Empty Netters Podcast - The Lightning Just Lit The Market On Fire

Episode Date: March 6, 2025

We are days away from the deadline and it's about to get crazy. With the Stanley Cup wide open this year teams are ready to spend big. Tampa has made their move. Will all the New York teams be sellers? Is Colorado done adding to their center depth? The boys are expecting a lot of fireworks. Don't miss any of the action.  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: DOLLAR SHAVE CLUB. Dollar Shave Club products are now available everywhere, so you can order from their website, Amazon, or get them at your favorite retailer near you. Visit their site right now for 20% off $20 or more, and get your products delivered right to your door. Visit http://www.dollarshaveclub.com/netters and use promo code NETTERS for 20% off $20 or more 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! 00:00 INTRO 01:58 NOT ICE 05:05 HOT ICE 15:49 TAMPA BAY 24:52 DRAFT PICK VALUE 51:24 POWERS RANKINGS 1:00:01 CONNECTIVE TISSUE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If Tampa Bay just got two first round picks and a second round pick for that deal, you absolutely have to trade this player. Ice is ready and we are back with another episode of the Empty Netters podcast, brought to you by BetMGM. We are coming to you live from Minnesota at the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament. I am your host, Dan Powers, and with me is a man who consumed roughly 6,000 calories and donuts. and McDonald's products alone on his birthday yesterday, Chris Bowers.

As always. And that was pre-lunch, Dan. That was 6,000 calories pre-lunch. Yeah, you were a fat bitch, dude. That was pre-lunch. You were a dumb fat bitch. Always have been. Always have been.

How'd you as always, dude? Yeah. Has always been that. How did you sleep last night? Did you have the sweats? Did you have the sugar sweats? Did you get the sugars? No, dude.

And I didn't because I'm acclimated. My body knows. when the calendar hits March 4th, get acclimated, get ready, get prepped. I spend all year prepping for that day, dude. Well, it feels like a bad day, but you have a good time? I don't know. Yeah, it's awesome. And I did that thing last night where you have to get up at 4 for a flight,

and I was just waking up every 20 minutes. Terrible. Oh, is it time? And then you're like, what the hell? So actually, though, I will say, usually when that happens, the one time I fall deeply asleep is when, the alarm was off and then you're like, fuck. And last night I woke up peacefully at 3.59 being like, I wonder if it's time.

And then it was, it was like about to be four. And I was like, oh, so I just got up. So that was that was about as smooth as it can go, dude. It's just, yeah, it's never good. We've got a lot to dive into with the trade deadline nonsense going on. I do want to say one thing. We did go out. We went to a pub in our neighborhood last night for your birthday.

I did want to shout out this move. We asked the server. Yeah. Glad you remember this. Yep. We asked the server, what's good? What's good on the menu? And he starts going through, giving us his picks, the things that he really liked.

Being a caller salesman. The things that he thinks we need to get. And one of those things was the Brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts getting real popular these days. You find them on a lot of trendy menus, especially in L.A. but he was like, get the Brussels spouts. The Brussels spouts are great. They're one of my...

Actually, you know what? Don't get them today. The chef today doesn't do them quite right. He burns them a little bit. Don't get them today. Wait till next time when the better chef is here. Possibly one of the most glue guy moves I have ever seen in my natural born fucking life, dude. The fact that this man, he was given on...

And you know, you're kind of like, yeah, are you regurgitating the things you say every time? Have you actually had all the... The fact that he was like, wait, wait, wait, wait, no. the Brussels sprouts are not as good because of the chef. This man actually knows the menu and he's actually looking out for us. One of them truly glue. One of the most glue moves you will ever see. Dude, he, first of all, sewer job of the bee chef.

Sewer job. Thank God we don't know his name. Thank God I never saw him because I would almost have to be like this, dude, this guy, while he has my back, he also has it out for you. So just letting you know, like there's bad blood here. your days are numbered at this establishment. You are the worst chef of the two. So like that sucks.

Maybe he makes other stuff. Maybe he makes other stuff really well. And he just, he struggles with the Brussels. The Brussels sprouts are just his Eleanor. That's all it is. Right. It's no,

you know, he's not a bad chef. He just struggles in that area. And then Dan, we had talked about this too. I, the server had buttered me and us up so beautifully with that glue move that he kind of had us right where he wanted us in terms of he

could have come back and when we got to the entrees he could have been like you got to get this $300 lobster grilled stuffed lobster which they don't even have but you know what I'm saying? He could have said this most expensive thing. Could have picked the most expensive thing. And I would have gone okay because he got he was so living in my brain that I was like, oh my God he actually is but the dummy me. I thought I was I thought he had my back but he's actually about the dummy me. He has earned my trust.

So I would have followed him into Valhalla without question. Into the very pits of Mordor, dude. Yeah, without question. But he didn't. He actually just definitely. He said the bomb me is gas and I got it. And it was. It was.

It was gas. It was gas. So just some quick stick taps to that, gentlemen. Just truly, you know, that is fourth line grinder stuff right there. You love to see it. Something that you do not love to see. is going to be our first bit of news today. It's the Jack Hughes injury. Like I said at the top of the episode,

we are getting deep into trade deadline stuff. So here's the deal, folks. It is Wednesday. We are recording right now because we're giving you our regularly regularly scheduled programming. We are not going to miss a beat. But I know, and CP knows, that the deadline's not over until Friday. So don't worry, anything that happens between now and Friday, you're going to get a ton of it on our Tuesday episode. So don't worry. We're going to cover everything. But we like to give you guys some stuff in real time. I know we could maybe do a live episode 24 hours, all that bullshit. I think that's stupid. You guys have stuff to do. You don't want to sit around. No offense to anyone who does those. We're just going to keep hitting you with great quality episodes. Jack Hughes took a tumble into

the boards a few nights ago with Jack Eichl, his team USA buddy, went into the board super awkwardly, immediately left the ice. Lots of reports came out. People were saying, ah, it doesn't look that serious. He might miss the rest of the regular season. He'll be back by playoffs. We find out today the devil's announced jack hughes has gone has undergone season ending shoulder surgery and they hope that he will be back in september jack hughes done for the year placed on l t i r what does this mean for the devils what does this mean for their trade deadline what does this mean for jack hughes dude hilarious to me that last week we or last app i should say the first point of hot ice was jack and i was like oh he's hurt and we're like well we won't spend any time on it because he's

and I was just saying tough that he comes out of four nations with all that heat. And then our concern is he's made of glass and then immediate injury again. But he'll be fine. And then a day late, two days later, it's like he's not fine. He's had surgery and maybe we'll see him next year. So nightmare. And I feel awful for him. Like truly, I know he is like, I am durable and I can be durable.

