OverDrive - Maple Leafs open the season with an L | OverDrive: Sept. 30, 2026 - Hour 1

Episode Date: September 30, 2026

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 1 on OverDrive! The guys discuss the Maple Leafs' season opening defeat to the Canadiens, Gavin McKenna's debut and performance for Toronto, Sergei Bobrovsky in the net and going in for McKenna's rookie lap, Darren Raddysh's need to improve his game and Kirill Marchenko's impressive first game for the team. Toronto Blue Jays General Manager and Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Ross Atkins joins to discuss the Blue Jays' season, the perspective on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and his contract comments on the team.

This hour of overdrive is powered by Fandul. Fan Duel, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. All right, here we go, Overdrive, off and running. TSN 1050 on the TSN app, your home smart speaker, up on TSN4, up on YouTube live, Brian Hayes, the O'Dog, Jeff O'Neill, Jamie Noodles, McClennett. What's going on? What's going on? Just like the Maple Leaf schedule, fellas, if you had a bit of a rough show yesterday,

guess what? We're right back at it. I love it. Life in the big leagues, whether you had a good game, bad game, you're back at it the next day. It's an 84 game grind. Did you catch yourself saying 82? Because I was talking to somebody today going,

I've got another 80, you know, 84. Like, think about it today. Like, teams woke up today going, well, we've got 83 more. Like, if you do the law of average, like, it's great. the two extra games, some of the games look like that last night, too. It's still exhibition. But, I mean, I don't know, entertaining. Lots of lots to talk about.

Oh, for sure. There's a ton to talk about it. Oh, why don't we just get right into a quick little segment we used to do? Let's start with just some oilers, haves, maple leafs. It's only one game, but... Okay, you want to go there? All right. One minute in.

Love it. It's only one game, but. But if you're the maple leaves, you are banking on a bounceback, I think, from a few key veteran players tonight, one of which will not be in the lineup. I didn't think Bob was exactly lights out last night. You know, I personally would, if you had to ask me, give me the one matchup that determined the game, I'd say Dobish was better. Like, Dobish, he was significantly.

better. Like one of the second or the third goal, Bob's got to get. It's a C&I shot through some traffic. You got to stop one of them. Have to. And I thought the play of the game was Dobish on Matthews, the one-timer, 10 minutes in when it's 1-0. You can even topple on the Marchenko one-timer off the rush. Absolutely. Absolutely. There was two from Marchenko that I thought were really good saves. One is the glove early in the second period. The other one was a blocker through, I think it might have been a power play. And was through a bit of a screen and he came across and I was like man that was a good save like I thought Dobish made four or five like really good saves but that's you know your gold tender can

can that's it be a difference allowed to do that but he did exactly like he played well I didn't think on both sides to be honest they're big boys with outside of a few like we'll get to it individual play but I I didn't think Suzuki's line was I didn't think they were great I didn't think Matthews. Matthews had looks, but I think there was more in execution. But like, there was some great individual efforts. I thought Marchenko looked really good.

Marchenko was outstanding. I thought it was a great, it was a great first game for him. I thought Dobish, like, he was a storyline in the game. Like, there were some point blank chances where he made big stops. And that's how you win the first game on the road. If some of your stars are sleepy, which almost all the Montreal All-Stars were,

you manufacture some goals, you get some depth guys chipping in, and you have a rock star goaltender performance. That's like everyone would be taking their jersey off in the locker room saying that's a greasy road win. Yeah, that's a greasy road win. And for the Maple Leaf fans that are already throwing their arms up in the air, it's just not necessary. I thought for the most part, they played okay.

They had some performances. They did have some issues in their own zone. And for everybody that's saying, like, there's still a bunch of new guy, you're the guys that wanted the short training camp and let's get going. So you don't have much of a choice. Like you got to get it together and get it together quickly. Because if you look at their schedule, what do they got? They got the Islanders tonight.

They got Ottawa and then Nashville. And then they got kind of some tough game. So like I mentioned right off the top, it's one game. You've got a, the next night you got a chance. And I'll throw a little nugget out there for you. It's only one game. But I think if you're terrible, and radish, it would be a great night to have like a little performance at home to just say,

whatever last night was just a, that was just nonsense and I'm going to be good. Because it was kind of a tough game for him. Like he had a lot of giveaways and he was nervous with the puck and he could have a standout like comeback game where he can show everybody like this is what I got. I thought he was trying too hard, like trying a little too much. But it's one, you're right, it is one game and relax. but there is, you know, things where you're like, okay, if you were concerned about it, it's still kind of there.

That was the thing for me. The D was a concern. I think generating chances they did a good job and, you know, they looked dangerous at times and that, but, you know, the D as a whole. And then the McCabe, like, McCabe came back, which was good. But when you're down to five and, you know, Stedger's out there a lot, like it's, to me, that was where if there's an Achilles heel, Rattish didn't have a great game, but he's got an opportunity to go right back out of it.

