OverDrive - Johnson on the Maple Leafs in the division race, the positions to add in Toronto and Pettersson's mediocre run

Episode Date: March 4, 2025

TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, the Maple Leafs' trade deadline priorities, the best positions to add on the team, the Senators in the playoff chase, Elias Pettersson's subpar season with the Canucks and more.

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Switch to Bell PureFiber, Canada's fastest internet, awarded by UCCLA. Starting from $60 a month. Visit bell.ca for more details and to check availability. Here's Mike Johnson, our TSN hockey analyst joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Do you think it's possible in 2025 professional sports, sports science, that Craig Barube writes on the board tomorrow night, we win, see you friday afternoon at the back on the tarmac flying to colorado i don't want to see you guys between now and then all hope i hope so and let me get i mean that gets right now so if anyone can they all may put your theory to test tonight it could be me but okay i'll be

testing the microphone between the bennett's seventy two hours before part five five days early him at gordon speedos i love i love that that's the kind of thing tomorrow we talk about that world that's an early i got you know that that will happen and they were clear coming from this burger now where we are now washington yesterday but then i'm aware i was like a lot of what game but yeah i mean i think the guy and we all know what it's like right I know they get flown charters and it's all taken care

of I've basically been on the road with the team since last weekend in Chicago and I went to Chicago and a Boston I was in New York I was in Pittsburgh I'm now in Vegas I don't do anything but sleep and talk. And I am buckled tired. I can't imagine the schedule these guys had to go through after the Four Nations and playing the way they have, winning these games, grinding it out, traveling every day, no home days, and not be tired. And then to make matters worse,

the guys who played in the Four Nations, Austin and Mitch, Willie, they basically went right from Vancouver to Montreal, they've had a pit stop at home for a few hours. So they basically have been home in like a month. So they could use some downtime or some, something, some off time, whatever you want to call it, whatever they want to do. Um, a hundred percent now it's hard because where they are in the standing, it's hard because the games are so intense.

Like Vegas is going to be a very difficult game tomorrow but yeah i think the guys could use a couple days they could use a break they need a rest now i hear you and that's the weird thing when you look back at you know they just won five in a row last night they lose in a shootout they had a two nothing lead when they have we've had leads in the third period this year it's been automatic until it obviously got away from them last night.

And then Florida, you know, beats Tampa. So now you're tied with Florida. You got a four point buffer, I believe five point buffer on Tampa. Tampa's got a game in hand, but the Leafs, like you said, they got Vegas tomorrow at Colorado on Saturday, and then they got Florida three more times, Johnny, twice at home and once in Florida. It feels like those six points likely determine who ends up with that one seed in the division. Do you see it that way?

And if so, how imperative are the next 20 games for the Leafs to make sure that they're set up to do that? Yeah. I mean, it feels like it will work out that way. Now you can't take anything for granted because going Vegas, Colorado and even Utah is no cupcake. They're playing better as well. So you can't be thinking about I think they got Florida maybe next Thursday

and like eight or eight days or now, nine days or now, whatever it is. But yeah, I mean, if they can sweep those three games, it's going to be hard for Florida to make up the advantage. Otherwise, it's going to be tough. I mean, obviously, Florida seems to just be getting comfortable right at the right time. Paul Maurice hasn't been panicked even without Matthew Kachuk. I don't know if he's going to play again this year, but they'll probably be active with that money in the next 48 hours as well.

Um, but it's for maybe for the Leafs more than anyone, given their challenges in the first round and given their history maybe with Florida Maybe not so much with Tampa But to win to where we've talked about it at length to win the division and you can keep talking about it But the reality is you know playing against Detroit or Columbus or Ottawa is much better than playing against Florida or Tampa, so yeah, it's huge and there's no rest. I don't know what you can do. They just go out and play and take the days off and rest when they can and whatever it is. But they put themselves in a great spot. If you would have told them

before the season, Hey, you guys will have, you'll be up one with a game in hand with 20 games left. You take that? Yeah. Yeah. I think we take that for sure, especially when you consider Austin Matthews had a year very different than last year. And the injuries, the production that's gone, you know, quite a bit down, they're in a great spot and they know that their best player has more if he can get healthy. And on top of the game, he's got way more in him. And that would make me feel comfortable and confident if I'm around the Leafs knowing that they're in a pretty good spot right now.

