{"id":678378,"date":"2026-04-18T13:12:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T13:12:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/678378\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T13:12:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T13:12:28","slug":"playoff-hockey-returns-plus-mlbs-3-9-billion-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/678378\/","title":{"rendered":"Playoff hockey returns, plus MLB\u2019s $3.9 billion team"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pulse Newsletter \ud83d\udce3 | This is The Athletic\u2019s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here<\/a> to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

Good morning. It\u2019s the hardest trophy to win, but we hope this is the easiest newsletter to read. Coming up:<\/p>\n

Primers: Storylines and questions for the Stanley Cup Playoffs<\/p>\n

The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin today. The storylines are so good:<\/p>\n

The league\u2019s most tortured franchise has a real shot. I\u2019m talking, of course, about the\u00a0Sabres,\u00a0the NHL\u2019s obvious bandwagon favorites<\/a>. When they host the Bruins tomorrow, it\u2019ll be Buffalo\u2019s first playoff game since 2011. This franchise had been an embarrassment, hockey\u2019s version of the Jets (the New York ones, not the actual Winnipeg Jets), but this year has brought a true breakthrough. Hockey is\u00a0revitalized in the city<\/a>. Star defenseman and captain Rasmus Dahlin\u00a0has an incredible story<\/a>. Out of roughly nowhere, Buffalo put up the second-most points in the East.\u00a0Series preview here<\/a>.
\nThe top contenders are either flirting with dynasties or trying to repair a\u00a0lot\u00a0of scar tissue.\u00a0The\u00a0Avalanche\u00a0are the overall favorite, trying to win their second Cup in five years. The\u00a0Lightning\u00a0are right after them, trying to win a third in seven. But the other frontline option is the\u00a0Hurricanes, eternal contenders who have lost in the conference finals four times since 2009 and\u00a0been swept in all but last year\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0(a five-game loss). Is that more or less frustrating than the\u00a0Stars, aka Hurricanes West, who have lost in that round three straight years?
\nThen you get to the Oilers,\u00a0who have lost two Cup finals in a row. Good news: The Panthers, who have beaten them both years, didn\u2019t make the playoffs. Trickier news: Edmonton\u2019s maligned goaltending remains untrustworthy (though it is trending up<\/a>), and Connor McDavid\u2019s costar, Leon Draisaitl, has been out for a month with a knee injury. It sounds like we\u2019ll see him at some point in this series, maybe on the earlier side.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s but a small sampling of the suspense here. For a bit more detail, I\u2019m tagging in\u00a0Sean Gentille<\/a>,\u00a0The Athletic\u00a0senior writer and \u201cThe Athletic Hockey Show<\/a>\u201d\u00a0host. Three questions:<\/p>\n

1. What\u2019s the mood around the Oilers?\u00a0A) Heavy anxiety at missing out on another Cup shot with prime McDavid? or B) Cautious optimism because the Pacific is weak?<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcac Hmm. Probably option B, with the optimism creeping back in over the past few weeks of better play.\u00a0They still feel volatile and fatally flawed, but their defense and goaltending have smoothed out a bit, Draisaitl will be back and it\u2019s never tough to talk yourself into Connor McDavid.\u00a0Buddy just had a very casual 138-point season, fourth-most since 1996.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0The year\u2019s most shocking playoff team is the\u00a0Penguins, who were a No. 1 pick candidate before the season and now face the also-surprising\u00a0Flyers.\u00a0What a wild story<\/a>\u00a0in the 20th year of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang as a trio.\u00a0Is this team just nostalgia bait, or is a real run possible?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcac Nope, they\u2019re legitimately good. The wildest part about their season \u2014 and I say this as someone who thought they\u2019d finish with a bottom-five roster in the league \u2014 is that\u00a0they\u2019ve pretty well played themselves out of the \u201chappy to be here\u201d scenario. They\u2019re favored in the first round against their biggest rival, and if they don\u2019t beat the Flyers, the overriding vibe among the fanbase will be disappointment. Beating, say, Carolina in the second round would qualify as gravy, but they\u2019ve got to get there first.<\/p>\n

