OverDrive - Dreger on the Maple Leafs' search for centers, the Bruins in a slump and the Rangers' inadequate season

Episode Date: January 8, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, the Maple Leafs' search for centers, Anthony Stolarz's injury status and Jake McCabe's return to the ice, the Bruins' search for success, the Rangers' subpar season and more.

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Let's go. New year, new you. New you. New you. Explore it all. Feel brand new. At iHeartRadio.ca and on the free iHeartRadio app. Here's Darren Drager, a TSN hockey insider. Drager, I'm curious, we're talking about the Blue Jays here, different sport obviously

than you cover, but you can put yourself in a position where if you're an insider, you've got a front office like the Jays in hockey where high expectations, they're supposed to be bold, they're supposed to be doing something and nothing's happening yet. Are you checking in every day? And if so, what are you asking? Are you going to do something? What's going on?

Have you missed? Take us into the world of reporting on a team with high expectations that's supposed to be active that's not doing anything. Well first of all your timeline is way off. I wouldn't be checking in every day. I'd be checking in every 15 minutes. And I'd be doing that basically around the clock. And it was an old trick back in the day that I used to use, especially at trade deadline,

where I would pester my sources, sometimes general managers directly, assistant general managers, whomever. I'd find out who was in the room and probably have two, at least two, sometimes three or four guys in not every room, but a lot of the rooms around the league. And if I didn't get a response in say an hour, which was extraordinary, I'd start hitting hard. And I'd go, look, bud, I'm gonna text you every five minutes until you give me something to chew on,

something to work with. And you'd be surprised how often that would work. And you're not always looking for the breaking news, but especially with a club where you know that they're working on something significant. Or maybe Free Age and Fred Z is a better example because there's more of a looseness around that. You've got more fish in the barrel to go after.

But look, we've all worked in the environment at Trade Center. Oh, there's my fire alarm. That can't be good. I know. Yeah, we've all worked in the environment trade center first-hand yeah we all now you know what it is uh... somebody in my house is trying to manufacture some homemade chicken wings uh... and by the sound of things it's not going so well it's a good thing that they have a

failed erection uh... now but you just get me to get the ball right this in my hands uh... Not going well. It's headed in the epic fail direction. Okay. No, but to just give you guys to tolerate this annoyance, to get back to my thought, sometimes all you need is just a nudge forward. Just give us something to work with. Are you keenly interested in this player? Is it getting closer to a trade? Could there be a trade call that's being organized so we can try and close the loop on this?

That sort of thing. But I'd go after my sources on a minute by minute basis. All right. Darren, do you think there's going to be like five or six teams, probably East and West, that all want the same players and it's just going to be a race to get that done? Potentially, sure. Again, we're drifting the lists out of potential guys in play right now. And that almost starts at the beginning of the regular season. And normally, you're looking

at the teams where they're depending on restricted free agents, but you're also watching the standings. And by now, mid-season, we can identify for the most part who the buyers are likely going to be and who the sellers are likely going to be, but not completely because of parity around the national hockey league. But yeah, I think there's a high rent district, and I touched on this a little bit in insider trading and looking at what Bradshaw Living and the Toronto Maple Leafs would be looking for.

I mean, we know primarily they're looking at a three center, something to add a little bit of bulk, experience to play a heavier game in that, that bottom sense. Well, if you're doing that, I mean, you're obviously not looking at a list. I mean, you know, Toronto's not making that type of a deal or, you know, even a Dylan Cousins deal with Buffalo because of the price that you're going to have to pay. So then you move it lower into the packing order and it gets expensive down there too, especially early well in advance

of the March 7th trade deadline. But yeah, I mean, all the teams in that market for a top four defense, unless you're specific to the shot, or all the teams looking for a centerman, especially number two, number three, essentially they've got the same names written on their whiteboards.

Drex, is there an organization off the top of your head that we should be keeping an eye on that might be just very active from maybe a dumping players standpoint? Dumping players is the wrong word, but being proactive to being open for business. I know Barry Trotz kind of said hey, you know like If it's not gonna happen this year, we would be looking at doing stuff But is there another organization that you'd circle and say I think there's a lot of teams really really pestering that manager for when he's gonna pull the trade Yeah, you know there wouldn't be many at this point noodles

And how do you pester Lula Amarillo with the New York Islanders? You don't. But we keep looking at the potential of Pagio or like, I don't think Brock Nelson is going to extend with the New York Islanders, but it is too soon to say that. And if Lou can't get him signed and the Islanders are out of the playoff mix and, you know unless there's a real big push here that's the way it's trending then how

can you afford to let a player like out walk so that's not a dump but you know that's an intriguing name and the return on Nelson should be I would think pretty significant so yeah I mean as you get again deeper into the second half of the regular season and there's more of a gap with some of the teams that are having a disappointing run. Maybe you get into the multiplayer turnovers, but I don't see it right now. I don't. Unless Nashville, to your point, noodles, Barry Cross wakes up and decides, okay, wow, maybe I do need to have a conversation with Brian ryan all right and find out where his head of that whether or not he wants another

crack at a real good playoff situation or he wants to continue to stick it out here with darren drager at the s&h hockey insider on the Leafs front let me ask you about about two guys currently out what are you hearing on Jake McCabe like what should we be bracing for in terms of his timeline on the IR? And Anthony Stollers, I believe had that procedure done on December 17th. So we're looking at, it's been about three weeks and the initial thought was he'd missed four to six. Is he on the same timeline?