That's the thing. You play 24 hours later. Go at it. Let's see what you got tonight. Well, and listen, he is going to play 500 plus games as a Maple Leaf. So he has a long time to redeem himself. Gavin McKenna likely will play 7, 800 plus games, as a Maple Leaf. So the guys who had tough nights and Radish is at the forefront of it

because he's a local guy, a veteran, eight-year deal, big money, and he turned the puck over that directly led to goals going on the board. And there's no disputing that. And I'd say the same thing about Bob. Like Bovrofsky, we discussed it. Could he be nervous? Whatever. I didn't think he got challenged much last night.

I don't remember making a stop where I said, wow, I can't believe it. And the Bulldoch goal, the carrier goal, you got to get a stop on one of those. But I thought the Leaves played pretty well. I agree. I thought they could have won that game. I thought it was relatively, you know, it was somewhat of an even game that I would tip towards the Leafs, having more chance and more opportunities. But Dovish, you know, Willie rips one home in the first shot of the season.

And then Dovish, I thought, stood on his head at different times. And so, okay, credit to the haves. They're a good team. Montreal is going to be a playoff team. And their best players are going to get better the next time they play. And, you know, that's going to be something you're chasing down all year. You're going to be trying to compete with them and Ottawa is here on Saturday. But you get into a game tonight and he got Stollars in.

so now he's making his debut, right? Bo Gru's going in, I'm assuming for McEwen, he didn't play a lot last night. So you have a couple more debuts tonight, and then the rust has got to be off. And if you're the Leafs, and you learn from last year, they had a pretty soft schedule, a lot of home games, and they did not take advantage of it, and then they were chasing it all year. So needless to say, it's not a must win tonight. But I think it's a great opportunity for them to continue to knock the rust off and get two points.

You get two points tonight. You're one-in-one. Off date tomorrow. Okay. Let's see where we go here. And, yeah, I mean, again, I thought they played all right. They played fine. I thought they were probably better than Montreal.

They just made some mistakes, and they couldn't get a big stop. And as a result, Montreal leaves with two points. Ultimately, it was, you know, you saw some rust on some games, like guys' games where, you know, if you're a little bit sharper, you're a little bit more detailed, maybe it's an execution. there or just, but on both sides. Not just one. Like, how often, and I was going to actually put this in the group text last night, was the ice crappy?

How many times the guys just blow a tire out of nowhere? I counted three or four times, like, where guys were fallen and it looked like discombobulated a little bit. I don't know if the ice was any good or not, like, on either side, not just pointing at one guy in particular, but it just looked like it looked like a September 29th game. But it was like the sixth exhibition game, but it just happened to be both teams playing their full roster. And there's points. And the more significant thing, noodles, points that matter.

And that's what has to, you got to snap out of it quickly. If you're Jim Hiller, there's no panic. You're not going to go in there and say, we're doing flipping anything upside down. That would be ridiculous. But you're not in camp anymore. It happened quick, but this is real. You got points on the line. And you're in a chase and you're not like, you're not.

Colorado. You're not a team that likely is going to cruise to 110 points. You've got to fight for them. So, you know, last night, I guess a missed opportunity because he had an early lead and you had chances to win that game and it didn't happen. So we'll see. We'll see what they've got tonight. I'm curious to see Stolars. He's been very under the radar. It's been all about Bobrosby. I don't know if we've talked about him. I don't think once. Maybe, yeah, and maybe that's by design and maybe it's better for Anthony Stolars. but I'm curious to see how he looks too because I don't remember the last time I watched him. Didn't we see him like skate off against Boston?

And he had, he came back though last year. He did come back, but then he left again in March. I think it was. Pittsburgh or somebody. He didn't play a lot last year. He didn't play well. It's an opportunity for him. Keep in mind, whatever number you put on Bob, the others is Stolars.

Like it's not, Bob's not playing 75 games, and Stolars, you know, is playing the other next. like he's going to have to play 30 plus games. So you need good efforts from Stolars. And you need the team, again, I think early on in the season, they're not going to be tired. So in a back-to-back, you might just get out there. And they might be actually more fluid tonight

and feel a little bit different just based on, hey, we had a warm-up last night type of thing. So, you know, again, the Islanders are early on. They've got a bunch of new faces. Pete DeBore will have that team fired up. This isn't going to be a cakewalk. That goaltender, again, I know. we all do projections.

That goaltender could win the Vezna this year, the guy on the other side. Yeah. Sorokin's a tough challenge. Oh, every time you watch him, it's like Ascarov for me. Like, every time I watch a certain goalie, I'm like, I know he's good. He just, he doesn't show me. But like that Sorokin is a real deal goaltender. So it's not going to be a cakewalk.

