Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: Knies' Future in Toronto

Episode Date: March 10, 2026

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee look ahead to the Toronto Maple Leafs' matchup against the Montreal Canadiens, with newly called-up Bo Groulx set to make his Leafs debut. They revisit yesterday's conversation about a rumoured trade between the Leafs and Habs for Matthew Knies, whether the Leafs should pick the talks back up in the offseason, and what return it would take to move him. Later, TVA's Renaud Lavoie joins the show (25:45) to help tee up tonight's game, discuss the deals the Canadiens did and did not make at the trade deadline, and weigh in on whether they missed an opportunity to improve between the pipes. 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.

Come on, Ann, it's the Leaf Hour edition of the Real Kipper and Bourne Show. Jake the Snake Shilts, Derek Brande, Nick Kippreos, Justin Borne, our very own Sammy. We're live on Sportsnet 360, 590, the fan in Toronto, streaming, Sportsnet Plus. Also available, Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube. The Toronto Maple Leafs in a rare weekday game, Sammy, not a Saturday night, which we've been accustomed to. Yeah, I was thinking when the last time they played on Not a Saturday night, but it probably would win the opening game. They always play the opening game of the season, right?

So it's usually like a Wednesday or Tuesday night. But outside of that, it's usually Saturday night against the hat. Tell the fans how you're feeling about the game tonight. Oh, wow. Can we just start the show by saying, Bo knows hockey? Bo knows. Oh, God. Bring me, Bo.

This is such a funny part of the season when you start to know names or you're like, oh, yes. Beauree of Alas. Boe Gruel. Okay, first of all, do you remember? Beau knows. Yes, I do. Do you do? I bet you there's just a generational divide there.

Like, I mean, I wouldn't say, I'm aware of it. But he may be one of the best sports ad campaigns in history. One of the greatest athletes really ever. The greatest athlete. But so back then I think it was like Kurt Gibson in the commercial and a quarterback for the L.A. Rams, Jim Everett. Nothing. Back then they could have been, nothing.

L.A. John McAdro. John McRow. So everybody, Bo knows. And then they say hockey and Gretz gives, Wayne Gretz gives the no. Oh, really? To Bo knows hockey. Yeah.

And he just shakes him off like an O2 fastball. And he nailed it. That's great. Nailed it. That's fantastic. What do we know about Bo Grew? It stands for Benoit Oliver, Olivier, I think. What do we know?

He's 26 years old. He's 6 foot 2. He's third in the NHL in goals of 27. Fourback of the current leader, Arthur Kaliov. He is 12th in the H.L. In the points. He has played 67 NHL games up till now, 45 of which in the 23, 24 season. He scored zero goals for the Anaheim Ducks.

Let's lead the show. A Block, Bo Gruehl. Late Bloomer. A Block. The next Bobby McMahon, boys. Well, hey, 26. This happened. Those are really good American League numbers.

I don't mean to make light of those numbers. But yeah, he hasn't happened yet at the NHL level, but maybe he just needs an opportunity. Yeah. Maybe he does. Going into this game tonight, it's not a good, it's on nationally, right? Across the country.

It's on the cross country. And, you know, there's been people that have been making fun of the Leafs for where they're at and they're, you know, supposed rebuild or reach. tool and they probably haven't a ton of people haven't really watched them that closely tonight will be on a lot of television sets across the country and it's like the simpsons meme uh don't show you how i don't want to see you to see how i live like that's kind of how i'm feeling with them going against against this habs team there's pain coming they're gonna they're gonna run the leaves out of

the building tonight yeah they're fast and it's gonna suck we got ranoa coming on soon right yeah we've had him we just had him recently last week he was so good we're going right back to him again, reporter for TVA, love to get into the Montreal Canadians and I know a few people made out the talk about this potential Toronto Montreal

were they talking if so for who he's got his ear to the ground. I think Elliot Friedman spoke about it earlier today on on food food his show, correct? And Marquesie. And Marquesie, yes, of course, Matt. Yeah. Yeah. whether there was some legs to it or not.

Let's ask, Renaud. Did you get some feedback on our conversation yesterday from anyone? You know what? I didn't really look at my phone. Could I tell you the most shocking thing in the comment section to me of like, so we put the clip out of the three of us having that conversation, people being like, what is Kip or no? Kipp or doesn't know anything, whatever.

And it's the most insane thing ever. Elliot reported that there was a big deal with the Montreal Canadians. We know the Leafs were trying to do something big. Renault had tweeted something similar about this happening. There's like a million things that triangulate to this deal having happened. You've had a hundred things right in the last five weeks leading up to the trade deadline. Like, what would have taken for you to be like, I'm just making it up? I'm just coming in here and going, yeah, I heard Matthews' first.

