OverDrive - Johnson on the Canucks evident decline, Matthews' return to the team and Draisaitl's strong season
Episode Date: January 7, 2025TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, the Canucks' tough season and the noise around Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, Leon Draisaitl's impact to th...e Oilers, Auston Matthews' return to the Maple Leafs and if he plays at the 4 Nations Face-Off and more.
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Did you know that Duthie's name is Forbes?
Are you aware of that?
With his salary, it seems appropriate that it would be Forbes, so that would make sense.
Stand to reason, but listen, O is not lying.
Everywhere he went, I must've had, you know, the,
the tournament was great.
They had these curtsy cars that take us from the
rink into the hotel.
I honestly must have had three of them say that
they were related.
Not, not that they'd know James or the high school
of James, but they were related to James or Forbes
or Jamie.
So Jamie, he hit them or Jamie.
Yeah.
So he was the man about down and i will
conform or denying
confirm
or dogs present in the gym but every time i went down there
he would make that
we're talking away to round it in a word sounds like he was talking a lot is what
he was doing and i didn't talk to one person and no one just said i talked
every scout the league down there dude that was when it was all over you get a couple waters water cooler talk
and you're like a man i get to know now about this guy i don't know what that
guy okay
you know i saw it
i'm happy i was my ass every day pal i'm happy i'm happy
uh... right johnny let me present this question i just presented to these two
uh... i give you these two options one of the east one in the west the duo you have to choose the likelihood of which duo you think would
make the playoffs or as a better chance of doing it together. Ottawa and Montreal
both make it in the east or Vancouver and Calgary both make it in the west. Oof. Oof. I think it's Ottawa, Montreal. Ooh. Ooh.
Oh.
Yeah.
Oh, I like it.
I like that.
I mean, I guess what I, I guess what it comes
down to is I have faith in the top teams in the
West, right?
Like I think, what is it?
Vegas, Edmonton, LA and Van are going to be really
good and it's going to be Dallas and Colorado
and Winnipeg and Minnesota. I don't think Calgary beats any of those teams. are going to be really good and it's going to be Dallas and Colorado and
Winnipeg and Minnesota.
I don't think Calgary beats any of those teams.
Now I don't think Montreal or Ottawa maybe beats Tampa, but I guess the
likelihood of one or both of them catching Tampa.
Or Boston, I think.
Boston's still in that, huh?
Yeah.
Boston possibly is higher than them catching one of the top seven.
I guess that's what it boils, top eight. That's what it boils down to to me. But it's, listen, I would have said with confidence,
I have said with confidence, Montreal is not making the playoffs this year. They're not there
yet. They have their whole, their roster is improving. They're getting it together, but it's
not there yet. They don't have the right mix of players. They don't have the backup goaltending.
They don't have the depth scoring. And some of that stuff is changing around. This Jakub Dolbash guy
in Montreal has been a big difference maker. I think the Carrier trade was
really astute in getting trading him for Baron and then you know Kirby Doc was
not good, he's been a bit better. They've been better and like could the
could the eighth spot in the East go for 87 points? It's possible. It's possible. And if that's the case, they might,
if they want a big run, might have a chance.
Yeah.
So Johnny, the follow-up on those four teams is who do you think it's the most
important to get in? Would you agree with Hayes assessment that it's Ottawa?
Probably Vancouver, no, given how good they were last year. Absolutely. And all the nonsense, like nonsense, all the stuff going on around that team, that maybe
is very serious or maybe it's nonsensical.
I'm not even sure because it's sort of shrouded in mystery.
But if you want to talk about a seismic organizational situation, if they don't make it, it feels
like Vancouver.
I understand Ottawa, the changes, the pressure, enough with the losing, but if they get really
close to it and get 90 points and miss, if Vancouver misses, I think it's probably a
bigger deal and there'll probably be more fallout if Vancouver doesn't play well, doesn't
make the playoffs than if maybe even if Ottawa didn't.
Well, like you mentioned the word fallout in Vancouver.
Now you hear rumors that there was a trade proposed, a bandage ad for Miller.
Something you would think has to give in Vancouver if they're going to keep losing and keep dropping
points?
I don't know, how do you read that situation?
Can Pedersen and Miller coexist or does something have to happen?
So, Frankie, you've been in a ton of rooms, oh hey, like, I've been on lots of teams where
you know guys don't get along.
And that's fair, like I don't like Frankie, like we know we don't hang out at dinner.
Chesco you mean, his new name is Chesco.
And I thought we had a really nice night at Sports Center watching the playoff games,
but that's okay.
Yeah, yeah, I'm using you because it's so obvious that it's not you, that's why I can
use you.
