The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the most valuable player to his team in the NHL playoffs as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. It is presented following the final game of the Stanley Cup Final...
Time for more report card grades. Things have changed quite a bit since I last did this at the start of May. Some MLB teams responded to slow starts by getting hot, while others have been mired in mediocrity or woefulness...
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Another week, another new No. 1 team in our MLB power rankings.
The red-hot Tampa Bay Rays climbed to No. 2 last week behind the San Diego Padres, while the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees were also both playing well enough to be in the "best team in baseball" conversation.
Which of those teams has now taken up residence atop the rankings?
As you dig in to this latest update, remember that this is all about performance rather than potential and future outlook.
If a team is winning, it's going to climb the rankings. If a team is losing, a slide is inevitable. The beauty of this exercise is that it's a fluid process that will continue to change.
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Danny Karnik/Associated Press
There are many breakout candidates beyond the usual suspects going into the NFL's 2021 season.
Onlookers know the big names: Joe Burrow, D'Andre Swift, Mecole Hardman and even Jalen Hurts.
But a handful of proverbial under-the-radar players share many of the same traits as the top breakout candidates, such as improved surroundings, developmental upswing, hints of production and plenty of reason to project quite a bit more.
The one thing they lack? Name recognition, sheer hype or some combination of both.
Otherwise, the following players have just as much breakout potential as any of the other big names and should have fans watching them carefully this coming year.
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On the night of April 8, Marcus Morris Sr. returned to his locker in the fourth quarter of an easy Clippers win over the Phoenix Suns and scrolled through his phone to catch up on the evening’s events.
“No way that happened,” he said, chuckling to himself.
There was Marcus, dealing with the frustration of an early exit bestowed on him by his usual foil — an NBA referee. And somehow the refs had gotten to Markieff, too, booting the league’s notorious twin troublemakers during the same national TV doubleheader?
“I knew everybody would be like, we did that on purpose,” Marcus says. “First of all, we love playing. Second of all, we love money. So we’re not trying to get ejected.”
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David Zalubowski/Associated Press
The NBA offseason has already begun for nearly half the league, with other franchises soon to join them as the playoffs march on.
With a free-agent class lacking in star power, the most exciting part of the offseason may end up being the trade market.
While it's important to aim high with your trade target list, teams have to be realistic as well. For this exercise, we're looking at high-impact deals teams can make, while still being grounded in reality.
These are the swaps every NBA team should be calling about this offseason.
Atlanta Hawks
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Colorado vs. Tampa Bay
Colorado has been dominant in its series against St. Louis, pushing them to the brink of elimination at 3-0.
Their strongest challenger in the West division is Vegas, which has Minnesota on the ropes with a 2-1 lead.
"We've done it before, and usually it's the same formula: no panic, regroup, stick with it," Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer told ESPN. "And everybody contributing."
The only hiccup for Colorado is the eight-game suspension for Nazem Kadri for the illegal check to the head of Blues defenseman Justin Faulk.
"I'm a little surprised, to be honest with you," Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told Sportsnet. "I looked through all the head-shot suspensions for the last year, a lot of two-gamers getting handed out for significant hits to the head. We've had some guys put out with hits to the head that are still out with no suspension. So, I thought, generally the rule of thumb is playoffs you get a little less, and he got significantly worse."
The Los Angeles Dodgers have not
missed the postseason since 2012 and have won three National League pennants and a World Series in that time frame. Conversely, the Seattle Mariners are fighting to avoid missing the playoffs for the 20th consecutive season. What about some of the other franchises yearning for October baseball?
Let's take a look at some of the longest playoff droughts in MLB and when they might end. These timelines were devised through an assessment of current MLB rosters and players under club control, as well as the expected arrival and development of top minor leaguers.
For clarity's sake, no team on this list has made the playoffs since 2016. Easy enough, right? Well, maybe not for the following clubs.
This was the wildest NBA season. There were questions about whether it came back too soon, and the rash of COVID-related postponements made the start of the season a bit rough...