Halford & Brough in the Morning - The Rangers And Oilers Are Struggling So Life Is Good

Episode Date: November 5, 2025

In hour two, Mike & Jason discuss the latest NHL news with Victory+ insider Frank Seravalli (1:16), plus they chat the troubles around the Edmonton Oilers with Sportsnet's Mark Spector (22:28). 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.

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Happy Wednesday everybody Halford Brough Sportsnet 6 50. Halford and Brother of the morning is brought to you by Sands and Associates. Only a licensed insolvency trustee can cut your debt by up to 80% with the upfront fees. To learn how, visit them online at Sands-Trustee.com. We are now in hour two of the program, as the music suggests, Frank Sera Valley from Victory Plus is going to join us in just a moment here to kick off hour two.

Hour two is bracked by Jason hominock at Jason. 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 dot mortgage. We're coming to live from the Kintech studio, Kintech Footwear and Orthotics, working together with you in Step. Our next guest is a presentation of Angry Otter Liquor. He is from Victory Plus. He is our NHL insider.

He is Frank Sarah Valley here on the Halford & Brough Show on SportsNet 650. Morning, Frank. How are you? Good morning, boys. I'm good. How are you? We're good. Thanks for taking the time to do this as always.

We appreciate it. So tonight, it is the Vancouver Canucks at home against the Chicago Blackhawks. And the local boy, Connor Bedard, returns on fire, I might add, 16 points in 13 games to start the season. He's on a five-game point streak in which he scored five goals and four assists. So things are going well for Bedard, so a two-parter for you to kick off the hit. One, any update on a contract negotiation or situation as it pertains to maybe an in-season signing. And two, Bedard's outlook for potentially making Team Canada for the Olympics.

So the first part is no update. The two sides have not had much by way of negotiation. That's not a negative. They just understood that the market dynamic was changing. I think the Logan Cooley contract extension really helps that a data point that is going to be very helpful for getting a deal done whenever they get around to it, but doesn't seem to be much urgency on either side. And for the second part, I mean, he's making his case. right now. I think he, Connor Bedard deserves a ton of credit

for the work that he put in this past summer. The Hawks believe that he accomplished in one summer what it might take other mere mortals, three summers to tune up their game. His skating mechanics are totally different. The shot is as lethal

as ever and he's found a way to create new lanes and the deception that he's added to his game, which had been there before, but it's different. in the NHL, what work in junior doesn't necessarily work in the NHL. He's totally

overhauled his game in a significant way, and you can see the results speak for themselves. I was reading a couple things about Bedard and by nature where the Hawks are at in terms of their evolution. It does feel like this is a very important season for the entire group's

maturation and development. For example, Jason Dickinson got hurt, and I think it was Mark Lazarus from the athletic point. The first guy they made the call to was Oliver Moore, who's a good young, talented prospect for them. But they moved him up right away because they said, you know, whether it's a veteran or a young guy, we want the best player available to help us win games now to get into the lineup. And we're not going to worry about, you know, is it too early for Oliver Moore? And, you know, they're a very young team and they've got years in front of them.

But I'm curious if they feel the need, not to necessarily step on the gas, but this is an important year in terms of making strides to be more competitive and maybe push for a playoff spot? I disagree with the first notion. Like, that's not why Oliver Moore was brought up. It also happened at a time when Landon Slaggart, who actually plays a very similar game to Oliver Moore, uses his speed on the forecheck. He just wasn't a very impactful player.

So he's on his way down and Dickinson is hurt. Look, Oliver Moore has looked good in Rockford. they wanted to give him a taste of the NHL. And I think the best part about what we're seeing in Chicago is that it's a meritocracy. You play well in Rockford. You're going to earn your spot in the NHL, and it's as simple as that.

I don't think the decision was made at all connected to, hey, we need to win more games, we need to be a playoff team. That's not really what they're talking about or looking at. They're looking at continued individual growth. And with continued individual growth, we know that development in the NHL is not a, it's not linear, there's not a straight line. But with that continued individual growth, the team is going to be much better off. I mean, look at this year's team compared to last, the fact that Frank Nazar is carrying his own line and taking a ton of heat off of Bedard, I mean, it's been mutually beneficial, right?

