OverDrive - OverDrive - January 24, 2025 - Hour 2

Episode Date: January 24, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 2 on OverDrive! TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joins to discuss the biggest headlines around the NHL, the situation with the Canucks and J.T Miller's next steps on the team. They also discuss Scottie Scheffer making his return and Paul Skenes' card value.

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Alpine credits where homeowners get approved just for license 12 6 1 6 hour to overdrive continues Powered by fan duel bringing you everything from the opening line of the final score Brian Haseo dog Jeff O'Neil Jamie noodles McClennan dear hazy be coming up at 630 Luke Wilson and Al's brother in an hour I have spoken with my partner we are on the same page and we will be triumphant I have no questions about that Let us know what are you taking? I guess not like we're going to be fumbling

Let me give you a little tease okay? We had the stones last week to do something no one else would do And you're doing it again Okay. We had the stones last week to do something no one else would do. And you're doing it again. We have the stones to do something no one else will do this week. All right? That's all I'm going to tell you for now. I know exactly what it is.

You're going buff KC and you're taking buff. Possibly. That's very, very possible. I know exactly what you're doing. He's just like Josh Allenlock. Like trip this JP. I love Josh Allen you're doing. He's just like Josh, this JP, I love Josh. I want them. They're going buff Casey and they're taking buff.

OK, well, I guess you'll find out officially in an hour. And if we end up doing that, Luke's mine is going to be in a blender, right? Because he's happy today. Pete Carroll got hired, right? Pete Carroll got hired down in Vegas. So him and Tom Brady are going to be boys. And Tom, I guess, is a part of that hiring process.

How about Houston gassing their offensive coordinator? Because why? Stroud had an off year, is that his fault? Generally the way it goes. That's part of the accountability. Oh, he didn't play well this year, year two, offensive coordinator fired. No accountability. I wonder if that's an owner half the time or more than half the time saying, you got to do something, I'm not happy, something didn't go right. They won a playoff game, they won the division, they made the playoffs.

Like Houston was a disaster, disaster for a while with the Sean Watson stuff. Yeah, exactly. They didn't have a great year, they still got in and they they beat San Diego or LA I should say the Chargers that wild card game but yeah the coaching shuffle is pretty wild and the only teams that haven't hired anybody are New Orleans and Dallas the Cowboys still haven't hired anybody and no one's left so you know unless they get Deon Sanders which I don't think is gonna happen happen, I don't think Deion is going to go to Dallas, who are they going to possibly hire? And I think this is going to be more proof that no one wants to work for Jerry Jones. Why would you

want to be under the shadow of or in the shadow of Jerry Jones? Why would you possibly want to take that job on? So yeah, Luke will join us in an hour. Al's brother coming up, Mike Johnson will join us here in a moment. We were talking about Brad Marchand and his little undertaker move on Nick Cousins. Before we get to Johnny, do you want to hear some Paul Bearer just to kind of set the tone for the hour and the conversation? Let's hear from the Paul Bearer back in the day. And then my undertaker will slam the lid shut! And then all your fears will become reality! Oh yeah!

Imagine that guy's job is to carry on like that. Yeah, that's how he operates from city to city. Oh yes! That's Joe Sacco now. Joe Sacco's the pallbearer. Oh yes! Oh yes, my marchand will come and get you. And he will choke you out, Nick Cousins. Man oh man. Yeah, what a scene. Like even Travis kind of, like, you know, Green's not, Green's not going to save, you know, it's just not the way the angel operates. He's not going to get into it. It's not his player, like

his player was on the wrong side of it But he said I've never seen that before maybe not during a game Anyway, you didn't get maybe there's some of that activities taking place in the room or something like that Yeah, but not necessarily on the ice during a guy you go to the bar with one of a tough guy like Kelly Chase I'm pretty sure his choke somebody out at the bar in a cab Kelly Chase, I'm pretty sure has choked somebody out at the bar or in a cab. Wasn't there an incident? Cab story, yeah. He told Artie Lang that one time.

He was driving in New York and the guy started smoking. I think he started smoking weed. Chase just started choking the guy. Through the window. Through the little cubby. Like choking the guy. Driving through Manhattan. He's like, put that out and the best part of that

is to i'm sure is thought was you're putting my life at danger but choking the guy who is driving is not dangerous yeah that's the the beauty of our good friend kelly chase here's mike johnson joining us here on the maple toy the hotline did you ever have the urge to take your glove off and choke anybody while you were playing? I mean, I might have thought about wanting to smack someone or choke someone, but didn't quite fall off. Two thoughts.

One, chasers paws are so big, I'm surprised they can fit through like a little billfold hole against the cabbies. But the other part about it though, and I, I mean that's a pretty personal, like visceral thing to react to, a guy putting his bare hand around your neck to choke you. But what I thought is that what that gives cousins in that case or anyone, you have absolutely free rein to do anything you want to Brad Marshand's hand, anything.

