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Who Will Win the 2025 Stanley Cup? Will There be a Repeat, or Will We See a New Winner?

Edmonton, CA – The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs are continuing at full speed tonight with Game 5 between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers taking place at Rogers Place in Edmonton. With a home ice advantage, the Oilers will have to hope the cheers from their fans can keep them ahead of Florida. The series is currently tied at two games a piece, meaning fans will earn some extra hockey with at least needing a Game 6 after tonight’s matchup.

Examining the teams in this series, you see veterans and newcomers among both teams. You see strong defense, strong goaltending, and an even stronger passion for the game. Beginning with the coaches, they each have their comparative advantages and disadvantages. Paul Maurice, the Panthers head coach, has 25 seasons of experience under his belt, working behind the bench with numerous teams. He is a well known record setter having set numerous records for number of wins and records. As for the Oilers head coach, Kris Knoblauch, he has a little less experience, but still found success. He has coached numerous teams as well, also leading them to championship victories including recently in 2023 leading the Hartford Wolf Pack to a Calder Cup win.

Next we examine the immense talent each team has on the ice. Edmonton’s most known player, Connor “McJesus” McDavid has been with the team since he was drafted in 2015. He has contributed so much to them and has led them close to victory in recent years. He has had multiple triple digit point seasons, showing off his personal skill and how he also thrives as a team player. Of course, there are lots of opinions of him, but you cannot deny the pure talent he bleeds. Another notable Oilers player is Leon Draisaitl. He has been with the team since being drafted in 2014. Again, this player shows his talent in every game he plays, and he is a key to success for them during this series. As for the Panthers two very notable players are Sam Bennet and Matthew Tkachuk. Only being with the team for a handful of seasons each, they have proven their worth and shown they are huge assets to the team. They are not just skilled, but they have the reputation of being hard hitters and taking care of business physically. Another player to note is someone who was acquired in a trade in early March of 2025, Brad Marchand. The trade was so out of the blue as Marchand has spent his entire career, which began in 2009, with the Boston Bruins. He was a huge player for them as he had good stick handles and knows how to get the puck into the net. This trade was, however, a great win for the Panthers as so far Marchand has scored many goals and set up many great plays in his short time with the team. He has been an extremely huge key to success during this Panthers playoff run.

Finally, the goaltending, which has been nothing short of crazy for these two teams in their playoff runs. Beginning with Edmonton, they have been using Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. Skinner has only been in the NHL for five seasons, but he has shown his talent. While he is young and still has much to learn, he has stepped his game up for the Oilers during this playoff run securing numerous shutouts and clutching up games for them. Pickard has been in the NHL much longer, but has had significantly less playing time during this playoff run for the Oilers. He has a wide variety of talent as well and that is seen when he is on the ice in the crease. As for the Panthers, they have been mainly using Sergei Bobrovsky. Bobrovsky has been in the league since 2010, and has been noticeably amazing. While he has not had the best luck winning championships until last season, that has never stopped him from playing some of the best games you can watch. When he is not making unreal saves, he is watching the game unfold in front of him.

Coming into this series you were either someone who dreaded it, or was excited for the rematch to occur. With having the reputations of two of the most disliked teams in the NHL, there was no in between for fans. Last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs went to 7 games with the Florida Panthers taking it all for the first time in the franchise’s history. It was a historical win for the team and many of its players with it being their first Stanley Cup, such as veteran goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky. This off season, the Edmonton Oilers look to gain their franchises’ 6th Stanley cup, while the Florida Panthers hope to gain their second, back-to-back.

Pittsburgh’s defense is changed because of Aaron Rodgers.

