Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Can The Pittsburgh Penguins Sneak Into A Playoff Spot? - NHL SQUAD SHOW

Episode Date: January 16, 2025

Welcome to the NHL Squad show! Today, Gil Martin (Locked On Islanders), Jack Bushman (Locked On Blackhawks), David Morasutti (Locked On Leafs), Eddie Garcia (Locked On Kings) and Josh Sperber (Locked ...On Lightning) talk about the most disappointing teams in the first half of the season, hopes for the second half of the season, and have some fun discussion which teams currently in a playoff spot might be frauds vs which teams currently not in a playoff spot can sneak in!Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Indeed:Now, you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 Sponsored Job Credit. Just go to Indeed.com/LOCKEDON right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply.GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelYou can start the season with a big return on FanDuel. New customers can place a FIVE DOLLAR bet and you’ll get started with TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS - if you win or lose your first FIVE DOLLAR BET ! Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Starting point is 00:00:01 We have got a lot to discuss as the NHL enters the second half of the 2024, 2025 season. We have our first ever NHL squad cast. Welcome to that. We've got our hot takes and a lot more coming up on the NHL squad. You are talking puck with the NHL squad show, sponsored by game time. From the Oilers to the stars, Golden Knights and the Panthers, the Rangers, Avalanche and yes, even the Maple Leafs. The Locked-on podcast network brings together all its local experts to provide the
Starting point is 00:00:37 spooks, breakdowns, and comprehensive looks at all the NHL, with plenty of trash talk to go with it. Don't miss the hard hits and glove-dropping hot takes on the Locked-on NHL Squad Show. It's time to drop the puck. Gilmartin here and welcome everybody to the very first NHL squad show. and really looking forward to doing this one with everybody. We're going to have some great hot takes for you all, and we are going to have a lot of fun with this.
Starting point is 00:01:13 Don't forget, this is part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. We have our great group of local experts. We have Josh Spurber from Locked on Lightning, Jack Bushman from Locked on Blackhawks, David Marisuti, from Locked on Leafs and Eddie Garcia, from Locked-on L.A. Kings. I'm Gil Martin from Locked-on Islanders. Guys, by the way,
Starting point is 00:01:38 today's episode is sponsored by Game Time. Download the GameTime app, create an account. Use code Locked-on NHL for $20 off your first purchase. So as we head into the second half of the season, I want to ask one question first to get us started about the first half of the season. which team in your mind was the biggest disappointment in the first half? Nashville Predators for me. Second that. Those offseason moves, and Josh certainly knows about one of them with Stephen Stamco's going there. Jonathan Marches-soe, I've seen a lot of him when he was with Vegas.
Starting point is 00:02:15 You know, adding those guys to Philip Forsberg and Roman Yosey and, I mean, they've got talent there. I have no idea why this hasn't worked out. I also have no idea why they haven't made a coaching change. I'll do respect to Andrew Brunette. I mean, we've seen the NHL will fire coaches at the drop of the hat. So it's, you know, Barry Trots, obviously the jury's out on him as a GM,
Starting point is 00:02:36 but to me, no question, Nashville is the biggest disappointment for me. Yeah, undoubtedly, it has to be the Nashville predators in my mind. And to remind everyone out there, I am speaking as the host of the last place team in the NHL who has fired their coach already this season for a group that didn't have expectations going into this year. Nashville obviously,
Starting point is 00:02:54 with all the moves that they made in the offseason, probably the most notable offseason they've ever had in their franchise history. They bring in all these big names and nothing has worked through the first half of the season. And they don't seem to have any solutions to rectify some of these issues. So to me, we haven't played the Nashville Predators yet from a Blackhawks perspective, but from afar in the West for sure, it has to be the Nashville Predators. Yeah. And I mean, just because teams win the headlines and make the biggest signings in July, does not guarantee them success on the ice once the season starts.
Starting point is 00:03:28 And I think we saw that with Nashville. If I was going in the Eastern Conference, I'd have to go New York Rangers. What do you guys think about that? I was going down the same path. And especially with where they have been these last couple of seasons, and considering they do still have the big names at the top, there's always going to be that intrigue with the team
Starting point is 00:03:48 in an original six market, a big city like the New York Rangers, for them to be, I think they're 20, 20, and four at the point of the season, that's definitely not good enough for their expectations. For me, it's how they've handled this, this stretch, right? It's like, okay, your team's going through some struggles, but it's almost like everything's gone nuclear there. You trade your captain after pretty much telling them, you're going to put them on waivers to
Starting point is 00:04:10 force them to allow them to be traded. And then, you know, you give the big money contract to your, your franchise gold tender. And it's just been, it's just like, little by little. Like things have just been chopping down this giant of the east, right? A lot of people had them paid to be a Stanley Cup contenders. And they've looked anything but that. I mean, they did win the president's trophy last year. It's not like.
