OverDrive - Dreger on J.T. Miller's possible next teams, Knies' injury timeline and Rielly's performance on the blue line

Episode Date: January 23, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, the Canucks' trade fallout and J.T. Miller's possible next steps, Matthew Knies' injury status, Morgan Rielly's role on the blue line, the trade buzz in the league and more.

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Own your home, need a loan? Alpine credits can help. Alpine credits, where homeowners get approved. Disro license 12-616. Here's Darren Dreger, our TSN hockey insider. Dreggs, I don't know if you can see the list, but I just- No.

Okay, I went one through seven, the Canadian captains, the seven Canadian captains, issuing who I believe had the most pressure on them individually to perform for their team through the rest of the regular season not into the playoffs but ends after game 82 I had Brady Kachuk won Quinn Hughes to Nick Suzuki Austin Matthews Michael Backlund Connor McDavid Adam Lowry that's my list one through seven yes yeah no I like it Brady Kuchak would be top of the list for me. I mean, you're going to get what you get from Quinn Hughes and that's just, you know, Norris

trophy winning play. One man can't do it all. And you know, the Vancouver Cuducks have gone through a world of turmoil already uh... i might move off the map a bit higher to your home now our air and its regular season just regular season yes that is important point out go ahead and tell i'm not alone the plans it's a totally different list all of our values all

to one after that yeah i'd not use to be at the top and mcdavid shoots up the list of his he's got pressure to perform come play yeah yeah well why are we talking about a regular list all right okay let me say this good go ahead cut it off hold on you'd be like I mean so it's Ottawa, it's Montreal, and it's Vancouver, and maybe Calgary, right? Because they're on the cut lines. Beyond that. So there's no pressure on Lowry, McDavid, and Matthews to do anything the rest of the regular season? That's what you're saying? That's what you're telling me? That's not what I'm saying. Okay. But, I mean, do youin matthews is going to go backwards i don't um i don't think connor mcdavid is going to be less impactful than he is um adam

lowry is the heart and soul of the winnipeg gets right so i i i don't think that there's any more pressure on those three guys okay well i mean i do think there's an important distinction that there's any more pressure on those three guys. Well, I mean, I do think there's an important distinction that Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver are in a different category in terms of what we're discussing now, right? And for all different reasons, Montreal's playing with house money, they've been red hot for a month and now they're in a playoff hunt. Ottawa has been telling us for years,

you know, rebuild's over, we're legit, we're going to make it, and they're a Jekyll and Hyde type team. And Vancouver's just a circus. Like, it's, all three of them are totally different, yet they're all connected, because we don't know if any of them are gonna make the playoffs, or maybe all three do. Now, the one thing you've been successful in here as an award-winning host is stirring the pot and generating content. And that's what you've done here

with this little work project, so I applaud you. Well, and what I'm gonna hear, I'm gonna hear from Canadians around the country, like, oh really, you think Quinn, wait till Vancouver gets a hold of that one. They love, because they're so receptive, the people in Toronto, so they care about their team. They really do love it.

Speaking of Vancouver drags, how much pressure is on them to get something done? Hayes just mentioned the goaltender, their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their You know, they've done, they've gone through a world of, of ridiculous speculation and some well-placed speculation, um, on, on two of the players, right? And that's of course J.T. Miller and Elias Patterson. Um, now, you know, the focus seems to be narrowing on J.T. Miller with good reason. Uh, but I can't sit here as we're having this conversation and tell you with any level of, of knowledge that there's an imminent deal with J.T. Miller. I can't. And those closest to J.T. Miller

have no idea. Now, it doesn't mean that Patrick Albee, the general manager, can't pull J.T. Miller aside and say, hey, we do have something we're going to present to you and your agent in the next two hours. So here it comes. That could happen very quickly. That's what most expect is going to happen at some point, but nobody can pinpoint when that is. And I guess it speaks to the Vancouver Canucks not getting the package that they feel they need for JT Miller. Because there's enough interest. There's six, seven teams probably that are at least tire kicking on JT Miller.

