Halford & Brough in the Morning - HalBro Debate Which Team To Adopt For The NHL Playoffs

Episode Date: March 23, 2026

In hour two, Mike & Jason debate which team they should adopt for the NHL playoffs (3:00), plus the boys discuss the latest drama around the Edmonton Oilers with Oilers commentator Jack Michaels (26:09). This podcast is produced by Andy Cole and Greg Balloch. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Monday, happy Monday, everybody. Halford Brough, Sportsnet 650. Halpert and Brubb of the morning is brought to you by Sands and Associates. Do you have payday loan debt? If you do, Sands and Associates could cut that debt by 80% with no upfront fees. Visit them today at sands dash trustee.com. We are now in hour two of the program. Hour two is brought to by Jason hominock at Jason.morgage. If you love giving the banks more of your money, then don't let Jason shop around to find the perfect mortgage for you. Visit them online at jason.

Dom Mortgage. We're coming to live from the Kintech Studios. Step strong with orthotics and footwear from Kintech. Text in to the Dunbar Lumber. Text line 650, 650, trusted by contractors and DIY champions across Metro Vancouver for generations. Find them at three convenient locations or visit Dunbar Lumber online today. We're going to spice things up a little bit with some breaking news. Sportsnet 650, breaking news.

We have a bunch of signings to pass along, a bunch of contract extensions and none bigger than the one that Jackson Smith and Jigba has just signed with the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. According to Adam Schaefter, Jackson Smith and Jigba has signed a four-year, 168 million dollar contract that now makes him the highest paid wide receiver

in NFL history. He surpasses the contract signed by Cincinnati Bengals, wide receiver, Jemar Chase. Jackson Smith and Jigba will now pull in $42.15 million a year after a wildly successful season in which he caught 11910 passes for 1793 yards, 10 touchdowns. And of course, helped the Seattle Seahawks capture the Super Bowl. So Adog was wondering earlier in the year, why aren't they keeping Kenneth Walker the third who won Super Bowl? MVP. Money. Money.

Between Smith and Jigba and Charles Cross, that's roughly $250 million they've splashed on keeping guys in-house. And they still needed to do a deal with another one of their talented young players on the defensive side of things, Devin Witherspoon, who is up for a contract extension as well. Both those guys were first round picks in 2023. Good picks. They're good picks. Yeah, this is what happens. JSN at number 20.

It was good. When you draft high-end talent and that high-end. talent plays itself out and comes to fruition at the NFL level and becomes a star, you got to make tough decisions. And one of them was they got to let a guy like K-W-3 leave so that they can keep Jackson Smith and Jigba around. This is the going price for a guy. And let's be real here. He was phenomenal last season. Incredible. There was a point last season. I remember we had Brady Henderson on the show and I was asking him, is he going to surpass 2,000 yards receiving? He ultimately fell short because the offense kind of got a little more muted in the final weeks of

the regular season. But there were weeks there, especially in the early to middle part of the NFL season, where he was a lock for 100 plus yards a game and at least six or seven catches. You know what was also really impressive about his season? It's not like there was another Seahawks target that left him wide open all the time. You know, like when they, uh, when they traded DK, people were worried. Or at least they wondered, okay, is JSN going to be able to get open as much now? Sure, opposing defenses could focus on them.

Yeah. And he still did. Like, who was the number, who was the number two target, Cooper Cup? Yeah. They rotated through guys at times. There was no real definitive one. Like, Cup played the majority of the year, right? He played better as the season we're on.

Which I think was kind of the plan. Yeah. Like, you, I don't think they could have given a huge workload because of his health and his relative age to everything else. But like Horton was a good step in, Rashid who also signed a contract. extension. It was good as well. So anyway, there's one contract signing out of way. The other one is from your Toronto Blue Jays. And it's a pair of contract extensions from the Blue Jays on Monday just ahead of Friday's season Oprah against the Sacramento A's. Yes, I'm calling them that, laddie. The Blue Jays have announced contract extensions for the manager, John Schneider,

and the general manager, Ross Atkins. Schneider's deal takes them through the 2028 season. Atkins goes all the way through 2031. I will mention, that for those of you were saying that didn't they just pick up an extension on Schneider? They did. After they lost game seven to the Dodgers, they quickly picked up his extension for this season, adding another extension onto that. So the bench boss for the Blue Jays now sticks around through 2028.

I guess they're liking what they're seeing. I don't know. Yeah. Well, they nearly won the World Series. They're doing all right. Nearly. They didn't quite get it done though. They were close to the head.

Can you remind me how close they got? They were really close. They got. It was many people say it was the most heartbreaking loss in baseball. baseball history and baseball history, I mean. It was way back. Goes way back. This is not a new league.

So anyone who's like a hardcore fan of the Blue Jays, you kind of just experienced like the worst loss. Like eight times too. I could have won at least eight times. Multiple. That's what made it so bad. Over and over again. I mean, all these plays at the end of the game that kind of went,

did not go your way. And anyway, Mark Shapiro also got extended about a month ago. So those three, Those three are going to be in charge for a while longer. And I think it's interesting to look back at all the times that people would have made a case to fire them. Do you know what I mean? I had a hot take for Schneider that he was going to get relieved of his duties two years ago at the All-Star break.

