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Marchand, Panthers very close to delivering first-round pick to Bruins

Marchand, Panthers very close to delivering first-round pick to Bruins originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins are extremely close to getting another first-round draft pick.

When the B’s dealt captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers at the NHL trade deadline in March, they got a conditional 2027 second-round pick in return. That selection would upgrade to a first-rounder if the defending champs reached the Eastern Conference Final and Marchand played in at least 50 percent of Florida’s playoff games.

One of those conditions was met Sunday night when the Panthers eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 6-1 win in Game 7 of their second-round series. The Panthers clinched a conference final berth for the third straight season as a result.

The last condition for the pick to upgrade to a first-rounder is Marchand playing in at least half of the Panthers’ postseason matchups. According to 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Ty Anderson, this condition applies to the entire Panthers playoff run, and not just the first two rounds.

Marchand has played in all 12 of the Panthers’ playoff games so far. Barring an unforeseen injury, he’s very likely to play every game, especially when you consider how well he’s playing (12 points in 12 games). The Panthers can only play in 14 more games (if they go to Game 7 in each of the last two rounds), which means their maximum number of potential games played is 26.

So if Marchand plays in Game 1 of the Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, he’ll get to 13 games played and meet the 50 percent condition.

The Boston Herald’s Steve Conroy has reported that the 2027 first-rounder owed to the Bruins (assuming all conditions are met) is top-10 protected, so if the pick does fall in the top 10, it would convey as an unprotected 2028 first-round pick.

If the Bruins do get this first-round pick from the Panthers, it would give them five picks in Round 1 over the next three drafts.

It remains to be seen whether the Bruins will keep all of these first-round picks. The B’s do have one of the league’s worst prospect pools, but if they want to compete right now, it might make sense to package some picks to try to acquire a star player.

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Nuggets vs. Thunder Game 7: Oklahoma City’s defense, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander overwhelm Denver, take series

NBA: Playoffs-Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder

May 18, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) passes around Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) in the second quarter during game seven of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City has the likely MVP on its roster, but all season long its calling card was its defense — getting stops and turning those into transition offense fueled a 68-win regular season.

It also led to a Game 7 win against Denver — particularly in an 18-5 run to end the first half, which changed the game.

That run had the Nuggets up by 14 at the half, a lead that stretched to 23 just a minute-and-a-half into the second half. It was all Thunder the rest of the way and by 9:12 in the fourth quarter it was a 30-point game and Nuggets interim coach David Adelman emptied his bench.

In the end it was a 125-93 win that puts the Thunder through to the Western Conference Finals, taking the series 4-3. Minnesota will be in Oklahoma City on Tuesday night to open the West finals.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked like an MVP with 35 points on 12-of-19 shooting Sunday, but what won the game was the Thunder's role players stepping up:

• Jalen Williams scored 24 points with seven assists.

• Alex Caruso did a brilliant job as the primary defender on Nikola Jokic, harassing the two-time MVP into a human night (20 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists) while scoring 11 points himself.

• Chet Holmgren had 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Those points didn’t come because the Thunder were bombing away from 3 — they shot 30.8% on the night — but in the paint, where the Thunder scored 64 points before both coaches emptied their benches. It took seven games, but the Thunder finally figured out how to score against the Nuggets' zone defense, by getting the ball to a player at the free throw line and having a strong finisher cutting out of the dunker’s spot.

Denver looked the more comfortable team in the bright lights early, racing out to a 21-10 lead. Oklahoma City was pressing, missing 3s (they started 0-of-6) and aiming shots. The Nuggets have been here and done this, they got to the rim and with that got eight early free throws.

Aaron Gordon played through a strained hamstring and gave it everything he had, finishing with eight points and 11 rebounds, but he moved slowly all night and was a shell of himself. Christian Braun made plays and stepped up with 19 points, but after that, things fell off. Jamal Murray was 6-of-16 shooting in the face of defensive pressure from Lu Dort and Cason Wallace.

Denver led by five after one quarter, but to start the second David Adelman sat both Jokic and Murray, and the result was a 6-0 Thunder run 1:02 that put Oklahoma City back in the lead.

