Winnipeg Jets Season Preview + Colby Barlow & Thomas Milic Join the Show | WST Sunday Live

Winnipeg Jets Season Preview + Colby Barlow & Thomas Milic Join the Show | WST Sunday Live

[Music] I run around run. Good morning everyone and welcome in to another edition of WST Sunday live. My name is Connor Rabchack. In a moment I’m going to be joined by my co-host Liz Hood. And I’ve said many times on this program before that we have a jam-packed show ahead for you. This one I I I can’t stress enough how jam-packed this episode is. We’ve got Scott Wheeler from The Athletic coming up uh right at the bottom of the hour today. Uh I caught up with him earlier on in the week. We talked all about Winnipeg Jets prospects, Manitoba Moose prospects, what to expect from these players going into this season. Uh and it was a great conversation with him. And then later on in the program, Liss and I were down at Manitoba Moose Media production day and we caught up with a handful of players. Today you’re going to hear from Kobe Barlo. list caught up with the former Winnipeg Jets first round pick. Uh a great conversation with Colby as he makes the pro leap. And then later on in the day, I caught up with Thomas Militch, uh goalender for the Manitoba Moose. Uh we talked about his development path, what it’s like, you know, being at training camp with Connor Halabuk, his World Junior run with Canada, and a lot of great things. So, Scott Wheeler, Colobby Barlo, Thomas Milis, we’ve got a great lineup of guests today on WST Sunday live. And uh super excited to announce that we are now sponsored by Chud’s Powersports. And we’re going to have a Chud’s Powersports Power Poll coming up later on in the episode. I’ll have more information on them a little bit later on. But let’s bring in my co-host, Liz. How are you doing this morning on a gloomy rainy Sunday morning? What’s that? That meme format that’s like, “Hey, like when you mentioned that there are some really cool people in the show today, Scott Wheeler, Kobe Barlo, Thomas Village, can you also add Lis Hood and just include Scott Kobe Thomas and Liz?” Yeah, thank you so much. Yeah, I’m I’m doing well and I’m very happy to be joined by this rockstar list of uh of guests that we have on the program. I’m stoked. Absolutely. Yeah. And I’m uh Yeah, I’m super excited. I mean, I like I said, I caught up with uh Scott Wheeler earlier on in the week. Liz and I both caught up with all of the Manitoba Moose players earlier in the week. Uh, and they’re all great conversations. So, thank you everyone. We really appreciate it for you stopping by this morning. Um, we got a we got a long show and I think that it’s safe to assume that this is going to break some non-existent records for longest episode of WST Sunday live. So, uh, hope you have an extra cup of coffee waiting for you and uh, buckle in for this one. It’s going to be a fun one. uh list before we get to Scott Wheeler, Thomas Militch, Kobe Barlo, all of the great lineup of guests. I’ll I’ll go to you first and and a great lineup of another guest. Um you are my co-host. You’re not you’re not a guest. Um but I’m still great. Yes. Yes. Exactly. The Winnipeg Jets uh wrapped up their preseason on Friday night with a 5-4 shootout win against the Calgary Flames. A very weird weird uh way to win it in the shootout with Tanner Pearson. you can touch on that if you want, but um your overall takeaways from that final game and the fact that preseason is finally over. Yeah, I mean Scott or nail had mentioned going into that game that they were kind of dressing their their dress rehearsal lineup, right? So, a lot of what we saw was what we were expecting to see come Thursday in the home opener against the Dallas Stars. We’ll get into maybe some of the injury questions and whatnot, but I think the biggest takeaway for me from that game, and it’s probably a consensus, whether it be on Twitter or just kind of in the Jets fan verse of of people who are kind of locked into these games, that Decor is looking real interesting. I think that there in that game, we saw some moments where some players deficiencies got exposed a little bit, whether there were some tough breaks or some some oddman rushes, stuff like that. But that decor without Dylan Sabberg with having players promoted into that that pairing with Neil Pian and then obviously we saw some other changes in that game with Dylan Deo missing a little bit of time there as well which as we heard from Scott Neil likely isn’t going to be anything too too crazy thank goodness but we talked about this last week Connor about how it might be a very telling time in Dylan Samberg’s absence to see what the Winnipeg Jets left-handed depth can actually do and I think this was an early precursor vers two. Uh I don’t know. I don’t know if I’m going to love what I’m going to see. Yeah, I I’m with you on that. Like in terms of the actual on ice lineup and obviously the injuries continue to pile up for this Winnipeg Jets team. Um and that was no different on Friday night. I think this is the biggest concern coming out of the game. Uh I was on Friday’s WST from Manitoba Movies production day with us and we were both like, we don’t care what happens in this game tonight. We just want them to get out of the game healthy. And unfortunately, they didn’t. Uh, if you didn’t watch the game and you didn’t hear Scar Neil’s comments after Cole Perfetti left with an injury and I see some people asking in chat already any update on 91 yet, the Winnipeg Jets are skating today at Hockey Forall Center. I’m going to be down there. They’re skating at 11:00, so you should hear at around noon. Um, Jay Miller asking, should we hear from coach Bob Perfetti today? We should. Um, but here’s what he had to say after the game. Uh, which was kind of a concerning sound bite. Um, but here it is. Scardell after the game to CJ, Mitch Clinton, Paul Edmonds, uh, asking the questions here. Scott, just one for me. Do you are you able to give uh updates on Dylan Delo and Cole Perfetti? Yeah, uh, precautionary for DLO. Uh, you got a you got a stick in the in the throat. Uh, with Perfetti, lower body injury. We got to get him home here. Um, you know, first glance doesn’t look great. So, we’ll just uh we’ll just get we’ll see when we get home, but uh hopefully it’s uh not as bad as we’re hoping. you and your coaching staff and the upper administration have a busy couple of days ahead. Yeah, obviously the injuries now kind of play into it a little bit. Um, you got to have our 23man roster in on the uh on Monday. So, uh, yeah, we’ll talk about it now. We’ll talk about tonight, tomorrow, and and get ourselves sorted out on on how we’re going to move forward. So, there it is. Scott Neil after the game. Uh, Mitch Clinton from CGO, Paul Edmonds, they’re asking the questions there. Um and and the concerning sound bite was, you know, at first glance it doesn’t look great and uh they were going to get home. That’s when uh that that was yesterday that they would have gotten home uh gotten a look at it. And we should hear today down at the hockey for all center some news on Cole Perfetti. But good news that Dylan Dilla was precautionary. Uh nothing to worry about there. But list, you start doing lineup mocks with no Lowry Perfetti Samberg and suddenly this Juggernaut President’s Trophy team looks a lot different. Yeah. I mean, and hey, let’s uh let’s throw Jonathan Tas in there just for good measure, right? A guy who who missed a little bit of time. I don’t think it’s going to be anything too too crazy, but let’s uh let’s talk about the depth of this group, right? This is something that the the team has talked a lot about and I agree with them on paper in terms of there are players waiting in the wings who are capable of playing NHL minutes for sure but not so much those high leverage minutes right like I think you know a second line of Gustav Nyquist Zadasov and Alex I Aalo or something like that is is kind of insane to be honest with you like this isn’t what the team wants this isn’t what they should want. Right. This is a a very very concerning looking forward group with just a couple of injuries and it’s only the fifth day of October. So, I uh I’m I’m really not sure what to think, how to feel cuz like you said, President’s Trophy winning team and and watching that game, I will say I’ve been watching a lot of junior hockey the past couple weeks. Um and I forgot how good Mark Shelley K Connor and Gabardi are. anytime they sustain a little bit of possession in the offensive zone. Like I love watching them cycle the puck. I think they’re such a fun group of players to watch play and and I that line I think is going to continue to be fine and I think all those players are so good on their own that if they decide to kind of spread the wealth a little bit ac across the lineup that there is definitely some potential for them to create some new magic with some new pairings of forwards if need be. But the bottom nine right now, not the best looking bottom nine I’ve ever seen in my life. I’m going to say that that that is for sure. And uh it’s going to be fascinating to see because the way the Winnipeg Jets are currently constructed and their their bottom nine as you as you said list, the top line’s going to have to put up some crazy numbers to carry this team offensively with no Perfetti, potentially no Taves, who remains dayto-day. There’s no further update there. We’ll see if he skates today at the Hockey Forall Center. Um, but it doesn’t sound like it’s overly concerning, but still no Lowry, no Samberg. This team is missing. Uh, I I think I I put it last night like three of their seven highest impact skaters. And you go back to last year’s team and you add in Nikolai Eelers, like that’s four of eight, right? Like that’s that this is if we’re comparing last year to this year. Um, that’s a lot of players to be missing. Um, and and that’s and and we haven’t even started the season. We haven’t Which is the the craziest part. Liz, can I ask that a question? Right. like we and and I think you and I spoke about this briefly offline but not in in depth. So, people are going to get our raw reactions to this this comment here. What What does this mean for the newly signed Nikita Shipperov, right, who just signed a two-year extension just last night, which we’ll get into, and and guys like Brad Lambert, people who are still with the club right now. If we go through the forwards, I think we both still stand by the fact that at least to start the season, they’re going to carry 13 forwards, eight defenseman, as opposed to 14 and seven. I think that that’s pretty much set in stone at this point. But Jonathan Ta is still being dayto-day. I’m sure we’ll get an update on that today as well. Who knows who’s to say? Is this going to be the Matthew Perau injury to get Kyle Connor into the lineup situation that is needed to get one of or if not both Brad Lever and Nikita Chipperov into the lineup? Because right now it’s one of them or Walker Der who’s making the Winnipeg Jets lineup, right? if Jonathan Taves misses any time whatsoever if he if he’s not back and ready to go today. What does this mean for those guys? Cuz we’ve talked about how injuries are probably going to be what brings them into the lineup. And here we are. Maybe we thought this would be in like December or something, but we are here right now. And yes, some of the guys, you know, Adam Lowry has the timeline. John Taves doesn’t sound serious and all this different stuff, but what does it mean for them, do you think? Yeah, I don’t know. Like I I go back and forth on this. It should be good news. It should be like for those guys, for Nikita Chipikov’s chances of playing on Thursday, for Brad Lambert’s chances of playing on Thursday, it should be it should be good news, but I just don’t know if it is. I don’t know if the Jets are really set on having this very veteranheavy lineup to begin the season here. Um, and Nikita Chirpov is a player that I’ve said many times on this show, I thought he’s had a great camp. I thought he’s looked great in the games as well. Brad Lambert I haven’t been as impressed with, but I thought he’s gotten better by the game. Same with Brian Joerger. Kobe Barlo’s been impressive to me. So, there’s a lot of prospects kind of uh knocking on the door here, and I wouldn’t be shocked if any of them make the team, but the I I keep saying this over and over again, and I’ve said this like years on this show now, like going to the start of last year, whenever the Jets have a decision between putting someone on waivers and putting a prospect in the lineup or or sorry, putting a prospect down to the miners that doesn’t need waivers, you know, the easy decision and then play playing a veteran versus making the tough tough decision and putting a veteran on waiverss to play a prospect that might be ready right now. We’ve seen how they’ve made those decisions in the past and I just don’t think that that’s that’s going to change. It’s good news for Nikita Chikov and Brad Lambert. I just don’t until I see it. I I just don’t think it’ll change. And we did talk about this last year, right? When Nikita Chikov comes up, two goals, two games, it’s like what else could he possibly do? And and yes, it totally did happen. And I think it was actually you who uh you you fought this tooth and nail with our former co-host Jacob Stler where he’s like, “But we’ve never seen a player come up and make this sort of impact to this degree, so we don’t know what the president is because there isn’t one.” And you were like, “But it doesn’t matter. The performance is kind of irrelevant here. It’s just the entirety of the the contract structure situation that that means everything here, which I think is true to an extent, but also like I don’t know, man. like at at a certain point if it’s you know Nikita Chippov or Brad Lambert or whoever you have who’s playing really really great hockey and the likes of Walker do like come on like I don’t know what we’re doing here man and and I think that there also is a difference in my opinion between if the injuries looked a little bit different and the odd man out with someone like David Gustoson who I think now probably draws into the