OverDrive - Dreger on the Battle of Ontario matchup, the Canucks' team next steps and the Canadiens nearing the playoffs

Episode Date: April 16, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, Canadiens nearing a playoff spot in the matchup against Carolina, the Eastern Conference outlook, the Canucks' next steps for the team, the Battle of Ontario matchup and more.

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Join today and be part of something amazing. Here's our TSN hockey insider, Darren Dreger. What's happening, Dreggs? You know, it's like calm before the storm. I know the regular season isn't over yet, but it kind of feels like that, right? Like we're all into the busy season we've got another league games more night I was talking about playoff

preview show so I'm trying to jam as much stuff into today and tonight as I possibly can so I've got the smoker going I've got the barbecue going I've got the oven going it's to be a feast before the Playoff fever takes hold. Yes. Well, we got to get through it though. We're talking about the Montreal Canadiens You know having an opportunity to make the playoffs if they win, you know tonight's game, you know, how yeah How tense do you think things are there Draggs? Well, yeah, I mean tense obviously given what they're facing, you know yeah how how tense do you think things are there drags well yeah i mean can't obviously given what they're facing

you know they need one point to to lock their spot not have to worry about what columbus is going to do tomorrow again to new york bounder so in that sense for sure they're they're feeling it there's no doubt about that uh... and i wonder about you guys can speak to this more than I can, who's feeling it? The fan base definitely is feeling it, but are the players actually feeling that level of intensity? They've been dialed in for a good stretch here.

Likewise, Marty St. Louis and the coaching staff, and it's all management hands. There's nothing else that Ken Hughes and management can do going into this one tonight. So you hope that, you know, they've got the highest level intensity of playoff mentality, but I heard you guys talk great about this and maybe earlier in the segment on overdrive about what the hurricanes might bring or not bring. And I guess we appreciate what you're saying in terms of, all right, well, nobody wants to get hurt. You just wanna have a day or two, get set,

let's go to the playoffs if you're the Carolina Hurricanes. But is that the way Brendan Moore is wired? Like, I mean, doesn't there have to be a playoff mentality about every game that you play? And the only way you can manipulate the mentality is by hitting guys and giving those guys load management rest going into the playoffs. So you know the Hurricanes lineup I think that Montreal is going to face is going to be one that wants to win. Well yeah we'll see man I was well I made that statement I mean I'm

I just you're not playing for anything. Like I get what Rod's saying but if you're Bryndamore, like do you really want your guys blocking shots tonight? I wouldn't. I don't care how intense. His son's making his debut. You think Skyler Bryndamore doesn't want to play his nuts off? Sure, yeah. But how does Rod handle that? You can play him 30 minutes because he's his kid. I mean it's, it's dicey. The Habs are literally playing for something. Carolina is not. I mean there's no dancing around it. Like yes it's a professional game. I'm not predicting that the Habs are a lock to win because

of that mentality. Right. But you know it's like Vegas last night. You think Vegas cared that they ended up losing the game? They didn't care. They didn't care, get me out of here. Like we're here to play and we're professional and whatever, but it's just a, it's like what you were saying off the top, Drex, is this weird kind of like gray area where a lot of teams are like, get me to the playoffs or other teams are like,

get me to Vegas or Europe or whatever. And there's two teams, Columbus and Montreal are like, we got to play, man. Don't forget about us. We got to get to the finish line here. Agreed, and I mean the Columbus story would be tremendous, right? Like turn an obviously a nightmare into something and nobody could have predicted that, you know, they'd be in this position, let alone lockdown a playoff spot.

So who would be surprised if that's the way it tumbles in favor of the Columbus Blue Jackets? But even from a Montreal perspective, fellas, look, I mean, it's theirs to lose. That's abundantly obvious. I thought, and you guys correct me again here, I thought Montreal would be a team that would nibble at a playoff spot. By nibbling, I mean, ah, they'd be in it until there's like 10 games left in the regular season and then all of a sudden they're not in it Because they're just not deep enough. They just don't have enough, you know experience with their younger core and whatnot. So The fact that they're here and I'm sure that Marty St. Louis coaching staff and management and the players have looked at

