Empty Netters Podcast - The Central Division Is An Absolute Bloodbath w/ TJ Oshie

Episode Date: March 11, 2025

The trade deadline was doozy! Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther?? The Bruins made a trade with the Maple Leafs?? Mikko Rantanen is back in the Central Division?? The Avalanche are going all in this year and it's setting up a potential explosive first round. Find who the boys think are the winners and losers of the deadline. Plus, CP and DP go hangout with their buddy TJ Oshie in Minnesota for his first trip back to the high school state tournament since he won it all. NEW EPISODES EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY! PRESENTED by BetMGM. Download the BETMGM app and use code “NETTERS” and enjoy up to $1500 in bonus bets if you lose your first wager! SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS: GUY FOX. Head to https://guyfox.com/netters and use code FRIDAY for free shipping & $10 off your purchase right now! SOUTHERN COMFORT. Make your drink, just the way you like it. This is your kind of whiskey. https://www.southerncomfort.com/ Z BIOTICS. Go to https://zbiotics.com/NETTERS and use NETTERS at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there any part of you that can accept this trade? No, zero. Because if you want to be taken seriously as a franchise, you cannot treat your captain, your 16-year, tenured player, this way. Ice is ready, and we are back with another episode of the Empty Netters podcast brought to you by BetMGM. I am your host, Dan Powers. Next to me, he is possibly the most inconvenient man who's ever lived.

He's the most unlucky person that exists on this planet. Doing anything with him is the worst because his inconvenienced. and his bad luck rubs off on you, someone who has been on 12 planes in a row now, who have all been delayed in some sort of manner because he is just that guy, Chris Powers. As always, I walked into a Best Buy with Dan to buy something that was going to be right at the front. Literally, like, dude, don't even park. Park in the, park in the, park in the, pull up, in the tow away. To the pickup zone. Yeah, pickup. I get out of the car. I run inside. It's a Best Buy, dude best I was actually kind of sad to see best by the state of best buys I loved a best buy they're a ghost town

ghost town and there's just one register open you know it's middle of the day middle of the goddamn day yeah walk in one register open I grab the thing there's no one at the register so I walk in see the the girl at the register see my item grab it turn to approach the girl and and an older lady steps in front of me and she didn't like cut me off or anything she just like went she got to the register yeah so I just get right behind her and she and the the girl goes can I help you to the woman and the woman goes, yeah, I have a very complicated return. And I was like, amazing, dude. Why don't I just sit here for 20 goddamn minutes when I just want to buy this adapter, dude? And then I did. I sat there for 20 minutes and you said, what the fuck happened?

And I said, yeah, it's astounding, man. It's like truly astounding. I don't know why you are the way that you are. It sucks for us. It sucks for you guys more because I have made peace. with it. Yeah, and I respect you. I respect you for making peace with it. I think the issue that we all have, the people who have to deal with it, is I feel like I've done nothing wrong in my life. And then whenever I do something with you, just anything that can go wrong, goes wrong, because you're there. When you're not there, everything's great. All my flights are smooth. All my experiences are great. And then when you're involved, something absurd has to happen. Well, do you think you did something to make this the case?

I don't know. And to just quickly piggyback on your points there, you all taste normalcy. Yeah. And then that's why it's so much harder for you. You experience smoothness. Yes. And then you have to experience roughness with me. Yeah.

Whereas my... We don't know adversity. My smooth is your rough. Like that is like a flight gets delayed through... Well, I land and they go like this. Our gate blew up. We have to lap the airport and find a new one. And I go like this.

Perfect. Sounds good to me. No, you're not even listening. Yeah, yeah. You just, you're still reading your book because you know something is going to happen. Like people go, when does your flight land? And I see that it says 11, 45 a.m. and I go, 2.30. Yeah, there's that. There's that scene and I think it's the ballot of Buster Scruggs where James Franco has a news around his neck and he looks to the guy next to him with a news around his neck who's crying and shivering and Franco's like, first time. I think that's you.

Yeah, yeah. But something awful happens, you just, you're completely unfaced. Yeah. I'm prepared. And that's good for you, I suppose. And yeah, I think it's a combo of either in the past life I had it all. You know, it's not like I did something bad. It's in a past life, everything worked.

I probably won the lottery. You're a past life guy? No. But now we're discussing options. We're discussing options. What option is in a past life? You can't declare the reason for your misfortune is because in a past life, You were incredibly fortunate and then also claim that you're not a past life guy.

This isn't my choice as to what is the reason why. We're discussing here are all the reasons that this might be happening. Yeah, the possible. Reason one is in a past life I had at all. But you don't believe that. That's not my choice. Okay. Another reason is something incredible.

Is coming. Do you think maybe we're running out of time? Maybe we need to talk to the gods. Maybe we need to test the ju-jou. out there and just say, hey, tick, tick, dude, I can use it. Yeah, like, oh, everything,

some grades coming? That sounds awesome. I'd love that to happen. I'd love to not be a decrepit old man when that happens. Dude, but here's the thing. It might be the next life, you know.

No, no, that's not how it works. No, that's not how it works. Like, you can't be paying for something because a great fortune is coming your way, but you're going to get it in the next life because what if that next life guy sucks. Yeah, I need it now.

You need it. Because I'm zeroing out. A lot of things. Tick, tick, tick, dude. I'm losing all. I'm losing a lot of time on these flights, man. And that's probably it. Those are the two options.

We've said before that I'm one of God's toughest soldiers. You are. You are God's strongest soldier. That's why he's just putting you through tests. Just seeing what you can withstand. It's unbelievable. Did you have a good weekend skiing? I had a great time.

We got some, well, we went right from Minnesota, which we're going to get to in a second. Right from the unparalleled. high school tournaments in Minnesota, which is so sick. What a time. The production value, Dan. What a time. There's a replay guy. We met him.

Yeah. Phil? I think Phil. I think it was Phil. Yeah. But I mean, 11 a.m. on a Thursday, Excel Energy Center is absolutely packed. Backs against the cement, top deck. Unbelievable.

That's high school football and Texas level. Yeah. You know, it's like everyone in Minnesota, Minnesota does it right. That's what I put on the story. These, these folks, know how to celebrate hockey. Yep. We were talking to a couple of kids.

I always felt odd. When I was in high school and you'd go to games and all your friends would show up, the nostalgia of those moments looking at like, damn. Yeah. They're all, looking all the kids in the stands and me like that was the best. When I was in high school in Maine and then Massachusetts, the friends in the stands were predominantly the other athletes, like the basketball guys, football guys,

hockey girls, you know, field hockey gals, stuff like that. In Minnesota, it is one of, I feel like you're, your Landry in Friday Night Lights

before he joins the team where if you're a dude in the stands watching the hockey game and you look reasonably athletic, I'm like, why aren't you on this? Yeah, yeah, what's wrong with you? Because in Minnesota, I'm like, what do you play basketball?

Yeah. What are you doing? Maybe you're, maybe you got cut. That, maybe you're not good at. And that makes me sad. Yeah, me too. I don't want anyone to get cut. Yeah, more teams.

Yeah. Anyway, we'll get into the Minnesota tournament. Osh will get into the Minnesota tournament. Incredible time. We went right from there to Utah to go skiing Saturday and Sunday. And that was, we got really lucky with snow. Yeah. Really lucky with snow.

And I thought we had a great house. I loved the house. Great kitchen. I did a lot of cooking. And that's my happy place. So I was buzzing. Great kitchen, good cooking, good, you know, hot tub, all that stuff.

I do, I have a very significant gripe with Airbnb. It's, go on because I know I'm going to do. Do you think you agree? Yes. Airbnb used to be a good thing. I think it was a great alternative to hotels, especially when you have a big group, which I do think it still has value in. The trip has a different vibe if you're all and you're, at the end of the night,

everybody go to your own two of you to a pop go to your own hotel room. Yeah. If you are, if you are a large group

like a bachelor party, Bachelorette, a ski trip, something like this, yes, I think the Airbnb still serves a purpose because you keep the large group

together. But I can't get over how out of control Airbnb has got with all of the fees. First of all, it's not cheaper than hotels anymore. If you're if you're two people, you're like, we're going to get

Airbnb instead of a hotel, which used to be a good option because it costs less money. Now it's just as much as hotels and then you get there and they go, by the way, there's a cleaning fee. And I go, okay, that makes sense. I'm going to leave this house less clean than it was and it'll be cleaned. That makes sense. But they also go, but also when you leave, strip all the beds, grab all the towels, put them in the washing machine, run a load, get all of the dishes, put them in the dishwasher, wash the dishes, put the dishes away. And I'm like, why the fuck am I paying for a cleaning fee if before I leave, I have to clean this entire fucking house. Do you want me to wash your car in the driveway as well? What are we talking about here?

It's insane. Quit your job, start a cleaning business, clean this house, clean my neighbor's house, and then also pay for this. Dan, I'm about to get fired up because the, get fired right up. It's already like this. And again, I actually really like the house. we were at. So I'm not, not those guys. Go a house. But we go to places at Airbnb's and there's, you know, one towel per, at least when we were in a big group, less towels than you need. But it's one towel per person that I'm there for a week. Yeah. So it's just like my towel is just soaking at a hotel. Here's a fresh towel. Here's your bed's been made. You get none of that in Airbnb. And that's fine because I've got my group and I've got my kitchen and I've got my space.

I'm trading some of that. I can live with that. What I can't live with is the fact that you are charging me to to get the house cleaned of course you should do that that's part of a hotel fee there's part of the hotel fee that is we're going to clean the room after you yes no shit but i fucking leave that hotel room a disaster and you come in and clean it fucking my late night taco bell bag is on the fucking desk still the towels are all over the fucking place i'm sorry yeah but you will you have a staff that cleans this there are cleaners that comes to the Airbnb house i i will pay for them no problem stop fucking check list check listing me me when I leave, dude. I will not run a fucking load of the dishwasher or the laundry or anything

else, dude. Good day. It's an absolute, it's an absolute joke. Either charge me for a cleaning fee and then I should be able to stand on the dining room table and projectile vomit all over it and then walk my sweet ass out of the Airbnb because I have paid for the cleaning fee. Or do not charge me for that and then be like, and you have to run. You have to clean up a little bit. Then I'm like, Fine. Fair trade. But it's, we're getting, we're just getting absurd here. It's because they charge you, Dan, if you don't do this shit. And obviously we're being a hyperbolic, like, if you trash the house, if I, if I actually puked everywhere and left it, I should get charged more. They should go, you owe me a month's mortgage. And I would go, good, good point. I puked

all over the house. But if I just live in the house and don't destroy it by any means, I'm not doing all the cleanup. I know. It derails the entire checkout. Because we get, I got to like get to the airport with our rental cars. And then we're like, Everybody wake up two hours early so we can fucking sweep the goddamn house. It's literally a fucking nightmare. It is a nightmare how you actually, you genuinely have to allocate two hours before you're leaving to make sure that you do all the bullshit that Airbnb hosts are asking us to do. What would you do?

What's like the genuinely, I'm like, ask me to do this and I will still pay the cleaning fee? I think it'd be like strip the beds, throw the towels in the back. No. Literally nothing, dude. Yeah. Do nothing. Unless you have done something absurd to the house, like you said. If you puke all over the bathroom, clean that up.

Sure. But I should be able to leave dishes in the sink. I should be able to leave the beds exactly as they are and towels on the fucking floor of the bathroom. Trash in the bins. Yeah, trash in the bins. In bags in the bins. But that's what I'm fine to do. Like, when you leave, tie the trash bags out and leave them outside the front door or something, wherever the trash is left.

That I get, because, like, don't have the house stink like trash. But presumably a person is coming to clean the next day or the day of. Dude, they better be because they're like, get the fuck out. It's 1001. Seriously. All right, dude. that you should I should have to do zero things beyond something absurd that I have done to the house. It's bullshit.

Yep. And here's the thing. I am team hotel. I am big hotel. You're back. Oh, I'm so back. Yeah. Again, like I said, unless I'm with more than, more than five people, more than five, and I'm like, I'll do an Airbnb because it's fun for all of us to be together.

But if it's five or less, team hotel. I don't even go maybe four, because that's just two rooms. unless you're going to go Toff Toth Mac and Will and just throw a cot in there I'm going caught Okay yeah No I would do five fucking single hotel rooms dude Okay

Like I it's just six or more That's a group Yeah it's a hang Yeah more than five six or more Six or more and that's a group I am big hotel all fucking day After the absolute bullshit That Airbnb puts us through

Ridiculous That said Great trip Great trip Great trip Great trip Great trip Okay

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Craziest trade deadline of the last 10 years. Without question. Yeah. Without question, there's so much we need to get into. We recover in the trade deadline. By the way, I'm so, I don't like being an insider. It's off. Yeah, it's a lot of work.

It's too much work. We're at the Minnesota tournament. Then we did some skiing over the weekend. And it's just the whole time I'm just freaking out with how much is going on. And I feel so bad for guys. Our boy, Darren, our boy, Jeff, obviously, Elliot, beasts, just grinding. So huge stick taps to all those guys. We covered a lot of this.

We talked about a lot of this and we have saved the most of it for this podcast because we knew this podcast was going to be a fucking banger. There's one close to home for us that we're going to save for the end. Yep. Let's start with probably the hottest one. Miko Ranton traded to the Dallas Stars. Back the other way, Logan Stankovan, a 2026 first round pick, top 10 protected. Which which almost certainly won't be. Correct.

So as in top 10, so they're getting a 2026 first round pick. A 28 first round pick, top 10 protected. Same. 2026 third round pick and a 27 third round pick. All go to Carolina in exchange. for Randen. So, we discussed the possibility of this. And I actually am going to, I'm going to go not positive DP.

