OverDrive - OverDrive - July 2, 2025 - Hour 2

Episode Date: July 2, 2025

Join Aaron Korolnek and Dave Feschuk for Hour 2 on OverDrive! Vancouver Canucks Goaltender Thatcher Demko joins to discuss his contract extension with the Canucks, repairing the locker room in Vancouver and prioritizing his health in the crease. MLB.com Blue Jays Reporter Keegan Matheson joins to discuss the Blue Jays' top notch performance against the Yankees, George Springer's elite production and the Blue Jays' viewpoints for the trade deadline on the team and the potential replacement for Masai Ujiri on the Raptors.

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The station that champions Canadian music. Loud, proud, and all yours. No passports required. Just press play. Tap into Made in Canada now on iHeartRadio.ca or the free iHeartRadio app. Overdrive, our number two on a gorgeous Wednesday afternoon in Scarborough, Ontario. Aaron Krolnik, Dave Festruch from the Star, until 7 o'clock.

We've got Keegan Matheson joining us from the Dome. Adam Jays and Yankees game three in about 30 minutes after what was one of the wilder games you'll ever see, a wild seventh inning on Canada Day. Maybe a little homage back to the Jose Batista bat flip inning, which was a ridiculous inning, number of events that led to the bat flip in the seventh inning for Joey Bats.

And then of course, everything yesterday culminating in the seventh inning, Joey Bats and then of course everything yesterday culminating in the seventh inning grand slam for George Springer who had an all-time Performance and this is a guy who's rejuvenated his career two homers Seven RBI is a career high for George Springer and we'll see what the Jays have in store Bo Bichette will not play At least will not start tonight for the Jays, which is a little bit of a buzzkill because I mean I want to see this team fully healthy. They're playing so well without Bichette, without Santander, without Varsho. Let's get these guys back and we'll see what we're really cooking with. Well on the

other, on the flip side, like be patient, wait till everybody's healthy and you know ride this while you can because they've got a little magic cooking right now AK and uh i don't think they need anybody in particular this is a group effort yeah and uh we're still waiting for some more signings to break in the nhl there was a bunch of action yesterday of course and sounds like nick eelers is getting close to a decision pia suiter close to decision apparently not going back to the vancouver canucks according to a variety of reports and i suppose our next guest would be able to confirm that maybe he wants to share where Pias Suter is going

and I might be butchering is the pronunciation of his name. Pias? I think you're okay. That's probably close enough. You're okay. Joining us now in the Maple Toyota Hotline fresh off a three-year contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks is Thatcher Demko. Congratulations man, how you doing? I'm good, yeah. Super excited. It was a busy couple days there, kind of finalizing everything, but ultimately got the paperwork done and yeah, really excited to be going back.

So how does it work? Like, you get the paper signed, like you throw a party with all your friends and family. Like what's going on in the Demco household? Just back in the gym yesterday morning. I'm sure we'll find time to celebrate here, but yeah, I mean I know I got my work cut out for me this summer and been in good rhythm, good routine, feeling really good and just wanna keep that momentum going. So definitely not going off the rails for a couple days or anything, but yeah, we'll find our own way to celebrate here. Hey, Thatcher, I heard Canucks President,

Jim Rutherford was talking about you on Toronto Radio and he mentioned that you kind of acquired a new trainer recently out of Kelowna and in his eyes, it looks like that's been really good for you. Can you tell us a little bit about that? Yeah I mean I think you know obviously went through a hard stretch last year and kind of just came to the realization that I had to change some things up and really kind of push for some new results and came across this guy through some recommendations from

a ton of different guys around the league. He's kind of a biomechanics specialist for goaltending specifically and just it's been great. He really opened my eyes, educated me, I think first and foremost about different things that I could do in the gym. Yeah, again, it's very goaltending specific so it's really cool to see the correlation you know off the ice and then obviously transitioning into some of those more specific on ice positions as well.

Our guest is Thatcher Demko fresh off a three-year contract extension with the Canucks. I'm sure you're pretty thrilled to see Connor Garland get locked up as well. Brock Besser coming back to Vancouver on a seven-year deal. Were you surprised at all the transactions that Alveen and Rutherford were able to pull off yesterday? Yeah, I mean, kudos to those guys for sure. I think ultimately, you know, it comes down to our guys in the room. And obviously our locker room went through some stuff last year and the

media took hold of it. And I, you know, I think the outside narrative kind of turned out pretty negative at the end of the year. But, um, you know, we kind of had a meeting with our leadership group and it really was up to us to say, Hey, are we going to stick around? And, you know, I think having these guys come back, it shows the league, it shows the media that we are all in and, and things aren't as bad as they seemed last year for us.