Starting point is 00:04:38 Trezman's trophy, kids of death. Yeah, it is because of death. And yet, you know, the weird thing about the Rangers, they imploded. It's not like they, you know, some guy got hurt or they just made one bad move. This team, like, self-destructed from the inside, it seems like. Yeah, and I mean, the predators and Rangers, I feel like, are the easiest teams to put on this. They were probably my Stanley Cup pick at the beginning of the season, honestly. Like, there are two teams that you could legitimately said were Cup contenders,
Starting point is 00:05:06 and now you don't even know if either of them are going to make the playoffs. But an alternative option is actually a group of four teams, and that's currently the bottom four in the Atlantic Division. David, you might remember that we talked about in the Atlantic Division preview show at the beginning of the season, that, you know, the fourth spot was pretty much guaranteed for the lightning, where it was the same four teams of the Atlantic, Panthers, Leaves, Lightning, Bruins. They've been in the playoffs. They've had a stranglehold on those top four spots.
Starting point is 00:05:35 And the lightning have really stepped up. Then being in third place at this point in the season is definitely a surprise to some people. But I just expected a bigger challenge from those bottom four teams, from the Sends, the Wings, the Canadians, and the Sabres. Well, maybe not the Sabres. I mean, those, like, you look at those teams and they had a golden opportunity to potentially, you know, poke through a hole made by Stephen Stamcoast leaving the lightning that a lot of guys thought would turn the lightning into a downward spin. Now, regardless of the fact that that has not happened, the lightning have remained a playoff contender this season. I just haven't seen enough from the senators or the habs, especially the Red Wings either. Those are probably the big three teams that you would have thought would have challenged for that, that fourth spot in the Atlantic.
Starting point is 00:06:22 division. So I think if I were fans of either of those teams, I'd be a little bit disappointed as well because at least in the first half of the season, obviously there's another half to go but there was an opportunity missed there to try and jump on what was supposed to be a lightning disarray. That didn't really
Starting point is 00:06:38 happen. Look, it's going to be hard for me to show any sympathy for any of those teams. In a lot of ways. But I mean, you just got to kind of feel sorry for him a little bit because like they may they're steadily making proofs everyone saying that these teams are on the rise.
Starting point is 00:06:55 It's like, look what you got to take down to get there, right? So that was always going to be the tough task. And look, I mean, you can take your pick. I think the senators right now are the team that many thought we're going to take that biggest climb, them and the Sabres. I mean, the Sabres have just gone and done what every Buffalo team has done the last few years and just kind of just can't handle the pressure of those expectations. but the senators are the ones I think
Starting point is 00:07:20 you know they go and they spend the money to go and get Allmarked they give him that nice deal to start the year he started playing well what happens he gets hurt so I think a lot of Senators fans will probably feel like there's a bit of a curse on them with the way everything's been going last a little bit I'm not saying the least put any curse on them I didn't do that
Starting point is 00:07:39 I think that's just it just so happens when you're in this Atlanta division you've got there's a level that you have to play at but it's not just you got to play at you got to play it at a consistent, you know, on a consistent basis, always you're going to get stuck in the water there. Well, we'll see how much Detroit gets going now with this coaching change. Obviously, they're on the winning streak.
Starting point is 00:08:00 They're feeling good right now. They're goaltending. I'm not a big fan of necessarily. But Tom McClellan's come in. They've got the coaching bump. Can they sustain it? They're starting to even just feel the relief in that locker room and the enthusiasm that they have going through this winning streak.
Starting point is 00:08:16 So can they, you know, they're not going to obviously keep this good. going, but can they use this to jumpstart their second half of the season and get back in the race? I don't think they've dug themselves too big of a hole to not get out of it, but obviously they've got to keep this going. But Tom McClellan jumping in there and getting things going and that's why we've seen these coaches bumps. It's why it's so crazy to me that Nashville and maybe even Rangers as well, haven't done anything, especially with the Predators. They've got a Hall of Fame coach that can just come out of the press box, come down on the bench, lead the team. But he must really not want to coach again, Barry Trots, because that's crazy.
