OverDrive - Johnson on the Cane’s comeback, the Conn Smythe race, and what happens with Larkin

Episode Date: June 5, 2026

TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joined OverDrive to discuss the Hurricanes comeback win in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Conn Smythe Trophy sweepstakes, Dylan Larkin requesting a trade from Detroit and where he might land.

The biggest soccer tournament is... Amazing! Did you see that goal of the century? Don't tell me... You missed it? The diving header in the 93rd minute? Which left to penalty kicks? So much pressure. So much.

Trauma! Every minute. Soccer connects us all. Get in the game. Get on Canada's fastest 5G network. Visit a bell store or bell.ca for details. Bell. Connection is everything. Cup final making his way to Vegas, back to Vegas.

will be sought after tickets for sure. There's Mike Johnson, our TSN hockey analyst, joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. That looks like, what are you back in Toronto, Johnny? What are we dealing with here? Where are you? I came for another pit stop, Hayes. I haven't been home in five weeks. So it's a travel day. So instead of going connecting through Atlanta, I connected through Toronto. So this morning, got like 10 hours here, got some new clothes, and then getting ready to go right back to the airport after this to fly out to Vegas. and I can do some research on your Titas establishment or Spearmint Rino, a place I've never heard of, but perhaps I'll find out just what the credit card statement does say when you go to one of those places. Cheetahs, they bring you pails of beer on ice.

It's a beautiful night. It's probably cost a fortune. I remember the Spearmint Rino having the greatest grilled cheese at 3 o'clock in the morning there. I had had alcohol poisoning the night before, so every day. time I had one sip of alcohol, I would vomit. So I went. Why would you try to have a sip of alcohol? I was trying to grind through on a second night.

That's why. And I'm sitting, you know, with buddies. And I fought through and had the greatest grill cheese was the answer. It was the greatest grilled cheese in my life at three o'clock. They can run food out of there, but that is straight, toxic. Seriously. That is wild. Yeah.

I love that. Well, Johnny, you were there in Carolina for those two games. Have this scales tip for you in terms of, I think you were lean in Carolina, a slight lean. Has that changed it all after two games? Probably not in that Carolina probably should have won game one. Vegas probably should have won game two. They are about where they should be. The home team hasn't had a real advantage.

in these playoffs. It hasn't really been a sizable percentage winning advantage for the home team, so maybe we shouldn't factor that in. It's really close. There are moments where Vegas is in control and Carolina looks lifeless. There's moments where Carolina's in control and Vegas looks like they're going to have a hard

time with the pace and everything else. I will say this though. Well, first off I hope Braden McNabb's okay. That was one of the gnarliest replays you could see. The one from behind the far net and you can see it just comes straight into his drill. That was just

horrific. But if they lose him, Vegas is not very deep on the back end. They don't have... He plays first pair of all these key situations. To lose him, this understand... Oh, my gosh. Understandably, whether it's a broken nose, broken facial bones

or a concussion or something else. Like that is 90 miles an hour. And even if it catches the visor, and he went off like he broke his nose, could have been the visor to the nose, whatever. If he's not there, that's a pretty pretty big blow for Vegas. So I guess I'm still not sure Hayes.

Neither team looks like they are firmly in control. The only thing I think we've shown in through two games is Carolina's not running rough shot over Vegas. Like they dominated against Montreal Canadiens. That stuff is not happening. This is going to be a back and forth sort of tightly contested series.

Johnny, in a shocking turn of events, Brian Hayes agreed with John Tortorella's challenging of the goal. the non-goal. Give us your thoughts. Are you on Team MJ or Team HazyB slash torts? So if we want

to operate in a vacuum mode, let's just say, just look at that. You got to pick a team. Well, I'm on HazyB and Torts then because I can't beat a vacuum. But if I just look at the play, just look at the play, Freddie Anderson does not have that puck at all.

It's inside his circumference of his arms, but it's on the ice, it's clear. And to me, Freddie Anderson's glove, oh, was like knuckles down. It wasn't freezing it palm down. It was knuckles down. He was just lying there. I didn't know where it was. So Barberchav, yeah, he had to go a little bit under the glove to get the puck.

