ATLANTIC DIVISION PREVIEW ft. Matthew Knies & Eric Engels – Ep. 585

ATLANTIC DIVISION PREVIEW ft. Matthew Knies & Eric Engels – Ep. 585

Me and Ryan have been officially welcomed to the jungle. That is Basel Sports. I uh brought it toward the Coyotes and I asked him if it was okay if I joined the Spit Chicks podcast full time. Ryan Whitney got a pink Whitney out there now. Bagger. Get that on camera. Yandle the song man is a full-time member. Marley just got an assist from Chris B. Whoa. We’re buzzing right now. Honk. What’s up, boys? What’s up, girls? Anyone listening? Holy [ __ ] The NHL’s back. Tomorrow night. Tomorrow night, we get this thing ripping. It’s another season. It comes, it goes, it comes and goes, but Pink Whitney never leaves. I know. I got to shout out Pink Whitney. Pink Whitney, thank you so much. The show. Bang. Keith shows the bottle. Pink Whitney just represents. And this weather is not changing here in New England. Busy. It’s freaking 80°. It’s supposed to be 83° Tuesday. So, Pink Whitney continues to represent the summer drink and then turns into the fall and then turns into the winter and we drink it and we drink it and we mix it. Then we drink it some more. So, shout out to Big Bottle. Yeah. Keep going. Yeah. In the waves, in the waves on the ocean, on the lake or or maybe when the lake freezes over and you’re ice fishing, it spills out there. So, shout out Pink Whitney. New Amsterdam Vodka. Thank you so much. Episode 585, guys. Felt like a quick off season to me. We’re back. We’re Yeah, we’re right back into it. Wait, it sounds like you lost your voice a little bit. You’ve been screaming. No, I haven’t been screaming. I guess there’s some yelling on the bench. Go skate, shoot, pass. You know, the things you’re supposed to yell that really probably help the kids considering they have a millisecond to do it. If you yell it, it might actually help. Bend your knees, Ry. Butt down, chest up. But uh you know I I I coach with passion Biz. At least I try to. Tough weekend. Uh 0 and2 for the boys and then 0 and one in the town game. So 0 for three. But you know what? We keep losing, baby. Hey, peaks and valleys, baby. Peaks and valleys. That’s life. I’ve been telling this to people over and over. Peaks and valleys. I’ve been in some enormous peaks. I’ve been in some giant valleys. So you stay even, Stephen. And then you concentrate on your job. You concentrate on the podcast. And you don’t worry about stressing about seven-year-old youth hockey. Okay. So, yeah, my voice may be a little be a little scratchy, but I’m ready. What are the chances that Ryder ends up on a team that goes to the pee-wee tournament and you’re like, “This is the tournament that I won when I played pee-wee hockey.” I I those those percentages right now while being quite a few years away are little low. Little low, but it’s not going to stop. It’s not going to stop me from reminding everyone that I won that tournament. Keep screaming. They just scream it into them. You just got to let them know from the bench. That usually works. Just scream at kids. They really respond well to that. Well, you you talked last week about him throwing the pizza and then on the way to the bench as you were giving him the starown, he’s like, “Am I going mini putting with mom after this? Any was there any pizzas this week? Like any tough mistakes from ridesy?” No, no, he’s giving it his all. I I I just you know like you hear uh Matthew and Brady Kachchuck say big Walt just told him attitude and effort the only two things you can control that’s in life boys literally I think it’s the only two things you can control my mom used to say attitude is everything I used to have a poster in my basement so she reinforced it washing a car and she’d also say Lord give me strength cuz I would piss her off so much so she’d look up at the sky and she’d make a fish she said Lord give me strength to deal with this strike me as a kid [ __ ] [ __ ] You strike me as a kid who was like allowed to have the the like the bikini models washing cars posters in your room. No had one in his room. No, I told the story before like I I got my my hands on like a Fox magazine like it was one of the like you know like it would always have like the center fold and like she’d have like the come target on her and you know but I would I would Yeah. No, but we we are. But I we I had these pull out drawers underneath my bed where I would hide the magazine. So, no, there was no posters like that. Uh, sorry, Ant. Sorry, buddy. Sorry for He asked me about the posters. We’re not previewing the Atlantic division. We’re um we’re going over the best uh magazine issues of Fox Center, whatever. Yeah. Best center folds. uh Biz’s top 10 MVP uh candidates along with his top 10 hustler uh title covers that were ever released. So yeah, I’m celibate now. So I’m I just had to get that off my chest. You know, those are I didn’t want to remind you cuz then it might trigger some old behavior, you know. Yeah, that’s right. That’s true. That’s true. Um but what were you up to this weekend, Yans? More lacrosse, more What were the girls getting into? Uh yeah, had lacrosse, but no no games, just practice this weekend. Um yeah, pretty low-key though. Got get got some stuff. Got the decorations out for Halloween, which you know, top three uh holiday. I love Halloween. It’s so fun. But uh yeah, got the decorations going this weekend, but kind of one of the last weekends. You know, we got something going on in two weeks in, you know, the kids lacrosse, the tournaments are starting up next weekend, so it’s kind of the last weekend to really chill. Yesterday I watched a ton of college football which was great. Uh and then you know just getting ready for uh today. What was the what was the highlight of of the college football? Like what took the that Arch Manning kid’s kind of struggling a little bit. I saw that unfortunately. Yeah. I kind of feel bad. It’s more Penn State. Penn State’s the joke. Now we can get into the positive sides of Penn State and we’re going to do that later in the episode because we have a freak on our hands. We have a um a complete full-blown freak of he was in my city in Gavin McKenna who’s not only nasty at hockey which we all knew he’s he’s a he’s a little [ __ ] too on the horns down he’s talking [ __ ] I I really like that but the Penn State football team talk about a pathetic pathetic team they lost to UCLA I don’t think UCLA had led a game for one second this season they were 04 biz Penn State was supposed to win the national title they lost to UCLA. So all these Penn State people I see on Twitter, they’re down bad. So it’s on to hockey for those and he’s and they’ve also lost backto-back weeks, haven’t they? Yes, they lost or they lost a big game and then a bad game this weekend. So are they done? Like is there no way they make that top 12 team thing? Oh man, it’s tough in college football considering none of us know that much at all. I would say yes because the UCLA loss will be that bad unless they somehow I think they play Ohio State. I think that can get him back in the mix. I could be making that up completely. But guys, I wanted to also mention my weekend last night was awesome because um you guys know who Brett Young is, country singer. So I I think pretty up and cominging getting bigger and bigger. He performed for the uh Thomas E. Smith Foundation, which is a foundation that it it helps out people that are affected with spinal cord injuries. And so Jake Tibo was there. He was a big part of it. I believe he’s part of the board of that. And they got Brett Young to come. It was at Park City Biz, your favorite spot. So I was right back there. I saw Jake there there when we were there for ChickL Cup. Yeah. And met a bunch of uh incredible people. Medicate from Situit, Medicaid that knows morals real well that have had these just brutal injuries that and and these they’re such reminders of um kind of resiliency and strength and and attitude when we talk about attitude and just like attacking every day after dealing with the you know the worst of circumstances. So it was incredible. This Brett Young guy was awesome. He I guess he he was a big- time pitcher. Went to Fresno State. Somebody’s telling me blew his arm out. Got into singing. He’s 66, completely shredded, very good-looking man. Like, I’m not going to lie, he he went up on stage and like me and my buddies looked over at the wives. They’re like, “Why are they all like taking pictures?” Oh, I see. His arms look like The Rocks and and I guess he was a sick baseball player, too. And then now he just sings and just loves life. So, incredible night. And I wanted to shout shout out that foundation. And yeah, we were talking a lot of hockey. I ran into a lot of people, how the Bruins going to be, how the Bruins going to I go to you might want might might not want to tune in to the uh the episode Monday where we go over the Atlantic division because I don’t have many great things to say. Now G will come on and he’ll talk about them and we’ll get into all those teams. But the biggest news of the week, he should be saying [ __ ] tank for for McKenna. I don’t know how you’re not. Yeah, the argument is one guy actually I shouldn’t say I don’t know how you’re not cuz somebody told me how he’s not. He told me it’s just such a crapshoot. Tanking is such a crapshoot. You lose, you don’t win the lottery. Boom. you get third overall like and then you’re what do you tank again for the next guy coming? Yeah. And people are already saying that no matter what he’s going to the Penguins because Mario you guys know that timeline. It was like 40 years ago then 20 years it was Sid and then now this year it’ll be McKenna. So I think I said that timeline on this show 20 years each biz. Yeah. Yeah. Shout out. Um, so I just can’t get over and I am so excited for the players in the National Hockey League and all the young stud 16, 17, 18 year olds. They’re going to make this league and build this league moving forward cuz they’re all going to make a shitload of money. I saw $17 million a year for Carell Capri off. that that is that is like uh not only record-breaking in terms of average annual salary and total dollar amount for the contract but just more like a shaking of the foundation of the league and salaries I think forever now you’re a top dog you’re a top five player in the league you ain’t getting less now we’ll get into McDavid and him possibly taking less and what that means but it’s not going to go backwards guys and I was so excited for him I I mean, he he bent over the wild in a in an odd sense because they had already told him, “We’ll give you anything you want.” We’ve mentioned the blank check he had. So, Biz, initial reaction from you. Uh, what do you think? Yeah, some people were saying, “Oh, this is going to, you know, age poorly and and and it’s too much. He’s bleeding his team dry.” I I don’t agree with that. And you got to think, too, like he wasn’t making much money when he first came in there and he was their best player dominating. So, he’s got to make up a little bit for lost time. And I think that he’s earned the right to get that money for what he’s provided that organization. Uh like and also I I believe they’re done with the amnesty buyouts, correct? This year those are off the books. So that’s another reason. If they’re not off the books, it’s very low now. Like it’s not a big hit anymore if it is. Yeah. So I I think it’s a totally fair number. And especially for a team like Minnesota where like who else are you going to give the money to? I don’t think that they’re going to have the ability to attract like like big-time free agents, nor do big-time free agents ever really go to market anymore. And if they do, I don’t think, no offense to people in Minnesota, like I don’t think Minnesota’s necessarily a landing spot. I love Minnesota like that. I mean, if if I had the ability to sign and and and you know, they might be in my top five list, but I just, you know, and another thing, he’s worth the price of admission. Like, he is a one-man band. like he could play with two average players and still help drive a line. So when you have a a a like you said probably a top five if not for sure top 10 player in the league and all of a sudden the cap’s going where it is and for what he’s done there prior including on years where he was making peanuts like now now I believe he’s he’s in the last year of his $9.5 million deal. So he’s being paid appropriately as we speak. But I I I think it was a no-brainer. And as you mentioned before, I think he knew exactly the type of leverage he had, not only from the owner’s comments, but I bet you there was probably 10 teams that would have paid him what he just signed for, if not more. I’ve heard of one for sure. I heard Philadelphia was going to offer him whatever he wanted and including like loaded in bonuses where it’s all all protected. So, um, good for him. um an incredible player and and as we said before, he’s he’s worth the price of admission. So, yeah, I I mean, I don’t know how you feel about this one, but hard to hard to disagree with what they gave him. Yeah. Hun, I just think it’s a great thing, like you both touched on, great thing for the league, guys getting paid, what you know, you look at other sports, what guys are making, and I just think it’s such a great step for these big dogs to get paid, right? And like you said, Biz too, like to be in Minnesota, like Billy G is probably the best GM in the league. Everybody loves him. Everyone wants to play for him, but it is it’s Minnesota. It’s freezing cold for 7 months. Like they’re not getting the guys that you know other teams can go out and get every year. So, it’s it’s one of those things you have to pay the guys that you that you have that you’ve drafted that you have and develop. Like Faber, he’s going to be the next guy that gets a monster deal. He’s going to sign a huge huge He’ll probably He got one. He got the big one. He got I think it’s only eight and a half and half. Wasn’t it only a fiveyear deal though? No, I think he signed a big one. One, two, He’s got five more years. Okay. Yeah. So, I mean like he’s going to when when his deals up he’s going to be the highest paid D man. I’m sure at that time like cuz they have to overpay to keep these guys like I think once guys go there they love it, right? Like you see all these guys stay there. Like they love playing there. They love being in Minnesota. But it’s, you know, it it’s a big number to look at, like, especially us. Like, we were in the league when the top end guys were making like six million bucks. So, it’s like looking at it right away, it’s like, oh my god. But then you think about it’s like I I just think it’s so good for the league, so good for these top end players to get paid what they deserve. And, uh, you know, and you said it too, Biz, like, he brings it every night. Like, he’s not taking nights off. If he’s in the lineup, he’s bringing it. He’s bringing entertainment to your city. He’s bringing entertainment every single game. So, I think it’s a huge win for both sides. And um I I really hope he didn’t keep his agent when the owner of the team said, “Hey, you can have whatever you want.” I hope he just said, “Okay, I’ll I’ll handle this one.” I know. God, I didn’t even think of that. Now, he said no to the 16 million a year. And Minnesota’s like, “All right, how’s 17?” Like, and it probably would have continued to go up. And the main thing, the best question I saw that was posed in terms of why it was a great signing is like all right, do you overpay him or do you lose him? Like that’s a no-brainer. Like all of a sudden that organization if he was gone it, and I’m not trying to be mean, it’d be like, wow, like they’re they’re kind of a joke. Like they had this one gamebreaker that they somehow got in the fifth round, fourth round, whatever it was, and now he’s not there. Now he that could have been up to him and it could have been out of Minnesota’s control where he was like, I don’t want to be here. But you keep going. You pay you pay your superstar and and I think as long as he’s healthy, he’s a top five player in the league. That is a legit worry though that he gets injured a lot. And also, how many how many teams in the league where if you take away one guy, they go from being a probable playoff team to a nonplayoff team. And I would say that that they are up there. Like I mean they they were at the top of the league last year and I believe he was hurt for a little bit there. They they now mind you they had a lot of injuries mounting at at a certain point last year when all of a sudden they started dwindling where people thought maybe they wouldn’t even make playoffs. They ended up scooping up the I want to say the wild card where they ended up playing who the first round Vegas. Yeah, Vegas. So you if if they make playoffs as a result of him then it’s easily worth the 17. And I just kind of look at where he’s at now and then if you’re an Oilers fan looking at Dryidle making 14 thinking holy [ __ ] that is no all I thought that is I thought I thought Rantin and Colorado that’s another one and like holy [ __ ] man you could have just paid this guy 12 million that now rantin and and that’s like I think it’s natural to be like are you [ __ ] crazy like you sign that deal and then you’re all of a sudden like wait What? I I’m I’m a huge bargain. Like, that’s just how these guys are wired. That’s how, you know, I think top end talent, not just in sports, but in entertainment, like you want to be paid what you’re worth. You see a guy you consider, you know, uh, you’re even with, and you’re like, “Wait a minute. He just got 17. I just got 12.” So, for me, it’s more Colorado. You didn’t want to just give him that knowing what this landscape of this cap was going to do. And this is the first signing of showing us that this these new cap numbers, which I’ve also read apparently will be like 113 next year and 120 the year after where it was supposed to be 113 million in two years, like could be even more than they’re already saying. But by by them coming out with the the future cap for the the first time ever, I I remember I don’t ever remember hearing like cap in advance two three years. That was huge for the players. That’s that’s how you know he ends up getting this deal. I think I I also it’s it’s crazy how much more the the agents and players are in the know as time has gone on too. I mean there was a time in the NHL where guys didn’t even know what each other made and they and they wouldn’t talk about it either. Like that that to me is mindboggling where you know certain guys were obviously getting like big time bent over. I mean the the the the most famous one being I believe that Bobby Yora was offered a a percentage of the team, wasn’t he? In Boston. I think that’s the story. Yeah. Allan Eaglesen just a just a dirt ball dirt bag and and I believe he never even told them. I mean as as we’re going to talk about moving forward here, man. Like even like like Luke Hugh’s deal, the Lome deal, like these guys coming out of entry level even have these teams by the balls now, let alone uh like hitting free agency. So, uh, just a remarkable, uh, um, record- setting contract and and also very very welld deserved for for Carl Capri off. Yeah, it’s not like they’re just giving him the money just to give it to him. Like, he’s proven himself every year. He he drives the bus there. He puts asses in seats, so he he deserves every penny of it. And his July one every summer for the next eight years is going to be [ __ ] phenomenal. Um, yeah, we should. It’s like he makes like a million bucks a year salary, right? It’s like 18 18 then like 166 16 16 it’s it’s unable your financial advisor is like yes the your the Russ Imagine the Russian parties that guy’s going to throw like forget Eden Putin’s card you’re always talking about biz Putin’s going to be using his card so an incredible day for the 18.1 every July at first until 2030. Then it drops to 16 base salary of 1 million. People don’t even cash. Those two week paychecks, you’re like, “Oh man, you suck, huh?” No, no, you got to see the one that they sent me July 1st. Minnesota wasn’t done either. Um probably like just as important of a signing maybe if if if they’re going to be the team that their fans hope they be they’re going to become is their goalender. And they locked up Philipe Gustoson. This is actually I think a very fair deal for his career number 6.8 8 cap pit um for three years I believe it is. G check out that one for me. But a monster goalie. They got him over from five years, excuse me, five-year deal. They got him over from Ottawa a few years back and two years ago he wasn’t great after a solid first year there. Then last year he was phenomenal. So I think they’re looking at a guy who’s going to keep getting better. And then I think Dustin Wolf, this deal he signed going to be a hell of a goalie. But Gustiffson’s maybe proven it a little bit more and and got less money. So, like if you’re a Wild fan on that one, I think you’re thrilled with the number that he came in at. Yeah, just more more years there. That’s probably why for the longer security for for Wolfe. But uh yeah, he I mean he’s he’s worth this number. An incredible goalie. And uh and you know, yeah, it’s uh I kind of look at him in that like that sway category like a young upandcomer who’s got jam. he’s ready to be a starter and and you know lug the mail for for probably you know 60 to 65 games and uh he’s proven that and had an awesome bounceback year and and the numbers tell him he’s deserve that number. So it’s good good for Mini though man like they they’ve solidified their goalending they got they got their defenseman of the future too uh they got their their their forward of the future and then some great pieces around him. I mean, even like the Baldi deal, like that that looks incredible for for he’s a 4040 guy, um, according to Billy G and and really he’s proven that. So, uh, just some some remarkable signings and and Billy G has really really changed a culture since he’s been there and it’s a testament to him and what he’s building. I think Gustoson’s at that perfect age as a goalie. Like 27 is when they really start to figure it out. He’s got a couple years under his belt. like that 27 to 31. Like I mean you look at Bob like he’s getting better and better every year. Like the goalies get better and better. They age more well than players do I think. So 27 I think is when they really start to hit their prime and you know he’s going to he’s a huge guy. He’s got good big D in front of him. Like they should be poised to have a good year. I love watching them play and it it’s a different story when Capriov’s out but that that building’s electric. We were there for the Frozen Four. We’ve we’ve played in that building. Awesome fans. I want them to do well. And the good thing for for their fan base looking at it like they got everyone locked up basically. I mean, Duchella has one more season and it sucks he’s going to be injured to start the year. But Capri off, Baldi, Ericson, Marco Rossy. Um they got Felino three more years. They got three more years of Trenon, two more years of Hartman, five more years of Faber, two more years of Spurgeon, three more years of Broaddin. Middleton’s got four more years. So, they pretty much have everyone done. You know, we’ll see what Z Buouam does this year and then what he would need next summer he’d be eligible to sign it. So, um good job, Wild. Congrats to their fans. They got their guy. I was worried when he said no to 16. I’m like, he’s probably he’s saying no to that. Like, he might just not want to be there. But, um he’ll be there and we get to watch him perform and hopefully the Wild go on a run because we all love Billy G. I want to bring in Pasha now if that man is around because the devils they made news and in classic Whitney Mush form. I think I talked to Pasha about two weeks ago, three weeks ago. I said, “Hey Pasha, what’s going on here?” You said, “He’s signing today. He’s signing today.” I said, “Okay.” And that day came and went and then weeks came and went and then I woke up and I texted the group chat. What day was it, Pasha? This past week. Maybe Wednesday. This was like th Yeah, Wednesday or Thursday. It was about it was like 6:30 in the morning. You don’t look like you’ve slept. You’re out out celebrating. Posh, you got bags under your eyes. Jesus Christ. No, you look hair looks great. Thank you. You look good. Um, so I decide I’m having my morning coffee and and how is Posasha coming into my head? I don’t know. I say, “Fuck Posasha.” I say, “Hey, Pasha, what’s going on here with uh Luke Hughes? You told me 15 days ago he’d be signed.” And sure as [ __ ] not about two hours later, you sent me Elliot Freriedman’s text. It was unbelievable the No, no, not even two hours later. Like I responded immediately and then we were bickering back and forth like heated bickering and like literally mid bickering I got the notification that he signed. It was unbelievable. I I I started laughing out loud. I’m like, “Holy [ __ ] I can even I can even ruin this. I can even ruin my ability to talk [ __ ] that Luke Hughes isn’t there yet.” But they got it done. Posasha. All right. Yeah. Congratulations. I think now I think the McDavid to the KHL take is more on I’ll take that one now. I don’t think the Hueses are going to all be on the Rangers. He signed this deal. Sevenyear deal $9 million and right where the cap’s going. If he turns into what you’ve been telling me he’s going to turn into Pasha could be a bargain of a deal. I also didn’t say the Rangers like this year. I said that that it could be down the road too. Now six years we’re we’re we’re playing fantasy sometimes when we come on and we talk about this stuff. Now, wouldn’t it be funny? Enjoy it while it lasts now, Pasha. But let’s say the years go by and they don’t win any hardware and fast forward six, seven years from now and the three of them are all sitting and there’s a big Rangers banner behind them and they all got Rangers jerseys on. So, I’ll let you soak it in and enjoy it for now, but let’s not discount that that could potentially happen. Sure, but you could use that same argument. Let’s say McDavid wins five cups in the next 10 years and when he’s 40, they offer him 50 mil for one season in the K. By that logic, he could still play in the K on the back half, too. So, I love this. I love Hey, don’t look at me. I was down with the McDavid to the K and I’ve been getting all those bull cuts sent over to me. Yeah, I think it I think it’s a great deal. Uh I’m surprised it took so long to be honest. Like I don’t know what each side came in the the negotiations at. I mean, I figured Fitzy would try and get them closer to eight. Luke must have been trying closer to 10, but you know, I I figured it come in around this number. And like I said in the group and you know, I think for this upcoming season, it’s a slight overpay, but then for the rest of the deal once he kind of continues to develop, it’s going to look like a steal within, you know, with the cap going up as well just for what he brings. Um, and you know that if you go look at NHL.com and you look at his points, like solid numbers, like kind of mid40s points last two seasons, but that’s him not even running the power play for the whole year. he kind of split the time with Douggee. So if what I think is going to happen and this is probably going to be Douggee last year in Jersey, if you have a full season of Luke running that power