Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - What Direction Are The Seattle Kraken REALLY Going?? | BB Clips

Episode Date: September 23, 2025

Barn Burner Clips Youtube Link 🎥 https://youtu.be/_38TolHgN-cBoomer, Pinder & Rhett take a deep dive on the Seattle Kraken as the Flames face them tonight in preseason action. After a disappointing year—despite adding names like Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson the previous summer—what exactly is this team? What’s the Kraken’s direction moving forward?#seattlekraken #nhl #nhlshorts #nhlstandings #nhlplayoffs #stanleycup 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.

When you think of the Cracken, what do you think of? Brendan Witt. Played in Seattle. He's from Humbold. Okay. So when you think of the Cracken, you think of a guy that played junior hockey in Seattle. Yeah. Okay.

That's probably how impactful they've been. It was quick, though. Did you notice that? Yeah. Weeksy catching salmon. I think of Philip Grubauer. Pike Place. You know, like these new expansion rules, teams are going to be good right away.

We saw it with Vegas, like, you know, come on. You're going to be great to go out of its free to sign. It's been pretty. pretty much the epitome of the Crackin. They've taken some big cuts and made some bad bets and they're incredibly mid and no closer to being good than when they first started.

Disappointing in a way. Big time. I don't need a way. What have they done well? Like tell me a thing. You're like, oh, I was savvy. It's been how many years? They haven't done anything well. Well, I got the jam from the sabers. Botterill, your boy.

Okay. Savvy. And that's a good move. Okay. He's tugging cheek. He was running him through the ringer. I know he was. Yeah. No, but.

He didn't give me a job. So they came in prior to the 20, the 21, 22 season with Mark Trinando was their captain. That was a big. They got Gio for big whoopty-do with the, uh, down at the pier. Frank ruined all the jerseys. Yeah. It was spoiler alerts everywhere. I love that.

There's Jordan Everly and there's, uh, what Alexiak? Wasn't he there? Yep. A big rig. Larson. They did not qualify in their first season, but it was exciting. Right. Everyone, I think people like the name, the jersey, the city's exciting.

The rink is unbelievable. How do you know? Oh, I've heard. Oh, I was going to say, did you go and not tell us? No. No, no, no. We should go there next time. That's good idea.

I'd go there. The following season, they went around, but losing round two, and then the two years since that, four years. years. They have missed the playoffs in both seasons last year. 35, 41, and 6 for 76 points, 20 points out. Just. Of a playoff spot. Just, eh?

Yeah. Well, I remember the one playoff round when they had was they were the beneficiary of the first of back-to-back Val Natchewskii in postseason meltdowns. He was in a lobby. Someone was there. There was team staff. He flew back to Russia. Oh, yeah.

You don't recall that? Well, I didn't. It didn't come to my mind. Because now that you bring it up. Yeah. And then it was the defending champs in Colorado at that point. That was like a jeez. Like maybe Seattle's arrived.

No. They haven't. And then Val did it a year late last year as well. Yes. It's like Dallas. Two years. Was that last year? Two years ago.

Yeah. Back to back. Anyway, tease and peace for Val and Chushkin. Taking some strays here as we talked about the cracking in a preseason game. Val earned all that. Again, yeah. I, we didn't put Val in the lobby at 4 a.m.

with someone that couldn't walk. Back to Seattle. So the Cracken. Are they, they're valid. They're bad. They're no closer than they were. The playoffs.

And, you know, they kind of get some bad luck the year that they pick high, Shane Wright. I don't know if that's bad luck. He was supposed to be the number one overall. Well, he didn't play game to his lap. It was not a great draft class. Remember who won? Slafkovsky.

Yeah. And then he slides to the way. three or four to them and you're like it's just not a great draft like gave the habs table that stink i remember you i'll show you i'll show you uh will you yet to show them minors uh last year year Shane wright 19 goals 44 points did he yeah that's pretty good he's coming along Jared mccann led them in scoring 61 points 22 goals chandler stevenson this is where Ryan will barrel in and crush stevenson and the signing i mean it's a lot of term for a guy I was losing foot speed.