After my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers pulled the checkbook out. They signed future hall of fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers for a 1 year $13.65 Million contract (with $10 Million guaranteed). One thing was made very clear to me after hearing this news. The Steelers are not as defense-driven as they have been in the past. Now do I think that this signing undermines the entire core of their team? No, I do not think this, but I do think this will affect the defense. Whether or not this will be a positive or negative shift, we will have to get closer to the preseason. What I can see now though is the defense, and there are a lot of positive adjustments being made there. Pittsburgh has always been a “defense wins championships” type of franchise. Even looking all the way back to 1969, when arguably the most known player in franchise history was drafted. Defensive Tackle Charles “Mean Joe” Greene was drafted. He has since been the leading member of the history behind the Steelers defense. From the Steel Curtain, to Blitzburgh, to the 2000s crew led by Joey Porter. Pittsburgh has had a longstanding tradition in Defense. Therefore let’s analyze this current era of defense and how it will look moving forward.

Let’s begin with an overview of how the defense looks heading into the 2025 year. For starters, Derrick Harmon looks to be a promising rookie. Steelers Defensive line coach Karl Dunbar has named him the starter. Other notable key figures in this roster are linebackers TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith. The Eagles’ rumored $68 Million contract offer for Highsmith in a trade proposal is alarming news for us Steelers fans. Our defense relies on him. He forms the perfect duo with Watt. Together, they keep the defense as the core of our required gameplan to success. Brandon Graham who is retiring makes the landscape that much more that Highsmith is traded. While his contract runs through 2027, one can only imagine if he will be moved to a different team. I mention this because the Steelers’ salary cap is affected by Rodgers. They will need to reorganize the defensive checkbook. Their defense has many loyal players. These include Cam Heyward and TJ Watt who seem unlikely to leave for a higher paycheck. That doesn’t mean everyone will apply to this logic, and even then Watt and Heyward will need a reasonable extension. As of now, Watt’s current deal will expire at the end of the 2025 season. Heyward’s will expire after 2026. It seems like a long time away. We need to be aware that Watt is looking for a contract similar to Myles Garrett.

Throughout the Aaron Rodgers news hitting the NFL world by storm, with some thinking this news was almost inevitable. It finally came true after two months of speculation. Now the Black and Gold will have some new challenges for 2025. TJ Watt and Cam Heyward are already established leaders. They need to mentor the defense. Let the offense do their thing. While this seems like it will work in a perfect world, we must acknowledge an important and difficult reality. Watt will want to be paid and while it is certainly deserved, it may affect the offense. Hopefully this influences Rodgers to retire after one season. That way, they can pay TJ in 2026. If this is how things are expected to end, why did they even sign Aaron initially? My theory is to have someone with more experience. This person can hopefully mentor Will Howard. Will Howard was a superstar at the NCAA level. Rodgers signing to Pittsburgh is certainly a “brand name” quarterback. We’ll have to see if his play can live up to the Rodgers image. The defense will certainly be affected because of how a team operates. The actions of the offense affect defense, and the opposite. With that being said, TJ Watt is the leader of the steelers and practically the new face of the franchise. Thus, no matter how the offense plays this season, it will come down to the Steelers defense. They must go out there. They need to play the best football week in and week out. For the purpose of continuing on the tradition and legacy of Pittsburgh Steelers football.

The Second Apron Is Brutal, but the Cavs Can Still Improve

Employees of Brilliant Electric Sign Company work on the large banner hanging on the walkway between the garage and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Cleveland Cavaliers playoff banners have been popping up this week as the Cavs prepare for their first round NBA playoff series starting on Saturday, April 15, 2023, against the New York Knicks.. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

Cleveland, OH- When the buzzer sounded to mark the end of game 5 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals, it was a somber moment, to say the least, for Cavs fans. A 60 plus win season, coupled with the third best net rating of the NBA, left a lot to be desired. Once again, bringing to the table another offseason of mock trades due to a postseason disappointment. However, unlike most offseasons, this will be the most challenging trade market for Cavs GM Koby Altman to navigate, as the Cavs are over the 2nd apron.

The threshold for this apron is $207.8 million dollars, and the Cavs payroll is currently $220.7 million, according to Spotrac. This apron was specifically set to stop teams like the Cavs from spending big on 3 or 4 players and then filling out the rest of the roster with a mid-level exception player and vets who were looking to take a pay cut in order to win a ring. This new rule stops teams constructing similar rotations through rules like not being able to trade a first round pick seven years into the future, no sign-and-trades, not being able to send cash in trades, and finally needing to match salaries in order to trade players. There are a few more restrictions, but the rules outlined above are the biggest impediments when it comes to the Cavs being able to improve their team via trades. So, with the elephant out of the room, let’s look at two Cavs trades.

