The best Stanley Cup Final ever? Trending that way. Plus, Oakmont flexes
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Good morning! Save bogey today.
The only thing left to say about this Stanley Cup Final, in broad terms at least, is that I hope we get seven games out of it again. Remember when people grumbled that we were getting a rematch of last year's seven-game thriller? Heretics. Losers.
Some simple, pertinent facts after Edmonton's incredible 5-4 overtime road win last night:
Here's last night's winner:
Leon Draisaitl has set an NHL record with FOUR overtime goals in this postseason run 🔥
He has two in the #StanleyCup Final alone!
🎥 @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/IiFmKgivny
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 13, 2025
Most people thought this game — and series, really — was over after Florida went into the first intermission up 3-0. I'll admit to being in that crew, too. I won't do it again.
Let's keep going:
I had golf on the TV yesterday while I pieced together some patio furniture (please clap), and I've never heard the phrase 'bogey save' uttered so many times. When the world's best golf players are fist-pumping after bogeys, you know it's a U.S. Open at Oakmont.
It was a thorny day for most. Three quick things about Round 1:
Coverage starts at 6:30 a.m. ET this morning on Peacock and switches to NBC at 1 p.m. Happy chipping, everyone.
A mess in Cincinnati, again
Bengals first-round pick Shemar Stewart left mandatory minicamp yesterday, a source told The Athletic, the latest escalation in a controversy that seems all too avoidable. Stewart and his agents asked for a standard, slot contract for his draft position (No. 17). Cincinnati wants to set a new contractual precedent with more aggressive language around voided guarantees. Stewart understandably does not want to be a guinea pig for all players that come after him. Woof. Paul Dehner wrote a great column about how this is just the same old Bengals.
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Hellebuyck's rare double-double
Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck won both the Hart Trophy (MVP) and Vezina Trophy (top goalie), the NHL announced yesterday, becoming just the sixth player to win both in the same season. Hellebuyck was sensational this year, the driving force behind the Jets' 116-point season. My favorite state: 49.48 goals saved above expected, which was third-most by any goalie since 2007. Read more on his season here.
New details in Skaggs case
Court filings revealed that former Diamondbacks and current Reds pitcher Wade Miley gave prescription drugs to Tyler Skaggs, who died from an overdose in 2019. Eric Kay, the former Angels communications director serving 22 years in prison for his role in Skaggs' death, also said that Miley provided drugs. Miley has not been charged with any crime. I urge you to read this full report.
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📺 NBA: Thunder at Pacers
8:30 p.m. on ABC
Every game in the finals is important, but going down 3-1 to the Pacers would feel like the end for Oklahoma City. As weird as that is to type. Giving Indiana the chance to clinch at home in Game 6 seems unwise. As Mike Vorkunov wrote, this is the Thunder's moment of truth.
📺 MCWS: Arizona vs. No. 13 Coastal Carolina
2 p.m. ET on ESPN
Outside of Murray State, Coastal is the best story of this College World Series. A mid-major powerhouse that earned a national seed and still might've been underrated. Arizona survived an 18-2 beatdown in Game 1 of their super regional against North Carolina to win. This is the fun game.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Zack Wheeler can be ornery. Particular even. You don't want to be on the opposite end of his glare. And yet, as Matt Gelb writes today, Wheeler — at 35 — might still be the best pitcher in baseball. Make time for this story.
It might be bad timing, but we have a 2026 USMNT World Cup roster projection live. Does it inspire confidence? Unclear!
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A happier prediction: Sam Vecenie's latest NBA mock draft, which has two trades in the top four picks.
The Knicks knew they wanted to fire Tom Thibodeau … but did they have a plan after that? You're seeing it, writes Sam Amick.
🎥 Kevin Durant appears destined for a trade this offseason. 'No Dunks' picked the best hypothetical landing spots.
Dan Pompei caught up with fearsome Steelers legend James Harrison. He isn't the same James Harrison you remember.
Extremely cool: You have to see this Wiffle ball replica of Fenway Park in Texas.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Andrew Marchand's exclusive report on what's going on in Pat McAfee's world. Ton of interesting stuff inside.
Most-read on the website yesterday: The new report on Tyler Skaggs from above.
