Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: Search for Secondary Scoring + Rising Cap

Episode Date: January 31, 2025

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee look ahead to the Leafs' 4 games ahead of the international break starting with a measuring stick match against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. Then, they react to Brandon Saad signing with the Golden Knights and where it leaves the Leafs in their search for secondary scoring. Next, they get into the NHL's latest cap estimates and how they impact Mitch Marner's extension negotiations. Finally, Nick, Justin and Sam answer listener calls on The Leafs Line!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.

All right, here we go. Last day of the week. Last day. Last January day of the month. Day of the month. Like what is going on? This is like kind of flying by. Time flies.

Really does. Sammy tells me it's been a long month, but I feel like it's been a blink. Totally disagree. We'll find out in the next two hours how long it's been. Because we got a jam-packed show. We do. Including our Leaf Hour edition of the Real Kipper and Bourne show. We are live on Sportsnet 590 The fans, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet Plus. Lots of news here. Yes,

it's a newsy day. It's a newsy day. Hooray. So you think the month of January has gone past quickly? Like, VOOM! Really? No, I've found it's really been grinded. Really? Yeah, I really, really have. Maybe it's just hanging out with you guys every day. I'm not sure what it is, but it's just really... Wearing on you, huh? The weather sucks.

It's just cold, snowy. We do not agree. I'm sick of it. As it's been kind of noted that, I don't know if it's a race to the finish line before Four Nations or if it's a an army crawl, whatever it is, we're getting there here. And while some may think that it's a good time for the Toronto Maple Leafs to kind of take a break, and a lot of it has to do with the

injuries that they've had. There's also the fact that they've got four big critical games coming up starting tomorrow night in Edmonton. And dare I say it that if you kind of look at the standings while they're still a point out of first place in the Atlantic, they're also five points out of the eighth Seed the wild card. I'm just hey Just the facts ma'am. Just the facts. They are five points above the second wild card spot Yes, so there are six points for being out of playoffs entirely is your point. No

That's your point. No, no That's your point. My point is it's five To the eight. Well just to be clear. It's six to the nine. So like How important are these next four games? Panic, oh don't say panic. No, where's the button? I gotta smash it. It's not even you know, they're not Divisional games are not conference games and that's not to diminish the value of the points You still need your points. But yeah, you've just lost six of your last nine in regulation and It's time here. Yeah, every two points matters here and you these should be gettable games Okay, not all of them Edmonton Vancouver, Vancouver, Calgary, Seattle. Calgary, Seattle.

Give me a number. How many do I want? Eight potential points. Yep. Gotta have five. And you want six, gotta have five. Totally fine with two wins in the trip. Everybody stay calm. Yeah, just two wins is fine. Two wins, two losses is just 500 hockey. Get it to the break. Too many dogs nipping your heels. The Ottawa Senators, four points behind them. Well, that's... Same game, same played. That's the one that's... I don't know if it's gotten into me today,

I just can't, I can't buy into this. I think... I'm not buying into it. Yeah, I think you're buying it. I'm just looking at the standings. I think you're buying it, yeah, I know, I know. I just, you wake up today and you look at the standings and it was like two and a half three three weeks ago

This team should be going for first place overall Yeah, this is they need to win the East so they can you know get the softer of the two wild card seeds and to your point they've lost Six out of nine. Yeah, and if I go to the NHL standings page and I sort the standings by points percentage. Would you look at that? They're in first place in the Atlantic divisions. Yeah. Yeah, by point oh two percent. They are first place. Buddy. Everything said on this. This show so far has been a fact. That is where they are in the standings. Yep. You can put on those rosy glasses, but it's getting tight Okay, everything's great. Can I be totally honest with you? Good. No lie to us good. Yeah, I want it to be like that

I don't want this team to find any reason to have any complacency with any sort of lead in any sort of Division you're on this team, right? You know that anytime they can take a break they do it's not gonna happen They're not gonna run away with a division But if they had a gotten into a spot where they had a chance to you know be first in the division or whatever I Think it's good for them to be in a fight for them to know they have to win games for them to know that they're Like they're the the standings are tight. I don't think it's a terrible thing I don't know I really don don't Six regulation losses in nine games. That's a terrible thing

but being in a race towards the end of the year and Being in the playoffs, which I think we all think they're gonna be fine in that in that sense for sure But I get where you guys are coming from getting healthy matters. Yeah We mentioned off the top kind of a newsie day today led by Brandon sod, I Saad, I guess, known probably the NHL releasing a projection on the salary cap. And we'll get into that soon enough. And we'll also

get into it with Frank Ceravalli, who will join us later on in the program. But I put out a tweet this morning on my ex account that he was going to make a decision as early as today and lo and behold, it did happen that for a guy that walked away from $5 million and the St. Louis Blues couldn't get rid of him fast enough, there were multiple teams knocking on his door and I knew of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Edmonton Oilers in Canada but he ends up signing with Vegas. Yeah, and I do think, you know, I've heard a lot of people say the walk away from five

million, you know, I think his salary is 3.65 in cash and he gets 1.5 plus no tax. He's down two. He's down two, still two. It's a lot of millions. But... More than that because it's pro-rated and... Right. Right? Well, he's earned the first half. More than that because it's pro-rated. He's earned the first half of the year.