play, I think his numbers are going to be even higher. And you know, another chart, I know you love that, you know, chirp me for the charts, but uh in terms of power play production, Luke was actually the most efficient power play quarterback in the league last year in terms of or was that because he was playing second unit and and maybe playing against, you know, not the or is that running the top top unit? I mean, the second unit gets like [ __ ] 30 seconds at no second units anymore. I think that’s a newer thing. Yeah, exactly. So, well, you just said he wasn’t running the first unit. So, like where was Oh, no. Him and Douggee. Him and Douggee. But what I’m saying is whoever was running it is playing 80% 85% of that power play regardless, you know. But, um, so yeah, in terms of points generated per 60, Luke Hughes was number one in the league last year. Lane Hudson was two, Quinn Hughes three. So, he’s very dynamic. He does have some warts in his game. You know, he’s 21 naturally defensively. He’s got some stuff to learn, but just with that with that big frame and the way he can move, I believe he was actually the fastest skater in the league last year, defenseman, uh, in terms of straight line speed. So, the guy can move. He’s going to continue to round out his You mean when they chart the miles per hour thing, like the speed burst? Well, Pasha, you’ve told me that you think if if full potential is reached, you think he’s more dominant than his brother Quinn at some point in the league? No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You said that. I did not. I did not say that. When did I say that? Chicklets cop five days ago. Yeah, I think I was there when you said it. I’m staying out of this one. There is no I did not say that. Pasha, you said it. You might have had a couple in you, but you said I didn’t have one drink at Chicklets Cop. I didn’t have one drop al’s turning. We got Pasha stuffing wit in a locker now. This is [ __ ] nuts. I would never say that saying he didn’t say it. You think this kid, you know, when people black out in rage and then they don’t have no clue what happened? You know, talking about the devils, this kid just he turns into a mutant and then at the end you’re like, “Dude, why is your shirt ripped and you have a cut over your eye?” Oh, I was talking about the devils. Do you think that it it it’s just going to be hard for them to move off of Douge? And if like should they not do it sooner rather than later? Would that create a little bit of like I don’t want to say a riff, but doesn’t it make it uncomfortable where like if Douge is not playing top PP unit? Like how useful is he at the money that he’s making? Like he’s making the same amount as Luke now. I agree with that. I do think it’s risky because I think the long-term plan is to have Nemits fill that like that that right-handed Dman’s shoes. And I think like it’s a risk. I think if they trade Douge today, it’ll hurt them for this season, but big picture it’ll help them. But I think like he Douggee still brings value that right-handed puck moving D. You know I think they want to see okay like can Nemits continue to show what he showed in the playoffs last year and if he does you know maybe they dish Douggee at some point during the year but I do think like dishing Douge today would would cause a a little slight step back for a longer term step forward type. Would you be willing to do so if Nemets takes that step um throughout the course of maybe half the year where you can maybe get something in nice in return for for like up front? Like like where would you where would you like to add on this team if you can get off of Douggee? Elite top six winger for sure. They need like a a Tuck, a Raquel, a Mcken. They need like an elite guy that can just put the puck in the net. So, your dream would be to throw the absolute bag at Kyle Connor. Uh, I don’t think that’ll ever happen, but yeah, like that kind of guy. I mean, ideally a guy with a little more size like talk. I’m trying to think of like a a guy coming up at least and he goals. I mean, I know Connor’s not a big guy. I feel like he’s a big game player and he ain’t shying away from Well, evident evidently not a big enough game player to play the gold medal game for us to put Crider in over him, but that’s a story for another day. You were cheering. You were cheering when Canada lost at the World Juniors in Chicago with me. So now like which what side you on? Oh my god. What does that mean here? This is getting What do you mean? You’re chirping US. You’re chirping Canada. Like what what team are we chirping the I’m chirping the US management decision to scratch a 40 goal score in favor of Chris Krider in a series in the tournament. They need offense. All right. But that’s a different rabbit hole. So basically, but but back to your your wishes for the Devils as they get this guy locked up and you’re saying now window began like windows it was creeped open. You told me the last two years now it’s open. So you would want like Tom Wilson as a winger for the top six like that’s what you’d want. That’s your dream. Uh I would yeah I would love Tom Wilson but you know he’s talking size. I’m trying to think what you want here. I’m trying to think. I think like Tuck, like Tuck or one of those guy, like a big body that’s a sniper, like you know, they don’t grow on trees, but I think that’s kind of what they need. And also a 3C. I see Grenell in the chat. Should trade for Gino. One of my favorite players of all time. I would love to see Gino slot in as a 3C there behind Hughes. But in order for them to win a cup, they need top six winger and a third line center. This guy’s telling me he never said that about Luke over Quinn. And then he’s also putting Malcin. He’s putting Malcolin on the [ __ ] Devils. I would say you more need like I I would say you more need like a like a Nick Paul is is what you Yeah. or like Ryan O’Reilly. I could defin I know they’re interested in O’Reilly last year. I could see, you know, O’Reilly being their third C pickup halfway through the year, but I never said Luke will be as good as Quinn. That’s an absurdly high bar to set. That’s tough. That’s tough as I think Luke will be elite elite elite. Like one of the top puck moving demon in the league, but Quinn is like entering like best defenseman of all time. Has has a brother has a a brother’s ever finished uh top three in Norris voting? That’s a good question. I I would be shocked if that happened. Okay. Hey, would would you be willing to put a bet with Whit and like we we could talk about what it would be that at at some point in their careers they but they both finished in the top three. I’m certainly open to entertaining that conversation. Yeah. Well, Bis, it’s it’s it’s actually an incredible segue talking about bets. You know, Jack Hughes didn’t get the 100 points and he still owes me. But it’s fine. We just have it running. I don’t I don’t need to collect to this guy. I I need I don’t want to try to like ruin his money, so I’m just going to hold it. Quack, quack, quack. But that Yes, there’s another bet. There’s a $5,000 bet. Quack quack quack. Mr. Ducksworth. The Anaheim Ducks win a Stanley Cup before the New Jersey Devils. And the Anaheim Ducks locked up their stud lefty defenseman with the same exact deal, right? $9 million a year for eight years. Jackson Lome, the man that just playing on a bad team out west. You no one’s talking about the Ducks the past few years and all of a sudden it was like it was like every two months you’d start seeing a couple more articles about Lome and then by the end of last year everyone’s like this kid must watch and and we talked we talked today with our guy we interviewed Matthew Ny. He will be on later. We talked about him. and they played at Minnesota together and he’s telling us that this guy’s faster than he is on the ice. So, makes sense that this deal gets done. And Posasha, I had described to him like I kind of like Lome a little bit more than Luke Hughes. We were battling even more. Wow. He’s a little older, isn’t he? I mean, he is older. And I knew you’d bring that up. I’ve got their under the hood stats in front of me. And yes, offensively, Luke Hughes was better last year, but defensively Lome was miles better. But like Biz said, he’s two years older. So kind of hard to compare cuz you know one year for a young Dman like that is just is such a change but love’s game. I think it’s a great contract for him and the Ducks have a very bright future. Ryan and I think the the biggest takeaway from N is just how much he competes right and and he was with them at the University of Minnesota and and we talk about development right and sometimes these kids you know they go to college two years and then they sign the ticket and they’re out of there where this guy ended up developing all four years at the University of Minnesota. So, I don’t know necessarily if he came in as this this offensive player, but as he, you know, he he as he like developed his game and he was solid defensively, it seems as if though it progressed at Minnesota, he took on more offensively where you look at his numbers in his fourth year at Minnesota. That’s kind of the guy you’re seeing pan out with the Anaheim Ducks. I mean, 14 goals last year. He’s 6’2, 210. Probably even bigger this year. Probably put on even more muscle. Uh now that he’s 24 heading into this uh I mean, what’s going to be a big year for him making all that bread. But uh when you are when you have those types of numbers and when you’re that dominant, when your team is is young and and not really that relevant, that tells me a lot. And I I I think you’d be hardressed to find a a team with a a a healthier young core than what the Anaheim Ducks got cooking right now. And it’s led by him on the back end. They got the the the Russian kid. I always Mitnikov, how do you say it? Zelwagger. Mindovitikov. They got Zelwig. So you got three young studs on the point and then they’re also loaded up front. I mean goce they got um Carlson Senaki they got Carlson Senaki who went third overall where yeah they got they McTav they are just so so healthy and all you got to see Biz I think he is like kind of nervous about this and and you laughed at me at the beginning of this bet and now I could see you’re like [ __ ] like as the these names are getting listed. I don’t think it’s as crazy of a bet as you you thought it was. Never said it was crazy. I would say that like it’s the best team that you could possibly have in terms of like young upcoming team to have that bet with me. I pick winners. I’m I’m a winner picker. That’s about me. You picked the Rangers over the Devils in the playoffs the other year. So, I mean whether we’re talking RDER Cups, Stranglers, doesn’t matter. I pick winners, Pasha. So, I’m cold in life unless it’s against you. Against you, I seem to have phenomenal luck. So, let me ask you this, Whit. Are you are you walking back your comment about uh Lane Hudson not being invited to the US uh development thing and then Jackson Lome being invited? Um that’s not a name I should have listed when describing people that were invited over him. um leads me into another kind of uh not storyline but Lane Hudson because he’s the guy that could have resigned that we heard about for a long time and I know Montreal if they said 8 years at 9 million a year it would have been accepted and they they they dragged their feet now how can you take less than those two guys after what he just did? Uh uh I think that you’re talking Okay. Bis Bis if he again if he gets 60 more points this year. How are you taking less than those guys? Yeah, but I but I think that like if you if you’re looking for a more well-rounded defenseman, I think you’re taking Jackson Lome every day of the week. I I understand that he drives traffic. like he’s kind of more of like a Quinn Hughes, but I also think that Quinn Hughes is a little bit more rounded defensively like like and I’m not taking away and we’re going to be talking to Eric Engles later on about Montreal and what he seems from him especially in his second camp, right? Cuz he’s probably been watching him under his microscope where like are you are you telling me that that Montreal has has offered that eight that eight-year deal at $9 million and it would have been it would have been accepted. You think he would have signed that? Yeah, I I I think that they’re dumb if they haven’t offered him what those two guys just signed for. And maybe he’s maybe he’s looking at it like like you just talked about how now they’re projecting it to go to 113 and then 120 where he’s saying, “No, I’m just going to I know I’m getting those reps and I know I’m going to be playing PP1, so I’m just going to put up 65 70 points, especially for how good, young, and talented Montreal is.” And you could add another two million to that next summer. So my only thing is is I was I’m a conserv I’m a conservative guy, right? But these guys are tapped. When you’re [ __ ] at the blue line and your last man back and you’re [ __ ] doing the head fakes and juking guys, you’re you’re built different mentally, physically. So he’s probably like, “No, I don’t even want that deal. I just want to play another year and then [ __ ] bend them over for more dough.” The same probably the same way Baddard’s looking at it. Like I would be shocked if Bernard wasn’t offered 10 million. And that last year he didn’t even have that good of a year. He’s probably looking at like, “No, the cap’s going to go up as much as it is. I’m gonna have a better year.” And then all of a sudden Bernard’s looking at 123 a year. So for for Lane Hudson to to wait another year and not care about signing what Luke Hughes and Jackson Mcome just got, he’s probably going to make himself another 15 million bucks. I That’s what I think. Yeah, he could. So, it’s just I mean I Yeah, I guess you could argue that that Lome is much more well-rounded than Le Hudson, but when you look at that first year and what you think’s coming again based on being a rookie last year, he’s only going to get better. Then I I would have offered the eight times N. So, you said that as well. And you also got to think if let’s say Lane Hudson has a sophomore slump, like he’d probably still get offered that deal. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah. Unless he had like 20 points or something, you know, something just crazy happens, but I don’t picture it. The last uh news, I guess, late signing was Luke Evangelista, $3 million a year for two years. What the [ __ ] took so long? Am I biz? If if us three were in, and I get you got you got to scratch and claw for every penny on both sides trying to build a competitive team. You got to use every dollar. This has to be well spent. Us three, could we not have just been like, “Yeah, two times three, dude. You’re good. Here we go.” In July. Yeah. I I would imagine though, like I think that uh uh Trotz is a little bit like he’s he seems like he’s all fired up. He gets very testy with the media, too. I’d be curious to know what he’s like to negotiate with. um and then probably wants to be a little bit more conservative after handing over those deals to Stam Coast in in March or so and then last year panning out the way that it did. So yeah, don’t understand what took so long. Consolation prize though, he did get voted best looking athlete in Nashville this is on his team which is that that’s up for debate too, right? So, uh, he gets that nom nom, but doesn’t get the probably the contract that he wanted. And hey, man, bridge deal here and and, uh, let’s see what he can do. My only thing is he must have been asking for like a four, five, sixyear deal, and they were like, “No.” And then they settled on two, but like you said, this should have been done July 2nd. Like, oh, I missed training camp. What’d you get? Two times three. great deal for, you know, six million bucks, but it’s just crazy that he missed all Keith, we can ask you about this guy. I’ve witness I’ve witnessed him firsthand just dominate uh Mola signs in Florida and maybe the two craziest preseason games since like the 1970s were played between Florida and Tampa. Michel was a part of it in one of the weirdest scenarios I’ve ever seen. and we’ll get into it, but he signs a big extension 8 years, 5 million bucks a year, 40 million. The guy’s been a horse since he came over. Are you surprised? Are you happy with the number? Yeah, happy with both sides. I think he’s happy. I think the team’s happy. I know they love him here. He uh, you know, brings that size and and skating ability on the back end. Him and Seth Jones last year uh were great. They’ll be great again this year. So, I think he’s just one of those guys that you know what he’s going to bring every single night. What does Army call him? The Condor. Like he’s just in the way all the time. I think his offensive ability, like watch him in preeason this year. It looks like his offensive ability is starting to come out a little bit more. Whether or not he does that in the regular season, who knows? He’s not getting paid for that. He’s getting paid to shut down these big these big lines. He’s done a great job uh with it, obviously, winning cups, but uh I I think it’s a great deal for both sides. Um but I honestly think like his ceiling hasn’t even been touched. like he’s I think he’s got more to offer and maybe you look back at it in a few years and say it’s a you know hometown discount but it’s also too like you think what 3, four years ago when he was in St. Louis and then New York like if they offered him a 8year 1 million a year deal he probably would have taken it but so now it’s like good for him. He’s got his security loves playing here I’m sure. So uh all all around very happy with that from both sides. I agree with you. the the the upside on the offensive side of the puck is what kind of stood out to me, especially during that C cup run. I think a lot of that deres from Maurice giving him the green light and instilling confidence in it. You saw the one I remember the one goal where he just got shot out of a cannon and jumped up in the play in the rush and and like you said, Yance going back a few years ago with like St. Louis and and New York, would you have ever seen that out of him? He’s probably being told by coaches, hang back. Let your other partner go up and if he gets caught, he gets caught. You take the twoon-one and and simplify your game. So, uh, a hell of a deal. Um, he’s a force out there. And I think that majority, if not every single team in the league, he’s he’s in their top four. And you you just can’t replicate that size, that length, and and how quickly and and also his skating ability and how he’s able to close on guys so quickly. So, uh, I I want to say they have what now 11 players locked in through 2030 at this point. Just looking at it because they have it 11 years. They have at least five years more of Bararkov, Kachchuck, Reinhardt, Bennett, Verhaggy, Marshon, Landell, two more years of Luc Ryan and and Seth Jones, Eblad, Forsling, and Mikolaw all for the next five years. By the way, their highest paid defenseman, Seth Jones, $7 million cap hit. But Biz, think of him on the PK. Like Mika on the PK, like he’s such a disruptor. Like his stick is always in the way. It’s so hard to get in the zone. Like those little things that you, you know, most people don’t see during the game that just it pisses off other teams when you can’t get in the zone cleanly. You can’t get good shots on net. Like that adds so much to a team. And what he’s brought to this group, I think, like since he’s been here has been probably understated just because of, you know, what you know, the other guys around here. But he has been an amazing key part of this team. He’s the guy where you do the one-on- ones in practice where you’re just crossing over the the the first blue line and he’s at the red line and then he’s stick on puck and you’re like, “What the [ __ ] man? I don’t even get to do this drill.” Like, is this [ __ ] Yeah. [ __ ] you. He’s got the It feels like he’s got the ex the the go- go gadget extender stick. But yeah, there was actually no better feeling than breaking up a forward in practice early. They’d get so rattled. and I did it like three times in 10 years. But we are going to dive into to Florida or I believe maybe Tampa first or Florida as far as our our season previews. You talked about their their highest paid defenseman being Seth Jones. Their smallest defenseman is is who? Forsling. No. Yeah. Kulakov and and and uh Forsling are both How big is Kulakov? They’re both 61. One’s 210, one’s 215. Like come on. Yeah. and the other guys are [ __ ] giraffes out there. So they got they just have so much size and yet mobility and take time and space away where this is going to be a force to be wrecking reckoned with like people people obviously you can’t replace Barkov and and they will struggle a little bit with his absence but I don’t think as much as people think and you know that they’re going to have other guys this year even like somehow this year whatever they get knocked out in the first round it’s like well we still got plenty more time to get a more of those like they’re just not going anywhere. Now getting into the games, I don’t know what I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what I witnessed, but it was incredible. Like I I haven’t seen hatred like that in a preseason game in my life. And it all began when AJ Greer, I think it was Friday or Thursday night. Yeah. He I don’t know really why he did it. Like he kind of bundled Hegel, then hit him with his stick. I don’t know if it looked on purpose. Whatever you can argue that. So Hegel’s like kind of wounded and looks at him, then he just suckers him twice. Now I think Florida’s just beat the [ __ ] out of everyone for so long that going into the game on Saturday, I don’t know what was said in the locker room, but it began with a full-on mauling of Aaron Eblad. Sabarin goes in straight like I assume he’s getting suspended for that. Eblad looked injured and then it turned into a point where there was three guys on the bench remaining for both teams. It it’s it’s kind of weird like you don’t you don’t want to see people get injured. Eblad could be injured. Hegel could have easily been injured with the thing with Greer. But talk about hating each other. Like imagine the first regular season game these guys have this season. I wish they were starting off the season against each other instead of not till like November 18th or something. Let it Florida. Yeah. I think that Saburn guy Whit was already sent down to the minor or Yeah. to the miners and they called them back up to play in this game. Like they were just like, “We’re bringing in some meat.” I’m I’m pretty sure that Calder Cup team when when we won in Manchester. He’s a nail gun. He’s a lefty and Yeah, he’s enormous. Yeah, he’s a big He’s probably about Yeah. like 61 6’2 and he just throws though. Like you know those guys where they’re like every every fiber of their being is being thrown in their punch where they’re not aiming to hit you in the nose. They’re they’re aiming to put their fist through the back of your head. That’s how he chucks them. Now, the Eblad thing I I would imagine that maybe is stemming from the way that he he hit um Hegel in playoffs and him knowing exactly what his role is, saying, “Well, if I do this and I go after Eblad, this is going to be I mean, I’m probably getting called up for that November date. That’s just more NHL salary in my pocket.” So, that’s probably what’s going on in his head. and and rightfully so. And the way that after he hit him clean, it was weird how he just went over and attacked him, but I would just imagine it was because of the haggle situation and him knowing that it’s probably going to benefit him financially to invest himself in this rivalry even though he wasn’t even on the team last year. So, this is this is not going to go away. This is going to continue to be ugly and get probably even uglier. Uh, and listen, this is what this is what I wanted. This is what a lot of hockey fans wanted. Like we talk about preeason, nobody really emotionally invested. It’s boring hockey. Well, that was not. And I want I like my hockey with a little bit of violence. I’m sorry. I don’t want to just see [ __ ] tow drags. And you you even saw the other night with Fetchnikov thinking pre-season I can kind of just twiddly do twiddly dumb. No. Well, you’re going to get [ __ ] rocked if that’s the case. So, I I I think that the NHL is in a perfect spot of blended of of violence and skill, and we’re hitting just the the start of a new unbelievable era of hockey. That’s where I’m at. I love it. I love it. More violence. I I don’t I don’t love it, you know, first week of October when the when the regular season hasn’t started just cuz you don’t want to see guys get hurt for a regular season. No, I don’t want to see anybody get hurt. I want to see them punch each other’s head in, though. Yeah, but you’re saying in what you want, injuries occur. That’s just a fact. Like, and I agree with you like that hockey, it’s it’s just better to watch. There’s just it’s there’s just so much more intensity that makes like watching it that much better. But I I’ll I’ll admit like, yeah, like injuries are going to come of that. That’s just part of the game. That’s always been part of the game. And that’s why actually like playing with your head up so important. Now, both of those instances, there’s kind of nothing you can do. Like I mean Ekbad went to kind of stand him up and and he got the better of him and then he’s like I’m going I’m going in for more. Saburn that is. So it did it it did like get the juices flowing. I’m seeing the clips on my phone. I’m like what is going on down there? Yeah. Yeah. But who am I to get in the way of what why these guys hate each other? I’m just there with the [ __ ] popcorn and ready to watch entertainment. Like that’s just me. The the one like it’s it’s true hatred, right? They’re both, you know, same state teams. like they’ve both been at the top the last, you know, 10 years, 7 years. Like there’s hatred there with these two groups. And, you know, I think I think Tampa’s looking at their year, especially with Barkov and Matthew being out for a while. Like this is our year to maybe get back on in the top in in South Florida, but I don’t think Florida’s going to be a easy pushover. And, you know, they’re going to come with some jam, too. Did you see uh Matthew uh Samoske’s interview on the bench? He was like, “Yeah, you know, we’re just going to win games and play hockey and and basically those idiots over there are just going to kind of try to stir it up and that’s really the only way they can try to get to us.” So, I was like, “Okay, let’s go, baby.” Well, part of it is to like Florida embarrassed them in the first round last year. Embarrassing. Everyone thought we were going to see one of the best series of our lives. It was five games. So it’s like not only are they the twotime defending champs and and that they’ve owned you and I mean you had the Eblad hit on Hegel, you had the Kachchuck hit on Gensel. They just they dominated him not only physically but on the scoreboard as well. So I’m I’m interested to see what this uh this uh uh Sam Muscavic can do. I think that uh you know I know last year he played 72 games. Did didn’t didn’t play a ton in playoffs, right? He only had what was I think he had four four games played in playoffs. I think that he’s one of those guys that is going to take the next