Starting point is 00:08:46 but we'll see Detroit is making things a little bit interesting for me in the Atlantic. And honestly, you look at that whole standings and it's all pretty interesting. Other than the Sabres, the Bruins are in third place, three points ahead of the Canadians who were tied with the Bruins in sixth. So, I mean, anything is up for grabs in that Atlantic division. But again, you just would have wanted to see more for the senators from, you know, Linae was injured. And since he got back, the habs have definitely improved a little bit.
Starting point is 00:09:12 But again, you just want to see, you just want to see more from those teams in the first half to try and fill potential playoff opening. I would put Montreal maybe in a slightly different category than the other teams, just because I think they were coming from a more steep rebuild. And they're a little earlier in that process. So I think that their season so far this year is not a disappointment where teams like Ottawa and Buffalo and Detroit, I mean, what is Detroit in the sixth year of the five-year Eiser plan right now?
Starting point is 00:09:43 So, you know, to me, those teams, have been, you know, supposedly building for four, five, six years, and they're still stuck in the mud in neutral. One other team I wanted to bring up as well before we kind of shift gears here to the Vancouver Canucks. I know they're still in the second wildcard spot out in the Western Conference. And they have only lost 13 of their opening 42 games in regulation, but do still have 10 overtime losses, lost 23 of their opening 42 games, probably not a panic button situation like maybe some of the other teams we brought up, but there's the situation going on with Elias Pedersen, J.T. Miller and all the rumors sparking there, despite the team, like I mentioned,
Starting point is 00:10:23 still being in a playoff spot. So Vancouver, I think, has been their inconsistencies and the issues going on in that locker room for a team that was expected to do good things in a kind of top half Pacific division where you're really just looking at those top four teams. It feels like they haven't really capitalized on their situation as much as people projected. They are off to a little bit of a inconsistent start, as you said. We're going to get to that. We're going to talk about a whole lot more as we look forward to the second half of the NHL season. We're going to do all of that and more coming up next.
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Starting point is 00:12:01 What time is it? Game time. So, Jack, you had mentioned the Cadux, and that's another team that I think, like the Rangers, is kind of imploding from within where you have the Pedersen-Miller thing going on. how should they be handling that? Because do you get rid of Miller? Do you get rid of Pedersen? Do you get rid of both?
Starting point is 00:12:26 Or do you stay the course and hope these guys can, you know, sing kumbaya together a little bit? Yeah, I think that's what they're trying to do and what they're hoping for. And again, the reason for that is because they are still having some success. Maybe it's not the success they were hoping for.
Starting point is 00:12:41 And they're not having that kumbaya circle like they want in the locker room. But this team still is capable. They still have a lot of strong pieces. and they're probably really frustrated from a front office perspective that they can't just get everyone on the same page and brush by this. Ideally, that's what they want to do, but it kind of just depends on whether those guys in the locker room can come to terms and, you know, look ahead and get by this thing.
Starting point is 00:13:05 I've kind of talked on some rumors because there was some Elliott Friedman speculation when this first broke. The Blackhawks should be all over this. There are kind of some difficulties in making both of these trades. work. J.T. Miller has the no movement clause in his contract. Elias Pedersen signed on for over $11 million until the end of 2032. He doesn't have a no movement clause right now, but if he were to get traded, regardless, the no movement clause does kick in next year. So there's complications all over the place. It's not just going to be as simple as making a trade to make a trade because there's
Starting point is 00:13:39 a big number involved and no movement clauses. So it's a real hard spot for the Vancouver Canucks to be. And I'm curious what you guys are thinking about with this situation. One of our listeners, we have a Discord group and one of the listeners was at the game. I kind of happily said, just start like singing out, why can't we be friends towards the Canucks bench? He was at the 100 level. Like, to me, if you're the Canucks, you got to find a way for these two to coexist because you're not winning any trade involving either player. Because now in today's day and the NHL making trades with salary like that involved, you have to make some sort of consistent. session in some way. Maybe you maybe the JT. The one's a little easier than Pedersen, but I mean,
Starting point is 00:14:24 you've seen how it can work with these two on your team. I don't know what if it's just this situation that's giving Pedersen such such a tough time. But yeah, the problem is that market's not easy on it either. And I didn't, they got to find a way they're bad at home. Oh, yeah. Bad home team. Right. And that's the one place you can't be. And Eddie, you probably have seen them many times. Just like with that, that Pacific division is not easy. You got a bunch of really good teams.
