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Oilers Next Opponent Revealed On One Of These Days

Edmonton Oilers Waiting For The Winner Of Stars vs Jets (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)

EDMONTON – It’s only a matter of time.

The Edmonton Oilers' hardest (and easiest) part right now is waiting—waiting, waiting, waiting.

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It’s easy for them to wait because of wanting their team to be as healthy as possible before engaging in the second half of their playoff run. To get the best out of Connor McDavid, Corey Perry, Stuart Skinner, Leon Draisaitl, Jake Walman, and Evan Bouchard, being healthy is important.

Not to mention the eventual return of Calvin Pickard and Mattias Ekholm.

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At the time of this writing, the hardest part of waiting is knowing who they will play against next. They know it will be the Winnipeg Jets or Dallas Stars. But they don’t know where or when.

Stars vs Jets Remaining Schedule

However, there is light at the end of this tunnel. The Oilers will know who they are playing very soon. Here is the schedule for Games 6 and 7 of the Jets and Stars’ series.

Game 6: May 17th (Saturday) - Winnipeg at Dallas - 6:00 PM Mountain Time

Game 7: May 19th (Monday) - Dallas at Winnipeg - 5:30 PM Mountain Time

There are a three different potential outcomes from the final games of this series:

Scenario 1: The Stars win Game 6, they go on to play the Oilers.

Scenario 2: The Jets win Game 6 but lose Game 7. Stars go on to play the Oilers.

Scenario 3: The Jets win Game 6 & 7. The Jets go on to play the Oilers.

The Oilers have a higher probability of playing the Stars in the Western Conference Series. However, the Jets could still pull off something miraculous and win the series.

It’s not over, till it’s over. Until then, wait, wait, wait.

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Golden Knights' Pending Free Agent Hoping To Stay In Vegas

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) warms up before game two of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Reilly Smith is coming to the end of a three-year, $5M contract he signed with the Vegas Golden Knights, but maintains he wants to remain a Golden Knight. 

The team held their end-of-season press conferences today, two days after the Edmonton Oilers eliminated the Golden Knights in Game 5 of the second round. The conclusion of the offseason brings new questions and challenges for the players and coaches, but more importantly, the management staff. 

Heading into the offseason, the Golden Knights roster six UFAs and three RFAs. One of those six UFAs includes Smith, a long-time Golden Knight whom they traded in the offseason after winning the Stanley Cup. The move was purely for salary cap reasons, and when the right moment occurred, the franchise reacquired the 34-year-old. Upon returning, Smith fit in like a glove. He and William Karlsson renewed their electric chemistry on the penalty kill and at 5-on-5, and Smith went on to score three goals and 11 points in 21 regular season games.

He chipped in an additional three goals and four points in 11 postseason games, maintaining his attentiveness to the defensive side of the puck. His best seasons have come while wearing the Golden Knights crest, and he isn't all that ready to move on. 

"If there's an opportunity to stay here, that would be great," said Smith. "I think the best hockey I've played in my career has been wearing this jersey."

He went on to mention how much he loves the city and how his family loves it too. The Mimico, On., native has played 919 career games, closing in on 1000, mentioning he'd love to achieve that in Vegas.

"I would like to play 1000 games in my career, and to do it in this jersey would mean a lot."

The Golden Knights fell short of their goal, and Smith knows that, but when he looks around the locker room, the possibility of making another run still exists in his eyes. 

"It was a fun few months, but it obviously wasn’t where we wanted to go. I think you need a lot of things to go right to challenge for the Stanley Cup. We just fell short."

At his age and where his production currently sits, Smith won't earn anywhere close to his current $5M salary, but cutting his salary under $2M will keep him on a cost-efficient contract and allow the Golden Knights to seek upgrades to their roster with the additional cap space. 

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Watch Kuminga, Lacob joke around on jumbotron at Valkyries game

Watch Kuminga, Lacob joke around on jumbotron at Valkyries game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It will be a very interesting offseason for Jonathan Kuminga — but that wasn’t on his mind Friday night.

The Warriors forward was one of several Golden State players sitting courtside at the Valkyries’ 2025 WNBA season opener at Chase Center, but he was the only one next to team CEO Joe Lacob — and both appeared to be in good spirits when they were shown on the jumbotron during the game.

