Completing the Other 31 — Dallas Stars’ Roster Locked for the Season Opener | DLLS Stars Podcast

Completing the Other 31 — Dallas Stars’ Roster Locked for the Season Opener | DLLS Stars Podcast

Get ready, boys. We’re live now. And guess what? We’ve got so much to talk about today on the eve of the Stars beginning the season. We can’t mess around with this long cold open. So Ryan, go now. We got [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] This is the DLLS Stars podcast on Wednesday, October 8th along alongside Craig Ledwick, Sam Nestler, and our producer Ryan VA. I’m Owen Newkerk. Before we get into today’s show, and we have a lot for you today, let’s talk quickly about two big things. First, you know that the ball knower bonus this week, one of them is Cowboys, Panthers. Who wins? Come on. I think we see what’s going on here. Look, I’m not saying the Cowboys are going to win the Super Bowl or anything, but that’s a really good bet. If you want to do that, go to our website, pick Cowboys or Panthers. I would say Cowboys, but that’s just me. Then spend at least $25 up to a maximum of $250 on merchandise. If you get it right, you get basically doubling your money. So, a gift card from DLS All City for the same amount you spent. So, you could literally get two for one. And talking about it, we have a Die Hard sale going on. Die Hards get 20% off. So, you get even more, get a better deal if you sign up to be a diehard. And you do it right now. You get two options. one the regular $36 sale which is the best sale we do as far as the least expensive year-long subscription to be a diehard and you get a free t-shirt or you can upgrade to $59 for the first year and get a very limited edition DLLS branded hat from Branded Bills. Two great options all the same perks of being a diehard. Go to alldls.com/intro. This is a big day today because not only is the season starting tomorrow for the Stars season has actually begun already for the NHL, but we also have our final, you ready for this? 31st and final other 31. And I just got a text message from our guest confirming that he got my link and he’s going to be on in Cory Massak Masses. I’ll get that right eventually. He is the ABS beat writer for the Denver Post. He’ll be joining us in the next segment to talk about the Colorado Avalanche, the one we intentionally saved for last. So, we almost saved it for game day. We almost saved it for after the season started because it was getting that tight. We’ll get to that. Let’s talk about the big thing news over the last 48 hours, guys, which is the Stars went from the opening night roster to now what I call the season opening roster, the real one. They had to do a bunch of salary cap gymnastics, bunch of moves, and the big one surrounded Jaime Ben getting placed on LTI. Now, Sam, when we did Monday’s show, I was pretty adamant they’re not going to use LTI for Jamie Ben if they don’t have to, but because of Oscar Beck’s injury, which you got some clarity yesterday from Glen Gullson, that changed all of their plans. Yeah. Yeah. Beck is out at least a week or so is what Glenn Golson said. Conficially out for both of these first two games uh on IR. So that’s that’s as far as we know. We don’t know whether this is something that could linger or if it’s just going to be, you know, on Monday he’s good to go. And so their backup plan they not even a backup plan. You’re right. They had to have 12 forwards to play the game. Well, they they could have had 13 with Jamie on IR regular IR. They they have the space, but then Oscar Beck gets hurt and now now you got to fill actual spots instead of just having 12 spot and then also have a backup because they’re on the road. Yep. So we saw them sign Adam Ernie uh to a one-year contract. welld deserved um as their veteran and that raises more questions. Is that going to be it or is there going to be more because are they gonna want 13? I just it would really surprise me if they went to Winnipeg and Colorado with 12 forwards and and seven defenseman. So then they call backup our guy Justin Ritzovian and it looks like he will be on the actual opening night roster headed to Winnipeg tomorrow. So good for the guys that we kind of all agreed deserve to be there. Luds, we haven’t learned, at least I don’t remember from 12 years ago, the terminology that Glenn Gullin uses. We haven’t learned the gully language about injuries, right? Every coach has sort of subtle ways. Some are more clear than others. We learned the Lindy language. He’s going to be out for a bit was very short. A little bit meant a little longer and it kept going from there. Well, with Gully, he said with Oscar Beck, at least a week or so. And if he’s if you take it at face value, that sounds like more than a week. Yep. So, they’re going to have to deal with Oscar Beck maybe for five or six games or longer. Yeah. And it it’s not a big loss for me. Not no disrespect. Stomping on Oscar Beck. No, I No, because I I I I’ve been pretty clear about this is he knows his role. And the reason I say that is there’s other guys that can fill that that particular role that he does, I think. And and so again, I I know that there’s nothing more important for a coach when you’re down in your your bottom four, five for fours that are in, you know, in and out of the lineup at times. Not that Oscar is, but than trust. And I I know they trust him. They trust him when he’s on the ice to do the right things, but I think there’s a couple other guys that can probably do the same thing. Well, let’s take a look at the lines from practice today now that we have the real group because we showed you the lines from Monday and it was a little different. And there’s a really interesting one. Actually, there’s a whole bunch of this. Justin Rovian over Adam Ernie. Surprise to either of you? Not to me. I think the way I’m looking at Adam Ernie is that he is a insurance plan for this team. They’re going to play him. As as Goldson said, he’s not letting anyone rot on the vine and sit out for 15 games straight. But he is the 30-year-old. He’s played. They know what he is. He’s a bigger body. I think he is the insurance and Rovian is the one who has probably the higher ceiling that could play a little more up and down the lineup. Well, he had a big year rgoian in the AHL last year, rookie of the year. The Texas Stars have had major award winners in consecutive seasons with Stan Kovven and Bourke getting rookie and MVP respectively. LS, when you look at that, is Justin Rkovian best served on the fourth line? Nope. I I have I would again just looking at these names, I would put Robo up there, steal it. I would put Steel where Blackwell is. I would put Ritz Scovian where Robertson is. And I would put Ernie in where Ritzkovian and you leave Blackwell as the extra Blackwell the extra. And I think he because now we’re taking Colin Blackwell who’s a fourthline guy. We know that. Good energy guy. And we’re taking him putting him on his offside. Adam Ernie’s left-handed. Why are we putting Blackwell over on his off side? Loves them. Huh? No. No. I I I do too. No, I’m saying he loves those off wings. He keeps talking about it over and over. Yeah, but they it it’s you can love off wings, but they’re they’re skilled guys are off wingers that are the best that can get the puck on his backhand, pull it to a certain area of the ice. Not everybody can do that. And typically, it’s always your best players that are the easiest to play on their offsides. I don’t even even Tyler, one of the best players in this game for a long time. I don’t know if Tyler really prefers to play. They like to play on their outside when they have the puck on their stick and they’re coming across the offensive blue line because now your shooting angle is different, but to be able to play in your own zone and get pucks off the wall. Now, the good news is there. They’re taking pucks on their their forehand. If you’re if you’re a lefty and you’re playing on the right wing, but to be able to take it on your forehand, that means you’re facing the wrong end of the rink. So, it’s not that easy all the time. You can step off the wall and you can turn and you’re on your forehand and make a pass, but you kind of limit yourself because everything’s going up the middle of the ice. Just again, I