Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - Andrew Walker (FULL INTERVIEW)

Episode Date: October 8, 2025

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/5pqAFtGyDk0The Insider Hotline | Presented by Crystal Waters Plumbing Company https://www.crystalwatersplumbingcompany.com/Boomer, Pinder & Rhett are joined by Andrew Walker from Sports 1440 in Edmonton to break down all the big news around the NHL. 🏒They dive into Connor McDavid’s massive extension, Ekholm’s new deal, and how it all shapes the Pacific Division heading into the 2025–26 season — plus plenty more hockey talk and laughs along the way.#edmontonoilers #edmonton #calgaryflames #nhlhockeyislife #nhlteam #nhlpredictions #nhlshortsCHECK OUT OUR STUFF ⬇️FLAMESNATION MERCHhttps://nationgear.ca/collections/shirts/FlamesnationBARN BURNER SHORTShttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj_bcGtvvo-cW2DHEDZ6dEO5ePDmlhZc9&si=jo8iNGxT4ImhS2Y8📲 Follow us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fnbarnburner/X (Twitter): https://x.com/barnburnerfn?lang=en🎧 Listen on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/barn-burner-boomer-pinder-with-rhett-warrener/id1648562889Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mc6Qd5U22R2zbMlQ7RxIiProducer: Jack Haverstock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

the insider hotline and say a good day to a long time friend of the show, Andrew Walker. Spoilers pregame posting on sports 1440 AM radio. Yeah, so still kicking. That's weird. How's it going, everyone? I thought that was like eight tracks. I thought they were, I thought that was done, but still going? Boom, are they been forecasting the end of AM radio since the,

Advent of AM radio Yeah, since the 1920s We're still kicking In the early 90s When I was going to college They were like, are you sure? Because like radio's dead We do only broadcast to about a 50 foot radius

Of the studio though So if you're really close to the studio, tune in tonight. You get to meet your fans. That's exciting. So everything's great up there, eh? Everything's just great. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I could have done without that the Yankees come back last night, but other than not, things are pretty peachy. You won't talk about it. Ken, you like, the series is over and not.

When's it enough, Locke? Like, how much do you need? Like, three games sweeps and three-year deals and 12-and-a-half mil? Like, what?

When's it enough? Yeah. Well, I'm married now, so. Yeah. I'm just like, just like you guys now, just waiting for the sweet release of death,

you know? Yeah. It's all coming up walks. Well, now we can all, we can all say it as a group. if you get a chance to get married. Yeah. Angie,

Angie's a big fan of Barnburner, as you know, so I'm just kidding. Andy's a great gal. I'm not sure what she's doing. They got in trouble for shit talking his presence the other day, so yeah, be careful. Be careful what you say on this podcast walks. Yeah, Pinder's wife got here. There's rats out there that'll rat you out. Got him a leaf blower, and he came on here and said, what the fuck am I going to do with a leaf

blower? I don't have trees. Somehow it got back, and then she stormed out of his birthday dinner later that. night at a restaurant. You don't have to just blow leaves. You can blow any, you can blow anything. Yeah, you'd think. Because there are some things that probably won't get blown for a while now. That's right. So it takes care of itself. Guys, college. Is it like it, so it's bad like just the best day ever Monday, right? It's just two years. It's the money and yeah, people are pretty excited. You know, it'll come with, don't worry,

People will get all pissy pretty soon again, but it was pretty, it's pretty unique, right? Make sense of it for me, walks, because it doesn't make any sense. And I know I'm biased. It just doesn't make any sense. So in quite a favor. Yeah, here's what I think. Like, Connor obviously wants to win, right? Like, that's it.

That's how your, that's how your legacy gets defined. And I know it would make all of you guys really happy if he won in a few years in a different market. I get it. but that it's a bit of a mark on his legacy if he doesn't win in Edmonton, right? And like, Crosby has three cups. And is it because Crosby is just, nope, he's just the best player and best players win. Well, he obviously also makes 8.7, right? Like, that's why.

