OverDrive - OverDrive - January 8, 2025 - Hour 2

Episode Date: January 8, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 2 on OverDrive! ESPN Hockey Analyst Ray Ferraro joins to discuss the Maple Leafs leading the Atlantic Division, the Rangers' issues on the team and the Eastern Conference race. The guys go around the sports world in the latest edition of OverDrive Arbitration.

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atop the conference with washington who plays vancouver tonight pretty good pretty good stuff release did you ever think in a million years that washington would be the team that they were battling with i thought two years ago carbury's first year, by the way this guy deserves all the flowers, like stud coach, this guy like, and we talked about coaches fire, I'm getting off track here, coaches being fired yesterday Hayes, like GM's got to

look at their current coaches and say if Carberry can get that bunch of guys going, how come you can get that bunch of guys going, how come you can't get these guys? Because it's not like it's a star-studded lineup in Wash. But he gets them playing every night. They probably play, them in Minnesota probably play the best team games in the league. Yeah, they look, I mean, they're very complete.

You know what's interesting is, Washington has a lot of these look-behind-the-scenes stuff, so you've seen Carberryys chats with the team. They always release it on social media. It's pretty good. It looks like they've got a pretty tight group. But it comes back to some players that contribute. All of a sudden PLD looks like he wants to play hockey.

DuBois has been a guy. Ovi's been in and out with a broken leg, but he is a driver. Tom Wilson. Tom Wilson's had a great year. Yeah, Chickren's been outstanding for them. Chickren's been in and out with a broken leg, but you know he is a driver Tom Wilson Tom Wilson's had a great year. Yeah, Jekyll's been outstanding. It's been a nice ad Sandy's been very good Rasmus Sandeen has played really well for them really well Yeah, and yeah, they're a great story. You know they really are listen Columbus winning last night Columbus is in a wild card spot That's the best story going. It just, that market never gets attention. A break.

Exactly. It never catches a break. It never gets the attention. It always feels like once they have players who are ready to pop, they either get injured or they leave. Look at that. The Jackets in the second wild card. Yes. And you look at it, their goal-tenning has been horrendous this year statistically And they they're scoring a ton of goals Warenzki's been outstanding and they've got those two Russian kids that Marchenko kids been unreal for them and They just keep Put up big numbers for them because if any team deserves to get in on exactly that is them

Exactly such a great them. Exactly. That's where I was going to go. It's such a great story. They had such a tragedy that galvanized that group, really. That's pretty much it is. You know, from seeing Sean Monahan who signed there to be with his best friend Johnny Goudreau. And then what happened to John, like it just, to me, they've had such a tough go. And it is a great story just to, I think what they're doing is is they found a way to galvanize as a group and and

You're right some key contributions from some players where you know that Marchenko can score though. He's like a Cy Young though I feel like he gets 34 goals and eight assists, you know, right? That's but he could shoot the puck a ton. Yeah, and and you know, you saw how How hurt they were? I don't know if that's the right wording, when Leinay took a shot at them. Like they were pissed. They were chasing them around that night against Montreal. And I think they shut them down that night.

I feel like they already kind of pulled them that night. And that's it. And that bundled portion of the Eastern Conference, you know with Ottawa in there Montreal Detroit now New York if they ever want to wake up the Rangers lost again last night and Yeah, how do the Rangers do I don't I don't know what they're now it's out And who knows with some of these rumors on Twitter sites But now it's out that they offered Sabin and Jed for JT Miller So now just have been a Jets probably got to be the next one where he's like

Oh, really like do I really want to play for the Rangers now? Like, can they, you not do that without getting that leaked or maybe they wanted it leaked? Who knows? You have to think when that stuff does get leaked, they want it leaked. That's what's curious because that has been the way they've operated this year is that they wanted the world to know the cryder and true, but were available. And you know, I think basically that's the way Drury operates, which is surprising because generally the Rangers, I've always thought of them as somewhat tight-lipped and kind of difficult to get to.

You felt like Jim Dolan. If you felt like you said something, Jim Dolan would just fire you. He's a very erratic guy. It seems like again you hear stories But the fact that he hasn't done anything major is also Very you know questioning for me because he's he's more like a Jerry Jones reaction type of guy fire everybody bring in guy He hasn't fired the GM hasn't fired the coach. They've had Truba and what kakko Yeah, that's it little bit made those are two

players and acquire they picked up that cali above waivers but they're gonna pull guys up waivers yeah you know like that's what the rangers are right now uh... here's ray for our joining us for the maple to the hotline your rangers alumni rate do you have any idea what's going on down there or what uh... my tenure in our new york with was quite significant

but i got but i think i'll ask that sixty five games with my own that that's the weekend alumni absolutely or in one hand and i played for a i got four days i consider myself an alumni i think I played four games for them. Noodle, they gotta throw a banner up for us. All of us that played under one year, just get us on one banner.

