OverDrive - Dreger on Shanahan's future on the horizon, Marner's upcoming era and the intrigue in the league

Episode Date: May 21, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joined OverDrive to discuss Brendan Shanahan's future with the Maple Leafs, the Islanders granted permission to speak with Shanahan, the possible candidates for the team, Mitch Marner's future and his market in the league, the intrigue of his contract, John Tavares playing with the Maple Leafs and more.

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with Avril Lavigne. Rise Against, Simple Plan, Under Oath, The Veronica's and more. Camping, parking and limited tickets at allyourfriendsfestival.com. Don't miss the party your teenage self always dreamed of. Darren Drager, our TSN hockey insider in studio. What's up Draggs? Oh, lot going on on theb side yeah apologize everything all good over there um insider trading stuff you had some screw ups i know it couple of screw ups three items

had to do something in shanty and of course then we did our our usual series look ahead to the opener of the western conference final when the password is in there and we pop the quiz in okay so that's a lot of uh... that's a lot of production over there and then frankie cheryl got caught up in some traffic issues in the gta so you know uh... and the other arm and the trial

okay all right well you mentioned shana and what's going on here what's the latest with him i mean isn't it i want to call it how one of steel the phrase mo it's one of the leafiest things that for because it has that feel to it now uh... as has been reported in confirmed we know that brendan shannon has been granted permission to speak with the new york islanders mhm alright

i don't believe that that's happened yet but we also know that shana han is expected to meet with either keith polly president ceo may believe sports entertainment or uh... a portion of the maple leaf sports entertainment board tomorrow the board is expected made on thursday which is a regularly scheduled board meeting but that's where it gets a little bit bizarre so brendan who we know is on an expiring contract has been granted permission to speak with another club but as we're having this conversation hasn't been told that they're not going to extend this contract so it's a bit

weird it's it's a bit weird you can talk to the guys but we don't know for even we we could be offering you a contract extension well i i mean that's the way it reads right now uh... you know and that's that's based on on on some were close to the situation who are looking towards tomorrow but doesn't it kind of read like that though i mean yeah you know if you've been granted permission to speak with another

n h l club then whomever granted that permission must have a pretty clear indication of what the board's wishes are and keep in mind that this is still a unique board right it's it's still primarily rogers and bell and larry tan and mom uh... has twenty five percent right and tan and mom historically has been a just a fear supporter

of of brendan chan and so it's going to be interesting to see how this plays out and maybe maybe it gets rectified tonight maybe tonight we learned that okay he's been told that they're they're not going to offer him an extension and away He goes into whatever meetings he wants to have with the New York Islanders what drags I mean Doesn't it again? We're just reading. You know haze you always say the tea leaves like looking When you look at this like if they were hell-bent, like absolutely not, this is our guy, wouldn't you just say, no, I'm sorry, you're not going to be afforded an opportunity to talk to the

guy because he's our guy and he's our guy moving forward. That's the only thing that kind of sends my radar up on that. Well, radar, look, it's a pretty strong indication that shannon isn't back in the right you know to give him that opportunity leaguet it's not like there's another team the national hockey league that is going to offer him a better deal more money

than what he's getting from the toronto maple leaves so that's that's not an issue certain clubs will do that like glenn lambert we know is going to interview for a promotion ahead coaching job in nancy i will not make sense and organizations seldom will stand in the way so this one you know maybe it's just the cloud of the board going we don't really care

what the media or the fans think we're going to do our business the way we do our business and that includes having a meeting tomorrow now that meeting as i said regular scheduled that's it it's not specific to shannon hands future or what we do moving forward it's a weird thing to do why this confirmation that jan has been granted permission by someone above him within maple leaf

sports entertainment to speak with the islanders and yet unless it's happened in the last little while it hasn't officially been told he's out it's a bit bizarre yet is uh... and i read the tea leaves the way noodles just did as well and i would think that this is the beginning of the end of the shanahan era uh... and if it is

how do you think that affects of the end of the shanahan era uh... and if it is how do you think that affects but what the least you can do in the next two months and specifically the modern to ours conversation you mentioned very tan and bomb has been a staunch defender of brendan shanahan no one has been a bigger defender of mitch marter john to us austin matthews really me lander then brendan shanahan right

nobody on earth there so if he's not around as a change something or well it depends on who comes in and and that word it that's where it's really challenging for me eight look uh... you can lay blame at the feet of brendan shanahan i can't i appreciate

that is eleven years uh... by you also then have to uh... acknowledged the good that has gone on around this organization some of the guys who have the loudest voices in this market don't remember what it was like well years ago but i think that we are i mean this park is a shin in many ways was in chaos so he brought stability all right so

now what are you doing to replace that you know you are people internally just a young more overall these keep telling he's got enough going on as president ceo of mls e and everything that's under that umbrella is he taking on a more active role these Brad trolling gonna have to go to keep the police a i have an opportunity here to trade player acts never it is. Or I'd sure like to take a run at Mitch to extend him here. I want to go as high as whatever that number is.