And I believe he can. That's what's so crazy. I actually believe he can. But it's like. And dude, that collision and that injury, it's not on him. at all. It's so unfortunate. It's so unlucky. And you hate to see that. It's not like this was a normal hockey play bang, bang that he gets hurt on and now he's missing time and people could kind of give him shit. This one just sucks. Brutal. Okay. So the, here's my take, dude. And I want to start this by

saying we've had a lot of kind of behind closed doors con was about this, you and I with several other people. but with and I mean this usually when you say with all due respect you mean with literally no respect and I hate you you know I mean in this case with all due respect with all due respect to Frank Saravalei I could not have disagreed with his most recent devil's take more if I tried if you paid me it's okay to say absolutely love love Frank terrible take yeah I was just like that's a terrible but but but but but but Dan we don't know no but knows we don't know he doesn't no, he has a take, I disagree with it. It's not necessarily terrible because there's a chance that they are going nowhere fast

and they, like, you know, who knows? None of us can see the future. I strongly disagree. I'm saying, in my opinion, it's a terrible take. I absolutely love Frank. It's a terrible take. Yep. With that being said, when I look at the standings, dude, the devils are currently third

in the Met, but with 72 points in 63 games, Columbus at 68 and 61, so like could are tied with them if they win their games. in hand, you know? Rangers now nipping, like, I think that's kind of maybe it for the Met. Yeah, the islands are pretty far off. So those two teams are right there. The devils have been fun for me. I thought it was a good bounce back year. Markstrom was been great and obviously missed time. But, you know, like, the devils are cool and I was really excited to see them in the playoffs. With this injury, I don't think they can win a cup. I'm not even sure they could have won anyway without any moves.

I definitely don't think they can win a cup now. And it's almost to the point for me that I wouldn't be aggressively buying here because I don't think you can do anything to replace. You cannot replace a Gary Bridger. You can't replace a Jack Hughes. You can't plug in a Jack Hughes and get something else. Even with your long-term IR situation that I'm like, now this is a cup run, because what does it cost you?

I know they've got all these awesome assets and these young defensemen and whatever. And I suppose if it's for something that is long-term, either an extension, incoming or someone with underterm already, fine, because it's a trade not for this season, but for the future. But any trade for this season specifically in mind, if I'm the devils, I am now out on and I just go, fuck, maybe we get hot in the playoffs, but we're probably out early. I think you just landed the plane perfectly. So what I was going to say is I completely agree and that I would not shop aggressively

anymore. Call it what it is, guys. This is not a middle of the playoff run. One of your best players go down. but we've got our team on the ice, we can still battle. This is a hold on, stop, break glass in case of emergency, re-evaluate. Our best player just went down for the season. I am so with you in that if you're looking at rentals right now,

if you were looking at rentals, absolutely not. Absolutely not anymore. However, because of what you said, all of the assets that they have, picks, great young prospects, if there is a trade on the table that includes maybe a first-round pick, that is a guy with term, I'm very okay with that because that's something that you go, bring them in, bring them in for the rest of the season,

a playoff run, get some reps in, get some chemistry with the boys, and then next season when Jack comes back, we've got some time and this is part of the process next season as well. But any rental that the devils were looking at, erase that from your board. Erase it immediately.

Unless it's one of these situations that we see often, there's a trade and then an immediate extension. No. We are done here, Devils. You cannot win the cup this year. And I would be thrilled if they shove that in my face and they somehow figured out a way to win the cup without Jack Hughes. But I don't think they can. He sure is still kind of banged up here and there.

This poor team has been so hurt all season long. And now they take the worst hit they've had all year. It's just this is a, this sucks. Yeah. Do not panic. And don't try to look good to the rest of the league and go, doesn't matter. We're still gas to the floor. No, you're not.

Yeah. You're not. And it's okay. This shit happens. This is the game. It sucks. But do not panic into looking like you need to, you need to act like you're going, no, this is our window. It's win now.

You guys, your window is just barely creaked open. Let it, let it breathe. Let it open up more so and do smart things here. Don't panic. Completely with you on that. Because there's just, we talked about, and we're going to continue to talk about in this app, that it's this is an open year dude anybody could win so it's it's i feel kind of hypocritical and like a dick being like you're dead because there there aren't too many teams that i'm like oh

it's an absolute wagon the devils could never beat them but i just man it doesn't feel like it to me that this yeah i i was just going to jump in and say and with their injuries with their struggles here and there this season yes it is open but they they haven't felt like one of those teams that i i thought was going to the cup in months there was a period where I said, and I said a couple episodes ago, the rematch devil's stars. But that was three months ago. That was three months ago before tons of these injuries, before some of the skids they've gone on. So yes, while it's open, they felt like a couple of impactful trades away from being one of the top teams.

And now they just lost Jack Hughes. So we're done here. Yeah, and he, you have Markstrom's under contract still next year, I think. I was just looking that up. Yeah, yeah, yep, yep. So it's like, you never want to punt a season. I'm not being like, dude, your season's over. Everybody fucking go to bed.

Every devil's fan wake up in October. I'm not saying that, like, enjoy the ride. But it's just like, don't lose sight of next year is all I'm saying. And Dan, and what it means for Jack, the I am, Jack, I've been, we both, obviously, been banging the jack drum for a long time to going into. last season, I was like he is easily getting 100 points, injuries, whatever. Now injuries have stopped him again in the season. He was probably a little just off pace, but, you know, was going to have a good year.

He, I, and I'm not saying, I'm not wishing this into existence, but I believe, Dan, we might be witnessing the beginning of a curse, a literal, I'm talking seriously, dude. I'm not fucking around. Like a, there's a, there's a, there's a voodoo style curse that has been placed on Jack's 100 point plateau. And picture it this way before everyone gets so mad at me. It's the Panarin thing. Like Panarin, when did, when did he, wasn't last year his first 100 points? Or am I making that up?

Who? No, it was. Yes, Panarin. You know what I mean? 95 in 16. 69 games easily going to do it. 96 and 75, 92 one year.

You know, like Panarin wasn't a hundred point guy until he's aged 32 season when he went nuclear for 120. No one thinks Panarin is not a hundred point caliber player, but there was just, there was a voodoo. There was a voodoo happening. And I believe we are witnessing the beginning, or not even the beginning.

Jack's only 23, but like this is the early stages of a voodoo. We are now seeing a voodoo. Yeah. I do think this injury sucks. And as I said, it was very unlucky, but this blows ass cheeks, dude. It blows ass cheeks that this kid was having another good year, probably sniffing 100 points, and goes down, season over,

25 or so games left. And you're just sitting there thinking, God, fucking damn it, dude. Like, what is happening to this poor kid? And if you're a Devils fan right now, you, for the last two seasons, you're going, what is happening to us? Why is everyone hurt? Why are all of our star players hurt? all the time because that is what's happening.