It was close most of the second quarter until the 18-5 run at the end. Things just snowballed from there.

Denver now heads into an offseason without a formal head coach — although after this run and his performance, David Adelman should have the interim tag removed — and they need to find a new general manager. That person will walk a fine line, trying to find a way to get more around Nikola Jokic while he’s in his prime — more shooting, more athleticism, more depth — and doing so while not spending deep into the luxury tax.

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Final Remaining Teams In This Year's Stanley Cup Playoffs Shows Sabres What's Necessary To Have Success

Darnell Nurse (left); Jason Robertson (right) -- (Perry Nelson, USA TODAY Images)

After the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers play Game 7 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series Sunday night, there will be only four teams left in this year's post-season. And no matter which team joins the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers in the conference finals, it's going to be crystal-clear to everyone -- the Buffalo Sabres included -- what it takes to have success to get into the playoffs, and when the games matter most once they get there.

For one thing, you need some degree of generational talent -- whether that's superstars like Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Toronto's Auston Matthews, Dallas' Miro Heiskanen, Florida's Aleksander Barkov and Carolina's Sebastien Aho -- and you need a defense corps that has feisty competitors, including Florida's Aaron Ekblad, Edmonton's Darnell Nurse, Toronto's Chris Tanev  and Jake McCabe, Dallas' Esa Lindell, and Carolina's Brent Burns.

Meanwhile, playoff teams also need to have some degree of clutch goaltending. Toronto got that from both Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll this season, as did Edmonton with Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner, Florida with Sergei Bobvrovsky, Carolina with Frederik Andersen, and Dallas with Jake Oettinger.

And you also need a good deal of quality depth to help you guard against injuries and your opponents' depth. All five teams that were still active as of Sunday afternoon have depth to spare, as the Hurricanes, Stars, Leafs, Panthers and Oilers all have benefitted from quality performers throughout the lineup.

The Sabres, on the other hand, haven't yet been able to boast of any of those things. Yes, Buffalo has Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, but you probably can't put those three youngsters in the top-10 of their positions -- at least, not yet. And while Buffalo may eventually have a high-end goalie in Devon Levi, you can't say he's anywhere close to the top-10 among netminders right now, either. Finally, while the Sabres have a slew of prospects they hope will be on the rise, it's not accurate to compare them to the best in the NHL in the depth department.

That's the challenge ahead for Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams -- put the Sabres in a top-three or top-five position in at least one of those areas to get things started. Asking them to be in a top-three or top-five area in those three different areas is a tall order indeed, but if Buffalo ever is going to win a couple playoff rounds and give Sabres fans true reason to be optimistic regarding their championship aspirations, they have to start somewhere. 

Who Is A Reasonable Target For Buffalo In Free Agency This Summer?Who Is A Reasonable Target For Buffalo In Free Agency This Summer?The Buffalo Sabres are heading into the off-season knowing they have some money to spend on free agents -- not as much money as some teams, but right now, they have approximately $21.4 million in salary cap space to use.

That initial area of strength is probably their defense corps, but if Buffalo has that and they don't have elite netminding and overall high-quality depth, they're going to continue to struggle, and their 14-year playoff drought is going to continue. 

Teams that eventually rise through the ranks are built with painstaking attention to detail, and if even the slightest element isn't up to snuff, they'll be eliminated from the post-season in short order. So that's what Adams has to do in the months and years ahead -- figure out how to get the Sabres to be difference-makers and needle-movers in far more than one key department.

If there's any doubt about the areas we've covered above, Buffalo will be making more excuses to a fan base that has to be sick to their stomach from excuses. You either have what it takes to be better than 28 other NHL teams in crucial areas or you don't -- and right now, the Sabres don't.

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Penguins Forward Prospect Named SHL Rookie Of The Year

Aug 2, 2024; Plymouth, MI, USA; USA’s forward Colin Ralph (11) battles for position with Sweden's forward Melvin Fernstrom (12) during the second period of the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase at USA Hockey Arena. (David Reginek-Imagn Images)

For the second time this week, a Pittsburgh Penguins' prospect has earned top Swedish Hockey League (SHL) honors.