Starting point is 00:14:55 Look at the lineups you're going up against every night. You're telling me you, you're better off if you don't have either one of these two players on your team going forward. I'm sorry. If I'm Vancouver, you got to have like a kumbaya circle in the middle and get these two to, to figure this out.
Starting point is 00:15:11 And that's definitely the case when you look at the position that they're in the standings. I mean, you just mentioned how difficult the Pacific division are in and Vancouver's teetering on the edge of a wild card spot right now. So they shouldn't be given up some of their star players. They shouldn't be given up their second and third leading assist providers this season. They should be, if they're trading anybody, they should be given up prospects and stuff,
Starting point is 00:15:33 you know, long-term rentals or something like that, expiring contracts, whatever it is. They should be given up disposable players to try and get another difference maker to help push them over the edge, help get them in a playoff spot. because when you're in a position like this, like Vancouver is right now, you don't want to be putting yourself on the edge of the playoff race. You want to be making the moves to put yourself in the thick of the playoff race and trading to one or two of your best players just because they're, you know, they don't like each other right now.
Starting point is 00:16:04 It's just not a good look. So if I'm the Knops, I agree with David there. Just have them sing kumbaya in the locker room, have fans sing out why can't we be friends during games or something like that. I mean, there's got to be something that can be done to get these two guys to play together because at the end of the day, they can help the Canucks win. And if they can't help the Canucks win, then one of them is going to be helping another contender beat the Connucks in the playoffs. It's almost like kindergarten.
Starting point is 00:16:30 You got to sit them down and say, okay, guys, play nice. You know, I mean, it's a take away their sticks, their toys, you know. Yeah, that's it. Take away nap time. Play nice. Out of all the teams right now who are in a playoff spot, which one team, would you guys say is the biggest fraud, that they just are overplaying what they, you know,
Starting point is 00:16:54 what their talent level is. Oh, I love me some good fraud talk. You have to do it to our producer, but maybe the Columbus Blue Jackets, since they're in a playoff spot right now, I would have to say probably them. I don't want to call Washington frauds, but I think the level of success they're having
Starting point is 00:17:10 is a little fraudulent. They're due for some regression. I would say that level of success having a, they're already up to 61 points in the top of their division. They're riding the OV wave for sure. Yeah, 100%. And I think Carolina's level of success is kind of surprised me. Those would be the three playoff teams right here right now that I think have maybe
Starting point is 00:17:28 overachieved at least my expectations, but that's what I got. I mean, I, I, well, Minnesota for me, I don't know how they're doing what they're doing. And no krill caprice off. I mean, I love Matt Boldie, but I just, I did not see this team as being anywhere in the top three in their division. I thought they were a wild card team. I'm not sure how they're doing it,
Starting point is 00:17:53 but they continue to win and doing it without a guy who early in the year was an MVP candidate. I don't know how they're doing it. I just don't know how. So good for them for getting it done, but I would not be shocked to see them, you know, have a bump here and drop off at some point. But good, I mean, they're one of the biggest surprises
Starting point is 00:18:15 for sure for me. For me, it's the Bruins, definitely. I mean, not at the beginning of the season. You know, at the beginning of the year, they seemed like, you know, they're shaped up as a good enough team, but they were the first team to lose their coach, and they have still somehow stayed above the lightning until last week when the lightning beat the Bruins at home.
Starting point is 00:18:32 And I think, you know, Tuesday night's game is hopefully going to be a time where the lightning can just sink the Bruins, maybe even out of the playoff race with another victory. Of course, that's something that I'll talk more about on Lockdown Lightning. but I just, I don't know how the Bruins have stuck in the playoff space. And again, it's why we talked about what we did in the first segment, why I'm just disappointed in those in the senators, the Red Wings, the Canadians, because, you know, the Bruins, I feel like in a lot of other similar situations where you fire your coach that early, it usually ends up in a bigger downward spiral. So the Bruins have somehow kept themselves afoot. I just think that that is going to be the first playoff domino to fall out of the playoff race.
Starting point is 00:19:14 To me, their minus 26 goal differential screen's biggest fraud right now in this playoff race. Like, look, again, I know it's the Bruins. Leaves have a disdain for the Bruins that have gone on forever. But it's just, it's just, you look at everything that's gone with this team season. Look, they still got Jeremy Swamen. He is trying his best to hold this team on his back, even with his backup goaltender being even as bad.