It is brutal. Now, what we talked about with the devil's needing to maybe take the foot off the gas a little bit with this trade market, we've been talking a lot about the seller's market. It's been weeks now. We were on this on the podcast. We've been on it on the Instagram before this deadline week, before some of the most recent deals, some of those early deals, we were like, geez, it is a big time seller's market. And now here we go.

The biggest trade so far of deadline week, we've got the tamas. Tampa Bay Lightning trade. I am right now going to read you that trade, my friend. Okay, the Tampa Bay Lightning trade. All right, as you all know by now, we have teamed up with BetMGM, and they have one of my favorite things running right now. You need to get involved, okay? It's BetMGM's NHL hat trick jackpot. You get the chance to win your share of 10 Gs in bonus bets. All you have to do is you place an anytime goal score wager. Whatever game you want, pick a game. If that guy plays anytime goal score, any player, any game. If that guy pops a hat during that game, you and whoever else had that guy gets a share of 10 G's and bonus bets.

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One second, I'm getting the trade. I've lost it. Philibuster. Philibuster. I need the filibuster. Yanni Gord. We predicted it. We said.

We said Yanni Gord. And now it happened. And then I didn't say York Strand too, but I didn't feel like I needed to because I knew it would be Yonnie and something. But I didn't want to, if I got too specific, everybody would know I've seen in the future. Exactly. So I'm going to get into the specifics now. Yes. Full trade to Tampa Bay.

Yanni Gord, Oliver Bjork Strand, Kyle a coin, and a 2026 fifth round pick to Seattle. Michael Isamont, a 2025 second round pick, a 2026, first round pick, a 27, first round pick and Seattle retains 50% of Gord's contract. Detroit gets in the mix. They get a 2025 fourth round pick and they retain 25% of Gord's contract. So 75% of Gord's contract is retained and Tampa Bay pays two first round picks and a second round pick, which is Toronto's, for these two guys. Have we ever been more validated in what we've been saying? I tweeted yesterday for my personal.

If you're the Boston Bruins, you're seeing some of these trades. Again, this is before this trade. You've got to look at players like Charlie Coil, Morgan Geeky, Brandon Carlo, as possibly, if not certainly getting you a first round pick in return. And then a few people jump down my throat being like, are you kidding me? Absolutely not. And I was like, I'm not saying that that's what they're worth in general. I'm saying this market is crazy.

And then we see this trade. This is a great trade for Tampa. We will get into that. But that is a hefty price, baby. two first round picks for those guys. That is a hefty, hefty price, regardless of the salary retention. Dude, let's talk Tampa first because I want to get it. That's a bigger conversation, but I will just to tease that conversation.

That I want to see, Dan, the amount of points. Like, people trade first round picks for a player that has a certain amount of points. That has got to be the least amount of points for two first round picks, fucking ever. dude. Two first rounds in a second. I need a statistic to call somebody, dude. Somebody get out on me here with like a ratio of first round picks to total points just received. Because I want to know if that's the lowest ever.

Okay, Tampa. It is, it's wild. So let's get into Tampa. Tampa's top six now looks like Jake Gensel, Braden Point, Nikita Kutrov, Brandon Hagle, Anthony Sorrelli, and Oliver Bjork Strand, Nick Paul, Yanni Gord, and Goncalvis. and then their top nine. That's what I was saying.

They're top nine. I think it's in the conversation for best top nine in the NHL now. It's in the conversation. And I really like it, so I don't even mean to be hesitant. It's in the conversation. I cannot look past

a Dallas of Robertson, Hans Stankovan, Mason-Marchment, Dutchie, Granny, Ben, Wyatt Johnson, Daddanov. I'm like, Jesus fuck, you know, like Maverickport can get up there. Like, that's crazy. Is Sagan done for the

year? I think they're hoping he can come back in playoffs, but I don't know. I think so too, but I can't remember, like you throw that in the mix. I'm like, how the fuck? Like, that's so stacked. That's fucking crazy. Yeah, it's unbelievable. But Tampa's fucking dangerous, dude. And in the clip, in the gourd clip, what we were talking about last step, it's not flashy. Like, that Dallas one's pretty flashy. You know, we're like, oh, shit. Like, I know, if you're like a casual hockey, maybe more than casual, but like, you know those names. You know what? I don't want to interrupt you, but I'm going to. I don't agree, dude.

I think that you don't agree that Tampa isn't flashy or that Dallas is, which one do you disagree with it? That Tampa isn't flashy. I think you're doing what we call out a lot of fans for doing. We're always the ones being like, dude, why is everyone sleeping on the superstars in Tampa? Dude, Nikita Kuturov, Brayden Point, and Brandon Hagle are, you know, and like that's excluding some of, like, I did, I didn't. even mentioned Jake Gensel. I didn't even mention Anthony Sorrelli. Like, dude, Gensel, Coutcherop point as your first line. That's the best first line in the league. That's the best first line in the league. I passionately believe that. Hagle is disgusting. Serrelli's disgusting.

Now Bjorksrand with those two is going to be disgusting. Like, they're totally flashing. Yeah. You know, maybe they're not. I hear you. I think it's the third line for me. You know, like Wyatt Johnson on the third line. I'm like, Jesus, dude. You know, it's like kind of names like that where obviously that tent where I was headed was that Tampa third line is exactly what they need. They don't need flashy. So it was going to be a compliment. It's what won them two cups and brought them to a third.

Yeah. But you're 100% right, dude. They're in the conversation. And we obviously said that was the type of guy they wanted. They went out and got two, or we said that was the type of guy they needed. They went out and got two type of guys they needed. And, dude, nobody wants to play them.

Are they third right now? I think so. I think they're third in the Atlantic. Bro. Check me on that. Dude, they are. and it's... And like, I think it's

the Florida matchup is happening. It's too tight right now. Like Toronto and Tampa, or excuse me, Toronto and Florida both have 79 points. But if it finishes Panthers, Bolts, two, three. It's actually fucked though,

because we're just gonna bitch about it that we're like, this is the first round. Fuck that. Like, those are the two best teams in the East. I know. I know, but at the same time, I had to admit,

I was like, it gives so much juice to the first round. It's crazy how electric the first round is. But you know what's funny is, we tweeted, this. We, you know, when we reported this, trade, someone slid in onto Twitter and was like, can't wait to pump them in five in the first round as a Panthers fan. Yeah. You know Panthers fans,

we love you so much. Holy hell are Panthers fans cocky and have noxious. They're drunk on that cup, dude. They're already. The Panthers fans who were like, we killed the Bruins. We killed the Rangers. Like they're, they're, they are, they win one cup. And now they're like, we are the steel of the NHL. And I'm like, we just lost a Chuck. Everyone calm the fuck. down. And, dude, are you kidding me? Even that Panthers team is looking at Tampa Bay right now, and they're going, I do not want to fucking play that team.

