OverDrive - Dreger on Marner's next team outlook, his contract value and the movement in the league

Episode Date: June 12, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Stanley Cup Final, the expansion to Atlanta, the movement warming up in the league, Mitch Marner's future and the interest from teams and more.

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You're talking about an expansion fee that's likely tracking now north of $2 billion with a beat. That's a ton of money, right? It's an enormous amount of money, but all the considerations and the concerns that you guys have shared are being discussed. They're being discussed by general managers, by NHL owners, because that talent pool and the drain on it is real. And then you have to go through the process of your an NHL club and the expansion draft, right? And

the hard work that you put in from a scouting and development perspective, and if you've spent money in recruiting and bringing in players as free agents and now you got to protect this guy, leave that guy loose and all of it. It's an enormous challenge but it's not one that the owners or the commissioner takes lightly so that's why they make sure that they vet the process thoroughly before they dive in. Well it also just makes it you know more and more difficult to actually win you you know, like eventually, right? If there's two more teams that are kicking the tires at winning a Stanley Cup. I mean,

I would, I understand it's a business and the ownership groups are like, all right, if you're bringing in $4 billion collectively and you're getting a percentage of that, it's a lot of money. But I would like to believe there'd be some teams, most notably the one in this town, that might say, actually, can we not do this? Like we even won a cup at 60 years and you're gonna bring in two more teams They're gonna try to get in our way. I mean that's that's aggravating for fans Yeah, well anything else and I can tell you look I mean we play this expansion game on a regular basis and and this one is real

Because the Commissioner's office has acknowledged that again the group in atlanta has been doing their due diligence and now this moves a step up that ladder but there's constant speculation around what expansion could or should look like and their owners around the national hockey league i haven't done a full straw poll here but there are some owners who still believe that a second team in the greater Toronto area makes the most sense you know why do we continue to it does there is a need does it does like if you want to talk about people crawling off the like walls to get into a building

to watch hockey as Toronto over any market Quebec City second team with is the most sense out of anything and and if it's about making money which it obviously is then why wouldn't you want sustainability in making that money right and that second team in Toronto would could be a cash cow get over all the geographic issues with the maple leafs and with the Buffalo Sabres on all of that and and actually invest some time and energy in making making sure that it is possible.

I don't think that they'll do it, not anytime soon, but I know there are owners out there who would like to see it. Yeah, that'd be interesting, man. You know, Buffalo's a key point in that. We look at the Maple Leafs clearly, but Buffalo, I think, benefits greatly from Southern Ontario, right? A lot of people cross the border. Absolutely. I don't know if Ottawa would necessarily

Care if there's a second team in Toronto. I don't know if they look at it that way. I'm not sure But in terms of the activity in the league like we saw Cryder was dealt today. He's on his way to Anaheim Do you get the impression that there's other deals that are rather waiting for the cup final to be complete or you know why would this one go down during the cup final i know that been historically would probably prefer that doesn't happen yet for whatever reason it did this time yeah well look back to last year in the autobah senators acquired lena's hallmark right we're all sitting there going cheese that that really just happened i mean it and you're right uh... i mean normally

uh... the league doesn't like the idea of a deal like this happening during the Static Cup final, but yeah, it's a game day, but the news got out of the way, and it has been speculated on for the last couple of days anyway, and I mean, even dating back to early last season, the idea of Chris Crider being traded by the New York Rangers is not shocking or surprising to anyone, and they had to go through a process because the Anaheim Ducks originally were

on Crider's no-fly zone. He just wasn't willing to wave until he decided, look, this is a better opportunity. Jacob Trub was there. Those two guys are tight. So it makes a lot of sense. As for action around the league, yeah, I think you're going to see some. I don't know that we're going to see any more between now and the conclusion of the stanley cup final but look i mean the maple leaves the vegas golden nights the dallas stars like just look at all these cap top teams we know the salary cap is is going up

