OverDrive - Johnston on the Oilers and Panthers' showdown, McDavid's chase for a cup and Marner's future outlook

Episode Date: June 3, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston joined OverDrive to discuss Mitch Marner's future and the possibility of departure from the Maple Leafs, Brad Treliving's priorities, the Stars and Hurricanes set for a packed offseason, the Oilers' journey for the redemption series, how the Panthers could win back-to-back Stanley Cup's and more.

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leadership skills, connect with mentors, and gain real-world experience, all while giving back to your community. Best of all, it's a no-cost program available across Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, and BC. Thoughts are limited, so register now at careerfoundation.com. That's careerfoundation.com. Join today and be part of something amazing. Here's Chris Johnston, our TSN hockey insider. How would you respond to that CJ? The plus 450 Mitch re-signing with the Maple Leafs, shorter odds than anywhere else in the league? I guess probably, I mean look, I don't know anything

about odds making, but I would assume some of the issue with that is just, it's hard to identify just one team if you were to leave. I mean, if you gave me the field or the leaves, I would be taking the field in terms of, I do think it's more likely than not that he's signing with one of the other 31 teams, but I can't sit here and tell you right now,

well, it's team X or team Y. I think that that still has to take shape. And obviously, for Mitch and his family, it's obviously a huge life decision for them and you know as Noodle was mentioning there before I came on I mean I think he's gonna have a lot of different opportunities put in front of him he's gonna have a lot of money put in front of them and ultimately he's gonna want to go somewhere that he believes he has a chance to win his Stanley Cup as well. Well that's it like we're looking at the

the odds there and there's there's a real combination of quality teams like Toronto like Vegas, Carolina that make the conference finals seemingly every year and then Chicago's in there and Utah and Anaheim and it's like well those teams aren't close like you know Chicago is arguably the worst team in the league it's a big market though. It probably will be next year too. Probably will be yeah and I guess that's the question CJ like how does he marry the two? Money with winning. Like how do you there's because there's not that many teams that can can do that right like that have the amount of cap space that have the appetite for a guy like Marner

but that are one of the seven or eight best teams in the league. Like is is I don't know is it possible a team comes out of nowhere moves heaven and earth to try to bring a man and maybe we're not talking about them as suitors right now well i think the way you do it mean ultimately you probably have to prioritize one a little bit higher than the other i mean any marquee free agent in martyrs situation is is going to get a chance to be greedy in in a sense that

that they can be in demand that it's a good team in an attractive city on a contract that will make them right up there among the league's highest paid players. I do think he can ask for that, but at some point in time he's going to have to decide which is maybe a little bit more important of all those factors. Let's face it, if you're joining a team in one of the tax-free states, if it was a team like the Panthers or Vegas or you go down a list, I mean those teams just don't pay the same amount for their players. I mean it's been proven over a number of contracts and over

a number of years here that I think you're not getting the absolute top dollar in terms of the number that gets recorded on the cap sites if you're going to one of those teams. If you're going to a team that has a chat that's loaded with other frontline players, that team's going to want you to take a little bit of a haircut just to fit you in. The cap is a reality even in a rising cap environment. That being said, there's other places if Mitch does decide to maybe go to a team that hasn't had the recent run of success,

but he sees them position over the life of his contract to become a contender, I think in those sorts of scenarios, there's almost a premium in choosing to go to those kind of teams, and he could probably get a little bit more. And I don't know exactly when it comes time to make a decision where his mind is going to land on all these issues, but I'll tell you, he's going to have some good problems to have

here in the next few weeks if he sees this through and hits free agency because I think he's going to have a lot to consider come July 1. CJ, before we get to the finals, I just wanted to get your thought on you were at the press conference when Brad Tree Living said the DNA needs to change. How risky would it be in this market? Sometimes it's overstated because you just do what you do and who cares what the market says. But how risky would it be to make those comments and then have a bunch of the same where there's

not a lot of change? how did you interpret that comment? Well, you know, I interpreted it that it's not going to be status quo, right? I mean, so many years prior, and it wasn't Brad True Living for the most part delivering those kind of press conferences, but whether it was Kyle Dubas or Brandon Chanahan, the Leafs had come out of seasons and talked about some of the lessons from the playoffs and getting Arden through their experience. What I took from that is that he's going to change the composition of his roster and in a way that makes a meaningful difference. Now some of that I think is being the decisions being made for them, especially if Mitch

