32 Thoughts: The Podcast - A Blizzard of Goals Puts Florida a Win Away From Glory

Episode Date: June 15, 2025

In this edition of 32 Thoughts, Kyle Bukauskas and Elliotte Friedman react to the Florida Panthers’ Game 5 domination of the Edmonton Oilers, which puts them ahead 3-2 in the Stanley Cup Final and just one win away from back-to-back Cup victories. In the news and notes section of the podcast, Elliotte discusses the Sabres listening to trade offers for JJ Peterka (24:06). They chat about the overturned game-winner in Game 1 of the Calder Cup Final (26:33). The hosts delve into the latest with Mitch Marner as free agency approaches (30:25). Kyle and Elliotte also focus on Nikolaj Ehlers as another highly sought-after free agent (38:41). They talk about Carolina’s desire to land a big fish this offseason (41:17). The guys share a laugh over Kyle’s fishing abilities and Daniel Carr to end the podcast (44:03).Email the podcast at [e-mail] or call the Thought Line at 1-833-311-3232 and leave us a voicemail.This podcast was produced and mixed by Dominic Sramaty and hosted by Elliotte Friedman & Kyle Bukauskas.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates

There's Martian back in for the middle to the net. Scores! What a spectacular goal for Brad Martian. He has done it again. Welcome to 32 Thoughts, the podcast presented by the GMC Sierra AT4X. Dom, Elliott, Kyle back with you. Happy Father's Day, Elliott. Happy Father's Day to you.

Happy Father's Day to Miroslav Shramadi and everybody celebrating here on this day. Let's just say Happy Father's Day to soon-to-be Father Kyle. Remember what Dana said, she's carrying so Mother's Day, she's part of the group now. So technically I think that makes you part of the group too. Well the the issue was yeah, I didn't totally Embrace the Mother's Day for the mother of my child to be last month, so I would feel very icky if I took any type of

Father's Day or took in any type of Father's Day Celebrating here today as we still await the arrival of our child. I can't do it. I'm gonna stay out of this debate. Yeah that's right. This is the moment why I remember you don't have to weigh in on everything. Yes. All right we'll leave it there. You know, Elliot, everything seemed to be pointed, or so much at least, seemed to be pointed in the Oilers' direction. The way game four ended, the scene in Edmonton on Saturday as Ron and Gene were talking in the pregame, the gray and rainy day that then turned sunshine for puck drop, the whole bit, and how quickly we forget that those are the environments

that the Florida Panthers absolutely thrive in. Three straight games here now that Florida has taken it to the Oilers in the opening 20 minutes. Yeah. No spellbinding comeback here on Saturday night, and the Panthers drag them back to Florida, one win away from a second consecutive Stanley Cup. back here on Saturday night and the Panthers drag them back to Florida one win away from a second consecutive Stanley Cup. You have to remember that

momentum doesn't seem to matter from game to game here and sometimes I think we do get caught up on what happens in the most recent game. This was a clinic though, by the Panthers. We've joked about sequels in the past, Kyle. This is now a trilogy. This is now the Fellowship of the Ring, the Two Towers, and the Return of the King. And by that I'm referring to game five at Toronto, game seven at Toronto, game five at Edmonton, where the Panthers have gone on the road into a city where the teams had every reason to

feel great about themselves. The home teams had to feel they had the momentum. And as one Euler fan home teams had to feel they had the momentum and as one Euler fan said to me during the game, they wrapped the anaconda around us. They simply choked the life out of our offense, sucked the life out of the building and smothered Edmonton. This was a clinic from beginning to end. And one thing that really reminded me of especially game seven against Toronto is that when McDavid finally got himself going there with a goal and cut it to three to one, Florida scored 46 seconds later, Reinhardt. In game seven against Toronto, they were up three nothing, Max Domi scored and Luasta Rainen scored 47 seconds later. This is one of the most raucous home ice advantages in the NHL.

It is a great fan base and building to play in front of. Almost from the beginning, they were taken out of the game tonight and abs, they'll be showing this one at coaching clinics how to play on the road along with the other two. So one of the more interesting things that came out of the panel discussion for me on Saturday Elliott was faceoff ready when Kevin BXxa told that story and of course alluding to what was the first Brad Marshawn goal to open the scoring on Saturday and you saw it again, Craig Simpson referenced it on the second goal that he had in game number five. So two goals, five now in the final.