You could cut it in half, you could break it, you could slash it, you could slash it, you could chop it, and with impunity, you would never get in trouble. Woody, you gotta go to someone this way, he was choking me, so I slashed his hands. I'm sorry he broke four fingers. Tell him not to choke me without a glove.

He should have chopped at his hand so hard, so hard with whatever he wanted because you could do whatever, because you've done nothing wrong You're just literally protecting yourself from a guy choking you That was weird and given that it's been Marchand and the stuff he's done before the lick and everything else I'm surprised he even bothered to do that. But that was my other reaction I watched it I was doing the game in the studio last night noodles calling it

I'm like, how did it like chop his hand off break it? They got my ready to get fine. Should he get fine for that or something Johnny? It's stupid for the stupidity alone Well, that would be the fine twenty maximal alb for being dumb But that would be the explanation of the video like just yeah, I don't know I guess to be on sports like conduct I don't know what the actual rule be violating but yeah you have you'd have every right to do whatever you want to make them stop doing that because uh... that's that is not allowed

yes while johnny i was i mean you mentioned that you're in studio i was calling the game i don't even know i can't remember i have to go back on the broadcast how i reacted because i i was kind of paralyzed you're watching it going did that did I just see what I just thought I saw? Like, is he choking him? Like, and it's a concentrated effort. It goes back to the replay. You see him take his glove off, put it underneath his armpit,

and then reach out with the undertaker. Like, it was just a weird transaction and I don't know, I mean, I don't think they got penalties, did they? I don't know if there was offsetting penalties. No. I'm like, do we just see that? Because you're right, it felt like he was in a scrum where his glove had come off and

he reached for him and just sort of instinctively grabbed at him. He's like, no, no, I'm going to take my glove off. We're going to tuck it away so it doesn't get to the ice. I'm very going to call me to reach out and he put my hand around his throat. It was just so bizarre. So Luke, oh yeah, you want to find him? I think he would be like, yeah, I thought I deserved that one. You probably can't suspend him because I guess he'd say he didn't really mean it and sort

of put it there and didn't really do any damage. But yeah, you could find a guy for just being dumb. Well, that's it. I mean, Ageno Reda pointed out, like, they've suspended guys for doing the throat slashing thing, so you can do that, which doesn't touch anyone, doesn't hurt anyone, you're suspended, but you actually grab the guy and it's swept under the rug, especially considering the guy we're talking about. Like, he's licked multiple players in his career, which is a wild thing to say.

He's been suspended, what, eight times? Like, which is a wild thing to say. Eight times? Yeah. Like, he's done so many times. And, yeah, and the throat slash one, like, I get why you don't want to do it, it's a bad look, but no one, like, I've been told somebody's going to kill me hundreds of times on the ice. You don't ever feel like someone's actually going to kill you.

So, like, there's no real threat there, it's just for the visual. The same visual of putting your hands on a person's for a bear and and guys wrote that i think after the last licking incident somebody got his ear and said any any other thing goofy or against the grain were really good hammering and he went ahead and did it it's just it's stupid stuff and i don't think they're ever on but

anyway in the end i guess you, you know, Boston, they're victorious. They win their at home against Colorado tomorrow. Ottawa's at home against the Leafs tomorrow. And we were discussing the Rangers who won again last night, they're 7-0 and three. And now like they're winning, they're winning big now, right? Like it's kind of, it's not like Shusterkins making 50 saves and he's battled them back into the race. They look kind of like what you expected them to look like all year. And we figured we'd throw another mini Jerry at you because we know you love that. What's, uh, what's your Jerry's percentage, many Jerry, many Jerry on the Rangers making the playoffs.

I'm going to say 60. That'sseven percent. Wow. Because I think they are so much better than they were playing when they were struggling. I think they have one of the best goalies in the world. Now back on his game, he had a little reset, little injury, and he's playing really well. And the teams that are around them are good, but I think that's why it's sixty-seven percent because there's just so many teams, so many things could happen

that will make it maybe a little bit tougher, but they're the best team of the bunch down there. And they're probably going to add more players, maybe even JT Miller. They just cried on the weekend. So they're probably going to get, get you to get talent on their roster. Yeah, I think it's more likely than not that the biggest challenge for them is that they're battling for so many teams for what, two? Or they're three spots now. Are we okay? Where are we at with Tampa? Is Tampa home and clear because they played so many fewer games? Or are they now part of the bunch because in the standings they're part of the bunch but they've got three or four games in hand, a lot of guys. Yeah, I think they're in the bunch personally. I would give them the part of the bunch but they've got three or four games and have a lot of guys

yeah i think you yeah i think they're in the bunch personally i i would give them the benefit of the doubt like i would say there's a sixty seven percent chance that they'll finish with that third senior lannock uh... boston's clearly not out of it like they played more games than anybody at boston's in the punch with columbus india and i want to write that ticketed their right right in the middle of the tap tamp has always been a bit separate of it but yeah you like you said johnny sure they played

fewer games but not ten fewer games they put a few games less than everyone else and they got fifty three points there they're kind of in the bunch until they prove otherwise or they they win those games that they have in hand because there's no guarantee they're going to do that. Yeah. And I go back and forth, like I kinda had it at 16, sort of spoken for in the East,

