up in Costa Rica last week and arrived in Houston on Saturday, officials told CNN.AdvertisementArmstrong was arrested at a hostel in Santa Teresa Beach in Provincia de Puntarenas on Thursday, after 43 days on the lam. She fled there after becoming a suspect in the death of the highly regarded gravel and mountain bike racer a week before her 26th birthday.“Armstrong has arrived back in the U.S. and will be held in Harris County (Texas) Jail awaiting extradition to Austin,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Service told CNN.AdvertisementBail for the Texas yoga teacher has been set at $3.5 million.Wilson was found mortally wounded in an Austin apartment on May 11. The world-class cyclist was in town for a race, the 150-mile Gravel Locos, that she had been favored to win.Wilson had been romantically linked to fellow cyclist Colin Strickland and had just gone for a swim and grabbed dinner with him before being killed. He dropped her off at a friend’s house without going inside, he later told police. Wilson would be found there by a friend hours later.Armstrong had steadily dated Strickland for three years before they’d taken a break, which is when he hooked up with Wilson briefly. Strickland and Armstrong got back together about a month after his fling with Wilson ended in early November 2021, he told police at the time of the murder.After allegedly shooting Wilson to death, Armstrong sold her car, obtained a fake passport and fled the country, according to police.

SAN FRANCISCO — How overpowering was Lucas Giolito on Sunday against the San Francisco Giants?The first seven outs the Chicago White Sox starter recorded came via strikeouts.AdvertisementThe Giants didn’t put a ball in play until the third inning, when No. 9 batter Austin Wynns lined out to third.Giolito gave the Sox exactly what they needed to complete a three-game sweep, allowing one run on three hits in six innings as they beat the Giants 13-4 in front of 30,155 at Oracle Park.AdvertisementThroughout the weekend, the Sox looked like the team many projected in the preseason. They had 17 hits Sunday to complete a 4-2 trip.“We played six games as hard as we could, and to come out (Sunday) after we won the series (Saturday) and put that kind of effort into it shows you how special these guys are,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “It starts with (Giolito). He was mowing them down in the beginning.”Giolito looked good from the start. And he said he felt good.“This is probably the best my changeup has been in a little while,” Giolito said. “(Catcher) Seby (Zavala) did a really nice job of sequencing. Mixing the changeup in, going to the slider at the right time, utilizing tunneling, popping heaters in and out to lefties and righties. We were able to work relatively efficiently.“Got a really nice lead, the offense was doing its thing, the defense behind me was outstanding. Overall, pretty good.”[ [Don’t miss] Johnny Cueto, 36, gives the White Sox rotation a big shot in the arm ]Giolito built off a nice outing Monday against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., in which he allowed two runs on six hits in six innings.“I feel like the end of my last start and throughout most of the course of this start, I was feeling like myself,” Giolito said. “Able to make the pitches I wanted to make.”He struck out seven and walked two while improving to 5-4 and lowering his ERA from 5.19 to 4.90.Advertisement“He was really good,” Zavala said. “His work the last few weeks has really shown the last two outings.”Zavala had three hits and three RBIs. Gavin Sheets and Andrew Vaughn also drove in three. Leury García had three hits and scored three runs.The Sox got some timely hits and took advantage of less-than-stellar Giants defense to take the lead in the third.With one out, Tim Anderson hit a grounder to short for what should have been an inning-ending double play, but Donovan Walton threw wildly to second. The ball reached foul territory, allowing Josh Harrison to make it to third and Anderson to second.The Sox cashed in with a two-out, broken-bat single to right by Luis Robert for a 2-0 lead.The Sox collected another big two-out hit an inning later when Zavala drove in García with a single to center. Sheets drove in three in the fifth with a double to left, making it 6-0.Advertisement“We’re swinging the bats well,” Zavala said. “We’ve always been swinging the bats well, just hit balls right at people. They’re starting to fall now and things are starting to go our way.”The offense gave Giolito plenty to work with.“I don’t know if there are words to describe how good he really was,” Harrison said. “You could tell from the start of the game.”Giolito didn’t allow a hit until the fourth, when Joc Pederson popped up to shallow left. Anderson had a long way to go and got a glove on it, but the ball popped out for a single. Later in the inning, third baseman Yoán Moncada made a tremendous twisting catch on a popup.Austin Slater singled and Pederson drove him home with a double in the sixth. But Giolito retired the next three, including a nice catch on a popup by Harrison at second base.“Both of those plays were critical,” La Russa said of the catches by Moncada and Harrison.AdvertisementHarrison had two hits, two walks and scored three times.He singled and scored during a five-run eighth as the Sox excelled in all areas ahead of a crucial stretch of 19 straight games against American League Central opponents — including 15 in 14 days leading up to the All-Star break.“We came to play this series,” Giolito said. “This is the brand of baseball that the Chicago White Sox are all about. It’s been a rough year, to say the least, dealing with the injuries, dealing with some tough series, some losing streaks. But I feel like this series, we were able to put our foot on the gas.“It gives me a good feeling. I think it gives the team a good feeling going back home with some of these division games coming up.”

