OverDrive - Pronger on the Maple Leafs' pathway to success, Treliving's vision for the team and the Oilers' roster prioritites

Episode Date: May 23, 2025

Hockey Hall of Famer and Stanley Cup Champion Chris Pronger joined OverDrive to discuss the Maple Leafs entering a new era, Brad Treliving's vision for the team, the landscape of the roster, the Oilers in need of solid defensive and goaltending, the Hurricanes' style of play and more.

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What's up, Prongs? I'm fantastic after listening to you three. Yes. This is the world I live in all the time. These two, woe is me playing the victim. Perfect for Toronto, right? No accountability. Yes.

No accountability on this show. That's right. Prongs, let me ask you something off the hop. When you're in St. Louis and you saw the owner in the hallway or whatever, how would you address him? Would you say, hey, Larry or whatever his name was? What did you call him? Let's see here.

Depend on, initially it would be Mr. but if he said don't call me that, then I would call him by his first name. There you go. Respect. Yeah, but he was... Oh, he was 23 years old. What would you do right now when you're almost... How old are you?

50? You're not 50 yet. I am 50. I call everybody by their first name. Exactly. That was my point. Except! Except Mr. Snyder.

Mr. Snyder was always Mr. Snyder. There you go. See, that's what I don't know if he established anything. I called him Mr. Snyder. Okay, go ahead Noodles. How do you respond to that? Mr. Snyder is how old? Well he was, I know, but he was like 85.

He was 78 when I got there. He passed away now. I know, but he was like 85. He was 78 when I got there. I think he passed away around 85-ish, I believe. Somewhere in there. Yeah, so, okay, I get it. At 50 to your elder, yes, I get it. But if you're 50 and somebody is 56, you don't go, hey, mister, like to me, it's like the situation I was in.

These guys think I'm a jackass, Prongs, because I was 30 years old playing for the Leafs and I called Larry Tanabon, the owner, Larry, and they're like, that's offside, man, gotta go with mister, like this haze, yeah. Mr. Haze. Yeah, Mr. Haze.

But mister, mister O-dog, it's all depends on your style he probably appreciate it that's right you're quite blown to her tits outside when he saw him before shore uh... or shore there's a very a hundred percent certainty that there was eight players like in his garden bed beside his front door. For sure. Yeah it's been a it's been a wild week in Toronto here,

Progs, because you know I'm curious how you value the role of the president, like the one that Shanahan played the last 11 years. Yeah. You know, Keith Pelley came out today, the president and CEO of MLSE, the larger parent company and said that that role is not going to exist moving forward. Do you think that, is that a good thing, a bad thing for the Maple Leafs? Where do you stand on that? Depends on if they keep what he's put into place moving

forward. I think he was brought in under that guys, under that job title, for a specific reason, to look at what they were before and now what they've turned into since. There's been a lot of good things also put into place and just alumni initiatives and some of the business initiatives that Shani put in place and some of the player initiatives.

Nobody's perfect. I'm sure he'd like a redo on a number of things, but overall I think his tenure was pretty good. Not great because he didn't win. They didn't get past the, I think the sticking with the core four for as long as they did was a mistake. Especially spending that much of your cap on four players when other teams were not. And having four forwards up front counting for that much of your cap without really dealing with your defense or your goal tending.

Prongs, what would you do? Like if you were asked or brought in or you were giving advice to whoever was making decisions, what would be mandate number one like this summer? Even if it came to Tavares and Marner, let them walk, get different players, what would be your one main staple that you would say this has gotta happen to have any chance of different kind of results? Well, I think they have to spend the money

in the right places. You know, I think once they're now good, they've now created cap flexibility with the Tavares contract coming to an end, the Marner contract coming to an end They've got the goalies under a contract for another year They can take a look at them make sure they're the right guys before they spend any of the other money on them The nice situation. I think they need to bridge them Personally, I would bridge them to see what he gets to you know people talking like he's one

You know, he's gonna get eight nine ten eleven whatever people are Guessing he's gonna get I love those numbers He was like like his one of his I know is comparable if you want to go by Statistical stuff would be a guy like Dawson Mercer who's making four and a half But all the sudden is because it's the Leafs and everybody's crazy. He gets ten It's like no look at Dawson Mercer. You have to, you know, and then maybe with the physicality, add in a million dollars. Now he's at 5.5.