lineup right like uh I don’t know if the Winnipeg Jets have the same degree of loyalty to someone like Walker doer. Um, I think that there there’s some loyalty to Parker Ford. I think that there’s some loyalty to David Gustoson. I think that there’s also a little bit to someone like Tanner Pearson who has a bit more of an established NHL career and all these different things. Walker Der is kind of inconsequential to me. So, I think that I don’t know. I really do think that there is a possibility to get one of those more like higher octane pieces into the lineup here because I I just think that they can’t not be looking at that bottom nine like we are right now and going, “Okay, what uh what are we going to do about this?” Yeah. and and and it does really change things as well with the severity of the Cole Perfetti injury because if he’s out a week, you know, a week or two, uh I don’t think that they’ll do the whole waiver game with a forward to get Chibberov in. But if he’s out longer, you know, more of a Dylan Samberg situation, they might want a longer look at a Nikita Chibberov. Uh so we’ll see. We’ll see what the updates are down today at Hockey Forall Center. Uh on Jonathan Taves, who’s dayto-day and on Cole Perfetti who left that game. Uh and as we played the clip earlier, Scarter Neil said at first glance it doesn’t look great. The last thing before we get to Scott Wheeler list is you alluded to it there, but Nikita Chipperov a little bit of Jets news last night. Nikita Chipov extended with the Winnipeg Jets. So, he had this year left on his deal and then would uh was slated to become an RFA at the end of this season, but he extended two more years. So, he’s under contract until the end of the 2027 28 season, and he’ll still expire as an RFA. He’ll be 25 years old. He’ll have two more years left of RFA eligibility, and then he’ll hit, you know, unrestricted free agency. So, a bridge deal for Nikita Chibberov having played, you know, only a handful of NHL games in his career. Uh, but I think this is tidy work from a Winnipeg Jets perspective where you’re essentially extending his entry level contract um two more years here and and it’s two years where you need players on ELC’s to contribute in your lineup. Uh and and by all accounts, Nikita Tripov will be that whether it’s this year or the next two years, but he’ll be that over the duration of this deal. Yeah. Talk about cap efficiency, right? Like there’s so much potential for that to be a really important piece in the lineup where when so many forwards are making, you know, those $3 million deals, $5 million deals, like you need to have that flexibility even with the cap changing in the way that it is, like having somebody who can come in and contribute on a six-figure deal is out of this world awesome. So that’s very exciting for the Jets. I don’t know if I understand why Nikita Chibberov’s camp chose to lock this up right now because if Nikita Chberov comes in and like I keep alluding to the K Connor situation. I understand that they’re different players, but yeah, for for context if people don’t remember, Kyle Connor ended up becoming a massive part of the Winnipeg Jets lineup in 2017 2018 when an injury opened up a spot for him to come into the lineup and they’re like, “Holy smokes, we can’t get rid of this guy now.” and he has been a topline player on the team ever since. There is potential that, you know, six months from now, Nikita Chippov has walked his way into being a multi-million dollar player, right? Like I I find it surprising that especially with there being control, like obviously this deal was going to get done at some point, whatever, that they wouldn’t hold off a little bit, especially if because of how low the AAV is across both years. But I don’t know what those conversations look like. So, I’m not sure what the the reasoning is or anything, but I agree with you, Ty work for the Winnipeg Jets because this this looks great. Yeah. And I I did see people in chat asking uh if it’s a one-way contract or a two-way contract. Uh it is a one-way. Uh and common misconception is that one way, people think one way or two-way affects, you know, what their waiver eligibility is. Um that is not the case. It just affects the money. Yeah. the money, how much they’re getting paid, whether they’re down in the AHL or not. Nikita Chipov will not be waivers exempt next season. So, right, he’ll have to pass through waiverss and he will get claimed. So, it’s almost like this this deal in a sense um locks him into the Winnipeg Jets lineup next season. Um again, barring him coming in and looking uh out of place where he would go on waiverss and still not get claims. He’s a second round pick by, you know, has gone through his kind of development path here. Um, and and for the next three years now, this year and two after um he’ll be a big part of this organization and and be counted on for bottom six, maybe even middle six minutes at times for the Jets. So, yeah, Doug asking, he gets that for the Moose to uh the Moose 2. It’s almost a moot point, but yeah. Yeah, he he would he would technically if he cleared waiverss or whatever, but that’s the thing with those those one-way deals is that uh and I think that I feel like Dominic Tony is one of the last guys that I could circle where it’s like you could clear waivers and I believe Dominic Tonado’s last contract was a one-way. So, he was making like bank with the Moose whereas a lot of these other guys when they when they go through waiverss they go down and they’re making pennies on the dollar compared to what their uh their NHL AV is. Right. Right. Yeah. So, that just that that’s a good I might be wrong on that one though. I’ll have to look into that. Sure. The the Tonin Auto deal. Go back and and take a look. Um full sicko mode. We’re looking upon Tonado and the Exactly. Exactly. Um all right. Well, let’s get to our first pretape of the show. Like I said, if you’re just joining us, um we have a lot of guests on today’s show. We have a jam-packed show. Um Liz, a great co-host, join me off the top. And then we have Scott Wheeler joining us right now. We’re going to get to that interview, but later on we’ve got Thomas Militch and Colobby Barlo from the Manitoba Moose joining us on the show. List and I caught up with them at Manitoba Moose Media Production Day. So, stick around. But right now, let’s get to an interview I had with Scott Wheeler from The Athletic earlier in the week. He covers the NHL draft, NHL prospects leaguewide, covers the world juniors, does an a fantastic job at it, and uh provides some great insight on the Winnipeg Jets prospect pool. So, check out Scott Wheeler at The Athletic for the latest on the Winnipeg Jets and all of the prospects around the league. Uh, but here he is now on WSD Sunday Live. Right now on the show, we’re going to be bringing in Scott Wheeler from The Athletic. He covers all NHL prospects from the draft, when they’re drafted, their development paths, and covers them at a very high level over at The Athletic. So, we’re super excited to have him on. Scott, thank you so much for taking the time. Welcome to WSC Sunday Live. Thanks for having me. Happy to be here. Absolutely. And we want to get your thoughts, I mean, before the season starts on a lot of the Winnipeg Jets prospects. They have a very intriguing pool, I would say. I mean, there are a lot of uh of uh prospect analysis that would rank their pool really high and some that would rank them really low. So, just kind of giving you a a open-ended question to start it off here. What are your overall thoughts on the strength of the Jets prospect pool as we head into this 202526 season? Well, they’ve acquired a good number of what I would call sort of B2B plus prospects. Like they have seven or eight, maybe nine dep depending on who’s making the argument, legit prospects. And there are organizations around the league, even ones with good pools, who don’t have that, right? There are organizations, even some of the ones with the true true top end pools, sometimes they only run four, five, six players deep rather than maybe seven or eight players deep in terms of legit potential future NHL prospects. The difference between their pool and what I would qualify as the true upper echelon pools in the league is that they don’t have a projectable top of the lineup player. They don’t have someone who’s going to play on your first pairing, be a starting goalie, play on your first first line, right? They I think Cole Perfetti was pro in terms of recent guys that they’ve had, Cole Perfetti was probably the closest to that. Then before that, you got to go back to Josh Moresy and Mark Shley, right? They don’t have that level of talent in the pool. Brad Lambert is a good prospect. Kobby Barlo is a good prospect. Sasha Bumemedian is a good prospect. You go down the list, Braden Jagger is a good prospect. Elias Salmonson is a good prospect, but they aren’t going they’re going to be good players for you. Maybe even very good role players for you. Middle six guys, maybe in Boumedian or or Salmonson’s case, you’re hoping they can become sort of a number three, number four for you, but are probably more safely a number five or a number six for you. Those are important players. Like a a four or five defenseman makes five million bucks in the NHL nowadays, right? So, uh, those players are still valuable. They will still help the Winnipeg Jets. They will still extend their window, uh, with this veteran group that they have, but they aren’t going to be needlem movers. When when Shiffley’s gone, when Hellabuk eventually retires, they aren’t going to be that level of player. They aren’t going to be your your true true drivers. Uh, and I don’t think I don’t think frankly anyone would describe a Braden Jagger or any of those players as having that kind of a ceiling. So, uh, that’s that’s sort of the missing piece of the puzzle and that’s a byproduct of not picking high, right? Like it’s you typically get those guys in the top 10 at the draft and they just haven’t had those chances. Kobby Barlo, I believe, was an 18th overall pick. Bdian obviously last year was 28th. uh like they just haven’t had those those sort of true upper echelon types. Obviously in Ruter McGordy, they had a player who was drafted near the top 10 and then swapped him for another player in Braden Jagger who was drafted near the top 10. But even still, those those aren’t I wouldn’t qualify those as A prospects. Yeah, I agree. And I was just about to say that I I do think that the one you know the the byproduct of maybe having a bunch of B+ prospects is picking late and last year you brought it up with Boumeden uh 28th overall. We’ll talk about him a little bit later on. Uh, I agree with your assessment of the Jets prospect pool. I think where Jets fans might disagree is in Elias Monson’s case, and that’s where I want to start. I think Jets fans are very, very high on him becoming, you know, potentially a top four defenseman one day or a Dylan Sambergesque defenseman, uh, as we saw this past year for the Winnipeg Jets. Making the pro leap last year from Sweden to North America. He played his first full season with the Manitoba Moose and by all accounts had a great year. What are your expectations going forward for Elias Salammonson? And would you agree that he’s maybe the one guy in the prospect pool that pushes that a little bit or do you see maybe someone else in the in the pool as the top prospect in in the Jets pool? No, Elias would be my top prospect. I think it’s him and then a cluster of whether it’s Jagger or Boumedian. um those tiers. I I would say that Kobby Barlo, unless the pace sort of unless he adds a little bit more pace to the skating is probably maybe a cut below those guys. Um Brad Lambert is just a wild card. I don’t know. I don’t think anybody really knows what to make of Brad Lambert or what he’s going to become. Um so I I think at the at the top it’s it’s some combination of Boumedian and Jagger behind Salmonson for me. And Elias is interesting because he’s got the body, he’s got the frame, he’s physical, he’s competitive, and then on top of that, he’s a high-end skater and his skating is his great is his greatest strength, right? So in and of himself with those attributes, you’ve got an NHL defenseman. Like that’s if you’re checking a box of what NHL teams covet in defenseman these days, it’s 6’2 to 64D who can skate and move pucks and play in transition both ways and add a physical element. And that’s what Elias’s game that’s the identity of his game. So I don’t think there’s anything really standing in his way from becoming a second pairing guy. Uh and a second pairing guy is a big deal. like that’s that it might not be a true needle mover, but a second pairing guy who’s cost controlled, who’s on an ELC, uh or even if he be starts as a third pairing guy and he’s becomes that sort of second pairing guy on his first RFA deal, that gives you something that not every team has, right? Not every team has a young excellent defenseman who can play 18 to 20 minutes a night if that’s what he becomes at an early age. I think he will be that in the prime of his career, but being that while he’s still quote unquote cheap, that’s a that’s a difference maker. That’s in a cap world, that’s what matters, right? So, uh I’m fascinated to see what he does with it over the next two, three seasons, the steps that he can take. I think he’s ready for the jump, and I’m looking forward to seeing him sort of get that first NHL test. Yeah, the first NHL test is is going to be, you know, one that Jets fans are very, very excited for. And just to bring it back to a point that you made earlier, a second pair of defenseman, I mean, both Jets second pair guys this season got new contracts. Neil Pianc got paid 7 million and Dylan Sam got paid 5.75 uh over the term of their contract. So, that’s not insignificant. If the Lias Salammonson ceiling as a top four defenseman, um, some Jets fans might scoff at that, but that’s that’s totally a positive outcome for the Winnipeg Jets. And what I would classify, and you did too, as their top prospect, another one that maybe would give some push back on on being the top prospect in