OverDrive - OverDrive - November 4, 2025 - Hour 2 - Mike Johnson

Episode Date: November 4, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 2 on OverDrive! TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joins to discuss the Maple Leafs' victory against Penguins, the performance of the group and the early locks for Canada's Olympic roster on the ice. The guys circle around the Blue Jays in the latest edition in Confirm or Deny and Bryan gives his FanDuel Best Bets.

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Powered by Fandoul, bringing you everything from the opening line of the final score. Mike Johnson coming up here in a moment, confirm it a deny later in the hour. It was an emotional morning for me, very emotional, maybe the toughest day of the year. I gave the old hug and kiss to the golf clubs and packed them into storage this morning. It's over, buddy. Yep, it's the end of the road. The old, I'll see it in five months routine. It's very difficult for Canadians, but it's a reality.

It's a beautiful day. day today. Dude, it's getting, there's snow around the corner. I can get, I sense it. Like I live down near the wall. You can feel it coming.

I saw it on the forecast. I was driving the kids to school this morning and they were salting the road. And I'm like, why are they salt on the road? Yeah, there was problems. I told you up in Vaughn's a snow belt. I also, who lives in Vaughn is, I'd like to acknowledge Joe from the bridge.

Yes. Who sent the stupidest comment in our group chat for work that's ever been sent in the history of overdrive. He said if Austin Matthews was cloned, he would be Matthew Austin. And I had to write back and say, Joe, that's the worst comment that's ever been sent. Well, you know, Joe would support that. You know, Joe would support a full cloning. Knowing the least luck, the cloning would be like a fourth-line player.

You know, that's what they would get in the clone lottery. There'd be a clone lottery, and Elise would get a fourth-liner. What if the clone came out the exact opposite? So he was four-foot-six. Let's do the clone lottery tomorrow. Put all the names in a hat, and Doogie can pick out the three players they get to clone and bring them on to their roster. Okay.

We're doing a clone lottery tomorrow. Yeah, I mean. It's getting a little bit strange. That is strange. It's getting a little bit. Blame Tom Brady, not us. I do believe that that stuff is around the corner. And especially like these ultra-wealthy people,

they've been messing with stuff for years, I guarantee you behind the scenes. It's scary. Our understand about the dog noodles is, is it like does the dog have the same feelings, et cetera for Tom Brady that the other dog did? That's what I don't know. How would you ever know?

It's a really strange play, man. Like Brady's one of those guys. Like, Brady's been in high society for, like, 25 years mingling with some people, and he's invested in everything. He's an owner now. Like, I don't know what's up with TV12, but. So you think TB12 has been involved in high-level meetings that know stuff about the future that none of us are aware of? It's possible. It's possible.

Why would you? No, don't start. You're going to say something crazy noodles. I'm not. I'm going to say, like, these people. who are like the Bill Gates of the world. Jeff Bezos, have you seen a picture of him recently? He's jacked.

You don't get jacked at 60 without doing something, you know, weird. Like, I'm sure he's taking injections of testosterone, or you name it. But the guy is like, I'm just, well, you don't get jacked at 60 out of no more. Like, the point being is we've always seen it in front of our eyes. you, Matthew McConae, he was going bald, all of a sudden he's got a full salad. Which we support. We support.

He went to turkey. Hair cloning, we support. But I just think there are some weird stuff that goes on behind, you know, high society doors. I hear you, man. I'm with you. But why would you, if you're a multi-billionaire, why would you get in shape? Like, wouldn't you go the opposite way?

You want to look good, don't you? I guess so. Didn't that Zuckerberg be, remember how embarrassing that was when he came out, like, in a, he was in somebody's corner, an M.MA fighter or something came. He's an M.M.A. guy. Or Mayweather. It came out for May. No, that was Beaver. But I do believe that Zuckerberg came out to an M.M.A.

And it was like the weirdest thing. He could be, he's not athletic at all. He's not a big dude. He's not an athletic guy. Right. But good on him. He can buy the rest as well. Stay in shape.

I'm not saying, like, don't stay in shape. But like, jacked, you got to be cut. You know, like, why would you, why is that a priority for you? I don't know. Anyway, the clone draft, we've got to mold that one. We've got some work to do. We've got a guy in the line. We've got a guy in the line who maybe could tell us if the least want to be a real-deal team,

give us three to four players around the league that you would clone and put them on the leafs. But you've got to be realistic. No kidding. You can't say Kail McCar-McKinnon. You've got to say you've got to put the pieces together without being stupid. And this guy's a very smart gentleman. All right. Mike Johnson joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Johnny, go ahead.

Cologne some players for the leaves that they can acquire here. Okay, I'm going to clone a guy just down the road. Alex Tuck. That's a guy that could have the Toronto Maple Leafs. He's pending UFA. He might be available. Big, physical, play at all situations, can score at 5 on 5. has won a cup before, been in Vegas when they went really deep.