And they were going to bring in Don Mattingly to be the new. That was a heck of a take. Hey, it was close. Was it? I felt like it was close. They were they wildly underachieved for the majority of Schneider's tenure. Like last year kind of came out of nowhere. Hey, he did a really nice job last year without question.

Given some of the managerial decisions we saw in the postseason and how much fire guys came under in the postseason. I thought Schneider did a pretty good job. And I will say this, he often relied at times that I thought was foolhardy about just relying on the vibes and the room and the culture that they built up. But he proved correct because they had a. really great ability last year to put the team ahead of individual goals, all those little things that we talked about, like, you know, guys willing to sacrifice and guys willing to grind at bats to move things along. They had a good collective attitude, and that does start with the manager, right? Like, there's no question about that. In-game managerial decisions is

one thing. But the ability to make sure that a clubhouse works and it's functional and that they've got the good vibes. It's a tough thing to do. He's a vibes manager, is what you're saying. A little bit of a vibes manager, I'd say, yeah. Like, I don't know. What do you think of them? I mean, Look, he brought you to, again, as close as you can get. Very, very close. Very close. Super close. Came close. You hammering that point.

Yeah. So, I mean, where are you on Schneider? You must like him. Yeah, well, anytime you get to the World Series, you can't be too much of a complainer, right, with the stuff that goes, obviously some of his decisions through the playoffs were questionable. There were some decisions that backfired on him a little bit, but that's going to happen to every manager.

And I feel like changing him out now would be a very... Which one backfired on him, though? Some of that'll... But they beat Seattle series mainly. They won the Seattle series. I know they took a little bit of heroics from George Springer. So I don't think you could pin that one on the manager, but I think changing the manager would be a weird thing right now. That's the biggest point of the show.

If you talk to Mariners fans. Changing anything about management, not just the manager, but management would be unexpected. And those guys, Shapiro and Atkins, like, just in time. just in time they got they kind of got the job done because if the jays had had a disappointing season if they hadn't turned it around halfway through the season I think it would have been more than fair to say like okay these guys have been there for a long time where's the success where's the postseason success remember the postseason success or lack thereof that they'd had coming into this past postseason they hadn't they didn't want anything and won a game

They won a game. Yeah. So, and then all of a sudden are like, they're like, all right, five-year extension, perfect. I want to circle back on this, the postseason series against the Mariners last year. If you were to ask a Mariners fan, I think they would say that Dan Wilson was the worst of the two managers in that series. They were livid with. They were pretty on, like, making fun of Schneider throughout the whole series. Yeah, but that's because it's the opposition's manager.

But still, it was. It was a race to the bottom. You really think that he made that many problems, he made that many poor mistakes in the postseason. Because I would say a guy that took his team to game seven of the World Series did a pretty good job managing. When he brought in Brendan Little in... That's the big one. That was the big one. In the drancy and high leverage situation when everyone was like, don't do this.

And then it went against him. And I still wonder if the Mariners had gone into Toronto and just won one game. Because that was game five. The Mariners had a three-two lead. They're heading to Toronto with a chance to. head to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. If that would have happened, is John Schneider back?

I'm not 100% sure he would be. You can argue you use Varland a little bit too much too. He kind of petered out towards the end, right? It would be nice to have Varland at the top of his game towards the end of that series. But it's all hindsight. They got, like you said, within one out of winning the World Series.

An inch, the ICF slide. Remember that at home? And the lodged ball. Just keep it going. Just keep it going. Do you think ICF maybe should have just had a bit more of a lead. You think so.

Even if you had, and this isn't very much, Laddie, even if you had like a one foot more of a lead. You picked a wedgey and you'd go over a half of step. Half a meter even. I mean, your Blue Jays could be World Series champions right now.

For a third time. Or if the throw from Rojas is off by a slight little bit. Well, it's someone to think about. I want to keep the conversation. I want to keep the conversation. For the rest of your life.

I want to keep the conversation. I want to keep the conversation. I want to keep the conversation. I want to keep the conversation. conversation in Canada, but I want to move back to the NHL and then to another team. So the rules of adoption, not in the world, in sports,

they're tricky, right? Like, when we talk about adopting a team for the playoffs, there's certain teams that are just a no-go. Yeah. And Edmonton, I think, that's out of the top of the list. And if you're like, I want to see McDavid, I have a Stanley Cup, fine. I won't this year.

Well, I'm not sure we can adopt them as a show. where are we on the Montreal Canadians? Because they are watching the Habs play. They're super fun to watch. They're really fun to watch. They might be the most fun team in the NHL watch right now. Cole Caulfield on a Saturday night? Yeah. And that guy gets it done. Yeah. So Cole Caulfield scored his third

career hat trick and had a pair of assist for a career high five points. Habs win 7-3 against the Islanders on Saturday night. Huge party at the Bell Center. The Habs look as though they are on their way back to the post. season. I know that we kind of talked about adopting Buffalo and I still think that's the right choice even though it's fraught with risk because you know, once they leave the side club. I want to adopt a team that probably isn't going to win the Stanley Cup.