The Hawks were a one-line team. You shut down Badar's line, you win the game, almost. guaranteed. Now, when it comes to the overall holistic view, the 30,000 foot conversation about the Hawks, in my estimation, what's exciting is that they're about half baked right now. They're 50% of their roster of where they want to get to, and they've got all the young pieces that you could want playing elsewhere. So you're getting a little tangible feel right now of where this team's heading and they're fun to watch hard to play against they compete they're fast they've got high-end skill but the other half of that puzzle is anton frondell playing

overseas is roman can't sarov leading the khl in goals is marik vanacker leading the ohhl in goals you you start to stack those things up nick lardis is lighting up the a hl in points that becomes really exciting to then start to think about the timeline and dropping those guys in next year and beyond. We're speaking to Frank, Sarah Valley, our NHL Insider from Victory Plus here on the Halford & Brough Show on SportsNet 650. Jumping around here a bit, Frank. The Dallas Stars situation as it pertains to what's going on with the Dallas Mavericks,

can you walk us and the listeners through this with whatever information you've got at the ready? how do I boil that down into 30 seconds you can go longer than 30 seconds take your time yeah essentially the backstory is the stars and Mabs appear to be heading in different directions the Mabs would like their own new arena like a lot of basketball teams the tenants want to control the suites they want to control the revenue all that the stars at the same time are saying, hey, we need to get on board here and renovate this arena that we're playing in. We need to do it in a meaningful way to continue to have a really viable hard product. And with that, there's obviously a disagreement on the vision of that.

The city of Dallas is squarely in the middle of it as the joint operator and owner of this venue. and they're sorting that out through what now appears to be legal channels and negotiation. And so where that ends up, the stars as we know through the reporting from the Dallas Morning News have already been looking at arenas or potential sites to build an arena north of the city and the suburbs and how this all comes together. I mean, I don't have a crystal ball, but I watched. to play out in my own town. The Sixers were trying to leave the arena

that they share with the flyers because they wanted to have all the control. And in the end, they both realized that all that would do is create mutually assured destruction. It's really hard to run an arena and fill it and really expensive at today's cost to build one without having another tenant in there. And so what they decided to do

was build a brand new arena next door to where they are now. And they're gonna be joint 50-50 partners in the operation as opposed to the flyers owning the arena and the Sixers just being a tenant. In the end, everyone's happy. I'm not saying right now

that the stars and Mavs are happy with each other because they're not, but I think there's always a lot of bluster and in the end, what is best for everyone usually wins out. You know, speaking of Philly, I was watching the Ducks last night and watching Cutter Gochier

score three goals, his first hat trick in the NHL. he's now leading the NHL in goals. Did we ever get an answer on what happened between Cutter Goethe and the Philadelphia Flyers that led him to be traded to Anaheim for Jamie Drystale? Do we ever get an answer there? No. The Flyers themselves never got an answer. Definitely not from the kid.

He had declined multiple phone calls, didn't, wouldn't talk to the general manager, the team president. there are some of their franchise legends that are involved in player development and just basically completely ignored the organization what set that off there's been lots of speculation did he not want to play for john tortarella was he upset with the flyers for how they you know when he wanted to leave school how he didn't get inserted right into the n hl lineup right away that wasn't part of the plan i don't know what it is is or what happened, but I said at that exact moment in time that the flyers just traded away

a 40 goal score in the NHL. And I actually might be wrong that he might be a 50 goal score. Yeah. Could he be on the Olympic, the American Olympic team? I haven't been following that team's projections as close as Canada's. No, I don't think he's going to make the cut this time around. I don't think same thing with Wayne Hudson or some others. It's not their time yet but it's obviously coming and he's drawing himself into that conversation.

The Rangers got shut out at MSG again last night. Jay C.C. Miller did not like that. Yeah. What did he say and what do you what he reckons going on right there because I don't think at this point you can chalk it up to just like bad shooting

luck? I believe the exact quote was we're 14 games in it's not cute anymore I think that was in reference to their poor performances in the goal scoring department on home ice look

the one thing that is hugely important about what the Rangers have done this season is they've defended a lot better they were perhaps the most over-reliant team in the league on their goalie the last few years and they've cleaned that up in a really meaningful way but the question now is

do they have enough finishing ability at the other end to be a contending team and when I say that I mean be a playoff team and be able to make some noise I'm not sold on that part yet I think they should have the ability

like between Miller, Panarin, Lafranier Will Cooley I mean go through the lip Zabanajad they should have enough, but they can't put it together at all. And that part, I think, is really concerning. The boo-birds are out in a meaningful way in New York.

They have the best road. Imagine being a season ticket holder. They have the best road record in the NHL, though. They're 6-1-1 on the road. They're 0-5-1 at home. And they've scored six goals at home, and five of them came in one game in a wild game against San Jose. It's a very odd situation.