Marner chooses to go to market, but obviously they still have a big call to make on John Tavares, whether they, they, you know, bring him back and, and, you know, the Leafs are going to have, you know, money to spend one way or another this summer. So they're going to have opportunities and free agency and on the trademark it to make some, some changes. So, you know, I guess maybe when, when we see what the roster ends up being next September, October, we might debate that they change enough of the composition. Does it, Does it amount to a DNA change or does it feel the same? But the way I interpreted that comment from Tree Living,

which was part of his prepared remarks as well. So that was something he thought about. That wasn't just a sort of spur of the moment thing he said and didn't mean. I mean, it's obviously was part of the message he wanted to deliver. I took from that that they look at this string of the way they've obviously was part of the message you want to deliver you know i i took from that that that they look at the string of the way they've lost some of the things that

happened to playoffs and they see a pattern that they they don't want to repeat and and so they think that catches that you know bring back the same the same the same and expect a different results in so i think it was the sign of a similar that the least effective pretty busy in terms of remaking the roster Well speaking of teams that could be busy you see the teams that have lost and are doing their year-end

media a lot of noise coming out of Dallas and you know Rod Brindemore and drawing a blank on the Tulsi yeah, Tulsi, sorry had their media and talking about how they were going to be proactive. Have you been checking in with those markets to see because it's certainly a lot of wild speculation of what Dallas would be looking at and Carolina said they're going to spend to the cap and try and add more top tier players. So it's even before we get to the finals, what about those two teams that are making a lot of noise right now? Yeah, I would say of those conference finalists, I think the Hurricanes are set up to have

the more eventful summer of the two just because they have cap space. I think that they have a burning desire internally to get some star level talent added to their roster. That was the case this season too. That was partly what precipitated the Miko Ratnendale. Obviously, they were talking to Vancouver during the year, involved in looking at Elias Pedersen at that time. And so, I think that we've learned, if anything, about the Hurricanes is that they are unafraid

to try to shake things up. And so, I think that they're in a great spot to do that. And wouldn't surprise me all frankly, if one way they attempt to do it is if they're one of the more aggressive pursuers of Mitch Marner. And we know that they tried to acquire him ahead of the deadline. At that time, Marner didn't wanna wave

his no movement clause. I don't think he was gonna wave it for anywhere just because he wanted the opportunity to make his own decision to go to free agency and decide where he wants to play come July 1st. But I could definitely see the Hurricanes being one of the teams knocking on his agent's door.

So, you know, as for Dallas, they're a little bit more clocked in. They ultimately made the Rantin' deal and then sent him to his new deal, which kicked in the season. They've got a raise coming for Wyatt Johnston, a young player on their roster. They don't have as much flexibility and I think that's why your hearing names like the possibility of a Jason Robertson being shipped out because ultimately if Dallas wants to change its DNA so to speak, they're going to have to shed some salary in some way and because they're a good team,'ve been a top three straight conference

finals. I mean they're probably going to have to look at moving a player they might even like just to change the composition. They've got some older guys like David Ben and Matthew Shane, both UFAs as well there but I don't think it's as easy just because of sort of where they're at in their life cycle and some of the contracts have handed out To make meaningful change and you know, they're obviously looking in the mirror and wondering, you know after two straight losses to Edmonton I mean, how do we get better in to beat the Oilers specifically?

How can we and you know ensure that if we see them again next year in the playoffs for the third straight time? That they're gonna find a way to come out on. And so, you know, it's hard to imagine, I would think, in their front office, that it's just going to happen naturally, you know, through the same players, maybe rising the occasion a little bit more because they were beaten pretty suddenly, especially in this year's series, but they were both five game series that they lost to Edmonds in the last two years. And then in this Western Conference in particular, the Stars barely had a lead. They were chasing the whole time even when they won game one, they came from behind the

third period to do it. It's amazing what pressure teams are in around the league. Obviously we know where the Leafs are at after a second round series loss, but even in Dallas and Carolina, only one team out of 32 can win each year, and that means a lot of front offices are looking for answers come this time of year when they're watching the Stanley Cup Final from afar. With Chris Johnston, our TSN Hockey Insider. So you're back around these two teams again a year later.