They're as hot as any team in the league right now, Tampa. And that trade, God does that trade just give them, it gives them the juice that they used to have that won them cups. And I know Cooper is frothing at the mouth, having gored back, having a player like Bjork Strand, who I'm sure he's like, God, what I can unlock in this guy is going to be absurd. And you probably look at that Panthers roster who's, who's, who. they're all agitators. They're hard to play against. You know, so like you grabbed a couple

guys who are hard to play against and that feels good. Definitely. Dude, listen to this from Tampa, though. February 1st, they lose to the islanders at home in overtime, okay? February 1st. Then they beat Ottawa, beat Ottawa, beat Detroit, beat the Habs, four nations break, beat the crack in, beat the Oilers, beat the flames, beat the capitals on the road, blank, beat Columbus. That's where we're at. That's what they've done since February 1st. That only blank is a two-one loss to the Panthers. You're like, fuck. Panthers are like, see?

Yeah, exactly. Tampa's 1,000 games in a row, L to the Panthers. Like, fucking Christ. So I wanted to bring up because of this. Why do we think this is such a seller's market? And for me, it's the one answer. It's how open the league is.

Do you agree with that? I think it has to be. And, Dan, let me, let me, the process this taken real time because I think it has to be a factor. I'm just trying to make sure I'm making sense. It's wide open so more teams think they can win. And the cap going up so much, I just think makes teams think they can afford people.

Like if they're bringing in someone that has a high hit already, but they're like, whatever, or it's someone that they're like, we can extend, which maybe before I would have felt like this is a rental and I'm not doing it. But now I actually believe I can extend them because that number is going to work for me with the higher cap. So let's party. I think that's a factor too. I think that's absolutely true. For me, it is so much of how open the league is. I genuinely feel like this season,

a lot of GMs are looking at the landscape of the NHL, they're looking at the landscape of both conferences, and they're going, for the first time, maybe in a long time, it feels more realistic that teams can buy a cup. And by buy a cup, I mean pay, pay out the ass, you know, send two first round picks to get those depth guys that gives you that identity back because you're like, it's open.

Like there's a chance that we can just be first to the arms race, pay a hefty price for it, but get some guys, and then we win. I really think a lot of teams are thinking that way, and it's why the market is what it is. And it's clear that it is what it is now. Everyone is talking about it. So with that, after this trade, how much do we feel like the teams that we've identified as sellers right now need to be going sell, sell, sell, sell.

you are possibly not going to get this opportunity again with some of the players that you have that have been identified now as guys who you could get first round picks for. If you were a selling team, I don't know how you don't fucking fire sale right now. Especially, I mean, that Tampa one, I think, really set the market a bit where you're like, oh my God. And Dan, how often do we hear that it's like, well, at the deadline, it's, you can't quite get as much as you can get over the summer. If it's not, the great deal, you just wait.

You do it in the off season. This, I'm like, no, dude, do it right now? Do you think you could get two firsts for Yanni Gordon-Bjork standard in July? You cannot. No. So do it right now, dude. Like this is actually a complete 180 from what you normally see from a GM mindset. And I am, dude, you're right.

I am, there are people that haven't been traded yet that are better than those two dudes, in my opinion. Chris, I'll keep bringing up Boston. I'll do it right here. You look at that return. You're telling me that Tampa wouldn't have paid two first and a second rounder for Charlie Coyle and Morgan Geeky? I say yes. I don't know. Maybe Cooper wants that guy.

Who knows? But if I'm the blanket in a vacuum GM, I go, duh, dude, duh, give me that. Yeah. And again, it's gotten to the point where lots of teams who are saying, you know, saying their sellers, they go, I mean, I'm not making calls, but I'm listening to everything. I would be now making calls. I would look at what this is and I'd be like, all right, I've got, I've got guys here who have value and I know teams need him. I would be making calls if I were a selling team right now. Dude, we don't start dialing at 830 because our clients are already on the phone.

Three, two, one. Let's fuck. But seriously, I don't know if that's what he says, but he might say like, let's eat. That's what he says in my mind now, dude. But let's fuck, bro. I am seriously, you're so right. Get him out of the phone and start dial. I'm serious.

You're getting paid. If you're a Boston, if you're a pit, if you're a New York Rangers, I know the Rangers just got back in the wild card, but they know that there are players on that team that they're like, we could probably and should probably sell this guy. I would absolutely be doing that if I'm the Islanders. I know the ducks are buzzing right now and they're having so much fun, but I also know there are a couple to maybe three players.

on that team that they're like we should sell this like dude pick up the phone and start dialing question i wonder if this makes it easier and more inviting to trade to immediately trade the coils and the geekies of the world because you're like okay like i can get that back but it might make it harder to trade because remember last step i said um pit we created crazy to not trade Raquel. Crazy because this is a peak year for him and just like, fucking whatever. Is he part of the huge future? Who knows? Trade him right now. He's about to score 30 for the first time in a fucking decade. Trade him. It actually might be harder to trade him now because I go, give me five first round picks. And then no one's

going to give you that. But I'm like, that's the market though. Like I'm not trading Raquel for the same thing that fucking Yanni Gore drew. No offense. Dude, no, it's fair. I think about a Brock Nelson. I think Brock Nelson is certainly on the move here pretty soon. I look at a Brock Nelson, and I'm like, that's a really good player. And he's a little bit older. He is a UFC at the end of the year. So I'm like, okay, you know, maybe it's not going to be insane.

But I look at a Raquel, a 30-year-old Raquel, who's going to score 30 goals this year and has what, what did we say? It was three or four, like three to five years left. I forget which one of those. I can't remember, but it's something. Yeah, three. I think it's like, yeah, I think it's three years left on that deal. It's like that is going to cost a lot right now. So that one's nuts.

