Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: The Captain's Return

Episode Date: November 29, 2024

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee check in with the Leafs' injuries as they head into a weekend matchup against the Lightning. They discuss the returns of Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies, the secrecy around Matthews, what to expect from the 5-forward power play, murmurs of movement on a potential John Tavares extension and Nick Robertson's future in Toronto. Later, JD Bunkis (30:45) joins the show to discuss how the organization handled Matthews' injury, the locker room politics of Mitch Marner's extension and which of the call-ups have a shot at staying up with the big boys when the team heals up.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.

close out the week it's friday real kepper and bourne show leaf edition on this friday we are live on sportsnet 590 the fan and sportsnet plus currently coming off american thanksgiving Coming off American Thanksgiving, nine games right now currently. Do I have that right? Nine and one already in the books with the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers. Rangers stink. Three-one losers to the Philadelphia Flyers,

and it could have been a lot uglier if it wasn't for a goalie named Shusterkin. Yeah, it's funny because fans and the organization, when it was 12-6 and whatever, 12-6-1, were all panicked. And I was sitting here like, what is happening? And they saw something we didn't see. That team is not playing good hockey. Yeesh.

In the meantime, I'm Nick Kiprios. He's Justin Bourne. He's Sammy McKee. Who else we got? We got Austin Mackey. Yeah. Where's he from? Like, he just drops in our lap?

Yeah, he's a grinder. He does everything around here. So, I don't know where Derek is. Derek didn't text me. He didn't tell me he wasn't coming in today. That's okay. Just goes to the boys. Austin's old hat. Yeah, he's good. He didn't tell me he wasn't coming in today. That's okay. Just goes to the boys. Austin's old hat.

Yeah, he's good. He's got it on him. Not a worry in the world with Austin Mackey and Jake the Snake Schultz. Yeah. So it's a Friday, which means an off day for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they gear up for Hockey Night in Canada matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Their second game in the state of florida good news right oh yeah certain players coming back austin matthews matthew nyes

but you lose another one with mcmahon going out so if two come back one has to go man when you have pontus holmberg doesn't sound like it's serious for he's gonna miss games maybe is that right yeah yeah holmberg is gonna take his spot uh on the tavarez and marner line so you got holmberg tavarez marner and then nize matthews william nylander i specify william because it's not alex you know we have been spending a lot of time, we were mentioning this off air, talking about a team that doesn't play hockey. They have been on the English Premier League schedule where they play once, maybe twice a week here

for the last three. And, you know, it's going to be really interesting to see because they've been able to get by with the Marlies here. Like, they've been able to get by with some soft competition and them, you know, not having all their guys. But that's about to change. They're about to start playing hockey every other night for a full month. It'll be really interesting to see how they handle it.

You know, you get Matthews back, you get Nyes back, but you're still... Really good time, right? Still, your bottom six is not pretty. Right now... Go ahead, Ken. No, you go ahead. The bottom six, third line is looking like Robertson, Minton, Lorenz, and Steve's doer, Grabenkin.

Okay. All right, before we get into some sound bites through a few Kipper Clippers, including Austin Matthews on his return, where do you sum up tomorrow night in terms of the importance, should I say, of a win more so than a good effort? Because they have been able to make some strides in the Atlantic, even with the loss. They're still there in the first place in the division but

does does losing to Florida and then losing to Tampa on Saturday night sour you a little bit yeah I mean on like not on anything so much as not good you know I think it's been hard to get a read for what this team is what's been so impressive is how well the call-ups have played to put them in a position to be in games and then marner has been fantastic to kind of get them over the hump and a lot of different states so they've been getting points but it's been tough to assess the team here like i don't know that my opinion on this team has changed a whole lot. Is there enough guys back with Nyes and Matthews, their first games back in a long time

with that weak bottom six to say this team is anything? I don't know. I don't know if it's, what do you think? Is it fair to make an assessment on the team? I put more value in trying to find a way to win Tampa. A split's okay for me. Losing two teams that you really like to send a message to, and I get it that you're not full in Florida,

and could Matthews have played? Could he not? Whether it was his decision or the team's decision or both or one or the it doesn't matter you saved him because you think he was going to be that much stronger well okay then then it has to show as early as tomorrow night for me no i totally agree i i love matchups with tampa i really have enjoyed the games that the least have played against them over the past few years two really good playoff series the one that the Leafs have played against them over the past few years. Two really good playoff series. One where the Leafs actually won a playoff series,

so I do have good memories. Huzzah! I do have good memories watching games in that building. I like the matchup. They have good players that I don't like, and I just think it's a good, fun matchup. But yeah, they're not far behind the Leafs. We talked about the Florida Panthers being right behind the Leafs

in the Atlantic Division and that being a big test. What are the Lightning? They're not far behind them at all. Lightning lead the division in goal differential, and if they were to win tomorrow night, they would have a game in hand and be two points behind the Leafs. So there you go. This is another really big test down in Florida.