Whoa. Because I have been quite embarrassed for Carolina Hurricanes fans the past several days. Okay. Let me be very clear. Before we get into the details of this trade, what it means for both teams. Let me be very clear. Miko Ranton and not resigning there. if you have a problem with him not resigning or excuse me signing we'll call it in Carolina

you are a loser as in my opinion as in if you are a Keynes fanning or at anybody fanning you're mad at him for not signing yes okay I think I agree with this is this guy has zero connection to the Carolina he didn't get asked to be traded there he was he did not ask to be traded there blindsided by that trade by his own mouth he was quote blindsided now tons of Keynes fans are pulling the, they, we have reports from Elliot Friedman, Rantin's camp, and Renton himself said he'd be open to signing with character. Dude, we're done right there. The sentence and the term and the sentiment, you are open to signing with a team. You guys need to wake the fuck up about agent speak, player speak, GM speak, owner speak. Everyone lies. Everyone lies to paint their

own narrative to save face. Wake the fuck up. So all of you fans going like this, well, they said this and then not considering what your GM has said and what your owner has said, they're fucking lying to. An agent and a player going, we're open to signing with blank team. You don't think maybe that's a little bit of strategy to have the team you're with give you a better offer. You don't think it's maybe a strategy to keep options open. Again, wake up. So so many people, people cling to this. Rantanin is a liar and he's a piece of shit because they said that they'd be open to signing with Carolina. Then they waited to the last second and they fucked over Carolina. Shut up, dude. They didn't do anything other than it's the player determining the next eight

years of his fucking life and career. Thinking about his family, he gets to do whatever the fuck he wants, as far as I'm concerned. And ultimately, it seems like they were pretty transparent with Carolina and said, we're not signing here, so you might as well trade us. So you're fucking welcome. The one thing I will hear fans being mad about, we'll never know this for sure. It did feel like he was mailing it in when he was playing for them. I will say that straight up. It doesn't help your trade value. It wouldn't, it wouldn't behoove him to be like, oh, I'm just going to be terrible now. I agree. Then it goes, oh, it is a Nate thing. That was a narrative, is all I'm saying. And I don't, I don't think there's a certainty. And I certainly don't

think that he actively went like this. I'm going to slack off while playing for these guys. I think he was in a bad mood. I think he was upset about the trade. I think he was, you know, unsure of what was going on in his future and he wasn't in a right mental state and he did not play as well as he could. I'm not blaming him for that. I think he probably could have done better, but whatever. So I just can't stand this whole like, he fucked over the canes. Like, dude, he didn't ask to be traded there. He didn't look at Colorado and go, trade me to this team. I'm definitely going to sign with them and then decided to fuck you last minute. Like, dude, this stuff is complicated? Is it okay to be pissed off about it? Of course. If this was my favorite team, I'd be

gutted by this. But ultimately, you've got some great picks. Telski, I think, made a huge error in making this trade in the first place. It's how I feel about the Gensel trade. Like, you have two years in a row now traded significant pieces for a superstar who went, I am not resigning here. And now there's all the excuses. Well, Gensel would have signed if the cap situation, blah, blah, blah, blah. Dude, you don't think that Carolina was trying desperately to sign Gensel. Again, wake up. Yep. And dude, we don't, there's no fan base, there's no team that we hate here.

So we're not shitting on anyone. We are being objective, as we always try to do. And like we say all the time, we give shit where shit is due. And I think, Carolina, you deserve to get some shit here. Agree. Now, I will also say, like we said before, I think Tulski made a good move making this trade. And at the end of the day, are you worse than you were before you made this Miko Randon trade? Yeah.

Before you did anything, right? Yes. Yeah, yeah. No one, I mean the initial trade. Yep, yep, yep, yeah. Like, anyone who disagrees with that is fucking blind. You had Marty Natchez and Jack Drury on your team. Now you have Logan's tank of it.

Yep. You're worse. Oh, especially this year. Like, that's what I'm saying. This year. Right now. I don't mean overall. Everyone calm down.

I don't mean in the future. Right now, you are a top team in the east. and you and Rod and Tulski, you're going, we're trying to win the cup this year. Well, you're now worse. You are objectively worse. Right now, this season, you are objectively worse. Now, you got two firsts, you got two thirds in that trade.

I mean, you got a first in the initial trade too. Like, you've got good picks here. Yeah, yeah. This is great. It's exciting summer. You could do a lot with that. But let's not act like this went, this was all according to plan. that is not the case.

That's why you deserve to get some shit. But ultimately, when put in a bad situation, I think Tulski did what he had to do, and that is good. But I just really think everyone needs to cool their fucking jets on going, Miko Rantanin sucks at hockey anyway. We didn't even want him in the first place. He's a Nathan McKinnon merchant.

You sound like a fucking morrow. Yeah. Okay, so several things here, Dan. First, just on the points. This isn't even for a debate. It's just funny. Rantanin had 64 points, 25 goals and 39 assists in 49 games with Colorado. What a bad player.

It's only because of Nate. Tremendous. Then he had, in 13 games with Carolina, six points, two goals and four assists. And then in two games for Dallas, he has three points already, two goals, scored in both games, two goals and an assist in three games. But tiny sample size, but like, if he just goes nuclear for the stars, it's like, what the fuck. I want to say this. I'm going back to the first trade. It's crazy to me to even think.

And I believe we said this when it happened. But if we didn't, this is how I feel. That if you go, we need to win the cup right fucking now. That you felt like getting Miko Ranton was so much better than having NACIS and drury that you are now winning the cup. Like that is already a crazy thought to me. And I think Rantanid is the best point in that trade. I said that in the time.

But you and I both said that we felt like Colorado had won. In real time, too. And I will show a ton of love in respect to a lot of fans have DM just been like, you guys said that Colorado won that trade right off the bat. And boy, were you right. And whatever, even if Rantan had been playing Rantin and level, I still would have felt that way. Just because I was like, usually I said on the pod,

usually you air with whichever guy got the best player. And that's Ranting in my opinion. But just if I'm the hurricanes and I go, God, we've got to win right now, you trade like prospects for Rantan. You trade like all your draft picks and all your best prospects. So you have Natchez and Rantan and then you win the cup or you try to win the cup. Agree. I just swing out Natchez. I didn't like the trade at all.

Yep. And like we've said before, I felt this way with the Gensel trade. Dude, you just can't make this trade. Got team controlled guys with term. You trade those guys for Rantinan. And immediately, what was, what was, you know what's really funny too? I actually hope some people man up and DM us again and reply to us. We got, we posted that clip where the title clip was someone in Carolina needs to get fired.

And we got a few people who were like, this is all media bullshit, dude. He's not going anywhere. Fucking you guys and chicklets and all these guys talking about this is the only reason this is a narrative. well, he just got traded. So cinema, dude. Dude, man the fuck up and DM us and apologize. Yeah. I obviously don't need that.

I'm just joking around. But ultimately, dude, we were talking about that. I feel like sometimes, listen, dude, we're here to have fun. We love everybody. I'm not just saying that. We genuinely mean that. Whenever we go on these rants and I'm like, this is a fucking terrible. Like, you know, we're just having fun talking about the sport that we love.

So I don't want anyone to ever feel bad or feel sad. But ultimately, dude, we aren't morons. We do know things. I want people to know that. I know stuff. We know stuff and we talk to people. So when we're sitting here on the show going, I don't think he's resigning there the day after he gets traded,

it's not always us just fucking around, guys. Like we've heard certain things. Everyone was saying that. So my point with Tulski is like, how do you make that trade when people like us are here? Are like, I don't, he's resigning with you guys. You have to be so. Oh, sure. If you make a trade like that and you lose guys like Natchez and Drury,

you got to be damn sure Rantan is going to sign with you. Or have a better bid at it than it sounds like you had. Yeah, I don't even know if I'm at that point. You see this shit, dude. The holdup of the Dallas trade was the extension. Yeah. He got traded to Dallas and they knew instantly, you were going to get your ass on a plane here and sign on the dotted line. Yeah. Eight years, $12 million.

Yeah. When Hampus Lindholm got traded to buy. Boston. The second the trade happened, boom, extension. Like, you got to know that. It makes it feel like the avalanche Carolina trade was getting put together an hour before the deadline. Yes. Instead of being like, okay, you like these terms, call around him. Tell him that he has to agree to understand before we do this, but we agree to these terms. And then you have to start having the conversation, you know. So yeah, so with you on that. I wanted to read this tweet that you sent me, which is so funny. Do you remember this? Dude. This is from Michael Dixon, who's a Dallas radio host.

this is before the trade one day i'm gonna tell my kid about how miko rantan and was traded twice in six weeks and he will say quote oh nice quote and then go back to playing harp because he's musically inclined and i told him not to care about sports because they'll ruin your life so oh such a good news oh nice oh cool yeah uh okay dude the here's what i really want to dig in so like it's shaking out how it's shaken out we're going to get into the central division in a second but I actually just wanted to dig into this really quickly, Dan. Hit me. The Keynes are worse right now.

Agree. Yes. The avalanche traded away Miko Rantan and got Natchis and Drury and a second round pick in 2025 and a fourth round pick in 2026. I still think, and now he's definitely not resigning in Colorado because he plays for Dallas for the next eight years

because it was a lot of like, this is going to be hilarious when Rantanin comes back. Rantanin is gone and you have Natchez, and Drury and those two picks. And you know how I feel about non-first-round picks? Like, whatever, you got a second rounder in there. Okay. I do really quick want to give flowers to,

I'm not sure how much of a choice you had, but Carolina, after this disaster, trading Miko to a team in division. Yeah. Is awesome. Dude. That is Tom Petty. Colorado, and they kept cooking,

and we're going to get to them in a second, too. But that trade, if you're the abs, I go, I'm pretty happy with that return. I hate to lose a rantanin. I really do. But I'm like, okay. I disagree. I think you're thrilled.

That's what we said. You won that trade. Agree you won that trade. But let's just pause there for a second. Okay. The Carolina Hurricanes, because we had said that if Carolina was going to trade rantanin, they're fucked. In the same way, the Vancouver was fucked with JT.

We said that both. We were like, they're hamstrung. They're not going to be able to get anything back. Everyone knows you're bent over a barrel here. You're going to get fleeced on this rantinandand trade. The Carolina hurricane. Cain's got stankiven and two first round picks. And two thirds.

Along with the two thirds, but like, stank even and two first round picks. It's a great return. Didn't get fleeced at all. Is that better than the Aves return? Like, I think the Aves. No, actually got worse back than the Keynes did. No, because, and this is where I'm going to stand firm on this. It's exactly the clip we posted last week, dude.

And we talked about it in Thursday's episode of the pod. Picks are just hope, dude. Yep. And Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. But ultimately, Marty Natchez is an all-star NHL player. Yep. And Jack Drury, I think, has a ton of potential and is a very good bottom six player. Yeah.

You get guys, and this is, we pinned, whoever you are, we pinned a comment on that cost. They said, players win cups, not prospects. And that is how I feel. Yep. Because here's the deal. Oh, I thought you were going to say the parade's not prospects one. That was sick.

Yeah, that's, that's, sorry, that's what I meant. Parades, not prospects. And, like, that's facts, dude. Facts. And my thing is, like, you got an All-Star back for an All-Star. And, like, look at NACIS in Colorado right now. Dominant. Fuck.

He's also under contract. Like, you got him at the same cap hit next year. Like, it's just, I don't think the return is better because, like, do two first, future first-round And they are down the road, 26 and 28. Yeah. The 26 is a great move, though, because next year's draft is better than this year's draft. Well, that's 25. Like Colorado traded...

No, they got a first round pick in 2026 and 2028, right? Yes, but I'm saying this draft is 25. Yeah, no, and I'm saying it's good that they got 26 because 26 is a better draft than this year. Got it. So it's great. But, like, how many... We talked about it last week. How many first round picks bust?

The majority of them. The majority of them. The majority of them. Okay. So I'll, I will, I was legitimately wondering that. I think you're right. It's also tough. I'm sorry to interrupt.

It's also tough for Carolina because you're in win now. That was what we said at the beginning. You want players back. That's what we said at the beginning. It's insane that you were like, we got to win the cup and you did any of this, right? Because you have now, you are not winning the cup this year. So I think I will hear, not I think, I agree with you slightly that Colorado did get a better return for Rantanin than Carolina got returned for Rantan.

Yeah. And I'll also agree. it's not way better. Like, they're close. I really believe Sankham is going to be like a perennial all-star. I completely agree. So you're kind of like, okay, well, that washes out NACCHUS, and then you got two first-round picks,

and I just need one of them to be better than Jack Drury. So I'm like, we can revisit this in 10 years, and there's a chance. Actually, agree with me on that. We can revisit this in 10 years, and there's a chance that Carolina's return is better if they hit those two picks. If they hit them. Like, you're like, oh, shit, I got a, I took two first-rounders who became fringe all-stars.

Then I'm like, yeah, you got better. Yeah. So whatever, but you hear my point. Yeah. Then, Dan, everyone's wanting to rinse Carolina, which we kind of just did. But at the end of the day, you traded away Natchez. You traded away Natchez, Drury, a second rounder and a fourth rounder. Mm-hmm.

For Stankovin, two firsts and two thirds. Yes. You know, and I'm kind of like, that was actually, that's a great return for Natchez and Drury. Yes, it is. And if I trade away Natchez and Drury and I get Stankovin, and two firsts and two thirds. I'm like, oh, yes, that was a great trade. Not for win now. And I, and I love that take. And I think a lot of Carolina fans are looking at it like that. And what we've said a number of times, and this is where I'm saying, like, I'm not shitting on anyone.

I'm going to be completely honest on all fronts. The return is not bad. Yeah. You are worse this year, which is, in my opinion, for a team who his window is open and you're trying to win the cup right now, that's not a good look, guys. Yeah. Like what team who's like, we could win the cup this year? at the trade deadline gets worse. No one. Insane. So that's why it's bad. It's just,

it's a bad look. Is the return overall good? Yeah, it is. But you are worse right now, and it looks awful. Because for two years in a row, you've had a superstar on your team that actively went,

I'm not coming back here. That's not good. Yeah, correct. Okay. You're not a poorly run team. You don't have a bad GM. You don't have a bad coach. It's not what we're saying.

We're saying these are bad looks. GMs and coaches have bad looks. a bad looks all the fucking time. This one is currently a bad look. That's all we're saying. And fucking wear it too. Oh, dude. Like there have been a lot of Keynes fans who have been like, this fucking sucks, dude.

And God bless you. Because like that's part of being a fan guys. Don't be this blind fan who goes, you know, like there's so many people in our DMs right now. We've got certain fans of teams like Pittsburgh fans and Islanders fans who are like, you don't fucking get it. Like we've got the best prospect pool in the world. Our draft picks are unbelievable, blah, blah, blah. Dude, take the good.

take the good and the bad. Part of being a fan and getting through your day is acknowledging when bad shit has happened. This was not good. Yeah. That's all it is.

Okay. And here's my last question because we basically feel like Colorado came up pretty well. Dallas came out great because you wanted to take a swing and you fucking did. And Carolina actually didn't come out that badly

when you wash everything out. Totally. Did Miko Ratman win here? Because dude, from the reports that we were hearing, and I'll never know for sure. But Colorado was offering him eight by 13 and a half.

Yeah. So stay on Nate's wing. And now he plays for Dallas at eight by 12. No state tax in Texas. So yeah, that matters. So I think this is where I'm at. I'm just super confused. Dude, what we were told by some pretty good sources is early, early in the year before

dry saddle extended. There was a something along the lines of eight by, I think it was like 12.12.6. I think it was an eight. point five or four right look that up because i think it was just a hair above Nate and like that that was the point like they were like yeah it's going to be more because of the market but they don't want to blow him out of the water and neither does me too 12.6 12.6 yeah so i think they were saying it was like 12.5 to 12.8 something either above or below then dry sidel signed for 14 and everyone lost their minds and i think rantan was like okay i need more and his camp were like i need more

which again, I don't hate. It's a fucking business, dude. Also, something that's important for people to know. We just passed daylight savings times, which means it is officially spring. It's officially that type of season and that moment where you've got to get the best ready for anything spirit flowing. And we've got to start making some cocktails.

