Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - Who’s The REAL Favourite In The Western Conference?? 🤔 | BB Clips

Episode Date: February 24, 2026

With the Olympic break over, Boomer, Pinder, and Rhett take a deep dive into the Western Conference as the NHL regular season enters the home stretch. The guys break down the standings, debate which team is best positioned to come out of the West, and discuss whether any contenders could flip a switch and make a surprise run. They also take a closer look at the powerhouse Central Division featuring the Wild, Avalanche, and Stars, and what it will take for teams to separate themselves before the playoffs.Youtube Link: https://youtu.be/uIjf65rcSC0#nhl #nhlshorts #nhlplayoffs #nhlpredictions #nhlhockey #nhlpicks #stanleycup #stanleycupfinal #edmontonoilers #dallasstars #vegasgoldenknights CHECK OUT OUR STUFF ⬇️BARN BURNER 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.

All right, let's go west. Let's go west. Have you been told? So we like the East. There's strong teams. There's depth, but we've got maybe a couple teams we think can maybe win it all. Here's the West. You just got to get in, Dean.

Just get in chipping a chair. Colorado in the Central. Studs. 83. That's a lot of points. That's more than everyone else. Yeah. And they've not been great as of late.

No. No. Six, seven, and two in their last 50. They will be a fascinating watch coming out of the break because they had a lot. lot of Olympians and I could see Nate Dog being in like revenge mode take over the world or just like bleep it give me some time taking some days off right I don't know which one is going to be take some days you got taves on the team as well leckenon on that team as well john a car on that team as well there's a lot of players there I like I like I like the whole

central Swedes and the and with Colorado you saw with you 365 they're the betting I mean they they they've them as the as the team well they're nine losses The Nate thing is interesting. How does he respond, rebound? It's not going to pout for the next three months. Will he be more energized? I don't know how that's going to play out necessarily. I showed it to you yesterday,

and it's one of those things I'm dumb human. It's like, I can't be right. What is the, how is this? They have the last ranked power play in the National Hockey League. I don't know how that can be, but they said at 15.1% in their last eight games, they've gone 0 for 17.

What an AI algorithm are you using? There's no way they're last. They're lost. So is it, is Nate a puck hog? Is he not distributing? Is he not, is he missing the net?

Is he getting goalposts? Have Dave Cameron running the power play? What's a problem there? I don't know. There's one guy who's got to be uncomfortable in the coach's office. Yeah, we're saying this. Everyone in color,

I was like, what a year? One guy's like, Guys staring down. Hey, what the fuck are you doing? So if I gave you the chess pieces of McKinnon, McCar. That's enough. Natchez. It doesn't matter what else he got.

Lekidon, Landiscag. Hmm. Is Landisog playing? Yes, he played for Sweden. Oh, he did. Yeah, he got hurt for a while. Well, he did. He was hurt.

And they actually, their record dipped. They played dipped a little bit with him. I think he's an important buffer for Nate. He can tell Nate to settle the F down. See, I'm not swearing. Nope. Oh, you'll curse before the end of the show, guarantee. It's the captain.

You know, it's like when you're those high pressure games, have a guy like that on the bench. And when I played with Sid boys, yeah. So I was saying. Have a guy who's been there. The whole central, I could see any one of those teams. Yeah, Minnesota, Dallas. Again, it's great.

It's the worst. It's the best. It's the first, likely to be a first round matchup, like you said. Is that an area? Somebody's going home, sour. If Jim Nell wasn't an idiot. So you're saying Jim Nils is an idiot. Interesting start.

So if he wasn't, if he wasn't, he'd go into his room and go. Oh! Slow down a little. Go down a little. Let's drop down. Let's drop on this wild card. Let's get a bag of Sir Edmonton. Let's get one of these other teams into the central area.

Interesting. Get the Utah's in there. Let's get into that wild card spot. It's like, we've got to do a lot of losing here, Jim. We're going to. Jimmy. Jimmy. I feel like a few of good guys got beat up over there.

Would you rather we just catch Colorado or? Nope. And to Red's point, I mean, they are considerably better than Vegas, who is leading the Pacific with some cushion. Four points in a game in hand. Plus in the playoffs, where you want to go? Vegas. Minnesota. I don't know.

