OverDrive - Colaiacovo on the Maple Leafs' offseason viewpoints, Marchand's optimal fit and the team without Marner

Episode Date: June 23, 2025

TSN Hockey Analyst Carlo Colaiacovo joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Maple Leafs, Brad Marchand's ideal fit in Toronto, the next steps without Mitch Marner on the team, John Tavares' contract value with the group and more.

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twenty four years ago today the maple leaf selected carlo coliakov twenty four years ago today the Maple Leaf selected Carlo Colliacovo. 24 years ago today. The great pack win was up there. Six years ago today Carlo Colliacovo purchased a Stanley Cup ring from the St. Louis Blues. That actually did happen six years ago today. A lot of anniversaries. Here he is from first up, Carlo Colliacovou. Happy anniversary times two. Thanks boys. A lot to digest there.

Before we move on to our news, I was just seeing you guys talk about Durant and the NBA. Wasn't the most absurd news that broke yesterday was that the Oklahoma City team had already purchased parade buses before season 7. Yes, that is, and Rick Carlisle's thought it was freaking out before the game. That is a great point, man. Like, do you think they were doing that in Indiana too? Like, do you have to be proactive in your bus preparation or? Well I mean the Florida Panthers had their parade yesterday that was what five days after they won it? Yep. I don't see what the hurry is but could you imagine if OKC lost? What would they do with all those buses and who would get fired for leaking that? Well that's a

great question like who was you know someone was really nervous when that leaked because Rick Carlisle was freaking out the paces the media was was jumping on it and it's true because like they make they make championship hats and shirts and if the team doesn't win our understanding is they send it you know overseas and i sent a bus overseas never think about bus procurement for the parade wouldn't that be wild? just like the bus i don't know where the buses come from,

but there they are. That would be crazy, man. If there was an Oklahoma City Thunder championship bus somewhere like halfway around the world. Yeah, it is funny because yeah, they're right in the wild. Maybe they can use it for the RBC Canadian Open next year with all the buses they had last year. I like that. I like that idea, man. We need some like, we need some champion, like forecasting of championship buses. That's what we need up here. Right now in the Congo or Ethiopia or somewhere, there's somebody with an Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup champion hat. Yes, everywhere, dude. Or a bus. Or a replica ring. That's an even better question.

Were they making Euler replica rings before they knew the outcome of the Stanley Cup final? Can I at least put a bow on this story? I know when you guys were talking about replica rings, I was on the golf course and my phone was blowing up because you guys were talking about me owning a St. Louis Blues championship ring. So obviously you guys know my ties to the Blues. My best friend Alex Petra-Ajel played on the team, won the cup, and when they were handing out the rings, they did a replica night for the St. Louis Blues. And I asked

Petra, I was like, hey, can you grab me one of those? Because I like collecting those replica rings. Like I have a Raptors one, I have a couple Argo ones, I have a TFC one and I just thought you know blues, I was alumni you know watching my best friend win a Stanley Cup I'd want one of those too so when Toronto played St. Louis in Toronto I went to the game I wore the alumni jacket I handed out the jersey that night. And then after the game, after the game, Petro presented me the ring when I went to meet him. And so that's why I have one. It's funny, I wear it, man.

Don't think like they look, I mean, if nobody told you that they weren't real, like you could fool some people as to like how close they look to being real. Like they're pretty awesome So yes, that's why I own a st. Louis Blues Championship ring that picture is the most Carlo Koliakovic picture of all time in a leaf alumni jacket with a blue Probably a pair of like Sabres shoes that they gave out back in the day

probably a pair of Sabre shoes that they gave out back in the day. Flyers underwear. A flyers bag on the side that you used. I love it man. Alright, well that's good to know. We got to hook up noodles. Man, we got to hook up noodles. Noodles is playing coy but he wants one of those rings man. I do not.

I've been, listen, that's two years in a row that the Panthers have won. That's right. A lot of my friends, yes, we're in management row that the panthers of why that's right a lot of my a lot of my friends as a world were on the area management and all that type of stuff i'd i'd barely get invited to the cup parties but while and i don't i don't need a i played nine games for their organization backing up louis that played a hundred that game itself all you know that one for sure

and we are seeing and lou lou lou long goes you big time yeah sure yeah alright so let me ask you this because i think the obvious answer sam bennett if if you're asking a leaf and who would you like of the three u of a is down in florida it's bennett second line center he steps right in but then it's gonna be off the table i present to you you know three or four year deal for Brad

Marchand at Decent Money or a five six year deal whatever it is at Decent Money for Aaron Ekblad. Who would you choose if you're running the Leafs? Brad Marchand all day every day. I mean if you're talking about like changing the DNA I don't care how old this guy is, 37 years old, gonna be 38, this guy changes your DNA. And the reason why I say it is because everyone gets caught up in like age, and rightfully so. It's a way to compare guys' careers based on their age.