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Every NHL team's best value contract in 2024-25
Every dollar matters in a league with a hard salary cap. In today's NHL, players aren't just judged on their ability; they're graded on value and efficiency — how large is their impact relative to their contract? The more players on your team who outperform their contracts, the more high-end contributors you can fit under the cap. If you're paying everybody on your roster market value, chances are you won't have an elite team. Advertisement With the offseason looming, let's analyze every NHL team's best value contracts from this past season. This can help us identify where each club garnered excess value and how that equation could change with expiring contracts and higher-cost extensions kicking in. Here's how we'll conduct this exercise. • We'll be using Dom Luszczyszyn's Net Rating model as an objective measure. Net Rating provides an all-in-one performance metric that weighs factors such as point production, play-driving, defensive impact, penalties drawn, blocked shots, faceoffs, penalty-kill impact and more. That impact is then translated to a market value — what that player's contributions should be worth — and that market value is compared to their actual cap hit. • The model overrates the market value of some depth defensemen who drive strong numbers in sheltered roles. In these situations where I felt there was an obvious, egregious flaw in the model's results for the 'best' value contract this season, I called an audible and picked another player. • Players who changed teams midseason will not be included. • Only skaters with more than 40 games played will be analyzed; no goalies. • Player bonuses will not be factored in. • This is only analyzing the regular season, not playoff performances. Without further ado, let's dive in. Best contract in 2024-25: Jackson LaCombe Jackson LaCombe is a budding star defenseman. The 24-year-old elite-skating defender was by far the Ducks' best blueliner this season, scoring 14 goals and 43 points (despite the Ducks' awful power play), driving star-like numbers on zone exits and zone entries and finishing with a positive five-on-five goal differential despite playing top-pair minutes on a struggling team. He's entering the final season of a two-year bridge deal he signed last year at a steal of a $925,000 cap hit. Advertisement Frank Vatrano cooled off from the shocking 37-goal breakout he had in 2023-24, but he still delivered 21 goals and 45 points this season. It's the third consecutive season he's hit at least 20 goals, which is nice value for under $4 million. Best contract in 2024-25: Morgan Geekie Playing first-line wing opposite David Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie exploded with 33 goals and 57 points for just $2 million. These weren't just empty-calorie goals and points, either; the Bruins controlled nearly 55 percent of scoring chances and had a plus-22 goal differential with Geekie and Pastrnak on the ice together at five-on-five. Those are impressive numbers considering how poorly Boston performed this season. Geekie unquestionably benefitted from riding shotgun with Pastrnak, but this wasn't a one-sided relationship. Pastrnak controlled less than 48 percent of scoring chances and carried a minus-five goal differential during the 450 five-on-five minutes he played this season away from Geekie. Speaking of Pastrnak, he probably didn't get enough recognition for scoring 106 points on such an offensively starved team. It marked his third consecutive 100-point campaign, with his $11.25 million AAV, especially given the salary cap's spike, looking increasingly favorable relative to his superstar production. Best contract in 2024-25: Ryan McLeod The Sabres' three best bang-for-buck contributors are all looking for a big payday. Ryan McLeod, acquired from Edmonton to center the third line in exchange for Matt Savoie, broke out with 20 goals and 53 points on top of his usually reliable defensive play. He should be able to at least double the cap hit on his next contract this summer as an RFA. Alex Tuch scored 36 goals for just a $4.75 million cap hit. He has one year left on his deal, but will be eligible to sign a new extension on July 1. Advertisement Bowen Byram is a gifted skater and puck mover, although his two-way numbers only looked strong when he played with Rasmus Dahlin. Byram provided substantial value for his modest $3.85 million AAV, but the Sabres should probably avoid handing him a big-ticket contract, considering the $19.35 million they already have committed to Dahlin and Owen Power on the left side of their blue line. Tage Thompson and Dahlin are at least cost-controlled long term — they'll continue to provide surplus value for years to come. Best contract in 2024-25: MacKenzie Weegar If goalies were included in this analysis, Dustin Wolf's contract would have easily stood out as one of the best deals in the entire NHL. Wolf was arguably the Flames' MVP and one of the top 10 starting goaltenders in the league this year, all while making just $850,000 on a two-year bridge deal he signed last summer. MacKenzie Weegar was the best bang-for-buck performer among Calgary's non-ELC skaters. He performed like a bona fide No. 1 defenseman despite earning only $6.25 million, scoring 47 points (16th best among all defensemen) and delivering stellar defensive results. Calgary controlled nearly 55 percent of shot attempts and outscored opponents by 17 goals during Weegar's five-on-five shifts. Kevin Bahl emerged as a solid top-four defensive defenseman at just a $1.05 million AAV. Best contract in 2024-25: Shayne Gostisbehere Shayne Gostisbehere quarterbacked the Hurricanes' top power-play unit and scored the 15th-most points-per-game of all NHL defensemen. Combine that with how decisively he won his even-strength matchups further down the lineup, and you get substantial value for just a $3.2 million AAV. Seth Jarvis was the Hurricanes' best forward this season. He scored at a 36-goal pace and drove elite two-way results at a sub-$7.5 million cap hit. Advertisement Eric Robinson chipped in with 14 goals and 32 points at under $1 million. Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook were dynamite as always on the Hurricanes' suffocating third line at modest prices each. It speaks volumes about the number of surplus-value contracts the Hurricanes have that Jaccob Slavin, arguably the best shutdown defenseman in the NHL, didn't crack the top five despite owning an ultra-team-friendly $6.39 million AAV. Best contract in 2024-25: Ryan Donato Ryan Donato was the only Blackhawk not on an ELC who significantly outperformed his contract. Donato erupted for a team-high 31 goals at a steal of a $2 million rate. His 23 five-on-five goals were tied for the 12th most in the NHL this season with Leon Draisaitl, Brandon Hagel, Jason Robertson and Rickard Rakell. Best contract in 2024-25: Cale Makar Cale Makar scored a career-high 30 goals and 92 points en route to winning his second Norris Trophy. He played at the level of a $14.8 million defenseman, according to Dom's Net Rating model, which is a far cry from his actual $9 million cap hit. Artturi Lehkonen is an excellent complementary top-six winger, contributing 27 goals in just 69 games on top of stellar defensive results. Logan O'Connor had a down year offensively, but his speed play-driving, elite defensive impact and disruptive penalty killing are worth a lot more than the $1.05 million cap hit he carried in 2024-25. Joel Kiviranta (16 goals at league minimum) and Parker Kelly were effective depth forwards at dirt-cheap prices. Jonathan Drouin (37 points in 43 games at $2.5 million) would have made this list, too, if not for his lack of games played this season. Best contract in 2024-25: Kirill Marchenko The Blue Jackets are in an enviable position, as their top four bang-for-buck players all have multiple years remaining on their current contracts. Kirill Marchenko and Sean Monahan were one of the most lethal first-line duos in the NHL. Marchenko scored 74 points at under $4 million, Monahan eclipsed the point-per-game mark for just $5.5 million, and the Blue Jackets controlled a dominant 57 percent of expected goals and a whopping plus-26 goal differential during their five-on-five minutes together. Advertisement Kent Johnson broke out with 24 goals and 57 points in 68 games — he has two years remaining at $1.8 million annually. Zach Werenski's $9.58 million cap hit seemed hefty when he first signed his deal in 2021, but he's outperformed it by playing at a near-Hart Trophy level, scoring 23 goals and 82 points from the blue line. Best contract in 2024-25: Thomas Harley The Stars had an embarrassment of riches in terms of bargain contracts this season. This top five doesn't even include Wyatt Johnston's ELC, Jake Oettinger's $4 million cap hit this season, or Mikko Rantanen. Thomas Harley is a burgeoning star. The 23-year-old scored 16 goals and 50 points, while also driving play like a bona fide No. 1 defenseman, especially when Miro Heiskanen was injured. Matt Duchene led the Stars with 82 points at a bargain $3 million AAV. Jason Robertson scored 35 goals and 80 points for under $8 million. Esa Lindell is one of the best shutdown defensemen in the NHL and enjoyed a standout year for just a $5.8 million AAV. Evgenii Dadonov scored 20 goals and 40 points at a cheap $2.25 million cap hit. Unfortunately, the bill is coming due for the Stars. Johnston, Oettinger and Rantanen all have massive extensions kicking in next season. Duchene is a pending free agent. Harley and Robertson will need significant raises next summer, too. Best contract in 2024-25: Patrick Kane The lack of bargain contracts on this list is an indictment of the Red Wings' pro scouting. Patrick Kane's 59 points in 72 games for $4 million was solid value, and Lucas Raymond led the team with 80 points at an $8.075 million cap hit that will only look better each year. However, the only major surplus value contributors beyond that were Simon Edvinsson and Marco Kasper on their ELCs. Detroit has assembled some promising young players, but it needs a better return on investment from its veterans to return to the playoffs. Best contract in 2024-25: Leon Draisaitl Leon Draisaitl scored 52 goals and 106 points in just 71 games this season. Most impressively, he did all of that and drove elite two-way results despite being saddled with average wingers for large chunks of the year (Vasily Podkolzin was his most common linemate during the regular season). Draisaitl was named a Hart Trophy finalist during the final year of an $8.5 million AAV contract he originally signed in 2017. Advertisement Evan Bouchard has excelled as the Oilers' No. 1 defenseman at a sub-$4 million cap hit. He's in line for a massive raise this summer. His partner, Mattias Ekholm, is a terrific defensive presence at a reasonable $6 million AAV. Zach Hyman had a down year relative to his extraordinarily high standards, but with 27 goals and strong two-way results, he still delivered plenty of surplus value on his $5.5 million cap hit. Connor Brown has been a bottom-six sparkplug with his speed, tenacity, defensive play and secondary scoring for just $1 million. Corey Perry also deserves a shout-out for scoring 10 goals through 21 playoff games at a dirt-cheap $1.15 million rate. Best contract in 2024-25: Sam Reinhart If this exercise included the playoffs, Sam Bennett would be the slam-dunk answer as the Panthers' best contract this season. Bennett had a productive 25-goal regular season, but like years past, he's evolved into a completely different beast in the playoffs. He's arguably been Florida's best player in this Stanley Cup Final run, scoring 15 goals through 22 games, on top of his usual gamesmanship and physical antics. But if we strictly focus on the regular season, Sam Reinhart gets the nod. Nate Schmidt's surplus value is technically higher than Reinhart's — and there's no denying the former has been an excellent third-pair contributor since January onward — but Schmidt is an example of the model overrating a depth player on an elite team. Reinhart scored 39 goals and 81 points, and finished second in Selke Trophy voting, for just a hair over $8.6 million. What makes the Panthers special is that they seem to get an extra million dollars or two worth of performance from nearly every player on their roster. That includes the