Or they weren't good defensively. No, they were terrible. And they've scored fine on the road. Yeah, it's the weirdest thing, and I don't really know how to make sense of it, because, again, you go 6-1-1-on-one on the road, you have to have some makings of a good hockey team in there. We are speaking to Frank Saravalli,

our NHL insider from Victory Plus here on the Halford & Brough Show on SportsNet 650. Prior to getting you on, Frank, we were talking at length about the Minnesota Wild Wild National Predators game from last night, a crazy ending there in overtime, but it was crazy in regulation because it was Steve Stamcoe,

scoring with 0.3 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime for Nashville. It's been a tough year, and it's really been a tough stretch for Stamco's ever since he left Tampa Bay and joined the Nashville Predators. I know his name has kind of been out there in terms of could he potentially be on the move?

Have you heard anything? Is there anything to these rumors, or are they just that? I don't think there's a lot to it. For one, you'd have to really have someone beating down the Nashville Predators' door. Two, it'd have to be a place that he really wants to go because he has control.

And three, he'd want to have to do it and uproot his family at the same time. And that's one thing that as tough as the hockey has been, my understanding is that Steven Stamco's and his family absolutely love living in Nashville. Like they have found it to be a great, great fit. And so I don't think he's hungry to upset that part of his life. It was a big change after being in Tampa for so long. long to land in Nashville but the other side of the coin here is that it's been a really miserable on ice experience and the vibes around that team have not been good it has been a sour place

to go to the rank and go to work they struggle to score their structure's not good they're not they're maybe the worst least exciting team to watch um and that's really tough for a guy that had been through the other end of it and had won and experienced all that success in Tampa. So it's been an adjustment for sure. But I think if you want to cross out all those other factors that I mentioned, the next part is that someone would have to be beating the Pred's door down to get him. And I truly don't think that's the case. Okay, one final one for you before we let you go. And we're going to have Mark Specter coming up to talk little Oilers here. So I did want to reference something you mentioned on Frankly hockey, all eyes on the oil.

oilers over the next few days. Too many forwards and too many defensemen. So set the situation on what we might be seeing from the oilers over the next little bit. Well, the forward part is relatively easy to clean up. Zach Hyman coming back at some point, I'd say between now and November 10th is the target date. They can send Isaac Howard to Bakersfield. That's an easy option. Doesn't need waivers.

But they do have too many forwards and too many defense. And so the question on the back end is, with Alec Regula returning and being inserted directly into the top six, the Oilers are a big believer in him, does that mean that Troy Stetcher is on the way out, or is it Ty Emerson? And I think there's some value in both. I personally would keep Stetcher. I think he's the perfect six, seven in this league. And I know the kids out there listening just did the whole six-seven thing. for just a yeah

he really is the consummate pro and he also makes half of what Emerson does on the cap so I think on a team

where every dollar counts Emerson is the guy that I'd look at but he's also out played Stetter

pretty significantly to start so I think the Oilers are trying to balance all those things and understand not just

cap but what they could get for both those guys Frank this was great Thanks for taking the time to do it. We appreciate it.

Enjoy the rest of the week. We'll do this again next Tuesday. You do, see you guys. See you later. It's Frank Cerr Valley. From Victory Plus here on the Halford and Brough Show on Sportsnet 650, he has a presentation of Angry Otter Liquor Plus program members save for game days at Angry Otter Liquor. Lickr. Stock up on Canadian-made favorites, ready to enjoy before puck drop.

Visit them online at Angry Otterlicker.c.cr.S. Did you see my guy, Bobby Brink, scored a couple more goals? Bobby Or Brink, that's his middle name? I saw that. Yeah, two more goals, up to five for the Flyers. The Flyers went into Montreal and dominated the HABs. I don't know if they were playing Rick Tock at hockey because they actually managed to get 42 shots on net 40 through regulation,

and then they ended up winning it in a shootout. And I don't know if you saw Trevor Zegers' shootout goal. That was a confident goal. Wild game for them, but entertaining in the end. Yeah. And they got their two points. And the HABs are so much fun to watch, especially on the power play.

That Demadoff guy has unbelievable vision and plays the game at such a high pace, high rate. Like that power play that the HABs have. It's pretty devastating. They are, like, when you watch that power play compared to sometimes when the Knox are, like, moving it around pretty slowly, you know, and everything is just quite like, you know,

intentional. It's like, okay, I'm going to pass it. here and he's going to maybe pass it back the habs are like three steps ahead every time they're throwing the puck around Eric Engels had the piece up on sportsnet dot CA and I'm paraphrasing here but the gist of it was the Canadians

last night it was one of those games where you reach that stage of your evolution where you don't play necessarily well but you've got so much talent especially on special teams that you can kind of scratch points out of games you had no business being in because they were behind 3-0-0 you mentioned right 3-0 in the first period and they're horrible

And then they just stormed back because it's like, Demidoff, Suzuki, Caulfe, take your pick. There's so many different guys that can hurt you. Hudson, we haven't even mentioned him in there. So, yeah, it's a fun team to watch and very entertaining. I think Hudson is up to 11 assists or something right now. So he's, I mean, they got a very, very talented team, but they weren't very good last night against the flyers.

