OverDrive - LeBrun on Tavares' contract trajectory, Treliving's signings focus and the Blues' scorching run

Episode Date: March 31, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, John Tavares' contract value, the Maple Leafs' impending deals with the team, Brad Treliving's vision to the signings, the Blues' sizzling stretch of games and more.

Hey, who invited climate action to the party? We did! Hey, I'm Shannon Burns. And I'm Sarah Christie. Together, we host the Earth Day Party Podcast. Where the guest list is full of climate experts sharing their advice on how we can protect our planet. Everything from avoiding microplastics to sustainable fashion to getting a prescription to spend time in nature. Plus, we hear from David Suzuki.

This is a party where everyone is invited. The Earth Day Party Podcast on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Here's our TSN hockey insider, Pierre Lebrun. What's happening Pierre? Hey guys, how's it going? I heard you guys talking about the Masters. That's a week away.

I'm excited. How about Corey Connors as a sneaky pick? I, he is Mr. Top Ten and he loves that course. Like Connors T10s there a lot. He just needs to get over the top and shoot low on a Sunday. That's my problem with Cory. It's not a problem, but it's just a, it's a, it's a reasonable critique. He's so tentative on a Sunday. Yeah, he's like a busto get to the hole and he on a Sunday. He's like a 71 and he's a 72 Yeah, like you got to shoot 65 on Sunday If you want to win the tournament you got to do that and that's just hasn't been in his nature

So, I don't know I could see it. He'll make the cut for sure. I can see a top 10 for sure Missile like that like all day at that golf course. I love Connors at that place I love it I just want to see him go low on Sunday. That would be awesome. Yeah it would be it would be. Anyway we you know the Leafs are red hot now how about this Pierre what a weekend for the Maple Leafs. First place. First place. Are you a believer that they'll hold on now? That is the evergreen topic with this team. Yeah I think they're winning the Atlantic and we're getting the battle of Ontario. Book it. Yes. Can you ask for anything better than that? I think that would be a grand slam for the league, for both fan bases, for the country. I mean, I don't think you could ask for anything better because what that also would mean

is the Battle of Florida happening at the same time. You have Panthers lightning in the first round. That's just simply the two best matchups you could ever ask for in the east it no question i thought you're a the uh... the list there and i'm i think nothing totally are presently a country still two weeks away but i think my group covering marching orders from the athletic i think i i might be doing dallas colorado

whoo when they're out which i had a cell athletic, I think I might be doing Dallas, Colorado. Opening route, which I I'd be pretty excited to cover that. You can sell your house in San Jose, Pierre. Yeah, those were the days. Remember those days when I was always out there for get, yeah, no, man, that was, that was a lot of fun too. Uh, but Dallas, Colorado to me, the Western Conference final happening right out of the gates.

Uh, so yeah, yeah, I mean listen, we criticize the playoff format a ton, but then we get jazzed up about some of these series that are existing out of the format that we don't like. So kind of talking to both sides of her mouth, I guess. Yeah, that's very true. How about this John Tavaro situation? I'm curious where you stand on this in terms of like like he's got 35 goals more than a point a game this guy might hit he might score 40 have 83 84 points I mean not quite a career year the career year was his first year that was when he first got here at 47 goals and I think 87 points but if he scores 40 let's say 82

points do you think any of what he's doing during the regular season has any effect on what he would be asking for or demanding for in free agency or how the Leafs would be willing to approach his contract situation once they get Marner out of the way? Because we all understand they have to figure that out first. Yeah, I think it has some impact to some degree.

Uh, I tweeted about this Saturday night for whatever reason, it seemed to hit a nerve with, with facts and came at me off the top rope. I'm just stating facts, man. I have no, you know, no skin in the game. I just, I just pointed out that by the way, you know, I think Tavares would have absolutely been willing to sign extension back in September before the season even started. He wants to stay here. I also, as I tweeted, totally understand the Leafs wanting to wait to see how he was again

this year as he gets older. And to your point, the martyr situation, so totally get, I probably would have waited too if I was the Leafs. But the point I made, Sire, tonight in that tweet was very simply, and it's hardly earth-shattering, whatever number Taveras would have probably been willing to do in September will have gone up now at the end of this year. For two reasons.