But he didn't push the pad and the puck and everything. He pushed the puck through. And so to me, I think that should have counted. I don't think he interfered with Freddie Anderson enough. And I think he's entitled to go and put his stick on a puck that's loose in the crease. Like, yes, you bumped his glove a little tiny bit. But I think that that should be allowed when the puck is in there and it is still loose.

So yes, I agree with the idea that that should have counted. Where it becomes different oh, situation, the fact that it was called the no goal on the ice trying to reverse an on ice call is way harder. And with five minutes left, you're like, well, hang on. It's a huge risk if you get it wrong. but he had trusted his penalty killers, didn't like Caroline's power play, because they hadn't been very good.

So we put all that together, he made the call. The other killers couldn't bail him out, but I do agree that that should have counted. Even if the situation, oh, we could have that conversation, maybe it dictated being a bit more conservative with that little amount of time left in the game.

Yeah, Johnny, I fully admit, I'm on team Brian Hayes on this one, and you as well. I thought, I had no problem with the challenge. And, you know, it was one of those coin-flip ones. They got it, I don't know if they felt they got it wrong, but they were on the wrong side of it.

And it's unfortunate. But, you know, did you notice in-game adjustments or game two adjustments compared to game one, the flipping out of the puck and the neutral zone? Some of the things, could you tell it was systematically different from both sides? Not a ton from Carolina. I think they still try to play. The one thing you saw a little bit, noodles, a little adjustment,

is that in game one, they got exposed to those. bit about their man-on-man defense. And the winger's, oh, and I would love this, they play so high. They just stand beside the defensemen. They don't sag, they don't get to the slot. They just like, I'm out here. When we get it, I'm going. In game two, that weakside

winger did drop into a more normal, occupy the slot, get in the trouble areas, then get out. That was a slight difference. Of course, Martin Nook swapping out for Spesnikov. That was an in-game adjustment on that first line. For Vegas, yeah, the high Clips, for sure, were part of it.

But they were just more comfortable. They weren't phased by the speeds. I don't think they actively made any changes, but they executed better because I think they were more familiar with what to expect than the speed that it would come at them with. So these teams are who they are. You can tinker, but you're

in game 100. You're not going to reinvent how you play to get to this point. They're largely got a goal with what got them there. Yeah, quick follow up on that. Do you, has Brett Houghton entered the Con Smythe conversation for you? 12 to 1 on Fandul.

Kind of has to be. 12 to 1. That's a new development though. Because two games ago, I don't think he was on it. Like coming into the final, I don't think he was on the top 8 or whatever. So, yeah, I mean, if you can go and score four more goals and he ends up with, what, 17 or something?

Like, you know, even if he doesn't get a ton of assists, all those goals. Now, the problem with him, or his candidacy, is that a lot of the goals he'll score, Mitch will get points on. Mitch is up to 24. You get to 30. That is a monstrous playoff.

So if Mitch gets to 30, I don't care if I would get to 17 and 6, I still think Mitch Martner probably wins it. But it's wild to think, even though we only played, I think, 58 games in the season, how he only scored 12. Like the fact that he has more in the playoffs than he did in the regular season

with a 12-pack in the regular season is tough to figure because you see that speed, see that strength, the way he shrugged off Jacob Slavin of all people for the second one. Yeah, he's in the conversation. Has to be. And Freddie,

all of a sudden, who was like, had to be the winner for Carolina, his numbers last three, four games, not so good. So I don't even know if Carolina were to win the series. I don't know who wins it on their team. I'm not quite sure who would. Yeah, it's wide open on that front. I mean, Howden kind of feels like this,

it's kind of like, Sam Bennett from a year ago where Bennett just kept scoring big goals and he didn't score, he didn't do a lot during the regular season last year. Casey, go ahead. Jaden Schwartz with St. Louis. That's who it's like. That year when

they won, he had I think 13 or 13 or something, 14 and then he got 17. Like, you know, winger, good player. We know he's a good player. But he just does so much better and he hits it with good health and good timing. That would be a pretty close comparable for what how to

doing right now. So Dylan Larkin reportedly wants out of Detroit. Yeah, what kind of, like, how was, how was Carol, like, how was the league kind of responding to that over the last 24 hours? It was like the lead talking point yesterday. I mean, I was game two and the set, but it's like, that's a major development on two fronts. One, in a league absolutely devoid of good Setterman, to have a guy this good with this term that's very affordable out on the market is not a common occurrence. And you can very quickly list off teams that would like him, whether it's L.A., Minnesota, Montreal, Rangers, like a whole bunch of teams could use him.