Yeah. I'm glad they're playing it tonight. Like get after it. Again, it's not, like, I thought they played pretty well. Like, that's not like they were awful. They don't need to change systems or switch by it. and execute better. That's it.

And you know what? Execute. And it's not about this line or that line. Three or four guys need to play better than they did last night, and they should get the result that they're looking for. That's what we're talking about. Everyone kind of, we all overanalyze things and say, oh, I would take that guy off that line.

There was some giveaways, some poor performances by three or four guys. And if you fix that and those guys are dialed in, then you're probably winning the hockey game. Yep. That's what we're talking about here. They're great. This isn't like crazy Maple Leaf panic time after one game. Three or four performances, including a goaltender,

and you're probably going to be where you want to be at the end of the game. Yeah, as I look to tonight, I think Radish is at the forefront. I put Stollars aside because that goes without saying. It's his first start, you know, big opportunity for him. But Radish, number one, I want to see what he's got tonight, and I expect a much better performance. Like this is not a guy that In Tampa and you look at the stats and all that

There was a turnover machine Last night was extreme Like there were some It felt like every time he was on the ice He was turning the buck over It was extreme It was one of those nights He could not make a pass

He could not get out of his own way Or make a pass He even had one shot on the power play I think he missed the net by 14 feet Yeah He was nervous Slavkosky was in the lane And he tried to shoot around him

But he missed He was like pretty wide Let's just call it that He had an off night And nerves are a part of it. And I think McKenna is at the forefront of that too. Yes. I bet you he goes out for a few more optionals.

I think you're probably right. I thought about that this morning. Probably gets on the ice. And he looked very nervous last night to me. Like he looked young and nervous, and the game was picking up pace. And a lot of people are buzzing about the rookie lap and how Bob went out there first. Oh, who cares, man? What is this?

Beck Peewee tournament? Bob seems like he's crazy like Sean Burke where it's like I got to do my thing and I don't care if somebody needs to go out and twirl around. I'm going out there. Like give me a break. What is this peewee hockey? Why did he go out there?

I saw that trending online and I was like, what is going on? So the thing is, Bobrovsky's very routine oriented so you could call it superstitious, but he likes to do things certain way. And you knew about it in Florida. known about it his whole career.

Like, just let him. He wanted to step on the ice first, and he got out of the way and let McKenna do the rookie lap. But people are like, oh, my God, you know, selfish of Bob. I'm like, it's not selfish. Let the goalie just get out of the way. Because he wants to do his little skating routine. He's not worried about McKenna ripping pucks and skating around with no bucket on.

Like, I get it, but like the fake outrage on stupid things like that, it just so stupid. It's ridiculous. You know what? Like, it's a, it's a. tradition, but like, you know, relatively new, too. I mean, oh, did you get a rookie lap? Are you kidding me? Do you think those old, like, commercial veterans scared of it?

Okay, junior, go have your little time, so and take a selfie with your mom. No. Yeah, I know. That's the thing that needs to be. This is a classic. I told you before, I asked Mark Jansons, who was like a tough guy on our team. My first preseason game, I'm like, my whole life I dreamed about not wearing a helmet and warm up.

And I said, Janner, like, snow buckets and warm up, right? It's the NHL, and he goes, I strongly suggest you put your helmet on when you go out there for warmup. He's like, 19-year-old kids just don't go out there. And I just said, I'm sorry, man. I'm not, I'm not. I thought you disregarded the advice. I did.

I'm good. Because I thought he was going to say, yeah, man, it's like you don't have to wear your helmet. He said, I strongly recommend you wear your helmet because you're just like. Should I hit driver here? No. I'm hitting driver here. Yeah. That's basically what you just asked.

But to answer your question, there was not like a rookie lap. No. It is so much different. And that's what is happening here. I get it. It's a younger generation. And it's a cool scene. It's a cool TikTok Instagram moment that looks really cool.

That's what you're looking for. Go ahead. But I'm sure Gavin McKenna figured out last night. And I was talking with Duffy about it on SportsCenter. He realized last night, as soon as that puck dropped, and he walked into that building, your draft status is gone, man. Like, first overall, nobody cares. If Easton Cowan's playing better than you, he's going to go out there for shifts.

Like you just, yeah, it's a do it or don't league. And if you're not doing it, somebody else is going to say, you better put me in there because I'm ready to go tonight. And last night that guy was Easton Cowan. I would say this. He looked 18 last night. That's right. That's all I would say, like there were times where I think he was thinking the game instead of reacting.

and we talked about it. When you only get a couple exhibition games and you're playing against, you know, not NHL teams, you're going to, the pace is really high, and it's going to be physical, and everybody's going to want to take a chunk out of you. The little plays that worked in junior and in college, sometimes it doesn't work at the NHL level.

