Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: Big Decisions Looming

Episode Date: February 5, 2026

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and fill-in producer Cristian Ceniti open the Thursday show by reviewing Nick's recent article on the Toronto Maple Leafs' direction as the Olympic break gets underway. They discuss Bobby McMann's value, the Leafs' standing in the Eastern Conference, Anthony Stolarz's market, and what to expect from Auston Matthews and William Nylander at the Olympics. Then, they discuss the potential consequences of the team missing the playoffs. Later, former NHL GM Gord Stellick stops by (31:44) to react to the news that Team Canada will swap Seth Jarvis in for Brayden Point, which direction the Leafs should go at the deadline, which players they should be comfortable shipping out ahead of March 6, and his Olympic predictions.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.

Closing out the week here on the Real Kipper and Bourne show, Leaf Hour edition. Nick Kiprios, Justin Bourne, Christian Cheneity, right back at you, bud. He's in. Glad to be back, fellas. Glad to be back. Good to have you.

It feels like it was yesterday. Our very own Sammy McKee is, what do we say? On assignment? He's just not here. Yeah, he's just not here. That's where he is. But we do have Derek Brandejo. Jake the Snake Shultz,

Jen Rollnick, I think is around. Yeah, probably. And of course, our very own Ethan, Zaja Gabor. We are live on SportsSat 360. Sports at 590, the fan in Toronto,

YouTube streaming. It's Jake today. I already screwed it up. Sam was concerned about our show yesterday. He was. Falling a little bit off the side without Doug McLean, usually to push us.

But we'll, We'll muster through these two hours. We'll figure it out. We'll figure it out. You know, as you say that, I'm actually scanning your article today, trying to make sense of what you're trying to tell the people. Yeah.

It's all very confusing. Wow. Yeah, I've gotten a few, well, my, I've got an article today, my weekly article in the Toronto Star. If you get a chance, you can find it on my, at real Kipper account, X account.

And there's been a few people reaching out to me going, you want them to sell, you said blow it up. And now you're saying no. And it's like, what's going on? Yeah. And I just want to, I'll set the record straight. Okay. Okay.

We need this. I do want major changes. I do want a look at the last 10 years on a big picture, big scale and say, that it's coming to, that cycle's coming to an end and there needs to be a new cycle. Typically,

since the Capp's inception, we have seen similar scenarios all over the league where you just run it, you run it, you run it. When it's over, then you have to restock and rebuild. Yeah. And usually with your Stanley Cup, that's what you do it.

I put the Leafs right in the mix of things about where they are right about now. For me personally, but as I told you guys earlier, I don't think it's happening. You don't think that they're rebuilding or retooling. You just think they're just carrying on.

Yeah, my article today is really about retooling, I'll retool you. Leaf management, right to leaf ownership, not ready to buy into the, we need two or three years. to reset, retool, whatever you want to call it, rebuild. Two or three years.

We have no interest of disappearing for two or three years in the playoffs. Right. So we're going to compete. We're going to work around the edges. So just to be clear before I ask any other follow-up questions, they don't want to buy. I know we've done this several days in a row, but there's still no clarity.

I think they'd like to buy. Oh, my God. No, I think they, in a perfect world they like to buy. They just know they don't have the assets or the currency to do it. So I guess you could buy if you were buying someone who are going to be a part of, in your words, the next two or three years where they intend to be a part of the playoff picture. So if you could trade for someone who you would have for those years, maybe that's how you'd sell it to yourself and other people.

Okay. Okay. You're asking me or what I'm trying to make sense in my head. This is where I think I've confused everybody. And I haven't been great at this. I'll be honest with you. Not a great communicator when it comes to this. It's just your job.

Because there's two different worlds. Okay. Okay. The one that I would do and then the one that I think they're doing. Okay. And I kind of sometimes not distinguish the two. So are you asking me what I would do or what I think they're going to do? I'm asking you what you think they're going to do.

I think they're going to come back, have a real strong push, miss the playoffs, and tell everybody that we're coming right back next year to make the playoffs. And we ran into some injury problems and we had some guys that had some off years. Now, in this world, have we walked Bobby McMahon to free agency

to sign somewhere else for no assets? Have we walked? Anyone else out the door? I've got Bobby McMahon at 50-50 sign or trade. Really? I do. And I... What do you think he's looking at?

Four years, times? I think he can get close to $5 million on the open market. So he's looking at a $20 million. He's a 25 goal score. Yeah. Who is elite at the one thing that you love about our game more so than any other part in history is the speed. Yeah.

He's elite. He's elite. Can rip it and he hits. So I get it. I get why people covet them. It's just, okay, now let's talk to you,

not what we think is going to happen. Is this not all a little insane? Like, because I'm on board with trying to win next year. Yeah. But all you do is you just take some pieces this year and I don't know what people are offering, which is why I say pieces,

and I'm not specifying me. but McMahon is involved in that. And then you have some currency with which to add what you need. Okay, let's use Bobby McMahon as an example. Okay. How am I replaced? I would say,

I think it would be very difficult to get a first rounder for him. Still. Okay. Good player. But I think it would be hard to get a first rounder. So we're all comfortable saying, for sure, second round. all day long.