That would be willing to pay quite a bit to get him. So, like, that league-wide is huge. And guys, just as an aside, like, is it me? Or does it feel like the Olympic, the American Olympic team? had a wildly impactful effect on each other. More so than just they are together and they won and they're proud and they should be. But just about like the business and their futures and taking control their careers. Like, you know, the Hughes brothers, the Kachuk brothers, in Austin and Dylan and Zach Werenski,

I talked to him after winning the Norris. He's talking about I got to start winning. You know, it's all out there where these guys are like they don't want to wait anymore. So I just wonder what those dormitory conversations in Milan were like. So there's that side of it. The other part is, what does this do to the Eiserplan guys? Like he was building to now. And Larkin is a big part of that build.

And if he goes, you're going to get a bunch of players and prospects. But it's going to set the timeline probably back a year or two, which is not the intention. It was not the focus. Like you're trading first rounders for Justin Falk, not to have your captain leave the next summer to go, young again. Like this is,

it's a tricky, tricky situation. And I think about Eisenman apparently was in on Hughes, right guys, Quinn Hughes? And he wasn't sure

about parting with Edvenson. Now you're like, well, had you traded for Hughes, I doubt Dilla Larka's going anywhere, right? He's probably hanging

around a bit longer. But the unwillingness to make that deal for whatever reason want to keep track of Edmondson on their team, I don't know,

but just the domino effect of where this leaves Detroit, I do not know. Johnny, my buddy texts me and said, I think the NHL is kind of trending towards the NBA, where movement for star players are

just going to be, I want to kind of get out of here and go there. I don't think it's going to be to the James Harden extent, but what do you think about that? So, I remember a day, I'm old enough to remember a time when the NHO was often criticized because there were

not a lot of deals, right? Like, they're not into, the cap was too tight, star players never went anywhere. They just re-signed where they were, and it was kind of boring when it came to transactions. So we're going away from that. I don't have a problem with it all. I know some people don't like the idea of him,

air quotes, bailing on his current club. You know, you give a team 11 years, you're entitled to make it, you know, if you want to go somewhere else, you don't like what's happening. And I am generally player empowerment. If they want to take control and they have the leverage to, because I tell you what, he wants to opt out.

Let's say he has no trade protection and you could trade him for a better player. Do you think Detroit's going to say, no, no, no, we can't do that? Of course they're going to do it. Loyalty is not a two-way street in the NHL. They want it from the players, but they don't want to give it to you from the organization. So if you're a player and have expired your loyalty to a team for whatever reason, then cash it in and go somewhere else. I really have no problem with it.

Yeah, and I'm just curious, you know, how the league kind of ranks Larkin. and how much of a needle mover he is, where, like, Quinn Hughes is top six or seven player in the world. So everyone would do, you would presume, anything to get their hands on Quinn Hughes. Except for New Jersey. Except for Jersey, except for Detroit, evidently. And Detroit. But, you know, Matthew Kuchuk, when he was out, now he controlled it and said, I'm only going somewhere where I'd sign long term.

So he kind of basically created his own no trade list. That's a guy that I think anyone in the league would pay almost anything to get. I'm curious how you think Larkin stacks on that front. In terms of the presented deals, two prospects, two firsts. I don't know if it gets that crazy for a guy like Dylan Larkin. I think Dillen Larkin is easily a consensus. I might be being conservative. Is he top 20 to 30 center in the league?

Okay. So he's not like a super duper first liner, but he's definitely a first lineman. And I think he has aided in his perception hazy because he hasn't played the playoff, so he doesn't have the rep as a playoff guy, but he was good in the Four Nations and he was good in the Olympics. And that's all people can kind of go off of when the chips are down. He was good. He was one of the Four Nations.

