Real Kyper & Bourne - Rangers Trigger Before Christmas + Flames' Focus into the Break

Episode Date: December 19, 2024

Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne welcome NHL on TNT's Eddie Olczyk (3:45) for an in-depth discussion on the New York Rangers' struggles this season. They dive into the trade of Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken, explore whether players can reinvent themselves easily, and assess what Will Borgen could bring to the Rangers' defence. The trio also examines the Buffalo Sabres' ongoing losing streak. Later, Sportsnet's senior columnist Eric Francis (29:54) joins the show to evaluate the Calgary Flames heading into the Christmas break. They discuss whether the Flames are looking to add pieces at the trade deadline, Nazem Kadri and Rasmus Andersson trade rumours and Jonathan Huberdeau’s recent return to form.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, JB, let's take it live across the country on our national hour. The Real Kipper Inborn Show. We are live on Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver and 960 in calgary this hour of real kipper and born brought to you by bet 365 we got nick we got justin we've got no sammy no sammy he uh it wasn't the Oshawa Generals game, and it wasn't the Leafs in Detroit. It was that NFL. He could not handle the NFL. He went to Detroit to watch the Bills play, and that one buried him. But you know what?

It's never the event that you go to that kills you. It's the, I'm having so much fun. Let's carry on that kills you and i you know after the bills game i think they had some fun beat up the old immune system yes officially has a cold though today right is that official he's he's sick he's sick as a dog on the ir yes well you know he's day-to-day like the leafs say could be back tomorrow day could be back in 300 days can we make money up like the salary cap can we get we're building it towards someone else's salary oh us yeah we'll see what we can do

i'm not gonna say anything in a couple minutes we're gonna welcome in uh ed old chuck uh we know him well tnt been on the show we haven't had him on in a while though we thought we'd have him on because yesterday was apparently trade deadline day i mean what happened all of a sudden it's like oh po joseph went back to pittsburgh that's cool they're they're you know making a push for some depth justin barron the bigger trade is uh alex carrier for me i i like him i i think montreal did real well here i think they read my article yesterday during the day i wrote the teams like montreal should be trading for players like carrier because carrier sorry yeah because it makes sense like they they needed help bad and you're not supporting the players you're trying

to develop without players like him he's a right shot he's 28 years old he's under contract he's from quebec i mean justin barron they gave up yeah who was what in and out or you know hot and cold yeah he used healthy scratch 10 11 times uh handedness you know conflicted with some of their guys got a lot of lefties didn't make the best decisions for them i'm not a hero he's not the biggest guy in the world no and they need nhlers though man i know no no i get it and i think he competes and I think he plays bigger than he is. Yeah. But, I mean, eventually, like, you'd like to see more 6'3", 6'4", guys in a Montreal Canadiens uniform. They've had, they've been accused of being Smurfs for a long time.

That Kovacevic in New Jersey, they let him go. He was a solid defender but anyway this makes them a little bit better um you know freeze nashville up to to do something with the cap space so we'll see what they have to do capococco got traded rangers holding true on changes being made and uh no comfort zone do you think him calling out the coach or the team i don't think it helped oh right i i think it was a a nail in the coffin it was like we need to get rid of someone we need to change our culture a 23 year old goes in the media and says they shouldn't have scratched me they should have should have else. Okay, let's welcome him in.

Ed Olchuk, TNT, former NHL teammate, former New York Ranger, 30 years ago. 30 years ago. And people are going, fans are pissed in New York. They're like, it's been 30 years. I wasn't born. I want to see a cup before I die. They're doing the sign again, Eddie. That's how old we are.

Well, first off, happy holidays, boys. Nice to be with you. Good to see you. Well, I would just say to those Ranger fans, the prior regime had to wait another 24 years so they had to wait 54 years so they're you know it's getting a little long but you know i mean considering where they were last year and the expectations going into this year and seeing the wheels completely come off here recently i'm sure everybody is shocked. I mean, I know the talk around the National Hockey League is certainly that.

And, you know, we'll see if that they can turn this thing around. I mean, I think for me, just watching them, Kipper and Borny, and again, I appreciate you guys having me on. It just seems like they're afraid to make plays. I mean, we've all been in situations at all different levels. And it's just you can't go out there afraid to make plays. I mean, we've all been in situations at all different levels. And it's just, you can't go out there afraid to make mistakes. You can't go out there afraid to make plays.

And you can't be afraid of what the end result is. And from afar of watching, that's what it sure in hell looks like. That is that just right now they have zero confidence and they're just afraid to make any any kind of play and you can't play that way in the national hockey league because you're going to get your head handed to you and yeah they've been in some competitive games and what have you but for the most part you know it's it's been a tough goal there so uh how do they get out of it i mean they need they

need one of their goalies to win them a hockey game they need somebody to win a one nothing or two one game that's that's what they have to do and you know i don't know what's going on with the bread man there or temi panarin if he's back or healthy or what's going on now but certainly getting him back he could be one of those you know he's a game breaker as good as there is in league when he's going but uh and looks tough from afar. And I'm sure, you know, being in a locker room in New York the year before we won the Stanley Cup in 94, Kipper, that year before was a complete, it was a complete disaster the last 20 games of the regular season. So I know what it's like to live in that climate when expectations are really high. And, you know, we were lucky enough to get through the season. And the next thing you know, we're winning a Stanley Cup.

