OverDrive - Dreger on the Maple Leafs' division lead, McDavid's injury timeline and Marchand's return to the lineup

Episode Date: March 26, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, the Maple Leafs' solid performance against the Flyers, John Tortorella's next steps in Philadelphia, the goaltending interference perspective, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl's injury with the Oilers, the offer sheets in the league, Brad Marchand's return to the team and more.

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phone just got better. Here's Darren Drager at TSN Hockey Insider joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Do you think the Leafs are comfortable with that position that they're in, Draggs? That they got a poll up basically the the the whole vibe of the city's on their shoulders right now yeah i mean i i don't very much about an internal conversation happening maybe in smaller groups amongst the players but they might feel it i don't think they actually live it day-to-day

maybe management does. Certainly ownership would in recognizing just the opportunity here. But I don't think that anyone's applying a higher level of pressure than the pressure that we've seen over the last few years. Yeah. And again, they're jockeying for position. We can't even have the conversation, which is refreshing. We don't know who they're playing. This time last year year we would have been detailing, okay, how do they match up

with Boston in the first round? Two years ago it was Tampa by this time. You know, that is something that is different and a little bit fresh because you can't prepare for the first round because they're still jockeying for position. But that last night, that flyer team,er team, what do you make of Tortorella and his future there? Well, I mean he's got another year left on his contract and I suspect that he wants to continue to coach and you know he's got a different position as head coach of the Philadelphia

Flyers in that he has essentially a seat at the management table and you know he's not making the final call obviously Keith Jones is heavily involved in Danabriere as a general manager but Torz definitely has a voice at that table so he would be well aware of every decision that has been made whether he agrees with it sports said opposes it doesn't matter But he wants to win like I mean that's just how the man is wired and we saw last night You know, he just he he didn't look defeated At times he looked amused but he's not like that's his happy angry if that makes any sense But he's just bubbling on the bench of the Philadelphia Flyers

so I Think they're gonna get through the tough year that is a raining year and then they have to have a conversation But he might be as good as anyone To shepherd this team into the next phase and it sure looks like they're ready for that next phase which is at least a retool, renovation, maybe a rebuild. We watched that game last night and we were in disbelief from everything from goaltending all the way out. And in fairness to the guys on the ice, maybe they can see it better than all of us and

they're just simply waiting for the end of the season and what happens next. Yeah, that's what it looks like. I mean, they've given up seven goals in a game, I want to say like five times since December. Well, back to back too. They did it for Chicago the other night. But it's like those are staggering stats. But the Leafs took advantage of it last night. They had to. You know, they weren't they weren't happy about what happened in Nashville and

to their credit they showed up and that second line in particular. It's difficult to evaluate because Philly was so bad like you said. But Nylander, Tavares, McMahon like I don't see how Baruba gets away from that, Dreggs. I mean, that feels like it's got to be your second line moving forward. It has to be, has to be. You know, I liked what Craig Barube said about Bobby McMahon the other night and how he's earned that spot.

You know, in a perfect world, maybe Bobby McMahon slides into your third line and gives you a little bit of push there But there's no tinkering with that connection now You know I at times last night it looked well I mean obviously the second I carried the team but it looked like often Matthews was just okay Marner was in and out Matthew nice to me always finds a way to be noticeable out there and then you look down at that third line. And that, the bottom six for the Maple Leafs

is going to be a big challenge, I think, moving forward. And how that's managed by the coaches and how they try and get something going because you're not gonna mess around too much, I wouldn't think at this point in the season with what you have in your top six. But the bottom six aside from, and we acknowledge this post game, that's nice that Dave Camp gets the breakaway goal to make it, what was it, 6-1, 6-2 at that point.

