OverDrive - Johnston on the Sabres' season issues, the Rangers leaking oil and the Canucks set to make moves

Episode Date: December 16, 2024

TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston joined OverDrive to discuss the storylines around the NHL, the Sabres' issues and changes for the roster, the Rangers' next steps for the losing run, Max Domi's big performance against the Sabres, Anthony Stolarz's injury status for the Maple Leafs, the Canucks' roster moves and more.

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Well, let's see if we can get you going. Where should we start here? Maybe in Buffalo. It's been well reported today that Terry Pagula flew to Montreal to meet with the team. I think he met with Kevin Adams, the GM, Lindy Ruff, the coach, and the players. It sounds like

the messaging was, it's all good. We're not going to do anything crazy. Do you believe that is the truth if they get spanked by Montreal tomorrow night? Well, I believe it's the truth in the short term just because of where we are in the calendar, right? I mean, the trade freeze, roster freeze kicks in on Thursday. You know, we're just a week before Christmas. I don't think any team out there is looking to fire someone, you know, at this stage of the season.

But kind of my view on it is let's circle back in early January and see where things are. I mean, you know, from all, you know, everything I've heard, it really was a calm the waters kind of meeting. You know, obviously a pretty extraordinary thing for the owner of a team to do fresh off his bills with, and he's flying to Montreal to, you know, try to calm things with the Sabres. But Pagoula, when you look at him, he's been a very patient owner, maybe a little patient at times for Sabres fans,

but he was not Jim Dolan. He's the antithesis of that in terms of an owner. So I think he is legitimately just trying to calm things down and see where they get to. But I don't think we can say with certainty when a team's dropped 10 straight games that that means anyone's safe. I mean, they're safe this week but you know let's let's get through the holiday break and when that roster window lifts and see if they continue to

lose i mean at some point a decision might still be coming uh on a couple different fronts do you think buffalo would be reluctant to trade some of their young players because of the success other guys have had going elsewhere whether it's been o'reilly or reinhardt or? Do you think Buffalo looks at a guy like Cousins or Quinn and says, like, we're not going to let it happen again on our watch? 100%. I mean, how can you miss that? Every year it seems like a quote-unquote failed Buffalo Sabre is leading his team to a Stanley Cup these years. I mean, we didn't even mention Jack Eichel among those ones,

obviously Reinhardt last year. You know, we're not even talking players that won a Stanley Cup, but guys that were a key part of teams that got the job done. And so I do think there's some trepidation there. I think that's probably the biggest thing that's held up a trade to this point, because the Sabres have been a team that have been pretty active in trade discussions. But I think they're very worried about making the kind of move because some of these guys are struggling that it won't look too long, whether it's a couple months or maybe a year down the road, and you think, wow, why did we give up on him at that stage of his career?

And so, you know, I think for all kinds of reasons, it's got to be a bit of a gun-shy organization. Obviously, they've turned through head coaches, they've turned through players, they've turned through GMs, and, you know, here they are with the longest playoff drought in NHL history. And it looks like it's going to be one year longer with where they're at today. And so I think they're trying to be patient. But the reality of their situation, I think, is going to make it harder and harder if they keep losing games into the Christmas break and beyond it. Well, the Rangers have not been patient, necessarily.

I mean, they moved off Trouba, been incredibly loud, yet they lost multiple times again over the weekend. Peter LaViolette looks as if he doesn't have answers. Lindy Ruff basically said that on the record. LaViolette, they made Kako a healthy scratch. I'm not sure the explanation really made a ton of sense. I'm sorry, but not to cut you off, that is outrageous that Kapo Kako was the healthy scratch there.

They're not getting anything five-on-five from their top guys, and Caco's been really good in that third-line role. His line has been their best line. They don't get scored on, and that's the guy you make a healthy scratch? Yeah. Give me a break. His explanation was fresh legs, as if Kako's 38 years old. He's a kid.

I mean, how much longer can it go for the Rangers before another shoe will drop there? I don't think it will be that long, honestly. I mean, could you look at the totality here, too? Those look like games that get a coach fired normally, right? I mean, you get spanked at home by L.A. and you're booed off the ice the next night. The coach makes all kinds of unusual lineup decisions, you know, Kreider down to the fourth line, tackle scratch, as you mentioned, moved everything around, didn't get any results out

of it. But, you know, the feeling is the Rangers really don't want to make a coaching change. So, you know, what comes next? I mean, it was already Kreider and Truba in the rumor mill three weeks ago. You trade Truba, you know, are you talking about trading Kreider? You know, it was already Kreider and Trouba in the rumor mill three weeks ago. You trade Trouba. Are you talking about trading Kreider? At some point, is Jim Dolan looking at the front office and asking hard questions about Chris Drury? I mean, I think you look at that situation.

