OverDrive - Johnson on the impact of Barov's injury, Reimer signing a PTO with the Leafs & TSN Top 50 list

Episode Date: September 26, 2025

Former Leafs winger and TSN hockey analyst Mike Johnson on Maccelli's great preseason so far, if the Panthers will decline without Barkov, what Barkov's injury means for the Atlantic division, impact of the playoff salary cap, Reimer signing a PTO with the Leafs, Easton Cowan's good preseason, TSN Top 50 list and more!

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Conditions apply. Visit a Virgin Plus store or virginplus.cae for details. All right, joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Here is our TSN hockey analyst, Mike Johnson. What an assist last night, Noodles, is calling him Matthias Marner, Matthias Marner, and Mitch Micelli. Because Mitch Micelli was lighting up the Bell Center last night, but that's Marner in a nutshell, like a backhand sauce,

unbelievable vision, unbelievable touch to Eichol, and I guess we're going to see that a lot this year. Yeah, but, I mean, you can't. be upset about it. No. Or surprised by it. Of course. He's going to keep playing.

That's what he does. Like he's a good player. He's better than a good player. He's a great player. And so there'll be many moments where you watch, like, boy, be nice that that was in Toronto or remember when he did that for Toronto. But the reality is, he's not going to. So it's like, he's gone.

And he's going to do good things. And winning a cup seems a little bit premature. But maybe the most Toronto thing ever would be to have the best team, best opportunity and then losing a heartbreak in the second round in games five and seven and then have that same team be loaded for the next year Toronto's not quite as good and all of a sudden guys are falling left and right injured. The sort of thing that the league would be hoping that just the wear and tear would add up on Florida and all of a sudden you know kachucks out for half a year barcoffs out for maybe the whole year or whatever it might be that's also a Toronto thing

because Toronto's best team was probably last year. Yeah, no, you're right. And I think, like, people are already losing their minds, I think, about the Barkoff injury, talking about how Chicago, wow, Chicago's got their first round pick. It's going to be another great pick. Like, did we not learn how deep the Florida Panthers are? I get it. Sasha Barkov's unbelievable player.

Anton Liddell is not truly a third-line center. Like, he's going to play more and he's going to do well. Like, I guess, how worried are you about the decline of the Florida Panthers now without I mean, Frankie, I'm pretty worried. I'm not going to lie to you. Of course they're going to be good still. But what makes Florida great and what makes them so hard in the playoffs is they can go Barkoff, Bennett, Lundell. And you're right, Lundell is better than the third line center. But what makes him great on Florida is he's the third line center.

He's better than everyone else's third line center. You put him at the number one and he's still very good and he'll probably get 65, 70 points this year, but he's not Barkoff. And then whoever's playing their third line would have been the fourth line guys, that Luke Cunning, whoever moves up is nowhere near what Lundell was, is that trickle up or down effect that makes

them so different. And even the temperament, you guys have been around that Florida team enough. And they thrive on things being a little chaotic, a little bit out of control at times. But the one guy who is their even keel steadier is Barcove.

And he's such an important player. So, yeah, they'll be good. If without him, I still think they'll make the playoffs. But you put them into a playoff series, no Barkoff, and it's different. And they wouldn't be the Cup favorite, and I would imagine they won't win a Cup. Now, they might not even win a cup with him, but it is a monstrous. And you got to feel for Barkoff, anyone like this, like Olympics this year, that's gone. Team Finland, their best player or one of their best players, that's gone.

It's just a brutal, brutal timing. But it completely changes the complex from that team in Florida. at least for the regular season, if that's for how long he's gone for. Yeah, and we haven't gotten the complete update yet on whether or not he could return for the playoffs or if he's done for the year, because they're going to wait until they get through surgery and reassess. But there is a chance that he's done for the whole season, which means, again, he can't return for the playoffs. But that would open up the opportunity for them to use the full cap space to go out there and get somebody else. Now, they've used a lot of assets in the past couple of years, and sure, some guys love going to Florida.

not everyone wants to go to Florida. I agree with your hesitation here, or if that or apprehension in terms of what Florida's going to do, because they've been to three straight cup finals. Kachuk's out for a while. He's out for a while.

