OverDrive - OverDrive - May 30, 2025 - Hour 2

Episode Date: May 30, 2025

Join Aaron Korolnek, Jamie McLennan and Dave Feschuk for Hour 2 on OverDrive! TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joins to discuss Jake Oettinger taken out of the crease, the Oilers' journey to the Stanley Cup and the Maple Leafs' offseason forecast. MLB.com Blue Jays Reporter Keegan Matheson dives into Anthony Santander on the IL, Max Scherzer nearing his return and the Blue Jays' winning ways in the AL East.

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Canada's favorite sports bar this playoff season. Boston Pizza is planning the parade, and has a new all-star playoffs menu for you to enjoy. Pizza, pints, and puck drop. Visit your local Boston Pizza today. When it comes to planning the parade, I'm sure the Oilers are looking to do just that. Four wins away from a Stanley Cup,

and we haven't talked about the other side of what happened last night. The Dallas Stars who were again, just thoroughly outplayed by Edmonton the last four games of that series. And it got ugly early. Dallas Poles, Jake Autinger, a guy who they signed to an eight year deal not long ago.

They bring in Casey DeSmith. And after the game, Pete DeBoer was asked about, Pete DeBoer the coach of the Stars, asked about Ottinger and here's what he said. I didn't blame it all on Jake but you know the reality is if you go back to last year's playoffs you know he's lost six to seven games to Edmonton and we gave up two shots on two goals in an elimination game. So it was partly to spark our team and wake them up, and partly knowing that status quo had not been working.

And that's a pretty big sample size noodles your thoughts i didn't like it i mean let's let's just i mean there's so much to unpack here you talked about leading into the conversation the extension ottinger so this is your guy this is your number one guy the the organization has committed term and huge money to him. And, you know, for in his defense, Autinger has been a number one goaltender in the league, like a top tier guy, not, you know, a second tier guy. He's shown that he can be a one. So he's not wrong to sample size all of that. But what I would have liked to see is no problem. You want to pull him to try and jar the momentum.

No problem. Pull him and yell at the team, just like he's doing right now, if you're watching it on TSN2. But put him back in. Pull him for two shifts. Say, Jake, come out. You're embarrassing this guy, and then you go to Jake, you're embarrassing yourself. Get back in there and slam the door

shut. Because what pisses me off about it is he yelled at everybody on that team, but they got an opportunity to respond. They got an opportunity to skate harder, to try and get back into the game. He sat there with a ball cap right beside Ray Ferraro Yeah, so there was nothing he could do there was nothing like no no going. Okay. I'll show you coach Give me he never got that opportunity and and to me a quick poll listen. I played For Mike Keenan, I worked with him. I was on his coaching staff. So I know the psyche around the goalie poll I worked with him. I was on his coaching staff. So I know the psyche around the goalie pull.

Sometimes it's not the goalie's fault. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it's a combination of both like we saw last night. But if you're going to pull them that quick, put them back in because it's Casey DeSmith. Exactly. Well, another thing I took issue with is, I mean, it was a tap in for Corey Perry on the power play. And then the second was a horrible line change for Dallas that let Yanmar just walk in alone.

He didn't allow a couple of Joe Neuendike on Patrick Laleem goals here. Sorry, Patrick Laleem. You always catch rap no any time I'm on the radio. But I just didn't understand the logic there. And I, listen, if you want to pull him for the sake of, all right, it's going to spark our team, gives him a little reset that's fine but he then he went back and was talking about how all the history this and that I mean those two goals aren't on Jake on Jeremy is on your team in front of Jake on your well I just thought

it was a bizarre way to end your season yes this to me that forget about recapping what just happened now de Boer is doing damage About what could happen next year, right? Like yes planting this seed that somehow Jake Ottinger lost Six of the last seven games to Edmonton. No, he didn't lose the Dallas Stars lost. Okay. Yeah, he actually had the math around They've lost Jake Ottinger has been in the net for seven of eight losses in the most recent meetings against the Oilers. But guess what?

In those seven losses, the Dallas Stars have scored a combined nine goals. So it's big sample size, but a very small amount of run support from his teammates. So I don't know how you hang that one on the goalie noodles. And I'm not a goalie hugger by any measure, but this was bizarre to me. Like I said, I understand the start of of it I just dislike the end of it and and okay even if you feel like you screwed up with the poll and you didn't put them back in and whatever you don't need to double down in your media after like that's the thing like like I I would have been fine just saying you know what yeah I didn't feel like he had it tonight our team obviously

didn't have it, but we're going to reset this summer and we're going to come back even better next year. He doubled down on it and goes, well, you see, we've got enough data here, seven of eight games, six of seven. I'm like, oh, you're just, now what you're going to have to do to your point, Dave, is damage control. He might have to fly out to where Autinger lives in the off season and have a beer with him and go, okay, like, let's start over here because they have to fly out to where Ottinger lives in the offseason and have a beer with him and go, okay, like let's start over here because they have to coexist and because they just signed Ottinger to a long-term deal. He's not going anywhere. If anybody's going, it's DeBoer. It's not gonna be Ottinger. So I

understood the poll. I thought he should have gone back into the net. That was the difference for me. Yeah and then obviously what he said after the game raised a lot of eyebrows around the league. I'm sure our next guest feels the same way. Joining us on the Maple Toyota Hotline, TSN hockey analyst Mike Johnson. MJ when you saw Pete DeBoer go on the podium last night and say what he said about his goaltender, what was your reaction? Unnecessary. Like why? Even if you believe that in your moment, even if you're frustrated and just, come on, we need to save. The season is over.