If I said, oh people might believe it because you don't like each other.
So let's but like I've never I don't think I've ever been on a team
where it's bled onto the ice.
Somehow I can't play with you on the power play or I don't I don't want I don't want to pass the puck to you or I Don't want to celebrate with you. Like I don't want to be involved in the battle together
Even if I don't like you I've never sort of seen that but it feels like that's where it is
And I don't know if it's something it feels like it can't be just you know
Frankie's loud and I'm quiet or Frankie's brash and I'm reserved or whatever
it might be like feels like it's got to be a little bit deeper than that because the strength of the
divide is more than just oh two guys that are different one from Sweden one
from America they don't get along like it's so that's the case then maybe it
can't be settled because if it was anything else like a normal
disagreement it just sort of you just coexist and you play and it doesn't
really matter you don't hang out that's cool but you just play and it's fine so
if it's that deep and I don't know what would make it be that deep I have no idea
but if it's something like that and I'm hopeful that the Canucks would know sort
of the root of the discord then maybe it's something has to give and if
something has to give are you gonna go with the 26 year old or the 31 year old
like even if you like the Miller personality even if you like the Miller it's something i have to give and if something has to give are you going to 26 year old of the thirty one year old
like even if you like the miller personality you like the miller game
whatever it might be in the like the miller contract maybe more than
petersons right now
the five years
make peterson sort of much more attractive long-term
uh... and while the bandaged
for miller is to settlement i'd
that you can make that a Vancouver you become measurably worse and that's not gonna work for them. With Mike Johnson
our TSN hockey analyst, so the Leafs have played 41 games looking on FanDuel the
updated Hart Trophy odds. McDavid's actually got the shortest odds now plus
280 which I'm a little bit surprised by because it just it seems more quiet out
there in Edmonton
They're they're back in the winning circles. They're playing well
He's playing great, but it's McDavid McKinnon Capri's of dry settle hell about Kutra. Those are the big six
I think most people would concede that right now based on points and play it for dry settles for which I agree on that to me
It's crazy. I think he's but I think you could argue he's been the best player in the league this year
which I agree on that to me is crazy. I think he's but I think you could argue he's been the best player in the league this year but then it's Eichel at 7,
Mitch Marner at 8. Now Marner's like 75 to 1. It's massive odds and it's unlikely
that he'd win it but he is on pace for 112 points which would be a career year.
Is that reasonable for you? Like is he is he the 8th best player in the
league? 8th most valuable player in the league this year?
I mean, he's somewhere.
I mean, the Leafs are what in fourth place?
Yeah.
In the entire league.
And he's been their best player.
He's been their best positional player.
He's done it without Austin Matthews.
I think we had that board 10, two weeks ago
before I left percentage of points
relative to the total team.
And it was only, he was second behind Kaprizov
ahead of McDavid like you can look at some different numbers plus the defense that he plays
to say that he's really very important now is he the eighth best player in the league? I don't know
probably you know you probably find eight guys that are that you might want over him but he's
around it and the fact that he's in the conversation the fact that he may pick up some stray votes
is a real testament to how well he's playing
Yeah, he's not gonna win it. He won't be in the top five or top three, but that there's no harm in that
No straight shame in that he's played amazing and and he's played amazing
Quietly and I think that is so important for Toronto
Like there's been no rumblings from anyone either side. Look how well he's doing. Look how much money he needs to get paid
Even though like if I'm not saying he's not thinking that if I was his agent
I would be counting dollar signs with every two-point game he piles up and like as you should that's what you do
That's not a criticism. That's a reality, but we haven't heard that we know conversation about that. No talk about extensions
They'll talk about dollars. They'll talk about Willie or Austin or any of that. And that is also very important.
The great play on the ice, they have to have it. They've needed this year really offensively.
But then I think the quiet road off of it is almost as important in this market for
Mitch and his own sort of, not mental health, but just ease in going through the year.
It's been, it's halfway through.
It's been about as good as you could possibly hope
for it to be for him.
What did you think of Austin Matthews coming back
into the lineup, playing the back to back?
Like it looked like he was a little more refreshed.
It looked like he was strong.
He had a little, you know, separation speed.
And then to play the two games back to back,
like that's gotta be an encouraging sign sign for you wouldn't it be? Am I the
only one who was like what? He's playing back-to-back? I didn't think he was
playing that weekend. I thought the Philly game he might not. Like maybe like maybe
just start tonight right? Like just go Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, whatever it is.
This injury whatever it is this mystery injury is so perplexing because
some of the handling of it seems illogical and it obviously is logical but for what you sort of
assume like you can't get healthy while playing so you take a long time off but if you're coming off
a sort of soft tissue something hip back groin whatever you don't usually come back and play back to backs,
but the fact that he did, that's a good sign.