Vasilevsky was a thing. Like just making it up. What's an insane implication that is to me. You're just passing on some of the rumblings that you hear. Yeah. And you spitball them on our show. That's what you do. Do you want to talk about it or not? Do you want us to keep that stuff

in our pocket? This has been going on for like decades now, eh? With talk radio. Of course, the fan 590 kind of set the whole thing up right across the country in the early 90s. Our good buddy, Nelson Millman. Yes. And like, people are like, well, don't talk about it anymore if you don't know.

It's like, that's what this is. It's a two-hour show. Stop it, please. This is the water cooler. We're here just talking. But it's not just the water cooler. It's like, it's our business. Yes.

Right? Like, we get paid to talk to people about this. Yes. There is information behind the conversation. 99% of the working world have to sneak away from work to have this conversation. So my point is, anyway, that there is. something there. And Elliot even said that once that name is out there, it's tough to put the toothpaste back in the tube. This might be irrelevant just yet. Whenever our wonderful social team

sends a clip that I know is going to be popular, I mute it immediately because I don't want to deal with some of the riffraff. And I went back and I looked at it because somebody added me or whatever, it showed up. And then I saw that. And I saw all the French replies. It's like, oh, we made it to the Belvoir. It's made its way in here. Like, oh, no. I don't know, man. It breached containment, I think, is the phrase that got outside. Can we talk about it? Yeah, we can.

I think the idea of that trade being made at that seemingly rushed time is one that is a very concerning thought for me. But if you're going into the summer and you have a full summer to work with and you have teams that know that he's out there and you could potentially do a bidding war and get somebody's really, really great package of players and picks or whatever it is, I'm not necessarily 100% against it.

That's where I'm at. But the way that it was reported and the way that it was close to the buzzer, that part of it terrified me. Let me ask you about that. Rather not the haps, if I'm being honest. Do you watch Team Canada, the World Juniors pretty closely?

You like that Hage a lot? Yeah, I don't know. It's hard to know. He's a good player, but it's hard to know. You know, junior players, I mean, Nick Robertson scored. I know, but there's people paid very well and director of player personnel and head scouts. And they get paid for those decisions.

For sure. And they're watched closely. So, you know, when you speak of at the last second, sometimes of a trade deadline, there's a, there's sometimes a method to the madness. It's just not like, oh, I forgot, I lost track of time. There's pressure points and you may want a guy to sit on it for five minutes, three minutes,

one minute, give me a quick answer. There is the occasion over the course of history of having a knee-jerk reaction at a certain time and you may catch someone at a weak moment. I mean, all of this comes into play on why you would leave something to the last minute. Well, last year, the Leafs got fleeced at the deadline. You know, last minute here, you need someone bad enough?

Here's what you can have it for. But I do believe outside of any Matthew's decision moving forward, the Leafs have a problem at Center Ice, and that's John Tavares, can no longer carry a second line or play upwards of 18, 19 minutes. So how do you find a key centerman here moving forward? If you don't throw the name Matthew Nyes out, How do you do it?

Well, and you like someone who dishes. I know I'm just fixated on that one Canadian's name there, Hage, because he's, you know, Montreal has centers, right? They're pretty good with Suzuki Captain and Evans to know down the middle right now. He's got 45 points to 34. He'll be NHL eligible at the end of this season, like soon. They'd be NHL eligible. So, I mean, he's interesting.

Can you pull that type of player and one of their higher-end defensemen? Like that's, to me, is... Nice is a realized 30 goal score at 23 years old who's a refrigerator. Yes. So is it two pieces? Is it 2 plus with a B prospect? Like that's... That has to be on the table for a bright tree living.

Yeah. Moving forward. Well, I mean, there's a world where you listen and you're trying to sell something to Austin Matthews. If you're not there with multiple pieces like that for Nyes, you're only left with Nealander or Matthews left to dangle. There's nothing else on their roster

that could bring you any type of immediate return like those three guys. Yeah. What would you do? Well, I mean, fortunately, they're back in a place where they have two of their three first overall picks coming up in 27 and 28. Those are an option for something to trade. Like if you're trying to immediately turn it around,

I mean, and I don't know that they are. but if they're sincere in that, otherwise asset-wise, you've got a goalie, Morgan Riley's not fetching anything unless you retain a lot. It's tough. Tough to immediately get better.

There's two different conversations here. The first conversation is, are you rebuilding or retooling, which is the first conversation? And if you're retooling, the nice conversation to me is one that you have because, like you said, you're trying to find four quarters with a dollar

like you were talking about yesterday. But, like, if you're rebuilding, you're keeping nyes, because how old is he, 23? Yeah. I mean, he's going to be even better, supposedly, in three or four years when, you know, a natural rebuild, that's how long it takes. It's just the two different conversations. When he's 26 and you're three years into this, he still feel pretty good.

