OverDrive - Johnson on Matthews' goal consistency, Klingberg landing in Edmonton and Miller's trade value

Episode Date: January 17, 2025

TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, the Maple Leafs' win against New Jersey, Auston Matthews' goal scoring in the season, the Canadiens in the playoff hunt, John Klingberg landing with the Oilers, Morgan Rielly's performance on the blue line, J.T. Miller's trade value and more.

Let go from your job without a severance package? You need employmentlawyer.ca. Your employer is legally required to give you as much as 24 months pay when you lose your job. Call your Sam Firou and get what you're owed. Employmentlawyer.ca. Johnny, here's Mike Johnson, our TSN hockey analyst joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Let's get the formalities out of the way here. Johnny, your take on the way the Leafs played, I guess, as a whole last night. It was sort of as they were playing the first kind of 45-50 minutes where they were doing

some good things and I don't think they were not engaged or not trying, but it was a pretty quiet game. It didn't generate a whole lot. It was one of those games where you're like, okay, it's's gonna be another Sleepy tight game and they get down and they probably can't get back in it every time they got a goal On record Lars would take a penalty and they get scored against and then the momentum was switched And so you wondered how it was gonna play out because it might be just another frustrating game where they would say well Look at the shot clock and we did some good things and we were really close and it's okay but they didn't win and maybe the most satisfying part from the Toronto Maple Leaf last night was

that when they needed to turn up some offense I said it on air like they have not been able to when they needed it this year very often make the game faster make the game a little chaotic, make their game offensive. And I thought last night for maybe the first time in a couple months that I can remember doing games, when they needed to push, they were able to do it in a responsible manner. Like they turned up the heat the last seven minutes

when they were trailing, and it wasn't just the goal, but the shifts around it, and that was like least more of like last year remember how many times last year they pulled a goalie they'd find a way to score they'd get one late in games when they needed it they could find it and last night when they needed it they found it for the first time that I can remember I think that to me is on a team basis the most positive part of the game is that you know in a responsible manner They were able to up the tempo and create chances offensively and eventually find a way to tie the game to win the game

Individually, of course Austin Matthews. There's no denying He is looking sort of healthier and more Austin like since his returns This is the goal is the points the stats they all back it up but the eye test obviously goes with it. And William Nylander, who had gone through quite a rut, even though he joked that there were only three games for him, it was like 11 games with one goal, which is not enough for him.

He was good as well. And when those two guys go, the offense looks a lot different. So all that stuff was good. There's some stuff to be concerned with and you guys mentioned that the goaltending Connor Timmons third pair those are all legitimate concerns but I think just the fact they're able to turn the tempo up when they needed it when they haven't been able to do that that's the good stuff. So the least have 36 games left. Presuming health Austin Mathis currently

has 17 goals on the season. Let's say he plays the rest of the season, all 36, and he's healthy. What would be your goal total for the season for Matthews? He's at 17 as of now. How many do you think he tucks in the rest of the way? Just the 45? Can he get 28 and 36? That's a monster number. But that, you know, get to 45, 28 and 36 is basically like a 60 goal pace, which is really, really high. But somewhere in that range, he won't get,

I don't think he gets to 50, but certainly pushes 40. Somewhere in the 40 to 45 would be, would be where he would go if he stayed healthy and continues to be able to play at this level, whether Tavares is there or not. Yeah, I mean, we see them do it when he's right. We've seen him do it with this set of line mates and whether it's the same system or not,

he can do it. So, certainly into the 40s and maybe pushing, just above 40, 44 is too, 44, 45, something there. Okay. Johnny, our crack producer, Doogie Howser, has just sent in a note saying, five something there jerry are crap uh... producer do you have sir has just sent in a note saying dennis hildeby is the probable starter tomorrow you explain that to me

explain it all of us well plus i have a sad as a same situation they've they've you know he didn't play great against Carolina and they Dennis Hildeby had to go in there and save the day and that's I'm not surprised I wouldn't be surprised if Hildeby started to run. You don't think this is goofy tooth like well In between games what I know but okay, but they play Monday, too So that there is a lot of games here that if you're gonna give one game you give wool Tampa And you give Montreal to H one game you give wall tampa and you you give montreal the hill to be that's probably the thought process you're my wrong on that johnny

there are probably right i think you've got to play one of the two now you don't want to do a disservice to montreal is a lot of people in the channel later played even better than tampa right now but you don't take one off i think wall numbers are much better when he gets rest, even though he hasn't been great, you know, almost his solar has gone down. He just hasn't been as good. Oh, you said it, leaky goals, like not bad goals, but not really good goals either. Some of them are bad, but you know, the one that

drifted through them on Tuesday nights for Dallas was for Stan Colvin's first goal, the East Shore risker, like that, you know, I'm with you. You gotta stop the puck, even though he was screened, you're right, Connor Timmons, he's in the wrong lane, he's gotta be taking away the far post, not right in the middle of the net, but it's still one, like, I'm on the bench without knowing what's going on.