Vegas is in an interesting situation here. Do you think the no tax thing helped them, Lansad? I don't know this, but I would believe that a smart agent would have invited everybody to the dance, which would have included the Toronto Maple Leaf, especially when you look at three goals in the last three games. And they all kind of take a run at it. I had heard Dallas also. So there's multiple teams to start pushing for this guy. And when it's all said and done, I think it's an American hockey player that really had no thoughts of trying to finish this season anyways in Canada.

I think he is going to stay in the States all along, but the whole key in all of this, which again, I think the agent made abundantly clear, we want to go to a contending team for the Stanley Cup. And then I would imagine if you're Saad, another consideration is you're playing for your next contract. So where am I going to get opportunity to show what I can be? And you look at Vegas's top six, Mark Stone is a winger. He's wonderful. But then it's Barbachev, also good.

But Olufsen, Dorafeyev, Lavoie, that's their top wingers. So there's opportunity to step in ahead of some of those guys. Yeah, I see what he likes about it. I am disappointed. Covering the Leafs, it's like, God, they couldn't have thrown two and a half at him or I don't think they had an appetite to do that yeah I think they could have probably offered a little bit more but not not to the extent of two and a half and I'm not even sure that they could do that yeah right like if they were if if there was room to do that. Yeah, you'd have to drop somebody.

Send someone, Reeves or someone down. Maybe they could have had some cap magic, make room. I think if they wanted him bad enough, they could have, but it doesn't sound like they believed he's gonna be all that great. Or it didn't sound like he really had an appetite to come. You know, I have heard that that is a growing thing, you know Canada. We've talked about the taxes We've talked about the eyeballs. I know it's I'm not breaking news, but it's getting

harder for Well, I just I think if you look at Vegas and would you say right now that Vegas is a much better chance to win the Sailing Cup than Toronto does I wouldn't say that no, okay, so there we go. I guess that's the end of the conversation I think they got to go through Dallas and Winnipeg and Colorado and Edmonton and I think the West is better at the top Okay, and I think the East is soft at the top. We're gonna start hearing no tariff clause You start hearing that soon. Oh my gosh.

Hey. The old NTC. Yeah, he's got a no tariff clause. Same as no tariff clause. There you go. Pretty good. So it is our Leaf Hour edition here. Where does this leave the Leafs right now?

Because say what you will about where you think Sods game is at right now, or where it's diminished to the point where St. Louis had no interest in keeping him. But the one thing that I think it could have excited the Toronto Maple Leafs is it's like it's a free crack at a guy. It's not costing you anything other than a chunk of money and a commitment to keep a guy for the next three months. But it didn't happen. They missed out on this opportunity for whatever reason.

Now where do they go? Well, for one, it looks like they're getting healthy right now, which gives us a better look at what they will look like in playoffs. I have an article up on sports at that's here right now about Trade deadline and the Leafs and what I realistically think is going to happen here over the next You know, whatever it is two months more or less Some stuff that you guys have heard me say a million times

Morgan Riley not going anywhere. Nick Robertson probably does get traded when you just look at Guys who you know you have to give up something and I think he's a plus asset Minton or Cowan one of them could go but here's you know coming in Kip They need a center they need a top six center and we've talked with that in this show lots So top six center and a depth D, but here's my question on top six center The Islanders keep winning and I wrote Nelson in my article today. It's not nelson. No, yeah You got you got dated on it a little bit with another win by the islanders or how many seven now at a nine or something and

You know and after I wrote it I had talked to a couple people and it's like they're trying to resign them in new york like I the options are honestly, I I can't think of uh and it's like, they're trying to resign them in New York. The options are going to be popular. I can't think of a worse broken record than hearing that. They're trying to resign them. Or just going for it if you're the New York Islanders. Yeah. And I know it's a Lou thing, but at some point, you know, watching it, watching the same song and dance over and over again, only to fall short and...

You probably remember the Black Knight from Monty Python. He comes back here, bites your kneecaps off. It's like the leaf sky, nothing left. Is that merely a flesh wound? Is that what that's from? Yeah, okay. Nothing left. Is that merely a flash wound? Not the only name that they could certainly go after and we just saw Philadelphia Flyers pull off a pretty big trade and we'll have Ryan Leslie also later on in the program to talk about the