We got to start finding the comfort zone here. And the best way to do that is with the southern comfort. The perfect blend of fruits and spices to make the best cocktail you've ever had in your life. We've got some unbelievable mixtures going, guys. We talked about Soko and Diet Dr. Pepper, and then the other week, I dropped Soco and Diet Orange Soda on all of you guys. We popped that on the Instagram page.

People lost their minds. They couldn't believe how delicious it was. Like I said, perfect blend of fruits and spices. You got that orange in there. That is a fruit. You add spice to orange all the time. We do it with hot toddies. You do it with, you know, mold wine.

You do it with anything you want. And now we're doing it with SoCo. And it's amazing. You guys loved it. And what we need you to do is find your comfort zone. And we need you to DM us some of your favorite Soco mixtures. Whatever that mixture is that you use with Soco that gets that best flavor possible, we want you to send it to us so we can keep adding to this catalog.

By the end of this, we're going to have a recipe book. We're going to have a Soco Comfort Zone book filled with all the drinks we come up with. So make sure you DM us one. We can find that comfort zone together. And we can all enjoy some Southern Comfort. When you guys see these NHL players contract, they get half of that money. Yes. Everyone please understand that.

When you look at someone's career earnings, let's say someone hypothetically has $80 million in career earnings, they probably saw less than 40 of that. If you are in a state tax state, that's a factor. But then the money that goes to your agents, to your trainers, to your managers, to the league, all those dues. You get half of that money, guys. So please remember that when you're being harsh to these guys. this is a business this is your life i don't blame them for wanting more but yeah there's rumors that they went up to 13 and a half and he was like no then he gets traded and he was blindsided because when he says i'm blindsided i think he was like i thought they were going to just

and remember he said i'm blindsided because i would have i said i would have taken a discount he said that out loud and and i think he was like i expected another talk i expected us to go back to the tables not to get fucking traded then we're hearing that carolina was giving 12 and a half, and he's like, I'm going to Dallas. Again, that one, fans who are but heard about that, I'm like, oh yeah, yeah. No state tax. Frankly, I think Dallas is a better team.

I think it's a better, cool city. Better city as far as what we're hearing he wants, hearing that for multiple reasons, he wanted a bigger city. It's a bigger city, so like, you can't be mad at that. And then, yeah, the no state tax, you're making more money. You are. I don't think, there are a lot of people were like, dude, he looks like such an idiot. I don't think that's true at all. I do genuinely think, like, the difference between 12 and 13 and a half,

I think it might not out to like maybe a little, he's still getting less, I think, even when you consider the no state tax, I think. He's getting less in Dallas. Yeah, maybe because it's, I think someone like crunched what Avalage actually off. And like what the breakdown is to. Yep. I think it's just weird. I think this whole situation is weird. And I would, I would really love to talk to him off the record and this will never happen. and be like, are you bummed? Yeah, like, if you could do it again, would you just go, yes, I'll stay with Colorado. Would you have just resigned?

And I bet he would say yes, truly. I bet he would be like, yeah, I, like, why would, why did I ever leave? What the fuck happened? And I think Colorado would want that too? Just like, they're so happy with they just and Drew, yeah, when they just and drew, don't get me wrong. But just, I think if, if, I think you could, both could wave the wands and then just go, you know, let's just, you stay here, play with an eight by 12.

they would both go, okay. Dude, and we've talked about it. It looks very much like no one's catching Winnipeg, and I do think that Colorado is going to catch Minnesota, and these two teams are going to play in the first round. Yeah, they already have. Colorado is currently in the third seed. No, let's talk about it right now.

They're currently in the third seed, which means they're probably going to play Dallas in the first round. And I think so much of Mika Ranton's mental state is riding on that series. Yeah. So imagine if Colorado wins, and then they win the cup. And Ranton is just like, I could have just been there.

We could have had our second cup, and it could have been me and Nate and K.L. forever. Yeah, forever. When multiple cups together. Let's talk Colorado first. Yeah. So Dallas swings big, gets Rantan. Colorado, first thing we heard,

Brock Nelson trade. The Islanders send Nelson and William DeFore to the abs in exchange for Oliver Killington, Callum Ritchie, a first round pick in 2026, or 2027 and a conditional third round pick in 2028. Yep. Great.

Great return. Great trade. Great return. Really good for both teams. I think Calum Ritchie's a very good player, too. Same. People were pissed about that. I know.

I think there was a lot of Colorado fans that were like, fuck, I don't love this. And I think a lot of that revolves around. I think Calam Ritchie is a very good little player. Yep. We can't reveal the source, but there was a team. that had Brock Nelson, like nearly done. Yeah, trade about done.

Clearly not done because it didn't happen. But like there was a team we got a call from someone directly involved who was like, hey. We'll say it was an Eastern Conference team. This is, Brock is going. Brock is on this Eastern Conference team. This is over. Then, boom, tweet.

He's on the afts. Avalanche had said all since the Rant and Trade, we're not done. We're not done. We were like, man, if they get another. big time score center. That would be huge. I think who did you say Shen? You like they have eyes on?

Yeah, I thought Shen could have been an option. And then they get Brock. And especially since we had heard the other team, hearing the actually it's the Aves, just made it feel even bigger to me where I was like, holy fuck, dude. They are not standing down in this moment. So that was massive. Then

they also trade for Charlie Coyle. Bruins trade Coil and a 2026 first round pick to the Aves in exchange for Casey. No, it's fifth. Or sorry, sorry, fifth round pick. Yeah, thank you. To the As in exchange for Casey Middlestat, Will Zellers, and a conditional 20-25 second round pick.

Also great return, I felt like. I don't know how you thought. Loved. Fantastic. It's funny. You know, I tweeted out a while ago. I was like, given this market, if you're Boston Bruins, you've got to look at guys like Coil, Zaka, geeky, Carlo,

and think that they could all get a first-round pick. And there were people who were like, you're out of your mind. And I've never been more proven right. You get Casey Middle Statt, Zellers, and a second round pick for Coyle. It was a great return. And again, I just think Charlie Coyle, first game as an Ave, gets a point. Like he is a good fit for that team. I think Bednar is very good for him.

And he is just like the hardworking dude that's going to sit in a locker room with Nate and be totally fine. Dude, down the middle now, the Colorado Avalanche are Nathan McKinnon, Brock Nelson, and Charlie Coil Jackery. Yeah. That is a fucking clown show, dude. It's the best in the league. I cannot believe that. Lekhen and McKinnon, Natchez, Drew and Nelson, Nitchiechkin, top six.

Yeah. Ridiculous. Charlie Coil, Ross Colton, under third line. That forward group is incredibly talented and incredibly fast. Yes. So I'm like, it was a joy to watch those two go head-to-head battling. Dude, not to mention, you want to talk about vibes? they also brought back E.J.

And I really actually think that that's monstrous. Like putting EJ in that locker room, a guy who for a time had more tenure there than Nate did. Like that's a guy that Nate respects so much, a good guy to level him out. I think that that is such a good vibes play to bring him back. God, dude. Their power plays, bro.

PP1, Nishushush, Brock Nelson, Natechus, McKinnon, McCarr. Crazy, dude. So let's just roll that right into the Central. Yeah. Because I had felt like when this was all said and done, I was like the abs of the best team of the league. But I've been banging the drum that Dallas was the deepest team of all time,

and they moved Stankovan for fucking rant in it. And I'm like, Jesus Christ, re-signed Wyatt. Like, everything is looking so great in Dallas. That Wyatt Bridge, awesome. It's one of the better contracts you'll ever see for both the team and the player. So as you alluded to. We kept talking about the cap. I just started to talk on that for another second.

We keep talking about the cap going up to get Wyatt Johnston at that. cap hit for the next four years, I believe it was, and get him paid. And then I think he's going to be something like 27 when that's up. Yeah. Come on. It's such a good deal for both people. Everybody wins. Just to be fair, Dallas is top six because I just read Colorado's, Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnson, Miko Raton, and Jamie Ben, Matt Dachain, and Granny. And that's actually the, I think Ruppet's hurt, right? I didn't even read Rupay. It's like, Anne Sakes. Yeah, yeah. Like, imagine if you get both of them, Holy fuck.

Okay, so right. That's a stacked. Ridiculous, Dan. Also, Granny is so good. Right now, the Jets have played 65 games and have 92 points, okay? Which is tied for the most in the league. So it's not like... Yeah, they're not running away with it.

Yep. Dallas, 64 games, 86 points. So with a game in hand, if they win that, it'd be 88. So they're only four points back. So the Jets are catchable. Avalanche, 64 games, 78 points. and the wild, 64 games, 76 points. So two points back.

As you said, the current format right now would be Dallas, Colorado first round. Not only is Miko Ranton's mental health riding on that, dude, but also Lord Stanley's Cup is riding on that first round series, Dan. I need those two teams to not play so badly. Okay, so a Colorado, it's a nightmare, dude. final, which I don't think could happen ever. No, couldn't. Couldn't.

Because it's a bummer. Yeah, yeah. But I meant Western Conference final. Oh, no, I'm not a fucking moron. Yeah. But with the way that that shakes out, would the brackets line up like that? You'd have to have one be in the wild card and get kicked to the Pacific. So like if one is one and one is three or one and two, they could never meet.

Yes. Shit. So that's going to be a building rivalries. That's going to be a second round matchup at best. No, if the Wild Pass Colorado. But I don't think there's any world where one of those teams falls down to Wildcard after everything that are they both just in? The Wild are two points back. It's not the craziest thing it's ever happened.

So there are two very specific marching orders here. If you were the Minnesota Wild, you need to stay in the Wilde. Because if you pop up to three, you play one of them in the first round. You're like, get me out of here. Yeah. And not that the Jets or it would be Vegas. other end is a fucking cakewalk. Like those are, they're the one seats.

It sucks. But just Dallas and Colorado are avoid at all cost to get out of here. So if you're the wild, you are like, I don't want to be the wild card. But if you are Colorado, I kind of would rather be the wild card where I'm like, just get me away from Dallas in the fucking first round. That blows. Because Colorado rinsed the jets last year. So I'm like, just play them again.

Fuck. You beat them in five. Yeah. And then if you are the jets, Dan, under no circumstances can you get caught. because right now you'd only have to play they play themselves duke it out and you play one of them in the second round and it's like they immediately they didn't do much at the deadline they did some depth ads and i said to me it looked like they were like this we like our team dude we're gonna we're bring some depth around us and they did that but you immediately lose your first game after

yeah and you're like oh god because if you get caught let's say Dallas passes you yeah you go to two i play Colorado first and then Dallas second and then you are absolutely you're out the first round, dude. This is a disaster, dude. After what it's felt like a dream year for Winnipeg. You now... You cannot get caught. You were staring down a hellscape right now.

It's fucking crazy. So the jets need to be all gas here when every fucking point matters. And dude, not that we need to beat the playoff on right to death, but just what do you do if you're Dallas and Colorado? Because you're careening towards this matchup and it's, I would say, very likely. Yeah.

So you just go, okay, fucking let's go, ramp it up. What else do you do? What else could you do? Yeah. I mean, if I'm Dallas, I'm thinking like, catch the jets, catch the jets. Not that you want to be scared of a team and you would never publicly admit that. Dude, if you're Dallas right now, I think objective numero uno is catch the jets and win this division. Truly I do. I think it has to be. Because ultimately, it sounds fucking crazy with how good the jets have been. But if you were Colorado or Dallas, you would rather play Winnipeg than each other. Absolutely.

So that is no questions asked. Like, Winnipeg, you need to hold on. Dallas, you need to catch them. That is definitely what they're looking for. Moving on from the Central Division, let's get into the big topic that will then lead to the crescendo of the Boston Bruins. Full-on fire sale happened. We talked a lot about it. We have a lot to say about it.

Read them all first. First trade we saw was Trent Frederick. Cool. Coil. Oh, you're doing linear order? Yep. Yep. Then eventually we saw Coil, we saw Carlo, we saw Marshand.

Going down the list. Trade one, Boston Bruins trade Trent Frederick with 50% salary retained to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for an unsigned draft choice, Peter Howser. The New Jersey Devils trade Trent Frederick with that 50% salary retained to Edmonton in exchange for Max Wanner. So ultimately, Boston got a second round pick for Trent Frederick. Next, Boston trades Max Jones and unside draft choice Peterhouser to Edmonton exchange for Max Wanner. St. Louis's second round pick in 2025, owned by Edmonton, and Edmonton's own fourth round selection in 26. Next up, I'm going to go in order of importance here. Okay.

Boston trades Justin Brazo. Brazo from the Bruins in exchange to the Minnesota Wilde for Merit Kuznutsdinoff. Great job. Kuznuttinoff, yeah. Yeah. Merit Kuznutnikov and the return. of the king. Jacob Lauko

and a sixth round selection in the 2026 NHL draft. So the wheels start moving. Then we saw the Charlie Coil

which Chris announced then the first dagger. As far as like Bruins fans how you feel like you lose Freddie you're like fuck but he goes to Edmonton you're like all right good

like I like that fit for Edmonton hopefully he wins a cup there that'd be great to see for Freddie but you do look at it like Trent Frederick was a first round pick and then things haven't panned out and we get a hopefully mid to high second round pickback from

kind of hurts but ultimately good trade Louis Brazzo who was a nice surprise this year was now Brandon but I'll even say the coil one you know just like oh coil hurt I was like fuck and I love him great coil hurt but getting Casey middle stat back with term

was nice and and like you said about Freddie I'm like go win a cup in Colorado baby that's 100% also like Zeller's good back second round pick good you know like that Brandon Carlo traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Fraser Minton and a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft. Brandon Carlo to the Maple Leafs hurts.

Oh, dude, that's crazy. But fantastic return. Fraser Minton is a great, great player. I think people have a lot of faith in him becoming a good second-line center in the NHL. And then we hear a lot about Brad Marshand. There were rumors of several teams, I think L.A. being the biggest one, we can confirm there was a trade on the table to LA that both teams had agreed to. Brad

did not want to move his family that far away, which I totally understand. Ultimately, Brad Marshan said that he wanted the Florida Panthers if he were to get traded, which he made very fucking clear that he did not want. He's traded to the Florida Panthers with 50% salary retained for a conditional second round pick. It becomes a first if Marcian appears in 50% of the Panthers playoff games in the first two rounds. Let's first talk about Boston. Yep. And then let's talk about Marchand.

Okay. Boston right now, I think if you look at the standings, are four points out of a wildcard spot. They are three points out, but... Lots of games in hand. I've played many more games than all the teams in... Lots of games in hand. And like 14.

ahead of them. You'd have to jump four teams, which is a lot. This is what's interesting about the Bruins. Again, games in hand only matter if you win. So currently, they are three points out of a wildcard spot. The players on this Boston Bruins team, obviously, are fighting to win. You think David Posternack and Jeremy Swamen want to miss playoffs? Do you think Charlie McVoy doesn't want to get back in this lineup? You don't think they want to make the playoffs?