the group is Braden Joerger, just because of how polished he is at such a young age by all accounts. What have you seen from Joerger? Uh, and he’s a guy that’s making the pro leap this year. He’s not going back to junior. He’s 20. He’s playing with the Manitoba Moose. Uh, might get some NHL time, you know, over the next couple of years here. What are your expectations for him as he makes the pro leap? Yeah, look, Jagger is a good player, great kid, the kind of person you want culturally within your organization. Everybody will always say good things about Braden Jagger. He’s a center. He can skate. He can shoot it. He can handle it. He can playmake. He’s worked on his playmaking to become a sort of more a more diverse playmaker. In his early early years in the WHL, he was more of a straight line shooting winger slashhybrid center. Um, and then really worked, uh, coming out of his 16-year-old, really worked on his play off the puck to become a very reliable center, became one of the better two-way centers in junior hockey, and then from there, just sort of added elements here and there. The question with Jagger has always been despite progress on the playmaking side and the facilitation side, despite progress in his skating, which I would qualify as about average, um despite being a very well-rounded player, very well-liked player, despite having a clear NHL release and NHL shot that should at least give him PP2 upside, the question has always been, is there enough offense? Everybody has kind of just been waiting for Braden to score more and produce more and he always looked like a top player in his age group and he was treated that way by Hockey Canada and he was a goto player for them at the U8 and U20 levels but the production never popped. He never had that 120 point WHL season. He never really completely dominated and was clearly the best player on that moose jaw team. There were times where Jagger Fergus of the Seattle Kraken and Denton Matechuk of the Columbus Blue Jackets were the top players on that team and he he just never really became one of the three or four best players in the WHL without a shadow of a doubt. For example, like he was always just among the group in the WHL of the best players. He was among the group of the 20 best Canadians uh and obviously wore a C for Canada and was was a counted upon player for team Canada internationally, but never really elevated past that to become sort of the defining player in his age group or one of the true true top prospects in his age group. And as a result, he was taken 14th overall instead of inside the top 10 kind of thing. And now it’s just okay, what what’s the ultimate upside? Like is he just going to be a 20 to 25 goal guy, 45 point guy, or can he be a legit annual 50 to 60 point player who’s a second line center for you all day long? That’s that’s kind of the question. Is is he going to be a middle six guy or is he going to be a top six guy? And I think there are people who have reservations and fair reservations about whether the they can be sure that he’s a top six guy. Yeah, I I’m with you on that with Braden Gagger and I’m fascinated to see what he can do this season making that pro leap as I said and on a Moose team that you know should be a lot better than they were last year at least with some of the AHL veterans that they brought in. Uh surrounding him with some talent I think can really help him this season. One player where offense is not the question and really it’s the rest of his game that’s the question is Kobe Barlo. You brought him up earlier needs to add a little bit more pace to his game. We actually spoke to Barlo at the beginning of training camp and he spoke about how he cut a lot of weight this summer and he’s feeling faster and more explosive. Do you think that that can help him as he also alongside Braden Joerger makes the pro leap uh with the Manitoba Moose and looks to carry some of that offense into the pro game in the AHL? For sure. Look, Kobe got off to a slow start last year. He would tell you that they switched coaching staffs uh and and sort of moved on from Steve Oor and under a new coach in in in Brad Malone, who’s now quickly made the jump from the OHL level with the Ashwa Generals to the AHL level with the the Pittsburgh Penguins organization under a new coach in the second twothirds of the season. He really started to put it all together. We saw the Kobby Barlo who’d scored 40 goals as a 17-year-old and who’ who’d been one of the most consistent goalcoring players, goalcoring wingers in particular uh in the OHL over the previous two seasons to last year and then obviously last year in a third season, especially in the second half. I was at most of their playoff games uh in Ashwa last season and there were nights where his line really dominated him and Callum Richie and Noah Powell. Uh they they took took over games. they looked bigger and stronger and heavier than everybody else. There were nights where he was generating eight to 10 shots on goal. Uh, and he just looked like a top player. Now, there were also nights even in that playoff run where he just looked like he he didn’t have it that night. He looked like he he didn’t have enough pace. When he and when he doesn’t play with enough pace, he can get himself into trouble. He can get caught by by sort of trailing forwards. He can uh sort of put himself in bad spot, shoot into shin pads, overshoot it. Uh he’s he’s an imperfect player. He’s a very competitive kid. He works hard. He’ll go get pucks. He’s been a captain in the OHL obviously prior to Ashawa. I know in sound. Um he’s been like a very very consistent player in the OHL. The the question has always just been the skating. The skating is below average. I don’t think it’s a I don’t think he’s a poor skater. I don’t think it’s a major issue, but the skating will need to come if he wants to be more than just a bottom six secondary scorer at the pro level. So, that’s that if if he’s cut some weight and he’s focused on that this season, that’s fascinating to me because I think that can that can be big for him. Um, he’s always been a very big kid. Like I remember his CHL top prospects game. They had him sitting next to Brent Cabbrook who was a coach on that team and because he was one of the captains on that team. He was in the front row of the photo and I remember speaking to a scout at the time in his draft year who said you could go either way on which one between him and Brent Cbrook, a 40-year-old man, which one was playing in the game and which one was a retired potential Hall of Fame player, right? Like he just he had the full beard. He he matured early. And the worry with those kids is that they they’re maxed out, right? That that like the kids who look like men at 16 17 years old and Air Necklad was the same way when he was in Barry. Um that that there what’s next for them, right? Like where’s the development runway for those kids when they mature and grow up before some of their peers? Uh very different than a Brad Lambert who was this skinny skinny kid at that same age, right? So, um, that part of it has always been interesting to me. And if he if he’s lost some weight and is a step quicker, I think that’s that’s an important important progression for him. Yeah, for sure. Um, that’s something that we’ve been saying on this program as well. Um, and and by all accounts, he has lost the weight and this preseason, he’s shown well in the opportunities that he’s gotten for the Winnipeg Jets. So, we’ll be watching him with the manager. He can rip it, man. Prole shot. Yeah. Yeah. That’s something that, you know, you can always lean on that shot as being his like selling feature. It was the rest of his game. And I thought you outlined it really well there. And it’s so funny. I mean, he’s making the pro leap. He’s 20 years old. It looks like he’s been 35 for the past 5 years. It’s it’s it’s kind of interesting to think about it that way. Um, a player who definitely doesn’t look 35 and looks a little bit younger is Sasha Bumemedien, the Winnipeg Jets, uh, most recent draft pick, who was actually the youngest player in the NCAA last season. The Jets took him 28th overall left shot defenseman. Uh, what can you tell Jets fans about Sasha Bouian and what they can expect from him as a prospect? Well, as with Salmonson, it’s all about it. It the foundation starts with the skating. Sasha is an excellent skater. north south in particular. He’s got good edges too in terms of his lateral mobility and falling back onto his edges, but really in straight lines just a really really smooth almost elegant skater up the ice and and down the ice. Um, so that part of it will always be the foundation because of his ability to skate. It allows him to gap up. It allows him to angle and it allows him to transport pucks and carry pucks. That’s always been an asset. Another player who despite not having gotty goal totals also has a big big point shot. Like Sasha has a prolevel shot. It’s one of the first things people talk about when they talk about him. I think we’ve seen it uh or his coaches will say that they’ve seen it more in a practice setting than in a game setting. But the belief is is that the goal scoring is going to come at the college level once he becomes an upper classman, once he’s a junior and as potentially a senior if he sticks around for his senior year. um there there there’s belief there that he can shoot it, that he could score eight or 10 goals in a in a 30 g 30 to 40 game college season, right? So that’s the that’s big for him. And then there the the areas of growth are in the decision- making. Uh the big criticism from scouts all of last year was just the way that he handled the puck and some of the mistakes that he made handling the puck and over carrying it and bad passes and not making the right reads under pressure. The talent is there, the skating is there, the frame is there. Um he he’s a legit prospect. It’s just about refining the decision-m a little bit. And then it’s about what you alluded to, which is adding strength in the gym. and he added, I believe it was over 10 pounds in the gym in season last year, which is not easy to do. I know in I did a feature on him ahead of the draft, and I know in talking to Jay Pandalfo and and the BEu staff that he worked his his bag off last year to add weight, to eat a lot, and to make sure that he wasn’t just maintaining or potentially losing weight in season as most players do, but that he was actually getting stronger in season. because early on last year as a freshman, the battles were tough for him and the size of the opposition was tough for him. He’s a he’s 61, 6’2, like he’s got the length. It’s just a matter of getting stronger and filling out. He’s a pretty lean kid still. Uh his dad obviously played pro hockey for a long time and has now worked in in scouting with the Columbus Blue Jackets and uh sort of player personnel with the Columbus Blue Jackets and more recently after leaving the Blue Jackets organization um is has been the was the assistant general manager last year uh for a number of their their uh their senior national teams in Sweden including the Foreign Nations team. So uh his dad and his dad’s a big thick man. So, I I think there’s there’s hope that he’ll that the weight will come, that he will get stronger, that he’ll fill out, and then if he fills out and and the decision-m and the IQ piece of the puzzle, especially with the puck, can take a step, then he’s got all of the other attributes he needs. Okay. Yeah, that’s that’s a a great rundown of Sasha Boumedian and a player who’s new to the Jets prospect pool and and new and and you know, youngest player in the NCAA. Uh there’s a lot of development that will happen over the next couple of years. So, Jets fans will be glued to that as well. He was very good in the second half, I should say. Him and Tom Wander, uh they paired him and Tom Wanderer, obviously a first round pick of the Vancouver Conucks, who was a sophomore last year. they paired them together and they they were a big part of their run to a third consecutive appearance in the Frozen 4. Okay. Yeah. So, Boumedian um really a fascinating prospect for me and and especially, you know, the Jets took him so late in the first round, too. You never really know uh after maybe the top 15 prospects every single draft. It’s just kind of an open-ended uh selection there in the draft. So, that’ll be something that we’ll be watching for. Absolutely. The last Jets prospect I want to ask you about, Scott, is Kieran Walton. The year before this past one, he had 43 points in the 2023 24 season. And then last year jumped all the way up to 92. He’s a 6’6 center. Uh says he models his game after Tae Thompson. He’s a former fifth round pick. Um do you think that maybe this massive jump in production was a bit fluky? Uh and what do you think, you know, he can do this season to follow that up as he’s going back to Sudbury? New CBA doesn’t quite let him be the 19-year-old that would be with the Manitoba Moose this year. If I if I could predict that, I think the Jets would choose that. But going back to Sudbury this year, what do you think’s in uh for Kieran Walton coming off that massive year last year? Yeah, big year last year. And that was after he cooled off frankly a little bit late in the season. like there was a time about midway through the season where it looked like he was going to be a 100 point player in the in that league and obviously settled in the ‘9s and was a very very good player for that Sudbury team. Will be again this season. Should be one of the 10 best forwards in that league this year. I would expect maybe 10 or 15 best forwards in that league this year. Uh the big thing with Kieran is that he has always been able to move and he has always been able to handle and shoot the puck and it was more about okay is can he become a power forward type and that’s never really been his DNA like he’s he’ll stand up for his teammates and finish his checks but he’s not he’s not Tom Wilson he’s not Milan Luchich either right like he’s not a he doesn’t have that meanness to his game he’s not a super sort of hulking presence despite how tall he is he’s a bit of a wanky