Bobrovsky's 37 years old. Yes, like, if Kachukes out until January and Barkov's out, that's two of your top six, and those are your two leaders. Like those are the guys that represent this team. One's the captain in Barkov. He's the silent assassin. but by all accounts, he leads by example and everyone follows suit.

And Kachuk, everyone knows the second he arrived. It changed the whole complexion of that team. Both of those guys are done. Who knows what Kuchuk looks like when he returns? Again, Bobrovsky is not a young guy. They played a ton of hockey. They got to make the playoffs first. This is a massive, massive change for the Panthers.

And it felt to me, like I picked them to win the cup two weeks ago, presuming everyone would be healthy and all that because again I didn't see who else improved enough that I thought could knock them off the block but this is huge this is a massive massive loss for them and if he's done for the playoffs

too I don't think they I don't think they're going to win I don't think they can win I don't think you can win three straight years I think it's very difficult to do it period again I thought they probably could with everyone healthy you take Barcov out

changes everything so you know I brought this up and Hayes was going to drive to my house and choke me out for it, but you know, you know Bill Zito, like he's not going to sit idly. If he loses Barkoff for the season and they've got money to spend, he's going to be proactive. And I will say this. I think, I don't think it makes Florida a team at the bottom. What I do think is it's come back, they've come back to the group with the absence of Barkoff. Still a good team, but not, again, you miss an elite player. Your team is missing, you know, a huge dynamic of it.

But what if there is a guy available for a trade on a team that's not going to make a playoff? Does he wear number 87? Is that what you're trying to say? Well, that's where Hayes attacked me for it. But I said, like, Brad Marchant, like, keep in mind, we didn't think Brad Marchant was going to end up in Florida. We didn't think all three of those guys were going to sign there.

They signed there. This team always pulls a rabbit out of the hat. That's one thing I will not do is bet against Bill Zito and his group and how creative they can be. So if Barkoff is a massive loss, which is, and if he's gone for completely the full season, I think everything's on the table for that organization to keep it rolling. What do you make of that, Johnny? Of course. They will be bold.

They will be aggressive. They will mortgage the future. They do whatever they have to to try to replace that guy. I mean, the fact is not many people can replace. him and also isn't the salary cap in place for the playoffs this year? Isn't that? No, I think it kicks in next year for the new CBA. I think

I don't know that for sure. I don't know that for sure, but the new CBA kicks in next year. I know that. No, I know, but didn't they roll some of that stuff in early? It might have. It was not one of the things they rolled in early. Someone will check on that because if they did, then you can't bring in Barkoff late for this 10 million extra and then add them to a guy you've already replaced

him with. So the penny, but yeah, they'll be aggressive, but it's hard and it's going to rob their depth elsewhere, maybe Kossom, Samiskevich and other young players, and it just changes them. And how many guys are as good

as Barkoff? Hardly any, right? So, even Sid, by the only guy, but most guys will not be as good, even if you try to replace them. So you don't have to go like poor man's version. Like, do you take a swing at Evgeny Malcon? Not the same

player. Nowhere near the same player, but expiring contract and you're like we need a body who can give us some skill and the the salary cap is coming in this year the new cba starts after but they could roll this in early and i think there was an appetite between the teams and the gms to do it early so they're going to have to be 95 and a half million this year you're playing roster right like cap compliant in the playoffs yeah no you can go over by 10 if he's not returning but you can't add him to the team without making that wrong that game playing roster of the playoffs Cap the play. So if they're going to add 10 million

in, you'd have to take 10 million out, which is Steph Jones or whatever. You know what I mean. It is like the nuance It's also going to be. Yeah, and the 20 players that are in your lineup have to be 95 and a half million. So now your 23 man roster. So you get a little wiggle room that way. Right. Which, to tie it into Toronto,

like that will be the end of the high price backup. If you got a backup making $4 million, $1,000, why would you dress him? Just dress them for a guy who makes $800 grand, and now you can add a $3.5 million player to go over that number. I guess it's a bit of a risk if the starter can't finish the game. But I would think, if you're Vancouver.