Absolutely they do. So when you're the guys on this team and you look at this fire sale, including the betrayal of your captain and lifelong Bruin, Brad Marshand, you cannot be happy right now. That's all I'm going to say is these players cannot be happy. But at the same time, look at the lineup. Morgan Geeky, Pavlzaka, David Posternak, Cole Kepke, Casey Middlestat, Vinny Laetieri.

Coosneutte. I just keep, because nothing off. Coosie. Merritt, Kuznettoff, Eliasland Holman, Jacob Lauco, Johnny Beecher, Mark Castellick, and Patrick Brown. That is not the lineup that any Bruins fan thought that they were going into the season. That's who I wanted Lindholm to have on his wings. On the third line.

That's what I always dreamed of. This team looks crazy when you think about the start of the year. Then don't forget, Bruins also traded for Yoki Haru. Let's not completely ignore that. But right now, the D, first lining is Zadorov and Yoki Haru, with Lori and Andrew Peek. And then Wetherspoon and Ian Mitchell. Obviously, Hamphus and Charlie Mack are out of the line. What my point is, is two years removed from winning the president's trophy.

You obviously have the devastating loss to Florida. Then last year you beat Toronto, you lose to Florida again. This is not the roster that you thought you'd have. The fact that David Pasternak, Jeremy Swamen, and Charlie McAvoy are the only three players on this team. who have been there for five years or longer is insane. Correct. And at the end of the day, dude, Don Sweeney said in this press conference, if I had done my job correctly, I wouldn't be making trades like this.

Yeah. That is correct. And there are a lot of people who are like, good on him for saying that. And to that, I say, nope. Not good on him. That's correct. I'm shocked he has a job. I'm shocked he has a job.

And I'm shocked that he is in a position where the Jacobs family is publicly backing him and also letting him do what he just did, which to me means he ain't going anywhere. Okay, yep. I do not think you let your GM gut the team like you have just done. Trade away Brad Marchand in the fashion that you did it if you're about to fire this guy. Agree completely. Ignore the Brad of it for a second. We wanted this though. Like, I didn't want it. Yes. Yeah, yeah. I didn't want it, but I was like this. Dude, the Bruins have zero prospects, they have zero

picks. I wish they traded more people. Like you've got to do something here. And yeah, now it looks like Morgan Geeky is going to get an extension. And like we discussed like, is it going to be an overpay? Even with the cap going up, is that about to be an overpay? We'll see. So, yeah. Okay. So I'm with you.

Let's get to Brett. I rate the Bruins deadline pretty good, honestly, outside of the Brad thing because I wanted this and whatever. Yeah. I ultimately give the Bruins a B plus to an A minus with the mass. massive asterisks of you are scumbags. Okay, so dude, here's what I want to get into.

We got the, actually, I got a million text messages, so I'm obviously not going to read all of them, but just this one made me laugh. My good buddy Nez, who you know, obviously, Dan, said, he and he's a Panthers fan, admittedly, but he goes, dude, the Panthers have straight up murdered Boston and made them their horrocks. But I was like, that was actually a really funny way to say.

Like, I literally, you're a sort of, soul is now in my possession now. I really hate the, the Panthers killed the Boston Bruins takes. Like, you didn't. Correct. And the bees killed the bees. Yeah.

But it does look that way. So the Marsh and trade, that was, yeah, the Marchand trade happened. We're on the road. Like you said, there's a million things going on. And we are hearing about the LA thing and then something switches and we hear Florida. And I think I even said to you, I looked at it out and I said, no fucking way. And not that I'm, not that I hate the Panthers. I actually don't hate the Panthers at all.

And if Martian was going to leave, I certainly want him to go somewhere great. That he can make some money and win a cup. Maybe that'd be awesome. And there's something hilarious. You know, I can get over the fact that it's like, oh, they knocked us out. There's just something hilarious about him and Bennett. And like, what a good ad for that team. I don't know if you saw, but Bennett was asked in an interview, I think it was after practice today.

They were like, how has it been? And he was like, the second we added Brad to the team group chat, the first thing he said was chirping everybody. And he was like, it's amazing. Like it's perfect. It's exactly what you'd want from. It's how you'd want from it's how you break the ice. And it's immediately how we were all like, well, he's going to fit in like a fucking gloss. Did you see his comment on the carlo trade?

Yeah. Pigeon. Okay. So anyway, the initial thing we heard was it was a second round pick. And I was like, come on, dude. Are you fucking kidding me? It becomes a first if Marchand appears in 50% of the Panthers playoff games in the first two rounds. So they have to make it two rounds and he has to play.

Presumably he will. Which is terrifying. Given that that that is something that both teams agreed to, it makes you feel like, Jesus, that could be hurt. He could be very hurt. He could be hurt, which is scary. So I'm hoping that it turns into the first round for the B's sake. But once the initial dust settled, I was like, okay, I'm rooting for him.

And it feels like they had probably had talks of, would you be down to get traded somewhere? And it probably went very amicably and he's out. And I'm happy. Dude, then we get to this weekend today. As far as the timeline, like, we knew that that was not the case. Yep. Like, we knew as it was going down that this was not something that he was happy about. And you see Brad's interviews in his full Panther gear talking about how much he appreciates

the Boston organization and which is something could come out. I actually couldn't believe how complimentary he was. Dude, this is what I'm saying. Like, people, even people who hated him, the last few years, like, you're seeing. what an incredible person he is, what a consummate pro he is. You have any idea how easily he could have sewered everybody? And yeah, he's just the best about it. And dude, his interview today, legitimately with him choking up,

I got emotional just watching the interview. The Tom Brady's probably my favorite athlete of all time. He played for the bucks. And I was super bummed when he was off the Patriots. But I was like, okay, well, I'll just go root for Tom over here. I wasn't like near tears. And something about Brad just processing this in Panthers gear. And I'm not even chirping the Panthers.

I just mean in any other gear. Yeah. Just processing the how proud he was to have done what he did in that black and gold sweater. I was like, this is not happening. I cannot believe this. Yeah. And then to compound that with the reports that were like, listen, Brad and the team had a face-to-face discussion.

Brad wanted, they were offering two, Brad wanted three. The team got to three and there was still a money gap. And then Brad said, let's have a face-to-face fucking meeting and get this done. I'm willing to compromise. And the bees just go, no. And now you're gone, Florida. Is appalling to me. It's disgusting.

It's disgusting, yeah. Because frankly, here's how I feel. You are one of the greatest bruins of all time. you can still play. The fact that Boston was willing to go three years means that they feel he can still play too. And now, the player and the team and the team doctors are the only people who really know what's going on

with a guy's body. But the fact that three years was agreed upon, I think is a phenomenal sign for his belief and his ability to play as well as the teams. I think the fact that he wants to stay and we have reports of a three, year $6.3 million offer from the Bruins. That Brad was like, that's far off the mark.

Elliot Friedman reported there was a big gap. I think that has a lot to do with the cap going up. I'm so sorry for how often we say that. But like, Patrice Bergeron came back one year, $3 million. The fact that 30, about to be 37 tomorrow, Brad Marchand is like, I want six, I want more than I'm currently making. It says a lot about his belief in himself and a lot about, where the cap is going to be.

But when you look at it and you look at the Bruins cap right now, if he's like, you know, if we talk about that big gap, like what could that possibly be? Like, was he asking for seven and a half? You know, like, even if he is, I'm like, it's like a bit over a million than what your cap is currently. Like for him,

yeah, I get it. The fact that he asked for a sit down face-to-face meeting with Don Sweeney and Cam Neely, got it and just said, I'm willing to budge, I'm asking you to be willing to budge to. And they said, fuck you. That is insane to me. Dude, it just, it stinks.

And ultimately, Chris, everyone goes, well, if you weren't going to give him that contract, you got to get something for him. When it's a conditional second round pick, that at best is going to be, if he plays 50% into two rounds, like, it's going to be, yeah, what, 26 or something. You know, something like that. Take it. I don't want it. Yeah.

I don't want it. Like, I'd rather you go not fucking trade him like this and just get to summer. And if you can't come to terms in the summer, we're in the same spot. Frankly, to me, it looks less bad. Him walking for free. Yes. I kind of hear you. It definitely looks less bad.

And I think the Bruins front office point is like, well, if we were going to get to that point, then give me a 26 overall pick. Yeah. If it gets that. or give me a, you know, second round pick, whatever. But ultimately, I'm like, you couldn't get something done, dude. This guy so desperately is like, I don't want to go. During the trade deadline, trade deadline day. He's like, give me, he was not with the team.

He's in Boston. He's like, give me a sit-down media. And even after that, they're like, nope, can't get anything done. Here's my two thoughts, my two closing thoughts on this. He has made per career earning $72 million. Yeah. Like we just said, he probably got 36 of that, 35 million. That is a lot of money.

Sure. That's plenty of money. So to be fair to the front office, I'm kind of surprised that he needed so much more than 6.3 that there was a quote unquote big gap. And he even, like theoretically there was some compromise. Point being, he could have come back. for three years at three millage and been like, I have plenty of money. Yeah.

So I'm kind of surprised, even with the cap going up, that he wasn't down to do that. Yeah. Or taken the six. Yeah. Like that feels like plenty to me. To be fair to the front office.

It's not like the front office offered one. And Brad's like, are you fucking kidding me? They offered him six million. So I just want that out there. But on the other side and where I feel it much more strongly, this is the type of guy that as a fan, I'm speaking as a fan here,

You over, you just pay and get rinsed on this contract in three years because whatever. Like if you go, yeah, Brad, here's three at 7.5. And in two years from now, we're like, fuck, I wish Brad was off the books, but whatever. This is the type of player you just do that for. And I know we kind of just didn't say that last week. And I know that's bad business and blah, blah, blah. But I'm like, dude, you can't do that to him. I agree.

You just, you have to just pay him and shut the fuck up. I just, I look at guys like Bergeron and Tuka Rask doing those streams, you know, like guys who just played their whole career, just retired bees. Like, Brad belongs there. Yep. He belongs there. And I'm getting too emotional. My whole thing is telling fans to be. I know.

Same. Yep. To be less emotional. And ultimately, do we think that Florida is going to make it two rounds? And hopefully Brad plays 50, I mean, if he's healthy, he's going to play fucking every single game. Yeah, I do think that's going to happen. And, you know, if this pick turns into something between 24 and 32 and you go into next year's draft and you have two first round draft picks, like, that's something that you're like, well, actually, oh, it's not even. I think it's 26.

It's 26. It's not even next year. So either way. Yeah. You get that first round draft pick and you're like, oh, that's nice. It's nice that we have that. And that's why this is a business. And that's why it's, you know, you're happy that you have that down the road.

but I always think about your culture. It's like what do players say? And I'm not going to lie. I don't think I'm being dramatic here, but guys know that it's a business. Everyone knows that. They always say this. Brad says it in his press conference.

Everyone who gets traded like this, they say it. I know it's a business. I know it's a business. But I just think if you're a free agent that's meeting with Boston's front office, this coming summer, next summer, if you're a current player on the team

negotiating a new contract, you think about this shit. Yep. This is stuff you have in your head when they're going, oh yeah, we're a family, blah, blah, blah, blah. Who is it that said that ladder, right? Yeah.

Everyone says, oh, we're a family. You're not a fucking family. Yeah. It's a company. Yep. And when they're giving you their pitch, you're out of your mind. If you don't think in the back of these guys' heads is,

well, they fucking took Marshan out behind the shed and put a bullet in his skull. Yep. After he specifically asked you not to. Asked for a face-to-face meeting. And the preface of the meeting was, I'm willing to budge. I'm asking you to as well. This is stuff that players think about, players see, and it's crazy.

There's a reason we're talking about it this long. There's a reason every media outlet is talking about this. Elliot Friedman goes on TV to discuss how wild this is. This looks like fucking shit. Especially, Dan, I think I read, I think it might have been Marina, actually. I had Barstool, said, it just was a good point. He has taken so many team-friendly deals throughout his career. It's the only thing he's done.

So it's not like, you know, at this point, if you go, well, we're fucking dragging you over, whatever the gap was. I'm like, well, certainly you owe him that from the fucking 14 years previous where you weren't paying him that. He and Berg were the same. Like, they're just both guys who fucking battled. Both second round picks, too, I think, right? and both wore the sea, both took team-friendly deals,

both kept the culture alive. Like the culture that was helped built by Zedano Chara and Mark Savard that's passed down to Patrice Berseran, it was also passed down to Brad Marchand. The reason for the current culture of the Boston Ruins that people like to talk about so highly all the time is because guys like Brad exist there. And...

Sorry, Marshy was a third rounder, yeah. it's just it's tough I think it is such a tough look and yeah I've said I've gone on Twitter a bunch of people talking about the dream right

they were talking about that with Ranton too the dream of oh yeah he goes to Florida and maybe he wins a cup and then he resigns to Boston there is a world where that could still happen but after hearing all this information and seeing that press conference do you think that's going to happen it's a dagger dude it's a dagger

that I just didn't see coming. We had discussed his trade. And I think we both said, I don't expect to get straighted, but I was very aware it was a possibility. And I'm not even mad about the team. I've said this five times. I don't care that it's Florida.

I've seen so many my friends get so mad about that. It's not about that he went to Florida to me. In fact, like, if that's where he wanted to go, then fucking go. I don't give a fuck, man. And again, I am un-emotional. I am not a Bruins fan anymore. I'm a fan of human beings.

Obviously, I love the Bruins, but like, I don't give a fuck where he went. I wouldn't have cared if he went to Toronto. Truly. I would have been like, yeah, you grew up a Toronto fan. I hope he wins a fucking cup.

I am such a Florida Panthers fan even more than I already was now because I'm like, I want to watch Brad Marchand lift that trophy. It would be the most emotional thing ever. So yeah, it was just such a dagger to hear

how he felt. What did we say? Whatever Brad wants you did. And you did not. What do you want? He very politely asked for one thing and you spit in his open mouth. And he didn't ask for it.

Okay. Brutal. A few other teams, I just wanted to hit on your quick thoughts. Please. Toronto. Good moves. Got Law and got Carlo. Did enough?

I look at the East and I think certain teams got stronger. I think, again, if Brad plays, I think Florida definitely got stronger. I think Tampa definitely got stronger. I think Washington was already stronger. I think Toronto just got stronger, but they paid a lot for it. but they need in my opinion they needed the center they got lot and i think lottie is going to be good with brubi me too i think that's going to be a good combination and i just think i think carlo is exactly what they have not had in the past and they've tried yeah exactly they've tried with two

old of guys like tannov even being one of them like they went out and paid a hefty price for tannib and look at that he gets hurt a ton again because the guy's an absolute machine who's 34 years old i think and has been putting his body on the line for 20 years. Yeah. So to me, Carlo is just like, a lot of people talk about his concussion history, but he's been pretty rock solid two to three years now.