And, you know, we were, we're two years out from winning our division. I think last year we were probably just a handful of points shy from missing the playoffs. So, you know, getting the game back together and having guys stick around, I think proves that, that we're really excited to run it back and, and prove to kind of the media and the outside world that things aren't as bad as they seem in Vancouver. That's interesting Thatcher I mean when you think about what actually happened last year I mean things aren't as bad as they

seem I mean what will be different this year and you know or what gives you the confidence that things will be different this year? Well I think there was just some uncertainty with what was gonna happen with our locker room at the end of the day, you know? And, you know, it puts guys in tough positions when there's not a ton of security in the locker room. And, you know, obviously everybody knows about all the drama that went into the Elias Pedersen

and JT Miller stuff. And, you know, that really affected our room in a negative way. And I think coming into this year with a fresh slate and you know really being able to say that we know who's going to be in our locker room from a leadership group standpoint is going to provide just a ton of security for guys and free guys up to feel like themselves and play their best hockey. So here in Toronto there's been a bunch of talk about the media and its effect on the on-ice performance of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Do you think, and you play in Vancouver, a Canadian hockey market, you guys have a ton of coverage from the local media. How does the media affect what you guys do on the ice, if at all? I don't know, I don't want to get in trouble with you guys. Go ahead. No one's listening. It can be hard sometimes for sure. We are people at the end of the day. And I know we're in a position where there is a lot that's asked from us. And part of being a pro hockey player is learning to deal with the media, especially when you're in these, you know, bigger markets with,

with kind of thicker media around us. But, um, you know, everyone's got a job to do, whether it's us or you guys. Um, I think at the end of the day, as long as, you know, the media is coming to us with, you know, respectful, um, intentions, there's not a lot of hostility. Obviously sometimes those lines get crossed but that's a small minority. Yeah, I mean, it's different in every market but it's part of what makes the NHL so fun.

Thatcher Demko is our guest at the Vancouver Canucks. He signed a three-year extension with the team yesterday. You've got a great tandem with Kevin Lankinen and everyone around the hockey world, Thatcher, would say when you're healthy, you're one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. But of course, health has been an issue for you over the last couple of years. How are you training in the off season to prepare for the upcoming year and what do you think a realistic workload would be for you this coming season?

Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, like the injury stuff for me I think really started to take effect probably you know 12-13 months ago. You know before that I had a Vesna caliber season. So you know I don't feel like I'm that far off from doing that again. And so it's really you know like I mentioned I've been in contact with this biomechanics specialist guy that's really helped shape my programming for my summer, kind of brought in some new ideologies and things like that. And I feel really good coming out of last year healthy, finally able to have kind of

a more normal summer as far as that goes without having to deal with all the rehab and stuff that I did last summer. It's great for my body, it's great for my mind, first and foremost as well. So yeah, I mean things are going in a great direction for me. I feel good, I feel happy, and obviously excited to be back in Vancouver next year. Yeah, it's incredible news for the Vancouver Canucks and their fans no doubt. Thatcher Demko with us. as far as the length of the contract the sign a three-year extension how did it come to be that number were you angling for a longer-term deal are

you maybe actually looking to capitalize on a rising salary cap in a few years can take us through why three years uh... you know i i would time twenty sign 20 years in Vancouver if I could have you know I've always wanted to be there my whole career. You know I'm a guy that I think there's a bit of a dying breed and the guys that get drafted somewhere and like you know kind of want to see it through no matter what what

adversity hits and yeah so I mean I would have signed for a longer time. I know the team's in a position that, you know, maybe a little bit uncertainty with, with like you said, my health last year, but we felt confident that I was going to be able to get back to the position that I was in two years ago. And at the end of the day, if, if I got to find three and then get to the end of that one and sign another one, then so be it. I think my priority was just getting something done and making sure that I get more years in Vancouver.

Hey, Thatcher, another guy that's going to be entering your situation there is a hometown guy, Evander Kane, acquired into trade from the Oilers, a guy who scored 300 plus NHL goals in his career. What's it going to mean to have him on board? Yeah, I think he brings a lot of versatility, you know. He's got a little bit of a grindy side to him, which I think is going to be great for our forward group. And, you know, pretty tough guy, a pretty strong strong guy and can play a tough style again which which like i said is gonna fit well with us i think in

you know at the same time like you said he can score goals and he can produce which is gonna be huge for us as well so i think there's a lot of different aspects that that his game might be able to bring to our team and uh... you know i think you can fit in their group rate well congratulations on the new contract with thrilled for you and we wish you nothing but the best this summer and we look forward to seeing Thatcher Demko

Vezina finalist back in 2025-2026 we appreciate your time. Yeah thanks for having me guys. Alright that's Thatcher Demko of the Canucks who I am cheering for now now sometimes you talk to athletes and they don't give you much you talk to a a lot more athletes than I have over the years, David, and there's not maybe the most transparency when it comes to their thoughts. I thought Thatcher Demko, very thoughtful individual, a guy that has had to deal with injuries and as a goalie, I can't imagine how frustrating that is. And you remember when he was coming back from the injury, he was backing up and wasn't starting and was in there, was out, and there were so many questions about

what was going on with that knee that he was dealing with, and seems like he's in a good place now, and he's an easy guy to cheer for. Yeah, I mean, look, the guy came second in Vezina voting the year before, right? This is a top-notch talent, and I think if you're a Vancouver Canucks fan, hearing what he just said about this room believing