The fact that he looked a little bit quicker,
a little stronger on pucks.
The things that he's really good at
that separate him from being excellent to one of the best,
he looked good at and comfortable with.
The fact that he wasn't sore after game one,
that he could play game two, maybe the best news of all.
I actually looked, Frank, because I was at you know his overall top speed this year
is down about like 5% from last year and so I looked in game in the last game on
I guess on the Sunday night game he hit his top speed for the year now it's not
as fast as last year but is the fastest he has skated in one game probably
chasing down an empty net or for the dive whatever was but like that was the
that was the fastest he has skated this year so there's like legitimately he was moving better
than he has all season long and if that's the case and it can stay the case that is
very significant news for Toronto.
Johnny, how do you think the Four Nations deal is handled with him would you
say go ahead and go it's a great experience or no way in hell you're
going
so i think what we know for sure all
internally quietly believe
management would be in hoping that he elects the path
because he's not quite perfect or you know what i'd be ideally he feels great the next month, 100% lights it up and says
yeah I'm good.
They're like okay we got him at a good spot, but generally speaking if he's anything less
than perfect they would want him to take it off.
But it's a hard conversation to have when you know the player wants to go that badly
and he's one of those great players that is measured by international success, he hasn't
had a chance of playing any of those games.
I think the conversation has to be something like this.
And I actually asked, in the breakfast room,
not in the gym, Hayes, in the breakfast room for me,
I asked a GM, I'm like, what would you do with your player?
What would you do with Austin?
And he said, you can't come out publicly
and say, no, you can't go.
You get this, it's a no-win situation.
You look like the bad guys.
You have to have a conversation saying,
what do you wanna do, how are you feeling,
how do we get you best healthy,
and we will support you doing
whatever you think you should do.
Like that's sort of the approach,
and that's probably what the conversation would look like,
even though I would internally be hoping that he opts out.
Yeah, I mean, I think it's gonna come down to his call
in the end, and I think, you know, to be fair to him,
we're a month away from him having to make that decision.
If he is injured, if he's not feeling well,
like if he has another break between now
and the Four Nations, that's probably,
that's gotta be it.
Yeah, it's gotta be it.
I know you guys say it's his decision,
but it's like, he also has an employer.
Every player, like these guys are paid by their employers.
And not to say that one salary's different, one guy makes 13 million, I'd be like, you're
not going, man.
Here's what complicates that though, that his employer is the one that's running the
tournament.
Like, you know what I'm saying?
Like Brad Trelo, his employer is Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment that's gonna make
money off this and they have Gary Bettman saying make sure your players
show up and actually promote the event. That's the thing. Don't you think that injury is a
different status for all of that? It should go, I think it goes without
saying. The fact that we're having this conversation really is a little bit unsettling that it would be up for debate
if he's hurt or if there's a belief,
if you sit down for 10 days,
it will drastically improve your status, that he would play.
I don't think he would, but I think between now and then,
if he plays the rest of the way,
between now and then, he's going.
I think he'll be there.
Like, and I'm not to say don't go.
Like, I understand why you would want to.
He wants to play for his country.
It's a big event.
Hopefully it works out for him.
I mean, that's all he can say.
You want him to want to go.
Yeah, exactly.
You want guys to want to play.
But the other part of it is like you say, if he, unless he were to get drastically better,
the one thing you can guarantee is if he takes
10 days off, it won't get worse.
And that is the concern for, like, the Leafs have a, you know, not getting ahead of themselves,
the Leafs have a chance to be good this spring.
They have a chance.
A lot has to happen, I get it.
It's not happened before, I get it.
But you can't say the fifth best team in the league halfway through with the third best
goals against doesn't have a chance
To advance in the playoffs that they happen to win their division. So
you know trying to balance those two conflicting motivations is is the conversation and
I wouldn't it and I've sort of stepping back to probably wouldn't surprise me as much as Austin wants to go
That if he wasn't right if he was still banged up and you know feeling
less than 100%, he would pull himself.
I think he would pull himself to give himself the best chance and the least the best chance
to get the healthiest version of him in the playoffs.
Yeah, and again we'll talk about it a lot between now and then, but at some point there's
going to be an answer. You know, we're four about it a lot between now and then, but at some point there's going to be an answer.
You know, we're four or five weeks away from that.
Least Flyers tonight, a bunch of good games in the NHL tonight.
Enjoy them, Johnny.
We'll do it later in the week.
All right, fellas.
Have a good night.
There's Mike Johnson joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline.
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