OverDrive - OverDrive - June 20, 2025 - Hour 2

Episode Date: June 20, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 2 on OverDrive! TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joins to discuss the Oilers' following steps and shaping a new culture of the team, Brad Marchand's next destination and the state tax implications for contracts in the league. They also dive into the NHL's stance on no move and no trade conditions, the Sabres' intriguing offseason and which players they should seek to sign.

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to the final score. Brian Hazio, Doug Jeff O'Neill, Jamie Noodles, McClennan. We got Mike Johnson coming up here in a moment. Friday Night Football, CFL on TSM. We got Argos Roughriders tonight. We got Canada back in action tomorrow. The Gold Cup. We got the Jays and White Sox starting tonight.

Game seven NBA finals right around the corner. NHL draft. Free agency. Guys get traded, signed. Tays going to Winnipeg. Mason Marchman on his way to Seattle. Lots going on. Dallas is taking care of some business. They have some signings and stuff. Traded Marchman. Like they're trying to move and shake. It'll be interesting to see who they hire as a coach. We forget there's a vacancy available. That's a very good point. Who's out there? Well, again, I was asked that, I think it was Jason Greger or Rashog asked that the the Oilers presser, because there's been rumors of Glenn Gullitzen, who maybe

Dallas has some interest in and Stan Gullitzen. Hasn has any already coached them once I think he has I think he I know For sure he coached in Calgary and I coached with him and he was the head coach of Vegas When they had an East Coast League team really good guy really smart guy. Yeah, so I don't know I I've heard his name bandied about but I don't know like I don't know if they recycle if they go with the younger guy If they go progressive or maybe it's Lavi like they've you know Dallas is a very good team but they've kind of hit the ceiling there too they've got to push through it yeah it's crazy man like it is crazy how the league is reacting to it's like no one's happy but Florida

it's you're either the panthers or everyone hates it's but it's true though but that's a fair like it if there are there are limit there there should be a lot different stages right here i hear right here the worst team in the league alice somebody's gotta be able to say that was in that path right like it i i'm not here to tell you that should be whether it's whether it's dallas or tor or Toronto or Carolina or Edmonton or whatever, Tampa, Vegas, but it seems like there's the Panthers who are partying and letting everyone know that they're going to party and that they own you and that they're the best and

there's nothing you can do about it. And then 31 other teams who are just miserable and can't believe it. I'm using some hyperbole there clearly, but I've referenced this term a couple of times this week, like desperate GMs. What I mean by that is you've got the next two or three weeks to really make some moves and the appropriate moves to put your team in a position where you're better than you were a month ago or a month and a half ago where you're better than you were a month ago or a month and a half ago and you're a really good team a month ago.

You know like the Leafs, like Dallas, Colorado, Edmonton, Colorado, Vegas, like these are perennial Winnipeg. Winnipeg clearly feels better about themselves today signing Jonathan Taves. Colorado went out in the first round with that heater, what we thought was a heater team first absolutely heater team and they made her but again they made significant changes significant not just the ranton in two goaltenders middle stat out like you know Brock Nelson in Charlie coil I mean there they are I think they're positioned to be a very good team again any anybody with McKinnon and Makar you start there, but they've

That team lost in the first round are they panicking? I don't know. I mean they have won a cup That's the difference there is so there's difference when you have that in your back pocket that that certainly helps in it I think it alleviates a lot of pressure from star players You know that that's a great way of phrasing it, I think, Noodle. You may have just hit the nail on the head. Not that those guys don't want to win again and aren't desperate to win. Of course they are. But Nathan McKinnon can't really storm in and yell and scream at the front office the

way maybe McDavid can. Now McDavid, again, back-to-back cup finals game seven game six like right there right there But there are there are a lot of superstars in this league that have not won Yeah, where if you're McKinnon and McCarr you have if you're Jack Eichel and Mark Stone you have You know if you're Kuturov and point and headman you have Obviously if you're in Florida you have. But Dallas, no one has there. No one has in Edmonton, no one has in Toronto, relatively speaking. I'm talking the big boys like the faces of the organization.

And that's where the pressure I think lies the most for these GMs and what they're capable of doing over the next few weeks is they're looking at their players, we're looking back at them saying, what are you gonna do here right are you gonna help me party like bark of this right now and sam reinhardt party like mckinnon did back in the day uh... here's mike johnson rts and hockey analyst joining us in the maple toto hotline what's up johnny what's going on boys now it'd be made it to error we live in

but the panthers are definitely, not that they're having a better time than any other winner, but they sure as heck are documenting their good time as much as any other winner. Like no holds barred, language, inebriation, not that there should be, but it's just we don't see that from teams that win as openly as what they're running through right now carving team carving the Oilers carving individuals they are not holding oh yeah just whatever I guess I and I guess you know to the victors go to spoils right you win you can say anything you want about anyone you want right now and what are they gonna say back to you they can't say a thing yeah Johnny were you want right now and what are they going to say back to you? They can't say a thing. Yeah, Johnny, were you aware or I think Duthie tweeted out, I hope he was being serious, but about the trash talk