Exactly. It really is an odd thing, the Rangers. Mass Ray. Yeah, like, so like I did the game there Saturday and there's a great line, I forget the coach that said it, and it was about that their fourth line had a really good game and he said like our fourth line was our best line, good for them, bad for us. The Rangers played that game and we didn't talk about about because they didn't have anything to do with the game.

Like Panerian had a really quiet game and he's a terrific player. Lafrenier scored the other night but he didn't touch the puck that night. Trocek had a really difficult game. Zubanajad scored once. Fox had a couple assists, but like the big guys, they've taken such a step back from where they were last year. I think they were shell shocked a little bit. They seem exhausted and all three of us have played on losing teams.

It's exhausting to lose all the time. And it's like you spring know, you, you know, you spring a leak somewhere, you try to plug it, and then a leak springs somewhere else. Like you can go through that roster up and down, and there is very few guys that you would say, oh, they've had a really good year to this point. And to that fourth line thing,

like Will Cooley's had a really good year. Heedle when he's healthy has been really good Yeah, that's fine. But they need Miller they need Fox they need Panera and it's a bandaged and Crichter Crichter's go I think one assist This year like how the hell do you play half a year and have one assist the whole that's all he's got no Well, you might have two but he doesn't have more than two How do you play half a year and have one assist? That's all he's got? No. Well, he might have two, but he doesn't have more than two. That seems impossible, yet probably explains the situation they're in. We brought them up because of the reported rumor out there that the Rangers had offered

Zabinijad for JT Miller and the Canucks turned them down. And what that says to me though is like both teams think the other teams the disaster, right? The Rangers are like, well, you guys are a disaster in Vancouver, so we'll take Miller and you can have our guy. Because I think collectively we'd all say at their best Miller's a better player, more effective player, I believe that. But Miller's not having a great year. He had four points the other night, but it's been a mess for him too so I don't know

how Vancouver can really you know sure you shut it down maybe that's not what you're looking for but JT Miller's not having a great season at this point either. But what gets in that like I read that thing yesterday and I'm like but I don't know who's a band agent is, but Miller's reported through, I appeared LeBron had it yesterday and that nobody's talked to them about it. Like both of them have a no trade clause. Right. So like how could they offer somebody if they don't know he's going to go anywhere?

You have to complicate things. Yeah. You would have to get a list from the player and say, hey, if I could make a deal to one of these X number of teams, would you go? And so like all these rumors that are flying around, like, I don't know what's based in fact, I think very little actually is my, is my take on it. Um, about the Rangers, like, you know, why don't they make a big move? most of the guys you'd move have a no trade clause That's why you don't make a move like you can't it would be nice. I'm sure that I'm sure they'd love to But they've you're kind of hamstrung with we talk about a guy signing a deal and like oh, yeah

He's got a you know, he's got a no move clause or a no trade clause. And it doesn't mean anything on the day signs, but we see down the road, it becomes a real hindrance. With Ray Ferraro. So trying to determine what means what as it applies to the Maple Leafs. I'm curious your view on this Ray, because the four of us have talked about the Leafs for a decade and we know their history

and the playoffs and all that. Yet, you know, they're halfway home here. They're leading the division. They're tied for first in the East. They've won five in a row. They've dealt with all these injuries and they just keep plugging along. And it feels as if they're legitimately in a race to finish with the top seed in the division, possibly top in the East, maybe the President's trophy.

Like what does that work to you in the grand scheme of things when trying to evaluate where the Leafs are at? I think to me it means something because it just feels like they win a different way most times now. Like in the past it always seemed to be, no matter what we talked about at the end of all that error was, yeah, but their goal-tending is just okay or yeah, but their defense is just okay. That's not been the case. And to me, that's what we've seen. That's the playoff way,

is that you have to be able to defend and you have to be able to get really good goal-tending. Last year, they get to game seven, they lose two one and overtime, right? Like they were starting to get there, yet it felt impossible that they could bring, if we go back to that time, felt impossible that, oh my God, they're going to bring all these guys back and do it again, like run them back again. Yet when the Ruby's hired, there is no question what the style of play is going to be or what the goal of the style of play is. Nobody has any question to it.

