Lionel Messi is in the starting lineup for today’s Inter Miami match against Columbus Crew in Cleveland.

The match at Huntington Bank Field, home of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, begins at 4:30 p.m. ET. At least 60,000 fans are expected in attendance. And it will be a matchup between two of the best clubs from the MLS Eastern Conference.

Messi and Inter Miami will return to action for their first match in six days — after Messi played every minute in Inter Miami’s last four matches in a span of 11 days. They have three more matches to end the month of April.

Messi fans: Consider this match as another opportunity for the Argentine World Cup champion to maintain his level and play against an MLS Eastern Conference rival instead of an opportunity to rest.

Inter Miami and Columbus Crew are the two remaining unbeaten teams in MLS this season. Columbus enters the match in first place with 18 points in the standings (from five wins and three draws), while Inter Miami is fourth with 15 points (from four wins, three draws) despite playing one fewer league match. The result will surely leave some playoff implications later this season.

Follow along here as USA TODAY Sports provides live updates from today’s match: 

How to watch Columbus Crew vs. Inter Miami live stream? 

The match is available via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. 

Is Lionel Messi playing today in Cleveland?

Messi was announced as a starter in the Inter Miami starting lineup before the game.

Inter Miami vs. Columbus Crew recent history

In Messi’s only match against Columbus, he scored two goals as Inter Miami clinched the MLS Supporters’ Shield last season in their last matchup on Oct. 2, 2024. 

Will Lionel Messi play in World Cup 2026? 

Messi, the Argentine World Cup champion and Inter Miami star, said he thinks about playing in the next World Cup but will first consider his health before reaching a final decision.

“The truth is, if you stop and think about it, it feels far away, but at the same time, time flies. … I’ll see how I feel. Of course I think about it, but I don’t want to set goals either,” Messi said during an interview with Simplemente Futbol, released on April 17.

How to watch MLS games: Xfinity, DirecTV, T-Mobile

Soccer fans with Comcast Xfinity and DirecTV can subscribe and watch MLS Season Pass through the TV providers. Xfinity customers can access MLS games within the channel guide on X1, the Xfinity Stream app, and the X1 Sports app. DirecTV customers can find MLS games on channels 480-495. T-Mobile users can also access MLS Season Pass for free.

Messi shares MLS Season Pass free trial

Lionel Messi has shared a link for a one-month free trial to MLS Season Pass: Apple.co/MessiGift.

Messi, Inter Miami upcoming schedule

April 24: Vancouver vs. Inter Miami, 10:30 p.m. ET (Champions Cup semifinal first leg)
April 27: Inter Miami vs. FC Dallas, 5 p.m. ET (MLS)
April 30: Inter Miami vs. Vancouver, 8 p.m. ET (Champions Cup semifinal first leg)
May 3: Inter Miami vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET 

BOULDER, Colo. – Colorado’s third spring football season under head coach Deion Sanders comes to an end on Saturday, spotlighting what may have been the most important spring of his entire tenure in Boulder so far.

Yet another national audience will tune in for it – the annual spring intrasquad game at Folsom Field, this time on ESPN2 at 4:30 p.m. ET.

It’s different this time, though. Sanders is no longer the novelty that attracted a sellout crowd in his first spring game here in 2023. He also doesn’t have the star-studded supporting cast he did in last year’s spring game, including two-way star Travis Hunter.

What Colorado does have is a plan. It’s different than the rest. And the foundation was laid for it this spring. Here are five reasons why it was so momentous.

1. Colorado’s strategic investment in Deion Sanders

College sports soon will enter an expensive and cutthroat new era if a legal settlement is approved to allow schools to start paying players directly at around $20 million per school per year.

To compete in this new world, CU went all-in on Sanders, giving him a new five-year contract on March 28 that pays him $10 million per year and more through 2029 and makes him one of only nine public-school head football coaches paid that much.

Before Sanders, CU never paid a coach more than $3.6 million in guaranteed pay. Where will it get the money to pay him and players in 2025 and 2026?

CU’s unspoken answer: You’ve got to spend money to make money. In ticket sales alone, Colorado’s football revenue increased to $31.2 million in 2023-24, up from $13 million in 2022-23, which includes the last season before Sanders’ hiring in December 2022.