Reliever Rowan Wick threw Trevor Story’s comebacker down the right-field line for a two-run error with two outs in the 11th inning, and the Boston Red Sox outlasted the Chicago Cubs 4-2 on Sunday at Wrigley Field to avoid a three-game sweep.With automatic runner Bobby Dalbec on second, Wick (1-3) walked Christian Arroyo leading off the 11th. Jarren Durran struck out and Rafael Devers flied out before Story hit a soft hopper that Wick threw well over first baseman David Bote.AdvertisementIn a game that took 4 hours, 25 minutes, the Red Sox won for the second time after a seven-game winning streak. They finished a 5-4 trip and headed home for the start of 17 straight games against AL East rivals.“We got lucky,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Tonight was a grind.”AdvertisementRed Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts left in the second inning with a cut on his left thigh after Willson Contreras slid into him while getting caught stealing second. Cora said Bogaerts needed seven stitches.[ [Don’t miss] Column: Red Sox rookie’s 1-star review of Wrigley Field hits a nerve with the Cubs ]“We’ll hop on the plane and see how he feels tomorrow,” Cora said.Bogaerts said he didn’t think Contreras meant to harm him, and he didn’t mean to block the base as Contreras was arriving.“I didn’t know where the plate was,” Bogaerts said. “I know he probably didn’t do it on purpose. My foot being in that position, it shouldn’t be there either.”Cubs reliever Rowan Wick, right, makes a two-run throwing error as catcher P.J. Higgins looks on during the 11th inning against the Red Sox on Sunday, July 3, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)The Red Sox stopped the Cubs’ four-game winning streak, which had tied their season high.“They put up a fight, man,” Bogaerts said. “I’ve been on teams like that before where you have young guys that want to go out there, play, prove a point and prove that they belong and want to stay here and impress everyone.”After Contreras hit an RBI single in the first, the Red Sox tied the score in the fourth when, with runners at the corners, Franchy Cordero’s infield popup fell for an RBI single. Second baseman Christopher Morel appeared to settle under the ball but lost it in the sun. Wind blew the ball to the right side, and it fell off the glove of first baseman Alfonso Rivas, who tried for a basket catch.Keegan Thompson forced in the go-ahead run with a bases-loaded walk to Durran later in the inning after getting ahead in the count 0-2.AdvertisementChicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Patrick Wisdom tied the score in the eighth against Matt Strahm with his 17th homer, a 450-foot drive to center.[ [Don’t miss] Which Cubs players are likely to get traded? Here’s where things stand with the deadline 1 month away. ]Jake Diekman (3-0) struck out four in two hitless innings.Red Sox starter Connor Seabold, recalled from Triple-A Worcester, allowed one run and six hits in four innings. The 26-year-old was determined to make the most of his third big-league start after the Toronto Blue Jays burned him for seven earned runs on nine hits on June 27.Thompson gave up two runs, seven hits and three walks in four innings.“I wasn’t really hitting spots much,” Thompson said. “Usually, if I’m hitting my spots, then those two-strike pitches are put-away pitches instead of the weak-contact, infield hits.”OF Seiya Suzuki (finger sprain) was scheduled to return from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday and is expected to be activated from the 10-day IL on Monday. … The Cubs placed RHP Alec Mills (lower back strain) on the 15-day IL after he exited Saturday’s start after just seven pitches. The Cubs recalled RHP Michael Rucker from Iowa. … RHP Marcus Stroman allowed five runs, seven hits and a walk over 2⅔ innings during a rehab start for Triple-A Iowa against Columbus as he returns from right shoulder inflammation that has sidelined him since June 3. … Cubs manager David Ross said OF Jayson Heyward has not undergone an MRI as he remains on the 10-day IL with right knee inflammation. … Ross said 1B Frank Schwindel (lower back strain) and 2B Nick Madrigal (left groin strain) will face LHP Daniel Norris (left index finger strain) in batting practice Tuesday. … RHP Drew Smyly (oblique strain) is scheduled for a rehab start with High-A South Bend on Monday.AdvertisementCubs LHP Justin Steele (3-5, 4.39 ERA) will start Monday to open a three-game series in Milwaukee.