There's no upside to doing it. They can only hurt you. And so I don't know why. I appreciate the honesty and the candor, but I just was like, why? I don't know what it is. And it's very true But when the two of them it's under that will have the longer run in Dallas and Pete DeBoer So maybe he doesn't care. Maybe he was just so frustrated at the loss that he just you know lost his cool, but

Just to say exactly what new has just said, you know, I wanted to switch it up We were down early he didn't look sharp, but you know, we know he's a great goalie he's always going to be you know we believe in 100% whatever some throwaway nonsense and then you move on but to go big enough sample size he ain't getting it done yeah and then also like sort of not even telling him in the moment AK like you have a timeout and I understand you want to rally the troops and get them together but you can let let the guy know, hey, you're out as well. Tell Casey the Smith to get ready. He didn't even do that.

He waited for the, Andre, to head back to the net, like, no, you get out of here. It was just the whole thing was not, it was clumsy, the way he handled the whole thing. Yeah, I agree. It's a great word for it. Now, I've been the guy where the coach yells down to the end of the bench. So I've been the guy coming off the bench, right? And I would always joke like there's times where a goalie give up two quick goals and then I'm sitting there on the bench painting myself invisible going, I don't want to go

into this. Like I don't, you know, so you're hiding behind a player. And I remember one time where I was backing up Hexy, Ron Hextall. I was with the Islanders and we were playing in St. Louis. But I was the backup and the backup had to sit at the other side of the brink behind Curtis Joseph and like literally in the Zamboni doors. And what happened is Hexy allowed three goals in whatever it was, eight minutes, and then attacked Peter Nedved.

So all hell was breaking loose. And so I'm sitting there and I can see Al Arbor waving to me, like, get the hell in there. So the doors fly open, I skate by Kujo and Kujo goes, good luck kid. And I, but you know, so I'm telling firsthand, I've been the guy. So I would argue what happened is he calls the timeout, he looks at DeSmith and goes, you're going in. So DeSmith might have gone down to get his gear, but he didn't tell Jake until after

he yelled at everybody. And so Ottinger had no idea he was pulled. So you're right. It was a clumsy move where he could have said, like I think what he was doing is he probably told De Smith, you're going in, De Smith he would have thought was on the ice already, like heading into the net. But he wasn't. So that's where confusion was. He's like, Jake, get back here. You're out. This guy's in. It was just clumsy. And then then like you said MJ, no reason to

double down after the game when everything's over. I just, what positive could come out of that? Like where do you go from here MJ? You're not gonna light a fire, he's not gonna train hard and come back with a chip on his shoulder. All he's gonna do is get pissed off at his coach and think that his coach doesn't believe in him in the biggest moments, which may in fact be true. Where it goes from here is it's gonna make the next two weeks to two months more uncomfortable

than it had to be because now in exit interviews, what do you think that's gonna be like between DeBoer and Jim Neal and Jake Ottinger who was just finishing his first year of an eight year contract? Yeah. Like that's gonna be damage control. You talk about maybe needing to fly out to see Jake wherever he's at in the summer and go fly fishing with him

and say, hey, you know what, sorry about it. We believe in you, whatever, whatever. It just, that's where it's got to go because Jake Ottinger is not going anywhere. Jake Ottinger is going to be the goalie in net the next time Dallas plays an important playoff game and Jake Ottinger, quite frankly, he going to have to play better in the playoff than he's played the last few years.

That is also true. So like, you know, there is some merit in like the facts of the facts. He didn't play great in these playoffs. That's not the only reason they lost. It's probably not even the number one reason they lost. But two things can be true. He hasn't been great. He just didn't have to say that out loud.

So where does it go? Probably just clean up duty and then, you know, Andrzej will put it behind him and maybe just go back to work and keep playing. But the other part about this, and I've never thought about this, but I was reading about it the last few days and I've always sort of subscribed to the idea that sometimes even with the goalies, not necessarily his fault noodles, you pull them anyway to send a message to the team. Yep.

And it's like, it's not about noodles. It's about you idiots. You're the ones who are playing terrible. I'm not going to do that to our starter. You guys wake up, I'm protecting the goalie. I'm pulling it to wake up the team. And I always sort of thought, that makes sense. And that feels kind of like something that would be true.