kid, but he’s a good athlete and he can skate and he can make plays and he can handle the puck in tight and I saw him tow drag a few defenseman and rip a wister for some pretty goals last year when I watched him live and and obviously on tape as well. and um because he’s an OHL kid, he’s a player that I saw a good amount last year and uh I was I was really impressed with the season that he had and the way that he elevated and I think he joined that he joined that group with with Lambert, with Salmonson, with Jagger, with um with Barlo, you go down the list now with Boumedian, um Kibraov, like that that’s that’s their core group now. And there were some other players who had positive years for them. Kevin he had a really positive year in Niagara and should have another strong year in Niagara coming off of a good rookie tournament a year ago. Uh he plays fast, man, too. Like he’s he’s another kid who can skate. Um so there were some positives from that draft. I know they didn’t have in in 2024, they didn’t have a first round pick and their their first pick of that draft was actually Alons Frey who should be a part of the World Junior team this year and is a good player in his own right, though I’m not sure what he is as an NHLer. Uh but they had some some positive developments from that class with with he and with Walton as late round guys. So uh credit full credit to to the the Jets scouting staff on those two because even if he or Walton just become good AHL players for them or maybe a callup option somewhere down the line. That’s good value in I believe the fourth round for he and the fifth or sixth round for Walton. Right. So, um, yeah, lots lots to be excited about and and at the end of the day, in to to quote the former, uh, Leafs, uh, head coach Mike Babcock, he’s he’s 6’5, 66 every time he touches the ice and that’s, uh, that’s not going to change. That is not going to change. Absolutely. And Kevin He uh, you talked about him a little bit. He’s got a little bit of Brandon Tanv in his game. At least that’s what I’m seeing. He’s just fast, fearless in the corners. And then last year, he added a bit of offense, too. So, that was a positive development. Um, and yeah, I I like how you touched on Alons Frey, the Jets first pick in their 2024 class. Uh, and then Walton and he both from the same class and both late pick. So, um, again, lots of upside with Kieran Walton, the guy who’s 66, has that combination of skill um, and going back to Sudbury this season. We’re here with Scott Wheeler from the Athletics. Scott, just before I let you go, I just want to ask you a quick question on looking out from the Jets prospect pool kind of leaguewide. I mean, you cover all the prospects across the league, the draft every single year. What are some prospects that when you know fans are just watching hockey every other night that you are really fascinated to see how they make the pro leap this year, maybe contributing to NHL rosters or AHL rosters across the league? Well, it’s this is a copout answer, but I think the most interesting young players, maybe the two most interesting young players to watch in our sport right now, or this season at least, might be Lane Hudson and and Ivan Demadov for me. Uh I’m I’m I can’t wait to watch what Demov does. I I think he I know they’ve sort of tinkered with whether he’s going to be on PP1 or PP2 in Montreal, but I think he’s the front runner for the Calder this year. Uh I know he’s not making the leap to pro hockey. Obviously was a near point per game player in the KHL last year despite only playing 13 minutes a night in the KHL. Um but the the talent level of Demidov is really exciting and I think because Russia hasn’t participated in the World Juniors because the the average hockey fan hasn’t seen these players as much and maybe hasn’t hadn’t heard quite as much about Demodov coming into the league as they had Matt Vichkov for example. Uh, I think they’re in for for a real treat. And he’s going to be the player this this sort of kind of player that that finds the score sheet and finds it in in flashy ways and is on highlight reels on Sports Center and all of that. So, uh, I’m I’m very excited about Demidov. I know that’s the obvious answer. There are others that I’m excited about. I’ve always been a big proponent in Zayn Perk who looks like he’s going to start the year in Calgary. It seems like they’re going to run McKenzie Weaguer there on PP1 to start, but I not to go back to Lane Hudson, but I think it’s only a matter of a time where we saw it last year, right? Mike Mat ran PP1 to start the year in Montreal and then lo and behold, 20 games into the season, it was like, well, maybe Lane Hudson should be doing that. And I I think we’re going to see the same thing potentially play out with Mackenzie Waguer in Calgary this year where he starts there and and Zayn’s going to that that unit is going to belong to Zayn pretty quickly if he sticks in the NHL. Zayn is also eligible to play at the World Junior. So, they’ll have a decision to make. The LA Kings did it interestingly, if you remember, with Brandt Clark a couple of years ago where Brandt Clark played the first 30 or 40 games of the season at the pro level with the NHL team and then went to the World Juniors and then after the W World Juniors actually went back to the Barry Colts and played the second half in the OHL. So, I I could see that for Zayn Perk, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Zayn takes off either. And I think Zayn is one of the most electric talented offensive defenseman that I’ve scouted in now 12 or 13 NHL drafts doing this. Um Zayn is a special special talent. Like I I think we’re going to see him maybe not do what Eric Carlson did in the prime of his career where Eric Carlson became a 100 point guy, but I I don’t think like 70 points that kind of like I don’t think that’s out of the question. And I don’t think he’s Shane Gostas Bear or Mike Green, some of the guys who did it strictly through power play and through all offense. There’s the perception out there that that’s what Perk is, that he’s Tony D’Angelo or Mike Green or or one of those guys, Shane Gospar. And I think I think he’s going to defend in the prime of his career better than that. So, uh, those I know those are those are big names, but those are the two probably Demidov and Perk are probably the two two young players who are making the the jump this year that I’m most excited to watch. Yeah, Deidov. We saw the Jets play the Canadians in a prospect showdown game in a soldout Bell Center and every time he touched the puck, the whole crowd was cheering for him. He had a goal and an assist that night. He’s he’s such an electric player and those Canadians fans know it. uh they they are more excited than anyone to see what that kid can do. And he’s uh he’s an electric player and I I’m excited to see what the Habs can do. They have such a young, fascinating, exciting team. I thought that was a great answer um going into this season. Uh we’ll see what they can do. Just lastly, uh Gavin McKenna is making by the time this interview comes out, Gavin McKenna will have made his debut for Penn State, projected number one overall pick, gets thrown in the same, you know, topic of conversations as the Bedards and McDavids of the world as the next generational prospect. What are you expecting from Gavin McKenna this year as he looks to, you know, solidify that number one prospect status and have a great year at Penn State in the NCAA? Well, we now have a barometer, right? It used to be that if you were a point per game forward as a as a true freshman as a 17 or 18 year old freshman, if you were a 40 45 point guy in 40 games, you were in the running to be a first or second overall pick. And we’ve seen over the last couple of years, first with Adam Fantelli and then with Mlin Celibbrini, that bar get raised from 45 points to 60 points, right? And so now I think that’s the measuring stick. We saw Fantelli hit 60 and we saw Celabbrini hit 60 and I think that’s the barometer for a great season for Gavin McKenna. They’re non-conference schedule. So Penn State when they’re playing their schedule outside of the Big 10, it’s a joke. They’ve they’ve lined it up so it’s a joke. It’s been a joke the last few years. The schools that they play in their non-conference schedule are among the easiest non-conference schedules in the country, especially for a Big 10 team. Uh, now he’s going to have some big tests in the Big 10, right? The Big 10 is now the dominant conference in college hockey. He’s going to be playing Michigan and Michigan State regularly. He’s going to be playing Wisconsin, Minnesota. The Big 10 is is the real deal. Uh, Notre Dame, I think, is going to take a step over the next couple of seasons with their coaching staff under Brock Sheen there. Uh, they’ve got money to spend in NIL and they’re going to be a you’re going to see some big recruits declared to Notre Dame in the next 12 months here. Um, but when they when he’s not playing in conference, I think there’s going to be some opportunities against schools like Lynenwood, etc. where he’s going to have some fun nights and that’s going to be that’s going to get him into the conversation. The the other challenge for him is that obviously with the World Juniors, he misses a month of the season and he misses college hockey games as a result. So, uh, that makes it even harder to get to that 60 point plateau that I think is the new sort of measuring stick. If he’s in the 50s, it’s still a very good season. He’ll still be one of the leading scorers in college hockey. Uh, 60 is pretty rare, but I think he’s capable of doing it. He’s been as productive at the junior level as Connor Badard and Conor McDavid were. uh he’s not viewed as that level of a prospect largely I think because he’s a winger more than a center and because he hasn’t yet done it at the international on the international stage like he just didn’t elevate in the world juniors last year for example like Connor Badard did at the same age so that plus this year’s world juniors and him doing that like he needs to for him to live up to the hype he needs to not just be one of the best players and most productive players in college hockey this year and help Penn State back to the Frozen four for the second time in their program’s history. He also needs to have a dominant world juniors because that is the event for these players and we’ve seen previous players including Mlin Celobrini and obviously Connor Baddard elevate in those moments and we still haven’t seen that from McKenna. He did it at U8 Worlds. He scored a natural hat-tick at U8 Worlds and obviously helped Canada come from behind in a stunning sort of fi late fiveminute power play in the third period against team USA in a game that they looked like they were going to lose. Gavin McKenna won team Canada that U8 worlds with a little bit of help from a hit from behind from Trevor Connelly, but he didn’t do it at Helinka. He wasn’t just an unstoppable force at Helinka in the way that Connor Bard was, for example, and he didn’t do it at last year’s World Juniors. And so there there are still some tests there. He he is not I don’t think he is yet viewed as that sort of generational prospect. I think he’s viewed as a first overall prospect. People would likely sort of draw lines between him and Jack Hughes for example at the same age. But I don’t think people yet see him as Austin Matthews, as Connor Baddard, as Conor McDavid. Uh and so this year is for him to to demonstrate which which tier he belongs in. And I’m fascinated to see how it all plays out. not just at Penn State, but into the World Juniors because Canada coming out of two quarterfinal losses, they they need a gold medal this year and he needs to be their best player. Yeah, absolutely. Canada looking to get back on track with the World Juniors. Every time you bring up or or anyone brings up the Bard run in Halifax, I just get chills like that was just thinking back on that it was every game, man. Every game I I joke about it. I my colleague, a buddy of mine, Josh Clipperton, he’s the Canadian press reporter, and I I joked with him throughout that tournament that the tournament’s 11 days long. And he wrote he wrote Connor Baddard all 11 days because he he just he was the story every night and he scored every night. He made the biggest plays of the tournament and he singled. It would be three. People forget it would if if well Thomas Militch Thomas Milichu Yes. Thomas Militch in overtime of that quarterfinal game against Slovakia made a diving diving save. And if not for Thomas Militch and if not for Connor Badard, we would be talking about three straight quarterfinal exits, right? So uh yeah, I’ll I’ll never forget that tournament. I’ve been to some some unbelievable world juniors. Mason McTavish off the goal line in Edmonton obviously comes to mind. A kill Thomas’s golden goal in Ostraa. Um the fight at the end of the Sweden uh USA gold medal game in Goththingberg a couple of years ago. But that that that Bard run was different like he just and even the year prior at the canceled world juniors as a 16-year-old he wasn’t supposed to be on that team Canada. they weren’t expecting to put him on that roster and he scored four goals against the US Sports Allstars in their in their camp and they just had no choice but to put him on the roster as a 16-year-old. So, I’m hoping we can see a moment like that from from McKenna where he just says, “This is my team. This is my tournament. I’m the best player in this age group and I’m going to take over.” Yeah, absolutely. I’m hoping for that, too. Um, and the World Junior is always one of the best times of the year as a hockey fan. uh when all the countries take it take take it on with the uh the under 20 roster. Scott, this has been an absolute blast. Thank you so much for taking the time. Before we let you go, plug what you’ve got at the Athletic coming out soon. Maybe the stuff you did over the over the summer as we are, you know, closing the book on the offseason. I particularly enjoyed this prospecti list where, you know, scouts ranked a lot of the young players in the NHL. Let people know where they can find your