32 Thoughts: The Podcast - Business Before the Business

Episode Date: September 28, 2026

In this edition of 32 Thoughts, Kyle Bukauskas and Elliotte Friedman begin the podcast by discussing the unfinished business that is sprinkled around the NHL that still has to be resolved as we enter the regular season. They talk about the cap estimate at $127.5m (12:00). The fellas update the Alexander Nikishin situation with Carolina (14:00). Elliotte talks about the OIlers looking for a right shot centre (19:00). The guys talk about Nikita Kucherov entering the final year of his deal without an extension (22:00). They also talk about a few goalies of interest that popped up on the waivers on Sunday (27:28). The fellas have a laugh at the Flyers doing warm ups with their jerseys tucked-in in solidarity with Trevor Zegras (32:00). Elliotte compliments the Hurricanes on their Cup rings (40:00). The fellas predict the division winners in this episodes Final Thought (43:00). Kyle and Elliotte answer your emails and voicemails in the Thoughtline (57:37).Listen to all the 32 Thoughts music here.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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

So Dom is a big Phillies fan. His team, you know, made the playoffs this week. And after, and I'm happy for you, Dom, because I was sending you memes all week about the Phillies just collapsing. But when your team backs into the playoffs like the Phillies did, you can't be taking shots at the Blue Jays. You barely made it. We've made the playoffs five years in a row.

I can take as many shots as I'd like. Welcome to 32 Thoughts, the podcast. It is regular season week, everybody, Dom Shemati, Kyle Bukascus, and the birthday boy. Elliot Friedman is here. However old you think he looks, he's actually 10 years younger. It's gone that far downhill. You don't have to tell us your age, but do you qualify? Okay.

I was going to ask you. started to qualify for the seniors discounts at the shoppers participating shoppers yes yes and the the birthday was sunday and it was a great day thank you and uh not only that but i can actually collect my partial pension if i want to i am that old oh wow well we hope you're not doing that just yet maybe in a couple years we'll get sick here for good but for now we still do need you. I believe I will be shocked if it takes you a couple years. All right.

I know you are in Toronto now, which means puck drop is right around the corner. We are a day away from the start of the season, young Bukascus. How did we get here so soon? Tuesday night, it all gets underway. And I was looking back to, okay, what were we talking about? this time a year ago, a couple days before the regular season. Well, the biggest story, of course, was what was going on with Connor McDavid and Edmonton, and he signed his deal like a day before the season started, and it kind of put that story

to bed for now. Looking at things as we sit here Sunday night recording this conversation, there are a number we'll call it, there's a lot of unfinished business around the NHL, kinling, sprinkled everywhere that has the potential to catch fire. make for a real interesting year beyond what we see on the ice every night. Connor Hallibuck is still in Winnipeg, not traded. No, he's with Winnipeg, but he's not in Winnipeg. Sorry, still a member of the Jets.

Yes. And to your point, at this point, we have no anticipation of him ending up there to collect a paycheck. He will not start the year with them. We talked about it briefly on Friday, and that is. not changed. So that's going on. You've got Keryl Marchenko and the team's interested on him.

What does the future look there? How long does he remain a blue jacket? You've got some notable RFA still out there in the Keishin, who we anticipate at some point will be moved. And then you've got Simon Edmondson in Detroit that's still unsigned. And what are the Red Wendrings thinking with their captain, Dylan Larkin, and a whole whack of other things going on here, Elliot. Like where is your guiding light directing you here just a couple days before the regular

season gets started? I don't know if I remember a year starting with this many unanswered questions as we're looking at here in 2026, 27. Normally at the beginning of the season, you know, maybe there's one un-signed contract. Remember William Nylander all those years ago? there's one situation we're sitting there and we're waiting on. But to have this many things uncertain in the Quinn Hughes, you know, there's another one. Quinn Hugh, and that's, that you could argue, is the biggest one of all.

So I think this is a chance. First of all, I think the hockey is going to be great. I think these teams are wired to play. As we were doing our prep phone call for this pod, you, brought up how the exhibition season seemed meaner than ever, that the fact that there's only four games to play, and so if you're a young player, you have to work that much hard to make an impression, and if you're a veteran, you get maximum two games, you know, everybody seemed wired to play. There were a lot of mean games. There were a lot of really entertaining

games. And that was more than I expected. So I think a lot of these teams are going to hit the ground running. You know, for example, Kyle, there was a coach I was just chatting with and he said, what's that stat you always use about the beginning of November? And so I went back and I looked it up for them. I have a stat I use that if you are four or more points out at after games on the first of November, then your chances of making the playoffs are basically one in eight. And that is in 82 game cap era seasons. There have been 75 teams that were at least four points out of the playoffs

after games on November 1st. You know how many have gotten in? 10. So it's one in seven and a half. And, you know, Ken Holland was a guy. He sort of pioneered the whole U.S. Thanksgiving thing. And a lot of people mentioned U.S. Thanksgiving at the end of November. It's earlier than that.

If you start poorly, you're in massive trouble. So I think a lot of these teams will be ready to hit the ground running and go. but I think this has a chance to be off the ice, Kyle, an insane year by NHL standards. You've got, we're starting the season with all of this stuff, all of those situations we've just mentioned. Plus also, after the Board of Governors meeting last week, we've got these questions about expansion and the future leadership of the league and the next Board of Governors meeting is in the second week. of December. Usually, Kyle, at the beginning of the season, those new segments we're doing on Saturday night, you are really grinding to get something. Because most people are like,

we just want to see how our team looks in the first month. Not this year. There's going to be big stuff going on. And I really believe this is going to be one of those seasons where you're kind of sitting there and saying, what on earth is going to be. going to happen next just because of the way we're starting it's nuts when you look like i'm just i'm going through the whole spiel off the top and i completely for a half second forget about the quinn hugh's situation in minnesota there's that much going on it's it's wild so where where are you looking at right now i mean i heard you were saying before we started recording you got understandably a lot of feedback when you were talking about marchenko and those teams that were interested

particularly some fans from Boston that wanted to know, okay, what were the Bruins looking at here? I had like 20 DMs from Bruins fans asked me what do we offer for Marchanko. And I do think, and they're like, do you think we can really get them? Like, Boston's lucky.