I don't think you won the second year. But it's been an instrumental piece of a winning team. Somebody like that would be very nice. They need more good players with pace and tax one of the fastest guys in the league. They're slow. At least right now are slow. And so someone who can play with pace, O'Dong, I think Alex Tucky is sort of my number one target, dream target for the Toronto Maple Leaf so they could ever acquire him this year

if Buffalo falls out of it. And if they don't get him, they can clone him. then they can clone them and then, you know, do they need one more center? They need a third leg, they got a lot of centers, they need like another good center and I have to think about who that might be, but you know, someone like Nas,

but younger, but someone like Nazem Kadri who can play so at 25. Yeah, listen, I'm just saying like a Colorado version of Nazim Kadri. Yes, exactly, who can play in behind a number one guy, be agitative who has one, can

produce offense as well, but doesn't have to play in the paro play. I think you get two guys, I don't even four. Two guys like that, and the roster, both have to be fast, the roster looks really different. What about a defenseman, Johnny? Because that's been a hot button topic in the 4 o'clock hour. We talked about the roster construction of the Leafs, the TANF injury, and obviously,

you know, puck transporting, as you've been talking about, is that something that would be high on your wish list? Yeah, ideally with a right shot behind it Would be quite important Because after TANN, they don't maybe have a guy You know, that does that, Carlos is a steady eddy But he doesn't pass the puck or advance it very well So, yeah, a right shot, Rasmus Anderson

Yeah A guy like that These guys are all available, they'll cost too much relief to pay Leaves don't even have enough available If they wanted to go get them all But guys like that I mean, those are the pieces that they cannot afford to pay their contracts or the price to get them

but pieces like that change this team but you know every team wants guys like that that's the other problem talk to Montreal about a second line center talk to Ottawa about a right shot defense and around the league everybody wants the same thing and there's only so many of those guys out that it might be available or even clonable

well Brian Hayes brought up a great point earlier in the show that the league is diluted Johnny but I'd like to ask you with the Leafs being where they are at 7 and 5 with how crazy that game was last night, what is a reasonable position for a reasonable Leaf fan to be in regarding their team right now? Because their emotions would have been all over the map watching that last night saying these guys stink because how many games have they stunk this year? A lot of them.

And yet they're 7 and 5. They're in the mix and it's kind of leafy. and where should at Leif's fans' emotions be right now regarding the team? The Leif's fans would probably appropriately be sort of cautiously concerned. Yes, the record's good, which you appreciate. Yes, they've had previous bad October's that you're not going to overreact to what was not a great October. But even in those bad October, you could see the blueprints as to why the team might be good in the end. what would make them successful?

It just wasn't happening every single night. We haven't seen that. We've talked about this almost every single week exactly how the Leafs are supposed to play, how they're going to play to be successful. And, I mean, last night, and it's not going to bury them for one bad game. A lot of teams have bad games.

So that first 40 minutes was almost as bad as I can remember them playing. I mean, it was just that for for that group. Now, to their credit, they needed 20 minutes and really great players, and they won the game, which they will have all year long. But they haven't shown the ability to play with this coach, with this system, and this personnel, a brand of hockey that will be consistently winning games in the NFL. So, oh, that's why you had panic, but you can't feel certain that it's going to get demonstrably better as we go through the next month either. Well, how do you feel about, and I believe at practice today, the top line.

was nice Matthews Neelander. How do you feel about that? The three of them sticking together and riding it out for a while. Eggs in one basket, I guess they've tried it off everything else that they are going to put all their top players and poor John DeVars is like, wait a second, I'm one of the top guys, where's my good line?

But, and hope that that line carries. I mean, we see it with Evanton and Dry Settle play together. I'm in Montreal tonight. Montreal's in first place. They have one line that is one of the best lines in the league. the Suzuki line. The other three lines don't do as much. They're not particularly strong.

But when you keep a close play, good defense, get good goal-titting, and your top line can do it every single night, that can be enough. But that just highlights exactly the same point we talked about to open with this fantasy cloning business. They don't have enough top six players. They don't have enough of them available to themselves

to sort of make the lineup work to the way they would ideally have it work, which is with Neelander and Matthews, on separate lines so I don't hate it I just wonder how long they'll stick with it because Craig Baroube has shuffled the deck a lot already this year like in game game to game

there's been zero continuity and we always think about that in the terms of Matthews or Nealander or Nyes but I would say it's way harder for the guys that are getting shuffled on and off those situations you think it's like for Cowan

for Robertson for McMann for Domi for whoever it's almost impossible for those guys to get any sort of rhythm and confidence and structure to their day-to-day existence. So, yeah, it's a message sending to hold out a lot of a bunch of wangers. Sometimes it's message sending from the coach where the coach is like, I got to keep doing this because there's nobody else,

