McGuire Monday: Leafs Weighs Roster Tweaks in Push for Cup Contention

McGuire Monday: Leafs Weighs Roster Tweaks in Push for Cup Contention

You’re watching Toronto Sports Rush on the Bet Rivers Network. It’s Maguire Mondays with Dan and Pierre. Let’s check the date. It is August 11th. Pierre Maguire, what is going on in front offices across the NHL. We’re we’re in the dog days of summer. Is it calm? Are they preparing for the storm? Put us in those rooms. Well, some teams know exactly where they are in terms of their player personnel, their internal depth, and where they fit in how they vision the league. Some teams are still wondering just how good they are. And some teams know they’re not going to be very good. The ones that know they’re not going to be very good, they’re probably not panicking. They know they got a rebuild going on and so they’re going to take their time and do it right. It’s the guys in the middle that really need to be a little bit concerned. There’s some teams that did a lot and were really proactive, Dan, I thought, during the off season. Some teams thought they were proactive, but I don’t think they did enough. So, it’s going to be interesting. There there’s probably three different groups of people that you’re probably alluding to right now. And if we’re at the top of the food chain, I feel pretty good about my team. If I were, you know, the Florida Panthers or the Edmonton Oilers or the Vegas Golden Knights, teams like that, I think, should feel really good. Up and cominging teams like Montreal, I think, should feel really good. Ottawa should feel good about themselves. Dallas Stars should feel good about where they are. It’s teams like Pittsburgh, I think, that need to be concerned just because they’re going through this rebuild. They haven’t played a playoff game in three years. They’re just one example of what I’m talking about. If I were the New York Rangers, I’d be concerned. I know everybody in New York’s towing the party line. They did a lot. They did a lot. I don’t think they did enough. Same in Boston. I don’t think they did enough. So, they’re going to be some teams that they’ll find out the first 10 to 15 games just where they are. And they probably didn’t do enough in the offse. those teams that you you say they know they don’t have the talent possibly could point to the Toronto Blue Jays and say, “Guys, look at this team. You don’t know. You can’t name a single. Maybe you can name two players on this team. They’re doing it. Why not us? Why not us?” Well, I agree. You know, that’s a great point, Dan. And you know, all you need to do is look at a few years ago. Let’s go back three years now. The Florida Panthers get to the Stanley Cup final. They were the AC seed. Nobody thought they were doing anything. You know, they were playing Boston. Jimmy Montgomery had those Boston Bruins teams jacked up and ready to rock. And Florida Panthers went in and won a game seven in Boston. The rest is history. That was a franchisee defining changing moment for that group. If they lose that game, I don’t think they get to the final the next year and beat Edmonton in a game seven on home ice. I don’t think they win last year in a game six. So, um, that that was a pretty clear defined. So to take it to a hockey level, I think you can look 3 years ago at the Florida Panthers. Go back to 2019, Dan. January 1st, the St. Louis Blues were the worst team in the National Hockey League. They go and win a game seven in the Stanley Cup final against the Boston Bruins. I did every one of their games in the playoffs. It blew me away by how much better they got each and every round. So it’s to your point, you’re absolutely right about that. It’s the fine tinkering that’s being done in those front offices we alluded to. Uh the Toronto Maple Leafs, they are in the mix for Jack Ross living. Is that going to happen? I think they got a legitimate chance. I think Vancouver’s in the hunt for Jack as well. The thing that might separate Toronto from other people, the relationship with Austin Matthews and Jack Roselvic that goes back to USA Hockey and being part of the national team development program. I think that’s something that’s been a little bit understated. I know some people have alluded to it. I don’t know if enough people are aware of it. So, I think that’s something that helps Toronto. The fact that he’s a kid from Ohio, it’s not that far, you know, to come to Toronto. He’s played in Canada before. Um, which I think is really important for American kids in particular. So, no, I I I think Toronto’s got a legitimate chance. I also think again Vancouver probably has a very good chance at him as well. The Leafs did make a move this week. Kyle Clifford hung him up and decided to put a suit on and that’s with the Maple Leafs front office. You know what I like about that? They’re recognizing the fact that he’s a Stanley Cup champion from his time in Los Angeles twice. They’re recognizing the fact that he went down to the American Hockey League, Dan, and did his chores in Toronto with the Marlies. I thought he did a fantastic job there as a leader and a guy that really understood his role and helped the young guys get better. But the last time I saw Kyle, I was staying at the same hotel he was. He had just been traded for by Toronto and he was down in the American League. and we had the nicest time talking about life and about kids and the hockey life in particular. And I could tell right then and there, I didn’t