There's nothing I would rule out as a possible next point. I mean, probably the only thing you can rule out is there's four or five players and no movement clauses. No guarantee they would move it if management looked to trade them. But I feel like everything has to be on the table with the season the Rangers have had.

So much of it feels self-inflicted. I mean, this team won the President's Trophy last year. They were in the third round of the playoffs. I don't know if that's cold and flu or if that's bad cell phone. It could have been a cold and flu. I don't know if you go that abrupt to the flu. That was a quick shoot deployment. Yeah, that was mid-word. And he was kind of...

He was feeling it, man. I don't think you would have known. This was his flu game. No, he found it. He found a little something. He dug deep for us. That's Jordan game six. Now, the thing about the Rangers that kind of, I guess, irks me in a way is like, it's been so loud around this group right oh this guy's

gonna get traded that guy's gonna get traded there's obviously guys that go to the rink now and they like i don't know if it's like they're grumpy or ornery about it but it's not like not a good feeling going to the rink when you're just worried and always looking over your shoulder or hey what's gonna happen it kind of turns into a bit of a soap opera. So, CJ, now that you're back with us, how much concern would there be from the Rangers' point of view about things just kind of turning into a soap opera and the team just never really finding it because guys are so, I don't know,

unhappy or uncomfortable going to the rink every day? Well, I mean, it feels like we're there, does it? I mean, I can't remember the record. Three and seven in their last ten basically, since the trade rumor started. They did make the one deal. I mean, it's not as though they've gotten any reaction. And they were sliding at that point when all that first got out there. I mean, I don't know what rights to ship.

I'm not sure where I was cut off earlier, but I was kind of making the point. To me, this team isn't that much different than the one that had quite a bit of success last year. You know, a couple players swapped in and out but nothing that you would think would result in you know total different you know results on the ice but you know that's that's what they're getting and so you know this it's it's highly flammable i would say the situation and and you know i i think for players that have been there a long time there's there's an element of looking at management asking there i mean there's an element of looking at management and asking there. I mean, there's a lot of finger-pointing, whether it's being done explicitly or behind closed doors in the conversation.

And so I don't know if the break will help, if there's a rager on the road, if there's a way to clear the air. But it does feel like they need something to change the atmosphere in addition to just the product on the ice because I don't see any reason why this team should be this bad or as bad as they've been the last three weeks or four weeks. So the Leafs get a win last night. They lose on Saturday against Detroit.

They have been inconsistent, yet they're finding ways to win. So off their schedule, it's going to get tougher. Dallas tomorrow or on Wednesday. Then they've got Winnipeg rolling through town next Monday. But that third line came alive and Max Stoney, I said earlier, CJ, nobody, nobody I think in the league needed a game like that

last night more than Max. Because it was starting to get to a point where it was embarrassing. He's not contributing anything offensively. He went 16 or 17 games without a point. And he showed up last night. He had a lot of life in his game. He's still an important piece.

Like, what does he mean to the Leafs? And how integral does Max Domi have to be in order for them to feel like, okay, they're kind of hitting on all cylinders? Well, he feels like a swing player to me in that, you know, we've seen stretches even last season early in the year. He had a difficult start. And then the second half was, was hot. I thought he played well in the playoffs, obviously was filling in the top six. And for a lot of that series against Boston and making an impact. And so it can go either way with him. And, you know, given how the goals have been a little tougher to come by this year than what we're accustomed to, or this team. It feels like, you know, look, he doesn't have to be the leading scorer, but you know, him generating some offense, giving them a threat as a third line, if that's where he's going to be, I mean, all of that is huge. If he's not able to do it, or if he's playing the top six, I mean, I still think we're going to be talking about a trade for a player that can help

the third line and give the Leafs a little bit more depth in that area. And so it's not saying that he'll stand in place of a trade ship, but I do think the Leafs need more of these guys to stand up. And so I don't know what Nick Robertson's future is with the team, but him having a big night, Domi having a big night, I mean, you see what kind of game you get out of the rest of the guys. And look, lo and behold, they score five goals. So we haven't seen a lot of that this year against any team. And so I think Domi is a massive part of things here.

