OverDrive - Colaiacovo on Marner's departure from the Maple Leafs, the legacy in Toronto and the Golden Knights' fit

Episode Date: June 30, 2025

TSN Hockey Analyst Carlo Colaiacovo joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around Mitch Marner's departure with the Maple Leafs, his legacy in the blue and white, the relationship with the franchise, how he fits the Golden Knights' roster, Nicolas Roy's addition to Toronto and more.

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The station that champions Canadian music. Loud, proud, and all yours. No passports required. Just press play. Tap into Made in Canada now on iHeartRadio.ca or the free iHeartRadio app Here's Carlo Coliacvo. Hey Carlo. How are you? What's up boys? I am on tomorrow, but not at 6 a.m. 7 a.m. Ah, beautiful. That's great. Yes. Okay, so we got first up tomorrow at 7 a.m. Overdrive will be on tomorrow

We're gonna be up on TSN at 11 a.m. 11 to 5 with free agent frenzy What do you make of Mitch Marner eight years 12 million per going to Vegas Nicholas wall coming back to the Leafs? Yeah, what are we gonna talk about tomorrow? It's crazy. All the guys are gone. Mm-hmm Look, I'm just glad it's over guys You know all the drama leading up to this, you know, he's gonna go to July 1st He's gonna go on all these tours gonna entertain different offers. What's he gonna make? You know, is he gonna be the highest paid player in the league? I

Think if you're a Leaf fan today, you kind of feel relieved that it's over and I think there's a lot of people that Are upset at the way it ended. I mean Upset about what Coco? Well upset at the way it ended. I mean... Upset about what, Coco? Well, upset at watching a really good player want to leave your organization. I think the common thing and the common theme we've seen today is aside from trades, we've seen a lot of guys return to their teams. Right? Here we are in Toronto watching one of their top players leave out the door, apparently on his own choice doing so, and it just makes you reflect. It makes you reflect, how did we get here?

And you go back to the old management regime, I mean before they signed Tavares, there was that big rumored deal on the table for Marner. It would have been eight times eight to keep him here on a long-term deal and the organization didn't want to do it. They let him play out a contract year and he goes out and earns himself a contract and it just seems like things since that point have been toxic for Mitch and I don't know why. The contract had a lot to do with it. Obviously the playoff performances had a lot to do with it, but I think for a

lot of people there's anger towards him leaving and some of the things people are saying about him. But the way I look at it, it's sad. It's sad that the Maple Leafs are watching a player that played his whole career here up until this point put up some amazing numbers and choose to play somewhere else when you look at the three players that played in Florida yeah okay they signed team friendly deals but they prioritize happiness because they wanted to be happy clearly Mitch wasn't happy to stay. How do you think his legacy will be remembered like when you just when people talk in 10

years about Mitch Marner's time in Toronto, Coco, why do you think it will be characterized? Well, I think it should be characterized in a good way. I mean, this guy has played himself to the point where he's in the record books with this organization. Sure. Seems simple, Coco, but you know how unrealistic people are. It's very- It seems like a stretch that it would be characterized that way. It's very unrealistic that people look back and say what I said about his career because immediately they'll think of the bad stuff with Mitch. You know,

couldn't play in the playoffs, couldn't handle the pressure. You know. Those are real things. I love how it's like those are made up or something. No, they are real things, 100%. Pretty important things, like how you played in the playoffs is probably how fans are going to kind of scope their reputation and feel about a player. Hayes, I think for me, I'll always appreciate Mitch as a player because I loved watching him play. And I think most people should feel that way about Mitch. You know you put the player in perspective, hell of a player. The one

thing I didn't enjoy about Mitch was the way he handled himself in front of a mic and I think that's what rubs people the wrong way about him because it just seemed like every time he had a mic in front of him, he was like, it was, he felt like people were attacking him. And I thought that was a very poor approach. But, you know, clearly he decided he wanted to be somewhere else. And this goes back to last year when, you know, there was the thought of moving him and Vegas was the place of choice. And now it's confirmed the place of choice.

Look, I think you guys agree. You loved watching Mitch. That was a great player. In the regular season. That was a standing player. Right? But here we are today. It's the start of a new chapter in Leafland.

So do you think after he leaves, like right now we're talking about there's some bitch real I think in and you know people are on the fence of how they want to feel about this and you relaying it out cocoa will time heal that are what basically if the team is better or does something different like will time heal the thought process on mitch marner when people look back on his legacy five ten years from now go back i was a hell of a player the huge part of the noodles is what happens in

the future i think so i think in particular with the leaves right if the leaves right go either way i think it will help marner in a weird way like if they crater people say we should have kept mitch you know even people that are all saying i was already that will start immediately if they're all it's well kind of an idiot one image margondon if they win it you know the people the relief will be so crazy here that everything will just be washed away it'll be whatever they want it's amazing

everyone's welcome to x is that the easiest where it way to compare that to look at the raptors and Vince Carter? I mean, the Raptors win a championship and everybody wants to forgive Vince for what he did. If the Raptors didn't win a championship, would they feel the same way about Vince? I mean, they hung his jersey in the Raptors a couple years ago. And I think the same could be said about that shaming i don't think

i don't think he's gonna get you know probably the ovations he he believes are mostly believe he deserves when he comes back i think it's going to be mean but i think it could really pretty mean i think it could be pretty now toronto's not wired that way generally uh... but this is not this is different days. I feel like this yeah about Coco They'll be like boo in the first period we hate you with a third period that be cheering every time it's possible