I mean, forget winding the clock back. I mean, this may be the best we've ever seen from him considering the circumstances. I still think back to one of the highlights of this season and maybe the last long while was sitting next to you, the day of trade deadline, when you had your draft post prepared of hearing that Brad Marshawn

is heading to the Florida Panthers and how that rocked the hockey world. The one move that day that nobody saw coming that as time has gone on had the biggest impact considering where we sit now. There's a couple things that pop into my head. Number one, if I'm the Oilers on the, when we meet with, because between every game of a series, the series supervisor will talk to each team, is there anything you want us to go over? I'm going hard at winger encroachment on the faceoffs. We were talking about it walking back from the game to our

hotel afterwards. I was with Kathy Broderick, the producer and Jen Botterill, and Jen was talking about how the officials or the linesmen are all over dry sidle in the face-off circle and Marchand is just doing whatever he wants to do and I always go back to if you're not cheating you're not trying so I'm I totally understand it if I'm the Oilers I am getting on the Lionsmen and the referees about those plays you have to get on them to slow it down in game six. Even if you get one or two where faceoffs get blown dead or someone gets kicked out of the faceoff circle.

Whatever you do, Kyle, you have to get that upfront in the linesman's mind because he's killing you. front in the linesman's mind because he's killing you. The second thing that comes into my head is I watched this series and I wonder, and even the rest of these playoffs, if the Bruins, if we could go back in a time machine to the week of the deadline when Marchand met with the Bruins and said Can we meet in the middle which would have been about I guess three times? 6.9 which probably would have been in the middle of where they were Do you think the Bruins would go back in the time machine and sign that deal today

Watching what's gone on since. How can you not? I mean, hindsight's always 2020. But this has been remember to like four nations, Elliot, the way he was taking all that in, he was very much of the mind of look a little bit older now, far from a guarantee that he's going to be selected for Canada at the upcoming Olympics. Now it's like, how can you not envision them there with how he continues to produce and game after game? He is a factor. And he's gonna do a lot better than three times seven.

Yes, a lot better. So I said this to him and I do believe it's a thing that sometimes you don't realize how much you need a change and how much a change can rejuvenate you until it actually happens. But, especially watching those two goals tonight, I was thinking about it pretty deeply. What would the Bruins do if they could do it over again? Here's another question I have for you.

If the Panthers win this on Tuesday If you were voting for the cons my mm-hmm What would your ballot look like You know, it would probably Now I've never vote is it three names you put on for the ones right? Okay. Yeah, I Now I've never voted. Is it three names you put on for the funds, mate? Three. Okay.

Yeah. I was thinking about that tonight too, Ali, because it's funny you mentioned this. I mean, it's some combo of Bennett and Marshawn at the top, and then probably Bobrowski three. You wouldn't put McDavid at all on the ballot? I mean, I guess you have to see how game six goes or potentially a game seven. Yeah, we're talking about six. We're just talking about six. Okay, they wrap it up in six. And let me just say this for the record. I'm not counting out the Oilers. No, of course not. It would not be a surprise to me at all if we were back in Edmonton for a Friday night game seven. I'm I'm talking in this particular situation. If Florida was to win in six.

I would have McDavid third. The question is, who's one to? Right. Is Bennett just continues like automatic on the road. And but you think of the magnitude of some of the goals that Marshawn scored. Overtime against Toronto changed the series, the double overtime goal in this final. Completely different dynamic going down to Florida. And now five through five games.