step. Uh just what everybody else needs, another guy popping off for the Florida Panthers and probably signing a team friendly deal. Guys, we’re talking about the best on ice rivalries in the NHL. I think it’s time to bring in someone who is a part of the best off ice riy in the NHL, which is Biz verse Lil C’s. You mean big C’s? You mean big C’s? It’s big C’s. He called them little C’s or Oh, the disrespect. I don’t know. I had him say that. I thought we were homies there, bro. How you been, buddy? I’m doing fantastic, man. You must be [ __ ] exhausted. Is [ __ ] here. Were you at the game last night, Ces? No, I actually had to work, unfortunately. But I actually had the game in the background and as I was talking to customers, I had to hold back so many times because I’m like, “Let’s [ __ ] go.” I was so jacked up. No, it’s crazy cuz I ended up uh uh meeting up with AJ Greer the night before and uh he’s he’s like, “He’s all ready for the season. We’re all ready for the season.” Man, it’s it’s going to be exciting. It’s going to suck that not having Barov. Obviously, we can’t replace him, but I think we got the depth and I think the players um we we definitely have the attitude and the grit on the team. And Matthew Kachchuck, he’s going to be back, so we’re we’re in good hands. Jeez, do you care at all where you finish or is it just what I’ve kind of been saying like they’re all figuring just get in, it doesn’t matter? I don’t, you know, in years past I think you would like you want home ice advantage, but I don’t think players nowadays really care. Um, especially with this Panther group. Uh, they just they’re just so tight-knit together. And they really don’t care where they play. They could either play in Toronto, they could play in Carolina. We saw it last year. Uh, we saw Tampa Bay, too. They had home ice advantage. Um, it doesn’t really matter because we know we have the guys to get us to where we want to be. So, yeah, I don’t think it really matters, man. Who are you most excited to see as far as like a guy taking the next step? We were just talking about that Samoscavic kid. Yeah. Is that one guy that you guys are excited about? Cuz I feel like the roster is basically the same. the other big ad uh who could help kind of like they’ve done in years past with um uh who who’s the the kid last year who start Schmidt. They always seem to take a defenseman and Petri. I was going to say uh I think Petri is going to be a key to our power play. Uh I don’t know if you guys remember a couple years ago when he was in Montreal, he had like a career year there, right? So, I think he could take the next step and and he doesn’t have to be the main guy, right? So, we got Seth Jones in the back. We got uh Aaron Gladwocked up for another six years. Um four years, I think, right? Um so, I mean, they got everybody coming back except for Nate Schmidt. And honestly, that defensive core is just they’re dangerous, man. If everybody can stay uh healthy, knock on wood, uh I really like our way their defense is set up this year. See, the the projected point total is 105 and a half. Only nine teams got 100 points last year. Usually there’s some more that that that reach that point. Would you take the over or the under? Not having Barov this year and Matthew Kachchuck’s missing a few months. Um, I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re under, but like you guys said, I mean, I really don’t think it matters where we how many points we have cuz we’ve seen how many times in the last couple of years the team with the most points don’t end up getting to the Stanley Cup. So, how much do we really want that? Honestly, as long as we get into the playoffs, that’s all that really matters, you know? So, as long as we stay healthy and then we get uh Kachchuck back healthy and who knows, Sasha really wants to come back and if anybody could come back for the playoffs, it probably would be him. Just the way he works hard and and the way he’s determined to to help this team, I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens. Well, uh big big don’t call him little C’s. Thanks for hopping on, buddy. Did you have a question there, Yans? Did you have one more? I was just going to ask. I know they got the ring ceremony and the uh banner raising. I didn’t know if Are you getting a ring? Are you going to be at the game? Obviously, you’re going to be at the game. I don’t I don’t think I’m getting a ring. I haven’t been told, but uh I am going to be hanging out with Matthew on Wednesday here at Caneswear in Florida. And then we just got a whole bunch of events down here that uh that we’re going to be doing. I don’t know if you guys heard of Bare Knuckles Ice Wars. It’s basically, it’s such a badass event. Chris Terrion, former Philadelphia Flyer, hit me up and he’s like, “Seees, we got this bare ice uh bare knuckle ice wars that we’re doing. We’re coming to Amir Arena on Friday, October the 10th, and it’s basically MMA fighting on skates.” Okay. Would you fight Biz? As long as he’s in a wheelchair with me, you [ __ ] kill him. Let’s go. Oh [ __ ] Sell that [ __ ] place out. Oh [ __ ] That’s the last thing I need. I’ve been taking enough L’s lately. I don’t need [ __ ] big C’s [ __ ] dummying me. What is it? Bare Knuckle Ice Wars. Yes. Bare Knuckle. That’s like Fizz’s career’s documentary name. Yeah. Um, since we have you, I was going to ask you like about this rivalry with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Uh, do you do you see it continuing to evolve and 100? They didn’t really do like kind of like you guys, they didn’t weren’t able to do much this off seasonason because they pretty much have their group set. Uh, do they scare you at all? Do you feel like maybe they they’ll have the advantage this year, especially with no Barkov considering how they deep they are in the middle of the ice? They might have the advantage during the regular season, but let’s see what happens in the playoffs. If if Sasha ends up being uh coming back towards the playoffs, you know, a full healthy bar, that could be dangerous. But let’s not forget, who do we have on our team that we ended up locking up for six more years? Your arch nemes, your arch nemesis, Brad Marshan, king of the rats. What a what a great addition. and for him to stay here. Now, I know last year and towards the end of the season, towards the playoffs, he was a third line guy, but I think they’re going to ask a little bit more of him here in this beginning just because we are missing Barkov. And I think not just him, but a lot of the players and like you said there, Biz, um, Samoskevich, I think he’s going to take a big step forward. He he’s got a lot of offensive power. He’s fast. He’s gritty. And I think him his two-way uh ice, the way he plays two-way is getting better and better every year. And we saw it towards the end of last year, too. Big C’s, be honest. Do you think Marchie’s actually going to play six years or do you think they’re circumcising the cap? I mean, would you put it past him? I mean, f the youth. F the youth. He’s in the sun every day down here. He might play eight more years. If anything, I I’ll I’ll lend him my wheelchair. I mean, do you in my chair? Are are you open to some form of punishment if he doesn’t play all six years in order to circumcise the cap? Are you open to punishment? I mean, but don’t players do that all the time? They they retire early. I mean, are we going to punish every team that has a player that’s going to retire early? Sure. Well, he wouldn’t retire. He wouldn’t retire cuz he wouldn’t get his money. Sure. If we if we end up winning two st two more Stanley Cups, why not? Biz if he if he you’re basically you’re you’re punishing them if he retires. Brad Marawn crack an egg on my head if he plays another six years. But I ain’t I don’t think it’s happening. I think you guys circumcise the cap like you always do. It’s right back to the no state tax. You guys just find ways to weasle your way into victory. But the cap is going up every year. I mean, you guys have enough room to to make something happen. I mean, you guys weren’t able to sign. We can’t do it anymore. We can’t throw anybody on LTI. They already stopped that. I know. So, I mean, and now they got guys signing deals that they won’t even end up playing out to get their [ __ ] number underneath. Yeah. Well, I you know, I’ve been saying they should have done that a long time ago, especially when Tampa won it back then. So, I I don’t really mind that um because I thought that was kind of a disadvantage. So, um we just ended up playing the game here the last couple of years. And if for them to take it away, it’s okay. It doesn’t matter. We still got the players out there. We still got uh Rodriguez. We still got um Marian and all those other guys. And don’t forget about Anton Landell. He’s only what, 24 years old. I mean, the kid is still young. The kid is still has a lot of juice. I mean, put Anton Lindell on any team. I can guarantee you he’s a first line, a second line center. Edmonton. Edmonton. Third line. Um, I just put you in a spot to just dunk on me. You’ve owned me two years in a row. I just thought of one team that might not work. You still haven’t um congratul Yeah. You didn’t we see each other at game? No, I saw I came over and saw you. Yeah, Biz Biz was nice enough to I [ __ ] got season tickets this year for stuffing me in a locker. By the way, thank you. I really appreciate it, guys. Yeah. How many did they give you? Did they give you just the one or they get you a pair? They got me the pair. So, we really Let’s [ __ ] go. So, what are you going to do with the other ticket? Are you going to like maybe like pay it forward and and maybe bring some fans from your podcast? Like how are you going to operate your extra ticket? Sell it, make money like Biz would do. No, I’m not that much of a douchebag. Okay. [ __ ] you. You [ __ ] cap circumcising. Take them back. Take them back. You want to start this again, don’t you? You piece of [ __ ] Listen, I’ll get my tickets. You want me to get my tits done? Let’s get big off. Let’s get big C’s with fake titties. Big C’s. Great seeing you, buddy. Great seeing sucking on those fake titties once Mar see you big C’s Cer. God damn. You see big C’s, you’re talking Stanley Cup hockey and all of a sudden you’re talking about him having fake breasts. That was just He also said, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.” Right to your face, Biz when talking about cap circumcision as you call it. Well, I I’m very interested to to hear what you guys think of Tampa. That’s the next team here. Well, let’s make our prediction. Like, I think you’d have to be a complete [ __ ] to not think that Florida will make playoffs. Um, I actually see them see them given the fatigue, given how strong the division is, um, as well as the conference, I could see them maybe only getting a wild card, but if I if gun to my head, I’d probably say third place in the Atlantic for the Florida Panthers. So, for sure, nob brainer. They’re in the playoffs. What about you guys? Yeah, obviously I got them in. Uh I I got them higher than a wild card just because you know the additions that they made talked about Petri a little bit. Um he’s been a number one guy. All their D besides probably Kulicov have been a number one guy at some point. Maybe Mika as well, but like those guys know what it takes. They’re going to have to win from the back end out. Like Bob’s going to be amazing like he has been. Fun little fact, the backup that they get Terasov, is that how you say it? I don’t So his dad, Bob, Bob’s favorite goalie growing up was Terasov’s dad. And then Terasov’s favorite goalie growing up was Bob. So he’s going to come in. He’s going to be trying to impress his goalie mate, trying to He’s He’s been over in Europe the last few years. So I think he’s going to, from everything I’ve heard, he’s had an amazing camp. He works his absolute nuts off. And you know, he’s going to be a guy, too, probably get more games than, you know, maybe another backup might get just cuz Bob’s getting older. But I think he’s gonna, you know, not a lot of people talking about it, but I think he’s going to have a great year. You know, just a lot of uh, you know, stuff to fight for for him, I think. And then just winning from the back end out there. D are built to win games. Their forwards will fill in. Like we said it all last year. Like that third line is a second line. This year they’re going to be a second line to start the season. We’ll see what they can do. But I got them in. I got them pro. I I got them higher than a wild card, but I got them in and making a good run as well. Yeah, obviously I have them in Biz. That’s surprising. So you said maybe wild card if not third in the division. That means you got Tampa and Toronto in front of them. That would be my I have Yes, I have. Yeah. All right. Correct. Um Yeah. So Florida, I got him in. I got him in. I got him being top three in the division. I don’t know where to say yet. I think Toronto’s winning the division. I’m getting ahead of myself, but Biz Tampa Coup’s team. Yes. And congrats to Coupe. It wasn’t announced, but he has signed an extension. I talked to him in the summer. He did let me know and like he’s like, “Don’t say anything on the pod.” And uh I refrain. He says, “Don’t say anything, you know.” Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, I do it for my friends. I I I stay loyal like that from my my close buddies, ones that don’t call me Biz idiot and and and have a [ __ ] t-shirt of it on national television, banging the banging my face on the drum. Um, but going back to Tampa, I think the biggest thing if they are going to finish in that second spot in the Atlantic because we all know the Leafs are taking the first spot is Vaselki. Uh, not the best game last night letting in seven power play goals or six, whatever it was. But if he can get back to somewhat of his old ways, uh, with that back end that they have, that back end is on the back nine. They’re not exactly spring chickens anymore, but with Victor Hedman, Mcdana, Churnack, uh, uh, Radish, uh, they got some big big strong demon back. Lillberg’s a big kid, too. Who’s this? Sorry, Lillberg. He’s a He’s a big dude. And that JJ Moser was good. I like [ __ ] nice, dude. He is nice. and he they got him in that Sergeev trade where obviously they had to get some money off the books in order to sign Gensel, but I just really I think it’s a sneaky back end. I don’t think it’s talked about enough. And then you look up front, man. Like right now, obviously they have Hegel listed on the IR, I’m sure he’ll be back ready for puck drop. And then once Nick Paul at third line center, like that is a [ __ ] pretty lethal top nine forward group. And these guys all know how to play with one another. um they know each other’s tendencies. Their power play is absolutely filthy. Uh special teams really. So I just this is a welloiled machine and I see a different result even come playoff time with uh next year with this group. So I got them second in the Atlantic and a no-brainer for Coupe and the boys to make playoffs. When they were when they were like going to the cup finals and winning the Stanley Cup, it was their depth like Coleman uh Pat Maroon at the top of his game, Yanni Gourd. So Yanni Gourd’s back, right? So it’s almost like, hey, this guy like he knows how to win. We know him. He comes back. Yeah. A few years older, but then Borkstrand, who I I think he was hurt in the playoffs, wasn’t he? He’s pretty good when he when they got him over from Seattle. So they’re third line. And then listed right now playing with them is is uh Connor Geeki. So I don’t know if you’ve seen the goal he had, Biz that spinarama. He’s like highly skilled. He’s enormous. He looks a little like he’s not the smoothest skater, but I think has high-end skills. So, if he took a leap, I really like this team. I mean, I’ll never pick him again against Florida in the playoffs. I I just won’t do it. I did it this year. I picked Tampa, but I still think they’re eas Yeah, they’re top three in the division. Um, and then also when you think of Colorado and Edmonton and Minnesota, like you think of McKinnon, McDavid, Didle, Capriov, like there’s also the Cooerov factor, right? Like we it’s it’s now we’ve just become so accustomed to 125 points like ridiculous highlight reel plays every single night and in the top three of MVP. It’ll probably be no different this year. So I I like the team. I I can’t believe that was a boss move just never announcing Coup’s extension. Like kind of hilarious. I love it. Just flying under the radar. I know. But the fact one insider didn’t get that news, it’s it’s it’s great. Um, I I do agree with you on that depth uh comment as well, Whit. Like I think that they’re pretty stacked. Like that Holberg who was in Toronto, like I really like the way that he skates. Like him playing fourth line, I think that’s a great slot for him. Yanny Gordle get bumped down when Nick Paul’s in the mix. Borkstrand like these like having those types of names in your bottom six with that top six forward group is is lethal. I mean Celli probably probably top 10 defensive centerman in the league. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, he’s a selky guy where like unreal 200t game. So they just I I just look at this group and they’re stacked and and even that Gurgensson kid um is he was the one that was in Buffalo, I believe, for a while. He’s a good penalty killer. Um you know, helps out with the intangibles. So I just don’t see a lot of holes in this group when they’re healthy. And uh it’s kind of it it it’s also like Florida, too. It it helps you when there’s not a lot of turnover, especially from the the core group, right? There’s not the a lot of like in-n-out in and out. They’re just kind of filling in holes. So, just two two healthy teams in South Florida ready to [ __ ] beat the wheels off one another. Yeah. And big thing, too, like I I think Chernack and and Mcdana are one of the best shutdown pairs in the league. And, you know, in that division, you have to have guys like that to shut down those, you know, the big guns in the in the Catlantic. But, um, yeah, like you said, like Braden, uh, what’s it? Cutrov is one of four players to record 80 plus assists in three straight season. He will join Gretzky coffee and ore. Uh coffee and ore streaks stopped after three years. So he’s looking to do it for the fourth time which only Gretzky has done which is insane. Guess how many times Gretzky did it? 12 13. But it’s like to to get 80 assist every year. This guy and you know we’ve had guys on they talk about the way he works on his craft and getting pucks off the wall, making passes. like he’s putting in the work every year. You know, he’s going to bring it every year. Being the MVP conversation and especially watching those last two preseason games, they look like they are pissed off that their throne has been taken and they want to get back on the top and uh you know, I think that I honestly think they’re going to the win the Atlantic this year. Sorry, Biz. I don’t I don’t think uh Toronto’s going to do it. So I I think they’re going to be a a hell of a team this year and and you know led by led by Cooerov point and then the the two studs in the back and Hedman too. Heman looking to have another 60point season like he was a stud last year like not even talked about that much but and all those guys too besides you know Cucharov like those guys are fighting to be on the Olympic teams they’re they’re fighting to I mean a lot of them are shoeins but like they’re looking to prove themselves in the beginning of the year get off to good starts. So, it’ll be a fun fun uh fun start to watch those guys and and Vazzy kicking as well. And they have the um just like the sneakiest assassin in Jake Gensel. Like the guy is just an absolute gamer. The bigger the game is, the better he plays. So, all of us have everyone Pittsburgh wouldn’t sign him for eight times nine. Yeah, that that’s one. And now they and then now they’re now they’re sending Graves down on that deal that deal that they signed him to. Yeah. Is that a sixy year deal? That is a Yeah, I believe like five or six years at four four and so another as much as I wanted to put Dubis back in the good books for for the good deed he did with Flower and bringing the band back together. Now he takes another L. Well, [ __ ] We could talk we could talk now about a team who’s taken L’s since 1967. That’s the Toronto Maple Leafs. And Biz, I’m going to say something to you. I think the bet of the year in NHL futures on DraftKings is the Toronto Maple Leafs over 99 a half points. I think they’re an absolute wagon. And I don’t even hate the 19 to1 odds to win the Stanley Cup when you’re talking about value. It’s a hell of a squad, Biz. No, I’m not messing about. It’s deep. It’s heavier. It’s great. I don’t love the D, but they’re not bad. I don’t love the D. I don’t love the D. They haven’t had changeover. At least they’re still the same guys. Like every year it’s like we need we need different D. They at least have the same group. And Morgan Riley’s lost a little bit of weight. He looks unbelievable right now. And and and he he I believe is their highest paid defenseman. He’s only making 7 million. That’s the one knock you could say about the Leafs is they don’t have a true number one back there. But I just love how it’s been distributed like the the the the not only the money but the ice, right? You got Tanv, Unreal Shutdown guy, one of the best in the league. I like the way that Benois evolved. He plays a a heavier physical game. Um McCabe, like I I I love him. So you just need them those guys to hold the fort back there. And I kind of said what I had to said as far as my piece last podcast about guys buying in uh locking in stolers. The one thing that does scare me a little bit is the fact that I don’t know when Wool’s going to be back and I feel that they do a good job of splitting the net to allevi alleviate a little bit of pressure off of Stallars and not having to play him so much. I think that the boys will battle their [ __ ] off for for Rhymer. Um it was crazy stat too. I I it was over 3500 days since Rhymer had played a game for for them, right? Oh yeah. He was there so long ago. Yeah, it was it been over 3,500 days and as they got beat by Detroit the other night and he he let that one in overtime. But uh uh I just like I said I I love this group. I think that they’re built better than last year and I think they’re poised to win the Atlantic and and go on a run to the Stanley Cup finals. That’s it. Like I don’t need to I don’t need to give the double wristers out. I said my piece last pod. If you want to listen to it, go. And and and also I always get the like, oh, this much time of Leaf chatter, we can [ __ ] move on to our unbelievable uh interview with Matthew N. I don’t give a [ __ ] I’ve already said what I got to say. You seem triggered about the lease. I haven’t even played a game yet this year, Keith. I ain’t [ __ ] triggered. I’m just I’m defending our Yeah, he gave you a compliment and you’re yelling at him. No, no, I’m not talking to him. I’m talking to the [ __ ] idiots talking is talk about the Leafs. Actually, to be quite frank, we didn’t talk [ __ ] at all last season about the Leafs during the year. You did on TNT. That’s it. What do you What? Maybe when they were on the broadcast and I had to or was up for it. I think it was more the the Candles and the Leafs like that might have added to the displeasure. I don’t talk about them until it’s playoff time. When it’s playoff time, now we’re playing for keeps. That’s when I’m going to chime in and be my obnoxious idiot Leaf fandom guy. Okay. And that’s fine. And I deserve to do that just like Yans was for the [ __ ] Florida Panthers. The Cat Lantic. Could you imagine me calling the the the the Leaf Lantic? Well, they could you imagine the the uproar on this podcast if I said that? I could. And they wanted Biz right now. They got they got doian knives with Matthews whether that stays or not. But I actually love that line. Like I think I don’t think he’s going to, you know, lose value in points and goals and stuff. Like those guys are going to get him the puck. Like he needs guys like that. As as far as who you talking about? Matthews. What’s it do is just going to get on the forche and he’s going to make sure he gets the puck, right? And then and then N is going to go to the front of the net. So you have a perfect mix of everything. If you need a guy who’s going to be able to make more plays and and maybe better off of zone entries and rushes uh and has a little bit more skill offensively, you’re looking at Matias Machelli. But the fact that you can kind of mix them up and down the lineup, it’s great. Let’s see who has the most chemistry and and let them roll, baby. But um you know what do you guys think about the Leafs? I like their squad, dude. This year I think they’re nice. I think it could be a little awkward getting used to not having knelander setting like for Matthews that could be weird. The power clip power power play might maybe take a little longer to get going but these are just guesses just it is a big loss. You lose one of your top you know three offensive players that that is like a game breaker. I think it could be a little different, but N is going to take a probably another step and Knander is on incredible. Matthews is probably going to pop off this year like if he’s able to stay healthy like the noise of his game not being with McDavid and Matthew I mean excuse me McDavid and McKinnon and I think that they still have so much firepower there that with the depth and like Wah and Joshua they’re a really well-rounded team. the when I said the D I don’t love I think Florida has three guys that’d be the number one on Toronto though you go head-to-head but they took him to seven they were the only team to take him to seven and they they were up 2 so they have a very good team I think I think a lot of people also get wrapped up in Matthews returning to like the the you know the 69 goal c like that top echelon goal top echelon goal score he is coming in healthy I mean last year the back was if I think it is nagging him and and bothering him. I’m not so concerned about him scoring 60 65 goals. Like I personally don’t give a [ __ ] As long as he stays healthy, the ice time is being distributed perfectly and he’s playing a great 200t game. If he has 35 40 goals, I’m happy. So everyone’s just like, “Oh, what’s wrong with him? What’s wrong with him?” It’s like, man, he’s not going to score at a [ __ ] 70goal clip every season. I care about him playing like an Kopitar. I care like him playing like Sasha Barkov. That’s all I give a [ __ ] about. And also I think that’s all he gives a [ __ ] about. So people need to stop worrying about him. You know, although he still is on a better pace to to beat Alex Oander Alexander Ovuchetkin’s record. You mentioned that. I mentioned that last pod, I still think that there’s a lot more things to his game that that are are just as important as him putting the puck at the back of the net. Okay. And and I’ll say if he does what you’re talking about, staying healthy being the most important and just playing well-rounded hockey, I think the minimum he would get is 45 goals. Like he’s that good. He’s still going to get 90 to 105 points with over 40 goals. So the guy’s a machine. Yeah. I think that’s the perfect time to throw it to our interview. Matthew N. And I know sometimes current players, they’re just they’re younger. they they don’t have a ton to say like they’re not going to really like have uh I’d say the the chillest conversations just cuz they’re worried about what they what they may say and N wasn’t like that at all. I think he really opened up with us. I think it’s right around an hour. Great dude and talking to him was a blast. So I’m a big fan. I think everyone will be after listening to this. Matthew N. Hockey is back, folks. And this season, DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NHL, brings you all the speed, all the skill, and non-stop action that you all love and crave. DraftKings Sportsbook delivers the unmatched intensity of the NHL right to your fingertips. From player props to the thrill of live in-game betting, every drop of the puck is your shot to win big. And new customers, this one’s for you. bet $5 and if your bet wins, you’ll get paid $200 in bonus bets instantly. Great way to start the season. I already gave my pick during the uh Atlantic preview talking about the Leafs. Toronto Maple Leafs over 99 a half points this season. I love that bet. Light the lamp all season long with DraftKings. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app and use code chicklets. That’s code chicklets to turn five bucks into $200 in bonus bets if your bet wins in partnership with DraftKings. The crown is yours. Game time’s back. It’s wit. Game time is back. The NFL is in full swing. The NHL is getting going. There’s tailgates. There’s pack stands. There’s buzz before kickoff and puck drop. But getting in can be a nightmare. Cues, price jumps, getting logged out mid buy, midclick. All you want is to be there, beer in hand, losing your voice with the entire crowd. And the game time app gives the advantage back to the fans. It’s the hack for unlocking amazing tickets and experience in a few taps. It’s incredibly easy to use and the game time guarantee means you can trust you’ll get 100% authentic tickets on time and at the best price. Plus, fees are always included. So, what you see is what you pay. There’s tickets right now. Bruins are in Washington for the Capitals home opener. 50 bucks right now. Game time. Right now, go to game time. You want to go see the Caps play. You want to see the Bruins in town? $50. Take the guesswork out of buying NFL and NHL tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code chicklets for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply again. Create an account and redeem code chic ls. $20 off. Swipe, tap, ticket. Go download the Game Time app right now. Welcome now to a very special guest. Calm down, Biz. Calm down. Yes, we have we have a Toronto Maple Leafs star forward who just signed a 46 and a half million dollar Matthew N. What’s going on? I’m doing well. Doing well. How are you guys? We’re great. And and I guess we’re curious. I mean, camp’s going now, buddy. How excited are you for this season? Uh it’s been a crazy kind of off seasonason for the Leafs. Marner’s gone, but it must be nice just like back on the ice with the boys and everything’s going now. Yeah, I mean, it was first day of training camp today. Um, yeah, everyone’s really fired up to be back. Uh, see some new faces in the locker room. Um, yeah, it’s it’s really cool to be back. What’s Chief saying? He didn’t want the core four language anymore. We’re throwing that out the window. We’re actually handing that over to Witz team. They got the new core four. Yeah. I mean, he was just saying how competitive camp was. You know, I think we got a lot of bodies right now and everyone’s kind of fighting for their spot and yeah, it was it was a hard day today. You know, it was a lot of one-on-one and two battles and stuff. So, it was it was a challenging day, but yeah, I think uh the message was pretty clear that it’s um it’s going to be hard to to make it and and we want to make a great team and kind of build an identity pretty quick. Personally, for yourself, anything this year you worked on over the summer that we we should look forward to seeing at the start of camp from you and as we get into the regular season? Honestly, just my overall game really. There’s a lot I could work on for skating one point. I think the game’s just got so fast nowadays and I think guys can move so well and are so agile and obviously I’m chasing a lot of D on the for check. So, the better I can get at uh just skating in general is is going to help me. Um, as for that, you know, everything in my game, just my consistency overall, I think is is uh I try to improve on. Um, so yeah, I think those those main those are my main focuses for the year. Ny, I was talking to a donor and and you’re built like a brick [ __ ] house as it is. He was saying you gained even a little bit more muscle over this off season. So, what is a guy like you coming in weighing at? Yeah, I think I’m right around 230 235. It kind of changes, but uh yeah, it’s Yeah, it’s heavy. It’s It comes naturally though, you know, the more I work out, I think during the summer and um I think I kind of slim slim down as we skate a little bit more here. But I was telling him that he he slimmed down a little bit and and now he looks a little bit more like me cuz this he was he was even bigger than I was. So he’s he’s pretty wide. You’re you’re talking about donor. A big donor. He he was a tank when he played. You couldn’t move him from the net front. So like having a guy like that around, do you talk I mean I’m sure you watched him growing up growing up in Phoenix. Did you you talk to him a lot and try to emulate a lot of what he brought to the game cuz he was a a mad man on the for check. great net front presence. So, how often do you get to communicate with him about your game and what you bring? Yeah, I mean, it’s pretty nice having him, you know, be at every game and watch it. Um, I mean, he’s been behind the bench since I’ve been 12 years old, 13 years old, so he knows me inside and out. Um, you know, as as a person as well. So, it’s really nice to have him and and just be able to pick his brain. And obviously, I think we have a very similar playing style. You know, I think we’re obviously big players that are very physical and um love to play around the net and stuff like that. So, um it’s pretty nice having an experienced guy like that who’s a veteran who who can just tell me on um after a game what he thought, you know, his um what I was doing good, what I was doing bad. And it’s it’s pretty nice to have someone that’s um obviously always in my corner and pretty unbiased and um you know, knows what I can do, knows my expectations for myself. So, yeah, he’s been obviously a huge huge part of it here. Yeah. So the the non Leafs jock sniffers out there, they may not know every little thing about you, but you you grew up playing with Josh Don out in Arizona and I I I was deep diving into your stats and everything and I saw you play in the Quebec peewee tournament with him, which you know Ryan Whitney’s a a champion of that. But the year before you played for Bratoslava Slovakia in there and then I think your father might be Slovakian. Can you talk to us about how that all came about and and your Slovakian heritage? Yeah. So, both my parents actually grew up in Slovakia. Um, so I was the only one in my family born in the States. So, I have a dual citizenship and uh yeah, I mean, I go back there every now and then and see see my relatives and stuff and um yeah, it’s pretty cool. You know, I think when I go back there, there’s no English being spoken. I’m pretty pretty bad at Slovakian. I have it a little bit, but my parents are completely fluent and so is my older brother. So, I’m kind of the only one in the in the family, you know, the odd mine out that uh doesn’t really know how to speak it that well. So, it’s kind of weird. What made your parents move over here? My dad got a job transfer from Honeywell. Um he was an engineer there and he got a opportunity to go to either Detroit or Arizona and he chose Arizona for the weather. So, smart man. What a veteran. What a Did he speak English before he came? Like, was he always fluent? Yeah, they spoke a little bit. They spoke a little bit. They learned it in school. Um, they weren’t they weren’t too fluent. I mean, if you talk to them now, they have pretty heavy accents. So, you could tell right away, you’d think they’re, you know, possibly Russian just how heavy their their accents are. But, yeah, they’re they’re good now. And, um, I’m not really sure, to be honest, how how well they were, but I think that they knew definitely enough to to make uh make their way around. Whereabouts in Slovakia? Cuz I played under 18 there in Brata Slava. Yeah. Yeah. That’s where they grew up. Yeah. Right downtown. It’s beautiful there. That’s unreal. Beers are like I think all the dads ended up falling us over because we went there for under 18 and they were I think it was like 15 cents for a beer at the time. So we’d get done our games and all of our old men would just be sloshed up. No, I know. I know. The beer’s a lot better over there. Same with the check beer. My uh my dad always introduced me to that. That was Check beer is a lot better. You can actually, you know, your stomach doesn’t feel like [ __ ] when you’re having those. So it’s a lot better over there. Do you often travel back like in in the summertime? Do you guys always take a family vacation to go see all your relatives and stuff? Yeah, my my older brother actually like he he’s been living in Europe for the past like six, seven months and then he was he’s been spending his time over there. My parents go back I think every 6 months. I try to go back um once a summer. I couldn’t this summer just cuz cuz of how you know jam-packed everything was with you know weddings and stuff, but um yeah, usually I go back for two weeks in the summer and just uh cuz all my grandparents and everything and my cousins live over there. So, um, to go see them and, yeah, it’s it’s it’s a wonderful time. You know, it’s right in the middle of Europe, so you can always take a trip and backpack somewhere else. So, yeah, it’s it’s cool that I had that, uh, unique experience. Did did your dad play hockey? Was he into it over there? He played like uh professional like street hockey or like the ball hockey. I don’t know if you ever seen that. Oh, we heard of the Chicklets Cup? Yeah. Yeah. you guys know, but I think he he was like I don’t know if it was like semi-professional, but I think he did like there was like uh the World Championships and it was like he played for like team Slovakia, but he played like men’s league on the ice, but I think that was like his his only competitive is it was like the ball hockey. I don’t even know if it’s ball hockey or street hockey, what they call it, but um yeah, he did that. We we talk often about like how teams go to non-traditional locations like the Coyotes ending up in in Phoenix from from Winnipeg. Now, that probably had a lot to do with you starting to play minor hockey in Arizona. Like, how like how did you get your start over in in Arizona? Like, what finally got you on the ice? Yeah, my my my mom’s my mom’s dad played hockey and so did like it was kind of in my family. Um, and my dad just took us to Coyote’s games when we were younger, me and my me and my older brother. and we went to like the I want to say it was like 2011 or 2012 like the white out games when you guys when when the yachts were in the playoffs and it was like it was the coolest atmosphere ever. Like it was I I couldn’t believe it. Um and then from then on I I was like I have to play hockey and and my older brother did it and I kind of just wanted to follow whatever he did and try to be better at him or better than him at it and um yeah kind of just took off from there and and got into the the ice 10 program and yeah it was it was uh it was a lot of fun. the biz. Everybody saw biz said I gotta play. No, they saw biz like Yeah. sitting there as the grocery stick and No, not not even buddy. That was the the when we played Chicago in the first round. Yeah. And then I I lined up next to bowl. I played one second and then I didn’t do my tie down and then I got kicked out. So, we were down to 11 forward. So, I guess you could say I helped them get past the Chicago Blackhawks by taking myself off the ice and out of the game. But that was pretty much the extent of my playoff experience that season. I mean, that team was like one of the grittiest teams I’ve ever seen. If you look back at that lineup, it’s some of the biggest and meanest boys. And I I loved it. Like, it was it was so fun to watch. Biz, was that the series Torres knocked out uh? Yeah. Yeah. What did you make of that when you saw it? Like, what was your opinion when all that went down? There was a lot of drama. Yeah. I don’t really know. Like, I think I was I was pretty young at the time, so to me it was like I didn’t even want to see the hit. I was like, that was outrageous. But uh Marian Hosa was like one of my like honestly like my childhood favorite players. Like he was Slovakian. So my parents like loved him. Like so we were like a little bit like we were kind of torn, you know? We love the Coyotes, we loved Hosa. So we didn’t really know what to think. But yeah, I think I was a little bit too young that I was like I try to not watch that clip, you know? It was it was one of those things that you you couldn’t keep your head off of it cuz it was like it’s it was just it was so crazy, you know. And I was just going to ask you about so Austin Matthews probably what like three four years older than you maybe a little bit. Did you know about him growing up there? Like had you heard about him at that time when you started playing? Yeah. Yeah. So my my older brother Phil he he actually played with him for about I want to say two three years. He was a year younger but they kind of mixed mixed age groups at that at that time. And we had the same skating coach in the summer that uh Boris. Um, so we we would skate together, you know, every every now and then in the summer. So I knew of him and then it was kind of when he got to the program that we he really started to take off. And then yeah, it it was crazy to see, you know, I kind of knew him a little bit before he got all the, you know, the hype and everything and and going first overall and and going to the Leafs. And so it was uh it was crazy to see both sides of that, you know, see him before that and then um skate with him after. And I was just going to ask like seeing that, did it give you more of like a did you feel like you had more of a chance to potentially get to the next level at the fact that local kids were being able to make that next step? Like did you ever think in a million years that you would be able to go on and and make it to the NHL at such a young age? Yeah, I mean I think he gave a lot of kids hope, you know, just sharing the ice with him at a young age and showing showing us that, you know, he does the same drills as us. It’s like it it all gave us hope that we could make it. And yeah, I mean, he was the nicest and most welcoming guy. And just getting to know him at that age was was huge. Like it was a huge influence on all of us um as young kids. And yeah, it was it was great, you know, having him around all the time and and skating with us. It was it was uh it was it was really uh remarkable for him to to do all those drills and and you know, he was he was usually the ones that was demonstrating everything for us. So, it was it was pretty cool to to have that experience with him and now now be able to play with him in the NHL is is cool. I heard some rumor that he like didn’t even play games at a really young age until he was maybe like nine or 10 or I don’t know if this is true, but he worked with like a specific skill coach a lot. Is that the guy you mentioned, Boris? Yeah, I honestly didn’t say his last name cuz I I thought I’d butcher it. It’s so Russian. It’s like the Roachenko or something. But yeah, we were we skate with him. It’s it’s like we we don’t really touch a puck too often. Like it was so much skating. We would skate for three hours a day and just like What age is this? Sorry. This was I mean he did it since he was he was probably like five or six years old until I don’t know he was probably 20 20 21 like close to my age but yeah it was it was like almost figure skating on ice. I can send you guys their link but it it’s like skating is so difficult and it’s so hard and it’s so different and I think I think it helped both of us you know become obviously really great skaters and and and develop our games a lot. It’s It’s uh something like I’ve never done before and to have it in Phoenix, Arizona was like it was just crazy. Yeah. But yeah, it was it was it was uh Yeah, it really helped us. Was this being done at the Ice Den? This was being done at uh this was being done at Oceanside where the Firebirds used to play. So, yeah. Is that where the ASU team was playing before they moved into their barn? No, it was Arcadia. Sorry, it was Arcadia. Oceanside is the old is the old Sunundevils rink. You’re right. Arcadia was the one where we where we had the camp. I don’t know if that’s still around to be honest, but yeah, that was that was an older barn for sure. So a young age with no pucks like it’s kind of like did you enjoy it though? Like were you still like I love this or was it a kind of times you’re like I don’t want to go a little bit of both. Like I was I remember I was like 11 12 years old and I’m like waking up and I’m like sore as hell and my legs are hurting. I’m like this [ __ ] like this can’t this can’t happen. But we would be doing like he’d take us outside in the Arizona heat and this is in the summer and we do he would just tell us like you have 500 squats and then 500 side to sides like just lunges and I we were like sweating dying sore and then we go on the ice and we’re doing jumps and 360s and just like jumping on one leg and stuff. It was it was it was pretty intense stuff but like now looking back at it was all worth it. Now like that’s why I don’t think me and him do it anymore cuz I don’t think we could handle the soreness now. But yeah, when we were when we were younger, it was uh it was pretty it was pretty crazy how we could do that. Were you playing other sports? Yeah, I played a little bit of tennis and uh and soccer, but uh just just for fun with my buddies and stuff, but nothing nothing too competitive. So, with the size, you know, you mentioned and you could tell on the ice like you’re very fast, but you’re also a truck. Were you always the biggest kid? Like, is your dad that wide and thick? like when did your where’d your size come from? Yeah, my dad’s my dad’s a pretty big boy. He uh that guy trains like non-stop. But um yeah, no, me and me and Little Donor, we were probably the smallest kids on the team until we were 16. Me and him probably hit hit a gross spread at like the same time. Yeah, we were we I don’t know if you guys looked back at our like USL draft year, but we were we probably one of the smallest kids drafted, the skinniest kids. We were always the little ones on the team and then came like 16, 17 years old, we just had a huge growth for both of us and put on weight and it kind of just took off from there for us cuz you know, I think we had so much skill when we were younger and um just to add the size and strength like it made us a lot better and um yeah, it’s uh it’s funny that we both had at the same time there. You seem so close with Donor and you’re from Arizona. Was there any thoughts of going to Arizona State? And if if not, why did you choose Minnesota right away? And and just go through that whole process of deciding where you were going to go for college? Yeah, I was I was thinking about ASU. Um I think at the time when I was kind of deciding of it, it was it was a little bit still underdeveloped there. Like they didn’t have Mold Arena and I think I just didn’t really want to play in Oceanside, you know, my freshman year, kind of a rink that I grew up playing in. And I think that was a little bit too. And then once I started visiting some other schools in North Dakota and Penn State and Minnesota, I was like I I just thought these schools had a lot to offer right away and unreal campuses, unreal experiences. And then I kind of wanted to, you know, play in the Big 10. I wanted to play in a conference and um so that kind of came down to it. And just love Minnesota. I love the the coaches there. They were going to build a great team. I mean, you kind of look at their lineup when I was committing and it was it was, you know, a lot of lot of great names and um yeah, I just put a lot of faith into those coaches to make a great team and and they did. So, um yeah, it was a good decision by me. That team that lost you guys when you lost to Quinnipic, that that’s got to be one of the best college hockey rosters I’ve ever seen. It it was nuts. Yeah. Sorry to bring that up, but like you see all these guys that you see these guys that are like dominating in the NHL now. It was must have been a fun couple years for you. No, it was it was Logan Culie, Brock Faber, Jackson Mcome, and Jimmy Snugaroo for those at home not following the college game. Yeah, I mean practice like practicing against those guys and with those guys like it was it was it was uh the closest thing you could get to the NHL, you know, before it. And um yeah, I mean we had a hell of a team, hell of a group. Um extremely close. I I live with those guys in the summer. I live with Jackson Loman, Jimmy Su in the summer and um we all kind of train together too now. So it’s um yeah, it sucks that year, but uh yeah, we we had a pretty incredible lineup. Before that, um it said you played three years with the Tri City Storm. So at that point, you had to make a decision to move away from home. What was that adjustment like? It was pretty hard. I think I was like 15 or 16 years old at the time. And it’s different moving from Phoenix, Arizona to to Nebraska where the the city was, I don’t know, 10,000 people and it was snowing like crazy. I’m learning to drive in the snow and I lived on a farm like out on a three mile dirt road. Like it was it was a complete shell shock for me. But I live with three other guys on the team in that in that uh in that barn. We just got really close. And I don’t know, I I loved everything about juniors. The lifestyle was so awesome just to, you know, go to high school and then and get to play in front of, you know, thousands of fans and um travel and go see different cities. Like it was it was so much fun. You might have answered this talking about the growth spurt and it being a little later, but no consideration from the national program for you or was it like how did that were you kind of rattled by that or did you not care? I was a little bit uh upset about it, but again, I was I was really small at the time. I was really underdeveloped. Me and Josh both were. I wasn’t really expecting it that much. Um but uh I was definitely upset like that was like something I definitely dreamed about like I wanted to play there and um honestly like it was really good for me not to you know just to play another year of of U16 and and you know touch the puck a lot, play a lot, you know, have confidence and then as soon as I stepped into junior it was it was pretty easy for me to to transition. Um, you know, I think if I would have made that team, I probably wouldn’t have been, you know, in their top six or been and playing a lot of minutes and I think, you know, my development probably would have got kind of stalled there. So, um, I think it was best for me honestly to go somewhere where I could play right away and play heavy minutes and and, uh, yeah, so I’m I’m pretty fortunate that I got another opportunity to play in the SHO in Tri City and, you know, it was uh, those were two special years for sure. So, if I’m not mistaken here, looking at your hockey DB, you go from playing in Tri City, you end up going to your first year at Minnesota, and then towards the end of that first season, you end up getting to play in the Olympics. Yeah, it was it was halfway through my f freshman year in February. Um, yeah, it was it was it was it was unbelievable. Yeah, it was it was really cool. It was really cool. And just sending out the emails to my teachers like, “Hey, I won’t be here this month. I’m going to the Olympics.” Yeah. Yeah, it was it was it was a lot of fun and yeah, it was cool. There was there was two other guys on our team that went as well and um I think half the team was all college players and the other half was players playing pro in in Europe somewhere either in the KHL, Sweden, Swiss League. Um so it was it was an awesome that we had kind of like, you know, half a team of veterans then half a team of just youngsters and we jelled so close and it was it was such a crazy experience. Obviously it being in Beijing too, it was it was pretty gnarly. Yeah. We we need some stories from the village or did you guys get to go out? I know it was heavy COVID times, but was there any shenanigans going on off the ice? Yeah, I think like once kind of towards the end of the games um close to like the closing ceremonies, it was it’s it’s weird because every every in the village like every country has like their own like tower and so like you’d step into a tower like and there’d be a huge German flag or a huge I don’t know Italy flag and we were kind of bouncing back and forth like everyone’s kind of celebrating just them being there and and having drinks and having fun and um you know we get caught like the Netherlands tower and we’re trading jackets and hats and stuff. And um I remember one of my like one of my roommates like came came home and just had nothing on besides besides a Netherlands jacket in the morning. So I was just dying laughing. He’s just like I can’t find my phone. I can’t find I can’t find anything. I don’t know where anything went. So um it’s it’s a huge party at the end which is which was just like really cool to see. like you don’t you don’t really expect that but um yeah towards the closing closing uh the ending ceremonies there was it was a it was a huge party. Were you able to go watch other events if you wanted to like and and if so which ones did you go check out or were you the most interested in? Yeah, so there’s like parts there’s like parts where some things that like can’t be in the same area. So like bob sled like has to have like its own area. There was like three villages and we were on the main village um where there’s like a pretty decent amount of sports. So we went to like speed skating, um the long track, the short track. We went to that hu I don’t even know what you call it, but that huge pipe where there’s snowboarders and skiers and they do a ton of tricks. Went to go see those two. Um I got to remember here there’s there’s a few but there a lot of them like the halfpipe is in a different area. The the bob stud was in a different area. um some of the downhill skiing. They’re all they’re all kind of spread out that we couldn’t we couldn’t make it there. It was too far. So, um those were the main ones we watched, but like it was still so much fun to go to those and just see it like see it live. It’s it’s pretty outrageous. Did that Did did like the fake Russian team win that one? They couldn’t be called Russia, but they were Russia. Like the Soviet Union of Dopers. It was like a Yeah, the athletes from from Russia. Um I think it was Finland. Finland won really. I I don’t think we were even paying attention. We