Or consider the alternative: What would happen if CU didn’t invest in Sanders and soon had to navigate these choppy new waters without him and the national spotlight he brings? The program would have risked losing relevance, like it did before Sanders in 2022, when the Buffaloes went 1-11.

“He has infused new life and passion into the university on so many levels outside of football, including but not limited to increased applications, diversity in both applications and in attendance at home games and higher GPAs for student-athletes,” said Jeff Crawford, a Colorado donor and graduate. “The future is bright.”

2. More cameras, more money

Sanders has attracted national cable networks to campus twice this spring, in addition to getting legendary actor Denzel Washington to address his team via online video. The NFL Network televised his pro-day event in Boulder on April 4, an event that also attracted more than 150 media members to watch Hunter and Sanders’ quarterback son, Shedeur, work out before the NFL draft. Now the spring game on ESPN2 will be the only college spring game televised by a major national network, not including streaming services or conference networks.

This is the kind of marketing and exposure that only Sanders can bring. And that’s especially important when players are looking for more money to earn from their names, images and likenesses (NIL). National exposure makes his players’ NIL potential more valuable and helps make up for the fact that Colorado doesn’t have the same resources as teams in the Big Ten or Southeastern Conferences.

Sanders is also taking advantage of the national spotlight in the spring at a time when other college coaches have canceled their spring games for various reasons, including the notion that too much exposure leads to roster tampering or unwanted surveillance by opponents.

“We do a good job of exposing our program, so I don’t think we have to sell anything (to recruits),” said Deion Sanders, who also commended reporters Thursday for their coverage of the recent pro day.

3. The Colorado quarterback situation

The Buffs broke in two new quarterbacks to replace Shedeur, who arguably was the best quarterback in school history. One is the celebrated freshman pocket passer, Julian Lewis. The other is a dual-threat veteran with one year of college eligibility left − Kaidon Salter, a transfer from Liberty.

How will Sanders keep both of them happy in an era where players sometimes transfer to a new school in January and then leave for another school by the following May?

The spring game will provide a glimpse.

“I’d like to see them both be doing things where at the end of it, it would be a flip-a-coin who plays,” CU offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said this week. “That’s what I’m looking for. And I see them challenging each other.”

The Buffs also got two big commitments from transfer players this spring who will aim to help those quarterbacks: speedster receiver Sincere Brown (from Campbell) and Memphis offensive lineman Xavier Hill, who weighs around 320 pounds.

4. Building a pro model at Colorado

As the college game grows more professionalized, Sanders recently got the school to invest in his assistant coaches and built his organizational strategy around an NFL model. Last year, CU had one main offensive line coach – Phil Loadholt, who made $325,000 last year. This year, CU has three offensive line coaches making a combined $775,000. Two of them are former Dallas Cowboys linemen.

Sanders also recently hired Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk as the team’s running backs coach and former NFL nose tackle Domata Peko as defensive line coach. In February, Colorado nearly doubled the pay of defensive coordinator Robert Livingston, a former Cincinnati Bengals assistant who will earn $1.5 million this year after earning $800,000 last year.

This is part of how Colorado is marketing itself to recruits: Not only do you get the national exposure that comes with Sanders, but you will learn from the pros. That includes Warren Sapp, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, and Shurmur, a former NFL head coach.

Sanders told USA TODAY Sports this week that “our kids come out here to play for me and this staff. They don’t come out here for a bag (money) because they understand the real finances are garnished in the NFL, not with the NIL.”

5. The transition after Deion Sanders’ sons

Sanders coached his two youngest sons, Shedeur and Shilo, in youth football, high school and at Jackson State before they moved to Colorado. Now both are preparing for the NFL draft on April 24. The transition without them and Hunter at Colorado will test how good Sanders is as a recruiter and coach in new ways.

Earlier this week, he shut down practice and made his players do conditioning runs after noticing lackluster effort.

“That’s the worst practice I’ve been in as a part of this school,” Sanders told the team, as documented by his oldest son Deion Jr.

Now he’s on the hunt for more players in the transfer portal, which opened Wednesday and will stay open through April 25. He could use some running backs after his team finished last in the nation in rushing yards per game in 2023 and 2024.

“We’re gonna run the heck out of the ball,” Sanders said Thursday.

How to watch Colorado’s spring game

Colorado’s intrasquad spring game will be Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The telecast is scheduled to last 90 minutes. Colorado will retire the jersey numbers of Hunter and Shedeur Sanders at the start.