Yeah. Because I adopted one back in 2010, 2011 and they just happened to beat the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup final. And so I'm a little, I'm a little hesitant. Don't you have to a, okay, do you? have to adopt a team that you want to win the Stanley Cup. See, I think the opposite. I'm with you on the first thought that you had. You adopt the team that's nice and cute and fuzzy.

Yeah. And they're kind of plucky and they're underdog. But they have absolutely no shot. It's like taking a 15 seed at March Madness. Yeah. You know, it's like the school has 800 kids in it. Good for them. Yeah.

It's built on an old burial ground. Like, oh, you know, those are cool. But you never really take them seriously. First of all, the absolute gall of bruff adopting a team, his team is a cup contender, that blows my mind. You were just playing with Fireman. No, but it didn't. I wouldn't even thought of it.

It was a different time. It didn't happen like this. The world was different. Halfer and I, we were doing Curtin blog radio late in night, and don't forget, Luchich was on that Bruins team, and he was still very popular here in Vancouver. And it was like, man, do you ever watch the Bruins? Like, they're pretty fun.

They had no idea who Brad Marchon was. They play a really heavy style. And the Bruins hadn't won a Stanley Cup forever. And Luchitch was like fighting everyone. And, you know, he was still, you know, it was still very well regarded in this city. And we would just come up. And I would just be like, you know what games I like?

I like watching Bruins games. They've got a good energy about them. And it was also the year they'd come off blowing that 3-0 lead to Philly. So it seemed pretty harmless. It did. And Boston wasn't as nauseating at the time? We barely knew Patrice Bergeron. You know, like, we didn't know, we didn't really know Tim Thomas.

But, you know, I was, I've thought about a few teams to quote unquote adopt. Montreal is one of them, although that would go against my docheer for Canadian teams. Montreal, I just like, I like the group of players that are fun to watch. Buffalo would be another. And frankly, another one in their division. I would have no trouble if Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup. I like that team a lot. How can you not like watching Kutrov?

I mean, we spoke glowingly about John Cooper last week, and I know it was kind of a John Cooper celebration because he was on after hours on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday night. You know, I don't think there's many people that would be that upset if Tampa Bay won another Stanley Cup. They've already won cups. It's like, what are you going to do? There's no skin off my teeth.

They're like plain yogurt at this point. Like it's fine, but it's bland and it's uninteresting. Not to me. Not to me at all. They've already won a Stanley Cup. Oh, in terms of their storyline? Yeah, yeah. You're talking about adopting the team.

But I think their storyline is more interesting than you're giving it credit. What's interesting about it? What's interesting is their longevity. Is the fact that they've managed to stay competitive. And a lot of people, including myself, have wondered in the last few years, are the lightning cooked? Are they done? Are they just getting too old? Is it stale there? Is it all the same? And you look at the blue line and what's happened to the blue line there.

Victor Hedman is no longer the Victor Hedman of old. And they managed to find some guys that can not only play big minutes but produce. But can they do it in the playoffs? Are you going to win a Stanley Cup with the top pair of Darren Radish and J.J. Mosier? I don't know. But I think it's really impressive what Tampa Bay. has done to remain competitive, the decision they made to move on from Stamco's and bring in Gensel is not what a lot of other organizations would do. You are shipping out and in some ways,

the way some people portray it, disrespecting one of the greatest players in franchise history and you're choosing a different guy over him. Those are the types of ruthless moves that, first of all, good teams make, but that can also backfire. It does have the potential to backfire because I think one of the most impressive things about Tampa is how long they've kept this culture and how long they really haven't had many, I mean, they certainly haven't had two of their players get into a big fight and one of them has forced to be traded. I think they're a really interesting team. Okay, what about Columbus?

Consider the case for Columbus. You have this great story with Rick Bonus coming in at the ripe old age of 71, taking the team over midseason. They go on an absolute heater. Everybody loves bonus. He's got ties to the Canucks, obviously. They have a former Canuck, a recent former Canuck in the fold in Connor Garland. And in terms of organizations that have gone through unimaginable disappointments and

tragedies and everything else with no postseason success really to show for it. They really are. There's been so many tragedies in the Blue Jackets organization. We had Aaron Portsline. Look, just for the record, I do not want to make light of any of these tragedies. And I don't want to use them as some sort of syrupy narrative to try and like play a bigger story. Just acknowledge that it exists.

Just acknowledge that throughout the course of that franchise, several awful things have happened to individuals within that organization, okay? also take it. And also, I mean, so I was asked the other day, why do they have netting up in the rank? Yeah. I'm like, well,

that was also from Columbus. That was horrible. Yeah. So take all this into account. Take into account they have zero postseason success to speak of other than a couple of playoff round victories. They've been around for long enough

that you could call them a hard luck franchise. And I think that would be underselling it. And if they do make the postseason, and right now they're sitting third in their division. They've really come on strong over the last two months of the season. They have a legitimate shot of making noise in this postseason because they're going in on such a heater. And they might get like Pittsburgh in the first round.

