Coach Petey Returns to talk Blackhawks, NHL Draft and NHL News

Coach Petey Returns to talk Blackhawks, NHL Draft and NHL News

What is up, YouTube? I have Coach Petey back on because of everybody was talking about how great that episode was, and I agree. It was a great conversation. So, thank you so much for coming back on. How are you doing? I’m doing really well. I’m just listening to your travels, dude. Like, I sit and watch the draft from home. Like, you’re going there. Like, you’re getting out on the road and very, very busy. It’s time. It’s It’s time to take a deep breath. No, though, Anthony, take a break. This is the time. Take a break. Yeah. I um I just can’t do it. I don’t know what like I I think I have like FOMO now whenever I’m not doing content, you know? So, I I’m definitely in it. But, can I ask you about your draft experience? I know it was a decentralized draft. Like, what were you thinking about during the draft? Like, it was definitely very different this year around. Yeah. And one thing, now that you’ve been through the decentralized one, I my gut feeling, no, it’s not going back. Like, they’re going to be a centralized draft a year from now. They I just think it was an experiment that that failed. I think it was a bad TV event. I think you’re going to see it going back to a centralized draft. And honestly, that’s better for everybody and and it really takes over a town where where you see the prospects where you were in LA, but but when you bring in the centralized draft, now you’ve got all the general managers, the scouts, the coaches, they’re they’re such more of an NHL vibe in that city, and they just take over everything. Like I’ i’ve been to quite a few. I remember going into Buffalo and it just you walk down the street in Buffalo and every coffee shop is full of players and coaches and managers and you go to, you know, go out for dinner and and oh my gosh, there’s so and so and there’s so and so and you get to the draft floor and there’s just a different buzz at the building in the draft. There’s just this buzz of what you know what’s going to happen, the excitement and and having the deals. I do believe that having the general managers 10 ft from each other makes a difference. I do and I just think that you’re going to see that going back to the centralized draft last year and I think it was something that was sorely missed and I do think it just it just takes over a city and gives it this big hockey vibe and I don’t think you got that in LA. What was your favorite draft of all time? That’s hard because there’s there’s some really good ones like the Vancouver one. I love the city of Vancouver, so I really like going to Vancouver. But you got to look for one of the things when you when you’re when you’re going with a team, you all want to see how your team does. And and and we drafted um when we drafted Keller and um and Chrin in the same year, then you go, “Okay, that’s a good draft.” And you have those picks. The problem when when you go to a draft and your team doesn’t have any picks in the first couple rounds. And believe me, that happens often when especially when your team is good that you don’t get those top picks and you go, “Oh my gosh, we’re just sitting around here doing nothing.” Then it’s miserable. The draft can be horrifically painful. Like it can it can go forever and you’re really not doing anything. So the year that you you go and you get a few good picks and you get a few picks in the top rounds, um that makes it a lot more exciting to go. And that was in 2016. So that was fun. But but it’s it’s just again each city has their own experience and the one thing that’s hard being on the coaching staff side is you’re really not invested in like the scouts are like the scouts are watching these guys every day all the time and and as a coach in the coaches room you just know your players and I don’t mean your drafted players you know your players on your team. So, so when you’re giving input to the general manager from a coaching staff perspective on player A versus player B, it’s really difficult because usually you haven’t seen that player play. Dan Muse is a little bit different because he’s he’s been at the US NDP. So now when he’s going to Pittsburgh, he can have more input or if you got a guy coming from college, you get more input. But like I I remember sitting with Rick Tucket and with John Chica at the draft and John asked him about player A versus player B and T I have no idea. I don’t know. I know what kind of player I need in that slot. Here’s the kind of player I need, John. Go get that player. And I think that’s the extent of what coaches do. They say, “Hey, this is how I want to play. This is the player that really suits my system or the way I want to coach. Find me that player.” And and I think that’s their input. I don’t think many NHL coaches are going, “Yeah, give me player A over player B because I’ve seen him play 10 times.” Because they just don’t have the time to see those guys during the season. Was there like an eye popping moment when you were at a draft or in a room where you guys thought you were drafting somebody that the scouts had said and then there was a a last second flip of the switch? There’s one the the the one that was getting interesting was was when um Arizona drafted Barrett Hatton. Um that was the year Kachchuck um Brady Kachchuck in Ottawa and he was going to go top three and Coyotes were picking at five and Kachchuck started to fall and it was like oh my goodness is Kachchuck going to fall away to five and and the thought process started to be hey can you imagine a Kachchuck back in Arizona and and then the wheel starts spinning and and of course Ottawa picks him at four and and John Tika was very confident in his pick of Barrett Barrett Hatton at five but that was the one to me that because we don’t really get involved with their lists I guess as I was there longer and they had more trust in me, I started to see what some of the players were going to be in that draft. But again, you don’t know who they are. And that particular draft though where Kachchuck is starting to get close to to to being available for an Arizona team and what his dad had meant to that franchise, it was starting to be oh my goodness, is is Brady Kachchuck going to be available at five? And it was a big surprise, but but then again, it didn’t happen. And the other one, we talked about Chicken already. Chicken was a guy that was hurt the entire season, had some serious injuries going into his draft year, and he was a guy that was predicted to be a top 10 player, but as the draft came up, he didn’t play enough games and you go, gosh, I’m not sure about his injury and he started to slide. And so when the the Arizona Coyotes actually traded um took on Pavle Dadsuk’s money to to get a better pick and they were able to get Chicken in the first round and you weren’t sure what you got with Jacob Chicken and now you’ve seen him, he’s a two-time 20 goal scorer, well 18 one year and 20 goal score as a defenseman in the National Hockey League. So you you’re really not sure where these guys are going to fall. One more thing I want to say Anthony and and this is something that I think really needs to temper all of these teams because when you walk away from a draft 30, 31 or 32 depending on how many teams are in that draft, they’re all going, “Hey, I got my guy. We are so much better. Let’s go into development camp. Yay. We got our guys. We’re going to you know what a great job we did.” But everybody feels like that and everybody thinks, “Hey, we got our guy in. this guy. Look at this guy’s a third overall pick, fourth overall, fifth overall. Sometimes they don’t pan out. And so, you