OverDrive - Dreger and Johnston on the Maple Leafs' goaltending trades, Pettersson's buzz and Olympic arena

Episode Date: January 15, 2026

TSN Hockey Insiders Darren Dreger and Chris Johnston joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, the Olympic ice arena and the look in Milan, Mitch Marner playing against the Maple Leafs, Toronto's goaltending next steps, Linus Ullmark's return, Elias Pettersson's possible trade and more.

Darren Dregor and our Italian correspondent himself, Chris Johnston. Cristiano. Cristiano. Cristiano Johnston. Did you enjoy yourself over there, CJ, in Italy, or what? It was an interesting trip. It was pretty quick there and back and a fair amount of work, probably not as much play or fun as you might imagine,

but it was cool to get a sense of the city ahead of the Olympics, and obviously to be one of the first people, I guess, and in our business anyway, inside that arena, getting a feel for what is and isn't happening there. CJ, what is your one major takeaway if you had one with the facilities? It's not going to be up to a standard you'd probably expect in an HL behind the scenes,

rink, you know, let alone an NHL one. But I still think there's going to be enough there for them to play. And given how badly we know NHL players have wanted to get back to the Olympics and get, get back on that level. I mean, I certainly expect the tournament to go ahead. And, you know, at the end of the day, the men's tournament runs February 11th to 22nd. It's not even two full weeks. So, you know, I think that you won't hear any complaining publicly anyway. Once the guys get over there, I think that they understand it's not going to be what they're used to, but that

the stakes are pretty high and that this is going to be a level of hockey that most of them have been dying to get back to for a decade. Just to, like, follow up on that, CJ, like, Did anyone there at the facility or arena, like, what is the excuse? Like, how did this just creep up on them and how are they so behind? What they told me is that, and this is, you know, people from the local organizing committee is that they've been behind since the beginning. And the arena is being built by a private individual. It's not public funding. And, you know, one thing they said to me is they got going a little bit late in part because of COVID timing that, you know, between when they got the, the,

Olympics in 2019 awarded to them. And obviously they didn't get shovels in the ground until spring 2023 that sort of the world had changed and maybe some of the financial picture had changed. So it sounds like they really just got going late and haven't been able to get ahead of it and catch up. And so that seemed to be the main issue. And then, you know, beyond that, there's just sort of this idea that Italians are pretty laid back and that, you know, they always get it done in the end, but they maybe aren't, you know, is get up and go. as some other countries. I mean, I can't speak to that myself specifically,

but I definitely heard that. I mean, that sentiment was in the air a lot that maybe they just do things on their own schedule here. And so right now they're doing a lot of work to get it done. So, CJ, we had a spirited debate about how you got the assignment to go over. Like, this isn't a scenario here where it's like, oh, you just acted like you were hard at work and, oh, you know, geez, I dreaded going over.

life, you're going to Italy, and I'm sure you had great food, you were able to go for runs, do whatever you needed to do. Do you believe in all of this information that you've been reporting back, they're still going to be able to have a great product, and the ice is still going to be fine, and you're still believe that the men's Olympics is going to be fantastic from that facility? I'm pretty optimistic, yeah. I mean, they just got that ice. Like, last weekend was the first games ever played on it.

Naturally, when you're making ice, there's kind of a... process to that, you know, but they have the guy Don Moffitt that's making the ice there, makes the ice for the Colorado Avalanche. So, I mean, they've got a lot of expertise on the ground, and, you know, it looked, you know, if you just take the arena ball and ignore the scoreboard small and all that stuff, like it looks like a hockey rank. It looks, they have everything they need there. I mean, it might be a little different if you're a fan at those games. It doesn't seem like there'll be as many kind of amenities around the rank, we'll call it. But let's face it, most people experience this tournament through TV.

And so I think the games themselves will happen, noodles, and most of us back home will be almost none the wiser once it actually gets going and we're just focused on, you know, who's winning, who's losing, all the things that are happening. So, yeah, I'm pretty confident about that, and I got the assignment because I have a nice boss at the athletic where I do my written work that they suggested to me about a month ago, hey, we'd love to have someone go over there.