And then I don't know how much gets talked about, you know, like I'm not on every day anymore in Toronto with you guys, but like Tanev changes just about everything for them. Because they have one guy that doesn't give a damn if he gets one point or a hundred, and he'll never get a hundred, but he defends, he kills penalties, he rubs off on the other D, they find a good partner for him. I don't know, there's a reason he became a free agent and there were half a dozen teams like in a line trying to sign him Because they know what he is Dallas would have loved to have him back

So that all to me seems like they're just a different team nice is nice as a player like I like I said, I was in in Washington doing the Ranger game like I Look at Cooley and Nyes and I'm like These guys are so big and they skate so well and Nyes has got nice hands and he can play with good players And I'm like damn like if you had somebody like that on your on an entry level or a first year first contract That that's just it's worth more than what they can do because you can pay other people. The whole thing could have gone off the rails a couple of times and it just, I don't know, I just, I look at them differently. They're, they're better than, clearly they're better than Boston.

They're better than Tampa. They're, I, I think Florida will add a defenseman. And so in the division, you're like, you're at the very top. You're with, I think Florida will add a defenseman. And so in the division, you're like, you're at the very top. You're with, I think Florida and Toronto is the two very best teams. Yeah. I think they, yeah, go ahead. And I don't, and I was going to say, see, I think the sleeper stuff is out West. Like Vegas is really good and they've got cap space. And so that means that they're in for something.

Like they're going to do their best to improve somewhere because they can and they always do. You mean acquire like six guys that are really good like they usually do? And we're all going to go like how the hell did they do that? Yeah, I know exactly. And they do it every year and so why wouldn't they do it again? Edmonton is you know they're on a really great run here and you know they'll add they'll try to add a defenseman I would think of some significance even though right now it doesn't matter because they're they don't give up any goals and they

score almost four goals a game. Winnipeg's really good and then Colorado if their goaltending is really straightened out, holy smokes like like those are those are four monsters out west. I don't think the East has the same past this year. It just doesn't feel like it anyway. Yeah I think you know because you got some new blood here like we were saying Washington playing as well as they are and, you know, Jersey now that they've got some gold tending and added a piece or two, Sheldon Keefe has always been a very, very good coach, especially in the regular season. You know, he's got the same history and rep as the Maple Leafs. He's got to prove he can

do it in the playoffs, but he pushes the right buttons in the regular season. Carolina, you know, it's, I don't know, I'm with you. Okay. so there's a team, you know what, that I kind of, I always kind of overlooked them and then they're always really good and they don't quite ever seem to be able to get over that last hurdle, but they've got space to make a significant move too. And so it's funny, even just in this conversation, you know, I've said like five times, oh, you know, they'd like to add this, they'd like, everybody's trying to add the same, the same five players. And sometimes you get them and sometimes you don't.

And it'll be really interesting. I think in my mind, there's two trade deadlines this year. There's one right before the four nations. When I think teams will really want to make a, if they're gonna make a significant move they'd love to do it there because then they've got that 10 days of the foreign nations to get every you know get the player sorted into the new city and organized and then of course there's the regular deadline. Why wouldn't more teams do the Jimmy Rutherford trade deadline which is if you want some guys go and get them now like now. Well I think I think because if we look in the east

there's like eight teams think they're going to make the playoffs and five of them aren't. Yeah but you just Toronto and Florida want a defenseman one of them why not just if you're looking at the same guys pull the trigger on it and get it over with. Well what if the guys Mike Matheson pull the trigger on it and get it over with. I always love. Well, what if the guy's Mike Matheson? Or, you know, like if I, I watched him the other night and I'm like, damn, that guy can skate still and he can play. And I think he would be a guy in Montreal if they decide to move him, they'll get, there'll

be a lot of teams that would compete for him. But Montreal's hanging, they're right at the wild card spot. Exactly. So maybe they don't want to make a move right now. And so all these, I guess I've noticed this most since like when, I think I probably already knew it, but when you know, with Kami working and stuff, it's like, if the media is talking about what a team needs over and over and over again, do you not think the management knows?

Like, they probably got an idea. They knew a month, they knew six months ago what they want. Like that's, we talk about it for five minutes, they talk about it for eight hours a day every day. That's what management does. Oh, yeah, what else are they gonna do, right? They've probably got up 18,000 trade possibilities. Each, you're like, seriously, each team's going through

all these scenarios about Well, if we could get that guy we could move this guy and maybe oh, but we don't want to touch that prospect and so They're all talking about the same thing and then you get down. It's like ten players like the ten legit guys that you might the teams might be willing to trade or you might really want and Then somehow you got to make the deal work and it all you might, the teams might be willing to trade or you might really want. And then somehow you got to make the deal work and it all, you know, all gets gummed up in the cap and all that stuff too. But it's, I just think like that as much as I don't like the cap, cause I wish the players were able to make, you know,

what other sports can make and stuff like that. But there's the obvious reasons they can't, the cap is done what it's intended and that is compact the league like it is i don't know how can you guys tell like before they used to be like look at that team they're way better than everybody else you just can't do that anymore

that's the truth there's just so much parity and and that's the reason why you see some so many teams lumped up. It's going to be a team goes on a five game winning streak or a five game losing streak. They put themselves in a way different spot in the standings just based on how things are lumped up. It's funny you say five games, Noodle. I just came across this today.