on the ice how he said that he had heard that it was the worst that's ever been done in the National Hockey League. Did you hear anything about that? Yeah, I mean, I have. I mean, I talked to James about it, but I did here from other people unrelated to his tweeter whatever he said about it

now act find it hard to believe worst ever because yes i can be eighty five closest to the second you know you can put in jail for so yeah uh... but but apparently it was you know be it was what what what all with it was beyond sort of the scope of the game. And the player drifted into off-ice family, kids, parents, whatever, that kind of stuff, which is, which is unusual nowadays. Yeah, that's, that's where I think what they were saying for modern day for what today, especially with the mics around, everything is a hot mic, right? So I think that's

probably what they were as far as context, Johnny, but because I've been in, we've all been in dressing rooms and all been on the ice where there's been you look back in a 2025 lens to some things that were said in the late 90s, early 2000s. It's just a no fly zone now, right? Like there were that was every day type of thing. So I think there's context to it, but it did sound like it got very personal where nothing was off limits, wives, girlfriends, you name it, money situation, all of that type of stuff. I think everything was on the table. Who could you be alluding to when you say money situation? There's one, obviously. You know what though? Yeah, I know. Well, there's one, you know, obviously.

You know what though? Yeah, I know, obviously, if enter came to claim bankruptcy. But it, yeah, I, from what I gather, you know, this has not been told to me by the teams, but I think the league or some league representative went and spoke to the team and said, hey, for that very reason, the hot mics are going to pick this up. Like you guys have to tell your players that own it down because if this gets out and it's hard not to some sort of you know behind-the-scenes thing gets leaked it would not be a good look people would be I think people are generally pretty tolerant of the desire

to win and the win-at-all-cost mentality we sometimes even admire that in our athletes but some of the things that might have been being said were so over the line that it would turn people off, like what is this, what's the matter with these guys? Why are they saying these things to each other? And it went both ways, it was Edmonton to Florida, Florida to Edmonton, so no party was more guilty, but yeah, it was, you know, but then you shake hands

and it's all forgotten I guess right afterwards and you don't have to worry about it but yeah that was sort of out there during the final that this was that the tone on the ice is pretty nasty Johnny you just mentioned a guy before we get to the Oilers other options and needs and what they were saying and their pressers you just mentioned Evander Kane like do you think they bring him back is he is he a ufa one more year always got one more year yes scratch that question from the doctor they they know you know i i think they'll try to flip i think he's gone to be honest i i don't know how you feel

johnny yeah i mean i think all that that the topical question given what's happening right now and i think that's what i'm uh... yeah i know it's what you meant we were you're right, but if Sam Bowman talked about He likes his defenseman. He's got to change his forward. He's got to change his goalie He basically said it out loud so when you're changing your forwards that just not mean just bringing Ufas and letting your FAs walk but also like Victor Armitage has one more year on his deal

Vander Kane has one more year on his deal that Evander Kane has one more year on his deal. Those two guys make like what? Nine million bucks between them. And if you're able to shed that salary, that opens up some things to be a little bit more creative. So Evander Kane is funny because in game one of the final, he was really good. He had nine hits and he was in on a couple of goals

and he's banging guys around the net and doing all the stuff that Evander King can do. He scored a goal early and then the series wore on. He just sort of got further and further away from the score sheet and more onto the penalty box and it just kind of got away from him. But I do think it is, I think the only little effort to trade Evander King and make Spide 125 and if they can find a taker, he's got some modified no trade protection. effort to trade a Vander Kane makes five, one, two, five. And if they can find a taker, he's got some modified no trade protection. After leaving it, a no trade list too.

I think they do it. And given what Mason Marchman just went for, third and a fourth for four and a half, and Vander Kane went healthy as every, you know, he's as good as Mason Marchman is for his producing points and physicality and all the rest. So there should be a taker out there. At the very least on an expiring contract guys, He is as good as Nathan Marchman is for his producing points and physicality and all the rest. So there should be a taker out there.

At the very least on an expiring contract guys, if you're a team not making the playoffs, you trade for Vander Kane, you give up a fourth rounder, you take on a salary, you trade him for a second or first at the deadline and he can anticipate going on to a different team and that's maybe one way you could split picks and upgrade a little bit for just chewing up some celery yeah he's listen when he's healthy he's a good player and i know he took a lot of high sticking penalties that drove people crazy i get it but you know watch what you wish for there's an awesome cadre comparison there

like he plays for keeps and he's tough for the peace on his toes and you know if you like run them out because uh... too many stupid penalties we don't like that your place with a guy who doesn't have takes and did you get genome algen in there exactly i think what they're gonna do though is a trent frederick yes a he's a lawyer and

and not much off of anarchy i'm not saying that, but like physical guy occasionally will drop the gloves, play with an edge and make a million dollars left for the next eight years. So they would probably say that's the guy who's going to slide in there so they can replace sort of what a VanderKane does. But the reality is the Oilers need wingers again. Again, we talked about this earlier. Doesn't that make you think? Doesn't that make you think, Johnny? It's like you need wingers and you're gonna get rid of

Evander Kane? Because other than the dumb penalties in the finals, like man, it was always McDavid, Drisidle, probably Hyman, and Kane was the next guy that was performance wise their best guy. And you're gonna move off that? Scary thought. Nugent Hopkins plays the wing too. Yeah, and Corey Perry, he had 40. I don't know if you're gonna move off that scary thought. Nugent Hopkins plays the wing too.