Except apparently the data suggests that it's not. Like the idea of a poll to get the team to play better is factually untrue. Like it doesn't have that kind of impact. So I've never thought about that not being correct, but maybe it wasn't. In fact, Dallas was scored on again by, to make it three-nothing, by Jeff Skinner of all people

with his first ever playoff goal. So it's not like the poll and putting the Smith in worked in the short term, because Dallas got scored on again, which apparently runs true through historical norms. Mike, the Stars, they got killed by Edmonton. Let's call it what it is. And Carolina did not fare well against the Florida Panthers.

Is that a testament to the greatness of the two teams that remain or maybe some shortcomings when it comes to Dallas and Carolina? I go positive here. I mean, I think you should really celebrate the excellence of Florida and of Edmonton. I mean, you look at Dallas' roster and how good they appear to be, and they were manhandled. They couldn't get anything done against Edmonton. And now Carolina is maybe a bit more of a peculiar case given some of their history, but Florida went through Tampa.

We know how good they were, one of the best teams in the league the second half of the season, made that look easy. They got through Toronto, the fourth best team in the league, say what you want about their shortcomings, still a pretty good team, and they completely dominated Carolina. I think what is clear, the two best teams are in the final, and what is clear is that they're the two best teams by a little bit. There's no real debate that any other team in either conference was close to as good as these two teams are, which makes it great that they're going back

for a second year at it. And I guess the last several times that teams have gone to two in a row, both teams have won. So that would bode well for Edmonton, second time through here, that they would be the winners this time. Now it's the same two teams again.

MJ, if you're a player in the Maple Leafs dressing room and you happen to tune in the brad tree living season any press conference yesterday and you hear him say the phrase that is now famous we did change the DNA of this team how you interpret that there's all I I don't think this is from like mystical free that part of figure I think I think it's pretty clear that the personality of the team has to

change and that can happen one of two ways with new players. And that would certainly get my attention if I'm one of the guys who's a free agent or if I'm one of the guys that might be a bubble player that could trade. Cause they want to bring in new players that have a different personality that the player is leaving. So that like, that is clear and that it's clear what they're going to try to do. because they want to bring in new players that have a different personality than the players leaving. So that is clear and that is clear what they're going to try to do. The other part about it is that perhaps the players that are returning need to adjust their game a little bit. Now it's hard to change your DNA because that's at the very root of who you are, but perhaps you have

to bring a different approach to how you think you need to play hockey if you want to do it from the Toronto Maple Leafs Going forward and I think that's it and if I was so maybe if I'm yard croc or if I'm Nick Robertson My antenna is going off like oh boy like I'm like change like there's Marner There's Tavares, but you know the players like us That feels like he's talking about changing us as well And if I'm you know a player that is you know if I'm Morgan Riley and I want to say maybe I got to think about that if I'm Austin Matthews and I you know I want to lead this team going forward I got to think about adding different elements to

my game different personality as well I interpreted that way and and I think it's like I think that it's pretty clear that's what he was intended to say so with who doesn't come back it would be pretty evident of we felt that they couldn't win with in this particular mix well i mean there and there is also the limit you know logistically news harder to

to move right yes yes not so there is the idea i may not want that guy back but i can get him out of here so he's going to move, right? Yes, yes. So there is the idea, I may not want that guy back but I can't get him out of here so he's going to be back. But yes, sort of the changes we'll say. But I also think that some of it, and we've talked about it at length, right? Those four forwards, they're all sort of wired similarly. They're all sort of like the way they carry themselves, quiet, professional, just do their

job, do their thing, don't really really react emotionally don't lash out physically and maybe it's not so much that these two guys need to be changed just two of them need to be changed and there happens to be two that are unrestricted for ages so it's those two I don't know if necessarily specifically those players but some percentage of the group of them have to go. So Mike let me put you in Brad Tree Living shoes. Mitch Marner walks on July 1st his agent Darren Farris also represents Sam Bennett who comes to you and says okay Mitch is gone Sam will come to Toronto seven years ten million per do you accept the terms?

per do you accept the terms? Do we lose mic? I think he hung up on you. Yeah put the Japanese song on or whatever. I don't think he's worth that much. I think you've got to get that much and I think that's an overpay but if you're of the mind that you need, if your window is essentially like what, two or three years with Austin Matthews, then maybe you gotta do it. Like you gotta roll the dice and accept the fact that it may not be maybe a million more than he's worth or maybe two million more than he's worth, but there's just so few players like him out there and given the specific needs of the Leaf team in this moment, you're gonna have to pay a premium

for the player that fits it. I wouldn't wanna pay him 10 million. Like I'm not, like I would not. If I was a different team, it'd be an easier answer. I'm like, no, you're not worth that. But the Leafs are specifically in the market for exactly what he does. And so you're gonna live with what?