The Chicago Cubs owners have spent the last decade-plus trying to emulate the Boston Red Sox.Whether it was hiring Theo Epstein as president of baseball operations, renovating Wrigley Field the same way as Fenway Park, signing free-agent pitcher Jon Lester, creating their own TV network or exploring the purchase of a Premier League soccer team, there seldom has been an idea out of Boston the Cubs couldn’t borrow.AdvertisementIf they could’ve gotten away with playing “Sweet Caroline” during Sunday’s 4-2, 11-inning loss to the Red Sox at Wrigley, you know the Cubs would’ve done it in a heartbeat.“There is something flattering about it,” former Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino once told me of the copycat Cubs. “If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then we’ll take it.”AdvertisementSo it must’ve been a crushing blow Saturday to Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts and President of Business Operations Crane Kenney when Red Sox rookie pitcher Josh Winckowski gave a thumbs-down review of Wrigley. “A little underwhelming,” Winckowski said after being charged with the loss. “Fenway has a presence to it. I really didn’t get that here, to be honest. I said to my mom last night, this place is very stock standard.”[ [Don’t miss] Which Cubs players are likely to get traded? Here’s where things stand with the deadline 1 month away. ]Wrigley Field? Underwhelming? A run-of-the-mill, “stock standard” ballpark?That’s the worst insult one could hurl at the Ricketts family, which claims to have spent $740 million to renovate the ballpark in its 1060 Project. The Cubs called it the “preservation” of Wrigley and even slipped a Fenway Park photo into their renovation presentation to show how their video board would be integrated seamlessly into the ballpark.Skeptics looked at all the changes as a way to rationalize sky-high prices, just as the Red Sox owners did at Fenway.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 21Windows frame the view past the outfield at the new Catalina Club in the upper deck behind home plate at Wrigley Field on April 6, 2019, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)But even with all of the changes catering to the ultra-expensive premier clubs and Cubs sponsors, Wrigley Field still is considered a baseball mecca, a piece of Americana and — at the very least — a kind of cool place to watch a game.That’s why Wrigley is on so many people’s bucket lists.Comparing it to Fenway Park, the only major-league ballpark older than Wrigley, is a fool’s errand. I love both places, and any objective baseball fan who has been fortunate enough to visit both should feel the same.AdvertisementFenway bills itself as “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark,” which sounds a tad pretentious because it is. But like Wrigley it’s a unique and wonderful place with plenty of history to chew on during a four-hour game.[ [Don’t miss] 5 takeaways from the Cubs’ worst month of the season, including Christopher Morel’s 1st tough stretch ]Whether it’s superior to Wrigley is in the eye of the beholder. Winckowski apparently prefers the Green Monster to ivy-covered walls, which is his prerogative. Of course he never has had a chance to spread out in the outfield basket in left field, as Epstein recently did during a “last hurrah” at Wrigley before moving back East.After Red Sox beat writer Chris Cotillo of Masslive.com tweeted Winckowski’s remark Saturday, the Cubs Twitter account replied by tweeting a photo of a Cubs fan in the center-field bleachers being cheered on while drinking beer out of a shoe.I’m not sure what message the Cubs were trying to convey, other than that Cubs fans don’t mind a little foot fungus with their $14 beers. But it definitely was anything but underwhelming.The shot at Wrigley by the obscure 24-year-old pitcher obviously hit a nerve at the Cubbieplex, the nickname of the building housing the Cubs offices. Other organizations might have ignored being slighted by a rookie with 26 innings under his belt. But as the Cubs marketing slogan says, “It’s different here.”So kudos to the Cubs Twitterati for defending their turf, even though a simple middle-finger salute would’ve sufficed.AdvertisementThen again, is it possible Winckowski has a point?Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Wrigley has adopted many of the standard-issue items seen in most major-league ballparks. It was the last video-free ballpark in the majors until the giant video board arrived in left field in 2015. The video board is popular with fans, who like seeing themselves on it, but a disappointment for those interested in seeing creative content once in a while.While the video board forever changed the way Cubs fans watch games, that’s the price the Ricketts family paid for valuing advertising revenues over the unique qualities that made Wrigley a unicorn among ballparks.Don’t look now, but the next Red Sox idea the Cubs are likely to copy is their recently launched stand-alone streaming service for NESN, which broadcasts Red Sox and Bruins games at the price of $29.99 per month. Sure, that’s much higher than what Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streamers charge despite having way more content than NESN. But the Red Sox seem to know what cable-cutting fans will pay to watch their team.Cincinnati Reds players warm up before playing the Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 29, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)The Cubs might not be able to get away with charging $29.99 per month for this particular team, but if President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer can persuade Ricketts to sign free agent Aaron Judge in the winter, who knows what fans would pay to stream Cubs games?Anyway, Winckowski’s “meh” review of Wrigley was the talk of the ballpark Sunday. The remarks even were endorsed by some fans, particularly those who live on the South Side. Wrigley is not for everyone. Some of my best friends won’t step foot in it, and that was before they knew Cubs fans drink beer out of their shoes.AdvertisementBut it always will be a special place, which is why the Cubs could draw 40,185 fans Sunday despite being out of contention since May.As long as the ivy and the hand-operated center-field scoreboard stay untouched, the essence of Wrigley will remain the same, no matter what Winckowski tells his mom.

Looking to address a lack of 3-point shooting, the Chicago Bulls are set to sign veteran guard Goran Dragić to a one-year deal, according to a report by The Athletic.The deal is worth a reported $2.9 million as the Bulls continue to build their roster around newly re-signed guard Zach LaVine.AdvertisementDragić, 36, is a 36.2% career 3-point shooter, one of the weakest areas for the Bulls last season. They took the fewest 3-pointers in the league last season (28.8 per game), and despite ranking fourth in 3-point accuracy, the lack of volume led to the league’s lowest scoring rate from long range.Adding Dragić also should help shore up the bench production; the Bulls ranked 29th in bench scoring last season.Advertisement Entering his 15th season, Dragić found the most success during a seven-season stretch with the Miami Heat, averaging 16.2 points from February 2015 through the 2020-21 season and making the All-Star team in 2018.His 3-point accuracy dipped to 25.4% last season as he stepped away from the sport for personal reasons, playing only 21 games. The Toronto Raptors traded him in Februrary to the San Antonio Spurs, who bought out his contract four days later. He signed with the Brooklyn Nets later that month and played 16 games with them.Dragić will be another older addition to the Bulls roster, but his relatively low salary and potential offensive contributions should offer versatility for the upcoming season.