I would say that it kind of sucks that at least maybe two biggest rattles are Florida teams. It's not my biggest cup of tea favorite thing. know boston this year maybe you could talk about it but these two teams really seem to be the biggest ones outside of boston so it's a big one and i totally agree if matthews is not going to play on wednesday and you can talk whatever you want to talk i think saving him for a couple more nights you need him to step up and be big tomorrow. That's it. All right, let's go to Austin Matthews,

the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, on his return. Pretty good. It's nice to get another team practice and work in those drills. And like I said the other day, just the competitive aspect of battling and stuff like that. So, you know, in my mind, I'm playing tomorrow, and I'm excited to be back. All right, and then he's got in his mind in his mind he's ready to go i think that kind of implies like you know he he doesn't have the final

say if someone tells him he's not okay um but yeah let's uh well should we tee this up a little bit like because there's a story yesterday in the toronto sun about austin matthews trip to germany by steve simmons where they're talking about the nature of the trip and the secrecy of the trip and all this stuff. And I think it was maybe McGran. I couldn't quite make out the voice that asked him about sort of the secrecy of his injury and his thoughts on it. And he replied with this clip.

Clip two, please, Austin. I mean, I don't think there's really any secrecy. I don't think we did anything outside of the rules of providing information to you guys in the LNHL. So I think it just gets a little bit blown out of proportion with, you know, the marketplace and you guys being a little bit nosy. But in my mind, I mean, we haven't done anything secrecy. I think it's my choice whether or not I want to share the extent of injury. And, I mean, you look around the league, lower body injury, upper body injury on every single team. secrecy um i think it's my choice whether or not i want to share the extent of injury and i mean you look around the league lower body injury upper body injury on every single team so um i think

it's just been made out to be a bigger deal than it is and i mean i don't really care it's up for you guys to talk about it and do your thing but um you know in the end i'm just gonna focus on myself and focus on the team and being the best that I can. He makes all valid points here. There is an overall feeling around the league where everybody's on a need-to-know basis, and the league says you guys don't ever need to know, and that's the extent of it. So the secrecy has been there for a very long time.

He's just playing that yeah but like does it need to stop well it's just like you know if you don't want it to be a big deal if only there were some way to make it not a big deal you just tell people what's going on like yeah the guy who gets paid the most on the team has a serious injury. He's going to be back. It's his back. It's his whatever. He'll be back shortly.

And then people don't have to spend time digging through waste bins to try to figure out what's going on. Which is what they're doing. Yeah, well, of course. There's an information vacuum. I've been saying the same thing all week. You leave a vacuum, people fill it with crap. Well, I don't know. Yeah, I know.

I've been on both sides now, this side for 20 plus years. I get the thirst and the hunger and writing something that 40 other people are not or getting to it first or all of it. I get it. I get it. But, I mean, where are we now in the world of gambling like we want their money but we're not gonna tell you if they're playing or not or if they're hiding an injury or not i mean it's it's a different world now with gambling it's just it's to me it's like naive it's like well you know it's only a big deal because of the market but it's like you're in this market you

know this market that's exactly it it's not a surprise yeah you, you know, it's only a big deal because of the market. But it's like, you're in this market. You know this market. That's exactly it. It's not a surprise. Yeah, you look around the league. It's upper body, lower body is what he says. It's like, well, look where you are. Don't look around the league because you're in Toronto. Sure, it's not going to matter if it's Carolina. You're one of the highest profile names in the game.

In the league. Yes. Like when I listen to podcasts in the States and they do advertising for Amazon, they'll say, you know, Monday Night Hockey with McDavid, Matthews, Crosby. It's like you are in the first sentence when they're promoting the whole league.

It's a different story with you, man. And to be honest, JT Miller is not as big a name and it's a much more sensitive issue and we spent 20 minutes yesterday talking around the edges of it because it's interesting. People want to know.

I don't know. Well, God forbid we're nosy about one of the biggest superstars in the league that has a mystery and dream. He flies to Germany. He is downplaying how big of a story it is when you're in an organization that has the staff including the medical staff of a small country but none of them are good enough to help you get better you need to go overseas that That's a story. Yeah. Yeah, I agree.

That's a big story. Yep. So I don't take, I have no issue with what they did. I don't have, I have no issue, unlike other people I've talked to, with taking the extra time. Are you looking at me? I am. And taking the time with a very soft schedule for the Leafs,

use that whole time and then get back for the busy part. No problem how it's been handled including including Austin though including Austin he doesn't have to he doesn't have to open up or give you anything more than what any other player or team has done in the last 20 30 100 years yeah right it's just like hey you're not been paying attention we tell you nothing so that's that's the chicken and the egg yeah i got no issue i have issue with being surprised or even the little joke about people being nosy it's like pay attention i think the ideal response to me for that would be yeah i understand this market i understand that people are interested but i'm just not interested in telling people exactly what's wrong with me and it's the same way with a lot of players yeah that's like blown up you're nosy like yeah we are nosy we care the most out of anyone sorry care about you it's just like it's the leafs man i don't know if you've

noticed or not they're popular you're the best player on the team you know like anyways yeah we've done enough on that um yeah we let's talk to or listen to craig br're the best player on the team. You know, like anyways. Yeah. We've got enough on that. Yeah. Let's talk to or listen to Craig Berube, his thoughts on the return of his captain. Clip one. Yeah, it's great. I mean, you know, captain of the team and we missed him. You know, he's been out a while and it's great to have him back.