Is it a second and a fourth? Is it second and a B prospect? But now we're in the ballpark of that. Yeah. So. Doesn't do enough for me. Exactly. Yeah.

So my point in all this is that if you have that in your back pocket now and you go into the summer, it's great that you have it because you haven't had it in a while and you're building up the cupboards. Yeah. But you got a big hole right now in your top six on the left side with no Bobby McMahon. Yeah. And if you are thinking about not missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year,

you got to fill that hole. The second and the B prospect are no good. They're good in maybe four years from now when you actually draft the guy and you send him back to junior a couple of times and then he's ready to play. you're four years away. So what you're telling me now is that you're going to take the second and the B prospect

and you're going to flip them for somebody that can replace Bobby McMahon. No, yeah, yeah, yeah. I see your point. I see your point here. So here then is the solution. I can't wait to hear it. If you're going to do,

if you're going to go ahead and try to win next year and you don't think you can get a first for Bobby McMahon, then you need a contract. extension, March 5th, 6th, somewhere in there. So you know you've got him and you're not walking him out the door for nothing. I need to know he's going to be a part of it then. That's reasonable, right? And then I think there are some pieces that just don't fit in terms of you're trying

to win a whatever next year. Definitely trying to be in the playoffs. See how good you are. Maybe you add next year to get really into the mix. There are some pieces that just don't fit that could bring you back something. I've talked about Max Stomi, Matissez, Mischel. They gave up a third rounder for him. Can he get you a fourth now?

What's his value out there? There are some pieces that just don't work. The danger is whatever you're grabbing right now and you go back into this world to go find, there's a better chance that you're going to find another Machelli. Yeah. Right? But you know this, Michelle doesn't work.

Exactly. You know? But now you're going to have to throw it up against the wall and see if it sticks with somebody else's Machete. You're on Facebook Market. Like it's all broken, it's all used, there's something wrong with all of it. But you just hope something's wrong in a better way. That's where you're at.

Yeah. Guys, I know if Sammy was here, he would have, I think, blown up. I'm trying to figure out what portion of the conversation he would have interjected and been like, what the hell are we doing? You're such a good boy, Christian. Listen, I've been watching all week. Just give me a chance. Listen, I thought I would have came in here if we're going to clear some things up. I am definitely more confused than ever listening to this.

No, no, no, no, no, no. Go stop it. Stop it. We get confusion out of Sammy. We brought you in as a fresh coat of paint on the real Kippenborn show. Please tell us your thoughts on what you think is the perception out there, but also more importantly, your perception. I will at least say this perception that you're giving that the Leafs might be having here.

It's a lot more, I guess, creative than some of us may think it is. We've been talking about either. buy or sell, if there's a world where you're only doing the Bobby McMahon trade at that price and it's to, like you said, kind of just rolling it. Get your other Machelli, get your McMahon.

I would love to find if there's a way to do that by this deadline instead of the summer. I think I can buy in more on that. The idea of just doing absolutely nothing does not appeal to me. I don't know if it appeals to Leaves Nation. No. There's six points out.

If they were three points out, it would be so much easier. If they were nine points out, would be even easier still. Six is like nightmare distance. It's too far to catch. Last night, could we have just told Boston and Florida, just skip the 60 minutes and just go straight to the five minutes.

We know it's going to be a three-point game. We know it's going to be three points. By the way, Florida plays again tonight, and if they win, they will be tied with the Leafs in points and games played all over again. So the amount of teams above them in the standings, we're showing them right now, It doesn't terrify you. Blue jackets have climbed over them.

But look at all the teams 61 and up. Ottawa plays tonight as well. They could tie the Leafs. Same game played. With what do we have left? 24 games left for the Leafs? Oh, the Leafs. 25.

25. 25. Okay. So is there a world for you where if the Leafs don't do much, but they play well? They don't go 17 and 6 or whatever. They don't do that, but they go, they win 12, 14 games. Is there a world for you that if they just lost maybe one or two guys for these picks that you're talking about, like a fourth or a fifth,

is there enough momentum that you can pick up on the last 13 or 14 wins that carry into next season missing the playoffs? I just don't see how you could imagine it going that much differently next year. Like what would be, you know, you're saying if everyone has their best season. Austin's back to 50, 60 goals, Willie's 100 point guy. Like he looks like he would have been if he didn't get hurt. But like things happen and you know this. They sign radish. If they sign radish.

Is Morgan? Well, you probably move off of Morgan. But I don't, I think people would look at that as just not weakening the team, unfortunately, for Morgan. Right. And you take another crack at Stollars and Wall on their potential of still being very talented guys. And this is the year they'll stay healthy. But you did mention Anthony Stolars in your Keper's Corner part of the article where you said that perhaps Philadelphia might be here.