And I guess we'll give you the primary assist on why we ended up winning a Cup. I appreciate that. Edzo, as far as 2019 Capo Caco, second pick overall. It's Ranger fans are wondering how can we end up trading our second overall pick, which doesn't seem that far ago. And when you look at Capo's development and where it stalled for the New York Rangers or what happened here. I mean, you've played, you broadcast, you've been behind an NHL bench as a head coach here.

Where did it go wrong between Capo's ceiling or the development that the Rangers had him on, the trajectory of the development here? Who looks in the mirror first? I mean, I couldn't answer that question, Kipper, really. I mean, for not being around, again, just watching from afar, talking to people, understanding. I mean, look, there were times, I think,

that the kid looked like he was on the verge of being that, you know, that big power type of forward and had some good runs. I think he was on a line with Lafreniere for a period of time when he was, you know, when he was doing that. The consistency part obviously has been a concern. But, you know, I look at, I he's he's a big guy he you know seems to get around the rink very well uh no not getting a lot of power play time and as you guys know i mean offensive guys or at least guys that think they're offensive need to get those touches on the power play and look you know the power play that the Rangers can run out, especially their forward unit, they're going to take 85, 90 percent of the power play.

I mean, I'd be interested, Barney, if, you know, when the Rangers were going good and what's been going on here recently, is their power play numbers when it comes to ice time? Were those guys eating up the majority of the minutes? You know, are they extending their shifts so i mean you get young players that don't get an opportunity to get out there you know it does become challenging but that's part of being a young player i mean you have to earn your stripes and you're going to earn that opportunity so you know look at i i at times i like what i've seen from capo caco uh But then there's other times where you wonder where he goes to

and can he get to that level of a second overall pick. I mean, now, look, he's going to get an unbelievable opportunity in Seattle. And he's going to get power play time. He's going to get to play with the top offensive guys there. And he's got a chance to start over. And I would expect him to be a, you know, to get a jolt here. Now, whether he can stay consistent and get a little longevity out of that, well, that's totally up to him.

But, you know, he's going to get a chance to play with some really good players and see if he takes advantage of it. So I think the jury is still out. I you know i don't know is the question if the did the rangers give up on him i mean i mean sure you trade them i mean obviously you're you know you're you're going in a different direction but um you know did he get a full runway well as you guys know a lot of players don't get the full runway in some places, and then they go to another place, and all of a sudden, they're like, oh, my. Like, this guy's got a chance to be a, you know, is he a 25-40 guy? Is he a 30-30?

Is he a 20-35? I mean, you know, I don't know, but at times, he looks like he can be a 25-25 type of guy. And, you know, is that justified being the second overall pick? Well, maybe in this particular year, in this particular time, it is. Edzo, do you think it's possible? Like, I look at a lot of these guys, and it's like, oh, they need a change of scenery. And Justin Barron, 23, maybe wasn't quite hitting

what they hoped he would become, looking for a change of scenery. Can you just change a guy's situation internally and say the rangers were like you know what we're going to be the team to find cacos you know whatever we're going to put them on the power play play them on the top line can you internally give that guy the second chance give him a fresh start within your own group uh i would hope you'd be able to because because I think all of a sudden, you know, you could be, you know, you'd be giving up on guys way early. Now, again, there, there does come, you know,

there is an expiration on how much you're going to wait. And again, I mean, I heard you guys talking about his comments after being scratched and whatever that that certainly, you know, help expedited. I mean, you know, I guess only, only, onlyris drury and the rangers could could answer that i mean horny i i only can i only can speak to this in in in a on a personal note you know i i go back and it's a long time i know i know it's a long time ago kipper but back in 1984 i was drafted by my hometown team in chicago my first two years, I mean, was living large. I mean, it was good. I had 20 goals my first year at 50 points. My second year, I had 29 goals and I had 79 points and things were going

great. And then my third year, I just had an awful year. I mean, I had some, you know, I had a close friend of mine that I lost, and it affected me off the ice, and I just had a bad season. And next thing you know, the Hawks wanted to make a change, and they traded me, you know, out of Chicago. And now I was playing wing with the Blackhawks my first three years in the National Hockey League, where I had pretty much played center my whole life until I got to the Olympic team before I became a rookie in Chicago. Like, I would never trade that opportunity in for anything and play in my hometown. But what I'm getting at is, is that I went to Toronto and they put me at center.