And, you know, even as bad as these first couple months have been, I think there's at least some hope there that maybe you get more of him because you did see it last year. I mean, he had a really strong second half into the playoffs. And while you'd prefer that he didn't struggle at all, I think you're hoping he can replicate that. Well, another player who had a big night was john tavarez and like i don't know we've talked about the contract next year so much like i don't know if your opinion has changed about you know what he can do this year that would make you want to resign him

more or at more money but it's at least worth the conversation given how well he's played. You know, Tavares and his future with the Leafs, like how would they view what he's doing and the success he's having this year? Well, it certainly helps, right? Because at John's age, in any given year, any player, you're worried that there's going to be a dramatic fall off. And so far, I would say whether you're looking

at the underlying numbers that he's produced, the fact he filled in for quite a while there when Matthews was out injured on the top line, and then obviously his goals and assists have been about where he's been the last couple of years. I mean, there's nothing there that suggests to me that that fall-off has occurred. And that's going to be part of the decision. I think ultimately, you know, sitting here today, I think that they stay together. You know, I think ultimately, you know, sitting here today, I think that they stay together. You know, I think that John is very sincere in wanting to remain a Leaf. You know, it might not be a contract that gets done until after the playoffs are all done and, you know, the Dutch settles on the season

and they sit down and get things done. But I just think with how committed he is to the organization, with his family, you know, his kids were all born since he came to the to the city you know and i think that it's pretty clear on the right number on his next deal he can still bring a lot of value to the leaf so there's going to be a way to find uh to get him extended but you know i don't know that they have to do it in in season because you know i think there's probably a lot of confidence in the front office that he's not someone looking to go and so you're comfortable leaving that discussion until whenever the last game's been played are you a believer in anthony stolar is actually being day-to-day or is this the maple leafs version of day-to-day well it's hard to be a believer just

based on this season um you know i don't have any reason to believe it's serious his injury but you know the fact we're so close to the christ break, let's see how the results go this week. Maybe they decide not to put him back in if the guys are rolling okay without him. Day-to-day has kind of been week-to-week around here this year, and so until I see otherwise, it's hard to say that he's going to play on Friday when he's eligible to come on by hour. How eager do you think Jim Rutherford and company in Vancouver are to make a deal to shake things up? I don't even know if it's shake things up, but it just feels like they're not the type to sit too long

and watch them not play well at home. It just feels like there's more there. How active would the Canucks be? Extremely active. And, you know, that's Jim Rutherford's MO. Remember last year he made the Lindholm deal during the All-Star break, you know, kind of a month before most other teams were doing their deadline work. You know, you can be sure he would want to be, you know, trying to bolster the team as soon as possible here. May not be able to get

it done before the holiday roster freeze kicks in. But, you know, the Canucks are really looking for help on the blue line in particular. I think that they'll also be in the market for a forward as time goes along. But, you know, they're down Hronik right now to injury, and, you know, it's been tough slogging back there. And so, you know, I would think if we're taking sort of bets or picks and where, you know, the next significant trade comes from, it would not surprise me in the least if the Canucks were one of the two teams involved in making that deal.

All right. Yeah, I like that idea. I mean, that's with Demko returning JT Miller back. That's what's kind of interesting here is they have reinforcements now, and yet it feels like it's an even stickier position that they're in, if that makes sense, CJ, based on the way, I guess, they're playing. I mean, they got embarrassed on Saturday night. Brad Marchand rolls in there and, you know, scores.

He's trying to fight Quinn Hughes. That had to be embarrassing for that administration, even though they weren't affiliated with what happened in 2010. Yeah, I'm sure a little bit. And, look, they've been embarrassed with their results on home ice, too. I don't have the record in front of me, but I know it hasn't been good there. You know, it's,

it's, it's so much went right for the Canucks last year. I think this season has brought more challenges for everything they've been through with the injuries and all that. I actually think they're in a decent spot in the standings, but you know, they don't right now look like a team that we're going to be tabbing as a Stanley cup potential team.

And so, you know, because of that fact, I think they're, they're very likely to take a big swing between now and March 7th. And based on the history, I'd suggest likely to come much sooner than later because Jim Rutherford doesn't like to wait. The flu game for CJ. You just had your flu game.

What a hit. What a hit. It was good. Fighting the flu. I love it. You're Jordan. You're the new Jordan. You're the Jordan of insiders. Jordan of insiders.

If only some of that energy can go to my fantasy teams tonight in the first week of the playoffs, that would be great. Might be asking too much. Might be asking too much. Good luck with that, CJ, and we'll do it again soon. Alright, guys. Have a good one. Chris Johnston joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline.

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