EAST MEADOW, N.Y. -- Nearly six months before the opening of their new arena, the New York Islanders are reporting they have nearly sold out of season tickets for the first season in their new home.

UBS Arena, being built next to the racetrack at Belmont Park with an expected capacity of around 17,000 for hockey, has sold more than 90% of its season tickets, the Islanders announced Thursday. The upper level and terrace are sold out, as well as eight sections in the lower bowl.

"With just a few months before puck drop in the fall, it's exciting to see the demand for season tickets continue," said Mike Cosentino, the Islanders' senior vice president of sales. "We're well on the way towards selling out every Islanders game of UBS Arena's inaugural season."

About 1,000 seats remain available, and the Islanders will start a waiting list after those are sold.

The Islanders are two points behind first-place Washington in the East Division. They have 14 games remaining with a game in hand on the Capitals. New York reached the Eastern Conference finals last year, losing to eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay in six games.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, no fans were allowed at Nassau Coliseum this season until early last month. Since then, capacity has been limited to 10% -- about 1,400 -- to allow for social distancing.

The Vancouver Canucks' game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday will be postponed, a source confirmed to ESPN.

The news comes one day after Vancouver forward J.T. Miller delivered passionate remarks saying his team was being rushed back after a COVID outbreak, adding it is "dangerous to a lot of players."

"What we're being asked to do is not going to be too safe, if you're asking me," Miller told reporters on Wednesday.

Sportsnet first reported on Friday's postponement. It's still unclear if Saturday's Canucks game, against the Toronto Maple Leafs, will still be played. After not playing since March 24, the NHL originally scheduled the Canucks to play their final 19 games in 31 days, delaying the end of the North Division regular season.

On Wednesday night, the NHLPA held a Zoom call with Canucks players to discuss their concerns, a source told ESPN. On Thursday, some players reported to the Canucks facility and underwent medical examinations and cardiology screenings. After that, the NHL, NHLPA and Canucks said they would determine the best course of action going forward.

All players who had COVID must be cleared by a team doctor and cardiologist before returning to the ice. However some players still had reservations about suiting up so soon.

One player told ESPN on Tuesday that although doctors have told him he is no longer contagious after contracting the virus, he is still experiencing some after effects, like brain fog. The player told ESPN that he is planning to resume play with the team, though he is concerned about "the unknown."

Miller was one of the few players on the team that did not contract the virus in the last few weeks. Many players were symptomatic -- experiencing body aches, chills, dehydration -- including one player who required an IV, a source told ESPN.

"I hope people don't take this the wrong way, I'm a super competitive guy," said Miller, a nine-year NHL veteran. "But this isn't about hockey for our team. This is about the health and safety of our players, their family and their children. This isn't about making the playoffs."

The NHL said there is a chance that the Stanley Cup playoffs begin for the three United States-based divisions while the North Division still finishes up regular season play.

The Canucks are 10 points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the fourth playoff spot in the North Division.

Sigh, the 2021 NHL trade deadline.

We all sorta knew it was going to be a bust, what with the flat cap and the loss of revenue and the fact that teams didn't want to overreact to anything happening -- good or bad -- in this janky, truncated season. We were all hoping someone might get aggressive and pull off an illogical blockbuster in a craven attempt to win the Stanley Cup. Perhaps the general managers are saving all of their ill-fated moves for the expansion draft.

Before the season, we published our NHL Contender Tiers, ranking all 31 teams with regard to how close or far they are from hoisting said Cup. We decided to revisit them again after three-quarters of the season and the trade deadline were over, and found some teams had leveled up ... while others have seen their fortunes plummet.

The elite

Tampa Bay Lightning
Colorado Avalanche
Vegas Golden Knights
Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs have joined the elite.

The other three teams were in this grouping before the season, and have done nothing to shake our belief in them as primary Stanley Cup contenders. Sure, the Lightning are a discouraging 4-6-0 in their past 10 games, but they're going to be fine. They also have a healthy Nikita Kucherov coming back for the playoffs, which has half the league crying about cap circumvention and the other half in awe that a team could have Nikita Kucherov in street clothes for the regular season and still probably win its division.