but now I'm sort of waffling as well. Like maybe it's really just five, and maybe it's just Florida and Toronto in the Atlantic. And that's all that can really say, yeah, they're gonna make it. The other ones are likely to. Tampa's very likely to make it with their track record, with the standings, with the points percentage all that stuff but once you

get in that group that groups messy and it's like quick sandish like once you're in that group it's hard to pull yourself out of it because everyone's picking up points and everyone's shuffling and jockeying and three-point games and just it's hard to get separation and we're coming up on 50 games played guys it's a 30 games left like it's we're coming up on 50 games played guys. It's a 30 games left. Like it's we're coming down the home stretch here pretty soon. Once we get to four nations, post four nations, there's going to be what? 24 games left.

That is a sprint time. And to think that you're going to go one way or the other plus or minus six or eight points, it's probably not going to happen. You'd have to go super hot. You'd have to go like, you know, 18 and and 6 which is unlikely to happen for any of these teams so yeah like once you've template sort of unfortunately drifted for them rifted towards the pack so Johnny do you you mentioned the Rangers adding like could you see JT Miller like I don't I still don't understand this JT Miller and it'll

obviously transition in Vancouver. We're going to get there eventually. This is the one thing I wanted to bring up and actually wanted everybody to weigh in on it too. Because things are public, we forgot JT Miller took a leave of absence for a month. If you're trading for a player, you better find out what that was and if that is a reoccurring situation, whether it's injury, mental health, all of that type of stuff. With this particular player you're trading for, that will call it quote unquote baggage comes

with you. So if you're the team that's trying to acquire him you need to do a deep dive on you know everything that comes with that player so I could see why this process might have been held up on a lot of different fronts because if you're adding somebody that potentially could struggle in the future on a lot of off-ice stuff on ice stuff you mentioned it it's a big gamble to add a player of that caliber because he's a fantastic player yeah and the easy part of that question or him is

or the good player that the depart you want on your team when he played well and he's right of course every single team wants them on his team what makes it even trickier to the course that you need to have you need to understand what the nature is of the issue in Vancouver. Whatever is going on between Pederson and him, if anything, if not, whatever it is, like you sort of need to understand where that's coming from and you know, would that be an issue

in your locker room? Will that be a problem with one of your guys? How does that play out? You need to understand, you know, the leave of absence stuff and we hope that he's healthy and we all respect anyone's journey through mental health. Those are sort of sensitive things to get hold of though. You can't just call it, be like, hey, how's your knee? It's a different kind of conversation than that. Even if you're the ranger and the AT Miller has to wave to go to your team. You put all these different elements together and trying to make that deal work and be comfortable with it especially when

Vancouver is going to be wanting to trade JT Miller as though he's a hundred-point guy who's a total alpha dog guy you want in the playoffs and there's no other sort of question marks about him but that's not the reality for the other teams acquiring them even though that's how Vancouver will be perceiving him in value. That's a hard trade to make and I don't even know, Noodle maybe you would know, you know if you're in management if you're a coaching staff are you allowed to ask a player about that? Do they have to tell you what they went on their leave? Probably not. So you

I don't know how you answer those questions but you'd have to have them answered before you pull a trigger and send neither and Heedle over in a first-round pick or whatever it might end up being now. Yeah, it would be hard to back channel that information think so if you really wanted to see I I Don't know like a guy takes a leave. He doesn't you don't really have to tell anyone No, I know but I'm sure those guys that are close to the situation on the team that would there's ways of finding out if If one of us really wanted to find out I'm sure we could find out what the hell

What that was all about but they get pretty quiet like the nature of the Pettersson Miller thing that hasn't sort of like they don't Like each other. That's pretty opaque. It's not really clear why they don't like each other. And Vancouver is a passionate market and that hasn't sort of come out yet. And maybe you're right, maybe you could find it out, but it feels like it's not quite as easy as other kind of questions you might have about players when you want to make a trade.

But this is a, and this is, I don't know the answer to this. If it's a mental health thing, then you're right, the nature of it, but it is on your file because you've had to go through the process. If you're trading for somebody who's had shoulder surgery, you're going to look at the doctor's file. You're going to see what the nature of the problem is. But it doesn't say noodles, mental health break because of substance abuse. Noodles, mental health break because of gambling. It doesn't say that on there.

It's just a mental health break. And that's confidential between him and his doctors as it should be. So I don't know how you get that. I don't know. Yeah. No. It's just the type of research's maybe makes this a little bit more complex based on, you know, looking forward and having that player in your dressing room

in your organization and for the future. He's got term on his deal. Let's not forget too. So Johnny, what's the, let's apply the mini Jerry to the Vancouver Canucks qualifying the playoffs Okay, I'm going to say watch yourself now I'm gonna say 42 percent and That is based on I think in the West we talked about these maybe five or six teams spoken for I think in the West we talked about the East maybe five or six teams spoken for I think in the West Seven teams are spoken for I really do

I think the Pacific those four guys It's gonna be three of those four and then the central with Winnipeg and Dallas and Colorado and Minnesota, right? You got LA Vegas Edmonton. I don't think those guys Calgary or Vancouver catching any of those teams So there's one team up for grabs Calgary's got the inside track somehow maybe because of overall talent maybe because of last year maybe because of the expectations of Calgary this year it doesn't feel like a guarantee that Calgary's going to get to 96 points do they have do they have a blip in their game who knows so they're out of playoffs now um so it's less than 50-50. But if they clear up JT Miller, do they get some players back that will help them from another team? And then do they go get Elias Pettersson back?