And I think you're totally right. I think maybe some of those top tier targets don't even bring up Rantman. Yeah, yeah. This value. It's, I agree. I almost think that some of those bigger names are maybe going to get out of control here with what people start asking. Dude, you know, you know, when an NFL QB, like above average, but like a mid-tier NFL QB sets like a franchise or a league altering market value. And then all the teams that have good QBs.

almost up with their contracts. They're like, bro, what the fuck? They're like, what have you done to me? Yeah, like that must be the entire league after Tampa pays that for this hall. And everyone's like, dude. I feel every team that was sniffing around Brock Nelson, I think about the Minnesota wild,

sniffing around Brock Nelson, they're like, Jesus Christ, dude. Why? Why have you done this? It's crazy. But this conversation now leads perfectly into something we were talking about earlier is the value of a draft pick. I saw a funny tweet today, amidst all this madness where someone said, I'm sorry, I can't credit you, but someone said, it really feels like some fans like watching their team draft players more than they,

like watching them try to win a Stanley Cup. And I agree with that. I think a lot of fans lose their mind when teams trade draft picks. Tampa fans, a lot of them are going, I love this trade for Tampa, a lot of them are going, what the fuck are we doing? we just sent. We don't have a first round pick until 2028 now. What the hell are we thinking? To that I say, and I can't remember if we've said this on the podcast, but we have talked about the two of us with, you know, people in the league. We talked about this with Taft. We've talked about this with Yans, a bunch of guys. You need to start looking at a draft pick that you trade for a player. You use the pick on the player.

Obviously, if it's a rental and they walk, that sucks. Jake Gensel and Carolina, that sucks. Jake Gensel and Carolina. That sucks. but if you think you can win a cup with it, you kind of have to eat that. You kind of have to go, yeah, we used our pick on a chance at winning a cup. Now, that doesn't mean go start shipping your first round picks and then never have another first round pick again. A lot of teams have done that and it doesn't work out.

But you also have to remember, look at draft picks, man. How many of them hit? Not the majority. It's like people forget that, man. And you are really strict on, you're like, after a first run pick, they don't mean fucking shit.

Yeah, correct. Obviously, people are going to go, well, so-and-so is a second-round pick, so-and-so is a fourth. Obviously, there are outliers, guys, but the majority of the time, if you're not a first-round pick, you don't last that long in the NHL. It's crazy. But it's true. Scouts are too good now, dude.

Yes. The guys go in the first round. That's it. So I do think there needs to be this sort of mentality shift from fan bases where it's like, if you were a good team and you're making a run in a cup here and you use a first-round pick on a player, you can't get so bent out of shape about it. ultimately, especially if your window's closing, that first round pick is not going to help you win a cup next year

unless it's a first overall. And it's not going to be if you're in a cup race. So you've got to just start understanding this is how it works. You need to trade those first round picks to try to get heavier, bigger, stronger at the deadline. And that's what it's going to take to win a cup. I can't remember the last time we saw a team go into the deadline and do nothing and then win a cup.

It's just, it's not how it works. Yeah, good call, good call. I'm of two minds of it, Dan, because on the one hand, I think I'm with you in that if you have a cup contending team and you don't make a move, if you're unwilling to trade that pick to make a move, we got fired, Dan. We got fired off a TV show because we beaked an owner so hard for even a rumor. We were talking about the rumor, but there was a rumor that an owner wouldn't even trade a first time. Yeah, but that's crazy.

If you have a contending team and you're like, I'm not giving up my first round pick because what if that first round pick turns into something? Who fucking knows? And if you're a contending team, the pick's not even fucking good. So what are you talking about? So whatever. But on the other hand, I have seen teams. And if you draft well, if you draft well with the picks that you keep, then this kind

becomes a moot point. But we have seen teams, not to always bring it back to Boston, but we've seen teams kind of deplete your farm system in chasing. rentals chasing rentals every deadline because you're always contending that's the price of contending for so long but every year it's boom at the deadline another first round pick out the door and you don't capitalize on those cups and then you go not only did we not win but also now we stink and we have nobody to play that is a massive problem that sets you back i think you brought up maybe you were just talking to me but chicago fans had been kind of dancing on boston oh it was barcel we did bring this up here it was cheap yeah he was like dude we suck now and we sucked for a long time and that blows and And no fan base wants that. The cups are fun and you'd trade, you'd trade sucking for the cups. But just it blows when you're like,

we are in the fucking doldrums and there's no way out. So do you have to be willing and more than willing? You should be, you should want to trade a first round pick to give yourself a better chance to win the cup. You should have that luxury. But you've got to be a little careful. Because when you fire off too many in a row, that's when you can fucking dig yourself a big hole,

especially on the really old guy stand. Like the Yanni, Yanni was, what, 33? Is that right? Like, something like that. Is he? I don't think so. Check. I can't remember. Actually, maybe he is younger, but check on that while I'm talking. Johnny's definitely younger. Basically, my point is the, it's the super old, like, oh, this guy, you know, the bees did it like with Rick Nash. Yanni, Yanni is 33. I had no idea that Yanni was 33. But he's got a few years left. You know what I'm saying? It's the like, oh, it's Rick Nash's last year. It's Ginnla's last year. It's Yoder end up playing. But it's like, if you're constantly firing first round picks for like literally he'll never play for us again, I'm like, be weary of this strategy, I guess. Yes, absolutely. And I think the last thing I'll say on this too is, and again, we know that this is all so much is said with hindsight and wishful thinking. But I think a not.

Another huge thing, man, is it's also how you draft, not how many draft picks you have. Sorry, bringing up the Bruins again because they are a hot topic in this subject. They have one of the worst ranked prospect pools. So many people go, the Bruins, oh, they haven't had a first round pick. And so long, they traded O-Mark for a bad pick just to get into the first round. But think about it. If the Bruins drafted better, we just saw them trade Trent Frederick for a second-round pick. he was a first round pick career high in 40 points yeah johnny beecher fourth line player and then obviously

the famous one jake de brusks jakes of world zach senesion that's that's a lot of guys right there that's a lot of bodies if two of those yeah of those guys were first round caliber picks the brunes would probably have another Stanley cup right now and they would not be where they are today taking a break to talk about the greatest beer not just in hot but in the world, Labat Blue. There is no doubt about it. Labat Blue is brewed with Canadian kindness, guys. That's all you need. That's all you need in a beer. That's all you need in life. And when it's in your beer, you're making your beer drinking experience that much better. We love crushing blues. We also love crushing LBL's Labat Blue Lights when you want to stay light on

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And it should be your favorite beer as well. And more importantly, it wouldn't be such a shit show of like, oh, there's no young talent on the team. That's what I'm trying to say. And it feels so shitty losing the picks. Yeah. That's what I'm trying to say. You wouldn't talk about or think about the fact that they have missed a few first

round picks that they don't have such great prospects because they would have great prospects and they would have wins to show for it. They'd be in a better standing. So it's like I'm telling you guys, it's the where there needs to be a recalibration on, on the value of a first round pick. Absolutely. They're huge. They're valuable.

This is why we see them get dealt all the time in trades. But this is what it takes. Trade them. And it's like, don't, yeah. Like, don't worry about, I need to have our first round pick every single year. But you don't, if you're using it for a good player that maybe you resign, that maybe has termed, that helps you win a Stanley Cup. It costs money. It costs assets to win.

