NFL Draft's stunning tumble continues, plus the NHL's surprising villain
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Good morning! Find some late-round value today.
The Florida Panthers have become what they set out to destroy. The Panthers' road to their first Stanley Cup win last June was long and full of disappointments, many of the latest at the hands of their Floridian rivals, the Lightning. Tampa Bay's 2021 Cup win, its second in a row and third of the century, had included a first-round triumph over the Panthers. That was the first time the two met in the playoffs, which was mainly because the Panthers were almost never in the playoffs before then.
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Now, the Panthers aren't just the reigning champs. I declare them the unambiguous casual fan's villains of these hockey playoffs. The historically woebegone Florida Panthers have the trophy the rest of North America wants, and as they tussle with Tampa Bay for the fourth time in five playoffs, it is the Lightning who seem like the sympathetic side to root for.
Florida leads 2-0 ahead of today's Game 3, starting at 1 p.m. ET on TBS. How did the Panthers reach this treachery? I say it's three things:
I was wondering if it was just me feeling this way. Fortunately, Sean McIndoe ranked the Panthers dead last on his list of playoff teams by rootability, confirming all my priors. All my apologies to the delightful and sportsmanlike Finnish center Aleksander Barkov.
If the Panthers make another deep run, I predict many hockey fans will be ready to march on Sunrise, Fla., to stop them. They'll just have to first establish where that is. (Directly across the street from a mall about 40 miles north of South Beach, if you wondered.)
Shedeur's stunning slide
Shedeur Sanders entered the draft as a potential top-three pick. Now, against all odds, the Colorado quarterback son of Deion Sanders will be a day-three pick. The freefall down the NFL Draft board continued during last night's rounds. A quick recap of the latest:
Before the draft, Dane Brugler predicted Sanders would slide, but the extent of the slide is a massive and complex shocker. Day three commences at noon today. Sanders, of course, headlines Dane's updated best available list. In the meantime, we have grades on every pick from Rounds 2 and 3 here.
Buckets and brawls
Five NBA and NHL teams entered last night trailing 2-0 in their respective series. All five avoided falling into 3-0 holes. Let's start on the hardwood:
Speaking of physicality, playoff hockey! The Canadiens and Capitals got into it as the second period came to a close, with Tom Wilson and Josh Anderson spilling into the benches in the middle of the brawl. Wilson poked some fun at the Canadiens after the skirmish:
Unfortunately for Wilson and Washington, it was virtually all Montreal from that point on. Alex Ovechkin tied things up shortly after the teams came back out for the third period … and then the Canadiens scored three unanswered. The Capitals still lead the series 2-1.
Elsewhere on the ice, the Devils picked up a double-overtime winner from Šimon Nemec to trim their series deficit against the Canes to 2-1. Meanwhile, the Oilers trailed the Kings 4-3 in the third period until Edmonton scored two goals in a span of 10 seconds. Connor McDavid's squad is suddenly very much alive.
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Eight more games of playoff action today. Onward:
More news:
Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Derrick Harmon's mother died shortly after he was drafted Thursday night. Heartbreaking.
The judge in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial declared a mistrial just two days after opening statements were made. More details here.
Alijah Arenas is no longer in an induced coma after a car crash Thursday morning. The five-star basketball recruit and USC commit has reportedly made significant progress in recovery.
The Tennessee Titans are unretiring Warren Moon's No. 1 jersey for No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. Moon personally passed the torch.
📺 MLB: Blue Jays at Yankees
1:05 p.m. ET on MLB Network or MLB.TV (free)
As the NFL Draft continues, here's a nice pitching matchup for a mostly suspenseful sports Saturday: Kevin Gausman for the Jays, Max Fried for the Yanks. Fried carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning last weekend, sort of, before the official scorer took it away.
📺 NBA: Rockets at Warriors, Game 3
8:30 p.m. ET on ABC
The Warriors seized home-court advantage by winning in Game 1, as the rare No. 7 seed to be favored in a series against a No. 2. But the Rockets struck back nicely Wednesday and really gave Steph Curry a ruckus. This series is shaping up like a brutal physical test.