really have to be patient with these guys. And as excited as you are about your draft that year, I mean, it’s three, four, five years before you knew if you actually were successful in that draft. So, everybody right now might be grading the Chicago Blackhawks on how well they did in the draft, but you honestly, you don’t know. Like, you don’t know for another two, three, four years. Did you do it right? And I think that’s the hardest part for fans, managers, scouts, players, coaches to go, okay, we got our guys now. Now we just got to wait and we just got to wait and see how this thing pans out over time. So going to the third pick, which was the Blackhawks and Anton Frondell. Now there’s talk after Dev Camp that he might actually make the roster. I mean, it’s just a little talk. It’s not like he he hasn’t even played any preseason games, but do you think like somebody like Anton who’s playing who would play his minutes would not be consistent in the SHL, but do you think that it would be better for him to play in the SHL rather than AHL, NHL? It’s hard and and I know there’s a lot of excitement about this player. First of all, I like the player. I I think he’s you’re looking at a at a player playing up the middle of the ice at least for right now. is a big player, a high-skilled player, a guy that they’re hoping can play 200 foot game. You’re looking to be a guy that can really um do everything for you and you don’t need him to do it right now. And I think that that that’s what we talked about. The rush right now is he’s getting got through dev camp and now it’s gosh, let’s get him on the team. That’s great, but is it? And you’ve got to start looking at some of the players when you’re looking down the rush. Like Frank Nazar is going to make his his big jump into the NHL this season. He was drafted in 22. He drafted three years ago and you’re talking about Slagger. Oh, Slagger’s gonna be a guy that might find his way into the line. He got drafted in 2020. Like he was drafted five years ago and and so just temper yourself a little bit with Fondell. He’s a really good player. Do I think right now that Fondell himself and the Chicago Blackhawks management and coaches are thinking, “Hey, well, let’s pencil him in our roster.” Absolutely not. I I don’t think anybody’s going that this guy is an automatic for the roster for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2526. I don’t I I think his development path right now is go back to Jer Garden and and and play another year and play more important minutes in a really good league and develop that way. I think that’s the best path for him right now. Having said that, if he goes into training camp and he’s like, “Oh my goodness, look at this guy. He can he make the team?” Yes. The answer is yes. You can make it. I don’t think it’s a case that that the Baddard Jerry’s coming to Bernard’s gonna play. Bernard’s on this team. It’s not that. It’s not that with Fondell. I think Fondell is a guy that could make it. He He could wow people at camp with his size and his ability to skate and his skill level. He’s he’s a very good player. Do I think this is the right time for the Chicago Blackhawks to add him to a roster right now? Gosh, I’m not convinced. I I think the better path for him right now might be to go back to Sweden for just another year, play in the league where he really didn’t dominate last year. Not only didn’t dominate, he only played twothirds of the season there. He still played with the junior team for a portion of the season. So, let him develop and give him some time and don’t rush the kid because you’ve got enough young players in the lineup. And do do you think that’s the best place for him to s to succeed again? So, to sum that up, Nathan, he might he might make the team, but he’s going to have to do a heck of a job in training camp. Um, but I I would guess the plans right now are to send him back to Sweden. And the Blackhawks took two 66 players. One of them has been kind of a very polarizing pick because he plays football. It was his junior year when he got drafted and he actually didn’t know it was his draft year. But what is the risk adverse or what is the risk of taking a player that is still going to play high school football and is still in high school at 29 and trading up three picks to do so in Mason West? This one’s interesting. The next two picks are interesting for me for the Chicago Blackhawks. You’re getting two guys in the late first round um with Vakrad, excuse me, Vaklo Nestrasil and Mason West. both really big guys. And you look through the young skill of the Chicago Blackhawks right now, you have a lot of young small skill and you need some size. If you want to hoist the Stanley Cup again in Chicago, you need to have some guys that are a little bit bigger body, can get along the walls, can help get the puck to these small wingers, excuse me, small forwards. And I think these two guys can be those players. What’s interesting about two six guys is if and and again this is an if both of these guys might play might have a second line winger might even have a top six forward and a bottom six forward and they play regular minutes for the Blackhawks. That’s a huge win. But if one of them pans out to be a consistent NHL player that you picked late in the first round that’s phenomenal and you’ve got two big athletes that are going to take time to grow. We talked about that three, four, fiveyear plan. I think that’s what you’re looking for on these guys. I These guys aren’t going to play this year. They’re not going to play next year. probably not the year after that. So, it’s going to be a slow burn on these guys, but when they are ready to play, you look at the teams through the National Hockey League that have success in the playoffs, they have players like this in their lineup. They have guys that they can trust in the corners and along the wall and getting the puck in and out of their zone across the blue line. And I think that’s what they’re looking for in these two players. But having said that, they’re both skilled. They’re not only big, but they have skill and they can be dangerous in the offensive zone. So, so I’m excited to see how these guys develop. But to your original point about about Mason West and the concern absolutely there’s a concern and it’s twofold. One, he’s going to get hurt. Look, football’s a that’s a man’s game. Not saying hockey isn’t, but a dude could get hurt playing high school football in Minnesota. And then what? So there’s a concern, but there’s a concern about every one of your draft picks going back to their team and playing the next season for their team, whether it be, you know, somewhere on the other side of the world in Sweden or or in the Canadian Junior League. So it could get hurt either way. But the other issue is you look at the money being thrown around in in football. And I don’t mean in the NFL. I’m talking about college. Like college football for a top quarterback, man, there’s a lot of money that that gets thrown at these kids at at an unbelievably young age. Does that sway him right now? Mason West is committed 100% to hockey. I’m a hockey player. I’m going to play hockey. Does that change? Does that change when when a Big 10 team comes calling, knocking on his door saying, “Hey, we can give you a couple million bucks to come play for us in college.” I I don’t know. So, there is of course that fear with Mason West. Right now, he’s committed. He’s committed 100% to be a hockey player. And if he does pan out and his offensive skill is there at his size and his athleticism, man, you’re start now, you’re starting to fill a lot of holes in that Chicago lineup. And you’ve got so many great young players that