that all the dysfunction that we heard about last year is behind them and that they can actually make it a place where it's more harmonious and more pulling on the same rope for the same cause, after all we heard last year, that was interesting stuff. Demko joined us on the Maple Toyota Hot hotline drive the built-in canada fuel efficient fund drive to your around for gas or hybrid models available visit

maple toto dot com i also think what he said about laying a canadian market the pressures of the media was fascinating in and maybe even give us his full thoughts on that a little bit cautious because that's always a hot button topic in this country about how much the media can affect the team. And of course when the Edmonton Oilers are going to back to back Stanley Cup finals,

the media's not posing any problems, but in Vancouver, I do feel like it must have been a little bit different. Every single day they're going in there and talking about Miller and Pedersen, Miller and Pedersen. This guy said this, this guy said that and then you compare and contrast that what was going on in Toronto where I mean I don't even think it was remotely close to as far as the dysfunction that was going on in Vancouver. So I mean I can't even fathom what was going on there relative to what is or what has been going on here in Toronto But I do think it's just inevitable that that would take a toll on a locker room and miss the playoffs because of it

I'm gonna say because well, but there were a bunch of injuries and other stuff that was going on under performance And who knows how to quantify? What attributes to what but you heard that Demko say that it definitely had an effect on them. Well as it should I mean look I mean you can talk about the chicken and the egg there is it is the media becoming oppressive because the media is oppressive or is the media becoming oppressive because you're underperforming and the media is just asking the questions about why is this team that had such a great season the year before,

you know, in the middle of an absolute downward spiral to not making the playoffs. Like those were legitimate questions. And look, the idea that there was massive dysfunction there and that they needed to make a change wasn't exactly a secret. And guess what? They made a change by trading JT Miller out of town.

And a new coach in Adam Foote as well and a couple new contracts for guys like Demko, like Garland and like Brock Bessers back on a seven-year term. When it comes to pressure Mitch Marner I think it's fair to say will be facing a different type of pressure in Vegas versus what he was facing here in Toronto and I thought Kelly McCrimmon the GM of the Vegas Golden Knights had some really interesting things to say about the pressure in Vegas compared to the pressure in Toronto and what Mitch Marner could be facing as the newest member of the Golden Knights. Here's how it sounded yesterday.

Well we have lots of pressure here Ed. We internally have pressure on our team. We want to win. Our guys put pressure on themselves as much as players in any other team. I think that Toronto is a mega market. It's a huge market, so there's pressure there. He's a local boy. market so there's pressure there. He's a local boy. You know, he's the, I don't have it in front of me, but he's the top time on ice, top scoring. Like he's led every category for the Maple Leafs in the playoffs. They haven't had the success that they wanted. But you know what, and I only just briefly touched on it, it's our job as managers to make sure our team is good enough to win.

Toronto's team was built a little bit differently through those years and not to speak to how they do their business, but they were really victimized by the flat cap. They made the decisions that they made on the players that they made them on and with, you can see now with cap growth, I mean, like, you're just amazed that, you know, Jesus, this guy got that, this guy, you know, well, when the cap is growing, those contracts would have, you know, you know, been a smaller percentage of the cap as time

went on. So they, they, you know, they walked right into the flat cap. Now, Kelly McCrimmon is right in that you think about the contracts that we've signed back in those days before the pandemic and then the flat cap era, which was three, four, five years and we're finally getting out of that situation in the NHL. Signed Nylander, you signed Matthews, you signed Marner and then the expectation then from Kyle Dubas,

in fact, I know the expectation then from Kyle Dubas is like, well, this cap will be rising. And as such, these contracts won't be as onerous for us. We'll still be able to augment the rest of our roster by maybe keeping Nazem Kadri, maybe keeping Zach Hyman amongst others. And then the salary cap remained stagnant. Yeah. And that killed the Toronto Maple Leafs, probably more so than other teams because they were

looking at it in a different way. And they took an aggressive swing and they got screwed by the pandemic which is just true but another thing Kelly McRibbon didn't say is that regardless of the flat cap if you don't get quality performances for your best players postseason it doesn't matter who else you have on your roster and I get it Florida Panthers they had nine great forwards in their Stanley Cup playoff run. Like their first line, second line, third line,

they even make a case that they're all first lines. They all were first lines in this most recent Stanley Cup run. But I mean, Kelly McCrimmon isn't going to be like, well, yeah, we just gave Marner eight years, 12 million a year, and he's been junk in the playoffs for the most part. But I think the reality is that the entirety

of the Toronto Maple Leafs high-priced players including Morgan Riley Are all they are all in the same boat. Yeah, it's all the same. So you could say oh, it's a good What if pandemic didn't happen what the Toronto Maple Leafs would have looked like they could have had this player and this player and this player But when it boils down to it if your best players don't perform who cares? Yeah, I mean, it's a nice defense It is well, he's got to defend office. He's got to defend his new guy I think that's safe to say and that's the easiest way to do it. It's a nice defense of Mitch Marner and you know the failed arrow that he just left here in Toronto but it doesn't hold water at all because to your point it's like first of all to my knowledge