But some guys age differently, it just happens. And I just think Brad Marchand is one of those guys that just is going to age differently. And you saw what, how he can play on a team that is built the right way and even on a team where he doesn't have to be the best player. I think he's still got a lot left in the tank and I think there's more people in hockey that have fallen more in love with this guy because of everything he's done since day one I mean he owns the belt for the best troll jobs ever in the NHL right now I mean the stuff that he's posting on social thanking every team's GMs and every team's

Social media for certain players that helped build the Florida Panthers. I mean, he's got a blizzard named after him. I mean, this guy's, this guy for me does it. And I think him in a market like this, in a locker room like that, with that the Leafs have, I think can do wonders. So, hypothetical Carlo, but let's say the Leafs can't get Marchand because he tries to stay in Florida, and does stay in Florida, and leaves can't get march and because he tries to stay in florida and and does stay in florida and you can get a glad

and all the sudden the headline guys that you thought you could get you don't get how much concern would there be on your end that the leaves are gonna see mariner walk out the door potentially to borrow his walk out the door and not have a a significant piece come in and free agency well they'd be very concerned i mean, this was my hesitation of jumping on the, oh, Marner's got to go train. Because look, I'm all for change. I think we've seen enough of this group over the last couple of years just continue to fall short. But I think that if there was

change, it had to be last off season with the guys that are potentially walking out the door because, you know, and I know, you know, everyone argues about, you know, the Marner we watch play in the playoffs and there's definitely an argument to be made there. But he's still a hundred point guy and he helps you get to the playoffs every year. And if you lose these two guys, you strike out in free agency, that's been my concern the whole time. How do you improve this team losing potentially one or two of those guys for nothing when you've spent the last six years using every asset you have to improve around these guys. You give every first round pick,

a couple other draft picks, you've thrown top prospects in certain traits to build around these guys. And then you lose in game seven to the Stanley Cup champions and you're gonna lose two key players for nothing. And I just don't know how you, and I know sometimes being different

can help make you better, and I truly believe that, but how are you going to be different if you don't have anything 100% guaranteed in replacing these guys? I would have loved if they could have grabbed Mason Marchman, and I know there was speculation that they were in on him, but you didn't get him. If they're not getting the guys in free agency, how are they getting better in the trade market when they don't have the draft capital? Yeah, that's where I was going to go, Carlo. In a perfect world, in a trade, if you can work it out, again, you're going to have to

be creative because Hayes and Frankie were basically laying out. They don't have a lot of capital to work with in a trade. Who's the guy that you would circle in the late late if it's not set obviously sam bennett if he ends up staying in florida and if it's john to borrow says your third line center you know who's your who's the guy that you covered out there in the league is that shan in st louis is it had to be in calgary you know is it

it by i've i see i don't think this would be the guy But I see Colorado is getting a lot of people in on Charlie coil now coils more of a three I think a good team But like I you know, who would you covet and if you're a guy like tree and you have to head the trade route? Yeah, I guess that just it's easier to answer when you know who's available, but you mentioned oil I would love to see him try to target a right-handed shot center. I mean, when was the last time they tried to move Nylander there? Um, and clearly, you know, they see him more as a winger,

but that's something that could help this team is having a guy who plays the right shot as your center Iceman. Um, but you know, man, Braden Shen would be awesome here, but they tried to do that last year and I, what are you giving up to get him? I don't, I wouldn't be parting with Easton Callen right now. I mean, so it's, it's a great question, Noodles. I guess, you know, it's all, I mean, Naz and Kadri, who wouldn't want to see him back here? You know, I think it would maybe cost you less to bring him over because he's gotten a term and Terry's higher cap it but he's still really productive. They're not just going to give them

away. It's a really good question. I mean, Pius suitors out there on the free agent market, is that who you're going to target when everybody else leaves? Again, we're talking about change with this team, but I've always said be careful what you wish for because, noodles, you cover the senators. You watch a lot of the Atlantic division. The Atlantic division, the teams that have not been in it are just getting stronger. The teams that have been in these long runs, okay, Boston, they're going through a rebuild right now. Tampa's going through a retool. Florida, who knows what they're going to be, but at some point it's going to come to an end because it just science just takes over and says this is too much mileage on the same group of guys. I mean, it happened with every other run

that we saw recently with the Kings, the Blackhawks, the Penguins, so on and so forth. Ottawa just made the playoffs. Montreal just made the playoffs. You know, Detroit and Buffalo are hungry. Do the Leafs really want to take that much of a step back when you feel like they finally won the division and they lost the game seven in game seven to the champs?

