OverDrive - Dreger and LeBrun on Kadri's future in Calgary, Crosby's solid start and the Maple Leafs' possible additions

Episode Date: October 28, 2025

TSN Hockey Insiders Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun joined OverDrive to discuss the Penguins' dominant start, Sidney Crosby's impressive beginning, Nazem Kadri's trade talk buzzing, Maple Leafs looking to add players and more.

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16 games in the NHL tonight. That's pretty good. I like that idea. Inside a roundtable, Darren Dregor, Pierre LeBron. How rare is this, Dreggs? Like, is this something planned, or was it just random that we have every team in the NHL playing tonight? Then they realized, hey, this is kind of cool.

Why don't we promote it? Well, it's not random. I feel like this is maybe the second or third year, and I should know this, but I think it's the third year. You know, I talked to Ray Ferreira about it earlier, and he wants to give ESPN. credit being the brainchild of this 32 team

extravaganza or frozen frenzy like they refer to it. But I think it runs deeper than that. I think this is something at the NHL marketing group has been on for a while. I'm getting internet trolls, gentlemen, on my penguins take. And I'd like to ask both of you

esteemed gentlemen, Gregs, you can start. Are you liking what you're seeing from the pens and are you buying it that they're going to qualify for the playoffs? Because I am. Oh, I am liking what I'm seeing from Sidney Crosby and the Pends. I'm not ready to say I'm buying that they're going to qualify for the playoffs.

How much more do you need to see? Ten more games. History tells us by the 20 game mark, then you've got a pretty good understanding of what they're all about. But in fairness, to Kyle Dubus and the group that is the Pittsburgh Penguins, I mean, they took a flyer in a couple of guys. Like, who had Justin Brazzo doing what he's doing on their bingo card? And I, look, I know Brazzell's agent pretty well, John Walters, and when he signed in Pittsburgh, there was a lot of work that had to get done. I mean, this is a young guy that has been fighting his way to find a spot in the National Hockey League since being dispatched by, I guess, Dubus. Dubus and the Leafs.

Well, technically the Marley's, but you're right, the Maple Leafs Organization. But this young man was desperate for a little security. I'm not sure he has that in Pittsburgh, but he's. He's following up where he was in Boston, right? He's a big boy that kid, man. He's an interesting piece. He's a big boy. He's a big boy. Who else is on that line?

They've got a good thing going. All right, Pierre, go ahead. Where are you at with the penguins? Well, first of all, I feel personally responsible for the penguin's start. I'm just kidding. Oh, let me guess, Pierre. You knew this the whole way. You guessed this, Pierre.

No, no. I thought, no, I thought they'd be two and seven, not seven and two. What I'm saying is when I asked Crosby in Vegas, September about his future and asked him about Montreal you may remember this story and it created a bit of a you know what storm and part of crosbie's answer that day was he understands that when the penguins are out of it that there's going to be this white noise and people asking him about his future so you know what he's done he's made sure there's no white noise right now because the team is seven two and one and listen all kidding aside if the penguins are within distance a reasonable

distance of a playoff spot, there's zero chance anyone's going to be able to convince him and go to him before the March 6th trade deadline to ask him if he's ready to leave the Penguins. If that team has a heartbeat, that's where he wants to be. All right, with this in mind and how well Sid's playing, because he's been unbelievable. I know what you're going to do now. You're going to say, what, he's not getting traded? No, no, no. I'm going to bring up the Olympics here.

We'll go around the table, Minnie jerry. Oh, you can start. Many jerrys, Sid plays a more important role. is more impactful on the Canadian success at the Olympic Games than Connor McDavid. Oh, geez. What's your mini-Jerrys? He was at the Four Nations. He was better than Connor McDavid.

Who won the whole tournament? McDavid. One shot. It was a brilliant shot. McKeeton won the MECDivin will be the showcase piece for Canada at the Olympics. You better start playing better than he is right now. Maybe he's saving it up for the Olympics. You never know. 20%. Jonas, where are you at with that mini-Jerry?

Can you phrase the question again? Sidney Crosby will have more of a positive impact on Canada's Olympic team. and Connor McDavid. Five percent. It's an unfair question. Why? It's slighting somebody who's a great player.

It's an obvious question. Greg's? I will say that Crosby will have a more impactful showing. Wow. There you got to give a percentage. You've got to give a percentage. It's called Mini Jerry. Like 60%.