every other team in the NHL was playing with a flat cap to very true So I'm not sure how the the Leafs were somehow, you know Hurt by that more it doesn't make sense to me because every the math is the same for everybody and Yeah, let's let's be honest here that you talk about pressure You can make the case a K that The bar is so low here in Toronto case a K that the bar is so low here in Toronto people like this franchise hasn't been to a Stanley Cup final since the league had six teams right so the bar so low in Toronto like Brendan Shanahan was gonna get a contract

extension he had two playoff series wins in the nine-year run eleven years on the job if he would have won three playoff series, he had a contract extension. Yeah. We're going to keep him around. A lifetime deal probably. Three playoff series in nine years of playoff runs and 11 years on the job, they were going to keep him around as team president.

You think the owner in Vegas is going to keep Kelly McCrimmon around? Not a chance. If he wins three playoff series in the next nine runs He who they have they are very cutthroat bill Foley and company in Vegas. They want to win They want to win now and there's no excuses That's why they go out and make these big swings and I can guarantee you before The summer is over. They will have a replacement for Alex Patrangelo on the right side of that defense They don't be somebody good. Yeah Like they're not gonna mess around here.

They are going to find somebody good to replace Patrangelo. They have Mitch Marner play on the top line with Jack Eichel, who probably will also get a massive contract extension for the Vegas Golden Knights. They're gonna figure out a way to make it work. They want to win a Stanley Cup. And of course, here in Toronto, we kind of are pondering the legacy of Mitch Marner, and

I was thinking about the comparisons to Vince Carter, not in the way that the two players went out, which are not comparable at all. You were probably there in 2005, Dave, when Vince returned as a member of the Nets. I was. Yeah, but he had 42 points that night. One of his best games. He was absolutely incredible. Again, Vince Carter, a guy who was averaging 15 a game for the Raps, goes to the Nets, and I was yeah, but he had 42 points that night one of his best games that he was absolutely incredible again

Vince Carter a guy who was averaging 15 a game for the wraps goes to the Nets was averaging almost 28 points your game So it was clear he quit Mitch Marner not in the same boat and I would actually Argue that Mitch Marner was better as a Toronto Maple Leaf than Vince Carter was it was a Toronto Raptor Yeah, like again, I understand why Vince Carter, you make the argument for the retire. And I'm not talking about retiring Marner's number or anything like that. I don't think his number should be retired.

No, no, I don't think under any circumstance that should happen. I also feel the same way about Vince Carter. Now his number's already retired, so what are you gonna do? Yeah. And I think the reasons for that were more so almost off the court.

Oh, the impact he made in Canadian basketball and the growth of it. Kids liked him. Exactly. That, I think, was the pitch. But as far as the on-court performance, correct me if I'm wrong, the Raptors with Vince Carter were at 500 or below. Sub-500 team. Sub-500 team. Mitch Marner, I mean, they made the playoffs every single year. He was on the team. Exactly. So, I mean, when you compare the two legacies, I get it, people are really pissed off now,

but Vince Carter got like 100% cheers recently. And I know- That took a long time. It did take a long time, and it also took the Raptors winning the NBA championship. That you cannot discount. Yes. That is probably the reason they were able to make the case,

all right, let's retire Vince's number, we're gonna have a miserable season anyway, let's have something to build it around. If the Leafs win a Stanley Cup in two years and Mitch Marner comes back in 10 years, maybe he will be celebrated for the incredible regular season achievements he's had in Toronto. But I think when you compare the two players, it's actually a fascinating case study in why we remember them the way we will. And again, Marner, it's very fresh. It's a couple of days since he's left the Toronto Maple Leafs. But like the Vince stuff was years and years of booing and vitriol and hate.

Oh, it was 100% hate. It was. I think that's one of the key differences for me. Like when you think about Vegas at Toronto next season, whenever that happens haven't seen the schedule there will be a lot of booze I don't know what it would be a hundred percent booze but there will be a lot of booze for Vince it was a hundred percent like I I've been in a lot of those hate games like I was at the Tavares game first time back to Long Island LeBron's had one yeah why that's the LeBron one in Cleveland the first and there was you

know the people were throwing pennies and all the rest of the nonsense that they were doing you know to the Tavares game as you approach Nassau Coliseum the the wafting smell of Burning polyester jerseys was in the air and yeah They were they were burning a bunch of them out in front and then they gave him the gears and they gave him every Chant the book and they blew out the Leafs that night to the Leafs didn't show up to the game Which obviously made it even more inflammatory in terms of we don't need you and Barzell's better and all the rest of the stuff.