back end, where Niko Mikkola, Gustav Forsling, Schmidt and Dmitry Kulikov have been bargains, and it also includes forwards who didn't even crack this top-five list, such as Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell. Advertisement Best contract in 2024-25: Warren Foegele Jordan Spence is a very talented, effective third-pair defenseman, but his Net Rating is slightly inflated by playing sheltered minutes on a strong team. Warren Foegele was a home-run signing for the Kings. He scored 22 five-on-five goals this season, which led the Kings and ranked top 20 among all NHL players. Foegele didn't produce impressively at even strength; he was a play-driving machine — the Kings controlled over 56 percent of shots and nearly 70 percent of goals during his five-on-five shifts. Adrian Kempe is the Kings' best player. The speedy Swedish sniper scored 35 goals and a team-high 73 points on a steal of a $5.5 million cap hit. On defense, Vladislav Gavrikov was the Kings' best defenseman this season. He was a shutdown force, eating huge minutes and difficult matchups, especially when Drew Doughty was out in the first half of the season. Mikey Anderson performed well relative to his $4.1 million cap hit, too, but he spent a lot of time playing with Gavrikov, and I'd argue the latter was the main driver of that pairing's success. Best contract in 2024-25: Kirill Kaprizov It's a shame injuries cost Kirill Kaprizov half the season because his 50-goal, 112-point pace would have made him a Hart Trophy candidate. He performed at the level of a $14.9 million player this year, according to Dom's model, but is paid only $9 million. Joel Eriksson Ek is a perennially undervalued player. He is an elite shutdown center who can also contribute 25-30 goals offensively for a tidy $5.25 million AAV. He, too, missed significant time with injury. Mats Zuccarello is still producing at a bona fide top-six level (54 points in 69 games) at 37, making just a hair over $4.1 million. Matt Boldy is a blossoming star who drives play and scores at a near point-per-game level. His $7 million AAV is going to look like a steal with each year the cap rises. Advertisement Declan Chisholm is a serviceable depth defenseman, but the model overrates his contributions in sheltered usage. Best contract in 2024-25: Nick Suzuki It's understandable why the Canadiens didn't have many bargain contracts on this list. Montreal had some of the most ELC help in the NHL thanks to Lane Hutson's Calder Trophy season and Kaiden Guhle's reliable top-four play, not to mention Emil Heineman and Jayden Struble chipping in as quality depth pieces on their first contracts. This exercise doesn't include goaltenders either, otherwise Sam Montembeault ($3.15 million cap hit) would have been on this list as significantly outperforming his contract. The last management regime also handed out bloated, inefficient contracts to several veterans such as Josh Anderson, Brendan Gallagher and Christian Dvorak. Among non-ELC players, Nick Suzuki and Jake Evans' contracts stood out. Suzuki scored a career-high 89 points — he's officially arrived as premier No. 1 center and is locked up long-term under $8 million annually. Evans thrived as a speedy middle-six center with high-end defensive acumen while also scoring 36 points at a team-friendly $1.7 million AAV. Best contract in 2024-25: Ryan O'Reilly The Predators had a nightmare season, finishing 30th in the NHL standings, with several big-name players failing to live up to their contracts. Ryan O'Reilly was the lone bright spot, scoring 53 points and posting above-average defensive numbers on a modest $4.5 million cap hit. Best contract in 2024-25: Johnathan Kovacevic How many non-ELC defensemen are there in the NHL who can successfully handle top-four minutes on a playoff team for under $1 million? Johnathan Kovacevic unquestionably struggled down the stretch when his usual partner, Jonas Siegenthaler, got hurt, but he provided top-four value for most of the season at a $766,667 cap hit that was literally below the 2024-25 league minimum price. Kovacevic averaged nearly 20 minutes per game on the right side, with the Devils generating more shots, scoring chances and goals than they gave up during his five-on-five shifts. Advertisement The Devils' top-two center punch of Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier is excellent value, too. Hughes was on pace for 92 points before he got hurt, while Hischier scored 35 goals and drove stout defensive results at a tidy $7.25 million cap hit. Siegenthaler enjoyed a crucial bounce-back season. He played excellent, reliable defensive hockey in tough minutes. Stefan Noesen was an effective net-front scorer, especially on the power play, scoring 22 goals at a bargain $2.75 million AAV. Best contract in 2024-25: Simon Holmstrom The Islanders had a trio of younger players who significantly outperformed their contracts, although all of them need new extensions this summer. Simon Holmstrom signed a one-year, $850,000 prove-it deal last summer. He developed into a solid second-line winger this season, scoring 20 goals and 45 points while also providing reliable defense and penalty killing. Noah Dobson had a down year relative to 2023-24 when he played like a star No. 1 defenseman. Dobson's offense slipped to 39 points in 71 games, and his defensive play was shakier than his sterling numbers would indicate. With that said, he still provided surplus value as an effective top-pair contributor for only a $4 million cap hit. Alexander Romanov has become a rock-solid top-four presence for the Islanders. He can defend, hit and move the puck effectively. Best contract in 2024-25: Adam Fox Nearly everything went wrong for the Rangers this season. Outside of Will Cuylle's ELC production, New York didn't have a single player who truly outperformed his contract by a significant margin. Yes, Adam Fox was again by far the team's best defenseman, but he wasn't quite as elite this season as his analytics would suggest. He lived up to his $9.5 million cap hit, but you'd have to squint and stretch to say he provided a ton of value beyond that. Advertisement Alexis Lafrenière outproduced the $2.325 million AAV from his last bridge deal, but it's