Yeah, listen, there's a, it's not a strong market out there for goalies, but there are teams that will be searching around. And I went on Calgary Radio the other day and like Cooley, their backup goalie, coolly is like looking like a real strong candidate to have a wonderful career. But they just signed Wolf. Like nobody's in a position now and we're seeing it in Minnesota

where you're going to have these quality one A and one B. It's just too much value. constantly and having a guy sit on your bench all night. So whether it's Cooley or Stolars or one of these guys, teams are calling in. Philly's a mess in that right now with Lidar kind of not supposed to be the MVP of the team. Yeah. Specifically on Stolars there,

something I've been thinking about in this is just, I'm trying to think of the precedent, the past example of a guy who signed a contract extension and we're talking about maybe trading him six months later. And, you know, the initial impression on that extension of 3.75 was that that looks pretty team friendly. How do we end up in this situation six months later where we're looking to ship him out? Is there, am I naive to think that that strains like an agent relationship or a player relationship? I'm trying to think of the example.

I'll tell you why, okay, because of a guy named Dennis Hill to be. That's why. That's what simple as that As simple as that This guy came on Wasn't supposed to show as well as he did Was supposed to be Another couple of years in the miners

Working on his craft He's come in and he's shown Tremendous Poise maturity And now It's not a perfect world Where you'd want to Give him full time It's not a perfect world

Where you're convinced He is now ready for the next step. But you may be forced into taking a gamble on it or a chance on it and just moving off other assets. That's why Stollars has gone from six months from being this guy that was the number one goalie to. Is he expendable? Yeah.

Yeah. No, his last month with the Leafs five starts, 957, 957, 900. Like Hilderby was, it was legit. So one thing I want to get. your thoughts on before we're eventually going to get to Gord Stelick at some point today. The Leafs are sending just a few players to the Olympics, which is pretty advantageous.

Tampa Bay and Florida are both sending nine, which ties for the most. You know, that's nice. Boston sending six or seven. You know, what are you expecting? What do you want to see out of these guys?

Will it bother you if Matthews or Neelander goes there and... No. Sets the world on fire? No. No, it won't. I don't know. You think it'll piss off Lee fans to see Austin just. I don't know.

He's been so good now for the last little bit. I think he would have. He's been pretty good. He's been pretty good. You know, again, Willie has spent the majority of his career very healthy. Yeah. He's had this groin issue that's bothered him for, what's he missed now? 10, 12 games.

Just 18 games? That many. Oh, I didn't even know it was 18. But he, he, he, he, he, he, he, you know. He's played hard in the last couple of games. I mean, it's just, it's a different world right now. These guys have really built this thing up the last 10 years. They've missed it.

It's important to them. No, it would not bother me to see them be great. And I, in all honesty, I think it helps the Leafs. The Leafs. How? How? Because it reiterates to the fan base. And this is your point all along.

too. And I'm a little kind of mixed on it, but I'm starting to come a little bit more on your side. It's like, they're good. They're good. Okay, let's just forget about being perfect or great. They're good. They're entertaining. They make people want to watch. They sell. And I can't go out there and find other ones like that. So, okay, and me, because I'm constantly thinking, like, there's only one Stanley Cup team and there's 31 losers. Right. That if you're not good enough to win it, then, you know, get somebody else. And I'm like, the last week and a half, two weeks when I've really thought about it, it's like, no, no, just sometimes. I think over the last three years, the focus has been to win a Stanley Cup, right?

with good reason. Like they were, they were in the mix for contending. Totally. Totally. Totally. And we can still, even in the Marner,

crappy, he stinks, playoff guy or Willie or all of those guys, we can really go back and just say in a few games that, like, there was some turning points.

Yeah. And if they, they could have got five saves over the past six years. Thank you. It's all different. Thank you. I don't,

I think that goes so underrated sometimes when we look at the Leafs failures in the playoffs. If they just had one of these guys just be a stud in a game six or game seven over Florida. I think it took until a few years ago for them to get out, had their goal, I'll play. But my point is that, like, okay, so there's flaws in their leadership, right? There's flaws in a lot of things with Matthews and Nylander,

but where there isn't a flaw is they're frigging good. But can you, and do you believe that it's possible, when you go over to the Olympics, We hear about these guys that, you know, weren't natural leaders. Oh, I went over to the Olympics or, you know, whatever international event. And I sat beside Sidney Crosby. And we talked about it with Marner last year in the Four Nations. And I sat by Crosby and Marchand. And I saw, I forget there's actually a quote from one of these guys recently saying how calm they were going into the overtime against the U.S. team.