How do you do? He had 13 goals and 51 points. 13 goals, 51 points. So that's like a backland-esque line. What are they paying them? It's a lot of dough. Like seven times seven? Yeah, he was-

Caps going up, Brian. His plays going down, right? Free agent at the right time. Say, a Montour, they brought in the same class. It was overpay, but, yeah. I just look at them and I'm like, you've spent all this money and you're no closer to being a contender. Like, where do you line up their roster and say,

oh, this is why they're going. good you don't they're not and criticism who knows maybe the opportunity wasn't there but after watching what the Vegas golden knights did they changed the rules they changed the rules a bit they did not change the rules it did not change the rules that I don't know but I heard they changed them is the same rules but I think GMs were prepared for it they didn't get extorted all right well maybe it's that and they not change like draft picks or compensation anyway but there seemed to be very little effort by the crack in management to try and start teams.

Yeah, or just make life difficult on teams. And it was like, maybe you missed opportunity or maybe they know what they're doing. And then shortly thereafter, it feels like, maybe they really should have tried to take advantage of some teams because this method. What has a paid off has not been. Because of the third head coach now, guys? At least. At least. Dan Bosma did not work.

He was number two. The first guy was the former Philly coach, Dave Haxstall. Right. And now they brought in a new hire. Maddie Baneers, high first round pick. Shane Wright, high first round pick. They've traded for Capo Caco. That was a decent swap.

I'll give him credit for that. Low acquisition cost. He looks all right. Goaltending is the issue, probably. Well, they like to cord, but that wasn't their plan. They're spending six a year on Gruberauer. That's the problem. Yeah, they went after Gruberauer.

and at the time, just won a cup, right? Yes, that is correct. So it wasn't just before. The year before, it took before, because did a Kemper win? Yes, they'd moved out, Gruberauer. He signed in Seattle. Then the second year he was there,

they beat Colorado who were the defending champs. So this is not who we're seeing tonight. God, no. No, I was going to say this is. Oh, this isn't tonight's right. But if Yanni Nyman's on the top line or Neiman, or however we're supposed to pronounce Newman, whatever, look, it's not a good team

and they don't have this robust pipeline either. It's an okay system. But if you told someone that you're an expansion team and you're four years out, you'd think you'd be, we're coming into prime time now, baby. Shane Wright is your fourth life. Berkeley Caton Hife took one of the top first founders two years ago. Yeah, he went in that a Ginla draft class, what, right ahead of

Perek to the Flames, I believe. A couple of picks ahead. Right. So that's what they are. Yuley Tovon, a nice waiver claim. That was okay. Montour, you give all the money to. He's a four, three, four. That's their NHL blue line. What's Montour making?

Because I want to make, I want to see if Pinders, I've got a clue what he's talking about. Like sixish on a, well, if the cap is, why is it a four worth six? Well, I mean, I just think. What's his name? How old's he then? Like, what do you guess?

He's not 24 here. Like, you're probably buying a lot of the back nine on a declining asset. You don't sign guys at 24 as UFAs. Correct. So my part is that he's quite old and they'll be diminishing returns or us that deal. I just, you want to defend them on too willy-nilly with this. You can't be keep Backlin and all these other old guys.

They'll be fine. If Backlin was making seven years times six or whatever he's making, I'd be up in our interest. 7-14. So he's making seven. Jeez. And how old? He is 31.

Now we start to see it. It's not good. Yeah. Give that signing a grade. I'll wait for yours. Sign the 36 year old. It's fine. It's good.

No reason about it. Sign the 30 year old. What are you doing? How can it give him the whole bag? I know. Two years of three million is going to crush a team for the be fourth line center versus pay it got to be top four for his whole 30s. It's entirely different.

You pick your spots a little. Well, great that signing then. Tell me what you think about the Montour sign. It's not about that. It's just how you are. We're literally talking about Seattle. And I didn't like the Chandler Steve sign. I didn't like the Montour signing.

Not as bad as Chandler. Right. But you tell me it's Seattle. Were those good signings? Are they closer to being contenders now? I don't think it handicaps them in any way. I think it will handicap them as time passes. So these are supposed to be their best years.