They got really passionate, hardcore fans who love their Bruins. And I think there's two questions here. and number one is who are the real contenders and number two is is Columbus really going to do this and so who are the real contenders I think a lot of teams in the league

believe that for a long time in the summer everybody was kind of chasing Montreal but I liken it to like a horse race or MVP voting the person who's the leader in at the quarter mark, how often do they actually win the race? You're always waiting for someone to come up late. You're always waiting for, like, I do think people have general or

recency biased things like whoever's hot late wins. And that doesn't always happen with trades. But I do think that teams have kind of said, okay, we have to get serious. But the biggest question is, what does Columbus really want to do here? And I think there are some teams that would like to do it now. I think they're going to try to do it now

because they look at it like if we do it now, we have them at the start of the year, and we can also manipulate our cap at the start of the season to make. make this all work. And I have wondered if one of the things that Columbus is doing here is saying, all right, if you want Marchenko, would you take Miles Wood or Voronkov or something like that? So I think there's all sorts of levels to this. And I think Columbus looks at it like, We don't have to do this,

but I have wondered about this whole thing with like kind of like Bonus and Marchenko, bonus saying, we've got to change the culture, you've got a player who clearly doesn't want to be there. I've just, it's the one thing that kind of makes me look at it and say, if you're the blue jackets,

do you, I know I've said this a couple times, but it's the number one thing. If I was in Don Waddell's chair, I could see him saying, we don't have to do this now. The whole culture thing that Bonas got into is the one thing that's got me sitting there. Plus also, I do think Columbus has asked people if they would be willing to take another player they want to move to take Marchenko. And what did you just finish talking about, how there's no. time to wait into things for anybody, particularly a team in Columbus's situation. We know how much

is riding on this year for it to be different than what it's been like the last three and four. So are you a better team by just putting this all to bed and he's now elsewhere? Or do you think you may be a better team in the short term by having a guy that can rip the puck in the net in your lineup, the devil you know, for the time being? It's a fascinating one. in Columbus for all those reasons, man. You know what? We also didn't talk about off the top. The fact that we now know there's a cap estimate at 127 and a half.

Right. Because a team that trades from Marchenko is going to want to know if they can sign them, right? So this is his last year of his contract. He's not a UFA. He's an RFA with one more season before a UFA. But all of a sudden, Kyle, You have a picture of where we're going in a year. The reaction of that cap thing was fascinating because a lot of people are like,

all right, my team's going to have space. Everybody's going to have space. Yes. Everybody. If that does go to 127 and a half. And that has to be at least part of the reason why this whole situation hasn't reached a conclusion yet, is that unknown for inquiring teams, can I sign Corrill Marchenko to an extension?

Yep. Have you heard? Okay. And will teams be given permission to talk to him? Right. Right, right, right. Wow. And that's just one guy.

So Marchenko, we still are watching there. Is there anything, I feel you've said as much as you can to this point with Hellebuck last pod? Is there anything to add? Not yet. Okay. Not yet. We'll see where this goes this week.

Like I said, I don't expect him to be there at the start of the season. So we'll see where it goes. All right. And once the season does start, HeloBike begins missing a paycheck there. Yep. Okay. How about Neketian and the hurricanes? Yeah, Neketian.

So he made an agent change on Thursday night. and as we said, there are teams that have permission to talk to them. So let's go back. Nikitian was almost traded to the Rangers. They had a deal between the hurricanes and the Rangers and they couldn't come to a contract agreement. And I think Nikitian is looking for around

at least he was. The rumor before the Booiam contract came in was he was looking for around $9 million a year. And I just don't think the Rangers got there. I don't think they were far away, but I don't think they got there. And I also believe St. Louis was around this for a while. Like they were legitimately interested.

They claim Justin Barron, by the way, off waivers on Sunday, which says to me that Logan Mayu, his injury is not great, I guess, but we'll see what they announce. But St. Louis has been very seriously interested in the Keishan. Now, I don't know where this is right now, but, you know, since William's deal came in, he's probably asking for even more. unless, and I do suspect this has been true, he's not looking for as much term. William signed the full eight. The rumor was that Nikitian was asking around five times nine. So we'll see if that's changed or that's the same. I also think, Kyle, we kind of talked about whether or not, like I think Carolina is very, very interested still in Hallibuck.

I think they would like to get him. And boy, I know we're working on Tuesday night with an excellent doubleheader, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, Edmonton. But I cannot wait to watch that one game between Carolina and Florida. Yes. I think those two teams are going to come out and they're going to pummel each other. There is not a lot of love lost between those two teams, not at all.

And I can't wait to see that. And I think the hurricanes would really like to get Helibuck. And one of the reasons I think that Niketian's been given permission to some teams is to see if they can pull off a three-way with the chats, if there's some way to do that. I don't know if it's possible, but I think that is out there. You know, the one thing about Nekisha with Carolina here, now I think that Carolina wants something akin to two first rounders for Nekheishin,

whether it's two first round picks or comparable talent, I think that's kind of in the area of what they're looking for. Like I'll tell you, Nashville put 2D on waivers on Sunday, Nick Purbix and Ilya Lubbushkin, and people were wondering if that's what they were doing. Like, because they have it, they've had some interest in Nikitian, but I don't know, that might be premature.

We'll see. But, you know, the thing about Carolina with Nikitian is he's got no rights. He's not offer sheet eligible. He couldn't do arbitration. And, you know, Carolina just won the Stanley Cup. They're like, hey, man, we feel no pressure here. No pressure. And I think there's probably some legit disappointment, frustration,

whatever word you want to use that that deal with the Rangers fell through. So, you know, this is going to happen. The one thing that it proved this summer is that if this happens, whenever it happens, it's going to happen on Carolina's schedule. They had something that was close. It didn't occur. They're like, okay, you were inflexible before. We can afford to wait now.