Is that a work trip or is it a party trip, Vegas. I know where they'll go to Minnesota at all. Ice will arrest me and they'll get something. I think it'll go, like, no. Put me in the leering center. I'm not going to Minnesota. So what if you were Bill Garon? Would you be having the same message?

Bell's drunk on success, so he's going for it. It might as touch right now, you know. Nice. Got it. Got it. I told you if any trochek could be on this team. Yeah. Bill's a crazy drunk American. We can't, I can't pull for him.

Jim's Miller's working for Team Canada. Do you everything you want to say about any other Central Division GMs? Because he said Nils an idiot and Garon's a drunk. What else have you got for us? You know me, I'm a big hockey Canada honk. I was happy to see Jim over there with all the rest of the suits. So important to have. I'm being cheeky.

Okay. Is that right? Yeah, like a real jerk. And for Minnesota, so, oh, this Billy Garan, is you going to step with the gas here? Is you going to try it out? Already added Quinn Hughes. They're not done. So there's that.

They're now dangling this Yesper Walsstat, stud young goalie. Yeah. And what do you need? Upgrade anywhere. They're deep, they're physical, big. Love their blue line. Hughes and Faber. Spurgeon, Brodine, Middleton, Bogosian on the back end.

That's better, everything. And Faber is just fine playing. What do you, 25? What do you need from you tonight? I'll play whatever you need. Caprizov can score. Boldy is a stud. It does feel like I could be patient if I'm Bill Garan,

but why? How patient are you going to be? How many years you got to be? left to Quinn. Yeah, I just, I don't. I think Quinn Hughes is loving it. I think he is too. I think you might be getting Jack more than New Jersey is getting Quinn.

Yeah. Like one place looks real good right now and the other feels like, uh, Caprizo signed long term. Great goaltending tandem, although it's cooled off a bit in the last quarter. I don't know if I'd be rushing to trade one of those goalies yet. They also have that,

uh, clavai that's played for the Slovaks that raised a lot of eyebrows, but he's having a shitty year of the A on a bad HL teams. I don't know how much they believe that. Could you do the one eyebrow really? The Wayne? Are we calling that the Gretzky now? Is that what he do? That's the rock.

Smell what you're cooking. Dallas. Stars. Need a right shot deep. They'll go get one. That's what they chant. It is, yeah. It's their team.

Let's talk to me use a center. Not winning would start to get tiring. Well, that Jim Nill. We're really good. That's why Pete DeBore's gone. We're really good. We get to the playoffs. We get to.

We get to the conference finals, yeah. And we can't get over that hump. That's the Pete DeBore hump. We'll see what the Glenn Gullockson hump is. Golly. Will they crumple or crumble? Or will they overcome it? Isn't it sad?

Like, I don't know if it's sad. It's reality. They're one hell of a team. They've had tastes of success, I guess, in playoff runs. And there's no effing way. they're a sure shot to get through any of this and they've done everything right. They're the new sharks.

They're the new sharks. It's like, oh. Do you remember the Marlowe and Thornton sharks? Yeah. Yes. Deep Run is never got over them. That's one hell of a team. Good. We're in a G.D. Fing. Audinger has a save percentage of 897. That's not

going to cut it, dude. You should be better than league average, not slightly below. That's what I'd say to you, Jake. I feel like we're one of those cities because we saw him. I was like, unbelievable. This guy's so good. This guy's great. 970. It's like, Pete DeBurre didn't think so.

No, he did not. He sure didn't. He did not. He's on a beach right now. Hope he's got. Yeah. So it's interesting. We were laughing about Jim Nill a little bit.

Not laughing, but it's, they got the Segan money likely to deal with. He's going to go. That's what, 9.85 million in Cap relief for for Tyler Segan, who won't like you got going to play?

Is there? sorry for interruption I said yeah I just I feel as good as Dallas has been if it's Minnesota Dallas round one I feel like that's going six or seven and I'm still on the winter gets Colorado okay and so we both expect both those teams

to make moves right yeah and Colorado but say okay so say they both make take Colorado so they both make moves are you much that much better off with your odds then do you know what I'm saying is why it's back to the Carolina conversation it's like is one person going to change Dallas's outcome if Blake Coleman shows up in Dallas uh rich out D is what they need desperately so that's the piece that I think changes things for them okay but like seriously like you still might

lose to the first round like but if you've got this cap space that you're you're going to use this again asset management too it's not just cap space it's great to if you could go sign a free agent as their right shot defenseman, but that's not what you're going to have to do. You're going to trade for this person. That's going to deplete the coverage a little bit more, a little bit more. Is it worth it?

