Real Kyper & Bourne - Grease Week Continues with Heavyweight Canadian Clash

Episode Date: January 19, 2023

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee are joined by Hall of Fame defenceman Chris Pronger (6:18) to kick it off, who shares his thoughts on what it's like going through and coming back from a life threatening injury and how Morgan Rielly can get back on track. They then tee up tonight's Leafs game against the Winnipeg Jets, including why Canadian teams love to hate the Leafs, Rielly vs. Josh Morrissey and Ilya Samsonov getting the start over Matt Murray. The conversation continues with Sportsnet Jets' reporter Sean Reynolds (41:19), who also discusses unheralded Jets players and coaching staff, the team's toughness and the future for Pierre-Luc Dubois. Finally,  Stanley Cup champion and NHL Network's Mike Rupp gives his take (1:06:15) on which Metropolitan Division teams can be contenders, the league lacking 'game-managers,' and the messy situation in Vancouver.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

This is Real Kipper and Born on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. Ah, you heard the man. Live on Sportsnet 590 The Fan, Sportsnet's YouTube channel. Sportsnet Now, iTunes, Spotify. It's a rating and review. We want to hear what you think of JB. Not Sammy. Not right now.

Not me. Just Justin Born. Maybe wait until a couple of days when my latest article has blown over a little bit more. And then rate and review me. Right now, I'm not at the peak of my popularity. No, you are on our show. No questions about that.

And in about five minutes, so will Chris Pronger, hall of famer stanley cup champion will be joining us he's a really really busy guy so we're gonna get him in real early on this show and get his thoughts on on so many things including the toronto maple leaves playing defense what maybe a guy like morgan riley's through, at least coming back off of a lengthy injury. That and more in a few minutes with Chris Pronger. Also on the show, Sean Reynolds, Sportsnet reporter in Winnipeg. This is a big one, JB.

Yeah. Toronto and Winnipeg. We had head coach Rick Bonas on the show yesterday. Yeah, great interview. Talked about... Is there anything better than beating the show yesterday. Yeah, great interview. Talked about... Is there anything better than beating the Leafs? Hey, anything better? Anything better than beating the Leafs?

Apparently. He didn't say that. No, but I mean, this is... That was Mark Scheifele last year. This has become a running joke now that the Jets think that it's a big rivalry with the Leafs. And the Leafs are like, you're 11th place on the rivalry list for us. Is that not fair, Sammy? Oh, you're at Microsoft yeah am i talking into the

abyss i got you oh can you hear me yes right now currently okay um yeah i think that this is just up high on the rivalry oh you do i do and i don't want to give the jets too much credit because it's like it's one of those things where it's like i don't think about you a whole lot at all but i do with them it isn't rivalry and it does matter okay oh yeah oh yeah and those things where it's like, I don't think about you a whole lot at all. But I deal with them. It is a rivalry and it does matter. Okay. Oh, yeah. Do you think so? Yeah.

Oh, yeah. And you know where it started. Or at least this kind of version of the rivalry where it started. Canadian Division? Nope. Before that. I'm stuck. Oh, Spezza Kneeing.

What's his name in the head before that oh um really testing my the atlanta thrashers and leases no no no no they did 2016 oh line a and matthew thank you oh yeah that's where it started you're good at your job that's a great point without a doubt this was one versus two and they had that epic hockey game which if i'm not mistaken was on saturday night it was not on a saturday it was not no sunday it was a weekday because i remember it was a crappy weekday i came back from here cornflakes that just shut my story right down listen it was 2016 i remember it because i went to uh i saw the jays get eliminated from the alcs against uh the then cleveland uh indians then but now the guardians i um came home and i put on the game and i was like oh thank god police are winning

for nothing i really needed this tonight and then patrick line i have storms back he gets a hat trick and because it was an afternoon game the jays game i think it was like a three or four o'clock start this is the most thorough backstory for when the game was this is why he's on the show yeah because i've been hitting the head about a dozen times and all i can think of is liney matthews and then he comes in on what they had for breakfast that day i remember liney scoring three and the ot winner and what everyone thought was jose bautista's final at bat he hit a double down the line everybody got really excited so um it was great i actually broke my remote that night i was so pissed off but the judge hey uh i do remember they went toe to toe it was like a heavy weight yeah it was the crosby ovechkin dueling hatrick

playoff game of the regular season it was the baby version of crosby ovechkin dueling hat trick playoff game of the regular season. It was the baby version of Crosby Ovechkin. I don't know if you remember in the overtime, Matthews had a big chance right before Laine scored. Wide open breakaway. Comes flying in. Got stoned by Hellebuck. Goes down the other way. Laine shoots one under the bar. Sam McKee in 2016 broke his remote. He was so pissed off. Slammed it against the ground.

I'm glad we have 2023 Sammy. And they were and the feeling was like we will take this for the next 15 years i know like where would you have had your thoughts that patrick liney wouldn't even be a winnipeg jet it would have seemed impossible because you would have said they'll do whatever he wants right like just whatever it takes to keep them they throw all the money at him but just didn't play out that way did it with injuries and bitterness culture yeah oh yeah the team culture did not welcome him in i it was a battle from the moment he got there you know heaven forbid a guy be

different oh god never mind easy i don't want to talk about this again well you know that's uh he is again patrick liney's the type of guy that if there's a group of guys going out for beers at lunch he'd rather stay in his room and play video games right which okay yeah it's fine right i don't care what you do right i'll put you in bubble wrap if you can score me a hat trick and help me look good the rest of the year help me me win a Stanley Cup. Yeah. But it is, you know, and that did speak to Bonus wanting to change the way, to whatever it was he wanted to change about the dressing room.

They made that change, and they're obviously having success with the way it's currently constructed. And that, we'll get a firsthand look at it tonight because there has been a shift with Rick Bonus. Did you notice bonus really talking up dubois in that interview i i thought he was he praised him a lot and i was wondering if there's some hope of like having that relationship be different bonuses there can we keep them yes and uh uh i think you can always try like really if you look at it uh without feeling like you need to do something

beforehand you have till july of 2024 before he becomes an unrestricted free agent a lot can happen between then and now and we'll pick up on that conversation but let's welcome in a very busy guy hall of famer chris pronger very busy guy very very busy ander Chris Pronger. Very busy guy. Very, very busy. And you know when it got really, really busy is when we saw that, you know, that near tragedy of the Buffalo Bills with DeMar Hamlin

and how everybody raced to the hockey version of this with you, what, 20-some years ago when your heart stopped. And that kept you very busy, didn't it? It did, yeah. It was an outpouring of requests, some of which I was unable to get back to. But, you know, think very very similar experience and as i delve deeper into it uh more similar than i guess i realized but uh i'm happy to see that he's doing

well and back home and and uh on the mend can i ask uh what the sequence after that on how fast did it take you to digest what happened and how you could be reassured it won't happen again? Was there ever a part of you that doubted that something like this could end my career? Take us back then. Yeah, I don't think it's an end your career. I think it's an end your life type of thing and as we just saw with what transpired a few Mondays ago in Cincinnati

and I think as I look back on mine it was really about can this happen again there's so many things that have to go perfectly in a sequence of events for this to actually happen and for this to stop your heart.

And there are so many in nanoseconds, and there are so many things that have to transpire in nanoseconds, step after step. It's like four or five things that have to happen, and then you'd be hit for this to actually occur. So as I talked to my heart specialist when I got back here to St. Louis before playing in Game 3 against Detroit, it was more a matter of how did this happen, why did this happen,

and then could this happen again? And playing a physical brand of hockey, you know, you're going to get hit in the chest, you're going to get hit all over the place. You know, are there any repercussions? Are there any short-term, long-term effects of the injury and then you know subsequent injuries and and she was pretty clear that that this was similar to winning the lottery I mean it so many things have to go perfectly in order and from a timing perspective that that the likelihood of this happening again and just based on the fact that it was 25 years ago and hadn't happened in hockey since in order and from a timing perspective that the likelihood of this happening again,

and just based on the fact that it was 25 years ago and hadn't happened in hockey since, you know, I think kind of speaks to that. And then obviously the DeMar Hamlin incident that we saw, how infrequent this happens in football. So it's not something that really, I mean, you certainly, as we saw, you plan for events to occur and you have to be prepared and you follow protocols and things of that nature. But, you know, it's not necessarily this specific one. Does it compare to playing with an injury where you have it in the back of your mind?

Like, how long did it take before you just didn't think about it anymore and you were just free and clear again? Well, I think that was the conversation I had to have with the heart specialist. And as she walked me through all the different things and how from a timing perspective and all that stuff, and really it's having these conversations. I talked to her for probably two, two and a half hours before deciding to go down to the rink

and kind of get up to speed and start preparing and take warm-up was really, okay, if I get hit, is this going to happen? No. Is it 100%? No, but nothing in life is 100%. Are the chances minuscule? And when I say minuscule, mean like when it went in the lottery

yes um and and really it was just a matter of me saying okay uh you know being 23 years old and and still pretty crazy and wild and um throwing caution to the wind and wanting to play you know i probably you know you could maybe look back now 25 years later and say maybe it was a little reckless. But at that point in time, you know, not having social media and all that stuff probably helped. You know, there's a lot of people that I've known over the years, other athletes in other sports, that when this incident happened and I started talking about mine, they were frankly a little embarrassed

and shocked that it had happened to me and they didn't know about it. And really, I mean, it's a sign of the times. I mean, it's 98, no social media, you know, it was a Fox game, but, you know, the other athletes are doing other things and not really paying attention. So I don't really remember there being a whole lot of publicity around the situation either, other than, you know, in Detroit and in St. Louis because of our playoff series. You know, there was no internet. There was nothing.

One more, JB. I'll come back tomorrow. It's fine. No, no, no, no. One more and I'll get you in, I promise. But speaking of that, correct me if I'm wrong, but the game continued. Does that, did that speak to how much you were disliked back then? I think it's a byproduct of a couple of things.