Barzell's better, what a chant. All the rest, but you know what, I actually think judging by my interaction with the people that read The Star, the people you interact with on the street, very unscientific, I feel like there's a good percentage of people that really love Mitch Marner still, and really feel they put it on the Leafs,

they put it on Leafs management. They put it on Shanahan, they put it on his other teammates, there's people who say, hey, what about Matthews? Why is this guy the scapegoat? Matthews hasn't shown up in games, never scored a goal in a winner take all game. He's never had a big signature game to get them over a hump. So I feel like it's a lot more split

than it was when Carter left because A, the point you made, Vince just playing quick and everybody saw it. And B, because you know, Marner's a polarizing character. Yeah, and I do think that when we look back on the how it all went down, right, and the possibilities of what the Leafs could have done with Mitch Marner a couple of years ago,

and he talked about it yesterday, the idea of, I mean, there were trade rumors, trade discussions regarding Mitch Marner before his no trade kicked in, and we remember what happened in that off season. Kyle Dubas left the Leafs, they bring in-living Shanahan apparently calls the core for hey you guys are sticking around and the rest is history now might have been that that might have been right well sure and then of course we know once you have the no

move clause last offseason hey Vegas Shay Theodore yada yada yada that didn't end up panning out and then the three-way trade that was reported that at least was being discussed at the trade deadline this past year with Carolina and Rantanen and how that all could have played out we will never know but again Mitch Marner negotiated a no move clause in his deal. He had a wife that was seven or eight months pregnant why should he go anywhere? He's not obligated to do anything. So I think those who are saying Marner should have Give her a wave to go to Carolina or should have waved to go to Vegas like no he he should not have no I don't I don't blame him for that

No I again if you want to blame anybody for how it all went down and when it boils down to it at the end Of the day the Maple Leafs got Nicolas wah in exchange for Mitch Marner. Yeah, that's that's it That's a horrible return for one of the league's preeminent wingers. But there was an opportunity for them to make a deal a couple of years ago. They opted not to do it. Then the no-trade kicks in, which they negotiated themselves. There is no one else to blame here except the Toronto Maple Leaf. Yeah, that's on Shanahan. That's on the dysfunction between Shanahan and Dubas that turned that offseason into a

debacle with essentially a Palace coup that went awry and and Dubas that turned that off season into a debacle with essentially a palace coup that went awry and Kyle Dubas is suddenly in Pittsburgh and Brennan Shanahan is reeling in the wake looking for another suit to occupy the chair and he finally gets Brad Treeliving but you couldn't expect Brad Treeliving to hit the ground running and trade Mitch Marner as his first act as the new GM. That would have had to have been Shanahan making that decision. That's exactly it. He didn't want to. He believed in the core four and that foundation. Was on his tipstone.

It does. Like that is what he went to the well with time and time again. And now heading into this season Marner's gone, Michelli, Nick Wah are in and what do you have? Give a core two, a core three, but really we got to put an end to those core Whatever because bought the Florida Panthers. I just say they've got a core I don't know a line a big group of a core they're looking for for another time through 2030. Yeah Exactly. I mean that makes great. I make come back to bite them, but it will know that's an inevitability It will like what always done three four years when all these guys are that much older and that much wear and tear, that team could suck.

But everyone in Florida, they're partying at the elbow room like, ah, remember Marshy, remember Kachuk and Barkov. They'll go back to not watching hockey. And that's exactly what will happen. It's like, what are the Gators up to this off season? So we've got Chris Johnston joining us in about 30 minutes, our hockey insider. We're looking for the latest on guys like Nick Ehlers, maybe some trade buzz with regards to the Toronto Maple Leaf, some

linking of the Leafs and the Flames with regards to Nazem Kadri. We'll get CJ's thoughts on that. But the big game in the city tonight, Jay's Yankees down at the Dome. We'll head down there to catch up with MLB.com's Keegan Mathison next. at the Dome. We'll head down there to catch up with mlb.com's Keegan Matheson next. Seasoned gamer or just video game curious? This Week in Gaming is the podcast for you. We break down the latest in the world of video games, from basics to beyond.

The hottest gaming news, insight and industry leaders and more weekly. Join me, Naomi Kyle and stay ahead of the game with all the latest updates Even if you're a total newbie stream this week in gaming on the free iHeart radio app or wherever you get your podcasts Our to continues I missed the What do they call it the bumper there? I don't know. I should probably know this, I've been working radio for a while. The Tat Man would be appalled.

The Tat Man would be disgusted with me, but he usually is. I'm Aaron Carolla. Missed the post, JP said. Missed the post, thank you JP. That's a true radio veteran, JP, behind the glass. Doogie, those two are doing fantastic work as always. They will get our man Keegan Matheson from MLB.com on the line soon.

