Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - Insider Bombshell: TSN's Darren Dreger Says It’s "50/50" McDavid Stays In Edmonton | BB Clips

Episode Date: October 3, 2025

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/zBSx0Sps2ssDarren Dreger joins Boomer, Pinder & Rhett on the Insider Hotline to talk about the latest surrounding Connor McDavid’s future. Dreger says it’s “50/50” that McDavid stays in Edmonton and points to Dallas and Los Angeles as potential suitors if he ever leaves the Oilers.#edmontonoilers #edmonton #nhlhockeyislife #nhlshorts #nhl #stanleycup #stanleycupfinal CHECK OUT OUR STUFF ⬇️BARN BURNER BLONDE https://originbrewing.myshopify.comFLAMESNATION MERCHhttps://nationgear.ca/collections/shirts/FlamesnationBARN BURNER SHORTS https://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.

We may as well go to Edmonton. The coach gets an extension. I'm guessing some people would have gotten very, would have been very excited. Extension is it's getting announced today. It's got a knoblock. Okay, that's pretty good. I think it's the other one that's not people the most worried,

not shocked to see Knoblock get a three-year extension. But I don't know. I said this yesterday that I don't, it feels like it's such a, he's such a unicorn. Yeah. Ordinarily, you enter the season without a contract extension. Oh, this is trouble.

I don't know that I feel that way. He can sign or not sign whenever he wants. And I don't know, I don't know that it has the same bearing to me on this one. I'm with you, man. And I think that's a perfect read on the situation. There's no animosity here. Is there nervousness building? Sure.

You know, I mean, Daryl Cates is probably getting a little antsy, the owner of the Edmonton Oilers. And then that message would be delivered to Jeff Jackson and on to Stan Bowman, the general manager. There's no shortage of willingness to close whenever Connor is ready to step up and say, okay, let's get this negotiation done. If it happens, and I'm still 50-50 that it is going to happen. And I don't know that's positive or a negative. Oilers fans may look at it as a negative. But if it gets done in season, I still feel like it's more likely going to be a shorter contract, like a two-year term. And that probably scares the crap out of

of Oilers fans and maybe Oilers ownership as well. But you're right, Boomer and saying he's a unicorn, you know, when Connor McDavid feels that it's the right time to get the extension of business done, then that's what's going to happen. It's not like Edmonton is going to say, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, we're not ready yet. Or no, let's, let's give it some time.

We need to see more from you. Come on. I mean, well, that's, that deal is not going to be there in November. It's not a negotiation. It's what you want. Right down the number. give it to you. Pretty much.

Pretty much. What's he want to see? Well, I think he wants to see the pieces that he believes he can win with long term. And I know that that sounds like an excuse and a bit of a stretch. I mean, this team has gone back to back

to Stanley Cup finals, ran into the juggernaut that is or was the Florida Panthers. But I look around at the Oilers. And I don't want to throw it at the feet of Stu Skinner and goaltending because that goaltending was good enough to them through the playoffs and into the Stanley Cup final in consecutive years.

So that goal tenet is okay. But do you need better than okay if you don't have the other holes in your lineup filled? And I think there are some there that don't think that that's okay. They feel like that's an area that needed to get addressed and it hasn't. And I was sure curious. I don't know what you guys thought about this. The Oilers were quick. Chris Knoblock was quick to explain his.

rationale to starting this season with Leon Dry Saddle and Connor McDavid on the same line. I mean, what were we? Two games into the preseason, maybe early in, like it was relatively early in the process. My gut in reading the tea leaves was that McDavid is looking over here and then he's looking over here and he's seeing either young and experienced players, guys with no experience at all and going, I don't know if that's going to work. So maybe the message was delivered. Like, I mean, we've been in the game like 10 years here.

Like, this isn't going to fly. Like, you know, we need more help. And unfortunately for Bowman, you know, he's just absolutely strapped by the salary cap by a number of other clubs. So I think that that's what McDavid needs to see is how the pieces of this puzzle fit. Worst case scenario, Captain Obvious, is if things don't go. well in the first half of the regular season. And the Oilers are a non-playoff team. I'm not predicting that's going to happen.

Best case. For you guys, yeah. Yeah, and you know what I said this, it just feels like if there's no, and I don't know right there, maybe something happens in less than a week,

but if there is no extension and you get in, it's like every power play, penalty kill, bad goal. Any little thing is going to be so highly scrutinized. For sure. And unfairly, right?

It takes, you get into November. It takes some time. to get things going to even the best teams in the world hit some speed wobbles at times. But it is, you talk, we talk about Raspus Anderson and a distraction. It's going to be a major distraction

if they don't get a terrific start in Edmonton. Yeah, and look, I mean, the reporters have a job to do. And so their job is to ask the questions. Connor can shut it down every single week. The PR department of the Oilers, they can shut it down mid-scrum. That doesn't matter. But it's not just local media that is going to be peppering, right?

I'll never forget. This was back in, I got to think, I was in Winnipeg, and I moved to Edmonton in 1997, so whatever year it was. But the Detroit Red Wings are rolling through town. Steve Eisenman, the captain, is in a bit of a contract, you know, stalemate, if you will, with the Detroit Red Wings. And every city Eiserman went into, he got peppered with the same type of question. So finally, after a morning skate in Winnipeg, I go in there,

you know, glassy-eyed green as grass. And I ask him a question. And as only Eiserman can do, like he burned me with lasers. Like his eyes went right through the back of my head. And he just simply said, go ask Scotty. All right. So I did. But that's the type of stuff that the best of the best have to deal with.