I got a bunch of business I need to attend to here. First off, it's the one to watch, brought to you by Limitless Aid. and this has become a really interesting part of the Halford and Brough show because on occasion we have used the power of the one to watch for good. The most exciting one but ultimately the biggest letdown was when we named Evander Kane the one to watch

hoping that he would get his first goal of the year and then he did only for them to rip it off the board on a questionable, questionable goalie review goalie interference review against St. Louis. But he got two goals last game So I think it got him going And he had a nice assist in that game It was the residual limitless AV bounce

So I thought let's do it again, Jason So the following forwards That play with regularity Are stuck on zero goals this year We got Atu Ratu We got Lina Carlson And we got Arsh Deep Baines Let's try and help one

Right now Let's go with Ratu I think he deserves it He's been playing pretty well Atu Ratu You are tonight's one to watch brought to you by Limitless AV, Vancouver's most trusted

audiovisual integration experts specializing in seamless video conferencing solutions and hybrid workspaces. Book your personalized tour of their experience center today at limitlessavit.ca. Do you think when they gave up with this promotion, they'd ever think like maybe one day it'll be Atu Ratu as the one to watch?

I mean, no. No, but think about the possibilities. Limitless, if you will. If this thing works, if we can manage... We're testing it now with Ratu. Can you imagine? Can you're shaking Ratu awake this morning? Ahto, did you hear?

You're the one to watch. What does it mean? Could you just imagine? Just imagine if it works for Atu Ratu. Because Vandercaine was going to score eventually. Yeah, this is a real test. This is a real test. Okay.

Also, it is, as you can kind of guess, Kinnuk's Game Day on Sportsnet 650. All Canucks game day coverage is brought to you by Panago. Game Day the Panago way by two medium pizza. and score free cheesy bread. Use promo code Canucks deal at Panago.com. You should Panago for it. Restrictions do apply.

You're listening to The Halford & Brough Show on Sportsnet 650. Hey, it's Jamie Dodd and Thomas Strance. 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. Tricidal boobs hit on to Smith. Talks him around. George. Wow. Vintage Peter Forsberg from Leon Drys. That's as silky as it gets. 732 on a Wednesday. Happy Wednesday, everybody. Halford Brubb, Sportsnet 650.

Halford Brub of the morning is brought to by Sands and Associates. Get out of the penalty box of debt and back into the game with a financial fresh start. Visit them online at Sands-Trustee.com. We are an hour or two of the program with the midway point of the show. Mark Specter, Sportsnet Oilers, reporters, is going to join us. just a moment here. Our two of this program is brought to by Jason Homanock at Jason Dom 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 dot mortgage. That audio you heard coming back from break, that was Leon Dreisle in the shootout last night. That was the high point for the Oilers. A lovely little Forsberg. Hey look, bruff, there it is on the TV right now. What a beautiful move.

But that was the high point of the shootout. Oilers lost 4'3 to the stars in Dallas in that shootout. Joining now to talk about that and more. Mark Specter from SportsNet here on the Halford & Brough Show on SportsNet 650. Morning, Speck, how are you? Good, boys, long time, no talk.

How you been? Would you lose my number or what's going on here? You were the first person I thought of and we're like, we're going to talk Oilers this morning. We led into that game yesterday talking about that was the scene of the crime for the stars where last year's season ended and everything went haywire

between Jake Odinger and Peter DeBore and Peter DeBore is gone. But we're like, okay, let's get Speck on to talk. about this Oilers team because mostly Evan Bouchard actually because we've been reading what you've been writing about. The Evan Bouchard the Evan Bouchard tracker, yeah. How is we're calling you, you know how there's a Bouch bomb? You're now the Boucher

last night aside it hasn't been, I didn't I'm not going to lie, I didn't watch that game that closely to monitor Bouchard all night but how was he last night and how's he been through the first 14, 15 games of this season? Well, it hasn't been any good through the first 14, 15 games.

Let's face it, he's had a really rough start in the season. You know, the flashes of brilliance tend to come when he's got the puck. When he doesn't have the puck, it hasn't been pretty. There's no getting around it. He's minus 8 on the season. That's a team worst. And it's, you know, it's about 600 and something in the NHL right now because there are only 14 games in your minus 8 already.

So, yeah, no, it hasn't been, you know, You know, this is a guy that was, people talked about him on the outskirts of the Olympic conversation. And we were at a game in Long Island. He went minus three with Julian Breezebois stand, sitting in the press box. And then two nights or whatever it was a go in St. Louis, where Doug Armstrong is GM, and he's obviously GM of Team Canada. Bouchard was just kind of standing there watching Pia Suter score a goal with a minute and a half left in the game that cost you orders a point.

