OverDrive - OverDrive - April 1, 2025 - Hour 1

Episode Date: April 1, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Dave Feschuk for Hour 1 on OverDrive! The guys discuss the Maple Leafs' line construction on the team, Max Pacioretty and Jani Hakanpaa getting back in the lineup and the Canadiens' matchup against the Panthers. The guys go around the sports world in the latest edition of Confirm or Deny, Max Scherzer receiving an injection in his thumb and Alex Ovechkin's goal scoring race for Wayne Gretzky's record.

That just happened with me, Vashi Kapelos. Canada decides 2025. Stay informed with my exclusive iHeartRadio podcast, available Friday afternoon, straight through till election day and beyond. I'll have your weekly highlights and my unvarnished analysis of the campaign of a lifetime. The candidates, the quotes, the polls, and the momentum.

That just happened with Vashi Kapelos. Canada decides 2025. Fresh every Friday. Stream on your schedule with the free iHeartRadio app. This hour of overdrive is powered by FanDuel. FanDuel, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. Alright, here we go. Overdrive, off and running. TSN 1050 on the TSN app your home smart speaker and up on TSN for Brian Hayes Yo, Doug Jeff O'Neill Dave fest Chuck of the Toronto Star Everyone avoiding the wild and wacky April Fool's jokes out there. Everyone's a wild and wacky guy online man that Tiger Woods What a crazy character the best is who bit it's like Jason Whitlock

He was like that's awesome Tiger play well It was like come on dude How could anybody on earth fall for Tiger Woods who just had Achilles? Surgery do actually try the masters next week I think Tracy Wolfson who is the on-field reporter on the number one CBS football broadcast She wrote underneath. I think I don't know if she was joking, but she must have been but she was like This is awesome for the Masters. I hope you play well tiger. I just was like no no that's real then man I got I'm sorry you have to if you're gonna jump on it

You have to be sarcastic with your follow-up if you're in on the April Fool's joking Twitter stuff. Because- She said, this is awesome for the masters. No, so that was hook, line, and sinker, man. That's disappointing to hear. That's disappointing to hear. We all wanted it to be true.

Of course, it would be great to see Tiger there. But you didn't bite, I hope you didn't bite this morning. He stabbed his Achilles like three weeks ago. I didn't bite, but it got my attention. You wanted to believe. I had to just think of the day because I saw another, this is what led me to this one, I saw another stupid one that said, Tiger has been named a ceremonial starter with Nicholas Player and Watson Watson, and I was like Tiger Woods already

He won't be happy He doesn't want to be doing that going out there and bunting a driver out hung over at 8 in the morning, right? And I'm like this and then I thought of the day I'm like this that put me into goofy season and And then I thought of the day I'm like this that put me into goofy season and Then then he I'm glad the guys having some fun. Yeah good for a listen go ahead have a little bit of fun He's he's going through it. Love is still in the air though, so right he's in a very good spirit Like who the hell is running tiger with social media accounts, it's not tiger It can't be tired. It's not Eldrick man. Eldrick is not sitting there saying pass me my phone. We talked about it

last week like why would a guy it's just like LeBron like why would a guy that wants privacy and craves privacy put out a notice dating one of the most famous people in the world and like why do you just have to like people are gonna get on to you anyway. People are gonna find out by yourself why did you need to just announced that i thought it was goofy man it was crazy and it's so not tiger but this is the guy who gave nobody anything his entire career

during his prime use famous for never say no word about anything and if you want to do if you got injured he throw a very firstly word press release it said i had back surgery screw off basically leave me alone. The one on the couch lying back with the shades on and that just the bad hair was just weird. It's so awkward man it was weekend at Bernie like that's who it was it was Bernie Lomax but I think what you have here is a scenario where for the first time in his dating career The name on the other person is way bigger than Woods and my my right now Yes, am I as well and for the rest of time like let's be clear the name Trump isn't gonna

All of a sudden die off in four or five years my sneaking suspicion was someone in that Category of the relationship said yeah You better get time to it tell the world get this out there because my kids are Getting bothered about it and you better get to the bottom of this that would be my guess Yeah Is that it was more Trump than it was Tiger because you're right everything Tiger Woods has ever done has been Secretive which is his right. He doesn't have to do anything for anyone publicly,

but when you attach the other name to it, that changes some things. And that would be my assumption is it was more like Tiger, this is getting a little carried away, use your account, get it out there and do your thing. But it is a good question for April Fool's Day. And maybe we can fire this up on Twitter. Which sport is the most conducive for you to like fall victim to an April Fool's joke? You know, because you see it today like, oh, the Leafs have signed Phil Kessel for

the stretcher. All right. Good stuff. I thought the hockey ones were so not believable. It was just I don't know. If you don't catch on to it by 8 a.m., let's be honest, you're dumb. I know, you gotta be on your toes, man. You gotta be on your toes. Yeah, like, you wake up and you're caffeinated and at eight o'clock it registers to you that this is April Fool's Day.

