WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The NHL's operations department pulled back the curtain on their process assessing how and why on-ice calls are overturned -- or not -- for the league's general managers to kick off their annual meetings on Monday.

The 32 team executives gathered at Eau Palm Beach to hear from a panel of league hockey ops members who step into action when there's a coach's challenge for goalie interference or offside. The group reviewed several examples from this season and solicited manager feedback on whether they agreed with the original call or the extra layer of assessment.

Primarily, though, the goal was to provide clarity on what goes on between the refs -- reviewing those infamous iPads in the penalty box -- and the league figures connecting them with more information.

"When you get on the headset [in the Situation Room], the first thing you're asking the referee when you give him the overhead [view], is, 'is there anything you see here you didn't see in real time,'" said Stephen Wolkom, the NHL's senior vice president and director of officiating. "He's going to [look] and be blunt. And that's a tell right there on where we're going to go [with our decision]."

Wolkom, along with Kris King, senior vice president of hockey operations and Colin Campbell, executive vice president and director of hockey operations, explained what their group is looking at when it comes to dissecting a potentially incorrect call. There's a checklist of sorts they'll go through on a goaltender interference question that serves, ideally, to be a consistent baseline if a goal is to be called back.

The league is looking at whether the contact from a player is deliberate or incidental, where it happened on the ice (in the goalie's blue paint or out in white ice), if the goalie had a chance to reset, was able to do his job, and if the actions by the offensive or defensive player led to any part of the contact. And of course, there's whether the referee sees anything differently on the provided replay that they missed in real time.

It's often a fine line deciding which way the challenge goes. Perhaps that's why the NHL has seen an uptick in coach's challenges for goalie interference this season, rising to 105 already from 88 last year.

Campbell has one theory on that stat.

"There's been maybe 10-15 really dumb challenges," said Campbell. "We look at each other and go, 'What are they doing? This is crazy by them.'"

Goal scoring is at a premium, though. And getting into a goaltender's face while attempting to redirect pucks in front of the net is often the cost of netting one. So how can the NHL ensure goalies have a chance to stand tall without inhibiting a player's right to try and beat him?

That's at the forefront of the league's decision-makers when they're breaking down a challenge.

"We told the goalies we'd protect them in the blue," said Rod Pasma, vice president of hockey operations. "How do we tell the position players when they're trying to score and stay out of the blue, and they're tipping a puck, and make a contact [with the goalie in white ice], [that they are] doing it wrong? That comes into it as well ... and then, how much is the contact? Is it extreme? Is it relevant?"

All of that first falls on referees to answer. Those on the outside bemoan how long video review can take and the way challenges slow down a game's flow. But communication between those eyes in the sky and the ones at ice level is key to getting a correct call. Usually once the refs have seen new angles, they'll be able to tell King and company if the coach was right to question their verdict.

Nuance is everything, though.

"The goaltender has to be afforded the chance to make the save," said goaltending supervisor Kay Whitmore. "But we have to be careful on saying whether the goalie can make the save or not. [Former NHL referee] Danny O'Halloran got an earful from Jonathan Quick one time saying, 'how the [expletive] do you know I'm not going to make that save?'"

In addition to talking coach's challenges, the league went over examples of unique offside reviews. They emphasized to the team execs that part of the process includes questioning where the puck entered the zone and whether they can clearly see where the puck is before issuing the offside challenge.

Missed game stoppages -- for hand passes and tipping pucks into the net above "normal shoulder height" -- were also on the agenda.

The league's goal was to emphasize again the consistency of their approach in making one call or another -- not that they want to be influencing the outcome of a game if they don't have to.

"The call on the ice is [most] important in every one of these [situations]," said Campbell.

The Boston Bruins' approach to the trade deadline indicated that perhaps management thought this wasn't their year, and they would add some future assets for a quick reload this offseason.

But as the chips fall on Monday, the Bruins still have a chance to make the playoffs.