3. Please give us your Final matchup.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcac\u00a0Chalky:\u00a0Lightning vs. Avalanche. The Avs have a fairly easy pass to the Western Conference finals and figure to face Dallas or Minnesota, who will have spent Round 1 pounding on each other. I feel fine about that. The Lightning less so, because I think the Canadiens (very young, very fun) could give them some trouble in the first round.<\/p>\n

Also, if the Sabres wind up doing the thing, please pretend I was with them all the way.\u00a0Thx.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Sean.\u00a0Here\u2019s the full first-round schedule<\/a>.<\/p>\n

News to Know\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Christian Petersen \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Suns, Magic through as playoffs begin<\/p>\n

The bracket is set after a satisfying Play-In, and mercifully it doesn\u2019t include the Warriors looking a shell of themselves against the No. 1 seed Thunder. Whether the Suns can fare much better remains to be seen, but\u00a0they were convincing<\/a>\u00a0in a 111-96 victory over the Warriors. Golden State now faces\u00a0huge choices about its future direction<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Earlier, Paolo Banchero was\u00a0his bulldozing best self<\/a>\u00a0as the Magic routed the Hornets 120-90, earning a\u00a0first-round matchup<\/a>\u00a0against Detroit. Charlotte\u2019s upturn this year gave fans much-needed hope but ends with a 10th straight playoff miss. Some will call it\u00a0karma<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As we covered earlier this week, this playoff field has real intrigue, with several worthy challengers to the Thunder. John Hollinger has predicted\u00a0the whole thing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Note: You\u2019d think he\u2019ll go, but Minnesota\u2019s Anthony Edwards is\u00a0listed as questionable<\/a>\u00a0with knee soreness for today\u2019s opener in Denver (3:30 p.m. ET on Prime).
\nPadres near sale for $3.9 billion (!)<\/p>\n

Baseball owners pushing for a salary cap in this year\u2019s labor talks will likely argue that MLB franchises are undervalued. The new counterpoint: Look at San Diego! A co-owner of Chelsea Football Club and his wife are reportedly closing in on a $3.9 billion purchase of the Padres, whose value had jumped 59% to $3.1 billion this year, per Forbes. The previous record sale for an MLB team was $2.4 billion (the Mets in 2020). Why so much for the Padres, specifically? Great analysis here on that question and the implications for MLB.<\/p>\n