Forward Melvin Fernstrom - acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in the Marcus Pettersson trade - was named SHL Rookie of the Year on Sunday. 

The 18-year-old right winger registered eight goals and 17 points in 48 games for Orebro HK.

Fernstrom was selected in the third round (93rd overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft. This was his first season playing in Sweden's highest professional hockey league, and he also played in 12 games for Orebro HK's J20 team, putting up 11 goals and 18 points in that time. During the 2023-24 season for Orebro HK J20, Fernstrom recorded 31 goals and 63 points in 45 games to go along with a plus-25.

The young Swede has a lot of raw talent, even if his skating and some of his details away from the puck are things he'll have to work on in order to stick at the NHL level. Penguins' POHO and GM Kyle Dubas said at the time of Fernstrom's acquisition on Jan. 31 that the Penguins were intrigued by him prior to the 2024 Draft.

"I think the thing that stood out in the draft is that, when we interviewed him, he was known as an offensive, scoring winger," Dubas said. "And we interviewed him, and it was very clear to us that his mindset was in the right spot. His goal for this year was to earn a spot in the SHL and knowing that role was not going to be as a top-two-line goal-scorer. 

"And when we watched him this year for Orebro, he was highly competitive."

Fernstome is signed to Orebro HK through the end of the 2025-26 season.

Penguins Prospect Recognized As SHL Forward Of The YearPenguins Prospect Recognized As SHL Forward Of The YearA recently-signed Pittsburgh Penguins forward - and former top prospect - has been recognized after a stellar 2024-25 campaign.

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Mets prospects Jett Williams and Ryan Clifford dominating Double-A, Ronny Mauricio’s strong Syracuse return

Some of the Mets' top young talent was on display Sunday afternoon...

Mauricio reaches three times

Ronny Mauricio was activated from the IL on Saturday and optioned to Triple-A. 

Mauricio found himself inserted into the Syracuse lineup right away -- batting second and playing second base during Sunday’s contest with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. 

He was called out on strikes during his first at-bat, but was able to reach base during his next turn up, lining a single for his first Syracuse knock in nearly two seasons. 

The speedy infielder got things started in the fifth, reaching on a single before scoring on a double, and then made things happen again an inning later. After beating out a fielder's choice to prolong the frame, he stole second and then scored on a Jared Young single. 

Mauricio was lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the eighth. 

After struggling to get back into a groove during his rehab assignment at High-A and Double-A, Sunday’s showing was certainly a positive sign for the 24-year-old. 

He’ll look to build off that before potentially working his way back to the big-league level. 

Williams, Clifford surging with the Rumble Ponies

Jett Williams and Ryan Clifford have been on a tear of late for Binghamton, and both played a huge role in Sunday afternoon’s win over the Hartford Yard Goats. 

The speedy Williams continued setting the table for the Rumble Ponies -- reaching three times out of the leadoff spot with two singles and a double while also driving in a pair of runs and scoring two of his own.

He’s now reached in all but one game in May and has recorded a strong .945 OPS. 

Clifford was on-base three times as well in the victory -- lining a pair of singles before going the other way to drive in what ended up being the winning run with a one out double in the top of the seventh.

He’s now hitting .309 with 16 RBI and a .969 OPS in 16 May games. 

It’s certainly encouraging to see two of the top young talents in the organization getting off to a surging start, and if they are able to keep this up it might not be long before we see them bumped up to Syracuse.

Benge continues stellar start 

Carson Benge has certainly looked the part of a top prospect. 

The first rounder has been tearing the cover off the ball early on this year in the pitcher-friendly confines of Maimonides Park and that continued in Sunday afternoon’s walk-off win. 

Benge walked and grounded out during each of his first two plate appearances, but then demolished a go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to give Brooklyn their first lead of the game. 

He was intentionally walked with a man on third and one out in the sixth, but was able to do some more damage leading off the bottom of the tenth, driving in the game-tying run with a double to deep left. 

A few batters later, he scored the winning run on a fielder’s choice. 

Benge reached base in four of his five plate appearances -- helping him bring his average up to .309 with four homers, eight doubles, 25 RBI, and a .919 OPS during his first full season in the organization. 