A 50 point player for the regular season making $10 million. As I said before, I? A 50 point player for the regular season making $10 million? As I said before, I got more 50 point seasons than Sam Bennett. I do. So he's not a guy who's going to set the world on fire until the playoffs and you watch him play and he's what the Leafs need. He's what they are desperate to add. So I guess I'm talking myself into it. I'm

probably going to say yes. I probably would have to do it. Wow. Hey, don't be so hard on yourself, MJ. I mean, it's not like comparing you to Sam Bennett. It's not exactly you're not exactly chopped liver pal. I mean, like, well, no one offered me 10 million. I'll pay that much for sure. Yeah, but fair enough. Fair enough. Different guess that what uh... but but but in your in your experience on benches watching this week's close to you see to like is there any evidence that it's possible to change your dnr to actually to to become something you haven't been

i mean yeah yeah i think they're absolutely evidence of growth and maturity and experience and learn learning lessons and applying those lessons and being better. Like now could could get a player like me ever play the game like Sam Bennett? No, like that's it's just not in me to do it. But there are elements you could add. And then I think there's also like, and I think maybe this is some of the Toronto stuff is that there are players you can follow that help you stretch the boundaries of what you can usually do if that makes sense and I think you know

Matt Sandin was that kind of guy Steve Thomas you know not a Hall of Fame player was that kind of player like you would you would want to follow what they were doing and they would take you to a spot that you would maybe not have gotten to by yourself. And that's also what Sam Bennett brings for you. That's what Brad Marchand does to your group. They pull you a little bit out of your comfort zone as a player as well as you try to take yourself there

and it ends up in a better kind of player for this kind of game. So I think yeah, I think there can be. There can be growth, there can be change and it can be different for players year after year. TSN hockey analyst Mike Johnson, our guest, Hour 2 of Overdrive continues. Brad Treeliving also talked about John Tavares and his tone discussing the player was a lot different than the player's tone discussing the team.

Very, very different. DeVaris was talking about how he had conversations with Tree Living, with Barube about a contract, he felt good about it. Meanwhile Tree Living was kind of like, you know, we'll see, we'll see how it goes. Does that mean anything to you what Tree said yesterday Mike or is it perhaps just negotiating through the media? I don't think he's negotiating in the sense of, I'm gonna try to save some money on John Tavares. I think he is allowing himself the flexibility

of going either direction. Like what Tavares was saying was, I want, he was making it very clear, I wanna come back and they largely have like, what they've done, like I've done here and they like me. That's probably true. And what Trayley was saying was like, we're not sure what we're going to do. Depends on who's available, depends on what else we need. We might need that $500 to, you know, to add a different

player in a different way. And that's got to be sorry, John Tavarez. Like I think he's just giving himself options by not saying, yes, we really want them back and we'll figure out a way to do it. I just, you know, he's just leaving all options on the table when tomorrow is really his first option being Toronto. And do you think you, I mean we've talked about it at length and it's gonna be speculation right up to free agency but probably even up to the draft before it but do you think you'd be active in the trade market too? I like I keep that's where I that's where I keep going MJ. I think it's, we're all talking about free agents. He might have something cooking way before then

at the draft where he acquires somebody that we're not thinking of as far as maybe, being available or you being able to get him. And if I'm the Leafs fans, I am way more intrigued about what that would look like, than what the free agent, I mean the free agent market, there's like three of them, they all play for Florida, you'd build it, maybe you'd want Eclad, you probably for sure would want Marchand, you for sure would want Bennett, you know, you're wanting Grandlin, the second leading point-getter

amongst the USA players is Matthew Shane, you know, Brock Nelson, all good players for sure. But that's not going to solve what Toronto needs. You might as well just bring Tavares back. So yes, I think they absolutely have to explore the trademark. And I don't know what they have to trade deals. We've talked about this, not a lot of draft capital, not a lot of young prospects. Ethan Cowan has to play in the NHL next year, so they're not gonna trade him away. But, and the Morgan-Riley thing is absolutely

part of that conversation. I don't think Morgan-Riley is some untradable asset. I don't think he's a guy that you're gonna have to pay to have someone take him off his hands, even with his contract, given where the cap is going. I think that is part of the summer conversation, what may or may not happen, but the trade market would be, could be, would be made way more interesting and could be way more impactful, way more affordable financially than what the UFA market might bear.

Well, Mike, Wednesday night Game 1 Cup final in Edmonton, Panthers, Pat Oilers, who you got? game one cup final in Edmonton Panthers and Oilers who you got well if you're a rewind our season preview show yeah I was gonna bring that up MJ every you now all of a sudden you've resurrected your call don't worry about the four flicks in the middle of the season let's just go back to the beginning of the year and I'm gonna stick with the tape which clearly shows me picking Edmonton to get back there and win the Sallie Cup and yes I went away from Edmonton at the start of the playoffs and yes I am back on Edmonton into the finals. I think the way they're playing is is excellent obviously. I think the way that their

depth is scoring all of a sudden is a significant difference from teams in the past. I think the way that their depth is scoring all of a sudden is a significant difference from teams in the past. I think having home ice really matters. I think Leon Dreis et al seemingly healthy. He'll knock on wood, but we've seen him play with, what, some sort of back injury last year and a busted up ankle a couple years ago. He doesn't have those kind of ailments.

