OverDrive - Dreger on Carolina’s goaltending conundrum, Darnell Nurse’s future and Dallas Eakin being a finalist for Leafs

Episode Date: June 11, 2026

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joined OverDrive to discuss who will start in net for the Hurricanes in Game 5, the series becoming a best-of-three, Carolina’s top line needing to be a factor going forward, what is next for Darnell Nurse, the latest on Mike Babcock and the Oilers, the Leafs’ coaching search and more!

Catch everything soccer with Bell's game time bundle. Get 5 TV with TSN plus 5150 internet, all for $99 a month. Price guaranteed for two years with a two-year internet and TV term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.ca for more details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. Here he is. Our TSN Hockey Insider joining us from the Maple Toyota Hotline. Down in Carolina for Game 5.

How are we feeling down there, Dregs? Well, well, we're feeling pretty good. I'd like to give you the inside information as to how I got here, but I'm not going to do that because it's a long explanation. I will tell you this much, Lou. I will tell you this much upon leaving the hotel, which isn't that far away from the arena, I was stopped in the hallway along with Mark Masters in the lobby of the hotel.

Huge Jeff O'Neill fans, huge Jeff O'Neill fans. Their prediction is there will be a large number of O'Neill, Carolina Hurricanes, jerseys in the building for Game 5. There has been throughout the playoffs. And I don't recall the gentleman's name, oh, but he said that he sent you a bobblehead, a Jeff O'Neill bobblehead, a while back, long time ago. So fake news, or did this actually happen? Well, Darren, these two gentlemen beside me have seen where some of the mail ends up that gets sent to me. Unfortunately, it may be never made it through the process.

I'm really concerned about where that bobblehead had. could be at a waste site as we speak. Or someone from TSN took it. Yes, exactly. Why did I bring this up? I know. He knew it was coming. Why did I bring this up?

That bobblehead's been recycled into a teacup somewhere on a children's place. Yeah, it's made its way around town. So it's got to be bussy tonight, right? Like, is that, take us through the, I guess, thinking down there in terms of the goal? attending Freddie Anderson, where things stand for Carolina. Yeah. It's an ongoing story, obviously. And what we know is what we saw.

We saw Brandon Bussie in the Starters Net for the Hurricanes as part of the morning skate. Rod Brinimore, in fact, you guys probably heard and saw the soundbite as part of his availability. He at least updated us on Freddie Anderson status. The fact that Freddie was on the ice prior to the Hurricanes morning skate. And he says, look, everybody is available. Now, this doesn't mean anything. but went in the visitors room, the Vegas Golden Knights, of course, and every team has that lineup whiteboard in their dressing room,

and they have Brandon Bussie starting, and Freddie Anderson backing up. Whether or not that's real, doesn't matter. But Brindon Moore did say that Anderson was available, but we believe that Bussie gets the nod. Darren, is there any talk out of the Keynes locker room, or just their organization where through three rounds of the playoffs, the first period would be over, and they would have one shot against. they were giving their opponents nothing.

And clearly you have to credit Vegas for creating their opportunities. But Carolina has got to be saying, if we can limit these odd man chances and breakaways, we're going to win the Stanley Cup. That's got to be a thought process of theirs, no? Well, for the most part it is. They're not being as blunt as saying we are going to win the Stanley Cup, but I think you're right,

just based on the high level of execution that we saw from the hurricanes in that regard through the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs. So they've gotten away from their identity. It hasn't worked through four games entirely, but it's a best of three now, right? And one thing they did talk about was, and it was actually Taylor Hall, who stated, just defiantly said, look, this game is going to be different. And the series will probably be different moving forward. To your point, oh, to get back to that shutdown style.

You know, certainly do what you have to do hard on the forecheck, create as many opportunities, make life tough on Carter Hart and goal for the Vegas Golden Knights. but play that more brand-like hockey that we're accustomed to seeing from the hurricane. So that's what Taylor Hall was talking about after the morning skate today. Dregs, any, I mean, Overdrive Carolina, I don't know if they have one, but would they be talking about Svetnikov, Aho, you know, maybe that top line showing themselves a little bit or entering into the series here as being a difference maker because we were talking about the other day.

I don't know if I heard Ajo's name five times on the broadcast. Yeah. No, and look, if the Carolina Hurricanes are going to prevail, it's no different than Jack Eichel on the other side. Doesn't it feel that those players, those names have to factor in, they have to be part of the solution here. So when you look at the top line for the Carolina Hurricanes, Sveshnikov, especially for me, he's been borderline invisible. He really has. You know, he was made available alongside Taylor Hall as part of the podium coverage here going into Game 5. and he seems in good spirits.

You know, I think that nerves are a factor for him. He's recognizing where the moment is at in this best of three going into game five, and he knows that he needs to be a contributing factor. Likewise, for Aho. But I think the pressure is just as much on the other side on Jack Eichel, but full marks, full credit to all these guys, right? It can't be easy to stand in there, be it in your stall in the dressing room or at the podium in front of the media and take full accountability.