Yeah, yeah. And Corey Perry at 40, I don't know if you're gonna get it to him, but he was also very good. But that also, you know, the fact he had a 40 year old as good as he was playing on the first power play on the first line speaks to the lack of depth. The Noodles, I wonder if Edmonton had their way and say, okay, we just lost a Barkov Bennett Lindell.

We'd be pretty good with McDavid Drysett or Lujan Hopkins. If we had six wingers to play with those guys, not a difference. Florida's got the wingers, Edmonton does not. I agree. And it's weird. Bowman said today that they like Frederick because he can play all three positions and he's more comfortable on the right side as a left shot, but he's been wanting to play center. He's only 27. I mean that's a guy I can see that they slide in there but I also think R&H if you could make him a third line center that's where again easier said than done but I think they do package Kane and Arvidsson or any type of thing and they're

looking for either Skinner goes away because he's unrestricted And in you are you're looking for players to to help I think they need one player study said it and I don't disagree with him They need somebody who has chemistry with dry subtle other than Nugent Hopkins like they need how do you know what's gonna work though? Jamie you're saying oh this guy probably would we can look at the numbers But if it doesn't work, you're kind of screwed. You still need a good player. Yeah, of course.

If you go, and this is the wrong, I know I'm not going to, but if Brian Rust, if you could get a Brian Rust, if you could get somebody like that, you know, that like who can play top six, straight line, can shoot the puck, keep up and everything like that, then maybe that is his player to play with. Because Gasparry Kapanen makes one good play out of 20. So that's not your guy. Like, that was a... You know, like, you know, Pod Colson?

I like Pod Colson. I don't like him in a top six. No kidding. He's a heavy player, but I like him. but I give dry side a lot of credit for that He was like, yeah It was pod Coles and in Arvitz in some nights and it was like the guy almost won the heart trophy is like Oh my god, but but that's what Johnny's talked about. They've got this match to boy kid They've got Noah Phillip like they've got some young kids that they've got to plug in and give them an opportunity too. But they also have to find a top six player to play

with dry subtle and you've got to go look around the league for it. You know, you do. Yeah. They're not a lot. Russ is not a terrible name actually because like the exit is out of Pittsburgh. I know he's got term on his deal, but um, Pittsburgh should be interesting because Pittsburgh's intentionally getting worse. They're tripping it down. So guys like Russ who makes five million bucks with a couple years left, they can get picks

or young prospects. They probably do stuff like that. And Russ might be the only guy on the penguins. I don't think he has trade protection. Everybody else on Pittsburgh has some sort of trade protection. Brian Russ doesn't have any. So you can send in many were anytime with mike johnson all right let's say we get to july first

and the lease have in front of them the exact same contract both players are willing to accept but they're only going to keep one or take one bradmarsh and john to bars who do you think they should take who do you think they would take? And they have the exact same contract for let's say four years seven million they're both like I'll take it and I'm coming up to Toronto

Hey I Stopped on Bradmarsh. I can't find my contract. That's all I know the center of them like they need a centerman. So positionally speaking, they need a centerman. So I'm like, don't find Marsha and if it's not going to be too far, don't find him either. You save that money for a centerman. Is there a there's I'm taking the option C because our Shannon on the wing sure he's a very good player And he of course he could play with Matthews and Matthew and I's and be great And he could probably pair up with Nylander and whoever and be really good

but right now the Leafs are devoid of second line center And probably a third line center right and we just watch Bennett Lundell Two and three win a win a tournament in a row. Just crushed people. Now you're not gonna get that kind of talent. You're not gonna have that kind of success, but you need massive upgrades from, you know,

respectfully, there's a lot in camps. Or I don't even know who they have, player X. No, maybe it's Lott, Domi Lott, whatever, yes. They need, yeah, so I would not find anyone until I get a center straightened out. player x no maybe a lot don't be long whatever yes they need yeah so i would not find anyone until i get a better straightened out yeah i think it's fair johnny do you think you were all focused on

you know to borrow us obviously and and what they're going to do but the would you think tree would be proactive was with some guys in this bottom six that have either term or at least a year left? I'm circling Domi, I'm circling Jarncrok, I'm circling Kampf. Again, I don't know what you would get for them, but just different looks. Would you be just more focused on trying to fill that second line center and then build

the team out after that? Well, I imagine you could do both at the same time, right? Right. If you can get rid of those contracts. David Kaep has been a serviceable player and pretty reliable. He does what he can. But $2.5 million for a fourth line center is not a great penalty killer. That's too much money.