That all begins with a game against the lottery-bound Buffalo Sabres Monday night (7 p.m., ESPN+). A win in that one closes the gap between Boston and the current first wild card, the New York Rangers. The Rangers have 72 points and 30 regulation wins through 68 games, while Boston is at 68 and 23 through 68.

After Buffalo, it's a road trip through Nevada and California (Golden Knights on Thursday, Sharks on Saturday, Kings on Sunday and Ducks on Wednesday, March 26). All told, the Bruins will play teams currently in playoff position in six of the final 13 games after the matchup with the Sabres; the final five, in particular, could be a spot to make up ground, with two against the injury-struck Devils along with single games against the Sabres, Blackhawks and Penguins.

To be clear, this would be a long shot; in addition to going on a hot streak, the Bruins will need to jump ahead of four teams (which would all need to get cold, in this hypothetical). Stathletes isn't so sure all of that will fall into place, giving the Bruins a 2.4% chance of making the postseason. But stranger things have happened in recent seasons!

There is a lot of runway left until April 17, the final day of the regular season, and we'll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we'll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today's schedule
Yesterday's scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Toronto Maple Leafs
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 New York Rangers
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils

Western Conference

C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 Vancouver Canucks
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Los Angeles Kings

Monday's games

Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).

Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m.
New Jersey Devils at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m.
Calgary Flames at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Kings at Minnesota Wild, 8 p.m.

Sunday's scoreboard

Detroit Red Wings 3, Vegas Golden Knights 0
Colorado Avalanche 4, Dallas Stars 3 (OT)
Edmonton Oilers 3, New York Rangers 1
New York Islanders 4, Florida Panthers 2
St. Louis Blues 7, Anaheim Ducks 2
Utah Hockey Club 3, Vancouver Canucks 1
Winnipeg Jets 3, Seattle Kraken 2 (OT)

Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

Florida Panthers

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 14
Points pace: 102.5
Next game: @ CBJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Tampa Bay Lightning

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 16
Points pace: 100.6
Next game: vs. PHI (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Toronto Maple Leafs

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 16
Points pace: 100.6
Next game: vs. CGY (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Ottawa Senators

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 16
Points pace: 95.7
Next game: @ MTL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 98.8%
Tragic number: N/A

Montreal Canadiens

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 88.2
Next game: vs. OTT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 20.2%
Tragic number: 32

Detroit Red Wings

Points: 70
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 85.7
Next game: @ WSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 5.3%
Tragic number: 29

Boston Bruins

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 82.0
Next game: vs. BUF (Monday)
Playoff chances: 2.4%
Tragic number: 25

Buffalo Sabres

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 73.2
Next game: @ BOS (Monday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 21

Metro Division

Washington Capitals

Points: 96
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 15
Points pace: 117.5
Next game: vs. DET (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Carolina Hurricanes

Points: 86
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 15
Points pace: 105.3
Next game: @ SJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

New Jersey Devils

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 14
Points pace: 94.1
Next game: @ CBJ (Monday)
Playoff chances: 95.7%
Tragic number: N/A

New York Rangers

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 14
Points pace: 86.8
Next game: vs. CGY (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 53.2%
Tragic number: N/A

Columbus Blue Jackets

Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 87.0
Next game: vs. NJ (Monday)
Playoff chances: 16.7%
Tragic number: 31

New York Islanders

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 84.5
Next game: @ PIT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 6.4%
Tragic number: 29

Pittsburgh Penguins

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 78.4
Next game: vs. NYI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.8%
Tragic number: 21

Philadelphia Flyers

Points: 64
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 77.2
Next game: @ TB (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0.5%
Tragic number: 21

Central Division

Winnipeg Jets

Points: 98
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 14
Points pace: 118.2
Next game: @ VAN (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Dallas Stars

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 16
Points pace: 108.1
Next game: vs. ANA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Colorado Avalanche

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 14
Points pace: 102.5
Next game: @ TOR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Minnesota Wild