And then Max Domi scores the seventh goal so those goals maybe inject a little bit of life but man you don't you don't take her with what you have in your top six and right now that second line has been dominant leading the group so another goalie interference call last night i mean this one now we're not going to talk about this are we? All I see is Patrick Waugh's face now. Whenever it goes to review I see Patrick Waugh. Yeah, like I understood where they were with that one last night. But I mean the Patrick one, I still, is there any blowback? I haven't checked today. He wasn't fined or anything, was he? Like is he for Patrick's comments?

No, I don't think so, Noodle. I don't think so. But look, here is the kind of line in the sand between where coaches have influence in the game period outside of the actual game being played. I've talked about philosophically and how they impact the game moving forward and and don't. So not to go through the whole process again but we went through that all of it last week and you know the general managers went through all of the video session I think Godog referred to it as watching cartoons last night on set.

Oh is that what you said like all he did was watch cartoons. They must have been Darren because I have no idea what the hell is going on. Like I just watched again that replay of Mitch Marner and you could say that his foot was in the crease, he was in the crease. He had no intentions of making contact with that goaltender whatsoever. He was trying to make a really creative hockey play and then somebody bowls them over into the goaltender and that's the interference I just think we've lost our way. No, I that was a goalie interference last Yeah, he ran into the goalie ended up behind the net He didn't that wasn't the goalie's fault like he doesn't get pushed

Into the goalie and to martyr was trying to do a dinky between the leg move and he fell into the goaltender like that's yeah yeah it's a little bit halfway in the corner though I mean Marner I don't know that went south for it wasn't unnecessary necessary like it's not me that you know again I'm a goalie hugger so I probably shouldn't weigh in but I I when I was watching them, I'm like, that's 100% goaltender interference. That's the definition of it. You run into the goaltender and knock him out of the net.

Like that one, I didn't think there was a debate on. No. So here's the problem. And the problem is, so as you guys watch as educated you know hockey players and media and fans so your interpretation of what goalie interference is and noodles with full respect I mean you play the position for many many years at the professional level but I'm biased right yeah I agree. But I'm just saying collectively, it may not be the same as the 32 NHL general managers and it obviously isn't the same as hockey operations. And that group of men who've

been calling the video review process from day one, it's the same group of guys, it's the same group. And so that's why they went through their process last week in an exhaustive fashion and You know like overwhelmingly are in favor with how the play is called and what's important to acknowledge Is okay? What is the referee seat? And so we go back to the car the the Kyle Palmeri play Well, the refereees called no goal. That was a call on the ice. So Patrick's comments on, well, what do we need Toronto for if they're not going to have the guts to overturn it? Well, maybe Patrick should walk down the hall, as I said last night, and talk to his general manager, Lou. He was part of the process which we all are vehemently opposed to like that's the part that makes me laugh out loud

Is we all have these opinions because the eye test tells us differently the managers Don't see it the same way. So with all due respect to Patrick Wall Hall of Famer You know who cares, you know, then I haze I chirped you about this a week ago. You know who cares about what the coaches think? Nobody. Nobody. Nobody. Nobody.

The managers don't care. NHL hockey office doesn't care. The head office doesn't care. But I say that, but now I think because of what Patrick said maybe they should force the coaches into the same room with the general managers to go through the same 55 plays or make it a hundred and have the same voting process so that hey when it happens heat of the moment then maybe you shouldn't bitch about it because that's the way it's going to be called. With Darren Drager at TSN Hockey

Insider so in Edmonton, Dry Suttles out, it sounds like another week, and McDavid's out longer than him. Trent Fredericks, it sounds like weeks away from even skating with the team. Yeah, that was a tough one. Yeah, like what's, I guess, take us through the lineage here. Like, Dry Suttles still a week.

What's up with McDavid that they're comfortable in saying today he's out even longer than that yeah at what point do we start to get concerned about what's going on with him well I'm not getting the sense that there's a reason to be overly concerned but I caution and I'm hesitant in saying that because all of a sudden you're three games from the end of the regular season and he's still not ready. And I don't, I'm not suggesting that as a case. Information I got yesterday was exactly, we just said, Brian, like, all right, well, Connor might be a little bit longer, but, and it's not load management.