God, I can't remember which young player it was. But he says he was just really sitting there taking in how no big deal it was for Drew Doughty. you'd won cups, Crosby. You know, they're taping their sticks. They're talking. They're not sitting in their bench or in their stall of the towel over their head. Like they're able to handle those moments. Could that be it for Austin Matthews if the Americans win?

Yeah. Or Willie Nealander, if the Swedes win, gain some of that. Or is it just not who you are? You can hope. Is there still time? That's what you're asking me. Is there still time? Yes, I don't know if it's just not in them or not in them, too.

have that just that extra whatever it is that that just that magic part of I'll call it all you know I'll call it the Brad May thing where it's just like I beat my mother up to win the Stanley Cup right I wish I could believe in it as well you know it's just we have some of the evidence I think last year with Mitch Marner because to your point he was in that dressing room went through all those things and we saw the same conversation at playoffs so does it affect maybe different guys Is Matthews more perceptible to it than Mitch or a Willie? You know, sorry, it was actually, I just had someone remind me,

it was actually Connor McDavid, who talked about watching the winners and seeing Crosby and Doughty and all that and his players should be in peace. I think that just the bars come down. That's all. Yeah. And you still got to create interest.

You still got to sell, right? You got to sell tickets. You got to sell, advertising. I hate this. I hate this. I hate this. You got to You got to. No, you don't. Winning sells. Win the Stanley Cup. Sorry.

Mid H.L. right now. I know you know. Of course I know. And I'm all at. But like, you can't also be guaranteed that because you go into this cycle where you may miss the playoffs

a couple of times, the real danger is just not if you could guarantee to pull out of the bosses that you can you can miss two years and then get right back in it but we've got a lot of teams that have missed two and three and it ends up five and seven and nine and I wrote in my article today that it's like like missing the playoffs is like getting one tattoo and the next thing you know your back's covered you know I remember when Anaheim bottomed out and then it was like here comes the rebuild it's Sam Steele it's Max Jones it's you know, all these guys.

And it was like, oh, well, what if those guys aren't great? You know, what if they're just okay? And then you've got to go, oh, boy, our top guys aren't good enough. Buffalo, obviously. What are the flyers? The flyers are six or seven now. Years out, yeah. Years out.

Yeah. And they're talking about firing Breerre, firing Jones, firing. They're screaming at the top of their, where Rocky stood in. Yeah. stood and like danced. They're shouting from there. Get rid of everybody.

Start over again. And it's like, holy moly. It's just, you know, we come in here day one next year. Leif's training camps underway. You know, they're, they've got their, they're dressing their full team for the first exhibition game. And it's McMahon Matthews, Domi is the top line. Immediately, I don't, it's no good.

You know, and it's Machelli and Tavares, a year older. Like you get Dakota Joshua back. Chris Tanna is maybe playing, but you're without Morgan Riley. So like it just, I get your point that you can't intentionally bottom out and be guaranteed to come back,

but some changes need to happen if you sincerely push here. I totally agree. And it goes back to my first instinct that there needs to be changes and major changes, but you also run the risk of falling into the abyss. Yeah. And that's where I think the leaf, Management and ownership, you know, majority new, majority ownership now from Rogers goes, no, we're the Leafs, man.

We, you don't get to take years off making the playoffs. Yeah. I think part of what could save them is they can kind of have their cake and eat it to just because of the internal cap rising. We're going to get $8.5 million. We're going up to $104 million next year. I don't know if you have to take out that much salary this year to still have change, to have new pieces just because of that bump. Right. That is going to help.

They'll have some money to spend. So then assuming the plan is to just go, okay, we're just going to hope we're healthier next year, cross our fingers. Is it still Brad Tree Living that gets to make these decisions? I think, I don't think it'll fly completely. Yeah. So whether it costs Brad his job or not remains to be seen.

But I think at some point, you're going to have to hold someone accountable here. And same, and from there you decide. And they did that with Brendan, right? They did it last season with Brendan, and this team was supposed to make the playoffs. We had them in the playoffs. It was just a matter of, hey, do they finish first, second or third in the Atlantic?

And, oh, but they're better built for the playoffs. And it's like, oh, by the way, are we sure they're built for the regular season? Yeah. No, they definitely need to. We didn't have that conversation. Are they built for the regular season? I know. We had it built for the playoffs.

So I think it's a tough sell to the Leaf Nation. To just say this year is a waste. Nothing happened. Same roster next year, try again. Or same guys making the same decisions. Yeah, that won't fly, I don't think. I think for me, I was open to a change at the GM position when we've had this, the O for 5 home stand.

But I think a lot of time we have the conversation, whether it's trade, firing, especially at the coaching position. Who is the guy? Who is the next guy? A lot of the times we have names maybe at coaching, but GM,

it's easy to say fire Brad Tree Living. But I like to be convinced on who the next guy is. And I couldn't think about that until on Monday. I don't know if you guys caught. There was an article in The Athletic. I think it was by Myrtle and Max Boltman. He's the Red Wings writer there. And it was talking about the agent to executive pipeline.

