OverDrive - Johnson on the Maple Leafs' season start, Maccelli on the first line and Cowan's team opportunity

Episode Date: September 23, 2025

TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines for the Maple Leafs entering the season, the players to watch on the team, Matias Maccelli and Max Domi's spot on the first line, Easton Cowan's opportunity to make the roster, Jonathan Toews' return, William Nylander's role and more.

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today i love it man it's awesome it's good to see it's good to see it jonas was mentioning it earlier that camp like the least it feels a little bit different this year and we had a difficult time kind of putting our finger on why that might be the case i don't know if you have a similar feeling if you do can you put your finger on why it feels a a little bit different this year for the Leafs maybe compared to past seasons. I mean, he's down there. He would have a sense, but I don't know,

Hasey. I mean, it feels to me like maybe having Craig Baroube for a second time around, maybe the Mitch Marner, if there was some sort of element of a distraction or on their heads at all, that is gone. But I don't know about this idea that, you know, they're lighter, they're

freer, it's easier, it's fun. If they win, it will be, be all those things. If they lose, it'll be none of those things. It'll be tight. It'll be grinding. It'll be stressed. It'll be all the stuff maybe that have been associated the past few years. But they're good. They know

they're good. The one thing that might be different, and I think this could be for a real benefit to the team, is if the vibe of the team, and we're not even talking necessarily on the ice, but just everything, dressing room, all of it, is less the four guys,

core four, or whatever. Everyone talks about they don't want to hear it anymore. And now it's more, yeah, we got some top players and we have some guys who are not as good as those guys, but it's more collective, not for guys, and the rest of the guys. It's just the whole team like every other team sort of is in the NHL. Johnny, it's, you know, it seems like it's probably not a high event training camp because, for the most part, you've got a lot of guys slotted. Who do you get your eye on, you know, is it just as simple as the new players and how they are going to try and settle in

with a guy like Austin Matthews or maybe Nicholas Waugh? Like who you've circled to kind of take a peek at to see how they settle in? Yeah, I mean, I think obviously Machelli, he's going to get a run tonight besides Nyes and Matthews. That is the premium position in the lineup. He was brought in to probably play there. We'll see how he does there. And we'll see how whoever lines up with Tavares and Nylander tonight. It's got to be a McMahon.

But you think about it, this is one of the best teams in the league. They're going to be really good again. and there is legitimate competition for a spot on each of the first two lines. Like that is probably more than most teams have. And while it might not be sort of high event, as you phrase it noodles, like there are more NHL players than there are spots. So Yarncroke and Kemp and Robertson, all the guys who kind of scored last game in Ottawa,

those guys are all battling for something because there's Lotton and there's Lawrence and what's Easton Cowan going to do. So to me, there are pretty intense battles, not just maybe for important positions, but just roster spots. Because you have NHL players on NHL contracts who will not be on the NHL team if everyone's healthy at the end of camp.

See, I look at Robertson and Mike, like I'd be curious to know how do you evaluate him in the preseason? Because every preseason, he scores a million goals. I looked it up the other day. I think he's eight goals and 12 points in his last 14 preseason games.

And it's like, if I'm the team, I kind of know that you can, do that a bit, but like what is, what else do I need to see? Like, what would you need to be seeing from Nick Robertson in the preseason that would change your mind? Is there anything you can do?

I mean, it'd be easy to say, well, play better away from the puck, and he really works to that, like, standing between the benches. I can tell that he is physically preoccupied with making good decisions. It's amazing to watch him. You can see his mind working, trying to figure

out, should I go here, should I not? Should I chip it should I stick handle because he wants to do the right thing. So maybe there's that. But I think the best thing that he could do is somehow latch on to other players who will be in the lineup in a consistent spot. So if he plays a couple games with Tavares and Nielander and does great, that's more important than him scoring with Easton Cowan and Cali Yon Croke. Because if he somehow helps someone who's not going anywhere as opposed to just himself, that would help his cause. But I guess you just said, there's not a whole bunch else he can do in training camp other than try to carry it over if he gets the opportunity.

But trying to find a spot that, okay, third line winger, that's him. That's where the other guys will shuffle, not him, which is an uphill battle in this camp, but if he wants to make it, that's probably what he's going to have to do. With Mike Johnson, our TSA hockey analyst, Lee Sends tonight on TSN4, Barube was complimentary of Easton Cowan and Ben Danford. Like, I'm pretty certain Danford's going to go back to Oshawa. Like, I think he's going to go back to the OCHL. Cowan is a different story.