So we'll see. You know, I think, I think Edmonton is looking for a right shot center. Okay. I think they've been combing what's available. and you know Mike Babcock, he is so minute in his coaching of hockey that he would look at this and say, we need this. That's why the Doc rumors have been there.

Also, Stan Bowman is a history with Doc, but I also think he's a right shot. Guy who can play Santa, I think a few teams have kind of looked at Doc. You know, I wondered about Shane Wright, for Edmonton and I think they poked around but I don't believe that's going to happen. That's another thing we're looking at right now. And, you know, we didn't even mention Edvinson yet.

We'll see if he's signed for they made a waiver claim. We'll see if Edvinson gets signed before they start. We'll see what Larkin's health is to start the season. And then there's Hughes. and you know Hughes told us in Vegas I don't care if I have to answer this question 200 times I won't be pressured into it someone said to me on the weekend Hughes hasn't signed yet what's going to make him change his mind you know what my answer was Kyle what 200 days of Mike Russo

Good, good. There were a lot of bad answers you could have gone with there. That was a good one. By the way, Russo was at the Vikings game in Tampa against the Buccaneers. I said to myself, is he the jinx? And the answer was no.

He was not the jinx. Enjoy it while at last, Vikings fans. Yes. Enjoy it while at last. But I think, you know, I think this season is going to be a bonker season on and off the ice. You know, the players have consolidated their power using it now. The teams are like, we have to wrestle it back.

I think this is going to be, this is a year where I think there could be five absolutely, five absolute what the bleat moments. I really do think we're going to see it. And further to the landscape here and now, if not for everything else going on, and if this player was playing in almost any other market, I mean, kind of lost in all of this, Elliot, is that the regular season is about to start. And still one of the top players in the game today, Nikita Kutrov, is entering the final year of his deal down in Tampa. But now the fact that that kind of remains quiet for now,

does that suggest that there's optimism on the inside that one way or another it'll get sorted when it gets sorted, or am I being too naive for thinking that way? Because we haven't heard a lot other than the opening of training camp on that. Well, the challenge here is that you've got one of the league's most successfully secretive managers, Julian Breesbaugh and one of its least quoted players like Kutjaroz shows up at the beginning of the year

to say how dumb the league is and now we're not going to hear from him for four months that's too bad that's too bad so that that's what it comes down to it's the two main characters in this do a great job of staying quiet I think also to, I think it's interesting.

You know, I think if you look at Julian Breezebaugh's negotiation history, it's rare, really rare that a player who they consider this important goes this long without being signed, right? Yes. If it goes longer than this, then it's almost like Breezebaugh has said, I can, what I'm willing to do for you, if you don't take it, I'm not, I'm not doing it. We've seen it from him before, right? You've hit my limit. I'm not going any further. So when I look at this, what I see is a situation where Breezebaugh has said. said at this point in time, I've either got a number I'm not willing to go past or a term

I'm not willing to go past, right? Mm-hmm. And obviously that's where they are. Kutrov, too, he's just an interesting guy to me because he's obviously incredibly proud. The reason he's as great as he is, is he's incredibly proud. So it's probably the same for him. They just, I just, I just find it really hard to believe that Julian Brisewa looks at this and says, if this guy walks, everything's going to be close to the same.

So I just think they have to hit the sweet spot. As smart as he is, and I think he's really smart, we're in a league now where everything has changed, right? And I've got to think that Kucharov is looking at some of these deals and saying, I know he's a little bit older, he's 34, and that does matter. But he's got to be looking at this and saying, okay, if I was X before, I'm Y now. In the long run, I just, I can't see Breezeball letting him walk. I can't. I think they get there, but I do admit, I think that it's been harder. just because of how much the ground is shifted.

I agree with you on all of it there, but as you and I both know, and as lightning fans know, and hockey fans that have followed it, Julian Breeswa is also a guy that has made difficult decisions, decisions that maybe other managers wouldn't have the stomach to do.

Sorry, Stephen Stamcoast, thank you for your time. Ryan McDonough, I know John Cooper sees you as con smyth worthy in our back-to-back Stanley Cups off you now go to Nashville he's he's made some difficult

decisions and stood by them I can't I'm with you I can't seem to do it this here but this is a decision that changes the course of your franchise like Stamcoast is going to the Hall of Fame someday but did that change the course of the franchise I don't think it did McDonough is a hell of a player did it change the course of the franchise

I don't think it did. If Kucharov is out, it changes the course of your franchise. I am willing to hear all arguments. Yeah, very well said. Okay, so of everything that we've touched on here to begin, is there anything else you've got notes on you want to mention? Well, I also did want to say that about this cap, I did have a couple guys say to me

they think that it's going to make the rich richer. Yeah, I mean as Just because like all those teams you think that have cap problems that everybody wants to go to, now people are going to be like, they're going to have more room to go to. Be fascinating to see.

Yeah, I'm with you. Also, I wanted to ask you too because there was another laundry list of players put on waivers on Sunday. day. A few goalies of interest that popped up. Clay Stevenson being won, Laurent Blasois, Dylan Garand with the Rangers,

really got some eyeballs. Garand's an interesting one. Garand's a really interesting one. We've already seen a couple of claims. Vancouver took Maryland, right? And then that was an interesting one that Remy Poirier won that New Jersey took. Yep. Somebody said to me, that struck them as pure money ball.

Like you look at him and you, looked at, like, he is consistently above the HL save percentage average, consistently above it. Like, the guy said, I don't, I've never, I don't really know Remy Porea well. So I texted a couple people and said, okay, tell me a bit more. I confess, I've just never seen him enough playing in HL, Texas. And this guy said to me, like, that is like, that is like. Like that's a numbers bet. His numbers are consistently better than the HL average and he deserves a chance.

And if it doesn't work for the devils, you gave it a shot. But there is a chance for that to be a real steal. Like, you know, the people I know who've seen this kid play, they said it was a really smart claim. It's got no downside and potentially big upside. So we're seeing this. Stevenson, I've always liked Stevenson. I've always been a fan of his game. I love the way he, I really thought he was ready.