Okay, let me just stop you there, Peter. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on. Go ahead, continue. Hold on. For two reasons. And then you can do like Lee Sands come up with top report oh but not only because of his amazing season but also and this is probably even a bigger reason quite frankly we've

got a natural inflation happening in the market now with the cap numbers going up drastically that you just saw it with the last couple extensions around the league including chikran so I Just don't think the number that was there in September will be there at the end of the season I could be wrong, but that's my read from let's just say inquiring a little on you're saying that's from Tavares perspective That's John saying Your belief is I'm I would expect this now compared to what I would have expected Here's what I

expect and I totally agree with your comment at the beginning of the season Brian or the show Brian if he wants to make a bunch of money he's not doing it in Toronto Pierre would you not agree with that? This is not gonna be a money oriented deal. Yeah no that's fair too I still think he's probably willing to take less in here than then on the open market for sure but that but two things can be true here but doesn't mean that the number isn't slightly higher now than it was in september activity

but why would it stay the same well what about this is a really he's just been has been the same guy throughout his career i mean to his credit that's a compliment like he has been consistent his whole career. Go ahead Noodles. Well I guess you're right from a leverage standpoint as far as this season. But aren't contracts supposed to be what you're going to do in the future and not past? Like that's the only caveat. Well I mean I asked Julian Brizba breeze what you know what he'd be heard what i'm what i'm moved by them said sorry

stammer see you later like what i don't like him what they played and that's that's my point is is you're right it he's a you've got a legacy players the wrong word but he is a guy that has had seven great years or seven really good years for the toronto maple leaves and if he wants to stay I think that the Leafs right now they still hold the cards because he wants to play for that team so it has to work for them as well as it has to work for him and I

don't know the price gone up gone down because I don't know what his marketplace is right now and you still have to get through the playoffs don't you Pierre because if if it doesn't go well and they look to change the structure of the team, it doesn't matter what he's making, they might move past players to try and get younger. Well that's a huge point, Noodle, for sure. And frankly, that probably applies to Marner too to some degree, even though he's a very special player. If it's Groundhog Day in the opening round of the playoffs, or the Leafs, there's some serious decisions to be made here, right? But this could be the year they do. I actually, I'm probably gonna get radioed. I see the Leafs going deep this year.

So I just think they're better constructed for that time of year, and I think this is the year that they have a bit of success. And so that'll make things interesting from what we're talking about anyway if that happens. But no, I mean, listen, unless something changes drastically, and it can, these things change with one foreign call, my understanding of the situation is that everyone understood they would wait and go after the year now to get back at this on the Tavares front. I'm just pointing out, I think it was sort of planted early in this market.

Well, obviously, Taveras owes the market a big pay cut. He's obviously going to take a pay cut if he stays. He's taking a pay cut no matter what. He's not going to make $11 million. But I think people got a little carried away with what that pay cut was going to look like. I mean, Claude Giroud was wrapping up a three-year deal with the Ottawa senators at six and a half million a year, which I think he's fared pretty well at that contract and at his age. He's older than Taveras. But I'm just, as an example, I mean, that contract

was signed three years ago and he's at six and a half. Now he, you know, that was him going to Ottawa, so Ottawa had to lure him, so you pay a little extra for that. But I'm just saying. Pierre, we agreed that those type of contracts are only for players, like only a different team is gonna offer you that kind of contract.

That's not for the team that's already given you $75 million, $80 million. You gotta get a different team to give you that contract. All right, so let me ask you then. So what's your number, if you're Brad Shear Living, what's the number you're comfortable with on a comparison? I love you, man. I'm not going to get into this with you. My number would offend you so much that you wouldn't hang up the phone right now. You got to ask one of these two guys. I think I know what your number is from talking to someone else, but that's okay.

Yeah. I'm not going to say here. I'll let Noodles and Brian answer this. And the other thing, Pierre, is term. I don't want to be associated with a player. And let me just state one thing. I really like John Tavares as a player. He's good. He's on the power play.