Yep. And the guy just, you don't score when he's on the ice dude. I think he's a career plus 129. Like, you don't, you do not score when Brandon Carlos is on the ice and Toronto needs that. I like their moves. They paid for it, but that was the market.

So Toronto gets two thumbs up for me. Okay, great. Detroit. Tough one on Detroit, because similar to L.A. or we're going to, you have them written down. What I'll say about Detroit is Detroit cannot win the cup this year. Steve knows that.

Making the playoffs is in their sights and after last year, I think they have to. And by half to, I mean, it's not like anything bad is going to happen. But if you miss the playoffs again, you have failed this season. They know that. The players know that. But they're in one of these situations where I'm sure the price for guys they were after that would mean something was going to be too much.

It was going to cost them prospects who are currently contributing to the team and then also they're in a window where I'm like, your first round pick next year is valuable. You need to keep building this team. So I'm glad that they didn't panic and overpay. And I don't know that the fans agree with you,

but I think you're right. I know. Because it's two years in a row where everybody's like, come on, dude. And especially if you miss. Yeah, and like Sandin Pelica is a guy I've talked about a million times where I'm like, that is such a fucking good pick. And I'm like, if you traded a first round pick last year, or let's talk about this year,

like a guy like that is who you're possibly giving up to what? Still maybe miss the playoffs or get in the playoffs and losing the first round? Was that worth it? Do you want to get in the playoffs and miss the first round that bad that you lose a player that's going to be so helpful to guys like Mo and Raymond and Dylan and Casper? Like, no. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I like what they did.

Okay. The Rangers. The Rangers to me, like, I don't, I think that there are moves as far as what they've gotten in return for guys like Truba, guys like Capoacoco, Lindgren, you got really nothing for Riley Smith, but like, yeah, they cleared out some space. They brought in Susie, which I thought was like a interesting move. Yep. I give them a decent grade. Like I'd say, like, okay, good job. I would have done much more.

Yeah. Much more. Kings. Obviously, tough one. I really like what they did. Similar reasons to Detroit. Here's the thing, dude. They are in a very interesting spot, especially and particularly with the situation like Copatara and Dowdy.

You've got two guys who are 35 to 35. to 37 years old. Who are your two best players, probably? They are similar to Detroit, in my opinion, where the players that were going to cost them stuff, there was a big rumor of Brandt Clark and Quentin Byfield for Miko Randon. That would have been the worst fucking tradeable.

The players that were being talked about with every single King's trade that was brought up, that would have brought in a meaningful goal-scoring piece. we heard Clarkie, we heard QB, we heard Spenny, we heard Morsi. Those guys are instrumental pieces to your team currently. If you trade them for, if you lost QB and Clarkie for Rantan, I think you're worse. Well, it's the nature's jewelry thing. Exactly, same thing.

I think you're worse. So you're talking about trading players who are important and contributing pieces to the team for a new contributing piece. And I don't think it's one of those things where it's like, let's go on the 1 to 100 scale. If you move a, you know, at 280s for a 95 in a year where you're like, we just need a little bit more to win a cup. Then I'm like, yep, that sucked, but it's worth it because you won.

I don't think that's L.A. situation right now. So I think it would have been a huge mistake to lose some of those players. And ultimately, was there a player available to them that they could have traded just a pick for? The answer is yes, and it's Brad Marchand. But it was said no. So they made a move. They made an offer. And then they bring in Cousy, who I love.

I love for that team. And it was a great price, especially for this market. Things weren't working for Coozy where he was. But this is a guy that we just saw have fucking 70-something points a couple of years ago. I think it's a great situation. I like him in L.A. I understand fans being like they did nothing. But ultimately, I think that they were smart.

They didn't panic. And there was a very, very good opportunity for them to panic. So credit to Blakey for not panic. I hear you. But I will just say this. Right now, Vegas, 63 games, 82 points first place. Edmonton, 63 games, 78 points. Very catchable, obviously.

But, you know, Vegas is in the driver's seat, and I think is better. Kings, 62 games, 75 points. So with a game in hand, very catchable to Edmonton. And the flames are like lurking. But, you know, it feels like, here we go again, those are the top three. And likely you're getting the Kings Oilers first round with home ice. up for debate. I don't know that this King's team is about to beat this Oilers team again.

And eventually you hit up, you butt up against this wall of, we need to make a move that gets us past Edmonton, period. Otherwise, we're going to lose in the first round over and over and over. And last year, they went like this. We had Olmark, though. That's funny there's Bruins twice, but like, we had O'Mark. And it just didn't work out. But we had a deal done, basically.

He said no. And that would have got us over the Edmonton hump. I agree. It would have. But it didn't work out because he said no. This year, we had Marsham. And that would get us over the Edmonton Hub, but it didn't work out because he said no. And I'm like, I just can't keep hearing. We did it, though. We still got a good grade in the train line because we had it on the table that would have helped us beat our boogeyman. And I'm like, well, he's not on your team and you're going to lose to your boogeyman again. So congratulations for getting a deal almost done, but it's not done. And now you're out in the first round. Yeah. That's how it feels right now. And I totally hear that. Did you think, though, that there was something.

Did you think that there's something on the table that would have gotten them over Edmonton though? Martian. Really? Yeah, I think if he's healthy, I think Brad Marchand is a agitator and a goal score and a power play weapon that, and I don't know, I'm not saying like the 100% they win.

I'm just saying if they added Marchand, I go, okay, I might be picking the Kings now in that, right? And I promise you right now I'm picking up. Edmonton. And I don't, I think I can say this. I don't want Edmonton that series. I'll be rooting for the Kings. But if you're like, hey, dude, gun to your head, who wins the Edmonton Kings series with Edmonton at getting home ice? I go, Edmonton. Yeah. That's a good point. But if they got Brad, I might go, okay, now I think the Kings got them. Yeah, that's a good point. Olmark last year. I go, now I think the king's got it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's just like, do it. Good point. That was going to be my big question is like, would Marshand have been enough to get them over the hump? and I am not sure. I would like to think yes, but like, yeah. No, but it's, it's, it's an interesting one. So yeah, I think you are right that they need to stop being close. Yeah. And like start being like, well, dude.

Because, yeah, man, it is, it's tough in that you can't keep losing to Edmonton with Dowdy and Copey. Agree. Speaking of, did Edmonton do enough for you? Um, yes. Really? Dude, again, it's one of these fucking things. It's like not everyone can throw a haymaker.

Yeah, yeah. Not everyone can't, like we talked about Vegas, right? Like Vegas was a big one. People thought Brad was going to go to Vegas. And I was like, Vegas has no prospects, dude. Yeah. They have literally nothing to trade. Edmonton's not exactly in that space.

But to me, Edmonton is like, I thought Walman was a great fucking deal. Yep. That was actually. That was having an amazing season. That was actually. That was a great trade by San Jose, too. I think that's a really, really fucking good pickup for Edmonton. And then who's the, they got a Freddie.

Yeah, Trent, Trent. That's who I was thinking of. But to me, I say yes because I'm like, I don't know, dude. Like they went to game seven last year. And their team's not that difference. I think losing Fogel was brutal because I don't think Ardvinson or Skinner has filled those shoes at all. I think Fogel's having a great year. I think those two guys are having.

Vogel has been awesome, not great years. Ultimately, it's like they got a little bit better on D and Connor and Leon are still going to Connor and Leon. I believe, however, I will say this. A lot of this has to do with how much better teams like Colorado and Dallas got. I think everyone who is picking Edmonton to win the cup at the start of the year feel less confident than they did six months ago. I would agree with you, and I would just add to that.

I don't think Tampa through a haymaker, but they made moves where I'm like, they could win now. Definitely. And I don't quite feel that way about Edmonton's moves. I didn't need a haymaker from them because you're right. They went to game seven. But I just think there were maybe some middle pieces

that might have made me gone watch out. Everyone's on the Colorado Dallas train, watch out for the Oilers. And I love both those people that they got as human beings. I'm like, those are fucking great dudes. And I'm like, ah, I don't know that Edmonton did. Edmonton is less in my conversation in the West now. Yeah. No, I agree.

Well, deadline was fucking insane. Ten years, I'd say, right? Craziest in ten years. Absolutely wild. The landscape of the league feels even more open than it was before. Cannot wait to watch these last... Month and a half? 18 games?

Yeah, yeah. Some odd games. Month and a half of the season. We're going to see a lot. A lot of stuff happen. Let's get into a beer league hotline to cleanse the palate. One guy on our team isn't a beer guy. After the game, he stays to drink with us, but he drinks whiskey out of his flask.

All good, but when it's his night for beer duty, he doesn't bring a rack for the boys. He makes everyone drink whiskey. He picks out a really nice whiskey, he brings real glasses, and he brings ice for those who want it on the rocks. We really appreciate him going all out, but some of us don't want to slug three fingers of Woodford on a Tuesday night. Is it rude to ask him to bring a few cold ones?

Yes. Agreed. I thought you were going to say, I thought you were going to say for sure they have to. Dude, let me say that one more time. Yes, it is rude. Dude. And I say that as a hand-up bitch. Yep.

I am not the biggest beer guy. There are times where I will crack a beer in the locker room and slow sip it and dump it out in the parking lot because I'm sorry I'm being a little health boy and I'm not trying to drink a bunch of beers during the week. I think this is such a nail gun move. It's such a classy move too. And him being a whiskey guy,

I mean, it's a little rattling. I'm like, don't drink a bunch of whiskey and drive home. Yeah. But if you're having one, you know, whatever. I think that this is such a, it's such a cool, unique thing. You know what I mean? Like, I love that you're like, oh, fuck, it's Rick's night.

We're drinking whiskey tonight. Yep. Yeah, good point. You can, you know. Like, you know. The email goes out. Like, you know it's Rick's night if you're paying attention. If you're not paying attention, that's on you.

Because to me, I'm like, listen, if you don't want this that bad, the guy's bringing glasses. This is classiest shit. Dude, this is. I'm actually starting to get more on the, like, it is rude of you. How dare you? Yeah. It is rude of you. How dare you say no to this man?

He's bringing glasses with ice if you'd like it. I mean, if it's such a problem for you, you bring your own beer. I was right about to say, Dan, he doesn't cause a problem when it's your beer night. He brings his own whiskey. He doesn't say, also bring me some whiskey. Great point. He brings his own glass. If you want fucking two Coors banquets after the game and you don't want the Woodbury Reserve,

take two Coors banquets, stuff him in your fucking bag and drink that when you go here. Don't ask Rick to take his whiskey somewhere else. When he's giving you a treat, how much did your 30 of BL's cost compared to the fucking handle of Woodford Reserve he bought you guys. Dude, this is, he has to wash those glasses later, Dan. Yeah. He washes your glasses. He sure does. He has to bring ice. He has to bring a cooler of ice specifically for in drinks. I mean, I think this man, he's a man of taste. He's a man of class. And he's just trying to share said class and taste with you. And he does all the work to do so. If you are not a whiskey person, bring a beer just like he brings his whiskey. Yep. I think it is rude.

I think it's rude to ask him to bring a few cold ones. It's, it's, I'm actually, let the boys drink whiskey. I'm actually, first of all, I'm insulted by the question. I can't even believe this question was asked because you need, you should have gotten here on your own. Second of all, you're so right that just enjoy the night. Like, this is a really cool, fun, high class night that you get. And how often, Dan? Yeah.

There's probably, what, 15 guys on the roster, 12 guys on the roster? It's probably once a season. It's once a season. Have your whiskey night. Let the boys drink whiskey. I'll say it again. I love it. Me too.

All right, now we are going to kick the episode to our chat with our boy, T.J. Oshy, we talked all about the Minnesota State Hockey Tournament. We also talk about this miracle run that the caps are on. Could be there here. Caps here. I love it, dude. It was incredibly cool to get to. talk to him about that epic tournament going on, and then also just pick his brain on like

deadline, cap season, four nations, like Mr. Shootout King, getting to see, hear him talk about the boys wearing the USA jersey is unreal. Yeah, just also nice having Osh back in the mix, something to get used to because he's the best. Taking a quick break to tell you guys about this game-changing product that we have our hands on now. It's pre-alcohol from Zbiotics. you need to get on board with this because it has revolutionized my road trips, my weekends, everything. It's a very simple process. Step one, drink pre-alcohol. Step two, drink responsibly.

Step three, enjoy your day tomorrow. I don't bounce back the way I used to. We're on the road a lot. We've got a lot of epic NHL action coming up. We've got a lot of basketball. College basketball is March Madness. It's March, baby. It's right around the corner.

So we need to start getting ahead of this right now. So when we drink alcohol, there is a lot of... toxic byproduct created in our gut. And it's actually that byproduct that causes you to feel not the best. It's not dehydration or anything like that. It's that byproduct. Pre-alcohol attacks that byproduct. So when you drink it first, you're able to drink responsibly and then you can wake up the next day and accomplish all the tasks I had scheduled myself to accomplish. I don't have to push anything back. It's amazing. When we're on the road, I want to hit the gym in the morning because we've been up late, eaten poorly, drinking beers. And now with this,

pre-alcohol, bang, wake up feeling like a million bucks, gym, check, all the posts we've got to do, check, interviews, check. No, wags isn't mad at me because I'm up and I'm up and at them. I'm on the move, okay? So I want you to go to zbiotics.com slash netters to learn more and get 15% off your order at checkout, okay? And there's a 100% money back guarantee from zibiotics. So for whatever reason you use this product and you're not fully satisfied, you will get your money So go to Zbiotics.com slash netters. Use that code netters. That's N-E-T-T-E-R-S at checkout and get 15% off and really start loving your mornings. All right, we are here at the Minnesota High School State Tournament. Oh, yeah. With our good buddy T-J. O'Shee and Dan, you're the only one

who didn't wear the matching t-shirt. I feel like a goddamn asshole. I mean, we probably got some laying around. I'm sure we could find every point. Sure we could get somebody to go get Dan a shirt right. I need a black war-a-shirt immediately. because I am rocking the Nettors War Road. Yes, right, exactly. Netters Warwood is clutch. So, Osh, this is obviously cool for you to be here. Before we even get into your three years here,

you played your freshman year at Stanwood High, right? And then you moved here with your dad. And we talked a little bit when you came on the pod, but just talk about that move in general. I'm like, what that was to you as such a young kid. Yeah, so we touched on it, but Stanwood High School, I was, it's kind of a, you know, kind of a little bit of a dairy farm slash Hicktown.

kind of thing. They're big into football, basketball. I believe I was the only kid in the whole school. I think it's like 1,200 kids in high school that played hockey. Probably one of the only ones that even knew how to skate. Which is so weird. I know. To think. In this state, you're like, how does that happen? Yeah. But it does. I don't know.

