OverDrive - Boudreau on Canada's possible Olympic roster choices, the Maple Leafs' injuries and the Sabres' winning stretch

Episode Date: December 30, 2025

TSN Hockey Analyst Bruce Boudreau joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, Canada's Olympic roster outlook, Macklin Celebrini's placement on the team, Tom Wilson's big role on the team, the goaltending depth on Canada, the Maple Leafs' injuries, the Sabres' red-hot run and more.

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stands on this. But you should be, you've got to own this. I got to own it now while I can. No, no, no, take it the rest of the year. This in general, okay, it's your beat, I'm owning this. Bruce, where do you stand on the idea that Macklin Celebrini could win the hard trophy this year? Well, I think it was, it's,

excuse me, if they make the playoffs, like, I mean, you're going from worst to making the playoffs, And it's all because of one player. All. So, I mean, I would have to think that the worst-case scenario, he's nominated for it. I mean, but I would certainly make a good plan for him or a good talk for him to win it. Because, I mean, when you just said 130 points, I just thought of how impossible is that

because he doesn't have the surrounding cast that anybody else would have. I mean, he's got Will Smith, but he's only 19 years old or 20 years old, and they don't have the defensemen, they don't have McCar, they don't have the power play Edmonton has. They just got this guy, and it's not that difficult to check one guy, but it is difficult to check one guy in in this guy's case. And that's, so I think you got a really good point there. Man, the take of the year, you're just sliding it in. Yeah, it's sliding it in. Right before the New Year, right before. the wire. And I haven't heard this before. That's the other thing. Like, this is an original take.

Well, and it's smart. It's trademarked. It's officially mine. It kills me to actually have it. I own it and I appreciate it. Well, and the reason it came up yesterday, Bruce, is, you know, we're talking about Celebrini and how great McDavid's been and McKinnon and Team Canada and the announcement tomorrow. And we were having the chat about like Celebrini's role on the team. We all assume he's going to make it. He has to make it. But I don't see him as like a 13th, 14th, 14th, because he's 19 years old. I don't see a scenario where if I'm John Cooper, you just ease him in.

I think you've got to unleash him and let him play and play a lot and play with good players. Where do you see it going with Celebrini at the Olympics? Again, assuming he's there. I think you move one of the great centers to wing and let him play center because, you know, he's not a fourth-line guy. Even though before he's doing all this scoring,

we've all talked about his two-way. play and that he's a two-way center and could do it. But I think, you know, I mean, I've seen another Olympics where Team Canada is using eight centers on their forward lines and they move to different positions. Crosby's done it many times moved to the left side. I would think that a guy like McKinnon can play the right side and control the boards and still be very, very good. But this guy has earned it.

I don't care what his age is. You know, when you're hoping for Team Canada, you don't look at the ages. You want the best fits for the best players, and I think he has earned it right from the get-go. I'm all in with Macle-Macklin celebrating it. So, Bruce, we'll all agree that he's in. So outside of him, when the teams rolled out tomorrow, who will be a player that surprised you as far as what you didn't see? Maybe he didn't think he'd be on the team in August,

and now he is on the team in your opinion tomorrow. Oh, man. I don't know. I was just going through right now. There's so many guys who go, oh, what about him? What about him? And then I think of John Cooper saying, oh, you know what? There's some great resumes that aren't going to make the team.

So as soon as he said that, I went, okay, Hegel and Sorrelli are in, you know, knowing how much he likes his guys. So I think there's going to be very big scores that aren't in. But I think you're going to have the cast of characters. I mean, I think unless they move them to wing, you've got the two best centers and Sydney playing third, and actually the number three score in the league as another center. So, I mean, the biggest thing with me is I think Drew Dowdy will make it for sure. I think they need that ilk of a defenseman in there.

I don't think Schaefer will make it this year, even though he's had a great rookie year. I think if there's any weakness, it's on Team Canada's defense, but they need the bigger, stronger guys. in there. And I don't think Bouchard will make it myself, or I wouldn't. Anyway, I read a quote today that he can be the best player on either team in the same shift, so you don't know. I think you have to know what you're getting

sometimes with him. Yeah, I'm not, I'm with you on that. I don't think he's going to be there. It doesn't sound like Bedard. We'll see. We'll find out tomorrow, but I think the injury hurt him, but in reality, probably wasn't going to be on it anyway. He probably falls into the same line of thinking that Schaefer does and the way you determine that. What about Tom Wilson, a guy you know very, very well? You know, I think a lot of Canadians are wondering,

what is Wilson going to bring if he's on this team? He wasn't on the Four Nations. You watch him play every single game. If he's on this team, what kind of role can he play and how big of an impact do you think Tom Wilson can have? Well, to me, he can have a big impact. And the one thing you're going to have to do in this tournament is, it's, to me, it's not about analytics.