You know how many times going down on two-on-ones when I was a 19-year-old, and you would try a silly little toe drag or like just and the defenseman would like steal the puck and laugh and say junior move can't do it and like they would put it right in your face so not junior not junior like you it's a whole different ball game but he's smart enough and he's with some veteran guys that he should be able to figure out that it's just there's a different way to do business he will be fine he will be fine he will be fine last night is a listen Matthews and his first game was the extreme like that is

Not normal. Literally, no one has ever done that before. This, you know, 11 years later is a different story. He plays a different position, different game. But he'll be fine. I expect he's much better tonight. And to put a bow on the Bob stuff, like Bob is a veteran of the league. That's another point of it.

It's like, and a lot of people like, well, he already took his number. I'm like, yeah, Bob's in the Hall of Fame. That's his number. Like, that's the way that goes. Bob is Bob. if there's one guy on this team that they need to have the right mindset, it's Bobrovsky. Like if it's in, I think if anything last night, because some people are spinning it, again, I don't know where people are going with all this.

I don't think mechanic cares. Let me point that out too. Gavin Mechanist's like, I want to play tonight. I don't think he cares at all about what happened in the warm-up yesterday. He wants to get back out there and play tonight. But if there was any concern about the mentality of Bob, or where's his head at? Is he over?

Is it just about money? That last night would suggest the opposite to me. Like he's not caring about anything but I got to play and I got to perform. And listen, Bob's in a spot. He's never been in before. Started in Philly. Philly's a tough spot. It's not Toronto.

Then he was in Columbus, not Toronto. Then he was in Florida. Not Toronto. Like Bob is dealing with a different chapter of his career that he's never dealt with before. So if that is his mentality, guys, I got to be ready, so I'm stepping on. I guarantee all of them were like, go do it. Yeah, exactly. Get out there, man.

That's the priority is making sure Sergey Bobrovsky is in the right headspace. And, you know, as for McKenna, again, I expect to be a lot better tonight. And, you know, I thought Marchenko in particular, we talked a lot about him in the last two days. Again, I'm curious what he's got tonight because he was working. running on adrenaline last night. But I thought him and Matthews had some real opportunities for some magic last night.

And I thought he was great. I thought Roslavik had a couple looks. He had a couple chances too. Like there's more pace on that line noodles. You can see it. They could skate. I misspoke earlier, but I wanted to get my thought is I thought Marchenko was their best

forward, not named Nielander. Although I think Nielander is an opportunist. Like he goes about his business different. I noticed Marchenko every time he was on the ice yesterday. Whereas Neelander, you know, if it's not there, it's just not there. He doesn't take it. Whereas Marchenko, I thought, was trying to create stuff out of stuff. I didn't see what he ended with his stat line.

It was four shots on goal and like six attempts or something. Like he was, he had to puck a lot. Yeah, you guys know what like the biggest strength Marchenko can bring to the organization in the way I watch what he can do out there. He can help Austin Matthews become the player that he was. Like, how many times over the last two or three years, maybe two years? Have you watched Austin Matthews, and you're like, and last night might have been a kind of an example where you're like, well, he had like two good one-timers in the slot, but other than that, maybe it wasn't a whole lot. The way that Marchenko, his size and the way he can hang on to the puck in the corner,

I think his combination, like those two guys together should be monsters on a cycle game where they can keep those offense and just absolutely wear down teams. Where even Matthew Nyes, and that might be part of the reason that Matthew Nyes is playing in Columbus now, like just his ability to make plays and dig at pucks and hold on to them and really grind down the opposition. Like him with his size, Marchenko, and Austin Matthews, and then you get that Roslivik, if it's him or somebody else, buzzing around. They should be able to destroy some tired defensemen

and if they get some odd matchups with some third lines on an offensive zone. They should be able to destroy those matchups. That can help Austin Matthews big time. Because I was impressed by him. He's one of those guys you know of his name. You know he wears number 86. But I didn't exactly have a full book written on him. I knew he was a right-handed shot that can rip at home.

I thought he was very good. Like, I was very good. And I don't want to get crazy because I know the, part of the book on him is he can fall asleep at times and you don't really know he's out there. But if he gets cooking, he can be great for himself and really help Austin Matthews kind of return to that dominant player. Yeah. No, it's a big opportunity for him. Like, he's walking right in and he's matched up with Matthews.

It's a big opportunity for Roslavik to hold onto it. Internal competition, right? And, you know, on the flip side, you look at it. Like, I thought Slavkovsky was pretty quiet last night. He might be looking at it thinking, why is Kreider up there? You know, like, when are we going to start flipping here? When do I get that opportunity? Don't get me started with that.