So how far of a step back and how much change you really want to make with this group. Now, some of it might not be in their hands because if Marner leaves on his own, there's nothing you can do about it, but how are I, it's, it's, that's, that's going to be a challenging job for them to replace one or two of those guys when, you know, you've got a market that's thinning out and you've got a, a trademarked that you don't really have the pieces that's thinning out and you've got a trade market that you don't really have the pieces that teams are looking for for key players. Yeah, and listen, I think it's very likely Marner is the only guy that really leaves.

Where if Tavares resigns, then it's literally Marner of impact players that is no longer here. So is it possible to replace him one for one? Of course not uh... but is it possible to bring in two or three guys instead of paying him thirteen or fourteen million in spreading it through the lineup yes that seems possible and again you don't have to do it on july first you

don't even have to do it by opening night next year but i i look at this you know you you got a manage over the course of a three five seven-year plan you know like they they to manage over the course of a three, five, seven year plan, you know, like they don't have a first round pick for the next three years, which is very damaging. Like that's going to cost them at the trade deadline next year. Like there's only so much you can get at the trade deadline.

If you don't have a first round pick, you don't want to be trading picks, you know, four or five, six years down the road without having any idea of what you're going to be dealing with. That's how you end up in a situation like they used to 30, 40 years ago. But you know I just, Marner's gonna go, he wants to leave, I think they're prepared to make it to allow him to leave and if Tavares returns again you've got both goalies, six defensemen, the majority are forward still signed. It's not that different. Like I'm not expecting them to just fall off a cliff

but i i get we're saying florida's good tamp is good auto i'm not like let's say marner leaves and and they replace him with player x whoever that happens to be who's a better alan okay let's say eastern cowan okay who clearly is gonna have some learning curves and all that kind of stuff who's a better team

but how do you rank it leaves auto on montreal i would still take a leave okay so that what's this big fear that montreal's gonna catch your or or while i was gonna pass you i mean the period under craig berube this team won a lot of close hockey game last year and in those close hockey games you have a

guy who scored a hundred points in your team leading right so how do you make that up if your if your focus is to have your team play comfortable in close games that's that's that's just my concern again I understand the concern of the regular season. I'm all for change. It's just losing a guy like that for nothing is what concerns me. Yeah, well that ship has sailed. I mean he's gone and they've lost him for nothing. There's nothing they can do about that now.

Brian, you make a good point, but I don't think you're trying to look down. You're trying to look up. Like I'm looking at right now. Well, they can't pay Florida with Mitch Marner. But what I'm saying is like, you're right, if they bring in Player X just to plug, but you still have a bottom six that is not good enough. That's my point. So maybe you spread that money around.

That's kind of what you're saying. Like, let's see what it all unfolds like. It just, I agree. Like I don't think they're severely weakened. They look different, absolutely. But you're looking to get better. You know, are you going to, okay, is Max Domi going to go from 33 points to 47, back to 47, you know? Like, that's the biggest thing. You still have Domi, Lawton, Yarncroke, Holmberg, Camp, like those are, you know, I don't know, is that enough to get you over the hump against the...

Think about some of those names you just said. If you go Holmberg against Lundell or Camp against Luz-Turin and it's like, I think that's more where your concern lies. Are you ever going to beat those guys with it? Not that Ottawa or Montreal is going to catch you. Well, not again. Ottawa went 4-0 against the Leafs in the regular season last year. I know they beat them in the playoffs, but, you know, I think they're closer, right?

They're trying to get better. I guess I think what you're trying to do is give your team an opportunity, yes, to make the playoffs. But secondly, to, you know, you're trying to win a Stanley Cup. This is the window for Austin Matthews, William Nylander and that. This is, you know, we say this, you know, we go, hey, McDavid, you've been in the league 10 years, you haven't done like, Matthews is the same thing, Nylander, these guys, like this is their window. So you don't want to, for lack of better words, piss it away going, hey, we're, you know,

we're going to take a step back or two steps back you can you can look different but you still have to be a top-tier team absolutely you're trying to build yeah and that's the that is the challenge for sure but the easiest the the only way to spread it out in the third and fourth line is to not pay Marner agree that's just the truth the big four thing what is why you have the players you have right now Yeah, great. All right, Carl. Oh, we'll catch you tomorrow at 6 a.m. Thanks, buddy All right, boy. Stay cool in the seat. We will we will you too. You got it there's Carla Kolyakovic first up with

Korolyan can call the Akikovo every morning 6 a.m. To 10 a.m. Right here on TSN radio TSN radio. New interviews and newly unearthed archive footage make for a fascinating weekly deep dive. Stream Encore, the stories behind the songs you love on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts.