OverDrive - OverDrive - December 30, 2025 - Hour 1 - Bruce Boudreau

Episode Date: December 30, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jason Strudwick and Jonas Siegel for Hour 1 on OverDrive! The guys discuss the Maple Leafs' major list of injuries on the roster, the impact of Chris Tanev's injury, the team's downhill season, how goaltending needs have an integral role and the direction of the organization. TSN Hockey Analyst Bruce Boudreau on Canada's Olympic possible choices, Macklin Celebrini's elite season and the Maple Leafs' injuries and Nikola Jokic's injury for the Nuggets.

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Fanduil, 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 TSN2, Brian Hayes, Jonas Siegel from the Athletic, and there's our main man, Jason Strader.

Hey, what's happening? Double dipper, eh, boys? What a way to start a week, Monday, Tuesday? Wow, man. Look at this, man. We got chemistry now. We are healthy, the Leafs are not. We are healthy, the least are not. Man, this is troubling news.

Chris Tanov's out. Dakota Joshua's out. Austin Matthews is a game time decision tonight. William Nealander will not play. We don't know where Stolars is. Brandon Carlos is not playing. It's trouble. It's trouble, Struddy.

There's not a lot of positive mojo in the city right now. Even though the Leafs have picked up points in the last three games, right? They're 2-0-1 in their last three. But New Jersey's a team right for the picking. They don't generally play that well against New Jersey, but I don't know who's playing tonight. Do you have an answer for us, Jonas? I guess Matthews is the only one we don't know.

And we were talking about it before. He blocks a shot, end of second period in Detroit, left foot. If it was broken, I think we would know he's out. I don't know. They'd say week to week, whatever that means. since it's not, I would assume he's just got a bruise, really bruised foot. So can you play on that?

I don't know. Like, he didn't look great after he came back. I don't know. Struddy, can you play on a, like that hurt? Oh, it hurts so much. Like, just taking it out and an idea of putting it back in there, oh, man, and you can try you all you can, but it just is so sore. And depending where it is, like, you know, if it's on that crease, kind of where

your ankle meets the leg, that's a really bad spot because you're bending all the time. so it's not very fun now if it's not broken it's just pain right it's just how much can he take and he's a good skater and so you know it i guess it's up to him um you can soften the blow with you know a Tylenol i guess or something but still man that's that's not fun it's it's not a fun because you just know how much it hurts putting your foot back in there that's the worst part yeah that that will be a challenge and i'm sure he's aware that they need him tonight you know that may factor into what he decides to do, but, you know, if he's only 50-50, if he plays, but he doesn't look great or he can't skate, is there value in that?

I don't know, because these are games they've got to get, you know, coming out of the break, they've got kind of a soft schedule, a lot of home games here for the next, you know, a handful of games. Colorado's still waiting for you, right? You still got to play Vegas a couple times. You've got to go through Edmonton again. You still got to do your California swing. They got Dallas again at home.

Like, they got tough games coming up. They have the second or third toughest schedule, I believe, in the league. And this is the one you got to get at home against New Jersey. But I think, you know, ultimately, Neelander's day-to-day, he will return soon. Matthews wasn't skating this morning. But, again, I guess, you know, you've got to take everything with a grand of salt. The least, maybe he doesn't play again all year. You know, with the Leafs, you never know.

Maybe he never plays again. Maybe he retires at the end of the week. Like, with the Leafs, they're just, they're so misleading. They just haven't earned the benefit of the day. They absolutely haven't. They're completely disingenuous about everything to the fans. They've gotten better a little bit recently. I will.

To an extent. But listen, the Dakota, the Joshua explanation from Barubei, like it's a kidney issue. He's still in Detroit. That's really tough. Like, that's really concerning. You're fearful for that guy and, you know, his well-being clearly. So hopefully Dakota Joshua gets home and it's all good in the future. But Tana being out to me is the big one because they missed them.

so much strutty. They missed him so much when he was out. He's had such a difficult season based on injury. Prior to the injuries, he wasn't playing great, but he's a puck-moving defenseman. He's a guy that's like cool, calm, and collected in like the grind

in the mucky areas of the rink. He plays tough. He kills penalties. And it's a lower body injury and the reports are not great. Again, we don't know with the leaves. But if he's going to be out for an extended period of time, That may sink them.

Like, it's getting to a point where it feels like the only way they're going to get into the playoffs is if they have the best goal tending in the league. Is that far-fetched? Well, let's start with the TANF part first. I mean, I think that he was brought in to be a warrior and an anchor on that back end and kind of, you know, set the tone. Unfortunately, this year, for all the reasons he's outlined, he doesn't be able to do that. So that's, you know, as a coach, you're expecting this guy to be there, a veteran,

a guy who's been around a lot can help you settle people down. and so it's not there. So that's a real big problem. Take off, you know, a top pairing defense one off any team for, you know, whatever length of time. And it's a big problem. So, you know, what happens with them? I don't know.

I mean, we don't, we never really know what the problem is, what's going on. So let's assume he's up for another couple months. I mean, do you say to him, hey, man, like, maybe we should take the year off and just get healthy, you know, like just feel good about yourself. But he's not like he's 25, though. That's the problem. He was brought in as an older. free agent so because what do you see he's got to be he's 36 yeah I think he's just turned

30 December yeah yeah yeah so I wrote about this like a month ago and I didn't use this phrase I wanted to is this just a season from hell for them like is it just like it's just nothing is going to go right and is I don't know what you do with that but like is this just their year from hell here's a crazy answer you have to hope so oh man that's a positive It's a positive if that's what it is. You're saying if it's just one year. That's it. If it's, hey, everything just, we couldn't get going.

You know, it was just we had injuries, we had inconsistencies, and they've had a lot of it. Now, they're not alone, and that's where people stop short. Also, they were not playing great when they were healthy. Even when they were healthy, it didn't look great. They had the easiest schedule going, the first 20 games of the year. They could have absolutely taken off the start, and they chose not to do that. but I think if you are an optimist

that's how you're hoping it's the fine you're hoping that that's all it is strud is while Stolar's something went wrong and Tanev and Carlo and Lotton got off to a bad start and Matthews just couldn't find it and the linemates were all over the place

and you get to the summer obviously that means if it's a season from how you miss the playoffs you debate whether or not they're going to make changes Oh I don't know how Do you think it's a lock if they miss the playoffs the coach is gone and the GM how deep would you say it goes

I would think so don't you I mean like we know I don't know if it's a big Craig Baroube fan I mentioned you like I would like I wonder what a different coach looks like with this team how much of a difference does that make but you miss the playoffs like I don't know every team has injuries like I counted

14 players have missed time with injuries this year a whole bunch multiple times is that a lot probably I don't but I don't know what's hard to get continuity. I'll say that when you have that many players are out, it's hard to get into a rhythm because, you know, the three of us are aligned and then two games later, I'm on a line with two different people because maybe someone's out and how to move that up, so it's hard to

find that flow. I think for defense, it's a little bit different. You know, the goalies, you just need one, you know, to be, to be, and I don't, I'm not saying that to be, you know, to lighthearted, but there's, there's, there's only, you just need one to play well right now. Just give me one guy that's going and give them the chance to get rolling. So you have, I don't think I was hurt, you know, the other one, or, you know, the other one, or two should be able to hold it up. So, you know, I think the one thing that hurts to is that draft pick, right? That's, I think that's another one that, you know, if they, because I'm corrected,

if they, you know, if they, Boston owns it, and it's what, top five protected? Yeah, top five protected. They're not, I don't think they'll be quite there, but they'll, you know, they, they're, they could be in that a pretty decent range there, then Boston's like, man, that's a pretty good pickup for a guy that didn't play for the Leafs much this year. That is hanging over everything. that they don't have picks. They don't have the next year either.

Yeah, it's in Philly, right? I believe it's top 10 protected. But then maybe it loses the protection after that. It becomes unprotected. Yes. Like, it's a terrifying proposition. And, you know, it's, this is, again, it's still premature to throw out the white flag

because of a bad injury report today. They're not going to do that. If you're Craig Barubei, I think you go into that room. And what you hope for is simplicity, is a buy-in to just, you know, put everything on the line, block shots, protect the house. Like I said, and I wasn't being facetious. Like, you might need the best goaltending in the league, which is probably asking too much.

Let's be clear. I mean, Joseph Wall is not the best goalie. Dennis Heldaby is not the best backup in the league. But that's kind of what you're banking on here. If Willie's going to be out, if Austin's out, if you're continuing to miss players, and your depth is just going to be challenged, and you're so far behind the eight ball. which they are, you're going to need a heater. And the easiest way to get it is crazy goaltending.

Which we've seen times last year and throughout their last 10 years where there'd be months at a time where a guy like Jack Campbell would have a 960 say percentage in 12 starts or something. You're like, all right, well, you just went 11 and 1. This guy was unbelievable. And, you know, it's a terrible approach. It's not a full proof plan. and it's certainly not one for long-standing success,

but it might be a reality with what they're dealing with right now. You know what the other option is, Jonas, you know, is actually play the way Craig Ruby wants you to play, right? Limit chances against team defense, move the puck forward.

You know, like now, and I'm not suggesting that, you know, Matthews and Naylander, the reasons they're not doing it, but that might be the way through. Just build an iron curtain like Latvia,

hang on there, win the game two, one, from scrap for points. So I think that there's like, I think that's a good point. There was a stretch a few years ago, Hayes, you for sure remember

where they had all these injuries on defense? It was like Riley, muzzan, Brody, it was like everyone was out. And they played awesome defensively. And like it was like their top pair was like Sandine and Hall. Yeah, Justin Hall had a big run.

It was like, what is going on here? But there was such a buy-in, like we have to play really well defensively to get by through the stretch. And they played pretty well. well. So I guess that's what you're saying, Struddy. Like, if they can

somehow do that where the mentality changes, it's just like, we gotta win every game like one. That's the only way. Yeah. I just, there's been no evidence that that is what this team can do. And like, then there's a question of like, can they do it with this system, with this coach? Like, that was a different

coach. I don't know. Yeah. I mean, this is all on the table for them. Again, it's, you know, interestingly enough, they're former coaches in town tonight. And he's on the hot seat. Because they've been dealing with injuries, but they had high hopes this year and they're not playing well. No. You know, Jersey's not in a great place.

So, you know, there's a lot of teams that are dealing with a lot. The least are no different. But if this is going to spiral out of control, if, then it does beg the question, like, what happens big picture? Is it a just season for hell? You

flush it, you reset the summer, and you continue into the future. I think it's possible they look at it that way. Like you mentioned Pellie, I would go a step higher than that. You look at the team down the street that plays at the Rogers Center. They had a season from hell in 2024 in 2020. You're right?

That was equally as bad as what, probably worse than what the Leafs are going through right now. And everyone on earth, Schneider's got to go, Atkins has got to go, Shapiro's got to go. And the owner of the team, who now owns the Maple Leaf exclusively, more or less, He certainly has the power to do whatever he wants. Chose not to do it. And he chose consistency. He chose a commitment to like a coherent system from top to bottom that they believed would pay off.

Apples to oranges in terms of the sports, totally different game. It's a totally different lifestyle. It's a very different world. I get it. But I think you've got to look past Pelling. You've got to look a little bit higher. I'm not convinced this owner just decides

everything's going to be out of here because of one bad year. I'm not convinced he looks at it that way. And I can understand why he might not because of the lesson he just learned with the Jays that that was a season for hell. In the next year, they were in Game 7 of the World Series. It's the Dodgers.

So I guess that's my way of saying. I'm not sure you can predict what's going to happen here. It's so complicated, though, because you and I have argued, like, what does, like, strategy, like, if you're going to give up on the season. Like, Tree Living was asked that last week. Pierre asked him,

like about trades, and True Living said exactly what you said. He said, we're not waiving the white flag. I don't think he said yet, but that's... Yeah, it's reasonable that they're not doing that right now. No, like, the season's not even halfway over, but, like, what does it even look like if you do wave the white flag, and where does it get you? Because, like, what you said initially was, is it just one year?

And so if you wave the white flag for this year, what does it mean for next year? Because if you're trying to compete again next year, what are you selling and what are you getting, and what is free agency? bring you that can build your team in a way that actually makes it a contender next year. Yeah.

You know what I mean? That's the thing. Like baseball, there is free agency actually exists. Yep. And they were able to act, like the pieces they had actually didn't really work.

Yeah, they actually didn't factor in much. But they had some guys come up from the miners who had a huge impact. The Leafs don't have that. So it's not a perfect comparable. So like,

I don't know what you even do to wave the white flag. Well, that's the question is, you know, that's the ultimate job of the GM, right? to evaluate what you really are.

Now, every GM is biased, right? They all claim, like, no, I'm going to be objective. No, it's your guys. You brought them in. These are your people. So he looks at his players and his team differently. I don't think Brad Tree Living or any GM in his situation. If this goes south, would ever walk in and say, it's all me.

I made horrible decisions. Please let me, you know, choose other guys. No one's going to do that, right? He's not going to do that. So he's, I'm sure, going to pitch season from hell, injuries, actually still really good. We're much more like the team before that went to the second round and pushed Florida to game seven. That's how close we still are. Forget about this year. I'm not sure he's right about that. I think when the dust settles, you know, even prior to this

year last year, they haven't won anything with a lot of these core players. But I think what I believe has to happen. And I know you and I do not see that I. And I'm curious where you stand on this strut. Whether it's Brad Trilling or some other GM in the future, they have got to commit to a farm system here at some point. You have to get draft picks. You've got to get prospects. You have to stop living in a day-to-day world and start living in a year-to-year world

because they've been doing it forever. And last year, it's very evident. With Shanahan's last year, they went all in. They gave the TANF deal that everyone looked at and said six years. He's not playing six years, just like Florida did with Marchand. The same reaction. Like, how do you give that? There's no way he's going to give you value.

you for that. But they're like, we need them this year. Scott Lotton, we'll pay the price. Brandon Carlo, we'll pay the price. We're going to bring in Craig Barube, who's a guy, a rah-rah, you know, catch lightning in a bottle coach, kick the can around and make sure that he gets the most out of these guys for one year.

And it was trending in a great direction. They won the division. They beat up to an extent on Ottawa. Get to the second round. You're up two nothing in the series, two nothing in the game three, you know, pivotal game. And it all went to hell on them. But At some point, you need prospects.

You need cheap talent. You need guys that you can commit to, especially strutty, if free agency doesn't exist in the league anymore. Because it doesn't exist really. So you've got to have your own guys that you can sign and keep. And they have no draft picks. They have very few prospects. And I get why they're in this position.

Because for a decade, it's been like, go, go, go, go, go. At some point, you need young players coming through your system. They have to find a way to get them. So I think this has been something I've been talking about a lot, is that in the Canadian market, I think a lot of times they feel pressure to go for it, even though they're really not that good a team. And we've seen in Toronto, where they've gone in, and you've talked about training draft picks out, and we've also seen in Empton to try to expedite when they got Connor McDavid. The older has traded a first and second rounder for a player named Griffin-Reynhart.

Now, you may not be familiar with Griffin-Reynard. I don't know if I'm going to blame you because I don't even know if he's playing. hockey anymore. That first and second rounder, the first rounder could have been, I think it might have been, could have taken Barzell. You could have taken, what's that guy in Minnesota again? Oh yeah, Erickson Eck, an unbelievable second, second center or first center, I guess, depending on your team, and unreal third line center. So rushing it doesn't work, and I never understood that, but I think I've finally got it. They have to play the market a bit. We're going to go all in. I think of when the Maple Leafs traded for, was it Ryan,

Riley, the centerman. Yep. Him, the order is traded for Antisou, two seconds for Antisou prior to COVID. Like, you're just forcing something this, and the team wasn't going to compete anyways. I think in those years, you say, take your chips, I was going to put them back under, I'm walking away.

We're not going to win, yeah, the players might not be happy, but I'll have that powder dry for the summer or for another time. But now it's too late. It's too late. The damage is done, so now you've got to restock that prospect pool, and the Leafs have the resources to have a scout in every arena in Europe, in every college facility, they could do it all and find it. And

then when you get those, identify those players, you bring them in, you develop them. Like, that's their advantage because they have so much cash to spend and a willingness, it seems like. Yeah. And that's what Shannon did when he first got here. Yes. And that's where I kind of disagree. What? You don't like that plan? I mean, no. And Hayes and I have disagreed with this about over the years. I think if you're a cup contender, you have to try to win. How is this team a cup? No, I know we have these chats all the time. I mean, in previous years.

I'm not saying so much this year. But all those years, they're like, come on. But there's a difference between trying to win and being reckless, though. They were reckless in some of those trades, and I did not like some of those trades at the time. I did not like Folino at the time. I was like, that is not a good trade. Crazy trade. But the other problem is they had a lot of picks in previous years.

They just didn't hit. Well, in 2020, they had like 12 picks. That's another part of it. In 2019, they had six, like I'm looking at it, they had six picks in 2018. seen that, like, they just missed. Their scouts weren't that good. You're right. And on the ones that they did hit, like, Sean Jersey, they trade him for Jake Muzzen.

Like, that was a good trade. Like, that's a trade you make. They trade sandine. I mean, you can debate that trade, but, like... Not a great trade, but they got Cowan for the pickup. But they got Cowan. Like, some of these trades that could go through, and it's like, well, that makes sense. Like, trading for Ryan O'Reilly made sense.

Like, I'm sorry. Like, when you're in a position to win the cup and you can get Ryan O'Reilly, I think you try to do it. Did you really think they could win the cup fight? Yes. Struddy, they were a top five team in the league. Literally, like, go to the regular season, they were. Well, that was the thing, but that's why you make trades. Like, you try to make your team a bit better.

Like, I get in some of these years, like, 2019, 20, 20, they had an awful year. They fired their coach, and I remember, do you remember that the deadline, like, Dubas came out, was really mad, and, like, they didn't do anything at the deadline because the team wasn't that good. And maybe that's just what this year is. Like, the team just isn't anything,

and they don't have anything to trade. But they just missed on a lot of picks. And, like, you can't miss and, trade all your picks and be in a situation where you have young players. Right. It's not going to have. Well, and it is a double-edged sword. If you have the picks, you've got to get the right guys, clearly.

And I don't, you know, their scouts, historically, the Leafs have always they haven't drafted. They haven't drafted. Now, there's a lot of teams in the league that happened. And a lot of it is, well, I can't believe that guy. We got him in the third round. He turned into a great player. It doesn't seem to break the Leafs way a lot. Where that happens, they get a guy in the second,

third, fourth round, he turns into some superstar. but you know you've you've got to be able to replenish your farm system at some point and it can't be an accident that Dallas just keeps getting players well and look at Dallas a great example yeah like look at who they've drafted and developed over the years like like and it just keeps happening and then they can go and get ranting it because they've got Stan coven yes who I think they took in the second round you know but in order to get a Stancoven to make that trade you got have the pick you know and they they just they they don't have them they don't have the picks and I think think what you just said, their strutty is important. Like patience, sometimes you've got to wait for the next train. You know, and it's easier said than done. But you can't keep living in the... It's been 60 years since they won a cup. If you're not trying to win a cup, like, what are you doing?

But the point is, though, Jonas, what if I could tell you, they will win in five years, but you have to be patient? Like, you have to, you have to replenish the farm system. You've got to get picks. You've got to trade guys who maybe didn't think you wanted to trade. You've got to pass on signing a guy who you say, wait a minute, that's a good player. And I'm telling you, pass on him because there's another guy coming up

two years from now. Isn't it worth waiting for the five years as opposed to say, no, I'm going to roll my dice on the next four going all in every single year and hope we beat the five-year timeline? Because the point is, for 60 years, they've been living in that mentality. Go for it, go for it, go for it. Trade, trade, trade. Don't get this guy.

Don't get that guy. And look at the position they're in now. Like at some point, it's got to be a hybrid. I'm not saying you're, I'm not committing to a tank or anything. That's not what I'm saying. but you've got to have a farm system. You've got to have scouts that can find players, you know, collegiate, they're pro scouting.