I think you have to be a a really good skilled guy to be able to play your offside. If you’re the coaching staff and we saw throughout training camp that they were they didn’t try to stick with one set of lines, right? They tried a whole bunch of and perfect, right? But again, it’s twos for me. I I put lines together in pairs. You can pull that up again, Ryan. I I get like and see for me I the top line there is right now they’re saying it’s Hinson and Ren and they’ve got a connection. So there’s your pair. Let’s see somebody that compliments them. Okay, they put steel there. It’s Duchain and Sean. It’s Johnson and who is it on this one? It’s Johnston and Robo or is it Johnston and Bour which is fine. You can go either way. And so then we get down to the Fox line and you know that it is what it is down there. You know Bastian is a you know straight line guy. Rovian’s got a little bit more skill. I just think by putting Muscovian down there, I because he’s got he’s got a little bite to him, right? He can skate well, but I think he can create some things offensively, but he’s got to be able to get the puck. I don’t know if that’s the right two guys to play with. You know, it’s funny. I was just random thought. I was just looking at that lineup. Remember when Foxa was signed and a lot of people were saying like, why? They don’t need more of these type of guys. Now, you’re looking at the lineup. It’s pretty important that they have Rat Foxa down there. Otherwise, you’re filling in another spot with someone lesser than that. His heaviness and face off ability and penalty killing were missed. Now the Stars penalty kill was really good last year without him but they are going to love having him back at a little bit cheaper AAV and that’s the size Pete Dbor was looking at even though he’s a center he wanted on the walls but we know that he can play on the wall if he has to. I don’t know if he’s as effective on the wall as he is in the middle because he is so strong on faceoffs. He’s he’s one of them reliable guys end of the period end of games you’re up by a goal or so you want that faceoff one and he’s a guy that can probably do that. All right, we have a lot to get to in the next five minutes. We probably won’t get to it all, but let’s talk about the let’s do the videos real quick, then we’ll get to the defense. Adam Ernie spoke yesterday after signing a deal with the Stars. Oneyear two-way contract, minimum AHL or minimum N minimum NHL salary and didn’t really take for granted, but he also is feeling much better because of his hip surgery. Here’s a two-parter. Yeah, I mean, I think I’ve been around long enough to know it’s it’s all until it’s set in stone, it’s it’s all numbers and contracts and how it adds up against the cap and um you know, until until you signed on the dotted line, it’s there’s nothing nothing for certain. Based on your journey through the the the hip surgery and coming back, how do you feel now that you’re sort of past all that and where you’re going? I feel the best I felt. I feel like I’m skating like I was when I was, you know, back in Tampa before the original injury. And um I don’t think I realized how much it was affecting me because it just happened over such a long period of time so slowly. And now that it’s fixed, I just feel like I’m skating so much better. That’s the part I wanted everyone to hear. Like obviously there were two things I asked him. I didn’t play the clip because it was a short answer when he found out that he was going to be signing and he said yesterday. Now this was yesterday. So he meant he found out Monday afternoon. So at the end of two weeks or almost three weeks of training camp, he found out basically around the time they were announcing opening night rosters, which he wasn’t on that roster because they had to put Jamie Ben on LTI on Tuesday, aka yesterday. But Luds, that part at the end, he feels better now than he did the original injury years ago. It’s like five years ago. And he didn’t realize how much it was affecting him until now that he feels healthy and painfree. Sound like Tyler Sean a little bit. It does. Like Jamie Ben, a lot of other players in the league that um that play through everything for the most part. Hockey players play through play through stuff. Sugar honey iced tea. Yep. They play through things and you know and then when a player becomes healthy, it’s like now I can go show what I can do. Well, you’re trained to play through pain. Yeah. All the time. Nagging things, right? Short-term injuries. Sometimes you have stuff that you play through for more than one season and you just get used to it. I’m not saying you like it, but you, okay, well, I’m not going to be able to to go up a flight of stairs without pain today or getting in and out of my car is going to hurt or rolling over in bed is going to be uncomfortable. You just deal with it. Imagine how many football players may be listening to this going, “You guys want to talk about pain?” And so, but to think about probably are you thinking there’s no football players listening to this probably, Sam? I wasn’t listening. Oh, that that’s a good answer. But like, but that’s my point is all of a sudden that that pain’s gone and you go, I forgot what it feels like to to not have that there. Well, and I think I think the best part for for guys obviously like Adam, but confidence, you know, now I can show them what I can really do. They really see what I can do. And when you’re injured and you’re trying out or you’re trying to find a spot, you’re not going to use the excuse. You don’t because that’s the last thing we want. Like, yeah, my my foot’s sore. Well, well, then go be sore someplace else. one of those guys that can’t lean on that because he’s on the edge of the lineup, not right. Well, here’s what Glenn Gullson said yesterday about why Adam Ernie made the roster. I think what you all probably witnessed is a little bit is weight, right? He gives you some weight and some heaviness and uh uh a big body that can play in in heavy games and uh uh he knows his role. Uh I know him uh from Edmonton and certainly he has got good character, good character for a team, fits in well. Um, so you know that’s what he adds. What what Gully said there when before because I it’s what I didn’t say but I was thinking it. I use a different term. He’s a load. Like when he plays he looks like he’s a load like he he’s he’s a bit of a a bulldozer coming down the wall going to the front of the net and he’s got a wide not not a super wide base but you can tell people will bounce off of him and I think that’s exact. And again I go back to Pete Dbor. I mean, those are the kind of guys that he was looking for at the time. And Gully know, when he says, I go back to the day, he understands what he can do when he was maybe not 100% healthy, but now he understands, okay, now if this guy’s healthy now, and we saw what he could do when he wasn’t, he could be effective. Yeah, that gives him both options, right? He said it even even today, I asked him directly like what do you see Ritzkovian versus Ernie? And he said the same thing. heavy veteran brings that size, but Ritz Kovian brings a little more energy, a little speed, more speed, and brings that flexibility being able to play center, being able to play wing, being able to, I mean, realistically play with Duchain and Sean or jump up and down a little bit more. So, it’s might be a little bit of both here. We might see both these guys coming in and out because they bring different things, but I think the theme of this season is going to be and you know, I’m sitting here and I’m complaining to you guys before we start about the lines and stuff like that. These guys that are in the room with them every single day, they understand who they are. That’s why they’re putting him where they are. But I see the concept. Like again, I believe in the two plus one. You know, I’m sitting there. Why not put him on his strong side? There’s a reason they have Blackie over there on his offside. There’s a reason. I don’t know what the reason is. I just think it’s easier for him. Now, if it was a skilled guy over there, like it was Alish Hemsky, I would say, because we skate with Alish. I would put him on his offside. Super skilled guy, but he may not be as effective