Like that's the guy they need back when they make a trade. They have Quinn Hughes is having a Norris caliber season. Their goal-turning is fine with Lankan, although Demko has not been very good. But Pettersson's playing at what you guys, I don't know if you have in front of me, he's playing at like a 50-point pace. You need to be at 100-point pace with that guy, but maybe when all this finally plays itself out, you get something like him back, if you do, plus reinforcements, then I think they can go catch Calgary, 42%. All right, Johnny, what's your mini Jerry on Bobby McMahon sticking on the top line

with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner well beyond the return of Matthew Nyes? Whoa. Whoa. Oh, um, eight percent. That, whoa. Uh-oh. Okay.

I think, like, when Matthew N Knight is healthy and everyone's back? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, I don't think so. I don't think so. I mean, two, three, two different reasons. One, they're going to get another forward, right? If that forward's a center man, okay, if it's a winger, he's going to bump McMahon out of the top six in that kind of sentiment he got a bomb dole we have that spot and i think max dole me as a better chance of going long-term up there like he did last year and then you can play in the night with me later tomorrow that you have a lot better for that though

i mean max should not be give rather i know you're not suggesting that but if i like a lot of new games and i do i think is going to have a more impact on the game it's bobby mcmahon over Thomey all know the way they're playing right now. No doubt, but I think McMahon Is a good player at what he does. Well, like he's very fast skater. It's a good shooter strong guy He could be you know, he could finish chances because he you know, he's got a nice shot nice relief He's not a sort of yet gifted Player at reading the offensive play, you know, I get the offense is only he doesn't facilitate very much. He's a finisher

He's a straight line guy. He's like he'll create for himself He doesn't create too much for others And I think if you're gonna play with Matthews and Marner that part of your game Even if it's not your your bread and, has probably got to be a little bit better than he is right now. So I would say it's not a great chance. And if it is a great, if he sticks long term, then I don't think the Leafs will have done

what they anticipated doing by the trade deadline. Okay, yeah, that's reasonable. I mean, listen, I think he's played really well. I think his story's a really, really positive one. I'm not trying to downplay it think he's played really well. I think his stories are really really nice I'm not trying to downplay Valuable player of their team like you can plug a third-line guy or a let's put home a middle six winger now He's going above that but some of the middle six winger who's no frills doesn't make a lot of money Doesn't kill you defensively will score 20 ish goal. The interview only gets an assist or 12 assists

We'll score 20-ish goals even if he only gets 10 assists or 12 assists. That's an important player. But he kind of found that he didn't have to draft and develop from the time they were 18. He's been absolutely a goldmine for them. I just think Marner and Matthews, and also maybe not as much anymore, but I do know that Austin Matthews has had opinions about who he likes to play with before in his time with Toronto and it doesn't seem like it's working. He kind of can express that at times and so if it's not working, Mitch Marner is not going anywhere, it would be the winger as well but that's taking nothing away from McMahon. I just don't know if it's the perfect fit. Yeah and listen, Knives has done enough to deserve that spot when he returns.

I don't know how long he's going to be out for, but he's played very well. And Bobby McMahon has to represent, and likely the plan is for him to represent that secondary scoring that they've lacked in the playoffs. He was hurt last year against Boston, and that was a significant loss. If he's on that third line or fourth line, if they're lucky, I doubt it, but if they have so much depth where they push him down, that's a guy that I think can chip in a goal or two in a series playing 10, 12 minutes a night. And they've been lacking that for a long time.

He has the ability. Yeah, like you don't need to count on him and it might only be one time. And so often for the least of their playoff run they've been looking like yes we look to the big guys where their signature game go get a hat-trick but also almost tight games just one random hero one you know match stage and jump up one Alan McCauley have a run you like and Bobby McMahon could be one of those guys that's maybe not a huge scorer the regular season but could he get three goals in seven games, including a game winner? He for sure could because the way that he plays, and the way that he plays Hayes, if

we kind of flesh this out, he doesn't need to play with great players because he's kind of an individual guy. His speed, his shot creates a lot so that he can play for the Devil lineup, preferred matchups, and he'll still get his looks cuz he cuz he is so fast Right. Yeah, he can move man You know, like you look at the score the other night. He gets that shot off. Yeah, and He's become an everyday guy and that's credit to him. It wasn't a kid when he showed up came out Well, if you're to rank is he where would he be an elite ford when