Nudels, you know what it's like, you know what, you can feel it when you're in the net, you can hear it when on the bench, but when the bench expects a save, it's not that they're blaming him for a bad one, but you're like, ugh, or deflating that he didn't get that. And there's just been a few too many like that for Woll as of late. So they can't risk running him to the ground. I know Stoller is just sort of back on the ice and will be coming back probably just after the four nations or maybe just before.

But they still need to give him rest. He's not playing all the games. So pick your poison. just before. But they still need to give him rest. He's not playing all the games, so pick your poison. Wole on Saturday night versus Montreal or Wole on Monday versus Tampa. Either one you can make a case for. Another guy's got to play sometime, so might as well maybe just get him in and get Wole a little bit of a rest. Well I mean listen, you mentioned that Montreal is the hottest team in the league right now. Ottawa losing 1-0 in overtime last night, so they got themselves a point. Again, Columbus keeps winning, which is incredible. They've leapfrogged Boston, but if Montreal wins tomorrow night and Columbus, Boston,

and Ottawa no points, Montreal could be in the first wild card spot. Both of them are up for grabs now. It's not just them chasing that chasing that second one like because Boston's been struggling I know they've won a couple of games recently but they are more plays Boston tomorrow though I think don't they Ottawa I don't know if they yeah it's Ottawa Boston one of those teams are getting someone's get points tomorrow yeah but but you're right Montreal being right there is impressive. They're in it. They're in it And this is you know, I was asking these guys Johnny and without an answer, you know

What was the last time we had a regular season game that felt as meaningful? Between these two teams Toronto Montreal as the one that we're gonna see tomorrow night and someone wrote in February in 2019 I guess they were two points between the two and Tavara scored an overtime. We're talking almost six years since a regular season game felt this meaningful. It's going to be a lot of fun then don't you think? Like you say that and then you know having been around the Canadians, having been around the Leafs, that's the building you want to be in on Saturday night. You know how fun that will be having those two teams be relevant It's so good for the both clubs for the NHL that Montreal has been able to surprisingly go on this kind of run

Noodles, I don't know you both know about this Jacob dovish But what a difference he has make you talk about the need for a backup goalie and they seem to have found one there They found a second line that could score all the time with Kirby docked Remembering that he's really good and hard to play a little bit in line a scoring a five on five Lane Hudson to me right now is the rookie of the year which I don't say lightly because I know celebrini is is a better player but right now this year I think Lane Hudson has to be the day guys I looked at her day there's only been a can not right in front of me but I think he's on pace to be like the sixth highest scoring rookie defenseman ever. Nick Lindstrom is like

tenth with 60 points. Hudson's on pace for about 73. I mean he's like ever. It's insane the numbers he's putting up and so you can say what you want about both sides of the game sure but the offense is, his underlying numbers have been strong, like 25 games in a row, he's playing big miss. On a team that's sort of overachieving and pushing for the playoffs, if it ended today, it would have to be him. So it's gonna be a lot, a lot of fun.

I give Marty Sanlouie a lot of credit for kind of keeping with it and keeping the team believing that they could do it. Yeah, that'll be interesting. Yeah, Boston certainly is in the thick of the mud. They are in it with everyone else. There's no doubt about it. I was just thinking, for the Leafs, they're out of it.