📺 NHL: Stars at Avalanche, Game 4
9:30 p.m. ET on TBS
The Stars lead 2-1 in one on the strength of two overtime wins in a row. The Avs got an awesome emotional boost from the return of captain Gabriel Landeskog in Game 3, after a three-year injury absence. It's an amazing comeback story, and it will get cooler if the Avs can get a bounce or two and strap in for a long series.
Get tickets to games like these here.
The Athletic's weekly sports news quiz.
Tillamook's 'campfire peanut butter cup' ice cream. It's marshmallow-flavored with peanut butter and chocolate. They only release it a couple times a year, and it's out now. — Levi Weaver
Richard Deitsch's nine takeaways on the TV coverage of Round 1 of the NFL Draft.
Just in time for the Kentucky Derby, Netflix dropped a new sports docuseries, 'Race for the Crown,' following last year's Triple Crown hopefuls (including the 2024 Derby winner!). Could be an episode or two shorter, IMO, but a great deep-dive into the glamorous and grueling world of horse racing — right when everyone will be talking about it! — Hannah Vanbiber
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If you haven't read it yet, read this story by Sam Blum about the Angels' sketchy move to schedule night games on 'getaway days.' The players' quotes are something. – Alex Kirshner
'Everybody's Live' with John Mulaney. Very fun, very unhinged, very L.A. This week's episode with Conan O'Brien, Ayo Edebiri and Tina Fey focuses on dinosaurs and Christmas, which somehow undersells it. — Alex Iniguez
NFL Draft picks got a chance to pick their own walkout songs. Here's why each song is a perfect fit for the respective athlete.
Reformer pilates — I love the 45-minute classes vs. having to dedicate an hour-plus block, and my mom recently started and swears she's gotten taller! — Jenna Winchell
Going to the beach in spring when it's 75 degrees. Sure, the water is ice cold, but for someone with a fair complexion, I'll take cold water in exchange for being able to exist outside for more than 30 seconds. — Chris Branch
Making multiple quesadillas at once on a sheet pan in the oven. — Torrey Hart
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our pick-by-pick grades for the first round of the NFL Draft.
Most-read on the website yesterday: Zak Keefer's NFL Draft winners and losers file.
Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
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an hour ago
Panthers can move to the verge of winning the Stanley Cup again if they beat the Oilers in Game 4
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Leading the Stanley Cup Final 2-1, the Florida Panthers can move to the verge of a second consecutive championship if they beat the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 at home Thursday night. The Panthers were upbeat and relaxed at their final full practice before the potential swing game, with players downplaying the gravity of the situation. 'I feel like every game's so big during this time," center Anton Lundell said Wednesday. 'The stakes gets higher. Everybody wants to win. But we both know for both teams it's a big game, and we want to be good.' They were more than good in Game 3, routing the Oilers 6-1 to take control of a series that looked evenly matched after a bunch of overtime hockey and a split in Edmonton. 'Usually you get teams' best after that, I think especially with the players they have in the room, how competitive they are, they're going to look to bounce back," said Brad Marchand, who is tied with teammate Sam Bennett for the most goals in the final with four apiece. "When you have that kind of leadership, they normally lead the way, those top guys. That's a dangerous combination. We have to make sure that we bring our best.' The Panthers are nearing full strength at a time of year usually known for players gutting through injuries, with Paul Maurice saying Sam Reinhart is back healthy and Matthew Tkachuk looks like he is rounding into form. The Oilers are missing Zach Hyman because of his playoff-ending wrist injury, and fellow top-line forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is dealing with something that is keeping him off the ice for practices and making him a game-time decision. That discrepancy could make a difference in their Cup final rematch. One thing that is the same is Florida locking in and normalizing pressure situations like this. 'Our approach, it's pretty similar the entire playoffs," said Bennett, who leads all scorers this postseason with 14 goals. "Whether it's Game 1 or Game 7, we play the same style. We play just as hard. We're not sitting back, so we really are not going to be changing anything in this next game or any other games to come.'