You know, Washington, I heard they kind of waffled this year. There was a time where I think they were going to consider trading Charlie Lindgren, and then they consider him so important personality-wise for Logan Thompson. At the end, they kept it where it was. was. Grand is an interesting one because I thought he really outplayed Corpusallo this year, just that he doesn't have as much experience. The teams I'm looking at, Jets, especially now they know that Hello Buck's not starting the season. Do they take one of these guys? Buffalo, they've got injuries now. Lion got hurt.

Lukinen got hurt. I can start the year with 11 goalies and eight, seven skaters for the savers or whatever it's going to be. So I wonder if they make a claim just in the short term, someone to get them

through the beginning of the season. And the other team I wonder about is Philly because Kolosov has really struggled. Really struggled. And remember, if you claim any of these guys, you can't send them to the minors without waiving them again. You got to keep them.

So those are three goalies and three teams I'm really looking at. Yeah. And to start the year, the pecking order is based on last season standings. Yeah, until November 1st. Yeah. It's last season standings. It's funny, actually. I didn't realize this.

When I got the note that the Canucks claimed Maryland, I guess, They put it out themselves right at 2 o'clock because they knew, oh, we claimed them. Nobody else getting them. We're getting them. So they just waited until the 2 o'clock when they knew waivers were over and they just, I didn't realize that. Someone told me about it and I checked it later. These teams, they really love announcing things themselves.

It is a great source of pride when they do that. Yeah, yeah. I can understand why. Okay, so another thing there was much more discussion of and hat tip over the weekend to the rest of the flyers doing warm-ups with their jerseys tucked in. As a stand of solidarity with Trevor Zegaris, who as we talked about on Friday got the two-minute minor for it in a preseason game, the crackdown on tucking your jersey in along with a couple other equipment dues and dotes. but there was some interesting feedback in our conversation about that some conspiracy theories as well

as in terms of why now are they cracking down on it? What'd you all hear? First of all, I laugh when I saw those guys do it untucked. I'm sure the league didn't laugh, but I laughed. I think everybody understands the equipment stuff like the visor, the helmet, the neck guards. I think everybody gets that. Yes.

Not everybody agrees with this. I did laugh. also too when I saw Zegris's Instagram and him referencing the tuck game with Tom Brady and the Oakland Raiders. That's right. And the pictures of him as a kid with the Jersey tuck. Well, you know, because he did say, he did say that that's the way he's played his whole career or his whole life. So I was like, okay, but I thought the tuck rule thing was really ingenious. I thought that was, you remember when I said last pod that there was.

a referee that said that Ziris is mischievous enough and likes to test us enough that we think he might have done it on purpose. That tuck rule thing, that goes to exactly what I think that referee was talking about. I laughed my head off when I saw that thing. So yes, as you said, Kyle, we did get some really interesting feedback on it. The number one thing we heard was Jersey visibility. Some broadcasters saying they can't see the numbers, but also it was interesting to me that as the league tries to market its players more, and there's talk about marketing the players more, they want to be able, the numbers and names clearly seen. They want people to know who they're looking at. And especially now that they're doing more games that can

air in prime time in Europe, they want that, that's important to them. So I had a few people say that to me. I had a few people say they wonder if it's for, you know, we're using more and more chips and computers and things like that for visibility to those kinds of cameras. They want to know exactly who they're seeing. I had a couple people point that out. And then there were a couple of people, there were others who, you know, I think the one person sent the same DM to both of us and I had a few others say it to me. They think that events of the day will come there's jersey ads down there and they want those ads to be seen so those were all kind of the different theories we got but i was very interested in how many actually said to me

they think it's it's not only about the clean look it's that they want people to see oh that player who's that player they want their name and their number clearly seen especially as they try to branch out into other places of the world. I don't know if I agree with it, everything. I don't care about uniform codes, but it's one thing people are really passionate about because we've got a lot of response to it. Yeah, I struggle with buying that one

because whether the jersey is tucked or not, you see the name on the back. And, you know, of course, when you think jersey tuck, everyone thinks of Gretzky. I don't think anyone had any issue knowing what number he wore, even though he had the jersey tucked in the side of his pants, the practically entirety of his playing career.

So I think that's all fine there. The more I do think about it, it does make some sense of, are we headed towards a day where there's, there's going to be advertising down there? I mean, the cat's already out of the bag. It's on the front of the jerseys. Yeah.

And I'm sure at a certain point, the feeling will be, well, why stop there? And maybe this is helping lay the groundwork for that. to convince advertisers to go, look, we've got rules in place, players are getting penalties for it, your branding, it will be seen there if you want to do business with us. So, yeah, I don't love thinking that way, but in terms of all the reasons,

then we're going, okay, what makes sense? That is one. And I do understand it from a broadcaster's perspective as well, especially as someone made the point to mean it's a very good one. When you talked about, okay, games being shown in Europe and prime time, if games are being broadcasted in certain languages over there where commentators are doing the games off monitor. I mean, it's hard enough when you're in the building up in the press box

looking down the ice level, but calling them off monitor and with how fast the game is, being able to see the numbers clearly to know who has the puck, who you're watching, who you're trying to describe in a moment's notice. I buy that as well in terms of from a grow-the-game perspective. That makes more sense to me than, oh, just visible for everybody else. It's a huge part of it, too. All right.

A couple of other things I just have from my notes. You see Crosby wheeling in the table? Yeah. Yes. And so we talked about this. And I, like everybody else, thought, again, what an upstanding citizen. Well, yes. We shouldn't take that away from.

it. He is incredibly But you zigged while everybody else zagged. I didn't someone else suggested to me. He's hiding the belt. This is going to be every game now this year. He's going to have something. So a couple things. Number one, when we

walked out of the interview, he did say to me, you know that every game now people are going to be focusing on my belt. So he's in tune to it. And secondly, if you look at the way he's laughing, with the other guys. I just wonder if they're all in on it too.

Oh, man. That was, there was, when I was in Tuarevier last week, there was, there was a player I was talking to that was like, I couldn't believe that Crosby story was real. It was actually Drake Batherson, who knows Sid quite well, right? Like they, they skate together every summer. I'm like, did you know about this?