hard to celebrate that when his production fell by 11 goals this year. He needs to score a lot more than 17 goals and 45 points to live up to his $7.45 million AAV extension, which kicks in next season. Best contract in 2024-25: Adam Gaudette Adam Gaudette found success after being reunited with Travis Green, his first NHL head coach. He scored 19 goals at the league minimum of $775,000, all while averaging fourth-line minutes. Gaudette was streaky during the regular season, but he stepped up in the playoffs with three points in six games. Shane Pinto scored 21 goals in 70 games and was an above-average two-way driver at center for just a $3.75 million AAV. Drake Batherson had a disappointing playoff, but he was second on the team with 68 points in the regular season despite making under $5 million. Artem Zub is an excellent shutdown defenseman and would be worth considerably more than his $4.6 million cap hit if he could just stay healthy. Best contract in 2024-25: Cam York Cam York isn't a flashy player or a prolific point producer, but he defends well, moves the puck effectively and handles challenging top-four matchups relatively well. He accomplished all of that while in the final year of a bridge deal that paid him just $1.6 million. Bobby Brink broke out with 41 points in 79 games this season. Thirty-five of those points were at five-on-five, which ranked third-best among Flyers players behind only Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov. The diminutive 23-year-old winger is a solid middle-six talent and has one year left at a bargain $1.5 million AAV. Nick Seeler is underrated outside of Philly. The hard-nosed veteran defender is a heart-and-soul player who drives quality defensive results and consistently wins his even-strength minutes. Advertisement Noah Cates isn't a flashy player, but he's a stout defensive matchup center who also contributed 16 goals and 37 points. Best contract in 2024-25: Rickard Rakell It's incredible how quickly the perception of a player's contract can flip. Last summer, Rakell's $5 million cap hit seemed a bit steep after a down year, during which he slumped to just 15 goals and 37 points in 70 games. Now, that same $5 million AAV looks like a bargain after exploding for 35 goals and 70 points. The dilemma now is whether they should sell high on Rakell this offseason, considering his shooting percentage was well above his career norms and could regress next season. Sidney Crosby, at 37, remarkably finished 10th in league scoring with 91 points. Pittsburgh will face a similar dilemma with Bryan Rust as they do with Rakell. Rust, 33, scored a career-high 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games. He has no trade protection as of July 1 — would the Penguins consider shipping him for a lucrative haul? Matt Grzelcyk was closer to fair value than significantly outperforming his contract. He hit 40 points and was terrific on the power play, but his even-strength performance, especially defensively, was shaky. Best contract in 2024-25: N/A Jake Walman (excellent top-pairing results for just $3.4 million AAV), Mikael Granlund (45 points in 52 games for San Jose at $5 million) and Fabian Zetterlund (17 goals in 64 games at $1.45 million) provided excellent bang for the buck, but they were each sold for strong returns at the deadline, so they didn't qualify for this list. Macklin Celebrini, William Eklund and Will Smith were key drivers for the Sharks' top six on their ELCs. Best contract in 2024-25: Jared McCann The Kraken aren't receiving many efficient contributions from their non-ELC players. Jared McCann is the clear exception, as he led Seattle with 61 points despite only having the ninth-highest AAV on the team. Kaapo Kakko was also a slick midseason acquisition — he found chemistry with Matty Beniers and scored 30 points in 49 games while on a $2.4 million cap hit. Advertisement Best contract in 2024-25: Dylan Holloway Dylan Holloway wasn't just the top contract on the Blues; he was one of the best bang-for-buck performers in the entire NHL. He took off in late November with Jim Montgomery's arrival, scoring 22 goals and 55 points in his last 55 games. He was a terrific play driver due to his pace, energy, forechecking and improved playmaking as well. Holloway is a growing star with another year left at a steal of a $2.29 million cap hit. Philip Broberg, acquired from Edmonton in a corresponding offer sheet, enjoyed a massive breakout season, too. He was a two-way, top-four beast, with the Blues controlling 52 percent of expected goals and outscoring teams by 20 goals during his five-on-five shifts. Robert Thomas is one of the most underrated first-line centers in the NHL, locked up for another six years at a $8.125 million cap hit that is aging beautifully. Thomas ranked third among all players with 45 points in his final 30 games. Colton Parayko is an elite shutdown defenseman but also had an offensive renaissance this season, scoring 16 goals and 36 points in 64 games. Cam Fowler, his partner after a midseason trade, was terrific value for his $4 million AAV, too. Best contract in 2024-25: Brandon Hagel Everybody knows Brandon Hagel is a high-end player, but I don't think enough people are recognizing the superstar level that he played at this season. Hagel was tied for 11th in NHL scoring with 90 points and played Selke-caliber defense on top of that. In a tough matchups role, Hagel drove a dominant 57 percent of scoring chances and a plus-22 goal differential at five-on-five. He was also one of the best penalty killers in the league. He accomplished all of that while making only $6.5 million against the cap. His center, Anthony Cirelli, found a new offensive gear this season, too, scoring 27 goals and 59 points. Advertisement Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman are still bona fide stars at team-friendly rates. Best contract in 2024-25: Jake McCabe Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev were lights out together as the Leafs' de facto top pair. They absorbed very difficult matchups against top lines and tons of defensive zone starts, but still decisively won their minutes. The Leafs generated more scoring chances than they surrendered and outscored