Why does Tom Brady have seven Super Bowl rings? It's because he always restructured, right? If Tom Brady wanted to get every penny every year, he probably have three Super Bowl rings. So, you know, for Connor and has been urban management failing around him, yeah, probably. Like, you know, he has Drightzidal. And at the same time, the way to win in a parody-filled cap league is, here you go. Here's two years. Next year we're going to have 20 million of cap space.

Go load up. Like, you know, an Echholm signs for four today. Probably a large part of that is because of him. If you want to win, it's the best way to do it. you know yeah i would say the management piece is the best way to win that florida would be the example but he hasn't had that for the first half of his career there i mean you're you're saying probably made mistakes i mean the first five years are littered with minefields they've stepped on yeah no listen i i know what you think bender i get it um i understand you like the tosskin

and deal you like turning everleigh into paperclip you like their draft trend development track record you like their cap management let's let's be nice today yeah well i mean like they've missed it for five years and you need them a favor let's let's let's let's let's let's let's let's Let's not bring people on the show and then. Andrew can handle these big boy. Smash them. Yeah, listen, I'm, I'm no super fan. Given what, I don't know, I just look at the next three years, right?

There, and I know it's hard to accept. He did it. He took 12.5. They're going to be an absolute wagon. And they've been to two straight Stanley Cup finals. Like, let's stop pretending like it's some abject failure that they lost by a goal in game seven. Calgary did that. It's great.

listen, Calgary did that in 2004 and the city still is living on it, right? So it's... They didn't have McDavid. Anyway, sorry. You know what I mean? I do. You know what I mean? They're really close.

This is a window. It looks like he's matched this contract to their window when you look at the age of their guys and their contracts. Is that where you're seeing? Yeah. Well, you know, this year there's only obviously so much you can do. We'll see at the deadline. We'll see how their goaltending is. And then it's just really interesting the next two.

years. Like the cap is going up and the way their salaries are somehow getting lower like that. We've just never seen that before. So, you know, who knows? Maybe it ends up being like, you know, Sather when he went to New York. He had a little bit of money and he's like, holy, Kamalikov, like everybody. And then it didn't work, right? So, but, you know, next year, I mean, they can go out and, but there's no excuse, right? There's no excuse to be weak at any position. Need better fourth liners. Go get better fourth liners. You need a better goalie. They're going to give Skinner a run this year. But if he's not there, this is it. This year, they'll cut bait and go sign someone good next year.

Like cap space is not an issue anymore. So, you know, that's it'll be interesting to see. And it doesn't mean, you know, nothing's handed to you. Right. Korea and Solani, you remember when you were still playing, right, they went to Colorado for a million each. Somehow they didn't win, you know.

That's the, I think that would be the our hopeful side of the story. And the fearful side for the Euler fan is that you could try and manipulated all he wants. It doesn't guarantee anything.

One injury here or there. The favorites have about a one in ten chance in this league typically, but they're probably right in that group of favorites. It's the greatest gift of a athlete of his caliber has ever given a city. And especially a, sorry, not a top tier city in the league. It just isn't. Calgary is not either.

It's not a slight. Any Canadian city is probably not maybe Toronto. but usually you're not giving a discount as the best player in the world to stay in a location that isn't as desirable as a lot of other places. Yeah. Whatever, it is what it is. And we make fun of it because we're jealous. 100%.

We're jealous. It doesn't, I don't know that it helps grow the game. I don't know that helps grows the league. I don't think he gives a shit. He's saying, I want to win. I want to help Edmond win.

But you would agree. You would agree. Even if, you know, even if deep down Connor and his wife, like don't like it in Ebbington, right? If legacy is important to you, winning in four years from now in Boston, it's like, oh, he couldn't win in Edmonton, whether it was his fault or not, he has to win here.

Yeah, I don't. It's like, if he leaves, if he leaves, if he was like, no, I'm out and the next year is a UFA signed in, you name it, he kind of become Kevin Durant a little bit. What about Ray Bork? I don't think so. That was just, yeah, he was, he was still wildly effective, but that was like, you know. But you know what I mean? It was 17 years in Boston.