And yeah, that's coming McDavid's way. If they don't have a pretty good start or at least first 20 games. go a little wobbly. You talk about those sort of brand new pieces, and I'd say they're overslaughter. Like if you wanted to try to put Matthew Savoy on a contending team, you'd probably want him to start on a third line. Ike Howard might need some time in the American League. Thomasette kids, 29 played in Sweden last year. Like these guys are all overslaughter. Like, Trent Frederick was a great fourth liner for the bruns. He's not a first line winger. And all of a sudden, you're looking at these wingers. And I understand why Connor might want to see if this works,

it's not Kane, it's not Perry as much as we thought those weren't. There were some, you knew what you had. There was a lot of question marks. Like Andrew Magic Panney played himself to the fourth line in Calgary in Washington. Yeah. I understand why you might want to see if it works. And Stan said, we're going to address goaltending. They haven't.

Connor Ingram is not a solution. Yeah, what have they done to improve? Like, he said at the seasonning press conference, you know, I think the defense will stay the same. There'll be some adjustments in the forwards. And there might be, you know, we'll probably change some things in that. They haven't. They've added an angel goalie. Yeah, and look, I'm sure it wasn't through a lack of effort.

I mean, again, all general managers do the same thing. They're beating the bushes. They're having calls, all of this. Chris Johnson and I had this conversation recently, and he's more in tune with this than I am in terms of looking and projecting and forecasting what certain positional things are going to look like. Look at the available, the potential of available goaltenders next year. It is abysmal.

Like there's nothing there. The cupboard is bare. So unless you somehow have something parked in a corner that nobody else knows about, which never happens in the National Hockey League, then how do you improve that area? But, you know, I mean, I like, I think you nailed it, Pender. There are certain aspects of the Oilers lineup that I like. I like some of those young guys, but they need time.

They need time to develop. I know that there was some interest in the offseason in Jack Roslick, as an example, right? I mean, that guy hasn't signed a contract yet. 22 goals last year. You know, he looks like he could have, should have been a good fit in Edmonton. And I don't think it was through a lack of effort by Stan Malman. Maybe it was just whatever their offer was, and I think it was multi-year, you know, wasn't enough. Jack thought that a better deal was coming.

And so far that hasn't happened. But again, let's bring it back to McDavid in company. That's not the fault of Connor McDavid or Leon Dreissel or the players who are in that lineup. That's not their job. Like, I would guess that Connor McDavid has probably sent more text messages to players who could be future Oilers than maybe any other player in the league, you know, around trade deadline or certainly in free agency. Hey, what do you think?

You know, we'd love to have you, that sort of stuff. And, you know, comes a time where that just doesn't get it done. 50-50 is about as grim as we've heard from an oiler's perspective. For him staying? Yeah. Like we have, our partner is Bet365 and they got minus 160 to resign plus 130 to leave. I just, why would you? Like, other than, you know, I think, you know, he and his family do have an appreciation for Edmont and the organization, the city.

You know, his wife has a business. Like, there's lots of reasons why it should be higher than 50, 50. But if it's higher than 50, 50, why hasn't he done it over? Yeah. And he's what's been a decade or more already. You can like other places, too. Just because you like one place doesn't mean you dislike everywhere else. Right.

And just because I love you guys so much. Yes. And you draw this out of me. And I'm trying to talk myself out about what I'm about to say, but I'm going to say it anyway. I just look overall at the bigger picture. Look around the league. Kenny Holland ends up in Los Angeles.

Ken Holland had a fantastic relationship with Connor McDavid. You know, Ken Holland obviously backed nine of his career. You know, I frankly, it was a bit surprised that he took the job in Los Angeles because I didn't think he wanted to work that hard. But he kept saying, ah, the juice is still there, the juice is still there. What do you think his top priority is? Conner. McDavid.

Yeah. Okay. Then flip over to the Dallas Stars. They get rid of an excellent coach and Pete DeBore, hired Glenn Gulletson for a second lap through Dallas. You guys know that I'm a disciple of Glenn Gullison. I think he's a terrific coach. I'm glad that he got the opportunity.

Super tight with McDavid and Leon Drieson. Well, does that not give you a bit of an edge in the interview process with the team when you know that the best player on the planet is going into the final year of his contract. So there's my devil's advocate conspiracy theories in Dallas and in L.A. God, we love drugs.

Isn't he great? Friday's the best. You know? Why, it's true. Hey, we were kind of talking about the other day is fine. Kenny Holland in L.A.

Hey, oh, gosh, but they're not going to have caps. But what Copa tar? Oh, so you're tired at the end of the year. That's like 10 million right there. I think they could probably find some couch cushions there at Staples

center, maybe a little bit here and there for, Well, frankly, Dallas is more intriguing to me because of everything we've just talked about. Their goaltending looks to be good for a long, long time. Look at that talent pool and the fact that their good young players are coming into their own now, right? So they've got good young players pushing. They've got middle players that are still more than capable as an experienced team. And Jake O'Doninger's top notch.

So you never know. It's free. You got the White Johnson's Rupa Hintzes, Thomas Harvey. All right. We won't. No, we got to keep going. It's great. I don't want to shovel too much on dregs.

Don't want to do that.