Would you be willing to do that? and it took me about less than 10 seconds to reply with a yes. No kidding. With Chris Johnston and Darren Dregor. So at least Vegas tonight, Dregs. Sounds like Aiden Hill is going to play for Vegas. Nick Robertson, are we hearing anything on him? Well, as of this morning, he was expected to be good to go as well.

But, you know, as well as Nick Robertson has played, if Aden Hill is able to start for the Vegas Golden Knights, I mean, that's a huge, huge boost. I mean, he hasn't played since October. And anybody who pays any intention, the Vegas Golden Knights, you can see that, you know, their goaltending, despite the addition, Carter Hart has been all over the map. So game one, we'll see how it goes for him, but that's a pretty big boost.

Yeah, and Hart obviously is on IR right now, so, you know, we'll see what happens with him into the future. But Hill, that is pretty significant. Vegas is red hot. Like, they've won five in a row, and obviously we're, you know, quite intrigued by Mitch Marner's position on that team. The fact that he's playing center. Like, that is a conversation we've had in a city a lot,

like when he was a leave. It was Neelander that they'd try. never really tried Mitch Marner. Just a couple games, I think. Yeah, not a lot. Maybe a couple when they really were depleted. Like if Matthews and Tavarous and someone else was out, but what is your impression of, you know,

how he is kind of settling in in Vegas? Well, I think the settling in process is still underway, but more so maybe from a coaching perspective than anything else. You know, Bruce Gassidy looking at different ways that they can utilize Mitch minor, being on the power play or otherwise. But what's noteworthy to me and Leifes fans may not appreciate this, but we certainly saw it in the first half of the year was the accolades that Miner is getting in Vegas as for his defensive play and how strong he is as a defensive forward.

And look, I mean, when he was with the Maple Leafs, he was a trust defensive player, right? I mean, he was on the penalty kill more often than not. But the question after that was, okay, well, how do they replace the points and the offense that Marner brought? And the numbers might be a little bit down, clearly, in Vegas from that perspective. But the feedback that I get for management from the coaching staff is he's arrived and he's played as advertised. Well, it's an interesting trip, CJ, that, you know, Anthony Stollars is on the trip. And, you know, he was on the ice this morning.

Craig Barubei indicated earlier this week there's a chance he plays before the Olympic break. So that would mean the next three weeks, you know, next 10 games or so. Hildeby, I believe, is exempt from waivers still this year. He can still go back down to the minors. But next year he can't. No. So, CJ, I guess we'll begin with you. Then, Dregs, you chime in.

You know, Stolar's, his deal is not even kick. It's just kicking in. I believe next year. It kicks in next year. Wall still got a couple of years left. And Hildobey, as of next year, would have to go on waivers. And clearly someone would claim them. How do you see this three-ring circus playing out over the next six to eight months?

And so much of it's going to hinge to me on what we see even through the duration of this season, right? I don't think this is an area the Leafs have to do anything this year at all. And the biggest reason I lean on that is we just haven't seen between Wall and between Stolars, give you enough confidence that one of them is going to be healthy for a long period of time. And so I don't wish for that to be the case, but I think the Leafs have team, like an increasing number around the NHL that think they need to have three goalies that they have some degree of faith in because, you know, they have had so many injuries at that position. And quite honestly, I mean, look, they're still in a battle to make the playoffs.

But if they get the playoffs, I mean, it's anyone's guess at this point who's going to play those most important games of the year. So I think that for the time being, you ride it out with the three guys. You know, maybe it involves Hildee because he does have that exemption to be sent straight to the HL at some point, spending some more time with the Marley's really just to get them games down there and keep everybody fresh and busy. but I don't think you make any decisions at all before the offseason unless something really unusual comes up. But, you know, I've seen some people start to talk. The Leaps trade a goalie before the deadline.