He's like, I had no idea. He didn't know what to know. Batherson to buy you dinner? No, he did not. I'm sure he bought his teammates dinner. He had no reason to buy me dinner. I'm still trying to get you to buy me dinner. I have bought you dinner.

I know. Don't spread those rumors on this podcast. I know, I know. There are few things that bother me, but I would not want people to think I have alligator arms. No, no, no. Not want people to think that. As a matter of fact, I have to say,

and this is one of the great things about the group we work with there are people and bills can be a fight on our group as to who's paying it yes that is true I mean you always lose those fights

but you know we we do fight over them yeah I do go down easy okay darn it darn it a couple other things I wanted to shut out those rings for the hurricanes

who I first of all they're beautiful most teams do a beautiful job with these rings now. I really, I thought they looked sharp. I thought they looked clean. But I always, I, what I love now is the teams are really starting out do

themselves with the hidden stuff, right? Mm-hmm. And they have that hidden thing in there that can turn into a pendant. Um, I, I love, I love that stuff. The hidden stuff always gets me, always, always, always. But they are sharp, clean, excellent. rings and the last thing I actually wanted to mention was that so last pod we talked about the records and that how if I when if I put put a team back in Arizona I wouldn't do the coyotes

boy did I hit a nerve oh yeah I did you hear from Matthew Nyes, I hope so. I did not hear for the end of the week. Do you think that that guy would ever like call me? No. I did not hear from Matthew Nyes. Why would he say? I missed that. Well, he just talked about because of course,

you know, the Leafs went back to Arizona over the weekend and shout them out those, the visit to the family and those shirts. They should sell those things. No kidding. They would get snapped up in a hurry. those shirts were phenomenal. Yeah, and really great going to spend some time with the Mays family as well.

You know, he just talked about like missing that that logo, the fact that it's not part of the NHL, him being an Arizona guy. He's like, I saw some old photos of myself wearing the junior coyote's jersey. He's like, I was got emotional. So I'm not surprised. Yeah, that was the reaction. That one had a nerve. I had some coyotes fans who were really unhappy with me.

Does not change my opinion one bit, but I will acknowledge. acknowledge your unhappiness. And I hope for the true hockey fans of Arizona that someday your team comes back to you and we can have this fight for real. That's good. That is good. All right.

Why don't we get to the final thought then? Get your team back and then I can say Coyotes is stupid. Oh, geez. You're just doubling down now. I would love to see you. team go back there for the true fans of the area of course of course yeah it's a great road trip okay time now for the final thought so last year when we did our kind of quasi i don't even know you want to

call it it was too much one foot in and one foot out yeah we were trying to pick who's making the playoff so we were just trying to find a format that was not just the simple who's in who's out okay so we're not going to go through all 32 teams this is what we have come up with. All right. We are going to pick our division winners in the two conferences. And then one team each that we pick, who that was in last year is most in peril to miss this year, who is the team that did not get in last year, the UC jumping up into

a playoff spot this year. And we will finish. We will each have our own breakout player of the year. and our Cup final picks. All right. You want to start, big boy? Okay. Best team, Atlantic.

Yeah. Kyle, who do you got? I got, I put down Montreal. I put down Montreal. I hope this isn't boring. Oh, no. Okay? I put down Montreal.

Metro. Want me to go? Yeah. I've got the Washington Capitals. So I have a rule. I'd never pick the Stanley Cup champion to repeat or defend anything. Because I just think it's just a way I do it. Because number one, it's really hard to repeat.

I will say this. I have never felt more confident in a team's ability to repeat in recent memory than Carolina. Like I will say that 100%. Like even the teams that did it, like Tampa Bay. like Florida, I would feel more confident about Carolina now than I felt about either of those teams

going in. But like Pittsburgh did in 16 and 17. Yeah. I feel really confident, but I refuse to do it. So, so far,

this is really boring. I picked Washington. Oh, you did? Oh, yeah. Okay. Washington is a really trendy pick.

Yes. The Caps bandwagon is full. It is full. They need a bigger truck. The capitals bandwagon this year is overflowing. Yeah. I think about the Mike Feudal line, the worst thing you want to hear as a manager is that you won the summer because it doesn't mean anything, but they look good. They had a good summer. Okay. Who's in peril in the east that got in a year ago? Who's your pick? Well, I have two teams. I have the Pennsylvania teams, Pittsburgh and Philly. Okay, yeah, because I've got, if we're, not that we're doing this,

but I have a couple of teams in my mind right now where I go, I can see them missing after getting in a year ago. So another team I had written down, I'm a little nervous about Buffalo right now, Elliot. Are you really? Because the goalie injuries? Yeah, like lost Alec, tuck. I know, like I think Zellwiger is going to be.

a heck of a player. Starting hurt. He got hurt last week. Yes, he did. Yeah. And Byram was, played, had a role there. I'm just,

I'm just a little nervous there. And a very, in a very tough division, I'm nervous. So that's, that's, that's that. I'll say this.

That is a bold pick because I think they're going to be okay. But I acknowledge, A, I acknowledge all the change, and B, I acknowledge that they're starting not in a great place. But that is bold. I wouldn't have booked them in. And then I think we've also kind of answered our other one who missed that's going to be in.

I think everybody's picking Florida. But we both picked Washington. So do you have anybody else besides Florida and Washington? I think Toronto is going to be a lot better. I think Bobrovsky is going to change them. Yes. That was one team I put down. The other one, New Jersey.

I love a vigilista there. I know. Because we talked about it. Like they had a really brutal stretch where Hughes got hurt and there was a whole bunch of stuff around. Yeah, he was great at the end of the year. And then like they finished okay. I still think there's a lot to like there.

We'll see about this goal-time situation. I think they're a little bit thin. Like they're not as deep as a lot of other teams. Like the East has a lot of teams. I look that can throw four lines and 6D at you. I'm with you. But just look into that division. Like I can see again this year,

five Atlantic teams in the playoffs and three from the Metro. and it could be Washington, Carolina, New Jersey in that division. Okay. That's where I'm out right now. Okay. Let's go west. Yeah.