Who's going to clear that? Or does Brad Trillving occupy more of the capacity of that role? And he reports directly to Keith Pelley. And then Pelley represents the board because guys look around you know if kenny holland were available he'd be the first guy that i'd have on my list but he's not he just got hired by the last and i was king so who else is out

there that that makes the most sense their guys out there who are going to be speculated on names that are going to surface who currently are employed by other nl clubs which gets a little greasy for me uh... but it's gonna be a challenge unless they just manage it internally and and everybody is a boss in brad trail of the level of speed keith vellier somebody else it's in turn darren can you confirm

is there any numbers that mitch was presented that he has turned out throughout the season not you know you you don't know anything that was presented that might have been turned out i don't think that there's been anything ever officially table now that's not to say that that trolling and darren ferris who represents pinch partner haven't had conversations but all along the most part and again how do we know exactly how things are exchanged what that looks like i can imagine

all that they wouldn't be talking in in parameters i can tell you that the expectation and this is a recent this is going back probably midpoint of the season the expectation was you know based on how minor was trending in terms of looking at an open market value that the maple leaves believed not they weren't told by Ferris this is the number I think they they thought that they'd have to come in at around 13 to 5 upwards of 13 and a

half times 8 you know to make it real and and maybe that wouldn't have persuaded Mitch to say yeah okay I'll take that they just wanted to engage in a negotiation and for all the reasons that minor's entitled to he was never wanting to do that as agent didn't want to do that ferris always wants to marches top dogs to july first and it looks he's going to do it again with marna and sam bennett alright that's fine they've earned that right

do i think that there were conversations around numbers like that old sure i do but i i'm unaware a brad trullo being putting a contract offer on paper and say okay you push this to my side of the table i don't think that out dregs realistically because we're talking about in the last hour you're right mitch marner has the opportunity to go anywhere he wants to

july first if he chooses now how big is that marketplace for him we kind of talked about this as part of the quick as i mean it depends on which side you're looking at if you're mariner i would think that that list is probably relevant it's short right i mean every player unrestricted free agent wants to go to a low tax You know states you look at the Florida Panthers. You're looking at the the Tampa Lightning You're looking at the Vegas Golden Knights

Nashville is a team that fits into that dynamic the Dallas Stars fit into that there are a number of teams, right? Well, that's best-case scenario So as much as it is about the money, it can't all be about the money. Otherwise, then you are looking at a much larger list of teams. You know, the Detroit Red Wings would love, Frankie Grotto just talked about this, the Red Wings would love to add a piece like Mitch Miner. Right. Does Miner just want to go down the highway to Detroit?

Probably not. What about Utah?ah would like to make a splash you know they've got the resources there the san jose sharks again resources they'd like to make that splash i'm thinking the minor wants also win in the process in the team i keep coming back to the vegas golden nights and they're gonna if they're going to be a big game hunter in the minor sweepstakes and they've got to move money that's pretty obvious but there's a team and ownership a management their priority is one thing every single year and that's the win of Stanley Cup and they can be

ruthless and and and just downright dirty at times in an effort to get there hmm so I'm not answering your question noodles because it hard. It's hard to put a number on it. It will be better than half the league that at least inquires. Sure. Well, and I'm curious, like what you say there about Vegas, it's very accurate and they've proven that. If you're Marner, though, aren't you thinking they'll do that to me in a year or two if I play the way I keep playing in these big games right but that would does not have to be considered that like okay vegas we really want you to chris

they might they very well could don't make a lot of sense but if he doesn't play well for them he's not getting what he got in toronto well support they'll they'll say here i don't care but you know move down your out of here and i see a lot of say i'm not gonna see here and they don't say it's it's the third let's the depth forwards issue or we got a help out here there we have plenty of change the