Johnny, if you were running the Leafs and your options shrunk to one where somebody said you can only get one thing at the deadline or leading up to it, what would you decide on? Would it be the forward, like a center man that everyone's talking about or would it be a D man? You know, it's tough to say. If you could give me a... I would probably go centerman. I think I'd probably default to when we struggle in the playoffs is because we can't score. So yes, I would like an impactful defenseman as opposed to a third pair guy. I'm here to get a top three kind of guy, which might be a little bit difficult, but oh, I still think at the end of the day, when they bump into those best teams, they're going

to need goals. And as much as we all admire Max and how hard he plays and the stuff he does, it's not like whatever, one goal in 30 games, three or four in the year. It's hard, it's going to be hard to get through playoffs series against these teams without more goals. So I think the defense, the goal-tenning, the team defense will be good enough though. If I had to take one, I think I would go chase offense. And that means go get an offensive player, you know, a well-rounded player, not one-dimensional,

but don't just go get a checker. Jake Evans just resigned. Like don't go get Jake Evans just because he's a be the good player any good check you got guys that can check you guys can help score and i i would be targeting that if i give you these two players you gotta pick one of them who you have no faith in will elevate their game and play the best hockey they played all season come playoff time who are you choosing aust Matthews or Morgan Riley?

Austin Austin for sure. Yeah, I know Morgan's had some great playoff moments He was amazing when they beat Tampa, but well one awesome feeling is way higher at this point You know, I think he's been held back largely because of health reasons not because of game reasons Where's Morgan Riley? You know, I think he's been held back largely because of health reasons, not because of game reasons. Whereas Morgan Reilly, maybe some usage, some confidence, and maybe just the game that he plays is not ideally suited for what Craig Berube does. And quite frankly, Morgan Reilly playing whatever, you know, if he's at 80% of absolute best, that's going to be really good for Leafs. They can get through with him at 80%. I don't think the Leafs can get through wherever they're trying to go with Austin Matthews being at 80% capacity. He's got to be much closer to 100. And if he can get healthy, and I don't, you know, he says he is, but I have no idea.

I think I would trust him because he's got a lot more. He's got a lot more room to grow, a lot more room to give to get something closer to his best. With Mike Johnson, our TSN hockey analyst, what was that Tom Wilson, Brady Kachuk fight like last night? Oh, big boy. I mean, it was fantastic. I mean, you know, they both, I would have no idea, but like I would imagine they both

realize that the other guys out there that had a couple run ins already this year in the games they played, you know, a couple skirmishes that never quite got there. They've had a couple run-ins already this year in the games they played, you know, a couple skirmishes that never quite got there and Giroud caught Tom Wilson with a bit of a you're not looking hit, which Tom Wilson should be quite well aware of, and then he was going back at Giroud so Brady just went right in there and that was two of the very best. I mean as far as players, that score, that that hit that fight Those are the two best guys in the league are they not I mean I think they have to be at this point and That was about the big boy fight like they were swinging for the fences that was that was good

I think you know Brady trying to ignite his team Tom Wilson showing that he could still do it that was And I got you back again I'm not a big fighter guy, but that was that got your ramped up a little bit watch hope you got glad it good gilts jim j you called that game uh... how big it was that point for all i want to get considered it was three comp i mean i will they're gonna make a mess by a point right noodle so every

extra point this is imperative for them to grab strategy when you're going to get the best in the east East and you're down three nothing and you're playing terrible. Your goalie noodles. He was out to lunch at times in that game and yet he responded, team responded. And the worst, the most frustrating part is they had a full two minute power play. It overlapped like the Leafs, right?