It needs to be better. Sure. You know, top, there's no excuse, like you said, Stroud. They've got more money than anybody else in the league. Go out there and find whoever can do it. Joe, I understand the 60 years. The problem is you can't, I think the new gym can think about those are my sins. Those aren't his sins, his jobs to today to make this seem better every day.

And so listen, I think the leaves are, to kind of sum it up, I do think the leaves are having a really tough year in many different ways. They're a better team than they've shown. I agree. Are they as good as they have been in the last couple of years, Jonas? I don't believe they are because Martin's not there, and they're figuring how to play under that, but they still need, it's clear they need, what, two top six forwards?

A good pucking movie defenseman, I'd say, at least one more puck movie defenseman. Probably another goal. And their goal-tending, I'll kind of leave it there. but that's what I would identify for this for this team yeah well the goaltending has not been a problem for them it hasn't like no it's been good Hildaby's been good like that would be an easier explanation if you're in the position you're in because you get an 880 save percent well it was happening early right in October well Holar's wasn't great but yes I mean wall and Hilderby have been fine they're not the reason they're in they're in this position you can't

cite gold tending is why they sting but I guess the other question is like you mentioned like what happens if they miss the playoffs do you let like what do you do with your GM heading into the deadline like how much can you do if like you're thinking like is this my guy for the long haul?

You kind of have to let him be the GM like it's a month and a half to figure that out yeah and it's tough once you start getting into marching orders now you're not allowed to do this not allowed to do that that gets dicey man because if it's Keith Pally making that call what does he know about

what they're supposed to do or where the plan's supposed to go. Right. It's challenging. But you look at Buffalo. Buffalo's won nine in a row ever since they fired their GM. I've never seen that before a strike. Like you've seen a new coach bump.

When you get a new GM bump in the league? Well, I think there's more, they're a better team on paper than they've shown, I think. And Lindy Roth maybe found something that I think that started before. Yeah, Adams was like, he came out. But still, like they're a decent team. And, like, they've got talent, especially that back end.

My God, they've got some nice players back there. So, you know, nine in a row, and it's crazy. They're not even a playoff spot. I know. You imagine if they had one? Even they only won five. So, you know, are they a playoff team? Well, they're in the fight for it.

Doesn't mean they are today, but they're definitely going the right direction. I mean, they're fun to watch again. They are. Yeah, to their credit, man. They're battling. And, like, their goal differential, they're back up to just even on the season. nine wins in a row, they have a zero goal differential. Yeah, it's incredible.

But that's what the Leafs have to do. That's what Columbus has got to do. Ottawa lost again last night. They do not look good. All marks gone. They don't know when he's going to return, personal reasons. Yeah, it's a weird time. All right, Bruce Boudreau coming up on this and more.

The O'Dago join us. Canada looked great last night. That was expected. He felt they were going to win, win big, but the top two lines were really good. Now we set up for Finland on New Year's and what we can expect once we get into the knockout stage. So the O'Dago join us in just over half an hour. Confirmate than I at 5.30 today. Overdrive

continues. TSN 1050 and up on YouTube live. All right. Overdrive continues. Powered by Fandul. Bringing you everything from the opening line of the final score. Tough one for the Rams last night. Not playing for anything. But now everyone's like Matthew Stafford

gave up the MVP last night. Drake May's the man. Drake May is a heavy favorite, I believe now on Fandul. So we'll see Maybe there will be a little bit of debate there There's going to be debate in the next 24 hours When it comes to Team Canada I got to tell you

Stradi, I don't know if you felt this way San Jose wins again last night Celebrini Yeah I think it might be the take of the year My take? Your take I was

He's not that far behind like from McDavid He has 60 points Yeah and those guys are like 68, 69 He has 31 more points than Will Smith He doesn't get to play with He doesn't play with McCar.

I'm glad you brought that up because I was going to start this segment with that and I'm like, I can't do it. We don't win this either. Like I actually was thinking about it coming in today. I was like, man, Hayes might have been great. Celebrini has been just as good. Struddy, you guys laughed at me yesterday. I did.

This guy can win the heart trophy. It's just I've seen McDavid look like a... McDavid's a better player than anybody. And McKinnon, I think is too. and I would say McCar is too, because they're in their prime. Yes. It's the narrative of driving his team in the playoffs, which he's not guaranteed to do.

I'm not convinced they make it. We're Colorado will, Edmonton will, not convinced San Jose gets in, beating his teammate by 50 points. He might finish with 130 points. Like 50 plus goals, 130 points. He's 19 years old. How can Celebrini not win the heart?

I love that this is happening. I love that this is happening. Go ahead, Strud. I love the victory lap. I really appreciate it on a Tuesday. Three points last night. You look great. You see that puck retrieval in the neutral zone?

Drives hard to the net. You got to appreciate that. I do. I mentioned yesterday, backchecking. You know, coaches hockey porn, right? They love that stuff. So this is where we're at. And I said it last night.

I think that, well, A, his team has to make the playoffs for going to be in contention. I think that's a pretty big thing. But if you take any one of those players off their team, he has the biggest effect on his team. and I think that's what the award's for, right? I don't know if it's the best player, isn't the player, what is it? What's the wording, Joan?

It's something about valuable. It's an arbitrary definition. I mean, I gave McDavid a first place vote when they missed the playoffs in Edmonton. Like, I just. You did? Yeah, I don't know how. He was amazing. He is the best player.

He is. And it happened, like, throughout LeBron's career, it was like, you're the best player, but he didn't win that way. So Westbrook's going to get it this year. And then Hardin's going to get it this year. year and you know it's it's a tough bar they get said all right let's bring in bruce here because i'm curious where bruce but you should be you're you got to own this it's i got to own it now while i can no no no take it the rest of the year just in general okay i'm going to your beat i'm

owning this bruce where do you stand on the idea that macklin celebrini could win the hard trophy this year well i think it was it's excuse me if they make the playoffs like i mean you're going from worst to making the playoffs and it's all because of one player all so i mean i would have to think that the worst case scenario he's nominated for it i mean um but uh i would certainly make a make a good plan for him or a good talk for him to to to win it because i mean when you just said 130 points i just thought of how impossible is that because he doesn't have the surrounding cast that anybody else would have. I mean, he's got Will Smith, but he's only 19 years old or 20 years old. They don't have the defensemen. They don't have McCar. They don't have

the power play Edmonton has. They just got this guy, and it's not that difficult to check one guy, but it is difficult to check one guy in this guy's case. And that's, so I think you got a really good point there. Man, the take of the year, you are just sliding it in. Yeah, it's sliding it right before the new year. Right before the wire. And I haven't heard this before. That's the other thing.

Like, this is an original take. Well, and it's smart. It's trademarked. It's officially mine. It kills me to actually have it. I own it and I appreciate it. Well, and the reason it came up yesterday, Bruce, is, you know, we're talking about Celebrini and how great McDavid's been and McKinnon and

Team Canada and the announcement tomorrow. And we were having the chat about like Celebrini. role on the team. We all assume he's going to make it. He has to make it. But I don't see him as like a 13, 14 forward because he's 19 years old. I don't see a scenario where if I'm John Cooper, you just ease him in. I think you've got to unleash him and let him play and play a lot and play with good players. Where do you see it going with Celebrini at the Olympics? Again, assuming he's there. I think

you move one of the great centers to wing and let him play center because you know, he's not a fourth line guy. Even though before he's doing all this scoring, we've all talked about his two-way play and that he's a two-way center and

could do it. But I think you know, I mean, I've seen another Olympics where Team Canada is using eight centers on their forward lines and they move to different positions. Crosby's done it many times moved to the left side. I would think that a guy like McKinnon

can play the right side and control. the boards and still be very, very good. But this guy has earned it. I don't care what his age is. You know, when you're hoping for Team Canada, you don't look at the ages. You want the best fits for the best players. And I think he has earned it right from the get-go. I'm all in with Macklin Celebrating.

So, Bruce, we'll all agree that he's in. So outside of him, when the teams rolled out tomorrow, who will be a player that surprised you as far as what you didn't see? maybe he didn't think it'd be on the team in August, and now he is on the team in your opinion tomorrow. Oh, man. I don't know. I was just going through right now.

There's so many guys who are, oh, what about him? What about him? And then I think of John Cooper saying, oh, you know what? There's some great resumes that aren't going to make the team. So as soon as he said that, I went, okay, Hegel and Sorrelli are in, you know, knowing how much he likes his guys.

So I think there's going to be very big scores that aren't in. But I think you're going to have the cast of characters. I mean, I think unless they move them to wing, you've got the two best centers and Sidney playing third and actually the number three score in the league as another center. So, I mean, the biggest thing with me is I think Drew Dowdy will make it for sure. I think they need that ilk of a defenseman in there. I don't think Schaefer will make it this year,

even though he's had a great rookie year. I think if there's any weakness, it's on Team Canada's defense, but they need the bigger, stronger guys in there. And I don't think Bouchard will make it myself, or I wouldn't. Anyway, I read a quote today

that he can be the best player on either team in the same shift, so you don't know. I think you have to know what you're getting sometimes with him. Yeah, I'm with you on that. I don't think he's going to be there. It doesn't sound like Baird.

We'll see. We'll find out tomorrow, but I think the injury hurt him, but in reality he probably wasn't going to be on it anyway. He probably falls into the same line of thinking that Schaefer does and the way you determine that. What about Tom Wilson, a guy you know very, very well? You know, I think a lot of Canadians are wondering, what is Wilson going to bring if he's on this team?

He wasn't on the Four Nations. You watch him play every single game. If he's on this team, what kind of role can he play and how big of an impact do you think Tom Wilson can have? Well, to me, he can have a big impact. And the one thing you're going to have to do in this tournament is, to me, it's not about analytics. It's winning the one-on-one battles and winning the wall battles.

And that's the one thing. Tom Wilson is big, strong. Plus, he's got 20 goals. I mean, the guy can score if you give him an opportunity. He kills penalties for the caps. He's their best player. But the most important thing is, is winning the board battles, getting the pucks out when you need to get pucks out.

You can't do that if you've got nothing but skilled players. You got to, as you guys know, winning those one-on-one battles, and you always said it as a coach, we win the battles, we're going to win the game. And I fully believe that that's one of the main reasons. It's not about fighting because you can't fight. You're out if you fight. So he's not going to fight, but he can finish checks and win those battles and be the guy in front of the net that's hard to move.

And I just think he's a great player and he's grown into this leadership role and I think he'd be a really good player for team Canada. Bruce, I have one more Olympic question for you and I think it's about the goaltending. I think the decision with Jordan Bittington is fascinating because he wins them

the four nations, not having a good year, the backup right now in St. Louis. Clearly they probably feel loyal to him but he's not had a great year. What do you think they should do with that? Like, do you just bring him as your third goalie? Do you not bring him at all? Like, where do you stand

on Bennington for Team Canada? Well, it's Doug Armstrong's doing most of the picking and everybody, they sit there and they say, I know what he can do in pressure times and he's won a cup for me. He's won four nations for me. I'm thinking

he's going to bring him out of the loyalty but I think that's where the loyalty ends. The best player is going to start. I think that's Logan Thompson to me. You know, I mean, I think it was 2010 where was it Luongo that started and Brodor went in after that. I mean, the first round, you know, the positioning round is they might give Bennington a start.

Let's see how he goes. But if he's not as good as you need him to be, then they'll move on and they'll get one of the other goalies. Because, I mean, hey, listen, it could be Wedgwood. It could be Kemper. There's some good goalies there. Like, I mean, and if you go just straight, who's having the better year, Bennington's not going to make it, but I think they will keep him on the team for what he's done for Team Canada before.

With Bruce Boudreau, how about these Buffalo Sabres, Bruce? They've won nine in a row. They're knocking on the door of a playoff spot. It's incredible. Are you a believer that they're a legitimate playoff team, or is this just them being red hot and getting some sort of a new GM bump? I'm not sure how else to describe it. How much of this is legitimate, in your opinion?

well you know what i think for years we've talked about how talented um they are individually but they were never a good team i think lindy's finally got them straightened around but listen winning nine games in a row doesn't um doesn't guarantee you anything because i'm a big believer that losing streaks follow winning streaks and winning streaks follow losing streaks and so i mean but what has to do is after this 10 game stint i think they're they got to go seven and three in the next 10 and get that consistency for me to believe that they're going to be there in March when everything is said and done. It's great what they're doing.

I remember it was only a few years ago. They had a 10 or 12-game winning streak in November, and then all of a sudden they went, you know, and weren't in it at the end. But I love what they're doing now, and they're doing it by not allowing goals and playing as a team and so but after this streak ends if they can continue and be consistent in the next 10 games then i think they've got a really good chance because once you see that finish line and you're this close after you haven't been making it for so long you you dig deep and you you find a way to make it so it's not this streak that that gets me it's the next one bruce when uh my teams would

have a lot of injuries, I'd be not happy, but I'd be like, at least I know I'd get to play a lot, so I wouldn't wear my suit under my equipment. I know it was going to be getting a lot of ice time. I'm guessing as a coach, when some of your top players aren't available, you're not too excited. So how do you approach the situation for the Leafs that have, you know, recently and specifically I guess tonight, some pretty key players out of their lineup? Yeah, I mean, but you look around the league, and for short periods of time, the rest of the guys come up. If these are long-term injuries, it really becomes a problem. Kneelander missed the last game. What happened, the Leafs played pretty good, you know,

in Detroit. But, like, I mean, with the injuries today, if everybody's out that they say is out, it's going to be a struggle, especially if Matthews is out and Neelander's out, Joshua's out, and Tannab is out, you know, but if you're in the room, you never bring it up. never say we've got a lot of injuries and guys got to you got to step up if anything you say this is the best chance doing something that other people don't think you can do as the greatest reward is what i always used to do always used to say and and and sort of being the total underdog and getting the satisfaction of winning and trying to make them picture that is to me is what i what i would do and how i would approach it always and i think that's what you got to do

make it into a positive turn this negative where best really good players are out turn it into a positive love it well let's see what they've got tonight um big one in town with new jersey here uh enjoy a bruce have yourself a great new year as always great seeing it thank you for doing this hey i gotta say one thing before i live i appreciate that the last time i was on i i made that bold i've been thinking about it every day that bold um uh prediction that six Canadian teams are going to make the playoffs I got to rescind that a little bit okay you're going to change

you're taking one or two off I don't blame you I want to change oh dog laughed at me the last time I did that and he said one maybe that's pretty big discrepancy so I'm I'm saying at least two make it this time I like it I'm with you on that

keep moving the goal post we allow that that's what we do on a daily basis Bruce we love it appreciate it buddy thanks for this as always guys. Great seeing. There's Bruce Brudrow.

Yeah, and unfortunately, I think always was right. You know, I think Bruce Bruce was, he was bullish on these Canadian teams figuring it out, but like Winnipeg lost again last night. Like they are, they're tied with Chicago.