The Avalanche and Golden Knights have continued unabated toward their Kong vs. Godzilla showdown in the West Division, with a combined plus-90 in goal differential. It's interesting that neither team really made a splash at the deadline -- Colorado's acquisition of goalie Devan Dubnyk was more about insurance than impact -- although it wasn't for a lack of trying, as both pushed hard for Boston-bound Taylor Hall. It was especially intriguing in the Golden Knights' case, having made a significant deadline move in every year of their existence. Ugh ... we were so close to the dream of having Ryan Getzlaf chasing another Cup as the center Vegas desperately needs.

The Leafs, meanwhile, go from "The Waiting Room" to the elite tier. They can score with the best of them (3.30 goals per game). We knew that. The knock on the Leafs is that they couldn't defend at a playoff-caliber level and were too easy to play against. Their team defense has shown a significant improvement (2.07 expected goals against per 60) over last season (2.32). GM Kyle Dubas has been doing his best Brian Burke impression, adding truculence and pugnacity in players like T.J. Brodie, Wayne Simmonds, Zach Bogosian and now Nick Foligno, whose leadership and defensive prowess had the Leafs sending a first-rounder to Columbus, and cost many in the analytics community their sanity. But Dubas knows that based on the current league alignment and the success of the current roster, it's go time for a big Stanley Cup push.

Will Zalatoris is admittedly “a little fried.”

Coming off his runner-up showing at the Masters Tournament, the 24-year-old Zalatoris got right back on the saddle Thursday for his first round of the RBC Heritage. He carded five birdies as part of an opening 3-under 68, which had him five shots off the early lead set by Stewart Cink.

“I thought I did a nice job today of kind of staying patient knowing that I probably wasn't going to be as mentally fresh,” said Zalatoris, who despite his world ranking (27) and dream showing at Augusta National remains a special temporary member on the PGA Tour, with only a victory qualifying him for this year’s FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Zalatoris had just one blemish on his scorecard in Round 1 at Harbour Town, and it came at the par-5 second, Zalatoris’ 11^th hole of the day. Sitting at 2 under, Zalatoris missed the fairway a little right and was blocked out by some trees. However, he said he had about a 30-foot-high and 10-yard-wide window to thread a shot through and potentially onto the green.

He missed, his ball hitting a tree and ricocheting out of bounds. He went on to double-bogey the hole to drop back to even par.

“I was trying to get something underneath the tree and hit it up onto the green, and maybe even get it on. Either way would've been easier than punching out or another option,” Zalatoris said. “I still don't regret because it was worth it. Just hit a bad shot. … I think, what, is there 120 guys this week (actually 134 in the field), and I probably would have been the only one that couldn't fit it through that window.”

Zalatoris avoided another likely disaster two holes later, at the par-3 fourth. After hitting his tee ball in the water, he was able to hole his par putt from off the green to avoid dropping a shot.

Birdies at Nos. 6-8 helped Zalatoris get comfortably back into red numbers as he eyes his eighth top-25 finish in 10 starts this year.

Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang contracted malaria while on international duty with Gabon last month and spent time in hospital this week, he said on Thursday.

Aubameyang played one match for Gabon as they booked their place in the Africa Cup of Nations finals and he has started one Arsenal game since returning to England.

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)

"Unfortunately, I contracted malaria whilst being on national team duty in Gabon a few weeks ago," Aubameyang wrote on Instagram.

The 31-year-old striker was not in the Arsenal squad when they beat Sheffield United on Sunday and he did not travel for the second leg of their Europa League quarterfinal at Slavia Prague on Thursday.

"I've spent a few days in hospital this week, but I'm already feeling much better every day, thanks to the great doctors that detected and treated the virus so quickly," Aubameyang added.

"I wasn't really feeling myself the last couple of weeks but will be back stronger than ever soon."

Arsenal, who are ninth in the Premier League standings, host Fulham on Sunday.

Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde has told ESPN the incident that damaged the team bus ahead of their Champions League quarterfinal return leg against Liverpool further motivated him "to give his all" in Wednesday's game.