know if it was going to translate into coaching, if it was going to translate into scouting, maybe even broadcasting because he’s pretty eloquent. But I could tell he was going to continue after he was done playing in hockey. You could just tell. And I’m really happy for him. Look, he called his own shot. He He’s earned every single paycheck he ever got in this league. There were no easy paychecks for him. Uh the the dreams and hopes of a lot of hockey fans across the NHL appears about to be dashed as Conor McDavid will not be going anywhere and it looks like a contract before Oilers camp opens is imminent. Yeah, I don’t know why people are I know everybody gets all excited and it’s all it’s like buying a a ticket for the lottery pier. You got to like I got a chance. I got a chance. Uh, I didn’t think that ownership would ever allow that to happen. Even if there was an inkling that that negotiation was going offkilter, I think ownership would have stepped in and they would have said, “Here’s a blank check. What do you want to stay?” So, I I don’t know. I mean, I’ve been part of some pretty significant negotiations and ownership makes sure that all the eyes are dotted and all the tees are crossed when you get into those types of players and trying to get their deals done. Very seldom do they walk. Um, he’s got unfinished business there. and his relationship with I think Leon Dryettto is really important. I think his relationship with Darnell Nurse is really important and I think his relationship with Chris Knoblock the coach in Edmonton is really important. You know they’ve changed their assistance there. Knoblock’s still there and I think that said a lot about where Conor McDavid is as well. The Leafs might get a Connor. It’s a different Connor. Conor Murphy. I don’t know who this guy is. Well, Conor Murphy is actually a really good player and one of the things you need to know is he’s buddies with Ross Livik as well. They’re both products of that Columbus area hockey program. And Connor’s dad, Gourd, was a tremendous player in Philadelphia for a long time. I I’m a big fan of the father. The father was a good player and the dad was a very useful coach for a long time, both in the American League and in the National Hockey League. Uh Conor’s always been a good player. He always has been. And you know what I really admire the most about Connor is on those bad Chicago teams and he played on some bad ones. He always showed up physically. He always showed up mentally. He never took days off. Dan, if he were to come to Toronto, that would be a subtle little depth move. Just like I know we talked about Henry Thun being a subtle little depth move. He’s not a big name. He’s just a guy that’s a real good puck mover. Conor Murphy’s a big guy that can really skate and he can get in your face physically. This is a surprising one. Maybe it doesn’t surprise you, but the Islanders, who have been a team focused team, are going to showcase and promote their first overall pick and make him the face of the franchise, which goes against everything New York Islanders. Well, it goes against everything that Lou Lamarella is about. And he was I didn’t want to I’m afraid of that guy. He might hear this and say that. I feel really comfortable cuz you’re a good friend of mine talking about this. Lou is a really good friend of mine. He’s been amazing to my family. He’s been amazing to friends of mine. When I’ve called him that needed medical attention or things like that, Lou had really helped them out. So, I’m really grateful to Lou for all the things he’s done for me and for my family and friends. That being said, Lou ran things his own way. And so, when Lou left, they brought in Matthew Dar. Matthew Dar and and I think John Leiddki, one of the owners there along with Scott Malcin. um they’ve decided they want to go in a different way. They want to try to appeal to the youth people I think more on Long Island, bring some young money into the team in terms of fan base. So, I think it’s great. Here’s the only thing I would caution on that having had a young Christopher Pronger uh at 19. It’s really important you manage expectation. You don’t put the player out there so that he’s exposed to get getting maybe tarnished early in his career because he didn’t evolve to the level that you sold him at. I think it’s really important to underell underell and overd deliver. And for right now anyways, it’s okay cuz I I think Matthew Shaver is just a peach. He’s an amazing kid and he’s done a great job. I would just underell a little bit more of the athletic side of it because he hadn’t played hockey in a long time and to make that jump from junior where he’s coming from an Erie to the NHL. Dan, you know as well as anybody, that’s that’s going to be a big jump. Big jump. People should do that more in life. I was talking to a contractor buddy and we’re having some work done on the house and uh and talked about how long it was taking. He goes, “Well, they did it all wrong. They should have said that’s going to take four months and then when they come in and do it in two months they say look look at that. So So why doesn’t every contractor do that? It makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? That’s going to take one year and then they’re done in six months and you’re like, “Wow, these guys are awesome.” Yeah. No, it’s a great point. Um, you know who does it really well and I it’s always been there for well at least since Scotty Bowman