And they gave three prime examples that kind of had me thinking, you know what? I wouldn't mind seeing. a fresh face there. Kent Hughes, Jeff Jackson, who's president with the Oilers, Ken Hughes, GM of the Habs, and Bill Zito. Pretty good resumes all around.

I think Zito had a GM experience, but reading that article definitely gave me the idea of, okay, it's one thing to fire tree living, but I could definitely go around to that idea. I can buy into this new world of those type of guys that have... Tough first job, man.

Here's Toronto. No, no, no. I don't think you're going to get in. Yeah, but they had Jeff Gordon. This is where, again, you know, you can go back and, okay, it's Brendan Shanahan. Okay, you felt like you needed a change. You need to sell something different to the fan base. Brendan, it's, you know, you're the one.

You're gone. But they didn't replace them. And they just really now put everything on Bradtree living. And, you know, he's got a few people. Clancy, I think, is in there and a few others. Prendem, of course, has been there for the last 10 years, but there's no... Shane Jones there.

Shane Don's there, but there's no... There's no Brennan-Shanahan. Yeah. So if someone does come back in and just becomes a general manager, I still think there needs to be somebody else with him to bounce some things and just to check some things off. I think there's a lot of things that kind of slid this year where, you know, just as an example,

this whole thing on injuries, right? Like, it was crazy. We covered it. It was until it wasn't. And then they just flipped. But where was the, they flipped? And then everything was okay. And it's like, okay, you're giving us information.

And it's not like you're, you know, you're caring the DaVinci. code in your back pocket here. Like, please, like state secrets and nuclear, you know, combinations. Like, come on, please. And then, but like,

where was somebody to tell them that early and go, this won't fly? And then, and then they changed. They made it about face. But, like, not halfway through the season or, you know, 60% into the season. Like, where was that, where was that somebody

to tell them, guys, we got to fix this. Totally. So do they come back and bring somebody else with the general manager or do they just put somebody by himself again like that? Was there, did they not see some value in the cash savings of moving off Ujuri and Shanahan and say these guys are both making whatever 10 mil from Ujuri

or seven for Shanahan? I don't know what the numbers were, but like, you know, 20 million between the two or something close? Was that some of the motivation to just say, do we even need this money for these guys for 20 mil? Now are they going to go okay? Let's pony up again? I have no idea.

But, you know, the question is, you're looking at the end result right now here, close to it. Like Bobby Webster's been there for years and he was there with Maasai. He's got all the tips and tricks. So they're hanging in there pretty good. Yeah. The other thing with, you know,

if the Leafs were thinking about, you know, somebody as an agent per se, you know, Paperson, wait or not. in Pulver, whoever these guys are. You've got to have someone like a Brendan Shanahan with him. Yeah. So Bill Zito just didn't go from being an agent to Florida winning Stanley Cups. The guy spent, I don't know, seven, eight, ten years in Columbus with, you know, Yarmo.

So, I mean, he was learning. Yeah. Like, Kent Hughes, hey, great job. But who's beside him? Definitely. Jeff Gordon. Yeah. Right?

I do struggle with the conversation. You brought up the point. It felt like a year ago that we were talking about trying to consolidate kind of how many people are making decisions. Even if you just do Leafs, not MLSC wide. Like with Underdubis and Shanahan, some of the talk was too many layers as far as decision-making goes. and to already be back and going to add those layers, I think there's a balance. It's the right guys that you need.

Stopped with Brendan Shanahan. Okay? That's it. And he was paid handsomely. Yeah. Right? So I don't care how many people you've hired. I don't care if it was like a 160 or 1,000 employees there.

It really at the end of the day fell in his lap. And he wore it. And he does what most captains do on his shirt. You go down with it. Breaking news. Braden Point out for the Olympics. Did not see that coming. Our own Elliot Friedman is reporting.

I haven't seen the replacement yet, but God, it has to be Zach Hyman. It just has to be. Right-handed shot. Yeah. I mean, more goals than any other NHL are going back to December 10th, almost two months now.

We should go for Gordo. Okay. Just like that. We'll take a quick break. we go to Stelichrity, our very own Gord Stelich. After the break, you're watching and listening to Real Kippur and Bourne. Get smarter when you listen to Hockey Talk, the Hockey P.D.O. cast with Dmitri Filipovich.

Subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to the program. Is our Stelotricity here, Christian? Oh. There he is. coming all the way from Italy. Let's welcome him in. Oh, where are you?

Well, I'm, I had some pizza, so, you know, kind of. I'm near a pizza joint. I think everyone in Toronto is, I'm in, I'm in my basement here. I got, like, good, I got actually pretty good collectible stuff around here. I'm set watching mixed curling, watching a little snowboarding. And, yeah, and pump, ready, ready set. Are you, are you, and have always been a really? real, like, glued to the set, Olympian?