opponents by 12 goals during the McCabe/Tanev pair's five-on-five shifts, thanks to an incredible 1.83 goals-against-per-60 rate. Both defensemen were excellent value for their contracts, but McCabe's tiny $2 million cap hit (which was reduced because the Blackhawks retained half of his cap hit when traded) netted a bit more surplus value. Bobby McMann's 20 goals were a nice bonus for the Leafs at $1.35 million, although his scoring completely dried up in the playoffs. Pontus Holmberg and Steven Lorentz were useful, defensively oriented depth contributors at dirt-cheap prices. Best contract in 2024-25: Michael Kesselring Utah's right-side defense was hammered in the first half by injuries to Sean Durzi and John Marino. That forced sophomore defenseman Michael Kesselring into an elevated top-four role. Kesselring excelled, with the Mammoth controlling 54 percent of scoring chances and 56 percent of goals during his five-on-five shifts this season. He struggled at times in the second half defensively, but he displayed clear top-four potential for most of the year, which is highly valuable at a $1.4 million cap hit. Barrett Hayton scored a career-high 20 goals and 46 points, in addition to boasting very good defensive metrics, at a bargain $2.65 million AAV. Clayton Keller exploded for 90 points but isn't paid like a bona fide superstar. Advertisement Best contract in 2024-25: Quinn Hughes Quinn Hughes was a one-man show, carrying a weak supporting cast all season. Hughes led the Canucks in scoring by a whopping 26 points as a defenseman, despite missing 14 games because of injuries. Hughes is a bona fide superstar making less than $8 million against the cap for two more seasons. Pius Suter scored 25 goals and 46 points as a key middle-six center. He also defended at an above-average level and was a first-unit fixture on Vancouver's elite penalty kill. He provided that all-around value for just a $1.6 million AAV — he may triple that cap hit in free agency this summer. Kiefer Sherwood broke out with 19 goals and 40 points. Nearly all of that production was at even strength, with Sherwood leading all Vancouver forwards in five-on-five points. He was also a wrecking ball on the forecheck, breaking the NHL's record for most hits in a single season. He was worth more than double the $1.5 million cap hit he carried this season. In the final year of his $1.1 million contract, Nils Höglander still managed to deliver surplus value despite an up-and-down campaign. Höglander had a nightmare first half but was one of Vancouver's best wingers from January onward, especially from a play-driving perspective. Tyler Myers has his flaws, but he was mostly solid again in a second-pair role, outperforming the modest $3 million cap hit he's on. Best contract in 2024-25: Brayden McNabb Brayden McNabb was one of the league's best shutdown defensemen in the regular season at only a $2.85 million cap hit. McNabb impressively suppressed opponents' ability to generate shots and scoring chances despite playing difficult matchup minutes, with the Golden Knights surrendering just 1.79 goals against per 60 during his five-on-five shifts. Advertisement Victor Olofsson injected crucial secondary scoring (15 goals in 56 games) at a dirt-cheap $1.075 million rate. Shea Theodore is a star — he scored a career-high 57 points in 67 games in the final year of a sweetheart contract that cost $5.2 million against the cap. Ivan Barbashev is streaky and didn't produce enough in the playoffs, but he scored a 27-goal, 60-point pace in the regular season. He was a mostly effective top-line winger for Jack Eichel, making a reasonable $5 million. Brett Howden broke out with 23 goals for $1.9 million. Best contract in 2024-25: Aliaksei Protas Aliaksei Protas and Connor McMichael's breakouts helped revitalize the Capitals' top-six forward group. Protas went from not even cracking 10 goals in 2023-24 to scoring 30 in 76 games this season. He also significantly boosted the Caps' ability to control two-way play. With another four years left at a $3.375 million cap hit, Protas is on one of the best contracts in the NHL. McMichael, meanwhile, was a game-breaking offensive driver with his speed and skill. He piled up 26 goals and 57 points despite not even playing on the Caps' top power-play unit, at a steal of a $2.1 million AAV. Tom Wilson turned back the clock, scoring 33 goals and 65 points while also driving strong defensive results in a tough matchups role. Nic Dowd is one of the most underrated bottom-six centers in the NHL. He's elite defensively and on the penalty kill and chipped in with 14 goals. Jakob Chychrun also narrowly missed the cut for this list. He was a home-run acquisition, scoring 20 goals from the blue line at a bargain $4.6 million cap hit. Best contract in 2024-25: Dylan Samberg The Jets had a near-endless supply of surplus value contracts. Dylan Samberg led the way; he broke out as a top-four star on Winnipeg's blue line. He drove elite defensive results, crushed it on the penalty kill and displayed enough puck-moving and secondary offensive skill to profile like a legitimate No. 2 defenseman on a contending team. Samberg accomplished all of that for just $1.4 million against the cap. Advertisement Josh Morrissey finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting. He still has three years left at a bargain $6.25 million AAV. Up front, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi and Nikolaj Ehlers represented a trio of terrific contracts in Winnipeg's top six. Connor, in particular, stood out by scoring 97 points at a hair over $7.1 million. (Top photo of Aliaksei Protas and Jordan Martinook: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
New York Times
31 minutes ago
- New York Times
NBA players and shoe deals: Motivation shifts to ownership, control vs. the brand