The number of points that they've squandered where where they've missed opportunities in the first half, second half and all of that. I still think that the benefits that Montreal Canadians are gaining from this experience, it's going to bode well because I know what management is planning for the off season and that's to recognize where they're at. They're not going to expedite the process but they look around the Eastern Conference, they see what Toronto has, they see what Ottawa has built, they look around other teams, they look over in the West and they see these teams that are legit NHL or Stanley Cup contending teams and Montreal is like, okay we're there, but maybe if we add a big

piece, maybe if we add a top six piece in this off season or two, then we can get there quicker than we thought. And I think that's what's built off the season that the Canadians have had to this point. Draggs, we were talking about the East and just not qualifying for the playoffs this year. It's exciting for the teams that are going into the playoffs and you don't need to name names but would you suggest there's some teams in the East where people are not going to be wanting to look at their phones in the next four or five days? Or answer it?

There's probably a few teams for sure. I mean the easiest prediction to make is that there's going to be change with the New York Rangers, but you know, uh, that's, that's a tap in putt, but we don't know to what level that, that, that is going to get to how deep that knife cuts, you know, like, you know, Peter, Laviolette, all right, you've got a decorated experience head coach. All right. And see the problem. I'm not convinced of that. Do I expect that there'll be a change? Sure I do. But that Dolan family and the ownership of the New York Rangers, man, they're in it to win it every single year. So if you're not looking at your front office, or if you are and you believe that your front office is going to find a way to enact change, all right, well now you're looking at a roster again.

You're looking at a roster that couldn't put it together regardless of coaching. So automatically I'm drawn to the New York Rangers. Beyond that, I mean, Buffalo is always in our crosshairs because, you know, they played hard for what? The first 10 minutes, 15 maybe, and then things kind of went off the rails for the Sabres last night yet again. So yeah, there's lots of teams in these that we can look at and you know, there are players I'm sure that are looking at you know, what change might look like and maybe those players are looking at, jeez, I hope it's me. But I don't, I don't know, it's gonna be interesting to see. I can look at both conferences and come up with two or three teams that

you know there's gonna be interesting to see. I can look at both conferences and come up with two or three teams that you know there's gonna be something going on. Well, I guess the owner of the Bruins sent out some letter to the fans about the struggles of the season and yeah now I've noticed Sabre fans are quote tweeting that saying, where's Pagula's message? Why doesn't he ever send anything out? So, you know, it's just like the miserable fan bases of the East in particular. There's certainly ones out West. And out West, I look at Vancouver drags and I'm curious what could happen there. This Brock Besser story's hanging over them.

Like Calgary misses, yet everyone's ecstatic. The fact that they battled, that they did what they did, everyone's ecstatic the fact that they battled that they did what they did everyone's happy in Vancouver they just miss yet everyone's miserable so very different expectation clearly but what should we be waiting for bracing for in terms of Vancouver well Brian there are three big story lines there and I guess the first one would be who's the head coach in the Vancouver Canucks next year? Is it Rick Taukett? We know that they have the club option. As Chris Johnson reported last night,

the belief is that Hock Canada reached out to Rick Taukett in hopes that he would coach Team Canada at the Men's Worlds. And I mean, our information is that he's essentially declined and the reason for doing that isn't that he doesn't want to represent his country come on it's Rick Dawkins but he's got a lot on his plate so he's gonna spend a ton of time with the primary pieces and it starts to bring he's a captain. You've got Thasher Dempko, the goaltender. And I, you know, he's got to figure out what's going on with Alias Pettersson, good, bad, or otherwise. Right. And then, or on top of that, he's

have, obviously you're going to have management conversations with Patrick Albee, the general manager and Jimmy Rutherford. And he needs to map out whether or not he can go through another year like the one he just went through with the Vancouver Canucks. So that's story one for me. Story two is what is Thatcher Dempko and what happens to him in the future? He's got another year left on his contract.