So he could probably book the trip to Cancun or wherever guys go, Turks and Caicos over February because I don't think he's recovering in time to make an Olympic team. How much of this, because we have seen slow starts from the Oilers before. They played a lot of hockey into June in the last couple of years and they're short off seasons and there's been slow starts before. Does this one sort of follow the script as previous ones or is this one different? Nah, it's following the same script, honestly, you guys.

I mean, like, look, the good news is, if you're the orders, you did, you know, you are getting leads. They've blown more leads in the first, like, two goal or more multi-goal leads in the first 15 games this season than in the history of their team. But the good news is you're getting all those leads. Like, they're up 3-1 in Dallas with 12 minutes to play last night. You know, we've, like, my question sort of always is, guys, what's all, like the last five years, only Florida has played more playoff games in Edmondson. the whole league. And I always say to myself, like, when I hear someone say, well, we'll learn from this. I'm like, what do you mean you'll learn from this?

Like, you haven't learned it yet? You know, like all those playoff games that are so intense, like, I'll just give you the order of Vancouver series. Oh, my God. Like every minute of that series was, you know, hair-raising. And they've prevailed in a whole bunch of series and won a whole bunch of games. So don't tell me you've got to now you've got to learn how to protect the two. goal lead. They clearly know how. So that's what kind of makes the oilers fan go,

well, come on you guys. Like we've seen you do this for the last five years. Well, why aren't we doing it anymore? So, you know, they're getting leads. That's good. Go to Calgary and ask the folks there if they wouldn't mind getting a few two goal leads, right? They wouldn't mind that. Sure. So they'll figure out how to protect them at some point here. We're in the Pacific, guys. We're, you know, they're one point out of the first place in the Pacific. Big deal. I mean, yeah, there's four teams in front of them, but who cares, right? It's only 15 games in. I'll say this, there's certainly nothing wrong or lacking with the Oilers power play,

which is, I mean, it goes without saying, if you have Dry Sondle, McDavid, you're going to have a good power play. But it is lights out right now. Like, it's almost every game you can bank on them scoring at least one power play goal. So they certainly haven't missed a beat there. Funny, like my people, when we talk about old defensemen and I got to watch Sergei Zubal play in a lot of playoff games because Eminent played them like six out of seven years back in the day.

and he used to run a power play, Sergei Zubov, who never won a Norris because Lydstrom and Bork were winning them all. He used to run a power play with his feet in the neutral zone and the puck in the offensive zone, and he never went outside.

Like he never made a mistake, right? He was, Sergei Zubov, unbelievable. So yesterday, Leon Drysettle scores a goal from the corner with both feet south of the goal line. And he right for that goal you talk about. Both feet are on the wrong side of the goal line and he shoots the puck

and beats the Smith inside the post like I can't say I've ever seen that frankly I don't know if you guys can think of an example but that was really you know is it a save that the Smith should make I don't know I guess guys who score 50 every year

tend to make goal as look bad right will the return of Zach Hyman Zach Hyman be enough to overcome any concern if there is any about the winger depth in Edmonton? Well, he is a

first-line right-winger coming back, so that'll help. You know, can't hurt. Whoever you're further, name the team. Take a top-line winger away from him and then bring him back. It's assuming he comes back and plays well, it's got to make you better.

You know, they've settled some lines here. Like, I don't mind. Roslavik, I know Roscovick's history gives you a good 15 games, he disappears for 20, but he's been really good here. Now it's only. been like 12 games. But he's been really good on right wing here. So that's

softened the blow. So Hyman will come back and help for sure. But, you know, Roslovick's in his spot down low in the power play and he's tapping one in almost every night here. Yeah. You seem not concerned at all about the Oilers. You seem like it's just going to be another. Totally unconcerned. So completely. Really. Like you're looking at, you're looking at the winger depth right now. You got Manjipani, Rosalvik, and Podkols in in the top six. And I know that Hyman's coming back. But We're not, were there not higher expectations for like Isaac Howard and Matt Savoy? I know those guys are young, but like there's a reason that McDavid probably only signed a two-year extension.