How many tickets have been sold to Colorado’s spring football game?

As of Thursday, Colorado reported 15,100 tickets sold, including more than 5,000 tickets since Monday. That’s a good crowd for a glorified practice in April even if it’s down from 47,277 for Sanders’ first spring game in 2023. It also looks to be a cold and damp spring game for the third straight year under Sanders.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

After much anticipation, the 2025 NFL Draft is just days away.

The Tennessee Titans are on the clock. Is it a formality the Titans will select Cam Ward No. 1 overall? Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry praised Colorado Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Are the Browns targeting Hunter at No. 2? Where is Hunter’s teammate, Shedeur Sanders, going to end up?

Defensive line is considered the deepest position group in the NFL draft. This year’s running backs class is strong, too.

We’re going to get answers to all our questions from the draft in Green Bay next week. USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon provides his third mock draft less than a week before all the action kicks off.

1. Tennessee Titans: QB Cam Ward, Miami

The Titans and Ward have been tied together for weeks. Tennessee’s reluctance to pursue a quarterback during free agency is an indication that they intend to draft a young passer. Ward is the consensus top QB in this year’s class.

2. Cleveland Browns: CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado

Browns GM Andrew Berry called Hunter a unicorn this week and compared the Heisman Trophy winner to Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. The two-way player possesses the skills to play both ways. With Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome at corner, the Browns need more aid at wide receiver.

 3. New York Giants: EDGE Abdul Carter, Penn State

Carter’s talent and athleticism off the edge will help him make an immediate impact in the NFL. He would instantly form a young formidable edge rushing duo with Kayvon Thibodeaux. The Giants ranked 24th in total defense last year.

4. New England Patriots: OT Will Campbell, LSU

The Patriots ranked 31st in pass block win rate and last in run block win rate in 2024, according to ESPN. As a result, New England had the worst total offense in the AFC. The Patriots must fortify their O-line.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars: DT Mason Graham, Michigan

The Jaguars had the second-worst defense in the NFL last season. Graham is an active three-technique defensive tackle with good strength. His 34 pressures ranked in the top 10 for all interior lineman in college football in 2024.

6. Las Vegas Raiders: RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

The Raiders averaged an NFL-low 79.8 rushing yards per game in 2024. It was the lowest rushing average by a team in a single season since 2022. Pete Carroll’s teams in Seattle routinely had stout rushing attacks. Jeanty and Brock Bowers are foundation pieces on offense.

7. New Orleans Saints (via NYJ): QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

New Saints coach Kellen Moore inherited Derek Carr. They aren’t in a committed long-term relationship. Plus, Carr is reportedly dealing with a shoulder issue. The Saints can start a new era at QB with Sanders with this projected trade with the Jets. He’s a prototypical dropback passer, and throws with good accuracy and anticipation. 

8. Carolina Panthers: LB Jalon Walker, Georgia

Carolina had the worst total defense in the NFL in 2024. The team’s 32 sacks were second to last in the NFC, and they ranked 31st in the league pass rush win rate, per ESPN. Walker is a hybrid player who can play edge or off-ball linebacker.

9. New York Jets (via NOR): TE Tyler Warren, Penn State

The Jets believe in Justin Fields, but they have to surround him with better weapons. Warren is a complete tight end who blocks well and is tough to tackle with the football in his hands.

10. Chicago Bears: OT Armand Membou, Missouri

The Bears landed three new interior offensive line starters this offseason. The job fortifying the O-line isn’t finished. Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times during his rookie season, the third most in NFL history.

11. San Francisco 49ers: EDGE Mike Green, Marshall

The 49ers will have at least two new starters along their defensive line entering the season. Green could be one of them. Green’s 17 sacks led college football last season. He’s athletic, explosive and has the bend and flexibility to get around the edge. 

12. Dallas Cowboys: RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina

The Cowboys lost Rico Dowdle in free agency. Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders were added, but Omarion Hampton would give Dallas a much-needed long-term answer at the position.

13. Miami Dolphins: OT Grey Zabel, North Dakota State

Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead retired after 12 seasons. Zabel can play four of the five offensive line positions. He allowed one sack and six pressures at left tackle his final year at North Dakota State.

