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The 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs are down to their final two teams, as the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers meet for the second straight season for the right to lift the chalice. One of the players in this series is going to win the Conn Smythe as NHL postseason MVP.

Mikko Rantanen led the Conn Smythe Watch over the past two rounds of voting. But he’s gone, and so are the Dallas Stars, which means there’s a new leader for NHL postseason most valuable player.

We asked more than two dozen national and beat writers covering the Stanley Cup Final to name their top three MVP candidates after three rounds of play. Ballots were collected and tabulated before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Keep in mind that in the NHL, the Conn Smythe is based on a player’s performance during the entire postseason, not only the championship round. The award is voted on by an 18-person panel of Professional Hockey Writers Association members.


The current MVP leader

McDavid won the Conn Smythe last postseason in a losing effort. Based on his lead for the award heading into that rematch with Florida, he might win it again — whether the Oilers win or lose.

McDavid takes over the lead from Rantanen, moving up from third on our voters’ ballots before the conference finals. He’s the only player to appear on every ballot we collected, and he was ranked first overall on 71% of them. Every ballot that didn’t have McDavid first had him ranked second.

The Edmonton star enters the Final with 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) in 16 games. He roasted the Stars with points in every game, and nine points total in their five-game elimination of Dallas. Two of those goals ended up being game-winners, although the Oilers outscored the Stars by a 19-5 margin in their wins.

“McDavid won me over in the last series,” one voter revealed.

Last postseason, McDavid became the second non-goalie in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe in a losing effort, as the Oilers fell in Game 7 to the Panthers. Now, he’s trying to become the fourth player ever — and the first player since Sidney Crosby (2016-17) — to win consecutive Conn Smythe Trophies.

There’s a non-zero chance he could win a second straight playoff MVP award in a losing effort, given his current level of support from voters. But that’s probably the last thing McDavid wants to experience again.

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McDavid: Everybody stepped up in series win

Connor McDavid reflects on the Oilers heading back to the Stanley Cup Final to play the Florida Panthers.


The other favorites

If it’s not McDavid, “Playoff Bob” might have the inside track for the Conn Smythe over his Florida Panthers teammates.

Bobrovsky has a .912 save percentage and a 2.11 goals-against average in the playoffs. He had a save percentage of .920 or better in four of the Panthers’ five games against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals — his worst game statistically was in their Game 5 elimination of the Canes. That’s the only game of his past nine appearances, dating back to the second round against Toronto, in which Bobrovsky had given up more than two goals. Bobrovsky is tied with Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner with three shutouts to lead the postseason.

Bobrovsky was the clear second choice by our voters, thanks to four first-place votes for the Conn Smythe.

“If Florida wins, I assume it’ll be because Bob is amazing,” explained one voter who had him second.

Barkov leads the Panthers with 17 points in 17 games, including six goals. Look no further than Game 5 against Carolina to witness his impact, as Barkov was a one-man forecheck before assisting on the series-clinching goal late in the third period. The Panthers score 57% of the goals and generate 57% of the expected goals when Barkov is on the ice at 5-on-5.

Florida’s captain was first on one ballot we collected and appeared on 63% of all ballots. That’s actually more than Bobrovsky (58%), but Bob had the higher placements.

For what it’s worth: Barkov was second to McDavid in the Conn Smythe voting last season despite not receiving a first-place vote.

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Fortenbaugh’s best bet for Panthers-Oilers Stanley Cup rematch

Joe Fortenbaugh explains why he’s taking the Panthers to repeat as champions against the Oilers.


Making their cases

Draisaitl received the most support of any player outside the top three, but there was a palpable gap between him and Barkov. Draisaitl appeared on 42% of the ballots we collected but received only one first-place vote.

The Oilers star is one point behind McDavid, with 25 through 16 games, and has scored one more goal (seven) than McDavid in the playoffs. If Draisaitl has a dominant Stanley Cup Final and Edmonton wins the Cup, he’s in position to potentially hurdle over McDavid for MVP.

“This should probably be a top four thanks to Draisaitl,” argued one voter who had Leon right outside of their top three.

Bennett is the clear third choice on the Panthers. He appeared on 20% of the ballots we surveyed and garnered two second-place votes. Like Draisaitl, he’s only one point off the scoring lead for his team (16 points in 17 games).

Bennett leads the playoffs with 10 goals and has been a physical force for the Panthers in every series. As a pending unrestricted free agent, a Conn Smythe Trophy would do wonders for his earning potential.