He's supposed to be in his prime of prime. So I think there's two different conversations. They get paid the big bucks to go which way to go. Okay. I would probably... I get nyes, but if you do the math... Matthews is 31, 32. At that point, yeah.

At that point. So if you're waiting for your 27 pick, right? Keeper, what I'm saying, what I'm saying is, if you're rebuilding, you're trading Matthews, you're trading Nealander, you keep Nyes because in 40 years he could still be in his prime. I also don't think those guys. But what does that do for the age of Austin Matthews now, for you? Well, he wouldn't be part of a rebuild. He's saying you would trade him.

You would trade him? No. No. Who's on first? Okay. I get the nyes, keeping nyes. Yeah. But Matthews is older, much older.

So I'm asking you, what do you do with Matthews now, who will be 32 or 33? I would. When nyes and these picks eventually come around. I think I've been on the record pretty clearly here that if Matthews is willing to stay with the Toronto May police for his career or for another four years or another six years or however long he's willing to sign a contract here, I just kind of want him to do it. I know it's not perfect.

I know maybe you're not going to win everything, but like, I think that part of it, if you're going to have the conversations and he's willing to stay here and he wants to be a leaf and he's going to have 700 goals as the Toronto Maple Leaf. The part that bothers me is the,

if you know you're not going to win it. So you just, where's that in the equation, Sammy? That's the only reason why we show up to play is to try to win it. Well, I also think, I think, Well, every single year, they add three new teams, so it gets harder and harder to win.

I don't know. He's just, he's an elite player. He's the best leaf I've ever seen in my lifetime. It's just, if somebody asks me, do I want him to be? He's not perfect. I get it. But I think you've a better chance if you have him for his 28 to 32 years as opposed to just rebuilding and trying to hit lottery tickets.

I don't know. Yeah, I think pedigree guys don't tend to just get bad, you know, at 32. The number one overall pick, all time, all world. numbers put her uppers. But is he capable of getting this team back to where it was last year as division

champs and one of six legitimate teams that you think could win a Stanley Cup? Listen, that's... With some creative work around it, potentially. Is that he was able to? Is that what you're at? It's impossible to know. Like, you know, like I think I would bet on elite talent

rather than just, I mean, you have to do one or two things here. You either have to sell those guys and rebuild or try to figure it out around them. And I think the best thing you have going for you is suddenly a ton of cap space and you know, you recoup some draft picks and you're just, it may not be a one year turnaround, but can it be two? I'm just not ready to be the Knochs, but I'm just not ready for that.

The other thing that I don't think a lot of people are talking about is how fast the cap is going up. And within three years, we're talking about anywhere between a hundred, 125 to 130 million dollars. Who can legitimately go there outside of Toronto and your top typical 8-10 revenue teams? That could play in a factor. As a positive factor.

A positive factor to the leaves is that money is no object. Yeah. And if teams need to sell off some contracts, but good ones, like who knows what kind of shape some of these teams may be in three years. I think it's really fascinating. I'm hearing noise behind the scenes too that it's a real concern for a lot of teams.

Really? Is not being able to keep up with how high the caps going in a very short period of time. It's like I don't know what teams margins are right now but can you lose 30 million in additional payroll and continue to make money. I think that's a big ask for a lot of teams. But I think there's things like this Robert Thomas deal that's out there,

this Simone Nemich, you know, that name gets dangled. I think there's ways that you have to pursue those guys. And yeah, and if for UFAs you're the place that spends the most because you're able to, finally you get an advantage here, Sammy. Like you could potentially have Toronto be a place that for all the money they generate for the league gets a little hint of an advantage. What a concept. What a concept.

You know, other sports don't ever favor the teams that make the most money. That's never worked in any other sports. It may swing again, though. It may, it could swing back in the Leaves favor and maybe the New York Rangers and a few others. That would be awesome. I mean, I think it's good for the league. And in the meantime, if you're not, if you're not well, just buy, collect assets by buying your space up.

I'm surprised that the Leafs didn't. find a way to take bad contracts for picks. I really that bothered last week. But that's what I meant that it was such a lack of creativity. It was just, okay, we're bad, we should sell these UFAs. There was no additional, maybe a lot of the energy was used up in a potential trade with Montreal that could have gone towards, can we take Mangipani? Can we take Jonathan Drew in?

Can we take Patrick Linae? I bet you Linae would have come back in that deal. What? Yeah, because they would have needed to make room for Nise's money in Montefi. Montreal. Oh, Nyes was out there. There's just no team that wanted to take a looksy because his contract's running out.