I just think there's way too much risk in that, given their own history at that position, with those guys. And so, you know, maybe in the off season, that's a more relevant to point of conversation. But, you know, right now I think they're just trying to get them all healthy and plan. Yeah, I tend to agree with that. I can appreciate the speculation around the idea of trading one of those three guys, only because the Maple Leafs don't have a whole lot of tradable.

It's an asset. Absolutely. You know, maybe it's too much of a luxury to consider, okay, well, let's wait until the offseason and see what comes our way at that point. First, they've got to claw back fully into the playoff picture. They're in the conversation now. I don't think, to CJ's point, that they do consider a trade unless somebody blows their doors off between now and March 6, but they do have to get Anthony Stolars healthy.

And despite the fact that he's with the team, the information I have is that probably best case scenario, unless something magical happens is end of the month, right? They'd like to get him back into some practice time, and they don't have the luxury of practice time. It's few and far between. So maybe a whisker before the end of the month, but that's what they're projecting in Stollars. Yeah, it's because we do talk a lot about the lack of assets. that they have, right?

Like Cowan, the way he's playing right now, I'm not trading him, unless I feel very good about a return. Danford will see, but they don't have a lot. They don't have picks coming up. So, like, I could see them being enticed. And noodles, you can chime on this. Like, who would have value around the league? Hilderby's younger, he's cheaper.

Stolars' deal hasn't even kicked in. He's older. You know, Joseph Wall, I don't think they'd move off wall. I don't think it'd be Stolars or Hilderby if they made a trade. Yeah, I think. I mean, for me, it would be Stolars because Hildaby is still up and coming and he's cheap. Stolars, they just signed. But I don't think they'll move either one of them.

But I look at Stolars, could you not put him for two weeks or maybe a week of conditioning with the Marleys? Get him some games there, get him some practice time there. Like, I know you want to be around the team. Yeah, that's what I was thinking is, you know, there's a different schedule with the H.L. You could probably get him a few games and you don't have to force feed him in with the big club. and get him feeling good. But it is a good sign that he's back on the ice, but I also do believe that they're slow playing it with him,

and there's no guarantee that he's going to be back. I think it's still a farther away than it looks, put it that way. Yeah. Well, it's crazy with these goals. He's like, Lena Solmark now, I guess he's back in the locker room. You know, his stuff is back in the room, and he's around the team. And yet I'm curious, you know, CJ, you can go first. Like, it's such a sensitive topic.

You can't have Travis Green asking him every day when he's going to play, right? I think next week is like, like he'll be back in the, they're hopeful that he'll be back next. Like he'll play, he'll immediately step in and play or just be around the team. Well, I'll be back on the ice next week. Like, I mean, with the team next week, now whether or not they believe he's available or up to speed enough to jump in in the crease in an NHL game, I don't know. It's crazy, dregs, because you obviously, like we saw with Joseph Wall, It needs privacy, you need time, step away.

But if you're Ottawa, it's like, if you're going to come back into this locker room and put your gear on, like we desperately need you. We need you to be better. Yeah, you're going to be correct. Yeah, we need you, period. Like, they're in desperation mode where they need to save. So it's like, it's a really difficult situation where it's like you need your time, but if you're going to come back, how soon can you play?

Because we need you to play. Agreed. Yeah, there's urgency there for sure. he wasn't away as long as well guys you know like you look at joseph wall was it was like bunt or more that he was totally away from the leaps i mean almark was at games he was at a game actually with a bully coach from europe that he's used in the past so i mean his his absence isn't as long and so i think that as a result of that there's probably less of a run-up to get him back into the net but it's it's been an unusual situation really right from the moment he left

the sense right and and honestly the reason they brought in james ryan I mean, they looked around the league. There wasn't a heightened level of urgency from Steyas's perspective, but they like the idea, given the experience factor of Rimer, the personality of James Rimer, that on the short term he can help Maryland. But longer term, he'd be a real good partner. They believe he'll be a really good partner for Linus Hallmark. So that put him, believe it or not, a notch ahead of, say, Laurent Braswa,