One, that may be, that may be true. But two, I think, you know, it was not a prolonged sequence of events on the ice similar to what we just saw in Cincinnati. You know, I regained consciousness. I started breathing again, you know, in less than a minute. And, you know, I think it was like 30 seconds. So, you know, while the scene looks gruesome, it was pretty quick, unlike what we just saw where things were unraveling and

transpiring you know 10 minutes I mean it would seem like forever you know as you're waiting to get more information and the screen's just blank you know with just the scene and not a whole lot of talking because people aren't really wanting to offer up any guesses and suggestions as to what's transpiring. So, you know, I think they knew I was going to be okay. I went off on the stretcher, got in the ambulance, you know, got on my way. You know, it probably affected guys a little bit. You know, when you see a scene like that, you see something happen, you know, it affects you.

But I really don't think, again, time and place and circumstance, I don't really think it was thought of. It was a big deal, but I don't think it was as big as it certainly was and the stage was a couple weeks ago. Fox Channel in 98, I hope they didn't show the Fox glow puck laser into your chest. Oh, they did. Oh, it laser beamed right into my heart your chest sorry to laugh that's awful um all right

well then let me take that to injuries and coming back from injuries today um in toronto right now they've got a number one d-man and morgan riley who you know frankly hasn't looked like himself when he since he's come back from injury just wanted to get a sense from you i'm sure you had stretches of your career where you didn't play at your best and knew there's a lot of pressure and you're supposed to be the guy. Is there something you can do to play your way out of that? Or is it just be you're a good player, you play enough games, you'll find the confidence naturally?

It'll come back. You know, I think sometimes when you come back and you're not 100%, as most guys are not, you come back, they play injured. You know, as guys used to say, you at 50% is better than the next guy that's going to be playing. So, you know, you've got to look at that. And, you know, you take it with a grain of salt, but they're probably true. And so, you know, he's working his way back in.

He's trying to gain confidence in his play. He's trying to gain confidence in the injury and where his health is at. And it takes a bit of time. Everybody's different. You know, you don't just turn the page and poof, you're all good. You know, there could be hesitation in certain aspects of his game. And sometimes it's a matter of the layoff and then getting reacclimated and get comfortable and getting your rhythm back.

You know, a lot of times you don't get a ton of practice time and these frankly these guys don't practice at all anyways so you're not really getting that practice time to get up to speed and get comfortable and and do all the things that typically we used to do to get ready to to play uh you know you're skating by yourself or with a couple other guys that are healthy scratches trying to work your way back in. That's just not the same simulation as a hard practice before a game or what have you. These guys don't really practice that much anymore. Not to compare Morgan Riley to your game in any way, but you also had the game to put up 50 or 60 points and maybe 15 goals and there was a

i'm sure a little pressure of you to provide some offense but when when you did struggle at times whether it was offense or defense did you catch yourself saying okay now then i'm just going to focus on this one thing or does it all kind of come back together uh and and you can feel comfortable about your whole game when it when all aspects of your game aren't running well where do you where did you go first to correct it no i always i always reverted back to how i defended how i played the game defensively first. And then as you get comfortable defending and how you defend, you know, I typically would, you get tired or you get a little wore out, you tend to lean forward and you're lunging a little bit more so than being

mobile and agile back there for me personally. And as I readjusted how I defended, then the comfort level in defending and having access to loose pucks and things of that nature, you then move them quickly, you get into transition, now you're moving up in the attack. Everything flows from defense. And as you feel more comfortable defensively, you'll then flow into the transition game, which then flows into the offensive game,

and you'll be able to push pucks, and especially him using his feet with the type of skater he is, he'll be able to get in on the attack, provide fourth, fifth-man support, sometimes lead the rush, but also from the defensive standpoint, using his legs to defend, create breakout opportunities in the transition game and things like that. And as he feels more comfortable game in, game out, and that all starts to come together,

the defensive side for me would kickstart the offensive side. And then you feel more comfortable with the puck because you know you're creating turnovers and you've got to do something with them. And slowly every facet of your game comes back together. Bronx, I don't know if you know this, but Kipper's a journalist. He has a column in the Toronto Star once a week. Here he does.

Prongs, you know I can do it all, right? He's a renaissance man up here. One-stop shop. Yeah, and so today's column he wrote about the Leafs and finding a little toughness lately. They've, you know, a couple of the guys you don't think of as heavyweights have gotten involved in some skirmishes, sticking up for one another. And I wanted to get your thoughts on if, you know, you can, I don't know,

I don't want to say bluff, but if you can play that way when it's not intrinsic to you. Is it possible for the Leafs to have that element, even though it's not just a natural element of some of these guys' game? Well, I think from a toughness perspective, I think you can look at it more so this way, that they're bonding together, they're creating chemistry and another storyline for them to talk about within their room

to bring them closer together so that come playoff time, they're willing to dive in front of a puck face first to block a shot to save a game and win a hockey game. They're able to then rely on one another to protect each other and be – when you're on winning teams and you're able to win a championship, there's a bond amongst the team and the coaching staff and management. You're all pushing towards the same goal. You're all in the same fight together, and you really mesh.

And when you see somebody other than Norm stick up for somebody or stand up for somebody that they don't like something happened, and on and on, it can galvanize the locker room. Whether it's somebody that doesn't traditionally drop the gloves or play a physical brand, what have you, you know, I think when you look at the Tampa Bay Lightning and the mold that they've created within the NHL, they're not an overly tough team per se vis-a-vis fighting, but they're a tough team to play against because each

and every one of those players plays hard on the puck and they compete for every puck and they use their bodies to separate the man from the puck and they dig. That's tough hockey. And you're going to have tough teams that might be able to beat you up, but they can't necessarily beat you in a puck battle. And ultimately, at the end of the day, the way this game has trended, that's what matters the most.

However, having said that, it is nice to know that your teammates have your back. It is nice to know that your teammates are willing to stick up for you and show some grit and determination to bring the group together when situations arise. And who doesn't like that feeling? It's not even a sport thing. Hey, go to work. Go into an office.

Go anywhere in this world knowing that someone has your back and that changes everything the way you feel about them and if you're if your common goal together is to win a game or uh work well and create revenue in your office it's all the same yep exactly you know if you have that comfort and and that uh feeling about your teammate your co-worker what have you that that they're willing to do whatever it takes for the company for the team i mean great great success begins with that and and certainly uh as this team finds themselves and finds their you know obviously they've played a much better defensive style this year does that translate to the playoffs you know again it's always a wait and see with this team you never

know what's going to happen so you would think that the lessons they're learning and have learned in prior years and now this season vis-a-vis the style of play um you know you you would think that the lessons they're learning and have learned in prior years and now this season vis-a-vis the style of play, you know, you would think that it would bode well for them. Brungs, before we let you go, I just want to know, what have you been up to these days? We've got nothing in the bio here today. He's on every week on Sportsnet, aren't you, with Amber? What's going on these days? I've got a BetMGM breakdown segment on Sportsnet on Monday. I've got, yeah, I just am working on a couple of things for Twitter and social media.

I've got a few things in the hopper that I'm working on. I'm on a few advisory boards with some companies. All right. Just staying as busy as I want to be, and we have our travel company. So as busy as I need to be when I need to our travel company. As busy as I need to be when I need to do something. I hope it's not Sunwing. Is all that MGM credit going in your

bank, or is it going right back to them? Are you just temporarily holding onto it until you give it back to them? Yeah. I'm not much of a gambler. I learned this lesson many many many years ago i'm not good at gambling so don't do it fair enough hey prongs always fun

having you on this show we really appreciate your time man all right thanks guys appreciate it thank you that is uh stanley cup champion chris pronger hall ofer, one of the best to ever play on the blue line. I don't think I could interview him in person because I'd be afraid he'd, like, stick me or something. I feel like with the distance, I can approach him more easily. Hey, Prongs, what are you up to recently? Oh, you know, just being grossly rich. How much do you worry about it, bud?

I'm seely rich. You're looking at his career earnings? Yeah, I mean, it's hard to know. There's 111 on here. Whoa. I want to follow up a little bit on, and you touched on it when we spoke to Chris, on the article that I wrote for the Toronto Star today.

And just my observations, the last two games, what stood out for me was the fact that it gave us a little bit of a different look that we've been accustomed to out of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and that is the lack of time it took them to respond to certain things. And Wayne Simmons actually was the initiator running over Nick Foligno Saturday night. Is it that noticeable for you as well in terms of now maybe seeing them

in a little bit of a different light? Small sample size here, granted. I mean, but is it something that they needed to kind of show? I don't know. When I look at this bottom six, McMahon, Kampf, Engvall, Aston Reese, Kerfoot, Hunt, like it's not soft. I know it's not what you're looking for. And I know, you know, what the team would like to have

is a little bit more of a punch first than a react. But I at least feel now like, you know, there's some guys there who will go back at the other side a little bit. And I thought Pronger's point about galvanizing a team is a really good one. You know, the guy who doesn't usually fight, who goes out there and does it,

and everyone's like, hey, you know, you go in the room and it's like a big deal there's something uniting about that yes you know and you know and you guys have heard me on this show the last few years and when when i hear guys on the team talk about how close they are oh yeah we get together here we'll go ice fishing here they're up at uh you know uh the cottage they're hanging out it's like great but you don't see it on but if you don't see that on the ice to what prongs just talked about then what's the point right right invite you we're besties until it's difficult. You go to the cottage. I'm great at going to cottages.

What's the point? I drink way less Palm Bays than I used to. Way less Little Buddhas than I used to. If you don't feel like that guy has your back on the ice, then what's the point of hanging out off the ice? Right. Yeah. No.

And so to your article's point, can that be a moment for the team where you're like, God, that felt good, eh? Like we had each other's back. We rallied in the game. That got the energy up. Willie gets us the OT winner after headbutting one in the net like Zidane. And all of a sudden, you know, maybe you're feeling good,

feeling like that's a way it can work for you. Sammy, was that a topic of conversation this last week with, you know, your Leaf Nation? Well, I think the conversation is that whenever they play these teams that they don't like, it's there. You look at them playing against the Jets. Last time they played against them, it was a greasy game and they kind of initiated. Against Boston, it kind of set the tone. I think they have to have this...