It's winning the one-on-one battles and winning the wall battles. And that's the one thing. Tom Wilson is big, strong. Plus, he's got 20 goals. I mean, the guy can score if you give him an opportunity. He kills penalties for the caps. He's their best player. But the most important thing is winning the board battles,

getting the pucks out when you need to get pucks out. You can't do that if you've got nothing but skilled players. You got to, as you guys know, winning those one-on-one battles, when and you always said it as a coach we win the battles we're going to win the game and I fully believe that that's one of the main reasons it's not about fighting because you can't fight you're out if you're if you fight so he's not going to fight but he can finish checks and win those battles and be the guy in front of the net that's hard to move and I just think he's a great player and he's grown into this leadership role and I think he'd be a really

good player for team Canada Bruce I have one more Olympic question for you and I think it's about the goaltending. I think the decision with Jordan Biddington is fascinating because he wins them the Four Nations, not having a good year, the backup right now in St. Louis, clearly they probably feel loyal to him, but he's not had a great year. What do you think they should do with that? Do you just bring him as your third goalie? Do you not bring him at all?

Like, where do you stand on Biddington for Team Canada? Well, it's Doug Armstrong's doing most of the picking, and everybody, um, They sit there and they say, I know what he can do in pressure times, and he's won a cup for me. He's won four nations for me. I'm thinking he's going to bring him out of the loyalty, but I think that's where the loyalty ends. The best player is going to start. I think that's Logan Thompson to me. You know, I mean, I think it was 2010 where was it Luongo that started and Brodor went in after that.

I mean, the first round, you know, the positioning round is they might give Bennington a start. Let's see how he goes. But if he's not as good as you need him to be, then they'll move on and they'll get one of the other goalies. Because, I mean, hey, listen, it could be Wedgwood, it could be Kemper. There's some good goalies there. Like, I mean, and if you go just straight, who's having the better year, Bennington's not going to make it. But I think they will keep him on the team for what he's done for Team Canada before. With Bruce Boudreau.

How about these Buffalo Sabres, Bruce? They've won nine in a row. They're knocking on the door of a playoff spot. It's incredible. Are you a believer that they're a legitimate playoff team? Or is this just them being red hot and getting some sort of a new GM bump? I'm not sure how else to describe it. How much of this is legitimate, in your opinion?

Well, you know what? I think for years we've talked about how talent that they are individually, but they were never a good team. I think Lindy's finally got them straightened around. But listen, winning nine games in a row doesn't guarantee you anything because I'm a big believer that losing streaks follow winning streaks and winning streaks follow losing streaks. And so, I mean, but what has to do is after this 10-game stint,

I think they've got to go seven and three in the next 10 and get that consistency for me to believe that they're going to be there in March when everything is said and done. It's great what they're doing. I remember it was only a few years ago. They had a 10 or 12-game winning streak in November, and then all of a sudden they went, you know, and weren't in it at the end.

But I love what they're doing now, and they're doing it by not allowing goals and playing as a team. And so, but after this streak ends, if they can continue and be consistent in the next 10 games, then I think they've, got a really good chance, because once you see that finish line and you're this close after you haven't been making it for so long, you dig deep and you find a way to make it.

So it's not this streak that gets me. It's the next one. Bruce, when my teens would have a lot of injuries, I'd be not happy, but I'd be like, at least I know I'd get to play a lot, so I wouldn't wear my suit under my equipment. I know it's going to be getting a lot of ice time. I'm guessing as a coach, when some of your top players aren't available, you're not too excited. So how do you approach the situation for the Leafs that have, you know, recently

and specifically, I guess, tonight some pretty key players out of their lineup? Yeah, I mean, but you look around the league and for short periods of time, the rest of the guys come up. If these are long-term injuries, it really becomes a problem. Nealander missed the last

game, what happened, the Leafs played pretty good, you know, in Detroit. But, like, I mean, with the injuries today, if every everybody's out that they say is out, it's going to be a struggle, especially if Matthews is out and Neelander's out, Joshua's out, and Tannav is out, you know, but if you're in the room, you never bring it up. You never say we've got a lot of injuries and guys got to, you've got to step up. If anything, you say this is the best chance. Doing something that other people don't think

you can do is the greatest reward is what I always used to do. always used to say, and sort of being the total underdog and getting the satisfaction of winning and trying to make them picture that to me is what I would do and how I would approach it always. And I think that's what you've got to do. Make it into a positive, turn this negative where really good players are out, turn it into a positive.

Love it. Well, let's see what they've got tonight. Big one in town with New Jersey here. Enjoy it, Bruce. Have yourself a great new year. As always, great seeing it. Thank you for doing this. I got to say one thing before I live.

I appreciate that. The last time I was on, I made that bold, I've been thinking about it every day, that bold prediction that six Canadian teams are going to make the playoffs. I've got to rescind that a little bit. Okay. You're going to change? You're taking one or two off?

I don't blame you. I want to change. O'Dog laughed at me the last time I did that, and he said, one, maybe. And I'm like, oh, that's a pretty big discrepancy. So I'm saying at least two make it this time. All right, I like it. I'm with you on that.

Keep moving the goalpost. We allow that. That's what we do on a daily basis. Bruce, we love it. Appreciate it, buddy. Thanks for this, as always. Thank you, guys. Great seeing you.

There's Bruce Burjaro. I'm Dylan Playfair. And I'm Tyler Smith. We're putting loneliness in the penalty box by talking to some of our favorite athletes about the importance of friendship. This is bromance. Bromance is brought to you by Charm Diamond Centers, proudly Canadian-owned and operator.

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