Linae. Yeah, nobody was interested. Yeah. Yeah, no, I just, you don't think there's anything to what I'm saying about just having Matthews on the Leafs for his career. I think if you're upstairs, you think a lot about it. Like, that's not. But that's not a lot of, that's not a thought where, listen,

I'm not really there on Neelander. I'm not. Like, I think there's a difference between Neelander. and Matthews in terms of what like they represent and if you want to talk about trading Nylander I'm much more willing to have that conversation better goal score right now for sure but just like I don't know I know just because you're having one down year you have to trade away your best player in the history of the franchise well said I just give it a sec here I know it's been bad I we mentioned under Barubei I know it's been bad I know there's all this stuff I just

I'm not quite ready to give it up at age 28 that's how I'm feeling I think that's fair okay I do, I'm a fan. I'm just, I do worry about his inconsistency to look like a power forward on a lot of nights. Everyone's worried about that. I think that's a fair of worry. If you can't, if you have watched them the last two years and go, yeah, this is great. I think there's, there's real concern. But I just think you got to hope it works out.

That's a lot of sports, right? Like you make a lot of these trades going hope it works. Yeah. There's no one, no one definitely getting it right. Yeah. But I think if they're having conversations about trading Nyes as opposed to trading Matthews and Willie, I think that tells you what direction they're thinking about going in. Also just curious, like, what are they thinking about doing in terms of the rest of the roster?

Like Joshua, Domi, Michelli, Yarncroke, like we're, what's happening? We just did, were they offered? Were they, were they? And teams said, no, too expensive, not big enough return. Do they look at a lot of guys and say off years? They'll come back. They'll come back stronger, bigger, stronger, better than before. I think Joshua makes 325.

He has upside. No one's going to take him for much. You might as well just see what he can do next year in a better year. But it'll be done with Yarn Croke. Like Nick Robertson, they're going to do another qualifying offer? They're just killing this. Yarn crock? Finally going to be done to Gondabrinis.

All right, where do we go? To the rink? Yeah, we should maybe talk about the hockey game. All right. Let's go to Craig Bruby, clip one on going against the habs. Yeah, for sure. I mean, it's, you know, Montreal's always been a big rival game. So I think the intensity right away and, you know, playing good hockey with the puck

and, you know, making this team getting their own end and playing their own. own end right away. Like just putting the pressure on them. You know, they got some great skill over there, obviously, and they got some guys in the back end that are highly skilled and can skate. So how we forechecked tonight and how we pressure them in their zone will be a key element for the game tonight. You know, I think Hudson and Dobson are one of two defensive pairings in the league that have combined for 100 points. Echholm and Bouchard or the other one,

and Hudson and Dobson are the one. If you put all the 12 defensemen that will dress tonight in a pile and you had a draft for who you want on your team, you might take five of six Montreal Canadians with the first six picks. Like it's pretty good over there on the back end at this point. Matheson, Hudson, Dobson, almost they got over there. Carrier, like him a lot too. Yeah.

You're probably right. Probably right. Well, you got a jack eye and... If you look at... Yeah. I mean... So six. You got a draft, right?

You got to draft? You got to pick your poison on a trade with Dobson. And Blue Lines win it, man. I'm a big, big believer. And that's just over the course of now decades for the Leafs. Like, this is long before Brad Tree Living showed up. Like there's a world. They've never got it right on the blue line.

Like the Montreal Canadians have it right today. But I still am not sure about this Canadians decor as a playoff decor. Not yet. Listen, if it isn't yet, it just lacks experience and seasoning. Totally. Like they have the bones of something that can win you a cup. And it will get tweaked possibly between now and the next couple of years. But to your point, like, the structures there are.

Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's pretty, they move it well, they score. Would you guys like to hear William Nealander's thoughts

on where they're at in the standings? I'm so curious why you clip this. Did you hear it? No. I have not heard it. You'll know why he's clipped it

when you play it. Play it, Derek. Clip one, Neelander. This is, I was losing skin that since you've been released for you,

like, have you been processing it? How do you stay optimistic? I mean hard to really stay optimistic in this situation but yeah just try to get a win tonight do you feel like this is just a one-off and you guys can get back to form next season yeah I mean I sure I hope that that's the case for sure otherwise yeah otherwise what otherwise yeah otherwise what otherwise it's doing a lot of work there, boys.

He caught himself. To be fair to him, he's never done or said this stuff before. This is so foreign to him. It's so big deal really. Otherwise, losing. There are also people who. Being a bottom feeder in the standings. There's also people who think in their head and there's people who think with their

mouth. And he just thinks, it just comes out as he's. He's like shell shocked, right? He's talking. He's like, it's like he, he woke up and looked at the same. standings. Yeah. Isn't there another...

Otherwise... You need some Larry Murphy. We got a lot of losses. A lot of losses. We got a lot of losses. Neelander also said something about post-deadline how the, like, mood is a little better or the room is a little... Sure.