Right. Now, those numbers may go up a little bit as the cap goes up. You may not be quite as pinched, but the Leafs are pinched. They're pinched up top trying to round out their roster. So if Kelly Yarnbrook is going to be a fourth liner, you don't want six, seven, eight million dollars on your third, fourth line. You just don't. You want three million dollars.

And that saves more money for the other guys who play a little bit more in a bigger role. So yes, if he can, you know, Domi has trade protection, Kamps has trade protection, Yardfroak has trade protection. They all do. So and they're not trading Scottie a lot because he only makes a million and a half dollars. So yeah, I think he will look to be aggressive and see if he can take advantage of teams with some cap space and maybe package stuff to get rid of those guys or move them along or one or two of them or whatever it might be, noodles. But yeah, it's not just the top, you know, Marner and Tabar as they need to replace.

I think they want to shuffle the deck all the way down. Yeah. Yeah, that seems reasonable. Now, you know, there's only so much you can expect to happen. There's only so many players available and other teams are willing to spend money. Mason Marchman was there, I guess you could have had him for a third and a fourth round pick, but Seattle got in first or was willing to pay that price. Maybe the Leafs can't even afford that.

You know what, A's? Not to go down this road, we don't want to go get off topic here, but Dallas traded Mason Marshmallow to Seattle, that's what Washington is, Washington State, no state tax. And I think just putting it out there, if you're a franchise who asks guys who take discounts because of your state tax situation and then you trade them to high tax locales, that's a bad look, right? So I wonder if that also is manufacturing the marchman thing. Like trying to do this solid by keeping the same no state tax jurisdictions.

Yeah. Could be the case. And if it is, the league would know it and yet the league is going to turn a blind eye to it. Because that's even more ridiculous. You can't trade for a player because of where you live, you operate. I would just say this. Let's say, hey, okay, you want to find somewhere.

I'm like, listen, Brian, come to Nashville. We'll give you $4 million a year. I know you can make five elsewhere, but four is equal to five. You're here. No, as a club, we don't give you no trade protection, but you're going to be year. I know you can make five elsewhere, but four is equal to five, you're here. No, as a club, we don't give you no trade protection, but you're gonna be here, you're part of our future. We're not gonna trade you. We're gonna ask you to do this

because financially it doesn't hit you, but we can't give you no trade. So you're doing a leap of faith, sacrificing a million dollars, let's say. And then two years later, they say, you know what, now we're gonna trade you. Sorry about that leap of faith, and sorry about the two million we're costing you. In that sense, I would want to do right by you because I've asked you to do something

and I didn't allow you to protect yourself for that sacrifice. I think if anyone asked me to take a state tax discount, I'm like, sure, give me a full no move. That's how it works. You get the discount, I get the, get the news that I'm always playing here And if you don't have that I could see why teams might want to try to You know support the player in that regard, you know in the end here I get it Johnny, but in the end like this is the thing too like this is a business

and you know as a manager I get that you try to take care of players and I but There's sometimes there's no favors to be done. Like I got to trade you and I got to move you out. And Team X is what it is. Marchment's a wonderful person. And Jim Neal's a great manager. And in this situation, he does him a solid. But sometimes, listen, we gave you four years and it's four million We gave you 16 million dollar contract

It didn't work out or we're moving on from here like at some point you have to put your business hat on and say I'm trading you like and you were traded or whatever like that's the biggest thing. I See sometimes it's just unless you've got no trade protection. You've got to work with the player sometimes It's like yeah, we traded you. We got to move on. Had to do it, sorry. It's a business. That's the thing.

You're getting compensated a lot of money. I've been in that scenario. Johnny, I'm not sure, oh, you've been in it. Johnny, I'm not sure if you were traded or if you just signed. Maisie went from Barry to Sarnia. That's true. We've all been traded. We've all been traded three times, yeah, for sure. Yeah, so I know it's a different generation and I get it, but sometimes you've got to

put your business hat on and you do what's best for the organization because Dallas was pressed up against the cap. They needed to move his money. So they did do him a solid, but in the end, if it wasn't going to be Seattle, it was going to be somebody else because they had to dump them off the books technically, right? Yeah, and it's more about the cap than anything else. That's another thing. If the player doesn't pull their weight, that's not what happened with Marchman here necessarily, but then it's like, well, who cares about what... I paid you a lot of money, you haven't

even played like a $4 million player, so what am I doing you a favor for? You didn't do me one. four million dollar player. So what am I doing you a favor for you to do me one? You know like that's a totally different conversation. We get state tax. You get four goals, dude. I gotta trade you Yeah, I mean Marchman had 20. No, I'm not saying Marchman I'm saying in general though like the fact is that apply across the board at some point. It's like well actually player X apply across the board. At some point it's like, well, actually player X. You know? Yeah, 100% listen.