Investment? I think what they need to do is find a way to act like they do when they play the Bruins or the Jets or the Cats. Not every game. Just holding up pictures of Darlene for Matthews every game? Because they do have it in them. And I was jokingly referring to this as Grease Week because it's a matchup it's a matchup with three teams that you don't really like with boston uh florida and now winnipeg

and then montreal on saturday night it's a good chance the leafs kind of flexes kind of muscle and people are talking about it a little bit all right let's go to sheldon key for our first kippers clipper of the day on sticking up for each other. Well, if I, I don't know if I'd, I don't know if I could say that. I think some, I think some of our the dynamics of some of our players have changed. You know, I, I don't, it's not the kind of thing I think a lot about, but all I would say is that I'm been really happy with how we've addressed any of those situations that have, have come up during the season at different points.

You know, most recently just the other night. But all throughout the season when a situation has come up, I've really liked our response. But I don't like that he said that's something I didn't really think a lot about. Why not? Why wouldn't you think about it a lot? You've had plenty of examples in the past where we're watching guys that could defend for one another and they don't and you're

wondering are we watching the same game well this is all back to that philly moment isn't it and that to me is keith making a statement that every time this has come up i've liked our response he's seeing bunting go after connect me and giordano spear tackle and you know the rest of us are seeing matthews in that moment not doing it right is that not the separation here the keith is saying we've liked our response where we're saying or seeing it hasn't come from everyone all the time i think the more the the more guys that do it the easier it gets for another guy to do it. Yes. Because you know you're not in there alone.

You don't want to be the one guy in there alone. And, you know, if you happen to be 190 pounds or 200 pounds and you see a guy 170 pounds like Bunting doing it, you almost guilt a guy to kind of go, all right. Ah, yes, I better. Let me at him. Let me at him. Yes, I better. Just,

or, or fake it until you make it right. Mic'd up that game. Yeah, no, exactly. Scrappy do like, just look the part. Yes.

Yeah, no, definitely. You see a couple of guys in there and already tangling with the big boys. It's a lot easier to go in and just grab a guy and hang on. All right. Let's, we talked about a little earlier about Matthews and Patrick Lainey back in, what, 2016,

drafted first and second. Let's pick up Sheldon Keefe's thoughts on the Jets and the rivalry. I think a lot of it is, as we talked about the last time we played, these guys come through the Canadian division and playing them as often as we did. So whenever that happens, I think you just tend to be that much more alert, that much more aware, that much more respect for your opponent, all those kind of things when you see them that much, see them that often.

And I think we've been playing a number of games like that recently, you know, whether it's Boston tonight, you know, a divisional opponent like Florida, you know, in what they bring. So to that end, I think our players are getting comfortable in these spots and, you know, it's fitting that we've been through them and expect more of the same tonight. So if we were um to rank all canadian teams in terms of uh attention in terms of attention yes oh in terms of attention okay so leafs canucks hold on yeah let's let's do it okay Toronto first yeah the second Vancouver Vancouver

a ton are you talking about generally or right this generally generally Montreal is ahead of but the market's bigger in Vancouver is that right I don't know I think so yeah Vancouver Montreal okay let's go let's go uh uh I think you gotta go montreal okay 2a and 2b we'll put montreal vancouver connor mcdavid and then mcdavid and then and then calgary yeah and then the jets are also in the league ottawa or winnipeg winnipeg gets more attention than ottawa because ottawa hasn't even been interesting i don't know i've got winnipeg gets more attention than Ottawa because Ottawa hasn't even been interesting. I don't know. I've got Winnipeg.

Last. In terms of, yeah, the attention, the media. Ottawa's just closer to Toronto. Closer and there's just seems generally the media probably writes a lot more about Ottawa. Yeah. Outside of Vancouver or Winnipeg getting. My whole point in this. Yes. Is that Winnipeg, I think knocking the top dogs off their little perch.

Right. Is an incentive for them. Yes. And that's part of maybe this recent rivalry is that they get all the attention they got all the love hockey night canada gives them their their 20 minutes they squeeze us in for three minutes and the warm-ups and it's like yeah every time they play toronto it's like i get to get a bit of a stage here they hate us because they ain't uh i remember kevin bx is saying on hockey night in canada that even when he was with the canucks they resented the leafs a little bit

because because of that yeah you know and vancouver was a much better team much better for a long time when bx was there and everyone was like and they still didn't get the attention so you can understand how a team like winnipeg who's been to with a conference final or sorry division final last year you know they've they've had some success in the postseason recently with elite players on their team for many years and it's you know it hasn't so i understand your point that they would be a little revved up to yeah that's where the little extra uh juice comes from maybe Mark Shifley and the boys coming into the room thinking that they beat the big dogs. Yeah.

Yeah, I think the thing with the Leafs, it's undeserved attention would be if you're on the other team, right? It is, but we all know it's driven because of the money. Right. The ability to create revenue or ratings it's all i gotta tell you some of these guys should be pray or thankful they're they're not here everyone's like kyle connor's unbelievable for the last five years he'd have been willie kneelander here he'd have been the whipping boy who does not play defense who shoots it in the

net a lot you know like the lack of attention doesn't hurt everyone in a lot of these cases he's a good goal scorer he's one of the better wingers uh goal scorers maybe he would be willie nylander if he was here who would you rather have willie nylander or kyle connor nylander connor is i you know eiler sorry um bonus yesterday said he's taught you know where they've been working on his defense he's paying more attention to the defensive side of the puck he's one of the worst defensive forwards for me or it has been the past years defensive i just think willie's uh got a notch up on on uh on just an overall strong just overall skill too across the net, yeah. And just maybe seeing the ice more of a playmaker than a shooter. Shooted it.

Right? For sure, for sure. But, I mean, this Jets team, they're having unbelievable success in that central. You know, you look up and down the lineup. The Leafs can get them. Manalainen, Kuhlman, Gagne, Stenland. You know, like there's, I'm not looking at the Leafs bottom six and thinking that they can't hang with them.

So should be a great game. Tons of elite players on the ice tonight. We spoke to Chris Pronger earlier about maybe some of the things that Morgan Rielly's been going through the last 10 games since coming off his injury. Is this a little bit maybe Morgan versus Josh Morrissey tonight? For sure. I think there's some of that.

And I also think it's hilarious. Borny pointed this out in our group chat that we had Jovo on on whatever day that was. Was that Tuesday we had him on? Yeah. And he's like, you know, the way to get back out of a slump is just to keep it simple. Let the puck do the work.

Off the glass. And then Borny's like, Morganigh's led seven rushes tonight. He did the exact opposite. You hear Pronger again? I loved Pronger's when I struggled in certain areas. You just go back and just make sure it's from your own zone out. You defend. And you know what happens then?

You're on the right side of the play, and you can see everything develop, and it seems easier. You're not ahead and in it, and it's all around you. Didn't get that feeling out of Morgan versus the Panthers. Did not get that feeling. No, he was in the thick of it up the rink for sure. One thing, so we have so many things to do on the Leafs here before tonight's game.

One thing I did want to mention is the fancy stats. The Jets are elite elite, like top two or three teams in the league in slot passes, like connecting on passes into the slot from outside, which makes goalies move a lot, which makes it a tough game to goaltend. They don't get a ton of shots, but the shots they get are usually off passes.

Tough game to goaltend tonight. Okay. Speaking of Samsonov's in the net tonight. He is. No surprise here from you guys. I kind of planted a little bit of a seed that, you know, maybe they do go back to. You okay?

I'm alive. Maybe they go back to Matt Murray. Well, you could see them wanting to say, you know, one bad game is no big deal. We didn't pull you and then you lost your spot. You know, you're going right back in. So, yeah yeah there's a little part of me that's interested that sammy gets tonight it could be that they think it's a tougher game and they want to you know give murray a chance to put him in a position to succeed do we have a quick clip of sheldon talking about his goalies we do have that would you like to hear it yes okay well i think in a

case like this you know the decision is quite easy you easy Sammy came in and did a terrific job for us and you know Murad has come off playing two in a row and this was an easy one maybe four of eight was an easy one four goals on eight shots

or was it four on nine doesn't matter so let's just say samsonov has a great game do you give him a chance to run with it for two in a row do you go back to him saturday night in montreal or do you still play off that i want both of these guys uh feeling good about themselves at the same time somebody if you give somebody a run that means somebody else is going to feel like crap and is sheldon okay with one goalie feeling bad about themselves for maybe a week apparently not this is they're like his two young children

that need equal amounts of love let me ask you if they made a deal for a different goaltender at the deadline, let's just say they said, we can get rid of Murray's cap hit. We can spend that money on another player. We're able to get goalie X at a retained salary. Sure. He's a sieve. Okay.

Just when you're throwing, I don't know if you saw the highlight. Varlamov. You watch the highlights of that game last night? Whoever it is. Four goals went through his glove last night. All right. You're not helping. Would you think it a waste of assets for the Leafs to try to improve in net? Yes.

So not even worth it at this point. I would be so upset that you just spent 65 games and we still don't. We're just throwing spaghetti on the wall to see if it sticks, I'd be really upset if I was Brendan or the board of directors to go, what the hell have you been doing for 60 games? You've got to come to me now and tell me you've got to trade for another goalie. If you point at the pile of noodles on the floor and say nothing stuck, so do you want me to keep trying to stick the same noodles

or should I get some other noodles? You're the noodle and you're joining that pile. Okay? That's what I say. You're one of those noodles. I don't want to hear that. Okay. I don't.

That's your bed. Lie in it. Those are your goalies. That's what you told me you wanted to do. You did it. Don't bail on it now. are your goalies. That's what you told me you wanted to do. You did it. Don't bail on it now. Oh. All right.