Now you're talking out your ass. Because the cap's going to go up by millions and millions. You're going to have a fourth, a second pair of defenseman at seven, and that's going to be your crippling. That's your kryptonite? If you think for the next five years, you can play top four minutes, it's fine, yeah. I just don't see Montre playing to 37, 38 being impactful.

Again, I think you're picky on their spots when you just, whether it's, I don't, I never loved the signing either, but I don't think it's so outrageous that. No, and they got money to spend. Who else in the league? That's the thing. When I think about, What other defensemen in the league are 31 making seven? Is it over for everyone?

No, you just hope there's not five years left on it. Right? That's all. Right. If you're three years into your franchise and you're trying to build and. Okay. So we're going to add a 30 year old defenseman who can play big minutes for us for the next five. I mean, the caps.

whenever you signed it, did you know what was going up as big? Maybe not. Is he better or worse than Anderson? He's just, he's okay. He'd be comparable. So what's Anderson going to get? Anderson's making like three million less than him. Yes, now because what's he going to sign as a 31 year old?

Yeah, we'll see. I mean, I think they're not bad comps in this. But yeah, like that's why the flames aren't resigning Anderson because that's not what a team. Would they sign them at 7-1? They would, yeah. There you go. Yeah. Anyway, they're now.

paying Baneers 7.1. That's a good contract. Yeah, that's fine. Top two center on a good team. Anyway, now, a lot of these guys were talking about. I don't know if we're going to see any of them tonight. We have the rosters. Are you going to see it? Because you're going to the game. I know you're a fan. We can get the highlighter out for people

you've heard of here. It's not a long list. Go, go, go. Let's get it. I'm excited. So this is the two rosters for tonight. Flames are running what I would call nine regulars. Matt and Jeff? Nine. Thank you.

Berkeley Caton, very good junior player. They're excited about him. Freddie Goddrow, Depth Center. Ty Cartier has been a real pain in the ass player last few years. Mason Marchman, they brought in as a free agent. He's quite a bit older than I think people think, but a good player still. And then it's like, yeah, Mitchell Stevens,

Chandler Stevens. There's a few guys. Riker Evans is nice, played in Regina, a kid. Calgary kid. Yeah. That's I recall. They still can't get rid of that Philip Kerber money, though.

And Matt Murray is still in the league. How about that, boys? Is that the same Matt Murray? Is that different Matt Murray? There's two Matt Murray goalies. I don't know if you know that. I drafted the wrong one. I didn't know that.

Oof. So you and Fletcher? Yeah, the finger and Kurtzauer thing. Yeah, same same. Yeah, I mean, there's some questionable. I mean, you could debate the signings. It's too much money, too much term, guys, too old,

all that sort of thing. Well, okay, who are you drafted? And all right, that sort of thing. Like the Marchment, because I, I just wanted to make it was actually a trade right Dallas traded him to Seattle for a fourth and a third and he's in the final year of his contract before becoming uFA so that's an ass that they could flip if they're not good or I guess so it's like so if you're going to spend a third and a fourth is it so mason marshments your target it's interesting if you swapped him the deadline you'd get more

than that right I'm will you I think so maybe maybe I think so depending on the year he has. He's a valuable asset for a playoff team. Sure. Yeah, probably what I don't think you're going to crush it with that. No. What do the flames? How do we feel?

Well, I could tell you this. You had the lineup up there. There's too many people. I had to give. Yeah, there's a DUG shit the other day about lineup cards. I said, well, you can't play 30. Like it's, oh, here's that. Look at a lineup.

No. No. That's the roster. I see. Does he have a vested interest? Yeah. Who's going to make that blue line? Interesting.