And Jack Eichel, you know, I mean, he was like, look, I'm in good spirits. I feel good. I know what I have to do. And I have to perform at a higher level. I've got to find a way to contribute offensively. And that's fact. So I think you can look at it both ways. The names you mentioned, of course, in Aho and Sveshnikov from Carolina's perspective,

it can't all be about that Stankhoven line or, you know, the developing cons my story that Jordan Stahl is, Jack Eichl is going to have to find a way to pot a goal or to keep the veils. Vegas Golden Knights on the good side of this series. So, Darren, if Stan Bowman put the vibe out to other general managers in the NHL that Darnell Nurse was available, he closed up his computer and opened it up in the morning with a coffee, what do you think the inbox would look like regarding Darnell Nurse? Well, with all due respect to Darnell, I mean, I think you'd see the cricket emoji, to be fair, and only because of the contract and what is remaining.

for Darnell. Now, there will be some level of interest. I did have a couple of general managers who shall go unnamed, not necessarily general managers who could be interested, but said that the interest will come, but only if Stan Moleman and the Edmondson Oilers are willing to take back a bad contract or bad contracts. Otherwise, how do you facilitate a deal of that magnitude with a cap hit of that significance? But this has been days in the works. I mean, the speculation fellas has been out there targeting Darnell Nurse for longer than that. But as I reported earlier, you know, it was Darnel Nurse who initiated this. About a week ago, you know, they basically submitted their request with a list of teams.

What we don't know is how many teams are on that list. And maybe they get to a place where if Darnel really wants that change, he's going to have to expand that list to develop further interests. Well, I guess we'll stick with Edmondson because I want to get to the least coaching pursuit at some point. Yeah. You know, get to what you're hearing here. but the Mike Babcock story, Dreggs, you broke it open a couple days ago, and the ebbs and flows.

I mean, Mike Babcock was out of our life for a long time. Years. Years. He's been out, and now he has completely taken over, I'd say the sports world in Canada, for sure, over the last few days. Where do things stand with Babcock, the Players Association, and the Edmonton job? Yeah, well, right now it's in the hands of the National Hockey League, unless Mike Babcock takes it out of the league's hands.

or the Edmonton Oilers say, okay, well, we can't wait around forever here, so we're going to cut bait, we're going to move away. If either of those things happen, then the National Hockey League doesn't have to conduct its investigation. It was the NHLPA that said, look, we need to find out exactly what went down in 2003 amid the allegations that Babcock then the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets invaded players' privacy. We know some of it. Some of it has been reported on, but is that everything? And I can tell you it's not everything.

I don't know how serious it is. There's been some speculation around it. I don't think that anyone truly knows, including the head office of the NHL. So that has to transpire. So that's where it is right now. But, fellas, I think we can all appreciate this. This has been an annoyance, a high-level annoyance for NHL head office, because this is supposed to be the grandest part of the year, right?

The celebration that is the Stanley Cup final, and yet it was going into game four when that day. news broke. Now we're talking about it going into game five, and it's a distraction. So as much as the Edmonton Oilers, maybe Mike Babcock and everybody involved, McDavid, Dreisidel, Zach Heim and the supporters of Mike Babcock would really like this thing to grind into full speed. I don't think the NHL is in any rush. Not at this point. I think they want the focus to stay here on the Stanley Cup final. So what about the Leafs, sir? Are they in a rush to get a coach before the draft? Are they waiting for is to decide if Bruce Cassidy's allowed to speak with anybody else?

Where do you think Stan with the Maple Leafs in their coaching pursuit? Well, they're certainly not in a rush, and John Tachan and that group has gone through this methodically. I mean, we know that they're in the second round of their interviewing process. I mean, some of the names have been reported on, well-documented. Joe Pavelsky comes to mind. Patrick Waugh, keep in mind, Claude Lemieux was placed for rest earlier this week, and Patrick Wall was part of that.

So then you look at some of the other guys. I believe that Dallas Akins is still in the mix. And what about Bruce Cassidy, right? You know, the Vegas Golden Knights have made it abundantly clear that this is where their focus is on. And, you know, that's the Stanley Cup final and hoisting that Stanley Cup. There's no guarantee that McCriman and that group

are going to say, all right, Bruce, yeah, no problem. You know, it's an Eastern Conference-based team, so we'll give you permission to go there. There's no guarantee of that. I expect that that's more likely. than what we've already been through, with the Vegas Golden Night showing zero interest in allowing perhaps the Oilers or the L.A. kings

to get better with Bruce Cassidy on their bench. So, you know, L.A. is looked after their guy and hiring Peter Lavial ad, and we've talked about the Edmondson Oilers. So Bruce Cassidy to Toronto does make some sense, provided Vegas is okay with it. Bruce wants to be the coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Maple Leaf seeing him as the right fit at this time. All right, Dreggs, live from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Stanley Cup final game five tonight, Carolina. Enjoy yourself down there, the house that the O-Dog built. And I just want to say, Darren, I just want to say we have had a slew of heavy hitter guests. You have been by far my favorite. Thank you for doing this, my friend. Great to see you. Oh, tell you what, following the footsteps of Jim Nance, that was a tough one. That's a tough one, I'm not going to lie.

Nailed it. Find an O'Neill Bablehead if you can and bring it home for me. Find a few of the boys. I'll get on that fellas. Thanks, Drex. I will. You and a pal in Montreal and Oceaga with four nights at residents in downtown Montreal. Flights from Porter Airlines, two weekend

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