fill different roles. And you need that, Anthony, to to win a Stanley Cup. You need a guy that can be a third line winger that can grind it out just as much as you need a first line left winger that can put up points. So Chicago is starting to fill those holes that they’re going to need to take that next step. Yeah, the NIL money is the thing that kind of scares me because you look at a mid-tier school that is giving money to a QB. It might be more than what Michigan State had offered McKenna, which was around 300,000. I know Penn State gave him 700,000, but the top player who is generational isn’t even getting what a four-star QB could get at one of these like schools. So, that is scary. And also, Cooper Flag’s contract for his rookie year is 13 million. and Matthew Schaers is 925. So, it’s just like there’s so much more money in the NBA or NFL and these other sports, but yeah, Anthony, that’s a definitely a show for another day, but I cannot believe we’re talking about that kind of money in college athletics. I I just stuns me. And I remember I I played college hockey a long long time ago, and I remember I’m probably going to get somebody in trouble for violations right now, but I I got a $100 one time. Somebody gave me a hundred bucks and we had to split it between two or three guys just so we could buy a pizza. And I know it’s a violation. I’m sorry if I get someone suspended over this. But but but now we’re talking millions. Like we we we thought we were just the shadyiest kids in the world because we had a $100 bill to split between four of us. It’s insanity where this is going right now. And yeah, does it change things? It does. And I think when you’re looking at these young players that are going through the NHL draft, money’s changed things. Money has changed not just in the NIL, but just money in the NHL. And I know they you’ve got you’ve got your requirements on your entry level contract, but the money you’re seeing free agents signing now and and in the near future, money in hockeyy’s growing, man. Like this this is this can be a money sport. I I I I’m I’m interested to see how some of these young stars right now like what’s Conor Bard getting his next contract? Like the money is only going to get greater as this cap continues to go up. So, I I do think if Mason West can play and he can skate and and he again, this a long project for a guy that’s that big, um if he makes it, dude’s going to be just fine in the National Hockey League. Yeah. Talking about Connor Bernard’s contract, which scares a couple Blackhawks fans cuz they think he’s going to the Canucks, which is not true uh at this point in time. But now they’re saying that the Blackhawks are in talks with Conor Bernard. I mean, the talks are slower, he said, uh, Kyle Davidson said, because of the it’s not a flat cap, but do you think that the like Conor Bard will sign an 8-year deal or do you think that he wants more of a shorter term contract? Like, what is your opinion on this? I I I think right now for players, they want that. Again, each player is going to be different, and you’re talking about a specific player at a specific time. If I’m looking at what the Chicago Blackhawks are doing and I’ve got to decide between a short-term and a long-term contract, most importantly is is this team trying to win and trying to get better and trying to surround me being a star player. Are they trying to surround me with people that can help me be better player? And I think Chicago is doing that. I think they’re checking all of those boxes to make this team better in the future. Again, you still got to be patient because it’s not now. It’s not yet. But if I’m Conor Bard, yeah, absolutely. I take the max. I take the max money. can’t take the max contract and I’m staying in Chicago and I’m going to bring a cup back because I do believe that that’s what management thinks. I I believe that that’s where management is going with this. I think management wants to win another Stanley Cup and you could see through their draft picks and the young talent that they have right now that that’s what they’re trying to do. And when you look at this team and you look at this back end and you look at their their six defenseman right now and you go, gosh, where is this group going to be two or three years from now? Sorry, Connor Murphy. He might not be there two or three years. I love Conor Murphy, but he might not be there. But but you look at the at this decor and their their age and their size and their skill level and you start going, “Okay, we’ve got things happening here in Chicago.” So, yeah, I I believe Conor Bernard stays. I think he signs for a a boatload of money and I think he takes the long-term deal. So, somebody that was on our back end actually just got traded. And you were correct on this uh when you were on CHDL Blackhawks that you said Victor Soldstrom probably was never going to play for the Blackhawks. And you were completely correct. Obviously, he was somebody that was drafted uh like to the Coyotes and then obviously switched to Utah, but can you tell me about like why you think he wouldn’t want to come to the Blackhawks and do you think he has a future in the NHL? You know, he’s an interesting guy and and I again I like the kid. He’s a first- round draft pick and and you always wanted more from Victor. you wanted him to be able to translate his offensive skill and abilities from the bigger ice surfaces in in Europe to what you do here in the small arenas in North America and it just never translated. He just never found his place. And when we talk about drafting defenseman in earlier rounds in the first and second round, it takes time for those guys. We’ve talked about forwards. Forwards jump over the boards and if they got skilled, they show their skill. It’s not that easy with defense. Defense is about defensive zone reads. It’s defensive zone systems. what are my coverages? It’s about strength. It’s about so many different things. And the speed you have to make decisions in the National Hockey League is infinitely faster than what happens in Europe because of the different ice size and ice sheets and even faster than it happens in the American League because the players you’re playing against are that much quicker, smarter, better on the other side of the puck. And I just think the game happened too quick for Victor. I I don’t think he had enough time to make the kind of plays that he wanted to make as a defenseman that was going to be an offensive defenseman. So, no. Unfortunately for Victor, I he might just have to be a really good American League defenseman. And you know what? That’s okay. I I I I think he he’s a good kid. I I think he works hard and he’s got a good skill set, but but Chicago had to move on from this that the where the Chicago Blackhawks are right now with with their youth and their skill level. I just didn’t see any room for Victor Sherstrom in their defense. Yeah, they’re right-handed defenseman obviously with Renzel and Art of Love and Conor Murphy is still there too, but do you think that you see some of these young guys like Love Shinoff and Renzel make the roster immediately out of like make the roster? You think? Well, somebody’s going to have to, right? Like I I I think when you look at what the Chicago Blackhawks have on the back end, I think some of these young guys are going to have to play and they’re going to have to play right away just just because you’re limited to to what you have in your roster now. So, the answer is yes. somebody’s going to be that. Who is it going to be? I think that’s to be seen. And we’ve seen, you know, I think Lev Renzel and Vlac and Kaiser. Kevin Kchinsky is the one that’s interesting to me because