OverDrive - Dreger on Marner's contract value, Cozens' trade buzz and the market in the NHL

Episode Date: February 6, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, William Nylander's goal scoring skills, Mitch Marner's contract outlook and the possible value of his deal, the players on the market, Dylan Cozens' trade buzz in Buffalo with the Sabres and more.

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Switch to Bell PureFiber, Canada's fastest internet, awarded by UCCLA. Starting from $60 a month. Visit bell.ca for more details and to check availability. Here's Darren Dreger, a TSN hockey insider. What is your mini-Jerry on William Nylander hitting 50 goals this season? It's a big number. He's going to have to put a few more games together like he did last night against Calgary. But based on the number of opportunities that the man gets, I mean, how can you dismiss

it? Right? And you're just listening to you guys as I was coming into the segment. It would be interesting to see how that's managed. He's right there. Like, he gets within canon. What sort of situations are you playing him in? End of game, all of that kind of stuff. If there's an opportunity for a milestone, I'm pretty sure that Craig Borubey and the Toronto Maple Leafs would

do whatever is possible. As long as it's within reason, then clearly you're not putting him in a bad situation. Yeah, well that's it. At at the same time, last year, Matthews was chasing 70, didn't hit it. The year before, Marner was hitting 100 points. It's been a part of the conversation down the stretch the last two years with this team. But, you know what, just to jump in there guys,

so this is what's interesting. It's a fine line because do they want personal You know accolades or they want to you know Try and be ready for the playoffs and jump in like that's that was the argument down the stretch last year, right? That's right playing those last two games and then they weren't available, you know Marner was a Well, Willie was going for 100 points too. You're right Like he was chasing numbers and the year before I think M agreed he he stood he he took himself out of a game i believe i pretty sure he did i think mitch said account reports to be great but

so be it uh... right at last year though that did not happen with nasa new i mean the flip side is that is an obvious one to like you you know willie gets that place he's clearly on a heater and he's feeling it and I don't know why you'd want to interrupt that level of momentum unless there's something that is slightly nagging he needs that load management game or two or three but if this guy's driving to

that number I mean we've seen on a number of occasions what a motivated William Nylander looks like and I would want that in game one of the best of seven degrees. Yeah, big time. I would want him fully loaded and ready to go. Draggs, we talked about Marner last night on the quiz and we had the whatever you want to call it question with Rantanen but as far as Marner... You love that question, right?

Oh yeah, I really do. What was the question? What was the question? The question, the question, right? What was it? What was the question? This was the quiz question. Who do you think is a better fit next year on right wing Mitch Marner or Miko Brantinen? But as far as Marner as concerned drags all kidding aside Do you think his camp and the Leafs are just confident or comfortable to just let this thing play out and then check in when the dust settles and said, what are

you thinking here? Or if it gets to that point, does it get a little bit greasier? How do you think everything will play out? Well, you know, there's time on the side of both here because Mitch is never going to be a trade pawn on March 7th. He's just not, right? And so I'm sure that the preference for Brad True Living would be that Darren Farris, who represents Miner, gives him a call and says, hey, why don't we get together when you get

back off the road and let's have a conversation. You know what the cap projections are for the next three years? And year two and year three are somewhat written as they say in pencil I'm not really sure what that means how much is it going to be adjusted probably not a whole lot you know the players Association League aren't signing off from that and releasing it the way that they did last Friday unless reasonably sure right Aaron is it a conversation and or if the leaves a were taken kind of the stance of colorado and we don't care about projections

is that a conversation and or no no i don't think it is uh... but i think that brad would would want to know minor stay-home number is and what you know what you know he probably has in his own mind, along with everybody associated with that management group and everybody that invests the time that they do in crunching the numbers, they have a percentage number of what makes sense. And frankly, I don't know what that is. I'd be surprised if it was lower than $13 million times eight. And that's, that's Toronto's stomach. So how much more is Mitch going to get on the open market?

Maybe a lot more if he wants to play outside of his hometown and in a market that, you know, isn't or with a team that isn't as close to winning a Stanley Cup that, that, that he's currently with the Toronto Maple Leafs, surrounded by what we assume are a collection of his buddies in a core. So look, I mean, there's again, there's still time, but now that the cap projections are there, it sort of throws out, you know, you know, if Ferris's position, and this is a bit of his MO, and I'm not being critical,

it's the way he does business. He likes to march his top free agents to free agency when given an opportunity. So when you look at this year, you look at Marner, you look at Sam Bennett, he represents Sam Bennett. Well, they've done a lot of negotiating in Florida. It's a bit weird that Sam Bennett is kind of last man standing, isn't it? You know, when you think of the extensions that have been afforded and what Bennett brings to the Florida Panthers. And I also get, you bring up Colorado, you know, at some point as an organization, you do have to be willing to cup bake. And I still don't believe what has been speculated on Mika Ratlin. I don't think that they ever got to a place where there was a hard line,

this is the highest we're going to pay you. I'm sure there were conversations that were hinting towards that, but it never got to that point. And who knows, I mean, Chris McFarland, the avalanche may learn to regret those decisions in the not too distant future, we're gonna find out. But I think that the heat turns up in Toronto

after the four nations. And think that the heat turns up in Toronto after the foreign nations. And maybe the media heat turns up. Yeah, I think that the media has been real good to Miner and to Vars. They've respected those scrums. You're not going into a scrum in January asking Miner if he's engaged in contract negotiations yet. But did you get close the March 7th? Isn't that a fair question to ask? He's not going to like it, but it's an interesting one, especially now with the cap projections. I think that there should be a higher level of expectation from the Toronto Maple Leafs and his group to bring them what that package looks like so that the Leafs can digest and then make an educated call