It definitely won’t be long before Benge joins an already loaded Binghamton squad. 

Allan returns to Brooklyn

Matt Allan’s comeback tour continued on Sunday. 

The right-hander was among several Mets prospects who received promotions over the past couple of weeks and he took the mound for the Cyclones for the first time since 2019. 

Things didn’t quite go as planned, however, as he failed to escape the first inning. 

Allan walked the leadoff hitter and then was hurt by some shoddy infield defense, as a pair of errors brought in two runs, and then another walk ultimately ended his short afternoon at the ballpark. 

He retired just two of the six batters he faced, throwing a total of 33 pitches. 

Luckily for the 24-year-old, the Cyclones' offense was able to rally to pick up their sixth straight win.

It's been a bit of an up-and-down return to the mound for Allan, who has allowed eight runs while walking 13 and striking out 17 across 15.2 innings of work, but most importantly he's been able to stay healthy.

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Chris Taylor released by Dodgers, who owe him $13.4 million

LOS ANGELES — Chris Taylor was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday to clear a roster spot for utilityman Tommy Edman, who was activated off the injured list and was in the starting lineup for the series finale against the Los Angeles Angels.

Taylor, who played all three outfield spots and second base this season, is owed $13,435,484 from a four-year, $60 million contract he agreed to ahead of the 2022 season. He is due the remaining $9,435,484 of his $13 million salary this season and a $4 million buyout of a 2026 club option.

Taylor, who turns 35 in August, was the longest-tenured position player on the roster after backup catcher Austin Barnes was designated for assignment on Wednesday.

“This has been a very emotional week for all of us,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “Barnesy and C.T. have been in the middle of some huge moments for this organization. Both left an indelible mark on our culture and where we’re at at this point, so the decisions were incredibly difficult.

“But with where we are, the division race, the composition of our roster, we felt like this was in the Dodgers’ best interest in terms of how to win as many games and put us in position to best win a World Series this year.”

Taylor had several big postseason hits for the Dodgers, including a walk-off homer that beat St. Louis in the 2021 NL wild card game, three homers in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series against Atlanta and a leadoff homer in the 2017 World Series opener against Houston.

But he had only 35 plate appearances this season, batting .200 (7 for 35) with two doubles and two RBIs in 28 games.

The emergence of rookie Hyeseong Kim made Taylor expendable, Kim hit .452 (14 for 31) in his first 14 games after being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City and reached base in nine consecutive plate appearances.

“Beyond just how endearing he is to his teammates, just the energy he brings, the foot speed, the versatility as well, it’s just something that adds a lot to our roster and a different look,” Friedman said of Kim. “No decision is ever made in a vacuum. It’s within the context of our roster and where we’re at. And he’s done a great job.”

Acquired from Seattle in a 2016 trade, Taylor revamped his swing with the Dodgers and was a fixture in the lineup from 2017-23, playing six positions and batting .256 with a .779 OPS, 103 homers, 173 doubles and 391 RBIs.

Taylor had a neck injury and struggled to find his swing last year, hitting .202 with a .598 OPS and 76 strikeouts in 87 games.

“He is the consummate pro,” Friedman said. “He came in hungry and wanting to get better and dove in with our hitting guys with our position coaches. He got better in the infield and outfield, and he brought production in the batter’s box.

“He was a huge part of so much success that we’ve enjoyed and can’t say enough about the human, the worker, the teammate, the player. He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve ever been around.”

Right-hander reliever Kirby Yates was placed on the 15-day injured list, a day after straining a hamstring against the Angels. The Dodgers selected the contract of 33-year-old right-handed reliever Lou Trivino from Oklahoma City.

Los Angeles will have to make another roster move early this week when right fielder Teoscar Hernández (groin strain) is activated off the injured list. The Dodgers said Kim will remain on the roster after Hernández returns.