Jays Yanks, game number three tonight from the Dome. And I kind of had 2015-2016 vibes yesterday. I mean, it was Canada Day, the red jerseys, a sellout crowd, the Yankees, and the Jays just bludgeoning the Bronx Bombers. I loved every second of it. And George Springer, that grand slam, I don't know if there's a way to calculate how loud it is in the Rogers Center relative to other games or other seasons but that must have been like pretty high up there because it sounded like the roof if it was on because of course it was open beautiful day I mean I don't know what uh what was going on there look at that oh what a home run up on TSN2

we'll have to ask Keegan but i believe keegan he can had something on twitter basically saying that was as loud as he's heard in a long time all right let's go to the source keegan matheson where did that george springer home run rank for you as far as loudest moments in the roger center been awhile fellow has started covering the team in twenty seventeen so i really showed up after all the fun stuff happened but it's that's up there absolutely and even with the dome open you know there was no roof there to keep everything in it was an organic

moment and a hell of a crowd too yesterday fantastic so that was up there man the ball hung up in the air to add a little drama to it. It was always full. It was not a no doubter by any means, but that was a pop. It was an incredible day here. So the Jays put up 12 runs yesterday. No Beau Bichette, no Anthony Sandon there, no Dalton Varsho. Vlad and Alejandro Kirk go 0 for 9 combined. And still the Jays were able to do it. And it was in large part due to george springer who's had

a true renaissance season and i don't think they were very very many people out there with our springer was going to be able to bounce back like he's a houston astro once again but that's the type of performance we've been seeing him from this from him this season what do you attribute this return to greatness for george springer to he seems re-energized, guys. There's a lot of baseball reasons, mechanical reasons into this.

But on a surface level, like this guy is alive again. And I was dead wrong about George Springer this season. I thought it was going to keep going in a bad direction and get worse because last year he looked like he was slowing down. He did not look like he had that same jump in his step and for such a gifted athlete too, right in Spring training it looked terrible and I know that spring training doesn't matter for much But it stretches on for six weeks and you need to talk about something and it did not look good And I remember guys. It was a late spring training March 17th or 18th

I went up to George before one of those spring games and I said, listen man, this isn't going well. I've got to write about it. Let's talk. And I was so surprised at the time with how optimistic he was. And he said, I feel great. Everything's going exactly how I want it to go. And at the time I'm standing there thinking, okay, sure. But it's worked.

And he was right about this. He's chasing more power, which I think is really important because George is an incredible athlete. I don't even think it comes through the TV well, but this guy could be a linebacker in the NFL. He is big and tall and built strong, and that's always been in there. But now he's allowing himself to chase it just a little bit more he's getting away from that let's hit 20 singles approach that plagued this team I think last year and

in prior years he's uncorking it a bit man he's letting it fly and it's working and you see a player who was having fun at the ballpark again because when you are not having fun here and you gotta be here every damn day, it piles up on you. We've seen how that looks, now we see how the good George Springer looks. It's been incredible. I could not have been more wrong about him this year. Well Keegan, when you look at the power production in general from this team,

there's been quite an explosion of late. What do you sort of link it to? What are the factors that have led this team that looked like it was kind of playing small ball at times at its worst moments is suddenly playing big A-L East ball? A-L East ball is a great way to put it. This is who they should have been for a few years. And it's always felt, guys, like that 2021 team. Remember when Marcus Sammian was hitting 40 plus that

was Vladys near MVP year that was such an incredibly fun brand of baseball and they pulled back from that and we haven't seen that since now the J started out this season among the bottom teams in home runs in Major League Baseball for too long but this last month and a half or so they've really come to life. Now part of that is just personnel, it's who they have in the lineup, but they're also chasing better matchups this year. And what I mean by that guys is that last year I think the Blue Jays sat down each day and tried to put together the best defensive lineup possible that could make a lot of contact. That's an okay way

to win some 3-2 ball games but it's not the most entertaining and you need to play pretty near perfect. What they're doing this year is sitting down and trying to make their best offense. Their defense is good enough by default. Everyone on this roster can play defense but they're chasing matchups at the bottom of the order. They're chasing platoons, they're chasing upside, which is a hell of a lot more fun to watch as we're seeing and the results are there. So I think this comes a little bit from coaching, a little bit from the player side, but they're chasing that high-end outcome instead of just looking for singles and contact, which was only

working every once in a while it was a decent way to be good but very rarely great we're seeing now the opposite of that and it's working. Keegan Matheson our guest here in hour two of overdrive he covers the blue chase for MLB.com Jose Barrios on the hill tonight if the Jays win tied with the Yanks atop the AL East. Keegan what can you tell us about some of the injury situations the Jays are facing bichette saunton dare and

woman who i'm missing who's the last adult barshah arson i'd hamstring injury well what's what's going on with that real to start out with both and he is close with you don't feel big bp today you look good wouldn't done me if he was a little late edition kind of the wrestler running in at the end here will take but if you go today probably back tomorrow uh... don't worry who is

soon going to start running the basis how down and i need which means he close i'd expect him back maybe just before the all-star break and if he is great because you've been baseball player but also because that simplify that crowded kind of messy andfield group right now. So that would really simplify that for him. And then Santander is the more mysterious one.

Yeah, this has taken a long time. And when you look at how long he's been out, there has not been any swinging. He's not hitting off a tee. He's not hitting in the cage. And Ross Atkins told us yesterday that there was a subluxation involved in that, which means the shoulder kind of just popped out and back in. And that constrained the ligaments around it too. So that's been curious. And when he was in the lineup, guys, as you know, he was not producing whatsoever early in the season. So my worry with Santander, maybe more my curiosity is

a better way to say it. He's a notoriously slow starter. So when he comes back from this injury, is this starting again? Does he need to ramp up slowly again? We'll see. But this lineup needs the best version of him. It's just got to be that good version, which we haven't seen yet. So there have been moments this season, Keegan, where there have been debates on this very radio station about whether the Blue Jays will be buyers or sellers at the July 31st trade deadline. I don't think there's any debate now. I mean, Jays would be buyers or sellers at the July 31st trade deadline. I don't think there's any debate now. I mean, they have to be buyers.