whose injury history, I think, spooked the Ottawa senators. But it was more about the support role of James Rommarck. primer than anything that attracted him. With Darren Dregor, Chris Johnston. So the Vancouver Canucks and Jim Rutherford doing an interview, I want to say with the province this week. And basically... Ian McIntyre, I think. Was it Ian McIntyre? Okay. And I think

he said, you know, effectively everyone's available right now. And I saw you on insider trading. Dreg's talking about Elias Pedersen. We had a conversation about him yesterday. And we had Ray on last hour, and Ray's obviously very close to the Canucks. And he said he's been playing fine. Like, he's been playing okay, but he's getting

paid a lot of money to just play okay. He's not... Yeah. Like, what would the market look like for him? Ben. I gotta believe that. It has to be. I mean, cap spaces everything, right? And so there's been whispers around, look, I believe

the Carolina Hurricanes, as an example, do still have interest in Elias Pedersen. They do. But they probably had more interest a year ago, two years ago would have had more interest. And what has to go back. Well, that's for me, you know, Vancouver wouldn't have interest in you Sperry Cockney-Niami. Why would you? Right? I mean, at best he's a third-line center, at best,

you know, even though they're still weak up the middle. He has two years remaining, but I think they'd be okay taking Cockney-Ni-Ni-Emmy back from Carolina if Pedersen is going the other way because he's a boatload of years and a ton of money remaining on that massive contract extensions. I think he's still going to be a tough sell. Yeah, that's what's complicated, right, CJ? Like, he is, you know, ever since Quinn Hughes left, it's basically him as the face of the franchise. Bessor's been there for a while. Demko's still there.

But it was Hughes, it was J.T. Miller, and it's been Patterson. And the idea of having to look at it, like, we got to get out from underneath this as opposed to acquiring pieces. I think that's wise. I don't think people in Vancouver would want to hear that, but I think that's smart. Like, if you're going to launch into a rebuild, it's going to take you years, I think you've got to start there. Like, you kind of got to get out from that contract and reset your books.

Right, but I think there's also still a little bit of a thought in the back of management's mind that if we trade this guy, he's going to pop somewhere else, that he's going to get back. And that doesn't mean you don't make the trade, but I think it's in their minds at least. Do we give them more runway to try to play a little better? Like, you know, shine them up a little bit because, you know, exactly what Dreg says is right right now. I mean, this is probably as low as his value would ever have been as an NHL player, just because you've seen such a prolonged stretch for his production has been down. You know, he still has all that money left on his deal. You know, I do think that there's a bit of risk reward in there.

But when I look at some of the teams that have made trades for centers, I mean, the flip side of this conversation is we'll go and tell you about all the teams in league that won a center and can't find one. And, you know, sometimes you have to take a bit of a risk. You know, it wasn't an obvious choice when the capital's traded for Pierre-Lucupou, a few years ago. You know, he was similarly not in a great spot. I know he's been injured this year, so it's maybe not a perfect comparison,

but he was a big part of the success they had last year in Washington, and that was kind of a trade that maybe had some risk. There was a lot of money left on Dubois' contracts, similar to what you see with Pedersen. And so, you know, I think that the Canucks can wait, but you're right. I mean, look, if you're going to do the rebuild thing,

you know, there's a couple pieces that got to go. It's the short-term guys with UFA status. like a Sherwood, who we've talked about, and then obviously, I think a symbolic move would be moving on from Pedersen and really closing the chapter on that book of the last five, six, seven years in Van. Yeah, no kidding. I would take a chance on him as crazy as that sounds. I think I would, too.

Like, I would just say this is going to make or break me from whatever team I'm working with, but it would be just so enticing to say, if I get them out of there, maybe a change of scenery, but man, if it doesn't work out and he's that same guy, kind of is right now or has been the last year. You're not trading them twice. You're not flipping them. There's no market the second time. That's for sure.

Yeah. I wanted to ask both guys, and you can both weigh in, at what point do you see a shoe drop? And what I mean by this is there's so many teams that are kind of hovering around the playoffs. Is there going to be a major move? Because I talk to teams all the time, and it just feels like they're waiting on something. and waiting another week to see if they're either in the hunt or out of the hunt and all of that.