Okay, like sure, but no, like any team that thinks they're bringing in two guys who've never played in the NHL and they're going to play top six, that's a loser team, right? Fans say this all the time, oh my God, we've got La Caramacki, put them in the top line. No, right? No. It doesn't go that way. And teams that don't win do that. And teams that win bring in Howard or Savoy or name your rookie who's never played a minute in the league. And they play them as depth players until they earn a spot on the top six. You know, name for me, you guys have been through this for years. Name for me the phenom rookie that walked in the door and was successful in the first line. Like, find that guy. Well, no, I'm not arguing, I'm just saying like the oilers have a high bar. I don't think you should be comparing the oilers to the flames or in Vancouver. Like they've been to the Stanley Cup final back-to-back years and there's got to be, you know, high expectations and a bit of urgency in Emmettin that they finally get over the hump. Well, listen, for sure, but you've got to know that the hump is six months away, you know, the hump isn't now. So that's really the issue here.

like you can't get any closer than they've been. They lost in seven and lost in six. So that's part of the confusing part about the Oilers is they've shown us, like they walked through the Western playoffs last year, right? They struggled with L.A. They got down to nothing. They beat them in six.

They beat Vegas in five. They beat Dallas in five. They walked through the West. Like it was easy, not easy. It was convincing. How about that? Very convincing. Very, very, very convincing.

So now we're going to take that team. and we're going to judge them in October, and November, what are we, November 5th today? And to be honest, this is the best start they've had in a few years. The other years, they were worse. We're speaking to Mark Spector, Sportsnet Oilers reporter here on the Halverton Brough show on Sportsnet 650. What have you thought of Paulson's game so far this year?

He's really important here. He's been a good player. I get it. Like, unfortunately for Vancouver, he's that first-round pick that had to go to the next time. place. A lot of scouts say it's the third team, right? The cliche in the hockey world is the guy who burns out as a first rounder, he needs his third team. The orders are really lucky. They got him on their second team. He's dry-sidl loves him. He retrieves a million

pucks a game. He's never going to score a bunch of goals for whatever reason. It doesn't go in for him that well. He doesn't have that. But he's a good, like I'd say this to you, If he's sort of your, in terms of skill level, if he's your sixth guy in your top six, which he's supposed to be here, they're great. He's a great, and he's a good player. Like, he'll play here for a while, unless something happens and he wants a whole huge giant paycheck. You know, he'll play here for a long time. Unfortunately, for Vancouver, he had to go somewhere else to figure out what he is.

But what he is is a valuable guy when you put him next to a guy like Drysettel. He does a lot of the dirty work, boy, and Drysaddle doesn't mind that much. I saved the biggest, the most important one for last. How's the goaltending been? Okay. You know, okay. I mean, I don't know what to tell you. They don't have Demko here, boys.

Yeah. They don't have Demko. And that's just a fact. I guess I'd say to you that, you know, really the goals that are hurting the Emmington orders right now aren't goals where you go, man, my goal is should have had that. their goals where there's a guy standing in front of the net all alone depositing in it you know one-on-one with a goalie from three feet away scoring a goal

yeah i never play i don't blame a goalie for that goal but that's not to tell you with bouchard's standing right there yeah with bouchard shard standing he's like good good luck stew i'm always i'm always i'm always i'm always curious to watch and listen to knoblock in the aftermath because he does a i'll give him credit he does a good job of shielding his goalies in those moments Like yesterday, for example, they got a 3-1 lead in the third period. Dallas scores two goals on four shots to even and up at 3-3. And it's kind of like what you said. Like you're not blaming the goalie for those because, you know, it's not like,

oh, got to have those type goals. But you look, it's a 500 save percentage on the two shots, two goals on the four shots. And Noblock does a good job of wading through it in the aftermath saying, you know, normally you would blame, maybe blame your goalie in those situations, but we didn't. And then kind of put it. It's a very interesting way.

that he deals with his goalies, because obviously that's going to be an issue moving forward as we get closer and closer to the playoffs, like you mentioned. Yeah, this is really the year, I think, for, like, Stu Skinner, for people to decide as he, you know, like, this is a team, they've all, you look at all the teams out there,

they won cups, right? Antony Emmy won a cup. He's not a great goalie. Eden Hill won a cup. Is he a whole bunch better than Stu Skinner? I don't think so. You know, Jake Ottinger is supposed to be, No one would trade Jake Odinger for Stook Skinner.

Like, that would be stupidity. But the last two times Dallas and Eminent played, I'm here to tell you, I just watched every second of it. Stu Skinner was better in those two series in Ottinger. So it's a confusing, there's a lot of ways to convince yourself that he's enough goalie. But I will say to you that after going to the cup two years in a row, and the guy at the other end, Bobrovsky was the better goalie in both series, and no one will dispute that.