Well, don't you think too? I mean you guys had it on the the quiz last night You got me thinking so, you know You've got a scenario where you got some money coming off the books And again, this is all have to play out with how much success you have in the play right here So yeah, you know you go deep into the playoffs and Marner's a big part of it, then you want it. But if things pivot the other way, take a look at who's available. Would you, Mitch Marner and John Tavares or Sam Bennett and Miko Rantinen? That's what you could be in on, technically. So you are the Quizmaster. We've never truly examined or or out of the

quiz master noodle so you're just pretty much saying that you're the guy uh... i was just admitted to this break yet that i have not been i'm not the guy so i just got a little compliment always out there well i think you are out here into the market though not here again to You know, is that against the market though? Not the arrogance of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the arrogance in the market. Like, are we absolutely sure that Nico Ratanen, you know, if he doesn't extend in Carolina,

is 100%... You know, I mean, look, there are going to be a number of teams that go down that road with Ratanen if he gets July 1st. And in their own way, shape, and form, they'll find a way to get that message conveyed to him before July 1st. That's just the way the business operates, right? So if he decides that Toronto is an option, yeah, I mean, that's what's gonna make it

really super challenging or a benefit. And I'm sure that Trelo loving in his group have had those conversations multiple times. But I'm going to back up a little bit here, too. I think that true living in the Maple Leafs have a high level of respect for what Mitch Miner brings to the team on a nightly basis. Like everyone else, they would want and they would expect that the playoff numbers are

going to change this year. That maybe needs to be a must, even though you don't have the luxury of that. That's not a determining factor going into the negotiation. I honestly think if Miner came in and said, here's my hard number and it's 1325, whatever that number is times eight, Toronto might sign it because that's how much they value the kid and the fact that they'd like as much as anyone to have his statue out front of the building, hometown guy, all of that, but that's up to the player and if they don't engage between now and March 7th of the playoffs, this conversation about Mika Ramlin, if he hasn't extended, Sam Bennett,

conversation about Mika Ratton and if he hasn't extended Sam Bennett, Tavares go down the list, it's going to get more loud and more loud and more loud. And that's just going to make things more uncomfortable for Marner and the group. Well, I do find it interesting the conversation of how much weight playoff success is actually going to have on their plans. Because this is why I think it should be oh but I don't know. It can't. How can it? Why wouldn't it though? It should. Well because it's July 1st the playoffs are over. You don't have the luxury of that advantage of less. And again that's why we're even having this

pie in the sky Nico Ratner and Sam Bennett all that like if all of those players are in the same swimming pool on July 1st okay all bets are off all bets are off because at that point you know Myers decided that he wants to really see what that open market is going to show him both in location and in dollars. Can only get seven years, but in dollars, right? And the money will be there. Of course it's going to be there for me. Yeah, of course. But how much does it mean to stay in your hometown and try and continue to win

the Stanley cup? And I don't, I don't think that Toronto is going to low ball Marner. I really don't. I think they're happy to get into that negotiation and get it done sooner than later. Well, that's what I'm saying. Again, these guys have collectively been here for a long time. There's two different ways you can view it, the evaluation of the player, but also the core. That has been a part of the conversation forever and that's why they go the the

the chatter has been muted in large part because i think the market is waiting for the playoffs and whether it's marner to bars both of them how do you play individually but also how does the team do let's say our is just unbelievable through set plays great but they lose again yeah like that's that's what i'm wondering like it doesn't matter at all because if it doesn't know that if you're the least you might as well you better call you might as well call now get it done before the playoffs that that serves your interest because

then whatever happens in the glasses irrelevant evidently i guess you just want to make sure you keep the players but i'm and and i'm in the camp right Brian, just to interject here. I am in the camp and look, obviously Colorado wasn't. Colorado was worried that Mekor Ran and was going to get hurt. They made a decision with Makar coming up that they couldn't afford to have McKinnon, Makar and Mekor Ran and they just financially couldn't make it work. And then maybe that's a multi-billion dollar owner who doesn't want to spend a hundred and fourteen million dollars on his salary. Okay, so they made that call.

I'm in the camp that believes that, okay, you're not going to trade Mitch, obviously you're not. If he decides that the grass is greener somewhere else, okay, reinvest to 13 plus million dollars. And then that's where it gets tricky for management because it's not that simple. You don't bring in one player, but maybe you bring in two. And if you've got the Tavaris money on top of that, that's 11 shmiel clean off the docket. And then you have the conversation about Morgan Riley.