Luke Richardson should enjoy the moment.He had his big day, his coronation as the 40th head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks at the team’s store downtown, and has been on his welcome-to-Chicago tour, appearing on radio and throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field.AdvertisementIt’s a wine-and-dine period every new coach receives, and from many reports it couldn’t be happening to a nicer guy.So no one wants to throw cold water over Richardson’s big splash, but reality is lurking around the corner for the first-time head coach.AdvertisementAlex DeBrincat.The Hawks star’s future has dominated conversation about the team’s offseason, and it certainly loomed in the background of Wednesday’s introductory news conference.Will Richardson be starting the rebuild without his leading goal scorer? DeBrincat accounted for 19% of the Hawks’ goals and almost 30% of their power-play goals.General manager Kyle Davidson said in March that “I don’t necessarily subscribe to the untouchable theory” when it comes to trading players, and when asked Wednesday whether that stance applies to DeBrincat, he doubled down.“I don’t necessarily subscribe to the untouchable theory because there’s always a situation where someone’s going to offer you, whether it’s realistic or not … something that you can’t turn down,” Davidson said. “I guess in reality, other than those who are contractually obligated to be untouchable, that no one is. But we’re not in a position where we can hold anything back.”Davidson also said the Blackhawks wouldn’t “necessarily” be “proactive in every sense,” but — there’s always a but.“When you announce something like a rebuild, it’s only natural that people come to you with a lot of different ideas,” he said. “So we’re open to listening and we’ll evaluate from there.”Reports have pegged the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders among the suitors for DeBrincat.AdvertisementA rebuild is motivation enough to entertain trade talks, but the lack of a first-round pick in Thursday’s draft only heightens the Hawks’ incentive.“I haven’t been shy about professing my willingness to acquire some future assets,” Davidson said. “That’s something we’ll look to do. But I’m not looking to force anything. … We have some ideas and some thoughts as we head to Montreal next week, but until we have more concrete discussions with teams, we’ll see where that goes.”Chicago Blackhawks left wing Alex DeBrincat (12) celebrates after scoring in the first period against the Anaheim Ducks at the United Center, March 8, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)The impact of DeBrincat’s departure from Chicago would be monumental — both in the short and long term.The impact obviously would be immediate. Short of hearing from Richardson about what he has in store on offense and defense — you can only go by what the Hawks put on film last season — it’s not a stretch to say the offense revolved around DeBrincat and 92-point producer Patrick Kane.To underscore what DeBrincat means to the Hawks, he ranked 22nd in the league in goals-above replacement (20) and tied for 21st in wins above replacement (3.5), according to evolving-hockey.com.Who could even begin to approximate that role? Kirby Dach, Lukas Reichel or Taylor Raddysh?AdvertisementAnybody?Trading DeBrincat also could start a domino effect on the roster.Kane would have to evaluate how patient he can be with the rebuild, or waive his no-movement clause and ask to be traded to a playoff contender, like the Hawks did with goalie Marc-André Fleury last season. Otherwise, Kane would have to weigh how much staying with one franchise through his Hall of Fame career means to his legacy.Jonathan Toews already spoke about the prospect of moving on after the Hawks traded up-and-coming forward Brandon Hagel to the Tampa Bay Lightning.“In this case, you can’t help but picture yourself and what it’d be like to play for another team and what that experience would bring. That pops into your mind,” Toews said in March.The Hawks have said they’ll be reluctant to shell out cash during free agency this summer, so without DeBrincat, how much appetite would they have to retain Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalík, both of whom have arbitration rights and likely are due significant raises?AdvertisementSpeaking of which, DeBrincat will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights after next season, and a $9 million qualifying offer might be too rich for the Hawks’ blood this early in the rebuilding process.DeBrincat said he’s “open to anything” when asked last season about an extension.In the long term, trading DeBrincat could bring a windfall for the Hawks.Hagel netted two future first-round picks and young forwards Raddysh and Boris Katchouk.Imagine what DeBrincat could bring. Davidson’s not going to trade DeBrincat for anything short of a king’s ransom, not if he wants to show his face anywhere near Madison Street.The Hawks have five picks between the second and third rounds this year, a protected first-round pick from the Lightning in 2023 (potentially four picks in the first two rounds) and another protected first-round pick from the Bolts in 2024 (potentially two first-rounders).AdvertisementIf DeBrincat lands a first-rounder or two and an elite prospect or two, that would be quite a haul for Davidson and Richardson to mold the roster however they want.Four or five years from now, the Hawks should have a solid enough nucleus to loosen the purse strings for free agents and catapult the team into contention — with enough prospects still in the pipeline to keep developing — or else something went terribly wrong in the draft or the locker rooms.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.At that point, Richardson probably would be the first to welcome the pitchforks if his team isn’t competitive.But for now, he has to worry about more than just a paucity of playmakers.At a critical time when he’s trying to build a culture in his image, he could have fewer players of the kind he needs.DeBrincat isn’t just revered for his skill — like Hagel was — he’s beloved for the example he sets.AdvertisementThe 5-foot-7 winger harasses bigger opponents on defense, often poking away pucks into the Hawks possession, and he’s as feisty on the penalty kill as he is on the power play. He’s one of the Hawks’ character guys, the kind who playfully torments a young skater such as MacKenzie Entwistle in practice. Like, every practice.And based on many of DeBrincat’s postgame interviews, personal achievements can’t dull the sting of a loss.DeBrincat checks a lot of boxes, and that kind of player wouldn’t be very easy for Davidson and Richardson to replace — no matter how many prospects they get in return.