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Nine Seasons, No Playoffs: GM Steve Yzerman Under Pressure To Deliver In Detroit

Imagine you’re a Detroit Red Wings fan. For a quarter-century, your team was a lock to make the Stanley Cup playoffs and a four-time Cup-winner. In short, your Wings were the NHL’s gold standard franchise – and if, at any point in that span of time, someone had told you Detroit would miss out on post-season action for nine straight seasons, you would’ve laughed at them.

Well, here we are, and no Red Wings fans are laughing anymore. And when Wings fans look around the league, you can see why their patience with Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has just about run out.

The team Yzerman left as an executive, the Tampa Bay Lightning, haven’t missed the playoffs since 2016-17. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues – the Wings’ rivals from their days in the Norris Division – have found a way to win a Cup, miss out on the playoffs, then get back into the post-season, all in the same period Yzerman has been Detroit’s GM. And in Los Angeles, the Kings have moved on from GM Rob Blake despite L.A. making the playoffs for five straight years.

It’s easy to see, then, why many Wings fans have run out of goodwill for Yzerman. Yes, you have to give him his due for being one of the all-time great competitors in league history, but when you haven’t produced so much as one playoff game in six years as an NHL GM, you eventually run out of runway to stick the landing. And that’s the territory Yzerman has now entered heading into next season.

It doesn’t matter that the Red Wings have approximately $21.3 million in cap space to use this summer to improve via free agency, as it no longer feels like Detroit is a popular destination for free agents. And after some questionable moves Yzerman has made – the abysmal contract given to defenseman Justin Holl, and the inability to get that same kind of high-end assets out of defenseman Jake Walman that the San Jose Sharks were able to get for him – it’s fair to wonder whether Yzerman has lost his fastball as an NHL executive. 

Steve Yzerman (Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)

If Detroit ownership had given up on Yzerman, they would’ve announced a management change by now. But this has to be the final season Yzerman has to shepherd his team into the playoffs, right?

If Detroit is in the same place next spring as they are right now, there can’t be any more excuses or calls for more chances for Yzerman. He has to be held to the same standard as any other GM, and that means his days of dining out on his sterling reputation as a player have basically come to an end.

Enough is just about enough for Yzerman as Wings GM, and not even a Hockey Hall-of-Fame career as a player can permit him to have lifeboat after lifeboat, year after year, to show he can get the job done in Detroit’s front office. Yzerman’s wizardry on the ice has eluded him as an executive, and he now is firmly on the clock, with one more season to prove an increasingly-large group of doubters wrong.

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Ben Stokes quits alcohol to help hamstring injury rehabilitation

  • England Test captain to return against Zimbabwe
  • ‘It’s just getting harder to do everything’

Ben Stokes has stopped drinking alcohol during his latest injury rehabilitation in an effort to be firing on all cylinders for England this summer. The Test captain is set to make his comeback on Thursday in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, having been sidelined since December after tearing his left hamstring in New Zealand.

He rushed back from a similar injury last year but his recovery this time after an operation has been painstakingly managed and Stokes has left no stone unturned to fulfil his vow to return in peak physical condition. Speaking to the Untapped podcast, the 33-year-old said: “After my first major injury, I remember the shock of it, after the initial adrenaline had stopped, thinking: ‘How has this happened? We did have a bit of a drink four or five nights ago, could that have played a part? It wouldn’t have helped.’

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Mets Notes: Starling Marte will ‘continue to get chances,’ Juan Soto’s uptick in stolen bases

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was asked about a number of different topics prior to Sunday night's Subway Series finale...

Marte will continue seeing opportunities

Starling Marte hasn’t quite been able to find his groove yet this season. 

Adjusting to his new role as more of a part-time player, the 36-year-old slugger is hitting just .192 with two extra base-hits and a .604 OPS through 28 games. 

Despite the struggles, Marte continues to find himself in the middle of the Mets’ lineup when they face left-handed pitching -- as is the case for Sunday's Subway Series finale against Yanks ace Max Fried.

Even with Jeff McNeil back, Brett Baty swinging a hot bat, and Luisangel Acuña providing a spark on both sides of the ball Mendoza says that Marte will continue seeing chances moving forward. 

“He’s been an elite player in this game,” the skipper said. “It’s not an easy role to be in when you’re used to playing every day, it takes time to adjust. I just have to continue giving him at-bats, he’s a good player. The way the ball continues to jump off his bat, the bat speed, it’s there -- he’ll get going here pretty soon.”