Yeah. And that's, listen, we all know that the penguins have been a good story and we all know they got Sid and, but that's not the toughest matchup, you can imagine for Columbus in the first round. Do they have the players, though? No, that's another reason that it's safe to take them. Right. I mean, Zach Werensky is a hell of a player.

But then you look up front and you're like, are they going to get it done with, here's their center depth, Fantilli, Monaghan, Charlie Coil, and Boone Jenner. Now, I think a guy like Marchenko is one of the more underrated players in the league. I think he's a terrific player. But I don't particularly look at that lineup and go, that's a Stanley Cup champ. So maybe that is a safe bet.

Yeah. I mean, I thought about this one quite a bit over the weekend because it does, look, I do not want to get behind a team that's going to win the Stanley Cup, especially if it's one that hasn't won a Stanley Cup before. I think it's too dangerous. I don't want to do it. So you don't want to get behind Buffalo. Do you think they got a chance? I don't know. I'd pick Buffalo. That's definitely the most interesting team. Here's, so you go, so would you be worried that they'd actually win the Cup and then the Canucks would be the only team in the sad club. That's exactly what I'm worried about. Yeah, but that would also be kind of funny, so I wouldn't mind seeing it. It would be funny in a tragic way. Yeah, that's why I put my eggs in the basket of the sabers. You know what would be hilarious, though, is how quick the narrative would change on Buffalo in that it was literally this season when we were like, what is wrong with these guys? How can they continually rack up the amount of talent that they do in the draft and they still stink? That was the same season we'd be having guests on and I've been asking him.

Like, how has Kevin Adams not been fired yet? How is he still the general manager? And then maybe a first in NHL history, we get a new GM bump. Yep. Has that happened before? Has there been a new GM bump? I've never seen a new GM bump like this. I've seen a new GM come in and the team maybe has a little bit of choke chain response, but nothing like this.

And is it a new GM bump? Is that what it is or is that a coincidence? We had Paul Hamilton on the show right after, and he did say, like, Yarmo came in, and there was an understanding from the top down that was like, this ends now. It was like they turned it into a professional organization. But I think he really did threaten some guys. He's like, I will move you out. I don't care.

Yes, but here's, I remember hearing that and being like, was that really a threat? I don't know. At the time? Whatever the kid. Was that a huge threat? Oh, no. Trade it out of Buffalo. Don't thread me with a good time, right?

Yeah, that's actually what I was wondering. So I do wonder what's happened there. And Laddie, this one's for you. Sometimes I wonder if it's just like, yeah, the goalies started making more saves. Like, how much does that have to do with something? Yeah. It's a major part of it, usually. Goleys start making more saves.

Yeah. Thank you for that. Thanks, Lundy. What do you want me to add? What do you want me to add to that? Anything really. I don't know. I'm scared of Buffalo.

Put it this way. If I was to pick the teams in the East right now, I'd go, the cup would go through Tampa Bay first. Maybe this is the year that Carolina does it. Carolina's got to be looking at this and thinking, we have to get to the Stanley Cup final.

But now I'm going to throw, we have to do it. I'm going to throw Laddie back in the spotlight here. Can Carolina win a Stanley Cup with Brandon Bussie and that. He's going to be like, I don't know. If Antonyemi can win a Stanley Cup, then yes. So that's a thinking, right? Probably better than Antonyemi if he was at any point in his career.

That's the thinking is that if it's a wide open year, maybe this is the year you also win with a goalie that's not, because he's done really well during the regular season. There's no debating his numbers. He's been very good during the regular season. Goaltending has always seemingly upended the hurricanes at some point during the postseason, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's shaky.

But this might be the year. This might be the year in the east where you can get through because Florida ain't there. No. Tampa Bay is good. I don't know if I'm ready to call them great this season. You're talking about the top team in that division at Buffalo. Feels like it's too early for them.

And then you look at the rest of the field, and you're almost saying, that's the field. No one really stands out there for me. No. If I'm Carolina, I actually just coming to grips with this right now, they have to get to the Stanley Cup final this year. I mean, this is the year to do it. They can't bow out meekly in the second or third round.

again. And Eric Tulski, I mean, they didn't do much of the trade deadline, right? They got Nick Deloree. They wanted to do something and they couldn't pull the trigger. How much do you think the Deloree acquisition was just like, we always get beat up in the playoffs? Now we're going to beat them up before they even have a chance to beat us. He has been fighting a lot. I haven't. I mean, that's what he does, right? 100% what it was, though, right? Like, we need more grit playoff time. Here we go. I think the deal that they wanted to get done just wasn't out there. Like they wanted to do another impact, rent, and the type thing.

It just wasn't there. And I don't think they thought Pedersen was going to be for a playoff run this year. Forget about it. So their backup plan was Deloree? Just get tougher. I'm surprised they didn't try and address their goaltending, but at this point you got a ride with Bussie because you don't have anything else. I also think Stan Coven has been playing better as their 2C.