On the cusp

Evan Bouchard, D, Edmonton Oilers
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, F, Edmonton Oilers
Seth Jones, D, Florida Panthers
Brad Marchand, LW, Florida Panthers

Bouchard was the only player in this tier to appear on multiple ballots, all of them third-place votes. He’s tied for fifth in the playoffs with 17 points, easily the most by any defenseman in the postseason, with 13 of those points coming at even strength. He leads all Oilers in average ice time (25:01 per game) and has skated to a plus-9.

The rest of the players received only one third-place vote.

Nugent-Hopkins is third on the Oilers, with 18 points in 16 games. He had the game-winner in the first period of their critical Game 2 win over the Stars.

Jones has seven points in 17 games for the Panthers, skating to a plus-9. While he has played on what’s technically the second paring with Niko Mikkola, Jones is leading Florida with 24:59 in average ice time per game.

Finally, Marchand has been huge for the Panthers down the lineup with 14 points in 17 games, bringing his trademark hustle, agitation and offense to the fourth run to the Stanley Cup Final in his career. He also scored the most important goal of the Panthers’ postseason: in overtime of Game 3, down 2-0 to Toronto in the series.

But one voter fancied Marchand’s linemate as an under-the-radar choice. “Eutu Luostarinen would legit be fourth for me,” the voter declared of the Florida winger, who has 13 points in 17 games.


Lack of buzz

Stuart Skinner, G, Edmonton Oilers
Sam Reinhart, F, Florida Panthers
Matthew Tkachuk, RW, Florida Panthers
Carter Verhaeghe, LW, Florida Panthers

According to ESPN BET, these players are among the top 10 in odds to win MVP before the Stanley Cup Final. But none received a vote on any of the ballots we surveyed.

Tkachuk (16 points in 17 games) and Verhaeghe (14 points in 17 games) are both among the Panthers’ leading scorers, with Verhaeghe having scored two game-winning goals in the playoffs. Verhaeghe appeared on one Conn Smythe ballot last postseason, while Tkachuk did not appear on any. Reinhart is right behind them, with 13 points in 15 games, having missed a couple games against Carolina due to an injury.

Skinner is perhaps the greatest reminder that the Conn Smythe is an award for the totality of the playoffs. Skinner has been incredible since his reset, getting benched in favor of Calvin Pickard before returning against Vegas in the second round when Pickard was injured. Since Game 4 against the Golden Knights, Skinner is 6-1 with a .944 save percentage, a 1.41 goals-against average and three shutouts.

Could an MVP effort in the Stanley Cup Final counterbalance Skinner’s struggles earlier in the playoffs? Perhaps. But then he’d still have to overcome McDavid for playoff MVP. And according to the ballots we received, McDavid’s running away with the thing right now.

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Guardians promote top prospect for Tigers series

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Guardians promote top prospect for Tigers series

Chase DeLauter, an outfielder with no major league experience, was included on the Cleveland Guardians‘ roster for their wild-card series against the Detroit Tigers.

Selected 16th in the 2022 amateur draft, DeLauter hit .278 with five homers and 21 RBIs in 34 games at Triple-A Columbus. He turns 24 on Oct. 8.

DeLauter was sidelined by injuries for much of this year. He was hurt during a pregame workout at spring training on Feb. 28 and had bilateral core muscle surgery on March 4 for a sports hernia.

After eight games at the rookie-level Arizona Complex League Guardians, DeLauter played his first game this year for Triple-A Columbus on May 23, but he stayed in the lineup only until July 12. He had surgery 11 days later to repair a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist.

DeLauter could be the first player to debut in the postseason since 2020, when Tampa Bay pitcher Shane McClanahan, San Diego pitcher Ryan Weathers and Minnesota outfielder Alex Kirilloff all accomplished the feat.

Manager Stephen Vogt said DeLauter has been taking batting practice at the organization’s Arizona complex. DeLauter had been slated to play in the Arizona Fall League.

“As we were talking through it and looking through the series with three games, we felt 11 pitchers was the right move,” Vogt said. “When we looked at at-bats, Chase was healthy, and he’s the best bat we have available to us. We thought it would be a good idea to get him on the roster.”

DeLauter is among seven left-handed bats on the Guardians’ bench and could come in to play center or right field.

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said DeLauter’s promotion was not a surprise.