you're a come important whatever you want to call it where we need to be free if everyone's healthy yes i mean you let's say the core fours out of the way knives out of the way uh... would you be possibly right out of seven yeah six or seven six or seven right now and that that's a that's really important now

you'd love to make some acquisitions or have some growth from dole me or robertson to knock him to eight or nine because your team's away if he's number nine on your team you got a group of fours you get a good group of fours that are they're all being relatively productive right and I mean max has the ability to do that and I think don't be the hope will be that that's what what don't be can and will, and then maybe they acquire somebody that does push him down. But that's exactly it, like that's the sign,

because there's gonna be injuries, and you need guys to plug in, and that's usually the teams, the last team standing is the one that has a guy on the third line that would be on the second line on any other team. That's right, Johnny said they'd be going to look because You know from one to six you're pretty comfortable from six to twelve That's where there's some coin flip stuff going on there, right? Yeah, man for sure a lot of teams

Not just the Leafs I'm just saying but that's you know when we're talking specifically about the Leafs That's where Johnny's saying if you go and add somebody And we'll call it the seven hole now all of a sudden you've got some good players fighting for the eight you know if that makes sense and that's where your depth comes in because right now it's whatever seven to twelve Johnny would you say a lot of them are plug and play interchangeable? Yeah they're all but they're all kind of different too right? But they just haven't meshed to make them.

Remember how good Toronto looked for, was it four games when McMahon and Robertson and Domi got hot? And you're like, oh my, like this is outrageous. Now they could never play at that level, but those seven and 12 guys haven't chipped in offensively with great consistency. Now, McMahon is on pace for 20 something goals. Nick Robertson's almost on pace for-something goals when it's all said

and done. Max has been a real sore point in the production of their third line. Now, I know he's probably not a centerman, ideally in the NHL, he took that on, he was injured to start the year, he still plays with sort of passion and energy, but yeah, productivity for him. If he could pick up to somewhere, even if he doesn't score a bunch, but produces points because he's getting goals. Like what do you have last year? 48 points, 40, a ton.

Right. I think from January on he led the Leafs in five on five scoring and certainly led them in five on five assists. So a lot of that was played with Austin Matthews, which takes us back to the very original question, which is why you might someday get a shot back there if it doesn't, if you know, now he's going somewhere else. But yeah, they are not quite plug and play to me, Noodles, because they all, you know, Camp is not the same as Dewar, it's not the same as Reeves, it's not the same as Robertson.

They're not all the same player But they unfortunately have had very similar results regardless of how you mixed and matched how they play or who they play with Johnny just quickly. I'm sure you've seen Jonas is the art are esteemed colleagues lists in his Combo piece with Chris Johnston about the centerman that they're targeting or should be targeting. Quickly, who would you pick of that list? It's all the usual suspects. Yeah, I saw Ryan O'Reilly on there.

I saw Gord. I saw Brock Nelson was on there. I mean, obviously, Ryan O'Reilly would be the hardest to get, but I think he would be the best person by far from the job. I knew that I've had the dislike, I think Brock Nelson would be a pretty good fit. And he was had a game where Brock Nelson played terrible, so I think he's a little card. I just think Brock Nelson is a good player, but he skates around, there's a black cloud over his head when he skates.

You know, what's that Charlie Brown with that guy that skates around? Pig-Pig, like that's how I view Brock Nelson, like his body language, just, I don't know what it is. He's a really good player. But it just, I look at him and it's just like, I don't know, he looks like an energy vampire. I don't know what it like he doesn't play with a lot of like, jam and pace. And it's just like, he's a good player. I I don't know I've seen guys like that where you know is he going to add to the group or is he gonna you know suck some energy out of the group I don't know maybe I'm wrong it's

not just one game I've watched him throughout his career I think he's a really good player don't get me wrong but it just there's something about the body language like I don't know he's the overly aggressive or that's a no-fly zone for me I'll tell you that right now noodles no flies I mean listen don't take my opinion on it I'm saying watch the guy he's a good player but and Johnny and I just have differing views on you know what this this guy brings to the table and you know maybe a different setting to keep keep in mind he's played in the island forever right so the grass might be greener on the

other side I'm just so leery of going for energy and jam and not offense like you want everything of course which is why why the rally brings all those different things right but I don't want if I'm Toronto we we've had a conversation seven years in a row. They need help scoring. Clearly on this team, they need help scoring. So, couple of different thoughts. Like obviously, Nas would be incredible. I don't know if Calgary falls out of it.

With Nas and Kadri, could you, if they want a guy with term. Or what about, oh, what do you think of, if Boston falls out of it, and Cam Neal is like, we need to make changes. And there's not that many guys, like unrestricted guys. They got Trent Frederick, they got Marshan, but guys with term, Pavel, Zaka, Charlie Coyle.

Do either of these guys get your antenna going at all? Oh. Pavel Zaka does not even. Not. Not even register. I'm forgetting you ever said that. I don't mind Zaka. Coyle's intriguing.