Yeah. So anyway, so there you go. It's a nice to have dome hockey and layered popcorn, Jack. Yeah. I don't want to rehash the Seattle thing, but I do. Of course you do, yeah. I look at it and it's like, you've got some good young players. Why did you feel?

the need to go by the back nine on guys that are past their prime when it's not going to get you over the hump in the near term. And by the time your young guys are really good, like your Shane Wright continues to develop, Riker Evans turns into a higher in the roster player. You know, Maddie Baneer is only going to improve. Like all these guys are heading towards their prime. And when they get there, the guys that you're allocating all this money to are going to be less and less effective just based on being, you know, closer to 35. I would think it's tiered. You want some veteran presence. We always rail on teams that have good young players who don't surround them with veteran guys to lead the way or take up minutes.

We're not talking about a team that is riddled with old dudes that's, you get Montour in the back end. They had a centerman and Chandler Stevenson. The goalie was not a good call, but. And that was four years ago. And at some point, you want to have something for the fans. You're still new in that market. You don't want to have a complete cast. You don't want a team that's getting shit pumped every single night.

And you don't want your kids to get. When did you sign those guys? Last summer. Okay. So the year before you went to the playoffs and won around and then you missed the playoffs and you thought maybe we need this to get us back. That's why. It felt like the GM trying to save his job, to be honest, because you're going top of market

to get top of market guys. Yeah, but they're a top of market team too. So like I just mean like those deals would make a lot of sense if it was a contender that you're like, look, these guys might not be great in three or four years of the seven. I don't understand how you say that though because, and I'm, this is a philosophically speaking. Yeah. How did top of market teams go and saw,

they've already spent their money. Yeah, they're not going to add Montour. That's how Seattle got them probably is. They could go higher than these contenders. So I understand why Montour and Chandler Stevenson went there. No one was going to give them that money.

Like that was, they probably got the best deals. But I just don't. But your argument is that you should sign them if you're a top of market, like if you're a team that's trying to get over the hump, but if you're a team trying to get over the hump, but if you're a team trying to get

over the hump. You can't go bring in free agents, can you? Well, I mean, the, the knights just added Marner. Like, you can do it. It's just a little harder. The knights are quite unique in their approach. And so those are the types of teams that, like, I would say those signs and make sense for because you've got a chance to do something while these guys are still effective. I don't know that Seattle's going to be able to accomplish anything before these two players are pretty much ineffective and, you know, bad value deals, right? Yeah, I, because they won that series without these guys. They came in last year. They were better.

They were still bad. And that's like, That's when they're 30, 31. That you're going to improve by it. Now, I don't disagree with you that Chandler, Stephen, but we're also not experts on him, right? Like, how was his numbers in Vegas? They were declining. But, I mean, he was a very good player.

Yeah, he was. Yeah. There was concern about his foot speed really dropping off before free agency. The philosophy, I think you can, if, you know, the personnel, if it's the individuals in this, if it's Stevenson and Montour's specifically, then okay. But I don't know. What do you do if you're a young team?

Do you just not sign players? Do you not try and get better? Do you not try and surround your team? Well, we're starting with a bunch of cast-offs and we're drafting young and by God, we're not going to add anybody else. You could knock off. You could not draft picks.

You can improve your cap space and not have them. And pick higher and you don't have to go top of market to get your veteran presence. Like he's a third line center. You could go get those guys at half term, half money and still have a veteran guy to teach if you're being honest about where you're at. Did he play third line in a soul? I mean, it's their second line. I mean, it's year two. If he's already on the third line, it's probably not true.

Like right in Baneers, I'd have ahead of them. So anyway, that's, I'm ready to move on. Yeah. No, Seattle's, we're going to, I love Seattle. We're going there. We're going to talk. Are we going? I didn't know we were going.

It's a great town, though. It is a great town. Good. I want to argue with Ryan, but I don't like with Seattle's. One of the oldest 10 teams in the league. Like, that's kind of where I see the challenge now. You didn't need veterans. You've got your Larson Alexia.

You're really harping on this. Tell us how to run the Seattle crack. Just go through it. Don't do what they did, and you'd be better. What about the other teams that didn't make the playoffs. Any advice for? No, I think the Anaheims and San Jose and Chicago's are...

Okay, so three teams. What about the flames and the Canucks? There's some similarities at the flames, for sure. There's a lot of similarities. Yeah, like I think... You're taking cheap shots at the flames or... Well, I mean, if they were going to pay Rasmus what he's asking for, yeah. I would say, don't do that. Rasmus is not asking for seven.