Calgary Flames picking up two players for Kuzmanko frost and Farabee and Like is is that still an answer for you? Scotty lotton I I gotta tell you I looked at that trade that the Calgary flames made And that to me is exactly the type of trade I wish the least would make where you get two guys who are young energetic where you get two guys who are young, energetic, bottom six, sort of top six, mixing in. Like Frost has good skill, Farabee's been a good player, a little bit of grit to his game. We saw him scrap with Connor Dewar earlier this year. I just, you know, you kind of inject

two younger guys into the bottom half of this lineup that have a bit of scoring touch. And just, you know, that's a trade that I look at. It's like that's what a perfect thing for the Toronto May please two guys like that that you can just inject into your lineup energy, some skill. You know what Sam, you look at the lineup today. So the lines have come out in Edmonton and top line is the line. Everyone knows it's nice. Matthews and Marner. The second line is a line that's been very good with Patrick Eddie Tavarez is back skating and Nylander you know the third line once you get healthy get into playoffs if it's McMahon, Yarncroc and whatever center you get like there's not that much room to just add a couple of okay guys you know like the Leafs lineup up

front Kip pretty good for you going into playoffs like I don't think it's far off a I know it's not good enough it's just Know it's not good enough. It's just yeah, it's not good enough. It's not deep enough. It's not enough scoring At times I don't I don't see a guy that can physically take over a game Anywhere except maybe Matthew nice. Well, I mean Austin Matthews can do that and has done that he's It's not physically take over a game I think physically, you know get to the net but not not wear and tear not heavy not By game six or seven they're worn out kind of I'm talking about Punishing not not physically leaning on guys to get to the net like that doesn't come

I'm not enough guys who also play hockey outside of three guys in the league. Not many teams have the guys you're talking about there. But they all end up somehow having one or two in the conference final or the Stanley Cup final. I mean, whoever you think it is, like they're not getting Sam Bennett or Tom Wilson. Okay, so in the meantime, find me a guy that can put a puck in the net Right. Yeah, and I think that's probably where they're at. Yep

and that's why they were looking at sod pretty hard because yeah, I Think he can score goals in front of the net and go to the front of the net kind of guy But I don't know I I think that's to me becoming pretty clear. Like, you know, you mentioned that third line Do you really want Nick Robertson? Like you couldn't slide in Joel Farabee into the right wing on the third line? We need to be better. No, you're right. You're like, but he makes $5 million.

Yeah, for sure. I know it's it's right now. The one thing. So I tweeted this earlier today. So the salary cap is going up. And that's something we're going to talk about a great deal. The NHL and NHLPA have released cap estimates for the next three seasons in 25-26. It's 95.5. For context, it's 88 right now. So quick math, that's seven

and a half million they're gaining, then up to 104, then up to 113 and a half. So I think what's really great is you could be in a position soon where it's like that, where you're like, we can upgrade that position. We don't have to worry about the intricate cap puzzle because people are sick of talking about the money the dollars the cap picture we shouldn't know who Brandon Pridham is love the guy shouldn't know who he is the star yes yeah right it's been way too important yeah in covering sports hockey I was really surprised to see three years and the number being almost 114. Yeah. Like that one was like, oh, okay.

All right. They've never really done that before. Since the cap first came in. Oh, and this is... They've never been that bullied or bullish on getting these type of numbers out and what is it to make teams feel comfortable enough about signing players or keeping players? Maybe that's part of the equation. They want cost certainty, right?

They want to know what they have to spend. Maybe this is a chance for Gary Bettman and the players to say, hey, look at how successful we are, how healthy of a league we are. We got a 114 coming up. And if you're thinking about buying a team, this is why. So I think there's a lot of different factors here. I do worry about not the Toronto Maple Leafs, of course, but there are other teams that will have a very difficult time in three years, I think, being between $114 and $100 million. Can I say right now that I do not care? We should have the Connor Garland draw for that. I've been screaming about this for four years in this show that I

Look at the other sports and the teams that have the most money Generally get to spend the most like the baseball like I have you seen the Dodgers They have the sickest team or they just won the World Series It is at the best offseason ever they get to spend the most the Celtics won this the NBA championship Being in the third apron spending 300 million dollars on their team This is kind of like the teams that had the most fans are the most the richest and they get you it's awesome You won't get an argument out of me. It's just look at Amazon You think Amazon pays what Amazon just paid to get national games on if it didn't include the Toronto Maple Leaf kind of market

Right. Yeah. Yeah. They're getting them not to play on Mondays when they aren't scheduled on their network or their channel. Yeah. Whatever you call it. App. For sure. It has changed things a lot. But what I also think is so great is I think it does a lot of favors to a guy like Mitch Marner who A, can say say I'm worth a little bit more money now because the cap is whatever But so people don't have to hear you and I argue over whether he's worth 1175 or 13 to 5 no cares. They'd like to know how does he fit with the team? Does he feel bad cares before they care before I know they're still gonna care They're still gonna care. They are still gonna care, but I don't care if he makes what range of that he makes it's then you get to talk about the decision

Did they keep him? He's a guy who's worth about this much and you're not gonna be grinding for nickel so much and maybe it'll get there For the Leafs, but I think for a lot of teams It'll be nice to be like we want this guy do we not want this guy? Hopefully it changes some of the conversation so people can appreciate a player and not their value for sure I think it's a great point that you make and it'd be really refreshing to just have conversations about a Player's play as opposed to what they make and like what we do in playoffs and you talk about the actual games as opposed to What guys make but you know, I keep I'd be lying and I'm looking at you kipper if

you mentioned the other day that the least are trying to sign this guy, and, you know, they're down the road of having these conversations with Mitch Marner and his representation, Darren Ferris, and this comes out today, I'm sure they're not thrilled. Like, I'm sure this adds a little bit to whatever they're trying to get them on, no?