but any team that isn't in this stanley cup final and let's include florida and possibly edmonton are going to look for change after the stanley cup championship so i think that the draft this year even though it's decentralized it will be held in l a is going to be busy i think we're gonna see all kinds of stuff happen before july first darren can you comment on pierre lebron's remarks yesterday and help me understand it because he said there's there's in basically no sellers right now everyone is somewhat confident that they can add or be creative in make trades

he's wrong i'd like you to call out on that please but just help me explain that because i just don't get it like are these teams fooling themselves and what i guess the definition of the sellers traditionally what we look at going into the trade deadline and that's reality recognition of a club that knows are not playoff worthy so they're going to sell off some of their pieces maybe it's contract related and all of us on that sense i guess i can appreciate

and agree with what he's saying but i would look the buffalo sabers uh... you know again we've been talking a lot about bull byron what is kevin adams or the sabers going to do without talented young defenseman well i wouldn't call the sabers us seller you're trying to be a buyer they're trying to write the ship so that they can at least be considered a playoff contending team next year and that's a pretty big ask it

is uh... bo byron uh... looks up any sees dalene and he sees power and he believes that he's a top pairing defensemen wants to be a full-time power play guy thinks that he could be a number one well he's not if they've the path is in there in buffalo then why wouldn't you want to

go somewhere else he has asked for a trade but he's got the hammer in the sense that he's two years away from unrestricted free agency so there's uh... an option of of of buffalo do they trade him now at maximum value or do they just retain his rights hold on and worry about it down the road so i think by room is getting traded though i think that's an interesting development in uh... the days ahead here

any other teams that uh... we would say is sneakily flying under the radar we should keep an eye on that uh... you know isn't front and center not necessarily front and center i you know we we just talked about writer going anaheim it does feel like pat for beacon the ducks are are willing to be a lot more aggressive uh... and what does that look like? I mean, Trevor Zegris' name is always out there, but does Verbeek allow Joel Quenville,

an experienced veteran coach, to try and figure out whether or not he can kind of rub some of the tough defensive spots off of Zegris' game? So in saying that, does he give him more time? And what else is up the sleeve of Verbeek and the Anaheim Ducks because you know no different than Buffalo and some of these other clubs that feel that they're not that far away from being a playoff contending team well Anaheim has that

same type of feel but beyond that then I think you're just looking at teams that are trying to be as aggressive as they can maybe move some money I mean you look at what Brad trolling the Toronto Maple Leafs are facing in this offseason and You know the the wants and the needs are they acquiring all these pieces. Where are they getting these players from right? I mean if if you Swing and miss in in free agency because Samett decides to go somewhere else or stays in florida uh... you know and and you extend uh... john devar so much minor walks well now you're trying to acquire players via trade and that can be tricky

business so there's lots of uh... teams that are looking to upgrade but the challenges how do we get that job done and that's certainly the case with the least out the you know matthew nines is the rf a and that's so it's not necessarily uh... you know there is as much pressure or as much leverage clearly on the side of the player but i i would suggest he's as important if not more important other guys

uh... where do we stand on that now is of the maple leaves well there's ongoing discussion in negotiations there uh... both sides have wisely decided they're not going to talk about it that includes the representative for matthew nice so uh... i don't have a lot to show in terms of what that negotiation looks like we talk about a bridge deal here are we looking at something a little bit longer

i would think if i'm nice I would want it to be shorter rather than longer because it seems like he's got plenty of upside and development ahead of him and he was really good this past season so there's no reason for him to to go backwards but he is a priority there is no doubt about that for a couple of reasons a player that he is for the Toronto Maple Leafs but also the message that it sends to the group that you know we're not going to mess around with an important piece like this so I expect Nye's will be among the first transactions completed by the Leafs. Yeah and I guess that could technically happen any minute

it could yeah like they could have that with him with the bars now you know i think you know it's been well reported by yourself and others martyrs that's not gonna happen clearly but you know the martyr discussion is going to be extensive over the next three weeks terms of you know his hit what he wants what he's looking for what is reasonable if we talk about the dollar amount you know who knows what he wants where he wants to go whatever I guess he's