But because of everything we've already talked about and the pressure of the Vancouver Canucks to make the playoffs and to do all these things, they need to get players in this deal back that can help them this year. And obviously they don't have enough to make a deal. Well, in terms of the Canadian teams in the East, like would, is JT Miller just dead? Would your, is,

do you believe it's he's dead set on, on the States, like going to the, going to the U S if he's going to go anywhere, or would he be open to go on anywhere else in Canada? And if so, would any of the other Canadian teams be calling on him? Well, I'm sure everybody's called Brian I mean, I think that's just your due diligence as a general manager whether you're Brad Turloving or Kevin Trevolo I don't think it matters I think you have to make that call and then find out at that point but but even if if Toronto and all seven Canadian or six Canadian teams outside of Vancouver are on this guy's no

fly zone, does that even matter? Why would that matter? I mean, he's got a full no move clause. So automatically, he doesn't want to go anywhere by virtue of negotiating that into his contract. But there is a willingness. If there is a good fit, my sense is that J.T. Miller would be willing to waive that no move clause. So I think that all general managers,

especially the contending teams in Toronto and Winnipeg would be in that conversation, of course, would be calling and asking. But even if there's a willingness, if you're Toronto here fellows or you're Winnipeg, go down the list. It doesn't matter. How do you break apart your lineup to bring in JT Miller?

And how many teams is this now going to be for Miller? Four? Yeah. Rangers, Tamlo, Van. And then why hasn't it worked in Vancouver? Like, you know, there's got to be a little bit of buyer beware here from the management groups. That everybody loves the idea of JT Miller and I do too.

Cause I love the way he plays the game when he's on it. But you know, he's faced some challenges this year, both on and off the ice. This we know how much is that a factor moving forward to go along with the pieces that you're gonna have to give away to get him and if it didn't work inside that room in Vancouver and maybe wasn't a great fit with the other teams are you absolutely rock-solid certain that he could be and will be a difference maker to push you into a higher stratosphere

of contending that that would be a conversation that would be lengthy I would think for any team. So Draggs Leafs lose last night to the Blue Jackets 5-1. They also lose Matthew Nyes to an apparent injury. What do you hear on that front end and how do you think the Leafs might proceed? Assuming Nyes is gonna be out for some period of time, how do you think they'll fill that hole? Move. I mean, internally, I guess, for the short term. You know, the feedback that I got earlier today was that it wasn't viewed as being serious,

and he's not going to miss a significant amount of time, maybe a few days. But again, I'm hesitant in saying that and I'm not knocking the approach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. It's just we've seen other examples with their better players where they go down the path of caution and being more careful. And I think everybody's on board with that. But that was what I was told earlier today and I haven't heard anything that would push me away from that at this point. So I guess we'll have to check back in three, four days and see how he's feeling and where he's at at that point. So I think they've, uh,

they're going to have to just find a way to do it internally, go to a rash of injuries that has taken its toll and may take its toll moving forward on this club again on the short term. Greg, so do you think the first couple of GM's to send out of mass tax to the other one saying have added fellows name the price coming get them what i'm talking over here well it's a good question and and honestly that's a big part of of why

things are moving slowly right now on the trade front and we go through this on an annual basis right when you get to get past the midway point different this year because you've got the four nations looming and there are general managers who would prefer to get some business done ahead of the break, but you gotta have a partner to work with and because of the races,

certainly the races in the East, I think that that has kind of stopped things up a little bit. You know, the sellers haven't been defined officially yet and any of the teams that we know are in a selling mode or just have to be because of where they're positioned in the standings and have no hope of making the playoffs. They don't really have the pieces

that you're interested in anyway. So I think it's still a wait and see right now for a lot of clubs. Yeah, we got to get something cooking here, man. We need someone to start really, really selling. That's what we're looking for. I thought you guys did that last night with Jonas. Yes, well, listen, Jonas has got a 10-pack of players that are on the radar, right, as you know, and Ryan O'Reilly is at the top of that list and well, okay So let's just stop right there And I I can understand that because of the history Ryan O'Reilly has with Craig Borubic, right?