I I think Kevin Kinsky being a high draft pick and one that that everybody’s expectations are so high of Kevin Kinsky. He’s another guy that’s going to have to have a very good training camp to make this hockey team. I I think and I still thought and I talked about this last time I talked to you. I thought he was a player that might be expendable for Chicago and they might be able to move him on to bring more of the what we talk about the size and the grit up front that I think they do need. I thought he was a player that might move on. So, I do think you’re going to see plenty of these young players playing on the back end. I think Kchinsky is one that’s going to have to really surprise and wow people in training camp to make sure he solidifies a spot in the top six. And this next year is going to be a really different year for the Blackhawks because it’s going to be a lot of younger players. Do you kind of still see a bottom five finish for them this year? And do you think that they’re going to be in the McKenna race the entire year? Yeah. And this the easy answer is yes. And and here’s what you have to do. You got to start looking at a couple of things when you start predicting how you’re going to be the following season. One, you have to see the moves that you made. And I think you’re you hit it on the head. The key for the Chicago Blackhawks right now is getting these young players that we had just talked about like Renzel and Levanov and and you’re going to talk about Frank Nazar and and Schllegard and these guys that are just finding their way to the NHL. They got to play minutes and they’ve got to go through situations and to do that with that many young players. you’re going to lose hockey games and it’s going to be a matter of, you know, learning by by playing and it’s going to be a tough year for the Chicago Blackhawks. But when you do that, you’re getting these guys valuable learning experiences, valuable games against NHL competition every single night. The speed, the skill, the way the game is played, and they are getting better by getting the opportunity to play in this league. And so I think Chicago is going to take their lumps again. I think it’s going to be a tough year because you look above them and you have to go, okay, if you’re going to find a spot in the playoffs or even talk about playoffs, you got to look at the teams that are in the playoffs now and who’s coming out. And I think in the West Wing, like Winnipeg, Dallas, Colorado, dude, they’re not coming out. Vegas, LA, Edmonton, the top six from last year, they’re all in. Like I I’ll pencil them in today. And now you’re talking about the wild card teams of Minnesota and St. Louis. Minnesota loses the cap of Sudter and Paresi. They got money to spend. They they just brought Terasenko in. I think they’re better than they were a year ago. Um, and now you’ve got to not just beat them. Now you got to beat the teams that were ahead of you in Calgary and Vancouver that were ahead of you. And then you’ve got to get over teams like Utah and Anaheim who are also above you and they also got better. And they got better by bringing NHL players that are ready to play right now. So the problem is isn’t that you have improved or you’re faster or quicker or a little more skilled. It’s everybody above you to the same thing. And so unfortunately for the Chicago Blackhawks, who I think are on the right path and I think are doing the right things and I think are okay in what they’re trying to do with a rebuild, you just got to be patient because it’s just not yet. So yeah, I I do think this is the bottom five team. And unfortunately for them in the West, it’s them. It’s maybe San Jose, Seattle. We see what Nashville does this year. But for me, those are the bottom four teams in the Western Conference. And Chicago is definitely in that group. And you’re right, maybe it’s another year of looking at the one, two, three pick. And and you know what? In the long term, five years from now, when all these guys have come of age and everybody’s hit their stride and you fill in and sprinkle in a couple of free agents and you’re competing for a cup four, five, six, seven, eight years from now, over and over and over again, these painful years are going to be worth it because you’re going to be a team that’s perennially back in and has a chance to win the cup every single year. And and and that’s the way to do this the correct way. And and Chicago is doing it. It’s slow and it’s painful, but but you you Anthony, you’ve seen it. You’ve seen these young players, the tunnel is starting to get a little bit brighter. It’s going to be better, but you’re still going to have a tough year ahead. Yeah. And everybody’s talking about Gavin McKenna because he’s obviously Bedard’s cousin from uh marriage and he grew up a Blackhawks fan. So, do you think that McKenna is going to have the same hype as Baddard did? It’s f It’s hard and you see how this shifts through the through the years and how things change like We talked about Hagens. Hagens was the guy. Hagens was the guy this year. And we talked about Shane Wright for an entire season. The Coyotes were looking at Shane Wright. Play wrong for Wright. I mean, we were looking at he was the guy. And that can last all the way up until December or January of your draft year. So, so to put a a tag on a kid now is tough. And you just don’t know how that last year going into your draft year is. Do I think it’s going to be the hype of a dart? Gosh, right now the answer is yes. Because he is that kid. He is the guy. He has done the things at an international stage that shows you my goodness this is going to be a special player. But will it be that by next February, next March, next April? I honestly don’t know. Uh I think Baddard had something Bard captured the world differently and he was one of those guys. He was the McDavid and I don’t know if McKenna will get to that level of hype. But don’t marry yourself to a guy right now because of of the way things that are going to change. It’s July and these guys going drafted for a year and so many things can happen. Injuries happen. Some player can come out of nowhere and have a great year. Like you just don’t know. Uh but I do think right now he’s the guy to beat and he is the guy that’s going to get all the hype and he is the guy that’s going to get the media attention for now. Yeah, that’s a great answer. There’s a lot of players that are really good at the top this year for this class. But, you know, I wanted to ask about who you thought had the best off season out of any team so far. And even the Sharks are getting better. So, like, as you say, we’re bottom the Blackhawks are bottom five. I mean, the Sharks added a lot. But who do you think had the best off season? Well, this one’s easy. Who had the the best offseason? It’s almost not fair. Like because the best offseason was the Florida Panthers because you looked at them and their cap situation and where they were at with the guys that they needed to resign and every one of us said there’s no way they can resign all these guys. They just don’t have enough money. Like they can’t they’re not going to get Bennett Elen Marshian back. They’re not. But then they do. And I I think their ability to make those moves and have a group of hockey players that are happy to play where they’re at in a system they like in a coach they like in a city they like and they’re winning, man, it’s everybody against the Florida Panthers again as you go into this season. Now, beyond that, it gets interesting because I do like some of the moves. I I like what Carolina did. I thought bringing in Eers was a really good move and I think adding Keandre Miller to a defensive core that