You know, like he's not going back to the OHL. What is your read on Cowan's chances of actually making the team opening night? I don't think they're great, not because he's not talented, because the same problem I just outlined, right? There's too many players. And he's the easiest guy, no waivers, all the stuff we know about. And he could go to the American League and star, right? Power play, 23 minutes, first line, all that stuff that you'd like.

like him to grow into more of than a lesser role that you have to play to make this lineup. So it's a challenge meaning I guess playing away from the puck. Craig Brube is big on being responsible and being diligent. But the other part about it is that when I watch him and I hear about

how good he was in London and I've seen him play world juniors and everything else, I need to see for him pace. Hase in his game that he can sort of get up and down fast enough because he's not the biggest and he's probably not the strongest and he's got tons of bite and grit and all that stuff.

But he's got to be fast enough to get there to make plays. Because surviving on being steady, Eddie, he will not make the team at all if he's a guy you don't notice at the end of the game, right? David Kemp makes the team that way. Easton Cowan will not. He's got to make plays to make a mark. And to do so, he's got to be fast enough. And that's the one thing I'll sort of be watching tonight,

but against another good NHL team. You know, can he skate well enough to get to the spots to make the plays? Johnny, we're talking about the goaltending situation. The Hilda Beast, do you think there's a real opportunity here just with, you know, the uncertainty with Joseph Wall's situation? It feels that way. I mean, he would be the next man up, I suppose. With so much talk about Stolars and Wall, I don't pay that much attention to the depth chart of the Leif's goaltending situation. They have sort of random guys here and there, but, you know, it was Matt Murray last year and Hildebee and whatever it is.

But, you know, Hildebee played a couple games. He looked good in some, not so good in others. his numbers in the AHL are not too bad. He's been there for a while. So hopefully whatever is going on with Joseph Wohl is short term. He'll be back before we know it. And this conversation won't matter. But if he's not, or if there's an injury,

you know, he'll be wants to play well enough in games like this and in games in the American League that makes it clear he's got to be the first guy up. Not that he's an option. He's the only option. And every start for a guy like that in a moment like tonight will matter because he's starting tonight's game, I think. So Jonathan Taves making his debut tonight. For the Winnipeg Jets.

Yeah. Yeah. What do you expect that at Taves this year? Not going to lie to you. I don't like three season games and they're like playing in them. I don't like working at them. I think they're not worthless. I'm going to tune in to like, I'm going to go home and I'm going to watch the highlights.

I'm going to watch that one back a little bit. I guess what I'm expecting bare minimum hazy is, you know, obviously very solid, defensive-minded. If his body's right, because at the end of his career, last time we saw him, you know, was really slowing down. Again, the sort of speed of the game was getting to him, so he wasn't as good defensively, despite all the things he does well. If his body's right,

I know he's older, but he's also two years without any wear and terror physically, if he can skate. I'm expecting on that team, I don't know, 45, 50, 40 to 50 points, good in the face-offs, out at the end of the games, killing penalties,

leadership, experience of winning in the playoffs, something that the Jets have been having a hard time doing the last few years, years, I'm really cheering for him because it's been, if you've read, I don't know if you guys have read in the articles or seen in the interviews, it's been a really long, circuitous journey to try to get healthy, trying a whole bunch of different stuff. And if he gets himself right, I want him to be able to play something like he used to. And so, yeah, if he can move well enough, 40 to 50 points and playing most games and just

sort of being an important complimentary player to the guys above him. Mike, I have a maybe dumb question to ask you. You guys can tell me. As opposed to the usual ones you ask? They're always 10 out of 10. It's a rare recurrence. Everyone buckle up. I saw Chris Knoblock say today that he's going to play dry-settel and McDavid together.

And obviously I just think about the leaves. So like I don't, cool. Is it crazy to just play Nealander with Matthews and Nyes? Like is that, why is that a non-idea? Non-starter. Non-starter. Non-starter. There you go.

Like, why don't just do that? There you go. because that line would be incredible, obviously. Would it be incredible to enough? And would the least be too easy to load up and play against? And, you know, I don't know where Tavares was, but we know Tavares had a great year, but his five-on-five driving days are probably behind him.