Looking forward to it. And he looks really good out there. A lot of energy, skating well, moving well. So it's good. All right energy, skating well, moving well, so it's good. All right. Skating well, moving well. Looks great. Good.

It does, you know, I will say, watching them without Austin Matthews, you know, like Mitch Marner's still brilliant, and Tavares and William Nylander, but it's a different level. It's one of the better players in the league. You kind of forget how good he is and you sort of look forward to having him back to say, oh yeah, it's a reminder because I'm a Dumbo.

I've thought to myself over this run, like, oh, maybe they are a little better without him. Like, you know, everyone's got a better role. Everyone plays better without him. It's like, he comes back like, oh, right. I just hope I don't see like a lot more forced kind of he's there let's yeah just get him the puck as much as possible exactly like they've played plus him that's great oh yes exactly you know without saying now we got to

play a different game because of him yeah yeah and i want to see a similar look to mitch marner on a power play with him coming in. Absolutely. Because how many times have we seen Mitch in the past barely touch a puck? Yeah. Well, the best part is, you know, and that's not something that like is even Austin related to me. It's like Mitch has to be, he's so good all around the zone. Like I bet if you looked at like a a hot a tracer of where people on power

play it's him and mcdavid is the guys who are the most active and can play all over in the zone on the power play and i think they're most effective when he's doing that when he suddenly he's at the point suddenly he's on this flank suddenly his goal line they've looked too stagnant prior to matthews going out did you see that they're going to the five forward yes i did see that yeah yeah do we have so i think to your point there kipper yeah that if you want to keep mitch playing the way he's been playing on the power play where he has the puck a lot yes that's a great way of doing it and making him the top of the sort of i just i just hate for me uh for me morgan riley has been the most guilty in the last year and a half two years of deferring to 34 see that i think that's a great point 100%

not mitch or anyone else was it not the first game that matthews is out that riley floated one in and someone tipped it in yeah like the very first game it was like hey sometimes a better option just get it through to the net i think it was nice someone tipped it in? Yeah. Like the very first game, it was like, hey, sometimes a better option. Just get it through to the net. I think it was nice that tipped it in. Like, you don't want to get the puck to Matthews when the D is shifted to him. He's flat-footed. He doesn't create, as you've talked about before.

He's a guy who, at the end of some plays, lands on his stick and he fires it in. Right. I actually liked when Matthews used to play the opposite flank and he'd come up almost out of the zone to the blue and then be coming downhill and do that forehand catch and release sometimes so yeah a little bit of movement wouldn't hurt him okay do we have the coach on bobby mcmahon we do we have it or where do you want to go finish the five forward power play from barubi since we're talking about a clip three barubi before we had it with the five forwards, I thought it looked really good.

Just the puck movement and quickness of it all. I really like knives at the net. And I really like JT in the bumper. So I think just how to make that all work. We're going to see how it goes. But before we try it, when we did try it, I thought it looked really good. And really that's the-making that I made. I mean, I like it.

You? Yeah. I think there's going to be a tendency for Tavares to get right back in front of the blue paint. I think it's going to be hard for him. Up in the bumper there? Well, it's not that I want him up there. I think at times his bread and butter has been, right, driving right to the front of the paint.

It'll be interesting to see, you know, two men end up there. I don't hate two men, but probably what has to happen is he has to get his feelings hurt again this season, and it's probably Nye's spot and Riley ends up at the top. That's probably... Like the coach himself. He'll come in and crash and find some loose change i think i like him as a high tip and all that but you still feel that way though with tavares the way he's kind of turn it around here because like

i definitely had that feeling earlier in the year being like the ideal scenario would be have nize on there maybe oliver eckman larson at the top but they've really gone away from him on the power play like i still i'm not convinced that they're better on the power play without Tavares out there anymore because he's been so good this year, especially on the power play. I think it'll be interesting, too, because, like, you want to keep your lines together. So if you've got Nyes, Matthews, Nylander,

you have the chance to then kind of keep that together. I don't know, not take too many pieces from the other line, instead of two and two. Okay, let's follow up. Are you guys good on that? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I want to follow it up with Brooby playing Willie Nylander the full two minutes on power plays recently. How have you found the whole William staying out for, you know, the full power plays?

He's been going to you to plan it and stick with that now that you kind of have Austin in the ice bag. Well, he likes it. Told us that, yeah. He's got his ice time up. So that's key, right? Got to get the minutes up. Well, I think Willie. Again, you know, we're missing a lot of players,

and I think Willie's staying out there. You know, he's not used on the penalty kill and the ice time works out well and he's the type of guy that can handle it. He plays in his spot there and he's dangerous. He makes the second unit better. That's the bottom line. He makes the second unit better.