he’s a little bit quicker and can do more than than Burns can at this point. So, I think Carolina got themselves a little bit better. The problem is is Carolina’s got to get past past Florida and anybody in the in the East has to get by Florida. In Toronto, you lose MNER and you’re able to keep four, you know, you’ve got some four very talented players in your top six, but you’re going to have to sprinkle guys in there. And I know we’ve talked a lot about Matias Machelli and you’re going to see a lot of his name coming up. Can he fill the shoes of Marner? Well, no. No. Matias Machelli isn’t Mitch Marner, but is he good enough? Can he deliver the puck? Can he get the puck to those players? So, they might be a little bit better, but the other one’s Anaheim. Look, look at what Anaheim’s done in the offseason and they’re trying to get more veteran. And honestly, they might have got better by subtraction. And one of them is getting rid of their coach. And I’m we won’t get into that too much, but the atmosphere in Anaheim wasn’t fun. It wasn’t a great place to play. And that coach really is a he’s a taskmaster that was difficult to play under. And a lot of players were unhappy playing for him. and and so having him gone and bringing in Joel Quinnville, a guy that’s got a winning pedigree that has had time to sit away from the game and and really examine what he did right, what he did wrong, and what he can do for that team. Plus, you bring in veteran players, you bring in Chris Krider, you got Trouba, you’ve got guys that are really solidifying that core. Plus, you got young centermen up and down that lineup. I think Anaheim’s going to take a big step, and I think Utah’s going to take a big step. So, in the Western Conference, we talk about who’s getting better. I think Anaheim and Utah both became better than than what Chicago was able to do. But that’s not a knock on Chicago. Chicago’s they’re not at the point where those two teams are. Those two teams are three years ahead of where Chicago is. They did that through the draft. They build through the draft. They got better. Utah did it. Anaheim did it. And now they’re at where Chicago is going to be two or three years from now where you do fill in with those free agent pro free agents and trades. So I wanted to talk about Florida, which is cool that you said they won the offseason. Do you think that they’re a dynasty? And what makes them a dynasty? Do they need to win another Stanley Cup next year? I mean, that’s a hard term to throw on. I guess, you know, I come back from the the the eras I grew up in the 70s, so it was the Montreal Canadians and that was real. And you see the Islanders and that’s real. In the 80s, it was the Oilers. I It’s different. I never thought you’d really see it in this cap era because just by the way the cap works, eventually you have to play your better players more and you’re going to at some point the bubble’s going to burst and you’re going to have to start over again. And I think we’re seeing that with some of these teams now. I think Florida I thought that was going to happen to Florida this year, but it didn’t with with Bill Zto and his ability to be creative and make all the numbers work and be able to get these guys back. Um, but I think you’re seeing in Edmonton. I think you’re seeing in Toronto where eventually you got to pay all these guys so much money you don’t have enough money for everybody to go around and you can’t compete. So with the what Florida did was exceptional in the offseason. Do I think they’re they’re a dynasty? I think they do need to win more. I do think they need to make it three. They don’t need to make it three in a row. They got to win three out of four. Um, but I I just don’t see when when you watched last year’s regular season with the Florida Panthers, they were okay. Like they had glimpses, they were just okay. The first 20 they were they were average to below average. The last 20 they were average to below average. They played they got enough to get them into third, but but this team that had go on the road for every single series, but as soon as that playoff game started, game 83 started, man, the switch flipped and they were just different and they were just better. And and the fear is they’ve got enough players in this lineup that if they can just coast, and I know it’s hard to say that, coast through 82 games and just get in, this is a team that could get in at sixth, sixth or seventh. And this could be a wild card team. Like it honestly could. But that’s okay. Like if if you’re the Florida Panthers and you get in on on the second wild card, do you think there’s a concern there? No. They know when the playoffs start. Yeah, we’ve got Kachchuck, we got Barkov, Reinhardt, we’re ready. Bennett, let’s go. Let’s play. It’s now it’s time to start playing. So that’s the biggest fear about this team. It’s just they’ll get through 82 games, but game 83, they’re just better than everybody. They have more experience. They know how to play that kind of hockey. They play on the edge and and I there’s going to be a team that gets 115 points next year and Florida could get in with 97 and you’re going to go, “Uh oh, we got to play Florida first.” So, the answer is yes. This is the best team in hockey. And I don’t think I’ll say that. That’s not a President’s Trophy winning team, but this is the best team in hockey. It’s funny because they got to the second wild card and then beat the Bruins who were the best regular season team of all time and then made the Stanley Cup. Yeah. On the right at the end of the year, right? Like they barely get in. It’s amazing. And and if not for the way that end of that season unfolded, this team might might not have made the playoffs. And and then you look at what the dynasty wouldn’t have started with one because they wouldn’t have been there. It’s amazing to see how finite and how fine that line is between not just getting in the playoffs, but being a successful team in the playoffs. It’s amazing. Yeah. Yeah. Then they only got better from last season because they had Seth Jones acquisition and Brad Marshian at the deadline and now which they can’t do, right? Which they can’t do if Kachchuck’s not on the the IR. And so that again, it’s the cap manipulation and I don’t know. Do the GMs fix that finally? I don’t know. I don’t know. But but if Kachchuck’s not hurt, they don’t they’re not who they were this year in the playoffs because both those guys had significant contributions with Marian and Jones. significant contributions throughout the playoffs and they they’re not who they are if that doesn’t happen again. We’ll see who we’ll see does a better job of the GM and managing their cap over the next 10 months. We’ll see. So, because the cap isn’t going to be flat anymore. It’s kind of skyrocketing up each every year just for the next few years at least. Do you think that players are going to want to sign shorter term contracts so that they can get to the market when the cap is higher? That’s hard. like you’re gambling on what your future is going to be. I I’ve always thought that players wanted to have some level of security and know where they’re going to be. If they can get the team that they want to play at, that they see a future at, that they see a successful team that’s continuing to try to win, I I I think you’re still going to see guys trying to sign up long term. I do. But it’s for those guys, those fringe guys that that aren’t quite sure where their career is going or if they’re not getting the contract they want with the team they want. Yeah, I do think you’re going to see some very expensive bridge gaps. And I also think that’s going to help teams like, and I keep talking about Utah