Like, they're dead last in the league and points. And it's been going on a while now. Yeah, like they really struggle. They've lost six in a row. Vancouver's a struggle. Calgary's a struggle. Like, there's three Canadian teams. Obviously, the Leafs are in trouble.

Ottawa's in big. trouble. Brady Kachuk does not look like himself. The goalie just... Allmark is out for personal reasons, but even when Allmark was playing, he wasn't playing well. Yeah, he got pulled here. So, I think there's trouble

there. There's trouble brewing. Like right now, it's obviously Edmonton. You know, Edmonton feels good about themselves. The haves have been pretty consistently good all year. You know, like, we'll see. Is that going to hold on? I don't know. I think so. But, yeah, I mean, I think there's a real chance. Only two teams make it.

It's incredible. Well, I remember saying last year that there's more talent than ever on Canadian teams. And then, you know, Quinn Hughes gets traded, Marner Leads. Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, okay, slow down everybody. Like, you know, like, that's a lot of good, just those two guys alone. You're the best players in the league, right? The Eilers left, yeah, J.T. Miller. A couple years ago.

Yeah, you're right. I'll give Calgary credit. They're trying to get in there. They're well coach. Like that coach and staff, led by Ryan. Brian Huskins really doing their best to keep these guys going. I don't know if they have enough high-end talent to do it. And what do they do with some of those guys?

Like, do they try to make the playoffs or they move guys out? Like, what does ownership want to do? It's confusing or complicated, I should say there. Well, in the West, though, like you can get in still. You know, like we talked about San Jose. They're barely in. Like Nashville's starting to win now. You know, and you look at Calgary.

You look at Utah, Seattle. Like, none of them are great teams, but I'm sure they're looking at it thinking we can catch San Jose, you know, you get, like, it feels like that second wildcard in the West could be 90 points. Yeah. So I am curious to see what happens in the next couple of months. All right, the O-Dog coming up in about 15 minutes. Confirm a deny in about 45.

Overdrive continues. TSN 10-50 and up on TSN2. All right, the O-Dog coming up live from Minnesota. Confirm a deny in the next hour. Tough news on Yokage out for at least a month. but it sounds like actually it was a positive I love when teams frame it like that yeah it could have been worse

it could have been done for the year which I guess when you're dealing with that guy I mean it looked it looked pretty ugly can't even watch yeah those are tough can't even watch those are tough and it's just a fluky basketball play and when he went down like that watching the replay you're like this guy might be done for the year

and if so it would have obviously changed the whole landscape for the NBA. But is it a month, you know, is it just the door's wide open now for for Shea to just to win the MVP? Basically win the MVP unanimously.

I mean, Wemanniamma's going to have a case. Their record's awesome. Spurs are, they're knocking on the door. And he's not playing a ton. No, but like they've beaten OKC three times. Christmas Day that went into Oklahoma City and he pumped him. Yeah. But I don't even think he was in the starting five.

No, he was on the bench. He was on a minute's restriction. But like by the end of the year, if he's played enough games, like I guess that's the other thing. to play it off games. I don't know. That's a big thing. Adam Silver put that number. You got to play 65 games, I think. Luke is in the running,

but the Lakers are not in a good place right now. So, yeah, it kind of feels like Shea. I mean, could Cade Cunningham be in the running? Possibly. I mean, if Detroit holds on and they win, I don't think Brunson Brunson's had a good year, the Knicks are playing well. It just felt like it was Yokage, and if not Yokage, it was going to be

Gildes Alexander, and if Yolkage is out for a month, I don't know if that takes him completely out of the running. Probably. I guess it's games. Like, is he going to play enough games? That's it. It probably does. So it just feels like Shea's going to, he's not backdooring into it. Like they've been great, he's been great, but what an opportunity for him to

stack another MVP. Is that officially pass Steve Nash? Well, the Nash had two, right? Right. But he's got a finals MVP as well. Oh, yeah, his career is, he's better than that. But is he a better player than now? Yes. Is he? Yeah, he is. I don't know.

Nash is awesome, but he's different. I mean, Ash was revolutionary, though, man. The way they played in Phoenix, and man, it was something. Like, that seven-second offense was wild the way they played. And kind of the first Canadian, right? Wasn't the first really good Canadian? I think that makes a difference like it,

because you're kind of a trailblazer. Yeah, I agree. You got there first. Yeah, because it wasn't, I mean, an NBA, I mean, when, remember when Weir won the Masters and then he won the NBA. I never, I didn't think I'd see that. I didn't think we were capable of that.

a nation. I agree. Now here we are. We've got some really good talent in both sports. Yeah. No, you're right. Mike Weir got there first and Steve Nash got there first. I guess you could argue Larry Walker maybe got there first. Maybe a Canadian prior to him. Good one. Anyway. All right. O'Dong coming up. Confirmed the night

in the next hour. Leaves back in action tonight and they are depleted. A lot of injury news today. We'll get back into it. An hour two. Overdrive continues. T.S. N. 1050 and up on YouTube live. You've been listening to Overdrive. powered by Fandul. Fan Duel, bringing you everything

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