I don't know. That's why Jim gets paid all. And they just gave up two firsts and Stan Colvin to get rent in. So there's a little diminished in the prospect pool in first rounders. But I mean, what are you trying to do? Be this team that's one of the top four in the West all the time? Or you're trying to win a cup? Because I don't know that you're looking at this roster,

Oh, in three years, they'll be better. No, they'll be older and more expensive. The other thing is, too, what's going to be available for you? Is there anything available that's going to make you decidedly better? You could argue that Rasmus was one of those guys. Yep. They need on the back end, it's Heskin and Harley, who were a little more on the fence about. Lindell, and then it's a bit of a drop.

So those three guys, you all named, left shots. They could use some help on that. And so it's Lundkvist and Lubbushkin and Petrovich on the right. These are fringy NHLers. Weiger. Weak dog. Oh. What if you did a big deal with Craig?

Ray Weiger and Coleman. I just wonder how close they have been to Rasmus Anderson at any one time. Because it feels like now with Raspus is in Vegas. It didn't sound like they're ready to pay the price, to be fair. Well, they're getting off your wallet and getting the thing that you desperately need. Or are you just, are you that confident in what you've got? maybe he is. Or did you like another guy more than Rasmussen?

Or do you like White Cloud? There you go. So anyway, that's the Central. White Cloud, that would great. Pretty easy to, you can kind of see any one of those teams, Colorado, obviously, but okay, those teams could do some damage.

In the Pacific, there's something about Vegas. They've still got very good names. Eichol, Stone, Marner, Hurdle, Dorofiev's got 20-some goals, 26 goals. I'm not intimidated, by it. They have the same number of wins

of Seattle, Dean. It just doesn't. A lot of loser points in there. It just doesn't feel like they have 20 regulation wins. It's one more than Calgary. Too. And so is this a team like the Panthers of the last three years where it's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, just get us into the tournament and we will flip the switch.

Or is it a team that's flawed? And I asked the same question, what the Oilers? Because we've watched the Oilers in each of the last two seasons before this one have stretches where they look miserable and then they just kick it into gear. and they're a wagon. Maybe it took you three games in the first round to get there, but they got there. I feel the same way about these teams.

They're not the same teams, but both I can't look at them now and say, that's what they're going to look like in a series. I don't believe it. So Vegas can prove me wrong. I'm not intimidated by their lineup. I would pick them in either of the, whether it's Utah or Anaheim,

if they win this division and play a wild cast, This is, probably going to take them. Depending on who it is. One seed, yeah. But then to me, it's all kind of bets are off. Christ sakes, Utah might catch them and pass them. So, and look at Edmonton's point total, fellas. How far out of the playoffs are you in the east?

Now, they're not. They're in the weakest division in hockey. They're two seed, if you look at points. By points percentage, they're third in their division. They're eighth in the west by points of percentage. But they haven't hit straight either. I feel, I'm going to say it again. I feel the same way about Edmonton as Vegas.

Like, there's more there, right? Like, you can't be this mediocre, guys, can you? For Edmonton? And Vegas. I think they're in, well, we've talked about Vegas, but I do think there's trouble at Edmonton and I think part of the trouble comes from being exhausted, like other teams that have had players playing in a lot of hockey. Four out of first, four out of the last, uh, out of the wild card.

If they're in any other conference or division, they're in trouble, they're in big trouble. Yeah. Like very good players. I don't know about their, I don't think they're goaltending's. Their goaltending's... Their goaltaining and D is... It's not good. Like, lateral move.

Jari, 3.65 and an 870 as an oiler. That sounds like Skinner, doesn't it? It's 11 games. Jack, what's the cutoff with the guy for... Yeah, there we go. Games at hand for L.A. Like freaking Nashville's... So you guys didn't agree with me, but I think the chip...