And all of a sudden I had 42 goals that year. And, you know, all of a sudden I became the player that I was the year before that awful year, you know, my third year in the National Hockey League. So I think every situation is different. How does a player, you know know react family-wise professionally you know just just you know the stylist system that you may play the schematics and again what your role is and I think for any player you just want the opportunity to either do it or not and whether or not he thought that in New York that he really got an opportunity well it's gone now and he's going to get an unbelievable opportunity in Seattle so I think every situation is different but I do believe is that a player can all of a sudden just feel like okay I can breathe a little bit here and

I'm going to go and whatever my role is is I'm going to go out there and execute the best I can you're watching and listening to Ed Olchuk, NHL on TNT. So for the Rangers. Stop calling me Ed, would you? Stop calling me Ed. That's my dad. Stop it. Stop already.

I love it. I love it because I know that's coming because I heard that 30 years ago. I heard that on the show. 30 years ago. Why would you do it then? Because I know. Why would you do it? Because I like getting, you know, under your skin.

Yeah, you do. I know you do. I know you do, you know, I know you do. Edzo. I know you do. Edzo Ranger fans. What are Ranger fans getting in Will Borgen? Because you've watched them. Can he eat some of the minutes of Troubas?

Oh, damn right. He can. Oh yeah. Yeah. Will Borgen. Will Borgen has got major watermelons between his legs. Like, he is a hard-nosed player. He can get matchups.

He can be a change-the-momentum type of guy where he will drop the gloves. He will put a shoulder into somebody's chest. You know, I mean, when he came to Seattle, I mean, it took him forever to get in the lineup. And then when he finally got in the lineup, man, oh, man, like he was, you know, he got some tough assignments. Like he played against, you know, he played against Dreisaitl a couple of games. And when they made the run a couple of years ago, like he, he really solidified the top four in Seattle when they made their playoff run. They beat Colorado and then eventually lost in seven games to Dallas. He was playing with Jamie Oleksiak.

He had Vince Dunn and Adam Larson there. And look, once, you know, once general manager Ronnie Francis, I thought had as good as a summer as anybody with going out and getting Chandler Stevenson and Brandon Montour, that right side D when Larson, Montour, and Borgen, that's pretty damn good when you look at a right side D. The team should be better than they are, and they're only 500, but that right side was pretty good. And with Borgen's contract being up, they weren't going to sign him.

And I think, no doubt, Kipper, he will help the Rangers defense without a doubt. And like I said, he can play in different situations. Like, I'm not power play, but I'm saying, you want to match him up? He can play in a matchup game. You want to play him in your third pair? Go ahead. Do I think he'd be a good defensive partner for Keiondre Miller?

I could see a fit there. Now, in fairness, Miller was not very good. I mean, Trouba caught all the heat last year in the playoffs. Miller wasn't – he was right there on par with Trouba. I mean, he did not have a great playoff, and I don't think he is – I don't say he is at the same level he was last year in the playoffs Miller that being but I think a guy like Will Borgen could really help a young guy like that so if he is in your top pair now you know whether that's you know maybe

playing with Lindgren you know that would be a bad you know a bad matchup as well but I think you could put him with anybody and he would fit in i i like him because look at there there were seven or eight teams that wanted will borgen let's just make it perfectly clear now the question i would have for you guys more you borny than tipper is if the rangers would fall out would all of a sudden chris sit there and go, okay, well, third rounder, six rounder and Capo Caco. And now I'm going to go ahead and I'm going to move Will Borgen and probably get, I would imagine for sure. A second rounder for sure. He would bring it to deadline. That's just,

that's just my opinion because I think he is, I think he will be that type of player. And I think other teams covet him because i think they've seen a lot of what i've seen over the course of the last two and a half seasons so long-winded yes i i like will borgen with the rangers that's a really interesting thought you know you look at the deadline guys like labushkin and david savard go for two seconds in many cases you know those are those are coveted types come postseason so yeah that'll be interesting to keep an eye on you know we we talking we've been talking quite a bit about the state of new

york because islander is a bit of a mess but more than anything this buffalo sabers team i don't know how close attention you're paying to them but 10 straight losses now their owner came in and said the answers are here in the room and then they went out and just got filled in by the Montreal Canadiens. You know, have you ever been on a team where you've had an owner or a GM come down and step in and say, you know, try to right the ship? Because it's not a good sign, I don't think. No, but to answer your question, I did play in Toronto in the late 80s. And Mr. Ballard would be in the locker room all the time so giving you his two cents yeah and also puck is uh his beloved pup was in there all the time too so um look at i when i when i see buffalo and yes i keep a very close eye on

it and you know over the years uh you know you know you look at certain teams you look at certain situations and having come across mr pagula and his wife kim uh back at penn state where my uh my son tommy was uh the first captain ever for the d1 team out there at penn state and happy and hockey valley and of course the pagula is donating uh you know an unbelievable college rink there at Penn State. So, you know, I know the family very well. And, you know, the success that they've had, obviously, here with the, you know, with the

Buffalo Bills. But, you know, the hockey team has just been a it's been a tough go here. And, you know, when I look at their team, I mean, I just I see a lot of the same players up front. And that, to me, is probably the biggest concern that i would have um defensively i mean there's not a lot of stopping and starting and that's a major concern uh so you know i don't know i don't know how it ends but you know right now and look at it didn't help with you know with what with kevin adams coming out you know whatever it was a week ago