Because to me, I'm sure you guys get it. Trade chatter, I feel like teams have three or four in the barrel, but they just haven't pulled the trigger yet. Yeah, I think that's right. And the chatter is picking up, and I think it's picking up because most teams are either in the middle have just completed or just going into their scouting meetings, right? And I think of the St. Louis Blues, I know that they're in scouting meetings this week. we know how surly Doug Armstrong is right now with his group.

He's just flat out unhappy. Well, he's a gunslinger. So there's a general manager that undoubt. We know he's been active to this point. So I'm real curious to see what some of the names look like, aside from the guys that we normally talk about around St. Louis. So I think St. Louis is going to be a hot spot. Calgary, we keep waiting for something to happen there. I mean, it's all around Rasmus Anderson, and then it shifts to Nazim Cogry.

and I'm going to talk a little bit about Blake Coleman on insider trading because you can appreciate why a number of teams are calling on Blake Coleman. I mean, he's a good player, he's got the pedigree of a champion. The problem is he's a high character guy that the flames value, and they might need to keep around. I mean, you can't sell off everything in their situation. So I think one of those teams, St. Louis, Vancouver, Calgary, I think one of those three will probably be the first to make a splash and go from there.

CJ, would you align with that? The other part of it, too, is when I was going to say when you're this far out, there's a bit of a, it's like a waiting game. It's almost a game of chicken sometimes because the teams that have something to sell, you know, I think it's natural to assume the next bet, the best offer still to come is you get closer to the deadline. That isn't always the case, of course. And so I think agreeing on a price on some of these players has been challenging.

You know, that's certainly the case in Vancouver, you know, where, you know, they're even more open for business this week, because trades reported on insider trading on Tuesday, but they've been open for business in a smaller way since December anyway. And I think that they've engaged in an extensive amount of trade talk on their guys, but it just seems like there's not the urgency there. They are waiting for that shoe to drop. And so, Noodles, you're asking the right question.

I just don't have the answer. I don't know what the sort of trigger moment's going to be, but let's hope it comes before the Olympic break, because if not, it's a long wait until the, that roster freeze lifts at the end of February. Right. Well, and you look at the two Canadian teams that are pretty comfortably in, Edmonton and Montreal, you know, like you talked about Calgary and Vancouver on the other end of the spectrum, do we picture those two teams being hyperactive? Like I would assume Edmonton will do everything they can.

I don't know how much they have. Montreal's got a lot of picks, prospects. Yeah. You know, they've done it right. Like if you're in Vancouver, I think you look at Montreal and say, let's try to do that if we can. Yeah. The haves are in a position where I would think if they wanted to acquire someone, could basically acquire anyone they want. Yeah, I mean, Pierre has talked about this, and I'm sure that they are one of the teams that have that appreciation for Blake Coleman, right? But are you willing to overpay? Are you willing to pay a premium to get that piece?

Because that's what it's going to take for Craig Conroy to consider it. They'd like some help up the middle of the ice. You know, is it even possible that they look at an azim cadre with the Calgary Flames, right? The market is thin at center ice. It is, especially when you're looking for guys who can come. comfortably play number two. Kent Hughes has been looking for those type of players for months, for months, and he has the assets. I mean, they've got a good young prospect pool that they can dip into, but you can't be crazy either. Just because you have a want, you have the assets,

doesn't mean you have to overpay, but I can see Montreal being active soon. Yeah, they're an interesting team right now. There's no disputing that. All right, boys, well, it's going to be a fun one tonight. Leaves School of Knights, a bunch of games in the NHL. Great seeing you. CJ, great to have you back on. Canadian soil. We'll do it again soon. Thank you for this. All right, boys. Have good night. There it is. Chris Johnston. Darren Dregor at TSN Hockey Insiders. I'm Luke Wilson. Join me each week for Film Never Lies.

Since retiring from the NFL, I've had a lot of my mind, and now, I've got my own show. If you're tired of lazy takes, if you want honest conversations, join us each week. Film Never Lies, available on all TSN platforms and the IHeartRadio app.