Yeah. It happened. And it was miserable. And so just family members had been telling me to come out to world for a long time, not because I was great player or anything, but they're just like, oh, you like hockey. You should come here. If you like hockey, it's free. And we just never, you know, wanted to move away from family. And my dad ended up let me try it out, go to camp in the summer. I think it was one day. It took me

one day to tell my dad, I was like, these guys are amazing. They like brought me in right away. And so the move was, I mean, it's like if a kid lives, I don't know, in a dungeon and he moves to Disney World. Like, that's what it was like for me. Rickshay at Stanwood, ricochet at Stanwood. Well, I mean, if it wasn't for Stanwood, I probably would have never moved. Good point. So it wasn't for the basketball coach telling me that it had to choose between basketball and hockey. I probably would have never chose hockey full time.

How was the jumper, though, though, I'm more of like a ball handler. Yeah, yeah, okay. Ball handler, disher. Point guard. Yeah, point guard guy. That's what I say, too. It's just a sneaky wave saying, I can't shoot for shit. Yeah.

I'm more of a D guy. Yeah. I'll lock you down on D for sure. Get a rebound. Yeah. No, the basketball game is, I wish it was better. I'm coaching my daughter's fifth grade house team. No way.

And so I actually, I think the very first time I showed him how to do a layup, I missed. And so that was a bad start for my head coaching career. But I'd say, I'd say this. We're getting a little off topic, but I'd say that coach in this fifth grade girls basketball team is probably the most fun I've had since the Stanley Cup celebration. Really? That's awesome. Literally not even, I don't think anything comes close to how much fun I've had coaching this team. Is it just like a riot watching them play or like what is so fun about it?

Other than the awesome coaching your kids. Yeah, coaching my kids is a super big one because I've never been able to do that. Of course, yeah. Um, but I think it's, uh, I don't know. Like my, maybe it's from watching my dad coach. Yeah, that's awesome. Big one. I think like seeing like actually like teaching someone something, especially like, you know,

girls are sweet, right? Yeah. So teaching a little girl something, have her work hard at it and then actually like do it in a game. Yeah. It's like, I don't know. It's just so incredibly like rewarding. I get that. Like I imagine that first basket that goes in and you see how happy they are.

You're like, hell yes. This is amazing. I mean. forced to be wrecking with in playoffs right now. Like we came in as an eight seed and we're just marching. Just get in, baby. March Madness, bro. They're a wagon.

This is unbelievable. This is the actual March Madness. But no, it's great. We actually had one girl that hasn't made that many shots this year. She's worked really hard like literally the last two weeks. I can know like you can tell, right? Yeah. She hit a shot at the buzzer to end the third quarter.

And we were playing us the number two seed. And she literally, everyone went nuts. I sprinted onto the court and, like, went to, like, hug her. Yeah. And she just put her hands on her head, like, I can't believe I did that. And, I mean, even her dad's reached out twice. He's like, dude, this is like, that was like one of the specialist moments for her. And, like, that's, I think that's why it's so special and so much fun.

I'm getting fired up. I was going to say, I didn't go to a game, dude. Yeah. Hey. We're playing on Sunday. Sunday at 11th. What round are we in? What round are we in?

Churchill Road. So we ended up losing to the number one squad, uh, 13, 14, 14. Defensive battle. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Defensive battle. And that knocked us out of getting to the championship game, but we beat everyone else all the way up. It's amazing, dude.

I mean, losing to the number one seat, I don't feel bad about the ball. We got the Constellation Championship on Sunday. Sick. I mean, that's a true Cinderella story, dude. It's great. Fuck Marks Maddox, too. Like, this is the basketball.

We came for. Yeah, I'm already trying to be like, maybe I just keep these girls training throughout the summer. Beat the wheels off everyone next year. At evaluations, I tell them to, like, just dog it, like, a lose your left hand or something. And I draft them all back and we... So funny.

That's amazing. Oh, my God. I don't even want to get into a hockey. So, yeah, sorry. Sorry, I went on tangent. As you can tell, I'm super proud of my girls. As you should be. I mean, that was a good tangent to go on.

Yeah. If we, I mean, we have to get back into this. First question I have for you is, obviously, you come here and play during the regular season when you're playing for the caps. But does it feel nostalgic coming back here when you're hearing? Like, we can hear the band right now. Like, do you walk in here like, hell yeah? Like, do you feel those moments of it? Yeah.

So I stepped in the door upstairs and instantly smelled the cinnamon mini donuts. Yeah. And it's like a smell that it's just like when you walk and you're like, oh my gosh. Yeah. Like I'm back. And I mean, the definitely the band that makes you, that's like state tournament stuff. You know, bands like competing against other. Yeah, yeah.

I mean, it's amazing. But yeah, there is a special feeling to this to this building when I come here. And it's been that way ever since. back in 2003. And it's like that every single time I play the Wild. Like every time I come in here, I don't think of like playoffs in St. Louis against the Wild. I don't think about like I had a couple,

like an overtime winner here one time, which was one of my favorite shots. But I think about like high school in the state tournament. Yeah. And this is my first chance I've been back since we won it in 2005 because I've always been playing. And it's just, it's a great feeling. Oh, this is your first time just to the mini tournament?

This is my first time. I didn't know that. Yeah. Dude, that's awesome. Last time I was here at this tournament, I was a champion. Holy shit, dude. Wow. Yeah.

That's incredible. Well, you just mentioned first time was 2003. Yeah. As a sophomore. As a sophomore. And you guys won as well. Yes. What was that like being a sophomore, getting to the tournament?

How was your regular season? Do you remember who you beat? What was that whole first experience like? First year, it was kind of a, it was almost like jumping on a moving train. Like for me, because, like, I didn't grow up in World, so I didn't know what everything was all about. I had been to the state tournament. I think we came out here in 96 when I was a kid. But don't really remember, it was either 96 or 94.

I don't really remember much about it. Yeah. I would have been 8 or 10 at the time. Yeah. And it was like the, I don't know, there was just something about that war road team. One of our rivals, Steve River Falls. And I don't know if this is actually true. But our guys said that they're like, oh, they're like supposed to be one of the best high school teams

like in the nation. Yeah, okay. And so we were like, oh, shoot, like they're in our section. And we ended up just having like a mean, like pretty offensive team, but like definitely very mean team that year. And we just bullied people into like beating them by double digits a lot of times, not in the state tournament. And in the state tournament, I actually, I don't remember,

but I think every goal I scored was on my backhand. No way. Which is weird. I ended up making an all tournament team. It was like, it literally was, there's, um, that's such a flex in high school. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I, I mean, I don't know. That's amazing. You had more backhand sophomore year. My dad just always said that. And I was like, I don't know. Yeah, I guess it was. I don't know. That's just when I got to the net. But, um, it was almost so surreal and almost so crazy that I literally didn't have time to like think about it and

have time to be nervous. I was more nervous my junior year coming in as like the number one team and defending champions. What seed were you guys? that sophomore year? I'm not sure. I want to say we were pretty high. Oh, you were high. I think we were pretty high. So we didn't have many losses.

I think my whole high school career, we were 85, 5, and 3. And so there wasn't a lot of losses. Those are tough nights, honestly. Those are tough nights. You remember the losses more than the wins at that point. Yeah. Yeah.

But it was crazy. And honestly, when we won the state championship that year, I was like, this is my, this is as good as... We did it. This is my peak, yeah. This is high as I'm going to get. And I'm fine with that, because this is amazing. This was the dream, dude.

This is the dream. Yeah. It's cool to hear you say that it was hard to even be nervous because we'll talk to guys that won the cup as a rookie. And they kind of say a similar thing where they're like, I don't know. I was just like my first year and won and that was it. So it's odd. But going into your junior, you just said, coming back defending champs,

you have a monster year, junior year, 85 points in 31 games. But you guys don't win it. year tell us about playoffs like what happened in playoffs that year and was it like such a letdown or how'd you feel yeah I mean it was I mean it was honestly like demoralized almost like I felt like embarrassed yeah because we lost to we lost to Orno who we had beat the year before in the semis maybe and yeah I I felt really like pretty good that game but for whatever reason our team just like couldn't get going yeah and it was Which was it the final or which round was it?

It was a quarterfinals. Quarter final. So we went and played the next two games at Marriucci and won like 133 and like 10-1 or something. Yeah, yeah. I don't know what the actual scores were, but I remember we scored a lot of goals. Dude, tangent. I didn't know this. Like, you lose that game and then you go to those consolation games.

You beat the wheels up. You know, like, why didn't we just fucking do this? And we didn't even want to be in those other games, right? We're like. It's a nightmare. Dude, well, I didn't know that there was a consolation bracket, which is kind of cool because you don't, it's not like your season just ends and the boys graduating. You're like, see you.

never, whatever. But I didn't know it was at a different rink. And some of the fans last night were chanting Mariucci at people that were losing. And I was like, that is such a chur. It's a good chur. Yeah. That is such a chur. Dude, I mean, that's one cool thing about the state tournament is you have like, if you're from a small town, like you have like your whole town here. Yeah. If you're from one of the cities, you have like your whole school here. Yeah. Plus like, you know, parents. Um, and it gets a little rowdy. I mean, oh, dude, we, kids are ruthless. We've been seen it. There was, there was like. Kids are ruthless. violent language being thrown around yesterday.

And I'm looking up, you know, it's like people walking in the 300s yelling down at people. And I'm looking at them, hearing what they're saying. And I'm like, yeah, hockey's talk. But then I'm like, that kid's 15 years old. Yeah. This is out of control. Anything goes when you get to the state tournament, you know, they just, they let it fly. It's a bit chippy too.

It's 11 a.m. on a Wednesday. There's a bunch of high schoolers. I'm like, don't you have school? Like, what is happening? It's insane. But no, it's a special, it's such a special tournament. I mean, high school hockey and jazz. general, right? Because even if you play in the USHL, you play in juniors, you might all kind of go to the same

school, or maybe you go to different schools, or maybe there's guys that are graduated from high school. And it's just a different vibe. These are like literally your classmates. You see them all day. You're at lunch together. Yeah. You're just, and then you go out there and, I mean, you go to war with each other. Yep. Which is, there's something different about that. It has a little bit more of like a college field than maybe juniors might have. Definitely. Because in college, you're in the dorms together. you're getting lunches together and all that. Dude, so I want to get into your senior year, but before even that,

when you're a good team in Minnesota high school hockey, are you thinking about this tournament all season long? Yeah. Like after a few games, you're good. Are you like, it's all about the tournament? Just got to get to the tournament. Like, I can't imagine thinking about anything else when this exists. Yeah, I mean, the only reason I went back,

I went back to War Road for my senior year was because I won me. state tournament. Yeah. So we had Kyle Hardwick who was heavily recruited and drafted by Lincoln. He was going to go to Lincoln and I was getting talked to. I don't know if it was like officially like invited to Shattuck. And so he was like, hey, are you going? He's like, if you go, I'm going to go. And I like, instantly, I was like, dude, we're not going. Like, we're coming back. And so we came back and then. Can imagine if you cucked him and he like, he was like, we're back and you're like, I'm going to Shattuck. Never mind, I'm leaving. So, yeah, and then even that was a crazy year because I was drafted by Sue Falls,

so he would drive from War Road to Lincoln, Nebraska. 14, 13, I don't know. Half a day. It's a lot of hours. Jesus. And then I would play in an elite league down here. I couldn't play football because I injured my quad with compartment syndrome. And so I would drive to the Twin Cities.

play like elite league game and then drive from here to Sioux Falls play Sioux Falls that night. Yeah. After the game or wake up early in the morning drive back here, play Elite League and then drive back up to War Oh, Jesus. That's insane. And so it was, yeah. That was your senior year? That was my senior year.

So amidst this, 31 games, 100 points. Undefeated. I need to know everything. Do you remember your hundred point when you went into that season where you're like getting 100 points would be sick? No. Was that ever on your mind? No, not really.

I mean, so they had this, I don't know if they still have, there's literally a chat room. You know, back in the year. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, dude, I lived in chat rooms. It was called, like, Minhawk, maybe. And so, like, at lunch sometimes I could, like, go in and be like, hmm, I wonder what people are saying about me. Yeah, he's got a burner, dude. I would look at it.

War Road fan, yeah. War Road fan, 74. I'd look at it, and they'd have, like, everyone's stats. So you could kind of follow along, and really all I wanted to do was just lead the state and scoring. Sure, yeah. I didn't really care about, like, 100 point or whatever it was. and also you want to try to win Mr. Hockey, right? So you're like, if I have the most points, probably a good chance to win Mr. Hockey.

Unfortunately, I didn't have great grade, so maybe that plays a little bit of a thing into it. Who cares? Politics. Yeah. But no, that was kind of it. My 100th point was the overtime game winner passed across off the face-off. And so it was kind of... Oh, that was the 100th point.

That's the 100th point. Yeah. So they count playoff points. That is incredible. Oh, my God. So you winning to that game, how many points do you have that game? Honestly, I don't know. I'm really not like a stat guy.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It is so funny, though, like I think about it. 31 games, 100 points. You guys must have just been speedbagging teams all season long. You know what actually was a little frustrating is what was passed down from Kerry Eads, who was our coach, my sophomore in junior year, and then he went to North Dakota as an assistant coach. Yeah.

If we were up by like three or more goals, he did not play our first line. Oh, really? Fuck. And so there was plenty of games where, you know, there's some small towns that just don't have a lot of people. And so they have like a couple good players, but then drops off a little bit. And so there's games that get up in the teens. You know, I think we beat Rosa like 15 to 1. Yeah. I don't know if I even played a second in the third period.

Yeah, you know. You would have 120. Yeah. I think I could have had more. Cost you, Mr. Hart. I could have overcome the grades if I had got 120. Damn it, dude. So, but no, it was a cool year.

It was a really like, like we were just on a mission. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Everyone was on a mission. It was like all business. We weren't cocky. We weren't. It was just like next. Dude, I feel like when you go undefeated, that's the vibe.

Yeah. It's like you, everyone is all business. It's like you could be the best team in the world, but if you're not locked in, you let a couple slip here and then. But like that feels like a just full mission season. And honestly, once you get like halfway through the season and you're like 15 and 0, you're like, got to do it now. We should do this.

We're not losing. Yep. We actually almost lost. We score with like. I was going to ask if there was a scare. Yeah. So we were one in the state, single A. Morehead was one in the state double A.

We play them. The fire marshal actually had to come and take people out because there's too many people in their barn. Oh, gosh. Also, that is so money being a single A team. beating the number one double a team. Yeah, that's a flex. They were, so it ended up being a tie. Okay, okay.

We were down one nothing. There was a minute to go, or like 30 seconds to go. And a guy who actually I'm like, I'm friends with, we became friends after. He came with like 15 seconds left and just literally football linebacker tackled me and just laid on top of my body in the slot. And wouldn't let me get up. Take him out of the play. And he literally is laying on me.

I'm like, I'm like, you know, get off me. And the refs ended up calling, giving us both a penalty. So I go into the box and we're down one-nothing. Face off in their end is like eight seconds left. Off the draw, Kyle Hardrick, the kid that could have went to Lincoln. Hardo, he's coming here later tonight. Let's go Hardo. He walks across the blue line on the face off, snaps at home, tie game.

That is an all-time. We end up tying. So I think. So did that end in a tie? Yeah, and the tie. Yeah, so I think we were 28-0 and 3. We had three ties that year. But that was like the scary one.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, my God. That's electric. And who did you play in the final? Yeah, so what was the final? And the final was Titino Grace. There's one kid, I don't know who it was. You like shouted me the whole game.

So it was a frustrating game. It was kind of a back and forth game. They played really good. We played really good. and end up the last face off. The coach called in Aaron Marvin to take the face off. And I was a centerman. So he was like, hey, coach wants me to take the face off.

I'm like, I was like, no. I was like, go over there. I was like, just go to the net on the draw. And so I pushed it through him, slid it over, and he had an empty net. Dude. And we won. What does your coach say? Is he like, my bad, dude?

Well, we were all, I mean, you know, everyone skates to the celebration, to the student section to celebrate. And so. Dude, that's so cool with the student sections in the corners. Like every time the boys score. Yeah, everyone flies to it. Right to the corner. In War Ode, what's awesome is the glass isn't very high.

So when we win, it rotates, War Ode, The River Falls, East Grand Forks. And when we won in War Ode, which was my sophomore year, we ran and literally climbed over the glass. And we went into the student section, which is amazing. Skates on and everything. Insane. Yeah. I need to take a moment to talk about. to talk to you guys about something that's very important to me and something that people have

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I actually just emailed him the other day. Yes. Did you guys play Orno in the playoffs that year? We did not. Okay. We did not. You've got to tag him back. Someone from Tito Grace, though, at college, must have been very upset that we beat him

because he broke into my college dorm during one of our games, stole my laptop, boxed it up and put it under a bridge on campus. In the middle of... Did he go to North Dakota? Wild. Yeah. He wasn't a... Like, he didn't play at North Dakota. He went to college in North Dakota.

And then it was like, I hate T.J. O.C. Yeah. And so he just like... So it wasn't a prank. It was just like a vindictive. I mean, honestly, I was roommates. I was roommates. I was roommates with Brian Lee who won Mr. Hockey that year.

Yeah, yeah. We were roommates. He didn't steal his laptop. Yeah, he literally walked. We actually didn't lock our door. So he just walked into our room, took just my laptop, put it in a box. How did you find it? I called the cops because I was like something happened, which honestly is like scary.

I know. That's scary as a kid. And then someone ended up finding it, turning it into him. And they're like, oh, hey, we got your laptop. So I got it back, but, I mean, it never worked. It was out in North Dakota under a bridge in the middle of February. I mean, he's listening to this. It's just frozen solid.

It's just frozen. But I end up finding out through just like people in the dorms. And I was like, whatever. Yeah. Should have been your first suspect. Yeah. Truly. I didn't know him.

I never met him. Never confronted. It's absolutely bizarre. Yeah. Yeah. So, dude, to just put a bow on it, three incredible years, two state championships. What did this experience mean to you just as a player and like a person? You talk about being back for the first time. So just what does that mean to you?

Man. It's kind of, it was almost kind of like the, honestly, it was like the start of, kind of just me like thinking that maybe there's, I can keep playing. I can keep going. I kind of, I just like, I'm very naive and I kind of just always, I was like, you know, when people ask you, like, what are you going to do? I'm like, oh, I'll play in the NHL. Yeah, yeah. And it was just like, that was it. Yep. I wasn't like, my dad wasn't taking me training seven days a week or anything,

like some of these crazy kids anymore. Like it was just, I played all sports and had fun, but eventually I was going to play in the NHL. And this tournament, this experience, even just like walking down here with a wild walk, going into the locker room and there's like attendance in like red jackets outside the door. Like, as a little kid, you're like, wow.

Oh, dude. Their job is just to stand there and make sure no one bothers like me, which is impossible because you're high school kids. Like you don't care what's going on. But and so it kind of put a, it's so like a belief into me that, man, like shit, maybe I will. Maybe I can keep playing. Yeah. Also the first thing it really cemented, I think, my relationship with my teammates and that crew. and, you know, we're like, we're all kind of spread apart.

Some still are in the world. But when we get back together for, like, the golf tournament in the summer, like, it's like it's like we just won. And so it's super cool. Anytime you win, you do something that's very hard and you succeed at it with somebody, they just kind of become like, you know, your brother for life. 100%. Yeah.

Yeah. So. And then how cool, dude, is it that now you with World Hockey Co. Getting to see all these kids doing what you did 20 years ago. rocking the tie low, rocking all the gear, like all the kids walking around with hats right now. Like that must be a kind of cool, proud moment for you. Yeah. It's honestly, it's even when the brand, you know, started doing well and getting more recognition,

I didn't even think that this is like a possibility. So when my partners called me and I think it was in like the fall, and they're like, hey, I think we're going to do state tournament. I was like, no way. I don't even know how the world works. obviously you need sponsors for things right like and you don't when you're like when you're a hockey player you're just a kid until you retire yep right you're still like yeah you're a grown up you have kids and stuff but like you are a kid yeah correct like you're and uh i was like oh yeah i guess like we're

a hockey company and it's a state tournament and makes sense it makes sense like that's how that's what's supposed to happen and i was like this is amazing and so uh back then i was like man if i'm not playing like I'm like I have to make the tournament I got to go back I got to get the mini donuts and I got to see these kids on the ice yeah dude we get go to the media availability yesterday like they bring some of the kids in they all look terrified oh yeah this one kid walks in he's got the tie low neckguard on and he's ripped the sleeves off that's all he's wearing dude we're like this is such a good war road moment I saw your guys this post and I was like what that kid probably doesn't know is there's a lot of NHL guys that actually are like

Oh, hell yeah. Like the first, the very first, before we had the neck guards, our very first Tilo had the, has our padlock on it that holds your, your elbows, your elbows in. And I was so proud of this. I'm like, oh, guys, look, like I engineered this. Well, I mean, I just had the idea. My team actually put it together. And I was like so proud of it.

And the guy was like, oh, sweet. And then I was like, yeah, I was like, try it out, man. And then we go and I'm, you know, we're in D.C. or practice, I'm like, put my skates on. I look over. The same guy I was talking to, literally sleeves. cut right off. And I was like, you know how much effort? This is the genius, do you know how expensive that sleeve is? Do you have any

idea? How much money went into that? Once those sleeves. And I was like, oh, well, yeah. Hey, whatever works. I will say that, you know, Minnesota High School hockey players, they got they're not scared of making their own styles. Correct. You can tell

from the hockey hair. We got a sense of that. Yeah, we got a sense of that. Now you can tell from the clothes. Yeah. It's insane. It's the best. Getting into the NHL right now. Want to get your thoughts on four nations because obviously 2014 was the best. How cool was it for you watching NHL guys sued up in a best-on-best international tournament again? Honestly, I think it is so long overdue. Yeah, dude. And maybe you don't get the same amount of fire if they have been doing that every year.

Yeah. But a lot of these kids, they weren't in the NHL in 2014. So they didn't play in the Olympics. Yeah. And maybe since then, their team's been in playoffs and they didn't play in any world championships. So a lot of these kids probably grew up playing world juniors. What's the other one? The other under 17s is that one of them?

I definitely wasn't good enough yet to make that team. But so they have this this like upbringing of like playing for your country and like hating Canada. Yeah. And you know, we play hard against the other teams too. But we hate like on the ice. We hate Canada. Canada hates us. Yeah.

And so to see that fire come out on them, I think it's like, all right, this is my chance. I got the red white and blue on again. I don't have to go against, you know, usually for me in the Olympics, I was like, thank God I don't have to play against my team. These guys that are on my team because, like, I hate playing them. Oh, dude. And you go to war. So I think it was very, I think it was super special for those kids to experience that. one other thing is I loved how good USA looked against Canada

because when I was coming up Canada was they were just better a big brother they were yeah I mean they were way better and we tried our best and the games are usually tight but USA now looks like they're they're right there oh yeah and I actually really loved so many I mean Coop said this so many of the guys on Canada after they one said it they were like we are the exact same team. Like they're just as good at us. They beat us once. We beat them once in OT. Like we can USA can play with Canada all day right now. And I'm with you. It's like it hasn't really felt like that that it's been this neck and neck in my lifetime. Yeah. No. It's crazy. It's a huge testament,

I think, to USA hockey and just bringing these kids up. And I think probably social media and things like that helps because they can kind of see things and now emulate. I think a lot more people watch, have the ability to watch hockey now. Whereas, you know, in Canada, you could watch hockey. There's hockey on all the time. In the U.S., not so much. Totally true. And so if you want your hockey fix and you're a kid and you love hockey in the U.S. now, you can just pull up social media. You can do whatever. And there's millions of YouTube's of different moves and different stuff you can do. So it was great to see the U.S. team hang in there and be right there with them.

You're so right to it. It did feel like, even in just Canada, Sweden, It did feel like there was 10 years of pent up progression. Yeah, because if you haven't... Just like, oh, my God, what the fuck is happening? We've been held back. We haven't been able to go to the Olympics, which is terrible. And, yeah, I think you saw it come out there. For sure.

Because, I mean, to play like that mid-season, like, that's, that, at that, what that tournament is, is when your body is at its worst. Yeah. That's what... February, that's when you're like, I'm just like, get me to end of March. Yeah. Please.

And for them to like go from feeling like that. And even probably some of them coming in already dinged up. And then just be like, you know what? I'm going to play like it's game seven. Yeah. That's amazing. Yeah. I actually just got chills.

Yeah. And I don't even. Come on. I don't even watch a lot of hockey. Yeah. I watched that. Yeah. God.

God. Okay. So you guys are having an awesome year this year. It might win the president's trophy. But we were talking as the deadline was building up and stuff. This year to us has felt like it's a bit more wide open than in some years. Some years you're like really only these. two or three teams can win it. But this year it's kind of like you guys are having an incredible year.

It wasn't expected. The Jets are having an incredible year. It wasn't as expected. And then you've got the traditional powerhouses. Does it feel that way to you watching where you're like, it's kind of an interesting year. It's a bit wide open. It is. Yeah. It's honestly I prefer it that way. Yeah. I prefer not to have just like two powerhouses to be like all them against them in the finals. I'm interested to see what happens in the trade deadline here because I feel like sometimes like one team does one thing and then the other team's like oh now we have to which is I think the wrong way to go about it. Honestly sometimes especially if you're having success not really doing much is like pretty good

because that means the team is feeding off each other. And when it comes down to it in playoffs like it's more important to have a group of 20 that will work for each other than one really good player to add. You know it messes. I love that. It just messes things up. But there's obviously always good ads at the dead. but it is it does seem a little bit more more even and more anyone's ballgame it's just depends on

who's going to who's going to step up yeah you know every year someone steps up and it's like those guys are not losing yeah and it's awesome to be a team that has some playoff experience absolutely yeah dude it is funny you're like you're so right our gambling buddy was like give me like who are the two teams and we're like I don't know like truly it's there's so many but you're so right with the like if you're a good team which I think you guys are. It's like, don't panic because so-and-so trades three first-round picks and they get these three guys. Yeah. It's like, you look at Florida last year. They lost in the final the year before and they were like, we'll be back. And they made small moves at an Oki and Teresenko not giving up too much and then they win.

Yeah. So that's such a good point. It's like sometimes you don't need to panic. Yeah. But it is like, it is crazy how much it feels like I could pick seven to 10 teams right now that I'm like they could probably win. Yeah. It's wild. Yeah. Absolutely insane. But speaking of your team, let's talk about Ovi for a second. Scored last night, 10 goals away from Gretz. How insane is it as a brother, a teammate, a friend, his age, and what everyone expected of him this year,

him just leaps and bounds surpassing it. Is it insane for you guys? Yeah, he literally broke his leg. Is it genuinely insane for you guys watching it? Or are you like, this is Ovi? I mean, I'll lean more towards this. Zobie. So it was probably maybe our third

year together, which would have been the year we won. In 16th, 17th season, I tied him for the team leading goals. And, I mean, maybe one of my better life

accomplishments. It was also, I think, the least amount of goals he's ever scored in his life. But still, I was like, that doesn't matter. That's a fact. But everyone then, And I did NHL media tours, and I talked to all the people, and they're like, I mean, I almost got into it with one guy. He was like, you know, is OV ever going to be considered great if he doesn't win a cup? And I'm like, what? I was like, what do you?

I was like, yeah. Yeah. I was like, there's a lot of great players that never won a cup. Yeah, like, I was going through. Yeah, yeah. Give me a break. And so he's just going through all this stuff. And everyone was like, oh, Ovi's slowing down.

Yeah. Ovi's, you know, and then that year he just kept scoring, scoring, scoring, scoring, we won the cup, he wins a consmite. And it's just like, I just can never doubt this guy ever again. I can't. And so since then, it's like, if anytime anyone ever asked me about Ovi, and like, I'm definitely never surprised about anything. And if they asked me if he's going to slow down or if he's going to do it this year, and I literally tell everyone the exact same thing, I'm like, that's completely up to O. Yeah. So like, it's up to O.

If O wants to do it and he puts in the way for it, he will do it. I don't care how old he is. I mean, to break your leg. Oh, shit. It's like, I remember when he broke his leg and I was like, God damn it. Derailed the whole season. Yeah. I was so upset.

And then, like, what was it, a week, two weeks later, he was skating. And I was like, what the fuck? And, like, boom. I think it was his first or second game back scores. And I was like, oh, he's just. just still going to do it. It's amazing. It's, it's, it's completely up to him, I think. God, it's still awesome. If he wants to do it, you'll do it. If he wants it bad enough. And it's, I mean, I tell my kids that all the time. You know, that's like a nice little lesson to tell

your kids. But, like, it's true for him. I hope it's true for my kids, too. But, like, it's true. And he's just a special, special human being, special player. And I hope he does it. um this year. Yeah. Me too. Um, he has to, right?

I hope he does it this year. If he doesn't, he'll, I mean, he's gonna, obviously he's gonna get it. Yeah. And,

um, but you're so right. At this point, I'm like, you gotta do it this year. Like, don't, don't do it in game one.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Although we do play pits for game one next year. Oh, oh, dude, you also play Pitt last game this year.

Okay. So we got, that's a nice little back to back to back. With a couple months in between. God. I like that. You know, we hate Pittsburgh. That would be cool.

That would be really good. I hope it happens to cap one too. I know there's because there's a lot of odds flying around of like where he's going to do it. And there's like a back-to-back Columbus game and you're home for one of them. And I was like, that could be it. That could be there.

Yeah. That's awesome. All I know is there's going to be a lot of people. It's going to be nuts. Oh, yeah. At all those, when he gets in three. Yeah. Because, I mean, dude, you can't miss it.

Yeah. Once you get some thing, you have to start going to the game. Like, I'm going to tell my kid, like, hey, sorry, we're missing soccer tonight, guys. Like, Ovi's could do it. Yeah, exactly. Insane. Yeah. Last thing I wanted to ask you about the deadline is, because we've heard your, you know,

you had a great story when you came to Washington, and then the story, which we will get someday when you resigned with Washington. But just talk about what is, like, this is a pretty stressful time for players, you know, when it's just deadline day. We have guys texting us right now, being like, what are you hearing, you know, what's going on? So is that weird when you're just trying to focus on this, but all the rumors are swirling all over the place it's uh it's very weird it's very uncomfortable yeah it's a very uncomfortable week um once you see one trade go then you're like

i don't know because it's always like every GM's trying to make their team better right yeah and usually if you're on the last year of your deal you're it's really like i don't know yeah um you're good player on a bad team you know player that doesn't having a great year on a good team it's like everything's just like you just don't know and so So, I mean, there's guys, a lot of teams go on like road trips right now. Oh, right, true. Like four or five days road trips, right? And so we've had guys in the past that will literally come, it'll be like a three-day road trip.

And they'll come with a bag this big, fully packed with everything that they would need for like a month. Yeah. Because they're like, because if you get traded on the road, you don't go home. No, no, yeah. You go right to wherever it is and you're probably playing that next night. And so you need, like, think of like, if you're like, hey, you got to move to. Yeah, you live in Winnipeg now. If you have to move the Winnipeg tomorrow and you can't come back until the summer.

Then like, what do you pack? Yeah. You're playing in Florida too. Yeah, yeah. Well, I don't even have the close. Yeah. What do you want me to do. So it's a, and then you see as a teammate, and if you're someone that you're like,

oh, I think I'm, you know, I feel pretty good. I'm staying here. And you see a teammate like that. Then you're like, well, you know, that's obviously his confidence isn't very high right now. So now you're trying to like, yeah. So now you're trying to, like, you know, Like, you know, you want to make him, you got a game probably that night. Yeah.

Like, dude, hey, we're good. We're good, man. We need you. You know, just let it go. Let's go get a W. So it's hard. It's different. That's like one of the sucky parts about playing the NHL is it is a business.

Yeah, for sure. Things happen. But when you see the guys bring the massive suitcases for a couple days, you're just like, I wonder what's going through your mind right now. I'm a pat on the back. Yeah. I'll pick up the tab. Yeah. I've been there a couple times. I've never packed a big bag.

But yeah, it's stressful. Yeah. When you get, and then you bring kids into the mix. Oh, it's brutal. That's when it gets real crazy. Yeah, I mean, think about what you just said, like, imagine being on the road getting dealt and then calling home and being like this. I won't see you for a month because I'm going to Winnipeg. Yeah.

I feel like we're suering Winnipeg right now. Insane. Winnipeg's only two hours from World. I know. I actually didn't realize that. They just told me that when we were here. They were like it's pretty close to Warwick. Warren actually. Yeah. Oh, wow. Winnipeg's probably the closest. My Canada geography is fucked. Yeah. I have no idea where anything is. Yeah. I mean, like you say Manitoba and I think a lot of people are like, I don't know where that is. That sounds crazy. We had kids at our high school from Manitoba. No way. Yeah, that's how high is up there. Jesus. They drive across the border every morning for school. For eight a.m. class. And then, you know, I mean, 18 years old to go to the bar up there. So like, oh, dude. In high school. Yeah. In high school. Does that still happen? Are there kids at War Road today? Are there? Are there kids at War Road today?

who are from Manitoba. Yeah, there should be, yeah. That is insane. Wild. I don't even understand how that works. Going through the border? Yeah, like, you just go through the border. I'm pretty sure they get some type of, like, they see him every day, right?

And it's not like it's a massive border. It's just like one lane. It's like a high school easy pass. Yeah, yeah. We got to test today, dude. Yeah. Oh, my God. All right.

Dude, unbelievable chat. We got to go watch some of these games. Yeah. Let's play two games. We're going to play a couple games of you before we go. Okay. Have you seen us do our blind rankings? I have not.

Okay, so blind ranking, I'm going to give you a blind ranking. Okay. Basically what this is, is you're going to rank something that I'm about to tell you one to five, but you don't know what's coming next, so you've got to guess. Yeah, what I'm saying? You and I are doing it together, so it'll be like, let's say we're ranking... Foods. I'll be like your favorite Italian food.

And I'll be like chicken parm. And you've got to decide where on the one to five scale you want to put it. You could put it one, but we don't know what's coming next. So we're like, maybe we save one. Oh, okay. It's a mental gap. I got you. I got you.

Yeah. So what we're going to do is blind ranking. Okay. Guys on Team USA four nations performance. Oh, boy. Okay. All right, you pick them. I don't know.

That's going to be tough. I know. Oh, yeah. And I promise to not sewer you guys. Okay. Okay. All right. Number one.

Connor Hellebuck. Okay. I thought he played pretty well, actually. Is five high? No, one's the best. Five is the last. Five, five. One's the best. We're going to caveat out this by saying everyone was great. Yes, of course. Absolutely.

I thought he was very good. He has the playoff, you know, people were like, oh, he doesn't really deliver in big games. I thought he did. Yeah. I could go pretty high here, actually. I might go real high. Well, you want to go one? We might have to leave one open.

But who was better, actually? I could do a two. I could do a two here. I'm very comfortable with two. A two out the game. He's not a two, he's a one. Wow. In my book.

Okay. Because those are all game sevens. He didn't give up much. Actually, now you're talking me into one, dude. Maybe he is a one. I have a one in my head. Oh, okay. Let's go to that.

Let's go to that. And he's probably not who anyone thinks. Okay, let's go too. Based on what you just said, it's who my number one is, and I can't wait to get there. Okay. All right. Austin Matthews. I want to go.

I thought he was more underrated defensively than people give him credit for. He wasn't scoring a lot and everything. He missed those chances in OT, though. That was tough. Maybe four? Team captain. A lot of pressure. A lot of pressure.

But we're just going on performance. Yeah. Some guys had a good tournament. I know. I think four is good. Although I think he's one of the best players in the world. Of course. But for the tournament.

Could we go five? It's not up to me, guys. I'm just thinking, like, if Austin's watching this. But like we said, everyone was great. Everyone, yeah. We could. We could go five. Let's go four.

Let's go four. Okay, four. Dylan Larkin. I thought he was great. I thought he was great. I don't have him in the one, though. Okay, okay. Personally.

I think we need to go three. Because I can't go five there. Yeah. Because I think he was better than Austin. So we're going three. We're going three with Larks. But I thought he had a great tournament. Okay.

Was that your one? Nope. Oh, really? I thought that would have been. That's a W for me. That's my boy. That's my boy. Don't worry. Next one. I'm trying to think of what I want to do.

It's one or five? Yeah. This has to be one or five. Let's go. Brock Faber. Oh, okay. I think we got to go five to save your spot. And I think that's correct.

He was great, though. He was great. He was great. But there's a couple guys. There's one. I don't know if we have the same guy, but there's one that if that gets called for me. it has to be one.

So we're going Brock 5 and now we're just going to hear it. Now we're locked into one. Now we're locked at one. Number one player. I promise I'm not changing this. It was always going to be the last one I said. Jacob Slavin. One.

One. Yeah. You're one? One. 100%. 100%. He was insane. In those games to have someone as like a forward that you just know is going to get the job done when

you mess up or it's just. Yeah. And I played against him and it's so frustrating. Oh, we were. There were some times where McDavid had a full head of speed coming down one-on-one, looks up, see Slavin, and he would pull up and be like, I'm going to wait for the cavalry here. And I'm like, that is so much respect. Holy shit. But I don't know if you remember this play.

The final game, he fucking laid down in front of a shot. From Jarvie. And, like, rotated his body and swung his back leg up and blocked it off the back of his leg. And I was like, this guy's out of his mind. It was unbelievable. It was unbelievable. Dude, it was such a coming out party, I think, for. Not casual, but just more average NHL fans.

Because they were like, who the fuck is this guy? And I was like, yeah, he's nasty, dude. Well, guys, that was a pretty good list. Great list. Well done. I thought about throwing Brady Kachuk in at that fourth one and really fucking with you guys. Yeah, because that would have been a bad. That would have been a tough.

That would have been tough. I didn't want you to have to put Brady at five. Well done. I become, honestly, though, I become, because I haven't watched Faber a lot. And in the tournament, I kind of like some of his stuff. So even though he's in the five spot. Yeah. No, he was great.

He's great. He's impressive, dude. He's a little younger. so I haven't played that against them. Okay, here's our last game. I'm going to give you both five NHL players, and then I'm going to give you five career plus minuses, and you have to match them.

Okay. And I'll tell you which ones you got right. You're going to keep going until you get them off. Okay. Okay. I'm going to write these down. Okay, yeah. Tell me when you're ready.

I am ready. Okay, your five players are Tom Wilson, Evgeny Malkin. Okay. Evgeny Kuznetsoff. Okay. Alex Petrangelo. And David Backus.

Ooh. Man. And the plus minuses? This is tough. This is tough. Plus 64. Jesus Christ. That's got to be Gino.

Plus 38. Plus 17. Plus 6. Minus 23. Talk it out, boys. First of all, shame on you because now you got to sewer somebody. We're suering someone. guess someone's minus 20.

What were the names again? We got Willie. Yeah, we got Willie. We got Gino, Cousie, Petro, and Bacchus. I feel like 64 has to be Gino. You know what's hard about the really good players? They're on the ice a lot. They're on the ice six on five for empty netters.

Oh, dude, great tidbit. So, like, the last, like, three years or so that we haven't been, like, where we were. like I've always kind of been a plus player but we've been down in a lot of games and so in any given year you you eat like 15

5 6 on 5 dashes and then sometimes you get down two and you go back out and you pull the goal again and you're like no damn no send unit two out yeah that's a nightmare dude oh my god that's hilarious

so it throws a little wrinkle into okay by the way this is a a dash 23. Yeah, I got to put that there. I think Backus is in the positive. You do? Yes.

Damn. I was going to sue her backus. Well, this is everyone who's just played with or against a lot. I think Backus is going to be in the positive. What about those Anaheim years, though? To end it. Yeah. Those could have been tough.

Those could have been tough. Who do you? Let's start from the top. Who do you think is the plus 64? I think it's Petro. Or Malkin. All right, I want Malkin. Okay.

So let's go Gino 64, but then let's go Petro 38. Okay. And then... So we got 176 and 23. Do you feel like Cousie's low? I don't know. You got so many points. Yeah.

This is so hard. This is like the hardest game ever. Having an NHL player doing this and admitting it's hard to is very helpful. I usually get zero right the first time. All right. We're going, hold on, we're going, Gino, Petro, and then... Let's put... All right, I guess maybe we can throw back to minus 23.

Okay. Sorry, D.B. Sorry. It's the Anaheim years, though. No offense, Anahe. And let's go... 17, 16, let's go... Cousy, Tom.

Cousy Willie. Okay. So we're going to go down the line. We're going to go Gino, Petro, Coozy, Willie, Bacchus. You got zero correct. Can we go one by one? Yep, yep, yep. Let's get the minus 22 out of here.

Yeah, all right. Miner minus 23. Or 23. Is who did we just have? We had Tom. Tom Wilson? You just, who did you just have? You had Bacchus.

Oh, you had Bacchus. Yeah, yeah. Okay. And is, who do you want to guess now? Well, it's just, well, we had Willy as our second lowest. Incorrect. Dude, it might be, it might be. Is Backus plus 64?

Yes. I told you. Way, dude, that's on me. We went DV minus 23s plus 64. Oh my God. Yeah, you knew it. This is my fault. You knew it, dude.

When you said that you were like, Backus might be positive. So all our time in St. Louis, we were the shutdown line, right? So we were going against Datsu. We were going against all the top lines. Like when we played caps, we went against Ovi. Yeah. And our whole philosophy was just don't be minding.

this against the top line. Yeah, yeah. And if we're plus one, we're probably going to win the game. Yeah, right. And so, dude, one year together, I mean, we all had like career highs, me, him, and Steen. And we must have been, I don't know what we were there, but we were, we were high. I saw those seasons when I was doing this. Yeah. Okay. So you've got Bacchus and you've got some data on by this logic. I think we go Gino dash 23. Throw it. Gino dash 23. We're thinking empty netters and we're thinking just the reverse logic. And guess the rest of them too. Okay. So you have, do you have Geno minus 23? Gino minus 23

We got Backus locked there Cousie at 6 I like it And then Tom at 38 Tom at 38 and Petro at 17 I think you already had Petro at 17 So Petro and Coozy swapped

Yep Okay you got Tom at 17 correct And Gino at minus 23 correct Awesome we just missed on So you got to flip Coozy Which you were on dude Coozy plus 38 He had a lot of points

And Willie 6. No, Tommy about 17. Petro 6. Holy shit, dude. Gino minus 23. We need to work on our team work a little bit here, I think. Big time. We should do better than that.

Coosie blew my mind, plus 38. In my mind, I was like, he's plays loose, whatever. You got us back on track with DB being up there at 64. That is, I feel terrible. We sewered him. People do not score. Yeah, I agree against his line. Legend.

Holy hell. Is that epic? That was exhilaring. Geno minus 23 also shocked me. Empty Netters is a great is a great stats. It's empty netter. Yeah. Yeah. Well, what a time.

What a time. What I'm talking about that. Yeah. That is crazy. I want to give a little shout out to my boy nice here after his tilt last night too, by the way. How about that? That was a ferocious fight. Pirocious.

Yeah. He does it all good. I love him. Absolutely chucking. It's insane. The first time I saw him, I told the team, I was like, dude, I think he's going to be good. Yeah. It was when he just signed.

He just played like a couple of games. Yeah. Out of college. Yeah. Dude, because he came up. He was nasty in college and then came up. Right when I hit impact. Right when I saw him, I was like, he's going to be good.

Yeah. Beautiful stuff. Let's go watch him hockey. Boom. Huge shout out to the Minnesota State hockey tournament. Huge shout out to Oshar Boy and huge shout out to War Road. All the amazing guys there, all the cool shit that they've got going on. That is it for us today at the Empty Niders podcast.

A doozy. A doozy of an episode. A doozy of a trade deadline. Lots of stuff to stay locked in on here coming up. cannot wait to keep bringing it all to you and until we see you next time. I want to throw a quick shout out to one of our biggest fans

who you met in Boston. Matt Glenn, Maddie G. 30th birthday yesterday, happy birthday, buddy. Wow. Also, can I give a quick shout out? Shout out to our boys in New Zealand. Bunch of fans, a couple of beauties hitting us up in the DMs.

They're a blast. They're dialing in all the way from Kiwi land. You love to see it. So all you Kiwis and Madi G. Skate hard. Oh yeah.