Kuminga is set to become a restricted free agent in June, and there’s sure to be plenty of interest in the 22-year-old from other NBA teams after his strong Western Conference semifinals showing. While Kuminga can sign with another team this summer, the Warriors have the option to match any offer to keep him.

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy told reporters Friday that Golden State wants Kuminga to return, but acknowledged it’s a “two-way street” — AKA, if the price is right.

But even as that fact and reports of the Warriors exploring sign-and-trade options for Kuminga were prevalent, the Golden State star and the team owner were all smiles Friday despite the Valkyries’ 84-67 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.

Other players in attendance included Kevon Looney, Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski, as well as coach Steve Kerr, who certainly received the loudest ovation of the night.

With the Warriors’ season officially over after they were eliminated from the NBA playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, contract negotiations and talks can hold off for the time being.

Friday night was about celebrating the Bay’s new WNBA team. It’s Valkyries season now.

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Watch Kuminga, Lacob joke around on jumbotron at Valkyries game

Watch Kuminga, Lacob joke around on jumbotron at Valkyries game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It will be a very interesting offseason for Jonathan Kuminga — but that wasn’t on his mind Friday night.

The Warriors forward was one of several Golden State players sitting courtside at the Valkyries’ 2025 WNBA season opener at Chase Center, but he was the only one next to team CEO Joe Lacob — and both appeared to be in good spirits when they were shown on the jumbotron during the game.

Kuminga is set to become a restricted free agent in June, and there’s sure to be plenty of interest in the 22-year-old from other NBA teams after his strong Western Conference semifinals showing. While Kuminga can sign with another team this summer, the Warriors have the option to match any offer to keep him.

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy told reporters Friday that Golden State wants Kuminga to return, but acknowledged it’s a “two-way street” — AKA, if the price is right.

But even as that fact and reports of the Warriors exploring sign-and-trade options for Kuminga were prevalent, the Golden State star and the team owner were all smiles Friday despite the Valkyries’ 84-67 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.

Other players in attendance included Kevon Looney, Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski, as well as coach Steve Kerr who certainly received the loudest ovation of the night.

With the Warriors’ season officially over after they were eliminated from the NBA playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, contract negotiations and talks can hold off for the time being. Friday night was for celebrating the Bay’s new WNBA team, and it’s Valkyries season now.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

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Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United: Premier League – as it happened

Marc Cucurella’s second-half goal settled Chelsea nerves as they returned to the top four with victory over the Europa League finalists

“‘We will retain Amorim even if we do not win the Big Vase’ (more alarming when they play Spurs) is not a statement that boosts someone’s confidence, does it?” says Krishnamoorthy V. “What must one old Scot be thinking these days? Should he come back for an encore?”

He’s probably thinking: ‘You think this lot are bad, you should have seen my team in 1989-90.’ I can’t get away from the fact that, had modern values prevailed in the late 1980s, Alex Ferguson would have won precisely no trophies at Manchester United, and he’d probably still be plain old Alex Ferguson. We’ve all gone mad. I went mad in 2006 so I can’t really criticise anyone.

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Pep Guardiola hits out over Premier League game 72 hours after Cup final

  • Manchester City manager frustrated by fixture moving
  • ‘We have been fighting these situations for nine years’

Pep Guardiola has taken a swipe at the Premier League for scheduling Manchester City’s penultimate fixture of the season, against Bournemouth on Tuesday, 72 hours after Saturday’s FA Cup final meeting with Crystal Palace.

City are involved in an incredibly tight race for Champions League qualification and, as such, Bournemouth’s visit to the Etihad Stadium is an important one. Asked if his preference would be for it to take place on Wednesday or Thursday instead, Guardiola said: “Definitely. Tottenham played against Aston Villa on Friday ahead of the Europa League final [on Wednesday]. Good decision, I’m not being sarcastic. The Premier League made a good decision, very good.

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How The Maple Leafs Can Win Game 6 After All – And Still Lose Game 7

At the beginning of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, this writer picked the Toronto Maple Leafs to beat the Florida Panthers in seven games. 