No, but I mean, the cap's different to all that. Like, what I would say... It's different, so why is his seven so much more significant than a fan like what do you mean what i mean is that i think the flames have acknowledged that rasmus on a long-term max-term deal doesn't really match their window and so that's why they haven't agreed on a number with rasmus and they're going to part ways with rasmus that's kind of the plan backlin said preseason it's obvious he's going to get traded we all are the assumption he's not part of management i think he talks to management probably uh but no one's going to be

surprise if Rasmus gets traded. No. And so why would that not be fit? Well, we actually have some young kids coming up that we think maybe we'll take those minutes. And by the time this team might be good, what is Rasmus? And that's where I think the flames have been smarter about that. He's got less term than Rasmus will want a new deal by quite a bit. He'll be younger when his deal ends than Rasmus by the how many years younger is weaker than? They're not, he's not younger than Rasmus. He's just got less term left. Like Rasmus is going to command a max term deal, right? If you're his agent, you're not signing a two-year deal. Well, we don't know now.

No, but the ask is going to be max term. We don't know. That's what the ask was in negotiations. But what are we seeing right now from free agents? Shorter terms. It's shorter. I agree with you, but I don't know. Maybe that's changed as they sit and watch all these other players say,

uh, seven was pretty great. Now seven turns to say, how about four, three? I don't know that you're going to see that with middle of the roster players, though. I think that's the superstars.

Probably with him. It's more to do with age. Yeah, totally. I would. I would be going, this is my one chance to hit it on the project. Yeah, and it's been an undermarket deal, probably his whole career.

He's got one payday left. It's free agency this summer. Eight years takes him to what, 37? Like, that's probably it. But this is the argument. Wow.

And I guess your point is that it's more of less about maybe the money and more about the location of Montour, the team, then. Yeah, it's their window of contention. It's hard, though,

because, and this is, this is how the original Anderson trade, the whole thing got started, is that you make it sound like you could just, we're going to get a bunch of guys that are all going to turn 27 at the same time, and they'll all be in their prime. And being big friendly deals or team friendly.

Like there's going to be some older players, some younger players. You're going to want some older players to take some pressure off. It's just you, you're going to want that balance. Yeah, I just thought they had it already. Like when you have a Larson there, like that's, you've already got your veteran D man that,

you know, can teach kids and, uh, it's a different philosophy and I don't necessarily disagree with you, but I think you're over emphasizing what they've done. I don't think that if they don't have Montour and Stevenson, why are they, what's going to change overnight for them?

Oh, you're just going to pick higher and it's not, there's no like, can you do this. You're just saying shit just because you can. You don't know that they're picking higher. Well, they've got four and a half to five million in cap space.

The cap's going up. It's not like it's crippled them. Montour had 18 goals last year, played 23 minutes a night. Chandler Stevenson, 19 and a half. They shouldn't be trying to win at this stage. Well, I mean, I think if you were close to winning, these would be great ads, but they aren't. That was sort of the point.

I don't think they went in. If they were going to end up with 76 points. Like San Jose wanted a veteran guy and they went got to Foley. You can't compare Seattle in San Jose, really, in my opinion. Like San Jose was out, they're dead in the water. they were not but everyone knew what they were what they were about Seattle was like the flames in the middle of the road going are we in are we out can we make it it'd be nice to make it we're a new franchise we got lots of

cap space maybe we should add some guys that'll get us over the hump it was misjudged I give like yeah absolutely yeah it's not like you can't compare San Jose or you're saying Calgary and San Jose are in the same spot no I'm not like 22 23 they were a hundred point team yeah and made the playoffs and then one around come into the next season. And again, I can't get it. Are there injuries? Are the things that happen?

Either way, it's a disappointing year because they miss. And then, okay, well, let's challenge Stevenson. He's got a Stanley Cup ring. Plays in Vegas, a center veteran. Guys love him. Okay, can you get them? Montour plays at that point 30. Just won the cup.