I don't think there's a wrong back there. Well, but people will think it's a wrong pick one way or the other. I think I would probably have Bennett one and Marchand too. But you know, we'll see. We'll see what happens Tuesday. I was joking that the way this was going when that second one went in I said to a couple people Marshaan might get paid more than Marner Yeah, we'll talk about that later but Marshaan will be lining up the meetings

Everybody will be interested in his services. It's been really something to watch. And I heard him say during the third round against Carolina, like when they lost to Florida in the first round a couple years ago, he left the ice that night thinking like that was his last, that was probably his last true shot, legit shot at winning another Stanley Cup. That's what he felt in the moment, right? Because of how good that team was and the reality of we're probably not putting together a group like that, that kind of success again. And that was part of what made all of that so painful in the moment. And you knew that one of your best friends, your captain was retiring and all the change that that inevitably brings. And here he is a couple of years later

against the team that, you know, he couldn't quite finish the breakaway in the dying seconds of game five of that series. One went away from hoisting a cup with them. Really something how the world works sometimes, particularly in sports. So four teams in the 21st Century, Elliot, have won the Stanley Cup in the final after going down three games to two. Though Boston in 2011, they won game six at home. Pittsburgh on 09 game six at home. Tampa 04 on the road. Colorado in 2001 on the road. Right.

And that's what is staring down the Edmonton Oilers going down to Florida and to borrow a line from last year. Try to drag them back to Alberta for a game seven. Yeah. And you should know. And again, you should never underestimate the Oilers and the complete inability of momentum to go anywhere.

It's just interesting watching the Panthers because they lost that game. They really collapsed. And by Saturday morning, they were all repeating the mantra of like the first thing Carter Verhage said to the media in his in his scrum and after the morning skate was we always expect every series to go seven games. So we're always prepared for it. Right. Yep. And I remember Gajdjiewicz told me one of the first things that happened with him when he signed in in Florida was they told him, this is the way the finals are going to be played.

So we're always going to try to play like this. Right? So it's drilled into them that expect to go seven games and expect to always play like this. So you know what you're in theory gonna get from Florida on Tuesday. Edmonton's gotta get to a higher level. Like this was a flat performance. This was an uninspiring performance.

I think if you're looking for positivity out of it, McDavid scores. You know, Ekholm had a rough night. I just do not expect that to happen again. He had a rough night though. He's too good for that. I would think that Kapanen gets thrown back in. I have a theory and we'll see this theory will really be tested on Tuesday. I wonder if something's bothering Klingberg. Like part of me, you know, like, again, this is just, we were wondering about it, like, stature doesn't play after the first period, and

he's back in and stature has been very good for him. But it had us wondering if there was an injury there. And I guess we'll we'll see if there's anything to that. I admit that a few of us were talking about that and it's a pure guess. It's pure conjecture. So we'll see on Tuesday how that stacks up. You know, McDavid scores. That's probably the thing that you're looking at and saying, if it gives you any reason for the Oilers to feel better or anyone there to feel better, it's that McDavid finally got a result. And you know, we talked about it off the start of the show, but one of the analytics guys I talked to said that McDavid is probably the unluckiest player in the playoffs.

If you look at expected goals and the teams that monitor this stuff in Florida is actually a team that does a lot of work into this. And there's a lot of private data that these teams have that we don't have. And they say that what we have available to us is much better than what you can see publicly. But the guy was telling me that by their metrics, McDavid should have close to 20 goals. He's got now seven. So he's been really below what's expected of him. And maybe you're hoping that that kind of thing helps, but Edmonton has to rise their game and Amber tweeted it out in the game one they gave up two first period goals, game two, two, game three, two, game four, three, they won it.

And now game five, two, game four, three, they won it. And now game five, two. They're just giving up goals early in every game, every game. Now here's my other question to you. Who's your starter in game six? I felt, going back to Pickard here in this one you know if it the result was like it ended up being here on on Saturday it allows you you know okay Skinner is their guy the reasons were understandable and obvious why he is stuck with Pickard for game number five. But Skinner's back in there for game number six with your season on the line.

That's, that's how I feel about it. How do you feel? I think if you see Skinner as potentially being your number one guy next year, then he has to start game six. Knobloch went out of his way to say those goal. It wasn't on Pickard tonight and I don't disagree. But I just think if. Unless you think internally that Skinner can't bounce back like he did the last time he lost the net, right?

To me it comes down to is he your number one guy? You gotta go down with your best guy. Totally agree. Or if you're worried that there isn't the same level of trust within the dressing room, but don't think it's gotten to that point there with Skinner and the Oilers. For all those reasons. Okay, here's my other thing. Okay. You sent me a, was it a tweet and Instagram of Barkov at the Dairy Queen?