While the Maple Leafs still can make that prediction accurate with a win in Game 6 Friday in Florida, the way the Maple Leafs played in Game 5 – or more to the point, the way they did not play in that game – we’re now of the opinion the Leafs will lose in seven games.

Isn’t that exactly what we’ve come to see from this core group of Leafs? We’re probably going to see them win Game 6, just to give their long-suffering fans some hope. But if they can extend the series, it would be just like these Leafs to lose another Game 7.

To be sure, there are things the Maple Leafs can do to win their next two games – things we saw in Games 1 and 2, when they beat the Panthers to establish a 2-0 series lead.

For one thing, the Leafs established their offensive presence early in the games. 

In Game 1, Toronto outshot Florida 14-3 in the first period and had a 2-0 lead 12:51 into the opening frame, eventually winning the contest 5-4. In Game 2, after the Panthers scored the first goal of the game, the Leafs answered back to tie it and built a 3-2 lead in an eventual 4-3 Toronto win.

Those performances gave Leafs fans hope that this year would be different, that the Buds would somehow get to the Eastern Conference final for the first time since 2002. But those hopes have evaporated after Florida roared back to win the next three games, outscoring the Leafs 13-5. 

Aaron Ekblad and John Tavares (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)

While there wasn’t always a connection between the number of shots on net the two teams were putting up – Toronto matched Florida in Game 5 with 32 shots apiece in the game that ended with a demoralizing 6-1 drubbing – it was the quality of shots that told the story. 

Indeed, the Panthers were far superior when it came to limiting Toronto shots to the periphery, preventing second and third follow-up scoring opportunities, and allowing Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to build confidence in allowing only one goal in Games 4 and 5 combined.

And now, because of their inability to close out the series, the Maple Leafs are tasked with the near-impossible challenge of winning two games in a row yet again in this series. That’s why we’re seriously skeptical that, even if Toronto does win Game 6, they’ll eliminate the Panthers in a Game 7. Far more likely is the possibility that the Leafs either lose Game 6 or lay an egg in Game 7. 

NHL Rumor Roundup: Latest On The Maple Leafs, Golden Knights And AvalancheNHL Rumor Roundup: Latest On The Maple Leafs, Golden Knights And AvalancheA crushing 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of their second-round series has the Toronto Maple Leafs facing elimination on Friday. 

If the Buds do fail to come back and win this series, the anger among Leafs fans will be hellacious and justified, and major roster changes will follow this summer. At the beginning of the season, Leafs players and management knew the stakes that were in play – get out of the second round, or get out of town – so there’s no sense of surprise that the mix of talent could change drastically for Toronto this summer.

It feels that bleak for Leafs fans, and while stranger things have happened than a Leafs comeback in this showdown, the likelihood that an era is coming to an end for the Blue and White is unmistakable.

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Carlos Mendoza provides update on injured Mets starters Frankie Montas, Sean Manaea

Prior to Friday’s Subway Series opener in the Bronx, Carlos Mendoza provided updates on two of the Mets’ injured starters...

Frankie Montas 

Montas was scheduled to throw a live bullpen session this afternoon in Brooklyn -- but the skipper had no update on how that went. 

If everything goes well, the right-hander is expected to throw another bullpen session on Tuesday with the Cyclones. The team will go from there and see if he is ready to begin a minor league rehab assignment. 

Montas landed on the shelf with a lat injury he suffered during his first bullpen session in spring training. 

The 32-year-old pitched to a 4.84 ERA last season with the Reds and Brewers, but it’ll be interesting to see if he can regain the dominance he showed early in his career with the Athletics after working with the Mets’ pitching lab. 

Sean Manaea

Manaea is a bit behind Montas, but he continues to progress

After making it through Thursday afternoon’s bullpen session okay, the southpaw is expected to throw another one later this weekend in the Bronx, and then the team will mix in some up-downs before he faces live hitters.  

Manaea was initially expected to be back from his right oblique strain before Montas, but he experienced some discomfort while ramping up, which caused him to be shut down for two more weeks. 

While he still has a ways to go, it’s encouraging to see him trending in the right direction. 

The 33-year-old made some midseason tweaks to his mechanics and provided the Mets the top of the rotation arm they badly needed last season, pitching to a 3.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP while losing a career-high 181 innings.

