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‘That’s just noise’: Canucks’ Foote not worried about future despite rough season

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VANCOUVER — When Adam Foote was announced as the 22nd head coach of the Vancouver Canucks on May 14, 2025, his inherited team was at a bit of a crossroads.

Former head coach Rick Tocchet chose to depart Vancouver just one season removed from leading the team to a Pacific Division title, the Canucks had just missed the playoffs by several points and a non-insignificant chunk of the season was characterized by palpable tension between two highly paid star players.

Of course, Quinn Hughes was still the captain and the prevailing hope was that 2024-25 was enough of an outlier that it could convince the franchise defenceman to remain in Vancouver. There was a lot riding on the season — anything less than success would mean the end of this era of Canucks hockey as we knew it.

Eleven months later, well, we know how this story ends.

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The Canucks are playing their final home game of the 2025-26 season Tuesday night, nearing a merciful end to a tumultuous year that’s seen one of the worst records in franchise history (20-48-8), the worst home-ice record in franchise history (just eight wins) and their best defenceman in franchise history departing for greener pastures. The only silver lining of this season is likely still ahead, at the May 5 draft lottery, where their odds of winning the first-overall pick sit at 25.5 per cent.

Coaches have been fired for less. In fact, it’s happened multiple times this year. The New York Islanders fired Patrick Roy earlier this month as they pushed for the post-season and the playoff-bound Vegas Golden Knights dismissed Bruce Cassidy, their Stanley Cup-winning coach, in favour of John Tortorella, at the end of March. In 320 games behind the Golden Knights’ bench, Cassidy had a .600 winning percentage, but lost seven of the 10 games leading up to his firing.

It’s the nature of NHL coaching, to an extent. Job security is contingent on winning and when that’s not happening, nobody is safe — not Stanley Cup winners, and least of all the bench boss of a team that entered the year with playoff aspirations and instead will finish last in the league.

So, given the way this year has played out, does Foote feel the heat?

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“People are aware of what happens (around the league),” Foote said before Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings (10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, Sportsnet, Sportsnet+).

“I don’t think about that. I think about the now. We’re playing hockey, we have L.A. tonight. That’s just noise that’s not in my control. I control what I do here every day and that’s how I played, that’s how I was raised, that’s how I come to work.

“I’ll let the players, the game, the way they play, the way they carry themselves, others talk about that,” he continued when asked if he believes he’s done enough to show the organization he’s their guy going forward. “I’m not going to defend myself to some noise, or things that I can’t control.”

In fairness to Foote, some of the Canucks’ early-season struggles weren’t entirely in his control.

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Injuries up and down the lineup, particularly to their centremen, meant their ability to generate offence suffered significantly and by the time the Canucks could play at full-strength, it already felt too late.

Granted, their play — particularly on home ice — wasn’t doing them any favours and with just eight wins at Rogers Arena this season, Foote and his players understand the importance of capping their home schedule with some success.

“If we can at least go out on a high note, and get a win for (the fans) that would be awesome, so we’re going to try to keep this thing rolling,” forward Brock Boeser said. “It’s been a rough year at home. We’ve talked about that a lot, so we’ve got to make sure we have the right mindset going into tonight.”

“We haven’t been able to take care of business at home,” added Aatu Raty. “We’re going to give a really hard effort today and give ourselves a good chance to win.”

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As for Foote, any talk of home-ice failures or conjecture over his future won’t change the way he approaches their final home game. For him, the preparation for Game 81 looks much the same to that of Game 1.

“Every game we want to win,” Foote said. “We’re approaching it the same way as we always do.

“We play the game the same way, you prepare the same way. There are things in your control that you grind out, and just do your job. I wouldn’t approach this any different than if it was that we had to win for a playoff spot. … My brain doesn’t go to places where the noise is. I just stay focused on my task, my job and my role. It’s all you can control.”

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Giants 4-round mock draft after blockbuster Dexter Lawrence trade with Bengals

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Giants 4-round mock draft after blockbuster Dexter Lawrence trade with Bengals originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

With just days to go before the 2026 NFL Draft, the New York Giantspulled off a blockbuster trade with the Cincinnati Bengals that jettisoned star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.

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The deal saw the Giants send Lawrence to the Bengals for the No. 10 overall pick, which was no doubt more than anyone was expecting them to get. Now, Big Blue stands armed with two first-round picks, with the other coming at No. 5 overall.

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With needs on both sides of the ball, the Giants can now take care of the offense and defense with blue-chip prospects inside the top 10 of the draft later this week.

And that’s exactly what we have them doing in our new mock draft in the wake of the Lawrence trade with the Bengals.

Giants 4-round mock draft after Lawrence trade

Sonny Styles

Sonny Styles

Imagn Images

Round 1, Pick 5: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

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ESPN’s Jordan Raanan mentioned Styles as one of three players the Giants like with the No. 5 pick, and it’s not hard to see why.

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“Staying at No. 5, the three players who seem to be most squarely on their radar are Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles and  (Ohio State safety Caleb) Downs,” Raanan wrote.