Leafs have won five straight, Bruins have lost five straight. Yeah. Yeah. Ten five straight. Yeah. Ten points each. Yep. Gone the other way. And now, you know, Boston's like 40 miles from Toronto. Like they can't, you know, like it, but five games ago it wasn't that way. It happens quick. It happens quick. That's the thing. I meant to ask you, Ray, you know, we brought up four nations. What's your stance on if a player is laboring with an injury

or if you're in management, do you lean in towards, hey, the player kind of sitting this one out, or what do you make of that? If the discussion is almost game to game, or more or less game to game, hey, can he go, can he not go, and he's playing, I would lean to pulling him or to holding him back. Like if you've got to make almost a, not a game time decision, but a daily decision

whether the player's okay to play on that day, I think I'd want to hold them back. I don't know if the player, like I don't know how that even conversation would work because Could they hold them back or does he say no I want to play so I'm gonna play like I think it's more complicated, but if the guys like if Matthews is back and he's playing every game to the up to the break and he's playing 18 to 22 minutes a game and every day the next morning he comes in and he's feeling great.

Well, then he's healthy and you play. I'd be scared to death that he comes back out of the thing and isn't. But I mean, that's, I guess it's like the Olympics next year, guys are going to go and probably get, somebody's going to get hurt and they're going to lose. The team's going to lose, right. They're going to lose a significant player. But how do you, if they've all signed off on it, how do you hold them back? Exactly.

And it's a league run event. You know, the league, they want to make money off this. They're selling it. They're promoting it. And, and again, it may, it may be a little bit different of these guys have had an opportunity to play best on best for the last decade, but they haven't. I know Hayes, but it's not the Olympics Olympics though and when you're paying a guy 13 something million and you're trying to make a move in the playoffs like that would be on

top of your mind. It is very complicated there's also there's you know different rules for different players and using Matthews as an example what you know the truth is what are the Leafs going to do? What are they going to do? Sit them? Bench them? Trade them? If he says he's going, he's going. And that's the end of the story.

If he wants to go, he's going to go. And there's nothing they're going to do about it. Right. I mean, you would hope that with the medical staff, you could take a clear sort of decision at it and go, okay, where are we at like each game you come in? or the next day are we dealing with a half an hour of prehab to get you just on the ice because if that's the case then You would hope that the player would realize hey, you know, like I got some responsibility here, too

To my team because in the long run it's probably playing in in the Olympics next year anyway. I'm not talking about Matthews. Of course he is, but I mean, another player, like, you know, I think you've, I don't know, it would be tough. I mean, I'm just trying to think, like if I had that chance and you know, you're kind of banged up a little bit, would you, it's four games. Like, would you not think like man i can do that i can get myself through that it would it would be a it would be hard to walk away

and as i think about it yet especially for the perimeter guys because they'd be fearful they'll hold that against you but the olympic games next year someone else steps in a place great right you're out you know like you know what we need you for next year we Someone else steps in and plays great, alright you're out. What do we need you for next year? We won without you. I would think that as much as we maybe picked over the rosters a little bit now, can you imagine for the Olympics? The stress and the focus on each pick is going to be ten times greater than it was

refer for four nations well that's that's one thing that needs to be considered is you know we can call whatever we want manufactured made up not as important if canada doesn't perform well the pressure is going to be crazy for the olympic games all right like it's it'll be crazy anyway but with the world junior stuff the last couple of years, people are on edge to begin with. Hockey Canada, we know what's happened with the whole program the last few years. If Canada shows up the four

nations and loses, you know, every game or whatever doesn't make it to the final, by next year at the Olympic Games, it will be a completely different feeling. It'll be you have to win. You have to find a way to win that. Well, I do think the way that they picked, and again, or not again, let me just say I didn't know a lot of the roster before they picked the World Junior team. So I talked to a couple of people and they went, oof, they've left some really good players off. As it turned out, oof they've left some really good players off.

And as it turned out, oof, they left some really good players off. But I wonder if that, now you've already picked the four nations, but I wonder if their failures in picking the team leak into how they have those discussions, Doug Armstrong and his group for the Olympics about putting together where

you nitpick your roster or you just put more of the best players on. I wonder if that becomes almost like a lab experiment that went wrong and you go, okay, we've got to do something different. Well, and the truth of that is Ray, that that may affect different players than you think, you know, in terms of like even legacy guys. And I'm thinking Sid, who's still great. Sid is on this team this year, clearly, and he would be, even if he didn't get the automatic six.