The NBA Finals are basketball's ultimate competitive showcase, including the sneakers worn on the court. Historically, that's been a showcase run predominantly by Nike, which includes a large roster of the NBA's biggest and highest-profile players, in addition to still producing merchandise under the Jordan Brand and Kobe Bryant. Advertisement It's impossible to watch the NBA without seeing the Nike influence. Nike is the league's official uniform partner, so the logo is on every player, down to the socks. The 2025 finals, however, aren't about the biggest shoe brands. Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton used Game 1 to debut his first signature shoe with Puma: the Hali 1. Oklahoma City Thunder star and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is signed to Converse, a subsidiary of Nike. Two small-market teams are providing a big stage for shoe brands other than Nike and Adidas, which have dominated the conversation in basketball shoes for decades. Michael Jordan signed with Nike in 1984, setting the stage for its rise to the top. Adidas has a long basketball history, and has maintained the second spot in the market thanks to deals with the likes of James Harden, Damian Lillard and Tracy McGrady. Bryant also began his career with Adidas. But as more athletes have sought more input and control over their brands, they are turning to brands without the mainstream clout, or they're starting their own shoe lines. After Haliburton hit a game-winning jump shot in Game 1, he brought a pair of his signature Puma sneakers to his postgame news conference. Decked out in all white with black sunglasses and a smile that stretched from ear to ear, Haliburton, who signed with Puma in October, placed the pink basketball shoes on the podium. As he took questions and cameras flashed, Haliburton seized the opportunity to showcase his new shoes. Later, Haliburton tweeted an ode to a popular Air Jordan slogan. It was the perfect moment for a sneaker debut. Tyrese Haliburton unveiled his first signature shoe for PUMA the "Hali 1" and credits them with his game-winning shot over OKC in Game 1 👟 🔥 — Ball Exclusives (@ballexclusives) June 6, 2025 The greats have their own signature shoes. Bryant, Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, Damian Lillard, James Harden and Kevin Durant are among the NBA's top names from the past and present with signature shoe lines that have become part of on and off-court fashion. For many years, the path to a signature shoe was having a brand like Nike or Adidas — another former league uniform partner — to sign the athlete and make him or her a part of the exclusive club of players with a signature shoe. There are additional ways to make that happen while also having a bigger say in the process and a bigger role with the company beyond wearing apparel. Advertisement In some cases, players such as Haliburton opt to go with companies looking to reestablish themselves in the market like Puma, which has leaned into nostalgia with Clyde Frazier, the first NBA player with a signature shoe when the Puma Clyde was released in 1973, and is finding ways to connect with a new generation with LaMelo Ball. Haiburton's playoff run couldn't come at a better time for Puma. 'I heard many rumblings through my last year with my previous brand around brands that potentially could be interested in me, and Puma was a name that always came up,' Haliburton told The Athletic. 'I didn't know how I felt about it until I met them (and) got to know them better. I feel really good about it.' Others have found homes with newer companies, such as Kyrie Irving with Anta. And it's not just All-Star players. Cleveland Cavaliers wing Isaac Okoro has found a home with Holo and has a signature shoe. A post shared by CloseUp360 (@closeup360) Irving is one of the biggest names to step away from Nike. He and the company mutually parted ways in December 2023 amid controversy over his sharing an antisemitic film on social media. He signed with Anta in July 2024 and currently serves as the brand's chief creative officer. The China-based company already had Klay Thompson among its signature athletes. Irving said he enjoys the creative process, but he also values ownership of his ideas. Nike owned his logo, which meant his children couldn't benefit financially from it. He's happy to represent Anta and also see other players exploring ways to have a presence in the sneaker world. He likened shoe contracts to a 360 music deal, when artists surrender profits from all streams of income, even those not related to music. 'Being able to redefine this basketball shoe design space or signature athlete space, it's been a great ride, and I'm enjoying it,' Irving said during NBA All-Star Weekend. 'You're seeing others take the same blueprint, create their own, and more kudos to them. I feel like I'm an adviser at this point, too, because I'm not really in competition with my peers in the shoe space as much as people think.' Advertisement Jaylen Brown has been a critic of the sneaker industry and believes being left off the 2024 U.S. Olympic team was partly because of his critiques of Nike. Brown has worn Nike and Adidas, among other brands, in the NBA. He chose to start his own company, 741 Performance, giving him control and ownership of what he wears. 'I've been the CEO of my company and the CFO since the season started, so I've been really busy,' Brown said in February. 'But I did that on purpose so I can be able to explain to the next generation what it takes, how much time it takes, how much money. I'm very, very informed, and I can't wait to share with the next generation.' A post shared by Wealth (@wealth) Okoro is one of those players actively practicing the lessons Irving and Brown want their peers to learn. Okoro said he was approached by Holo last year. He didn't have a signature shoe, much less a company offering to allow him to have input, company equity and royalties for sales. Okoro said signing with Holo was a 'no-brainer.' 'Being able to actually be in the meetings and the discussions of how we would design the shoe, what colorways I want and just seeing the process of how shoes get designed was definitely eye-opening,' Okoro said. Okoro is involved in more than designing. He tested his shoe to make sure it worked for him. 'Being able to actually put the shoes on and tell them this feels good, this doesn't feels good (was important),' Okoro said. 