10 days ago and and uh you know sounding like you know, whatever it was a week ago, 10 days ago. And, and, you know, sounding like, you know, there was excuses there where nobody wanted to come there and no palm trees, no palm trees, like the ones behind you. Yeah. Well, I'm, I'm, I'm in, I'm in semi seclusion somewhere. I can't Northern Quebec. I can't, I can't divulge exactly where I am. But in saying that, and then I think when he started mentioning the Buffalo Bills and they did draft Josh Allen and Josh Allen is going to be the MVP of the National Football League. Well, the last time I checked, wasn't Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart

members of the Buffalo sabers at one point and those are two pretty damn good players the last time i checked and one guy is either at the top of the goal scoring leaderboard um and reinhardt and and jack has become an unbelievable two-way player in a national hockey league and some people and i look at i would argue is that at the center ice position i would argue is that he is as good as there is uh so they did have those players there now i i i would say is that i don't believe kevin adams was there maybe he was there when jack ended up getting traded but you know what you know what i'm getting at like look like yeah yeah the answer does have to come from the guys that are playing and somehow, some way, another team that looks like they're afraid

to go out there and make mistakes. And until that's corrected, you know, like, it's going to be, you know, it could go to 11, 12, 13. I mean, that's just the way that the league is. Hey, one more before we let you go. Just in terms of these trades that we've seen, these Christmas trades, it's usually kind of quiet this time of year and you know from caco to camp fowler to truba uh carrie uh is this just a sign of how

much pressure some of these teams are are feeling more so than years past yeah i mean as you guys know sometimes there are cosmetics just for the sake of hey you know we're you know we're trying you know you know the propaganda uh churn of of making a move um when you see everyday guys that you know have the ability to go ahead and either get a fresh start or be able to be a difference maker so to speak speak. So, yeah, I mean, yeah, the pressure seems, I think the pressure is even more, and I'm sure you guys can elaborate on this after you cut me off, but I think that when you look at,

I think it's just, if you look at the standings and you look at how competitive the entire league is and the closeness and you know i i still get a kick after all of these years when people sit there and go oh i can't believe how close it is and you know especially when you get to the you know you get to the end of the season and what have you but like you know the three-point game is why it's so darn close and i think that's why the pressure is so immense is because you have the competitive nature where you know like teams that might be four or five points outside the uh you know the cut line at the wild card feel like hey if we can you know if if but if we could go on a nice little run here at three or

four or four or five before we can get to new year's why can't we be one of those teams i just look at i think you could throw a blanket around 12 teams right now and and go yeah i can make a case either way and they may be three or four below the cut line so i just think the competitive nature and how close it is and the inner pressure of of ownership and management uh are putting the feet to the fire some people and saying hey like either we're going to go one way or we're going to go the other and you see four or five points and most people equate it to only winning a couple of games and think they're going to be able to jump over two or three teams obviously we know that's not the case because

everybody else is playing. But I think the competitive nature is why you're seeing these types of moves. And I think we're going to see a whole boatload coming. And let's not forget that whole long break where everybody's going to have. So in February for Four Nations, you're going to see, you know, going to have a lot of teams and people thinking about a lot of things for 15 or 16 days. Great stuff.

Ed's. Oh, before I let you go, just give me one impression of Mike Hartman screaming to Mike Keenan in practice. Well, I'd have to, I'd have to paint the picture first,

considering that Messier Kovalev and Adam Graves would be out there in a practice session. But Gravy blew a lace, so somebody had to jump out for him. And it ends up being Hardy. And in all due respect, I mean, Hardy couldn't carry the puck in a pail for most of his career. But we loved him to death. And all of a sudden, they're doing a five-on-oh shot, break out, regroup, and then a quick little D-to-D and shot, and halfway through, all of a sudden,

Keenan realizes that it's not Graves, Messi, and Kovalev, but it is Messi, Kovalev, and Hartman. And the whistle goes, and all you hear is, Hardy, what the flake are you doing out here? Get the hell off the ice! So we stopped practice. Hardy left to get on the boards and he started banging a stick on the boards, Borny

saying, give me a chance! I want to play! Give me a chance! Give me a chance! But we love that guy. We love him love you man thanks for doing this love you too merry christmas buddy see ya thanks eddie old chuck you know what i kind of lied i told him i did it i've forgotten how much he can't stand being addressed as ed no No, I remember that being a problem. That's his dad.

That's just my old age kicking in. I had a teammate whose last name was Crunch Nobble. He was my... Interesting. It is quite the handle. And their coach, if you didn't call for a pass, would put you in the penalty box, and you'd just have to yell your name for the two-minute, a fake two-minute duration.

So he remembers sitting in the penalty box just yelling for two minutes. Your name. Crunch, not your own name. For two minutes, which I loved. A couple things I have to read. Yes. Our 50-50 fortune supporting Food for Kids

is now complete. Congrats to the winner, Arnal Baltazar from Toronto, who is now the GTA's newest millionaire, winning $1.284 million. Stop it. With Food for Kids receiving the same amount. Wow. An amazing final ticket sale that amounted to over $2.5 million.