as Blackie with those two guys because you don’t necessar Because they’re all the same kind of thing. We need a guy that’s going to go to the net and be that sh that that shift disturber at the front of the net. See that Ryan leaning on it today. You’re on the edge. But but that’s what he’s trying to find in every line. He wants that guy that’ll cause a little chaos at the front of the net. All right, we’re going to talk about the defense and some audio from Petravic and Glenn Golson about that in our fourth segment because up next we have to put a bow on the offseason series the other 31 Colorado Avalanche. We do that next with Cory Massesac from the Denver Post. Game time. Nope. You didn’t think I could start it with it, but challenge accepted. Let’s talk about game time because no, I did not go to Boston to use it for Red Sox game. It had to be the Miami Hurricane. I used it for the Miami Hurricane Hurricane who are less than a month away from coming right here down the street to SMU. And I used game time to get those tickets. Got amazing seats. Super easy to use, guys. Really, it’s much easier to look at. It’s much easier to look at all the angles of where you’re going to be. They give you all-inclusive pricing up front. Makes everything really easy. The checkout’s easy, and you get yourself where you want to be sitting in those seats. College football’s here. NFL season’s here. So many things. Hockey season’s already here. So many ways you can use game time. It’s the best way to get your tickets, guaranteed. Now, let me tell you about game time in a second. Whenever this loads and it’s not load, you got five. Take the guess work out of buying tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app. Create an account and use code DLS for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply again. Create an account and redeem code DLS for $20 off. Tap ticket. Go download the Game Time app. Man, your system works flawlessly, didn’t it? Let’s talk about Shady Rays. This is for all those times where things don’t work flawlessly. Dang it, lads. You’re trying to read your tablet and it doesn’t work. You’re trying to read your computer does. Maybe you’re just trying to remember where your favorite sunglasses were left. Whether it was at the rink, in the studio, or maybe you drove over them with your car by accident. Well, Shady Rays changes the game because they make sunglasses for real life. Seriously good-looking, polarized, durable, and not stupidly stupidly expensive. And if you ever lose or break them, even on day one, Shady Rays will send you a brand new pair. No guilt trip, just replacements so you can wear your sunglasses without fear. Whether you’re going on a hike, you’re going to a concert, a boat, anywhere in between, we’ve teamed up with Shady Race to bring you an exclusive offer. Head to shady.com. Use the code DLSS35 right down at the corner of the screen for 35% off polarized sunglasses. All right, we’ve spent several months surveying the entire NHL list of teams landscape. We started, thank you. Good word. We started with the Washington Capitals with our buddy John Walton, their radio broadcaster. We’ve had GMs, Doug Armstrong, although he wasn’t technically part of the other 31, Billy Garren. So, we did USA, Canada, and NHL allin one. We had broadcasters, we had playby-play, we had color commentators, we had writers. We had two guests at once in our Montreal show. That was Chaos Incarnate. And uh do we have our last one ready to go, Ryan? So, let’s bring on Corey. There he is. The closer of our summer series. It’s not summer anymore, but bringing on the Colorado Avalanche with one of the ABS beat writers from the Denver Post. It’s Cory and Massesac. Hi, Corey. How you doing? I’m doing great, guys. How are you? Now, unfortunately, this we we missed it by a day because the ABS have actually played a game. So, this doesn’t count as offseason, but it does for the Stars. and we’ve been packed with training camp. So, we’re going to go back first and then we’ll get into what happened last night and and current ABS, but you knew this was coming. Stars and ABS. It’s been a rivalry for a while. Couple of playoff series headto-head now in in consecutive seasons. We’ll talk about Miko Ranson in a minute, although he’s kind of a big part of Maybe we should just start with that. Let’s go with Mo, okay? And then we’ll get to the playoffs because he’s he’s involved in every aspect of these these topics. From your perspective, covering the team on the ground in Denver every day, what happened with Miko Ransen in the Avalanche? Um I think I mean it’s in on one hand there are like people who feel like they still don’t know exactly what happened but on the other hand like it felt like there was more reporting and kind of narrowing down between the two numbers where exactly this I mean it it really feels like you know depending on who you talk to and depending on who you trust it really came down to you know a matter of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year not like they weren’t like some far number off. Unbelievable. Um yeah, and so you know there there was a whole you know there’s a few different things in play there. Um you know I think in locally here I think some people maybe underrated the fact that like the first neo the last negotiation with with Miko and his representation was a little contentious. It ran it dragged out. Um there was like a little bit of a hold out situation that was whatever that was you know years ago but still that was you know I don’t know how much that really played into it this time but it’s it’s part of it. Um you know it was just it like we everybody knew that the salary cap was going up but like if the avalanche had waited a few weeks they might have known exactly how much the numbers were going to go up. Um so that I think that played into it. Um yeah, it you know it’s you know the part of the like the the long tale of this obviously we’ll get to what happened after Miko left here but like the long tale of it is still it’s still unfolding like the you know the big story here now is is the guy they traded for him or got back from him. you know, what is Martin Necha is gonna get and what is that going to look like compared to the contract that Ranton and signed in Dallas and maybe those teams shouldn’t be as connected as they are, but they are. And uh yeah, no, it was um you know, that’s just that that happened. Uh we were all in Boston that night when he got traded to Carolina and the next day they played a game at one o’clock like you know less than 12 hour or whatever 15 hours after the trade and that was the just like a surreal experience being in that locker room after the game like I mean that was one of the probably most emotional interviews Nathan McKinnon has ever done. Uh he was just very raw, very honest about just this sort of thing. Also kind of happened with Gabe Landiskog. His last contract, it went like right, well, let’s put this way. They thought it was just going to go the same way. Like Gab’s negotiation went right down to like 11:00 p.m. the night before he could have become a free agent. They got the deal done. And I think everybody in there, like in Miko’s kind of close circle in Colorado, they all just thought like, well, this will, you know, even if it goes to June 30th on 11 11:30 p.m., it’ll get done. And then it didn’t and then he was gone. And it was just a surreal I mean that last year was I mean you guys mentioned John Walton. I I was covering the Capitals in John’s first year and he just put out a thing this morning saying it was his 15th anniversary which just a way to say that I’m old. But like it just you know like I’ve I’ve been around four different teams and seen a lot of stuff and that was that night and that next day and then they played again the next day in New York. That whole weekend was just one of the weirdest weekends of my time as a beat rider. Let me ask you one followup before I unleash Luds on you with Ransen and the Avalanche. I know Miko has come to Dallas and his first press conference, they were on the road when he met the team, but then his first press conference in Dallas, he was not only dispelling what he felt was mistruth being uh sort of disseminated from the Hurricanes about