So as of July 1st, they can negotiate. I know that there's some contact with his representatives to say, hey, you guys think of options, we'll think of our options and then we'll meet in the summer and we'll figure it out. I don't think that Vancouver, at least at this point, is in a position where they want to give Thatcher Demko that mega goalie deal, full long term. Okay. a goalie deal, full long term. Okay so what if they, well I hear you, but what if they come to them with a two or a

three year contract extension option? I got a good feeling that Demko is probably going to say, no, no I'm good. I'll play out my year or I'm telling the rate now that I'm not going to sign a contract in Vancouver. So, if that's... Janks, how does a guy with that injury history not say yes to any... If I'm Demko, I'm signing the longest term contract I possibly can. Yeah. I mean, unless he feels, oh, that he's healed and all that is behind him, and there is,

again, we joke about it and it's cliché to say you bet on yourself. If he decides that he's not going, and I'm not saying he has like, let's let the, the whole situation play out. But if he decides that whatever Vancouver is going to offer in the summer, isn't long enough, isn't good enough, and he wants to bet on himself and go into his final year, well then that's exactly what he's doing, but you're not wrong. It comes with considerable risk. But all of a sudden, now you're Vancouver and that's the third part of it,

you need a number two center at least. How are you getting that number two center? And maybe you're filling a hole in your, another enormous hole if you trade the goalie, but they want a number two C. They're probably not gonna get that in free agency. They feel like they've got draft pick capital and they've got a prospect pool

that can help them acquire that. But again, if Demko draws a line in the sand, which he's entitled to, why not? It's his contract. He can manage it the way he sees fit. Maybe that shifts things entirely in Vancouver. They got, you'd say looking for a 2C, they need to figure out what the hell their 1C is.

That guy came up, that guy came up lame in a face-off in New York, and you didn't see them the rest of the season. Pederson. Like, what's up with, what is up with that guy? Nobody knows, and they need to figure it out before they do anything. Yeah. Well, it was funny because I was there last week, you guys corrected if I'm wrong,

but every morning I'm going through the highlights and the scores and all this and I see Alias Pettersson in a fight, first career fight and i just read the headline and indeed uh... the number of into the player area that i click on a big there's no way number one i didn't think he was healthy not to men and i click on all of that the other guy that they're going to get a good one you know i want to have the same name and i think that you know i can do something for everybody else

drags i was telling the guys at the start of the show that I was in the league during the Battle of Ontario, so I didn't really pay attention to it. This is my first time around living in Toronto, covering Ottawa. What do you remember about those back in the early 2000s, and how do you think that's all translate uh... you know now to you know twenty twenty five battle of ontario yeah i mean it has to be different just because the game is different i'd think that the animosity between the organization is still legit and that's going to develop as soon as

the park drops i mean automatically and i mean the media in both markets is going to generate all kinds of nonsense I mean that goes without saying you know Are you gonna have the Darcy Tucker Travis Green all the kind of craziness that we saw way back in the day? Daniel Alfredson all that no no because it's You just don't have it, but you you're gonna get as close as you can with a healthy Brady Kuchuk. And I'm interested to see what Toronto's counter is going to be to that.

And let's keep it in perspective. Noodles, you do a ton of Ottawa Senators games. Like, when Brady is dialed in, he's a heck of a hockey player. We're not talking about the crap show here. We're talking about a guy that can antagonize, but when he's on his game, he's physical, he's not cheating, he's doing all the things that you need him to do, including generating offense. So I

expect that's what you're going to get in the better version of Brady, but does he have the capacity to just drag it in the mud and into the... Yes, of course he does. So if it gets to that place, if Toronto allows it to get to that place, how do they counter it? What's their answer? Right? And that's what I don't know. I think Toronto wins the series. I heard you guys talk to Ray. I think Toronto wins the series if Toronto clicks the way that they need to click in all the different versions of the games that

they can play. But I wouldn't discount the possibility that Ottawa keeps it interesting. That series goes longer than most would want. Yeah, the Brady Kachuk factor, man. He is the ultimate X factor and a unicorn in the series. The size, the, I just, there's no one that can really match him. All of it. factor man he is the ultimate X factor and a unicorn in the series the size the I just there's no one that can really match them and I love it yeah and that about waiting eight years to be unleashed yeah yeah that's it we saw it at the Four Nations remember he said these are the biggest games of my life well now these will be the biggest games of his life so that that is going to be

something to behold you know once we get get there. But you presume health on his end. I think Sanderson's been banged up a bit. Giroux's been banged up. McCabe, Ekman-Larson, Patcheretti. What do you think come game one? Do you think everyone more or less is gonna be available? I think more or less, Brian,