I don't want to be associated with a number or term where the wheels fall off it, because I don't want to be a part of it especially for a team that has a one pace yeah i know that's reasonable and and listen another example boston just did a bad march and was in there sounds like almost begging can we work something out stick no this is the number but when this i were not budging off anything they have been made and i don't know much at the right we were the most popular players in the big and and

looking and that's a again that's our number sorry we're not this is the way it goes and and what what those organizations represent is confidence and look what happened in tampo and stamp goes left nothing there's still great and there's still a couple of days and look at what they just as though the marshes of nothing they're still the cup window and they very well might win another one boston's different because they were going in a different direction but

That's the point of where I think and and I don't have the answer from a leaf perspective here That's enough. I'm not convinced the Leafs won't just say all right We just got to do it and what what's good? What are you comfortable with John will give it to you their history would suggest that could happen That that's how they operate when it comes to these the best players. The players win the deal and they're they're terrified of living without them. That may apply here. They admit John I don't know what the number is who knows what it is. Maybe it's like I need a four-year deal at this price. They may just say fine we'll give it to you. They might do that but I would like

them at some point to say we can't operate that way. We got to operate like the best teams do, which is what Florida does, Tampa does, Vegas does. This is what we're comfortable with. If you really wanna be here, then you gotta sign it. If not, we'll live without you. Like that's the way you gotta operate. And again, the playoffs are a little bit so large,

but two further points I would make too. This conversation would be a lot cleaner too, if it was just the Taveras deal in a vacuum. You can't ignore the Marner part of all this because it puts the Leafs in a position where they've got not just one decision to make here. And my point is, you know, yeah, I agree, there's a number, maybe internally the Leafs say they can go past with the various find the what if they realize they can

actually think they will find murder the other day but i i i may be proven wrong uh... that's a good feeling but let's say they realize the holy cow we're actually not gonna find that mark are you really walking away from our end of their from the same offseason so it's hard to look at De Veris in a vacuum. You're right. They're all intertwined. They're all tied together. And the other thing too to throw in here, oh you were talking about like, if you look, some of the players, like they've got Chris Tanev till 2030. You

got Morgan Rath, like you look, they've already got some guys on long term deals. Older guys. Morgan Reilly till 2030. You you know Ekman Larson to 2028 Jake McCabe to 2030 you know like there's a reason why tree did that because he brought the AAV down so he could fit everybody in you know I look at it you know with John like Claude Giroux scored 35 goals his first year in Ottawa when he came over I think think he was 34 or 35. Your production still has to match.

This isn't a charity deal. Like John Tavares, wherever he signs next year, he has to produce and be a very good player for them. If his game changes, like Claude Giroud the last couple of years, his game has changed but he's been able to adapt. Tavares is a good enough player, a great player to adapt as well. It just has to match, you know, your salary structure and I think he's gonna get a good number. And then by the way, one thing that might make sense for everyone involved is a deferred money scenario here for Tavares

who obviously by all accounts, you know, he plans to live the rest of his life here regardless of whether he signs with the least, you know, post-NHL career. So does it make sense if he stays with the lease to do one of those deferred money deals like we've seen of late, where that actually brings down the AED, but everyone involved is comfortable with the overall money? And that's something else to ponder, I guess. Yeah, and he's having a phenomenal year. Like he's been so good for them. he was so good over the weekend on this

road trip since the Four Nations faceoff like Tavares basically scores every single night and yet he's not alone it's like the other big three up front and the other guys they got to have a big playoff and that that will change the tone of everything as well I, everything is reliant upon them having a playoff run. Like go on a run and everyone breathes easier about everything. You don't and it becomes so much more complicated

in terms of the numbers, the team building, the spin, the marketing, the fan base. You know, it's all about actually having playoff success. Go ahead. And the final thing I would say on Tavares and I'm sure you guys have mentioned this, you know it's it's all about actually having playoff success but and upon the final thing i would say on to their son i'm sure you guys mentioned that but but but i feel like overall it's not been a comment but been brought up that much in this market this year he gave up the captaincy

and then we can i and then let it affect the day-to-day job what have you got a lot of ways i understand that but my point is, there are examples in the history of this league where that may not have been very well welcomed by a guy. Maybe there's nothing said publicly, but behind the scenes he's moping around as production gets affected. There is zero evidence that John Tavares has been a different human being

any single day of the season of time it believes and i think he deserves credit for that very much so i mean the over a professional now is there a day was there in august with matthews has been great all year speaks with the media whenever they ask for contributes puts up numbers healthy he's just he's been an awesome pro and that that's what he's been his whole career uh... with pure lebrrun our TSN hockey insider. How about these St. Louis Blues Pierre? Like what are they gonna do some damage? Holy mama!