were so we were kind of so so uh upset about losing. Um but yeah, I think Finland Finland might have beat I want to say Sweden in the final. They were I mean it was mostly just a Finnish like a like a Liga all-star team. Um but there were some really good players, really good teams there. Canada had a really good team. We played them. Yeah. So there was there was a lot of great teams. But it was uh it’s going to be interesting this year with with the you know the best on best and bring the NHL players. It’ll be it’ll be a fun time to watch. So, you bring that up and it’s like, man, watching the speed of the Four Nations, like how you skate, like that’s got to be, you know, a big goal of yours to somehow make that team, right? No, for sure. For sure. I mean, you know, watching the Four Nations sitting down watching on TV, like it’s you’re itching to be out there. Like, it’s it’s it looks like such fun hockey. And um you know, I think everyone everyone had their eyes on that game. So um yeah, I mean it would be obviously a huge honor to make that team and and to go to go play there. Um I’m obviously going to have to work my tail off this early year to to earn a spot and and uh you know, show that I can can play that role that they need. So um yeah, hopefully my name gets called, but you know, it’s uh out of my control for now. Um, I joked about it when we first started this interview, but uh that big ticket you signed this off season. Uh, I believe that’s a hometown discount. I was so thrilled that you came in under uh I believe you just came in under 8 million. What was the first thing that you ended up buying with the with the signing bonus? Are you a pretty uh reserve guy when it comes to to flexing the dough? I get asked that a lot. I didn’t I haven’t bought anything really. I don’t know what what what to buy to be honest. Like do you rent in Toronto? Yeah, I rent a place. You can’t really purchase because there’s a there’s a huge huge like foreign tax to purchase a place. So, I’m not allowed to purchase a place really is what I’m told. Um but so yeah, I don’t I don’t really know. I think uh yeah, I just had a comfortable summer, you know, spending it uh wisely and um nothing nothing crazy. I think some of the guys kind of give me [ __ ] every now and then. I don’t I don’t own any watches or any crazy pairs of shoes. So, I think those guys are like telling me like they they’re going to take me out or something and and force me to buy something. But So, when you see Matthew’s style, you’re just like that’s not I don’t I don’t have that. Like I don’t like that’s I don’t know. Like like him and Willie like they kind of wear like baggy baggy stuff that’s like designer and I don’t know. I don’t I don’t really care too much, you know? I’m I’m like I’m walking into the rink, I’m walking back. Like it’s not like I’m like really showing off anything. I don’t need anything crazy. But yeah. Well, we saw at the When were we there, Biz? When we saw Knander out at uh Oh, yeah. We We were at the All-Star game. Allar Allstar game. And And Nander’s in the other room. He’s got a I think it was a a white or pink just tank top on top tank top. He looked good. He looked good in business. That got tank tops probably. His nipples were hard as rocks cuz it was freezing outside. This guy’s rocking a [ __ ] bra out in the in the winter time. That’s no surprise. I feel like he wears the white feeder a lot. So, you got a even Max Doli is is a bit of a fashionista as well. So, you guys got quite a few guys on that team. There is there is there’s a there’s a lot a lot of good examples out there that I should start following. Maybe I’ll I’ll catch the train and um I’m curious what they’re going to do with the with the no dress code now. So, I’ll see what they do and I’ll try to follow whatever whatever it is if it’s not too crazy. who who’s the guy that would would maybe chirp one of their outfits when they come in? Like what are the veterans that kind of keep those guys honest? Who can give it to them? Because we just mentioned two of the top dogs and kneelander and Matthews where I don’t think anybody’s going to say [ __ ] to them for the most part. No, no, no one I mean I’m not going to do it. No one’s going to do it. Everyone’s just like that’s just them now. Like that’s just we’re just like so used to used to them wearing that stuff. I don’t know. I don’t really I think everyone really trips me about my suit. They’re like oh it’s the same one again. And you know the I met more chirping those guys like no I don’t think anyone chirps those guys. I don’t I don’t think I don’t know feel dumb if they do you know. Yeah. They’re like yeah you get a one oneway ticket out of town. While we’re on this core four which we’re probably the last time we’re allowed to say it because I don’t want Chief hunting me down. But uh you lived with Tavar as I saw your first year. What was that like? What’s he like to that locker room? He’s just a he’s a constant pro. Can you give us a little peak behind the curtain with him? I was really fortunate to live with him. Um for him to open his doors to me, to live with his family, to to live with his kids, like it was um really eye opening honestly for a kid that was, you know, 1920 coming in there and just seeing how professional he is and how dialed in to his routine, his eating habits, his um treatment habits, um how prepared he is, how early he shows up, you know, how much time he takes at the rink. like it was it was completely shocking to me. But yeah, living with them was you pick up a lot of things that you’re like I’m I’m not doing it right. Like I’m there’s things I’m missing. There’s there’s little things that could help me get a little bit of an advantage. Um make me a little bit better better players. So, um, I picked up a lot from him and and, uh, yeah, he’s been huge for our locker room, for for a leadership standpoint, for for being an example for the young guys, for, um, being vocal, for for taking on a lot like he takes on a lot of weight. Um, so he’s he’s been huge. He was a huge influence on on me doing well the first two years. And, um, yeah, one of the most welcoming and and professional humans I’ve ever I’ve ever met. What were the biggest things? Uh, was it diet? Was it recovery? And what were the biggest things that you pulled away from him or or even anyone since you’ve been playing pro that you’ve had to implement that have made a big difference? Yeah, I mean jokingly he’s so pro that like I remember I’d stay with him before the season started and he’d have like a charity game and he’s coming back from it and I I was opening the fridge. I open the fridge and it says like post charity game meal. Like he already has his meal prepped. And like he comes home like he would he would shower and throw on his blue light glasses and it would already be like 6:30, 7:00 p.m. Like it’s way before way before I’m going to bed, you know, and he’s he’s already getting himself ready and making sure he has a good sleep so he could wake up early in the morning. And um you know, his first routine when he wakes up is he gets straight out of bed and goes straight to the cold tub for 3 minutes. And I don’t know about you guys, it’s hard on a bed, dude. Oh, that’s what I was saying. I’m I’m laying in my cozy bed for 10 more minutes and snoozing and, you know, I’m I’m laid out the door kind of thing. But he’s Yeah, he’s he’s uh he’s next level with that kind of stuff. But like little things like that, just how how important it is. Um I took I took that on. And I think on game days, like he just does extra like he comes he comes home and he’s he’s still doing more work on um if it’s a little bit of like Pilates work or core work, he’s in there while I’m, you know, while I sat on the couch and watched TV and was just trying to prepare for the game. He and trying to relax and take my mind off it. He was he was still grinding in there. And so yeah, sometimes you just got to applaud it and you’re like this is this is just who he is, you know? This is uh it’s it’s it’s pretty it’s pretty fun to watch to be honest. And now he’s basically playing for free the next couple years. What a [ __ ] hometown deal that was too. Stepping up as a leader. For sure. For sure. It’s our year, baby. Yeah. While we’re on this Leafs talk in our year and everything, I don’t know if you’re familiar with Biz, but he he is an ambassador for your team and he got a jacket this year. And the big discussions online is is should he hand the jacket back in or do you guys want him to have the jacket? Tell me what what you want. He was given the jacket by Shanny. Shann’s not there. I I wanted to have the jacket cuz I remember when I was like first picked by Toronto and Bis was at donor’s house and I think he had a little bit too much wine and he was running around the house. He goes, “Where’s my little maple leaf and then he he finally found me. He dabbed me up and he was like it’s like so I I think he deserves it. He’s been a long core long core fan so he he deserves to keep it. I appreciate you, boys. But if I’m a bit of a distraction, I have no problem handing the jacket over. If I have to stay away, I’ll stay away. But I’ll uh I’ll be there for your guys uh game against Detroit on the 13th, which is that Monday Amazon game. And uh I’m excited to see how you guys shake things out. And I and I, you know, you guys lost, but I really like the way you guys addressed other needs. You guys got Matias Machelli and and and and Roy and like Dakota Joshua where I have no idea why the Vancouver Conucks gave him away. So all of a sudden I know you lose Mner who’s such a valuable piece but you guys get bigger and deeper. So from your guys chances this year I I like even better than the last couple years. Yeah. Yeah. I mean we we we have some really key pieces that are that are going to be huge for our team. Um a lot of great players. Nick Wah and and and Dakota Joshua, two big players who are going to play physical and play hard. And um you know changed the identity of of of the forward group for sure. And then um yeah, Machelli is just really skilled, really fast, can make plays. Like there’s there’s really great ads. You know, I think obviously there’s I mean I’m not going to be around the bush. There’s a huge void with with Mitch um leaving. You can’t really replace that kind of a player um and the superstar he is. So, but I think we did a great job of of, you know, adding adding pieces that are going to definitely help. Um, and I I think with, you know, with all of our trust in Tree and and and Chief, you know, I think we we’re going to have a strong team. You know, I think with with them both coming back and um this is finally their team and and I think we we uh we did a great job in the offseason and yeah, I’m really excited to see what we can do during the year and and in the playoffs. I’m wondering how it’s been for you like with the pressure that comes along with playing in Toronto and it’s Canada but Toronto’s even a different beast and just the amount of reporters and looking for stories and kind of forcing subjects when they really have nothing to write about. Um how has that like come for you? Like are are you like okay with it? Do you get frustrated by it or has it been easier maybe being like the fifth guy the the past couple years? Yeah, I mean a little bit of all of that to be honest. Like it’s I think a lot of the a lot of the weight was taken off my shoulders by those guys. Um but then like living with Johnny, you realize like you you you don’t got to listen to any of that stuff. You don’t focus on that. You just focus on the game, you know? I don’t think he’s never throwing on ENL any of the reporters um when he comes home from a game. He’s throwing on other games. He’s throwing on the games on the West Coast. So it’s like you focus on just hockey in general. you don’t focus on what other people are saying. And I think that’s that’s kind of what I got from Johnny, too, is just you don’t you don’t got to worry about any of that stuff. It doesn’t matter what they say, you know, just play your game. And um when you’re in the media, just, you know, speak your truth and um you know, say don’t you don’t have to say what they want to hear. You just say what you you think and um yeah, just just know that you know, there always comes another day and you got to you got to work your tail off and and they’ll be happy. I got I got a two twopart question for you. Two parts here. First up, you know, you’re in the NHL. I want to know what your favorite city’s been on the road, and then I’m going to try to set you up here. What’s What city are you looking forward to going to this season? Anaheim’s always a good trip. I actually like Anaheim. My first year, we stayed at Pelican Hill and we had a day off and we got to golf. Unbelievable course right on the water. Place is sick. It’s really, really nice. Uh my buddy, my best buddy Jackson L is there, so I always got to catch up with him, which is really nice. I love New York. New York’s a fun time. There’s just so much to do. I feel like we always have a lot of time and um days off or or practice days there that we could just kind of enjoy enjoy the city a little bit. So, I think those are probably my main two. Um every city’s been fun. Like it’s it’s cool. Like the first my first few years just every new city is is is different and you know it’s it’s all new to me. So, it’s all fun to go out with dinner with the guys and stuff and and see it. It’s it’s uh yeah, it’s been nice. You missed the boat there. I’m trying to set you up here where you got to be looking forward to a special road trip this season. Yeah, I’m excited for Vegas. Yeah, it’ll be Oh, no. You’re still not getting it. You still missed it. You got to say Boston. What do you mean? Why? Why Boston? I got in my notes here. You got the girlfriend drafted by the Boston. Oh, that’s right. Yeah. Yeah, that’s true. Oh, she’s going to be all over you now. Yeah, I know. Now, if she hears this, she’ll be Yeah, that that’s so funny. That’s why Carelli thought you w you would end up with the Bruins somehow. He’s like his girlfriend was drafted by the Bruins. I’m like, gee, [ __ ] off. Yeah, she Toronto had the next pick. So, that’s that’s a huge bummer. But Oh, it happens. Did they tell Did they tell her that they were going to pick her if she would have went to the next pick? I I think so. I think we kind of had it pretty locked in, I want to say. But that’s just more reason for you to [ __ ] run the Bruins through the wall for [ __ ] with you and your family. That’s payback. The Bruins have play off the Bruins, Biz. Jesus. Yeah. I mean, it happens. I got to ask about the contract. I know Bruce Biz brought it up. I was saying at the time, I’m like, “Oh, 10 million years in overpay, no offense, you’ll end up being there.” But I was like, I think I think if it’s if it’s 8 and a half to 92, like that’s that’s going to be a nice deal. Then it came in and as a Leafs hater, no offense again, I I was I was like, is this how the [ __ ] did they get him to sign that? Like, you could have gotten more money. Is that more, hey, leave some more for the team? Like, I’m happy with this or I just love this city so much. This is what they’re offering. Like, kind of take us through the negotiation. There was a note in Tavveris’s fridge. This is all we’re giving you. You better [ __ ] take it. I I I mean, I I think it’s very fairly compensated. Yeah. I’ve only played two years in the NHL and uh this is this is nice business. I also I love my hand in my pants. Take me off the screen here. Yeah, I mean I don’t know like it’s it’s it’s more than you know I wanted to be longterm and I think that was just the number that that fit for both of us and you know I knew that they had they had the opportunity to do it right before free agency so they could you know start making some moves and um yeah I think we both got we’re like we both settled on a very comfortable number that made us both happy and made it easy on them so that in free agency they can they can get right to work and and really start focusing on the rest of our team. I thought I thought it was more than fair and um for me not being that of an experience of a player, you know, I think it’s I’m extremely happy with it. I’m I’m really fortunate that they you invested a lot of years and and a lot of money into me and so I I couldn’t be happier and I hope they are too. You know, I still got to, you know, make sure it’s worthwhile here and um yeah, I still got to still got six years to work my ass off to make it make it worth their uh worth their money. I only had a few more hockey ones until we started maybe talking about what you like to do around the city for fun, but uh your relationship with Chief like how was it when he first came in and and like you know player coaches relationships are a little different than they have they were in the past, right? And he’s more old school, but I feel like he’s really adapted in how he communicates to the guys and you know what’s it been like working with him and just all the respect in the world you probably have for him? He’s a very personable coach, you know. Um he’s very easy to talk to on and off the ice whether it’s about hockey or it’s not about hockey. Um I think he’s he’s he’s the kind of guy that you know when he does a pregame speech you want to run through a wall. you know, it’s he’s so easy to play for and he’s he’s so highly motivated and um so yeah, he’s he’s been incredible and I I think, you know, the way the way he sees the game, I think is a lot on how I play, you know, where it’s north, south, very simple, you know, hard-nose hockey. And that’s why I think we had a really good relationship and I think we, you know, we were able to kind of feed off each other and um yeah, I think he’s been he’s been huge for for my career. So, I’m excited that he’s back and that I can, you know, keep growing with him and and keep learning from him. And the followup I had was, you know, obviously not the result you guys wanted, but how much experience did you gain last postseason and just going against the champs and and realizing what it takes to win? I know you guys were this close, but you know, just just, you know, you had a great run, but like what did you take away from last year’s playoff run? Yeah, I mean, it’s it’s hard cuz once that game seven’s over, you try to you try to put it behind you as as quickly as possible. you don’t you don’t want to think about that stuff, you know. I I I think we you know, we kind of [ __ ] the bed on in game seven, so we didn’t want to think about that, you know. But I think I think our takeaway was was mostly that our our consistency was was just not there as much. Um I think game one and two, I think we dominated. I think we had great games. Um came out with the W and then I think we slowly kind of took our foot off the pedal and and just let them in. And um obviously they’re an incredible team and and and structured so well and so deep that you can’t really give them, you know, any ounce to breathe cuz if we do that they they’d come back and and they did. So um I think our just consistency to play play the same way game one that we did games, you know, you know what I’m saying? Game one to game seven play the same way. And um I just don’t think we did that well enough, you know, um in that series. And that’s I think that’s just the the difference maker for us. It’s a different feeling for you there, too, because in your, you know, it’s it’s two full years, but three playoffs. You’ve got to the second round twice. So, like you’re kind of like not as used to, you know, what people say about they can’t even get out of the first round. So, for you, I imagine you’re thinking, listen, like this team, like we can win a Stanley Cup based on the guys that are here and like the success that you have had in the past three seasons. No, for sure. I mean, again, you’re not going to win it every year, but like it’s it t it’s it’s going to take um you know, it’s going to take a lot of consistency and um yeah, I just I just don’t think we’ve had a little bit of that when it came to the you know, the the clinching games, the five, six, seven. I think we’ve kind of we just haven’t had our best games. And I think once we have our best games at those at those times of the year, I think we’re going to be just fine and we’re going to make it and and and win. You know, I think we just got to again play the same way we do game one and two to in five and six seven and we’ll be totally fine. I meant to ask uh when you brought up Jackson Lome earlier being a former defenseman like I didn’t know much about him like he he’s not often do people stay four years in college. Now he wasn’t a first round pick. It was second round still but like I didn’t know much. And now I I see some Anaheim games but more talking to players and scouts are like he’s so good. Like did did you see this coming? Like was he a late bloomer? How did how has his career gone with you guys being so close? Yeah, I mean he’s kind of had a different path. Like he he didn’t play juniors. Like he played Scatic U8 and got drafted and I’m pretty sure he was like two picks out of the first round and there’s just so much potential there when he was drafted. And um I was kind of confused. I didn’t I didn’t really think people could do that. You know, I thought every kid goes plays in the CHL or somewhere in Europe plays plays juniors. And um yeah, and then I came in and he was a junior my freshman year and I mean the guy is so talented. He’s he’s so patient with the puck. Um he’s got so much skill. He skates so well. He makes the right play. Like I mean he was running our first power play both years I was there and Brock Faber wasn’t on either of our power play. So he was he was that skilled. Like he has he has a lot to him. Um, and that’s uh I’m not shocked at all that he’s having success that he he had such a great year last year because he’s he’s just so smart and and you know holds the puck so well and skates it so well and yeah, I mean it’s nice to be able to train with him in the summer cuz you just it’s it’s hard to compete with him, you know. I feel like you always chase him down and he’s always making the right play and yeah, it’s it’s uh it’s fun to watch him. Did you play in the beauty league? I didn’t. No, I got I think I I got asked to early on, but there’s they have a lot of bodies and I heard it’s I want to say it’s kind of falling off like it’s kind of going downhill. I think the the competitiveness I heard is is a little bit different nowadays than it was before and yeah, I heard it was just it was too long earlier and now they kind of shorten it up a little bit and I think guys are I don’t know. I haven’t I haven’t done it yet so I can’t tell you but that’s that’s that’s what I’m hearing. I gotta ask about your other uh summer roommate because uh Grenell is a huge you know college hockey expert for us about Snugarude and you know we saw him a little bit in the playoffs but more about him and can he win the CER this year? I think he definitely has a chance. You know I think he’s he’s going to score a ton of goals. I’ve never seen someone shoot the puck harder than he does. Matthews I mean he’s Matthews with with Matthews’s wrist shot it’s it’s uncomparable. You know I think he’s the best at it in the league. his snapshot, his wrist shot is unbelievable. But I think Snugger is onetime. I I think that there’s there’s a handful of guys that can do it and he’s definitely one of them. I’m sure you’re going to see it a lot on on the flank on the power play this year. I mean, the guy can absolutely wire it like he he did it so much in college. You just give him the puck and he just anywhere he I I don’t know how he does it, but it’s literally top corner, left, right. I don’t even know if he’s choosing. He’s just ripping as hard as he can. But yeah, he’s he’s probably one of the best shooters that I’ve played with in my in my career, obviously other than Austin, but he’s he’s uh he’s definitely going to score a lot of goals. So, I think he has a he has a real shot of the Calder for sure. Quickly with the fun stuff, uh you guys just had your Toronto Maple Leafs golf tournament. It was broken up into two teams. Are you allowed to tell us who won or is that like a content video that’s going to be coming out? It was like a charity golf event. So, we get like a sponsor of Forsome. So, we get like Rogers and MLS and Adidas and stuff like that. Everyone gets like their own sponsor. Oh, you played with four guy like random guys. Yeah. Yeah. With with Yeah. Just like a sponsor for our team and stuff. So, but we have like our trip in Mskcoa. We we usually do like a like a scramble format. We we get uh we just kind of randomize and do teams. So, I’ll let you know that that’s coming up. Yeah, it should be week and a half, two weeks. So, they cut down the roster and then you guys go for this team building experience to Mskoko, which these guys are trying to tell me it’s got like the best boating, but like come on here. We all know [ __ ] Vancouver and uh the island do over here. I don’t know what I’ve never heard of Vancouver. Honestly, I didn’t know that Vancouver. Okay. [Music] Like you’re telling me he said it was like he was like describing being Hawaii when you’re when you’re talking about Vancouver. Now he’s showing me some pictures and I think he had AI come up with something that it says no. I’m talking about the Gulf Islands. The Gulf Islands, boys. And then if you go over to Tofino side, it’s got a Hawaii feel to it. So, I guess we could maybe throw up uh what do you call those? Uh when when you when you pass the internet, a poll. Other things. Who if if you got trapped in a room with one of your teammates, who who would you want to bring with you? Would who who would be the funniest guy that would would make it? I’m trapped in I’m trapped in what? In a room, let’s say. And you know, his basement when he kidnaps you. There is there is honestly a lot of guys I like. You guys got to get Scott Lton on this podcast. He’s probably one of Oh, is telling us about him. I had one wedding with him. Hilarious. Oh my god, dude. He’s [ __ ] unbelievable. What makes him so funny, dude? It’s kind of I N would know better. I was with him one night, but he’s like his voice kind of is hilarious. Like how he says things, it’s just it’s Yeah, his like timing of everything and like I think he says everything that comes to his mind. Like he doesn’t let anything hold back. like everything. He’s like non-stop talking about something or like I think he says hi to me like six times a day. Like he it’s just like he’s just non-stop rambling about something something new. So I think he would be just like entertaining. But I think the only guy that would probably get me through it is probably Morgan Riley. We could actually just I think he’s just so funny and um yeah, I love that guy. So I think he would be my pick. I think Lots wouldn’t shut up and I think I would kind of lose my mind. So it would turn into a Saw movie where you’d [ __ ] kill him. Yeah. Gans also said Lot’s like vicious [ __ ] talker on the ice. He said he was like probably top three he ever played with. Well, I they probably needed him for that Florida series. It’s comedy what he comes up with. I I like you just like sometimes you sit back and you chuckle like you can’t you can’t stand it. And he’s like so serious. And it’s funny cuz when you’re playing against him, you’re like, “Oh, this guy’s like sounds ruthless.” And