got to get to July 1st to find out exactly what's out there but you know what what do you believe is like a reasonable ceiling for the amount of money like per year that this guy can even ask for that would allow the other teams to say yeah we're willing to have that discussion yeah like the highest paid player in the league disease does he have that in mind is you really think you can get the highest cap it in the n.h.l. i i don't know that he has that in mind do i think he's capable of that i do i think that their teams

that would step up and payment smarter north of 14 million. North of 14. I do. I do. But I don't see, like hey look, you don't have to look too far down the road and watch what Eisenman and the Detroit Red Wings are trying to get done this offseason. I have a hard time envisioning Mitch Marner playing for the Red Wings and being that close to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the Detroit Red Wings, the entire organization, the building, the

city, the fan base, is absolutely starving for something like that, something really significant. Now I'm not connecting those two, I'm just saying that I could see Detroit stepping up in that fashion. I had a team tell me earlier today that they think that Marner would consider taking a shorter term depending on the fit, depending on the team. That doesn't mean he's taking less money on an annual average salary and it depends which tax market we're talking about despite what the Commissioner says. But if all of a sudden now there's wiggle room in

what that deal looks like from a term perspective i think that increases the level of interest from a number of different you mean a big number on a salami korea type situation where he just go short term somewhere and yes the winner cop is out but i don't want your deals and all i wouldn't say that i uh... you know i i think you gotta be you gotta go in that three four five year range

uh... and i'm not saying is i'm not saying i'm not saying that that's what minor wants but i think that there are teams out there that would prefer that and might spend a little more to to convince him to do that but you're never going to make up the money that you who would you know get

in either that eight here even the seventh year as a true unrestricted freeage yeah that's the crazy part is depending on what he wants is there any chance i mean again him going to free unrestricted free agency if he does want that eight year do you think he had you know they've got to have that conversation out of Toronto Maple Leafs and say you know let's do a sign and trade if if if it's not going

to be in Toronto well and honestly I think that's part of what I was alluding to earlier noodles is how interesting it's going to be for Brad Terlewitt I mean that has to be a consideration now you know does it make sense for the Maple Leafs to move Marner's rights? You know, you get a fourth or a fifth round draft pick, you know, so the team can get to them earlier and no, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I mean, I could understand, I guess, doing that. But what if there's an actual trade here and Marner is willing to negotiate, you know, an extension and he does get that eight here if that's

attractive to him with the team that he wants to play with and you're helping that team by maybe getting all player or a couple of players that are actually gonna help the toronto maple leaves in the process as well i think that everything absolutely everything from toronto's perspective has to be considered yeah it makes a lot of sense for the leaves you know and i would think for

barter i mean there have been reports that the relationship is frosty or whatever different terms i don't see how that makes any sense if we're dealing with business right now like it what what could possibly be i get that they they asked him to wave at some point well when you put a guy doesn't want to resign, why wouldn't anyone? That's what an organization does.

But that's what I'm saying. It's not so stupid. They didn't treat Mitch poorly, to my knowledge. I mean, maybe he has a different impression of this. But what could possibly lead either party to say, we're not helping you? And same thing from the Leafs. No, I agree.

Why would you be like, I'm not helping you, Mitch? Why? Why would you do like i'm not helping you pitch like why why would you know it and why would you do that why would you know do a disservice to yourself because out of pettiness or whatever that doesn't seem to make a lot of sense now i don't get that sense at all and and look you know i i'm sure that brad curlew being tried to engage with the minor camp a number of

different ways in a number of times over the course of the season certainly prior to the season even though you know they they kept saying the focus has to be on hockey individually and as a group and it was and he had a terrific regular season and I'm sure that there were at least discussions with with Ferris and Tree Living that maybe weren't specific to the development of a trade but the possibility of a trade but I do know that one or more less was blindsided by the carolina scenario at the trade deadline but not to a point i don't think where there's hard feelings over there that would interfere

with anything i kind of remain status quo on this front unless there's a deal that makes sense to to manage everything we we just talked about here they ghosted july first and he looks at everything in front of him from you know the the the full great of uh... multi-year term seven years uh... to uh... uh... a shorter term

and then he listens to whatever the interest the trompe a police would have he makes his decision as educated and informed as it would be at that point. Yeah. Well, that's where I wonder where the Leafs would, you know, if they'd feel like they're just wasting their own time. You know, like if you've been trying to engage with him on conversation, why do it? Why wait? Why even talk to him on July 1st?