because it’s a team I know well, but a team like Utah that people really don’t know about Utah yet, meaning the city and what that city has to offer to attract free agents. I think you are going to have to spend more to get somebody there to get the ball rolling to get this thing started. So, you might be able to be better off signing some bigname players for those short-term contracts. So, I do think you’re going to see a lot of those bridge deals, but if a guy can lock in and and you can get like Bernard, if you can lock in for that eight-year deal in Chicago or seven or whatever the new CBA says, you’re going to lock that in. Like you I you’ll always find a way you can get traded. If you’ve got a seven-year contract, if you really really want out, Connor Bard just has to go knock on the door and say, “Yeah, dude, I’m out.” Like McDavid can go do that right now anytime. You you got sign that long-term deal and just say, “That’s it. I’m done. I I need out.” and then then then you make the move. So, I I still think the long-term contract does exist and is going to be there. Um, but but I think you’re going to see those bridge deals for the for the guys that just aren’t sure where they’re going to be or aren’t sure where they’re going to want to end up or that that feel that they’re going to bet on their career and go, you know what, I’m only going to get better. I’m still younger. I I I got into the league early and I can continue to make more money. Yeah, I’m gonna take a risk on it because I think this cap’s gonna continue to go up. And I wanted to talk to you about JJ Purka, who was actually a Blackhawks target, but then that trade kind of shocked the NHL world based on how low the value was than the contract. So, can you talk to me about JJ Burka and why they got him so low? Yeah. And this is hard because I I know the hockey world is looking at this as this is low. I I I know they’re saying gosh that they should have been able to get more out of. The reality is you hear some of the offers that were out there for JJ Perk. One of the things the Buffalo Sabres absolutely felt that they needed was they needed to get better on the right hand side on the back end. They needed a right-hand defenseman out of this. So, that was part of the offer that or the ask for the Buffalo Sabres that they wanted to get a right-handed defenseman out of that which takes some teams out of it because teams don’t have a luxury and an overload of right-handed defenseman. So, I think that took a lot of teams off the table. Secondly, you know, it’s a player that doesn’t want to be there. And you’ve seen the reports come out now that that Peter didn’t want to be there. He wanted to move on from Buffalo. that kind of lowers your your bargaining power as well when when when agents and GMs know that that players want to be there. Well, yeah, I’m not gonna back up the brinkstruck. But having said that, the players that the Buffalo Sabres got are good players. And I’ve talked to a lot of people about Michael Kessler, who is the defenseman that went from Utah on this deal, a young right-handed defenseman that I really like. I think Peter is the best player in this trade. He’s clearly the best player that has the big upside. Can he get 30 goals in this league? Is he going to be a highskilled guy that that really fits in in behind Keller and and they have a one-two punch now with their young skill Gunther and Culie? The answer is yes. I think he’s a really good fit in Utah. But Michael Kessler is going to come into this as a guy that nobody knows in the Eastern Conference. He’s a right-handed defenseman that’s got a great offensive upside dude joins the rush. He comes in off the blue line. He’s active off the blue line. He’s looking on on neutrals on regroups. He’s coming with the puck and he’s got high skill. He’s got a great shot and he’s going to add offense to to a Buffalo back end that already has great offensive players, but beyond that, he’s got really good reach. He’s 6’5. He’s got good reach and he’s going to get better in his ability to defend. I really like the player. And so Buffalo’s a guy, he’s going to play with Owen Power or Rasmus Leen right off the bat. And so you’re looking at a guy who’s going to fill a top forward defenseman role that’s going to fill in for a small forward that’s really unhappy with your team. And then add Josh Don whose hockey IQ is elite. Granted, he’s not Peterka. He’s not going to score 30 goals in this league, but he is going to be a guy that consistency consistently can play up and down your lineup. You can put him in a top six forward role when someone’s hurt because he’s smart enough, but he’s gritty enough, big enough, and can play the right way to put him in your bottom six. So, I think the return isn’t what people are like, “Wow, we got we got a couple of firstrounders. We got some really big name players.” Buffalo fans are going to be pleasantly surprised with this. I do really believe this was a fair trade and and I think both teams are going to walk away with this, you know, 20, 30, 40 games in and go, okay, we this is a good deal for both of us and and that’s what you really want with a trade. And it it was kind of surprising cuz obviously Utah had four and the Sabres had nine and then Utah took Caleb Dorier. Can you talk to me about like what that organization like how excited they are to get him because we heard Brady Martin for the longest time going there and then it was the true 2C even even though they have a lot of centers. So I mean I think I think this is going to be interesting down the road and and J is is a guy it’s going to take a while to develop again. But when you talk about him as a as another big centerman and you’re going to say I I think Logan Coulie is a 1C. I I do I and people question me if is he a real one se in the NHL and I think he is. I I think he’s a high school guy that can distribute the puck. I think he’ll play both sides of the puck. He’s got a good motor. Um and I think he can take that spot. So they needed someone to fill the two spot because I Barrett Hatton to me again I like Barrett Hayden but Barrett Hatton’s a three center for me. And Jack McBain who they just signed to an extended year extended contract yesterday is going to be a guy that when they’re ready he’s going to fill that 4C spot. And and if you’ve got Jack McBain filling your four hole, that’s really really good up the middle of the ice. So D Jane, you got Koulie Jane Hayden McBain up the middle of the ice. Man, I I I really like what Utah’s doing. And that’s not even talking about some of their big forwards like Denil Boots coming into the lineup. So you’re looking at him. You’ve got skill with Gunther who’s is going to be a great player in this league. And and can Keller where’s Keller going to be when he’s 29, 30 years old? like this. This team is this is what I I I think Chicago aspires to be, but Chicago is going to do this and be better than this. And this is where what Utah is being talked about as a playoff team. This is where Chicago is three years from now, but better because their younger players are better than than Utah’s players when they were younger, if that makes sense. Yeah. I mean, it’s they have Shimichev coming, Peter. I mean, you guys like they have such a loaded roster. Logan Kohley was the best prospect in the entire NHL at one point. So, I believe he’s a 1C2. If you look at his stats, he’s putting up numbers like uh like a tier below, but almost Conor Bernard level. I mean, he’s putting up incredible numbers. Like, why do you think players like Logan kind of go under the radar? It’s funny. It It’s again, it’s and we, you know, it’s blame blame the media a little bit. Blame us, Anthony. It’s