We can't get good coffee outside, and this guy got $1.2 million. That's right. Thanks to all our listeners for making this such a great success. Crazy. Great stuff, man. Great stuff. Okay. The fastest hour in hockey is going to continue here. What else do we got? Do you want game time? What time is it now?

Yeah, let's do game time. Good call. And then we'll leave more time for Eric Francis, who's going to join us from sportsnet.ca. So, Sammy, it's game time. It is game time. Oh, actually, there's probably game time reads. Yeah, yeah. Listen, you cannot probably a game time read. Yeah, yeah. Listen, you cannot, I want to tell you something before you start.

Yeah, yeah. Please don't be worse than Sammy. Oh, I know. Okay, let me see. Okay. All right, it's game time presented by Bet365. Visit the app for the latest odds and find out why it's never ordinary. At Bet365, must be 19 plus, Ontario only.

Please play responsibly. Now, San Jose Sharks are playing the Colorado Avalanche. Which means? A goalie. Yes, that's right. A goalie game. Yes. So you have a very interesting contest.

You have a chance to make money if you bet the Sharks to win plus a goal and a half. So spot the Sharks. They start the game at 1.5 to nothing. Do you think they can beat Colorado with a 1.5 goal lead? So if they win 3 to 2, they win at 1.5 to nothing do you think they could beat colorado with a 1.5 goal lead so if they win three to two they win by one and a half they win by half a goal and we are teaming this up as uh uh mckenzie it's blackwood versus uh gorgiev yeah right yeah so who do we believe is i think you're gonna get a redemption game from gorgiev i like the shark you do i know i like colorado in this all right colorado so if you like the

sharks uh plus a goal and a half is minus 115 ottawa versus calgary at calgary the uh the sends are favorites i do like the sends in that one that's minus 130 uh i've got the oilers minus a goal and a half against boston i think they're going to thump Boston. I've decided Boston's not good. How do you feel about that take? I don't trust them. I don't trust them. But they look terrible.

I know. Some nights they're fine, but some nights they just look terrible. So plus 145. They're hanging on. Put it that way. They are hanging on. They have an injury. I think they're toast.

Penguins are plus 135 at Nashville. And Penguins, they're trying. They're taking themselves seriously now. So those are the ones I like. If you bet all four of them, it'd be plus 1,800. So 10 bucks would win you 200. Don't do that bet. Do them individually.

But anyway, that was Game Time presented by Bet365. Visit the app for the latest odds and find out why it's never ordinary. Bet365. Must be 19 plus Ontario only. Play responsibly. All right. Thank you, Sammy. When we return, Eric Francis, Sportsnet.ca.

Technically, Calgary's got a wild card spot. They're hanging around. Don't write them off. Our jersey's hanging. It's all good again in Calgary. We'll get Eric Francis to talk about that and more when we return to Real Kipper and Bourne. Hey, it's Matt Marchese. And I'm Mike Futa.

We're discussing the top stories of the day across the NHL and the hockey world. Weekdays at noon. It's the Fan Hockey Show on Sportsnet 590. The Fan and wherever you get your podcasts. As a reminder, this hour of Real Kipper and Bourne brought to you by Bet365. Nick Kipriel, Justin Bourne. Let's welcome in Eric Francis, senior writer with Sportsnet.ca. Does a terrific job covering the Calgary Flames as they get set tonight to play the Ottawa Senators Chicago Saturday before shutting it down for a week Eric how are you pal thanks for joining us

I'm great boys how are you Merry Christmas you as well my friend so if we go back to mid-November where I think they the the Calgary flames have had, I think four wins in a row. They have not been able to put a stretch together of two wins in a row since. And yeah, they got a point against Boston, but blown a three,

one lead. Did it feel more like a, a 60 minute loss? And, you know, where are they with these last two games before the Christmas break in your eyes? It's they've become pretty inconsistent. I mean, the work ethics there and that's their calling card, as is their goaltending.

And it's still been pretty darn good. And it allows all this to be a possibility where they're, you know, on the outskirts of a playoff spot or right on the inside, whatever. But the other night when they gave up a 3-1 lead to Boston, that was a complete script flip from what we've seen all year long. This is a team that seems to win most of its games with come-from-behind wins in the third period. So to let it slip away that way, it was kind of puzzling. We hadn't seen much of that this year. I mean, puzzling is probably not the word because

Boston's a formidable team and they were pushing hard in the second half of that game. But first half of the game, Flames were incredibly dominant. I'd never seen this before in my career. First period, they were by far the better team. Absolutely took it to the Bruins. It was

0-0 up to the first period, yet the Flames were 0-11 in the face-off circle. And I think face-offs are wildly overrated. It's a coin flip every time you line up. To me, it's not that big a deal. But when you lose all 11, and by the end of the night, you're only, I think, there at 32%,

that's a growing problem in Calgary that they can't seem to figure out how to fix. Eric, when I look at this flames roster like they you know ever knew they were going to kind of sell off and this was maybe not their year but i look at the roster and i look how hard they work you mentioned that's their calling card honestly i think they're the hardest working team in the nhl every time i cover a flames game i cannot believe how consistently they press do you look look at teams like Washington or teams like the St. Louis Blues who have added players to OK teams

and go, this could be the Flames. There's a chance if they added, they could be pretty good pretty soon. That's the big debate, I think, even management's having. I mean, we all know they're in the midst of a retool, rebuild, whatever you want to call it.

