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Panthers' three-year run rivaling any South Florida has seen
The Florida Panthers have reached their third Stanley Cup Final after a come-from-behind, 5-3, victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Wednesday night to win the series 4-1.
The team has a chance to repeat as NHL champions. South Florida has seen its sports teams repeat as champions before, but this Panthers team could be the most dominant that the area has seen since the great Miami Dolphins of the 1970's.
This Panthers team seems to be reminiscent of the great Dolphins teams from 1971-74 and the Miami Heat teams of the early part of the last decade when the team featured "The Big Three" of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
Both teams won back-to-back championships and made the championship round three years in a row.
Panthers general manager Bill Zito has orchestrated late season moves that would rival Joe Thomas with the Dolphins during their perfect season and Super Bowl run following the 1973 season.
Some in South Florida are already comparing Zito to NBA legend Pat Riley, who did wonders with the Heat before they hit a drought the last few years. They are also running circles around the current Dolphins and Marlins, which have been an exercise in futility.
The Dolphins have not won a playoff game in 25 years.
Zito hired Paul Maurice as the head coach in a move that could rival Joe Robbie's hire of the great Don Shula in 1970. Shula turned the Dolphins into AFC Champions within one year of his hire.
Zito also brought in two important pieces before the trade deadline this season in Seth Jones and Brad Marchand. Those two have been as instrumental as any other players in leading the Panthers this postseason.
The moves could rival the trades Riley pulled off to get Alonzo Mourning from the Charlotte Hornets and Shaquille O'Neal from the Los Angeles Lakers before the Heat won their first championship in 2006.
Zito put this team together the way Dave Dombrowski put together the 1997 then-Florida Marlins, who won the World Series in seven games. The Maurice hire is similar to hiring Jim Leyland. Dombrowski then assembled a team of stars which would rival Zito's prowess in Sunrise with the Panthers.
The Dolphins and the Heat won back-to-back championships back in the day. The Marlins won the World Series twice in a span of seven seasons. This Panthers team could equal the back-to-back titles with a win in this upcoming Stanley Cup Finals.
As great as the Dolphins were in their run of Super Bowl victories and their perfect season, the Panthers could equal or possibly surpass that success.
As long as Zito and Maurice are at the helm, there is no sign of the Panthers stalling after this season, whether they win the title or not. They could be building a hockey dynasty in South Florida that would rival history.
More must-reads:
- Carter Verhaeghe's key goal launches Panthers into third straight Stanley Cup Final
- 25 great NHL teams that somehow didn't win the Stanley Cup
- The 'Most career goals in Game 7 a Stanley Cup Playoffs series' quiz
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New Jersey Devils in Talks to Trade Two Expensive Players With Luke Hughes Contract on the Horizon
Edmonton Oilers Land Former Winnipeg Jets Goalie In An Intriguing New Mock Trade
The Edmonton Oilers are looking for a change in net, and now a mock trade has them landing former Winnipeg Jets backup Laurent Brossoit in an intriguing deal. After two straight failed Stanley Cup Finals runs, there have been many suggestions on how the Edmonton Oilers can take that final leap, with many looking at the goaltending as a potential spot for an upgrade ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. From acquiring big name stars to running it back, every option has seemingly been suggested by Oilers fans and reporters, but now, Heavy Sports have suggested a surprise trade that would see them land a new backup in the form of former Winnipeg Jets backup Laurent Brossoit. In the deal, the team would get Brossoit with money retained and a pick for a minor league goaltender and another pick, giving them three goalies to battle it out for two NHL spots next season. Oilers receive: Laurent Brossoit ($1.65 million retained) 2026 seventh-round pick Blackhawks acquire: Connor Ungar 2028 third-round pick Brossoit hasn't played in the NHL since 2023/24, and in that season he posted a fantastic .927 save percentage and a 2.00 GAA in 23 games played, with a career average of 2.64 GAA and a .911 save percentage in 140 games. If Brossoit gets more of an opportunity, there's a belief around the league that he could be more than serviceable in any role given to him. Ultimately, at this point it looks like Kris Knoblauch and the Oilers are content to run things back in 2025/26 with the duo of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, and unless there's a big upgrade to be had that makes sense, they're content with doing just that.
Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love’s ‘Fiery’ Response to Wife’s Take on Franchise’s Timeless Tradition
Green Bay Packers star quarterback Jordan Love and his wife, Ronika Stone Love, are truly in, well, love. The couple just got married in June, and with the Packers deep into their preparation for the upcoming 2025 NFL season, Ronika shows full support for her husband. In a social media post on Instagram, Ronika shared a series of photos from last Saturday’s Packers Family Night at Lambeau Field. The first photo on the post shows a happy Ronika in the arms of the former Utah State Aggies star signal-caller. “My version of a Lambeau Leap,” Ronika wrote as a caption. Last season, Love played in 15 games, throwing for a total of 3,389 passing yards to go along with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. That year was considered a down one for Love, but many expect him to come up with a bigger performance in 2025, as Green Bay looks to surpass its 11-win total in 2024. Fans react to Jordan Love’s wife’s Green Bay Packers Lambeau Leap Apart from Love, many others reacted to Ronika’s heartwarming post. Here are some of them: “Two Green Bay 10’s right there,” said a fan. Another one said: “Hair looks amazing” From a commenter: “Awhhhh y’all are so cute!! And I’m obsessed with the hair it’s giving SZA!! ” “Love the Loves!,” a social media user posted. Via a different commenter: “your outfit is adorable” Said another: “I love the fit! Both of yall ”
Milwaukee Brewers: Nestor Cortes Gone, Standout Rookie 3B Has Emerged as Gem from Would-Be Lose-Lose Trade
Starting pitcher Nestor Cortes was the centerpiece of the Milwaukee Brewers‘ return haul from trading co-closer Devin Williams to the Yankees last December. Eight months later, Cortes is a member of the Padres, logging all of two starts in Milwaukee before injuries sapped his season. Over in New York, Williams lost his closer’s job, got it back, and has had one good month en route to a 5.04 ERA. Without the other part of Milwaukee’s incoming package, then minor-league third baseman Caleb Durbin, the trade would look at this juncture like a lose-lose scenario. Thanks to Durbin, it’s been anything but for the Brewers. Caleb Durbin is Milwaukee Brewers’ diamond in the rough Durbin didn’t make the spring training cut. Instead, the Brewers went with fellow rookie Oliver Dunn as the team’s starting third baseman. Durbin went down to Triple-A Nashville. Dunn didn’t last. After he struggled through the first three weeks of the season, he and Durbin switched places and the latter hasn’t squandered his shot. Following a slow start, he’s turned up the heat at the dish while playing outstanding defense. He’s had an OPS around .800 for over two months now and has his season slashline up to .263/.344/.372. His 2.2 WAR in 86 games played is tied for 10th among all third basemen, making him one of the position’s more valuable players. The Brewers saw plenty of promise in Durbin when they traded for him, coming off a strong season with New York’s Triple-A affiliate. Even though he didn’t, he was a decent candidate to make the team out of spring. The team likely didn’t see a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate, which he is. By WAR, he and Braves catcher Drake Baldwin have contributed the same value to their teams, more than any other NL rookies. Cortes, on the other hand, was supposed to be a consistent cog in the rotation. Last year for the Yankees, he made 30 starts and recorded a 3.77 ERA. Instead, he’s still making his way back from injury ahead of start number three this season. In San Diego. Of course, Milwaukee did turn him into outfielder Brandon Lockridge, who will provide depth while Jackson Chourio is hurt. To dump Cortes’ salary, however, they had to attach a prospect, infielder Jorge Quintana. Neither Cortes nor Williams has been what the receiving team hoped. Both will be free agents this offseason. Only the Yankees, however, are at risk of walking away empty-handed. With years of team control remaining, the Brewers have in Durbin what looks to be their third baseman of both the present and future. The trade didn’t deliver according to expectations, but it’s hard to be too upset with the results.
Steelers Trade Package for Micah Parsons Predicted
If the Pittsburgh Steelers are viewing 2025 as a Super Bowl or bust-type season and want to stay true to the "all-in" strategy they've adopted this offseason, perhaps there's one more splash move left on the table. Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons requested a trade late last week, and while the likeliest outcome is that the two sides agree to terms on a record-setting extension that would surpass T.J. Watt's three-year, $123 million contract that he signed with Pittsburgh last month, there's also a world in which things go sideways. The Steelers aren't among the teams who need any additional pass rushers or necessarily would want to exhaust their assets by acquiring one, but there may be some wiggle room left to do so if they think landing Parsons is in the cards. Steelers Wire's Andrew Vazquez drew up a mock trade between Pittsburgh and Dallas that would send edge rusher Alex Highsmith, second-round picks in 2026 and 2027 as well as a 2027 seventh-rounder to the Lone Star State for Parsons. "The price to pay is undoubtedly steep — but there's no question the Steelers would boast an even more devastating pass rush with All-Pro DT Cameron Heyward on the interior and the edge rush duo of Parsons and former 2021 Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt," Vasquez wrote. Highsmith is a high-level player who's posted a combined 13 sacks in 28 games over the past two seasons and also logged 14.5 quarterback takedowns with five forced fumbles in 2022. The 28-year-old is under contract through 2027 with no guaranteed salary while carrying cap hits of $18.602 million in 2025, $20.102 million in 2026 and $21.102 million in 2027, per Over the Cap. Even so, a package centering around him and a pair of second-rounders likely wouldn't meet Dallas' asking price for Parsons, a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro who has never recorded less than 12 sacks in a single season. Paying two edge rushers top-of-the-market money in Watt and Parsons simply isn't realistic for the Steelers. Considering an extension would likely be a necessity in any trade for Parsons with the Cowboys, Pittsburgh can let his standoff with Dallas play out without getting involved.
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