The time has come for, the time has come to sort out your goaltending here. The time has come to say you know what, we need to be the team that has the better goaltending when the hump arrives that you guys are talking about. When that hump comes,

we can't have the second best goalie again. Now go out and solve that problem for me, boys. Where's that goalie coming from? Who's giving you a better goalie than Stu Skinner? Where's it coming from? Oh, no. Yeah, I mean the market's thin and even in the summer. There wasn't much

there there's nothing there yeah right there's nothing there so it's this everyone knows about the problem it's easy to say problem problem talk to me about solutions right talk to me about solutions they're not giving you demco they're not giving you wolf they don't want to give you sorokin they're not giving you shistercate you're not getting ottinger right could you get serrosse i mean outside chance maybe uh but you got to start i think we need to start instead of putting pressure on the Oilers saying, oh, you're a bunch of idiots, they know they don't have enough goal-tending. But who's giving them a better one? That would be my question.

A few nights off for the Oilers now, tantalizing matchup on Saturday. It is the Oilers and the Aves, 7 o'clock Hockey Night in Canada. The Canucks have the abs the night after, so a lot of people will be turning into that one on Saturday night. Oh, fun hockey. Colorado's a fun team to watch. You know, Edmonton on Home Ice is a fun team to watch. I know folks in Vancouver don't love them, and I don't blame. you. But it'll be a fun game.

It'll be, there's every chance. It's a 5-4 lots of skating McKinnon against McDavid game, man. I'll certainly be there. Speck, thanks for doing this today, bud. We appreciate it. Enjoy the game on Saturday. Always fun, swag. See you, pal. All right, boys, call any time. Have a good one. Mark Specter, Oilers, reporter from

SportsNet here on the Halford & Brough show on SportsNet 650. I tried to bring some energy to that interview. I was just like, I'm looking at those wingers and being like, are you just like comfortable because you've got McDavid and dry-sidal there and everything's going to be okay. Like, they've had some turnover on that team. Quite the inbox reaction too, I must say.

Well, like, they've got, right now, I know Hyman's going to be back, but correct me if I'm wrong here, but they got Pod Colson, Mangiopani, and Roselvic in their top six. Like, is that enough? It might be, with McDavid and Drysettel and Nude there too. It might be. But, you know, like, the team has had a few departures. Yeah. And then you've got this Bouchard issue. You've got Mattia Sackholm. getting old, frankly, and then you've still got the goaltending issue. I was laughing when Speck was saying like, this is going to be the year

when I think a lot of people decide about Stuart Skinner. I was like, hasn't that, like, don't MoPute and most people have their minds made up? Like, he's, I guess the proper, we're asking, we were in the Stanley Cup final last year and people were like, is Pickard healthy? I guess Calvin Pickard. I guess the question would be, is there how much of regret? If you think, you, Jason Brock, not Spegg, but you think there's going to be a regression because of the

issues, what would the regression be? They're going to make the playoffs, I would say. They're going to make the playoffs, yeah, but that's not the bar. For him to say, like, don't you think Calgary would love a, or love, like, a two-goal lead? Like, what are you talking about? Like, the flames are the worst team in the NHL. Is that what we're comparing that to now? Like, there's a difference between being good and a Stanley Cup contender.

Yeah, I guess the question is going to be, I don't know what it is right now because I've seen the Oilers do this before, where they just kind of slog their way through. and even it happened I think I do think last year that it seeped into the playoffs in the first two games against L.A. Is that their flip of the switch ability was a little more dire

and like that first round was not easy for them. They were very close to being on the brink. The Kings blew it. Right. And I think in a lot of the way the Kings blew it. But after that, I was shocked at how smooth sailing it was for the Oilers against Vegas

and against Dallas, right? They played very well. Are they as good of a team as last year? I don't think so. How much worse are they? Well, I think the best team they had was the first year they went to the cup final. I would agree.

Because everyone's two years older and there have been some departures. Yep. I have a hard time trying to figure out where I think they're going to regress to because I don't think they were as good as they were two years ago and I don't think they were as good as they were last year. But if you were to tell me right now,

are they still one of your favorites to represent the West in the Stanley Cup final? I'd be like, yes, because they have McDavid in dry side. But I'd also be less worried if McDavid hadn't just signed a two-year extension, and that's it, right? The amount of money that he left on the table, both when you think about the long-term contract that he could have signed for, but also the cap hit. Listen, I know what it's not easy. Like, you can't just be able to snap your fingers and say get a goalie. But, you know, the fact is that there was a reason that McDavid did that, and it's because

he looked at this team and said, okay, well, some of these guys are getting older like Nuge and Hyman and Ekholm. You know, I don't know what he thinks about Bouchard. He probably likes them, but, you know, he's a good on the power play together. But he also, those guys need guys to play with, right? And right now, I like Pod Colson, right?

But he's not a top six player. He doesn't have the finish to be a top six player. He's a top six puck retrieval. And you got Jack Rouselvic, who was unsigned forever. And he goes to Edmonton, and that was a smart move by him because he's going to get those top six minutes, and maybe he can pile up some goals playing with either dry-siddle or McDavid. And then, well, hold on a second.