And it's a year later, etc. Whatever. Whatever metrics you want to use, even if you haven't met six, fine, give him two years at six. And really get an understanding and work with him and develop him. And if he gets to be a $12 million player, that means you're in love with him and you appreciate how he plays.

He's gonna do something special for your team. But I think, again, in their current construction, it's two forwards, two centers. They have to start making sure they look at the other parts of their roster construction as well And are they still in all-in mode? Are they in all-in mode? Are they trying to win now if they're trying to win now nobody cares about the first round picks Nobody like you're trying to win now and are they still in that window depending upon how they spend the money who they're able to bring in

You know, it'll be interesting to see and and then they can adjust and adapt and they don't have a cup They don't have first for the next couple years. So we'll see With Chris prongers, so you look at the Oilers going into game two tonight special teams have been a big issue for them on the road I mean, I don't want to overstate it they're in the conference final and they lost one game but yeah you know their their power play on the road hasn't been great and they give up three straight goals shorthanded the other night like you played on both sides of that like how person how do you how do you attack that tonight and how personally do you take it when you're

someone that's killing penalties and giving up goals are on the power play and not scoring them well you take a personally absolutely uh... you're not doing your job uh... on a number of fronts number one stand of the box uh... number two if you're gonna stand in the goalie sight lines you better block the shot like you better be diving in front of shots. You better be There better be a yard sale in trying to block these shots which I did not see in game one and and whether that's the layoff

whether that's not understanding What they want to do from a technical standpoint or maybe it's just a blood and guts thing I don't know but they need to they need to sell out with respect to blocking shots in the penalty kill they need to be more disciplined and and Stewart Skinner needs to make the saves that he should make and and this one he got caught looking, standing in behind nurse and Robertson. He looked late, didn't ever even saw it.

Like, if Darnold nurse is going to stand there directly in front of the goalie, he's got to block the shot. Why is he standing there then? He should be standing off to the side. If you're not going to block it, get out of the way. That's why he's standing there. I agree. I agree. I didn't think Skinner had his goods. If you're not going to block it, get out of the way. That's why you're standing there. I agree.

I agree. I didn't think Skinner had his goods. I didn't think he was very good. I thought that their penalty kill stunk in their power play, didn't get it done. But in the end, what do you make of Edmonton's team compared to Dallas's? I think Dallas is a really quality team and well built. Yeah. You know, is it just a matter of a response?

Because for 40 minutes, to be honest, I thought Edmonton looked really good the first 40 minutes. It's just the third period Dallas came alive and really took it to them in the third. I've never seen I haven't seen a comeback like that. I can't remember five goals in the third period, especially against a team that seemed like it was complete control of the game. Yeah. Until the first round with LA and Edmonton. Except they didn't win.

They didn't win. Yeah, exactly. I'm with you, Noodles. I thought Edmonton controlled the play outside of the one little mistake when when dry saddle lost the puck and Sega went on the breakaway For 40 minutes they dominated the game they dominated in zone Offensive zone time they were pretty slick and sharp in their own defensive zone And then and then they just got sideways with the penalties and they lost momentum. And then once the snowball started going down the hill, they couldn't get it under control.

And the Grandland goal was a, I mean, it was a beautiful shot. I don't like, personally, I don't like Wallman when he goes down on the one knee like that to block a shot. I would rather him go out and close time and space. He's there. Why not go the extra foot with your stick out and try to get in the lane? Robertson had just come across a flash screen. When you look from the angle behind the net, the goalie cannot even see the puck when it's coming off a grand with stick.

The one that I didn't like was the fourth goal. Duchenne's goal, Skinner was swimming in the net. He looked very discombobulated, very, what was kind of going in and around the crease. He got nudged. I don't even know if he got bumped. Then he lost sight of the puck and he was kind of swimming all over in there. You know, it just, to me, he was worried about getting hit, but it was his own player there. So, you know, he's got to be sharper. They just need to clean up a couple things.