Well, the Dairy Queen traveling party on the road for the Panthers has grown. The amount of players that go to get ice cream the night before, there's still the O.G.'s, but I saw like Lundell was in there. I don't think he went to the early trips and Barkov stuck out to. More and more getting on the you were asking if it was the first time that Barkov joined the Dairy Queen group. Yeah, did you get an answer? I didn't, but I did ask. And I didn't get a chance to see Barkov after the game, but apparently

Some panther fans Believe that is the case that it's the first time he joined them. I Wonder if he was trying to change his luck That was the first thought I had seeing him there Because he is got he got a great pass to Reinhardt for the goal. Yeah. And was just, I just, a great night, being a disruptor, good in the faceoff. Like it was, though he didn't score, that was a lot of that night was a typical Alexander Barkov,

multi selkie trophy winning type performance. Because he, I can see it too, because he is obviously so dialed in so many things. Like even where, like the shoes that he trains in, it's like, I forget the specific brand name, Elliot, but it's one that is for, you know, allowing your feet, your toes to not be crunched. Like it allows just for better toe placement. It's just a whole good

for your foot health. Like he's just all of that. Like there's no stone unturned for how he goes about things. And despite all that, he's going now you know what? I'm tagging along with you guys this time. I'm having a blizzard the night before Stanley Cup final game. It worked. It worked again for him like it's. It's been impressive convert to the world of ice cream.

Yeah. And I think DQ even did a little ad campaign throughout Edmonton over the weekend kind of poking some jabs playfully at Brad Marshawn knowing that it all started really with him when it got real traction. Didn't matter. Blizzard Brad with two more goals. Another win for Florida on the road. And the Stanley Cup is within reach. Once again, I have another question for you, actually, before we wrap up. How cool was it interviewing Alfonso Davies? Oh, yeah, that was a real highlight. What a nice guy. Yeah? Oh yeah, that was a real highlight. What a nice guy. Yeah. Yeah. He, I asked him, he

was wearing a Davies 19 jersey. I asked him why he wasn't wearing the one that he did a jersey swap with McDavid once, right? So I said, I figured you'd be wearing the McDavid jersey swap. And he said his fiance has that one. Oh, nice. Okay, that I get. I understand that. Just a really nice guy. He had to wait about five or six minutes before the interview started. No complaints.

And he was easy to make small talk with. I thought it was interesting that, you know, last year I found it, as I mentioned, I found an interview where he said he did not text dry sideline McDavid before during the series he said I'll only text them when they win the cup and he stuck to that answer again very friendly guy very friendly just in a short span right and good on you for asking how the rehab is going and kind of the timeline there. So a lot of Canadian footy fans and... Well that's what I figured. I figured in addition to everything else, I figured

the Canadian footy fans would want to know when they're gonna see him out there again. Right. Dave was talking to him about Paris Saint Germain and their win and stuff like that. I know the World Cup, but I don't know a lot of the individual competitions like the Champions League, which they just won. Dave clearly knew that stuff. Although I did have a couple people text me and tweet me saying good use of pitch. They like that I refer to it as a pitch and not a field. And I did notice the tweeter saying, why didn't you ask Davies if he was the anonymous caller? Yeah, I saw a couple of those too.

Amber was just rolling his eyes at that. Someone else, by the way, did come up to Dave during the game tonight and say, you're the anonymous caller. I just love it whenever that happens. Oh, such an easy way for an interview to go off the rails. Big highlight to talk to him. And it would have been a great way to send the interview off the rails if you if you did ask him if he was the anonymous caller. The friendliness would have ended immediately. All right so a tough night for the Oilers in Edmonton in a couple days to collect themselves as they will play for their season down in Florida on Tuesday

night. Before we take our first break and get to some other news around the league, some other news from around the league here first, Elliot. Why don't we begin with JJ Paturka? Because that's the name you brought up a few times here lately on the pod. Is there anything new, anything different with regards to Paturka and all the noise around him? Yes, there is. I have said on this podcast and in my radio interviews several times now that the Sabres have indicated that they do not want to trade JJ Paterka. Their answer has changed. They are at least now listening on it. Um and I think that's recent. Uh Wow. So,

does that say to you that what teams will be willing to offer or maybe a little more than the Sabres were would have expected or no, no, I think it's the reality of the situation. I mean, look, people know Paterka's unhappy, and it's believed he would like to go somewhere else. And I just think that reality is sinking in a bit. I think the Sabres realize they have to at least look into it. And I think in the last little bit, it's gone from we don't want to do it, and we're not doing it to

we don't want to do it. And but we at least have to look into it. So I think it's I think it's kind of if you're serious, offer us something serious, and we'll look at it. Wow. Well, I'm sure there would be a few teams that would be considering offering something serious. 23 years old, 28 goals two years ago, 27 goals last season, 68 points, career high. There's a lot to like there. There is a lot to like there.