the guys that talk about these players and see these players and start to put projections on what these players can be and set expectations. We already talked about Shane Wright and what a deal. You know, Shane Wright, Shane Wright, Shane Wright and and it starts to become a self-fulfilling prophecy and and your scouts are reading, gosh, everybody thinks Shane Wright’s the guy. Is Shane Wright the guy? And it it starts to influence some of your decisions. So, a player like Logan Culie, when you watch Logan Culie play at the NDP or at Minnesota, dude can play. Well, he he’s an exceptionally skilled hockey player. And I and I I I don’t know if if size plays into it or or if if if players get a knock of what league they’re in or where they’re playing and it it can make a difference, but you’re right, it’s how a per player is viewed throughout this draft season. And you’re talking about guys who are 17, man, that’s hard to make the right decision when you’re 17. And scouts have the hardest job in hockey to identify a 17-year-old that’s going to be great when he’s 2021. Come on. like that’s that’s nearly impossible to to see how well they do their job and how often they get it right is unbelievable when you’re looking at what they’re they’re faced against and what you’re trying to find these diamonds in a rough meaning what is this kid going to be four years I don’t know how how much is he going to grow how much stronger is he going to get is he going to get to be a better skater is skating going to fall off cuz he’s going to gain too much weight I like I I it’s amazing to me but this Logan kid in the draft yeah if you reddrafted he’s going one and I think he is that that skill and that talented, but you get lost in the West. You you people don’t see the Utah hockey club or excuse me, Utah Mammoth play all the time. They just don’t get to see them. You see the Rangers and the Penguins and the Bruins. So, you know those players, you don’t see Utah play. So, players like Kulie and Gunther and Keller, they kind of get forgotten and they kind of get lost until the playoffs. And that’s when you start to discover some of these unknown guys. Yeah, I really like what Utah is doing because they have targeted players with an incredible B game and I didn’t really understand like what that meant until I was talking to Shane Malloy from uh he was on SiriusXM and he was talking to me at the draft about like players that have good A games and then you need players that have good B games and then C game is like height or size. So what he said was how how many minutes or percentage of your time on ice do you have the puck on your stick because that’s all that matters for your agame. It’s the rest and it was about 5%. And I thought that was shocking because a player like Patrick Kane I felt like he always had the puck but it that’s not actually true. He might have had it seven or 8% but it’s higher than average but it’s still not. And what Dorier does is he has an incredible B game. what Brady Martin did, which was one of their targets, has an incredible B-game. And I feel like Logan Culie does as well. And that’s maybe why and he’s putting up points, too. So, I thought that was really interesting. Yeah. And I think, too, when you talk about that, and I think this is where people get lost sometimes, is is it takes it takes 20 guys or 23 guys to win. And I don’t mean there’s a difference in being successful, meaning you’re going to make the playoffs or you’re a team that that can compete during the 82 games and you win your games, you lose some games. But if you really want to be elite in the National Hockey League, I and I mean there’s five or six teams that are elite right now. When you look at those teams, they all have really good players. They all have the top end players. They all have that skill guy. They got a defenseman that can go up and down the ice and put up points. They all have the top six forward that can create offense all the time. It’s the guys in the bottom six that make the difference and push you over into being a successful team and winning. We saw it with Edmonton all season long. We’re like, well, they got dry settle McDavid. Well, it’s it’s it’s it’s what’s happens lower in the lineup. The loss to Zack Heyman was huge for a team like that. An extra guy and and Zachman’s an exceptional player. So, but I’m just saying it takes more than just those two. It’s the guys lower in the lineup. Hey, their third line’s playing really well, right? You Lundelle and Lucy and and Marian, that third line was exceptional for Florida. And that’s how you win. It’s it’s not People get concerned about you draft at at a player in in the first round, so he’s got to be a top six forward. No. He doesn’t have to be. If you draft the player in the first round and he plays consistent minutes in 82 games of the year, even if he’s a bottom six forward or a bottom pair D, but he’s playing in his role, whether it’s a defensive defenseman or he’s a greedy guy on the third wall, third line along the wall, man, that’s a win. You need to fill 12 forward spots and you need to have guys do different roles within those 12 spots. So, yes, you’re absolutely right. Do you want 12 Connor Bards? Dude, you’re not going to win with 12 Conor Bards. No offense to Conor Bernard, but you need different style of players. You need to fill holes. You need defensive players. You need guys that can win along the wall. You need guys that play north south. You need guys that can kill penalties. So, everybody’s got to fill their slots. The team that fills those 12 little holes the best that’s going to win. If not, it would be the team with the best player wins every year, and that’s Conor McDavid. And they don’t. So, it is important to fill out that role and fill out everybody in that in that big puzzle. And you know what? The middle pair D or the bottom pair D that could be the difference. That one guy can really be the difference in pushing you along through the playoffs. Yeah, that was great. I would rather have 12 Conor Bernards. Just throw him at goalie. I don’t care what it is. Give me 12 Conor Bernards. Yeah. Uh it would be exciting. I mean, we we only had like they only had like 60 points last season, so that would be really cool. But, you know, I wanted to ask you a question that I asked a lot of Blackhawks insiders and the answer I got was kind of it kind of hurt my heart, but do you think the like Connor Bernard is going to win a Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks? Anytime anybody asked me about a Stanley Cup, and I’ll tell you this, Anthony, I always say no because the chances of winning a cup are so small and and I don’t care who you are, what team you play for, it’s incredibly small. Do I think the Chicago Blackhawks are going to compete for a Stanley Cup with Connor Bard in their lineup? The answer is yes, I do. Um, to win it, it’s hard. And you guys have seen that there as a fan base. You know how hard that can be, even when you have the best players in the league. Um, I do think Chicago is going to be a team competing for a Stanley Cup before the end of this decade. But do I think they win it? Gosh, there’s so many things that need to happen. But I think with the youth they have on the back end, I think with a guy like Spencer Knight who could be a guy that could be there for the next four or five years and be an elite goalie in this league. I think with the youth they have coming up through the ranks both in the American League and in the National Hockey League that I do think are taking strides and getting better and making this team better. I think this team is going to compete for a Stanley Cup with Conor Burn in the lineup. I do and