got there with Jimmy Dealano and Kenny Holland the Detroit Red Wings always undersold and overd delivered. You can look at whether it was Nicholas Cromwell, whether it was Pavl Datrick, whether it was Henrik Zederberg, Johan Fronton, Thomas Holmstrom, I’m just giving you a murderer’s row of young Red Wings that never disappointed their fans. The fans loved those guys. They were part of an elite core of young players that came into the league at the same time. Nicholas Lydstrom just before them. And you look at how it evolved and evolved beautifully. I mean, think about it. From really 1990, let’s just say 1995 to 2009, there was no better franchise in the National Hockey League than the Detroit Red Wings. Now, they didn’t win the cup every year, but man oh man, oh man, you knew they were going to be right near the top of the finish line almost every single year. And they proved it. I mean, they proved it. Pierre, I mentioned it’s the dog days of summer, so we’re going to have a a little fun here. We did this uh last time we spoke. I’m in front of a hall of a wall of hockey cards. There’s some golfers on here. I’m going to turn around and point and we’re playing one degree of Pierre Magcguire because you have a story or a connection to every single player that’s ever played in the NHL. Are you ready? Okay, let’s Okay, I you can’t see them, so when I point, I’ll just tell you the name. Uh, randomly, we got uh Larry Robinson. Wait, Larry Robinson played for the Kings at some point. He did. He was afraid. I did not know that. He’s wearing an assistant with the LA I this Yeah. blows my mind. You know what’s amazing about Larry? Larry was actually drafted um out of Brockville and he’s been an amazing guy throughout his whole career. I wore number 19 because of Larry Robinson. I did. And there’s subtle moments in Larry’s career that really helped change the way he was perceived around the league. You know, he played with the big three with Seavard, La Point, and Robinson. They were phenomenal together. In fact, the big three plus the late Bill Nyro used to kill penalties for the Montreal Canes. Four defenseman at one time killing penalties for the defenseman. A lot of times Serge Savard would take the faceoffs. Um, but it was the hit. If you ever had a chance, Dan, I’m pretty sure you and Jay Enri, your old running mate, have done this. Go look at the hit of Larry Robinson on Gary Dornhoffer in the Montreal forum. Broke the boards. Broke the boards. It was an amazing hit. Um, and then go look at the fights in the playoffs with end regular season between Larry and Dave Schultz. That’s when Philadelphia clearly they were the Broad Street Bullies and they let you know they had an organizational identity and Dave Schulz led it and he did it unbelievably well with Bob Clark and Don Celeleski and Moose Dupon all but it was Larry beating up Dave Schultz that changed the entire league. I think at one time Larry was a masterful player. He was a tremendous assistant coach to Jo and a great head coach uh both in LA and in New Jersey. And um he’s an amazing man. Larry Robinson’s an awesome man. He really is. I a golfer now I think too. Right. Every single time I get a chance to talk to him, I’m really appreciative. And the other thing, Dan, people don’t like to talk about Larry. Phenomenal polo player. Larry Robertson was a great So I never knew he was a polo player and I never knew he was an LA king. Um, that was a softball, Pierre. So, let’s get a tougher one here. One more. Uh, we got uh Oh, I can’t. That one’s an easy one, too. Rob Blake. What are we all Robinson was Rob Blake’s mentor. Rob Blake was a great player at Bowling Green. Comes from Simco, Ontario. The thing about Rob was his overpowering shot, a right-hand shot. He’s a lot like Cal McInness. He could play a strong side and get the puck to the net. I remember uh coaching a college game against him with St. Lawrence versus Bowling Green at uh University of Maine Dexter Shoe Classic and Rob Blake took the game over. Our team was really good. We were one of the top three teams in the country and they beat us handily and they beat us because of Rob Blake. But I remember one, this is a good story for you. I remember once we were going out to LA to play with Pittsburgh. I was running the penalty kill and we had a really useful penalty killer by the name of Bobby Ary who I know you know from your neck of the wood. Correct. And I remember saying, “Hey, Bibs,” his nickname was Bibs. Hey, Bibs, you got to get in the lane on this guy. He goes, “Why don’t you get in the lane and get this guy and Bobby was a great penalty killer and a really good player for us, but uh that just showed you how much respect the players around the league had for Rob Blake shot. And man, if he got you, Dan, in the trolley tracks, he could blow you up with hits. He was a savage open ice hitter.” So, it was an alldefense edition of one degree of Pierre Maguire. Uh hopefully we get some goalies next time. Thanks, Pierre. You got it, Dan. My pleasure. Thanks. Thanks for watching Toronto Sports Rush on the Bet Rivers Network.

Pierre McGuire and Dan O’Toole discuss the Maple Leafs’ potential roster changes and break down how other NHL front offices are preparing for the season.

00:00 NHL front office dynamics
03:05 Will Leafs sign Jack Roslovic, Kyle Clifford joins Leafs
06:20 Is Connor Murphy a good fit in Toronto?
10:45 One Degree with Pierre McGuire

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