That's funny. That was a good joke, Kipper. Biggest start of the year by far for Samsonov tonight. Really big one. Huge. Hey, if I'm Samsonov, I'm feeling really good about coming in cold against florida and doing what i did i am going in tonight with a ton of confidence and i think this has a chance to be a low scoring game tonight i'm going to take the other side of that i think this jets team scores like crazy and

samsonov scares the hell out of me at least goalie scare me i just can't i there was i picked up a little bit of rick bonus last night that says that we got to do a better job around hellebuck yeah and we got to tighten things up to me that's the focus of winnipeg tonight not putting the puck in the net yeah i mean i could be wrong no could be right we'll have to wait and see how this plays out that's the fun of sports talk radio i look forward to seeing because the jets you know now should be setting their sights on something bigger right like their first in their division is this year that they're going to go on a run can they tighten it up you talked about playing well enough to convince your gm to trade for someone so i do think to your point that they will want to show they can play titan against big teams and big games and whatever you might see a pretty interesting jets team today uh a tight uh shot blocking

night that we saw much of november and early december does that come into play could you frustrate those uh analytical stats that you were talking about could the leafs be in a position to block a lot of shots in that in those danger areas that you're talking about yeah and they excel there the leafs actually block shots really well justin hall giordano those guys lilligran they all block shots really well so certainly that could be a factor okay we've got um mike rupp in the second hours well i didn't even tee him up stanley cup champions all the way around chris pronger early mike rupp in the second hour but between that we go to sean reynolds from sportsnet who covers uh the jets yeah and uh we'll get his thoughts

we talked earlier about pierre luke dubois and his chances and is there enough time between now and july of 2024 for him to maybe think about staying in winnipeg long-term. We'll ask Sean. You'll get our thoughts. Plenty more on Real Kipper and Bourne after the break. All right, let's welcome in Sean Reynolds who will help us tee up tonight's matchup. Just kind of feeling good about this week boston as sammy had mentioned florida and now what could be a fairly emotional game especially with winnipeg coming off a loss

as rick bonus told us about that the other day that uh hasn't got them feeling too good uh let's welcome in sean to talk about it uh sean how how are you, pal? Thanks for doing this. Anytime, Kipper. How are you doing? We're good. So, listen, how easy is your job when you cover a team that really was supposed to suck this year? You know, I had them bouncing back under Rick Bonas because I think the one thing that most of us have looked at

for a number of years, I think this Jets team most of us have looked at for a number of years, I think this Jets team has been a capable team since 2018 when they looked like they were kind of ready to take the mantle as one of the better teams than the NHL. And you could just see a lot of times that they didn't play the right way. Like they'd go into a game against the team that was way below them in the standings. They'd put in kind of a half-assed effort,

but they'd come away from the game and they'd win because Connor Hellebuck would steal the game for them. Or, you know, they'd send Nick Ehlers and Kyle Connor out, or Mark Scheifele. They'd go pop in a couple goals. They were always winning games they didn't deserve to win and getting away with it. But you could see that getting away with it wasn't helping this team,

and their game was just kind of heading south and heading south, and it all kind of culminated last year. They needed someone who was going to come in and try and hold them accountable. And that's what you see time and again from Rick Bonas is, you know, the Jets are on a streak. They've won eight of their last ten games. And heading into the Hockey Night in Canada that we had last Friday, they'd won five of six.

And so everything should be joyous, right? And instead, Rick Bonas was on his team and saying they weren't playing the right way. And that's what you see. They play a game against Montreal and really the sky is not falling based on what they've been doing lately with their record. But listen to Rick Bonas, the sky is falling because he doesn't think

this team is playing the right way and when they aren't he points it out he stays on top of them to try and avoid them becoming that team that over the years just doesn't seem to necessarily play an honest game and when they get away with it and keep winning games they don't deserve to win the corrections just don't count sean i think when a lot of canadian hockey fans look at the jets they know the usual names. It's Shifley, it's Wheeler, you know, less or so they maybe know Connor and Ehlers and all that. Is there anyone else on this team this year

to really take note of that has stepped up and is part of the reason that this team has, you know, risen to the top of the Central Division? Well, I mean, I don't think it's a secret when I talk about Josh Morrissey. I mean, people are commenting on Josh Morrissey. Like, he's been the Jets' best player this year, in my estimation. Definitely their best skater.

The other, you know, argument would be for Connor Hellebuck. But he's been just phenomenal this year. And, I mean, it's going to be interesting. Gary Galley talked about this on our last Friday Hockey Night in Canada broadcast. It's probably going to come down between he and Eric Carlson, the way things are going right now. It's hard to discount what Eric Carlson is doing. I think he's top five in the NHL in scoring right now. That's impressive coming from the back end.

Josh Morrissey is about 12 points behind him. That's a wide, wide gap. Josh Morrissey just gives away nothing, nothing defensively. And so the balance is going to be there. If people are going to watch him, and, you know, people in Toronto should watch him tonight and get a good look at what he's capable of doing. Like that balance that he brings, I would argue,

is the best balance of offense and defense in the NHL. And he's really, you know, been the foundation of the Jets game so far this year. But really the star of this team is Rick Bonas' system. When the Jets play to Rick Bonas' system and play to that identity, they're an extremely hard team to beat because they're so opportunistic scoring and because it's so hard to get score against Connor Helbig even when they're not giving him support when they do give him support you just see to just win so many of these two one games three two games because they just kind of

set up this shell and wait for the other team to make a mistake and when they make a mistake they're so offensively gifted they can pounce on it um the problem with them comes when they make a mistake, they're so offensively gifted they can pounce on it. The problem with them comes when they kind of fall in love with their ability to generate offense and forget about the defense, and then it just ends up in the back of their net, and it's a problem. We're talking to Sean Reynolds, a Sportsnet reporter in Winnipeg. When it comes to the X's and O's, I get the sense that that's more Scott Arneal than maybe even Rick Bonas. Is this the type of season that could have teams looking again I get the sense that that's more Scott Arneal than maybe even Rick Bonus.

Is this the type of season that could have teams looking again at Scott Arneal in a different light? Oh, my goodness. That's a great question, Kipper, and no one is asking that question. Yeah, Scott Arneal is a little bit of the secret sauce. I mean, if people go back and remember, this season started without Rick Bonas at the helm because he was out with COVID. And one of the things about this team is their penalty kill is run by Scott Arneal.

And their penalty kill is suffocating. I mean, they are winning games off the penalty kill because they can play as aggressive as they need to if they end in the box. And they're not an undisciplined team by any means but when they do end up in the box it rarely costs them and it seems like they're more likely to score when they're short-handed because not only is their penalty kill suffocating but it's extremely aggressive and generates a lot of chances for them as well these are all blueprints of of of Scott Arneal. I think one of the things about him is

he'd come in, I do believe he was one of the candidates to be the coach in Winnipeg. And so for him to kind of, I don't want to say swallow his pride, but accept working behind Rick Bonas and doing so in a manner where

he never is trying to take the spotlight and put it on himself. He's just accepted his role and doing that role great. But in the opportunities where he's had to be the head coach of this team, they haven't skipped a beat. I mean, they've been great. And for him to start the season and get a good start for this team out of the gate without their head coach,

there's nowhere he's fallen down this year. So should other teams be looking at him as a head coaching option they most definitely should uh kipper you're the only one i've heard talking about it so far so uh spread the word oh no no no it'll spread quickly you'll just remember it was a real kipper and boyd show that that was smart enough to acknowledge at first 84.3 the penalty kill second best in the nhl obviously humming along a little bit they um you know the jets team gave the leafs uh some physical battles over the years more recently um it doesn't feel like you know we always talk about toronto and their lack of toughness when i look at the the jets lineup they don't necessarily have a heavyweight fighting type player i know lowry will go once in a while are they a tough team is there someone or a group of people the leafs players should be

looking out for in the physical side of things um i mean when brendan dylan was in he had that capability and clearly he was uh you know a thorn in the side of some of the least players the last number of times they played brendan Dillon is always a guy who is going to take care of business. He doesn't go out of his way to do it, but never tries away from it. This Jets team, if you think about it down the middle as well, Pierre-Luc

Dubois leads the league in drawing penalties. Last year, he also led the league in taking penalties. This year, he's found that balance a little bit. He's, I think, seventh in the league or something like that in taking penalties. So he's done better with that. He'll get into people's kitchen, right?

And people from Toronto will remember how he did that with Austin Matthews when he was with Columbus, and they knocked the Leafs out of the playoffs a number of years ago. The Jets like to kind of drag it into the alley, especially Pierre-Luc Dubois. They've got Glowrys and the Brennan Dons and guys like that who are able to back it up. And the Scheifeleys and the Wheelers

are big men as it is. So while they're not going and throwing their weight around, they're not going to be pushed around either. So the Jets have found an interesting balance there that while they're not pugilistic and they don't head out necessarily looking for trouble, unless you are Pierre-Luc Dubois, they can handle themselves when that happens. And they do have this edge to it.

Pierre-Luc Dubois turns things into a little bit of a war, and he's really good at getting other teams off of their game. The Jets have had success against the Leafs in the last number of years when they've been able to do that. They didn't do that the last time they played success against the Leafs in the last number of years when they've been able to do that. They didn't do that the last time they played and the Leafs cleaned them up, right? So I would think the Jets are going to try and drag this into the alley tonight because that's where they have their best success against that talented Leafs team.

All right, Sean, you mentioned Pierre-Luc Dubois. They were in Montreal. I had heard that a lot of players on both sides of Montreal and Winnipeg had the thoughts and conversation on Pierre-Luc Dubois wanting to be a Montreal Canadian. What kind of vibe did you get going into Montreal and leaving Montreal? Well, I'll tell you this. Like I heard you the other day and, and that to me is like the biggest news I've heard on that.

I like that you took a stand. I like that you're saying something like you're planting the flag on this. The Pierre Lecoubois is not coming back to Winnipeg. I'll say this, like everything that I think Pierre Lecoubois, when people ask me if they think he me if I think he's going to stay, everything he's done shows me the actions of a player that's trying to get to unrestricted

free agency as quickly and as expediently as possible. And we've seen that before with players like Jacob Truba in Winnipeg and you heard earlier on that those players maybe wanted their way out of town. And the way they conducted their salary negotiations, everything that they did pointed in the direction of a player

trying to leave town as quick as possible. That's what I'm seeing from Pierre-Luc Dubois as well. Now, last year, clearly, him showing up at the Montreal draft, the comments that were made by his agent would suggest the same thing people in winnipeg are really really hoping that that playing alongside kyle connor and kind of developing this chemistry that these two players have together and then being a good team with a coach now that seems to really get him in his broader new element of his game would be enough to maybe show Pierre-Luc Dubois that life's pretty good here.