If I'm Slovkovsky, I would smash my stick over the net. Like, Cole Cofield scored 50 goals last year. Like, wouldn't you just, like, I know you guys are, everyone's thinking, oh, look at this guy's numbers. That guy can help that guy. The guy had 50 goals. Why not just keep that line together? I scored 41-1 season. I came to training camp, and Paul Maurice said to me, we want to try on.

left wing this year. I go, excuse me? Yeah, we want to try you on left wing, we got to get that Sammy Caputon going. And I'm like, so hang on a sec here. So I rip home 41, but this year you've got to put me on left wing to get Sammy Capon and going. How much sense does that make? I'll do it, but it's stupid. Yeah, you're right. Like, it's one game, though, and Chris Crider is 35 years old. Yeah.

Like, I would think they're looking at the big picture trying to get him going, get him settled into his new environment, maybe play him with really good players. I'd go in the dressing room if I was Lofkoski, Jamie early, and switch the jerseys and put the color, his color in mine. You say, this is not happening. Mike Johnson coming up today on the leave game last night, on the other games, including a Barnburner in Edmonton last night,

and Showtime scoring for Chicago, which was cool. Hold on a second here. My Oilers fans, let's everybody stay calm. Do not freak out here. oil their fans. We'll get into it next. Look at you. Very sensible. Okay, we'll get to that. Ross Atkins coming up today. On the Blue Jays season, what happens

with Vladia in the off season? What is their plan with him? How much can they get done in terms of, you know, slugging and power and what's available this offseason? We'll get into a number of things with Ross, so he's coming up as well. Overdrive continues up on YouTube live. All right, overdrive continues.

Powered by Fandul. Bring any you more ways to play your game, Your Way. Best Bet's coming up. Lease Islanders again. night. We've got week four in the NFL tomorrow. Mike Johnson coming up and more on the NHL scene. Kauai Leonard has no idea who Pablo Torre is, apparently. Oh, yeah. We'll play that clip and get into it.

It's one of my favorites. And maybe sneak in a couple of role plays. But the baseball playoffs are off and running, man. The Yankees demolished the Red Sox last night. I love seeing my Yankees at this time of year. Oh, you're a Yankees. Oh, no, no. Oh, you're Yankees.

I told you guys when I lived in Hartford, my billet dad, Big John, Yankees fan. And he got me involved. He got me involved. Okay. Well, listen, that was a performance. Schlittler was unreal last night. And the Padres beat up. He's so good.

He's so good. Like, there's your Siamen winner. And the Padres smoked the Cubs and Gosman on the Mount tonight. Dude, that's Tatis Jr. ever since he got busted for Roids, he's been kind of unreal, as? since he's been back. They paid him a lot of money, and he's performing. And you know what, day in and day out, he's good.

He sure is. So the playoffs are officially underway. Games going on right now, and we're now a few days removed from the season. And let's bring in the GM of the Blue Jays, joining us on the Maple Toto Hotline here is Ross Atkins. Ross, a bit of a different late September, early October for you. Are you allowing yourself to watch the playoff baseball? Yeah, I watch it. got it on right now, watching the Phillies and the Braves.

It's, yeah, it's, you know, it is difficult. It is really difficult when you're watching teams pop champagne and, you know, reading about their preparation and we're not doing that. But, you know, we will just lean into opportunities to get better now, and there are ways to beat teams when you're not playing. So that's what we'll focus on. So, you know, it's been a few days now, and the dust has settled for you. you guys. How do you think you will remember the season?

Not fondly. I, you know, mostly with, you know, regret of, you know, my own decision-making and influence and mistakes that I made, whether interactions or not having interactions. And, you know, there will be the memories of the resilience and some guys, coming together never, never finger pointing with a really tough year. You know, it's obviously a tight group because of the time together and the special run they had the year prior. But I'll remember that as well, the resilience. Ross, did you kind of, and I know you always want to believe in your team,

but did you believe right until the last month that these guys were going to get it together and get on the same page, whether it be offensively or just getting healthy or just flat out winning games right till the end? Or was there a time in the season where you really wondered, like, is the magic kind of missing from last year, and you were concerned? No, you know, obviously we had the trade deadline where we were able to, you know,

we made some tough decisions and moving on from good players that would have provided depth and obviously more than depth down the stretch, you know, and Goss and, you know, and Varsh and Hoff, but we were able to return players that could impact us now and beyond. So that was a tough decision. We still believed that we were very much a competitive team and extremely viable if we caught some momentum. And there was zero doubt that had we gotten in, the magic could return because it's a high-contact team.

We were optimistic that we could get Shane Bieber back. Trady Savage was being built back up. Scherzer was pitching as well as he's pitched for us. And, you know, obviously we have Dylan C's. So with one of the better bullpens in baseball, a good defensive team, a team that makes contact. So those are things that you want in the playoffs. We've leaned heavy into those things. And it didn't work for us this year on the regular season.

