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Though Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker admitted that “you don’t know what’s going to happen,” the leader of the National League East’s last-place club addressed the possibility that he might be looking for a new job next week.

Speaking after Miami’s final home game of the season, a 5-4 loss Sunday to the Atlanta Braves at loanDepot Park, Schumaker spoke with honesty and sincerity when asked if he had thought this might be his final game in South Florida.

“It’s kind of a weird moment, personally, in my career,” he said. “Extremely grateful that I was given an opportunity to manage the Miami Marlins even if it was a couple years.”

The Marlins, a season after advancing to the NL postseason, are 57-99, and just wrapped up a home schedule that saw them land at 30-51. As they embark on a six-game road trip to Minnesota and Toronto, the Marlins are 35.5 games behind the East-champion Philadelphia Phillies, the same club Miami faced in the playoffs last October.

“It was a lot of learning, a lot of ups and downs the last couple years, but it was also exciting,” Schumaker said of his tenure. “Built a lot of friendships here. You’ll have these relationships forever.”

Eleven months ago, Schumaker won the NL Manager of the Year after completing his rookie season with the club. He secured 72 votes, easily more than finalists Craig Counsell and Brian Snitker.

“It was never about me,” he said after winning the award. “I just did whatever I could to win that day.”

The Marlins shook up their front office in the offseason, and reports that new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix may look in a new direction quickly began to surface as this season opened.

It didn’t help matters that Miami kicked off the season on a nine-game losing streak, a run in that featured three opponents, the Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Angels and St. Louis Cardinals, who are nowhere near postseason contention. The Marlins finished April at 7-24, and it seemed the club was already, at that point, looking to the future.

“Someone had to take a chance on me first,” Schumaker said. “And I’ll never forget that. So, I don’t know if it’s the end or not, but I’m super grateful to have been given the opportunity.”

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Canucks, Boeser agree on new seven-year deal

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Canucks, Boeser agree on new seven-year deal

The Vancouver Canucks have come to terms with forward Brock Boeser on a new seven-year contract, carrying a $7.25 million AAV.

Canucks GM Patrik Allvin announced the deal on Tuesday during the first hour of NHL free agency. Boeser, 28, was an unrestricted free agent on a previously expiring contract.

Drafted by Vancouver 23rd overall in the 2015 NHL draft, Boeser has collected 204 goals and 434 points in 554 games with the Canucks to date. A top-six scoring threat, Boeser has elite playmaking skills and the potential to produce big numbers offensively. He had his best year offensively in 2023-24, producing 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games.

Boeser didn’t hit those marks again last season — settling for 25 goals and 50 points in 75 games — but was still second amongst teammates in output. He also plays a prominent role on Vancouver’s power play and when he can generate opportunities at 5-on-5, he is a true difference-maker up front for the Canucks.

The extension is a happy ending for Vancouver and Boeser. When the regular season ended, Boeser admitted “it’s tough to say” whether he’d be back with the Canucks. Boeser reportedly turned down a previous five-year extension offer with the club and Allvin subsequently looked into deals for him at the March trade deadline, with no takers. Boeser looked — and sounded — poised to explore his options on the open market.

Ultimately, Boeser decided to stay put by committing the best years of his career to the Canucks.

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Jake Allen agrees to 5-year deal with the Devils

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Jake Allen agrees to 5-year deal with the Devils

Jake Allen, one of the top goaltenders available entering free agency, is not heading to the market after agreeing to a five-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Allen’s average annual value on the deal is $1.8 million, sources told ESPN. That AAV allows the Devils to run back the same goaltending tandem for next season.

Jacob Markstrom has one year remaining on his contract for $4.125 million. Nico Daws is also under contract for next season, before becoming a restricted free agent next summer.

Several teams were interested in the 34-year-old veteran, whom sources said could have made more money on the open market. However, the deal with the Devils gives Allen long-term security. Allen has played for the Blues, Canadiens and Devils over his 12-year-career. He has started in 436 career games.

Last season, Allen started 29 games for the Devils, going 13-16-1 with a .906 save percentage, 2.66 GAA and four shutouts.

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Capitals sign Fehervary to 7-year, $42M extension

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Capitals sign Fehervary to 7-year, M extension

Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary signed a seven-year extension through the 2032-33 season that is worth $6 million annually, the team announced Tuesday.

Fehervary, who had one year of team control remaining, will enter the final season of a three-year bridge deal that will see him make $2.675 million before his new contract begins at the start of the 2026-27 season.

He finished the season with five goals and a career-high 25 points while logging 19 minutes. Fehervary also played a crucial role in the Capitals’ penalty kill by finishing with 245 short-handed minutes for a penalty kill that was fifth in the NHL with an 82% success rate.

Securing the 25-year-old Fehervary to a long-term deal means the Capitals now have seven players who have more than three years remaining on their current contracts.

It also means the Capitals front office has one less decision to make ahead of what is expected to be an active offseason in 2026 that will see the club have what PuckPedia projects to be $39.25 million in cap space.

That’s also the same offseason in which captain and NHL all-time leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin‘s contract will come off their books along with that of defenseman John Carlson.

But until then, the Capitals have their entire top-six defensive unit under contract as they seek to improve upon a 2024-25 season that saw them finish atop the Metropolitan Division with 111 points before they lost in the Eastern Conference semifinal to the Carolina Hurricanes in five games.

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