I hope we're not picking the same two teams here. Best team in the Central. I've gone back to Colorado. Okay. I was looking at them and I was like, I'm not doing it. I'm going somewhere else. Okay. Just for the sake of interest,

I'm going. Minnesota. Ah, all right. I think Queenieus is going to have a monster year. I like, I like where you're, you're putting your, your money right now. That's good. I, I, I think, I don't know. I, I don't, I don't know, like, I don't know, but I have this feeling he goes,

it starts the year unsigned and just comes out. shot like he's out of a cannon. Don't run yourself into the net like you did or the post like he did the other night in that ridiculous Dallas-Mnesota game. Those two teams just hate each other. I just think Hughes has a mammoth here

and the wild win the division. Excellent. Okay, Pacific. Oil. Me too. I put the oil. We're really boring. What, three of the four divisions?

vision but that's the other ones where kind of we we differ and there's a bit more juice okay so who's who's in danger in your mind in the west kings interesting and i'll say this i don't know what to make of anaheim that's my team i think they have great players but i think they're really thin especially on the blue line line. Like they lost some personality. I know they didn't lose 40 goal guys. They didn't lose 100 point guys.

But they lost personality there. I think they have plenty of talent. I worry about them in the meat grinder that is this an 84 game season. And I'll tell you something too. For a long time, I thought they were a stealth Hello Buck team. I don't know now Now that would change the conversation slightly But

Yeah Now the reason I still see L.A. Even though like that last position in the West It was like anybody? Anybody want it? Who wants it? Who wants Colorado in the first round? Anybody come on down?

But Peter Lavillette is there now. Yeah. You go back and look His first year Always good. Yeah. Islanders at the start

In the playoffs First full year in Carolina Won the cup First year in Philly Went to the finals First year in Nashville In the playoffs First year Washington

In the playoffs First year with the Rangers President's trophy That's what he does He can get through to a team quickly That's true That's why I'm sticking with L.A Okay so who do you got

Jumping in this year in the West? Sharks Me too Yeah I'll tell I think too. They're the Anaheim of this year. I had someone say to me that if you want a stealth Norris guy, take Broberg.

I like Broberg, but the Norris is going to be impossible. Like, it's going to be impossible. That was the other one I looked at. There's a lot to like about who they've got. Yeah. I just ultimately, I feel there's a little more to like in San Jose right now. So that's where I was, that's where I'm leaning. Okay.

Who is your breakout candidate this year? It was tough for me to knock this down, but I wanted to pick a player on a team that we selected to win the division. So I went through Montreal, Washington, Minnesota, and Edmonton. You know who my breakout player was? Gosh, I hope we didn't pick the same name here. Who you got? Devon Levi.

Oh, I love the thinking there. I really like that thinking. I told one guy I was doing that. And he says, you know what this reminds me of? And I said, what? He goes, Anthony Stewart picking Jack Campbell to win the Vesda. Oh, geez. And that was after he had gone to Edmonton?

Yes. Yeah. Well, it's, it is, it's a tough market for goalies, especially Canadian ones, as history is shown. But I love your boldness. All right, you want to know mine? No. No, of course I do. I was just saying big serious.

It wasn't being serious. All right, I, too, picked from one of the four, one of my four division, division winning teams. Okay. Cole Hudson. I think that's a really good pick. I think that's, like, he's behind some good defensemen there in Washington, I know, but I think that team's going to score a lot. That's a good pick, man. And he's going to have a hand in a lot of it.

So I had a bunch of other names. I put down. Like I had Gavin McKenna on my list. You know, Marchenko is a better player, but I think he has a big year. But I want to say this too. You know who I think has a really,

really big year, although I'm not really sure how good they're going to be. Two guys. Number one, I think Bowen Byram has a fan. fantastic year. I think he embraces what is being asked of him, and I think he plays really well. And here's my other one. A return to form, elite level form for Roman Yossi.

Whoa. And that sets up a situation where Yossi enters the final season of his current eight year deal and what's his future who so he gets back in the norris conversation that's your pretty i think roman yosi has a has a great year perfect time to talk a new contract i like it i like it this was much better than a year ago oh yeah we were so wish okay so so who's your who's your Stanley Cup final Okay You have Washington No

No okay All right I've got Montreal Okay Montreal Yeah I still Let's see what Ken Hughes does

Between now and the trade deadline Okay I still think that As I said before He is Randy Orton Just legend killer mode lurking in the darkness. At some point, the RKO's coming.

He kind of looks like a skinny or less muscular, Randy Orton, too. What? No. It's not even remote. Even if I squint, I can't. I'm way off. Way off.

Okay. Okay, them and it's going to be Montreal. My pick is Montreal, Colorado. Montreal, Colorado. Yeah. All right. Okay. Durd.

Ding, ding. Round three, Edmonton, Florida. Oh, we're going back. I hope there's a charter. That is nightmare travel. Wow. Round three. You've only done the chart.

You've only done the chart. Behind breakout player Devin Levi. Edmonton, Florida. I.I.I. Excellent. Nice. I like it. All right.

Now we watch. Now we watch. Good stuff for each. Okay, that was the final thought. We'll take our first break now. When we come back, it's a brand new edition of the thought line. You are listening to 32 Thoughts, the podcast. Okay, we are back.

Time now for the thought line presented by BetMGM, Make It Legendary. Elliot, any gifts worth sharing that you got for your birthday this year? Look like you went for a great dinner. Oh, my God. Fantastic dinner. You know what? I will say this. You and I are both big ice cream guys, and my favorite ice cream in the Toronto area is Tom's Dairy Freeze. Now, it's a little bit far away West End from where we live. So we hadn't gone to it all summer. And we made plans. We said we're going there. We're going there Sunday night. The great restaurant that we, we, we, we, we, we went to Florin Tritoria, which is right near where you stay in Toronto. They gave us an outstanding tiramisu for dessert.

Oh. But we were like, we're still going for the soft ice cream. So the end of summer trip to Tom's dairy freeze was a real highlight. You double-dip dessert? Oh, yeah. I've been working out. Oh, that is awesome. That is awesome.

I'm not going to say what Tom just said. No, you had a good summer glow up. You deserve it. I'm just glad. You know what? It was so funny. Of all the comments I got, when I sent out the photo of Steph and I on our 17th anniversary, and I wrote, yeah, I don't know how either.

And some guy wrote, I thought you said you go to the gym. Come on. Come on. I liked that one. I thought it was funny. No, you're good. What blows me away is that when you and Steph do those videos that she puts on her instant, you're walking down the sidewalk in downtown Toronto,

and both of you do not break your gaze from the camera. And I'm like, do you ever run into people? You're never looking in front of you. You're both looking right at the camera the whole time. Because you probably mentioned it, now, now will probably happen. Someone's going to come deck you. We'll be looking for you. So I was calling us Beauty in the Beast.

I was going, it's Beauty and the Beast, and you guys can pick, which is who. And she was like, I'm not, I'm not airing that. And I was, why not? She goes, I'm not airing that. But I was, I tried my best to set it three times and she kept canceling them. Oh, geez, different audience. Yeah, but I'll say this, Tom's Dairy Freeze. Great ice cream.

Great ice cream. Awesome. I'll take you out once. Yeah. I'm in. I'm all in. You got any other shoutouts? It's not far from the practice facility, by the way. No, no, no, no, no, no shoutouts. Actually, yeah, I'm just looking at it now.

No, no, no shoutouts now. I really didn't get a chance. But oh, don't forget everybody too that pod's back Thursday. So we're going to have our first Thursday drop this week. Yep, it's changing. Okay, we begin with Cam from Toronto. Good morning, gentlemen. Great to have the pod back after the summer. I feel like a starving raccoon

who's finally able to dip into Friege's trash bin a few times a week for tasty morsels. Can I tell one story, Kyle, based on this since Cam brought up the raccoons? I came home late one night last week and I can't remember or it was, but

I didn't realize that we left the garbage outside. So I back into my driveway, I get on my car, and I hear something. And I look and yes, there's a raccoon going through our garbage, and it looks at me, and I look at it, and I'm like, I'm going this way to the door,

just leave me alone. And he watched me take a couple steps towards the door, and he went right back to the garbage. Once he figured out I was not a threat, we understand each other. We communicate. Did you have your raccoon shirt on? No, I did not have my raccoon shirt.

guys. He's like, oh, he's one of us. It's fine. That's, uh, that's awesome. I'm glad there's something. Thanks for bringing that up, Cam. Yeah. Cam knows, uh, knows his way to your heart.

Okay. Could the N8, because we talked about Jersey talk earlier in the pod. Yeah. And enforcing different, uh, equipment rules. So Cam writes, could the NHL's push to enforce rules regarding safety equipment like, visors and neck guards, be coming down from the insurance industry who insures player contracts against grievous injury.

With the exploding salaries that seem like the kind of thing an underwriter looks at and worries the insurance company is one errand stick and an Uncle Leo away from paying out a career disability of $20 million a year. Thanks for the time, go leaves go. You know what? You, Cam, I think that's a perfectly logical, theory. More and more money at stake.

Yeah, and I don't see anything wrong with that theory. I don't know that to be true, but it wouldn't surprise me. I mean, I used to live in an area where there was a lot of flooding, and eventually the insurance company came to me and said, look, like, you know, if you keep having these, we're going to stop insuring you for them. And absolutely, I mean, you could see, like, we already know that our situation, where NHL players are not insurable for pre-condition, for pre-existing injuries. Like there are some players who have had multiple hip surgeries.

You can't insure their hips or their knee or their shoulder or something like that. So if you were to tell me that the insurance companies were saying, okay, we're not going to enforce some of these other things. If players aren't wearing their equipment properly, 100%. Again, I don't know what to be true, Cam, but there's absolutely nothing. wrong with your logic, nothing. Okay, from Will. Hello, Elliot and Kyle. On Friday's episode, you were talking about the salary cap and the way it's skyrocketing.

Does the NHL disclose where all this new money is coming from? The buildings haven't gotten any bigger, so they can't be selling that many more tickets. There's concern on the television front, particularly at the regional level right now, to say nothing of the booming national rights. So then where is all this money coming from? Is this all from in-game gambling advertisements or has growing the game actually worked? And the money is coming from some sort of grassroots bottom-up movement. Thanks for your time.

It's also a great question, Will. And I actually mentioned this to Kyle. We were talking before recording the show here on Sunday night. One guy said to me, you should call it the salary cap brought to you by Rogers. And I do think the national TV deal plays a very big part in this. Look, like the NHL is constantly announcing new sponsorships all the time this week. For example, they announced one with Mickelope Ultra as the new beer of the National Hockey League. But there's no question that the ticket money revenue still is a very, very big part of this.

and so is the national TV revenue. That is by far the biggest, biggest driver. Yes, may not be able to sell more tickets, but they can sell a ticket for more money. Okay, a voicemail next from Eli. Hello, my name's Eli, and I'm eight years old, and I'm a go-tender, and I'd be in a goalie for at least three years now. And I was wondering, why goal with the HAL can't learn number zero?

Okay, thanks for asking my question. Bye. Eli, you may be eight years old, but you are asking better questions than people who are 800. That's because everyone that's 800 is dead. That's why they ask the bad questions. Couldn't ask a good one they wanted to. So the double zero has been, well, the double zero has been warned. worn before by John Davidson and Martin Baran.

They both have worn a double zero. And Neil Shee, of course, now the current agent and a former player, he wore zero. Correct. And I believe all the ebugs this year have to wear a double zero, right? They do? Yes. I think all the ebugs this year, the ones that, that are specifically the third goalie,

not an actual third goalie, but the emergency third goalie. I think they all, I think I read somewhere that they all have to wear double zero. Because initially, like, wearing double zero was banned across the league because for the digital statistical input,

yes. It couldn't read double zero. Like it became, it was like an error code. In what the NHU. It's like they're all worried when we got to the year 2000. That's right. That's right.

We created this mass hysteria that the computers were all going to be shut down and the world was going to implode upon itself and absolutely nothing happened. Right. I'm kind of circling back to that state of history again right now, which is kind of funny. And you're right. It is because of the. database and things like that, the software, yes. Yeah.