Coyle's heavier, but I don't think he's a natural scorer. I think Zaka's got more upside. Like, Zaka's a better offensive player. Coil is a solid, you know, on a good team. He plays in the third line. Third line. Or McMahon and somebody. Yeah.

Like, anyway, I just... You're kind of talking me into it, Johnny. You know, a guy he could, you know, there's a guy like he might not hear from him, but he'll chip in and game six with a time to go late. You're like, where'd that guy come from? He's Nick Paul. Right. Like, I tell you what, I tell you what, I like it. I like that. I need it. They need a Nick Paul.

That's what I think. But I think they'll be scouring for not just the obvious Jonas CJ's article which are like the obvious sort of candidates out there but even guys with a year or two left which both those guys at Boston have and I don't know if they're available or not but like those kind of conversations guys with a year left the cap is a cap gonna go to 93 gotta go to 95 and where's that gonna go with everything else that's going on the business-wise these are all things that the Leafs have to consider when they expand their search,

trying to give themselves the best chance. Because again, I don't know guys, does this year feel like, not just for Toronto, but for all the teams in the East, it's an incredible opportunity. Because I don't think there's any team that is like a supernova team. Even Florida, who we all sort of fear because of how good their core is,

they're not quite as good. And the Rangers and the Devils and WASH is sort of new to it. They look incredible, but they're sort of new to it. And that's why if you're Toronto, you gotta go all in again. Like you have to, because the opportunity is once again there. And maybe more so without a Boston or a Tampa or a Florida team to be sort of a cut above.

I'm with you on that assessment and I think that's likely going to lead to some fireworks but we need teams that are willing to trade pieces for all of those fireworks to finally take off but we'll see where it goes. Alright Johnny, have a great weekend. Thank you for doing this. I felt, have a good weekend. Mike Johnson joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Count on Maple Toyota for the right winter tire package

for your Toyota. Trade in your old tires, buy a new set and get $40 back. Visit mapletoyota.com. Johnny's segment is quickly becoming just mini Jerry. Yeah, mini Jerry whenever he's on. There's so much Jerry material, you know. It never stops. johnny segment is quickly becoming just many jerry yeah many jerry whatever is on so much jerry material it's uh... never stops never stops and i think it continues next week

by luke wilson al's brother and about a half an hour dear hazy p in an hour overdrive continues t s and ten fifty and on t s and two is brought to you by boston pizza canada's favorite sports bar this january at the peak it delicious And Friday is brought to you by Boston Pizza Canada's favorite sports bar this January at BP get delicious mouth-watering pasta starting at 1199 every single day enjoy the pastas you love it the prices you can't miss hustling your local BP tonight so dear hazy being about an hour and We've got Luke and Al's brother coming up so big big games this weekend This is the thing about the NFL and the CFL for that matter college football

The fact that there's a weekly build-up it just like I want to watch this game so badly bills chiefs I want to watch it right now. I want to see them play right now, and I have to wait 48 hours and Same thing with commanders Eaglesagles and season flies by man We're talking about how slow January is We got three games left in the NFL season you get a wait seven months Are you convinced the winner of Chiefs bills? And this could be a layup question wins the Super Bowl handily I can't say I'm convinced and I wouldn't say handily, but yes, there'll be big favorites and I think they'll win

You know, I think they'll win. I think most people would probably say that too, but football is crazy, man The Eagles are a good team unless they beat the hell out of each other though I mean, that's the it could be an absolute after it. There's two-week break. Go ahead beat the hell out of each other Both weeks. They're both healthy Kansas City and Buffalo are healthy. Like the injury reports indicate everything's good in Kansas City. Buffalo might be missing one player, maybe, but that's a good thing too, right? You don't want juggernauts colliding and one of them's missing a major piece or whatever. Right.

And yeah, all four teams I think are in a pretty good position. Well, who's hurt that's coming back though uh... for who no not buffalo uh... i just thought i read it them drawn a blank on it the quarterback uh... jalen hurts hurts yeah i heard that's yeah he's been banged up but he's

yeah he's gonna be fine right he's gonna be okay yeah i don't know if he's gonna be fine man he looks like he is like hobbling he's laboring but he's yeah he's gonna be fine right he's gonna play okay yeah he's gonna I don't know if he's gonna be fine man he looks like he is like hobbling he's laboring but he's gonna play I guess is the point like well he'll be all take him out of the game but I saw a crazy stat actually on him which seems counterintuitive based on modern football that when he throws the ball for less or when he throws for less than 150 yards or something They're undefeated when he throws over 150 yards. They lose all the time. That is crazy, man Yeah, and what does it say about him? He just

He can't throw shouldn't throw like I guess don't put the ball in danger of turning over and just give the ball the sequin Barkley and get the hell out of the way Yeah, I don't know if it was al's brother in our little group chat where last week he was like he just looks so stiff out there like he just looked immobile like he wasn't hardly moving. Yeah that's a big issue and obviously Tan Quinn's gonna be game planning for that. No kidding. Yeah injuries are wild right now you see Djokovic had to pull the shoot after one set last night against Saverov at the Australian Open and they booed him some people booed him off the

court well I don't think they were booing I think they were booing the circumstances weren't they were like this was our chance to watch this guy and he just leaves after that and what are we supposed to do now we're going home that sucks for us boo yeah yeah it could have been a ticket issue of course yeah it was the circumstance they were like this what we're having to deal with right now sucks for us reason and that's reasonable and he lost in a in a tie break and I think a lot of people and I was watching it and ESPN I thought did a really good job afterwards wondering if he won that does he pull the shoot?