So they were maybe a little bit less concerned about their second line, but there's going to be a lot of pressure on Stancoven. to produce in the playoffs, and there's going to be a lot of eyes on him because, you know, the big question with a guy like Stancoven is, you're not big. No. Are you going to be able to produce in the playoffs? Okay, before we go to break, I need to tell you about Jan Pro. Reliable cleaning, clear communication and service you can count on.

That's JanPro. Start clean, stay clean. Visit them online at Janpro.com. Coming up on the other side of the break, we're going to go to Edmonton. Jack Michaels, the play-by-play voice of the Edmonton Oilers on SportsNand is going to join us. in his stressful times in Edmonton right now. The team on the ice ain't winning. One of their star players is in Germany, getting his injury looked after.

And Conner McDavid, it's getting pretty outspoken about things specifically behind the bench. You're listening to The Halford & Brough Show on SportsNet 650. Hey, it's Jamie Dodd and Thomas Grants. Get your daily dose of Canucks talk with us weekdays from 12 to 2 on SportsNet 650

or catch up on demand through your favorite podcast app. 732. on a Monday. Happy Monday, everybody. Halford, Brubbs, Sports Night 650. Halpert and Brub of the morning is brought to by Sands and Associates. Are you getting collection calls? If you are, Sands and Associates could cut your debt by up to 80% and stop those calls. Visit them today at sands dash trustee.com. We're in hour two of the program. We're at the midway point of the show. Jack Michaels,

the voice you just heard. Play-by-play voice of the Oilers is going to join us in just a moment here. Highlight of Hour 2. Hour 2 is brought to by Jason Homano. at Jason. Mortgage. If you love paying too much for your mortgage, then don't let Jason shop around to find the perfect mortgage for you. Visit them online at jason.orgage. To the Able Auctions hotline,

we go, our next guest, as mentioned, the play-by-play voice of the Edmonton Oilers here on Sportsnet. Jack Michaels joins us now on the Halford and Brough show on SportsNet 650. Morning, Jack, how are you? Morning, guys, I'm good. Getting ready to hop on a plane to Salt Lake. Oh, yeah, it's Utah coming up.

A couple big road games here for the Oilers. we get into the preview stuff, we get a lot look back. And I'm having a hard time even trying to figure out exactly what to focus on from this past weekend, Jack, because a lot has happened. There was the actual game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. There was the Leon Dreisle stuff from Byron Munich. There was all the comments that Connor McDavid had postgame. I'll say this. It was a pretty eventful weekend for the Edmonton Oilers. Was it not? Yeah. And, you know, really like much of their season, it's, it's been pretty topsy-term. I mean, it just has been a season that every time you think, you know, they're kind of shifting into, you know,

third or fourth gear, they tumble back down into neutral. And, you know, I realize no one ever learns on standard vehicles anymore. But, you know, that's the best analogy I can come up with is I thought, you know, in recent weeks, Edmonton had taken some steps forward. And specifically, the win over Colorado. I mean, that I thought was a bit of a breakthrough at the time. It had been a while since they'd beaten, you know, a top quality team and to do it on the road and, you know, to do it in the fashion they did where the team kind of came together in a physical game that had a lot of intensity to it. You think maybe that's finally the trigger that kind of kicks them into a playoff stretch drive. And, you know, while they showed fight against Tampa, I think, at the end, you know, the lightning were able to elevate. Obviously, without Leon Drysidal, changes things. They had Drysidle for the Colorado game. They did not this past week when Florida and Tampa came in.

So they're going to have to find a way to stabilize. And as you mentioned, a couple of important road games, because if they don't get one of those, all of a sudden they're cushioned simply for making the playoffs theoretically shrinks. The one thing I'll say about Connor McDavid's comments is the pillow fight is bang on because if you were ever going to end the division title drought

and Edmonton currently owns the longest not having won a division any of the four major professional sports, Edmonton has the longest since 1987 and then the New York Islanders are next among the four major professional sports in 1988.

You'd have thought this would be the year to break it, but it just has been an uneven year all the way around for the Oilers. What do you think about the sentiment around the head coach Chris Knoblock right now? How would you describe it? Well, I think it's much like the rest of the team is that no one, including the head coach, has necessarily had the answers this year to kickstart this team.