These guys are dealing with issues, but they feel like that they've built up enough that they can get through it and and you know they'll manage it the best case scenario is that these guys you know get back to health and that they're ready to go for the playoffs but the better story at least from an internal perspective in Edmonton is all of a sudden now you've got Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who's come alive here you know he's producing and you've got Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who's come alive here, you know, he's producing, and you've got other factors that are generating how the team is playing. So I think the team, well, I had somebody close say to me, might be the best thing that

happened. And what that tells me is, obviously, it's, you know, when you have your, you have two of the top players on the planet out of your lineup. That's not the best case scenario but if the best case scenario is they get the rest that they need they get healthy and Other guys pick up the slack in the meantime when then then that might be best case scenario going into the playoffs Yeah, I agree. The only difference is You know, they're not playing You Seattle, you know tonight they're playing Dallas like they're you playing Seattle tonight.

They're playing Dallas. That's the biggest thing. It's a bigger test for them. But I don't mind it in a sense where you do figure out what you have. If Andrew Kane's flying around out there, I don't know if you guys saw that video. This guy looks like he looks decent.

They're gonna have him for the playoffs, but you gotta figure out what you have heading into the playoffs But I think they're more focused on getting those guys healthy at to a hundred percent Not just forcing not forcing them allowing them to play at 90 you know and then having something that could reoccur And flare up because they're gonna as oh pointed out they're gonna need everything they've got against LA I think LA is but really sneaky good team and you know they've lost three games at home all season long that's how good they've been

uh... they're gonna have their hands full whoever they play but so you're really they've got to be they've got to be healthy and to me i would err on the side of caution with those top players instead of allowing them you know dry settle to come back early to get his fifty years or whatever i think i don't think they care about that i think while about hell instead of allowing them, you know, dry settled to come back early to get his 50th or whatever. I don't think they care about that. I think they care about health. And not to switch gears here, but look at what St. Louis is doing, right?

Jesus. You know, that offer sheet debacle is like that is going to leave a stench in Edmonton for the foreseeable future. A full diaper on the side of the highway. Just take that. Full diaper. There's no doubt about it. Obviously, Jeff Jackson and Stan Bauman and before that, Ken Holland didn't feel like

there was any way to correct it. Oh boy. And now every show I do, including a couple this week, is about, okay, well, our team's just eyeballing all the offer sheet possibilities. No different than they do every other year. The difference was last year that Edmonton was so vulnerable in every capacity that that's what they ended up with.

And I'm sure there were decisions that are made that we don't have to go through here, but that lent itself to that. But I mean, it's not like general managers and hockey operations departments went, oh, my goodness, we're going to follow what Doug Armstrong, the St. Louis Blues did last year and try and offer sheet every RFA on the planet. That's how it works. But it certainly worked in St. Louis Blues did last year and try and offer sheet every RFA on the planet. That's how it works, but it certainly worked in St. Louis. Draggs, I was speaking about contracts in Edmonton. I was doing some hockey doom scrolling today.

And the McDavid stuff just like, is that just what we do as Canadians when like one of these great players contracts comes up? Like we just say, oh, we just, speculation, we let our imagination run wild with McDavid's contract because I heard Kevin Lowe speaking on it. Like, it's just, it'll be a sideshow until he actually inks the deal, won't it? It will be, but I guess what I do from afar

is try and read the room. And you know, Connor is fairly established, obviously, in Edmonton. And I mean, that's a bungling of glitters, a hockey player and a community leader and everything that he has going on. But he has other elements of his business and his family that has put down roots in Edmonds and his

law, that can all change, you know. Let's see what happens with the direction of the team. But it's, you know, and with due cause, and maybe that changes with the salary cap, you know, going up a little bit. Although as we've talked about here, you know, even though the projections are that the cap is going up this much and then that much and then that much more, um, it's always the top players in their command, the chunk of the salary cap, right? And your bottom six and your, you know, your fringe players are always going to fight for the scraps.