Starting point is 00:19:44 Um, but eventually at some point, I don't know if that's going to be enough to keep the center's team, this Bruins team in life, especially like a team of the centers are still kind of in it, right? And Eddie, you brought up Detroit. Like, that's a team that's got on a really good run too. Like, I don't know if the Bruins are going to be able to stay in it just because those teams might just be in a position to do so much better and leapfrog them. And look, the Bruins also have three games and, uh, they play three more games than a lot
Starting point is 00:20:12 of the teams that are chasing them right now. So there is an opportunity there for a lot of those teams to take advantage and leapfrog them if they can get through, you know what, together. Big if, but we'll see what happens. All right, we have got more to discuss. We're going to talk about which team that is not in the playoffs is most likely to get into the playoff picture in the second half of the season. We've got that. We've got a lot more coming up on this episode of the NHL squad. Today's episode is brought to you by Indeed.
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Starting point is 00:21:11 I've been in that spot where you need to hire like yesterday. The pressure is on. And every day without the right person is a. a setback. That's exactly when Indeed's sponsored jobs comes in handy. They make sure your post is seen by the right candidates right now. Now you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 sponsored job credit. Just go to Indeed.com slash locked on right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply hiring. Indeed is all you need. So guys, which team that is not in the playoffs,
Starting point is 00:21:52 do you think is most likely to surprise and get in before this season is over? Well, I guess the easy answer right now would be Detroit because they're obviously red hot. I still find it hard to believe with all the talent on the New York Rangers. They can't figure it out and get it going. Obviously, they've got the goaltending. But just the way they've underachieved, we know what they did a year ago. It doesn't always translate year to year. But Detroit's the easy answer.
Starting point is 00:22:21 but it's I just can't the Rangers have too much talent to be this bad they they could they I could see them getting it together at the right time squeaking in and then may be a problem in the playoffs so I the easy answer is Detroit but I'll go the Rangers I was going to say the Rangers as well for another reason because some of the teams ahead of them were just some of the teams we talked about in segment two the Boston Bruins Columbus kind of overachieving there I think there is a good chance just given the talent that New York has with some of the teams ahead of them overachieving I think. they have a good, they have good enough talent to go on that run down, down the second half of the season to sneak their way in. Yeah, I'm going to go with either the Rangers or the Penguins. I think that, you know, the Bruins are pretty vulnerable, but I don't think that the senators, the Canadians, the Red Wings are doing enough right now for me to say that, oh, yeah, they're definitely just going to unseat them. Boston's just not going to hang on.
Starting point is 00:23:12 Do I think that's eventually going to happen? Yes, but I just think the blue jackets in the fourth spot just seems to me the easiest one to drop. I mean, that that just doesn't seem like a playoff team to me. And I think that, you know, the penguins have good veteran experience and they've been, you know, putting some nice games together here and there. I'm still going to go with the Rangers. I agree with Eddie. I think that team is just too talented to just miss the playoffs entirely. And I think that at some point, something's just going to click, you know, whether it's Shesterkin getting back fully healthy or, you know, one of the few players that they haven't moved yet turns into a star. Like, I mean,
Starting point is 00:23:49 I mean, there's, there's enough talent on the Rangers team that I think that in the long term, they're going to be back where they should be, and that's in the playoffs. Do I think they get over top of Carolina? Maybe not. But I think that that fourth spot in the, the fourth spot in that division in the metropolitan division is going to change before probably the trade deadline, honestly. I just to give a team out west. I think if there, I think this, the West is a little bit more. going to go to how we kind of expect with the big name teams out there.
Starting point is 00:24:23 I think the St. Louis Blues could be interesting to watch just because they continue to at least try. They continue to make efforts. They bring in Jim Montgomery. They make the Cam Fowler trade. And that's kind of been a common theme for them these last few years. They continue to do everything they can to at least try to make this team better. And they do have a veteran group, Robert Thomas, Jordan, Cairo kind of leading it offensively. I think they do have enough veteran leadership and skill to find their way in, should some of those teams in the playoff picture right now falter a little bit. I know they're still at that 500 marker and they've already played 44 games.
Starting point is 00:24:57 But if someone were to make a run out west, I would go at the San Luis Blues Blues. As much as it pains me to say. In the West, I think the flames are most likely to come up to come up. I mean, I like what they've been doing. I think that they might not have the most experienced team. That might not have, you know, those eye popping stars. But I think Huberto, Cadry, I think they lead, they do a good enough job leading on offense. And, you know, we were talking about the Canucks, not really knowing what they can do.