Thursday’s news of USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten Conference as early as 2024 stunned the college sports world.The prospect of two elite athletic programs teaming up with the nation’s most powerful Power Five conference might be the most anticipated merger since Joe Walsh joined the Eagles.AdvertisementDid the Eagles really need Walsh to crank out hit after hit?No, but they immediately turned out the granddaddy of all classic rock albums, “Hotel California,” and became better than ever with Walsh.AdvertisementDitto the Big Ten, which didn’t need USC or UCLA to prove its worth in the world of college sports but became exponentially greater with both schools as members.What it means for the college football landscape will be the subject of intense speculation the next several weeks and months leading into September.The idea of two super-conferences — the Big Ten and SEC — dominating the sport and leading to the extinction or irrelevance of the remaining three power conferences seems to be the most likely outcome, at least according to experts who somehow missed out on the biggest story of the year until it actually happened.Oklahoma and Texas ignited the gold rush last year when the two most prominent Big 12 schools announced their decision to bolt to the SEC. Surely we haven’t seen the last “name” school eschewing tradition to join one of the super conferences and share the TV booty. And when that happens, the poor get poorer.But who knows?Maybe the Big 12, ACC and Pac-12 can survive as minor conferences. There certainly are enough networks and streaming services for everyone to get a share of the TV pie, even if it’s a sliver compared with the wheelbarrows full of cash the Big Ten and SEC will be raking in under their current and future contracts.One of the biggest questions is what happens with Notre Dame, the only college football program that doesn’t need to share with the others because it’s freaking Notre Dame.The Irish never needed to join a conference because NBC airs all of their home games in a deal that runs through 2025. They’ve had a national following for more than a century and have been doing just fine as an independent, making it to the College Football Playoff without having to win a conference title.AdvertisementPlayers celebrate scoring during the Notre Dame Blue-Gold game April 23, 2022, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind. (Michael Caterina/AP)But according to Notre Dame’s agreement with the ACC, the Irish are obligated to join the conference if they decide to give up their independent status before 2036. That’s a long way from now, especially with the rapid alteration of the college sports landscape.And if Clemson, Miami and another team bolt the ACC for the SEC, as some have predicted, the future of the conference would be in severe jeopardy.The obvious choice for Notre Dame would be the Big Ten — the Irish would fit perfectly with the Ohio States, Michigans and USCs of the college football world. This has been discussed since Nebraska and Penn State joined the Big Ten, but the Irish didn’t need the Big Ten and kept the status quo.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Times change, and Notre Dame soon might have no choice but to join a conference. But why would the SEC let Notre Dame get away without making an offer that its president, Rev. John Jenkins, couldn’t refuse? If USC and UCLA are good fits for the Big Ten, why wouldn’t Notre Dame be comfortable in the SEC?Perhaps coach Marcus Freeman could even affect a Southern accent like his predecessor, the chameleon-like Brian Kelly, who took LSU’s money and suddenly began sounding like he was shucking crawdads on the bayou. A Notre Dame schedule with games against LSU, Alabama and Georgia every season would be just as appetizing as a Big Ten schedule, and the SEC’s dominance proves it’s by far the best football conference.While we await the fallout from the USC and UCLA exodus, we also mourn the loss of the Rose Bowl as the preeminent New Year’s Day bowl game. The tradition already took a hit when they played the 2021 Rose Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. No one seemed to blink when the “granddady of ‘em all” wasn’t played in Pasadena, Calif., so maybe no one will mind if USC were to play Washington State of the revamped Pac-6 Conference in the 2025 Rose Bowl.AdvertisementCollege football can survive anything, no matter the unending competition for the biggest haul from universities that were built to provide education for students rather than entertainment for the masses. When it comes down to it, the game-day experience — including the marching bands, cheerleaders, fight songs, stadiums, age-old rivalries and newer traditions such as the “Jump Around” singalong in Madison, Wis. — make every fall Saturday a day to look forward to.Changes always have been part of the game and always will be.In the words of the House of Pain anthem performed at every Wisconsin game: “Get used to one style and yo and I might switch.”Jump around, America. Jump around.