Wow. And the reason I'm saying this is because you have to be defensively solid to win the gold on the world. stage, right? And I'm going to go all the way back to the golden goal in 2010 and how that team was built. They were built to win two-one, three-two hockey teams, one-goal games, tight-checking games. Crosby is still, he's designed to play that way and he's comfortable playing that way. And in that regard, I think he'll be all-round better. I'm with you, Pierre. What's your mini-juries on this? I'm so honored, by the way, to be part of a mini-jerry. I've been waiting

for years. I was on this bucket list I have written behind. me behind the camera. But yeah, I'm going to say on the ice, Connor McDavid wins MVP at the Milan Olympics, which I look forward to going over to recovery. You guys don't know how to play the game. Off the ice. Yeah, we don't really. It's just doing their own thing.

Cindy Cosby's impact is already unreal off the ice. It started in Calgary, the Olympic camp in August, going to every player and making sure everyone understands where they are in this process. Unbelievable, the stories you hear about 87 taking this to another level in terms of being the captain of the team can.

the ice, I think 97's going to have the biggest impact. Okay. I hope so. I want to clarify that. I want it to be the McDavid Olympics. He's earned it. He's deserved it. He didn't get a chance in 18 and 22. This should be his. But right now, since playing better than McDavid is, he is. Pierre, I want to ask you about the Habs, and there's talk about Nazan Cadry and what are the Flames going to do with him. How are the the Habs going to approach getting that

sentiment? I know that there's talk about the player that we just talked about in Sidney Crosby with this big picture thing or it would be this fantasy world if they could get him. But are they like kind of want to make a play now for that guy or just the element of doing something as opposed to

waiting around for something that might never be there? Well, great tease O'Dog to our insider trading segment. Darren Dregor has an update on Nazim Kodry in that segment. But to answer your question, the first thing I'd tell you is the Hobbs, O'Dog,

My understanding is, listen, they've gone through the entire league in their preparations internally and have a list of what centers could potentially pop up between now and next season. And obviously ahead of the March 6th trade deadline this year. You name a name and it's come up internally with the Montreal Canaanians. And yes, Nazan Khadry is one of those names. I think the Hops would have interest in him if and when he became available at some point later this season. Because it's still a need for them. and what's changed for Montreal

I'd say from obviously years past is now they've become one of the teams where a guy like cadre I think anyway this is just me views them now in a different light it used to not be a team while they were rebuilding or not really among the contenders

where a lot of guys would waive to and now I think they're entering that world where they would be a team where a guy like cadre would be willing to go to at some point may not be him might be another player but that's my sense of that one. Dregs, Calgary in town.

They're not off to a good start. No, awful. They have been. And that's the primary reason why all of the speculation around Nazim Qadre is swirling about, right? It is in part because of the Canadian markets that could see a fit in Nazim Qadry. And right at the top of the list is the Montreal Canadiens, the Vancouver Canucks. A return to Toronto, a long shot, but you could see it, right? You can envision the interest.

Brad Trill Living has. expressed that interest in the past, and he will again. But it's because the flames are performing well below expectation. I mean, they probably should be closer to 500 or be a 500 team right now, and they're not. But they're a long way away from approaching Osam Khadri and saying, hey, we're all in it for McKenna, and the ship is turning here. We can't do that with the likes of you, Rasmus Anderson, maybe Uighur. Jonathan Huberto gets a little bit more complicated, but that's a long long time.

way away. That's a long way away and probably closer to the trade deadline. And you also have a Canadian owner, Murray Edwards, doesn't play the tank game very well. It's too expensive. The end of the day, you have to stay as competitive as you can. What's expensive about the tank game? Well, fans don't want to watch it. They don't want to come into your building. They don't want to buy tickets. And you look at Detroit. It's been in a rebuild for what, nine, ten years? And you know, teams just don't want to go through it. So I understand the speculation. We're all a part of it. That's what we do. A long way away from determining the Nassim Cadre is legitimately in play.

Well, as for the team Calgary's playing tonight, the least are, you know, they're not loving the way things are going. They have some injuries. We don't know what's going to happen with Neelaner's game time decision tonight. Tanev is out for at least the next two games. Riley's a little bit banged up. Joseph Wall has just returned. Like Wall is an interesting one because he's missed camp. He missed the start of the year. Generally speaking, for players, especially goalies, it makes it very difficult for them to catch back up. Regardless of the reasoning for them not being available, I'm concerned about that.