Because I even like, I knew it was April Fool's and a couple hockey ones I did a horse eye and I was like, hang on a second Yeah, that's interesting timing for that. Okay check mark. Okay, you got my attention with that and let's read the rest And I was like, nope not doing it not going there. No, I know I don't have an answer Like I'm just thinking of this on the fly. I don't have an answer It's probably an offseason sport though. Like if you're within, again if you're a hockey, baseball, basketball, any story that is off the beaten path to any extent that might throw the team off during the season, I just I think you

have to be on on edge for that. I think there could be some NFL, like you could get duped into an NFL story today, right? Because they're just, there's like if Aaron, and again, it's, it's, if it's something within the range of believability, that's when you can actually fall for it. Aaron Rodgers is retiring. Okay. I could believe that. You know, it sounds like he's going to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Art Rooney, the second or the third, whichever one it is now, he's not quite certain of what's

going on. He spoke today and said, I keep hearing that it's moving in our direction that Aaron Rogers could be a Pittsburgh Steelers what the hell could the delay possibly be like it just give the guy a time frame like say dude I mean what's today what day is it today April 1st literally on Tuesday April 4th Tuesday April 1st by Friday if you don't have an answer for us we're moving on to the next guy so what is it? Well, where are they going though? Because Russell Wilson's already left, Justin Fields

has already left, Pittsburgh has no other option, and neither does Aaron Rodgers. Right. Like everyone else has signed somebody, so he doesn't have somewhere else to go. Minnesota's moved on, the Giants have moved on. Let me just stop you there. Mike Tomlin came out and said he's comfortable with Mason Rudolph in the number one staff. Exactly. April Fool's. April Fool's comment right there. That was maybe, that wasn't April Fool's.

That's the number one April Fool's comment. Mike Tomlin with a straight face saying, I am confident in Mason Rudolph. Well, Mike Tomlin can say that with a straight face because he's had winning seasons with quarterbacks of Mason Rudolph's ilk. Yes, during the regular season. Yeah, but he's done it.

Yes, he has. That winning record. During the regular season. You would think at some point he wants to maybe get back into the win column in the playoffs. Yeah. And he probably needs an offense that looks borderline 21st century. Right. Right. Like he has been running an offense that looks like Mike Didka was the head coach. Yeah. So I hear what you're saying and Tomlin's record speaks for itself, but this is going to happen. I just I don't have the answer as to why it's not official yet. So I hear what you're saying and Tomlin's record speaks for itself, but

this is going to happen. I just, I don't have the answer as to why it's not official yet. And I also find it very far fetched that the owner of the Steelers doesn't know exactly what's going on. Right. You know, I'm being told some people send me a message saying maybe we're going to get Aaron. Wouldn't you be on top of that? If you're the owner, don't you have to know exactly who you're paying and the amount that you're paying and where your team is going? I think you have the right to have that kind of an answer. I mean, I think the I think the answer oh dog is Aaron Rodgers is extremely high maintenance and even signing him to a deal It looks like it's a foregone conclusion, and he has no other options is a lot of work very very I actually think that he's I

Think there's a lot of ego in play where he loves the world waiting around to see what he's going to do is like i got a drag this out i want someone to take a picture of me and now we walk around the blanket i want them to think that i'm deep in thought uh... i just think there's a lot of you go involved with this lady he'd likes having the football world waiting on his every second it's just that I think that's a part of the gig, which is I don't know I've ever everybody's got an ego man, but to take it that far. It just seems a little bit much

Yeah blanket on the beach guy it like we get it your philosophical. Oh, there's a camera of course, man You probably tip the person off. I'll be out there on the pier You probably tip the person off. I'll be out there on the pier in like half an hour. If I saw you in Hawaii and you knew and you took the pick with the blank, I'd go to the airport and find your truck and I'd slash your tires. Would that be the most obnoxious play? I have to make this happen at some point. What would be the best beach to do that at in Ontario? Probably somewhere off Lake Ontario, somewhere downtown or it could be anywhere Scarborough Bluffs, something like that. I will reenact the Aaron Rodgers move, but I have to have a reason to be out there. Like what could I

possibly be contemplating? Masters picks? Do I think the Leafs are finally gonna get it done this year in the playoffs? Maybe that's what it has to be and we can launch something. I will play the role of Aaron Rodgers, a little thought bubble. What is Hayes thinking? what is hazy be thinking with a blanket on the beach somewhere in southern Ontario because we're getting we're getting closer and closer I mean we got a big one tomorrow night with the Panthers in town Panthers at the Bell Center playing Montreal tonight we'll get to that throughout the afternoon and we're getting Max Patch ready and Yanni Hockenpaugh updates.

Like that sounds like a pretty significant move here where Yanni Hockenpaugh is out there moving and shaking and it sounds like Craig Barube is not completely downplaying the idea that he could be available to play in the playoffs. Now is this an April Fool's joke or is this real? Are you screwing with me right now? No, this is not. This is real. Okay, we have it. These, you want to play Craig Barube I mean I don't think Craig's

the kind of guy that's gonna buy into an April Fool's Yanni Hock and Pa joke I don't think the PR team would be very proud of that I don't think Hock and Pa would love to be the brunt of that joke this is what Barube had to say earlier today when he was asked I believe about both guys Pat Suretti and Yanni Hock and Pa. It's good that they're out there and they've been working you today was asked i believe about both guys patch ready and yanni hokinpah skirt that they're out there and they've been working you know with our development crew and people back here skating in trying to get healthy

hopefully they can get healthy and uh... be part of the team at some point what we make that but that's ready is played for the team hokinpah technically dressed in one day maybe two and he played two games didn't play a ton of minutes and then he just disappeared but well that's just a bright like what what are you going to get from a guy and i don't know what goes on behind the scenes are how they assess it or how they

put stake in what he did play two games and look like he couldn't play anymore so i don't even know what the hell he's been doing for the last two months so what kind of form could he possibly in winning like could he be in when he goes back into the lineup that's something you have to ask like it's great to say all we could be a positive contributor but what would you what are we going to be looking at here that is ultimately unknown at this point and i would say so and you also have to consider who is ultimately unknown at this point. And I would say so. And you also have to consider

who he's competing with. Now this is where the door opens up for your imagination to possibly run wild. And if he's healthy, he's competing with Simone Benoit, who is not an everyday rockstar NHL player. I mean, this guy, he's had some really tough stretches. They are committed to him. They will not put Philippe Myers in the lineup. They will not do it. I thought they would over the weekend. After the Sharks game where I thought he really struggled,