But had we gotten in, I was not just hoping for magic, but believing it would happen. And as you dissect, Ross, is there a, scenario where you do look back and say, hey, we had some injuries to key people. I mean, is that something, and I know you don't want to use that as an excuse or anything, but it's the reality. You did have some key people that were banged up and were unavailable

to you. Is that something you have to factor in in your analysis? I mean, you factor it in, but you have to be able to cover that. So, you know, we would have loved to have had Addison Barger and Tony Santander's options, and obviously Jose

Viroz and Cody Ponce and Bowden-Francis as other pitching, starting pitching options and missing a half a year or more of Alejandro Kirk and Max Scherzer, but you have to be able to cover for them. We covered for them, you know, just in pitching, I was really impressed with the group, the creativity, the open-mindedness, the selflessness of our bullpen and the open-mindedness of our staff. They were all hands-on-deck for a long time and really held it together. And we played much better defense in the second half. We looked like the team that was, you know, last year defensively.

And, you know, Brett Bateman really helped with that. Nathan Lucas had an incredible defensive year and a solid offensive year. Our catching is the best in baseball defensively without a doubt. And Hemmy and Ernie were playing great defense. So I'm really impressed by Okamoto overall and him defensively. So the injuries, you know, we just, really, we just never got any more. met them and we we weren't putting the ball in the seats we weren't walking so uh then we weren't advancing on the basis and that you know that means you score two and three instead of five and six

and you know we got we got to score five and six the one name you did not mention there is the elephant in the room and that would be vladdie um who was he was banged up at times he he played 144 games this year um but i mean his stats are what they are the season was what it was and then you get the interview he does, well, you know, that goes viral an hour before you guys are officially eliminated. How did you handle Vladi down the stretch? Like you in particular Ross or you and Mark the front office, how did you handle the quote unquote Vladi's story the last week of the season? I mean, support them, put our arms around them, and we have the benefit of knowing. exactly how he feels, you know, seeing the,

him go through that was very difficult for, for everyone involved. And, you know, he is an exceptionally talented baseball player, but, you know, young as a, you know, entertainer and someone that is the face of an organization. So I'm not, you know, saying that he shouldn't be able to navigate and handle things at an elite, level that he is still learning. So we just, you know, supported him and tried to help him navigate that without, you know, making him feel more pressure because he's already got the weight of the world on his shoulders.

When you pay someone $500 million, though, do you expect a learning curve? Like, was that the expectation when he signed the contract? No, I mean, you're not, you, what you're, I mean, listen, like the, it's really complex. It's not as simple as a yes or yes or no answer, even though I gave you one. We're all evolving. And there's just to have to find how many fully formed performing professional athletes that, you know, don't have setbacks and, you know, hiccups in their career, like, I don't know. We could try to name them now.

That would actually, you guys would be really. good at that actually. There's not many. But this is extreme, Ross, right? Like, there's setbacks and then there's one home run at home. Yeah. You know, it's magnified by his performance for sure. Yeah.

So, Ross, as far as moving forward with, like, what are the marching orders for him? Like, I'm not sure in baseball, there's some guys, let's say, in the sport of hockey where there's definitely you can try harder. I'm not sure you can try the baseball out of the park. Like, how does the organization get it back on track? Like, what are this guy's marching orders? Yeah, it's to, you know, to get the confidence back, which I think will come quickly without having to, you know,

feel the pressure of having to perform on a nightly basis. And then once that settles, then I think that finding that pattern, again, offensively is going to come to them pretty naturally. I'm looking forward to it. I'm not, you know, really I just don't have much doubt at all that he's going to be able to find that feeling quickly. I don't think it was how he was being attacked or the league adjusted to him. That is not a concern at all. I do feel like it is a pattern and that he's going to find again pretty quickly.

And, you know, it's not, I don't regret at all ever, or not. not encouraging him to, you know, think about, you know, pushing him on with the back tightness or stiffness, thinking about extended periods of time off. I think he's going to benefit so much from pushing through. And he was not hurt. He was not structurally hurt. He was dealing with pain and tightness, which happens to major league players every year, all the time, all of them.

and that makes it harder to compete. But I'm so glad that he fought through it for what that means for him down the road and in the future. But now that he doesn't have to fight through it, he's going to be able to find that pattern again. And we're not going to just assume that and rest on that. We're going to ensure that happens. Well, and I guess that's what I was getting to. Like, how do you ensure that? Like, what, you know, are you going to live with them in the Dominican?

Yeah. Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. Yeah. You know, not myself, but us as an organization are going to wrap our arms around them and make sure that we're there every step of the way. So that we're not missing anything when, you know, he starts to, you know, compete again and go through the rigors of that. With Ross Atkins. And, you know, you mentioned him playing every day.