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 15
Points pace: 96.7
Next game: vs. LA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 91%
Tragic number: N/A

St. Louis Blues

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 88.0
Next game: @ NSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 32.5%
Tragic number: 29

Utah Hockey Club

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 86.9
Next game: @ EDM (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 17%
Tragic number: 29

Nashville Predators

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 72.1
Next game: vs. STL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 18

Chicago Blackhawks

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 60.0
Next game: vs. SEA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 7

Pacific Division

Vegas Golden Knights

Points: 86
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 15
Points pace: 105.3
Next game: vs. BOS (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Edmonton Oilers

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 15
Points pace: 100.4
Next game: vs. UTA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.8%
Tragic number: N/A

Los Angeles Kings

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 17
Points pace: 102.2
Next game: @ MIN (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.8%
Tragic number: N/A

Vancouver Canucks

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 15
Points pace: 89.3
Next game: vs. WPG (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 41.1%
Tragic number: N/A

Calgary Flames

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 89.6
Next game: @ TOR (Monday)
Playoff chances: 18.7%
Tragic number: 33

Anaheim Ducks

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 79.6
Next game: @ DAL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 23

Seattle Kraken

Points: 63
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 76.0
Next game: @ CHI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 19

e - San Jose Sharks

Points: 45
Regulation wins: 13
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 54.3
Next game: vs. CAR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: N/A

Note: An "e" means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL's Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.

1. San Jose Sharks

Points: 45
Regulation wins: 13

2. Chicago Blackhawks

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17

3. Nashville Predators

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21

4. Buffalo Sabres

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21

5. Seattle Kraken

Points: 63
Regulation wins: 23

6. Philadelphia Flyers

Points: 64
Regulation wins: 17

7. Anaheim Ducks

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 21

8. Pittsburgh Penguins

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 19

9. Boston Bruins

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 23

10. New York Islanders

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 24

11. Columbus Blue Jackets

Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23

12. Detroit Red Wings

Points: 70
Regulation wins: 24

13. Utah Hockey Club

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 22

14. Montreal Canadiens

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23

15. Calgary Flames

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 24

16. St. Louis Blues

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 24

Marseille midfielder Adrien Rabiot took aim at Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi following his side's 3-1 loss to the Ligue 1 leaders on Sunday, writing on social media that "you can't buy class."

The match was marred by anti-gay chanting and racist slurs from PSG fans targeting Marseille and in particular Rabiot, who returned to his former team to a hostile reception.

"Insulting a mother, and a dead father..." Rabiot wrote on social media after the match. "You have to pay for everything one day. You won't be taking it to heaven. Believe me. Nasser, you can have all the money in the world and even more, but you can't buy class."

Paris-born Rabiot made more than 200 appearances for PSG from 2012-19 and has been one of Marseille's best players this season. He has also been a key figure for France at international level throughout his career.

His decision to play for Marseille after his departure from Juventus was seen as a betrayal by PSG fans.

Rabiot's mother Véronique, who is also his agent, told Radio France that she will be lodging a complaint after PSG fans displayed insulting banners directed at her and her son.

"I don't understand why the match wasn't stopped," she said, denouncing double standards. "I don't understand why nobody is outraged. Why are some matches stopped and not others?"

French referees have the power to stop play if fans chant anti-gay and racist slurs in stadiums. But Sunday's match at the Parc des Princes was not paused by referee Clément Turpin, who is considered one of the best in Europe, despite repeated incidents.

On Monday, a French campaign group called on the country's authorities to punish the discriminatory singing, with the Rouge Direct group urging the ministers of sport, interior and justice, as well as officials from the French soccer federation and league, to "ensure that these illegal chants are finally severely punished."

The group posted footage on social media in which hardcore PSG fans can be heard chanting and shouting insults at Marseille. The lyrics of one of the songs compared their rivals to "rats."

"In the mud there are rats. In the sewers there are rats. Rats are everywhere. They are the Marseillais," sang supporters in the stands.