and he's trying to show everybody upstairs where it's like, you want to see that guy, there's that guy, and then there's that guy, and then there's that guy, and none of them are doing the job. So what else do you want me to do? I'm not saying that's the case, but a lot of time I'm going to... right but not to the players because the players just get fumbled around and they're not getting they're not getting the best of the players which is what the coach wants to try to do now if it's a passive aggressive listen look at me i'm looking every single guy in the roster i've tried and none

them are good so go get me another guy to put on this roster that feels healthier to have a conversation and say that as opposed to perhaps do it to the detriment of your team so um i just don't think for those guys and you think about like robertson and cowan and McMahon have all had not long tenured runs in the NHL. So those guys are already on eggshells, right? It doesn't take much to throw them off, like getting pulled off

the first line after a bad period and a half. That would stick with you for a few days. I just think that would be something that I would want to be aware of while they rotate all these guys. So if you're going to go whatever it was, what was it, Robertson, and McMahon and Sabaras, you might have to keep them there for three, four, five games.

And let them feel like that's where they belong because they're good enough and then see what happens. So, Johnny, if you're Craig Barrube, is it a balancing act because you can't be yelling and screaming at the team all the time? So, you know, have you seen, I mean, you're in between the benches, you know, watched every game. Have you seen a different Craig Barubi, or has he been patient at times?

Has he been yelling and screaming? Because we almost saw some wild swings from Chief last night where it was early and he was barking at his group and then you know he must have said something between the second and third because they came out like gangbusters so I would say that despite Craig Baroube's playing career being somewhat volatile

he is a pretty calm behind the bench like he rarely yells at guys he doesn't explode and we've seen the clips of him tell Mark Sabar to settle down like he's pretty even kill I have seen whatever we are a dozen games into this year already more

emotion spilling over than I saw in the entire year last year. He's already shown greater frustration what's going on

in the middle of a game than we virtually saw at all last year. So I think that's where he's at. I think he's frustrated. I think he's trying to figure out how do we get

these guys to play better? How do we get these guys to do what I envision them doing? And at some point we can talk about sort of intensity and physicality

and juice. and all like they're obviously trying it's not a group of guys who are not going to try i just don't know if they it might be square peg round hole like it just the way they play doesn't work with the way he wants them to play and that's something that they have to work out as a group but i will say this oh noodles hey's you too i think a lot of this you know what did he say after the second as if you know the streaming yelling coach which probably wasn't that but if it was was the reason they came back and won if that was the case They would have played better in the second period.

Like this idea that somehow, I want to hear what Tree said or what Craig Perrube said. He said, wake up. You guys stink. Play better. Something to that effect, which he will repeat 20 times this year. And this will be the only time it works. Like, I don't know about this Newt Rockney, John Tortorella explosion that rallied the troops. I don't buy it.

I don't know what you guys think. I didn't have it much of my career where that sort of worked. They yell because they're mad because you're playing bad. You still play bad. You don't often turn it around. So I don't know how much credit I'm giving any sort of passionate second period speech from the coach. I'm not buying it. Well, you also need the other team to do their part, right?

And Pittsburgh didn't play as well in the third period. You know, like they ran out of gas. And to the credit of the Leafs, the second Matthew scored, you could sense it. Pittsburgh realized we're in trouble. Sid, lost his guy too. Lost his guy. Yeah, off the draw and then couldn't catch up to him. And it was a brilliant play, brilliant pass by.

McCabe and then it's you know Willie score is quick and it just that's a team that has been running on confidence and played really well and their goal tending's been great and all of a sudden the dam broke and the least took full advantage to their credit but it takes two to tango when you're down three nothing

you know you need to play better but the other team's got to kind of take their foot off the gas and I think that's what happened last night yet you know again you look at you're in Montreal tonight Montreal because of the expectations they're off to a great start nine and three their top players are phenomenal

Caulfield's been great Suzuki's been great Demadov and Hudson you go on and on and on the Leafs are three points behind them you know like it's it's not again there's a glass half empty there's a glass half full like the Leafs

could be two weeks away from being the top seat in the East like it's not inconceivable that's the talk we need around here but it's the truth like I'm not disputing how they've been playing I'm not saying they've been playing great the point is you know there's a lot of teams in their position and in the top four teams in the east are montreal detroit new jersey pittsburg none of them

scare the other teams in the east none of them scare Toronto Florida Tampa Carolina none of them are scared of those teams so I don't think anybody's afraid of anybody right now that might be the best way to put it out is I don't I don't know if anyone's afraid of anybody yeah Colorado and Vegas might get somebody's attention just because of the their personnel and their depth, but I don't think anybody's scared. It's proven in the point differential within divisions. Bottoms, like five points away from the top. Yeah.

But that's the parity in the league. What did you use the word? Oh, watered down league, whatever. Oh, the league's been watered down for five years, Jamie. Someone tried to steal my saying, but they use it. Diluted. That's my word. You've got to come up with your own noodles, but I'll allow you to use it.