I thought they were gonna sit him for a game, maybe the weekend. He was in there in LA, he was in there in Anaheim. He redeemed himself, played pretty well against the Ducks. But that is Borubei saying, you're gonna have to work your way through this, you're the guy, you're going to play. But in order for Benoit to be there, Ekman Larsen's on the wrong side. I think this is what they always dreamt up. Like I think this was

always the plan was not necessarily Brandon Carlo being available. I don't think you could have possibly thought that would be the case in September, bring in Tanev if you can find another right shot defensement Which they did with Carlo and have a third pairing of veterans left shot Ekman Larsen right shot Hock and Pah Massive guys who have a lot of playoff experience that was the ideal top six That's what they wanted and I would totally concur with that But I just don't know if you can trust him come playoff time if the guy hasn't played all year in his knees By all accounts are hanging on for dear life guys like Jake Taylor from Major League Yeah, like he's his knees have just not afforded him the opportunity to play

But if he gets the go-ahead if he's skating the way he's skating we're doing it with Landis gog daily landis Gog was watching video him today looks great the game landis got looks like he could return come the place he has a plate in years yet i mean the guy with a player's come out and say you know for him to take the risk of coming back and putting his body it like he's playing come the first game okay so now it's different if that's a forward maybe he's a man maybe plays on the left wing third fourth line it's more of an

energy thing your captain's back But if if Landerskog can play why can't Hockenpah play well like if Hockenpah tell is showing you in practice. I'm mobile. I can move okay The last time he went in the lineup. It was like okay I can play I can move and you remember what you saw during the game. It wasn't good, man I know it was like what it was like, what have we got our hands on here? So the question is, how is what we saw the first time that he was on the ice going to change from this time?

In a pressure situation in a playoff game, you're going to wheel him out there, and then all of a sudden we're going to be like, what was that guy doing on the ice? I don't know. Maybe this is all just, hey, man, act like you can't move and play a couple brutal games but be ready for the playoff. I don't know if that's like a wink wink kind of deal, but that's what you're kind of open for.

That would be a bit of an April Fool's joke, oh dog. And that would be quite the maneuver by the Maple Leafs, if that's indeed what they're doing here. But I mean, looking at that clip, I've seen them skate a little bit in developmental drills this is to me you know in case of emergency break glass Ben was hurt Myers hurt another guy goes like we just we have nobody else yeah we need I thought Myers fast Chuck to your point I thought Ben Waugh was gonna come out of the lineup in Los Angeles after he blew a wheel in that Lafreniere or Lafier whoever scored the goal for the Kings. Benoit didn't look good on the play and he's had some moments in the last month where you're like, man, he's kind of struggling a little bit and he's been a liability out there.

And then it goes to Myers and then what's after that? Well, that's it. I mean, you're talking players from the Miners, I guess. I mean, you're going deep into your depth chart and that can happen over the course of a playoff run. So I'm with you in terms of skepticism, in terms of actual ability. I will believe it when I see it. But I do believe the plan. This was what they were hoping for. Like in that as a six pack McCabe, Tanev, Riley, Carlo, Ekman, Larsen, Hockenpah would be a great six pack of defensemen.

Like that's six veterans, six big bodies, six guys that have played in the playoffs. Like those are six trees basically that you're putting out there. Three on the left, three on the right. Like it matches up beautifully and I do think there would be a compelling sense within that within that room the coaching staff the management staff where they look at that board and say that's what we want and do we are we willing to gamble and give it a shot

I don't I mean we'll find out like as of now it doesn't seem overly likely but I wouldn't be shocked if they wanted it to come to fruition oh yeah like if they were willing it if he got to play the playoffs hawk opponent so I think I can play play me I wouldn't be shocked at all if they wanted it to come to fruition. Oh yeah. Like if they were willing it, if he got to play the playoffs hockey pawns, I think I can play, play me. I wouldn't be shocked at all if they played him. Well they want 36 year old Max Patcher ready to be able to contribute too. But whether or not he can.

Is a different story. Yeah, completely different story. It's gonna be up to the fact that he's 36 years old. He's had a lot of health challenges and he may not be able to do it. Now we've seen him in short bursts at times look like the perfect playoff contributor No

Physical hard on the body goes in front of the net and has a good touch in front of the net like what what more could You ask for from a guy. That's the one thing I never thought you'd say it about Max Pagareti the thing that he can bring come Playoff times he went through a month where he was destroying guys on the ice Yeah, and if he could bring half of that to each game like big fit it's what I've been preaching for years like I understand the skill guys from the Maple Leafs they they play a skill game they want the puck they want to possess the puck but physicality is such a valuable weapon like when you keep pounding defensemen and pounding defensemen you can hurt them you can take them out of the game you can wear them down and when you never do that you're not wearing

anybody down I just think he could be a guy that can help I don't think they're ever totally gonna overwhelm somebody and wear them down but adding some physicality and some speed like that could definitely be helpful yeah for sure I mean then you'd have nice you've had McMahon like lawns not a big guy but he will play physically Domi will throw, like Law's not a big guy, but he will play physically. Domi will throw his weight around. Again, not a big guy, but he will lean on you and take advantage.