They're in first place, but they're also the 10-up on Montreal and they play two more games. In theory, Montreal wins Saturday, Montreal wins the games in hand. Montreal is four behind Toronto. Impossible points. With those teams charging and Toronto doing okay but not losing a few in a row, the whole thing just got way tighter. It's not just to Montreal. You think about Florida playing poorly, Hayes. And if Toronto somehow is able to have been a bit more consistent,

it picked up three points in those last three games, or whatever it might have been. And also they're like six or seven points up on first, which would be a very comfortable place to have been right now. Exactly, that's, I said that yesterday. Missed opportunity. Exactly, like easier said than done,

and I guess of course it could apply to the other teams too, but Florida has been very inconsistent, Tampa's been inconsistent. If the Leafs, you know, just, yeah, you pot three, four extra points along the road, then you could, you'd have breathing room on that top seat. Something they never do. Outside of that Canadian bubble division, which was not real life, whatever it was. It was, but it was weird.

It was, but it was, it was just a strange it was but it was it was just a strange season the least they never with the division ever but never wanted it just doesn't happen no and and and i think this year when you talk about you know if you would the benefits of finishing first and careful what you wish for from the least have lost a columbus and lost a montreal i get it and i want to hear it but you're asking anybody in the Leafs have lost to Columbus and lost to Montreal, I get it. I don't want to hear it. But if you're asking anybody in the NHL, who would you rather play in a playoff series today?

Tampa, Florida, or whoever's going to be there. Columbus, Boston, Ottawa, Montreal, Detroit, Philly, whoever. Ranger fifth. Every single person would say, I think we'd rather play anyone but the teams in Florida. So that's what you're giving yourself yourself the opportunity i think that's not an adult that's a fact and and i got what they have

i've motivation in front of them absolutely now the other the flip side of that is ask all those teams who would you rather play to our little at well also the leaves and the picture on all exactly that they're also the result the least deserve that record saying for us to perform in the past

yep absolutely uh... well they see john clain bird back in the area signing with the edmonton or it i'm sorry i hope it does well i hope it works out but that that's not desperation the way that that guy played with the lease and he just had his hip resurfaced and guys are dying to get Klingberg like there's how watered down the league is when teams are dying to get Klingberg who can't even skate But is it that's the reason why he couldn't skate he needed that resurface he Patrick Kane

It took him a long time to recover okay, well this guy ain't Patrick Kane and he Patrick Kane is the only guy that kind of came back from this and kind of played well. Not many people have tried, really. You know, not that many people have sort of gone down this road. I think, oh, we are being sort of swayed by what we saw last year. And the guy we saw for Toronto was not good. But the guy who played in Dallas for a long time was really actually pretty good.

Johnny, look, I'm not trying to be negative with my comments. The guy that played well in Dallas is eight years ago. He might be four years ago, but if he's been dealing with a hit for three years that he can't turn and pivot properly. And then there was also the idea, I think it was three years ago when they signed Hayskidd in and they didn't sign him and his feelings were hurt by that. And I think emotionally he played poorly. He went to Anaheim on a prove it deal and it didn't work and he didn't get the good

one the next summer. He kind of went through a couple of years where he was, he lost the love and then he lost his hip. And if he can find the option of either one of those things working, like I know, I can see all right now, I can see your mind working because what you're thinking is like, they got a better Flingberg already, his name's Blue Shards and like there's already some,

you know, some holes in his game. You don't want two of those guys that are awesome on the puck but maybe not so great without it. But if you look at the right side of Edmonton, could you find a world in which John Klingberg can play in front of Troy Stetcher? Yes, and Johnny, my only point in my comment was you would think in a normal NHL where everyone's NHL players that John Klingberg would have to crawl to a team and say, hey, do you want to take a shot on me? Now we're in a position where teams are excited for the opportunity to get a guy that couldn't skate at his hip

resurface and they're like, can you play for us, please? That's my point. I see where you're coming. But yeah, that's the contract. That's contract and that's free acquisition. You don't trade anyone for them. You don't have to give up anything to get them. Like to get a guy defenseman who's sort of okay to play for a quality team, you're gonna have to give up something off that team. It's a free acquisition. And if it doesn't work, guess what? To the miners you go. It's not even this. Nothing. Exactly. so it's nothing if it doesn't work but and part of the reason that claim bird chose Edmonton is because and like you know he's smart enough he looks at their roster he looks at their death chart

says I can play or outplay some of the guys that they have you know evidence very good still they needed an upgrade and I don't think they're done I think they're gonna go chase a different upgrade they'll see how clean bird works and if it works well then maybe they'll let it go but if it doesn't they'll go get somebody else yeah i i i agree i think it's a it's a it's a nothing signing in the sense that it cost you a million bucks and if you play a college player it really is that the if it works great if it doesn't like you say he plays for

bakersfield or goes away i think the reason why oh a lot of teams are in on him is exactly what Johnny said. This is a free guy. You're not having to trade for him. And Max Pacioretti, for example, it took him a while to come back and get his body healed up. Guy looks all right. I think that's what teams are going.