But you remember that as, like, well, he was by far away the best player in Boston. He won Norris trophies, but the team was never good enough. I don't think anybody hung the Bruins shortcomings on Bork. It was. No, they also lost to the Oilers, right, when they made the finals. So, walks, I view like this. Like, if he leaves it out a cup, I think that's a stain on the Oilers organization, not Connor.

Like, he's basically been the best player in the world. since he showed up. No, but walks saying it's on McDavid, it's on his legacy. But it would be on McDavid's legacy, whether it was his fault or not, and it wouldn't be his fault.

I think it would be on his personal legacy in his own brain. I don't think anyone would, else would. I don't think in 15 years when he's done and say he went somewhere else and won a cup, Boston,

whatever, that anyone would go. Well, you know who kind of went through this? You know who kind of went through this is LeBron, right? Because LeBron didn't win in Cleveland. He left Super Team, all that, Miami. They did their thing. But then he went back to Cleveland because he knew there was unfinished business.

And like that, he went back. He won there. And then he was at peace, right? He's also from Cleveland. Right. So, you know, but when I wouldn't Connor want to go help the... It's going to at least Walker just broken. I don't think it's...

I don't think that's impossible. I don't either. Two years. Three. How do they, because you know, they're going to be swimming in cap space next year,

which is unique in this Connor era. Like basically since they've been competitive, they've been capped out. How do they address the goalie thing? Because it's not like we haven't been talking about them adding a goalie for three years here. And yet there they are with,

you know, the street hockey backup everyone loves and a number one that everyone thinks probably be better suited to be a platoon guy. Yeah, I mean, it's one of those. So there's no more draft and develop, right? You're not going to go draft to

Jessica Walshsted. Oh, in five years. It's not about that. It's three years. It's just a matter of who's out there. I mean, I still look at, could Sorokin now eventually make his way here? It's a possibility because, you know, the islanders aren't going to be great.

We'll see how St. Louis's year goes, is Binnington that guy. Politics aside, I would have loved to see them get Carter Hart, I'll be honest, but I understand why he wants to play state side. So it's just a matter who's out there. And again, goal attending is so funny because, like, Connor Hellabuck's best in the world can't make a save in the playoffs, right?

Like Jake Ottinger, yeah, you'd rather have him over Stuart Skinner. No problem. Back-to-back conference finals, Skinner is straight up outplayed Ottinger. Like, you know, it's tough. And I don't think there's a hashik floating around there, right, that is just guaranteed. Like how many goal he's like guaranteed he's going to be great no matter what?

Bob has kind of turned into that guy a little bit. Luzin Tampa. Basilevsky, Shastirkin. Maybe you put Bennington in that category now. After you're seeing Four Nations, it's a small list. Bennington at least is the guy that I do feel the Four Nations and then the Cup final previous to that kind of changed our view. It's like, no, like there are big game guys.

Like Clutch is still a thing, right? Are you at a lumber camp, a tree planting camp? You're with Kauai, plant trees? Just sounds like somebody's... Yeah, I can close the window. There's some construction going on. It's all right. Someone got a leaf blower?

Yeah, somebody got a husk varna out there. That breaks down. I got one for sale. Yeah, really good. We haven't talked about it yet. A extension for Mityas Ekholm. He's been a very solid fine for the Oilers, another three years for him. 35.

But it's three times four. The cap hit is... Yeah, it's nothing. Four millions. As long as a second pair were better, that's the deal. He's been a 20-minute guy. And again, for that guy, what's left for him? Like, he's not going to win a Norris, right?

Like, what's left for him, it's winning. That's it. And there's just really no better spot for him to win now. And I think you're going to see that a little more, whether it's guys extending or some surprise free agents. Like, well, you know, I want to win. they have cap space, it's the place to do it. And if Connor leaves $8 million a year on the table, well, I guess I'm signing for a little,

not everyone thinks that way, but I could see it going that way, like $4 million for Ekholm. Right now he's still a top-paring guy. And in two years, he might be a second-paring guy, who knows how he ages, but he's been really good.