He's not gonna shy away from a hit in the playoffs. Lorenz, maybe Pacioretty, like all of a sudden, you got six, seven guys who can forecheck, who could possibly put other players on their heels. Matthews has that ability. I don't know if he'll ever commit to it completely. I'd love to see it come playoff time because he is a big boy and he can catch guys,

especially if his reputation is he won't hit me. Like that's the most dangerous guy going when it comes to throwing body checks in the NHL. A guy who doesn't have, as the reputation of a flyby guy that all of a sudden catches you and throws one, like that can be a big, big energy changer, especially at home. Like the idea of Matthews throwing a big hit at Scotiabank Arena in the playoffs that's gonna make things pop and I'm sure he's aware of it he just has to

commit to it but yeah those guys were skating today and again it was a short practice but we gear up for tomorrow night because the Panthers are at the Bell Center tonight Nico Nico Michola against who tonight? Do we expect to see some sort of retribution because he shot a puck with time on the clock? Some people have pointed out how kind of crazy it is that the guy shot a puck with time left on the clock and got fined for it, but I think the intention, I think most people are well aware of what he was doing. Like I can reason with the fine because I think people know he shot that puck at somebody.

I think the Habs have to wait for the game to be 4-1, because they're in desperation mode. And you want to send Jack Guy out there and do something stupid. I don't know who's going to do what, but I think they have to worry about the scoreboard first and I mean I don't know how these guys operate now, but this is one of those scenarios the situation that Montreal's in Back in the day this might have to sleep until next February. Yeah, or something like that Yeah, like that that that's how it would go It was like I was now nothing to see here nothing to see here And then all of a sudden one random night hell would break loose and people would be attacking that guy like

letting it sleep was kind of a thing in the past but I don't think it's tonight do you're gonna see that dealt with unless the score gets the four one or five one with two minutes yeah I think you're right I mean I think the only way that there is a fight is if Mikola is the one that's proactive like during warm-up goes let's get this out of the way. Out of the way whoever wants to deal with this let's do it right off the first face-off and then then away we go. That that could happen because that has happened in the past proactive players say I know what's coming let's figure this out let's get it over with so we can go out and play

and if that's the case I think you're looking at Anderson I don't know if Jack guy two defensemen are going to match up but if not I think you're onto something going I think you're looking at Anderson. I don't know if Jack, I two defensemen are going to match up. But if not, I think you're onto something going. I think you're right. If you're the haves, you got to take a number tonight. Like the priority is two points. You've got to get in this game. They've beaten Florida twice in the last two,

two or three weeks, including at the Bell Center on a Saturday night, a couple of weeks ago where they played great. So Florida is a team they match up well against. Like Florida is a team we're all preparing for come playoff time, but they are not going into the playoffs as some juggernaut the way that they're playing right now. Like they have been, they've lost a fair amount of games over the last month. They're dealing with injuries, they're dealing with new guys in the lineup, they're dealing

with suspensions. Like, Echelon's out. They're a wounded duck until they get to the playoffs so if I'm Montreal my My game plan tonight. I'm my mark my if I'm if I'm Marty St. Louis I'm like do not even think about it unless he says something first. I don't know though like I Think both things could go together because you pick an early fight with that dude The Bell Center will be bedlam. Yes, and you can ride that energy wave to a big win I mean I could see that working for you both ways I could too as long as you don't take an instigator or something

like that I mean that's the thing yeah you can't have the two minutes tacked on and then they score power play goal you look like dummies man yeah you got it you might be able to put the two together I'm with you on that and I think the Bell Center there's gonna be energy anyway because there's only so many games left in there they're in a playoff spot like there's nine games left we're in April here it's it's go time for Montreal there's pent-up demand in Montreal there's no like you guys have been there there's no better building maybe in all the sports yeah for a big game like this when the Habs are on the cusp of something like that

that place gets really really crazy yes and in a really fun way like it's it's always just to me it's like one of the greatest venues in all sports it really is yeah there's just nothing like it no I don't know what it is about the Montreal crowd but they just get it in a way that is just infectious and I you know I'm not a Habs fan I got no dog in the fight I've just been to a lot of places where there's a lot of good crowds and that's one of the best absolutely it's always been the reputation and it will undoubtedly be the case tonight again with with Florida in town in Montreal We've got a bunch of games in the NHL Mike Johnson will join us Craig button later this afternoon

Confirmed and I this hour blue jays back in action tonight. We're hoping to hear some news on Scherzer like he flew down in, Pennsylvania He was back with the team last night. Schneider probably speaking with the media the next half an hour or so. Maybe we'll get an update on what is going to happen here with Max Scherzer. But big win last night. And Bowden Francis looked great again, man. Like he looked great again.