This is a start over contract for a guy who's a really good player and can he find some sort of that semblance of what he used to be I think that's you know that's that's what these teams were I think wouldn't Klingberg be an upgrade on Timmons? If he could skate? Klingberg is moving properly though. You know it's such a wild card. Yeah. Klingberg truly have been a

welcome upgrade on what came in and then in their careers but last like clingberg pretty move last year like he had it like all you know a guy with bomb-hits if that is changed then yet of course he would be

he would be able to be better than that guy but you know i i i getwin did have the time and the space to go find that out. You mentioned Timmons Johnny, I thought he was turning the corner and now he's starting to scare the hell out of me. I almost think that Philip Myers might be bypassing him where it'd be like Myers might be a go-to guy instead of him. So first off you're gonna work your way down. I think you're gonna start

the ball before you get to Timmons, you get to Benoit. And Benoit, who didn't play last night, sort of understandably, if you look for a defensive defenseman, you look at penalty kill numbers and the penalty kill had been pretty good until the last double game. So give Benoit credit there. And then you look at sort of possession numbers, chances numbers and those kind of things because he doesn't get points. So how do you evaluate? Benoit has been really rough this year. Like his expected numbers guys are like down in the 30s, which is 45 is bad.

55 is excellent. 37 is hard to even imagine on a good team. That's where he's been with everybody except for Jake McCabe last year. So Benoit was the right person to scratch. I think Ekman Larsen on the third pair makes more sense. He was looking a little bit tired. So Myers, you're right, O.

Just the way he's playing and the way he's getting Morgan Reilly playing, I think that's sort of a pairing now. And now it's Ekman Lars, and whoever on the third pair. And Connor Timmons, what's interesting is that they have really liked his penalty killing this year. That's part of the reason why he keeps playing. He's never really been a penalty killer in the NHL.

It's funny, right? He's an offensive guy. He's a clock moving guy. That's why he was the high pick. Yeah, they just gave up two pcs each in the last two games, so. Yeah. so yeah yeah well I was sitting there before last night oh boy what does Marshall refi or whoever have to do to get the lineup because that's like going in the last night somebody different had to play and

somebody had to come out of the lineup and it was mccabe coming back in which on a side note you want to talk about the positive that guy is such a good player so good last night and the two of them were so So good last night between 10 event and McCabe like they the two of them together available change change The entire complexion of the back end and how it how it shakes out for Toronto They are undoubtedly the number one pair now Riley sort of a spot spot to be second guy with Myers and Ekman Larson I think his best serve days on the third pair with somebody else isn't that the elephant in the room though that Morgan They're undoubtedly the number one pair now. Riley's sort of a spot duty second guy with Myers and Ekman Larson. I think his best serve phase on the third pair with somebody else.

Isn't that the elephant in the room though that Morgan Riley's got to play closer to the McCabe-Tanev level than the Benoit-Timons level. He has not had a good year. He has not played well. When he's on the ice, you talk about expected goals and all that. He is a minus player right now. He's a guy that's given up a lot. He's you know right in the middle of a lot of breakdowns. He's not supplying a lot of offense. Like he just Morgan Riley's just kind of in this no-man's-land right now

and that has to be rectified and it's got to be on him. He's the longer-standing Leaf, highest paid defenseman. You have T a mccave done that that pairs playing twenty three minutes a night the playoffs move them aside every key matchup they're gonna be on the ice morgan is probably not he's not gonna play with a stud more than likely he might spot duty sometime with eckman larson but to your point i agree with it

because that's what happened in florida last year at the larsen was the third parent dot that's where he was and I think that's best suited for him Whoever Morgan plays with and they got to find a guy again. It might be Myers might not maybe they trade for someone I wouldn't be shocked if they tried to but Morgan Riley's got to be way better and to his credit He has been in the playoffs. He's been a playoff performer in the past. So I have a faith in that Yeah, but they you know To his credit, he has been in the playoffs. He's been a playoff performer in the past, so I have faith in that. But realistically, you're probably looking at a big three and then a bottom three, and Riley's got to push himself into that upper tier if they want to break through.