But let's say next year, you know, he's a year old or not having a great start, and there's a lot of pressure to bring your best. Like, would it be possible? Can you imagine imagine Hayes? Crazy! Hey, Hayes, call Sid and tell him he's not included. I know. Could you imagine? Who's making that call? Doug Armstrong? It'd have to be Doug. Every other assistant.

Is that even a possibility to call one of the guys and say that you were originally named but you're not on the team? Well, not for this one. Not for the four nations. You know what, Ray and Brian? You should make Brian have to call Sid and tell him that because wasn't it like 12 years ago that you guys had the argument between Kessel and Krause? Wasn't it a manufacturer? Yeah it was Phil vs Sid. I wasn't even on the show then but Hays was saying Phil was the better player. For the rest of that year was a hypothetical I took out I lost I lost freaking angst and hair and over the stupidity of that argument it was a great high pathetic there was no context to it other than for the rest of this

year would you take Phil look at the city cross the and the fact that you would you take a nice at the with the rate at the uh... and we've been throughout for weeks we're talking about that we have a great content uh... it was it was a little when i look back or think about it i haven't thought about that in a long time, just how

idiotic that hypothetical was. It really was. It was one of your greatest moments. It was amazing. It meant nothing. It led to yelling and people stopping me in the hall saying, wow, man, I couldn't believe you and Ray buzzing about that topic. And it was a good one.

It was a really good one. I gotta say before I go here, not often I learn like research and stuff just kind of listening, you know, like the people babble around, oh your research yesterday on Duffy? Oh, Forbes. Forbes, Duffy. Okay, so I text him today and I said, hey, Forbes, he didn't answer back. So I am going to text him every day, hey, Forbes, until he answers me. Good. Let us know how long it lasts because this could be a world record of getting iced out. He's not happy.

This was spectacular work. Ray, I almost passed out when the guy said to me he goes where's Forbes? And I said my eyes lit up like dinner plates. I was like, excuse me He's like where's Forbes and I knew there was a nugget at the end of that and I loved it He goes that stuff. He's name. It's Forbes Well, I don't I don't know. I don't know how how would you how am I even gonna call them James or Jimmy again? No, you don't because the other 50% of people in Ottawa call him Jamie That yeah, that's another one. The people were like Jamie. Hey Jamie and I'm like

Jamie that's what they call them. They call them what I was Jamie one of Cammie's friends married This guy who went to school with them i don't know ten years ago you'll pay a you work with jimmy dot the right i'm like who jimmy while it's like we don't know the guy now so i got a little idea uh... i think in the secret service or something to you got it that's was recently to no but he'd be too much of a disaster to be in the Secret Service. Ray, he's in the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame. He's got the

key to the city and there was announced when we were there, there's a James Duffy Day. Wow. A James Duffy Day in Ottawa. This guy's a legend. I'm really proud of him in Ottawa. Dude, they are. I love the guy, you gotta admit it's too much. That's a lot of love. It's a lot. It's too much. This is a guy that worked with like a remember that hand thing he had with the little cap? And then one time he came in limping because he pulled a hamstring and flagged football. And you're like what a gamer. How are these guys on the ice doing it? Look at you. Sports Hall of Famer.

Oh, yeah, that's him. Sports Hall of Famer. Listen, I credit him. He's got a hometown that loves him. Mine would love me to leave, I think. Toronto doesn't want me around half the time. I don't know about you. King City and Trail BC and St. Albert.

Maybe you guys would love the hometown. Yeah, there's no parade there. No? No. No. No, I got like There's no parade there. No noodles. You got a parade anywhere Oh, no, I got like a 8 by 10 plaque at the arena And so something in the arena something in the hall of fame. That's about it. That's all you got The high school. Oh, you never were there I wasn't there a lot man. I was not there a lot. Quick pit stop every once in a while

Just to make sure everyone's aware that you're still around. All right, buddy. We'll leave it there good catching up with you Happy New Year. We'll do it again soon. Yeah, awesome. Great to talk to you guys. I hope to see you soon Yeah, you got it There's Ray for our joining us here on the maple Toyota hotline count on maple Toyota for the right winter tire package for your Toyota Maple Toyota for the right winter tire package for your Toyota. Trade in your old tires, buy a new set, get $40 back, visit mapletoyota.com. All right, overdrive is coming up. Overdrive arbitration. Arbitration is coming up, not overdrive.

That clearly will continue until 7 p.m. Dragstil.com will get into some NFL looking ahead. We'll get into the Buster only comments as well on what's up with the front office in Toronto. The perception of the J's across baseball, it is not good as it currently stands. Overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on TSN for 2025 is your year. Start right with New Year, New You on IR radio. Good vibes playlists like party hits, tracks on lo-fi and motivational podcasts to crush your resolutions from wellness finances travel and more

New Year New you Explore it all brand new at I hear radio dot ca and on the free I hear radio app Now is that gonna be a problem? Yeah, it's going to be a problem. It's going to be a problem for them. It's outrageous, egregious, preposterous. Overdrive. Arbitration. I've been wanting to piece it in for years.