Just unfathomable they could be sellers. And I guess what, we're into July now, and what should they be buying if they're starting to sort of fill out their shopping list with less than a month to go until the deadline? I think they should be aggressive, number one one this is the year to do it you look at the yankees leading the a l e their rate here

the right there for the blue jays to take a run at the division not the third wild card not just being happy to be invited to the party but the division the legitimate way to get into the playoffs at the division it's right there there's not a lot of powerhouses in the American league this year. This is the year to be aggressive.

And the Js have the prospects to do that. Unless you're trying to trade for Shohei Otani, they have the prospects. That's not going to be a problem. Ross Atkins highlighted a right-handed bat, and I think that makes a lot of sense. Maybe a guy they can chase some more platoon advantages with.

You're gonna see the normal bullpen tinkering, probably an arm added there. The big question guys is rotation depth. Now three weeks from now, who is Max Scherzer? We'll see. Is Alec Manoa getting closer to coming back? We will see. But they need to make sure that they're not an injury away from disaster. And they've been there a couple of times. Eric Lauer has saved them. Man, I cannot give him enough credit. They need to make sure that there's nowhere on this roster that one injury would screw it all up. And I think the rotation is probably a place to pad that.

The spot that interests me the most, guys, is beyond this year. When they added Jose Barrios back in 2021, he had a year remaining. They were getting ahead a year on business. I think that makes sense this year. They're going to be losing Scherzer, losing Bassett, Gosman's a year away. If they can add a guy with some control, swing even bigger, this is the time they've got the money, they've got the prospects, why not? Who would some of those prospects be that would have maybe the potential to bring back a top-notch player the Deadline Keegan Now top end of the system you're looking at guys like Archie Namala Trey you savage their big right-hander

That's only if they're swinging big big big now if you're looking at our list I think a relvis Martinez is still listed number three. He's gonna plummet down pretty soon He's losing a lot of that stock. But the good news for the Blue Jays is that when you look down through, whether it's Kendrick Rojas, Cal Steven, Johnny King, Landon Marutas, they're finally having multiple success stories.

The past few years for this farm system were bad, period. They were not good, too many injuries. Not enough breakouts. It seems like all that karma is coming back around all in one gear here, guys. The top end names like Namalas, like Yassavage, Johnny King I think is in that group for me right now, the young lefty. That's only if you're talking about a big franchise changing move. A guy who's going to be around for a while. But what's encouraging if you're the Blue Jays is that they've built up the middle. The guys you'll see ranked between number 8, number 15, number 22, those guys are a lot better

than they were a year ago. And if you're shopping for a reliever or a depth starter, those are the guys you'll be looking at. And there's also a lot of this fringe group that you've seen, Leo Jimenez, Will Robertson. The Jays have five, six, seven additional big leaguers around this roster that they can move. So there's a lot of ways they can do this. And most importantly, guys, they have money. They have money this year, they have money beyond this year to certainly take on. And that puts them in a pretty small class of teams. Fired up for tonight man it's been a blast seeing this team in action against the Yanks and hopefully on their dub down at the dome you'll be covering

it for MLB.com he is Keegan Matheson thank you for the time enjoy the game. You got it fellas we'll talk soon take care. Alright thank you Keegan. It's something it's it's funny how the tide has turned in, at least amongst my group of friends, who early on in the season, like, hey, when we go down to the domes to the Jays, they're like, absolutely not. I'd rather do anything else. Now, my buddies, who I apparently think I'm some kind of Blue Jays insider with tickets, hey, any chance you might be able to get tickets for tonight? And I'm like, no, what do I? We work at Bell? This is not Rogers, right? We work at Bell, but I The buzz is back. I mean they have a sellout crowd and you go down to the park man. It's fun

It is fun It's a really the improvements that they made to that ballpark with the renovations cannot be understated as far as how much better it is It's a great it's so much better than it used to be especially with the roof open Oh, yeah, I've not been down for an open roof game yet, but there aren't many for two Yeah, well, I mean you say start to the Sun mean these days. I mean every day is 28 and sunny in Toronto right now So so get out tonight perfect night for a baseball game Barrios versus Warren 707 first pitch we have Chris Johnson joining us in about 20 minutes some news on Pia suitor Who is his number one suitor?