I'm all about being controlled. I got no problems. I have no problem being ruthless. Absolutely not. I'm just saying as an organization, if your reputation is we ask for discounts for state tax reasons, we don't give no trade protection, then we kind of hurt your contract value

because we trade you after we kind of said we wouldn't. That's not a great reputation to have. I hear you. It's only a thing to be considered for sure. And if you can do it, great. If you can't, sorry Mason Marchman, we're sending you to wherever, Montreal, the highest tax rate in the league. That's what you've got to do, but if you can do a solid, you would.

Yeah, that's fair. That's fair. Yeah. I wonder where this is going, the state tax stuff, man. I told you, man. It's fair that's fair. Yeah I wonder where this is going the state tax stuff man. I told you man. Like it's just. It's going nowhere. No I mean in terms of the conversation. Like what the next layer is like the. How can teams be competitive if they're like no I'm not on this no state tax so it's like nobody wants to play it's a problem. problem yes i don't know i don't think it's a big problem problem what i think the way i sort of come around my head around it it only becomes a factor

when you become good it doesn't really help you that much to become good what it does it helps you day good it helps me what you have Sam Reinhardt come up and you're like, you know what, we can get him for $2 million less

than a high state tax place and we'll give him a no move because he's earned it. Those facts, like now what Florida's going through, now is when it becomes a more significant factor because it lets you stay good, more room, probably room for one extra high end, one extra $10 million player. And that's why you're seeing six years in a row, a Florida team in the finals, like

that to your point. Yeah, because Tampa's been really good. Now these guys will eventually get old and they won't be good anymore and then it will, and the state tax will matter nearly as much. Right. Well, and I guess what I'm saying is like what, you know, does it continue to pop up with players making decisions in the future? and i guess what i'm saying is like what you know does it does it continue to to pop up with players making decisions in the future

you know college agent so they like i'm not going to why were going to roll second for a and go to talk taxes or a good you know there is a dinner didn't have to just lose lose that will be baker winner and over more yeah or there i think i mean where's that in to sign with Tampa.

They're having to trade him. He's going back to Michigan State. Yeah, like they're, I guess we can talk about it. I think Johnny, you're bang on. It helps you when you're really good because all of a sudden, like you say, you can squeeze in players. If you've got a program that people want to be a part of, hey, the tax, the weather, all of that adds into

the bucket that you can add to it. So you can find an extra player. I'm not disagreeing that the tax is a conversation, but like I say, when I was with the Panthers in 06, it wasn't that big of a deal, I'll be honest, because we weren't really good. But in the end, you're right. If you're a good program and it gives you that competitive edge, which right now both

those teams in Florida are top tier, so it's giving you a competitive edge, that's where people have a problem with it, and rightfully so. Well, yeah, exactly. I mean, that's the whole thing. No one can argue against it that there are players on these teams that are because we just we're gonna hear it a ton in the next two weeks yeah well in Toronto it would have to be this what well like how does like I get it for the real money for the player but in terms of team building the GM's have the

exact same amount the bold numbers the bold number and it's finite and it's and there's a cap to it you know the other side of the spectrum though too is in winnipeg it's gotta be this or in Ottawa it's gotta be this because you might have to pay cold weather tax or small market tax right like for players to get in there. But this one's the positive side of it you know you're right there's negative ones there's a lot of them where it's like I'm not going here not going there don't want to do with this

you know let's face it, Canada in general is on, checks that box for a lot of players. It does. A lot. And let's be clear, a lot of Canadian players too, not just Americans. A lot of Canadians are like, no way, I'm staying in the States, man. That's what I know and I'm used to it now and this is where I'm staying. So it's not just Americans who don't want to come up. There's Canadian kids, they put on the jersey at the olympics that are like i'm not coming up

uh... so it's not it's not just americans but canadians you know canadian markets face it you know smaller markets face it cold weather american market face that is just a reality yeah uh... but and and this is what i was point out earlier the week probably a worse like with atl It's probably going to get worse. Like with Atlanta's probably coming in again.

Yeah. Houston's coming in and they're going to get the Vegas rules. Exactly. So it's not, it's just going to get more and more difficult because there's more and more Southern great weather, great tax teams coming. Yeah. So you're right. It buckle up. I mean, and that's the nature of sports is don't, you're right. It'd buckle up.

I mean, and that's the nature of sports is don't, you can't whine about it, even if it's true, you gotta beat it, you gotta find a way to beat it. Yep. That's it. That's exactly right. And as we said earlier, as the cap continues to rise, some of those northern big market, big tax teams

will have an advantage, cause they'll have more revenues. They can just pay more for players. They go all the way to the cap all the time. And some teams won't be able to or will want to. And that may swing the extra five, eight percent actual dollars back into neutral for these teams. So yeah, it's not a big deal, but we'll see. Like when Sam Bennett's saying,

I'm not going anywhere Wolf of Wall Street style, and when Brad Marchand wants a new contract, we'll see what their numbers come out with. We're all talking about $10 million for Sam Bennett somewhere in the league. When he signs for seven and a half, we're like, what's going on here? That will be part of the discussion. It's going to have to be. Yep, that is for sure.