Go ahead. But there isn't, there isn't, that's the crazy part. Pittsburgh was the only team in the offseason that was kind of, quote, unquote, rebuilding or open for business, right? This explains why. Right. Now, there's still, you got to, there's still got to be realist in the league. Yeah, but, yeah, like Calgary is a team, but it's awesome. Like, they're at the bottom.

They've got three wins. But, like, Calgary is a team that, you know, they rely on their goaltender quite a bit. and everything has to line up for them to get to 96 points like they did last year. But there isn't a team that is flat out scorched earth going for McKenna right now. No, you're right. Correct? Like even San Jose and Chicago's been good. Like, you know, they've lost a few in a row now, but they're...

They may not make the playoffs, but they are not, you know, hell-bent on coming in last. They're trying to grow and get better. Yeah, and they might not want to move guys, Jamie, because they're going to say, well, next year, we've got to have some guys. still here to keep going. But that's why I see, I see, you know, the league is bunched up. There's a couple that had a great starts. There's a couple that have had poor starts.

But everyone else's three, four points, because they're only 12 to 14, 15 games in. So it's still early. We'll see a separation. What do you think, Johnny, a month from now, like with another 10 games? It's so tight. I don't know, probably might take it's all the new year. But I also think the least were in the last place in the East yesterday before the game. It's crazy, right?

They were last. Now they're back. I think literally in the standings they were last. Now they're back in a playoff position. But yeah, I mean, I think Tampa's come. We talked about Tampa last week. Tampa's got it figured out all of a sudden. They won five in a row.

They're going into Colorado tonight. They look like they're figuring it out. But yeah, this is the reality. Other than Pittsburgh, who still may get there, there is not one team in the East that is in a rebuilding mindset. So they're, like, if Buffalo might not be good, but they're going to try to be good, right? They're going to contribute to work to be that.

So it's going to be harder. Like the longer this goes, and we're already, you know, we say, you know, they're just getting going. In two weeks, they're going to be a quarter of the way through the season. They'll be at 20 games-ish, right? A quarter of the way through the season, I think the longer this goes, the more likely it's going to stay tight to the end of the year. Some will drop off and maybe one or two will get away. Maybe. But I think the days of March 15th rolling around and three, five teams in the east saying,

we're home and cooled that's not going to be the case this year no and that'll set up for a great stretch run and you get the Olympic break as well and that's going to have an effect on you know the jockeying for positions and you know speaking of which we're getting closer to Canada and all these nations having to announce their teams and if you look at it um as of november 4th the leading point getter in the league is mark shifley mark shifley who was not on the four nations team oh's guy oh was adamant this summer that he would be on the team, my assistant GM, all with his research coming through, he's not, like, Locke's a strong word because Locke is, like, I'd say Mitch Marner's a lock. He's, he's good, he's got up to a good start,

he's on the last team. But Shifley is, is, he's on the team, obviously, and he's almost on the team no matter what happens the rest of the way. Yeah, he's gotten off to a brilliant start. There's probably going to be, what, three or four new forwards and maybe one or two new defensemen. And who knows, Two new goalies, probably, too. Quick one. Shifley will force his way on there. Celebrini, Suzuki. I was just going to say, Nick Suzuki would be a guy that I would have to circle.

He's a lock. He's a lock. Suzuki is a lock to make this. A lock. What position does he play? He's playing third line center. So you can have Connor McDavid one, McKinnon 2, and allows to put Braden Point and Sidney Crosby on the wings

and have Suzuki play three. And he can play offense. I got him with Mitch Marner and maybe Celebrini, something like that, on the third line. And they can play office, they can play defense, whatever you want, and just be a gross third line. Good line. I love Celebrini.

Do you think he's a lock, though? I like him as a lock, guys. He's not just because of 2010, they had some young studs that nobody really thought was going to make it. That Dowdy, yeah. Yeah, Jonathan Taze. Like, there were some young studs that were like, yeah. They just were good enough.

They're on it. They didn't second guess it. They didn't piss around. round, you're good enough, you're on it. Doughty, by the end of the tournament, I think he was one of their leading minute munchers. He was. Taves, too, was playing a tonne. And Taves, as well.

Jumped right up. And you're going to ask him to play wing, right? They're not going to ask him to play center. He's not going to be on the power play. But you're going to need explosive skaters. Right? You need players who can make plays. And what I was still about, Celebrini's three points out of the scoring lead in the

league. Yeah, he's been great. I don't know how you wouldn't have him on there in lieu of Like, Sam Bennett's gone off to a tough start. Sorrelli's better now, but Hegel had a really slow start as well. Like, those are some of the guys that probably, as much as the coach would love them, I wonder that they're not necessarily guaranteed to be back. Well, Brad Marchand's another one. Like, I don't see him.