Los Blancos held Liverpool to a goalless draw to progress to the semifinals with a 3-1 aggregate win.

- Stream LIVE games and replays on ESPN+ (U.S. only)

An investigation was launched by Merseyside police after the bus carrying Madrid's team to Anfield stadium before the encounter was hit by a number of items thrown by fans. According to police, the outer pane of the lead bus window was damaged, but the glass did not break and there were no reported injuries.

Asked about the incident after the game, and reminded of his background, having played for Uruguayan side Penarol, Valverde said: "I come from there and it's normal. It's OK.

"It gives you that extra [motivation] to say that I'm going to go out there on the pitch with a killer instinct and give my all."

The Uruguay international played the entire game with a swollen ankle. Valverde, who was employed in the right-back position because of Lucas Vazquez's injury, had been struggling with a knock on his ankle sustained during Saturday's 2-1 win over Barcelona in the Clasico. He received painkilling injections in order to be available from the start against Liverpool on Wednesday.

Valverde went above and beyond the call of duty, according to his girlfriend, Argentinian journalist Mina Bonino. She posted a photograph on social media which showed Valverde's red and swollen ankle hours before the game at Anfield and wrote: "This was this afternoon [Wednesday].

"I did not want to put anything up until the game was over and surely later you will challenge me for publishing it, but I must do it the same because it is your effort, and nobody gave you anything.

"Day-after-day injecting yourself to be firm and today you fulfilled more than ever. You are our pride."

Manchester City could win a historic quadruple this season, with Pep Guardiola's team still in contention in the Champions League, Premier League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup, in which they face Chelsea in Saturday's semifinal at Wembley (stream live on ESPN+ in the U.S.).

But despite their incredible performances this year, City may not win English football's top individual award due to the absence of one outstanding player in Guardiola's squad.

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- ESPN+ viewer's guide: Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, FA Cup and more

While Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias and Ederson are all strong contenders, the performances this campaign of players such as Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes and several others ensure that the outcome could be the most unpredictable since Spurs winger David Ginola won both the Football Writers' Association (FWA) and Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) awards ahead of United's Treble winners in 1999.

The FWA award, won by Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson last season, will be handed out on May 20 following a vote of journalists, while the PFA will announce the successor to last year's winner (De Bruyne) in early June.

So in a wide-open race for this year's individual honours, here's an assessment of the leading candidates -- and some deserving outsiders.

Ilkay Gundogan

The Germany midfielder has scored more Premier League goals than any of his City teammates this season and his contribution during the winter, when he scored 11 goals between December and February, proved crucial as Guardiola's team overcame their poor start to the campaign to claim top spot in late January before moving clear of the pack in the following weeks.

Gundogan's versatility has enabled Guardiola to deploy him in a holding midfield role or further forward and, after several injury battles during his five-year spell at the Etihad, the 30-year-old has shown this season why Guardiola has continually selected him when fit, and now prioritises him for Champions League games. Without Gundogan's goals this season, City would find themselves in a tense battle with Manchester United for the title.

Ruben Dias

Defenders rarely win the individual awards -- Liverpool's Steve Nicol was the last defender to claim the FWA award in 1989, while only John Terry and Virgil van Dijk have won the PFA award this century.

But in his first season in English football, following a £64.3 million transfer from Benfica last summer, Manchester City centre-half Dias has been consistently outstanding for the Premier League leaders and his arrival has ended the club's search for a replacement for former captain Vincent Kompany. The 23-year-old has brought composure and reliability to City's defence and formed an impressive partnership with John Stones. The Portugal international has arguably been City's best player this season and the outstanding defender in the Premier League.

Kevin De Bruyne

A month-long injury layoff over January and February temporarily halted De Bruyne's contribution to City's title challenge and the Belgium midfielder has scored just five goals this season -- eight short of his Premier League tally in 2019-20. But although his stats may be down this year, the 29-year-old's importance to City is without question and he has once again had a significant impact on the team's push for four major trophies.

When De Bruyne plays, City are a more complete team and his value to the club was underlined by a new four-year contract, signed last week, which makes him the highest-paid player in the Premier League. De Bruyne's impossibly high standards mean his 7/10 performances can be overlooked at times, but he has nonetheless been a key man for City this season.