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Which 2025 NHL Draft prospects can help Buffalo Sabres find more toughness?
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Everybody wants what the Florida Panthers have. In Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers, Sam Bennett made two effective body checks in the defensive zone before springing loose for a breakaway, which he finished with a goal. His career high regular season point total came this season with 51, but in the playoffs, Bennett is a difference-maker. This year, he leads all players with 14 playoff goals and has recorded a point per game. But it's his tenacity, physicality and abrasive nature that have made him one of the Panthers' most valuable players while they try to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. Advertisement And yet, 11 years ago, Bennett couldn't do a single pull-up during the physical testing portion of the NHL Scouting Combine before the draft. Two things are true: 1) Most NHL teams would love to have more players who have competitiveness and toughness. 2) Drafting and developing those players organically is tricky. That's the problem NHL teams are trying to solve. Even as the game has become faster and more skilled than ever, the physical element of the sport hasn't gone away. If anything, the Panthers' run has amplified the value of that playing style. Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov set the tone for a lineup full of gnarly competitors. The night before media and testing day at the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine, the Panthers and Oilers played a double-overtime classic in Game 2 of the final. Connor McDavid's show-stopping move on his assist was a highlight, but Bennett, Tkachuk and Brad Marchand, players who combine skill with truculence, also made a big difference in the game. The Panthers don't get to the Stanley Cup Final three years in a row without a few players who are miserable for opponents to play against. Not only are other teams around the league starting to recognize that, but the prospects themselves are gravitating to that style of play. Maybe it's just the particular batch of prospects available in the draft this year, but these players are modeling their game after different types of players. When players fielded questions about who they try to emulate, the Tkachuk brothers came up often. So did Bennett, Capitals forward Tom Wilson, Jets captain Adam Lowry, Flyers forward Travis Konecny and Lightning forward Brandon Hagel. In their own way, each of those players brings a nastiness to the game. What those players all have in common is that they aren't bottom-of-the-lineup players. They are tough but skilled enough to play in the top six. Advertisement 'I think it's how hockey should be played,' said Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds center Brady Martin, a projected top-10 pick. 'Nowadays, that's what wins championships. It's not always the most skilled players. It's the guys that want it the most. That style of play is coming back.' Martin is one of the heaviest hitters available in the 2025 NHL Draft. That he can combine that with scoring ability is why he's likely getting picked in the top 10. You don't have to watch Martin for long to recognize his toughness. But it's not always easiest to spot which 17- and 18-year-olds will bring a hard-nosed playing style when they get to the NHL. 'You can get tendencies on players in terms of their ability to play a tough or aggressive style of hockey,' Sabres associate general manager Jason Karmanos said. 'Of course, we look for players with those elements. Depending on what level they're playing at, it's not as easily detectable. Some players that are physically underdeveloped may have it come a little later in that regard. Especially if they're playing in a league against men but they have a boy's body.' The Sabres are a team that has lacked the hard edge the Panthers have in their game. They tried to address that by adding Beck Malenstyn, Sam Lafferty and Nicolas Aube-Kubel to their roster last summer. But it helps to have some of these players coming through the prospect pipeline, too. These 17- and 18-year-olds won't make the Sabres a harder team to play against tomorrow. Still, the process needs to start somewhere. The players who are capable of playing high up in a lineup and have toughness aren't easy to acquire in trades and free agency, either. That's why the draft can be a useful mechanism for finding these types of players. Since Kevyn Adams became the Sabres' general manager, there has been some criticism that they've been drafting too many smaller skill players, particularly at forward. Of the forwards the Sabres have drafted in the top two rounds under Adams, only Anton Wahlberg was bigger than 6-feet tall. Prokhor Poltapov, Zach Benson and Konsta Helenius all have a competitive playing style, but until the Sabres are playing in bigger games and those players physically mature, it will be tough to gauge what type of jam they really have. Advertisement 'If people think that it's easy to detect who is going to be a tough or physical player at the NHL level when they're 17 or 18, they haven't been too involved in the NHL Draft,' Karmanos said. 