The full power play overtime and they couldn't get it done on a four on three, ended up losing the shootout. But yeah, it's huge, and they could probably take some confidence out of that. They got Chicago tomorrow, if I'm not mistaken. Or maybe Chicago on Thursday, whatever it is. And that's a game you have to have if you're Ottawa, but they're right in the thick of it. But there's so many teams between Montreal and the Rangers,

the Blue Jacketsets the Red Wings Chens like they're all right there and still deploy won't want to go away just yet But yeah every point because they're good They said they're gonna get said what 90 points or maybe 89 points and the number is gonna be right around that exact number Yeah, Johnny we were talking about Vancouver and Pederson and he came out and acknowledged some of his shortcomings, whatever his situation is, but to be a fan of their team, how jacked up you'd be a year ago with young pieces in place with Miller, Pedersen, Demko, Quinn Hughes and to be where they're at now, how would you even approach what the hell they

got going on right now? Because even if they crawl in, they're going to get smoked. Yeah, it's wild. And they've turned the page on Miller. They've really signed Lankin in to base. I don't know what that means for Demko in his future. It feels like it's not going to be in Vancouver. You're having a Norris Smart Trophy season by your best player, and it's still not nearly

enough. I guess they have such a big decision on Pedersen. Do they try to move off him before his no trade kicks in the summer? Or do they trust that he will get back to be the guy? I don't know how you can know one way or the other because they've tried every trick of the book, I'm sure, to ignite him this year, including trading the guy

that was perceived to be the thing holding him back and it hasn't worked. But maybe it's a bit of a reminder, oh, like sports are really fickle. It's hard to be good all the time. And when you are good, like if you're the Toronto Maple Leaf, you spin it back to Toronto, you got to take your shots because you don't know. Maybe next year you might have a down year. Toronto has been sort of spoiled being sort of good every year, even if they don't win

in the playoffs. You just, you don't know and can't trust that it's all gonna work out, because clearly, just whatever that could go wrong has gone wrong so far in Vancouver. Or Nashville, you know, those kind of teams. Like, you would never think, but that's how it goes sometimes.

Well, and what is adding insult to injury in Vancouver is JT Miller looks like Mario Lemieux all of a sudden. Oh man, the guy has three points last night. He's got what, 14 points I think in the 12 games he's played I believe, seven goals, seven assists. He's got more points than Pederson has shots on goal since the trade went down, which is staggering. That's ugly.

That's so ugly and that's the thing. I mean I guess I'd put money on Vancouver getting in I guess because I don't think they're competing with the same Amount of teams but at the same point you look at it now, you know, there's that second wild-card spot You got Calgary Vancouver st. Louis in Utah. Those are the teams that are legitimately chasing and In the East the Rangers are now they're tied in points with Detroit. They're two back at Columbus rangers are now they're tied in points with detroit there to back a columbus yet columbus detroit new york ottawa maybe montreal maybe boston

but there's a real chance vancouver's gonna miss and new york's gonna make it and they're gonna make it in large part because of j t miller and that covers gonna mess in large part because of a lies peterson that's our that that is truly a reality as of today that would probably be more like a child the forty fifty percent likely that it played out just like that and you know that cannot you're thinking we had to make a call and i don't blame them for

picking miller younger all the rest of it or older but you'd be second-guessing yourself about how you did everything from refining to these guys to how they dealt with whatever turmoil was going on to trading with JT Miller, keeping Pederson. And Pederson, I mean, I know it's been evaluated to death, but when you watch him, it's, it's almost strange. It's such a far cry from the guy we saw his first several years in the league. It's if he's healthy, it's hard to, you know, I get life gets in in the league if he's healthy it's it's hard to the i'd you know i'd like to get in the way maybe got the real life stuff going on we don't know about but

beyond that it's hard to even figure what what you're gonna do with him and what do you do with him going forward always but what do you do with bring them back and hope well i don't know if you can do don't you have this is the crazy thing about the peterson thing is you have to evaluate right now if this guy is just gone Like a lost cause and you simply got to get out from under the cap