Whatever. Now, did he win the, yeah, he did, right? He won the first one. He left right after he won. Yeah. I mean, you can kind of unders. And he was awesome for the Cup. Yeah, I get that they're helpful players now.

And I don't, again, we're arguing because we have to have things to talk about. But you saying San Jose doesn't mean anything about Seattle. Yeah, I don't know. Where did Seattle finish last year? Like, were they close to good or were they really one of the worst five to ten teams in the league? 20 points out of a playoffs. And so that's why I compare to San Jose. Yeah, but that's hindsight.

That's easy to say. Then, no, the hindsight part is, is like the moment those deals were signed, I moment about them. So I'm staying with my thought that those veteran signings weren't going to get them to accomplish anything. They already had veterans. They weren't that close to being contender. We saw the season two years ago was going to be in an anomaly. You made the argument about the veterans.

I'm not. I'm just, my argument with you is just, it's not that outlandish now what they paid. No, no, no. If you wanted to, if it's not crippling the Seattle cracking. No. Yeah, maybe they are hurting them, but it's the same situation. Then you have to take the same approach with the flames and say, you're effing yourself.

If they were in the same situation, they got older guys making a bunch of money. No, but you're not in the window to win. Who have they got a max term deal on a guy in their 30s with? Sorry, what was that? So since Connie's come in, which I would say there's a new direction, have they gone max term on a veteran player in their 30s? No.

they've done one and two year deals where they're not even in a position where they could well they could have done what Seattle did they could have chased montour and chamoiselle stevenson you could argue they would upgrade those spots in the roster but they didn't make those that's why i think it's totally different in the Seattle convinced themselves they were close the flames being honest saying look we could definitely go spend on some vets but i don't know that's going to

accomplish it on like they could have had montour they could have gone out for Chandler no no why not because i don't think he would have come here Okay, but point being, like, those players, those conversations, like the flames I think made a decision. Those are the signings that got us into trouble. We're not going to do that. And so when they do resign back on, it's like a two-year deal or a one-year deal or a three-year deal.

They haven't handed out max-term deals to guys heading into their 30s. So in two years, they haven't handed out max-term deals, guys. Since kind of got in, yeah. And I think that's a philosophical change. Well, thanks, thanks, Craig, for being brilliant. I didn't say that. We don't know what else has been on it because the Jake DeBrusk deal was apparently on the table and closed. Not knowing what exactly that was, but four or five what years.

That was the talk. Goes to Vancouver instead. And sense for more term, which is probably a spot the flames are comfy with. So anyway, like they're there, if you look at their last three years, they're probably very similar. But it just feels like one GM is preaching a little more patience. and the other guy has been trying to GM for his job. Because I think when that ownership group that spent all the money and put the state of the art facility and they looked at Vegas and said,

we're doing that too. And when year two, it looks like it's on track. And then year three, it's like, shit, we might be right back to square one. I think they bought too much into the one year blip than probably what they really are over the course of their four years, which is a very mediocre to bad team with a just okay pipeline. Or was it also a situation where their goaltending absolutely shit itself? The court's had two good years.

But yeah, the first couple of years. Right. But until that point, it was Gru Bauer and you couldn't play him. Yep. And they put him on waivers and no one took him. And they sent him away. He's their backup making six. It's gross.

But the goaltending has been the issue the last two years, in my opinion. Like, Decord's been quietly very good. Went to that USA camp. I had a wolf famously in the city. famously. Well, poor wolf. It's too small, eh? Do you know that?

Yeah, we're going to take this guy. He's got a dual passport. We've got to lock him into the U.S. I've really, yeah, I've wrung all that I can out. Yeah. Good, fellas. Good job. Yeah.

I did, yeah, I did sense it coming. Yeah. I said it earlier. I kind of said it under my breath. He's dressed in black. He's got that look on as you could tell. got a sneer on his face it's the same as nashville you beat up for right in my opinion it's like you're not quite there and then you go huge term i think those guys are even older and more money though

like that maybe i think it's yeah probably they're close i i don't recall exactly what stamcoast and marcia so and shea make listen i am not we're trying to make conversation they're doing a good Yeah, and I just don't, I don't disagree. I don't disagree with you, but I also don't think it's that crippling for them that. Like Stammer is 35, Marsha's so is 34. That's a fair, fair distinction. Yeah. Yeah.