He's a really talented player. So now we're in we'll see mode. We'll see what happens here. All right. You want to touch on the Calder Cup finals, the dramatic game one here before we go to break? Yeah. I mean, we all saw that goal, right? The one that didn't count. Charlotte off the face off on she loves. Yes. So she loves wasn't he was looking the other way. putting his gloves back on. lines person clearly didn't catch it drops the puck and ends up getting shoveled into his net. The checkers thought they had won. Officials gathered and they end up calling the goal off the game

goes on and Abbotsford ends up winning in double overtime. Okay. So here's my theories on this one. Number one, if you look at the wide shot. Well, first of all, this I think we should say this. The whole look is bad. Like when I saw it, I was like, oh God, like that's your nightmare way of a championship series game ending in overtime or not ending in overtime, I guess in this case,

it's it's the nightmare scenario because it does look terrible. Here's my theory on this. If you look at the wide shot, the linesman at the blue line is pointing. Oh, yes, I can see it right now. Yes, he's looking at it like so that linesman at the blue line he knows there's a problem. He has seen it, he recognizes it. And he is he's trying to get the attention of the linesman in the circle. Like I bet you with 20 20 hindsight, that linesman is just regretting. He didn't just charge into the circle and stop the play. But he's trying to get the attention.

You clearly see it. Now, Jamie McLennan is here, and I was asking him about it. And his theory, and this is a good one too, is that Shelob's is talking to the referee in the corner. And that's why he's not ready. So I think between the fact that, like they go huddle,

between the fact that the linesman is trying to get the attention, and you can clearly see it, and maybe, and I think McClennan's theory is a good one, is that the other referee was talking to Shilas at the time. They just said, this is on us. We can't let this stand. Right. Right. Oh, my gosh. It's just still looking back. It's is unbelievable. And I got to tell you, if I was the referee in the corner and I knew he was talking to me and the puck went in, I would eat it too.

I would just say it can't count. I would feel horrible, but I would eat it. Right. Like, there's nothing you can say that can make Charlotte feel better in that case. No, that's a tough way to start. Tough way to start the Calder Cup Finals for Charlotte. But the Abbotsford connects up one game to nothing. Florida Panthers up three games to two

in the Stanley Cup Final. Okay, let's take our first break. We'll come back with some other news from around the NHL. You're listening to 32 Thoughts, the podcast. Okay, welcome back. For the purpose of this episode, this entire segment will be known as the final thought, which is brought to you by GMC. Elliot, as we just take a quick trip around the league for some other news across the National Hockey League and it felt like, I don't know, since what the end of game five in the second round. Toronto versus Florida, everyone was on the Marner watch conversation

knowing he would be appending UFA this summer. Andy Strickland out of St. Louis, who is very well connected, put out on Friday, can confirm Mitch Marner will not be returning to Toronto, will be playing for a new team come next season. That of course caught like wildfire. Yeah. There has been the thought ever since their season ended that it was likely headed in this direction. So were you surprised at how big a response that report got?

No, I wasn't surprised, Kyle, with how much attention it got because it's this time of year, right? Like we have one game every two or three days and the rest it's fans wondering where are all these player moves going to happen? Where are guys going to happen? Where are guys going to end up? And Marner is the number one name on the market. So anything like we mentioned on the last pod that we think that Anaheim is one of the teams that's going to bid for him. There's been a lot of reporting about Carolina being very interested in him.