I call it a high build, a hybrid rebuild. So you've got one foot in for this year and one foot in for the future. And that makes it tough to make decisions, especially at the trade deadline. So do I think they could add a significant piece? Yeah, I do. Because they've been trying to find a centerman ever since they lost Elias Lindahl. If they happen to be able to find that guy, and he's got to be pretty young because they want him to be,

it's not a rental. They're not in the business of renting anybody this year, that much I can assure you. But if they can find a significant piece, look, they've got all the cap space in the world. They could still, you know, if they wanted to make a trade where they retain some of the salary, they could easily do that too. I do think that they'll be involved at the trade deadline.

And I do think you may see them bring a significant piece in here at some point, but it'll be with an eye on the rebuild as well as trying to get into the playoffs this year. We just had Eddie Olchuk on and we were just talking about the movement that we don't normally see this time of year when it comes to trades and you know if Craig Conroy is looking at his team and he wants

to get in on anything before midnight tonight I mean what are the names off the top of your head that he can go without thinking about swinging for the fences well Flames players that might be in play well listen I saw your trade board and I see you've about swinging for the fences. What, Flames players that might be in play?

Yeah. Well, listen, I saw your trade board, and I see you've got Rasmus Anderson there and Nazem Khadri, and for sure, I don't think they're shopping either one of them right now, but that's not to say that if the right deal came around and they were getting the feeling that Rasmus wasn't interested in signing long-term, he's got this year and next year left. So you don't have to, you know, that's not a pressing issue right now. But the Nazem Koglu rumors just won't go away.

Rumors not so much because that suggests that people are piecing together trades in their minds. But, you know, those are two guys that I do think, you know, teams are going to ask about, no question about it. But in terms of who's in play, I mean, the Calgary Flames going into this season, I thought the one guy they were pretty sure they were going to try to cash in on was going to be Kuzmenko, but he's been a healthy scratch the last handful of games. Got one goal this year.

I mean, he's just absolutely plummeting. There's no value for him anywhere around the league, so I'm not sure they could even cash in on that right now. Am I making too much of a deal to suggest that between Craig Conroy and the ownership group, if you want to call it a rebuild or a retool,

is really a build towards the new arena. And if that's the case, to be able to compete right away in the new arena, and does Anderson, Rasmus Anderson, seem more inclined to maybe be a part of that than Kadri for you? We know the age difference is fairly significant,

but is there a chance that Rasmus could be around and being a key part by the time the new building opens up? There is a chance. I mean, we've seen this recent history of guys all bolting town for greener pastures, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. But what they did was this summer, they went to Rasmus Anderson and said,

look, we know a lot of your good friends and your Swedish pals were moved out this year. And I think they sensed that maybe he was going to be moving on when the time came in as well but they said to him look like you're a huge part of this organization you're one of our most important players we're going to give you even more ice time we want you to run the power play we want you to be a leader in the room and I think he's really enjoyed and it's really empowered him and I really think he's enjoyed that leadership role and I could I think that if they keep impressing upon him that look if you sign a big seven eight

year deal to stay here you will be one of our key pieces moving forward the problem is he can also see all these other young defensemen they've got a million of them uh coming up through the pipeline and it makes him probably wonder really how long will i be that important a player here i don't know he's a very emotional player to me it'll depend how this team ends this season if they crash and burn as the season goes along i think it'll leave a sour taste in his mouth and he won't be inclined to stay if they stay and show all the signs of growth continued growth with the youngsters i think rasmus henderson could stay yeah so the youngsters you mentioned, like Zari is, you know, an effective player and Coronado and Dustin Wolfe and all these guys are doing great.

But I want to ask you about a couple of the older guys that you got in the Kachuk deal there. Has Huberto found, you know, maybe a way that he can stay effective and be a contributor for them? I know Uyghur has become, you know, really one of the better D in the league for my money, but Huberto is the interesting one. Yeah, I agree with you on Uyghur has become, you know, really one of the better D in the league for my money. But Huberto is the interesting one. Yeah, I agree with you on Uyghur. And with Huberto, he's really focused on, look, he's been, you know, swimming for two years now,

just trying to figure out how to find some semblance, like to gain some traction. And his latest is, you know, they've got him on the penalty kill, and he's tried to become a 200-foot player. That's not the, no one's ever, you know, accused him of being that in the past. And, you know, he says, I just want to do whatever I can to help the team win. And in his mind, that means being extremely strong defensively, playing in the final minute of the game when they're clinging to a lead. And it's actually worked out pretty well.