Harry Kane

This could yet turn out to be the best season of Kane's career if the Tottenham forward helps the club beat Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on April 25 to win a first major trophy since 2008 (stream LIVE at 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN+ in the U.S.).

Kane is joint-top scorer in the Premier League, alongside Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, with 19 goals and he is also the leading assist maker with 13. When Ginola beat United's star players to both awards in 1999, the French winger secured the votes by inspiring Spurs to League Cup glory and Kane has a strong chance of doing the same. Trophy-winning success always boosts the prospect of individual awards, so Kane could be the man to beat if Spurs lift the Carabao Cup.

Bruno Fernandes

Fernandes has been a transformative force at Manchester United since signing from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020 and the Portugal midfielder has been the most important player in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team this season. He is United's leading scorer in the Premier League with 16 goals and second only to Harry Kane in the assists table with 11.

With his creativity in midfield, United have emerged as closest challengers to Man City in the Premier League, but having failed to win a trophy since 2017, Fernandes could win plenty of votes if he can inspire United to overcome their semifinal jinx by reaching the Europa League final.

Patrick Bamford

Bamford's season in the Premier League with Leeds will serve as an inspiration to all those players who have been forced to drop down a division after failing to make it in the top flight at the first, second and, in Bamford's case, fifth attempt.

The 27-year-old striker has scored 14 league goals this season, with only Kane, Salah and Fernandes having netted more, and his form has been a central factor in Marcelo Bielsa's team's impressive return to the Premier League. Having fallen short in the Premier League during previous spells with Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Norwich, Burnley and Middlesbrough, Bamford's performances this term have made him one of the Premier League's most impressive players.

Tomas Soucek

Jesse Lingard is the name on everyone's lips when it comes to West Ham United right now, but while the on-loan Manchester United midfielder's recent form has helped the Hammers maintain their surprise challenge for Champions League qualification, the real star of their campaign has been Soucek.

The Czech Republic midfielder has scored nine league goals and he has been one of the outstanding performers throughout the Premier League. Costing just £13.5m from Slavia Prague last summer, the 26-year-old has been one of the bargains of the season and he has been the rock upon which David Moyes has built West Ham's top-four bid.

Luke Shaw

Shaw has battled serious injury, loss of form and more than one sceptical manager since signing for Manchester United as an 18-year-old in 2014 and, on several occasions, it seemed that the left-back's Old Trafford career was over. But the former Southampton defender has enjoyed the best season of his career and become Solskjaer's undisputed first-choice in his position.

Shaw has been the most consistent left-back in the Premier League and forced himself back into the England team and now seems a certainty to be named in Gareth Southgate's Euro 2020 squad.

Ederson

Everton's Neville Southall was the last goalkeeper to win either individual award when he was named FWA Footballer of the Year in 1985, but Man City's Brazilian No. 1 has a strong case to emulate Southall this season. The 27-year-old is running clear of the chasing pack in the race for the Golden Glove award this term, having record 17 clean sheets -- three more than Chelsea's Edouard Mendy and Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez.

But it is not just Ederson's ability at keeping the ball out of the net that makes him so important to Pep Guardiola, it is his contribution as an attacking outlet too, with his awareness and pinpoint distribution also helping City score goals at the other end of the pitch. Ederson has been a model of consistency this season and an irreplaceable member of Guardiola's team.

Fabinho

It is not easy to make a case for any Liverpool player to win this season's awards considering how badly Jurgen Klopp's team have struggled to defend their Premier League title. But in a campaign that has seen the Anfield squad ravaged by injuries to key players, Fabinho has been a crucial figure in both defence and midfield.

The Brazil midfielder has successfully filled in at centre-half in place of the injured Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, leaving a huge hole in midfield at the same time. But since returning to his favoured position, Liverpool have found their form again thanks to Fabinho's impact in the centre of the pitch.