'Then them going back and actually fixing those problems and then coming back and giving me the shoe again … it actually fits perfectly and feels great to play in. Also, just getting all the nicks and stuff out of it.' This generation isn't the first to go against the grain in signing shoe deals. During the 1980s, when Converse was the top shoe, James Worthy signed with New Balance in '82 and had the company's first signature basketball shoe and a deal worth $1 million. Advertisement Hakeem Olajuwon signed with Etonic in 1984 for something 'fresh' when Converse or Nike seemed like logical choices, given he was the first pick in the NBA Draft, followed by a deal with L.A. Gear. He later had a shoe deal with Spalding, the company best known for making basketballs, which released the shoe in 1995. Olajuwon wanted to offer an affordable shoe option with Spalding at a time when there were reports of deaths involving sneaker thefts. LA Gear (1990) ft. Hakeem Olajuwon & Joe Montana — 90s NBA (@NBA90s) June 3, 2024 Shaquille O'Neal had a signature shoe with Reebok but still managed to produce a more affordable line of his own, Shaq shoes. Stephon Marbury also bucked tradition with his affordable Starbury shoes. Dwyane Wade established a partnership with Li Ning, something other players have done, as well, including Golden State's Jimmy Butler and D'Angelo Russell. Steph Curry left Nike to become Under Armour's signature basketball player in 2013. Instead of being one of many Nike players, he became the top player for Under Armour and would have a signature shoe. By 2015, he was an NBA champion and one of the league's premier superstars. Curry is now president of Curry Brand, which signed De'Aaron Fox as its first signature athlete in October 2023. Kawhi Leonard left Nike for New Balance and has become a face of its basketball division. Cameron Brink, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, signed with New Balance to become the first woman to sign with the brand. All-Stars Joel Embiid and Julius Randle both play in Skechers. The Denver Nuggets duo of Nikola Jokić and Aaron Gordon and Dallas Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie all have shoes through 361 Degrees. Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves has a signature shoe with Rigorer. Reebok is working its way back into the mix after being acquired by Adidas in 2005. Reebok was sold to the Authentic Brands Group in 2021. O'Neal and Iverson are still the biggest names associated with basketball shoes; O'Neal serves as president, and Iverson is vice president. Much of what Reebok is doing to make a dent in the industry is included in the Netflix docuseries 'Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal.' Reebok is trying to find the next big star, similarly to what Puma has done for Haliburton this month. Reebok has signed two top WNBA players in Angel Reese and DiJonai Carrington and is trying to make inroads in the NBA with high-flying Chicago Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis and potential risers like G Leaguer Dink Pate and Tennessee Volunteers signee Nick Ament. Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky told The Athletic that Reese's signature shoe would be released later this season, and the plan is to grow with emerging young players. Advertisement 'The players that we've signed, like Nate Ament and Matas, these are young kids that we really feel speak to who we want to be as a brand,' Krinsky said. 'We didn't want to go out right away first day and sign some big NBA player. We wanted to connect a little more emotionally with some of the work you're seeing, have younger players wear the product first and then start to build the roster. We're hoping that a lot of the young players we're signing: grow with us and become big NBA players. But we're in year one of a pretty long journey, and the goal was to be young.' The same could be said of Converse, which is owned by Nike. Before Nike's ascension, Converse was a top brand. It's the shoe Worthy wore when playing for North Carolina. It had the classic 1986 commercial featuring Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Kevin McHale, Mark Aguirre, Bernard King and Larry Bird, the NBA MVP. It's also had relationships with league players such as Wade and Dennis Rodman, but Gilgeous-Alexander is giving the brand a modern-day elite-level talent to carry it. Puma had a presence at NBA All-Star Weekend with Ball and his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed collection, but it couldn't ask for a bigger spotlight than what it has with Haliburton, who has raised his profile with last-second, game-winning shots in each round of the postseason, including Game 1 of the finals. 'We had a great dinner, great meeting. (Footwear designer) Salehe Bembury is the new head of creative for basketball, and he obviously has a very big following and is well-knowledged in the game of sneaker designing,' Haliburton said. 'For him to bring that mindset where he's had so much success into basketball, and I was going to be his first basketball shoe, that was really exciting for me. I think that was appealing. 'For me, I wanted to go somewhere I was valued, and I think Puma from the jump just showed how much they valued me.' For Haliburton, being empowered to be a part of the creative process in designing the sneaker, as well as everything being an extension of his personal basketball story, was important. His involvement in the design can be seen in the unique rounded edges of his 'TH' and 'Hali' logos, in addition to the hibiscus pink colorway. 'There's a bunch of different colorways that we have in our planning moving forward, but the pink was important to me because my first pair of real basketball shoes, my first organized pair, was a pair of pink basketball shoes,' Haliburton explained. 'That was, like, fourth grade, at a time where wearing pink shoes wasn't a thing. 'Hey, that's the kid who wears pink shoes.' … We wanted to do something that was kind of a nod.' Advertisement Haliburton said he wanted everything about his debut shoe to be 'different,' and he feels the switch to Puma allowed him to do so. Doing things differently has worked for Haliburton. For other players daring to be different, there are now more ways than ever to carve out a niche in the sneaker world. (Photo of Tyrese Haliburton: David L. Nemec / NBAE via Getty Images)