And I know for a lot of people it goes without saying that's what, you know, athletes should do. But he, you got to drag him off the field. I mean, he loves to play ball that has. never been questioned with him. And when he had the interview, you know, he mentioned one thing stood out for a lot of people. You know, they didn't pay me to hit 40 plus home runs every year. And I think as you take a step back, you realize he's only done that once in his career. Like he's not your conventional power hitter.

That is not what he is. And as a result, you know, everyone in the fan base and the city has been discussing it the last week and a half. Like what exactly is expected out of Vladi? And I guess I'll give you the floor here, Ross. You know, and you don't have to give me specific numbers. you don't have to give me a slash line or certain home runs, but what do you feel you need and expect out of him in particular that is going to bring the most out of your ball club?

I think it's just more consistently driving the ball. And when he drives the ball, he's going to be from time to time a little bit early. And when he's a little bit early, it's going to go out of the park because that just impacts his path enough to elevate the ball where he's catching it out in front. but he still has the bat speed.

He still has the power. He's still hitting balls 116 miles an hour, which very few do. And that's what gives us so much confidence. So when he gets back to being able to square that ball up consistently and then be ready consistently to be early every once in a while and elevate the ball, then that's what's going to happen. So he's, you know, in terms of, you know, marching orders, it's not it's it's certainly not going to be you know demanding yelling and screaming at him we're

going to be you know supporting him and helping him find that feeling again which um you know as as difficult as that may sound that you know just finding a feeling i i don't think it's going to be that terribly difficult once he gets away from that level of intense competition So this off-season is obviously different than last off-season for a couple of different reasons. There's some uncertainty in terms of the collective bargaining agreement. But also now you're a year removed from that World Series run. And I'm sure there was a lot of sentimental value towards that team, as you would expect. Yet there was turnover, you know, Bow left and Bassett left and others, and you brought in new players.

How does that apply to this off-season? Presuming we have a normal and hoping we have a normal off-season. How connected do you still feel in terms of roster building to that World Series team in 25? Oh, connected. Yeah, really well connected. The, you know, those experiences are lasting, one, and then the players, and a large part of them are still here. And we can rattle off those names that are still here as we talked about the ones that aren't. And it's going to create opportunities for others as some of the players don't return.

So we're looking forward to that and excited about that with, you know, Alejandro Kirk and Vladdy and Hemmy and, you know, some of the bullpen, obviously, Ernie. There's a lot of exciting pieces here that have incredible experiences together that are going to be able to benefit from that. Yeah, you spoke about, you know, driving the baseball into the seats, but I think it's also important. and I'm sure you value this, Ross, the clubhouse culture, and a lot of the players that you just mentioned that aren't here anymore, and potentially players that are leaving and not coming back, seem like they were that. Like, that has to come into consideration moving forward to kind of replace that,

isn't it? Because it's pretty important stuff. Yeah, I think our staff does an incredible job of ensuring that it's happening, it's breathing, it's living and growing in a positive way. and the players I just mentioned that are returning, that we're here for that, are passionate about it and making sure that it is the case. That's not something that worries me.

But you guys know it very well. We got to win. And that's when a solid environment really takes off. And I'm confident we're going to be able to do that. Well, that's music to the years of Blue J fans. I mean, it's an interesting review of the season, because it's not like you guys won 60 games. Like, you guys were in a playoff spot like a few weeks ago. Yet the expectations are so high now because of what happened a couple of years ago.

And I'm sure you guys embraced that. I mean, that's a compliment, obviously, to the club. But in terms of looking to the off-season, do you feel like there's enough opportunity out there, whether it's via free agency or very early into the off-season, maybe via trade, that you can fulfill whatever you feel you need to fulfill? Like you can put together another championship caliber team between now and the beginning of next year? Yeah, I do.

We've had some success in that area. Our pro-scouting department's done a good job to make sure we're prepared for every aspect of the market with trade free agency, minor league free agency, every demographic. And I feel like there's no doubt that we're going to be able to add really good contributing players and hopefully, you know, we'll see. We've got to get together and get a budget and maybe impact players too, but we've got to get our players to

return to an elite level. And that's not just Vladie. You know, we need elite defense out of Ernie and an elite defense out of him, a better base running from almost everyone, a return of Lukie and an understanding about the team commitment that, yeah, you might have been a World Series player and everyday lineup written in, but you might be in a decreased role moving forward because we've made our roster that much better, and we are healthy. So that is, I'm very confident that we're going to be able to build around the group that's here and very confident that some of the players that had down years will return to peak form. Well, we're looking forward to seeing it. You guys had a really successful offseason last year, and obviously it just, you know,

I didn't break your way in terms of wins and losses. But the offseason is officially on, and like you said, you guys are already hard at work. So good luck with that, Ross. Have a great offseason. We'll do it again soon. Thank you for this. All right, Brian. Thanks, guys.