Yes, Simon hurts, but I think it's gonna be a good series. And Florida doesn't care about being on the road, but I think Edmonton has it. As long as Stu Skinner doesn't have more than one off game. I'm almost willing to give him one doodles, but he can't have more than one because I think Florida's too good if you're going to spot him a couple games. Can't wait. I can't wait for this series. It's going to be incredible. And I honestly think that picking either team in less than seven games is just disrespectful because of the quality that Florida and Edmonton have demonstrated here for a long time. It's going to be sensational in Edmonton on Wednesday night, as was this radio appearance. Thank

you, Mike. Have a great weekend. All right, guys. Have a good weekend. All right. That's Mike Johnson who joined us on the maple toyota hotline drive the built-in canada fuel-efficient funded drive to the rap for gas or hybrid models available visit maple to dot com our friends at fandol is in the series as a essential pick them i think that i do not try to figure it out you guys with me with this whole anything less than the seven game series

they i mean i i just got how could it not be with the quality of these two teams the way they're both playing right now? I could see it going the distance. I just, you know, my worry is, and I don't know how you feel about it, Dave, but my worry is everything we always build up, it never gets there, right? Like this, and I don't know what could happen.

I don't know if one team just runs out of gas or whatever but i i do if if if i'm you know predicting right now it's a coin flip in game seven that's what i what i keep thinking to myself coin flip game seven yeah i'm with you noodles i mean i i think it's gonna be a long series of people would be kind of almost freakish if it if it wrapped up really quickly. Although look, I mean we saw it you know with both these teams you know both these teams could have been down 3-0 in previous

rounds right. That's the way the NHL is. Of course it says something about both these teams that they didn't go down 3-0. That they found a way to persevere through those really close calls and you know get on the right side of those series and end up winning them. But man there's just a refuse to lose aspect to both these teams that I'm with you AK it does kind of speak to a seven gamer coming up. It's a great point you make about both teams being down to nothing I think back to 2019 wraps were down to nothing in Milwaukee in overtime in game three could have easily been down three zip if they had lost that game but they come back and win the next four and of

course the rest is history here in Toronto it could very well apply in Edmonton or in Florida it's our two of overdrive Friday afternoon Keegan Matheson coming up on the other side down from the dome Max Scherzer throwing some live BP some news on Anthony Santander that is not overly positive. We've got Ryan Worsowsky coming up, the coach of the Sharks, coach of Team USA at the World Hockey Championships. He'll join us in just over a half an hour. We continue with more hour two after this.

Overdrive is brought to you by FanDuel bringing you everything from the opening line of the final score. Kuralnik in for Hayes, that's Jamie Noodle mcclennan d fester from the toronto star and speaking of fandol wonder what the over under would have been for runs scored last night for the jays heading in considering they had scored six runs in their last six games so it's only natural they score eight runs in the second inning right there's side coming a k a the sacramento a's to kick around isn't it the Sacramento is the I think when they're in Vegas it'll be a cool scene but right now I mean being a

baseball nomad is not a situation that anybody wants I mean we saw it with Tampa right in that college ballpark they play in and now the Sacramento slash Vegas slash Oakland A's are in town. The Jays throttling them up last night and we'll see what's in store tonight. To discuss that, there's a man who covers the Blue Jays for MLB.com. I actually got an email about a book signing event next Thursday night for Keegan Mathison. You guys get that email or is it a little awkward? Yeah, we weren't on the email list. I saw you.

Keegan, any ideas? Doesn't get any bigger than that, downtown Toronto. Agreed, agreed. I hope I can be in attendance. Thank you very much for the invitation and it seems like at least for one night, there's some more positivity with this baseball club for a while there, for more than a week. It was really ugly offensively What is this outburst if anything mean going forward for the Toronto Blue Jays Keegan? It's another start guys, but they've had a lot of starts. They've been back to 500 and feels like a hundred different times they've been hovering around within two games of 500 either above it or below it all season long and This big win last week's big win over the Padres that's week of the Padres it felt like

something but this team is also very difficult to trust right now even when you do get a big win like this it's the A's but whatever they're an MLB team they all count when you do get a big win like this it's still hard to trust that as a jumping-off point you need to see it for a week you need to see them get four or five games away from 500 ideally but you you can't knock it it was a great performance it's exactly what they needed coming off that road trip that was tough baseball to watch I don't think anybody enjoyed watching any of those rays or range of games so step in the right direction but they need a few more.