It's chips in mode for the Kings because that's what Kenny Holland does, and that's what the age of their roster would dictate. don't have much doubty left. It's the last year of Copa Tarcy Kemper is not a spring chicken. And you've moved a lot of your young players the last three years. When you think about the three assets, they said to win a pig in the Pierluke de Bois deal. And when you think about the move they just made to get Panarin, where Liam Grinchry, their best prospect goes to New York, this is a team that has to win in the next now where they're never going to win anything. And I get that they haven't won the first round series, however many years in a row,

but you just added a superstar. You didn't add, guy. You added a point per game offensive wizard in Panarin. You've got them extended at a nice number. You need one more centered. Dono wanted out. You got him out, but you got to fill that hole. If you can go by field, Copatar, and one other guy in the top three there, I love your depth. I like your goaltending. The decor is good enough. And hopefully you add to the offense of Panarin because they've struggled to score. Yeah, it's, you can make the argument. I don't say they're going to be good. I just, I'm saying they're going to add. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see another path for them.

They're not tearing this down. They just signed Panarin. Yeah, I guess that's right. Because I do, like, Kenny Holland is going to probably do. Yeah, he's just what he's, I don't think it's necessarily the right move. I think it's, it's all well and good that Dauty and Kopatar at the end of the line, but I don't know that adding a top 4D or another store. Even after adding Panarin? He hasn't even played a game for them yet. Honestly, like, like, I see the Panarin thing. Panarin was, he controlled everything. there were two spots or three spots he was going to go to you were one of them you got him for a huge discount great it was like I'll do that deal whenever whether I'm close or

in my arc of winning or not it's in Los Angeles I don't think it's going to make I don't think it's an indicator that they're trying to go all in I think it's a good move on and the extension was what nine million or whatever it was 11 but very reasonable less than he was making it's less than what he was making it's two years so what's the other path for them if you're the GM, like put the hat on. Because look at that roster. They're not young. Yeah, but you don't have to go in or out.

You don't have to, like. No, but just build me the path. I'm, I'm just, play it out. I probably could have played it out. If it's giving away more firsts and high picks or young players, I'm not, I'm not interested.

To me, it's more about by field. Yeah. Then it is about Panera. Where am I going? Because Copa Tars out. Douti's soon after. I have no idea what they're done in two years. It's cupboard is like either.

So. It's not played it. Well, it was a good one. So do you want to deplete it more or? And again, I'm not arguing with you. I agree. I think Ken will do it. I just would be going from where I said, I would have a long, hard look.

And again, we just said it. Great to get Panarin. I don't think it has to indicate this is the only year we can win. They've got a couple young goalie prospects, but people don't seem to pay for goalie prospects. They want to see them work. Yeah, we want you to be an all-star and then I'll get you. Once I know you can be a goalie in the NHL, you see too many goalie prospects fail for guys to be like, oh, this is our big chip. Take our goalie prospect.

No, I don't think it's going to work. They have graduated Brandt Clark from prospect, a really good player. They've started to use him a lot more on Power Play 1. He's an excellent offensive defense. They don't score enough. They've addressed that with Panarin, but they lose Fiala. You need a center. If they're going to say the Pacific's wide open, why not us?

They go get Rob Thomas and pay a first, a second, and a prospect because he's under contract for a while. while he gets them a little younger and you find your replacement for Copa Tari who's done at the end of the year. I don't disagree with your train of thought. I just don't know that that puts them in the It might make you the best team in the Pacific and that might not mean you're good. That's the other thing too. You might go after a center almost more because of Panera or Copatar leaving

and where you're going to be next year and the year after than it is. It's a natural need to begin with. It's now and future. Because Byfield's been good, but he has not been the superstar they thought when they picked two. You thought you had Can't get the puck out. He's still young.

He is, but he's not, you know, like Maclin, two years in, byfield, five years in. I think you're comparing someone that's very special to. I agree with that. And I think they liked him at two and he's still a good player, but he's not a superstar. Would you want him on your two? Yes.

Hell yeah, especially the flames. They have no centers. And we'd be very high on him if he was here. And outside, I don't think, I don't think Nashville. That's that. I don't know what the, ducks are, the ducks are run red hot and then they go ice cold. Yeah, ducks are a young team and when Dostol, is that nice?