14. Indianapolis Colts: TE Colston Loveland, Michigan

Whether the Colts start Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones, they need more production out of the tight end position. The Colts top tight end had a paltry 14 receptions last season. Loveland is a pass catching tight end who would make an immediate impact in Indy.

15. Atlanta Falcons: EDGE Mykel Williams, Georgia

After ranking last in the NFC in sacks in 2024, the Falcons have an opportunity to boost their pass rush with the acquisition of Leonard Floyd in free agency and Williams through the draft. The 6-foot-5 edge rusher has significant upside. He tallied five sacks, nine tackles for loss and two forced fumbles last year.

16. Arizona Cardinals: CB Jahdae Barron, Texas 

Pro Football Focus gave Barron a 91.3 coverage grade for last year, the best of any cornerback with at least 300 snaps. Barron’s five interceptions were tied for first in the SEC, and he also led the team with 11 pass breakups. The Cardinals ranked in the bottom half of the league in total defense.

17. Cincinnati Bengals: DT Kenneth Grant, Michigan

The Bengals devoted a lot of resources on offense. They must get better on defense through the draft. DJ Reader’s departure in free agency last offseason was a significant loss. Grant is the type of player who can fill the void in the interior.

18. Seattle Seahawks: G Tyler Booker, Alabama

Booker has the size, girth and length to be an elite guard. He was arguably the best guard in college football in 2024. He allowed zero sacks and only nine pressures his final year with the Crimson Tide.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB Will Johnson, Michigan

Johnson is a big 6-foot-2, instinctive cornerback with good ball skills. He set a Michigan record with three interceptions returned for touchdowns in his career. Tampa Bay finished 29 in pass defense in 2024.

20. Denver Broncos: WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

McMillan has a big catch radius and is a long stride runner The 6-foot-5 wide pass catcher is a possession receiver with good ball skills. McMillan and 6-foot-4 Courtland Sutton would give the Broncos a basketball team on the outside.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers: DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon

Quarterback is an option here. But with several quality defensive linemen available, the Steelers select the Oregon product with massive upside. The 6-foot-4 defensive tackle has impressive size, length and strength. 

22. Los Angeles Chargers: DT Walter Nolen, Ole Miss

Nolen’s athleticism and explosiveness make him a first-round three-technique defensive tackle. The Chargers lost their best defensive tackle, Poona Ford, in free agency. Nolen, at 6-foot-4 and 296 pounds, has the size and potential to be a force in the interior. 

23. Green Bay Packers: CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky

Hairston is a fast cornerback who has good man and zone coverage skills. His 4.28 40-yard dash time was the fastest at the 2025 NFL Combine. The Packers put CB Jaire Alexander on the trade block. 

24. Minnesota Vikings: S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina

Veteran Harrison Smith decided to return for his 14th season, but the Vikings need to start grooming Smith’s heir apparent. Emmanwori is regarded as the top safety in the draft. His 88 tackles led South Carolina last season. He also produced four interceptions.

25. Houston Texans: WR Matthew Golden, Texas

Golden earned himself plenty of money when he ran a wide receiver-best 4.29 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. The Texans need a speed receiver because Tank Dell’s knee injury will likely keep him out all of 2025.

26. Los Angeles Rams: LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama

The middle of the Rams’ defense has been a weakness since veteran Bobby Wagner departed for the nation’s capital. Nate Landman was added in free agency, but Campbell would give the Rams the athletic and impact linebacker the team’s been missing.

27. Baltimore Ravens: S Malaki Starks, Georgia

Starks is a versatile safety who has a nose for the football and is comfortable in coverage. He led the Bulldogs with 77 tackles in 2024. The Ravens had the second worst pass defense in the NFL last season.

28. Detroit Lions: EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College

The ACC Defensive Player of the Year finished second in the FBS with 16.5 sacks and third with 20.5 tackles for loss. The Lions’ defense was ravaged by injuries this past season and needs more depth up front.

29. Washington Commanders: EDGE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M

The Commanders lost their sack leader Dante Fowler Jr. in free agency. Stewart’s college production raises some questions (only 4.5 sacks in three seasons), but he possesses high upside.

30. Buffalo Bills: DT Tyleik Williams, Ohio State

Williams is a hole filling run defender. He has a good first step and quick feet for his size. The Bills can get younger and more explosive in the interior.