Which is... Does not seem like the direction it should have gone, but I'm glad for them. There are another week from starting to have a good time again. Showing up and... Well, just... They should be showing up to cobblower with flip flops. Why? Why is Matthews or him even playing?

Once you get into the, I don't know, 10, 12 games left to go. Yeah. You got choices of coming to the rink with a sour face or just, come on, guys. And you got a choice between blocking that shot or missing it by a couple inches. You're right. Whoops. No, all of it. I'm not going into summer of that thing.

Almost hit me with that. Scotty Pibbley said, I ain't going to have my summer up. Yeah, let's get it over us. I will say, I distinctly remember thinking that at the end of a college season. I don't know, you know, like full summer of training ahead. Last game, we're out of it. We're terrible. You know, just like, just need to not get hurt today.

I got a goal play. Got the world championships coming up. Oh, yeah. He'll be dominating the world championships. Please tell me, like, anybody that was in the Olympics isn't going to go to this thing. Really is 100% going to the world championships. He is the captain of the team. I truly don't care.

I love one of that. I don't know. I don't know why you would go when you're just in one. Like, how many? We should go to break. How many talk about the bond? International tournaments do you need. I'm calling Beau Gruehl, the DOG now.

The bog down here. We should go. We can talk about bull gruel all we want after Ren. All right, we got Ren. Another bowl of gruel. TVA sports coming up next. Toronto and Montreal. Don't go away.

Everything you need to know about the Blue Jays. Blair and Barker. Be sure to subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to The Real Kipper and Born Show. Nick Kippe is Justin Boren, Sammy McKee. Let's welcome in Renaud-Lavoie. TVA Sports NHL Network and our key man,

Tying up to Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. Say, thanks for joining us. It's always a pleasure. I'm in Ottawa right now. Why in Ottawa Keynes are playing tomorrow and there's a big ice storm coming. Well, that would be a big problem tomorrow for people who wants to, and there's a lot of people traveling from Montreal to Ottawa to see the Montreal gains.

That's going to be a big issue. And there's a lot of media people decided to leave Montreal this afternoon to go to Ottawa directly instead of driving in that ice storm tomorrow. Yikes. Yikes. I thought we were done with this. Okay. Rennell, I've often said you are as plugged in.

as anybody on this planet when it comes to NHL hockey, tell us what you know about the Montreal Canadians, how close were they to a deal, who might have been involved, and the thoughts of it getting picked up, say, at the NHL draft? Yeah, you know what? This is one of the most interesting trading deadline for the Montreal Canaan's management,

group that they have right now. Why? Because in a way, last year, we kind of knew that there was not a big chance that a deal was coming. And Kent Hughes kind of made the promise to his players that no one will be traded because there was a lot of guys' UFAs at the end of the season. No one will be traded if the team is a playoff team. And it's exactly what happened with the Canians last season. This year, it's a little different. They're a better team, yes, more experience.

Yes. Are there a Stanley Cup contender? No. Okay. So that's that's the beauty of this deadline because no doubt that can't use Jeff Gorton. They work really, really hard to have a couple of trades, you know, in the book to make this theme better. And the problem, Kipper, is when you're working so hard, okay, for weeks, long hours on the phone, you're involved. in everything and anything. And at the end of the trading deadline, you don't have a deal. It's problematic. It's not really problematic for this team, but it's problematic if you're a GM or a president

of hockey ops because you feel like you spend a lot of times for nothing and there's no results. And that's painful in a way. Were they really close to have a deal done? Yes, listen, it took like 90 minutes before Canthews came to talk to us after the deadline. Normally when you don't have a deal done, it doesn't take 90 minutes. It takes 15 minutes after the deadline. So the name of Matthew and I, and you mentioned it yesterday, is obviously the one that everyone knows.

that everyone is talking about. But at the same time, there's people inside the Montreal Canaanian organization. I don't expect anyone to confirm that to me that it was him, but they're asking me one question. Why would the Maple Leafs trade matthew nice to the Montreal Canaanians? That's a question, Kipper, that even if, you know, on Saturday, Sunday, I was hearing in his name a lot. I was saying to myself, first of all, why would, you know, the Maple Leafs trade them?

And if they do, why to the Montreal Canadians? And that's problematic for me. What I heard last week, early last week was, listen, Matthew Knight's name is out there. Maybe Robert Thomas with the blues could be something that's going to happen. And I was like, okay, I can't see it in a way. Yeah, okay. But with the Montreal Canadians, it's kind of weird because I don't feel like the Montreal Canaanians were on the verge of trading someone that they're tired of having in their dressing room or in the organization. I'm not saying the blues are tired of Robert Thomas here, but there's obviously reasons why he was on the block and probably still going to be on the block at the, at the draft, right? So we don't know if he's going to start next season with the Blues. But Matthew Nye is 23 years old.