then you just like know you like get to know him and you’re like, “Oh my god.” Like this just it’s just Yeah, he’s just funny. And yeah, I mean I love just standing still on the bench and just not again non-stop. Whatever’s on his mind, whoever’s in front of him, someone’s getting a piece of it. So I also love that like he play he’s he’s dog. Like I love his game. Like that’s a good that I think he’ll be nice for you guys this year. Getting him with two years left like for two playoffs was was huge. Yeah. I mean, he he he helps her in our locker room a lot, too. Like, he makes everyone so much more comfortable and um such a personable guy and and gets along with everyone. I think he’s he’s very he’s a very big glue guy, you know. I think he brings everyone together. So, I think that’s that’s a huge part of where he can he can help out as well. And yeah, on the ice, obviously, he’s a dog and yeah, he’s he’s going to be huge for us. How long till when he was in the locker room was he like that? Cuz normally there’s a little bit of a feeling out process or was it day one? It’s just he comes in hot. It was day one and we were playing I don’t even know where we were but we were playing like sewer and he like would like sewer somebody and like chirp them and like I’m like we’re like look at each other like is this guy serious? Like what is he doing? He just got here and yeah and he’s he’s already going after guys and he he he picked it up so quick and I think like it felt like he was on our team the whole year after just two days. So um yeah, again he’s really he’s really good at that stuff. So, where are you going out to eat in Toronto? And are you on the Jay’s train right now? Are you a big Diamondbacks guy? Like, what’s going on here? I’m a little bit on the Jay’s train. I know that playoffs is coming around, so I’m going to I’m hoping to get out to a game or hopefully get to go do some like the batting practice and stuff, which would be really cool. Going out to eat. Honestly, I live like very close to King Street, so there’s a ton of bars and restaurants that are fun to go to. And I don’t really I haven’t really explored too much yet. like we don’t get like that that crazy amount of time. So, I’m still kind of new to everything and trying different things out. But, there’s definitely a few key spots like I don’t know if you’ve been to like Kal, but that’s like uh me and me and Waller’s go-to. It’s like a Mexican Michelin and and we love it over there. But yeah, anything on King Street is usually a great time for us. Love that. Well, buddy, this is awesome. I don’t know if uh if if you guys have any more questions, but I think I’ve hit my limit. If somebody thinks of a great question here, I’m going to try as I read this Roback ad. We got a shout out. Rollback ny rollback. Last question. Use code chicklets on robback.com for generous 20% off your purchase through the end of the week. That’s ch hicle ts on rhac.com. 20% off polos, hoodies, joggers, and more. Code chicklets, I guess. [ __ ] you just answered. I was going to ask for one restaurant. I didn’t know there was a Michelin star. I got one. What? Is it our year? I think it’s our year. Just end this. Let’s go, baby. I think it’s our year. Oh, I’m being told something. Talk about restaurants. Grenelli got info that you have like a sick addiction to Chick-fil-A. Yeah, that was that was a me 235 on Chick-fil-A. No, no, no, no, no. Back it up. Back it up. This was this was uh pre-professional hockey. This was college. I think it was every like in college you play Friday, Saturday. So, Sunday through Thursdays like you could do whatever really. And I think Mondays, me, [ __ ] and Stugarude, we we would always go to Chick-fil-A. That was like our number one spot. And it Yeah, it was just a huge joke on our on our team and stuff that they that we always loved it. And it was It is unbelievable. It was nice bonding time for us as a line. So, it was it was pretty fun. But then as soon as I got to as soon as I got here and I told Johnny about it, I think he kind of looked at me with three heads and he was like, “What are you what are you doing?” So, it stopped from there. I thought it was called chickafilla or chicken filler. Yeah, you haven’t been. Hey, what’s No, no, like early days. Then I figured it out. Somebody corrected me. But I got a bone to pick with them. I asked them one time if they could leave the chicken in a little longer so it could be a little crispier and they basically told me to [ __ ] off. They’re the most wellrun restaurant. No surprise. biz with a special order. Well, they got an order the exact time they leave the chicken in for, but I was just like, “Hey, do you mind leaving it in for an extra 10 seconds so it can get a little bit crispier?” And they were like, “No.” And I’m like, I think it’s a pretty wild ask, though. I don’t think I go to McDonald’s and get the the bun toasted or anything. Well, while we’re on this kind of food though, I did want to ask you, have you gotten into the poutine culture of Canada? No. I I I don’t like it at all. We have we have some French guys, too, like Benois like always tells me how good it is. And no, I’m not a fan. He’s a greasy Frenchman, though. Um the the uh how many school how many samples are you asking for? If you go to like an ice cream shop and you’ve never been there before, would you ask how many? He signed for seven and a half. He There’s no way he asked for samples. Let him answer the question. Oh, I think he does. Uh probably I think one or two. One or two. I like this. Typical Leaf Leaf. If you don’t ask for a sample, I think you’re crazy. Yes. Oh, buddy. This is Leafs. This is Leafs Nation, Mr. This is what I have to deal with. What I have to deal with. One or two per scoop, right? What’s What’s this? What are you talking about? I meant like if you’re getting like if you’re getting three scoops, you’re allowed up to six samples. Okay. I’m not getting three scoops of anything, though. All right. Fair enough. Fair enough. Fair enough. Three scoop three scoops is is pretty that’s that’s where I’m that’s the road to 240. I ain’t [ __ ] with JT. I ain’t living with JT. I can do whatever the [ __ ] I want. Yeah, I was a little bit off the rails when I left this place. So, I’m trying to dial in. Uh buddy, this has been awesome. Really appreciate your time and I can’t wait for the parade. I can’t wait. Just save me. Save me some room on the float. Yeah, we will. We will for sure. Hey, great talking to you, man. Good luck this year. Yeah. Thank you. Appreciate it guys. Guys, Whit here and if you’re looking, Body Armor. Boom. This episode is brought to you by the Body Armor Sports Drink. We thank these people for producing this incredible, incredible tasting water. Strawberry Banana right here. The Sports Drink, the beautiful bottle. They’re at Chicklet Cup. They’re always a part of us. We’re one with Body Armor and Body Armor has great tasting flavors. I always bring up strawberry banana. We always bring up orange mango, but there’s others. And there’s no dyes, no artificial crap, no flavors, sweeteners in a bold new look with the same great taste. Get your body armor today at Walmart or local grocery store near you. Body Armor. Choose better. Thank you so much to Matthew N. Uh I think he’s going to have a monster year. I would not be surprised to see him on the US Olympic team based on his skating. Uh before we get into the Bruins, guys, it’s breast cancer awareness month. Uh, our merch is live. 100% of the net proceeds will go towards supporting five under 40. They’re dedicated to providing funded medical, wellness, educational, and beauty services to women under the age of 40 who’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer or have a BRCA mutation. And we we’re, you know, we’re close to this G. This company paid for Alana and helped her a lot with with her battle. Yeah, it’s it’s an awesome company. It’s 5 under 40. And I think like I’ve talked about this before, but like a a woman gets breast cancer, their first question is like their hair, their beauty, you know, what are they going to do? And and this company reached right out to Alana right when she posted that she had breast cancer and they funded her wig and wigs are so [ __ ] expensive. That’s the crazy thing is wigs are like like thousands of dollars. So the fact that they could take that load off of us and it’s not just like it’s not just wigs, it’s wellness, it’s beauty, it’s it’s all these different things that they do. So, let’s let’s sling some merch. We got some good stuff here. It’s uh if we could if we could buy a couple wigs for some girls, I think that would be awesome. So, yeah. Barcelports.com, Canadian store, US store. Go hit it. Hit it hard. Well done, G. And the merch is great. I I I love how it came out. It’s awesome. We actually have some cool 47 brand hats, too. I know we have that partnership with 47 brand. So, they actually have some cool breast cancer hats for us as well that are available in the store as well. So, check those out. This is actually a tough segue now because G can’t leave because we’re going to be talking about the [ __ ] Bruins. Now G, quickly, can I tell you this is tough. This is tough. Sorry. G projected uh point total is 80 and a half and DraftK DraftKings has them listed uh to win the Atlantic Division plus 10,000. So Whoa. That’s that that’s the lowest. And they’re coming off a last place finish in the division last year. Yeah, I think you’re a tank for McKenna guy. Um, yep. Miserable for McKenna. Miserable for McKenna. Okay. Um, some people, like I mentioned, have told me I think they’re gonna surprise. I don’t see it. Tell me why that would happen if if they if they make if they’re right around 90 points, fighting for a playoff spot last week of season. Well, Swayman got to do all of training camp. That’s a positive. That is a positive. But, I mean, they’re healthy. They’re healthier this year than in years past. I think the back end is it’s still a good back end. I mean, Charlie Makavoy, Mason Lai, Nikita’s a door off. Like, they they have guys that can play. Like, Lynholm is a he’s coming in healthy this year. His knee is finally good. Um, so I think defense and back end, but I’m not one of those guys who thinks they’re going to be a good hockey team this year. I do think they’re going to be a tough team to play against. I think they’ll have they’ll play some entertaining hockey throughout the season. I mean, David Poshock is is David Poshock at the end of the day. Charlie Makavoy is Charlie Makavoy at the end of the day. We saw what Makavoy did in Four Nations. So I think best case scenario is competitive hockey all the way through the trade deadline and then that’s when you go trade Victor Arvdson, the Jonas Corpusal, the confusing moves that people made this summer that the Bruins made this summer. If you trade those guys and you get first round picks and you and you start building again for the future, I think the fans will understand a little bit. I think my biggest question is it’s always like this season is supposed to be about the youth, right? Like in the end of the season press conference, that was really what Don Sweeney and Ken Millie harped on was we’re going to the youth. It’s finally the kids time. There’s two on the projected roster. There’s two guys under 25 years old. It’s Frasier Mitten and Mason Lorai. So that’s my biggest concern is like we’re not developing the youth. We’re we’re playing guys like Victor Arbertson. Fabian Lel still isn’t getting a crack at the lineup. Georgie Murculof, that kid, he’s a lost cause at this point. So, I’m a I’m a bit worried. I’m a bit worried at the fact that they’re not playing the youth heading into this season. Hopefully, as the season goes on, maybe you’ll see these guys get a chance. But like Mattie Potra, why isn’t this guy cracking the lineup? Well, as Yans does say, it’s not a development league. It’s not. That’s what Providence is for. Uh you mentioned health. I was reading about uh tenonitis in Posternernox’s knee that was ling lingering from last year. Is that still a thing? Like is is is he Yeah, I mean he sat he sat out a bit from uh in the training camp and and in the preseason and you know what? Sit him down halfway through the season. I don’t give two [ __ ] Sit David Poshock down for the year. Go back to the Czech Republic. Yeah, but he come on you play this year. You said they’d play entertaining games. Well, that’s that’s what I was going to ask you about. Did you play that? Did you guys see Gavin McKenna play the other night? If if getting Gavin McKenna on this roster means sitting David Poshnock for the year, I’m doing it 10 out of 10 times. Well, it’s Olympic year, so he wants to play. That’s so that’s not that’s not going to happen. And and you said exciting brand of hockey. That was probably my one takeaway from last year was when you would watch Bruins games. Oh, that was [ __ ] I’d rather watch our our us against the Stranglers ball hockey. I think that we could probably sell more tickets. It was more entertaining. It was it was watching paint dry. They have no speed and they’re boring. That’s why they went and got guys I think like Tanner Jano at least drop the mits. Like go drop the mitts and get the crowd going cuz there’s nothing else to cheer for on this. Jano hasn’t done that. Jano hasn’t done that since his first year. Ever since his first year when he came in, he was, you know, he had 20, 20, and likeund and something penalty minutes. He hasn’t done that since. He He doesn’t play the way that he did the first year, but they need him to play like he did that first year in national. They’re paying him. They’re paying him like he’s about to score 25. They gave him I mean, we could list off the deal. Was that not one of the more surprising deals this off season? I believe it was a four or fiveyear deal. A long deal had to get to the floor. Yeah, fiveyear deal. I believe around 2 million per year. But yeah, not great. More than that. What if uh what if Casey Middlestat like what if he’s awesome? What if he gets 75? You know what would be great, Whit? If Casey Middlestat’s awesome and then there’s a team at the trade deadline that’s willing to give up a big hall for him. He’s younger. You got to you need some youth. He’s 26. He’s 26. He’s not that young. It’s like if it hasn’t happened yet, it hasn’t happened. And again, Casey Middlestat is not the 2C of the future for the Boston Bruins. He’s not even Okay. You don’t even have a onesie. We don’t. We absolutely don’t. That I heard Lynholm looks good though. I’ve heard I heard Lynhol has looked really good in in uh preseason. Yeah, I think like if you have another year like last year had 106 points and the next guy had 57 points. Like if you have another year, it’s insane. Like if you have another year like that of Pasta, at what point does he say like if they don’t get McKenna? Like when does he say, “Hey guys, I’m out of here.” You’re tell So when I go back to the pasta thing, I’m not saying we’re shutting it down here in November, but you get through the trade deadline, you once again, you deal away half the roster. The Olympics has already been played at this point. At that point, wouldn’t you sit back and say, “Fuck, well, my knee’s killing me. It’s been killing me all season. The team’s not going to win any more games this year. If I sit out, maybe we have a better shot at getting not only Gavin McKenna, this Katon Verhoff kid at North Dakota is supposedly going to be an unbelievable defenseman. any other year he’s going number one overall. So, I don’t know. I would sit him down the second Olympics ends. I would [ __ ] sit David Poshnock in the final. He’s too much of a competitor. He ain’t and and like you’re you’re selling like this is like NBA talk here. Like people are going to the games to see him play. That’s how down bad we are. That’s that’s all I have. This is all I have to resort to is Gavin McKenna. Like Gavin McKenna or Peton Verhoff is all I have to cling to. And the Boston College Bruins. So Tanner Jano 3.4 4 million a for how many years? Five. That’s good for him. That was a little surpris Good for his agent. Very surprising. Um he someone told me that the B it was BC playing Marramac and the Bruins had seven guys between the two teams. Like you we got to scout outside of Massachusetts here, Bruins, if we want to get good. No, it’s crazy. Six guys. They have six guys on just the BC Eagles alone. It’s it’s [ __ ] wild. Well, if the Eagles pop off and go on a run this year and these guys make big contributions, you’re looking at like, wow, we got a kid, bunch of kids coming up that already know each other. So, not I’m just Mr. Positivity in this group. I really am. Now, having said that, I’m pretty sure all of us have them missing the playoffs. Yeah. Yeah. I think they get more points than than what the what was it? 80 80 and a half. I think they get Yeah, I think they get more points than that just cuz of Sway and their back end is uh you know decent, but it’s like Yeah, I don’t think they’re going to make the playoffs, but if I was a betting man, I’d take the over in points. I like that. I got a miss in playoffs. Yeah. And they ain’t doing [ __ ] And I’m happy to see that the [ __ ] Bruins are are no longer a threat to the This is the time that’s nice for you. They owned you for so long, year after year, and now it’s like they’re down. Yeah. But Florida win though. It’s the only way Kachchuck has to get hurt. Bararkov has to get hurt. The the Bruins dynasty has to come to an end. It’s the only way the Leafs do it. Yeah. Yeah. It feels great. Other than Barkov being and Kachchuck being injured. I know. I don’t want to get scalded for that again. Even though I I said Leafs year when that Leaf Leaf year. Um a a fan base we’re going to get to now that I think maybe is feeling good this time every year. like it’s it’s it’s over. We’re going to make the playoffs. We can’t go 13 straight years. No, no, that it’s over. It’s a new year. We can’t go 14 straight years. The Buffalo Sabres, if they miss the playoffs this year, it’ll be 15 straight years. It’s the longest uh record in pro sports right now. Currently, I believe tied with the New York Jets, somebody correct me, G, if I’m wrong there. It’s been ugly. It’s been ugly for a long time. I don’t know, guys. It’s They got one chance. It’s more of the same guys. They got one one chance. Let’s hear it. Alex Lion. That’s their only hope. Did win the Panthers the Stanley Cup two years ago. No, they lost three years ago. He got them in the playoffs. Yeah, that was the year he got them in though. But he got them in. Wait. And then wasn’t he Oh, yeah. I’m sorry. Okay. And then he played with Detroit and then almost got them in. So, Alex Lion, in my opinion, is their only hope. And guys, this lineup didn’t get better, it got worse. They got rid of JJ Purka last year. Hey, I’m excited for Josh Don to get some current like some playing time and and be a regular. I think that he could be a great contributor to that team, but this team sucks. I they they should just be kissing the ground in Buffalo at the fact that they have Josh Allen and and that the and that the Bills are good. That’s all you I I I like their D. Connor, how long have we been saying that, bud? How long? Rosene should be on the Toronto Maple Leafs is where he should be. All right, dude. Dude, dude, what do you mean, dude? They need a number one D man. That’s their guy right there. He’s career being wasted. Good. They haven’t lost a game yet. Let’s give them a day. Yeah, give them a day. Let’s talk about their Give him one day. One week. You know what? You know what? Maybe Lindy can bring him back. That’s another one that Yeah, Lindy. It’s just a to not have Purka. Maybe Josh Norris is great this year, right? You’ve seen moments of that. I know a tough trade for him from Ottawa. A lot of very close buddies. Injury prone. I like Tuck. I mean, Thompson is an absolute sniper. He bounced back last year. He’s a fun player to watch. He’s a monster. He got snubbed from Team USA. He’s going to be on a mission. The only competitive hockey he’s going to be playing is at the Olympics. Damn. I know, dude. I’m trying to pump the I just feel bad. It’s a hockey town. [ __ ] It’s a good market. And they got nothing. They’ve had nothing. And they got Merles moving back, too. They got And they got Merles coming back. Now, the worst part is when I say they have nothing and they had nothing, they actually had a lot of guys that went on to win the Stanley the Cup. That’s the hardest hardest. They see dominating. They see Eel winning. They see Ryan O’Reilly go to St. Louis. They just see winners leaving and then they’re losing. And Buffalo fans, I mean, these people are good people. Goodarted. Like, it’s almost like you’re in the Midwest. Just give them a beer and they’re nice and they’ll jump through a freaking table. Paulmark won the the goddamn Vzna right after he left. So, let’s give him a week, Biz, before you go putting he biz is putting Rosus Dalene on the Leafs before the opening puck drop. I’m saying that’s where he should be. Um, hey, you Utah’s going to win the cup this year cuz Burk is there. Um, I like that Zack Benson kid though. He’s a little [ __ ] disturber. Water bug out there who can make plays. I trained with him at the a place called a yard this summer. Taught him a few things. Oh god. How’s his L5S1? Oh, it’s great. Great. Good. Yeah, we weren’t doing any like crazy jump squats. Uh, uh, Bowen Byum, is he going to Is he going to take that step? Is he going to be that that guy that we kept hearing about when we were in Colorado? Owen Power, is he going to I want to I want to see Owen Power out there [ __ ] cross-checking guys in the [ __ ] spleen. I want You told me before like you think he could be Headman. You’re like, “That guy could be Headman.” I want I I want him to be [ __ ] Chris Pronger. I want him to just come in and be a [ __ ] killer. I want him with I want him [ __ ] out there and warm up with the gag ball in his mouth [ __ ] looking across a red line. [ __ ] I’m going to get you, [ __ ] But like, I see I see it in your eyes. That’s what I want. It’s kind of like Aaron Ecklad. Like he got drafted first overall just like Power. come in maybe trying to be a little too offensive, but look at what Aaron Ecklad has turned his game into. Like he’s big, he’s mean, like elbowing people in the face for no [ __ ] reason. I love it. P’s got to he’s got to have that in his game. Biz, I agree with you 100%. If he brings that to his game, that changes their back end immensely. I like Kessle Ring, too. Kessle Ring kind of like a Rob Scaderi type. Biz, I’m pumping up their D. Army was big on him. That that was the move. That was who they got for JJ Purka. Correct. Him and Donor. Yeah. For the Purka. Purka wanted out, but he was their best goal scorer. He was their best offensive threat. So when you say the roster’s worst, Biz, I I kind of agree with you goalc scoring wise. At least I do. And and maybe Owen Power turns into Darien Hatcher and you’re sitting there and and you’re saying, “Look what I look at the voice I have in the hockey world. I just turned a maybe a softer, bigger, wannabe skilled player into a killer. He’s got the ability. He’s enormous and he flies. Huge. So, Buffalo fans, we’re thinking of you guys, honestly. Yeah, we are. We’re thinking of you guys. Bills go. I think we all have him out of the playoffs. And you have the Bills. You have the Bills. What do you got? Last guy came in. I think he was injured last year. Torn Achilles, I believe it was. Maybe not. Maybe I’m making that up. Jack Quinn. Yeah. And he signed I think that’s basically the deal that um Evangelista signed. Like that was like show me something. Yeah. Show me something. And Quinn was drafted high. Pretty high pick. And he lit up the AHL at at an age when you see a lot of 30 40 goal scorers in the NHL. If they’re in the AHL, they kind of pop off like that. So those are the two uh probably basement dwellers in the Atlantic. These three teams, that’s where that’s where it gets interesting. The eyes are planned, Biz. The eyes are planned. It’s uh it’s an interesting time in Detroit. I think they have some great young players who apparently look awesome in camp. You saw last year, like I thought they were going to end up getting in two years ago the the magic that occurred on the last night of the season and then this past year. You’re just wondering like there’s they’re missing one stud. They’re kind of missing a game breaker now on D. I love Cider. So, can Edson take that big step? They were playing together. They were awesome together. Good enough that they had to be switched. They had to be moved apart, right? Coaching changed and let let’s make some changes here. So, I love Larkin. I love De Brinkat. We’ll see what Pat Patrick Kane does. He’s talking about I want to make the Olympic team. Patty Kane, you never know. I mean, he’s still very very talented with the puck. He’s producing points. Can he be even better? I don’t know, though. I I I I don’t think I have him getting in. Biz, before you say anything, I don’t know if there’s that much of a difference there. Has Detroit wit, you said it, they need a game breaker. Have they found another diamond in the rough with a seventh round pick with EMTT Finny? All I’m hearing about in Detroit is this EMTT Finny. Very true. He is a game changer. They need the next Zederberg and Datoo. They need a diamond in the rough. I think I think personally that that that the Iser plan is not being rushed. They are young. They do have these guys in the pipeline who will evolve into great NHL players that will help them get into the playoffs. They did, I think, somewhat address goalending. Can Gibson stay healthy, right? Can we see the the the John Gibson in his prime we saw in Anaheim, but a guy who can play 55 60 games and stay healthy? Okay, I’m hearing a lot about this Casper kid, too. He had a decent start last year when he came up. Is is he going to continue to evolve? I just continue to look at this roster, though. It did get a little deeper. Like, I love that Appleton guy who came over from the Winnipeg Jets. I loved him in in Winnipeg. I think he was part of that third line there for a hot minute. That Michael Rasmmanson, I think that him as a fourthline center. I like that. That’s step. He’s And then so is Soderblop on the left side on that four. Talk about being Yeah, I think that they got a little bit older. I think they got a little bit deeper. I think that they addressed the goalending situation. I just don’t think it’s time. I don’t think they make playoffs. I think they’re going to be on that cusp. I don’t want people to be like, “Oh, no. It’s their time.” It It ain’t. It ain’t. The Iser plan’s not being rushed. They’re going to figure it out, but it’s going to take a little bit more time. You ain’t Buffalo. No, but it’s going to take a little more time. They got two two capable goalies. Like Cam Talbet, he is a very good backup. Like he can win you some games. Bringing in James Van Reams like he’s going to get you 15 to 20 goals. like a good veteran guy in the locker room. But I honestly think if they like what’s Eisermanman’s leash? Like I know he said as long as we’re not making playoffs, like it’s still part of the plan. Like it’s still part of the progress, but like how long do you think his leash is, Biz? I think he could miss playoffs for another four years. Four? I think four. Who the [ __ ] are you going to hire to replace him? I don’t think I also