31. Kansas City Chiefs: EDGE James Pearce Jr., Tennessee

The Chiefs witnessed the effects of a stout defensive line firsthand. Star defensive tackle Chris Jones is Kansas City’s only consistent pass rusher. Pearce led Tennessee with 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss last year.

32. New York Giants (via PHI): QB Jaxson Dart, Mississippi

A trade between two division rivals. The Giants grab their QB of the future who can sit and learn this year while Russell Wilson starts. Many scouts have the Ole Miss product as the third-ranked QB prospect in the draft.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

“You have an idea and you can watch film, but until you’re with people every single day, you don’t know the reality of their skillset,” Bickerstaff told USA TODAY Sports after the Pistons practiced Thursday ahead of Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series against the New York Knicks.

“I knew that if you put together the amount of draft picks and the talent that was here, there was something to start with. It was a matter of getting to know them and then figuring out how we can do what we all do together.”

How much did he have?

“We went into the season with an open mind, willing to embrace whatever was going to happen,” Bickerstaff said. “That was the most important thing for us. We wanted to give the group confidence collectively and individually and then just see what happened and be prepared to make adjustments as need be. And that’s what we did.”

As the season unfolded, Bickerstaff started to recognize encouraging patterns, such as closing out games in the fourth quarter. Cade Cunningham’s leap toward stardom began to take shape. The mix of youth and veterans worked in the locker room.

Then, the Pistons defeated Indiana on the road in an in-season tournament game and a week later, they beat New York at Madison Square Garden. The Pistons were still just 10-15 and dropped to 10-16 in their next game.

But the wins started coming – 11 victories in their next 14 games, eight consecutive wins in February. After winning just 14 games last season, Detroit finished 44-38, a remarkable 30-game turnaround that made the Pistons the only team in league history to triple their wins total from one season to the next.

Last season, Detroit ranked 27th offensively and 25th defensively. This season: 14th and 10th.

How the Pistons built a foundation for turnaround

NBA rebuilds require patience. And the right coach at the right time. And the right general manager. The Pistons hired Trajan Langdon in May as president of basketball operations, replacing the fired Troy Weaver who deserves credit for drafting Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson, acquiring Jalen Duren in a draft day move and trading for Isaiah Stewart.

But Langdon hired Bickerstaff and brought in a veteran presence with Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, and Dennis Schroder.

Bickerstaff is a Coach of the Year candidate, Langdon is an Executive of the Year candidate and Beasley is a Sixth Man of the Year candidate who finished second in 3-pointers made this season.

Cunningham’s emergence as an All-NBA player is one of the great individual stories this season. In his fourth season, the 23-year-old Cunningham produced his best season with career-highs in points (26.1 per game), assists (9.1 per game), field goal percentage (.469), 3-point percentage (.356) and games played (70).

“He’s just an unbelievable person, leader, teammate, all those things,” Bickerstaff said. “Obviously, he’s taken steps in closing games, understanding when to take over games, the ability to decipher when it’s time to get his teammates involved and when it’s time for him to score. He’s understanding now how to manipulate the game to his advantage based on what the defense is trying to do.”

This is Detroit’s first playoff appearance since 2019 and just the third playoff appearance in the past 16 seasons. They face a Knicks team with high expectations, but the Pistons went 3-1 against them this season, including two victories at Madison Square Garden. The 6-6 Cunningham had a 29-point, 15-assist, 10-rebound triple-double in the first victory Dec. 7 and a 36-point effort in the second victory Jan. 13.

‘He did a lot of things right,’ Cunningham told reporters this week of Bickerstaff. ‘One, being honest in how he saw us playing and just building relationships with each individual on the team. That made everyone want to play hard for him, and that’s something we’ve all bonded over.”

Pistons’ future is bright with ‘guys who are going to get better’

Bickerstaff was ready to head home from the practice facility Thursday and unwind for a bit. But then, it was going to be back to watching video.

“We’re in a great place,” he said. “We’re in study mode right now. So for coaches in particular, that’s the fun part where you get to really, really teach and show and guide and watch film, get on the floor. All those things are fun for us.

‘But our guys’ minds, they’re engaged, they’re bought into what we’re trying to do. They understand it, they’re learning it, repping it, but they’re ready for the fight. And the best part about this group is win or lose, our guys are going to show up and they’re going to fight and they’re going to test their opponent and the opponent’s going to have to be the better team.”