They're going to plays well, they win. They have an interesting mix of youth and vets because when we look at some of these other teams like Montreal, you're like, oh, they're so young. They don't have any playoff experience. But you go look at that team like Alex Coulorn, one with Tampa, if I'm correct. You've got the guys from the Rangers in Truba and Crider that played a lot of playoff games. You've got Radco Gudis, who's got a ton of miles and some experience.

And look like a superstar. Oh, yeah. And so it's like you have this veteran core that has been, like, I'm not necessarily as convinced that, oh, that young team needs to show me they can win in the playoffs because of all those guys. And then you sprinkle in your cutter goches and your Mason McTavish's back at Seneca. I like where they're going. Like it's, I think they're a sneaky dark horse only if they don't have to face Colorado. Like if they get one of those specific teams, it's just looking a little lazy.

Yeah. I guess my point is can Nashville catch the ducks? I don't think. Maybe I don't know. It's not really going to change. I would have more faith, I think, in the Ducks in a round one upset spot than Nashville. Yeah. Or maybe even the Kings.

Ducks are fascinating. Sorry, Nashville is fascinating because if they fall out of this, you're trading Ryan O'Reilly, right? But if you're within a point or two, you could see them doing what Connie did with Rasmus last year, which is, well, it's not expiring. I can keep for another year. Likes it here. And that's what Craig Conroy is watching. If there's Ryan O'Reilly on the market or not on the market, that totally affects what you get an offer for Codry.

Everyone's talking about Trocheck to Minnesota, because Garin picked him for the team, and then he was perfect on the penalty kill. It's like, you are my kind of guy. Yeah, that's a fit. They need a center. And we'll move on because it's just discussion. But then you got San Jose.

They have what they think is their young goalie. They have one of the best players in the world. They have some other great young complimentary pieces. They've got some veteran guys there. Keep it. This is the patient spot. If they can sneak into a wild card, it's like, you were two years from now, San Jose and Anaheim are going to be kicking the shit out of each other.

Yeah, it's going to be unreal. I would hate it if San Jose got into a wild card and I had to play them in round one. It's like, they're so excited to be here. This kid is, this kid is so frigging dangerous. I don't know what the goal he is. He was a first router's eating. Like, it's an upset, but I'm with you. It feels like,

they're not I don't think they're it's not their time yet life's good for San Jose are they that different than the ducks yeah they don't have as many vets as the ducks do

like the the sharks have to Foley but who are their other leaders that are vets? I don't need or love I don't know fills out their roster to be honest yeah like they're just

they're quite a bit younger for me in terms of just like I look at that ducks I'm like there's a lot of really grizzled vets that have played a lot of playoff hockey here

yeah you can have I mean they'd maybe arguably have too many of those guys I like Goudis and Trubel more in a series than I do in the regular season. I'll say that. And then the Jets. Hellie. What's he going to look like?

You're going to get some insane goalie heater where he wins his next nine starts? Or is he going to be hungover. 52 points. I mean, that's the same as the flames. Same the flames are going to come back. I don't care what squad you have. There's too many points to be made up. Yeah, like you said, it's going to be a 10-game winning shirt to thing.

Yeah. Yeah, you would literally have to go start this. If you want 10 and 0, it probably gets you in a wildcard. Yeah, it's more. It's hard to see. Yeah. This hurts. So can we go back to the just the standings there, Jackie Boy, the West?

So there's a couple teams in the east we kind of like. What do we like here? Central. Just the Central? Love those central teams. They're going to beat the tard of each other. And one of those top two in the Pacific could get their shit together, but they're not inspiring right now. I'm stunned that Seattle's even in there because again, when they came through here in December, much like

the sabres, it was like, ooh. And it's funny. You go to Bet365. There's no Seattle anywhere. You look at other people, projections or whatever. No one is talking about Seattle. It's more Utah than Seattle.

And I was just going to say, if there's a sneaky one, I think it's actually Utah, who no one pays attention to. I think the mammoth were on that Bet365 list right at the bottom there. And last one's in. All we hear from insiders is that they want to do it now. They'll be aggressive. They're trying to add at the deadline.

So don't be surprised if they're big game hunting. It's, think about that franchise, how long they've been collecting futures in Arizona. And now the new owner is how horny to win, like very. We want playoff hockey in this building.