You need to be ready to pay them. In the same topic, before we move on to some of our fun stuff, also wanted to have the discussion of the value in some of these pickups, particularly middle six players. We're seeing a lot of people come up. A lot of Seattle fans, very sad about Bjork Strand leaving. Some of these guys that get dealt, and we see a lot of fan bases being like, especially guys who are about to be UFA, they're having a career year. And you're like, oh, we should have kept that guy. We should have paid that guy.

My question for you, without naming any players, do we think that NHLGMs need to stop being so stuffy and be more cutthroat, be more like maybe other sports that we see as far as you get that middle six guy who gets you 20 goals for the first time in their career. And GMs go, what a miracle, got to keep this guy around. And they give them a four or five year deal at a, you know, mid-AV cap hit. But how often do we see those not work out? And then teams are like, Jesus, like we've got this guy. And then every single year they're brought up on this team's got to trade this guy.

do we need to see NHLGMs having a little bit of balls and start streamlining those guys every year and being like, who is that next guy? Who is that next guy that is a UFA right now that I'm going to give a one, two-year deal on and make them get 20 goals? And then I'll do the fucking same thing next year as well. Obviously, there are certain guys that you definitely have to resign, but I just think we see it so much. And teams just get in these weird situations where they've got these three to five-year deals on guys that, You overpaid because of one great year, and then you're like, ah, shit, what do I do now? Dude, I couldn't agree with this take more. So, yeah, I'm on your side.

I'm going to play devil's advocate for a second, though. Okay. In other sports, I find it's a bit easier. I think football is kind of what we were talking about this before, and it's like you see it in Bill Belichick did this. You see it in football a lot. the it's a huge team sport but there is a playbook right and even if you're a defensive player it's kind of like oh i'm a cornerback i know how to play cornerback where it's like all right

you bring in a dude who was running a system and a zone system in carolina and now we play more man in seattle and it's like okay but like you have tape on them they can probably know how to play man d i i can respect and understand that in hockey your line specifically is a unit maybe more uniquely than other sports. Maybe middle of cross. Like you played the cross really. I don't know if the middies like love each other in that way. But it's kind of like, oh, if I have a 20 something, mid-20-something year old guy at two mill a year and I'm going to have to pay him four to keep them.

Or I can roll the dice on a new UFA 20-something-year-old guy that I only have to pay two and hope he can get me 20 goals. But my all-star center loves that guy. I can understand going, I'm going to pay him because they have good chemistry versus I just don't know. Like Stephen Samcoe comes in and it's like it's hard. It's like that didn't work that quickly. You know, it's not automatic. So I will hear that there is something to be said about line chemistry. Can you agree with that?

Absolutely. I suppose I just look at it. And we've got something like 25 games left in the season, I think less than that, between 20 and 25 left in the season. There are 73 guys in the NHL already who have 20 goals. Yeah. There are 14 with 19. Sick.

And then, you know, something close to 12 with 18. So, like, we're going to see well over 100 guys with 20, with at least 20 goals. My take is, and maybe this is harsh, I do think, these guys grow on trees. I know, dude. You say it all the time. 20 goals. So, so many people. Now, we've got Connor McDavid, we've got Nikita Kuchrov, we've got Nathan McKinnon scoring 100, fucking 50 points in a season, and everyone's like, that's the new normal. It's not the new normal. Those are aliens. Yeah. That's why I always go to war for guys. Johnny Lazan, I got in that fight where I was calling him out. I was like,

stop saying everything is great. Yeah. And I, what did I say? Like the next fucking day, we went on the podcast. And I said, I said, like a 65 points or like 65, 70, point season is a great season. He was like, no, it's not. Follow your own rules. That's a very good season. And he was right. That was me, dog. I said that to you. Well, sorry, you both said that. Yeah. You were both. My point is, I don't think 70 point seasons grow on trees. 70 points is a huge jump. Think about that. That's 30 goals, 40 assists. That's a fucking huge jump. Those do not grow on trees. And those guys, you do pay. I'm saying these 50 point, years, the 2030s, they do grow on trees.

And I just think it would behove NHLGMs and franchises to be a little gutsier and not think just because you pick the guy up. Drafting guys is a little different. But just because you picked the guy up in free agency, gave him a one to two year prove it deal. And they get that 20. It doesn't mean you need to go five-year deal. I'm not saying these guys aren't worth it.

Someone's going to pay him. Oh, they're going to get it, Dan. They're going to get it for sure. It doesn't need to be you just because they did it with you one time. This is where now I'll go back because this is where I agree, dude. The worst case, dude, when have we seen a guy that had 20 that no one thought was going to be much better than that? Like they were like, this is his ceiling. And then all of a sudden he had 40, like cried her, maybe.

You know, you're like, what, dude? But that almost never happens. The worst case scenario is they just score 20 for the next three years on another team. And you go, ah, damn. We were, I thought that was his best year. But, like, turns out he was a consistent 25 goal score. But we lost him. Who fucking cares?

We'll find a new 20 goal score. And they're overpaying. They're overpaying. They're over fucking paying. So I'm so in agreement that the, you can find a guy. And it's, it could be in your system, dude. Like, play one of the fucking A.A.L kids on a second line to see if he's got 18 goals in him. So you can find these bodies for so much fucking cheaper.

And I would say, dude, that Vegas is really the only. one closest. We just had LT on and he was like, everybody says Vegas is so cut broke, but actually they just want to win. And that's right. Maybe it's because they don't have history. Like maybe the luxury of Vegas is like, I don't know. No one's on. No one's been on very long. But they're like, good day, dude. I love you. I love you at 2.1 A.AV for your production. If you can go get five from somebody, I literally wish you well. I'm not mad. Go get five. It's not for me. I will pay someone else $2.1 million and see if they can get me 20. And I will say this. I'll add a couple of cavv.

Number one, you can't do this with everyone. I'm not saying do this with literally every guy. There are obviously guys that you're like, no, no, I can see this is going to be consistent. I am going to keep them around, of course. I'm just saying it's like you've got to be smart about it. You've got to be willing to take the risk on, I don't think they're going to progress to the 70 point guy. I think they're going to be a career 50-ish guy. So I'm not going to overpay on that.