Well speaking of tough to watch Keegan Anthony sent on there this season 50 games played 55 strikeouts hitting about 180 and now on the DL with apparently a shoulder problem that was pretty evident in the most recent handful of games where he just wasn't hitting at all and didn't look like anywhere near the guy the blue jays paid 92 million dollars for what do you make of this development and could this be a step in the right direction to get this guy healthy so he can be the guy that they paid for long time coming guys this has been a few weeks of this first it was the shoulder then it was the hip now it's the shoulder again and like you mentioned Dave he was not comfortable on the field you could watch him just moving around the box stepping out of the box when he was in the field he didn't look healthy didn't look comfortable and what worried me more recently was that when we talked to Santander he said hey listen the positive to this is that I can kind of tone my swing down a bit and look for more contact.

Get rid of those big swings. The big swings are why they paid you. The big swings are what this team needs. They need the home runs. They don't need you to hit 300. That's never been your game. Don't try to be that guy. They need big swings.

They need a healthy Anthony Santander. That's all they need right now. He was not that. And as heartless as this sounds right now, for the next 10 days, 12 days, 14 days, the Blue Jays will have no problem getting that 560 OPS from someone else. This is not going to hurt the current production of the lineup. I don't think that's an issue right now. If they can buy him as breather with Alan Roden, with whoever else in the outfield, and get him back at 100%,

totally worth it. It's taken longer than I thought it would take. This has been a bit of a strange build up to this IL stint. I thought it would have came earlier, quite frankly, but if they can get him right physically and mentally, I think at this point it's necessary because he's a slow starter, but fellas, we are almost in June. Nothing's starting at this point anymore. It's time to get going for this team. Well, Keegan, you mentioned if this team can go on a five or six game, you know, run here, then you start to believe. Do you think they're capable of doing it? That's the biggest thing because we always feel when you're watching, it's two steps forward, one back, you know, two steps back, a couple forward. Like, there's not a lot of consistency to it.

Do you believe that this team can have some consistency and maybe run off a patch of games to get well over 500 something we need to improve something would need to get better at this point because they're what 55 56 games into the season they are who they've shown to be which is a team that's kind of inconsistent now you can also reach for positives which is that this team has played some pretty dreadful offensive baseball and they're still 500 somehow. They do not need to lead the league in runs, they just need to be kind of average offensively for the time being. The bar should be a lot higher than that fellas, this is the hell least, come on, but if

you can be a bit better this can improve really quickly. The issue for me has been that Mack Scherzer is spot on the rotation. Every fifth day they are going to be a bit better, this can improve really quickly. The issue for me has been that Max Schurzer is spot on the rotation. Every fifth day they are going to Eric Lauer, Jose Urena, it could be someone else tomorrow going back in there with Easton Lucas, with C. But when you're trying to work around that and some inconsistencies from Val and Francis earlier in the season, it's tough because if the starting pitcher does not have a good day, you've got to score seven or eight runs. This team has not been scoring seven or eight runs very

often. So you need to get these things together. It needs to improve because no matter what you point to for optimism, no matter what exit velocities, I don't care what their exit velocity is between May 17th and 21st when the sun is at this certain point in the sky, whatever. You need the wind ball games, the exit velocities we've talked about that for years I don't care too much about that anymore it's time for more offensive consistency and only then will you see some actual strings of wins which is what they need to get some separation. Keegan Matheson our guest live from the dome Jays and A's game two tonight, of course from MLB.com, his book

The Franchise, Toronto Blue Jays, releasing on June 3rd, so right around the corner. We're very much looking forward to that. I think I speak for all Blue Jays fans, Gegan, when I say we're looking forward to the return of the aforementioned Max Scherzer, who I know was on the mound earlier this afternoon. What can you tell us about what he was doing out there I'm actually recalls everything baby steps he has called every step of this baby steps but at a certain point this is something a bit closer to reality he threw 22 pitches today he based a few of the Blue Jays hitters so it was real it

wasn't just a bullpen session it was closer to real baseball the plan right now we are on Friday he's gonna do this again on Tuesday and at that point they decide whether he goes out on a rehab assignment or not. Now the tricky part guys, as we've all seen with Max Scherzer, is that none of this matters all that much until he throws 50 or 60 pitches and bounces back from it. Which is why the bullpens and the live VPs, it's important, You need to do it. This is like spring training all over again, but we're not going to know how he's doing and we're not going to know how healthy his thumb is for a few more of these until he ramps back up to 50, 60, 70 pitches and then bounces back. So we'll see how he feels tomorrow.