The word "rat" can be used in a racist and derogatory way in the French language and the song was widely seen as referencing Marseille's large Arab minority.

The discriminatory chants at the Parc des Princes were the latest in a series of similar incidents. Anti-gay insults often heard at Ligue 1 matches have been tolerated for a long time by club officials.

Following a match at the Parc des Princes in 2019 between PSG and Marseille, during which home fans chanted anti-gay insults, the league launched an action plan allowing spectators to report sexist, homophobic or racist incidents they witness.

French clubs have been sanctioned with fines, and the league's disciplinary commission also ordered the closure of stands for similar cases in recent years.

French law provides for up to one year's imprisonment and a 45,000 ($47,600) fine when anti-gay insults are made in public.

Earlier this season, PSG was forced to close part of the Parc des Princes as punishment for anti-gay chanting by their fans. Marseille supporters were banned from attending Sunday's match. They, too, have been criticized for their repeated anti-gay chanting at the Velodrome Stadium.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.

The son of former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher has been called up for international duty by Malta.

James Carragher, a defender for Wigan Athletic in England's third tier, qualifies for the Mediterranean island nation through his grandfather and was recently awarded Maltese citizenship.

The 22-year-old will join up with the Malta squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Finland at home on Friday and away to Poland three days later. They will be the team's first games under new coach Emilio De Leo.

The Liverpool legend retired in 2013 and is now a well-known pundit for British and United States broadcasters. He played 38 times for England and was in the squad for the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.

Lionel Messi will not be joining Argentina for their World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Uruguay this month, failing to make the final roster on Monday after news of an injury surfaced in the last 24 hours.

His club team Inter Miami said Messi had undergone an MRI on Monday after feeling discomfort in his adductor during Sunday's 2-1 win over Atlanta United FC.

"Messi underwent an MRI this morning to assess the extent of the discomfort in his adductor region, which he experienced during last night's match against Atlanta United," Miami said in a statement. "The examination's findings confirmed the presence of a low-grade injury in the adductor muscle. His clinical progress and response to treatment will determine his availability for competition."

The 37-year-old was named to the initial 33-player roster for Argentina on March 2, despite concerns over his physical status. Messi had missed three matches for Inter Miami due to load management, before returning on Thursday for a substitute appearance in a Concacaf Champions Cup win over Cavalier FC.

After a busy start to the 2025 MLS campaign with three matches in the span of seven days, Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano announced Messi would be rested due to load management prior to the team's game against Houston Dynamo FC on March 2.

At the time, Mascherano emphasized Messi had not sustained an injury, but was being held out as a precautionary measure ahead of a long season that will include participation in this summer's inaugural Club World Cup.

Messi had been expected to make the latest Argentina squad after playing a full 90 minutes and scoring a nice goal against Atlanta United on Sunday.

In light of the injury, Messi was ultimately not included in Lionel Scaloni's side for a pair of World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay on March 21 and Brazil on March 25.

"We tried to take away from the overload Messi had, so that it wouldn't go further than that. We tried to handle it in the best way. Luckily, we were able to control it and that it didn't turn into an injury or much more. Today he's better and we decided to start giving him minutes. There's no secret in this," Mascherano said ahead of Sunday's match.

The coach later revealed that Inter Miami doctors were in constant communication with the Argentina national team medical staff to stay informed on Messi's status and be able to plan accordingly.

Mascherano said prior to the game against Atlanta that Messi would likely have no issues joining up with La Albiceleste.

"Obviously the Argentinian national team doctors are in contact with the doctors here and they are the ones who specifically talk about that. I haven't spoken with the coaching staff, but if they have any consultation, I will talk to them. I don't think it will be necessary because the doctors are in contact all time."

The hope now is that Messi will be returning to the pitch with Inter Miami on March 29 for a MLS regular season game against the Philadelphia Union.

La Albiceleste currently lead the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers with 25 points in 12 games.