So the eBugs, double zero. Yeah, I think they have to wear double zero. Don says that that's correct, but I'm not listening to Dom after what he said about me for having two desserts that I could not read on the podcast. Yeah, that's the old, the Gie germane number from the Mighty Ducks movies. He wore double zero. Very good. All right. Luke from Dieppe, New Brunswick.

Good evening. This is Luke Gazzick? gentlemen It could be Did he recently move to New Brunswick? He should Maybe Took his new deal and left

He's like I'm going to New Brunswick So Luke writes By the way he had a housewarming party a couple weeks ago Oh really? Was it in New Brunswick? No, it was in Toronto Okay so this is probably a different Luke then Yeah

How was it? Yeah, it was good Good? Really good He's got a nice place Great He deserves it Yeah

So Luke, New Brunswick, Luke says, good evening, gentlemen, inspired by your in-season cup concept. I proposed this initiative to our team in my workplace with a philanthropic approach. Costs is $20 each to participate, and the winner will be able to choose a not-for-profit cause of their choice and make a donation for the amount in their name at season's end. However, we all understand that the ultimate grand prize is having the bragging rights throughout the postseason. As we do not have all these sports net tools and expertise as you do, how do you keep tabs of the results? We would appreciate it if you could send me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance. Love the pod and keep up the great work. Well, Luke, have we got a solution for you? What is it? Well, our own in-season cup tracker tracks things for anyone that wants to submit their in-season cup leagues, participants, teams that they belong, and you can upload it.

So you go to the, if you're on X, go to the account at in-season cup. And he has got it pinned to the top, a link that you can click on. Right. To fill out your own league. And he will keep track of it for you,

Luke, and anybody else. And I also wanted to include, Good reminding people, Kyle. Yes. And I wanted to put that in to also remind. So our in-season cup, which we haven't done yet, plan is to drop that Tuesday morning just before the first game gets underway of a new season. We are back with the new in-season Cup campaign as well.

Yes. So thank you, Luke. Good luck in yours. Go get them, Luke. All right, one final one here. Cody in Winnipeg. Hello, gentlemen. My Fantasy League is entering its 11th season, and one of our traditions is determining how many NHLers are still older than us.

I was born in 1989, so there's still a solid list, but some of us are heavily reliant on Brent Burns, and I think we now have two who are older than every active NHLer. Hearing Kyle talk about the start of his parenting journey got me thinking, what percentage of all players playing on opening night will be older than Kyle. I'm sending this before the first official puck drop, so perhaps there can be a steak dinner bet on whose guess is closest. As Elliot likes to say, Father Times remain undefeated, and we shall have to wait and see in which year it hits zero.

Hopefully, Elliot has covered a Canadian team winning the Stanley Cup by them. So, totally. Telling about it. Yes. I'm really interested by this now. I want you to give a percentage. I want Don to give a percentage. And we'll have it for Thursday's episode.

There's five games on opening night. And so we'll take the actual 20 the dress for each team, the percentage of all those players. Of the 100? Yeah. Who? How old are you? I am 33 now.

Tom, you want to have the first guess? I'm trying to do math in my head. Give me a second. Oh, my God. We'll be here until the next year. I'm going to say it's close to that are younger than Kyle or older than Kyle.

Older than Kyle? God. It's going to be 17% 17% are older than Kyle. Kyle? Yes. Okay, I'll go with, I'll take the under.

I'm taking under 17%. Give a number, you coward. Yeah, 16.99. That's like the reverse price is right. And you just price is right. That's exactly what I was doing. Yes. Give me a number.

I'll give you a number. By the way, I got to tell you something, Dom. So Dom is a big Phillies fan. his team, you know, made the playoffs this week. And after, and I'm happy for you, Dom, because I was sending you memes all week about the Phillies just collapsing. But when your team backs into the playoffs like the Phillies did, you can't be taking shots at the Blue Jays. You barely made it. We've made the playoffs five years in a row.

I can take as many shots as I'd like. and you do the same with your Vikings every bloody week. Oh, but I know there, like I said, we are going to lose in the most heartbreaking way possible. I am just enjoying it right now, but I understand what will eventually happen. Okay, Cody, we'll have the answer for you, Thursday's pod. Under 17 versus 17 and over.

I let Dom have the cutoff. Bingo. All right, that'll do it for another edition of the thought line. And you can send in your own submission via email at 32 Thoughts at sportsnet.com or leave us a voicemail at 1833-3-3-1-3-2-3. Take another break and wrap up this edition of the pod after this. Okay, as mentioned in the thought line, we will be back briefly on Tuesday, strictly for our annual in-season Cup episode, two brand new contestants this year. Also, we've got to figure out what the punishment is between Randy Janda and I for Elliot after he was a loser yet again last season. All that to sort out and what's at stake this campaign in the in season Cups.

So looking forward to that Tuesday. That's a perfect way to prime yourself for the opening night of the regular season. And on Sportsnet, we've got a double header, all Canadian affair beginning on the air with Hockey Central. 630 Eastern. And then, as Chris Cuthbert loves to say, the Forever Rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, the NHL debut of Gavin McKenna

at 7 Eastern, 4 Pacific, on SportsNet from Scotia Bank Arena. That will be followed by. The Mike Babcock era officially underway in Edmonton, the Oilers hosting the Vancouver Canucks from Rogers Place at 10 Eastern, 8 Mountain, 7 Pacific, on SportsNet as well.

Three other games, of course, as we know on Tuesday, the banner raising in Carolina as the Hurricanes host the Florida Panthers. Can't wait for that. The Bruins and the Rangers. And finally, the Vegas Golden Knights and Chicago Blackhawks. A phenomenal way to kick off the 2026, 2027 regular season. We're here already. We'll talk to you Tuesday for the in-season Cup. Back Thursday, as you know. The listeners have spoken. We have shifted our schedule as the regular season begins. Thursday morning, we'll talk to you to discuss the first couple of nights of a brand new campaign. Have a great week.