We'll get into that. We'll confirm it tonight. But he has been a rock star for this team since beginning of August last year. He has just not slowed down. Didn't have a great spring, but that's irrelevant. What happens once you get to to the real stuff and last night was his first time out and he looked really really good Fifth starter that's for sure. No, that's the truth man Like this guy gets he he has no hitters going into the fourth fifth sixth inning like every start. Yeah

Yeah, it's in Canada cooking last night Then two guys went back to backyard on him and it was like jet amount he's that yeah, that's was like get him out, get him out, you gave us six innings that's all you can ask for and the analytics guys wanted him out earlier but oh is that right? oh yeah because it was third time through the rotation that's why the analytics guys want guys out yes you got to avoid something bad happening before it happens yeah

I see well I mean listen that Nats offense is not exactly potent so I'd like to believe yes you got to avoid something bad happening before it happens uh... i see i mean listen that nats offense is not exactly potent so i'd like to believe that he could have continued to play but uh... anyway take that every time that great start may give me six innings pitch like that only give up two runs you'll take that every time uh... someone that will confirm that i and again the chase back in action tonight jose burrios on the mound overdrive continues tsn ten50 and on TSN 4. That just happened with me Vashi Capellos candidate decides 2025.

Stay informed with my exclusive iHeartRadio podcast available Friday afternoon straight through till election day and beyond. I'll have your weekly highlights and my unvarnished analysis of the campaign of a lifetime the candidates the, the quotes, the polls, and the momentum. That just happened with Vashi Capellos. Canada decides 2025. Fresh every Friday. Stream on your schedule with the free iHeartRadio app. I can neither confirm or deny that this is in fact a signal. Austin trades Andrew Raycroft to Toronto in exchange for the rights to Tuca Rask. It's been my honor and a privilege to serve as the General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Club. It's time for Confirm or Deny. Do you regret giving all those gentlemen the no trades or no movement clauses?

I can neither confirm or deny that like they can either confirm or deny this i can confirm or deny right confirm and deny statements are made we go around the table we either confirm them or we deny the very simple stuff very very simple stuff but very effective very effective i think we can cut to the chase here in a lot of these right let's kickstart this party with a little Leafs contract, confirm or deny. Always our favorite topic of discussion. Confirm or deny, Matthew Nyes will make more

on average in his next contract than John Tavares in his next contract. Who will have the higher cap hit? And this could be Tavares' contract could be with another team. Anywhere. Wherever they play next year, who is going to have the higher cap hit? I'm going to 100% confirm this. Matthew Nyes, you think he'll have a higher cap hit? And John Tavares.

Okay. I actually do confirm this because that's what happens when you're 22, 23 years old and you score 26 goals, 27 goals and you're projected to be a 35 goal man and everybody's going bonkers over the stats with goals and hits combined and what he's all about. He's got a lot of promise and that's kind of the sweet spot to get paid. So I'm 100% confirming this. And I'd also like to clear one thing up because people out in public are giving me the gears. I want John Tavares and Mitch Marner to make as much money as they can possibly get. Get them for every last cent. But I'd

also as a former Maple Leaf player and someone who covers the Leafs, I want to see the team win. And to me it doesn't make sense losing year after year and continuing to sign these guys and keeping them in the fold when you lose. That's the last time I'm going to address it because people are like, you're a hater, you hate, I don't hate anybody. I want to see the team win and if you're not winning, how the hell do you keep tossing money at the same guys that lose it doesn't make sense i'm with you i hear you i hear the same chatter i get the same commentary people

are like towards it's the captain it's johnny toronto i'm like i don't care who the hell it is man you don't when you don't stay you don't play like you gotta change the team in the easiest way around all of these potential issues is for them to win go out there in win and everyone breeze easy that the greatest color the conference final in losing game seven and then everyone can look at it say maybe you kind of need those guys to stick around and i don't know about a

cup final and actually winning game seven of the cup final? That'd be better. Yes! Go to the next step. Anything than a first round bounce or quickly in the second. Absolutely. I mean, you have to get, like that's the thing. Marner's a little bit different. Knives is different based on where they are in their careers. Although Marner's a U of A and you got to consider where he's going. He's not going to be a kid if you give him an eight-year deal. All these things have to be considered. But with Tavares, like you gotta get to the playoffs first before anyone should make any decision on anything, Leafs included, and obviously Leafs being the primary

topic here and really determination in terms of what's gonna happen because it's their team and they get to hand out the contracts and it's their responsibility to build the team out. But you gotta, if you lose in the first round again, you said and I've said I don't see how anyone could argue Against that I don't but a perfect scenario of course dream ending is Tavares retires a leaf Marner retires a leaf Matthews and Nylander they all do it. They've won Cubs. That's what everyone wants to see happen, right? They play the games they have to play and they have to change it. They're the ones that have to do it Well, no responsibility. Yeah, and I that would be great. But you gotta do it and look at the players have

some say in that right? Yes players have some say in whether or not they're gonna win because There's a pie and the bigger your piece the less everybody else's piece That's just how it works in the National Hockey League. so I'll deny this and say John Tavares is gonna do something we haven't seen anybody in this cohort of players do even though he's not just a would-be 35 goaler as you say oh like Matthew Nyes he's got 25 goals this year he actually has 35 goals this year yes he does he's on pace for a little more than that he just he's, guys, he's the second star of the month in the NHL. Incredible.