And no matter what happens in this series or the next one, the Pistons are another team on the rise.

“You maximize the opportunity and the potential that’s in front of you,” Bickerstaff said. “But you live in the reality of that you have guys who are going to get better. And for us, that’s a good thing. This is our first year together and we’re at level X, and Y and Z are going to be even more amazing when our young players continue to improve.”

The New York Rangers fired coach Peter Laviolette on Saturday after the team finished out of the playoffs one year after they won the Presidents’ Trophy as the top regular-season team.

‘After finishing with the best regular season record in the NHL a year ago and making a trip to the Eastern Conference Final, we came into this season with high expectations for ourselves,’ general manager Chris Drury said. ‘Quite simply, we failed to meet those expectations. We must all do better – myself included.

‘As we head into next season and beyond, I felt that a change was necessary in order to give us the best chance to achieve our goals as an organization. Our search for a new head coach will begin immediately.”

Associate head coach Phil Housley also was fired.

The Rangers finished with 16 fewer wins this season and missed the playoffs by six points, even though they began the season at 12-4-1 after a relatively quiet offseason following a trip to the Eastern Conference final. The culprit was a 4-15 slide that dropped them to .500 and led Drury to let other teams know he was willing to talk trade.

Trades followed. Captain Jacob Trouba was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6 and forward Kaapo Kakko was traded to the Seattle Kraken 12 days later. A late January trade for J.T. Miller gave the team a bump but in the end, it wasn’t enough. Ryan Lindgren and Reilly Smith were moved before the deadline and though the Rangers briefly moved into the second wild-card spot, they became the fourth NHL team to go from Presidents’ Trophy winner to out of the playoffs (also the 1992 and 1993 Rangers).

The Rangers ranked 19th in goals against and 27th in shots against per game. Igor Shesterkin, who signed an extension that will make him the NHL’s highest-paid goalie, faced the most shots in the league and had a career-worst 2.86 goals-against average.

Their power play dropped from third last year to 28th this season. Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox, Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad all had noticeable drops in points.

Drury will be hiring his third coach since was named general manager in 2021. Gerard Gallant, like Laviolette, lasted only two seasons. Laviolette, the winningest U.S.-born NHL coach, was let go with one year left on his contract.

His firing was announced soon after the Ducks fired coach Greg Cronin. There were five coaching changes during the regular season: Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers.

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The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers are back in the playoffs after their seesaw 2024 Stanley Cup Final that Florida won in Game 7, but this time they will have to start on the road.

Every champion since 2018 is in this year’s field and there are also several teams returning after long absences such as the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens.

Who will survive the four playoff rounds and come out on top?

USA TODAY’s Jason Anderson, Mike Brehm and Jace Evans provide their predictions for the Stanley Cup Final teams, the NHL champion and the Conn Smythe winner as playoff MVP:

Jason Anderson

Stanley Cup Final: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Colorado Avalanche

Champion: Colorado Avalanche

Conn Smythe: Cale Makar

It’s all coming together for the Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar look ready to take over, and while goalie Mackenzie Blackwood has no playoff experience, he sure looks ready for the big time. Gabriel Landeskog’s potential return from a years-long battle with injury could provide a major spark, and Colorado is one of the only teams that can skate with Carolina.

Mike Brehm

Stanley Cup Final: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Colorado Avalanche

Champion: Colorado Avalanche

Conn Smythe: Nathan MacKinnon

The Avalanche have done more to address their issues than any other team. They traded both their goaltenders and the newcomers have done much better. They addressed their need for a No. 2 center with a trade for Brock Nelson, plus added center Charlie Coyle. This is a deep team. Just like in 2022, the Avalanche will beat the Lightning in the Final.

Jace Evans

Stanley Cup Final: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Vegas Golden Knights

Champion: Tampa Bay Lightning

Conn Smythe: Nikita Kucherov

The path to the Final certainly won’t be easy — starting with a first-round matchup against the rival Panthers — but perhaps no team is as well-rounded as Tampa Bay. The Bolts were the highest-scoring team in the league and tied for third in goals against. Two of the men most responsible for those finishes, NHL leading scorer Nikita Kucherov and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, are some of the best playoff performers of the 21st century. They lead the way again and Kucherov finally gets his Conn Smythe.

The Anaheim Ducks fired coach Greg Cronin on Saturday despite a 21-point improvement in the standings.