Do you get the impression that the least are concerned that wall is going to actually get back to where they need them to? Well, they're going to give them whatever time is needed to get back to wherever that is. Is that the old take your time coming back, but hurry up? Yeah, it feels like it. Yeah, I mean, he's on LTI right now, so he can practice. I would think there's a strong chance of him accepting an LTI conditioning loan and playing games with the Toronto Marleys. And then at that point, whatever that is in the near future,

you make a determination what his game looks like if he requires more time or what is best for the team and for Joel. Their hope is that he'll be ready sooner and later. But I don't think they pinpointed a specific date as to when he would be available. Right. And Pierre, in terms of what is available, it's well documented, like the Leafs don't have a ton of prospects, they don't have a ton of pigs. you know, it's early, but everyone's going to be, you know, has the potential to be

aggressive, I guess, at any point, depending on what's available. Like, what do you see tree living, what is running through tree living's mind at this point of the season, in your opinion? Yeah, I mean, we mentioned this last week, but the Leafs did check in again on, on Chinikoff and Columbus, who's asked for a trade, so have several teams, you know, it's whether or not they end up going down that route with Columbus, it's not a player that changes your team dramatically. That would be more of a flyer. You know, there isn't a lot out there because teams aren't ready to sell yet. And that makes it difficult. You mentioned the Leafs assets. They don't

have a first next year or the year after in 26 or 27. So that makes it more difficult too. But they do have cap flexibility, which they haven't had in years. So there is, that is something right now in this ecosystem. You know, I want to touch on something too with the Leafs that I'm going to write about this week, but I find this to be a really interesting time this year in the NHL when you look at some long-established contenders like the Leafs, the Lightning,

the Oilers, the Panthers have obvious, you know, yeah, while Boston announced her transition last year, I'd say Jonas, right? They announced that they were going into a reconstruction. What I'm saying is teams that still intend to try and win and go

far, you know, the teams that I mentioned, they're off to so, starts. And I think, listen, I think they're going to get the ship straight here. But while they're doing that, all these teams that have been building for years are trying to announce themselves now as we want in on the party. Utah's off to a flying start. Detroit's playing better. Chicago's playing better. Montreal is leading the Atlantic. This could be one of those seasons we're going to remember for a long time where the teams that are trying to stay at the top and the teams trying to join them, there's about 25 teams right now, and we saw this this summer because

everyone wanted to buy and no one wanted to sell, there's like 25 programs right now that are saying they're in it. Well, can't have 25 teams in the playoffs. So you want to say, you know, theater and theatrics come to March 6th's trade deadline. I am fascinated to find out which teams are going to be honest with themselves closer to March 6 because way too many teams right now that think this is still their year. Yeah, it's true. You look out of Utah's right there. Seattle's back in the mix. They've had a great start.

Good for Utah. You dumped on them for years. Why? Let's clarify that. Seriously, man. I dumped on Arizona deservedly for years. They played in a high school rink for two years. They did. And you goofed on that and then they got to Utah. And you said this last year, no one

even cares about what's going on out in Utah. Nobody did. No, I know. And they did stink. Give them some props. Give them some love. Shout out to Bill Armstrong. I like Bill. Bill's a good guy. And his AGM.

And it's AGM. Big fan. You know who it is? Go ahead. Fergie's a good, dude. Fergie's a good dude. Can I either confirm or deny that? JFJ is putting in work.

No, credit to Utah. That'd be great. I like their uniforms. Dude, you hate Utah. You have nothing. I have nothing against Utah. Actually, aren't the two top teams in the league, both enemies of yours, New Jersey being the other?

Yeah, two teams that nobody cares about. Nobody cares about them I would love if Dugie just got a guest on from Jersey and Utah I'm kidding around I'm kidding yes I've hammered on both of them but we'll see if they lost to the end

I'm not convinced either team will I'm not convinced I other team well all right boys there you go I'm sure you guys are happy to get dragged into that go ahead Pierre by the way as a long time listener I feel like the guy you've hammered on the most

since the start of the year is Connor McDavid. I mean, I'm just saying. I don't know what's going on there, Hayes. Doesn't look great. Listen. Change his mind, Pierre. You got 30 seconds. Go ahead.

Change my mind. I think I texted you guys this last time you brought this up. I'm telling you right now, obviously, he wants the Oilers to be playing better in himself. The Milan Olympics, priority number one for one of these guys, I'm telling you right? I hope so. All these guys are getting ready for that. Everything I said was just being honest.

that when you get into year 10, 11 of your career, you're not going to put up numbers like he did when you're 22, 23, 24 years old. And it's evident here. He's got one goal. You were right about that. Yeah, like he's... I said 150 points and 60 goals, and you were laughing at me.

Yeah, I mean, I think you'll still hit 100 points, but he's not off to some rocket start, right? Am I wrong in that? No, and there's 20 other guys that are right with him. Yeah. All right. We'll see. I got to be the bearer of bad news.

And I've got to bring the truth to the table, right, Jonas? Yeah, that's what it is. All right, boys. Thanks for doing this, as always. Good seeing you guys. Gare LeBron, Darren Dregor, TSN Hockey Insiders. The newest tracks and the next big thing. Baby, what was that?

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