But it's still, you've got Jack Roselvic? That's your guy in the top six? Yeah, like I think. Mangiopani, the guy that was kind of kicking around too. Roselvic was a, you're around, you want to jump on board now kind of guy. And spec, I think, kind of hit it on the head. Like, he'll be there for 15 games and then it'll disappear for 15 games. And, I mean, one of the big issues, and I think one of the reasons that the guy went unsigned was because he was a non-factor for Carolina in the playoffs last year.

He was not a guy that they could count on with regularity. So to suggest that a team that has higher aspirations and has gone further in the playoffs is going to rely on that guy. That seems far-fetched to me, right? Yeah. Okay, I do want to jump into a couple of these other stories from across- It's always fun to just kind of bash the oilers too, right? Yeah, I mean, here- Some red meat for our listeners. I've done it countless times.

I enjoy it. My favorite part of the Oilers thing is when they get off to the slow start to see how slow it'll be if it'll cost the coach his job. That was my favorite one. That was the Woodcroft one. Because we were on Woodcroft.

Not a lot's not getting fired though. Well, I said the same thing about Beck doesn't seem particularly concerned for But I don't think it's smart. I just did what they did two years in a row. Yeah, but I don't think it's smart just to be like, well, they're a team that gets off to a slow start. Right?

I don't think that's like a good way to look at it because every year is different and just because there's like a kind of a loose pattern that is going to be, everything's going to be okay. I'm watching this team play. I watch them play the Canucks. And I'm like, they are good, but not great. Yeah.

The crazy part is this isn't as bad of a start that they've had in previous years, which is amazing. And I will say some of that speaks to the division. In other years, they would be in a little bit more dire straits with the record that they have. But the Pacific Division right now, it is not good. Vegas is good Vegas is good

But when you were talking about And I know Anaheim's off to a hot star But when you were talking about Anaheim and Seattle Challenging for Two of the top three spots in the division I've watched a couple of Seattle games this year That is the definition of a low event team Like they don't do much

Anaheim scores lot of Goaltending they can make the playoffs Yeah well I think that's that's kind of where they're at Calgary's bad really bad. San Jose is fun and exciting, but they don't win a lot of hockey games. Vancouver is very average right now. Edmonton's very average right now. You go through the list, like Vegas is getting, L.A. is very average. They're very up and down. They had a big win yesterday against Winnipeg, a 3-0 win there. But they've been on the strength of Darcy Kemper's goal.

Yeah, the division stinks, man. It's just a weak division right now. Yeah. It's a bad division. Look at the, look at the Western Conference compared to the Eastern Conference. Well, I mean, you want to go wade into the central. Division, St. Louis, Nashville, and Minnesota are all bitterly disappointed with their starts of the state. Yeah, yeah. And those are the three teams that the Connects just played on this road trip. Yeah. And it was not good. It was actually tough to get a handle. You know, it's an interesting team, too, is Winnipeg. If you look at their underlying numbers, they're horrible. They're on like a big PDO bender, but they've got Hellebuck, right? And, you know,

early season, you don't want to look too much at the underlying numbers. But again, if you look at things like expected goal share. They're with like, okay, they are the worst team in the NHL when it comes to expected goals. And then you say, well, what does that matter? Well, San Jose is next. Seattle, Vancouver, Boston, Anaheim. Like, that's four teams in the Pacific, right?

And Winnipeg's got nine wins from 13 despite all that. Yeah, so it's interesting to watch. By the way, tonight it is the Chicago Blackhawks. 5-5-3 record, 13 points through 13 games. So not a bad start for a team that over the last couple of years has spent a lot of time in the Central Division basement. I do need to mention because it is the Blackhawks in town. Canucks game day tonight, all game day coverage on Sportsnet 650 is brought to you by Panago.

Go for the win, buy two medium Panago pizzas, and score free cheesy bread. Use code Canucks deal at panago.com. Panago for it. restrictions apply game day only finally before we go to break coming up in five minutes time it's our daily

every day this week giveaway for a pair of tickets to see ACDC at BC Place next summer August 2026 ACDC are back on their world tour they're coming through Vancouver we're giving a pair of tickets

away every day this week yes Greg? ACDC at BC I know can you imagine can you believe it it's happening and we're giving away tickets right here on the Alfred and Breft Show caller number five at 8 a.m. 604-280-0-650. That number again, 604-280-0-650. Be caller number five at 8 a.m.

for a pair of tickets to see ACDC at BC place next summer. You're listening to the Halford & Brough Show on Sportsnet, 650.