I love that. There's clearly a pretty good relationship between these two guys because that's like he's just making fun of them openly or asking for more minutes.'s actually really funny if you look at neil enders ice time over the season the month of october i think they paid like 11 12 11 whatever games 17 58 was his average ice time the month really yeah the month of november all exact same amount of games 20 34 is the average so you can laugh like if you're the coach like hi

he has to get his ice time up willie's like i did get my ice i got i got exactly what i wanted sir it worked that's crazy it's not really that much different from any other like connor or mckinnon and they're just going to take whatever they can get. Right? They'd all want to play the two minutes. It's not like you're doing down and back. It's not like you're doing wallies on the thing. Well, and, like, not everyone skates as well as Willie

and moves as little as Willie. You know what I mean? Like, he's the ultimate energy conservation guy in the power play, so. Yeah, he can go from absolute zero to 100 pretty fast. But he's not going to 100 unless he has to. And Brew is right. He's a breakaway.

He is dangerous out there. The key is it needs to be more for the Leafs than it is sometimes the opposition. Yeah, that's true too. All right. Go ahead. You want to go, that's true too. All right. Go ahead. You want to go D or Sammy? Where do you want to go? You mentioned before we went on it.

Do you want to talk about this Tavares stuff? No, I just read. I think it was Chris Johnson in The Athletic maybe mentioning that they're talking again or they talked in the fall and there's a sense that tavara's contract extension could be possibly moving uh you know i i just don't see and that very well may be true and it's probably true this is not commentary on that it's commentary on the fact that like what's the point

you know like is there i'm i'm with you i'm like where's the race to get him done? Absolutely no disrespect to him, but his family loves it here. His kids are in hockey programs. They got a house. He's not Mitch Marner. What do you mean? What I mean is Mitch is 27, not 34. Mitch isn't in a position right now where he's telling the whole world

i don't want to move and i it it's a top priority for me to stay here it's like so why you want to race to go sign john tavaris yeah i don't think there's any doubt that if you came to him when the season ends and said here's your three times five or whatever you know whatever it is that he's looking for if you wanted him and if it works and i've said this on the show lots if it doesn't work i don't think it works like at all whatever the philosophy that fans have had right up until maybe the last week and a half, two weeks on Marner, is like wait until the playoffs. And it's like you're right, but you don't have the right guy. You need to have that exact attitude on Tavares, not on Mitch Marner. Yeah.

I mean, I agree on Tavares. I don't know if it doesn't work for Mitch too, but I mean you'd know better than i would on that but i see why i don't know it's just an opinion what i would say is if you're looking at these two and i think just to your point you're much more likely to lose marner if you wait till after the playoffs than you are to lose tavarez if you wait till after the playoffs for sure but you're is why you know you're you're not gonna lose them unless you want to lose you know you're you're not gonna lose them unless you want to lose who's of ours yes yeah you're not gonna lose them unless you want to which right is the conversation that i think is a fascinating one which is why i gotta see here we are in the quadruple double down on these four guys and the issue right up until going into this season was it was too comfortable for them.

Lack of accountability. Lack of accountability, comfort zone. Everyone got a contract that was maxed. No consequences. So why would you be racing right now to go make John Tavares comfortable? You're getting the best out of him while he's uncomfortable. Keep it that way. Yeah.

Sign him to a three-year deal for 15 million bucks, and you're right back in a place where if you do sign Marner, they're all coming back, and they could all lose in the first round again, and then where is everybody? Yeah, yeah. You're right. And I also don't hate the idea of the motivation for Marner, too. Contract year, like you're getting a lot out of him right now.

He looks fantastic. He's not motivated. He's not motivated. He's going to get his money. Yeah. Come on, guys. You don't think it matters how he plays this year? Of course it does.

No, it doesn't. No. The Leafs are going to offer him $100 million. Okay? No matter what. Does he want it? Sign. You don't want it?

Yeah. Bye-bye, I guess. I just don't think it's a crazy thing to say how he plays doesn't matter. Where do you think he's going to fall off the face of the earth that you don't want to sign him? I don't know. I mean, if you think you can get, fall off the face of the earth that you don't want to sign him i don't know i mean if you think you can get you know above 100 points if he can take a step into you know the superstardom category that's not the difference between 13 million and whatever he ends up with

he's gonna get 13 million so what uh He's going to get $13 million. So if he has a great playoff, maybe it's $14 million. If he goes to a conference final or a Stanley Cup final, then it's what? Infinity. Infinity. It's a billion dollars. But I'm just saying, I'm not getting into this, but it's a way different feeling between trying to get Tavares signed or Marner. Absolutely.