work and what you’ve got cooking at the Athletic. Yeah, we’re we’re full steam ahead now. I’ll be in Brford this weekend for uh an embed story that I’m doing with the Brford Bulldogs that I’m excited about. They’re the favorites to win the OHL title this year at entering the season. Uh I’ve got another one coming up with the Sagenos Spirit that I’m that I’m really looking forward to. Uh I’ll be at Penn State Michigan State in early November for that series uh at Michigan State, which I think is is going to make it interesting. The school that Gavin McKenna said no to. uh and the Monsters and and the their fan section there, I think, is going to let Gavin McKenna hear it and they’re going to come prepared with some chants and it’s going to be a lot of fun that weekend uh in East Lancing. And then from there, we’re we’re right into the World Junior season and se they’re not doing a selection camp this year. They’re actually just going to name the roster this year uh and and avoid doing the selection camp with the US sports team. But uh we’ll be right into their sort of training camp, if you will, and then before we know it, it’ll be Minneapolis. And obviously the storyline is that Canada’s trying to bounce back and that the Americans are trying to go for the first time ever for the three Pete. So looking forward to that. Yeah, that’ll be awesome. And we’re looking forward to reading all of your coverage throughout this hockey season and through the World Juniors all the way to next year’s draft. Thank you so much, Scott, for taking the time and joining WSC Sunday Live. Really appreciate it. Cheers. So there he is, Scott Wheeler from The Athletic. We really appreciate him taking the time letting us know his thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets prospect pool and he brought up there at the end the save that Thomas Militch made uh that ended up you know leading to the Connor Bard goal in overtime and Canada went on to win gold at Halifax. I asked Thomas Militch about that. We will get to that conversation a little bit later on but let’s bring in Liss Liss any takeaways from that conversation with Scott. always great insight uh as he you know covers the leaguewide prospects but has a good pulse on the Winnipeg Jazz prospect pool as well. Oh yeah, Scott Scott’s the best and and that was such a great conversation. Kudos to you for facilitating a fantastic interview there. I think my biggest takeaway is that I’m intrigued by how high he is on Sasha Boom. I think that, you know, you and I spoke a ton about how irritated we were, I guess maybe that’s the right word, about the Jets hanging on to that pick and not sure how high leverage of a piece of a late first rounder is going to become to make it worth holding on to that when you could have used it as ammunition to bring something else in to really move the needle at the deadline last year. But sounds like they might have gotten a really interesting one with that pick there. So I think the fact that you know someone who is as in tune with the American college you know system as Scott is is as high on Sasha Biden is obviously with reservations but I I liked what he had to say about Sasha one of the prospects in the system that I know the least about just because we haven’t seen much in terms of of game play from him since he joined the one by Jets organization. Yeah, absolutely. And anytime, you know, like he’s he was 17 when he joined the NCAA last year and played and then Scott alluded to him getting better in the second half of the season and being one of their best defenseman. Like that is the development that you want to hear for the youngest player in the NCAA. Like of course there’s going to be growing pains uh to start the season. But if he’s getting better as the season goes on, that’s all you can really ask for list. We do have segments coming up a little bit later on. We’ve got our first ever Chuds Powersports Power Poll. Super excited for that. We’ve got trending up down. We’ve got burning questions, but before that, we were at Manitoba Moose Media Production Day and we caught up with Colobby Barlo and Thomas Miller. So, why don’t you tee up uh your Colby Barlo interview for people and we’ll play that one first. Yeah. So, that was a ton of fun this past week. Massive massive shout out to the Mediter Moose team, to Daniel F, to Colin Peterson, to all those folks who who set up a fantastic day and you know, we got to have some really great conversations with the guys on and off camera getting to know them a little bit. I think everyone’s really excited for the year ahead. As you’ll hear throughout these interviews and some of the other interviews that we’ll share over the coming weeks, everyone’s pretty aware of the elephant in the room that last season wasn’t so hot for the Manto Moose. I don’t think anyone was really pleased with how that year went. It was a little bit of a one-off for them and they they really are looking to bounce back this upcoming year and bringing in some new pieces with potential to have a massive impact in the lineup like Kobe Barlo is going to be huge for that. So, uh yeah, let’s uh let’s get into this interview here. Yeah, let’s do it. Here’s uh here’s Liss sitting down with uh former Winnipeg Jets first round pick Colobby Barlo making the pro leap this year to the Manitoba Moose. Welcome to Winnipeg Sports Talk. I’m Liss. This is Colobby. Welcome to the show, Kobe. How you doing? Thank you. I’m doing good. Yourself? I am doing wonderful. I’m glad that you’re here to uh to chat with us. Yeah, me too. First full season in Winnipeg coming up here. Tell us a little bit about what training camp was like this year. You know, it’s not your first time here uh in the fall with the big club and everything, but what was this year like for you and your experience at training camp? Yeah, training camp was awesome. Um, and I think I learned a lot and developed a lot over this over the summer, uh, on a personal level and then, um, was able to bring that to training camp. Um, you know, show show the progress I made and, you know, just enjoy it as well. I played in a couple preseason games. That was awesome. Um, one at home, one on the road. So, you know, the road was the road was cool and flying and everything. And then obviously playing in front of the fans was was special. So, um, yeah, it was it was awesome. I learned a lot and now just um ready to get going with the moose here. Yeah, you got into a couple preseason games like you said. Couple of nice goals whether it be in the scrimmage here and the preseason games. Good showing. A lot of people are kind of chatting about how good of a camp you had. How did you feel at camp and how how it felt kind of taking that step like you said? Yeah, I mean it it feels pretty good. um you know, a lot of a lot of hard work, a lot of um hard conversations just over last year and and going into the summer on what I needed to do, what what needed to kind of happen with me and my body and you know, just just for me to progress, right? So, um you know, I think I I took a great step and um you know, showed in in some ways and just want to continue to to build off that going into the season. Yeah. So, walk us through what that offseason kind of looked like for you. You know, did you spend a lot of time on the ice? Was it more off ice stuff and how you kind of prepped in that way that you wanted to? Uh, a lot of it was was off the ice. Um, I went to my trainer Andrew Jones. He we had a great summer. Um, you know, we we built a plan and we executed it and um, you know, it was a it was a lot in the gym and then obviously a lot on the ice as well, just making sure everything stays sharp and working on my skating. So, um, yeah, a lot off ice and and still on ice as well. How has the Winnipeg Jets organization kind of been supporting you through wanting to continue along that progress that you’re making and making sure that you’re equipped with the tools, the resources you need to kind of keep going now that you’re here, new province, new organization, and make sure you’re continuing on that trajectory. Yeah, they’re they’re amazing. I mean during um you know not just last season but every season um you know Jimmy Roy and um Mike Keane they’re they’re talking to us throughout the entire season but you know uh last year um at the end of last training camp with the Jets that it could talk with Arie and Chevy and um you know Wolfie on just what kind of need to happen over over that year and then over this this past summer and we put together a great plan. and Wolfie helped me a lot too with um you know workouts during the season last year that that helped me get to where I am now. So, um they’ve all just played a a huge role in in developing me and helping me get on the right path and um you know, just continue to do so. Yeah, I feel like when you know you’ve spoken to whether it’s Jets in the past to Connor and myself talking about you know becoming more wellrounded in your game and working out different aspects of your game, everyone knows you got an incredible shot. There’s some real offensive gift there that has been on full display through your junior career and we’re definitely expecting to see that here in uh with the Manitoba Moose this year. But in terms of getting your game to be more wellrounded, become a more complete package of a player. What are some of the stuff that you’ve been working on to really improve in all those different areas? Yeah, it’s a lot of little things that that add up. I mean, um, you know, getting pucks off the wall and in the D zone and just making that that first pass out or or making sure you win the blue line and and get it out in the defensive zone and just managing, you know, both blue lines and the red line, just stuff like that. And obviously winning 50 uh 50/50 puck battles. Um, you know, everyone’s bigger and stronger going in. And um, you know, you got to be make sure you’re ready to to win those and compete every single night on those. And then obviously be really good defensively. I mean, you want to earn your your coach’s trust in that in that in that zone. So, you play certain kind of minutes and um you know, I think that’s a big thing that that I’ve been working on. Yeah. So, last year obviously you went uh to a new team, new coaching staff, new situation that you’re working with there. Got to play some playoff games, all that good stuff. Now you’re coming back here for another new coaching staff, another new team. You know, it’s a big jump going from junior to pro. What are you kind of expecting to be one of the bigger learning curves of making the pro jump this year? Uh, I think just, you know, the pace of the game and and um, you know, it’s a longer season than junior as well. Um, and you’re playing kind of heavier games in a sense just with the players that are out there. So, I think that, but um, you know, I know the coaching staff pretty well now. Um, you know, through through past camps and um, the uh, AHL staff is the staff that we bring to that I had at rookie camp. So, um, learning from them and having them on the bench for, you know, a few games already. So, it’s it’s nice, uh, you know, already know them through through all the camps that I’ve been through so far and, um, I was just excited to get started for sure with them. We’re about a week away from the preseason or, pardon me, the season opener here. You’re going to have the home opener against Laval. What does a successful start to the season kind of look like for you of getting your feet wet with uh, with the Manitoba Moose? I think just continue to build off camp. Um, you know, kind of like I said before, just being good defensively. Um, you know, making those little plays that that matter. Um, and then just in the offensive zone. Um, you know, try to do what I do, get my shot off, get to the net. Um, you know, get tip goals, just kind of stuff like that. Just um, you know, playing hard. Yeah, for sure. There’s another 2023 firstrounder making the jump from the Junior Leagues to the AHL this year with you and Braden Jagger. obviously someone you’ve gotten to know over the last year or so. What’s it going to be like kind of being able to kind of take that leap together, support each other through the pro jump and and what it’s going to be like playing with him? Yeah, for sure. We’ve kind of already been talking throughout camp and and whatnot, helping each other out and different situations and, you know, stuff that’s happened in practice, working on stuff after practice together. I think we’ve already been doing that, which is which is awesome. And then, you know, it’s it’s nice to go through that with somebody and and relate to somebody. You know, if you have a bad day or whatever it may be, you know, there’s a guy that, you know, could be going through the same thing as you. And um you know, we we come to the rink together pretty much almost every day. So, a lot of lot of conversations. He’s a great guy and um you know, we’re both just really excited to to get going and make the jump. Yeah, I think there might be some potential for some five on- five pairings there or maybe some power play between the two of you together. What do you like about his game and his skill set as a player that you think maybe you guys could kind of work together on the ice as well? Yeah, he’s a he’s a great player all around. I think um you know he’s a he’s a complete 200t player. He’s a great centerman. He’s uh great on draws. Uh he’s got a really really good vision and and plays with the puck and he’s got a great shot as well. So, he’s just a really really good uh well-rounded player and um you know it’ be exciting if I if I had the chance to play with him. Yeah, I think it’s uh going to be really fun for Jets fans, man fans to watch. I think they’re looking forward to that kind of youth injection into the lineup, but there’s also some new veterans joining the group as well. What do you think it’s going to be like kind of getting this group together? There are some guys who have been around before, maybe who were on the team last year when they had a little bit of a down year, but really looking to kind of get off on the right foot