All right, Johnny. Well, we'll see what comes of it next week, man. There's news coming out basically every day and what are we, ten days away from... How are we feeling about Tavs? Have we said about Jonathan Tavs' comeback? I am. I am. I'm really excited.

I want the guy to do well and feel healthy and I love the fact to talk about the Winnipeg tax. There's a Winnipeg discount. A guy from Manitoba wants to play in Winnipeg as he's coming back. That's a good story. Great point. that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that It's it's Taves. It's his hometown. They're a good team and he steps in there immediately and it's just gonna be so much buzz around him Oh, yeah, like just and he'll be prepared for cuz Chicago's a huge hot market and sports market and hockey market when they were great

They were the kings of that city and he spoke every day and a lot of media So it's not gonna be something he hasn't dealt with before But you're right. I mean he could have gone to Tampa and exactly and you know what the other thing too the biggest shock that we've had probably in what the last couple calendar years is Hellebuck and Shifely staying there remember like we all to Hellebuck didn't want to stay he just didn't get the deal he wanted it wasn't like shopping himself around he didn't get the contract he wanted then he came back to Winnipeg I think in the end yeah, I I don't know what you know what the final story was

But I was a hundred percent shocked that both of them signed extensions And you know and and stayed like that's just we had talked about like geez, you know, Winnipeg might be in one They might have to break up that core all of that type of stuff. What's Kyle Connor gonna do? What's Josh Morris he gonna do if these guys leave and they stayed like you know and and it was good for them and they had a great season so you know Jonathan it tastes adding into that it's great for Winnipeg I'm having a great story yeah I can't wait to see what I hope he's got something left Johnny like that's the thing that's the great oh who knows two years out and I guess the body doesn't have the miles on it, so he should feel refreshed.

But late 30s, having played for a couple of years, that's not as great as he was. That's not the easiest thing to try to do. No, it's got a like a Mario Lemieux type vibe to it almost. Like leaving the game and coming back. He'll be flying his first three or four days a camp first regular season game his legs will cease the along with the back and i think that that that that hit hard it'll be like what is going on here

or what i do and he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he's back that it's a great story i johnny have yourself a little bit next week we can joseph mike johnson rts and hockey analyst joining us here on the maple story. Alright, Johnny, have yourself a weekend. We'll do it next week. Have a good weekend. There's Mike Johnson, our TSN hockey analyst, joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Drive the built-in

Canada fuel-efficient, fun-to-drive Toyota RAV4. Gas or hybrid models available. Visit mapletoyota.com. Sam Mitchell in about a half an hour. Dear Hazy B., coming up, Matthew Shinetti on what's going on with Jesse Marsh, aka Gordon Ramsay. Noodles is a new nickname for Jesse Marsh that we've applied to the head coach of the

men's national team. Cool Cup continuing Canada back in action tomorrow. Overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on TSN 4. Alright, Milled in Friday brought to you by Boston Pizza, Canada's favorite sports bar. Enjoy $15 lunch at BP where you get an entree a side and a drink and you'll get it all in 20 minutes or less a fast lunch doesn't have to be fast food see you for a $15 fast lunch or your local Boston pizza dear hazy being about an hour Sam Mitchell in half an hour Matthew Shinetti coming up from the

West Coast go a cup continues best bet still to come we got a game seven in the NBA finals 20th time in NBA finals history. I was surprised by that. I don't know why, but it seems like a lot. It's a lot of game sevens, man. Like that's a lot of game sevens. And you know, it's basically their whole, it's the whole dance is there for the NBA now. Right. And what's crazy is the NHL we're preparing, you know, for possible fireworks and there'll be some surprise trades there are every single year. In the NBA, you just know the second the championship is handed out, all the brings loose. Immediately, Durant's getting traded, Giannis will see what happens and John Morant.

There's just going to be a million names out there and at least half of them will actually get flipped. You know, it's just it's bad luck every single offseason. Isn't there always one or two guys that you never expected to? Yes, always. The usual names like the guys you just mentioned but then there's a bombshell that drops where it's like I can't believe that guy's changing teams. Well, because in the NBA they don't do no trade clauses. Like, it's not a a part of their program they never have um right so you know there's certain players that have enough power and clout that they basically have one because team's not going to trade them or if you get traded somewhere you're just not going to show up like that's kind of the way it works also

certain players are like oh that's great you traded me good for you. I'm not showing up Wow, but I mean the Luca trade alone was yes Well, there's a perfect example that Luca was shell-shocked could not believe it Yeah, and yet he had to pick up his stuff and move to LA So and like I I really do believe we talked, you know There's all these reports coming out the next CBA and the NHL and what they're in they're gonna investigate the long-term IR stuff Okay, go for it. Not a bad idea. Maybe deferred money all of a sudden is an issue.