I don't think this surprised I mean, I mean the top number of the third year surprised That's what I mean like that I would say not next year surprised me, but the two after surprise That's the number that everybody will care about right so if you're ranting in or Mitch Marner, and you want to do Percentage of the cap yeah, that's really of, you're not doing it off of 95 or 104, you're doing it off of probably 113, 115 percentage of the cap. Great, whatever.

Listen, don't tell me great whatever, because if he turns around and signs 14 million times eight, you're gonna question it. Well, there's, of course, there course, I mean, it's always, there's always a finite amount. It's not infinity money. But I'm saying for grinding over a half million here, there, whatever, sure.

If he wants to be a 14 million, the highest pay guy in the Leafs, that'd be maybe not great for him, perception wise for his reputation. It would be horrible. Yeah, but absolutely horrible because you and a few others will give him about this much of a wiggle room of Slipping up and then hoarding the blame correct bet. Yeah nailed it

Yeah, well if you're the highest-paid player, then you you literally get the most there's no wiggle room with him Yeah, he doesn't get he doesn't get the benefit of the doubt. No like Austin yeah, he gets to blame too. We don't need to go into blame pie. No, we're not we're not we're not but with like it is relevant to the conversation Ultimately of Mitch what do you want? Yeah, I don't think people care about this money stuff as much as you do. Oh my God, that's all we've heard over the last few years. Yeah, because you keep bringing it up.

No, no, I don't keep bringing it up. Everybody brought it up. Since the moment he was supposed to sign for like six and a half, seven, and then he jumped to like 10 nine we have that's all we've heard too much money for him he's not worth it and now does this new salary cap change really anything yeah I mean yeah I've made my stance and I clear it does change things if he signs for whatever I don't know right I'm so sorry throwing out numbers but like if he out, signs are just under what Matthews makes right now.

They do the internal cap thing like they did with, and the cap goes up to $113 million. No one's going to say a thing. No one's going to care. Okay, and now tell me something. Yeah. They lose in the first round. What are they saying about Mitch? Oh, like eating that?

That's always going to be relevant, but that gets to be a hockey conversation. Is he good enough to be the guy we spend our top dollars on if he can dollars on if he can't know the answers. No, no the answer is no We're not good enough and it's it's a bad mistake. It's a bad mistake Well, then yeah, then that gets to be the conversation about the hockey but does he want that conversation? I don't know. That's up to him. Exactly. Yeah, exactly. And I'm sure that's part of the up to him. Exactly. Exactly. And I'm sure that's part of the do I sign here or do I not sign here? So the question I'm asking you is, does this number coming out today drive up his price in this not contract negotiation they're having right now? That's what I would like to know. Do you know? Do you have any idea, any guess? Of course it does because everything is relevant to the salary cap. So just do the percentages.

Just if he matches the percentage that he had on his last contract and you plug it in here, it's automatically worth another million and a half to, I don know what the the math is but like where do you fall in do you get 13 and a half percent of a cap at 113 do you get 14 and a half to you get any particular reason and not next year when his deal would start because That's all they because he's gonna sign a seven or eight year deal and it's like I'm gonna go to the medium I'm not gonna go to the beginning and I'll give you a break. I won't go to the end

But you got it. We're working off something in three years. That's gonna be 115. I'm not dating my contract that much Yeah, it's got pretty clear here that it's going to be He's not gonna get more than Matthew's, you know, I'm completely misreading that. And so he's going to be under that. How close to does this change that he gets closer to it? Okay, let's do it. Are we in?

Are we out? We're not in it that number 13, whatever it is, you know, I don't know what it would be exactly 12.8. Who knows? Yeah, 13.2. I don't care. You know, it's it's a it's in that window of a bigger number, so it means less. And that's beautiful.

The thing is... Until they lose in the first round. I think... Listen, I don't know what you want. I'm just... Listen, no, no, no, no. He is going to get criticized if he plays bad, Kip. He's a top paid guy in the league.

Whether he makes 11.2 or 17 17 if he plays bad for top dollars we're gonna criticize him I'm telling you and you're not just gonna criticize I'll be so mean it's gonna hurt your feelings too. No it's just what buddy are you ready for that is I'm not talking to Mitch Marner yeah are you ready for that and if he isn't this is definitely not the market yeah and then he leaves yes yeah but hasn't he said all along that he wants to be a Leaf? He seems to love it here. He seems like being a Leaf.