Big time. Like, you put those five rings. I'll watch anything. I'll watch rhythmic gymnastics. Like, is it the ribbon or the ball? And what I miss is, I love getting Sports Illustrator, right? And they used to give you a thing that I would keep. And it would predict gold, metal, bronze for every event.

So you'd have a sense of, you know, who's supposed to do well on the event. And, of course, Sports Illustrate doesn't exist anymore. So I love it. Every four years, whether it's summer or winter, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be, allude to it. I don't know if you saw the news. Braden Pointeus not going to the Olympics. That's a heartbreaker. Seth Jarvis going

for my money Jarvis may be one of the most underappreciated players in the league and a huge personality. If you played here in Canada Gord this guy would be a massive name. Well he was used a draft pick of Canadian-based team. Lou Lamarrello had to ship that draft pick to Carolina

to absorb Patrick Marlowe's contract and that's a litany. All those first round picks would be great. But you're right. He is a great personality. He's what every team needs, right? So I think a lot of people, I don't know, they're thinking Shifley or other people, but that's a nice pick. Very disappointed for Braden Point.

Very disappointed for Anthony Sorrelli. But Seth Jarvis is a guy, people, you know, he's one of those guys, does some fun media stuff, has a real fun, not, doesn't speak in soundbikes personality. Of course, in Carolina, you can do that a bit more. That's true. Just speaking to a few people prior to that, Zach Hyman, I'm really surprised they didn't go down that path.

And I like Seth Jarvis too. I think he's been terrific too in Carolina. Well, I take it. They had Connor McDavid's line figure it out because that would be the perfect thing for Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman being on it. And boy, give Zach Heimann credit since he's come back, scored a ton of goals on that.

And if he wasn't hurt, he probably would be. But again, it was always going to be just what, like when things were initially announced and Sam Bennett wasn't on the team. There's always going to be the top one or two or three that missed. So we shall see how the selections pan out. But I guess the two guys that were dear to the head coach, John Cooper, aren't going. Yeah, I actually spoke with Hyman on our broadcast the other night.

And I was like, you know, have you thought about it? Is it motivating? And he's like, no, I just hope no one gets hurt. I hope, you know, I'm sure this hurts him, right? Like he had to be as close as it comes. We have to talk about the Maple Leafs. They're in, I don't say in disarray. Are you a believer

that they are in a playoff push still? Okay, push is a bit of a stretch. They are still in the playoffs sphere. How about that? The three wins on the road. A politician. So whether it's Toronto, Ottawa, Florida, you haven't pushed enough.

Anytime you've pushed, you've set back. But you look what Tampa Bay is down of late. You look what Buffalo did. You look what Nashville. did. One of those teams can go on a real tear because you're going to have to have a real great record. And when I say, why not be the Toronto Maple Leaf? The Toronto Maple Leaf is one of those candidates. I'm not saying they can do it. They really haven't shown that kind of consistency this season. But the way just that last, the way they played before the blip,

unfortunately the blip happened. And then these last three road games, yeah, they're still in the periphery. Gord, all week we've heard about, uh, conversations, either shows that you've been on, our show, newspaper articles, the fans, fan 590 conversations, blow it up or just tweak it. And while it may work for other markets, ultimately, what would it ever work here that the potential of a rebuild and possibly missing the playoffs multiple times, two, three times, coming back, bigger, stronger, better in the perception of how the cycles work. I mean, is Toronto, is that, is Toronto's market excluded from that?

Well, I don't know about Toronto's market, but I think any hockey market in general, no. No, no, you can't do it. Look, look already, you lost Mitch Marner. How do you like them apples, okay? You lose the star player. They're hard to replace. You are committed to what you've been doing. You have to believe that if you don't make the playoffs, as do the Winnipeg Jets, that you've got to go

back at it for another year. You've got to think you were like the San Jose Sharks when they missed the playoffs the one year. Now granted, they kept their pick so they got Logan Couture. Then they came back and became make their playoff runs and one time they made the final. Even John Cooper's Tampa Bay Lightning finished out of the playoffs one year.

They believed that was just a blip. They stuck with it and they ended up winning, staying in the playoffs, winning two Stanley Cups. Buyer, seller, it's not that easy. You got to make a deal that works for your team. And all the and all the buying hasn't worked with these first round picks.

So you're stuck, you're screwed, okay? So Bobby McMahon, Oliver Ekman-Larsen. What, you want a second-round pick? What for? You want them on your team next year. Get another Bobby McMahon. Get another Oliver Beckman-Larsen. Get a Michael Bunting like you did a few years ago.

You're built around Matthews, Nealander, Tavares, that kind of core, and you got to go out of one more year. Seller, it's a sexy word. It's a disaster. It's ugly. You can't. It's a mixed bag. You've got to go out at it one more time anyway to say.

this just wasn't our year. A lot of things didn't go right. And we're going to make sure it doesn't happen two consecutive seasons. I love that. I love the idea. And I do agree that you can really get yourself in trouble by selling and then there's no guarantee of a bounce back.