The best month of his career. Yep. 13 goals in 15 games. I mean, this guy is not slowing down at age 34, he might be getting better, which is scary, but I do think he has a long-term view here. As much as I'm sure his agent is in is your town you can get a lot man yet you get a lot of money here forget about age just number one thing you can't do fast track is you can fall

in love with your own players more than any other players in the league because there was a guy that scored forty one goals last year do you know a team he played on and the bailing and now he's it now he's playing a team where it's not going so well make a lot of money mister sam cox yeah yeah yeah yes and and but he's now he's playing a team where it's not going so well make a lot of money mister stanko's yeah yeah yes yes and and but i think look i think the various a smart enough

but he was smart enough to you good soldiers through the transition from the sea to the a have a career year pretty close not forty seven boys don't give me a lot of one of the best years of his career absolutely and come out the right time to peaking in March hopefully he continues it through April but I think to versus smart enough to know that if you give a little here you can get a lot later yes okay but let me ask

you this fast Chuck if you watched him in the playoffs where the pace quickens and the ice shrinks and it's a different ball game to shine on. If it's not even close in the playoffs, are you still like, yeah, bring them aboard? Oh no. No, I've been telling these guys to break up the team for a long time, just like you guys have. I mean, there's no way any rational human being can expect this to be different with the same core four. Now, maybe it'll be different if you get great goaltending Maybe it'll be different if the trees on defense right are the trees on defense in the playoffs in a very effective way

But I'm with you. Oh like if they don't if they don't go very deep here There's got to be a scene. No, you think there's a lot of data here There's a this you would think sir. We're past the 11th anniversary or we're coming up to the 11th anniversary this month of Mr. Shanahan's tenure as president. He's had one idea, one overarching idea, keep these guys together. That may be the end of that idea if they don't make something happen quick. Right. In May and maybe June. And again they're lucky that they have they have another opportunity to change it all. Like that's the amazing thing that if you go on one run,

the previous six years gets completely thrown out. Like they're lucky that they're still together and they have chances to keep going forward. A lot of other teams would have said, we can't continue to do this years ago. And they need one run and everyone will breathe easy. One run and everyone will breathe easy one run and everyone will say all right you got it this was always it was actually you needed Tanev

and Carlo and you need Stoller, Zunett and Barube behind a bench yeah that's what it'll be like if this team collectively goes on a run it will be oh the core four was all it always made sense the team building from that standpoint always made sense they just needed the other pieces to fall in right and that will be the argument incited runs out there was a lot it was all there was this fall there was some chalden keith will take all the heat uh... by confirmed tonight if healthy this gets back to what we talked about earlier this hour if healthy

you are a hundred percent helping you can play yani hawker posh and play in the playoffs confirm or deny if he's healthy it's all good yanni hockey part should be playing for the maple is in the playoffs you know i have this here we go after i i have a dire a i just went on i'm gonna confirm it because if he's healthy and someone on that coaching staff decided that he's gonna go on the ice

they're confident that what happened in the past and what they saw in the past is not going to be there and he could be an everyday contributor. I don't think anyone would risk putting him in a playoff game if he couldn't play and be a factor. Yep. I confirm it too, man. Yeah, there's still a chance it could go ugly and you're watching it and you're like, no

thanks on that one. But to start off, if somebody decides he's healthy and can play, he's going in there. And it would, you know, listen, Benoit could cause you problems, can play off time as well. And if it's one game and it goes south, it's a big game. Every game matters, every game counts. But it doesn't mean you have to commit to him

for the rest of time. You give him a shot, he's healthy, he can play. If it doesn't work, you're out. Benoit goes back in. Yanni, he can play. Get him in there. get him in there for game one yeah no it's a really fun hypothetical if he's healthy like it's the biggest like it's it's a six foot seven if you know it's it's it's a massive I long reach stick if yes he's a massive human being that could be obviously very effective he's he's been

very effective that's why they got him on board that's why they the written initially wanted to send a two-year deal until they found that that that he was a very good right and that was suddenly diminished to a one year deal that's turned into a two game deal to date uh... so yeah you'd love that guy out there as you put you you will find a perfectly as it was the perfect right left big guy big guy was the perfect third pairing with him in actin larson both with some experience in big games I just can't see it happen okay quick update here from John Schneider on Max Scherzer he had a cortisone shot and I guess that

is the hope is that this will calm the inflammation and there's no hard timeline to start throwing again but they'll keep evaluating him daily. So every day he's going to come in and get a new evaluation. He's day to day. But cortisone shot, that means no surgery right now for Max Scherzer and I don't know if this really actually leads to any clarity whatsoever because if mentally he feels something, that's all that matters. Doesn't matter what the doctor says. It doesn't matter what the MRI says.

Yeah, but I got a cortisone shot in my shoulder, dude. And it's like, you don't have any issues at all. Right. Okay. So maybe he gets right back out there, but at some point it wears off, right? Like, what is it? Three months? Can it get him through the whole season? No, you need another one. Yeah, i guess so i mean i don't know what the timeline three months is generally what the okay so so maybe maybe that's what the surgeon said like listen it's not

something that can be fixed via surgery that's not an option will give you a cortisone shot and you gotta go pitch and something you will and i you're willing to go through it maybe i was the game plan he was like look man i'm forty one years old i don't need any long-term prognostications here I need to get through this season and I'm done yeah so what do I got to do to do it okay so maybe you got a pot maybe I guess that

is a positive then like they the alternative was the surgery and this guy's done done for a long time but my point is you're dealing with a pitcher who clearly is sensitive to it so even with the cortisone shot, if he is gripping a baseball and he goes, I can't, my lats, you're done. It doesn't matter. It's not going to matter. Like it doesn't matter what the doctor is going to say. If mentally he can't get across the finish line to actually let loose. Yeah. Usually when you hear cortisone shot, and I've talked to a bunch of surgeons over the years, like cortisone shots,

like, you know, we probably shouldn't be doing this. It's probably not going to work. Right. Let's just try it. We got nothing to lose. It costs 60 bucks. is like, cortisone shots like, you know, we probably shouldn't be doing this. It's probably not gonna work. Let's just try it. We got nothing to lose. It costs 60 bucks. Yeah, exactly. Insert it.