This is a step in the right direction, but it's still pretty impossible guys to put a timeline on Max Scherzer because I've done that a couple of times already and we're past both of those timelines so it's been a long one longer than I thought this would take and It's still something where he'll be back when he's back and that can still be a matter of three four five weeks We'll see I was thinking about the Blue Jays offseason this afternoon, once the news about Anthony Santander came out, and just how dreadful he's been at the plate all year long. Andres Jimenez, another dude the Blue Jays traded for,

had two good games to start the year, and basically didn't get a hit since. He's been hurt. And Scherzer's thrown two innings this entire season. And yet somehow the Jays aren't 10-12 games under 500. Is this a positive that somehow they're staying afloat or should we have legitimate concerns that Atkins and Shapiro had one of the worst off seasons in recent memory? I think the other two major league level additions were Jimmy Garcia and Nick Sandlin.

That's fair. After five on the IL right now. That is also, that is concerning. That is concerning. And in some instances, I look at Jimmy Garcia who has a history of with the shoulder and the elbow in recent years. I look at Max Schurter who was 40 and has had this thumb injury. That's part of the built in risk.

You were accepting that. Guys like Jimenez, you were not. Now, at this point, some of it's always going to be injury luck but when you're going five and five with these MLB level additions in the IL it's not good. Nothing's good about that. Now the Blue Jays depth has held up pretty well in light of that. Players like Nathan Lucas in the bullpen guys like Braden Fisher, Mason Fluhardy, Brendan Little have all completely

exceeded expectations especially with Fisher and Fluhardy, Brendan Little have all completely exceeded expectations, especially with Fisher and Fluhardy. I did not see either of these coming. So they've backfilled this pretty well. But again, it's about the ceiling. It's not about creating a strong floor and trying to sneak in with 84 wins. It's about trying to get past 90, trying to make a run at the division at the top wild card spot ideally. You need those big names to be doing that and man it's it didn't really hit me until today Talking about this how many of these big league signings ended up in the IL man. You don't usually see it go that for you So for all that Keegan, you know, you're 28 and 28 You're two games out of a wild card. In an American league, that is not particularly explosive.

Right? There are a lot of really mediocre teams in the AL this year. I mean, if indeed this team can find the floodgates opening, as John Schneider kind of said hopefully last night after getting a 12-0 win, could you see a scenario where if the floodgates even sort of half open,

that they could maybe make a little run here? There's never been a better time to go for it. July 31 trade deadline, I don't know the last year that looked this good to go for it in the American League. There's not a Dodgers on the AL side. There's not a super team on this AL side. There's not a super team on this AL side. And the Blue Jays can look back in 2015 when they were hovering around 500

and they got aggressive and went for it because it was open. They are gonna have that opportunity again. I think this team is good enough to hang around this race. That should not be the goal. I do not consider that success, but they're good enough to hang around. And if they can hang around, I think this is a year to go nuts at the trade deadline. Really be aggressive, really push in because looking at this rotation, Max Scherzer,

whoever he ends up being for this team is gone next year. Chris Bassett's a free agent. Kevin Gosman's two years away from that. He's starting to look like himself again. You need to cash in on that while you have it right now. Boba Shed, while he is here, you don't know if you're going to find those pieces again, you don't know if you're going to find them next year. While they have the opportunity, they've got to go for this and ownership, the Blue Jays, I think these last couple of years have proven they're at least going to spend now has it been perfect spending?

No, but the money's there from a very basic standpoint. And I think it'll continue to be there. So while you've got the shot this year, go for it. And I think they can stay in. Have you come by Alec Manoa recently? I thought I saw him on the, in the dugout the other day with the boys. So, I mean, it sounds like his rehab is progressing.

Where is he at and where do you think you can get back to yeah we saw minnow down in tampa fellows i mean to get on the minnow and i didn't see what he's been doing to me looks fantastic looks good down there he's starting to ramp up and throw bullpens at this point is tommy john recovery he's probably let's say two two and a half months away from being back in games here at this level everything's going well so far most Tommy John rehabs are pretty standardized now at this point but the model for him guys is hum june Ryu a couple of years ago now ironically Ryu returned to the

rotation in time to take Manoah's spot then but if Manoah can return down the stretch for those last two months, those last six weeks, he does not need to be the savior and you have to go back a few years to see him being a useful MLB pitcher, you do, but he can be depth. He can be an option so the Blue Jays can get away from this revolving door of long relievers, minor league starters, that they're kind of leaning on here lately. And, man, if there's anyone who's going to embrace the comeback story, heroic comeback,

it's going to be Manoa. Man, he'll build that up. He'll nail it, I think. But that can be a good one. I think August 1, keep August 1 in mind as a kind of a rough date for Manoa. Hegan, thanks so much for the time today. Can you confirm that your book launch event will be open bar next week anywhere I am is an open bar baby all right my kind of book that's what I'm talking about thanks buddy you got

him guys take care all right that's Keegan Matheson mo B.com you ever have a book launch party Dave you're an, you've got some books. And the book business is a tank, you know that AK. I mean the book launches these days, I mean it's like here's some crackers and a couple of you know some Kool-Aid and some Dixie cups man. Like that's open bar, are you kidding? A publisher paying for an open bar? Not for not for schleps like me at least. Yeah I actually apologize Jamie, you're also an author. I have read your book, I own your book. You must have had a book launch event though, no? I did have a few events.