One of the positions they do have an excess at is they seem to have three goalies, Gord. Would be okay with one of those guys going out for something they could flip to help that core you're talking about. What do you get, a fourth round pick? I mean, like the teams that are making the playoffs, all have a goalie. So maybe they want a depth, you know, so you get the third goalie, whatever.

So you get a fourth round pick. Whipty-do, okay? So, you know, if that comes fine and it looks good that you're covered, which has nothing in it. Like you look at the next two drafts, they might as well not book hotel rooms, okay? They should sleep in a tent, you know, and just basically go in, draft quickly, fly home. Okay? So, so yeah, so I'm being a bit of a smart ass, but you've got a good point, Justin, in that, that, hey, the choice, at your waiver pickup. Everyone wants

the big move, okay? The little incremental moves, if you do more of them the right way, then not, you get better. I mean, we're like a Darren Radish of the world. I mean, these kind of guys, like a Brandon Bussie of the world that nobody was talking about. The guy now is like the winningest goaltender

for Carolina and the other guy. Now, it may be a one year blip as far as his totals go, but it seems like you can play defense in the National Hockey League. So, you know, that's to me where your pro scouting comes in and you got to hope you get one, or two of those types. It's not like you stay status quo.

I think a conversation has to be had, and I'm sure Morgan Rodley would welcome it in the offseason, just to kind of figure about that moving forward. But, yeah, the blow-up does not guarantee in the slightest, particularly now because you don't have the future assets that Montreal has or San Jose has or Anaheim has to do it. Okay, now it's my turn to be a bit of a smart ass here. Oh, oh, Kipper's trade board.

Oh, Kippey gets everyone excited. Yeah, the more trades. You get paid by the trade. That's why you put 800 of them in there. Okay, Mr. former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leaves, how do you satisfy the fan base who want major changes and get them back into the playoffs next year comfortably?

Who stays, who goes? Hey, Kippy, it's not a simple answer. The answer is everybody wears it. starting with Keith Pelly, who had a lot to say two years ago when he came back, Brad Trulliv and Craig Barubi. We didn't think they'd be that accountable, but you go there and the whole players, the leadership core, whatever may be. Okay? So that's the thing. You've got to make sure it doesn't happen again. Like I've said to you many, many times, this team started the season, not like the team

that made the playoffs nine consecutive years, like the team that got killed at home in games five and game seven. That's how they seem to play. How did they forget to play defense? I know the goaltending wasn't as good for a good chunk as last year, but how did they forget that team defensive style that they seem to, at least whether embrace, but played Barubi's way? So, yes, there's no question. There's got to be accountability about certain things, and it can't happen again, but unfortunately, it has happened,

and there is no miracle on ice or miracle at the trade deadline. So what about some of these other teams in the Eastern Conference? Like it's not just a matter of the least this year trying to get enough points to get in. There's a lot of other teams that are very good. Do you think Florida, who I just saw on my Twitter feed not that long ago, could still be a buyer? Like could Florida still be a team that makes the playoffs? Do you believe in these four teams that haven't been playoffs in Detroit, Montreal, Buffalo, and Boston? So I'm looking more at the West now that I'm thinking teams that aren't used to being in the playoff race.

Right. There's five of them battling for three spots, right? when you're talking about Utah, San Jose, you know, Anaheim, teams like that, Seattle. Like, to me, that's the one, because they've got assets, they've got young players, you know, and that's why I'm a little puzzled about Sean Wright,

you know, why they would be looking to do that out of Seattle. So I'm looking at them that, boy, that's the kind of team that you could get an ad on. The biggest guy is off now in Panarid. I mean, that kind of was your Seth Jones, Brad Marchand type type, which Florida got last year. So I can't see them being able to make, that kind of bold move.

But we probably will have one or two surprises. But, you know, Florida didn't win the Stanley Cup because of those additions. You know, solely because of that. They won because of their course. Same with Tampa Bay. Same with all the other teams. They've always been the cherry on the Sunday. So there's no question Eastern Conference teams will be in on it.

But my intrigue is the West that has cap space and where I really think it can make a difference. Justin Borden asked me a little earlier in the show, should Lee fans be upset? said if Nealander and Matthews just laid it up in the Olympics. I went, no, not really. I think it would be actually a good thing, but do you expect them to dominate there? Do you expect them to do well, and Lee fans would be okay with it?

Why do you call them Justin Bourne and not just Justin, Nick Kiprios? You guys got a problem? Everything's fine. Things are very formal here today. Oh, okay, okay. Hey, hey, Darrell Sittler out there, 50 years and all that. We talk about what happened with him when not just that 10-point night, but also the big goal in the Canada Cup and how he felt it grew his team. I think it would be awesome if they go light it up.