his desire to or his willingness to consider Raleigh as a destination. But also, he was very clear he wasn’t looking to leave Denver. he wanted to stay with Colorado. Is that the sense that you have being in state that that this was a mistake by the front office and starts misreading whether they thought I mean I from the outside it seems like they thought they were going to lose him for nothing. I mean, I think I think it was probably I think if you gave some truth serum to both sides, I would say that both sides probably misplayed the other they misread the other side’s intentions a little bit. Like I I don’t necessarily think that the Avalanche thought they were ever going to like he was going to go to July 1st and leave. I think from the Avalanche side it was more they just basically set a hard line and said, “Look, we’ve already we’re already paying Nathan McKinnon 12.6 6 million Kale Mar is going to get a blank check and they were like we can’t have these three guys making you know whatever like if he you know if he had the number out there before the Carolina trade was 14 million whether I think part of it was maybe the Miko’s side maybe they didn’t come down fast enough uh although Brandonin would he would dispute that even because he there was this meeting with him and and management a few days before the trade where he he basically like said, “Agent, get out of the way. I’m going to talk to them directly and tell them that I want to stay and I’ll take less money.” That’s his that’s what he said. Um, and then a couple days later, he just the trade happened. So, it was like that the the like basically what happened between the the meeting with Branson and Chris McFarland and the actual trade that lasts like 24 36 hours. That’s like the last maybe bit of truth that hasn’t been uncovered exactly. It just it’s it’s it was such a weird trade because like most of the time, you know, one of these like mega deals happens and like there’s some like after the fact here’s what was happening there. There was so much information that came out after the trade, but it still didn’t really feel like okay, we know exactly what happened like this Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. So, but yeah. Yeah. you have to answer the original part. Like I I think Mo definitely I don’t think even the you know the you know the when he was walking down the hallway to go meet with the general manager to be told he was traded in that hotel in Boston. Maybe that was when he realized like oh man are they actually going to trade me? But like I think even up leading up to that he never thought he was leaving Denver. Well Corey I have lots of ways I want to go right now. I I mean the whole the whole mo thing and I’m not a very big distraction kind of guys. I these guys I I don’t like them and and what was going on in that team last year. It was like there was a revolving door you know right from the beginning of the jump and the players in there. But since you brought Quit screwing with my micro um Cory, he um so but since you brought it up like let’s talk about Macar like you know again we’re talking numbers right and and do you think that it has anything to do what Capri off did and then now there’s what McDavid did? My opinion would be no. like they’ve got a number and and is is he the kind of guy that can walk in similar to what McDavid would do where he can go this is what I want and I you know I don’t think he’s that kind of player that will take the 20% or anything like that but how do you see that playing out with him? I mean I I think Kale Mar just as a player and a talent I think there were plenty of teams out there that would be happy to give him 20% of the salary cap if that ever came about. I mean, I I think he can name his number. I just from getting to know him over the last two years, I don’t I don’t see him doing that. Like, he just seems so like I to me like he the the two things that I know about Kale is that a he’s like a perfectionist beyond levels of other other NHL players. Like he you know, he scored a goal against Winnipeg in two playoffs ago that was like one of the most ridiculous goals I’ve ever seen and he kind of blew it off as like he got lucky and it was just it was an end to end incredible. Anyway, he like he will be the unquestioned star of the game. He will dictate every inch of the ice and then he’ll after the game he’ll say, “Well, I could have made this one play or something.” That’s one part of him. The other part of it is I just he Yeah, I just don’t see him I mean I look I don’t know. I I I just don’t see him being the he just the humbleness that he has and all that you know he just doesn’t seem like a guy who’s going to like be like I want you know $18 million or 20. I think that you know the Capri off thing was is interesting to me just because um you know just where Minnesota is and you know obviously Carrill had like you know all the leverage in the world and um I I think that maybe maybe the Conor McDavid doing what he did maybe that sort of I think there were a bunch of general managers around the league who kind of took a deep breath like oh okay like so they’re not all going to get 17 million like and so you know um because there’s all you know all these guys coming up right and so um yeah I mean look I you to go back to the day that Miko got traded. One of the kind of the lighter moments of the whole thing was um Nathan McKinnon saying, “Look, you know, I want Mo to get what he’s worth. He deserves all the money. He’s an amazing player. You know, Kale’s got a thing coming up. You know, I think Kale’s worth $20 million.” Or he said, “I think Kale deserves $20 million.” And even in that moment, I was like, I don’t know if his bosses wanted him to say that. But but um but yeah, no, that’s the thing. I mean, Kale’s a $20 million player in the in the new salary cap, just like Conor McDavid is, just like Quinn Hughes might be. Uh, but I don’t think any of those guys are going to go that crazy. I’m going to knock out the break now rather than try to squeeze in a half a question and say, “Okay, Cory, don’t go anywhere. We have a lot more to talk about. We won’t be able to fit it all in in another segment, but we’ll try our best here on DLS.” Our latest dieh hard sale is in full swing and fans now have two ways to join. You can get in for just $36 a limited edition shirt. Or you can step up and grab a limited branded Bill’s Die Hard hat for 59 bucks before they sell out. Maybe you’ve had your eyes on one of our great t-shirts like the Finnish Mafia shirt, the Otter shirt, maybe the 16bit Wyatt Johnston shirt, or Miko the Moose. And that’s in a stars colors, not the ABS colors. You can pick whichever one you want as your free t-shirt when you sign up to be a diehard or go bigger and get your hands on the Brandon Bill’s Die Hard hat. Limited qual quantities available on the hats. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. Either way, you get all the Die Hard perks, premium content, including excellent written articles about the Sars, Cowboys, Mavs, and Rangers, event and merch discounts, the membersonly Discord, and more. Join now and become a diehard at allls.com/intro. Do you know as you’re doing all the emotions of him? You’re on camera so they can all see. Was it a distraction? Well, you said excellent written articles. I was just pointing at the guy. I didn’t know. I used to mention his name, but not anymore. They all know we’re talking about it’s not worth it. I want to talk about supporters club, right? Let me tell you about it. Something new. Let me tell you about it. Supporters club. I’m not going to tell you all the boring stuff right now. True sickle level stuff for the real ones. You know, it’s next level. But the real important thing is we promised you guys if the more people that join a supporters club, the more fun things we’re going to do, including emojis. As I’m looking at my chat here right now, Ardell Lud’s emoji. And I’m looking at it and oh yeah, it’s real. There is a Craig Lewig emoji. And it’s not just his cartoon from our site either. It is a new very good-looking Craig Lewig emoji that now is available to use if you join the supporters club. You see the other one? What was the other one? Well, there’s four that to who’s been