You need to be smart about it. You need to do a good job scouting them and evaluating their talent. The real nightmare, this is my other caveat is the guy that does become an 80 point guy that you didn't believe in. And then they become a perennial 70 to 80. God forbid, plus if you miss that guy, you're an idiot. But there are cases like that. And that's what you do need to avoid. That's why I'm saying it is risky. But I'm telling you, it is more common that they forever are the 40, 50 than they get to the 70 guy. And that's where we just, I need to see more risks, man. I need to see more like, I'm going to be cutthroat because I'm going to, I'm not going to get in

cap trouble. I'm always going to be flexible in light of my feet. I genuinely think that there is a serious opportunity for success with this mindset. And it's hockey, dude. The NHL, it's just stuffy. It's like you don't see guys. I mean, this is the first time. What's why we've been loving drama season in the last few years. It's the first time we're seeing NHL players requesting traits,

saying that they don't want to place a certain place, saying they do want to go chase their bag. And it's fucking awesome. I want more of it. So I'm saying NHL GMs do the same fucking thing. You don't need to just keep everyone around just because they had one good season with you. Obviously, I want all these guys to get paid.

We love the guys. But our whole point is they're going to get paid. They're going to get paid somewhere. So it doesn't absolutely need to be you. It's interesting. Yeah, dude. No, no. It's 100% correct, man.

And if we saw more of it, I think it would create more opportunities, too, which I love. You know, it's like, hey, give people, give people shots. I'm so into that. And I think it's coming. Oh, this was insane. And it's human nature, too, where it says you just, you just, you just, get attached to things. We were joking at the house the other night, Dan,

where it's like people get attached to clothing and like objects. You know, it's my shirt. It's my special shirt. It's like, dude, the fans like a guy. You probably know the guy. You probably know his family, know his wife, you know, and you're like, I don't know. I don't want to get him out of here.

But that's the game. And they, you can't start building a team like that on, on what you've done for me in the past. It's all about the future and it's all about, being smart with that money because you can live, what does Ari Gold say? You can't, you can't, you can survive a bomb. You can't survive passing on hits. You know, you can survive a guy that you didn't quite think was going to stay this good.

And he goes somewhere else. You're like, whatever. You can't survive overpaying a bomb. Yeah. Multiple, too. Yeah. Something to think about. Taking a quick break to talk to you guys about one of my favorite partners of the pod,

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So go check it out. We're talking about all of these teams, trades being made. unbelievable stuff happening. Let's get into our powers rankings right now. To me, Chris, we were just talking about them. The number one team in the league right now, there is no discussion as the Tampa Baylight. You're going one.

I'm going one. After this trade, too. How could it not be Florida? They're eight and two in their last 10. They've won four straight, and they just beat the bolts. The bolts only lost in their last 10 is to Florida. I know it's tough, but I think we've got to go Panthers. Like, they are fucking wagging.

Am I too horny for Tampa? You are. You are, dude. You are. Too horny for Tampa. Yeah. Thank you for calling me out, dude. Thank you for telling me to put my little boner away.

We got to go Florida. Florida won Tampa, too, though. Tampa, too, though. Yeah, Tampa 2 defense. Florida won Tampa 2 defense. Cover 2. I got too horny. I got too horny.

You're right. Florida is absolutely firing. Shit. I got too horny. Florida won Tampa 2. And then what do you? It is tricky. What do you think about the Leafs next?

Dude, I dog them. I didn't even think I put them in last time, and they need to go in. But with the three spots remaining, the three spots remaining, you're in a Dallas, Toronto, it feels crazy. Winnipeg was on, Winnipeg was on like a 12 game winning streak, and they've lost a few. So I don't want to punt them too hard. So maybe we just go Winnipeg here. They did lose their last game.

Yeah, they're the first team in the league. Yeah, they are still so nasty. Winnipeg 3 And then we have 4 or 5 And I like Toronto a lot I like Dallas a lot I like Colorado Maybe that's a reach for Colorado

But they've been good It is a reach for Colorado Because it feels shitty to dead the caps Like they're not great in their last 10 But they're still the caps They're still the second best team in the league By a lot time Colorado's out

So it's either It's Toronto Dallas Washington One of them's getting cut Yeah And I feel bad cutting any of them But I think it's just got to be Dallas. I don't know. Dallas has won three in a row.

I know. That's what I'm saying. They've been so sick. Like, I could have even gone them over Winnipeg. Are we going to dead Washington here? I'm afraid so. So we go Toronto for Dallas 5.

Dallas 4. No. What? Toronto's 8 1 and 1, dude. I know Dallas is 7-2 and 1, though, with three straight wins. Okay, Dallas 4. Jesus, you bullied me. You've bullied me on this one.

I did dummy Toronto last week, though, so maybe I could give them, I could give you some grace here. And they just look good, dude. They look good, but Dallas is a wagoon. I know. Dallas 4, Toronto 5. Done.

So, so. Florida, Tampa, Winnipeg. Dallas Toronto. Dallas Toronto. Toronto's there. That's enough. Yeah. We're going to give Dallas some more love here,

getting into our starting six, starting off left wing, Jason Robertson, 11 points in his last five games. Very quiet, 62 points and 61 games. I want him to be back. I thought he was way lower than that. It is. I want him to be a 100 point guy again, and he will.

But ultimately, like we always say, Jack Eichael, 67 points, Stanley Cup. You don't need 100 to win a cup. And we just said that that's maybe the deepest top nine. So whatever. So keep buzzing. Center, maybe it's an all-dallas starting. center is Rupa Hintz, 14 points in his last five, nine assists in his last three games. How are you?

Dude, he's kind of having a down year in my eyes, but 25G, 25 apples is nothing to shake your head at. No, he's not, dude. He's like, he's having a down year because the Bruins are imploding. I mean, he is in the heart conversation. Like, this man is on pace for like 100 points. Wait, what do you mean? Why are the birds?

Sorry, sorry, I jumped. I jumped to pasta. Oh, yeah. I'm just saying Rupert. Like he has 50 points and 57 games. He had a 75 and 73 two years ago, 65 and 80 last. You know, I'm kind of like, I wanted him to become an 80 point guy. And I know Dallas fans did too.

Like 37 goals three years ago, 37 goals two years ago, 30 last year. He'll probably get 30 again. But I'm like, I want a little bit more. But still, 25 and 25, like, you're a good player. Yeah, yeah, you're a beast. Okay, sorry, I jumped to pasta, eight in his last five, finally lost his point streak on a one-nothing lost to the wild. But like we said, I got, I'm way too horny in this episode. I got way too horny.

I jumped the gun on pasta. This guy is really, he's the only one performing on this Bruins team. And he's just, he's just performing at such an insane level. And yeah, I said to you the other day, I genuinely think, dude, he might be the second best player, Bruins have ever had. I think he, I think as far as talent, I honest to God, think he might be more talented than Bork, uh, and, and, and have that two spot. Yeah. This guy, this guy is just a in his sleep 100 points. The Bruins have never had that. Correct. You were texting about this and I can't go past Bork yet, but I'll say yet. And I, I used to say ever. Like, I used to be like,

shut up, dude. But now I'm like, okay, it's, it's, it's, we're headed somewhere. I'm not going past Bork yet. but um i think that's right you like can you imagine special bro bro can you imagine the idiots the idiot bruin's fans who are like trade him dude like we're we're having a brutal year just trade him we get so much value for pasta and i'm like dude guys like what are we talking about here it's insane what are we talking about left d we're going jackson lecombe the anaham duck defenseman has a six game point streak with nine points total including three apples in a win against the oilers the big dead plummeting oilers last night. We love an Anaheim defenseman, Dan.