But he's gotten off to a good start. That's the question. And Sid, you know, I don't know if Sid's got a vote, but he'd probably advocate for him. One thing is, Brian, that I think somebody brought it to your attention. about a month ago was like I think you thought it was Olympic size ice and it's not. No it's not I never I know it's

NHL ice it's not NHL rules was my point is the difference with like four nations there's fights there's hits there's stick work there's scrum yeah there's no fighting going on that there's none of that there's no scrums I think it's also going to be sorry I said that yeah no it's all good

half NHL refs half international refs so the refing crews will also be blended as far as how they call a game Oh, yeah, you blow a guy up at the Olympics. There's some guy from Slovakia, arm is going up. Five in a game, dude. Five in a game.

Because Tom Wilson's on my radar. I don't think he's going to be on the team. He should have been there at four nations. He should have been in Montreal. Those international reps, they're allergic to body contact. I remember I was playing with Tyson. Tyson Nash hit a guy so hard when we were playing together in Europe. He knocked the guy's helmet 20 feet in the air.

It was a clean hit. The refs blew it down, and they didn't know what to call. Both teams were perplexed. They threw him out. Let me guess they threw him out. Well, they called a five-minute major for what? Both teams were upset. The commissioner came out of the stands.

He was on the ice in his shoes. It was ridiculous, and it was a clean hit. But like the reffing, you're right, Johnny, and you experience all the time, but the world's in that. The refing's so much different than NHL standard, correct? Yeah. Yeah, and you have to, you know, be aware of that and choose your team accordingly. I mean, it just, you know, it's going to be, it's going to be one of the factors.

But, yeah, it's coming around soon, but Shifley O, your guy, lock them up. Okay, he's on the squad. I like it. Shifley, Suzuki, Celebrini makes a lot of sense. Defense, I don't, I'm curious what they do there, you know, and even with the goaltending, like Binnington is on the team, clearly. Yeah, but it, yes, 100%. It, you know, Logan Thompson.

Logan Thompson, Kemper, Jake Allen are sort of the best playing Canadian. Now, Kemper hasn't been great, but Logan Thompson's been incredible. He's been like the best guy in the league. I don't know if they love the idea of him being on the team. I don't know. And Monteboles had a tough start, and so Aidan Hill, I mean, Aidan Hill's there too, right? So it's just a... Tough start and hurt.

Yeah. So, I mean, at the end of the day, it's Bennington's net to lose, basically. And St. Louis hasn't had a great start, but Bennington's still the guy. And they trust him. And Doug Armstrong, that's his guy. Yeah, he's on it. I'm not disputing that. I'm just, I'm wondering, you know, it feels like we're going to get back to the tournament,

not feel great about that position, and you're going to have to just trust Bennington to come alive, you know, and step up in the biggest moments like he did at the Four Nations. Exactly. And then if it's Thompson and I don't know, I'm curious to see what they do there. And again, on the point, we'll see. see because you know Doughty's... I said Theodore would be healthy right

He didn't play last year last tournament because he broke his wrist right ever. Harley will be there the whole time probably Taves McCar will be there Morrissey will be there. Guys like Perrako and Doughty but who's your right shot guy? Dark Horse for you

Hazy before we go? Brandon Montour Oh! Brandon Montour Seattle. You want a guy with lively legs, competitive spirit doesn't back down from any moment or anybody and he shoots right he could be one of the eight and maybe plays way to a bigger role

picking the team or something I'm just saying stay tuned next Monday there may be a release coming okay okay let me throw this one mini jerry's Matthew Schaefer's on the radar Schaefer's on the radar

conversation is my radar I don't know let's say 12 defenseman periphery of the radar is he in the top 12 for Canada No. He's not in the top 12. No. I love Matthew Schaefer. I love everything about him. I just think

as great as he's been, you still see him make the odd mistake. He still plays defense like he can correct everything with his legs. Because, you know, he gets out of position, he gets caught up ice, but he catches people. In that tournament, he won't be able to catch everyone and you can't make those mistakes. He's still learning. He's still... He's so

good, but I just... He's special, though. I just... He's so good. He's so good. I just don't think in that kind of tournament, they would pick Drew Dowdy over him 10 out of 10 times just because of the experience. Okay. That's fair. All right.

We'll leave it there, Johnny. Have a great call tonight. Should be a fun one. We'll do it later in the week. All right, fellas. How good night. There is Mike Johnson joining us here in the Maple Toyota hotline. Get in and go where adventure takes you in your 2025 Tacoma from Maple Toyota near Canada's Wonderland in the Maple Auto Mall, visit mapletoietta.com.