People believe LA is very interested in him. People believe LA is very interested. People believe Vegas is definitely a team to watch, if not the team to watch. Like I'll tell you something else, Kyle. There was a rumor going around this week that a few teams heard that Marner may not be looking to sign a seven-year deal in free agency, that he might look at a four-year deal and then go for another one, kind of the way that Matthews has done it throughout his career. So there's a lot going on around him right now. You know, the Maple Leafs have tried to talk to Marner. Marner's camp has not engaged with them. And I think everybody knows the way this is going to be heading, that on July 1st, he's going to go out there, he's going to hit the market, he's going to pick a team, he's going

to set a contract, and he's not coming back to Toronto. But it's Marner, so everything around him is news. I don't think he is wrong in any way, way shape or form, but I do think people were surprised in the sense that this is what I thought everybody knew but You know what? Like I said, it's it's Marner. It's big news 16 more days around and then hopefully it's over Yeah, I can't see that one going much further than noon on July the 1st.

So that four year- This would be an interesting one. If this, if the free agent window was still in place, Yeah. It would be an all time week. If one of those- Right, like Tavares. A whole bunch of different cities. Well, don't forget Tavares went to CAA's offices in LA

and everybody came to talk to him, right? Yes. I remember Rashad Madani standing out front of those offices live on Ben, Tim and Sid. That's right. I forgot about that. That's right. That's how big of a deal that week was. That was a good assignment. Like this one, there would be, if he went to all the different cities, there would be like a plane tracker. Right, right. Maybe like Taylor Swift type stuff or showing. Lance.

Ohtani. Kyle, one other thing I'm hearing about the Marner situation too, and I heard this Saturday night while I was working the game, it sounds like there's the possibility and again this there's still two and a half weeks to go here so who knows where this is all gonna end up but it sounds like the possibility that exists that this may not be a July 1st thing that Marner's choice could be to set up Zoom or if teams want in-person

meetings on July 1st or right after and then maybe he goes and visits one or two places. I was told on Saturday that that is one of the possibilities here. Again, there's time. We'll see how it goes, but that's not out of the question. To which my reaction was, if this happens on after July 1st, it'll give you something to do early in the month, Kyle, aside from change diapers. Yes, exactly. Just flip over your Rolodex, I'll start making calls. You could enjoy the beginning of your summer.

My vacation starts July 1st at six. Because I think, and again, nobody's confirming this, but I think the Maple Leafs were offered, like one of the meetings too, and another team told me it was kind of funny to them because they're like, why would the Maple Leafs, like what possibly could be the benefit of a meeting between Martyr and the Maple Leafs? They already know everything about each other. Right. Yeah. What new are you going to learn from that conversation? Is this setting up to be like the decision NHL version? My goodness. This is wild. I don't know. I don't know. I mean, like I said, Kyle, July 1st at six, it's your problem. That's yeah, yes. Not your monkey, not your circus after that point.

So this four-year deal idea, Elliot, is an interesting one because now, I guess in theory, it would be a lower AAV than if he was going to sign on for seven years somewhere. I don't know about that because he's still a UFA, right? Right. I don't know that. I don't know. Just that, you know, he's 28 in theory. If he did that, he could do another deal at 32. But I'll I'll I'll tell you that a few teams heard it this week.

Hmm. Now, again, we'll see, but I think it just shows you that at this time, like Isaiah Thomas, who taught me so much when I was breaking in, he always said, around the draft, everybody lies. Okay? And I've always remembered that. There's so much out there.

You have to be so careful. And you know, like I'll say this week, like when I'm going on radio or I'm doing the pod, you have to be, I've been warned. You've got to be so careful. I've reminded myself better than saying I've been warned. You have to be so careful in the choice of your words because this is the time of year where everything becomes, it just spreads like wildfire, right?

It just spreads. So I think that every piece of information that gets shared, every bit of morsel that comes out, and I've heard a lot of things that are completely at odds with each other. I've heard one team say this, I've heard this, I've heard, or one team or person say I've heard that, and it's completely opposite of the thing I just heard 10 minutes ago. So it's a big challenge. And you know, you just have to try to disseminate it in the best possible way you can. Well, I guess what I was getting at there, and maybe it becomes a moot point then, because if you say whether it's a four-year deal or a seven-year deal, because he's a UFA, it could be the same AAV regardless. But I just wondered

if that makes a team like Vegas even more of a threat or a team that maybe doesn't have the same salary cap space as an Anaheim or a Utah or a Carolina teams like that. They would like to bring him in the fold. I still think the number is pretty big. It's not like he's going to be standing for four times eight, Kyle. Well, no, and I wasn't going there at all. But I just thought, I don't know, 11 or 12 instead of 14.