You think we've got a case? Yo face. Here's my case. Alright, here we go. A 2025 look ahead. Arbitration. We haven't played arbitration in a while. We love this game. And arbitration is a take it or leave it type situation. Absolutely. Based on whatever the ruling was, you have to take it or leave it.

Right? Use your imagination here. These are hypotheticals. But I just would like before we get started, I'd like to bring you and give you one of my all time favorite quotes in the game of hockey. Inside my arbitration room, a hockey executive said said I watched Jeff O'Neill play against the Boston Bruins in the whole playoff series and it was probably the single most worst performance I've ever seen in professional

hockey that's what real life arbitration is all about. It's awful that is terrible listen the Jays tomorrow 1 p.m, that's the deadline for arbitration. If they don't have a deal sorted out with Vladdy, then they're going to go to arbitration again. That's multiple years in a row. Dude, that's like three or four, man. Yeah, it'll be, I believe, the third year in a row arbitration. He's going to make like 30 million or something.

He's going to break arbitration records. It's going to be crazy. But that means they've got to do it again with the jays at the low ball and he'll ask for a lot of them the arbiter will pick one of the other in body will likely win because the jays will find a way to screw this up that's my my guess uh... yeah speaking of that's the blue jays they step in arbitration and they are offered

a playoff spot in 2025 but with it it guarantees Vladimir Guerrero jr. will walk as a free agent. Dude you take it a hundred percent. You take it a hundred percent. I've been reading I've read some good who knows what's on Twitter I don't even know what to make of it but some of them were bonafide Twitter accounts that are like you might see that Jays like rebuild, just start from scratch. But if you're giving me a playoff appearance this year, I just honestly, I want to take it Hayes, but I have no idea how you're getting it done.

Well, that's the beauty of arbitration is you don't actually have to detail how it would possibly happen. Yeah. But yeah, listen, making the playoffs, as a fan, that's kind of always all you want. You're in the bubble of each individual season. Give me a playoff spot. That means you had a fun season. But the reason I'm going to decline it is because I really think Vladdy represents something very significant for this team, that if you can't sign this guy

who are you ever signing are you ever signing you realize that he's got them over a bell right course he does because they jam themselves because they don't want to they didn't want to pay him last year or they didn't want to come out of the offseason this year and just get right to it they let soto get paid and paid a fortune in a lot is a correct tackle another hundred mil like that's the reports there a hundred million dollars apart right to it they let soto get paid and paid a fortune and now vlad is like alright tack on another hundred mil

like that's the reports they're a hundred million dollars apart which means they're not that it's just not gonna happen there's no picking up the phone and saying alright well you don't make up a hundred mil you don't make that up you have determined you're not going to do it so i'm bracing for him leaving but the point and listen if he's going to get four hundred million, is that an overpay?

Yes, it probably is. It's a significant overpay, possibly. But who are you ever going to sign if you can't keep your own guy that actually wants to play for you? I know, your own star player. Who are you signing? And he's got to be saying, Juan Soto got 765, right? Yeah.

He's got to be saying, like if I'm Vladdy'm Vlad I would say you at least got to give me 500 on 200 at least 200 less as good as him right exactly and that's reasonable that is true Yeah, big number though. It's a massive number. It's a massive number. I'm on I say take the playoffs Because it means somewhere else somebody else is probably pushed through. Like that's the other thing. You're right. You want to keep your star player, all of that, face of the franchise. But maybe they do it with a young person pushes through or somebody else.

Maybe Bo was still in the mix and has, you know, let's not forget Bo was for a while there the face of the franchise. Yes he was. A few years ago he was. So I'm going to say success, it might not be just tied to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. There could be a stud pitcher that comes along, there could be somewhere else, somebody else is pushed through. They need so much more though. I understand that. I had a great conversation at the World Cup.

I know. So I'm saying playoffs. I just want to end it with I had a great conversation with John Morosi. We went to the rink together. He was doing some work. Did he take a private plane there? We did not. And that's a dirty shot because he's a really nice guy.

And we were talking about baseball and we were talking about the Jays and he said if you want to be serious in Major League Baseball, look at all nine of your position players and if you don't have like one of the top two or three in your division like then you got to look at yourself and say what are you even doing and you look at the J's and there's Vlad and there's Bo and then what are you doing after that? It's a very valid, very valid. You're talking about Ernie Clement type of players and it's like good young player or whatever but if they don't establish themselves and become top-end players you ain't going anywhere man.