very generously handing out supporters club one month memberships to people. The Stanley Cone. Oh, no. Right here. We have a Stanley Cone emoji. That looks like a basketball character. Maybe. Why is there no beer mug in there or like one time? We got to have things. So, join the supporters club right now. you can join in on all the fun. All right, let’s bring Corey back on the screen and Sam. Yes, we haven’t even gotten to you one question uh lap yet because of all the Mo stuff. So, yes, I’m not going to ask you about Mo. You could there’s lots more to get to there. It’s related to Mo. Corey, you mentioned Nas. I know he’s a good player, but is he anywhere near or Miko Retin? Damn, what kind of pace is he on? And 180. Yeah, he’s on a big pace right now. But the the second part of that is is he gonna end up getting close to or near what Mo wouldn’t get in Colorado? Yeah, that’s the um it was we were talking about it in the press box in LA last night. Um if you recall the first game of the season last year, which was just an absolute mess for the ABS, they lost 8 to4 in Vegas. Uh a player scored a hat-tick that night. Um he plays for Dallas now. And so it was just the the um the symmetry there of like Martin Nichas in his first game in his contract year going for a hat-tick. Um look, he’s uh No, I mean, look, I I think he’s he’s probably like a half a tier down from from Miko. I mean, I personally have, you know, ever, you know, he basically since the day I started covering him think have thought that, you know, Miko Anthony is one of the five or six best, you know, wings in the NHL. You know, in his best year, he’s the second best or third best. you know, um, and so I think I think Marty is probably in like that next I I put him like maybe maybe I don’t know if this isn’t that hot of a take, but like somewhere between Jason Robertson and Miko Ranin. Um, and so he’s going to get a lot of money. I mean, that’s not I mean, you like the in some ways the Avalanche front office has to look at this as like a two separate things like the the salary cap has changed. The economics of the NHL have changed, but also Miko took less money than he could have gotten to stay with Dallas and now Martin, we just saw Kyle Connor got 12 million this morning. Kyle Connor is not as good as Miko Rantin. Um, but he got $12 million. So, like I mean I think there’s almost no question that Martin Netches’s next contract is going to start with a one. It’s going to have two digits in front of the first comma. And the closest they can get to 10 is probably going to be would be a win for them if if they do indeed get a contract done. Um you know, I would certainly I don’t expect it to be an eight-year deal. I would I’m guessing it’ll probably be somewhere in the middle there. Um again, if they want to get if they do get I think the Avalanche clearly want to get something done. Um he’s not as proven a playoff performer as Miko Rantinon is, but I did I saw something this morning when people were talking about um the Jets and and Kyle Connor like uh the opportunity cost and just like you know it was I think the ABS did very well to get a player as good as Martin Nes in that deal for for Miko Ranton and it wasn’t entirely like 75 cents and a quarter for a dollar like it was more like 89 cents or 92 cents or something like that but to try to do that again to try to like flip nes for another player of similar elite status. I don’t I don’t know if that’s you know we don’t know how that’s going to go. And then and eventually one of those doesn’t work out and you’re just kind of you’re screwed. So I like I do think that kind of in the same way that like the Jets probably didn’t want to spend as much money as they did to keep Kyle Connor. I’m I’m guessing this time around might go a little bit differently just because of what the next couple years look like if they don’t resign Martin Etches. I’m getting the sense that Corey would pass on Marty Nous or not not cry. Well, I shouldn’t say pass, but let’s not give him 12 million. Uh yeah, well, I mean, look, I is like in a vacuum. I don’t know about 12. Uh we’ll see. You know, I think, you know, we were again people were just sort of joking around a little bit last night like you know, every go, you know, every two goal game, you know, does the number go up? Does it go down? Whatever. But um I just you know look look I mean look there’s so I mean you can go back and read some of the stuff that I wrote like I to me the Colorado Avalanche the thing that made them a unique team in the NHL was that they had three of the 15 best players in the world and you know Marty is not one of the 15 I mean you know he’s in the 30 20s or 30 whatever it is but it’s just like I would I basically I wouldn’t have I would have signed Miko Ranton and I would just you just figure it out you know if you have three of the best players in the world you just figure the rest out and um But that’s, you know, that’s not the direction they went. So I think now like they there, you know, it like I said, it would be, you know, you like I think about like in the NBA, this stuff happens all the time. It’s like you let one star go and, you know, another one shows up as the the Mavericks have have learned. Um, but like, you know, not every team gets that lucky, but it but it’s kind of how it works, right? Like I mean, the Golden State Warriors let a guy go and they get another guy. It just I just it doesn’t doesn’t really work that way in the NHL that often. like, you know, like they like my favorite stat of this offseason was that 49 of the 50 top scorers in the NHL are still on the same team as they were at the end of the year last year. Like only one top 50 scorer changed hands all off seasonason. So like all of these teams we’re going to get to this year eventually. Like the Stars and the AS are almost exactly what they were a year. Like this they’re the same teams. Like this is just so like to me the best way to keep up with the Joneses being Edmonton, Dallas, and Vegas is to keep this group together as long as they can. Okay. Uh, again, like I said, we have too much to talk about. Game seven of the first round, the goalie situation with Blackwood being injured right now, but Wedgie playing well, a guy we love here, the distractions of Val Nachushkin, all that that goes into that. But I got to lean towards Gabe Landiskog. We He came back, it was a very emotional return during the playoffs. So cool. Now he’s played a regular season game for the first time, I think, in over three years. and he’s got to figure out how to go back through the grind of an NHL season. What’s it been like watching this unfold in your time in Denver, man? I mean, just insane. Like I I was thinking about it, you know, just trying to write like a big story about him to start the season, it was for the first two years that I was here, you know, whatever year and nine months, it was just is Gabe Landisk going to play one more NHL game? Like the the overunder was literally 0.5? like he’s either never going to play again or he’s going to come back. And now because he played so well against Dallas and because he had a you know like kind of like whatever you want to call it like just a normal offseason he looked really good in camp now the whole calculus of all of it has changed. It’s like can he just be the old Gabe Landiskog? And so far he’s pretty much that’s what it’s been. I mean, he um you know, he had another game last night that looked exactly like the Dallas series where when he’s on the ice, the ABS have the puck. They they shoot the puck, the other team doesn’t. And um yeah, I mean, look, we don’t know, you know, he’s going to have to is he going to play three games in four nights? Are they going to sit him during back tobacks? Right now, they’re saying there is no minutes restriction, although he didn’t play a ton of minutes last night, like compared to the games in Dallas. Um and there’s no games restriction. They’re just basically going to go every day and say, “Gabe, how do you feel today? Do you need today off from practice? Are you okay to play?” And that’s just kind of going to be the way it’s going to go. I I think I would imagine that some point over the course of the season, he’s going to have some sort of small every every player