There is, Ross Atkins, GM of the Jays. Already trying to get out in front of it. And we'll see. I mean, the CBA is looming, and that is likely to have an effect on what happens this offseason. Do you think there's baseball next year? Yes, in some capacity. I don't know if it'll be 162 games. Yeah, you think they get an abbreviated thing?

Lock, I always said, like, lock yourself in a room. I know it's all about pressure points. Who's bringing in paychecks? Who's bringing in, like, revenue from the games? But it's just like, think about the fans. Like, you've done this enough. Like, when was the last one at the beginning of COVID? There was a shortened season, wasn't there?

Yeah, but that was COVID-related. Okay, that was COVID, sorry. But just nobody wants this, so figure it out. I don't know. But I will say the one thing from the comments, either from Mark or Ross, I'm not buying this stuff about 27 years old and kind of like doesn't know and misspoke and all that stuff. The guy himself doubled down on his comments. He's like, I meant what I said.

You heard me correctly. I meant what I said? You know what I mean? Like this isn't an 18-year-old kid that just kind of blurted. it out something stupid. This is the big leagues. You say it, you own it, or like, there's no going back from it. So, I don't know.

I guess they're all shocked and they wanted to go away and everybody move on, but I'm not buying the old, like, we got to put our arms around them and, like, support them. How about, like, grow up and man up and cut the crap off the field and start performing on it? Like, is there anything wrong with that? I think. 500 million, we got to put our arms around you? There's a very good.

chance, public messaging is different. It better be. Better be. Because if I know Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro and John Schneider, and this is the way this is the way you kind of, you have to operate, right? He's your guy. You're going to support him. You guys have been in the room before.

Noodles. You said it was one of the more eye-opening moments of your life when all of a sudden, I guarantee you there were times this year where Mark and Ross went out for dinner and and we're just furious watching Flattie Jr. play. Of course. Yes. I mean, you have to be. That's human nature.

But publicly, guys got 13 years left on his contract, and he's imperative. It's imperative he plays well for you. You sum that up best, Brian. He already had his 41-year-old year of the contract, and it was the first one. Yeah. Yeah, he's played that boy.

He's Benjamin Button. He's going backwards. You know, maybe that's what's happening here. Yeah. Anyway, thanks to Ross. We'll see what they've got going on in the offseason. It's going to be a very different one for sure. Mike Johnson coming up more on the Leafs Islanders tonight,

more of a look back on what happened last night. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on TSN4. All right, Mike Johnson coming up. We've got Kauai Leonard on whether or not he's familiar with Pablo Torre. We've got some audio and video we'll get to. Crazy. And they're, you know, Raps are doing the tour, right?

and it's pretty wild. Kauai is just, he's back, and he's a raptor again, and the season will be starting before you know it. I'm sure you guys saw a couple things on LeBron. One, he's gone Messier. Yeah. It's just, it's over. Great job.

We always applaud a guy that recognizes it ain't happening. Steve Stricker, give it a shot. Yeah, yeah. He went Messier, and I think he's happy that he did. It's gorgeous. Like, you just, when you're LeBron, you're just LeBron. Like, whether you've got little tufts up there or it's bald, you're just LeBron, man. But there was rumblings back in the day that he had, he had the plugs in that, right?

Because it went south and then it came back, right? Very significant regrowth to the point that it was blatantly unnatural. Lately unnatural. The second thing about it is he gets in the chopper and goes to New York City. city after practice. Yeah. Rooftop. Rooftop copter.

See, to me, it's not very endearing to the fans. Like, it's almost insulting. Filly's, like, you just can't live with being in Philly for a couple. Can you put the chopper somewhere else where nobody knows about it? I think it's insulting to the Philly fans at that guy's like a Philly's not from what. You're going to play there. Take a car three blocks away, like to it, where, Like, it literally lands on the bill.

He might as well have, like, one of those signs hanging behind it. This place is a dump. I'm out of here. Yeah, I think it's insulting to the flyer fans. Philly stinks. Philly fans. Philly stinks. You know those things that tag along behind it?

Exactly. Like, will you marry me sign? Yeah, exactly. I'm out of here. This place sucks. See you in New York. See you for game days. Like, it is just a wild escape from the city by LeBron.

Like, just symbolically. What is that? Doogie, look that up. Like, how long is that chopper ride? Is it an hour? I don't know. Oh, no, shorter than that. It's an hour train ride.

That would be a 15, 20-minute chopper. But you can't just cruise right into New York. Like, that's a, that's a... Who knows what that guy's doing? We got to go. Right at 5 o'clock, I'll tell you exactly what happens. All right. You tell me exactly what LeBron's doing.

as he takes a literal sky dump. Should I guarantee it's right on top of his condo or a building? Oh, 100%. 100%. All right, Johnny and more coming up in hour two. Overdrive continues on YouTube live. You've been listening to Overdrive, powered by Fanduel. Fanduel, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score.