Starting point is 00:25:23 And when you have a tangle of two star players like that with Miller and Pedersen, that can really mess up a team. That can really mess up chemistry. And I think the next team up, the team that looks, that's one point behind the Canucks right now in those standings with a game in hand, mind you, the flames are right there. So I think in the Western Conference that seems most likely. I am a lot more confident if we're going across conferences here. I'm a lot more confidence in the Canucks getting their stuff together rather than the blue jackets and Bruins holding pat on their spot. So I think in the Western Conference, for me, the flames are most likely to catch Vancouver.
Starting point is 00:26:04 Quick note on the flames. I just saw him. This kid Dustin Wolf, their goaltender, he's legit. If he can figure it out on the road, his numbers on the road at home are really kind of drastic. But if he can figure it out on the road, he's a talented young guy. Look out for him. Keep that name in mind. All right. Last question of the squad cast. Everyone's talking about Alex Ovechkin and the race to catch Wayne Gretzky.
Starting point is 00:26:27 If I gave you a choice as a general manager of either Gretzky in his prime or Ovechkin in his prime, who do you build the team around? Oh, boy. You're going to do you do this to us? I guess it depends on what you want. I mean, do you want a pure goal score? If you want a pure goal scorer, then it's Ovechkin. But Gretzky makes everybody around him better with the way he can distribute. and he could score as well.
Starting point is 00:26:46 So I'm going Gretzky. I'm going to go Wayne Gretzky as well. You'd be hard pressed for me to take a guy who just with his assists would be the leading point score in NHL history. I'd probably go with that guy if I had to choose. Yeah. I'm the same way. And I think, you know, although Vetchkin might be the greatest goal score ever, but, you know, if we're
Starting point is 00:27:04 going cross sports, the way I like to compare Ovechkin to a guy like Cristiano Ronaldo or Kevin Duran, their big numbers, their big additions to the game are going to be. in goals, the most obvious, big, sexy part of any sports game. And that is what the people notice. Just because you do that at a higher rate than everyone else doesn't make you the best of all time because as of right now, it's still Gretsky with the all-time goals league. And he's like, what, a thousand assists ahead of anybody else? I mean, the overall chance creating that Gretzky does has yet to be matched.
Starting point is 00:27:40 So, yeah, he's still the goat to me. Yeah, they call him the great one for a reason because he is the greatest. of all time. He's won in many places. So, yeah, you gotta go with the great one. Look, Ovechkin is a talent that, you know, we haven't seen. You know, the way he scores goals is unprecedented. But, yeah, Gretzky, you could put anyone with Green Gretzky,
Starting point is 00:28:03 and he'll make them almost not Alexander, or Ovechkin level good, but almost close to that. So I'm going to go with the great one. See, now, to me, I would take Gretzky over Ovechkin, if I was a GM starting a franchise. But to me, the most dominant player I've ever seen in my lifetime remains Bobby Orr before his niece got shot. I wish I got the pleasure.
Starting point is 00:28:27 Yeah. Would you take over Gretsky, though? What was that? Would you take Bobby Orr over Wayne Gretsky, though? I probably would because as a defenseman, he could control the tempo of a game and he probably would play more minutes. I mean, yeah, Gretti would play. 25, 30 minutes a game, but Orr could play that and more.
Starting point is 00:28:50 And I think as a defenseman, he was able to control the tempo of the game. And he was better defensively, I think, than Gretzky. It was not that Gretzky was bad defensively. But as far as an all-around player, Bobby Orr, in his prime, if they would have had arthroscopic surgery in 1972, I mean, Orr was done when he was 26. I think he played like 20 games after his 26th birthday or some number close to. that. I never saw a player more dominant than Bobby Orr. Yeah, he was, he was special. He was special. So I think it'd be a close, I think that one would
Starting point is 00:29:25 be a closer debate than I think than Ovi and the great one, in my opinion. Yeah, I think it would, I would love to see a game between, you know, five Bobby Orr's against five Wayne Gretkes. That would be, uh, and then you pick your, pick your goalie for each team. But I, I think that would be a very, very fun game to watch. All right, guys, thank you so much for doing this. This was a great first time around for the NHL squad. I want to thank our sponsor game time for sponsoring today's show. And we're going to do this on a regular basis.
Starting point is 00:30:01 So make sure you subscribe and join us for all of our NHL squadcast across the Lockdown NHL Network. I'm Gil Martin. Have a great day, everyone. and thanks for listening to and watching the NHL Squad, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.

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