The Lightning are a lock to go deep, and other lessons from the prediction contest

And then there were two. And soon, just one winner.

No, this isn’t a Stanley Cup preview post that accidentally ran a few days early. It’s an update on the annual playoff prediction contest, which is already over for almost all of you. We’ll get to that in a bit.

But first, a refresher. This is the contest that seems simple, because it’s only one question: Name as many or as few playoff teams as you’d like based on how many games they’ll win, in order from most to least. That’s it. We even give you the benefit of the doubt on ties, because we want you to succeed. But you don’t. Did I mention that you’re not good at this? Because you’re not.

You can find this year’s contest post here, and if you entered, you can find your answer by heading to the comment section of that post and using the dropdown to select “my comments”. But you probably don’t want to do that, because spoiler alert, there’s a roughly 99.8% chance that you’re out of the running.

Let’s get into what happened, and why you’re bad at this.

>> Read the full post at The Athletic

(Want to read this post on The Athletic for free? Sign up for a free trial.)

Which bad Canadian ads should I make Other Sean watch?

It’s almost time for one of my favorite annual traditions: The exchange of terrible playoff commercials between a Canadian (me) and an American (other Sean).

But which ads should I force him to watch? The field is crowded this year, so I’m asking for your help. Please choose up to three ads from the list below, or post your own nominations in the comments.

But first, a quick word about Lay It On The Line, which is at the top of pretty much every Canadian’s “please no more I’m begging you” list this year. I didn’t put that one on the list, for two reasons. First, I think it’s actually a good ad that’s just been way, way, way (way way way) overplayed; somebody seeing it for the first time wouldn’t necessarily think it was all that bad. And second, I’m led to believe that a lot of Americans have already seen it, including Other Sean. I’ll make it’s included in the actual post one way or another, but I don’t think it’s a great candidate to be one of the official three Bad Ads.

With that in mind, let me know what you think with the form below (which I may update with new ads as they're suggested):

Auston Matthews and Connor Hellebuyck lead the 2025 NHL playoffs all-bust team

We’re well into the conference finals, having now witnessed over a month’s worth of playoff performances. For some fans, now would be the time to celebrate the best of the best, and spend some time admiring the players who’ve elevated their games when it matters most.

For the other 99% of us, there’s this column. It’s playoff disappointment time.

As always, some ground rules™:

• We’re building a 21-man roster, with 12 forwards, six defensemen and three goalies, because we’ll need that extra guy. Beyond that, positions don’t matter. We’ll also have a coach and GM, because the guys in suits deserve some scrutiny too.
• There’s a maximum of three spots per team.
• Every playoff team must be represented at least once.

And yes, that last rule applies to the teams that are still playing, which opens the door to that fun situation where I call somebody a bust and then they score four goals that night. I’m willing to take that risk, because it’s the playoffs, and it’s all about courage.

As with any great team, we build from the net out…

>> Read the full post at The Athletic

(Want to read this post on The Athletic for free? Sign up for a free trial.)

Which NHL team should win the 2025 Conned Smythe for worst trade with a contender?

With the conference finals well underway and the Stanley Cup final looming, it’s time to focus in on the top candidates for the game’s most important playoff award: The Conned Smythe.

Yes, that’s “Conned” and not “Conn”. We all know about the Conn Smythe, given to the playoff MVP. But that’s an individual award, and as we’re constantly being reminded, hockey is a team game. And the Conned Smythe is a team award. Specifically, the award that goes to the team that had the biggest impact on the playoffs by making the worst trade with a contending team.

This is a fake award I invented a few years ago, and it’s been retroactively awarded for every year of the cap era. The 2023 Golden Knights gave us a ton of strong candidates, and last year’s field was competitive. You might be wondering if this year’s contenders are just going to be a rehash of last year’s list, given three of the four finalists are the same. But with plenty of big moves in the year since, some shifting dynamics among those teams, and a “no repeat winners” rule that I basically just made up to be nice to Sabres fans, there’s actually plenty of turnover in this year’s candidates.

As always, these need to be player trades – no trading of future draft picks who turned into guys, and no waivers or free agency. We’ll count down ten candidate teams, from weakest to strongest, based on how the field looks right now.

And yes, you think you know where this is going. But it’s going to be a tougher call than you think.

>> Read the full post at The Athletic

(Want to read this post on The Athletic for free? Sign up for a free trial.)

Playing "What if?" with 6 key Maple Leaf decisions from the Brendan Shanahan era

It’s over. The Brendan Shanahan era is all but done, Mitch Marner is all but gone, and big changes seem imminent in Toronto. The Maple Leafs, or at least this version of them, have failed.

Did it have to be this way?

That’s the big question these days. To hear some tell it, yes, this was the inevitable outcome all along, because playing in a big market like Toronto is just too much to ask from the toughest athletes in the world. Others would tell you that the Shanaplan was doomed from the very start, because it was built around the wrong core. And some would just shake their heads and mutter something about being cursed.

Then there’s the side that says no, it didn’t have to be this way – that there were multiple branching paths along the road that made a different destination possible. That’s the premise of today’s piece, as we look at a half-dozen key checkpoints in recent Maple Leafs history, and wonder what would have happened if a different decision was made.

Our starting point here is 2018 or so. The Leafs have already drafted Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander. They’ve made a surprise playoff run in their first year together, then nearly knocked off the established Bruins in year two. Brendan Shanahan has a plan, and it’s working. While there’s a long way to go, the future is as bright as it’s ever been.

And then… well, we know what comes next. But what if? We won’t go too deep down the alternate history hole on any of these – if you’re looking for fan fic that ends with the Leafs winning all the Cups, you’ll have to write it yourself – but each is worth exploring. And at the end, I'll even let you tell me the right answer.

>> Read the full post at The Athletic

(Want to read this post on The Athletic for free? Sign up for a free trial.)