as a group with some new blood and some existing players. What do you think kind of is important for you guys to make sure you’re setting the tone right off the bat as a group to make sure that the season is a success for all of you? Yeah, I think just coming out uh together and and prepared on um you know opening night. Um all the older guys and the guys that have played here have been awesome you know talking to them and and learning from them and just kind of you know hearing what kind of the the situation was last year and obviously um you know everybody wants to to have a better year and and get going as a as a group together. So it’s exciting that you know everybody’s ready to come in, everybody’s hungry and u get a new season going and have a great season. Yeah, I think everyone’s kind of looking forward to it. Your first full season here in Winnipeg. Has anyone been giving you any kind of recommendations of whether it’s things to do or places to try food or anything like that? You’re getting into your first full season here in Winnipeg. Uh we’ve been trying to find some some restaurant. I heard there’s a lot of great restaurants around. So, um yeah, we’ve been trying to find some some good restaurants. Using the younger guys kind of and um you know, just just kind of taking in day by day and kind of learning as we go. So, no, it’s been awesome so far. That’s good. Well, thank you so much for joining us on the program. We wish you good luck on the season and uh thanks for being here. Yeah, thank you. So, there he is. Winnipeg Jets first round pick Colobby Barlo. List caught up with him at Manitoba Moose Media Production Day. Uh Liss, your your thoughts on that conversation. I mean, we we talked to a lot of the players. We have interviews coming up on next Sunday’s edition of WS Sunday Live as well that we’ll play for people. Um but a great interview with Colby who looks motivated for this season. Yeah, I really liked a lot of the the answers that he gave about uh in particular. I loved what he said about what he likes about Braden Jagger’s game. I’m really looking forward to that pairing. I think they’re going to be really fun to watch. Hopefully, we get to see some five on five reps from them, but we’ll definitely get to see them together on the power play, which will be really, really fun. Saw some nice connection between the two of them at camp, and I think we’ll continue to see that. And I think that just kind of in general, it’s um it’s great to hear how excited he is about the the upcoming year and the acknowledgement that there is a jump between going from junior to pro. So coming into that with the right mindset and the right mentality of what you need to do to to stay in tune with yourself and your team to be successful, I think is really important. And it sounds like he’s in the right headsp space for that. So uh we really appreciate him jumping on the program with us. Absolutely. Yeah. Thank you again to Colobby Barlo and to Dan Frink and Colin and all the people there at the Metatum Moose for facilitating that interview. But that wasn’t the only one. I caught up with Thomas Militch a little bit later on in the day. Uh we talked Well, here I’ll just get to the conversation. I don’t I don’t need to tell you what we talked about. You can just listen to it. Um coming up on the show though, we will have our first ever Chuds Powers Sports Powerpolls in the Western Conference. So that is what our power poll is going to be on. Um, and then we’ll have our trending up down burning questions. And then we will wrap the show. Uh, and I’ll get down to the rink to maybe hear some news on Cole Perfetti and potentially Jonathan Taves. But before we get to all of that, here’s my conversation from Manitoba Moose Media Production Day with Winnipeg Jets prospect goalender Thomas Militch. Hey everyone, welcome to Winnipeg Sports Talk. My name is Connor Rabchack. Super pleased to be joined today at Manitoba Moose production day by goalender Thomas Militch. Thomas, how you doing today? I’m doing well, thanks. How’s camp been for you so far? You’re here with the Jets and now with the Moose. How’s it gone for you so far? Yeah, camp’s been awesome for me so far. You know, I really enjoyed my time with the big dogs and, you know, hanging with those guys and seeing how they operate around the rink, how they, you know, just the the professionalism that goes into everything they do. And, you know, obviously now back here with Moose Camp, I’m excited to get going with the guys and, you know, start building that chemistry right away. Absolutely. Yeah. And I I’ll ask you about the upcoming season later on and how you felt last year went and all of those things, but starting on with Jets training camp in these past couple of weeks. The Jets do have the reigning NHL MVP and he plays the same position as you as goalie. How often are you talking to Connor Hellbuck, bouncing ideas off of him, and what is he like on on a day-to-day basis? Yeah, Hel’s been awesome for me, you know, especially as we have a couple young guys that, you know, get to interact with him on a day in day basis and, you know, he’s just super chill guy that’s, you know, willing to talk about anything. You know, if if you want to pick his brain about a hockey specific detail or if you just want to talk about fishing away from the rank, you know, he’s he’s always down to have a combo with you. And, you know, he’s just an awesome guy. And I’m sure Eric Hry is an easy guy to talk to as well. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. We we have a lot of fun in the ice together and, you know, it’s also fun. I love his game and love learning for him as well. Another big storyline in in Winnipeg Jets training camp is the addition of Jonathan Taves, you know, multi-time Stanley Cup champion K smith winner. Did you have any interactions with him and what is sort of his presence in the locker room that you noticed over camp? Yeah, know it’s been really cool, you know, getting to interact with him as well. And you know, myself, I you know, was bit of a Blackhawks bandwagon back there. they were winning championships and so it’s cool to, you know, see him in person and, you know, just like I said about Heli, he’s just such a chill guy that’s willing to interact with everybody and, you know, introduce himself and make friends. So, I think he’s going to be a great presence in the room for the Jets this year. And, you know, obviously his leadership background is huge as well. Yeah, we’re the same age. I feel like everyone in that 2010 run, 2013, 2015, whatever, he was the guy from Winnipeg. He was the guy coming up. I’m sure you watched him a lot growing up. And if you say you’re a Blackhawks bandwagon, then absolutely, right? Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. That’s uh that’s good. I mean, Jonathan Tav is one of the biggest story lines here at Winnipeg Jets training camp. The last thing I want to ask you about Hella Buck is obviously you’re talking to him. You’re bouncing ideas off of him. He’s he’s a veteran now. He’s well, uh into his, you know, 32year-old season. um you are different styles of goalenders and I wanted to ask that cuz Hellbuck you know he’s made a career and and an MVP career off of being you know big and boring always being in the right spots and he’s you know 6’4 a little bit bigger you’re a little bit more athletic smaller you jump around the crease a little bit more is it easier or tougher to kind of learn from Helluck because of the differentiating play styles or do you kind of take some and and and leave some else out of uh of the advice that he gives you yeah I think that’s the biggest thing that you know Wade Flity as well has mentioned as well that, you know, he’s not trying to coach me the same way that he coaches Hely. So, you know, there’s still so much I can learn though from a guy like him. You know, just how good he is at filling space in the net and, you know, really just understanding what it takes to close down those angles. So, I think, you know, obviously we’re not going to play the same way, but, you know, there’s still lots of more broad philosophies that we share and it’s just really cool being able to pick his brain and seeing how he approaches various things and comry, for example, how he might play that same situation differently and I can learn from that a lot. Yeah. And Comry, I’d imagine, is a little bit closer to your play style as well, being a smaller goalie, a little bit more athletic. Um, another goalie that I wanted to ask you about with the Manitoba Moose is Dom Deentis. I mean, he’s another younger goalie drafted uh a year before you with the Winnipeg Jets. How nice is it to have another young goalie in the system that you can kind of bounce ideas off of uh with him and and kind of develop at the same time together? Yeah, absolutely. You know, Dom and I have been great friends the last couple years, you know, working through the organization here and, you know, I think that’s just going to keep going. You know, he’s a he’s a great guy and we get along well and you know, I think like you said, having another young guy that’s in a similar situation to you to, you know, talk about stuff with and you know, just go through it together. So, I think we’re we’re going to have a good year this year. Absolutely. Um, the last thing I want to ask you about, and we’re going back a little bit here, um, before we talk about this upcoming season, is your run with Canada at the World Juniors in Halifax, I mean, Jets fans, obviously you weren’t with the Jets at that time yet, but once you got drafted, looking back on on that, um, what do you remember from that tournament? I mean, obviously you guys won gold and it was in Canada in Halifax. Incredible atmosphere. What kind of stands out to you when you look back on on winning gold with Canada? Yeah, it’s crazy how long ago that’s already how much time has passed already. But I think the biggest thing is just the atmosphere there of be playing in front of, you know, hometown fans and, you know, I think that’s something that I really felt a lot coming to Winnipeg here is just the passion and the fans and the crowd and, you know, I think really just knowing that there’s a whole country behind you is pretty special thing. Yeah. and that, you know, the past couple of years a after your guys’ gold medal, Canada’s lost in the quarterfinals. And people will forget it would have been three straight years had you not made a save in the quarterfinals against Slovakia in overtime. An incredible diving say. What do you remember about that overtime specifically cuz it wasn’t the only overtime either in the medal rounds for you guys in the gold medal game, too. Yeah, I remember honestly not really having that big of a sense of panic in that moment cuz I think I just had a lot of faith in our team and you know looking back now obviously realizing what what could have happened and how it could have played out differently but I think just having a lot of trust in the guys in that room and you know obviously looking back now at where a lot of those names are playing and the success they’re having it’s you know it’s hard to hard to believe we could have gone any other way. Yeah. Yeah. And obviously Connor Baddard was on that team and set a ton of records. I mean, what was it like watching him go on that crazy run from the crease out out scoring the goal in overtime against Slovakia and things like that. What was that like? Yeah, I know he’s somebody that I’ve known for quite a while, another British Columbombian. So nice. Yeah. You know, even in the summer here, I get to skate with him. So, I think it’s just, you know, one of those things where you always knew that was going to happen and, you know, just seeing it all come together. It’s It’s pretty cool to watch. Absolutely. Yeah. So, now moving on to this season. Uh, last year you bounced between the AHL and the ECL with Norfolk, posted a 935 save percentage with Norfolk. Uh, this season, what are kind of your personal goals for the season as you embark on a new year with the Moose? Yeah, I mean, obviously a goal for me this year is to have a lot of success in the AHL. You know, last year, you know, personally and then as a team it didn’t go quite the way we planned to. So, I think really just keeping that momentum going from last year. you know, I had a great finish personally and then the team down in Norfol did quite well as well. So, you know, I’m really excited about the guys that we’re bringing in this year and all the guys that are coming back and, you know, it’s feeling good around the room. And I’ve asked a few of the other guys today about the balance. You know, you mentioned some of the veterans there and some of the younger players like Kobe Barlo, Brady Joerger are making their pro leap. You add that in with veterans like Samuel Fogamo, Philip D. Jeppi, Jared Anderson Dolan. Do you feel like the team has a good balance of good veteran presence and those young players that will come along as the season goes on? Yeah, absolutely. I think that’s huge for a team to have a good balance like that of, you know, like you said, the the younger guys that are just getting into it, they’re excited to, you know, take on the pro journey and of course the more veteran guys as well that, you know, can guide them in the right direction. So, I think it’s going to be great for us and, you know, just seeing the the vibe around the room has been really good lately. So, I’m excited to see where that goes. What’s some of the talk around the room? I know the Jets like they’re big into fantasy football. Do you like what is the talk around the moose? Is it NFL? What what dominates discussion in the room? Yeah, it’s it’s a little over the map. It’s not one thing necessarily, but a handful of us from last year have a fantasy league going on that gets talked about quite a bit. How’d you do in the fantasy league? I think I’m I’m 4 and one right now. Oh, there you go. Knock on wood start. There you go. There you go. Okay. Uh the last one I have for you today is just you guys talk about bouncing back from last year. How key is a strong start to the season really uh hitting