Kevin Lankin makes, what, 4.5, 4 and a quarter? You can take him out of the dressing roster, still on your team, still available if you need a starter. Just don't dress him in the game. It's not going to play anyways. and that would be one sort of loophole that I'm sure teams will expose very quickly and you get a veteran like James Reimer in there

and a league minimum. There you go. We talked this morning. Yes. We talked this morning about the least goalie situation. And I was like, you know what? Don't worry about it. There's always veteran guys on waivers.

You can grab somebody, you know, cheaper. And Marty Burroughs, like, do you want cocking in or whatever? We didn't bring up James Reimer. But clearly, Toronto was thinking the same things we were thinking where let's get a guy in. and, you know, obviously Toronto is concerned with what's going on with Joseph Wall

on a human level, of course, but on a practical level of when he will be ready to play. Because the only thing that's changed as to start of camp has been Joseph Wallace left for the personal reason that he's left. And that if they were 100% sure he'd back back tomorrow,

they wouldn't have done this with James Reimer. Right. Otherwise, they would have done it before camp started. So there's obviously a bit of uncertainty there and we hope Joseph Wall is okay. And, you know, whatever he's going through, he gets through. But they're clearly making some plans in case he's not back soon. And whether it's Rimer or whether it's whatever other veterans going around the league,

that tells you a little bit something about how confident Toronto is that this will be resolved with Joseph Wall in the very short term. Yes. And you have to. Because if there is uncertainty and it's going to be up to Joseph Wall, you've got it. Maybe he'll be able to be the guy. maybe he is and maybe over the next week and a half he proves that he's the guy

looked pretty good last night but rhymer is looking he wants to keep playing he's a reliable veteran that i think is somewhat predictable how much game he has left i don't know maybe noodles you would have a better take on this than than the four of us or the three of us how much do you need them right like if if wall if you feel like wall is going to return in november or december you're probably looking at two starts two or three starts presuming Stollars is healthy, what's the better option? Rimer or Hildaby or someone else?

I think it's Hildebe that they're going to give a pathway to. Johnny, the only reason why I thought it was a smart move by tree, not grabbing somebody off waivers who has a contract already, because if you can't get rid of that contract, say Joseph Wohl comes back next week, all of a sudden, now you've got to logjam, you've got to get him. Say you put that player back on waivers and he doesn't get claimed, you've got to put him with the Marleys,

and that messes with Hildebee's progression to be your number three to, you know, play a lot this year. They had a three-headed monster down in the minors last year with the Marleys, and I think that hurt Hildeby because you had Murray into Hildeby into the Russian, I call him, A, A, because I can't pronounce his name. But they had too much, you know, two nets and three goaltenders. So I think you need to be cognizant of Hildebe's pathway here. and that's why a PTO makes way more sense that if you get Rimer and you give Hildaby maybe one or two starts, say Woles not back till November,

then you can have Rimer play with the Marleys and sign a deal with him and then make that go away at some point. Like to me, there's some more flexibility. When can you, I mean, they don't have that. Again, that's coming up to practice goal. I'm like, you could just have Rimerby the practice goal

and that if you need them, you just sign them to a contract. But again, I think that's that actually, is kicking in next year. That's not getting in this year. These are the things they're worrying about, you know. And the other part about this conversation is while we all acknowledge that the Leafs are fine

with Stolar's playing because he's great, he hasn't. You don't, do you want him playing 16 of the first 21 games? No. Absolutely not. You want him playing 12 of 21 games. You don't want to ride him into the ground

early because I think he's a guy given his track record. You have to pace him. And how about you're going to to play, regardless of who his backups is. So they are in a position that I think they need a guy that they can trust more, 40% of the games until Joseph Wolves back, and then they can sort it out from there. You like what you see from Easton Cowan?