that comes back from a major major injury is going to have some sort of little tweak or something. But I I mean, I think the expectations are he’s going to be very good. And that’s kind of where what it’s looked like so far. You know what? I’m going to jump on Luds real quick here. What stood out to me last night in that first period was the Josh Manson hit, which was by the way a very clean hit and then the LA response. And after that fight, who’s right in the ear of Meot for the LA Kings? It’s Gabe Landiskog. And that’s that’s because Malot was yelling at you. Sh you saw this, but for those that didn’t, the LA Kings forward was barking after the fight at the LA Kings bench. And who gets in his ear on the ice but number 92. Yeah, it was um you know the ABS weren’t real happy with like the fact that it was Malot. I mean he Manson hit Warren Fogle. Fogle goes to the bench. Malot comes off the bench and goes straight at Jan Manson. I kind of only caught it out of the corner of my eye because the puck had gone the other way, but it almost looked like he threw like a Superman punch. Like he literally like almost jumped into the fight like but anyway it was like a WWE move, wasn’t it? Yeah. Well, and I don’t know. We weren’t watching the broadcast, but I’ve been told that John Bucher said like five times that Jeff Malott’s brother is a UFC fighter. Um, he did. But, uh, yeah. Yeah. So, no, I and I just I thought the ABS look, you know, Gabe Gab’s first preseason game, he, you know, somebody hit Kale Mar up high and he immediately went over and fought the guy and the whole place just went. I mean, it was like I had I haven’t really covered him that much, but people who have been around Gabe for a long time know like that’s like they were so excited to see him fight and I’m just like, it’s the first preseason game. Maybe he shouldn’t. But anyway, um yeah, no, look, they you know that they all said it was kind of a feeling out game. Look, until that until Josh’s hit. Um you know, they scored while Malot was in the pres in the penalty box and then they scored on each of his next two shifts. So it was kind of like it it almost felt like, yeah, if you’re going to play a guy who plays like that, you know, we’re gonna, you know, take advantage of there. So I I wanted to go back to distractions, but I had something else. I distracted myself a little bit. Are you but I don’t want to steal anything here. Are you going to ask a college question by any chance? No. Okay. Um Corey, I I’m going to just change it up a little bit here. Your thoughts on Matt Carl? Um what what do you think? Is he going to be uh hockey coach here? Oh, David Carl. Oh, sorry, David Carl. Matt Carl. Matt Carl plays uh David Carl. Uh your thoughts on him? I mean, there was a lot of talk, you know, possibly last year and things like that. As a matter of fact, there were some guys here that thought he was going to be coaching here, which I told them they didn’t have. chance. But um your thoughts on David Carl? Yeah, I I mean I I covered them a little bit here and there. Like I um I was there I guess two seasons ago at the Frozen Four when they won. I mean he’s he’s a great coach. I I mean I there are lots of guys who are really good college coaches. I mean like but I think some I mean Jim Montgomery is a good example, right? Like he came from the same program like Jim Jim Montgomery is just a very good coach. And um it was interesting like I I really thought given the co the jobs that came open including the one in Dallas, it was like man if if David Carl like there are there were some really really good jobs to open right and he just his thing has been all along has been like I’m whatever however he is 34 35 years old. He’s like I can stay here for 10 more years and still be the youngest coach in the NHL. Uh so he just doesn’t seem like he’s in any hurry. I think the whole like the changing landscape in college hockey has actually made it like he’s real happy with the fact that he doesn’t have a football team to take away the NIL dollars or the revenue sharing dollars and uh he’s very happy that like it seems like a lot of the best WHL players want to come play for him. Uh and so they’ve got like this, you know, this whole new roster this year and um but I do think like I just go back to that Frozen 4 two years ago. They played BEU and BC and they had both of those teams had several future NHL players and they just, you know, they shut them down. Like he I mean he Denver is a very offensive team. They’re usually one of the best teams in the in the NCA at scoring goals, but like when it’s time to like game plan for Mlin Celibbrini or Cutter Goceier, like he can do that, too. They just play that style. I I want to talk now. I want to talk about college hockey. You should have said 20 minutes ago. We could have kept going. Uh, Corey, I’m going to ask you about Scott Wedgwood. We mentioned him before. Uh, we know a lot about him off the ice and all those fun things, and if there was more time, we would talk about it. But I’m curious for you. He has a chance here, it feels like. And I’m wondering how close he is to that middle line where he could earn himself maybe more games. Is Is it a one Is it a starter backup? Is it a 1A, 1B? If he plays well enough, what kind of leash could he get with Blackwood being out? Um, I mean, I think he get a few more games. I mean, they’re pretty, you know, I I think I think Jared Bednar is like a, you know, 5725 guy if he can, if he can be. Um, and they’ve, you know, they brought in Mackenzie Blackwood and he played really well for them last year and they’ve paid him like they want him to be their he’s not making as much as say Jake Odder, but he’s he’s making enough that they want him to be the number one guy. I don’t I don’t know. It’s kind of unclear how many games Blackwood is actually going to miss. They didn’t even put him on he’s on the roster. Like, they didn’t even put him on injured reserve. So he may and he’s been started practicing. He might they don’t have to use another goalie for like the first eight games. So I’m assuming Wedgwood is going to get somewhere between like two and six somewhere in there before it’s it’s Mackenzie Blackwood time. And so but look I he did um you know all the stuff that the Avalanche did last year, Wedgewood was the first guy in like he was the guy he was the they made whatever it was they eight trades they brought in 10 players. He was the first one. And it was startling really to me to see a goalie come in and just like, “All right guys, like this mess is over.” Like we’re we’re all getting in on one. Like, you know, there’s some stuff maybe with who the the previous goalies and, you know, the guys not getting along with them or whatever, but like he just came in and, you know, like and then Blackwood came along like 10 days later and and all of the all of the mess with the goalending just kind of went away. And um and you know, I mean, you guys, as you said, you guys know Scott, like he’s a he’s a beloved figure in basically every locker room he ever goes in. And it was just it was crazy to see how quickly that happened here. He just like within a week or two it was like, oh yeah, no, like Scott’s like, you know, basically an assistant, you know, he could basically wear an A on this team is essentially as, you know, so yeah, I think he’s, you know, I think he could end up the season with, you know, 30 or 32 or 30, you know, depending on health, obviously. Um because McKenzie Blackwood hasn’t always he hasn’t always been like this super super healthy guy. So, but yeah, like they it’s you know, we part of the thing with the Avalanche this year is that hey, they’re they’re settled. They’ve got a healthy team. Well, they don’t have their starting goalie, but they’re so confident in Scott Wedgwood that they’re just like, yeah, as long as he’s only going to miss a few games, it’s not a big deal. All right, Cory, we’re almost out of time. And ordinarily, we would ask because we’ve done it with everybody we’ve had throughout the series, their thoughts of the Dallas Stars going into the season, but I have to ask this because I would be not doing my job if I didn’t. What was the reaction, the perspective, and the fallout of game seven of the playoffs when Rantin did