That's what I mean. I don't know. Like I, I still think it's going to be a pretty big number, but we'll see. Like, like it just it's another example of all the stuff that's flying out there around Marner. It's gonna be a crazy 16 days, crazy. So he remains the number one target of those to become a UFA, but as other names have come off that list, Nick Ehlers becomes more and more potentially valuable

should he reach July 1st. Where are you at with him? Is he another guy where you're thinking he's testing the market? Yeah, to me, I'm hearing in the same boat as Marner. It's that he's gonna go to July 1st and then we'll see. Nobody's confirming that he's actually given Winnipeg an absolute no or anything like that.

But there's definitely a feeling out there he's going to July 1 and he's going to see what's out there. So it's a similar situation. And I know that Marner is a right-hand shot and Ehlers is a left-hand shot. And so they're not exactly comparable. But I do wonder if, you know, a team that's looking on the wing says, all right, we're not in the Marner game or we don't have a shot at Marner. We're just going right to Ehlers. And as I've said to Ehlers before, I think with him, it's a mixture of he wants to be on a really good team with opportunity. Like Winnipeg is a really good

team. But I think the issue around the Jets has always been top line opportunity. Well, now I wonder about a team like Carolina then. Yeah, they, I mean, you say that and the whole nature stuff has been going on. There was a lot of talk about nature's for elers, but the jets didn't believe that they were going to get a commitment from nature's long term. So they ultimately didn't make that deal. believe that they were going to get a commitment from Natures long term. So they ultimately didn't make that deal. Okay. And just while we're on the topic of Carolina, I don't know, Elliot, like you brought them up earlier, a team that would be interested in a player like Marner, of course, got a lot of cap room. And I'm sure you saw at least bits of Rod Brindemore's appearance on the

Cam and Strict podcast talking about, you know, we tried with Rantanen, give our group credit with bringing them in. It didn't work out, but to keep banging that drum and trying to find that level of superstar to come in and help that group that has been perennially a very good team. We talked about how often they've gone well into the playoffs, but keep running into that third round hump. I don't know, it sounds like there's still the, it's certainly from the head coach, it's like, let's keep trying, let's keep trying.

And I imagine the front office is thinking the same thing. I think that's totally true. I think they absolutely want to be in the Marner game. No question about it, Zero doubt. Zero doubt. I just, I know some of his teammates have suspected, the Leaf teammates have suspected that Marner is going to go west, but that doesn't mean you don't try, right? Yeah. And go west is just a clean break from it all? try, right? Yeah. And go west is just a clean break from it all. Clean break from it all. Yes. All right. Another thing, the Seattle Kraken, like they found their head coach in Lane Lambert Elliott not too long ago. The only remaining member of the coaching staff from the previous

regime is Jessica Campbell. So a few other assistants to hire. What are you hearing in regards to that search? I think one of them is going to be Aaron Schneekloth, who was the coach of the AHL's Colorado Eagles this year. He is a Calgarian just south of where I am currently located in Edmonton. So I've heard that he's going to be one of the people joining the staff there. I believe Dallas has now interviewed at least two internal candidates for their head coaching job, Alain Nazreddin and Neil Graham. And, you know, I just, as we said, the last pod, I think Neil had a decision to make, does he go internal or does he go external, but he wanted to do the internals first.

So not to be confused with the movie, the eternals. So it's internal before external. And I don't know how many internal guys I heard at least two. Like I said, Nazrin and Graham and we'll see. And I, I, someone did confirm to me what I mentioned on a previous pod is that it Graham has options like Dallas knows other teams are calling about him. And I'll tell you something else. I heard if Nazradin doesn't get the head coaching job, he's going to have options. I've heard other teams want to talk to him too. So Dallas is a few things to wade through here.

Art Vandeley, an importer exporter. That's right. Eternal, internal, external. Too many eternals. Hey, can I ask you something? This podcast is nocturnal. Yes, it is. That's good, Kyle.