I think it only goes up for Marner. Tavares is the guy that you got to stay, hey, stay hungry. I don't know what our center ice is going to look like, but if you can come in as a hybrid two, three, and look like you can battle and get us key points in the playoffs and we go to a conference final and i want to try it for two more years that's an easier sell don't like i think with marner that you know there's a baseline that he knows he's gonna get and the pressure you know for some of these guys who are in a contract here they're like oh my god if i score 40 goals this year i might get four million dollars extra or whatever like there's a baseline

like you said the hundred million thing whatever if that's true or not but if he only plays but it's just gonna go off for sure like i don't think that's great for him for sure but i don't think it worries as much like to his point about the pressure thing and feeling a contract year i think it's different for a guy like marner where the baseline is guaranteed there he's just gonna do what he's done every year and that's beyond a hundred he's on a hundred point pace every year and every year either he's hurt or he's a healthy scratch and he doesn't get it but just for people to say he's not a hundred point guy he's not he's never got a hundred points stop it He's never got 100 points. Stop it. He's never got 100 points. He's a 100 point guy. He's not. He's literally never got it. He's a

100 point per game pace guy. Is Matthews a 70 goal guy? Okay. Is Matthews a 70 goal guy? I mean, yes. I've got him. I've got him at a even if he scored 70, he's not a 70 goal guy. It's a careerantics. It's a career year.

It's not semantics. He did not 100. All right. Are we done with this? Yeah, we're done. Good job. Fraser Minton, we got a clip from Berube on him. He's going to be centering Robertson, who is still getting opportunities.

God love him. Let's hear the thoughts on Minton. Yeah, for sure. He's got a lot of room for growth. He's a young kid that has not had much experience in the NHL, for sure, and didn't really get much playing time in the minors before he was called up because we needed him. He's just got to keep working on his game and working on reading the play better.

In the NHL level, it's quick, right? And you've got to anticipate. He's a very positionally sound player. I think that it takes time. It's not just going to happen overnight. It's going to take time. Hmm. That's interesting.

Sounds like he'll be going to play at the Marlies. Sounds more long-term than some of our conversations. I think it's safe to say. If he came along three years ago, it would have been perfect for him now to be in that position of, yeah, this is our third-line centerman. But he's not there yet. And in a year where you've got to compete for the Stanley Cup

in all probability he won't be ready for that interesting comments to say he has to work on reading the play better and he's very positionally sound in the same sentence that's interesting to me that just sounds like making the decisions faster

faster league that's great i've said the other day like these guys it'd be better for them to have the puck be the man be on the power play play 20 minutes a night way better for their development and that's something good teams have the advantage of doing where you see team play bad teams rush players along yeah uh do you want to do the last one on hawk and pop just Just one other thought on, like, Robertson being in there. Okay. Okay?

Yeah. I think it's just, I think it's big picture stuff. I think it's in mind of keep him out there, keep him playing, and whatever value there is out there, and i know the numbers stink but if i'm a team out there i'd seriously consider trading for him i would too that you know i don't have to give too much up i don't know do you think you can get a third rounder for him you guys be the worst pro scouts ever i think i think you can get a third rounder for him yeah maybe a fourth i i don't think a second no but a second he's he's a pretty decent hockey player he's young you know he's young and he's got some upside

he does sammy i don't know i'm i just like my whole identity is crapping all over this guy so i'm just gonna shut up i don't know all i ever do is crap on him. I don't think on a contending team, he's in a position to think that he can be a top six, but I don't know that for sure. But I think teams should be willing to give him a look-see. I don't think it's impossible that he has a game where he scores, you know, a clump of games where he scores a bunch of goals. When you predicted, what, 20 goals, 25 goals? Yeah.

You saw something. Yeah. And we saw something when he had almost 15 goals last year yeah i mean he is a unique shooter i get if the leafs want to keep them in the mix without completely dumping on a asset the best thing never happened for him is that everyone's injured what else else are you going to do? You could have Dewar or Steve's in there. Saturday night. No, they're in too. Who's out? Alex Nylander.

Alex Nylander's out. And Reeves is still suspended. He's better than Alex Nylander. Yes. Let's go to break and get to the bunk show. Alright, JD. We got a bunk.

Does that mean I can go for a coffee? Because no one talks more than this guy. He's going to carry us through. All right. JD Bunkus, when we return, co-host of Leaf Talk and the JD Bunkus Podcast. Up next. Hey, it's Ailish Forfar. And I'm Justin Cuthbert.

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 to the Leaf Edition of the Real Kipper and Bourne Show. As promised, our next guest could be the only guy in 25 years that's been around Sportsnet that's never lost for words. Anyone else come close?

I mean, you. No. Just quietly sit here and listen to you guys. What are you talking about? Just do ins and outs jd bunkus from leaf talk and your own podcast show called the jd bunkus it's not even a show it's just a jd just that jd that just did honestly i i think that that might be a halfway decent rebrand,

the J.D. Bunkus. Can you tell it's Friday and I'm really out of gas right now? Because I need you bad. I hope you're like the Energizer bunny right now, ready to go on the Leafs. Brother, I always got it. I always got it. I am that guy.