his thing? Yeah, I mean, I I I called it on like on an Avalanche podcast. Um, I think it’s I think it’s one of the most devastating losses in NHL history. I’m not really sure. And I don’t feel like that’s hyperbole because like you just all of the everything about it like the the Dallas part of it, the you know the Jared Bednar versus Peter Debor part of it and then you throw in your you know this guy is literally I mean he was at Nathan McKenna’s wedding this summer like one of you know this guy’s like really some of his best friends in the whole NHL are on this team and he they’re 12 minutes away from exercising the Dallas demon. Jared’s exercising the D’Vorb demon and then Miko Rantin just just took out his sword and you know stuck it through their heart and like it was just I mean it was incredible. I mean it was look I mean I I have only covered a little bit of Miko Renton’s career but I know that he is a playoff killer and like you know it kind of went to 11 there for about a week and a half last last year but um it was I was I mean me personally as an outsider like I’m not from here I was a little surprised that more Avalanche fans didn’t kind of turn on a man I thought AS management was going to kind of get some grief like oh wait you guys screwed up you should have kept Mo and it was more like they were just kind of waiting for him to have like three games where he didn’t score and so they could be like oh no see this is why this is what he does like he’s the best player in the world for a week and then he disappears and I don’t really think that’s true but that’s you know I think people that’s coping or whatever you but it it was definitely a like you know whatever the the actual time lapse was from when it was two nothing to to 4-2 it was oh man this team’s going to the conference finals look out Edmonton to oh like what you know like you know what do we do like what happened the season’s over. It was just it was stunning in in a way that like I mean I’ve covered a bunch of game sevens in my career and that was easily the most like stunning ending of any of them man. But we’re just beginning. We have so much more we I don’t even know if Sydney Crosby is going to play there in the playoffs. Yeah. Corey uh absolutely thrilled to have you on. We’ll have to do it again soon but thank you so much for carving out some time today and uh we’ll do it again. But really really thank you. Great stuff today. Thanks Corey. Thanks, Corey. Yep. Oh, and oh, by the way, uh I guess they’ll see me go on Saturday. So, but yeah, so his his welcome back again is on Saturday. So, yeah. Can’t wait. I’ll see you in Saturday. I’ll be there, too. Sam will be there. So, make sure you say hi. No, no, Sam’s scheduled to be there. Doesn’t mean he’s going to be there. Flight might go to the wrong Oh, man. That’s amazing. Thanks, Cy. Appreciate it. There’s Cy Cory Massesac, who is the beatw writer for the Avalanche for the Denver Post. Up next, talk about the Stars defense on their opening roster. Oh, it’s not over. It’s not over yet. We got one more segment here on DLS. Is it me and me? All right. I tell you guys about the newsletter. We have an amazing newsletter here at DLS. Our guy Ali over on the Cowboys show does it five days a week and it is fantastic. You get all kinds of inside information, uh, clips from shows, big guests that come on, articles that were written. Uh, he’s pretty funny with the way he writes as well, so it’s entertaining. You go to alldls.com/newsletter. You can sign up, but you can also click the button underneath that I think says check it out and you can see all of the existing newsletters. So check it out to see what is actually on there, what Ali writes about, what kind of stuff we put in there. And it’s a fun place to get that stuff because email is the easiest way to communicate with everybody, right? So, if you get that every morning, you get to see what happened on the Rangers show, what happened on the Cowboys show, what are the stars talking about, what kind of guests did they have last week. And it’s a really easy way to get all the information quickly each day. So, go to alldls.com/newsletter and sign up today. It will be worth it. I promise. All right, that boy on the button. Well done. Started off perfectly. No, you were really good there. Let’s talk about two things quickly because we have to cram them into one ad spot. One, you know this already, the Stars Takeover, the DLS Stars Takeover sold out. Can’t get it anymore. But boy, it’s going to be a lot of fun. December 7th, we are along with a group of DLS, not all necessarily dieards, but boy, it felt like it was mostly sold out before it went public. Only the diehard heads up here. Another great reason to be a diehard, come into the studio, watch pregame a little earlier. Go to Hooters next door and have dinner with us. Then go to the game and sit with us. It’s gonna be a lot of fun. Sit with us. Then if that wasn’t enough, ball or bonus. I mentioned at the top of the show, one of the choices this week is Dallas Cowboys versus Carolina Panthers. Who’s going to win? Be a diehard. Get all that access. Buy some merch and then double your money. Get a extra gift card for whatever you spent. Go to alldls.com. Click on merch. Click on ballno or bonus. You can definitely take advantage of that and get some great Dallas Stars merch. How about the captain shirt? How about well black? N black shirt. So before we go to our defense real quick. I haven’t seen them yet. What do you think about travel? Uh the Stars just tweeted out a pictures of players going to the plane. Yeah, they’re in matching. No, I knew it was going to be no suits, but I wasn’t sure if they’d be matching. They are in matching joggers and a Dallas Stars t-shirt. And it looks like they’re holding a Dallas Stars jacket. So when it’s not a million degrees, they can wear full matching track. They’re a sports team. Why not wear, right? Why not wear Yeah. They’re not wearing just casual whatever they want. Nobody sees you. You’re going into a private airport. You’re going on a plane. You’re getting you’re getting in a bus. You’re walking in a hotel. And that was the stupidest thing, right? I think uh Mike and Razer talked about it on the Pod Man Rush season preview or whatever they did. Like they would since they were on the plane, they would see it every day. They’d come in in their suits. They’d walk 8 ft from their car onto the tarmac, onto the plane, change immediately, take the suit off, put the suit back on right before they land to walk to the hotel, get to their room, take the suit off, right? Absolutely no sense. The game thing is a different story. The suits for game nights I like. They’re sort of a, you know, it’s special and it it’s a bit of a formal thing that way, but for the travel day, yeah, silly. But even the game nights, nobody sees you. It’s only because TV’s that picture as they walk down there. Yeah. And honestly, you think about all college, they walk underneath, they go in the locker room, they walk underneath, get in the cars, and go to the bar. Well, they don’t go to the bar anymore, but they I mean, they go to wherever they go. The bar was his natural the natural progression there. In our first segment, we talked about the forwards, the real opening night roster. Now, let’s take a look at the defense. And we have a couple of clips to play. Buds out Petravic made the roster. We thought he would. I asked Pro yesterday when he found out. It was a week ago. So they did not tell him until last Tuesday. So today’s Wednesday the 8th basically it was what September 30th I think it was. That’s when he found out you need to go find a a place to live here. You don’t want to tell guys. You really don’t because then other guys that they’re hoping to get something out of or see that they still have a chance. They want to see that. Yeah. They want to they want to see if they can continue to go. I I I mean I think we kind of knew that he would be part of this. So, I I’m I’m happy he’s on. Well, here’s Pro speaking yesterday after practice about making the roster. Uh, you know, I think last year just kind of helped the team out and took took advantage of my opportunity and um, you know, the coaching staff really liked that and and seen that and uh, yeah, um, glad