Very good. Yeah, sorry. That was a Ron McLean, Gene Principe level pun. Very good. Good wordplay. That's a problem. What's the deal with you and Daniel Carr? No, no issue.

I really liked Daniel Carr. He was in Montreal my first year there, like when we did the regional rights. Yeah, he was always, and had a soft spot in my heart for him because he played junior A for the Pal River Kings, which isn't too far from where I grew up, of course, on the West Coast. And so we found common ground over that part of the world.

But I hear he was just laying into me to you and Kevin the other night about my fishing inabilities. So Daniel Carr, really good, as you said, really good guy, really good guy. I liked dealing with him in the NHL, just a good guy to talk to. So the other night on Friday night, after traveling from Florida to Edmonton, Kevin, Ron, Dave

and I, we went for dinner at a really good restaurant here in an Asian fusion place, with a very good fuca called Beju. Well, I've heard of this. And then at the end, Daniel happened to be in the restaurant and he came over to say hi. And he said that you are the worst fisherman on Vancouver Island. And I have to say, I want everyone to know here that Kyle laughs a lot of stuff off, but his text,

the seas were angry that day, my friend. Kyle was, that hit a nerve. If you tell Kyle he's the worst fisherman on Vancouver Island, he does not like that. Well, probably because there's an element of truth to it. You know what I was thinking in my response there? It's the Chris Pronger rule, you know, every now and then you just got to remind people that you're capable.

That's right. That's that's very good. So so Daniel's playing what was playing over in the Swiss League with Lugano. Yeah. A great, great part of the world. I mean, geez, if I could go play hockey over there in Lugano, I would. So he's playing over there. And he had a friend that we met, a former NHL player named Kale Mulyarat. He played seven games with the Allenders and Penguins in 15 and 16. We actually watched his first NHL goal.

He scored one NHL goal and it was against Arizona. And we looked it up while we were at the restaurant, we were watching it. It was a really good shot, like a snipe, cleanly beat Mike Smith. I will say something, the Coyotes defensive coverage on that play was really lacking. But so it was good to chat with Daniel and good to meet Kale. Kale played one game for Pittsburgh and it's actually a pretty interesting story. The one game he played for Pittsburgh was a game where Philly clinched the playoff in 2016. They needed to win and they got in and Steve Mason made a hell of a save off them to help save Philly's season in the one game he played.

And he, he, by the way, he had great things to say about the Penguins veterans like Crosby. He said they were really great guys, not surprised. But anyway, the whole highlight of the night was car chirping your fishing prowess and Kyle getting very mad at it. Geez, cause he butters me up, right? We talk about it all and then turns the back and carves me to you guys, which is great. Yeah, that's true male friendship right there. Yeah, that's right.

That's the sign of a healthy relationship, I think. See, that's what my sisters always told me was the difference between men and women. Women will always attack each other to their faces. They would always say, you guys do it behind each other's backs. That's right. That's good. I could only imagine when you got on the plane in Florida on Friday morning that you would have been spending your night in Edmonton going down a 2016 end of regular season rabbit

hole. Yeah, it was good. With a couple of ex-NHLers. That rabbit hole. Yeah, it was good. With a couple of ex-NHLers, that's cool. Yeah, it was good. Like Daniel obviously came over, knew us. Kale was a guy we got introduced to, it was good to chat with him. Yeah, it was nice.

But to me, the real highlight was how mad you got. Like I said, it was like, wow, Kyle is really on the opposite of this one. See you in the fresh water, Daniel. Bring your lures. All right, that's the final thought. There's a few of them. Brought to you by GMC. We'll take our final break and put a bow on this edition of 32 Thoughts, the podcast.

No thought line today that will be back though later on this week. Enjoy your Father's Day Sunday. Enjoy the first part of your week. Game six of the Stanley Cup final. If you haven't heard Tuesday night in sunrise on the air, once again, 730 Eastern, 530 Mountain Time with Hockey Central, the pregame show getting you set for puck drop. Little after eight Eastern, six Mountain, the Edmonton Oilers need a win to keep their season alive. All the Florida Panthers one win away from a second straight Stanley Cup,

entering potential dynasty territory. We appreciate you spending some time with us once again, and as you have all season long, we will talk to you again on Wednesday morning.