Like for all of the managerial mistakes and Ken Holland this and Peter Trelli, that, that's one that they got right, that getting equine from the Preds was an unbelievable trade. Jason Barry went the other way. That worked really well for them. And Reed. And Reed Chaper.

What about Isaac Howard, Matt Savoy, David Thomasek. These are... Depstein. Yeah. Not in commodities. Howard is a first rounder for New Tampa Bay. Familiar with him. Obviously, Sal.

But it does feel a little thin. Or at least there, this is a real opportunity for these young guys. but it feels like, hmm, I've got to be ready. Yeah. Yeah, it's also, it's also different, right?

Like this isn't the, the, you know, PRB, Heberley, Nuge days where it's like, hey, we got these kids and we're going to force feed them and here's the keys

and everyone get excited. You can only, like, you're not going to play kids when you're a contender to like try to make it look like you're doing a good job. You contribute it or you can't,

right? I think Howard needs some time in the American. American League. I like Savoy. I think for a team that needs to get faster, he spent a whole year in the A and had a pretty good year. He's going to get every chance and probably kill some penalties. And then Tomasek, who knows? He looks like an NHLer to me, but it's preseason. And I think tonight he'll get a look on PowerPlay 1 in the Heimann spot because he's a big body. He goes to the net. But yeah, you know, I don't know. If one of those guys ends up being a pretty good contributor

to this team, that would, I think that would be a win. What's the Hyman situation? I forget. He hurt. Well, I know he's hurt, but what's the timeline?

He's, they didn't want to put a date on it because then it's like, oh, if he's not back, October 20th, now everyone's mad, right? So they're just saying

week to week. So, yeah, I would say, if he's back by November, that's pretty good. Your laundering, that would be the,

that would be the, that would be the dishwash. Not a dishwasher. Quite a show. Yeah. Yeah. That's the dishwasher. That's my marital duties.

What about, we were talking a little bit about it yesterday. And you kind of forget. It's, well, you know, Vegas, they got beaten the, whatever it was, the second round,

didn't look real good. Oh, they were a 50 win team last year. And they go and add Mitch Marner in L.A. Well, there's a chance that maybe they're going to be better. What do you make of this division? It hasn't always been the toughest, but there's going to be some work to do it to get to the top of it for sure. I don't like L.A.

I think L.A. is the worst they've been in five years. And it would have been interesting to see them play anybody but the Oilers because I kind of like the way L.A. has been built. And I think they got worse this offseason. Now you have the Copatar retirement tour. And maybe, I don't know, maybe Doughty is thinking about finishing. his career elsewhere, who knows. I think that maybe, can't beat him, join them.

I think the bigger story in the division around the league is there's only like, I think there's only two like easy spots now. It's like Chicago and San Jose. Like I like the ducks. I think they're getting better quickly, right? Vegas is going to be really good. They just added a hundred point marter for nothing, whether he can do it in the playoffs or not.

Who knows, but like he's going to be good there. He just is. But yeah, like, I think the ducks are better. I think, I hope to God, they're bad. But I, but it's hard to see the Canucks being any worse than what last year happened. There has to be some bounce back there. I mean, it's still kind of, they ran it back. Like, they brought back every guy who always gets hurt.

So, like, I don't know. Who knows, but. I don't think the Cracken are very good. But, yeah, I mean, and San Jose is probably a little bit away. But, you know, they're, I don't think they're going to be. I don't think they're going to lay down for everybody. Nashville might be in that group, boys. Yeah, Nashville could have a tough year, depending on they signed some.

I mean, they also called it. They also can't be worse. I was just going to say last year at this time, everyone was touting them as cup potential. And now a year later, not you, Rhett, not me. Not right. Honestly, now they're going to be dog shirt?