And so you're going to have Tavar's playing with who, McMahon and Domi, McMahon and Macheli. Those are wild unknowns. Wild. What kind of five-on-five production you could get out of those guys? I just saw like Mike like go back to Boston it's not like they were like overflowing with depth on their second and third lines

but like they did it right I don't I agree with you I probably wouldn't do it but why like is it a crazy idea? Did they do it when they won a cop? No sir I you know I it's not crazy and you'll probably see stuff like that at times throughout the year and maybe you know

Tavares will slide up with Matthews and Nielander who knows what they'll do but I just think for 82 games the burden that would put on that first line would be enormous now they might be able to carry it but if I'm playing the Leafs put yourself in the other

team's room Azy Noodles like okay we circle that first line if we stop them we win the game flat out because we don't believe anyone else is really going to score and hurt us so I would prefer to spread it around that would be more of a last option as opposed to a first one well what's interesting is not

Oblox, you know, trying to, his explanation for playing McDavid and Dry Settle was that he'll get more out of the rest of the lineup somehow. That's what he was trying to explain today. And I think his reasoning was they're going to get more minutes or more opportunity because everything runs through Connor. And if Dry Settles on another line, everything runs through him. I think he's trying to convince himself and the world that that's accurate statement. They're buying time until Hyman returns. But listen, it's going to be explosive. Like, if McDavid's playing with Drysidal,

like no one's stopping those two. What's the difference there? Like, do they have... If I guess, that's a good question. I don't know. You've got R&H on that second line. Isn't that, so that's... Offensively, he's no better than Tavares.

Right. So you're right. Probably not. It's sort of the same, except McDavid and Drysettler are better. Yes. As great as Matthews and Nehler are better. Sure.

Right. And also, they can play if they want, 25, 26. They can play so much together. And I'm trying to wrap my head around. It's that logic that the other guys might get more. Like, sure, they might get to advance the puck up the ice in their stick occasionally more often as opposed to giving it to one of those other two guys.

Doesn't mean they're going to score anymore. There's no way they're going to get more points. But, like, Savoy, Nugent Hopkins, and Ike Howard are not scoring more than Ike Howard and, dry-sidal and whoever. Like it's not, it's just not going to happen. So, you know, again, break in case of emergency, but

it's day four of camp. Is it, I don't know. I know, Hyman's a big injury, but that seems again, no advice to me. I'm surprised they're doing it because he's moved Nugent Hopkins up with McDavid a lot in the past. I think it's just, for me, this is all lip service.

Like, they've got to figure out who's going to play with who. Obviously, like, is I, Howard going to be a guy who can play in your top six? Is Savoy going to be a guy who can play in your top six? Is that Tomasek going to be a guy? They know Manjia Panii, they believe he can play there. They've got options.

But the biggest thing is, like, yes, in case of problems, break glass and put those guys out there and do what they do. Well, Annoos, like you saw in the playoffs last year, they moved those guys around all the time. Every shift was September 23rd or whatever. There isn't a problem. But you know what? I'm not playing right now. Guess what we're doing. We're not talking about McDavid's contract for

the 800th time right now. Would we? Although I could spin it into. You have noodles. You know what? I will spin it because if noodles is, if noodles, if noodles, if noodles, you like McDavid, if McDavid is concerned about how good they'll be in the future. Right.

And how they will contend for the next decade. Loading up him and dry cell together is not the answer that he's looking for. He knows already that works and dry cell is going to be there for eight more years. It's what the other guys are and what the other guys can play with dry settle like, what the other guys can play with him like because him and dry settle together is not really a decade. long solution, I think, for what McDavid is looking to have answered. So, yes, we're not talking about his contract, but if he sits back with his group and say, okay, we play the first 20 games.

Leon and I are together. We got 45 points each. Like, we are killing it. But we're, you know, 12, 8 and 2, or 12 and 8 because the other, everyone below us doesn't score. Then it becomes about his contract again. So I don't know if this is necessarily answering the questions that McDavid might have about the depth of this team.

Well, I think these guys have to, go ahead, Brian. Like, I was just going to say, like, conversely, if you don't play him with dry saddle, it's like, he's looking around, he's like, who's who I'm playing with? You know, eventually you have to. The thing is, is eventually you've got to buy it. You got to believe it. You do have to. And I think one of those guys will push through.