I don't know what to predict in terms of his return now. I do I'm curious how Marner's future factors into the way people feel about it too like if he goes to Vegas and wins a Conce Mike then is scoring game seven OT winners and that's not going to help him here in a weird way. People say where was that here? Exactly like and that won't matter to him if he's doing it he'll be like I made the right choice. You know like if you're Mitch Marner all you're thinking is I'm out I'm as far away from Toronto as I can get I want to go win and set myself up and move on with my life. You know, and that's what Marner's going to be thinking, I'm sure. But, you know, in Toronto it's going to be much more complicated with him and in large part because he's from here and it just,

yeah, and you're right. I think your sentiment off the top, Carlo, is very reasonable. Like just, it's in the best interest to just rip the band-aid off and move. Move on. Move on move on it's over it's a different era on both sides of it and let's see what the least can do but here in but he's back to what i said in the beginning doesn't it sting even more all the players that are signing today with their own teams and say there's only florida's found a way to keep the band together yeah i would call martin was surprised yeah why should this surprise

you he was never like all that's run it back we're gonna win again like this was a completely everybody knew this was coming sold doesn't that say more about the relationship between mentioned the team but that's specific to them though because like the i've i think it would be a bigger issue here if the bars was like i'm out here and Nyes was like I'm begging for an offer sheet. Those two guys were dying to stay. Like this Stephen Lawrence, you know Lawrence I don't know what kind of market he had but he was dying to remain on Maple Leaf.

This is very specific to Mitch and again another reason why I think Leaf fans you know are going to be emotional about this because he's from here, He grew up a leaf fan and now he's like I got to get out and by all accounts He's been thinking that way for a while like Pete No one's gonna take lightly to that like even if it's totally reasonable and Justified and he could break down exactly why it happens this way Leave fans are gonna be like really you're dying to get out It's like a weird mentality that defense didn't want to back but they wanted the lease to tell me can't come back

right you know they wanted him begging to stay which is really kind of dark in a way i don't know yet well for everything we know the leaves watered back they tried keep them here it's what's hard to do something Coco when if he's deciding that he's walking it right to free agency or close to it Then you know hey, we'll trade you because we want to get a King's ransom for you and well No, no, I don't want to go anywhere right not until I'm a free agent. Okay. Well, then you know, we'll let you

In the end, I think it's frustrating from that stand from a business standpoint if you knew he was moving on then why why not any other time right like why not a king's right i was a little less summer yeah unless you want to stick it to the leaves in a way out well i had with with this scenario almost feels like he has okay so what do you make of you know nick liss walk coming here and what you know tree living i think is done a really good job like on the two wars

contract i think on the nice contract uh... they bring in the chile who i i don't know a lot of but they didn't pay much for me to skill guide but i think a lot of people rightly pointing shane don't him don't was in arizona obviously michelle he's been there don't probably like to my miss assuming and said go get him if you can but what do you make a really sort now now that we know that martyrs out was in and what else they may have to do because there was a belief

they were gonna go all in on bradmau rechan and he just resign with florida was uh... an hour ago i think i'm optimistic about is that this team's gonna look different and i think that's what we've all clamored for right is just doing something and looking different i think right now with margar gone they're forced to look different and i've always been hesitant

on you know mar Marner leaving and not just Marner leaving because I didn't want change. I was always hesitant on watching a player like that leave for nothing. So I think with the leaves finding a way for him to agree to a sign and trade and getting back something, it's not the full value of what you would get for Marner,

but it's something better than nothing. And I think Nicolas Wah, I mean you look at Who he is as a player What I like about what he brings to the Maple Leafs is he's a right-handed shot center iceman something They haven't really had or played with The last couple years so you're you're you're losing a player that brings a lot To bring it in a player that fits in a role and has a need to this team.

And he's a guy that can score you 15 to 20 goals. He's got a defined role where he can play a heavy game sort of like how Barube wants you to play. And he's gonna find his role on this team wherever that may be. And I think that's the important thing is here, if you can't replace Marner with the same player, you gotta find a way to replace Marner in other ways.