“You can’t get into the building and not be seen by somebody. So we had some time to talk. And we have some pitchers and position players who spent some time in Toledo this year as well,” Hinch said. “Our teams, not only are we sort of intimately close at the big league level, but in Triple-A, in Double-A, in Single-A. We play these guys coming up throughout. And so you’ll hear our hitters talk about facing these guys in Akron or facing these guys in Erie, along with Toledo and Columbus.”

The Tigers left off right-handers Chris Paddack and Tanner Rainey but included right-hander Paul Sewald for the best-of-three series that started Tuesday.

Yankees rookie catcher J.C. Escarra and pitchers Paul Blackburn and Will Warren made roster against the Boston Red Sox, while pitchers Luis Gil and Ryan Yarbrough were left off along with outfielder Austin Slater.

New York is carrying 12 pitchers and 14 position players. Escarra is the third catcher after Austin Wells and Ben Rice, giving manager Aaron Boone pinch-hitting and pinch-running options.

Warren is viewed as a better relief option than Gil, who averaged 5.2 walks per nine innings.

Boston included a pair of speedy potential pinch runners, infielders Nate Eaton and David Hamilton, and rookies left-handers Connelly Early and Payton Tolle. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday that right-hander Lucas Giolito will miss the series because of an ailing elbow.

Catcher Elias Díaz, who has a sore left oblique, was left off San Diego’s roster for its series at the Chicago Cubs, and the Padres included three catchers: Luis Campusano, Freddy Fermin and Martín Maldonado.

Rookie infielder Mason McCoy was on the roster, and left-hander Yuki Matsui was left off.

Chicago included rookie outfielder Kevin Alcántara and catcher Moisés Ballesteros but left off right-hander Javier Assad and catcher Miguel Amaya.

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Twins fire Baldelli after roster purge, 70-92 mark

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Twins fire Baldelli after roster purge, 70-92 mark

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins fired manager Rocco Baldelli on Monday, ending his seven-year tenure that included three American League Central titles after a second straight disappointing season.

“This is a difficult day because of what Rocco represents to so many people here,” Twins president Derek Falvey said in a statement. “He led with honesty, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to our players and staff. He gave himself fully to this role and I have tremendous respect and gratitude for the way he carried himself and the way he showed up every single day.”

The Twins, who were expected to contend for the AL Central title this season, faltered in June and became active at the trade deadline, sending away 10 players while cutting $26 million from the payroll. The team went 23-43 after the All-Star break to finish fourth in the division with a 70-92 mark.

Minnesota went 19-35 after the trade deadline passed, with only the Colorado Rockies faring worse over the final two months.

The Twins finished with the fourth-worst record in the major leagues and their worst mark since 2016, when they went 59-103 after firing longtime general manager Terry Ryan at midseason. Falvey was hired to replace Ryan after that.

The 44-year-old Baldelli, who won the 2019 AL Manager of the Year award as a rookie, has led the Twins to three division titles. In 2023, Minnesota ended a record 18-game postseason losing streak and won its first playoff series since 2002.

Baldelli had an overall record of 527-505 in seven seasons, and he’s the third-winningest manager in Twins history behind Tom Kelly and Ron Gardenhire.

Attendance has swooned at Target Field, with the Twins finishing with an 81-home game total of a little more than 1.7 million tickets sold, their lowest number in a non-pandemic season since 2000 when they played at the Metrodome and finished 69-93.

Fans have mostly directed their disdain toward ownership, with deep frustration over cost-cutting that came after the 2023 breakthrough. The Pohlad family put the franchise up for sale last year, but decided last month to keep control and bring on two new investment groups for an infusion of cash to help pay down debt.

The dizzying trade-deadline activity left Baldelli and his staff without much to work with down the stretch, though All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton was a bright spot in a breakthrough season for his health, and rookie second baseman Luke Keaschall provided consistent production and a professional approach at the plate belying his inexperience.

The departures of shortstop Carlos Correa, outfielder Harrison Bader, first baseman Ty France and multi-position player Willi Castro robbed the lineup of experience and steadiness, but that was nothing like what happened to Baldelli’s bullpen.

The Twins traded their five best relievers, from closer Jhoan Duran on down, and left the final 54 games to a ragtag group that had eight blown saves in 18 opportunities during that span.

Baldelli was hired before the 2019 season to replace Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, with Falvey citing his adaptivity to the data-based direction of baseball strategy and his communication skill in distilling it to coaches and players and clearly setting expectations and preferences.

“Over the past seven years, Rocco has been much more than our manager. He has been a trusted partner and teammate to me in leading this organization,” Falvey said in a statement. “Together we shared a deep care for the Twins, for our players and staff, and for doing everything in our power to put this club in the best position to succeed.