I mean, they've had one three-game winning streak all year. They've had the same amount of three-game winning streaks as the San Luis. and, you know, St. Louis is nowhere near the postseason contention. But one thing the others have done, and if you're going to take a shot at Knoblock, you also have to acknowledge the fact that there has been stabilization. You know, they have lost three in a row a couple times. They haven't gone in the other direction, which is why they're still very much, you know, not only, you know, a favor to make the playoffs, but still very much alive to, you know,

win the division. They've got another game against Anaheim. They've got two more against Vegas. They still very much control their own destiny. Admittedly a weak division, but they could also be in first place in a week or so. That's just kind of how the years

been, and I think Chris Doblock's personality, you know, quite frankly, is I think one of the reasons why Edmonton hasn't gone in a tailspin in the other direction, because he's not a guy who goes out of his way to grind on his players. He's not a guy who's going to make life miserable

around the rink when, you know, the on-ice results haven't been there. You know, that's interesting about Knoblock because he is very stoic and composed and he doesn't, you know, offer a lot of critiques in the media. I think especially when people are clamoring for the fire and brimstone stuff from either the coach or the players, he manages to keep that even kill. I guess it's like don't let the highs get too high, don't let the lows get too low. But it's interesting the dynamic over the last week because after the Florida loss, I noticed a lot of people, including a lot of the reporters around the team, we're looking for something from someone about, you know,

either being pissed off or angry that the game went the way that it did. And then this weekend, I think people were looking for something, and maybe even from Knoblock in response to what McDavid had to say, but I'll give the guy credit. He does always manage to keep that very steady demeanor, even when things aren't going great, like they have been going lately. Well, he put it to me this way once because I asked them about it. And I think I asked them about it, you know, last year, you know, more in the first half of the season when once again,

Edmonton wasn't really getting out of the starting blocks. And he said, you know, I learned a long time ago that if I, especially the way I am, you know, he said, I know the way I present myself and the way I look. So it magnifies itself. If I lose my cool on the bench, what do you think happens to my players? I mean, they see a guy who's normally reserved, and if I lose it, I've never had anything, you know, come positively out of that. And I'm glad you brought up the Florida Tampa situation because I did think it was interesting how quickly those comments dried up in the aftermath of the Tampa loss, because, and it's been my experience, when a team tries to play out of its character or, you know,

gets away from maybe its strengths. And while the Oilers, you know, have some team toughness, I mean, they've got Trent Frederick, they've got darnel nurse. It's not like they have, you know, no one in their lineup who's averse to rough stuff, but it's not their identity. And when Edmonton got involved with that stuff against, you know, Tampa Bay, well, when the dust settled, it was 3-1 lightning in the other direction. That second period, the lightning got all three goals.

Now, you can say, oh, they pushed back, they answered the hit, you know, they belted Hegel around, you know, they showed they were willing. Well, they also gave up a shorthanded goal and failed to capitalize on a five-on-three. So, you know, did emotionally getting involved in that game, you know, have the desired result? Certainly on the ice it didn't. So I think sometimes you've got to play to your identity and you can't get caught up in what others might expect or want out of you. You have to know what your team looks like. And I will say this.

I believe Chris Knoblock knows that. And furthermore, I think the ultimate end product, while it hasn't resulted in a championship, it's also three wins away from back-to-back cups. I mean, those of the years Chris Knoblock has been in a championship, charge. A loss in game seven of the Stanley Cup final and a loss in game six of the Stanley Cup final. And I think that's the first thing you have to remember in Rocky Waters, which this season certainly has been. Is this lineup, how would you compare this lineup that the Oilers have this season to, let's say, two seasons ago? Yeah. I mean, my, I've pushed back a few times

on people who have kind of just, I almost feel like blindly said, well, the oilers always start slow, they'll turn it around. And I've kind of been like, really? Because I don't think they're quite as good as they were a couple of years ago. You know, even some of their veteran guys

were a couple of years younger and had maybe a little more, a bit more juice in their legs. And it kind of brings it back to looking at the future of this team and maybe a reason why Connor McDavid only signed a two years. extension. Well, again, here's what I would say is outside of the Central Division, is the league as good? Has Boston ripped off a 120-point year? Obviously, Florida is nowhere near as formidable.

I mean, is there a team that, I don't know, that your show would say is a lock to be in the final? Even now, Colorado's kind of come back to the field. I think, I think what's, happened. And maybe it's not as simple as saying the league isn't as good. But what's happened is, in my opinion, you've got teams like Anaheim and San Jose who've gotten better. And I think to a, you know, to a great extent, the rest of the Pacific Division teams haven't. And so you've got a compression where the poor teams are better. And the best teams, Vegas and Edmonton, aren't as good. So as a result, you've got, you know, kind of water seeking its level, which has been toward the middle this year. And obviously, without Leon Dryso, you know the

Oilers don't have as good of a lineup. What Stan Bowman was hoping, and to some degree, it's happened, is that guys like Podkoulson and Savoy, he knew the team wouldn't necessarily be as good in October and November. What he was hoping, is they would be better by the time, you know, March or April arrived. He had a veteran group last year where he knew the ceiling was kind of reached almost immediately, and would it be good enough to get them over the finish line? Well, you know, as it turned out, you know, Florida acquires Marchand, they have the best, you know, third line in the playoffs,

and that third line was the difference with Marchand joining Lundell and Luos Doreen. And that was the difference in that Stanley Cup. final series along with subtracting Zach Hyman out of Edmonton's lineup. That's what happened. You were at near the ceiling of where you were going to be. You lost time and you came a step down. Florida took two steps up with the acquisition of March and you lose the Stanley Cup final.