Yorkshire 358 for 8 (Lyth 97, Brook 54) vs Kent

Yorkshire reached 358 for 8 at stumps against Kent on a fluctuating first day in the LV= Insurance County Championship at Canterbury, Adam Lyth their top-scorer with 97 and Harry Brook making 54.

Kent all-rounder Darren Stevens celebrated being named as one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year by taking 3 for 52 and Matt Milnes claimed 2 for 63, including the prize scalp of England Test captain Joe Root for 11, while wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson took five catches.

The visitors had regained control by the close of play in the Group Three fixture thanks to Steven Patterson and David Willey, who were unbeaten on 34 and 25 respectively, leaving Yorkshire with four bonus points and Kent two.

Yorkshire won the toss and opted to bat in numbingly cold conditions, racing to 28 without loss before Tom Kohler-Cadmore fell for 14 to the final ball of the fourth over, glancing a leg-side delivery from Stevens to Robinson.

The visitors continued to score at more than six an over for the first hour and Lyth reached his fifty before noon, from just 43 balls, before Kent slowed the run rate. Harry Podmore then removed Tom Loten for 27, tempting him to prod at a leg side delivery that was caught behind, leaving Yorkshire 128 for 2 at lunch.

Kent claimed four wickets in the afternoon session, including Root, who became Robinson's third victim, when he was lured outside off stump by Milnes. Lyth then fell three short of his century, nicking Milnes to Robinson and Brook produced an innings of controlled aggression before he was lbw to Miguel Cummins.

With Podmore off the field with an injury, occasional bowler Jack Leaning took a wicket with his first ball when he had Jonathan Tattersall caught at slip by Stevens for 11, leaving the visitors on 240 for 6 at tea.

Dom Bess and Jordan Thompson batted through the first hour of the evening session before Stevens removed both, Bess lbw for 36 and Thompson caught behind for 34, reducing Yorkshire to 299 for 8, only for Patterson and Willey to frustrate Kent's bowlers with an unbroken partnership of 59 for the ninth wicket.

Derbyshire 360 for 8 (Critchley 109, du Plooy 98, Hosein 65*, Godleman 50) vs Worcestershire

A Matt Critchley century and 98 from Leus du Plooy put Derbyshire in a strong position after day one of the LV= Insurance County Championship match against Worcestershire at Derby.

Critchley followed his two half-centuries at Edgbaston last week with 109 as Derbyshire closed on 360 for 8, which also included an unbeaten 65 from Harvey Hosein and 50 by Billy Godleman.

Worcestershire spilled five catches but they fought back after tea with Ed Barnard and Alzarri Joseph both taking two wickets in two balls.

Their decision to put Derbyshire in on a green pitch looked a good one when they struck in the first over but poor bowling and dropped catches allowed the home side to prosper. Dillon Pennington was the pick of the pace attack and Brett D'Oliveira's legspin demanded respect but Joseph struggled on his debut.

The West Indies fast bowler was wayward in his opening spell as du Plooy and Godleman rebuilt following the loss of Luis Reece who played across the line in Leach's first over.

Pennington saw du Plooy missed low at fourth slip before he had scored and the South African edged the same bowler through the hands of third on 14. Worcestershire were left to rue those lapses with du Plooy reaching fifty off 78 balls and Godleman accelerated after lunch until he edged Leach and Ben Cox took a fine diving catch.

When Pennington surprised Wayne Madsen with bounce and movement, Worcestershire were back in the game but inconsistent bowling allowed du Plooy and Critchley to restore Derbyshire's initiative.

Du Plooy looked certain to celebrate a century until he missed a pull at D'Oliveira and was bowled through his legs but Hosein joined Critchley to take Derbyshire past 300.

Worcestershire's frustration increased as Leach twice saw Hosein missed, on 41 and 46, but Critchley did not offer a chance and deservedly reached his fourth first-class hundred, off 137 balls, by driving Leach for his 10th four.

He was lbw driving at Barnard who removed Anuj Dal first ball before Joseph had Fynn Hudson-Prentice caught behind and Michael Cohen lbw but it was still an excellent day for Derbyshire who were playing at home for the first time since September 2019 as their Incora County Ground headquarters was used as a bio-secure international venue last season.