Tanev and McCabe can't be on the ice all night. It's not going to happen. No. So two parts of it. I know Morganigh's getting rushed for his plus-minus at five on five Because he is just he's 28 goals for 33 against so he's minus five He's not minus 15 a lot of that empty netters and and stuff that the other guys aren't on the ice for so I'm five I'm five now having said that

and stuff that the other guys aren't on the ice for. So at five on five, now having said that, every other guy who plays is a plus in the goals for at five on five versus goals again. So there's no doubt he's gotta get better, but he's not quite as gruesome as his plus minus might look. But I think the bigger question Hayes is, you're absolutely right, like that second pair has gotta find traction, they gotta be good,

they gotta find consistency. And they, like are you asking something that Morgan Riley can do now, especially if you're thinking he needs to help Harry, uh, Philippe Myers or good ethical, get up a Luke Shen again, who seemed to pair randomly quite nicely. Like, is there another fit beyond Chris 10 of that could make him better? I'm not sure Mo at this point sort of offensively has that in him. Now I guess what you're hoping for is well maybe the offense and stuff, the puck movement, the body movement helps

mitigate some of the defensive shortcomings but with at least not being a rush team anymore at all, they're one of the worst teams in the league off the rush to create offense, you're taking the worst teams in the league off the rush to create offense. You're taking the one part of the offense or the part of the offensive game that Morgan Riley is best at and by system you are diminishing. And we can talk about Tavares thriving in Barube system. I think that's true. Less rush chances, more cycle plays, more plays down in front of the net.

Things Tavares is good at. I think on the flip side, you could say, you look at Borubei system, it might be a system that actually hinders how effective Morgan-Riley can be because some of the stuff that Riley does best, they don't do as often anymore, and I don't think that's changing, even if Morgan-Riley has an uptick in his game.

Johnny, quickly before we get you out of here, JT Miller, we kinda think he's out the door. Where do you think he'll be playing next week? I'm in Jersey right now guys. I might have like cleared the flight path for Miller. I mean my spidey sense is and I'm reading and hearing Jersey is very interested and Jersey have you been reading the have you been reading the book that the Simone Nemitz has been saying in the minors? Yes. Yeah.

Simon Nemitz had like a five point game. He was like, how often is a fourth overall pick going to a minor three years? I'm not asking for a trade, but I might have to. When you throw that out there publicly, you're sort of asking for a trade or a call up. You know, you want a right shot, top flight, potential defenseman. Like is that the foundational pieces of a trade? I wonder but you know Jersey's a team that I don't know if JT Miller would wave to come here But I know they would they would want his talents and his energy. What if you wanted he sheer back?

Get out of here hit kids. Well, you're so out of here it can poke your guts sillyness. What if they send him back? What if they wanted Heesher back? Then I'd say go call somebody else. You're crazy. Good luck. Good luck with your two guys thinking your team. Because Vancouver right now has got to do something, right? They're not playing great and their season's flipping away. No, Heesher is better than J.C. Miller straight up, let alone some, some sort of trade it is gonna be Nemitz with Nemitz in a prospect or if you want to go to a four they need a centerman I don't like throwing names out there, but like, you know Dawson Mercer

He plays in the wing right now, but could he play, you know, he's been a 20-goal scorer The young guy got a good deal. Could he be an attractive option as a centerman going back the other way? I don't know. But if I had to guess, that's what I'm guessing. Yeah, I could see that. I mean, that's, again, if you're Vancouver, you're trying to figure out though, like, are you bringing in futures? Are you bringing in a guy who's trying to help you win right now? What are we doing here? Are we salvaging this year? Yeah, you're probably trying to do both. They probably want another defenseman because everyone does, but they probably also have

to replace a center man. So could you get a-for-one for JT Miller or do you go one sort of quality player and then and then hope for the best there I don't they're in a tough spot not a spot of their own making but they're in a tough spot yeah they sure are all right well keep your eye keep keep your nose to the grindstone down there man we get a Jersey I love it inside of my house Miller checking into my hotel I'll let you know yeah please do make sure you like go paparazzi the whole thing get it get an exclusive and send it to us I'll be hiding behind the bushes in the lobby I love it I meant

have a good weekend have a good weekend Mike Johnson joining us on the maple Toyota hotline count on maple Toyota for the right winter tire package for your Toyota. Trade in your old tires, buy a new set and get $40 back. Visit mapletoyota.com.