We'll tell you about that plus the latest on Nick Ehlers with CJ when he joins us in about 20 minutes You're watching you're listening and on YouTube as well overdrive. This is TSM You've heard them countless times. Now learn the details of how they came to be. Join Ruby Carr for Encore, the stories behind the songs you love. New interviews and newly unearthed archive footage make for a fascinating weekly deep dive. Stream Encore, the stories behind the songs you love on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts. Overdrive brought to you by Fandool, bringing you everything from the opening line to the

final score, Kuroanek and Festschuk. On this Wednesday afternoon, Chris Johnson will join us in about 15 minutes. We'll get the latest from CJ on what's going on, day two of NHL free agency, Dave. We know Pia Suter is now a St. Louis blue a two-year deal just four million pretty reasonable contract Like for a third-line centerman coming off a career year. Yeah five goals. Not bad good time to strike Oh, you think he would get paid more like there's a lot of teams out there with a ton of money to spend Well, how are they spending it? How is Columbus and San Jose, I guess Anaheim did bring in Granland,

which I think was a really good signing for them. Seven million a year for three years. I mean, you gotta spend some cash if you're some of these teams, and I don't know how they're gonna do it. I mean, let's not get crazy. Your PSSUTER 25 goal a year, but his career high before that was 15.

Yeah. He's not exactly, you know, that productive. And you're right, it's a good contract, but you know, it's reasonable, I think, in a rising cap environment with, as you point out, with many teams out there with money to spend. Yeah, it makes sense why he didn't go back to Vancouver and why he went to the open market. So more on that with Chris when he joins us again, in about 15 minutes, the Raptors signing Yaka Pertle four-year contract extension,

also signing a fellow by the name of, and I wrote this out phonetically, Sandro Mamu Kelojvili. Mamu Kelojvili, a two-year deal. He's like a big who can shoot threes. And that's the first Bobby Webster era Raptors maneuvering right the Pertle extension yeah Mamu Kailash Vili who is going to be a fan favorite I've already ordered my jersey it's a

lot of letters yeah very expensive down at Real Sports Mamu Kailash That's a 14 letterer. That's a that's a big one. That's a big one there for Sandro. For Sandro. But I don't know it's gonna be fun. I am intrigued by this Raptors team and I have no idea what they're going to do with the president's role and frankly I was stunned that they're gonna hire one at all. I mean I thought they were the MLSC hierarchy was was done with the president's role after Shanahan was out but apparently Pelley and company view it differently with the Toronto Raptors any names that you're hearing around the Toronto sports scene when it comes to that role as a potential fit? There's names you hear I mean obviously people throw out the name Bob Myers because he's the most I did

throw that name out before the show he's the most accomplished executive on the market that isn't currently employed outside the media he's working for ESPN right now and of course he was a big part of that Golden State Warriors dynasty that that won a handful of championships within the Steph Curry Draymond Green Clay Thompson era but the thing with that is if it's about streamlining it's about economics to some degree because i think everything is when it comes to these moves

bob myers probably would earn as much or more than the contract that the they're now paying off on the side here at fifteen million dollars base so seems a little rich for the Raptors blood at this point in their franchise history yeah it does I think you're spot-on and I have a sneaking suspicion that Webster just gets promoted and I don't think

that's a bad decision and could he just hold both titles yeah I guess why not becomes GM they elevate another guy sure and Webster essentially becomes the Ujiri and yeah, maybe Dan Tolzman slides into that GM role, whoever it might be. However they structure. Yeah, however they might structure, but Bobby Webster is still the top decision maker. And listen, this is a guy who's very well regarded, has worked with Ujiri, is handpicked from the NBA front office to join the Raptors. And the succession plan was pretty clear from the outset with the Raptors and

how much they liked Bobby Webster I certainly wouldn't be opposed to that idea as soon as it supports the Raptors. Except that you know there was an extension given to various members of the front office including Bobby Webster that extension was only one year so a year beyond this year so

he's only got two years on the books so they don't love him that much, you know, and that was in messiah jury fighting for him before he was You know, that's true to leave the office man. It is so peculiar just thinking about that Keith belly press conference which happened on friday afternoon and I feel like a lot of the conversations After have been swept under the rug and I guess right leading it right into the canada day long weekend And of course nhl free agency here in the city. We haven't talked a lot about it but I thought it was a peculiar press conference. I really did and the line of questioning about why the decision was made there was no real

answer because we know the answer. It's a financial decision but you're not going to come out and say it for obvious reasons. You don't want to come off as an organization that's not willing to spend to keep the best assets that you have which beside you jury certainly was just that so financial aka and it's also personal let's face it here like a big part of what we're seeing here is Larry Tanabob was essentially the kingmaker in the previous structure now that Edwardward rogers is the king it's a dictatorship not a democracy anymore he owns the shares

and no one does not answer to anybody the guys that were tight with larry ranchana have for instance sayagyri more than anyone we know they're not there anymore because the times larry's that influence anymore Yeah, and it's a Ed Rogers show now and Keith Pelly show and that was the decision they came to and we'll see if they

Come to another decision when it comes to the next president of the Toronto Raptors Chris Johnson coming up We'll play overdrive arbitration as well at 630 as we continue on TSN to TSN 1050 We are live on TSN's YouTube channel. Seasoned gamer or just video game curious? This Week in Gaming is the podcast for you. We break down the latest in the world of video games, from basics to beyond. The hottest gaming news, insight and industry leaders

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