“Along the way we experienced some meaningful accomplishments, and I will always be proud of those, even as I wish we had ultimately achieved more.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Bochy, winningest active manager, out in Texas

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Bochy, winningest active manager, out in Texas

ARLINGTON, Texas — Bruce Bochy will not return as manager of the Texas Rangers after a three-year stint that began with the franchise’s first World Series championship in 2023 before missing the playoffs and not having a winning record in both seasons since then.

The Rangers said Monday night that the team and Bochy mutually agreed to end his managerial tenure in Texas. Bochy was offered a front office role to stay in an advisory capacity, the team said.

The move came a day after the Rangers finished 81-81. That was the first .500 record for the franchise that began as the Washington Senators in 1961 before moving to Texas in 1972, and a first for Bochy in 28 seasons managing San Diego, San Francisco and Texas.

Bochy was at the end of the three-year contract he got when Chris Young, one of his former pitchers, hired him after the Rangers’ sixth consecutive losing season. Bochy went 249-237 with the Rangers.

“Bruce Bochy is one of the greatest managers in baseball history, and he will forever hold a place in the hearts of Ranger fans after bringing home the first World Series title in franchise history in 2023,” said Young, then their general manager and now the Rangers’ president of baseball operations. “Boch brought class and respect to our club in his return to the dugout, and we will always take pride in being part of his Hall of Fame career.”

After turning 70 this season as baseball’s winningest active manager, Bochy has a career record of 2,252-2,266, with those wins ranking sixth among all managers — the five ahead of him are all in the Hall of Fame. No managers in the past 60 years have more than Bochy’s four World Series titles, and the only ones with more are Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel and Connie Mack.

Bochy had been out of managing for three seasons when he was hired by Texas. He had stepped out of the Giants dugout at the end of 2019 after 13 seasons and three championships from 2010 to 2014. That followed 12 seasons and another National League pennant with the Padres.

San Francisco, also 81-81 this season, fired second-year manager Bob Melvin on Monday after the Giants missed the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. Minnesota fired Rocco Baldelli, ending his seven-year tenure that included three American League Central titles, but only one playoff appearance, over his final five seasons.

The Giants’ president of baseball operations is Buster Posey, the 2012 National League MVP and seven-time All-Star catcher who played all but the last of his 12 MLB seasons with Bochy as his manager.

Over the last week of the regular season, Bochy wouldn’t answer questions about his future with the Rangers, saying that the decision would wait until after the season. But he said he was having a great time and didn’t sound like he was ready to be done as a manager.

“It’s as much fun as I’ve had in the game,” Bochy said last week about managing again. “I said this when I came back, you have a deeper appreciation when you’re out, especially for three years and you realize what you have, how blessed you are to be doing what you’re doing. It’s been a lot of fun, and I still love it, and enjoy it.”

And that was during a strange and frustrating season on the field for the Rangers, who, for the first time, had a pitching staff that led the majors in ERA (3.47). They also set a single-season MLB record with their .99112 fielding percentage, bettering the 2013 Baltimore Orioles‘ mark of .99104.

Among the potential replacements for Bochy in Texas is former Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, who joined the Rangers last November as a senior adviser for baseball operations.

The 45-year-old Schumaker was the 2023 NL Manager of the Year after the Marlins went 84-78 and made the playoffs. They slipped to 62-100 in 2024 with a roster decimated by trades and injuries before the team and Schumaker agreed that he would not return for this season. He was previously a bench coach for St. Louis, where he had played for the Cardinals during their 2011 World Series championship over Texas.

Young said Schumaker would be a candidate, but that there had not yet been conversations within the organization about the search process.

The Rangers went more than a month at the end of the season without their half-billion-dollar middle infield of two-time World Series MVP shortstop Corey Seager (appendectomy) and second baseman Marcus Semien (left foot), as well as 35-year-old right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who was 11-3 with a career-best 1.73 ERA over his 14 MLB seasons before getting shut down because of a rotator cuff strain.

Even without those standouts and several rookies filling in, the Rangers went on a 13-3 run to get within two games of the AL West lead on Sept. 13, and in the thick of the wild-card chase. They then lost their next eight games and were eliminated from playoff contention.

The only manager older than Bochy this season was 73-year-old Ron Washington, but he didn’t manage a game for the Los Angeles Angels after June 19 because of quadruple bypass heart surgery.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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