What are you hearing on Stollers as well? Yeah, I'm told that he's on the same time line about dot dot but not the so like the target you know what they got in this month uh... i don't think anybody with the the maple leaves including at least all ours is able to do that just yet uh... but i checked on that earlier today and i also don't get the sense that he's cracking in a negative direction either

you know it sounds like he's feeling strong but you know he's got to get back on the ice and he's got to get into you know a continued practice routine before they even consider what the option is for him. On McCabe again they're careful with the messaging here because you know we we do like to do a play-by-play of this day-by-day that's Canadian market. Told not long ago that he also is doing very, very well, but he's not likely to be able to play for the Maple Leafs this week. So probably check back on that unless there's a surprise return on the weekend, late in the weekend, and look ahead to next week. Okay. Has the fire department arrived yet, Drex? No, I think what's happened

is my lovely bride Holly has got a big enough towel where she's waved. Oh no, the towel. She's fanning it? Isn't that the worst when your shoulders are blown out? your shoulders are blown out. It's killing me. Yeah, I can tell even though my home studio office door is closed, I can tell by the cold air that's drifting in from under the door, Jeff, that every door in my house is wide open. So I don't know what's going on with those chicken wings, but evidently they're going to be well done.

I guess so. Nothing wrong with that. We're Darren Trager at DSN Hockey Insider. they're going to be well done. I guess so. Nothing wrong with that. Darren Dreger at TSN Hockey Insider. So the Bruins, they got skunked yesterday. They lost 4-0 to Edmonton. And they have been struggling, man. They've lost five in a row. And it's like, is it loud in Boston? And if so, who's? Because they've already fired the coach, right? They went through the Swainman thing. What do you see happening there? Because I find them very intriguing. They deserve respect

because they've been a perennial contender for a long time. They go to the playoffs every year. This does feel different, certainly, in the past years, that it's not a guarantee they're going to hold on. If they're straddling that playoff line or possibly miss, what's the reaction like in Boston? Probably what you're hearing in my background. Yes. I would think five bell alarm system. Well look, we heard the chanting in the third period, fire Sweeney, fire Sweeney, after

the Bruins got their lunch handed to them by the Edmonton Liners. Would I be surprised if that happened? I guess marginally. We know that Boston is a win now operation. It's been that way for a long, long time and they're cut throat, right? They're not afraid to make real difficult business decisions. They did that with Jim Montgomery. Could they do it with Sweeney? Sure they they could I know the relationship between Kam Nealy and Don Sweeney is a good one but the end of day it's about winning hockey games qualifying to the playoffs and contending for the Stanley Cup but I always you know I think the unfairness ownership and senior management would measure the body of the

work right and the body of the work that don swinney is done is gm is pretty significant it's it's fairly decorated i think that's safe to say what else you gonna do their call you know i think the final in all make time zador off in the off season you can make a sound case that they didn't get a creative center we all knew what lindholm was going in the boston era and offensively they just i'd said

that the other thing of year, there's just not enough offensive punch there other than Pasternak and Marchand on some nights. Like guys like Coyle and Zaka, they're not getting it, like they just need some, they need some offense. And I would try to find some. Because you look at their goaltender, that defense core, you look at it and it's like that's a quality D core they just need some guys to score some offense and they don't have it Lindholm has been a bust like well that's that's the problem

well that's where Drex is going though like you spend all that money on Lindholm and Zadorov that's what you were expecting is those guys to to you know I think Zadorov is sometimes miscast. Like in Calgary, watch him in Van, to me he might be a 5'6". I think he's playing in the three hole type of thing. So why'd you go get him? That's the question. You got Randy Carlo there, I've always thought he's a pretty good player. What did you need him for?

Well, it's best available players sometimes. They miss Lindholm. I mean Lindholm's a hell of a player right like the defenseman and you know and then the Lindholm centerman to me he's not a prolific goal scorer he needs you know to play with somebody to help out and if he has no chemistry with Pasternak now you're in one right like that's what you know you look at I think the only thing that they can do assuming they don't do something drastic and look I mean you don't often feel a GM getting fired in season because it's you know Is the new guy gonna come in and wave a magic wand? No

You know, they've got some interesting pieces though young guys They probably don't want to unload, but if I'm a rival general manager or I've got an asset because of where I'm sitting in the standings that Boston thinks is going to help them offensively, so then I'm looking for one of their coveted young guys. Whether that's a good young guy in the American league, you know, trying to make his way up to the NHL, Trent Frederick, there's a lot of buzz around this guy, right? He's looking for a new contract.