He's a Toronto boy and all that. I've watched the four of them try for nine years, get rid of the core four, break them up. This guy, all you're doing is really kind of walking back into that long term. But I don't know. And you guys may have the stomach for it, but I don't want to see that all over again. Again, I don't want to do shows and constantly be listening to everybody going, what do they do? What are they doing?

I think it'll be different next year if Tavares isn't here Because whatever you do and everybody had him signing for five or six million on uh, you know He was what a season he's having three weeks ago. He was like that one of the best seasons ever get him signed I don't know if you and I had the conversation on air off, but You know if it doesn't work, it doesn't work, right with Tavares And so there's not a dollar amount to me that it'll make sense at if it doesn't work it doesn't work right with Tavares and so there's not a dollar amount to me that it'll make sense at if it doesn't work Mitch is more important than John and if it doesn't work and someone has to go

it's got to be John so it doesn't matter if he wants to play for 800 at that point it doesn't work so I'd be like okay well well is he coming back Saturday, tomorrow night? sounds like he's in the right color he's in a top six blue and and yeah line and they miss him though they definitely miss they miss his compete in front of the net he finds ways to get loose pucks redirects he he's a guy that's somehow some way doesn't go too long without getting on a score sheet and right now they're desperate for it.

For sure. But I think, you know, if you're looking ahead past the game tour night, which is one of the marquee matchups of the year, and we're not even talking about it. But I think if you're looking towards next year, you're not going to have Pontus Holmberg as your second line center if he's not there, right? It's going to be player X that you use that calf space on. So that's that's that's the thing. Not Brock Nelson.

Probably not Brock Nelson because he's going to sign for eight years times four in a million. I was winning six in a row and lose all the way back. Oh yeah. But anyways, so he's 32 Brock. Yeah. Lou's going to give him six years. Oh man. That's a terrifying proposition for a team that's been stuck in the middle there in Long Island. Yeah. Lou's gonna give them six years? Oh man.

That's a terrifying proposition for a team that's been stuck in the middle there in Long Island. I hope not. Okay, we should do calls. You guys want to hit the brakes? We can do Leafs Line. What do you got for us? I got 17 different callers.

No. So we should probably break. Yeah. We're probably not gonna get through them all, but I have a lot of them listed. You can see here, they're all listed. All righty. Okay, so we should catch our breath. Yeah, probably.

All right, Leafline, Sammy Style, after the break. You're watching and listening to Real Kipper and Bourne. Hey, it's Ailish Forofar. And I'm Justin Cutford. Join us as we discuss the most important sports stories of the day and tee up the biggest games of the night. It's the Fan Pre Game, 6 p.m. weekdays on SportsNet, SportsNet 590 The Fan, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome back into the studio. It's our Leaf Hour edition of the Real Kipper and Boren show. Like we're just talking off air which we seldom do. We stare at each other until we go back on air. We have some of our funniest conversations off air. But would not like just again the news of the salary cap going up and how much some of these guys will have made by the time their careers are over and they're all knocking on the door of like 200 million bucks 225 250 I saw James Sebollsky tweeted that 20 years ago guys were asked to take a 25% pay cut for a 39 million dollar cap Yeah, you know 20 years on now. It's 114 I'm just looking at Matthews

I'm just looking at Matthews I'm just looking at Matthew's contract which he is expires 2728 and that would be the year that that's the last year of his contract is 2028 and that's the year the cut the cap is going up to 113 million dollars and like a terrifying thing too because he'll be what 31? He's gonna be 31 gonna like and he is already made he is the only Superstar that was allowed to hit the absolute peak of a salary and Not commit eight years Which I still hate it. I still hate it to this day.

Why wouldn't you hate it? Right. It's like, I don't think it gets talked about enough of like, why does every, like, why did Connor McDavid and Nate get eight? You got to sign eight. Hey, Hey, Jack Hughes got to sign eight. Well, no, here's the thing. Those guys had all the leverage, as you know, why sign eight. Hey, hey Jack Hughes gotta sign eight Well, no, here's the thing those guys had all the leverage as you know, why sign eight? Like you look at the NBA they got max term of five years often guys signed for two three

Whatever waiting for the numbers to go like this. Well, they signed eight because that's Was like the condition of the hockey club saying we will we will give you that number But we will not give you anything less than your commitment of eight imagine if Connor was like it'll be five and Feel free to tell me I can't have it but but he didn't that's it didn't but he didn't that's the point Matthews had the force I don't understand why everyone doesn't do it. I don't Mitch should do it, too Matthew's had the force. I don't understand why everyone doesn't do it. I doesn't Mitch should do it, too So I didn't do your deal the leafs six the leaves are the only they're stuck right now

The leaves are the only it's six. That's great, but it's not good for the club terrible Just Matthew's career earnings 77 million to this point So I got 60. Okay, I'm looking at cat. I'm looking at puckpeduckpedia estimated career So he's earned 60 he'll have earned that Okay, this is the part of the program on a Friday where we completely run out of things to say therefore we we Lean heavily on you the watcher The viewer the listener listener to help us okay let's start

with Brian from Sutton hey Sammy Brian from Sutton and hi guys I'm starting to think the style of play might be affecting the players and that's why they're getting injured. I don't think they're used to this style. They used to always be chased because they always had the puck. Now they do nothing but dumping it and chasing after the puck. Don't know if our coach, know if he's ever had players with that, uh, that amount of, they're so good and he just doesn't know what to do with them because they don't look the same. So, and I hate to say it, but maybe they picked the wrong coach. Anyways, great show.