It's never been around. Been around for a few contracts recently and now we've got to put a stop to it. Yet, putting an end to no trade clauses and no movement clauses never comes up. I get it from the player's perspective. Yeah, they're gonna say, we've had it for this long and now all of a sudden you're gonna yank them. They'll be like a deal breaker. Well, I totally get that, but if I'm the league,

I would want, if you go to war about stuff, like Jerry's gone to war all the time. Shut the league out for a year. And I don't get the impression the league cares one way or the other. I don't think the impression the league cares one worthy I don't think again They only care about the money and there's a certain amount of dollars and it's chopped up 50-50 do whatever you want but it'd be way better for business specifically in the offseason if you just Completely eradicated no trade clauses. I think what the lease would do if just nobody had one

Yes, you like alone the leaves. I think you would have more movement and movement would have happened sooner. That's the thing. And yes, but not just with the leaves throughout the league, of course, I think you could do again, it's easier said than done. But me sitting on my couch, armchair, general manager or you know commissioner I'd like to see contract terms shorter too as well like five years max staying with the team like five years is the max term that you can give out so Matthews McDavid all of them just signed the max five years and we'll see what happened. I have no problem with that either Jamie. It's just like eight is just such an unrealistic turnover. Like, you have seven and eight.

Seven is a free agent, eight is to keep your own player. I'd like to see it five and six and whittle it down as the CBAs continue to get renegotiated over the years. Because that creates turnover. That creates confusion. It should, yes. Now, but teams now are saying, well i need those years to to lower the cap like we're back in that world

where guys are getting six seven-year deal so that they'll sign for three million yet knowing i i agree but as the cap continues to go up maybe you'll see a guy that should be on a two-year deal get a four-year deal could stretch it out like if if you had a five-year max on on deals i would see... You'd reach and acquire, for sure.

I know. I just, I think that's what should be in the future. Again, I always lean towards giving guys some sort of, I guess, guarantee because it is a tough sport. You don't want to see guys get injured and all of that type of stuff. But I think you could see a five, six of thing five is a free agent six as you keep your own player that would be

unbelievable and maybe modified no trade like just to start on never get it uh... the p is not going to give that up i don't think i don't get the impression the league cares because of that that is nothing to do with money so they don't they don't care really you know but it uh... it just it's it's gotten too carried away To the point where like we just had Johnny on yarn croak Domi and David camp like

Some sort of trade David camp. Imagine David camp who didn't play in the playoffs is like no actually I won't be accepting that trade You know pulling up basically roger dorn yeah i wouldn't you think you'd be excited to be like new fresh start like that they are and maybe you would be might be and i think yeah but you know what i'm saying like the point is he could have some control about where he goes yeah well i always thought he's it's like a player like that

if you didn't give it to him when he say I Won't accept that for your contract at 4 million like what like was that a deal breaker where he was like no way in hell I'm taking that exactly because when he signed his contract I'm like, how did he become like a need like how did you need to get that done? Well, I mean I think very good question in. And what does he make to off the top of your head? It's more than that. Yeah, it's like two and a half or so. It was like four years at two and a half per or something. It's not crazy money, but no, they're trying to keep the number down.

Maybe he had a little leverage to get something with a three in it. And they're like, hey, we've, you know, we'd like to keep it at the two. So add a year or two type of thing. So that's, you know, I would love to be a fly on the wall in that negotiation because there's times where you're like, how did that guy, like how did Pierre Engvall end up with seven years at three? Got to lower the number down.

That's your case study though. That's where you're like, if it was five years and you're like, no, it's gotta be seven and I'm not signing it. Like that's the one where it's like, OK, that one doesn't smell right for me. No, I hear you. I hear you. But you know, in looking at it, the fascinating team for me, guess what it's going to be, you know, this offseason, just offseason.

And they didn't make the playoffs last year and haze you bag on them a lot Vancouver no Maybe I got a narrow it because you bag on you kind of nail a hammer Okay, it's the Buffalo Sabres. Oh I don't see count them. Well, but but they're not even in they're an interesting team because they've got some very good players But what are you doing? Well, like that's my my point like are they terrified like that picture you guys all saw it circulating of Ikel and Reinhardt and O'Reilly celebrating a goal on the same Sabres team Yeah, and it's like Ikel went to Vegas one. Yeah, Reinhardt goes to Florida O'Reilly goes to st. Louis Like that's what is terrifying. I think you're kevin adams is like what if

you trade jj puterka and he's the next sam reinhardt but you know it's very very close to what the following uh... i was guys all on buffalo they still stunk yet i understand that and i think that's the that is the concern like that is the thing that when those guys were all there it still didn't work But that it clearly wasn't the individual players. It was that everything else around them wasn't even close to good enough Right. So, you know Buffalo you're right cuz now this Bowen Byram kid

He might get flipped to a third team in like three years Yeah, and where's he going? You know because you got power and you've got dolly and now you might trade him but what if he's i don't know like buffaloes intriguing they have some money they have a difficult time though selling the program they made the class in fourteen years right right here in new york state tax not so great buffalo weather not so

great i don't want anything in forever tough pitch man it is a tough tough pitch and that's where you know you look at it they just got josh norris is twenty six stage thompson's twenty seven you know and then you go down to their crabs is twenty four you know they've got this benson kid

ryan mcclough's twenty five benson's twenty jack quinn is twenty three peturkas twenty three they've got some young players there but if if you're trying to get better and grow, I wonder how active they are going to be in free agency, or are they going to try and move players for older guys to try and take a step? I don't know. Like Kevin Adams is the guy there, but they just brought in from Columbus. Yarmouk.