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2025 NBA Draft Rumors: Spurs likely to keep No. 2 pick, Draft Combine standouts

This week saw the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, the unofficial start of draft season around the NBA (even if that is almost as year-round as the league itself). Here are the latest news, notes and rumors around the 2025 NBA Draft, taking place June 25-26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Spurs likely keep No. 2 pick

The minute the Spurs landed with the No. 2 pick — well, a few minutes after, once everyone got over the shock of the Mavericks getting the top pick — people started drawing a line between Giannis Antetokounmpo and San Antonio. The logic is simple: The Spurs already have De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle at guards so they don't need projected No. 2 pick Dylan Harper out of Rutgers, Antetokounmpo next to Victor Wembanyama make the Spurs instant title contenders, and San Antonio has the additional picks and players to match salary to make a trade that Milwaukee would like.

Just a couple of problems with that. First, Antetokounmpo has yet to ask for a trade out of Milwaukee and may not. His choosing to stay may be the best bet.

Second, the Spurs are leaning toward holding on to the No. 2 pick. Here is what Sam Vecenie of The Athletic wrote about the Combine in Chicago.

Most of the sources I talk to around the league think the most likely outcome is that the Spurs do just that: Stand pat and pick at No. 2.

If the Spurs keep the pick, they should draft the best player on the board regardless of position. Meaning, take Harper. It's better to have too much talent at one position (a player can always be traded) rather than saying you don't need to draft Michael Jordan because you already have Clyde Drexler. Harper is the clear No. 2 in this class, make him a Spur.

76ers will listen to offers for No. 3

Daryl Morey is open to a trade. Shocking.

That said, Vecenie reports Philadelphia will listen to offers for the No. 3 pick and the right to draft V.J. Edgecombe or Ace Bailey, most likely. This is the smart move by Morey. For Philly, Edgecombe is another smaller guard who would become part of an already small backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain, a good fit but not a need. Ace Bailey has upside but is a little more of a project and the Sixers are as win-now as it gets — and considering the Jayson Tatum injury, the 76ers should be aggressive about going for it next season.

It's unclear who it might be, but keep an eye on the No. 3 spot as a potential trade.

Standouts at NBA Draft Combine

From people in Chicago, here are a handful of players who helped their cause.

• VJ Edgecombe, guard, Baylor. Edgecombe didn't need much help, he was already projected as a top-four pick on most boards, but his athleticism and two-way potential stood out, and he may have put himself solidly above Ace Bailey for the No. 3 spot on a lot of boards.

• Tahaad Pettiford, guard, Auburn. He turned heads with a 42-inch vertical leap and then put up big numbers in the first scrimmage. That caught many people's eyes, but then he struggled in his next scrimmage, tempering the excitement. Still, strong Combine for him.

• Khaman Maluach, center, Duke. In an NBA where more and more teams are looking for big men who can protect the rim and are a vertical threat on pick-and-rolls, Maluach helped himself. He measured at 7'1" barefoot and had a 7'7" wingspan and a 9'6" standing reach — those are the kind of big man numbers NBA teams are looking for, and Maluach fit the role with his combine tests. There are rumors he got a promise from the Raptors at No. 9.

• Maxime Raynaud, center, Stanford. The senior big man was the only player to play in the first day of scrimmages, realize how well he played (and helped his cause) and opted out of Day 2. A bubble late-first/early second kind of talent, he showed the shooting and physicality around the rim that might get him to the first round.

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The Hockey Show: Panthers looking to finish off Toronto, conference final matchups forming, new coaching hires

It’s been a very busy week in the world of the National Hockey League.

Between the Stanley Cup Playoffs moving toward the conference finals and head coaching and front office vacancies being filled, there was a lot to get to on this week’s episode of The Hockey Show.

Joining hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork to talk some playoff puck was friend of the show Adnan Virk from Prime Monday Night Hockey on Amazon.

First and foremost, the Florida Panthers are on the brink of advancing to their third straight conference final.

After falling behind 0-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in their second-round series, Florida has come storming back with three straight wins and can eliminate the Leafs with a Game 6 victory on Friday.