Just, uh, I'm confused and, uh, like show. Just I'm confused and like you guys, I'm trying to figure it out. Hopefully they do time for the playoffs, bye. Interesting call from Brian. I loved it. It's like if you put my grandpa born who was a farmer in a Maserati, he would not have known how to use that machine.

You know? So my first thought is, Maserati, he would not have known how to use that machine. So my first thought is Brian that like we did see some success. We did speak of playoff type of hockey that you could have success. So there's a couple games early that one against Tampa the one against

so in the peg like there was something there big time of Ruby and the players that he has and the type of game that we think could be way better for the Leafs than anything we've seen in the last 10 years. But to Brian's point now, it's getting a little stale and it's not working as well. And is it the injuries catching up to them? Is it the fact that teams are better prepared for that type of style and strategizing around it?

That's the part where I say, okay, to Brian's point, let's try a little bit of a different look and make adjustments over a very long regular season. Yeah, it's a good point that is a very different style and you called that before the season began that that could have an effect on guys getting hurt. The thing that makes me feel good is when it looks good, when they play hard, it really looks good. Like their best games are really, really good. So I'm hoping that in the playoffs, that's there. I mean, if they get to the playoffs, according to you guys, it's gonna be tight. We just gave you facts.

I don't know how quickly you guys can do this for me, but just pull up, probably not quickly, pull up the St. Louis Blues Stanley Cup roster. And let's just have a little quick peek of of the type of meat and potatoes lineup that was compared to and Brian brought up a point man you've got some Maseratis in the lineup I don't think that there was too many world-class talented players on st. Louis if I'm wrong but but there was not a true Willie Nyland or unless you can't Robert Bortuso but you know what I'm saying like

that style of play yeah was probably better complete start to finish with a with a roster of st. Louis's than a roster of the Leafs with like with the exception of it's a meaty team it is isn't it I remember the third line had had maroon played with Robert Thomas I remember they were in maroon scored a double OT winner to win a series Dallas I think trying to think other guys in that roster obviously Shen was on that Star yeah was he not yeah, and you still can see Yeah, Cai he not yeah, and you still consider him I rubed. Yeah, yeah, Cairo

Thomas and Shen Braden Shen, but outside of that like we're not talking or so barbacheva's big Sammy Blay Troy Brower Clem Costin Dron Shen Alex Dean Oster's Oscar Sun to this Tereska was big Alex Steen, Oscar Sundfist, Teresenko was big, Bortuzzo, Falk, Gunnarsson, Nico Michola, Pareko, Petrangelo, Puleat, Scandello. That could be the most

dumping chase down like up champion. Well that's, you're right. This is like, did they just hire the lucky coach? Like how'd they win a cup? Uh, Jordan Bennington. Bennington was spectacular. Anyway, so yeah, something to it. Something to it. Good call, Brian. Let's go to, I love this one. Let's go to Ben from St. John's. Hey fellas, it's Ben from St. John or Brunswick.

Hello, today I'm calling you from the beaches of the Dominican Republic where I just proposed to my girlfriend Megan and luckily for me she said yes it would have been an awkward trip if she had a different answer myself and now fiancee are huge fans of the show in fact my Spotify says I haven't missed an episode not even a minute in the last two years your daily routine in their home now Megan I plan on getting to a playoff game this year and she always says, wouldn't it be cool to watch a lease game with Sammy so we can all be emotional roller coasters? Now I know that probably won't happen, but here's an idea for you.

The second best podcast on Sportsnet has already done it, but how about a live show fellas? You guys have really stepped up with regular guests like Valley and award winning author and scholar Doug McLean, but. Live shows during the playoffs will be entertaining. And Kipper, as much as you might not like to admit it, you feel Leafs Nation just as much as Sammy and I know you'd be just as jacked up marching down Yonge Street with Sammy probably wearing Kipper Yosters, easy when the Leafs win the cup. So get that live show going for our Looney fans. Again, I don't miss a single show. Like Hockey night in Canada and the legendary voices that come with it being tradition to many Canadians

You guys have become that the Leafs nation around the world keep up the great work guys Anyways, this phone calls probably cost me as much as the Go and boys, I love listening to you when I'm on then and and boys, I love listening to you when I'm on. Ben and Megan, congratulations. Congratulations, Ben, that's awesome. Megan, that's cool. Thanks for the support. That was a fantastic call.