Justin Brazile, you remember him? You know, the Maple Leafs old regime just didn't have time for that kid. They gave him a chance in the American League. They didn't like the idea of a longer term project. And look at him now. Some nights he's playing on the top line. He's playing in the top six of the Boston Bruins. Well, he needs a new contract so

you know there's there's possibilities there for trade that that could help sweetie and the boston bruins but i don't think you're like the asking price darren if you could like bring out your crystal ball and put like let's say the season ended yesterday and you were to talk about the new york York Rangers and what they have done What do you think happens with them the rest of the season? Oh?

Yeah, I mean like are you talking about them missing the playoffs Well, I mean there's the obvious threat of that. I still don't believe it I do feel like there's there's enough runway here that that group given the talent that they have, they're going to find a way to come together, get Shisterkin healthy, you know, and get him back on his game and see where they go. But how much worse can it get, right? I mean, they've been hot and they've been cold of late, but more cold than hot. You know, Chris Durie has made some real tough decisions and some very unpopular traits.

Who's getting who? I mean, the way they forced Jacob Trubba out of New York, that's going to leave a mark. It's Manhattan. I get it. Free agent players always want to play in New York, but they also want to play for a group, an owner, a manager, a coach they can trust. So that one left some bruising and deep tissue damage. So we'll see how it plays out.

What's next? I mean, a less dreary can find a way to get Mika's advantage out. There's all kinds of speculation. JT Miller's stuff isn't gonna go away until either, the Vancouver Canucks flat out come out and say he's not being traded. He has a no-move clause,

that's not going away. And the New York rumors connecting Miller to the Rangers, well that's not going away. But Zemanihan has a no-move clause. So it gets real precarious and difficult for Drury moving forward now, other than the coach. And I don't know, I think Labby's trying his hardest. I think he's, you know pulled some some tricks out of the old bag Oh, you know that better better than anybody the buttons that he's probably tried to push Yeah, it's the same thing with these guys though Darren. They're going on they mowed through Who was the first guy there? Well, it's gonna lot they've all through galant and then Quinn like it's just now it's Lavie, it's like are you guys serious?

I got it, I'm with you. I guess that's, I was going to go with that Drex's. Are you shocked that Dolan, who's known as kind of a guy who shoots from the hip and fires people on a whim and stuff, that he's allowed Drury and or Lavielette to kind of go through this whole process? Because to me, it would just be easy to fire the coach. Like that's it. There's the change.

It'd be easy. Not easy, but, hey, Chris, you've had a good run here, but we're going to make a change at the top. Like, is he possibly waiting for somebody? And I said this to a buddy the other day. Like if I was Chris Drury, I would have had quinnville on a bird up there and and seeing how i believe that he has been cleared correct jill quinnville yeah from the leak now you're waiting he could yeah i mean it might take one final call the commissioners office just to make sure

that that everything is copacetic yeah i guess what i would wonder i think you'll have a place now we just want to get back on the bench again right like you know that i time where he would have preferred to pick his spot and go in as a closer as opposed to clean him up a mess. You know, you got to spill an aisle three here. That's not Joel's strength. So yeah, I mean, that's a name that should be out there and is out there. The Dolan family, James Dolan, is no problem sharing his concerns, his views, and his frustration with every member of

the New York Rangers because in his defense, you know, that team, that group wants for nothing, right? I mean, he pays dearly for all the creature comforts around that New York Ranger team so he he, he expects the results. Um, but maybe he is waiting for somebody from a management perspective or from a coaching standpoint, because you know, beyond moving out more players, what else is left? But I, there, there, there will be casualties. If they don't, if, if there is a significant change, more changes moving forward between now and the trade deadline and the New York Rangers missed the playoffs, then what we saw when

Dolan decided that he had had enough of Jeff Gordon and John Davidson and that entire group in my pale in comparison to what's going to happen next. Absolutely. All right, Drex, we'll leave it there. Get those shoulders warmed up, buddy. Get in there and start waving. absolutely i tracks believe it that get those shoulders warmed up by getting there wave i have a boy if you know i do you know angry my wife is here uh...

you better do you know it's chicken wings to about why is it your fault did you make the wings now i don't know it's probably the i don't know what caused the alarms to go off like he is the oven dirty if the air fryer not working properly yet you know i i've got multiple appliances in play here i think he did we put them in there just before the segment started to be okay but i mean get wrapped up all the

able to go in there to look for a while because so i'd buggered up something good luck man get their but i don't know what happened i'd like to say exactly what happened to put the broiler that a big you press on all of that and got an air fryer on my own and i have the air fryer but but i don't know good luck on board back in my opinion is that the day thank you very much

please don't please sir appreciate it uh... you know more there's their trigger to use a hockey insider