Your dad is a coach for the Mount Elbemuth in town, so your family's here, so you can be around your family. We're going to pay you scads of money, and you're in a great situation as far as players go on a winning team with a coach that really seems to get you. That's the sales pitch. I think you're right. I don't think he's coming back to Winnipeg.

I did have a sit-down interview with him at the beginning of the year where I kind of was trying to challenge some of the things he'd said and done. And I'd said to him, what kind of hope should a Winnipeg Jets fan wearing a Pierre-Luc Dubois jersey or a fan with a Jets jersey who's thinking of putting your name on it what kind of hope should those fans have that you there's potential for you to be here long term and he told me at that time that there should have been a lot of hope but I went and I took that to Kevin Shevelday off and it was an uncomfortable question for him and

what that told me was it's easy for a player to say yeah I'd love to stick around stick around. And then when he ends up leaving, he says, you know what? It just didn't work out, whatever. But if you're the GM who has a player say, yeah, I'd love to stick around, and then he leaves, then you look like you messed it up, right? You look like, what? The guy wanted to stay here. He said that people should have hope, and now he's gone. What did you do?

How did you not walk him down? So I think that what we're seeing from Pierre Le Dubois over this year is a way of managing his time in Winnipeg where the fans don't feel hurt that he's about to break their heart and move on. And that's what I'm seeing here. Now, I haven't heard anything as definitive as you did, Kipper. But when you came out and made those comments, I'm going to say I wasn't surprised to hear that.

Well, listen, this is July 24th. If, in fact, they don't trade him between now and then. Like, I get it. A lot of things can happen here. And everybody can have a right to change their mind. Or there's a an injury there there could be a lot of different things knock on wood he's fine but you know there is some distance here um and nothing's ever written in stone here but yeah you know as of now

you're right everything is lending towards uh not a long-term commitment. So what do you expect to happen at the trade deadline for the Jets then? Like they would never, obviously Dubois is going to be there this season regardless. Do you see them adding someone else? And if so, what kind of piece would they be looking at? So this is interesting because I was talking with you guys last year. Maybe you'll remember this, Kipper. You asked me what the Jets were going to do in the offseason when they blew this up.

And I said to you at that time, they're not going to blow it up. I know Kevin Shevelday off the way he feels about this team. He believes in this team, and while he probably should have made a coaching move years ago, he wanted to see what this team looked like with a new coach. Now, in retrospect, it's a great move, a move that he should have made a number of years ago. But because Pierre-Luc Dubois, they have team control of him for over the next two years. And by the way, when that expires, so too does Connor Hellebuck's contract,

Blake Wheeler's contract, Mark Scheifele's contract. The way I see it, since 2018, there's been a belief in this organization that the Jets could do something special. And after 2018, they've essentially fallen on their face every single year. So this is the last two years of the window that they thought they always had, that they designed their contracts to get to. And I truly do believe that they're going to conduct themselves over these next two years in a manner of throwing everything they have at trying to capitalize on this window so i see them going for a big fish up front i see them trying to land a top four

defenseman on the back end and i see them trying to add maybe a little more like a a little bit of depth on the back end. A veteran player who can kind of step in, maybe isn't there for every game, but can step in should anything happen. And I'll go a step further and say, I know a lot of people are thinking that the potential for Pierre Thibode to be moved in the offseason is there. And I think it is. But the Jets still want to capitalize on this window.

It doesn't make sense for them to move him for. No, he's not going anywhere. He's not going anywhere at the dread at the trade deadline. No, no, I don't mean the trade deadline. I'm looking ahead to the off season. Yeah. You move them at the draft. Yeah.

But I don't Kipper. I'm saying it right now. Just like I said, last year, the jets weren't blowing things up. No, I think unless they get exactly what they're looking for and it's trading him for someone who helps them right now, that they hold on to this whole thing and try and win the cup again next year, depending on what happens this year. But I can see the Jets like the team they have,

and they like this two-year window to try and do something special. And I can see them holding on to the cards they have and keeping all their players as own rentals and an ability to try and do the best they can with this club that they've believed in for so long. Bo Horvat. Yeah, Bo Horvat's a guy who would make tons of sense coming here. He's the kind of guy they need.

And slide him right in there and then move Pierre-Luc Dubois if you need to in the summer for assets. Well, if you can re-sign Beau Horvat. Oh, you trade to sign him. He is your replacement for Pierre-Luc Dubois. So you're suggesting moving Dubois to Vancouver? No, I'm suggesting you trade for Beau Horvat in the next few months. And that's your added piece to the run this year.

And then you move Bo Horvat in the summer for assets. Sorry, you move. I'm sorry. Pierre-Luc Dubois in the summer for assets. If you could, if you can sign Bo Horvat long term. Nine million. Nine will do it. Oh, nine.

You want to have a bow for nine? It's money that you would have paid Pierre-Luc Dubois. Yeah. Eight and a half. So the one thing you always got to think, Kipper, when you look at the Winnipeg Jets, is take a look at the contract that they've signed with their players. Connor Hellebuck is probably at a 40% discount. Mark Scheifele has been at a 25% discount for the entirety of his contract.

I know. Josh Morrissey is making $5.5 million. The Jets do not throw money away willy-nilly, and I don't think they would look at it the same as you do in that we would have spent this on Pierre-Luc Dubois. Let's just spend it on Bo Horvat. And the other part of that is, like,, Bo Horvat's rolling into Winnipeg and only seeing it for a couple months in the springtime.

I'm just not... What they sell players here long-term is that it's a really good organization, that everything is kind of taken care of. People like it. It can be a good family place, but it takes time to see that. I'm from this town. I grew up in this area. It takes time to see that. I'm from this town.

I grew up in this area. It takes time to see the value, and I think it would be risky to bring him in and try and sign him long-term. And if you're Paul Horvat, why are you passing on the unrestricted free agency market and everything that could be out there and listening to what other teams value you? Why would you pass that up to stay in a town that you just rolled into? But you have to overpay in Winnipeg now to get guys to come. You will.

There's just no way. There's just no way, Sean, that you could still have people buy in that you get a little less. Scheifele feels like he's been on a discount for how many years now? So he's chasing the money. He's not giving another discount. He's not. He's going to go make up that money he lost.

Same with Connor Helbig. You're right. You're right. It worked out for them for a while. They got all these guys on a deal. Time's up. Great. But now you put them in a position where all those guys have to go chase the paycheck

because they've given up so much of it to stay in Winnipeg of all places. So I know what you're saying. I entirely agree with it. And I could see them. Hey, we've been talking about Bo Horvat for a long time. He would help turn this team into having three lines, like a top nine.

That would be really, really hard to contend with. And that's a lot of beef when you've got the likes of Horvat and Wheeler and Shifley and Pierre-Luc Dubois. It would make them a tough team to play against. I'm on board with everything that you're saying. The idea of keeping them around long-term, though, I think that that would be tough to do.

Hey, listen, really appreciated your time on the Winnipeg Jets. Fascinating stuff. We're going to be watching with great intrigue. Thanks for doing this, Sean. Yeah. Anytime, guys. Yeah, thanks, Sean. It was awesome. Yeah for doing this, Sean. Yeah. Anytime, guys. Yeah, thanks, Sean. It was awesome.

Yeah, it was really good. I really liked that conversation. And I get what he's saying, that they have their structure. Here's the problem, is that when even Kevin Sheveldayoff goes into this trade deadline, he's looking at potential players, good players, who have a trade list of places they won't go. And I would bet you 80% or 90% have Winnipeg on it. That puts them behind the eight ball oh it's tough you have no idea and the only way you can kind of get around that

is if they are in a position to resign you better buck up no argument for me i don't think as much as uh you know sean makes a really good point about the way they want to do their contracts eventually you just there's no one to give the money to you know if no one wants you can't get people to be there there's no trade lists or your own guys are leaving eventually you're gonna have to say all right well we got to pay a bit of a premium here to get bo horvath but, but we think this is our window, et cetera, et cetera. Just some relevant news here.

Old Winnipeg Jets coach and now Florida Panthers coach was fined $25,000 for his comments. Oh, really? I thought he wouldn't get fined. No, he got fined. I guess he... I was wrong. He did say they threw those guys at us like he was talking about actual garbage. Yeah, and what he called it, he said something at us like he was talking about actual garbage yeah and what

he called he's like he said something at the end where he basically called them idiots like i think he had to i think i thought he was so legit i thought maybe the league would stroke paul marisa check for 25 000 sorry for the poor ref yes so go buy a boat no just take the team out for a nice meal yeah and uh we'll try to be better next time. No, that's not how she works, unfortunately, for coaches. That's interesting. Well, I guess Leafs fans can deconstruct their tinfoil hats about how the Leafs are done by. Boston and Winnipeg, I would see,

would have a real need for a Bo Horvat. That's all. Maybe I feel differently about Bo Horvat. Ho Borvat. Maybe I feel differently about Bo than you. Bo knows. In that, like, this feels like an outlier. Is this a career year that he'll never hit again?

I am not confident you're getting this Bo Horvat, who's got, what's he got, 30-some goals already? There's no history in any sport of a guy performing well in the year his contracts i've never seen that i don't know maybe nine's too much right yes i think it is i wouldn't want to pay he's got 30 goals in 44 games he's on pace for whatever that is and what uh nearly 60 what has he been in the past? 25, 27? He scored 30 last year. Okay. Back-to-back 30s is not five and a half.