More News
\nWill Anderson Jr.\u00a0will be the highest-paid non-quarterback ever in the\u00a0NFL\u00a0after he agreed to a 3-year, $150 million extension with the\u00a0Texans.\u00a0More here<\/a>.
\nThe\u00a0Fever\u00a0will extend\u00a0star center\u00a0Aliyah Boston\u00a0for $6.3 million over four years, the\u00a0largest total value<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0WNBA\u00a0history.
\nWidely credited as a factor in the U.S. assembly of the Dream Team,\u00a0Brazilian basketball legend Oscar Schmidt\u00a0died at 68.\u00a0Read the full story<\/a>.
\nAngels World Series hero Garret Anderson\u00a0died of a heart attack at 53.\u00a0A lovely obit<\/a> from Tyler Kepner recalls his quiet, steady excellence.
\nNotre Dame\u00a0and\u00a0Villanova\u00a0basketball teams will open next season in\u00a0Rome, visiting\u00a0Vatican City\u00a0and\u00a0Pope Leo XIV\u00a0\u2014 a Nova alum.\u00a0Details<\/a>.
\nSue Bird\u00a0and\u00a0Megan Rapinoe\u00a0announced\u00a0their separation<\/a> after a decade as one of sports\u2019 most accomplished and prominent couples.
\nCoventry City\u00a0are headed back to the\u00a0Premier League\u00a0for the first time in a quarter century, with\u00a0USMNT forward Haji Wright\u00a0as their top scorer.\u00a0More here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcf0\u00a0Find more news here 24\/7<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Watch Guide\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Jerome Miron \/ Imagn Images<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa NBA: Raptors at Cavaliers, Game 1
1 p.m. ET on Prime Video
A fun 4-5 matchup in the East here.\u00a0Here\u2019s the series preview<\/a>\u00a0from Eric Koreen and Joe Vardon, and\u00a0here\u2019s Eric on Toronto\u2019s path to an upset<\/a>. It\u2019s a stylistic clash: Cleveland has an excellent offense and middling defense, and Toronto has the inverse.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa Gymnastics: Women\u2019s national championships
4 p.m. ET on ABC
On Thursday at this event, Oklahoma\u2019s Faith Torrez\u00a0won the all-around title<\/a>. Team-wise, OU, Minnesota, LSU and Florida will decide the national title today in Fort Worth. The dynastic Sooners are angling for their seventh title in 10 years.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa NHL: Flyers at Penguins, Game 1
8 p.m. ET on ESPN
The Battle of Pennsylvania, a great playoff rivalry, resumes in Pittsburgh. This should be one of the tightest series of the first round.\u00a0Our beat writers debate it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Get tickets to games like this here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pulse Picks<\/p>\n

\n Christian Petersen \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Ever wonder how the WNBA\u2019s financial rules, especially after the new collective bargaining agreement, compare to those of other leagues? We have\u00a0an interactive piece that crystallizes it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf99\ufe0f \u201cStarkville\u201d returns today, now part of the \u201cRates & Barrels\u201d podcast feed every Saturday, featuring a conversation with Yankees manager Aaron Boone. Listen\u00a0wherever you get your podcasts<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Shoutout to\u00a0Westway Diner<\/a>\u00a0in NYC, my go-to for a quick, perfect, no-fuss breakfast whenever I\u2019m in midtown. Bonded with a local over the veggie omelette yesterday. Westway Diner will unite the world if we let it. \u2014 Patrick Iversen<\/p>\n

Folarin Balogun\u2019s Ligue 1 scoring streak\u00a0leaves no doubt he\u2019s the USMNT\u2019s leading man<\/a>\u00a0for the World Cup, as our colleague Charlie Davies wrote this week.<\/p>\n

How to make your own Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme<\/a>. Claiming my most-clicked-link-of-the-weekend award now. \u2014 Jason Kirk<\/p>\n

Lucky for the White Sox, they at least keep scoring with viral giveaways and gimmicks.\u00a0Behold the Pope Hat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pro tip:\u00a0Athletic\u00a0subscribers can now share unlimited gift links (free-to-read articles) with anyone.\u00a0This one<\/a>\u00a0is hitting my group chat. \u2014 Torrey Hart<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t have time for exactly a million throws to perfectly break in a new glove,\u00a0use this stuff<\/a>. It really works. (Just don\u2019t leave your glove in the oven too long. Seriously.) \u2014 Chris Sprow<\/p>\n

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: \u201cPablo Torre Finds Out<\/a>\u201d on the Knicks\u2019 bizarre Orwellian surveillance tactics.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udceb That\u2019s all for now! Say hello at thepulse@theathletic.com<\/a>, and check out our other newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Pulse Newsletter \ud83d\udce3 | This is The Athletic\u2019s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":678379,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2288],"tags":[5,2328,2304,4,2305,2303,2093],"class_list":{"0":"post-678378","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mlb-postseason","8":"tag-baseball","9":"tag-major-league-baseball-playoffs","10":"tag-major-league-baseball-postseason","11":"tag-mlb","12":"tag-mlb-playoffs","13":"tag-mlb-postseason","14":"tag-nhl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116425887432423991","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/678378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=678378"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/678378\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/678379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=678378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=678378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=678378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}