You just sign him? Why the Maple Leafs would trade him? Are they tired of him? Is there an issue with him? Is there something that we don't know? Because if there's something that we don't know, okay, I understand why he's on the trading block. But if they like him, tell me why you would trade.

a player at 23 years old. Does Montreal have three top prospects that they can give up for Matthew Nyes? And if the answer is yes, then that's your answer. Yeah, like everyone's going to look at Michael Age, right? Yes. Obviously playing for the Wolf Marines in Michigan. But I feel like the Caneans are like every time talking to someone, just chitchatting about age.

They really, really like him. Maybe the Leafs do too. Yeah, that's the thing. You're right. So, you know, it's, it's an important decision that the Kenians made that they were ready to make a trade. It didn't happen. And like you mentioned, Kent Hughes is ready to revisit that trade to make it happen next summer. So maybe we'll have a better idea then.

And maybe it's going to be Matthew Nice. Maybe not. But still, it's kind of really interesting to see Matthew Nye's name out there. Really interesting to see or hear that Montreal was maybe involved. We don't know with certainty. And can you imagine our reaction today, if that deal. would have gone through if Matthew and I

would have been trade, whatever the return is to the Montreal Canadians. It would be exciting. Believe they would be great for the rivalry. The internet, I believe is the phrase. So.

I mean, we would have gone on, there would have been a breaking news on TV for $40 in Toronto and Montreal. That's for sure. So, Ren, did the Montreal Canadians miss an open? at this deadline while trying to do what they did.

I just look at that Atlantic Division. I love their decor. I love their big game performers. You know, like I love Cofield, Suzuki, Slavkovsky. Did they miss a chance here? I see them, there are only a couple points back of the top of the division. Feels like if you're in that room,

I read a great piece by Arpin Basu, who said basically that the guys didn't want the room to be touched. But you always want it to be touched for the better. Yeah, for sure. But it's a special room with special people. And I understand why. They went through a lot, right? And it's a broaderhood.

So, yeah, I'm with Harpen on this one. The other question you need to ask yourself is this. If you're making one big trade or two big trades, and if you're pushing for Stanley Cup, let's say you think that there's a chance that you're going to win the Stanley Cup. The problem is, you need to look at goalfending. And Montreal goalbending, I don't believe, is where there should be to have a lot of success, you know, in the playoffs.

And that's a problem, I'm pretty sure, for management. Because they're looking at the big picture. They're like, are we sure of Jacob Dobesh? Even he's playing really, really well. But there's a lot of up and downs in his game. He's a rookie. are we sure of Samuel Montaubo one of the you know one of the greatest story last season with the Kenyans what what he did was just amazing and great he wasn't able to bring his game to that level last year level it happens all right but can you bet that it's going to change in the next few weeks just for the sake of you know you think a miracle is possible I don't want to talk about miracle here but you have a big picture of what your goaltenders are giving you.

People are going to say probably listening right now, Montreal Canaan fans say, well, you have Jacob Fowler in LaValle. Okay, well, really? We want to put a young kid first pro year in Montreal Canaan's Net or to start the playoffs in Montreal thinking that there's a really good chance that this team is going to go far. I mean, that's a lot of pressure. Renaud, do you think they were tempted at all to think about Bennington or Brobrovsky short-term?

Yeah, for sure. You have to look at everything that's out there, for sure. But the price, what really is the price? And are we 100% sure today that Jordan Bennington is a better goal tender than Samuel Montaubo right now? Yes, we are. Yes, we are. Yes. You're sure?

Buddy. I'm not a sure. game guy. I got you. I understand that. Big game guy. No disrespect. Kudos to everything

that he did. And I'm with you. We're talking the same length. We're saying the same thing here. Okay? But listen, if you look at his season

with a team that's struggling, not playing really well defensively in front of him, this is not Team Canada. And Montreal, all. The Kenyans are not team Canada either. They're not, they're coming. They're coming at you. They'll be there. They'll win their Stanley Cups. I have no doubt. Are they, you know, with Jordan Bennington would have be, maybe if you trade Jordan Bington for a, no, second round

pick, yeah, yeah, I'm with you. But if you want a first, you want a couple of first round pick, you want to play, you want a kid, come on, all your horses. Let's turn that day. There's no reason to make that trade. Yeah, no, that makes a lot of sense. I did really like Kent Hughes in the aftermath saying, we expect to be in this situation next year. We expect to be in this situation the year after that. Like, they've got a pretty good long-term plan there for Montreal.