Well, it's also not 30, and it's coming with a ton of points. I mean, his career high in points. Here's his points the last four years, Kipper. 49, 52, 39, 53. Yeah, and that's one of the main reasons why uh jimmy rutherford looks at him and goes you're not a elite center because you're you're a 50 point guy you're a 50 point guy and 50 point guys make 5.5 yeah right and you know i and so you'd be bo horvat and you say uh i'm not a 50 point guy i'm a 30 and a 50 goal guy is what i am and i say okay that guy's worth nine million i think you're worth five here's your seven yep that's what jimmy said and then beau said no no

i'm out of here yeah i don't know how about i would give beau that number if i didn't have to also give him term but someone likely gives him i bet his number checks in in the eights and five six years okay let's flip it a little bit on pierre-luc de bois who is heading towards a 90 point season which is a career high but oh he's 24 while bow's 27 oh he's only 27 yeah 27 what okay he's 28 this year yeah still young much younger than i thought yeah yep pierre-luc de bois what would potentially montreal need to pay him in 2024 i tell you what is he nine public knowledge that he wants to play there doesn't help him well like i'm not negotiating against myself if you want to be here that badly. Right. Yeah, you want to be here and find him, and that's important to me.

You take a bit of a discount, but yeah. I mean, think of what great wingers in this league cost. Mitch is making 10-6, and you got guys making 9-whatever. He's got to be at least 9. Dubois is 24. He's 6-2. He's 2-10. He angers people. He's scoring 90 points. He's a nine million dollar guy at least all right we should uh break for old mike

ruff oh mike ruff another stanley cup champion on the show i know what a day we're loaded okay mike ruff we're gonna talk uh penguins we'll talk leafs jets rangers you name it mike ruff after the break you're watching and listening on Real Kippers. You're so proud of your last exit. I was going to go iTunes and Spotify on a rating and review, but no, I bailed. All right. You can still do that. Sammy, I'm a professional host.

Don't interrupt me. All right, just go away. We'll do it live. Hey, everybody go away and come back. All right. Just go away. Just go live. Hey, everybody go away and come back. All right. See you in a bit. Been a while since we've had Mike Rupp on. Yeah, it has been. Excited about it. Where's he been? Let's ask him. NHL network analyst, former NHL or Stanley Cup champion. Ruppert, where you been, bud? What's up, fellas?

I miss you guys. Yeah, it's been a little while. I know we've been trying to line a couple things up, and it just hasn't worked out schedule-wise, but I'm always here for you guys. Yeah, you know that. We really appreciate it so much. It's almost like I've been blinking the eye,

and we're now in the back half of the seasons here. And Toronto, just in terms of what you've seen so far, chasing Boston, is the gap between the Leafs and Boston, in your mind, as big as the standings say? No, I don't think so. I think that the standings would state if this team got in a playoff series it'll be pretty um pretty one-sided and I don't think that's the case I think that the Leafs would certainly have a chance in beating the Boston Bruins there's

certain things and elements I like probably a little bit more about the Bruins or things that maybe they have, I don't know, answered or have answered as a unit this year a little bit more. But this Leafs team, I mean, hey, this is a team that I don't know if they're getting enough love across the league as far as fan bases for what they're doing and what kind of season they're having. I mean, because of that shadow, that big casting shadow of the Boston Bruins. So, yeah, I think this team's got every bit of a chance to beat the Boston Bruins. They've got as good of a chance as anybody does in the National Hockey League.

You know, I know you spend a lot of your time looking at the East Coast teams and New York and all that. I've been looking at the Metro division. I'm trying to make sense of who's who out there. You know, there seems to be this pile in the middle of New Jersey, the Rangers, the Capitals, Penguins, Islanders. Are any of those teams separated from that group in terms of, like, I know Carolina's legit, but any of those teams,

do you stand out as a no-brainer, really good Stanley Cup contender? No, I think Carolina's the one. There's an exceptional difference like you mentioned i agree with you on that that carolina is the best team in the metro um they were coming in this season i think they have been every step of the way of this season so far um we'll see how they play come playoff time but uh as far as that there's a lot of there's a lot of what ifs in the metro a lot of really ifs in the Metro. A lot of really good teams.

I'm not trying to downplay that division. That division is cutthroat. But there's a lot of things where you look at the Rangers. The Rangers need a little bit of tweaking happening. I mean, here's the thing. The Rangers and Penguins are the two teams that I think can be absolute contenders. But the dials just have to be turned a little bit. They're not quite on the right frequency right now.

And I think both teams are lacking. Jeez, boys, don't get me going on this. Have me back next week and I'll go off on that. On the epidemic in the NHL, the lack of game managers, especially players in the league, because I think it's a problem that a lot of teams are facing right now, and those two teams are having that. They have trouble hanging on to leads,

having players that you put over the boards and just say, hey, this line, this is your role. So the Rangers and Penguins, for me, are certainly the real deal. New Jersey's really interesting. New Jersey's a team that 13-game win streak, I almost had to turn in my alumni card because I was like, I don't think they make the playoffs still. I just thought that they're going to be challenged in ways

that I don't think that they have seen yet. I'll give them credit because they got knocked down to one knee probably around Christmas, right before Christmas. They got back up, and they're swinging away right now. I've been really impressed at how they've reacted to the stage of the season. I think they're going to get challenged one more big push, but I think they're getting to the stage now where they're pretty much playing themselves into the playoffs.

So that leaves you with, I think, the Islanders in the caps, and they're going to be battling it out. I mean, this is, like I said, a cutthroat division. I guess going back to that game manager standpoint, I have one little story to tell you. And Lou Lamarillo, the godfather himself, would sit there, and not every season, but kind of like once a year when our team was just losing our identity

or just having trouble navigating and getting wins, he would come around the room. And it may sound very elementary in the moment or even just telling the story, but Lou would come around and he would stand in front of each guy in the stall in the locker room. And he'd say, I want you to stand up. I want you to tell all your teammates, and I want you to look at me and tell me what your role is on this team.

And so I think a lot of times as players, we think we can do X, Y, and Z in our head, and maybe we can do those things, but we got to know what our foundation is, and that's what you have to bring. And when you admit that verbally to everybody in that room and your GM who's deciding who makes what, I think there's a lot of accountability

in that. And I think that there's some teams right now where I don't know if the players would be able to tell you what exactly their role is. And that's a problem. I think that that's a problem that a lot of teams have in the NHL right now. I love that. You just brought me like a cold sweat

of Brian Murray looking at me in the dressing room and going, Kiprios, what are you? Are you a scorer? Are you a checker? What are you? Happy to be here, sir. I don't know. I don't know what I am.

What was your response? Did you give a strong response? No, I froze. I got to be honest with you. I just kind of lifted my hands. I mean, I did. I just said, yeah, you're right. I don't know what I am.

I'm also 22, 23, and pooped my pants. It's important. It's important, 23, and pooping my pants. It's important. It's important, though, right? Like, you know, in those moments to understand who's got what and then to say it out loud in front of everybody. And I remember the one guy that was hilarious. I don't know if you guys ever had the pleasure of speaking with Mike Motto, former Hobie Baker winner.

We had him in New Jersey. He is like, you know, he's a Massachusetts kid, great personality, hilarious, one of the most favorite guys in the locker room. And this is like a pretty, like, tense moment when Lou's going around and saying this to everybody. It's like you can feel the tension in the room. And he goes over to Mott's, and he goes, Michael, and Mott stands up. And he's like, well, my game's pretty simple.

You know, I've got to put the puck, just go tape to tape on some passes, try not to do my best to not get scored upon, and let all the light to middleweights in the league know my fighting straps buckled up and I'm ready to go. It just kind of like broke the ice. It just kind of made Luke give a little chuckle because Moss didn't really fight ever, but just to kind of put

guys on notice. It's a big thing, but I think honestly, I think it's slacking in the NHL right now and the teams that have it have a huge hand up. I'm watching Mike Sullivan's press conference post-game last night against Ottawa,

they gave up four power play goals. I think Ottawa went four for nine or something, and he was just livid. You could just see it seething. And I'm just wondering, is that again the manager parting of certain aspects of the game that's missing for Pittsburgh? Yeah, you know what? So I didn't see every penalty that was called in that game. He did also say he didn't like the call.

So I think that there was a little bit of a lot as far as not liking some of the calls. But yeah, I mean, it's discipline. You certainly got to be disciplined in those moments. And if you're going to sit there and play against a team, especially like the Ottawa centers who've been, who've been, been struggling, like that's, that's a team that's trying to find their way. I mean, what's the easiest way to allow them a chance to win a hockey game is to give them free touches on the power play. So, I mean, bad calls or not, uh, you're

putting yourself in a position to at least make it available for a referee to call. I mean, bad calls are not, you're putting yourself in a position to at least make it available for a referee to call. I mean, nine? Are you kidding me? Four for nine? Like, I don't care if those are all unacceptable. That's unacceptable that it's nine. And regardless, like, those aren't nine penalties that are called that have nothing to do

with the play. Like, you're putting yourself in a position to make a marginal call. So, yeah, I think that's all part of it. And the Penguins team is really interesting because here's the play. Like, you're putting yourself in a position to make a marginal call. So, yeah, I think that's all part of it. And the Penguins team is really interesting because here's the thing. When you – I firmly believe if you allow the Pittsburgh Penguins to play their game and be comfortable, they can beat anybody. Like, I would not be shocked if they make a run at the Stanley Cup this year. The problem for them is your objective as the opponent is to make the other team

uncomfortable. And when teams do that and make Pittsburgh pivot, they can't. And they're bad. And they struggle. They beat themselves right now. Where's that Brian Burke like where's that one or two moves where you go, that's a Brian Burke

guy, he brought him in. Are Penguin fans waiting for that? I don't know. I mean, Penguin fans are great fans, but they want goals. I don't know if the Penguin fan base, like, wants a Brian Burke move. You know what I mean? Like, I think that's necessary for this team. And that's kind of goes to that game management thing.

I mean, this team is completely and very obviously pot committed on going for it. I think, I think Hexie and, and, and Berkey are going to, they're going to make a move or two here down the stretch. They've been very, very patient to see what they have,

but I think it's time now. And I think they know that. So we're sitting here in Toronto and trying to assess their ability to go on a run, and a lot of it hinges on goaltending. And here they're going to try to make do with Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov and just kind of hope one of them gets hot. I just want to get your thoughts on what's changed about the goaltending position from your playing days and however long back you want to go. But it used to be that there were a lot of guys that we knew were great goaltenders position from, you know, your playing days and, you know, however long back you want to go.