United States striker Josh Sargent described his current run of form with club side Norwich City as a "flow state where everything is just happening for you," but admitted his lack of production at international level is on his mind ahead of this week's Concacaf Nations League finals at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

The U.S., looking to win the competition for the fourth straight time, is set to play Panama in Thursday's first semifinal, with the winner advancing to Sunday's final. The other semifinal features Canada and Mexico.

As for Sargent, he has a massive opportunity to make an impression on manager Mauricio Pochettino. The St. Louis area native underwent groin surgery last November, but has been in excellent form since the start of the new year, and at one point had scored eight times in eight matches. Overall he has scored 12 goals in 24 league appearances in the Championship.

Meanwhile, forwards Folarin Balogun of AS Monaco, and Ricardo Pepi of PSV Eindhoven are both out injured, leaving the inexperienced duo of Charlotte FC's Patrick Agyemang and the Vancouver Whitecaps' Brian White as the presumed backups.

Sargent has managed just five goals in 27 international appearances, a strike rate that he'll be hoping to improve on if the U.S. is to prevail.

"It's obviously going to be in the back of my head a little bit," Sargent said about his struggles with the USMNT. "But at the same time it's just been a weird run I think for a while now with injuries and whatnot and I've been very happy with the goals I've been able to score at the club level, but definitely want to produce the same stuff while on that national team.

"So I think this camp is another good opportunity for me and hopefully I can start doing that."

Sargent chalked up his recent stellar run with the Canaries to focusing on the small details that can put a forward in the right spot, rather than just on scoring goals.

"I think as long as I focus on those, everything seems to get in place for me to score, and I've been taking those opportunities, been feeling really good," he said. "But yeah, I think in these moments you don't want to overthink it too much. It's kind of a flow state where everything is just happening for you and yeah, at the moment it's going really well."

Sargent caught a bit of a break in terms of scheduling, as Norwich played last Friday instead of on a Saturday or Sunday. That should give him an extra day to get acclimated to the team's training base in the Los Angeles area, though Pochettino will still have just a couple of full sessions prior to Thursday.

"It's a very fast turnaround," he said. "Of course, guys are flying in different days, but I think the other teams have to deal with that as well. The staff here are amazing at getting us prepared. They're doing everything they can to help us with sleep and recovery, nutrition, and yeah, I think all of us know each other for the most part.

"All of us have already gelled together really well and just got to get right at it."

Wrexham could be a Premier League team next year. Say it quickly and it doesn't sound so incredible, but just two years after winning the National League title to escape English football's fifth tier, the Hollywood-owned club are on course to reach the Premier League in 2026.

A dream scenario? A perfect Hollywood script? Absolutely, but this is where the hard work really starts for club owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, and it won't come cheap.

Saturday's 1-0 win at Wycombe Wanderers has now made a third successive promotion this season a probability, rather than merely a possibility, for Wrexham. Phil Parkinson's team had gone into the game sitting third in League One, level on points with second-placed Wycombe, but Sam Smith's 78th-minute goal sealed a victory that moved Wrexham into the second automatic promotion spot -- runaway leaders Birmingham City are 12 points clear at the top -- with just nine games to play.

If Wrexham hold their nerve and stay in the second spot -- Wycombe have played one game fewer and have a goal difference of 27 compared with Wrexham's 21 -- they will start next season in the Championship, English football's second tier, for the first time since 1982. If they make it, they could be chasing a Premier League spot this time next year.

That's right: within a month of the FIFA Men's World Cup final on July 19, 2026, Wrexham could be preparing to face Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United during the 2026-27 Premier League season. All they need to do first is secure promotion from League One this season and go straight through the Championship next year.

However, it's not quite as simple as that. Sport is littered with stories of athletes and teams who were destined for greatness and never achieved it. But Wrexham, owned by Hollywood powerhouse Reynolds and TV star McElhenney since they acquired the team for just 2 million ($2.59m) in 2021, have already fulfilled the dreams of their supporters since "Rob and Ryan" breathed new life into the club.