It's like you need a knee replacement, but you don't wanna get it. We'll just, we'll give you a cortisone shot and you can get through a few months. See if it helps. It might not. It costs 60 bucks. It does, it's what it costs.

I know, I know. $48.99. Do you think he files that through the Jays? Like, do you think Scherzer pays cash for that for that especially the states. It's probably even more money I definitely know that when you're a professional athlete you ain't paying for squat even if you make 15 million and this thing cost four dollars you imagine like the audacity to Send a text to Ross Atkins and say who am I forwarding this to?

Yes, 49.99. I'm not paying. Like, you gotta understand, I know I'm making $15 million and I've made over 300 million in my career. It would be so easy for me to pay cash and this is over with, but I'm not doing that. So who do I forward this in? I need the insurance card.

Where's the insurance card? You would be shocked at guys making a lot of money and what they kind of bitch and complain about. And you'd also be shocked on the team side what they bitch and complain about. I heard stories in the past where guys would go to the miners and on the way back to the city, they would buy a newspaper and kind of add it into the expenses and the team would be like what's with the newspapers and it's like really dude a dollar newspaper and you're asking me about it all kinds of nonsense like that mm-hmm I know it's

like other athletes it's like do you need the private jet to go to that doctor in Arizona take it well do you think other people have to worry about a newspaper at a gas station you think scherzer went private like that would have been the private bird probably stay three hundred no i know but i have gone price rogers paying for that's my question i like to know what did he call up rogers and say get that thing fired up i'm going to have sylvania for the day what do you think happened

i don't think i had so without a doubt i don't know i think there is a doubt and i think they would say will pay for a first-class ticket but we're not fired up the jet for you to go see somebody by your father this promise is not a lot of the racks to wherever this way is really no as is in pittsburgh or is it really out of our eyes in pennsylvania yeah whatever it's it would shock me if the if i wouldn't be, I wouldn't be shocked

either, but I also wouldn't be shocked if the owner was like, we're already starting with this. We gave the guy $15 million. We're doing private birds. Like what if in two weeks he's got to go back? Where do you draw the line on? You get the private play. Like, is that in the contract? Is Scott? It's in the fine print. If I ever need to go see a specialist, you supply me with a private plane. Everybody's asking for private bird privilege. I understand they're asking for it.

Did everyone get it? Guys who had, like, look at, Dubas went to Pittsburgh and asked for private bird privileges with payments. I believe he did. Good for him. Not for every, not for every court. Well that was famous that Babcock had a certain

amount of hours with the MLS plane. Yes. Are you gonna waste it on a court of to their five hours on the island and no one when they get fired i think it would be that private bird elements of the contract when you get by by a team i don't know man that's gone they saw you know he's got a call up jerry tannenbaum and say that i i give me the bird yes a man to my wife act i i i have i would you tell me you wouldn't if you had that deal and it was locked in a key they gave him everything that was i was trying to say

is i'm almost 100% positive. Termination means the hours to the bird are no longer a fit. They still gotta pay him. The money doesn't come to an end. You fire the guy, you still gotta pay the guy. Yes, but that's why it would be like we're still gonna be giving you the money, but the access to the bird, it ends upon termination. I don't think so, man.

It depends on the contract. Somebody he's who understands this let me know shooting out that way can send a note to the leaves they won't answer that but someone that has a connection with m l s c i need to know if mike babcock has been on that plane post we keep trying fired might might be a tricky one because that yeah i i i think that there is a if he has been for the for m l s e why they give i mean they fired the guy i know but today you know it's a deal probably should have written in the

contract that once you're fighting it would be in the contract with the hours that you are sold so-called entitled to yes on termination you're no longer entitled okay so that's what you want some jabroni coming back that you can saying listen I'm going to the Bahamas fire up the MLSC bird yeah I would be lunacy I agree with you it would be lunacy but I think it's lunacy anyway that the guy even had it in his deal yeah like when is a coach get access to the private plane I'm telling you they're asking for it

doesn't mean they're all getting it. A lot of people get it now. A lot, you know, it doesn't become public because it sounds kind of pretentious and there's a big, there's the ecological side to it. You know that Babs was like signed, like signed, sealed and delivered in Buffalo, right? Oh yes, Wes said I'm not living in Buffalo. Yes, and guess what? Probably put it over the top.

If I'm coming up, that plane is available. I don't care if you fire me tomorrow, I'm calling you in eight years and I'm jumping on that plane when I'm going to Hawaii. I'm taking that plane I think he's I think you're not All meet you in court if you're not giving me that plane you think that's beneath Mike Babcock to these guys I've been known to be hated may please sports in court on the way out. He's been in court Yeah, I if that's in the deal it wouldn't get public because it would be embarrassing for everyone involved. But there's, you're telling me if you got fired, if you were in Mike Babcock's shoes, God forbid, and you got fired and you knew you were entitled to that, you wouldn't still call up and say, have that thing ready. I would. Hey, you know how many people

phone up Larry Tannenbaum and ask to use his plane? You'd be surprised. Yeah? Oh yeah. Okay. Because he's a nice guy. He seems like the kind of guy who might say yes right and like there's certain athlete like you know Matthews that would have been private bird to Germany and back that's he's not paying for that that was more than 60 bucks for the cortisone and I was not a private bird Germany I thought the same thing but I he flew he flew what first class I would imagine it was first class it was not on a private bird though to Germany. Look at you, the private bird insider.