Like, what do we? They wore a dog shirt last year, so I could see them being dog shirt again. But they have the same personnel that, Last year said this is going to be good. Yeah, but we know better now. Now that we've seen it. A year ago today. Hey, hey, whatever. I told you last year.

I didn't want to listen. What, Luke Evangelist is not signed yet either. They don't have a lot of young talent. He signed. He signed. Who's not signed? Is there not a guy that was, or was that last year? Yeah, Evangelista signed last week, but that was a bit of a hairy situation for a while there.

Yeah. Yeah, I don't know what to say. They're good. They're good now. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think, I think Brady Shays had,

pretty good player and he was not good last year. Like I think he's better, right? Like, I don't know. It's hard to see them being, like, last, were they like three and 20? Like, they can't be worse. Oh, they were terrible. They were out of it in November. Yeah. And then Yossi's dealing with some weird ailment, but is skating and looks like a play. That would have been a big blow. Yeah. They're running the first round pick as their first line center right now.

I don't think they're a playoff team, but they're not going to be an easy out quite like they were last year. What do you see when you look down the road here? Sorry, Rhett, you're about to ask one. I mean, obviously, you know, you're familiar with the markets. We're very close to everything. This is the Oilers greatest rival, the city you work in. But when you look at the flames, we always end up talking about sort of this long-term

plan versus short-term competitive. And I feel like that's probably a lot of the debates they're having in-house. But what do you see? It's tough because I think last year, I think last year, Calgary was a very great, likeable story. Like, man, they, they, great goaltending and, you know, they, they were a tough out and they had started well and they damn near made the playoffs, but didn't. And like, to me, that was like, that's everything going right, right?

Like, like, I thought they were great last year. So when I look at, in Nashville can't be worse, like, I don't know if there's another level for Calgary this year, right? Like, I think that, I hate. using the term regression, but I think that they could play just as well and finish, you know, eight points further back. Like, I still think for Calgary, they'd be better off getting McKenna than, you know, making the playoffs. Not that you can choose that, but, you know, like, I was telling Boom the other day, like, you know, Wolf and Zeri and Perak, like, I like those guys. And it's,

I think it's fun for fans and you should get excited. And, you know, it's good to have good young players. like every team has those guys, right? Like every team has a core of young players they like for the most part, right, unless you're an aging contender, I guess. But yeah, I don't know. It's just that we've had this conversation, even, you know, when I was working there in a Ginla was their best player. It's just really tough being in the middle, right? And are you trending up or just not good enough? I don't know. I think the flames are still a couple of like, you know, if Sharon Govich bounces back and Coronado ends up being a 40-goal guy. Like, yeah, there's some, I think there's some ceiling there.

But I don't know. I don't know if I quite see it. Yeah, I'm kind of with you. Like, Wolf's the guy that can be a star. I don't know who else they have that you're like, oh, that guy's going to be a star. Good position to have it, but. Yeah, and I know you guys have been talking about, you know,

prack. It's just like, you know, just because you have this new school of D and everyone wants to play like Kail McCar, that's awesome. And you see it even when kids are 11 years old. Doesn't mean you are Kail McCar, right? And it's like Steph Curry ruined basketball. Everybody just bombs.

You go to a men's league and everyone bombs threes. It doesn't mean you can. Just because that's how you should play the game. It doesn't mean you can play the game that way. So, you know, Perak is super exciting. But yeah, like it's a long way to go for just to be instantly. Like, Bushard gets 80 points a year and people still shit all over him here, right? So.

Even in Calgary, some people have shit on him in the past. Not real. On Bushard. Yeah, some people. Yeah, hard to believe, I know. Yeah, weird. Well, you can still get the 80 points and try in your own end. Can't you?

He does the deer in the headlights after turnovers. Or is that you can't not allow it. Is that a new rule? Gary, gets that rule out. Allow him to play him both in. His body language sometimes could be better. He's so good. You know, like you, right?

So good. It sometimes looked like you weren't trying. even though you know what you were doing, you're in the right spot. Is that what it looked like? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, but sometimes something might accuse you of not trying hard enough. What makes Bouchard really good is what also gets him in trouble sometimes because he's super calm, super poised, doesn't panic.