They're a factory for those guys. And first time we're on the starting six, and that's pretty cool. How about the California teams both getting six two wins? The Sharkey's 6-2 and the duckie's six-two. Sick. Love it. Lecombe's amazing, man. I think there was a lot.

I think he is a second round pick. There was a lot of questions of if he could become a top four-paring guy. And damn, does he look at? I mean, a young, really confident, really smooth player. I think it was, gosh, was it for Toronto's goal?

Maybe it was, maybe it was, no, it was Stromer's goal. Stromer's goal, Lecombe just feathered the, the silkiest pass into him.

One of those cellies that you love where Stromer looked at, looked to him immediately, was just like, nice fucking pass. The kid just looks amazing. It's exciting. Exciting times,

that blue line is, the ducks all of a sudden are like, wait, we have a good defenseman. other defenseman Thomas Harley We're stroking this guy off at four nations As he deserves Six points in his last three

All of them wins Trying to break a career high of 47 points He's at 37 right now Can he do it? 10 in the next 20 or so I think he can I think he will But he looks really good at the right time

He's stepping up big time with Hayeskin and out You'd love to see it Golly Dan Done done Done Give me vast see his last five games a four one win one give up one goal uh with 37 shots beats yow beats edmonton four one one goal on 24 shots beats calgary three nothing on a 28 shot shut out beats washington

three one gives up one goal on 21 shots and then the loss to tampa or excuse me the loss to florida gave up two on 29 shots he's up to second in the league and save percentage only 0.002 behind helly and up to second in the league in goals against he could literally steal the venez If Helly's goals against comes down a little bit and they get really close. It's so funny. That award felt over. People are talking about the heart, dude. People are talking about the heart with Hellebuck.

And I'm like this, Vazolevsky's better all this. He's going to win the Vesna. You bitch. How could you win the heart and lose the Vesna, dude? Yeah. Unbelievable stuff, dude. Yeah, he is peak Vazey form. And this is what I'm talking about.

This team, they know how to get hot at the right point. And I think we are past now, though, you're hot too early. It's like 20 games left is going to go by like, this. March is going to just sprint by. We're going to be in April and we're going to be like, wait, holy shit. And this team is buzzing. Very, very scary. That is our starting six. CP. Finish us off with a little game. Okay, Dan, we're going to play a game of connective tissue, which means I'm going to give you two NHL players. Their names will meet in the middle for the first time players. Dan, last week you gave me something and Keandre Miller.

Not last week. Last time we played this game. Last time we played this. But yeah, it was, shoot, what was the first one? Well, it was, I can't remember if you think of it, let me know. But the first we ever played, we did Scott Stevens and Stevens Stamcoast. So I give you a description of a player that is Scott Stevens and Stephen Stamcoz, and Dan was able to guess that it's Scott Stevens Stamco's.

Yeah. Okay, on this one, Dan, I actually tried to get a little cheeky like you do normally. Nice. I love it. Okay. Are you ready? Yeah. A nine-year veteran balloon liner, a major trade sent me from one of the warmest cities in the league to one of the coldest. My world championship gold medal is my only true accolade in the pros, but I just missed making a four nations roster and I believe my time is coming in Italy.

Then I also started my career in that cold weather city, but since I've bounced around to three other stops. My Ivy League education doesn't really translate to the ice where I am neither a gentleman nor a scholar. I'd rather bash your teeth in and bully you, which makes sense, considering who I play for now. Okay. Tell me which we want to hear again. I don't think I want to hear either again. Nine-year veteran defenseman went from a warm city to a cold city. A major trade, a major trade. Major trade, major trade, major trade.

Warm to cold. Warm to cold. Just missed a four nations roster. He only has a world championship medal. Okay. Defenseman, did this defenseman, miss because of injury or just tough tough tough tough selection process tough tough selection process good question what would have been a worthy choice but I think he's got a good chance I think he's got a good chance at Italy okay and then do you want to make the other one Brandon Montor do you want me to answer are you are you thinking out loud

I'm I want you to answer it's not Brandon Montor and that's not that's not that's not the first leg but but good good thinking I would go colder. Yeah, Seattle's not that cold. I would go colder. That's a bit wet. That's a wet stop. My next hint is going to, my next hint request is going to be, is this a team USA player?

It is not. It is not. Is it a team Sweden player? No. Okay, then that's the end of my guesses. Not allowed to guess. Yeah, no more free hints. All right, listen to the second one, Dan.

Ready? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I also started my career in that same cold weather. city. But if since bounced around to three other teams. Sorry, you said started, but like not that they started on the same. He started on the team he ended up in. Yes. Yes, which is I know, because now I'm talking about a fake person, but yes. I started my career in that cold weather city. But if since bounced around to three other stops, my Ivy League education doesn't really translate to the ice where I am neither a gentleman nor a scholar. I'd rather bash your teeth in

and bully you, which makes sense considering who I play for now. bully you. That feels like the flyers. That's interesting, Dan. Oh, God. I got it. You got the whole thing? Got the whole thing.

Wow. And I love it. This would be special. I love it. I love what you've done. I was not the Ivy League school I was thinking. That's what was tripping me up. I bet you were going Harvard.

I bet you were going Harvard. Of course I was thinking Harvard. It's actually Brown. It is brown. And our connected tissue player is going to be McKenzie Wee Garnett Hathaway. That's fantastic. Do you like that one, bitch? Do you like that one?

McKenzie, We Garnett Hathaway. What a phenomenal player. What a journey. What a journey. Wow. That was good. That's phenomenal stuff, brother. That's phenomenal stuff.

I knew you would like that one. Really, really, really good. Well, perfect connective tissue to end this. episode on. We've got a lot of fun stuff for you guys coming up. Like we said, we're here at the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament. We're going to be giving you some coverage on that. We've got T.J. Oshy, our boy, friend of the program, fend to the pod. He's going to be hopping on. We're going to get some great content with him. You'll see him in next week's episode. And until we see you next week where we finish up all the coverage of the trade deadline,

stay following us on Twitter. Stay following us on Instagram. Subscribe to the YouTube. Make sure you don't miss any of these breaking news trades, everything that's going on. And then until Tuesday, Chris, tell him what to do. Skid hard.