the ground running in the first couple of months here to avenging what was a down year last year and hopefully a better year this year. Yeah, I think it’s huge. You know, it’s something that you want to start off on the right foot no matter what you’re doing. And you know, I think this year there’s a lot of confidence in the room for having a start like that. And you know, even if you know, things don’t go perfectly, I think, you know, there’s a lot of resil resiliency in this group that, you know, we can turn anything around. Well, thank you so much, Thomas, for taking the time. Best of luck this season. Really appreciate it. Very much. So, there it is. Thomas Militch, Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose goalender. Uh, drafted late a few years ago. Uh, talked about that run with Canada. Um, a a crazy one with Connor Bard and Halifax. And Scott Wheeler brought up in his interview that if Thomas Militch hadn’t made that save in overtime against Slovakia, we’d be talking about three straight quarterfinals uh losses for Canada at the World Junior Championship. But we have Thomas Milish to thank for that. Uh all the best to him and Kobe Barlo uh in this upcoming season for the Manet Moose. And we’ll have more interviews next weekend as well. Uh but a big thanks to Colby and Thomas for taking the time. Yeah. No, it was uh fantastic to to get to hear from them on that. So, it’s uh shout out to shout out to them. And uh I I loved hearing from from Thomas Milage about the different perspectives he had of working with the different goalies and goalie coaches and all that sort of stuff of balancing. You know, you don’t have to be exactly like each other, but finding ways to work on your skills and improve in the areas that you need to improve in, but also turn your biggest strengths into your competitive advantage, right? Yeah, absolutely. That was one thing that I did really want to ask him was the differentiating play styles of Hellabuk versus Militch because yes, Hellabuk is an MVP and and you obviously want to pick that guy’s brain, but Connor Hellbuck’s 6’5 and is always in the right position or 6’4 and always in the right spot. Thomas Militch isn’t. He’s, you know, more athletic, jumps around the crease. So, I thought he had a great answer on that. And Wade Flity, uh, of course, does a a great job as we know. I mean, he he was say also the sky’s blue like my god. as we know he does a great job with goalenders. So, um yeah, great insight there from Thomas Militch and Kobby Barlo. Uh let’s move on to our segments and we are so excited to have Chuds Powers Sports on board with us here at Winnipeg Sports Talk and WST Sunday live and they are sponsoring our Chuds Powersports PowerPole. Now, I’ll get to that in just a moment, but Chud’s Powersports the website is just so incredibly extensive. Um, our WSD Sunday live powerp is brought to you by Chuds Powersports, Manitoba’s premier powers sports superstore. Chuds features the best in ATVs, snowmobiles, boats, RVs, iceous. There is so much here at Chuds Powersports in Gimly uh and on their website. You can check it out right here on the screen behind me. Um, they have so much uh there on the website in addition to massive parts department for all your needs. You’re always welcome at Chud’s Powersports. Serving Manitoba for almost 80 years or over 80 years, almost 90 years I should say. Uh almost into their ninth decade. So they’ve been around quite a while and they have so much here. My family’s big campers and uh even we haven’t seen half the stuff that they have on their website and in Gimy. So pop by and see them in Gimy at the corner of Highway 8 and 231. And if you can’t pop by to Gimly, uh, go check them out at chudspowersports.com for their website. And yeah, I mean, just look behind me here. There is so much here. Uh, super super pumped to have Chuds on board with us. And list, that brings us to our Chuds Powersports Powerpool, which is a brand new segment on WST Sunday live. And I will say next weekend we’re going to be ranking Winnipeg Jets goal songs. And I can’t wait for that because we’ve done that the past number of years. We’ll know the goal songs next weekend, so that’ll be great. But this weekend, we ranked our consensus between the two of us consensus. Top five teams in the Western Conference. So, here it is. We got the Dallas Stars at one, Vegas Golden Knights at two, Colorado Avalanche at three, Edmonton Oilers at four, and despite all the injuries, the Winnipeg Jets slot in at number five after winning the West last season. Liz, uh, your thoughts on our Chuds Powers Sports Power Poll, our first one of the season. Yeah, I think I’m feeling pretty good about uh Dallas being up there. I really like that group and I think that last year the question marks that I had around them going into the playoffs, they really kind of shut me down with that, right? Like I had them as a first round exit because I had some question marks about some other variables that really proved to be huge positive difference makers for them. So, I think that uh going into this regular season, they’re they’re going to be really fantastic. And then kind of in the same vein of the central division, I think Colorado’s got a lot of really great pieces as well. I think the wheels are falling off. I think that we’ve seen the best of what we’re going to see from the Colorado Avalanche, but they just have such a high floor in terms of what their team is capable of doing. And then I I can’t in good conscience take the President’s Trophy winning team from winning the entire league down to like a wildcard spot. But the the Winnipeg Jets sneaking in at number five is maybe just doing some service to uh to us in our listenership. But then uh Vegas and Edmonton I think once again are the best teams in the in the West or pardon me in the in the Pacific. Yeah. Yeah, I I’m with you on that. This is I I see some people in chat. This is just the Western Conference. Um Jay Miller asking how’s Florida not number one? They’re they’re in the East there. Uh yeah, just the Western Conference here uh on on our screen. And um I I agree with the list. The only thing I think I’d change is the three and four spot. I think that the Edmonton Oilers, I think it’s a big distraction, the Conor McDavid thing. I was on Edmonton Sports Talk this past week. They told me it’s going down Monday, so I should be I should be ready. So, we’ll see you tomorrow. Um, but I I don’t know. I don’t I don’t think we can just kind of rule them out from being the best team in the West. I think they’re closer to Dallas. Uh, I I maybe even have Edmonton at two ahead of Vegas as well. Um, but I do like this Leaf. I think Mitch is going to be so good in Vegas. I think Mitch is going to be so good in Vegas. I know. And like Leafs fans all year long are just going to talk about how, oh, he’s always good in the regular season. Always. Yeah. That we’ve seen this the past number of years. We knew he was a good regular season player. You know, they’re going to have that storyline, which is fair, but then I think Mitch is also going to be good in the playoffs, like like sneaky good. Like I I just think he’s going to go to Vegas. He’s going to have the pressure off of him, and he’s just going to tear it up. And uh I I think you know people in in Toronto might be surprised but I mean they’ve watched him more than anyone so maybe they shouldn’t be but it’s all about uh changing that regular season play into postseason play. But yeah I like this list for our first ever Chuds Powers Sports Power Poll. Dallas, Vegas, Colorado, Edmonton, Winnipeg. We can update this as the season goes on too with our top five teams in the Western Conference. Let’s get to our next segment list. We got to rip through them here. We had so many great guests on the on the show that we’re going way long. I did warn people off the top that we would be going long today. But our next segment is trending up down. This is the segment where we pick one Winnipeg Jet who has trended up or down over the past week of play. Now we actually have games to talk about now. The regular season is coming up. Drop your picks in the chat down below for trending up, trending down. List, what do you got today? Start maybe with trending up. Yeah, I’m gonna give my treading up pick to Brad Lambert, which is a little bit of a weird one. I think a lot of people have been really dogging on him during camp. I know Koli Barlo had a good camp, so people are talking about him. Nikita Chipperov is is really fun to watch. And I think Brad Lambert has improved by my eye in a lot of the ways that I wanted him to. He looks a lot more poised and controlled out there, which I think is a really, really good thing, you know, and not at the expense of his worldass speed and not at the expense of his worldass putt carrying and all these different things. So, I think that with some of the injuries that have started to plague the Winnipeg Jets, whether it be the fact that Cole Perfetti is a top uh six player, which is a spot that Brad Lambert would likely need to enter the lineup in in order to have success, as well as Jonathan Taves having some question marks around him because Brad Lambert has also been playing some center. I think there’s maybe some potential for him to be a guy who who slots into the lineup depending on how Scott Arneal responds to questions about Jonathan Ta and Culper Hoody this morning. And I think that he’s people have been pretty hard on him. But I actually am liking what I’m seeing from Brad Lambert. I think he’s he’s been looking pretty good the last couple weeks. I I’m happy with him. So I think I’m going to give him my pick and see if maybe that there’s something uh that to some NHL games in his future. or who who knows who’s to say. Yeah, I I I agree with that pick. I do see a lot of people in chat saying Parker Ford. I want to, you know, use that as my second pick if I can. But my pick for trending up is Gustav Nyquis because this is another player that people were um and still are a little you know hesitant to believe in as a second line replacement fill-in option middle six kind of productive winger if you will. Um, and I thought he’s gotten better as camp has gone on. And then this past game, Friday night against the Calgary Flames, he had a goal and an assist and the Jets were down perfetti. Um, already without Jonathan Taves and I thought he looked great. He was generating offense. He was, you know, he’s not he’s not a burner. He’s not a Nikolai Eers type, but he’s a much, you know, a slower player, but more cerebral, makes great passes, is in the right spots. Uh, and I think that he has some some sneaky potential to be a solid offensive fill in in the middle six. And uh I I really thought that he played well on Friday night, which I maybe couldn’t say earlier in the preseason. I thought it took him a few games to get going here, but I’m excited to see what he can do in the regular season as well. So, I’m going to take Gustav Nyquist trending up. What do you got for trending down list? Yeah, I might toss the uh the Hanela Miller pairing into the my turning down pick for the week just because I think that you know they were with the uh the non-game group earlier this week and I think that you know Stanley and Flurry and Shen and these guys are kind of getting the the more opportunities that have come from the Samberg injury and stuff like that. So, I’m gonna give them my turning down pick just because I think uh it’s pretty evident that the team is not expecting that pairing to play a massive role on the team this year. That pairing could break up. These things could still change, but this is a weekly segment. Going to go with the two of them. Yep, it is a weekly segment and you know, sometimes some weeks are tougher than others others. Um but yeah, I I agree with that pick. It looks like they’re the odd ones out on that defense core. Um, I’m gonna take a forward that’s the odd man out up front and that’s David Gustiffson. The Jets, uh, you know, Scott Neil talked about how it was a dress rehearsal on Friday night and this was the lineup that they were hoping to go with, you know, minus Jonathan Taves and now Cole Perfetti is also out and there’s some concern there, but David Gustoson wasn’t in the lineup on Friday. It was Parker Ford who was my, you know, other trending up pick. Um, it was Parker Ford who was in in the game at fourthline center. And I thought Parker Ford looked really good. Uh, I thought he, you know, battled for pucks. I thought he showed some good poise. There were some moments where he had twoon- ones, had had chances. His goal went off his chest. I mean, I’m not I’m not here to say that he had a Kyle Connoresque snipe, but just before that, he had a two-on-one where he showed some nice poise and slid a pass over to Morgan Baron who missed on the shot and then the puck went to the point and they ended up scoring. But I thought Parker Fores looked good and I think the Jets coaching staff has seen that. Um, and and with David Gustin being out, the writing might be on the wall a little bit. He needs waiverss. Do they send him down? Cole Perfetti’s hurt now. There’s a lot of things at play here. But David Gustin not being in the lineup for the dress rehearsal and then Parker Ford playing well, I’m going to take him for trending down list. It’s interesting that you bring that up because Parker Ford doesn’t need waivers, right? And to go back to our earlier conversation of when given the choice between a player who needs waiverss and a player who doesn’t, the Jets are going to play the player who doesn’t or needs waivers and keep in the lineup. But who knows that uh that could change. Uh I did say that earlier in the episode getting into the lineup there and also getting into the lineup at the center spot is uh pretty indicative of how they’re feeling about him right now. Yeah, I did say, you know, earlier in the episode that time and time again, the Winnipeg Jets have made the decision based on who needs waivers. But Parker Ford making a team over David Gustoson, and if David Gustoson got sent down, that would be, you know, the opposite of that. That would be them, you know, choosing