don’t Who Who the [ __ ] are they going to send in to fire him? Who the hell? Who the hell’s got the the He’s like, “Can we talk?” He’s like, “I’m busy right now.” He’s like, “Okay.” Years. Get you in three years. Um, this Sand Dean Pelica from Sweden. Yeah. I mean, let’s see. Let’s see. Young but smooth like silk. That’s a guy who could, you know, maybe at some point this year all of a sudden he’s like running the power play there. And you have Cider. Cider’s an absolute monster. He’s never missed a game. I don’t think I don’t think he’s ever missed a game. He gets over 40 points. He plays all the tough minutes. He has all the tough matchups. Like, you have a stud there. Can he get to that next level, the level of where he’s at, which is an awesome like true number two on a cup winning team? Can he turn in to a superstar? That’s a huge difference. You guys know what I’m saying? Yeah. And and it goes back to a tweet that I I saw today like Cider 24, Johansson 24, Raymond 23, Edmonson 22, Casper 21, Danielson 21, Pelica 20, Finny 20, and then this uh Bran Seg Nagard who they seem to love 20. So it’s just they’re still so young. Yeah, they’re young. They’re young. They’re like they’re like I kind of want to pick them to get in. Like I want them to get in. Same. Well, then then then is Montreal getting in? I believe more in Montreal than I do the Detroit Red Wings. I’ve seen a lot of things about I’ve seen a lot of I’ve seen noise about people thinking Montreal will take a step back. Not there yet, but I got to pick right now if Detroit’s in or out for the playoffs, right? Okay. What are you thinking? I’m switching my pick. Detroit’s getting in. Whoa. Hockey Town’s back. Hockey Town’s back in the middle of the ice. Is that what it says? You think You think Dylan Larkin and and the and Eisermanman are gonna they’re gonna they’re going to bond. I think Raymond is I think Raymond’s so nasty. I kind of like forgot that he just he’s on that trajectory. Yeah, you didn’t even say his name. Biz. I think it’s just obvious. I just did. He’s Yeah, he’s 23 years old and I think I think he’s a 40 goal guy. Yeah. A a a dog on the ice, too. Like not a soft player. He’s like in the mix. You always see him in scrums, you know, in front of the net. That’s where That’s where you score goals, Biz. That’s what I tell the kids. You want to score goals, you go to front of the net, right? Yeah. I I I think I’m with you, Whit. I I I’m with you. I think they get in, they address the goalending situation. You look at their like unit one power play. Like that’s a lethal lethal power play unit. Like Raymond, Larkin, Kane, De Brinket, Cider. That’s a lethal power play. Okay. So, currently you have four teams in now. you guys right with everyone in the league. And then we got Ottawa and Montreal still remaining. Yeah. And I don’t love the Metro at all. They get three. The Metro is dog [ __ ] Metro are easy points. Yeah, you’re right. I got to be careful here. I got to be careful. It It actually has to be Detroit or Montreal. And I guess I No, not necessarily, though. Sorry to cut you off yet. No, no, B, you make a good point. No, you do. Yeah, you make you think a little bit. I I got the trade in. I’m not listening to you, Biz. I got the trade in. All right. Okay. You want to change your mind? I might. I might, but I have, you know, we’re still recording right now. As long as this this episode’s live and we’re sitting here chat chatting it up, I can switch that. Do whatever you want. You have till the end of the pod. All right, fair enough. Um, Ottawa boys. I watched the first I think it was the first episode of the Amazon Faceoff. Brady, God, that guy, how much you love that guy. I know. Get and and him getting a taste of the playoffs after the Four Nations when he was the the clip where uh Kachchuck says something like this is what big games feel like, Brady, in the locker room. And he’s like, I love I love these games. And then he got him in the playoffs. Biz Leafs took care of him. But I I I like the team. I mean, I I I don’t see a ton of change there, Biz, but you think that they could continue to even get better than last year? I think they’re going to be better than last year. Okay. All right. 100%. I I love him. I love that Zetterland pickup last year. I think he’s going to continue to be a good asset for them. I love their middle of the ice. Uh Lars Eller, who is going to be playing fourth line center, it looks like they got the Pinto Parlay at third line center. That handsome bastard. Dylan, the I the Norris and Cousins swap was a gamecher for me. I love that for Cousins, right? I think that he’s got way more to give on a team that that uh like that is is is playoffbound and it’s not not really sucking the life out of him and I just you saw and he’s willing to fight for his teammates. You saw him drop the gloves. I believe it was in preeason last year or maybe it was the year before. Like he’s a [ __ ] gamer. Timmy Stutzel. I think he’s a 100point player this year. I I think Timmy Stew is going to be on a rocket ship. And then they’re [ __ ] strong on the wings, man. They got guys like David Pon, Stanley Cup champion. He’s a power play specialist. Absolute gamer. Yeah. Is he maybe lost a half a step? Who gives a [ __ ] dude? He’s got the He’s got the brains. Kachchuck is sick. That Ridley that Ridley Greg Kig’s a piece of [ __ ] I [ __ ] love him. And then you got Oh, and then you know who they followed up with on the left side on the fourth line. Another piece of [ __ ] Nick Cousins. They got a lot of [ __ ] G. That whole left side, man. Brady Kachchuck, Piron, Ridley, Greg, and Cousins. Those guys are a [ __ ] pain in the ass to play against. And then you got Sanderson who’s a year more mature. I thought that that Zub kid, I love him. Good shutdown guy. And then that Jensen, a very underrated pickup that they got from Washington a few years back. And then Shabbat, man, I think Shabbat slotted in perfectly on that left side now as the as that that that fourth guy really um on that back end. He doesn’t need to be the main guy offensively. So overall, and then they got all we know what Allar can bring. I know that there was a period of time last year where the fans were getting a little bit frustrated when he started [ __ ] the bed, but he found his game and I think that that will continue. This is 100%. I’m putting my bis stamp of approval. I actually think that all seven Canadian teams are going to make the Stanley Cup playoffs this year. You got the biz stamp of approval right there. 100% guaranteed Ottawa’s in. So you got you got Wow. All right. So you got the three Atlantic and then you have Ottawa. You do not have Detroit. And then I presume you’re you’re taking Montreal to get in again. Well, listen, that’s the one that I’m I’m a 50/50, but once we get the double barrel stamp of approval, you just I gave it I I gave it for for Ottawa, but I’m going to listen to what Eric Les has to say. Give Montreal the double wristster, and I’m sure he’s going to solidify my answer in the fact that every Canadian team will be represented in the Stanley Cup playoffs this year. Oh. Canada. Uh, last thing about Ottawa, I love their left side. That monster, uh, Claven, remember him in that series against Toronto? He’s a mutant, right? And then that Jordan Spence from LA is pretty good. So, and you know, this Sanderson kid is disgusting. He’s unbelievable to watch. And Biz, yeah, they’re a hell of a team. I have them getting in. I I guess the third looking at the third line of Pinto, Parlay, Jaru, and Ridley Greg. Whether that ends up being it or not, like if that was it, if you have the top two lines producing and then they’re coming at you, that’s pretty sick. So, what does all have Keith in or out? Um, I I I got them in and I until watching that Amazon Prime thing last night and seeing the taste in the mouth that Brady Kachchuck have and Sanderson as well, like he came in late to that Four Nations tournament, right? He play he only played two games, I think, right? Yeah, he played Yeah. No, ju was it just the final? Did he just play in the final? But like he’s another guy I’ve been told by Hall of Fame players that he is going to be a Norris Trophy winner one day. Like you said, Biz, he’s going to take that next step this year. Running the power play, being the number one guy, being hungry to make the USA team. I love this team. I think they’re going to have a whole lot of snarl in their game just because of what Brady Kachchuck, you saw with him on the Amazon dock. Like this guy, all he wants to do is win hockey games, be a piece of [ __ ] on the ice, and then be the best dad in the world at home. Like, he’s got it figured out. Like, I love him. Uh, couldn’t be more excited to watch this team, actually. Like, they they look like they’re going to be playing hard for 82 games. And, uh, I I do. I got them in. All right. I think it’s time to go over to Montreal then and bring in our guy, Eric Engles. This guy loves the Habs. He We should run a disclaimer for this guy, too, though. Disclaimer. Pasha style. Pasha style. This is scary lawless territory. Stand up. He’s got his Demodv undies on. I got my Alder brothers t-shirt on. What’s going on, Eric? How you doing? You guys are hilarious. You look like you’re in better shape, eggs. You You’ve been choking the weights. Yeah. A lot of lot of pickle ball. [ __ ] right, buddy. You’re ready to go. You’re ready for another another season of playoffs, aren’t you? Yeah. We’ll see what it does to me. Um, let’s talk about this team. Um, you were you I you you were one of the few people in media who basically guaranteed that they were going to make playoffs last year. You must feel the same way after everybody’s a year more mature. Martin St. Louis had a little bit extra time to to to work his magic there. Uh, where do you feel this team lies heading into this season? Yeah, well, going back to last year, I made two predictions and I was 50% right. One of them was a kind of joke prediction that they would make the class because I figured they’d be around two points in or two points out and that’s just exactly where they ended up and I figured I’d be the only genius who would say that they they’d be in if they made it. The other prediction was they’d finish ahead of Ottawa and that ended up being dead wrong. Although it was close for a long time there. Um coming to this year, I just see a more mature group for the Montreal Canadians. You know, driven by Marty St. Louis. You know, they they said all along since Jeff Gordon and Kent Hughes came in here that a rebuild is never linear, that development is never linear. The one thing that’s been extremely linear is the way Martin St. Louisie has laid the path for the Canadians to become a team that understands how to win games. And I think when you go through that experience of this young core growing together and they understand all those elements that go into it, playing kind of a riskless game, they’ve got enough skill to take advantage of their chances. Uh they become a less fun team to play against and understandably have started to figure out what it takes to win games. And it took really falling on their faces to start last season. They had the worst record the first six weeks of the season. And I think it reinforced St. Louis point to them that like you’re not going to do this running and gunning and trying to outscore teams. They’re they’re going to crush you. And that happened several times on home ice, which is not what you want to see happen at the Bell Center. You definitely don’t want to be on the other side of that as a player. And I think they learned their lessons and grew up together. I see a lot of kids in this camp, you know, that are in that age range of 23 to 25 that they really it really feels like they’ve grown up. Like Arbor Jack guy is like number one guy on that list for me. Kirby Doc is another guy. Obviously, two injury played seasons, but he’s like grown up a lot, matured off the ice, and I think that is probably the biggest reason to believe in them this year. That said, you guys were just talking about the Atlantic division and how crazy it is. Nobody even mentioned Buffalo. Um Detroit, we did. Yeah. Oh, we did. They suck. Yeah, I came in late. I came into the the conversation about Detroit and whether or not they’d make it. I think I’d have Montreal and Ottawa ahead of them. Um, but who knows that that they’ve got some unheralded young defenseman in Detroit that I think are going to make some noise this year. All right. I think a guy who could make an enormous difference is is Bul Duke cuz you see in St. Louis had a nice year and it was actually one of those perfect deals where Montreal could use a young scorer and St. Louis needed a young defenseman and Logan Mayu goes there. It makes total sense. Do you think Book gets top six minutes? Do you think he can is a guy that can get 25 goals? And I guess it depends on his power play usage. Like where do you see him fitting in there? Because that’s getting a guy who’s already proven he could score in the NHL. He’s a French kid. So, you know, that can sometimes hurt him a little bit if he isn’t playing well, I think. But it could also kind of elevate his game and and his status in the city if he is lightening it up. Yeah. I I think he’s a great addition for the Canadians and that he scored 19 goals as a rookie in this league and he’s 22 and he’s fits right in with the core of this team. The other thing is aside from the fact that he can put the puck in the net, especially from the bumper position on power play, he plays with some balls. Like it’s not like the Canadians were the toughest team in the league last year. We saw what happened when they ran into Washington and you know I think they stood their ground in the end, but those first couple of games they practically got ran out of the rick. So adding a guy like Book who plays a direct hard style of game, you know, they could use him and they could use more of that. And I think that’s why Florian Jackie got such a long look in this training camp. He proved that he’s not that far off from playing in the NHL. He’s much closer to it than anybody would have assumed when he was drafted 101st overall as an overager. So I I I think when you look at those types of players and and that’s like the complimentary piece to what this young talented group needs. And I I I I really like what I saw from Bulldog as each day goes along. I I think you guys know what it’s like to join another team and learn a new system and learn new linemates and be in a new market and all that stuff. And it’s I think it’s particularly challenging to do when you’re young in your career. But the progression I saw from him through camp and he suffered a little minor injury that I don’t think will prevent him from starting the season on time. You could see towards the end the last game that he played like he was he was showing exactly what type of player he is and that that to me is a player that’s going to really really going to help the Canadians. My biggest question for the Canadians going in is goalending, but Dobish is Dobby, is that how you say Dobbish? He’s been amazing all camp. No. Like, is he a guy is he gonna get more? Is he going to get more playing time? He wasn’t great last year. He’s a big guy, athletic guy. Like, if he can give you 30, 40 games like and play well, that’s a huge advantage for you guys. Well, Monto’s pretty much got the net, right? Monto’s got the net. Dovvic started his career with I think it was five wins in a row and against like Florida and Colorado. He’s part of that heater that the Canadians were on post Christmas where they had this insane road trip where they played the last four Stanley Cup champions and beat them all and they lost the one game they lost on that fivegame trip was to Chicago and they had they put up like 44 shots on on that. Probably should have won that game. I’ll to say Dobish had an electric start and then, you know, regulated a little bit. He’s he’s a little all over the place. He’s super competitive though. He’s a he’s a battler. I think guys like to wait for a guy like that and it’s kind of the perfect position for him to come in. He didn’t allow a goal in preseason. I don’t know. I don’t think that’s predictive of anything, but it shows that, you know, he was coming in with a bit of a battle with Kacin coming in behind him. And it was like, hey, you’re just a kid. We can send you down without waiverss. You better show it. And he did. And he’s got a he’s got a great like attitude about him. He’s got some he’s got some how do I how would I put it? Like he’s he’s got swagger. He’s got swagger the kid and and to to be able to push a guy like Montaboke who has really progressed year overyear with the Canadians. I think that only helps. Montabau’s proven to be a really solid goalie. He was a guy who when he came to Montreal people were like this guy’s not an NHL goalender to a year later those same fans were begging for him to become the starter. So I think they’ve got a good mix in net. behind them they got Jacob Fowler who I think might be one of the best goalenders not in the NHL and he’s going to get some key professional experience and even with Capo Kakinan coming in he had a great run with Florida’s minor league affiliate all the way to the cup finals last year he’s got some NHL experience as a safety net to bring Fowler along in the AHL but also if you have a bit of a you know a lag for a guy like Dobish and he doesn’t step up and play those 35 games or whatever it is you know he could be down of the miners and kacan could be coming back up. So, I think it’s good depth that they didn’t otherwise had had they not made that move. Um, I think the the Mayu trade makes a lot of sense probably knowing they were going to try to get Noah Dobson. Um, I guess maybe I was a little surprised cuz I feel like at least early in his career. Um, I don’t want to say one-dimensional cuz that that insults the defensive game, but maybe a lot more upside offensively than defensively. and don’t really know how that works in with the power play situation considering you have Lane Hudson. How do you feel like that’s going to impact the team and did you like that move bringing him in and paying him what they paid him? Yeah, like it’s like you said this they knew they were getting Dobson. You’re trading from a surplus position on the right side of your defense to go get something that you desperately need up front. It’s not like the Canadians are a complete team up front even with Demod playing the full season this year. Bulldog comes in brings those elements that we talked about before. Mayu I think is on his way to a very solid career in St. Louis. I think he needs that runway to be able to prove that he his floor is at the right place so that you can play him enough and I think that’s going to take some games like you’re going to have to allow him to make a few mistakes and so he builds up the feeling as though those aren’t going to have him park on the bench and I think a guy like Jim Montgomery is only going to help him. He’s got snarl in his game. He’s got edge. He’s a good kid who went through a lot of things, you know, prior to arriving in Montreal and and really grew up and was forced to grow up. He missed a lot of game time because of his situation, but also injuries. And, you know, when you had Rybacker coming up on the right side from Montreal, and you’ve got Dobson in, and you’ve got Ghoulie there, and you’ve got uh Jackie and Alex Carier, it’s you’re trading from a surplus to be able to address a need. And I I I think, you know, you look at the Canadians defense. I talked about the maturity level of that young core and that being a main reason to believe in Montreal’s playoff chances. Look at the defense. Like you have Mat and Dobson. You’ve got Hudson and Ghouie. And on your third pair, you’ve got Jackey and Carrie. And Jackie for me is the standout of this camp. Like he has become his camp was so good in the way he played. He’s way faster, way more mature, processing speed a lot quicker. a similar kind of process defensively that he’s gone through that Mayu will will have in front of him now because he’s not the same, but he’s got some of those elements. He can fight. He can do all the physical stuff and he can really play. So like Alex Carrier, like I don’t I don’t know what the hell happened that he ended up in Montreal on a trade that nobody had on the radar for Justin Baron. That guy, if you put him as a number four on threequarters of the teams in the league, he’s not just like there, he’s a good one. So that defense is deep. It’s good. Jaden Strubal starting on the outside looking in like he’s a solid NHL defenseman. That’s that’s a big reason to believe the Canadians could continue on the path they started on last year. But just go back to the Dobson like like how do you think that’s going to work out offensively? Like he’s typically an offensive defenseman. Like well how many reps will he actually be getting on on the power play when you have a guy like Lane Hudson? And Whit was also wondering like what like what why didn’t he sign like why you know you see like a guy like you Luke Hughes sign you see um Jackson Lome why didn’t Lane Hudson in ink a contract or would you have would you have offered him um eight times nine I think that’s a I think it’s a very reasonable deal for Lane Hudson at this stage like I think there’s a lot like a lot of fans are like pay him whatever he wants like he’s amazing he is amazing does anybody deny the fact that he’s amazing 66 points tied to Larry Murphy for the record for NHL defense, but as a rookie. Uh, you know, he’s an incredible player. The thing is, the way the NHL works is when leverage is on your side, you get a great deal. And when it’s not on your side, you and you’re offered that type of security, I think it’s a great deal that would set them up. If it’s 8 x * 9 and that’s where it ends up, you know, if it’s 8 * 9.1, if it’s 8 time uh 8.9, whatever it is, like I think that’s a a reasonable place for Lane Hudson to end up, he gets a ton of bank. And when he comes out of that contract at 29 years old, he’s going to sign one of the most lucrative contracts in history if if you know, he stays healthy. And if he doesn’t, well, he’ll have set up 10 generations of his family. Uh it is a negotiation like that’s how it goes. You ask me about Dobson Biz. Um the power play spread like I think the Canadians are just happy to finally have two units. Like a year ago if you looked at their second unit I think they got three or four goals out of that for the entire season. Now you’ve got a unit where Dobson and Lina are playing and you got another one where Hudson, Demidov, Caulfield and Suzuki are playing and you’ve got guys like Gallagher and Doc and Newuk and Book and there’s a mix there where if you’re not going on any given night, you may not be the first power play. It’s it’s almost equally weighted. line had 15 power play goals last year and I think you know we’ve seen some signs we saw some some negative signs but we’ve seen some signs that the five on five game might come up a bit for him which would enable him to gain the confidence to be able to contribute not just on the power play. So let’s see how it goes. We I mean we talked about it earlier like there really isn’t that many second unit power plays. Majority of the teams the first unit’s taking a minute 20 you’re getting the puck it’s getting sent down you’re getting 20 seconds maybe on this. So, I think a lot of it’s going to have to be with Dobson being okay with that Biz and like not getting pissed off and being like, why am I not on the first power play? That’s where it’s a little bit difficult because like you’re you’re acquiring a guy where that’s part of why you’re getting him, but then yet he’s not able to get the reps as to what you’re kind of paying him for, right? So that that to me was was where the question mark was where where what they have in Lane Hudson and then why you would acquire Noah Dobson. Like that’s assuming though they’re paying him because they expect him to be a little bit better defensively and a little bit more well-rounded. Is that is that the case? Have they talked about maybe where where he was defensively or are they not concerned about that? Listen, I I think it’s a fair question. I’m wonder when do you guys air this? What time on Monday do you air this? 6 am tomorrow morning 6 am. Yeah. Okay. By the time this airs it will not have happened but I’m sitting down with Marty San Louis tomorrow. So I’m gonna ask him what he what he’s looking for as far as a dynamic is concerned on a power play and how he keeps everybody like you guys know the dynamic within a room better than anybody. It’s hard keeping everybody happy, right? A lot of mouths to feed. But if you got paid, if Dobson got that money and you know at least for him, he’s not on the first power play. Once you’re paid, if I don’t I don’t feel like it bothers guys as much. Maybe I’m completely You still want to live up to it though. You still want to live up to the money. Let’s go to the other cl and and you’re exactly right because if you’re no adoption and you just took the most expensive contract in Montreal and you come over here and you’re coming off not a down season, but a season that was down for a 70point season year before that. Like you think Montreal fans are extremely patient with guys who make $9.5 million in year one of an eight-year deal. Like he’s got to get his opportunities and and St. Louis is a big believer that confidence is built on the power play. Like it translates directly to how you’re going to play it five on five. And I I’m I think and I can’t say for sure because I haven’t sat down with him yet. I think the dynamic he wants to create is major competition and be like, you know, you’re throwing Suzuki, Hudson, Caulfield, Deminov on the ice and if they’re not sharp on like the first reps of the night, they’re the second power play unit for the night. So, like, you know, ideally you get more than one power play in a game, but I think Lane Hudson’s old man will be [ __ ] barking from the case. What about the tinfoil hat theory that you give Dobson a go, you hope the first power play lights it up, then the numbers aren’t there, and then you’re like, “Wow, on Hudson’s deal, we might Hey, Lane. Here’s five evangelista contract. Little bridge.” All right, angles for a while now. There’s birdies chirping that Montreal’s like looked into trading for a second line center. If Kirby Doc, if if he’s able to put it all together and stay healthy, the poor guy, he came on our show, I think after his rookie year, great dude, dropping fbombs, didn’t give a [ __ ] He’s been crushed by the injury buck like every year at something. So, I I like him a lot. I’m rooting for him. If he were to be able to live up to what you thought of him as a 19-year-old, maybe you’re not hearing rumors of needing a second line center there. Would you agree? I would say this about Kirby. I think Kirby is extremely motivated and and I’m personally I believe in Kirby. You know, I sat down with him at the beginning of the training camp because I wanted to talk to him and and get give him an opportunity to tell his story of what he’s been through, right? He tears his ACL, MCL in the second game of a season where he looked like he was going to explode and then he rehabs the whole thing, comes back last year, plays, you know, 50 odd games and tears the ACL on the same knee. Like, if you could imagine what