'We try to project all kinds of attributes. Sometimes in the draft, you're just trying to find NHL players. I think the success rates will tell you that's what you should focus on, and not focus on player types, especially when it takes so long to develop them. If we have too many of a certain type, I hope they all play, and then we can trade them for other assets that maybe look a little different.' The problem is that if too many players project for similar roles, there won't be enough room to develop them all. Only so many players can get the valuable development minutes on the top line and power play in the AHL. Balancing out the prospect pool with different skill sets is part of building a pipeline. Of course, if you overcompensate for physicality at the expense of skill, you end up with a prospect pool full of bottom-six players. The rare find is a player who can play high up the lineup and has the 'hardness' to his game. This class has a few candidates. Martin is one such player in the top 10, but he's not the only one. Brampton winger Porter Marton plays a rugged style but has the hands and goal-scoring touch to be a top-line player. He's already been forced to learn the balance that the Tkachuk brothers deal with regularly when it comes to being an agitator. 'It's on my time,' Martone said. 'I don't let other people take me off my game. I don't need to be doing that every single time. You see Tkachuk in the playoffs. He chooses when he does create that stuff. For myself, I'm a very offensive player and like to create plays, so I can't spend all of my time in the penalty box.' Further down the board, you have a player like Windsor's Jack Nesbitt, a 6-foot-4 forward who likes to model his game after Lowry, Winnipeg's captain. He doesn't have the offensive upside of Martin or Martone, but he's a strong net-front player. He also fought seven times in the OHL last season, taking after his uncle, Brandon Biggers, who had a productive junior career. Nesbitt also took boxing lessons last summer. 'He would always show me videos of him fighting on YouTube and stuff like that, and it got me hyped up,' Nesbitt said. 'I'd always want to be like that a little bit and be a bit like him. 'Every team loves a good goal scorer and playmaker and stuff like that, but I feel like I have that asset to my game, and I also have the gritty part of my game,' Nesbitt said. 'I'm always trying to hit guys, I'll fight if I have to, and I can put the puck in the net.' Advertisement Everett's Carter Bear would also fall into the category of a competitive player, even if he's not as physically imposing as Martin and Nesbitt. He's recovering from a partial Achilles tear but is already back on the ice. He might be the best forechecker in the draft and has the offensive ability to match. Without the injury, would Bear be a top-10 pick? Then there's Justin Carbonneau, a winger who played in the QMJHL last season. At 6-foot-1 and just over 200 pounds, he has the look of a power forward. But will he be able to raise his level of physicality to match the higher levels? Among the defensemen, Barrie's Kashawn Aitcheson, who is 6-foot-1 and right around 200 pounds, looks like the toughest of the bunch. He racked up over 200 penalty minutes over the last two seasons in the OHL. 'You see a guy with his head down, and you want to make a big play on him,' Aitcheson said of his style of play. 'It's obviously more of an energy boost for your team. Give your team some juice, get them fired up.' What will be worth watching is how much these players get boosted by the way the Panthers have dominated the last few years. The way every player on that roster is committed to playing a competitive style of game all over the ice is the biggest thing separating them from the rest of the league. And there's no question the Sabres need more of that if they're going to become a team that is consistently playing in the postseason. Nobody in this draft is necessarily going to help the Sabres end the drought next season, but building that attitude has to start somewhere. (Photo of Michael Misa and Brady Martin at 2025 NHL Scouting Combine: Bill Wippert / NHLI via Getty Images)
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Should Maple Leafs pursue Sam Bennett in NHL free agency? Weighing the pros and cons