This team hasn't had a first line, you know, for three years now since, you know, since Chuck and Johnny lit it up. But, you know, they have a semblance of it right now. Huberto and Cagri are actually showing signs of chemistry. It's only been two and a half weeks, so it's early. But they've both been on some pretty significant scoring binges of late. And there is a threat with Pospisil that they actually have a first line a legitimate first line we'll see but uh huberto has been showing tremendous signs of improvement i think he's back on pace for 30 goals um and you know and be much better than he has been in past years he's he's finding a way to be more relevant and that's kind of the

key thing because a lot of people just look at him you say well if you're not getting points what are you doing right uh you know Now he's getting more points, but he's also doing other things to make himself relevant. We're talking to Eric Francis, senior columnist with Sportsnet.ca. You're going to see a very hot Ottawa Senators hockey club against Calgary tonight. As far as Ottawa playing as well as any team right now, that's one thing but they also looking at a new york ranger team that have given them a lot of hope here that uh that they can hold

on to a playoff spot here what do you make out of the new york rangers and uh and and can they get it back on the rails in your opinion, from here on in? I still think they're going to be in the playoffs. You do? I still think they're too talented. They've still got one of the world's best goalies, and I know he's not having the season he'd like to have. But now that the contract stuff's behind him,

I don't know if all the trade rumblings are behind him. I do think that's been mishandled by the general manager, telegraphing that certain guys are on hot seats. I don't think that's ever good for the dressing room. But I still think that the depth in that room, the depth in that organization is such, and the experience there, once they get Panarin back, I feel like after Christmas we're going to see the New York Rangers get on a roll.

So I don't worry about them too much. I know in Gotham they're freaking out and losing their minds. After Christmas, we're going to see the New York Rangers get on a roll. So I don't worry about them too much. I know in Gotham, they're freaking out and losing their minds. And I get it. This is very shocking what's happening there. But I think the waters are going to calm soon. And I think that they'll be safely in a playoff spot by the time the playoffs roll around. No question in my mind. It is funny as someone who pulls for the Islanders, watching the Rangers laden with talent,

just pull their own hair out like screaming it's like guys don't like i don't want them to realize they're fine because they're totally fine but yeah it is it is fascinating to watch the sabers not fine uh we've been talking about teams around the nhl that there's some drama that that one is fascinating to me the other one um you know, and since you cover so many Canadian teams here and follow it so closely, is the Canucks, which they're fine. They're fine. They're fine.

You know, I can't quite make sense. I can't try to talk myself into it. You got your ear to the ground. What are you hearing out of Vancouver? Come on. Well, kind of like you, Borny, and loving watching the Rangers squirm and go through adversity as an Islander fan. I'm a Calgarian, man.

Anything on that side of the mountains that's going chaotically is just delicious to me. That's fun. It is entertainment. We're in the entertainment business, too, guys, and there's a lot of entertainment going on right there. There's a lot of finger-pointing. There's a lot of entertainment going on right there. There's a lot of finger-pointing. There's a lot of rumor and innuendo. Like, all the things – actually, the Calgary Plains have dealt with that the previous two years.

This year it's been quiet. I think it's partly why they're doing so well. There was so much noise surrounding this organization the last two years, and Craig Conrad repeatedly points to it and says, that was hard for us to handle. They're clearly having a hard time with it in vancouver too again you like to think that after christmas things will settle down but i don't know what it's going to take for those rumors and all that chatter to settle down maybe elliot maybe elliot's got to

stop throwing out trade proposals that's an all-time because elliot doesn't do that often so it was fun to see him just lob a grenade that was a fun it was great yeah it's great and like i said from calgary we like to lob grenades and we can get them just over the mountains just the land softly in vancouver it's perfect so if the rangers are giving uh ottawa hope here is is colorado doing the same in the western conference. Only three games above 500 for a team that's got McKinnon, Makar, and Rantanen. What do you see there? I don't worry about them anymore because they've got goaltending.

And I'm not suggesting that that's the proven solution, but they definitely didn't have goaltending before. And they addressed their number one issue. Nobody could look at them as a legitimate contender uh with that goaltending the way it just continued to not come and and live up to the standards of that organization but i remind people too like hey when they won the cup i don't think uh they thought that people didn't think they had the goaltending that year to win the cup and they made it work. So there's a chance to me that, that Wedgwood could be a big part of that solution there.

So there's just too much talent there for them to not make the playoffs. Now, will it be a legitimate contender? That revolves entirely around their goaltending, if you ask me, because I think they've got so many other pieces and they've also been decimated guys with injuries and all sorts of stuff I feel like they're going to be just fine in the second half. Anytime you have like tent poles like they have great players

like you think they'll make some deadline moves shore that up like they're going to get a bit better so let's just say hypothetically there is some spots you know a spot in the west the Flames could get in there eventually I'm going to give you three teams in the west and you tell me which one of them is the biggest threat to get in there eventually. I'm going to give you three teams in the West, and you tell me which one of them is the biggest threat to get in there.