that’s like mentally, let alone physically, it’s a God had to have been unbearable. But when I said that, you know, Jackie and the rest of the Canadians and Kirby are guys that have really like grown up, he really learned from those experiences. You know, I sat down with him last year in the middle of the year when he was struggling before he got hurt and I just said, “Did you give yourself the best opportunity to have a, you know, to come back from the ACL MCL injury? Like, did you have the proper summer that would enable you even though you knew you were going to lag at the beginning of the season to to get it together and refind your rhythm?” And and he said, “No, like I just didn’t treat it the way I needed to.” and he came back on that when I sat with him at the beginning of this training camp and said, “I learned a lot from that.” He also learned, and this is something probably for Alex Barov to keep in mind, cuz he just tore his ACL, MCL, Kirby said that from weeks 8 to 14 in his first rehab, he felt physically good enough to start pushing it again. And that was a critical time for healing to happen and not be pushing it. um there’s a certain fusion that needs to happen with a knee reconstruction that if you push it at a certain point in that rehab from the weeks 8 to 14, you’re risking that area not strengthening the way it needs to. And that happened to him the first time and it slowed down his rehabilitation, his ability to train properly in the summer and get back to what he wanted to be. So, he learned from that the second time. He took it easy during those weeks. He pushed extremely hard during the summer. He’s in the best shape that he has been in since he came to Montreal. If he plays with the types of guys that he’s set to play with right now and it’s should be I think Zack Baldduk and Brennan Gallagher to start. They’re two direct guys to give him an opportunity to find his time in fact. Will he inevitably end up with Demidov maybe even line A2? I think it’s not dead. It’s that that’s how camp started. It didn’t look good in one game. They changed it up but we’ll see. Now, the other side of your question, and sorry to be so long-winded about it, is what’s going to happen with Sydney Crosby? Now, I’m a believer that Sydney Crosby could end up in Montreal. Wow. I I think if he played anywhere, it would be Montreal Engles. Wow. I believe the Canadians clip it, G. Love would love to make it happen. And I believe that anybody else that’s in the race for Sydney Crosby can’t necessarily give up as much as the Canadians would to take care of Pittsburgh. But two things need to happen. One, the Canadians need to be good, and two, the Penguins need to be really bad. So, we’ll see where that goes. I think regardless of what happens with Kirby this year or Alex New Hook, who’s in that kind of middle six opportunity, same as Kirby is, if Sid’s available, I don’t think either of those guys are going to be like, “No, no, no, no. I got this.” Like, yeah. Hey, the headline biz is Crosby for for 2C in Montreal. They got their second line center. Yeah. I don’t know if we’d label them 2C here. I don’t discuss I don’t discuss the Crosby rumors. I’ve uh I’m I’m I’ve put myself above that. I have one theory on Crosby and why he’d stay in Pittsburgh and it’s got nothing to do with the loyalty factor. Like this guy’s used the same jock strap for his entire career. He’s like wearing the same crusty hat since he got drafted. I agree. That’s what his hockey DB looks like. Is he looking to upend his entire routine in a new like maybe he could wrap his mind around it for the opportunity to not only like chase winning again but do it in a place where he is a god if he’s already a god in Pittsburgh but he he he would come to Montreal and not just be a on the bandwagon of a of a Stanley Cup contender he would be a huge part of driving that with a guy like Ian Demmedov next to him and I think you guys have an idea idea of what that player is going to look like. If you don’t, uh, you might want to tune in to some Montreal games this year. Oo, some [ __ ] big words. Speaking of Demond, I heard him and, um, oh, what’s his name there? Uh, Kaepern, I heard they’ve had some crazy like they look unbelievable together. You think we’ll see them together at any point? I know it’s two young guys to put on a line. Might not be able to do it, but I heard their their connection is off the charts right now. Yeah, I don’t I don’t know if it’s off the charts, but they’re going to start together playing with New Hook. Um, Kaan is like a super heady 22-year-old kid. Grew up in the Swedish League and put up some big points there. His play away from the puck is much more mature than 22 years old, which is a reason why he made this team before the final game was even played to the point that St. Louis was like, I don’t need to see this line again. Like, we’re good. Um, pretty rare to have that happen in a training camp, let alone in a place like Montreal where the expectations are always up and up and up. Um, that kid’s a really smart player. He has great abilities with the puck, but to be able to execute it at this level, he needs the repetition. So, it’s still the jury is still out because their camp was so competitive that some of the kids they sent down, whether it’s Owen Beck or Florian Jackie, who brings a totally different dimension to the game. Like, if Kaan stumbles out of the gate, I’m not sure how long his runway will be. Like, that’s kind of the competition and depth that’s been created in Montreal. And I still think though that the kid plays a great two-way game. He’s got a really good head for the game. And if his touches become more confident, which I don’t see why they wouldn’t playing with a guy like Demidov who’s going to put him in those positions, um I think he’ll be here to stay. My last one is you gave us two hot takes last year and we’re right on one of them. What are your three Montreal hot takes for this season? Crosby. He just created the one Crosby. Well, no. Aside from that, we don’t talk the rumors on this podcast. We do. We do. I don’t. That’s from a man who’s created thousands of them, Eric. Yeah. I’m a new man. It’s not really a hot take to suggest Demov’s going to win the Calder, is it? Back to back Canadians. Back to back never happened. After not having a Calder winner in Montreal since Ken Dryen, rest in peace. Lane Hudson wins it and Damod becomes the second guy. I guess we could qualify it as hot take, right? There’s some good competition for Demar. I think that’s a big time hot take. I love it. I love it. Okay, that’s a big It’s warm favorite. It’s practically a cold take. It’s warm. Warm take. Yeah, he’s plus 185 to win it. I’ll take Montreal in the playoffs over Detroit Buffalo and I can’t put them ahead of Ottawa this year, unfortunately. Okay, that’s a semi- lukewarm hot take as well. Vince fans will have to wait to roast me. Yeah, but like look at the East. Like are Jersey and New York going to miss the playoffs this year after last year? I don’t think so. Who who will be um who who will have the most amount of goals for the Montreal Canadians this year? Cole Coughfield. Cole Coughfield. No question about it. Does he make the US Olympic team? I think the US Olympic team, you know, it’s pretty hard to move anybody out of place from what we saw at Foreign Nations, but I think their emphasis on size hurts whole. The one thing I would say is when scouting was done before the tournament uh last time around for the foreign nations, like Cole was firing the puck into the net, but his complete game wasn’t where we expected to be based on the development he had the year prior. His second half of the season, like if you watch this kid play, it was not not just about the goals. He he really plays a complete game and he wins most of his puck battles for a guy who’s undersized. I think if he starts that way this year, he gives himself the best opportunity to be on what the best version of Team USA ever. Like, it’s a hell of a team to try and crack. I I think if he doesn’t make it, it’s just cuz they’re obsessed with the size factor. And I I don’t blame them for being that way cuz I think we know, you know, what what wins when it comes to must-win type of hockey. I just think Cole plays a lot bigger than he is. And I if it were me picking the team, I would give him a really serious look. Rookie of the year odds. Just quickly, Demov plus 185. The next closest is Z Buiam at plus or 12 to1. So Biz like not really a hot take. I think everyone kind of thinks he’s going to get it done. Snugger’s also 12 to1. Misa is 14 to1. Isaac Howard 16 to1. Oh, and Posasha’s boy Gritsu 40 to1. The hot take is if if the Canadians are good and the Penguins are bra are bad. Crosby comes here and the Canadians finish ahead of the Leafs in the standings. You [ __ ] [ __ ] You got you’ve been work you’ve been chucking weights and playing pickle ball. Now you’re getting [ __ ] tough, eh? All right. You keep my [ __ ] Leafs out of your goddamn mouth. All right. I thought he doesn’t talk about the Leafs wet. No, never. Eric, what how how long of a leash do you think L has? Because you saw it towards the end of the year. Last year he’s got got scratched a little bit, not on the power play. Like how long do you think his leash is? Short. Listen, this guy put up 20 goals last year. He blew out his knee in the first preseason game you played. He went through a lot. He fell back in love with the game. He had a good summer, an NHL summer. A summer where you’re on the ice a lot and you’re working out in the gym. It’s what you expect of a player who makes a good amount of money and has the type of talent he has. The game for him needs to be simplified. He needs to play it directly. He needs to play it within the construct of what St. Louis expects to see from his team. It’s it’s making ordinary simple plays. Marty’s been talking about it ad nauseium. Like make the simple plays, do the ordinary things so that you get the opportunity when it when you get the opportunity to be extraordinary, you can take advantage of it, but you’re not hurting our team. like the way this team has to run right now based on where they’ve come to in their development of what’s expected of them in this city. You can’t be coloring on your own page. You can’t be doing it your own way. Like you play the way the team needs you to or you don’t play. And that’s I think that message was already sent Patrick Late in this training camp. He went from a line with Kirby Dock and Ivan Deminov to one playing with Joe Valeno and Owen Beck. I’m not sure where he’s starting the season, we’ve got some practices to go and I believe based on some of the actions I’ve seen from LA on the ice that the message has been received. Uh if he plays the right way, if he plays the simple way, if he gives the puck to what will be elite playmakers, if he plays with a guy like Demov and gets himself in a position to shoot it, he’s going to be just fine. No one expects that he’s going to be the best five on five player on the team, but he’s got to do the non-negotiable parts of the game in order to get that ice time. And then, you know, he he’s unbelievable on the power play. I mean, who’s who’s going to take anything away from what this guy can do on the power play? He’s absolutely elite. and having a right-handed shot like Dobson passing it to him or having Hudson his creativity or Damodov and his creativity to suck guys in and then throw it over to to his side. If he shoots it, if he gets a clean look, you don’t even need a scream. He’s going to score. So, play the five on five game and you’ll get your chances uh on a power play. But that leash is going to be short and not just for him, for every player on this team. Eric Engles, hot take of the century. Crosby took the Canadians and finishing above the Leaves. Thank you very much for coming on. We’ll catch up with you soon for sure and they are a fun team to watch. I love watching games at the Bell Center. So that won’t change. We’ll see you later. Yeah, I don’t guys honestly I don’t know how great the Canadians will be this year. I know they’re going to be super entertaining and I think we’re going into an era where they’re going to be one of the if not the most compelling team in Canada cuz what they’ll have going on with Ottawa as a rivalry is going to be incredible. Um, they’ll be right there. So, it’s it’s going to it’s fun times ahead for Montreal fans, I think. All right, let’s go, baby. Love it. Thank you so much. I mean, yeah, it doesn’t even mention the Leafs in terms of rivalry. Just brings up the Ottawa rivalry. Well, probably because of what happened in preseason, guys. I I I’m as of now, I’m uh I’m going with Detroit over Montreal. I’m sticking. might he might have made me flip. Well, yeah, if Crosby gets traded there, we can replay this. We can edit it and we can have those guys getting in. That was that was that would be a wild wild day on the internet if Sydney Crosby went to the Montreal Canadians. Biz, did you end up getting out to see Gavin McKenna live? I didn’t. No, I I drove I drove three straight days and I was pretty tired, especially on uh Thursday night. I slept in my car. I was I slept in my car for four hours. Yeah. I had a haircut booked and it was the only one I could get in before I go on TNT and I needed to like clean myself up. I had a full [ __ ] beard and and and tough salad so I had to get to see my guy and then I was just tired and then I figured I’d just keep up online and everything is advertised. I mean, holy [ __ ] man. He can make plays under pressure. Uh so calm. Just the way that he positions himself in the offensive zone where he just even that pass he made over to the the farside guy who ended up scoring that goal like just a little little touch, right? It wasn’t much. The one play uh on the power play um he didn’t even end up getting assist on. He was like the left pointman and he has a guy coming barreling down on him where you know I would have fired it down the wall the minute that guy started getting his boots going towards me. And then the guy ends up stopping up a little bit and he didn’t panic. he just makes that little play down on the half wall to the next guy and they ended up going tic-tac-toe into the back of the net. So just uh very very impressive and uh uh couple nice apples on the Friday game and then ends up getting the game winner um on Saturday with uh under two minutes left on that power play on the far side. So uh remarkable young talent um and I loved the the chippiness from him. I’d never seen any clips of him joshing at fans in junior. I think in junior he was the top dog where people just more came to watch him play and marveled at him where you get these college crowds with these college kids and they know that he’s got a target on his back so they’re just [ __ ] chirping him non-stop overrated. So he [ __ ] gave it right back. The same way I talked about Rory Mroy shoving it up all the [ __ ] uh uh Americans fans hoops. Gavin McKenna came to ASU and at the Mullet Arena left given the double barrel just like Rory did. So, shout out to Gavin McKenna. Everything is advertised in the first two games and uh I hope he continues his success and he will be first overall pick. I’m I’m very curious, Keith, quickly. Where were you parked when you slept in your car? Like a truck. Very good question. No, just like you pull over there was like a like a like a road on the side of the highway. one of the rits. No, it was just more about how I like like I ran out of time. Like I knew I had to be back to Arizona for 940. So, it’s like why would I bother? And by the way, like where I am on the highway, there’s like like once you get to a certain point um like uh it’s like near Paige, Arizona, like a little past that you’re kind of like in the middle of the desert. That ride’s a nightmare. It’s a bit of a nightmare. So, I just figured h I’ll pull over, sleep for 3, four hours, and then get up and then power through. So, I ended up getting home just in time to get to my haircut. Your guy your guy couldn’t have pushed your haircut back a couple hours. No, like he’s booked up solid. Like, he just like he’s just like, “Okay, what time you got available?” And like I don’t expect him to work around me. It’s just like, “Hey, what time do you have available?” “940. Be here then.” “Okay, see you then.” So, no, you would never expect it, but if you were like, “Hey, do you have no or anything?” thing. I I bet you we’d help you out, right? But but basic that that would have kind of freaked me out a little bit, I think. Soloing my car off the highway in the middle of the desert. Well, yeah. You locked the door. You locked the door. You don’t [ __ ] leave the door unlocked. Come on. You had the windows down to save money. I know you locked the door. No, I slept in the cab in the back. I put a blowup mattress back there. Um used the shirts hung up as this blanket. I drove I drove through uh Bosezeman and then and then drove and then stopped in Jackson for a night. That was nice. I I got to see my neighbor there and uh yeah, I love I love driving through there. What’ you listen to most of the ride? Lot of silence. Lot of silence. Thinking a lot of raw dogging and then uh Oasis. I’ve been on Oasis kick since playing with Con man at the Cup. He loves Oasis. Con mans. No, no. Unless he saw them play together in years, right? Yeah, they just he went this year. He’s seen them. No, he’s seen them four. He went to the Toronto back-toback shows and he actually opened up went to the opening shows in Cardiff. Yeah. He went to their their big uh rugby stadium there, which I’ve actually been I went to a I went to a Samoa and Wales rugby game there. That was probably a hell of an environment. Or maybe it was England. Samoa and England. It was awesome. It was awesome. Oh yeah. Wait, who did you say first? Samoa and who? Wales. I thought it was Samoa and Wales, but it was actually Samoa in England. In Wales. That’s where the game was hosted. This was those the All Blacks. No, Samoa. the Samoans are are very close but not but but a a lot of the same um I think there’s a decent amount of Samoans on the All Blacks which is in New Zealand. They those are those are the guys where they do the haka. Yeah. You like you don’t want to end up in a bar scrap against those guys. No, they are just built different. They don’t need the coke to get coke tough either. They just have a couple pops and they are built like a brick [ __ ] house. They you know that what’s the what’s the football thing where you do like in the hole where they just run at each other. Yeah. You you you start on your I think you do a push-up or you roll over do a push-up and then Oklahoma drill. I’d rather I’d rather go headtohead with my F250 than go headtohead with a [ __ ] Simone guy. Let’s just Hey, speaking of of football and and bad uh I guess bad bad being down real bad weekends. Did you see the Mark Sanchez story? Have you read this [ __ ] Very bizarre. Very bizarre what happened with that one. I don’t know. And and and he obviously was probably pretty intoxicated. Did you read the story about how it all transpired? I’ve read parts where I mean he attacked the Uber driver. I believe pepper spray. It wasn’t an Uber driver. It wasn’t an Uber driver. So the So the story that I read was there was this guy who was driving a truck and the truck was there to pick up the grease from the restaurant like you know all the old grease. Y So the truck pulled up and why he was at the back of this restaurant and and concerning himself by the fact that this truck had pulled up and was parked there, I don’t know. I don’t know how many beers or or how much alcohol he had. And keep in mind, maybe this story changes from when you guys hear me tell it to to to what ends up being the actual truth. But so he told the truck driver like, “Hey, you can’t park here.” And then they kind of like verbally were kind of going at it where he’s like, “Well, if I hear from the people who’s who like run the business, then maybe I’ll move the truck, but I’m here to do my job and I’m going to do my job.” So he got in the passenger seat and I think he like he started like trying to like like do whatever. And at that point the guy pepper- sprrayed him to get him off. And then and then that’s when kind of [ __ ] hit the fan where he ended up coming around the truck and Sanchez started like getting in his face. And at that point the pepper spray obviously didn’t work. And the guy ended up pulling out a a knife because he was so scared that he’s like, “Okay, this guy’s a lot bigger than I am.” And I don’t maybe he didn’t realize it was Mark Sanchez and so he stabbed them three times in the chest. And I think that Sanchez was just like shocked at the fact that Sanchez was like trying to get in the passenger side at that time where or or excuse me the driver’s side at that point where what else was he going to do, right? This guy was kind of coming at him and then at that point he went to the hospital. He was in critical condition. They obviously stabilized him and then uh Sanchez got arrested because he was in the wrong. Drunk and disorderly, entering a vehicle that wasn’t his and and like an assault. So three counts, right? Just the fact of wait like come to you’re in the hospital bed and you’re stabbed three times. Then the police come in and read you your Miranda rightites. You’re just like what the [ __ ] Like what was that guy doing? It’s crazy. Crazy story. I I I don’t know. But like you’re you’ve made what is it $40 $50 million playing football. You’re doing um you’re doing like NFL commentary and that’s why you’re in that city doing it and you’re and you’re there and and I don’t know. He liked that parking spot. He did not want anyone in that parking spot, I guess. Yeah, but he’s he’s visiting that city. What the [ __ ] does he do? It’s so weird. It’s so I know. And once again, like this might all change by the time this podcast comes out, but if that is the story, I just Yeah, I just like don’t [ __ ] man. I caring that much where somebody parks. Oh, [ __ ] Well, back to the Hopefully, he’s all right. I mean, I mean, you guys care about me parking on the side of the highway. No, no, I was just We’re worried about you dying. We’re worried about you getting like something about married like splitting a ride with a guy to help out you with the driving so you can make your shave appointment. Biz Wagganowski. I got a white head on my eyeball. The Edmonton Oilers boys in the news. Chris Knob Chris Knoblock. Welldeserved extension. Yeah, welldeserved extension. Biz doesn’t want to hear about the Oilers. We’ll get to the Oilers in the Pacific preview. Uh, also Ryan Huska, he signed an extension with the Calgary Flames. They were right there. They shocked the world last year. Almost got in. We’ll get into them with the Pacific division. Um, I don’t know what else. Oh, Eric Johnson, guys. What a career. Yeah, I think he’s been on with us a couple different times. Just an awesome dude. He announced his retirement. I mean, crazy. First overall pick. has the freak uh accident where he tore his ACL like in a golf cart, but he ends up being a part of the trade over to Colorado, played there forever, won the Stanley Cup there, played incredible hockey in the 2010 Olympics. I remember being there. I was like, he had just dominant shifts. So, congratulations. What a run. What a run. Yeah. Unreal care. Max Peretti as well, retired. Yes. Did you see him imitating Matthews? That was hilarious. That was great. Fake ear like that. It looked like it unless he did it unless he went full authentic method acting for the for the little show. He got his ear to imitate him. But two guys that’ll be in the USA Hockey Hall of Fame in my in my opinion. Great careers. Pat Ready at the top of his game was scoring at a clip. Captain of the Montreal Canadians as an American. Um yeah, great career on both of them. Eric Johnson. Unbelievable guy. Probably a better guy than a better better players. So, uh, two two amazing careers by two great Americans. Love it. Biz Patches is also going to go he’s joining the University of Michigan. I think he’s like a special assistant to the head coach. So, all of a sudden, you got him. Um, I watched BEu play, what was it? Saturday night. Cole Hudson, I think he had two goals, two assists, couple of the assists to Eerman. Very excited for BEu season. But that about wraps it up. Long episode, long preview. That was long. I’m dying here. Long, long. I’m exhausted. So, once again, the new Chicklets merch live in the Bar Stool Sports American and Canadian store. Check that out. Everything came out great. We’re rocking the t-shirts. All of us have different ones on right now. Thank you so much for listening. We will see you back this week on Friday. Have a great beginning of this week. NHL’s back. Thank you.

On Episode 585 of Spittin’ Chiclets, The boys are joined by Leafs Forward Matthew Knies to talk about playing and looking up to Auston Matthews, The speed of the Four Nations and much more. But first, The guys break down the Atlantic Division team’s chances this year and with a surprise entrance by Big Caez, the Florida Panthers kick off our chat and Eric Engels joins us to discuss Montreals chances. Big signings in Minnesota and plenty of movement around the league are setting the stage for this year. This is an episode you won’t want to miss.

00:00:00 – START
00:09:29 – NHL SIGNINGS
00:52:27 – FLORIDA PANTHERS
01:05:53 – TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
01:12:58 – TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
01:19:53 – MATTHEW KNIES INTERVIEW
02:15:53 – BOSTON BRUINS
02:25:34 – BUFFALO SABRES
02:32:09 – DETROIT REDWINGS
02:39:41 – OTTAWA SENATORS
02:44:59 – MONTREAL CANADIENS
03:14:26 – GAVIN MCKENNA
03:16:44 – ETC.

Support the Show:

PINK WHITNEY: Take Your Shot with Pink Whitney

GAMETIME: Download the Gametime app today and use code CHICLETS for $20 off your first purchase

RHOBACK: Use code CHICLETS on https://rhoback.com for a generous 20% off your first purchase through the  end of this week 

BODYARMOR: Get your BODYARMOR Sports Drink today at Walmart or a local grocery store near you! https://www.walmart.com/brand/bodyarmor/bodyarmor-sports-drinks-and-zero-sugar-sports-drinks/10009696

DRAFTKINGS: GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY).
Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).
21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in NH/OR/ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). Pass-thru of per wager tax may apply in IL. 1 per new customer. Must register new account to receive reward Token. Must select Token BEFORE placing min. $5 bet to receive $200 in Bonus Bets if your bet wins. Min. -500 odds req. Token and Bonus Bets are single-use and non-withdrawable. Token expires 10/19/25. Bonus Bets expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 10/12/25 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK.

Listen to the PODCAST: https://pod.link/1112425552
Subscribe on YOUTUBE: https://barstool.link/3fdrjFv
Follow us on TWITTER: www.twitter.com/spittinchiclets
Follow us on INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/spittinchiclets
For Spittin’ Chiclets MERCH buy here: www.barstoolsports.com/chiclets

Check out Barstool Sports for more: http://www.barstoolsports.com

Follow Barstool Sports here:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/barstoolsports
Twitter: https://twitter.com/barstoolsports
Instagram: http://instagram.com/barstoolsports