You feel like he's got an inside track. He's building a little cohesion with Lawrence and Lawton. Like, how do you see that playing out? Best fourth line in the league last night. Best fourth line in the league. It's the new grind line from Detroit. is the identity line from the Islanders. They're the best fourth line

in the league. Here we go. You know what? So, Frankie, if we're going strictly on merit, which is not how the NHL works, if it's just who has played best that deserves to go there, then I do like Easton Cowan's chances. He's been really good and they haven't played top flight opponents where

the concern for Cowan is in that role against top teams. If he's only playing eight or nine minutes a game, will it be a effective. Will he be able to be physical? Will he be able to be energetic in that role? He's showing that he can play with those guys and they can make plays.

And I think if Scott Lotton was traded for a first round pick, he's not supposed to be just the fourth line guy you hide for seven minutes. He's supposed to play and be a good player. So maybe Cowan brings some of that out. Lotton plus Lorenz brings what he brings. It is been a good fit. And when you get around the guys on the Leafs, organization, management, coaching staff, they're all singing Easton Cowan's praises.

without even being prompted to the point where they see it. They believe it. They're not just trying to sell him. They believe it. But the bigger issue, whether or not he stays there, Frankie, David Camp, Nick Robertson, Callie Yarnproke, and the lesser extent, Michael Pavetta. Pizzetta.

That's a fifth line and a sixth line of guys who are on one-way deals that do require waivers. And until they sort out what they want to do with those guys, whether it's some of the minors, risk losing, whatever, then the path of least resistance is to put Cowan in the minors. And it happens. We see it around the league all the time. Guys get sent down, even though they don't deserve to,

but because they're the easiest target to do so, and I would be concerned if I'm Easton Cowan. It's not about how he's playing, but just the administrative part of the game that won't have him start because there's just too many bodies here for Toronto. You remember, like, it just made me laugh, and I don't know why. Do you remember that whole stupid free Jake Gardner nonsense that went on? Like when they sent Cardner down to, like, get some games with the Marley's to play,

and there was like a hashtag, and people were going crazy over. I only remember Free Frankie Corrado. That's all I remember. I don't know anything about those types of movements. I was spearheading that. I was spearheading Free Frankie. I think it was Gardner's agent that was doing that. Yes, it was.

Yes, it was. Yes. His agent that was doing that. But it caught fire. I do remember Free Frankie, but that was a different reason. But, like, you know, it was just, I don't know why I'm laughing about it. Maybe it's nostalgia because James Reimer's all of a sudden back. Like, that's what it is.

Well, like, it stirred your memory of to, like, when this guy was around, this is the type of nonsense that was going on. And that's because the team wasn't any good. The difference now is the team's good. Like, the fan base is well aware of what the team expectation is, how veteran they are. And the fans aren't as desperate for a young player, where back then that's what it was. You were desperate for some sort of sense of a future player that was going to help with this team.

So, yeah, we'll see what happens with Rimer. He's here on a tryout. We'll see what it means in terms of Joseph Wall and his future. Johnny, you and I were on the top 50 show. Paisi? Yeah, go ahead. Paisy? If Wall doesn't come back before the end of camp,

Reimer signs. He signs and starts in the NFL. So they can get rid of him. And if he doesn't want to report, it can be one of those deals where I don't want to go to the Marleys or we need other, and you just go home and get paid. Yeah, it'll be under the threshold. It's sort of an understanding there.

Yes, under the threshold, that you can bury it, and it doesn't count against your cap. Keep in mind, though, it's not like he has to drive to Binghamton to play in the minors. He just goes to a different arena in the same city that he lived in for six years before. And he might be fine with that. Johnny, the top 50 show this morning. It went off without a hitch. Brilliant stuff.