The Toronto Maple Leafs need a centre and playoff performer, and Sam Bennett, the Florida Panthers' Conn Smythe Trophy contender, just might become available in the coming weeks. If Bennett decides to leave the Panthers and test free agency, and, crucially, is willing to spend the rest of his career in Toronto (which may be unlikely), should the Maple Leafs put in a bid? Advertisement Let's weigh the pros and cons. Bruce Banner in the regular season, Bennett morphs into the Hulk every postseason. Bennett is having the playoff of his life this spring, scoring in what seems like every game for the Panthers. The moment never seems too big for him. Or maybe a better way of putting it is that he consistently meets the moment with the goal, hit or play (legal or otherwise) that his team needs. The Leafs clearly could use a guy like that. Unlike most of the Leafs' core players during this playoff-stumbling era, Bennett produces a lot more in the playoffs than he does in the regular season. Bennett's per-82 regular-season production: 19 goals and 40 points Bennett's per-82 playoff production: 31 goals and 60 points Even in Calgary, where his role never quite seemed secure, Bennett put a dent on the scoresheet in the postseason: He had six goals and 13 points in 15 games in his final two playoffs as a Flame. It's not just the production either. Bennett makes his presence felt in other ways. Nobody has accumulated more hits in the last four postseasons than Bennett, and it's not even close. Bennett's last deal, which expires after this season, was for four years and came with a cap hit of $4.4 million. That cap hit ranked 233rd in the NHL this past season, which is obviously incredible value. The Panthers have done a lot right and it's not just the big, bold swings. It's stuff like that, signing good players before they pop. A deal that more than doubles Bennett's cap hit, even with the salary cap rising and rising some more after that? That's the opposite of value. A cap hit of more than $10 million, for instance, would have Bennett leaping from the 233rd-highest cap hit into the top 20 next season. Is Bennett one of the 20 best players in the league? Obviously not — though in the playoffs, maybe? The definition of a $10 million player may be changing, but that's still a lot of coin for a player who has never scored 30 goals or hit even 60 points and has no elite skill. How much is a good regular-season player, great playoff performer worth? I can't recall a potential free agent whose value was tied up so much in the postseason. What if he isn't quite as impactful in the playoffs as a Leaf, and is still drawing one of the largest cap hits in the league? The Leafs would be betting a lot that his playoff performances translate, and for a long time. Advertisement Bennett will also be 29 when next season begins. How will age impact his performance, playoffs or otherwise? How long will he remain a quality No. 2 centre? The Leafs won't want to be paying a third-line centre $10 million-ish annually a season or two from now. The Leafs have a huge need in the middle, whether John Tavares re-signs or not. Though there may be centres who could be had in a trade, the Leafs may lack the assets to acquire them. Sign Bennett and the Leafs can hang onto the remaining stuff they have — namely, Easton Cowan and the best of the leftover draft picks. Pay up for Bennett now and the Leafs, even with the cap projected to rise again to $104 million for the 2026-27 season, could price themselves out of the summer of 2026 when the pool of free agents could be much glitzier and more appealing. It's not just Connor McDavid. Jack Eichel, Kirill Kaprizov, Artemi Panarin and Kyle Connor could all become available (though their respective teams may not let that happen). These are the players, heading into Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, with more playoff goals than Bennett since 2022: Leon Draisaitl (40), Zach Hyman (35), McDavid (32) and Carter Verhaeghe (31). That's it. That's the list. Bennett has 27 goals and counting over those four postseasons, which includes this spring's incredible run of 14 goals in 20 games so far. One more goal for the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final and Bennett will match Sidney Crosby's and Alex Ovechkin's largest goal totals in a single postseason. It's unlikely, but also not out of the realm of possibility, that he makes a run for the all-time mark of 19 goals, held by Reggie Leach and Jari Kurri. Among players who have played in at least 30 games over that run of four playoffs, Bennett's 0.39 goals per game ranks 16th in the NHL — just in front of Auston Matthews (0.36), Sam Reinhart (0.36), Tavares (0.34) and Matthew Tkachuk (0.34). What have the Leafs been lacking each and every spring? Players who will reliably put the puck in the net. This is what makes the playoff production so remarkable: Bennett is a fairly ordinary scorer in the regular season. His career high for goals through nine NHL regular seasons: 28. He has three 20-goal seasons, all