Oh, Yarmouk. Yeah, Yarmouk. Carolina to help out. So it'd be interesting to see what Yarmouk helps with that process. That's the team that I've circled to be like fascinating case study for me. Like just to see what they're going to do with some really good young players and then you know, would you, I mean Thompson's on a long-term deal Tucks got one more year. He's 29 years old right shot big

From there though watch that Thompson alone on the end of the season you're like how on earth of these guys not in the playoffs He's like Mario out there. Yeah, I incredible couple years ago He had a world-class season like legit top 7 or 8 season in the league. If you go to that NHL edge and you look at the amount of times he shot the puck over 100 miles an hour, like for him it's insane. Like he had the most I believe over the last couple years because he's got an unreal shot, like slap shot, like he can bring it. But he didn't have a great start to the season last year, he came on, scored in the World Championships, so that gives him a little confidence there.

But I... Maybe it does. Yeah, I guess you're right. He scored the gold medal winning game. Strudy. Strudy, you know. Yeah, I know. I'm trying to... Like, I guess, yeah, okay. Spangler World Championship. All right, I'll give it to him. I'm just saying, you know, like...

I hear you. I like the... He's 27 years old. I'm with you. I'm just saying you know like I hear you I I like the case 27 years old with you like it's just you can't keep moving past players they move past Dylan Cousins He's 24. Yeah, you know like at some point you either keep guys or you move Some of them to get older and try and push up in this Atlantic, but who's you know who's coming out there? That's a different well. That's that I can listen everyone's got to consider that like the Leafs They got to continue to make the playoffs and Tampa's got to keep making the playoffs and you know Because other teams are coming Montreal made it Ottawa made it Sam Mitchell and 15 overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on the TSN out

All right, Sam Mitchell Matthew Shinetti Jays whitex coming up. We've got our best bets as well. Don't forget, TSN 1050 wants to give you the ultimate iHeartRadio experience this summer at Oceaga Music and Arts Festival in Montreal. Just listen to TSN 1050 on the free iHeartRadio app for 10 minutes every day. Click enter when prompted and you're in the draw. You'll see Olivia Rodrigo, The Killers,acy abrams and more with gold weekend passes plus will hook you up with travel thanks to tripcentral.ca a four-night stay at the montreal marriott chateau champagnes and five hundred dollars spending money listen

every day for more chances to win details at TSN 1050.ca. We're looking at doing a little roadie maybe out to the East Coast this summer, which will be the first major car trip with the kids. We've done a lot of flying. You mean by car? Yeah, we've done a lot of flying just to see the country. Just take your time, make your way out east. No plans. Have you done BC, make your way out east. No plans.

Have you done BC, hiking and all that yet? You've already done that one? Have we gone west? Is that what you asked me? Yeah. No. We have not. Okay. So you're starting out east. I love that. They're great for the picks because when you're growing up, you're like, when these guys were little, they saw the whole countryside. So start, go do Newfoundland, all of it out there. Yeah. That's the thing. Newfoundland's a totally different beast because you know to get out there you it's just a different you know you gotta yeah or you got to get

the ferry over. So you're talking Ottawa then? No I'm talking like yeah Montreal through New Braun get out to Halifax exactly maybe pop up the PEI like that whole scene. I can see one thing. You're driving and the kids are acting up and you're saying, don't you're yelling, turning around and yelling that, don't make me turn this car around or pull over. Like that's the type of thing. I can't wait for that. That's, I think, a rite of passage for every dad, right? You've got to throw the threaten, even though everything is booked and nothing could happen that would make you turn around.

Nothing. You are continuing to move east, but the threat will be out there. Probably by the time we get to Belleville, that will be over, I would guess. Final hour coming up for the week. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on the TSN app. Well, it is Friday, as brought to you by Boston Pizza, Canada's favorite sports bar. Enjoy $15 lunch at BP where you get an entree, a side and a drink and you'll get it all in

20 minutes or less. A fast lunch doesn't have to be fast food. See you for a $15 fast lunch at your local Boston Pizza. This Pride season, celebrate with the station that's as bold, vibrant and diverse as you are. season celebrate with the station that's as bold vibrant and diverse as you are I heart pride Canada from dance anthems to pop icons let's celebrate diversity and love and hits from 2SLGBTQ plus Canadian artists it's your soundtrack for pride and beyond just ask your smart speaker to play iHeart Pride Canada. Stream us on your phone or listen now at iHeartRadio.ca.

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