The first trade is probably the most well known, and originated from Cleveland.com Cavs writer Chris Fedor. Fedor suggested that the Cavs could send All-Star Point Guard Darius Garland to the Orlando Magic in return for two former first round picks in Point Guard Jalen Suggs and forward Tristan da Silva. As for the Magic, I would think they would do this trade, since the team noticeably lacked offensive production, so getting Garland would fix that. I don’t think the Cavaliers would make this trade, but they should strongly consider it. Suggs brings elite defensive skills, evidenced by his All-NBA Defensive Second Team honor, while da Silva, despite limited production in his rookie season, was a standout shooter at Colorado. The Cavs could benefit greatly by adding a great defender and some three-point shooting.

The next trade originates from myself and involves the Cavs and the Lakers. The Cavs would trade Jarrett Allen and Isaac Okoro to the Los Angeles Lakers and in return receive Rui Hachimura, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2028 Los Angeles unprotected 1st round pick, and a 2030 Los Angeles Lakers swap(best with the Cavs) first round pick. The Lakers are in desperate need of a center, and Okoro could fill in the void left by trading Finney-Smith. As for the Cavs, they pick up Finney-Smith, a three-and-D wing that is capable of starting, and they pick up Hachimura, who is an efficient scoring 6 ‘8 wing. Also, this trade would move the Cavs out of the second apron to the much more favorable 1st apron. Out of all trades I’ve seen mocked to the Cavs, I believe this is the one where both teams have a chance of saying yes(since most mock trades usually have the fans’ home team overwhelmingly winning the trade).

If the Cavs want to go far in the playoffs, then they have to stay healthy (something that hasn’t gone their way), but they also should listen to trade calls that could potentially stop the early playoff exits.

YouTube Video: The Aaron Rodgers + Pittsburgh Steelers Situation

Strongsville, OH- With the news of Aaron Rodgers signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, we decided to give our thoughts on this move. Rodgers is going to go down as an all-time great quarterback, but does he have enough left in the tank to be a good quarterback in the Steel City? Find out our thoughts and more in the YouTube video below

Link to “The Aaron Rodgers + Pittsburgh Steelers Situation”: https://youtu.be/mkZ9q0ip8Xc?si=GLv2oGEwkHW2v7sD

Steelers QB Predictions: Howard vs. Rudolph

OTA (Organized Team Activities) practice for the Pittsburgh Steelers has been completed. National Champion for the Ohio State Buckeyes, Will Howard, has been put in charge of the Pittsburgh offense for 2025. There were a lot of uncertainties coming into the draft. This was true for the majority of teams that needed a quarterback. Now when looking at him, there was a rocky start on day 1. It is surprising how he has adapted to develop under Mason Rudolph. He has also broken out to potentially be the starter on day 1. Who will actually be the starter week one when Pittsburgh travels to MetLife Stadium to take on the Jets? This question is too hard to tell being this far out from the regular season. We can however make predictions if Mason Rudolph is to start and do the same for Will Howard. So here are my three predictions for how each Quarterback will affect the Steelers season. Let’s begin with Mason Rudolph, who is the veteran in this case.