of which have come as a Panther. Bennett's career high for points in a single season: 51, which came in 76 games in a contract year this past season. Advertisement His totals in the two previous regular seasons: 40 points in 63 games and 41 points in 69 games, respectively. And that was in Florida, through his mid to late 20s, with a usually superb set of linemates. In his last four seasons, Bennett has produced 181 points in 279 games, the same total as Tyler Bertuzzi. None of it would matter quite as much were the contract not so large (presumably). If the Leafs add Bennett, they might only reasonably expect 20 goals and 40-50 points in the regular season from the third-highest-paid player on the team and one of the highest-paid players in the league, period. It's easy to see that production, because of the contract, attracting a whole lot of scrutiny in Toronto — which would only drive up the pressure on Bennett to be a rock star once again in the playoffs. Sign with the Leafs and Bennett would be granted first-unit power-play opportunity, the kind of opportunity he isn't getting right now in Florida. (He still drew nearly 2.5 minutes per game during the regular season.) Bennett had only seven goals and 11 points on the power play this past regular season, playing on the Panthers' second unit. Double that output with a regular PP1 gig (with at least one spot likely to become open), and suddenly Bennett could become a 30-goal, 70-point regular-season guy. Couple that guy with the playoff performance and intangible qualities, and suddenly that contract might not look quite as bloated. This is a big one, with so many layers. To start, how will Bennett perform without Tkachuk — and one of Verhaeghe and Evan Rodrigues — by his side? Bennett has spent so much time with Tkachuk over the past few seasons (almost 1,800 five-on-five minutes) that there isn't a huge sample size of his effectiveness without him (just under 600 minutes). But here's what we've got over the last three regular seasons: Bennett may get William Nylander on his wing in Toronto, though it's not clear if their games would mesh quite the same way. And it's unlikely that the second winger on the line, if the first one is Nylander, will have Verhaeghe's abilities. There's also Bennett's slotting with the Panthers. Because Florida has Aleksander Barkov and the rising Anton Lundell, Bennett's line tends to draw somewhat lesser competition; often third lines. Bennett's most frequent forward opponent from the Leafs in this spring's second-round series was Max Domi, followed by Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann. Advertisement It's unlikely he would draw such cozy slotting in Toronto. The Leafs would need him, as their clear-cut No. 2, to square off against stiffer competition. His importance to the team would be much higher in Toronto, too, where the talent isn't quite as wide-ranging as in Florida. Will Bennett feel comfortable playing in Canada again? He didn't have the most pleasant experience in Calgary, where, as a first-round Flames pick drafted (and then traded) by current Leafs general manager Brad Treliving, he struggled and found himself constantly in trade rumours. It's what may lead him to stick with the Panthers. Treliving, who used his first draft pick as Flames GM in 2014 on Bennett, once talked about the Leafs needing more 'snot' (which led to the Leafs signing Bertuzzi, Domi and Ryan Reaves). This past spring, he spoke about the need for change in the team's DNA at playoff time. Bennett is what the Leafs GM was — is — looking for. He's a pain in the butt to play against. He straddles and, occasionally, crosses lines. The Leafs witnessed that firsthand in this year's playoffs when Bennett knocked out Anthony Stolarz for what ended up being the entire series. (Stolarz returned as a backup in Game 7.) While they were mad about what happened and believed a suspension was warranted, they were also likely envious of Bennett's if-you're-not-cheating-you're-not-trying mentality, his willingness to play in and around the edge. Bennett would give the Leafs that dimension, an effective agitator in the mould of Darcy Tucker; one they don't have otherwise. Every indication is that Bennett is unlikely to leave Florida, especially for Toronto. But what if Bennett — via his agent, Darren Ferris — is willing to at least consider the Leafs on the premise of a huge offer? Advertisement It's a tough call. Bennett would solve a present-day need (when few other paths are available) and could give the Leafs the boost they've been looking for in the playoffs. But the risk would be massive, given the likely stakes of the contract, with huge downside. I wouldn't do it, but I can see how the Leafs might convince themselves that they have to. — Stats and research courtesy of Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Reference, Puck Pedia