coach there though she had a lot of a right but i i i think that they would look the only way they go hot and heavy after mitch marner let's not overlook salmon and some of the other three agents available here right my my take on on uh... on vegas could be off to be fair i am there always circle there always are there always was created and i love great players and he's a great player they they took a chance on jack eichel which at the time

was a significant chance in they're not going to do that with any players available free agency or otherwise unless they've invested a ton of time and energy into making sure that that player is going to be the right fit now that player has to prove that longer term right their proscouting staff i mean they will have invested so much by the time july first rolls around or before that. Maybe you do the old sign and trade routine

and maybe Marner's even more comfortable with that because the Toronto Maple Leafs get something back in return and he's not walking out and leaving them with nothing. Yeah, I am curious. I'd love to be a fly on the wall in that conversation with Marner. Like if he decides to leave, which will be his right, martyr like if he if he if he decides to leave which will be his right you know does he does he consider his legacy here his reputation here I don't know I guess

we'll find we'll get to that answer at some point but the other thing too Brian is eight years you know that's an extra we'll call it you think that's mandatory for him you get the impression that that's mandatory because it wasn't for Austin like Austin said I'll take four and right and I also think of Miko Ratnan right and it wasn't for him either I think that today's player looks at things differently in that regard I mean of course it's about the money but when you're making the kind of dull much guys are dragging in I mean if you're talking about 13 14 plus million that's a lot it's

a lot but there are other ways to recoup that's and they know they're still relative and the prime of thirty one thirty two they're gonna get another big ticket i mean they they have to know that's coming you know uh... yeah well i guess we'll find out the next two weeks drinks i mean the martyrs scenarios uh... it, it's going to be fascinating to see how this one goes. And just quickly to interject, I'm as intrigued as to what's going to become of John DeVaris.

Now, we heard DeVaris yesterday talk about how, you know, he had positive conversations with Treelove again and with Borubi. And I, it's pretty obvious that Toronto would like to keep him. If the numbers don't align whatever that is you look across the NHL and the teams that are looking for a number two center they're all over the place they're littered across Canada like Winnipeg I mean Vancouver obviously Montreal go go down the list John I'm sure would prefer not to relocate for family reasons and they've got a negotiation about work

through some stuff but there are some compelling arguments and scenarios around futures of the tron me so here my question though then view to baris is it too or within a year is he a three now that you know like father time comes for everybody and he's an awesome shape and he scored thirty eight last year and listen like you know it it but he earned is that he made eleven million dollars like you you know i was

like you know i'm in four five six and seven jane that's why it comes for everybody has gotten those games yeah but i you know what i i think of the christian of contract you think the trial may please wanted to invest in that level of term No, but they like the idea of Kristanov this year next year the year after and I think that a lot of general managers Who believe that a player like the experience of of John DeVaris aren't worried about year four or five Well, that's what I was saying now Brian What would I say three five years at three or i like that five years like you do a lengthy

deal and bring the a a b down and then it looks a lot different right yeah i mean i i'm i don't know like we've all given our opinions on what we think should happen that doesn't mean it's going to happen for a happy you know like we have a lot of years on what we think the least should do but that doesn't mean it's gonna happen When would you expect? The Leafs to have an idea if they don't already what they want to do with both those guys like Marner

Tavares regardless of how those two players feel and like you said they're different Tavares wants to stay more He we don't know what he wants. Yeah, but you think the Leafs are gonna make it very clear to both guys like hey This is where we stand. I would think so. I mean, those guys have to be your priority, you know, in getting to that place of where you can make an informed decision. You know, and that might happen very quickly. I mean, if Mitch just simply says, I'm going to July 1st, you know, through the agent Darren Ferris, and we're not saying no. Call us on July 1 july for now we're saying we want to see what the market looks like and then yeah we're happy to talk to the toronto may please

well at that point if you're trolling maybe on and that's probably not gonna happen you move to to bars and and obviously you've got matthew nice is going to be fairly high up the list as a restricted free agent right now you have uh... proprietary uh... protection there so it's it's not as daunting

now those of three guys yet those of the guys you to figure out nice we know is coming back to me and they're gonna find unless i guess it gets offer sheeted but then they can match and then i don't see that happening now by trex good stuff. And we'll see what comes of it tonight. Game one down in Dallas.

You guys are rocking on the panel tonight. Hot zoning it. Hot zoning up on YouTube. I love it. We're up on YouTube live right now. Yes, everyone's up on YouTube live right now. All right, there he is, Darren Dreger, a TSM hockey insider.

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