Styles is a freak athlete with sideline-to-sideline speed and great length. He’s a strong tackler, good in run defense and has shown elite skills in coverage after posting an 87.4 Pro Football Focus grade in that area last season.

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The Ohio State product can wear the green dot and will be a leader in New York’s defense for a decade.

Round 1, Pick 10 (via CIN): WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

The Giants were one of the teams to attend Tyson’s workout, which was his last opportunity to quell fears about his injury history. By all accounts, Tyson did manage to do that.

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“I think Jordyn Tyson goes much higher than earlier expected,” ESPN’s Matt Miller said. “Teams are comfortable with the INJ history. Conversation for him starts at 5 but he’s off the board no later than 16.”

If not for his injury history, Tyson would likely be the undisputed No. 1 receiver in this class. The 6-foot-2, 203-pound pass-catcher can line up anywhere on the field, is a polished route-runner and can even block.

After losing Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency, the Giants need another weapon for quarterback Jaxson Dart across from star wideout Malik Nabers. Not only would Tyson check that box, he could very well provide an upgrade over Robinson.

Round 2, Pick 37: DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

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kayden mcdonald

kayden mcdonald

The loss of Lawrence will leave a void in the middle of the Giants’ defense, hurting both the pass-rush and run defense. Making matters worse, New York was already weak upfront, even with Lawrence on the roster.

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While McDonald isn’t much of a pass-rusher, he showed improvement in that area last season with a career-high three sacks. He really shines as a run defender, with the Ohio State product posting the best PFF grade in the nation in run defense.

Once viewed as a first-round pick, the belief is most teams now have him with a second-round grade because of his lack of pass-rush prowess.

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That’s just fine for the Giants, as McDonald can provide the kind of boost to the run defense from Day 1 that New York needs.

Round 4, Pick 105: CB Tacario Davis, Washington

The loss of Cor’Dale Flott leaves the Giants with a big void after the team failed to adequately address the position in free agency, leaving a potential starting duo of Paulson Adebo and uninspiring free-agent signing Greg Newsome outside.

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After taking a step back in 2024, Davis rebounded with a strong showing after he transferred to Washington. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound cornerback gave up a passer rating of just 50.6 in coverage, notched a personal bests two interceptions and he showed out in the run game with an impressive PFF grade of 81.8.

Davis can offer some competition for Newsome on the boundary, and it’s not crazy to think he could win that competition in Year 1.

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Munich 2026 Final: Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and betting tips

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Match Details

Fixture: (2) Ben Shelton vs (4) Flavio Cobolli

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Date: April 19, 2026

Tournament: Bavarian International Tennis Championships

Round: Final

Venue: MTTC Iphitos e.V. tennis club in Munich, Germany

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Category: ATP 500

Surface: Clay

Prize Money: €2,561,110

Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN

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Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli preview

Shelton pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: GettyShelton pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: Getty
Shelton pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: Getty

Second seed Ben Shelton will face off against fourth seed Flavio Cobolli in the final of the 2026 BMW Open on Sunday, April 19.

Shelton started his season with a quarterfinal run at the ASB Classic and followed it up with another quarterfinal finish at the Australian Open, where he lost to Jannik Sinner. He then went on to win the Dallas Open and reached the quarterfinals in Houston before arriving in Munich. There, he defeated Emilio Nava, Alexander Blockx, Joao Fonseca, and Alex Molcan 6-3, 6-4 to reach the final.

Cobolli pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: GettyCobolli pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: Getty
Cobolli pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: Getty

Meanwhile, Cobolli’s standout result this season is his title run at the Mexican Open. He also made the semifinals of the Delray Beach Open, losing to Sebastian Korda, but hasn’t had many other notable results. In Munich, he beat Diego Dedura, Zizou Bergs, Vit Kopriva, and Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-3 to set up a clash with Shelton.


Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli head-to-head

Shelton leads Cobolli 3–2 in their head-to-head. Cobolli won their first two meetings in Geneva and Washington in 2024, while Shelton has taken the last three in Acapulco, the Canadian Open, and the Paris Masters in 2025.

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Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli odds

Player Moneyline Handicap Bets Total Games
Ben Shelton -525 -4.5 (-105) Over 21.5 (-115)
Flavio Cobolli +360 +4.5 (-140) Under 21.5 (-125)

(Odds via BetMGM)


Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli prediction

Shelton plays with clear intent. The serve sets the tone, the forehand follows, and he looks to finish points before rallies really take shape. When he’s confident, everything happens quickly and on his terms.

Cobolli is more about structure and balance. He moves well, absorbs pace, and is comfortable building points rather than rushing them. He’s willing to stay in rallies and wait for openings instead of forcing them.

The key is whether Shelton can keep control early. If he’s landing first serves and dictating with his forehand, Cobolli may struggle to settle. But if rallies extend, Cobolli’s consistency and movement can start to make things uncomfortable. The American’s firepower gives him the edge, but he’ll need to stay disciplined to avoid letting the match drift.

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Pick: Shelton to win in straight sets.


Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli betting tips

Tip 1: The match will have over 21 games.

Tip 2: Shelton to win at least one set with a score of 7-5 or better.