I think they're gonna be available. I wonder a little bit about acting Larson. I know that he's, he's trending and he's definitely trying to be available to, you know, to the Leafs for game one. So I'm not going to sit here and say, well, no, he's, he's not going to be, that's, that's his, uh, hope and that's what he's aiming for. And, and the Leafs likewise um i don't know i just i again i want i want to look at that series from a higher level and wonder what it might be the

goaltending is obvious right like you know your goaltender has to be as good or better than my goaltender i get that defensively if Toronto is healthy, I think they're better in that regard. I don't know that we're paying enough attention. We will because we're going to drill down on this. I think we're opening a channel at TSM that's all battle of Ontario. And Noodles is going to be doing it. NoDog's going to be doing it. And Brian, you and I are just going to be kind of on the fringe of all of it. But, um, you know, I, I, the injury stuff matters, but we're also at a place where across the league where it's not load management, it's calculated load load management because I think the league has said,

stop talking about load management, um, because the, the season is so condensed that we appreciate what you have to do when you get to game 78, 982. We understand what you have to do and I think that the clubs are right there with that. So I don't anticipate that health is going to be a big issue on either side. I just want to correct you there. I have been assigned Jersey Carolina. That is the series I will be covering for tsn you should see you should hear the stuff he says about that series so drags it's

it's utterly disrespected i'm on it i did that's my i'm covering that followed by vegas in minnesota those are the two series that i will be paying attention about what people in new jersey are hearing about why your series by the way i know you i'm on the other side starting by the way. I'm on those, I'm on those. Why I'm starting by the way, so people aren't chirping me, like I got roasted in Montreal and I deserved it, I get it for the whole deminoff thing, we don't have to go down that road, but I'm starting in Winnipeg apparently, first two games.

Ooh, Shen Brothers going at it man, that's's gonna be something. That is gonna be something. Yeah, and like Winnipeg in a very unique position for them too, right? Like they're heavy favorite, you gotta win, man. Not a gift though. Not a gift to get that team, man, to get St. Louis. That's dangerous business. I don't disagree, but last year was Colorado,

the year before it was Vegas. This one, you gotta win this one, man. You got to win this series, and I think they will, but that's gonna be a fun one. That'll be a fun series. Hey, boys, you want a quick fun fact? This is me throwing my old Western Canadian WHL hat in the ring.

Noodles, you'll love this. Are you ready? Yeah. All right, just have a look at the Brandon Wheat Kings for a moment, if you could. Brad Trilliving, right? General Manager wins the division. Kelly McCremen, General Manager of the Vegas Golden Knights, Brandon Wheat King.

Kevin Shoveldayoff, and all extended to Craig Heisinger also with the Winnipeg Jets, Brandon Wheat Kings. Well represented. to craig hydinger also with the winnipeg jets brand new weakening well represented anyone from washington that uh... has an association typical west don't care about that the system that while you can gradsky or lindaros the greatest junior players of all time all the other now and they're playing house

there are no care played me out of the state that that i'm gonna tell that i'm gonna actually go on and haze in and outside here you go into brandon does not want that rink do you remember the smell of that rink like it's like a it's like a barn rates and that's the if i'm not in there so what was it called it was like there was a there's something but it was like a casual show in a horse show in the building at certain time of year long you know that money

you know you have all people you got a enterprise you gotta get you know you have a big money in the area i'd say that i had i guess i'll win a fair level i just remember because i guess so frustrated it was like a twelve-hour bus ride from lethbridge to brandon and we always would do it like that plant brandon was the last stop and you'd either you know when big or lose bit lose big and you have to have a twelve

hour bus ride all night and you have school you get home and and you get home at eight o'clock in the morning go right now we can go yeah exactly you know what i was out of your equipment that wasn't a building. That's right. That's right. That's the WHL. We've heard all about it. These bus rides from all over the place. We know, we know, we've heard, we've heard. Enjoy the final couple of games in the regular season and we'll buckle up for the playoffs starting soon. Thank you, Draggs. Okay, boys. Have a good one. Here's Darren Dragg or TSN Hockey Insider. That Just Happened with me, Vashi Kapelos. Canada Decides 2025.

Stay informed with my exclusive iHeartRadio podcast, available Friday afternoon straight through till Election Day and beyond. I'll have your weekly highlights and my unvarnished analysis of the campaign of a lifetime. The candidates, the quotes, the polls, and the momentum. That just happened with Vashikopelos. Canada decides. 2025. Fresh every Friday. Stream on your schedule with the free iHeartRadio app.