What's the point? If you've been trying to talk to him for six months and he's not going to do it, why would he even engage? Yeah, that's not the way brad true living works i mean he's involved in everything well but at what point would you think this guy's just data is the is that they use in us to what any like that's what i'm saying i get it brian but look it's it's not like

brad true living in darren ferris aren't having conversations this week or next week i can't be you know it's it's not broken phone those guys can i'm not saying there's negotiating and maybe it's one conversation that's all you need in you know that he's not signing in toronto regardless of what the deal looks like right right keep right keep keep in mind that darren ferris has other clients as well as he does that's the uh... as has other clients as well. Yes, he does. He does have other clients. That's the beauty.

That is a good point. And I've talked to managers all the time. And I always felt, and even talking to my agent, they'll have a screaming match with a GM about a certain player. And then an hour later, they've got to talk about a different player. Happens all the time. It's crazy how you almost have to be a sociopath to go, don't take it personally, you and I are going to scream at each other about a

different player three hours from now. It is a weird business, you know, being a manager and even being a player agent because it's not just one player. Like these agents have several players and you know if you mess with an agent about one player the agents that goes okay guess what I've got another player coming down the pike that we can have a conversation about so it's a it's a very high balancing act for manager and agent. It happens all the time. Yeah well we're getting closer to that but I guess we got to get through game four of the cup final in our way here we want to

get the free agency. Step aside, Oilers and Panthers, come on now. Should be a fun one tonight. Like we've all discussed, it feels like a must-win for the Edmonton Oilers. I mean, they got to have themselves a night tonight. Yeah, I mean everybody forgets, not you guys, but just generally speaking, you know, we think back to what happened last year. And now the Eulers pulled themselves off the mat and they found a way to force game seven. Well, do we not think that the Panthers actually learn from that experience as well? And I

just feel like that's what makes it pivotal tonight. If Florida gets into an elimination situation Saturday in Edmonton in game five, as good as the Eulers can be and as great as that crowd is in Edmonton, I five as good as the orders can be and as great as that crowd is in Edmonton I'm not so sure I'm not so sure Florida lets it pass by. Yep that's a tough one for sure to see happening twice. All right Drex enjoy the game tonight we'll do it again soon. Look forward to the hot zone guys. Yes the hot zone tonight up on YouTube and post game on SportsC everything it's gonna be red hot you at frankie was in here today saying he's gonna be buying you dinner this evening

Darrell is great no no I already handed the plastic over it's my turn Frank is gonna bring you out for a giant steak dinner and you're gonna eat every bite alright there he is, thank you Dreggs Darren Dreger at T.S. Unhockey Insider. Hey, this is Ruby Carr, the host of the podcast, Encore. You know how some artists grow to kind of hate their big hit? This is one of those stories, but I promise, still a likable one.

Tune in this week to Encore, the stories behind the songs you love or the incredible story of Vanessa Carlton's 2002 hit, A Thousand Miles. I recorded the episode while riding a piano around New York City. I'm going to be back with more of the stories of the artists and the artists that I've been talking about. I'm going to be back with more of the stories of the artists and the artists that I've been talking about. I'm going to be back with more of the stories of the artists and the artists that I've

been talking about. I'm going to be back with more of the stories of the artists and the artists that I've been talking about. I'm going to be back with more of the stories of the artists and the artists that I've been talking about. I'm going to be back with more of the stories of the artists and the artists that I've been talking about. I'm going to be back with more of the stories of the artists and the artists that I've been talking about. I'm going to be back with more of the stories of the artists and the artists that I've been talking about. I'm going to be back with more of the stories of the artists you love, or the incredible story of Vanessa Carlton's 2002 hit,

A Thousand Miles. I recorded the episode while riding a piano around New York City. Not really, that would be cool though. Listen to Encore on the iHeart app or wherever you get your podcasts for stories behind all the songs you love.