You know, like if he's up one set, does Djokovic find a way to battle for his second set? Did I say it about players in the NHL where it's like if they were rocking a shutout or they had three goals in the second period, like there's a lot of, just that, check please. It's on tour right now, right? Like 76-76, oh bad boiler, I'm not feeling well. Dude, our boy Max Homa did it this week. Yeah, like 76 76. Oh bad boiler I'm not feeling well dude our boy Max Homa did it this week. Yeah, well the shoot he pulled a shoot By the way that farmers don't be shocked if they have a new sponsor next to that. It's a disaster right dude It looks like a corn fairy leader is with two or three

Unbelievable players that are up near the leaderboard. Matsuyama, Keegan Bradley, Oberg. Yeah. And like, guys, everyone just pulled the shoot because they knew the Genesis is going back there. I don't know why that would make you pull the shoot if you committed to the vent. But Farmers has got to be on the horn to Monahan and being like, so this is what our tournament. Dude, do you remember what the Farmers used to be? It used to be the start of Tiger Woods season. That's right. And now you got this? Embarrassing. Weren't

they sick though? Isn't like a flu going down or something like that? I'm sure there is accuracy to that for sure. But I think, and there is some context, they had a delay, a wind delay yesterday. I think a lot of guys knew I'm not making the cuts on pulling the shoot. I'm out of here. What's the point of me waiting around and go back there enough? Play three holes and finish my 78 and miss the cut. Anyway, I think that's kind of where Homa was at Homa It's not playing well but Yeah, it's not good man. It's like yeah

The farmers is a big tournament Torrey Pines is a historic spot and you're right This is where Tiger Woods would go and play and win every single year. Yeah, like this is it was his kickoff to the season He started he started in Dubai and then he would go to the farmers and win and then he would just show up at other places and start Crushing guys. Yeah, do they had an unbelievable stat about him Scotty Scheffler like to come close to tiger's weeks at number one He would have to go on a heater at number one from now until like 2035 yeah to match the weeks at number one that Tiger Woods was at ten years in a row is number one He'd have to be to match them to tie them because he was number one in the world for like

628 weeks in a row or something crazy like that Yeah, it's absurd and he you know He issued a statement about them not playing at Riviera and I'm going to Torrey Pines It sounds like he will play there in a few weeks. It's got his chef was back Scheffler is he's he's committed to The AT&T next week at Pebble, which is an elevated event, but he'll be out there playing. So they need him, they need star power, they need a good leaderboard, and yeah, this week at the Farmazo it's a mess,

and then Djokovic pulls out of the Australian Open, you've got injuries everywhere, every sport, it's like nonstop injury chatter. That's why it's like all these sports science guys, like I get it smart people but What are what are we telling people like what are we doing here all this smart stuff that you're doing and it's not like I Want like if I was meeting with sports science people I'd be like I want my guys to be playing games Obviously the performance has to be there But if there's groins and there's this and that and constantly guys being injured

But if there's groins and there's this and that and constantly guys being injured Don't the Jays have dealt with it soon as they came up with a sports science guys started dropping like flies Oh, we have a state-of-the-art place. Oh great. I Think scheduling has a lot to do with it as well like I think the league has to look at like you're obviously you're at the mercy of Building availabilities or you name it whatever sport you're you're at the mercy of building availabilities or you name it whatever sport you're in but you know you look at some of the schedules of these teams that they have to go through whether it's flying time zone time change all of that back to backs all like if you want to if you want your sport like I'll look at the NBA the NBA's viewership is down right

that's that's a proven fact. They're talking about it. Well, it's the fan going, I don't know who I'm going to watch tonight because it's a back-to-back. Well, that top player is not playing because of sports science, because he doesn't... To me, if you've got to alleviate that problem, don't have back-to-backs. Then there's no excuse for these guys to sit out. You've got to find ways around because right now the players control what's going on

now you gotta find a way to get that you know some sort of not leverages the idea that needs to be addressed as less games but the owners never do that now I understand what used to say the players won't take advantage of less games I'm not convinced that they won't be how I'm you know and the the reality of how much players take advantage of less games i'm not convinced that they won't be how uh... you know and and the the reality of how much players take advantage of less games because they'll still sell my plan

all-call on and was it why would have more pride about plan sixty instead eighty two i'm not convinced of that at all the players won't have not feeling great well who's the guy that we always talk about that that we should have that mrs games and? Simmons Simmons Simmons Simmons. Yeah, of course that guy would be and Simmons never plays long. It could be a ten game season It doesn't matter. He's not playing What a legacy like I'm that guy that's crazy That's his legacy that he just doesn't play and there's guys like that in almost every sport

It's different in the NFL because there's guaranteed contracts You get you don't have them right you want bonuses you want to play next year We'll just cut you if you don't play like that's the nature of the NFL is you have to play Like outside of very few guys who are so good and superstars and they get the guaranteed money 70% of the league is like if I say I'm not in the mood to play or I have a bad hamstring, I'm cut and I'm done. And it's not fun, it's not easy, the players association can't appreciate it, but that's why the NFL owners are never giving that up, man.