Yep. That's a very simplistic way of looking at it that I think is very accurate as well. Just pair the J's up to the other four teams in their division or the other 14 teams in the league and are they in the top two or three position by position by position and as of now they're not even close to that um all right here's a spicy one for you the maple leaves step into arbitration and they are awarded a loss in the cup final but that's as far as the matthews lead leafs will ever go not taking it man i'm not taking it and i know that sounds crazy but if you're gonna go all in you just can't

stop at that florida panthers went to the finals and that that in lost and then went back in one but you just another team right that's all they go out that's all that's the arbitration is if you take this they're never getting back to the cup final that's why i brought up the example the florida panthers went and then one at the next year and didn't bake who else did that before that uh... not tampa uh... that was a Vegas

they just know they're going to go back to the final their first year didn't they they did their first year here it was tampa went three years in a row but lost the third one so i'm not taking it as much as that's enticing in its farther than they've ever who wants to who wants that mentality where it's like all take that and that's just great for the year and you're talking about one of the best players in leaf history and

only about how i just caught myself i might be thinking about now i'm not doing i'm not taking that shop that one i think you leave it on the table to because you want, because you want to leave the door open that you could potentially win. You're saying, now let me just clarify, you're saying the furthest that this group, this 10 year old, would be a loss in the cup final. This year and never ever again even in the cup final. Leave it on the table and take your chances as to you can do something different.

That's the way I would see it. Because it's the loser's mentality to go, hey, we had a great run, but we ended up second. To me, I don't like that. Yeah. And listen again, this team, the Leafs haven't been in a cup final since 1967. Just haven't won. Haven't been to one so this would put him Matthews Marner Nylander ahead of you know, Sundeen ahead of you know, Gilmore and Clark and

Sittler and you know puts that would establish them as going further than any of those guys but I think you leave it as well I think you have to man it's been too long I will say this you know we would have laughed at this five years ago six years ago. They're not young kids anymore. They're not kids. This is their ninth year. Dude, it's really go time. An executive in hockey said to me once, a lot of times the 28 year olds will beat the 23 year olds. Now they're the 28 year olds. Exactly. Now's the time to do it because you know what doesn't happen? The 34 year olds don't beat the 28 year olds exactly now is the time to do it because you know it doesn't happen the 34 year olds don't beat

27 year olds that's right Yeah, the Pittsburgh Penguins. They're not beating anybody like you might say oh, they're gonna do it. They're gonna. You're not doing it No, you really you you have until you're 30 31 32 and then that's kind of it you get four That's it. That's it to try to make it happen and yeah I'm with you I think all three of us across the board you have you have to leave it you got a punch it you got to get there on merit and win it that's what you have to do that should be expected it still should be the expectation you roll your eyes but if you got Matthews and Marnes or

Willie you know three of the best players in the world they've got to find a way to do it uh... by the kansas city chiefs and then i'll say this chiefs fans let me establish that chiefs fans step in arbitration they are awarded a super bowl win this year which would be a three p but they will not even make it back to the super bowl again in the mahomes era take it or leave it. I think

they'd leave it. I think they would leave it because they might have a chance. I don't think that this guy's ever gonna win seven Super Bowls like Tom Brady did. I just don't think he's gonna do it. I don't know why. It's just too soon. It's like so what Brady just retires and all of a sudden this other guy's gonna win eight Super Bowls but I think they can win a couple more after this year. The combination, and you bring it up with Luke all the time, Spags, Andy Reid, and Patrick Mahomes. When you got that trio, God knows what you could do, man. Yeah, it's scary. Yeah, it is. It's scary. All right, you're leaving it. Noodles? Yeah, I'm leaving it too. I think that they've, they like my homes is too special and I love Andy Reid

I just think that they will even if there's a down season They'll be able to rebound or you know like to me there Was it? Uninspired when uninspiring is the wrong word They they had their record this year, and they weren't even that great how many times I won the Super Bowl last year, and I don't even think they were that good I know people would say like their fraud Al's brother. He it sticks in my head This is why I'm gonna regurgitate his words. He's like I think they're frauds

I'm like aren't they 14 and one you know I mean like So to me I think even if they have a down year They'll be able to recover my homes is too special of a player and again why bet against special players They have a they find a way to elevate so that I say they leave it Yeah, I think they would I think Chiefs fans would leave it I would caution them to take it because prior to this guy showing up the last time they won a Super Bowl was 1970 they waited 50 years and You're telling me you could get a fourth Super Bowl here in

a three-peat and you're gonna say no thank you? That would be, I think, a significant gamble. Maybe I'm saying that as a Toronto sports fan and I'm looking at it saying how could you possibly say no and I get it. You think that you're invincible right now if you're a Chiefs fan. You can be the cockiest fan on earth is a Chiefs fan because they deserve to be they got my homes they got Reid they got Spags they got a great defense they win every single year Travis Kelsey Taylor Swift's

hanging out in their town all the time but I would watch I would watch and be careful with how how much you think it's gonna be perfect for you for the rest of time because you get offered a fourth Super Bowl in like five years and a three-peat. I'm taking it man. I'm taking it and I'm loving it and I'm cherishing it and then you're officially a dynasty. How much more can you really ask for if you're a fan of a team? Alright, let's move on here. The Ottawa Senators step into arbitration. Alright, the Sens step in and they are offered a playoff spot this year, but they will be swept by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round.