But it used to be that there were a lot of guys that we knew were great goaltenders in the league. And right now, it's kind of tough to know. There's like a few guys we know are the elite, and then there's kind of everyone else. No, it's true. It's true. I mean, it's changed a lot. Playing with Marty Berdour, I mean,

that guy would play 82 games if he allowed him. And he was starting 60-plus for sure every year. It's changed from that regard, I think, in a lot of different ways. But the way I think goaltending has evolved over the years, and this is not a knock for goaltenders. It's obviously, I think, the most important position in hockey, but when you have a stud, when you have the guy, when you have

a Vassie or you have an Igor Shosturkin, clearly that is you want one of those guys to get them, but those guys don't come around. After that, I honestly think that it's about just finding the goaltender who's playing well in that moment

and having a couple different guys that you can use as that option. I mean, look at what Philip Gustafson's done up in Minnesota. Like, who saw that happening? Like, he's been very solid. I mean, you could talk about different goaltenders, what Phoenix Copley's doing out there in L.A. I'm not saying that those players are going to win you a cup. I still think you need a veteran proven guy to do that,

but navigating through an 82 game season. I mean, it's, it's by tandem. It's by, it's by a three headed monster in that. I mean, we're seeing that more and more.

So I think just having players that are in that kind of groove and goaltenders that are, that are hot. I always thought a hot goaltender is it. I play with Scott Clemonson as a backup goalie. I saw a stretch when Marty was out with an injury. He carried us into the playoffs. Scott Clemonson was as dominant as any goal in the NHL at that point. That's not, I'm not comparing them to the best goalies in the league. I'm just saying through that

two months span, he was, the puck wasn't going in. So how much better can you get than that? So I think that's all you're looking for now. It doesn't need to be a big-name guy. Okay, Ruppert, I'm turning you into an insider now because I know you hear stuff. Rick, talk it. What's going on?

Oh, man. Yeah. I mean, that's obviously been out there. I think really strategic wording, man. Yeah. I mean, that's obviously been out there. I think really strategic wording, too. Last night on ENT says he hasn't signed a contract yet, which is the same kind of thing as what we heard Jim Rutherford say. I was really surprised he went down there. Yeah, like Bruce Boudreaux is our coach right now.

I mean, come on, guys. We can listen to the words. So I don't know. It seems like that's what it is and what it's going to be. I asked you guys this, though, because I think at this point, and I'm not a big component or pusher of losing games. I firmly, firmly believe there's never a player or coach out there that's going to lose games. But as a manager, these are the areas you can control.

Why change anything? If this team is going to lose, let them lose. Now, like why get another coach on the payroll? You're paying Travis green. You're going to end up paying Bruce Boudreaux, like do this in the off season,

like lose right now, or at least put your team in a position to lose. I am with you. 100%. Why? Why? You're going to bring Tawkeed in. So hold on a second.

You want to do what you did last year. Make a change to get a spark. And there is a bump. Every single time there's a coaching change. Look at all the teams that make coaching changes in the offseason, how hot they were to start this season. There's going to be a bump. I don't want my team to have a bump right now.

Let's just strip it down, evaluate what kind of character players we have and who's going to work their what's off down the stretch here and decide who we're going to go forward with. We're probably going to lose hockey games, but we'll decide who's going to be here, and we'll also decide that we've got a pretty good draft pick come the draft in June. I generally agree with the concept.

Your point about you're going to get a worse draft pick if you switch to talking now. 14th. Right. I know. But, okay, versus 10th or 9th or whatever. 5th. Well, okay.

If you think it's that drastic, maybe it's a different conversation. But I just think there's such a tire fire. Like it's so bad in Vancouver that it's negatively, having a negative effect long term on people wanting to be there, whether that's Quinn Hughes or Pedersen or the core pieces that have to just, oh, you're just going to leave us here to die? You know, everyone's miserable. We know the season's over.

I don't know. It just seems like a bad situation to leave your best players in. I think they can suck it up for two months, three months. It's just three months. It's 90 days. Right? Right. I'm with you. It is a mess. It is a mess it is a mess put it that way and i think the hardest part about it is i'll say this the bubble run that they had and the run

they had under bruce budro has clouded everyone's vision of who they are and ruined everything because everybody automatically thought that they were something they weren't. And, and now all of a sudden you're sitting here, I mean, you know, you know, by that JT Miller signing, that they thought that they were a team that was, that can compete and do it now. But then you look at that roster. I mean, that was a, that was a teetering team down there. If it wasn't for Thatcher Demko last year, I mean,

I think we'd have some more clarity on who they actually are. They probably don't sign JT Miller to that eight-year deal because signing that deal put the nail in the coffin on Bo Horvat. It's a mess, man. I don't know how you figure this out. Might be a different tune if Demko turned himself this year into Hellebuck. That would have helped. Yeah.

Right? Yeah, that's true. Yeah. All right, Rupert, we'll let you go, bud. Really appreciate your time and your insight, man. Thanks, Rupert. As always, you're welcome on this show. Hey, you guys let me know.

You guys take care. Enjoy, and let's not wait so long this time. We'll figure it out. Talk to you soon. Mike Rupp, NHL Network, former National Hockey Leaguer, and Stanley Cup champion. So, God, Rupp was great today. Yeah, he was really good.

And I really am on board with his. To me, if Vancouver goes and gets Tuckett right now, based on where they are and what they need to do moving forward it's not it's not a big game changer will it make uh uh pd peterson feel a little better about himself moving forward i don't not that much not that much he's still going to form his opinion on where this team's going and do i want to be a part of it long term just as much as uh anyone else i think it matters if it comes with other moves like if they okay they hire rick talkett and now they're going to move bo horvat next week and then they're gonna you know okay we're starting we're fresh

start here so some guys are going out some core pieces we're carving out this cap space we're doing things i think the uncertainty this waiting game is really unhealthy it's a bad environment for your younger players to improve and and kipper like how far the swing and picks that we're talking about if you could get to the bottom, I'm with you. But I don't know that they're bad enough to be able to get there. They got too many good players. Then just let them be then. And I like Rick Talkett a lot.

He's a boy. Is there a race to get Rick Talkett? Might be. It's not like you're signing a John Cooper or a a rod brindamore's out there and you're like i gotta get this guy now is there a sense right now that you won't be able to get him in july here's what yes maybe because you're the vancouver canucks and it looks terrible i think they're definitely in july for sure Somebody's going to fire their coach. Like he would be having,

he would have a job by then for sure. It's got to be the bottom of the pile right now for a place you would want to go coach. Cause there's no promise of success for years. So maybe that's part of it. Kipper is that they do see the potential for there to be, you know, the guy they want gone.

If he has choices. If the Vancouver or Winnipeg Jets go to a Stanley Cup final, I mean, Scott Arneal all of a sudden becomes a sought-after guy. I'm telling you right now, I know. It's just... So what do you mean? I'm just saying that there might be other... Yeah, candidates.

Candidates as well that could open up. It's two-sided. You may lose Rick, but there could be a few other names out there that come into the mix here. I agree with you here that there's a lot of logic to just playing it out. It's just so brutal. You imagine now that you're going to Rick talking. He's looking from afar going, oh, my God, you guys are a mess up there.

And now it's going to be thrust upon me. So if you're as desperate as you appear to be, then let's start with 3 million times 5 years. So do I need, I'm already paying, as has been well noted, the Bruce Boudreaux for the rest of the season. Travis Green is still on the payroll. That's going to cost me another $3 million just to get him in for three months. Is that worth it? Well, it's the prorated version.

Three months worth. Why? You're so desperate. Give me the $3 million this year. I don't want prorated. Maybe we'll just call it a signing bonus. That would be a lot. Again, if you're desperate as you appear to come after me

then yeah my one three million this year even though i'm coming for half a season i don't know maybe he's done that maybe he's done that the yeah it's a it's a messy situation some people are saying it's it's close there's a lot there's a buzz out there that this could happen next week jason brough our uh sportsnet guy yes it has him going there sunday or monday it's over that's a like an old cottage out there leaking and rick toggett as rupper said rick toggett was on tnt last night so i haven't signed a contract the clip you want to hear it yeah let's hear it hold on i just before we hear it i did want to say that his whole show last night was particularly coachy i don't know

if you watched it but like the whiteboard was out his x's and o's it was like a reminder that this guy is a coach i'm pretty sure he asked the question because who did they have last night did they have the sharks last night i think that maybe they've had the the liking but he asked him about being an offensive defenseman it's like oh i wonder if there's one in uh in vancouver that you'd like to mold into a guy like Eric Carlson. I don't know, Quinn Hughes, maybe? All right. Anyways, let's hear it.

Let's play the clip. By Baraz and Lee McHugh, Keith Yandel, Anson Carter, and Rick Tockett here tonight. Where's this? That should be the speculation. Interviewing, I guess. No. Listen, I haven't signed any contract. Speaking of No. Listen, I haven't signed any contract.

Speaking of interviewing. No, I haven't signed any contract. I'm here with you. I'm here. But I have talked. I've known Jim Rutherford and Patrick Rowling for a lot of years. And I have talked to them, but I've talked to them for years about everything. But I'm here.

You're here. So where is... I didn't hear that. He wasn't even asked anything. But where is the panel's't hear that. He wasn't even asked anything. No, he was unprompted. But where is the panel's follow-up in saying, okay, if you've talked about everything with them, then what have you talked about Vancouver and their situation?

What do you think of Vancouver's situation? Where's that follow-up? I'm sure off-air, Rick was like, no follow-ups. We're not doing this. They just want the ratings. That's a dream for TNT. Is it not? To have a guy that's like, oh, I'm sure everybody in the States

just on the edge for the Vancouver Canuck News. Okay, Kipper. Mr. Cynical. But the people who do care, that makes you care a little more. That makes you tune in to watch a little more. A guy that's been reported in a hundred different places that's going to be a coach is still going on a panel. I think that's pretty interesting.

For me, at least. No, very interesting. That happened to us right here at Sportsnet. Did it? Oh, I'm on a panel with, I think, Traeger and maybe Scott Morrison and Mike Keenan. And it's like, yeah, we're breaking. Twelve hours later, the new head coach of the Boston Bruins,

Mr. Mike Keenan, come on out. We're like, didn't we just talk to you 12 hours ago? Could you mention something? Torts did it too, forever on TSN. I will say, I was doing hockey central with Brian Burke before he got the Pittsburgh job. And I was like, he got the what job? He's the president?