And what do they make it? Eight for Stammer, five and a hearth. And the term would be less on both, I believe. It doesn't matter. Yeah. But they're older. It does matter, but it's, in, I, the only point. getting at is I think they did overpay and they didn't need them.

Yeah. But I don't think it's crippling to this organization that that's the outlier of why they can't succeed. And it probably should be more. What have you got in Shane Wright and Berkeley Caton and Baneers and Maddie Veneers and those guys? Are those guys going to be stars? Because if they are, well. Yeah.

And if they're all middle of the roster players, you're in the muck. Like in Chicago, you have the, well, they got to get some veterans in there to help out. Yeah, Chicago. But you know what I mean? Yes, I do. but it's like, well, it's not, it's not really a one size fits all situation. So maybe he's for Seattle.

They feel, we got to sell some tickets. Well, can we get some free agents for Chicago? Well, our guys are getting run out of the building. Can we get some tough guys, veteran guys, scorers, checkers, deep? I don't know. I think the secret sauce is, can you find that veteran presence in a spot that isn't going to be a painful deal financially, cap-wise, value-wise? And that's, that's, that's the hard part that to thread the needle. How do you bring in veterans, but not?

I think the sharks did a good job with the tofoli. Like it wasn't eight years. I think it was four. They paid him politely. They had tons of cap space. And by the time he's gone, some of their young studs are going to need to get paid. And how do we determine whether assigning's good or not? A bit of it is by the term and dollar, but a lot of it has to do with how the player plays.

Yeah. And I think to fully. Well, and what was his, I again, don't disagree, but who was going out of their way to give to folly more. Yeah. Right? Like some of it has to do with, and it's easy to be GMs here without an owner going to you.

Remember that five-year plan? It's year five coming up. Yeah. Remember what you said how we were going to just kind of go? Remember a playoff revenue thing you were telling me about? We want to do that again, yeah. Because some deals work out tremendously that off the cuff early felt like that's horrendous. I just remember when this again.

and it's another world. But when the Marion Hosa deal was signed in Chicago, it's like, well, he tried to win with Detroit, he tried to win the Pittsburgh and couldn't, then he just took all the money forever. Dale Tallon, what the hell are you doing? Cups are coming. And then he got allergic to his credit.

And then, you know, Sergey Bobrovsky, eight times 10, what are they doing? You've got a goalie, this. 70 million. A couple cups in there, too, all of a sudden, maybe it's. I don't know if you're. So I think it's last year is five,

you're six of seven. This is the last one, yeah, which is going to be interesting, because he took all the money to go to Florida and since he arrived they've gone from laughing stock to model citizen is Bob going to play the I'll take less than market value game everyone else

has there Chuck did Reinhardt did clearly it feels like yeah if he wants to be there if you can get the Marchand deal where you sign till you're 43 right so yeah I'll do whatever you want me to take I'll do it circumvent the cap a different way

that's good still that's the one that's kind of photoval of it Is there an age limit? You just sign guys. Well, but that's what it is. I bitched. I said trade geo years before anyone else or it was even on someone's radar because at that age, I'm like, God, get him out of here.

And then it was like, you're an idiot. Look how good he played till he was. He won the Norris at 35, which is crazy. So I don't know. Montour is going to put up 50 points for the next six years. These guys take care of themselves differently than we used to. Gio is like the outlier of all outliers, but it doesn't mean someone else can't do it.

Like, I don't know that there was ever a first time Norse winner at that age in the history of the league. Well, there wouldn't. Like, Marshad is 37. Yeah, six year deal. Signed a six year deal. Yeah.

Now, there'll be cap punishment if he tries to retire. Like, they're going to get hurt at some point by that. But who cares? Burn the boats. You won two in a row. You've been to three finals in a row. If you're not good in six or seven years, nobody cares.

You built the closest thing to a dynasty since the cap came in.