I always have it. I think the overall talk, everybody's happy that Austin's coming back tomorrow night against tampa bay but i want to get your perspective because you're like that that new breed of journalism or you know talk radio talk podcast talk what's your what's your view on how austin's injury was handled i personally wish there would have been a little bit more information. I understand that this is a guy who had a wrist injury early in his career and felt targeted. And essentially from that moment forward,

wanted a different degree of privacy, a cone of silence with privacy. But I just find like the Leafs in general, a bumble, a lot of these things, which is there's just seems to be bad communication with the fans i i get part of this may have been a setback but then just kind of come out and say that don't have us picking between the words that craig brube is saying and i feel like for a team

that is so pr conscious for a team that you know really cares about the narratives that are around the group i don't know why they don't try to just kind of satiate some of the media and fan asks when it comes to things like this. Like this is one of the best players on the planet. The, the, you know, I know it's up for debate on your guy's show, the best player on the team,

you know, one of the greatest goal scorers of a generation. And you can't give clarity beyond day to day and week to week and where he is. And I feel like so much of the discussion around it, so much of the speculation, so much of the guesswork that ends up happening is kind of their own doing so again i understand austin matthews is not like a unique person in the nhl in that he doesn't want all of his injury uh

information out there he covets privacy much like most players in the league in fact they just did a player poll to indicate that that is like the strong majority of hockey players and kipper i'm sure you felt the same way but man oh man it just to me it's like you do this to yourself sometimes and i don't think it's good for anybody and i certainly don't think it's great for people who are fees and ticket holders or who are expected to pay huge dollars for tickets and concessions and all the things that come around with being a leafs fan so i'm mildly frustrated by it i don't think that it's a huge issue or a massive problem. I certainly haven't lost sleep over it. But again, I think that it does speak to a team that at times

really struggles to understand its own fan base. And I do think that it is an indicator of what we have now, which is teams in general seem to have a greater divide between the consumer and the team and what the goals are of those operations. Bunk, you and I have been talking about the Maple Leafs for a lot of years now. Sure have, brother. And trying to find, you know, the breakthrough

and trying to find a team where we say, okay, this is the one, we like the way this is built. I want to know with this team this year, what's important to you to see from this team? And it can be, you know, anything. Is it important to you to see from this team and it can be you know anything is it important to you that they get mitch marner under contract is it important to you that they show physical you know a more physical play or better defense or goaltending what right now feels most important to you about about the leafs so i do want to come back on the marner thing

because i have a question for kepip like I I gotta I only ask questions on this show I I would like to please ask if I can have one question for you because I think it's pertinent and I do think that it's kind of I do think it's cut what ask it right now the answer to your question okay I like how I just immediately was like hey I'm gonna take over that question for you I'll ask it again I do have a lot of answers to that, but yeah, Kip. So the, the Marner discourse lately has kicked up, right. And it's been, Hey, what do you do? What do you assign them to?

What's he asking for? And all these different things, which makes sense because he's playing great. And Matthews has been out of the lineup and he's carried a line. And you look at some of the numbers on this guy. It's like, you know, he's second in the league and passes to the slot and he's scoring goals and he's playing with confidence. And so naturally people are going like, Hey, you can't lose this guy. You can't lose this guy. Let's kick it up and let's talk about the contract extension. And to me, I've always been in the

camp of like, there's really nothing to talk about because you need to see what happens after the playoffs. Like you need to see a proof of concept that is different than what we have seen year over year over year. But the question that i don't think enough people are asking when it comes to this thing and the timing of it is do you get the sense that by the leafs not reaching out to him and trying to meet whatever contractual demands they might have today in order to get a contract done that that is in some way going to be adverse viewed as adversarial by mitch marner and his team like as in you are running the risk every day of not extending Mitch Marner, that things can get uglier come the off season.

Because to me, that's the only reason that you would consider signing a contract during the regular season is if you feel like he and the team that he is represented by would be in some way angry or feel disrespected by a lack of an offer until said time until the end of the season i'm sorry do you have information that the leafs aren't trying to sign them right now no i actually feel like they have been kind of trying it's a bad feel yeah it's a bad feel yeah no no he's he's saying that he believes that the Leafs aren't aggressive or reaching out to him to try to sign him.

I think he's asked, are they? And I'm telling you that feeling is probably wrong that they are trying to sign him and they are putting offers in. Is that basically what you're saying? Well, I'm saying that if they're not meeting the demand, right? Like if they're, because if it's not done yet and they are trying to sign him, that would indicate to me that what he's asking for

is a massive number and that they're still trying to haggle this thing down and figure out, you know, what it is going to be. But that if you are trying to do it right now and you're not getting it done, is this going to get personal? Like, does this get to get personal like does this get to a phase or does it have the potential to get to a phase in season where things get ugly

between Marner and the Leafs like do you think that he's taking it personally that say like with William Nylander he signed a contract extension in season that it got done with Austin Matthews it never felt like it was ever going to be a problem and that if this thing does drag out and it goes to the end of the year that they're going to be a problem. And that if this thing does drag out and it goes to the end of the year, that they're going to be pissed about that. I think there's different ways to look at it for sure. So, I mean, there might be a list of things that either the Leafs want to see or Marner wants to see.