That was like two days after he called me a little twerp, I think. That is so funny. My guy, my guy, Berkey. But it's, picture Bruce Boudreaux right now and his family having to watch and listen to that. This is the thing. It's awful. It's like.

That's just. It's just not. It's not professional courtesy. And that's a part of it, too. And I think that's an important part. That you don't want to look like the organization that's just going to let a guy die on the vine publicly like that. You know, I always talk about about oh vegas trading all these guys away and you don't want to look like an organization that doesn't care about your veteran guys what

about the guy who's won 600 games as a coach you want to be the organization that just drags him around behind your vehicle for the last three months of the season if you to me what you would do is do you know offhand who the assistant coaches are there? Like who? I don't know. The rumors. Oh, currently? Yeah, I have no idea. But you fire. Newell Brown? You fire Bruce.

And you're like, oh, here's our interim guy. Like give him the Horacek treatment that happened here. Where it was, was it Carlisle that got fired? Then Horacek took over and they never won a game again. And poor Peter never really had a job after that. It was a horrible stretch. But like to me, it's you don't bring in the coach that's going to give you six to seven more wins. That gets you a bunch of percentages away from the kid from North Vancouver

who lights up every game he's ever been in. I think that's a good point. Could you spare Bruce and just give the keys to an assistant? That would be my idea, but I'm certainly not running a team or anywhere near it. I run the zigzags. And if it doesn't get any worse for the Vancouver Canucks, we have now Fartgate. I can't believe this made our lineup.

I had to put it in. It's too funny. Was that not trending nationally? Yes. Do we have the audio? Of course we have the audio. Are you crazy? Let's play the audio. Hold on.

Hold on. This is Shorty and John Shorthouse and John Garrett calling the game last night in which Tampa Bay and Vancouver are playing. Have a listen.

Now a neat play by Cole to get the puck to Killorn and he backhands it down the ice is that you no no it wasn't john act uh john garrett actually uh i legitimately said, no, that's not me. That's not me. That's not me. What is, what was that from? Was that from the speakers in the whole building? No. Or was that in the studio?

That's the skate blade of the goaltender stopping. It's like he's, that's like, you know, there's all. So that was, that was in the whole building though. Right. Yeah, it was. All right. If there was one sound I could use to describe the Vancouver Canucks season, it would be... Sammy loves it. Boys, I'm sorry.

There is, if you're putting up together the Mount Rushmore of things that are funny, fart on there. Fart is one of the funniest things about it. Fart's on there. Oh, yeah. Is that you this this conversation ends here right we're not going to go into poop stories are we oh no absolutely not but that's just too good to me all right good good all right is that before or after stamp coast is 500th goal. After. Hattie. Wow.

Pretty good player. It took him a while, but I mean. What a second half of his career, this guy. So it's five. The last three years have been like another level stuff. Yeah. Where he is like now you look at him as a great NHL captain historically and one of those Hall of Fame type of guys and remembered. And almost I see him in the last few years of his career

going into that Stevie Iserman, really good star player, but to a leader. Yeah. No no it's a great comparison for sure uh 500 goals what were you gonna say sammy well i just you know i wanted to ask about all the guys coming off the bench because they came off the bench for 500 yeah it's obviously a tight-knit group there they love each other is 500 the first one you do that for definitely the first like 400 you're not doing no 500 that's a great that's a huge number that's how many guys have done 500 i feel like it can't be that many i'll look that up you should know this i'm the show star i am the producer that's gonna host the question i thought you might know that kid but it is it is a magic number you know

many weird things i thought you might know that one offhand. I'm going through... The number according to Derek Brandeo is 46. That's pretty impressive. I'm going through potential trade candidates for the Leafs, like looking at trade boards across the NHL. How convinced are you? Do you have any thoughts on what's going to be a target? I'm looking at a lot of these guys like Matthias Ekholm is maybe the best case scenario for the Leafs.

Do we really believe he's available? Available. Hmm. Not entirely, but possibly Ivan Barbashev, the name you might like. Yeah. What do you think that's gonna cost

maybe a second and a third probably jake mccabe as a lefty from the hawks good player making not that much money uh leckanen still uh doing wonderful things in tampa bay or i'm sorry colorado last night against calgary scored off the back wall. That to me, what did they pay? A second and a fourth? I don't remember exactly. Yeah, something in that ballpark. I think that, I think if you're the Leafs,

you're looking for something in the second to fourth round range holding to dear life your first rounders. What about Kane or Taves? Either of them interest you more or less or seem more or less likely or any interest at all here listen they're good they're still great players with tremendous value like bringing in a guy like Jonathan Taves to help John Tavares really learn how to lead in the playoffs, which he's, I'm sorry, but he just hasn't got the job done throughout his whole career.

Yeah. Right? And I think there's tremendous value in Taves. Can he do the things that he used to do? No. Yeah. Higher level would still be patrick kane i really i really be uh worried about trading for patrick kane knowing he's got some health issues yeah that is the

concern like some of these older guys like ryan o'reilly too where it's like are you trading for a name like what are you getting in the player because you're gonna have to pay for the name are you going to get the value out of those guys that you know the other thing too particularly those guys is that they're so um like they're two of the top names in the history of that franchise yeah and if they turned around said i'd I'd like to go to Toronto or I'd like to go to Colorado, we had a little taste of it with Claude Giroux last year where the Flyers are really at the mercy of not really looking like dicks. Right.

Well, and he had a no trade. He physically wouldn't go. To our two best players in the history. Yeah. So we're going to do everything we can to accommodate you this isn't about like we're we're done it's over we're gonna go get our lottery pick yeah so you know i'm gonna i'm gonna tell you i'm not trading you because i don't like the value i'm getting back yeah you're just beyond that right so if one of those guys said they wanted to go somewhere and toronto or colorado or new york will play off of that it's only a question of now how badly does patrick kane want

to be a ranger a leaf an avalanche a saber or anywhere else how badly does he want to go to this particular spot yeah and i what if tase would do it for winnipeg right is he's a manitoba boy yeah i mean i wonder if he'd say yeah i'll go play for the jets they could use a third line yeah uh listen yeah possible and if he does all the power now goes to the winnipeg jets to make that happen right to say hey we'll give you a second or whatever. You know, Florida, it's not like they gave up nothing to get Giroux last year, but it was below market value for sure. And it just didn't move the needle for them.

No. No, at the end of the day, it didn't. I mean, they brought in Ben Sherratt, right? They really paid out the yin-yang for a lot of players there that didn't quite happen, and now they're without many of them and struggling. There's a lot of teams that are up against the cap, and that's why we still are ways away from seeing anything significant happen. Yeah. Sammy's upset about it still.

Well, don't you – I mean, just zooming out, don't you think player movement is one of the more exciting parts of your league yeah the cap killed it though but that's what i mean so you look at the nba where i mean maybe you don't want it to get to that level where guys are asking to go to different teams and it happens all the time but people love transactions oh yeah like transactions get the people horned up the nba i mean say what you will about the league or how you would that stuff is but like the way the way that gary has it presently constituted is it's borderline impossible to make a trade the only thing is at least you know your

players are your players they're gonna be here by and large and uh i don't care about that how would i care like i don't either i saw something on Twitter, which I apologize. I didn't, I forget where I got it from. That's fine. So I just don't know necessarily how accurate it is, but I think I trust it a little bit because it looks kind of. It looks good. It looks okay.

There's not any naked women or anything like that around the introduction of it. Johnny Smokes for 2069. Yeah, exactly. Nothing like that. So I think it seems okay. But it said 12 teams have no cap space. None. None.

That's not much. And 17 teams have players on long-term IR. Seven teams. players on long-term ir seven team 27 teams have less than three million dollars in cap space this is the thing is that the owners have the money everyone wants to spend it they'd like to pay for the players they just can't you know for batman's sake, for the league, it has really become an issue this year. I know, pandemic. No. I don't care.

Not at all, huh? No. Why not? I'll tell you why. The owners are getting rich, and that's Gary's job, is to build a state richifying the owners. 32 owners saying, I know I'm getting 50%. I don't care.

Don't care. Don't care about fans. That's the same as the players not going to international they're like what do we get out of it it's like oh

growth of the game long term future sustainability and they're like nope doesn't immediately put money in my pocket fools

no it's just like people love trades trades are exciting seeing guys in new places you know you grow the excitement of your fan bases that leads to more people

buying beers at the game and buying tickets which brings more money what would be the problem with anyways it's just you're getting me pissed off here again but like what would be the problem with the luxury cap where if you want to go over it then you just give money to the other you're talking about changing a collective bargaining agreement correct Yes, correct. I am doing that. And Gary Bettman and his owners would have no appetite for that whatsoever. And if I'm an owner and I've seen this pendulum swing in my

favor since the NHL Players Association got rid of Bob Goodenow, but I'm all good here. Don't fix it. It ain't broken for me. Right. Understandable.

All right, boys. Leafs-Jets tonight. Over-under. Point-five fights. Kipper said low scoring. I said high scoring. I'll take the over in the fights. Okay.

I'll take three, two overtime jets. Like we've done there. I'm going to take six, three jets. Wow. Wow. I'm going two, one Leafs. Oh, you're buying into my low scoring. You know why I'm going high scoring?

Because the goalie situation is never going to get sorted out. I could see 2-1. 2-1 Leafs. Yeah. That's a good call, Sammy. Thank you. It's going to be a good game, though. Can't wait.

I'm pumped. And I want to see more emotion, just like I've seen all week long. Leafs talk after the final whistle on YouTube with myself and J.D. Bunkus. Check it out. Check it out. Check it out. And I've got an article in the Toronto Star. Have a look at that.

If you get a chance, find it on my Real Kipper Twitter account. JB, awesome, buddy. Mike Rupp, Chris Pronger, fantastic. Enjoy it, everybody. Sean Reynolds as well. See you tomorrow.