Yeah they're an unbelievable story that was my piece today in the athletic interview with Doug Armstrong and I learned I learned a lot in that interview actually and one was pretty much what we thought guys because we had talked a athletic interview Doug Armstrong and I learned a lot in that interview actually. And one was pretty much what we thought guys because we had talked a lot about the Blue Zag into the trade deadline but he acknowledged in this interview that what is the one quote that really grabbed my attention right in front of my screen here? He said had we lost the three games prior to the trade deadline then yeah everything could be different here. But you, that was not smoke.

Like they were talking to teams about core guys. And the thing about Doug Armstrong that I think you guys feel the same way as me is that he's not been scared over the years to shake things up. Um, he traded Chad and Kevin Shadker one year when they were actually eight in the West traded Paul Stashe when they were just a couple of points out. Like he's been one of those guys like, ah, this isn't sitting right. I'm going to do this. So there was a lot, as he said, they have to come out of four nations on fire

for him not to go in a certain direction of the trade deadline. And guess what? I think they're on a 19-2 and two run in the last six weeks and and forced forced his hand to believe in this team. And listen, he's happy obviously. This is what he wanted all along was for the retooling of this team to actually gel and take shape. Like, you know, he still has the veteran guys and then he's got guys in, you know, at their peak with Robert Thomas and then he has that next wave of kids, not to mention the decision he made last summer

to offer Sheep Roberg and Holloway, who are all over this win streak right now. And now Jimmy Sniggeroot signing Friday, he might play it tomorrow night. All these different ways of the organizations are kinda coming together here. And that matters probably more to him than almost anything because, like any GM, you have doubts sometimes that this thing is gonna work, almost anything because you know like any GN you

have doubts sometimes that this thing is going to work right when you retool with the and he finally sees a team with an identity to use his words and um and it's obviously exciting for them. You mentioned how much St. Louis likes that you think guys like McDavid and Dry Scythe are like why the hell did we not match that or why did that happen? I know there's some things and Jamie's talked about it that have went on behind the scenes that might have, could have, would have happened but like that you look silly when they turn out to be playing like that Pierre. Yeah, I mean always second on the team in scoring and you know honestly I think Doug

Armstrong will tell you that was a long term play. I don't know that they thought that they would get, it would pay dividends as handsomely near one of those contracts, but both guys are 23 years old. You know, and to answer your question, there was kind of a combination of factors that really worked against the Oilers last summer. One, as you guys remember, in late June, there's a parting of the ways of Ken Holland as GM. And so they're really, you know, Jeff Jackson was sort of handling day-to-day GM duties until they replaced Ken Holland, you know, later in the summer with Stan Bowman.

But the complicating factors and all that is that, you know, I kind of wonder sometimes if Ken Holland is still GM, he might've thought harder for these guys, these young guys that he knew well, and maybe there's a different path. But at the end of the day, by the time Stan Bowman's GM, they always have no cap room. Like they're jammed up and he's got seven days to decide.

And yeah, it's easy to look back and say, maybe he still should have matched and found another way that around the cap of course but I'm just saying it it was kind of a perfect scenario for Doug Armstrong to attack and guess what that's that's why he smelled that one out. All right Pierre we'll leave it there we'll do it again soon thank you for this. All right we got worked up there I love it. Yes you know it's gonna be a good week setting the tone we love it thank boys. Have an awesome week. Yes. You know it. It's going to be a good week, setting the tone.

We love it. Thank you, Pierre. Here's Pierre LeBrun, our TSN Hockey Insider. Hey, who invited climate action to the party? We did. Hey, I'm Shannon Burns. And I'm Sarah Christie. Together, we host the Earth Day Party Podcast.

Where the guest list is full of climate experts sharing their advice on how we can protect our planet. Everything from avoiding microplastics to sustainable fashion to getting a prescription to spend time in nature. Plus, we hear from David Suzuki. This is a party where everyone is invited. The Earth Day Party Podcast on the iHeart Radio app or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.