Not lost cause but just gone and coming back. That's but that's that's what I'm saying Oh, it's like you in you can you guys think of someone as good as he was the prime of his career Without I guess major injury we know about I mean it's Hubert Oh vibes you Hubert Oh yeah okay very similar to that but you but he's making Hubert Oh look like Mario right Hubert Oh which trade at least change that he's yeah you know like right at least something happened to him to make him think like well maybe that's why i mean other than the miller saying what happened i don't know it's out right now it's a that's a little you know you were to go got taken out of a

very comfortable situation which he didn't see that and he was playing with bark off like that you know they had an unbelievable tandem jamie the timing of it is incredible they handed over his contract they passed it over to inside right there for eleven point six any roger dorn did he threw it on the field and pulled his drawers down and his daughter uh... uh... sees the reference

elias well i don't know Ole on the third base. Ole. Don't ever do that again, Dorn. I mean, Doogie wrote in the group chat, Patrick Lyne had a drop-up, but he's had some well-documented issues, correct? Off the top of the ice. So that's a little different.

This one, again, we don't know the nature of what he's going through, but this has been a massive drop off. Oh, you know, you've been his biggest supporter for years and, and you know, we've watched him that the guy is a hundred point guy and all of a sudden it looks like he forgot how to play hockey. It's crazy. Johnny, I thought he'd be snatching heart trophies away from McDavid. He was that good early on.

I'm like, I love the way he's got like a Gretzky vibe to him. The way he kind of moved around the ice and passed it and shot it and then it's just like poof I don't know you mentioned how difficult it is to play in the league and play well at a high level at all times But that's a drop-off and the thing that bugged me early on like even as far as a couple weeks ago He just looks so and I get it people have stuff going on But take a break. Do whatever you got to do.

Don't go in front of the camera and act so pissy. That might be it though. Like, and honestly, I don't mean this like snarky. If whatever's going on is, you know, bothering you, is upsetting you, is troubling you to that degree, maybe just take a break. You're right. Like just get away. Get whatever is going on resolved as best you can clear your head because

Yeah, it's one thing to play poorly that happens But you're right like kind of the pouty sort of annoyed sort of you know Pissy whatever the term is the way he carries himself on the ice and the media all of it. He just he just looks so disengaged from everything and You know, you're, money or no money, you're playing professional sports, you gotta bring a little bit more off than that. So it's, I mean, it's impossible.

It's such a tough situation for Vancouver trying to figure out how to navigate this because it's not something that is a normal problem teams try to solve, right? Guy's hurt, guy's not in a good fit, loses his confidence, loses his staff, whatever. They've experienced this stuff. This guy in the middle of his career

dealing with something and it just eroding his love for the game or his love for life or his compete, whatever, confidence, all of it. It's sad, but it's, it's, I won't say it's sad, but it's, you know, it's tough for him. I can't, I can't imagine what his, you know, he may look like he doesn't care, but everyone cares. Like no matter, even if you don't care, you still care.

And his nights would be, would be difficult sort of thinking about what's happened and where his game gone, and all the noise around them. It would be a really tough go. Undoubtedly. And especially in a market like that where it's volatile, it's a Canadian market, and there's a lot of history there, and yet you still have a chance to salvage it if you can find a way to help your team get into the playoffs so you can still make something out

of this year. All right, Johnny, we'll leave it there there have a good call tomorrow night will do it later in the week all right i don't need to be spanish tables are busy or not for you know that please do will be a full on that is full update that full update needed but they're not Vegas thank you johnny

mike johnson joining so the maple to the hotline count on maple to the for the right winter tire package for your Toyota Trading your old tires buy a new set get $40 back visit maple Toyota comm women run the charts lead the conversation and make history this international women's day Turn up the women of the North playlist

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