In that playoff series? Yes, swept by the Leafs in the first round. Dude, they would 100% take it. As much as the Battle of Ontario and the Ghosts the past might pop up the fact that you're saying Ottawa Senators and playoffs in the same sentence they will take it Interesting I don't know. Yeah, you're right playoffs is is good could get there anyway, though Maybe they don't need this arbitration noodles. Maybe they roll the dice. They've got games in hand I think they've got up to teams at the bottom. I think they are the best team out of all of them. But again goalie's injured

Bernard Dockard rolled his ankle the other night. Yeah, hamming it out a couple weeks like they still got some injuries Playoffs, man, that's a good but swept by the Leafs is an important point to make here. Yeah, I say I know what I can hear sense fans in my ear going, Jamie don't take that. So I'm gonna, on their behalf, not on my behalf, I'm not taking it. I'm just saying take your chances. I think it's a great question to ask Ottawa Senator. It'd be a great poll. Would you rather miss the playoffs than make it and get swept by Toronto. And I think it would be 51-49 they'd rather miss. So I'm leaving it.

I'm going to leave it because I think it would obviously be incredible to punch the ticket you get in, but the idea of them getting swept by Toronto, Battle of Ontario, Leaf fans in the building, I don't know, man. That would be for a certain age of a Sens fan that was around in the 90s and 2000s That would be sickening flashbacks Sickening. All right. There you go. We got some more. We'll get to a little bit later this afternoon arbitration after dark Dregs coming up Robert Turbin coming up on the NFL playoffs wild-card weekend. We'll get into the Buster only comments from this morning on

wild card weekend we'll get into the Buster only comments from this morning on uh Vladimir Guerrero his future in Toronto how the Jays are perceived throughout baseball overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on TSN 4. 2025 is your year. 2025. Start right with new year new you on IR radio. New gear, new you. Good vibes playlists like party hits, chill tracks on lo-fi, and motivational podcasts to crush your resolutions. From wellness, finances, travel, and more. New year, new you. Explore it all at iHeartRadio.ca and on the free iHeartRadio app. Alright, we sent out his brother out somewhere in the world with a pair of leave tickets

and you have to guess where he's hiding for your chance to win them. Are you guys prepared for the third clue of the week? Yes. Yes, and my favorite person, Charlie Muller loves this segment and I'm dedicating this segment to her. Love it. Hey Overdrive fans, it's Wednesday and I got one more clue to get you one step closer to finding out where in the world is Al's brother. I'm not in Toronto. I'm in a warm and sunny destination and the spot that I am at, Noodles and O'Doug have often talked

about this establishment being a must visit for any NHLer when I hit the Florida road trip. I know where it is. I know where it is too. Everyone knows where it is. Tune in tomorrow for your final clue of the week in the first call Can I just say it? No. You can't say it. You don't have to. We all know where it is We all know where it is We know where it is first call her through on Friday with the correct location wins a pair of tickets to see the Leafs play The Devils January 16th Fine Al finals brother brought to you by McAlpine Ford in Aurora our family the Ford family and you full details at TSN 1050.ca he's looking like he looks like he's wearing one of those

cruise shirts like does he have like a worker there maybe he's a worker there like maybe he actually works on the cruise ship it could. Yeah, it could be I would pay so much money Do you know how when someone like they're putting surveillance on a stakeout watching someone if someone had yes If someone had surveillance on this guy's routine on a cruise, I would pay a lot to see it Yeah, me too a stakeout of Al's brother on shoes How much would you pay like if we could do a reality show like if somebody just if he were a body cam outside of him going to shower in the bathroom but he wore like one a reality show like a body cam what was the first time cost TV sister yes subscription cost two grand a month to watch him on

cruises I'd pay it I would too if I think the first reality ever movie remember was it at TV with Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey And that like that I would watch Al TV that's another TV He was to see what he's up to on a cruise. He's wearing that hat. He's got cruise wear on he's very very comfortable Yeah, he's on a first-name basis with everyone down there. Everyone knows him. Everyone loves Al's brother pretty incredible alright final hour coming up Darren Drager will join us our best bet still to come as well overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on the TSN app TSN plus is taking game day to a whole new level with NFL red zone subscribe

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