If Ben only saw my room when I was like in grade five, every newspaper clipping up on the wall of the kid. Of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Yeah. That's the thing, like people really do call you a grunt and sometimes you get a little Mr. Negative here and there and I've gotten that a little bit too. Ricochet shot recently. But here's what I'll say. If they ever did win, you would be extremely excited about it.

Born and raised in Toronto. Yeah. I was like. You'd be, I mean they get to the final your your full-on. Cheers the Kips a pro and wouldn't want to admit it on camera I don't think it was only the 88th player to be born in Toronto play for the Toronto Maple Leafs Is that right really back then Wow, I don't know what they're at now 100 120 that's really cool like like I want to when I see a kid playing road hockey in Toronto

I'm like buddy. I don't like your chances of ever playing for the Leaf. I Just squash him right there Buddy I Go do the percentages No, I'm just joking of course never ever crush anybody Find a trade. Just give me a chance. Just give me a chance.

All I'm saying is that, like, who wouldn't, who grows up in Toronto and wouldn't want to see that? Yeah. Right? So we're all there, Ben and Megan, we're all there. Yeah, hope you enjoy your trip. My problem is, is I had a reality check of watching and having a very good seed of watching how to win a Stanley Cup.

And then sometimes they just don't agree with everything I see here. That's what I'm up against. For sure. Well, and it's not even up against, that's great context for the rest of us who haven't gone through that to have those insights. And I think that's, you know, for me, I'm,

listen, it would be incredible. You know, the, I can't believe the roller coaster it is my son cried his first sports tears over the Toronto Maple Leafs last Last year in overtime, so foreign household is invested. There you go open. Let's go to the unnamed Irish from parts unknown Do we think that now? Sammy McKay Quick question for the guys the Leaf Leafs are struggling, absolutely struggling to score and put the puck in the net. I mean, they're hitting more bars than you and Bunkus

on a Saturday night. So why are they calling up guys like Quillen and Grabenken when you have Steve in the minors? He's 23 goals I think so far and he leads the entire AHL with goals scored. I mean, they're struggling for goals. When I called the best goal scorer in the minors. Listen, I'm loving that people are from not Toronto. That's incredible. I don't mind Steve's, but they, they got to commit a longer look. That's always the case. Even when I was in Hershey, Pennsylvania, playing the American Hockey League, you see a guy go up and then right back down,

and you're like, did he really get a chance or a look? It's hard, it's hard to break in. It is, and I'll give the example of- For a chick and pay a chick. When I was with the Marlies, we had Seth Griffith, who is a five foot nine AHL superstar. Like he is, we called him a cheat code. It was like, oh my God, he does everything for us.

Gets to the NHL and he was not quite fast enough to get to the spots, to get the shot. And when he couldn't get there, he wasn't strong enough to hold off guys, to create the spot. And all of a sudden, he just didn't get the chances. It's like, you know you could put him away, but he couldn't get there.

So it's just like a compounding thing. It is, and it's like with Steve's, he's six feet, one ninety five. He's not super fast. He's not sure. I just don't think he could do it at the NHL. I do appreciate the sentiment, though. Yeah. Like you just keep calling up scores goals, more punts. Bring up another pun. It's like, how about a guy that could the puck can land on a stick

and he could shoot it in? Sure. I would rather have Steve's than some of the other options that do play. Was that player? Was that was that zeth griffith griffith? Any relationship del? I don't know Del curry who no, sir. He's like in planes. There's john candy's character. Oh Okay, all right tough crowd again tough crowd

Uh, you guys are way too young. Let's go from Ian from Jollibee or Jellybee. Good day, man. It's Ian calling in from Jellybee, Ontario. I was born in Toronto, but I was raised in Ottawa. I've been a diehard Leaf my whole 72 years on this earth. Can't stand the Habs, especially their whining fans. I watched the Leafs win the Cup in 1967 and I was in the rink for Matthew's four-goal NHL debut and is still lost anyway. I've been suffering all these years like all the rest of the Leaf

fans with their playoff disappointments and am seriously thinking of switching allegiances to the Senators. I know, I know. You know what, they're a bunch of hardworking guys. Lunch bucket types as John Cherry would say with talent to boot that play as a team and are going nowhere but up. In my opinion, the Leafs aren't going anywhere but to the golf course again. Sammy, are you coming with me? Or do you like just torturing yourself?

Wow. Great show guys. Keep up the good work and go send go. Sammy's just crushing you right now. Hey, come on, talk to him. Anyone can talk to him. It's you right now. Here's what I'll say You know, there is a lot of despair. It's a lot of just crap pretty much my whole life But if it ever did happen, you know Ian from Jelly Bean here Jolly be every pain you got you have no idea how good it would be if it did happen So just stay in there just stay hang in there. Listen, and if it doesn't pain is the identity. This is who Sam is. But if it doesn't work with these guys, then you can switch when it's like then when they're going for the rebuild after this era of

Leafs hockey without winning a cup, then you can switch. I know I can switch allegiances when your team is mismanaged. When your team is owned by someone who is of whatever rung up on charges of whatever, you can't switch because you lose a lot. Even if it doesn't work out that well, like can this is the type of roster where you could be Washington capitalish? Is it not? What's that? Just have a one-off year where it works. Come back in a year or two and load up, change four or five guys. Cap goes up 20 Schmill or whatever else in the game. Yeah. No, no, no. There's, there's no, there's no time to go to Ottawa.