Sports Emmy stuff for you, myself, Marty Barron. McDavid at number one. We revealed the top 10. McDavid at number one, not surprisingly. What is interesting is Connor Hallibuck won the Heart in the Vesna. He was at 9. Nikita Kuturov won the Ted Lindsay. That's the players voting on who was the best player last year.

He's at 5. How did we get here? How did we get here where the league MVP is nine and the Ted Lindsay winners at five? I'm not surprised and I got to admit the top four is exactly how I had it too in my voting. So I guess I'm yelling at myself or poking at myself here. But like is that just a lock to top four or is there a chance that any of the guys from five through ten could break through into the top four? So I mean, I think the easier answer is Hellebuck. We know he was incredible.

historically great season but it's on the full body of work and unfortunately for him the playoffs not only this year but probably for the past couple of years impacted what guys think of him as far as the greatest in the game when you got McDavid you know getting to the final two years in a row

and winning Kahn Smyce on a losing team it's different than how you feel about Hellebock in the biggest moment so that's why he's where he is he's the best goalie has not been great in the playoffs the Kuturoff one is interesting I think

offensively, he is right there with all those guys. I just think the fact that he's a winger, the fact that Tampa hasn't had much as far as deep runs lately either, it probably impacts him. And as far as chance of the guys going to that top five,

it's Barkoff would have been a guy that, you know, he puts up 90 points and takes him deep, you know, could he bump, Kail McCarr, could he bump, Kail McCarr, could he bump. Kuchraf, he could. And the other guy, he could. could go there as a guy who would just there. It's Austin Matthews. He's been in the top

five before. He's been ahead of those guys before if he is healthy. If he scores 55 goals and gets 100 points in Toronto's good again, then Austin would be the other guy, I think, in that list that would slide up there. I think Kutrov and Posternak are maybe capped as scoring wingers, great scoring wingers

at that five spot behind those other three defensemen and Kail McCar. And maybe Quinn Hughes. You know what? I think so, too. Quinn Hughes is a sick player. such a good player, and if he's healthy and puts up 95, 100 points, then he might be a slide

in there as well. One more for you, I think that, like, if Carill Caprisoff was able to put together 82 game seasons, we're talking big numbers. Like, he's always on pace for huge numbers, but he plays 41. He plays 67, right? Like, that's... You forget that it, you don't get them for half the

year sometimes. Scoring winger, though. Scoring winger, that's the question. But if he's a... But if his best season, he might get, you know, I don't know. I don't know. don't know even with it like if he gets 50 goals and 120 points if he gets ahead of any of those three forwards or or macar like he's he's the scoring winger is just sort of capped yeah as the fifth guy i think right now until something else happens by the nature of the position i think that makes sense centers and defenseman like the you know number one center number one defenseman

probably should be at the top of the list and if you're an oiler fan or an avalanche fan you're pretty lucky you got you have two guys in the top four pretty incredible how about tampa of having six guys on the list. Yeah. They're a good team, pretty deep team. 16 Americans. Vaselisky also

watching Fred Training Camp right now. Vaselowski not playing. I've been tracking that. As those guys get older, it's hard. It's hard to keep being at that level. 16 Americans,

14 Canadians on the list. That's interesting. That's probably worthy of diving into again at some point. So the top 50 list has officially been revealed by TSN. You can find it at TSN. I think the top 50 show is going to replay tonight. Might be worthy of checking out.

I think it probably is. Probably should play all weekend. Did you stay in any hot takes haste? You're right. Did you, like instead of Tia and the boys up, did you throw in a little take here and there? Nothing. I had no time to do anything.

I was basically Ron Burbby. I wanted to. I was desperately trying. Like I was, I was like so eager to get in. I couldn't do it. I couldn't. Couldn't do it. All right, Johnny.

Put a leash on me. That's what finally did it. First time and a long time. Have a great weekend. There's Mike Johnson joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Get in and go where adventure takes you in a new 2025 Tacoma from Maple Toyota near Canada's Wonderland and the Maple Auto Mall. Visit MapleToyota.com.

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