No team has ever gone straight from the National League to the Premier League. Luton Town managed it in nine years, reaching the Premier League in 2023 after winning the National League title in 2014. If Wrexham remain on their upward trajectory, they could bridge the gap in a period of just three years from their National League promotion campaign. But how realistic is it for a club classed as "non-League" less than two years ago to be plotting a path to the Premier League within the next 18 months?

Wrexham have big financial backing in the form of their Hollywood owners, while Ipswich Town are playing in the Premier League this season having done precisely what Wrexham need to do, having won back-to-back promotions from League One. Watford (1997-99), Manchester City (1998-2000), Norwich City (2009-11) and Southampton (2010-12) have also done it, but Wrexham started their journey from a much lower point, and all of those clubs had previous top-flight pedigree as well as much larger fan bases.

"The step-up to the Championship is huge, and I think what people have to remember about Wrexham, which has been an amazing story so far, is that some of their players were with them in the National League," Stuart Webber, who achieved promotion to the Premier League as sporting director at Norwich and Huddersfield Town, told ESPN. "People don't realize how big the gap is between League One and the Championship: Norwich are midtable, and 75% of their squad are international players.

"Outsiders will automatically look at the success of Ipswich, who did the double-promotion, but they did spend a lot of money in League One and brought very good Championship-level players in. Wrexham haven't really done that: they've done it on more of a budget. They spent big money to get out of the National League and the same to get out of League Two, but less so this time around, so to expect them to go up and then be supercompetitive based purely on momentum, it would be quite naive to think that."

To support Webber's point about player recruitment, Ipswich spent 8m ($10.36m) on signings in their League One promotion season, while Birmingham City top the League One table this campaign having spent 29.7m ($38.5m) since relegation last term. Birmingham, part-owned by NFL legend Tom Brady, delivered a clear statement of intent last summer by signing Fulham forward Jay Stansfield for 15m ($19.4m). By contrast, Wrexham, who have spent 5m ($6.48m) since promotion last season, made Reading forward Smith their club-record signing in January for just 2m ($2.6m).

The heroes of Wrexham's first two promotions are now beginning to fade from the scene. Striker Paul Mullin scored 47 goals in the club's promotion campaign from the National League in 2022-23 and another 26 to help the team go up from League Two last year. This season, the 30-year-old has registered just five goals in 32 games and is no longer a regular starter.

Fellow striker Ollie Palmer and midfielder Elliot Lee, crucial figures in the two promotion campaigns, have also lost their regular starting spots. But while there has been some evolution, it hasn't been anywhere close to the level of squad building undertaken by Birmingham this season or Ipswich two years ago.

And they can still rely on the backing of Reynolds and McElhenney and the global profile of their TV show "Welcome to Wrexham" giving Wrexham a unique appeal to potential signings. However, the club still does not own its own training ground, and its stadium, the Stōk Cae Ras, needs significant, expensive work to upgrade facilities and raise the existing capacity beyond its 13,300 limit. Ipswich (29,600) and Birmingham (29,400) have much bigger stadiums that yield more than twice the crowd revenue Wrexham can rely on, although Wrexham's commercial revenue thanks to their Hollywood links doubled to 10.5m (13.5m) in their last financial year, and it's expected to grow again when their latest accounts are published before the end of the season.

As it stands right now, with such a small stadium and local fan base and a squad in need of Championship-level players, the challenge for Reynolds and McElhenney is clear -- if Wrexham go up and suddenly see the Premier League on the horizon, that might just be where the going gets really tough.

"One thing I'd say about the owners is that everything they said they were going to do, they've done," Webber said. "They haven't been like fake owners, which often clubs have had, who start off with a load of enthusiasm and then the money runs out and then you never hear from them again.

"Rob and Ryan have delivered and really connected with the club, but if Wrexham are promoted, I hope the project gets the patience that it needs and they don't get some harsh lessons as a Championship club."