I mean, part of what's happened is before the blip, Austin Matthews got his game together. And, you know, good on Willie Nealander after Middle Fingergate. It becomes less of a middle finger gate issue that he came out and played like Willie Nealander. So I just think it would be great. And I'm cheering for Canada. So I'm really not cheering for them. I'm cheering more for who's on Canada. But hey, I want to see great players at the Olympics,

have great performances, and I think it'd be great. I don't know why fans would be pissed. I think it would show even more so why you've got to retain that and build that and cultivate and believe that that's still there for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Gord, what was your 2014 Olympic viewing experience? Where were you for the gold medal? Both times I've been at the cricket club,

where Kippe used to be a member, and then we up their standards. And it was actually... Is it a whole lot of... Actually, for cricket, excuse by ignorance? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Do you play cricket?

There's a beer league cricket. I played one year in the summer, but there's serious, like, I mean, real serious cricket there, like, that don't belong to the club. And we do miss Kippey at the club. In 2010, I saw Kippey and Darren Pange and Bob McKenzie and James Duthy, right?

So that was the big one. That was during a normal time. That was like, you know, the golden goal of Sydney Crosby and Kippy had the line like, what, the snake and step on the snake and suppress the whatever.

How do you remember this stuff? Because I got no life, right? I've seen in my basement down here, look at the pictures and wait for your calls, right? And then 2014 was a little earlier, and it was funny, that didn't have the same pizzazz, right? Like, you know, Mike Babcock had kind of a system that, except for Drew Dowdy,

they all kind of adhered to and that. So they wanted, it didn't match the magic in 2010. But both times, that's where I've watched the final. And with a group. It's fun watching with the group. You got any predictions? So, okay. Gold, silver, bronze.

You know, really the best thing would be that if USA won, a repeat of miracle on ice. Yeah, I really don't care about growing the game, but it would help. Like, I just think... Kind of Canadian are you to say that? Sammy, which are you? Well, I'm just being honest. I'm cheering for Canada.

I've got to say my half roots, my God rest Ernie Stelichick, the Chequia team, is one that I really like as far as kind of a team that can be a pleasant surprise. I mean, I don't think there really be a surprise, but I just think that's going to be one to deal with. Hopefully the ghost of Dominic Hachick isn't there as well. But I'm Canada. Canada all the way. I love the commitment to Connor McDavid,

that piece he wrote in the Players Tribune. I mean, you guys have talked about it. Elliot talks about it. Man, these guys, these guys are. are in, I don't like comparing to other sports. I never think that's fair. Like we're better in hockey or whatever, but there's a level of it that

is just off the charts about how badly they want to play for their country. I love it. It's been a long time, 12 years. Let's go. Let's kick ass Canada. That's one picking. Yeah. Great way to end our segment, Gordo. Thanks for bringing to heat, Gordo. Well, yeah, sorry it's not sexy, the trade

deadline, you know, but life can't be sexy all the time. You know, if they want that, Just tune you guys on weekdays afternoons, okay? There's women all over the world watching this going, you're sexy. Well, if there's, well, okay, I'll talk you off there. Whatever. I know Lisa's not watching, so whatever. Just DM me.

All right. The wonderful, the talented, the sexy Gordon-Skelik, everybody. Thanks, Gordo. Take care. I like making them blush every once in a while. That was good. 2014, so 2010, you were there. Where, Vancouver?

Yeah, the Vancouver in 2014 as well or no? No, no, no, because Sportsnet was not involved in that one, I don't think. Okay. You were there one of those consortium panel things? When we went there, we didn't. And that was this before or after? It was awesome TSN. You said mean things about the TSN guys on Twitter.

I think after. Was it after? I think after. So we went there. By the way, I love that. We all had thoughts that we're all going to kind of not sure what games we're going to do and didn't even know that we were going to do every single game every day. All three games from like noon until bedtime?

Noon, four, and seven. Like France v. Latvia, you're in there? By the end of the tournament, like everybody had the same jersey on for me. Same colors, same names. You're speaking languages. Yeah. And we, I don't know, we did like 28 games in like 13 days, 14 days. But it was fun.

It was great. And we had, we weren't in any press boxes. They built us a hydraulic desk above the Zamboony entrance. Cool. And then when the Zambollah came off, the desk would disappear. Yeah. underneath the seats. That's very cool.

And then we just sit in our normal season ticket holder kind of seat. And I don't know, I'm six rows up on Sid's goal. Wow. That's really cool. Yeah, it was really cool. Some pitchers, I imagine. I would love to do that one day. It's definitely a career goal, get involved with Olympic hockey.

I'll get you there. Just keep plugging away. I'll get you there. Christian, how are we doing so far, pal? We're halfway there. Alex Martinez, former L.A. King, Stanley Cup champion, will join us when we return. We'll get all the dirt on Panarin becoming an L.A. King. We go national next on the Real Kippur and Born show.

Do not go away.