Soto’s uptick in stolen bases

Juan Soto isn’t exactly known for his blazing speed.

The superstar outfielder swiped just seven bases all of last season for the Yankees -- but things have been different over his first 45 games with the Mets, as he's already halfway to that total.

Soto has stolen a base in each of the first two games of the Subway Series, pushing his streak to three straight and giving him a total of five on the year.

He’s currently on pace for 18, which would shatter his previous career-high of 12. 

“He’s just taking advantage of opportunities,” Mendoza said. “He’s using the information and trusting it. That’s something he talked about with Antoan [Richardson] from the beginning, not only the defense in right, but becoming a better baserunner overall.

“Yesterday, that play stealing third it kind of ended up being the difference. He scores on a sac fly and we won the game by one run. It’s something that from the beginning they’ve been working on and every time the opportunity presents, we’ll take advantage of it.”

Taylor cramped up, but good to go

Tyrone Taylor was dealing with some cramping in his calf after diving head-first into second late in Saturday afternoon's victory. 

After talking things over with the training staff, Mendoza said that Taylor is good to go for the series finale, but he still elected to give him a day off -- so Jeff McNeil will start in center in his place. 

McNeil is still relatively inexperienced at the position having logged just five big-league appearances out there this year, but Mendoza says the coaching staff likes what they've seen from thus far. 

“I think he's been fine in center," he said. "He hasn't really been tested too much, but he's doing a good job of making the routine plays -- so I'm comfortable with using him out there, that's why he continues to get reps."

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‘He’ll stay here’: Palace co-owner insists Oliver Glasner won’t leave Selhurst Park

  • Co-owner Steve Parish fends off interest from rival clubs
  • Marc Guéhi out of hospital after checks on eye injury

Steve Parish has made it clear that his FA Cup-winning manager, Oliver Glasner, will be at Crystal Palace next season. Tottenham are prominent among Glasner’s admirers and they will put him on their shortlist if they decide to part company with Ange Postecoglou at the end of the season. Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig are also interested in the man who led Palace past Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday to the club’s first major trophy.

Parish, the Palace chair and co-owner, said he wanted to extend Glasner’s contract, which is scheduled to expire in June 2026. As Parish continued to savour the cup win that will bring Europa League football to Selhurst Park next season, materially changing his club as a proposition, he essentially told those who might try to lure Glasner away that they were wasting their time.

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European football: Lazio’s late penalty deals hammer blow to Inter title bid

  • Napoli lead Serie A by point after draw at Parma
  • PSV pip Ajax to Eredivisie title with 3-1 win at Sparta

Inter’s title hopes were dealt a crushing blow when a late Pedro penalty earned Lazio a 2-2 draw at San Siro, to leave the Serie A champions one point behind Napoli going into the final game of the season.

With Napoli held to a 0-0 draw by Parma, Inter missed the perfect opportunity to move into pole position at just the right time, but Yann Bisseck went from hero to villain, conceding the 90th minute penalty after opening the scoring.

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US PGA Championship 2025: Scheffler holds off Rahm to win third major – as it happened

Scottie Scheffler dug deep to pull away from a chasing pack, led by Jon Rahm, that briefly hauled him in

The leader Scottie Scheffler tees it up. If he’s feeling nerves, they’re not betraying him on his face. A huge roar from the gallery for the big man from Texas. He gracefully larrups a gentle fade around the trees down the right and he’s in position A on the fairway. He’s going round with Alex Noren today. No nerves evident from the Swedish veteran, either, as he splits the fairway. A quiet start meanwhile for Bryson DeChambeau: par-par-par. The high-point so far a whip over a huge tree to get himself back into position on 3. He remains at -5.

Matt Fitzpatrick might have rendered himself realistically done and dusted. But that’s not going to stop him battling for every shot and a high finish. He’s responded to that bogey-bogey start by raking in long birdie putts on the next two holes to return to his starting point. Meanwhile Jon Rahm’s quest to “play well” begins with par; his playing partner Kim Si-woo drops a stroke, though. So this is where we are now, with the last match preparing to tee off.