He was one of America's best players. So, you know, you can be a team like Montreal and slide him in out beyond Zizuki, or you can be a team like Minnesota and he can be your number one guy. And both cases would make a lot of sense and he would help a team win. Like, you know, we were joking about the Matthew Nye's trade last week

and people freaked out about it. But like you saw what Nyes is reportedly being shot for, right? The insiders were reporting what that package was, two picks and a prospect and whatever. He's better than Matthew Nyes. It's more valuable than Matthew Nyes. And he has term. So he's not going anywhere.

where he got control on him. So, like, he's not Quinn Hughes, but he's, you know, he's a major, major league asset, especially given the control you have for the next several years. Where do you think he's going, Johnny? Minnesota. Everybody thinks that. What about Boston? I mean, he wants to win, though.

Okay, what's Minnesota going to give up for him? You tell me that right now. That's what I want to know. A goalie. Wollstead? Detroit's got a couple of years. Detroit's got a couple of years. Holy so don't they?

They're off. Yeah, I know they have a ton. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, but Kosa lost the net in the playoffs, guys. Kosa was part of this great Brad Rapids year, go down the minor league rabbit hole. But he was awesome early, but he wasn't even playing in the playoffs. So, you know, Wals said, you're off.

Charlie Strammel is a huge, like a really high-end pick, a first-rounder. They have three premium assets at a first-round pick in 28. I would probably get it done. And I think Dylan Larkin has no trade protection. he would accept that trade. I'm pretty sure he would go there. So you have to factor that in when you think where he might go is where he would accept to go. Boston might be one.

I don't know what their prospect pool is like. You know, if you're Montreal, you've got to make a call. Big time. Imagine him and Suzuki won two. And they have so many assets, so many players that they could trade for him and not deplete their NHL roster. So, yeah. But I think Minnesota, it just seems like that's a good fit.

And they need them so bad and they committed to Capriza to be good. What if Detroit wanted Hage? You have to, yes, 100% you make that tail for Montreal. Not because you don't like Hage, but what is, if Hage turned into Dillon that would be a monumental success, right? Why hold on to a guy in hopes that he can become the guy you're trading him for? Like, do you think agent

and Johnny that's true? Like, he's got five years and 8.7. And just saying, like, it fits in

and like I get entry level contracts. Yeah. I get it. But he fits in exactly. It's, it's,

people are so, cling so much to prospects because they might become good. But like, you're hoping he becomes the,

like, as good as the guy you're going to get. You already know how good Dylan Larkin is. It's still a bit of a mystery what Hage

becomes in the NHH. So if you want Hage and you want, what's the Russian kids's the name, Sharikovsky, you want those two guys? Zorovsky, whatever it is. Ryan Bacher, they got

Jacob Fowler, I don't know why I want to part with him, but they have three, four guys there. You can mix and match. Kate and Gulli might be a player off the roster. You could give them. You could make a deal and not kill the Montreal Canadiens at all. Anaheim? Yeah.

Olin Zellweger's a good player. Mason McTavich is on the block, but I think those guys, McTavich is good, but I think they would prefer someone that they, you know, That wasn't getting scratched last year, you know, down the stretch. So Anaheim, for sure. But, you know, Leo Carlson's going to be their number one. He can slide in behind him.

Yeah, of course. Yes. San Jose, San Jose won him? Yep. You know? Yeah. It's a race to get behind Celebrating ahead of him. Big time.

100%. Big time. Big time. There's lots and lots of spots. Yeah. All right, Johnny. Well, safe travels. Enjoy Vegas.

And keep us updated on those reputable spots out there. I'll send a screenshot of my credit card receipt to the group chat to see what it's labeled as. I'll appreciate that. I'm there for five days. Try the grilled cheese. Five days and it's 40 degrees. I got to go somewhere inside. I have to be inside.

It's just practical. Journalism, man. Journalism. You're doing the work for us. We appreciate it. Thank you, Johnny. See, boys. Mike Johnson joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline.

And it's time to Toyota check out the Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra pickup trucks, both available as hybrids. Maple Toyota near Canada's Wonderland in the Maple Auto Mall. I'm Cynthia Lois. And I'm Josie Dye. And we're done pretending we have it all figured out. Each week we laugh, cry, and talk our way through life's messiest moments. The things you think about but would never say out loud. The questions you are always too shy to ask.

Relationships, regrets, awkward moments, and the stuff no one warns you about. It's honest, it's funny, and sometimes it gets a little uncomfortable. But that's kind of the point. This is Cynthia and Josie's unmentionables. Listen on the free IHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.