I really like their game. If anything, and I'm Dallas, I want to clean up my game. Their defensemen did a very poor job in puck watching, both Drisital and McDavid. They don't need to go out and hit them, they just need to stop staring at the puck and just get in the way. Just use their body to impede their progress. Don't those guys kind of make you do that a little bit though, prongs? Like they just, regardless of your level of talent as a demon, they kind of, they can make you look stupid?

Oh, absolutely, but the issue was for two periods they kept stick checking and kept staring down at the puck. And we saw, we showed a couple highlights, I was on the Sports Step broadcast, a couple highlights from the year before when McDavid toe-dragged Haskinen and scored a beautiful goal. Listen, they're talented, they're going to score goals, they're going to highlight real goals and things of that nature, but at the end of the day, if I'm Dallas, that's something that I can clean up and I can get better at.

They can do a better job in their defensive zone on jerry thought played really well uh... the only outplayed skinner and and you know i think when you're looking at the two on paper you would expect that but uh... you're going off of the previous two series and we can just need to tighten up just a little bit

and uh... i think it'll be a different result with chris pronger how about the east or florida uh... seemingly is just getting stronger and stronger manate like they walked in carolina's been off for a while you look at florida last four games on the on the road five and seven in toronto wanted to carolina uh... it's crazy like the plan expansion team it's it's incredible what they're doing these guys.

Do you see that? Are they getting stronger and stronger? Is Carolina afraid of these guys? What do you make of the first two games? I don't think Carolina... So in the first two series, Carolina is a pressure team. They just are on you constantly, constantly on you. They don't score a lot of goals. They just throw pucks at the net.

They attack with bodies. They don't ever calm anything down and really make plays and shoot the puck with a purpose to score. Against New Jersey and against Washington, their defense couldn't handle that pressure and they were constantly suffocating them with that pressure. Florida is actually doing it to them. Their defense have closed the gap way up. They're going into the top of the circle, inside the top of the circle of Carolina's

end, to really close the gap, force turnovers, playing physical. And Carolina doesn't have an answer to it. They don't know how to make plays in those situations. They're so used to being on the other side of it that they really look like they're struggling with that pressure. And then you add in the physical component that they can't match,

and then just the ability to be opportunistic. Florida, up and down the lineup, is able to score goals, whereas when you look at the statistics, Sevechnikov really is the only guy who's been able to put the puck in the net at any big clip over the last few years. So they're a meat, Carolina that is, is a meat and potatoes team.

You know what you're gonna get each and every night. They're not, they don't play a super skilled game, is is a meat and potatoes team. You know what you're gonna get each and every night. They don't play a super skilled game, but Florida has just run rough shot over them and they're firing on all cylinders. Yeah, they sure are, man. Like they are impressive. You look at, again, like game six in Florida, the Leafs went down there,

played a really strong game themselves and kind of pushed Florida to the outside. But for the last five games, they've just completely dominated possession, the tone of the game, the pace of the game. Like you said, they've overwhelmed them everywhere, like all over the ice. And I don't know. I mean, it feels like- And when you look at time on ice, if you look at time on ice, they're rolling four lines, right?

They're not just you know, top six dominant dominant. They've got all four lines rolling all three sets of D like they're they're fresh Well, that's a luxury. That's the luxury of being up you get up three nothing in a game. You're like, why not? Like we're gonna play all these guys What did you make of the Reinhardhardt or the ajo on reinhardt i didn't like it main that that uh... you know i i

if you're gonna have to check again check again but the clippers knee uh... that could be a big loss i don't yeah i i i don't like when guys go after knees yeah that's just me yeah i hear you i'm on board with that too around the world

uh... i'm very much well believe it there it's uh... he was he would come out of... and i don't think that what will leave it there it's uh... he was he would come out of it and i was tonight and uh... back in florida tomorrow enjoy that through the weekend great senior we uh... always pretty nice pre-shared thanks for having me mistress you got mister pronger joining us here the uh... hockey hall of famer himself nostalgic the hockey hall of famer himself. in Canada now on iHeartRadio.ca or the free iHeartRadio app.

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