And that's how I'm going to change with the cap going up. Um, but I, I think Connor is going to be a percentage fair, but what is that? Don't know. Don't know. And I, you know, I would equate that to any of the cap teams, Toronto included. You know, we, we look at what Toronto has to face and other teams around the league that they have to face. It's, it's all the same, but I, I don't get the sense. I don't even dig into McDavid anymore. I just, I feel like after dry title, um, that McDavid is going to fall in line at a higher level at a higher percentage.

But I feel like if he weren't committed to staying in Edmonton for a myriad of reasons, we'd probably be getting that chance by now. With Darren Dreger. So it sounds like Brad Marshann is going to make his debut ideally on Friday night, I think, in Utah. Any word on Matthew Kachuk? I haven't heard anything on his front. Is it, are they still hoping he's available for game one or obviously that's what they'd

like but is there any reason to believe that may not happen? No, well, I don't know that as we're having this conversation. That is the hope. But when the diagnosis was initially made, and even Florida came out and said, OK, well, let's see how it plays out. It may not be that long. The information I got without having specifics

to the diagnosis was, he is going to be a while. And a while isn't just week to week. It was longer than that to be a while and a while isn't just week to week it was longer than that and so it pushed a little bit and I said well you hope for the play for the playoffs and yeah that was message that I got was hopeful for the playoffs so I don't think that anything has changed there I really don't but it does give them the luxury of Marshan coming into the mix here as early as Friday to test some things, right? Because I can guarantee you, if Paul Maurice looks down at his game sheet and he's got

going into game one a healthy compliment of Matthew Chuck and Brad Marshan and Sam Bennett and Barkov and all these pieces that he can use, I don't think he has a full read on how that's going to fit and piece it together. So if Marshand is able to go as early as Friday as we're reading about, then I think that gives the head coach and the staff a little bit of time to figure out the chemistry of how he's going to fit into the mix. Well, and I guess we'll circle back to the Leafs on the way out. We were talking about the bottom six and then piecing it together.

Max Patcheretti is a name that comes and goes and sometimes people are mocking him into the lineup and other times they're like, what's the point? Other pad. Yeah, like his skating on the other ring I'm curious about this guy because I think they I think they can find value in him like if he's healthy they can find value in him but yeah to me he feels like a guy that can't just show up game one of the playoffs like I think he's got to play a few games before you get to the playoffs do you know do you think they'd

be comfortable like let's say game one this guy he's just he's been load managing since the four nations and he's ready to go and he tells Borubi I can play do you think they would find a spot for him or would they slow play him into the playoffs I don't think so Brian I think they'd put him in there if he's healthy and ready to play again look at what your bottom six looks like and especially your fourth line. Like, why did you sign him in the first place if you didn't look at this scenario as being a plausible situation? Like, I'm sorry but you know when I look at the bottom six, I can pull out a couple of wingers there

that if a healthy Max Petoretti is healthy, that I think he's better than they are. At the end of the regular season, or certainly into the playoffs, but it's been quiet on that front. It really has. And we're into that load management time of year, right? We'll see what Toronto, I don't think they're going to have the luxury of doing it because you're still very much in divisional battle.

But when you've got pieces like that, you know what I mean? Patoretti, when he's healthy and he's firing on all cylinders, I mean, he has the ability to be a difference maker game to game. Maybe not every game, but game to game maybe not every game but game to game so if they feel like okay let's just keep pushing and get him as healthy as we can if it's game one or it's five games left in the regular season I think they'd happy to well be happy to welcome him back yeah for sure all right Drex I'm not saying goodbye this time you can just go just put him on hold no comments on the way out, no more.

You're not allowed to speak anymore. Sorry buddy, sorry. All good. Thanks Drex. There's Derek Dreger, TSN hockey insider, joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline, drive the built-in Canada fuel-efficient, fun to drive Toyota RAV4, gas or hybrid models available. Visit mapletoyota.com.

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