Can they bring Schaefer to sniff around? well they bring eight defensemen i don't think he's on it he's 18 like it's a position i know but can you bring him to sniff no i don't think you can't you can't bring like extras yeah the other thing too is remember the uproar like lane hudson didn't even make the the u.s what is the top 44 in the right i think he was added to it well i'm assuming now he is like i'm assuming he's on the radar but like this shafer kid i i did an islander game man like he he can play and he's got he's got an he's not cocked he's not factor man he does

yeah that's what it is you can tell he's a special player right away and he made some mistakes at night against ottawa but it was like i'm playing like you know so be it like let's go and not afraid of anything not afraid of the moment making plays like he's a he's a super i kept thinking this kid's 18 who do they have playing with him jamie i don't know off the top of my head who's playing with him right now mayfield i believe yeah they got to make sure that they got a real like josh manson type steady influence on that guy and you'll have a monster on your hands an absolute monster yeah i think it was schaefer and mayfield and then there was pelican pulock that we're playing together but like that that that that shaper he's not afraid of the

moment and that night like you know sanderson was really good that night too so i'm watching Sanderson and then you're watching Schaefer, different players. I always try and compare, like, who is this guy? I'm having a tough time for a comparison for Schaefer. Like, as far as skating style, the way they play. Lane Hudson reminds me of Quinn Hughes kind of thing. You know, Jake Sanderson reminds me of Scott Niedemeyer, the way they skate and they use their feet.

I'm trying to figure out what Schaefer reminds me of. Because that's, I don't have a comparable. Yeah, I'm not sure either. because like he can really skate that kid too like he can motor but he's he's lanky it's weird he looks like a defensive uh zegris like he's got the kind of like surfer dude look and pretty you know kind of like i don't know but paul coffee vibe for you like is that coffee was not the skating style but you're right maybe that type but i think he's better defensive like cough was just a forward you know cough went north crazy paul coffee um

Just played north. All right, best bets coming up. Confirm or deny. We'll do that next. I can neither confirm or deny that this is in fact a segment. Austin trades Andrew Raycroft to Toronto in exchange for the rights to Tuka Rask. It's been my honor and a privilege to serve as the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Club. It's time for confirm or deny.

Do you regret giving all those gentlemen the no trades or no movement clauses? I can either confirm or deny that. I can't confirm or deny it. All right, confirm and deny. Statements are made, and we either confirm them or we deny the very simple stuff. All right? Let's get into some Blue Jays. We haven't talked about the Jays today.

And I saw a story that I guess Ernie Clement was down at a pub in Rochester watching the Bills game on Sunday. Like, that's a way to kind of lick your wounds. Get back home, probably surrounded by your boys. He's a big Bill's fan. them beat up on the chiefs that's that's how you get over things yeah um all right confirm or deny the three pack of shapiro ackens and schneider will be in toronto for at least the next three full seasons a hundred five make it five years 100 percent you're confirming five years now the three is fine for me no when you have a run like this world series

appearance you've got a five year grace period where you can send a message to the fan base and ownership that you can get that vibe and feeling back. And after five years, if it's not there, somebody gives you the middle finger and says, get lost. They got five years, confirm 100%. I'm three years, and I'm confirming it. Five might be a bit rich because what if they bought, you know, what if they botched some deals and stuff like that,

spend a bunch of money and the team goes back to 74 wins? Like, there's no guarantee. I mean, there is a framework of some very good players there. But baseball seems like a lot different than other sports where it's like this team's a lock to go back. That's the only thing because they're losing some arms, right? The key in threading the needle is getting new bodies in that mix and have the same kind of chemistry because that doesn't always happen, man.

That's why I always said when you have that kind of chemistry and have that kind of success and it wasn't expected. You got to cash on your chance. because who knows when that comes around again for those guys. Well, that's the reality, and that's what makes it so crushing, is that you had that many opportunities, and you had two games to win the World Series. At game six and game seven, they were both close,

and you had great opportunities. I'm going to deny this because I think we lose sight of the fact that three years is an eternity in pro sports. Three years is an eternity. I believe Nick Nurse got through his third year after winning the championship. I believe he got through three, and then Maasai said, thank you very much. Maasai got through five, and then he's out. And they won the NBA championship.

Again, I know we want, I know how close they were. The fact is, the Blue Jays did not. And it doesn't even have to be about the negativity creeping in. what if they do great over the next year or two and someone gets plucked what if it's like well this team is calling on that guy you know and i would guess that atkins would probably be the one that would represent that you know where marks at the top and you get an option to go somewhere and be the president of baseball operations somewhere else and he would be at the top of those lists i think he was circulating like didn't i don't know might have been kegan said that

Mark Shapiro is on a list of executives that gets talked about as replacing what's his nuts there? Bobby Mans, Rob Manfred. Yes, and that's it, exactly. Like, what if Shapiro in two years says, I'm going to go do this? It doesn't have to be a negative thing. I know that that's where our minds naturally go. But that's possible, too.

You know, now the expectations are so high, and the money's going to be likely spent at a high level, so ownership's going to lean on you to say, if you're all I'll open up the checkbook and pay you better win man no more 74 win seasons anymore like if those happen we got trouble on our hands three years a long time in pro sports man yeah but look at it like you just get associated with the team for schneider like Kevin cash has been with the race for how long man he's just their guy they go through down they've been going through some down times he's still their guy isn't he yeah he's yes and and they're a little

bit different in terms of like what they're willing to spend and I hear you. Listen, I would be pulling for that. You know, like John Snyder did a great job, and these guys, they've completely redeemed themselves in the market, and they've been here for a long time. Yeah, right. Shapiro and Atkins have been here for a decade, man. That is an eternity in pro sports. Yes.