And I think that's what they're doing with bringing in Waa, is they're bringing back something instead of losing it for nothing, and they're gonna find a role for him in their bottom six. Yeah, and then we wait to see what else they're gonna do you know it and that at this point you know manji apane's names been connected to them there they've got some money right they've got some now they spent some today they've

brought in wall he's or he's making what three point nine or something like that michelle is making three and a half yeah but they've used up some of their caps based on those two players and those are the only thing we've been wanting in this city with this the way the core force been assembled is like a just find a way to spread it out a little more well the the reality is it's like matthews and willie are making big money

those those two combined making twenty five million but then everyone else is very reasonable you know like nice making seven and a half dots a decent ticket but i think he's worth that. I think he's around that number, and if he's gonna play on the top line in first power play and he kills some penalties, then I think he can bring that value.

But everything else is gonna be pretty spread out. You know, Morgan Riley's the highest paid defenseman. Goalies aren't making much money. You said spread out, Hayeses isn't that the way Craig Barube wants his team to be? Yeah. Now they got to be the right players. Right. You know like there's I still think and Treleving is going to do more. There's gonna be more. As long as they get contributions guys. It's one thing to be spread out and not but if you're not getting production from anybody else you're basically not even spread out.

Right. Florida Panthers are spread out appropriately. Yes, that's right. I think he's going to use that money to continue to add to the depth of this team. That's the biggest thing is you're looking for upgrades on the positions you already have filled. And I keep harping on it. I still think that even though you like your D and they're locked up, if there's an upgrade out there and you've got cap space and you keep bringing up, like obviously you need currency to trade for those players, not just waving your hand and saying, I've got cap space, bring them over here. But you've got to be creative to continue to add to your group in any facets necessary. So if there's a D that you covet out there that, you know, I think the Leafs, what are

you going to do with Rasmus Anderson and Calgary, right? That's a guy that's going to, now, I don't know if they have anything that they can pay for Rasmus Anderson because he's going to get a King's ransom that's the problem right through to the calgary flames you know you gotta get creative like we didn't think all of a sudden brandon carlo just shows up you know like a brad tree living is uh... a good manager to be able to move things around to to make things happen so i'd i'd i still think

well i'm not going to what it's going to be the like it uh... defenseman account i'll grant you that and i would agree with that if you can get improve their go for it right like is tomorrow's the second line center yeah losses it all that's what i'm saying though do you have to go find a second line center i guess so who's that going to be well but chelsea's he can play both center and wing and i'm not sure he's not playing second line center though i don't

know i think you got Lawton Wah and these guys aren't second line players but they just they didn't qualify him so I do with him I but again are you looking at are you waiting I hear you're looking at a team that goes you know what this isn't our year or we are gonna we are gonna part with player x are you looking at Pittsburgh are you looking at I don Are you looking at, I don't know, what's St. Louis doing? I can't figure out if St. Louis is buying or selling. You know, there's whispers of, Kyru's available. I mean, that's the only way you can do it, Jamie, because you're not doing it tomorrow. There's like, I would put my feet up tomorrow and turn my phone off.

Well, unless you're making trades. You need signing guys, right? Yeah. Who are you going to sign that's going to be? Yeah, I don't think that impact number two, Sanderman, is there for them tomorrow on free agency to overspend on. No, but can you nibble around the edges and fill out your team absolutely

and still have lots of flexibility? 100%. And then you start digging in and drilling down on teams and going, okay, is player X available? But I, you know, and again, I'm not gonna throw names out there. I don't know why I've always had Braden Schenn stuck in my head.

I don't even think St. Louis would look at him. The Leafs were trying to get him by all accounts at the trade deadline, but exactly, they didn't wave and they made the playoffs and he had a great first round. Yeah, he's a really good player. But he's also, he's a really good player He's 33, you know, like that's another thing like do you need some youth? Yeah, I know

you know we're all getting excited about July 1st and the Maple Leafs looking different and trying to build out the rest of the roster, but Do you really think any of that matters if they've got to go through Florida again? Well, I mean that's the thing though You can't just put your hand up and say we're done like i hear i i i know i hope they say they're not going to be as good as florida they don't look like it was starting to open in the Atlantic Division you know the leaves with the division you know boston's going through a rebuilds Montreal got better over the weekend drug a better

yeah and then you look at what moves you you to make and you think to yourself, okay, but even though we make these moves, are we better and can we beat Florida in the playoffs? Well, I mean, as of now, the answer is no, because the Leafs have not shown that they can do that. I know you've got to play the games, you've got to play the season, but man, I can't believe they found a way to bring all three guys back. When Bill Zito said that After they won the championship. I was like, oh my god, this guy's actually gonna do it and he did it I he did it believe he did it. Yep. Marsha Neckblad signing back in Florida today Sam Bennett last week

Alright 7 a.m. First up. We'll catch you then. Thanks for doing this. Can't wait boys. See you tomorrow There is Carlo Kolyakov. Seasoned gamer or just video game curious? This Week in Gaming is the podcast for you. We break down the latest in the world of video games, from basics to beyond. The hottest gaming news, insight and industry leaders and more, weekly. Join me, Naomi Kyle, and stay ahead of the game with all the latest updates. Even if you're a total newbie. Stream This Week in Gaming on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.