We know how last year's Cup Final played out. Anything feel different to you if so what what would represent something unique this time around you know what's unique for me even just the opportunity to see two teams go at it again back-to-back years obviously it did happen you know with Pittsburgh and Detroit you know 13 14 years ago whatever that was but you know it's not something you're ever gonna see too often I don't think. And so, there's a little bit less of the feeling of the unknown about what's going to happen

when the game starts tomorrow night, just because these teams are familiar with each other and all the stars remain the same. I think the one thing that's a little different this time is I think both teams can credibly say they're deeper. The Pan the Panthers had a Brad Marsh and I mean he's a third line winger for them you know that's probably been Florida's best line on balance through the entire playoffs and they didn't have him obviously Edmondson has made some changes to its team and they've been cruising ever since falling behind 2-0 in round one they've reeled off a 12-2 record from that point in the playoffs.

They haven't been pushed too far other than that stumble they had right at the start of the playoffs in the first couple days this year. I expect it to be an incredibly close series. It does feel a little different maybe just because there isn't quite the same novelty maybe we've seen in the past. To me we're coming back asking the same question, can McDavid get his cup? This is the game's biggest star and players of IZILC, even though it's the ultimate team sport, tend to find a way to get a team over the finish line.

We've seen it with Crosby and Lemieux and Gretzky obviously over the years and so I think it's going to be a heck of a final. But it it feels very familiar I got to say being back here in Edmonton you know so many of the same players and it's almost like wow where did a year go that that I went by quickly. Yeah that's the amazing thing like there's so many ebbs and flows over the course of a season and like last offseason there's all these different moves and trades and signings and firings and hirings and in the end we're just right back to these two teams you know going at it there was a lot of stuff that went on in between yeah it's basically 1500 games you know played in the NHL between them two and

you're right just back to where we started back to where we started and yet home ice for Edmonton that seems very significant this time around I think it does you know and and Like I just remember game six here last year Obviously Edmonton fell behind three nothing and then to fourth at the game seven But game six at rogers place was insane like it that might be the loudest building i've ever been in and You know, I just I just think that sometimes home ice can be overstated in the playoffs,

but I do think it can matter in this circumstance. And for the Oilers especially, I think the key to playing Florida is not getting behind them. If you can have a lead in the game, it changes what you see from the Panthers. I mean, they're so good at shutting things down once they get ahead. And so playing at home where you do expect the home team, basically in any situation, to push off the opening phase and to use all the emotion and energy in the air. I mean, if that makes you can parlay that into getting some leads in these games, I

think they've got a much better chance, of course, at ultimately winning the Stanley Cup when everything's said and done. So, you know, that's a not insignificant difference from last year's final, at least on paper. We'll see how it plays out in reality. And I do think the others level of experience having been there before, I think it does matter. I mean, they just seem a lot steadier, a lot less excited.

And I don't mean that they're not excited about the opportunity, but a lot less, you know, this isn't novel for them. I think it's all business and and you know they don't want to have another long stint we're thinking about what could have been oh that would be sickening to go back to back cups and lose both to the same team I mean that that's on the line though it's on the line because there it's a real part of that good man like if Florida wins no one's surprised at all I mean they're there they've been the best team in the league for three years they're built for this they're wired for this I think the

fact that they brought in Jones and Marchand and that's like yeah like new blood who are real impact players factor in significantly because you know Edmonton I guess Jake Wallman would be the closest thing to a new piece who's gonna play who plays like big minutes and really can have an impact on the team. Klingberg? I guess Klingberg. Klingberg has been pretty good for them. Right but like like Marchand was like the man for a couple of different rounds here and Jones is gonna play 20 minutes a night like so is Wallman like Klingberg I don't think will play as many minutes

the ads this is kind of interesting that like that that marquee turnover pieces are both on florida in my opinion uh... one land they counted game jones and a seven in toronto i know i'm a little bit of a good at learning is that don't want to remember that night but he was he was awesome and i thought

there was rights e j enjoy yourself out there buddy we'll do it again soon. Right on boys have a good one. There is Chris Johnston joining us here from the Cup Final. I Heart Pride Canada. From dance anthems to pop icons. Let's celebrate diversity and love. And hits from 2SLGBTQ Plus Canadian artists. Be yourself and stand proud. It's your soundtrack for Pride and beyond. Just ask your smart speaker to play I Heart Pride Canada.

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