But three more years is a lot. Five years is a ton. They're not getting through five years. I'll bet you $500. Okay. Mark that down, do you. With interest. Five years.

In inflation. Five years. that worth? Are you guys 100% that bow stays? I'm not 100%. I'm not even close, to be honest with you. What would be the most sickening

outcome? Yankees or Dodgers? Yeah, Yankees, Dodgers are Which one's gross? Dodgers would make me Dodgers would piss me off. Dodgers would piss a lot of people off. I think Yankees would be wouldn't Yankees be worse? Because they're

staying now you're staying not a team that won you could see if he's going to the team that won and has won back to back I think the Yankees Jamie would be sniffing hard. I think so too man like you know what they went through with that shortstop this year Volpe is a guy

that whole market can't stand they hate that guy yes and Bichette you know has hammered the Yankees and it would be a big plug taking him away from Toronto yes I think it would sting more Probably the Yankees, because you're right,

Noodles, that he's in your division, and now you've got to see him like 15 times a year, you know, 12, 15 times a year. The Dodgers would be a Kevin Durant type play, though. Yeah, you're chasing it, right? Instead of the, oh, yeah, I'm going to go join the team that won. You're going to the Yankees, it's either money or, you know, the marquee of going to New York. It's Broadway.

It's New York. Right. Like, that's the difference because if you lay the organizations beside each other, why wouldn't you choose, you know, playing with Vladdy, playing here in Toronto, like as opposed to New York, but it's New York. They might, I don't think they should pay more because I think the Jays can afford it. But it's more, you know, I chose the Yankees, and we beat them, but I'm going there still. Whereas the Dodgers, you can understand, you're going to a super team technically.

Right. Yeah, the Yankees would, both would sting. Both would really sting. The Yankees, though, in particular, would be very tough. The Yankees and the Dodgers, or the Mets, they will challenge the term I've always wanted to be here. This is where I've wanted to be. They will challenge how much you mean that. Yeah, and I think Keegan was tweeting about it this morning where, you know, he said his belief is a tie would go to the Blue Jays.

Like he genuinely believes that Bichette, you know, both teams are offering the same thing. He'd stay here. But those two teams we just mentioned, they don't do the tie stuff. They go $50 million over. They go $100 million over. They might. And if they do, then it's put up or shut up time for the Blue Jays. Because I think Bichette would give them the benefit of that information

and saying, hey, this is what they're offering. Give me a shout in the next 24 hours and let me know. And they're going to have to make that call. Confirm and deny. Vladi Jr. has a chance to be the most popular athlete in Canadian sports. modern Canadian sports I don't think you put like Gretzky and you know that's a

whole different story. He easily has a two year run because I don't know what the Leafs are going to accomplish this year and I don't think the Raptors are accomplishing much so I think he's got at least a two year run of being the man around the city of Toronto. Well it's Canadian though like for me and McDavid would have to be

at the top right now you know and I'd say even though he doesn't play here like you look at a guy like Sid who's still playing is so popular up here. Right now, it's Vladdy right now. You can't argue that. Come playoff time, if McDavid or Sid somehow ends up in some kind of cup final,

it's somebody, but for right now, it's Vladdy, and he has a long leash of staying there. McDavid just had two cup finals and had the same outcome as Vlad. I'm just talking about recency bias right now. Vladdy Jr. just led his team with a World Series. Right now, he's the most popular guy in Canadian sports. I don't know I'm he's you had a great run I don't know I be I think it's not me not for me I think McDavid I think if they win the gold medal in February oh like that's February I'm talking about right now yeah no I'm but you said has a chance to be Brian

re-say the question again yeah well take it whichever way you choose this is an exact science here most popular athlete in Canada we're not in a cloning lab here where you need to be precise but yeah i would still say it's mac david in terms of billboards in terms of you know now it's different markets right because edmund like toronto bladdy's got the advantage of being in toronto which is the largest market you know there's just way more people and there's he's also got the exclusivity of the sports where mac david you know i don't think people in calgary love macdavid people in vancouver don't you know they they appreciate his talent. Sure, obviously they do. But if you're in Calgary, you don't love the guy. Why would

he beats you all the time? Vladdy isn't competing with anyone else in the country, which is a huge benefit to him. You know, there's the language barrier, which he has been getting much better with. And I thought he did an incredible job of just saying exactly what you had to say over the last month, you know, four or five weeks. He played it brilliantly. And he backed it up with performance. But, you know, I'm with you, oh, I think right now, but this is the definition of recency bias because, you know, now hockey's going to take over. If McDavid, you look at, he's a point off the leading points, you know, he's right there. He's, if Edmonton gets it going, and they haven't had a good start either. But if he has a great Olympic games, that's

going to launch him into an area that Vladdy can't compete with. What about a soccer player in February, I don't see, like, Davies or David. I don't think they're on the same level. You know, I think they, I think they were competing a few years ago when they made it to Qatar. They were definitely in competition for that. It was such a feel-good story. I'd throw Shea Gilges, Alexander, out there, too. Yeah, I was going to say.