So you can find out what's up with Babcock. That's breaking news. If you want, I will dig into Babs if Babs still uses the... Please. I'm not anymore. No, no, no, it's contracts up. Just shoot a note out, you know who you can ask. I know you know you can ask somebody in particular.

And just say, to clarify clarify can you give us some sort of idea on whether or not Mike Babcock would still have access to what was contractually you know stipulated the the private plane post being fired how does that operation work because now I'm fascinated now I want I need to know if he's got his feet up on the MLSC plane two years after being fired. Yeah and he's calling his lawyer saying, way to write it into the contract, buddy. Fine print. I had a hook line and sinker down in Buffalo. Jerry Pagula was gonna give me access to it for the rest of time. That's right. All right, I need to know the answer on this.

Can't believe I'm even asking. Shoot a text. Shoot a text. All right. We're breaking news here. We're going to break news on this. All right. Mike Johnson in 20 minutes.

Craig Button, StilterCon. Dallas Brayden coming up as well. The Torpedo bat. It's on fire throughout baseball, man. We saw it again last night. Multiple spots throughout the league. It's the fire throughout baseball, man. We saw it again last night, multiple spots throughout the league. It's the go-to bat now. You have to have a torpedo bat.

Well, you'd be stupid not to try it. You gotta give it a shot. Ali Della Cruz tried it the other day. He hit two home runs last night. Yeah, for five. Two bombs that were out of the universe. And he had these prior to batting practice yesterday, he had never touched it.

Yeah. So he puts it in play back batting practice. There he is. Look how cold Ali is he's so cold and he hit he had 11 total bases two home runs and like you said man he crushed these baseballs. Like it's freezing in Cincinnati too. It's probably 10 degrees there. Balls not traveling. That guy hit that 15 feet past he hit the same home run twice. Launch angle. Look at that. Torpedo bat. It's you got to have it, man.

If you don't, you're you're doing yourself a disservice. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on TSN for all new. All Canadian, the best of our great nation. One song at a time. This is Justin Bieber. Hi, this is Terry Clark. We are Nickelback made in Canada on I Heart Radio. Rock pop hip hop. And when it comes to country,

it's the true north all the way. Loud and proud. An all new digital radio station from coast to coast. Made in Canada, played in Canada. On the free iHeartRadio app and at iHeartRadio.ca. It's gonna get loud. All right, Overdrive continues powered by fan duel bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score Like Johnson in 15 minutes leasing action tomorrow night

The Capitals are in Boston where Ryan Leonard will make his debut tonight for the caps and Alex Ovechkin is five goals away from setting a new record and It was pretty cool seeing, I guess in Boston, they were at some bar last night or maybe probably the night before. And there's Ovi that's captain behavior, right? Like you get the kid showing up. Ryan Leonard is going to make his NHL debut. He's a big, big prospect for this team.

You got to take them out on the town. I love that play by Alex Ovechkin. I love it from Ovi and it wouldn't shock me if this kid It's tough at the World Juniors. There's Ovi He's just all he does is sing to rap music and laugh with guys and eat Subway and rip home goals. Yeah this guy But that Leonard that Perot Yanuk Perot's son and put the New York Rangers Like watching how good those kids were it wouldn't shock me if they're just like good players in the NHL right away.

Yeah, it's a big gap, man. It wouldn't shock me, man, because they're just that talented. Obviously there could be a learning curve where it's like, okay, kid, you're in the NHL, but that Ryan Leonard, he was the best forward at the World Juniors. That's saying something. Like, Connor Bedard was the best forward at the World Juniors. So was this guy. Like, he's big. He's like a Ryan Kessler, possibly with better hands and a better scoring touch. Like, a big right-handed centerman who plays for keeps. Good player, man. Wouldn't shock me if he's successful right away.

Well, I'm with you on that. And you're running off adrenaline, generally, when you first arrive. We saw that Cole Caulfield, remember, a few years ago when he showed up and just started ripping home goals. Well it's a big advantage. I mean this guy only played 37 games with Boston College. I mean they play like twice a week. They're in the weight room three times a week. They're eating great. Division one athletes get treated like gold nowadays.

Oh yeah. Probably making some money down there. You know in other words, everybody else is going through this 82 game grind. This guy's playing half a schedule. You know, in the other words, everybody else is going through this 82 game grind. This guy's playing half a schedule, you know? He can board the moving train. Absolutely. And he's jumping on a good one in Washington, man.

You couldn't ask for a better start. Like, you know, Vetch can chase immediately. You're a part of that. They're going to the playoffs, the one seed in the East. So that's up well for him. All right, we'll continue with confirm and deny later this afternoon. Mike Johnson coming up as well.

Overdrive continues. TSN 1050N on TSN 4. You've been listening to Overdrive powered by FanDuel. FanDuel, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. That just happened with me, Vashi Kapelos, Canada Decides 2025. Stay informed with my exclusive iHeart Radio podcast available Friday afternoon straight through till Election Day and beyond. I'll have your weekly highlights and my unvarnished analysis of the campaign of a lifetime, the candidates, the quotes, the polls, and the momentum.

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