Would it be Utah, St. Louis, or Seattle? Which of those three teams do you feel like is a viable? Because, you know, those three teams are not bad hockey teams, and I think all of them had some expectations that they would be at least near playoff teams this year. Yeah, I mean, that's an interesting question because they are very similar. expectations that they would be at least near playoff teams this year? Yeah, I mean, that's an interesting question because they are very similar, aren't they?

Right in that hushy middle and you feel like they could go either way. I don't know. I'm a big fan of the Joey Decord, and I just kind of think that Seattle would be the team of those to kind of maybe break through and take another step. Kako could help. What's that? Kako could help too, right? He's looking for a chance.

That was a very interesting trade, right? I like taking your chances on a young, talented guy like that. So, yeah, I think that would be my pick for the three. Utah's just still – look, they were so excited at the beginning. They got off to a pretty good start, and then I still think they're so young and they don't know how to win um listen you talk about i talk about a hybrid here whenever i talk to flames ownership or people in management they always cite like the buffalo sabers they cite the edmonton oilers up until last year they cite detroit you know they they say there's no guarantee that if you burnt this thing down

that you could ever just snap your fingers and suddenly create a winning culture. Well, I think in all those cases, those cities I just mentioned, they don't have a winning culture and they haven't for a million years. It's hard to just build that, you know, when you feel like you're ready to do so. The Flames are still, you know, have a great culture here. And, you know, it's great culture here, and, you know, it's a pretty winning culture this year, too, so I don't, I'm getting off topic, but I see a team like Seattle and Utah,

they're right in that cusp, they could go one way or the other. Eric, great stuff, man. Enjoy the hockey game tonight, we'll catch up soon. Always great having you on our show, we really appreciate the time that you make for us. Always love coming on, boys. Happy holidays. Great to see you. Thanks, buddy. Appreciate it. All the best

to you and yours as well. I just wanted to follow up his talk about Seattle and you know, Kako comes in. He's going to play with Beneers, right? He's going to play with McCann.

He's going to play power play as Edzo guy yeah right he's gonna and he's gonna play power play as edzo told us he's gonna get every opportunity um it's really everything to gain and nothing to lose because if you really think about it like again what edzo said is that they weren't going to sign uh will borgan bor, meaning that he was going to walk for nothing. At least with Kakko, he's a restricted free agent at the end of the year. But you could almost treat him as if if it doesn't work out, just get rid of him. He's flippable. It's just it'll end up being a wash because you weren't going to keep your defenseman.

Yeah. And he's controlled. So I don't think it's that big of a gamble for Ron Francis. And I love the idea of saying, yeah, we think you've been misusing this kid. We're going to play him in good spots and give him a chance to get hot, get his confidence going.

And that Seattle team is like, they are just missing the top end. Because they have a very solid team all the way through they just really tough to break through when your best guy is veneers i guess chandler stevenson who's supposed to score now six and a half i think for for chandler stevenson but he can't he's not seen in that type of front line, carry a hockey club center iceman. Yeah.

So who's supposed to score? I guess Jared McCann can score a bit. And maybe Keckle can come in and be a bit of a power forward that can score 25 goals. Also, Edzo loved Borgen. Yes, he spoke very highly of his watermelons. He did specifically reference his watermelons. Yeah.

Which, you know, if you're the Rangers and you've just given up Truba, you probably like having a guy with that equipment. Yes. You know, someone who's competitive. It's still very important. It's a very big factor in the game. And a big part of the reason why, you know, I'm sitting here today. To hang in there, some of these guys, don't know you had baby water yeah just little grapes

you know to hang in there it's okay yeah these guys block shots like chris tanev watching him eat one-timers from guys just like god that's not fun zach hyman's playing with his eyes shut he looks like a toronto trash panda out there there are times when you're watching these games and we're gonna see i think nine tonight uh when we go into the weekend and things shut down but you can tell sometimes the the focus isn't there with the the boys right they're a little distracted yeah this time of year they shouldn't be because lo and behold you can get traded right now can you imagine how these guys in in the last 24 hours going are you kidding me yeah i gotta now go travel and work on moving vans and oh oh yeah

it's brutal it's a disaster to get traded this time of year. But not in the trade thing, like just being focused on Christmas. And then our junior coach, a bunch of guys brought flats of beer to the to the last game before the break for the Christmas party. The coaches sat in the stands and drank it while we ran stairs right before Christmas. Guys are focused on other things this time of year. So maybe the trade will wake them up. So do we manage to go two hours without Sammy McKee? We did.

We did. The key was our guests. Because we stink. We can't do it by ourselves. We need guests. Yeah. We need some. We need play drivers for us.

Joshua Cloak, Ed Olchuk, Eddie Olchuk. Eddie Olchuk. And Eric Francis. Thank you very much. Enjoy your games. We're back tomorrow. Off the rails Friday, I believe. Doug McClain, we'll find him.