She's on a very short list right now. Yeah, but two weeks after that was over, it was just like, okay, where's McDavid or where's Vladdy? And that's the thing, Vladdy against playing here. She's playing in Oklahoma City. Exactly. Like, no one's got an attachment to Oklahoma. Oklahoma City. No.

Nobody. Yeah, popular. Yeah, it's Vladdy or McDavid. Right now. Right now. I think that's valid. It's fair. And Vladdy, what he did last week, like literally three days ago.

So, yeah, like it's, it's, Vladdy with the edge, but let's see what two weeks from now or two months from now, it's probably a different conversation. And he's got to keep it going. Like, McDavid's been doing it consistently for a decade where he's been the best player. and you know Vladdy has never been and he still isn't the best player in the game you know that's still Otani or judge so Vladdy's got to double down and that'll be interesting to see what the bar is set at like what's acceptable for him during the season next year what is for acceptable like he didn't have a great regular season no it wasn't like explosive numbers it was good it was fine at 23 homers yeah no exactly barger at 21 i think didn't he like it was

No, I get it, but that's what I'm, but he also, he did himself such a service by performing in the playoffs. So now you're the, you're the clutch playoff guy, you know, and that's the, you compare in contrast with the Leafs, it's always been the opposite. Wow, these guys, man, you ever see them in October and November, you won't believe it. You won't believe the way these guys play in January and February. How they play in April and May? Well, you know, it doesn't matter. It's, you know, you get so many more points and more time if you do it in the playoffs, right? Like, that's ultimately what people really want.

Playoff performer first, regular season performer second, and he has that going for him. But I think the bar will be set pretty high, and it should be. He's going to be the third highest paid player in baseball next year. Yep. It's got to be one of the top eight or ten players in the game. All right. See Liv Golf going to 72 holes. I was going to fire that in as if anyone cares.

But there's old live golf trying to catch up. They're going to get rid of shorts next. I guarantee those guys are going to complain. Yeah, I know. All right. Anyway, Best Betts coming up. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on TSN4.

All right, Best Betts coming up here in just a moment. Raptors in action, Milwaukee in town tonight. Raps have now won a couple in a row. So they had a slow start, but they've tried to figure it out. They're actually favored tonight. Best Bet's powered by Fando. I'm going to lay the points. I'm on the Rapplers, getting some redemption.

They got beat up by Milwaukee about a week and a half ago. But I'm on the wraps tonight at home. Best Bet's powered by Fanduel. From tip off to the final buzzer, all NBA games are available on the Fanduel Sportsbook app. Please play responsibly 19 plus, physically located in Ontario. So, yeah, tomorrow we're, I don't know, we've got to figure out what we're going to do tomorrow.

The whole cloning thing might be a bit extreme, even for us. It might be an option. If you could clone Dougie in 93 or this player in 2017. I don't know. How about cloning a trade? That might be it. Can you clone a trade? Because at Gilmore trade, that's what you're talking about.

That's what you need right now. Yes. A monster five-for-five trade. I don't think you'll ever see that. You can't. The money will never work. You can never make money work like that. And there's too many guys with no trade calls.

If somebody could propose a trade and we just sit through them and say, does this make sense? We can keep it as simple as that. Man, it would be so great to get a Doug Gilmore type trade right now. That's puts it over the top. Wasn't Gary Lehman in that trade? Yeah, he went the other way. Gary Lehman?

You know who went the other way? It was Craig Barubei. Yeah, that's right. Craig Baroube was one of the five leaps that went the other way. Yeah, he was. Oh, man. But, yeah, Gary Lehman was. I think kind of the main piece from the Leafs going the other way.

And obviously Gilmore and McCowan came back the other way. Jamie McCown had a good run. He's a good guy. He's gritty, man. Gritty. Yeah. He's a beauty. Absolutely.

All right, boys. Well, we'll iron some stuff out. We'll figure it out. Dugie get to work. Dugie's on the warpath right now. Dugge's going to iron this out and have everything prepared for tomorrow. Thanks to everyone behind the scenes for helping out. We appreciate it.

Everyone for tuning in today, TV, radio, podcast, web, and every show streaming live on YouTube live on TSN's YouTube channel. We're out of here. Enjoy your evenings. Enjoy the games tonight. We're back tomorrow at cloning segment at 4 p.m. We'll chat then. Introducing Brian Adams Radio on I-Heart Radio.

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