And I don't think that there's any rush. If you just, on face value, J.D., if you tell me that this is just about hitting a number, probably say that you're wrong. That there's other factors that come into play in this whole dynamic. And as we know, Mitch has taken a lot of heat here. The question is, does he set himself up for that type of behavior to continue?

Is he comfortable with it? I think that can play a factor. I think there's also a factor of if I commit to the Leafs, is this a program that is going to give me a good shot at winning a Stanley Cup, or is this team just spinning its wheels, and I'm going to find myself being that guy that has a statue with him but never got to a conference final.

I mean, there's a lot of different dynamics going into this, and I think the fact that we haven't seen a deal up until this point and i don't know where we're going to be at christmas or january february is because people want to respect each other's space but i'm not sure mitch marner's in a race to go get a contract right now so it's there's two sides to this and it's not just mitch sitting there going i've got a number hit it and i'll sign i think it's important but i don't know if i would have that at the top of my list on other things that maybe one another want to look at does that make

any sense yeah i think that's actually really fascinating because yeah that's been sort of the sense i'm getting and you know you saying that makes it seem like say i was talking about vladimir guerrero jr today on my podcast right and there's a growing sense you know ben nicholson smith mentioned this that it has flipped from the blue jays wanting um vladimir guerrero jr done to vladimir guerrero Jr., him being the one that is essentially deciding the contract extension. And so what I guess I'm reading is that the Leafs have kind of tendered a pretty aggressive number and that it's actually this guy that's kind of holding it and going, you know what, let's wait and see.

It's not the team that's going, let's wait and see, which is what I think most fans have been wanting in this situation or at least been open to and receptive to in this situation. But it's kind of a wholehearted other deal if it's the player. And they've done a really good job of kind of keeping it tight the last little while. We don't get any leakage. We don't get any Kevin Weeks. The Rangers just offered just again, right?

There's nothing out there like that. But even if there is, go back to a couple of scenarios, whether we're talking about John Tavares giving Islander fans seven years ago, I'm staying, I want to stay, to that guy never wanted to stay. So you don't know what you're dealing with with these guys going into their last year on what's important where is the pecking order of of of of uh money uh family right mitch is starting a family do i want my kids to be in an environment you know eventually if i stay for another eight years to grow up to you know kids in junior kindergarten or senior kindergarten going your dad screwed us with that contract

i don't know we'll have to wait and see considerations those are fair considerations i still remember the i think it was hal gill that told me a story once about him and brian mccabe being at like a children's music concert and people at the children's music concert, like, yeah, booing him, like something like Barney. You're like, oh yeah, the city can have those moments. So I would get those considerations. But again, like, I think that the way it's been framed to most of us was like, hey, the Leafs have to play tough, right?

Go into the off season. Hey, the Leafs can't just capitulate. They've got to have their internal cap structure. They've got to stand firm and stand their ground. And Mitch Marner has to be the first guy that this is going to change with. And then, yeah, it seems like, no, it's actually the opposite is true,

is that they're the team that's willing to capitulate. They're the team that's willing to go up and kind of hit the number. And that it may be, like you said, it's Marner's camp that's a little reluctant or hesitant and is curious to see what might end up happening come season's end, which is like a huge shift in the dynamic that kind of happened quietly

that no one seems to be, I think, acknowledging outside of mostly your guy's show. Hey, there's a reason we are, you know, a good show, bud. I got news for you. News flash. News flash. That's why people listen. No, they're here for the Robertson takes. Is there a take beyond he falls down a lot and that's it?

Is there more to that? I wish we could erase every take from the internet that I've ever had about this game. You and I are a true blue embarrassment. Are you okay with Robertson holding his spot in the likes of Steve Zerd? No. Doer underneath him? No. I have no interest any longer in Nick Robertson here. Yeah.

I did a while ago. I felt like a fool the second I watched Max Pacioretty step out onto the ice. And I was like, oh, okay, like this guy can actually do things. And he's a real professional. And here I was having takes being like, you can't take the risk on the older guy that doesn't have the upside. And then I went, oh, right. You know, their size does matter in this league.

And track record does matter in this league. And an offseason where a guy was getting healthy. And granted, he hasn't been able to stay it so the big concern about patch ready was there but they also built those uh that problem into his contract to kind of mitigate some of the problem that it presents i just i i think that you guys were talking about this the other day how you know if you're not going to play robertson up the lineup now then why even have him at all and i think to me and you know know, again, you guys would know better than I would, but I would have to imagine that the Leafs have some kind of move

in their back pocket, very similar to what they had with Timothy Lilligren. And that when they get forwards healthy, they're like, we got a plan. And he's the, basically the first guy out like Grubankin to me looks like he can have more of an impact. And I think he should still be down in the AHL. Frazier Minton clearly can have more of an impact. He should also still be down in the AHL. Like, it's not a good thing that when I watch Pontus Holmberg and I go, oh my God, I think Borny, you call them the least talented offensive player in the NHL, that I watched the least talented offensive player in the NHL. And I go, there is not one case that you can make to me that that guy is a worse hockey

player or a less deserving player to be on the Maple Leafs than Nick Robertson. So I think once you've reached that point where it's multiple AHLers come up and help perform you, then the scenario is quite clear. Okay. This will be the most important question I ask you on this segment. Sure. Is Justin Bourne's down and back or my undrafted book on your shelf behind you? Justin Bourne's is.