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New Coaches, New Hope? Ranking The Playoff Chances For NHL Teams With New Bench Bosses

Since the NHL’s 2024-25 regular season ended, there have been six coaching changes – but only four of the teams that changed coaches have hired replacements at this point. And that brings up an intriguing question – when it comes to the four teams that have hired new bench bosses, which ones have the best chance at making the Stanley Cup playoffs next spring?

Let’s break it down below:

1. Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks came within seven points of beating out the St. Louis Blues for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but just about everything that could go wrong for Vancouver did, including coach Rick Tocchet leaving for Philadelphia at the end of the season. However, in the top-heavy Pacific Division, the Canucks could rebound next season under new coach Adam Foote and get back into the playoff mix.

Vancouver is going to have approximately $16.7 million in salary cap space to spend this summer, and while some of that will have to go to replacements for forwards Pius Suter and Brock Boeser, with the right targeted acquisitions, the Canucks could put up the additional four-to-seven wins or overtime losses that could propel them back into the post-season.

They’re going to need a couple teams in the Central Division and/or Pacific to take a step backward, but Foote’s no-nonsense approach to his new job could be just what the doctor ordered for Vancouver, and the Canucks wouldn’t raise too many eyebrows if they were back in the playoffs next year.

2. New York Rangers

The Rangers were just one win behind the eighth-place Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference this season, but the Blueshirts also had two other teams – the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings – ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings. The Rangers were a whopping 29 standings points worse than they were in 2023-24, and that’s why Peter Laviolette lost his job. But incoming coach Mike Sullivan is as highly-regarded as they get, and the structure and confidence he’s going to provide should get the Rangers back in the playoff hunt.

There are no guarantees the Rangers will squeeze back into the post-season next spring, as the Metropolitan Division and Atlantic Divisions both promise to be more competitive. But there will be major pressure on the Rangers to turn things around, and Blueshirts GM Chris Drury – armed with a contract extension – isn’t going to be satisfied with anything less than a trip back to the playoffs.

To be a playoff team once again, the Rangers need teams ahead of them this season to take a step back, but stranger things than that have happened. And any team with a star goalie like Igor Shesterkin shouldn’t be counted out from getting into the playoffs next season. 

3. Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks began and ended the regular-season poorly this year, but in between those bookends to the season, Anaheim had stretches where they were capable of above-average play. Still, the Ducks’ overall disappointing season cost Greg Cronin his job, and Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek replaced him with multi-time Cup-winner Joel Quenneville. 

But while we do believe the Ducks will improve on their 35-37-10 record, envisioning a series of events that ends with Anaheim in a playoff position next season requires so many things to go right for them, as well as so many things to go wrong for Pacific rivals. We just don’t see a playoff berth happening for them.

That may change if Verbeek makes a huge splash with the $38.6 million in cap space he has this summer. But as it stands, the Ducks may have to be satisfied with playing meaningful hockey down the stretch next spring, even if that ends without a playoff berth for Anaheim.

4. Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers did show some promise early this season, getting off to a 12-10-3 record. But after Jan. 21, they went 12-19-4 the rest of the year to freefall through the Eastern standings and finish with the worst record in the conference. That spelled the end of the line for Philly coach John Tortorella, and although Tocchet will bring a more player-friendly approach to the Flyers’ coaching role, asking the Flyers to make the jump from 16th in the East to eighth-place or better certainly seems like a bridge too far for Tocchet and company.

Rick Tocchet (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)

To be sure, we’re not suggesting the Flyers won’t be better under Tocchet. In many regards, it would be hard to be worse. But every other team in the Metro Division is likely to be better next year, and that is going to make it exceedingly difficult for Philadelphia to get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2019-20.

They have some $24.7 million in cap space to spend, but their biggest need – capable goaltending – isn’t going to be easily addressed, and imagining that their core of young talent will carry them past four Metro teams into a post-season position is a stretch indeed. Philadelphia’s rebuild likely needs another season to kick into high gear, and that is likely to lead to another year with no playoff hockey for the Flyers.

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