It was more like a little bit of a tour, like they took me out to Alberta and a couple of cities and stuff. I remember doing a book launch or whatever, but then I went to a party that night. Struddy was hosting. It was called DJ Suitcase. He was like the DJ at the bar that night, Struddy was hosting, it was called DJ Suitcase. He was like the DJ at the bar that night. So it was an open bar, but it wasn't from the, like you said, Fess, it wasn't from the publisher. They weren't paying. It was Strudwick's dime. So, but yeah, we, we

... Oh, nice. Struddy. Yeah. It was a good night, but it had nothing to do with my publisher, put it that way. Yeah. I know Duthie's got a new book coming out later this fall beauties to guys just like windscreen awards That is all churning out books plays 120 rounds of golf a year James Duthie charmed existence very impressive stuff very impressive stuff you could see James Duthie at the RBC Canadian open he'll be on site as well We hear on over driver noodles

You and the fellows will be there from Wednesday to Friday first up. We'll be there from Monday to Friday We've got a pair of tickets to give away later today Ryan Warsaw ski will join us from the Sharks just after 6 o'clock AK's list the second ever edition of a case list will feature players that Brad Tree Living should try to acquire via free agency or via trade. My top five list that's coming up at 6 30. You're gonna want to stay tuned for that. Overdrive continues on TSN's YouTube channel. Did I say YouTube properly? Eh, debatable. TSN 2 and TSN 1050. Hour two continues. Karol Nick MacLennan, Fess Chuck with you until 7 o'clock. Looking at the leaderboard at the memorial, because of course next week is the RBC Canadian Open, very fired up for

that, and wouldn't you know, tied at the top is one Nick Taylor. Seven under par, tied with Ben Griffin, who's actually become one of the best players on the pga tour we remember when nick taylor won the rbc canadian open at oakdale that playoff with tommy fleetwood the putter toss was 72 feet dave that was one of the most incredible moments i can recall in sports and looks like he's in fine form that's good news for him and good news for everybody's heading down to tbc charlotte osprey valley next week it's credible is nick taylor yeah man we get to go in he gets it go any sees that some

ups and downs this season but that he is that he's rolling right now sixty nine sixty eight to start a term in a very difficult golf course down there in columbus ohio that's a great sign and it's good it's going to be a good field next week. Great field. You know, like impressive and yeah, we'll be out there. I don't know who we're going to get.

That's the biggest thing. And Doogie will be harassing everybody to see who comes by the table. So it should be good. It's interesting to note that McElroy is not at the memorial, which has been a staple when it comes to his schedule over the years. Jack's place and Nicholas said I have McElroy Never called me Didn't hear from him, which I thought was interesting. But does that mean Rory is already up here? He's maybe back in Ireland

Maybe who knows what he's doing, but he clearly wanted this week off and McElroy loves a national open He loves to play of course the RBC Canadian Open where he's a two-time champion. He loves it. The Irish Open is something he really enjoys as well. And we'll see what he's got next week. He's rested. He has no excuse not to be in top form. So I would expect Rory McIlroy to come out and dominate that golf course. I mean, no disrespect to the O-Dog. He just shot 64 yesterday from 6,900 yards. I mean, which is an incredible accomplishment for the O-Dog, but what it says to me is that, like, what's Rory McIlroy doing to that golf course next week, right? He's going to tear it apart, won't he? Yeah, there is that risk, right?

They redesigned this course for that very reason, aka Noodles, where they, this was kind of known as a very easy golf course the north course of tpc toronto so they got in andrew the architect out there he decided to tighten up the fairways you know grow a bunch of fest you uh... throw it a bunch of bunkers and and hope that they can make it a bit tougher but it'll not stare at up

but we'll see what uh... good old rory does not collect most and ninety seven so that's uh... not just kidding, Carlo, I know you're watching, I know you were 86. He shot an 86? 86, 86. That's okay. And he fluffed it up in the rough a couple times. Oh, was that out of bounds? Well, it's free drop, but yeah, 86, I think that's very legit. If you'd like to be there next week to the RBC Canadian Open, here's your chance to win a pair of tickets. First call or through 416-870-1050, talk to Doogie, you'll win the tickets, you'll see all the events at the course and you can save for the golf, food, drinks and the party.

There are tickets, these tickets include live performances from Billy Talon, Sam Roberts Band during the Sirius XM concert series on Friday and Saturday night. First up will be there at Golf Talk Canada and Overdrive all week long. RBCCanadianOpen.com to buy your tickets today. Ryan Warsawski plus AK's List and the final hour of Overdrive for the week begins after this. And Friday was brought to you by Boston Pizza, Canada's favorite sports bar. This playoff season Boston Pizza is planning the parade. and has a new all-star playoffs menu for you to enjoy. For pizza, pints and puck drops, visit your local Boston

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