glad to be back with this guy and everyone else and uh, it’s been good. So, it’s it’s definitely a different feel than uh, just coming in for playoffs. He mentioned that to me too after the camera stopped. It felt totally different to him this year. It wasn’t, you know, I think he knew, especially two years ago, he was an AHL guy. Like he never felt like he had a shot to make the team. Then had a good playoff. Last year we thought he had a shot and he didn’t make the opening night roster. Didn’t play in the regular season really. And then he came up and had another. This year I think he knew he had a chance but he also, as you said, he wasn’t resting on his laurels. Yeah. No, I mean I think he’s the kind of guy that he he could be on an NHL roster for the next two, three, four, five years and he’s not going to play any different. I mean, he he could play, you know, average 25 minutes a night and when he comes back next season, he’s still going to be the same guy because he understands who he is and what he has to do to stay in that lineup. Well, Gully was asked about him yesterday and here’s Glenn’s answer about why Petravic. Yeah, it was it was actually I think when uh Jim told him to get a place during training camp, it’s it was a it was a it was a good event for everybody. He’s earned it. You guys know you guys watch and he’s earned it. He’s earned every bit of it and it’s a good story of perseverance, right? Because he was in the league young as a uh and then uh was out of it now has worked his way back in and he’s been tremendous with our young players uh down in in in Austin and and he’s he’s got himself back here. That’s a good It’s a great story. Well, so it was a week ago. What was the play where Bishell got beat on the offensive blue line? Then Petro got beat on the Was that the last game or the second to last game? I believe that was it was just us two, wasn’t it? Yeah. So So that would have been the last game last game. Yep. He already knew. He already had a spot. He was done. Good thing is he already committed before walking through it. Well, I want to share one funny moment, too, because uh the entire time that they were doing that, after the first question, Liam Bishell grabbed a water bottle and pretended to hold a microphone because they have the adjacent stalls in the Stars practice rink in the locker room. Well, then he got asked about Bishell because of course he was having fun. What have you seen from Bish? It seems like he’s gotten a lot more mature. I don’t I don’t know about that. Um, can’t say he’s changed a whole lot in two months, but uh, no, he’s he’s working hard, though. I’ll give him that. So, he’s uh I I don’t want to say too many good things. He’s he’s sitting right next to me. His head’s already pretty big. So, how And I wanted to show that, not because I knew Sam would enjoy it, because Luds is sitting there going, “Why aren’t they a pair?” Show the Show the D pairs again, LS. I always wonder why it wasn’t a can of beer instead of a bottle of water. Well, he’s not. He’s Well, he is. Yeah, barely. you either are or you aren’t. Go ahead on this. Um, you know, I’m uh, again, I I think that Pro and Lquist are probably going to be jockeying for spots. Um, and and again, I know the edge is going the nils right now and he’s he’s earned that right for it to go there. Um, but my question is is why wouldn’t you put Labouchkin with Harley so that if you have somebody coming in and out like a Petravic and we know that Petro’s played with Bishell um so you know and Bishell and Lquist played together last year at times when they came in. So I just think if you had Leouchkin playing with Harley it’s more constant. I I guess that’s what I’m saying is if if Niels does come out and Petro comes in, Petro slides in the guy he’s been with. Nil’s already playing with a guy that he’s been with. And then Labouchkin, Harley, Essa, and Merill would be a pair, you know, four guys, which is gonna be their top four guys probably anyways. You know, how how long of a leash would you give this Harley Lungquist pair? Because they’ve clearly wanted to see this. It’s been the pairing the entire camp. They’re obviously staying with it because they’re regardless of how it’s going, they’ve never changed it. How many games would you give that or what do you need to see from it, I guess, is the better way of looking at it. Well, it’s not we’re not looking at at Thomas, you know? I mean, we’re looking at Nils. And again, for me, it’s going to be Niels has just got to be confident, but it’s going to be what happens in his own zone. I I that’s what I think. I think that there’s a couple things that we saw in games where on the wall a couple times at the front of the net, sometimes he gets, you know, out positioned in front of the net. And so, as long as they don’t come back to bite him, then you’re okay. But I think if those things tend to to lead to quality chances and they score a couple goals on it, that stuff is all going to start creeping back in from a new Well, and not new because Elaine’s still there, right? Right. So, the good news, that’s good news. But it is different, Ela. Right. But, but I’m saying it’s good because Elaine can keep on sending that home to Niels. This is how you’re going to stay in the lineup. We’ve been gone through this now for a year and a half or two years, whatever it may be. So, and I think I think Ela’s a good communicator for him. And so, um, and again, I think there’s probably a loyalty, not that there’s not to pro, but to Niels. I think Niels appears to be the kind of player, teammate that everybody’s fighting for. They like him. They want him to be in the line. They want him to do well. So, not that he’s getting a little more rope than pro, but there’s going to be games and and I think Gully’s even said it at times. I think you guys mentioned it. There’s going to be games when you need some heavier bodies against some teams and and that then but that will be upfront with Nils and so that he understands that. But he’s also going to say when am I going to be a regular guy that can play? There’s a lot of other I mean look at I’m not I don’t want to compare Fox and in New York to Mills and they and I don’t think they wouldn’t have played together, would they? Uh anyway, I mean overlap, but but they’re they’re not big guys and and Fox can play, but but Fox is, you know, again, I think did he win a Norse trophy? Yeah. So, I don’t want to, you know, I don’t want to put that on Niels, but I’m just saying they’re smaller guys in the league that can play and Niels probably wants that opportunity to play and I bet he feels like he hasn’t had that opportunity because when it did come to it, when the other guy, the other coach was here, they didn’t trust him apparently and they take him on the lineup. We’re already out of time. Tomorrow, the season begins. stars at the Winnipeg Jets, which actually is really appropriate because we didn’t even have time to talk about Kyle Connor’s contract. We will talk about that in the pregame and how it that may affect Jason Robertson’s next deal and some other things. We didn’t get the chance to talk about the Panthers and the Lightning and all the suspensions and fines and all the bad blood and games last night. Pregame show 6:30 tomorrow, Central time. Stars these three day. Big thank you to Cory for joining us to finish our other 31. And of course for our producer Ryan, we’ll be here tomorrow night when the season starts for real. [Applause] We all sitting like the mayor.

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Due to preseason injuries to Jamie Benn and Oskar Bäck, the Dallas Stars hockey operations department had to perform a series of salary cap gymnastics by executing multiple days of roster transactions. We will talk through all the moves that went down over the last 48-72 hours. Plus, today is the 31st and final episode of our massive offseason series “The Other 31” as we highlight the Colorado Avalanche with special guest Corey Masisak, Avalanche beat writer for the Denver Post.

00:00 Intro
02:55 Stars Roster Moves
18:00 Completing the Other 31 with Corey Masisak
46:00 Avalanche’s Devastating Loss in Game 7 to the Stars
52:25 Petrovic Makes Roster

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