Waiting for the Panthers in round three are the Carolina Hurricanes, the most boring team to ever play hockey. Jokes aside, the Hurricanes are leaning into their identity and hoping for a rematch of the 2023 conference final in which they lost to Florida in four straight.

Among other topics were the Oilers and Hurricanes advancing to their respective conference finals, Ken Holland being hired as the new GM in Los Angeles and a pair of coaching vacancies in Vancouver and Philadelphia being filled.

You can check out the full episode in the video below:

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Kerr calls shifting Warriors' offense away from Steph ‘laughable' idea

Kerr calls shifting Warriors' offense away from Steph ‘laughable' idea originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

As long as star Steph Curry takes the floor for the Warriors, don’t expect coach Steve Kerr to change his offensive scheme.

Kerr, speaking to reporters Thursday during exit interviews, made it clear Golden State’s offensive strategy starts and ends with the Chef.

“We have Steph Curry on our team, who is one of the greatest players of all time,” Kerr told reporters. “He’s also maybe the most unique superstar of all time. 

“What makes him special is his on-and-off-the-ball prowess. And so the best way to maximize Steph is to put him in pick and roll, and then to have him fly off screens. And I think that’s been proven, you know, over the last decade, how powerful that can be.” 

During the 2024-25 NBA season, Curry, a four-time NBA champion, eclipsed the 25,000-career point mark and became the first player in NBA history to record 4,000 made 3-pointers. 

Despite his dominancy, the Warriors crashed out of the Western Conference semifinals in large part due to Curry’s unavailability after suffering a left hamstring strain. 

It makes sense. The 37-year-old led the team in scoring throughout both the regular season (24.5 points) and the postseason (22.6 points).

So, the idea of Golden State shifting its offensive scheme is nothing short of humorous to the winningest head coach in Warriors’ history.

“He’s our sun. You know, this is a solar system,” Kerr added. “And he’s, you’re not going to duplicate Steph anytime soon. 

“So, any talk of, do we need to change our offensive system, to me, is kind of laughable. Like, what? What does that mean? So, let’s not run Steph off screens? Let’s not put Steph in pick and roll? I’m not even sure how to respond to that.” 

Kerr recognizes that moving the offensive scheme away from Curry would be an act of betrayal to the organization.

“Honestly, it’s like what we’ve done has been incredibly powerful,” Kerr concluded. “Steph is, again, one of the all time greatest players, playing at the peak of his power. Still, I think, or very close to it.

“We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing, and anything else would be a disservice to our team.”

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Could Cooper Flagg force his way to the Celtics? | The Kevin O'Connor Show

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

On the latest episode of "The Kevin O’Connor Show," Kevin and guest Tom Haberstroh explored the idea of Cooper Flagg, the consensus No. 1 overall pick and Maine native, somehow landing with the Boston Celtics.

As O’Connor revealed, Boston used some of its interview slots at the NBA Draft Combine to meet with Cooper Flagg, as well as Tre Johnson (a projected top-five pick), even though the Celtics hold no pick anywhere near the top of this year’s draft. Teams are limited to 13 interviews at the combine, O'Connor said.

“At the draft combine this week, Tre Johnson openly said the Celtics interviewed him," O'Connor said. "I have multiple sources telling me the Celtics also interviewed Cooper Flagg. Now, this does not mean they’re going to trade up into the top 10, but I do think it’s interesting.”

The Dallas Mavericks own the No. 1 pick this year. But O’Connor and Haberstroh discussed the hypothetical: Would Boston put Jaylen Brown (a recent Finals MVP) on the table to move up for Flagg? What would Dallas say? And would Flagg himself (or his camp) try to “pull an Eli Manning” — refusing to play for the Mavs to land in Boston?

“Boston calls [Dallas GM] Nico [Harrison] and they offer Jaylen Brown. And how many first-round picks is it gonna take? … I just wonder if Dallas and their entire decision-making unit would listen.”

Realistically, big trades for the No. 1 pick, especially when a generational prospect is available, are rare. But as both hosts note, it only takes a few phone calls — and possibly a little leverage from the player’s side — to kick-start something dramatic.

To hear the full discussion, tune into "The Kevin O'Connor Show" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.