Never give that up. As far as the NHL goes, Hayes, it's just another layer of the league being watered down. Where it's like, guys would never, like there's some third and fourth line guys that are like, nah, I'm not sure if I can go tonight. Where before when the league was stacked and everyone was loaded, it would be like, someone else is gonna play.

You're fighting for your job. That's it. That's another way in a watered down environment where guys are just like, nah, they gotta keep me because our team, we don't have anybody else, so I don't feel like playing. There's no internal competition and they're so desperate to keep guys and have guys. That's what's given them the leverage to be able to do this. It's crazy stuff. Yeah, and guaranteed contracts, right?

If you're on the third line and you get a four year deal, where are you going to, guys are on the third line. Where are you going to put me? No movement clause? They get no movements. That's the crazy thing. It's like, here's a four year deal with a full no move. You're on the third line. Yeah, that's a little rich. It's crazy, man.

But that's the reality. Golf is a little different because it's independent. You got to go play. You kind of got to eat what you kill in golf. The top guys are going to get paid anyway, but a lot of it still is. You're an independent contractor. You got to go out there and play. Still the top guys are making it easier on themselves.

That's why they want elevated events and less cards. It's just guaranteed I show up and I guarantee to make money. It's crazy. All right, Luke and Al's brother coming up in about 15 minutes. Dear Hazy B at 6.30, overdrive continues. TSN 10.50 and on TSN 2. Melodyne Friday is brought to you by Boston Pizza,

Canada's favorite sports bar. This January at BP get delicious mouthwatering pastas starting at 11.99 every single day. Enjoy the pastas you love the prices you can't miss hustling your local bp tonight all right with wilson al's brother coming up we'll get into our picks and and look ahead to the weekend asked luke about p carol get the job with the raiders

on ask al's brother about this uh... paul schemes rookie card story i'm sure you guys why does he want the car back so bad is what i don't understand like he's offering a fortune for that yet well in conjunction with the pirates like the pilots like season tickets like game with a girlfriend what what is it about this card that he wants back so bad this is where we have to ask alice brother because i don't understand it i mean it it's a one of

one rookie card, which is what did the kids say? By the way, he said no way said no. Thanks. Yeah. Well, honestly, well, he lives in California, right? No, that's the thing and that would be my instinct too It's like why do you guys want it so badly? Like why do you do you know it's worth like a lot, right? But you're gambling that skeins does turn into the guy that you think he's going to turn in. Like, he blows his arm out a couple times and just becomes a guy who cares about the Paul Skeens rookie card. Like, you're taking a gamble here. So, an 11-year-old kid found the card, this one-of-one card.

Again, Al's brother will have to explain it. But the Pirates and Skeens, I guess for were offering this guy this kid anyone to find a prior to knowing who would find it season tickets to tickets right behind home plate for thirty years means nothing to the kid as he lives in cali exactly a meet-and-greet with schemes you know a bunch of free swag uh... and there were a couple of other details in it and again i was there this was before they knew who was gonna find it and I guess this 11 year old kid and Cali said no, thanks, man, I'm keeping this thing and

Maybe sells it maybe he holds on to it and if schemes turns into Noel and Ryan or whatever It could be worth a fortune. But but what if he turns into Alec Manoa? Exactly noodles like the Alec Manoa one of one rookie card. I'm sorry is not getting you Anything right now. There's a man Jerry for you right there. Oh, I'm in Noah Resurfaces and becomes a dominant pitcher in the AL East get hit me with something Hayes 10% 10% and I don't know if that's low or high based on your reaction, but I don't see how you could possibly, like I don't know when he's going to be available to start and pitch

it all this year. I'm not sure he will pitch it all this year. It was almost like the response had to be last year where it was like what happened before was a blip. And like a comeback now after another, I don't even know what the host. Unfortunately it'll be like three years removed from dominance. Three years removed. The chances of returning to dominance.

Stop with the pictures of working out and losing. That's it. Where's the grapplers? Randy Johnson, nobody knows. Nobody knows the answer to that. Remember that? Oh, I remember that. The grappler, he reminds us every once in a while. Nobody knows the answer to that. Remember that? Oh, I remember that.

The grappler, he reminds us every once in a while. Final hour coming up. Luke Wilson, Al's brother. Dear Hazy B, Overdrive continues. TSN 1050N on TSN2. TSN Plus is taking game day to a whole new level with NFL Red Zone. Absolutely incredible! Subscribe now for every touchdown from every game every Sunday afternoon. Red Zone.