You know, and that he runs a power play and bombs it away and, you know, tight spaces he's good. And then, yeah, he's kind of. maybe a little too poised in his in his own zone and doesn't panic and all the sudden, you know, like, but yeah. I'm not sure if you've heard, I've heard it referred to as a bush bomb. Yeah, it seems to be that. You know what?

You could use that night on the big pregame. That's free of charge from Barnburn. Yeah, you could do that. How do you feel about Rhett? When someone asked you, you worked with Ret Warner, didn't you? What do you, what do you tell them? What do I, what do I say? You're Jack Lopping in the background?

It's a win already. I say that I work with a lot of pro-ex-pro athletes, and I would say Rett is less affected than most. Ret is very close to being a normal human, one of the guys. Close. Not all the way there, but pretty close. He's a near common human. Is that nice?

Wow. That's very nice. That's nice. That's a compliment. Thank you. Or an almost common. Like you think if they added P.K. Subad to Barnburner, he'd be like a normal, cool guy. Probably not, I'm thinking.

I can't see him doing that anywhere. It's kind of annoying. Comparably, you would be the normal one. The looks, the looks that even having guests in studio, the looks back in the day that Boomer and I would like give each other when we had like, I know, like, rest in peace, but Zarly's a Lapski and who is the, who is the, who is the, who's the, who's the, insane Winnipeg jet that came in? No, don't.

It's not Morris Lipwich. It's not important. Like, you know, these people, it's like, we're kind of like, what is he talking about? We had an anthem singer in. That guy wasn't close to a common person. Yeah, we've had, we would cycle them through. It is, it's damning testimony that this, this guy is the most normal of the bunch. It really is, yeah.

It's like you think when, like, an astronaut goes to space and they're up there and they see the little marble we live in and, like, they're floating around. They come back. Like, it's hard to just, like, go to the grocery store. after that, right? Like, you know, it's like, nothing matters. Everything's insignificant. And that's, you know, playing in the NHL and the Stanley Cup final PTSD.

It's like, you're pretty normal. CTE. CTE. Yeah. Thanks, Wox. That's great. Yeah. You're welcome, buddy.

Unreal. Yeah. We're going to go in a little compliment circle. We'll go around the room. Yeah. I'd say I'd give you a hug, but I tried that one time and, you know, didn't hear the end of it. Grill out of my phone.

face. I love you, man. He's still not a hugger, which is weird. You'd think maybe you get old and Did you hug after scoring or did you high five? I went back to the, that's what we're here for, man. That's what I do. Bandbells here, guys, out of my way. Then the, what was the last goal, the luchador mask doing somersaults in the plane? Was that the last one? Yeah. That was the key.

Yeah. It's good, good shot. Yeah. Top shelf. No, the only guy he would hug is Kiprasov because he made him about a kiss. $10 million. Always the goalies. Yeah, another plus 25. Yeah. Yeah. Beautiful.

All right, Wax. Let's go to talk to you. Yeah, you too. Yeah. I don't people catch the post game show if they want to rubble and spoilers. What are we? Oilers. As you said, the radius is 50 feet, but I'm sure there's other people.

places you can get this show. Yeah, I know. It's, it's better than that. It's, uh, it's the, the sports station up here, 1440. Not the Stauffer one, the other one. And, uh, yeah, they pay me a little money to go on the radio. So, you know, nice. Say how to stuff. He always watches, loves the show. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You had a bob. You got, you, you, you, you guys have gotten into a few heads up here. That's for sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I don't, I don't, I don't follow the politics of it, man. I'm just here. Enjoy it. Is it politics politics you got to be careful

gosh we're going to get sued Mark Carney's not going to be happy he loves the Oilers MC Hammer's coming down on this job's to make us happy we're not here to make him fucking happy F bombs remember that separation

independence yeah all right I'm sorry Andrew Walker Sports 1440, whatever that is.