a player whose waiverss exempt and can be sent down uh the easy way, if you will. Uh that would be them choosing a player like that over one that does need waiverss. Again, I don’t think David Gustoson would get claimed. He’s been a fourthline player his his whole career. Really? Do you think he would get claimed less? I don’t know. I I don’t know. I’d have to think about more. But I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. If some other team out there is like hurt and, you know, they see it like I think there’s potential, but yeah, I don’t know. Yeah. Yeah. I I don’t know. That’s that’s something that we might have to to talk about on next Sunday’s edition. And I will say that there are some one burning questions coming in right now. That was trending up down. Really appreciate everyone for all of your uh your picks for trending up down in the chat below. Let’s get to one burning question. Uh we’ll try and rapid fire through these because we’ve gone 90 minutes here uh this morning. I will say the first question that I’m going to answer. It it was earlier on so I can’t really find the the comment to bring up here, but it was Gregory Liverpool who asked thoughts on our thoughts on the Florida Tampa preseason game. Last night there there was a boxing match and a hockey game broke out. Like that was absolutely ridiculous. Liz, I know that there were about one bajillion weird things that happened in that game, but I cannot get over the fact that they took a goal off the scoreboard. That’s insane. That’s insane. Like that doesn’t happen. Like that’s so funny. Like oh my gosh, I can’t like I was looking at the the penalty log and some of that’s like Mackie Savvage like six penalties whatever. Like this is insane. This is the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I love the clips of how many guys are in the box. John Cooper coming down on the bench. It’s like there’s four guys sitting on the bench. I’m like, “What is happening? This is so unserious. I I didn’t watch the game, so I won’t comment on on that part of it, but uh what the hell?” Sure. Am I right? Yeah. I mean, it was ridiculous. Uh the NHL player safety account, I’m trying to bring it up here, but it’s just hilarious this morning. I mean, um and there’s what, like two random fines, like J.J. Moser or like a couple of little Tampa Bay’s Roman Schmidt fined $2,000 for cross-checking Carter Verhaggy. Tampa Bay’s Gage Gang Calves. I don’t even know how to say his last name. Conclaves. Yeah, the A is before the L. Anyways, that that one screwed me up. $3,000 for cross-checking Evan Rodriguez. Scott Sabin will have a hearing for roughing Aaron Eblad. Like, do you see the discrepancy that I’m getting at here, though? Like, have you heard of any of those players from Tampa’s side of things? And and I know the game before Florida hurt Braden Hegel, so I think it was a bit of a get back like we’re going to target their star players and it just went off the rails, but like Yeah, I know. The one thing that I find like kind of interesting too is that like I saw a couple tweets talking about the CBA and how if a player plays after they’ve been like ejected, they’re supposed to get suspended for like 10 games. So, I don’t know what uh who it was it Mika or who was it Mika who just signed a massive extension. Um, but I also saw another thing the other day talking about how uh suspensions and all that sort of stuff aren’t super common place in the preseason just because um they aren’t getting paid for those games the same way they are for regular season games. So, you prefer to find them to actually I again it’s just $2,000 so who really cares? But if they were to get suspended and like forego salary, they wouldn’t actually be foregoing salary because they do not have a salary for these particular things. So, a lot of weirdness with this all being preseason, but also this only happened because it’s preseason. This is such an unserious hockey game. Like, rest in peace or rest in piss maybe six preseason games because like, oh my god, what? Yeah, I I’m I’m done with the preseason. Like, I’m so glad that we’re on to the regular season. Uh, next question here is from Wesley. Who’s going to have the best rookie pro season with the Moose? So, there’s uh Kobe Barlo, Braden Joerger, Jacob Julian, all making their, you know, pro leap rookie debuts in the AHL. We just caught up with Kobe Barlo earlier on in this episode. List, who do you think uh who do you think has the best rookie proseason with the Manitoba Moose this year? Maybe I’ll give it to my boy then. Maybe I’ll give it to to Kobe Barlo just cuz I think that in general he and Brain Jagger have both higher floors and higher ceilings than Jacob Julian. or maybe not floor for Colby, but who’s to say? Um, I think that there’s a lot of potential for them to have really good years. And Brady Jagger has always been a little bit more of a supporting cast member. You know, you can think about his um his experience in the WHL, some of the seasons he played there, and like Denton Mate was one of the best players that played with him and and Denton Mate was the one who was flashy and had all these amazing accolades and all these different things and and Brain Jagger made Denton Mate better. I stand by that for sure and I think Denton Mate would say the same thing, but it’s not as reflected in maybe Brainer’s point totals or all those different things, right? So, I think that the two of them are probably going to play together, but in terms of who is going to be garnering attention for it, who’s going to have the, you know, 40 goals as a young kid, Kobe Barloesque vibe, like I think Kobe Barlo is going to be the one that’s going to have the most impressive um stat line, score sheet, whatever. So, I’m going to give it to Kobe. Okay, nice. I I’m with you on that, actually. I think him cutting weight and and looking faster in the preseason and all of these things and what we just heard from him in your conversation with himless is going to lead to him having a productive season in his rookie year with the Manitoba Moose. So, I’ll say Kobe Barlo for that as well, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Brain Joerger just puts it together way quicker than Barlo does at the Pro game and goes on to have a better season. That wouldn’t shock me in the slightest. Um, Choices TK asks about the Kyle Connor contract. Dylan later on ask Casey News question mark. Um, choices TK asked with Caprioff contract with the Capri off deal. What does the Connor contract look like? 8x 12 up to 8 by14. Also, any concern? Looks like it’s going to drag into the season. We are getting to a point preseason’s done. We’re about to turn the page onto the first week of NHL hockey. Uh, like the NHL opens their season Tuesday. The Jets obviously open Thursday. I’m starting to get a little concerned that there’s no contract yet, but from what we’ve heard from the insiders, it seems as though 8 by12 is more or less agreed upon and it’s more the structure that they’re battling over, which the structure uh marates was on the show this week uh from the athletic on Winnipeg Sports Talk. He he made a great point that Con uh Connor Halabuk that is Mark Schiffley, Josh Morsy, Gabe Valardi, who just signed all of these players have no signing bonuses in their contract. And what I think Kyle Connor wants is one of these modern style contracts where the Capri soft deal, the Marner deal, the Rantin deal, they’re getting all of their money in signing bonus on July 1st and their base salary is 1 million. So their game checks are low and then they get a a massive, you know, check on July 1st that covers essentially their yearly salary. Um, and a lot of players want that. And I don’t think the Capri off contract is going to change the AAV of Kyle Connor’s contract, but I do think it helped Kyle Connor in what he wants or what it’s reported that he wants, which is all of his money in signing bonus. Um, so I don’t think, you know, I I still sitting here today think it’ll be an 8 by 12. I still don’t think they’ll have any issues getting it done, but yes, I am starting to get concerning. Yes, the Capri off deal did change things, but not in terms of AEV, more in terms of structure list. Do you have anything on the on the Kyle Connor contract reasonable? I think uh eh not really. I think um you know I I definitely could see it getting done in the next couple of days. I really do like before the season starts, you know, preseason is over now. There’s a little bit more like I I I could see it getting done right before the season starts here. Who’s to say? Um, but I think maybe my only additional commentary here is that, you know, you mentioned the 12 figure. I think it’s more likely to be higher than lower of that. If I had to choose between I think 12 is a pretty safe bet with where we’re at right now, but I think uh we’d be looking more at a 12.5 than an 11.5 if given the choice between the two. Okay, nice. In terms of likelihood. Yeah, for sure. Um, I think that’s a good way to put it as well. Um, Hely’s Rib is in chat. Do you think Hel will play fewer than 60 games? I think it’ll be right around 60 games. I know Arie said the other day that they’d like to uh shorten his workload a little bit. I think it’ll end up being right around 60. Again, the Jets might struggle out of the gate here. Who knows? Um with with all of these injuries and they might need Connor Halabuk to play a lot and and start a lot. Last one list rapid fire. What’s your Stanley Cup final prediction from Waiters 27? This is our This is our last Oh my god. This is Okay, let’s go with something a little bit wacky just to just to have some fun. I’m not going to go with the Florida Panthers and then I’m thinking about how awful the Eastern Conference is. And I don’t know, let’s go Nikolai Eers in the Carolina Hurricanes making it all the way to the Stanley Cup final this year versus uh let’s do a little revenge tour. Mico Ranton uh having some fun there. Dallas Stars Carolina Hurricanes for why not? What the hell? Sure. Nice. Nice. I love it. I love it. I’m going to go with Vegas versus Tampa. Gary Bman’s dream. I love it. Just boring. Uh well, not boring. That would be that would be an electric cup final. But I’m gonna go with Vegas. I think this M like Mitch Martner I think it I’m gonna find it hilarious when he goes off for for uh for Vegas in the playoffs. Like I I just I think it’s going to happen. He hasn’t proved it yet. Like I totally get that, but I just I I fascinated to see what he can do. We know the tool kit’s there. I know the tool kit’s there. Maybe he’s, you know, a seamless fit with Jack Eel kind of thing. So um I’ll say Leafs versus Light. I think Tampa Bay is also loaded and I think last year in the in the playoffs I said Lightning versus Panthers. Whoever wins this I was my you know pick to go to the the finals. I said that too and I chose the Lightning. So never listen to me ever again. But I said that though. I did say that too. Yeah. And I I do think Yeah. Uh Kenny’s Water Ball Tax-Free States final. That’s uh Yeah. Taxfree states. Everyone loves it. Gary Bman’s dream. Uh Vegas versus Tampa Bay. Um, that’s going to be my prediction for the Stanley Cup final and that’s going to be our show today. Thank you so much everyone for sticking around today. A little bit I know I know a little bit of a longer episode, but we heard from Scott Wheeler from the Athletic with some great insight on the Winnipeg Jets and their prospect pool. Liss and I caught up with Thomas Militch and Kobby Barlo at Manitoba Moose Media Production Day. You heard those interviews today here on the show and next weekend we caught up with even more players. You’ll hear even more interviews. I caught up with Jared Anderson Dolan. List caught up with two Isaacs, Isaac Phillips and Isaac Palter. So, we’ll play all three of those interviews for you next Sunday uh to tee up the Manitoba Moose and their opening weekend next season list. Anything else today before we wrap and uh and thanking everyone for sticking around on a long episode today? No, we had some more Sunday morning football that we had to miss because of the show and it is what it is. So, we’ll jumping into watching some Sunday afternoon fantastic showdown. Sounds like Brock Bowers isn’t going to play, but uh I think we have a great week of hockey ahead. I am so excited to run the Winnipeg Gauntlet this week with a home opener, Manitoba Moose opener, matinea against the LA Kings. I think it’s going to be a fantastic week ahead. So, very much looking forward to that. Looking forward to uh more regular season Sunday lives with you all. And just wanted to shout out everyone who is here um that stuck around for all hour and 45 minutes of this show. We had so much fun with it and we’re so glad that you guys are here. So, thank you so much for being here. Yeah, this is definitely our longest episode ever. Uh, interviews, pre-tapes, so much fun, so much content here on WST Sunday Live. So, thank you everyone. Uh, from Less Hood, I’m Connor Rad. Thanks so much for watching the stream. If you enjoyed it, make sure you hit the like button, hit that subscribe, and the notification bell so you don’t miss every time we go live on WST Sunday live at 9:00 a.m. Thank you once again to Chuds Powersports for sponsoring today’s episode and the Chuds Powersports Power Pole. Uh super excited to have them on board and to have some fun with that power pole going forward. So enjoy the football today everyone. Uh stay glued to sportswpg for injury news on the Winnipeg Jets. And listen and I will be back next Sunday with the latest edition of WST Sunday Live. Have a good one everyone.

Winnipeg Jets Season Preview + Colby Barlow, Thomas Milic Join the Show

Connor Hrabchak and Lyss Houde host another edition of WST Sunday Live! They discuss the Winnipeg Jets preseason finale against the Flames and look ahead to the upcoming season. This episode also features exclusive interviews with Manitoba Moose players Colby Barlow and Thomas Milic. Later on, they are joined by Scott Wheeler from The Athletic to discuss the Winnipeg Jets prospect pool.

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