Rudolph has the opportunity to start for the black and gold brigade in the 2025 season. He will face a struggling New York Jets franchise. What most people tend to do is overlook Mason Rudolph and make assumptions that he falls to pressure. While there won’t be “season on the line” pressure, the situation will test him. The 29-year-old could lose his job to Howard. That is contingent however on how he performs in the first 3 games of the regular season. Rudolph can still play when needed. He proved this by leading the Steelers to a win. They defeated division rival Cincinnati Bengals 34-11. (I was at that game). When we observe games like this, we see that Rudolph has shown recent evidence. He can lead an offense. In one game, he threw for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns. Those who know the NFL well, however, also realize a QB is only as good as his receivers. Rudolph had quality receivers. George Pickens (his main target) had 4 receptions for 2 touchdowns and 195 yards. Counterpart Allen Robinson, having 4 receptions for 36 yards. Pittsburgh is in a similar situation. They have Jalen Warren at running back for assistance. The receivers include DK Metcalf and many others that are unknown at this time. Pittsburgh’s receiving core overall will be different from years past, but Metcalf is an established veteran. My confusion lies in what Pittsburgh was thinking in the George Pickens trade. I’m confused. If Pittsburgh was already planning to trade Pickens, why didn’t they go for a wide receiver in the draft? I’m not saying get a receiver instead of Derrick Harmon in the first round. I’m saying possibly go with someone like Isaiah Bond in the 2nd or 3rd round. Where the offense will shine however is with rushing, while Najee Harris left for LA. This should not negatively affect the Steelers since they have Jaylen Warren, and Trey Sermon, a former Buckeye.

Now let’s begin with the predictions and analysis for 2024 Offensive MVP Will Howard. He is overall one of the best options in this year’s QB class. However, as with everyone, there is an adjustment period. Going from West Chester, Pennsylvania to Columbus, Ohio, and now he is back in the Keystone State. Howard had a phenomenal 2024 campaign at Ohio State, passing for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns. While watching him during his time at Ohio State, he reminded me a lot of Peyton Manning. This is because he can throw the ball, but he’s not going to be the fastest guy on earth. He also isn’t a one-man show, like Peyton who had targets like Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Marcus Pollard. Howard shows these characteristics by having talents like Jerimiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka. He also has the run game of Trey Sermon and Quinshon Judkins. Now these weapons will be different, but I think it will be a positive difference. The stakes are higher now and the weapons will be there if coached right. Arthur Smith, the offensive coordinator is entering his second season at the helm for the Steelers. He needed to get his ground made, and to have Howard who is impressionable. It is time for the Steelers to step up. They need to decide if they will emerge with Will Howard as their starter on day 1. They need to prepare and more importantly Howard needs to work this summer. To show the Pittsburgh Steelers that he is the quarterback of the future and nothing will be handed to him. Now if this is attainable, we will have to wait and see.

Guard Up! What Will Happen During This League Rematch Between the Guardians and Yankees?

Cleveland, OH – This week in the MLB, the Cleveland Guardians are taking a trip to New York to play a team they know all too well, the Yankees. The series will consist of three games from June 3-5 on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

The last time this team met, fans were shivering in their seats with rally towels and crossing their fingers that their team would advance to the World Series. The Yankees did end up winning that playoffs series 4-1, but not without a fight.

The 2024 Guardians were a tough batch of players, and it is looking the same for this season as well, who were not losing sight of what they were here for. From the beginning of last spring, to their final game they kept a winning record, and stayed in first place. The Yankees were on a very similar track, with the same goal in mind. Both teams are stacked with talent and skills across the board which makes for intense and fun games for fans to watch.

The first game played on Tuesday June 3 was already eventful. Guardians’ José Ramírez stole his 15th base of the season. Yankee’s Jazz Chisholm returned from being injured and helped give his team the lead. Guardians’ starting pitcher Tanner Bibee pitched just over 6 innings, allowing three runs and four hits, and had a season-high of 107 pitches. Yankee’s pitcher C Rodon pitched 7 innings allowing three hits and one run.

As these two teams get ready to play against each other again, they need to focus on what they need to do to win these ball games and put on a good game for the fans and remember to keep it classy.

Welcome to the SmeeSports Website

By Nathan Smee

Strongsville, OH- After a long thought process, I have decided to launch a website for SmeeSports. We will be featuring written content, broadcast information, and much more!

If you want to sponsor our articles, contact me at nsmee00@gmail.com and I would love to work out a deal. We will be covering high school and college athletics among other features.

I am excited about this new step for SmeeSports. The growth this past year has been tremendous and I can’t thank you all enough. Stay tuned as well continue to grow the SmeeSports brand.