The one thing that stood up to me is he said, we're not just going to draft forever. And that's something I don't think a lot of teams say and admit to or they're like at some point, you got to stop drafting kids and flip those picks for humans. and get going right away. And I wonder if that won't be this upcoming season for Montreal. It was already the case last June.

Yeah. They traded their two first round picks for Noah Dobson. Right. And that's a page of the Panthers playbook. You need to go get players that's going to change a lot of things for your team. And these right, a big guy right hand and the, you know, defense. are not available normally during their career. And no adoption that the Islanders didn't want to give him, you know, 9 million per.

It's their right. But the Keynes jumped in and say, hey, we're ready. Yes, we can do that. We were ready. And they, you know, they send them Illinoismen and their two first round picks. And you have to expect that it's still going to happen. They traded their second round pick, one of their second round pick. round pick this year that they got for Patrick Lainey to the Kings to get Philip Dano.

Because they badly needed a centerman who's going to, you know, win face off and calm the storm when there's a storm on the ice. You need experience. So yes, I expect the same thing. They're going to they're going to swing at it. They're going to go at it. Are they going to trade Cole Cofield, Nick Suzuki, Yorajslav Koski, Ivan Demedov, Leynaudson? No, no, it's not going to happen. But they're not going to touch the core, but if they can bring players that can really help the court, yes, it will happen. Renaud, great stuff, buddy. Listen, we know the Leafs aren't where we normally see them, but still be a fun building tonight, right? Oh, yeah. You know that I put the leaves first in their division before the start of the season. Join the club with these guys.

I don't remember what I did. I had them third. It was a life ago. Thanks, Rand. Really love your effort today to come back on our show so early. Anytime, it's always a pleasure to talk to you guys and enjoy the game tonight, all right? Renaud-a-V-A sports NHL Network correspondent. Right, take care. So lots of smoke, right? Is there fire?

Can we just live in the world for one second, where we are doing our Toronto Police Hour? where Matthew Nyes is making his Montreal Canadiens debut against the Toronto makes weeks today. That would be awesome. I would love that. Can you just live in that world for a second? No, no. I want to say this.

This is my nightmare. 2006. Toronto, Montreal, rival, best in the league. Best hockey rival in the world. Right now? Historically. Oh, yeah. Not even close now.

Don't care. Toronto. Montreal, Toronto, Carolina, Toronto, LA, I don't care. Two teams have wants and needs. Get over yourselves. If there's a trade to be made, you do it. As long as you know and think that you're getting the better of the deal and it will improve your club, I don't care if it's Toronto, Montreal.

Yeah, listen, you have to be better. Well, I, that is the rational approach. You have to be better than 31 other teams, and if that helps you better than a few of them, moves you farther up than any other deal you could have made, you have to make the best deal for your team. However, anything even close, you have to recognize Montreal is different than Carolina.

Like, if it's even close to the packages, not sure which one of these are like better, bye-bye Montreal, Carolina wants to do business. And I think there is a little bit range to where maybe you'd take a slightly worse deal to do it with Carolina, to do it with Anaheim. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, I take the best deal, I think, regardless of rivalries. Please, guys, that's the correct answer. But you are a heartless, heartless, like, just business decision maker here.

You would be in the room, be like, I'll take that as a compliment. And it is. No comment. I am a heartful idiot. That's like, you can't trade. That's for your Twitter bio. Heartful idiot? Yes.

You can't trade. It's not like we've never seen it before. There's been some minor deals. Oh, yeah, Thomas Placanitz. What a, that's the same thing. Is that car the car. The car, like it in a second round? Oh, hold on, hold.

Are you talking about Leaves, Montreal? Yeah. I mean, the Bruins and Leaves have made a few really great trades over the years. But I probably stopped trading with them. But I feel like the Montreal Toronto thing is a completely different animal. And trading one of your supposed key players to him. That's crazy. Because he had a bad knee and a down.

year when your team stunk. Crazy. For three. Disaster. Key players. I love Michael Hay. Oh, Hey. I like him.

Give me the best player. He's a 6'1 right-hand shot center who's playing great for the University of Michigan, I think. It's just the optics of it. He better be damn good if you're going to make that trade. Like you have to really trust your pro scouts and your amateur scouts. Yeah. I'd love to see it.

Oh, no, you would because you want me to be upset. Entertainment value is also a part of what we do here. You know, that would be very fun to see how that would work out. A main part of the show is me, mad, sad, him making fun of me for it. The hottest ticket on the planet next year, Toronto, Montreal, if they got together like that. Please. It's great for business, are they? It's great for the teams.