Now this year, but Colson has taken another step forward. Matt Savoy is taken another step forward. I think some of the other guys that they were hoping, you know, like a guy like I Howard, you know, hasn't been able to make as smooth a transition. You know, they haven't gotten the contributions that they were hoping in that regard. And, you know, as a result, and again, I have to say, you know, the goaltending, again, every time it started to write itself, then they flip the goalies, you know, they've, I mean, remember, they didn't just flip out Skinner.

They basically flipped out Skinner and Pickard. and while Connor Ingram has given them some quality starts, it's been a while since Tristan Jari has been able to do it. I think he's got five or six consecutive starts now where he's given up at least four goals. So that hasn't helped either. When you don't have reliable goaltending to the extent that, you know, Edmonton did, I mean, the one thing is, you know, Skinner was durable.

And Jari got off to a good start with Edmonton, then got hurt, hasn't been as good since he came back. So I think all those factors roll into, once again, Edmonton is hoping that when round one of the playoffs starts and Leon Drysiddle is back in the lineup, that some of the steps that have been taken can combine with, you know, what they hope will be stable goaltending. Last year, they got it in combination.

The year prior, same thing. Calvin Pickard kind of rescued them in the middle of the Vancouver series, gave Skinner a much-needed breather at that time. They're going to have to do it by committee. We're talking to Oilers with Jack Michaels. Jack, are you confident that Drysidal will be back for the first round of the playoffs? I am. You know, I think in that interview, I don't think he said anything differently.

I think whether it was, you know, I'd have to look at the little transition. But he was saying basically he hopes he'llers go on a run. And I think he was talking about getting them into the playoffs because, you know, my hunch is Leon Drysettle. If not, the start of the first round, will be ready at some point in the first round for the Stanley Cup playoffs. And I don't think that interview altered my timeline on that. You know, you're talking about a guy who probably played on, and you guys know, they'd much rather. break an ankle and suffer a high ankle sprain. Leon Dreisdell had 32 points in whatever it was, you know,

16 games on a high ankle sprain that he suffered in the LA series. He then went to Calgary and set a record that still stands, 17 points in a five-game series. I mean, he played that on a freshly high ankle sprain situation. I mean, it was, I mean, again, I talked to some folks after the fact, and they said it was one of the worst eye ankle sprains that ever seen. They had no idea how he even played.

So if you're asking me if I think Leon drives up, I'll be ready for round one, I'll tell you, I'd be shocked if he wasn't. Yeah, his anger can carry him through a lot of pain, and I mean that in a positive sense. He likes that persona. Don't think for a moment

that Leon isn't a bit calculated there. He's not as angry as one would appear. He seems like he might have a pretty good dry sense of humor. Is that fair to say? Yeah, the first syllable of his name tells you a lot. He absolutely does.

And, you know, I think he's kind of embraced that. You know, guys embrace their identity all around the league. Obviously, Marchand and Cichuk enjoy their statuses, villains. And I think Leon, and there was one interview, and I can't remember where I was, but I'm sure you guys have seen it on social media where he says, Yeah, people think I'm grumpy, and I'm okay with that. So he knows how he comes across, and I think he enjoys it. But I've seen him in some situations where I know he's putting on a bit of an act.

Hey, you know, we talk all the time about the Oilers' goaltending issues, and rightly so. Do you think people are aware of how bad it's gotten in Vegas? Well, that's the thing is, you know, it's, it is a division where, you know, I, Again, I think Connor was bang on. It has been a pillow fight and it starts in net. I mean, even last night, you know, Anaheim wins that game 6-5, but I believe it was 4-2 in the third period. And, you know, obviously San Jose, I mean, none of the contenders right now have,

you know, have goalies that you actually, you know, know, know, that from 4-2 on it's, and that's where the Eastern Conference, I think, has the biggest advantage. Because quite frankly, I would say the West has some questions. I mean, as impressive as Colorado has been, are we absolutely dead solid that, you know, it's blackwood and wedge wood all the way? I mean, what have they done in the postseason? I mean, again, they've had a tremendous season.

Jake Onger has not had a regular season up to his standards. and in back-to-back Western Conference Finals, he's been completely outplayed by Stuart Skinner. You know, Minnesota, again, good regular season goalies, but what's their track record in the postseason? So, you know, I think in the West, it's not just Edmonton. And again, it sounds ridiculous when you say, well, you know, yes, Edmonton, I used to get in trouble.

for this a lot in junior high. Well, yes, I was talking during class, but so were other people. And that's what you kind of sound like when you say, when you say Edmonton's, you know, not got the most consistent goaltending, but so were the rest contenders looked. Right now, we are in an era. And I think Vancouver knows this as well. And it's more to do with injury than in effectiveness in the case of Thatcher Demko. But we are not in a golden era of gold. right now. Think about it, guys. Like 15 years ago, you know, you could just rattle off Luongo, Bordur, you could rat, you know, Tukares, you could go through 15 or 16 goalies before, you know, Jonathan Quick, all these guys, like, were all in their prime, flurry, you know,

I mean, I'm thinking of them, as I say, at Boltby, you know, you had so many good goaltenders. now who are the guys that you absolutely are not worried about in the slightest going into the postseason. Andre Vasselowski. Yeah, it's a short list. That's what I thought. And even Vasselowski, there would be people like, oh, he's getting pretty old. I mean, add a few. I mean, you're hosting the show.

You know the league. Who else are you totally not worried about? I'm always worried about goaltending. I don't trust them. I don't trust them. Even going back to Luongo, I didn't, I didn't, you know, like there were, there were things going on there. I also just think like you watch the NHL on a daily basis.

I mean, you watch, I mean, you were working, but Cole Calfield on Saturday, the way that players can shoot the puck these days with the stick technology and just with them working on it more. I mean, it's, I don't, I don't so much. blame the goalies. Like, I don't think goalies have gotten worse. I think coaches are coaching offense better now, and I think guys just shoot the puck so well.

Yeah, but I would say this. I think, you know, I think whether it's the, you know, the cost in North America, I do think we're in a lull. I think, in other words, I don't think we're done with an era of good goaltending. I think in, you know, five to ten years, we could have a cross. where, you know, it's a bit of a bumper crop of goalies. And certainly, you know, in the States, I mean, that's a bit of a strength when you factor in Connor Hellebuck. But again, to your point, you know, Connor Hellebuck's playoff record is less than stellar.

He obviously delivered an unbelievable performance at the Olympics. But in the Stanley Cup playoffs, he has not been up to regular season form. Now, whether that's workload or whatever. But I do agree with you. I mean, we're in an era of offense. You know, it's no longer, you know, Jamie, you know, Jamie Ben's 87 points leading the National Hockey League and scoring. You know, I mean, we've got, you know,

we've got guys that you know we're going to be at 120 before the season even begins, even if it takes 99 points in 45 games to get that done. You've got a guy like Kutrov who can do exactly that. Crazy. Yeah, it's a wide open year. And I think Edmonton is still. especially because of the path that they will take, similar to the last couple years. I still think Edmonton is in that group of teams that has a legitimate shot at the Stanley Cup final.

And I realize that sounds hopelessly biased, but I'm sorry, you're talking about a team that's still likely, more likely than not to finish in the top three in the Pacific. and that path is a lot easier than the path that any team will have in the other divisions. I'm just sorry it is. And that's why I think Edmonton is still very much a contender, especially with a healthy Leon Dreisdell, to basically have a chance in the Western Conference Final against a central division team that will have had to navigate a much more difficult road.

Jack, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us this morning. I know it's a busy time for you and it's about to get even busier and the stakes are going to get even higher for you. So enjoy the games and enjoy however it plays out for the Edmonton Oilers. You bet, pal. Thanks for having me on. Thanks, Jack. That's Jack Michaels. Edmonton Oilers play-by-playman on Sportsnet here on the Halpert and Breff Show on Sportsnet 650. Before we go to break, I need to do the smart decision brought to you by Crow, your trusted accounting and tax advisors for over 55 years. Going back to the world. of international football here.

Another major star on his way to MLS. Antoine Griesman is about to join Max Cray Poe in Orlando City. Not so much about Orlando or some great breakdown of one of the worst teams in MLS. I'm shocked that he's going. One, in the middle of an Athletico campaign where he's still playing. And then two, to one of the worst teams in MLS. But consider us, when this transfer is done, you are going to have Leonel Messi, Thomas Mueller,

Jungman's son, Rodrigo DePaul, Timo Verner, and now Antoine Grisman all playing in MLS still at a reasonably high level. Now, don't get me wrong.

Griseman's best days are beyond him. He's 35 or something like that. Yeah, but this is a guy that twice was a finalist for the Ballandoor. He won a league of player of the year.

He won a World Cup with France in 2018. So this is another player very high caliber. By the way... Do you think he asked his agent? He was like, his agent,

If it's like, are they, it's in Florida. Are they as good as Interm Miami? And his agent was like, yep. Okay, so you know, all joking aside, you know, I know what I think this might be. He's a huge NBA fan. So I'm serious. He loves to be closer to the action. I think he wants, I mean, him and Paolo Bencaro, I think are going to have like a podcast

together at some point. That's how I see this playing. I think he just wanted to, some of these guys just want to go to America, right? And that's been the problem with MLS in the past is a lot of these aging veteran European stars. Like, yeah, I'll go live in New York for a while, or I'll see what L.A. is like... You have to play soccer, though, right?

That's been the problem. A lot of these guys have also been like, can I mail it in when I'm there? And MLS has been like, sure, just come on board. That's fine. Anyway, I do think it's a really cool and smart decision as the two link up. I think we're going to see more of these

on the other side of the World Cup as well. Anyway, the smart decision is brought to you by Crow. Smart Decisions lasting value. Learn more at chromakai.ca.ca. Two hours of the show in the books. one final hour to go, Satyar Shah. It's going to join us on the other side for some Canucks talk. You're listening to the Halford & Breft Show on Sportsnet, 650.