Cronin, 61, just finished his second season with the team. He was hired in 2023 for his first NHL head coaching job after decades coaching in college hockey and the American Hockey League or as an assistant coach in the NHL.

The team improved by only one point in 2023-24 to 59 points but jumped to 80 points this season. Though the Ducks cut back significantly in goals allowed, they finished last in the league on the power play and in the bottom five in goals, penalty killing and 5-on-5 play.

“I want to personally thank Greg for his tireless work and dedication to the team,” general manager Pat Verbeek said in a statement. “He is responsible in many ways for the improvement we’ve seen from our young core. However, after several weeks of careful evaluation, I concluded we needed a change in direction and a new voice.

‘This was an extremely difficult decision for me to make, but I felt it was necessary to continue our progress toward becoming a Stanley Cup contender that I know we can be.”

Despite the improvement, the Ducks finished 16 points out of the playoffs.

Cronin is the first NHL coach fired since the regular season ended on Thursday. There were five coaching changes during the regular season: Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers.

The Memphis Grizzlies started hot, stayed hot, cooled off and then pulled away for a 120-106 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the final NBA play-in game.

The Grizzlies built an early 20-10 lead, extended it to 34-14 in the first quarter and were up 66-41 in the second quarter. But the Mavs are pros, too, and in a league where few leads are safe, Dallas trailed 75-68 midway through the third quarter. The Mavs didn’t have enough gas to keep up.

Memphis’ five starters scored in double figures led by Jaren Jackson Jr. (24 points), Ja Morant (22 points) and Desmond Bane (22 points).

The Grizzlies earned the No. 8 seed and will play the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in a Western Conference first-round series starting with Game 1 on Sunday.

Here are three takeaways from Friday’s Grizzlies-Mavericks play-in game:

Ja Morant’s ankle held up just fine

Grizzlies star guard Morant turned his right ankle in the third quarter of Wednesday’s play-in loss to Golden State and was listed as questionable for Friday’s game.

Morant started and scored 12 points in the first quarter including a sky-scraping one-handed putback dunk giving the Grizzlies a 29-14 lead with 4:27 left in the quarter. He also got to the free throw line five times and made all five and had three assists, three rebounds and two steals in the opening quarter.

Morant got his 22 points on 7-for-24 shooting (1-for-5 on 3s) and 7-for-7 on free throws. He added nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals.

The Mavericks’ future is under the microscope

The faster the Mavericks, who are one season removed from an NBA Finals appearance, can put this season behind them and get further from the Luka Dončić trade the better.

The trade was a public relations disaster and the impact it has had on an angry fanbase will linger, but the best thing for Dallas and Nico Harrison, the team’s embattled general manager/president of basketball operations, is to get to the draft, free agency and the start of next season with a roster as healthy as possible.

Kyrie Irving, who sustained a torn ACL on March 3, won’t be available to start the season, but Anthony Davis, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Klay Thompson, Caleb Martin, Dereck Lively II, Max Christie, Jaden Hardy and Naji Marshall should all be ready for training camp in the fall.

It’s clear – obviously so – that Harrison believes Davis can be the key to a championship, and Davis, who was bothered by a right leg issue, was spectacular in Friday’s loss. He finished with 40 points and nine rebounds, and midway through the third quarter, he had 31 of Dallas’ 68 points. It didn’t help that two Dallas starters (Lively and Washington) failed to score.

The Mavs’ front office and coaching staff (and an irked fanbase) want to see how this team performs when and if fully healthy.

Grizzlies face 68-win Thunder in first-round series

The reward for getting the No. 8 seed in the West through the play-in game format? A first-round series against Oklahoma City which set a franchise record with 68 victories.

But the Grizzlies aren’t your typical eighth seed. They won 48 games and are just two seasons from a 51-win season and three seasons from a 56-win season.

With Morant and Jackson plus other players who probably don’t get enough recognition (Bane, Santi Aldama, Scotty Pippen Jr., rookie Zach Edey), the Grizzlies are capable of making this tough on the Thunder. Remember, the Grizzlies were 35-16 and in second place in the West. But can they make it a long series?

It’s also a high-profile job audition for Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo. The Finnish coach took over for Taylor Jenkins who was fired March 28. There is belief around the league that the Grizzlies want Iisalo, 42, to have a good showing so they can give him the full-time job.