No. And great for who? The Montreal Canadians. The game. Sammy. The game. all the while that you think it's the best for you personally your team you may look back at this conversation be like god we could have had michael haj hey you're

right but that's a four years from now sam conversation as opposed to watching matthew nice have his debut tonight against the haves took celebrini two years well we don't know we don't know yes we do hey he'll michael hage is not maybe he's older than celebrating he's old Celebrity was on the Olympic team. I'm saying how many years it could take. Come on. Even if he's 60% of Celebrini, it would be worth it to the Leafs. Could be helpful.

Come on. Come on. Oh, you come on. Lock it up. Let's talk about Barubi. They're lock it up. Very good. He's got, he's asked some questions about Bo, which we don't want to talk about.

Do you want to hear about optimism or Bo? Let's talk about the clip two of on him getting called up. I found this interesting. Clip two, please. Well, we want to see guys, right? We want to see what they're all about and where they're at in our game. He's had a very good year down in the minors. So it would just have some guys up here.

We want to take a look at. Yeah, I'm not sure yet if he's going in tonight. I think he's got family already there. 10 people I saw. Please, for the love of God, play him with hockey players who do. do offensive things. That's my ass. Before he spends

two grand on tickets, please let him play. That Marley's salary ain't paying for 10 at the Bell Center place. That's a scary one. I just really hope that that is an admission here.

This is the first time of what's coming. Of what's coming. God love Callie Yarncrock. I wouldn't mind the Fridge tweet. Your time's up. He's on waivers for unconditional buyout to send him back to play for Brinas.

Like it's that kind of time now. Like it's not. Can you do that at this point of the season? Of course. Why not? Contracts up. Just ride it out for three weeks here. I mean, does he want to be here anymore? Like, I don't know. Do some of the games move to the RICO center or whatever they call it, the Coliseum? The Coca-Cola Coliseum? Yeah, the Coca-Cola

Coliseum. Yeah. I mean, if you're going to use all these guys, instead of them traveling up, just move down there. I saw a least preseason game once at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Is that right? Yeah. Saw a lot of hockey there. I went, I actually saw... It's a good barn. It's awesome.

I went... Every seat's good. During when you would have been working for the Marley's, I was at, during that run they had, I was at a game against Albany. River Rats. Rich Moon scored the Game 7 winner? I was at that game. It was like, what was like two minutes left? It was

a wrap around? Yeah. Unbelievable. That crowd, it was one of the most exciting moment. It was incredible. Did they win that year? No, they didn't. Well, we didn't, I guess. Went to the conference final, lost to Hershey. Oh, okay. Yeah.

Anyways, that's been Marley's minute. But yeah. Remember a guy. I want them to treat this like they suck and play guys that maybe could shoot a couple in. Does that factor into Craig Bruby's comment on the team staying upbeat? Yeah. Hold on.

Hold on. Okay, go ahead, because I want to hear the next one, too. Okay, clip four. Yeah, no, I definitely, you know, grab guys individually and talk with them and just what we talked about. Like you got to work your way out of it. You know, it's not just going to happen. It's got to be a team effort, but we need every individual to play at a high level for sure. And I meet with the leaders, you know.

I don't know if I meet with them more than I normally do. But there's definitely conversations that are had. So a few clips on the internet showed at times when Barubi's kind of talking to them or give it to them. And it just doesn't look right with the body language and the backs. Sorry? I hate those clips though. Yeah, I don't know. Sometimes it can be misleading.

Is that what you're suggesting? Yeah, I don't disagree with that. I think you got something there. Which means that you got to go out of your way to look. Good point. engaged and at attention and respectful can't look like

tuning them out or facing the ways he's talking to you exactly even if it's not true just come on you got 18 games to go you can't have that look well let's hear from Ruby on how he's handling this season clip five

Ruby clip five well I I keep my head down and coach and try to get guys to play the best hockey they can play and the team to play the best hockey they can play. You know, that's how I handle it. I mean, yeah, we're not all, nobody's happy. We're in this situation. But you got to keep fighting and keep working and keep building and try to get better.

That's it. I can't imagine how often, how much time he spends thinking about that team. I think about my son's U-10 select team. Just like laying in bed, be like, God, we've got to teach him out of four-check. Like, I'm sure Peruby's had that literal thought about the Leafs. And that's why minor hockey's right in the toilet. You're right.

One-two, two, two. A left-wing lock this year? Please dump it in. Yeah, they live and breathe it. You got to take it to breakfast, lunch, dinner. Torturous year. Like, you're just never out of the rhyme. And he's going to set the man.

Hey, and it's far from over. Far from over. Tune in tomorrow. We do the exact same hour. Oh, God. No, there's a hockey game tonight. Oh, yeah, we'll talk about the hockey game. Our thanks, Jeremy.

No, LeBois from TVA. When we return, it's Valley Time. The return. That is so cool. Steve Aliquette, Cat, analysts with the Rangers. CEO, ClearSight Analytics will make his way. Thank you.