That's Savoy is a really good player. So is this Howard. Now, they're not big, but like, you know, they signed Pod Colson. The first guy did you see you put on his extension today, yeah. You see the first guy on his Instagram was, dry saddle loves him loves playing like you know again he's a straight line player sometimes you go okay this is a guy that

you know maybe I've found my hymen maybe I've found the guy and goes and gets the puck for me yeah like that's the same it's exactly like that's the crazy thing is talking to people out of Edmonton it's like dry saddle loves Pod Colson because Pod Colson's a good skater he's heavy and he knows exactly what to do

go and get 29 the puck So the challenge is find somebody to play with them. Like that's the, who's going to play the right side if they are going to split those two up? Because I think they are going to split them up. It would be asinine to start the season with those two going, okay, here we go. And then the rest of you guys just kill time until those guys are back out. That was the formula four years ago. Why even bother practicing with them?

We know they work. They don't need any extra time together. That's what I'm. Work on the other stuff. That's an unknown. Don't work on the known commodity, which is those two. who are unstoppable together. But listen,

Nalbach's a smart guy. He's got a good handle. And you mentioned some names that Tomashek. I've seen him play internationally. Mon Jampani. He scored, whatever, 35 a couple years ago with Calgary.

So they have names, but names that you'd like to see work with those two big guys and see which ones probably the other ones best until certainly Hyman gets back. Yeah. What's the dress coat on some of the players down there, Johnny? You see anyone walking in like slippers and just, well, he's wearing a house coat, I guarantee you.

So here's my So I was just down rummaging around You guys have been And Dakota Joshua walked in He was wearing like slacks and a t-shirt Like well like a nice one Not a grubby one But like that's it

Totally looked nice But the better part was I don't know if Dakota Joshua Has ever been in the Leaf's room before Right Because he probably has been at master Or whatever it's called the practice ring So I'm standing outside of the roof room talking

He walks right past it And he looks down the hallway down to where the media area is I'm like Rooms right here the big silver doors or the weight rooms back around the corner he's just never been here before i'm like um you know that's the sort of nuances of new guys forget about the uh dress code who was pants and a t-shirt but just a new guy who's going to be a good player does not know how to get in the dress room and then they walked in the poor security guys like um you play for the

leaves you they weren't sure who he was like yes let him in the line up come on yeah get him in the lineup come on and he's on time he's going to be here for a while i don't know this dress code like he's playing tonight He's playing it tonight. Be a pro. I don't know. Johnny's got chest hair throwing at us

in through the screen. He's relaxing the dress code down there. Relaxed dress code. I love it, man. You're anti-dress code. Like, it doesn't matter. The day I get a chest hair, the day is tomorrow.

It's coming for you. But it doesn't matter, but it doesn't look. It does look different. It's an adjustment to watch. Like, it's pictures. It makes no difference

to what happens before the game. I will bet anything that John Tavaris walks in in a suit. I'm sorry. Yeah? I hope he does. He does so. I'm telling you. I would say, like, noodles, my first four years in the league,

I would have been like Dakota Joshua, pants and a t-shirt, whatever, pants and a shirt. My last eight years in league, I would have worn a suit. Because I would have liked the idea of, I'm going to work. Like, it's different than practice. Like, this is a game. This matter. It's like, okay, we're going to flip the script. It's serious.

We're focused. We're taking time to be prepared. And part of that very symbolic preparation for me would have been put. a suit on. Now, maybe don't wear a tie, but whatever, put a suit on. But yeah, I don't and the first thing, as we know, some guy's got to be wearing, like, track pants and a T-shirt,

and you'll have a bad game. Like, see? He wasn't prepared, and it'll be ridiculous. That bullet's in the chamber, man. It's ready to go for some of the pop. You know it's coming. All right, Johnny. Well, enjoy it tonight, buddy. We're looking forward to catching you on TSN, and we'll do it again soon. Thank you for this.

All right. There he is. Mike Johnson, joining us here on the Maple Toyota. hotline. Get in and go where adventure takes you in a 2025 Tacoma from Maple Toyota near Canada's Wonderland. In the Maple Auto Mall, visit maple toyota.com. The newest tracks and the next big

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