I am fascinated by the background jellybee jellybee formerly known as Jelly's Crossing, which we noted there. Thanks for the history lesson. Let's go to Jake Beliefs. Sammy Gipper, it's Jake Beliefs. I've had enough. I've had enough of people telling me that this Toronto Maple Leafs team is bad, that they're going to miss the playoffs, that they're terrible, that their expected goals for isn't where it needs to be, I've had enough. That's what happens when you're missing

one of your top two centers, both paid over $11 million a year for long extended periods of time throughout a season. And that's also what happens when you have a new coach and you're working on new systems and trying to figure out how the whole team meshes together, how it all works. works but more than that this team is second in the division they were first last night they're first by points percentage

oh they're four points up on third I don't care why does anyone care they're also one point out of first I've had enough. The team is fine. Everybody can shut up. Jake Belief spectacular Twitter follow a lot of a lot of facts there. Yeah, a lot of facts. Bit of an eye opener. You know, it's not all bad. Take me. You told me so. No, it's great context for the start of the show when we were saying there are four points out of, you know, whatever five out of the final playoff

spot and Sammy, for some reason, reason decided to dig in a positive fashion. He was heavily biased. And to his point, I've been screaming for Tavares to take nights off, right? Just rest. Just there's no reason why this guy should have to play 80 games. I think I stand by the thing I said could be a blessing where I said that when they have looked good, when they have worked, it looked better than the old Leafs, when they're healthy, when you're getting that four check, that effort, that physical play. So the ceiling is higher than it's been for me.

And that's all. We're back. We're back, baby. Ah, sneak one more quick one in here. Let's go to Curtis from Guelph. Hey boys, it's Curtis from Guelph. You guys probably noticed that recently there's been these teams of quarter century all-star teams.

And I got to thinking about what would be an anti-team quarter century all-star teams and I Got to thinking about what would be an anti team for the Toronto Maple Leaf which would be the worst players. Oh my god, he's got me on left wing. I hate to rip on guys. They all skate circles around me, but It is entertainment and I found entertaining. So what I have here is my first team being David Clarkson, Luca Caputi, and Alex Koceniak just for that one pizza he's here. Defends have Aki Berg and Martin Marincin and then Jonas Enroff. Second team have Alexander Sugilbov, Joe Colburn, first round pick with one goal in three years. Nick Ricci, Brett Lubda and Jeff Singer on the back end and then Vesla Tosco in net. I'm curious if you guys have any other names to throw in there?

You think guys like Pierre Engvall would make the cut or maybe Dimitri Krstic? Anyways, look forward to listening to your show tonight. Look forward to seeing immediate potential of the Honorable Mention on Saturday and John Klingberg and how he looks into each That was a sick idea. It's a great call And I haven't heard those names some of the names. Yeah, some I don't even remember or ever heard of you would need a minimum Gamesplayed yeah, you know like the 20 15 Leafs when they were when they tanked. I mean like, you know Falling and you know, like it was a PA parental played on the lease I think he'd led the Leafs in goals that year

No, but there was a bunch of guys who came up from the Marlies for like a day. Yeah Yeah, they don't count Frederick. Goche might get a nod. Yeah, it's pretty the goat. He had a moment Yeah, he played more than Matthews in game seven once. What do we think about like that? Maybe not. What do we think about like a quarter of a century team? It's like, is that really necessary? No. In the content business, did you see Utah put theirs out today?

Is it just their team now? For like three months? Is it just their team now? That's actually great. That's funny. That is funny. No, I did not see that. And I think they're making a pretty good point.

Yeah. Okay. I'll slumber that. And I think they're making a pretty good point. Yeah. I'll swim in the pickings here for some of this. Quarter of a century team. Yeah. Can we do an eighth of a century? Like, where do we stop? It's like a tattoo. Where do we stop?

Can I be honest with you? Totally agree. I hate to agree, but I do agree. But it generates conversation. Sure. And that's all you're trying to do in the content business Yeah What was the goalie? What was the goalie that they called up and the game before Babs got fired and they scored seven on him Casca suo yeah, he'd be on there. Yeah, his first chance the game on a team that had quit on Babs Malcolm Down the slot right in the net. Yeah, Nick Patan might be on that team too. Oh Morgan Morgan for sure

Morgan Morgan haters on there. Yeah. Oh He's lighten it up this year in Switzerland. Oh, I guess I was just playing that we just Oh, we gotta go to break. I guess. All right. All right We are late, I got no music I got nothing right now. Okay, we're going to break We go national next on the real Kipper and Boren show