But look we've forgotten something in this process and you can play for the press maybe Well, yeah, you're right But Toronto wanted to keep Ryan O'Reilly. Toronto tried to extend Ryan O'Reilly. Ryan O'Reilly didn't want to sign and extend in Toronto, so why would he want to come back? And he doesn't have trade protection, but there's no way Barry Trotz is going to do that

with a highly respected player like Ryan O'Reilly if he gets to a place where he's gonna like Ryan O'Reilly. If he gets to a place where he's gonna trade Ryan O'Reilly and Ryan O'Reilly is willing to go and wants to go somewhere else, I'm not a hundred percent saying it can't happen and come back to Toronto, but there are other contending teams that could be a fit for him as well. Well that's another part of it like obviously we're focused on Toronto and Jonas was and the Athletic athletic but other teams might want to call him as well because you know he's got this year two left I'm talking about O'Reilly and at a

reasonable price I think 4.5 million per. Exactly. So other teams I'm sure will be kicking tires it just seems like you know and naturally it's the same way every single year. It's centers and defensemen. That's what everyone's looking for. Centers and defensemen. Always. Always. Yeah it'll be no different this year. No and every team that I asked, Toronto included, I'll throw Calgary into that mix, Winnipeg to a point. They're all getting giving the same response today. Yeah good luck. Can't find them., there's no tree in your backyard where you can go pluck one up So let's hope it stays that way until March 7th. Otherwise, oh dogs gonna be looking for ketchup for his hamburger

Oh, yeah, we'll really some good bits cooked up for the Oh dog on March 7th. I Can't wait for that. Yeah, Alyssa, I think that's become more and more clear for me in Toronto is, you know, there's been so much focus on that center position and I have no doubt they're looking around and they'd like to address that. But I think it's deja vu. We're back with the same question of who is Morgan Riley going to play with? Who is he going to play with? What can you expect out of Morgan Riley? Because I think in a perfect world, Ekman Larson is on a third pairing. I think they came into the season perfect world, Ekman Larson and Yanni Hakanpah are your third pairing. That two veteran big bodies, you look over the

past Cup champs, including last year, Ekman Larson was on the third pairing. That's generally what you have. Veteran guys on the cheap with some size that can play in a variety of different ways, but you can't stress them too much come playoff time, especially over a long run. And then you got Tanev with McCabe. Who's Riley playing with? He can't play with, it can't be Philip Myers, you know, it can't be Connor Timmons. It can't be. I guess, but you know, Morgan would say say this it can't always be about who he's playing with you know he he obviously needs to start playing better yes right and then it maybe it becomes less of a need and more of a want you

know who's who's the best available upgrade on defense leading up to March 7th and maybe that becomes less of a need and more of a want if Morgan is playing the way that they need him to play and the belief is that he will get there. But what is it the Draggs when you look at that do you see that as Riley having some growing pains in terms of trying to fit into the Barube style or what do you make of it? Yeah I think so but it's probably gone on long enough well I mean the last game wasn't a good one for Morgan or for a number of Leafs came before I think the

sense internally was that he had played better you know and they were hoping that the trend had kicked over and away they go. Yeah Barube has tried to change some things in Riley's game and the coaching staff of the Toronto Maple Leafs, you know, they pushed to get him to defend harder and take some of the risk out of his game that, you know, historically we've seen. But I think to this point,

they'd be happy with a little bit of balance. Like, if you need more of the green light to get going and grab that green light and run with it for a while and see if that works. And so far he just, he doesn't look comfortable. I think we'd all agree Morgan Riley doesn't look comfortable, but I'm sure there's a lot of conversation with him and the coaching staff over how he gets more comfortable with the way he's playing.

Well, that'll be my next list. The assistant captains on Canadian teams with the most pressure to perform. Wow. Can't wait for that one. That's going to be a doozy of a list. Morgan Rielly up high? I think Moe's got to be on that list. I think Morgan Rielly would be high. How about this? We just touched on an insider trading. How about the most anxious owners general managers and coaches with their star players getting ready to play in the foreign nations face off. That's a good one.

Yeah. That's a really good one. Okay. There you go. I'll cook something up on that. I love it. Sure you guys will all agree there's nothing to disagree with whenever I come up with a list. Everything is just clear cut. Bulletproof bulletproof stuff all right Drex thanks for doing this okay boys have a good night Darren Dreger a TSN hockey insider