You never sent me a copy of yours. To be clear, Bunk didn't pay for one. Yeah, I was going to say, like, nobody. Bourne gave me one that was signed with a nice inscription in it about our friendship. Like, Kipper, you know, you send it away, and I'll put it right on the shelf. I'll get it right on the shelf right there

yeah i'll take a side coffee but so far there's been none so you know the ball's in your court there yeah i guess it is both would make great holiday gifts hey hey hey now i like you yeah there you go great call all right jd thanks for joining us, man. Thanks, Bunk. Of course, guys. See you later. Leaf Talk and the JD Bunkus Podcast. That's where you can find that guy. Listen, I don't really ever do this, but we do a show after every game, me and Bunk, on YouTube, on Sportsnet Plus, on podcasts.

So if you want the immediate Dumbo takes from me and then I come back in here the after and be like, oh, crap, I was all wrong. I actually think the idea of Leafs talk, if you accept what it is, that there's been no time for calculated analysis. It's just how does it make you feel after the game? And we do the playoff ones. And, like, me going in there after Pashnack bangs one in,

I'm just like, oh, my God. It is. I'm about to cry. I'm like, how am I going to do this? It is nice that all the Leaf crazies have somewhere to go. Yes. After a game. Yeah, like the immediate venting thing.

You know what was fascinating is when the, when I was with Sheldon Keefe and that staff, Lamarillo had them all fill out your immediate feeling about each player one to five. Just after the game. After the game. So each coach couldn't talk to each other i after the game after the game so each coach couldn't talk to each other they would walk into the room in silence i had put a sheet on each of their desks each player one to five and if and a little comment if you wanted on the guys and then

they would get faxed away to lou faxed by the way faxed because he wanted that feeling just and then like the next day you'd watch the video and be like i had it all wrong that's actually fascinating you know like on this that or whatever but lou wanted that initial capture from the And then like the next day you'd watch the video and be like, I had it all wrong. That's actually fascinating. You know, like on this, that or whatever. But Lou wanted that initial capture from the staff. That is really good. Yeah. I'm going to.

Me and Lou, same guy. I'm going to do it. I'm going to grab a few people out there and have them grade you guys after the show. Not this week. Next week when there's more games, let's do it. Who are you, Babcock, making a list? Who's going to hide it? Yes.

Who works for him? I am. And your lineup's slipping a little bit lately. Listen. I got scratches on it. There hasn't been games. I got Derek Brandeo on it. It's much improved from last year.

Thank you. Appreciate it. Austin. Mackey. last year. Thank you. Appreciate it. Austin. Mackey. Yes. Austin Mackey. Austin Mackey. Yep.

Yeah. And you got horrible penmanship too, by the way. That's why I type it out, buddy. So tomorrow night. Yeah. Big game, right? Absolutely. It's like we're measured into big game season here.

So how many games we got? Is Tampa playing right now? Tampa's currently on the rink. Hey, tell me who's in that because I'll tell you who's not in that tomorrow night against the Leafs. This is a good thought you're having. Vasilevsky in today. I'm going to use the internet.

I think Tampa's 2-2 with the Predators right now. And who's in that? And the goalie is. God, the internet's hard when people are waiting for you. I got you, buddy. All right. Box score. Um...

No, it's Jonas, Jonas. Oh, they're complaining for the Leafs. So then Vasilevsky will be back in. But do we really know? He's been good, Vasilevsky. Yeah, he's like a 9-11 or something. He's coming around. He's coming around? He is. Unfortunately, he is coming around. He had a yeah he's like a 9-11 he's coming around he's coming around unfortunately he had a tough one the other night didn't he yeah but he his numbers have like he was

quite bad again at the start of the year but he had a yeah he's gotten back it was washington i think that came back at the end eh yeah on him well yeah that was the game that, what's his name, shot at his own net. Oh, yeah. The goalie. So his last five, he is at 8-4-4, 9-20, 8-5-7, 8-9-5, and then 1,000. So 1,000. Up and down. Yeah, that's good. And, you know, that means no goals. Right. All right.

100%. Sean Reynolds will get at the top of the hour coming up on our national show. King sends. Talking in Canada, so we can talk some sends. He's got all the Jets knowledge in the world. So Sean Reynolds, we'll get at the top of the hour coming up on our national show. He's got King Sends talking in Canada, so we can talk some Sends. He's got all the Jets knowledge in the world. Oh, busy, busy. Do you like all these games while our show is going on? Hate it. You know, I haven't been betting much this year.

I got some money on today. Come and join. You're doing well? Bet 365. I didn't say I was doing well. I said I have money. But the games, you need to know what period each game's going into. Yeah.

That was poor gambling on my part. Okay, we're back. Don't go away.