Like if you really want to, you know, that's when you hit the core of the Maple Leafs. If, big if here, they don't do well in the playoffs. want to trick you know that's when you hit the core of the maple leaves if big if here they don't do well in the playoffs you reinvest the money in the free agents and you make a decision on your blue line and whether or not you move forward with Morgan Riley or now's the time to consider what what a change might look like you want a trade value might be Darren what's the situation with this kid and Buffalo cousins I mean people, do they have an inflated sense of this kid?

I mean, Hayes, you brought up his stats. It's about two years ago he scored 30 goals, did he not? Yeah, 30 goals, 68 points or something. But if he, like if he leaves, like the Buffalo's just going to say, we got nothing down the middle. So it kind of doesn't make sense there. Like, do you have any idea what's going to go down in Buffalo well you know every year we have one of those players and I'm not saying that Dylan Cousins isn't going to be traded like

there's enough smoke around this kid that that maybe somebody makes the right offer to Kevin Adams and the Sabres where they just they have to find a way to pull the trigger but every year we've got that young player that sort of doesn't make sense. And I still think fellows, I think it and I know Kevin Adams is fielding calls on Dylan Cousins. Semantics, he's not shopping them, he needs players and I tell roster players are gonna help him now, not futures. You know there there'll be an element of futures, but predominantly it's got to be roster players. But I think this all goes back to the speculation out of Vancouver or wherever

it came from earlier in the year on Elias Patterson for Bo Byrom and Dylan Cousins. And I just don't think it went away. And I think that the more we in the media continue to swirl around it that's going to keep it alive. You know I bet you there are 20 teams that have called on Dylan Cousins and you know Pierre Lebrun reported on Calgary's interest yesterday in insider trading and internally I poked at Pierre and Chris Johnson I'm like okay well that's fine I can understand Calgary would like to

beef up the middle of the ice who's coming off that Plains roster that's gonna make that deal for Buffalo who is it like it's you know like what young piece or pieces is is Craig Conroy willing to throw into that deal to make it a real offer that Kevin Adams can sell to Terry Pagula and And I mean, you go, there's 19 other teams, evidently, that are in the mix. So it's a curious one. I'm not so sure it's gonna happen. Well, you're right.

The only thing I could think of is if it's a three-way. You start moving, now it's a blockbuster, but there's three-way, there's players going to other teams. Maybe, yeah. And that's where maybe the young players or something come from. To me, I look at Dylan Cousins as a very interesting situation because when teams struggle, GMs reach out and go, you know what, I'll take this guy off your hands, it's not working out.

You see that and it's Buffalo gun shy to let, and know and cousins isn't Jack Eichel but you start letting guys go that have left Buffalo that have gone on to having significant careers we've got a list of them and the Sam Ryan hearts and you know my cops and yeah cops it it's just you got to be careful because at some point you do have to have cornerstone pieces regardless and they do oh you and Hayes were talking about it earlier they got two first overall picks on the back end who are cornerstones and their cornerstones by where they got drafted Jamie not necessarily what they do on the ice yeah I mean that Dahlien I I think is a

legit legit I think think powers got a turn a corner but i mean dolly and you put him in a different setting i think you know the problem is the setting man that's right like you talk to florida about reinhardt in vegas about i call in or and saint louis about o'reilly at boston about all mark it you know how do you even evaluate i i could see where the other teams like give me dylan cousins i'll make him a star and i'm he's gonna help me win is it can't happen in buffalo where they operate

now they're terrible every sign here i mean if i were the owner uh... uh... i i i would my market orders to kevin adams and management would be here on moving to anybody of substance you can deal with your pending free agents and all of that. I don't have any issue with that. We're not making a foundational trade. We're not. Unless, you

know, I have a group of people that are going to sign off on that. And that speaks to a lack of trust. And I'm not suggesting that that exists. In fact, I know that Terry Pagula still has deep trust in Kevin Adams. I guess what I'm saying is you can't keep knee jerking. Well, this coach isn't working, let's bring Lindy back. See how that goes. And then it's this and it's something else and it's something else after that. Maybe they just need to go through a season where,

yeah, there's some changes, but we're not talking about moving out significant pieces unless you've got a contractual gun to your head and you've got no choice well that's a different conversation but that's why we're talking about here we're we're talking about what should be the foundation of this team for years to come all right tracks we'll leave it there we'll do it again soon thank you for this god you guys got me all wound up here. I love it. There's a lot going on man. It's a great time of year. Lot going on. I love it. Draggs you should actually talk we just talked about it here we're gonna have an overdrive day of charcuterie pictures sent to us for the Super Bowl. But O said

that you spend the whole day is it around Christmas or whatever? Christmas Eve with the outdoor rinks. The outdoor rinks. This is our outdoor rink. Yeah, and chagooteries and all that kind of stuff. I do it. I do it. I want to participate in this.

I'm in. Let me know. Send the pic, man. Dougie will retweet it. It's very important stuff. I'm sure you'll be elated by that. There'll be a watershed mark for you. Thanks, Drex.

Darren Dreger, TSN Hockey Insider.