I know that like McDavid is the greatest of the world and he’s never won a Stanley Cup and it’s really not in him. So that’s that’s a good answer because you never know who’s going to win. But the like I just want to ask one more question and it’s about Ryan Donado and his contract. It was 4×6 4×4 but 16 mil and it was the same contract Brian Vicle signed in 2013 which which is really interesting. But like what do you think of Ryan Donado and that contract? And like do you think that he’s going to be there when they’re in contention or he’s just kind of a placeholder? I I really like Ryan Donado. is one of the guys that I said that they really needed to get signed in Chicago because I think he does exactly what you’re trying to do for right now. And and I think what that means is he’s plays the right way. He’s an he’s an NHL player that understands how to prepare for games. He plays hard every time he’s on the ice. He’s a smart player that really follows the system rules within the game. They go, “Okay, that guy, I want my good players that are going to be the guys that to put us over the hump three, four years from now. I want them learning from him. I want him learning and following a guy like Ryan Deno, a good person on and off the ice does things like we said the right way and the way he prepares for a game. Um I I think it’s I think it was imperative that they had him signed for this season. And I know there was talks I had somebody ask me does Mitch Mner. No, Mitch Mner’s not going to Chicago, dude. He doesn’t fit right now. It’s not time for Mitch Mner. It’s time for Ryan Donado. And that’s the kind of player you need right now. I think it was a huge sign that I think is kind of going under the radar because again it’s a team that’s going to be at the bottom of the standings this season. But but will he be there when they’re ready to win? Probably not. And he’s one of those guys that that is a gist right now. He’s a bridge guy. He’s a guy to get you from where they are now to where they really want to go. And then when you’re ready, when Bard has another two, three years experience and you’re getting slaggered in there every day and Nazar’s in there every day and you go, “Okay, now now let’s go. let’s go either make a trade or or or let’s sign a free agent to fill that hole that Donado’s been holding for us in that place for the last two or three seasons. And I and I think he’s been a good soldier and I think he’s going to do all those things, but but I don’t think Ryan Donado will be in the lineup when they’re ready to win a cup. So I had one actually other question. It was who do you think is the top prospect on the Blackhawks if it’s out of like Fondell, Renzel, Arnum Bluff? I know we don’t count Nazar and Bard anymore. Yeah, it’s hard for me because they’re they’re all so different. Like I think Fondell is going to be an exceptional player for the Blackhawks, but I don’t think it’s going to be this season. And you talk about the other two guys they drafted this season, dude. That that I mean that’s they’re three, four years away right now. It’s between the two big defenseman. It’s between Renzel and Lebchinov. But I’ve talked to you about who I like. I really like Lebanon. Like I I love this kid. I I think this guy is is a special player. And I think you’re going to see that as he gets more ice time and get the opportunity to play more. Um because you can you can play these guys all they’re going to get an incredible amount of ice time in the right spots. They’re going to get more power play time. They’re going to get more opportunities to play against good players. So you’re really going to find out what you have in these guys. I think they’re both exceptional. I think you need them both on your team, but they’re so different in how they’re going to play on the right side of that defense that I think there’s room for both of them to excel. I think Lenovv’s special and I think he’s a guy that’s going to make a big difference in Chicago and their ability to create offense and play both ends of the ice. Renzel is going to be a guy that the fans are going to notice. They’re gonna oh my gosh, he’s out on the ice again and something something fun’s going to happen. So, I think those two, but but most importantly, Anthony, is where where does Conor Bard’s season go? Because last year we we all talked about what expectations for Conor Bard. Conor Bard needs to have a good year and he and he needs to be better than he was a year ago. Meaning that he needs the players around him to be better and he needs to continue to learn to grow within a system and within a system play of a team and a game and and the coaching change may help with that and I think it’s a incredibly important year for Conor Bard that that he starts to to to to take the next step and what the expectations are of a player like Conor Bard. This franchise has made a lot of moves in favor of Conor Bard. We have to do this for Baddard. We have to get the coach in for Badard. We got to get all these things for Bard. Well, at some point Bard’s just got to be a player on this team and he’s got to be a good player on this team, but he’s got to help pull in the role. And I think this when you talk about the prospects on the back end, yeah, I think they’re going to take the bigger steps, but I think this is a year that Conor Bard is going to have to be better and he’s going to have to do things that are worthy of what the expectations were of Chicago when he was drafted. He has to do Conor Bard things and I don’t think you saw enough of that a season ago. Well, that was awesome. Thank you so much for joining me. This is like a Hot Ones video now. So, there’s cameras here, here, and here. Tell the tell the audience what you got going on. Yeah, you know what? Just keep your eye out for Inside the Coaches Room on YouTube. I I know Anony’s one of the hardest working guys in hockey, and I’m maybe coasting a little bit for the next few months, but just trying to teach the people the game and and how to watch the game that happens so quickly and so fast to know what the heck they’re watching. And so, I think there’s a lot of fun stuff. I’m going to do a longer form uh movie on inside the bubble. Um, I have a lot of pictures and videos that I was in the 2020 bubble and just kind of taken of people inside what being inside the bubble really meant. And that should be out at the end of the month. So, keep your eye open on Inside the Coaches Room. Yeah, definitely check that out. And you’ve been fantastic on What’s Chaos. That’s really cool. Uh, they have a good uh show over there, but I love watching. So, yeah, thank you so much for joining me and I really appreciate your words. That’s awesome. And you’re jumping off, Anthony, dude. You’re everywhere. You’re working your ass off. Keep it up, man. and and uh wish you the best of luck as this season continues. And unfortunately for you, Anthony, it’s going to be another tough year, I think. Sorry, buddy. Yeah. Well, it’s good to have the prospect Don and not like the playoff Don, but yeah, thank you so much. You bet, Anthony. They raving me.

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Coach Petey delve into the dynamics of the NHL Draft, discussing the shift from centralized to decentralized drafts, the importance of player development, and the expectations surrounding young prospects like Connor Bedard. They analyze team strategies, the impact of NIL in college sports, and the significance of offseason moves. The discussion also touches on the rebuilding process for the Chicago Blackhawks and the potential for future success, emphasizing the need for patience and the importance of role players in achieving team goals.